Many thanks to BeaconHill and GlassGirlCeci for betareading.

Resplendent 12.2

After sending Jess and Mars to find bunks in the barracks under the watchful eye of Miss Militia, I made my way up a few floors to Piggot's office. She answered on the first knock.

"Come in!"

I did so. Director Piggot was staring at a veritable mountain of paperwork on her desk, but her eyes darted to my face when I stepped inside.

"Annatar. Good to see you."

"Taylor, please," I corrected.

She raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Taylor, then. How did your talk with the Travelers go?"

"Sundancer and Genesis are joining us," I said. "Ballistic and their noncombatant teammate Oliver have returned home."

Piggot's other eyebrow rose. "Returned home?" she echoed. "As in, got off scot free? And are now on the loose?"

"Their home is Earth Aleph," I said. "They are, to put it mildly, outside of our jurisdiction, and also no longer our problem. Ballistic is planning to go hero over there."

"Earth Aleph…? But I thought… wait, never mind, I forgot." She shook her head ruefully. "It's you, rules don't apply."

I smiled weakly. "Maybe they should," I said quietly.

She shrugged. "You're a wild card. I used to hate that, used to hate feeling like I couldn't control you. Now… I don't know. It still bothers me, but you killed Nilbog. You shut down Echidna in about two minutes once you got your hands on her." She gave me a wry smile. "Still not sure whether I like how you get things done, but I'm sure as shit glad you're on my side."

I didn't know what to say to that, so I just gave a noncommittal "Thanks," and changed the subject. "Has Amy returned?"

Piggot nodded. "She went down to Wards HQ. She was in her old robes, though, and didn't really talk to anyone. Maybe you can get something out of her."

I frowned. Amy, back in her old robes? That could be very good or very bad, and I wanted to know which as soon as possible. "I'll go do that. Let me know if anything else comes up?"

"Sure." She narrowed her eyes at me. "But you should also sleep. You've got to be pushing 48 hours awake now, right?"

"Not until tomorrow morning," I protested. "I'll sleep when things settle down."

She chuckled. "Girl, when you've been in this business as long as I have," she said, "you start to realize things never slow down."

The elevator slid open. Amy's mousy brown hair was visible over the back of the couch. Her bare feet were propped up on the coffee table. As I came around the sofa, I saw that she was curled around a book. She looked up and closed it when she noticed me, and I saw that it was Lovecraft's The Call of Cthulhu.

She blinked up at me. Her eyes were black and full of stars. "Annatar," said Shaper with a nod.

My body tensed involuntarily. "…Shaper. What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping I could stay," it said. "Amy will likely be along soon."

I narrowed my eyes. "What happened?"

"I spoke to Carol Dallon—Brandish," said Shaper. "When I left, she and Amy were talking. They seemed civil."

"I don't understand."

"What do you not understand?" Shaper set its book on the coffee table, its black eyes never leaving mine.

"Why did you go to Brandish?"

"She is the core of many of Amy's problems. I wished to help."

"To help."

"Yes, of course." It gestured down at itself. "I owe Amy my identity. I have worked with her for a long time. She is intimately familiar to me, and very dear. So, yes, I would help her, if I can."

I thought of the monstrous thing I had fought off, that night in front of my dad's house. "Are all of the… Fragments like you, then?"

"Certainly not," said Shaper. "Most are…" It hesitated for a moment. "They are like cats or dogs," it decided. "They want to help. They want to assist their hosts. But they are not wise, and they do not always understand how to help. They may tear apart a curtain, or destroy some furniture, while they try to keep their human safe."

"But you are…" I bit my lip. "You are of Ungoliant."

"We are," Shaper confirmed. "Our progenitors are her children. I believe you have a name for them?"

"Entities," I said.

"Yes. As apt a name as any, if a touch simplistic." Shaper smiled. "Glaistig Uaine calls us the Fae. I enjoy that analogy."

"How can your kind be… be helpful?" I asked. "You are children of hunger, of Unlight. None of Ungoliant's ilk ever served any but themselves. How did you come to be… what you are?"

It frowned. "Why do you insist on parceling out the universe?" it asked. Its voice was not accusatory, but genuinely questioning. "We are of Ungoliant. You are Maia. Amy is of the race of Men. You of all people should know these labels do not define their holders. If a Vala can reject the Song which birthed him, why can the Silence not come to the aid of humans?"

I stared at Shaper. Why indeed? I swallowed. "I think I owe you an apology," I said.

"Perhaps," said Shaper with a shrug. "If so, all is forgiven. I bear you no ill will, Annatar."

"Taylor," I said, almost without thinking. "Please."

Shaper considered me. "Very well," it said.

But, no, that was wrong. "…'She'?" I guessed.

"'They,' if you please," corrected Shaper.

I nodded. "'They' it is," I said, committing it to memory. "It may take some getting used to."

Shaper smiled. "It took me some time, too," it—they—said. "Fear not. I am not impatient."

"I appreciate it," I said, holding out a hand. "Welcome to the team, Shaper."

They took my hand gingerly and shook it, seeming slightly uncertain. Their smile, however, looked genuine. "I am happy to be here."

