10/24/20

My two weeks off from work are coming to an end. I didn't write nearly as much as I wanted to but I've made progress so that's all that matters! Persona 4 has taken a lot of my attention for the back half of this vacation. Anyway, I wish I knew what else to say in these A/Ns beyond just thanking everyone over and over again.

This story has been going for ten months now, maybe more and it's something I didn't think I'd be dedicating so much time and effort to. Either way, thank you all for joining me on this wild ride. I don't yet know when it'll end but I'm glad to have here till we get there. And of course, welcome Jaynix back to the story. It has been a while.


Chapter Thirty Eight

Comfort - (Verb) Ease the grief or distress of; console.

"Colonel."

Standing at attention in front of Elma was Irina and Gwin. The pair had finished their rather strenuous activities for the day and despite the exhaustion they maintained their positions rather well.

"I have to say, from day one you two have always impressed me."

Irina smiled.

"Thank you, Colonel. That's our goal."

Gwin nodded.

"Pretty much. Getting to go through all the stages of testing Skells has been...well a dream come true for a dream I didn't know I had."

Elma looked over the reports of the rest of the Skelleton activities, Boris and Danny were currently on assignment elsewhere but every word she heard about them pushed her hopes higher. The team. The Skelletons, were everything she wanted them to be and more.

Putting her datapad away, Elma bowed her head to Irina and Gwin.

"Thank you both again, for everything. I can't quite express how much it means."

With that, the pair stopped saluting. Gwin walked off, talking to himself about getting food or something to that effect while Irina did some quick post workout stretching.

Turning to look at their Skells, Elma tapped her foot before looking back at Irina.

"Say. Are you familiar with the Reapers?"

Irina raised an eyebrow.

"The Reapers? Of course."

"I mean, personally?"

"Personally...well, I hang out with Eren Hills, their strategist quite a bit. We go out drinking and I listen to her...romantic troubles."

Elma chuckled.

"And you're fine with that?"

"Eren pays the tab. She's dated...or rather tried to date more women than I can count but...sorry. I don't think you're interested in this part, are you?"

Elma shook her head.

"It's fine, Irina."

"Why are you asking? Does General Kumon need something from us?"

Elma crossed her arms.

"Nothing like that...I just met them. Officially. Feels like something I should have done sooner."

Irina shrugged.

"I'm not so sure about that. You've got a lot on your plate, there are a bunch of renowned units out there. Can't meet them all. Taking trips two or three megacities away is rough."

Elma nodded, the time dedicated to a trip like that was simply something she could not afford.

"Are you familiar with the Corporal? Jaynix Copeland?"

Irina's face lit up followed by a laugh.

"How could I not be?"

Elma smiled.

"I suppose I don't know you or Gwin well enough even after all these years...what you all do with your free time."

Irina moved closer.

"Not much can be done about that, Colonel. We're all busy. It's not like we have much free time but what we do, spending it with friends is good. If you even come within shouting distance of Jaynix, she'll pull you in and make a friend or enemy out of you right then and there. Just how she is."

Elma thought back to her interactions with Jaynix and nodded.

"I can see that."

"So is there a reason you're asking this? Did she not make a good first impression?"

Elma recalled the spar and the meal afterwards.

"She made a good one...I suppose I'm just curious about her. She's...how to put it...loud?"

Irina laughed again.

"Yeah. She makes a mark. Actually, she's pretty good friends with Frye. Not that it's much of a surprise given their personalities."

Elma brought a hand to her chin. Thinking about the red haired woman. The pride in her walk, the challenge in her eye. The shadows of something else among it all.

"If you're that curious, talking to her is a great start. She's not the first thing I imagine when I think of you having friends, Colonel...but given all our ties with Frye, those doubts vanish."

Elma chuckled.

"I suppose so. Thank you Irina."

"Don't mention it."

Irina stretched for a few more moments before seeking food as well. Leaving the Skelleton's Hangar, Elma took a deep breath. She didn't have a lot of free time for friends, but making one more was anything but a bad thing. Aeon insisted as much once upon a time.


September 17th, 2060

The sun hung low in the sky, Elma and Jaynix sat next to one another leaning against a large tree. Jaynix cried until she could cry no more, her one eye kept finding Elma, that disbelief still present.

Whatever ghosts and hallucinations plagued Jaynix for the last four years kept her from trusting anything. Even with all the evidence in Elma's favor, Jaynix would prefer to ignore it than entertain the possibility of another lie.

Yet here she was, willing to accept that this was the true Elma and not some figment of her damaged psyche.

