The Tower was something of a myth. Then again what wasn't these days besides humans? Humans believed themselves to be some super beings. They weren't homo sapiens, no they were homo sapiens sapiens to distinguish themselves from the lessers they call their ancestors. Still, even among the non-humans, the mythical beings, the Tower was in question of existence.

It was said to be the place where the Sisters of Fate gathered to do their weaving of human lives. Much like many mythic, they were not allowed to intervene with humans. So instead they tracked and recorded. They wove a tapestry for the determined paths of humans together and apart, changing as humans choose. Because free will was a fickle thing that could change the color of the thread or cause it to start fraying, hence why the sisters had to be vigilant. Finally when a life came to an end, they would cut it.

The original stories had only three Fates. However, as the human population grew so did the need for more sisters and from there they reproduced with human men. Only the matriarchs, the original three were allowed to reproduce as to keep the bloodlines strong. Still, the three had managed to get around and the entire Tower is now said to be filled. All of the fate lineage within one Tower...well all except one.

A soft song roused Cy awake the next morning. Lily's voice was sad and sweet as she lamented about love and loss. He didn't recognize the tune, but it pulled at his heart or what he assumed was his heart.

Her tune fell off with a final ringing note, which hung in the air a moment before the birds filled in the now empty.

"Morning."

He blinked, pulling out of the daze she had put him in. "Good morning."

"Cy." She paused checking the others were still asleep. "I'd like to discuss cutting the thread again."

Cy growled standing up and turning away to begin making breakfast. "We already discussed this. It's not happening. You aren't cutting it."

"But we made the bind back when we had to. It's not necessary any longer. I don't want to hold you to it. It feels...wrong." She sighed looking at her hands in despair.

"I agreed to it and that's the end of it. I haven't changed my mind between now and then."

"But..."

"Hey what's for breakfast?" Sin yawned as he stretched awake with Bryn stirring beside him.

The two's conversation faded out. Both knowing not to bring it up with the other brothers, an unspoken rule.

"Eggs." Cy said.

"Ugh again?" Sin began complaining as always.

Bryn didn't bother, instead moving to make the fire. The sound of their daily tasks underway brought a sense of normalcy back to the tension created by him and Lily. In the back of his mind it lingered though. He didn't know how long he could keep her from just cutting the thread herself. Afterall, there was honestly nothing he could do if she decided she wanted to regardless of his objections. It was a saddening thought. He didn't know what he'd do if she did, mainly because he was afraid if she did he'd no longer feel the same way about her.

It had been long ago when the bond had been formed. A little girl with hair white as bone dancing amongst the dead souls, her black and white striped dress twirling a hypnotizing pattern. Cy had been strolling through the fields of limbo. A glorified waiting line for sorting into so called Heaven or Hell by mortals. The green was spotted with millions of bright red poppies, releasing their lulling scent to keep the souls pacified.

He was on patrol, though it was dull. It had already been a few decades at this point since new souls had arrived. So while the wait was always long for those in purgatory, the chaos had extended that to almost an indefinite stall. Still as long as the poppies bloomed, groomed by the black shrouded hand maidens that stooped around the fields. Most of the souls couldn't care, they weren't allowed to. Of course, on occasion one broke through the spell and got rowdy, but it had been centuries and it usually involved a hero.

Because of this, he was surprised to see a twirling black and white bobbing through the poppies. In a faded existence of colors, the crisp black and white somehow shone. The same way a rising circus tent drew children, he found himself moving ever closer.

"Wanna play?"

She was missing a couple teeth in her front, but her smile was radiant nonetheless. White hair braided back with red ribbons swung with enthusiasm matching her prancing toes that had red ballet slippers on them.

"I..."

"Lily!" A pale blue spirit rushed forward, she appeared by maybe be a type of medical professional from her garb, though the red splotches of bullet holes on the uniform ruined the crispness.

She was obviously a new soul.

"Lily, I told you not to wander off." She grabbed the girl with enough force to make Lily wince. "You know what your father would do to me if I lost you?"

The panicked octave of the woman gave him pause. His tail twitching at the mystery, which drew a gasp from Lily when she saw it.

"You're like me!" She squealed circling him with wide-eyes.

In confusion, Cy tried to follow suit turning to keep an eye on her, but her quick pattering feet seemed always a few steps ahead. He couldn't help but yelp when she latched onto it.

"It's real!"

Cy growled, pushing her to the ground and forcing her to let go. The woman gasped, mummering to herself in fear. Though she didn't approach, her eyes wary and big staring at him. She recognized a monster even if the girl didn't.

