~6 hours earlier~

"CRAY ARE YOU INSANE?!" Raven screeched. She was currently being surrounded by Cray, Blueprint, and Palette who winced at her tone.

"Look I know this looks bad but I had to do it! Goth would've never forgiven herself if Palette seemed unhappy!" Cray tried to reason.

"NO! I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND! SHE WANTED TO TELL HIM HERSELF!"

"The monster women Palette was with wouldn't have waited any longer to propose to him Raven. Please understand that I had to tell him about his kid."

"THAT STILL GIVES YOU NO RIGHT TO BARGE INTO OTHER PEOPLES LIVES! ITS ALREADY HARD ENOUGH FOR HER TO DO THIS! IF SHE SEES PALETTE NOW, SHE WILL SHATTER!"

Palette spoke, "Raven I know your upset with Cray-"

Raven's eyes snap to Palette cutting him off, "HE ISN'T THE ONLY ONE IM UPSET WITH PALETTE! I MEAN SERIOUSLY, YOU OF ALL PEOPLE HAD TO GO AND FUCK MY SISTER?!" She was fuming and wanted to hit something. That something being ether Palette or Cray, maybe even both.

Blueprint had come by earlier in the morning to take her deep into the forest to show her a really neat place he had trained in a few times. It was a beautiful place that had a wide open field with beautiful buttercup flowers in huge patches that were littered across the grassy field. It was perfect for a secluded discussion since Raven would most likely blow a gasket for somethings she was going to hear about. And it was close to the Royal Castle where all Royal Guards live.

Palette winced, "Raven, I warned Goth that she would get pregnant b-" He was cut off again.

"DOES IT LOOK LIKE I CARE WETHER OR NOT YOU WARNED HER?! SHE PREGNANT WITH YOUR CHILD FOR FUCKS SAKE PALETTE!"

Blueprint spoke, "Raven I know you're extremely upse-"

Raven cut Blueprint off as well, "ALL THREE OF YOU ARE AWFUL! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW STRESSED GOTH HAS BEEN?! IF YOU WANTED TO STRESS HER OUT MORE YOU HAVE A LOT MORE COMING TO YOU THEN JUST ME SCREAMING!" She bellowed as she hung her head, her breathing ragged, her hands clenched tightly into fists.

Blueprint inches closer to her. No one spoke for a bit. It was just silence. The three boys glance at one another ready to pounce if she tries to bolt off. All three have had military training because of their father. They can't risk Raven running off with the possibility of getting lost and hurt or Goth will have their heads.

Palette tries again in a slightly softer voice, "Raven, we both consented to it. We both knew the risks and I promised myself that I would never hurt her."

"Do you really think I give a damn as to wether or not you both consented to do that shit? You do realize that Goth talks to me about everything right? She trusts me with every piece of information that doesn't involve her goddamn job." Raven continues, "That includes all her fears, negative thoughts, what she misses, and what she wants." Her voice strained and rough from all her yelling as she keeps her eyes trained on Palette.

Blueprint moves slightly closer making him only a foot away from her now.

The faintest hint of anger rises in Palette's tone, "Okay then, why don't you tell me why Goth decided not to tell me about the child." Palette stood straighter and relaxed his stance as did Cray. Both were a good 2 or 3 feet away from her.

Raven crossed her arms as her back was to Blueprint, "Your Dads a prick Palette. He isn't a good man."

Palette's eye socket twitched, "And what gives you the right to called my father a prick? Your Dad is much more unpleasant then mine is. At least My father didn't abandon his duty to the Royal Guard unlike your Dad."

Raven gripped her arms tightly, her eyes boring into Palette's star ones, "My Dad abandoned the Royal Guard? This isn't even about my Dad, it's about yours and the way he talks about my family, dumbass." Blueprint hesitantly takes a step forward and wraps his arms around a trembling Raven making her stiffen. "Blueprint, let go of me." It was a quiet demand but Blueprint refused to let go as he pulled her back into his chest.

