The trek was... interesting. Blake was reminded, just a bit, of traveling with the White Fang when she was younger and they were less extreme. The easy camaraderie of the men was clear, and they respected Veve a great deal; the caste difference between the soldiers and the Princess was less than Blake would have expected. They spoke easily and often, and the men seemed unworried about offending her. The respect in their tone was genuine, not born of fear. They interacted with her rarely - they seemed to be grateful, respectful, suspicious, and fearful all in one. From what she could gather from the hushed whispers, the magical ability she'd demonstrated was great enough to make her a figure of renown in Ciel... but they'd never actually witnessed a Wilder magician in person before, and nobody knew if she was exceptional or simply the norm. Neither did she, but she had no plans to reveal that information in the foreseeable future.
She wasn't bothered by the isolation. It wasn't as if she was the most social person to begin with, and it gave her time to think... and she had plenty of thoughts to occupy her mind. Being trapped in the past, so far, wasn't as bad as she'd feared – mostly it was the separation from her team that bothered her. There were thoughts she refused to give voice, because Cinder had been powerful... and her team would never have allowed her to run free. Had they...?
She breathed deeply, resting her head on her hand for just a moment. Thinking about Cinder brought other thoughts to the front of her mind. Flashes of memory, jumbled and confused – a spray of blood across her face, mixing with her own as it poured from the gaping wound in her throat; Adam's expression of absolute fear before our assault; time scattering across our senses as Cinder pushed more and more – she shook her head.
Blake.
Obsidian? What do you need?
There was a pause, just long enough to make her brow furrow in confusion.
You are distracted.
I... I apologize. Did you need my attention on something specific?
Another pause, and Blake's concern grew.
You misunderstand. Your mind wanders far; your thoughts consume you.
...I'm sorry. A lot has happened, I was just trying to sort out my thoughts. I'll focus.
...Your focus is not required. However, if your thoughts require sorting, I will assist.
She blinked. What?
The condition of your mind is important.
As though that statement explained everything... but for Obsidian, perhaps it did. ...It's stupid. You have more important things to be doing.
No. I do not.
The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. She flicked through her concerns, searching for something that she didn't mind bringing to Obsidian. For a moment, her dream surfaced, visions of a family destroyed... but she set it aside for now. She wasn't sure she was ready to get into that. But...
...I feel different. It's... hard to explain. But ever since the battle, everything's felt... off. Not bad, but like nothing is in the right place. Do... did our merge have other effects, Obsidian?
It is likely.
You don't know?
What we did has never before been done.
She closed her eyes to consider that fact, ignoring the twinge of happiness that came with it. What do you suspect, then?
You were shielded from the worst outcomes. Even so, the walls around your mind were dissolved. What effects have you seen?
My magic, for one. It feels... different. Easier, but the tricks I used before don't work the same way.
Yes.
You know what happened?
Not specifically. But they answer you in new ways.
...Yeah. It feels like... As she reached for the words to describe it, her gaze fell upon the shadow on her right wrist. She flexed the false hand slowly, examining the way its movement felt in her mind. It feels like it's part of me, now. Just another thing for me to move.
Magic is me, just as your Aura is you.
So did I pick up parts of you?
It is possible. You were prevented from leaving pieces of yourself behind, but nothing more.
I can barely remember. Everything's... jumbled and confused. The memories are like dreams – regular dreams. Nothing in them makes much sense.
You experienced the world through both your senses and my own, and you have little practice with mine.
...Is that why I remember the feeling of 'time' scraping across me?
Yes.
She sighed to herself, letting a silence fall for a time as she considered. Do you think the others are all right?
It is likely. When we departed, they were injured and drained... but strong. They would not have allowed themselves to fall.
...Do you think they fought Cinder?
There was a pause, and Blake felt a flicker of irritation through their connection.
...Yes. If she survived.
She remembered leaving a spell behind as they fell through time, although the details were fuzzy. Still... she doubted Cinder would have died easily. Do you think they...
Cinder Fall was weakened, and they possessed the remaining Ethers. Their magic matched hers.
She wasn't certain. But... she took a deep breath, trying to think of something else. And yet... thinking of the battle brought another memory to her mind...
Obsidian? You told us the Flame wasn't meant to travel through time. You knew that ahead of time.
Yes.
Did you know what would happen if it did?
No. There were too many potential consequences to predict them with any accuracy.
What kinds of potential consequences?
It might have severed my connection to you or the others. It could have blinded my perception of the world. It could have damaged my magic or other abilities.
There was a pause, and Blake sighed. She'd thought, maybe -
It could have killed me.
She bit her lip. She... was afraid to ask. But she remembered so clearly what it had felt like to look down upon a tiny cat Faunus who held the Frozen Flame.
I... when we were fighting Cinder, I remember feeling time fray.
Yes.
And... we thought about severing the connection.
...Yes.
If you thought you might die... why didn't you, Obsidian?
Your death would have been certain.
And? It's... I'm not... that isn't an even trade. If you're still alive, you can help the others. There's no reason to... risk yourself for me. She shook her head, face tight and hands clenched. It doesn't make any sense. I'm not worth that. I'm too... small, compared to you.
There was a long pause as she fought to get her breathing under control.
It is my right to pursue my Dream with all that I possess.
She blinked.
And in my Dream, you remain. Alive to learn, and to grow. I will prepare you to pursue your own Dream, and I shall witness your efforts. And when you require aid... I shall answer.
It took a moment, for her to process that statement, to unpack its meaning.
Her breath hitched, and she wiped her eyes.
Thank you, Obsidian.
Gratitude is unnecessary.
A breathless chuckle broke through. Of course it is.