'The group tracks down Kvasir and his mysterious companion. Skuld…copes.'

Chapter Thirty-Two: Pursuing the Future

Skuld was having a very intense feeling of déjà vu.

The scenery was different this time. So were the people, for the most part. Even she was different from the person she'd been back then. But nonetheless, she was still chasing after someone bearing a striking resemblance to Ephemer, a familiar friend in tow.

She tried not to think about it; it wasn't fair to Mimir, in more ways than one. But—

(But she could almost hear the clang of Keyblades in the streets, the Foretellers fighting overhead, and felt the thrill of grim fear as she stood with a newfound companion at her side.)

(But she could still see them, stepping forward to fight a Foreteller on Ephemer's behalf.)

(But she could still remember meeting up with them, again and again and again—just because they were missing a common friend, at first, and then because they genuinely enjoyed spending time together, and because she'd missed this sort of thing when Ephemer had left.)

Someone cleared their throat, and Skuld snapped out of her reminiscing.

Brain was watching her, one eyebrow raised.

"I—sorry. I just—got lost in my head."

He frowned, glancing briefly at Mimir—who apparently hadn't noticed the lapse, too engrossed in trying to keep up with Kvasir—and back at her.

Her face heated. "Is it that obvious?"

"No. Just figured, based on what's been going on."

He still looked on-edge, for all that he seemed to be focused on her now, one hand tapping a rapid rhythm against his leg. It bothered her, because she had some idea of why, and she didn't know how to help, but she also couldn't quite get the flickers of the past out of her head, and—

"I'm okay," she said, and Brain's look said that he knew she wasn't but wasn't going to press her on it. "I just—just need to focus a little."

Brain tilted his head, then sighed. "Just say something if it gets to be too much."

She nodded, even if she didn't really think she would.

The mystery woman walked with a purpose through the streets; while she kept closer to the shadows, turning down alleyways and avoiding main areas, she still seemed to have a specific destination, leading them around the Clock Tower towards a nondescript building not too far away. Kvasir kept up his amicable chatter—voice reaching them even if his words didn't—but she could see him tensing up, even from here.

(Don't get in trouble. Don't, don't, I don't know if I can deal with that again—)

"Hey," Brain said, quiet, and Skuld thought he was talking to her for a moment before she realized his attention was directed towards Mimir. "Where are they heading?"

It was the first time she'd noticed Mimir was tense, too, their face pale. "The prison," they signed, and Skuld stiffened.

(Of course they knew. They'd lived here their whole life; they'd know this place better than either of them. And yet it made Skuld feel strangely off-kilter, in a way it hadn't, when she hadn't known.)

Brain's breath hissed between his teeth. "Aegir."

Mimir didn't say anything; they were shaking, their footsteps slowing, and it was enough to jar Skuld back into the present. When they stopped, she'd already moved, hurrying around their side and resting a tentative hand on their shoulder. "Are you going to be okay?"
They glanced at her, and for a moment, it felt like they were looking at someone else; their eyes almost seemed to see through her, blinking with brief confusion. It felt painfully familiar, and she gripped their shoulder a little tighter. "Mimir," she said, firmer, and forced their name off her tongue. "Are you going to be okay going into the prison and seeing Aegir?"

Mimir's expression pinched a little. The confusion broke, slowly slipping into realization, and then something closer to embarrassment. They looked away, tugging their shoulder out of her grip, and she tried to pretend it didn't bother her. Their hands twitched, like they wanted to sign something, but they ended up sticking them underneath their arms instead, holding themself.

"Might not be able to, anyways." Brain nodded in the prison's direction.

Guards stood in front of the door; the mystery woman seemed to be arguing them, from her tense body language, and Kvasir looked like he wasn't sure if he should be helping or not.

"Maybe they won't get in," Skuld whispered.

"Mm. But we won't be able to figure out what she wanted in the first place."

"She looks like she's related to Kvasir."

There were too many implications in that. Maybe she wanted to confront Aegir about what he did; maybe she wanted to help him; maybe she was just visiting an imprisoned family member, and they were worried over nothing. It still made Skuld's skin prickle, and she absently rubbed her hands against her pant legs, like she could brush the feeling away.

After a moment the guards moved, and Brain huffed a sardonic laugh. "Well. Guess it wasn't so hard for them, after all."

Mimir's expression had gone carefully blank, but their hands were still shaking.

(It didn't remind her of them at all; if they were here, then they would've gone in, no questions asked. In some ways, the difference felt grounding—like she could see Mimir again, and not whatever tangled sort of image she'd started to replace them with. In other ways, however, it almost bothered her, to see the changes.

…She didn't want to think about the second.)

"If we follow them in," Skuld whispered, "do you think we'd be noticed?"

"By them?" Brain paused, head tilted. "Maybe. Don't know what it's like in there. But we'd have to get past the guards first."

She didn't think that would be hard; they were Union Leaders, and that seemed to pull a lot of weight, whether she liked it or not. But Mimir—

They were still pale. Still shaking. They took a deep breath, and another, and seemed to be steeling themself to follow their friend.

