Most of my healing after the battle against Rudjek – and, subsequently, Sardon – did occur within the comforts of my own home in Revaliir, but that does not mean I left the Aestas hospital immediately after regaining consciousness. In fact, there was a time following my confession to Robin that I remained in that place, accompanied by my love until we were ready to make the trip out. One doesn't take a beating like I had and just magically walk away from it in a day or two, after all. Not even deities can do that.

So I stayed, reading books and declarations from the world leaders following the battle to keep my mind busy. Occasionally, I would also admire the large collection of lotus flowers that had been brought into my room while I was sleeping. I thought, at first, that Robin had told the staff that that was my favorite flower, and so well-wishers like Katerina and Naota had simply followed suit. Evidently, that was not the case, as I was later informed.

In reality, the person who had single-handedly delivered all of those flowers had always managed to catch Robin while she was asleep. Even on the day when I finally saw them with my own eyes, Robin was sleeping yet again in the chair next to my bed. She was wrapped snuggly in a blanket, finally removed from her armor now that the battle had ended; and I was resting my head against her arm while still lying down. The both of us were exhausted, and the hospital staff had already given us our privacy while they attended to other, worse cases throughout Aestas: not least of which was a delirious Shiloh on the opposite end of the complex. As such, I wasn't expecting any visitors whatsoever, and yet I got one all the same.

There were visitors from all over in the camp… Not to mention the many people who were injured. The Mother did not have time for all of them but there was one in particular that caught her ear when one of her clerics were running down a list. “There are also two women… One of them has fox ears and a tail… she has pale hair–”

Angela interrupted her for a moment. “I’ll take that one.” There was a smile on her face as it was always rather pleasant to find old conclave members. In all honesty, she didn’t need to know that Natsumi was in the area… Merely it was because she was a patient here. Had it been any other situation perhaps Angela would have stayed away because of their last encounter.

She wore her green and gold robes that she worked in whenever she was on strictly healer business. Her red hair was braided and kept out of the way. As she made her way over to the tent she gave a little knock before entering. For a few moments, her eyes stayed focused on the woman in the bed. Green eyes softened as they moved to the dark haired woman next to her in a chair. “Fret not, I’m a friend I promise,” Angela said as she didn’t want to spook the poor things.

The problem with the pyramid and the god of old was done now but the destruction and problems it had caused were still warring on. She rubbed the back of her neck and thought about the words she could say. “I do believe Natsumi, that we have gotten off on the wrong foot.” She approached the bed cautiously and tapped a flower sitting in the vase. It went from wilted to practically glowing. “It was a bad time for new gods to enter the conclave… let alone someone who could see the sins of the past both here and the other world… Though you would know a lot about other worlds Nameless One.” She gave a ghost of a smirk towards her. “Don’t worry I shall keep Fertility far away. I am different now as much as you are now.”

She waved her hand lightly. “While you were away I absorbed the sphere of life… Rather amazing little gifts that it brings. However, that’s not why I’m here at all. I heard from my head cleric that you were here in the tent… I didn’t ask for the details so I assumed you were the one injured or with someone who was. Though she looks fine.” Angela looked at the woman with a careful glance.

“You’ll have to accept my apology for not being able to stop this mess before it got as bad as it did.” She bowed to the fallen god. “It appears that we are not as powerful as the gods of old… Not that I would be foolish to think of myself as such. I do thank you though for helping stop the madness that was so close to my homeland.” She brought herself back up and gave a smile fit for a mother. “Does anything hurt? Broken? As I said before I do feel bad about how we encountered each other. It was a bad time for all of us. I was not myself.” Her voice was much softer compared to when they first encountered each other.

Ultimately, and much to my surprise and horror, the visitor in question ended up being one of the few deities in Revaliir I had ever disliked on a personal level. Angela had apparently been the flower deliverer, and her arrival in my room at the hospital brought back some negative memories. The two of us had never seen eye to eye even before I regained my identity, and I admit that I had held onto my distaste up till and beyond the war between life and death. My feelings toward her had definitely diminished since the end of that conflict, true, but the sight of the goddess in that Aestas tent still made my muscles tense up out of instinct.

Then again, Angela struck a far more docile tone this time around. I wouldn't say she was shy during the encounter, but she was certainly more respectful and reserved than I remembered her being. Perhaps she was tired, or perhaps she was just trying to make amends. Either way, the change in attitude was a welcome one. It relaxed my anxiety, enough that I was willing to ignore this woman's comment on fertility – even though I, understandably, wrinkled my nose at its mere mention.

Beyond that level of assurance, I let Angela continue with her greeting. I was still resting my head on the arm of a sleeping Robin, who subconsciously started hugging me as the conversation moved on. That combined with the rest of my environment was the perfect storm for me to relax; and only when that storm began did I finally speak up from my comfy hovel.

