Melody wakes up slowly the next morning, surprised by the silence. There's no music or cheering. No clapping hands or stomping feet. She prepares quickly, conjuring a pair of white shorts and a long, blue, ruffled dress. She slides a thin green jacket over it and throws her handbag over her shoulder before dashing out.

The common area is crowded with people. Emelia sits in one corner, with Oliver sitting on the floor next to her. Next to them is Ra, munching happily on a slice of toast with an egg on top. Across the table sits Julien and Akari, feeding each other lovingly. Koji sits next to his sister, and Melody can't tell if he's glaring at Julien or intentionally looking away from their cutesiness. Marcus sits on the back of the couch, as far away from Emelia and Oliver as possible.

"What's going on?" Melody says, gripping the strap of her bag anxiously. "Is the party over?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Ra says with a nod of greeting. "Akari made the announcement this morning."

"I've ignored my duties for too long," Akari confirms. "I may be retiring, but that doesn't mean I can keep pushing it off on everyone else. So, I told everyone I was looking for an apprentice and had them get back to work." She holds a glob of rice out to Julien, and he happily accepts.

"Oh, okay," Melody says, relaxing. She walks over to join the group, sitting down next to Marcus. She gives him a stern look, glancing at Emelia so he knows what she's referring to. Marcus rolls his eyes, nodding dismissively.

"So, once you find an apprentice, are you going to train them?" Marcus says, staring at the mound of peanut butter on his toast. "Or just hand your title over with your relic?" Akari hums, her shoulders dropping. Melody prepares to elbow Marcus until she brightens again.

"I suppose I should train them properly, shouldn't I? It wouldn't be fair to just dump everything into their lap and leave," she says. Julien nods, wrapping an arm around her affectionately.

"Speaking of leaving, I will be today," Ra interjects, clearing his throat. "As pleasant as this has been, I'm afraid I must return to the Ennead."

"I'm staying until tomorrow, to make sure things go smoothly," Julien adds. Melody nods, glancing around the room. Emelia is listening intently, and Melody wonders if she'll be returning with Ra. Koji's eyes are downcast; he clearly has something on his mind. She makes a mental note to ask him about it when she gets the chance.

"So, you're back to work," Marcus says, waving his toast at Akari. "I assume Fujin and Raijin are keeping their word, or we wouldn't have spent the last two days celebrating. Which means we should probably start talking about Tsukuyomi." Eyes sink all around the table, plates being pushed back. Melody glares at Marcus, but he either doesn't notice or ignores her. "Anyone have any ideas what we're going to do about that?"

"Akimoto has always been stubborn," Akari says wistfully, folding her hands in her lap. "I doubt there's anything we can do to change his mind."

"Nothing at all?" Emelia says, sitting up straighter. "Couldn't we at least talk to him first?"

"He won't listen. He's made his decision, and all we can do is live with it," Akari sighs, hanging her head like she's got weights attached to her forehead. "I'm afraid nobody can save Tsukuyomi's godhood now." Everybody goes quiet, the weight of her words hanging over them. Ra finishes his toast, wiping his mouth with a napkin before clearing his throat loudly.

"Actually, I know of a way we can save it," he says, raising his chin. All heads snap to him, eyes wide. "There aren't many who know this, so I'd ask all of you to keep it a secret. I'm not sure how the gods would react if they knew."

"Of course," Melody says quickly.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Julien adds, leaning back casually. "But it must be pretty big if you're trying to keep it quiet."

"It is," Ra confirms. He closes his eyes, sucking in a deep breath through his nose. "There is a way to strip someone of their title. Even once they've accepted that god's power." Koji and Oliver gasp, their eyes going wide. Julien leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. Akari gasps, covering her mouth with her fingertips.

"Really?" She breathes, as if she's afraid to believe it could be true. Ra nods, closing his eyes.

"Yes. But it's not a simple process - and it's not something just anyone can do," he explains, lacing his fingers together. "In fact, the only ones who can do it are the Gods of Old." Julien's head falls forward, his enthusiasm dying. Marcus grumbles, leaning back on his arms.

"So, it can't be done," he mutters. Ra chuckles and smirks.

"Oh, I assure you that it can. The Gods of Old aren't just legends; they're real."

"Even if they are, they're missing," Julien says dismissively.

"The same way the gods are missing to mortals?" Ra counters with a grin. Julien raises a finger, his mouth opening to argue. Then he slowly leans back, looking sheepish. "That's what the Gods of Old are; they are to us what we are to mortals. And they still exist, to this very day."

"And you're saying if we can find one, they can take Tsukuyomi's godhood," Emelia clarifies. Ra nods, leaning back proudly.

