Boarding Call

The final two hours before departure were filled with the sounds of slamming doors and heavy footsteps. The whole household was roaming about with a vengeance, John most of all, darting in and out of the house as much as through it. With less than thirty minutes to go, he hurried north to the forests to visit Vallya.

"You don't need to worry about me. I'll be ready whenever you need me, Master," Vallya vowed.

"Vallya, about what happened. Even if you couldn't join us at home, I still want to hear-"

"You shouldn't be worrying, you should be praising, dear," Vallya interrupted, tutting him as her tails flicked at his lips. "All that worked up energy you had, the worst of the comments you made – tame as they really were – and I didn't even feel the slightest desire to watch you squirm. I was actually quite worried about you."

"I know. I know, you-" John spat fluff as Vallya's tails tried to **** their way down his gullet mid-sentence. "I was petty, and ungrateful, and-"

"That's not what I said at all, you silly little boy." This time there was a little heat to her tone, but it was exaggerated, just strong enough to silence him. Her hand emerged from the cluster of tails that was battering his face and flicked him across the nose. "I'm saying that it worked. Granted, for as worked up as you are, you didn't do anything horrendous, but still – I was too busy worrying about you to even think about how much fun it would be to torment you."

"Vallya," John groaned. "We don't have much time. I'm trying to have a conversation."

"So am I. You're just not very good at listening once you get an idea stuck in that head of yours," Vallya crooned. She stepped closer to him and began to float, levitating just enough that when she laced her fingers through his hair and pulled herself to him, his head was resting against the swell of her chest. "I don't care about what happened, John. I've already been so much more malicious than a little anxiety could ever make you."

"That wasn't you," John protested.

"And it wasn't you, either," Vallya murmured. John thought about arguing the point, but Vallya didn't look interested in a debate. "Besides, you've done so much for me, a little bad mood could never compare to how much better and brighter I am thanks to you!"

"You really are in a good mood. Even more than usual," John noted. His brow quirked in suspicion – Vallya saw it and rolled her eyes in the most dramatic fashion she could manage.

"Like I said, you really aren't very good at listening." Vallya zipped off into the forest before he could ask for clarification – though he was sure none would have been given. Her voice echoed again after she was gone, seeming to emerge from all corners of the forest. "I'll see you at the grove, Master. And don't worry. I'll go the long way."

"Damn it, I..." John heaved a sigh and let the words fall away from him. He wasn't even sure if Vallya could hear him anymore. Rather than waste his final moments shouting into a silent treeline, John turned for home, taking to the skies to speed up his trip. His flying was getting smoother, and faster, too – the trees vanished behind him rapidly. He was just beginning to angle himself for descent when he caught sight of Yvara stepping across the yard, either returning from the temple or one of Orria's groves.

"Yvara, good to see you," John called out as he landed, setting down in the open space between their sparse constructions. "I know this is a lot to ask, but-"

"I'll keep the alchemy machines working twenty-four hours a day, Lord John," Yvara promised. The sense of urgency had brought an unusual grace to the dragoness. Her gaze was filled with a warmth and familiarity that overshadowed the restless anxiety present in the others. "In fact, I left to check on Orria's gardens. We still have quite a stockpile of ingredients, and many restorative potions too, even if they're of lesser quality."

"And thank Gaia I had the sense not to chug all our buff potions." The bitterness still lingered from his actions, but there was nothing that could be done about that now. "Thank you, Yvara. For this, and for your patience."

"Always, my Lord."

She veered toward the lab while he continued homeward. Opening the front door revealed much the same chaos as when he'd left, the frantic energy of the residents growing as the minutes ticked away. Maera and Mithra dashed about with the kittens in an attempt to wear them out one last time before they left, turning any attempt to cross the house into a dangerous minefield of tripping hazards and **** tails. Shishun was stationed in the kitchen, using the unoccupied table to lay out her weapons and etch glistening runes in a gradient of blues and yellows. Sophia stood like a sentry at watch, her eyes scanning over the madness, her armor and blade donned and ready.

Lerianna approached him with none of her usual confidence. "Hey, John, I know we're busy and all, but can I get a minute-"

"One second," John murmured, raising his voice to the others. "Is Orria here?"

"She already left for her grove, Father. She said she would be there to see us off." Sophia turned to address him, only allowing her attention to wander when John's grimace was not accompanied with further questions.

"That's unfortunate. Well, everyone else, it's time I finally distribute all this experience we built up, plus all the free stat points you guys have accumulated. I planned to do it in the final stretch as a little extra pick-me-up for all of you, but since I-" Self-flagellation was assembled, prepared, and discarded in a moment. "Everyone else who will be fighting, wrap up what you're doing and meet me outside in ten minutes. This could take a bit, I don't want us running late. Not today."

