Rising Shards

It was a quiet Fang Moon Web Eve. Some of the other groups on their own void trips faced raids from Wildfire Hearts as well, and it seemed as though the other teachers from Wildfire Hearts got some recruits from Rising Shards as well. We were all a bit shaken up from everything, but the missing friends were an instant reminder of what we’d lost.

Diast brought us straight to the nurse’s office. Our class alone was too big for one person to get an infirmary bed, so we all doubled or tripled up on them. Then one or two at a time went to meet with the next available nurse, leaving the rest of us to have some small talk.

“Thanks for rescuing us and junk,” Iris said. She and Maia were seated on a bed with Oka and I. “Like I said, we were just gonna get Feral Flu and skip that whole thing.”

“Maybe we should’ve.” Maia said. “Although I guess we’d still be sitting here, probably.”

“There’s always next time!” Iris said.

“Hopefully not,” Nurse Lyla said as she called the two over. Kalei sat with KJ and Amara on one of the beds next to us.

“I was so impressed with the way Rain sacrificed her own school career for us,” Amara said. “I would have gone after her, but her mind abilities are truly something.”

“I was stiff as a board thanks to her power!” KJ said. ”Good thing too...I would have had to go after her as well.”

Amara bit her lip and looked like she was struggling to find the words with their third group member gone.

“KJ…you were pretty alright too.” Amara said.

KJ had about the same expression.

“You…too.” KJ said. ”I’d even say your performance there was...adequate.”

When Amara and KJ were called over, Kalei was alone on the bed. She sighed quietly. I wished I knew what to say to make her feel better.

”Hey!” Oka called out suddenly. ”09! Over here!”

A familiar blue haired girl turned, and approached us. 09 didn’t look wounded, but like the rest of us she was naturally pretty shaken. 

”We were looking all over for you.” Oka said. ”It was so scary to hear Jeans’ voice coming through you. I’m really glad you’re alright. What happened to you?”

09 didn’t answer. She just brushed her hands through her hair and sighed.

”09?” Oka asked. ”Are you alright?”

”I’m fine,” 09 said. ”I took a cab here.”

”Huh?” Oka said. ”What do you mean, from the void?”

”From a park a little ways from here,” 09 said. ”And the purple haired girl is safe. I dunno if she was with you.”

”I...who?” Oka said.

”Don’t worry about it,” 09 said flatly. ”It all worked out. We’re safe.”

09 left in a hurry. Oka looked like she thought about going after her, but we were called in to see a nurse next so she didn’t have the chance.

Miraculously, the worst injuries around were some sprains and pulled muscles. With Oka’s quick work with her healing plant, she didn’t need stitches for the cut Jeans left on her jaw, but she did need a big bandage. We had a nurse I hadn’t met before for further treatment, as Nurse Lyla was taking extra time to make sure Lillia was alright. Cavalier and Biggs from Iho Vinai were waiting for everyone who was medically cleared, and we all had to get questioned about what happened. It took me a while longer given my connection to Jeans and Ovie, but my internal sense of judgment told me that Biggs and Cavalier were alright. It wasn’t just the candy they gave us all for answering their questions, something just told me that between this and the times I’d run into them before that they had our best interests at heart.

Berin, Penteldtam, and Soleri went around talking to all of us as well. They didn’t have much to say to me, but Penteldtam promised everything would be alright, and politely begged us not to sue the school.

After we were all checked over, we were brought to the cafeteria where any family that was reasonably concerned about the whole thing could see their kids again. After a long embrace, Berin brought Oka away from the rest of us for a bit while we were in the cafeteria.

I looked through, not seeing any parents I recognized. I heard Stella’s shoes clacking on the tile ground of the cafeteria floor before I saw her. I expected her to be terrified and prepared myself to console her. But Stella just rushed to hold me, and for a bit we didn’t have to say anything.

“You were right,” I said as Stella rocked me back and forth. “It all worked out.”

“Big sister instinct,” Stella said. “I have good news, too.”

“What is it?” I asked.

“I got the job,” Stella said.

“You did?” I asked. 

”Uh huh,” Stella said. ”I hadn’t heard anything up all the way to this morning, then in the middle of one of the calls with the staff about your deal they threw that at me too. ’Hey also, you’re Stella Faleur, right? The new librarian?’ But I guess it was a good bit of news to have randomly thrown my way in the middle of a day like today?”

“Yeah, for real,” I said. 

”Not to immediately make this about me.” Stella said.

”No, no, you’re not. I’d rather hear about it than talk about my day any more!” I said. ”Congratulations!”

“So you’ll have me around bugging you a lot more.” Stella said.

“Good,” I said, honestly getting a warm and fuzzy feeling of home at the thought of having Stella being able to nag me in person. I was sure I’d get sick of the nagging pretty quickly, but that’s what part of what family’s about.

Oka returned to the hallway where everyone was and stood near me, looking like she wasn’t sure if she was interfering in the conversation.

“Oka, did Zeta tell you the Faleur family tradition we gotta do?” Stella asked.

“Oh!” Oka said, jolted that she was even noticed. She thought for a moment. Then her eyes lit up, which felt like putting a warm, soft coat on in the middle of a blizzard. “She did! The restaurant thing! I totally forgot! Well, I remembered now, but I forgot for a bit!”

“Well, tradition says that the new partner gets to pick the place.” Stella said. “Is there any kind of food in particular you’d like to get?”

Oka sat down to think, as though she were making an incredibly important decision. It was cute on a magnitude I’m not sure could be properly mapped on a cuteness scale.

“I want…pizza. Like. Fancy pizza.” Oka said, doing circular motions with her pointer fingers in case we didn’t get what a pizza was.

“Oka likes pizza, alright.” Stella said. “Let’s plan that soon.”

Stella gave us both a hug, and with that and the like twelve hugs she gave me afterwards I realized having fifty or so hugs was pretty therapeutic after the trip.

“Alright, I’m gonna head back,” Stella said. “I’ll show you the new place soon, I’ve got most of my stuff over. I haven’t touched anything in your room, so don’t worry.”

I had plenty of stuff in my room I didn’t want touched, and I was glad Stella knew that boundary.

Before Stella could leave, Dr. Diast approached us with her head low. I had never seen her look so dejected.

“Hey, I’m going around to,” Diast coughed. “All the uh. Guardians and such to. Apologize. I really…messed up. I tried to make sure they were all safe but during a raid, they’re under Wildfire Hearts’ jurisdiction…” She sighed. “I’m really sorry.”

Stella just rubbed Diast’s right shoulder.

“Don’t beat yourself up so much,” Stella said. “Zeta’s here, and she’s safe. It’s all OK.”

Oka and I were beat, and the tiredness really hit me, so I said bye to Stella to let her and Diast talk. We met up with Lillia and Kalei on the way, and once we got to our rooms, Lillia informed us she was going to take “a zesty combo of shower and a long, long nap” in her room.