"Maybe my father talks about your family the way he does is because your Dad decided to go after a sick women that became pregnant with a leech." Palette stated with a monotoned tone, "Wasn't your mother supposed to die years ago? Wasn't your Dad supposed to put her out of her misery? Reap her?"

Raven's eye lights flickered out and her eye sockets stared at the ground. She had stopped trembling, stopped trying to get out of Blueprints grip, and just went limp in Blueprints embrace. And when Blueprint felt her stop he looked down at her in alarm. The words from Palette had caught her so off guard that she didn't know how to respond. Her anger had gone past the breaking point and had unintentionally shut herself down since she didn't want to hurt anyone. But she could still hear them.

"Raven?" Blueprint tried calling to her as he turned her around and lifted her chin. He froze as he stared into her cold eye lightless sockets.

Palette continued talking, "Maybe your Dad would still be a highly respected member of the Royal Guard if he had just left your mother to die." Cray glanced from Palette to Raven and Blueprint.

All Cray wanted was to tell Palette before that female monster went and proposed but now Palettes angry at the Afterdeath family because Goth didn't tell him anything. Cray then noticed Raven being very still and not lashing out. He examined her form, her arms were still crossed and she was still up right. But Blueprint had her turned around for some reason. Cray knocked Palette upside the head making Palette's cap fall off. "Pal, can you shut up? We don't need to hear granddad's words coming out of your mouth. Very much so NOT thrown at Raven." He snapped.

Palette fumbled his cap, eventually dropping it as he grumbled to himself in annoyance while picking up his cap and brushed it off. "Maybe if Goth had told me before hand then I wouldn't have lashed out when Raven called my father a prick." He mumbled quietly.

"Well maybe if you would listen to Raven's side of the story then you would possibly forgive Goth...?"

"Maybe if she wasn't so secretive about it then I would've forgiven her already instead."

Blueprint, after several attempts of trying to get a reaction out of Raven, he was about to give up until an idea popped into his head. His cheeks flushed baby blue as he stared at Raven's face, her lips slightly a gap as her eyes remained blank and her expression unmoving. Blueprint heaved a long drawn out sigh as he debated on doing this or not. Finally deciding to try it he cupped her cheeks and raised her head slightly higher. He sealed his lips over hers.

Palette and Cray's conversation died immediately after Blueprint kissed Raven.

Raven's empty eye sockets fluttered shut as she felt a strange sensation on her lips. She unconsciously leaned more into the kiss- her first ever kiss - as her mind snapping back to reality. Her eye sockets fluttered opened to a lightly blushing closed eye socket Blueprint kissing her. She immediately pulled away as a very loud 'thwack' echoed through out the large field of buttercups.

Blueprint stumbled back and fell on his rump while he held his cheek that now sported a red hand print. He stared up wide eyed at Raven's lightly trembling form as her eyes shadowed over. "What do you three think of your father or grandfather in Cray's case." Raven wasn't even flustered. The only emotion that seemed to cross her features was anger.

Blueprint slowly got up still quite stunned that Raven had slapped him as Palette spoke first, "My father is a very loyal man. Very much so to his lover."

Then Cray, "He's a good man especially to his kids."

Now Blueprint, "Dads very nice even though my mom left him." He responded as his hand fell to his side.

Raven cradled her hand against her ribcage, her slapping Blueprint had actually hurt her, "Want to know why I hate your Dad so much?" She asked.

"Nooooo, we were just waiting to see what you would do once you found out I was here." Palette retorted.

Raven ignored him, "I hate your father so much because he treated both of your mothers like they were nothing. Like they were things and not monsters."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Palette asked as he glared at Raven.

Raven turned to Blueprint completely ignoring Palette again. She lifted her teary eyes to meet Blueprints hard glaring ones. Her voice trembled, "B-Blueprint I know you've said a lot of bad things about your mother. But did you ever think to ask her side of the story? Did you ever think that your Dad might just be lying to you?"

Palette growled, he was getting very pissed at this point and approached Raven who whipped around and started backing up.

Raven hit something soft and knew it was Blueprint who wrapped his arms around her still lightly trembling form. Tears fell, she was angry and scared. She knew she couldn't take all three of them on considering they all were trained in the military.

