Close encounters of the healing kind
Ai was aware that Maya was having difficulties. Small wonder. The girl had been abused and even now, after waking in her own body and after her skull had been healed, she still bore scares of her ordeal. What had been done to her made Ai very mad, even knowing that the man who had done it was dead and gone. Ai was focused on Sam, but the boy was clearly worried about Maya. To his credit? He was also trying hard not to hover. The same could not be said for her twin sister.
"Maya?" Mina asked as she finished her own set of exercises and looked to where Maya sat, trying to get her out of shape body to act in the same way that her peers were moving. Yoga was a good exercise, relatively stress free and only as physically demanding as the practitioner wished. That said? Maya was pushing herself a bit too hard and Ai nodded just a little when Sam turned worried eyes her way. But, she was also just as stubborn as Sam and Mina, so, she was going to try and to to hell with anyone telling her not to, even less than a day out of her bed!
Several people looked up at Mina as Maya growled at her sister, but no one spoke. No one seemed to know that to say. Then Ai rose from her own meditation spot and nodded to Maya. These kids were not normal. Not even close. They were far more like Ai than was good for them. As soon as Ai rose, she had their undivided attention. It was good thing she had dealt with soldiers or having eighty seven kids looking at her in silence would have been a bit daunting.
"Find your own way, Maya." Ai said calmly and the tension that had rising a bit receded as Maya stared at her. "I am new here. I don't have all of the baggage that your siblings do. That is both good and bad." Maya met her eyes fiercely and Ai nodded. So familiar. None of her sisters wanted to take the time to heal when they could have been out doing things. "You are chafing. I have been there. I am there right now." Ai fought a sigh as Maya shook her head savagely but then Ai smiled. "But, I may know a way to get past that."
The Nightstalker, former Nightstalker anyway, held out a hand to Maya who eyed her, head tilted. From the corner of her eye, Ai saw Sam jerk and then smile wide! Apparently he had that memory too.
"I can't spar. Docs said 'no'." Maya said in a monotone. No, the docs were not going to let her do that until they were totally sure her brain was fully functional. It was. Ai had no doubt about that, but docs were docs in Ai's experience.
"No fighting." Ai agreed. "I can't anymore or I may go nuts again." She slumped a bit, but kept her hand up. "Even with all of Sam's help, I am a mess and I will be for a long time. I don't know if I can recover, to be honest, but I am going to keep trying." No self pity, just fact. "So, no fighting. Just movement."
Everyone jerked as music sounded and all eyes turned to where Sam was stepping away from the wall, a satisfied look on his face. Ai smiled at his choice of music. She wasn't a very religious person, but she had dealt with religion quite a bit in her life and war. The Cult of Sirius was, would be or whatever, a religion that revered the aliens as gods. She and her kin had dealt with other religions as both good influences and bad. They had been focused on their war to the exclusion of all else and had mostly ignored every attempt at others to intrude on their personal lives. As opposed to the twenty-first century in America, to Cobra a person's personal life was their business as long as no laws got broken and no one got hurt. It had been absolutely incomprehensible to Ai that in the early part of the twentieth century, before the Elders had come and wrought so much havoc, that is had been 'normal' for people in the US in particular to butt into stranger's lives any time they wanted. To be as rude or hurtful as they could simply to do it! Ai felt that lives being put in danger was more important than some random person's feelings. It was downright odd to her reading of history that to so many people in so many places in the Western world at the time, hurt feelings were more important than people getting maimed or killed. Feelings had their place, but Ai's feelings were hers and no one else's business. The very thought of some government or lobby group waltzing into her life and poking into every dark corner filled her with dread. Bodies would literally hit the floor. That was one of many reasons she was glad for Alley and the nest. They didn't have to put up with such and could hide like no one's business.
But this… This was good. Pure. No politics. No people demanding things they refused to earn. No pain. Just music.
Ai smiled at Sam and shifted her hand to to beckon him to her. He moved through the group carefully to take her hand as the music softened and the lyrics started. From the stunned expressions on everyone's faces, the words spoke to the whole group.
'When I am down and oh, my soul so weary, when trouble comes and my heart burdens me...'
"Good choice." Ai said quietly as Sam came to her and they started to move with the music. Not a fast song but a heartfelt one. She did nothing fancy, just swayed with the music and Sam did the same, not to close, but not too far. Ai looked at Maya who stared at her, wide eyed, then smiled and rose. Ai extended a hand that Maya took as the girl stepped close. Then the girl held out her other hand to her sister who took it. Suddenly there was a whole spiral of hands being held, of bodies swaying to the soft, crooning voice. Ai smiled at Maya and Mina but then focused on Sam as the boy seemed to wilt. Suddenly, Maya and Mina were there, pulling Sam close to Ai in a sort of hug and sort of mash. It worked and Sam relaxed as everyone in the room moved in slow dance concert.
For just a moment, Ai lost herself in the music. When it ended, she held onto Maya's hand even when the girl tried to retreat. No one seemed to know what to say as Ai reached to pull Maya in. She did not hug the girl, but she did keep Maya close.
