Is it possible to go back to a mundane life after having a taste of power? The last few weeks Stefan had been wondering what would happen to the villagers if everything went back to normal. The abilities they received didn't belong to them, and yet, the inhabitants absorbed them as a part of their being. How will it feel to let them go? Would it be like abandoning a part of their soul? 

The more time passed the more the leader forgot who he was without his power, without the Protectors. He'll have to find himself once again, or maybe he could create a new version of Stefan, one that he'll be finally proud of. When there's no choice.

When there are no alternatives, actions that seem impossible take force, even leaving behind everything one comes to consider home. The man kept reminding himself that it was best for everyone, that Momotaro would do a great job. He wouldn't have been there, in the courtyard of his house, interrupting his last opportunity to enjoy the beautiful view of the garden, if it wasn't for the fact that he believed in Momo's potential.

"I don't want your power," said the young man, bringing Stefan back to reality. "I can't take it away from you."

The oldest sighed, he hoped not to have to make an effort to convince the other, perhaps luck had deserted him that afternoon.

"You won't. The power will still be mine, I'm giving you the possibility of using a part of it." 

"The power of controlling the tattoos I guess." 

"Seems like you're starting to catch up. You'll need the power if you want to keep the members in check. It's the most practical way of communicating, and the one they're used to. Trying to set up a new system right now would be a waste of time." Stefan extended his right arm, showing the symbol of the Protectors. "Show me yours." 

Momotaro did as his leader asked and stretched out his arm next to the other's. The ink present on both of their bodies began to move. The crescent moons transformed into snakes that escaped from their forearms and passed through the space between them to meet in the middle. 

A warm and tingling sensation spread through Stefan as he concentrated on sensing his power. He calmed his breathing and commanded his energy to pool around his chest, from there he sent it towards his arm. The snakes worked as a bridge between them, allowing the oldest to transfer his power to Momotaro. 

Tiredness washed over Stefan the instant some of his energy left him. On the other side, Momo seemed more radiant than ever, all weariness gone from his face. Slowly the serpents receded and the crescent moons appeared once more. 

"Can you feel it?" Asked Stefan.

"Your energy? I do." Momotaro brought his hand to his chest. "It's not as strong as what I felt with the scepter, but it's pretty close. It feels like an electric current has taken hold of my heart." 

"It should settle down once you learn to control it. You'll have to work on it like you did with your power." 

"I can already tell that I'll be harder to control, I can feel how it's trying to move."

"Each power has a different nature, you should know after training so many members. Mine is made to be in constant motion, to take on different forms and reach out to others." 

To confirm his words the man pointed to his tattoo. The ink did not stop moving, sometimes it changed its position traveling through the arm, other times it changed its shape.

"Is it always like that?" Asked Momo.

"Yes, and I imagine yours will start doing the same very soon."

"So, I shouldn't be trying to keep it quiet. How do I use it?" 

"In theory, you won't be the one controlling the power, I will. The messages from members will come to me and since we are connected now you will be able to see them too. The same thing happens if you want to send them a message, just think about the person and what you want to say, and it will reach me and from there it will go on to the others." 

"You'll know everything that's going on." 

"I'm afraid that's the best option, it's either that or leave you without a form of communication. Do you mind?" Asked Stefan, showing the cigarette and lighter he took out of his pocket. 

"Not at all," said Momotaro. "How do I locate the members? 

Once the young man gave him permission he took the first puff. 

"Think about the member, you can close your eyes and try to form an image of them inside your head. Do it now." 

Stefan watched as Momo closed his eyes, his face filled with concentration.

"Concentrate on the feeling, try to expand it," continued the leader. "Do you have it?"

"Yes, it's weak but I can feel it."

"When something goes wrong with any of them you'll suffer a kind of burning pain in the chest, if you focus on the pain you'll know who is in trouble. To locate them, I want you to also think of me, while still concentrating on the person, as if you were trying to share with me what you're feeling. Once I receive the message I will look for them and send you the answer. Your tattoo is going to change to show you the address." 

"Are you getting anything now?" Asked Momotaro, his eyes remained closed.

"No."

"Then it's not working."

"With practice it will work, for now you can send me a text message so I can look for them." Stefan looked at the watch on his wrist. "Practice is going to have to wait, it's meeting time. Gellert is going to update you with the rest." 

"Running on a tight schedule even now?" the young man joked. 

"Get ready, you're next in line for the race." 

The moment that Stefan feared the most arrived. Inside him, a storm of anxiety and catastrophic thoughts destroyed common sense. On the outside, he came across as the strong leader he had always been. The security facade returned after several weeks of tribulations. His head held high as he walked through the halls with his wife and Momotaro, yet his brain, focused on reminding him of everything that could go wrong, didn't register a single detail of his surroundings.

Looks of confusion and contempt fell on him as he entered the meeting room. His mask would have collapsed if he hadn't found the small group of loving faces, at least he would leave knowing that there were still members waiting for his return.

He took his position on the dais, mustering all his strength to stand his ground. Stefan wanted to give one last good impression, he knew that beyond everything still being the image of the group and showing weakness in his exit could give a message of defeat.

"Thanks for coming, I'll go straight to the point," Stefan started the speech. "I'm going to take a break from my position as leader. Considering my injury, I find it necessary to take some time to get used to it before returning. You're going to need someone who is in their best condition to lead them and I can't be that person right now." 

"Duh, it was obvious that he couldn't lead anymore," someone said inside the crowd. 

"Why don't you bother to stop running like a fool every time you see a demon instead of talking shit?" Noah fought back. 

"At least he didn't throw us to our death,"  another member screamed.

"He threw us to the demons? Is your memory so bad that you don't remember that the demons came to kill us all?" Flora joined the discussion.

"How odd! One of the leader's puppies is defending him." 

"Enough!" Stefan yelled, silencing the fight. "I'm still your leader and I won't tolerate this behavior. As I was saying, I'll take some time to recover, I don't know how much it would take me to return but I am going to leave them in the hands of someone I trust enormously. Momotaro, come here." 

The young man left the crowd to stand next to Stefan. Satisfied smiles decorated the faces of most of those present. It was clear that the air had lightened. 

"Momotaro will take my place. I trust that you'll collaborate with him for the good of the group and yours. I won't lie to you, the current situation is the most difficult we have faced so far. You're going to have to work twice as hard as you're used to and I'm sure Momotaro is going to be more demanding than me, which makes me happy, after all if you continue as  you're now I don't think we're going to survive."