Chapter Text
Rover fought like a hurricane. She had become a maelstrom of whirling steel and blinding light. A flick of her hand reduced an Ironhoof into a mangled scrap heap in a brilliant burst of gold. The afterglow briefly lit up the incredulous expressions of the cowering researchers behind her. Rover leaped and twirled in the snow, dancing around patches of Voidmatter to strike at any Exoswarm that dared to approach them. She slammed her blade through the side of a particularly aggressive Mining Reindeer, skewering it cleanly through the spot she knew its battery would be. A puff of toxic black smoke spewed from its mouth before it keeled over and fell still. Two more replaced it before it even hit the ground. The Voidstorm had summoned so many Exoswarm they appeared to ripple like an endless red and black tide. One, then two, then ten more crumpled at her feet, and still they came. Mechanical clicks and whirs filled the air until they were no longer distinguishable from each other, turning into a single unceasing hum that drowned out even the thunder itself.
She prayed Aemeath was doing okay. It was going to be a very long night.
The fresh snow crunched beneath Aemeath’s boots as she trekked up the mountain path. Squinting to make out the road in the dark, she tailed Rover’s tracks deeper into the storm. A sinking feeling rose in her stomach as she climbed higher up the pass with no sign of her. Fatigue pulled at her like chains, every step feeling harder than the last. The frozen wind, sensing an opening, sliced through her coat deep into her bones. Aemeath pressed on with relentless determination despite it all. She refused to turn back. She refused to accept that she would never see Rover again.
As a Roya, she had spent her whole life under the threat of Voidstorms. The adults had always told her the same thing growing up. Get inside if you can, run away on foot if you have to. Never, ever approach the storm. If you do, you will never be heard from again. Royans were not ones to mince words. It had been repeated to her so many times it seemed like an immutable law, as fundamental as gravity itself. And yet . . . Rover had charged into the storm without a second thought to help complete strangers. To Aemeath it was no less than an act of insanity. She was about to give up all hope when she heard shouting in the distance. It couldn’t be. With a sudden surge of strength she sprinted to the cliff’s edge as fast as her trembling legs would take her.
And then she saw her.
A brilliant glowing figure stood alone against the darkness, sword in hand.
And fought back.
Rover moved in a single sweeping motion, letting her momentum control her blade as much as she did. Every slash flowed into the next, gracefully cleaving through one enemy after another in an impossibly fast whirlwind. Gone was the kind-hearted lady Aemeath had met at the cabin. A radiant, beautiful, and powerful deity had taken her place. The people behind her cheered her on as she drove the writhing mass of Exoswarm back with every swing of her sword. It felt as if she was really seeing Rover for the first time. She wasn’t just a hero to Aemeath, but to everyone. She was a savior.
Suddenly, a massive Glommoth roared and charged through the crowd, knocking Rover off her feet with its tusks and sending her sprawling to the ground. She howled in pain as the beast stomped on her arm. Aemeath screamed in horror as she heard the bone snap like a twig. In an instant, the other Exoswarm closed in on her. Rover turned at the sound of Aemeath’s screams and spotted her at the top of the cliff. Recognition and shock flashed in her eyes for just a brief moment before she was kicked in the chest by a Flora Reindeer. Her head collided with the ice hard and she fell still. Aemeath couldn’t look away. Fear had rooted her to the spot. No no no please anything but this this can’t be real get up get up GET UP. The Glommoth from before lunged at Rover, trying to spear her with its tusks. At the last moment, Rover hurled herself out of harm’s way, gripping her sword with her good arm and carving a deep gash through the monster’s neck. A line of blood rolled down her temple as she turned back to face the horde, gritting her teeth.
There was no longer any thought, no careful or deliberate action. Parts flew everywhere. Machine oil splattered across the snow. Smoke and explosions filled the air. Rover furiously tore through the remaining Exoswarm like a bolt of lightning. Her attacks were so fast that Aemeath could no longer even follow them with her eyes. Before she knew it, the seemingly unstoppable tide of monsters had been reduced to a smoldering scrapyard. The Voidstorm let out a final, defiant roar before it faded away completely, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. Rover collapsed to her knees in exhaustion as the surviving researchers celebrated and embraced each other.
Aemeath tottered down the path leading down the cliff, feeling almost as exhausted as Rover looked. A couple of the scientists ran over to Aemeath, seeming very concerned. Rover waved them away for the moment. Her steps were unsteady as she approached Rover, who was gasping for air and awkwardly wrapping a bandage around her head. Her broken arm hung limply at her side. For someone with such immense power, she seemed strangely frail, as if she might blow away in a stiff breeze. It wasn’t because of her injuries, either. The expression she wore was that of a person who had been pushed far too hard for far too long. Like her soul had been held to a grindstone and was now worn thin. It was a disturbing sight. She doesn’t even seem happy she won, Aemeath thought. This isn’t what heroes are supposed to be like. Her bearing shifted as Aemeath came closer, like a mask slipping on. She held herself straighter and sharpened her gaze. Her fist clenched into a ball, probably to conceal the pain.
