Young Writers Society

There’s a hard knock on the door. I get up quickly from my place on one of the couches and hurry to answer. When I do, I’m surprised to see two people; HERA and Sammy. HERA barges in, not saying a word to me, but Sammy pauses as HERA walks farther, giving me a comforting smile as she steps in quietly. I shut the door behind the two women then follow them inside. HERA messes with one of the glass decorations on Maggie’s dining table, then groans, looking back at me with annoyance laced in her stare, “So, is she still asleep?”

I nod, “Yes, but it’s only been a day HERA.”

“So-“ HERA starts.

“The doctor and I concluded yesterday that she will probably wake up tomorrow or the day after,” Sammy interrupts, “Considering her injuries and what happened, her body needs more than 24 hours to heal itself.”

HERA rolls her eyes, “Damn her . . . I knew she was pissed when I gave her the ok to use it, but I didn’t really expect her to lose control like that.”

“So, you knew she had that power?” I ask, stepping closer, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What? I’m not her keeper, it’s not my job to keep you in the loop,” HERA says as she sits on a leather loveseat, “If anyone, she had the job of telling you what her abilities are.” She looks over, seeing the flask I had brought earlier. There’s silence as she looks between Sammy and I, then sighs as she leans over, taking the flask and flipping the lid. She pauses a moment, before she puts it to her lips and tosses it back. Sammy and I share a glance as the tension remains constant, before HERA regains our attention with a short gasp. She sets the flask down on the table, only a single drink, if that, remaining. Her eyes focus on me, “Started to drink more frequently, Jintez?”

“I wouldn’t say that-“ I start.

“Since you returned to Gelus from the Capital, you’ve started drinking whiskey at least once a week,” HERA says, motioning to the flask, “You keep a bottle of whiskey in your room now, so you can fill the flask if you’re having a stressful day. You filled it three times since last night to keep yourself calm in response to seeing what she can really do.”

My eyes widen, and Sammy’s eyes turn to me. I can feel their eyes stabbing into me, making me feel the reality of what has started to happen. My gaze falls on the flask, and my stomach churns. “I don’t like to drink,” I say to myself.

HERA’s eyes narrow, “Are you starting to get it?”

I meet her stare, “What do you mean?”

“LAPIS isn’t simply a girl with a political importance,” HERA says, “She is Vesperia’s -no, Earth’s- most dangerous weapon.”

A lump gets caught in my throat. Sammy steps in, sensing my stress level, “Maggie is still Maggie. She never asked for these powers-“

“It doesn’t matter if she asked God himself for her abilities, LAPIS is the most important piece in the military’s advance against the Noxcus. Nothing can change that,” HERA says, “And blondie beside you is finally starting to get it.”

“HERA-“ Sammy starts.

“Isugoro is scared.”

My mind freezes. Sammy looks worried, but says nothing as she eyes the ground. HERA stands slowly, a smirk slowly rising on her face. She says nothing as she walks towards me, stopping right beside me. “Welcome to the world of being a Class Zero Partner,” she says, before she continues on.

I don’t do a thing. I don’t move my gaze, I don’t even breathe to the best of my knowledge. As soon as I hear the door click, I hear footsteps. Sammy appears directly in front of me, her expression ripe with concern. “Isugoro-“ she starts.

“I’m scared?”

Sammy looks taken back. Hell, even hearing myself saying it is odd to my ears, but to have such a reality put in front of me . . . well, it’s hard not to be surprised. Sammy immediately tries to intervene with my crumbling confidence. She shakes her head, “Isugoro, don’t let HERA get in your head.”

“But I-“ I start.

“Isugoro!” Sammy snaps, taking my shoulders and shaking me slightly. I blink, finally meeting her gaze. Her eyes are determined, but frail. Her brow furrows for a moment, and she sighs, “Isugoro . . . I understand that the situation can be scary . . . but you can’t allow her to put what’s important at risk.”

“What?” I say.

Her eyes hold mind, and slowly, tears rise to her eyes, “. . . Don’t let her make you scared of Maggie.”

My eyes widen slightly. Scared . . . of Maggie.

Am I scared of her?

I mean, I am a bit freaked out by the whole leveling a whole two miles thing. That power kinda came out of nowhere, and honestly, that in itself would make any sane person scared out of their mind. I'd like to believe I'm sane. Then again, I ran right in after the light disappeared to take her out, so I'm not the best judge I suppose.

Without warning, something like the aftershock of an earthquake hits me. Immediately, my senses seem to go fully online, and from what I can tell, Sammy feels the same thing. She looks towards the hallway, then after a moment, she turns slowly back towards me, searching my eyes as she speaks, “You felt that?”

I nod, “Yeah, how could I not?”

Sammy falls silent for another minute or so, before she grimaces, “She’s awake.”

“Huh?” I say.

She chuckles, “That shock sensation, it was Maggie’s telepathy coming back online.”

