Chapter 12: Remake the Past, Prepare the Future

~Miles' POV~

As much as a certain Cat Prime would have preferred to spend the first few hours of the day drinking some booze to try to numb the itching guilt that was still there to remind him of his recent mistakes, Miles was surprised of himself when he decided to accept the curious offer forwarded by one of the few humans living in this little town on the countryside.

Matt Newcastle was odd human. The good kind of odd to be fair.

His kindness and trust-inspiring attitude, coupled with his well-cared appearance for a simple worker at one of the farms nearby the small settlement, was more than enough to create a certain charisma around the individual; enough to see young man find this person to be worth of some positive considerations and some thoughts.

Especially since Matt hadn't never tried to exploit any of the various circumstances that saw Miles dealing with the human in a state of utter drunkness and mental frailness.

It's been a while since he had someone to talk to, to rant to or… even trust. The little drunk rant he had given while he had 'helped' him reach Minos' house was fairly fragmented in his mind, but he could remember some genuine attention and caution from the human as to not ask anything overly-personal with the questions he would push here and there during the convsation.

The difficult days seeing the Cat dealing with some issues regarding his past were almost forgotten as Miles could say with a fair degree of certainty that his arrival here in Gossamer did truly bring a slow end to the unpleasant worries of being caught by and forced to deal with a direct confrontation with those he had left behind in Prism just some time ago.

Hope was still trying to reach out for him through his phone, leaving a dozen or more unanswered calls and the more he saw her name popping on the device, the more the young man felt convinced that he should consider throwing it as far away as possible to not deal with any sudden answered call.

So when the young Prime first heard of this possible opportunity of getting himself distracted away from the pressing concerns he had even in that quiet morning, the former student couldn't help but gain some interest over the predicament offered by the human as Cat was also surprised but inwardly elated by the possible lack of any work exploitation over the reasons behind this little trip.

It had all started with rather the curious situation considering the usual routine here in this little civilized settlement, Miles had been wandering on the barely-awake town's streets with the intention of reaching the local bar and spend once again his day getting drunk, but ending up finding both the human and Minos along his path to another round of alcohol.

The two were pulling a carriage filled with various kinds of food and other edible farm-related products, stopping momentarily as they had also noticed his proximity to greet him with some happy looks.

The scene was funny as it had been quite clear to notice that it was the Bull Prime that was pulling most of the labor in that particular case, seemingly also quite easily as his expression seemed to show no hints of difficulty with the job at hand.

Miles had to bit down a snort as to not chuckle at the evident difference in force between the two friends, Matt seeming quite blissfully unaware of who was 'really' carrying the carriage in that specific moment and his posture did show that he was giving some efforts himself.

Still, the Cat was confused by the fact that this town had something like a farmer's market considering its modest size, thinking that there would have still something a little more sophisticated to go through the process of selling edible stuff since the mayor was someone with a Nanozell spirit and some knack for technological improvements.

Yet it was still set in an old-fashioned way much to his partially-veiled surprise and… that wasn't even the end of it since there was indeed anything even remotely technological in the process itself.

When he had gone and accepted the offer, the young Prime followed the two men to the large square where the market was set to happen; he had expected Minos to be joining the human in the work itself, maybe as a 'friend-favor' kind of business as for the blond to not pay the Bull while also getting some more help.

Yet once again much to his inner surprise, Matt proved to be someone with a compelling morality compared to many other individuals as he merely spent some time chatting with Minos and Miles without ever asking for them to do anything else in that simple conversation.

It was talking, only talking as he alone went through the hassle of the work at hand.

There was no haggling with the clients from the Primes' part, no pause breaks away from the stand by the human to have either of the two fellows to deal with the situation alone and without much of at choice; there was no trick.

The situation was genuinely a win-win for the Cat, something that gave him the chance to spend some time without thinking of the past while also getting to know more about the town he was supposed to be staying for an indefinite amount of time with the two fellows he ended up meeting on his first day here.

Minos was very limited with his arsenal of topics, mostly because certain subjects were either out of his willingness to push them himself, either because he was still catching up with society (he had mentioned something about having been 'wandering out of civilization for some time' and so was still spending some time to understand every new development in Prime society) and he was also secretive about his past for some reason.

Not something that Miles considered to be bad, everyone had the right to keep silent about their own personal lives; Especially if he himself was one of the blatant examples of this particular case.

