A/N I don't own Skyland.
I apologize for the delay! The next chapter is 99% complete and will be posted very soon (it's going to be a small chapter).
Mila staggered for balance as her feet slammed into the ground. Slowly, the blue haze of seijin energy blazing around her figure faded as she regained coordination and took in her surroundings. She was standing in a forest, or at the very least, was used to be a park. Except, the scenery wasn't the lush evergreen it should have been; it was grey. Dead, leafless trees twisted out of the brittle grass in every direction. Lumps of rocky debris lay scattered across the place, like forgotten tombstones. Overhead, between the thin dark branches, the bright golden glare of the sky shone on. Mila smiled and made her way towards the brightness.
Navigating through the snapping branches and prickly thorns did earn her quite a few cuts and scratches, but it was worth it. The seijin finally emerged from the trees and arrived to the edge of the small block. She stopped; her breath was whisked away, not by the winds, but by the amazing sight. From her elevated position, Mila had a terrific view of the main city area which stretched more than a hundred meters below, unfolding like the remains of an ancient map.
The seijin gazed over the landscape of splintered earth and sky, hands on her hips. She couldn't peel her eyes away from it all, this sight of decaying city against open sky. It was so incongruous, so odd in contrast to the perfect Sphere cities. And yet, she had travelled all the way up here to observe it, hadn't she? What was she looking for? A glimmer of brightness in the distance, a patch of blue sky? No, she wanted to see the world. See the entirety of Skyland detailed across a spherical map and try to understand how a prophecy could have ever sparked the ideas they had for her.
Abruptly, the flash of a distant vessel caught her attention. Mila could see a speck soaring through the sky now, but it was too far away to distinguish. The pirates were probably taking off for yet another mission. Soon, she lost sight of the sleek ship through a haze of cloudy air.
Mila swept her braided hair behind her shoulders and walked towards a rocky outcrop. She sat down, lounging in the meagre sunlight. The ex-guardian had been out exploring all morning. She'd done a lot of exploring lately; she didn't have much else to do after all. The pirates hadn't assigned her a schedule yet; she wondered if the rebels even used such a thing as schedules. Probably not. Mila was still getting used to living without a pre-planned route. She loved the freedom of course, but not having anything to do was all too boring; the excitement of the previous two weeks had been so intense that she now felt slightly disoriented by the calm.
Such a deep calm could easily let her mind wander; it could ignite a rushing surge of emotions. No. Mila wouldn't let that happen. And so, she would go out to explore; she would distance herself from the resistance quarter of the city and wander aimlessly into the unknown. She was very cautious of course, for the paths were precarious; she sometimes had to levitate herself from one point to another. But she enjoyed walking without specific purpose; it was another luxury she hadn't experienced with the Sphere. The pirates would never look for her though - all ships were accounted for and she couldn't fly away. In fact, if she was crushed to death by a tumbling block of cement, she would probably be doing everyone a favour.
Mila sighed. She truly wanted to be part of the rebels but not like this; not if she was considered an outsider by everyone. Mila had the drive, the anger and the right to join the resistance but she was branded by a past she couldn't escape; the rebels didn't accept her yet.
Mila cringed under a sudden freezing breeze that ruffled her bright new clothes. Well not new, they were most certainly second-hand clothes. They were a little baggy and the fabric was worn out, the sleeves frayed at the edges. The rebels had handed her a new outfit two days ago; she distinctly remembered the outlaws muttering something about 'tracking devices'. The ex-guardian hadn't been very fond of the blue sphere uniform in the first place; Oslo had given it to her after all. She seriously doubted that her sphere uniform could have held any tracers but the rebels wouldn't have taken her word for it anyways. They were a cautious bunch; and for good reason.
It was probably best to throw away any reminder of her life with the Sphere though; these new clothes would help her fit in - or at least attract her less negative attention. Actually, Mila found enjoyment in wearing such vibrant articles of clothing after all. Her long-sleeved shirt was of a vivid red. She loved how unashamedly colourful it all was. She also wore dark brown cargo pants which dangled with many cumbersome buckles and straps; one bulky strap was obviously made to carry weaponry but, of course, she wasn't allowed a gun.
