***
But come it did. Gradually, I felt Andros' protective arm slip away from my shoulder, while simultaneously I felt myself slipping into a soft slumber.
"I'll let you get some rest now, we've got a big day tomorrow." He said softly.
"What time is it..." I mumbled, my head bobbing up and down with sleepiness.
"It's about midnight, I think." He replied, returning to the light switch and turning my lights down.
"Yeah... that's late enough." I said groggily, swinging my legs over onto the mattress and sinking into the pillow.
"I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Karone.." He whispered, going out the door.
"Mmmmnight.", I sighed, talking more into my pillow than to him.
He stood, back against the door, for quite a few seconds after he left. He stared intently at the floor for the duration of the time, his mind mostly still in subdued contemplation.
I took it well, and he was pleased with that. I seemed like the girl he'd always intuitively known, even despite their differences.
Both of us had worries, he was well aware of that. I'd allowed myself to place them at the back of my mind, if even for a moment. And it showed.
He began to walk, and before long he found himself at the door of his best friend. Almost forgetting to ring the entry code, he stumbled into the quarters.
Zhane was lying on his bed, awake, holding a magazine high above his head and scrutinizing the image before him. He said "Come in" well after Andros was inside.
"I told her." He said simply.
Zhane turned his head and frowned. "So when's the wedding?"
"What? I told KARONE. That we're going back home."
"Oh.. OH! Sorry!" He said sheepishly, sitting up. "I was.. sort of out in orbit."
"I can see why, what with your chosen reading material." Andros said sarcastically, crossing his arms.
Zhane slyly pushed the magazine behind him, closing it. "Just a little.. uh.. something I picked up at a newsstand, along with our latest newspaper appearance. You know, I never saw ANYTHING like that magazine on KO-35!"
"No, Stella Quasinella wasn't exactly that sort of 'actress'."
"You should really pick one up sometime! It really calms your nerves. They've got these letters at the beginning, and I can't believe the kind of stuff that HAPPENS on this planet, all the time, everywhere you look---"
"Thanks but no thanks." Andros said, holding up his hands.
"Okay, your loss. So what did Karone say?"
Andros sighed.
"Ohh, that kinda talk, huh?"
"No, no no, not at all. It went really well... I mean.. she's really excited about it."
"So you didn't tell her about..." Zhane began, trailing off.
"No, I didn't, Zhane!... I mean, no." He sighed. "I don't see why she has to know. She doesn't remember doing it. I don't know why I can't just leave it the way it is."
"Andros, you're talking like she's some school paper you're trying to blow off doing. She's your sister!"
"And I'm just trying to protect her!"
"But you can't protect her forever. She needs to know eventually. I mean, you're not just hoping that like, we'll get in orbit, she'll feel her feet on the soil and suddenly everything about Astronema will disappear forever, are you? Cause I can tell you right now, it's not gonna happen."
"I know that!! I'm not a fool!" Andros cried. "It's just that.. when I was talking to her tonight, she never mentioned it once. In fact, to my face she never HAS asked, except the first day.. and since then.. I dunno.. I guess I was secretly hoping she forgot."
"But she didn't."
"It's only a month... I don't even.. I don't know."
"Well... what did you guys talk about then??"
Andros sat down on the floor, crossing his legs. "Well, I told her, and she asked about our parents... and then we started crying, and then I left. She went to bed."
"Sounds like a nice normal conversation." Zhane admitted, lying back on the bed.
"Exactly. Nice and normal. She has it in her, Zhane. The potential to be just a nice, normal girl.. what kind of brother would I be if I just barged in there and messed all that up with the Psychos, and Dark Specter and.. everything else?"
"Mmm.."
"Am I boring you?" Andros asked dully.
"What? No.. but it IS midnight. They play some really good shows on HBO around midnight.. mind if I turn on the TV for some background noise?"
"Uh.. no.. I suppose not."
Zhane clicked on the TV, and then in a pirate accent crooned, "Tis good for what ails ye!"
Andros chuckled, shaking his head, and then he turned to face the TV. The image of a woman and a man in a rather compromising position greeted his eyes.
"Oh, this is a good one. Okay, see, he's a plumber.." Zhane began, but Andros shushed him with an exasperated glance, and he shut up, occasionally snickering to himself.
Andros sighed and figured he may as well watch the show, it was something other than guilt to occupy his mind.
And it was strangely nice, for a change.
***
"Karone..."
A woman's voice. Strangely soothing, but masked by something. Fear? Anger?
Clouds surrounded me. I knew I was veiled, thinly but effectively. The clouds formed a film around my body, which otherwise was uncomfortably naked.
"Who are you?" I tried to answer, but nothing came out of my throat except one word.
"Lies."
