Kiara felt a kinship with the rising sun. Every day came to an end, but the next always followed. It was beautiful, and she'd greatly appreciated the warmth of a new day's sunlight throughout all of her many lives. This morning was much harder to appreciate than most.
Gura ran off again. Amelia had reappeared, but she refused to leave her workshop. And there was still no sign of Ina.
The apartment was quiet. This place that had grown so warm and inviting over the last few weeks was suddenly cold and lonely. It was awful. The whole situation was. Kiara buried her face in her knees, desperately searching for a way out for herself and her friends. But there just wasn't enough to work with.
Uncountable lives worth of experience couldn't have prepared her for a run in with near-deific figures with chips on their shoulders. Even with Irys's help, she couldn't put a solution together. She needed all of them; Calli, Ina, Amelia, and Gura. They worked a miracle before, surely they could do it again.
The sound of a door opening grabbed her attention. Calli emerged from her room, hair a mess from a short but clearly restless nap. "Why're you still up?" she said.
"Couldn't sleep."
Calli stifled a yawn and crossed the room, taking up the space beside Kiara at the window. She shielded her eyes from the brilliance of the new day. "Even so, you need to rest. Yesterday wasn't exactly easy on either of us."
Kiara's lips parted. She was fine, she wanted to say, but that wasn't entirely true. Saying it would have been a poorly applied bandage at best. So instead, she gave voice to the concerns that had been growing since her encounter with the keeper. "What is life, Calli? What is it supposed to be?"
The reaper arched an eyebrow at her. It was a silly question, but she didn't dismiss it. She let it breathe, giving it honest consideration. Eventually, she said, "You're asking the wrong person." She sat on the windowsill across from Kiara and watched her, her eyes softer than she probably realized. "That plant lady really got to you, huh?"
Kiara nodded. "She hates me. Like, really hates me. She made it seem like there was something wrong with me."
"Do you think there is?"
"No," Kiara said without hesitating. Calli smiled at the confidence, which made her smile too. "I've been living for so long, but not once has it caused me any trouble. And I'd argue that it hasn't brought any trouble to the people around me either."
Calli scoffed, "I don't know about that."
"It's been nothing other than good," Kiara giggled. "I've been able to meet so many people. I've had the opportunity to touch so many lives." Her undying soul might not have been natural in the strictest sense, but it was who she was. How she'd always been since the day she was born. "I won't apologize for being who I am, and I won't stand by and let that part of me be taken away."
"Neither will I," Calli said, holding out her pinky finger. It was too cute to leave her hanging, so Kiara wrapped her pinky around Calli's. It was a small gesture–one that Calli rarely allowed herself–but it made Kiara feel warmer than the sun could ever manage.
They'd been friends longer than Kiara could remember. It was a given that they'd look out for each other, but sharing that reminder blew away so many of her doubts.
Looking out towards the brightening sky, Calli said, "Do you really think words will be enough?"
"Not sure," Kiara shrugged. Hatred was a vicious beast, and the keeper had plenty to go around. "But we have to try. For our new friend's sake."
The thumping of footsteps grabbed their attention. "Speak of the devil," Calli smirked.
The handle on Kiara's door jiggled before Irys burst out of the room. Her hair was tangled around her horns, but she didn't look the least bit drowsy. "I can sense your missing friend!"
Kiara froze, and so did Calli. If she could sense Ina, that meant she must still be alive!
"I can also sense a member of the council!"
Both Kiara and Calli leapt to their feet and started for the front door without skipping a beat. Their friend was alive, but she wasn't out of the woods until they could bring her back safely.
Irys rushed up beside them, matching their stride. "They're really close by. I'll lead the way."
"Right," Kiara nodded and reached for the knob. She pulled the door open, ready to sprint down the stairs and out of the building, and in doing so almost ran face first into the person they were in such a hurry to find. Ina stood on the other side of the door, key in hand. She looked as shocked as Kiara felt.
For a moment, they just stood there on opposite sides of the doorframe. Neither of them breathed or even moved. Neither did Calli or Irys. But it was only a moment.
Kiara pounced, scooping Ina into her arms and squeezing. "You're okay! Thank goodness!" She laughed and bounced up and down. They were all okay!
Ina squeezed back. "Sorry to make you worry," she said. She sent a smile Calli's way, but her expression froze when she saw Irys.
"There's a lot we need to talk about," Kiara said, setting her down.
Ina nodded slowly. "I'll say."
Calli stepped out into the hall, reaching to pull Ina into a hug of her own no doubt, but something caught her eye. She turned suddenly, eyes narrowed and sharp. "Get Ina inside," she said. Her scythe dropped into her hands and she put herself between Kiara and whatever it was she'd seen.
Kiara followed her line of sight, covering Ina. There was someone there, at the end of the hall. Her eyes told her that it was just a person peeking around the corner, but Kiara's soul perceived the truth. The figure hiding there was much, much greater than a person. The keeper was vast in her existence, but this one was absolutely tremendous. A member of the council had come knocking before they could come up with a plan.
Sword and shield fell into Kiara's hands, and she held her breath. Irys briefly described the fundamental concepts embodied by the council, but that didn't help to identify which one they were up against.
"Wait, she's a friend!" Ina yelped, pushing past Kiara. She grabbed Calli's arm and tugged, forcing the reaper to lower her weapon.
"You're one-hundred percent sure of that?" Calli said. She was still staring daggers at the end of the hall.
"Yes."
Calli finally looked away. She searched Ina's face for a moment before her eyes widened. "Well damn. Alright then." Her scythe vanished, and though she still held plenty of tension, she breathed a sigh of relief.
