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Niflhel had come back from the knight meeting and filled in Snowball with the issue at hand. He’d ensured that everything was taken care for at home with Merlin among other things before taking Snowball with him to his wonder. This was one of those trips that could take a few days and thankfully, Niflhel had a backup plan.

When he and Snowball landed Niflhel stopped and looked around, they’d landed in front of his living quarters on the homeworld and while it hadn’t been visited in a while it didn’t look in much worse shape. Some things appeared out of place from what he could only assume to be the magical earth quake.

“Sooo where do you think we look first?” He mused looking at Snowball who stretched after the trip to space and was looking around.

“How should I know, this is your homeworld after all. I’m Polaris’ cat.” Snowball answered as he chuckled a bit. Though the fluff ball sighed. “After all, I’m just company on this trip, I doubt I’ll be much help Niflhel.” The cat was taking in the surroundings of the outside of the home. Cobblestone streets, something that looked like it probably came out of Sherlock Holmes or later for the style of buildings from what the eye could see.

“Didn’t you say the code would provide help if you wanted it?” He added – nothing looked spectacularly to him like a lead towards an otherwise fanatical talking orb of light Niflhel was supposed to find.


Niflhel looked towards Snowball as he spoke the knight rolled his eyes softly, "Yes the code did say that. . . but I don't know how I'm suppose to know what the help is." He responded as he looked around the area wondering where to start looking first.

Ironically he noticed a small aura that seemed to catch his attention. A faint pulse, Niflhel headed towards where he thought the source was coming from. "I assume this is what the code was talking about."

He'd paused and looked at Snowball, "Do you want to walk or ride?" He asked offering his shoulder for the cat to take if it so wished.

"Think I'll walk for now. If it takes long and I get bored of walking I'll let you know." Snowball replied with a chuckle as he followed Niflhel through the cobblestone streets.

"Boy it looks like a tornado came through this place." Snowball mused, "I didn't know wonders had weather this crazy."

"It must have been the magical disruption." He answered though he didn't think that Snowball was making the comment for an answer directly.

He was looking around softly as they passed small houses and businesses. "I think we're headed for the church." He said softly, having detailed the church with the graveyard to snowball before. As they walked down the familiar trail Niflhel occasionally catching visions of what the wonder use to be when there was life and trading happening.

He was a watcher and while they weren't his usual visions, these were things he played over his in mind that he'd seen. "Do you think we'll ever see the princesses?"

He mused looking down towards Snowball, "Though I suppose that causes a conflict with my relationship of Polaris if we ever did see the princesses for the main planets."

Snowball's ears twitched as he walked through the deserted roads occasionally stopping to peek into an old shop or house. He heard Niflhel's question and the concern that he had. "I mean as long as you're loyalties lie correctly I doubt the Princess of Saturn - whomever she is, if she comes back - would care that you've married a senshi princess."

There was a pause as he made a few quick movements to join the knight's side. "After all, it's not like you can trade your wonder's location to a new one. And Polaris wasn't a princess from my understanding when you originally met her in both the past and present. So your loyalties aren't like they've changed, you've just got a larger plate I'm sure. That might be slightly more complicated."

Niflhel pocketed the letter that hadn't been read for later. "It's a shame I can't read the writing on this since it doesn't look like I ever read it. I don't know if I can figure out what the language is or what it says."

He turned and headed towards the secret passageway that had opened up. "You coming or are you chilling in the office?"

Snowball hopped down and followed Niflhel, "Well of course I'm coming you're the one carrying the snacks. I don't know how long you're going to be down here. My luck you get stuck in some trance and I just get left to be hungry."

Snowball didn't tell Niflhel he too had stashed some snacks into his space pocket. Just again because he didn't know how long they'd be and if Niflhel had packed enough. "Is this . . . part of a catacomb?" Snowball was looking at the way the passage went down into the ground and the arched ceiling with little nooks where torches were.

"That's true." Niflhel responded when Snowball said he didn't know how long the knight would be. It was oddly interesting as they walked downwards. He wasn't sure how far down they were going as he paused feeling a small tug.

"I'm not sure how far down we have to go." He admitted, as he looked around, "I - do think it's a catacomb though. I wonder if there's another entrance, I saw some tombs that looked like they could lead underground in the graveyard."

He paused when they came to a landing finally and it looked as if there were a few ways to go. "I feel like this might be . . . more complicated than expected." Niflhel was standing and there was a fork with three different ways to walk.

Snowball whistled when they hit the fork in the road. "Yup, this is totally a catacomb." He was looking around as he walked towards a small area and looking at it."I wonder who all is buried in here, looks like it's for some more important people - that wouldn't be just plopped into the normal graveyard."

