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imabeautifulbutterfly · 1 year

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The Reunion - Part 34

Summary: Tala (Phoenix) and Echo clear the air; Cora and Fives have a heart-to-heart.

A/N: Hello Lovelies,

In honour of our Bad Batch eve, please enjoy this chapter of the Reunion.

I hope everyone has enjoyed their time with their family and gotten a well deserved break after the horrendous that has been 2022. Wishing you and your families an amazing 2023.

Love oo.

Italics - flashback

Warnings: Torture, mentions of blood, bruises, threats, implied explosion, angst, fluff, kissing, fear of abandonment, fear of failing, exhaustion, mentions of pregnancy, anxiety, mistrust, I think that’s it. If I miss any please let me know.

AO3 Link | Words: 6,075 | Previous -> Next

Main Master List | The Reunion Master List

PHOENIX POV

“… tell us where the Jedi is hiding…”

Tech’s face was bruised, his upper lip had a cut, blood trickled down his chin. A black eye began forming on his left eye, he had trouble keeping it open. His goggles that usually decorated his face were on the ground, facing him, the lenses were cracked, the red light was on still recording. A pair of boots stood in front of him, as a black cape blew swinging into view. “I shall ask one last time … clone”

“He doesn’t know anything!” Jaz had an expression of pure terror as blood trickled from the side of her head, a bruise forming on her cheek. Her usually pristine outfit was now covered in dirt and blood, her sleeve was torn from being jostled here and there.

“Then …” the dark figure turned towards her shrinking form, as she was forced to kneel by two troopers standing behind her, “ … perhaps you can tell me. Where’s the Jedi?”

“She doesn’t know anything! LEAVE HER ALONE!” Tech screamed, fighting against the restraints that held him in place, he reached forward with his body hoping to get closer to her, wiggling in place when the butt of a blaster smacked the back of his head, causing him to fall forward.

“One of you will tell us what we want to know, and once we find the Jedi and any who are helping her, they will all die along with that Jedi scum. Save yourselves.” The dark boots shifted between the two, a red light illuminating each face as the boots shifted.

Tech and Jaz locked eyes, she smiled as best she could despite the pain she felt. Nodding her head slowly, mouthing three words only meant for him. His eyes filled with tears, mouthing the same words back, before he took in a deep breath, “Barycir (deploy)” a bright flash covered the area.

“Tala!” Echo’s voice reached my ears, as he shook me, “Honey, wake up” my eyes fluttered open as I looked at Echo’s concerned face. His fingers brushing my cheek, “You okay?” A small warm breeze brushed over my arms and face, there were small bright lights floating behind Echo’s head, swirling in a pattern I couldn’t quite make out. I closed my eyes shaking my head, I blinked a few more times before opening them to see Echo hovering over me.

His eyes were full of concern, “You alright?”

“Yeah” I shifted as he helped me sit up.

“What happened?”

“I’m not sure … I saw something … I …” I rubbed the back of my neck, I needed to do some research in the repository, I tried to stand but my legs weren’t working properly, they felt weak and sore, “How long was I …”

“You were out for nearly three hours. You were floating, doing your meditative floating thing that you do, when the air shifted, everything went still as your eyes opened wide, and everything floating around you suddenly dropped and you came crashing down like a rock. I thought you were concussed or something but the scanner didn’t pick up anything.”

“That’s good, at least I was still able to protect myself even while I was unconscious.”

“So… you gonna tell me what happened?”

“The force … it showed me something but I …” I shifted again, finding my footing underneath me. Echo held my arms, making sure I didn’t fall again.

“What did you see?”

I shook my head, “I can’t … it’s all muddled … ” I motioned with my hand to my head, “I need time to understand what I saw.”

Echo narrowed his eyes at me, as though he was contemplating and calculating his next words, he let out a sigh and closed his eyes, no doubt doing his best to push down his thousand swirling questions running through his head, “Okay. What do you need?”

“Our bed and a giant glass of water”

“Done and done”

Echo carried me in his arms over to our speeder, placing me gently on the seat as he climbed in behind me, his arms caging me in against him, making sure I didn’t fall off. Usually, I’d go by myself to do a meditative retreat, however, the force kept telling me to bring Echo along with me. The longer we stayed on Armandine, the greater my connection with the force grew.

With one move, he started up the speeder, and before I knew it we were already half way through the forest and would be arriving back at our base.

The cave system, that had become our home, had grown more elaborate as I learned more about the crystals that grew on Armandine and how to use them. Enlarging the sizes of the rooms, and providing every room with their own refreshers. We were able to have a fully functioning kitchen, there were even another two layers for storage. Thanks to the repository, the crystals created a hangar to store our transports; keeping our presence to a minimum.

I’m not sure at what point I fell asleep, the next thing I knew I woke up on our bed with Echo lying next to me, his arms wrapped around me, holding me close to him. His soft snores filling my ears, watching him rest, filled my heart with an overwhelming since of happiness; for the first time since we had been together it filled me with fear. Almost as though every moment I spent with him was fleeting, something I wouldn’t be able to hold on to; I’m not sure where the fear stemmed from, maybe it was the vision I had.

I closed my eyes for a brief second, trying to quell the fear that was rising in my heart, when flashes of Tech and Jaz beaten and bruised filled my mind. The vision I had before playing out in clarity.

The feeling of being confined, the anxiety rising in my veins, I needed fresh air. I shifted his arm, placing it gently against his stomach. After everything Echo had been through for me, he deserved to rest, to not have to deal with a wife who was losing her mind. I shifted out of our bed, grabbing my jacket, and headed outside.

It was hard to tell what time it was, the nights were longer on Armandine than on Coruscant or even Barab.

“What are you doing out here?”

Wrecker’s voice called down to me, I turned to see him sitting on top of the cave. There was a worried expression on his face, he seemed to be doing okay with the realization he’d be having twins, however there were times when fear gripped him completely. I wondered if this was one of those times.

“Couldn’t sleep, what are you doing here?”

“Same. Figured I’d keep watch, have too many thoughts running around” he motioned to his head.

Mere seconds passed, as I used the force to jump up to the top of the cave, shifting a little before I sat down beside him, both of us looking over the area. The sounds of the forest had started to sound like home, the rustling of the leaves against the wind helped ease the anxiety within my heart.

Silence settled between the two of us for several minutes, Wrecker was very different from his brothers. He was someone who was always optimistic, always up for a laugh, but there were moments when he was serious too. Moments when he was the more mature one out of all us, didn’t happen often but when it did, it always surprised me.

“Wanna talk about what’s got you stressed?” I glanced over my shoulder to look at him.

He looked up to the sky, taking in a deep breath, almost as though he needed every moment to get his thoughts together, he cracked his neck, taking in one more deep breath before shifting his focus to the horizon in front of us.

