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Chapter XXII: Before Horizon

"Chillfarn was a place meant to keep the Darkened out; a quarantine gate. News travelled fast and people realised that thousands of years' worth of worship was based entirely on a lie. Tynvandar had a lot to explain but he didn't need to.

"We were all heading to Chillfarn to right the wrongs our ancestors had made. Not as a small group of Paladins or fragments of a resistance. We were gathering as all of Incendius and representatives of Tower Thirteen. We have the_Lupus, the_ Vampiri_, the humans, nonhumans, Paladins, Templars, Inquisitors and even the military. We were one._

"Just as Chronos has planned."

It took two weeks for the starships to get back to the Incendian mainland after they dropped off the civilians at the Sunless Lands. As per Andy's grand plan, sky lanterns littered the land making it easy to spot the gathering armies. Hunter had to admit there was a moment of elation and hope when the five hundred or so soldiers and volunteers that had come directly from Corona crossed the planes and spotted other swarms of sky lanterns making their way towards them from various other cities.

From all corners of the Station, lanterns lit the skies and as the hosts came together, they crowded the skies. The light that they cast grew brighter and brighter. When at last the ships came to pick them up, the sky was simply afire with them and the captains had to land a short distance away as they did not want to interrupt the almost magical glow of the symbol of hope.

Hunter was on board the H2FS Sunlight Storm, the flagship of the Incendian 4th fleet on a special request from Aria and Tynvandar. As much as he wanted to go back to the Lasting Armageddon, his home ship was currently assigned to patrol to keep any demons from taking advantage of the weakened Station. From what he heard, with the loss of the Sun Spire, several demons had attempted to invade with their own ships and the 4th fleet was strapped on resources.

He had Eton were back to sharing a single bed but at the moment, Eton was out preparing for the battle at Chillfarn. They all knew the end was coming to a close and each of them was doing something to occupy themselves or prepare for the battle. The gym was packed, the armoury and flight decks were a frenzy of activity and the volunteers were undergoing some very rough, very quick training... like how to fire a gun without shooting yourself.

The good news was that Titus had reappeared shortly after the search for him had started. When asked where he had been, the Chronomancer was very pensive and said nothing. He was last seen staring at an apple that had a bite out of it. Hunter knew it was connected with Chronos somehow but he dared not push. Titus had seemed pensive since the Sun Spire was fired. In truth, Hunter had expected the guy to rush to Chillfarn himself and try and steal the Scorium Axis but he was glad to have been proven wrong.

As for him, Hunter flicked out his Telecube.

He considered what he was going to do... and then dialled the number.

Jerry's face appeared on the face of the cube. Unlike before, it looked like he hadn't been getting any sleep and not from constant partying or recreational drugs. "Bro! Shit man! Why the hell haven't you called?"

"Been busy trying not to get my tail fried off," Hunter responded with a smile. "How're you?"

"Forget about me! Shit! You've got to get off Incendius! Have you heard about what's going on there!?"

"I'm there, Jerry, remember?"

"Yeah well you better get off Station. The Sun Spire is gone, the whole Station is massing for some sort of war and... fuck, dude..." Jerry ran a paw through his bright, red hair, revealing his dark brown roots. Normally, he would maintain the illusion for as long as it was 'hot' but clearly, he had been neglecting his appearance for a while.

"Jerry," Hunter began with a reassuring smile. "I'm a soldier. I have to be here."

"No you don't!" barked his brother. "Desert! File a resignation! Who the fuck cares!? Klaus can sort it out! Hell, I've still got tonnes of cash! Just... just don't die, man. Don't..."

This was why he always liked Jerry over Klaus. His older brother actually cared about him. Sure he could be an airhead sometimes and a little sex-crazed but Jerry was a brother... unlike Klaus.

"I won't die, Jerry. I'll be fine. You take care of yourself. Get some sleep."

"I won't sleep until I hear you're safe. Fuck that! I won't sleep until you're back here!"

"You might be waiting a bit, Jerry." An idea hit him. "Tell you what, when this is over, I'll go clubbing with you."

Jerry gawked and stared at him. "Ya serious? You hate clubbing."

"You pick the place, Jerry. I'll be there. If you get some sleep."

"Okay! Okay!" His brother beamed. "This'll be awesome! Me and my bro going clubbing! All the ladies will be all over us!"

"Jerry, I'm gay."

"Even better. All the gals will be like 'aw, why are all the hot guys always gay' and then I get to swoop in and hello!"

Hunter laughed brightly. "Okay, okay. I get it. I get to be your gay wingman. Mind if I bring my boyfriend?"

"Even better! Widen the net!"

"Okay. See you soon, Jerry."

"Love ya bro!" Then, more seriously, Jerry added, "Take care of yourself."

Hunter hung up and made to dial Klaus' number. Then... he thought better of it. He did not need Klaus' bitterness and scathing remarks to occupy his mind while he was fighting a battle that would decide the fate of all of Incendius. Instead, he rifled through all the texts from Daniel. They were all filled with concern followed shortly by panic the closer to the events of the present they came. He took a moment to check the internet on what was being said about Incendius.

As expected, most of the official media was attempting to rile up the public with the events using sympathetic tones and taking notes from 'official sources' who were nothing more than celebrities organising charities and whatever else the other Stations could come up with. Naturally, there were conspiracy theorists who were already claiming this was all planned by the Church and calling bullshit on a hundred different other theories. Church sympathisers were asking for prayers while commenters jabbed at both sides with their own perspectives. Naturally, humour sites were making their rounds as well.

Whatever the case, all eyes were on Incendius... at least while the people weren't busy with their jobs.

Now somewhat informed, he went to the last message he received from Daniel which read: 'Holy crap! Please tell me you're far away from the Sun Spire when it went out.'

A witty reply seemed the most appropriate. Something like, 'Sorry I haven't replied in a while. I was busy putting out the Sun Spire.' He dismissed that for being far too blasé. He went through a hundred other possibilities. Maybe calming him first with some friendly banter and then getting to the crux of the problem? Or maybe he should play it cool and try to brush off the issue as 'another day in the office'?

In the end, he decided on a very simple, 'Hi Daniel.'

It didn't take long for Daniel to get back to him.

'Where the hell have you been!? Do you know how worried I've been!!!?'

He smiled at the concern and the use of exclamation points. 'I've been near the centre of this mess. Had my leg fried off by a beam cannon, mentally tormented by a near-god-like being who is being supported by a god-like being and then I battled on top of an enormous cannon while people I thought were my allies turned out to be enemies. Did I mention I was attacked by a crazy thread-monster with multiple arms?'

Daniel paused to process all that information.

'You're talking about Ophelia Ford, aren't you? The news is claiming that she actually tried to stop the Sun Spire from firing.'

The Inquisition mustn't have gotten through to the news outlets yet or they were attempting to downplay just how far reaching Chronos' control really was.

'The news was wrong.'

'Are you sure you're not really the bad guy here and you're trying to lie to me because I'm your only friend and it would drive you off the edge if I turned against you?'

Hunter laughed softly and typed his reply. 'No, Daniel, I'm not the bad guy. I would go nuts if you turned against me but not enough to destroy an entire Station. I'm actually on a ship right now on my way to Chillfarn to end this.'

'What!? For crying out loud, Hunter, your leg is blown off! How can you still fight?'

Hunter blinked a few times before scrolling through his messages. He realised he hadn't mentioned that his leg had been repaired. 'Sorry, I should have mentioned my leg was healed. I'm still fighting fit.'

'So? You're still jumping into the fire here. Why?'

He glanced out of the small window of his rather bland room. The sky was mostly dark with only the lights from the ship breaking through the clouds. Already, mighty storms were brewing as the temperature dropped rapidly without the Scorium Axis. It seemed the Station itself was preparing for the final battle.

Turning back towards his Telecube, his thumb hovered over the keys while he was pondering an answer. 'I don't know. Maybe it's because this is my boyfriend's home? Maybe because I feel a bit of responsibility for what's happened? Or maybe because I can't not_do something?'_

He paused before hitting the 'send' button.

Then he added, 'What would you do?'

An entire minute passed before Daniel replied. 'You know me, Hunter. I would do everything in my power to help. Nothing would stop me from trying. Even if all I could do was shout and wave my arms, if it would help, I'd do it. I know you as well. You'd do exactly the same thing but there's a difference between you and I. You'd make a difference. I wouldn't.'

Hunter smiled softly at the sentiment. 'Bullshit.'

'No! Really! Hunter, you're smart, you've got military training and unlike me, you've got a level head when you're listening to music. Me... well, I'm a dreamer. At least you're brave enough to consider the bad things that could happen instead of optimistically staring at the future without a care in the world!'

Before he could reply, he received another text from Daniel; one that was filled with a simple 'hehehe'.

'What's so funny?' he asked.

'I just answered my own question. Why are you jumping into the fire? Because you can make a difference. I can't.'

'You can make a difference.'

'Yeah, right,' came the sarcastic reply. 'Just promise me something, okay Hunter?'

'Anything.'

'No matter what happens, no matter how battered you get, no matter how much you want to give up and no matter how badly you want to shut your eyes and sleep... promise me that you'll get up, keep on fighting and make your way back home.'

Hunter found his paw shaking and he had to steady himself before typing his reply.

'I promise.'

'That's all I needed. Take good care of yourself, Hunter. Kick some ass.'

He nodded more to himself than Daniel. 'I will.'

