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“I was dying, but suddenly had a second chance at living.” – Shelley Fabares
-[-]-
Thu-thump.
Thu-thump.
Thu-thump.
The quiet double thud was the only thing that he could hear. He was waking up, he knew, he could feel it, but it felt like he was trying to swim through an impenetrable fog. As he broke through the fog, he blinked once, twice, three times, straining against a new day’s light. The owner took a breath – deep, shuddering, trying to fill his lungs – and descended into a vicious fit of hacking and coughing. Birds cried overhead, wings flapping as they were spooked away. Every joint in his body joined together in a chorus of cracks as he rolled over, chest heaving, stomach struggling to lose food that simply wasn’t there.“Oh no, no, no, no. This isn’t good. Please be careful, just – just take it easy.”He barely registered the voice as he rolled onto his back. His eyes closed again as his body shuddered, screaming at him to stop all of his movement, the muscles screaming at him, crying out for rest even though they’d been asleep for…how long had he been asleep? He breathed, shallower and slower, this time, more controlled. He didn’t cough. As his breathing returned to normal, and he felt the heaving come to a stop, he finally cracked his eyes open once again.Above him floated an orb. Small, only a little bigger than his fist, a single blue light at its center. Weathered polygons floated around the orb before they coalesced around the blue light. They moved as the little orb spoke.“Good morning!” The same metallic voice he’d heard was obviously cheerful. His hands dug into the dirt under him, pushing him away slightly as he stared at it, eyes widened and mouth agape. Obviously, it didn’t register his discomfort.” I’ve waited so long to find you! I thought I never would but…but here you are!” The little orb did an excited flip, letting out a little whoop.“What…what are you?” he slowly asked. Instinct told him to get away, but somehow, he couldn’t get his muscles to move.“I’m a Ghost!” came the enthusiastic response.“A…ghost.”“Yep!” The orb twirled around again before pausing suddenly, the light swiveling. It…was it looking at him?” You…have no idea what I’m talking about, do you?”He responded with a small shake of his head, sitting up straight. He winced as he rolled his neck, and more popping echoed through the trees.“Well…there’s a lot to explain then. Long story short, we Ghosts look for people who can channel Light, and we resurrect them to protect the last of humanity against the Darkness. We can get to details later.”“Right…” Sitting up fully, he couldn’t help but be slightly skeptical. Resurrection? Light? Darkness? None of that made any sense. Besides…people couldn’t possibly be resurrected.Right?“It’s okay! I know you don’t believe me. I promise it’ll all make sense. At…some point. I hope.”He chuckled slightly.” I’m sure it will.”He breathed as he moved onto his knees, crawling over towards the tree next to him. His legs were screaming. He gripped the trunk and slowly pulled himself up right, grimacing as he stood. He grit his teeth and took a small, experimental step, one hand still on the trunk.His leg gave out almost immediately. Or my knee…yeah, definitely the knee, he thought, gripping the joint. As if squeezing will solve the issue.“Here, let me try something.” The ‘Ghost’ fluttered around him before hovering above his knee. Wiping at some of the wetness that definitely wasn’t in his eyes, he felt his heart leap into his throat as a shimmering teal beam pierced the air and wrapped around his leg. His knee turned ice cold, then burning hot before cooling once more, the pain replaced a profound relief. The little orb floated to his other leg, repeating the process.” Alright, try that!”Apprehensively rising again, he tried another step. When he felt his foot hit the ground, steady as a rock, his heart leaped. He took another. And another, until he was walking briskly out of the trees. As he finally emerged from the forest, he held a hand to block the light; he lowered it as his eyes adjusted to be greeted with a sight from his wildest dreams.He stood on the edge of a copse of massive cedar trees along the shore of a glittering, idyllic lake, steam rising off the water that sparkled in the early morning light. Snow-capped mountains touched the sky in the distance. The dilapidated remains of a cabin stood nearby, desiccated concrete pilings coming up from the water in front of it. A hawk swooped low over the lake, talons trailing in the water. A heron waded out of the weeds, and frogs croaked and birds sang.It was so…tranquil. Peaceful.But somehow…somehow it still bothered him. He couldn’t remember anything. That…that shouldn’t just happen. And yet…here he was. With some little flying robot talking about the ‘Light’ and the ‘Darkness’. Nothing made sense. He just wanted to know who he was, why he was here, what had happened to him…anything would have been nice, really.