“Lur and I were talking about our adiik (children), when she mentioned babies needed blankets, kisses, formula, clothes, milk … I mean she went on and on. I thought for sure she was never going to stop, and it hit me …” he turned to look at me, “What do I know about babies? How am I going to be able to provide for not just her, but my kids? Can I even really take care of them? What about teaching them? It was … it’s all a bit …”

His rubbed over his scar, as he took in a shaky breath.

“Yeah, I could see how that would be overwhelming. I thought there were babies on Kamino?”

“Well, yeah!” He shouted, before covering his mouth in realization he was a bit too loud, “Yes” he replied in a softer tone, I couldn’t help chuckle at his adorableness, “However, I never took care of them. We weren’t really allowed to; only those kriffing long necks, and their medical staff were allowed to care for them.”

“Ahh … I see. You know Wrecker, what you’re going through is something very common among new parents. Not everyone knows what to do with a baby Wrecker, it’s not like you’re born with instructions on how to look after a child, but somehow you find your way.” I smirked thinking about my own experiences, “You know, back in the day when I was still a Padawan, my Master forced me to do a few shifts at the Jedi temple nursery.”

“First, there’s nurseries at the temple?”

“Well…” my smile dropped a little, “There used to be.”

“Oh … right.” He cleared his throat, “Why did he force you to look after the kids?”

“He was trying to teach me patience … long story.” I waved off the rest of that tale, “Anyway” I shook my head focusing on the hear and now, “I’d never taken care of a baby in my life, never wanted to, yet despite my objections Master Yoda said it was training I would need. Not sure why he said that at the time, but looking back at it, I’m glad I got to spend that time in the nursery.”

“What happened?”

“The healer in charge of the nursery, left me alone with ten babies, while she went off to deal with something else. Basically, at the end of my shift I was covered in pee and poo, the babies were crying, I was crying, food was spilled on the floor, the atmosphere was full of tension and chaos.”

“Wait, they didn’t give you any instructions?”

“Well, in fairness she may have tried but I was … I was adamant I could handle it, and didn’t really listen all that much to the instructions provided.”

“This is not making me feel better. You are as brilliant as Tech and Jaz, and if you struggled this hard …”

I placed my hand on his arm, hoping to calm him down with the force, “My point is, even though my first time taking care of the babies was the worst experience I ever had, it was also the best. There was nothing, I mean absolutely nothing those kids could throw at me, that I couldn’t handle the second time.

This is your first baby, Wreck, it’s different than what you’re used to and it’s absolutely normal to be freaked out. After all, you’ll be taking care of someone who is completely and utterly helpless. A baby can’t tell you if it’s tired, hungry, dirty, upset, or in pain, it has one option to draw your attention, and that is to scream. Scream at the top of their lungs until you can figure out what they need. They are defenceless. They can’t fight for themselves, can’t advocate for their rights, can’t clean up after themselves, can’t even hold their heads up. You …” I nudged his shoulder, “Are going to be their protector, their provider, their shield, and their hiding place. You’ll feed them, love them, care for them, and even if you screw up, if you shower them with love, and do your best to be there for them, they’ll know they are loved by you and that is the most important thing.

First time parents always mess up, even second time or third times mess up. What matters is that you try and show up. It’s not going to be easy, but you’re also not alone. You have Echo, Fives, Hunter, Myri, Oly, Omega, Cross, Tech, Jaz, Wolffe, Azi, Cody, Gregor, Rex, and me. You have an entire village having your back. We’ll be there to help you both.”

“Is that what happened with the babies at the nursery?”

“More or less, the healer who was in charge, told me everything I did was wrong, but she also told me what I did right, she said I never stopped caring. I constantly showed my love to those children and that made all the difference. I may have been an absolute disaster, but the kids were fed, they were clean, they were crying because they sensed my anxiety and concern.”

“But I don’t know how to do anything?”

“Your sister-in-law literally runs an archive, you don’t think she could find some parenting books for you? She probably already has every parenting book from the entire galaxy available. However, you have to find your own style, learn as much as you can, and see what works for you. Plus don’t forget, we’ll be here for you.”

I smacked the back of his shoulder, only hurting myself in the process and causing him to chuckle. I gave him a light shove with the force trying to get him to shut up, which of course made him laugh even harder.

“Thanks vod’ika” he ruffled my hair, “I always enjoy talking to you”

“Me too”

“Are you going to tell me what’s got you up so late?”

I let out an unexpectedly long sigh, “I guess.” I picked at some moss that was covering the stone, it was a few minutes before I had found the right words, I was about to open my mouth when a very familiar and noticeable presence came out of the cave and stood at the entrance listening to us.

“You gonna join us too, Echo?”

Wrecker glanced over to me, I smirked as I reached my hand out, closing my eyes and wrapping the force around Echo, lifting him slowly and carefully, until he was floating before the two of us. I opened my eyes smiling at my dear riduur, “Fancy seeing you here”

“Well imagine my shock and surprise when our bed began to get cold, when I opened my eyes, you were gone. No note. No message.”

The pain in his eyes stung me like a needle through the heart, I couldn’t quite look at him. Ever since he came back from from Skako Minor, he’d have nightmares of still being stuck in the cryotube. Having no one around him, made him think he was still there.

The anger at failing him built up inside me, as well as the pain of letting him down, “Sorry, I just needed time to clear my head. I didn’t mean to leave you alone.”

He was silent for a while, they both were, until Echo cleared his voice, and I started to sense his nervousness through the force.

“Uh sweetie, you gonna put me down?” I glanced over to him, he was looking at the ground beneath him, I winced out a sorry and shifted him till he was behind me. He adjusted himself, before sitting down behind me, his legs caging me in on either side of him. Without a second though, he wrapped his arms around me, having me lean back until I rested against his chest.

Wrecker shifted a little, before he stood in his spot, we both looked at him, my head tilting, a silent question as to where he was going.

“I … um … I need to walk the perimeter. Give you guys a chance to talk or whatever …” Wrecker motioned between us, as he rubbed the back of his neck, “Either way, I’ll be back. You guys keep each other company and don’t let me catch you doing anything I don’t want to see when I come back” he finished with a slight chuckle, I could sense his uncomfortableness through the force.

“Got it” Echo’s voice was tense as he answered his vod, his tone indicating he wasn’t in the mood for Wrecker’s jokes. He simply watched as Wrecker walked away, and turned his full attention to me, “I see you were about ready to tell Wrecker everything.”

“You can’t know that for sure”

“Really? Then you gonna tell me what you saw or is that information for anyone and everyone else but me?”

“Echo, it’s not like that”

“No?”

I wanted to answer him, and tell him his anger was unfounded, but all I could manage to do was entwine our fingers, wrapping his arms around me tighter.

“Do you remember the nightmare Tech had before they left?”

“Yeah…”

“I saw it.”