Aemeath braced herself for a scolding. Instead Rover gave her a hug with one arm.
“I panicked when I saw you watching the fighting earlier. You could’ve gotten seriously hurt following me out here,” Rover began. “But you’re a smart kid, you know that already. Were you worried about me?”
She nodded and rested her head gently on Rover’s shoulder. “Yeah. After you took me in, things finally started to make sense. Like I remembered I could be happy again. I . . .” Her voice shook. “I can’t lose another family.”
“You don’t need to think about that now. We’re all safe. A rescue team is on their way as we speak.”
Aemeath pulled back. This wasn’t what she wanted to talk about at all. “But what about you? After all of that, you’re worried about me?”
“This isn’t so bad. I’ve lived through a lot worse than this.” Rover smiled softly in a way that was carefully crafted to comfort her. It had the opposite effect.
“You mean this happens a lot?” Aemeath replied, horrified.
“I’m the leader of the Black Shores. I’ve been fighting to save the world for a very long time, since before you were ever born.”
Aemeath felt tears welling in her eyes. It broke her heart to find out someone she loved was so used to suffering. She wished she could take a little bit of it away. “It’s not fair!” She yelled. “Why does it have to be you? You’re one of the nicest people I know. I don’t want you to get hurt ever again!”
Rover’s eyes darkened. “I made my choice a long time ago. I swore to see it through, no matter what.” Her words sounded robotic. How much of it was self-assurance, and how much were her genuine feelings? Could they both be true at the same time?
“If you believe in what you’re doing that much, why do you look so sad talking about it?”
“I don’t think you would understand. It’s complicated stuff. Adult stuff.”
“Could you tell me anyway? And maybe I won’t get it, but it's gotta be better than holding it all inside. You showed me that.”
Rover breathed a heavy sigh. “Maybe you’re right. I’ll try.”
“I used to find purpose in what I do. Trying to save the world, I mean,” she added quickly. “I woke up every day feeling excited to give back to this world that has given so much to me. But now? Now I’m worn out, stressed, and no closer to fixing things than when I first arrived.” She fell into a hushed whisper. “I don’t really know what to do anymore. All I can think about these days is how much I want to go back home. The only thing I know for sure is that I have to keep trying.” She looked down at her feet. In the distance, she heard the distinct whirring of helicopter blades.
Rover was right, she realized. Aemeath didn’t really understand what she was going through. But what she did know for certain was that her only family in the world was in a lot of pain. And to her, that was unacceptable.
“Is there anything I can do?” Aemeath asked hopefully.
She shook her head sadly. “Nothing you aren’t doing already, sweetie. You’ve helped a lot, even if you don’t realize it. Having you around makes my life a lot brighter.”
“Mm. Me too. Being with you feels right.” They both fell quiet for a spell.
“Were you lonely before? Is that why you took me in?” Aemeath finally asked.
“I’m not—” Rover exclaimed before stopping herself. Whatever she was about to say would have been a lie, and they both knew it. “Well . . . That’s part of the reason, yes.” She looked embarrassed admitting it. “But I also saw that you were a very special girl that life had dealt a bad hand to. And as time went on, I came to love you as family.” She booped Aemeath on the nose. “Tell you what. As soon as I’m healed up, we’ll make it official. I want to legally adopt you as my daughter. If you would have me, of course.”
She felt a jolt in her chest. It was one thing for Rover to be her guardian, but her actual mother? A surge of conflicting emotions hit her like a tidal wave.
“You don’t have to answer right now or anything. Just give it some thought, okay?”
Suddenly, engines roared nearby as the rescue team touched down at last. They held their hands over their faces as helicopter blades sent scattered flakes of snow flying everywhere. A squad of serious-looking paramedics hopped out and hurried around, helping the wounded evacuate. Two of them approached Rover with a stretcher.
“There’s no need for that. I’m not that hurt.” She gestured over to the battered group of researchers. “Help them first.”
“She’s lying!” Aemeath interjected. “Her arm is broken, and she got hit on the head real hard.”
“Aemeath!” Rover hissed.
“Is that true?” One of the medics asked with a stern gaze. His tone was all business.
“Yes, but I don’t—”
“Then you need treatment immediately. Come on. Johanna, help me lift her.”
Rover kept on protesting as they strapped her down to the stretcher and carted her off to one of the waiting helicopters. The man from before jogged back to Aemeath a second later.
“Do you know her?” he asked.
“Yeah. She’s my family.” It felt nice to tell someone that.
“Then you should come with us. We’ll give you a ride with her to the hospital. Follow me.” With that, he led her onboard and they took off into the air. Completely drained of energy, she melted into her seat. Rover’s earlier question ate at her as she watched the ground recede from the window. They already considered each other family, so it shouldn’t be such a big deal. And yet she felt oddly reluctant. Why was she finding it so hard to say yes? The question bothered her so much that she didn’t even remember falling asleep.