"No!" Jace screamed. He watched the woman he had learned to love as a mother fall limply to the ground. Her eyes were closed and a smile lit her face. Jace stared at her in horror. Blood began to pool under her back. She's dead. She's dead. They're both dead.
"Didn't like that, did you?" a woman crouched down in front of him.
Jace backed away from her fearfully. Tears streamed unchecked down his cheeks.
She grabbed his arm with a bloody hand, "Sorry kid. You aren't going anywhere. I have a job to do. You ran away from where you belong. I have to take you back." She pulled him closer to her.
Jace tried desperately to pull out of her grasp but she held him form. His ears were already flattened against his head. He shook his head, "No. I won't go back."
The woman's eyes narrowed. She forced his mouth open and ran the flat of the blood covered knife along his tongue, "Taste that?"
Jace gagged as the taste of their blood filled his mouth. He flicked his tongue once she removed the blade in a fruitless effort to remove the taste.
"That's their blood. They're dead. And it's your fault. You're the one that ran away. Do it again and the same thing will happen," she leaned in close and whispered in his ear, "Anyone that shelters you, anyone that protects you will meet the same fate as these two lovely people. They'd be able to live out their lives in peace if you hadn't disturbed them."
Jace's eyes widened, "But—"
"They'd have been able to grow old together and live their life together uninterrupted if not for you. You're a bad luck charm. No one wants a black cat."
Jace opened his eyes quickly. That's why I never sleep. I don't let myself dream. He shook his head. The taste of blood lingered in his mouth so he licked his sleeve. That really didn't taste good but anything is better than that. He shook his head again, "Anything's better than that."
Anything you say? Even the taste of someone else's blood?
"I don't even eat meat you dimwit," Jace snapped. Great. Now I'm actually talking to this voice. He flicked his tongue as the taste returned, "Dammit."
Right. I forgot. The voice seemed to be mocking him. You can taste the blood of even overcooked meat. Of course you are the cat so that would make sense with your heightened sense of taste. It is odd that cats are carnivores and you refuse to eat meat.
Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. Jace got to his feet and walked over to one of the many bookshelves of the library. He could hear Ral tinkering in his corner of the building. Lylly was sound asleep in one of the rooms downstairs while Gideon paced around the outside perimeter of the building. Jace bit his tongue. The window was cracked open. I don't remember doing that.
You didn't sense her? The redhead opened the window a little while ago. Your senses really are dulling.
Jace gritted his teeth and walked over to the window. He closed it and returned to the bookshelf. He opened the first book he grabbed and began to read it. I've read this one already.
Then read a different one. Read one that can actually help you instead of a useless book about flowers.
Jace's eyes narrowed. The baby dragon was still asleep on top of the cushion of the back of the couch. He ignored the voice and continued reading.
Chandra sat on the couch. I wouldn't know how to get the archive to "remember". Echo would but if I leave for one second everything's going to fall apart.
"Chandra."
She looked up and saw Jace's baby dragon sitting down on the couch in front of her, "What's up?"
"I'm worried about Jace. He's always heard this voice that only he can hear but now he's actually talking to it out loud. Usually it would just crop up when he was in the facility where they kept both of you."
"And you're worried because he's now hearing it outside the facility," Chandra nodded, "That makes sense." I'm not a telepath so there's nothing I can really do about it.
"You can't do anything huh?"
"Not yet," Chandra shook her head, "I can't do anything yet."
"So?" the dragon seemed confused.
"That means that all we can do right now is keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't do anything stupid," Chandra shrugged.
The dragon nodded, "Okay."
Chandra smiled, "He'll be fine."
"You're sure?"
"Positive," Chandra leaned back against the couch. She glanced around. I'll wait until tomorrow put Kaechia in charge and take Jace with me to talk to Echo. Kaechia should be intimidating enough to keep Ral and Gideon in check. If not then I'll probably have to break up a fight the moment I get back. And if Kaechia ends up getting into a fight then I'll really have to intervene. Chandra sighed, "This sucks. It's like these people don't know what getting along even means." Oh well. I'll have to trust that I don't have to micromanage them. It might be a little too early for that but there's only one way to find out. She nodded and closed her eyes.