Five minutes passed before he pocketed his Telecube and leapt off his bed. His promise to Daniel seemed to add more weight to his actions. All else didn't seem to matter save for fulfilling that promise and bringing Eton to Haven to meet Jerry. It almost seemed selfish that he was fighting for those two reasons. Part of him felt the need to have some noble cause to be driving his every step but those two simple objectives... They just seemed like they were _his_objectives.

Even redeeming himself for firing the Sun Spire felt somewhat distant. It was something Chronos wanted and to some degree, he felt like it had to be done. Why he had the plunge Incendius into darkness he couldn't tell but perhaps it had something to do with Andy's stirring act of lighting the world with those sky lanterns.

Shaking the thoughts free of his head, Hunter left his quarters and searched for something to kill the time before they arrived at Chillfarn. The moment he stepped out, however, he caught the scent of hazelnuts, pine and sweat. Primal urges stirred in his loins and when he caught sight of Eton bounding towards him, waving a pumped, vascular arm, he wanted nothing more than to drag that huge hunk of Lupus back into the room and ravage him.

When Eton clamped a big paw on his shoulder, Hunter all but melted. "I just got a call over your weird intercom things," said his boyfriend. "Got an emergency planning meeting in the conference room. You know how to get there?"

"Yeah. Why? Are you going to take a shower first?"

Eton gave him a puzzled look. "No. I was asking if you know how to get there because I don't. You thought I was telling you to go ahead of me?" When Hunter nodded lightly, Eton brought him against his massive, muscular chest, the evidence of his workout wafting into Hunter's nostrils. "Aww, I'll take every opportunity to be by your side, hun. Besides, if I was going to take a shower, I'd invite you to join me."

As much as that sounded alluring, Hunter liked Eton more when he was sweaty and pumped. He agreed to lead them to the conference room, all the while staring at Eton from the corner of his eye. The Lupus was dressed in a simple tank top and workout shorts - some degree of Upper Station style that had bled into Incendius. Every muscle on his body was pumped to its fullest, veins popping out from underneath his fur and sweat rolling off the thick mounds like juices on a freshly cooked ham.

It took all his self-control not to throw Eton against the wall, tear his clothes off and mount him there and then. Thankfully, the conference room was not too far away. The metal door dissolved in front of them in a lattice of glowing hexagons. Eton commented he would never get used to the particle walls as most ships on Incendius still relied on sliding doors no matter if they were automatic.

In the broad, conference room there stood a clean, metal table marked with the symbol of Incendius and the emblem of the Church of the Tower. A holographic model of the ship hovered at the centre while pennants to each of the battle honours the ship had gone through hung on the walls. Seats were arranged around the room with most of them already occupied. Tynvandar was present and seated beside Aria and a bandaged but still capable Inquisitor Dorthango. Elena, Smallfang, Moonclaw and the other Paladins were also present. Hunter found it straight that the head seat was turned away from them and seemingly unoccupied. He guessed Admiral Aureas was seated there.

"Sorry we're late," he said, taking the seat next to Elena. Eton sat beside him. Strangely no one replied.

"No need to apologise," came the familiar tenor that sent chills down his spine. The head chear spun around slowly. Harm Chronos lounged in the big, high-backed seat, one leg over the other and a cocky smirk on his face. "We haven't yet begun."

"Holy shit!" Hunter exclaimed.

Chronos laughed, slapping the arm of the chair heartily. "I've _always_wanted to do that! Wasn't dramatic enough though." He gazed wistfully in another direction. "Maybe I should've had trumpets or fireworks."

"What the hell are you doing on this ship!?"

The Chronomancer shrugged. "The usual. Inflicting psychological torture. Holding those foolish enough to waltz into the room in time the moment they sat down. Forcibly repeating certain neurological and physical actions through my victim's bodies in time there by controlling their every move. The usual." It was then that Hunter noticed no one else was shocked at Chronos' appearance. When the Chronomancer smiled, everyone collapsed, breathed and gasped.

"He was controlling us!" Titus exclaimed, utterly horrified. "Somehow, he's managed to force our bodies to go through the same motions as if we were truly moving! He controlled us the moment we stepped into the room and moved us into position! This is a brand of Chronomancy I've never even heard of!"

"Didn't I tell you I had yet to pull out my entire arsenal?" Chronos said. He leaned forward, resting his chin on the back of his paw while absently waving at Titus. "Yes, Master Chronos, you are ever wise and powerful. Say it."

To Hunter's utter horror, Titus moved his muzzle perfectly and _spoke_to exact words with convincing inflections. Titus clamped his hands over his muzzle in fear.

"In all fairness, it takes quite a bit of effort to manipulate bodies like that, let alone a lot of bodies. That said, no one try to draw their weapons. You'll find you're quite... cemented in place."

Hunter tried to move but found his body was completely unresponsive. Breathing, blinking and turning his head was completely within his power but his limbs were frozen in place. No part of him could move!

"Come to kill us?" Aria scowled.

"No," Moonclaw said, his eyes firmly on the Chronomancer. "No he's not." Moonclaw's eyes narrowed. "Behind all that bluster and malevolence, I know you wouldn't be so cruel as to kill anyone in this room. You may talk about it and you may threaten it, but I know you would never kill anyone in cold blood. Even if they were no longer useful to you, you would not kill them."

"He did that to the Vampiri at Clockwork," Hunter scowled.

"Why don't you tell them, Chronos," Moonclaw challenged. "Why don't you tell them what those Vampiri truly were."

For a second, there was a flicker of annoyance in Chronos' eyes but it was gone as quickly as it came. "Alright. But in exchange, you tell everyone where who your daughter is."

Huh...?

Moonclaw froze, his eyes widening. "No deal."

"Daddy," Elena said, giving her father a reassuring smile. "It's alright." She turned to Harm with a coy smile on her face. "The way I figure it, _Master_Chronos, the world will know my lineage and we will get a glimpse at your true psyche. The difference is that I am more than happy to let my secret out but you clearly take pride in this mask you display for us to see." She paused, her gaze never waving from him. "The question remains... which one of us has more to lose from this exchange?"

They stared at one another, fierce, challenging one another to a battle of will. It seemed that they were fighting amongst one another with their minds. On one side was Chronos, the manipulative, all-powerful, Chronomancer who had been ten steps ahead of them the entire time. On the other was Elena Clox who rolled with the punches, shrugged off every fragment of manipulation that came her way.

Hunter envied her strength.

"You got me," Chronos said with a soft laugh. He leaned back against his high backed chair, lifting his muzzle slightly so he was looking down at her. "I wasn't actually the one who planted those Vampiri in Clockwork. It was counterintuitive to my Ghoul idea, don't you think?"

Now that Hunter thought about it, it did seem a little... off that Chronos would send the Vampiri there after he had effectively terrorised the town with the Ghouls.

"Phalgymr was using Clockwork like a penal colony for Vampiri that were opposed to his rule and would have opposed going to Chillfarn," Chronos continued. "He gave them Shadow Magic; pretending to 'entrust them with a special mission'. Vampiri have always coveted Church lands and rule so taking over Clockwork was a nice little carrot to dangle over their covetous eyes. When they started endangering my key players, I naturally had to step in."

It left a sick feeling in Hunter's stomach that he could no longer entirely blame Chronos for the massacre at Clockwork and that, in some way, he owed the Chronomancer his life.

"You are slipping," Aria taunted with a smile. "In times gone by, you would have controlled this very outcome from the very beginning."

"In that you are wrong," countered Harm Chronos. There was a slight hint of pride in his eyes. "You are right about my meticulousness in controlling people. I would have forced people to do things without giving them room to manoeuvre. I would have poked and prodded at them until they believed what I believed."

Chronos waved a paw absently aside. "But that was just too much stress and it gets boring when everything goes according to plan. It's so much more entertaining when you just adapt and crush people's hopes when they think they have the advantage or can escape you. Like now for instance!"

The Chronomancer rose and spread his arms out. "I mean, who here would have guessed that I'm actually the one commanding the demons to attack the majority of the Incendian 4thfleet to keep them occupied?

"You're leading the demons!?" Aria shouted, slamming her palms on the table.

"Come on, Aria," answered the Chronomancer with a patronising tone. "I led them during the assault on Haven. What makes you think they aren't under my direction to now? Don't you think it's a little convenient that they attack en masse the moment the Sun Spire goes out?"

Son-of-a-bitch!

"Why!?" came the unanimous question.

Chronos shrugged. "Mostly because the Shadows infect and transform anything that falls to them in a twisted corrupt shell of its former self thus adding to its army but also partially because I'm an ass." He waved a paw absently though the air. "With them, numbers are a disadvantage." He leaned forward, wearing that cocky smirk of his again. "I came here to tell you what I plan and the truth."

"The truth or your truth?" Hunter growled.

"For once there is little difference between the two." Chronos waved his paw and the hologram at the centre of the table shifted to show an image of the Sun Goddess Apollia. "The Sun Goddess was, in fact, a woman by the name of Shinniah reincarnated under the wing of the Seraph Adramalech. Originally, Adramalech and Shinniah were lovers but where Adramalech was an immortal god of fire, Shinniah was a mortal, human woman. When her time was up, Adramalech, unable to live without his love, bound her soul to the existence of the Phoenixes. Every time she died, a Phoenix would sacrifice their life force to rejuvenate her, returning her to the peak of her physical state.

"This had the unwanted effect of filling Shinniah with unbearable guilt. Guilt." Chronos wagged a finger at them. "Remember that." He straightened and continued. "With the aid of the God of Time and the Mother Goddess, Shinniah joined the Avios in their war against the Phoenixes. Every time she died in combat, a Phoenix would perish instead. When she confronted Adramalech at his throne room, she took her blade, caked in blood to the point that it was jet black, and plunged it into her own heart, making him watch as she died at last."

