"Have you seen Megan?"
"Yea, she's in the medic bay with Alexandra."
"Who's Alex-," he stopped mid-sentence as they rounded the corner into the medic bay and the two girls sat on the floor. Both girls sat with their legs crossed and hands held as if they were in a prayer circle.
"Take a deep breath and imagine a door into your mind." Megan suddenly became aware they weren't alone. "Oh, Alexandra, do you mind if Connor sits in with us?"
The other girl shrugged her indifference. Connor hovered behind Megan and Robin came to sit beside both girls. Megan opened the link to Robin and Connor. Suddenly a door was hanging in the middle of the space in Megan's mind.
"Good, now open it."
The door slowly opened and Alexandra stood there. She stepped into the center of the room and the walls became a giant movie screen. All over the walls were fragments of memory. Robin remembered the time in the Bialyain Desert when their memories had been erased. But this was somehow different. Instead of sharp shattered pieces that resembled glass, these pieces had faded or smudged edges that were perfectly circular in the center. All of the memories were of varying sizes.
"Whoever tried to erase your memories, didn't try to completely take them away. All the memories are still there, but a wall was built up around them and you managed to wear away at the wall in places."
Alexandra looked at the fragments and asked, "So what?"
Megan gestured to all the memories. "Whoever took them away from you, didn't harm you doing so and they easily could have. But they also left them for you to find. There are special triggers that release the memories. But you've hurt yourself trying to break down the walls."
"Is there a way to fix the damage," Robin asked.
Megan shrugged, "I'm not sure, I suppose it's possible, but I've never tried to heal another person's mind. Not like this."
Connor put a hand on her shoulder.
"You can do this. You restored my mind, you can do the same for her."
Megan blinked and then looked absolutely thrilled. Then she smacked the side of her head.
"Hello Megan! That's it, I can restore the barriers. By resetting them I can see what triggers them, and then trigger each memory in turn."
"Won't that erase all the memories so far," asked Robin
"Nope, it will block all the memories of her sister and you before today, but everything that has happened today she will remember. Though there might be some confusion as to why or how these events came to be if left too long between resetting and triggering the memories."
"Do it." Everyone turned to look at Alexandra. Her shoulders were back and her chin was held high in determination. "I want my memories back."
Megan nodded.
"I'll get started then."
Robin and Connor watched as Megan very carefully began rebuilding the walls around Alexandra's memories. As the process worked Alexandra's eyes became softer and the edginess faded away. Sweat dotted Megan's brow as time slowly slipped by. The memories slowly disappeared until none of her sister remained. When that was done Megan slumped back. Connor rushed to catch her. Megan caught herself on his shoulder.
"Wow. I have a deep respect for whoever did this. It must have taken all of their power to do that without harming Alexandra's mind."
"Can you trigger the memories," Robin asked, and Connor glared at him.
"I don't think-."
"It's alright Connor. She's lived like this for years. She doesn't need to spend any more time like this. Besides if we wait too long I'll have redo what I just did."
"Megan, you're tired."
Megan shook her head.
"It doesn't matter. She has been driving herself mad with regret and worry. The state of her mind only made it progressively worse. I won't let her stay like this another minute." Megan stood up straight and stepped away from Connor. She placed both hands on Alexandra's temples. Energy charged the air and Robin felt something uncurl inside of him. Someone else was looking through his eyes watching Megan. Mist started to gather protectively around Alexandra. Energy rippled through the air.
"Megan! Get away!" His warning came a moment too late. The mist solidified and lashed out at Megan sending her rolling backwards into Connor. Connor caught Megan and was going to attack the mist when Robin stepped between them. He held his hands up to the mist as a gesture of supplication and just barely managed to hold back Connor.
"Jessie!"
The mist swirled agitated.
"I know you can hear me!"
The mist jerked and took the form of a ferret like creature. It settled around Alexandra's shoulders and hissed, "You speak of my host. I am not her." The voice was distant and warped like it was coming through a long tube.
"But she can hear me through you. Can't she?"
The ferret hesitated then nodded.
"Tell her she is hurting her sister."
The ferret hissed. "How dare you!" The mist thickened and reached aggressively out towards them like claws raking the air.
"Shut up," Robin roared at the ferret. "Look at her!"
The ferret did as it was told and looked at Alexandra. She had a very serene look on her face.
"She was going mad because you blocked her memories." It was a guess, but like Megan said, it had to be someone who didn't want to harm Alexandra. The only person with that much power who wouldn't want to hurt her could only be her older sister."She was tearing herself apart with guilt. Give her memories back. I know you don't want to hurt her, but it can't be any worse than what she has already been through?"
The ferret wavered for a brief moment. A different voice answered Robin; Bard's voice, "I did not mean for this to happen." The ferret's paw passed through Alexandra's head and a look of clarity crossed her face. Like a person who just remembered something very important. The mist dissolved and faded into nothingness and leaving no evidence of the speaker.
"Wait!" Robin reached out to the mist.
"She is gone." Alexandra spoke with strength and clarity of mind that they had not seen. "I'm sorry about the way I acted." A slight smile played around the young girl's lips, making Robin eye her suspiciously.
"You aren't actually sorry are you?"
Her smile became more pronounced and she inclined her head ever so slightly.
"Maybe, maybe not." Alexandra turned the look around at Megan's mind. "But there is something I think you should see." Alexandra laid a hand on the wall of Megan's mind and an image jumped to it. Alexandra and Jessie stood there talking.
"You would take his memory of you away," Alexandra demanded, Jessie simply nodded.
"Of course. If he remembers he will search for me and anger and grief will blind him and then he will be hurt and possibly become warped from the boy I love."
"So you will not only die for him, but erase everything you are to him?"
Again Jessie nodded. Anyone who wasn't watching carefully would have thought Jessie didn't care. But Robin noticed she swallowed hard, like she was swallowing the emotions that were threatening to burst out.
Alexandra grit her teeth and swiped tears from her eyes. "And what about me? Will you abandon me too?"
Jessie was unable to keep the emotions at bay with that accusation. She turned to her sister and embraced her. "Alex, I'm do this to protect everyone I love. I'm do this not only for him, but for you as well. You saw the futures too, you know what is at stake here."
Alexandra sniffed and swiped the tears from her eyes.
"So you'll die a hero like your stories, is that it?"
Jessie laughed out loud the tears that were about to spill out seemed to settle. "Regardless of what you or Richard think, I am not that selfless." Jessie put a hand under her sister's chin and raised it so she was looking squarely into her eyes. "We will see each other again. I swear on my powers and my very soul. This will not be permanent." The memory faded and the small group was left staring at Robin.