Epilogue
Mars
Mishka smiled as she finished her latest work, but there was something wrong. She turned to her new screen. The song was good, but it could be better. A few stanzas didn't quite mesh right to her senses and she needed to make it better. Even she had to admit that there really were not a lot of good things she could sing about what her mistress had to do. Shadow's job was horrible, but Mishka could remind others that differing points of view were almost always as valid as their own. They might not accept it, but she had to try. Shadow needed the reassurance and…
Golden power sang in her voice as she tried a new series of words and it felt right. But still… Not quite.
Blue energy flashed nearby and she felt fear, but it faded as something sharp struck her on the temple! More gold! Blue, red, gold and now green were flashing all around her, but she was calm as she lay in the heart of a raging storm. No. Now, she was falling into blackness. She landed on hard metal and tried to roll, but her body wasn't working! Her head hurt and warm wetness was seeping down it into her eyes. A female voice Mishka did not know shouted in alarm.
"What the-? Where did she come from?" Another female voice answered.
"That was Orokin energy! No! Marlena, get back! She has a glass shard stuck in her scalp!"
"Adiinah, I think I know her." The Marlena woman was worried. "No, not her. I know of her! I just accessed my records. They have images of her... and her mom! Oh my god! This is Mishka! The Healer's daughter!"
"She is being glassed, Marlena! No! DON'T!"
Energy that Mishka could not define grabbed hold of her and gave a yank even as horrible blue energy tore through her. She was flying. No, she was floating. No, she was inside something that hummed with power. It wasn't frightening, far from it. Mishka relaxed as every iota of her being was soothed by gentle green-orange energy. As the horrible blue energy faded under kind green-orange energy.
It is all right. The voice of the one named Marlena said gently. Your body died, but I got you out in time. I have you, girl. No one will harm you again, Mishka. I swear it.
Mishka was soothed into slumber to the sounds of ancient human lullaby. Odd. The words worked with the golden music Mishka had been trying to get right and Mishka was smiling as she fell asleep.
This was where she was supposed to be. She would think on it more when she woke up.
Whoever she woke up as.
Titan ocean bottom
"Oh dear." Adiinah stammered as the glass statue that had been the Healer's daughter settled onto her deck with a clink. "Um... Marlena?"
"This wasn't her doing or ours." Marlena said sadly as she checked the bud that had just sprouted off her main hull. Inside it, Mishka's mind slept. "I couldn't let her die, Adiinah. Whoa!" She jerked in the air as several green glowing forms appeared nearby. All looked like Tenno, well, except one human who Marlena recognized. He wore Orokin Marine combat armor and carried a rifle like he always had. She prayed he wouldn't recognize her voice. It wasn't the same. Enough? Hopefully. "Adiinah! Do nothing!" She hissed that last as she watched the six angry wardens of reality who eyed her right back.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Adiinah said weakly as one of the wardens, a Tenno in a Banshee warframe examined the glass statue. "Although I am going to have nightmares about this."
Glass statue that had just been a teenage Tenno girl or furious wardens? Either was nightmare fuel.
"Mishka's mind is intact and unharmed." Marlena offered. "I will keep her that way." The wardens just looked at her. "I couldn't let her die!"
"Mishka, Daughter of Iriana is dead. Better she stay that way until we find the idiots who did this." The one in the front said. Marlena stared at him. Was that an Excalibur? Sort of, but the helmet looked like horns? Was that animal skin around his legs?
"Zato?" Adiinah stammered. "But you… You died!"
"We wardens are never more dangerous than when we are dead." The Banshee said with snort as the Excalibur flipped her off. "Hey, I have wanted to quote 'Yellowbeard' at you ever since you quoted bad Shakespeare at me. Do we tell Janet and Mother?" She asked the others who winked out without responding. "Figures they would leave me holding the bag."
"I can hide her inside my chassis, but Mother will figure it out sooner rather than later." Marlena offered. "And Janet will sense something off too, I bet."
"Do not lie to either of them. It will hurt." The Banshee picked up the statue and sighed. Then she vanished, but her words came from nowhere. "And just when I thought we had gotten their attention, we have to explain Rule 2 again. Morons."
Then even her voice was gone.
"Ah… Marlena?" Adiinah said weakly. "You um… Do you know what to do with a bud?"
"No." The young nurturer admitted. "I guess I will have to learn fast."
"I hope so. For all of our sakes when Healer Iriana hears about this!"
A gulp was the Wormship's only answer.