Reunion

"Guys, guess what I just did~!" Fabian called out, as he landed down on the clouds.

"Did you get stuck in a bird trap again?" Matias asked, not looking up from his book.

"Okay, listen! It was one time!" Fabian complained. "But no, I did not get stuck in a bird trap."

"Would have preferred it if you did." Lucas smirked.

Fabian frowned. "You're a bitch."

"Not as much as you." Lucas shot back.

"Fair enough." He shrugged. "Wait a minute, you all brought me off topic! I wanted to tell you all that I found both the God Slayer and Hydema!"

"Hydema?!" Lucas shouted. "Oh, you are so screwed, man."

Fabian puffed out his cheek. "Rude! Don't forget that I am a god as well! There's more than one, you idiot!" He turned away, sighing. "Though it is a little unfair that people gave me the name God, even though Hydema exists."

Lucas suddenly whipped around to Matias. "Why aren't you surprised?"

"He… told me about this already… he was destroying stuff in order to get Hydema out of Hell…." Matias admitted, seeming slightly embarrassed.

"Are you kidding me?" Lucas turned to Fabian. "You're telling me I was the only one who didn't know about this elaborate plan thingy?"

"Yup!" Fabian smiled at him.

"Bruh."

Fabian cackled at his response, patting him on the head. "Don't be sad, it's not your fault you're an idiot!" Lucas frowned, going completely silent. Fabian snorted, turning to Matias. "Well, what's been going on so far? Glad to see I didn't get punched the moment I appeared, this time."

Matias shrugged, closing the book in his hands and placing it on his lap. "Nothing, really. We've been talking about how we met you a bit more. Lucas started crying."

Lucas blushed, crossing his arms and looking away. "I-I was not!"

"Yes you were~." Matias smiled.

Fabian snickered. "I don't ever remember you being so teasy before…."

"Who's to say?" Matias replied. "Probably got it from you."

"I've infected you! You're forever part of the dark side, nothing can save you now!" Fabian declared, once again channeling an evil persona.

Matias sighed, shaking his head. "No, that isn't true! It can't be true!"

Lucas stood up. "Don't worry! I shall slay this fiend!"

"Why do our interactions always devolve into a roleplay?" Fabian asked them.

"I blame you." Lucas pointed at him.

"Same." Matias added on. Fabian pouted, kicking up some of the clouds. There was silence between the three, as they all started thinking about what to do next. Fabian hadn't quite thought this far yet, trying to think of something quickly. Fabian groaned, falling over and stuffing his face down into the clouds. Matias's eyes widened slightly at the gesture, scooting over to Fabian and tapping him oh the head. "Fabian? You're going to suffocate if you stay there."

"Shut up." Fabian's voice came out muffled. "I'm trying to think."

"You won't be capable of thinking if you pass out." Matias told him. Fabian went silent for a moment, before he pulled his head out of the clouds, seeming a little annoyed.

"Fine, alrighty!" He complained. "I still don't know what to do, so I'm just going to pass out here." Fabian crossed his arms, falling back and closing his eyes. "Hm… what to do…." He hummed, his brows furrowing.

"Uh…" Lucas started. "Can't you just… use your magic or something and get rid of the Godslayer?"

Fabian sat up, lightly hitting Lucas in the shoulder. "You idiot, it isn't that easy! Can't you tell that she has a sword that can literally kill me? Plus, Hydema can probably restrain me so then the Godslayer can just fucking stab me in the chest." Fabian sighed, knowing part of that statement wasn't exactly true. I wonder if Harper would be able to do that… would it go against the request? He wondered. "Anyways, I've actually got an idea now!" Fabian nodded his head. "So, basically. Lucas, since you're probably the most normal out of us three, you can go and hang around them for a bit. Learn who they are, what they do. Weaknesses, maybe. Anything at all."

Lucas seemed a bit uneasy. "U-Um, really?"

Fabian nodded his head. "Yeah, really. I trust you!" He smiled, not realizing just how much pressure he had just put upon Lucas.

"You do?" Lucas asked.

"You said yes to my questions." Fabian crossed his arms, seeming a little annoyed. "You agreed to the whole, 'never betray me' part. So why wouldn't I?"

Lucas blushed, slightly embarrassed. "W-Well, what if I mess up? I know you're aware that I'm not that great at following plans and such…."

Fabian went silent, thinking for a moment. He then smiled, walking over to Lucas and patting him on the head. "It'll be fine. It's not that hard! Not nearly as hard as what I have to do, anyways. Just so you know, if anything bad happens, I'll swoop down and save you! Either that, or Matias'll come. Or the both of us." He held his hand out, waiting for Lucas to grab it. "You're better at following orders than you think you are, Lucas."

Lucas stared at him for a moment, before taking his hand as Fabian pulled him up. "God… didn't think you were such a sap."

Fabian grinned. "You'd be surprised! Also, may wanna start changing your use of the word God now. Since like, the sentence sounded a bit weird since I am, well, God."