Brain glanced at them, frown creasing his features. His eyes narrowed, and after a moment, he turned back to her. "You still have that Spirit?"

She blinked in surprise, but nodded. It had fallen asleep in her bag, and she opened the top to let Brain see.

He grinned. "Want to test it out?"

He had mentioned that it was supposed to be a sort of spy, hadn't he? The solution stole some of the stress from her shoulders, and she offered him a shaky smile. "It's probably not going to be happy about being woken up."

"Tough." He reached into her bag, ignoring the sleepy mrrow of protest as he lifted it. "Hey. Come on, you have a job to do."

The cat Spirit didn't look entirely pleased with the notion, tail lashing, ears back, fur still sticking up from where it'd slept a bit awkwardly. Skuld smothered a snort of laughter, and she heard a similar noise from behind her; when she looked, Mimir's frozen expression had relaxed into something like relief, their smile wobbly as they looked at the Spirit.

Brain set it on the ground, and for a moment, it stood there, tail lashing and feet splayed. He sighed, then nudged it lightly with his foot; it turned and batted at it in response, hissing quietly.

"I think you got too much cat in it."

Another sigh. Brain crouched, fishing through his pockets. "Come on. Work with us, alright?" He came back empty-handed, and extended his hand instead. The Spirit sniffed it, then let him scratch it behind the ears. "I don't have anything on me, but I can promise treats when this is over. Deal?"

The Spirit studied him, ears flicking.

"How much does it understand?" Mimir; their quiet voice made Skuld start, glancing at them as they shuffled closer.

"It should understand most of it, provided I didn't do something wrong. Been a while since I made these." His eyes softened a little, but there was something sad in the way his smile twisted.

After a brief moment the Spirit chirped, tail waving.

"Going to hope that's a 'yes.'" Brain nodded toward the prison, pointing for emphasis. "We need you to go into that building, alright? Quick as you can. Follow an older white-haired woman and a brown-haired boy about our age. Stay out of sight, but get close enough to listen."

Another chirp.

"You want to summon your Keyblade?"

Skuld blinked when she realized he was talking to her, but Starlight came with a flash.

"It's taken a liking to you," Brain said by way of explanation, "so congrats—you get to be our eyes and ears."

"Huh?"

"Your Spirit pet now." Brain put one hand on the shaft of her weapon, lowering it toward the Spirit. The little cat sniffed it cautiously, then reached out to touch the tip with its nose.

A brief spark snapped through Skuld's hands; she jolted, and for half a second, she thought she could feel the presence of something else; a brief sensation of warmth, of stone under her paws, of staring up at familiar figures. The feeling was gone in a moment, and the cat trilled, then turned and shot off toward the prison.

Skuld blinked. "What was…?"

"Just solidifying the bond." Brain tapped her Keyblade lightly. "You should be able to trace your connection with it. See if you can tap into its senses."

"You make that sound easy."

"It is."

"For you." But she closed her eyes, gripping Starlight a little tighter. She focused on the hum of magic beneath her fingertips, picturing the little cat Spirit in her mind. She imagined it running across the street, dodging around behind the guards, slipping into the building—

Voices hit her ears, wavering in and out like she was under water.

"…know why…we have to…"

"Hush. If his family wants to see him, they have the right."

"Still—"

"It's the council's problem, anyways. Don't…"

Skuld jerked, and it wasn't until she felt a sudden, oddly-cold feeling that she realized she'd pulled out of whatever spell she'd been using. For a moment she wobbled, disoriented, and blinked as she tried to recollect herself.

"You okay?" Brain asked, and it felt strangely loud.

"Yeah. Just—I think I had it." She closed her eyes again, gripping Starlight tightly. She breathed in and out, slow and careful; now that she knew what would happen, she could prepare herself a little better. After a heartbeat images came through the darkness—brick walls, rising high above her, the legs of giants passing her by. Her ears flicked, catching an eclectic selection of sounds that were strangely muted; it was difficult to parse them apart, and she took another steadying breath as she tried to adjust to it.

"What do you see?"

Brain's voice nearly made her lose her hold on the spell again, and she hissed, "I'm trying to focus."

She didn't know exactly where Kvasir and the mystery woman had gone—and neither did the little Spirit, apparently, watching as it hurried back and forth across the hallway, sniffing at different doorways. She was starting to worry that maybe they'd lost them entirely when the cat made a quiet noise of surprise, then darted down a set of stairs.

Skuld got the brief impression of something cold underneath her feet. For a moment, the world was oddly quiet—and then words drifted back to her, muted at first, but coming into clarity with a strange sort of pop! "…said that I might have some visitors, but I have to say I'm surprised by who."

A new voice—the mystery woman, presumably—said, "Is it truly so surprising that your family might want to visit you, Aegir?"

"Not you, Lydia—Kvasir."

