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bluepenguinstories · 2 months

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Remoras Full Chapter LXXXIV: Sunrise

Bit my hand.

Yep.

It’s hard as a rock. All blue and numb. There’s no other way around it: frostbite.

Ha. I’m going to die, aren’t I?

Yes, it was a morbid thought, but it was always important for one to remember their own mortality. Some people have this idea that when we die, we all die alone. I don’t think that’s true, though. There’s always something with us. Even in death, we’re given comfort by our surroundings. In life, we have friends, family, the people we meet along the way, both good and bad…

...but to hell with it. For all intents and purposes, I walked alone in the dead of night, a purple sky, illuminated by the northern lights. Not even that could light my path ahead, however, as all I saw in the distance were shadows of mountain ranges, little squares and rectangles that may have been buildings, and a yellow glow further out.

Wait. Wasn’t that significant?

Looks like I had a bit of luck left in me after all. Lady Luck, if you’re out there, I’ll blow a kiss your way.

Yes, even as I was left stranded in the middle of the night, my clothes soaked and clung to me, now turned to near-ice, and my hands frostbitten, I wouldn’t give up so easily. I felt the constant shiver, the kind Remora would often feel. But more than that, I was sure I should have reached the stage of ‘paradoxical stripping’ about an hour ago (not that I had a sense of time, but it sure felt like an hour) yet there I was, clothes still stuck to me. Wouldn’t someone call that fate?

So when I saw through the front window the silhouette of a man in a black suit and slacks with slick, black hair, and thin, delicate glasses, my frozen heart started to thaw just a little.

Is that...am I home? I thought, even though it went against what I had been told. No matter how hard it was to walk, I had to enter that diner. I had to go through those doors, even if I collapsed as soon as I entered.

In retrospect, some might have called it fate that I did exactly that: shoved my way through the front door, only to collapse at the entrance.

“Interesting. So you’re telling me that you came from another timeline – one where you and I are husband and wife?”

His hands were folded and rested on the edge of the table. He sat across from me, smiling slightly, but not giving much indication as to how he really felt or believed. In other words: it was Ray, all right.

I nodded. While I did manage to explain the situation to him, it was still hard to get words out, especially what with all the shivering and defrosting I was doing.

“Incredible,” he continued. “While I wouldn’t say this is the first time someone has crashed through my restaurant in critical condition, this is certainly the first time someone’s told me a story like that.”

I shook all the moisture off of me like a wet dog. Water flew all over the floor, the window (which was already foggy) and the table. Ray didn’t look concerned, even as some got on his sleeve, and he just sipped his tea like usual.

Someone, who had a split, pencil mustache, sure looked concerned, however.

He was in a blue and white striped suit, with a green bucket hat over his head, and matted, swamp-green hair poking out. In other words, he looked just like your typical waiter if the restaurant in question encouraged quirky dress codes.

“Excuse me. You just got water all over the floor,” he sounded rather annoyed.

“Please, Pierre. This is a guest. We can always clean the floor later,” Ray turned toward the waiter. When he turned back to face me, he waved his hands away. “Sorry, you’ll have to excuse my husband.”

A knot twisted in my stomach. Not that this man, Pierre, wasn’t handsome in any way, just that it was yet another reminder that this wasn’t my world. This wasn’t my Ray.

Oh, but he’s still Ray in any other way that matters. That much is clear.

“Heh,” I smirked, “I get it. Crazy lady shows up and says she’s your wife. It’d be enough to make anyone a little irritated. But don’t worry, I’m not trying to steal you from him. I’m also not expecting you to believe me. Like, what? I’m from an alternate version of here? Oh, but I’ve got more stories to tell. Maybe crazy enough stories to make what I already told you seem plausible.” By now, I was starting to return to my usual self. It helped that Ray had given me a blanket and orange and white fleece sweater. His generosity could be tricky, as he knew his way around people enough to make anyone feel special, even if he didn’t know those people at all. If I wasn’t careful, I’d breakdown and wish for him to be my Ray. But I couldn’t do that. I had another one back at home. It wasn’t right to be greedy.