Chronos paused for a moment as if digesting his next words. "Then, Haamiah and Athena appeared and gave Adramalech an alternative to the final death. They reincarnated Shinniah as a winged child, Apollia. They put her in stasis and gave Adramalech the key to waking her. When the Seraph of Fire deemed he was worthy of her forgiveness, he would wake her. Centuries later, the world was hit by the Sundering and humbled by the act, Adramalech awoke Apollia, hoping to live a peaceful life. Apollia had no memory of her former life and lived happily as Adramalech's daughter.

"Unfortunately, the Sunshadow War broke out and Apollia was granted a Valour. Driven by loyalty to the people that she served under, Apollia joined the war. Adramalech, fearing for his daughter's death and knowing full well that if the Darkened won the battle, there would be no end to the conflict and the risk to his daughter, he joined the Church as well under the guise of the Brave Farmer. Taking Shinniah's old blade, he forged Bloodfyre out of the sacrifice of countless others and the pain of hatred. Apollia, in the meantime, realised what her father was doing and desperately attempted to stop the Church from bombarding Incendius in a purge. She sabotaged the ships that crippled the Incendian fleet and then took one such ship and crashed it into Incendius.

"There, she chased her father to the Darkened capital where they faced off against one another. However, Adramalech had become sympathetic to the people he was using to get his daughter back and was wracked with guilt over destroying the Darkened, the people who were in the right. Unable to take this guilt, he apologised to Apollia and used Bloodfyre to kill himself, causing the explosion that created the Concave of Shadows."

Chronos patted the desk lightly. "You know what happened next. Apollia created the Sun Spire, the Church built around it and the Darkened were infected by the Shadows. What you did _not_know is that the original _Bloodfyre_was now touched by both Shinniah and Adramalech infused with their guilt. The blade fed on that guilt and became powerful, semi-sentient and began reaching into the Darkened civilisation. Those with even the faintest fragment of guilt were consumed and turned into what you now know as the Shadows."

"Are you telling me," Dorthango growled, "that the Shadows are guilt epitomised?"

"In essence, yes." Chronos' eyes grew pensive. "When mortals sin, we cause wars, hurt those we love and inflict suffering on total strangers. When gods_sin..." He shook his head, turning back to Dorthango. "The Shadows cannot be defeated by conventional weaponry. That is why I needed the _Sun Spire fired. Right now, it is at the centre of the Shadow-controlled lands, forcing the Shadows to hug... well... shadows. It is forcing them to attack Chillfarn as they desperately attempt to get away from the light. This provides us with the opportunity to take a team straight into the Concave of Shadows and destroy Bloodfyre."

Serena inclined her head to the side and let out a small cough, bringing everyone's attention to her. "Will destroying the root of all the Shadows destroy those already existing? Will it bring back those who were lost? Those who died in the name of their friends, family and the Church?"

Chronos shook his head sadly. "That is wishful thinking, Serena. Those that were turned will remain turned and even should Bloodfyre be destroyed, the war will continue. The Shadows will be severely weakened and they will not be able to turn others but they are still numerous. Eradicating them all will take time."

"We cannot sustain a battle that long," Serena countered. "There are no farmers, no fishermen, no suppliers of food for the enormous army you have gathered. I doubt the supplies in these ships and on Chillfarn will be enough to sustain the troops for a prolonged duration of time." Then her eyes widened. "Unless you're not planning on the majority of them to survive..."

Chronos smiled his usual cruel, mocking smile. "I gathered all of Incendius to this location not as some form of army. The majority of people are non-combatants. Yes the Lupus and the_Vampiri_ are inherently warrior people but those in the Church lands? Civilians with their hearts in the right places. Not a lick of combat expertise. I brought them here to be united under a cause... and to die as a symbol of Incendius' unity."

Hunter tried to bolt to his feet but found himself firmly planted on the chair. "You bastard!"

"We all have to make hard decisions at one point in our life."

"But you're making the decision to consciously send thousands of people to their deaths for some symbolic meaning!?"

Chronos smirked. "I briefly considered just getting a small rag-tag team of heroes, one with a representative from each race and faction but then the entire premise of said small team sneaking into an enormous enemy stronghold filled with evil monsters while the rest of the world remained unawares sounded far too... clichéd for me. So I decided on wholesale bloodshed and slaughter instead! Oh, and the small team going in to obliterate the Magical McGuffin."

Hunter growled, his fists shaking. "What makes you think we won't just tell everyone about this bullshit and leave you to fall to the Shadows?"

"Because now, the Scorium Axis is in the middle of the Shadow's lands. Our corruptive shadowy foes are being forced to push north by the light. If you _don't_fight, you die."

Son-of-a...

Chronos was beaming as he pressed his fingertips together. "As you can see, you have no choice. You have to fight. With luck, you'll survive."

"And what of your 'team'?" Tynvandar challenged. "Who will be there?"

"Myself, Phalgymr, Leandros, Alaric the Blood Mage and..." Chronos' eyes settled on Hunter. "Hunter Hart."

"What!?" Hunter exclaimed. "Why me!?"

"Because you can destroy Bloodfyre."

"That's bullshit! How the fuck am I supposed to destroy a mythical sword infused with the guilt of two gods!?"

Chronos didn't reply and just continued to stare at Hunter like a patient, patronising teachers waiting for his student to come to the realisation himself.

"Zero Hour." Eton slowly turned to Hunter, jaw open. "You can destroy it with Zero Hour."

A ten tonne weight suddenly fell on Hunter's shoulders.

Why had Chronos kept him around? Why was he so important? Why would he give him a thousand years' worth of Time at Chillfarn to ensure his safety?

So that he could use Zero Hour to destroy Bloodfyre.

Perhaps it was never his original plan. He did offer Hunter an 'out' at Mirecragg and perhaps he only saved Hunter at Clockwork because he was with Elena. But now... those plans had changed. Hunter could destroy Bloodfyre with just a touch from his Valour...

"Shit..." his eyes lifted to Chronos. "Can't you do it? Don't you have your Anti-Time powers or something that can do exactly the same thing? Titus has Final Hour too, right?"

"Oh I have no doubt Titus can destroy Bloodfyre and I most certainly can." Chronos' grin unsettled him. "But the question remains... are you willing to let a Chronomancer, let alone me take the glory of freeing the world from the grip of the Shadows?" He drummed his fingers on the table, that smirk on his muzzle growing wider and wider. "How would the world react if not only are the Chronomancers revealed to have been released but there was one actually free this entire time and he worked to save Incendius?"

Chronos pretended to fan himself theatrically with a paw. "Don't get me wrong, I'd love to be in the limelight again but I quite enjoy this whole 'shadowy evil villain' gig. It is so much more enjoyable when people just think you're a no-good, rotten bastard and treat you as such. Plus, I still haven't gotten my evil laugh right yet."

The Wulfun cleared his throat and then let out a booming, thunderous laugh that seemed octaves too deep for his athletic frame. The voice boomed across the entire room, shaking Hunter to his very soul and reverberating in his ears long after it had finished.

"What do you think?" Chronos asked. "Simple sound-based Time Magic. Sound is basically waves and altering the frequency, as in how often the waves occur, I can make my voice deeper or softer as I wish. The volume is just me being loud." He winked at them. "So... Criticisms? Feedback?"

No one spoke.

"Fine, be that way," he said. "Hunter is an unknown, no one knows him. He hasn't done anything to really inspire anyone or be noticed. As far as anyone knows, he's just another soldier that's been hanging around Paladins and Templars. If he were to destroy Bloodfyre, no one would bat an eye. I'm giving the Church the opportunity to dismiss the act as a unified effort not as the act of a single man that can be elevated to godhood."

"Why?" Tynvandar asked. "Do not misunderstand, Chronos, I have my suspicions but I want to hear it from you."

The golden-eyed Wulfun smiled and leaned back into his chair. "The Sunshadow War ended with Apollia and Adramalech facing off in what is now the Concave of Shadows. Only Apollia survived. That one act promoted her to godhood. She was known. Not necessarily famous. But she led her team of saboteurs to disable the Church fleet and then led them again to lend aid to the Brave Farmer. Five years ago, I led my troops to take down the Church. Similarly, Lumire led the entire world in prayer."

His eyes lifted, slowly bouncing from each of them. "The problem has always been that we have turned to one person and moulded our society and works on them. But this war, the events that led up to now, they are not the effort of one man."

"Yes they are," Aria accused. "You."

"Weren't you listening, Aria?" Chronos said, smiling. "I didn't throw the _Vampiri_at Clockwork. I didn't start the _Lupus_rebellion. Yes, I capitalised on it and I ended them but I wasn't the one that swung the sword or threw the first stone. We are all guilty."

There were those words again...

Chronos' smile turned strangely... comforting. "And we all have different ways to deal with that guilt." His eyes fell on Smallfang. "Sometimes, we bury it deep inside of us and try to forget it. This causes us to hurt those around us, pushing them away. Or..." He then turned Serena. "We accept it but do little to alleviate it and hurt ourselves in the process as others lash out at us." Those last few words were directed at Eton who folded his ears back in shame. Then he turned to Hunter. "Or sometimes we run away."

Right...

"In the end, if we don't do the right thing about it, the guilt will just consume us. The darkness blinds. It makes us do crazy things." His eyes fell on Andy and Tanar. "It makes us pretend to be someone we're not and when the time comes to reveal our true intentions, we end up hurting those around us."

