The Cycle Returns?

 Author's Note: 

I found this long (5 Google Doc pages) piece of short story writing in my collection of old blog material. I find it rather odd that this feels familiar now. It seems as if I went through a huge cycle to now come back at its beginning. Hopefully with a new perspective. The original time of posting was April 4, 2017. If I have posted this anywhere else on this blog, please let me know. I just find it funny that this feels so familiar, even though it was written 8 years ago.

~

The moon breaks through the clouds, and the four of them stand there, frozen, waiting for something to happen. The open field around them darkened as the moon trains a spotlight on them. Without warning, the moon deepens to blood, and the stars drip like rain against glass. 

“What the hell is this?” Ora wonders.

“Looks like an apocalypse,” Renegade comments, “and I’m pretty sure that hasn’t happened yet.”

“Highly doubt it.” Amethyst shrugs, watching a star slowly fall to the ground.

“I didn’t think there was a moon or stars in the Void.” Gen observes.

“There isn’t.” Amethyst confirms. “It’s usually something Misheru like looking at while she is here. Gives her a sense of nature that she doesn’t always get from the space here.” Amethyst cautiously picks up the fallen star. She caresses the dust, listening to its faint voice. Stars like this usually held onto her dreams, or to something nice she heard one day. This one seemed to be a story idea she dreamed up. 

The other three glance over to Amethyst, then gaze into her hands. After an exchange of confused glances, they all come to her side to see the dust. Ora and Gen grow more curious and try to touch it, but Amethyst pulls away. Renegade gasps in concern, then covers her mouth out of courtesy. Amethyst continues to stare into the dust, listening to the little voice telling the dream to her. 

“What happened to this place?” Ora asks, catching a glance at the other falling stars that land on the ground.

A door suddenly opens and closes behind them. Ora and Gen glance back as Renegade and Amethyst stare at the fallen star.

“It’s simple.” Misheru answers. “I sent Animus on a reality check.”

Amethyst and Renegade finally look back and nod to Misheru in greeting. 

“What do you mean, ‘reality check?’” Gen inquires.

“Exactly that.” Misheru replies. “I disconnected us from Animus, then sent her on her way to go live a normal human life without us there.”

“What?!” All four jump in their own skin.

Misheru stands solid, just smiling. “Oh, come on. It’s not as bad as you think it is.”

“What about what is going on in the stories?” Amethyst asks.

“Who is going to make sure we are all doing our job?” Ora adds.

“Who is going to write down everything we do?” Gen stammers.

“What will happen if Animus goes through a problem? We don’t be able to help her.” Renegade trembles.

Misheru laughs and leads everyone out of the open field and back to the forest island with its log cabin she calls her home. “Don’t worry, that has already been taken care of. All of that.”

“You sure about that?” Gen raises an eyebrow.

Misheru nods, going into the cabin to grab five cups and the kettle to heat some water. The others gather around the sunny dock outside and murmur among each other. They are still concerned, still unsure, still nervous. They didn’t know the full series of events. Misheru smiles as she listens to the water boil, then hears the whistling. She grabs five different types of tea from her cupboard: Green tea for her, Jasmine for Ora, Earl Grey for Gen, Mint for Renegade, and Turkish Black for Amethyst. Putting each tea in a cup and filling each with water, she places them on a tray, along with honey and lemon for the teas. As she carries it out, the others die down, watching her as she sets the tray on the dock and takes her own cup of green tea. The others take theirs as well, smelling each tea’s perfume and adding honey and lemon as necessary. They take the moment to silently take a few drinks of tea and look over the small lake the dock sits in. It shimmers and ripples with a warmer summer breeze drifting around it. Misheru sets down her cup and leans back with her hands propped against the wood.

