Boiling Gems (The Owl House x Steven Universe)

Summary: The empty heart in a vast mind

Sugar didn't think it was possible, but the human crossed yet another line. A Palisman with Crystal Devil shards … come on, as if they weren't enough of a bad influence on her boy! "Whoa, so pretty." Her boy looked at the abomination with awe as they traveled what the witches called 'the night market'. Bad human! "You really can make art out of anything."

"I try my best. I just hope they turn out alright." The human kissed the hybrid egg and placed it away in her pocket. "Who knows, maybe I can do spells like Hunter can."

"That's a bit of a stretch Luz." The mother spoke up. "Palisman magic is about the long lifetime bond between two people and understanding them on a spiritual level, linking together and letting power flow as you channel it into the circle. The fact he does it at a young age without circles is a math equation that would kill most witches trying to comprehend it."

"Can we not talk about the golden tool today? I still feel dirty working with him fighting the Rainbow devil." Lucci groaned. "Twice he conned me, I am going to get him back one of these days."

"So what are we doing today anyway?" King asked.

"Getting a new witches wool cloak for Luz." The mother responded.

"Hhss?" Does she really need it? The girl's reckless enough it would disintegrate in a few hours.

"Yes she needs it. The cold season's coming close, and we don't want her to die from frostbite during the first wendigo attack." Her boy explained.

"Wendigo?" Luz asked.

"Giant frosts wolves that'll come in overhead and freeze the entire isles. The boiling water actually becomes lukewarm for one hour before reheating." King explained.

"Oooh, sounds fun. We should make snow angels, have some sculpture contests … you know, after we stop the Day of Unity."

"Something we STILL don't know what it's about." Eda groaned.

"Shouldn't Liliy know, given that she was head of the Emperor's coven?" Her boy asked.

"Nobody knew the details. Belos was as tight-lipped and phony as ever." She complained, knocking on a door. "Yo, Prim, you open!? I know you keep late hours because most people are too tired at night to realize you're scamming them!"

"Eda, Hussh, I'm already in hot water as it is, don't call more attention to my business!" The short woman chastised.

"Aww come on, you know I'm just messin with ya." Eda chuckled. "Now come on, how about fifty snails for more wool.."

"I..I can't…." The woman sighed. "For two reasons. The rainbow devil's attack blew up many of my … less than legal resources, so I've had to make some changes…which leads me to reason number two." The woman showed off her arm, and revealed an oracle sigil.

"You got a coven?" The boy's mother said with surprise.

"The Emperor is cracking down on wild magic. The Day of Unity is soon after all." The lady explained. "I'm sure by now all of your old contacts … even Morton….have blacklisted you and your family."

Eda's eyes widened. "Please, come on, tell me there's someone left in the communit-"

"Coven Scouts are nearby, I can't be seen with you." The door shut, leaving them in silence.

At least for five seconds, until the human began banging on the door. "OH, NOW you're scared of the Emperor, now you're scared to work with a criminal!? How big of a mindless, gutless sap are you if you're just going to mindlessly follow the words of that tyrant!?"

"The Emperor, a tyrant?" A citizen asked.

"No, the man is more than fair."

"He's the voice of the Titan after all."

"Why are you people being so dumb!? He's clearly EVI-!" The girl was tackled by Lucci, who covered her mouth.

"Luz, as much as I hate it, you're not going to convince everybody to our side by calling them stupid!" The boy exclaimed. 

"The kid's right, Luz. This is the way things have been for the last fifty years. Everyone's used to this way of life. Telling them that everything they've built around their life is wrong isn't going to convince them of anything unless you have proof." Eda explained further. "We know that Belos is evil, but what proof do you specificallyhave?"

"Even then they're gonna deny it and say you made it up." King shrugged. "It's just us."

Luz groaned, standing up. "I'm gonna go for a walk."

"Luz, it's still the night market." Eda pointed out.

"I have enough glyphs to make it home." Good, the less time she was around, the better.

"Hold up, I'm coming with you." NO LUCCI! DON'T DO IT! "Believe me, I've been where you are now. I couldn't even convince Willow and Amity completely when we were kids, imagine how I feel."

"It sucks, we can't even let everyone know that something is going on without being called crazy or liars." The human rolled her eyes. "If only we had someone who'd believe us AND have proof of Belos's evil."

"Once again, proof doesn't matter." Lucci spoke. "They'd deny any pictures and sounds as fakes created with illusion magic. Unless we had Belos himself walk in front of the world and declare he was a fake, it wouldn't matter."