He was looking at the stonework and how things were put together, "This is amazing look at the handiwork in the floor!" He noticed the little Saturn motif that had like little starbursts in the floor tilting. "Jeeze someone had a hell of a job working on this." His tail flickered as he took in the little random design motifs.

There were caskets down here too and urns. Snowball was careful not to disturb them as he looked at the designs that were also on the caskets and urns trying to see if they had any distinguishing markings on them to tell him who it was -- well he wouldn't know them personally but maybe it would tell a story as it seemed they might be something to the motifs on the caskets and urns.

Niflhel eventually started down the left most branch, "This way." He finally said cutting the silence and making the cat jump. His foot steps echoed through the catacombs as he walked, "If I knew I could summon Cerb I would." His hands went behind his back, "Hopefully we don't run into something crazy."

Though he paused, "I doubt there's anything crazy to run into though." The place had been void of life so surely nothing could take up residence in these catacombs. It was fairly lonely on the wonder void of life expect when he saw flashes of the past; and had he not brought Snowball it'd been too quite.

Snowball shifted to human form as he walked barefooted on the cobblestone flooring. Letting his feet feel the cool stone, "I really hope we don't run into problems. You already have a three headed beasty so it's not guarding the catacombs which makes me feel better." Snowball didn't really care for the three headed dog, it had too many heads to keep track of.

So he wasn't a very big fan at all. Knowing that Niflhel had the beasty helped a lot keep Snowball from being too worried. "So do you think this mazes around or just ends up at one central point?"

Niflhel paused when Snowball asked the question as he did, "I don't think it's a central point -- well it might be. But where we're headed won't be." Niflhel seemed sure of himself.

"It won't be easy to get to either, I suspect. Be on your toes because we won't know what kind of traps are set if any." His demeanor changed to more serious than he normally had while they were here.

The sudden change in demeanor caused Snowball to frown a bit as they walked, his tail flickering softly as he twitched his ears listening for anything that might be triggered as they walked and watching the floor and walls for any clues.

"Well this is going to be fun." Snowball muttered as he walked with Niflhel.

Niflhel paused when Snowball told him it would likely also be a trail for him. He tried not to look worried but Niflhel nodded as he slowly walked forward looking determined to not fail this.

However as he walked nothing seemed to happen, expect in a small alcove where a casket would normally be a faint glow. Niflhel stopped, "Oh, it's the code piece." He whispered looking at it.

Snowball sighed as Niflhel said it was the code piece, instead of continuing Snowball sat down legs crossed and powering back down to his human form. "I'll wait here then, I think you have to do this alone."

He chuckled and pulled out a bag of cookies from his subspace pocket, "I'll study this last trap after a snack. And take notes on everything I've seen" Snowball seemed to really like the mechanical part of the traps which really peaked his interest.

Niflhel looked back at Snowball "Okay as long as you're careful. I might not be able to help you out of anything for a while." Snowball nodded as he munched on cookies and pulled a drink from his subspace pocket as well. The knight sighed. Well at least the cat would be happy for a while.

"I'm sorry I took so long." He said finally turning his attention to the code piece. Watching it dimly glow, it was weak and he frowned heavily as he moved to sit close to it wondering what he needed to do in order to resonate with it.

"You see, I've been busy." He said softly, "I guess you could say I was running away from my problems again. Well . . . in a different way."

He sat silently for a while before closing his eyes, "But I think you knew that."

He was sitting relaxing trying to focus on the code. Without realizing it he was swept up into a vision of the past.

"Leif, do you really think I did the right thing?" A younger knight was walking the floor in front of a small orb and a smaller man beside him who had a measuring tape. "I mean I got a response from the council but I was afraid to open it. She wouldn't even answer it herself."

He paused, looking at the code piece, "Though I suppose I expected too much, no one ever gets to speak to her she's much too busy after all. Plus if it'd disappoint her I don't think I'd rather her know."

"Young master please stop moving if you expect me to tailor you a new suit for greeting guests." Leif said with a sigh "You know I don't give answers to matters such as that, you're going to have to answer that yourself. I'm only a tailor not your butler or your father."

Niflhel grimaced as the words your father were spoken, "You're right. I'm sorry." The knight sighed and stood still with his arms out as Leif took his measurements. "Can you get it embroidered on the pocket?"

He asked as Leif wrote down measurements to which the tailor nodded in response. Once finished Niflhel watched the Tailor take his leave and it left him and the code alone.

"I still don't know." Said the knight sitting down in the chair. "If I read it and it's negative it won't change anything but . . . if the council has given their blessing it means I did make a mistake. And I don't know if she'd forgive me for the mistake."

"I'm sure she'd forgive you." A voice as a familiar face walked into the office. "Polaris doesn't usually hold judgement you know that."

