Chapter 12

I was sitting in the flier, getting chewed out by Arwick and Myala for running off without warning, when a flicker of blue caught my eye.

"Oh, thank the Mother Tree. She's back."

Drusera fully appeared—faint, but whole. She gave me a weak smile.

"So, so tired."

"You say she's back, Val?" Myala pressed, her tone a mix of relief and worry.

"Yeah, she says she's tired. I guess she's too weak to be visible to anyone but me."

Myala closed her eyes, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"Yes, I can sense her faintly. I'm so glad you're okay, Drusera."

Arwick nodded, but his gaze was sharp as he turned back to me.

"Now then, back to our discussion. Do you have any idea how upset you made Myala by running off like that?"

I shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Come on, Arwick, Drusera finally opened up to me. She wanted me to know the truth. She took me to her birthplace. Things just got a little out of hand."

"Valya… you are going to be the death of me one day." Arwick sighed in exasperation.

"Hey, don't yell at me using my full name. That's what mom always used to do," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

I twined tails with Drusera, even though she was intangible. She smiled faintly at me, her presence comforting despite her exhaustion.

"Anyway, so make your report," Arwick pressed.

"I'm not a soldier, Arwick."

"Valya!"

"Fine, fine, stop using my full name already," I grumbled, crossing my arms.

I handed over the datacubes, and Arwick read them over in silence.

"So, we've basically adopted a goddess into our family," he said, his voice flat, though I could sense the amusement.

"Yuppers," I said with a grin.

Myala reached out, her hand hovering above Drusera's thigh, but she missed and placed it about an inch into Drusera. She paused, then smiled.

"We don't care what the Eldan made you to be, dearheart. You are our beloved Drusera."

"Yeah, I tried telling her that before we went, but I guess she needed proof," I added, shrugging.

"Oh, Drusera..." Myala's voice softened, and I could see the empathy in her eyes.

Drusera's glow brightened slightly as she gathered enough strength to become visible again.

"I—I have more to show you."

"It can wait until you've recovered, hun," Myala said gently, reaching out to place her hand on Drusera's shoulder, but Drusera was already flickering in and out of visibility, clearly drained.

I leaned over to her. "Rest, hun. Twine your tail around mine and let me pull you along if you must, but rest."

She nodded and laid her head on my shoulder.

We sat in the flier, the silence thick between me and Arwick as he mulled his words, Myala's worried glances at Drusera growing more frequent as the shuttle hummed softly beneath us.

Finally, Arwick's voice cut through the quiet, sharp and frustrated.

"Valya, you just ran off with barely a word. Do you realize how reckless that was? Drusera is unstable right now, and you—" He broke off, shaking his head, exasperated.

I raised my hands defensively, glancing at Drusera who was still flickering in and out of visibility.

"Look, it wasn't like that. Drusera opened up to me, okay? She wanted me to see the truth.

We—"

I paused, then softened my rather shrill voice, my tone quiet but sincere.

"We uncovered… things. It just... got a little chaotic."

Myala pressed her lips together, looking between me and Drusera.

"She's exhausted. That much is clear. You took her to her birthplace knowing what she might have to face?" Myala's voice was calm but laced with worry.

I bit back a sigh, frustration rising in my chest.

"She wanted to confront it. I couldn't do this half-heartedly. You can't just pretend it didn't happen, Myala."

Drusera's faint form flickered again, her soft voice breaking into our argument.

"I needed to know. I couldn't move forward until I saw it. I... I can't forget what I was. But I want to be more than that."

Arwick softened at the sound of her voice but didn't let his concern slip entirely.

"So, what did you find?"

I dropped my shoulders, my expression serious now.

"Just the Genesis Chamber. The Eldan built everything on Nexus to create her—to create

Dru... as a weapon." I shook my head. "She's more than just a weapon, though. The Genesis Prime is supposed to be their ultimate creation. Drusera's the result of it all." Arwick's brow furrowed, his eyes narrowing.

"So, you're telling me she's the reason everything here exists? You're sure about this?" I nodded, watching Drusera carefully as she floated nearby, her form still faint.

"I saw it myself, along with some sort of Primal energy infuser. The Caretaker was there, the A.I. He... wasn't like he usually is. We had to fight our way through. There's a lot more I need to tell you, but... it's not just about what we found. It's about what Drusera needed."

