A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.
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"How's Tita?" Watts asked when Maxigaufeas entered the room with the Emperor. They're gathered in the Emperor's office.
[Translation: Tita (Filipino) - Aunt.]
"She pushed us away. She wants to be alone with Eowyne,"
"Well, she likes her so much. What to do? At least we can meet like this thanks to her."
"So, she's a sacrificial lamb?"
Prince Maxigaufeas scratched his nape.
Emperor Claxiord sat on his chair and let out a deep sigh.
Fifa is resting already in one of the Palace's guest rooms. She's guarded, too. Just in case.
"I'll go." Duke Paris volunteered, getting everyone's attention, "If we're to make a rescue team here, I volunteer. We must create a team as soon as possible. Time is ticking. We don't know how much soul he's lost. He needs to wake up before it's too late. And we must find his sister."
"Woah, woah, woah. Chill. Don't make any hasty decisions. We still have no idea what's beyond the Other Side. Warnings alone are not enough."
"Xerene, we're professionals. We can survey the environment once we are there," Voltage said, alarming his sons.
"If you're going, then I'm going, too," Ohms.
"No. Stay here to look after your siblings. Your Mom and I will go with your Uncle Paris."
"What if you don't return!?" Spike worried.
Emperor Claxiord massaged his temples with his eyes closed, "What's your input about this, Watts?"
Watts looked down.
"We will need King Liorei in this team."
"Daro can't. What more his son?" Ohms bitterly ranted, rolling his eyes.
"They're different, Kuya. Daro is experienced as a knight. Then he became a boss. King Liorei was raised to become a weapon. You've never seen him fight. The King is very humble. He can humble you."
That, the adults won't deny.
"But why? Why would Valy recommend him? Is it because he's a Veil? Is the Other Side home of more Veils?"
"Much more than Veils. Maybe the reason why Daro couldn't return us because if the entities inside. Creatures. Beings. We may really need Liorei in this team. His father is involved."
"I'll answer your tools and equipments. I'll give you access to my lab. Get and make whatever you will need," Watts.
"Thank you, Watts. In that case, we'll add the Empire's best healers and archmages to support the team. We'll run tests on Dad and look into his soul. The maximum preparation time I could give you is a month."
"Two weeks. We can leave after two weeks," Franchetti Xerene, Voltage, and Duke Paris insisted at once.
"A month is too long. We can't even guarantee how long it will take us to return, so we must leave ASAP," Duke Paris added.
"Let me be the one to tell this to King Liorei. I think he'll attend the admission tests. Princess Lorreign recommended one name. I don't know who it is, but what's important is both of them will come."
They nodded at Watts.
"Can we... Can we ask His Equal's help?" Prince Maxigaufeas mumbled out of the blue, "She will help us, right? We just need to offer nice things to her. Remember, she gave Aunt Titania a familiar. A fairy."
Yes. The familiar Titania asked from His Equal before is a fairy. One that can tell her the locations of ingredients she will ask. She named it Faenaia.
"We'll see about that. For now, let's gather what we can about the Other Side. Use my Dome. The time flow there is slower."
"Thank you so much, Watts. Thank you for being here." Prince Maxigaufeas walked to him and they shared a hug.
"Uncle Maxism is a father to me, too, Maxi. And I miss his humor. I miss him. We will bring him back."
The Prince couldn't hold his tears back anymore and let it flow on his brother's shoulder.
"Thank you. I will never forget this."
"You don't need to repay me. Just seeing you crying is enough."
They shared a shallow laugh.
"Valy mentioned three persons. His Dad, King Liorei, and his mom. Does it mean only the three of them can get inside with their return guaranteed? Then his mother, Moon, must be strong," the Emperor concluded.
"The problem is, we don't know who his father is, yet. There's a chance for Liorei to join us. But Moon?"
Everyone looked at Watts.
"But why didn't he mention Watts? Or Maxi?" Duke Paris wondered, squinting his eyes on the two.
"Simply because they're not his father. Of course he will choose his Dad because he thinks is Dad is strong. Maximilien will bully him if he found out that he's helping his Dad. And since Zodiac loves him so much, he wouldn't put his dad's life in danger. So, the best choice is his Dad." Ohms sarcastically explained. Duke Paris rolled his eyes on him. He rolled his eyes back.
They called it a day. When everyone's in their room and is resting, Prince Maxigaufeas wasn't. He sat beside his father. The beeping of the machines played over and over again that he already memorized it.
