It was bad timing that Azrael decided to begin his spell, sucking in a deep breath and preparing to blast the dog with blazing fire, inhaling almost all of the spores as he did so. He choke as his head suddenly began to swim and grow hazy and his vision flickered in front of his eyes. Suddenly, it wasn't Deli there anymore. It wasn't some dog that was trying to take his son from him...it was Mother. The huge clump of writhing fungus was in front of him, a disgusting clawed hand reaching out for him while her bed of rot crept towards Forgraves. He could see the others in the corner of his eyes. Pallas and Sergei and Legion and Daughter and Solis and Shoko and Howl and

They were coming for him. They were coming for Forgraves, wet fungus dripping from their body, clumps of white spewing from their mouths as Mother consumed them, eyes hollow and empty. He could feel her creeping into his head again, trying to twist him. He could feel himself falling...falling for her again...

He howled, backing up, shaking his head. "NO," he screeched and, for the first time, there was true terror in his voice. And not for Forgraves because he couldn't even think of the fox right now, all he could think about was Mother, Mother creeping for him, trying to grab him, trying to twist him so that he couldn't think of anything anymore, so that all he knew was her and her order and perfection. He could feel the faux warmth in the back of his mind, spreading its tendrils through his every fiber. The spell he'd been charging stuck in his throat and a horrible burning sensation clawed its way through his chest.

He heaved and fell forward, choking on the flame, scrambling backwards like a wounded animal. "YOU WON'T," he roared. "YOU WON'T HAVE ME AGAIN, MOTHER!! I'M NOT YOURS!!! I'LL BURN YOU, I'LL BURN YOU TO THE GROUND!!"

He didn't notice Deli's retreat because Mother was still coming for him. Mother was still grabbing for him. She had Forgraves already. She already had him and he was running up to him, white fur clotted with her wretched growths. He was saying something but Azrael didn't hear him. All he could see was that fungus blooming over his skin, crawling up his legs and creeping from all of his orifices...

Azrael roared and scrambled to his feet, white hot fire erupting in his chest, bright flame-light glowing from his eyes, mouth, and gem, a threatening display. "DON'T. COME. CLOSER." He snarled with hatred as he backed up. That wasn't Forgraves in front of him. It was one of Mother's puppets now. All that made his son had been scooped out and filled with nothing but her. He needed to get him somewhere, he needed to get him to the Bonebound! Someone that could expel it. Or Astraea or some other Master or or or

He couldn't think. His head was hazy with anger and fear fighting for dominance, desperation to keep his sense of self before she could take over him again.

Azrael stumbled back, eyes locked on Mother, still writhing and pulsing behind Forgraves, the children that he had once been a part of slowly easing their way forward, reaching for him, calling for him, begging him to come back, come back to Mother. Let her take him, let her fill him up again. Give him purpose again, take all of him away and replace it with nothing but her perfection.

He swatted as one of them got too close. "KEEP AWAY FROM ME," he cried. "I WON'T BE YOUR PUPPET ANYMORE!! LEAVE ME ALONE, MOTHER, LEAVE ME ALONE!!" He wanted to blast her, watch her light into flame, the smoke billowing towards the ceiling as she burned but he couldn't because Forgraves was right there. He was in front of him and if Azrael tried to burn the children, he'd be burning him too. He had to do this without flame. But he could feel something wet on his hand and, as he glanced down, he saw it. She'd climbed onto him and was beginning to crawl up his arm.

Eyes widened and he screeched, jumping back and stumbling, falling to the ground, trying desperately to wipe it off of him. "NO!! NO DON'T DO THIS!! I'LL DESTROY YOU!! I'LL BURN YOU TO NOTHING BUT ASHES!!! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU OVER AND OVER TILL YOU'RE NOTHING BUT BLOODY CHUNKS!!" But she wasn't listening, she just kept going farther up and he could do nothing to stop it.

He let out a sob. He couldn't stop her. He was going to fall again. It was all over. He was going to go away and she would hold onto him this time. Will I ever see Forgraves and Banshy again? Pride broken and shattered, he curled up on the ground, two arms coming up to curl around his head, the other pair wrapping around his stomach. Wings rolled around his body, as if he was trying to hold himself together, darkness flooding out around him in an attempt to ease the pain in his heart. He didn't want to become nothing again. He didn't want to be a slave to her will. He wanted to be free.

Azrael stayed curled up for a while, trying to calm himself in the darkness. He didn't want the end of him to be one of fear. He wanted it to be of him in the dark, in control of himself before all that control was taken away. But he couldn't stop the trembling from taking over his body. He couldn't stop himself from shivering in anticipation. He could still feel her crawling up his arm, trying to sink her claws deep into his mind. It was going to happen, any second now.

He waited. And waited. Waited to hear her voice, to feel his body slip from his control. But nothing was coming. She was still wrapped tight around his skin...but then even that sensation faded. The sound of the hive members crying and begging and retching over the fungus in their mouths was gone too. The smell, gone, the ghost of it still lingering in his nose.

Confused, he opened his eyes. The darkness was fading away slowly at this point. Mother wasn't there anymore. He was alone. The dog was gone. Banshy was gone. He was alone with Forgraves, curling up next to him.

His brain was still in fight mode, scathing eyes looking around as her very slowly uncurled himself a bit. "W...what happened," he growled. He stared at Forgraves. The fungus was not longer covering his fur. "How did you break free?"