A strange sensation sparks within me. I glance toward the hallway, and I swallow hard. Considering the fact that HERA has made me a bit weird, I’m unsure what to do. Sammy senses I’m unease, and looks a bit sadder. Then, she suddenly seems to resolve, taking my arm and pushing me toward the hallway. I look back at her, perplexed by her hard expression.

“Sammy-“ I start.

“Go check on her,” Sammy interrupts. Her stare catches me off guard, burning with a quiet strength. After a moment, she pushes slightly on me again. “She will want to talk to you,” she says, her tone a bit more forced.

We just stare at each other a few more moments, as if she is trying to smite the anxiety I feel growing in my gut. I look back at the room, and within moments, I realize my feet feel like stone. The reality hits me; HERA got to me. The situation got to me . . . I am kinda scared. My brain is trying to come up with ways to get out of this, but considering Sammy’s stubbornness, I have a feeling my escape will fail.

Then, I blink. Sammy looks almost defeated, her eyes glossing slightly despite her strong gaze. She looks like Maggie when-

“I really am a Monster.”

My mind stops. Maggie’s last words resonate powerfully in my thoughts, and I recall how fearful she looked. My brow furrows as my fear is taken over by the overwhelming feeling Maggie sent me in that moment. In this entire situation, my fear is nothing in comparison to Maggie. A strong sensation swells in me, and I look at Sammy with resolve. Her eyes widen as I speak, “I’ll take care of it.”

She watches me for a moment, but relaxes some, not saying a word as she pats me on the shoulder, then walks away. The familiar click of the door prompts me to start forward. Although I told Sammy I’d take care of Maggie, with each step, my heart picks up slightly. There’s a queasy feeling spreading through me as I walk quietly down the hall and open the door to Maggie’s bedroom.

The room is lit low by the setting sun, light painting parts of the wall parallel the windows. She’s still sleeping, breathing deeply as she lays naturally under the covers. Her hair is a bit sprawled all over, the sapphire curls spilling over the sides of the bed. As I come to stand beside the bed, I see her face. She looks calm, normal. I lean over slightly, short bits of memory returning to the front of my mind.

That intimidating presence, that killer power . . . hidden by such a beautiful, innocent face. I can’t even begin to imagine how she must feel. I hesitantly reach out, and put a hand to her cheek, her skin soft but warm under my touch. A small grin rises on her face, the sight making me relax a bit. I lean over more so I can whisper to her. “Maggie?” I say.

Though small, I see a flinch in her calm, and after a few moments, her eyes slowly open. I pull my hand away gently as she looks around, each movement very graceful as she turns and sits up some. She makes no sound as her eyes catch the sun falling, then come to rest on me. The blue and yellow mix in a duller way than normal. Maybe it means her powers haven’t fully come back on line.

I grimace as I watch her, “You remember?”

Her expression changes slightly, her brow falling just a little as she turns her eyes to something else. Though, she sighs after a few seconds, her fingers lacing themselves in her curls. “. . . I do,” she says, her voice timid.

“. . . Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask, looking at her intently.

She looks back at me as the Sun peeks a little from behind the mountain peaks, outlining her with a soft light that just enhances her beauty. I understand that most prefer when a girl is cleaned up, with makeup done, and in nice clothes. Though, I find Maggie most attractive during moments like this, when she’s not trying to impress, or look nice. She’s relaxed, at ease with her hair a bit of an artful mess. Some of her hair falls so I can see her ears, she doesn’t have any of her piercings in. She has nothing to prove, she’s just being Maggie, which has a few different sides. As of now, she’s just being her insightful, quiet self. She’s being raw, and real. She’s barely able to grin as she replies, “Because it scares me.”

“Scares you?” I repeat, recalling her expression before she passed out.

She nods as I sit on the side of her bed, laughing slightly, “I mean, I don’t have a lot of experience using that capability, but it’s what gives me my class name . . . It’s that ability that allows my power to take over my senses.”

I don’t answer immediately, reaching over slowly and taking her hand. She grins slightly, gripping my hand gently. “What exactly is it?” I ask.

“Simply put, my capability is the power to move and destroy things with my mind; telekinesis,” Maggie explains, “But, in the situation of Nao, I did what I’ve only done once before, and knowing how awful that turned out, I shouldn’t have done it in a warzone with survivors not fully evacuated.”

“Which is?”

“I combined my capability with my soul weapon,” Maggie says, “When I cleared those few miles, I did that by basically shooting my soul weapon with my mind, and because my telekinesis is so strong . . . it just erased everything in its path.”

I gulp a bit, “So, that was a combo.”

“Yes, I mean, telekinesis on its own isn’t very killer, I mean . . .” Maggie trails.

I’m caught off guard as suddenly the water in her glass and the water feature start to float through the air, catching the light. I’m awestruck as it simply glides in different patterns, Maggie seemingly enjoying herself as I poke at the water. Any of my lingering fear fades some as I watch the whimsical event, taken by the beauty of the moment. The water encircles me some then suddenly separates, quickly returning to the sources. I smile, looking back at her. “That was amazing . . .” I trail.

