Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

A distant scream, a splash, and then a terrible silence.

Rover almost didn’t hear the child’s cry over the howling of the blizzard as she trudged along the snow-covered road back to her cabin. She briefly dismissed it as a figment of her imagination brought to life by the months of isolation she had endured living in the frozen hellscape of Solaris’ north pole. She scarcely had guests, after all. A couple of Royan researchers and the odd Bloom Bearer were her only visitors these days. None were the type to make a mistake as careless as slipping into the water. But no—she realized with horror—that sound was unmistakably real. A chill ran down her spine, somehow even colder than the hateful wind buffeting her face. 

Rover sprinted up the path as fast as she could, desperately searching for the source of the cry. Over in the icy pool was a pink and white blur kicking and thrashing just below the surface. She rushed over to it, vaulting over the railing as she ran. The ice sank its sharp teeth into her arms and legs as she waded over to the child, but she didn’t care. She frantically pulled the struggling heap out of the water. It was a little girl, aged nine or ten at most, dressed in a soaking wet white coat and sporting a pair of tiny pigtails. What on Solaris is a child doing all the way out here? Rover thought. She sputtered and coughed up water in Rover’s arms as she held her tight against her chest. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she spotted a faint glimmer of gold deep in the pool. Was that . . . ?

No, that was ridiculous. And besides, she had a much more pressing issue sitting in her arms right now. The terrified girl opened her eyes wide, revealing a pair of golden star-shaped pupils that resembled her own. “Don’t worry. Everything is okay now,” Rover said in an attempt to get her to calm down.

“My talisman,” the girl choked out weakly. “It’s still down there.” Her voice was ragged, as if she had been crying for a long time. “I have to get it back!” To Rover’s astonishment, she jumped out of her arms and tried to dive back into the water that had nearly killed her moments before. Rover quickly dragged the girl to shore as she shouted and screamed. “Let me go! Let me GO!”

“Easy, hey!” Rover exclaimed as the hysterical girl swung tiny little punches at her. “Calm down. I’ll try and get your talisman back, alright? Stay right here.” She sat the child down on a nearby rock well away from the water’s edge. She looked up at Rover with wide, tearful eyes as she shivered uncontrollably. Already small lines of frost were beginning to crystallize on her eyebrows and lips. She was clearly on the verge of hypothermia, if she wasn’t experiencing it already. She knew there wasn’t much time to waste. Rover hurriedly pulled off the girl’s drenched coat before shedding her own dry jacket and wrapping it around the girl’s thin shoulders.

“But—”

“No buts. I’ll get it back, okay? Just sit there while I look.” She glanced back to make sure the girl wasn’t following her. Reassured that she was staying put for now, Rover took a deep breath and dove headfirst into the dark pool. An inky black nothing greeted her gaze as she felt around for the talisman. Despite knowing it was certainly lost to the Voidmatter forever, she tried her best for the girl’s sake. After about a minute of searching, however, it became clear that there was nothing left to find. Her lungs burned, and she could barely feel her hands anymore. Rover reluctantly surfaced once again.

The girl already knew what Rover was about to say before the words left her mouth. Her precious talisman was gone, never to be seen again. A stream of tears rolled down the girl’s cheeks and froze on the ground as Rover tried in vain to comfort her. I’m sorry, I’m sure it meant a lot to you, of course I’ll look for it again later. The consolations that flowed from her lips did little to help. When it became clear she wasn’t going to calm down anytime soon, Rover scooped her up in her arms and carried her up the path to the lonely cabin she called home. No—home was the wrong word. This terrible place had never been home to her. She only had one home, and she would never see it again.

By the time the automatic door of her cabin slid open, the girl had mostly stopped crying. She had wrapped her arms around herself and shivered weakly. That worried Rover immensely. She pulled a couch over to the hearth where a warm fire waved and danced behind a sheet of glass. She then laid the child down upon the couch and wrapped her up with as many blankets as she could find. Rover’s plain cabin didn’t have much, but she was pretty sure all kids liked hot chocolate, so she heated up some milk on the stove to make a cup for the girl. She slipped two marshmallows in, paused for a moment, and then added a third. As Rover brought over a mug of piping hot cocoa, the girl finally stirred.

“Thank you,” she murmured as Rover placed the drink in her hands. Her hands shook as she gratefully took a sip. She was still weak, but her voice sounded a bit clearer now. “Mama and Papa always said to remember to thank people when they do something nice for you.” Past tense . . . Rover thought. A sharp pang of sadness stabbed into her heart. Poor thing. She decided not to broach the subject for now. Rover sat down beside her, bathing in the comforting heat of the fire. 

“How are you feeling? Does anything hurt?”

The girl thought for a moment before shaking her head no. “Not really. But I’m still so cold. I didn’t know you could be this cold before.”

Rover placed her hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Keep drinking that. It’ll help. It always helps me when I’m cold.” She nodded, seeming quite happy to do so. Within minutes she had finished the entire mug. Rover took the empty cup from her and set it aside.

“Could you tell me your name?” Rover asked.

The girl shifted towards her as best she could underneath the mountain of blankets. “I’m Aemeath.”

Rover smiled softly. That sounded like a Royan name, so she was probably from one of the local tribes. “It’s nice to meet you, Aemeath. My name’s Rover.”

Aemeath giggled at that. “Rover? Isn’t that a dog’s name?”

Rover’s eyes widened before she laughed as well. “Well, I mean, I suppose it is. But for me, it also means that I’m a wanderer. I’m always traveling for my work, never staying in one place too long.”

Aemeath’s golden eyes lit up. “So you get to see the world? That’s awesome!”

“It is sometimes. I enjoyed it for a while.” She smiled sadly and shrugged. “Now it’s just a job, really.”

