Hey, everyone! A new chapter here to distract you until Phoesong's rolls around tomorrow.

Anyways, this chapter's plot seemed a little rushed... but maybe it's just me. I've read a series where the last three books are over a million words long and it still felt rushed. *shrugs*

So yeah, I hope that you're having a good Friday (I'm just trying not to think about common app haha). I'm not sure if I'll get this whole story out by the end of this month, but gosh darn it I'm going to try! Regardless, the chapters are going to get a bit longer because I have to pack a lot of stuff in. Happens when there are a dozen important characters.

Review Responses:

crabbyTomato: Hey, I love long reviews! :D Yeah, I always write ahead a few chapters since I don't want to remember what happens when I edit the chapter so that I can catch things that made sense in my mind but not on paper. I don't know if I'd call it "dedication." More like "releasing chapters way later than I write them." I find it hilarious how you quoted one of my characters as an excuse. xD But seriously, don't feel like you have to get every chapter (look at me; I totally forgot to read ch. 7 of Lucas of Tazmily :x). Yeah, the whole psicrystal thing was inspired by diamond mining. But this way, I can also add crappy symbolism about Ness accepting his past on Vulcan! :D

Ah, thanks!:) Many of my characters' personalities tend to come out when I write them, but I kinda had Lardna's planned all out. It's a pity that she's probably not going to appear again. xD And yeah, she was super annoying in the game. ._. As for Pokey's murder, it's kinda going to get overshadowed for a while... you'll see this chapter. :) Yeah, I'm basing a lot of Eagleish stereotypes off of Britan (Eagleland even sounds like England). And remember, the industrial revolution didn't happen in this timeline. America is still pretty rural and fast food isn't even a thing yet.

Ah, Morgan. :) I kinda came up with her randomly and decided to insert her character. At first, I was planning to have Ninten's grandfather (the dude that Morgan killed) be the main empirist, but I came up with far better ones so I killed him off. It worked out better than I expected haha (at least so far). I know... that dialogue in frozen time thing is one of my specialties, and a lot of readers hate it. It just feels natural for me, though. And the narrative breaks are intentionally abrupt. I was aiming for an effect where it feels like the reader is constantly jumping back and forth between the conversation and viewing the people talking because we do both all the time irl. I'll definitely look at it, though. Thanks for the heads up! :)

A Fan: GAH how did I miss that!? DX Again, we cool. :) And Jeff's based heavily off of me (he's the most similar to me right now out of any of my charcters which explains why he's so boring haha), and I share that view as well... kinda. I'm trying to open up a bit. xD

Guest: Thanks! :) Yeah, sometimes it's nice to write something lightheared like that argument. It's kinda hard to justify putting a lot of those in since they're kinda filler, sadly. :(

DarkFoxKit: I'm glad that you find the moral ambiguity of this story interesting. :) Thanks!

PSIBoy: I mean, Kuma's kinda comic relief, but that's not supposed to be her purpose. *shrugs* I'm glad that you liked the middle part! I needed to get that out there at some point, and it's sometimes hard to do that in a show don't tell way. Introducing Morgan's character was also pretty hard (I made Kumatora's reaction what I think that the reader's would be to make the whole scene seem normal). And I don't think that the battles will be quite what you expect... let's just say that with psychic technology, war doesn't really work the same way that it does here. And this chapter may set the scene for what's going to happen with the empirists (kinda... more on them next chapter). :)


Memories surface from the depths of my mind. Memories of a time… before.

I stand on a golden tower that breaches the clouds. Looking down, I can see buildings of stained glass and streets paved with silver. People fly lazily through the sky, making small talk. It seems like flying is more standard than walking in this fantasy world of mine.

Surely, these memories aren't real, right? I didn't exist before my time with the magypsies.

But if that's the case, then how was I born?

Am I… even human?


Megan Aniah couldn't remember the last time that she had felt truly powerless. But here, fists clenched and teeth on edge, she could hardly keep herself from lashing out like a caged animal.

"Minerva," she said, trying to keep her tone neutral. "You can't do this."