The cat sat upon the desk looking at the knight. "I come to see if you had any news, though I see you're torn between the two still."

Niflhel was staring at the cat, "How. . . but why? I thought you left with her when she had to go to one of her diplomatic meetings."

Snowball laughed, "Well considering how much she cares for you; and well I've grown quite fond of you myself. You could say I might as well be invested."

The cat stretched. "Besides you need some help around here. Your security is sorely lacking and we need to beef that up just in case."

The code glowed in the corner of the room sitting quietly watching the exchanges from those around.

"Well, if you're so wise what do you suggest?" Niflhel asked as he looked at the code piece, he had started to worry about it being in his office. He'd moved it from it's original resting place in the cemetery because he had felt it was too out in the open. But his office only offered shelter from the elements not from other people.

"I would like to protect my piece better. You know that's why I bought it here."

Snowball grinned, "Well if you'd allow I'll let Sailor Polaris know I'm going to be between you two assisting in tightening the security of this place. Then we'll talk."

He paused, "However, are you going to read that?"

Niflhel was looking at the letter and sighed, "No. No I don't think I will. It'll only distract both of us and we've both already agreed we need to focus on our duties first. If we're meant to be, there'll be a sign." Niflhel replied. His answer sounding faintly unsure but it seemed he was determined to make what they'd agreed upon work.

After all the council wasn't who he wanted to hear from. He knew he shouldn't've expected any better answers though the Saturn council was where everything came from if it involved any goings ons.

Snowball nodded, "Well then I'll teach you what you need to know on how to increase security." The cat stretched, "Do you have a place you would like to put the code piece, or does it have a place it'd like to go?"

Niflhel's brow lofted as the cat spoke, "Um, I guess I need to consult it but I was thinking in the catacombs would be the best place for the code." He was looking towards the piece watching for it to answer.

"If that is where you think I'll be safe. Place me there. For you know I cannot move on my own."

Niflhel nodded, "So can we fix an entrance from here? Something hidden that no one else can find?" He was looking back towards the door behind him, "Maybe we can convert this door into a secret passageway?"

Snowball looked at the door, "Well . . . there are people that have been here who know about that door though. Are you not worried they'll speak about it should something happen?"

Niflhel paused looking towards the cat, "Not if I make them believe I had it walled off for fear of an attack. And then we turn it into a bookshelf. But I feel like the latch needs to be somewhere unexpected."

It would take the pair several weeks working, constructing the bookcase that was a door. Snowball teaching Niflhel how to create hidden mechanisms and sharing how to make mechanical movements.

When the bookcase was done Niflhel sighed, "At least it's a start, lets get you moved." He said to the code piece, feeling awkward as he picked it up and carried it through the new hidden door into the catacombs, "Once we get you a new home, I'll build traps around the area and hope that we can finish so the passageway itself is hidden from the other routes in order to keep you protected."

He paused, "Besides me the cat may be the only other one to know but I don't think we have to worry about him spilling secrets. I won't tell him where I've hidden you either. Just get him to assist me with building the new traps so it won't trigger when I walk through them."

Niflhel was smiling as he talked about the plan, "Surely you won't ever have to worry about being found here again. Mauvian technology should be some of the strongest defenses we have outside of our magic."

The code was bright in the darkness of the catacombs. It lit the way as Niflhel walked the path to it's new resting place.

Far in a dead end corner of the catacombs where no one had been buried yet, well . . . almost no one.

"Father, I hope you're okay sharing this space with the code." Niflhel said softly looking towards the opposite side where he placed the code, "I know how much you liked your privacy and it'll help keep people from bothering you now as well, well expect for me."

The Knight after placing the code was speaking to an urn in the alcove across the way "It's the only way I can grant that wish."

The code glowed brighter the more Niflhel worked to create traps and go over plans on how to keep people out speaking about it with the code laying out his plans on how he thought he might be able to create moving floors and invisible traps with the knowledge he was gaining.

Niflhel always enjoyed watching others past or present and back in the present day he sighed understanding now why the traps wouldn't go off on him and finally opening an eye looking at the code, watching it glow brighter, "Ah I think I'm going to have to work on hiding you better if you continue to glow that brightly."

He looked back over to the cat who'd shifted back to mauvian form and was taking a nap. "And what do you know, he's worn himself out on what he helped me do here." Niflhel said softly looking towards the code, "I'll stop running away."

He nodded softly, "I've got work to do here, we've got work to do here."

A once over of the code piece it seemed to glow stable now compared to how it looked before. "I don't think I will read this." He said softly as he looked at the letter, "It doesn't matter anymore, the future is what counts."

He stood up and moved to scoop up the cat, "I'll be back code." Niflhel said with a nod as he walked back out of the catacombs and to head back to earth for now. He needed a game plan on what the next steps were.