They were walking away, and Eclipse was watching them from the treetops, reluctantly following them. He didn't want to leave, but to stay with Amy. He loudly sighed and that didn't escape Shadow's eyes since they twitched. The ebony priest looked over his shoulder, noticing the small demon was about four trees behind. The others noticed his hesitation turning to him.

The demonic hedgehog walked closer to that tree and Eclipse hurriedly jumped forward, being followed by pets. "Do you wish to stay?" asked him the priest.

"What?" the small demon barked, surprised he guessed his wish.

The other looked at the rest of the group. Silver angrily glanced at him, snorted and turned away with hands in his pockets. Gold smiled, gently nodding and Sonic... he just bent his arms behind the head, frowning a bit, but then giving his approve too. The ebony hedgehog looked back up. "I guess there is no problem." He started to walk away when he heard a soft whispering:

"Thank you." With these words the small demon headed back, not seeing that small smile on priest's face.

Eclipse reached the roof, looking around. There was no way any human could see him, but Crestia's smell got weaker. 'She must have left,' ran thru his head. It made him feel a bit lonely. She didn't tell him where she was going, but... he looked the way the group left... they didn't seem to be bothered by it.

The note-one pet nudged his hand trying to comfort him. He smiled, petting her back. Amy might be right, this one acted a bit like a girl while the rest was definitely boys. They too comforted him, getting rubs, petting, and whispering encouraging noises.

He should give them names, but... how one gives a name? He would ask sister, she was a lot older, she should know how to give a name. But she was gone now. He was ready to plead for her life, however, he was scared of the silver exorcist. So he originally planned to have a small chat with Amy, then Gold.

The tenrec seemed to be open and... he would ask Shadow too. He used to be terrified of him, but now... not so much, tho he felt unsure next to him, he didn't hurt him anymore. Even his sis was, let's say, friendly towards him, despite him being the one ripping his wing. He flapped them, noticing the pain was completely gone. He fully checked his legs as well. Even they were fully healed and he was sure it was thanks to his master.

The wind brought towards him a smell of a depressed human. That reminded him his sis will undoubtedly continue hunting, killing more humans and... He shook his head, not wanting to think this way, but it was undeniable. He still had to fulfill his double quota. When he arrived here, he had kept a low profile, only gathering the natural negative energy from humans. But with just that there was no way he would be able to make it.

'What can I do know?' he pondered in his hearth. 'Maybe... Amy... will listen to me.' She was after all very open person and he was ready to explain her everything... just hiding a small detail or two. It might be possible for him to maintain both jobs, being her familiar... or what was he now to her... and collecting the energy. He bared his teeth in a thinking manner.

The blocky pet gently nudged him. Eclipse looked down at it, petting its head. He was glad he could have them. Since they were brought to life, he felt a little bit at ease. But they possessed a certain problem too. Where can he keep them? How will he feed them? He knew his master loved them at the first sight. And if it will require only natural negative emotions... there shouldn't be a big problem... right? She might allow him to gather it during the night and...

His body shivered as his brain informed him the shadow he was looking at... wasn't entirely his. He abruptly looked back, not knowing who to expect. Seeing familiar figure... it scared him a bit. "Sirius bro?" What was he doing here? He was sure he still had time before the deadline! "I'm working on--"

The small demon was suddenly grabbed by the head, lifted into the air. The intense stare of his brother and superior was making his skin crawl. "Who caused this?" interrogate him a cold voice.

Eclipse shivered, scared to look away. He could hear a scared squeaking behind him. He gulped, finally answering in shivering voice: "It... It's alright! I don't mind it!"

Sirius dragged him closer, it made the other squint to sharpen the blurry vision. The smaller demon twitched with his legs, feeling the ground was too far away for his taste. He never saw his brother to frown so much it made his face looked darker. "Do you have any idea what that means?" he menacingly growled.

"That I'm bound to a human." Eclipse silently whispered.

"No!" he barked, baring his teeth. A shiver ran down the other demon's spine. He had never seen him like this. "You are chained! You have become a tool!" His voice raised and the grip was tightened. The small demon's eyes were watering. "I shall get rid of that person," the librarian whispered with indifferent voice.