"I can and I will," Minerva answered in her normal, silky voice.

The president walked forward and eventually sighed, releasing her tight posture. Megan walked forward along with her, stepping up to a window made of purple glass. Through it, she could see a panoramic view of the city, buildings appearing as stakes in the ground and people appearing as specks in the distance. Specks. Was that all that Minerva saw her people as?

"Do you think that I want to do this, Megan?" Minerva asked. "Do you think that I like lying?"

"I think that you're callous," Megan hissed. "The Minerva that I knew-"

"Stop," Minerva said, the steel authority in her voice surprising Megan. "I hate it when people say that. You have a fixed view of who I am, Megan. I don't think that you're the same person as when we met. Just because I am different doesn't mean that I am wrong."

Megan grinded her teeth. Why couldn't Minerva see how she was going against all of their creeds?

"You don't understand, Megan," Minerva said, turning around and looking at her with alarmingly calm eyes. "Good people come into this job. Few leave that way. Conforming to my own ideas of morality doesn't help people. This will."

"Please…" Megan said, prepared to get on her knees and beg. "We vowed to be different from them!"

"I broke my promise," Minerva whispered, clenching her hands. "I broke it a long time ago."

"Minerva…"

"Don't talk to me with that pity of yours!" Minerva snapped. "Think about it, Megan. What's more important, keeping one fucking promise or bringing happiness to millions of people?"

"You don't have to lie to them," Megan said. "There's another way."

"Which is?" Minerva asked, her voice issuing a challenge.

I shouldn't have to say this.

"Tell the truth," Megan said. "I know that it's hard, but they deserve to know."

"So sanctimonious," Minerva said, waving her hand in dismissal. "The truth doesn't help people. You've seen how it can fuck people up, Megan. This way is easier."

"I'm not saying that lying is inherently evil," Megan conceded, resisting the urge to fight back. "However, I don't think that you can dispute the moral wrongness of deceiving millions of innocent people."

"Were you even listening?" Minerva asked, her voice growing harsh. "I know that I'm not a good person. Sometimes, the right thing to do isn't even ethical, contradictory as that may seem. If I tell them the truth… it will plant more seeds of the empire in their heads. That means more uprisings and more innocent deaths. Do you want to see that?"

"No, but-"

"Then find a fucking alternative!" Minerva shouted.

The volume of the president's voice made the silence that followed seem desolate.

"Have you ever considered that your temper may be an issue, Minerva?" Megan asked, feeling determined rather than intimidated. "I think we can both agree that anger solves little."

Minerva recoiled as if struck.

"…You're right," she whispered after a pause. "You're fucking right. Bah!"

Megan smiled. She had always admired Minerva's ability to assess her own actions.

"So, will you reconsider your plan, Ms. President?" Megan asked.

"If you can come up with one in the next two minutes," Minerva muttered. "I need to get out there and address my people."

"My people," Megan thought. Does Minerva still see them as individual people? Or has she fallen into the same pitfall as the rest?

"You could tell the truth," Megan suggested again, not letting her nervousness show. "I know that it's tough, but…"

"I'm sorry," Minerva whispered, hunching over and hugging her arms like a beaten child, "But I can't do that. I need to stamp out the fire before I can allow any more oxygen into the political scene."

"So by your metaphor, you would suffocate people to achieve your goal?" Megan asked.

Minerva turned around, standing up straight and taking a deep breath. Megan knew Minerva long enough to tell that she was still distressed under her confident exterior.

"If I have to," Minerva whispered, looking out to the crowd.


Jeff walked through the streets of Ceres, trying to follow Tony through the massive gathering of people. Tony shouted something at him, but Jeff could hardly make it out amongst the chatter of the crowd. After what felt like hours, he made his way to the central plaza.

"Come on!" Tony shouted. "I found a good place where we can see!"

"Did we really have to come to watch the president speak?" Jeff asked, the crowd making so much noise that even he couldn't hear himself. "I'm sure that we can just get a recap tomorrow."