The Spirit peered around the corner. Kvasir stood in front of the cell; whatever confidence he'd maintained while heading there had fled, replaced with a hand-wringing sort of nervousness and tight expression. His companion—Lydia, presumably—was watching Kvasir with a narrow-eyed look.

"I got the impression," Aegir said, and his voice was oddly gentle, "that you wouldn't want to see me again."

Lydia stared at Kvasir, and Skuld couldn't quite tell, but her expression seemed almost suspicious.

"I—" Kvasir faltered, eyes darting briefly to the empty hallway and away again; with a jolt, Skuld realized he may be looking for Mimir. "Aunt Lydia wanted to talk to you about something. I said I might be able to help."

Someone nudged Skuld, and she started; the image wavered for a moment, but with some focus it cleared, the cell and its occupants coming back into clarity. Right. The others need to know. "They're talking to Aegir," she whispered. "Kvasir's…struggling."

"Mm." Aegir's eyes flicked to Lydia. "And what, exactly, does she want to talk about? I haven't seen many of the family since I was imprisoned, after all."

"Because you made an error in judgment," Lydia said, tone brittle. "You made a bid for power, and you lost. If you'd wanted to challenge Frigga, you should've prepared more carefully."

Skuld couldn't quite see Aegir's expression from her angle, but the silence spoke volumes.

"However," Lydia said, reluctant, "Frigga is also…not the leader she once was."

Another heavy, expectant silence; Kvasir's eyes had gone wide, hands clenched tightly.

"Anders came to me—"

"Perhaps," Aegir cut in, "we should speak in private."

"No," Lydia protested, before Kvasir even had the chance to speak. "I want him here. He doesn't have the same guile you do; he can confirm your story."

"The woman—Lydia—sounds like she doesn't approve of Frigga," Skuld relayed quickly. "She was going to say something about Anders, but Aegir cut her off. He doesn't want Kvasir there."

"Did he tell you," Aegir said, voice carefully measured, "that he's friends with the Union Leaders?"

Lydia fell quiet.

Aegir made a quiet humming sound. "Perhaps not so guileless as you believe."

Kvasir's expression flickered, looking, for a moment, almost panicked. But then he took a breath, eyes closing, and his expression smoothed. When he opened his eyes again, he had a smile on his face—a little uncertain around the edges, maybe, but genuine enough that Skuld thought she could believe it. "Uncle," he said, his voice surprisingly gentle, "I'm not happy about what you did. But—you are still family. I want to know more about…why you did everything." He cast a glance at Lydia. "Besides, I'm not even certain what Aunt Lydia wants to ask you."

Lydia still looked skeptical; her lips pursed, her eyes narrowed just a little.

"You told the assassins not to go after me," Kvasir said, voice soft.

"…I did."

"Update?" Brain whispered, and Skuld waved him off.

"Be quiet, I'm trying to listen."

Kvasir hesitated; his eyes darted back and forth, and after a moment he said, "I'm not going to let you hurt my friends. But—but maybe there's a way to resolve things peacefully. You don't need to kill the Union Leaders. They just…don't need to be here."

A heavy pause. Skuld almost believed he was genuine; if she didn't know that he'd told Mimir to follow him, she might've. She was, admittedly, impressed.

(But the words reminded her a lot of what Brain had said—about leaving to find their missing friends. And—

And Mimir was one of her missing friends and she wasn't sure she wanted to leave Kvasir and Meili and she wanted to know more about the world that Ephemer had built but she was tired of the politics and—)

"I might…be able to talk to them," he murmured. "About leaving. They trust me. But to do that, I need to know I can trust you." He looked at his uncle, face set with a grim sort of determination.

Lydia gave a quiet sort of huff. "Looks like I'm not the only one who wants answers, Aegir." She glanced at the cell and folded her arms, and Skuld realized that, somehow, Kvasir had managed to win her over.

"Kvasir tricked them," Skuld breathed. "Or, at least, he tricked Lydia."

"Him?"

"Yeah, he—hang on, Aegir's talking."

"You'd really be willing to do that?" Aegir asked, quiet. "Trick your friends?"

"I'm willing to do what I need to to keep them safe," Kvasir whispered. "And—and I want to help my family, too. This way, everyone's safe."

Aegir gave what sounded like a quiet, tired laugh. "Alright. If you're so certain…" A pause. "Lydia?"

Lydia looked at Aegir appraisingly. After a long moment, she said, "Anders came to me and said that you had some sort of plan in the works to…address the issues with Frigga and the Union Leaders. Old contacts. Is this true?"

A long, long pause, and Skuld could almost imagine Aegir staring at Kvasir. "It is."

"Aegir admitted to having some sort of plan to—to get rid of us. And Frigga." Skuld swallowed tightly. "Something about old contacts?"

"The assassins, probably."

"What is your plan, then?" Lydia pressed.

"I'd prefer not to talk too much here. You never know who could be listening." Skuld tried not to wince when Kvasir cast a brief look back toward the hallway. "Anders told you about the meeting, I'm sure."

"He did," Lydia said, still sounding vaguely skeptical. "So it's true, then."

