-Cosmo-

The lore keeper was sweeping the courtyard. She used an Imbue spell to give the broom properties of wind. Thus greatly improving it’s reach and power. This allowed her to sweep giant sections with only a few strokes.

It was a neat trick, but someone as powerful as her could easily drain the aspects out of the petals and reduce them to nothing.

The truth was she found the activity somewhat relaxing and fun. After all, the next batch of new mages wouldn’t be delivered for at least another month. This left the lore keeper with little to do.

Moving my entry point I opened a portal behind her. Passing through, I gave the lore keeper a hug. As soon as my arms wrapped around the green haired mage, I felt a sudden increase in heat. So much so that it felt like my skin was pressed against a hot stove.

“aaaah!” I screamed, detaching myself and rolling on the ground. “What the hell lady that burns!” I glared at her, only to notice her body was covered in a glowing red flame. It was a magical aura.

Sure, It was nice to have, but was in no way as flexible, or as focused as the aura of a cultivator. The only thing that made it useful was the fact that it was easier to create and maintain.

“Lady Cosmo. How many times have I told you not to sneak up on me like that! Just because you are a young goddess doesn’t mean you get to be immature! And what’s this I’m hearing about you selling disgusting videos and photos of yourself on the Ethernet! You should be ashamed young lady! Honestly, what would lady Amaterasu say if she were here?!” Scolded the lore keeper.

“How did you find out about that!” I panicked.

She pulled out her ether phone and showed me a bunch of my photos. “Master Brutus sent these to me. He has a bunch more just like them. Shame on you child! Shame!”

My cheeks went red as I covered my face. “That dirty ape! I’ll kill him, and reincarnate him as a toilet!” I rose up from the ground ready to murder that fucking brut.

“Calm yourself. He has done nothing wrong. You are the one changing the legend of your name. Do you really want to be known as the goddess of cheap porn?” Said the lore keeper.

“Don’t say it like that! It’s a very respectable job nowadays. You need to get with the times grandma!” I fought back for some breathing room, but she kept coming.

“How many credits have you made?” there was no anger in her voice. In fact she sounded pretty genuine.

Too bad I really didn’t want to answer that question. “Well, you see… there’s a lot that goes into these things, like advertising. You have to post samples on social media and things… also you need to take account for inflation and… global warming?”

“What!? What does global warming have to do with anything? You know that’s just a scam made by the rich to sell electric cars.” Said the lore keeper.

“Global warming is real! In another ten years the sea level will rise and take half of all land masses on every world!” I yelled.

“They’ve been saying that crap for over 10,000 years. Also the same rich assholes that preach it are the same ones buying beach front property.” She said.

“Well then, agree to disagree.” I responded. There was no changing her out dated views.

The lore keeper sighed. “Why are you here? Don’t you have multiple worlds to look after?” She said.

“I got a short window of free time. Now Where is my baby Isaac?” I asked.

“Brutus carried him off into the forest. I’m a little worried though. Yukio went out there and came back very upset.” Said the lore keeper.

I felt my blood run cold before asking, “You let that monster drag my baby into the forest without supervision!?”

The lore keeper shrugged her shoulders. That’s when the conversation stopped as I heard laughter coming from the entrance.

“Higher!” I heard Aku’s voice, and soon saw the little guy simulate flight somehow, as his little pudgy baby body rose up from an unforeseen place. I felt a pang of worry, so I rushed over.

Isaac fell back down to the ground and as I approached I finally realized what was going on. It looked like the giant gorilla was tossing my baby up in the air and catching him.

“Hey, stop that! It’s super dangerous!” I yelled.

This caused the brut to stop and look my way. “What, were just playing. Ain’t that right kid?”

Isaac crawled up from the gorillas arms and onto his shoulders. He then wrapped his legs around the brutes neck while putting the top of his head into a headlock. Brutus played along putting his hands on Isaac’s legs — as if he were actually chocking — and allowing the little gremlin to tilt his head slightly to the side. “I wanna ride up here for a bit.” Said Isaac.

“What is this? Are you two getting along?” I asked in shock. While Brutus was the best choice for Isaac’s teacher, I was also hoping Isaac would come running into my arms after spending so much time with the brut. The whole thing went in a completely different direction and now for impossible reasons, Isaac was super attached to Brutus.

