Redacted
You Only Have One
Apologies for the lack of activity! Been on the road for the past few days and visiting family! Have another week so there might or might not be an update next week.
Edited: 6/24/2024
When Hush saw Bright-Protector-Nine attack Friend-But-Be-Wary Odorata, all she could do was stand there, mouth agape as the two fought, even when Odorata practically lifted Nine and crashed through the walls of the nursery. Coughing as the dust and debris settled, Hush barely caught the sounds of the infant worms resonating in her ears and catching the familiar glowing optic of Trusted- Nurturer-Crystalline pop into view.
"We have to get out of here."
Hush coughed once more, blinking past building tears as she signed, But, the babies.
"They are all fine." She heard Crystalline snap, "But right now, I don't think it's safe to stick around when Nine and Odorata are fighting." Hush watched as her star's lavender shell shifted, bobbing towards the exit of the nursery. Away from the chaos.
"Come on."
Hesitating once more, Hush couldn't' help but turn her eyes back to the hole where Nine and Odorata had disappeared, crossing her fingers together as she fidgeted.
"Hush, do not even think about it." She heard her star warn; a quick glance showed the worried and stern look in her optic, "I know you want to help but you have to remember that Nine is an Exo built from the shell of the Traveler and Odorata is a spawn between a Hive Wizard and a Guardian. It's too dangerous for you to intervene."
That is when the annoyance surfaced, intermingling with her worry as she narrowed her eyes at Crystalline, scowling. There it is again, being treated like as though she is defenseless, like as though she would crumble easily if she were to be exposed to the simplest of dangers.
That was not even close to the truth, at least, for her.
True, she had fallen simply being shoved, knocked back at the wrong time, and harsh words were enough to send her to tears, but Hush always forces herself back onto her feet, knowing too well that wallowing about too long is hazardous. She did after all, remembers her time living with the nomadic Awoken that lived beyond the walls.
You can cry when someone dies or scream whenever injury you gain, but in the end, you still must force yourself onto your feet, still must carry your own weight. Otherwise, the dangers of the wild will make quick work of you. And Hush was not left out of the strict but understandable machinations of the nomadic Awoken, even with her fragile body.
Thus, with a huff, Hush promptly turned her back to Trusted-Nurturer-Crystalline-But-Sometimes-Annoying and marched her way through the crumbling wall.
She heard her star squawk behind her, "Hush!? Where are you going!? Get back here!"
Disregarding her star's words, Hush clambered over the broken concrete before scanning her surroundings, attempting to find clues of where Nine and Odorata had scuffled away. She didn't have to wait long as a screeching cry echoed from her right, prompting Hush to look over and her eyes looking down a hall. The dim lighting made it easy to see the light through another gaping hole.
Eyes brightening, Hush started her way towards it. It was then, she heard the familiar hum of Crystalline following behind her, grumbling under her breath. She won't be surprised if she receives an earful later.
Approaching the hole, Hush then felt her chest twist, her mind whirling as she thought of her next course of action. Jump in between and summon a Ward in hopes that it would be enough to block their attacks?
A moment of contemplation quickly prompted Hush to shake her head.
Confident she maybe in her Ward, Hush also knows that both Bright-Protector-Nine and Friend-But-Be-Wary Odorata were not normal under any circumstance. Likely they would break through her bubble and continue with their fight.
She then thought about a gun, musing over the sidearm that was currently in her Vault. It had been a gift, from Grandpa-But-Not-Grandpa-Pluto, who muttered under his breath for her not to tell Papa as he slipped the weapon into her hands where she promptly hid it behind her back for Crystalline to take in. It would be later when she was under his care where the Exo would explain that the gun was made for her fragile build, ensuring that the recoil of the weapon was not strong enough to cause serious damager to herself but strong enough to penetrate through basic armor.
That made Hush pause.
Basic armor.
There would be no doubt that Nine and Odorata would have more than just 'basic' armor, and even if she were to aim for exposed parts, it would do little against the strong plating of an Exo and a sturdy carapace of a Hive Knight.
Shaking her head, Hush then thought about the knife that she had received from Papa back during the Dawning, remembering his words as he explained the Awoken craft upon the blade and handle. Although a bit big considering her stature, Hush can wield it and she had practiced with the Help of Human-But-Trustworthy-Angel with basic offense and defense. But of course, what can a knife, even Awoken made, do against brawling individuals who were considered beyond the norm?
Heaving out a frustrated sigh, Hush approached the broken wall. And then paused. She had heard shouting and she recognized Knight's voice.
Did he somehow regain control?
That would be good news then, considering that Friend-And-Caretaker-Shining Knight was more of – what did Papa call him? – a scholar than a warrior.
Relieved at the prospect that the violence would finally end, Hush again paused when she heard sobbing through the hole, sending waves of bewilderment through her mind.
"Sounds like they're done fighting." It was Crystalline who spoke, the star coming to a pause just over her shoulder. Her voice was relieved but wary, "Let's see how they are doing. Carefully."