“Go on. I won’t promise to believe you, but I’m always willing to listen to a guest. Say, would you like some tea? I’m currently drinking oolong.”

I waved my hand away as if I was fanning myself.

“No thank you. I would like some whiskey, though.”

“Whiskey?! Really?! You were stranded in the cold and THAT’S what you want?!” Pierre’s outbursts were rather amusing. I forgot that this wasn’t a world that didn’t know who I was.

“Eh? Why not?” I shrugged. “A drink’s a drink. I always find those drinks to warm me up and provide a kick. Especially good for colder climates.”

He continued to gawk until Ray snapped his fingers.

“Well? Are you going to bring this lady her drink?”

“Of course, my love!” Pierre saluted, then ran off to the back. I had a little snicker at the sight before I returned my focus to this Ray.

“Did he take your last name? Or did you his?” I pointed my thumb toward the back.

“Ha. Neither. We’re pretty independent like that. I’m Ray Sunshine, as you know, and he’s Pierre Oiseaux.”

“I can’t pronounce that.”

“Don’t worry about it. You can just call him Pierre. He calls me ‘hubby’ or ‘my love’, but that bit’s a little irrelevant.”

“It’s a little gaudy,” I agreed.

“Excuse me?” Pierre returned with a glass of bright, sun-kissed whiskey in hand. “Who are you to say I’m gaudy?”

“Sorry, no offense. Such pet names aren’t my thing. But it’s fine if it’s yours.”

He let out a deep sigh.

“Sorry. Sorry. I’m just a little on-edge right now,” he admitted.

“Oh, hun. High strung? What about?” I asked.

“Just marriage trouble,” Ray joked. I say ‘joked’ but his delivery was rather flat. Not deadpan, either. Just real jolly and matter-of-fact.

Which, if there was one thing that must have been consistent among Rays was this: when he says marriage trouble, he means something else. If he says something other than marriage trouble, than it might have been marriage trouble. That’s how Ray operated. He was honest in his dishonesty.

I want to pry...I want to pry...I want to pry…

“So, what other stories do you got for me?” Ray asked.

Damn it! I missed my chance to pry!

“Well, you got your hand shot by a former assassin named Remora. You later just got your whole arm amputated and got it replaced with a prosthetic, though you usually just find it easier to cook without that fake arm attached. You know Rhea Flection?”

He shook his head.

“Darn. She’s a well-known former assassin as well. Been to many timelines. So, Remora is another version of Rhea. Who died, by the way, except never mind, no she didn’t. Say, what about the time traveling gay mafia boss, Tony Falsetto? Are you still friends with him?”

“While I don’t like to make my connections known, no, I’ve never met someone by that name.”

Lame. Where’d all the cool people go?

“Man. I wonder what Demetria’s up to. Maybe since she never met Remora, she finished school and is studying them fishes. Oh, and Tigershark. Well, I guess since Cronus never showed up here, she’d still be with her parents and be going by Rotellina Littlewheel. Hmm...does that mean my timeline was the bad timeline and this is the good one?” I thought out loud.

“The Littlewheels? They were regular guests here. Cute kid, too. Their research was done, though, and they’re living in Italy now.”

Hearing that put a smile on my face. Sure, I would never meet the Tigershark that wasn’t Tigershark, but at least this version had her parents. She was probably happy, if nothing else.

“They were good people, yeah?” I asked.

“Yeah. They were.”

I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Nothing that would impress him, anyway. Sure, I could have mentioned Aion. Maybe those two had history here as well. But let’s be honest: I had bigger concerns.

“Hey. So. It’s a longshot, but have you seen a slender black woman named Ananke with cool armor over her limbs?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“Damn. She’s my ticket out of here. If anyone knows how I can get back home, it’s her.”

“Home? As in your timeline?” Ray pondered.