"Is that all you wanted to confirm?"

"I wanted to know if the plan was worth my time. But I suppose that's what the meeting's for."

A quiet huff of laughter. "Don't worry. We won't be waiting around too long. We have a set date, after all." Another pause, but Kvasir jolted, like Aegir had turned to him. "If you're interested, Lydia will relay the details."

"Oh." Kvasir wilted a little. "I can't attend the meeting, then?"

"I would like to trust you, Kvasir—but you never know what you might let slip to the Union Leaders." Kvasir flinched, and Skuld tried to stuff down her anger. Using what happened with Mimir against him was low. "She can find you."

"Then—then I'll be in touch," Kvasir said, rallying.

Aegir hummed. "If that's all…?"

"They're leaving," Skuld whispered. "There's a meeting sometime, but Aegir didn't say."

"Send the Spirit after Lydia."

"I'm getting there."

Skuld touched on their link, trying to press a command through it—Follow that woman. She got a brief sense of confusion back, the Spirit's tail flicking uneasily, but to her relief it followed Lydia after a moment, turning and hurrying down the hallway.

"Shit."

Brain tugged her roughly to her feet; the spell shattered, fragmenting around her, and Skuld stumbled, disoriented as she found herself blinking back into her own body. "Hey—"

"We should've been keeping a closer eye on Mimir."

For a brief, panicked moment, she thought they'd be taken again (that's not how this is supposed to go, they're supposed to be the one looking with me—) but as Brain started moving, she followed his gaze, and realized Mimir was heading toward the prison. They stayed out of sight, watching the guards carefully as they slipped behind them, but there was something stubbornly determined in their expression. It reminded her a lot of (of last time)—of when her friend had tried to fight a Foreteller for Ephemer's sake.

Skuld pulled ahead of Brain, breaking out of his grip and ignoring the sound of protest he made, hurrying after her friend.

(They couldn't go alone what if she lost them again she was supposed to be with them she needed to catch up—)

Someone made a vaguely irritated noise as she knocked into them; someone else jumped out of the way. She barely paid attention to them, eyes honed in on Mimir's back as they headed—

They're going toward the cells. But I thought—

She dodged around someone who'd stepped into her path, and she heard a vague, surprised noise, and someone calling her name. She skidded around, glancing backward, and for a moment froze because she thought she saw—

Ephemer.

The image was gone in an instant, facial structure shifting slightly, body growing taller, but it lingered like cobwebs, clinging to the edges of her mind, no matter how hard she tried to shake it free.

"Mimir," she said, breathless, and she watched Kvasir's eyes widen.

Skuld shook her head and moved, kicking toward the doorway.

Mimir was out of sight now, but she didn't need to see them to follow them now; she hurtled down the steps, skidding around the corner, trying to catch up to them before—

Before they got here.

Her feet hit the edges of the corridor, stopping just inside the shadows. She couldn't see Aegir, but she could see Mimir, standing in front of a cell and staring, silent.

She expected them to say something. Do something. But they remained there, watching, the oppressive silence lengthening.

"…Mimir," Aegir said, slowly.

Mimir breathed heavily. Their hands flexed at their side, face pale and expression creased.

"Mimir, what's—oh." Kvasir skidded to a halt, peering over Skuld's shoulder.

"Come to collect your friend, Kvasir?" Skuld still couldn't see Aegir's expression from her angle, but she could imagine him trying to crane his neck in their direction. "What are they doing here, I wonder?"

Mimir's expression creased, changing to something furious. "You," they said, signing for emphasis, "did this."

"This…?"

They made a vague frustrated noise, then gestured at themself. (The shadows were creeping closer, stretching towards their heels.) "This."

"If this is about whatever your 'heart magic' did—you did that to yourself. If you hadn't attacked me—"

"You kidnapped me."

"Mimir!" Kvasir said, quick and nervous. He stepped past Skuld finally, hurrying toward their friend, and grabbed their arm. "Come on, I'm sure—I'm sure we can have this discussion…later."

Mimir shook themself free, taking a few aggressive steps toward Aegir. "You—" They shook, and then they swept their hands toward their sides, screaming in frustration.

(The shadows were crawling along the walls, now, dripping bits onto the floor.)

"Mimir," Kvasir whispered, and the fact that he was staring at the shadows meant that Skuld really wasn't seeing things. (They're still being followed by Darkness it's still here they could—)

"You're the reason my friends are in danger," they managed finally, their hands so shaky the words were hard to parse apart. "You're the reason that I'm dealing with this. I hope—I hope you get whatever's coming to you."

There was a quiet huff of laughter. "Is that all you came to say? Such childish nonsense."

Skuld could feel her fury, hot in her throat. For a moment, she didn't really see Mimir or her missing friend—just someone who needed help.

She'd just started to move out of the shadows when a hand landed on her shoulder, fingers tightening to stop her.

She whipped around, ready to snap at the person, and paused when she saw Brain. He shook his head slowly, lifting a finger to his lips.