“Do…do you remember anything? A name, maybe?” He looked over at the Ghost. The little orb seemed sheepish, almost.” I mean, I can’t just call you ‘Risen’ the rest of the time we’re together, right?”He snorted, trying to think. It was on the tip of his tongue…” Wolfram. Wolfram Siegfried Adler.”“That’s…long. How about I just call you Sig?”“I like it.” Sig eyed the orb questioningly.” What about you? Do you have a name?”If a floating robot could be despondent, Sig was watching it happen.” N-no, we…we Ghosts don’t really have names. Just identification codes.”Sig frowned. This little Ghost was clearly intelligent and was exhibiting clear feelings. Not giving it a name seemed just…unfair.“Although…” the Ghost looked up, the light blinked for a second,” you…you could give me one. That…happens sometimes. I’ve talked to a couple other Ghosts, their Risen gave them names.”” How about…Acier?”“Acier? ‘Steel’?” The ghost questioned; Sig felt like the little robot was frowning at him. Then the Ghost suddenly twirled around.” I love it!”And he was back to bubbly. Sig smiled before looking around again. His smile drooped into a frown.“ I do have one question.”“What’s that?”“Where the fuck are we?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“There’s truth in the edge of Light, and beneath that truth a deeper truth, hidden from all but a few. That truth is this: monsters need not fear the night.” - Nightstalker Grimoire
-[-]-
“Ugh, come on! Just five more minutes…”Her nose tickled, and she rolled over, curling up in a little ball; why was it so cold?“Come on. Eyes up and at ‘em, Guardian.” She groaned, sneezing as her hair brushed against her nose. She lay back down, then let out a yelp, leaping to her feet as icy water met her body.“Told you to get up, didn’t I?” That voice again. Rough, harsh, with a metallic grating. She glanced over, eyebrows raising, lips parting in shock as she found the source. A small, floating orb, speckled with rust, an iridescent blue light at its center. The orb, without warning, flew apart, little polygons hovering around the little blue light.” And please, don’t cut yourself on the metal. Infections are tricky.”She glanced down, felt her cheeks flush. She wrapped her arms around herself; stars, she was cold. She wasn’t wearing anything but underwear.” Uh, listen…could…could you…”The little orb’s sections stopped rotating for a moment, pausing in the air. The pieces coalesced, and it bobbed up and down.” I’ll be back. Wait here.” She snorted; like she would be going anywhere else.Glancing around, she looked down at herself once more. She turned her hand over – her skin was a pale, blue-ish purple. Not…white? Was that…what she had been? She didn’t know. She traced slender fingers over her arm, little swirls of light passing over her skin, some appearing at her touch, others a constant presence, ethereal patterns crawling over her. She stood there, mesmerized, until the floating orb reappeared.” Here, found you some stuff.”A moment later, after a blue beam had passed over her, she felt the weight and satisfying warmth of clothes wrap. Sighing with relief, she shook her head, tossing her hair back and forth. It felt so good to do that. Glancing around, she slowly picked her way through the tangled, rusted metal to stand on a sandy beach.The world was quiet. It was an eerie, yet peaceful quiet, something unnatural, yet perfectly soothing all the same. Waves pounded against the sand and rocks, the salt spray stinging her skin. Strands of her hair floated around her face in the wind as she gazed up at the clouds. Dark, heavy, ready to drop their burden on the world below.Storm’s coming. Big one. She gazed in awe at the ruins in front of her. Shattered towers of steel and concrete rose up towards the sky, a glint, every once in a while, warning of glass. Vines and greenery snaked up amongst the broken columns and windows. She could see the small shapes of birds flying between buildings, hear their distant cries.The place held something dark. She could feel it in her bones, every instinct telling her run. Run, don’t look back. Keep moving, get away away AWAY!“We need to move,” she whispered to the orb.“Agreed,” it stated,” but you should take the gun with you.”“Gun?” she asked, turning her head to look where the orb indicated. A revolver, just the grip sticking out of the sand. It was old, worn – the corrosion evident on its side – but the gold plating was still visible, what looked like real diamonds embedded in various places. She gently wrapped a hand around the grip, dug away some of the sand. She gingerly removed it from the sand, afraid to break or scratch it; even with the corrosion, it was still beautiful. A work of art. She extended a hand, sighted down the barrel, finger curled around the trigger.It was perfect.”Alright, let’s move. We need to find a way out of here.”