"It is okay, Maya." Ai reassured the girl when Maya made a soft noise of despair. "It is not your fault that you were hurt any more than it is mine, or Mina's or Sam's. We play the hand we are dealt in life. The hand you got sucked, big time." Maya's face flamed as several people chimed up in agreement. "We can and will help you make it better, but it won't happen instantly. I want to be instantly healed of this garbage too." Ai said heavily. "The physical wounds are the easy part. Hurt bodies can be fixed with the right tech or Alley's gifts. Hurt minds and souls take far longer and you will have flashbacks no matter how anyone tries to keep them away." She warned the girl who bowed her head. "I have them and will. So will you. But you are not alone. None of you are alone." Ai's gaze swept the room and more than one of the child sized beings looked away at the fervor in her tone, embarrassed. "Sam and I share something rather strange." Sam looked as if he had swallowed a bug as he fought to keep from laughing and more than one person in this odd group snickered as Ai mock glared at him. "Sam!" She put just the right tone of 'I dare you to say it' in stating his name and several people laughed. Maya chuckled as well.
"I am a mess too, Ai." Sam surprised her with a serious look and Ai rethought what she was going to say.
"We are all walking wounded." Ai did not press Maya any further, just held her. She towered over all of them, Maya included, but she wasn't bigger than them right now. "We all bear scars of what happened. But you are not alone, Maya Parker." Now, Ai pulled Maya in as the girl fought her emotions. She didn't press, just offered comfort and Maya took it, tears falling despite everything she could do to stop them. "I am not psionic, so what you share, I can never touch. But you can feel my mind, can you not?"
"We…" Maya stuttered. "We are not supposed to…" She broke off as Ai gave her a squeeze.
"You can if I give permission, which I do." Ai slowly sank down to her knees, putting herself on Maya's level. She pulled Maya's hand that she still held up towards her head, but paused as Maya resisted. "Just the surface thoughts. The feelings. Nothing more. Anything more won't be safe for you. Just skim."
"I…" Maya stammered as everyone stared at Ai, at the huge amount of trust Ai was showing this group of hurt souls. To let someone else into her mind was either insanely brave or just insane! She was literally laying herself bare to them.
Sam stepped close and took Maya's hand in his own. He turned it slowly so it lay palm down and then pressed it to Ai's head. She gasped as Ai let down all of her mind's barriers showing the girl everything, and by proxy, all of Maya's siblings what lay within Ai's skull. Several of them gasped and more than one looked fearful as the darkness inside AI's mind reared its head, but Sam hummed their tune and the darkness subsided without touching anyone but Ai.
"That…" Maya gasped as the line of hands broke up and everyone was staring at Ai in shock mixed with fear and a sadness. She retracted her hand with more haste than decorum. Sam replaced hers with his, soothing Ai with a gentle touch. "You…"
"I am a monster." Ai said sadly. "I was needed, so I was made. I fought and I broke. Sam helps. I can't go into why." Everyone nodded at that. They had all been briefed, apparently. "There is so much I cannot say, but I do know the longing. The need to do things. To get out and act instead of being sedentary. You all yearn to be free. So do I, but what lurks within me must never be allowed free."
"Can…" A small form stepped up to Ai and held out her arms. Ai bent down to pick up what looked like a toddler, but wasn't one! "Can you be healed?"
"I don't know." Ai replied bluntly but no one minded. No one here had a use for lies, pleasant or no. "Everyone hoped I could be. If there was hope for me, then there was hope for the others. But then I had to go out again. I am not sure what happened. I was supposed to die, but I am here, so…" She shrugged a bit helplessly as the tiny being who was not a child hugged her.
"I am glad you didn't die." The girl said as she snuggled close. Sam smiled at her and nodded.
"So am I." Ai said in a wicked tone that had everyone smiling. No, not everyone! Maya was frowning. "Maya?"
"You feel familiar." Maya said slowly. "I am not sure from where. Nothing bad." She said quickly when Ai tensed. "It feels good. Your mind is soothing on a level that I have rarely felt from anyone. There is no duplicity in you. You are what you seem, dark, rough edges and all."
"I am a danger, Maya." Ai shook her head as the waif in her arms hugged her tighter. "With Sam's help, Alley's, and many other people's I can control it. I know my faults and I work to lessen them. I know my strengths and I work to support them. I can never be a soldier again, but I was learning how to work with kids." At that, everyone perked up and Ai smiled. "I was going to help open and run an orphanage. You are not kids, but you are all orphans. Your minds are far older than your bodies, but with my help, Alley's help and others' help you will lead normal lives again someday." At her firm declaration, everyone stood up a bit straighter. "I do not know when, I do not know how, but I do know you will all fly free someday and I will help it happen."
"I... I believe you." Maya said softly and then, she smiled and for a moment, she was pure little girl. "I will try not to mope."
"Oh, you will." Ai dismissed that and Maya stared at her. "So will 'I'! We will have good days and bad. Happy days and sad. Calm days and mad. That is life, girl!" Ai smirked as Maya gaped at her, but then the girl smiled wide. "In the end? For as long as I can stay here, I am here. I am here for you and I am here with you. We all have healing to do. What happened to you left scars just as bad as what happened to me. But we are here and alive. Where there is life, there is hope." She paused and looked at her chronometer and every jerked as it started to beep. She touched it to silence the alarm and then turned to the group. "Unfortunately, right now? Hope take as back seat to history class. Second period starts in five minutes. We better get you to class."