Her cheeks flush slightly, a genuine grin forming on her face. Though, a shadow falls over her eyes, and she deflates some. “As amazing as it is, it’s also terrifying,” she says quietly.

Her hand suddenly flashes up, and I can feel something cold against the back of my neck. I look over my shoulder, my eyes widening as I see at least twenty knives of all sizes pressed against my skin. My heart immediately starts to race, fright spiking in me. My eyes dart between her and the blades, flabbergasted. Though, she doesn’t explain as she sends them back out of the room, not moving at all. It’s chilling honestly, if she hadn’t made a motion, I could’ve been stabbed without knowing it. I’m pulled from the thought as my body moves back to face her. I grab her wrists and push her down, somehow on top of her within a matter of moments. She doesn’t look surprised in the slightest.

“M-Magg-“ I start.

“I can make you do things against your will,” she interrupts, her eyes dull, “Without much trouble, I could twist your organs into something like a balloon animal. I can rip your heart out with a passing thought.”

I can feel the color draining from my face. Her powers are insane. Maggie’s expression falters, “Combine that with my ability of mind, and you’d basically be my zombie if I wanted you to be-“

“Is this your way of trying to scare me?”

Her eyes widen, surprised by my comment. My expression calms as I stare down at her, doing my best to compose myself. Though, at the same time, I feel somehow nostalgic as I gaze at her. Although I consciously know I’ve never been in this situation, for some reason, this feels . . . familiar, like it’s happened before. Maggie’s eyes fall, “I’m trying to make you see the truth; I’m a monster-“

“No you’re not,” I interrupt. I think we’re both caught a bit off guard by my response, but I register my emotions quickly. My fear, yes it may be there, but before that, I know that she’s even more fearful. I know Maggie, I can’t let her powers start to define her. If I did that, I never would’ve come this far. With that thought, I finally find a way to smite the fear, pushing it away as I replace it with what I know is true; Maggie is no monster.

“How can you say that? Considering that at this moment I have you completely under my control-“ Maggie starts.

“Really?” I ask.

Her eyes bulge as she watches me, totally shocked as I redirect my mind to disconnect her thoughts. Although I’m human, I know well enough how to barricade my thoughts from others to see. Body instructions aren’t that different. With a struggle, I’m able to release her wrists, taking her hands as I sit us back up, wrapping my arms around her so they’re at her back. She searches my eyes, totally perplexed, “H-How-“

“When you’re in my head all the time, it’s easy to find the holes in your perception,” I comment with a small grin.

She’s speechless. I chuckle, “This is when you say “Good thing you’re my Partner.”

Nothing falls from her lips, she simply stares up at me. After a minute or so, she does make out some mumbling, but I’m only able to make out one phrase. “You’re my blind spot . . .” she trails.

“I wouldn’t say that,” I comment, pulling her from her confused thoughts, “I think you don’t want to be 100% in control, so it’s probably a subconscious measure.”

“Subconscious?” she repeats.

“You don’t want to control me, right?” I ask. She nods, so I grin a bit and continue, “Because those are your true feelings, they override your capability subconsciously and allow me to find holes in your control. If I was say, an enemy, you wouldn’t allow there to be holes in your power.”

“You’re able to deduce all of that?” Maggie comments, totally flabbergasted, “It’s only been thirty seconds.”

“But I’m a strategist,” I say, “I have to be able to think quickly.”

“Still, you were able to conclude that quite quickly,” Maggie mutters.

I let out a laugh, “Sorry if you don’t like the truth.”

Maggie simply watches me, unsure what to do. Eventually she looks away, her eyes finding the fading sky. I look too, amazed by the beauty of the sight. Then, I remember that it’s a full moon tonight, and after a moment, I get an idea. I release her, and walk out of the room, leaving her perplexed as I pull out my personal rod and call Kasami. Immediately, I get a response, his calm face appearing on the hologram screen. “Isugoro? You’ve never called before-“ Kasami starts.

“Can I have clearance to take her out of Gelus for a few hours?” I ask quickly.

Kasami blinks, apparently confused for a few moments until he realizes I’m talking about Maggie. “She’s awake?” he asks.

I nod, “Yes, she woke up a little while ago. But is it ok?”

“What are you planning to do?” Kasami asks, “She’s not just someone we can let go out on day trips.”

“Just out into the surrounding valley, take one of the ATVs,” I explain, “I just think it’d be best if she got out of here for a little bit . . . considering.”

Kasami watches me for a few moments, before he sighs, looking away. His eyes focus on something out of view, his eyes unwavering as he thinks. Then, his eyes move back to mine. “Just a few hours?” he asks.

“Yes, Sir,” I reply.

He holds my eyes, then grins slightly, “Alright, I give clearance. Just be sure you don’t leave the grounds of the Gelus campus, understand?”

“Yes, thank you,” I say with a smile.

He motions to me with a smile of his own, “Go on.”

With that, the hologram breaks. I turn back, surprised to see Maggie looking at me from the doorway. Her eyes are a bit wide. She tilts her head slightly, “What’s going on?”

