Badplace. Wrongplace.
Lacking of perception. Painful angering lack. There is not enough, in wrongplace hereplace...
Void. Energy in Void. Energy from young thing. Different thing. One Speaks. Young thing changemakes. Young thing is hungry. Takes back Energy in Void. But it does not Speak. It is not One.
One moves, painhurt, in Void. More young thing...
Younger things. One does not know younger things. One Speaks. Younger things changemake, shift. But they do not Speak. They are not One.
One moves in Void.
Thisplace herehas young, younger. One moves to Speak...
But...
Things. Younger things. One cannot thinkvision such young things. One reaches downoutthrough, to Touch...
Thing breaks. But One learns from thing. Thing is 'small'. Thing is 'alive'. Thing is 'Person'. Thing lives on 'planet' near 'sun' in 'solar system'. Thing is one of many.
One is 'large'. One is 'lost' and 'afraid'. One is 'blind' and 'deaf' and 'mute'.
Thing ends. One begins.
Thing is 'heavy'. Thing uses 'meat' to move. One Speaks. Thing changes. 'Bone' moves One on planet. Over 'rock' and 'tree' and 'ground'. Other Things 'scream' and 'run'. One reaches out to Touch another.
It breaks. But One learns from her. She is 'daughter' and 'sister' and 'mother'. She has 'parents' and 'siblings' and 'children'. One seeks them out, and Touches them.
One learns from the people of the planet. One follows on 'ship'. It travels in silence when it is empty. And One rests.
Crash. It is a thing these people fear. One does not understand. Crash does not stop One's form. It is made of meat and bone like people...
More people...but there are Sounds. Forms. Thisplace is more Real. The 'homes' exist more wholly. There is Energy in the 'air'.
A person approaches One. And it is as Real as thisplace.
Person Speaks. And One is shocked. One Speaks as well. Person Speaks. Angry Speaking. One recoils. And Speaks again.
Hurt! HurtSpeak! Person Speaks pain and burn! One Speaks sorrow and injury. Person does not Speak again. One moves. 'Down'.
One must Sleep. One must Wait. One will return when One is healed.
Silence.
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
Casual Time Travel
It was often quiet, out in the black. Most times, the closest signs of civilization were millions of miles away. Nothing around but rocks and stray radiation.
River much preferred the travel. When there were only ever a handful of minds to disturb that quiet. Ever present voices that were practically whispers when compared to the bustling life of planet-fall, smoothed over by the faithful hum of Serenity's engines and the relentless silence of the void...
So, when the echoes came, River couldn't help but hear them. In all their awful, perfect, ringing clarity.
She was sitting with Simon when the first one knocked the world on its side. She turned with it, hitting the floor-that-was-now-the-wall. Simon stood sideways over her, as she shook. Fear and confusion fought for dominance in his head, while his expression showed only shock.
The darkness that followed was a blessing.
She slept through the second and third echoes. And she remembered...dreaming. Dreams that cut and tore and made her wish the pain of awareness again. Dreams that stretched time into thought into light and color and...
…and then it was over. The storm past, the oceans stilled again, she surfaced.
Simon wanted to know, but she refused to tell him. The others were just as curious, and most were just as worried, if for different reasons. Mal, for his crew. Jayne, for his health. Inara, for her family. Wash for his wife and Zoe for her husband. Kaylee for everyone and everything...
River couldn't stand their worry. It grated on the nerves that the echoes had worn raw. So she closed herself in her bunk and tried to block out the noise of Persephone.
Two weeks...
She could only hope that they had the time.
CTT
A rising sense of disbelief drew her out into the corridors. The day before, she wouldn't have dared go even that far, but the noise of the world around her had finally stopped its assault on her senses.
Enough that she could filter out the dreaming, the angry, the cold. Enough that she could taste the voices of the crew.
"Magic?" She heard the derisive snort from Jayne. "Gèpì!"
"I dunno. Makes more sense than math." Wash's humor sparked in her mind like a flash of fireworks, paradoxically soothing. "She did up and vanish into the air, oh, a couple times in the past week..."
"Gotta admit, Jayne, it was more'n a bit strange. Even for River..."
"Aw, c'mon Mal! Don't tell me you're buyin' into this magical 'knights and wizards' crap..."
"Ain't sayin' as to just what I'm 'buyin' into'." The captain's voice was smooth and diplomatic, despite the storm beneath it. "But the truth is, our little albatross has more than proved she can't be bothered by little things like facts. And 'less you've got a better explanation, I think I'd be just as willin' to trust the good Shepard here when he says there's such things as magic men."