The anger didn't die down entirely, but it banked itself a little, and she released a frustrated breath and let herself step back into place.

"Don't worry," Aegir continued, and there was a bite to his words, "I've certainly learned my lesson about targeting you. I would prefer not to anger whatever you've befriended."

The whole room seemed darker; Mimir's expression twisted, like it couldn't quite settle on an emotion.

Skuld blinked, and behind her eyes she could see echoes of the lifeboat chamber. It felt a little like the shadows were creeping up her skin, sticking to it uncomfortably; she turned away, trying to ignore the nauseous feeling crawling up her throat.

Brain squeezed her shoulder—probably more as comfort than anything. It was grounding, in a way, and she let herself lean into it, swallowing back frustration.

"Leave them alone," Kvasir hissed, quiet. "They've dealt with enough."

"I wasn't the one to come down here."

A moment. Then another. And then footsteps, stomping in their direction. Skuld looked up, and she met Mimir's eyes. Their expression shifted, turning to something pained, and they glanced sharply away.

She wasn't sure what she was feeling right now, but she wasn't sure she liked it.

Brain tugged on her arm lightly, and with a hesitant glance back she moved, following him up out of the prison with the others in tow. No one asked why two Union Leaders were there. (But Skuld could feel their eyes, anyways, and forced herself not to turn away from them.)

It wasn't until they'd put a decent amount of distance between them and the prison that Brain released a long, exhausted sigh. "So. Mind telling us why you thought that was a good idea?"

Mimir's eyes flicked to him briefly, then away again.

"Brain," Skuld hissed, elbowing him.

"It's not exactly like it was a safe decision." But when he looked at Mimir again, his expression was apologetic. "Guess I can understand why you might want to confront him, though."

Mimir fidgeted, not looking at any of them, and Skuld tried to ignore the fact that it reminded her of her lost friend.

"I didn't know you guys were here, too," Kvasir interjected, and Mimir flashed him a grateful look. "Did Mimir find you?"

"We found them," Skuld said, and tried hard not to shoot worried glances towards Mimir.

"They weren't exactly being subtle following you," Brain said dryly.

Kvasir looked embarrassed. "Yes, well—I figured it'd be better if they came along." His eyebrows furrowed. "But if they weren't down there when we were talking…"

"We still saw. And heard." Skuld nodded towards Brain. "Brain made a Spirit that we used to follow you—and now Lydia."

Kvasir's eyes brightened. "Spirit?"

Brain sighed. "Maybe we shouldn't have told you."

"Can you make more? We could each have one!"

"That's—" He broke off, looking thoughtful. "…Huh. Maybe."

Kvasir pumped a fist.

Skuld snorted. "You looked like you were doing pretty good on your own. You managed to trick Lydia and Aegir."

"Didn't think you had it in you," Brain said dryly.

Kvasir sobered a little, giving them a shaky smile. "It's because I wasn't entirely lying." Before Skuld could even process that, he continued, quiet, "I—I don't mean I want you gone. I'm with you. I just—wish there was a way things could work out better." He lifted one shoulder in half a shrug. "And I guess I…kind of tapped into that." His smile brightened a little bit. "Besides, it's something you get used to—making connections."

Skuld managed a tiny smile back. "Networking?"

"Networking," Kvasir agreed with a nod. "And speaking of that—I have an idea."

-"Kvasir," Eir said, sounding like she was trying very hard not to whine, "why did you have to interrupt training?"

Skuld was trying not to feel too out of place in the training fields, with several students watching the four of them curiously. She, at least, had the benefit of interacting with some of them before, albeit under less than ideal circumstances. Brain looked a little put off, like he'd really prefer to be somewhere else and wasn't sure why he had to be here. And Mimir—

Mimir was staring at their classmates with an expression she couldn't quite read. It dawned on her that, after everything, they probably didn't know how to interact with them at all. What would it be like, to have your entire identity turned upside down, and then have to see people who just…don't know?

"Because it's the best time to catch you," Kvasir said, grinning, and it dragged Skuld's attention away from Mimir.

"Yeah, but—" Eir gestured at the rest of their group, lowering her voice to a whisper. "There are two Union Leaders now."

"You did fine with one!"

"That is a lie."

"Kvasir," Brain interrupted, "can you just get to the point?"

Kvasir gave him a sheepish smile. "Right, yes, sorry. Eir, have your parents mentioned anything…weird about the situation with Uncle Aegir?"

Eir's expression soured a little, but she looked thoughtful. "They…weren't happy about it. I've heard them talking, a little, but it's not like they include me in the conversations."

"About?" Brain prompted.

Eir glanced at him, her expression slowly turning toward something more troubled. "I mean, I didn't hear much. But…" She trailed off, cupping her chin. "They did mention that they wished Aegir won…"

Skuld exchanged a glance with Brain.

"Can you let us know if they say anything else weird?" Kvasir asked.

"Me?"

"It'd be really helpful." Kvasir threw an arm over her shoulder, grinning. "You could be an ally of the Union Leaders."