Echo stiffened as he shifted, “What do you mean you saw it?”

“In my vision, I watched as Tech and Jaz were being interrogated”

“What? Where were they? Who was interrogating them?”

“I couldn’t see, I know it was storm troopers and someone important, but all I saw were black boots and a cape. As to where they were … I’m not a 100% sure, it could’ve been Ord Mantell or it could’ve been somewhere else”

“Is this happening now?”

“No. It was further into the future. Maybe a month or two, might have been longer. I couldn’t say for sure.”

“Doesn’t sound ominous at all.” He let out an frustrated sigh, as his hand untangled itself from my own hand and rubbed his face, “Does that mean it’ll come true?”

“I don’t know. Master Yoda used to say the future is ever in motion. We don’t always see the full picture, nor what that vision really meant.”

“We need to contact them! Tell them not to stay on Ord Mantell.”

How I wished it would’ve been as simple as that, “Echo we can’t, as much as I want to, we can’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“How do we know that by telling them, we don’t enact the very future we’re trying to avoid?”

“Then let’s go there, rather than sitting around waiting for something to happen.”

“What if that triggers the vision?”

Echo let out a frustrated sigh, he shifted out of our hold, standing and pacing back and forth, “Well kriff Tala, what the hell are we supposed to do? Nothing? Just hope Tech and Jaz aren’t affected by your vision? Hope the Empire doesn’t find them?”

“What if we go there and someone else gets hurt because of our actions?” I responded standing in our spot, letting Echo pace.

“So…” Echo stopped and turned to look at me, his face quizzical, as anger bridled just behind his eyes, they bore into me with an intensity I hadn’t seen in a long time, “I can’t believe what I’m hearing. You’re telling me, you are perfectly fine letting them go through what you saw?”

“Of course not! How could you think that!”

“Well I’m wondering since all you do is shoot down every idea, while giving me no-win scenarios and you seem to be perfectly fine with that!”

“Oh! I’m sorry, am I suppose to be the one with all the answers! I missed that vow during our wedding!”

“No! I’m not saying you should, but come on Tala! You gotta give me something!”

“I’m giving you all I have! I don’t know what the vision means! I don’t know if it’s real or if it’s a possible scenario or what they’re going through right now! I don’t know! All I know is the force is trying to tell me something!”

“Great! Well that’s just great!” Echo’s anger was seeping through, something was bothering him.

“Why are you being like this?”

“Why? Why!” He asked stepping forward, “Let me think, you wake up after passing out in my arms on the way here. After, mind you, you were dropped back to the ground like some discarded piece of refuse during your mediation session, and what do I find? I wake up to an empty bed, no note, no message, it took me five minutes to calm down my anxiety, only to find you outside, perfectly calm and content, about to discuss your vision with Wrecker! Not me! Not your husband!” With each exclamation he jabbed his finger against his chest, “Wrecker!” He pointed to the horizon behind me “It seems as though you are willing to talk to anyone first, except me!”

I couldn’t believe my ears, it was the same argument again; about me not prioritizing him, about not putting him first. It wasn’t true. He was always first. I let out a sigh, and shook my head, I turned to look at the clearing before us, I needed a minute to gather my thoughts and to calm down the emotions running through my heart. I wanted to cry, to scream, to yell, but that wouldn’t have solved anything.

“Echo, do you really think I don’t care for you? That you’re not my first priority?”

Echo didn’t answer right away, the silence growing between us, as I felt a void beginning to grow as well, I closed my eyes taking in a deep breath, swallowing down the trembling that was growing, “Echo, I asked you a question, do you honestly think you’re not my first priority? That I don’t care for you?”

“I … what are you asking me?” his voice shifted it was slightly more tender; I could hear how his own emotions were trying to get the best of him.

“I’m asking, do you think I don’t care for you? That you’re not my priority?” I turned to look at him, his face looked shocked at my expression. He stepped forward, his hands cupping my cheeks, his thumbs wiping away the tears, I had unconsciously been streaming down my cheeks.

“Sometimes …”

“Echo you are always my priority. I didn’t wake you because you were so stressed with everything that happened, carrying me to bed, dealing with everything regarding me. I meant to leave you a note, but at that moment my own anxiety was getting the best of me and I just needed to breathe.”

Tears were welling up in my eyes again, I closed my eyes, chewing on my upper lip. I took in a deep breath, opening my eyes and focusing on Echo’s.

“Echo,” I motioned to myself, “I’m not a normal woman. I’m a force wielder and not just that, but an Armandite with additional powers on top of it. I am full of sadness, grief and anger that I carry around inside me every day because of the war, because of what happened to you, what happened on Ryloth.”

His face started to become blurry through the tears, “I’m angry, Echo! I’m so angry that I’m scared of what I might do, the last person I ever want to hurt is you! Don’t you get that! Being on Armandine has been …” I walked out of his hold, running my hands through my hair, “Being here with you has been amazing, but it’s also caused me to deal with everything I’ve been through. I never realized how hurt and damaged I truly was.”

I stopped in my tracks, closing my eyes, “Now that I actually have a chance to rest, not running for our lives every moment …” I took in a deep breath, “Echo every day I wake up, there is a sickening pain in my chest and no matter what I do it doesn’t go away. Not my priority?” I turned to look at him, “You are the only thing that matters to me” tears streamed down my cheeks, “I’m doing my best to stay together for you. I don’t want to be a burden for you. Yet, everything I do, every time I try to be the wife you deserve I just keep failing you.”

Echo closed the distance between us, and placed his hands on my shoulders, “I want you to be my burden. I don’t care about anything else. You are it. If you bleed, I want to bleed with you. If you’re hurt, I’ll heal you as best as I can. If you are burdened then let my shoulders carry the weight for you. I’m here Tala, I have always been here, let me be here. I knew exactly what I was getting into when I married you, from the moment I met you, I knew what I was getting. Have there been surprises? Of course, any relationship will have its ups and downs, and things we never prepared for. Yet, I knew all of that going into this with you and what I would have to deal with, and I don’t regret it. Don’t you remember our wedding vows? When I live, I live for you. If I die, I die for you. Let me live for you.”

I nodded as he wrapped his arms around me, I buried my face in the crook of his neck, as tears streamed down my face.

“I love you, Tala. Don’t push me away. You told me, I’m not allowed to push you away when I’m in pain, well you’re not allowed to either. Understand?”

“Okay” I mumbled out as best as I could; I wrapped my arms tighter around him, grounding myself in his warmth and scent.

“Let’s go to bed. Tomorrow, we can find a quiet place and you and I can sit and talk about everything. When your ready, we can tell everyone about your vision, maybe you just need to meditate more or reach out to Master Yoda.”