Elma had never experienced such a tumultuous storm of feelings and emotions as she did within the last 24 hours. There was no doubt in her mind that Jaynix was feeling all the same things as well. She had a million questions and a million more things she wanted to tell her friend and she was certain the inverse was true.

Yet all she could do now was support her and assure her that she was real. Closing her eyes, Elma thought of that memory. That small day that brought her into contact with Jaynix's family. She wasn't sure how she could forget something like that but she hadn't been on Earth long at that point, it's likely all her work she had to take part in and plan pushed that day out of her mind.

Was the same true for Jaynix? Regardless, their connection had been unearthed once more. Elma didn't know how much time she would have to dedicate to strengthening the bond but it didn't matter. She'd put as much effort into it as she could. She had to.

Opening her eyes, she looked at Jaynix. Watching her and waiting as the other woman's eye found her. Steadily, her eye moved from Elma's face to her hair. Elma knew immediately what she was looking at. Bringing a hand to the side of her head, Elma ran her fingers along the red strand and smile.

"Yeah. This was for you."

Jaynix kept her eye on it.

"I...no matter what happened on this planet, I wanted to make sure that I'd never forget you, Jaynix. I never did."

Elma moved her hand from her own hair to the side of Jaynix's face, near the cloth that covered her other eye. Jaynix quickly caught Elma's hand and shook her head.

Despite wanting to comfort her, Elma knew she had to respect her boundaries. Taking her hand away from Jaynix she spoke.

"I have no excuses, Jaynix...just apologies. So many apologies. I'm here now, for real...for you."

Jaynix closed her eye, lost in thought. Elma took that opportunity to study Jaynix's face once more. To say she looked tired would be an understatement. The shadows under her eyes suggested sleep was not something she took part in. The scars running across her lips, her nose, around her eye and emerging from the cloth told Elma a lot of things. None of them good.

Her eyes then moved down to Jaynix's neck to see the same damage as well as more webs of scars emerging from the collar of her worn out shirt. Elma knew Jaynix crashed here, her Skell completely disabled and torn apart as it was pulled in by the planet's gravity. The physical state Jaynix was in should be expected but the extent of the damage still worried her.

"Jaynix. I...would like you to rest. I'll be here for you."

Jaynix shook her head.

"I...I want to help you, Jaynix. Just by looking at you I can only imagine how much you've suffered. I want to help lessen your burden."

Jaynix closed her eye, a faint whisper escaping her lips.

"No."

"Jaynix."

"No!"

Elma stopped herself from saying anything more as Jaynix opened her eye. She wasn't mad, if anything there was only deep sorrow in her eye.

Elma needed to think of how to approach this, what to say to strengthen their bond. Jaynix was at her lowest point, she needed help to get out of it. Elma didn't believe pride was what was keeping Jaynix from accepting help. It might play a part but the way Jaynix looked now, there was no pride in her.

A few minutes passed before Jaynix tried to move, to get back on her feet but her legs refused to cooperate. The flinching and contorting of her facial features told Elma all she needed to know. Standing, she offered Jaynix a hand but she didn't take it, instead continuing to struggle on her own.

"Jaynix, please. Let me help you."

"I can...do this…"

Jaynix's voice was strained and weak, after a few more attempts she fell back against the tree and cursed.

"Is this what you wanted?"

Before Elma could respond, Jaynix continued.

"A broken, beaten and useless...thing...is this what you wanted?"

Elma knelt down in front of Jaynix.

"All I wanted was you. No matter what condition you were in. I wanted to find you, alive. I'm not mad, disappointed, disgusted, nothing like that. All I feel in my heart is immense, unmistakable joy. I'm looking at you, Jaynix and it's...it's a miracle."

Elma offered her hand once more.

"Let me help you. Please."

Jaynix shook her head.

"You'll get sick of helping me…"

"No. Never."

Jaynix coughed.

"You'll leave me. I know it."

"Nothing will ever take you from me. Not again. I promise."

There was a long stretch of silence, Jaynix studying Elma's gaze. She didn't believe her, not entirely at least. Yet after attempting to stand once more she gave in and took hold of Elma's hand.

With a mighty heave, Elma helped her friend back to her feet. The pair began their walk through the jungle, back towards the camp.

"Jaynix...I know you don't want me to but...your Mimeosome, I-"

Elma sighed. She didn't want to push the subject but Jaynix needed the help even if she didn't want it. At the very least a quick analysis. It would take only a few minutes and tell Elma all she needed to know to start treatment on Jaynix's physical injuries both internal and external.

