Chapter Ten. I'm not going to apologize for how long this one took to write. I could give you any number of excuses but it boils down to work and having almost zero ideas for finishing this one and almost every idea under the sun for chapters for future book(s). If you liked my fanpage on facebook, you'd see what i was actually focusing on by my posts. you may or may not understand what's going on but you can tell they're for future books.
I wanted to get this chapter done today because today is the (*fanfair*) one year anniversary that i started collaborating with Kawaii Stella. so, this chapter is posted in honor of that great moment when we started chatting ideas back and forth on facebook. without further ado (except for the disclaimer), here's chapter ten.
I don't own Cyberchase. Max is mine. Echo belongs exclusively to Kawaii Stella and her story Picking up the Broken Glass.
Chapter Ten
It All Comes Back
The ride back in the cybercoop to Shangri-La was mostly silent. Echo had wrestled the keys away from Max and commandeered the coop. Max didn't struggle or argue as they slipped into the comfortable seats. Echo started take off procedures and Max leaned against the window; watching the Northern Frontier disappear beneath her. A gasp made Echo's face whip around and regard Max.
"You okay?" Echo asked, braking the coop for a moment.
"Deja vu." Max said.
"What did you see?" Echo prompted.
"I-I felt like I took off from here before . . . a long time ago. I was somebody else, then, and I was with somebody else then." Max answered. She gave herself a little shake. "I think Digit was here with me. But there was someone else, too. Someone bad."
"What was the bad person's name?" Echo asked.
Max shrugged. Echo frowned and moved her foot over to the gas. As Max leaned her head back against the cushy seat of the coop, she shut her eyes and began the same low muttering she had done earlier. Before long, Echo was shaking her awake as she touched down on the Site.
"We're here." Echo said.
Max nodded and got out. As her feet touched the soft blades of grass, Max shuddered at the sudden memory.
"Hacker." Max said.
"What?" Echo gasped, looking at Max.
"His name was Hacker."
"The other one who was with you and Digit?"
This time, a nod.
"How bad was he?"
"He tried to kill me." Max pushed away from the coop and went up to the gates.
0
Perceival, the ever-alert borg, straightened up and raised his bow; ready to draw and nock a field-tip arrow to his bow. His dark eyes narrowed to mere slits as the coop set down outside the gates. One hand lovingly caressed the feathered flights on his arrows.
He blew out a sigh and put his bow down as two figures stepped out of the coop. Expected guests. Using a penlight, Perceival sent a message to ground petrol and was signaled in return. Then, Leroy, one of the younger Warriors, dashed up to the gates and waited.
1
"Should we knock? I mean, they could be fast asleep and it would be rude to wake them up." Echo said as they ascended the long staircase to the doors.
"There's usually someone still watching the plain about this time." Max said.
"How do you know that?"
A shrug. "I just do."
Max stretched up and started a light pounding on the door. After a minute or so of waiting, the door opened and a tall, lanky Warrior stepped out. He was so tall, even Echo barely came up to his chest. Hanging from his belt was a pair of throwing hatchets, but his relaxed stance showed both girls he was not about to use them.
"Sorry to bother you," Max began, "but we were told to come here and see Master Pi. I don't suppose he's available, is he?"
The Warrior shook his head and said four words in broken English. "The master is resting."
"Well, I guess we can wait 'til morning." Echo said.
"Sure we can." Max agreed. She nodded to the Warrior. "Thank you, we'll come back later."
The Warrior shook his head and stepped aside, waving an arm in a welcoming gesture. "Enter. Be welcome." he said.
"Thank you." Max said, politely, as she stepped in.
"Thanks." Echo said, sticking close to Max.
As soon as they cleared the threshold, the door closed with a resounding thud and two robust Warriors bolted it shut; one barely able to hid the contemptible sneer when he turned to the two girls.
"Follow me, please." their guide said, leading them up the long staircase of a tower to a lofty room. Once on the landing, he stopped and opened the door to a comfy room; motioning for them to enter and be welcome. "Stay here. Sleep well." he told them.
"Thank you." Max said.
"Thanks." Echo said, watching as a robust Warrior laid out a mat with pillow and blanket next to the low bed.
Both Warriors, once finished, bowed and left the room.
"Bed or mat?" Echo asked Max.
"You can have the bed." Max said, diving for the mat and curling up beneath the blankets.
