How Do I Explain THIS One? (Invite Only)

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Crow honestly hadn't been aware that the Eds, the Skylark Team, Raz, and Nazz had returned. She'd been too busy making her speech to sense her arrival. She looked rather annoyed by Nazz in particular, especially as she began to rant off with her own speech. In fact, if Crow knew what Nazz was thinking to herself, Crow probably would have been even more pissed off, particularly since everything Nazz was thinking was going against Crow's own thoughts on the situation.

Kyle lowered his hand from his cheek as the others entered the room. His eyes widened as he saw Marion, and he dropped back behind Felix in an effort to at least shield himself from the view of the little girl. She didn't need to see him like this...

"You can't be serious!" Crow yelled. "You're saying Double D should stay in this home because of Marion?! That's like saying someone should stay in an abusive marriage just because of the children! No, that's exactly what you're saying!"

Crow had absolutely no problem with what Lucy had said earlier, in fact. The only person who was pissing Crow off right now was Nazz. She took a deep breath and looked toward Raz and Marion. "Raz, get Marion out of here for a moment. I don't think she needs to hear what I want to say next."

[nintendonut1]

"Wha...."

For once, angry shouts and cries didn't render the air. Not even from Eddy. He, along with everyone else, was speechless. Really? They had gotten this far? Was Edd and Felix's relationship really what held this household together that now it was breaking in at the seams?

Raz waited for a beat, then shook his head at Crow's request. "No way. Uh-uh." Adamently, he walked past her and approached Edd. "If you're so strongly pushing him out, the least you could do is save your preaching until they at least have a chance to say goodbye. For pete's sake...!"

"Daddy....?" Marion's sweet voice meekly spoke up, her big eyes meeting her emotionally-tortured father's. "Y...you're... going?"

Her face dropped into dread as Edd painfully nodded. "N-no~!" she whimpered, leaping from Raz's arms with surprising strength. Natural panic had Edd rush in to catch her, but not before small gossamer wings carried her through the air and into his arms, and she held him tightly.

"Don't go... don't go...!" she cried. "I don't want you to gooooo~!"

"M-Marion... oh, Marion, shhhh..." Edd's voice trembled just as much as he tried to soothe her. This was not making his leave any easier, not in the least. "Daddy has... I-I have... things that have to be settled. Complicated circumstances... ones that I can only blame myself for... I need time away to sort them out." A difficult pause as he held her closer. "...I know it's not fair to you and I'm so sorry...!"

"D-Daddy... Daddy... Daddy..."

"Be good for everyone... okay? I won't be gone forever... only as long as I need to be."

"Th-then you'll-you'll come back??"

"I promise... I promise."

[mugenginga]

Seven still looked horrified. They couldn't leave a kid here, they couldn't. He remembered vaguely waking up, he remembered the people who had been there for him. He knew he was here now and he wanted to see his teachers, his family again. But he was older, it was complicated the exacts of it but he knew he was and he couldn't imagine having people as close to a kid as his teachers were to him being yanked away. And worse, here. They just couldn't leave her there!

He stepped towards Edd and took a deep swallow. Edd shouldn't stay here, it was bad, but Marion couldn't either. She wasn't evil, she wasn't bad, but if she stayed here... and what would Edd do if that happened? No, they couldn't leave her here!

"D-Double D..." Seven got out, his eyes flicking towards the group in nervousness. They'd object to this, of course. What better to use to manipulate Edd than his daughter? "W-We should... take her with us..."

[Felix Falora]

The proclamation made by Seven did not take them off guard in actuality. Masahiro closed his eyes in thought. It had come to this. Their efforts had fallen apart and they would go down in history as a psychopathic, messed-up group with fools and maniacs at the head. No matter how hard one helped another, it would always be the negative that would be looked at. And Masahiro now felt that everyone here short of Perceval himself could see him as evil, the scum he felt he was. Maybe it wasn't an angel's feelings since he was no longer an angel. Maybe he just always hated himself, hated his weak will and helplessness. He looked at Marion. She didn't deserve to be seperated from her mother, but her mother had betrayed them all. So to seperate her from her father would just be cruelty. He sighed.