“Oh.” Aemeath sat in thought for a moment. “Isn’t the world super big? How could you ever get tired of it?”

“Well, Aemeath, you’re right that the world is a pretty big place. There’s plenty of places I’ve never been and things I’ve never seen, even after all this time. I just . . .” She sighed, struggling to articulate her feelings in a way that made sense to a kid. “I just realized that none of the things I really wanted were out there, that’s all.” Aemeath nodded softly as if she understood and said nothing more. A moment passed, and a calm silence filled the air between them. “So, Aemeath. Is there anyone that might be looking for you right now?”

To Rover’s dismay, she shook her head no. “Mama and Papa died in a Voidstorm a month ago. A couple of their friends have been letting me live with them, but they don’t like having me around. They never said it, but I can tell.”

Rover’s heart broke a little more. She had already been through so much at such a young age. No family, and no home either. No one should have a childhood like that, she thought. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. What else could she say? She leaned in and gave Aemeath a gentle hug. Aemeath stiffened with surprise before eventually reaching up with her tiny arms to hug Rover back. “If you’d like, you can stay here with me for a little while. At least until we can figure something out.”

Aemeath clutched her tighter. “Okay. You seem really nice. Kinda like Mama.” They held each other for a while before Rover broke their embrace.

“Let’s get you tucked in for the night. You can take my bed. Come on,” she said, and led her past a curtain to a small bedroom. Like the rest of her cabin, the bedroom was simple, but cozy. A large, plush bed filled the room, and a wood desk sat in the corner. Aemeath clambered atop the bed and snuggled under the covers. She looked exhausted. “Good night, Aemeath,” she whispered. Just as she turned out the lights and shuttered the curtain, Aemeath called out.

“Wait!” she shouted. Rover peeked her head back in. “Please stay here,” her voice trembled. “I . . . don’t like the dark.”

Rover smiled. “Of course. I’ll stay with you for as long as you want.” Rover sat down on a chair next to the bed. She stayed there, watching over Aemeath until the little girl drifted off into sleep. What am I going to do with you? She thought anxiously. I know nothing about kids. I can’t keep her here, but can I really just send her back to live with people that don’t want her? These worries gnawed at Rover until sleep at last took her too.

Chapter Text

Aemeath awoke to find she was floating thousands of feet in the air.

The feeling of weightlessness was strange, but somehow not unpleasant. Just above her, millions upon millions of glimmering stars of every color she could imagine smiled down at her. They were so, so close. She outstretched her arm and caressed the sky, leaving a magnificent aurora in her wake. It felt warm in her hand. The stars shone brighter still, happy to share their light with Aemeath. Then a comet rushed by, its ethereal tail of dust and ice flickering in the night in a glorious display reserved only for her. A sense of peace like she had never known filled her soul.

Suddenly, a colossal tearing sound ripped through the night. The sky—which she had held so close only moments ago—was yanked away from her and slashed into tatters by claws that she couldn’t see. She heard shrieking from somewhere very far away as she plunged down, down, down. They were her own screams. The unnatural gaze of a melting eyeball bored into her, and then through her, as she plummeted further and further into the void.

Aemeath slammed into the hard ground with a sickening thud. Her body ached all over, but she somehow managed to pull herself upright. When she opened her eyes she found she was in a familiar house, sitting in her usual spot at the table, eating dinner. Two blank figures sat across from her, chatting and enjoying their meal. Aemeath burst into tears at the sight. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t make out even a single detail of either of them. It was like there was a hole in her mind that wouldn’t let her see. They were her parents, she knew, but she was losing more and more of them every day. She distinctly knew the taste of Mama’s special soup, but couldn’t remember sharing it with her. She had memorized every word of the lullabies Papa used to sing, but couldn’t recall the sound of his voice. She knew they loved her dearly, and only the feeling of her parents’ love had remained fresh in her mind. It wasn’t really a memory, just a warmth in her chest, but it was the only thing that had proven strong enough to resist the Voidmatter’s corruption. But for how long? One day, would that disappear too? The thought chilled her to the bone as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Aemeath? Aemeath, it’s alright. It’s not real,” a female voice said. “You’re safe now.” Aemeath peered open her bleary eyes to find Rover looking down at her with a concerned expression. “It’s not real,” she repeated as she stroked the girl’s hair. Aemeath shuddered and wiped her cheeks dry. Aemeath knew she was trying to make her feel better, but Rover was wrong. Dreams were real sometimes. Grown-ups didn’t seem to understand that for some reason. “Take a few deep breaths with me, just like this,” Rover said. She breathed in softly and exhaled. Aemeath followed her lead and took a few shaky breaths. A minute later she had calmed down enough to speak.

“I should’ve held on tighter to my talisman. If I had just held on . . .” she said. “Mama and Papa gave it to me. They told me I wouldn’t ever be alone if I had it with me.”

Rover paused, taking the time to choose her words carefully. “Your parents loved you, Aemeath. Even if they aren’t with us any more, even if you can’t remember them, nothing will ever change that. Not even losing your talisman.” Aemeath nodded slowly. That made sense, even if it did little to ease the knot in her chest. “I’ve got something that might help you feel better. Take a look over there.”

She opened the curtain and pointed to something Aemeath couldn’t see. Curious, she swung her short legs over the side of the bed and dropped down to the floor. Now fully awake, she only just noticed the scent emanating from the kitchen. Sitting on the table was a stack of pancakes so high Aemeath couldn’t see over the top of it. A fresh tub of butter and a bowl of glistening berries rested beside it. She hadn’t seen a meal so inviting in ages. “Go ahead and—” Rover started. Aemeath didn’t even let her finish her sentence. She practically ran over to grab a plate and snatched up as many pancakes as she could lift. She slathered a coating of butter on them, dumped a heap of berries on top, and took a huge bite. “—Dig in,” she finished. The food tasted heavenly. When was the last time she had eaten? Over a day ago? She couldn’t recall. All she could think about now was stuffing herself silly.