“Mr. Brutus is a lot of fun and he has a cool beard too!” Said Isaac.

I hadn’t seen Isaac in a few days. This world was protected from those types of things, so the only way to get a look at the situation was to show up in person.

Seeing how happy he was made me smile and feel all warm inside. “Why don’t you come over here for a bit?” I opened my arms waiting for him to jump into them, but it never came.

“I’m good.” He responded. It was so disappointing that my heart nearly broke in two.

“Come on, I came all this way to play with you.” I begged.

He shook his head hurting me even more. This was so unfair! Why was the brut so much more preferable than me! I'm soft! I’m cuddly! I can be fun!

That's when Brutus reached over and plucked the child off his back. Isaac seemed to see it as a game playfully shrieking. “I like you kid, but I'm tired of babysitting you. Go with the lady for a while so I can relax.” To Isaac’s disappointment he was handed over to me.

I was still a little hurt, but holding my baby mended my heart nearly instantaneously. “Hi there! How are you?” I bounced little Isaac but he wasn't all that enthusiastic about it.

“Put me down, I’m married!” He cried out. It wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but it wouldn't be Isaac if he wasn't loyal to Alice. I just continued to co and baby him for a bit. Seeing him embarrassed and squirming was satisfying in a different way.

Later

We were all seated in one of the vacant rooms. Brutus was sitting on the floor leaning against a wall. While I sat on a pillow beside a small table, with little Isaac on my lap. He kept trying to get away, but I wouldn’t let him. I was only gonna be here for a few hours and I wanted to make the most of it.

“That kimono looks so cute on you!” I gushed.

“it’s nice.” Responded Isaac.

“Well I’m glad you like it. I got you some other clothes with the same enchantments.” I generated a small portal connecting to my personal pocket dimension. Then reached in and pulled out a new outfit. This time I went a little more casual. It was a simple pink top and Blue skirt. I even got Isaac some socks and a pair of shoes.

He looked them over. “These are nice too, but can I get some pants?” He said.

“Of course not. Your way to cute to have your potential wasted like that.” I said before tickling him. He let out some giggles as I played with him.

This was just what I needed after so many countless hours of work. I could feel the stress melt away with every little giggle. “Stop it! I'll pee on you!” He threatened.

“Oh, do you need to use the little girls room? You should have said so.” I teased. Isaac always liked to cut it close.

“I need to use the little man's room, yes!” He corrected. That little correction caused me to laugh. It seemed to make Isaac even more upset so I cut it short in an attempt to spare his feelings.

“Okay, but make sure you come back here. I want to see your progress.” I let him go, releasing him into the world. He was about to run off, when I handed him the new clothes.

“Make sure to change into them. That kimono is a bit worn.” Isaac was doing the pee, pee dance as he vigorously nodded and took the clothes. He quickly scampered off running passed the lore keeper as she brought in a tray of tea.

“My goodness! Slow down child before you fall!“ Said the lore keeper.

I could already see Isaac falling over and peeing all over the floor. It just seemed like the most Isaac thing to do. I’m sure he'll be fine. I looked to Brutus who seemed to be heavily nursing his flask.

“How did it go?” I asked.

The lore keeper put the tray down on the table, before taking a seat across from me. She poured some tea into what I assumed was my cup. I then added some sugar cubes to it. Along with honey and a little bit of milk.

“Was it really that bad?” I asked when I realized the big oath wasn't talking.

He shook his head. “The opposite actually. That kid soaked up cultivation like a sponge. All he needs is a little more refinement.”

I was surprised to hear how well it had gone. Today was day four. Though it was already getting dark.

The lore keeper raised her eyebrow. “That’s pretty impressive. It’s not like it hasn’t been done before, but the percentage of disciples that manage to do it are pretty low. Then again Isaac does have a time limit, so he may have felt pressured into rushing it.”

“Hey Brutus, what were the results? Do you think Isaac can do it? Can he really kill that demon?” I asked.

“Hell if I know. The kid is very resourceful and flexible when it comes to problems. If not he can at least keep a bunch more people from assimilating.” Said Brutus.

“I see, so what’s the plan for him going forward. Will you be helping him refine his techniques?” I asked.

“I don't think so. Best thing to do is hand him off to the lore keeper.” He responded.

