Praesidium

7/16/17 - 12:15 AM

I opened my eyes, blinking as they focused on the neon lights on the ceiling.

"She's awake!"

I groaned, rubbing my head as I tried to sit up. My head pounded like a drum.

Goddamn…

"Baby?"

My mom stared at me from across the room; she looked worried sick.

"W-where am I?"

"They sent you back after Turkey. All three of us saw the footage, hon. I...I don't know what to say. Whatever you did with that Ethereal, it knocked you out!"

"That you're proud of me?" I said in a deadpan expression. "Mom, I wasn't in any danger. I had Aegis and Caelior with me. And where's Dad?"

"Your dad's getting to know our neighbors, and your sister is with some other teens here. I'll let them know you're awake." As she reached for her phone, she paused. "Do you know a Japanese man named Kunio, by any chance? He seemed to know you very well."

"Yeah?"

"He stopped by to see if you were okay." Fuck. I'd talk to him later, see what I missed.

"Don't worry about him, mom. He's a good friend. Helped me get used to XCOM, and we do sims together all the time. He's not a creep or anything."

"I didn't mean it like that. He seemed nice."

"He is, Mom. He's one of my best friends here."

"I can tell. He seemed concerned about you."

I widened my eyes. I'd rarely ever seen him like that before. "Was he alright?"

"Yes. I told him to come back when you were awake. Is he really a teleporter?"

"Yeah, a good one." I tried to get off the bed, but my wobbly legs got the better of me, almost tripping over myself. My mom helped prop me up, eyeing my hexagonal skin.

I couldn't help but smirk. "Looks pretty neat, huh? Helluva makeover. Can't go wrong with the yellow eyes, either."

"It is. I'm sorry if I'm not being helpful. We're just getting adjusted to all of this and-"

"It's fine." I waved her off. "You'll get used to it, just like I did." I sat back on the bed, closing my eyes, feeling around the environment. I located my dad and sister quickly, sending them a telepathic message.

I'm awake. Come back to my room.

I opened my eyes, trying to ignore my sore head. "What did they say happened to me?"

"Something about the stress of helping Caelior focus. It knocked you out as soon as the Hiveship fell. Caelior's fine. He's exhausted, but recovering well."

Right then and there, my sister and father burst in. My dad wrapped his arms around in a surprise hug which I quickly accepted, while my sister looked me up and down.

"Honey! You're okay!"

"Yeah, I know. How are things?"

"I...I have so many questions. What was it like, seeing it fall? Are you really friends with that Ethereal? What exactly did you-"

I groaned. "Dad, I know you're curious, but I'll answer anything you have later. Right now, I just need to lie down, okay?" I kissed him on the cheek and scooted myself back onto the bed.

"Is there anything you need?"

"I could use some food. And some sleep."

He nodded. "Anything else?"

I smiled warmly. "No dad, just rest. But thanks."

He got up, patting my shoulder. "Alright. I'll get you some food, honey. I'll be back soon."

I propped up some pillows, leaning against the wall.

Dammit that hurt.

I took another deep breath, reflecting on what had happened.

I was in Caelior's mind.

He-no, we pulled down a Hiveship.

Well, he did pretty much all of the work. I'll take 0.5 percent of the credit, I guess.

Guess it is true that teamwork makes the dream work.

So, the stress of it must've over exhausted him, and the telepathic blowback knocked me out.

And it really fucking hurt.

I gulped. I needed to check on Caelior. Was he all right? Did he need-

I winced as a sharp pain hit my forehead. Damn!

I shook my head. Guess my head wasn't on straight just yet.

The mental strain of that must've been massive. I must still be feeling the mental recoil. Caelior must be feeling so much worse.

I stared at the ceiling, smiling. Sure, my head hurt like hell, but what I'd done...I just couldn't get over it.

I'd helped take down one of the biggest ships in the known galaxy, but even better, I'd shown a friend I'd never expected to have how much I really cared for him. I'd been there with him as he put on the biggest show of his life, no deception, no bullshit - it was all him.

He'd broken his strings, no longer the puppet - he was his own master now. With our help, he'd become something so much more than those old fucks back in the Empire could've ever imagined.

How's it feel for a nineteen year old 'primitive' human to help him out more in a month than you did in years?

And I was so damn proud of him.

I'd felt his thoughts, his mind. I could sense his confidence, his pride. His elation at who he was now, and how much he'd improved. So much had been holding him back - the gaslighting, the manipulation, the lies he and others had told him, his childish arrogance. The hate. The anger. The loss. The regret. The life he never got to have. The screams when he'd gotten the news his parents had died, their planet besieged by a Synthesized fleet, millions of miles away from where he could only watch his home burn through a screen.

In that moment, he felt none of that.

In that moment, he had only felt determination.

And, in a way, he was at peace. A sort of zen-like state in the moment, if you will.

And as he'd pulled it down, as my mind got closer to his, I began to feel those emotions too. I felt...safer being next to him, helping him.

But in that moment, in that temporary bond, if I could even call it that, I felt so much energy. I glimpsed into him, feeling the sheer amount of power he brought to bear - it was almost alluring, like I wanted to reach into it and feel it for myself. The ability to do so much with a single thought, to have such destructive might at such a slight whim.

Is that how the Avatars felt? To be permanently linked to a being of such power that it bordered on overwhelming or even borderline orgasmic, having such power and knowledge flow through you?

It was almost enthralling. But at the same time, it was so much power left unchecked.

I clenched my fists, suppressing the thought.

That power isn't yours, Dawn. You're not like them. You're a human, and it's not yours. You're a telepath - you kill with the mind, not brute force.

I groaned, shaking my head. I needed to rest. And after I did, I needed to talk to Caelior.

I wanted to see how he was doing.

But first, I had to rest.

A few minutes later, the rest of my family walked in, my dad carrying a plate of masala. He looked absolutely ecstatic.

Damn, the chefs do good work.

"You're awake!" He handed me the plate. "How do you feel?"

I groaned. "Not that good. Turns out linking yourself to an Ethereal to pull one of the biggest ships in the galaxy hurts like hell." I shook my head, getting my hair out of my eyes. "But we got that sucker down."

"We saw the footage." My sister gulped. "It was...sis, that was intense."

I could see the worried looks on their faces. I was alive, sure, but that'd been the most telepathically exhausting thing I'd ever done. Besides, if it weren't for Aegis, I'd be toast.

"Yeah, it was." I smiled. "But I had a lot of help."

"Aegis trains you, right?"

"Yep. Defensive telepathy, mainly. He looks intimidating, but when you get to know him, he's a nice guy."

