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Blasted idiots- if it weren't for the fact he'd be so outnumbered without them, Jorianth would have no qualms with wishing many a violent death upon the two immature brats on the ground. Still, for whatever else, they had their uses.

"Agreed," he told Sicily, "on both accounts." Shooting a thin smile to the light-spirit as it whined at the supposed maltreatment from friend and enemy alike, the shadowmancer paused to consider and spoke- "Though I will not hesitate to warn you, if you do not deliver, I will be forced to look for other souls to take for my own benefit." An artistic pause. "There were certainly a good number of little ones among this group. I'm sure I could pick off a few before anyone noticed, if need be, don't you think?"

His point was made, and he was assured of it. With an almost mocking swagger, the spirit walked past the light creatures, headed down the hall and out of the HQ.

Still grumbling, Cri dragged its heels at the tail end of the group, quite displeased with having been narked at by Sicily and Jorianth both. It wasn't allowed to have an opinion, now? So not fair!

On the way out, however, the light-spirit was at least considerate enough to pause and inform those watching- "Sorry for the worry, folks! We'll handle things from here, so don't you worry about those bullies anymore!" Another sparkly grin far better suited for a manga or anime before the friendly spirit, bolstered by even this brief positive contact, went bouncing out after the rest.

Rouge stretched. "Ugh. I think that for now we need to rest. If they're going to duke it out I say that we should regain any energy we can. If they don't win, we're gonna be in deep s**t." she mumbled, leaning back and closing her eyes. Her ears were alert to the noises around her but she needed to rest her mind and body.

The minute Zah latched on, Yashi clung right back to his friend, face pressing against the drows blood-smattered cheet. Zah was taller now but Yashi was still older, he was still able to comfort people he cared about when they needed him.

Zahs murmured words met the foxes ears and his arms only tightened. Soft, soothing noises, wordless and shapeless, left his lips, one hand moving to touch Zahs hair. "I know, Zah... It'll be okay, though. Sad and painful but," Another tight squeeze here, "You still have people who care about you. Just remember that."

Those were the words. Yashi fell silent afer that, ignoring the words behind him, and merely swished his tail around to partially hug Zah as well. The drow liked fluffies. Maybe fluffies would help this time.

Even now, with the danger momentarily passed and a soothing sense of calm and rest among the group, it was a good several minutes before Vana would do anything. All through the chaos, the little babe had just listlessly lay there; it was all more than she could have kept up with, had she tried, and far more than she could have understood, if she could. But now, with the world returning to something resembling sanity (if only the color would come back, though!), Vana stirred.

The fern girl slowly sat herself up, focusing her tired eyes down at her feet. If the world would have allowed it, her eyes would seem red and swollen, although the girl had never actually cried.

There was a strange part of her that had come to terms with the broken Guardian bond, that could comprehend what it meant. Death was not beyond nature's ken. In fact... death was one of the very definitions of nature. A thing that never died, never lived; and if a thing should live, but never die, it would be wholly unnatural and sickening. Danny had not been like that. Danny had been... very, very true to nature.

There was meaning in life, but there was just as much meaning in death. If Danny was dead- and Danny had to be dead- then there was meaning....

Even so, with all this strangely sorted out in her head, nothing could keep her from hoping for her Guardian to magically appear nonetheless. Distressedly, the Lesidhe child began to chirp, the same small peeping noises of a baby bird in the nest, hoping its mother might come home.

A child her age, confronted with the loss of their anchor to the earth, had very few choices available to them. Either they refuse the world that caused so much pain, and in doing so, were no doubt destined to sink into a final death- or else, they choose to keep moving in hopes of finding something new to tie them to the world, and struggle to remain aloft. There was something in her that despised the notion of the first, that snarled and growled and furied at even the slightest weakness she had to show. She was not ready to give up on this place just yet, no matter how much it hurt.

Just at that moment, somebody was exactly what Vana wanted.

That being the case, she couldn't have been more fortunate. As she lifted up her head, miserable and confused, hoping beyond reason for a familiar fuss as Danny would come to pick her up and smooth her hair, that small little whisper she'd use to comfort the babe, a comforting bounce in her step as she'd try walking the little girl over to the herb garden they grew out on the porch of their little apartment... it wasn't Danny's face that appeared, though. One that was utterly novel and strange showed at the side of the playpen, and strong, if still small, hands lifted her out of the hindering place.

Unashamedly, the baby girl clung onto this darkened stranger and buried her head in his chest. Tiny, anxious chirps escaped into the grey-soaked cloth there, as little fingers wrapped themselves into Zah's shirt, twisting the fabric in clumps. She was absolutely terrified that too light a grip might prompt him to lay her back down, might suggest that she didn't want or need him. The moment of refusing the company of others had passed; there were so many things wrong with the world right now, comfort from anyone, even if it wasn't the exact person she wanted it to be, couldn't be anything but perfectly right. She didn't want to risk him leaving her alone, not for an instant.

Coailiann began to stir at the birdsong, her green eyes slowly coming open though blurred from her extended period of not being actually concious. Had it all been a dream? No, the pain in her foot was still vivid and very much there, made worse by ignoring the pain in the first place to do what she did.

That meant that two people were dead because of her. Two. The sidhe bit back tears and slowly sat up, rubbing her white head.

Was it over, finally? It was silent, no battle raging, no shouts of terror. Was the episode finally done? Could they go home?

...No, it was still completely and utterly colorless. They were still there. How would they get out? The child wanted to cry - she was so tired of being strong but hell, Zah and Vana had lost their guardians because of her. The least she could do was be strong.

Slowly she stood up and let out a sharp cry of pain as her foot touched the ground. Kay would have to ignore that. Quietly, she dug her teeth into her lip and hobbled over towards her friends.

...Would they hate her?