Both the lore keeper and I stopped to look at him. “What can she teach him?” I asked.

The guy took another sip before answering. “Magic of course. The kids been staying up late casting spells in the middle of the night. So far he’s only used fireball, but he can cast it within a minute. Sometimes it’s a perfect cast. Other times a puff of smoke. The formation takes a few seconds. The gathering of aspects is where he struggles.” Said the brut.

I almost couldn’t believe him. How could a lower spirit rank with only one gate open cast spells. It was so impractical yet Isaac somehow managed to train the skill up to where he can successfully cast magic within a minute.

That was unheard of. Then again, I’ve never heard of a cultivation disciple trying to train up their casting skills. Isaac seemed to already know the runes, so he not only had a starting point. He also had a head start. Maybe I should let more cultivation disciples learn magic.

I'm sure the water cultivators would benefit off of a simple fire spell when out in the wild. Fire cultivators could also benefit from having access to fresh water. Any other cultivator with rare affinities would benefit from both types of magic. Even a simple light spell would be handy.

“Are you serious?” Asked the lore keeper.

“Deadly. The kids got some casting talent. If only he'd become a mage instead. Whatever you do, don't tell him. The last thing we need is for it to go to his head.” Said Brutus.

The lore keeper seemed to mull it over. “I wouldn’t say talent. More like willpower. Anyone with the willpower to keep practicing and stay focused can learn anything at an accelerated rate. Though… I do believe you are right at not telling him how well he is doing. Putting those ideas in his head will only distract him.”

“Nonsense, my baby is a genius.” I said.

“Your wrong. I’ve seen his kind before. They learn slowly but with their focus and determination they can grow rapidly within a few days. Talent can only get you so far. Hard work will always surpass talent.” Said the lore keeper.

-Aku/Isaac-

I ran into the nearest bathroom. It looked strange. There was some kind of white thing that looked similar to what toilets were made of, but different. It almost looked like a Japanese toilet, but not quite the same. You definitely needed to squat to use it.

I couldn’t hold it anymore so I did my business. Even though it burned, I also felt great relief. For a moment there I was sure I wouldn’t make it. Especially since I had no idea where the restroom was.

It was time to get dressed. I started by stripping down to an embarrassing blue pair of underwear with little white dolphins all over it. Then put the clothes on one article at a time. It felt nice to wear modern clothes. The shoes especially felt really good. Walking around in wooden sandals was starting to get annoying.

I tried hopping up and down to get a feel for my new footwear. Then got excited when I saw the side of them light up. “Wow! I haven't worn light up sneakers in years!” The footwear felt so good. So solid and grippy.

That’s when the door opened. Zubu finally showed her face. “Zubu! Hey!” I said excitedly. I must have looked really silly jumping in place with light up sneakers.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

She quickly closed the door. That made me kind of sad. Was she still mad at me? I needed to apologize.

I tried to go after her, but as soon as I opened the door she was nowhere to be seen. I felt like crying again, but held my tears back. Now wasn’t the time. Cosmo was here to visit. While she annoyed me to no end, I couldn't say I actually hated her.

The Aku in me would say… She was really good at tickling. Unlike Shadow, she didn’t dig into my ribs. While it was fun it was also a little scary because I was never ready for it. It was a surprise every time.

The Isaac in me though… he's… I'm a little more cautious. She did kidnap a bunch of us and forced us into a crap situation. Maybe once I kill squirmy I can at least get her to send The Raiders home. The issue was I had no leverage in this situation.

This was too much to think about. It didn't help that I was tired. When did I sleep last? I think I took a nap not that long ago. Can’t let the tiredness take over. I need to keep pushing. One problem at a time.

Cycling some Qi I created a one layer aura. Not enough to be noticed, but just enough to stuff a few apathy aspects in. I was immediately met with relief as my problems became less urgent.

I still felt a need to fix them, but it was no longer overwhelming. I wish I learned this forever ago. Like when I had all those anxiety attacks.

It could have really come in handy. To bad I couldn't use it while sleeping. Seeing as I had to concentrate in order to keep the Qi flowing.

I ran back to that room. As soon as I entered I heard Cosmo gush over me. She rushed to my side and got a closer look. “Wow, I knew it’d look good on you.” She started straightening my clothes as if I’d dressed myself wrong.

