DUET :Chapter 13:

“The Commander is ready to see you.”

Maggie and I look to one another as we stand, following one of the four female secretaries. She gestures to us to walk through the familiar large doors, the same I walked through during my first interaction with the Commander. As we enter the hall towards the large office room, I can see that he has changed some of the details since last time.

The view outside the floor to ceiling windows is the expansive hillsides and mountain scape, now a bit grayer due to the fading winter season. The grey light reflects dully off the now black books shelves flanking the window behind his desk, still stuffed with numerous books, some appearing different than before. The other walls are no longer metallic grey, now a strange dull pine, the script detail still painted in black. In response to the change in color, the furniture isn’t the same; the white couches and slick modern tables have been replaced with more rustic leather and dark wood accessories, different rugs with a more native north western patterns laying on the black floor. The only thing that hasn’t change are the pictures and drink set on one of the side tables, the chandelier, and the banners representing both Gelus and Vesperia hanging on the opposing wall of the Commander’s desk.

I wonder what made him want to redecorate.

Maggie looks completely taken back by the room, her eyes lighting up as she glances at the books lining the shelves. My brow furrows, and I lean over subtly to ask her, “What has you so excited?”

“These books, they’re all from my time period!” Maggie say with a hint of excitement of her voice, “I remember reading some of these; Great Gatsby, The Outsiders, Harry Potter; the entire series! Wait, oh my God, what's Binge?!”

“Hmm, what a coincidence. . . .” I trail, standing back up straight as the woman stops ahead of us.

When she turns back towards us, she meets my eyes, her dull stare very reminiscent of how she looked at me the last time I came here. She appears slightly more concerned this time, though doesn’t say anything as she gestures to one of the dark leather couches. “Please, sit. The Commander will be with you shortly,” she says, her eyes never leaving mine, “Make yourselves comfortable.”

With that, she turns abruptly and leaves, not saying another word to us. Maggie looks puzzled, and I sigh, using what time we have to sneak a drink. Maggie’s expression falters as she watches me pour some of the whiskey in a small glass. She speaks gently, “I didn’t know you drink.”

“I don’t. Not normally,” I reply, before I tip the glass back. The whiskey burns a bit as it goes down my throat, but it’s nowhere near as satisfying as the kind I drank in the capital. I finish it in a single drink, then look back to Maggie, who looks concerned. I grin, trying to look relaxed despite my true emotions, “I just thought I’d try it is all. Wasn’t even good enough for another glass.”

As I set the glass on a used dish, Maggie’s expression lightens, and she looks away, “I wouldn’t like you to drink. Is that bad?”

“No, my mom told me not to drink either,” I reply, “I got a letter from her soon after my birthday in Recens-“

“Recens?” Maggie questions.

“It’s a month,” I explain, “The eighth of the year.”

“Oh. . . .” Maggie trails, thinking, “So, August.”

I chuckle, “Yes, that.”

She grins a bit, “I didn’t know that.”

“Well, you were gone when it came and went, so I wouldn’t have expected you to know,” I say with a smile, “But trust me, Cent kept me busy enough.”

“Oh, I see,” Maggie says, the warmth in her voice draining. My eyes widen a bit as I watch her, her expression slowly morphing from plain to guilt, then a hinge of sadness. Then, she says quietly, “I really did mess up.”

“Huh?” I say.

She rolls her eyes a bit, running hand through her flowing blue curls. She’s in a standard day attire, simple matt color top and bottom with black trim. The top is cut a bit high, revealing some of her pale stomach, tattoos similar to the ones on her face circling around her belly button and the small of her back. Her hair is down with a bit pulled back, her bangs free as well as the two locks she wears in front. She’s cut it back to the regular length, ending at her hips in swirling curl loops.

“You know what.”

I blink, my thoughts stopped as her voice recaptures my attention. I meet her stare as she looks over at me, surprised to see she looks a bit upset. Though, I don’t get to see for long, as she quickly adverts her eyes and walks over to one of the couches, sinking into it. I follow a moment later, and sit beside her, allowing enough space between us to keep it from becoming uncomfortable. Putting two and two together, I know she’s talking about the invite incident. We both avoided the subject last night, and never spoke a word of it when we met up today to come see the Commander. I suppose neither of us are quite comfortable with the truth.

“Ah! LAPIS!”