Rover chuckled and took some pancakes for herself. She waited a minute for Aemeath to slow down before trying to start a conversation. “I’ve been meaning to ask—how did you end up all the way out here in the middle of nowhere? The nearest village is pretty far off.”

Aemeath looked up, still chewing on a mouthful of pancake. “Oh, I took the train up here,” she said casually.

Rover cocked an eyebrow at that. “You mean you’re from the underground?”

“Yep. Well, sorta. I’m originally from up here, but I live in Bjartr Woods.”

“But that’s miles away, even with the train! Surely you weren’t alone that whole time?!”

“I sure was!” Aemeath said with way too much pride. She then scarfed down the last bit of her pancake.

Rover sighed and cupped her head in her hands. “Have you thought about how the people that took you in are feeling? I’m sure they’re worried right now.”

Aemeath wasn’t so certain. She was pretty sure they were only letting her live with them so they could brag about it to their neighbors. She remembered eavesdropping on a phone call her new Mom (who had insisted Aemeath call her that) had with someone she didn’t know. “Well, she just looked so pitiful, all alone like that,” she said in her annoying, nasally voice. “One look at her and I knew I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t open my doors to her. So I took her in out of the goodness of my heart. Unlike a certain someone.” And on and on she went. When no one was looking, they mostly just ignored her.

“Um . . . I don’t really think so,” Aemeath said. “They don’t like me very much.”

“But even then, I’m sure they’ll want to know you’re safe,” she insisted. “Do you have their number?” Rover held out her phone expectantly so Aemeath could type the digits in. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, she reluctantly did so. 

Three rings, then four. Pick up already, Rover thought anxiously. What was taking so long? On the fifth ring, a deep, lightly accented male voice answered. “Hello? Who is this?”

“My name’s Rover. I found Aemeath late last night in the frostlands. You’ll be happy to hear she’s safe and sound.”

There was a pause. “What are you talking about?” The man replied cautiously.

“Aemeath? The girl you adopted? Did she give me the wrong number?” Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Aemeath staring at the ground.

“No, hang on, this is the right number,” he said shakily. “What the hell do you mean Aemeath’s in the frostlands? Isn’t she still in her room?” She could hear heavy footsteps on the other end of the line. “Aemeath?” Knock, knock, knock. “Aemeath?!”

Rover’s blood went cold, then started to boil. “She’s been missing for well over a day now,” she said slowly. Behind her words was a primal fury that she was only just managing to suppress. She gritted her teeth, her free hand balling into a fist. “And you only just now noticed?”

“Well, I . . .” the man stammered. “I’ve been busy with work. I can’t be expected to look after the brat all the time. Besides, you said she was fine, right? No harm done.”

Rover snapped. “No harm done? No harm done?!” She was shouting now. “Did you know she nearly drowned? How long would it have taken for you to notice? Would you even care? What kind of asshole adopts a child just to neglect them all day?”

The man on the other side of the phone started to say something to defend himself, but trailed off before Rover could make out the words. Eventually, he simply said, “Thank you for letting me know,” in a small, distant voice. He quickly hung up.

Rover was still fuming over the incident an hour later. They had finished their breakfast mostly in silence, and she was now scrubbing the dishes clean. She didn’t have much in her cabin that would interest a child, so she had turned on the television to some cartoon and given Aemeath the remote. She glanced over at where the little girl was sitting on the couch. Good. That seemed to be holding her interest for now. She turned back to the dishes and attacked a particularly stubborn spot that had hardened on the pan.

Rover had lived for an awfully long time. She had seen things that would astonish ordinary people, things that very few would ever believe. She had witnessed acts of cruelty so sickening that it made her want to hide herself away and forget all about the Mission, and she had seen selfless deeds so heartwarming that they reminded her why she endured it all. Lately, however, her will to continue her work had been . . . faltering. It wasn’t that she no longer cared about Solaris—she did, and always would. Almost to a fault, Shorekeeper claimed. But as the years dragged on it had become impossible to accept that this hostile alien world would be her prison forever. Day after day, memories of home incessantly wriggled their way into the forefront of her mind. Friends and family she might never see again, food, art, and a language that she could now only scarcely recall crowded her thoughts more and more. In a hopeless attempt to distract herself, she devoted her life to the Mission more fervently than ever before, working herself to the bone and risking her neck whenever the opportunity arose. When that didn’t help, she accepted a quiet research position at Startorch monitoring the Exostrider. She had claimed to her friends that isolating herself in the remote frostlands was all to “clear her head,” or some variation of that excuse. Rover would never admit it out loud, but she had become so fixated on her own longing that she had left very little room for others in her life.

So it had come as a surprise to her, then, that she had reacted so intensely earlier. She had seen the Lament take thousands of lives, and she had helped rebuild cities after it had run its course. Aemeath was far from the first orphan she had met. So what was it, then? Maybe she saw a bit of herself in the little girl? Or perhaps she was just looking for an outlet to vent all the anger she didn’t realize she was holding onto. Rover couldn’t say for sure. What she did know was this: She cared for Aemeath, and she was going to make certain she had a proper childhood, no matter what.

Chapter Text

Aemeath had vanished by the time Rover finished cleaning the kitchen.