Realizing it was futile to argue with Max, now, Echo plopped onto the bed.
0
Erasmus' rest was momentarily disturbed by a soft knock at the door. Very slowly, Erasmus rolled over.
"Yes?" he asked, gently.
"Master, the Shield-Maiden and her friend has arrived. What shall we do with them?" asked Leroy.
"Have you admitted them to Max's room?" Erasmus asked.
"Yes." Leroy answered.
"Let them sleep. In the morning, we shall see how much Max remembers . . . and if she is ready to reclaim her place among us." Erasmus told him.
He heard Leroy bow, then, "Master, what if she isn't ready?" The concern tight in his voice.
"Then she may never be." Erasmus admitted.
There was silence on the other side of the door and Erasmus knew Leroy was hesitant to continue speaking now. He was fond of Max and her decision to leave the Order – even as temporary as it was – hurt everyone who adored her. Admittedly, her choice to leave hurt more than Mattimeo's death ever would. The kindly master felt bad for telling Leroy that.
"She is ready, Leroy. Things will take place as they should. We have only but to have faith that this is right and proper." he said.
"Yes, Master. Thank you, Master. Good night, Master." Another bow, and Leroy was gone; leaving Erasmus to his sleep.
1
Mathias' alarm clock went off far too early for either his or Ada Mae's liking. The obnoxious beeping roused them both from their slumbers and Mathias reached over to slap it off; smiling sleepily as Ada Mae rolled up against him and flattened herself against his back.
"Good morning, Dr. Marbles." she whispered, sweetly.
"Good morning, Ada Mae." Mathias whispered back, patting her hands which had crept beneath the covers around his narrow waist.
"What are your plans for today?" Ada Mae asked.
Mathias' smile disappeared quickly. "Well, if Max is still going on about wanting to go to the Northern Frontier, I guess that's where I'm going to go."
"Oh, Mathias. Do you think it's safe taking her there? That's where all her internal pain started. What if she's not ready?"
"That's what I'm afraid of." Mathias admitted while sitting up. "Erasmus said these memories of hers are supposed to come back on their own. Instead, it's like he's pushing her to remember details about her life she doesn't even know existed. Each time is worse than the last and she always seems more rattled than before this all began." He looked at his beloved. "Ada Mae, I wonder if this could be the worst thing for her."
Ada Mae sat up and kissed him on the cheek. It never ceased to amaze her just how soft he was toward Max. How much he worried about her. To Ada Mae, that sort of caring behavior in Mathias was what endeared him to her.
"I'm sure Max will be fine. She's always been strong. Given the chance, this is just another obstacle in her life she'd be quite fine with getting over." she said, leaning into him.
"But you saw her last night, Ada Mae. She was already becoming unglued after that dream." he reminded her, rubbing his eyes with one hand while he found his glasses with the other. "I never want to see her like that again. She was so scared by that dream. I don't know which is worse. The fact she got rattled watching her other self get electrocuted to death, or the fact she thought it was happening now."
"Mathias, it will be fine." Ada Mae said.
"I wish I could know that for sure." Mathias muttered.
"Well, take Max to the Northern Frontier. See where it takes you from there. I'll take care of things here." Ada Mae rested her cheek on Mathias' shoulder. "It's more than time since you actually spent quality time with Max."
"I slept with her that one night." Mathias said.
"That's not quite the same, Mathias. She needed you with her that night and you sat with because she needed you to. But you haven't spent time with her since she came back from exile."
"You're right." Mathias admitted. He slipped out of bed and got changed. Then, he turned back to his beloved. "If she still wants to go to the Northern Frontier . . . I'll take her after breakfast."
"Sounds good, Dear." Ada Mae said, slipping into a peach, long-sleeved t-shirt and blue jeans.
With both of them dressed, they headed down to the kitchen; pausing when they heard only silence from the kitchen. Well, except for the occasional scrape of utensils over pots and skillets. They peeked in and saw it was only Digit; who grinned at them.
"Morning, Doc. Morning, Lady Ada." he said.
"Good morning, Digit. Where's Max and Echo?" Mathias asked.
Digit blinked. "Well, they weren't in the room when I woke up." he said. "I thought you knew they left."
"They left?" Ada Mae asked, appalled.
She looked at Mathias who paled at the thought. Max had gone to the Northern Frontier without them.