“Agreed.” Tucking the revolver into her belt, she started the long walk up the beach, boots digging into the sand. They continued in silence for a time, floating and walking up the beach next to each other until they reached a decrepit sea wall.“Do you have a name?” The little orb was floating a little ways above her as she climbed, digging her hands into the cracks in the rock. She paused a moment, fighting for breath as the words struggled to surface in her mind.“Uh…yeah…Lyudmila,” she eventually gasped. She couldn’t feel her hands anymore. Or her knees.” Or just…wew…Lia.” She hissed as a piece of rebar cut into her palm, the burrs on the sharpened end sticking through her stick. With a last breath, she hauled herself up the last little height of the sea wall. She sat herself up, legs dangling off the side as she picked as she wiped at the blood on her palm.“Hold a moment. I can fix that,” the orb floated around to her palm, and a little blue light shone out of the orb’s eye onto the small cut. Lia stared, mouth agape, as the sinew crawled back across the cut, sinew knitting back together within seconds.“That…that was amazing.” Lia glanced up at the orb; she imagined that if it could smile, it would be right now. Smug, and prideful.” Thank you…I’m sorry, I don’t actually know what you’re named.”“Usually, it’s traditional for a Guardian to be the one to their Ghost.” The Ghost, as it was evidently called, responded flatly. The name came to her, seemingly obvious, somehow.“Veles,” Lia responded without hesitation.“Ah, yes, Slavic god of the underworld, water, forests, and earth.” His shell rotated excitedly.” Seems to fit. Veles it is.” Lia smiled before smoothly rising to her feet, turning to again face the city.“Need to get a move on. Storms coming, big one.” Veles vanished before she could reply, leaving her alone.’ Don’t worry, I’m still here. Little trick we have.’“Well, any idea where to go?” Lia stared up at the twisting, foreboding towers of concrete and metal. The hair on the back of her neck stood up; it felt as if the buildings were staring back at her, as if they had eyes.
‘There’s what looks like an old military airfield about twelve miles away. We could find something there – transmission equipment, maybe. Or some way out of here.’
“A way out would be nice.” She felt a raindrop splash against her nose. A brilliant flash lit the world, and thunder boomed not a moment later. Lia looked up as the sky opened up.” Well, fuck.”
-[-]-
The rain poured out of the sky, as if the entire world was drowning. Lia could barely see in front of her. It came down in massive sheets, wind hurling the rain nearly sideways.
‘Get out of the rain! This is useless!’
Yeah, you’re damn right. Ducking into a nearby building, she paused, trying to wring out some of her clothes. Not that it mattered. She was soaked to the core. And so, so cold. Her teeth chattered as she caught her breath; she rubbed her hands together, breathing into them. Any circulation she could get would be better than none.She ducked from building to building, trying to stay out of the rain as best she could. She could feel herself getting turned around; everything looked the same. Rust, decay, and death. All around. She needed a vantage point. Lia glanced around before ducking out a windowsill, back into the pouring rain. She began scrambling up the side of the building, gripping onto pieces of rebar and breaks in the concrete.Eventually, she pulled herself in through a window near the top, stopped to breath. She shook her hair out, water dripping into her eyes. Her eyes flicked around as she began to walk towards the staircase on the other side of the room. The feeling she’d had looking at the city from the beach was back…something was here with her, but where…?'Energy spike!' Veles cried as a flare of sickly green light exploded under her feet, tossing her in the air like a ragdoll. She screamed, felt her back thud against the ground moments later, and she shot to her feet, revolver cradled in her hands, pointing into the shadows.It was dark…so, so dark. Rain pattered against broken concrete and shattered rebar, the sun’s light struggling to do anything. Her breath hitched as first one, then a second, third, fourth, fif-dozens of unearthly screeches pierced the blackness. The screeches paralyzed her mind. She couldn’t think. She couldn’t think. What’s that…what’s there?! WHO’S OUT THERE!? She must have shouted because an inhuman cackle rang in her ears. My name…is Death…As the first creature lunged out of the dark, she let out an ear-piercing scream - and jumped straight up, as high as she could, grabbing onto a support beam jutting out into the gaping hole left from the explosion. Her arms wrapped around the rusted steel, and she hauled herself up as she felt the claws of...whatever those things were brush against her boots. She scrambled up the pile of rubble, launched herself onto the now-exposed roof as Veles whispered in her mind.