Both of us are caught completely off guard by the juxtaposing tone of the Commander’s voice, Maggie even jerking a bit. She looks over her shoulder, then stands a bit so she can see over the high back of the couch, to reveal the Commander standing in another doorway, a smile plastered on his face, and a bottle in one of his hands. As he laughs, I make an instant realization; he doesn’t know I’m here. He’s acting far too care free for him to think I’m in the room. “My dear, you look well! So glad to see that the Detention Sector did nothing but enhance your beauty,” the Commander compliments.

Yeah, I’m not going to let him get away with this.

“Her stay in the Detention Sector is why we’re here, Commander,” I say as I stand, looking him right in the eye, “I’d like to know why such a thing happened in my absence, Sir.”

As soon as he sees me, his jolly persona shatters. His smile is erased by a blank look of shock, though he does his best to save his pride as he clears his throat. Immediately, he hides the bottle in his hand behind his back, making me a bit more curious as he walks quickly to his desk. Maggie glances over at me as I keep my eyes on him, watching as he opens a drawer and places the bottle inside, closing it fast as he looks through other things. He runs a hand through his receding hair line, then finally looks back at us, looking at me specifically. “O-Officer Jintez, I wasn’t aware that you had returned to Gelus-“ the Commander starts.

“It was a last minute decision, I returned late last night,” I state plainly, “When I got word of LAPIS’ status, I came back to figure out what had happened.”

“Oh, Jintez, you’re a fantastic image of a Class Zero Partner,” the Commander comments, his compliment flat as he tries to figure out what to say, “However, you had no need to return so suddenly to Gelus-“

“I disagree,” I interrupt, “LAPIS is my top priority. If she is in any type of danger or trouble, it is my duty as her Partner to make sure she is safe and taken care of.”

Maggie looks almost as shocked as the Commander by my words, but I hold my own. I know everyone else looks down on my instincts, but right now they’re hard to ignore. Alarms are going off in my head, my gut knotted the longer I watch him. Although there’s little evidence, the same notion keeps replaying in my mind; he had something planned. Maggie’s expression falters slightly as she trails, “Goro. . . .”

The Commander coughs, trying to ease the tense atmosphere. “Ah, yes, I see,” the Commander says, “That is good of you, Jintez.”

“Yes, now, what did she do that caused her to be sent to the Detention Sector?” I ask as I gesture subtly to Maggie to sit. She does as instructed, glancing between us as she sits quietly. The Commander deflates a bit as he looks over at her, then falls into his own chair, seemingly defeated.

He sighs, “Well, as reported, LAPIS led a protest against Gelus during lunch about four days ago-“

“Was she violent?” I ask.

The Commander appears taken back by my question, though quickly starts to shuffle through the papers in front of him. After a moment, he answers simply, “No she wasn’t.”

“Were any of the other persons involved acting violent?” I ask as I step closer, “Did any of them threaten the establishment of Gelus or any particular party or person?”

“N-No, not to my knowledge, they did not-“ he says.

“Did they really throw a tub of water on LAPIS to make her be quiet?” I question, now standing directly in front of his desk.

Maggie catches her breath, not expecting me to know that detail. The Commander goes a bit rigid, looking down at the papers ad evading my eyes. I lean over slightly, “Sir, could you explain that to me? Considering that her Kink is so severe, I believe that it would’ve been against protocol for them to use such a method.”

The Commander looks up at me, his steely grey eyes meeting mine with a strange mix of intimidation and venom. He speaks quietly, “So, you are aware of the details surrounding LAPIS’ incident. If that is the case, what is it truly that you want to know?”

I don’t respond quickly, trying to decode his stare. Though, my thoughts falter, and I sigh. “I want to know why her simply speaking her mind put her in the Detention Sector,” I reply, “We all know that the Jeweloids aren’t treated equally here at Gelus. Why does pointing out that fact make her or anyone involved a criminal?”

Slowly, still locked with my eyes, the Commander stands. He walks around his desk, glancing once at Maggie before back at me. His demeanor has suddenly become darker, a hint of menace in his eyes as his countenance is locked in a tense frown. He steps right up to me, shorter than I am by about an inch, though still somehow larger in intensity. His stare is stabbing into me, his voice lacking emotion as he speaks, “It’s been a long time since a soldier, Jeweloid or Human, has spoken such things to me. . . . Jintez, why do you think that is?”