Drusera's glow flickered again, and she spoke softly, the faintest edge of guilt in her voice.

"I have... more to show you, but I'm not ready. Not yet."

Myala leaned forward, hand hovering, then gently reaching out in the air.

"We're here for you, Drusera. Always." I smiled slightly, my heart lifting.

"Yeah. You're not just their creation anymore. You're our Drusera." Drusera's faint smile was barely visible, but it was enough.

"I'll show you more... when I'm ready."

Whenever you're ready, dear. I'm here."

I could tell she was still worried I might abandon her over her secrets, but I really wished she could trust me a little more.

But I understood. I knew what it was like to be in an abusive relationship, to feel the constant fear of being left behind or betrayed. Drusera had survived a thousand years in one. Trust wasn't something that could be handed out so easily after all that.

I was going to have to show her—over and over—that I wasn't going anywhere. That I would be here, no matter what.

We finally arrived back at Sylvan Glade, and I helped Drusera float back to our house. I snuggled her close, letting the warmth of her presence soothe me until I finally drifted off to sleep.

I was back in that golden room.

"THERE IS NO POINT TO YOUR EXISTENCE, ERROR. YOU CANNOT SAVE HER."

"Yeah. Yeah. Heard it before. Gonna do it anyway."

"SHE IS LYING TO YOU. SHE IS NOT A VICTIM."

"Don't believe you."

"YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE TRULY IS. SHE WILL BE YOUR DEATH IF YOU DO NOT ABANDON HER."

"Don't care. Don't believe anything you have to say."

"SHE IS NOT THE INNOCENT SHE PRETENDS TO BE. THE ELDAN SOUGHT TO DESTROY HER. SHE LIVES ONLY BECAUSE I INTERVENED."

"I must really have you scared if you're trying to make me doubt her."

"I DO NOT FEAR YOU, ERROR. YOU ARE AN ANOMALY, BUT INCONSEQUENTIAL IN THE LONG RUN."

"If that was true, you wouldn't be trying to separate me from her."

Those five flares of purple light appeared in the light column below her and glared at me. "YOU LUST FOR HER PHYSICAL FORM LIKE A FOOL. SO DECEIVED BY MERE

APPEARANCES. WILL YOU STILL DESIRE HER ONCE YOU KNOW THE UGLY TRUTH?"

"This is kinda pointless, y'know? She can make herself look like a slime if she wants. I'll still love her."

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

His mad laughter echoed as the dream faded.

I woke to find Drusera floating above me, no longer flickering. The happy smile on her face chased away the lingering remnants of the nightmare.

"Good morning. Feeling better?"

She nodded, her form drifting gently down to rest on me, her insubstantial presence overlapping mine just enough to feel like she was truly there.

I stroked her cowled head, just enjoying the quiet comfort of her recovery. Given how far we'd teleported, I guessed she could move herself anywhere on the planet—or beyond— but moving me as well clearly took a lot out of her.

There was a knock on the door, but I didn't want to move, so I called out, "Come in!" The door opened to reveal Stonebloom, the steady, practical consort.

"Myala said ya might still be worn out, so I brought ya breakfast, hun."

She bustled in, her flopped-over ears giving her a puppy-like charm. She scooted a small table next to the bed and set the tray down with a soft smile, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the two of us.

"I see Miss Drusera's not flickerin' no more. She feelin' better?" "I think so," I replied softly, brushing Drusera's head again.

"Good, good," Stonebloom continued. "Ya gave Myala quite a scare, ya did. She wanted to call in FCON to look for ya, but Arwick stopped her."

I sighed. "At least I did let him know what I was doing before I went."

"True," Stonebloom agreed with a light chuckle. "Had ya just up and vanished, I dare say she'd have called out the entire army."

She patted my hand. "Well, you two enjoy breakfast, and I'll come by later to tidy up." Stonebloom headed back to the burrow, likely going to clear the breakfast table.

Drusera watched curiously as I ate, keeping me company even though she didn't need food.

"I'm curious, hun. Can your true body eat?"

She looked startled but nodded. "I can, but it's unnecessary. I consume ambient primal energies directly."

