Neo's kidnapping had been more traumatizing for Maci and Tory than it had been for Neo, who grew up to forget that this had ever happened in her infancy. For several months after the event, both Maci and Tory struggled to take their eyes off of Neo ''ever'', nor let her out of their arms. Time went on - they did both eventually recover, though the memory of the event, particularly the horrible monologue Maci had heard from Thanatos before Tory had come, the echoes of Thanatos' words, would haunt and effect Maci well beyond the worry of her daughter's safety. ''This is an important fact for much later - particularly in reference to the resurfacing of one specific [[Chalasmos|godling]]...''

So Neo got older and Maci, to her credit, did ''not'' helicopter her despite the brief urge at first to continue to clutch and cling in Neo's early toddlerhood. Tory as the voice of reason at her side helped. Neo was so independent and fearless even as a baby that soon, clearly, it was impossible to even want to smother her down and confine her. Toddler Neo was a bubbly joy, though she liked to stare at people - through people, more like, a piercing gaze that only intensified as she got older. Still, even the looming knowledge of the realm Neo was Fated to inherit did not dampen or alarm Neo's spirits or Maci's spirits... during these early years. With Thanatos now actually gone, Maci and Tory knew that the Fates' plan all along ''would'' come to fruition, and Neo certainly wielded the power they'd known she would, capable of instantly killing ''anything'' remotely mortal - plants, pets, and yes, one day, mortal humans. Sure, the Death Gods preceding her had all turned bad, and Maci didn't ''like'' that Neo's destiny aligned with theirs, but when Maci looked at her sunny little baby, there was no scythe to cower from: just a pair of twinkly violet eyes that matched her own. Maci - ''still having never properly dealt with anything to do with hers and Thanatos' history'' - had already stifled back another layer of trauma that had stacked up from Neo's kidnapping and had "moved on," in her opinion. Knowing that Neo would ''actually'' walk in Thanatos' footsteps would not affect her relationship with her daughter, said Maci firmly to herself.

Neo continued to grow up, now dutifully surrounded by all the other children of the palace who'd been born around her, as well as a collection of aunts and uncles who'd moved in the palace while time had passed. Then, in the blink of an eye it was Neo's 10th birthday. The day after Neo turned 10, Maci and Tory were approached by Nyx, who requested that they come to her home urgently. Violent Death Ker - the singular Death -