He's talking about Ford and Ophelia...

Then his eyes turned towards Aria. "Or we become obsessed and lose perspective. We chase the object of our guilt to the ends of the earth without knowledge on what to do once we find them."

That's right... she is a little obsessed...

"This obsession can lend us to abandon everything we have and lose sight of the good things in life." His eyes then went to Moonclaw and gripped Elena's hand tightly. "Or force us to do things that could hurt so many other people all in the name of honour and duty." Dorthango was the object of his gaze. "And drag those who are innocent and know nothing of our guilt further into the darkness." He turned to Tynvandar.

"Whatever the case, those at the core of the guilt spread the weight around, spreading the corruption with these reckless acts and trigger events that can could only make things worse." Titus cringed beneath Chronos' gaze. "But the best thing we can do is just to apologise, accept what happened, take our punishment... and let it go."

Lastly, his eyes fell on Elena.

She smiled back at him and he gave her a reassuring nod.

"We have all contributed to this war in one way or another. From our successes, our failures, paranoia or scheming, we have done something that has put Incendius where it is right now. We have all suffered enough. Our punishment has come and gone. Now, it is time to let it go." He folded his paws together, placing them firmly on the table. It didn't look like he was talking to them anymore. "Time waits for no man and it left us behind long ago as we wallowed in our guilt. Time to move on."

Chronos rose. A rip in space appeared behind him revealing nothing but utter blackness. His smile was gone, his face unreadable. "I have told you what I plan. When you get to Chillfarn in five days' time, the Scorium Axis_will have severely weakened. Since Hunter damaged the _Sun Spire before it could fire, it lost a lot of its power through the holes he created. It only has about a month of total power. It took you two weeks to get the civilians evacuated and another week or so to get to Chillfarn. By the time you get there, we have about another seven days before the Axis goes out completely. We need to destroy Bloodfyre before then or..."

He gave them a sad smile. "Well, you don't want to know my backup plan. See you in five days."

He turned towards the portal before stopping with a foot through it.

"And I almost forgot. As per our agreement..." He turned back towards Tynvandar. "Tynvandar, remember your sister, Yulanda? Well, she had a daughter. Hell, that's her husband right there." He pointed straight at Moonclaw.

Hunter's jaw dropped.

Wait... if Moonclaw was Yulanda's husband that would mean...

"Tynvandar, meet your niece, Elena Clox. Elena, your uncle. Enjoy."

*****

The Sunlight Storm had an observation deck built in the communications tower. It served no real purpose but to allow for those feeling pensive to stare out into the emptiness of the void or to take in the sights of whatever Station they were travelling on. Aria was sure Hunter could go on about what a structural weakness a tower with _glass_was or perhaps Andy could give her a lecture about the history of the ship but she just wanted a moment to sit and contemplate.

Alone on the deck amongst the multitude of chairs arranged in a circular pattern, she just watched the dark clouds fly by as they drew closer and closer to the Sun Spire. In eons past, starships possessed the power to fold time and space and appear in other locations much faster. A week's long travel would only take a day or so. However such technology was built around Chronomancy and with the Purge of Time, such technology was banned. These days, with ships being as big and lumbering as they were, crossing vast Stations like Incendius took at least a month from one end to the other.

It actually amused her. Some smaller ships like personal transports or fighters could make the trip in two or so days provided they had the fuel and power. But capital ships... well, they were not built for such fast travel. Even the smallest speck of debris or even a high-flying bird could collided with some precious equipment and destroy something important. It was even riskier in the Void. One could not manoeuvre a ship like the Sunlight Storm as swiftly as a fighter.

That, unfortunately, meant that for the next five or so days, she would have to sit quietly and stew in the mess Harm had placed them all in. Though, it was truly not his mess, was it? As it had been for all those years they had fought side by side, Harm was always cleaning up other people's messes. Perhaps 'cleaning up' was not the proper term. 'Recycling' was more fitting. He would take whatever disaster had struck the world and turn it to his own needs.

She recalled the events of the Bloodfyre Incident and how he had turned the entire event into a way to wrest control of Incendius away from the elitist families and houses of Incendius. Then, there was the Burning Rebellion where he used demons to his own advantage. Other events crossed her mind on Incendius alone; the Phoenix Uprising, Bloodbath Cross and even the Eternal Winter.

She smiled softly and she subconsciously touched her lower lip.

"That's where he kissed you, isn't it?"

She immediately slipped back to her stoic features and turned. Andy was beside her, leaning forward and absently staring through the windows.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked.

"Just a few minutes. Still long enough to see you drift off like that." He gave her a gentle smile. Tanar was on his other side, lying on his belly and likewise peering through the window. "Come on. Be honest with me. He kissed you, didn't he?"

It was strange that she felt comfortable around him. The only other person she felt so relaxed around was Hunter. Then again, perhaps 'relaxed' was not the optimum word. 'Open' appropriate. Hunter brought out the frustration in her and once the floodgates were open, they could not hold back the tide. With Andy, he didn't antagonise her for no reason. He understood her like he understood everyone else. .

"Right before he betrayed us I noticed that he was acting strangely. When I confronted him about it, it looked like he was about to tell me everything. Instead, he kissed me lightly and told me that it was a long time coming. That after all we had been through, I deserved it."

Aria shook her head sadly. "I did not understand then what he meant. I do not now. Frankly, I do not even understand why he is doing this. I wish I knew."

The Leomian leaned back, resting one arm over the back of the seat. Aria spied the dark shape of his irremovable Valour, Celestial Crime and wondered at the burden that must pose. "If it's any comfort, I don't think Harm was lying about his involvement in Clockwork."

"How can you be so sure?"

Andy's soft, blue eyes narrowed slightly. They betrayed the keen intelligence that his usual happy, carefree, hyperactive demeanour usually hid. "I may not have known him as long as you but when from what little I've gathered, whenever he stops smiling, he's serious. His voice becomes grave, serious and drops an octave. He becomes incredibly still in the nuances of a Wulfun. Normally, Wulfuns would have their ears twitching, tail swaying or something like that. But he becomes completely still, completely unmoving like a statue."

Like every time he was in deep thought, Andy rubbed his goatee. Aria always despised that piece of facial hair. Andy was well past his pubescent stage and should have grown a full mane by now but that tuft of dark brown hair was a symbol of Andy's rank as a 'child' amongst the Church. She had a running theory that once Andy became a fully-fledged Paladin, he will grow a mane. Or - to her own amusement - he will grow mutton chops and once he becomes a Templar, only then will he have a mane. She never shared this with Andy or Tanar for fear of insulting one or the other.

"I think Harm was being truthful when he said he hasn't even shown us the full extent of his power," Andy continued. "He can manipulate light and sound with Chronomancy. I've read his dossier. He never learned those initially while in the Academy and didn't strive to learn them until five hundred years ago at the end of the Bloodfyre Incident. He's mastered them to the point where he can make himself completely invisible and even alter his voice. He has allied himself with the Brave Farmer and the gods are at his beck and call. He can even force our bodies to repeat actions he's memorised for us, effectively controlling us as he sees fit."

The Leomian shook his head sadly. "One would think with all this power, it would be impossible to stop him."

"You do not believe this?"

It was Tanar who answered. "He may control our bodies, mess with our perceptions and even manipulate our minds but our hearts and souls are still our own. We were able to defy him. We fired the Sun Spire but on our own terms. We took detours that delayed his plans. Phalgymr did something that forced him to act and even the Lupus rebellion made him alter his path."

Aria turned her gaze away from the Dire Wolf. "Defiance is all well and good if it amounted to something. In the end, he still got what he wanted."

"Only because what he wants is what we want."

She frowned. "The wholesale slaughter of the people of Incendius for some symbolic unification in sorrow and loss?" She shook her head. "No, Tanar, that is not what I want."

"But we want Incendius unified," countered the Dire Wolf. "He forced us to come to this end but I still believe we can turn it in our favour."

"How?"

Tanar shrugged. "I do not know. Somehow."

"That is far from encouraging."

Andy laughed softly. "I think what Tanar is trying to say is that though Harm has all these plans laid out and contingency plans upon contingency plans but ultimately, it's still our choice to follow them or not. I mean, if we really wanted to, I bet we could talk to tonnes of the captains on these ships and get them to turn around." He flicked an ear at her. "It's the little things that make the difference. If we all add our little push, even we can topple gods."

She smiled softly. "So you think Harm is a god now?"

"Apollia was apparently a 'god' and she turned out just to be another Paladin." Andy lifted a finger. "It isn't the people that we should worship but rather their ideals that they follow."

"Who taught you that?" she asked, knowing full well the answer.

"Harm."

Aria rose from her seat with a heavy sigh. "I appreciate the sentiment, Andrew, but sadly, there is no escaping the fact that we are now tasked with fighting in a battle that will spell the doom of a vast majority of Incendius' people."

As she turned, Andy called out to her.

"Harm expects all those people to die. I say we do our best to make sure they don't."

She paused. A small smile touched her lips. In the back of her mind, she could not help but know, deep down in her heart, that Chronos had plans that would spell the doom of all those people gathering a Chillfarn. On some level, she could understand it. The original Sunshadow War had united the people of Incendius and now this second version would practically do the same. Though, would it just continue to perpetuate the same cycle of hatred? Once all is said and done, will the people just splinter off into different factions again, awaiting the next great war before they can be united once more?

Still... through that depressing though, Andy's word's rang true.