I answer simply, “Because they fear what you’ll do.”

He raises an eyebrow, “Ah, is that so?” He looks over at Maggie, who just seems a bit scared by everything that’s happening. She meets his eyes, and she pales slightly as the Commander grins at her. “My Dear, you are the equivalent of royalty to the Jeweloids. They look up to you,” he says with a twisted sweetness, “By you protesting, those who aren’t as strong as you, or who have different ideals, will begin to act out. Humans and Jeweloids alike could be injured, or worse. You were made an example of not because you were in the wrong per say, but because those around you may get the wrong idea.”

“You scare them to make them do what you want, basically,” I comment.

The Commander turns quickly back to me, “Hold your tongue, boy. You are in no position to question my ways of keeping peace-“

“This isn’t peace, this is segregation-“ I interrupt, getting more intense.

“Isugoro, STOP!”

Both the Commander and I are caught off guard as Maggie interjects, now between us. Though faced towards the Commander, her back is pressed against my chest, making me step away from him. I can’t see her face due to the angle, but her presence alone is powerful. The Commander swallows a bit hard as his eyes move to her. “Miss, what are you doing?” the Commander asks, “You acted quickly to move between us, to defend him-“

“My motives weren’t to start another type of race war, Sir,” Maggie interrupts, before she turns her head so to look up at me, her expression serious, “And I don’t think it best to start an argument that you know you won’t win, even if your heart is in the right place.”

My brow furrows slightly, “But-“

“But nothing, Goro,” Maggie retorts, her expression softening a bit, “Please, for now, just stop.”

“Mag-“ I start.

“As your Partner, I insist you drop the matter,” she interjects, her eyes pleading, “Stop, Isugoro, please.”

She’s got me. I can’t argue with her face, she looks frightened, worried, but yet she’s still attempting to stand up for me. Her pleas echo in me, and soon enough, I no longer have the will to fight. I won’t go against her wishes. My fists loosen, I nod vaguely at her, causing her tense expression to ease, her shoulders falling a bit.

Then, the Commander begins to clap. Maggie and I look at him with a wary surprise, glancing at each other until the Commander puts his hand on Maggie’s shoulder. A jolt of anger runs through me, and I can sense Maggie’s discomfort. The Commander chuckles, “My, my, you certainly are good at taming him, my Dear.”

“I would prefer you not speak of my Partner like he’s a dog,” Maggie comments, her eyes sharp.

“Ah, well, LAPIS, all men, even the best of us, have animalistic desires,” the Commander says, his eyes meeting mine, “We fight for dominance, we act on instinct, and sometimes, we’ll do anything to claim what we want, be it power, or a woman.”

It takes all of my will power not to do something. He is being so straightforward with his gross thinking that it’s almost unbelievable to think he’s a decent man. Maggie seems to now be picking up on it too, gracefully removing his hand from her shoulder as she stares at him. “If you are trying to suggest that my Partner is delving into his basic nature, I’d request you stop,” Maggie says, “I won’t say that what he has said previously was the smartest given his position, but I will tell you that I won’t allow people to undermine the man I have chosen to be by my side in battle and diplomacy.”

The Commander looks surprised, “LAPIS-“

“Do not belittle Isugoro Jintez,” Maggie instructs, “Like he won’t allow me to be hurt or alone, I won’t allow him to be dehumanized or intimidated. I will protect him, as will all the Jeweloids, I promise you that.”

The Commander looks defeated as Maggie steps away, salutes, then takes my hand. I’m still in shock, though I bow as she tugs me away, leaving the Commander with her words. As we walk out, I hear him spit, “Damn that boy.”

Maggie says nothing to me as she continues to lead me out of the Commander’s private section and back into the main area of Gelus. Her grip on my hand is tight, her palm sweating despite her professional appearance. My brow furrows, and I quickly move so that we walk side by side. I gently release my hand, and once our grips leave, she stops. I pause, cautious as I turn slightly to look over her. She looks frazzled, her breathing a bit shallow as her face a bit paler. My expression falls to a concerned look as I look around, spotting a corner off the main hall. I retake her hand and lead her to the private area, and as soon as we’re out of main sight, she begins to shake. No tears come this time, but I can tell she’s stunned by what just happened. She looks up at me, breathing a hard sigh, “What the Hell was that-“

“I don’t know,” I interject, leaning over, “Are you ok?”