I didn’t have the strength, the energy, or even the emotional wherewithal to answer him back, I simply nodded. I felt his hands resting against my neck as he guided me out of my hiding place, he placed a kiss on my forehead, and on each of my eyelids. “Don’t worry, Tala; I’m here. I got you.”

- - - - - - - - - - -

FIVES POV

Lady Cora was fast asleep beside me, the soft Alderaan silk bed sheet covering her. Things had gotten a bit crazy during our last few days here. However, spending time with her had been the highlight of my time here. My finger brushed away a strand of her hair, it seemed to be tickling her nose, as she scrunched it up over and over again. I shifted from the bed and headed to the balcony, taking in theitching to go, especially Wolffe.

“I found her!”

Everyone turned to look at Wolffe as he rushed in with his datapad, Tech and I stood trying to determine what he was waving to us.

“See!” He thrusted the datapad into Tech’s hands. He spent all of two seconds trying to determine what he was looking at before his eyes went wide.

“She boarded some sort of transport” Tech responded, his voice a little distant.

“Exactly! In the middle of the chaos, she climbed aboard a transport.”

“Who’s that?” I pointed to the man holding her hand helping her climb into the ship.

“Tech that’s where I need your help” Wolffe patted Tech’s shoulder, “I need you to find out who he is.”

I let out a light huff, remembering how hard Wolffe squeezed his shoulder, the next thing we knew Tech was scrubbing every aspect of that footage along with Wolffe. Well more like Wolffe was hovering over his shoulder keeping an eye on what he was doing, he stayed that way until Tech found what he was looking for.

“Oh!”

“Oh? What ‘oh’?”

Jaz and I turned to look at Tech and Wolffe, he was practically growling as he looked at Tech’s datapad. “What are you guys looking at?” We shuffled over, the video file was paused there was smoke covering most of the view, in the midst of the smoke, there was the outline of a transportation. It hovered for a minute before it took off, but in that minute the door slid open, someone completely covered in armour leaned out, grabbed a hand and hauled another person into the transport before it headed out of the area. Tech had zoomed in on the armoured person hanging from the transport.

The armour was reminiscent of Mandalorian armour, but there was something odd about it. It almost seemed to be intentionally misleading.

“This armour is of Mandalorian design” Tech finally spoke up.

“Not just Mandalorian, though” Jaz added as she leaned over his shoulder, “That armour …” she zoomed in, “That looks like Commando armour”

We all turned to look at Jaz, “How the hell do you know that?” Wolffe narrowed his eyes at her, almost as though he was assessing a threat.

“Tech showed me all the different types of armour used during the war, during one of our dates.”

We both looked at Tech, “You showed her armour on one of your dates?” I asked not quite comprehending how that could’ve even been a date.

“She was interested in our armour” he shrugged as he examined the image again, “Not to mention, it turned into one of our more …” Tech cleared his throat, “Livelier dates. Getting back to the matter at hand, this armour is reminiscent of Omega squad, although it has been altered. However, my focus is on the transport. A modified civilian patrol transport.”

“What’s so special about a civilian patrol ship, Tech?” I leaned in, it didn’t seem all that unique to me.

“The fact it’s not a patrol ship.” Tech tapped a few buttons on his datapad and pulled up a program that scanned and examined every inch of the transport available, compiling and outlining every line and modification of the transport. “There seem to be a variety of different techniques here, all from various systems, Qiilura, Olanet, Gaftikar, Haurgab and Mandalore.”

“Those are quite random …” Jaz looked at the program, zooming in on one of the modifications, “This … this is a unique type of modification”

“That my dear” Tech smirked, “Is clone modification, a special technique we developed and passed on to other clones back on Kamino.”

“You’re saying Chagri was rescued by clones?” Wolffe’s face dropped.

Tech nodded, “That’s a good thing though”

“Good thing?” Wolffe’s patience was barely hanging on as his jaw clenched even harder, his muscle twitching, “Explain to me how her, being in the hands of clones who had their chips triggered a good thing?”

“Because I believe the clones that made these modifications weren’t affected by the chip, otherwise … why would they fly a modified transport? If they were affected they would be using the new Empire patrol transports.”

“Fives?”

I turned to look at Cora, her hair was a mess, yet it somehow enhanced her beauty even more, regardless of the fact sleep was still present in her eyes, “What are you doing up, mesh’la?”

She wrapped her arms around me as she snuggled into my side, the bedsheet that was wrapped around her warming me up as well, “I reached over and you were gone, everything okay?” She rubbed her face against my chest as I wrapped my arm around her.

“Yeah, just can’t believe we’re leaving already. Feels like I just got here yesterday.”

Silence settled between us, it was almost as though she wanted to say something, her fingers kept trailing against my side, it was a nervous tick I observed she had, we were only supposed to be here for two weeks, we had already stayed three. Rex and the guys seemed okay with the change, but they did recommend we hurry up and get to Ord Mantell as soon as possible.

“You okay?” I looked down at her, “Seems like you want to say something” she squeezed my waist, “Cora, you know you can talk to me.”

“Is there any point to say anything?”

“Never know until you do”

“Maybe it’s better if I don’t say anything; if I don’t say it, then I won’t get disappointed when I don’t get the answer I want.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to give you the answer you want”

“I know, but your path lies on a different one from me”

“Not forever, maybe once everything changes.”

Cora chuckled, “That’s a long time”

“I’m willing to wait” I held my breath, it was a confession that I hadn’t intended to make, but it was true, ever since I met Cora, things had changed for me. She helped me realize moving on from Shaak Ti didn’t mean I’d forget her or that I didn’t still love her, it just meant there was still room in my heart to love, to be devoted to one person.

“What if things become worse or … what if …”

“I don’t make it back to you?”

“It’s a thought. I know we haven’t known each other long, but there is something here, right?” Cora looked into my eyes, a smile gracing her lips, “It’s not just me, right?”

“No. Not just you. I think there’s something here too.”

She closed her eyes nodding, before resting her head against my chest again, “We have crap timing”

A chuckle escaped from my lips, “Yeah, we do” I cleared my throat, pushing down the bubble that was rising, “What should we do?”

“Why ask me?” Cora shifted one of her hands, wiping away the tears that were dampening her cheeks and my chest.

“I’ll follow your lead,” there was a look of surprise on her face, “Didn’t think that was possible?” I turned facing her, as her arms stayed wrapped around me, “Cora, you …” I smirked as I looked into her eyes, “You gave me a new perspective, a possibility I didn’t even realize could ever happen again. Therefore,” I tucked her hair behind her ear, “If you wanna wait, we can wait. You want me to walk away from you, I’ll walk away. However, painful it might be for me. I’ll follow your lead, but there is only one thing I can’t do…”

“Leave your family” she finished the sentence for me.

“I’m sorry. But I can’t leave them to face whatever might happen without me. And not just them, but my other vode are still stuck on the front lines; the Empire is using them for cannon fodder, and I can’t … I can’t walk away from them.”