“Animus is doing this to regain her connection to the world she needs to live in. She needs to understand how valuable her time is, and how important it is for her to work and to live within her means. It was a combination of her choice and Elyon’s. She is going to be disconnected from us for a short time, and -in that time- she will learn what to do and how to adjust to not being tethered to all constantly. While she is disconnected, we will all be purged and given clean slates for our stories. We will still be roughly the same people, but our stories will be different than before. So there won’t be too many story things to record. It also means everyone else connected to us will be purged altogether, meaning we may see a different cast of characters once the stories are recorded. As far as Animus goes, part of the disconnection will be to regain her initial ability to express and solve problems without our help. She can no longer throw blame on us, or use us as vehicles for expressing her emotions. She will be on her own little emotional journey. It will definitely help her in the long run, and it will help us get on with our new stories and lives after some time.” 

The others nod and sigh as they take more drinks and look at the water. 

“Look, I know you guys are worried about her. But it’s for the best.” Misheru takes up her cup and drinks. “And we need to learn how to let her go and live without having a responsibility to us. As much as we are most of her writing, it can’t be the only thing she writes about. She needs more material, and wants to explore more topics of writing.”

Amethyst and Gen nod with a smile while Ora and Renegade stare into the water. 

“I’m fine with that.” Gen concludes. 

“Same.” Amethyst smiles. “And besides, you will be keeping tabs on her, won’t you?”

Misheru shakes her head. “Elyon will be. Not me.”

“Which means even you are subject to change.” Ora glances over.

Misheru grins. “I don’t mind that. I could use some fine-tuning myself.”

“So, what will do until then?” Renegade questions. 

The other three turn to Misheru, waiting for an answer. 

“Well, you will go off and have adventures, of course.” Misheru looks into each of their eyes. “You will still have your powers, your characteristics, and almost everything you need to go out and do things for Animus to write about when she comes back. The only thing you won’t really have is a background.”

“But isn’t that where we get who we are?” Gen clarifies.

“Not entirely. It doesn’t do much for us, in all honesty. It may change how we react to the world, but not much else.” Misheru answers.

The five sit and take in the summer air and synthetic sun rising to midday. Misheru smiles at her idea to include a synthetic sun in the Void, even if it didn’t do much of anything practically. It only did things aesthetically, like light up some area and bring warmth. Still, it was a small pleasure she enjoyed in the Void.

“What about the Guardians?” Amethyst asks. 

Misheru knew everyone was thinking it, but only Amethyst had the gumption to ask. “They will be purged of their roles and everything, just like all the other characters.” She huffs and takes another drink. “It’s not like most of them knew they were a Guardian anyway. I can only think of Aaron and Casper from Animus’s world. She wanted to tell them all, but ... you all know how Animus behaves when it comes to those matters.” 

“Doesn’t mind telling Knights, but worries about how proposed Guardians will react.” Renegade sighs as she remembers. 

“Exactly.” Misheru nods, “So we’ll keep it there. They will be fine. Besides, it gives us all a chance to see who we really want protecting and guiding us. Until then, let’s give her and ourselves a moment of peace and epiphany.”

“Isn’t this bad timing for Animus?” Gen wonders, “I mean, isn’t her seasonal depression and isolation coming around soon?”

“It is, but not for a few more months. March or April, I think. Whenever usually Ash Wednesday kicks of Lent for her religious connections.” Ora answers for Misheru. 

“In the end, she will be fine. She always is once summer comes around.” Renegade smiles. 

“In the reality she lives in, yeah.” Amethyst counters.

“Well, thank Elyon that she is living in her particular reality and not the other ones.” Misheru laughs. She raises her tea glass in a toast. “To Animus and her reality, wherever it may lead.”

“To Animus.” The others agree, clinking glasses together and taking a long drink. 

As the air lightens, Misheru glances up into the Void’s emptiness. “Keep a good eye on her, Elyon. Don’t give her any more than she can handle. Let her question everything, as she always has. And let her live a life that she can enjoy in every aspect possible.”

~

    Well, I think it's about time I check in on them, huh? After all, I've been gone for 8 years according to this. Let's see what has happened now that things have changed.