Sunny had been falling through the sky below for close to a month and was growing a bit tired of it.
The island with the Ebony Tower was maybe two minutes out. He'd used the falling time to think through Mordret, the Dream Realm, what the next few months or even years required. He'd eaten much better provisions from the Coffer this time.
He back on his final stop before the fall.
He had felt the pull of a shadow on the sleeping island. He was more in tune with shadows now with Shadow's lineage. He landed and followed it. What was left of Nightmare was not much. Like the last life, in current day the steed was not corporal. He sighed internally and braced himself.
He'd confirmed weeks ago the second nightmare seed wasn't in the Chained Isles by trying to get closer to the Ivory Tower and sense a seed. Coming here was just another nail in the coffin. He drew the odachi and granted what remained of Nightmare peace.
The Spell didn't announce a shadow. But he did feel shadow fragments flowed into his soul sea instead, a large number of them.
He stood still for a moment. He thought back to how his Shadow ended up sacrificing itself to allow Sunny to reach the Tomb the last time. He closed his eyes feeling them begin to water.
"Find peace within me," he said with a heavy heart.
Then he walked to the edge and began his month long descent.
He was approaching quickly, he let the speed build, and shadow stepped when the doorstep was a second away. He came out standing on it, upright, keeping some momentum flying a few feet into the air until landing back down. He looked up at the Ebony Tower which was exactly how he remembered. He summoned the Coffer and slipped a mirror shard into it before entering.
The first floor had nothing useful. He checked for the relics or memories Mordret received in the nightmare to aid anti-divination, but to no avail. His [Mystery] attribute was already handling most of what anti-divination equipment would have done, and would handle more as he grew.
He went up.
The tower layout was predictably unchanged. He moved through it without stopping for most of it. Weaver's rotted arm and needle were on the second and third floors. He loaded both into the Coffer and continued.
He moved on.
Nether's map was still there with its familiar incomplete certainty about the whereabouts of Weaver. He went to the top and activated the transport component with divine flames from the [Dreadful Armament], which sent him to the Ivory Tower above. He walked through it and found the dragon skeleton of Sevras, and then pulled the mirror shard from the Coffer.
He held it up.
"I know you're there," said Sunny.
The shard was quiet for a moment.
"Not in a talkative mood?" Sunny asked the mirror shard.
"Most people who find that mirror don't address it," said the voice inside.
"Most people don't know what they've found or rather who." replied Sunny.
"Ha ha, well aren't you interesting. What have you found?" said Mordert.
'He clearly thinks he holds all the cards here,' thought Sunny deciding to off balance Mordret.
"Royalty," he answered.
"Royalty?" asked Mordret with amusment.
"A prince of Nothing is still a prince is he not? Mordret, prince of nothing or rather prince of Valor. Imprisoned because your father can't kill you and can't tolerate you free." Sunny kept his tone flat.
"Now that.. is rather unnerving." Mordret's voice lost all amusement. "I presume there is a reason for you to seek me out. Are you an agent of my father's or maybe of the third one?"
"You're right I do have a reason to seek you out, but I'm not an agent of anyone," said Sunny.
"And what do you want?"
"To free you. Of course, I have conditions, but I think you and I have goals that could work together. Work with me and my friends, stay within reasonable limits, don't be a psychopath, one other thing."
"In exchange you're out of prison. That's the offer."
"And if I decline?"
"You stay in. I should also mention that if you break our agreement I will destroy your shadow. I might not be able to kill you, but I can make you yearn for death." said Sunny. "I'd prefer not to. But the option exists."
"Why do you think our goals can align and what is your last condition?" asked Mordret.
"You want to survive." said Sunny plainly. "Ultimately more than revenge on your father or the dreamspawn or wanton power, you want to live."
Cassie had told Sunny that Mordret was not totally unlike everyone else even split he could recognize that he truly wanted to live well and even he didn't think that eradicating all people was conducive to that goal.