Minus the vomiting in the helmet part. Or the nearly dying from telepathic attacks. But who's counting?

Mom nodded. "I see. And the other Ethereal, Caelior? You're friends with him?"

"Yeah. He's a teenager too. In Ethereal years, but yeah. We get along great. He's one of my best friends here beside Kunio."

"But didn't he throw that carrier? And crush all of those people?"

I took a bite of the food, blinking. "Yeah, he did. And he's not proud of it."

"How so?"

"It's kind of a long story. I'll tell you later. But what I can say is that he's different. He's learned from his mistakes, and considering he works for people who actually care about him, he's doing all he can to make up for them. And, in person, he's a very nice person. He's kind of like me, in a lot of ways. We've been hanging out for over a month. He's a really good friend to me. We've learned a lot from each other." I paused, looking at my parents' intrigued expressions. "You guys want to meet him?"

My mom held up a finger. "I thought we were going to meet your Borealian friend first. Car-something?"

"Carreria." Grace interjected. "Very nice person."

Thanks, Grace. "But she's fighting in the Hiveship right now, so if you want to meet an alien friend of mine, Caelior's your only option." I forced an awkward smile. "Sorry."

"Do you want us to meet him?" My mom put a hand on my shoulder. I could tell she was nervous- you didn't need to be a telepath to notice that. I knew why. Changing the alien introduction from a Borelian to an Ethereal was radical, to say the least.

"If you don't feel comfortable…"

My mom looked at me. "Do you trust him?"

"Well, I trusted him enough to have him trust me to help him take down the Hiveship." I gulped. "I guess. But only when he gets better, and if he agrees to it. He's very exhausted right now. I want to give him some time to rest before you talk to him, okay?"

"That sounds fine."

I looked around the room. "Everyone okay with that?"

Grace and my dad nodded with a hint of fear on my dad's face. Again, you didn't need to be a telepath to tell that. Noticing my look of slight concern, he spoke up.

"I...think your mother bought something from home for you."

My mom's eyes widened.

"Oh my god! I did. How did I forget! I..." She got up from her seat, walking to the closet, and grabbing a cardboard package, giving it to me warmly smiling. "Might make the barracks feel a bit more homey."

"Thanks, Mom." I opened it. Damn, she'd done well. A clone minifigure, a Venerable Contemptor Dreadnought figure, a few photos from high school, and a t-shirt or two. My eyes widened, pulling out an orange t-shirt with a pegasus on it.

"Oh shit, I remember this one!"

She giggled. "From the summer camp you went to last summer? In New York?" I nodded eagerly.

"Yeah! From...well, before." I stared at it for a moment. How much things had changed since then. I shook my head, moving on to the next item. When I picked up the framed photo, I stopped, letting out a small gasp.

It was a pretty innocent photo- 5-year old me, sitting in my bedroom, holding a Barbie in one hand and a pudding-filled spoon in the other, chocolate pudding all over my face. I had a huge smile on my face, caring about nothing but my mom's smile behind the camera.

Awww.

I smile. "It's cute. I was a messy kid, wasn't I?"

My mom shook her head. "You were five! You didn't know any better!"

Grace piped in. "Hey, you were the messy one. I was the bookworm."

I turned to my sister. "Remember how I used to steal your books and hide them? Then you'd get so mad at me?"

She snorted. "Yeah. You were a real criminal back then, Dawn."

I folded the picture back up, putting it in my pocket. "You think she'd be proud of me?"

"Hmmm?"

"Little me. Do you think she'd like me? Who I am now?"

"You know what I'd think? I think she'd think you were some kind of superhero."

"Well, she's not exactly wrong, Dad." I looked at my hands. "It's kind of hard to believe that all this time, I had this...power in me." I shook my head. "All those years that I stressed about now knowing what to do with my life, and all it took was an alien invasion, and the genetic lottery." I looked at my sister. "Sorry you didn't get powers either."

"Hey, I'm only a little jealous." She said with a smirk. "I'm good. Besides, if I had what you had, I'd probably do a bunch of stupid shit with it. I'm proud of you, sis."

"Anything else, Mom?"

"I think I have a few more things over here…" She looked at me with a worried expression. "You're not late to anything, are you?"

I shook my head. "Nah. I've got time. What else do you have?"

Barracks, Praesidium

Two Hours Later

"You feel alright, gryning?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Vih."

She nodded. My Swedish friend, bless her heart, took time out of her day to help me back to the barracks. I could walk okay, but her impromptu telekinetic grip had oh-so-gracefully kept me on balance. I'd eaten with my family, but I was more than eager to get back to soldiering on (quite literally) as usual.

I didn't know why, but there was something almost therapeutic about collapsing into your bunk after some as strenuous as taking down an alien capital ship, sinking into the mattress and relaxing, forgetting for a bit about the pure insanity that occurred on a daily basis.

After she left, I pulled out my computer and headphones, and did what any normal bored teenager would do.

Why, read social media, of course.

Starting with the ones I found most intriguing.

Namely, a few Ethereal ones.

Because why not?

And no, not Quisilia. I couldn't bear to keep watching his content after reading his file. I mean, holy shit did that guy have a lot of skeletons in his closet.

If only the past me and friends had known when leaping onto the Quisilia bandwagon when he made his social media debut.

But others were more manageable. Somewhat tolerable, even.

Sana's various postings, for example, were pretty varied, ranging from what to do in a battle as a civilian to how to mediate an argument. It was mostly stuff I already knew, but I still followed her out of pure curiosity. I'd become somewhat familiar with her through reading her papers and watching recordings of her speeches back in the Imperial days. While it'd been helpful with both my telepathy and biopathy, listening to her speak over and over again had gotten a bit irritating. Her voice, while soothing and comforting, felt oddly creepy. It reminded me of those psycho killers from movies who would have 'happy' voices and smile just as they're about to kill you.

But she was still intriguing. Mortis, as far as I knew, had no social media presence, so that was out of the picture. Besides, Sana had unknowingly been teaching me, albeit indirectly with the various studies and records she left behind, of which I'd been basing part of my 'research' off of. As much as I disliked her, I still kept tabs on her occasionally.

But there was another who had my attention; the Imperator's adopted assassin herself, Sicarius - a frequent Reddit user, of all things.

To be fair, the vast majority of people didn't know who Sicarius was, so there was that. But the odd thing was, even though XCOM and ADVENT were definitely tracking her profile, it seemed very...innocent. Even helpful. She usually posted in a number of subreddits dealing with various kinds of trauma and abuse. She seemed to know a lot about this kind of stuff. But judging by her XCOM dossier and what Aegis had told me, what she'd suffered under the Synthesized - and then the Imperator - made the term 'abuse' look like child's play.