Curious yes, but the Cat Prime didn't even try to poke at the limits for the sake of not alienating the only interesting group in town he had the luck of meeting this early on in his new life here in Gossamer.

Most of the locals here were old people or individuals that barely understood much outside of rural education and entertainment, the bar providing some amusing but easy to forget moments about the inhabitants frequenting it but…

That wasn't something that Minos and Matt were. They broke from the mold and stood out like a unique duo in this settlement compared to the rest of the people living here.

The human was the one that truly caught his attention with the vast knowledge about urban life, the young man ending up discovering that the blond had spent some years of his life as a simple city citizen, just a few by the countryside.

More curiosity ended up bringing even more questions to his lips.

His usual trip to the bar was now completely forgotten because Miles started to get bolder and bolder with his inquiries, still minding himself from exceeding over some topics that seemed to be far too 'dangerous' to even point out in a casual manner.

Soon the Cat Prime was granted some more glimpses of Matt's life, some stemming from his years spent as a journalists and a reporter, while others bringing up some interest about the reasons behind the warmth coming from the human and directed at him.

It was surprising at first, then it got quite irritating but…ultimately, he was just confused by the few hints brought up by the answers he had listened to and the lack of chances of getting more without sounding too nosy over the matter.

To think that Matt was someone that broke from the 'easy' way straight to a 'bright' future, someone that had for a motivation still unknown to Miles gone 'ran' away from his past life and became someone else for the sake of… bringing a positive change to his life.

At first, the young Prime had wanted to know more about 'what' had caused the human to take that sharp turn away from a good job position and a comfortable lifestyle, but it was evident by the tension rising at the mentioning of his past that it wouldn't have been a good move from his part.

The Cat was sure that it wasn't arrogance calling for a better opportunity, there was no regret dripping from the human's words about leaving the elevated road to prosperity, actually there was much relief at the mention of his little 'downfall' into becoming a simple farm-worker.

Then it was the turn of… foul connections that made things go south. It wouldn't be difficult to imagine the friendly man having to endure some negative reactions from some of his peers as it was something characteristics in high-tier schools.

Prism Uni had been 'mostly' untouched by this issue, but other older establishments had to suffer through some little corruption; He could still remember Hope mentioning some tough life at High School, the US system having worsened in the last decade and bringing back some of the old-world issues with it.

This theory was debunked by a careful trick of questions, Miles went slow and cautious as he tried to ask about any difficult predicaments with fellow students and the answers only ended up painting him a shade closer to his own problem.

It was evident that this was one of the reasons driving the human to be this kind, but…

Even without much evidence, the Cat Prime could see that it was just part of the overall drive pushing the man to be this interested on his plight.

There wasn't any unnecessary pitying over his own situation, nor he was given some major suggestions over a legitimate attempt to connect via their similar pasts.

Rather, instead of using it to form an immediate connection, Matt was genuinely trying to get to know him before trying for anything like that.

Sure, there interest was born from the parallels, but the human had been mindful to not jump in action with this predicament and not spark any unwanted escalation over this topic.

The kind of Status Quo that Miles was more than happy to keep for the sake of not bringing back up any of the still-sore memories up to the discussion.

Two full hours passed and soon the subjects shifted to a particularly curious bit about the human.

It was all about the lovely waitress working at the local bar, the gorgeous Bunny Prime that he couldn't help but ogle once or twice in a while.

Alcohol did nothing to restrain his little staring, his mind somehow managing to get full 'reminders' of those few glances he would spare at the young woman.

But the way the girl was brought to this specific conversation was far from what he could have expected, nor known from just… nothing.

While Matt didn't seem the kind of guy to engage in any adventurous activity, the human was still capable of endearing women with his charismatic attitude and genuine trustworthiness; that is what happened with Bunny Prime, the girl ending up spending a full day of 'unknown activities' with the blond and ended up appearing quite 'happy' during the recent shifts at the bar.

The man was blushing for even the slight mentioning of the quite-recent topic, but Miles could also see some truthful happiness connected to the matter in question; the human looked incredibly calm over the situation while also embarrassed, but not unsure of his own decisions over the situation itself.

It was a feeble reminder of something else the Cat Prime had himself known for some time in the past, the one thing that had connected him so tightly to Hope and had gotten him fighting for three years of failures without giving too much of a fuss about it.

The girl that had been just his friend didn't certainly shy away from giving up more of her intimacy to show how much she was attached to him and willing to help him with his own stress and discomforts.

