## Chapter 260: I Will Love You Forever
New Dream.
It was hard to imagine that such a tiny, fragile child could be the offspring of the Great Devourer. It was equally difficult to comprehend how a newborn could command the intense scrutiny of the Warp—especially from those ruinous entities who seemed physically incapable of leaving the universe in peace.
Even years later, Yuki had still not completely processed the initial shock of her existence. New Dream was growing slowly and steadily, just like an ordinary human child.
She was delightfully uninhibited when playing with the Hive Tyrants, darting around inside the organic hulls of massive bioships to play hide-and-seek with the Cerebrates. Much like Yuno and Yuki, she could sense the individual thoughts of the swarm.
Yet, neither Yuno nor Yuki could ever fully read her mind.
Perhaps that was precisely why those entities in the Immaterium were so deeply obsessed with her. But Yuki couldn't care less about any of that, nor did he care how the rest of the galaxy viewed New Dream. He only remembered her third year, when she was sleeping on a soft bed woven from living biomass while he and Yuno quietly watched over her.
She had suddenly opened her eyes, giggling as she reached up her tiny arms for a hug.
When Yuki gathered her into his arms, she let out two slurred, ambiguous syllables. Neither Yuki nor Yuno caught it clearly at first, but New Dream repeated herself, and this time, the words were unmistakably clear.
"Daddy."
Yuki's heart melted on the spot. Yuno, on the other hand, felt thoroughly defeated, throwing a minor tantrum for the rest of the day. But the very next morning, New Dream learned to say "Mommy" as well.
Over the past few years, the Aether and Chronos Fleets had been continuously assisting newly arrived swarms in purging Warp threats as they entered the galaxy, taking over the responsibilities that belonged to the Chronos Fleet in the original timeline. It was far from an easy task.
However, with the aid of Yuki, Yuno, and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the burden became considerably lighter.
After all, War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death were each Primarch-level entities in their own right. Supported by the sheer size of the Aether and Chronos Fleets—second in scale only to Leviathan itself—no Chaos force in the Warp could stand against them.
Until New Dream developed both the ability to protect herself and a proper moral compass, Yuki and Yuno strictly refused to make excessive contact with humanity or any other sentient species.
Time flew by.
Today was New Dream's fifth birthday.
She skipped happily through the organic corridors of the bioship until she reached her destination: the dwelling place—or rather, the incubation chamber—of Death.
The massive chitin door lacked a handle. New Dream hopped up and gave it a few light knocks, and the doorway split open at her touch.
Across the entire Aether and Chronos Fleets, only Yuno, Yuki, and New Dream possessed unrestricted access to every chamber.
Death was currently repairing her physical form, having expended a considerable amount of energy during the recent battles.
Sensing New Dream's arrival, Death opened her eyes just as the little girl pounced onto her.
"Auntie Death!"
"What is it, New Dream?"
All Four Horsemen doted on New Dream. In truth, the entire Tyranid fleet adored her, for their collective minds formed Yuno's consciousness, and Yuno's will guided them all. They did not presume to label their devotion as maternal love, choosing instead to express it as deep familial affection.
Perhaps this was the finest outcome possible.
"Auntie Death, where is Hive Tyrant Brother No. 326? I haven't seen him in so long."
Death paused, considering the question carefully. New Dream was likely referring to the specific Hive Tyrant that often played with her. "He likely perished during the recent battle," Death answered softly. "I will look into it, but if his synaptic memory was not transmitted back in time, he will never return."
Death refrained from telling New Dream that the probability of him never returning was almost absolute. Hive Tyrants were not guaranteed memory-backups as a rule. Hmm... perhaps I should introduce a few Lictors to keep her company instead.
"Um, there's one more thing, Auntie Death... what do Daddy and Mommy do every night?"
Death's expression turned remarkably complex. How was she supposed to explain a topic like that to a five-year-old?
"Uhh... little children shouldn't worry about those things yet. You'll understand when you grow up."
It was a hollow, entirely irresponsible brush-off, but Death had no better alternative. Sensing her surroundings slightly, she realized Yuki and Yuno were currently analyzing ways to mitigate the influence of the Great Rift.
After a brief thought, Death quickly suggested, "New Dream, how about I take you to see your mother and father?"
---
Yuno and Yuki's quarters frequently doubled as their strategic war room. Thanks to the bioship's extraordinary capacity for organic re-engineering, major galactic decisions were often made right here.
Yuno was concerned that the Great Rift might inflict unnecessary collateral damage on the primary Hive Fleet. Although the main fleet possessed numbers vast enough to ignore such losses, years of peaceful domestic life had made her want to resolve problems a bit more neatly.
"Perhaps we should seek out the Silent King?"
"I don't think that fellow would agree," Yuki replied.
"They only need organic life to aid their research into regaining living bodies. Couldn't we just leave a portion of biomass for them?" Yuno offered after a moment of thought.
"I doubt that would work," Yuki countered. "Szarekh wants to return to an organic state and ascend as something akin to the new Old Ones. If that's his goal, we'd be better off eliminating them outright."
"Speaking of which, how did your strength rank back during the War in Heaven?"
"If the Great Devourer had existed during the War in Heaven, it would have emerged as a massive third faction. The war would have spiraled from a clash between the C'tan and the Old Ones into a colossal, free-for-all war involving the C'tan, the Old Ones, and the Greater Tyranids."
The Void Dragon chimed in from the side.
"Though in the end, it would definitely still be—"
"Mommy! Daddy!"
Before the Void Dragon could finish its thought, New Dream burst into the room. In this entire fleet, she was the sole individual capable of making such an unannounced entrance.
Yuno and Yuki completely ignored the Void Dragon, who was still attempting to speak, as Yuno swept New Dream up into her arms.
"Mommy! Today is my birthday!"
"Right! I'll go find a few planets for you to play with right away."
"Yuno, didn't we agree that before New Dream grows up—"
"I'll just put them in her name for now. Once you grow up, sweetie, all of them will be yours."
"I don't want planets! I just want Mommy and Daddy!"
Watching the scene unfold before him—New Dream beaming at him while Yuno held their daughter—Yuki felt, for a fleeting moment, as though they were not stranded in the grim dark of the Warhammer universe, surrounded by walls of biological tissue. He felt like an ordinary man enjoying simple, everyday bliss.
How wonderful it would be if life could always be like this.
Yuki smiled gently, stroking New Dream's head.
"Daddy and Mommy will be with you forever."
Observing the heartwarming scene, the Void Dragon wisely shut its mouth, while Death stood nearby, deeply touched.
"Hey... have you ever considered something?" the Void Dragon whispered quietly to Death.
"Hmm?"
"When this child was born, she drew the attention of so many galactic heavyweights. Why hasn't anyone come looking for her since?"