Welcome to Gaia! ::

As Tsuna blurted out something about timelines, both Micha'el and Lottie paused, finally giving her their attention. She went on to explain her theory, causing Lottie's mouth to gape open and Micha'el to start tapping his knee, followed by an anxious grip on the sleeve of his arm, which he pinched lightly. He shook his head, "I hate to say that I agree with this... I can't deduce anything logical."

Tsuna then went back to Lottie regarding her outburst on the royal guards of Declasia, causing her to ask the real questions... to the only person that would know everything about the Land of Crows. Micha'el watched, wide-eyed, as she summoned up this 'Prince of Crows'. Lottie gasped, looking around. However nothing came, silence followed her question and a weight fell over them. The chill over Tsuna's shoulder, which she had come to be so familiar with, withdrew. "Is he... here?" Lottie asked, reaching out into the air as if to grasp a ghost. She twitched, looking at Micha'el who waited with baited breath. He was doing his best not to show his scepticism. But then came a voice before Tsuna could become too disheartened, it was soft like velvet, mature as if spoken by a deceitful and wise old snake. "You have some nerve to summon me like some mutt." The Prince appeared, leaning against the creaking wooden panelled wall beside the bed, arms crossed, head hung so that his grey eyes barely perceived Tsuna beneath his brows. He grinned, "I've considered letting them think you're mad. My contracts are secret, like all dirty, deceitful things should be." He waited for Tsuna to rebuke him, keeping himself invisible to Micha'el and Lottie who continued to look around, and would look at Tsuna in confusion if she spoke back to the Prince.

However, after a few more moments, he surprised them all by appeared on the bed beside Micha'el, silently, as if he had always been there. He was now leaning forwards, arms pressed against his knees as he turned to face Micha'el and Lottie on the blond's other side. "Team Sun. How your pure intentions bore me, yet the dog wants to expose her secret... and here I am. Her madness seems to have infected you too." He finally looked up to Tsuna as he said "and i've never heard of them before."

He lied through his teeth as though it was natural. At that same moment the sound of someone walking passed outside could be heard on the other side of the doorway, reminding them to be quiet.

Micha'el felt an emptiness run through his body when he turned to face the stranger that appeared like a ghost beside him. He moved faster than he thought possible, he heart leaping from his throat as his legs dragged him across the room like a spider on skates. Lottie yelped, perhaps causing the movement outside, and pressed back against the wall beside the bed - huddled up at the knees on the pillow. Micha'el stared at him. He had a slender figure, with long grey hair that elegantly flowed down beyond his waste, where it was tied to stop it fanning out at his legs. He looked pale, not not so pale as some Daywalkers. His skin looked powdered - as if a greyness was consuming him. His robes looked old - ancient even - and were no doubt from another time unknown to Team Sun. Micha'el glanced at Tsuna, who just seemed unimpressed as she breathed through her nose. He glanced at Lottie, heart attempted to drag him back towards the bed to protect her from this ghost. But his eyes couldn't help but be dragged back towards this... Prince of Crows. Something within him twisted at his presence. An unnerving, hollow feeling that pulsed in his mind's eye with the light of the cyan star. It was warning him, this was a being of immense power - of something unnatural and impossible. The Prince looked back at him then, grinning as Micha'el looked away, unable to hold the stare.

"Too long, and never at all" the Prince replied calmly, eyes blinking slowly as a cat before resting his pupils on Tsuna. "How very observant" he droned, "I've had many partnerships in my time wandering the Land of Crows. Some more fruitful than others. A dying farmer - pillaged by barbarians. A wife - betrayed by her husband. A Fae, taunted by the unseelie..." he let out a chuckle, remembering those days. "Did you know there was a realm of unseelie?" he asked nonchalantly, "turns out there were some Fae who didn't agree with The Circle... Alas. There was also, more recently, a gypsy in love with an angel - and two royal guard framed for killing their queen. None of these contracts - however - have revealed anything of this current scenario. It is why I have recruited you. A lost puppy, stumbling through unknown lands in search for answers. Accompanied by your possessed ballerina and zealot of the light.