“I know, Fives, and I wouldn’t ask you to, either.” She took in a deep breath, pulled away, wrapping herself in the bedsheet tighter as she began pacing the balcony. Every second the silence grew between us, my heart felt as though it was beating out of my chest.

She turned to look at me, a solemn smile graced her lips, as a look of defeat encased her eyes, “It’s late, we should probably go back to bed.” She smirked before wrapping herself even tighter in the sheet and headed towards the room, leaving me alone on the balcony.

My eyes focused once again on the peaks of Alderaan, it was too much to expect her to want me to make a life with her; it’s all great in theory but we come from separate worlds. After all she was part of a royal family, me … I came out of a container. Nothing about me is really real, not like Cora. I felt completely pathetic at that moment, I began to wonder if there was a point to me staying with her, or maybe I should just head back to my own room.

“Fives?”

I closed my eyes focusing on the sound of her voice, trying to keep it in my memory as much as possible, I glanced over my shoulder, “Yeah, I’m coming.”

“Good, I want to get as much time as possible holding you in my arms. If I have to wait, I want the memory of us to last until we meet up again.”

My mind couldn’t comprehend what I just heard, I turned to face her, “What did you say?”

“I said, I need as much time with you as possible, until we meet up again. If I’m going to wait for you, I want as many memories as possible.”

With three strides, I closed the distance between us, cupping her cheeks with my hands, kissing her with all my strength.

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writtenwyrm · 11 months

Text

The Ascension

A Slay the Spire Story, Part 34

All Parts

Ao3

Denial

Chanting. A few voices, tinny in the vastness of the Beyond, but definitely there. Who else could be up here, in this deadly void?

I followed the almost-musical sound around corridors until I discovered the source.

“Soon, our God shall be reborn once more, through me as her vessel, and those who killed her will suffer the consequences.”

The Chosen stood before a large stone slap, built from the artificial bones that grew on the walls. Beside them, two feather-clad cultists sang a rhythmic duet to accompany their loud and commanding voice. Despite an audience of only two, the Chosen spoke with as much gravitas as they had with the entire temple of followers. With a dedicated solemnity, they began arranging objects on the altar.

“The jewels of the departed, and the weapons of the killed.” They intoned, and even from here I could Perceive the two-foot long feathers that were arranged on the surface, laid down with what looked like a pair of talons as large and sharp as swords. For some reason, the sight of them made my skin itch, and I shifted uncomfortably.

“The blood of the faithful, and the blade of the sacrifice.” A thick dark liquid was splashed over the offering, and then they produced from their sleeve a long, two-pronged dagger. They held it up to the light, and I recognized it as the same knife that had been used in the temple to gather blood. The two sycophants chanted, a rising and falling murmur of unintelligible words. The blue beaked masks they wore made their voices sound distant and alien, but I knew that underneath were just two humans, desperately following the commands of their leader. Knowing that didn’t make the chanting any less eerie.

Rotating as if on a plinth, they turned and held it out to one of the two feather-clad cultists standing at their side. The figure jerked back in surprise, nearly dropping their curved blades.

“You, newly-born servant of the Phoenix, shall perform the honor.”

Hesitantly, the cultist took up the blade, setting aside their own weapons and holding it with both hands as if afraid to drop it.

Then, to my surprise, the Chosen climbed up on the altar and lay back across the flat stone. They crossed their arms over their chest, laying their head down as if getting ready to sleep.

“Now, my disciple. Do your duty, and you shall be rewarded for your faith.”

The knife shook in the hand of the cultist, and they hesitated, blade raised. The thought struck me that if there were any time to intervene, that time was now.

But then the dagger dropped, flashing in the torchlight, and embedded itself with a meaty thud in the body on the alter. The Chosen sighed, like the breeze on a bare mountain, and then fell still.

Nothing happened.

I stepped into the open, holding forward my staff. The two cultists jerked when I called out, “What’s going on, here?” and scrambled for their weapons. I noticed that only one of them seemed really eager to fight, the other settling back on their heels and retreating against the altar. That was good to keep an eye on as I prepared my stance.

The shift in my mind was subtle, but I was practiced enough in my own thoughts to notice the influence of the small gambling chip relic, stashed in my backpack. I scanned the arena–stone and walls and columns of spine-like stalagmites and stalactites–and quickly identified the routes I should not take, discarding the ideas and leaving room for better strategies to formulate.

I began my battle hymn, and the mummified hand of the Ironclad twitched in my pouch, clutching at the power I created with my lips, linking it to the senses—touch, scent, sound, taste, sight—connecting me to and mastering the reality around me. I was already sliding into Wrath when the Chosen jerked on the pedestal. They twitched and writhed, falling off the alter onto the floor, dagger still embedded in their chest.

Their outline was hard to follow, their cloak rippling like an ocean in a storm. The fabric swelled and stretched, and then it tore, and feathers spilled out, growing at a ferocious pace.

When they looked up next, it was to glare at me with piercing, wild eyes. Their face was no longer human, all beak and feather and howling rage.

“It’s you!” They screeched, and the sound cracked the walls, giving me pause. “You sniveling little bird, you stole my power! MINE!”

And in a way that felt disconcertingly similar to the Hand, I felt them snip off the trailing ends of power and consume it.

Their body swelled, and feathers sprouted in waves down their back, thick and blue.

I wasn’t sure what the Chosen was seeing through their transformation, but their eyes flared with light, and they staggered to their feet, falling forward onto all fours. They seemed focused on me, but it was also clear that something was terribly wrong with their head. They shook violently, like a dog trying to dislodge a particularly irritating pest, and light leaked from under their feathers and fingernails.

It reminded me all too much of what the Divine stance did to me. The memory of light searing me from the inside out, burning and consuming me for my blasphemy, dying from the backlash…

But while the Chosen screamed in pain, they didn’t self-destruct. Instead the godly power filled them to the top, like a cup brimming with pure water. Just at the verge of spilling over, and yet never quite losing its shape.

The power skimmed from me flooded into it, and I could see the feathers ruffle and grow, hinting at rippling, expanding muscles underneath. Claws appeared on their leathery hands, digging into the stone and throwing up sparks.

I had to make a choice. Use more of my own energy, set myself up for a long-term fight, and face an opponent who grew stronger in step with myself… or give up the power of my abilities and mental techniques and attack hard and fast, hoping that my opponent’s weakness would outweigh my own.

I didn’t like that idea. I would much rather trust that my skills would grow stronger faster than the Chosen could scale their own power.

So I continued on, chaining technique into practiced technique, all the while stepping to the side and keeping my opponents in view. The combination of the mummified hand and the gambling chip meant that, at least for the moment, I had total control of the battlefield.

I had just enough time to settle into my most important rhythms before the Chosen attacked.