Tony's "good place" involved scaling multiple buildings. After a few minutes of climbing and likely trespassing on property (which Tony told Jeff to stop talking about every time that he brought it up), he and Tony arrived on a flat roof of a stone building.

"See?" Tony asked. "Perfect! We'll be able to see the president from here."

Right then, a titan-sized hologram of Minerva appeared on the center stage, prompting Tony to gasp. This holographic Minerva Carpainter stood as tall as a skyscraper.

"Yeah," Jeff muttered, craning his neck as he looked up at the president's holographic head. "We really would have had trouble seeing her from the ground."

"Shut up," Tony muttered. "I didn't know that she would use a hologram. Besides, the exercise is good for you."

"Hmph," Jeff said. "I get plenty of exercise."

"Yeah, I can tell by how hard you pant whenever we go into swordplay," Tony shot back with a smirk. "What are you getting in that class? A four?"

Grades in Ceres were on a 1-10 scale, with six being around average.

"A five," Jeff corrected.

"Oh, excuse me," Tony said. "Well, I think that grade shows just how much exercise you get."

"Greetings, good citizens," Minerva spoke, her calm voice booming across the square.

They must be using psionics to amplify her voice, Jeff thought. That's so cool!

"I bring good news and bad news," Minerva continued. "The good news is that Coran Lorune, son of Emperor George and a great enemy to democracy, has been slain."

Minerva pumped a fist into the air, a calculated smile breaking out onto her face. The crowd cheered; Jeff covered his ears.

"Come on!" Tony shouted. "Get excited! Aren't you glad that Coran's gone? That dude was responsible for so many deaths."

"I don't like participating in mobs," Jeff said.

"This isn't a mob," Tony insisted. "It's a celebration."

Jeff rolled his eyes.

"You're connected by a single point of zeal. It's a mob, Tony."

"Suit yourself," Tony said, and he promptly resumed cheering.

"The bad news is who took out Coran Lorune," Minerva said.

The crowd fell slient.

"The rest of the empirists, seeing Coran's failed attack on Ceres, decided to assassinate him. This movement was spearheaded by Coran's brother Boras Lorune. He has set himself up as the new head of the empirists."

The crowd broke into an angry torrent of words, all of them about Boras.

"What a despicable man!"

"We need to eliminate all of the empirists!"

"Only a monster would kill his own brother!"

Tony shook his head.

"Those empirists," he said. "They're all the same. They live in the past, not wanting to accept that the world has moved on without them. If this doesn't prove that they're ruthless to the core, I don't know what will."

Jeff agreed, but something still irked him.

"It feels like the crowd is feeding itself," Jeff said. "I know that Boras is probably a monster, but can we really judge him yet?"

"If you think that way, you'll never be able to form an opinion about anything," Tony replied.

I guess that's true, Jeff thought, But I like having a mind of my own. Being part of a crowd… investing my thoughts in a group… that doesn't appeal to me.

"Yes," Minerva Carpainter said, her voice booming across the square. "This does not bode well for us. Boras Lorune is a crafty man, and he'll try to brainwash the vulnerable minds of people on Vulcan." Her face twinged in disgust. "Trust me, I know what that's like."

Clever, Jeff thought, Comparing her father to Boras. But are they really the same?

"As a result, I am planning to launch a strike force to take out the empirists on Vulcan." Minerva closed her eyes, putting a hand over her heart. "I do not think that anyone wants to start a war, but…" Minerva opened her eyes. They shone with fiery zeal. "For democracy and freedom, I will do it!"

The crowd went nuts, cheering wildly and throwing objects in their enthusiasm. Tony let out a whoop.

"I understand that this decision is serious," Minerva continued, her voice growing louder with each word, "But I cannot afford to wait any longer. Who wants a world ruled by an emperor that was chosen by being born to a specific family? Anyone?"

"No!" the crowd shouted in unison.

I don't want an emperor to rule the universe again, Jeff thought reluctantly, And I do support sending a strike force to take out dangerous empirists. But something about this still seems… wrong. It feels like the crowd is agreeing with President Carpainter because of the passion in her voice, not the logic in her words.