Kiara did the same. She wasn't ready to duke it out with a fundamental force of the universe just yet.
Ina jogged down the hall and exchanged a few whispered words with her friend. They walked back towards the apartment hand in hand. The council member trailed slightly behind Ina, her head dipped and her shoulders slumped. She looked uncertain, maybe even nervous, trying to make herself seem smaller. But it didn't work. Her presence filled the hall as if it were a small tube she was squeezing into.
"This," Ina said, a touch nervous herself, "is Sana. She's the friend I told you about before."
Calli tilted her head, but Kiara's eyes widened. She recognized that name! "The one you told us about in the order's compound?! Didn't you say she was lost in the void?"
"She was, but apparently that didn't mean what I thought." Ina smiled back at Sana, and she stood up a little straighter. "This might not make a whole lot of sense right now, but she's part of a council of–"
"We know that part," Calli said. She cocked an eyebrow and looked Sana up and down. Then she stiffly held out her hand. "Sorry for jumping the gun. Calliope Mori. Pleasure to meet you." Ina's friend wasn't the only one who was nervous, it seemed.
Sana stared at Calli's outstretched hand, wide-eyed. Slowly, she reached out and took it in hers. Her expression lit up and she said, "I'm Tsukumo Sana, and please, don't worry about it. I was expecting a rougher reception, honestly. All things considered, you have every right to be suspicious."
Kiara stepped up beside Calli and Sana held out her hand. But that wasn't exactly Kiara's style. She ignored the offered hand and wrapped her arms around Sana's shoulders. "No need to be so formal. Any friend of Ina's is a friend of ours." She squeezed lightly and stepped back, leaving Sana stunned.
"We're friends, then? Really?" Sana said. There was something building in those deep golden eyes of hers. Kiara nodded, Calli shot her a thumbs up, and Ina smiled. Sana balled her hands into fists, pulled her arms close to her chest and bent her knees.
Kiara was worried at first. The woman was starting to look like a ball she was so scrunched up, and then she started trembling. A noise rose in her throat that sounded faintly like a whine, but wasn't a whine at all.
Like a firework, Sana jumped into the air, unfurling herself and beaming, same as the morning sun. She pulled Kiara and Calli close, wrapping her arms around their necks. "Thank you!" she practically shouted in their ears. "Ina was right! You're good people!" She pulled away a completely different person. Gone was the timid woman hiding around the corner. She aggressively patted Kiara and Calli on the shoulder while talking up a storm. "There's so much I want to ask you! Tell me how you guys met Ina! She hasn't caused you too much trouble, has she? Does she still hate cucumbers?" It was kind of a lot.
But Kiara couldn't be happier to indulge her. As gently as possible, she led Sana and the others back into the apartment and sat everyone down at the table. "If you don't mind," she said, interrupting Sana, "could you tell us about your friends as well?"
It shouldn't have been possible, but the council member's expression grew even brighter. "I'd love to! What do you want to know?"
"Let's start simple. What are their names?"
"Oh! Easy!" She held up her fingers, counting down one by one, "There's Sana, that's me, hi, Mumei, Fauna, Kronii, Irys–you know her already, I guess–and finally . . . Baelz." She dimmed a little on that last one, but moved past it before Kiara could raise a question. There's the administrator, too, but we don't really call them anything else." She continued on her own, describing their personalities and making them sound downright human.
Kiara breathed easier hearing all of that. Simply being able to put a name to the keeper's face made her feel so much easier to approach. Like she and the rest of them had perspectives Kiara could understand given time.
Ina tapped Sana on the shoulder, "So, her name is Kronii? Not Kroninii?"
Sana laughed. "That's just a nickname."
"Oh, I see," Ina said, turning red around the ears.
With each passing moment, Kiara became more confident that a peaceful resolution was possible. There was something bothering her, though. She laughed along with the others at the table, but she spared a glance for Irys, who was making herself look as small as possible in the corner. That just wouldn't do.
"How about some drinks?" Kiara stood and excused herself to the kitchen. Irys said that she was the reason the council was after them, but she neglected to explain anything about the members of the council themselves. Normally, that wouldn't be too odd, but she insisted that they were her friends. Sana hadn't acted hostile towards Irys either.
After delivering cups of warm tea to the table, Kiara swerved, taking a cup to Irys. Instead of returning to her seat, she sat next to the embodiment of hope. "Why aren't you sitting at the table," she said softly.
Irys hesitated. "It's . . . complicated." They were sitting just outside of Sana's line of sight, Kiara realized.
"I can only imagine. But I can handle complicated."
Irys's fingers tightened on her cup. Her lips remained sealed.
Kiara took a sip and watched the others chat. Calli was doing an alright job steering the conversation in a practical direction, but she was clearly underestimating the bubbly energy at Sana's disposal. The speaker of space was riding high on friendship.
That was the angle. "She's your friend, isn't she?" Kiara said, pointing at Sana's back.
"She is," Irys said, staring into her still full cup. "They all are. But that's what makes it so awkward."
"What do you mean?" Kiara turned in her seat. Hope needed all of her attention right now.
"We don't exist on a human timescale. We seldom get to interact directly. Small disagreements can swell into monumental arguments. It can be . . . tense."
The spat Kiara witnessed between the keeper of nature and the guardian of civilization echoed in her mind. "Is that what happened with Mumei and Fauna?"
Irys nodded. "Their natures aren't inherently opposed, you know. They can get along fine, it's just that their goals and ideals clash from time to time. Civilization seeks to expand, edging out nature. Nature, in turn, seeks to grow, damaging the integrity of civilization."
