A portal opens using red and yellow strings, a familiar face stepping through into the dark realm of the Void, his eyelights shifting in color and shape repeatedly, but all the colors are pastel, closer to white than color. The red and yellow strings are wrapped around his limbs, puppeting him around with care, compared to the treatment his dear friend endured by these same Deities' hands.

The subject known as Ink looks at the Deity the Void, the quiet stretching out between them as The Void looks through the omniverse.

"Seems your dear friend has departed from this world." Fate and Destiny's strings sag, but Ink seems happy to hear that Error can't be caught again. Fate, however, is persistent.

"Surely there is a location you know of where the Destroyer is?"

"I suppose I can take you to his last known location. For a price."

"Put it on my tab." Fate haughtily responds, Void slowly nodding and warping Ink and the two Deities to the anti-void of TimeVerse.

"Let the games begin!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phantasm and Delusion gaze at each other, both knowing exactly what just happened.

Solar looks at Delusion, narrowing his gaze.

"What the heck happened?" Delusion shakes his head.

"I can't say yet. Sorry, Solar. For now, it seems benign." Solar looks over at Lunar, who is still discussing the plan for Deci, then back to Phantasm and Delusion.

"Update me if it ever becomes dangerous to Lunar." Delusion nods, while Phantasm moves over to Lunar, humming softly. TK stands off to the side, quietly looking down at the floor, deep in thought.

All the skeletons jump as the newest companion, Deci, walks into the room.

"Hi?" Lunar bounds over, gently taking Deci's hands in his own.

"So we've been talking, and we'll try to help you be desensitized to your phobias, so you react...less murdery in response." Deci sighs, nodding slowly.

"Where to begin?"

"What is the phobia you are least likely to blow up over?"

"Well...my Chromophobia isn't too severe, and if the 'new' changes are slowly implemented, my Neophobia won't act up too much." Lunar smiles.

"Mind if you and I talk in private? I have one other thing I need to do." Lunar leads Deci into another room, Hearts and Haven being the only ones dead silent as the others begin their battle plans based on the little information already present.

"Hearts?" Haven asks his good friend, the other skeleton's cheekbones being newly anointed with tear tracks.

"He's just a kid. Yet he's suffered through so much. How could anyone do those things to a child?!" Haven pulls his emotional friend into a hug, sighing softly.

"I don't know."

"Why aren't you crying, Haven?"

"Because tears won't help now. What will help is allowing him to heal." Hearts nods, slowly getting under control and smiling at Haven.

"Thank you so much."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lunar stands across from Deci, smiling. Deci shuffles his weight from foot-to-foot, slightly uncomfortable. He looks around, sighing softly when he sees several exits just in case.

"Why...bring me in here?"

"I want to see everything. All the sources of your phobias, so I know what will make you super comfortable."

"Again, why?" Lunar sighs softly.

"Imprint is making a house for you. It'll be crafted to keep most of your phobias at bay. It'll be near enough to here that we can visit and help you out, but far enough that you'll be able to get space if you need it, okay?" Deci blinks, before nodding.

"Will you do that thing again?"

"Yes. This time, without Solar. He caused you discomfort, I can tell." Deci nods slowly, closing his eyes as Lunar places his hands on Deci's temples.

"I'm not innocent, so don't worry about trying to protect me." Deci's response is a simple nod, and with that, the two spend the next hour writing down and categorizing what will and won't trigger Deci based on his past triggers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time studies the High One, finding her soft smile unnerving considering what is happening.

"He is mine to control!" The High One nods.

"I know. That is the unfortunate truth of the situation."

"So you have nothing on us. We aren't breaking any rules."

"What is your child doing so close to TimeVerse?"

"It's not your business to know, Time!" Time looks at the High One, who is deep in thought.

"It is my business. If you are forcing your child to try and kidnap mine again, let me tell you, my children will never let that happen."

"It is also against the rules to take other beings' children one time, much less re-capture them after they've already been freed. If that is your intention, I suggest you place your focus back on reviving your multiverse since your child's actions."

"You may be the High One, but you're not impartial. You've always favored Time."

"Time has always favored Change. Time and Change are imperative to each other. One's fate or destiny has little in common with change or time. That is the natural consequence."

"Change...do you favor Time over any other?" Order joins the four-way discussion, aiming it at the High One. Change sighs softly.

"If Time were to break a rule, I would punish him the same as any other. I do not favor him in any way that would mitigate his punishment. I am not biased in this situation. Remember when Karma's Nightmare was multiplied and controlled by Chaos? I punished Chaos as fairly as I am now punishing Fate and Destiny." Order nods, satisfied, but Fate and Destiny seem more angered than anything else.

"She's lying! Why are we the only ones who see this bias?!"

"Because, unlike you two, she actually lacks a bias." A soft dulcet yet masculine voice speaks, Karma stepping between Fate and Change.

"You two racked up quite the karma. Treating Lapse, Error, or whatever he is called now like he was the scum of the earth while he was doing such a necessary job for you. Then treating your child Ink like a saint who could do no wrong. Change balances the treatment of her multiverse by just letting them change and roam and interact on their own with only a handful of rules which affect everyone equally."

"We did not-"

"Ink creates, and no matter how crappy his 'art' is, it's a masterpiece to you, yes?"

"W-well, I suppose. But-"

"But if Error destroys, maintaining the balance you came to us for help with, he's the scum of the earth who is truly evil. Yet if he doesn't destroy, he's a failure and the death of millions will be on his head."

"Of course! Destruction is inherently evil! Just like your negative FREAK!" Karma's mouth raises into a malicious smile as Fate seals the judgment on her and Destiny.

"Change, is that enough?"

"I suppose it is. They didn't want balance, they wanted someone to abuse so their precious child could create, and they knowingly stole another Deity's child that was not offered up for them to use. They broke two rules. The two biggest rules of us deities."

"May I take my leave?"

"Of course, Time. I understand you're worried about your children." Time nods, vanishing. The other Deities watch as Fate is chained up in pure white strings, with Destiny being wrapped up in pure black strings, Change holding two fingers out.

"Now. I will deliver your punishment."

"Ink!"

"Do not fail your job." Red paint splashes onto the strings as the deities vanish, taking their Ink with them.

Change shrugs.

"We will find and punish them later." Order, Chaos, and the others study Change, finding her nonchalant response rather strange all things considered.

"Change?"

"Yes, Karma?"

"Aren't you...worried about this?"

"Why should I be? Either Time and Deci will handle this, or they won't. It won't impact my multiverse either way."

(1306 words.

Well. Things are happening. That's for sure.

Hoooo boy! Did you all miss me?

Well, I'm back, mostly.

This book is completed, only one more chapter, unfortunately. I struggled really hard with how I'd write these last few chapters, so you know. I even intended to leave off on a major cliffhanger until I got an idea so, you know.

I'm sorry if the ending feels rushed.

I had intended more chapters when I began this story, but then well, things didn't go according to plan and now we're here.

Hope you're having a good day/night/whatever, and thanks for following Wounds Heal, Scars Fade for this long!