“Dear God, do I look ok?” Maggie says, her tone a bit sharp do to her stress, “Are you crazy? You just tried to have an argument with the Commander!-“

“I know, I know, he just got me angry-“

“I saw, he did that on purpose, Isugoro!” Maggie argues, “He was trying to use your protective nature against you. If you had touched him, he could’ve put your ass back in the Detention Sector for who knows how long!”

My brow furrows, “But what they did was wrong.”

“And I agree a hundred percent, Goro. But there are better ways to handle such things than just yelling in someone’s face,” she says, her face brightening as she lifts her hands to my cheeks, cupping my face, “Thank you though. . . . I’m glad you came back. If I had been alone, I don’t know what would’ve happened.”

“I won’t let him see you alone,” I say quietly, “I don’t trust him, especially after he said the men and their animal desires bullshit.”

Her eyes cool a bit, gazing at mine as I gently wrap my arms around her natural waist. Her cheeks flush a bit, and she smiles, “Thank you for protecting me.”

Her words strike the anger still festering in me, erasing them as a new sensation of warmth begins to consume me. I grin without thinking, chuckling as I rest my forehead against hers, “Same to you.”

Giggles escape her lips as red rises in her cheeks, releasing my face to wrap her arms around my neck. “Well, someone has to keep your mouth in check,” she says with a smirk.

“Oh, now I have a mouth?” I ask.

“Considering what just happened, that’s a very stupid question,” she laughs.

“Oh, that’s nice of you to say,” I chuckle.

“I know!” she says, her smile wide as her eyes melt the last of the ice remaining. For the first time in months, Maggie is acting like she used to. Now knowing that what had happened was a fluke, it seems she’s given up on the negative approach with me. Goro rolls off her tongue with the same ease I remember, the taboo broken at last. Her eyes are warm, the blue and yellow lit by her happiness. I’ve missed her laughter, I’ve missed her banter, I’ve missed her smile.

“I’ve missed you.”

I say the words without thinking, catching us both a bit off guard as we both realized what I said. The red worsens in her cheeks, her brow furrowing as she understands the meaning. Though, oddly enough, her hold loosens slightly so she can mess with my hair, gentle as she passes over the spot of my first injury at Gelus; the one I received the day I met her. A strange sensation melts down my spine as her fingers travel across the back of my head, warmth rising a bit in my face in response. She doesn’t move her head away from mine, her eyes wavering some as she grimaces a bit, “I know. . . . I’ve missed you too.”

My face falls slightly as a strange mixture of emotions bursts through my gut. I recognize happiness, regret, confusion . . . but other feelings that are sparking are ones I don’t know. My chest is tightening, laboring my breathing ever so slightly as something like anxiety builds through the happiness and makes me a bit unsure of what to do. I’m suddenly aware of every action I make, from how tight I hold her to how I look at her. I glance away, hoping she doesn’t pick up on my inner implosion.

Instead, something else happens. She moves her head a bit, catching my attention as her eyes reconnect with mine. Slowly, her eyes fall shut as she lifts herself up a bit, adjusting her angle. My mind halts, unsure how to react to what I can instinctively tell is happening. Just like before, when we parted ways as she went to the capital, we’re treading down a very dark road. Against my better judgement, my arms pull her closer into me, our faces only inches apart as I also adjust. A heart, maybe two, is beating rapidly. My eyes fall as I focus on her light breathing.

Her lips brush mine.

“You’re sweet, Goro.”

I snap back to my senses, and immediately, I pull away from her. She looks completely shocked, caught off guard as she stumbles back. She tries to meet my eyes, but I fight her gaze off. My hand rises to my flush face, and I can hear my heart racing as I cover my mouth. She steps forward, and I step away, signaling that something is very wrong. Her bright red cheeks contrast her worried expression, her eyes darting around as she tries to make sense of what just happened.

Then, she tries to speak, her voice broken in a way, “I . . . I’m sorry, I-“

“Just forget that it happened, alright?” I interrupt, causing her eyes to widen. Although I’m trying my best to stay calm and collected, I’m shaking a bit. Unneeded memories are appearing in my mind’s eye, causing the warm sensation to contort into a darker presence of self-loathing. I clench my fists, and look down at the floor, just wanting to get out of here. “I don’t want that,” I say plainly.