"Sometimes too much," I began after my host called attention to my knowledge of the outside, "but then seeing other worlds and the horrors within tends to make one appreciate the smaller things in their life." Angela continued on, blaming herself for her role in the revival of Aysut. She commented on Robin's safety, her gratitude for my role in Sularia's defense, and more; gradually chipping away at my pettiness as she went. This woman was different from who I had first encountered in that garden years before, enough so that I finally relented in my opinion of her.

"I don't blame you one bit for this event, Angela," I said in an attempt to prevent further lambasting. "Everyone is responsible for their own actions, Rudjek included. Even assuming that you were solely responsible for bringing him back or just failing to stop his growth, you didn't force him to try and kidnap a family member of mine just to bring back his former master. That fault lies solely with Rudjek himself… and Sardon, as it turns out." Leaning more into Robin's hug at that point, I continued with the revelation I had yet hid from the nurses surrounding me. "Thankfully most people don't know that the old god briefly returned through the body of his high priest before the gem's resurgence. I fear that such knowledge would ignite all kinds of zealotry if it were widely known." I moved my robes slightly after saying this, revealing to Angela the large amount of bandages that had been used to cover the wound next to my heart. Afterward, I continued with my commentary on Sardon, using that clerical nightmare to emphasize my point. "As for Sardon himself, he did a number on me when he did reappear. Unfortunately for him, though, he also succeeded in pissing me off enough to where I risked pulling on some incredibly dangerous magic in the same instant. I shot him straight through his own ruby and out the roof of his precious citadel just when he was confident he had won. The blow was enough to reverse his resurrection too so that others could finish the job, but I broke near every bone in my body delivering it and risked him carving out my heart to use as a trophy." Moving my robe back, I finished. "Still, I'm alive and he's not. I'll persist, as I always have, but I anticipate being tired and restrained to my bed for the next couple weeks at least. I mean I have great healing powers and a personal doctor and all, but my 'everything' hurts at the moment. And that's going to take time to heal."

I left my response at that, waiting to see how Angela would respond to a revelation about an old god returning – albeit briefly. Perhaps she felt it when the Aysut pyramid blew open before the ruby's first renewal, but, even if she did, it was certainly something most people would never realize. As for the healing I knew Angela wished to render, I made no motion to stop her. I often tried not to rush my healing whenever I was injured, so I didn't outright ask my host to speed up the process. Still, my desire to hold Robin in my arms without pain was clearly palpable in that tent without needing to be said. I would not stop Angela from helping if she wanted, nor would I complain.

Angela mulled over Natsumi’s words as she tilted her head. “The worst things in life make us re-evaluate the things we see everyday Natsumi. That is quite normal even if it happened outside of this world. Life’s troubles often transform us into the people we need to be.” Maybe Natsumi wasn’t looking for that advice but it was what Angela felt. She knew about the World Eater and she knew that eventually, Revaliir would have to rise to the challenge and accept its fate or fight for its survival.

The goddess rubbed the back of her neck in appreciation of Natsumi’s words. Her green eyes watched Robin before turning back their attention to the old conclave member. “Sadly what you believe isn’t always what mortals believe. Wars have been fought for much less. Idiocracy runs thick in the blood of man. Just like grudges drive man to do things that we normally wouldn’t do. I can’t say what Rudjek’s thoughts were but I do know that he was so far down the path of evil that there was no other way but to destroy him. Though evil is subjective to most people.”

Her arms crossed as her fingers tapped against her skin. “Yes, well that would be bad for those that wish to bring extreme chaos into the world. Xunatar has made off with the Chaos Ruby but I expect nothing less from him. If he hadn’t have taken it I would have been concerned.” A smirk cracked on her face. Somethings were predictable. Angela approached Natsumi when she showed the goddess her wounds. “Anyone would come out hurt when dealing with an Elder God of the old days. You are lucky you didn’t get more hurt than you did.”

Tilting her head as Natsumi redressed Angela gave a confident smile. “That is something I admire about you Natsumi… Your quest to live and your desire to thrive is something that is much needed in this dark world we live in. Your life is a bright flame to me and I do hope others like you come to fruition in the future. The world would be a better place if that were true.”

Angela held out her hands and placed them on Natsumi’s shoulders. “Consider your wish fulfilled One who I wish to call my friend someday.” Her healing magics sparked through the air and into Natsumi as she administrated enough healing energies so that Natsumi would not be in pain. Aware of the woman’s wishes she did not heal her all the way but enough to make her comfortable. “I do wish I could stay longer, however, I know that my presence often brings you discomfort. I do hope one day that we can sit and drink some tea and just chat but until then I have many other people I need to see.”

Angela turned herself away from Natsumi and made her way to the flap of the tent. While she opened it she stopped and turned her head to the old goddess. “I wish you all the luck in worlds Natsumi. May you find happiness in your Robin.” With that, the goddess left and continued her work inside the outpost territory.