She'd lost her entire family and planet when she was a little girl even younger than me; when her age was translated into human years. And as if that wasn't enough, the oh-so-smart Imperator decided that, rather than give her therapy and love, he should instead turn her into a brainwashed hitman, who now had an equally traumatized teenage ex-cartel boyfriend, who had a massive revenge boner against ADVENT, connected to her mind.

Something told me that might not end well.

But her online persona seemed so...kind. She spoke like a caring person who genuinely wanted to help people, and did an admittedly damn good job of doing it. She never seemed outright malicious from what I'd seen (as compared to the battlefield footage, go figure), and her advice seemed to have actually improved people who'd taken her advice and gone through with it.

I followed her account out of pure curiosity, and I'd noticed that some of her advice could one day easily apply to me. Who was to say I wouldn't see or experience something traumatic in the field? After all, it had happened to my uncle. It could easily happen to me.

Yet her persona was so different from who she really was. A little girl who had lost everything, only to get rescued by a man who proceeded to fuck her up more than the Synthesized even could, turning her into a fanatically loyal child assassin. I knew that was the point of a persona- to act like someone you weren't. Yet something about it felt off...too off.

Did she not want others to end up like her?

I shook my head. Ethereals, man. So complex.

Let it be known that Sicarius was a textbook example of how to not put a kid like me into war.

And I hoped with every fiber of my being that I wouldn't end up like her.

I knew XCOM would never treat me like that. I knew that much. I took comfort in the fact that this environment would be the best for me when it came to fighting this war. I took comfort in knowing that the people I worked for actually cared about my well-being; case in point, the amazing therapy sessions and the stellar teachers. And of course, the friends. Looking back, I can't believe I was so afraid that the other soldiers wouldn't like me, or socially reject me. Here in XCOM, friendships and comradery were everything.

I found it hilarious how many misconceptions I'd had before coming here. Sometimes when we were bored, us PRIEST trainees would gather, and talk about the war. We always ended up talking about XCOM - how could we not? The psionics, the weapons, the armor, the legendary augments that made you more than human - what wasn't to love? We'd talk for hours, come up with so many theories, so many hows and whys.

But none of them were even close to this.

Because, as the saying goes, truth is stranger than fiction.

Nobody could've guessed that creatures like T'Leth were actually real. Nobody back there thought that things like biopathy or nanokinesis were possible.

And most of all? Nobody could've predicted that out of all the people on Earth, I would be the first human able to do biopathy. I'd gone from some nobody from Tennessee to one of Earth's mightiest defenders in less than a year.

Funny how your priorities change from applying to college to learning how to use space magic to kill aliens.

But that wasn't all that was on my mind.

We'd really done it - the Hiveship battle had ended, and we'd won. As an added bonus, Aegis had beaten the Second Guardian, and rumor had it she was being transferred to our custody soon. However, I'd also heard Aegis had taken a beating from the Meat Puppets, and was temporarily out of commission.

If I could, I planned to visit him in a few days once I fully recovered. Right now, I had to rest.

On the other hand, Patricia was attacking Seoul, and the Battlemaster was pushing further into the Ukraine.

I wondered whatever happened to that psion I felt before I pulled down the ship. Hopefully she's doing alright.

But what intrigued me most was the opposition ADVENT had encountered recently in Scipio, particularly that man with the hammer. He was...intriguing at the very least. I wondered if-

My phone buzzed. It was Mary.

[You free?]

A minute later, her face was on screen.

"Dawn! It's been a while." Something immediately seemed different. She seemed...brighter than usual.

"Mary! How've you been?"

"Great! I've got some news!'

"Yeah?"

"I'm being deployed!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, really?'

"Yeah! I passed my final checks and everything! They're sending me to Canada!"

"Wow! Congrats. How do you feel?"

"I feel amazing! Well, a little nervous. But I'm not alone. Sam's being deployed with me, too! We're going together!"

Sam Mortenson was another of my PRIEST friends from way back when. Born and raised in the Big Apple, his parents were killed in the Ravaged One's rampage. He was the only other Leviathan psion at my facility, and a telekine at that. He already had more than enough reasons to fight the Collective, but after Patricia's ill-fated attempt to replicate his attack, he had even more motivation. Couldn't blame him - he had to watch his beloved city and home get destroyed twice.

Talk about a twisted sense of deja vu.

"That's...great!" I was a bit hesitant on what to say. Was I proud of her? Yes. Was I nervous? Of course I was! I knew she wouldn't be deployed on dangerous missions like me, but still - she was my friend. Of course I'd be worried about her. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't? "Are you nervous?"

She nodded. "A bit. I was...wondering if you could give me some advice."

"Sure! Yeah, I can totally do that. Um, anything in particular?"

"Um...how do you deal with killing? Psionics, guns, things like that."

I gulped. "Um...this is going to sound super morbid, Mary, but in my experience, you get used to it over time. The first few times for me...well, I'd used a lot of sims, so I didn't really feel much of anything." I looked at her. "I'm sorry if I don't sound helpful." I was still worn out and recovering from supporting Caelior - not that I could tell her why. I felt like shit, and it showed. My brain felt like it was taking a power nap. "I'm just exhausted-"

"No, no. You're doing fine. Hey, it's not like everyone can get advice from their super soldier friend, can they?"

"Nope."

"So uh, how are things in XCOM?"

"Been on a mission or two." There was no way in hell I was going to tell her what I'd done. Secrecy and all that. But oh, how I wanted to. "Went great, no one died on my end."

"It must be so exciting." She paused. "Is it?"

"The first time really gets your heart pumping. I felt a bit on edge. But…" I sighed. "I've resigned myself to the fact that my missions are going to be a lot riskier than yours. Tougher enemies, more odds stacked against me, the whole nine yards."

"I get it. I'm worried about that stuff, too. Runiararch and Mutons I can handle okay, but I can't imagine what'll happen if they throw an Avatar or Ethereal or…" She visibly shook. "Those Bringer soldier….things."

I nodded. "I know."

Fuck, I couldn't do this. I didn't know what to tell her. What was I supposed to do, give her a ten-point process of how to take down a Hiveship? Already I felt a distance between us when it came to experience. XCOM was made up of the best of the best of the best for a reason- to fight the biggest and deadliest threats. I wanted to tell her all these things - how to turn a group of Titans into your own private army, the best way to take down a Vanguard, the best place to shoot at a Herald.