Matters such as this could be so delicate. There were many ways to approach such things. Yes, a simple ‘yes’ would have sufficed, but I was much more sophisticated. So I shook my head.

“No. Home as in my home. It may not be the best place, but it’s the one I love.”

“Well, for your sake, I hope you find it. I’ll be on the look out for this ‘Ananke.’ Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”

Why, yes, dear Ray, there is something, I grinned.

So that’s how I ended up walking out the door of the restaurant with a fishing pole and bait in hand. This Ray also gave me a bundle of sticks for good measure. There was only one thing left to do: walk a fair distance away from the restaurant and light a fire. With any luck, I could cut a hole in the ground and do a bit of ice fishing.

Right when I thought I found a good spot to drop everything, I heard a neat little clicking sound behind me.

“Just what are you really after?” Growled a rather, if I was in the complimenting mood, handsome voice.

“I told ya already. I’m not interested in your husband. I have my own,” I smirked.

Moisture ran from my thick hair down to my neck. It wasn’t sweat, I knew that much. It was just proof that I wasn’t fully recovered from almost being a snow cone.

“That’s not what I mean! Who do you work for?”

“Huh? I work in the name of wanderlust. I’m after a way to get home.”

“I bet that was just a sob story you made up! You said yourself that you don’t expect Ray to believe you!”

“Yeah, because it’s pretty ridiculous, don’t you think? But it doesn’t matter how believable it is. It’s the truth, and as long as I know the truth, what else matters?” I was really starting to get exhausted with this guy. What stick was up his butt, seriously? “But tell me, what do you think my intentions are? What do you think I’m after?”

“You mentioned a time traveling mafia! That must be it! You’re in one of those groups! You’re probably here to get revenge on Ray after he stole from you guys!”

That’s my Ray! Cunning to the end. Ahem! I should probably be scared, huh? That Pierre guy’s got a gun on me. He’s already made up his mind and now he’s going to defend the man he loves.

“Look, buddy, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had a gun pointed at me. Worse, been shot at,” I had my wrist ready. Stella was going to come through. She’d deflect that bullet. Hopefully the bullet wouldn’t hit him in return, and if it did, hopefully it wouldn’t be fatal, but hey, it would still be better than me getting shot. “So believe me when I say that I won’t be the one shitting my pants.”

“RAAAAA!” He yelled and pulled the trigger. Luckily, I knew to turn just as soon as his yell started out as a growl, and with a flick of my wrist, Stella, the bracelet on my arm…

...did nothing.

She remained a bracelet. No whipping power, no baton, nothing.

Actually, something did happen, though. Something significant: my knuckles bled.

“AAAH!” I groaned and hissed as I held onto my knuckle. Luckily, the bullet missed, but it sure grazed me good.

“What?! Why would you try to aim your fist at the bullet?! Were you trying to punch it?!” Pierre freaked out. Given the situation, if anyone should’ve been freaking out, it’d be me.

“No? That would be dumb! I can punch many things, but a bullet isn’t one of them!” I shouted. I had to such in my breath in intervals just to make sure no tears would flow.

“Then what were you trying to do?!”

“It’d be pointless to explain now! Anyway, why did you shoot me?!”

“I was just trying to protect my husband!”

“Big whoop! All I wanted to do was fish and now I’m not even going to enjoy that properly!”

“I’m sorry!”

“You better be! Do you have any bandages?!”

Our shouting match was one for the century, but even if I took a physical hit, I was still coming out on top.

“Yeah...uh...hold on,” he lowered his voice while shuffling his feet. His head hung low in shame as he headed back in the restaurant.

I sat down next to the bundle of sticks and my fishing rod.

“Stupid...stupid…” I hissed and shook my head.

This whole trip to an alternate timeline has been stupid from the start. Who cares if the world was better off without Remora ever showing up here? Or if Demetria never had a reason to come to the arctic? Or if Tigershark never became Tigershark? Or if Ray and I weren’t a duo? This whole world could’ve been a fucking paradise, but it still wasn’t my home.

