So Familiar a Gleam: Conclusion

[voidtreckermods]

Time to leave!

There is not much of the city left, but the park is holding together as those anchoring help those who are not voidtreckers through back to where they belong. Monsters continue to attack and a little further out there is a battle of hearts and minds being fought with the mass of colours and chaos.

Eventually, after the bulk of citizens had been evacuated everyone with SCA's on would hear Jin-Roh's voice after a few frantic beeps, as Chiff aligned everyone's SCA's. "We are almost done here, if you are with anyone not tethered to a voidcraft get them to the evacuation point, as quickly as possible."

Anan pulls out of the anchoring point to call out to any defenders in the park. "Come on! Anyone who isn't a voidtrecker! It's time to go."

Luckily those off fighting the entity headed the message and made their way to the park as Jin Roh spoke again.

"Everyone else get ready. When we call it you need to leave. If you don't have your SCA on then get to someone who does."

As the last people rushed to the park Anan calls out again, through her SCA and outloud to the park. "You need to unanchor, before you can evacuate. Everyone be ready."

She goes in again though, because there are some last people, those from the large battle, getting through as another message was called.

"Almost there. Be ready. On my command..."

Anan unanchored again. "Quick everyone unanchor."

"NOW" Jin Roh's voice came through strong on their SCA's. Hopefully those with SCA's would grab those without.

There is some outside help as well, the train pulls anyone who is unconscious or still under the entity's control, forcibly evacuating them. This includes Wei Wuxian, Lan Wangji and Zagreus.

Luggage Carriage

There has been a mass evacuation before and that was crazy enough but since then the population of the train has almost doubled and now it is an extremely tight squeeze as everyone crashes into the luggage carriage at the same time.

The train jerks and rolls as they enter into the void at breakneck speed and again as they seem to slow, rather than speeding off though the void.

There's a crackling from their SCA's. "Voidtreckers? Voidtreckers come in!" Anan's voice. "Please tell me you made it..."

There's only a few moments of signal and soon they are flying though the void again, away from the strange non-world, the entity sealed for now. To new adventures, but first hopefully some time to recover from all that has happened.

Comments

[consider8]

"Y-Yeah..." Truthfully the fight took a greater toll on her mentally than physically, but it was the wake-up call that she needed. "Are... you...?" More than anything, she feels terrible for betraying her duty to a fellow voidtrekker. Worse so because Usagi was new.

[another_moon]

“Tired… but, I’ll manage.” Usagi replied. She looked away briefly before looking back at Mimi, her eyes shining as if she was going to cry.

“I’m sorry I hurt you…”

[consider8]

Eight gasps at the sight, lowering her gaze in shame. "N-No... it was... my fault. I... shouldn't have attacked a fellow Voidtrekker. We... sometimes all we have is each other and..."

She turns her head away, unable to face her. "I'm sorry. I am not deserving of your forgiveness. Only to say that I would try to make amends in any way I can..."

[another_moon]

“Don’t say that!” Usagi said. She pushed from her chair to wrap her arms around Mimi. “You’re right. We’re… we’re all that we have. We can’t hold ourselves down with that guilt.”

“You’re… you’re one of my first friends. I’m learning to trust more. Please…”

[consider8]

Eight squeaked at being hugged, not ready for such a display of emotion. She had gotten used to it a bit more in the illusion, but was not sure of how to feel being on the receiving end of it. It was... nice... and alarming. A pair of weak arms reach up and wrap around Usagi's back.

"Thank you..." She whispered. "I... didn't know you felt that way about me." She chuckled weakly. "But what a mess... you really could have made a better first friend than me."

[another_moon]

"I could have... but I didn't." Usagi said, whispering herself. "You and Kyoko were one of the first to meet me, so I have... feelings for the both of you."

She wasn't sure how to say such a thing. It was so foreign to have people she could confide in.

She grinned weakly at her. "Will... will you give me a second chance if I do the same to you?"

[consider8]

"Hmm..." She chuckled, ready to accept those terms.

"First... what was that thing you tried to do to me? You're surprisingly strong, you know!"

[another_moon]

"Ah, that! I was hoping I could either distract you by returning to normal and loosen myself to slip out." Usagi said. She pulled out her brooch to show it to Eight.

"I'm what's called a Sailor Guardian and this is what I use to transform. I was told there was more, but only one showed up. My abilities are increased by magic and the outfit I wear is made of magic."

She smiled bashfully. "...I never explained this to anyone. It feels so weird."

[consider8]

Eight smiled, privileged to be shared something so secret. So much so that she wanted to reciprocate. "I'm... not human. You may have realized that when you saw my octopus form. I'm an Octarian. My body is mostly made out of ink."