Lucas nodded. "Oh, right. So, what should I be doing?"

~~~~~~~

Harper sighed, digging her nails into her palm. There was a lot she couldn't say, but the group didn't know about it. "Alright. You're all wanting to know about my connection to God, correct?"

Miracle nodded her head. "You referred to him as 'Fabian'. Is that his name?"

Harper nodded her head. "Yeah, it is. God was just a title given to him at some point. Doubt he likes it, to be fairly honest…." She sighed, lowering her head. "Fabian's pretty young, actually. I knew him from before he was an adult."

Miracle blinked, seeing the possible connection. "Wait a minute… I might know him."

Harper's eyes widened, as she looked up. "You do?! From where?!"

Miracle seemed a bit shocked at her reaction, raising her hands in a defensive action. "W-Wait! I don't know him personally… I had a friend, his name was Matias. He said that he had a friend from before named Fabian." Miracle explained. "Matias said he went missing a long time ago. Could that Fabian and this one be the same…?"

Harper thought for a moment, before nodding her head. "It seems possible…."

There was silence, as people thought of what to say next. They weren't sure what to do, since they'd just been attacked. "Should we keep heading to find this Asa person? Or… should we just wait for a bit?" Miracle asked.

Harper thought for a moment, before she shook her head. "We should stay for a while. Plus, you should probably start working."

"Working?" Miracle repeated. "How so?"

Victoria walked over to her, hitting her on the back. Miracle stumbled forwards, nearly falling on the ground. "See? You're so fuckin' flimsy! You need to train a bit! Have you ever wielded a sword before in your life?"

"Y-Yes?! I've had this sword for a long time!" Miracle shouted.

"I have to admit, your form is a bit off…." Bartholomew commented. The two thought for a moment, before Victoria grabbed Miracle by the arm.

"Alright, you're coming with us!" She declared. "You need to figure out how to defend yourself!"

"W-Wait! What about the rest of us?" Miracle asked.

Scarlet sighed. "Sorry, but I already know how to fight. I was a professional hunter before any of this happened. Needed to feed my village." She explained. Pedro nodded in agreement.

"I had to take care of my sisters, so I kinda had to learn how to fight." He smiled softly. "Also, they really liked sparing…."

Harper blinked. "It's pretty obvious that even if I didn't know how to fight, I'd still be doing pretty okay."

Naomi shrugged. "I know how to use magic really well. And Bubble, she's a familiar. She's always known how to fight." Naomi waved as the group of three started leaving. "Sorry, Miracle. You're the least experienced of us."

Victoria grinned. "I committed mass murder in my past life, so of course I knew how to fight!"

"I don't remember, but considering the position I'm in, I guess I was good at fighting as well." Bartholomew confirmed. Miracle frowned, as she allowed herself to be dragged off by the two demons.

~~~~~~

"Bang!" Victoria shouted. Miracle parried the shot, but stumbled back from the force. Victoria stared at her in dismay, letting out an irritated sigh. "C'mon, you can't just fold over at the slightest amount of force! You gotta be strong! Independent! Don't be so reliant on the strength of the sword! You need to apply more force into your own body!"

"What's that even supposed to mean?" Miracle asked.

"Stop being such a wuss." Bartholomew called out from the sidelines.

Miracle frowned. "This is just bullying…."

"Yeah, well, um… you need to focus on what's happening, not what you're thinking is happening!" Victoria said hastily. "So listen, Miracle. You need to react." Victoria fiddled with the gun in her hand, seeming to switch to a different mode of sorts. "This is the slowest the shot will be, okay? I'll start speeding them up later." She raised the gun, placing her finger on the trigger. "Bang!" She shouted, the projectile aiming towards Miracle. It was true it was slower, but Miracle only barely managed to make sure it didn't hit her. "Hm, better!" Victoria smiled. "You didn't fall over like a wimp this time!"

"Thanks…." Miracle mumbled, going into a stance once again. Victoria pointed the gun at her, readying a shot.

"Ba- just kidding!" She grinned, when Bartholomew swung his own blade at Miracle. Miracle flinched, fumbling the sword in her hand. Bartholomew's own sword was an inch next to her neck. Victoria sighed, placing the gun back into her own holster.

"You need to be ready for anything." Bartholomew said to Miracle, taking the sword away and stabbing it into the ground. "You can't just focus on one thing, you need to pay attention to your surroundings."

Miracle nodded glumly, feeling a little disappointed in herself. "Sorry…. I guess you two were right… I'm not very experienced in fighting…."

Victoria smiled, patting Miracle on the head. "Listen, that's what we're here for! We're meant to help you out, 'kay? So, back to fighting!"

Miracle nodded, lifting her sword. "Wait," Bartholomew walked over to her, adjusting her position. "That'll work out a bit better for you. If you're feeling uneasy, try to get back to this position." Miracle stared at him for a moment, before she nodded, focusing back onto Victoria."