Jace glanced up as the library door was knocked on.
"Jace, we have somewhere to go today," Chandra said.
"Where?" Jace asked.
"I'm paying a visit to Echo," Chandra explained.
"Fine," Jace set the book down and followed her down the stairs.
"Alright," Chandra stopped in front of the couch, "Kaechia's in charge and if there are any fights everyone will do one thing they absolutely hate for the rest of the day."
"Like what?" Ral asked.
Chandra's eyes narrowed, "Ral gets to do nothing. By nothing I mean nothing. Kaechia can cook every meal and Gideon gets to make an absolute mess of the entire place."
"You can't force me to do that," Gideon said in shock.
Chandra glanced at him, "Try me. Pick a fight with anyone and that's what you will be doing. Kaechia's in charge but that doesn't mean she'll be exempt."
"What about Cat Ears?" Ral asked.
"He's going to be with me so I don't have to worry about him getting into a fight," Chandra shrugged, "It won't take me very long. I'll be back." She planeswalked and Jace followed.
"Phoenix!" Echo looked excitedly, "I was actually just about to go get you. I need you to test out some new weapons for me."
"How long will this take?"
"Not long. You just have to do it a couple times," Echo handed her a hand gun.
"Ranged?" Phoenix asked.
"Yep." Echo nodded, "You're the only one I'm positive will survive the release of energy."
Phoenix's eyes widened.
"All you have to do is shoot each one once. There's a hand gun a shot gun and a bow."
"A bow?" Phoenix whined.
Echo turned her around and shoved her out the door, "Don't worry when you miss the target it'll dissipate once it reaches a certain range."
"You seem positive she'll miss," Jace followed them.
"She's never hit a target with a bow before," Echo shrugged.
Jace's eyes widened. I thought she was good with any weapon.
She's not is she? Can't you use a bow?
So what? Jace closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
Phoenix managed to hit the target with the hand gun even though it was barely. Instead of regular bullets the gun released dangerously high concentrated mana. Phoenix's eyes widened, "That's pretty damn destructive."
Echo nodded, "Next!" she handed Phoenix the shotgun.
Phoenix completely missed the target. She shook her head, "There's a reason I stick to swords and other melee weapons."
"Now the bow!" Echo was too excited to pay attention to her whining.
Phoenix sighed, "This sucks." Echo had to help her draw the bow because she hadn't bothered remembering how to use one. She let the energized arrow fly and it missed terribly, "Are you done embarrassing me now?"
Echo nodded, "Now you must have come here for a reason. What's up?"
"I was wondering if you could get this to remember any differences in the timeline," Phoenix explained.
Echo cocked her head to the side, "Maybe. That would require some fiddling. Here let me see it and I'll get it back to you in a few days."
Phoenix nodded. I have to be getting back before the others kill each other anyway. She handed Echo the jumper that held the archive and left. She returned to Sun's Reprieve. The place was quiet. Ral was tinkering where he always did. She had seen Gideon patrolling the outskirts of the island Sun's Reprieve floated on. Kaechia sat on the couch, "They behaved."
"That's good," Chandra sighed. She flopped onto the couch and watched Jace skip up the stairs to the library. He spends all of his time in the library. She followed him, "You know something?"
"What?" Jace asked quietly.
"Isolating yourself isn't going to help your situation," Chandra shrugged, "You can hate it all you want but having just your own thoughts for company is lonely."
"I'm used to it."
"That doesn't mean it doesn't hurt," Chandra said. She walked calmly back down the stairs.
It doesn't hurt if you're numb to it. Jace turned and continued to the library.
"You're back!" the dragon flew up to him happily. He paused, "Jace? What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Jace shook his head, "I'm just thinking."
The dragon watched him read a book. Something's wrong. I know something's wrong but I don't want to upset him any more than he looks like he is. The dragon curled up on the couch and took a nap.
