"Grey," Jupiter said, she felt awful, being carried as she was on the sled, but Grey had demanded it for the sake of her broken bones. Something about the possibility of puncturing important veins and arteries because of her splintered bones.
Never mind the way she saw the cabling digging into Grey's burnt flesh. Never mind Grey's own broken fingers. Grey had only chirped something sweetly to her, in their own language, and firmly placed her on the sled. Jupiter had tried to stand- but the pain had throbbed to a red hot flashing heat, and she had to carefully drop back onto the sled, defeated. Grey's second chirp had felt like laughter, and maybe a bit of 'I told you so', Jupiter wasn't sure.
"Jupiter?" Grey finally looked back, a faint blue blush on their face, with exertion.
"We can take a break," she told them. She knew it was important to get to the facility on the far side of the island, but they had just gone through an explosion. They were not about to die, luckily, so there wasn't much of an urgency.
"I wish to return you to your Elder," their voice was firm, uncompromising.
Jupiter's heart hurt. I want to see my Mama. She blinked away her tears. She had to be strong.
"I know. But you're going to hurt yourself more. Mama has to wait. It will take us at least twelve hours to heal, and traveling on the skip will be even more-"
Grey gave an irritating sound, a trill that dipped and twisted in a way that sounded like a combination of a growl and a clash of metal on metal.
"Jupiter."
"Grey."
The Keeper gave a huff, dropped the cabling, and stomped their way over to the make-shift sled. They dropped next to Jupiter, curling their long limbs as were their habit, but with a painful, stiff series of movements. Jupiter handed them bottled water, and the Keeper drank it calmly. She carefully gave them a very melted piece of a chocolate granola bar. They ate in silence, and Jupiter looked up to the sky. Having lived in Chicago all her life, she had never seen so many stars, so clearly. She carefully traced the constellations she knew and enjoyed the soft breeze that went through the lush trees. It was hot, humid in a way that she had never experienced, and Jupiter felt sticky and her burns really hurt. She couldn't even think of what Grey was feeling.
"I just wish for you to be safe," the Keeper said, after a long moment, "You are not safe here, on the Heart. And it is important for you to be with your DNA unit."
"I will never be safe, Grey."
A pained sounding whistle, that softened into the softest of sighs.
"No one knows you were Seraphi," they reasoned, "While you wait for yourself to mature, you will be safe from the Humans."
"Maybe. There's a lot of ifs in that statement. If my House doesn't find out about me soon. If I can avoid scrutiny of other Houses of the Verse while I'm planetside. Going to the Core was a risk- and if the Abrasaxs are smart, they will know something is up with Earth."
Grey gave that angry sound again.
"You should mature with peace."
Jupiter sighed.
"Not when other people don't have the luxury, Grey."
"The Verse is not on your shoulders yet, youngling."
Not yet. But I already feel its weight.