"Did you . . . have a fight like that with Sana?"
"Sort of. Like I said, it's complicated, but in short, my dual natures tend to rub the others the wrong way." Irys took a deep, shuddering breath. "The last time I spoke to each of them, I was despair. I'm not exactly a joy to talk to when I'm like that. I belittled them. I built walls between us. I . . . hurt them. My last meeting with Baelz, the embodiment of chaos, was particularly messy."
Kiara took another sip of her tea. She let the liquid coat her tongue. She took in the calming aroma and let what Irys told her breathe.
In all of her years of life, she'd seen many a group break apart, never to reconvene as long as they all lived. It was a sad reality that some rifts were too wide and jagged to bridge. But there were just as many groups that broke apart and eventually reconciled. It didn't always happen, but mending those relationships was always possible.
"So you pushed your friends away when you weren't in a good place?" Kiara said finally.
Irys nodded, shrinking further.
"That dual nature of yours certainly does complicate things, but look at it this way: You aren't despair right now, are you?"
The embodiment of hope pressed her lips together. Her eyes widened as her brain worked to process what Kiara said. "I'm not right now, but I will be again eventually." She looked at Kiara, pleading.
"Don't let tomorrow's problems ruin today. What do you want to do right now?"
Irys looked down at the cup of tea in her hands, then at Sana's back. She drew up, expanding to her full size, and took a big sip. It wouldn't be very hot anymore, but Kiara could practically see the warmth spread through her body.
She set her nearly empty cup down and stood up. "Thank you," she whispered to Kiara before stepping up to the table. She raised her hand, her fingers shaking, and mustered up the courage to tap Sana on the shoulder.
Ina's old friend turned with a smile on her face, but her expression froze when she saw it was Irys. The tension between them was thick enough to make it hard to breathe across the room. But there was a softness to it too. The distance between them was bridged by a tentative desire to reconnect.
"Hi . . ." Irys said almost inaudibly. Her voice sounded as if the air from her lungs could barely find purchase in her vocal chords. How nervous must she have been to cause such a catastrophic breakdown?
"Hi . . ." Sana replied in kind, her voice barely a whisper. Her eyelids slid ever so slightly closed. This interaction wasn't unwelcome, certainly, but she was expecting something. It was something that Irys had to deliver herself, so Kiara stayed where she sat. Interfering now would only contaminate the reunion.
She caught looks from Calli and Ina. They were nervous too, the uncertainty coming through clear as day, so she arched an eyebrow to communicate that they couldn't intervene.
This was a test. Was Irys's determination to resolve the conflict with the council without violence strong enough? Could it really work? Kiara hoped that it would. In a way, this was a test of her own philosophy as well. She studied the space between Irys and Sana closely.
Irys rubbed her hands together, squeezing her fingers one by one and dragging her palms over her knuckles in a deliberate way. She wasn't making eye contact. That was a bad sign, but it looked like Sana was patient enough to wait. She looked Irys over, her focus never wavering. It wasn't just expectation, she needed to hear what Irys had to say.
"The last time we spoke, I . . ." Irys finally started, but her voice caught. The courage she had just moments ago was evaporating before Kiara's eyes.
Sana stood and waited. The creases forming on her face told the story, though. She could see it too, that fading confidence. Irys was teetering on an edge, one Kiara had seen people tumble from numerous times. If she couldn't say her piece now . . .
She might not get another chance.
Kiara squeezed her hands together. She wanted Irys to repair her relationships with her friends. She wanted to resolve things peacefully. She wanted everyone to get along. But she couldn't make any of that happen. All she could do was hope.
Irys's shoulders curved inward and she still wouldn't look Sana in the eye. Her lip quivered as her mouth worked. "I'm . . . I don't . . . I'm so–"
"I know!" Sana threw her arms around Irys, crying out. "I know exactly what you want to say, so you don't have to push yourself."
"But I . . ." Irys held her arms at her sides. Her hands were opened wide, though. "I said something horrible."
"I forgive you." The utter lack of hesitation in Sana's voice didn't just leave Irys speechless. Kiara's jaw went slack. She'd seen interactions like this countless times, but she'd never seen forgiveness so quick for scars so apparently deep. "The things you said hurt, but I can see past that pain. I do see past it. You're my friend, Irys. I want all of us to be together again." Was she some kind of saint?!
Irys finally wrapped her arms around Sana and squeezed, holding onto that ray of hope as tightly as she could.
Kiara shook her head, clearing her mind. Now was not the time for swooning. What she'd just witnessed was much more than a heartfelt reunion. It was a sign. A sign that talking things out with the council was not just possible, it was ideal.
She stood and rounded the table, taking the seat next to Calli. "I think we can use this," she said.
Calli arched an eyebrow. "Go on."
"The council members are out to get us, right? As much as I want to deny it, they probably won't listen to us if we try to talk them down. But if Irys does it . . ." she trailed off, leading Calli to the conclusion.
"Make them calm down by getting Irys to intervene? That's an idea, for sure."
"It's a great idea. We can bring them to the table and help Irys reconnect with her friends. Two birds, one stone." Kiara's heart fluttered. She didn't want to sound vain, but it was an excellent plan. Calli didn't feel the same, apparently.
"Okay, let's slow down," she said, her tone hushed. She eyed the other side of the table. Ina was helping Sana comfort Irys. "I don't hate your plan, but I don't think it's the path we should take. Sana forgave her instantly, but you can see the toll it took on Irys. Putting her through this for our sake doesn't feel right."
Kiara stared at Calli. She couldn't help herself. The lines around her eyes, the tension in the skin around her mouth, the softness of her expression, it was all so unlike her. She always struggled to empathize, but right now, whether she realized it or not, she was doing just that.
