Chapter Text
Harin blinked awake. The cold, mediocre cot of the outpost wasn’t there beneath her, no she was on a bed. It smelled familiar, like Red-Sky-At-Night’s beds. The area around her was similar to their rooms, their homes, but more clean. Sterile. Not quite right, and painfully familiar. She stood up, wrapping herself in blankets to fight the searing cold in the air.
Approaching the door, she heard others outside. They were laughing, playing, talking. The voices rang in her ears, dripping with familiarity through her hazy memories. She opened the door, and the voices grew louder, coming up from a set of stairs. Harin took them Two steps at a time, practically throwing herself down them.
When she reached the bottom, the sight ahead of her tore the breath from her lungs.
Wise, Belle, and Captain Anby were setting food out on a large table that had been set in the lobby of Random Play. It was empty at the moment, but some Ramen and Hotpot had been set out.
“Oh! It looks like sleeping beauty’s finally awake!” Belle cheered.
“Good morning Harin. The others will be here soon. It’ll be good to see them all again. They'll bring the last of the food.” Wise told her.
Anby ran up and hugged Harin, and Harin gladly accepted. It felt strange, but good.
Anby didn’t look how she normally did, though. Her Silver Squad outfit was different - the skirt was longer and pleated, a neon green covered a great deal of her uniform. If the superiors found out …
Right. There weren’t superiors any more, not for Silver Squad.
“Good morning Harin. I made sure to get especially spicy Ramen flavoring for you.” Anby said, resting her head on Harin’s shoulder.
Harin was caught off guard for some reason. Why? This was how it was supposed to be. “I, uh, thank you. The others are coming?”
“Your Sisters. They’ve been preparing for this for a while now - though I guess things do slip from everyone’s mind now and then.” Wise told her.
Her sisters … right. Right! They were celebrating something! She had to get dressed!
Harin dismissed herself and ran up the stairs to her room, changing from the NEDF issues sleepwear into her usual outfit for missions. She should really get casual clothes sooner or later.
When she got back down Orphie and Magus were there.
Orphie gave Harin a hug, just like Anby did.
Magus walked up beside them and ruffled Harin’s hair.
“Hi Eleven! I’m glad you’re awake! We brought chips for everyone!” Orphie exclaimed.
“Yeah, yeah. I had to convince this kid to get some normal flavors too.” Magus was giving a lopsided grin. Despite being nearly genetically identical, Magus seemed much more grizzled and wise. Her jaw was set harder, scars scattered across her cheeks. Her breath was as warm as a blazing fire.
The doorbell jingled as someone new stepped in.
Soldier 2 - Feldspar, Soldier 4 - Armurier, and Soldier 6 - Aurora entered. Feldspar was holding a truly unfathomable number of pizza boxes, grinning like a madwoman, her pride on full display as she showed off her strength.
Armurier lit up slightly at the sight of Harin and Anby. Her eyes tilting up slightly, her eternal frown flattening out, and the exhaustion in her eyes dwindled a bit.
Aurora gleamed like freshly fallen snow. Her High-Energy personality could blind a person if they weren’t used to it.
Aurora leapt over the table and Tackled Harin in a hug, squealing with joy at her sister.
“Oh my Gosh! Harin~ You look so pretty in that outfit! It really brings out that fire inside you!”
Aurora’s uniform was different as well. It had more of a blue undertone than normal, and was padded more than before, more designed for cold environments.
Anby chided Aurora for her mad dash to Harin, while Belle and Orphie chuckled about it. Wise and Magus helped Feldspar with the pizzas
Armurier waltzed over in her usual steady but tired fashion, helping Harin to her feet and pulling her into a Half-hug.
The amount of positive emotions and displays of affection were completely unbelievable. Armurier initiating a Hug? Truly something out of a dream.
“Hello, Harin. I’m glad you’re doing well.” Armurier muttered into Harin’s ear.
Her uniform was deep etheric purple, and tattered.
Before Harin could respond, she was crushed in the overwhelmingly powerful arms of Feldspar, the air being squeezed out of her lungs as her sister lifted her in a bear-hug. Harin did her best to hug with the same force, and came up short.
“HAH!” Feldspar threw her head back in a bellowing laugh. “You’re still my Cutest little Sister Harin! Look at you! Didn’t think Armurier loved you or something? You’re acting like we’d never get to hug you again!” Feldspar’s teeth were on full display, her smile as bright as she was strong.
Harin took a deep breath when her feet touched the floor again. Feldspar dragged her to the table, loading a bowl with some of the spiciest smelling Ramen harin could imagine.