"Yeah…" The girl narrowed her eyes, looking across the area, seemingly gazing at someone in gold and white. "Or had Belos's right hand man confirming everything!"

"Right hand man? The only one that fits that description is…" Lucci paused. "No, no, we're are NOT working with that tool again. Need I remind you that both times it happened, he screwed us over?"

"I know it's not the most solid plan, but he has a palisman. A palisman he uses and HASN'T turned into the Emperor…"

"Not yet." Lucci grumbled.

"Point is that between that and liking Willow…"

"Don't even go there, Luz."

"There's a chance that he isn't one hundred percent Loyal to Belos!"

"We thought the same thing about Kikimora, and look where that got us."

"Hhss." Lucci was right, just walk away. Sugar would bite you if you did otherwise. Orsan may have been wrong about fate, but they were right about them not letting another master make a horrible decision on her watch.

"Look, he's just around the corner. I'm going to tie him up and get him to talk to me for a minute. Best you stay back. I know you two get explosive when you're near each other." The girl ran off into an alleyway.

"Luz!" Her boy, very stupidly followed.

"Hhss." She told him as she bit his temple.

"I know this is stupid, but if I don't watch over Luz, who will?"

"Hssh." Herself, like any respectable young person should be doing. Not running out trying to be some hero!

"We both know she's too reckless for that." The boy said as they arrived in a confrontation, where there were glowing symbols on the ground, as well as a lot of smoke.

"HUMAN!" The guard yelled. "What the heck are youg doing here!? I'm in the middle of something imp-damn it! You let them get away!"

"Let who get away!?" She shouted.

"Luz, stand back!" Lucci shouted, running forward and grabbing the reckless person.

"Devil!" The scout shouted, pulling out Flapjack. Why did he have to choose such a dangerous and untrustworthy master? "I may not be able to bag those three, but I can still capture the top of Belos's wanted list!"

"In your dreams!" Lucci shouted stepping forward to throw his shield….and a notable cracking sound was heard on the ground. "Huh?" It was a vile containing a potion….which leaked and made the ground glow even more. "... Luz, run!"

"I can't!" She shouted. "My feet are locked in place!"

"Same here!" The guard shouted.

Lucci tried moving himself, and got nothing. "Damn it! Okay, plan b. Luz, you have those walkie-thingies?"

"Walkie talkies, yes." She nodded.

"Hand me one. Golden Tool, hand me your palisman."

"Why should-"

"Give him to me or he dies with us!"

"Chirp!" The bird shouted, before the enemy reluctantly handed it over. "Chirp!"

Lucci grabbed onto Flapjack and Sugar, bubbling them. "Go get Mom!" Wait, no don't you-he pressed on the bubble, warping Sugar straight to Eda's hair.

"Huh?" The woman grabbed the bubble. "Huh?! Sugar?! Where's Lucci!?"

"HSSSSSSH!" Dark alleyway, ground symbols, glowing, possible death!

They instantly turned into the harpy mode. "I'M COMING!"

Yes, they would make it, they would reach them, they would-

FAWOOOOOSSSSSH

A bright light covered the alleyway, before it was shot into the air….a luminecent glow being sent…right towards the Emperor's castle. As they stared into the alley, the three palisman gazed at each other. "Hoot." "Chirp." "Hss." And they all agreed….those kids were screwed.

========================================================================

Lucci blinked the sun spots out of his eyes. "Gah, bright … Luz, you good?"

"Did anyone get the number of that meteor that hit us?" She spoke in a daze. So a concussion probably. For a second, Lucci thought it was serious. "What happened?"

"You two happened. You came in and ruined everything, just like always." Oh right, that guy was here.

"So Golden Tool." Lucci cracked his knuckles. "Any last words?"

"Yeah, we're all dead, because WE'RE IN THE EMPEROR'S MIND!"

That managed to snap the two out of their daze. "We're WHAT!?" They looked around, seeing the multiple framed pictures of the Emperor within a golden hallway.

"What do you think I was doing in the middle of the Night market?!" The tool shouted. "I had gotten a tip that someone was trying to perform a highly powerful wild magic spell that would transfer themselves into the mind of Belos to learn his secrets, and I was about to apprehend them, but then she-!" He pointed at Luz. "Let them get away before I could catch them, and YOU-" He pointed at him. "Activated the spell by stepping on that potion!"

"..." Luz was silent for a moment, and then began grinning. "Oooohhhh."