It was beautiful.
"You're right," Kiara said, closing her eyes. She'd leapt at the first idea that came to mind and hadn't considered the pressure she would have put Irys under. She didn't even ask her if she was comfortable with it.
She let the matter sit until the others had calmed down. It wasn't fair to make decisions without them. Once they had settled, though, Calli jumped at the opportunity.
"What can you tell us about how to approach the other council members?" she asked Sana. "We need something that could help us shut them down without fighting."
Sana hummed to herself, tilting her head this way and that. Irys did the same, tapping her chin. Now a word was spoken for a whole five minutes, but in the end, neither of them could come up with anything. They knew their friends well, but the circumstances were pretty unique.
Maybe a different approach would get the gears turning. "Irys told us the reason we're being targeted, but I'm still confused on something," Kiara said, looking between Irys and Sana. "Why do they hate us so much? I mean, they weren't exactly tight lipped about it, but I don't really get their reasoning."
"That's an easy one!" Sana gasped like she'd been holding her breath. "Fauna is nature and life is her domain. Death, being a natural part of life, is something she appreciates. Death facilitates growth, you know? A soul that never dies, on the other hand, is an affront to the concept of life itself in Fauna's eyes.
"In Mumei's case, someone who never dies embodies her idea of progress. If nobody ever died, then civilization could expand without limit. That makes death the ultimate enemy of progress."
Calli groaned. "That's so . . . petty. I figured it was something like that, but I dismissed it because it seemed like such a small thing."
"I can assure you," Sana said, shaking her head, "to the overseers of these concepts, there's nothing small about it. These issues concern their entire reason for being."
Calli crossed her arms and clenched her jaw. Sana dug her heels in too, holding Calli's irritated stare without backing down even a little.
Irys meekly raised her hand, breaking the staredown. "I'm a little embarrassed to say this just occurred to me, but what if you switched?"
"What do you mean switch?" Kiara asked, speaking for everyone else at the table.
Irys's pointed ears reddened. "Well, it's like Sana just said. Death and civilization don't mix, and the same can be said for nature and eternal life. But death is a part of nature, and civilization benefits from unending existence. If you confront Mumei, and Calli confronts Fauna, won't that make things easier?"
Calli stroked her chin and her eyes flicked back and forth. Kiara didn't have to ask to know she was recalling yesterday's fight. "They were pretty determined to get in each other's way, weren't they?"
She was right. Individually, the embodiments of civilization and nature were aggressive and violent, but when they were all together, they purposefully got in each other's way.
"Okay," Kiara said, putting it together, "but won't they just try to isolate us again? How can we get them alone the way we want?"
"That's, uhh . . ." Irys faltered. She shrank back in her chair. "I'm not sure. Sorry."
"Don't be sorry," Calli said. "It's an excellent idea. If conversation between the council and their targets is a nonstarter, then we should try switching our approach. We can figure out the rest when the time comes."
"If you don't mind me asking," she said, "do the council members really want to follow the administrator's orders?"
It should have been a simple question to answer, but Sana looked genuinely confused. It was as if she'd heard the question and understood it, but her brain was refusing to process it. Irys didn't look nearly as befuddled, but then again, she wasn't acting under the administrator in the first place.
"I'm . . . not sure what you mean," Sana said finally.
"I mean that you and the others don't just embody your respective concepts, right? I won't pretend to grasp the scope, but the way you describe nature and civilization, it's hard to imagine they aren't invested in the world and its growth."
Sana tilted her head. "I guess you could say that, yeah." Irys agreed, nodding. "What's your point, though?"
Ina laced her fingers together and leaned on her elbows. "Sorry, I'm just having a hard time believing your friends want what the administrator wants. Erasing a handful of individuals might seem small, but it's a purely reductive act. It does nothing but take away from the world. Considering that, would any of them choose to side with us if given the choice?"
Kiara waited for their answer with bated breath. Her eyes were on Sana, but Irys was the one to respond in the end.
"It's hard to say. I want to say yes, but we won't know for sure until we talk to them."
That was . . . not the answer Kiara was hoping for. A firm yes or no would have been the best, but this just left things up in the air. And they had enough of that to deal with already.
Still, there was a chance.
That was good enough for her.
+ Break +
Amelia wiped the sweat from her forehead, leaving a greasy streak in its place. Her latest creation–a device she was sure would allow her to fight someone who inherently controlled time–was just about done.
She marveled at the compact metal box that held the control mechanism. Never before could she have imagined making something like it. Her time machine was a marvel in its own right, but it had been an invention of necessity and desperation. What she was making now was something that she couldn't have made in the future. It wasn't something she could have thrown together without a dedicated space and ample resources. She owed Kiara big time for the opportunity.
Satisfied for the moment, she stood from her stool. It was time for a test fitting.
Four form-fitting bracers clamped snugly around her wrists and ankles. She slipped a slim, flexible ring into the lining of a hat she'd taken a liking to. The final piece was the control mechanism, which doubled as a belt buckle. It was a little bulky hanging from her waist, but that was fine as long as it didn't get in her way.
She swung her arms and bent her legs, bending her body in a variety of ways. The bracers didn't restrict movement and didn't interfere with circulation despite being snug. The hat stayed firmly on her head thanks to the tightness of the ring. It wasn't exactly comfortable, but that could be fixed with a bit of padding. The belt mechanism sagged and swung when she moved. That was definitely not okay. She'd have to look into adjusting the dimensions later, but for now, she simply tightened her belt further.