"Little girls need to know their place."

Lily bounced up, unperturbed by the action. "I'm not little. I'm seven thank you very much."

"Yes, a mere babe." He stalked off, done with having those eyes bear into his. "Now run home to daddy. We wouldn't want to keep the Grim Reaper waiting."

For a time, that had been it. He and his brothers continued their work. The Grim Reaper continued his tantrums and pacing within his castle over the missing souls. However, even as he carried out his gatekeeper duties the little girl danced through his mind, it was unsettling. Perhaps a month later he saw her on patrol again. And then again and again. She seemed to be everywhere he went. Following him around, to only giggle and run away when he glared. It came to the point it was basic gossip the dog and his shadow. Bryn and Sin of course had a good laugh about it until he beat them into submission.

"Stop following me!" Cy shouted straight in her face.

It had been a few months of her trailing. He had been deeper than normal within the realm. Far from the gate, and as always it was an unpleasant experience. Here souls were conscious within their wandering forms, living in a squalor until they provided useful to the Reaper. Among them were other denizens of the underworld from common to rare and all over the social status they made their way through this disgusting portion of what could be the very edges be defined a town.

He had already been spat on twice by some courtesans and jeered by souls hopeful of growing in power by joining in with the hate. His entire body was wound tight and twitching from holding back his anger. Because just like the souls they kept watch over, his brothers and him were trapped, trapped in the underworld and trapped in their roles. It had only took one wrong move to become the Reaper's puppets and everyone knew it.

A pile of black sludge flew through the air, sailing toward his chest, when it hit a streak of white and black instead.

"You rotten people! You leave my friend alone!"

Friend...he stopped to stare at the small figure standing tall in the face of all the nightmares before her. Friend, it was such a foreign word he wasn't even sure what she meant.

Whispers traveled through the crowd. It started with one, going wide-eyed and stumbling back in horror. The terror traveled fast like a disease. Clinging to the air on hushed words that spread it. Daughter. Grim Reaper. Lily.

It didn't take long for the crowd to disperse after that. He doubted though it would be the end. Someone would claim to see who had thrown it and would gratefully give up the information just for a little something in return. They'd spin a tale to any bending ear about how they tried to stop it and how horrible it was. Dripping the lie out with silver words in hopes of raising their status. It was always the same, human or not even in death.

Lily wiped the black off her dress with disgust. It was a different dress. Not as poufy this time, a black fabric with white dots and long sleeves. Her hair instead in a bun with a red headband and those same shoes.

"You shouldn't be following me and we are not friends." The word came out tough and chewy in his mouth, bitter in its taste.

Fluttering steps danced her forward to right in front of him. "Well of course we are silly! I saw it!"

"Saw what?"

Tiny fingers waggled at him to bend down and as he did she balanced on her tip-toes. Her voice just a whisper. "Saw that you are going to help me escape from Daddy."

The words fell like lead in his ears. He straightened, his head darting around to see if anyone could have heard her when he felt something pressed into his hand. It was a black and red braided bracelet, nothing fancy. If anything it was obvious it was made by a child. Still the more he stared at it, the more it dragged at something hollow in his chest.

"Well put it on." She grinned. "It's a friendship bracelet! I learned how to make it in a dream."

A compulsion took over him, forcing the string onto his wrist. It tightened, digging into his skin.

"Yay! And now we are friends forever!"

She began dancing around singing forever, forever, forever.

His head spun and knees buckled. Stumbling back, he leaned into a building for support.

"We can't be friends. You don't understand. I'm a monster."

Lily paused, tilting her head to catch a shadow and show her true toothy grin. "Guess what I have a secret, so am I."

That had been almost ten years ago. It had been a binding spell of fate that had been put on his wrist. An agreement to tie them together forever, just like she said.

Lily later said she didn't understand the true meaning of it. It had been something she learned in a dream. Something her fate and reaper blood cooked up together after seeing a vision of him helping her escape. He didn't know of any lore of either being able to do it themselves, so her hybrid nature seemed the only option.

From then on, both of them had been able to find each other regardless of where they were within the realm. And over time the girl wore on him, grew on him even. They had adventures and talked for hours on end. She eventually met his brothers and somehow was able to manage their darkness as well. In the end, she did become his friend, his family.

So when she grew up and realized what she had done back then, she had been devastated. And he had been ecstatic, because who knows if any of this would have even happened if not for a stubborn girl who wanted a friend.