"A quick scan is all I ask. Jaynix?"

Elma looked to her friend, there was no response. Given that Jaynix's left eye was covered by the cloth, Elma couldn't see if she was alert. She prepared to call out to her when Jaynix began to slump over, her legs no longer moving.

Stopping in place, Elma tightened her hold on her, supporting her as best she could as she finished the walk back to the camp.

"Sleep, Jaynix. Sleep. I'll take care of everything. I promise."


September 18th, 2060

The sun rose the next day in the foreign jungle, Elma sat by herself near Jaynix who had yet to wake after passing out. Part of Elma was glad that she was getting some much needed sleep but another part worried about what her state would do while she was sleeping. Elma sat close to Jaynix for that reason, one of her hands on her friend's arm to let her know in whatever small way that she was still here.

While Jaynix had refused Elma's aid, she had to perform the scan and so she did it while Jaynix slept. Perhaps it was an invasion of privacy and a betrayal of the trust they just established but Elma had wanted to find Jaynix for four years. She refused to let anything take her away now that she found her.

The scan was quick which led to Elma studying the results on her datapad since then. To say that Jaynix needed help was putting it lightly.

Every part of Jaynix's Mimeosome was experiencing critical failure, nothing was working as it should be and for some unknown reason there were parts of Jaynix's Mimeosome that she couldn't scan. They came up void on the readout which led to even more questions.

Aside from all her physical injuries, Jaynix herself was operating on far from optimal protoplasmic levels. Her being able to fight the way she did, let alone walk around and talk was unreal. Impossible.

Elma took some time to search Jaynix's camp for the cable she had used earlier to draw on whatever fluids remained in Firebird's reserve tank. It didn't take long to find it and once she did, she followed the cable back through the jungle clearing and towards the tarp that covered what she knew were the destroyed remains of Firebird.

Even with Jaynix now accepting Elma's presence, the idea of touching the tarp was a frightening one. Closing her eyes, Elma thought back to Jaynix's sudden appearance behind her, it was truly as if she manifested out of thin air. Terrifying.

"I just need to check the status of the tank...that's all…"

Elma pulled out her datapad and began flipping through the various programs before finding the archived information on First Generation Skells. Entering the relevant data, she held her device out and waited as it scanned the area before her, confirming that Firebird was indeed hidden below the tarp.

The Skell was in just as bad if not worse shape than Jaynix was, completely inoperable, missing countless armor plates and three of its limbs. No doubt some of that was removed in the construction of the spear but the amount missing was far more than that.

Elma's datapad continued scanning the destroyed Skell until it found the reserve unit, showing Elma that the protoplasmic fluid tank was empty.

Elma had no words, part of her expected that but it made no sense. Regardless of when the tank ran out, if Jaynix didn't have a source of fuel, she should've shut down already. Elma was of course glad that didn't happen, but it only led her to question why it didn't happen.

Something else she'd have to add to the list of things to ask Jaynix.

Putting her device away, Elma's gaze returned to the mound of dirt sitting beyond the trees. It was a strange sight and oddly enough, Elma felt drawn to it. Shaking her head, she walked back through the scorched clearing, heading for the destroyed village and the Prog Ares. Coming to a stop she thought about Jaynix's state, if she woke up and found Elma gone, she may believe that she was never there. Elma couldn't afford to lose the trust and faith she'd recovered.

Turning back once again, Elma headed towards Jaynix's camp. Pulling out her remote control, she ordered the Ares to move to a closer position. She'd retrieve the rest of the gear and more importantly, a stable fluid delivery system from the cockpit.

Jaynix was lying on the ground right where Elma had left her, still sleeping. Sitting next to her, Elma reached out and placed a hand on her arm once again.

Returning her gaze to her datapad, Elma read over the Mimeosome fluid reinvigoration cycle, just like NLA itself and their Skells, protoplasmic fluids have advanced to a new stage over the course of four years. The new formula lasted longer and provided more energy for Mimeosomes overall, the second fluid type didn't necessitate a name change given the old type was retired but the MMC techs involved in its creation gave it one anyway. Blueblood.

While the protoplasmic fluids of their mims were incredibly bloodlike, the new Blueblood was far more similar to human blood composition.

Some part of Elma felt vaguely amused. After recovering her flesh and blood body, she spent considerably more time in it unless a potentially difficult mission called for her Mimeosome's advantages. Yet it wasn't until she was preparing to set off on this lonely quest to find Jaynix that she realized her Mimeosome had not been updated to work with Blueblood.