"John, can we talk?" Lerianna asked again, pursing her lips until they were naught but a thin line. "In private, please."

"Did something happen while I was gone?"

"No, not exactly, I just-" Lerianna fidgeted in a way that looked awkward on her, brushing a lock of her ivory hair safely behind an ear with none of her usual grace. "I just really need to talk to you."

A dozen thoughts were still swimming in his mind. He'd made so many preparations on his own over the last two days, yet somehow, nothing felt ready – everything had to be double checked countless times. John still needed to make a final pass on their alchemical inventory, double check his own equipment, Salvage and Refine as much raw material as he dared from their over-stuffed Abyssal Chest, and then make it outside in time for distributing experience and potions.

"Lerianna, I'm kind of overwhelmed here. We'll have plenty of time on the trip..." John's words grew quiet, then faded away. Not because of the way Lerianna's eyes narrowed, or the slump of her shoulders, though he noticed both. It was the thoughts of the last few days, the blurry memories of brushing aside every other concern, no matter who voiced it."

"No. Deep breath. In. Out."

The drawn out breath didn't help their limited time frame, and he wasn't even feeling overly anxious. Certainly not more than the situation called for. But the pause **** him to stop letting his mind wander and really see Lerianna for a moment – see the discomfort in her eyes, the way she was clearly annoyed at how dismissive he was being, but too weighed down by whatever was on her mind to respond with her usual vigor, much less ****.

"Come with me," John spoke in a lower tone. He caressed the arm that Lerianna was holding over her abdomen as he jerked his head toward the stairs. "We have some time left to talk. And I obviously need to get better about listening."

Lerianna's relief was apparent. She followed John up the stairs with haste, escaping the bounds of the lounge just moments before Midoriya and Miriam zipped through, followed by a squeal that was too faint to place. The sound of Mithra half-heartedly chastising the adolescents had just reached them when it was promptly silenced by the click of an enchanted lock.

"Alright. What's on your mind?"

"Geez, I-I'm sorry, okay?" Lerianna grumbled. She shifted uneasily, wincing after a moment. "That's... no, I just- I mean that I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. Would you mind telling me what it's for?" John's smile broadened as Lerianna's eyes narrowed.

"It was my fault." Lerianna's fingers traced the lines of her joints absently, and she gave a lethargic shrug. "At least partially mine. You wanted us to be honest, so there it is. I'm sorry I almost got you killed."

"Lerianna," John groaned. He **** himself to take another breath, this one to quell genuine frustration. "I told you I wanted honesty, but I also said I didn't want to hear justifications, or self-blame, or- or whatever this is. I can't imagine what you think you did to cause this, I really can't."

"I'm the one who pushed you, who acted like she was invincible." Lerianna's voice was quiet, and she tilted her head away, making it even harder to hear. The way one foot was still angled toward the door spoke to the divide in her thoughts. "I acted like a complete dipshit and brushed off having my torso blown open, with half my entrails disintegrated. I practically screamed in your face that it was fine to ignore serious injuries and push through, and acted like it was the most fulfilling shit ever."

"You were just reinforcing what Sophia already beat into me earlier this month," John countered. "You were right, too; it was just one mistake, one that could have happened to any of us. I fucked up over and over again, and kept going, even when all of you tried to tell me that it was fine."

"Yeah, maybe it could have happened to any of us. And if it had been anyone else, they would have freaked the fuck out!" Lerianna threw her hands outward, then upward toward her own face, as if she were considering slapping herself. "We're not like you. We don't just pop everything back into place a second after we get hit. I should have been terrified – I was terrified later, once all the adrenaline wore off! But in the moment, all I cared about was getting back out there. I was still missing a fist-sized chunk of me, still bleeding like hell, and all I did was kiss you and get back out there!"

"Lerianna, this is a stretch, eve- ev-" John's eyelids fluttered and he came to a stammering halt as the reflexive denial wore away. He expected a sympathetic look, some sort of pity fueling the attempt to assuage his guilt. Instead he saw that guilt mirrored in full. "Lerianna?"

"I worked so fucking hard for my entire life to keep myself under control. But what do I do the second I can get away with it? I start chasing after every drop of dopamine I can find like an addict, just like my species have always done." Lerianna spoke of her people like a dark curse. Gloom clouded over her as the admission stole something from her. "I'm not stronger than them, and I'm not more resilient. I was just terrified enough to cower. As soon as that fear was gone, I turned into a hormone-riddled mess drunk on pleasure."