Efforts that had also seen him keep thinking of a possible future with the singer… if she hadn't been so clear in saying from the very beginning that she was only romantically interested in the little runt that was Shin.

To be fair, the little genius didn't have any fault about the infatuation Hope had towards him, he just had the qualities that best enticed the rising pop star into crushing on and maybe even falling in love with him.

Maybe it was also the fact the two were childhood friends considering how close their respective families were and… it was also annoying how the dense boy wouldn't notice any of the signs displayed by Hope towards him.

But while Miles would continue to listened to her constant reminder of this simple but also unusual predicament… he couldn't help but also consider numerous oddities happening along their relationship that would easily contradict those simple words.

He could still remember when he had impulsively tried to investigate over Tobias' sudden attachment to their newest teacher and how Hope had suggested going in a 'fake date' to stalk the two around at one of the amusement parks in Prism, his acceptance ignoring the little amusement and elation rising from within the happy-looking girl.

His focus had been mostly directed at the main targets, yet the Cat Prime did easily notice how annoyed the young woman started to get as they continued with an active pursuit of the two hidden lovers rather than relaxing around the various games or activities allowed by the stands there.

In the end he had played by one of the stands, gifting her a little lion plush that she affectionately named 'Lionheart'.

'A Lionheart for a sweetheart.' How much of a cheesy line it had been but… it did get a giggle out of her back then.

There was also to consider that lovely finale that saw some fireworks and… 'fireworks' for the two of them to enjoy alone and with gusto.

If that had been just a fake date, then Miles was entirely compelled to see what kind of 'real date' Hope would have given to him if…

Things had gone differently.

Some of his failures were beyond his reach but the Cat Prime would be lying if he tried to tell himself that it wasn't his fault in certain cases.

It was all about intent, willpower and… sensible thinking.

Three requirements that sadly were ignored, burned and left to rot in the last three years as his mind had been foolishly railroaded towards a determined kind of success that he forgot that life was more than succeeding at school life.

Maybe-

Maybe that was what that night with Tiggs should have dignified instead of a full cessation of his current path, maybe he could have tried to focus less at school, considering the lack of a chance of truly succeeding, and been there for his friends.

But the time of 'maybes' was over, long forgotten and left to him to merely contemplate than deal with it with how he felt right now.

He didn't have the means, both from within his body and on a more materialistic way to do something about the situation.

…

Miles blinked, golden eyes returning to reality quick enough to notice that both dudes were now staring at him with a worried lock… for good reasons too.

Head leaned forward and shoulders slouching down, he looked the most pitiful sight possible in that square and… he blinked.

“I was thinking," The Cat replied almost too suddenly, his mind almost groaning at the dumb excuse. “About something personal."

'As if that would actually work, you moron!' His brain was swift to criticize and Minos looked fairly confused over this reaction… while Matt merely nodded at him.

“If it's personal, I don't see why we should ask," The human mused quietly before pausing a moment to nod. “Of course, whatever you weren't thinking isn't anything bad for you or someone else-"

“N-No." 'Yes, Hope isn't certainly happy for your departure.'

Miles almost flinched at the inner sass, his mind just sparing no hesitation at throwing guilty memories left and right.

So, instead of letting the conversation die here and let this hesitation take over, the young Prime pushed forward while praying for the best outcome.

“I-I may have a little personal question, actually," His throat tightened, suddenly feeling sore and aching, yet far from truly getting him freezing now of all times. “It's… about a friend of mine."

They didn't speak at this, letting Miles have the chance of properly explain the situation.

Starting with a sigh.

“I've… left Prism in a hurried way and I ended up cutting contacts with those I know that lives there," He paused for a moment, eyes showing resignation at the fact that now there was no 'going back, then he continued. “Friends that are surely angry at my decision of saying nothing and… there is this girl."

Matt nodded while Minos seemed to look surprised for some reason, realization shining in his red eyes.

“She is- no, was my closest friend at Prism Uni and… after what I've done, I don't think she would want to talk to me," He sighed, eyes closing in shame at how he had dealt with his 'escape', how he had ruined so many things all in a single day. “Especially with how things had gone and-"

“Calm down for a second," Matt intervened, noticing some tension rising from the younger man. “And let's get this situation summarized properly."