"So, you could have used that generator thingy as a food source?"

"Yes."

"Would it power you up?"

"It would have to be directly feeding my physical body. This form is but a projection of my mind."

"I see."

Drusera looked down at her hands, her expression soft and vulnerable. "Do—do you truly not care that I am... artificial?"

I reached out, gently brushing her hand. "Hun, your origins don't matter to us. Your powers don't matter to us. Only you matter to us."

"I—I've never mattered before, only what I could do." She clenched her hands, her voice trembling. "Even my caregivers only cared about what I could do."

"They saw you only as a tool, Drusera," I said gently, taking her hands in mine. "But you are as sentient as I am. That makes you a person—whatever your origins."

"You—you're so unlike the Eldan," Drusera murmured, her voice soft with awe. "They were so cold, thinking only of themselves and their own aggrandizement. I have observed both Exile and Dominion before your arrival, searching for you. And even among them, you are... unique."

"Yeah, I've had so many people think that—that I'm something to be possessed. They wanted to make me their plaything or their trophy. I had no say over being born albino, or being pretty. Just like you had no say in being created as the Genesis Prime. But I learned how to be myself—how to be me, instead of what everyone else wanted me to be."

"Y-you… chose… to be who you are?"

"Not at first, no. I tried so hard to be what everyone wanted me to be, but in the end, I realized I didn't even recognize myself anymore. Then I met Myala, and for the first time, I found someone who just wanted me to be me. Someone who accepted me, despite what I was, instead of trying to turn me into their idea of what I should be."

"And so, you love her?"

"I do, but I'm not in love with her. She knows that. Arwick and Yaenna are truly head over heels for her, but I can't honestly say whether what I feel for her is love—or just gratitude."

"Love is... complex."

"Yes, dear. What I feel for you is intense, and I think it's love, but in all honesty, my past will always make me question whether what I feel is true love. That's why I let my actions speak for me—I can't always trust my own words."

"I think... your actions show love."

"Then I am glad you feel that way. I intend to show love, but I'll always be afraid of making foolish mistakes. I'm a dumb bunny, and I do dumb things a lot." She gave me a soft smile.

"Like falling in love with a Eldan construct?"

"No," I said with a grin. "I think that's probably the smartest thing I've ever done." She smiled back at me, but then her smile faltered.

"What's wrong?" I asked, concerned. "Did I upset you?"

"T-there's still so much you don't know."

I reached for her, my voice gentle. "I don't care, Drusera. I'm happy to wait until you're ready to tell me. I understand your fears. I've had them myself. But no matter what... it's not going to change my feelings for you. Don't listen to what the Entity tries to tell you. He's lying."

Her eyes widened. "H-how do you know what he's said?"

"Because he's a dime-a-dozen bully. All bluster, threats, and menace. All he's trying to do is tear you down, break your spirit, so you'll give in to him. He's not more powerful than you are, Drusera. You've kept him locked up for a thousand years. You couldn't have done that if you were weak."

"But he is so close to breaking free."

"Only if you give up, Drusera. He can't beat you straight up, so he's trying to get you to defeat yourself."

"I-I am not weak?"

"No, Drusera. And I'm not talking about your powers. I'm talking about your soul."

"My soul?"

I reached out gently and drew her to me. "Yes, hun, your soul. For a thousand years you held onto hope all alone. If that is not strength, nothing is. But you aren't alone anymore. You have a family who will support you now."

She buried her face in the crook of my neck, her voice barely a whisper. "I—I do." It wasn't a question; it was acceptance.

Her tail wrapped around my leg under the table, holding me tight. I simply held her, silently hoping she was drawing comfort from me.

It didn't matter that she was just a hologram made of light. In my arms, her body felt so very, very warm.

I needed a few upgrades to my equipment, so Drusera and I headed to Thayd after breakfast. My guard detail was bigger than usual—probably Arwick punishing me for yesterday. As we approached the city, I noticed more and more Aurin bowing respectfully as we passed, their disbelieving stares from before slowly being replaced with genuine acknowledgment. Drusera seemed to be in "public holo" mode today, and it looked like our people were starting to get used to her.

Then we reached the Arborial Garden, the Aurin district of the city, and I noticed Drusera start to blush.