"You must be a powerful guardian. I think you could have defeated me easily if you wanted to hurt me." Even if she had her full powers, fighting Usagi would ahve been a tough battle.

[another_moon]

“Wow… you don’t seem like it like this but the other form…” Usagi said. “That’s pretty cool!”

Her comment caused her to tilt her head slightly. “I probably could have. But, I don’t want to. I prefer to talk things over. I’ll never give up on my new friends…”

[consider8]

Eight nodded. "I know that now. I didn't realize that then." Must to her embarrassment.

"You are kind, Usagi."

[another_moon]

“Thank you… and you’ve been kind to me, Eight. It would be wrong to not return it.” Usagi replied.

She hugged her closer, smiling widely as she did.

[consider8]

O-Oh... was that kindness...?

"I just provided information I would have wanted on my first day here. Anyone would do the same."

[another_moon]

“Perhaps, but… maybe I’m also a little clingy. I might be powerful, but all that power came with a lot of loneliness.” Usagi admitted. “And you sharing your secret with me has lessened that feeling…”

[consider8]

"But you seem so friendly...?" Eight protested. "Why would you feel lonely?" What was it about this girl that she didn't tell... that she seemed to want to share?

[another_moon]

"When I first gained my powers, I couldn't tell anyone about them." Usagi admitted. "I spent so long without another person like me that I felt... distant. Even my classmates seemed like strangers. And when I found the one person I could relate to... she left after our victory against the evil forces attacking."

She was starting to feel so much weight being lifted saying all of this, being able to confide in someone else that understood...

[consider8]

"Oh..." Mimi understood, twice over. In the illusion, the Mimi there was abandoned at an orphanage and isolated for her hair tentacles. And back in the real world she felt the isolation of knowing of a world that would see her punished if she were to voice her interest. A memory of two voices came to her, encouraging her in the darkest depths to reach the surface despite not knowing who she was.

"I am not a Sailor Guardian, but you can tell me anything you feel comfortable with sharing. I will not mind, but I may not always understand."

[another_moon]

"That's all I ask." Usagi said. "And the same goes to you. Please, if there is anything you want me to hear, tell me. I may not understand and I may not have the answers, but I don't want you to be alone, either."

[consider8]

"Hmm..." Eight wasn't really the type that would share of her own volition, but Usagi seemed to want to know a bit more, so maybe a little to share would be okay. "I... fought so hard because I left my home behind two years ago. When the illusion gave me a place to stay and feel safe, it felt... good. And when you came to try to wake me out of it, I... didn't want to."

She sighs heavily. "All I ever wanted was to go to a place where I could live a life that wasn't chosen for me. That I chose for myself. This train... this... obligation... is the last thing I would have wanted for myself." Above all, she hated not being able to choose.

[another_moon]

"Choices... destiny... no, I don't like that either." Usagi said. "I understand not wanting to leave, even if it wasn't real. I'm sorry we had to fight as well..."

She sighed as she looked down. "I chose to be a Sailor Guardian because others would get hurt, but later on I found out I was also a reincarnation, a princess reborn. That a guy who constantly appeared was not only a reincarnation of a prince but also supposedly my lover and that we were meant to be together... no, I couldn't accept it. I couldn't... didn't want it. It wasn't me, it was a lifetime ago."

"I don't like this train, either. I was going to do these missions by myself, just to get them over with, but... maybe we can do them together... we can't choose what to do, but we'll choose how to do it."

[consider8]

"That's what I decided, too, in the end." Eight nodded. "If I cannot choose, then I can choose to keep people here safe. They have been so kind and are deserving of all the help I can give them."

There's a sadness there, and a memory. When she took her friend to the precipice of the edge of her world, a part of her wanted to dive in with her. Would she have gone free? Did she missed her chance to go home?

She shook her head. "Your story sounds... sad. I'm sorry for you."

[another_moon]

"It's long, complicated and sad, but... it's not me anymore." Usagi said. "I'm not held down by that past and if I want to fall in love, I can do it on my own terms."

She smiled widely as she looked at Eight. "I feel... so much better now."

[consider8]

She can't help herself and smiles toothily, her two asymmetrical fangs visible. She's happy when she sees other people happy. "Veemo!" And gives Usagi a comforting hug.

[another_moon]

And as she's hugged, she returns the hug in kind, laughing as she did. "We're going to be amazing friends, I can tell." she said, pulling back and bashfully blushing.

[consider8]

"Mmm!" Eight nodded.

"Oh! Did anybody tell you about the discount pair of clothes from the spider? If you haven't, we need to go and talk to her. You can definitely get a new outfit before the next platform day."