"You sound rather confident, how do you know I don't just wanna kill my father regardless of if I die," asked Mordret.
"Because I know you," Sunny said his flaw compelled an answer, but Sunny could not tell Mordret ninety-nine percent of the context right now.
"Hmm. And what of my second question." asked Mordret.
Sunny grit his teeth, he had wanted to dodge his last condition by answering only partly. By asking the question directly he could not lie or evade.
"To reconcile with your flaw," he said with resignation playing his last card. "Your doppelganger contains your death and your empathy and everything that would make you... let's say undesirable without it. Without it you're a psychopath and a thorn in my side waiting to betray me."
Mordret was silent as a mouse.
"You asked," said Sunny trying to build some trust. "I do not ask that we undertake this immediately, but once I am able to retrieve him I would desire you to combine. If my opinion is worth anything I think while making you slightly more vulnerable, it will make you better and stronger"
Mordret stayed silent.
Sunny pocketed the shard. "Let me show you something before you decide to show my conviction and convince you to want to keep your shadow."
The ruins held danger that made even masters visit sparingly, but Sunny liked his odds against most masters. Remains of the city Sevras and the Sun Prince ruled. Three shapes circled above the central section when Sunny arrived.
Miniature human-sized versions of the Sun Prince, steel armor, divine flames that allowed for flight, divine flame blasters for hands. Fallen Terrors.
"Those look unpleasant," said his pocket.
"Yes," said Sunny, and landed on a rooftop. Not even masters fought them only escaped.
A blast hit where he'd been before he finished jumping to another roof of the ruins. He shadow stepped and came out moving in a area the three hadn't tracked. [Cursed Beauty] activated. He intended to keep it that way for as long as he could.
[Dreadful Armament] materialized as a bow. When in bow form it gave ten arrows, and only replenished them after hours of time.
Sunny had summoned Saint and wrapped Happy and Haughty around her while Gloomy was with him.
The first Sun Guard was engaged with Saint once she came in. The other two searching for Sunny. An arrow found the first's shoulder joint. Saint below, shield up, absorbing the center creature's fire. Two blasts blocked before it was hit with the arrow.
Saint pressed the first not letting it regain a range advantage. She was now an ascended demon thanks to Cassie's weaving of memories and Sunny's ample soul shards. While three classes down, she was augmented to match the Sun Guard.
Sunny meanwhile was keeping the other two occupied by shadow stepping and quickly firing arrows to annoy them, but now he had run out.
He shadow stepped as the building he was in was eradicated with a single blast. He was singed as he came out of the shadows below one of them.
The [Prowling Thorn]'s string found the neck of one. Sunny pulled and arched behind the Sun Guard. Its own right arm casted a shadow on it chest, as it turned quickly to it back Sunny shadow stepped. He avoided an inferno that would spell the end for any awakened that was not a Saint. He appeared in front of it. Odachi into the neck seam dealing heavy.
He stepped to the ground the other triangulated. He was angled below the third, but in such a way that the the Sun Guard was between Sunny and the light above. Sunny lifted the odachi and concentrated on his essence and the lineage of the Sadow god striking the Sun Guard's shadow and destroying it.
Sunny staggered from the essence cost. He was not depleted, but his reserves took a major hit.
The Sun Guard on the other hand crashed into the ruins. It got up and seemed different.
Sunny knew that dealing shadow damage hurt one in a unique and powerful way, but hadn't destroyed one yet. The Sun Guard looked around wildly and seeing Sunny thrust itself towards him violently.
Sunny barely dodged. As he was getting up, the one he had sliced in the neck was back an engaged him.
It took all Sunny's skill to shadow step and dodge the blasts from it. Stepping forward , then back, then behind ruins, then into walls kicking off into the air.
Just as the pressure mounted, the other one returned and let out a devastating blast.
At the Sun Guard fighting Sunny. Sunny stared as the second lay in the ruins struggling to get up from the thirds attack. The third, then directed it's gaze towards Sunny as he was closer then the second now.