A prime opportunity would have been after the mission but…

Elma's smile faded.

The mission.

She'd forgotten about the things she had to tell Jaynix. So many great and terrible things had happened over the course of four years, few would be more devastating than telling Jaynix about Frye's death.

It was something Jaynix deserved to know but Elma didn't want to risk it. Jaynix's mental state was far from ideal, to say nothing about her physical condition as well. Jaynix lost her found family, the Reapers. Her wife, Lyla. Telling her that she lost a dear friend in Frye would be too much.

"One day I'll tell her…one day..."


Elma sat not too far from Jaynix, lying against a tree, sleeping. She wasn't sure when she passed out but she was woken up by hearing Jaynix's startled cry, opening her eyes to see the woman standing with her blade drawn.

"Jaynix?"

The Corporal turned to her, confusion in her eye.

"It's alright. You were just sleeping."

Jaynix looked down at the blade in her grip, turning it over in her hand before returning the weapon to its scabbard.

"...I don't sleep…"

Elma nodded.

"I didn't think so. I am glad that I could help you get some rest. You needed it."

Jaynix shook her head.

"No. I didn't. It didn't help."

"Jaynix."

The Reaper said nothing more, turning away as Elma got to her feet.

"There is something important we have to do."

Jaynix refused to face her which prompted Elma to move closer.

"Your body is critically low on fluids. So much so that I can't understand how you're functioning at all."

"Doesn't matter…"

Elma wanted to argue that point but knew better. After all, Jaynix was right. The hows and whys regarding her state and what happened to her these last four years had to wait.

"I have all the necessary tools to run the mimeosome fluid reinvigoration protocol. However, because of the state of your mim, pushing the Blueblood through you will be...painful."

Jaynix looked back at Elma. Her eye showed a distinct lack of care for the possibility of pain. All Elma had to do was study Jaynix's body and the poor state it was in to realize that there were likely very few things that could unsettle Jaynix and that in it of itself was unsettling.

"Jaynix. I just want you to know that-"

Trailing off, Elma sighed.

"I'm sorry I…"

Jaynix looked away once more.

"I know I'm not easy to talk to."

Elma smiled.

"I'm just glad to be able to talk to you again. I'm trying my best to...I know we can't just fall back into our pattern. A lot has changed in four years...but know that all I want is to help."

Jaynix remained silent, Elma tried to move closer only for her to pull away.

"Four years…"

Jaynix took several steps away from Elma, repeating the timeframe to herself in a low whisper.

"...you didn't know?"

Jaynix shook her head.

"I was alone. I lost track of...everything..."

Falling silent, Jaynix retreated into her thoughts. Elma took several more steps closer and cleared her throat.

"You aren't alone anymore."

Jaynix turned slightly.

"I want to help you, Jaynix. I need to help you. So please just...hear me out."

Jaynix said nothing else as Elma came to a stop.

"In order to get you fully functioning again I need to circulate the new fluids through your body until your mim becomes accustomed to it. The internal damage will make what is normally an awkward feeling...painful. I don't know how bad it will be but I'll be here for you the entire time."

Elma waited for Jaynix to respond, the other woman was looking everywhere except back at her.

"Jaynix. If we don't do this...I don't know what's keeping you active but it's...you're not well. Please."

Jaynix shook her head.

"I don't need it. I don't want it."

"Jaynix."

Finally, she turned back to Elma. Gazes focused on one another, Jaynix tried to speak.

"I...it…"

With a heavy sigh she returned to the same log she had been sitting on before.

"I can't."

Elma didn't want to drop the subject, supplying Jaynix with the fluids was a necessity. She didn't want to risk her dying now that she finally found her but if Jaynix didn't want to she knew better than to force her. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of their desperate struggle. Letting out a long breath, Elma spoke.

"Then what can I do for you?"

Jaynix gestured to the log across from her. Elma couldn't voice it but it was clear that Jaynix just wanted company. Something to remind her that she finally wasn't alone. Elma could never deny Jaynix that. Not after all this time.

Sitting down across from her, Elma remained silent, keeping her gaze on her friend. Being able to look at her, touch her and speak to her again continued to bring a smile to her face.

She wanted to bring Jaynix back to NLA to bring joy to everyone. She no longer cared if they forgot about her or if they believed that she was dead. She didn't want this to be about proving them wrong, she wanted this to be cause for celebration.

She could only imagine how everyone back in NLA would react.

She could only imagine how Frye would've reacted.