"Why are you smiling!?"

"Because, now we can take down the Emperor from the inside!" She shouted.

"....What?" Lucci said.

"It'll be just like when we burned your memories, Lucci! We set fire to the place and destroy his mind!"

Lucci stared at her. "Yeah … that's not how this works."

"What, why not?"

"Should I start with the mind's defenses against intruders, the absolute godlike powers a person has over their own mindscape, or the fact Belos's wise age has made his mind a fortress?" The Golden Tool asked. "Just look at how sturdy these walls are!"

"Huh, this does look different than Lucci's.." Luz looked over the walls. "Less like a crystally home and more like a castle."

"Different people, different mindscapes." The boy continued. "I'm pretty sure the Captain would have a forest."

"Okay, what's the deal with you and Willow?" Lucci glared. "Because she both threatens you and shares pics of your palisman, I'm getting a lot of mixed messages here."

"Don't friends threaten to kill each other on occasion?"

"... What kind of message do you get from us!?" Lucci shouted.

"The one where the three eyed girl shouted she wanted the human dead?" The tool responded.

"Guys …" Luz's voice called up.

"By that definition that would make US friends, and we clearly don't want that to happen." Lucci groaned.

"Titan no. Who'd ever want to be friends with a freaking devil like you?"

"Whatever, you didn't have friends until barely a month ago, like you know anything!"

"I was friends with Steve, thank you very much!" They argued.

"Guys …"

"Steve is friends with everyone, that doesn't count!" Lucci countered. "And your definition of friendship means serving the emperor mindlessly 24/7!"

"And your definition involves scamming people and lying, like that's any better!"

"Oh, suddenly you have a problem with liars? Then what's this all about!? " Lucci pointed to a memory, where it falsely showed the petrification ceremony, where Belos was beating Mom and him in their beast modes. "That is not how it happened at all!"

"Guys …"

"It may have not exactly happened, but metaphorically it's accurate. He beat you both without trying and there was nothing you could have done!"

"His goal was to kill me and he failed spectacularly! And he's kept failing every single day since then by sending you!"

"Well maybe I should start finishing my job now!"

"Well maybe I should finally cut off your stupid head so I can't listen to your annoying voice!"

"GUYS!" Luz shouted.

"WHAT!?" The two of them turned to her.

"... I found this." The girl lifted up … a child with a wooden replica of Belos's mask.

"….That's the Emperor's inner self..?" Lucci asked. "A lot smaller than I thought it would be … and younger…and weaker…."

"Silence, that's Belos your insulting!"

"I know, that's why I'm insulting it." Lucci replied back. "Actually, now I'm half convinced we can actually damage him."

" Wha..wha…wha…"  The thing that looked like a child pointed weakly to the edge of the room. " Wat…watch out…."

"Watch out for what?" Lucci looked … seeing Emperor Belos move to them. "Wait, Belos has more than one inner self?" Lucci shuddered. 

"I mean, you had multiple ones, right?" Luz questioned.

"…Don't tell me that means I'm more unstable than the genocidal maniac."

"He is not a genocidal maniac!" The Golden Tool shouted, walking over to the taller version. "Lord Belos, I'm sorry for this! I tried to stop them from entering but it was too late. I promise they haven't touched anything!" He exclaimed, bowing to the man.

The figure….just looked down at them…shifting its head unnaturally as it approached, showing off multiple eyes and decaying, rotting, sludge like skin, and it was reaching out a hand filled claw. " Paaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiiiin."

"No!" Luz slammed down a glyph, sending ice at the creature, making it roar in frustration and step away from the golden tool . "As much as I hate you, I am not subjecting you to THAT!"

"Couldn't we have at least given it a slice of him!?" Lucci shouted as he threw a shield at the monster. 

"He doesn't have protection, worry about it later and grab the kid!" She shouted, pulling the Tool with them.

"Why do I have…fine!" Not wanting to complain, he did what he was told. "For the record, I don't trust you one bit, little Belos."

"Hug." The little guy squeezed him.

"Not one bit!" Lucci called out as they jumped through a memory … and began falling. "Wait, where's the memory!?"

"Hang on!" Luz used a vine glyph, wrapping around his waist before pulling out another, causing them to float … into a rotten, decaying, crooked forest, full of more … visceral pictures.

"What the..what is this place?" The tool gasped, picking up a piece of wood as it turned to ash.

"If I had to half hazard a guess…this is Belos's real mind." Lucci said.