Right at the entrance stood a massive 30-foot-tall Eldan statue of her, complete with rabbit ears and tail. The only difference between this one and the one outside our house was its size. Drusera peeked at it from between her fingers as our guard detail chuckled.

"Holy Mother Tree, how much did Myala spend on this one?" I asked in disbelief.

The head guard grinned. "Nothing, actually. The Council voted to put it here. Explorers have been finding them more and more, especially in Isegrol."

I sighed. "Well, at least she didn't blow the budget on it."

Drusera finally regained enough composure to stop blushing. Then, to my surprise, she turned solid and took my hand as we made our way into the market. She drew a lot of looks, but with our guard detail, we didn't get mobbed.

We wandered through the various stalls until I found a new tunic that I just had to buy. It was clearly modeled after Drusera's robes, with slits all the way up to the waist and slightly belled sleeves. Even the back was split for my tail. It only came to my knees, but otherwise, it was nearly identical—except it was a deep indigo, not Drusera's sky blue.

The shop owner stared in disbelief as I stripped off my current clothes to put it on. Then, it clicked for him.

"Oh, right, you're that tree porn star, right? The White Rabbit?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I get your autograph?" He rummaged behind his stall to find a clean piece of paper.

I chuckled as I signed the paper. It had been a while since I'd met a fan—especially a nonAurin one. But they did exist. To be honest, I was more surprised he hadn't made a bigger deal about the fact that I was tail-twined to a floating goddess.

We continued to hunt around the market until I found some knee-high boots that matched the new tunic, in the same deep blue. I also found some upgraded slingers, sleeker and more streamlined than my current chunky guns. I swapped to them and struck a pose for Drusera.

"So, how do I look?"

She giggled. "It's lovely. Did you get that to match me?"

"Yup."

Drusera put her hands on the tunic, and it sparkled for a second before the glow faded.

"There, it's now reinforced."

I felt it and noticed the cloth was subtly different. It was still flexible and soft, but it now felt almost like some kind of soft metal.

"Thank you, my dear."

She smiled, pleased with her work.

The guard glanced at my new boots. "Aren't you worried about those heels?"

"Do you have any idea how many years I've danced in heels like these?"

Sure, they were fairly high, but they weren't too thin, and they wouldn't sink into normal ground. Plus, they had a high-traction pad on the soles.

And, they made me just a little taller than Drusera when she was actually standing instead of floating.

He shook his head. "I'll never understand women."

"The arcane mysteries of fashion are far too much for the simple male mind to comprehend," I said with a giggle.

"I have always worn this." Drusera said, looking down at her robes.

"And they suit you perfectly," I replied. "They're absolutely lovely."

"Thank you."

"I love how they trail after you as you fly."

She blushed shyly.

Mother tree, she was cute!

"In fact, I can only think of one way to make it cuter."

"Oh?"

"Yup."

"How?"

"If it was see-through." I grinned.

Drusera gave me a mischievous smile and switched to Private mode. "Like this?"

Her robes shimmered, a wave of light flowing through them and turning them transparent, leaving only the borders remaining. They glowed softly, contrasting with the now barely there main body. Beneath the robe, her nude form was utterly exposed.

The head guard was facepalming. "Don't tell me that she's flashing you."

"Of course she is. She's adorable that way."

"Valya, you are unbelievable." He sighed.

She rematerialized, her robes now sheer but not fully transparent. She giggled, clearly pleased with herself. Her circuits flared, pulsing in time with the rhythm.

"Yes, dear, you are super cute."

We resumed walking and soon came across a stall where a Mordesh tech appeared to be trying to repair an Eldan device. Drusera looked at him curiously.

"A-Are you trying to fix that?" she asked.

He looked up at her and blinked. "Uh… yeah, but it seems to be dead. I can't even figure out what it's supposed to do."

"It's a protoplasmic healing unit. But it's missing its power source, and its diagnostic unit is broken."

He looked disappointed. "Guess it's junked then."

Drusera placed her hand on the device, closing her eyes. The unit beeped, and soon a small holo of the Caretaker appeared.

"I am Medical unit 90007. How may I assist you?"

Drusera smiled. "I have repaired it for you."

"Oh! My thanks. How does it work?"