“Uh…please don’t stop.”
She didn’t stop to watch. As she tried to move forwards, her blood run cold; another awful, spine-tingling screech rang in her ears. Her vision darkened around her as she stumbled. Something held her back, a thousand hands gripping at her ankles, and yet…yet there was nothing there. She screamed - in terror or rage, she wasn't sure – as she willed her feet to push forwards, to do something, anything but stay still. Lightning crackled in front of her; she barely felt the scorching burn. Her lungs felt full, constricted to pinpricks; her chest was being crushed under some invisible weight.‘Come on, woman! MOVE IT!’ Taking a stifling, shuddering breath – she smelled ozone and…rotting flesh - she stumbled forwards. One foot in front of the other. Just forwards. Left. Right. Left. Right.Then suddenly she fell on her face. Free! She was elated - she could see, she could move, she could breathe again. She wanted to take a moment; just a moment to stop and breath, but Veles spurred her on.’ RUN, LIA! JUST RUN!’Lia risked a glance over her shoulder, and the horde was there. A screaming, screeching flood of rotten, decrepit flesh, gnashing fangs, razor sharp claws. Angry green eyes stared from the shadows. She scrambled to her feet and tore into the rain. She caught a glimpse of the next building, turned herself towards the edge. Taking a deep breath – in through the nose, out through the mouth - she put on a burst of speed. She reached the edge, took one last step.Lia pushed off, arms outstretched, those terrible screams filling her ears. She closed her eyes and prayed.Her eyes snapped open again as she felt palms grip concrete, and she launched herself up and over the parapet, sprinting as hard as she could, legs starting to burn as the lactic acid built up in her calves.Lia didn’t – couldn’t – stop, though. The horde was right behind her. She could vaguely hear Veles yelling, but Lia wasn’t paying attention. She was too focused; one foot in front of the other. One, two. One, two. One, two. Chanting the cadence in her head, she willed her legs to move faster, just that little extra bit. She made the leap across to another building, then another, and another. At last having some distance, she ducked behind a column to catch her breath.Hunched over, breath coming out in short, sharp gasps, she couldn’t see what was coming. Something impossibly strong clutched her throat, lifting her with an iron grip. Her neck was crushed as she tried to swallow, tried to breath, tried to speak - nothing worked. The thing choking her chuckled – deep, dark, satisfied. Excited.Three harsh, unblinking eyes – burning bright green, a sickly, ugly, yellow green – stared back at her. As she struggled, hands grasping at the claws around her neck, that deathly chuckle turned into laughter. The iron grip tightened. She felt herself slipping, her vision tunneling into pinpricks. She…she had to do something.Then she felt it.Something hot, fierce, wild, yet cold and unflinching. It was quiet at first, just a vague thrum in the background. Something rose up, deep in her heart, a tingle in the depths of her soul. She pulled it up farther, higher, welcoming the cold, welcoming the infectious call, the hunger. It seeped from her heart through her body, a sweeping, enveloping, consuming cold. She could feel it now; oh, how it hungered. Hungered for blood, for death, for everything she would give it. And more.She reveled in the call as she closed her eyes. The screeching of the horde fell away; the song thundered around her.Her hands dropped away from the thing’s arm. She twisted, planting her feet on its chest. She brought her arms out in front of her. Something solid formed in her grasp; the call strengthened into a brilliant song. The trio of green eyes blinked. roared, all pain and anger. She snarled as she stood, drawing the bowstring back once more.Draw, and shoot. The arrow punched through the thing’s head, and it disappeared in a gout of neon green flame and black smoke. The sight…it…pleased her. It was…the cold was satisfied. Yes…yes! More! Just reach a little more…Turning, she steeled herself, steeled her heart as she embraced the void’s call. Lia tasted salt and copper for a brief moment, then pushed the thought away. Now, I am death. There is no room for taste. She turned to the horde. Gnashing, clawing, spitting and sputtering, angered beyond belief. Just a single rooftop away. Time slowed; she drew her arm back, immaterial fletching caressing her cheek like a lover.