Not quite tens across the board, but it was acceptable. Worst come to worst, she was ready. And that meant it was time for a break.
Amelia placed the components of her warden countermeasure on the cluttered desk and reached for the bandages. Working so furiously didn't leave any room for caution. Her fingers were sliced and smashed and pinched all over. Her legs weren't faring much better. She'd been sitting for hours and the hard seat of her stool had not been kind.
Soreness flared and fled as she stalked towards the door. The noonday sun just about blinded her when she stepped out of the workshop and crossed over to the apartment building. By the time she climbed the flights of stairs leading up to Kiara's floor, she was beyond ready for that break. There was something she had to take care of first, though.
Opening the door, the sound of conversation leaked out into the hall. Not all of those voices were familiar. Amelia stepped lightly. She could vaguely recall Kiara trying to tell her something urgent the night before, but she'd been too absorbed in her work to even put down her tools, let alone answer the door.
She crept out of the entryway and into the living room. The conversation was steady. Calli and Kiara huddled close together, discussing something with serious expressions, while Ina entertained two others Amelia didn't recognize. Though, she didn't need to. Their presence told her everything she needed to know.
At first, it seemed as if she could sneak by unnoticed, but before she could pass into the hall leading to the bedrooms, Kiara called out to her, "Ame?! Is everything alright?"
Amelia cringed. She didn't want to snub her friends, but she was on a mission. She turned her head and took a half step towards the hall. "Everything's fine. Just taking a break."
"In that case, come sit. We need to introduce you to our new friends."
"Nice to meet you," she said before continuing down the hall.
"Amelia?" Calli called out this time, but she ignored her. Those "friends" were just like the warden of time. Clearly things were more complicated than Amelia assumed, but she couldn't afford to get distracted by whatever nonsense those newcomers brought.
She passed her own door and continued on to Gura's. Before she could actually take a breather, she needed to address what happened after she returned from that white void.
"Hey, Gura?" Amelia whispered, opening the door. The shark was nowhere to be found. The window was open, however, and she knew what that meant.
Bracing her tired joints, Amelia climbed through the open window and onto the fire escape. The narrow flights of stairs leading up to the roof were somehow more intimidating than the full stairwell she climbed to reach the apartment in the first place. By the time she got to the top, her whole body ached.
The rooftop was mostly bare, save for a few large AC ducts and a conspicuous blue splotch smack dab in the center. Gura laid there, baking in the sun, her limbs splayed out around her. She gripped her trident loosely in one of her outstretched hands. Her eyes were closed and she didn't acknowledge Amelia as she sat down beside her.
Seeing as how she unloaded a whole heap of heavy revelations on Gura when she returned, it didn't feel right being the first to speak, so she waited quietly. As the silence stretched, though, Amelia started fidgeting. The only sound between them was the wind and the din of the streets below. It hadn't occurred to her that the things she said might have left a bigger impact than she thought.
Since Gura wasn't saying anything, it fell on Amelia to start. Even if she really didn't want to.
"I'm sorry, Gura," she said. "For a lot of things. When we first met, I was hostile and suspicious. I bet my antagonism was plain as day, huh?" she scoffed nervously. Confronting who she was just a few weeks ago was shockingly difficult. "I treated you and Ina like monsters, all because of the mere possibility that you might destroy the world in the future. But in the end, I ended up being the monster that destroyed it. I guess that makes me one hell of a hypocrite"
Gura barely stirred. Her eyes opened, but that was it. It wasn't the worst response Amelia could think of.
"Thank you," she practically whispered, "for not turning away. I wouldn't blame you now that we know what the results of my actions were. It would be totally fair for you to be disgusted, honestly. I'm grateful to have a friend like you."
Still, Gura said nothing. She stared blankly up at the sky. Her hand tensed, the fingers closing around the haft of the trident. Maybe saying all of that hadn't been the most helpful thing. It was a lot to process without Amelia dropping her self-reflection into the mix.
Amelia stood, wiping dirt and dust from her skirt. If only it was that easy to get rid of the grease spots. "If you want to talk or tell me off or whatever, you know where to find me. And hey, if you feel like it, I could use an extra pair of hands." It felt weird to smile in that situation, but she did it anyway. Even if she was the only one saying anything, it felt good to get those things off her chest. She started back towards the fire escape, but didn't even make it half way.
"You aren't the only monster here," Gura said. That was an odd thing to say. Was she trying to offer some kind of comfort? It was a nice gesture, at least. But when Amelia turned, the expression she saw on Gura's face was anything but comfortable. "Do you know anything about Atlantis," she asked.
History wasn't exactly Amelia's forte. Especially distant history. She had some awareness of an ancient myth, but beyond that she didn't have a clue. "Not really," she said.
"It was my home, and it was destroyed by a horrible monster. The blood of my people is on that monster's hands. Their blood is on my hands."
A distant ringing scraped the edges of Amelia's consciousness. Concern drove her heart to beat faster and faster. Before she knew it, she was beside Gura again, sitting on the dirty roof.
"I was young," Gura continued, "Not a child, too ignorant to know right from wrong, but young enough to be blind to the consequences of my actions. All I could see in front of me were expectations. I'm strong, you know? And when you're as strong as I am, people try to guide you down paths that are convenient for them. I'm sure most kids get something similar from their parents, but . . . " She trailed off. Her fingers tightened around her trident. "It didn't seem fair.
"They wanted me to be great, and their enthusiasm spread to our neighbors, and then their enthusiasm spread further. Eventually, everyone knew me, even people I'd never seen before. It was too much." Gura's voice shrank. Amelia had to focus hard to hear her. "Then I met someone. Sort of. It was really more like she appeared out of thin air. I didn't think much of her at first. She was a figment of my imagination, the part of me that was fed up with it all manifesting in my mind as a comforting voice. I was wrong."