"The only people who do want such a universe are ex-noble families who feel insecure about their image," Minerva said. "They want to reinstate an emperor because it makes them look better. Tell me! Do you sympathize with them?"

"No!" the crowd repeated.

"Interesting," Jeff said. "I didn't think that Minerva would attack the ex-nobles. They have a lot of power."

"Maybe she actually cares about what she's saying and isn't afraid to speak her opinion," Tony said, straining his voice to make his words audible over the crowd's roar.

"The first rule of politics is to avoid pissing off powerful people whenever you can," Jeff said. "That's not me being cynical; it's a simple fact. For Minerva to win elections every six years, she needs support from multiple groups."

Tony scowled.

"You analyze too much," he said. "Come on, this is serious! We're talking about thousands of potential casualties if the empirists return to full power."

"Nobody wants that," Jeff said, feeling his voice go hoarse. "But I'm scared of diving in without inspecting the water first."

"I can feel your passion," Minerva said. "We've set up a system that allows you to have a voice. We must keep that system intact at all costs!"

There's that phrase, Jeff thought over the crowd's screams. "At all costs." Is anything really worth achieving at all costs? I love democracy, but I would give it up if our situation got bad enough.

"I think that we all know just how vital it is to show the empirists that we will not be messed with," Minerva said. "Boras has released a statement saying that he plans to attack Ceres with a greater force than the starman attack a few weeks ago. Should we stand for this?"

"NO!" the crowd roared.

Minerva smiled.

"I am glad that we are in accord," she said, her posture returning to calm. "I went through that thought process myself. In the end, I decided that to preserve democracy, we had to show some force. I am an advocate of peace, but sometimes others force us to act. We weathered the storm of the starman attack. Now, we shall strike back!"

More screaming and yelling. More waving and throwing of objects. Jeff plugged his ears again.

"This is why I am taking volunteers to go over and fight for our planet," Minerva said. "Since intergalactic transportation is limited, I am restricted to recruiting only psions. However, anyone with psionic powers is encouraged to join our ranks."

"Man," Tony said. "I wish that I had psionic powers. I would totally go over to Vulcan and kick some empirist ass."

I wouldn't, Jeff thought. Does that make me a coward?

"As for psionic students," Minerva continued. "They are welcome to join us in our campaign. I understand that school is important, so students who wish to fight for their planet will serve only for about a month."

What? Jeff thought. Students are allowed to fight and die in a war?

As if Minerva had read Jeff's mind, she continued: "Of course, these students are not going to participate in combat. However, since all male psions will eventually serve the Ceres military, this will be a great experience for them to understand what it means to work with us. We'll have them deal with supplies and help the native Vulcanese rather than actually fight. Think of it as… an apprenticeship."

I guess that's a little better… Jeff thought.

"Man, I'm kind of jealous," Tony said, a grin breaking out on his face. "I want to see how an intergalactic war works. Do you think that Ninten and Ness will sign up?"

"…I don't know," Jeff whispered.

"What?" Tony asked. "You have to speak up to be heard over this crowd."

"I hope that they don't go to Vulcan," Jeff said, more loudly this time. "Because from what I hear… people who go there never return the same."


Ninten walked up to the door that lead to Ana's room. Of course he had come, after hearing what Ms. Monotoli had done to her during "detention." Sure, he was an asshole, but he would still be there for his friends if they were subjected to hallucinating their worst fears as a result of a psycho teacher!

He knocked on Ana's door. For the first time in what seemed like months, butterflies churned in Ninten's stomach. He gulped.

Wow, he thought. Pathetic. I can face down a horde of starmen without thinking, but I can't approach my best friend without feeling nervous?

"Come in," Ana said from inside, her voice sounding normal enough.

Ninten stepped inside, now used to the fact that her room looked the exact psyching same as his. Inside, Ana sat on her bed, reading a book.

"What are you… reading?" Ninten asked, not wanting to dive straight into talking about what Ana had been subjected to.

"This is a dystopian novel written by an empirist 60 years ago, back when people like that were allowed to be published," she said, closing the book and standing up.