Miles frowned at the interjection but gave a slow nod at the human

“You left Prism Uni in a hurry, you were so fast with leaving the city that you didn't have the time to say anything to anyone," The blond muttered calmly. “And you couldn't… call them after leaving? Don't you have any time here or-"

“I don't want to- to cause more problems by trying to apologize," He replied softly. “I know that… I did a huge mistake, a massive one but I know that if I try to call them… everything would crash even more."

“Or the opposite," Minos finally said with a sigh. “You are young, Miles. If there is something that many people do when they are young it's mistakes."

“But if you just give up like this, without even trying, you are never going to find out if you end up failing or not with this endeavor," The human continued with a small smile. “It happens that life is a tough thing to face on a daily basis, that days seems to lack any chance of being successful and that the future looks so dark… but that is why friends exist."

...What?

“You are the kind of guy that appreciates people over some formal business, like studying and working," Matt pressed on with a wider smile. “But you care for people. You care enough to feel guilty over what had happened with your actions, the ramifications from what you did."

The Cat blinked and nodded again. “I… I see, but… what I'm supposed to do then?"

“Try," The Bull answered curtly.

The blond nodded. “You need to give it a try, no matter how catastrophic things could turn out to be… you can say that you still tried."

His jaws slightly dropped at the pep-talk, not expecting things to escalate to this degree.

He had expected some nagging for more information, maybe with the excuse of giving him the best advice and… yet the two had been compelled to give support out of little.

They didn't know about the immense idiocy he had pulled, they didn't know how much rightfully guilty he was about the stunt he had pulled and…

Yet they still gave him the benefit of the doubt over the situation.

Miles blinked again, feeling confused and aimless for just a moment, just like he had been… back then.

When his years at Prism began, the first day where things seemed already so horrible but unbearable.

But then he ended up meeting Hope and the others.

He could remember encountering Shin, Vixy, Tiggs, Davin and his girls, Tobias and… then he could remember how much they tried to help in the days prior to his 'betrayal'.

Even annoying people like Angel and Tiare had shown interest in seeing him survive and succeed the conclusion of their years of school.

They wanted him to not be left behind, Davin even trying to bribing the teacher of that last exam and…

The Prime stopped as he felt a hand reaching out for his shoulder, Matt was giving him a patient smile as he patted comfortably at him and…

Miles blinked as his sight became a little blurry, some tears already falling.

How long since he had thought about this in that specific light? How long since he had forgotten of the best of the last three years?

It was a confirmation that he had been indeed a moron about the subject, that his decision had been ill-picked and…

Yet he couldn't back away now. He just couldn't mend the true damage of his own mistakes.

But maybe-

It was a chance, a slight glimmer of hope about bringing peace to the restlessness keeping him awake at night, nagging at him to end this tormented period of insecurity and self-hate.

Maybe, maybe he can really give it a try.

Another hour passed, a mix of light topics to bring the discussion back to a somewhat calming tone as Miles happily decided to join in with his own comments about some funny situations about the two other men.

Conversations weren't as blunt as booze was, but it definitively brought him a sense of clarity that now seemed well-ready to give him a solution to his problems.

He felt sure now, a single chance now left.

After the market had come to close and his two new friends had left for their own activities, the young Prime started to make his way back home through the now-bustling streets of the town, his mind somewhat lightened of some inner burden.

But he wasn't planning to spend that day idle or away from his responsibilities as his finger was softly hovering over the 'call' button of his phone.

His eyes blinked down as his hand brought the device right by his ear, a small smile forming as he mustered every bit of bravery gained from that motivational talk he had been main subject of.

He pressed the button, the call beginning as he waited for her to pick up.

Moments of quiet passed before she replied, her voice appearing so surprised yet also happy.

His smile widened and… he finally spoke to Hope.

And from that very day, Miles Lionheart brought back the vitality that he had so forgotten for so long.

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~Matt's POV~

We had finished at the market pretty earlier than usual as Minos had asked me to back earlier that morning.

With Miles going back to enjoy an alcohol-free day at his home, I was given a certain satisfaction over how he was slowly leaving his shell.

I had to be fairly quick in selling the stuff offered by Las Lindas, the products being sold to a modest pace compared to the usual, something that was only possible by the grand efforts given in the careful attention given to all processes behind the production and the preservation of said products.

And so today I was granted the chance of closing down two hours earlier than usual and I was then led by the Bull back to his home.

As we ventured by the little path that took us out of town, the Prime started to explain why he had requested some hours off from my schedule and why it had to happen by his home of all places instead by mere phone call as it had been until now.

Naerie had contacted him the day before, bringing some good news but also some 'bad' ones about my curious and relatively-complex case.