"Is that possible?" Luz asked. "To just make up an entirely new mindscape like that?"

"That thing above wasn't even a mindscape, it's a veil, a cloak to cover all his lies." Lucci paused, looking down at the little guy. "... And the broken child who experienced bad magic is just an extension of that lie."

"No, no, no your just trying to trick me!" The tool denied hard.

"How are we tricking you? We don't have illusion magic and we are looking at the evidence right now!" Luz shouted, pointing out the area.

"This…this is probably just an elaborate mental prison for us because you provoked his inner self!"

"Sure, keep telling yourself that." Lucci rolled his eyes.

"Come in, come in!" Mom! Yes! He knew having that walkie would be useful!

"Mom, thank titan! We're stuck in Belos's mind thanks to the golden tool!" He explained.

"You're what!?" She shouted. "How, why, I mean-"

"Eda!" Luz shouted. "Belos has two innerselves and one of them is a vicious monster trying to kill us!" 

"You know most kids don't try to top themselves in getting themselves in life threatening situations!" Mom yelled before taking a deep breath. " Alright, stay safe and keep the talkie on you. It's your only link to the real world. Loose it.."

"And we'll all be trapped in the Emperor's subconscious forever!" Hunter shouted.

"Chirp."

"Flapjack!" He snatched the talkie. "Are you safe, did they hurt you!?"

"Chirp."

"Don't worry buddy, I'm coming back to you."

"Chirp."

"…. iloveyoutoo." 

"Awwwwwwwwwww." Mom and Luz cooed at the same time. "Someone's a real big softie on the inside."

"Shut up." The boy tossed it back. "So, we just need to survive until we're pulled out. Then I can apologize to the Emperor … maybe I can make it up by making sure you two stand still."

"Oh no, I'm going into a memory, how scary." Lucci sarcastically smirked as he put a hand into a picture.

"Hey!! Hands off! Touching his memories is sacrilege!"

"Geeeerrraaaaaaaaaaagh!"

"And they're probably the only way we're going to survive!" Luz shouted as she grabbed the tool. "We're going in!"

"Hide." The little Belos jumped in.

========================================================================

"How was that a good plan!?" Raine shouted. "According to Eda, they're trapped inside! WE would have been trapped inside!" Fortunately they stayed around long enough to see the aftermath of the botched spell. And even more fortunately, they were able to follow Eda back where she was staying. Raine would've never guessed Shalisha and Eden's house.

"We needed information, and this was the best we could afford without involving the Clawthornes." Darius justified. "Since you insist on not using Eda's curse."

"I'm still a part of this because I don't want to involve her." Raine groaned. "And now I got her kids stuck in the ultimate manticore's den."

"Grr." Even Ebberwolf agreed it was a dumb plan!

"I don't like this outcome anymore because Han you two, Hunter's stuck inside as well." Darius groaned. "If what I suspect is true, the emperor isn't going to let him live after today."

"After today the man is going to stop holding back." Raine added on. "If the Owl House was still around he'd probably walk there in person."

"Grrrr." 

"Of course we're going to keep their whereabouts secret, though we may have to advice the Heironymous to be vacate the area."

"Not to mention Hexide will be invaded again the moment Vitimir gets his bearings. And then there's Heattie." Darius reminded them. "Although admittedly it's hilarious that she's only a head still."

"Grr." Ebberwolf took special delight that she couldn't stab him.

"Let's be smuggly petty later, how are we going to fix this?" Raine asked. "Tell me you had a plan for extracting us out of Belos's mind?"

"I did." Darrius nodded, causing relief in Raine's heart. "Step outside of the circle while you two went in, wait one hour, then use two potions to force you both out."

"Grrrrrr!?"

"Exactly, you were planning on what!?"

"What, someone had to be on the outside to trigger it, and you two love getting your hands dirty." Darius explained. "But now's not the time to dwell on the past.."

"You little bast-"

"Now we have to get those kids out of there." Darius pulled out a sheet. "It's the Heironymous house, so they should've have plenty of ingredients, still the spell is an old one. There's one or two that we'll have to get to them ourselves."

Raine groaned. "This is not over, do you hear me?"

"Save the song for your lovebird, We need to hurry. Who knows what atrocities they're facing now."

========================================================================

Hunter stumped as he walked along the snow. "Great idea human, now instead a quick death, it'll be a slow and frostbitten one."

"Didn't Willow s-say you did stu-uf like that all the ti-ime?" The human stuttered, rubbing herself.