"Though I have admitted to disliking Seven, as Lucy and Crow have both called, he makes a valid point. Marion has already lost her mother. To seperate her from her father would be cruelty. And the chaotic breakdown I predict will soon come is no environment, no place for any child. It's not like Marion will be in any danger anyway. She has her father with all his holy powers, Seven and his combat expertise, this Past Felix and what I would assume to be all his old arcane knowledge, and Kyle with his shadow powers."

"They will also have me to defend their dreams," Lucy said. "I cannot stay here. No one can reclaim the emotions they have lost in chaos and turmoil after all."

"Either way..." Masahiro shrugged. "It makes sense from both a logical and moral standpoint. Marion would not be undefended or in major danger for the most part. Anything can happen, but it would only be worse for her to stay here. Meanwhile, Kyle and Edd of course care for Marion and Seven holds the girl in some weird, unknown regard I cannot identify, the same way he holds Edd. And this timid Felix... this shy, meek little angel was Marion's mother once. And though he was corrupted while Marion was an infant, this is the same shy, meek angel that started off as Marion's mother anyway. He may not be Marion's true mother, but that's not to say he can't be like a mother to Marion." He then crossed his arms and nodded. "So I agree. Marion should go with Edd."

"Masahiro, have you forgotten?" Lucy asked. "You are technically Marion's guardian an... ... ... oh."

"I gave that right up the moment I lost my wings, Lucy," Masahiro said. "I never had a true right to defend her... And I definently do not have the right to defend her now. That right lies with the ones that care about her in such a way I enviously wish to find."

Are we all fucked up in some way here? Lucy thought. Masahiro and his self-loathing, King and his uncontrollable temper, Trevor... being Trevor. I don't even have any emotions left in me except for sadness and anger. What's wrong with us all?

"Call me cruel as you wish," King said. "For what I have done, I might deserve it. But I won't deny that Marion deserves to be with her father."

Nazz remained silent. The glares from Crow and Lucy kept her speaking. Lucy then spoke. "And as for you, blondie, it seems your time in Peach Creek has only dulled your intelligence. Maybe you should think before you speak next time, lest you sound like a degenerate swindler again." Nazz did not reply. The words did not sting that harshly for she could ignore them. But she refused to reply. Lucy was still just a child. It would be immoral, in her eyes, to insult a child. And it didn't matter at this point. Whatever Crow wanted to tell her didn't matter. Insults directed at her didn't matter. They will still throwing their friend away, just like Eddy described Felix having done to him. She wanted to scream, but no one made a sound. Not even Trevor, who remained on his hands and knees, looking powerless and hopeless.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Kyle flinched as Masahiro said he could protect Marion with his shadow powers... the same powers that he'd nearly killed everyone with just a few moments ago. He lowered his head, allowing his long hair to fall around his face. Crow ground her teeth together and finally sighed.

"Fine. I give up. Let the girl go with them. We all agree it's best for her to stay with her father, so let her go with him," Crow said. She looked toward Nazz, and decided to save her lecture for after Edd left. Now was not the damn time.

Kyle looked up and toward Double D. "...we're really leaving...?"

[nintendonut1]

Double D was taken aback. He honestly hadn't considered the thought of bringing Marion with him. With all the pros and cons measured, it indeed seemed like the wisest course of action. So why did he not consider it?

Perhaps he felt like he... didn't deserve her?

Either way, Marion nodded eagerly as the prospect, clinging onto Edd tightly. It never mattered to her where she was, as long as she was with someone she trusted. And obviously her father was at the top of that list.

"W...wait... you... really?!" Eddy demanded. "You... you can't be serious...!"

"Eddy, I... we need this," Edd quietly pleaded. "...please..."

"...Okay," Ed then spoke up. His voice was choked up and he tried not to blink to hard to let his tears escape, but he stayed strong. "Then... then... I'll be waiting for you to come back. I wait here in the House of Blue Leaves 'til you come back!"

"Psht! Me too!"

"We'll remain as well," Fletcher agreed. "We stay strong for you, Eddward... and we'll continue to do so, even in your absence."