"Kvasir," Skuld said with a lie.

"That's more what you do." Eir threw off Kvasir's shoulder. "I mean—I'm just a spare. People expect something of me because I'm one of Ephemer's descendants, or whatever, but like—I'm not involved in the important stuff. I'm just supposed to make a name as a Keyblade wielder."

Kvasir's expression fell a little.

Something twisted in Skuld's chest; it was strangely familiar, staring at Eir's troubled expression, and she found herself saying, "You don't have to, if you don't want to—but you might know more than you think you do." She looked behind her to some of the watching students. "You can bring friends along, too—if you want."

"Really?" That came from behind Eir, and before she could react, Kris had appeared, taking Kvasir's spot near her friend. "Come on, you've got to say yes."

"Kris—"

"When are we going to get to do something this cool?"

"We?!"

Kris gave a mock salute, flashing Skuld a grin. "You can count on us, Union Leaders."

"Hang on, I didn't even agree—"

"Besides, you owe me a rematch—if you're up for it."

Skuld blinked, then found herself smiling in response. "Right. But maybe we should take it easier, this time."

Brain snorted. "You?"

"You can't say anything."

Kris gave them a funny sort of grin, eyebrows furrowed.

"What?" Skuld asked, giving her a curious look.

"It's nothing major. Just—you know. Like this, you guys seem so normal. It's weird."

"We are normal," Skuld protested, and tried to ignore the faint, bitter stirring in her stomach.

Brain's expression flickered, and he pulled his hat down, glancing away.

"I mean—legends?" She waved around her, then shrugged. "But hey, kind of cool to get involved in that sort of thing." She turned, glancing over Skuld's shoulder, and frowned. "Hey, wasn't Mimir with you a second ago?"

Skuld blinked, and shot a glance to her side. Sure enough, Mimir had gone missing—but when she looked, she thought she could see a flash of something, in a viewing area above them.

"They've been more absent than usual lately," Kris said. "I guess they've been helping you?"

In…a manner of speaking. "I'll talk to them," she said, and then she was moving, heading toward her friend.

It took a moment for her to locate the stairs—but when she did, she scaled them quickly, hurrying through the mostly empty viewing area.

Mimir had curled up near the edge—enough that their legs wouldn't dangle over the edge, but they could still see the group.

Skuld hesitated. She searched them, eyes flicking over them, searching for anything that looked wrong. She started to reach out to them, then…hesitated.

(If this had been her old friend, she would've known what to do. If this had just been Mimir, she might've known. But now it was…complicated.)

"Are you…okay?" she settled on finally.

Mimir shifted. They didn't say anything, and Skuld hovered nearby, uncertain. After a beat she settled beside them. The silence stretched, and she glanced towards Brain and Kvasir. Brain had stepped off the training field, but was scanning the area for them. Kvasir was still with his cousin, but he seemed to notice them first, waving with a worried smile. Hesitantly, Skuld waved back.

"I used to think I wanted to be someone else."

Skuld started.

Mimir was staring down at the training field. The students there had started roughhousing, a couple egging the others on as they chased each other and laughed, and something in Skuld's chest ached.

Mimir sucked in a shaky breath; they blinked, eyes wet. "I thought," they whispered, "that maybe if I was someone different, things would be…better. Maybe my missing friends wouldn't have left me, or I could have friends here, or…I don't know."

Skuld bit her lip, watching and waiting.

They breathed out and gave a shaky, uncertain sort of laugh. "I guess I got my wish."

Skuld…didn't know what to say to that. She turned, watching the students again; their professor had come by, trying to straighten them into some sort of order, but even then, they were nudging each other and laughing behind their back. It reminded her of the Union Leaders, a little.

She leaned her shoulder against Mimir's. "Sometimes…I think I want the same thing."

Mimir gave her an incredulous look.

"When Ava gave me my role—I don't know. It wasn't like I didn't know how important it was. But I don't think—none of us knew what would come after. Not even Ava." She breathed out a long, shaky sigh. "I know Kvasir wasn't really serious with his idea, but—I wish I could just leave being a Union Leader behind. I wish I could just…train like other Keyblade wielders. Explore the worlds. Spend time with my friends without having to worry about—this." She gestured broadly around her. "It'd be…easier."

Mimir watched her, a conflicted expression on their face. After a moment they shifted, freeing their arm to sign, "But you wouldn't be here."

She laughed, but it hurt. "Yeah."

The students were settling into forms again, going back and forth as they practiced. There was a part of her that wanted to see what would happen when they graduated—when they grew old enough to actually be official Keyblade wielders. And the generations that would come after them, and—

And none of that can happen, if everything with the bluebloods falls apart.

She swallowed, tight. "I guess it's…it's shaped me, in a lot of ways. I can't—I can't just ignore that it's a part of me. But—I don't know." She folded her arms across her knees, resting her chin on top of them. "I guess I just…want to create something for myself."

Mimir was very still beside her.