Cold, harsh. Yearning…touch just that little bit more. Just reach…
“I believe someone called in the cavalry!” A cheerful voice cried out in her ears. Veles materialized in front of her again, staring upwards. A blur raced over her, the shrill, angry whine of jets calling out. ‘No! NO!’ the void seemed to call. Something streaked from underneath the wing of the craft, trailing fire.Everything stopped as the horde vanished. The rooftop exploded in smoke and fire; pieces of concrete bit against her skin. The bow disappeared as her hands flashed up to cover her face.“I called some help. Sorry about the lack of warning.” The cold yearning fell away as Veles spoke, replaced by…emptiness. Her hands fell to her sides; Lia’s eyes stung. She knew, however, that they weren’t from pain. What…what did I just do? The heat roiled against her face, as she backed away.“I-I won’t…c-complain.” She shuddered out the words, arms wrapping around herself as she sank to her knees. Veles turned to look down at her.“It’s…it’s okay. You were forced to do it; there was no other choice you could make.” Lia snorted. As if that helps.“Come on. Let’s get out of here,” Veles urged, bumping her shoulder. Lia just shook her head, watching as the blur – a plane, or ship, she guessed – came around for another pass. The rooftop was swallowed in flames again, and the building let out an awful moan as the ship sped away. Concrete and rebar gave way, and the building rumbled as it fell. A cloud of dust burst forth from the rubble.
“I’ll stay in the area until you leave. Stay safe down there.”
“Come on, seriously, we need to go. More of them might be around here.” Veles was really urgent now, coming around to her face. Lia just shook her head. She could still feel the burn in her heart. The tingling instinct to draw, and rain down death upon the world.“Not yet.” The words were barely a whisper. There was a pause before Veles said anything.“Alright.”The whispered reply held more emotion than she thought would have been possible for a robot. She felt Veles settle down on her shoulder, a strangely comforting weight in the rain. They stayed that way for hours in silence until she finally found the will to stand again, Veles’ final whispered I’m sorry and Lia’s mumbled Me too the only sounds that were heard among the steady drumbeat of the rain.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“Whatever you have to do, just find an excuse to win! Keep going!” – Unknown speaker, Lone Survivor (2013) Intro
-[-]-The pained cries of her companions. Muffled gunshots and the dull thump of alien weaponry. Screams unlike anything she’d ever heard before echoing in her ears as she ran. Burning red eyes in the dark. Strange red and violet flowers, and odd white liquid that felt…alive, everywhere around her as she ran out of a tower of the timeless. The torturous pain as energy bolts lashed her side, her screams as they tried to take over her mind and body. It seared into her memory – it was all she could think about it. There was no before, no after…just…there.How long had it been? Since she’d first fled into that…place?She had no idea. Time had…changed, in there. In that…that place, that hellscape. Whatever it was. She didn’t understand it. She knew that if she tried, her mind would snap. Didn’t, but something in her was crying out, yearning to go back, to look harder. To untangle the webs and the mysteries, to pull back the veil and peer into the mysteries of the universe it had hinted at. That was exactly what it wanted.And, well, she just couldn’t give that to it.But now…now, blessed stars above, now she was free.
Free!