Amelia could see where this story was going. She didn't know what Atlantis looked like, but Holiv seemed an appropriate stand-in. In more ways than one.
"With that voice in my head cheering me on, I stood up for myself. I said no. Nobody batted an eye. That was just how adolescents are, after all. They didn't notice that something was changing, they just kept pushing. When I reached my breaking point, the only one who stood by my side was that voice in my head. She whispered things directly into my mind. She drove me towards the insidious impulses that had been growing inside of me. And then she gave me power.
"I really changed, then. My vision was obscured by a red haze, but I remember the looks on my parents' faces. They were terrified, but they didn't run. So they died. I grew, larger and larger, bursting out of our house, and still I continued to grow." The hand she held the trident with started to tremble, so she gripped it with both hands. The shaking didn't stop. "Atlantis didn't have buildings like a modern city, but it was still grand. Looking back, it's amazing what can be built under an ocean of pressure."
"Gura . . ." Amelia didn't have to imagine anymore. She'd seen how the story played out.
"I guess I should be grateful that I couldn't see very clearly. I toppled the buildings and dug up the roads. We had trees down there, you know. I couldn't tell you how they managed it, but I uprooted those too. I was a force of nature; A natural disaster! It only took hours to bring it all down. And when I came to my senses and stood alone in the wreckage, I–" Her voice snagged in her throat.
There was nothing Amelia could say. It wasn't just the image of a giant monster destroying a civilization, it was the weight. Gura, standing alone amidst the destruction must have felt very similar to Amelia stranded in the erased future. Except, Gura had been carrying that weight for much, much longer.
Gura breathed through her nose, disturbing a generous plug of snot. "I was actually kind of relieved when you told me what happened to the future. The idea that there was someone who shared that pain and guilt made me happy." Gura wrung her hands around the trident. She didn't stop trembling, but she was much steadier than before. "But then you exploded. You shook your fist at the powers that be and refused to accept any of it. I was so jealous. Why can't I be the type of person that takes responsibility? Why do I have to be the kind of person who runs away?"
Amelia shook her head. Platitudes wouldn't do any good here. Her only option was to be honest. "I am running away, I think." She chuckled when Gura looked up at her with the most incredulous look. "I can't deny that I'm responsible for what happened. If time itself says so, then who am I to argue? But I can't see what I've done as wrong."
Gura breathed in sharply. She didn't breathe out or blink while she listened.
"If I accept that I did the wrong thing, then I might as well accept the punishment I've been threatened with. I don't want that, though. But I have to take responsibility, and that means I need to keep living. In a sense, insisting that I was right is running away." It was strange, and maybe a little funny, too. In explaining her thought process, Amelia had essentially called herself out. But then, what did that matter?
She felt liberated! Maybe she was lying to herself. Maybe the warden of time was correct to try and punish her. None of that mattered.
She wanted to live. She needed to keep living.
Amelia stood once again. Her hands were itching. The exhaustion that had been setting in disappeared like fog in the sun. There was still work to do.
"I came to the past to change the future. Consequences were a given. I won't let them weigh me down. I'm moving forward in spite of them."
Gura looked up at her with wide eyes. The gloom and doom that had been looming over her and casting her face in shadows were nowhere to be seen. That right there would be good enough if Amelia wasn't already being smothered by good reasons.
The shark breathed in slowly, letting the air escape at a snail's pace. Eventually, she spoke. "Thank you. For listening. And for reminding me that you're here." She smiled. Not exactly a ray of sunshine, but enough for Amelia to know she wasn't just being nice.
She didn't stand up, though. She pulled her legs close to her chest and buried her face in her knees.
Amelia turned away and started for the fire escape alone. She wondered if there was anything she could really do for Gura, but she wasn't exactly an expert on other people's feelings. People in the future that no longer was dealt with grief and hardship in all sorts of ways. Amelia was unique in her response to the wasteland in which they resided. Everyone had their own way.
She didn't close the window all the way when she climbed back into Gura's room. She didn't close the door when she left, either. The beleaguered Atlantean didn't need any more barriers between her and her friends.
When she passed through the living room, Kiara stood up and intercepted her. "We need to talk, Ame."
Amelia paused. Kiara had used the same nickname earlier. The same one that Carlos used to use. Why was she being so short with these people? These friends?
"I'm listening," she said. It was pretty obvious what they wanted to talk about though.
Kiara ran her through the situation. The council, the administrator, hope and the cosmos. It was a lot. But not much more than Amelia had dealt with before.
"We're going to try to talk the rest of the council down," Calli said. She nodded towards the council members. "Irys and Sana are friends, so it stands to reason we can convince the others to see our side too." They all looked at Amelia expectantly.
"I don't think so," she said without batting an eye. Irys and Sana paled, but that was none of her business. "It isn't that I don't see where you're coming from. I can respect your desire to protect your friends, but my life is being threatened. Call me callous or whatever else, I won't hold back when the time comes." Before they could get a word in, Amelia left.
The threat was greater than she thought, certainly, but that was all the more reason she needed to be prepared. Despite what she'd said, it wasn't just her life on the line.
She got back to work the moment she stepped foot in the workshop. Her countermeasure still needed some refining.
But whenever the warden of time decided to come for her, she would be ready.
No matter what.
+ Shift +
Ina crossed her arms. Her legs, too. If she were using her tome, she'd cross every tentacle coming out of the little portal that appeared behind her. It was silly, but it felt like her brain worked better when she was all coiled up.