"I'm sorry, that's—I guess that's not the same thing—"

Mimir made a noise of protest, and she tilted her head when she saw their hands move. "No, it's—" They paused, hands shaking, and sighed. "Thank you," they signed, finally, "but I think I just need to be alone for a bit."

Skuld swallowed tightly. All she could do was nod, slipping back down the steps.

(She wished this was easier. She wished she knew what to say or do or—anything.)

"Everything alright?" Brain asked without preamble as she approached.

Skuld sighed, slumping down beside him, ignoring his quiet oomph! as she nearly knocked him over. "Maybe I just want to hang out with you."

"But you don't."

Skuld fidgeted with her sleeve and tried not to stare back in Mimir's direction. "It's just…I don't know."

Brain waited, but she could feel him watching her.

"Mimir's…struggling with their memories of being…you know."

"…And so are you."

"I'm worried about them," she said, deciding to ignore that part. "It's…it's got to be a lot, to have that thrown at you."

Brain shifted; she guessed he was looking in their direction, because he hummed thoughtfully, and she asked, "What?"

"I might have an idea." Before she could follow up on that, he poked her side. "Now come on. I didn't miss the fact that you changed the subject. You're bothered about this, too."

"Well, it's—it's going to be weird! I made friends with Mimir here, but they're also my friend from before, and I feel bad because I want them back but I still care about Mimir and it's not fair to them and—" She took a deep breath, then released it, running her hands over her face. "I just wish things weren't so…complicated."

Brain huffed a quiet laugh. "That seems to be the way things go anymore, huh?"

They were both silent for a moment, watching as the students trained.

"Brain," Skuld asked, quiet, "if you could—if you could change anything. If you could be anything. What would you want your life to be?"

She could feel him studying her, but she pointedly didn't look his way. "I'd fix my mistakes," he said, quiet, and she wanted to protest because she knew what he was thinking of, but he kept going before she could. "Stop Daybreak Town from falling. Keep our family together. Maybe actually get to live out a life without—all of this." He gestured broadly, and Skuld tried to ignore the strangely uncomfortable feeling in her chest. "You? Would you just dodge the whole Mimir situation entirely?"

She thought of the last time she'd seen her friend—as they were before, not as Mimir—and she curled in on herself. But she forced herself to consider it, anyways, picking the idea apart and trying to piece it back together into something that felt right. "I don't…think so," she admitted finally. "It's complicated, but it's—Mimir's important to me, too. I don't think I'd want to lose them, just because it's harder."

It was almost freeing, to say it like that, and she looked at the students below her thoughtfully. "There's…a lot I'd want to change. But I guess we can't go back and change things, so we just…have to make the most of what we have."

"Interesting words, coming from someone who actually changed fate."

"By accident," Skuld said, shoving him lightly, but it got a quiet laugh out of him. She sobered a little, pulling her knees up to her chest. "Hopefully we can change Scala's, though."

Brain didn't say anything; when she glanced at him, she thought she caught something pensive in his expression, but it was gone the moment he noticed her looking. "Well," he said, "you'll have to survive Frigga's training first."

It dawned on her that she was supposed to be doing that, and she groaned, because that meant she was late.

"Good luck," Brain said, smirking.

"Are you sure I can't just hide here?"

"No. If she comes looking for you, I don't want to be here."

"Jerk." The teasing made her feel a little lighter, though. She might've shoved him a little harder than necessary when she stood up, racing away before he could yell at her—but it made things seem just a little more normal.

-"Hey."

Mimir blinked. They hadn't really expected Brain to approach them after Skuld had left. They had seen the two of them talking, though; they wondered if maybe Skuld had told him to check on them.

(It was strange, staring up at him now. They hadn't really known him, as—as them. He was just a Union Leader; Ephemer and Skuld's friend, smart and a hard worker, but someone who'd always felt relatively…unapproachable. Now—well, there was still a lot they didn't know about him, but they'd picked up pieces, like the way he'd tease his friends or how he was often up before everyone else or even the way he'd use his hat to hide behind when he was embarrassed.

It was…strange.)

Brain shifted awkwardly, stuffing his hands in his pockets and not quite looking at them. "Skuld…mentioned you were still having some problems, dealing with the memory thing." He gestured at his head, then flashed them a deadpan look. "Don't like at me like that; it wasn't exactly hard to figure out, anyways."

They weren't quite sure what sort of expression they were making, but it must not have been a very pleasant one, so they tried to scrub it off their face.

"I might have something that can help. If you want it."

They you they couldn't quite help the flicker of hope, and it must've shown on their face, because Brain looked at them and something in his expression softened. He sat beside them, explaining, "The Spirits I mentioned before were designed for the Dandelions. They were meant to take away the memories of the Keyblade War. You might remember getting one."

They did, when they searched their memories—and then they frowned, shooting him an accusing look.

He lifted his hands peaceably, giving them a wry smile. "Don't worry. I'm not going to completely erase one set of memories or anything—not unless you want it. But I might be able to tweak things so that you can filter them a little easier."