She could see the sky, that blessed, beautiful, sky filled by clouds the color of…no, don’t think of those flowers. Like…like a fruit. An orange. Yes…clouds that reminded her of orange rinds. She could taste the sweet, soupy air, thick with sulfur. Not like that…that dry, stale nothing in that tower. A heavy breeze ghosted her cheek through her broken faceplate. Heavy raindrops, fat with the coolest, most refreshing, clearest water she’d ever known splattered against her skin as she stumbled through the muck, collapsing to her knees amidst the shattered asphalt.She could have cried in happiness, in joy; it was almost too much for her to handle, all at once. Except…except for one thing.She risked a glance down as she paused, turning her hand – clutched against her chest – slightly. Her little Ghost. Inferno. Her one companion. Last companion. Fern’s little light, her brilliant violet eye, had gone dark months ago.It hadn’t come back on after that last flicker of energy.She squeezed her arm a little tighter to her chest, hugging her closest, last friend. The sting of pain was dull, now. She’d been dealing with it for so long, it had simply faded away into the background.But…that was only the physical.Heaving her empty hand forwards, she staggered to her feet, standing at the precipice in front of her. Her hand hung limply, her fingers twitching as she flexed dead muscles. She relished the feeling as her skin scratched against the rusted car she leaned against. Iridescent white motes danced in her eyes. She snapped her eyes shut, shook her head. When she opened her eyes again, the motes were gone. Just an illusion. A…a trick of the mind.She breathed, filling her lungs despite the omnipresent sharp, stabbing pain in her chest. The carbon stench of lava and the sharp tang of burnt matches filled her nose as her leg gave out, and she crumpled to the ground again. She grit her teeth, blinking away the few tears that dared to surface.Turning, she struggled to her feet and began to stumble up the millennia-old road. The muck was deep and thick, a disgusting stew of rust, dirt, broken concrete and asphalt in the thickening rain. A harsh surface for her already broken body.
Just keep going. Fight. Keep going. Just like…just like mama always said…
The words echoed in her mind as she haltingly trudged her way up the embankment. Even the slightest exertion, slightest movement made her body scream in agony. But it was an agony she was used to, one she’d been living with for…for…And still so far until she was…was…She had no destination in mind. She didn’t care. She just needed to be as far away from that place as she could. The hours dragged on. And on. And on. She still felt no farther away, no safer. That persistent call in the air, that call she could feel in her bones to go back was still there, coming from that place towered over the cliffs of the alien world.With a heavy sigh, she crumpled to her knees before collapsing in the mud, forehead resting on her arm.She wanted to give up. To lie down and rest, there amongst the raindrops and the cars.
Don’t give up, little ember…don’t ever give up.
She couldn’t give up. If not for herself, then the little being clutched in her hand, the Ghost she refused to believe was gone forever. Drawing a deep, shuddering breath, she coughed, tasted blood, and forced herself up right. She couldn’t walk.So she crawled.She thrust a hand forwards, dragging, clawing at any solid surface she could grasp as the rain slackened. Farther. Always farther. Never stopping, ever; to stop was to die. The hours bled into each other. She glanced towards skies. It was darker, now. Twilight. She felt her eyes try to close, and she forced them back open. No. Not yet. Not until Fern was safe.It had been so long since she slept.She heaved herself forward One foot. Another. And a third, before she finally collapsed, her face dropping into the mud. Rolling over onto her back, she heaved another breath, and just lay there, Inferno clutched to her breast. As she lay there the skies darkened to purple, then finally black. There were no stars. Venus hadn’t seen stars in eons. Oh, how she wished she could see them.Her eyes flicked down to Fern, still clutched to her breast. She was letting Fern down, she knew, but…but she was tired.And now, as she struggled to stay awake, eyes fighting to close, and rest.
No! NO! I can’t give up. Not…not ever.
She pushed herself again, still lying on her back, feet screeching disagreement as she pushed. She kept going, fighting against everything in her heart and soul, just so she could keep going.Wait. There…was that…?No, no, no. That was impossible. Wasn’t…wasn’t it? There – again, at the edge of her hearing. A…a voice. Was…was it…was it too much to hope? She forced herself over, coughing up blood as she wobbled to her feet. She cried out, her voice weak and scratchy – stars, how long had it been since she’d had a drink? – and it didn’t reach.She swallowed, and tried again, waving a hand in the air.
“Helllloooooo!? Is someone out there!?!”
“Yes!” she screamed, as loud as she could. There was a loud snap, her vision went completely white, and she collapsed.” PLEASE!!”She panted for breath as she realized…she was done. She had nothing left. Nothing left to give. She slumped into the mud, whispering to little Inferno…her Fern, her Ghost, her best friend. There were no other voices that she could hear as the world descended into darkness, flecks of blue glowing amidst the lava the last thing standing out in her vision.She thought she heard voices as her eyes finally slid closed – whispers caressing the last of her hearing. They were her imagination, of course. Her mind playing tricks on her. Or them. She didn’t care at this point. She was tired. And it was over.As she slid into unconsciousness, she felt an arm loop around her shoulders and one under her knees. As she finally, finally slept, she knew was being lifted into the air, and she thought that maybe…just maybe…she heard one final whisper.