That didn't matter, she was a seijin – she didn't really need a gun. In fact, she could have wiped everyone off the block had she chosen to do so. She could already have escaped.
No. That's a cruel thought. She told herself, I don't want to be cruel.
It was unfortunate, but an innate sense of superiority often clawed out of hiding. She absolutely hated it. Would the Sphere have forever tarnished her soul? No, it couldn't be so. Besides, Mila didn't consider herself a bad person - she was simply angry at the moment, frustrated against the whole situation.
Yes, she was a seijin but she was a person first, a person with as much of depth and dimension as anyone else. Mila didn't appreciate the dark looks cast by rebels as she walked by. She didn't like not knowing why Marcus had brought her along or why he wouldn't show himself. She despised feeling trapped. Most of all, Mila hated that her parents were dead.
Dead. Gone. People without faces, without names, without any link to life. If she could just see them once, even for a millisecond, then perhaps she could find peace.
But that was impossible. She was furious, so so angry with herself that she had not once during her Academy years spared even one thought for her parents...
Abruptly, Mila stood up, turned away from the edge of the block and walked speedily through knee-high yellow grass; the city faded from sight as she made her way through the remnants of the old park. Mila had remembered seeing this same forested block above a large square when she had first arrived here in the Hyperion. Curious, she had returned to take a closer look. Giving herself a boost with her powers, she had rocketed upwards and begun combing through the small floating remains of a large park centered above the main city area.
Mila stopped dead in her tracks for a moment as a few crackles and snaps echoed in the distance. A strange tingle went up her spine. She thought of the ship she had glimpsed a few minutes ago. The vessel's aerodynamic shape had allowed it to slice through the air with such ease - its flight patterns had been noticeable, even from that distance. But no, she was letting her imagination run wild. Mila shook her head and carried on. The noise had simply been that of falling branches... Yes, that was it.
The ex-guardian continued trudging through the bleached-white trees that grasped and scratched at the winds. She walked, on and on, distancing herself from the memories that would catch up with her when she stopped-
Snap!
Mila froze, circled by trees and sky. She certainly hadn't imagined this noise; there was a presence, something else hovering close by. Eyes wide, she turned around.
A moving shadow darted through the branches.
Mila flinched away with a gasp and looked up. There was a crow in the tree above, black feathers ruffled. The bird observed her curiously, head angled to the side, beak glinting.
She laughed with relief. She had been scared by a bird, a stupid bird.
Her smile faltered suddenly as another crackling sound echoed, but this time, it was directly behind her. Mila once again jumped aside, colliding with the tree as she did so.
The crow screeched. It flapped crazily to regain balance in the swinging branches. And then, without warning, it swooped towards her.
The girl yelped, tripping against a gnarled root and falling to the ground; a breeze ruffled her hair as the bird's talons skimmed the surface of her head. Mila rolled out of the way, just as the bird came swooping back. She scrambled backwards, hands glowing; quickly, she lifted her arm and launched a small spark of energy towards the creature.
Zap!
The bird emitted a weak croak, looped around and took off, flapping awkwardly with its now smoking wings.
Mila sat in the dirt for a second, face red with indignation. She cursed angrily as she got up, brushing at her clothes, picking the grass out of her hair.
A soft laugh smoothed over the stillness. "Do all animals hate you or?..."
The seijin froze on the spot, heart glazing over with ice. She knew that voice very well and she groaned inwardly. After several seconds of mental deliberation, Mila finally decided to face him.
The young man was lost in the shade, leaning against a tree. He was tall and lean, his dark hair was rather tousled despite his obvious attempts to smooth it down. He was wearing a black jacket, brown cargo pants and a pair of heavy boots. The dark bruises that had marked his face a week before were now fading, barely visible; his skin had found its normal healthy shade too. The boy's eyes were as deep as ever, colours shifting in and out.
Marcus.