Escape.

Flee.

Disappear.

That's all she felt as she rushed through the alien jungle, bumping into every tree and tripping over any rock in her way. She'd screamed and cried till her throat was raw and could barely breathe as she struggled to escape the horrors she witnessed.

She needed to be as far away from the monster she saw. The thing vanished into the darkness but she knew it would return.

It butchered everything in sight and would not stop. Not as long as there was life left to snuff out.

Tripping over a branch, she fell one last time and her body gave out. Unwilling to move an inch more.

Voice gone and vision fading all she wanted was to be free of the nightmare.


September 19th, 2060

She had closed her eye for what felt like a second, yet that's all it took to fall back into that darkness.

Jaynix's eye searched her lonely camp, to see traces of that unfamiliar presence. Elma. She tried to deny the companionship, to push the specter away. She had to. All this time alone couldn't just be solved by Elma finding her. Her suffering was not allowed to end like this. She was not allowed to have this.

Standing, Jaynix looked up at the dark skies which hid any trace of the moons. Elma sat with her well into the night, offering nothing more than her presence. There was a moment where it seemed like Elma was going to make another appeal but she said nothing. Jaynix wasn't exactly comfortable with that simply because it further proved that she was hard to talk to and even Elma wasn't sure how to interact with her.

Regardless, she would have refused it again. She'd sooner die than ease her burden.

Walking around the camp, Jaynix could not find Elma. Was she a ghost after all? Any doubts were silenced by sounds beyond the treeline. Someone was still here. Elma was still here. Jaynix felt herself breathe, it had to be a good thing. It was Elma. Yet her positive feelings were buried under pain and hate.

Moving towards the sounds of activity, Jaynix kept her eye on her surroundings. If Elma found her, perhaps someone else could. Someone with nothing but dangerous intentions. Jaynix would never allow anyone or anything to harm the only connection she had, even if it was one she didn't deserve.

Breaking through the trees, Jaynix found Elma performing some sort of maintenance on herself, no doubt because of the deep cut along her side. The cut she had inflicted.

Elma looked up to see her, surprise and that same apologetic light in her eyes. Jaynix couldn't stand it. That look made her feel guilty, made her feel worthless and weak. The part of her that told her not to feel like that died long ago.

Unable to respond and not wanting to, Jaynix turned her attention elsewhere. Scanning her surroundings she couldn't ignore the feeling that something was watching her and that was when she found it.

Something foreign yet familiar.

Something evil.

The mechanical menace towered over her, that bright and disturbing purple glow running through its body like veins. The machine raised its arms for battle, Jaynix drew her blade even as fear gripped her heart. The madness flooded her mind soon after as a blood curdling howl full of terror and hate erupted from her body and left her throat aching.

There was another voice behind her but the words faded to nothing as Jaynix threw herself at the massive machine, her blade carving deep into the thing's body only for it to bring its arms down to suffocate her as it's done countless times before.

Jaynix screamed and raged as everything faded to black, she could still feel herself moving, her blade cutting through the air, flames lighting the night. She left destruction in her wake as she sought to kill the nightmare.


Elma sat alone in her room, staring at nothing. Aegis had been rubbing against her trying to earn her attention for a while but failing. Elma's eyes were focused on the wall across from her but that wasn't what she was seeing.

Her rest had been disturbed by a memory. It was him. Benton. Pleading for his life over and over only to be shot mid sentence. Elma felt no pity for the man but she couldn't help but think about what it said about her. What he did was wrong. Things had changed. Did that make her right?

It got her to thinking about the other man. Lao. Jaynix shot him while he was, for all intents and purposes, in Elma's custody. The things they've done. All of them.

She pushed it aside, ignored it and accepted it. All her conversations with Mira Torres went through the same logic. She was unwavering. Elma believed herself to be the same.

She had to be the same. This mission had encompassed her life for decades. She couldn't let it fail.

Yet there had to be a point, there had to be a point where she would be unable to face herself. She had to feel some guilt, she had to wish that there were other ways. She had to hold onto some form of compassion or what would be left at the end of this road would be an unfeeling...monster.

Yet as hard as she tried to find that guilt, that sorrow all she found...was relief.

She was...glad that Benton was dead. She was glad that Lao was dead. Sometimes she wished that she shot Lao instead of Jaynix.

Closing her eyes, Elma shook her head. Was that right?

She could imagine Nagi telling her to talk to him. To someone. To open up. They were shouldering a lot. Every meeting she had with the President, Nagi, Chausson, Mira and the other World Leaders reminded her of the burden they carried.