Rover poked her head back in the living room, expecting to find the girl sitting on the couch where she had been a moment ago. The TV was on exactly as she had left it, but it no longer had an audience. She peeked inside the bedroom in case she had gone back to sleep. No one was there. “Aemeath? Aemeath! Where’d you go?” she shouted. When no response came, she rushed upstairs to check her study. It was empty. A bolt of fear ran through her. She hadn’t explained exactly what Aemeath’s adoptive father had said, but the girl had seemed pretty shaken up anyway. Rover knew she should have said something to comfort her, but truthfully, she was still processing it herself. The way that man spoke about Aemeath made her sick. She forcefully suppressed a fresh wave of anger. There was no time to worry about what she should have done. Even though the blizzard had passed, the frostlands were still dangerous, especially for a child. She threw on her boots and coat and dashed outside.

Rover ran across the porch and down the stairs, kicking up petals in her wake. In her haste, she almost slipped on the ice that had encrusted the steps overnight. A flora reindeer snorted at her indifferently as she passed like a blur. At last, she spotted Aemeath sitting silently at the edge of the pool Rover had rescued her from last night. She was motionless, staring deep into the water. Rover let out a sigh of relief and walked over to her side. She sat down beside the girl, who looked up nervously as she approached. “I won’t ask you to go back to live with them,” Rover said. Aemeath tilted her head and let her continue. “No one deserves to grow up with a family that doesn’t love them. Especially a sweet kid like you.”

“But they’re the only people in my village that wanted to look after me,” Aemeath said sadly as she shuffled her feet. “Where would I go?”

“I have some friends from the Black Shores who can take you in. They’re good people, I promise. I think you’ll like them.”

Aemeath raised her eyebrows. “The Black Shores really exist? I thought they were made up, like the heroes from Katya Space Fantasy.”

Rover laughed. “Oh, they’re real all right. They’re a group of heroes, always out saving the world. I know they’ll take good care of you, too.”

Aemeath was practically glowing. “That’s awesome! Hey, is it true that they have a computer the size of a skyscraper? And I heard about this Bloom Bearer that can grow flowers on her body, but there’s no way that’s true too, right? And what about the Threnodians? They don’t really fight them, do they? They would have to be super strong! And how do they—”

Rover cut her off, taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm. “Yes, Aemeath, everything you’ve heard is more or less true. I’m sure they’re going to adore you.” She patted the girl’s head and sighed. “There’s just one thing, though.”

Aemeath frowned. “What?”

“You would have to leave Lahai-Roi.”

A look of confusion crossed her face. “Why? Can’t I stay here?”

Rover shook her head sadly. “All the Bloom Bearers in Lahai-Roi are too busy on missions to look after you. You would have to travel far across the ocean to our home base.”

“But I . . . I want to stay here. Close to Mama and Papa.” She tugged on the hem of Rover’s dress and looked up at her. “Can’t you find another way?”

The look she gave Rover wrenched at her heart. She tried to look away, but those huge golden eyes of hers were impossible to tear her gaze from. At that moment, a stupid, impulsive idea leapt into the forefront of her mind. She knew it would never work, but the thought of refusing Aemeath had suddenly become impossible. Against her will, the fateful words tumbled out. “If you don’t want to leave your home, you can live with me. We can stay right here in this cabin together.”

Rover’s logical side frantically wrestled to take back control. Adopting a kid on a whim? She had no experience to draw upon, and no one around to help her. She was way out of her depth and she knew it.

Aemeath looked surprised. “Are you sure? I don’t wanna trouble you or anything. But, if it’s really okay . . .” She grinned and pulled Rover into a tight hug. “I’d love to live with you!”

. . . Who was she kidding?

Maybe it was irresponsible of her, but she found at that moment that she didn’t care. If there was an opportunity to make the world a little bit better, she was going to seize it, just as she had always done. And besides—she didn’t want to see Aemeath leave. Rover kneeled down and hugged her back, brushing her cheek against one of her pigtails. “I’m really glad,” she said genuinely. “I know I’ll never be a replacement for your parents. Not by a mile. But I will do my best to make you happy here.” She leaned back and took Aemeath’s hands in hers. “That’s a promise.” Rover brushed her finger affectionately against the tip of her nose.

Not to be outdone, Aemeath declared, “I want to promise you something too!” She puffed her chest out. “I’m going to pay you back someday for being nice to me.”

“You don’t have to do anything in return,” she replied, a little amused. “Except maybe don’t run out of the house without saying something first. You scared me earlier, you know.”

“I did? Sorry,” she said sheepishly.

“It’s okay. Just make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“It won’t. I promise!”

“Good. Now let’s get you back inside. If you’re going to live here, we need to make space for your bedroom.”

“I’m getting my own room? I’ve never had one to myself before! I had to share one with Mama and Papa ‘cause we didn’t have a lot of space.”

“Then this is going to be a big day for you. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

Aemeath’s new room turned out to be Rover’s study on the second floor.

Rover had led her up the stairs until she was standing in a dusty, cluttered space crammed from floor to ceiling with books and paperwork. Some pages were scattered about on the carpet, and strings of cobwebs were festooned in every corner. An array of strange machines that she couldn’t identify stood in a row against the far wall, and next to them towers of cardboard boxes were piled up dangerously high. There was barely space to walk around without tripping over something. This was where she was going to live?

“I know it’s a bit of a dump, but I promise it’ll clean up nicely,” Rover said reassuringly. She bent over, hefted an entire stack of boxes over her head, and carried them out of the room like they weighed nothing. She’s really strong, Aemeath thought. “If you feel like helping, I could use someone to clean some of this mess up,” Rover shouted from down the stairs. On any other day Aemeath would have hated doing chores, but she meant it when she said she wanted to pay Rover back, so she didn’t mind helping out a little. She dropped to her hands and knees and started to gather up as much clutter as she could.