"Bang!" She shouted, Miracle successfully blocking the projectile sent at her. "Nice one! Okay, I'm going to slowly speed up the shots now, since you did it well. Mewmew will attack you occasionally, so pay attention!"

"Don't call me Mewmew!" Bartholomew shouted.

"Bang!" Victoria shot again, Miracle defending herself again. She then immediately turned around, deflecting Bartholomew's sword. He stepped back, as Miracle beamed.

"I did it!" She shouted.

Bartholomew nodded his head. "Right. Good job. I'll start going faster as well, then." Miracle nodded her head again, turning back to Victoria.

She raised the gun, then froze. "Wait." Victoria turned to her left, looking out into the forest.

"Wha-"

"Sh." Bartholomew shushed her, walking over to stand next to Victoria as he raised his sword up. Miracle went silent, not sure what she should do next. It was then she heard something.

Snap.

Miracle nearly leapt out of her skin, not having expected the sound. Victoria grit her teeth, attaching a couple parts to the gun, switching to a different type. "Riffle." She said quietly. "Shoots fast." There was silence again, no one moving an inch. The atmosphere was so thick, someone could slice it in half. There was some rustling in the bush, as someone popped out.

In a flash, Bartholomew and Victoria had their weapons pointed at the newcomer, as they froze. "W-Wait, hold on! I'm not going to do anything!"

"Explain yourself." Bartholomew hissed. "Who are you, what are you doing here?"

The stranger blinked, seeming a bit nervous. He let out a shaky sigh, raising his hands in a way that'd let him defend himself. "O-Okay, my name's Lucas. I'm an apothecary."

Victoria raised an eyebrow. "Apothecary? Something tells me that's not it…." Lucas hesitated, seeming a little frightened.

Miracle stepped towards them. "W-Wait, let him go. He doesn't seem to be wanting to bring us any harm…."

Victoria glanced at her, a slightly angry expression on her face. "Miracle, you don't understand. There's something... off about him." Miracle had hardly heard Victoria so serious.

Lucas glanced up at the sky, before he sighed. "Okay, then. I'm sorry, I'll leave."

Victoria growled. "What makes you think we'll just let you leave? Tell us why you're here."

Miracle sighed, pushing the two demons off of Lucas. "Listen, calm down! He has his reasons, you two need to stop being so insensitive!"

Bartholomew looked at her. "But-"

"No, no buts." Miracle told him. She turned to Lucas, holding her hand out. "Hello there, Lucas! My name's Miracle! This is Victoria and Bartholomew. She goes by Vicky, by the way."

Lucas nodded, letting out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, Miracle. I thought they were going to kill me…."

Miracle smiled. "No problem! They're just like that."

Lucas smiled nervously. "Uh, sorry. I guess I surprised you all…." Victoria and Bartholomew looked at him suspiciously, not responding.

"Are you all okay…?" Miracle asked. "What's wrong?"

Victoria stared at her for a moment, before she sighed, turning away. "Whatever. Mewmew, c'mon. Let's leave this 'till later…." Bartholomew nodded, not even commenting about the nickname. The two left Lucas and Miracle, leaving Miracle a bit confused. What's with them? What's wrong with Lucas? He's just an apothecary, right?

Miracle turned to look at Lucas. "Do you happen to have any ideas as to why they don't like you?"

Lucas shrugged. "I dunno. Maybe they thought I was trying to steal from them? Not quite so sure."

Miracle sighed, nodding her head. "I guess so… well anyways! Do you want to join us?"

"Join you?" Lucas asked. "On what?"

"We're going on an adventure! Y'see, I'm actually the Godslayer, and I'm going to kill God." Miracle explained. Lucas stiffened slightly, but remained silent. "Something wrong?"

"No, just a little nervous at that name…." Lucas said shyly.

"Oh! Don't worry, we've got a lot of help!" Miracle turned around, pointing towards a small path. "Here, I can go introduce you to some of them! They're not nearly as icy as Vicky and Bartho, though. They're just rather distrusting people, it seems."

"Sure!" Lucas said brightly. Miracle smiled, guiding Lucas towards her friends. "How many are there?"

"Hm… about seven, not including me." She responded. "They're very nice! Some of them seem a bit cold, but they're very sweet."

Lucas didn't say anything, staying silent. He then sighed, nodding. "Okay. We should leave full introductions for later… when I can actually see them."

Miracle laughed. "Oh, right. Sorry." They walked in silence for a little longer, when she finally saw her group of friends. "Hey guys! I found someone who may be joining us!" She called out.

"Hm? Who is it?" Pedro looked up at her.

Miracle turned to Lucas. "Go on, introduce yourself."

Lucas nodded, stepping forwards. "Hey! I'm an apothecary. My name's-"

"Lucas…?" Scarlet asked, her eyes wide.

Lucas went silent, staring at her with the same expression. "Scarlet?"