How much could they pile on before they broke.

At what point did they start to lose themselves?

How much was too much to justify?

Feeling Aegis against her leg once more, Elma knew she had to relent. She had to stop thinking about it. She ignored the effects of her more questionable actions from day one because she knew it would lock her into a circle of thoughts. Logic. Justification. Right. Wrong.

They were beyond that as Mira was so fond of saying. What they did was more important and vital than how they did it.

Yet for all their actions, they left countless people behind in difficult situations physically and mentally. When the day finally came, not everyone would be saved.

That was one more thing they all had to shoulder.

One more thing they all had to accept.

Standing, Elma went about feeding Aegis, asking herself the same question.

"What would it take to break you so thoroughly, that what is left behind is unrecognizable?"

Whatever that action or consequence was, Elma knew she had to avoid it. She would not wish that fate upon anyone.


It was supposed to be a quick task. It had been a few days since the battle and while her injury was treated well enough by Jaynix's adhesive, she still required her own protoplasmic treatment. It was well past midnight when Elma took off to treat herself. She'd be gone for at most fifteen minutes yet in that stretch of time Jaynix woke up and sought her out.

And then it happened.

The sun came up once more to find Elma sitting in a new jungle clearing, one that had not been there until last night. All around her was devastation, charred remains of trees and shattered proud trunks littered the ground. Jaynix flew into an impossible rage, attacking the Prog Ares causing heavy damage before Elma ordered the Skell to fly away. That didn't sate Jaynix and so she turned her attention on everything around her.

Elma was in no condition to fight her again, all she could do was hide and wait it out.

Dawn had broken when Jaynix collapsed. Elma moved to her side and remained there ever since.

Placing a hand on Jaynix's head, Elma did her best to soothe her and keep any potential nightmares away. Jaynix had never seen the Prog Ares before so the reaction could not have been because of the Skell.

Elma continued thinking, trying to come up with a reason. It was the Tandem Ares that fired on Jaynix when she was lost to Starfall. It was possible that she made the connection between the Ares variants, her hatred wasn't aimed at Elma but at the Skell itself.

Shaking her head, Elma pushed the thoughts aside before looking in the direction of the covered up Firebird. Is it possible that her own Skell sparked that same rage? Is that why it was covered up?

Elma had no way of knowing but witnessing Jaynix's madness takeover was something she never wanted to see again.

As her thoughts continued to whirl, she heard a weak and quiet voice shatter the silence.

"Did I hurt you?"

Looking down at Jaynix, Elma started to open her mouth but found her words failing once more. Instead, she shook her head. Jaynix's eye was full of doubt as she whispered.

"I'll do it…"

"...the protocol?"

Everything about Jaynix's reaction to those words told Elma that she absolutely did not want to go through the procedure. The clenching of her teeth, the shifting of her body, the disgust in her eye.

Yet as her gaze landed on Elma again, it was all replaced by overwhelming concern.

"If it can help...it if can...stop me…"

Elma continued to run her hand through Jaynix's hair, soothing her and keeping her calm.

"Jaynix. What happened last night. It's not...I can't...changing your blood composition…"

Elma trailed off. Steeling herself, she spoke, honest and true.

"It's not going to help."

She then saw a single tear escape Jaynix's eye. Traveling down her cheek and landing in the grass below. Jaynix spoke, low and broken.

"I know."


The late afternoon sun painted the jungle with a wondrous orange light, a stark contrast to the scarlet inferno Elma saw when she closed her eyes.

Her gaze moved to Jaynix who had insisted that they get the procedure over with immediately. Elma wanted to argue but she knew she couldn't. Jaynix's body was in horrible condition, the longer they waited the greater the chance of something worse happening.

"Jaynix...if I could put you to sleep for this, maybe-"

"No."

The woman turned and shook her head.

"No. I've...I can do it."

Elma let out a heavy sigh and nodded. She had no idea how painful it would be but if it was as bad as she imagined it to be, it would rouse Jaynix from any slumber Elma could manage.

"Try to find one light to focus on. Something to guide you through the pain."

Seeing the look in Jaynix's eye told Elma that she had no light. Moving closer, Elma spoke.

"Just focus on me, okay?"

Jaynix nodded before looking away.

"You're all I have."

It didn't take long after that to set up the procedure, Elma had Jaynix sit on the log. Carefully, she pulled up the Phantom cloak and the back end of Jaynix's outfit to see the exposed port for the protoplasmic fluids. As well as deep lines of scars running across Jaynix's lower back.