She was so angry because of what their father had done. None of them knew. Raven knew that.

Blueprint held up a hand once he felt tears hit his arm.

Palette stopped and examined Raven again only to have guilt hit him hard. His anger had gotten so out of hand that he had helped in making Raven cry and shake in fear.

Blueprint sighed and turned her around he lifted her tear stained face and examined her features. "Raven.." She flinched away from him but he pulled her back while he sweeped her off her feet and sat down with her in his lap.

Raven struggled feebly in Blueprint's grip eventually giving up. Blueprint rested her skull against his ribcage. She didn't grip onto him. She just sat there staring off into the forest trees as silent tears streaked down her face.

Blueprint started rubbing circles along her back in an attempt to calm her down. But it didn't seem to be working as she continued to just be limp and silently cry.

"Is she okay? I didn't scare her to badly right?" Palette asked.

Blueprint sighed, "I think the only one who didn't scare her was Cray." He paused and glanced down at Raven, "Raven, none of us are going to hurt you. You know that right?"

Raven's dulled eye lights meet Blueprints bright diamond ones, "Does it matter? You both are acting just like him. Silencing someone's voice." Her statement struck a cord with both brothers as Cray winced.

Blueprint laughed nervously attempting to change the subject, "Well to answer your question. I never really did ask Mom why she left Dad. I was never given a reason to ask her. Dad always told me it was because she wanted 'money' and the fame of have a child to another fellow Royal Guardsmen." He continues rubbing circles along Raven's back.

Both Cray and Palette sat in front on Blueprint a foot or two away.

Raven nodded in acknowledgment as her eyes meet her lap while wiping her tears away. She then started twiddling with her fingers and glancing from her fingers to Cray and Palette. Both of their demeanors had become relaxed with Palette's radiating guilt.

"I-I never did ask my M-Mom why she l-left Dad. He told me Mom only wanted him for his body and his money." Palette stuttered his eyes looking everywhere but Raven.

"I never see your Mom anymore Pal." Cray stated.

"She's always with that strange psycho who talks to herself. Think her name is Cross?" Palette shudders.

"That girl? She gives me the creeps." Cray also shudders.

Blueprint shakes his head as a chuckle escapes him, "You two are hopeless." Raven curls up more into a ball the back of her ankles hugging Blueprint's thigh. She crosses her arms as she leans completely on Blueprint. Her eye sockets droop as she slowly succumbs to sleep.

Cray smirks while Palette smiles happily.

Palette instantly loses his smile as he remembers the mostly terrified skeleton in Blueprints arms, "Goth is gonna kill us."

Cray glares at Palette, "Did you just figure that out?" He asks sarcastically.

"I'm still angry with Goth." He mutters.

"Does that really matter now? Raven is terrified. We just wanted to talk to her to see if she would help us but you had to go off on her."

"Well she angered me when she called my Dad a prick! How do you think I was supposed to react?!"

"Maybe with your brain? You know that thing everyone relates to a computer?"

"Do skeletons even have a brain?"

"Are you calling all skeletons stupid?"

"No! We don't have a brain though! We have empty skulls."

"This isn't helping your situation."

"And this isn't helping Raven!"

Palette and Cray glanced at Blueprint and Raven.

Blueprint was a little stunned that Raven had actually fallen asleep on him. Raven's skull resting on his chest as baby blush spread across his cheek bones. He glanced at the two skeletons in front of him, "Her sleeping doesn't help us."

"Well maybe if you both hadn't worn her down like that then maybe everything would be fine now." Cray grumbled out.

"I wasn't even doing anything to her!" Blueprint said defensively.

"It doesn't change the fact that you helped in having her feel whatever she's feeling. But I'm more curious as to what she meant by grandad silencing someone's voice."

"I was curious about that too." Blueprint gently shook Raven who muttered a 'go away'.

The three awake skeletons chuckled.

Raven opens her eyes groggily, "The hell do you guys want? A spiteful Raven?" She rubs her eye sockets.

"We want to know what you meant by 'Dad silencing someone's voice'." Blueprint states.