Despite his plans, she would do everything in her power to defy him.

Another Wulfun taught her that.

*****

"Well?"

Hunter shot Eton an annoyed stare. "Let me work, will you?" he growled back. He turned back towards the small console he had jury-rigged from connecting his Telecube to the communications terminal in his and Eton's room. Serena hovered over Eton's shoulder, both of them eagerly anticipating the results of his hacking.

The Sunlight Storm was a very high-end ship. From what he remembered, the name was handed off to multiple ships as the old versions were decommissioned. The current version, if he remembered correctly, was a Helios-Class flagship, built for speed and with high-end communications, not battle. As such, its internal security mechanisms were extremely tight.

But still not so tight that Hunter couldn't at least tap into the security feed in the conference room as an existing user... and using Dorthango's Inquisitor access.

"Got it!" he exclaimed.

"Excellent," Dorthango boomed, pushing the two Paladins aside. "What are they talking about?"

Hunter turned up the volume and they all watched eagerly as the screen showed Elena and Moonclaw sitting opposite Tynvandar in the conference room. He couldn't see their faces clearly but they all looked rather stiff.

"I have... a niece...?" Tynvandar asked.

Elena raised a hand. "With all due respect, Your Holiness, I am one who values the quality of the relationship and not the quantity of one's blood. As far as I am concerned, I am not your niece. I barely know you and I have no intention of usurping your throne or -"

"I have a niece!" Tynvandar exclaimed, laughing brightly. "Goddess... I cannot believe it! I actually have family!" Tynvandar raised a hand towards Moonclaw. "And a brother in law! A Lupus no less!"

Moonclaw shook his head. "Your Holiness, we are bound by blood, yes, but have no allusions, we do not plan to take your throne or -"

"Oh sod the throne!" The Apex Clericus Solis stood up and rushed around the table so that he was seated right next to Elena. "Tell me about Yulanda! How is she? Where is she now? What has she been doing?"

Everyone in the room winced. Even Dorthango must have guessed the answer to that barrage of questions. Hunter almost couldn't watch as Moonclaw and Elena told Tynvandar what had happened to his sister. He was fascinated at how the threads of fate all wove together. Elena was the niece of the Apex Clericus Solis... Part of him was glad he had kept her safe during Ironfrost and at the same time, terrible embarrassed that he almost killed himself in front of her.

Despite the death of Yulanda, Tynvandar was nonetheless elated. "I can see a lot of her in you, Elena. And would you like to know the hilarious part? You're the first member of our family to actually have a surname!"

"I am?"

"Yes! Long, long ago when our ancestor first took the throne of the Apex Clericus Solis during the Bloodfyre Incident_, he had a_ long list of unique names that he patented. No one else was allowed to use those them. Notice how I have no surname? It's because my name is unique. So was Yulanda."

"I had wondered that," Elena answered with a smile.

Moonclaw wrapped a paw around Elena's shoulder protectively. "I hope you do not intend to drag her to court and name her your heir." He turned towards Elena. "Unless she wants to, that is."

Tynvandar fixed the Lupus with an exasperated stare. "Do you honestly believe that after this fiasco, there will be a court or a throne? If events play out as Chronos plans, there will barely be an Incendius_to return to. There is no sun. No infrastructure or agriculture. Everyone has retreated to the Sunless Lands. The Church has been exposed to be liars. Or rather,_ our branch of the Church. Haven will likely condemn us, claiming our secrets were our own. Though the authority of the Church will be ruined here, what is the loss if there is nothing to claim?"

Dorthango grunted his agreement. "He is right. Once the dust settles, the majority of the Church is likely to cut ties with the Incendian branch. Full disclosure will be a given but they can just pretend they knew nothing of it. The Generals are absolved as well as all these events occurred well before their time. Inquisitors will be punished and some will lose their ranks but most likely they will just be repositioned into secret operations. They did nothing wrong."

"So nothing will change," Eton grumbled.

"No. We will be more aware of Chronos' actions and more effort will be turned to him but other than that..."

"Quiet, all of you," Smallfang growled, poking his head past Dorthango. "I cannot hear what they are saying!"

"So who will rule Incendius?" Moonclaw asked.

"Who will be left to rule?" countered Tynvandar. "Where will the Station be? They will certainly not want my advice. I have sat and been the pawn of both Chronos and the Generals. Would you want a leader who is nothing but a follower to greater powers?"

"How can you surrender a position that has kept Incendius together for so long?"

Tynvandar sighed and rolled his eyes. "With the rise of the Generals, individual ruling powers in the Stations have been slowly giving all their rule to those who saved us from the Fall of Haven. My position as Apex Clericus Solis has been nothing but a formality and symbolic since five years ago. I smile, wave, shake paws, kiss babies and hold festivals." He threw his hands into the air helplessly. "That is all I do. I do no true ruling. What little the Generals allow me are so trivial that it equates to wiping one of their noses as they sneeze!"

Shaking his head, Tynvandar leaned against the table and gazed absently at the glistening image of Apollia that Harm had left there. "And let us be frank; who would want to rule over a Church that is built upon lies?"

No one had any answers.

"So what?" The surprising answer came from Elena who regarded her uncle with a baffled expression on her face. "The Church was built on lies but you care rebuild it on the truth. Perhaps Incendius is lost but you saw what Andy did. Perhaps it is time to stop relying on the gods and saints to give us the world. Let us make our own_light."_

The Apex Clericus Solis let out a soft laugh. "You hope to illuminate the entire world? How?"

"Who knows?" Elena exclaimed, beaming brightly a she spread her arms wide. "We are capable of building ships that fly, magics that create fire out of nothing and are capable of persevering through even the deepest of darkness! Why can't we stand firm in this desolate land and create our own_light?"_

She swept a hand towards Apollia."She is evidence enough that even mere mortals are capable of rising to the powers of gods. She was capable of lighting the entire Station for millennia_. One person. Yes, she was blessed and loved by gods but aren't we all? Why can't we all, if we just contribute a little bit, lend a spark that can ignite the flame that will warm and light all of Incendius? No Darkened locked behind an icy wall, no lands beyond the ocean that must go without light and no shadows of guilt that haunt us for past crimes."_

She grasped Tynvandar's hand firmly, beaming brightly. "This is our chance to make this our Station. Not the Station of the Sun. Not the First Station of Tower Thirteen. Our Station." She glanced over her shoulder, smiling at her father. "A Station where we no one must sacrifice themselves for the greater good."_Then she turned towards Apollia's image. _"A Station where we mustn't live in guilt for the crimes of others." Lastly, she gazed back at Tynvandar. "A Station where all the people, Lupus_,_ Vampiri, human or nonhuman can all live under a light they forge."

Tynvandar smiled back at her but let out a long, tired sigh. "It is a wonderful sentiment, my dear, but-"

"What is the 'but'?" she interrupted. "Are you telling me that because of all that has happened, you are giving up? Because Chronos, in all his planning, hopes to devastate our populace at Chillfarn for some symbolic lesson? Our fate is still our own. He may lead us to the gates but it is our_will that will swing the sword, our hearts that will give us strength and_ our unity that will hold the line. Not his planning. No matter what he does, he cannot make us fight. We fight because we want to. And because of that, we will not die."

The Apex Clericus Solis regarded her with a deep frown on his face. She was still gripping his hand very tightly but neither of them were moving. As the moments passed, Tynvandar just remained still and Elena continued to smile. Moonclaw looked the most awkward out of them all.

"Of for fuck's sake!" Hunter howled, gripping the screen and shaking it wildly. "Just fuckin' lead the whole goddamn Station into a new fuckin' golden age already!"

He became aware that he was shouting at a one-way screen with no way for Elena or the others to hear him... and that he was in the company of his boyfriend and an Inquisitor. He turned to their slightly worried and amused faces.

"What? You tell me you wouldn't have leapt at the change to build some sort of perpetual light machine for her after that speech!"

Smallfang was the first to reply, giving a firm nod. "You are absolutely right." He turned and was suddenly out the door.

Hunter could only watch in surprise but his attention was diverted back to Elena in the conference room as Tynvandar began to rise.

"Your words sound true, Elena, but I cannot guarantee where this journey will lead. However..." he smiled at her reassuringly. "Let me assure you, if we survive this, I will do what I can to keep Incendius intact. Even if I must order the entire Incendian fleet to light the skies with their lasers and lights, I will make this Station shine again."

"He does not mean it," Dorthango grumbled. "He is merely reassuring her. You can see it in his stance."

Hunter wasn't sure what to look for but whatever Tynvandar truly meant was lost when the door to the conference room sprang open and Smallfang came bursting in.

"Elena!" shouted the Lupus prince.

Elena pulled her hand away from her uncle and smiled at the newcomer. "What is it, Smallfang?"

The Lupus looked hesitantly at Moonclaw and then Tynvandar. "Could we... Could we have a moment alone?"

Confused but nonetheless compliant, Elena quietly asked her father and uncle for a few moments. When the two left and the door shut behind them, Smallfang instantly advanced on Elena, taking her paws in his.

"Oh Goddess..." Serena gasped. "Is this really happening?"

"Ha!" Eton exclaimed, spinning towards her. "Called it! Pay up!"

Hunter turned to them both, utterly puzzled. "What are you two going on about?"

"You didn't see it?" his boyfriend replied, beaming triumphantly as Serena deposited several cogs and gears into his paws. "Smallfang has been head over heels for Elena since Ironfrost! From what I hear, she kicked him down a couple of notches when you rescued him and they have been sending a lot of time together since then."