But I couldn't.

I wasn't like her anymore. Only a few months ago, we were both teenagers trying to manage our powers. Sure, we were of different disciplines and different power scales, but we were still learning, developing. I was there when she made her first personal full-body shield. She was there when I accidentally sent an embarrassing thought to the Magister. I was there when she sliced our lunch table in half.

And she was there when I learned what I really could do.

We couldn't do that anymore. We couldn't sit down, put our arms around our shoulders, and just casually talk. Back then, we were still learning. Back then, we were still together. Back then...well, we just PRIESTs.

But not anymore. Now, I was...something more than human. Gene mods and nanomachines flowed through my veins. My teachers were mostly non-human with more years of experience that I could count. I had access to weapons and technology beyond anything ADVENT had, armor that could save my life several times over, had allies that were beyond mortal comprehension...there was just a disconnect.

And I'm afraid we both knew that too well.

But I still wanted to be there for her, as she was for me. I still wished I could sit next to her, and just talk. I missed that connection of talking to her about anything.

Another sacrifice I had to make for XCOM, all things aside.

"Dawn? You okay?"

I'm fine. Just thinking. I'm sorry if I've seemed really distant lately. It's just with all this XCOM shit and my family-"

"Your family came?"

Goddamnit, I'd forgotten to tell her. "Yeah. They're, uh, adjusting."

"Things going better with them?"

I nodded. "Oh yeah. Way better. Other families here are getting them up to speed with the ins and outs of being an 'XCOM Family'. Mom and Dad are kinda stiff that they can't go back to their jobs, but I'm sure they could be trained in something. Grace...well, she still has a room to herself. She's been hanging out with a lot of other teens there who are kids of or related to their soldiers. It's kind of awkward when I hang out with them and it's like 'oh yeah, I killed a bunch of aliens with your mom yesterday' or 'your dad really knows how to snap someone's neck.'"

She chuckled. "Okay, that's funny."

"Yeah, it's a bit awkward for them sometimes when one of the people you command is about as old as your kid, niece or nephew. But it's all well and good down here." I stopped. "Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"Oh, uh my parents visited me yesterday. They told me to tell you that they said hi."

I blinked. "Well, tell them that I also say hi back to them."

"You bet I will. See ya!"

"See ya." The call disconnected a moment later, leaving me to stare at the black screen.

See ya.

I'd fucked that call up, hadn't I? I'd made myself look like an idiot in front of her over the whole advice charade, and I could barely relate to her.

What the fuck are you doing, Dawn?

What the fuck happened to you?

I rubbed my eyes, closing the tab and laying my head onto my pillow.

I needed to get my mind off of this.

Time for me to visit my four-armed friend.

Praesidium

7/16/17- 2:47 PM

I was outside of Caelior's room, hands clasped. I knocked on the door.

"Caelior, it's me. Can I come in?"

The door whoosed open. I reluctantly stepped inside.

"Hello, Dawn. I see you're doing well."

"Yeah, I am. Head hurts like a bitch, though. How about you?"

"I feel exhausted. I will not be able to get up for some time."

"You'll feel better." I patted his shoulder. "So, great job man. You really did it. For real. No Ethereal bullshit, no manipulation - that was all you."

"I am...proud. To do something like that feels liberating. I felt...powerful, truly. For the first time." He looked at his hands, flexing his fingers. "I don't know how to describe it to you, Dawn. It felt like a true victory, a real accomplishment. Yes, Aegis and the PRIESTs did provide assistance, along with you of course, but it was honest assistance. No deception, no lies, it was all real."

I smiled as he continued to talk. I could sense that although he was tired, that didn't faze him one bit - he did something amazing, and he was damn proud of it. When he spoke, I could tell he was happy. There was no despair or regret in his voice.

For so long the Ethereals had held him back, and now he could truly discover his potential, and it had been tested yesterday.

And he had more than passed it. He'd aced it, and then some.

"Words enough cannot describe how thankful I am for your assistance, Dawn. When I was pulling it down, I felt little doubt that I could not do it. I felt...stronger, my resolve felt almost unbreakable."

I smirked. "All me."

"I felt your mind, You telepathy has greatly improved from when we first met. You are quite powerful."

"I still have a lot to learn, though. I'm nowhere close to Geist in terms of skill or output."

"I know. But it was not just your telepathy. It was your presence. The knowledge that you were there right next to me, dedicating your time, skills, and energy to helping me. It was something that I have not felt in a long time. A sense of friendship. Of true, unfiltered pride. Of belonging."

"I'm glad that I helped."

"You did, Dawn. Much more than you think. When I fully recover, I will make it up to you."

I raised an eyebrow curiously. "How?"

"I have several ideas in mind. You will see. But first-" He shifted his helmeted head back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I must rest."

"Do you want me to stay? I don't have anything else to do right now."

"Perhaps for a little bit. Is there something else you wanted to talk about?"

"Yeah. Um, it's kind of a big favor, though."

"What is it?"

"Would you mind introducing yourself to my parents? When you get better, of course?"

He considered what I said. "When I recover fully, it would be my pleasure to do so. I hope to make a good first impression."

"Yeah. But… I think they're going to be a bit suspicious. Scared, even?"

"Because of my previous actions?"

"Well, yeah. They've only heard about the new you through word of mouth, and the news. It might take a bit of time for them to get used to us being friends."

"I understand. I will speak to them."

"Thank you Caelior. That means a lot, it really does."

"Anything for a friend, Dawn."

Anything for a friend.

I smiled. "You, ah, want to talk about anything else?"

"I would like to rest a bit more, Dawn. Thank you for coming by."

"Of course. Get some rest and feel better, Caelior."

"I will."

I walked out of his room feeling a bit anxious.

Well, he's feeling better, but meeting the parents is going to be another story.

Hope that works out.

Project Nolan Training Center, Praesidium

7/17/17- 10:01 AM

I walked into the simulation room, scanning the room for an unoccupied orb. I felt nervous- though not for the usual reasons. The simulation brief was, for lack of a better term, brief. It was simply 'a telepathic test against a target of equal telepathic ability'. Hmm. Wonder what that could mean.

I found an unoccupied orb and touched it. A blink later, I was in the Dreamscape, in my armor.

My surroundings were the usual - a black-empty space with no end in sight, simply an empty void from which anything could spawn. I reached out, feeling around with my mind for anything that could be waiting. I took a deep breath, calming myself. I'd recovered well from the Big Yoink - that's what a couple people around here were calling it, anyway. Video of it had gotten around the internet, and if Caelior hadn't already redeemed himself in the eyes of the people, this certainly showed the world just who he was - and what he could do. Memes, remixes - the people had breathed a collective sigh of relief as one less threat was taken down, even as fighting for the wreck raged on.