"Oh really? Just so you and Mr.Fuckozoid over there can snap at me again? No thanks." Raven states angrily.

Blueprint winces, "We won't snap or glare at you." He pauses, glaring at Palette, "We just want to know what you meant or mean." Pausing he glances down at a very still Raven. "Raven?" He calls out quietly.

Raven flinches, "S-Sorry, Just remembering a few things." She pauses seemingly to curl more into herself.

The three skeletons waited patiently seeming to understand that she needed a little time to think.

She let out a long drawn out sigh, "It happened when I was four. Goth was six. Xahji and Shino were two at the time.

Our Dad got invited to Lady Blue's home at the palace. Dad decided to take Goth and I with him to meet our older half brother. He's 7 years older then Goth and quite jolly and fun.

When we got there we were greeted with kind smiles while Dad kept us close to him.

Lady Blue was nice. She seemed like a very caring mother. But then your father showed up." She shuddered as Blueprint wrapped her in a tight embrace. She continued, "Dad seemed very at ease in Lady Blue's home until your father barged through the door and slapped her. He called her horrible things just for having my Dad there.

Goth and I were sitting at a small table Lady Blue had set up. We were coloring while our half brother who I can't remember the name of, went some where. I think upstairs.

We watched as our Dad stood and sauntered over to Ink. Dad was looking Ink dead in the eyes and whispered something as he had pulled Lady Blue behind him. But whatever Dad said definitely pissed Ink off because the next thing I know Ink had picked me up-" Raven cut herself off as her breath hitched. Her voice trembling as she stuttered, "H-He... I-I... All I-I remember is pain in my right arm. He had slammed Goth into a near by wall. In a fit of rage. It broke her leg and her shoulder blade." Raven breathed to calm her emotions. She never liked talking about this situation. Or the after math, "I had blacked out and when I came too I saw Auntie Error who had Ink tied up. My right arm was wrapped in a thin blue string. Lady Blue had me in her arms and was healing my injured arm through the thin cast.

She was crying.

I didn't see my Dad or Goth anywhere so I ended up clinging onto Lady Blue for the rest of the day.

My Dad still blames himself for not being faster. I still have the scar to prove it." She pauses, taking a shaky breath.

"We never went back to Lady Blue's home again. Even when she invited us." Raven through telling this had her eyes trained on her lap. She couldn't bare to see the looks on their faces but she had felt Blueprint stiffen when she had mentioned that his mother had gotten slapped. Raven rolled up her right sleeve and traced the rather large, faded burn mark and she felt Blueprints grip on her tighten.

All four skeletons sat in silence and Raven spoke once more, "That's why Goth hasn't told you yet Palette. Your prick of a father traumatized us. After that incident both Goth and I clung to our mother. We tried avoiding our own father because of that. That's also why, even now, even though I like someone, I cant bring myself to stay in close proximity to any monster of the male gender. Even with Blueprint hugging me so c-close I-I feel like just crawling into a bawl to shut out the world." Her eyes snapping to Palette's still form as he tried to wrap his skull around what he just heard. Her glaze then landed on Cray who seemed at a loss for words. She didn't even bother looking at Blueprint. She had a feeling none of them believed her story even though she had the scar to prove it.

A loud commanding voice broke over the field the skeletons were in, "Boys! It's time for training!"

Palette was the one to answer back first, "Okay Dad! We are just hanging out with a friend!" He yelled back.

In this instance Raven's hands immediately sprang up to clutch Blueprints shirt. It startled Blueprint somewhat. He felt her trembling more then she had before, "P-Please let me go home. Please. I don't want to be anywhere close to that thing that you call 'Dad'." Her voice became quiet as she tried to make herself as small as possible.

The three boys were stunned. They hadn't even seen Goth tremble like Raven was and Goth had seen him before.

A tall skeleton man started to approach from a distance. His paint splattered cape waving in the gentle breeze. His sword attached to the brown belt around his waist. A vest he wore with dress pants and dress shoes, all of which were cream colored.

All three boys stood with Blueprint picking up Raven and then setting her on her feet. Once Blueprint let go, Raven went to bolt but Blueprint quickly caught her and hugged her close to his chest, "Dad won't hurt you. I promise." He whispered in Ravens none existent ear.