I grin, “Get dressed in something comfy. I’m taking you out of Gelus.”

She blinks in shock, “O-Out of Gelus?”

I laugh, “Yes, Maggie, out. You need a little break.”

She just stares at me, but after a moment, her stunted thoughts are overcome by happiness. A warm smile overtakes her expression, and she says brightly, “A-Alright!” She wastes no time, shutting her bedroom door quickly behind her as she goes to change. I chuckle to myself, turning back to set up an ATV to be ready.

As I fill in the required information, I hear Maggie walking into the hallway. I turn back, surprised to see her wearing normal clothes. She has on a tight hugging purple top, a grey pleather coat, skinny jeans, and grey knit knee boots. She has put in some hoop earrings in both her lobes and cartilage, sparkling silver against her blue hair. The strange gem that occasionally catches my eye hangs around her neck, strung on a thick black ribbon. She’s put her hair into a braid, some free strands curling nicely around her face. She smiles as she stops in front of me, “Is this ok?”

I look over myself a moment. I’m wearing military code clothes, but in comparison to normal, I’m dressed more like a civilian. I have on slacks, a faded blue shirt, a military jacket zipped up half way, and my boots. I glance back at her, and grin as I look at her once more. Even in such a simple outfit, she looks great. I nod, “Yeah, that’ll be just fine.”

She beams, giggling as I gesture for us to leave. She stays close to my side, her hand slipping into mine naturally as we exit her private area. I look around, showing her a sneaky smile as I lead her the opposite direction than normal. She blinks, hurrying to catch up to my larger stride. “G-Goro-“ she starts.

“Don’t want to chance running into anyone,” I interrupt as I open the door to one of the back halls, “Especially HERA.”

Maggie watches me quietly, but follows as the door shuts behind us. I don’t remember when exactly I became so knowledgeable of this back way. After getting stopped the first four times I came to visit Maggie while she was on leave, I looked up some maps of this area to see if there was a faster way to go to get to this area. Just my luck, there’s a few maintenance routes that connect this area of the Jeweloid barracks to a hall close to my own room. Very useful information.

My grip on Maggie’s hand tightens as we go down a few narrow stairwells and Maggie’s eyes go everywhere as she investigates every nook and cranny of the area. Though her face is plain, her eyes are alive. She seems to be enjoying herself. After a few minutes of snaking down some corridors, we finally make it to the ladder which goes to the ground level exit. I grin, turning back to see Maggie’s excitement has faded. My expression falls and I turn fully around to face her. “You ok?” I ask.

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine,” Maggie says with a small chuckle, “Just not a big fan of ladders.”

“Oh?” I reply, looking back at it, “It’s not that bad, just about fifteen feet down.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m good,” Maggie says, her expression reading her true thoughts. She does not want to go down that ladder.

I chuckle, leaning over to be eye level with her, “I’ll go first, so if anything happens, I’ll be right there, ok?”

She searches my eyes for a moment, and nods, doing her best to absorb my reassurement. I stand back up and turn back to the ladder, wasting no time to start down. Once I’m almost passed the floor, I look back at Maggie. She hasn’t moved an inch. I grin, and reach a hand to her, “C’mon, Maggie. It’ll be ok.”

She swallows hard, but steps forward, turning so to start down. I hurry ahead so to give her enough space, and soon enough, she’s following me, breathing a bit harder than usual. Within seconds I make it to the ground, looking back up to see Maggie is about halfway down, her steps slow and hesitant. I sigh, which she responds to with a curt tone, “Hey, give me a minute.”

“Maggie, you can go a bit faster, you’re totally fine,” I say, watching her.

She laughs, looking down at me with a sarcastic sheen in her eyes, “That’s easy for you to say-“

Without warning, she loses her footing as she tries to find the next leg. Her breath catches, but her fear is short lived as she is immediately in my arms. Her arms wrap tight around me, causing me to laugh as I turn and start toward the exit. “Maggie, you leveled two entire miles without a second thought, but when you come against a ladder, you lose it?” I chuckle. Maggie’s hold tightens. I grin, “You’re a strange girl.”

I walk us down the abandoned hall until we reach the entrance to the terrain vehicle compound. I look over at her, turning my head so I can whisper in her ear, “I’m gonna put you down now.”

With that, I follow through with my word and let her down. She says nothing as she purposefully avoids my gaze, her expression slightly annoyed despite the bright red tips of her ears and her flushed cheeks. I chuckle, allowing her to stay to herself as I walk towards the entrance. Once inside, a man on the other side of a desk grins at me. “Jintez, I’m guessing?”

“Yup, am I all good to go?” I ask.

He nods, “Yes, just be sure to return the keys when you return. Don’t want to have to track you down.” With that, he hands me a single stick key. He gestures to a door near the entrance. “That way leads to the garage. Your number is four,” he says.