I drew back. Why had I said that? I shook my head and put my hands over my mouth, attempting to take it back. But there it was before me; "Lies". In large letters, it flapped in the breeze and cut through the clouds, leaving part of my body open. I felt it double back and then it cut through my skin just as easily as it had the clouds. I tried to scream, but instead another word came out.
"Death."
I felt it shoot downwards, tearing the clouds out from under my feet. I held myself desperately, as I felt myself falling, my protective veil shattering above me.
When I landed, I felt no pain, but I found myself uttering the word "Hate" as I struggled to pull myself to my feet. I shook my head as I saw the word emit from my mouth, and I tried to pull it back. I'd almost grasped it, but it suddenly flattened itself into a long, slender blade and it slid out of my hands, spurting blood from my palms.
My cry of pain became "Malice".
I turned my eyes to the growing stream of blood beneath me. In the deep red liquid, I began to see my reflection. My eyes, narrowed with indifference. My mouth pursed into a permanent line, as shallow and straight as a soul so empty deserved. My hair was short, red, and in a bob.
I shook my head again, as this reflection grew more prominent and all my blood seemed to pool around it.
"Destruction."
"Chaos."
The deep eyes which I so disgustedly identified as my own bore into me, and I noticed what looked like wires and some sort of diodes attached to my temple and cheek. I began to frantically tear at my own flesh, but my only reward was one final word, this time coming from my reflection.
"Eternity."
I looked at the evil woman in despair, and her... MY lips curled into a malicious grin.
"All of these words are true. I'm speaking because you cannot. Your mind has been contorted by those who claim to be 'good'."
I turned to run away, but instead I tripped, just as I had when I went back to the Dark Fortress.
"It's not going to leave you. You did such horrible things... even I'm surprised."
Shut up!!
"It's all true. You wanted the truth, here it is. Are you ready?"
No..!!!
But in a split second, I found myself on the cold, steel floor of the Dark Fortress. My eyes were open, then closed, then open...
What was going on?! I heard scuffling, and anger.. so much anger!
I don't want to see this.. I don't want to know the words! So many voices..
Dread loomed in the air, as someone fell. Someone... who..?!
I realized a sort of stench in the air... it smelled like death. Burning flesh... and death behind it. Creeping into my soul.
Oh no, please... don't... don't let me die... Do it... DO IT!!!
Do what, though?!
Andros... ANDROS!! DO IT!!!
Light...
LIGHT...
I'm alive, and that's all that matters.
***
But come it did. Gradually, I felt Andros' protective arm slip away from my shoulder, while simultaneously I felt myself slipping into a soft slumber.
"I'll let you get some rest now, we've got a big day tomorrow." He said softly.
"What time is it..." I mumbled, my head bobbing up and down with sleepiness.
"It's about midnight, I think." He replied, returning to the light switch and turning my lights down.
"Yeah... that's late enough." I said groggily, swinging my legs over onto the mattress and sinking into the pillow.
"I'll see you in the morning. Good night, Karone.." He whispered, going out the door.
"Mmmmnight.", I sighed, talking more into my pillow than to him.
He stood, back against the door, for quite a few seconds after he left. He stared intently at the floor for the duration of the time, his mind mostly still in subdued contemplation.
I took it well, and he was pleased with that. I seemed like the girl he'd always intuitively known, even despite their differences.
Both of us had worries, he was well aware of that. I'd allowed myself to place them at the back of my mind, if even for a moment. And it showed.
He began to walk, and before long he found himself at the door of his best friend. Almost forgetting to ring the entry code, he stumbled into the quarters.
Zhane was lying on his bed, awake, holding a magazine high above his head and scrutinizing the image before him. He said "Come in" well after Andros was inside.
"I told her." He said simply.
Zhane turned his head and frowned. "So when's the wedding?"
"What? I told KARONE. That we're going back home."
"Oh.. OH! Sorry!" He said sheepishly, sitting up. "I was.. sort of out in orbit."
"I can see why, what with your chosen reading material." Andros said sarcastically, crossing his arms.
Zhane slyly pushed the magazine behind him, closing it. "Just a little.. uh.. something I picked up at a newsstand, along with our latest newspaper appearance. You know, I never saw ANYTHING like that magazine on KO-35!"
"No, Stella Quasinella wasn't exactly that sort of 'actress'."
"You should really pick one up sometime! It really calms your nerves. They've got these letters at the beginning, and I can't believe the kind of stuff that HAPPENS on this planet, all the time, everywhere you look---"
"Thanks but no thanks." Andros said, holding up his hands.
"Okay, your loss. So what did Karone say?"
Andros sighed.
"Ohh, that kinda talk, huh?"
"No, no no, not at all. It went really well... I mean.. she's really excited about it."
"So you didn't tell her about..." Zhane began, trailing off.