Mila looked emotionless, or so she hoped as she forced a straight face. A small spark of relief simmered inside all the same as she saw him there, looking well and bright. She gulped the feeling away immediately and anger rushed back, like a wave of scorching lava.
"Hey, Mila." Marcus said.
A strained pause lingered.
He cleared his throat, "Look, I hope we can talk-" ¸
His voice faded. Already, the girl had turned away and was walking off at a brisk pace. The pirate looked momentarily shocked, but he composed himself quickly and took off in pursuit.
"Mila," He said. "Wait."
"Go away." She snapped.
"Just wait a minute. I want to talk to you."
"I'm not interested." She snarled.
"You don't even have to say anything!" He argued, "I just need to explain-"
"Explain what?" She demanded, spinning around. "Explain why you brought me here without my permission? Explain why they locked me up?"
"I didn't bring you here to imprison you…" He said, "I'm sorry that happened-"
Mila turned away once more, striding faster, heart searing with anger. She didn't want to hear excuses. Marcus had been avoiding her for five days now and suddenly, he had decided to turn up again, just like that? She didn't understand his motives and she didn't like it.
"Just go!" She yelled, "Leave me alone."
"Hear me out." He insisted.
Mila was nearly jogging now, hearing his steps quicken to match hers. Marcus was rapid; he could have caught up with her already, but he maintained a decidedly reasonable distance between them. The girl darted ahead, taking refuge behind a twisted tree trunk. He arrived on the other side, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of her face.
"I swear I didn't mean for any of this to happen." He muttered, circling the tree, feet crunching noisily against the dry grass.
They paused, looking at each other between the sinews of white wood. Marcus looked like he was holding back a laugh. Mila glared, she didn't understand the smirk on his face. This wasn't funny.
He drifted out of sight quickly as he ducked sideways to catch her. Mila had already anticipated this. She was a step ahead as she swerved into the other direction.
"Mila!" He called exasperatingly, "Would you just stop running off?"
Mila stopped, glaring back at him. "Me running off?" She laughed sardonically, "Don't you dare turn this against me. You're the one who kept secrets! And you've been avoiding me ever since we got here."
Marcus leaned against the tree, peeling at the rough wood. "Alright," He sighed, "Maybe I have been avoiding you." He blanched; "But only because I knew you wouldn't want to see me."
"I didn't want to see you." She said. "You left me in the dark; you didn't tell me where we were heading!"
"I know."
"Then why? Why didn't you tell me Marcus?"
He was silent, jaw clenched.
Mila shook her head and turned away again, feet pounding on the rocky grass.
Crumble!
Crack!
Mila stopped, glancing at the stony soil beneath her feet. The ground was shifting, trembling. A freezing sensation spread through her body as she realised that the soil was seeping away. It all happened very quickly; she lost balance as a sink hole to clear sky appeared within a tangle of dry roots and seeping dirt. Mila yelped, heart plummeting as she sunk downward, left foot wedged under a tangled mess of coarse tree roots. She clawed into the coarse grass, scratched at the soil in a crazed attempt to soften her fall.
"Watch out!" Marcus yelled.
She felt his arm wrap around her waist as he dragged her out. Mila kicked and struggled and her boot snapped free from the web of rocks and roots. This abrupt release sent them both reeling backwards and falling over. The sink hole collapsed and dirt fell into open sky, toward the sprawl of buildings spread out so far below.
Mila coughed as she lay in the dirt; she pushed herself up slightly and leaned back against Marcus as she tried to distance herself from the fissure. Marcus sat upright and brushed the dust out of his hair.
"That was close." He mentioned casually, almost into her ear.
Mila agreed, staring at the now gaping hole of sky in the middle of the grass. She was rather thankful that Marcus had pulled her out. She could have used her powers to levitate herself to safety of course, but she was glad that she hadn't been forced to experience such an unexpected fall. This place was unstable and dangerous; the ground was just as brittle as the grass and trees.
"Better keep an eye out…" Marcus advised as he helped her up, his arm still linked around her waist.
Mila snapped back to reality in a second and her mouth tightened shut with anger. Marcus met her glare. He pushed her off and they scrambled away from each other hastily. They now stood two metres apart, eyes connected in silence.