“Thanks,” I reply, turning back to gesture Maggie to follow me. She steps into the room cautiously, her eyes meeting the man’s for a single moment. He looks shocked to see her, but says nothing as I escort through the door towards our exit. She seems perplexed, but her expression turns to surprise as she sees the vehicles lined up. She gasps, her energy immediately rising as she follows me to the fourth ATV. It’s a sleek and new design, built to withstand basically any type of battle situation while staying as light as possible. The propulsion atom engine is chromed, as well as the four anti-gravity hover-plates. Maggie looks at them questionably, making me laugh. “You expected wheels?” I ask, causing her to nod, “It’s 3001, Maggie, I think a few things have changed in terms of technology.”

“Hard to tell sometimes. Not a lot looks like it has changed. I mean, the clothes are similar, a lot of furniture is the same, hell, this frame is basically identical to the ATV my daddy owned,” Maggie replies, “I don’t know, when I imagined the future, I thought of Lady Gaga and districts.”

“I’ll act like I understood those references,” I say, grabbing helmets, “Yes or no?”

“Bring ‘em just in case,” Maggie answers as she watches me get on, “We’re going where exactly?”

“A secret place,” I reply with a smile.

Her eyes narrow. “What does that mean?” she asks.

I pat the seat behind me, “Get on and you’ll find out.”

She stands there a moment longer, before she sighs, grumbling as she sits behind me, “You’re lucky I trust you.”

A warm feeling spreads through me, causing me to grin to myself as I insert the key, reeving the engine some before it lifts. In response, Maggie wraps her arms around me, causing the feeling to spread. “Hold on,” I say.

With that, I press the peddle down, propelling the ATV into high gear down the exit way. The lights on the vehicle turn on just as we reach the outside, Maggie gasping as she comes out to the outside world for the first time. I look back for a moment, enjoying her awed expression as the wind blows her hair wildly. Turning back, I press the peddle harder, fastening our ride into the wooded area. Maggie laughs, her hold around me tightening. The shadow of Gelus escapes both our minds as we wind through the mountain trails, laughter escaping her lips as she watches the setting sun’s sparkling through the limbs of the trees. At one point, she moves her hold from around my waist to my shoulders, lifting herself up. You can tell she’s had experience on the back of a similar vehicle.

As another ten minutes pass, we finally make it to the end of our ride. I park the ATV off the side of the rode, getting the key before I climb off. Maggie looks confused, following me as I walk away. “Goro, where’re you going?” she asks.

“You can’t get to where we’re going directly by ATV, so we have to walk a few minutes,” I reply, offering her my hand as we enter some brush, “C’mon, follow me.”

She takes my hand, nodding as we continue through thick nature. I recognize the trees and position of the surrounding mountain peaks, grinning as we reach the thick growth. “Here,” I comment.

Maggie’s expression once again reads perplexed, “It’s just a wall of thick undergrowth.”

I laugh, “It’s on the other side.”

“Oh,” she breaths, before asking another question, “How do we get through it?”

“Well, last I was here it was late fall so I could just walk on through,” I say, “But with Spring came growth and we can’t just go the way I did.”

“So-“ she starts.

“Can you flash us over?” I ask, looking down at her.

“Uh, yeah,” she replies, “How far?”

“Oh, ten, fifteen feet.”

“Ok.”

With that, I find us speeding through the air at an intense speed before everything suddenly halts. The abrupt stop causes me to fall to the ground, prompting Maggie to start laughing a bit. “Oh God, Goro. Are you ok . . .” she starts, her voice trailing off.

I look up at her to see her expression is one of surprise. Though, I wore a similar expression when I found this place. It’s a wide field, stretching at least a few hundred yards, and since it’s Spring, it’s bursting with the color of numerous wildflowers. It’s lined with undergrowth and trees, fading in the distance as the forest travels up a mountain side in the distance. As I stand, she steps forward and starts playing through the tall grass, leaning over some as she picks some of the blossoms. I smile, watching her as she continues forward, the small breeze catching her hair. After another minute, I walk after her. Hearing my footsteps, she turns back to face me, her smile bright as she holds a small bouquet of flowers. “Goro, how do you know about this place?” she asks.

“I happened upon it one day by accident while I was on campus security duty,” I reply, “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself.”

“It reminds me of a field that used to spring up during the Summer back home,” Maggie says with a nostalgic look in her eyes, “Sarah and I used to go out . . . pick Mom’s favorite flowers for her birthday.”

I watch her a moment, before I grin again. I take her hand, pulling her close to me as I start forward through the landscape. She doesn’t protest at all, actually smiling as she basically skips beside me. Unlike normal, in which we hide our hands between each other or behind our backs, we’re open. Knowing there’s no one, literally no one, but us, well, we seem more at ease. She pulls away slightly, our fingers still warmly interlocked as we continue through the field. Once we reach the end, she draws a bit closer, considering that it’s getting darker out. I pull out my personal rod, turning on a part of the device that acts like a type of flashlight. She seems to relax as we walk through the woods, though she wraps her arm around mine while the other is still holding my hand. She closes her eyes for a moment, then sighs, “There’s deer about a hundred yards out, but besides that, there’s only squirrels and small birds around this area.”

