Chapter 1086: Chapter 1086: Things That Must Be Done
"Dad, did you find Renna!?"
"We found her arm, Karina."
"W...what?"
"And also your decapitated head."
"What!?"
Riley and the others' return were quickly bombarded by several questions - they all, however, quickly shut their mouths as soon as they heard Riley's words. Even Lucy, who was about to say something crazy, was unfortunately outcrazied by his father.
"We'll..." Hannah could really only roll her eyes and sigh before gesturing to everyone to leave the Portal Hall first, "...explain everything, all of you can ask questions later."
The explanation did not really take that long, as Hannah and the others really only had a brief and very unexpected meeting with Aerith' Ross. It did, however, feel very long as everyone who was hearing the story just kept gasping and looking at each other - with most of them asking Hannah to repeat her words.
But of course, with Hannah's temper, there really was not much repeating happening and she just told them to talk about it themselves.
"...So, Aerith'Ross really is from the future then?" Lucifer, however, did not care for Hannah's mood at all as he just continued to ask; his loud voice, echoing through the lounge of Diana's large ship.
"I already said we're not sure," Hannah's eye twitched.
"And her mother is the clone of father, but she looks more similar to Arthas's mother and Aunt Silvie - but with just Father's wide lips?" Lucifer asked as he looked at Arthas with wide eyes while gesturing with his hands about something.
"...Yes."
"Oh, that makes sense."
"How does that—you know what, does anyone else have any questions?" Hannah just rolled her eyes as she looked at Karina and the others, who were just shrugging their shoulders. Well, except for Karina, who was still quite shocked from hearing that future her is dead and that Aerith'Ross killed her.
"Does that mean Father is gay?" Lucifer was once again the only one who raised his hand.
"Where do you keep getting these random ideas?" Hannah groaned and sighed.
"The internet."
"What...?"
"You do not know what the internet is, Auntie? Well, I suppose you are extremely old. It is-"
"I talked to her... alone." Fortunately for Hannah, before Lucy could go on about whatever it was he was going to say, Karina spoke up, "With what she told you guys, I was the one who hunted her the most in the future - why didn't she just kill me when she managed to talk to me alone...?"
"As far as I know, she's fucking insane," Hannah breathed out, "And I don't believe I'm saying this... but she's even more insane that Riley."
"Oh no..." Lucy covered his mouth, "...She must be suffering."
"Anyway, nothing else matters for now except finding Renna," Hannah then let out a small sigh as she looked at Liza, who was embracing her daughter's dismembered; trying her best not to be overwhelmed by everything she was hearing. Perhaps out of all the gods and super- powered beings inside the ship, she was the strongest one.
"So, when are we going to go to another universe again?"
"What do you mean?" Hannah raised an eyebrow as Lucy approached her and Nannah.
"I mean - I think the success rate of finding my dear sister would increase exponentially with me there," Lucy crossed his arms and smirked, "By a whopping 0.68%."
"Do you just say whatever wants to come out of your mouth?"
"I was told I inherited that from you by Mother," Lucy shrugged.
"Your dad was adopted."
"Some things go beyond blood, Auntie," Lucy let out a small sigh as he just casually placed his hand on Hannah's shoulder, "I would even say we look alike."
"No, no we don't," Hannah shook her head, "And you're not coming with us, kids aren't allowed."
"But what about Aunt Miss Pepondosovich!?"
"What about me, Kid?"
"N...nothing," Lucy's eyes quickly widened as he felt Miss Pepondosovich's breath crawling across his neck even though she was only knee-tall.
"Have you even done your homework?"
"I'm like 17 years old, I don't need to do homework anymore. Mother, tell her!"
"Just listen to your Aunt, Lucifer."
"Ah, why was I born a creature with ears?"
"You want it gone?"
"N...no. Arthas, let's go leave these adults alone and just talk to the younger version of your Mother again—she's cool. Unlike the old one!"