It flew and boosted itself landing a steel punch where Sunny just was. It then followed up with a blast immediately following hitting only itself and the surrounding ruins, leaving a burning crater.
Sunny had dodged by shadow stepping next to the second, deciding to finished it while it was weak. He drove the odachi through the necks which bleed divine flame and heard.
[You have slain a Fallen Terror, Sun Guard.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
[You have received a Mem-]
Sunny ran as a bean of divine flame destroyed where his head had just been. The light removing shadows for a short time.
The crazed Sun Guard jetted towards him.
Sunny jumped to Saint who was fighting far away at a significant cost to his remaining essence. Together they handled the first.
[You have slain a Fallen Terror, Sun Guard.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
He ran to a chain and began to head to another island.
He was not interested in the bloodthirsty manic of a Sun Guard.
He glanced back and saw the mad creature destroying the ruins at cost to itself and anything near it. He was reminded of the mindless deathless in the nightmare desert.
'So that's part of it,' he thought.
In addition to great damage, killing one's shadow would eventually drive them mad. They would lose that which tethered them to both death and life. Sunny shuddered and continued his descent to the Night Temple.
"I'm willing to agree to your terms with a modification." Mordret's voice said as Sunny went from island to island.
"Oh, what modification," said Sunny, he figured Mordret would either agree or try and kill him immediately upon release after witnessing the fate of the remaining Sun Guard.
"I would like to postpone the reunification discussion with my flaw to a later date. I am willing to offer to consider it, but it must be a decision between Mordrets wouldn't you agree," he replied.
"Fine," said Sunny, he planned to only retrieve Mordret's flaw after becoming a master. The mirror world in Bastian was not itself very dangerous, but getting there would require Sunny and Mordret using their utmost powers of mobility and evasion.
"I also require one more thing," said Mordret.
"What," said Sunny annoyed.
"You will not give information of my flaw or how to get it to either my father, Song Clan, or the third one," Mordret said.
"Not a problem," replied Sunny. "You can't help me save the world if you're dead."
"Why thank you... where are my manners or vigilance. Would I be able to ask your name?" said Mordret. "It seems unfair you know mine and I do not know yours."
"Sunless," said Sunny shortly hesitating. "My friends call me Sunny."
Mordret was silent for a moment.
"Well then, thank you Sunny," he said. "I look forward to working together."
"Uh huh, when we get to the Night Temple do not do anything rash just slip whatever they have trapped into the shard," Sunny said. "I'll ask how to get back to the Sanctuary of Noctis and then we'll leave with no one the wiser."
"No worries," said Mordret pleasantly. "But between the two of us we could clean the place out if Cormac isn't there."
Sunny grit his teeth.
"Once we are out, the no randomly killing people condition still applies," he said. "I'm have something to do so I'll be entrusting you to a friend, you can hunt nightmare creatures to your hearts content. But start killing people, even Valor, and I will drive you as mad as that Sun Guard we saw."
"No need to threaten Sunless, umm... Sunny, I'll be on my best behavior," he said.
Sunny eventually reached the Temple and entered asking the Valor attendants for directions back to the sanctuary. Upon entering an empty hall, he pulled out the shard.
"Are we good," asked Sunny.
"Yes, very good, never better," replied Mordret happily.
Sunny grumbled something about annoying people and pocketed the shard as he headed back.
Sunny got back to his house waking up after a long trip in the Chained Isles.
Cassie was already there. She was in the kitchen which was near the living room. She was making or at least trying to make waffles. He walked out of the basement to the smell of burned baking.
They looked at each other and ignoring the burning waffles they embraced and held on for a moment. She pulled back and looked at him beaming with fondness. He looked at her the same way. Both apparently satisfied.
"You're baking?" he asked in surprise.
"...Trying to. You made it look easy." Cassie pouted.
"I had a few years of practice," he replied modestly.