"I'll also need to place something at the base of your skull."

Jaynix gave Elma a look, to which she could only sigh.

"I know how it sounds but the procedure was not created with everything you're going through in mind…"

Jaynix said nothing else. Detecting a faint nod, Elma moved Jaynix's hair aside and produced a second cable to attach to another port on Jaynix's head.

"I have all kinds of supplies to reconstruct and restore your Mimeosome's skin so don't worry about anything. I'm here for you."

Jaynix remained silent as Elma stood up to retrieve the primary device. She had the Prog Ares silently park out of sight. The walk from it and back to Jaynix's camp wasn't especially long but it was a notable distance. Elma did not want to risk Jaynix seeing it even through the dense layer of trees surrounding them.

Stopping at the side of the Prog Ares, Elma examined the deep grooves in the Skell's armor. Part of her was surprised by how much damage Jaynix was able to do in such a short amount of time but another part of her expected worse.

Returning to Jaynix's side, Elma went through the process of activating the machine.

"Are you sure, Jaynix?"

"I have to. For you."

Elma ran her hand along the machine.

"I understand but...I don't want to put you in harm's way. I don't. After all this time it's the last thing I want."

"I'm sorry."

Jaynix whispered before falling silent and closing her eye. Elma had no choice but to go through with it. This wasn't a choice Jaynix was making because she wanted to and that's what felt so unfair to her. Even so, Elma had to ignore everything that was happening and focus on just one element. The one thing that left her feeling hopeful. This procedure would help Jaynix in the long run. That's all that mattered.

Activating the machine, Elma remained seated next to Jaynix and waited. The first phase was simply scanning Jaynix's Mimeosome and determining how much of the old protoplasmic fluids remained. The result the device gave out was almost zero.

Allocating the required Blueblood, the device showed the general statistics of Jaynix's Mimeosome before the process began. Much like Elma's own scan, parts of Jaynix's Mimeosome did not come up on the readout. Small portions of her body, an area around her chest and head were missing. Elma's gaze moved from the device to Jaynix who remained still with her eye closed.

As the Blueblood entered her body, Elma could see Jaynix flinch. A pained grimace formed along her face. Yet she remained still as the process continued. As calm as she looked all Elma had to do was drop her gaze to her hands to see them clenching tightly.

Moving closer, Elma took one of Jaynix's hands into her own. Jaynix held on tightly and it hurt greatly but Elma didn't care.

A pained groan escaped Jaynix's lips as the process continued. Part of Elma had expected Jaynix to be able to contain herself but she was doing so far better than anything Elma could have imagined.

Then something changed. Jaynix pulled her hand away from Elma and to the side of her face, to her covered up eye. There was more blatant pain along her face as she pressed her hand down against the cloth.

Elma wanted to ask what was wrong, if she should stop the procedure but Jaynix said nothing. Then her other hand came to her chest. Elma looked at the device readout but saw nothing of particular mention, the procedure was going through as intended but Elma couldn't ignore the fact that Jaynix was holding onto the parts of her body that didn't show up on either scan.

A pained cry escaped Jaynix, followed by a yell as the woman fell to the ground. Elma was at her side immediately asking if she should stop the procedure. Jaynix cried out in pain once more but managed to shake her head. Elma wasn't convinced, she returned to the device to find the process was almost complete.

Turning she watched as Jaynix writhed in pain on the floor, her screams getting louder. Her hand was still on the side of her face, was this because of the process or something else?

Elma abandoned the device and returned to Jaynix's side, trying to soothe her in any way she could as the screams grew louder. Jaynix's eye opened, the pupil dilated in pain and reflected a powerful wrath.

Elma could swear there was a faint purple glow in her eye before she shut it once more, her cries echoing through the jungle.

Elma remained at her side, saying whatever she could and doing whatever came to mind until the procedure came to an end. Even then, whatever pained Jaynix did not stop, it only grew worse.

All Elma could do was assure Jaynix that she was there and she had no intention of going anywhere. Ever.


September 20th, 2060

Morning broke the next day, Elma once more sat with Jaynix who had fallen unconscious after whatever foreign attack she had experienced. Elma expected the procedure to be trying and it was but what happened near the end of it was something else entirely. Elma had no choice but to put it on the incredibly long list of things she had to talk to Jaynix about.

She had no doubts that there were even more things Jaynix was keeping to herself, things she didn't want to share or recall. Getting through to Jaynix, making her comfortable enough to share them all would be a hard task but Elma was not going to give up. She didn't come this far to quit.