There wasn't much she could really do at this point, as far as she knew. However, she could use what little knowledge she had to help formulate a plan. The thing was, their problem was pretty complicated.
"Leaving Fauna and Mumei to Calli and Kiara still leaves us with two council members to talk down. That's not so bad," she said.
Sana shook her head. "Bae aside, Kronii's a tough nut to crack. She can be unbelievably stubborn once she's set her mind to it. It definitely doesn't help that Amelia isn't willing to work with us."
She was right, unfortunately. While Ina couldn't speak to Kronii's character beyond what she saw during the council meeting, she could very well speak to Amelia's. And a woman who could create a machine that could travel through time was nothing if not stubborn. A fight was inevitable.
Ina sighed. Calli and Kiara had their own council members to deal with–they were discussing their own plans on the couch by the window–so it was just Ina, Amelia, and Gura left to deal with the last two.
"Is there any chance Kronii attacks alone?" It was a long shot, but three against one were the best odds they could hope for.
"I doubt it," Irys said. "Her stubbornness is one thing, but she's a hopeless perfectionist. I don't think she'll come unless she can be sure things will go the way she wants."
Sana nodded, "That's absolutely right. See, Fauna and Mumei work in tandem more out of necessity than anything else. They'd be compelled to get in each other's way otherwise. Since we can assume Kiara and Calli will be occupied together as well, we can assume that Kronii will attack when the others do."
Wonderful. That meant it would actually be three against two. Numbers-wise, that still put things in their favor, but power was not an easy thing to gauge. Ina's own power at its greatest was still just a part of Sana's dominion. Gura was unfathomably strong, but what did that mean compared to the mind-bending depths that the council members contained?
Ina shook her head. Doubting wasn't going to do her any good. The trouble couldn't be avoided, so there was no point worrying about the power gap. Between the three of them, they should be able to do something.
"Alright then, what about Baelz? If Gura sticks with Amelia and I, will she attack alongside Kronii?" Sana's expression fell and Irys's plummeted. Both of them averted their eyes and kept their mouths shut tight. The council reacted very similarly when Baelz spoke. What was the deal with her? "Is she really regarded that poorly?" Ina said under her breath.
Both of them shook their heads. Irys spoke so quickly that she tripped over her words more than once. "Bae is still our friend! It's just . . . she tends to end up isolated." Ina didn't miss the shadow of guilt that crossed Irys's face. "The nature of chaos is close to humanity. It is present here. The rest of us are distant enough to make meddling inappropriate. A lot of times, that creates a distance that can be hard to cross."
Ina tilted her head. "What about Mumei? I imagine the guardian of civilization would be pretty close to humanity. Fauna too, for that matter."
"Mumei's greatest concern is the propagation of civilization. Humanity is part of that, but their individual lives aren't her focus. The same goes for Fauna, actually," Irys said, pinching one of her pointed ears. "I guess that applies to me too, thinking about it. But the important thing to remember is that chaos is closely tied to people and their actions. And that can sometimes result in her interfering in the rest of the council's affairs."
"How so? If the rest of you are distant, then how can she get in your way?"
"She makes an effort to do so," Sana said. Irys drew up, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink, but Sana stared her down. "It's the truth. I'm not faulting her for it." She turned back to Ina, her face a little rosy as well. "There's a distance between us. Some of us more than others. Our domains are closely tied, so Kronii and I are closer to each other than the others, even when I'm a universe away. Same goes for Mumei and Fauna. The way our powers interact is predictable. The same can't be said for Bae.
"Chaos is as it says on the tin. When it interacts with other forces of existence, it causes all kinds of problems. Think of it like she's stepping on our toes." Sana paused. She placed her hand on Irys's and gave it a light squeeze. "We aren't human, but we're still people in some sense. Bae tries to close the gaps. She wants to be closer to us, but ultimately widens the distance when she interferes. The last few times we've been awake, that gap has been growing faster than ever."
Ina looked to Irys for more info, but hope didn't look too good all of a sudden. They could say what they wanted, but the subject of chaos was clearly very touchy. But they couldn't just ignore her altogether.
"Ideally," Ina started, "we want to keep the fight against Kronii in our favor. It would be a problem if Baelz showed up to divert Gura's attention. Can either of you . . . erect a barrier of some sort? Something that can keep Baelz from entering the fight or dragging Gura away?"
"I don't think that'll work," Sana said. "I can create an impassable space, like a barrier, but Bae is strong. Like, strong strong. At this scale, her power could easily punch through anything I could put up. Like Irys said, chaos is present. Its influence is particularly strong here."
Irys shook her head. "My power doesn't manifest in any physical way. Though, even if it did, I probably still wouldn't have any say in how."
One problem after another. But Ina wasn't out of ideas yet. She pivoted. "How about this, then? Gura will help Amelia fight Kronii, two-on-one. At the same time, I'll erect a barrier to keep Baelz at bay."
"Can you . . . do that?" Sana asked.
Ina shrugged. "If it's something you can do, then I should be able to as well, don't you think? You'll have to teach me, of course."
"But even if I did, I'm not sure you could hold Bae back."
"Then . . . could you lend me some more of your strength to help bolster the shield? You wouldn't have to confront Baelz directly."
Sana crossed her arms. After a few moments of mulling it over, she put her hands on her knees with a sharp slap. "Okay, we'll give it a go! Still not sure we can hold her back, though."
Ina smiled and nodded. That was one plan–thin as it was–which meant there was only one problem left to solve. "We can't avoid a fight with Kronii, but once that's past we can still try to talk to Baelz. How do you think we should go about that?"