“You can tell all that?” I ask as we cross a small stream.

“Yeah, this is the first time I’ve really used the perception part of the Ability of Mind,” Maggie comments, “It’s nice to know we’re safe around here in such a peaceful place.”

I grin, “Well, Gelus is well known in terms of the name, but in terms of location, the Vivrex who built it made sure it wouldn’t be easy for enemies to locate it. Of all the bases in Vesperia, Gelus is probably one of the safest.”

“Good,” Maggie says, climbing over a log as we start to turn, “I like to know there’re a few safe places left.”

The conversation turns to random small talk as I continue to lead her through the dense woodland. She makes me laugh as she finally gives me insight about her stay in the capital. She describes her interactions with GRANDI and how she and HERA would just get into the most entertaining, yet frightening, arguments, while DIERITE just sat in the corner. She looks back warmly on JEREM and OPAL, saying that despite OPAL’s slightly awkward presence, she and JEREM are apparently close friends, and is actually quite kind. JADEITE on the other hand still freaks Maggie out. “He would literally just stand there by the wall and just stare at me,” Maggie explains, “I’d be trying to train with JEREM and I kept getting distracted by eyes just continuing to follow me. Then at dinners, when we’d all eat together, he’d sit right across from me, and say nothing. Of course, everyone else was used to the strange behavior, but dear God, I felt so uncomfortable I didn’t eat half of what I now wish I had. That food was really good.”

“Maybe he likes you,” I say as I start laughing.

“Oh Hell no, he better not,” Maggie says, “If I let that in, he goes from weird, to really creepy.”

I just start laughing harder. Maggie sends me a short glare, but it dissipates as I reach down and pick her up. She looks slightly startled, but once she hears me walking through some water, her confusion gives to appreciation, “Thanks.”

“Welcome,” I say, grinning as I hear the rushing of water getting louder. Maggie does too, looking a bit concerned as she looks up at me. Before she’s able to get too worried, I reassure her, “It’s ok, I just thought you may want to see this.”

Her confusion reemerges, and I chuckle as we finally reach the edge. Slowly, I pull the branches away, and Maggie gasps at the sight. Due to the situation, Maggie can’t get too close, but at the angle we walk up, the wind will send any water the other way. Maggie looks up in total awe as she takes in the large waterfall, spilling over numerous rocks as it flows down into a small pond, then exits through little streams which must feed the creaks nearby. She flinches slightly as she steps forward, a small spark falling from her cheek. She blinks, then looks up at me, “Water vapor doesn’t hurt, it’s more or less just tingly.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, a bit skeptical.

As if to negate me, Maggie continues forward, totally unphased as she hits a pocket of water vapor and small shimmers of blue fall off her body. She turns back towards me, and grins, knowing she’s won. I simply stare at her, caught by the otherworldly image the sparks give her.

She truly does appear like a goddess sometimes.

I blink, and shake off the thought as I join her side, walking along the pond until we reach one of the dry rocks nearby. We both sit, and Maggie looks up, her smile brightening as she catches sight of the full moon rising slowly. “It’s beautiful here, Isugoro,” she says after a moment, “Thank you for showing me your secret places.”

“I thought you’d like them, they’re both places I came to a lot while you were gone,” I reply.

“What did you come here for?” she asks.

“To think. To just get away from the job for a little while,” I answer.

She pauses a moment, then speaks, “What did you think about?”

“Oh, normal stuff; my responsibilities, what you were up to, home, other random things,” I explain.

“Ah, I see,” Maggie says as she leans against me, “I thought about you too while I was gone. Of course, those thoughts got a bit angrier with time . . . but I always wondered if you were having a good day, how you’re training had gone, things like that.”

Neither of us speak, allowing the waterfall to fill the conversation with babbling of calm. We both sit quietly, though as the minutes pass, we adjust the way we are. Maggie goes from simply sitting beside me to leaning against me like I was a chair, her arms propped by my knees as she sits between my pulled up legs. Naturally, my arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer as both of us survey the sky. This is not a good idea. This is definitely a much more intimate than how we normally act, but considering, I don’t care. The alarms in my head are silenced.

Then, I decide to speak up some, “I’m from a town named Talio.”

Maggie’s eyes widen, meeting mine with a look of shock. I grin, and keep going, “I lived there with my parents and my six siblings.”

“You have six siblings?!” Maggie repeats, “I only have four!”

I chuckle, “Yes, in total, there were three girls, four boys. I was the third oldest.”

“What are their names?” Maggie asks.

“In order, was my oldest brother, Psya, then my oldest sister, Nallie. I was next, then it was my sister Ciesly, the twins; Zalia and Zthaniel, and then the baby boy, Josef,” I reply.

“You have twin siblings too?”

“Well, Zalia is a girl and Zthaniel is a boy, so, it’s not entirely the same.”

Maggie laughs, “Close enough.”

I grin, “My mom was a stay at home mom until we started getting older and could take care of each other, so she opened up a small flower shop downtown. My dad always worked, and because of him, everyone knew my family.”