The Prince snickered, revealing a pearly white fang which his tongue licked briefly, as thought it was a sultry snack. But it seemed Tsuna's remark about watching through other's eyes struck something within him, forcing his smile to recede as his eyes returned to their uncaring, half-closed gaze. "Nothing fills my mind" he remarked. Lottie leaned forwards, becoming less afraid now and more intrigued. "A-are you a ghost?" she asked, swallowing her hesitation like it was a large stone in her throat. The Prince slowly turned his head to look at her, but Micha'el stepped forwards, feeling as though every movement the Prince took was like out-of-tune violin strings being played by the wood of the bow instead of the smooth hair. The Prince glanced up at him, instantly vanishing as if they all blinked at the same moment. "To some" he said over Micha'el's shoulder, causing him to jerk around and fall backwards onto the bed beside Lottie. "I am neither dead nor dying or even remotely among the living. I am betwixt and between." He turned now to Tsuna, an ounce of unsteadiness in his eyes as he said "Existence plagues my mind and my own will decides my judgement! You know not who I am, but once upon a time all feared my name - The Prince of Crows - until she made a mockery of it, as if she even had anything to do with my fate." In the moment that the Prince raised his voice, he sensed something and shot a look towards the door, then for a brief moment he rolled his eyes as if expecting what came next.

The door opened inwards, slamming against the wall as it swung on its hinges. Through it came the hooded figure from before - who was seen earlier speaking with the Captain. Beneath the cloak gleamed dark, black metal. He looked up, hood falling to his shoulders to reveal raven black hair and dark blue eyes. Nyru Statem. "You Nyru whispered, staring at the Prince in disbelief. "YOU!" Lottie exclaimed. "Him?!" Micha'el whispered, shooting Lottie a stare before looking at Tsuna, as if to say 'did you arrange this?'. "ME?" Nyru then whispered in disbelief. The Prince then looked to Tsuna, grinning once more.

Nyru turned to face Tsuna as she accused the Prince of already knowing him. Micha'el noted the sudden change in Nyru's expression, heavy and filled with shame. Lottie had grabbed hold of Micha'el's arm without realising, and he had instinctually kept himself somewhat between her and the Prince, and the intruder now known to be Nyru. Then Nyru stepped back, his booted heel catching the edge of the open door behind him. His expression changed when Tsuna expressed how he was right not to trust them from the beginning, and bluted out "n-no!" whilst waving his hands, but stumbled back against as the door tapped his back. He quickly turned with a sigh and quietly closed the door before straightening himself, whilst Tsuna went on to change her meaning slightly, and began to take the blame. He then turned to face her, his face soft, but a mixture between sadness and joy. "I am in no place to judge you. Or I would be the greatest hypocrite of them all..." He proceeded to remove his glave, revealing the silvery scar of what was once the Prince's mark. "Now... I explain this" he nodded to his scarred hand, knowing it would cause questions, "and then we discuss him. Nyru nodded then to the Prince, who was gone the moment everyone looked at him. Nyru then rolled his eyes, probably in unison with Tsuna. The Prince then appeared next to Nyru, leaning back against the door as he said "My dear Nyru, what a sad hand fate had dealt to you. Would you require my help once again? Though... saving your best friend's life is a little different to clearing your name of high treason and murder."

Lottie's hand gripped Micha'el tighter then, and he physically tensed in her grip. The hairs sticking up on the back of his neck as all of a sudden he began to wonder if Tsuna was right all this time not to trust Nyru and Claudia. THe Prince gave a sly look over Nyuru's shoulder, directly at Tsuna, wondering what she would have to say whilst Nyru signed, clutching his fist tightly - but doing well to remain calm.

He appeared to be no stranger to the Prince's ways.