Unable to stop a smile at her small victory, Hush simply nodded once before moving forward. As she stepped over another pile of broken concrete and stone, she then heard more voices, voices that were clearly unfamiliar and – judging from the stern and hushed tones – were none too happy.
"Great." Hush heard Crystalline murmur, "They brought their fight into an occupied room."
That made Hush takes in a nervous breath.
Although she had long forgiven the Awoken Revenant for the matter that it was a misunderstanding, she still remembers just how quickly things escalated. His questions, his demand for answers, and the way he grabbed her roughly when she was unable to respond. Hush could not help but feel agitated now that she was going to enter a room full of them. Alone.
She took another deep breath.
No, not alone.
Almost undiscernible amongst the many voices, Hush was able to pinpoint Star-Sunny-Day's voice, the star's soft tone all too familiar to her. Shoving aside the thought of just when and how they got to their Guardian first before Hush could even realize that they were missing, she took another breath before taking a step inside. She can feel Crystalline's tugs of concern as she entered.
The first thing that caught her attention was Odorata, the Hive hybrid still in his hulking form as he sat upon the floor, leaning against the wall as many Revenants gathered around him. They were obviously fussing over Odorata and with their attention elsewhere, Hush took tentative steps further in, and decided to take the opportunity to take a better look.
Just like the Hive Wizard she had seen back in that dark room, his chitin was white, almost glowing under the lighting of the room. And his size, Hush's eyes were wide as she realized that Odorata easily dwarfed many of the Chosen present even the room, even when seated. Now she understood why he prefers his more human appearance.
At first, impressed and curious at his Hive form, it was quickly quashed as Hush lifted her eyes up to his face only to spot the left side is charred, the white chitin black as a hand covers worse of the injury.
"First time in a while since I had last seen anyone mark Odorata like that." Hush couldn't tell if Crystalline was impressed or worried, "then again, Nine isn't exactly anyone."
Hearing his name, Hush then perked up, tearing her eyes away from the Hive and the Revenants and started searching the room for any sign of the Exo. It didn't take her long to spot the familiar white clad form, curled up in a corner of the room, head buried into his knees.
Worry filtered into her senses, Hush decided to take initiative, approaching and ignoring the a pair of Revenants obviously standing guard over the Exo's prone form.
As if on cue, a small flash of light materialized just above the Chosen's form, Hush barely pausing in time to connect with the frustrated optic of Nervous-But-Trustworthy-Sunny Day.
"How many times do I have to say it!? Nine and Knight are – oh, Hush. It's just you."
The frustration that was in their white optic vanished, and Hush saw relief take its place, sensing the stress oozing off their core as the tension left their shell.
"What happened?" Crystalline voiced the obvious question.
Instead of receiving an immediate answer, Hush looked on as Day glanced back at Knight, let out a heavy breath, and then shrugged.
"I wasn't here for the entirety of the fight but, according to them." The Ghost nodded towards the nearby Revenants; Hush can see them take a quick glance but quickly went back to attention, "the fight between Nine and Odorata was short but brutal. It was clear that they were trying to kill each other." Hush winced at that, "But, then Nine came to a halt, as if something or someone was holding them back."
"Knight." Crystalline clarified.
Day nodded, "The Revenants said that he spoke to 'himself' for a while before he just broke down, crying."
Blinking at the Ghost, Hush raised a brow. Beside her, she can see Crystalline do the star equivalent of one as well.
"Crying?" She heard her star repeat, "Now why would Nine be crying?"
"It was Knight who was crying." Day corrected before they sighed again, "and the reason, well…" They scrunched their shell together, almost as if trying to appear smaller, "Knight keeps telling me that Nine is, well, gone."
Hush blinked. Waited. And then blinked again.
Gone? She finally raised her hand and signed, What do you mean gone?
Another shrug from Day, "According to Knight, the two got into a fight and well, he said something that hurt Nine. Badly."
Hurt Nine?
The usual expressionless, hardly emotional Exo, hurt?
As Hush tried to wrap her mind around Day's words, she heard Crystalline glide subtly closer.
"Wait." She heard her star say, "You're saying that Knight actually hurt Nine's feelings?"
"Yes?" Even without the way their optic furrowed, shell pressed against their core, Hush can tell just from Day's tone that even they were uncertain, "Look, I know Nine can be a be stone-faced- "
"That's an understatement."
"But he really is an emotional individual when you really get to know him." Hush shoved down her amusement at the casual way Day shrugged off Crystalline's words, struggling especially when her star gave them a blank stare, "Nonetheless, from what I can gather from Knight, Nine apparently cut off his connection with him."
That made Hush physically sputter, her eyes wide as she heard her star wheeze next to her.
"Cut him off? Can he do that!?" Hush does not blame Crystalline for shouting, "I mean they share a body, how can Nine cut him off?"
Another sigh, another shrug from Day.
"Look." They started, "I wish I could explain it to you, but so far, it's the truth."
"And you know this how?" Crystalline practically demanded.
"Because despite the fact that Knight is right in front of me, I can't feel him." Day answered, "At all."