“Don’t worry…you’re safe.”
-[-]-
Nine months later
Consensus General Hospital
Intensive Care Unit – Combat Injury Ward
She sat up straight in her bed, arms at her sides, staring out the window. Stiff, unmoving, like a statue. She’d been in hospital for nearly nine months. Nine. Months. She’d only been lucid the past three weeks. Her doctors had said she’d been in a coma for almost all of the rest of her time here, slipping in and out of limbo, teetering on the brink of death. She recounted the injuries and illnesses she’d been told she had.Radiolaria poisoning, radiation sickness, broken and fractured bones, evidence of multiple healed infections spread across multiple types – bacterial, fungal, viral, and prion – and moderate pneumonia, a punctured lung, concussions, a traumatic brain injury...the list went on. Most of them recent. How she’d survived, she had no idea.They said it had taken twenty-four surgeons and thirty nurses from nearly every discipline one-hundred-and-four hours in a marathon surgery to save her life. The only reason she hadn’t died en-route was because two Ghosts had poured Light into her the entire hour-and-a-half long trip from the Ishtar Sink to the Last City. The fact that she was still alive, they’d said, was a flat-out, undeniable miracle. She could have snorted. Some fucking miracle.Only one other person from her team had gotten, and he’d been killed by…him. Nine people, nine best friends had gone down there.And she was the last one of them left alive.Yeah, a miracle.Her eyes flitted over to her bedside table. Inferno lay there, unmoving. The same as she’d been for seven months. The Light, even this close to the Traveler – the orb hung just outside her window, its gentle curves visible even at night – still hadn’t returned to the little Ghost. At this point, she doubted it ever would. So she sat there, staring. Wondering. Waiting. Hoping, against hope.And nothing ever came.“Ma’am, you have…you have a guest.” The nurse’s voice surprised her, but she didn’t jump. Didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink. She flicked a finger in acknowledgement.“Please, just…be careful. She’s still weak,” the nurse murmured.“I understand.” The voice that replied was soft, quiet. And…familiar.
No…no, that’s impossible.
The nurse’s soft slippers faded away, his steps were muffled by the sound of sneakers, squeaking against the tile floor. Sara looked over, blinking; there was no possible way. There…it had to be a mistake.Her mouth fell open slightly as she saw who had stepped in.One person. A person who…who looked exactly like…her.Sparkling emerald eyes – muted but still glittering, tinged with a thousand emotions – stared back at her. They were puffy. Raw.She knew exactly who it was.“J…Jules?” she asked, voice a barest whisper. There…no, they had to have written her off long ago.Right?“Hello to you, too, sis,” the other woman said, the barest smile cracking her features.All the therapists that she had talked to, all the doctors, they had all been intimidated by her gaze. But this woman…she held her gaze, steady and unyielding. Raw emotion began to bleed from her features.“Sara…” The name was just a whisper, a reverent, disbelieving whisper.” Is…is it…really you? You’re here?”She was silent, just…watching. Her sister’s chest rose and fell in an uneven rhythm.” I…Jules…I…how…I thought you would…you would have forgotten me…”She barked a chuckle.” Not in…not in a million years could we forget you.”“How’s…” Sara swallowed, rubbing at the bandage on her hand. Her muscles cried out with the unfamiliar movement – she’d spent so long sitting still, she could barely remember what moving felt like. And her…her hand had been shattered, after all. It still hurt her.”…how’s…how’re the…the others?”Talking felt strange, too – like she couldn’t get her mouth to form words properly.Her sister moved closer, her lengthy red hair brushing against the rails on her bed. She wished she still had hair like that – they had to cut hers when she went under surgery, and it hadn’t been growing back in quickly. Jules gingerly placed her hands on the rail; one twitched, like she wanted to reach out.“They’re…worried,” she said, twisting a finger into her hair.” We…we thought…you just vanished, after you went to Venus. I…we thought you were dead.”“Well…I’m…not,” Sara replied, matter of factly. Jules huffed, wiping at her eye.“Yeah…you’re not…and…mom tried to come in and see you, when you were still…out. It didn’t go well.”Sara raised an eyebrow.” H-how…do you mean?”