Nyru began to smile slightly, which Micha'el noted, until the moment Tsuna mentioned him being soft. He looked at her with a tilted head for a moment and then his expression relaxed. He let out some air through his nice as he smiled once again, looking down at the ground, paying the Prince no attention. "Don't be so quick to assume" the Prince cooed, "I can take away my gift - just as I gave it to you. Nyru can tell you himself - accept he completed his end of the deal."
"That's enough" Nyru then said, "Team Sun - it's time I told you the whole truth. Prince... you can continue existing - or not - I'm not sure exactly what you do, but you do you." The Prince of Crows was the one to roll his eyes this time, opting to remain quiet. Nyru then acknowledged each of Team Sun as he explained himself. "Nearly a decade ago our queen's previous advisor took our queen hostage, almost killing her. He revealed himself to be Vlad Dracula and attempted to control the city. Myself and Claudia were framed for treason... and in our cells the Prince of Crows came to us and offered us the power to escape and overpower our adversaries. Eventually we regrouped with some old allies... the Occult... and the Therians. They helped us retake the city and defeat Dracula. In return..."
"Your Queen gave the Therian's back their homeland." Micha'el said, unable to help himself from connecting the dots. "Yes" Nyru said, "it was during our time of need that they returned - whether by request of the Occult, or by happenstance I'm still unsure, but Queen Declasia vowed to help them reclaim Therias. Once we were given clean names - the Prince retook what was his - then satisfied with the adventure we took him on. I honestly thought we would never see him again - and honestly I hoped that would be the case. He is a well kept myth in our land. Once a dictator who built the Land of Crows... enslaving the first generations of Therians to build his city. He is also the one that cursed our people with Vampirism. A disease which Declasia luckily cleansed our ancestors of some time ago. No one knows what happened to the Prince. Not really. I have reason to believe he showed up in history a few more times before actually dying." The Prince let out a cheap exhale, as if Nyru was wrong. "Well" Nyru added, "before he became whatever this is. Now, as far as Claudia and I can gather, he appears before the needy and the depraved. Often offering them redemption at the cost of baring the mark of the most hated person in history in our land. And it appears he enjoys causing an amount of torment whilst exploring the world alongside you, like a librarian thirsty for knowledge, a parasite in need of a host to 'live'.
"Hateful words from a man whom descends from parasites" the Prince cooed, baring a fang. Well done Tsuna, I believe you're ancestors were much more useful than his. Though that is obsolete now... cities, kingdoms, power. It's all material. I care more about the actions you mortals will take to shape the future."

At Tsuna began her rant about being up against time, Micha'el fidgeted on the spot, whilst Lottie, leaned forwards, earnestly wanting to help Tsuna in her debate against the evil crow. However, the Prince remained silent, staring vacantly with his empty grey eyes whilst she turned her attention to Nyru. He nodded when she asked about the Darkness of Lucifial, awaiting her question. As soon as she asked about Alexis, he was stricken with uncertainty. Lottie saw it in his face, that stalemate that took over the mind. Nyru knew things that he didn't want to say, answers that weighted heavy on his shoulders and heart. She often saw this in Micha'el's eyes... and it pulled at her heart to see anyone look like that. She turned then to Tsuna, who needed this information so badly. Everything - all of this was taking its toll on her. She wished she could take it all away and lock it in a box so that her friends could be happy.

Nyru sighed. "Alexis-" he stuttered, as if his breath evaded him. A glint of light reflected from his bottom eyelid where his eye began to water only slightly. But Lottie saw it. It made her cling to her own breath as though she was drowning. "Alexis is immortal. But..." he took in another breath, pushing away Laxion in his mind. He looked directly at Tsuna with his dark blue eyes and said "please... you have to keep this information to yourselves. All of you. Not only will it make us all look crazy but... I-" he breathed again, calmly, swallowing his nerves, "I am breaking a promise to someone I love very, very dearly by telling you this. When Team Elixir was first put together, Alexis was with them. They battled a foe... called Zoltan."