But no, I wasn’t going to cry. It wouldn’t do me much good. Not until I’ve made it back home to everyone. Then I could bawl my eyes out.

Pierre’s soft footsteps were like the sounds of someone chewing through spoonfuls of dry cereal. He crouched down beside me, legs spread, and held some bandages and tape in his hand.

“Lend me your arm,” he said in a sloppy, oily tone.

My gaze was downcast at the patch of icy ground that I’d like to dig into and try to catch some fish. While I did what I was told, I didn’t wish to look him in the eye. It’s not that I held anything against him, I was just exhausted.

“I’ve had a long day,” I said as he wrapped the bandage around my knuckles.

“Tell me about it. I’m sure I didn’t help.”

“Eh. It’s not the first, nor will it be the last time, some guy shot at me.”

“That’s concerning.”

“Is it? If this weren’t such a regular occurrence I’d be much angrier with you.”

“Ha. You sure ain’t normal. You sure you ain’t with some mafia?”

All I could do was shake my head.

“Negative. I’m not organized enough to be in organized crime.”

“Then how do you intend to make it home?!”

There he went again, shouting. God damn it, Pierre, couldn’t you just keep your voice at an even volume?

He tightened the bandage and tucked the end of it to the first layer.

“There,” he stood up like a flamingo and trotted back toward the restaurant. “I really hope you find your home, lady.”

“Thanks!” I grinned. “My name’s Sunny!”

After he went inside, I turned to see the curtains of the restaurant draw to a close. Teal curtains, which, regardless of whether or not the color mattered, it was still odd to see them close at all. In fact, I don’t think we ever put up curtains in my home’s diner. Guess that’s just another thing that’s different.

My left fist was still free. Sure, it would bleed soon, but not after I…

A light tap was made against the earth in front of me. I looked up, of course, and almost grinned at what (if I were more naive) could have been my salvation: Ananke. Yes, Dr. Paracelsus herself graced me with her presence donned in black striped sweats, a peach cream colored tank top, and adorned with a golden necklace which displayed little snakes eating each other’s tails. It wasn’t just a casual landing, however. No, she was decked out with her mechanical frame. That bulky, black exoskeleton which allowed her to fly around and pulverize whoever she damn well pleased (if she pleased to do so at all). It was a rather unflattering jacket which almost made me suspect that its real purpose was to distract from the beauty within.

“What brings you here?” I asked.

“I wanted to check up on you. Is that so wrong?” She returned my question with another.

“No,” I shook my head, “it’s not. As you can see, I’m getting by.”

There were more pressing matters to discuss, but I couldn’t bring myself to show any contempt toward her, even if my current position was less than ideal.

Her expression didn’t change – flat, monotone. Very little lip movements. I wanted to say she reminded me of a little frigid friend of mine, but even said frigidity tended to be on the soft, more breezy side. In contrast, Ananke was a dearth of emotion.

“Tell me – aren’t you cold?” I asked.

“Freezing, burning. Such things mean little to me.”

Cryptic. I see. If that’s how she was going to be, there was little reason to keep beating around the bush.

“I want to return home.”

No question, not this time.

“You know that can’t happen,” she shook her head.

“And why is that?”

“I need that device to satisfy destiny. Besides, you may not see it yet, but it’s safer for you here.”

“I don’t care what’s safer. What I care about is being with the ones I love.”

“Compared to the magnitude of the world, your wish is mere dust. You can always rebuild. Find new love. New dreams. There is a whole world of adventure that awaits you.”

“So inspiring,” I crooned sarcastically. “But I’m nothing if not stubborn.”

Even if I lived for another fifty years, there was only one adventure that mattered to me right now.

“You seem to know a lot about this whole,” I made vague gestures. “Why doesn’t Stella work anymore? When I tried to use her, it was just a regular ol’ whip.”