She went to turn off the stove and then lounged on the couch. He joined next to her. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment. Neither of them said anything.
"Nightmare," she said eventually.
"He was there, but not... all there. I granted him peace." he said before falling quiet for a second.
"I'm sorry," she said simply.
Cassie lifted her head off his shoulder and then gently guided Sunny's head into her lap. They sat like that for a minute.
"Antarctica," Cassie said. "I saw it in a vision. You were there again as a master, but instead of awakened, you were in a group of other masters. I was one of them, but the rest were shrouded and I couldn't identify them."
"The Chain of Nightmares is coming again." Sunny said.
"That's what I think too. Which means we need to be strong enough before it happens."
She looked at him.
"Ki Song gave up her permission to challenge a seed in Ravenheart." she said. "Kai and I are ready when you are. Moonveil and Silent Stalker are coming with too."
"Are they the Queen's insurance? To keep watch over us, maybe kill us before the nightmare is conquered" he asked remembering Jet's words from before.
"Maybe, but I don't think so. At least Moonveil I would consider a friend at this point, and Stalker isn't big on socializing but I don't think she would act against us by herself. However, I would be careful around her, if Ki Song ordered her, I think she could be convinced to betray us."
"Makes sense," Sunny said. "I'll be ready in a day. Then we become masters."
They went through the rest of it. The plan was somewhat simple. Sunny, Cassie, and Kai become masters in Ravenheart. Nephis and Effie stay in Bastion with Mordret, trying to build a public role and infiltrate Valor.
"How did things go with Mordret?" asked Cassie.
"Agreed to terms. Mostly. He's… not trustworthy, but he's pragmatic enough to be reliable for now. I told him I know his flaw." he said.
Cassie was quiet for a moment. It would be easier to forcibly reunite Mordret and then deal with the fallout. But if they could do it with his consent the fallout would be avoided.
"How did he take it?" she asked.
"About as expected. He wants to defer the conversation. I told him that was fine." he said.
"Well let's hope working with people shows him some pros of not being crazy." she said.
They went down to the basement and sparred for a while after that. Fighting hand to hand was satisfying, but missing feeling each other made it harder to pay attention when it meant they were pressing against each other more.
They ended up not sparring exactly halfway through.
When they eventually stopped they was sitting on the basement floor with their backs against the wall, breathing evenly.
Sunny summoned the Coffer, and pulled out a rotted arm.
Cassie looked at it in disgust.
"Is that...," she started.
"Yeah, the next piece of Weaver's lineage." he said.
"Let's get it over with," she said, accepting the lineage and feeling pain course through her entire being.
'Balance in all things or something,' she thought thinking about not sparring.
When it was over they looked at her runes. She had received [Bone Weave], allowing her to touch the strings of Fate without her aspect and pain. Additionally, her physical stats were all enhanced.
She and Sunny looked at each other, after sitting in the shadows he was fully recovered in energy as was she.
Cassie planned to go back to Ravenheart to be ready for tomorrow, but they had a little time.
Which they decided to spend up two floor and definitely not sparring or baking waffles.
The next day Nephis and Effie came over, and Rain came from next door.
Nephis took the mirror shard, looking at it with her grey eyes, and put it in her pocket.
"He should check in daily," said Sunny. "If he stops checking in, assume the worst and tell me. He's likely not up to any good."
Sunny held up a notebook that read: "Mordret is listening. Be careful talking around mirrors and guard your soul."
Nephis nodded once.
Being done with the matter of Mordret, Sunny nodded and thought about Nephis's situation right now. Some of those that were Firekeepers prior had followed Nephis to Bastion and, while slightly less organized, stayed by her side and promoted Nephis.
Nephis was surrounded by friends as well as being a symbol of hope earlier. Sunny could she her change slightly, becoming more social and less of a figure propped up by Cassie to accelerate Nephis's goals last time.
He did not want to manipulate Nephis away from her goals, but at the same time thought it was for her benefit that she free herself of being controlled by revenge.