"So you're saying you let your guard down, and because of that, you didn't realize how much differently you were acting until it was over?" John prodded.

"Oh, very fucking cute," Lerianna growled. She crossed her arms and tucked them in tightly, spinning to face away from John. "I'm being serious here."

"So am I." Lerianna was too tense to slip his own arms under hers, so John simply embraced her, his hands resting atop one another over her navel. "At least you were doing it for a good reason. You've spent your whole life under constant watch. I'm glad that you can finally let yourself relax – and I'll be here to take care of you if you need it."

"Tch. Guess that goes both ways now. Dumbass." Lerianna stiffened even more when John first touched her, but she didn't throw an elbow his way as he'd halfway expected. The glow of her inhibitor marked it at maximum capacity – he had a strong feeling it had been like that since he'd almost died.

"I guess it does," John breathed into her ear. "We're just a couple of hormone-addled fools. But at least we can be fools about it together."

"...John?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't go dying on me again."

John tightened his grip, tugging her taut figure against his own, enjoying the way their bodies mingled.

"Believe me, the last thing I want to do is wind up back there."

---

The grove had transformed drastically since the last time that John had visited. Partly his own fault – he'd been so focused on the training that he had neglected to use the grove as his point of entry and exit from his world as often as he should have. Even then, it was clear that a great deal of work had gone into the lush oasis at the bottom of the canyon.

Dense vines and thick foliage that might have made the journey downward almost unmanageable peeled away at their approach, clearing a path that was downright pleasant. They trod across short grasses and soft moss, with the only contact from the jungle being an occasional tender caress from a long leaf. As their back ranks crossed the threshold, each stretch of greenery that gave way ahead of John was matched by the vegetation behind them beginning to seal into place once more. In the background, thick columns of stone occasionally protruded at odd angles, and large rocks gave the false impression of cliff faces.

"Nyaa, spooooooky," Maera commented from near the middle of the group. She kept her eyes on a constant swivel as different parts of the forest caught her attention. "Myaster, when did we get a haunted forest?"

"It's not haunted, it's Orria." John slowed his steps a little, allowing Maera to fall in at his side so that he could scratch behind her ears. She didn't seem to be truly frightened, but she didn't gripe about the affection either. "She built this place for us. It's pleasant enough now, but if anyone tries to get into our world again, this place is going to turn into hell on earth."

"You know, your euphemism reminds me – you've never actually given this place a name." While he'd known that she was within its depths, it still took John conscious effort not to jolt backward as Orria was revealed by the parting plants.

The group came to a halt at once, and the shifting of the flora mirrored their pause. Orria looked more like herself than she had since John's awakening. Her eyes were on the surroundings rather than the entering group, and her notebook was in hand once more. The melancholy of the past two days was nowhere to be found; her blue eyes shimmered with delight as she alternated pen strokes between sketching and notes.

"Names are for other people to use. This place is just home," John countered.

"Well, 'hell on home' isn't nearly as intimidating, but if you think it'll work," Orria teased. She spun on her heel and started strolling down the path, humming as she went. "Come on, we're almost there!"

"Almost? How big is this place?" Lerianna muttered from behind.

"Big enough to get lost in, so step quickly."

The group needed no further encouragement – the trees behind them had begun to rustle, and they were not eager to be assailed by the converging of the brush. They continued their march like that for a while, past the remnants of ancient ruins riddled with veins of gold, through copses of plant life with names they did not know.

It was almost anticlimactic when Orria came to a halt, stopping in the middle of a small clearing that none of them could place as any different or more important than the others they had passed. The only thing to distinguish it from the rest of the grove was not a feature of the wilderness at all, but the presence of Vallya. The kitsune gave them a merry wave as she hopped down from the fork of a gnarled-looking trunk.

“Master! Everyone! Great to see you all. Nice to have everyone gathered in one place again,” Vallya swooned as she hovered over to join them. Her tone was just sweet enough that no one could be quite certain whether they tasted venom laced into the syllables.

"This is the center of the grove. This is the safest place for you to transition between worlds from," Orria explained, leaning in a rather lackadaisical manner against the body of what appeared to be a great tree with its mighty girth woven from some two dozen smaller trunks braided together. "If need be, I could keep someone unaware wandering in circles here until they died of natural causes. But given the amount of mana I have poured into this grove since its sprouting, I won't need to use such drawn out methods."

"That's reassuring," John murmured. Orria seemed to find the uncertainty of his tone rather amusing.