“What did you your dad do?” she asks.

“Well, my dad still is actually . . . the mayor,” I say with a laugh.

“Your daddy is the mayor of your home town?!” Maggie says, making my chuckle harder, “So wait, that means you guys were the elite of your town, weren’t you-“

“I wouldn’t say that, Dad is outspoken on a lot of things, especially the war,” I explain, “He was elected again because he has a campaign he’s working on. At least, that’s what Mom said the last time she spoke of it in a letter.”

“Which is?”

I pause for a few moments, then look down at her as the breeze catches her hair, “He wants to bring us home.”

“Oh . . .” Maggie trails, “He wants to bring you and Cent-“

“Not just Cent and I, any boy who was under the age of eighteen when the war started, he wants them sent back to their homes,” I interrupt, “His argument is that since we were so young, the government had no right to turn us into soldiers. We didn’t have the choice, we were forced into it, and so, Dad wants us to be given the choice to return home.”

“Ah, I see.”

Without thinking, I make a comment, “I wouldn’t go home even if I had the choice.”

Maggie blinks, surprised, “You wouldn’t?”

“No,” I say as I shake my head, “Home . . . Talio is a distant past to me. If I went back, I know I’d act differently. I wouldn’t be the same person, and it’d make Mom upset.”

Her brow furrows, “So you never want to see them?”

“No, no, I’d love to see Mom and Dad, and I miss my siblings a lot . . . but going back would just put really bad memories back in my head that I don’t need to remember,” I answer as I recall home. The hills leading to the mountains in the distance, the small rivers I found with Cent when I was younger, the grill-outs and stupid arguments over whatever we wanted between my siblings, the festivals, the wooded trails we took to get mom’s special wildflowers . . . all of them are shadowed by the pains of what happened with the arrival of war and the Noxcus.

Maggie doesn’t say anything, watching me as I clear my throat. After a moment, she looks away, back at the water. As the moon rises, it’s reflection in the liquid mirror below, the gentle glow adding a magic to the serene location. I glance up, finding the brilliant view surrounded by stars that are just starting to spark to life in the new night sky, orchestrated by crickets and other sounds of fading dusk.

I wish we could stay here . . .

I’m caught off guard by the random thought. Wait, what?

Before I’m overtaken by the weird situation, I hear a sigh, “Isugoro . . .”

I look back down as Maggie turns herself around in my hold, her eyes lit warmly by the dim light as she stares up at me. I search her eyes for a moment, watching as she seems to make a decision. She grins some, “Um . . . So you did grow up with Cent?”

My eyes widen, not expecting such a question, but I go with it, nodding. “Yes, I did . . . I met him during a camp,” I reply, grinning myself as I recall, “Honestly, we didn’t get along for the first two days we knew each other ‘cause we kept trying to outdo the other. Finally, one of the directors had us do this team thing, and we had to work together, and I learned a lot about him that day. I respected him.”

“Oh, what happened?” Maggie asks.

I pause a moment, then sigh, “Well it’s really not my place to say. . . . Let’s just say his home life wasn’t as great as mine.”

Maggie’s expression falls some. “Oh, I see. . . .” she trails, before a halfhearted smile rises to her lips, “I’d say the same for Sammy.”

“Sammy?” I repeat.

“Yeah . . . when she was about five or six, her dad left to be with some woman he’d been cheating with,” Maggie explains, “She told me how when she was about ten, she actually went to where he lived and tried to talk to him, but he just shut the door in her face as soon as he realized who she was. . . . To this day, because of him, she has a really hard time with allowing men close.”

“Really? I wouldn’t say that,” I reply, “She seems to get along with me just fine-“

“Well, now she honestly does, but I can assure you that when you first met her, she probably was just letting you think that,” Maggie explains, “She always was a better actress than me.”

“Ok . . . then what about Cent?” I say quieter.

Maggie sighs, looking up at the sky, “Yeah, I will admit, he’s a strange situation. I asked her about him, she couldn’t tell me why, but apparently she’s been fine with him from day one.”

“Well, he’s in the same boat so-“ I start.

“He really does like her, doesn’t he?” Maggie interrupts.

I blink, a bit surprised by her question. Though, my expression fades into a bittersweet grin, and I reply honestly, “. . . Yeah, he does. A lot.”

“. . . Good,” Maggie comments.

My brow furrows, slightly confused, “That’s good?”

Maggie nods, “Yeah . . . it means Sammy’s feeling aren’t unrequited, at least.”

“She likes him a lot too?”

She laughs a little, “That’s a stupid question. You’ve been around more than I have, you should know by now that she has a crush on him.”

“I guess . . . they do get along very well, do a lot of the same things,” I comment, thinking over the past few times I’ve seen them together, “She definitely is the first girl to put him in his place and yell at him. . . . Though, I think he likes that about her, she’s very level-headed and mature.”

“That’s the opposite of yelling-“ Maggie starts.

“Exactly. He respects the fact that she only gets mad when it is something very important,” I explain, “While he . . . I don’t know, he bases his feelings on facts and impressions.”