"They have? I recall you were constantly inviting Smallfang into orgies that he... never... participated... in..." Hunter smacked his forehead. "Of course! Because he was after someone else! Fuck, I missed it!"

"Lucky you didn't bet against me," Eton said with a bright grin. "Oh! He's about to propose!"

Propose...?

Turning back to the screen, Smallfang was stammering half sentences before he eventually collected his thoughts and said, "Elena, back at Corona, your father and I fought side by side. In that time... I realised I had grown very fond of you and in a moment when I thought I would die, I asked your father for permission to court you."

Elena pulled her hands away from him. "Far from flattering if you are treating me like some sort of common whore you can simply ask my owner for permission into my bed."

"That is not what I meant!" Smallfang exclaimed, incredibly flustered. "I mean, I was born into royalty and was bred in an environment far richer than yours."

Hunter winced at that. "Crap.. do I get like that when I'm nervous?"

"Worse," Eton snickered. "He doesn't spout utter nonsense." Eton wrapped his arms around Hunter's waist and lightly kissed his cheek. "But that's what makes you so adorable."

Back in the conference room, Elena was clearly having fun as she stood back and folded her arms at Smallfang. "Royalty clearly does not teach tact."

"I mean -" He growled at her. "You're enjoying this far too much."

"No. Not nearly enough." She sat down, crossing one leg over the other and leaned back in her chair. "Alright, Smallfang, you have my father's permission to court me. You have the next fifteen minutes to sway me to either invest in this opportunity or turn you down right now and save you months of heartbreak."

Smallfang balked visible. "You mean right now? Oh... Ah... very well... I... I plan to take my father's place eventually and that will mean I will rule the Lupus_."_

"Unless they all die at Chillfarn then you'll rule nothing but the empty shell of Ironfrost. On the other hand, if everyone died and only you survived, it would speak volumes about your courage." She tapped her lower lip thoughtfully. "Unless, of course, you intend me to be your source of the next generation of Lupus_, breeding with me wildly until I can produce for you healthy brood."_

The Lupus's fur fluffed out. "No! I mean I do intend to have your pups - I mean, you have my - I mean -" He ran a paw through his hair, ruffling it and nearly tearing it from their roots."I just foresee a future with the two of us together. You have done so much to pull me from my past and make me forget my mistakes or the mistakes of my father and I can never repay you for that."

"Indeed you cannot." Elena gazed absently towards the ceiling and began counting with her fingers. "I spoke sense to you when you ran away at Chillfarn. I found you at Mirecragg. I am the niece of the Apex Clericus Solis_. Truly, what have you done for_ me_?"_

"I - I - I..."

Hunter leaned closer to Eton. "Is it me or did Elena just make you even _more_gay?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

Elena laughed softly, rising to her feet and gently pressing a hand against Smallfang's chest. "Smallfang, I appreciate the gesture and you are a good friend."

Ack! The F-word!

"As you can see," she continued, "I have much in my life that I must contend with first. My father is a Lupus_rebel. My_ uncle is the ruler of Incendius. A Chronomancer is waging war around us. In all honesty, even if you were to save my life at Chillfarn, I doubt very much I could ever return the affection you hold for me."

"Damn that's rough..." Hunter whispered.

"But," Elena continued, smiling up at him, "I am more than willing to share that burden with someone else. If you are willing to be patient with me."

Smallfang threw his head back and laughed, slightly hysterical but mostly relieved. "You must be joking. You have been the sole force holding us all sane! You and Hunter. If not for you, I sure we would have flown to our deaths in Chronos' ship and run off to the hills by now! Elena..." He seized her shoulders tightly. "... I don't need to make my own light when I have you."

That made her laugh but that laughter was quickly cut short as if she realised something. Slowly, her eyes turned back towards him, filled with suspicion. "You heard that?"

Smallfang blinked several times. "Ah... yes..."

"_How?"_

"Well..." Smallfang pointed at the camera. "Hunter managed to hack into the ship's security feed and we used Dorthango's credentials to spy on the events that transpired here. The Inquisitor was very curious about what was happening."

The look Elena gave the camera and, in turn, the spying group just screamed,'Run, bitch, run'. Hunter immediately yanked the Telecube from the circuits, blanking out the screen. He spun towards the others and shouted, "Scatter!"

They were instantly scrambling out of the room, Dorthango hobbling on his artificial leg. Hunter practically bowled over Serena as they split off indo different directions. He noticed Serena going for the bow of the ship so he went for the stern with Eton right beside him. The moment they rounded their fifth corner, they toppled over one another as they came crashing right in front of Elena.

She stared them expectantly.

Eton immediately pointed at Hunter. "It was his idea!" Then he turned tail and bolted.

That yellow-bellied -

But the moment he stared at Elena, at her slightly amused but utterly menacing smile, he completely understood why Eton would just throw him to the figurative wolves.

"Some boyfriend you turned out to be!" he shouted over his shoulder. He let out a loud eep when Elena seized his balls in a vice-like grip.

"How much did you overhear?" she asked.

"Everything!" Hunter cried, his voice a little higher than usual. "Fuck! Come on, you're the niece of the Apex Clericus Solis! It was a fucking bombshell! What did you expect us to do!? Respect your privacy!?"

Strangely, she laughed though she maintained her grip on his crotch. "Strangely enough, yes. Though I suppose that was expecting a little much." With her free hand, she reached for the blade hanging by her hip. Horrified, Hunter realised she still possessed Ashwing.

Crap! She's going to castrate me! Right here!?

"Come on, Elena," he whimpered, ears folded back and tail between his legs. "At least let me screw Eton one more time before you rip my balls off."

Elena's expression didn't lose that amused smirk as she unbuckled the scabbard. She gripped the weapon with both hands and handed it towards him. "Here, Hunter. This is yours."

He whimpered as he gripped the blade. "Aw man... That's cold... You're going to make me do it to myself?"

"What are you talking about?"

Puzzled but at the same time realising he had overthought things again, he wrapped the blade over his shoulder. "Nothing! I... Uh... Thanks..." Desperate the change the subject, he said, "So... Smallfang..."

The instant he said that, he realised he had made another verbal mistake.

Damnit!

"I see you were still spying during that," she laughed softly. "Yes, Smallfang." Then she did a very strange thing. She wrapped one arm around her chest while the other lifted her hand, pressing her fingers against her lips. There was a light smile on her lips and she swayed slightly.

Hunter had seen an expression like that before... On Aria... when she was reminiscing about Chronos...

"Holy shit, he kissed you!"

She smiled idly at him. "That is one point in his favour. Canine tongues make for surprisingly amazing kisses."

That they do...

"Um..." Hunter hiked a thumb over his shoulder. "How're you taking it? The whole, you're the daughter of the Apex Clericus Solis' sister thing and Smallfang coming onto you like that?"

She offered him a slight smile. "In all honesty, after the madness that we have gone through, the twists, the turns and the general insanity, I am glad that there is some semblance of affection still blossoming in the world." She twirled a strand of red hair between her fingers. "It proves that Chronos is wrong. The world is not filled with hate and hate is not what unites Incendius."

Huh... I guess that's true...

Andy brought us all together... and it wasn't out of hatred for Chronos or the Shadows. It may have started that way but really...

"I'm glad you're taking it so well," Hunter said, offering her a small smile. "Honestly, if I were in your position, I'd downright freak out."

"Who knows? Perhaps you are actually Chronos' son!" she laughed.

"Or alternate history replica or something else equally as crazy," Hunter responded with a shrug. "Can I count on you to grip my balls and threaten me with castration if I ever freak out over something like that again?"

Elena held out her hand and he took it, giving it a firm shake. "Of course, Hunter, of course."

*****

Before Hunter returned to his room, he wanted to make a stop somewhere private. Remembering the observation deck of the Sunlight Storm, he headed up there immediately. Aria, Andy and Tanar were just leaving and he gave them a smile and a nod as they passed. Surprisingly, Aria returned the gesture. He wondered what they had been talking about out.

Once he was alone in the circular room, he sat down and stared out into the vast darkness only broken by the distant light of the Scorium Axis.

He took a breath... and let it out slowly. "I know you're here."

Chronos laughed softly from where he sat beside Hunter. "How'd you know?"

"Just a feeling." He regarded the athletic Wulfun. "You don't have a scent, you don't make a sound and I can even barely hear you breathe. Yet I knew you were around. Why is that?"

"You mean why I don't have a scent?" Chronos responded. "Scents are based off particles of your body like fur and skin mixed with bacteria from certain body parts or pheromones from glands. As someone that's Time Locked, all these particles, bacteria and pheromones are stuck in the same state. I don't really have to breathe either. As for being silent..." He shrugged. "Easier to remain quiet when you aren't a hulking mound of muscle." For emphasis, Chronos gently tapped Hunter's much larger bicep.

"I've average for a Wulfun..."

"I wouldn't say you were 'average'."

"You know what I mean."

"And I also know why you called me out." Chronos smiled gently. "You want me to use Chronometric Tracing on you and reveal to you who you were and what you remember."

Hunter returned a grim nod. "Eton had it done and he's been mostly honest with me. I feel like I should do the same. It's... I don't know..."

The Chronomancer nodded sagely. "It's a feeling of equality. You risked your relationship to alleviate Eton of the burden of his hatred for Serena. You have seen how much happier he is and how much he cares for you. Yet despite this, you still feel there is a barrier between you. This 'unknown' that you cannot get rid of." Chronos stood up and swept a paw around him, indicting the vast darkness. "Everyone is afraid of the unknown. Even the gods."