On the Spatiotemporal Properties of Etheric Sea Droplets, read the title of one report that had been haphazardly tossed aside by the desk. It was stamped with a purple logo that looked like a flower, and it was at least a hundred pages long. Messy notes written in bright red ink were scrawled up and down the margins. Aemeath collected it and placed it carefully in a box. A book beside it was called Confirmed Case Studies of Inducible Amnesia in Congenital Resonators. The pages were creased and worn, like it had been read over and over. She tried flipping through it and felt herself getting cross-eyed. All the big words made her head hurt. Why did they make words that long, anyway? Short ones worked just fine for her. She wondered idly what Rover did with all this stuff. Most of the other documents were equally impossible to make sense of, and she stopped trying to read them after that.

Soon enough Aemeath had gathered up neat piles of all the books, papers, and other odds and ends that had amassed in Rover’s study. Meanwhile, Rover had hauled off most of the junk into a storage shed outside. As it turned out, the room was actually pretty spacious once she could walk around in it. “We’ll have to get you some proper decoration later,” Rover said as she heaved a large mattress onto the ground. It landed with a loud thump. “I’ll get you anything you like. It takes ages for stuff to get delivered out here, though.“

“Ooh! Can I get a pet Snowfluff Seal? I’ve always wanted one!” Aemeath said excitedly.

Rover smiled and rolled her eyes. “I’ll get you almost anything you like.”

“Aww . . .” She stuck out her lip and pouted. Rover came closer and affectionately ruffled her hair.

“We could hang some pink curtains over there.” Rover gestured towards the windows. “And maybe some posters on that wall. And throw in a whole bunch of stuffed animals, of course. What do you think?”

“I love it!” She hopped onto the mattress, already imagining how she was going to arrange everything.

Rover let out a deep breath and sat down beside her. She seemed anxious for some reason. “We’ll make this a home for you soon enough,” she said. Aemeath nodded in agreement, then reached over and booped Rover on the nose.

Rover blinked in surprise. “What was that for?”

“You did that to me earlier, remember? Now we’re even.”

A mischievous look flashed across Rover’s face. She booped Aemeath’s nose once again. “Not anymore.” She hopped up from the mattress before Aemeath could retaliate.

“Hey, no fair!” She yelled, chasing Rover around the room. The two of them laughed as Aemeath jumped up and down trying to reach Rover’s nose.

The dark pit in Aemeath’s chest was still there, weighing her heart down like an anchor. It would probably never leave completely. But, for the first time since her parents had died, she was able to forget about it for a little while. Because in that moment, things were alright.

Chapter Text

Rover’s cabin had undergone a remarkable metamorphosis over the past month. At Aemeath’s insistence she had purchased enough toys to make Santa jealous, including a shiny new gaming system that she had instantly become addicted to. She had recently acquired some books and children’s school supplies from a friend at Startorch. The cost was hardly any inconvenience, of course. Being the leader of the Black Shores had its perks. The cupboards had also been stocked full of ingredients for all of Aemeath’s favorite Royan dishes. After a few false starts, not to mention a small grease fire, Rover had figured out how to cook a couple of them well enough to be edible. Above all else, however, there was a shift in her mood. It was nice to choose her responsibilities for once, ones that had nothing to do with the Lament. Despite the daunting responsibility of raising a child alone, the change was a welcome one.

When Rover moved to Lahai-Roi over a year ago, she had brought only the bare necessities and her most cherished possessions with her. She had delegated her authority over the Black Shores to Shorekeeper, who as usual accepted the burden without a word of complaint. At first, it was liberating to walk away from the responsibilities that continued to weigh her down. She had devoted centuries of her life, nearly died dozens of times, and ruined many of her close relationships in service to the Mission—all at the behest of a people that had long since forsaken her. Her heart ached for the friends she could have saved if she had just tried a little harder, been a little smarter, given just a little more . . . And despite all she had sacrificed, it was never enough. She was never enough. So it felt good to finally ignore everything for a little while. As the months dragged on, however, the dull, empty rooms seemed to constrict around her like a vise. The lifeless walls whispered that she was a coward for abandoning her duties, that every moment wasted was a life lost. Perhaps it was foolish of her to think she would ever find peace here. She hadn’t earned it. Not yet. There was still much more to do. Reluctantly, she returned to work on her last-ditch effort to save the world—the one that was becoming increasingly clear she would have to use one day, if she could just find a way to pull it off.

She was working on that plan one afternoon when Aemeath walked in the door, skipping and humming a tune to herself. Rover had her nose shoved too far in a Fractsidus memo to notice. There has to be a way to wipe my memories without causing lasting damage, she thought as she underlined a passage. Luuk had swiped it right from under their noses at their headquarters in the New Federation only yesterday. Though they had only met a few times, he was proving to be a highly valuable ally. Surely somebody from the Fractsidus would know how. If they can’t do it, no one can.

Suddenly, she felt a tap on her shoulder. “Whatcha doing?” Aemeath asked.

Rover looked up, startled. “When did you get back?”

“A few minutes ago. You looked really focused, so I didn’t wanna bother you.” She lifted herself into the chair beside her. “Can I see?”

Rover patted her on the head. “It’s not very interesting, just work stuff. Nothing you need to worry about.” Aemeath, in her endless curiosity, peered over at her notes anyway. Rover glanced over at the clock. “Is it really two already? We were supposed to start on your lessons an hour ago! Where did you leave your textbook?”

“Who’s Luuk?”

She was taken aback. “I’m sorry?”

Clutched in Aemeath’s hands was the letter he had sent along with the stolen Fractsidus goods. It was penned in flawless, sweeping cursive with shimmering golden ink. “Luuk. He must be someone important to write such a fancy letter to you.”

Rover let out a little sigh. Aemeath was proving to be quite the handful sometimes. Oh, he’s the guy I asked to break into a terrorist base the other day. She shook her head. “He’s just an acquaintance,” she answered, hoping she wouldn’t ask any more questions. She took the letter from her hands. The last thing she wanted was Aemeath getting involved in this.

“What’s an acquaintance?”

