Chapter 153: 2.33 Bonding Problems
Sora and Brie found themselves with Xander in Athena’s realm over the next nine months more than they were in their own home. They’d often stay overnight so their son could bond with his new potential companion. Tej was much more interested in Skylar than he was Xander, and they wondered if Xander would actually become Tej’s companion.
"Well it looks like those two have mated and are extremely happy. I wonder why Tej is so grumpy around Xander all the time?" Brie asked Athena, as Tej recently showed aggression toward her son.
"Phoenixes are fickle creatures. Skylar hasn’t come near me in days. She’s very distant. I don’t always understand it myself." Athena admitted.
"Baby!" Xander shouted. "It’s because they’re going to have a baby!"
"Xander you still have no filter," Sora laughed while hugging his son. "How do you know?"
"I can sense the lifeforce in her tummy. There’s an egg with a little mix of gold and blue inside." Xander said, smiling from ear to ear.
"Interesting. My father’s magic was gold and blue." Athena said while trying to link with Skylar.
"Skylar, Xander revealed you’re pregnant. Why wouldn’t you tell me?" Athena frowned.
"Tej won’t allow me to tell anyone. He’s very protective and doesn’t want gods, souls, anyone near us until the baby is born. Sorry - I really do love and miss you!" Skylar said and Athena felt her sadness.
"Who is going to harm the egg in Paradise? Why is he so protective and why is he so nasty toward Xander?" Athena asked in a stern tone.
"He fears Xander will open a portal to the wrong realm and someone will walk into Paradise and start a war." Skylar whispered. "I’m sorry we’ll talk later. Please don’t be angry with Tej. He’s an amazing soul."
Athena sighed. "I’d never be upset with either of you. Just try to encourage him to bond with Xander. He’s been waiting for months patiently. We won’t open any portals. Maybe that will help?"
"Only if he doesn’t know we talked, so have Xander rewind time 2 minutes or something." Skylar said sadly. "I won’t remember, but that’s ok because you will."
"Sora," Athena whispered. "I need you to use your private conversation spell for us."
"Lockheart’s whisper: Xander, Brie, Athena and me."
"Thank you Sora. Xander, Tej isn’t upset with you. He’s worried that you will open a portal to a realm where someone evil will attack from and hurt Skylar and their baby, that’s all." Athena said while hugging the nearly 5 foot tall 4 and a half year old.
Xander frowned, then smiled. "He’s just protecting his family. I understand. I won’t open any more portals."
Brie and Sora smiled at Xander’s emotional growth while trying to catch sight of where Skylar and Tej were possibly hiding.
"There’s no use," Brie said while giving Sora a kiss to distract him. "Leave them be. They’re the silly little lovebirds now."
Sora smiled. "I miss that joke."
"Xander, I need you to do something very important for me," Athena said calmly but authoritatively.
"Yes Nana Fena?"
"I need you to rewind time two minutes before Skylar and I linked. Can you do that?"
Xander looked at his parents, who both gave him a reassuring nod.
"Ok! I can do it, I know I can!"
Xander sat with his legs criss-crossed and closed his eyes. He focused all of his magical energy and imagined Athena saying, "Phoenixes are very fickle creatures..."
He continued to infuse the magic until he finally opened his eyes, "Constructs of Time: Phoenixes are Fickle Creatures!"
Xander’s golden eyes illuminated and everything rapidly reversed in Athena’s realm and everyone found themselves in the exact spot, listening to Athena.
"Phoenixes are fickle creatures. Skylar hasn’t come near me in days. She’s very distant. I don’t totally understand it myself." She said, shaking her head while putting her finger to her mouth as to remind them to hush about everything.
"I think Phoenixes are pretty cool!" Xander shouted as loud as he could, hoping Skylar and Tej could hear him.
*****
"He’s a good kid. I feel bad I keep showing aggression but we can’t risk him opening a portal to one of the realms where enemies swarm us and we have to protect our child!" Tej whispered to Skylar, doing his best to not reveal their location.
"I understand. He’ll be here any day now." Skylar spoke very quietly, but smiled.
"Well, he or she won’t remain a baby for more than a day or two. They reach their adolescent stage very quickly. We’ll have an adult phoenix building her own nest in a few years," Tej bragged, while barely making a sound.
"You just said she’ll build a nest in a few years, what makes you think it’ll be a girl? I’m certain it’s a boy, brilliant and beautiful like his father," Skylar’s cheeks became rosy as she spoke.
"Ok, let’s make a bet. If you’re right, I’ll bond with the boy and become his companion. I’ve I’m right, I don’t have too and I get to stay in Paradise with you forever," Tej grinned.
"Deal." Skylar said as they shared a romantic phoenix peck.
*****
"Well, I think it’s time you two returned home. I’ll keep Xander here just in case they change their mind, if that’s ok with the two of you?" Athena asked politely.
"Xander, do you mind staying with your Nana Athena?" Brie said while hugging and kissing him.
"I’ll stay! Plus you and dada are always here now and never get to spend any time together. Go have a nice date or something," Xander said enthusiastically.
"You’re very thoughtful, buddy. Any of the goddesses catch your eye that you’d like to go on a date with?
Xander shook his head and said, "Gross. No. I don’t want to date anyone. That’d be weird."
They laughed and smiled while Sora hugged Xander, told him he loved him and to be good. They walked through the portal, after speaking the, "Phoenixes and dragons," password and were relieved to be in their own home.
"I swear, a night in our own bed, together, is going to be amazing!" Brie exclaimed.
"Yes it is, I’m going to take a shower. It still makes me laugh that they have showers in Paradise. When I was on Earth I always envisioned it as a bunch of floating souls or orbs or something, I don’t know, hard to explain." Sora laughed as he took his shirt off.
"I always envisioned it kinda the same, only the gods and goddesses were always in their true form and everyone else floated around like little balls of magic, I guess?" Brie said as she removed her shit.
"I think I’ll be joining you for that shower," she said while kissing his neck.
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