Arknights: Rekindling

Description: Kal'tsit knows the past is the past, but the Doctor is the living reminder that the past continues to exist in the present, will she learn to finally let go of the past, or will she embrace it? - Kal'tsit x Doctor short story.

Commission by: Palik


Part 2: A Logical Amnesiac

Part 2: A Logical Amnesiac.

A lot changed in Babel from the moment the organization received the distress signal from Chernobog, specially at the top level of the organization. Most top operatives and commanders believed their leader would call for a special team to bring back the missing Evil Spirit of Babel, but to their surprise, Theresa ordered everyone to stand down and to simply wait for him to return on his own.

Her orders confused many, as various still believed their kind leader had something going on with her ghost which she never bothered denying.

Some operatives had even raised questions as to whether her decision was the correct one, moreso considering the track record of Ghost and how valuable he was to Babel.

But in the end, Theresa's word was final, and everyone obeyed it.

Kal'tsit questioned her in private, but to the feline doctor's surprise, Theresa denied her the answers she sought.

"I'm glad you've always been by my side, Kal… But I fear this is the one thing I can't tell you."

Those were Theresa's words, and to this day, Kal'tsit still couldn't understand what drove the kind Sarkaz to hide that something from her. Perhaps, if Kal'tsit had known had went through Theresa's brain at the time, she would've vehemently denied going along with her plan.

But just like everyone else in the organization, Kal'tsit was kept in the dark.

Weeks passed after the distress signal, with unrest increasing through the different rankings of the organization, and several questioning where the mastermind who had directed their many successful missions had disappeared off to, questioning when the man known as Ghost would return.

In what felt like forever, Kal'tsit finally felt what the lesser beings often referred to as 'a life changing moment.' and that moment came when the Doctor returned with other unknowns nobody expected.

Nobody, except Theresa.

From the very second the Doctor stepped into Babel; a chill went through everyone's spine. Something they chalked up to the usual silent, and somewhat fearsome, man attitude, but those at the top of the organization knew better.

Something had changed in the Doctor, something drastically important, but most couldn't put their finger on what exactly it was, except for the two who'd been waiting for his return for more personal reasons.

Theresa's kind gaze turned into something nobody would've expected from the kind Sarkaz once the Doctor reported to her during the usual top operative's reunion, but thanks to the rumors that had circulated the organization for so long, many thought it was just another lover-like quarrel.

But Kal'tsit knew better.

The person standing there, giving his report under the distant and apathic gaze of their leader, was definitely not the Doctor.

Because the Doctor she had worked with, spoken at length with, shared many cups of coffees over lengthy discussions about Oripathy, that treated her as if she was just any other living being rather than the old legend to be feared… That Doctor did no longer trigger her fear.

But the man standing there made her skin crawl just like the first time they met.

His mannerism was the same, his speech was the same, his clipping tone was the same, even the quips he sometimes ribbed with while explaining risky situations during his mission in Chernobog, those were all things that were the same… but felt so, so wrong.

Because the man below all those heavy clothes was not seeing them as comrades anymore, not even to the Sarkaz who'd brought him in and spent so much time together with.

He had somehow become the man who saw everyone around him as nothing.

Nothing to fear.

Nothing to care.

Nothing to expect anything from.

He could try to hide all he wanted under the same words and mannerisms, but the longer his report went about his findings in the ruins of Chernobog, the clearer it became to not just Kal'tsit but to Theresa that he was not their Ghost anymore.

"Ghost." Theresa interrupted his report, surprising those that had been gathered then. "Hand in the report, we've a more important… issue to speak about."

Curiosity abounded among those operatives gathered, Kal'tsit included, which only increased when the Sarkaz deliberately continued.

"In private." Theresa raised from her seat. "This meeting is adjourned. Everyone, leave."

Oh, there were many questions thrown, personnel raising their tones at the sudden dismissal, remarks about lack of professionalism and knowing when to divide personal matters from the organization matters.

"I said leave."

Which Theresa shut up and turned the apathic glare she'd given Doctor for the entirety of the report to them. Nobody had been prepared to receive their leader's unknown scorn and thus they left.

What was spoken between those two, nobody would ever know, but Kal'tsit had tried to find out by herself what had changed during Ghost's mission. So, the feline doctor went to meet some of the unknowns the Doctor had come back with.

The woman that had sent the distress signal, that had made sure the doctor hadn't died during his mission by treating him with a special equipment in the facility they had found, was all the happy to share her experience with Kal'tsit as a fellow old being that walked the land for far too long.

Yet she still couldn't understand how any of the events could change a man so much, because nothing was really out of the norm when it came to him. Some simple espionage, research, street fight and guerrilla warfare; that was all the Doctor had done and received a crippling wound when taking over one of his fallen men.

That's why that woman had used the special equipment to heal him, equipment that was so special that had only worked with him.

Even to this day, Kal'tsit never knew what truly happened in those ruins, but there was one thing for certain.

And that was that the Doctor had changed.

Thankfully, she didn't need to wait long to understand what exactly had changed.

Just one day after that meeting, where everything had seemingly returned to 'normal', just another simple day where Kal'tsit was supposed to meet with her lab team in the morning to continue their research.

The feline doctor prepared two cups of coffee, both without sugar, and placed them in the same spots she'd grown accustomed to for the last few months, and simply waited for her team to waddle in.

With the addition of the one who'd been missing for so long.

"Good morning, Kal'tsit."

He didn't trigger her fear or make her skin crawl, but she could tell it was still not… him.

"Good morning, Doctor." Kal'tsit pulled two report tables from her desk and waved them. "I expect your time in the field hasn't made you forget what we've been working on."

"No." The Doctor reached for the report and took it from her, "Let's continue working together."

But never reached for the cup of coffee that she had always prepared for him ever since they started working together.

Kal'tsit knew then…

"Are you certain you have not forgotten anything?" Her clipped tone betrayed no emotion, none that he would've understood, at least… because…

"No, I have not."

Because, just like the coffee, he had forgotten them all.


- 0 - A: RK - 0 -


Kal'tsit remembered how her life changed, yet again, from that day forward… So many things happened, one after the other… But the two most life defining moments came from the two she had grown closest to.

The timeline moved forward.

One of the unknowns the doctor brought with him became central to everything that moved the timeline forward.

A child that came to be her own protegee that became a member of Babel, a Cautus child whose background Theresa ordered to be hidden from anyone but Kal'tsit herself.

The child that became her best friend's hope for the future.

A child that did not know anything about the kingdom she would one day have to rule.

Said kingdom continued its war, said organization continued operating, until the day finally came when Theresa gave her last speech, bid Kal'tsit goodbye, and…

Theresa, The Benevolent Spirit of Babel, gave the Doctor, The Evil Spirit of Babel, his last mission.

- 0 - Part 2 End - 0 -


Author's Note: Yes, I'm taking some liberties with the background of certain characters, but it's kinda needed with how little information there's currently known from the actual lore. (Not counting theorycrafting and such).

So, in the case something I've written does not match the actual lore, treat it as an AU' change.

Author Note 2: If you'd like to support me, please consider joining the dis cord server (42SQENPj54) or supporting my Patron (IreJasmine)