Suddenly, a quick claw slashed Sirius' face. It hardly left any mark and only a drop of a blood was drawn, sluggishly finding its way to the edge of the chin before falling down. A loud panting was coming from Eclipse's throat and his butt was sore. The moment he cut his older brother, he was released, landing without any preparations.

Now he was looking up with wide eyes, his right hand shivering. The librarian was silent, merely touching the small wound. Even his eyes widened, but not so much. "You..." he started, but the other interrupted him.

"I'm sorry... I never..." he was shaking, but then his voice turned firm, "... but not even you I'll allow to hurt her."

"Are you crazy?!" the taller demon shouted. "Did they brainwash you?!"

"No! I know what I'm doing... sort of... just a bit..." With the last words, he had lowered his head and voice. This sure sounded like a convincing argument. "She... She saved me and showed me kindness I have never experienced before! She treated my wounds, she doesn't mind I'm a demon... heck, I even attacked her once!" He shook his head. "I know! This is weird, but I can't help to feel... at ease when she is close." His eyes were pleading.

'At ease...?' repeated Sirius in his mind. 'A human... protecting a demon? Their greatest predator?' A sudden thought hit his mind, but before it could be analyzed, he threw it away. There was no way that was the case... it just couldn't be.

"Please, brother," he continued. "I know I'm asking impossible, but please don't hurt her." He clenched his fists. "I don't want to fight you, you always took care of me. You taught me and showed me so many things. I'm really grateful! You and Crestia are the only ones I truly respect!" The small demon wasn't exaggerating. He was honestly looking up to them.

His older brother glanced four small creatures hiding behind the small demon. "Who are these?"

Eclipse turned back, realizing this was his brother's first time seeing them. "These are... my pets." He stepped a bit to the side, to provide him a better view. "I created them from bits of negative energy. They used to be just ball of purple dust, but they grew so nicely after some time and feeding." He didn't want to have any secrets in front of him. He knew he could trust him.

Sirius put a thumb on his chin, thinking. In his whole life, he hadn't encountered such situation. Small demons... created by somebody else... not by their Creator.

"Eclipse," he called him. This time the voice was calm like always, "You don't seem to understand the situation. Let me explain. At this state, you can't collect the much-needed energy." He started to slowly circle him. "If you do bring any energy back, you will be immediately discovered and killed on the spot."

"Why?" he shivered, following his brother with eyes.

"Chained demons... are better to be dead." He strictly glanced at him. "There is no bigger humiliation, not to mention... such demons will reveal secrets about our world."

"I won't tell anything!" he quickly barked. Well, he shouldn't mention his sister divulged their most common hunting method.

"Fool!" he hissed. "You don't have a choice! At the command of your slaver, you have to speak!" He angrily swung his arm.

Eclipse backed a bit. There was no way Amy would force her will on him, right? He was having a hard time to imagine her to do so. She was all the time kind towards him, listening to him, even accepting his pets, but his brother had a different opinion.

"Once humans will get their hands on you, they will do anything to get any information!" He leaned a bit, putting his hand on Eclipse's cheek. His expression softened a bit. "I didn't want to say this, but you may be the only hope Hell has."

The small demon's eyes widen. "A hope? How?" He had no idea what was he talking about.

He let him go, connecting his hands behind the back.

"Our population is... declining. Take for example Crestia, she is from the latest generation... and that was more than thousand years ago. Since then no new eggs formed. But by some miracle, we have found you in the old nursery. You survived there, grew and even hatched. You have given me a faith there is a path to a new demon lineage. Bringing it back to the previous glory or even surpassing it."

Now, this was confusing. "But... why haven't you told me about it?" Wasn't he just an ordinary demon doing his job? He never thought he was any different from others.

"That would put unnecessary stress on your small body and undeveloped mind." A quick smile passed his face, but it left no trace behind. "Not to mention it would attract trouble as other demons would view you as a threat to their own positions. So I have decided to keep it a secret and observe you, giving you knowledge and space to grow." Behind the back, he clenched his hands. "How can I let you be human's tool when you have such importance?!"