The people.

Heard to believe I used to be one of them only so long ago. Not knowing about T'Leth or all the other wonderful behind-the-scenes facts of this war. To know what was really going on gave you a kind of...comfort. But at the same time, the gift of more knowledge wasn't always just a gift, but a curse. Whether it was the Bringer's latest 'art', another disillusioned human drawn in by the Ethereals as another puppet on their strings, or some kind of new trick up their sleeve, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread whenever it'd come up. I hadn't forgotten what Bronis had told me about not giving up hope- far from it. But I couldn't help but not ignore that little voice in the back of my head that kept telling me that things would get worse, that our enemy would steep to new lows just to gain an advantage.

The more you know…

I snorted. Funny how much that saying meant now these days.

The Dreamscape shifted, and a figure appeared in front of me. It was as tall as me, partially hidden by the blackness of my surroundings. I immediately tried to probe it, but it hit back with a resounding telepathic attack.

Get away.

I gasped. "Wha-"

That voice. It sounded just like...no.

The figure stepped out into the light.

It was me.

An exact copy, at least. Her armor was the same, her face was the same, the look in her eyes perfectly matching him.

"T'Leth?" I nervously called out. "Is this some kind of joke?"

No answer.

What was I supposed to do? Kill her? Disable her? Fight her for a certain period of time?

She smirked. "No."

And with an outstretched hand, she hit my mind with a barrage of pain, sending me reeling.

Fuck, she was good.

But she was me. And that meant that she knew all my tricks.

I clenched my teeth, gathering my anger and retaliating with an attack of my own, slamming into her mind.

Try to get in, see if you can find a way to take her down.

She briefly stumbled, before clenching a fist and hitting me with another attack, this one more subtle. Instead of outright trying to smash through my defenses, she tried to weave through my mind, searching for the cracks in the walls that kept me sane.

Yep, she definitely knew my tricks. Just like Aegis had taught me.

A blunt attack, while sometimes useful, is not always useful. While your opponent may be preparing for a straightforward attack, a more subtle approach can be more deceiving, as well as less strenuous on your mind. While a fortification can be broken by a heavy bombardment, it can just as easily be destroyed through a well-placed infiltrator.

I balled my hands into fists, eyes flaring as I grunted, trying to hold her back as I felt for her mental intrusions, like trying to find a venomous snake in tall grass before it bit you. She was doing well - trying to cut off my concentration so I couldn't do my biopathy.

She was good. But I had a bite, too.

I roared, slipping into one of the mental cracks. As she tried to seal it up, I sent a stab of pain into her mind, causing her to cry out in surprise and rage.

Keep her occupied. If she can do her biopathy, you're fucked.

"Not bad." She said through gritted teeth. "But you can do better."

She shot back into my mind again, doubling down on the pain. I tried to hold her off, focusing on my biopathy so I could take her down. But she was good-her efforts to break my concentration were working. So I decided to try the old-fashioned way.

"Yeah. I think I can."

I closed my eyes, focusing on my attacks on her mind. I went through my memories, trying to find something that would throw her off. What would it be? Which memory could I use against her-myself to throw her off?

But a part of me didn't want to. I knew that she was the enemy, a copy made by T'Leth to fight me. But I didn't know if I had the guts to kill her. After all, even though she was fake, she was still like me.

She screamed in pain as my attacks increased. A mental punch hit me, making me cringe as she regained her footing, a low growl emanating from her mouth.

Why hasn't she used her biopathy on me?

Could she be using it on my right now?

If either option was true, my best bet was to break her concentration.

But how? What could I use that I normally wouldn't do? As she pressed the attack, I drew some energy to rapidly combing through my mind, searching for something to use. Hmm. It's going to have to be something radical, but at the same time enough to make an impact. I-oh my.

There was that.

I grinned with a sick satisfaction as I found what I was looking for.

I refocused on her as she attempted to block the pain, inserting the images into her mind.

The one that tortured me for so long after I discovered who I really was.

Do you remember these? I said as the dream flowed back into her, reawakening the memory I'd tried so hard to suppress.

Mom melting. Dad melting. My sister, my friends. All collapsing at the cellular level, born of my fears and anxiety after killing the Sectoid. Like ice cream melting in the warm sun, like a soup fresh from the pot, they became liquid, dripping all over the floor, their guts and bones gone, leaving any recognizable trace splattered in a puddle of primordial soup.

Do you remember how you felt, the terror, the fear, the worry, the horror at what you could do. What you did? What you could do?

I didn't want to do this to her, I really didn't.

But she left me no choice.

Because war was war, and sometimes you did what you had to do.

I felt her mind slightly buckle, her concentration fluctuating. Again just like Aegis had said.

If need be, using negative memories against a target will make it significantly easier to overcome their defenses. Overwhelming mental pressure, while not the easiest method, is also useful against more hardened targets.

"No!" She screamed, collapsing on her knees as the images flowed through her mind. "I won't! No!" Her voice cracked as her hands gripped her face, covering her eyes, trying to focus. "Make it stop! Please, god, make it stop!"

Her attacks on me weakened, as I sensed her focusing more on keeping herself together.

Do I press the attack?

Do I kill her?

What counts as 'winning' here?

As she fell to the floor, crying out in pain, I summoned my psionic rifle, cocking it, aiming it right at her head.

Don't make me do this.

Please don't.

She managed to stare up at me, her hair mangled and face red, streaked with tears.

"Not bad. Didn't...see that one coming."

She sure as hell sounded like me, but there was more malice in her voice. There was a colder look in her eyes, the warmth and comfort of mine completely gone. The sneer on her face spoke volumes, like a schoolyard bully about to claim your lunch money. She was like an evil clone- 100 percent similar on the outside, but on the inside? Not so much.

Part of me wanted to pull the trigger, to kill her.

But I just couldn't.

The look on her face, the look in her eyes - it felt too close to mine, a mirror reflection of me. But what she did do was show me what I could become- a being built on hate and rage, driven only by the want to fight and fight until the war ended or I died.

I had sensed it and felt it in Carmelita when I'd fought with her. The hate, the loss, the pain, the rage, the want for vengeance so strong in someone that it simply became you.

Could the girl that walked into XCOM all those weeks ago turn into….this?

As I stared at her, I noticed her hand flaring with power. My eyes widened, realizing her little ploy.

"Eat this, you-"

I smiled. "I already did." I dove into her mind, punching a hole in her weakened defenses, another lesson by Aegis.