As soon as my words hit her ears, she looks totally blindsided. Her face goes blank, and the air goes still. Then, before I fully understand my own thoughts, she seemingly gives up, her shoulders slumping some. “I see. . . .” she trails, her voice wavering between weak and cracking, “I’m sorry. . . . I guess I’ll see you later then.”

With that, she turns and walks out of the hall, leaving me to stand by myself. Out of habit, I start to reach for her, almost opening my mouth to call her name. But I stop myself, biting my lip and pulling my arm back to let her go. I listen to her fading footsteps, each heavier and heavier with growing confusion on both ends. My eyes just fall as I still shake with my own frustration.

“Dammit. . . .” I trail.

Suddenly, a face I’ve tried to etch out of my mind resurfaces. The smile stabs at me, and I cringe. My face falls into a frown and I slowly sink to the floor, hanging my head as the past weighs on me. I rub my forehead, sighing.

Why does this happen? Every time I have even the slightest thought on such a topic, I end up having a panic attack or something. I shake, my mind blurs, and everything returns to memories, good and bad.

I look up slightly. It’s gotten worse since I met Maggie. . . .

Immediately I sink back down, trying to shake off the thought. Without meaning to, I imagine the smile again, and my expression turns to pained, worsened as I say the word to myself.

“. . . Marcel.”

I sulk alone as I realize my childish blunder. It takes me a good twenty minutes to regain my bearings, walking slowly as I find my way back to the Jeweloid Sector. Soon after entering I see a few familiar faces, all looking happy to see me as they pass. With each new person, a bit more energy is put into my step. I can sense the care in their smiles, reminding me of something Maggie said.

“I will protect him, as will all the Jeweloids, I promise you that.”

My eyes fall slightly. Is that really true?

As I turn the corner, the thought is derailed as I see Sammy with a happier expression than most. As soon as we make eye contact, she squeals a bit, then hurries over, grabbing my arm as she pulls me somewhere. My gloom has been replaced with confusion, blinking as I follow her through the halls of the Jeweloid Sector to an area I haven’t been to in a long time. After another turn, I recognize the control room, more unsure than before as Sammy drags me into the empty room.

My eyes widen in surprise, “Where is everyone?”

“Since today is slow, I’m the only one left on duty,” Sammy explains, her excitement adding a spice to her accent, “Which means I gotta play with my experiment.”

I raise an eyebrow as I watch her sit at a nearby operating system. “Experiment?” I repeat.

Sammy laughs, “Yes. Wait one second.”

With that, I’m amazed as her hands dance over the keyboards and screens, different codes shooting past at lightning speed, and Sammy keeping right up with them. I’ve never actually seen Sammy work before, I never knew she was such a technology buff. Cent would be beaming if he was here. I question normally, “Since when have been into all this?”

“Um, since I was fourteen,” Sammy replies, “Although I loved to perform, I was planning on attending Berkley for computer engineering. I loved the idea of using a computer to create new things, whether it be codes, systems, maybe even inventions.”

“Damn,” I comment.

She chuckles, and with that, three screens appear overhead. She pauses, leaning back in her chair and peering up at me. “Pick which clip you want to see first,” she says.

“What?” I question.

She sighs, “Goro, these are the best video clips I could find that show Maggie . . . as I knew her.”

And we’re back to Maggie, yay. Sammy seems to notice something is off, her expression falling as she looks up at me. “Is everything alright between you two?” she asks.

I shrug, “Yeah, it’s just awkward at the moment.”

Well, I’m not lying.

Sammy seems to buy it easy enough, and soon enough, she turns back, looking at each file before she picks for me. She gestures to the screen on the right, “Here, just watch.”

With that, the screen comes to life with an HD picture of a man on a stage, applause sounding strong. An icon, reading 50 States Sing!, flies across, and soon enough the man speaks. “Now then, we’ve reached our last state in the North West category; Alaska,” the man says enthusiastically, “We traveled to Juno to find the singer to represent our biggest state in the union, and what we found . . . well, she may be able to take the crown. Please welcome, Alaska’s 50 States Sing! Candidate, Maggie Smith!”

The crowd claps warmly as the video goes into an info segment on Maggie. I’m surprised when it first shows her. Unlike how I know her, in the video, her skin is warm tan tone, freckles dotting her cheeks and what I can see of her shoulders. Her eyes are drastically different, instead of blue and yellow, they’re a rich chestnut brown, a bit lighter than her natural brunette curls. Although she appears strange to me, I quickly realize that what I’m seeing on this screen is the true Maggie. What I know is alien to her eyes.