"Don't make promises you can't keep." She whispered back as her hands returned to clutching Blueprints shirt, her face buried in his chest. She pulled her sleeve back down.

Their father stopped in front of Blueprint, "Who is this friend Blueprint?" His voice light and held authority as he examined Raven.

"This is Raven Dad." Blueprint responds with a smile as Raven tries to push herself closer to Blueprint.

Once he heard Raven's name he turned cold, "Send her home and never bring her back here again. Do I make myself clear?" He asked with a scowl.

Blueprint frowned as his grip tightened on Raven who looked up in confusion at him, "Why? She hasn't done anything wrong Dad."

"She doesn't belong here."

"How doesn't she? You've never said for a civilian to leave before and we aren't even on castle grounds!" Blueprint exclaims.

"She's the daughter of a dishonorable man Blueprint. I will not tell you to send her home again. And if she doesn't leave I will have to resort to a method I would like to very much avoid."

Cray pipes up, "Grandad what do you mean? You've never acted like this towards anyone before." He states.

Ink turns towards Cray an unreadable expression on his face, "I will not ask her to be removed again."

"B-Blueprint please let me go." Raven a little bit above a whisper, demands as her voice cracks.

It broke Blueprints heart, her voice sounding so shaken, "I-"

Before anyone had time to react Raven was ripped away from Blueprint with a yelp as she skidded against the ground. Her shoulder sustaining a good majority of the damage.

Ink had slammed her away from his own son.

Blueprints promise had been shattered in an instant as he stared wide eyed at his father.

Raven scrambled to her feet her hand latching onto her ribcage. Ink had broken a rib but she hadn't cried out like he thought she would. Instead she just stood there on shaky legs her face and shoulder having dirt scraped along them.

Ink lunged forward again his fist connecting with her ribcage. This time she cried out as she was flung back into a tree. A snap was heard and Raven crumbled to the ground in a daze.

Ink lunged forward once more.

Blueprint whose eyes lights were light ablaze with blue magic, was the first to move, summoning a bone like cage around Raven. Affectively blocking his father's advance.

Ink snarled, skidding to a stop and turned towards Blueprint, "Why? Do you want to go against your father? D-" Blueprint cut Ink off just has Ink unsheathed his sword, the sharp blade held in front of him.

"Dad she hasn't done anything wrong. Ignoring her father. Ignoring her background. She is still a civilian of the Castle." Blueprint pauses as he summons bones around himself, the ones protecting Raven not vanishing, "Royal Guards are bound to protect the King, Queen, and it's people. One of which you have failed to protect."

Blueprint's bones point towards his father, "But you won't be punished. It won't be deemed 'Your Fault'." He throws a bone.

Ink dodges it.

"I won't let you hurt Raven anymore then you already have." Blueprint states as Ink grits his teeth.

Cray walks to the right of Blueprint, "These two have already scared the shit out of her. We don't need their family on our hinds." He states.

Palette walks to Blueprints left, anger present on his face, "Any monster who hurts a civilian is no friend of the crown." He summons his roller, twirling it like a baton.

But before anyone moved a large scythe clangs agains Inks ink slathered sword. The force is enough to throw him back into a tree. The three skeletons stare after their father in shock until they feel a very 'deathly' aura behind them. They tense and Blueprint is the first to turn around to see the God of death himself. Blueprints bone cage seeming to have dissipated.

"M-Mr.Death w-we can ex-" Blueprint is cut off with the same scythes curved blade resting lightly against his neck.

"Two of you are to stay away from my daughters. The only exception being Cray." The God had Raven held tightly in his arms his cloak flickering like flames on the ground within a certain radius.

Palettes eyes widened in panic, "Mr.Death please! I wa-"

Reaper cut him off, "I will not repeat myself. You are forbidden to see my daughter. And considering Ravens injuries I can only assume Ink was the only one to attack her physically."

The scythe disappears and Reaper 'pops' away. Leaving two of the boys in low spirits and a very angry Ink.

--