Aurora talked about nothing like she always did, Felspar bragging and boasting with deep enthusiasm, while Armurier fiddled with anything that wasn’t nailed down, inspecting Eous like one would a fruit.
Harin didn’t get to take a bite unfortunately, as the heavy sound of Seed Senior landing sounded from outside.
Harin set her bowl down, and ran to the door, throwing it open to find Soldier 1 - Bea, Soldier 7 - Mimi, and both Seeds standing outside.
“Hello, Soldier 11. I am Happy to See you again.” Seed Senior said, his warm deep voice filling Harin with a sense of calm.
Seed Junior carried some boxes on her sentry guns, calling them forward as she rolled on her scooter. “Yah-Hoh Eleven! We brought some gifts for you!”
Bea sat in one of Seed Sr’s hands, sliding off and clinging to Mimi for stability.
“Good morning Harin. I hope everything is going well so far? I know Anby showed up before the rest of us.” Bea’s face held slightly more emotion than Anby’s, but she seemed much more tired than normal.
Harin smiled. “Everything is great, Bea. Here, let me help you Walk. I’m sorry your joints are acting up today.”
“There is nothing to apologize for. Thank you Harin.” Bea said as she threw an arm over Harin’s shoulder.
“Thanks for the help, my beloved sister~” Mimi’s voice was sweet on Harin’s ears, like it had been years since that voice had been heard. That lilting, lurid tone was filled with the same warmth it always had - for the sisters, at least. It held a different kind when she spoke to others, but Harin couldn’t tell what it was exactly.
Minutes passed, and Harin reconnected with her sisters - they were all so close again, it felt right, it felt good - Bea sat in a plush chair, talking to Wise. Magus, Feldspar, and Seed Senior traded stories of battles and scars. Seed jr and Armurier talked about machines and devices.
Anby made herself a burger, putting some of Orphie’s chips on it. She scrunched her nose at the taste, but finished eating it anyway. Orphie chuckled at it alongside Aurora. Mimi made Belle blush (Why did that make Harin feel angry?).
Harin looked across her gathered family, still waiting for the last few.
She nearly jumped out of her skin as Soldier 8 - Umbra latched onto from behind. Harin made a very un-soldierlike shriek, causing her Squadmates to look over in concern, while her sister laughed - well, most of them laughed. Anby and Armurier cracked subtle smiles.
“Heya Sis. Gotta keep your eyes open, and senses sharp!” Umbra teased. It was snarky and annoying, but something Harin would never forget, not if she could help it.
“Do you know when the others will be here?” Harin asked.
“Soon enough.” Umbra answered, slinking away and mixing into the White Haired crowd that filled the room.
The door opened nearly immediately. Soldiers 2, 9, and 10 - Tuner, Skal, and Myer in that order, stepped in. Each one getting bum-rushed by the hyper-active sisters, and were gradually hugged and greeted by the rest, except for Harin.
Skal and Myer moved in tandem with each other, stepping with certain, equal measures, as if psychically linked. Tuner was nodding her head to some unheard song.
They took their turns hugging Harin, Skal and Myer hugging her at the same time, their graceful movements pulling Harin along in their impromptu, eternal dance, as if the Ballet Twins had been reborn, or perhaps, cloned.
When Tuner hugged Harin, she felt that Hum Anby always reminded them of. It echoed in her head. She didn’t hear what Tuner said, if tuner said anything, but the hum … it reminded her of something. Something cold. Something bad. Why? It was meant to … it did something. Something with Memories. It was meant to help? Right?
It felt warm, beautiful. The Ramen was perfectly spicy, steamy, and filled her belly with a strange sensation she didn’t quite understand, but one that felt distantly familiar.
There was laughter, and jokes, long winded tales of fraught conflict, and short, dry japes. The medley of smells from the food was intoxicating and made her heart throb. The medley of colors and shapes from their modified uniforms was a painting of vibrant defiance, of a wonderful end to their time under the thumb of the Scientists that made them.
“Eleven? Soldier Eleven?”
Trigger’s Voice. It was clear through the noise, but no one else seemed to hear it. Harin excused herself, and walked to the door.
“Eleven!”
Harin tore the door open, and was met with devastation. There was rubble and debris everywhere ahead of her. She turned to look at Random play, her family joined in the front room, and saw nothing.
“Oh, sweet, young Harin~” Twiggy’s voice crept out from the debris.
Harin dodged on instinct and avoided a slash from a Palicus.