"Why did you come? And how did you find me?" She demanded impatiently.
"I came here to talk. And I saw you take off for those blocks. So I got the ship and flew back here." He glanced behind him, as if imagining the gleaming hull of the Hyperion somewhere on the other side of the grey forest.
Mila frowned. How did he see her rocketing to those splinters of block? Yes, she had probably been a flaming blue speck to anyone in the distance but what were the chances that he had seen her just then? Had he been trying to find her all day?
"Hyperion's all fixed now see, no more problems…" He trailed off at the disinterested look on her face. "I'd like to hear your side of the story. You never really got the chance to explain anything. I probably said things I shouldn't have-"
"You called me 'mentally unbalanced'." Mila recalled.
He smiled slightly, as if it was funny. Mila looked like she was about to take off again, so he swallowed, smile disappearing. "I didn't mean it, I swear."
"So, what do you want exactly?" She asked.
"You can recount your side of the story. And I'll listen this time."
"It won't change anything Marcus."
"Look Mila... I brought you along without telling you because I realized that it didn't make much sense if you had risked your life once to save mine, only to take me back to the Sphere again…" He paused. "I knew you were angry with me. Knew you wouldn't want to come along anymore, because of the things I'd said…" He stopped, breathed and when he spoke it was in a tired sigh. "I was scared."
"Scared?" Mila asked confusedly.
"I knew it was risky, dropping you off on a neutral block. Alone. It's not easy to start a new life by yourself, invent a new identity…"
"You don't think I can handle life by myself?"
"I know you can. It's the Sphere I was worried about… Mila, I worried that the Sphere – if they caught you and– and if they hurt you…" He swallowed. "I still didn't know who or what to believe about what had happened… But I also knew that I wanted to keep you safe. I tried to protect you."
Mila felt her heart unfreeze slightly but the harsh words came out all the same; "I don't need your protection."
Marcus looked downward, kicking absent-mindedly at the dirt.
"They locked me up." She reminded him spitefully.
"I didn't know." He argued, "When I found out where you were-" He clenched his fists for a second. "I thought they'd help you."
"They helped me." She confessed, right hand brushing against the healing cut on her left arm. "But I was stuck in that room for nearly two days!"
"I wanted to release you, but the others…" He seemed ashamed now, "They lost faith in me I guess. We agreed to vote."
"You defended me during that vote." Mila evoked, "How could you defend me without knowing that I was even innocent in the first place?"
He shrugged.
Mila sighed. She didn't understand. Why would he want to listen to her side of the story now? Why would he believe her this time? Admittedly, she was sick and tired of the doubt separating them. Mila wanted to put an end to it, but she had no solid proof; she had nothing but her memories…
Her memories…
"Will you trust that I'm telling the truth this time?" She asked.
He nodded, avoiding her eyes.
He was torn, she realised. Torn between responsibilities as rebel leader and being her friend. Their journey had linked them in a strange way however, and she didn't know if such a connection could be broken. Wouldn't it be better to try and repair the bond that they shared instead of leaving a stringy, rusted link that would only serve as a union of doubt and guilt?
Even so, it was difficult to gather the courage for what she was about to do. Did she have the strength to show him her memories? She was a seijin after all; she had often linked telepathically with other people. Telepathy was difficult though, it was hard to make sense of all the hazy memories in the mind and to convey them into viewable image form. Mila would have to show him all her memories, starting from the very beginning, in the bright auditorium of the Academy. There would be no more secrets. At long last, Marcus would see the trail of blue energy leaving a path for the Sphere.
"I have a solution." Mila stated decidedly. "I can show you my memories." At any rate, she figured it would be less tiresome than recounting everything. Marcus deserved to know the truth and she wanted no more secrets to divide them.
"You can do that?" Marcus asked.
"Sure."
He frowned. "I'm not a seijin."
"It doesn't matter. They're my memories."
He nodded in a confused way.
"Maybe we should sit down somewhere…" She offered.