"Are you serious?" Ninten asked, looking for a glint of humor in Ana's eyes and finding none.

"Yeah," Ana said. "Sure, the guy's political views are retarded, but he does bring up a couple of good points. In his novel, he shows a future where everyone can use psionic devices that require little skill to operate and can kill someone with the pull of a trigger. Most people use the devices responsibly, but a few jerks decide to screw over an entire population. At least in today's age, we make sure to screen psions so that they don't abuse their powers."

"I… see," Ninten said.

"I know that you're bitter about the empirists, and you have every reason to be," Ana said. "But if I can't understand the other side of the argument, then how can I truly disagree with it?"

"I guess that makes sense," Ninten conceded. "You seem alright, considering that…"

"That one of our teachers used psionics to make me hallucinate my worst fears, something that the treaty of Fourside denotes as 'psychological torture?' Yeah."

"I'm sorry," Ninten said. "I think that Ms. Monotoli took out her anger on you because I resisted her."

Ana broke into a smile.

"You're apologizing for something that isn't your fault?" she asked. "Who are you and what have you done with Ninten?"

"Hilarious, Ann."

Ana laughed, presumably at Ninten's flat tone.

"Okay," Ninten said. "Maybe it's not my fault, but I do feel bad. I guess that I just hate picturing you in pain, even though I know that you can take it better than most people."

"Aww, that's sweet," Ana said.

"Not really," Ninten said. "I'm just insecure. We both know that pain doesn't bother you a whole lot, yet I still obsess about it."

"Hey, I'm guilty of doing that to other people as well," Ana said. "No big deal."

"I suppose…" Ninten said, reluctant to let the topic drop. "So what was it like?"

"Seeing my greatest fears?" Ana asked, flashing a cold smile. "Thinking that those fears are reality? It honestly wasn't so bad. It was… cathartic, really."

"So your fears aren't that bad?" Ninten asked hopefully.

"That's one way to interpret it," Ana answered.

"…Are you implying that I'm wrong?"

"I'm implying that I honestly don't want to say any more. Sorry."

"Apologizing for things that aren't your fault?" Ninten asked with a fake gasp.

Ana laughed.

"But it is my fault," she said, "Even if it's not a big problem. Anyways… did you watch President Carpainter's speech today?"

"No," Ninten said. "I don't really like being around people in general. What did she say?"

"Your great-uncle Boras killed your grandfather Coran," Ana replied. "President Carpainter wants to take action against the empirists."

Wait… Coran is dead? Suddenly, the world around him seemed a little more vibrant.

"Psych, yeah!" Ninten exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air. "Take that! Grandfather my ass. That man needed a quicker road to his grave than the one he got."

"It doesn't bother you that Boras killed your grandfather?" Ana asked.

"My family's always been a little cutthroat," Ninten said with a shrug. "Why should it matter to me? Maybe Boras' conscience kicked in and told him to improve the world by killing my grandfather. In that case, I'm glad that he's the killer."

"Your family is weird," she said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "So… you met Boras a few times, right?"

"…Yeah," Ninten said softly. "I don't know if he actually means well or if he's trying to trick the world. He's an engaging speaker, and he makes outlandish goals seem like they're an arm's length away. He converted me over to empirism when I was ten. I stayed that way until I met my grandfather." Ninten shivered. "I'm glad that I did. He showed me what empirists are truly like. Trust me, Ana. Even if Boras is sincere, his goals aren't the same as the rest of theirs."

"I believe you," Ana said. "I was just wondering why Minerva would take action against him, considering that she never seemed to care about your grandfather."

"Boras is dangerously likable," Ninten said. "He can capture the hearts of people on Vulcan just like Apollo Carpainter did two years ago. Minerva's not attacking him because he's more evil than Coran. She's attacking him because he's a serious threat."

"It doesn't take much to convince the Vulcanese, does it?" Ana asked softly. "They want so badly to believe in something that they'll cling onto any scraps of ideas thrown their way. Maybe we should introduce them to Catholicism so that fewer crazy cultists are able to brainwash them."

