Ether and Hylo sat by one of the several ponds located within Pareidolia. The duo was quiet, letting the idle breezes flowing through the trees and grass relax their minds.
Hylo's eyes grew heavy, prompting her to lie down beside her father. She hummed impatiently, waiting for him to understand what she wanted.
"Okay, okay. I haven't told you about Ketra, have I?" Ether whispered.
In response, Hylo smiled. She closed both eyes and rested her hands on her belly.
"Ketra is a curious case. She drew me how she met Nestres, and to my surprise, she was actually Fruzzy's pet for a while. And it began when she was abducted by some nomadic Ferals," Ether detailed.
He reached down to Hylo's cheeks, then he pinched them gently. "They grabbed her here and forced a leash around her neck. And the poor Rampart Feral was too... er... dumb, to realize what they later did to her."
Ether's right hand drifted down to Hylo's breasts. "You see, for how demanding Rampart Ferals are, the females tend to make up for this by producing more milk than all other Feral types. And the nomads knew this. That's why they aimed for her.
After all, it was an easy pick. Just a Rampart enjoying some nice, molten uranium. And a young one, too."
Hylo frowned, opening one eye aimed at her father. She wasn't sure if she wanted to continue listening, yet her curiosity was there.
In response, Ether gently ran his hand through her hair. "Don't worry, this has a happy ending. Because these nomadic Ferals marched right into Fruzzy's territory.
She used to be an elite for a Legion, forgot which one. And she was very protective of her younger Warriors. So you can imagine the fury she felt when scouts told her about these Ferals."
"Are we late for the bedtime story?" Befehlnadir joked.
Ether sighed, then sat back. "What do you three want?"
"Information regarding Nestres' weaknesses, namely that staff. We know it's the source of his strength," the Iron Butler replied.
Hylo yawned, knowing this would turn out to be another long and boring conversation. So she rolled onto her side to face towards the pond itself.
The gentle movements of the water paired with the relaxing breeze and soothing temperature tranced the young Thawed. She slowly blinked, letting the world around her ease her tired body.
When she opened her eyes again, she noticed everybody stopped speaking. She turned around, expecting to see everyone looking at her. But there was nobody there.
"Huh? Where is the rest? Oh, wait. I must be in a dream. Wait, if I'm in a dream, that means I'm in full control here!" Hylo awed.
She first crossed her legs, then Shora's name came to mind. The name quickly grew meaning as Hylo visualized how Shora looked like.
Long, smooth hair. Reflective like black metal surfaces. The skin, burning a bright orange as flames danced off his body. And the earrings hung beautifully. With a loving smile and cheerful eyes.
After she pictured Shora, the Yonie appeared beside her. He sat silently, resting peacefully until somebody woke him from his slumber.
Hylo smiled from ear to ear, prompting her to snuggle with him. She held the significantly smaller Variant in her arms lovingly, as if she hasn't seen him in years.
Then an idea crept into her head.
"Shora is very soft. Was this why Neddy loved him so much? I can tell. He is just so huggable and perfect love size! But... how does it feel being Shora?"
Hylo took a deep breath, before focusing again. Instead of picturing Shora, she envisioned herself as Shora. Resulting in her skin growing softer and hair lighter.
She looked down at herself and flames greeted her. Hylo's hand drifted all over her body. Where her breasts would be, Shora's flat chest replaced it.
Then she instantly threw her hands away from her body before she went any lower. Hylo respected Shora and her father too much to check if she was completely male.
"Okay, this is great!" Hylo cheered. "Oooh! I have that adorable Yonie voice, too! I want to be a Yonie forever, now!!!"
Hylo went silent, letting her imagination guide her to her final experiment. She felt the pond's water slowly soak her feet, then thighs, then lower back.
"Looks like I am in complete control of dreams. I can be who I want to be, summon whoever, and control the landscape. But how much of this transfers into the real world?"
Right as she settled down, a bump startled her awake. Hylo opened her eyes to see Ether looming over her, his two curious eyes glittering.
"You were making strange sounds, as if you were happy about something. Are you okay?" Ether asked.
Hylo nodded. She sat up, then looked at the pond. The first thing that came to mind was could she control the water like in the dream?
Ether watched her intensely stare at the pond, only for Hylo to jump back after a series of waves came towards her. She turned to look at her dad with an awkward smile on her face.
"D - dreams have an impact on reality..! Did you, um.. make out anything that I said? Like, about Shora?" Hylo's voice went quieter.
"Why were you dreaming about me?" Ether asked, confused and concerned.
"Nothing - just nothing at all. I was experimenting with my abilities and poof! You appeared out of nowhere, haha..." Hylo awkwardly smiled. "Okay, fine. I think Shora is adorable and I tried to see if I can summon him in my dreams."
Ether frowned. "Careful what you dream of with me. The last thing I want is my daughter having an obsession."
Hylo nodded. "Of course. So, did the other three get what they want?"
Ether turned to face the direction the trio left in. "Yeah, I'm sure they went to do something else. And by the way, keep practicing. We'll need you against Solqulo soon enough."