Silence followed, then. Each of them thinking their own thoughts. Each of them looking for ways to hide. To disprove to themselves.
River stepped into the room, unseen.
"I agree with Mal." Inara spoke up, finally, carefully glancing around the table to gauge the reactions of the others. "We've seen River do...amazing things. Unbelievable things."
"As a result of scientific experimentation." Simon attempted to clarify, skepticism readily apparent. "I still have trouble believing she's actively reading minds, let alone..." He stalled, reaching for something that wouldn't fall outside his realm of understanding.
Kaylee, of course, chose to interrupt with an ever cheerful smile. "Casting magic spells?"
Simon blinked, once, then winced. "Yes. That."
Inara didn't seem the least bit bothered by his discomfort, and shook her head. "Think of the mythology that this would explain. Thousands of years of stories that survived, in some form or another...even when the civilizations that spawned them fell..."
"'All the myths are true.'"
There was a great deal of confused panic, even if it only lasted a moment. After the initial surprise, there was just a wash of confusion and resigned amusement. It was Mal that managed to smile and break the awkward silence.
"River." His smile twinged, a hint of tension behind it. "Guess we didn't spot you comin' in."
River shifted, just slightly, and looked across the table towards the open door, far on the other side of the dining area "You weren't looking."
More discomfort from some of the others, but Mal's smile eased slightly.
She tilted her head, glancing at Book. "Seeing is believing."
The Shepard sighs, and nods. "It would probably be easiest." He stood, carefully, and nodded to the captain. "Excuse me. I need to fetch something from my quarters."
The others watched him go, and River tuned out the quiet conversations that followed. Muttered calming responses to Simon's questions when he finally voiced them. Mostly just...waited.
Book returned quickly, and there were more than a few curious looks drawn to the bundle of roughly-woven fabric in his arms. He set it down on the table, clearing a space before carefully unrolling the cloth...
It was a simple thing.
The scabbard was leather, and obviously well cared for. A simple cross hilt, gleaming pommel...
"This is Amoracchius." Book said without preamble. "It is one of the three Holy swords that I mentioned." He lifted it easily, one worn hand wrapping around the grip with a fond familiarity. "And I've carried it for...oh...thirty years. In all that time, I've only once been Called to use it..." He tilted his head, smiling vaguely. "But...I think that it should be alright to, just once, ask for a demonstration."
He drew the blade free of the scabbard with one, smooth motion. Metal rang softly, the sound pure, pervasive. River relaxed in the gentle glow, actually had to restrain herself from reaching out for the warmth...
There was some quiet cursing and another general wash of disbelief. It was readily apparent, after all, that the sword Book held wasn't normal. Not with the way it seemed to...shine. A steady, unfailing light, rippling in the air as it reached out...
"I have wielded this sword in good Faith, Captain." Book murmurs. "I'm certain in His power. I've witnessed it myself. And that, if nothing else, has assured me that there is more in the 'verse than may be readily apparent."
That was the moment that the crew of Serenity began to believe in magic.
CTT
River liked Wash. She really did. He always had a smile and a joke to spare, and when everything else would fall apart, he was like a bastion of calm. The quiet eye of the storm.
Still, he could be quite stubborn, at times.
"River, I promise you, nothing's there." He waved at the screen, tapping at the glowing clouds on the chart. "Never has been."
"Never was a Miranda." She pointed out, frowning at his insistence.
He rolled his eyes, reaching up to run a hand through his hair in exasperation. "That's different, though. The planet was still there, it was just written off as a colony. This...there's nothing there!"
"Nothing that's been charted."
"Yes." He drew the word out, raising a brow curiously. "I would think that that would be pretty self explanatory."
"The ship was separated. Only the inhabitants are able to find it."
"And just how do they manage that?"
River gave him a Look. He paused...then laughed, a little hysterically. "Magic! Of course! Why didn't I think of that!"
She reached out to pat his head, smiling softly. "It's okay. Zoe doesn't mind if you're a little slow."
His glare held very little heat, and River could tell that he was laughing on the inside. His odd bit of pride at her joking made her feel very accomplished.
"Alright, fine then...if we actually do this, it's going to be a long haul." He turned back to the displays, moving one of his dinosaurs aside. "I mean, it'll take a week, at least, just to get around the nebula..."
"Through." She corrected without thought, staring down at the chart.