'Ahh... holding conflicting ideas is annoying, even though it's probably needed to know one's true feelings,' he thought.
"Is there something on my face," Nephis asked looking at Sunny.
Sunny realized that he'd been staring.
"Uhh... no sorry, just thinking," Sunny replied.
"About what?" she asked.
"About you in the past... or I guess the future." said Sunny, his Flaw not leaving much room to be evasive.
Nephis was quiet for a moment.
"I know you and Cassie probably have good reason to not tell us everything, but if you don't mind, what was I like?" Nephis asked.
"You were still strong, maybe the strongest in all of humanity." he said. "You were able to defeat all three of those ghouls."
Sunny wanted to convey that he knew her well without coming on too strong.
Nephis looked at him.
"I look forward to that," she said with a determined smile.
Sunny's face fell slightly. He did not think it was the best for Nephis to be reinvigorated in revenge and to lose herself in it. Additionally, he had plans to hopefully add at least Ki Song and maybe Anvil to the cause somehow and figured Cassie likely would agree.
"What," asked Nephis noticing the change.
'She was not this socially aware last time,' Sunny thought. 'The time spent in Bastion around friends really is better than a desert with an annoying skeleton.'
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I can tell you as someone who is very spiteful, it's ultimately empty," said Sunny. "And it does not care if those you once cared for are collateral damage. I want a lot of things this time to be different."
"Different how?" asked Nephis with somewhat narrowed eyes.
"Without going into everything else, I hope that you are happier and less alone," he said. "You having people around you who aren't just following an idea of you. Effie doesn't follow anyone blindly and Rain looks up to you, but she treats you like a person. It makes me happy to see"
Nephis was quiet for a moment, watching Effie gesture dramatically while Rain tried and failed to keep a straight face.
"It isn't weakness," Sunny continued.
Nephis was quiet. Sunny wondered if he had pushed too hard or if he had said too much information.
"You said that your Flaw prevents you from lying, right?" Nephis asked.
Sunny nodded.
"Then... just let me ask you directly... are you manipulating or deceiving me?" she asked looking him in the eye.
"I am not sure... but I don't think so and its not my desire to do so. I can't help what I know about the future, but I can promise you that I am not trying to use that information to serve me at your expense." said Sunny.
Nephis held his gaze for a long moment.
"Very well," Nephis said. "I'm not sure how I feel about that, but... for now I will trust you."
Then she walked back toward the others, and after a moment Sunny followed.
Effie was in a different world entirely, which was to say she was teasing Rain about her training form while Rain was trying very hard to demonstrate that she didn't need to be teased about her training form. Sunny watched this from the kitchen with appreciation that his sister had good people around her.
Rain was good, actually. Better than she had been last time, having been training with Nephis, Cassie, Kai, and Effie. At this point she had spent more time with them than him.
At some point Effie and Nephis went to grab water and talk between themselves, and Sunny found himself alone with Rain for the first time since he'd gotten back.
She was sitting on the floor taking a break from the physical training going through the correction notes they had given her, which she'd been writing down in a small notebook. He sat across from her and didn't say anything for a moment.
She looked up.
"Hey," she said looking at him.
"Hey," he said. "You're doing well. With the training."
"Thanks," she said., she paused. "I haven't too much of you since we first met again."
"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry," Sunny said genuinely, and directly looked her in the eye. "The world is becoming a more dangerous place, and I'm going to be very busy for the foreseeable future. But still, you are one of if not my highest priority, even if it doesn't always seem like it."
"I know," said Rain with a smile. "I can tell you're doing what you can, which is why I'm going to get strong enough to stand with you."
"Rain, I-I want your training to be only if you need to use it," said Sunny. "Ideally the world will be fixed before you have to-"
"But it's ok for my brother to risk his life?" Rain cut him off, looking at him stubbornly.
"Rain, I-," Sunny began.
Rain let out a small breath and cut him off relieving him of his Flaw.