Micha'el tensed all over, so much so that Lottie looked at him, unsure of what had caused him to turn hard as stone. Nyru continued, "apparently he sought to use the full moon of various timelines to amplify his power and weaken the border between our world and Non-magic Earth. They defeated him but she went into the broken timelines to reverse what he had done. It worked but - I was told that Alexis was erased from history, and the woman we now know, who apparently survived those timelines, caught up with us... but has no timeline of her own. That's what she told her team."


"Zoltan who? Micha'el asked bluntly, looking down at the ground. "I'm sorry... I just know he was called Zoltan. It's a rare name but... he doesn't exist as far as I'm concerned." He turned back to Tsuna, "I don't know if he ever existed, so I don't know if her story checks out. That's why Horakhty is suspicious, and our Queen - Declasia expects, that if some element of this is true, then she is fiddling with magic to go back in time and find Lucas Purevelion."

Micha'el's shoulders hung low, disappointed that Nyru couldn't confirm anything further about Zoltan. He felt tension in his chest rising like two cords were being pulled tightly, threatening to snap. An itch on his arm, he pinched it with his hand reflexively as Tsuna began to unravel the information revealed to her. She weaved it back into her own chain of events. Micha'el ignored Lottie's prying. She tried to comfort him by gently holding his arm and putting a hand on his to stop him from hurting himself. She'd noticed how he gets when he's anxious. She hated to see him consumed by it. She hated it more that she didn't understand what was going on with this Zoltan. Why did the name ring a bell? That... guy Micha'el asked her about all that time ago?

Tsuna appeared before them. Neither noticed her calculative approach. Zoltan she said again. Micha'el tensed, his jaw muscles clenching. He was still looking down at the ground. Tsuna described their conversation back in Otherearth about Zoltan. Lottie scowled, looking between Tsuna and Micha'el's profile. "What?" she gently asked, "Micha'el doesn't... have a brother..." Micha'el still didn't respond, instead he remained still. Only Lottie noticed his chest growing, then shrinking. Growing, shrinking again. Tsuna then continued to muse that finding Alexis would find Zoltan.

A tear fell to the wooden floorboard, silently leaving a dark dot that reflected the half light of the room. Nyru was staring at Micha'el, dumbfounded that this, of all people, could be the brother of Zoltan? Memories flooded to him, flashing by him as he remembered the face of Zoltan. Now he began to feel a wave of guilt, half-lying to the team when he said he didn't know Zoltan's last name. How could he, it was a name that plagued Laxion for the longest time. He caused Alexis to vanish. Tore their team apart. He also did a number on Nyru and Claudia in the final battle. He just... didn't want to confirm his knowledge as fact to Tsuna in case she was right. He didn't want to give the final evidence against the love of his life's best friend. Lottie felt Tsuna's gaze on her, then tried to lean in closer to Micha'el, but he was still trying to hold his breath. Nyru let a question slip. "Micha'el... what... is your family name?" The Prince, however, decided to chime in. "We appear to have sliced open an old, poisonous wound." Nyru glared at him, and Lottie followed suit with a hateful gaze that flashed a resentment never seen within her before. Just as quickly she turned her face back to Micha'el, getting down on one knee to peer beneath his hair. "Micha'el... I- I don't... Tell me. Please, I don't... remember your brother, you said you didn't have one. Your Mum- is this what's-"