“C’mon Harin! You didn’t forget about me, did you?”
The monster called to her in Twiggy’s voice. Harin’s blood ran cold, and she tried to call for backup, but she couldn’t find her voice. She reached for her sword, and drew nothing.
She dodged again, punching at the Ethereal that stole her sister’s voice. The attacks did nothing, her knuckles scraping against the harsh skin of the monster.
“Oh, don’t be like that. I just missed you so much, You can’t blame me for trying to bring you back home~”
Harin’s feet froze in place. She couldn’t move. She tried to call out again, and Again nothing came. The Blade swung at her.
Someone grabbed her arm and pulled hard.
“SOLDIER ELEVEN!”
Soldier 11’s hip screamed in pain as she fell awkwardly to the ground, Trigger clinging to her arm.
Blazing tears rolled down Eleven’s cheeks. She was shaking, her breath rapid and panicked. Trigger pulled Eleven into a more comfortable sitting position on the ground, and gave her a hug, rubbing circles into the small of Eleven’s back.
“It’s okay Eleven. I get nightmares too.”
“Not- It wasn’t …” Harin tried to speak up. Soldier Eleven couldn’t bear it. Harin died with her sisters, when her Captain abandoned them all.
That name … too soft. Too Sweet. They were meant to be Weapons. Hard, sharp, unstoppable tools for the Defense Force.
Eleven wished she had a life where she was worthy of that name.
Where Harin and her sisters had survived …
She sniffled, burrowing her face into Trigger’s shoulder.
Her heart ached. For a life she never got to have. For the Lives her Sisters lost.
She barely remembered their faces … even when she looked in the mirror, she couldn’t see them when she stared at herself.
Anby ate her burger, but the mouth feel was wrong, the taste was off. She took a moment to let it rest, and she felt her heart ache - not from Acid Reflux or too much red meat, but the pain she felt every time she glanced in a mirror for too long as saw her sisters. She looked to Nicole, imagining what it could’ve been like if more of her sisters made it out, or if Twiggy had accepted her open hand … It made the pain worse.
Armurier’s Pacemaker faltered again - not terribly, not for long, but it was due for some maintenance. The scrappy, shattered bits of metal and electronics that pierced her chest to keep her shattered heart beating burned the way they always did, but some other pain took over - not failure, no, that was different - this was that bitterness, that burnt feeling of overwork. That stung longer than her Pacemaker’s shortage.
She climbed onto the sign of the Kintsugi Salvage and Reclamation yard, scanning the horizon like she was looking for her sisters … hope refused to die in her chest. She survived, so why couldn’t others?
But the idea that she could find them? That they were able to escape the defence force? It scared her. She couldn’t risk her own eked out little haven … she just had to pray they were as lucky as she was.
Aurora whipped frozen wind at a horde of Ethereals, guarding her co-workers so they may do their ecological surveys. Her heart felt the frigid winds strike it deep inside, her ever-present smile fading as she recalled the motions she took - Following exactly in her Capt- Anby’s footsteps and Combat style. It felt like an icicle had pierced her chest, and frost settled inside of her ribs.
She kept fighting, but she did so through the pain. They had to make sure that Ether Crystals never halted the flow of water to the Ski Lodge and the Hot Springs.
Olympia sat on a bench in a breakroom. She downed three water bottles in one go, as she felt really sad out of nowhere again. Something tickling the back of her brain, something she’d forgotten when she lost her memory - something from whoever she was before hurt. She was sad she’d likely never figure out why she was sad at all, there were probably people missing whomever she came from.
She went to get more water, and had to collect a new jug for it - easy enough for her, she was the strongest person here! A Five Gallon jug was nothing to her dense musculature! The joy she felt from showing off her strength, easily picking up a heavy thing of water in one hand and lifting it high, that was almost enough to drown out the unknown source of pain … but only failed to do so as it fed back into that pain, like the people she was showing off to weren’t the right ones.
Eh. Whatever. She could live through it, she’d been through worse. Hell, if it wasn’t for her, Deep Delver’s Rock Products couldn’t Quarry stone at half their current speed!
Soldier 11 sat on her cot, sipping at cool water Trigger had brought her. She still felt so empty, struggling to cling to whatever had been going on inside her head to make Trigger so worried, and yet ... it faded. like so many other things, it faded.
A foolish wish, to dream of something so wonderful. As grateful as she was for Obol Squad and the Proxies, she still would never get to see so much joy from her Sisters ... no matter how badly she wanted to.