“And Sammy needs someone who’s more realistic,” Maggie says, “Realistic and loyal. Considering the bullshit her father put her threw, she needs someone that’ll make her feel safe.”

I chuckle, “Well, it seems that the two make a perfect pair.”

Maggie grimaces, “They do . . . it’s almost funny how well they fit. . . . ”

Her voice falls off, catching my attention as I look down at her. She looks sad, her eyes reflecting the cool water below as her mind seems to wander. I raise my hand, and gently touch her cheek, grabbing her attention from her thoughts. I hold her eyes for a moment, then sigh, cupping her cheek, “What is it?”

“. . . It just makes me upset,” Maggie admits, “No offense, but your jackass of a best friend is probably the best thing for Sammy. . . . But they can never be together.”

My heart pangs slightly as she lays out reality. I remember how upset Sammy was talking to Maggie on the craft, saying she wanted to be closer to Cent by making him her Partner. But, even though she never said a word about it, you could tell by her face that she knew it wouldn’t change anything between them. Cent seems to feel the same way, being able to do nothing when he hears other human soldiers speak horrible things about Sammy. It’s easy to tell that both of them want something, but the Gelus Law and society won’t allow it. It’s not romantic or engaging, it’s not fun or adventurous.

It’s tormenting and sad, being able to get only so close to someone you care about before you’re pulled apart by standing and the demented world around you.

I lean back, and look up at the sky, tracing the constellations above as I think about the heavy reality displayed before us. At that moment, I feel Maggie’s head rest in the crook of my neck, and I realize just how close she is to me. Her breath hits my neck, and the strange feeling resurges in my gut, making me a bit perplexed. How did we get so close without me realizing it?

“Isugoro?”

Maggie’s voice catches my ear, her eyes finding mine as she lifts her head. She watches me for a moment before she asks quietly, “. . . Why did you tell me that stuff about you?”

Her question catches me off guard, leaving me speechless for a short time as I gaze back at her. Though, the muteness dissipates, and I grin, “Because . . . you deserve to know some things about me. You said so yourself; I know all about you, I should tell you at least a few things.”

Her eyes widen, taken back by my honesty it seems. Her eyes gloss over some, and slowly, a smile rises on her face, her cheeks flushing a bit. She giggles slightly, before her arms suddenly reach around my neck, and she pulls me into a hug. I chuckle, wrapping my arms around her after a moment. Her hair falls near me, and I catch the familiar scent of jasmine. She turns her head, and whispers warmly, “Thank you.”

An all too familiar spark jolts through me, sending that strange sensation through my gut and mind as my grip on her tightens. Her breath catches slightly in surprise, followed by her light giggling. Her breath hits my ear, and suddenly the normality of the strange sensation mutates. My stomach twists, and my head is lighter. I notice my heart beat quickens and that my breathing becomes rougher as her fingers gently work through my hair. I can’t describe what this feeling is. It’s something like affection, I’m pretty sure of that, but it’s . . . different. Against the morphing sensation is a small bit of fear. I don’t know what’s happening.

I turn my head slightly, and after a moment, I catch her eyes. She looks over me, almost glowing in the moonlight as she smiles. “You ok?” she asks innocently, a breeze catching her bangs as she speaks.

My eyes hold hers, taken by how alive the blue fading to warm yellow seems. They’re lovely-

Can I kiss her?

I’m frozen. Maggie can tell immediately that something is wrong by my change in expression, her brow furrowing as she tries to keep eye contact. “Isugoro?” she questions.

Despite my inner panic attack, I let out an innocent enough laugh, and look away, pulling away as I stand up. Maggie just follows me with her eyes, confused as she watches me pace a bit, before I turn back to her. I probably sound a bit strange, speaking fast as I gesture to the way we came, “It’s about time to head back. . . . we should probably start heading that way.”

She eyes me intently, saying nothing as she nods, then gracefully stands up and follows my lead. And although I’m freaked out, I do allow her to hold my hand. She doesn’t need to know what’s going on. Hell, I don’t even know what’s going on. As we start down the ledge, I’m caught in my thoughts before my foot suddenly slips on the slick rock, making me stumble towards the edge of the pond. Maggie looks alarmed, but doesn’t waste a second to pull me back. Though, she pulls a bit too hard, as it sends both of us to the ground with a good thud and mirrored grunts.

I sigh, propping myself from the ground as I open my eyes. The sight I see only makes my already insane situation worse, as I find Maggie is beneath me, not yet aware of our predicament. My mind is a complete mess, though I find myself taken as I look down at her. The moon shines at an angle that lights her beautifully, her bangs strewn as her loosened braid curls around her. She’s posed gracefully, and slowly, I start to forget why I wanted to leave. I lean over slightly, my eyelids becoming heavier-

I want to kiss her.

The thought causes me to shoot up and sit straight, panting slightly as Maggie opens her eyes. My eyes fall to the ground, my heart racing as I try to comprehend my actions.

What the Hell am I doing?