An enemy cannot defend everywhere at once, for a thinly spread force is easier to penetrate. You must make them overstretch, then take advantage of such thinned out defenses.

She had concentrated almost all of her power onto preparing a biopathic attack. Pretty good - I would've done it myself, but there was a major con - while she was doing that, it was sacrificing most of her mental defenses.

I was in her head in an instant, rupturing her focus, breaking her attack, coursing through her memories, her thoughts, her emotions. Now I could see. As much as she looked like me, her mind felt...artificial. Crafted. Even though it was obviously a work of T'Leth, it was still interesting to see how a fake me felt. It felt colder, less emotional, less feeling. But at the same time it was odd, seeing someone else have your exact memories. Unsettling, even.

But that wasn't the point to consider right now.

You are mine now.

I had won.

I had complete control.

What was I to do?

And in that split second I made a decision.

Die.

And she did. Everything that I - I meant she was, wiped away.

All of a sudden, I felt her vanish, the world around me shimmer. I opened my eyes in shock.

Oh. I...I guess it's over now.

I looked around, making sure there wasn't anyone else itching to kill me. Nope. Empty.

Well, that was certainly something.

I felt a pang in my chest, realizing how close I was to not killing her.

Why did I pause to kill her, unlike all of the others? Because she looked like me?

While that may have been true, the truth was that on the battlefield, it wouldn't be any different. When I would kill out there, I'd be leaving families broken, fathers without sons, mothers without daughters.

Daughters like me.

But I had to. It was just something you did.

Because if you didn't shoot first, they most certainly would.

And then you would be the one coming home in a body bag. And I didn't want that. Grace wouldn't want that. My parents wouldn't want that.

My friends here wouldn't want that.

How would Kunio feel if Dawn, his friend and little sister type, came back dead?

What about my bunkmates, knowing that the girl in that one bunk with the smile on her face, that youthful expression in her eyes who always found a reason to be happy would never come back?

And Caelior. Oh god, him. How would he react? He'd be devastated - it could mentally affect him even more on top of everything else he'd been dealing with.

I meant something here. I was someone.

I couldn't forget that.

But even though I'd won, I just didn't feel right.

It was the same feeling I'd felt after my meeting with the Commander about his mission to the Congo. The feeling that even though I'd completed something and understood it, something just got me. Like a nagging feeling the back of my head whispering to me.

That's not right, Dawn.

That's not right at all.

You shouldn't do that.

I ignored the thoughts, shaking my head as the simulation ended, my mind returning to reality.

But the gut feeling was still there.

I left the simulation room, pulling out my phone and texted Kunio.

Hey, if you've got some time, I think I have an idea about your training...

XCOM Family Base

7/18/17- 1:23 PM

"You ready, buddy?"

Caelior nodded, his hood and helmet masking his face. "I trust I will make a good impression upon your family."

I smiled. "You sure about that?"

He chuckled. "Yes"

Caelior wouldn't fit in my parent's room, so we agreed to meet in one of the common areas - Caelior made sure we'd be left alone. So he and I were awkwardly sitting next to each other.

My family walked in a minute later, my mom and dad freezing at the sight of my Ethereal friend casually sitting down. My sister seemed less scared and more intrigued, looking him up and down.

Finally, my mother spoke up. "Hi, Mr. Caelior. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Pffft. Mr. Caelior.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Charlotte Conley. I have been looking forward to meeting you and your mate for some time. However, there is no need for formalities"

My mom raised an eyebrow. "Mate?"

I spoke up. "It's how they say spouse."

"Oh." She turned to my dad.

"Hi." He said, offering a hand. "I'm Dawn's father. It's nice to meet you. Dawn's spoken very highly about you as a friend."

Caelior took his hand, my dad obviously surprised by his strong grip. "It is very nice to meet you."

I could sense there was tension between the two. I didn't use my telepathy because of privacy, but you could definitely tell my parents felt off about him. Grace, on the other hand, seemed more open to him, excitedly shaking his hand.

The trio sat down at a table across from him.

"So, why don't you tell us a bit about yourself?"

"It would be my pleasure. I am currently one hundred and fifty-three years old. I used to have two parents and an extended family, but I am, unfortunately, the last of them. I was...conscripted into the Maelstroms, until I was recruited into the Collective."

My parents furrowed their eyebrows at the mention of the Collective. Caelior didn't ignore this.

"I am sure you are somewhat suspicious of me due to my past experiences. I do not blame you for your reluctance in trusting me."

Oh, a little on the nose, buddy.

"I know that I have caused much harm to many people. I know that I have much to make up for. And if you fully do not trust me, I understand."

My mother looked at him suspiciously. "You seem awfully honest."

"I am. I find it a side effect of being around you humans. In the Collective, I was..a pawn, at best. Prized only for my powers and nothing else. They fed into my arrogance rather than my mental health. When I was captured, I assumed XCOM would kill me."

"But they didn't."

"No Gerald, they did not. They showed me mercy. They gave me purpose and proper training, and did much for me that other Ethereals had not. Over time, I began to realize that I was not the supposed hero I had been led to believe - I was simply a propaganda tool, constantly lied to and manipulated to suit their needs. XCOM changed that. I have grown during this time. After I was almost killed in Japan, I began to view things...differently. I expanded my interests, reaching out and becoming more involved in XCOM."

He nodded his head to me. "And that is how your daughter and I ended up meeting."

I took over from there. "Caelior and I first met before the First Annual Ethereal Basketball Tournament. I joined his team, and after we won, we started hanging out. Turns out we have quite a bit in common."

My dad interjected with a pleasantly surprised tone. "You play basketball here?"

"Oh yeah. I play here and there. Fun way to relieve stress. Plus, Caelior here's a damn monster on the court. I do it with all my friends."

"And since then, the two of you have been hanging out?"

"That's right. I've been introducing Caelior to a lot of our culture, and honestly we're pretty relatable on many levels."

"How so?" Mom asked. "That seems...odd."

What isn't odd these days? "Well, for starters, we're both teenagers - or equivalents - with special skills who were thrust into war. Caelior was conscripted when he was young in the Empire, and I chose to join XCOM."

"Though Dawn's recruitment was more consensual. I had no choice. But I am very glad Dawn and I ran into each other. She has helped me adjust to XCOM and humans, and overcome the many misconceptions I had about your kind."

"Hey, if I hadn't joined, who else would've helped you with the Hiveship?" He playfully elbowed me. I snorted.

My mom raised a finger. "if you don't mind me asking, how exactly did she help?"