Elma thought about the state of Jaynix's Mimeosome again. The fact that parts of her body didn't show up on either scan meant something was wrong with Jaynix's body, not the equipment. That was an obvious conclusion. Anyone could look at Jaynix and determine that something was wrong. Elma's attention moved to the cloth around Jaynix's face.

Taking a deep breath, Elma tried to push aside her negative thoughts and theories so she could focus on the positives. With the new Blueblood reinvigorating Jaynix's body, the woman would be stronger. Physically at least. Her body was in freefall and doing anything seemed to pain Jaynix, even walking around her own camp looked difficult.

Thinking about the hard time Jaynix had standing caused Elma's gaze to move from the sleeping woman to the jungle around them, she looked in the direction of the clearing they had destroyed during their battle.

Jaynix was capable of that terror and destruction with a body in the process of breaking down. Despite all the signs pointing to the opposite, physical strength was not something Jaynix was lacking in or had trouble with. Yet once the fight had ended, she was almost incapable of something as simple as walking.

Elma's mind whirled again with endless possibilities as to why that was but she knew she'd be receiving no clear answer anytime soon.

Either way, her physical issues may have been dealt with thanks to the procedure but that left the harder task involving her state of mind and that was an entirely different struggle. Elma didn't feel she was qualified to tackle such a sensitive issue as her best friend's mental health.

Closing her eyes, she thought of what she could do instead. Her mission only had two tasks. Find Jaynix. Once that was done, bring her home.

Jaynix proved to be incredibly resistant to even talking to Elma, even now she didn't speak all that much. Then there was her reaction to the Prog Ares. If Elma was to get her home, it needed to be in the Skell, otherwise it would take months to get back to NLA. Perhaps a whole year.

While Elma was confident in everyone back home she didn't want to be gone for that long. She could put Jaynix under but the woman refuses to sleep and only agreed to it after much hesitation. If not for her outburst and another wave of destruction she would never have agreed to the procedure in the first place.

Elma let out a long and heavy sigh, no matter how she looked at her current situation she knew it wasn't an easy one. But she'd never blame Jaynix for the complications. Never. All she had to do was find a way to work with her and to do that, they needed to talk.

Elma thought about her datapad and all the stories it contained from countless events over the last four years. It was a long document and that was merely with her own recollection of events. She'd have to ask if Jaynix was interested in any of it. She didn't want to overwhelm her.

Elma's gaze moved up to the sky, faint traces of gray painting the many clouds above. Rain was on its way, she could feel it.

She wasn't sure how long she was staring up at the clouds when she heard her name. Looking back down at Jaynix she smiled.

"Did you sleep well?"

Jaynix shook her head.

"I don't know."

"Better than suffering nightmares for once, I imagine…"

Jaynix tried to move only for Elma to put a hand on her arm.

"You're going to be sore for a while. Please don't push it."

Jaynix sighed but said nothing more. Instead she remained in her position on Elma's lap.

"I'm sorry for putting you through that, Jaynix."

The last Reaper shook her head, no words leaving her lips as she closed her eye. Elma smiled, looking around the peaceful jungle she felt lighter somehow.

"Did you mean it?"

Looking at Jaynix once more, Elma asked.

"Mean what?"

"Everything."

Elma nodded.

"Whether it was my apologies, regrets or anything else I said. I meant it, Jaynix. I didn't come all this way to deceive you. I never would."

Jaynix searched Elma's eyes.

"Even when you told me...that you loved me?"

Elma fell silent. She wasn't sure why but she didn't expect Jaynix to recall that. While it was a few days ago it was something said in desperation. She was at the end of her rope, she'd accepted that she would die by Jaynix's hand and so she wanted to tell Jaynix how much she meant to her in the only way she knew how. Using that accursed four letter word.

At least that's what she told herself now. The word flowed out of her mouth that day as if it was the most natural thing. Despite the circumstances, she was glad that she said it.

"Of course, Jaynix. Did you think that was a hallucination too? A trick?"

Jaynix moved one of her arms slowly, feeling the grass she was lying on.

"That was real…"

"It was. I promise."

Jaynix closed her eyes, whispering.

"Tell me again."

Elma wasn't sure how long she sat there gathering herself together. Jaynix barely moved, her eye didn't open. There was only the gentle rising and falling of her chest. Whether she was asleep once more or not, Elma didn't know.

The day was bright and warm, a faint smile on Elma's face as she spoke.

"I love you, Jaynix."