"Just because I'm used to frostbite doesn't mean I'm immune to it." He groaned. "Devil. If my fingers start falling off, I'm gutting you and wearing your skin as a coat."

"That coat is reserved for Luz." He groaned. "What was Belos even doing here anyway? Shouldn't we have found him?"

"Dun-no … lost litt-le … Belly …"

The two of them stopped, turning to the human. "Little Belly?" The devil questioned.

"The little Belos … is Be-Belos's … guilt righ-tttt?" The girl shivered.

"As if. Belos has nothing to feel guilty about."

"Oh, so that's what you call being born without remorse and mercy." The Devil glared. "Fine then, what would you call the mini tyrant?"

Hunter was admittedly stumped by that. "Ob-obviously…it represents his childlike wonder. His purity and noble intentions."

"Oh please, face it golden tool, you know your stretching for justification." The devil argued. "His false mindscape is full of lies and his true one is a rotting forest. Those aren't signs of noble intentions."

"You shut up." Hunter glared. "His goal is to save us all from the dangers of wild magic."

"My goal is to save you all from the dangers of wild magic." Finally, something new! They turned to see Belos, the memory one, in a mask and cloak that looked rougher looking than the one he wore now, in the center of a group of witches. " Renounce your wild ways and became one with the titan. Join a coven, so he may purify your magic. Golden guard." He turned to the past Guard, in an outfit similar to his, except there was a black collar around them. " Brand them, if you please."

" Yes lord Belos." What?

"Is that you?" The human asked. "He has your voice.

"I'm not the first. It's a family lineage." He was probably just very similar to one of them.

"Some family." The devil rolled his eyes. "Born into the life of a slave dog."

"It's an honor and privilege! You wouldn't know because your family is a bunch of good for nothing criminals!" Hunter yelled. "Belos is helping people! He is a hero!"

"Aaaaaaaaggggjhh!" All the wild witched branded let out a cry of pain as their veins lit up in colors, before they fell to the ground, looking like corpses.

"…You were saying?" The human raised an eyebrow.

They stared in horror at the fallen bodies, as the Guard moved to one of the witches. "They're still alive sir."

"Oh really? I actually expected this batch to die like all the rest." Belos…coldly nodded. " Get rid of the bodies and head to the next town. We need to stay ahead of that Rainbow menace."

"I … yes Lord Belos."

"… What the fuck?" The human asked. "Was that the Coven sigils? Why would-"

They heard laughing, as the child Belos seemed to pick something up, before running through the air … as it vanished into the air. "Another memory!" Hunter shouted, trying to block THAT out for now. "Before we freeze!"

"Or sure, that's why you want to run!" The devil rolled his eyes as they grabbed the human, jumping into the next memory. "Now do you see your oh so perfect Belos isn't a good guy!?"

"That..that was just…a mistake! He was trying to perfect the sigils! He's not a cold blooded killer!"

"I've done it sir." They turned to a Golden Guard, who bowed down to Belos. "I made sure that Rose Quartz is now only known as Thorn Quartz, the vile woman that will destroy the isles."

"Did you kill anyone that knew the truth?" Belos narrowed his gaze.

"I … made sure they could never tell it if they tried, my Lord." They spoke.

"Not good enough." The themselves shadows seemed to gain weight to them with his anger. "That woman may be the reason I live today, but she has done nothing but cause me strife at every turn. I want every memory eradicated from existence, and every soul that knew of her gone." The man growled. " Under no circumstances should any exceptions be made."

"... Well that explains some of the naming disruptions." The human noted. "So it looks like your womb donor wasn't the bad guy after all."

"Hooray, still don't care about her." The devil groaned. "Not like we learned anything new here-"

"Hahahaahahaa, someone's mad! Just look at your face! You want to kill this one too, don't you!" They all paused as they saw…another shadow, this one being strictly on the walls, and much more childish with a moon and Star theme all over their outfit. "What, this makes it like the tenth or twelfth grimwalker already? You go through these things faster then witches for through rock-corn!"

"... What's a Grimwalker?" The human asked quietly. "And what in the twenty hells is that?"

"And why does it feel so…familiar?" The devil stared at the childish shadow. "I feel like I've seen it in a dream.

"It matters not." They stood up. "One day I'll get it right, and they'll stop feeling sympathy for those vile witches."

"Those witches, does that imply we're lesser?" Hunter ignored the Devil, looking for something, anything, that would prove this wrong, that this was all a dream.

