It was already dark by the time the two guardians left the underground hallway system. Phil checked multiple times that everything was closed up properly, making sure every single corner was fully closed and that they didn't leave a single trance in any of the hallways on the way out. Only when they finally stepped out into the fresh air and closed the last doorway behind him did he finally relax against Techno's side, who kept close during the whole trip. His friend can only imagine how stressed out his mind must be about opening up the way to Sky City's heart or the possibility of leaving a door unlocked for others to find. It must have taken a lot for the angel to even trust Techno enough to bring him down there in the first place.

The power that Sky City's heart holds is enough to keep the entire island alive and healthy and safe from any kind of threat that comes it's way... It's the reason why everything on the island is still alive. Without it, neither the old civilization nor any of the animals would have survived, especially for so long. So if it gets stolen away, not only are those people then in possession of one of the most dangerous and powerful creation in the world, but the whole island would die as a result of the crystal being taken away. It's called the 'Heart' for a reason.

Phil yawned and leaned more against his friend, rubbing his eyes to try and wake up a bit. It's been a long day... and they both know it. Not to mention that the stress of his role as guardian could also just completely drain him of his energy.

"Let's get you to bed old man... you look tired." "Shut-" The remark was only half hearted and a yawn at the end took away any fire that might have been behind it. Funny, in a way, how they seemed to have switched now. Techno was filled with new energy after what he just saw, though he can still feel the way his mind and body felt a bit fuzzy after the training, while his friend was absolutely exhausted. Probably from using so much magic as well... but he should be used to it, right? He's been using it for centuries, surely his body could handle more than that.

Getting up to the nest was the real challenge now. Phil was half awake by the time they got to the tree, clinging to Techno's side as he tried his best not to fall behind on their walk there, so Techno didn't really trust him with flying up. Poor guy will probably crash into something and get them both injured. Techno also wasn't the strongest right now, so he wasn't exactly sure if he could carry Phil all the way up, but he might as well try. Better than Phil accidentally letting him fall from half way up the tree.

It wasn't too hard to maneuver the half asleep angel onto his back and have him hold on to his shoulders. Phil seemed to enjoy his warmth as he immediately cuddled closer, his breath already slowing down. Better hurry before he will fully fall asleep and lose his grip.

Carefully, Techno pulled himself up on the first branch. Phil seemed to have a pretty good grip on him, even when this tired. He barely moved an inch on his back, even after all the movement, so he wasn't too worried about him falling down now. He wasn't that heavy either, considering his hollow bones and small frame. The way up the tree still took forever, as he had to move slow in order for Phil to not lose his grip on him.  Brian was very helpful in telling Techno which branches were safe to climb on and would not end in him facing a dead end further up. He will find some sort of treat for the bird tomorrow... that crow is a life saver of it wants to be.

Techno practically collapsed into the nest once he finally got up, falling face first into the mess of pillows with Phil still on his back. Okay... he may have underestimated how much strength it would actually take to carry his friend up here... because now he definitely was just as exhausted as he was. His body refused to let him move any further than his current position, finally shutting down after a day of training in an unfamiliar field.

After his time on the island, he definitely isn't used to such exhaustion anymore... which is probably a good thing in the long run. His health hadn't exactly been the greatest on the airship.

While the two friends rested their tired bodies, huddled together for warmth and safety, Brian called a few other crows over to help him tuck the two in. Together they pulled a heavier blanket over them and used their wings to blow out the candle in the lantern. It's the least they can do, take care of the two humans that in return protect their island home.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The following days passed by in a blur, their time spent with magic training and patrols around the island. Techno was making great progress, his body getting back in shape and adapting to the use of his new magic abilities. Sure, he had been strong before, but he was also half starved most of the time and barely got any sleep. This kind of training and life was much better for him and his health. He also accompanied Phil on his patrols now, either on foot or being carried around. Exploring the island has become one of his new favorite activities as there is just so much to see. Everything from the city ruins to the insides of the castle and even some underwater stuff in the small lakes.

Yeah... sometimes they tend to get a bit distracted during the patrols.

When they took breaks, they exchanged more stories about their life. Phil learned about what it was like growing up on the ground, how the villages work and what society was like nowadays. Techno learned about how Phil grew up and how the people treated him, as well as how their community had worked.

It was interesting to see the differences after the two worlds split, since they did come from the same set of rules. Like how they didn't exactly had a form of currency in Sky City, since it was technically nothing more than a large village. Everybody knew everyone, so they traded things instead. The farmers and bakers traded for clothes and medicine, while blacksmiths traded their items for food. Teachers and doctors offered their services for free, as medical treatment or kids education seemed like something that shouldn't have to be bought. They still received food and other material items, but not from every single parent or patient individually. It was more of a... weekly payment from the higher ups for their service to make sure they have everything they needed.

Phil assured Techno that it sounded a lot more complicated than it actually was. It was just a bit difficult to explain for him. Which didn't help at all. The man was still very much confused on how that system worked out for so long without collapsing or someone getting greedy. Seems very unlikely to him. But those people did create magic... so who knows.

"If you traded stuff... then what did you trade? Since you were a guardian and all that, did you offer protection for food?" Phil shook his head no and quickly swallowed his current bite of food. "No not really. I was treated like a doctor or teacher. I protect the whole island and in return I was given everything I needed to survive. Besides... they literally worshipped me as a sort of god and gave me and my family all kinds of gifts and offerings." Techno hummed and watched Phil's wings twitch when he took another bite out of the fruit. "Right... forgot about that part."