They struck by lurching forward with both clawed hands, unable to stand up fully with the way their body had stretched. It put all their weight behind the blows, and though I blocked with my staff, I was forced to take a step backward, and then another, as they steadily overpowered me with their stolen strength.

Perhaps it was time to use and abuse that powerful new ability the Silent had given me.

DENY

to reject difference

I could feel as more power was siphoned away, making the Chosen even stronger. But at this point, it hardly mattered. I could feel as my tether to reality was stretched thin, and the idea of me sustained the truth of me. Whole, hale, undamaged.

The Chosen’s snapping beak closed on nothing, passing right through me. Unable to change me from what I truly was.

For once, it didn’t matter if I stayed in Wrath. The attacks of the Chosen were insubstantial either way. So I stayed on the offensive, abusing my temporary invulnerability to go all out. They staggered back, hissing with frustration and pain. “No, no! You are not worthy of it! You cannot–”

I didn’t let them finish. My staff crushed into their wide chest, and I could feel something give way. Not my staff. The Chosen rolled away, limbs flailing, and then came to a halt. I stepped forward, staff raised to finish the job, and then paused, humming Calm, when I saw it wasn’t necessary. They wouldn’t be getting back up, not in that shape.

Even so, bent almost in a circle, they turned their large, feathered head toward me and fixed me with one wide black eye. “I will retake… what is mine… someday.” They croaked. I could hear their ribs scraping against each other as they took a final, heaving breath. “I have… all the time… in the world.”

And then they stilled, and the fight was over.

I paused to catch my breath, looking over the warped body of the Chosen, now covered in half-grown feathers and stretched into a long, unnatural body. The feathers were blue. But it was not the shining sapphire of the Phoenix, or at least not what I’d expected. They were just… blue. Dull, lifeless feathers, a pale mimicry of the real thing. For some reason, looking at them made me angry.

Crunching gravel reminded me that I wasn’t alone, and I turned, staff raised in an implicit threat, battle hymn still thrumming in the back of my throat. “Alright, you two. This can end here, or I can put you down too. Your choice.”

Despite my bluster, I could feel my body struggling to stay together, the Silent’s power dragging at my connection to reality. I felt oddly like I was in a waking dream, and wasn’t at all confident in my ability to defend myself if the cultists attacked.

The two feather-clad cultists glanced sideways at each other, masks obscuring their thoughts. Slowly, they stepped backwards, away from me and my bloody staff.

There was a rustle behind me, like feathers sliding coarsely over each other.

I spun, dampened reflexes restored with a burst of terror-fueled adrenaline. Just in time to bring my staff up and interpose it between me and the snapping beak of the Chosen. It caught on the golden metal, giving me an all-too-close look down their gaping maw. Then I was forced backwards as they swiped at me, razor claws and beak attempting to hook my flesh.

“Stay down!” I was frightened and frustrated and furious all at once, and I let it out in a burst of Wrath, kicking the Chosen in the chest with the weight of my entire body behind the blow, sending them sprawling. They didn’t wait to finish rolling before leaping back to their feet, and this time I could tell there was something different.

This time, the Chosen prowled forward like an animal, stepping warily, but confidently, using all four limbs as if they’d been born a quadruped. Rather than shouting insults, this new creature simply hissed. It was a gutteral noise that came directly from the back of its throat.

The Chosen was gone. In their place, a godly beast stalked toward me like a predator on the prowl. Untamed, surrounded by enemies, wounded, and angry as hell.

Just like me.

I shouted the Word. My Word.

CLEAVE

to splinter

I flew forward, a hawk arrowing toward a hapless pigeon, primed to kill—

One of the cultists threw themselves in my way.

They held up their arms with weapons in hand, as if trying to ward me off, and cried out, “W-Watt, wait!” My whole body seemed to misstep in space as I processed the plea, thinking over the familiar voice. I knew that voice.

Liss.

I couldn’t stop the deadly power. It was already beating at the inside of my skin from the brief hesitation, thundering for its escape. As my staff sheared through the air toward her head, I pushed downward and outward. It struck her in the chest instead of the head, and I thrust sideways, trying to turn the shearing blow into a more gentle toss. She flew across the room, dropping her weapons as her limbs flailed, and then she landed in a pile.

I had to hope that was enough for the power to be satisfied.

I turned back toward the main threat, the power still surging through my bones as it sought out more targets. The Chosen met me in mid-air, but now the contest between us was entirely one-sided. My Divine will superseded their own, guiding me like an arrow through their claws, barely feeling the pain as they raked across my side.

My staff zeroed in, with all the weight of my empowered Hymn behind it, and speared directly into the wild, unfocused eye. Their head snapped back, and then they collapsed once more. Divine energy spilled from their body like water from a dam. It spread, and glowed all the brighter for a moment, and then cooled and dissipated into fragments of light, before finally vanishing completely.

Footsteps vanished down the tunnel as the second cultist ran away.

Slowly, the tension left my body, and I dropped to my knees. I was able to focus entirely on the second terrifying thing happening to me, as I still felt as if I was being dissolved into… not-me, whatever that meant. I hummed calm, training my mind on the image of myself, The Watcher, bloody and weary but whole.

The strain of holding myself together against the inexorable force of the Silent’s Word of Power slowly loosened its hold on me, and after a few long minutes, I was able to move again.

Liss lay motionless, and I crawled over to her, running my fingers around her face until I found the edge of her mask, tearing it off to reveal her pale, sweaty face underneath.

She wasn’t breathing.

“Hey.” I gripped her shoulders, shaking her slightly. “Hey, stop that.”

My voice was calm, which surprised me. Like if I was reasonable enough, she would gasp and open her eyes, she would stop pretending.

“Liss, wake up.”

She was dead.

I’d killed her.

I desperately hummed Calm, and the amulet around my neck lent me its strength. But the rhythm felt frantic on my lips, and it did little to soothe me. I could feel my breath coming in faster, uncontrolled, as if my own body was trying to compensate for the unbreathing woman in my arms by sucking in air twice as fast.

Why hadn’t she said anything immediately? Why had she waited until the last moment to confront me?

The answer was simple. She hadn’t wanted to see me. Hadn’t wanted me to know she was there, under the mask.

With her limp body in my arms, it wasn’t hard to imagine why.

I was dangerous.

“Poor child.”

A cold breeze rolled over the nape of my neck, and my hair stood on end. My hyperventilating stopped instantly, as if the words had a vice around my lungs.

“I try, and I try, but they keep slipping through the cracks. It’s all falling apart, one second, one hour, one era at a time.” The voice was silky smooth, like a whisper of sand drifting down a dune.

I turned, slowly,

Looming over me in a pillar of flesh was a… snail. Or at least that was the closest thing I could use to describe what it was. Tall and glistening, mostly mercifully clad in thick purple robes, it stuck its tube-like head down to inspect me. Thick whiskers ran over me and Liss, inspecting us with a gentle touch.