"God is a lie," Ninten said dismissively.

"You may think that," Ana said, "But you know how comforting lies can be. If religion would give them hope… well, why shouldn't we do it? The ideas are fine; the only problem is that religious people tend to be stuffy ex-nobles who wouldn't accept the Vulcanese as real humans."

Ninten sighed.

"Why do you always have to be right?" he asked.

Ana smiled.

"Years of practice," she said. After a second, concern sprouted on her face. "Minerva's recruiting psions to fight over on Vulcan. She even wants to take students…" her eyes locked with his own.

"I think that I should go over there," Ninten whispered. "I've never been to Vulcan, but Claus made me interested. I want to see if life over there is as bad as he claims. And… I want to take down the empirists."

Ana nodded.

"I thought that you would say that," she said. "If you sign up, you'll leave in two weeks, which is right after the dance."

About that… Ninten took a deep breath. Why was his heart pounding in his chest?

"I've been meaning to ask," he said. "Would you… be willing to go to the dance with me?"

Ana sighed, looking down at her feet.

"Oh," she said.

"Oh what?" Ninten asked.

"Oh, that question." Ana looked back up. "…No. I'm sorry."

That rejection hit Ninten harder than it should have.

"Well, that's fine," he said. "I know that I'm not really cool or attractive or…"

"Do you really think that I care about that?" Ana asked. "I actually want to go with you. But… I'm worried about Paula. She's getting worse and worse, ever since Ms. Monotoli called her out in class. I don't know if it's related, but…" Ana bit her lip.

"Pardon my stupidity," Ninten said, "But what do Paula's problems have to do with the school dance?"

Ana raised an eyebrow.

"Can't you tell?" she asked. "Paula has a huge crush on you, Ninten. I think that it would mean a lot to her if you asked her to the dance."

No way.

Ninten blinked, expecting reality to warp around him, expecting Ana's face to appear joking rather than dead serious.

"Are you… kidding me?" he asked.

Ana rolled her eyes.

"I'm surprised that you didn't notice," she said. "A blind person could have seen it coming a mile away. Didn't you notice how she's always looking at you and acting shy around you?"

"I assumed that was normal!"

"News flash: it isn't," Ana said.

"But why?" Ninten asked. "Everyone knows that I'm an asshole. She could choose anyone; Tony, Ness, Jeff, Poo, even Claus… Why me?"

"You stood up for her," Ana said with a shrug. "That means a lot to her. I also think that she admires your willingness to state your opinion. Noble ladies grow up in a pretty restrained environment, so I think she finds your attitude refreshing."

Ninten shook his head.

"This all seems so surreal," he said. "Someone is attracted to me?"

"What, did you think that nobody would ever love you and that you would grow old and die alone?"

"Honestly, yeah."

Ana snorted.

"You undersell yourself," she said. "It's interesting. Most people do it because they're afraid of failing someone's expectations, so they try to set a low bar. You're not like that. Anyways, Paula is attracted to you, so would it be okay if you asked her to the dance? I think that she needs it."

"Err…" Ninten said. "I've never even thought about that prospect. Sure, I guess, if it will make her feel better."

"And you call yourself an asshole," Ana said with a smile.

"Compared to you, I am," Ninten said. "Honestly, who says no because they want their friend to go out with the guy instead?"

"Well… let's just say that I already had plans," Ana said. "And it looks like I'll need to enact them."

"What sort of plans?" Ninten asked.

Ana smiled.

"Let's just say that Paula isn't the only one who needs emotional support," she said.


Ness sat in his room, feeling his psicrystal whisper to him. It didn't speak in words but… emotions. Its messages seemed to match his mood, although Ness couldn't tell if he was influencing the crystal's behavior or the other way around.

How long had it been since he had interacted with someone? Days, probably, maybe even weeks. Ness didn't know how he could bear talking to people. Whenever someone approached him, he felt an overwhelming desire to leave.

He couldn't be comforted.

He couldn't feel happy.

