The Red Moon Always Shines

Chapter 52: How did we get here?

"Death, you're here!" Doc cried, face splitting into a wide grin. Behind him EX muttered to Netty, "For once that's something good." Which got him a tiny snort from the bush baby hybrid.

"I suppose I am!" Death laughed. "How have you all been? And what's happened whilst I've been gone?"

This made Doc, and everyone else too, sober up, "In short? Things went to shit. Thankfully you're the last piece to getting the last thing to fix everything!"

"To summon Conquest for their sword I presume?" Nods followed their statement. "Well I'm afraid it's not that easy."

"What?!" Echoed around the room, though Bdubs' was the loudest out of them, and it was him that continued talking, "What do you mean it's not that easy? We came all this way and we still have to do more? Can't you make an exception or something? You have two of your descendants here after all!"

"I see you found Xuan's portrait." Death hummed, glancing over towards EX and X for a second before turning back to the builder, "And no, my bias towards them, and all of you really, will not help at all. Nor will me and the Void's blood relation effect anything. Con has their ways to do things, things that I and the others can't affect, that you'll have to do."

Bdubs let out a frustrated yell, "Why is that anytime we accomplish something we have to do something else?!" He yelped when he felt a ghost of a hand gently patting the top of his head. "Sorry! I forgot it's not common to use phantom limbs." Death apologized, and they could only guess they had a bashful expression on their face.

"Why did you use a phantom limb?" Asked Solidarity, waving a hand over the top of Bdubs head to see if he could feel the said limb. Said phantom limb. Yeah he didn't feel anything.

"I'm a bit, ah, withering to the touch." Death admitted, face not "meeting" anybody else's (he wears a damn mask, no one knows where they are and where they aren't looking), "So if I were to ever touch someone, only bad things can happen. Well, unless I touch a wither or something like them, I just touch them normally."

"That must suck!" Netty exclaimed, horrified at the prospect of never being able to touch anyone.

The dark horseman nodded solemnly at her, "Yes, it is far from a pleasant thing." They shook their head, as if shaking the depressing aura away. "Well anywho, you all don't mind staying for a tiny bit longer? I have some things you, Xisuma and Xe-" EX shook his head with a glare, silently telling Death not to finish saying his real name. Death gave him a nod and swiftly changed, "-EX especially, need to know before we go on."

The group nodded, all very startled by the seeming almost reveal of EX's name. Death then led them all out of the ballroom, much to Bdubs' disappointment, he needed ideas damnit!, and into a smaller, more casual, lounge room off to the side. In a corner a dark skeletal like horse, it almost even looked like a thestral Doc noted, although this thing arguably looked ten times more dangerous and even more badass. All of what could have been said about how terrifying the creature was? Well that all went out the window when the giant horse started purring like a tame cat when Death walked up to it and started scratching it behind its ears.

Once everyone was situated Death spoke, "Xenagoras Void is innocent." The Hermits of the group stood up, disbelieving words spewing out of them whilst the EVO people watched on in shock. Death let them get it out of their systems before forcing them down into their seats again, "Will you let me explain now? Thank you. As I said he is innocent, and he's more of a victim here than an aggressor. Now why is that? It's real simple, he was being controlled. And after the day of that winter solstice the Uncle you knew had been replaced by the version Fallacy made."