He took a sip from his cup, allowing the words to replay in his mind once more. "Okay so... you traded stuff or just shared everything in general. Right?" "Yup." "Then why all the gold? Not just chains and stuff, but like the coins, treasures, jewels and all that." The angel shrugged and took another bite. "I dunno. Wasn't alive when we left and took all of that with us. For me it was always just decoration. Either for myself as jewelry or stuff for my nest. Most of the treasure, as you would call it, is down in the hallway rooms anyways. So no one really used it."

"Seems like a bad idea to have so much gold just laying around..." "Well we never expected for the ground people to actually try and get up after so many years." Techno stared at the water in his cup, his brows furrowed. It didn't really make sense to him, how they ran things up here. Not to mention that the leaders didn't exactly explain themselves to anyone either, not even their priced guardian. But talking about it did bring another thought to his mind.

"Phil... you made the storm around the island, right? To protect it?" "It's was more the crystal but... yeah, I did." "And it's made so that absolutely no one gets through? Forgetting about me somehow being here for a second." Phil squirmed in his spot across from Techno, clearly nervous about the sudden topic switch. "Where are you going with this?" Techno bit the inside of his cheek. Oh he hopes his friend won't take this the wrong way, but he's genuinely curious. And maybe... a part of him did feel bad for the fate of his crew. "Why did you create something that has such a high kill rate? With such violent winds nothing can come out of there unharmed. How do you know that the people trying to enter aren't your own people trying to get back onto the island?"

Phil visibly tensed, the hands that were holding the cup shaking a bit. Shit... that came out the wrong way. "Sorry. I shouldn't-" "No. It's fine. It's not like I haven't thought about it myself." The angel steadied himself, wings curling around his shoulders as if he was trying to hide himself away... or hug himself, he wasn't quite sure.

"When my people left... despite everything they've done for me... I was bitter about it. The thought about abandoning my home, our home... it just made me angry. Leave all our creations up here floating for anyone to find, once they gain the ability to do so. Which they clearly did, you proved that by being here. Just imagine what kind of maniacs could have found this place! What they would have done with our magic! I... I just didn't understand it. So I refused to come with and told them that I would continue to guard our magic, so that no one could lay their hands on it." His hands began shaking again, but this time it wasn't sorrow that caused it.

"And when I meant no one, I meant absolutely no one, not even them. They abandoned everything... abandoned me, even long before they actually left. So I swore myself to never let anyone back in, because who knows how their time on the ground could have changed them. For all I know, they could come back just to take the magic down there and cause a war. I won't take that risk. So I made them all give me their crystals. Every single one. If they wanted to join the ground people, then they have to be like them. Meaning no magic."

The fire in his eyes died down, replaced by something... empty. "All their crystals are down in the hallways too. I'm the only one who kept mine, since I needed it to help me guard the island. It hurt... but I thought it was the right thing. Who knows what they would have done on the ground with them... who could have stolen and used them." He looked up at Techno, something sad washing over his face.

"I'm sorry... for what happened to your airship. I know not everyone on there was bad, that you were only following what your captain told you to do. The storm is supposed to scare them away... not kill them. Only the ones that dare to come too close. That's why when further away, the winds are only supposed to push you away from it... but I guess there are cases where the kill is... unjustified. I don't know how many people lost their lives to the storm, how many innocents who weren't a threat... and I don't know if I even want to know. But this is the best way to keep the island safe. You are the first to enter in almost a thousand years, the first who ever managed to somehow get through. And at this point... I think the storm wanted you to get through."

Techno watched as Phil's wings curl more around him and how he lowered his head in shame at the thought of all the deaths he had caused. Innocent deaths. Even with the somewhat comforting thought of Lay Death taking care of them, it still meant that those people never got to finish their full story. Despite the ache in his own chest at the thought of his crew, the few loose friends he made, he found himself not blaming the angel for it. Phil was only doing what he thought was right and the best way to keep his home safe.

And who was to say that Techno wouldn't have done the same, if the roles were reversed.

He inched closer to his friend and gently placed a hand on a trembling wing, still tightly wrapped around the other. Phil flinched at the touch, feathers puffing up defensively at the unfamiliar touch of someone else's hand on them, but he didn't protest when Techno carefully moved the wing away from his shoulder, just so he can pull him into a hug without crumbling any of the sensitiv feathers. "It's okay... I can understand. You were just protecting your home... I don't blame you for it."

Phil leaned into the hug and buried his face in Techno's shoulder. He didn't want to cry in front of him again. It happened too many times already and it wasn't fair that he was dumping all of his insecurities on the other. Techno didn't mind it though, slowly letting a hand brush through his friends hair in an attempt to calm him down. "It's fine... you're fine... you did nothing wrong."

It took a while, but eventually his shaking did stop and his body relaxed against the other. Techno had been so kind to him... willing to listen and hold him whenever he broke down again. It was new... but by the gods did it feel good to finally let it all out. And after everything Techno had done for him, he felt like he deserved a sign of trust... or appreciation, even more so than taking him to Sky City's heart.

"Techno?"

"Mmm?"

"Do you want to preen my wings?"