Hush took a sharp breath. Crystalline went quiet next to her.
"You mean you can't feel Nine?" She heard her star ask.
There is a side-to-side shake from Day, "No, I can feel Nine perfectly fine, right there in our bond where he's always been. I just…" Day's shell deflated, "It's just Knight's and I do not understand how."
Unable to fully comprehend the severity of the situation, Hush then caught from the corner of her eyes Crystalline gliding forward.
"Have you tried asking Nine?" Her star asked.
A bitter laugh was her answer.
"Do you think I haven't tried?" Day's shell subtly flared, "I kept pulling on our bond, asking him why but all I received was silence." There is a huff from Day, "and he's awake and well, just refusing to answer."
"Likely upset over Knight's words." Hush heard Crystalline murmur, "What did he say exactly?"
Once again, Hush watched as Day's shell pressed against their core and their optic narrowed.
"No idea." The star admitted.
There is a beat of silence.
"You didn't ask?" Crystalline broke it.
"How can I when I can't sense his mind in mine!?" Day protested, "Do you know how strange it is to see one of your Guardians sitting in front of you but unable to feel anything when reaching out!?" The white star huffed, "Asking how Nine's feelings were hurt was the last thing on my mind, okay?"
Their answer was one that Crystalline was obviously not wanting to hear, for Hush saw her shell shift against her core, the shimmer of darkness shifting actively against lavender.
"Then perhaps you have to focus on your real Guardian."
The implications behind Crystalline's words made Hush snap her eyes towards her star, so fast and quick that pain bloomed from the movement. She ignored the throbbing to keep her wide eyes upon her star. And nearby, Hush can sense the dark look that Day sent Crystalline's way.
"Excuse me?" A quick glance showed Day's shell bristling, "Nine and Knight are my Guardians. How dare you incite that Knight is a fake!"
"Then how else are you going to explain how your bond with Knight is cut while as the one with Nine's still resonates strongly?" Crystalline retorted, "You said that Nine cut Knight off, correct? And now you are cut off from Knight, understand?"
"I just – " Day stuttered, "It's just coincidence – "
"Day." Crystalline cut him off, "Has it ever occurred to you that there is a reason why Knight cannot handle the light well?" Hush looked on with worry as her star glided closer to Day, just coming to a stop just short of her fellow star, "Perhaps it is because Nine has been lending him power, not because he is chosen."
That is when Hush saw it.
The brightness in Day's optic vanishing, the tension of their shell deflating, and their expression vanished.
Crystalline.
Tapping her star with the back of her hand, Hush looked on as Crystalline's shell deflated and a heavy sigh can be heard.
"I apologize for being harsh." Hush wonders if her star sensed the change in Day, "But never in the history of Risen, in the history of Chosen, in the history of both Guardians and Revenants that there had been two who shared the light. It's just…"
Hearing her star's voice fade, Hush fixed her attention back onto Day, her concern sweltering to the surface when she saw just how void of expression that they had. Their shell also is completely deflated, almost detached from their core.
"Try contacting Nine again." Hush heard Crystalline eventually murmur, "We need to sort all this out."
That is when Hush clasped her hands together, carefully fidgeting with her fingers as she looked intently at Day. At first, the star said nothing, absolutely nothing as their blank optic looked at Crystalline. Then, without saying a word, Day turned and vanished in a flash of light – likely disappearing into Knight's – or perhaps Nine's? – mind.
With no star to speak with, Knight's face still buried into his knees, and the two Revenants now practically blocking her both back, Hush decided the best course of action is to walk around and take a seat next to the Exo. Shuffling herself until she was pressed against the Exo's side, Hush then brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped one arm around it. Her worry grew when she looked up at the Knight, there was no reaction, no action to acknowledge her presence. That is when Hush turned to her star, lips pursed.
Crystalline, you were mean.
At first, hearing nothing from her star, Hush looked on as Crystalline slowly turned her yellow optic at her. And then sighed.
"Yes, yes I was." She admitted.
Hush gave her a scowl.
Why did you have to tell Sunny Day now? Hush asked, settling her into onto her knees as she kept her eyes upon Knight's curled position; still no movement, you could have waited until Shining Knight and Nine were happy with each other again.
That is when she heard her star huff.
"It was either we pull Day out of denial, or they will forever be living in the delusion that they have two Guardians." Hush's frown deepened at Crystalline's words, "and not to mention that we needed progress on as to why Nine decided to cut Knight off."
Hush let out a slow breath, You could have said it more nicely.
Seeing her star flinch at her words, Hush then decided to turn her full attention to Knight, the concern bubbling to the surface once more as she reached out with her free hand and placed a comforting hand onto his arm.
Still nothing.
Letting out a disappointed sigh, Hush finally tore her focus away from Knight and out towards the room, keeping note of the two Revenants in front of her – whose attention was now focused on her – and the Revenants that were still fussing over Odorata, she then started to hope that her Papa returns soon.
He should know how to fix this.
At least, she hopes so.