’Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.

Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.

Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.

The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs.

In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.

And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way.

The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it.’ -Isaiah 35:5-8

_

{Tristan & Stephanie’s Home}

From the closed front door, the bickering between two of the quadruplets can be heard from the living room.

Jamie: "Stop!"

Pauline: "You watched three episodes in a row!

It’s my turnnnn!"

Stephanie: "Girls, please..."

The dead bolt turns from being unlocked from the other side, and the apartment entrance opens.

Having escaped the wrath of a 2nd Generation DæMon tantrum, both Jay and Peyton walk in, the latter closing the door behind him. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Sitting at the dinner table within the middle of the room are a smoking Ichythis, Isfet, a dazed, mumbling Bethany, and Timothea.

Along with the most gluttonous of the quadruplets, Isfet is enjoying vanilla ice cream.

Taking a look at their torn, dried blood spotted clothes, Ichythis can immediately tell the two had gotten in a confrontation.

Ichythis: "Geez, rough night?"

Sitting to her left, provocative Bethany is still stunned from the sight of nude Ichythis. She is uncomfortably slumped in her seat, mumbling her inappropriate imagination.

Bethany(mumbling): "...curves...

...plump...

...so pink..."

Welcoming his houseguests back, Tristan, walks from the kitchen.

Tristan: "Welcome back fellas."

After doing the dishes, the young family man is drying his hands, but concerned over his buddies appearance, he tossed the towel on the table.

Tristan: "What the Hell happened?!

Are you both okay?!"

Jay and Peyton look at each other, then both chuckle as Stephanie runs in from the connected living room and her lime green eyes grow in alarm.

Peyton: "Haha, well you might want to sit down for this one."

[A Short Retelling Later]

The seven residential adults are gathered around the main dining room table while the complete set of crown quadruplets sit in the living room.

Petra is reading, Timothea is eating a refilled bowl of ice cream, and the two sisters who are usually arguing quietly watch TV.

In the dining room, drinking glasses are spread around on top of the oak furniture and a pitcher of ice water rests next to a bottle of bourbon.

After telling their roommates about the peculiar 2nd Generation DæMon, her unconventional pets, the Go Fish game leading to dispute, and every other important detail Peyton consumes some alcohol.

Sitting on Tristan’s lap, the woman of the house looks at her childhood love, and the man of the house is deep in thought.

Not wanting to ruin his train of thought, she turns her gaze back at her two assaulted allies.

Stephanie: "So you said this woman’s name was ’Baba Yaga’?"

In the living room, able to hear her older sister’s question, Petra’s ears twitch and her attention is taken away from the current reading material.

Peyton(nods): "When Persephone and Queen MamMon swooped in to save us, Madame DæMon asked her if there was any relation to folklore, but unfortunately she wasn’t in the mood to answer."

Peeking in from the doorway, the curious younger sister listens in on the conversation.

Smoking Ichythis looks at Peyton across the table and with a lit cigarette held in her mouth, she half smiles in amusement.

Ichythis: "Wait, so you can speak backwards?

Wouldn’t have had that on the hidden talent Bingo card."

Isfet chuckles silently at her new best friend’s attention to unimportant details of their experience.

Tristan finally snaps out of deep thought and looks across at the tattered clothes on his pals.

Tristan: "You two would have been killed if those two hadn’t shown up?"

Jay(nods): "We were caught off guard twice by that goth chick, and neither of us were willing to leave the other behind to die, hehe."

He examines his cut up, dry blood stained long sleeve shirt, and makes sure his saviors are properly credited.

Jay: "If it weren’t for both of them appearing at the perfect time, we would’ve either gotten sliced up by weaponized cards or torn apart by her pet monster."

The detective minded young man plugs in the opinion into the equation of a theory in his head.

Tristan: "’Perfect timing’, huh?"

Ichythis: "This woman wasn’t planning on killing you two."

Everyone (except Bethany), especially a flabbergasted Tristan, is shocked by the deductive skills of the ex-Roronora cop.

Tristan: "That was what I was afraid to say, but how did, and why do you figure that was the case?"

Interested, Isfet listens intensely as Ichythis draws from her cig, closes her eyes, and blows out grey.

Ichythis: "I’ve been around a few overpowered magical woman from the Don Laban, to Ms. MaMmon, and I can only imagine if this goth chick has been living for around over half a century, while also making herself known to the public enough to have legends written about her, she isn’t dumb."

Still sneaking in on the convo, Petra’s lime green eyes are peeled wide open.

After another mouthful of bourbon, Peyton is still sober enough to give reliable input.

Peyton: "Wh- *burp* When she was going crazy, she did say something about us being ’like all the rest of them’.

So I don’t know if that’s of any help."

Taking the bottle from him and having a swig of her own in between puffs of smoke, Ichythis uses the alcohol to less abuse the substance, but to relax her mind just enough.

Ichythis: "If anything, it increases the odds of being her.

From your eye witness accounts, you said the Queen was suspicious of two lazy and jealous sisters sending a wrench in her plan tomorrow.

If she’s at least compatible with those types of people, I can only assume your attacker knew you would be saved, being strong enough to direct when they would show up, and wanted to see if the real targets could handle her basic, first level shit."

Stephanie & Tristan: "’Real targets’?"

Tristan and Stephanie look at each other in a mutual realization.

Both Bethany and a tipsy Peyton seem to be mentally drifting off while the detective continues. She looks at the still coherent Jay.

Ichythis: "I can’t be 100% either, but she was probably lying about being able to only speak and understand backwards speech as a defense to play dumb, adding more to the ’strongactingweak’ theory.

She was more interested in testing the waters of who she was sent to annoy, and used you two as the easy bait."

Tristan: "Wait a minute, if she was sent here to be a nuisance by Madame MamMon’s sisters, why would Persephone be a-"

He figures out the answer to his own question before finishing it.

Tristan: "Cause she’s got DæMon blood."

Stephanie: "But why test sweet Persephone? She has no reason to be involved in a family dispute."

Remembering the bloodline related squabble between their DæMon Queen and his now terrorist ex-friend, Shelly, Tristan sees the irony between all the sides of this conflict.

Ichythis(shrugs): "Maybe she’s been told to kidnap her, and bring her back to these two sisters the Queen hates.

Like your Hub just said, girls with pink eyes are special. Aren’t they? "

There’s a knock at the door, startling Stephanie to her feet. She hussles over to the door and opens it. From the table, nobody can see the person on the other side.

However, Petra can and excitement grows on her little face as in contrast, the always friendly Steph nervously asks to them.

Stephanie: "C-Can I help you, Ma’am?"

There is no human answer, but a single *cluck*, making Jay spin in his chair.

Stephanie looks over at her company at the table with worry and Tristan is now rushing to the entrance.

Tristan: "Can I help y-"

Cutting himself off in shock, is the aforementioned 2nd Generation DæMon they have been discussing about, Baba Yaga.

She is accompanied by her new resting albino koala, Vasilsa the hen, clutched to her chest, and now, a boa constrictor with rainbow shifting scales. The front half of the long serpent is wrapped around her waist, while the tail draped over the other shoulder.

Again she doesn’t answer, instead she turns her upper body to shift her gaze at the couple.

Unsure of what they should do, Tristan and Stephanie look at one another. Then the caring older sister looks back in fear knowing her cherished younger sisters are in the next room.

Not wanting to create any hostility for his family, Tristan steps aside and welcomes in the same woman who attacked his friends less than two hours earlier.

Tristan: "Um, come on in. The girls were just getting put to bed, so I hope your pets are friendly."