"I.. everyone..."

[mugenginga]

With the confirmation that Marion was going with the group, Seven had relaxed again. That is to say he was at his usual low tenseness level. He had not even once fully relaxed since he'd been taken into the House of Blue Leaves. He stepped back so that his back was to the wall and hung his head. With the last hiccup gone, he was only waiting for the group to leave. To be rid of this place that he wasn't sure he ever wanted to see again.

He knew now what he would have done had Edd decided not to leave. He would have left himself, by himself, and tried to find a way back to his world. Despite the attempts at some of the less agressive members of the household to convince him time flowed differently, nothing that was said could convince him that time wouldn't flow faster in his home world. For all he knew it had been years. But if Edd was going to leave, even with (the demon) Kyle, he could stand to stick around longer. And so he stood there, ready and anxious to go.

[Felix Falora]

We're leaving, Lucy thought, and we're never coming back. At least I'm never coming back. I don't think I ever want to see these ingrates ever again... well, I forget a couple of you are psychic. I think too harshly, but let's be honest. After what I've just witnessed, I can never think positively of at least a few of you. Such as King, please feel free to let Fletcher know that I will forever think of his lover as deserving of bad karma for what he's done if you must, but he's the prime one for causing all of this... In fact, it may just be me, but all of this could've been avoided if he hadn't have pulled that trigger. But don't tell Trevor that. It'd break his heart. As for Nazz... slap her in the face for me, or make sure Crow does. She needs common sense beaten into her if her vacation in Peach Creek made her think so stupidly.

"I can't believe this day is finally coming," Masahiro said. "But we brought it upon ourselves, I suppose."

No... King brought this upon us, Trevor found himself thinking bitterly. I want to... I should just... Edd's words found themselves echoing in his mind and his thoughts just stopped. Nothing more came from him.

That'll be two less nuisances to deal with. Two monsters we'll never have to deal with. Though I wonder why Edd, Marion, and Kyle have to suffer for them. We should've just killed Seven a long time ago when he killed that poor man. As for this... immortal incarnation of Felix... permanent torture. That'd be fitting punishment, make him suffer Hell. King was still heavily bitter himself.

[Firebreath Fishslap]

Kyle didn't get an answer. Well, not a direct one, anyways. He pressed himself against the wall again and said nothing. They were leaving this place behind, and at that thought, another one occurred to him. He should have just let himself die all those months ago when Pilar had made the death strike.

Crow glared at Masahiro at his words, and then stepped forward to put a hand on Double D's shoulder. She gave a pained smile, but at the same time it was softer than any she'd given while among the group in a long time.

"Make sure you come back safe," Crow said. "It's stupid to tell you to stay away for good, isn't it? What with everyone waiting for you."

Kyle looked up, somewhat shocked. "Crow..."

"I'll stay here and make sure everyone doesn't kill each other in your absence," Crow stated. She turned toward Felix, shook her head, and said, "Don't die. Just... don't die. If you die now, I'll hate you more than I already do."

And with that, she turned away from the five of them and walked out of the room, leaving Kyle (and likely everyone else) wondering just what she'd meant by her words.

[nintendonut1]

Double D listened to Crow's words, only giving her a slight nod in response. What else could he have said? What words could he get out of his choked throat?

This was... really happening. His friends had a considerably more optamistic outlook, which would have been comforting any other time, but the overall grief was too great. It shouldn't have gone this far. He should have been able to prevent this. But he didn't. And he and his fellow outcasts were paying for it.

No more words were exchanged. Only various glances or remorse, internal agony, and only some hope. With Marion clinging to him tightly like a tree frog, the Angel of Light slowly turned away, directing young Felix and Kyle with one arm and beckoning Seven to follow with the other. He knew Lucy's intent on leaving as well, but he couldn't ask her to join them; she was leaving on her own accord. She deserved to live her own life experiences, not waste any more time with outcasts.

As he passed through the front door last, behind the others, Eddward paused, but didn't look back. He knew it would be his undoing. Slowly, he closed the door behind him, peering up into the night sky with eyes clouded in tears.