“Its fine.” I complained as I tried to push her hands away. It’s not like I had the skirt on my head or something.

“How about I fix up your hair. I still think you look precious in pigtails.” She said.

I shook my head. “No, it’s fine.” I whined.

“At least let me brush your hair.” She ran her finger through my dark chocolate strands. “Yeah let me…” she waved her hand as I felt a familiar chill come over my body. There was no mistaking that blue light. She just used cleanse on me. “I'm fixing your hair.” She produced a brush out of nowhere.

She wasn’t going to stop so I let her. I sat myself in front of her with my back facing her. She ran the brush through my hair getting rid of all the knots. I couldn’t help but notice my butt was no longer itchy or sore.

Maybe I did have a bacterial infection. Cleanse usually fixes that sort of stuff. I felt pretty good all of a sudden and even gained a rush of energy. Like feeling good after overcoming a cold.

I didn’t dislike having my hair brushed, but it was still pretty strange having a literal god do it. Through the whole ordeal she hummed a happy tune. It sounded familiar and that’s when I realized it was the opening theme to TEO. I hadn’t heard it in a while so I started humming the same tune. This seemed to delight the goddess.

“Alright, that should do it.” She announced. I was about to go sit on my own pillow when to my disappointment she pulled me back on her lap.

I only needed to endure this for the rest of the day. Then she’d leave and I’d be completely free for… I don’t know, a few days. Till I need to go fist Squirmy in the butt.

To my dismay she continued to gush and make baby noises. It was really getting on my nerves now. Even Aku was getting tired of it. Once our minds synced up the decision was made.

We waited for an opening, and as soon as we found one, we took it by biting her. She screamed as expected, but that’s not what I cared about. It was the sweet release of her grip I was most looking forward to. To be honest hearing her in pain brought me a little joy.

I quickly dashed away from her. Running on all fours and zigzagging around the room. I then laid myself down next to the tree lady forming the best Aku loaf I could.

The lore keeper stroked my hair. It felt pretty good. That’s when Cosmo realized what had happened. “What the ᚼᛁᛚᛚ! Why can’t you be affectionate with me!?” She whined.

Was that filter back again?

Mr. Brutus chimed in with, “Isaac’s like a cat. Give him to much attention and he’ll bite and ignore you.”

I sat up. “Hey! I’m not like that at all!” I complained. This seemed to get everyone to laugh at me, only embarrassing me more.

“Okay, enough of that. Let’s get to the reason I came here. Sweetie do you think you can show me that aura of yours?” Said the crazy goddess.

I sighed and stood up. “kay<3” I happily replied. I would love nothing more than to change the subject.

I refuse to be thought of as a cat. That would make Shadow’s mothering more… strange. Like she had actually given birth to me or something. I shook my head at the thought.

“Isaac baby? Are you in there?” Asked Cosmo, trying to snap me out of my imaginary prison.

“Sorry, I’m on it!” I said. More Qi began to cycle through me creating a star pattern within my meridians. I could feel that same fuzzy cloud again, as I formed layer after layer until I had 43 of them stacked on top of one another. I actually managed to form a level 1 aura before, while fighting with Mr. Brutus, but that took time.

“Good job!” Cheered the goddess.

I felt a wave of joy rush through me from being praised. This caused me to giggle and sway. My reaction only seemed to make Cosmo even more giddy. She rose to her feet causing my body to naturally tense up.

“Don’t freak out. I’m only going to check your aura.” She said.

I began to feel silly, so I dropped my guard. She slowly approached and put her hands on my shoulders. Her delicate fingers sunk through my aura as if sinking into a puddle of water.

This wasn't something normal. When ever Mr. Brutus pierced my aura it always shattered no matter how gentle he was.

Uh… what’s going on?

All of a sudden the atmosphere in the room changed. Reality was… shifting. The lighting seemed to have more of an eerie feel to it. Was I having another anxiety attack? This was different somehow. I tried to figure it out, but couldn’t put my finger on it.

Cosmo’s demeanor had become more serious. She squeezed my arms and ran her hands over my entire aura. It felt odd. Like I was under a microscope. Even Mr. Brutus felt off. Like he was also feeling the same… whatever vibe I was getting. the lore keeper didn't really react. She simply continued to take small sips from her tea cup.