“Hi, I’m Maggie Smith, I’m sixteen, and I’m from Anchorage, Alaska,” Maggie’s image says, her voice identical despite her looks, “I have been singing basically my entire life. My mom told me that I would sing in the bath when I was as young as three years old. Apparently I sang before I spoke.”

The image switches, focusing on Maggie with a few other people; her parents, her older brother, Charlie, and her little sister Alice. They all look so happy, laughing as Maggie sings with Alice, her voice muted as an older woman’s voice dubs over, her mother from my deductions, “Ever since she was a little girl, Maggie has said that she will be a performer. She’s taught herself how to control her voice, and then at the age of four, we put her into dance, and she never looked back on that either.”

I’m caught off guard as a home video plays, showing Maggie dancing at a younger age with some boy. It’s a tango, and although the boy is trying his hardest, you can tell Maggie is much more advanced than he is. It switches to another video, this one quicker; a quickstep it appears. She keeps in perfect time with the music, her feet gliding effortlessly over the floor as she keeps perfect hold. Another voice comes over, her father, “When we put her into a ballroom class, we never imagined she’d have such a knack for it. It’s as if she was born to be a dancer.”

Maggie reappears, laughing happily, “I love to dance, but I love singing more. While yes, you can express yourself with dance, it’s the emotion the voice can share through the words that is really how you get to know someone in my opinion. Though, that doesn’t mean I abandoned dance at all.”

“To the contrary, Maggie has become a big name around Alaska, known for her eccentric performances filled with singing and dancing,” the announcer’s voice narrates, “Especially when Maggie started learning hip hop at the age of ten.”

To my surprise, another familiar face comes on screen, one I wasn’t expecting; Sammy. Just like Maggie, she looks completely different as her original self. Her tan skin is far darker than it is now, her orange locks dark brown and shorter, although her eyes are a dark green in contrast. Her beauty mark is still visible, and she has a few less piercings. She’s giggling as the screen lights up, “When I moved here, Maggie had already been in hip hop for about a year, and when she was showing me one day during recess, I was, well, shocked. She has a talent for dancing, for singing, that I honestly can’t believe sometimes.”

With that, Maggie speaks one more time, “I dance because I love it. I sing because I can’t live without it. If I was to win, and be able to live doing both . . . I don’t think I would want anything else.”

The applause restarts, and Maggie in their current time walks up to the front of the stage, going nowhere near the hand held mic. Looking closer, I see a slim mic sticking out slightly from her cheek, and she’s smiling as the music starts. The song has an intense rock vibe, but amazingly, Maggie’s able to match the strength with her voice. Although she’s only sixteen, there is a confidence in her presence that is outstanding to watch, the audience responding well with a roaring adoration. I’m taken back as the song continues, and Maggie actually dances a bit with some backup. I’m guessing this is the hip hop style they mentioned, because it’s a lot more edgy than anything ballroom could offer. She’s quick in her steps, but still somehow smooth with each move, giving the eye an assortment of amazing dancing. I can’t help but smile, especially as Maggie’s voice soars strong.

At the end, the room is almost unbearable, the applause deafening as Maggie’s performance gains a standing ovation. She laughs despite looking out of breath, bowing with a smile plastered on her face.

The video ends, and quickly, Sammy starts up a second video, another performance. This one, amazingly, is a song I recognize. As she sings this one, she incorporates a lot more dancing, the numbers complex, yet she pulls each move off flawlessly. Then, to my happy surprise, I see Sammy join Maggie on stage, and for the first time, I hear Sammy’s voice. I’m caught off guard as I hear her lower voice, complimenting Maggie’s intense vocals with her sweet harmony. I laugh as they both dance, looking like they’re having the time of their lives as they perform on that bright stage. When the song abruptly ends, the audience is even louder than before. Sammy and Maggie embrace each other, jumping as they laugh with each other.

The video fades out again, and I’m grinning. Sammy looks happy too, her eyes a bit glossy as she picks the last one. Unlike the others, this one isn’t of a performance. It’s a party of some kind. It’s nothing too glamourous, just family and friends laughing. The video travels through the rooms until it reaches the living room, where Maggie, Sammy, and a few other people their age converse. A voice comes on, “Look, it’s the birthday girl!”