"It was simple by telepathic standards. Dawn reinforced my mind and focus by connecting her mind to mine, using her skill in telepathy to back me up. But it was not as simple as that."

"How, exactly?" My dad seemed curious. "She's not a telekine…"

"She is not, but what she is is a friend- a good one." He put a hand on my shoulder. "I said before that I can relate to her in many ways. But it also works the other way around. When she and I began to 'hang out', I realized something."

"That being…"

"That being that she can learn much from me and my experiences. I was taken advantage of very early in my life before I fully developed as a being in both body and mind. My worst attributes were turned into my greatest weapon, and it cost me both friends and respect. And eventually, almost my life." He turned to me. "Although XCOM would not treat Dawn with such contempt, I found it useful to teach her about my life experiences, so she may not become the prideful, arrogant, being I once was."

"No offense, but that prideful, arrogant being threw a damn aircraft carrier at a city and crushed a lot of people."

I opened my mouth to respond to my mom, but Caelior held up a hand.

"You are right, Mrs. Conley. I did do those things. I acknowledged that I hurt and killed many humans. I understand that my past does not fully excuse me for what I have done. And I do accept the responsibility of fixing those things so I can redeem myself. I cannot travel back in time and reverse what has been done. If I could personally meet every family that I have broken or taken from, and apologize to them, I would do it without hesitation."

My mom seemed surprised at his response. I gulped, feeling my heart beat. I guess he knew they would bring this up, and had prepared accordingly.

Where was he going with this?

He turned to look at me. "I do not blame you if you remain suspicious of me being around your daughter. If I were in either of your positions as a parent, I would feel the same about my children. Perhaps more so. I am only asking for you to understand. To watch and see. In time, perhaps you will be able to forgive me for my actions. Although I have done much for humanity since my...changing of allegiances, there is much more to be done. And the responsibility for that is no one's but my own. And befriending your daughter and teaching her how to not make the mistakes I did is one of the many ways I choose to redeem myself."

He sat back down in his floating position, laying his hands in his lap. My mom and dad both looked at one another with...what was it? Concern? Intrigue? Confusion? My sister simply nodded at him, winking at him with a you've done good look on her face. After a short whispering session, they turned back to the floating Ethereal.

"Thank you for that speech, Caelior. We...ah, accept this. But we are not done yet." She turned back to me. "Now Dawn, you were saying something about a basketball game?"

This is where the fun begins, Mom. Better strap yourself in for this one.

Twenty Minutes Later

We walked out of the common area and back to the entrance. Caelior leaned on the wall, staring at me as if anticipating something.

"Well...I think that well."

"Indeed it Dawn. Did I make a good impression?"

"I think you did, buddy. Your people skills were great. No worries."

He nodded. "Thank you.I did not want to seem overbearing or intimidating."

"Caelior, you weren't-aren't any of those things."

"It is appreciated." He paused, twiddling his thumbs. "May I ask something of you?"

"Sure."

"I have been thinking of something,." He said. "While there were not friendships in the same way Humans have them, I have been researching some of the differences. One of them is spending time together, as a 'bonding experience' as the term was. I would like to invite you to my quarters sometime soon? I would like to make it up to you for helping me with the Hiveship. I also have some Ethereal food I would like to share with you."

I raised an eyebrow. "Ethereal cuisine?" I chuckled. "Well, why didn't you say so earlier? Sign me up!"

"Thank you." He replied. "I have also confirmed that none of the food is poisonous to Humans."

"Of which I am definitely thankful for."

He nodded. "I simply want to do this to appreciate what you did for me with the Hiveship."

I reached out, hugging him. He lifted me up, allowing me to hug his actual body and not his armored leg. "I appreciate that, big guy."

"Thank you."

"So, when do you want this to happen?"

"Are you open tomorrow for this?"

"Yes! I'd love that. Want me to bring some popcorn?"

"Indeed, Though I think you will find ga'sel'muschen equally appealing."

"Food what now?"

"In your tongue, you would call it farseer's delight. It is...like a cake, made with bateln berries and vour'turren cream from our home planet. Though I will have to make do with artificial substitutes, unfortunately."

"Now I'm listening. Want to pick the movie?"

"Instead of a movie, I was thinking we could play some of your video games instead. Would you be fine with that?"

"Definitely! That sounds awesome! How does seven tomorrow sound?"

"Sounds excellent. See you then."

I walked back to the bunks feeling...surprised, but not in a bad way. I hadn't a slumber party in ages. Hey, any excuse to wear my pajamas was one I'd take. And it was always good to spend time with Caelior. He was a great friend - so why not?

Tomorrow was going to be fun. I could tell.

Caelior's Quarters, Praesidium

7/19/17- 7:00 PM

I stood outside of his door, backpack in hand. I'd stuffed some nightclothes and a pillow, along with a blanket and toothbrush. I'd snuck out while no one was looking. I admittedly was a bit nervous. I hadn't done something like this in a while, and I didn't want things to get awkward.

It's going to be fine. Just relax and have fun, Dawn.

Caelior opened the door a moment later and invited me in. He was holding a plate of food in his hand. I walked in, looking around the room. I'd noticed that he'd laid some pillows and a blanket on the floor as a sort of mini-bed for me. That was sweet of him. He's also set up a TV and console, with two controllers set in front of it.

"Welcome. I see you brought something?"

"Oh, it's just some sleepwear. What's that in your hand?"

"Ga'sel'muschen."

"Oh, the cake thing?"

"Yes."

"It smells great. I'll eat in a sec." I sat my backpack on the floor, and took the plate, sitting down in front of the television on the faux bed. "Hey, is there a place I can change clothes?"

"There is a bathroom and shower over there if you need it."

"Wait, you have a private bathroom in here? With a shower and everything?" I chuckled.

"Yes, I do." He cocked his helmeted head.

"Neat." I grabbed my backpack. "I'm gonna change real quick, alright?"

"Very well. We shall watch the film when you get back."

I walked into the bathroom, and changed quickly. As much as I liked the simplicity and comfort of the XCOM-issued clothes, sometimes normal clothing was just the better option. For me, it was a t-shirt and pajama pants reminiscent of the slumber parties I'd had with my friends back in high school. It felt more more, more casual, less official. I shoved the spare clothes into the pack, stripped off my socks, then walked out the door. Caelior was sitting cross-legged on the floor, turning on the TV. I sat next to him, inspecting the food he had given me.

"How are you feeling, Dawn?"