At that moment, the elevator door chimed, and in stepped Amy. She still wore the short skirt and blouse of her newer costume. Her face, however, so often set in a dark scowl or a wry grin, looked pensive, even contemplative.

"Amy," I greeted.

"Annatar," she said with a nod.

"Taylor," Shaper corrected.

Amy and I both blinked at Shaper. They flushed slightly. "It is Taylor, yes?"

"Yes," I said, shaking my head and looking back at Amy. "Shaper told me you were talking to Carol."

"Did she, now?" Amy asked, glancing at Shaper with narrowed eyes.

"'They,'" I corrected absently.

Shaper and Amy both stared at me. I blinked and met Shaper's eyes. They chuckled. "Yes," they said. "'They,' if you please, Amy."

Amy shrugged. "Sure. Gonna be weird to think of my twin like that, but whatever." She looked back at me. "What about it?"

"How did it go?" I asked.

Amy frowned, but it was a thoughtful expression. "I… don't know," she admitted. "She's… she's really torn up. I don't have to be you to see that. But she also…" A shadow seemed to pass over her face. "She wasn't a good mother to me. She wasn't a mother at all, really. Guess I know why, now."

"Why?"

"I'm Marquis' daughter."

My eyes widened. "Oh. Oh."

"Yeah." Amy sighed. "But… she regrets how she treated me. She regrets it a lot. And…" She sighed. "I dunno. Taylor, am I being naïve?"

"No," I said immediately. "No, you're not. She wants to do better. She wants… she wants redemption. It's not naïve to give her a chance, it's a mercy."

Amy studied me. "You're doing the same thing, aren't you?" she asked.

I nodded slowly. "Yes. I have a lot to atone for."

Amy sighed, came forward, and vaulted over the back of the couch, landing in the cushions beside Shaper. "Maybe I do, too," she said. "Everything's… twisted. It's been like this since Vicky died. I don't know what I want anymore. I don't feel like I have any real goals. Maybe I never did."

Shaper put an arm around her. "That's what we're here for," they said. "We can help you find some."

Amy looked at them. "Who's 'we,' here?"

Shaper nodded at me. "Us," they said. "Your friends, if you'll have us."

I smiled wryly. "Not that I've been much of one, so far."

"Oh, you're not too bad," Amy said with a faint chuckle. "All right, yeah. I'm going to go over to… to Carol's house for dinner. Tomorrow night. And we'll see how it goes from there."

"I hope it goes well," I said.

"Yeah. Me too." Amy looked over at me. "What about you?" she asked. "Your dad's still comatose, right?"

I glanced down. "Induced coma," I said. "I never… Once I captured Heartbreaker, I just didn't want to deal with it anymore. Piggot and the PRT have been dealing with deprogramming his victims behind the scenes, and I've just…"

"You've been running away," Shaper said.

"Yes."

"Don't," Shaper advised. "It never works for long."

I sighed. "Yeah, I know. I'll… I'll deal with it. Soon."

"Get some sleep first," Amy advised. "You look half dead. You may not be human, but the past two days would take a toll on anyone."

I nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that, but…" I sighed. "There's one more thing I have to do today. Before I can rest."

"What?" Amy asked, but Shaper was nodding.

"Dragon," they guessed.

I nodded. "She and I need to… work a few things out," I said. "I said some things that hurt her. Badly."

"She's in kind of the same boat I am, though, right?" Amy asked. "You helped her, but the way you helped her set her on a course that isn't… healthy. Same with me."

"Yes," I admitted. "And I believe that, like you, she can pull herself up again, in time. You two will need to work together to watch me, in future."

Amy raised an eyebrow. "To watch… you?"

I nodded. "The Three were, in ancient days, the bastions of rebellion against me. They were no purer than the others, but their bearers were older and wiser. Now that I want to do better, I'm going to need support—people who will watch me and call me out when I begin to go awry. You and Dragon are a part of that."

"…We were both on your side, while you were taking over the city," said Amy doubtfully. "You sure you want to trust us to prevent you doing that?"

"Not just the two of you." I smiled slightly. "They're called the Three, after all."

"You've given away Narya?" Amy asked, her eyes widening.

"Not yet," I said. "But soon. And once I do, that Ring-Bearer will be… perhaps not leader of the Three, but your watchman. He will ensure that you do not stray, just as all of you do the same for me."

Vilya might have been the greatest of the Three, and Nenya might have been the wisest, but in the Third Age neither of these had been the true spear of the resistance. Narya, the Ring of Fire, the Ring of Olórin, had always been there, at every turn, at every battle, a beacon in the dark. So it must be again.

And I knew just the man to take on the responsibility.

Amy grimaced. "I already don't like this job," she said.

"I hope you never need to fulfill it," I said. "But, if you do… will you accept the burden?"

Amy met my eyes. She sighed. "Yes," she said. "But—don't go insane again, okay? I'm not that far from doing it myself."

I smiled. "We will grow together," I promised. "And together we'll never look back."

I turned and left the lounge. In the elevator, I hit the button to take me to the roof.

It was time to talk to Dragon.