Somehow I found myself missing the clingy gushy goddess from before. This person was more akin to a surgeon than a divine being. It felt like her fingers could easily reach inside my chest and squeeze my heart. What the hell was this?

For whatever reason I had goosebumps running along my entire body. There was something really wrong here! When did my mouth get so dry? Was this… dread? But why, how? Where was the threat!

And then…

“What’s the matter kiddo?” Asked the goddess of only fans.

It was so hard to answer, but I managed anyway. “Am I… real?” The words opened a whole new level of fear as if I’d just gotten the attention of an ancient sea creature, miles under the ocean. For a moment it almost looked like my body had the joints of a doll. That quickly went away when I blinked my eyes.

Cosmo frowned. “Darn… so you saw through me already.” She took a step away pulling her hands out of my aura. I could see a mix of fear and disappointment etched on her face.

For a moment it felt like the world had stopped, as if her word had just confirmed something for me. We are not the same. I shouldn’t have said anything. This was a huge mistake.

Paralyzed, I could no longer breathe or move. Then an emotion came through. One I wasn’t expecting in this situation. Loneliness, and frustration. Except it wasn’t coming from me, or my newly adopted daughter. It was from Cosmo.

Seeing this confused me, so I dug a little deeper and saw a frizzy haired girl, pressing wet sand together on a deserted island.

The sand sculptures were reminiscent of people. Mostly just their heads. The girl would talk to them like they were her friends. Then the tide would come in and wash them away.

This left her feeling sad. Like she’d been abandoned again. She started using mud to make more statues and kept them away from the ocean. They got more elaborate as time went on.

The girl would decorate them with rocks, shells, and stringy plants. It was hard to watch as she tried to hug one of her creations only for it to crumble. She started to cry and quickly became angry.

She screamed then began to break all the mud statues to pieces. A day later and she was back to rebuilding them and muttering how sorry she was.

The girl eventually grew into a teen. Then there was another person. It was a really pretty woman. She had a glow to her. Like the morning sun. Warm, welcoming, and most of all nurturing.

She helped the girl off the island and even raised her to adult hood. Then the woman disappeared and the girl was lonely again. That’s when she started to make worlds and real people.

The souls were fragments of her own soul. She pumped them full of quintessence until they ascended into the mortal rank. At that point she befriended them.

But… with time they would realize what they were. There was panic, anger, and especially dread. The girl would then detach herself from them. She’d cut them loose onto the world's she had created.

There they would thrive. Striking their souls together to create offspring. Their bodies designed to create life after the creation of a soul.

They were her friends, until they weren’t. Oh. I guess finding out you were stitched together by her just to fit the role she needed was pretty terrifying. At least that was kind of how I felt.

I started to find other emotions in the room. Pity from the lore keeper and a similar dread within Mr. Brutus. Now that I thought about it. He had been drinking a lot since Cosmo showed up. He hadn’t put his flask away once. I'm pretty sure he hasn’t even cultivated.

I tried to calm down and even managed to take a long breath. I am Isaac Smith yet this woman pulled my soul out of my original body and turned me into… this. Was I… her toy? Her plaything… Her Snowball...

I’m Isaac Smith. I am not a doll.

I wanted to question her. To get angry and tell everyone I was a real person, but I could still feel what she felt and somehow. That changed things.

If I was trapped alone on an island. I’d probably do something similar. Was she alone though? She had friends now, right? What about the pantheon? The lore keeper?

The loneliness in her core told me otherwise. The more I thought about it, the more godhood sounded like a burden. Imagine being the one responsible for building an entire world just so you can make a friend.

No matter how many of us she creates she will never have a real friend, because they'll all run away the moment they become aware. That thought somehow eclipsed my anger causing both Aku and I to feel sorry for her.

“Sorry. I’ve tried to be kind and gentle, but after you’ve dismembered and reassembled one too many people. It leaves a stain. The reason you feel the way you do. Is because I was the one that put you together. Your heart, your soul, your eyes. Every bone, every organ was stitched by me. I know it’s pretty scary for someone to know every inch of your being, but there really isn’t any helping it. Everyone figures it out eventually. I just wish you hadn’t figured it out so soon… I need to leave.” She almost seemed to be in tears.