Marcus looked around. A slab of grey stone jutted out of the ground a distance away; they made their way towards it, stepping carefully across the dry grass. Then they sat together on the smooth rock surface.
Mila reached out and took his hand, feeling rather odd. "I'm going to organize my thoughts."
"Alright..." Marcus agreed, voice laden with doubt.
"Okay." She sighed impatiently. She closed her eyes and focused. Marcus watched her curiously for a second; then he shrugged and closed his eyes too.
The mind was a complicated thing. It must have taken her a minute or two to organize her memories in a sort of hazy timeline. Finally, she let the memories float away. The grip she had on Marcus's hand provided an anchor to real life; she wasn't alone in reviewing the memories now.
The seijin had to relive everything. The pool of blood of the stage floor. Her initial weeks of guardian life. Being assigned her first mission with Oslo, heart swelling with pride. Meeting Marcus. The bright sunny days of Babylonia; those days that seemed to slow and stretch longer than she would have preferred, accompanied with feelings that she couldn't hide. Feelings that were attached to the memory itself.
Once in a while Marcus would flinch or let out a simple; "What the hell?" In which case, Mila would force herself to gulp down a laugh.
The curtain of memories discoloured and faded after the escape from the Academy. Marcus knew the rest. Mila let the remaining strand of memory spiral away before releasing his hand. She drew a shaky breath and waited a few seconds; when she opened her eyes, the world seemed painfully detailed and bright.
Marcus was still sitting next to her. He had a hand over his eyes.
Mila waited. He was letting everything sink in. He'd just seen one of the rebels shot by a brigadier, the corpse lying in a gruesome pool of blood. He'd also learned how Oslo had managed to find them. Her heart shrivelled at the thought. He would hate her.
When Marcus finally spoke, Mila felt frozen with surprise. "I'm sorry." He said.
"What?" She asked blankly.
"I shouldn't have blamed you for everything-"
"Marcus, don't you understand?" She started angrily. Furious with him, with herself. "It was my fault! I left a trail of seijin energy after that storm…"
"What are you talking about?" Marcus demanded roughly. "You were trying to stabilize the Hyperion. If anything, it was my fault for deciding to hide in that storm cloud in the first place."
"Only because I told you not to shoot the S-15's out of the sky." Mila argued. She knew that Marcus could have blasted the ships into oblivion on that fateful misty morning. He had refrained from doing this however, because she had insisted that her friend, Oslo, was in one of the patrollers.
"Oh, come on…" Marcus groaned. "We'll go on forever using that logic!"
Mila crossed her arms, staring at the ground.
"Actually," He considered slyly, "If anything, this is all Oliver's fault isn't it? Just blame him."
"Oliver?..." She smirked. "His name's Oslo."
"Yeah, whatever." He dismissed unimportantly. "The point is, it was his fault... He dragged you back to the Sphere. You didn't want to go back."
It was strange how he could analyze her emotions and memories, judge them, convey an opinion. It was a statement. A truthfulness that made her feel less wretched. He was defending her again. There was no point in trying to understand; when Marcus formed an opinion or an idea, he worked at it. He was all action and no subtlety.
It was this impulse to expose the truth that made him a rebel. It was instinctive.
Maybe she was instinctive too. She hoped so. Hadn't she impulsively left the Sphere? It was an admirable idea; that she could have held onto her humanity through it all. Calculations, statistics, probabilities; emotions existed not within the Sphere. Out here they did. In the real world, they made all the difference.
"I would feel better blaming someone else." She mused, abandoning everything for a golden moment.
"Problem solved." He said, smiling now that he had seen her smile.
She sighed. "I wish it were that easy."
Marcus's grin faded. "Look, I'm sorry I ever doubted you Mila..."
"It was complicated." She groaned, imagining his point of view. Now that she thought about it, everything about this whirlwind of an adventure had been complicated. "And I'm sorry too."
He smiled and bowed his head slightly. "Hey, we're pirates. It's not exactly a danger-free profession." Here he laughed carelessly. "I still can't believe it."
"What?"