He held out his paw as a fist. When he opened it, a red feather slowly dropped from his fingers. Flames erupted from the feather, quickly forming into his legendary blade, Firefeather.

"Even Adramalech is afraid of what will come next." He turned towards Hunter with a smile. "I'll do it. On one condition."

"Didn't think you'd do it for free." Hunter straightened. "What do you want?"

Chronos held out his sword to Hunter. "You take Adra with you to the Concave of Shadows." The sword retracted to its feather form, resting on Chronos' palm.

Hunter snorted and took the feather. "Fine. Leaves you with one less weapon to contend with. You know Titus or someone else is going to take a pot-shot at you when they get the opportunity, right?"

The smaller Wulfun laughed softly. "I have no doubt." He turned his paw so that it was pointing at Hunter. "Ready?"

Closing his eyes, Hunter braced himself. "Y - Yeah... Actually, no! Give me a second!" He paused, taking several deep breaths in rapid succession. "Okay... go."

...

"... Did you do it?" Hunter stammered, his throat strangely dry.

"Yup."

Hunter opened his eyes and stared at Chronos disbelievingly. "Stop lying. When you did it to Eton and Serena they doubled over and light came shooting out of their eyes and throats."

"That's because they had to remember a lot of things that were erased from the Redaction Spell," answered Chronos with a smile. "Think about the past, Hunter. Think about your life in Haven. Your father. What do you remember now that you didn't remember a few seconds ago?"

He frowned and thought back. He... he remembered once asking his father what his name meant when they were doing a family tree project at school. His father, still proud of him at that point, sat him on his lap and told him that 'Harm Chronos' was a brave, devout follower of the Church and a true hero. Someone who selflessly did things that would risk his life but never asking for anything in return.

A flood of memories came in... but it equated to a rush of water that came up to his ankles. It wasn't enough to knock him over and potentially drown him; just give him a moment to pause.

Nothing changed. When he hit puberty late, his father began to resent him for not living up to Harm Chronos' name. He joined the military, earning the distain of his oldest brother and he grew closer to Jerry who he always thought of as an idiot who spent his money on frivolous things.

The only thing that truly changed was when the Fall of Haven occurred, he remembered feeling disgusted and horrified that 'Harm Chronos' would kill Lumire and do such horrible things. That was the first time he made an effort to ensure everyone called him 'Hunter'.

But other that... nothing changed.

He gave Chronos a puzzled look.

"I told you," Chronos said, "you are just a happy accident. The world doesn't revolve around me no matter what Aria or Andy might say or believe. You got dragged into this because that's where your choices led. If you had taken your leave a week later or a week earlier, you would probably still be on the Lasting Armageddon, fighting off demons." He shrugged. "I'm adaptive. My plans don't rely on your presence but since you're here, why not, right?"

Hunter frowned at him. "So if I wasn't here, how were you planning to destroy Bloodfyre?"

"Maybe Alaric. Maybe get Leandros, Tynvandar and Phalgymr to do it. Better yet, Elena would make a great hero, don't you think. She'd be the new face of Incendius. Level-headed and humble, she wouldn't let herself raise to the rank of godhood like Apollia." He spread his arms wide. "There are many possibilities, countless paths we could have taken. So many villains stick to the one plan and it just ruins the story if their plans are built upon one chance factor. But me..." He grinned. "I adapt. My plans don't turn out as I originally wanted but hey, as long as I get what I want in the end, frankly, I don't care!"

Hunter scowled. "No matter the loss of life?"

"Loss of life. Devastated mentalities. Crushed hopes and shattered dreams. Realistically speaking, I would cause the end of the world if I could get what I wanted!" He paused absently. "Oh wait..."

"Just get out of here," he growled.

"Oh come on." Chronos places his paws on his hips. "Didn't we just come to a mutually beneficial agreement here? Did you just get some closure on your past? Didn't I just give you a weapon of phenomenal cosmic powers?" Chronos frowned theatrically. "Oh wait..."

"Just go!"

The Chronomancer turned, a tear appearing in space behind him leading into a black, empty voice. "You're just mad that you're starting to like me."

Then he was gone.

Sad thing was, Hunter really was starting to get used to Chronos' brand of humour. He hated the guy for what he was doing but in some bizarre world, he was sure the two of them could've been friends. Chronos even reminded him a little of Daniel... except, homicidal and evil.

Tucking the red feather into his pocket, Hunter got off his seat and headed back to his room.

The moment the door dematerialized in front of him, he was surprised to find Eton sitting contently on their shared bed, under the sheets with his shirt off. There was a red, square package on his lap wrapped with a bow.

"Hunter!" Eton exclaimed, beaming brightly. If he had a tail, Hunter was sure it would have been wagging. "How'd it go with Elena?"

"Surprisingly well," Hunter answered with a wry smile. "She's not homicidal. She never is." He sat down on the bed beside him, tearing off his shirt and tossing it aside. The cool, recycled air of the ship felt strange on his fur after spending the majority of the month sleeping outdoors.

"I'm glad." Eton picked up the present and handed it to him. "I wanted to give you this earlier but considering how I potentially threw you to the murderous Apex Clericus Solis' niece, I thought this would make up for it."

Hunter lifted an eyebrow and slowly unwrapped the gift. He was surprised when, seated in a purple, velvety case, glistening white and red with fully integrated Telecube interface that would shoot a holographic display in front of his eyes to be controlled by the movement of his eyes... were a new pair of noise cancelling headphones.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed, beaming broadly and he picked them up. "These are Alienstorm headphones! These cost an arm and a leg back on Haven!" He regarded the numbering on the sides. "Shit! These are the EI 5000X! These are the latest model! I've always wanted one of these!" He threw them on, eagerly reaching for his Telecube and attaching. Almost instantly, crisp, clear sound sprang into his ears followed by a holographic display that splayed over his eyes like a visor providing him with a complete set of options and even its own operating system!

He pulled them off and regarded Eton. "Where did you get these?"

Eton shrugged, the smile on his muzzle supposedly indicating it was of little consequence. "Well, Paladins get a commission, you know. It's pretty hefty and since most of the past five years was spent in free Lupus lodgings and what not, I had all that money lying around." He hiked a thumb over his shoulder. "Just asked one of the guys where I could buy a new set of headphones for my boyfriend and he pointed me to the requisition kiosk."

Hunter's tail fluffed out. "Are you kidding me!? The requisition kiosk!? Those things have an insane exchange rate plus they charge extra for delivery! It's worse when it's non-military related!"

His boyfriend rolled his eyes. "Just take the gift, will you, hun?"

Hunter smiled and regarded the device in his paws. While he never went out to clubs, had no family that needed money or any extraneous expenses, he never dared to get one of these pieces of high-tech equipment. He wasn't sure how much Eton had in his bank account but one of these things could easily take a good chunk of Hunter's salary. It was effectively like buying a mobile computer.

"Thank you," he said, smiling softly. "I... I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"You don't need to," Eton responded, taking his paws. "I love you, Hunter. Things like this, I do because of that. I don't need a reason and I don't expect repayment."

"Some part of me knows that... But..." He laughed nervously. "I dunno. I'm still new to the whole 'modern relationship' thing. I've still got it in my head that we've got to romance each other first, have a few moonlit dinners, meet one another's parents and then you propose to me before we have sex."

Eton regarded him incredulously. "What are you? Straight?"

Hunter laughed and kicked him lightly. As he did so, he became aware that the sheets formed a perfect outline of Eton's muscular legs and a very erect cock. He frowned.

"Are you wearing anything under there?" he asked.

Eton's grin turned playful and mischievous. "Nope."

Despite every instinct of his telling him not to look, Hunter slowly pulled his paws away from Eton's, pulled up at the quilt and took a peek. He was staring at a very hard, very red, very big red, Lupus cock.

Hunter lowered the quilt and stared absently forward. "Huh."

"If you're not feeling up to it..." Eton began.

"We did promise we'd have sex after Chronos was defeated," Hunter responded. "Hell, I'd love to have sex on his corpse."

"That's slightly creepy and sadistic."

"He deserves it." Hunter turned to Eton with a broad, lewd grin on his face. "But you know who deserves it more?"

Eton's ears folded back behind his head and his expression fell. "Oh hell..."

Hunter pounced, quickly scurrying beneath the sheets and diving straight for Eton's throbbing cock. His right paw seized the heavy sack beneath the member while his muzzle eagerly wrapped around the pulsating member. Hot squirts of precum were already dripping off the tapered point and he could taste Eton's eagerness the moment he took most of the length into his muzzle. The world went dark with Eton's gasp, his pleasure too much for him to simply pull off the sheets.

Letting his other senses take over, Hunter smelled all of Eton. The rich, crisp, clean pine scent mixed with the warm hazelnut brought to him images of the two of them sitting huddled together in a pine forest with warm cups of hot chocolate mixed with hazelnut creamer in their paws. Then, he was hit by Eton's musky arousal and gone was the hot chocolate. Instead, they were ravishing each other in the forest.

His body quickly followed his mental image; his tongue eagerly slurping all over that cock, every breath he took drawing more and more of Eton's precum into him while his paws squeezed and traced every bulging muscle that covered the hot, Lupus' muscular body. Hunter wanted - needed - to know everything about Eton. He wanted to memorise every aspect of the Lupus, draw everything about Eton into himself. He pressed himself against Eton's lower body, loving the feeling of the hard cuts in Eton's legs against his own firm pecs and how the Eton's clawed toes ran lightly over his washboard abs.