“She punched three nurses and nearly strangled a doctor.”Sara got out a chuckle before her vision went white and pain exploded in her chest. She coughed, taking in a shaky breath.“Do you…do you want to see them?” Jules asked.“T…they…they’re h-here?”Jules nodded.” I was, uh…voluntold to come in first.”Sara chuckled again, restraining herself this time; it still hurt.” A…Ainslee?”“You know it,” Jules affirmed.” I’ll…I’ll go and let them know its okay to come in?”Sara hesitated a moment – did they…did they really want to see her? Would they be able to handle it? Would…would she? – then nodded. Her lips finally – finally, finally – split in an oh-so-faint grin. It was barely there, but…she could feel it. Completely different; she hadn’t used the muscles in…so long.Sara closed her eyes as Julianna nodded, and leaning her head back against her bed. She was…she was going to see her family. It had been…so long…“Hey, Sara?”“J…Jules?” she asked, opening her eyes. Her sister smiled – Sara could tell it was…a little forced – briefly, then rushed over and pulled her into her arms. Julianna was light, careful, as if Sara was made of glass. She was…surprised, to say the least. Her hair stood on end, every instinct screaming to push the contact away, to reject it.But there was…a small part of her. One tiny, tiny part of her heart that told her…that told her it was okay. And that she was safe.Her sister smiled as she pulled back – it was faint, just like before, but this time, her eyes glittered like stars, and something in Sara’s heart snapped.“It is really good to see you.”
-[-]-
Sara rolled over again in bed, glancing at the clock.‘01:43’ the numbers read. She sighed into her pillow. She had fallen asleep right after her family left – the emotions she hadn’t used in nearly a year of…of real time. Sara had woken up thrashing – a nightmare, she knew, they were endless, now – nearly an hour ago, and couldn’t return to sleep. She opened her eyes; She could see the gentle curve of the Traveler through her window. It was so close…only a few miles away, but it was so large, she felt like she could reach out and touch it. Inevitably, her eyes flicked over to the counter.Inferno sat there, her oddly Harpy-like shell completely unmoving.Sara’s eyes burned. She wanted Inferno back; she…she missed the little Ghost. Inferno was the only one who knew what she had gone through, to an extent – probably the only one who would truly understand her. Therapists were…not really very good at it, she had found.She turned her eyes away, back to the pillow. She was so exhausted…but she didn’t want to go back to sleep. She just had to…keep her eyes open…She rubbed her eyes, eyes flicking to the clock. She blinked. 03:05. Strange. She’d fallen asleep, she knew, but couldn’t…couldn’t remember any nightmares. That was odd. Sara looked around her room, squinting in the darkness; all was quiet and still, just like the early morning always was.Her ears perked up. There was a faint sound, a soft whisper of a…a halting, metallic voice.“S…Sara?”Sara’s heart nearly stopped. She looked to the counter – there, just a faint flicker of blue in the dark.“Sara…wh…where…a-are…w…e?” The voice was weak, but oh, stars, it was there.“Inferno,” Sara managed to breathe as the light flickered again. It returned, stronger than before.” It’s…it’s really you.” It was like rain after a year in the desert – so wrong, so uncomfortable, because it had been so long, but still desperately accepting it, embracing it.“How…how…l-long…wa-was I gone? Wha…what happ…happ…happened?”“We’re…we are…home. That is…all you need…for now,” Sara managed to get out. The Ghost fluttered up into the air haltingly, then slowly flew over to Sara, the gentle blue scanning beam projecting from her eye.“I-I…I knew…y-you’d…get us home,” she finally stammered out as she floated over to Sara’s bed. She raised shaking hands to cup her Ghost’s exhausted form. Sara twisted to give the Ghost more room as she gently placed her where she could see the Traveler’s silhouette.“C-comfort...able?” Sara asked tentatively as she lay back down on her bed. Something in her heart – for the second time that day – felt like it slipped back into place. Just a small piece…but a piece, nonetheless.“N-now th…that we…we’re home…to…together…yes. Y…you di-did it, Sara. You won.”Sara smiled faintly as she held her closest friend, finally allowing her eyes to close to the low chirp of Inferno’s internal diagnostics, just a little less afraid of what sleep would bring.