"It is intelligent. Simply ask it to scan you."

The tech raised an eyebrow. "Okay, can you scan me?"

"Beginning diagnostics. Grismaran physiology detected. High concentrations of protoplasm found. Hmm. You seem to have a virulent virus of unknown type. I will need access to a full laboratory to synthesize a cure."

"Wait! You can cure it?!"

"Unknown. With proper diagnostic equipment, I predict a probability of finding an effective cure at better than 85%."

The tech's eyes widened. "Oh shit. I gotta get this thing to Lazarian! Lady, I don't know who you are, but thank you!"

"You are welcome."

The tech gave her a deep bow before turning and running off through the crowd.

She blinked after him. "Did I do something wrong?"

I laughed. "No dear, you did something incredible. If that thing was telling the truth, you may have just accidentally saved the Mordesh species."

"It is just a basic medical unit."

"It's an Eldan medical unit, Drusera. That means it's probably hundreds of years more advanced than anything we have."

The head guard chuckled ruefully. "That thing is probably going to start a riot in the Mordesh zone. Can't you go one day without being a chaos bunny?"

I shrugged. "You think I have any control over it?"

Drusera still looked a little worried. I gave her a huge grin. "You really did something wonderful, honey. Even if that device can't cure the Mordesh, I don't doubt it will go a long way to reduce their suffering."

The relieved grin she flashed at me was intoxicating.

We headed over to the FCON camp so I could try out my new blasters. At the shooting range, I quickly realized they were far more precise—more like sniper rifles than my previous blasters. The same firepower, concentrated instead of spread out. That wasn't a problem for me. After so many years of dancing, my hand-eye coordination was excellent.

The new tunic suited my mobile style as well, though the head guard fussed about my lack of panties. But it wasn't like I had worn any before under the shorts and crop top I had changed out of. I didn't care if I flashed someone doing acrobatics while dodging incoming fire.

I saw Arwick as I left the shooting range and waved at him as he was heading into the HQ tent. He did a double take at Drusera being in physical mode and latched onto my tail like a balloon, but that was to be expected. It was the first time she'd felt confident enough to fully show herself in public.

Or maybe it was because of how alluring she looked in her newly sheer robes. She wasn't indecent by Aurin standards—her robes covered everything—but they had the same semitransparent quality as fog. The solid borders glowed slightly, adorned with a dense circuit pattern. I found my eyes constantly trying to pierce that fog, hoping to catch glimpses of her beautiful body. She giggled happily every time she caught me.

I guessed she had figured out that her dress now exposed her flower, because she had started properly covering herself with her tail most of the time. But every so often, she would float right in front of me, bent over with her tail raised, "accidentally," of course. That she had realized it through observation was honestly impressive, but it also meant she had lost a tiny bit of her defenseless innocence.

But it also showed that she was deliberately teasing me—and fully aware of it.

We decided to take the taxi back to Sylvan Glade, and as we passed by the banners at the edge of the camp, Drusera stopped to take a closer look.

"This… is the symbol of the Exiles, yes?"

"Yes. It's kinda silly, but we love it. The Exiles rescued us from certain death when the Dominion sentenced us for the crime of giving food to starving refugees."

Drusera didn't say a word—just nodded. At the base of her robe, just like on the banner, the Exiles' skull and gear symbol appeared.

I wondered what the Dominion would think when they saw that symbol on Drusera's statues all over the planet.

We were halfway home in the cab when my comm beeped. It was Arwick calling.

"Valya! What the hell did you do?"

"Nothing, I just went shopping."

"I've got Victor Lazarian here, yelling about needing access to the Genesis Prime. And reports are coming in from all over saying that Drusera's statues not only have a tail and rabbit ears, but now they've got the Exile's logo too!"

That didn't take long. And why did everyone always use my full name when yelling at me?

"Tee hee hee?"

"Do not tee hee hee me! What did you do?"

"I bought a new tunic and boots. Annnnnnd Drusera kinda fixed an Eldan medical device for a Mordesh tech, and added the Exiles logo to her gown… And every time she does something like that, her statues mirror her."

"Valya, Valya, Valya… why do these things keep happening to you?"

"Dumb Bunny Luck?"

"That is not an answer!"

"It's the only one I have, Arwick." I said sheepishly.