I knew, deep down, that this was an Ancient. A true Ancient, unlike the farce that the Chosen had attempted to create with their own body.

It took all I had not to strike at it instinctively. If my mind hadn’t been occupied almost entirely by the body in my lap—the body of the only person who had shown me any real kindness—I would have already been on my feet with staff in hand.

“Perhaps this one, I can still save. At least once more. Do you wish to try again, mortal?”

Liss laid limp and lifeless in my arms, unresponsive. But the creature paused, and listened, like it was conversing with someone who wasn’t there. “Yes, of course. No, no, there is no need…. Very well. I shall.”

Hesitantly, I held her up.

It’s mouth wobbled, and the feelers glided over her face as if trying to understand how she looked just from touch.@,

Then it inhaled, the expansion of some internal systems, similar but much more complicated than lungs, drawing in air and—

Liss flickered. Her face flashed, and I saw a vision of a younger woman, with soft cheeks and clean hair. Then she was old, with grey locks and with a weight like wet paper in my arms.

Then she was Liss again, as I’d met her in the city, and she blinked up at me. There was no sudden gasp of air, no lightning strike that brings the dead back to life. Just… there. Alive. As if she had never been dead at all.

“Watt?”

“I’m so sorry.” It was all I could think to say. I wanted to hug her and cry, but I didn’t. I was a stranger to her, really. A face in the crowd, a myth, even. But she was the only person I knew right now.

“For… for what?”

“I… I k—hurt you. I didn’t mean to.”

“When was this?” She pushed away from me as she sat up, wrapping her feathered arms around herself. “I don’t remember any… just when you… struck down the Chosen.” She frowned. “It’s fuzzy.”

“It has been undone.” The creature interrupted us with its soft, silky voice. “There may be… echoes, that you may feel or half remember, as if from another life. But in truth, it has never happened.”

Never happened. I focused my Perception at Liss, who was staring blankly up at the giant snail. Not to her, perhaps, but it had still happened to me. I could distinctly remember the feel of the weapon in my hand, and her weight as I flung her across the room.

“Now I must deal with you.”

The words snapped sharply across me, and I spread my Perception out instinctively, preparing to throw myself sideways to avoid an attack.

“Are you ready to come home, child?”

I very nearly fell over from surprise, thrown off by the non-sequitur.

“What business do you have with the Time Eater?” Liss hissed, rising shakily to her feet. Her voice held equal amounts disbelief and resignation, and I found myself turning away from her like a guilty child.

“I don’t! I’m on my way… up. Further. I don’t want a fight, and I don’t need…” Home? “I just have to go past..”

“No. You cannot.” It whispered, silky smooth. “For each time you do, it gets worse. You must listen, and obey, child. You have been through so much, away from your family.”

“You have me mistaken for another.” I stepped back, away from the creature. It was turning away now, peering into the dark without any visible eyes, and still speaking.

“I tremble to see what happened. I fear more what may happen, what will happen, if you are not stopped. Come with me, and no more will there be war.”

Another offer, just like the Champion, but the inscrutable face of the Time Eater didn’t leave me feeling safe with it. And again, I was being obstructed from my goal, from what I needed to do.

“I cannot. I have to go on. Don’t try and stop me.”

But when I stepped to the side, intending to walk around it, the snail-like creature flickered. It was everywhere, all about the room, all staring at me.

Then the image settled, and it was in my path, halting my progress.

“If you must be stopped by force, so be it.” The snail sounded sorrowful. “Every impediment to your progress is a victory I must take. So many dead. So many I cannot return. Even the Primordial Pair, the First Gods, only have just enough time to reform from the aether before you return to slay them again.”

I hummed my battle hymn, and once again, with the help of the hand and the chip in my packs, I was centered. I sorted through my stances quickly, dancing around behind the Time Eater with acrobatics that I hadn’t possessed at the start of my journey. I utilized the rush of adrenaline rushing through my veins, moving through the steps of mental preparation for battle even as I moved. My mental fortress, my mastery over my own reality, every little trick I’d picked up on my journey up the Spire.

I felt unstoppable. My opponent was a snail, struggling to even turn around and face me as I ran circles around it. I slammed into Wrath, prepared to attack from behind–

And then the shape of my enemy flickered, and all of a sudden it was inches away, as if it had always been there. I jerked backward as it lashed out one thick tentacle. But the attack wasn’t meant to land. Instead, a curling wave of power peeled off it’s limb and rippled toward me through the air, bouncing off each other like waves in a pond. I was forced to drop to the floor to avoid them, and even then I could feel the air pressure shift as they slid by, washing over my fingers. It was strangely insubstantial. But they’d still done their damage.

The hand on my staff was no longer a hand I recognized. Wrinkled, pale, frail, it clutched the golden metal with spider-like care. My fingers trembled from the effort of holding on tight.

If I wasn’t careful, I could very well die of old age. Normally, that wasn’t such a frightening prospect.

It meant I had to end this now.

I needed a moment to gather power, first. Luckily, I now had the perfect tool for that.

DENY

to dismiss entirely

Then, while three more waves of immaterial force passed almost harmlessly through me, I spoke the second word.

CLEAVE

to hew down

Then, violet light guiding my hand, I surged forward and attacked. My staff swirled and cut as if it were a great executioner’s axe, carving great wounds in the creature’s skin, cracking its shell-like covering, dancing over it and discovering weak point after weak point.

And yet… It wasn’t enough.

It was nothing but weak points, a giant body of soft flesh that bled and tore easily. But its strength didn’t come from physical prowess.

Between one strike and the next, it vanished, flickering out of existence and reappearing just across the room. It turned toward me, ponderously, and spoke in mournful tones.

“How many times shall we dance this dance? Endless, endless, waltzing on the edge. We cannot kill each other in a way that matters. Foolish, foolish child.”

To my horror, the creature sucked in a heaving breath, as if it were trying to draw in all the air in the room… And then began to heal.

Heal wasn’t quite the correct word, however. The slimy blue flesh didn’t seal its wounds so much as reverse. Skin slipped back into place like errant pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, and blood trickled backwards up its shell and returned to its veins. Within a few seconds, the injuries were almost gone.

And the power in my veins needed a target.

It turned inward, twisting, burning. The divine light started pouring out from under my nails, desperate to be used, but there was no time.

I screamed, hurling myself forward toward the Time Eater, a futile effort to use the power before it burned through me.

It flared, suddenly infinite heat and searing light, and my Perception flickered out.

And then it was gone, and stimulus flooded back into me. I was left steaming and shaken, but otherwise unharmed.

A few seconds later, the last of the Silent’s power fled me as well.