The good bit was that there was indeed some major clues having been discovered and that someone else (also quite important) would be joining her efforts to bring a final answer to this mystery I was part of once and for all.

The bad news themselves were connected to the fact this new addition to the investigation wasn't someone that Minos felt elated to be around and he looked incredibly confusing when he started to mutter under his breath about 'night-calls'.

I was confused over the general uneasiness sported by the Bull, my own mind trying to wrap up around the sudden shift in his usually-calm attitude but no guess could come close to what could have gotten the man to appear unhappy about this new development.

I decided to not ask him personally, feeling like the predicament itself was bigger than I was thinking it to be and that there was a lingering line of madness preceding this specific topic.

Once we had left the carriage by the massive courtyard by the entrance and we entered his home, I was led inside to his living room and from there the Prime starting to tinker around the TV.

Sitting by the couch, I could see something curious happening on the screen as it flickered alive and started to display what kind of process was going on.

Instead of the usual channels of entertainment, I could see the device connecting to a 'communication array', sporting just some names on the list that I was sure were the contacts Minos had saved within the rubric system available within the system.

Moments passed quietly as the Bull selected the curiously-named 'Important Businesses Only' contact, the monitor soon changing to a brief full-dark look before showing some process of establishing connection with the other side of the 'call'; then it blinked to show two individuals on the other side, also Primes from what I could discern from first sight.

Minos soon reached back to the sofa, taking a quick seat beside me as I studied the two women I could see and their curious resemblance in certain aspects of their appearances.

The one that jumped to the attention first and foremost had a light-brown fur with a small patch of a lighter shade around her left eye, she also had long red-hair.

Now that I looked at it closely, her eyelids were half-closed, enough to hide away her eyes' color.

Soon my sight lowered to her simple blue dress and…

I felt a blush burning as I noticed that, while it wasn't a highly suggestive kind of clothes, the modest-sized opening to her cleavage was still there to 'provoke' a reaction out of anyone looking at her.

The woman's current smile seemed to widen in glee and I found myself quickly looking away, now sure that she had indeed scored a minor victory with me looking right where she wanted anyone to.

Minos seemed to be quick to ignore the situation, possibly used to this curious predicament.

The other female looked more composed, a little too much considering that she seemed to be mostly neutral with her current blank expression.

It wasn't a bored or dull look, but she did seem quite restrained in portraying any kind of emotion unfolding within her mind.

Her fur was a pale-yellow, with a curious birthmark that resembled a four-pointed star on her forehead. She had red-hair like the fellow female Prime, but her eyes were visible and of a light shade of blue that just got me interested for some reason.

I had to will myself to look away from her cerulean orbs, feeling like falling inside a calm ocean just for a moment.

She was wearing less formal clothes, a hoodie that did well in keeping her figure covered and a pair of leggings covering her legs.

I glanced up at her face once again, this time feeling like…

Like I knew who she was, her appearance clicking with someone that I was sure I had 'meet' before.

I blinked calmly, trying to appear composed myself as the girl continued to stare at me with her silent also curious and anxious look.

My mind lost a few moments of silence to think about whom she could be and then I was offered a quick possible guess, one that certainly would match with her.

“Matt-" “Naerie-"

We both stopped at that, my body tensing a little as I realized that we spoke at the same time.

Naerie didn't seem to be fazed by the unexpected situation by how calm she seemed from the look on her face, but I saw her shoulders tensing up too just like mine did.

I blinked again, this time leaning my head a little bit forward before speaking once more.

“I'm sorry-" “I'm sorry-"

Another standoff, more tension from both of us as we ended up talking at the same time.

I heard a muffled snort from the side, Minos looking away for some reason while hiding his face from me.

Meanwhile, the other woman was giggling at the scene, hiding nothing of her elated reaction while also drawing to herself a frown from Naerie at the sudden amusement reaching out of her.

The situation was relatively calm but incredibly awkward considering how it had all started, so instead of waiting for this phenomenon to happen again and bring more embarrassment, I decided to intervene quickly and speak.

“I guess that's a way to start a meeting?"

I could have said something much better than this, but knowing how the previous cases of trying to make something coherent and formal had ended up turning out to be, I merely decided to go ahead with the first thing that was on my mind.

The girl blinked and nodded at my statement. “I suppose so." She replied with a calm tone.

The woman by her side seemed to calm, smiling happily and nodding.