The goddess stared off somewhere. My feet wouldn’t move, so I molded my caterpillar aura and inched closer to her. Then using my aura like puppet strings I wrapped my arms around her as best I could.

She stared down at me in surprise. “What are you doing? You don't have to be nice. I won't remake you just because you hate me, or run away in fear.” She said.

I thought about infusing apathy aspects into my aura, but that wouldn’t hold as much weight as simply doing it myself.

She wasn’t all that scary. So what if she put me together. I’ve grown a lot since then. She cant take credit for the person I am now. That would be like a parent feeling entitled to their kids money just because they birthed them. My aura vanished. “You looked really sad.” I said.

She made a strange noise before forming actual words. “Aren’t you afraid?” She questioned.

I shook my head “Nope, why would I be afraid of the goddess of only fans?” I sassed.

“What! I told you to forget about that!” She lifted me by my armpits like she was trying to hold up a cat.

I felt my legs swing under me and for whatever reason Aku thought it was a game and started laughing.

“You deserve that.” Said the tree lady.

After that the lore keeper and Mr. Brutus began roasting the goddess left and right. After all that abuse I was surprised she didn't start crying.

The goddess let me play games on her phone. There was this one I really liked where you buy cars and fix them up. Once you sold them you could then take that money and buy more cars.

When I got to a dress up game, Aku pretty much refused to play anything else. It was cute, so I let her have fun. She got lots of adds for other games and ended up downloading most of them. However I had to put my foot down when she started watching the brain rot that was cocomelon.

Eventually the lore keeper decided it was time for dinner and brought out a delicious rabbit stew. It was a pretty big pot. She sat it on top of a towel to protect the table. Then served everyone a bowl.

There was all sorts of vegetables and the broth was super thick and creamy. “Wow! This looks so good! Mr. Brutus why can’t you cook like this?” I said.

The man in question shrugged his shoulders. “Meats all I need. My Qi makes up for the rest.”

“Wait! Are you telling me you’ve only been feeding Isaac meat this whole time!?” Yelled the goddess.

“I killed a bear!” I added before blowing on a spoonful of stew.

“You did what!?” Cosmo sounded a lot like my mom when she found out I almost got hit by a car while playing soccer.

“It’s okay. I just broke a few bones, but I healed up nicely. Though my arm makes a funny sound when I do this.” I said, before extending my arm out and hearing a pop.

Cosmo glared at Mr. Brutus like he’d just peeled chicken nuggets. I felt a little bad because I didn't know that would get him in trouble, so I turned my charm up sliding my stew over to Cosmo. Then scooted over.

She eyed me questioningly. I just smiled. “Feed me!” I demanded.

Her anger quickly vanished. “Oh, of course sweetie!” Gushed the goddess.

She lifted up a spoonful of stew. Then blew on it for me. I watched as it touched my lips and went into my mouth. It was a little embarrassing, but it was the only way to fix my blunder. Also Aku seemed to really enjoy the treatment.

I’d said those things as a joke, but Cosmo didn't find them funny. Now I had to suffer for probably the rest of this… friendship. Since any time we ate together. She was now going to want to feed me. Well at least Mr. Brutus was fine.

“Hey! What about Zubu!” I panicked.

“Who?” Asked Cosmo and the tree lady.

“The kids talking about the brat.” Bruted Mr. Brutus.

“Oh, Yukio is eating in her own room. She’s been studying since she got back.” Said the lore keeper.

“That girl is studying? When did she clean up her act?” Asked Cosmo.

“When she got back from helping Isaac with his training.” Answered the lore keeper.

“What’s she studying?” I asked.

“Most likely she’s looking for a way to develop a new cultivation technique.” Said the lore keeper.

“New? Like one developed by her own two hands?” I asked.

The lore keeper nodded.

“Is she still acting like a follower to Ama?” asked Cosmo.

“Yeah, blasphemy and all. She really dislikes you.” Said the tree lady.

Cosmo sighed. “Yup, that’s why she isn’t here. Too bad I wanted to see that cute tsundere face of hers. Well… more like tsun.” Cosmo and I both laughed but it seemed like it went over everyone else’s heads.

Was it really Cosmos fault she wasn’t here? “Actually, I think she’s staying away because of me.” I said sheepishly.

I felt a head pat as Cosmo rubbed my head. “Kiddo, whatever you did to her is nothing compared to the beef she has with me. Trust me.”