"Dad, please hang on. I can't seem to live in a world without you. I'm still young. I'm still a baby. I can't live by myself yet. I need you."
He reached out for his hand and gently squeezed it. The Emperor's eyes fluttered, but it doesn't mean he's waking up. Sometimes, he will moan and whimpering. The curse is acting up by the through a series of nightmare. And sometimes, they will find him crying and groaning. The vibration in his throat spells out their names. He's having a nightmare about them, about his baby boy most of the time.
"Hnngh... Hmm..."
Prince Maxigaufeas closes his eyes tightly, squeezing the tears out of them. There it goes. His nightmares.
"Please, stop. Maximilien. Stop... It's not me. I'm not your Dad."
Emperor Claxiord pressed his back against the wall. His brother got in first before him. Whenever he couldn't sleep, he goes to their father's room to watch over him, tell him about how his day went, and break down into tears.
They couldn't do anything right without the Emperor.
"Hmm! Hmmmm... Hnngh!"
"Please, Maximilien. Let my Dad go. I'm sorry. Forgive me. I need him."
The Emperor closed his eyes and slid down. He hugged his legs. Duke Paris looked away and went to the other way. He wanted to visit his best friend too, but he guess not tonight.
The Emperor's cat rubbed it's head to his leg and meowed.
Empress Dowager hums a song as she caress her baby bump. Inside her is the Emperor's child, one she wanted to have, not because he wanted one. He wanted sons, so she gave him sons even though she doesn't like it. Inside her is the child she's been longing to conceive, one born out of true love and acceptance. She's ready. She's ready to become a true mother.
"Let's wait a little longer, my love. Let's wait for Daddy. Let's wait for him, alright?"
Her cat, Masha, she named it, jumped to her lap and curled on it.
"Meow."
"Where have you been again? Where are your friends?"
"Meow."
Masha placed her paw on her belly. Then she began to massage it gently, making the Empress Dowager smile.
"Meow~"
"You're ready to see my baby, too? Not yet. We're waiting for her Dad,"
"Meow." Masha then licked her paw and left. The Empress Dowager watched her leave through the ajar door.
Masha walked and ran and jumped, until she reached the Emperor's bedroom. She went inside and climbed on the bed.
"Meow." She licked her paw and climbed on the Emperor's chest. There, she searched for a very comfortable position and sat on him. She purred and purred, making vibrations, neutralizing the bad energy from the curse that was placed upon the Emperor.
"Meow. Meow~" she called the other two. The Emperor's cat, Vern, went in while the Prince's cat, Nekoko, entered through the window.
"Meow."
Nekoko sat on the Emperor's stomach, while Vern was on the Emperor's foot.
The Prince is sleeping on the chair, while the Emperor was outside, asleep, too.
The cats closed their eyes. Slowly, they worked altogether to change the Emperor's nightmare into a dream. Masha ate the nightmare and converted its impurity into a good energy. She sent it to the Emperor through her vibrations, and Vern helped her by making sure his whole body receives the same amount of good energy. Nekoko helped by mending the Emperor's soul little by little.
Mending the Emperor's soul isn't an easy task. Nekoko's responsibility is the hardest, because he couldn't regenerate the particles that the Emperor already lost. Half of his soul is still intact. The other half was long gone. If only they arrived sooner, the chance of the Emperor recovering without blood transfusion, just their ritual alone, is 75%.
Duke Paris left treats for them by the door and picked up the Emperor to bring him to his room. When Franchetti Xerene came by to visit Emperor Maxism, she didn't dare to interrupt the cats. Franchette told them that the cats are helping the Emperor recover. They believed her. That's why everytime they will see Masha, Vern, and Nekoko sleeping on Emperor Maxism, they simply walk away to not disturb them and return to leave cat treats for them.
She left the cat treats opened by the doorstep and walked away.
When the cats opened their eyes, they jumped off the Emperor and went outside to release all the bad energy they failed to convert.
Masha is a girly, white cat. She's got ribbons on her feet and a very pretty bell around her neck. Vern is a black cat, while Nekoko is a orange cat.
"Meow," Masha.
Nekoko rubbed himself to her. Vern just sat in front of them, annoyed.
"MEOW!" Vern hit Nekoko with his paw. Masha hit Vern back, and hit Nekoko, too.
Masha went ahead first to return to the Emperor. He's good for a week. It's time to help Prince Maxigaufeas.