Kellian explained what relics were and how she came to find Tyson.
"So, should we introduce ourselves?" Justin asked.
"That would be nice," Kellian replied. "Hi, I'm Kellian, and I'm not your average human. I'm still learning about myself and my powers. So, I may be a bit useless right now. But with the help of Tyson and you guys, I'm sure I'll become strong. The guy that was with me earlier is Tyson. He's a relic, as I explained." Kellian was introducing Tyson and herself when her face flushed.
"What is wrong?" Dexter asked.
"...Tyson said to mention that... He's my property. And if any of you even try to hurt me, you'd have to be prepared for the consequences. I'm sorry, he said to specifically say, if you hurt or even let her get hurt, he'll personally make sure you burn in hell," Kellian informed.
"You can speak to each other with your minds?" Dexter asked.
"Not yet, but he can speak to me," Kellian answered.
While Ryder and Dexter introduced themselves, Leo decided to talk to Kellian.
"So... You know I'm a... demon?" Leo asked.
"Yup. Tyson told me." Kellian replied.
"And you're not... Scared or angry?" Leo asked again.
"Nope. Why should I be? You're so nice and shy, it's honestly kind of cute. You would have told me when you were ready anyway. That's why you made me promise to always be friends no matter what, right?" Kellian responded.
"Yeah. Thanks for that... Ryder got mad and blamed me for what happened to you... Not gonna lie I also began to blame myself. I could have fought back."
"No. You heard what Tyson said. It's good that you didn't. Now stop worrying about the past." Kellian said with a smile.
"Even so..."
"Anyway, I don't blame you. You had your reasons to hide that fact."
"I do... but–"
"It's fine. You can tell me everything when you're ready because I have a feeling there's more to why you were hiding that fact. I'll be here to listen when that time comes. And I'll make Ryder talk to you again, so don't worry too much."
"Thank you..."
"It's no problem. We're friends, after all." She hugged Leo.
"I'm Leondre Hamarita, but I prefer to be called Leo. I'm 16 right now, and I'm a demon. I haven't acknowledged the fact in years, so please bear with me."
"Justin. Also, a Demon. I'm way older, though. I'm also Leo's friend."
"I'm Cael, and he's Raku. We're twins. We are hybrids. We have DNA of sea serpents, dragons, and some werewolf. We never met our parents, so we're not sure. We have met Lady Lillian before, she gave us a potion that greatly improved our strength when we were on the verge of death."
"Dayn. I'm a hybrid between a werewolf, dragon and demon. I knew your mother. She gave me some special abilities."
"Now that that's over, we should probably go see my dad."
"This house is huge!" Cael exclaimed.
"Well yeah, it's a mansion," Ryder stated like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"This is tiny compared to a castle," Justin stated. He was referring to Leo's home in the devildom.
"Nobody cares," Leo commented.
Liam went up to Kellian and held her hand. He waited for the others to walk away.
"Oh, Liam. Thanks for taking care of me when I couldn't. Tyson said you took care of me all by yourself."
"N-no problem... I-I'm sorry..." Liam stuttered.
"Mmm? Sorry for what?" Kellian asked, confused.
"I didn't trust my mother nor Amy to bathe you, so... I did. I swear I didn't look at anything. Amy was in the room. She might have been too busy trying to poison you, but still." Liam replied reluctantly.
"That's okay–"
"Not all. I couldn't leave you alone with someone who may kill you at any time. So, I stayed, and I was also the one to dress you and carry you back to the bed. But I promise I didn't do anything perverted. However, I am completely in the wrong. I should have gotten a maid to do it, but I was so focused on making you better myself I didn't think of that. I was also too scared to leave the room... because of my mother. I'm... sorry. I should have tried harder to respect your privacy. I even shared multiple indirect kisses with you because of the limited utensils. But if I just left the room, I could have gotten you different ones." Liam added, cutting her off.
Kellian looked at his blushing face, placed her hands on his heated checks and said, "Aww. You're so cute. Listen, you did a good thing. I'd probably be really stinky if you didn't make sure I got bathed. And I'd be really skinny if you didn't feed me. Above all, I would be really dead if you didn't protect me. It's only a little bit embarrassing."
"You're not angry... You don't think I'm a... P-pervert?" Liam asked, embarrassed.
"Nope, and of course not. You're a good boy. You did it for a good reason. Thank you." Kellian said with a smile.
"You're welcome," Liam replied, looking away.
"Good boy." She said, ruffling his hair.
"Oi! Blueberry! What's taking so long?!" Ryder yelled.
"Nothing. I'm coming!" Kellian yelled back.
"Let's go," Kellian said with a small smile holding Liam's hand.
Tyler, Ryder's father, started to question, "Why the hell are—" But he saw Kellian walking down the stairs with Liam. "My little Princess Kellian is awake!" Tyler exclaimed, running up to and hugging Kellian as soon as she was off the stairs.
"What!?!?!" Ryder yelled, shocked.
"You know her!?" Liam and Dexter asked, surprised.
"No way!" Leo said, also shocked.