Their throat tightened. They hesitated, hand shaking as they lifted. "You'd do that?"

Brain wouldn't look at them when he shrugged. "Sure. Did it for the Dandelions—figure I could do it for a friend, too."

Friend. It dragged a smile out of you, even if it was small. "I'll…think about it," you whispered.

Brain nodded, but he relaxed a little, and…it helped, you thought. Maybe it was strange to have him here instead of Ephemer, but…it wasn't bad, either.

-"A meeting," Frigga murmured, hand on her chin.

Skuld forced herself to stand tall in front of her, hands clenched. It didn't entirely erase the tight feeling in her chest—but at least they were doing something, and she needed to focus on that, not on—everything else.

"Without the place and time, it will be…difficult to intercept anyone." Frigga began pacing, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "But perhaps it'd be better not to do so, anyways; we can learn more about what they're planning by listening in. We can make note of the participants and track them down later—you said Lydia mentioned Anders?"

Skuld nodded.

"I suspected he was working with Aegir. I'll have to ask Osmin to keep an eye on him." Her mouth thinned. "I'm not as surprised about Lydia as I'd like to be. She has…not been particularly happy about the state of things."

Why couldn't you just sort it out by talking about it? Skuld wanted to ask, but bit her tongue.

(Power. Status. Connections. She was so tired of it—tired of the fact that being a Union Leader made people look at her as both more than and as a pawn, tired of trying to figure out how to navigate politics and keep her friend's family from tearing the world apart, tired of feeling like the world was bearing down on their shoulders.

It was almost enough to take Brain's suggestion to leave, if it weren't for Kvasir and Mimir and Meili and—

And the fact that there was good here, too. That there was a whole history of wielders here, that there were things about exploring the worlds that she hadn't gotten the opportunity to know, that there was an entire schooling system and—)

"Master Skuld? Were you listening?"

Skuld started out of her thoughts, and realized Frigga was watching her. She breathed out slowly, and admitted, "I'm sorry—I didn't catch that."

"I said that we'd need to figure out who's participating. I have been reaching out to other members of the family to try and gain allies. Some have thankfully been pleased by our alliance; others haven't responded. Those are the ones we should investigate first."

"Brain might be able to help. He's been working on making Spirits—little animals that we can use to hear and see things from different places. I've been using one to try and track Lydia."

Frigga's expression shifted; it looked like she was trying to be approving, but it seemed almost forced. "Good," she said. "You have good instincts." She turned away, a self-depreciating smile curling her features. "I suppose I shouldn't expect less, from Union Leaders. Perhaps one day, one of you could…actually take over, if everything works out." She laughed, and when she spoke next, it sounded mostly like it was to herself. "So long as I'm not ousted first."

It made something ugly and bitter curl in her stomach. "Frigga," Skuld said, and her tone was brittle, "I don't want this."

Frigga stilled.

Now that the words were out, Skuld couldn't quite hold herself back. "I don't want this," she repeated. "I don't want to deal with politics. I don't want to be treated as some sort of legendary hero. I don't even know if I want to lead anymore. I'm still here because I need to be; because Darkness is a threat, and because the rest of the bluebloods won't leave me and my friends alone, and because I don't want anything to happen to the people here. But if I had the choice—if I had the choice—"

(What would she do, if she didn't have those responsibilities hanging over her? What did she want?)

"If I had the choice," she continued, voice breaking, "I would be out there, exploring the worlds. I would be learning more about the world my friend built. I would be spending time with my friends and making new ones and trying to make a life here. I'd be—" Normal.

Frigga stared at her, and there was something in her expression she couldn't quite place. "You…are a legend. Why would you—?"

"I'm a person." She breathed out a long, slow breath, rubbing her hands across her face. "But," she said, and she could feel herself steeling, "it's not my choice. I didn't get to choose to be a Union Leader, or to be part of legends, or what people thought of me when I came to Scala. This is what I have to deal with—so I'm dealing with it." She lifted her chin, meeting Frigga's eyes. "I want to learn what I can from you so that I can protect myself and my friends. That's all."

She could feel Frigga studying her. She took a breath, trying to ignore the feeling creeping down her back. Find what you can do, and do it. "What do we need to do?" she pressed.

Frigga, for once, looked like she was at a loss for words. After a moment she recollected herself, expression smoothing over. "Keep close tabs on your…Spirit. We can talk more when we have additional information. I will…see what information I can gather from our allies."

Skuld nodded, jaw set.

"That's…all, for today. Thank you, Master Skuld."

It was a surprising dismissal, all things considered—but then, they did have bigger things to worry about. So Skuld turned and left, heading back to her friends and hoping they could figure out the best path forward.

So, uh…this chapter got away from me a little, aha. I kept going, "Wait, I want to add a scene that focuses on THIS," or, "Maybe I should dig into this scene a little more," and, uh…it got longer than it was supposed to be. Originally, this was supposed to have the bits about them actually learning what happens at the meeting, but because of the length, I ended up splitting the chapter in two. I guess you'll have that to look forward to next chapter?