I wanted to tell her the crap I pulled, but dropped it there. Regardless of the amount of beef we all had with her. I still hurt her, and that was unforgivable.

After the meal, Cosmo had me follow her outside. The lore keeper tagged along. I really liked how you could see the stars out here. Though, I couldn’t really recognize any of them. Not that I was into astrology or anything, but I've always been able to point out Polaris whenever I star gazed.

“Okay Isaac.” Cosmo leaned towards me, putting her hands on her knees for support. “Can you cast a fireball for me?”

“Oh, sure. I can do that!” I got excited again ready to show off my skills. I started by gathering the necessary aspects. It took me a minute or two.

With a thought I reached out and formed the circle followed by the runes. Each rune lit up like a fire work and pretty soon a glowing star appeared floating near the center of the magic circle. It was the size of a baseball.

The goddess pressed her lips. “it’s a little small.” She said.

“I could have made it bigger, but I didn’t want to waste a lot of time gathering aspects.“ I replied.

“Your formation is well made. Though the aspects aren't quit right. I think you did a splendid job. For a low rank cultivator with no training in magic.” Said the tree lady.

“Okay, Isaac. Fire it off into the sky. I think it’s time you went to bed.” Said Cosmo.

I wasn’t sure how late it was, but I was really tired. My entire body felt spent and with the stew in my stomach. I felt like I might be able to sleep normally tonight. If I cant fall asleep. Then I’ll just have to power up my apathy aura and keep training. Maybe once I work myself half to death I’ll finally be able to rest.

“kay<3” I answered before firing the spell into the sky. It went about 50 feet before disappointingly turning into a puff of smoke. I almost cried when it didn’t make a boom.

Cosmo then to my dismay, lifted me up again. “Where’s your stuff?” asked the goddess.

“Mr. Brutus hasit.” I let out a yawn.

“I’ll get it.” Said the tree lady, as she walked away.

Mr. Brutus had stuck my backpack in his cube thingy. Snowball was in there too. He didn’t want me to drop her while I was being thrown up into the air. I could see her tumbling all the way back down the stairs.

Eventually I got my stuff back including Snowball who was mad at me for leaving her in Mr. Brutus’s cube. Apparently Mr. Brutus kept dirty socks in there that smelled really bad. I had to apologize on the spot, which made Cosmo laugh at me.

The goddess carried me into an empty room. The tree lady brought me a futon, pillow, and blanket like last time. I was ready for a long rest. Well, as long as Morpheus allowed it.

Cosmo helped me get my PJs on. Commenting on the cute blue underwear I was wearing. I just wanted her to go away.

“Oh, how did this happen?” She asked poking her fingers through the holes in my PJs and into my tummy.

I knew this had been done by the bear, but I didn't want to get Mr. Brutus in trouble so I lied. “I fell.”

She seemed to take it at face value. “Poor baby.” She gave me a quick hug and kissed my forehead. “No! Don't do that!” I cried rubbing my forehead. She apologized.

I crawled into bed soon after that and was hoping the goddess would leave already. Sadly for me she didn't and instead started to pat the blanket right over my chest.

I wanted to be mad but it was kind of soothing. Almost like when my mother would help me get to bed when I was sick. With the delay of rest I’d gone through, It didn't take long for my mind to fall to darkness.

-Cosmo-

“Why do you baby him like that?” Asked the lore keeper.

I was still patting Isaac even though he was already asleep. “Two reasons.” I said.

“And what might those be? Entertainment? Did you lose a bet perhaps?” Asked the lore keeper.

I almost laughed but held back to not wake Isaac. “One, Isaac and Aku are both adorable. And two… his childhood was cut short. I just want to try and fill up some of that hole left behind. He didn't deserve to have his development stomped into the curve like that.”

“Do you really think babying him now will make a difference?” Asked the lore keeper.

“I don't know, but I feel the need to tip the balance of scales.” I responded.

“It doesn’t matter how much you try. That child will grow to hate you regardless.” Said the lore keeper.

I almost snapped at her, but stopped myself for Isaac’s sake. I didn't need him waking up. Not when he had clearly been ignoring sleep. She walked away leaving us alone.

Apathy auras were dangerous, but I didn't blame him for trying to ease his pain. He had a world to save after all.