Kellian was very, very confused. So were the new guests, but that was expected of them.
"Don't tell me you don't remember me. I used to visit you and your father a lot. Although, I guess you were pretty small." He said, pulling away from the hug. He completely ignored all the shocked people.
Kellian thought for a while before asking, "Does that mean you are...Mr. R?"
"Yes! You do remember me!" Tyler yelled excitedly, then began hugging Kellian again.
"I was so sad when I heard about what happened to your father... When I remembered that he died saving you, I wanted to adopt you from that evil witch Kaila, but she wouldn't let me! Can you believe it? She didn't want you but didn't want to give you away either! It was so frustrating!
You were such an adorable little girl, you loved spending time with your father, and you were extremely intelligent, too. You were the perfect child, the complete opposite of my son, that has always hated me and always wanted to do his own thing. And look at you! You've grown beautifully. The spitting image of your mother and father." Tyler was excited to see this perfect little girl again.
"What the hell is going on!?!?" Ryder yelled, holding his head in confusion.
"Do you see what I'm talking about? My son is so slow." Tyler joked.
"Ummmm... You're Ryder's dad?" Kellian asked, surprised.
Three things surprised her. One, Tyler looked so young. Two, she knew Ryder's dad when she was younger. And three Ryder and Tyler were nothing alike.
"Yes, I am," Tyler replied.
"But you're complete opposites!" Kellian exclaimed.
"I know right, I don't know where he got that grumpiness and seriousness from," Tyler said jokingly.
"You are the grumpiest and most serious man ever," Ryder muttered under his breath.
Also, since the new guests were just being confused. Leo decided to show them around the mansion.
"You were really close to my father, weren't you?" Kellian asked.
"Of course. He was my best friend, after all. That room you stayed in was his. I have things to remember him by stored in there." Tyler said, leading Kellian, Ryder, Dexter and Liam to the sitting room, where they sat. After which, he ordered a servant to get Kellian's favourite fruits. He then peeled and sliced them before handing them over to her.
Kellian happily ate the fruit she received.
"What is happening right now?!" Ryder asked, not grasping the fact that his father knows more about Kellian than he does.
"Ugh. You're so slow. Let me give you proof that we knew Kellian when she was younger." Tyler said, taking out his wallet.
"We!?" Ryder asked, even more shocked while everyone sat quietly waiting to see the proof Tyler had.
Mr Rhodes began to remove some pictures from his wallet. He then started searching through them.
"Ah! Here they are."
"Here what are?" Ryder asked.
Mr Rhodes held up two pictures of two babies, less than one-year-old. One has baby Kellian with short blue hair in pigtails and baby Ryder with black hair about the same length. They were sitting next to each other on a sofa, smiling at each other. In the picture, Ryder's fluffy, black ears were completely visible. He also had a white tuft of hair growing from inside. His black tail was very long and furry. And the end of it was white. IT looked very soft and pettable.
In the second picture, they were around the same age. Ryder and Kellian were just sleeping together in the same bed. They were holding hands as they slept. Or at least, that is what it looked like.
He then held up two more pictures. The first had Kellian when she was a toddler about three, with her curly blue hair in pigtails down past her shoulders. She was wearing a cute white and aqua swimsuit on the beach, about to build a sandcastle with the toddle Ryder who was about four, who had shoulder-length black hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts. He seemed to look amazed as he watched, Kellian attempt to mould the sand.
The second was a picture of Tyler, looking extremely similar to the Ryder now but at the same time different. He was wearing a white button-up shirt, grey pants and black shoes. Across from Tyler was a man with a young and childish appearance. He was tall, had short blue hair and pink eyes with what appeared to be star pupils, and blue ears and tail with light blue accents. He was wearing comfy clothes, a light blue sweater and dark blue sweats.
These men were standing on either side of Ryder and Kellian, smiling as if they were looking at two kittens playing cutely. Ryder was there too, and he seemed to have recently fallen. He had a bandage on his nose and was crying. It also had toddler Kellian in a super cute outfit. Kellian's hair was tied with red ribbons, and she was wearing a white frilly top, a red skirt with a white bow, white socks with red hearts and white sneakers. kissing the cheek of a crying toddler version of Ryder.
Kellian's eyes became watery as she stared at the man with blue hair. he remembered that soft hair she used to hug when he carried her on his shoulders. She remembers his fluffy ears and tail she would play with. She remembered the unique eyes she used to stare into when he spoke to her.
She remembered that warm face who always smiled at her. She remembered the warm hugs he gave. She remembered what happened that day. She remembered watching him get shot as his eyes never left her. She remembered the big goofy grin he had the entire time before he stopped moving. She remembered Tyson's words. "He was shot because he didn't want to risk her getting hurt."
Silver weakens a king wolf, but it poisons regular wolves. He probably feared that even a scratch from a bullet would kill her. He would rather die a pathetic death than risk his only daughter's life. If Tyson's theory was right, he knew that they were surrounded. And he knew that if he protected the girl while fighting the hidden men, they would target her. They would use her as his weakness. He was, however, confident that they would prioritize a captured wolf over a girl running away.