"Well, I've only done as you asked, John. And as I said I would. I'm here to see you off... and I'll be waiting whenever you're next able to return." Orria stepped forward as she spoke, wrapping her arms around him without waiting for a response. As she clutched him to her breast, she lowered her voice to a bare whisper. "Take care, my love. Come back to me as soon as you can. I know it's selfish, but I miss the days when the only place you belonged was with us."

"Orria, are you...?" John left his question unfinished so that he could turn to the others instead. "Everyone, let Moira know I'll be along in a few minutes. Get the seating and travel arrangements figured out with her, Sophia."

The faint twitch of Sophia's neck gave away her curiosity, but she didn't let it ring in her voice. "As you command, Father. We will be ready when you join us."

“Oh, come on. I’ve been waiting for so long, and you all just got here! Can’t we all at least take a moment to-” Vallya’s words were carried away, along with the woman herself, and all those standing around her.

The wake of Summoner's Warp brought a deep quiet to the grove and left the two of them alone in the emptiness it had created. When John turned his attention ahead once more, Orria's eyes met his own with a blend of adoration and gentle chastisement.

"You don't need to stay for my sake. I will be strong for you, dear John," Orria crooned. She planted her lips on the crook of his neck and inhaled deeply while she held herself there.

"You don't always have to be strong." John meant to be reassuring, but the knowing smile that Orria gave seemed far from comforted.

"And here I thought that was exactly what was expected of me?" The bittersweet tilt of her lips ripped a sigh from him.

"You know what I meant. Do you want to talk about the- the... 'soil' I 'stirred'?" John fumbled his way through the question as he fought to recall the exact words. Her phrasing had been somewhat blurred in his mind, unlike the stark difference in her demeanor.

"Those are old matters now," Orria whispered. "Ones best left as they are. There is no use for things lost so long ago, save as fertilizer for the spirit to continue its growth."

"You're not usually this philosophical," John observed. For a moment, Orria's ever-unshakable demeanor showed a moment of hesitation. Her eyes flickered to John, widened, then shot away again in clear self-consciousness.

"Old memories, as I said," Orria whispered ruefully. "I suppose they might have brought more with them than I realized, though. While you're gone, I think I'll spend some time surveying myself for a change. I believe it would do me some good."

"You can always contact me with the ring, Orria. I'll keep it active any time we're not in a fight, and I'll check in on you as much as I can." John stepped forward, nestling the back of his hand against Orria's open palm. She laced her fingers around his and gave a firm squeeze, though his words lacked the strength to shift the heavy weight that still lingered over her.

"I don't need you to worry about me, John," Orria said. "I just need you to come back to me. I can sprout a seed and help it blossom into a tree that reaches the heavens, but... I have not always tended so well to myself, in the past. Without you around to prune away the thorns, I dread what might become of me. Especially in the gloom that would sit over this place without you."

"I-" John started. He had to **** a swallow to get the rest out. "I don't know what happened in your past, but I won't let it happen again. I still have promises to keep – I promised Kim that we would all come back to Springfield together. And I promised Vallya that I'd bring her home one day. I can't go dying before I keep my word, now can I?"

"I do not know how a promise is supposed to shield you from the darkness ahead, John." Orria's voice trembled as she raised the hand not bound to his own. She traced the line of his jaw with the back of her fingertips, memorizing the shape of him while she still could, all while leaning into the not-quite-embrace.

"They aren't meant to shield me from darkness. It's to shield you, Orria. Shield you from fear, and worry, and doubt." John mirrored her caresses, the ridges formed by his fingerprints grazing along her pointed ears with just enough **** to make her shiver from the sensation. "I can't be here for you all the time. But my promise can be with you, even in the darkest corners of your mind."

"You're not usually this philosophical," Orria retorted, grinning against his cheek.

"I learned that one from someone a lot smarter than me," John admitted.

"Oh? Well, that could be anyone, really." Orria silenced his offended protest with a kiss before it could form. Her lips smothered his with all of her usual tenderness and care, but there was a deep, **** need fueling the contact. Orria released her hold on his hand, only to grip him by the small of his back a moment later. She pulled him tightly to her figure, melding their bodies and stretching out a moment that lasted only a few heartbeats, but sheltered an oath pointed towards eternity.

When Orria stepped back from him, it was with a faint blush upon her cheeks and the stance so firm, he half expected her to try demanding to come along with him once more.

"I care nothing for this war, or the world it is to protect." The blunt statement amplified the indifference of her words, especially against the passion in her eyes. "But I love you, John. Keep your promises. Come home to us."

John nodded, taking a final step back to separate them fully as the countdown for his World Shift continued to tick away.