"Honestly I think you love killing those things more than you like making them." The shadow kept laughing.

"You say it like I'm a sadist." Belos tisked. "It hurts every time I have to remove them."

"What does … what does he mean re-" Hunter stopped … he just … stopped.

He could hear another pair of footsteps behind him as the devil laughed. "You finally see it right? Just how wrong it all is? That he never gave a damn about anyone but himself? All the lies and tricks and the-"

"Lucci, shut up, now." The human stated.

"Why, what the heck did you fin-" The devil was finally made silent.

…. After all, what could one say to a hallway of bodies, with pictures depicting all … each and every end … with most of them being by Belos himself. "What …" Hunter looked … so many of them … they all had his face.

"Disgusting, right?" They all heard a new voice come in. "Had I known this was the fate of all those golden boys, I would've gone easier on them."

The three of them slowly turned around…and saw something…or at least..someone they never thought they see again. "You!?"

"Me." The rainbow devil chuckled.

========================================================================

Bismuth looked at the kids across the hall. "What … how-" The human stuttered.

"Belos expanded his diet." She explained. "Ate me, and now I'm stuck in a realm with nothing but pure decay." Bismuth sighed. "I never really thought about an afterlife or anything, I mean, what gem does when we practically live forever, but if I had to go to hell, this is what I'd expect to see."

"You!" Eda's kid lit up pink and slammed her against a tree.

"This..this is also what I expected to see." Bismuth chuckled again.

"Listen here bitch." The child pulled out a shield. "I am not in the mood for whatever 'Rose' bullshit you-"

"I know you're not Rose, Lucci."

They immediately faltered. "Come again?"

"I've been in here long enough. I know the truth." She waited until he let go to move away. "Now come on, we need to regroup with the only thing you can trust inside of this head."

"Hold up, hold up, hold up!" The human put her hands in the air. "Not just a week ago you were trying to kill us! You shattered Centi! Why in hell should we ever trust you!?"

"Because I understand the concept of a friend." She said, looking back. "... You were in that memory, you heard the term Grimwalker, right?"

"Y…Yes.." The golden boy said hesitantly.

"Let me put it in terms you can understand." She picked up a mask. "Replicator wand, but on a small scale. Palistrum wood, Selkidomas scales, Glander Stone, stone sleeper lung, all ingredients to grow someone as long as you have a piece of their original bone."

"Clone…Belos has been cloning the same person for fifty years!?" The human shouted.

"Right idea … wrong number." She spoke. "Whatever rose did to him expanded his life span when he takes it from others. Haven't found an exact age reference, but this thing goes on for hundreds of years."

"Who …" She turned to golden boy. "Who did he make me from?"

"... His brother." Bismuth answered. "Who he killed for the crime of falling in love with a witch."

"What?" Lucci contorted his face. "But he is witch. Does he have that much of a god complex to not consider himself a witch?"

"I can tell you for a fact that what he is is not a witch." She heard footsteps. "And here comes our ally." She watched as the beast with many mouths came crawling in.

"Stay back!" The human shouted, pulling out a paper. "We can't let Belos get an edge on us!"

"Paaaiiinnnn." They spoke, the body shifting. "Eeeeviiilll." Multiple animal-like heads began growing. "Dangeeerrr … rrrruuuunnnn."

"That's your ally!?" The human shouted. "But it's been chasing us."

She turned to the two witches. "Take a good look at the shapes, why don't you?"

"They look like…animals.." Lucci looked at the poor creature.

"Not just animals.." The golden boy looked at it close, noticing a certain head that resembled a vole. "They're..Palisman…all the Palisman Belos consumed….this is their souls."

The human paused, looking at the creature. "Dannnngerrrr … saaaaveee … seeelvesss."

"If that's … the Palisman …" The human started. "Then what … were we gathering things with?"

THAT triggers warning bells in her head. "Did you run into anyone else in here?"

"No one…except the kid Belos.." The human turned, noting someone small coming back to them gathering something in a circle. "And if the monster we've been running from was the palisman souls…"

"Then we've…" The golden guard gasped. "We've been with the inner Belos the whole time."

" Hehehehehehrhee hehehehehebebhhhhehehe." The little figure cackled loudly, as it began to morph into someone more familiar and dreaded.

"That's also how I Know you're not Rose."She addressed Lucci. "If you were really who that gem belonged to …" She pointed at the thing in a mask. "You would have killed that before it even had time to blink."