"We doubted each other the whole time-"
"But we never betrayed one another." Mila finished.
They laughed and soon, they couldn't stop. They laughed until they were doubled over, gasping for breath.
After that, they talked for a long while as they reviewed the memories together, hiccupping small surviving laughs from time to time. It took several minutes, but they finally quietened down and Mila found herself reliving the boy's murder again. She couldn't understand this inherent need to talk about it; perhaps voicing everything helped, gave her the occasion to defend her despicable behaviour. Marcus grew serious as she explained how guilt had plagued her mind because of her inactivity on graduation day, when she had allowed a terrible murder to take place. It was a calm affair; the pirate became quieter when he spoke of death but otherwise seemed unperturbed. Mila supposed the rebels had grown used to casualties.
Their conversation stretched for a long period of time, but she appreciated the serene tone of their discussion, because it was just that; a discussion. Mila also expressed how this horrifying event had undeniably changed her entire outlook on life. It was this that had caused her loyalty to the Sphere to waver. Somehow, she had released the Prophecy back then; becoming the Lady of light had no longer seemed important; she didn't deserve that title and she would never earn it. Not for selfish reasons. She had been overconfident, smug and arrogant and she never wanted to use her powers for greed. Skyland belonged to no one.
"Did you ever hear about the Prophecy?" She asked him curiously.
Marcus shifted. "Sure. Everyone's heard of it." He frowned, staring at her, "Why? Do you still believe it?"
"I don't know what to think anymore… What about you?"
He shrugged.
"Oslo and I… (When Mila spoke the name, Marcus tensed as if angered by the sound of it) We thought we could actually fulfill that prophecy one day. We were horrible."
"Are you telling me that you actually wanted to rule the world?"
Mila nodded dejectedly.
Marcus burst out with laughter.
"It's not funny!" She exclaimed, slapping his shoulder.
"R-Rule the world…" He chuckled, "How can you possibly rule the world?"
"Not 'ruling' the world as much as unifying it." Mila grunted, blushing a little.
Marcus's laughter eased and he leaned back thoughtfully. "'Unifying' is a better word."
"You're right, that's what the prophecy says actually…" She frowned. "Oslo, he always thought it meant to rule but I think... I think we had it all wrong."
"If the Prophecy is real, don't you think it will fulfill itself when the time is right, with the right people? You can't just wake up one morning and decide that you're the 'one'-"
"Yes thank you, I know…" She sighed impatiently before reciting; "He will unify earth thanks to the Lady of light."
Her words drifted away, through the trees, into the winds.
She and Oslo had been young. Lost orphans finding comfort in the fantastic nature of the Prophecy, that's all. Mila still remembered the countless hours they had lost plotting about it. Dreaming without limits. Perhaps, Mila reflected, dreams could be dangerous after all. But they were adults now; Oslo would surely release the Prophecy too; it was unhealthy to obsess about such things.
"I still can't forget..." Mila shook her head briskly, thinking of the boy's death, "I wish it had been different…"
"You can't modify the past. You can only look toward the future and move on." He turned to her, gaze softening; "Besides, you said it yourself; you've changed. That's what made you abandon your first mission right? You could have handed me over to the Sphere. You didn't. Probably saved my life. Besides, Andy won't be forgotten. Not to those who remember." He nodded sternly, "His sister... She remembered. That's why she helped you. Told you about that skylight window."
"She was really helping you Marcus, we were never friends in school." She said, "She was always a rebel I think. At heart."
The silence that followed seemed to cleanse her mind. She could breathe. But one last death hovered over her conscience now. "They're blaming me for her death. Priscilla. I heard it on a Sphere news channel; I'm a wanted murderer now."
Marcus nodded sympathetically. "Don't take it personally... According to the Sphere, I already killed twenty-three innocent people."
She cast him a quizzical look.
"I didn't kill twenty-three people... I killed forty-three. They should get their facts straight."
Mila laughed, giving him a playful nudge.