Hunter pulled himself from Eton's cock but get one paw still firmly on it, keeping it warm. He heard Eton's surprised whimper which quickly turned into a half-giggle, half-shudder. Hunter lapped at Eton's balls, that scent of arousal growing stronger. The sack jostled against his tongue and he could almost feel the pent-up semen in there. Lightly and being careful not to press his fangs against the tender flesh, he cupped the sack in his lips, gently kissing it. Eton squirmed.

So maybe that wasn't something he liked...

That was okay. Hunter was learning. Slowly, he diverted his attention towards Eton's massive, muscular thighs. Up close, he they seemed so_much bigger especially in the darkness. Pressing his cheek against one muscle group, it felt like holding himself against a firm, warm, furry wall. Slowly, his guided his paws across its length, pressing lightly on every muscle and feeling hard, steel-like cords press back. His tongue instinctively rolled out of his muzzle as he began to pant eagerly. It brushed lightly against Eton's thighs and he tasted the salty sweat that was quickly accumulating all over the_Lupus' body, adding to the manly musk that covered him.

Between the saltiness of Eton's precum and the sweat, Hunter could barely tell the difference. Some primal part of his brain made some obscure connection and he began rolling his tongue up and down Eton's thighs. He could feel the hot blood pumping through the muscles. When he found a vein, he followed it until it disappeared into Eton's knees. His paws cupped Eton's ham-like calves and he kissed them lightly, slowly leading to the _Lupus'_digitigrade feet.

Some part of him was curious at that particular part of _Lupus_anatomy. He had seen it before but he had never smelled it, felt it or tasted it. He pushed his nose between two of Eton's toes, taking in the heady scent and couldn't help but smile. Slowly, his tongue ran from the base of toe and across his leathery pads. Eton moaned, his other foot gently wrapping around the back of Hunter's neck and rubbing his back lightly.

Hunter rolled his tongue across Eton's foot, suckling on a toe and just enjoying the texture, the feeling of some part of Eton being inside him. He committed everything about that foot to memory. How it felt, how it tasted and how it smelled. He compounded that all to his overall image of Eton and it just made the Lupus all the sexier.

Slowly, he pulled away from Eton's foot, licking his lips. He wanted more. Eton shuddered when Hunter briefly passed over his cock with a playful lick before pressing his lips over the Lupus' diamond-hard abdominals. One paw on that throbbing member, Hunter closed his eyes and ran his tongue over the ridges of Eton's stomach. His mind painted the delicious picture of the hard, perfectly square pieces of meat that pushed up against Eton's jet-black fur and outlined the firm, manly shape. He was surprised when he found a vein that ran across Eton's flank and ran his free paw against it.

One by one, he covered Eton's abdominal muscles with his kisses. One... two... four... six... Until he found himself nuzzling the base of Eton's pectorals. Light sprayed down from the edge of the quilt but the deprivation of his sight just increased his other senses so much more. He could feel every muscle of Eton press up against his. Every strand of fur tickled his flesh. Eton's scent permeated his whole world. He could hear his boyfriend's heartbeat as a constant drum. Not wanting that experience to end, Hunter pulled the sheets over them much to Eton's surprised grunt.

That grunt turned into a moan of pleasure as Hunter wrapped his lips around Eton's left nipple, licking at the fleshy nub and suckling at it lightly. One paw was still on the Lupus' throbbing cock and the other was squeezing his other pectoral. Hunter's free paw slowly migrated over to Eton's shoulder, pushing his fingers lightly into every crease and following the thick vein that rolled from his shoulder to his bicep. Hunter squeezed the muscle there and Eton reflexively flexed it.

Hunter turned from Eton's nipple and gently began to lick the tight valley between his chest muscles. With every lick, he drew closer and closer to his goal, rising up until he nuzzled Eton's collar bone and then pecked his neck. His licks drew further up, made longer as Eton moaned and turned his head upwards. Hunter traced Eton's strong, masculine jawline with his tongue until...

... Their lips met.

Every inch of his body craved for Eton's touch. He hungrily kissed his boyfriend, running his paws over every inch of the Lupus' body and drawing him deeper under the sheets where he could focus entirely on him. Eton met him with equal gusto, tearing off his pants. Hunter kicked them off when they were pushed past his thighs. The feeling of his hot cock pressing up against Eton's erection sent waves of pleasure all over his body. Their balls bounces against one another, churning with semen that they were both eager to spill.

For a moment, Hunter wasn't sure whether he wanted to be mounted or do the mounting but then Eton curled his strong legs around his waist, brushing his exposed ass against Hunter's balls. Running completely on autopilot while his higher cognitive functions were consumed with sensory overload, Hunter pulled his cock back and eagerly squirted long ropes of precum. He rubbed his natural lubricant all over his member. When it was nice and slick, he gently guided it towards Eton's waiting hole.

His boyfriend shuddered beneath him when the first inch pushed into that hot pucker. Hunter growled, the dominant alpha in him rising up. He pushed more and more of himself into Eton in long, lusty thrusts. Eton squeezed down, prolonging every moment that he was inside and milking out more and more precum that made the return journey all the smoother.

Hunter pushed the limits of his cock into Eton, his knot pressing down on his boyfriend. Short, half-grunts, half-barks rippled through his throat. Wet slapping noised filled the small, enclosed cocoon of the blanket. All the while, he could feet Eton squirting more and more precum on his chest. Hunter pressed himself down on that cock, compressing the throbbing piece of meat between their abs. With every thrust, Eton moaned as his cock was rubbed against the hard ridges of their firm abdomens.

Hunter dove for Eton's shoulder, lustily nipping at the Lupus'_shoulders. Eton half-howled, half-groaned and bucked his hips. The _Lupus pushed Hunter away abruptly before seizing the Wulfun's pecs and growling hungrily. Eton lunged forward, suddenly pushing Hunter back until he was on his back and Eton was on top. Thequilt fell off of them and for a second, Hunter was a blinded by the scant light in the room. It didn't matter, though.

He laid eyes on Eton's glistening, muscled, vascular, godly body and his cock responded with a joyful squirt of precum. Eton rested his muscular legs beside Hunter's flanks, panting heavily as he pushed himself down onto Hunter's cock. The Wulfun moaned, squeezing those thighs for support. At the same time, Eton seized Hunter's pecs, finding his nipples and giving them a firm tweak. Hunter howled in sheer ecstasy, arching his back and pushing himself further into Eton. He could feel his knot slipping inside.

He bucked multiple times, pushing himself further and further in. Eton grunted, eyes rolled into the back of his head. Hunter, in a moment of clarity, seized the Lupus' cock. The moment he bucked, he ran his big paw along the length of that throbbing member. Precum splattered onto his chest, landing directly on his left pectoral.

Hunter's paw brushed against Eton's knot and with great effort, he pulled his other paw free of Eton's delicious thighs and squeezed down on that bulb of flesh. It drove Eton wild. His tongue was rolling free, veins all over his neck popping. Hunter grinned to himself. Eton slammed himself down, making Hunter howl when his entire knot popped into his boyfriend's ass.

A feeling of completeness, unity and correctness overwhelmed him. It just felt right to be there, in Eton - for the two of them to be together. He had never felt anything like that before. If his wild, hormonal instincts weren't overruling his thoughts, he would have stopped there and then to make the moment last longer.

Eton's big paws seized Hunter's shoulders and pulled the Wulfun up into an upright position. Hunter never stopped thrusting himself into the Lupus. With his knot firmly in place, every tug was filled with the overwhelming urge to orgasm. Somehow, he held the dam at bay and pressed himself against Eton as the Lupus' massive legs wrapped around his waist, curling completely around him. Eton's cock was again pressed between two sets of rock-hard muscle, each grinding motion from their thrusts sending him closer and closer to orgasm.

Hunter could feel himself edging towards a finish but he held back with monumental self-control. He gripped Eton close to him, claws digging into the thick, muscular flesh without breaking skin or fur. The room became a blur and all the world's troubles, all of the problems he faced and his personal issues faded.

Everything just became simple.

It was just him and Eton.

The two of them together.

Eton's growls grew louder and louder, his chest rumbling as a howl came rising from deep within him. Hunter could feel the Lupus' cock about ready to explode and his own was on the verge of shooting off like a rocket.

The moment when Eton squeezed down on his cock...

... was the moment both of them tipped their heads back and let out an ear-shattering howl.

Like his cock was shooting out liquid metal, Hunter's cock burst deep inside Eton, his cum hot and filled with their passion. The first wave was pure ecstasy but the second was all about volume. Hunter all but lost consciousness as his balls eagerly emptied themselves out in a violent rush that sent his seed overflowing from Eton, seeping all over his cock and wrapping it in a warm, tender embrace before dribbling past his knot and over his balls.

Eton's own cock was hit with multiple spasms that coated both their chests in cum, a venerable paste that held them together. The big Lupus' howl died first, turning into multiple grunts as he shuddered and shook, holding Hunter against himself in a desperate attempt to make every drop of cum slip between them.

Hunter was overcome with a sudden bout of weakness and his arms dropped to his sides. He collapsed against his boyfriend, panting and with the smell of their sweat and lovemaking heavy in the air.

Eton held him tightly... never letting him fall...

An eternity seemed to pass where they sat there, intertwined in more than just a physical way. For the first time it actually felt like they had made love. Hunter smiled softly at the thought. For the first time, their coupling wasn't borne from a hasty, poorly-made decision nor was it tainted by an argument beforehand.

It was just...

Eton gently cupped his chin and they shared a tender kiss.

... just love.