0
Shangri-La had a beautiful smell in the morning. Nectar and moist earth. Max and Echo woke to these smells as well as to golden rays of sunshine and the chirping of birds. They stretched and yawned before sitting up and looking around.
"What now?" Echo asked.
Max shrugged. "Well, Gowjin said I need to talk to Master Pi, so I guess I should start there." she said.
"Sounds good." Echo said.
With that, they went outside. As they walked, Max looked around, noting the landmarks around them. Suddenly, Max stopped and stared across the field before taking a seat.
"Max?" Echo said.
"Shh. I'm thinking of something." Max said and the Celtic sorceress was silent.
Max shifted into a cross-legged position, staring across the valley toward the edge of the Site itself.
"Max."
Both girls turned toward the source of a voice. It was a tall Warrior wearing a pair of hooked swords over his shoulders. Max stood up, regarding the Warrior strangely. He smiled.
"Gla-tor nash-ven du." the Warrior said.
"I see you too – wait." The realization of what her response meant came to her faster than someone flipping on a light switch. "How do I know that's what you said?"
He didn't answer her question. "Tor du mok?" the Warrior asked.
"Do I remember you?" her eyes shifted around in their sockets. "I – I speak Shangrinese?"
She flinched and Echo grabbed her. But Max was not in pain. A flood of suppressed memories sprung forth and her breaths quickened.
"Let us begin your first lesson in Vul'kahR."
"Max, this is Jethro, your Hapkido teacher."
"Your opponent is Garrett. . . . Good luck."
Max looked up, tears flooding her eyes. "Garrett. Your name is Garrett."
The Warrior smiled. "Ha." Yes he said, nodding.
"But, how do I know that?" Max said. "I always assumed the Warriors were nameless but -"
She was suddenly floored by the oncoming flood of memories, all of them involving various Warriors and her coming up against them. She screamed as those good memories were overcome by bad ones.
Garrett, concern replacing the joy he felt earlier, knelt by Max and gathered her in his strong arms.
"Ek' dungi shokt muhi, T'hai'la." All will end well, my love.
Max leaned against him, breathing into his shoulder while Echo's hand slowly massaged her back and shoulders.
"I'm not who I think I am, am I?" Max asked, looking up at Garrett.
The big Warrior shook his head.
"Not entirely." Echo added.
"I see." Max said. "So, Master Pi does have all the answers."
This time, the Warrior nodded and a new voice joined them.
"And I will be happy to give them to you if you so desire to hear them."
All three looked up into the soft, gentle face of Erasmus Pi. The Shangrinese leader stared down at Max, patiently waiting for her answer. She swallowed before speaking.
"What will you tell me?" she asked.
"Anything you want to know." the master said, holding a hand out to her.
Max stared at the hand a moment before taking it and Erasmus pulled her up right and gave her a friendly squeeze on the shoulder. He turned to Echo. "I would like to speak with Max alone. You are welcome to stay here as an honored guest."
Echo could only nod as Erasmus led Max away.
1
"Where are you taking me?" Max asked Pi.
"There is something you need to see." Pi told her, leading her passed the field to a gated rectangle of land. He floated passed the rows and rows of marble rocks before stopping by one stone and patting it. "Look here." he instructed and she stepped forward.
Max looked down at the tombstone engraved with the name she had been both dying and dreading to see.
"Mattimeo."
Below the name was the carved likeness of the borg she kept dreaming about. Her friend, boyfriend, and lover. The borg who seemed to understand her. Memories of her life with the Warriors came back to her. They were pleasant. Full of life-long lessons and hardships, but still pleasant.
Max closed her eyes, desiring nothing more than to see those images without the interruption of the grave in front of her.
"Max." Pi's voice slowly wrenched her out of her thoughts. "What do you remember?"
"Everything." Max said. Then, she became puzzled. "His death . . . it wasn't an accident, was it?"
"Not really, no."
"Someone killed him?"
"Yes. Someone did kill him."
Max took a breath before asking her next question. "It was me, wasn't it?"
Pi paused." Yes." he admitted.
Max fell to her knees, shaking with guilt and grief. "I didn't mean to!" she bawled.
"I know, Max. We all do." Pi said.
"So why did I do it?" she lifted her tear-stained eyes to him. "What could possibly make me want to kill him? I loved him!"