Before Pokey's funeral, Ness thought that standing up to authority was brave. Well, he had done that, and now look at how he felt!

Empty.

Hollow.

Desolate.

Ness covered his ears, hearing those words in his head. Ness wanted… what did he want?

Home.

Before Ness knew it, hot tears were rolling down his cheeks. He pictured his house on top of the Onett's hill and the tears intensified. He remembered the sounds of Onett: the quiet bustling, the casual greetings, the soft rippling of the wind. Ceres was rarely windy. Why was that? He remembered the smells of Onett: his mom's freshly cooked steak, flowers on the side of the road, pizza and hamburgers at the nearby shop. Ness hadn't even noticed all of the little things that he loved about Onett while he was there.

But that was how life worked, wasn't it? Nobody ever noticed how good they had it until they had to leave.

Ness curled up into a ball.

He knew that the last two years in Onett were almost unimaginably painful, but in that moment, he would have given anything to be back. He knew that as soon as he left Ceres, he would miss the lighter gravity that allowed for springy steps and the excellent cafeteria food. He didn't care.

He wanted to go home.

The psicrystal moaned in sympathy. For something so valuable, that thing could be awfully annoying. Ness was tempted to break it in half right then and there, sacrificing millions of dollars in value or no.

Right as he was about to go over and try to shut the psicrystal up somehow, Ness heard knocking on his door. His heart started beating furiously, no matter that Ness was trying his hardest to keep it from doing just that.

"W-Who is it?" Ness asked, his voice cracking.

"It's Ana," the voice responded. "May I come in?"

Ness blinked. Why would anyone want to visit him?

"Sure," he said. "I guess."

He walked up and unlocked the door. He opened it, revealing Ana's sunny face.

"Hey," she said, stepping into his room. "I haven't seen you in forever."

"It's been… a week?" Ness asked.

"Closer to two," Ana said. "Did you hear the news?"

"News about what?" Ness croaked.

Ana furrowed her eyebrows.

"Don't take this the wrong way," she said, "But you don't look well. Is everything all right?"

"Y-Yes!" Ness rushed to exclaim. "Nothing wrong!"

Ana's face softened.

"You don't need to act strong," she said. "Remember, I can be your strength. And as Ninten always says, you don't need any strength at all to be a good person. If something's wrong, please tell me."

Ness bit his lip. How could he tell Ana that life itself was the problem?

"Please," Ana said. "I want to help."

"I'm sorry," Ness said. "I just don't know what you could help with."

"What's the problem?" Ana asked.

"…I feel homesick," Ness said. "I know that studying on Ceres is a great opportunity, but I hate it. I just want to go home… but that's selfish, isn't it?"

"I think that I'm going to employ Ninten's logic here," she said with a smirk. "It's selfish in the way that you care about yourself. That's not a bad thing."

"…I know," Ness said. "But I can't help but feel guilty."

"I get that," Ana said. "I suppose that now wouldn't be a good time to tell you about the news…"

"What news?" Ness asked.

Ana sighed.

"Do you really want to hear?" she asked.

Ness' heart pounded in his chest.

"I do," he said, surprised at how confidently his words came out.

"All right," Ana said with a sigh. "I hate being the one to bear bad news, but… Minerva Carpainter is attacking the empirists. She's recruiting psions to help her, even students like you. If you walk out there… you'll be bombarded with suggestions to join the fight."

No, Ness thought. I... can't go through that.

"Ooh," Ana said, flinching in empathy. "I didn't know that it would hit you that hard. I'm sorry…"

"I… won't go back to Vulcan," Ness said. "I won't."

"You don't have to," Ana said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"…But if I don't, I'm a coward," Ness said. "A weakling. Someone who won't even fight to help the universe."

"Well, it seems like you're divided," Ana said, "And only you can choose how to end this. But I would recommend not going based on what other people will say about you. Sure, you can take their judgements into account, but listen to their logic rather than their emotion… And most people who call you a weakling won't have any logic to speak of."

"This isn't about that anymore," Ness said, hunching his shoulders. "I should want to go over to Vulcan and make the universe a better place. I just… don't."