"Great, actually. I haven't had a sleepover with a friend in ages." I sighed, laying on the blanketed floor and staring at the ceiling. "I used to go to my friend's house on the weekends and crash there. Oh, was it fun. We played videogames, talked about guys, did makeup, did each other's hair, oh my god I miss doing that."

"Your parents allowed you to go to other places without supervision?"

"I mean, yeah. They trusted me, and I didn't do drugs or anything. Why?"

"I did similar activities as a child. We Ethereals have social connections and interactions, too. We did not necessarily have parties like you did, but did have times where we came together and enjoyed ourselves."

"I see." I looked at the food, noticing the lack of silverware." How do I eat it? I don't have a fork or something-"

"My apologies. One moment, please." He grabbed a plastic fork wrapped in plastic, probably from the cafeteria. I took a piece of the cake-thing, and inspected it. It smelled like cinnamon, but had a chocolate brown color. I put it into my mouth, chewing and swallowing.

"How does it taste?"

"It's sweet like a mango, but it's got a bit of kick like jalapeno pepper." I took another bite, digesting it. "Honestly? I like this. It tastes like a mix of coconut and banana, with a bit of apple thrown in. It's a bit soft like a sponge cake, but this is pretty good."

"I am glad you like it."

"You got this from the food synthesizer thingy, right?"

"Yes. XCOM recovered it from my ship. One of the few things I didn't lose…" He trailed off. "So, the video game. You prefer a first-person-shooter, yes?"

"FPS, yeah. Played a lot back in the day before the invasion."

"I find that genre entertaining. I am mildly surprised - and slightly disturbed, how many of them involved an invasion of an alien species in your fiction, not just video games. This one in particular…" He held up a game with a large man in green armor holding an assault rifle on it. I grinned like a madman.

"That one? Oh, I love that one! That's a classic! Used to play it all the time before I signed up!"

"Is that so?"

I smirked. "Want to find out?"

I thrust the blue glowing energy sword into Caelior's character as he came through the door, killing him instantly. He shook his head.

"Must you always hide behind corners and wait for me?"

I chuckled. "Hey, camping is a legit strategy, man! You know what they say - work smarter, not harder!"

"If only the Battlemaster employed such a grand strategy."

"Was that sarcasm?"

"Indeed." He fired his sniper rifle, killing my character with a direct headshot.

"Damn!" I watched his character pick up the sword. "Enjoy while it lasts buddy, cause you're not going to be having it for long." With a devious grin, I picked up a shotgun, hot on his trail.

"It is not my fault my species has superior reflexes." To add insult to injury, he let go of his hands, using pure telekinesis to play with the controller.

I rolled my eyes. "Show-off."

"Says the Biopath."

"Says the guy who pulled down the Hiveship." I responded, as I picked up the rocket launcher, making a beeline for his last known position. "I didn't even know you played video games."

"I have been enjoying them since my introduction. XCOM introduced me to them as part of my therapy. While I do prefer more...strategic games, as they helped me learn how to critically think a bit more. I can find these quite energizing. The rush and the combat flow very well together."

I fired my rocket launcher, draining Caelior's shields as he ran away. Where was he-? My eyes widened as my character ran outside only to run straight into the business end of a tank's barrel.

Caelior pumped a fist into the air as my guy exploded. "Yes!"

I snorted. "Not bad, Caelior."

He chuckled. "I am sure you will have better luck next time."

We continued for a few more minutes until Caelior paused the game.

"Dawn, may I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Do you know much about the relevance of helms in Ethereal society?"

I shrugged. "Only what Aegis told me, I think. They wore them originally in the old days to hide their identities, right? And then it evolved into a cultural thing. That whole unmasking thing is a sign of trust, right? Especially like romantic relationships?"

"It is. However, by doing that, it can mean a lot of things, not just in a romantic sense. It can mean the start of a lasting friendship, or a sign of trust."

"That's interesting. Have you ever done that with someone before?"

Where was he going with this?

"There was one. Another Ethereal, around my age. Her name was Amera. We were in the same Maelstrom training team together. We were...close."

"Did she…"

His voice quieted. "Die? Yes. Overrun by Synthesized soldiers. We had been together for a few years, but we had talked of possibly becoming bondmates. Having children. We both knew it could never happen. But we had hope. Hope that we could still come out of the war alive, the two of us."

I put a hand on his knee. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No apologies necessary, Dawn. Her memory lives on in here…" He pointed to his chest, presumably where his heart. "..And here." He pointed to his head. "She is one of the many reasons I fight now. Perhaps one day the Synthesized can be beaten…"

"And?"

"I lied to you."

"About what?"

"About all the gifts I had to give. There is one more."

Was he going to-

He reached up with two hands to his helmet, swiftly removing it, placing it in his lap. I gasped as I looked upon his fully exposed head for the first time.

I put a hand over my mouth, gasping in shock. "My god...Caelior…"

He smiled. "How do I look?"

I didn't speak, simply staring at his oval-shaped head. His smooth purple skin and the curvature of his head took me back. It was just so...alien.

But his fiery orange eyes were another story.

Besides the slight red pupil, his eyes were completely orange. Looking to his eyes was almost mesmerizing. I couldn't quite nail it down. Was it psionics? Was it because of the color?

"You...Caelior, you look great, buddy."

"That is good.I trusted you with helping me take down the Hiveship. After everything else we've done together, I don't see why I shouldn't do this."

I smiled. "You look great, Caelior. I...I don't know what to say. Thank you."

"I appreciate that very much. I have not done this in centuries." He grinned, flashing a set of teeth. "But with you, well, I can trust you with it. Can we do another hug?"

"I thought you'd never ask." He telekinetically lifted me to his shoulder, where I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning my head on his neck, feeling his skin. It felt cool, sort of like a water bottle filled with cold water. His skin had the texture of a tire, but a bit softer and more malleable.

We didn't say anything, just embracing each other, comforted by the knowledge that we could trust each other.

"You're like a sister to me." He said quietly.

"Really?"

"Indeed."

"Then you're like the brother I never had."

"An apt comparison."

"Yes. Yes, it is."

He eventually lowered me to the ground, and we finished the rest of the game in silence. One it was all done, I snuggled into the mini-bed on the floor, while Caelior removed his armor, climbing into his bed right next to mine wearing his black skin-suit.

"Goodnight, Dawn." My Ethereal friend said from above me. "May the brightness of the stars keep you safe."

"Where's that from?"

"What you would call a nursery rhyme. My mother would sing it to me every night."

"Don't let the bedbugs bite."

"If they do, I shall crush them- wait."

I snorted. "Goodnight, Caelior."

"Goodnight, Dawn."

To be continued in:

How To Melt People 101