And above all, he might have survived. It is possible he didn't die at all. The chances of him dying are low, but Kellian was confident because she saw him go limp. However, he could have just fainted. She had never checked if he was breathing or if he had a pulse.
Tears continued to stream down her face.
"Kellian!" Everyone was worried.
"This man is my father isn't he?"
"...He is."
"Can-can I have the picture?"
"Of course! You should have a picture of your father! Besides Ryder is especially cute in this picture."
Kellian stared at the crying Ryder. His ears, cheeks and nose were red as fresh tears streamed down his face. However, he had a shocked expression as Kellian seemed to have suddenly kissed his cheek.
She smiled, 'He was quite cute.'
Kellian looked at the current Ryder, his face was just as red. He seemed embarrassed. Which made her giggle. She never thought she'd see such an expression on his face. "I never thought I'd ever see Ryder cry."
"Yeah, the brother I know rarely smiles like that and he never cries," Liam exclaimed.
"He smiled a lot back then, especially when he was around Kellian. He loved her company. He was also a real crybaby. In this picture, he had just tripped and scratched his face and, Kellian was cheering him up. Kellian was the only one who would be able to make him stop crying." Tyler said, reminiscing the past.
"There's no way I would enjoy Blueberry's company! And I was not a crybaby!" Ryder yelled, his cheeks were beet red.
"Oh, you did, and I still think you do." Tyler teased.
"No way!" Ryder yelled, then ran away.
"Dexter can go and check up on him? I want to spend more time with my precious Kellian." Tyler stated.
Dexter did as told.
"How come I don't remember any of this?" Kellian asked.
"You were pretty young, and you might have forgotten because of the treatment you got from Kaila," Tyler explained.
"..." Kellian stayed quiet.
"You've grown so much. I was afraid that after your father died, I'd never get to see you again. But I never imagined that Ryder would have almost gotten you killed!" Mr Rhodes complained.
"Actually, I was the one who saved him. His wounds, they were just reflected onto me. Besides, I was never in actual danger." Kellian said, defending her friend.
Tyler was surprised. He decided to push her a little.
"Of course, that idiot couldn't even save himself. Sigh, such a disappointment." Tyler sighed.
"He may be a grumpy jerk, but he isn't that bad. I don't think he's a disappointment." Kellian continued to defend her friend with a small frown.
"Gosh, you sound just like your father." Mr Rhodes laughed.
"I do?" Kellian asked.
"Yes. Kian would always scold me for calling Ryder a disappointment, even if he knew I was just joking. The boy is practically a mirror of my younger self. Of course, I love him to death."
"Why would you call him a disappointment, then?"
"Ryder didn't even do anything but get hurt when he was younger. You would always help him. Just like my wife and I back then. Not that thing Sheila, my real wife, Angelica. Without you, Ryder would have probably would have died this time." Mr Rhodes stated.
"How do you know that?" Kellian questioned.
"I'm his father. I can tell his spirits have been crushed. The only thing that would do that is for him to realize that he's not yet strong enough. I didn't do anything because I want him to overcome this on his own and become stronger. But he might not do what I did, like I expect him to, because he isn't me. So if you don't mind, help him out a little if he's making the wrong decision." Tyler said with a worried expression.
"You really care, don't you? But why does he have to overcome it on his own?
"I was just as weak as him once, but then Angelica helped me, and I got stronger so I could protect her. But... I still couldn't save her, and she died. Then a year later, your father died... I felt helpless. I couldn't save anyone... I don't want that to happen to my son. I tried to do things on my own, but I still ended up depending on them. I shouldn't have done that." Tyler explained, a single tear flowing down his cheek.
"No. I think you didn't depend on them enough. What Ryder needs is great friends who will grow and get stronger with him. Being alone is depressing and will eat away at you."
"I see. Then be one of those friends for him. Be that supporting figure I failed to be."
"What? Who said you failed to be supporting?"
"Ryder is an Ultima. I had to teach him to be cold and emotionless. I couldn't shower him with love like your father, and I did you. But you live secluded away from people, and his powers don't work on you. So you could always be loving towards him. So we tried our best to get you two to play together. Kaila was very against it, though. She tried to stop it all the time, and when Kian died, she succeeded. Luckily, I had another son and, Ryder got a brother he liked, so he wasn't completely lonely without you, and I got a child to shower with love." Tyler smiled.
'Now I understand. He was projecting the way he felt about his younger self onto Ryder. And he was also forced to not care about Ryder because of Ryder's identity. Not the best parenting, but I can sympathise. Their relationship doesn't seem bad, so I have to find a way to show him the difference between them so that their relationship will improve even more.' Kelling thought to herself.
Kelly wiped away the tear that was flowing down his face.
"Here, take all these pictures. I have five more copies of them anyways." Mr Rhodes offered.
"Thank you."
"You can go to him now. I know you want to." Mr Rhodes said with a smirk.
"I did want to check up on him, but I have a sneaking suspicion you mean something else, but I won't question it. Anyway, I'm going to go now." Kellian stated.