And they sat there in the grey forest that should have been a lush evergreen on a piece of block that should have been rooted to the earth. Mila now wondered if it was chance that life had progressed the way it had. It was as if a more powerful force had been at work, tweaking invisible cables to create something wonderful. That the outlaw had been Marcus and not any other pirate. That she had been the one to reach him first and not Oslo. And then, in the darkest of moments, when all hope had seemed lost, Katie had reappeared, created a chance where there hadn't been one for her brother. The escape itself now seemed a blur, but Mila knew that somewhere in her crazed adrenaline rush, Vector's advice had guided her towards freedom. And to think that she had met that same man hours later; it all seemed too extraordinary. Maybe there was something bigger than the Prophecy at work; destiny.
"Marcus," She said, "I'm glad I landed here anyways..."
"Huh, why?" He asked.
Mila explained about Vector, her forgotten childhood, and the part the scientist played in helping her escape the Academy. Marcus had never heard any of this of course, and so he listened raptly, his dark eyebrows lowered.
"I guess I owe Vector a thanks…" Marcus mentioned. "I can't believe he knows you. What are the chances?"
"It's strange, I know... Vector knew everything about my past life and- and my parents but then I found out that-"
"Wait... Your parents?" Marcus exclaimed, "That's great! Where are they? Maybe you could see them again one day-"
"No, I..." She breathed shakily, "They're dead you see."
There was a sudden silence.
"Mila," He whispered, "I'm sorry."
"No. It's alright... At least I know." She said, voice falsely optimistic. Saying it out loud had a sort of finality to it; it suddenly hit her that her parents were gone and that she would never get to see them. An unexpected upsurge of emotion hit her like a punch to the stomach, knocking the air out of her lungs, stinging her eyes.
Mila bowed her head, listening eagerly, sensing his presence. She expected him to look away but instead he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close; Mila leaned her head against his shoulder. They stayed that way for a while, not speaking, just waiting in the quietness.
"I forgot," Mila whispered after a while, "I forgot to remember that I had parents."
In fact, she knew not if her parents had been part of the Sphere. What would they think now of their daughter? Would they be proud or disappointed? She didn't know, she didn't know… And if the horrible possibility in the back of her mind was true, that the Sphere had killed her parents to recruit her... No, no. She couldn't think about it or she would surely be sick.
"You can chose to remember now." He said.
Mila didn't understand what this meant exactly, but she blinked with surprise, soaking in his thoughtful words. The gentleness with which he held her against him. The way his gaze paid careful attention to her every move.
"I don't even know what they looked like." She sighed.
He looked at her just then. It was a piercing gaze, as if he was seeing something behind her eyes. Mila expected him to say something, but he just breathed quietly and stared downward. Mila felt his arm tighten around her shoulders and his breath brush the strands of hair next to her face; somehow, the feel of him was more comforting than words.
"At the end of the day, you just have to trust yourself." He said, "That's all that really matters."
Mila shifted, dragging her sleeve against her eyes.
"Listen," He said, "I don't want you to stay here if you hate it..."
"I don't exactly have a choice." She replied, the words coming out harsher than she had meant them. She pulled away slowly and leaned back on her elbows, suddenly cold without the weight of his arm around her shoulders.
He sighed. "So, what are you saying?" He asked carefully.
"I want to be part of the resistance..." She said. "It's just..."
"You don't like feeling trapped." He finished.
She nodded jadedly.
"I could sneak you out." Marcus offered tensely. He seemed to realise the freedom with which the words had escaped his mouth because he looked downward, mouth a tight line.
"You can't do that." She retorted severely, "People will lose faith in you if you don't listen to them."
"Yeah... I guess you're right." He sighed. "But I know that once people get to know you, and realise how great you are, then everything will be fine..."
She smirked.
"I mean it." He added seriously.
He took her hand and they fell silent. In that moment, Mila knew that Marcus would never hurt her, that he cared. As she glanced at their clasped hands, she realised just how ridiculous the concept of seijin superiority had been. There was nothing more beautiful, more profound than this bond. Two people accepting each other.
"What do you hope to accomplish with the rebellion?" She asked curiously, "What happens if the Sphere does fall?"