"Alright. But if you knew Drusera's statues mirror her, why didn't you tell me?"

"'Cause it's kinda obvious?"

"I thought she was just changing the one by your home."

"With that giant statue at Thayd?"

The little holo of Arwick pinched its nose.

"Alright, that's on me. I should have noticed."

"I don't think she's doing it consciously. It might even be because they're meant to represent her, and the network is triggering it. I really don't know."

Drusera smiled at me. "The Eldan made them to represent me, so they should do so, yes?"

"Yup!" I gave her my best grin. That meant she was conscious of it. I wasn't going to ask her how it was done, though. I'd just chalk it up to being a goddess.

I patted her head. "You change every statue planet-wide, and you think you're weak?"

She blushed happily.

Myala was waiting when we landed. I gave her an exasperated look. "Please don't yell at me too."

She giggled. "No, dear, I'm just waiting for the taxi. I'm borrowing your guard detail to go tell Victor that Drusera is not a lab rat and to stop trying to claim one of my precious family members just because of his obsession with curing his people."

"Oh, tell him to be happy Drusera fixed that medical unit for them, and to keep his hands off my girlfriend." I held Drusera's hand tightly. "And warn him—if he tries anything shady, she might just make him suffer a sudden reality failure." "I—I would not wish to do that," Drusera said demurely.

Myala smacked my head, making my ears flatten to either side. "Of course you wouldn't, dearheart. Val, apologize!" Her anger was palpable. "Drusera is not a weapon!" Hoo boy. She was right—I had messed up.

"I'm sorry, Drusera. I let my ass do the talking just now. That was very insensitive of me."

Myala sighed. "Your cockiness sometimes gets out of hand, Val."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry."

"Just don't do that again." She sighed. "I'm trying to prevent a diplomatic incident, not cause one!"

"I just keep hearing about Lazarian wanting to treat Drusera like she's an artifact, and it makes me so mad!"

"So, you threaten him with Drusera as if she's a weapon? How is that any better?"

"It's not. I fucked up. I admit it."

"I—I don't want to be an unmaker… The Eldan were unmade, and I could not save them."

The sadness in her voice was heartbreaking. I reached out to hold her. "I'm so sorry, love. I did it again. I told you I can't trust my words. I get mad, and my emotions get all tangled up. I end up saying things that hurt people I never wanted to hurt. I'm really dumb like that."

"Yes, she is. She was so much worse back when she was being abused. She has some really deep scars, Drusera. I hope you can forgive her for being so silly."

"I am such a dumb bunny!"

"I do not think you are dumb," Drusera said softly, her face nestled in my hair. "I think you are a very wise person who sometimes does not fully think things through. But that does not mean you're dumb."

"But I hurt you with my thoughtlessness."

"That is not your fault, Valya. I—I have not told you everything you need to know. This sadness... it is my own fault."

"I don't care about your secrets, Drusera. I'm the one who screwed up. I'm no better than the Eldan. I love you, and yet I thought about using you as a weapon because I was annoyed. I'm worse than the Eldan!"

"You are not. You were angry for my sake. I… forgive you."

Myala hugged us both. "Neither of you is perfect. You're going to make mistakes. But we're a family. We do things together. I'll be here to chastise Val when she gets too silly, and here for you, Drusera, when you run into things you've yet to learn. No matter what happens, we'll get through it together. I promise." We both nodded.

Myala smiled. "Good. Now, I have to go, but you two go kiss and make up, okay? I see Drusera went and made a playful dress just for you, Val. Did you get that outfit to match her?"

"Y-yes."

"You both look wonderful. And thank you for repairing that medical device too, Drusera. Victor may be a pain, but he's got noble intentions. I'll deal with him. Don't either of you worry about him. He's my problem."

"Yes, Myala." I gave her a weak smile as Drusera nodded in agreement.

"Okay, I'm off! You two go make up properly." Myala hopped into the taxi and waved as it lifted off.

"How does one 'make up' properly?" Drusera asked.

"She's telling us to go have lots of sex, dear."

"Oh, then we should listen to her, yes?"

"If that is what you would like."

"Yes, I think that is a fine idea."

My lovely little goddess led the way to our house, where we spent the rest of the day making up.