“Truly an amusing beginning, but I don't think this little reunion can just be an entertaining one." She said with with a pleased tone. “But before we truly start this little serious meeting here, I'm Lady Ambar and I've heard much about you, Mattia."

I frowned at the curious title and the true composition of my name, but returned the introduction with a nod. “Nice too meet you, Lady Ambar."

The woman giggled again and returned the nod, glancing at Naerie. “Call me Ambar and before things get needlessly complicated, Naerie here is my lovely daughter, my baby girl." Ambar explained with a grin, ignoring the looks the younger Prime was throwing at her. “So there might be some comments that I might throw either at her or at you, Mattia, that could end up in more than requited teasing~."

...What?

Naerie sighed, shaking her head softly. “Mother, I think it's time to focus on-"

“Yes, yes," The Bear Prime interrupted with a bright smile. “I guess we should skip the informalities for the sake of rushing this boring matter out as quickly at possible so that we can enjoy some amusing conversation a little later."

I was particularly confused by Ambar's bubbly personality, taken back as I tried to get hold over her incredible forwardness and bluntness.

“Matt, I think I should offer you a warning before we begin telling you about the current progress of the investigation," Naerie said with a serious tone, her attention back at me. “We can't give you a full explanation over your situation, the means that gave us some clues were incredibly cryptic over what really happened that night and some of the information we have recovered aren't truly recoverable for some reasons."

I slowly nodded, taking in the fact that there was indeed something big going on.

I mean, being flunk at a completely different universe at a completely different time was… incredibly odd on itself, maybe this should have been a strong clue over the immensity behind the mystery of that night.

“What we can say for sure is… that you're in no way close to experience any harm or danger," Ambar continued with a slightly more serious tone than before. “Your safety has been guaranteed to us, your presence here wasn't warranted by any dark force trying to rule over the world and beyond!"

She ended with a giggle, the boisterous finale to that sentence bringing some dry looks on her.

Well, that was still a good thing… yes? That meant that the cause behind my presence here is not a bad person…

But who could it be and-

How do they even know that I was sent here by a non-evil being?

The only supposition plausible was that either Ambar or Naerie, or both, were aware of the identity of this person and they couldn't divulge it for some specific reasons.

Before I could ask about this curious topic, it was Naerie that jumped in.

“We can say that your presence here isn't born out from casual circumstances," She said with a resolute tone. “Nor is casual the fact that your current belongings are either locked or have been left being before that night,"

“So there is actually a known reason for me being here in Gossamer?" I asked with a confused look, still failing to understand some of the phrasing used by both mother and daughter.

“There is a reason for you to be 'here', yes," Ambar hummed mirthfully. “But the same reason is why we can't tell you what it actually is about."

“What?" I intervened bluntly, I could already feel the beginning of a massive headache rearing its ugly mug at the confusing cryptic tones.

But before I could even say anymore, I was once again bypassed by someone else.

“What mother is trying to say is…" Naerie tried to explain, pausing a moment to sigh as she processed the best wording possible to explain this major point. “Is that we don't truly know why this specific individual brought you here in Neo-Earth."

I blinked at that sentence, my confusion increasing to an unfair degree at the strange difference of words used between Ambar and Naerie.

The older woman smiled suspiciously at her daughter but nodded nonetheless. “As a matter of fact, the truth has been withheld from us as a mean to guarantee your safety."

...What? What is she talking about?

Why would I need to have something to 'guarantee my safety'?

“So this individual, which I can't know the name, is responsible for-" I tried to summarize, only to be interrupted.

“Bringing you to this specific dimension." Minos concluded for me, causing me to look at him in surprise and minor panic.

Red eyes glanced my way just barely but there was no hints of anger in those.

“I understand that this isn't a mere case of 'teleportation' and I know that Matt was pretty much clueless about many thing in town," He stated with a convinced tone. “So I can say that this more than just a simpler phenomenon and I can only guess who it could have been as there is just a handful of people capable of this feat."

Which of course Minos wasn't going to tell because Ambar said that it wasn't a good thing to do. Seriously, why did this circumstance seem bigger than it truly looked like to be?

I glanced down at the floor in that precise moment, remembering asking Minos about some of the topics I had learned from the library, some of the information that I had yet to memorize and understand beyond my previous cultural knowledge of the world.

Neo-Earth was much more… bigger than normal Earth and not just in terms of size.