"W-"
The quiet Arthas, who did not even get a chance to speak or even ask questions, was sadly dragged away by Lucy.
"Riley, I need to talk to you alone."
And as everyone was leaving one by one, Hera entered the lounge and went straight toward Riley, "Now."
Hera did not even wait for Riley to respond, she just grabbed his hand and started pulling her away, catching the attention of the other people she did not, however, look at any of them or greet them at all and just dragged Riley deeper into the ship.
"Where are you taking me, Hera?" Riley tilted his head to the side as he looked at Hera's hand, "I am assuming that you are my Hera, correct?"
"I am not you , but correct," Hera shook her head before finally letting go of Riley as they reached near the engine bay where there were no people, "And I have very bad news, we
couldn't convert your son."
"Convert my son into what?" Riley tilted his head to the other side.
"...That's what we're calling the process of bringing Pearson's people into the real reality,"
Hera breathed out while shaking her head.
"And Lucifer could not be converted," Riley looked to the side.
"And before you react negatively or blame me and my variants, there really is no way," Hera looked Riley in the eyes, "It's working with other people, both of your wives are actually already converted. We've converted a lot of people, Riley... it just doesn't work with Lucifer. God, why would you even name your child that?"
"I did not name him, his mother did."
"Perhaps you are looking for some sort of explanation, Young Primordial?"
"No. Things just tend to happen, Elementia," Riley then turned around, only to see Elementia and Death walking toward them from nowhere. So, this is why Hera pulled Riley to the
deepest parts of the ship.
"It is because Rennalyn and Lucifer are completely different beings altogether from the rest,"
Death whispered as she looked Riley in the eyes, "The others are pure creations of Paige Pearson, Rennalyn and Lucifer are children of both worlds - they do not belong anywhere." "And there is no way to convert them, Death?" Riley returned Death's gaze, "Even if I force
any of the Hera?"
"You could try," Elementia was the one to answer.
"Hey!" Hera, however, did not seem to like that at all - fortunately for her, Elementia was
not done talking.
"But it will not make a difference," Elementia shook his head before raising his hand in the air, "As someone who is deeply connected to the beings of creation, perhaps even more so than my older sister - I know that Hera could not do what you want her to do." "Then Rennalyn and Lucifer are going to disappear," Riley looked down, "What I deduced is coming to pass those around me would suffer the consequences of my actions. I knew that I did not deserve to have children, and yet I still had them...
....perhaps this is just the way it is. Aerith' Ross also mentioned that she had not met Rennalyn and Lucifer in the future."
"Really...?" Hera rolled her eyes as she stood right in front of Riley, "After hundreds and hundreds of years, you still have that kind of self-loathing attitude? When will you ever grow the fuck up, Riley? Because if I have to live the rest of my eternal life with you being like that,
I'd really honestly rather turn into a tree somewhere."
"You already did that, Hera."
"What I'm trying to say is that you're Riley Ross," Hera pinched the bridge of her nose, "Somehow, someway, you always find a way - and you'll find a way this time too." "There might be a way in the trials of the Black Tower, Riley Ross," Death let out a small hum as she looked up, "It is a mysterious entity that even Machina could not identify or analyze it — but then again, Machina and the others are not in the right state of mind."
"I, too, would suggest that you continue on with the Black Tower, Young Primordial," Elementia nodded, "I feel a certain something in there that I can't quite explain — in truth, I have tried touching it since I am curious with my own trials, but the only thing it gave me was
a certain feeling of uncertainty."
"But the latest trial I am presented with is having to kill my sister," Riley whispered, "I am afraid that is something that I can not do."
"They're not real, Riley," Hera let out a sigh while shaking her head, "At least not yet -
you've been avoiding this - but this time, you really have to choose... and the choice is easy,
it shouldn't even be a choice at all...
...Kill it, you have to."
"If I do that..." Riley's voice turned incredibly monotonous as what little emotions his eyes
had just faded away,
"...I do not think any of you will like what will come next."