Wash blinked, twice, then turned to stare. "I'm sorry...I you suggesting we fly through this nebula?" A pause, and he jabbed the screen. "This nebula. This one here. With the space dust and the...ionized gasses? The stuff that'll play merry hob with our sensors and require us to use shielding on the viewports so we're literally flying blind?"
"..." River pause, then frowned. "Yes?"
He considered for a long moment, then shrugged. "Okay then. As long as that's clear..."
"What's clear?"
They both turned, and Wash smiled brightly. "Cap'n!" He spun his chair around to face the door. "River was just letting me know we would be flying through a nebula on the way to our mystery planet."
"...well, that's somethin' new."
River rolled her eyes and stalked over to the copilot's seat and flopping down. "Necessary."
What followed was a jumble of attempts at rationalization and explanation. She tuned it out, taking the opportunity to start programming in the proper course.
"Isle of fortune, hidden in the mists..." She murmured to herself, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. "Not long now..."
Not long at all.
CTT
The empty black was filled with bright greens and reds. It was beautiful, this thing. A field of light...
"Sensor contact." River murmured, frowning thoughtfully at the console in front of her. "Adjust heading five-six degrees up."
Wash's response was muffled by her concentration, but she felt Serenity shift, her course lining up perfectly with River's target...
"Lock course."
The computers hum, a few moments later, as they acknowledge their pilot's commands. She turns her attention from them and back out into the endless sky, with its colors and lights and wonder...
River frowned as the metal shutters folded over the view ports, turned to give Wash a petulant glare. He did a quick double-take as he took notice, and held up his hands disarmingly in front of him. "Whoa, hey. I like a tan as much as the next guy, but I think we're gonna want those up pretty soon."
"...you wouldn't tan."
"Uh..."
"Radiation burns are more likely."
Wash looked about to say something, paused, thought better of it, and flipped another control on his console. "Right then! I think I'm going to go...do something. Else. Elsewhere."
"Don't forget your sunscreen."
A slightly hysterical chuckle accompanied him out the door.
River sighed, and settled in to wait.
CTT
Four days of travel.
It seemed vague and washed out to River. It worried her, in her more lucid moments, the way the time slipped by. How her mind kept retreating in on itself. She couldn't find any good explanation for it, and the fear of losing her hard-won 'sanity' again made her...angry.
"Too strong a word." She murmured, frowning as she rested her chin on the walkway's railing. "...irritable."
"River?"
She looked up, blinking once. "Inara."
The companion gave a warm smile, gathering her light shawl a bit closer around her. "Would you like to come up to the bridge? We're nearly out of the nebulae, and we thought we'd all get a look at uncharted space."
River stood, slowly, and nodded. "I'd like that." Arrival? That was...sudden...
She fell into step behind the companion, humming absently as they made their way up to the bridge. Wash was in the pilot's seat, as per usual, Zoe leaning casually at his side, while Mal had taken the co-pilot's seat. Simon and Kaylee stood off to one side, near Shepard Book. Jayne had taken to lurking in the back, near the doorway, and Inara completed the picture by moving to stand just behind the captain.
River hesitated, slightly, unsure of where she should be. But then a buzzer went off, and Serenity seemed to shudder.
"Autopilot disengaged..." Wash clarified, hands dancing over the controls. "Radiation countermeasures in effect. Levels are dropping pretty steadily. We should be clear in...a minute?"
"Good. I don't like flying on sensors like this."
Mal's comment drew her forward, and River tilted her head as she moved forward, past the consoles, until she was crouched close enough to touch the thick, transparent composite that covered the view ports. "We are arrived."
No comments from the others, just a quiet sort of curiosity. Wash spoke up again forty-six seconds later, excitement obvious in his tone. "Permission to open the shutters, captain?"
"Think you'd better."
A deep clanking, a clatter of metal on metal, and the shutters folded away from the ports, revealing the dark of space, the pin-pricks of stars...
And the gleaming, blue-green planet that hovered several hundreds of thousands of miles in front of them.
"Wǒde tiān..."
"I don't believe it...I see it, but I don't believe it..."
"What are those?"
"Tiān xiǎode...space stations? Maybe?"
"Don't look like any gorram space stations I ever saw..."
The crew kept talking. Questioning. Wondering.
River just smiled, her eyes shining brightly with eager anticipation.
"We're here." The others didn't hear the whisper, and she chuckled softly as she closed her eyes.
"Avalon..."