The Prime Continent was considered as big as the Americas, with numerous cultures that spanned from 'new and exotic' to 'similar but improved' from the ones known from old Earth.

Before this discussion could continue any further, I noticed that the door of the room behind the two women opened just a little, only for a blue-haired head to peek out from it as she started to scan the whole room with a golden-eyed curious look.

Both Ambar and Naerie were distracted and unaware of this new arrival as they were trying to explain more of my situation to serious-looking Minos, my attention being completely directed away from their voices and right to this completely new individual as she seemed fairly unique.

Said intruder sneaked inside the room silently, her eyes keeping contact with mine as she started to slowly approach the two Bear Primes, still hiding away from them by carefully tiptoeing close enough to get a proper sight over the screen in front of them.

She was wearing a simple sleeveless shirt and some shorts, she had no shoes and she looked more like a lizard… or an amphibian kind of Prime with green colored skin and some purple details present of her tail and on her legs.

Tilting her head to the side with a curious but interested hint, she narrowed her eyes inquisitively at me as if trying to get a reaction out of me with her intense staring.

I frowned and continued to keep the staring contest going for some time, still ignoring the words exchanged between the three other Primes for the sake of entertaining this curious and odd occurrence.

Some more time passed, a curious smile appearing on her face and I smirked myself a little at the fact the others had yet to notice her presence, finding the intruder to be fairly adorable because of her current stance.

It was like she was doing her best to appear as a feral predator, ready to go for a deadly pounce, but instead of a brutal demise, I could expect some tactical cuddles from the cute-looking Prime.

But before this could have continued, I felt Minos tensing up without notice, the sudden movement catching the attention of the blue-haired Prime, causing her to direct her focus to the cause of that 'disturbance'.

Her jaws dropped in pure surprise and her eyes shone a bright but lovely light.

She almost jumped towards the monitor, rushing through both Ambar and Naerie but stopping just a few inches away from the screen.

“Minnow~!"

The Bull sighed tiredly and nodded. “Hello Geecku," He replied dully, the girl seemingly uncaring as she started to giggle happily.

Ambar sighed patiently at the girl, while Naerie actually frowned at the scene, the young Bear Prime looking fairly surprised at the presence of this new individual.

“Geecku dear," The older woman finally spoke, looking a little nervous. “I remember that you did promise me that you wouldn't have come here during this reunion-"

“But there is Minnow!" Geecku interrupted loudly and needily with a brief pout plastered on her face. “W-Why would I miss him?"

Then she turned to look at me with a curious and quizzical expression. “And who is you?"

I hesitated at first, my attention span having dropped dramatically since things had escalated to this specific predicament, my brain having some trouble taking in the crescendo.

Seriously, what I should do with her? Maybe be honest?

“I'm… Matt?" I offered with some hesitation, unsure if it would be enough.

Golden eyes widened in sudden realization and then the girl shot another accusing frown at Ambar.

“You said he boring!" She stated with some irritation, then she stared back at me. “You are… interesting."

I was completely dumbfounded by what I was listening to.

Maybe it was her adorable broken English or maybe I was unaware of some context about the situation that would certainly bring more clarity over Geecku's presence here, but I was close to speechless at these interactions, my mind having trouble keeping up at so much happening in so little.

So, instead of keeping quiet and escalate the situation… I just replied with some genuine voice.

I mean, that did sound like a compliment, so why shouldn't I comment about it?

“Thank you?" I said with a skeptical tone, her smirk barely fazed by the confused glint I was now displaying on my face.

“You welcome~." The blue-haired Prime replied with a sing-song voice before giggling, causing my frown to deepen a little more and…

I turned my sight at Minos, the Bull looking fairly surprised at the situation. “Can you tell me more about-"

He nodded, his eyes now directed at the smiling girl. “Geecku is currently a ward to Ambar, someone that she takes care of because of how… destructive and chaotic she can get without a minder."

At this depiction, Ambar sighed. “She isn't that bad," She commented while giving a hug to the seemingly-angry and pouting Prime. “She just loves life in a way freer than many do."

“I angry at you." The younger Prime stated, her voice muffled by having her face pressed on the woman's chest.

But despite the attempt of the blue-haired lizard-like girl to appear annoyed, her tail was wagging like a happy dog's one, quietly enjoying the head-patting the older redhead was giving to her.

Soon the young woman was smiling in the embrace, seemingly forgetting about what had just happened and… leaving the opportunity to Naerie to once again resume the serious talk.