"Um, I don't want to be the one to say this, but..." Melody says, looking down at herself. "I've tried to research the Gods of Old a thousand times. But nobody could tell me anything about them - in either the Norse or Greek Pantheons." She slowly looks back to Ra, seeing the twinkle in his eye. "How do you know so much?"

"Well, put simply, I was once one of them," Ra says plainly, crossing one leg over the other. "In fact, you could say they're my brothers and sisters." Oliver sputters, choking on his drink. Koji's lip twitches in awe, and Melody notices him slide back a bit.

"Okay, wait-" Julien says, slowly standing. "From what I've heard, the Gods of Old are Primordial Beings - they've existed since the dawn of creation. In fact, Tia says they're the ones that created the world. How could you be one of them?"

"Because he was there," Melody gasps, casting her mind back. "After the rebellion, a rumor started floating around the Greek apprentices that Ra has never taken an apprentice. Which means you're..." She trails off, trying to wrap her head around it.

"That's what he told Zeus, but that was-" Julien says, stopping when he locks eyes with Ra. The color drains from his face, his eyes widening even further. "Wait. That was true? I thought you just said that to get Zeus to calm down!"

"Why would I lie?" Ra says with a chuckle. "I am the one and only Ra. I always have been, and I always will be." He shifts, uncrossing and recrossing his legs. "My primordial aspect is life."

"So, you can-" Akari says, her eyes wet with tears. Ra shakes his head before she can finish.

"I'm afraid not. As I said, I was once one of them. But I decided instead to guide Egypt, and humanity, with my own hands," he explains, holding his hands out. "While my kin decided to step back and let humanity grow on their own. I gave up my primordial power in favor of the life I have now." Akari's shoulders slump again as she nods sadly.

"...so, again. It can't be done." Marcus huffs. "Or are you going to tell us that they kept in contact with you and only you?"

"I'm afraid not," Ra agrees. "Since I decided to become a god - and give up my primordial aspect - they had to distance themselves from me as well. But there is one god who remains in contact with one," he adds.

"And I'm assuming it's not someone good?" Emelia guesses. Ra nods, smiling brightly.

"Correct. It's the Jade Emperor." Ra says. Oliver groans, flopping his head onto the table. Marcus echoes his sentiment, rolling his head back on his neck.

"Right, let's just go to the guy that's sending his underlings to attack us and ask him for help. I'm sure that's going to go well," he complains. He lifts his head, levelling a hard stare at Ra. "In case you missed the memo, the Jade Emperor is against the treaty. We'd be better avoiding him altogether."

"Actually...I've been thinking about that," Melody says, pinching her chin in thought. "Marcus, Erlang told you that the Jade Emperor is worried that he'll be pressured into signing our treaty, right?"

"Yeah. So, all we have to do is avoid him and his lackeys, and we're home free," he confirms. Melody grumbles, shaking her head.

"But we can't let that happen. It's meaningless if anyone is forced to sign. Especially him."

"You can't be serious," Marcus grunts.

"It's not fair if he doesn't have a choice! And that's what we're trying to fix, isn't it?" Melody counters. "I've been thinking about it ever since you told me what Erland said. I..." She glances around the group, searching for any kind of support before finishing her thought. "I want to go to the Jade Palance next."

"W-what?" Oliver squeaks, groping under the table for his staff. Emelia's eyebrows shoot up, and she crosses her arms silently. Marcus jumps off the couch, turning to face Melody directly.

"Uh, did you forget who's waiting for us? The Great Sage Equal to Heaven?" He says bluntly. "Supposedly stronger than their entire Pantheon put together?"

"H-he's right, what are we supposed to do about him?" Oliver squeaks, pulling his staff close to his chest. Emelia touches his shoulder, squeezing it softly to help him relax.

"I know, it's reckless and stupid, but we have to," Melody insists. "I don't want to do this if I have to force it on someone. We've got to show him how important the treaty is." She meets Marcus's eyes, sitting up straighter. "I know I can convince him. Just trust me."

"I do - I trust you," Marcus says quickly. He holds her stare for a bit longer before letting out a long sigh. "Fine - I guess we can't avoid them forever. Sun Wukong will come after us eventually," he admits sourly.

"Then we better be prepared. Luckily, I spent the last week and a half researching every legend he's a part of," Emelia says. "Honestly, I don't think we'll be able to beat him if we have to face him head-on. But I have some ideas, and if they work-"

"We'll figure something out today," Melody says quickly. She looks at Oliver and Marcus, gauging their reactions when she says "But we've been here too long. I think we should leave tomorrow morning."

"Works for me," Marcus says with a shrug. "I'm good to go whenever." Oliver looks down at his staff, his head sinking into his shoulders. Emelia touches his shoulder again before he nods. Melody nods back, her stomach twisting anxiously.

"Then it's decided. Our next stop is the Jade Palace."