The process rendered me exhausted and cost me the rest period, but when I finally returned to the girls it seemed like that was a good thing. They were a complete mess, all half-laughing, half-crying and not sure whether to hug or hurt the other two.
"Ladies... Looks like you need my secret recipe." Shaking my head I withdrew the treat I had prepared in secret for when I royally messed up and needed a peace offering to bribe Eve with.
"What secret?" Cosmael snarled. "I don't know if these two deserve to know."
"Shush, everyone sit." I ordered as I threw them a canister of special tea, no, not Eve's special tea before you get ahead of yourself. "Pour yourselves some but don't drink yet." I ordered with almost paternal authority,
I then served them each a slice of cake, a multi-layer zesty sponge separated by two layers of cream and strawberries and two with cream and chocolate powder. The three girls looked at the small plates and the offering atop it, eyes growing wider as I placed a small fork on each plate "Now, enjoy and make peace. Peace, is the only thing of equal value to this treasure. Oh, and after swallowing the first bite, blow and sip the tea."
They eagerly did as instructed. then melted into groans of gluttonous satisfaction, then all apologised to one another and admitted their faults.
"That cake was a dirty trick... A dirty, delicious, blessed by The Black trick."
"You should be ashamed... Very, very proudly ashamed..."
"Dad... You're a monster... that was Chaotic Evil all the way... You aren't even trying anymore."
"Are you sure you want me to think evil is how to make you all this happy?"
All three shook their heads violently.
"Now, this is our last night. I can never break a promise again, I have placed even Sil in checkmate on that. We have completed our job and you three I am fairly sure have just agreed peace after airing every slight and thought. When we return, we will be ready to begin a new chapter, are you ready, or need to sleep on it?"
"Sleep on it. I want to watch a movie with my sisters before I change. See you in the morning Dad."
"See you girls in the morning. I'm going to train until morning." I said before turning around and focusing on the full-body shielding.
"Adaaaam...."
"No, I don't have any more cake Astrael, Cosmael already has plenty of snacks in her storage space and I don't need two daughters with a sugar vault so you can drain hers dry."
The girls groaned and retired into a quickly constructed shelter, leaving me outside by a camp fire to meditate. I only passed out twice before morning came, still a long way to go for indefinite activation, but definitely better all the same.
When the girls woke up we went through a portal to The Garden. Where I was immediately greeted with violence. Not just Eve, but also Quatal, Layaera, Babylon, Fala, even Flookuro savaged my ear.
"Okay ladies, he has exhausted himself over and over, he doesn't have mu- Ouch! OKAY THAT'S ENOUGH!... Seriously you might kill him." Astrael said half-heartedly until a particuarly savage kick sent broken ribs into my lung and gave her more urgency.
They all stopped and made way for the three deva to heal me and top off my divinity. They explained everything that happened, that was discussed and then, after Quatal jumped on me for letting her miss the rainbows, they told everyone about the divinity training I'd devised and its results.
"So he wasn't sulking?" Eve asked with genuine surprise. "I honestly thought he would just run off, sulk a bit, then come back with his tail between his legs.... Now I feel bad for that rib shot, that was some solid emotional growth and maturity."
"Mama, do we hit him more, or less, now I'm confused?"
"Quatal, shhhh... I think your Mum and Dad need to be alone for a bit. Let's go play with Flookuro."
"Actually, I need to say goodbye to everyone, can we all stay together until the're ready?"
"Yeah! Movies and snacks and cuddles!" Quatal cheered before running into the cabin as Fala shook her head.
"Fala...Before you go... You made me proud with your treatment, well done. You're an amazing healer." I groaned, voice still raspy as my lung finished repairing.
"Thank you, Uncle Teacher.... It means a lot. I'm still mad though!" She yelled the last part before running after Quatal.
"If, you're well enough to speak, get up and follow me. We're going to talk."
I groaned at my impending doom, then stood and followed as the others all retreated inside. "Do you know why I'm angry?"
