~ Mirror, Mirror ~
Cyclonis stared at herself in the mirror. She had never been fond of mirrors; she had never liked what she had seen there. The reflection that shined back at her was completely alien. She wasn't wearing her birthright: the semi-sentient collar with its feathered mane. She didn't see Master Cyclonis; she wasn't sure who she saw.
I don't know why you insist on wearing it the Doctor's voice rang in her head. It had been another one of their arguments.
She had answered that it was tradition for Masters. It distinguished them from the plebes.
He had chuckled at her serious answer. Isn't it also tradition for you to be married by now?
He infuriated her, that Doctor. He reminded of her father, to a point. He hadn't liked the collar, either. He wanted her to have a normal childhood. What a contradiction of terms, when, as a child, she could smell the iron scent of blood drape over him like a cloak as he told her princess stories, his hands stained with ichor and crystal dust.
But the Doctor was always honest, to the point of being abrasive, and she had to admire him for that. It was almost impossible for people not lie in front of her for something. Even Dark Ace had lied.
She ran a fingertip across her breastbone, feeling the three divots of where the needles would enter body when she replaced the collar.
She had lied when she said it didn't hurt. She tried to think it didn't, but it most certainly did. Apparently, even Cyclonis lied to herself.
And she would be lying to herself if she said she couldn't still feel the feather touch that damn Sky Knight had left the other night.
~ Something to Prove ~
"Have you been getting enough sleep, Master Cyclonis?"
Why does everyone keep asking that?
She whirled around, but stopped short of a tirade. "Oh, Master Furor."
He inclined his head in greeting. He walked over to work station, admiring her work – they were in the Council's crystal labs. "Progress I hope?"
"Not exactly," she admitted, "I'm having difficulties. It's as I originally thought – a crystal that's become stable won't be susceptible to taking the properties of another crystal. It's Rhea's Law. You have to combine them in order to change either of the crystals."
A look of disappointment fell on Furor's features. "Some laws are made to be broken, young lady. Perhaps this is too complex for you? Maybe you should hand over the reins to one of the other Masters."
The ones that know their doing, Cyclonis's mind supplied. She hated failure.
"I can do it. I'm sure there's something else I can try. There has to be. I know unstable crystals work with this method. Maybe there's a way to stabilize them after they've changed properties. If there is, I'll find it." Cyclonis refused to have this taken away from her. She was going to figure this out. She was going to prove to them that she was just as good they were. Better even.
"I don't know..."
"I won't fail."
A smile graced Furor's lips, making his eyes crinkle. "Yes, I know you won't. But don't work yourself into exhaustion either."
"Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself."
"Yes, I've come to realize that. You're not the child that came to us all those years ago. You've become quite the young woman."