He pondered for a while. "Democracy."
"Democracy faded with the break-up of earth."
"Then we'll just have to try again." He answered, tense with determination.
Mila nodded her head from side to side as she visualized the strangely alluring concept of a democratic society. "You know, I've learned a lot about the rebellion since I arrived here..." She started, casting him a theatrical look of reproach. "For example, the resistance has a serious lack of organization."
Marcus frowned. "I didn't think it was that disorganized... Okay, maybe the rebellion lacks structure but-"
"It's a mess." She said, somewhat enjoying his insulted expression, "Thankfully, I've acquired advanced organizational skills during my time with the Sphere."
He lifted an eyebrow. "And you'll help us?"
She let a few seconds file past. "Maybe."
He laughed. She liked to see him laugh and smile; he hadn't been this way before; when she'd first met him, he had been rather serious - but of course, they had hardly known each other then.
"I'm glad I ruined my first mission," She said seriously, "You saved me too. From becoming cruel like the rest of them."
He fell silent, the shadow of a smile still present on the edge of his lips; he frowned though, as if hit by sharp realisation. Then he leaned closer. Mila's heart jumped. She cupped his jaw, stopping him from moving forwards of pulling away.
She didn't understand how this was possible. How were they possible? Marcus had been the enemy of the Sphere, but she no longer comprehended how she could have ever hated someone she didn't know, didn't understand. Was it the impossibility of it all that Mila had found alluring in the first place?
As she looked into his dark eyes she was reminded of the warmth of Babylonia. She portrayed the sun-swept fields of swishing golden and the faraway blurs of verdant, clear leaves in her mind, letting the memory of the place ignite, spread down her arm, through her hand, escape her fingertips.
Marcus blinked rapidly as a light flashed across his eyes. "You're thinking about Babylonia?" He asked, looking slightly stunned. Mila flinched. She often thought too loudly. The fact that she was sitting so close to him, touching him, didn't exactly help either. She usually knew better than to let her thoughts and memories escape through the air but something about being next to him made her forget.
"I liked it there." She said simply.
"Yeah." He said. "Sometimes, I just think about that old brick house. Sitting alone in that field... And then, it's as if a part of them lives on, you know?"
"I know." She said, understanding now what he meant by remembering. Knowing that their parents were there somehow, unseen but close. Out of sight. She let her hand stroke down his face, brush along his shoulder and rest over his heart. "The night skies were beautiful over there." She whispered, watching him draw slowly closer.
"Yes," he agreed, gazing at her, "breathtaking."
It was as if she was back there in Babylonia, lying in the dark field, the soft grass molding the shape of her body as she watched her little patch of starry sky, framed at the edges by the lace of feathery plants. The stars had been so numerous, the universe so immense that she had felt herself melt away under the greatness of it all. What was she but a speck, a particle in that dense void of beautiful, twinkling lights.
She had been lying there for a long time, relaxing after a long day of fixing the Hyperion under the hot sun. And then Marcus had joined her. Silently, wordlessly, he had settled down next to her, a metre away. They hadn't spoken at first; not talking had been to only way to avoid heated arguments at the time. So they had watched the stars.
The silence hadn't lasted.
Soon it had begun; the endless tales of gods and creatures of ancient mythology, moving and curling together in the heavens, forming patterns and stories. The words had carried along with Marcus's voice, coated the sky, made the constellations blink to life. Move.
A guardian and a pirate. Two different people, joined by an unexpected series of events, sitting together in a field of silver. A place peppered with landmarks of an old life, of a future life. A place of refuge and peace that had both made them realise that, perhaps, they weren't so very different after all.
Their lips met and the fabric of time collapsed. Mila knew not where or when she was, she knew simply that she never wanted the moment to end. There was a grey forest. There was a starlit night. Black, green and blue.
Underneath the endless skies, Marcus had whispered; "Look, a shooting star."
"Make a wish." Mila had murmured.
He'd stared at her just then, a strange twinkle in his eye. "I already have."
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The setting for this chapter ? : post-apocalypse central park.