Good natured groans answered her, but everyone nodded. Everyone looked bit glum after such a wonderful exercise period. They started to file out of the room in order. They were much better disciplined than any regular kids in Ai's experience. It was both disturbing and refreshing. Ai held Sam's hand as they made their way towards the exit. Maya and Mina were just in front of them. Maya seemed a bit bemused, but not worried.
"Maya?" Ai asked when they exited the room and started down the hallway, following the line. "Problem?"
"No." Maya replied a bit absently. "I am trying to remember where I felt what I feel from you. It feels good. I don't remember where I felt that. I should, since it feels so pleasant, but-" She paused as a dark skinned young man who looked about ten stopped short in the hallway and stared at Maya. "Chris?"
"Maya. No." The young man said firmly and Maya stared at him. Mina moved to her sister's side, worry rising, but Chris shook his head. "Don't push it. It will come when it comes. I sensed it through you, so I understand. It felt good, so you want to feel it again."
"Pleasant feelings can be the worst kind of addictive drug." Ai agreed with the boy who smiled at her and nodded. "Many of my kind were called 'adrenaline junkies' and there is quiet a bit of truth to that." She continued on, Maya, Mina and Chris forming up with her and Sam.
"Yeah." Sam said flatly and Ai squeezed his hand. He was literally addicted to flying. To the sense of freedom and peace that came from soaring far beyond Earthly tethers.
"There is still hope, Sam." Ai reassured him. "Especially now that I am here. I am not giving up on you." That was both a warning and a promise. Her gaze became a glare. "So, you are not giving up on yourself! Clear?"
"By your command." Sam intoned and everyone cracked up. Ai stuck her tongue out at him and he returned the favor.
It was a very long walk, that hundred meters to the next class.
Eight hours later
It had been a good day. Ai was hopeful. The kids were still kids. They were a huge mash of emotions. They ran the whole gamut of personalities that that kids had. There were even a couple of bullies in the group, but they knew the boundaries and Ai had not had to do more than glare at them to get them to stop pushing. Oddly enough, it wasn't bad, having them here. They were not mean just to be mean and hurtful. Instead, they seemed to be trying to get the kids to be able to respond to such as real life often threw the way of the emotionally unprotected. At first, Ai had thought those two were X-Com operatives in disguise, but neither of them were soldiers, elite or otherwise. All of the kids were intelligent, smart (which wasn't the same thing!), fairly well educated and thirsting for more knowledge. They were all emotionally stunted from their initial training and subsequent escape from Advent and then a human extremist splinter group. [[See X-Com 2: Humanity]]
These kids were great. She was helping them. It was good! Ai was happy! She hadn't been happy in a long, long time and Ai really was dreading the other shoe dropping. She hated to think what karma had in store for her in such a case and-
Stop that.
The words were not aloud. They were in her head! Someone was- Ai was grabbing for an alarm when the world shifted around her and she suddenly sat on a couch in an unfamiliar room. She jerked, but she was unarmed and wearing fatigues that were and were not X-Com design. They looked more high tech and less, if that was possible. The room was bare gray metal, no decorations and no sign of what was illuminating it. She went utterly still as two chairs appeared nearby and two female forms filled those chairs. One was human, the other was not. The hybrid female shook her head even as the woman in X-Com fatigues bent her head and facepalmed! Ai went even more still as she recognized both! Alley had revered both women and had enshrined them on her memorial wall in Cobra Headquarters in Ai's home time.
"Ah…" Ai managed to stammer as Hiloria Mox, the famous Priest Paladin and Jenni Parker, the first X-Com psi during the war with the Elders both groaned in unison. Hiloria had died saving the timeline from some kind of massive temporal threat and Jenni? She was Maya and Mina's mother! Also, Jane Kelly's first love! Wait a minute! How did Ai know this? She didn't remember that from-
Again, her thoughts were derailed as two more forms appeared nearby. One was standing, the other hovering. Both were annoyed! Ai had thought herself still. Now? Her back hurt as Alley and the Lady glared at her!
"Um…" Ai managed when no one else spoke. "Best two out of three?" She managed to scrape a grin up from somewhere and everyone stared at her, eyes going wide.
"I warned you." A new voice! Ai jerked anew as a form straight out a nightmare appeared nearby. The metal mockery of a female human form shook its head as Ai stared at it, but then it morphed into a woman wearing some kind of archaic looking brown armor. Was that a lightsaber hilt at her belt? "Ai is too strong willed for such." The visor of her helmet clanged open without her touching it and her face was split in a sour grin. "Didn't we just leave this party?"
It was too much! Ai fought, but it was just too much even for her. A laugh bubbled up out of her as the woman quoted 'Star Wars'! Then everyone was laughing!
That was good. Right?
RIGHT?
The song they danced to was Michael Groban 'You lift me up'. Not my work.