"So Kashy is yet to move Contra from the cells below," Lack said softly, his strength still low. Chibi walked up the bed until she stood in his lap. "How long are you staying a cat?"
"Until my Spiritual Power is back up again," she mewed in reply. "Unlike you getting physically tired, I lose strength when I supply you with my own power. So I'm a cat until further notice."
"That doesn't help," Lack replied knowing his own situation didn't help things either. "According to Seyria, Contra will break through the inner cell in less than six hours. That doesn't give us much time to recover." Chibi leapt off him, curled up at his side and closed her eyes. "I need to know our capabilities incase Kashy isn't able to move him before the six hours is up."
"Face it Lack," Phenomenon said with a sigh. "We're going to need help from the other guilds on this." He laid back and looked at the ceiling. "Our guild is too physically and magically tired from the combined battle of Hel and Contra. It will take a while for everyone to recover." He raised his right hand up to look at the scars that snaked down his arm like flames. "For most it will take over six hours to recover fully."
"Within the six hour time frame," Tadakono added touching his Fight Club tattoo that had a newly healed scar running through the middle of it. "You'll only have us, brighteyes, illusions, and Minna. You'll be just over half strength, by my guess, and Chibi will be no where near half." He glanced at Chibi for confirmation on that piece of information. Noticing she was asleep, he continued. "That's not nearly enough guild strength to keep Contra at bay if he breaks through."
"What about the outer cell?" Syaoran asked coming out of deep thought. "He'd have to break through that to get into the guild. So shouldn't we have more than six hours?"
"The combined cells gave us a maximum of 24 hours tops," Lack explained absently patting Chibi. "The time he fell through to the time Seyria came and told me, almost 18 hours had passed. To be precise, the moment Seyria told me, Contra had already broken through to the outer cell."
The three looked at Lack in shock at this news. "There's no way to re-contain him?" Syaoran asked shaking slightly. Lack shook his head. "Etami can't do anything?"
"She can't because the resources to morph the building more aren't here," Lack replied with a sigh. "It's going to take a long time to gather the resources to allow her to morph the building again. She used the emergency supply when she did it the first time. So unless Chibi can become human again before the six hours is up, we have to think of another plan."
"Why Chibi?" Phenomenon asked quietly. "She's Alchemist-class not Blacksmith-class. How could she be able to help in terms of raw material?"
"Because of the secret to turn stone into gold," athan said stepping into the room. Giving a small wave, he added. "Kashy released me from guarding the Yggdrasil gate on the condition that I stay ethereal. I guess it's like I'm on bail for good behavior." Noticing Phenomenon's confused expression, he continued. "Lack is willing to bear Kashy's wrath, since Chibi herself already is bound and anything more could take her away from here completely, so that Chibi can create the gold needed to buy an large amount of raw materials that can allow Etami to morph the building as many times as needed." He looked at Lack with a frown. "The guild funds aren't high this month I suppose."
"They're incredibly low," Lack replied resting his head on one hand. "From rebuilding the guild, to the money lost while my copy was here, to the usual renewing and repairing of training materials, there just isn't enough to continuously buy materials for Etami to morph the building."
"Something that just occurred to me," Tadakono leaned back so he could see everyone. "Contra was with Loki. We defeated Loki. Now, he was with Hel. We defeat Hel… But he's still here."
"He's like a cockroach, isn't he." Chibi's voice floated from what how looked like a black ball at Lack's side. "Cockroaches always find a way to survive." Lack petted her gently. She shivered under his touch. "Aside from Loki and Hel, I don't think any more of Loki's family will attack us. Nidhoggr isn't the type to leave his post at Yggdrasil. There is a possibility that Fenrir might act on his own accord but like a big dog, he won't do much without his father's support. "
"Unlike a cockroach though," Syaoran replied drily. "He can easily squash all of us without breaking a sweat." For a brief second, he though he saw both Chibi and Lack stiffen at his words. Taking that possibly imagined hint, he added "It's true isn't it?"
Lack didn't answer. Phenomenon got up and gave him a little shake. Tadakono, realising what was happening, got up and eased Lack back down into lying position. "He's probably still really tired and shut down again like he did earlier. L did warn us when we came in that he might."
Syaoran and Phenomenon nodded. The three left Lack's side discussing strategies amongst themselves. A piece of Tadakono's mind stayed on Chibi and Lack. It's not like Chibi to draw him inwards in the middle of a conversation. I hope nothing is seriously wrong.
~~~
Lack sat with Chibi, in human form, leaning against his back. "You drew me in." He said tiredly. "And now you say you can't get me out."
"It wasn't me," Chibi replied, her voice sounding equally tired. "I was drawn here the same as you. The only other person who can do that to us aside from ourselves is Eir. But she hasn't appeared since we got here, so I have no idea what is going on."
"So there's no way this can be a malicious attempt of disabling us by one of Loki's family?" Lack was ready to believe anything in his tired state.
"Unless Eir sold her power," Chibi replied. Everything in her senses pointed towards something in the distance. "I think we have to go to her. She's somewhere in your consciousness." She got up and turned to help Lack up. "Why she is there and how she got there I have no idea."
~~~
"He's been asleep for an awfully long time," Phenomenon said with a sigh to Syaoran. His eyes darted from Lack to L and Tadakono not far off. "Tada's been acting strange too."
"You think so too," Syaoran confirmed quietly. "I have a feeling Tada knows more about this situation than we do." They nodded to each other and crept slowly up towards Tadakono and L.
"Eir says not to worry but it honestly looks like he's a living dead!" Tadakono cried, his hands clutching his cape tightly. "Even though I know about their link, it's still not helping anyone else if Lack looks like he's going to die on us."
"And you being afraid that he is actually on the verge of death isn't your true concern," L's voice curled around Tadakono like a serpent. "Honestly, if Eir says he's alright then he's alright. If you have to stress over anyone dying, then stress over Chibi. Goodness knows she's going to be a cat for a long while."
"Chibi knows how to survive as a cat," Tadakono's voice was dry. "However the guild doesn't know how to survive as a whole without Lack."
L placed his hands on Tadakono's shoulders. "You have nothing to worry about then. It wasn't Chibi who drew them into their link. It was Eir. So unless she's turned evil, which isn't possible without everyone under her care becoming evil also, she won't keep them for long."
Standing up and stepping out from the nearby bed, Phenomenon and Syaoran took a hold of each of Tadakono's arms. "You're going to need to explain everything." Phenomenon's voice was dark and cold. "We just heard some very interesting news."
~~~
"How far are we going Chibi?" Lack asked. He now blindly followed her with her hand in his as a guide. "I'm starting to sense Eir as well, but I don't see her."
"Just there," He looked up to where she was pointing. A bright doorway shone in the distance. "Just through there." She smiled and pulled him along. "Don't ask where it goes. I just know it leads to Eir."
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