“It’s like when two people are friendly but don’t know each other too well.”

Her eyes twinkled mischievously. “Is he handsome?”

Her breath caught in her mouth. That was not the sort of question she was expecting. “No, well, I mean yes, but . . .” She stammered. She could feel a tinge of warmth on her cheeks as Aemeath giggled at Rover’s discomfort. This kid . . . She took a breath to compose herself. “I barely know him. We just helped each other out a couple times, that’s all.”

Aemeath was ignoring her. “Oooooh! Rover and Luuk sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” she sang.

Rover pulled out the most no-nonsense look she could muster at the moment. “Go get your textbook,” she said in a tone that left no room for negotiation.

“See here?” Rover pointed at a diagram. “The long side of the triangle is called the hypotenuse. That corresponds to the variable “c” in the formula. If you take the square root of—”

Aemeath yawned.

“If you take the square root of both sides,” she said patiently, “you can substitute the values for “a” and “b” to calculate the length of the hypotenuse.”

Aemeath yawned louder.

“Look at this example. I have a right triangle with side lengths of 6, 8, and an unknown. This is how you—”

Aemeath set her head down on the table and closed her eyes.

“Could you please pay attention?” Rover snapped. Aemeath jerked awake in surprise.

“Huh?” She shrunk back at Rover’s unusually sharp tone. She looked almost terrified.

Rover cringed, immediately regretting raising her voice. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you,” she said sheepishly. She placed her hand on Aemeath’s. “I’m just worried about you. You missed over a month of school, and learning math is tough as is without having to play catch up.”

“But we’ve been doing this for like hours,” she complained.

“It’s been twenty minutes.”

She blinked. “Oh.” Aemeath crossed her arms and pouted indignantly. “Well, it feels like it’s been hours. Can’t we take a break?”

One of the child psychology books Rover had purchased from the Academy had mentioned positive reinforcement could help in these sorts of situations. She supposed she may as well give it a try. “I’ll give you a choice,” Rover said. “You can either take a five minute break now—”

“I wanna take a break!” Aemeath interjected.

“Hold on now, I haven’t finished yet. If you choose not to take a break and listen carefully to this lesson, I’ll let you play Katya Space Fantasy for the rest of the evening. How does that sound?”

“The rest of the evening? Alright!” She practically leaped out of her chair. “I’ll pay super good attention, promise!”

A smile spread across Rover’s face. “It’s a deal, then.”

The rest of the lesson flew by after that. As it turned out, Aemeath was quite intelligent when she was feeling motivated. She knocked out her homework in mere minutes, her pencil flying over the page so fast that Rover’s eyes could hardly follow it. When she was done, she wasted no time in running over to the couch and switching on that game she was always raving about. Aemeath’s fingers tapped away at the controls as the avatar on the screen shot down flying robots with a laser beam. Rover made a bowl of popcorn and sat down beside her. “Want some?” she asked.

Aemeath looked away from the screen just long enough to snatch a salty handful and shove it all in her mouth. “Thanks, Rover!” she said, her voice muffled by her noisy chewing. Her cheeks were stuffed full like a chipmunk’s.

“So what’s this game about anyway?” Rover asked.

“It’s about saving the world!” she replied enthusiastically. “You travel around with Katya and her friends beating up alien robots. She’s so cool and pretty, and she even has a mech too! Check this out!” Aemeath pressed a button, causing the player character to ram her spear through a wave of enemies and sending them crumpling to the ground. “Awesome, right?”

“Yeah. It looks like a lot of fun.”

“Do you wanna try? There’s a two-player mode.” She offered a controller to Rover expectantly. It had been a while since Rover had even played a video game, but she would take any excuse to spend time with the girl.

Just then, a blaring siren screamed from outside. There was no escape from it—the siren seemed to surround them, emanating from everywhere at once. The sound was worse than dreadful; it inflicted the same primal terror as a knife held up to her eyeball. Aemeath whimpered and curled up into a ball, her game forgotten. They both already knew what the voice on the intercom would say before it spoke.

Voidstorm warning. There is a severe threat to human life. Immediately seek refuge in the safest location possible. Call friends and family who are within the area to ensure they are aware of the situation. Voidstorm warning. There is a severe—

The mechanical voice repeated itself over and over, crashing louder and louder against their ears each time. Rover’s instincts moved quickly as she threw open the closet door, grabbing her sword in one hand and a supply bag in the other. She then ran over to Aemeath, who was trying to hide under a blanket. She pulled it away, revealing a pair of terrified golden eyes looking up at her. “Listen to me very carefully,” Rover said. “I need to go look for survivors. You need to stay put right here no matter what and keep the doors locked.”

“Wh- wh- what do you mean? You’re leaving?”

Rover placed her hands on her shoulders. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. This cabin is built to withstand far more than just the snow. You’re safe here.”

“But what about you? You . . . What if you. . .” Her voice trembled.

“I’ll be okay, I promise. I’m strong. Stronger than any Voidstorm. You don’t need to worry about me.”

“I . . .” She was on the verge of tears now. “I don’t understand. Please don’t leave me here alone.” Aemeath clung tight to Rover’s waist.

She desperately wished she could. But getting caught outside in a Voidstorm was usually a death sentence. If she was going to save anyone, she needed to act now. She pried Aemeath off of her and placed her down gently on the sofa. She brushed her finger against her nose one more time.

“I love you, Aemeath.”

Rover grabbed her things and dashed out of the house. The door locked behind her with a click.