Micha'el shot up. He stood tall, like a statue, cheeks white and chest puffing as he breathed heavily. Tears ran down his cheek from eyes angry with frustration and fear. "NO" he growled, clenching his cheeks again. He was taking short deep breaths. He then shot a glare at Nyru, stepping forwards towards him. "You knew all this time!"
"Micha'el!" Lottie called, reaching for his hand to stop him from marching into Nyru. But he stopped and turned, pulling back his hand as though Lottie's touch was acid. She flinched. "I told you! You forgot him. Everyone forgot him! The one person I trusted most in the world and I couldn't even tell you how much I was hurting because my sadistic, calculative, spiteful older brother ceased to exist." Micha'el swallowed, catching his breath again, hearing something from Tsuna when he spiralled round to face her. His fists were clenched, he began to say something then couldn't find the words before pausing and articulating a sentence. "That conversation was private not for everyone here." He then turned to the Prince, a white flash appearing in Micha'el's as he said "You are a parasite to the Pillars, you have no
place and no right to involve yourself with my friends. He then backed up against the wall. "I've been looking for him everywhere! Feeling him. Knowing he's laughing at me. Knowing he's going to hurt someone. My Mum... he's going to hurt her again. She- she- she" he caught his breath again, pinching his arm hard now, "if he's here still, if he's immortal, she'll- drugs. the drugs" his eyes darted between his teammates, and if either one of them moved to come closer he would flinch and flare angry eyes at them, silently commanding them to stay with an exhale of his nostrils like a bull ready to charge. "I need the star - the star. It's the only way - don't care! About bloody evil! Wasting time! Travelling! The star, Lottie, Tsuna. Please. My- Mu-"

Micha'el finally succumbed to the panic attack that was taking over him since his brother's name was mentioned. He leaned back against the wall as he looked silently through teary, glazed eyes at Tsuna and Lottie. Begging them to help him. He couldn't catch his breath and felt like his lungs had turned inside out. His chest was on fire and collapsing. His mind was dark - thoughts moving too quickly for him to process and the weight of the world was pushing him down to the floor as between heavy painful breaths he let out heart-breaking, trembling cries that barely held his voice. He was shaking his head, trying to hold his knees to his chest as suddenly everything before him felt impossible.

Nyru decided not to argue with Tsuna and turned around without another thought. The Prince vanished from sight when Nyru walked past him, exiting the room and closing the door behind him.

Micha'el felt a crushing weight on his chest. He wasn't sure if it was the iron grip he held onto his knees, pulling them against him. Or whether it was all the his thoughts and fears finally coming to consume him. He took short breaths into his knees, watching as Tsuna came closer. She touched his arm, causing him to jump and exhale. She pulled him in close and felt her warmth surround him. He didn't hold her back. He still couldn't unwrap his arms from his legs and one hand was pinching his arm as he had done so many times before. He felt a small wave of ease wash over him, shortly followed by a tingly, intense wave of heat when she mentioned the star. His body was like the ebb and flow of the sea crashing into the beach. Accept the water was ice cold and then steaming hot in it's retreat. Over Tsuna's shoulder, he could see Lottie's knees as she had crouched closely on the ground beside him. Tsuna was still whispering things to get him to calm down, only half of it really making any sense to him. He felt Tsuna's grip on him loosen slightly, and then Lottie's hand took hers. She embraced Micha'el too, her hand now slipping onto the back of his and for the first time since his panic attack started he felt something knew in his stomach.

A butterfly.

Lottie then embraced him also, mirroring Tsuna on the opposite side of his body. Lottie’s voice is soft and warm. She leans in closer so only he can hear. “I’m here, Micha’el. You don’t have to say anything. You don’t have to be okay right now. I just want you to breathe with me.” She presses her forehead gently to his shoulder, her voice shaking slightly but still steady enough to anchor him. “You’re not alone, okay? We see you. I see you. This will pass, I promise. And even if it's not all at once I will be with you until it's gone and forever after. "We love you Micha'el."

She nestled her head into the space between his neck and shoulder, allowing Tsuna's humming to to help him calm as his breathing finally began to regulate itself. His arms loosen from his knees and slowly, one at a time, his left arm moved under Tsuna's to hold onto her back. Then his right softly gripped Lottie's head., His fingers slipped beneath the strands of her chocolate hair. He let out a whimper after taking in a long breath, clutching the two of them closely as his broken breaths finally turned to quiet sobbing. "I'm sorry" he whispered between their shoulders. He remained quiet after this, and then eventually leaning into them both like a child might clutch onto his mother. Minutes passed and eventually he succumbed to sleep, completely drained and covered in sweat.