"I know you did love him and he loved you. Warriors aren't supposed to fall in love but you two did. And he wanted to take care of you and protect you.
"Mattimeo sacrificed himself for you. He was protecting innocent people from the uncontrollable monster you became."
"What uncontrollable monster?"
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Max knew. She understood why it was Pi sent Gowjin to her. It was a sign meant to be a trigger. A clue as to what she was supposed to be. She had met Gowjin years ago. Almost ten years ago, in fact. She had been like Gowjin then.
"I was a gargoyle." she said before Pi could answer.
"Not exactly. You were a shape-shifter." Pi corrected. "And someone else was pulling the strings with your sanity and self-control."
"Ledge." Max said, surprising herself by knowing his name.
"Yes. Ledge." Pi said, waiting for an expected and inevitable mental breakdown. Hacker had traumatized her plenty, but Ledge traumatized her more.
"He killed my father, didn't he? That's why I lost all control." Max said, the memory fresh in her mind now.
"Yes. He did. But that's not all he did." Pi made a shape with his hand and Max stared at it, wide-eyed with understanding.
"He shot me!" She looked away. Her hand suddenly probing the smaller scar on her chest.
"Yes. And the bullet was laced with Magnetite and adrenaline. Magnetite to force the change, and adrenaline to make you lose control."
"And Mattimeo stepped in." Max said. "And I killed him."
"Accidentally." Pi reminded her.
Max nodded, wiping her eyes off on her arm. Pi watched her, secretly pleased that she was accepting the truth like she was supposed to. He had been worried that he would need to erase them again. Permanently this time.
"There's still one thing I don't get. My memories of my love, Mattimeo, are fake. You created them, right?" Max said.
Pi looked uncomfortable. "In a way, I did." he said.
Max nudged him. "You sly dog! I didn't know you were a romanticist!" she grinned at him.
"That didn't come from me, Max." Pi said. "In fact, they were less of a fabrication and more of a warped reality."
Max stopped grinning as she understood what he meant. "Oh." was all she could say.
"Yeah." Pi said, still embarrassed.
Max scratched at her neck. "That's really embarrassing that you saw that."
Pi chuckled. "You shouldn't have done such things, little one." he said.
"Well you shouldn't have been probing my mind for ideas like that!" she said, accusingly.
"Think of it this way: you got to keep him." Pi pointed out.
"That is true." Max admitted. She looked back at the valley. "What about Garrett? How is he handling this?"
"To tell you the truth, he's ecstatic. He's more than happy you're back. He's been waiting for you. Because . . . well, he's been wanting to take care of you. Because Mattimeo was his batch-brother. Now that Mattimeo is gone, Garrett feels it is his duty to take over what his brother had started."
"Makes sense." Max said.
"He's hoping you'll accept him the same way you accepted Mattimeo. He wants to be your mate and your lover." Pi continued.
"And what do you think I should do?"
"As Site leader, I should forbid it. However, since I'm sure you two could find a loophole somewhere in my instructions, I am simply going to turn a blind eye to it all."
"Thanks, Master."
"Although, it would make things a lot easier if you would consider taking up the mantle of Shield-Maiden again."
Max was dumbstruck. He was offering her a position among them already? What if this happened again? What if she couldn't contain herself?
"Your staff and armor are still waiting for you. We kept them safe in our armory. We had even done the necessary repairs to many of the damaged pieces. All that needs to be done is your reinstatement."
Pi's dark eyes were pleading, hoping she would say yes. Max simply couldn't say no, but she didn't really want to say yes either. She was free. Her life wasn't tied to anything. She wasn't expected to do anything except fulfill the role her father wanted her to. She could say no. Pi was leaving it entirely up to her. She could say no and let someone else fill the role. But she couldn't do that either. This is what she had wanted since her childhood.
Max swallowed. Then, got up and bowed.
"Master Pi, it would please me greatly to accept the title of Shield-Maiden."
Pi patted her on the head. "Then go. Return home to your father and mother and have them return here with you. This is a ceremony that must be witnessed by any and all you cherish."
"Echo too?" Max looked up at him, hope in her brown eyes all too visible.
Pi smiled. "Yes. Echo too." he said. "Before you go, stop by the armory and have Petrol return your gis. You can wear one set home when you go back or you can wake until you come back here before you change."
"Thank you, Master." Max said, bowing again.
Pi waved a hand at her. "You are dismissed."