Rover cranked the throttle hard, revving the engine to its limit. The bike lurched under her as she skidded through an icy hairpin turn, her wheels coming dangerously close to the ledge. The acrid scent of ozone and gasoline fumes filled her nose. The sky had turned a nauseating shade of purple, and unnatural lightning crackled all around her. She was close to its source now. Defiant screams rang out from somewhere far down the cliff. The burning remnants of what looked like a research station were the only source of light illuminating the terrible scene. Dozens of rampaging Exoswarm had smashed through the building, nearly ripping it off its foundation. Purple Voidmatter was plastered everywhere, ravenously consuming anything it touched. The few survivors had formed a tight circle, led by a pair of men with Resonance abilities who lashed out at anything that came close. They were brave, but they would not last long. Rover pulled her sword from its sheath and dove off the cliff into the chaos below.

. . .

. . .

. . .

How long has it been?

Aemeath peeked out from under the bed covers. Just like the last time she had checked, no one was there. Her only company had been the sound of thunder and wind. It slammed into the windows and rocked the cabin, trying desperately to get inside. She hid her face back under the covers.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Where was Rover?

A scenario she dared not imagine tried to force its way into her thoughts. Aemeath pushed it away. She said she was strong. She said she would come back. A bolt of lightning illuminated the room through the window, casting twisted shadows across the ground for a brief moment before darkness returned. She slid out of bed and closed the shutters, blocking the eerie light from outside. It did nothing to silence the din of the storm.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Panic began to set in.

This was feeling all too familiar. Her parents had left to visit a friend. They had told her they would only be gone a couple hours. They had lied. Her scars had only just begun to heal, and she couldn’t bear the thought of losing Rover as well. Her hands instinctively reached to her neck for a talisman that wasn’t there. Could Rover have lied too?

. . .

. . .

. . .

Sitting still had become unbearable.

The worst part about her parents’ deaths was the lack of closure. She understood they were gone, but even now it all felt like a dream. In the blink of an eye, the two people she loved most in the world had vanished out of her life. Neither of their bodies were ever found, and soon after that her memories with them dissipated like smoke. It was as if they had never existed in the first place. A spark of courage blossomed within her. Aemeath had to see Rover again. She refused to sit here and wait for good news that might never come. She didn’t care if it was dangerous. Aemeath rushed down the stairs so fast she nearly fell. Shaky hands unbolted the heavy latch keeping the door shut. She stepped out of the cabin and followed the tire tracks into the storm.

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.

Chapter Text

The first thing she noticed was the persistent, throbbing ache in her head. It pounded incessantly like the beat of a drum, ushering Rover out of her restless sleep and into the waking world. She tried to stretch, only to find her right arm wouldn’t budge. Right. It was wrapped tight in a cast, of course. She vaguely remembered the nurse fitting it on her last night.

The second thing she noticed was the array of gift baskets perched on the nightstand beside her. It was overflowing with all manner of cards, presents, and flowers. Many of them were from friends she’d hardly spoken to in months. Injuries were business as usual to her, so she would always tell them they didn’t need to do anything special. Naturally, they mostly ignored that part. Rover counted herself lucky to have such good friends. She sat up to grab a card labeled with Mornye’s name. A wave of nausea suddenly slammed into her like a train. Her vision swam as she groaned in pain and collapsed back onto her pillow. Ow. Maybe this time was a bit worse than usual.

The third thing she noticed was a pair of ashen eyes peering at her from the corner of the room. Her pupils shone like uncut flecks of ruby, just barely visible in the dark. The seated figure absentmindedly twirled a long braid of hair around her finger as she silently watched. She wore the same sly smirk as usual, as if she were privy to some joke nobody else knew about. 

“Seems you’ve had a rough day, my seed of fate,” Camellya crooned.

“You could say that.” Rover carefully rolled over to face her. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Ashinohara right now?”

Camellya stood up. Her heels clacked on the floor as she crept towards the side of the bed. “I snuck out to see you when I heard what happened. Shorekeeper’ll understand. Or not. It’s not like she’s going to fire me anyway.” She rested her hand on Rover’s. “I should’ve been there with you. We would’ve crushed them, no sweat. It would have been lots of fun.” Her expression hardened and she crossed her arms. “But noooo. My beautiful seed decided to vanish off the map for months without telling anyone where she was going.”

“I’m sorry, Camellya, I just . . .” Rover said weakly.

“Oh, don’t apologize now. If you truly feel bad about it you can make it up to me later. In fact, I already have a few things in mind~.” A devilish grin spread across her face. Rover had no idea what that implied, but she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to like it one bit. Normally she didn’t mind Camellya’s antics, but she really wasn’t in the mood for it right now. Seeing her discomfort, Camellya eased off a little. It was only fun for her when Rover played along, after all. “Fine, fine. We can save that chat for later. You see, just a moment ago, a little girl I met in the lobby told me something very interesting.” She crossed her arms. “She was going on and on to the receptionist about how she needed to see you. The poor thing was practically yelling. She said she was your family or something?”

Rover sat up. “You met Aemeath? How’s she doing?”

“So you do know her. She’s doing just fine now, if you must know. Seemed like it was just a little separation anxiety to me. She calmed down a lot when I said I was a friend of yours. I promised her I’d sneak in and check on you to make sure you were doing alright.”

“That’s . . . actually very nice of you. Thank you, Camellya.”

She rolled her eyes. “Do you have to act so surprised?”

Rover cringed. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Oh, whatever. It’s no skin off my back.” Camellya yawned. “So anyway, was that kid telling the truth about being your family?”

“Yes. I found her wandering alone in the mountains. She lost her parents a while back. I was originally going to hand her over to the Black Shores, but we both realized we were happier living together.” Camellya raised her eyebrows. “We’ve been staying in a cabin up north ever since. I’ve even talked to her about adoption.”

Camellya shook her head incredulously. “You? A mom? That might be one of the most ridiculous things I’ve ever heard! I’ve never once heard you so much as mention wanting kids, and now all of a sudden you have a daughter?” Rover shot her an angry look, causing Camellya to backpedal a bit. She frowned. “. . .You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“I am.”