"No, I didn't, Zhane!... I mean, no." He sighed. "I don't see why she has to know. She doesn't remember doing it. I don't know why I can't just leave it the way it is."
"Andros, you're talking like she's some school paper you're trying to blow off doing. She's your sister!"
"And I'm just trying to protect her!"
"But you can't protect her forever. She needs to know eventually. I mean, you're not just hoping that like, we'll get in orbit, she'll feel her feet on the soil and suddenly everything about Astronema will disappear forever, are you? Cause I can tell you right now, it's not gonna happen."
"I know that!! I'm not a fool!" Andros cried. "It's just that.. when I was talking to her tonight, she never mentioned it once. In fact, to my face she never HAS asked, except the first day.. and since then.. I dunno.. I guess I was secretly hoping she forgot."
"But she didn't."
"It's only a month... I don't even.. I don't know."
"Well... what did you guys talk about then??"
Andros sat down on the floor, crossing his legs. "Well, I told her, and she asked about our parents... and then we started crying, and then I left. She went to bed."
"Sounds like a nice normal conversation." Zhane admitted, lying back on the bed.
"Exactly. Nice and normal. She has it in her, Zhane. The potential to be just a nice, normal girl.. what kind of brother would I be if I just barged in there and messed all that up with the Psychos, and Dark Specter and.. everything else?"
"Mmm.."
"Am I boring you?" Andros asked dully.
"What? No.. but it IS midnight. They play some really good shows on HBO around midnight.. mind if I turn on the TV for some background noise?"
"Uh.. no.. I suppose not."
Zhane clicked on the TV, and then in a pirate accent crooned, "Tis good for what ails ye!"
Andros chuckled, shaking his head, and then he turned to face the TV. The image of a woman and a man in a rather compromising position greeted his eyes.
"Oh, this is a good one. Okay, see, he's a plumber.." Zhane began, but Andros shushed him with an exasperated glance, and he shut up, occasionally snickering to himself.
Andros sighed and figured he may as well watch the show, it was something other than guilt to occupy his mind.
And it was strangely nice, for a change.
***
"Karone..."
A woman's voice. Strangely soothing, but masked by something. Fear? Anger?
Clouds surrounded me. I knew I was veiled, thinly but effectively. The clouds formed a film around my body, which otherwise was uncomfortably naked.
"Who are you?" I tried to answer, but nothing came out of my throat except one word.
"Lies."
I drew back. Why had I said that? I shook my head and put my hands over my mouth, attempting to take it back. But there it was before me; "Lies". In large letters, it flapped in the breeze and cut through the clouds, leaving part of my body open. I felt it double back and then it cut through my skin just as easily as it had the clouds. I tried to scream, but instead another word came out.
"Death."
I felt it shoot downwards, tearing the clouds out from under my feet. I held myself desperately, as I felt myself falling, my protective veil shattering above me.
When I landed, I felt no pain, but I found myself uttering the word "Hate" as I struggled to pull myself to my feet. I shook my head as I saw the word emit from my mouth, and I tried to pull it back. I'd almost grasped it, but it suddenly flattened itself into a long, slender blade and it slid out of my hands, spurting blood from my palms.
My cry of pain became "Malice".
I turned my eyes to the growing stream of blood beneath me. In the deep red liquid, I began to see my reflection. My eyes, narrowed with indifference. My mouth pursed into a permanent line, as shallow and straight as a soul so empty deserved. My hair was short, red, and in a bob.
I shook my head again, as this reflection grew more prominent and all my blood seemed to pool around it.
"Destruction."
"Chaos."
The deep eyes which I so disgustedly identified as my own bore into me, and I noticed what looked like wires and some sort of diodes attached to my temple and cheek. I began to frantically tear at my own flesh, but my only reward was one final word, this time coming from my reflection.
"Eternity."
I looked at the evil woman in despair, and her... MY lips curled into a malicious grin.
"All of these words are true. I'm speaking because you cannot. Your mind has been contorted by those who claim to be 'good'."
I turned to run away, but instead I tripped, just as I had when I went back to the Dark Fortress.
"It's not going to leave you. You did such horrible things... even I'm surprised."
Shut up!!
"It's all true. You wanted the truth, here it is. Are you ready?"
No..!!!
But in a split second, I found myself on the cold, steel floor of the Dark Fortress. My eyes were open, then closed, then open...
What was going on?! I heard scuffling, and anger.. so much anger!
I don't want to see this.. I don't want to know the words! So many voices..
Dread loomed in the air, as someone fell. Someone... who..?!
I realized a sort of stench in the air... it smelled like death. Burning flesh... and death behind it. Creeping into my soul.
Oh no, please... don't... don't let me die... Do it... DO IT!!!
Do what, though?!
Andros... ANDROS!! DO IT!!!
Light...
LIGHT...
I'm alive, and that's all that matters.
***