Maggie laughs as she makes eye contact with the video, “Yup, finally seventeen!”

“This was about two weeks before. . . .” Sammy trails, her voice falling off as she watches the screen.

My expression falls, understanding. Maggie was only seventeen for two weeks before she fell through the ice.

No one in the video has a clue of what’s to come, making me suddenly feel awful as I watch Maggie play with Alice, picking her up and instructing her to wave at the camera. My eyes focus on Maggie’s face. She looks so happy. . . .

Suddenly, an idea seems to spark in Maggie’s mind, as she calls out for everyone’s attention. Once everyone is quiet, Maggie announces happily, “As a thank you for being here, I want to perform one of my finals picks for 50 States Sing!”

Everyone hollers, excited as Sammy passes by Maggie, heading towards a piano in the corner. Alice follows with a bounce in her step, sitting beside Sammy as Maggie waits. Carefully, Sammy presses the keys, a sweet melody coming to life from the instrument. Then, after a moment, Maggie begins to sing. Unlike the other two songs, this one is slower, a strength still in her tone as she floats over the notes. She hits each square in the center, her melody soothing despite its building strength. Then, as she hits the best note, her voice soars beautiful, giving me chills. Unlike the other two, there is a soul in this piece, intimate even. Sammy seems to notice my response, her brow falling.

“Maggie loved to perform, to sing and dance,” Sammy says quietly, “She loved her friends, her family . . . she loved life. She had everything turning out exactly as she planned; she was the “it” girl all over the nation. She was on talk shows, she performed at games, she was on magazine covers . . . She was even talked about by the president once during a conference, saying “I’ll put my money on Maggie Smith to win.” . . . A lot of people loved her.”

I don’t answer, watching the muted video as Maggie dances playfully with her little sister Alice. Sammy smiles bitter sweetly, “Alice was Maggie’s world. She did whatever she could to make her happy. Since their parents were usually busy, Maggie basically raised Alice. No matter where Maggie went, Alice was close behind. Maggie’s agent, Julie, was very adamant that she break off a bit from Alice as Maggie’s career started to take off, but she wouldn’t have it. They were that close.”

My brow furrows. It sounds like my relationship with Nallie. . . .

“When Maggie suddenly vanished, a lot of worlds, including mine, turned upside down,” Sammy continues, “Her family was panicking, there were search parties that would go search the waters every day, scuba teams were called in to find a body or anything that would relay where she could be . . . but they couldn’t find anything. Days turned to weeks, weeks to a few months. . . . and then about three or four months after she fell through, her family suddenly came forward, calling an end to the search, and decided to deem her dead.”

Slowly, Sammy stands, turning towards me with tears threatening to fall over her lashes. I reach out and gently brush them away, catching her slightly off guard. Though, she grimaces, nodding a thanks as she looks back at the end of the video. Maggie is waving with a bright smile at the camera, Alice in her arms and her father behind her making a funny face. Then, the video goes dark, leaving both of us standing there silent. A life like Maggie’s is one I never imagined could be a reality. Sure, there are popular singers nowadays, but there’s normally not contests to find the best of the best, much less from a normal family.

But that’s not important. There’s a reason Sammy wanted to show this to me. I look over at her saddened expression, and ask cautiously, “Why did you show me this?”

She meets my eyes, the orange cooled as she speaks in a more serious tone, “Because, I want you to know that the girl you know, the solider, the Jeweloid, the Class Zero, LAPIS . . . that is not who Maggie Smith really is. She was never meant to fight a war, or be a leader. She was meant to do what she loved.”

“Many of us didn’t choose this, I know I didn’t, neither did Cent,” I reply, “Hell, I was just turned sixteen when I entered the military, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life yet-“

“So you get it,” Sammy interrupts, “You know exactly what Maggie is experiencing here.”

“Aren’t you experiencing the same thing?” I say, “Aren’t all the Jeweloids?”

“Yes . . . but Maggie went from a singer to being the most important piece to Vesperia’s, no, Earth’s warfront,” Sammy says, her expression becoming more serious.

“So what do you expect me to do?” I ask honestly.

Her expression doesn’t waver as she answers, “Don’t let Maggie forget who she is.”

“How do I do that?” I respond.

She steps closer, “Don’t let them take her humanity like the rest of us.”