“While we can't offer much more clues over the matter, we can still offer assistance if needed." The young Prime stated calmly. “Tomorrow morning, a small package containing a new phone with our contacts will arrive at the farm you are living by. In case of emergencies, you are meant to use it to call and request help."

I slowly nodded, thinking about the fact I had yet to find a solution about my phone and that this offer sure would help me… for some reason.

The device was still stuck on that password-walled barrier, but it didn't seem to have any battery issues.

I had tried keeping it on for ten hours but the counter never descended beyond the current level and it still is stuck at the same level I had left it several days ago.

“So this is just for emergencies, nothing else-"

“You can use it to speak with others without having any limitations," Ambar hummed as she kept coaxing Geecku into relaxing in her hold. “It's just for the best that if you are calling either me or Naerie that you have a good enough reason, something incredibly important."

“Still, is giving me a phone for free actually convenient?"

“If it's about keeping you safe, then yes," Naerie replied with a curious hint of steel in her tone, the girl looking at her mother. “After all, it's a duty of my mother as the High Prime to protect the inhabitants living in the Newer World."

I blinked, ready to press a little more about the importance of having a full-fledged phone, about keeping the current situation of having to use Minos' but… then I would be the one abusing the Bull's friendship as the device was his to use and not a game for me to have whenever I feel like it.

It was in that precise moment that two words finally ended up reaching my brain.

I tensed a little and looked at both women, first at Naerie and then at Ambar.

I blinked again. “You mean to tell me that Ambar is-"

The Bear Prime smiled and nodded as she continued hugging the now napping Geecku.

“I'm the High Prime, Lady Ambar," She re-introduced herself, smirking mirthfully at my surprised expression. “How does it feel to be talking with a world leader?"

I was stunned by this question, my mind freezing for a few more moments before I hummed in thought.

“I… guess it's pretty-"

Interesting?

Awesome?

Amazing?

Or-

“Normal," I concluded with a frown, Ambar tensing up at the adjective and actually turning to look at me, her eyelids opening a little more to reveal her blue eyes.

For a moment I thought that I had somehow offended her as I certainly was someone that knew how to behave around people of her caliber.

Sure, she had been easygoing until now but I could also see some little more seriousness about the role itself.

Wasn't the High Prime the leader of the Prime society? The regent to the 'Kingdom' until the monarchs could return to sit on the throne?

“Normal?" She parroted, looking impressed by the comment. “This is the first time I've heard this comment in a long time now..."

I blinked as she giggled once again, this time the woman turning at her daughter. “Naerie, I think I will visit Gossamer soon-"

“Absolutely no," Minos stated with a frown, his arm reaching around my neck and settling protectively on my shoulders. “You have 'paperwork' to do."

The High Prime looked surprised once more, but this time she seemed to ease up a little instead of seeking another escalation, merely pouting at the Bull's sudden intervention.

“Well, I guess I will have to delay the visit but… I sure will see how are you doing, Minos," The woman replied with a promise. “I hope you will enjoy today's night-call."

The final bit seemed to be enough to cause the Bull to shiver momentarily, her tone emphasizing some punishment but… I couldn't see any in her words.

Before the discussion truly concluded, Ambar decided to give one last warning before closing the call and if I had to be honest, I wouldn't have expected something this much...

“By the way, Mattia," The woman said with a calm tone. “While my daughter and I are unaware of how to solve your phone's lock, my dear friend did tell me something to keep an eye on."

I blinked. “And… that is?"

Ominous.

“The lock will be undone only when all hopes are gone." The High Prime replied quietly and with a small smile. “So yes, you should be wary that things could potentially go south and I ask you to keep an eye on yourself."

I nodded slowly at this notice, the woman gracing one last smile while Naerie merely waved at me, a gesture I returned at the connection dropped.

With this important meeting gone and done, I couldn't help but feel like this explanation had just ended up giving me a terrible news to persist.

Bad things were still going to happen, either with me getting hurt or…

It would have to be someone else.

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AN

I'm back in another chapter~

And you have been a responsible woman, I'm impressed.

Eh, I remind you that I'm old enough to be-

My great-great-great-grandma?

...I might have walked into that-

You may have.

But I remind you that things are yet to finish and I will get my… revenge?

Hmm, okay.

And don't ignore me like that, trying to appear all cool and hip.

About cool and hip, next time I should really start punctually instead of an hour later.

Such a shame that you get tempted and distracted so easily~.

Shut up...