"Of course, I told Quatal to take you, I didn't ask you at all, then I sent Cosmael away and stood alone. Not to mention my complete overconfidence and lack of consideration as to the foe I was facing. Then there was the fact I had just told you I had thought you were pregnant, guess it left you wondering if I was running a bit. I can list a hundred reasons why you're mad at me for that. The biggest I guess is because I devalued myself and acted like you were worth more than I am."
"Wow! Honestly, I'm shocked you got it. Loving me and valuing me above yourself are two different things, one I am thankful for everyday we're together. The other though...The other is responsible for us being apart and I hate that part of you. I won't ask you to stop it or change it, because that would be unreasonable, but at least try to restrain it."
"Your sister literally just warned us, didn't she?"
"She did... That's why I realised. I'm sure she's feeling smug and getting ready to slap me again."
"She is... I went to vent my frustrations at her..."
"Oh, I forgot to mention... You're definitely pregnant, turns out Celesael can detect life."
"THAT'S HOW YOU TELL ME!?" She grabbed my arm and dragged me to the baths.
As we sunk into the water she practically started glowing. "Now, apologise to the baby as well. Then when we're done relaxing a bit, we can go join the others and welcome Cosmael into our direct family."
I did as instructed, apologising to our child for what I had done and all the things I might do took quite a while.
"Oh! Adam, I forgot to mention, three days without you has left me starved for attention. Since you're weakened, you're in for a rough time tonight." She spoke as she leaned down to bite my neck. "I think it might be the hormones you mentioned, but my desires are running deeper than ever. You better eat and drink plenty."
When she was finished talking, she stood and became enshroud in black before it receded and she was fully dressed.
"I learned some new tricks too, you are in for a surprise I don't know if you will like." I gulped at the prospect of facing her in such a forceful frame of mind, then followed. Using what I had just seen with no success.
When we got back to the cabin where the others were waiting, we tried to be quiet to not disturb the movie, only to find them waiting with a surprise party now that Eve's status had been made certain.
"Guys, thank you so much, this is lovely, but let's just watch a movie, then we have to say goodbye to Cosmael."
Eve's words reminded them Layaera, Fala and Babylon that the shy and nervous deva was going to, for lack of a better word, disappear. That made it difficult for anyone to feel completely celebratory.
When the movie finished, no one moved, we all silently decided to even watch the credits that rolled at the end. Only when the final black-out came and the projection disappeared did Cosmael stand.
"I love you all and I can't wait to see you again. Please be as kind the next time we meet. Mum, Dad, quickly please. I'd rather not drag this out and make everyone sadder."
"Okay Little One, we will see soon as well, but we will talk to you and your sibling often."
"I hear twins can sometimes fight, but I expect you two to behave, my tummy isn't for fighting. Adam, what do we do?"
I told eve to extend her arms towards Cosmael and focus divinity into a ball of black energy between her hands. I then prepared a similar one in mine as I mirrored Eve on with Cosmael between us. "Cosmael, if you are one-hundred percent sure... Then start reverting, but give into the sensation. Eve, activate your absolute will and focus on making her our daughter."
Again I mirrored everything I told Eve to do and then Cosmael began to shrink and become more youthful, de-ageing into a young woman, then a teenage girl, then a pre-adolescent, then an infant, then a toddler, then a baby then she became a third black ball.
The black ball she became hovered directly in the middle of the ones Eve and I had made, then I twisted my arms so one was above and one was below and took a step forward. Without pause joining my orb and the one Cosmael had become. I then twisted my arms back to swap their positions and took another step forward merging mine and Cosmael's with Eve's.
"With this we make you our daughter, welcome you into our lives and our family. We promise to cherish and protect you, to nurture and help you grow, to educate and make you wise, to help you understand suffering and bless you with love."
I then rotated my arms back and held my hands on the outside of Eve's, then slowly closed them together and moved them to her stomach, which the grain of salt sized orb sank into.
The bond of the black ribbon appeared at the surface forming around her waist as if tying a bow on a present before sinking back into us.