Sana smiled and opened her mouth, ready to shoot off some ideas, but no sound escaped. After a few seconds, her smile faded and her mouth closed. She scratched her head, thinking.
"Are we maybe better off dealing with her the same way as Kronii?" Ina offered.
Sana frowned.
"No," Irys said. "Bae can be hot headed. She charges into things without thinking sometimes, but she isn't a mindless monster. And she isn't the only one to blame for the distance between us. She'll come to her senses if we acknowledge that." Maybe it was a trick of the light, but a soft glow surrounded Irys as she spoke.
Warmth wrapped around Ina's heart. She felt so much more sure of the path she was currently walking. There were so many variables she couldn't account for, so many problems without easy answers, but she was confident things would work out. Was this Irys's power in action? It must have been.
"I don't want to fight her either, but she'll make it hard for us." Sana put a damper on the hope spreading through Ina's body. There was no tension between her and Irys as they looked at each other, just sadness. "Things with Bae aren't as salvageable as they were the last time you were awake. There are still threads connecting us, but she's been burning bridges. The administrator is closer to her than any of us now."
Irys clenched her jaw. Her glow dimmed.
But it didn't disappear.
When Gura was possessed by the trident in the order's inner sanctum, Ina didn't have any time to worry. She didn't know beforehand that it would happen. She couldn't prepare. Her only option was to trust her friends to handle it. There was no room for doubt. Irys didn't have that luxury. She had to languish in uncertainty, forced to place her trust in people she considered allies, but didn't really know.
She was barely putting on a brave face, and yet, she was pushing forward.
Ina reached across the table and grabbed Irys's hand. "I can't say how things will go, and I can't say no one will get hurt, but I promise, one way or another, we'll find a way to bring your friends back together." It was hard to believe the words coming out of her own mouth, but she wanted to. She wanted to bolster the hope growing within her. "You have no reason to do so, but please, trust me. Trust us."
Irys looked at her hand, uncertain, but that dim halo around her brightened just a little.
Sana placed her hand on top of Ina's and said, "I trust you." She looked at Irys and smiled like the sun.
The light surrounding Irys flashed, surpassing the brightness of Sana's expression. And yet, it didn't hurt to look at. Her hand turned to grasp Ina's. "Intentional or not, you and your friends defied the will of the administrator. You rejected despair and breathed life into hope." Finally, she smiled. Not a nervous grin or a self deprecating smirk. A genuine, full smile. "I trust you. Please, help us."
Pressure. The weight of that plea settled onto Ina's shoulders. It was stifling, but she pushed back against the nerves. The burden on Irys was no less great. The more friends she had to help carry it, the better.
Feeling more than a little emotional, Ina pushed her chair back and stood. "How about I make us something to eat?" she said.
Sana's eyes sparkled. "You can cook, Ina?"
"Kind of? I've been practicing, so I want to show off a little of what I've learned." It wasn't entirely untrue. Ina made her way behind the counter and took stock of the ingredients on hand. With her face safely obscured by a cabinet door, she took a deep, shaky breath.
Her life had been a nonstop emotional rollercoaster in recent months. Escaping the order and fighting alongside her friends, helping the acolytes readjust to life outside the cult, and now this business with the council. So many promises. So many burdens taken. It was all so, so much.
And yet, she was more sure than ever that she could handle it.
She straightened her back and decided what she was going to make. And though her cheeks still felt hot and her eyes were noticeably more moist than usual, she faced the living room while she worked.
Calli and Kiara were still working through their plan for dealing with Fauna and Mumei, but that didn't mean they couldn't eat. That made five portions she'd have to cook. Amelia and Gura would get hungry eventually, too, so add two more portions. But then, it wouldn't just be them, would it?
Feeling the warmth of hope once again, Ina imagined a meal shared with everyone, the council included. They could all sit at the same table, though it would certainly be cramped. Everyone laughing and enjoying themselves as friends . . . that was the future Ina wanted to see.
It wasn't a solid image or anything. Merely a possibility. One she could cling to.
If nothing else, she'd fight for that.
Irys's shoulders jumped and Sana paled. Before Ina could ask what was wrong, something slammed into her awareness. Familiar infinities encroached on the world around her. Calli and Kiara leapt to their feet and searched the air as if they could see the enormous presence closing in.
The council was coming. All of them.
It was just as they had predicted, but without the time to plan they had hoped for. All they had was a rough idea and baseless assurance that things would turn out alright. The light of hope warming Ina's soul flickered.
But it didn't go out. Ina put herself in the mindset of the priestess. "We need to group up. Irys, can you lead Sana to Amelia's workshop?" Hope nodded. "Good. I'll grab Gura and meet you there."
Irys grabbed Sana's hand and the two of them started for the door. "Gura is on the roof, I think," Irys called over her shoulder.
Ina's body moved before her thoughts could catch up. She rounded the counter and picked up her tome as she rushed towards Gura's room. It had the closest fire escape that could reach the roof.
"We're leaving, Ina," Calli called after her. Ina nearly tripped over herself. She looked back, hoping that somehow they could all be together for this, but the look in Calli and Kiara's eyes was pure conviction. "We'll be back as soon as possible."
"You have a plan, then?"
Kiara shook her head. "It isn't much of a plan, but we'll have to work with what we have."
Ina wanted to beg them to stay and help, but she knew it wouldn't work out that way. One or two council members was going to be hard enough to deal with. Adding another two to the mix would only make things more complicated.
"Good luck," she said, forcing down the apprehension.
She didn't watch them go. She had her own plan to worry about.
She collected Gura and practically flew down to Amelia's workshop.