How? I was so staggered from the anticlimax that it was all I could do to roll out of the way as the giant snail flung more arcs of warped time in my direction. Had the powers countered each other? Was the Silent’s Word of power that much more powerful than mine?

Or maybe, the thought came, they complimented each other. A sword and shield.

I returned to the battle, reaching out into the ether to find the familiar foreign influence, grabbing at whatever ability it could give me. The Ironclad technique I seized was powerful, but limited by the target. It drew on my inner sense of Justice—though I knew enough of myself to know that sense to be heavily flawed—and thus it would be all the more effective against an enemy that had already struck me.

Luckily, if I was willing to stretch the definition of luck, I had exactly that sort of foe right in front of me.

“I have failed you.” The Time Eater murmured, facing a wall. “Just a hatchling, new to your power, and I let you down. I’m sorry.”

It felt wrong somehow. Striking a creature who couldn’t remember what was where in the timeline. It didn’t even seem to see me, hallucinating encounters with others and attempting to carry on a conversation with people who didn’t exist, at least, not right now.

Then it flickered, and briefly was in ten places around the room, retracing the trail it had already taken and the trail it would yet take. When it settled, it was *there,* inches away, reaching out with a thick tentacle. I dodged around it, feeling the rhythm of battle in my mantra of calm. Then, within it’s reach, I summoned Wrath and dumped the leftovers of my battle hymn into it.

My assault didn’t go unpunished, however. I waded through another surge of warping waves of time, feeling them splash off my arm and staff. The joints in my wrist started to ache, my bones suddenly stiff and grinding when I tried to move.

But it didn’t stop me from finishing the job. Blow for blow, blood for blood, I struck back.

My staff struck home, plunging deep into its fleshy head. And, at the same moment, everything… froze.

It took a monumental effort to tear my staff free and step back. The Time Eater was… motionless. Standing—as well as something with no feet can stand—at a sideways angle, not breathing or sliding or falling over from the inexorable pull of gravity. Even the blood was still in the air. I leaned in close, inspecting an errant spatter of gore where it sat at about head-height.

Abruptly, the scene flickered. It loomed over me again, whole and alive, reaching for me with one grasping tentacle.

By the time I staggered back, staff raised defensively, it had returned to the broken, frozen body. The blood moved slowly in the air, sliding backward toward the body it had just left.

I shuddered. Its power—the very nature and essence of its existence as the Ancient of Time—was attempting to bring it back. Undoubtedly it would work eventually, even the fatal injuries I’d inflicted flowing backward in time, sealing and disappearing like they’d never existed.

We cannot kill each other in a way that matters.

My hand ached, still wizened like a peach left in the sun. My skin was papery, and spotted with age.

I didn’t want to be around when the Time Eater woke again.

I scanned the area, but Liss was gone. She’d run away, presumably, while I was fighting. I couldn’t blame her. I’d killed more people than I could remember in her presence, that was all she knew of me.

I’d killed her, too, even if she didn’t remember it.

Frankly, murdering was all I could remember about myself anyway.

And I wasn’t done yet.

It was pulling me. Drawing me closer.

My final destination.

I followed.

—-

Tu-Thump

I could hear it.

Tu-Thump

Like a dream.

Tu-Thump

And there, at last, the source of all this evil was revealed.

Tu-Thump

A heart. Huge, like a building, dark flesh and pulsing veins, meat and tubes that extended upward into unknowable darkness.

Tu-Thump

It pulsed wetly with every pounding beat, and the sound shook my very bones.

Tu-Thump

I had to kill it. It was disgusting, meaty, dripping, vile, and I had to put an end to it. The truth of it thrummed in my bones with every pounding beat, telling me that this was the hated source of evil, this was what was tearing the Spire apart brick by brick, person by person.

Tu-Thump

I called on my anger, my hatred for this unnatural monstrosity, and Wrath boiled up inside me. It was stronger than it had ever been before, and the Heart was simply sitting there, waiting to be destroyed, not even fighting back. I lifted my staff, light in my arms, and attacked.

Tu-Thump

I struck and hit and bludgeoned, and every blow parted the grotesque flesh and spattered blood over the stone and over myself. It squirmed and bled profusely, dark red blood pooling like lakes under my feet.

Tu-Thump

But still, it kept on beating.

Tu-Thump

I hit and hit and hit, wrath thrumming through me, until I couldn’t swing my staff anymore. Until my mantra faltered, and I leaned on my staff with exhaustion.

Tu-Thump

No. No, this wasn’t right. This wasn’t fair. I sagged, gasping for air, limbs trembling from the sustained effort.

Tu-Thump

The Heart was dissatisfied with me. I could feel it’s attention, drifting away. Dismissing me.

Tu-Thump

I tried to speak the Word, but my tongue was too heavy, and my lips faltered.

Tu-Thump

Is this it?

Tu-Thump

Is this what I came all this way for? An unkillable monster that could simply will me away whenever it wished?

Tu-Thump

My weary limbs folded gently underneath me, and I fell to my knees.

Tu-Thump

Darkness overtook me as even my Perception failed me, and then the cold stone beneath me began to fade away.

Tu-Thump

I knew, somehow, that I’d been here before. That this was the fate of any Venture who got this far.

Tu-Thump

My journey was over.

Something shocked me.

A surge of emotions brought me to my feet like I’d been electrified. They pushed through my channels, fury, stubbornness, emptiness, keeping me grounded in reality. Keeping me focused.

Using my staff to stay upright, I staggered forward.

Where was the Heart? It was gone, as if it had never been. Like a dream, or a nightmare. An effect of the Beyond, where the imagined became real?

Instead, there was a door.

Heavy stone flecked with blue, sealed in the center with a dial. In the circle were three depressions, in familiar shapes.

I was so tired. My mind felt like a lame horse pulling a cart with no wheels, Thunk-thunk drag, thunk-thunk drag. It took me a minute to realize what fitted there, and then I dug around in my backpack for them.

Each key slotted into place, and I could feel the power under my fingers slide into the door. One for each of the Ventures, forged from their pain and left for someone else to find. For me to find.

There was still something missing, however, and I could feel the lock asking for it. Summoning the rest of my strength, I pushed my own aura into the lock, and felt it slot into place next to the others as if it belonged.

The door still didn’t open.

Was there something else? Had I missed an important step on my journey? I wracked my brain, trying to remember.

Would my journey end here, locked out of the final room that would finally bring me answers?

Then a fifth aura appeared in the door, a gleaming golden yellow to complete the complement of colors.

It came from the other side of the locked door.

The lock clicked, and rotated open. The doors slowly slid apart with a soft grinding noise, revealing the mysterious presence that was waiting for me.

“Hello, Watcher.” The Merchant said.

My weary body rightfully decided that this was the last straw, and I blacked out.

End of Act III

#Slay The Spire #The Ascension #Part 34 #fic #The Watcher

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