"I'm not angry. I just-" she said. "You came back. After everything, you came back and you found me and I finally have a brother and I can tell that whatever you and Cassie are running toward, it's something that could take you away again. Permanently."
"And I can't do anything about it," she said. "I can't see what you see. I can't help the way the others can. I'm just-" her voice didn't break, but it came close, "-I'm just the little sister you're trying to protect from something you won't even tell me about."
Sunny looked at her for a long moment.
"You're not just that," he said. "I know you're strong."
"Then stop treating me like I'm not, or that I need to be kept away from anything that actually matters." Rain said.
"I can't control if I get infected by the Spell, but if I do I can control if I help you or not." she said meeting his eyes. "It's my decision. You don't get to take that from me just because you love me.
Sunny looked at her, she was right. It was ultimately her life and her autonomy. But still, it was in the nature of an older brother to worry and desire in some capacity to shield their younger siblings from this cruel world. Even if this was contrary to the sibling desire that they become a fully fledged person capable of flying on their own.
"Fair enough," he said after a moment. "Just try not to worry your older brother too much okay."
"Deal," Rain said, and then gave him a mischievous look. "...Big brother."
Sunny shook his head at the return of her antics and started up a round of light sibling banter. Eventually, it was time for Rain to go home.
"I'm going to be away again for a while," he said. "The second nightmare. It'll be a few months at minimum."
"I'll keep up my training," Rain said. "And I'll stay safe, I promise."
"Yeah me too," replied Sunny giving her a hug.
He watched her go and looked at her shadow, where Serpent resided just in case. Then with a sigh, returned to the others.
"There's been more of it," Effie said, later, when Nephis was on the phone. "Nightmare gates, more people falling victim to the nightmare Spell. The numbers have been climbing for two months."
Sunny thought about the Dream God. About what waking up sooner meant.
"Things are changing and not for the better," he said looking at her. "Be careful, we'll be back as soon as possible, after that you'll need to become a master fast as well."
"Don't need to tell me" she said looking dejected in her wheelchair. "I'll keep them as safe as I can though."
She and Nephis left and Sunny waited for the Song envoy having called in his second favor from Seishan.
Beastmaster arrived at his door a couple hours later.
Sunny forgot how beautiful the Saint was, even with the scar in the past life she was stunning. He wondered if the Spell took inspiration from Solvane when blessing her with the various 'glow ups' after nightmares.
"You are the one Seishan is helping," she said looking unconvinced at his short stature.
"I am," he confirmed ignoring the look.
She held out her hand.
"Ready?" she asked.
Sunny nodded and grabbed her hand.
Space warped and Sunny found himself in a palace of obsidian next to a great bridge and a volcano.
Beastmaster guided him to the gateway so he could tether himself to Ravenheart. After that she nodded at him and walked off. There were so few Saints at the moment and Sunny could only assume that it was only because Seishan was her sister that she took time for this.
He walked out of the Jade Palace and a flying object hit him in the chest in a hug.
Kai let him go and smiled at him.
"It's been too long, you took your time." he said.
"Sorry, I had things to do," said Sunny grinning at his friend.
Three girls walked up, Cassie smiling slightly at him but letting the other two meet Sunny for the first time first. Moonveil was looking at him with a friendly smile.
"Hey, you're Sunny right?" she asked brightly. "Kai has only positive things to say."
"I am," he replied. "And you would be Moonveil, right? Cassie speaks very highly of you."
"That's right, I feel so honored," she said glancing kindly at Cassie. "And like I told Kai and Cassie, please just call me Veil."
"Thanks Veil, I'm looking forward to challenging the second nightmare with you," he said.
He looked at the more muted girl.
"And that makes you Silent Stalker?" he asked sensing her more reclusive nature.
She nodded.
"Looking forward to fighting along side you," she said politely.
"Likewise," Sunny replied.
The five headed toward the outer settlement, beginning the trip to the northern edge of the volcano.