In all the years she had known Camellya, Rover had rarely seen her so surprised. “Huh. Never pegged you for the type to settle down. Why the change of heart after all this time?”

Rover’s friendship with Camellya was strange. She could be impulsive, reckless, and obsessive. But for all of her many faults, Camellya was the most candid, honest person she knew. That fact made Rover feel that she could be more open with her than most. “Because I love Aemeath,” She finally replied. “What more reason do I need?”

“Hah! Well said.” Camellya replied with a grin. She almost seemed a little proud. “I get it. It’s not like I need reasons to live the way I do. If I want to do something, then I go out and do it. So if your heart tells you that becoming a mom is the right choice, then you don’t have to justify it to me or anyone else.”

Rover smiled. “I knew you’d understand. Can you go tell the doctors I’m awake? I want to talk to Aemeath.” 

“I only just got here, and now you want me to leave?” Camellya dramatically swooned as if she was hurt. “Just kidding. I’ll be right back.” She turned and stepped outside. 

A minute later the door flung open as Aemeath barged into the room with Camellya following in tow. “Rover!” she cried as she ran to her bedside. She almost pulled Rover into a bear hug, before seeing her injuries and thinking better of it. She settled for holding Rover’s good hand instead. “The doctor lady said you needed rest, so she wouldn’t let me visit you,” she said tearfully. “Does it hurt?”

“I’m alright. I heal faster than most people, so it barely even hurts now.” That was only half true. To be honest, her body felt like it had been cycled through a washing machine, but she didn’t want to worry Aemeath any more after what she had been through. Judging by what Camellya had said, she was still pretty shaken up. “How are you feeling? I know you didn’t touch any Voidmatter, but I hope the doctors looked at you just to be sure.”

“The nurse said I was gonna be okay.” Aemeath looked away. “She was really surprised I followed you into a Voidstorm, though.”

“She went after you into a Voidstorm?” Camellya whistled, sounding impressed. “I thought I was the only one crazy enough to do that. With an attitude like that, she should be working for the Black Shores! I could even train her myself.”

“Absolutely not,” Rover said flatly. She turned back to Aemeath. “This should go without saying, but if you do anything like that ever again, you’re grounded. That means no more playing outside with the snowfluff seals, and no more video games.”

“No video games? Not even Lahai-Roi blocks?”

“None. Now promise me you won’t do it again.”

“But—aww, alright. I promise.” She gave Rover a gentle hug. One of her pigtails tickled Rover’s nose.

“I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it for myself,” Camellya said aloud. She leaned down to talk to Aemeath. “Rover really is your mom, huh?”

Aemeath shrunk back, suddenly seeming very uncomfortable. “I don’t, um . . .” She trailed off. “She’s not my mom.”

A thick silence filled the room. 

Her words cut shockingly deep. She knew, logically, that she wasn’t Aemeath’s mother. Defining their relationship was ultimately Aemeath’s choice and hers to make together. At some point, however, she had started thinking of Aemeath as her daughter. Maybe the girl just needed time to think it over. Or maybe she was simply content with Rover remaining her guardian. Whatever the case was, it still hurt to hear out loud.

Camellya, sensing that she had made a misstep of some kind, switched to damage control. “My bad,” she said to Aemeath. “Whatever you two are, you seem happy. Who cares about the details?” Rover wasn’t convinced, but her words seemed to lift Aemeath’s spirits a little. “Anyway,” she continued. “Someone’s going to have to look after Aemeath while you’re recovering, Rover. You can’t exactly raise Aemeath alone in your condition.” Her expression suddenly turned mischievous. “As your friend, I graciously volunteer myself for the task.”

Rover sighed and planted her hand over her face. “Really, Camellya?”

 “Oh, don’t be like that. I’m great with kids! And if that means I get to spend more time with you, then that kills two birds with one stone!”

“Do you even know the first thing about raising kids?”

“Do you?” she shot back.

“I’m learning,” Rover huffed. “Besides, you have a mission in Ashinohara to finish.”

“Oh come on. You disappear for months without a word and now you think you can run off without me again?” Was that a touch of anger in her voice? “Let me come with you. At least until you’re feeling better.”

Rover didn’t answer right away. Aemeath tugged on her wrist. “You helped me when I needed it. Why don’t you want people to help you?”

Because I have to be strong for everyone. They can’t be allowed to see that their savior is as flawed as everyone else.

Camellya crossed her arms and leaned in closer. “You know we’re right,” she said tersely. “Besides, you’re always there for me when I overclock. It’s only fair that I get to return the favor.”

“Yeah, I know,” Rover sighed. She took Camellya’s hand with a wan smile. “I’d love to have you around.”

“Good,” Camellya said, seeming satisfied. She kneeled down to Aemeath’s level. “Assuming that’s alright with you, little one?”

Aemeath looked up at her. “I don’t know . . . Will you play Katya Space Fantasy with me?”

“You like Katya Space Fantasy? Good taste! Sure I will.”

“Yay!” Aemeath’s smile lit up the room.

“Then it’s settled. As soon as they let Rover go you can show me this cabin you guys keep talking about.”

Over the next hour, Aemeath proceeded to talk Camellya’s ear off about her favorite video games. Rover rested in silence as their chattering faded into background noise. Soon enough she once again found herself thinking of home. Every now and then she awoke expecting to find herself in her childhood house. Some part of herself had never left, even after all these years. But her planet was fifty-three trillion miles away. Fifty-three trillion miles between her and nearly everything she loved. Right now she felt every single one of those miles. Despite that, she had to admit that she had built a good life for herself here. Because of Camellya, Shorekeeper, Aemeath, and everyone else she had grown to love—Solaris was just as much her home as her home planet.