"I don't think that anyone can blame you for not wanting to go back to that place," Ana said. "Do… you want to tell me what happened there? I gathered that it wasn't pleasant for you, but did something specific happen?"

Ness cringed. For a brief second, he was back on Vulcan, buried under a pile of corpses as he flailed, trying to do anything that would keep him from being crushed to death. Returning to the present, he gasped, his skin feeling numb.

"…No," he whispered, hugging his arms. "I… I don't want to say. I'm sorry, Ana."

The sympathetic look that Ana gave him nearly broke Ness' heart. How could she manage to care so much, and why couldn't Ness do the same?

"That's completely fine," she said. "You can tell me however much you want."

Ness curled up into a ball.

"Thanks, Ana," he said, feeling even more guilty. "I'll… think about going to Vulcan, all right?"

"Of course," she said. "Take as much time as you need. I'm here to support you… in more ways than one."

Ness blinked.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked.

A strange expression crossed Ana's face. Nervousness? No, it couldn't be. Ana always knew exactly what to do and exactly what her actions would result in. There was no room in her perfect mind for nervousness.

"Ness…" she said. "Will you go to the dance with me?"

Ness blinked.

"W-What?" he asked. "You're asking me?"

"I know," Ana said with a grimace. "Social norm dictates that the boy is supposed to ask the girl. I didn't mean to offend you in any way by…"

"No," Ness whispered. "Not that. I mean, why ask me? Why not Ninten?"

"You know, you two are more similar than I thought," Ana said. "He basically responded the same way when I told him that Paula had a crush on him."

"Wait," Ness said. "Paula has a crush on Ninten?"

Ana rolled her eyes.

"How could neither of you tell? She made it so obvious."

"…Sorry," Ness said.

Ana's face softened.

"Ness," she said, her voice sounding various shades of kindness. "I didn't mean for you to feel bad. Really, there's nothing wrong with you."

"…Thanks," he said. For some reason, hearing those words took some weight off of his chest.

"So," Ana said, her voice returning to its natural, upbeat state. "Will you go to the dance with me?"

"…Why ask me?" Ness questioned. "You know that I'm not much of anything. You're so perfect; I'm sure that you could get someone much better than me."

"I'm not nearly as perfect as you think," Ana said. "And you're wonderful, Ness. Truly, you are."

"No, I'm not," Ness protested. "I'm not anything."

"Tell me the truth," Ana said. "Do you really think that, or are you just trying to give yourself another reason to feel bad?"

Ness flinched, his eyes closing upon reflex. He gingerly opened them to see Ana smiling at him. Ness slowly forced his body to relax and his mind to think logically. Did he really believe that about himself?

"…I guess that I don't think that I'm nothing," Ness said after a pause. "But I'm certainly not 'wonderful.'"

Ana's smile widened. Why did that make him feel so good?

"It's impressive how easily you can see the truth, once you look for it," she said. "It's not easy to admit to self-pity. I can understand where you're coming from; I often feel the same way."

"But you can do so many things!" Ness exclaimed.

Ana sighed.

"I'll tell you a secret," she said. "No matter how much you can do, you're still you. My achievements don't really make me see myself in a better light. It sometimes makes me wonder why I even try… but that's my problem. I think that I can show you how wonderful you are, Ness. Will you go to the dance with me?"

Ana extended a hand, her blue eyes shining with sincerity. Ness took a deep breath, exhaling out his toxic emotions. He stared into the deep pools of Ana's irises. How could someone be so deep yet so genuine?

He took Ana's hand.

"Yes," he said.

A smile lit up on Ana's face, making Ness' heart leap.

Is this what… being in love is like? he wondered weakly.

"You look so happy!" Ana exclaimed.

Happy? Ness thought. I guess I am. What happened to the little boy curled up into a ball just minutes ago?

"Well," Ana said. "Now that I finally got someone to go to the dance with me, I have to fulfill a promise."

"Hmm?" Ness asked. "What's that?"

"I have to take you to see my parents," Ana said.