“Stella?” She tilted her head.

“My ‘angel weapon’ as I’m sure you’d call it.”

“Ah. That must mean the angel is no more. Which means the world you came from will soon be no more.”

Just as the pulse on my wounded knuckle pounded, so too did my heart.

“That’s even more reason for me to go back! I can’t let this happen to my family!”

I stood up. Catching fish could wait. So too could starting a fire. There was already something blazing deep within me.

“Even if you were able to go back, there is nothing you can do. Now stop this foolishness. Your lifespan is but a speck. Don’t waste it.”

“I’ll waste my life however I damn well please.”

It was subtle, but her brows, as thin as they were, wriggled until they met a slight crease against her smoky eyes.

“Of course. I see now this is the kind of person you are. Just as you are dedicated to your foolishness, so too have I dedicated my life to my research.”

What will it take to convince you? I wondered. I knew I stood no chance in a fight. Not with my current equipment.

“I take it you and Aion were lovers? Or perhaps if not lovers, you had feelings for him?” I tried out an old trick of mine.

“Are you daft? We agreed to work with each other so long as our goals intersected. Once they parted, so did we. If there was anything I could say about him, it’s that he’s a fool masquerading as a genius.” Then, she smiled. “Then again, he might say the same about me.”

“So what? Any other lovers? What about friends?”

“Why the inquiry now?” “Well, it’s just that...aren’t you lonely? Maybe I could help you with your research. Be your colleague, your companion. And maybe...something else.”

She coughed out a laugh.

“You cannot hope to seduce me. Men and women alike have tried over the years, but none of them would satisfy. Their lives are so fleeting, and they would only serve as a distraction. Even if I felt anything past a kinship with you, it wouldn’t even put a dent into my life. Half of your lifespan is not even half of one percentage of how long I have lived. What good does a mortal love do me?”

“Wait. ‘Mortal’? Are you telling me…?”

“For thousands of years, I have lived. Tempered by the elements. Survived poisoning, stabbing, burns, starvation, dehydration. I am not invincible, but hardened to the point by a desperate need for survival.”

“Even if that were true, how could anyone live for, what, thousands of years?”

“Come on, Sunny. You said you believed in magic. How absurd could it be that I was blessed by a god to live on and carry out my fated goal?”

A shiver ran down my spine.

“Just what is your goal?”

“A simple, but more meaningful one than you could ever conjure: I have seen my original tribe assimilated, only to be made into several different cultures over the years, and having lost its original culture. My original people, displaced until forgotten. War and changing of values, the colonization of an already civilized people. Lands ravaged until inhospitable. Did you know that the Sahara was once a thriving landscape where crops grew?”

“So what? Your goal is to restore your former people? And why does a time travel device factor in? Are you planning to bring your community back into this time? What with the changing of landscape, I doubt they’d even survive this period.”

“No. You misunderstand, as most are want to do. I was an outcast in my own tribe. Assaulted, tortured, ostracized. I don’t hold resentment for them, as I was quite weak back then. I hold no resentment for the changing of times, either. I know that change is inevitable, and values clash constantly. I don’t need community, and I know that this planet won’t last forever. All I wish for is a land that will last. Unbothered by pollution. Unbothered by the clashes of the outside world.”

“You really don’t think you would be lonely at all, do you?” I asked, this time genuine.

“I am not alone for fate is always with me.”

“So how does the time travel device factor in?”

“It holds enough power to shield my land from attacks. I have spent countless years of research into creating an artificial landscape, unbothered by the environment which surrounds it. In certain places, tropical. Others, a desert. All of it, beautiful. A refuge of my own making.”

The idea sounded majestic, if not misguided. Or maybe I was the misguided one for still preferring my home over her potential home.

“I’m sorry to put you in this position, but it looks like I have to crush your dream in order to fulfill mine.”

I positioned into a fighting stance, my uninjured knuckle facing forward.

“Are you blind? Deaf, perhaps? Even if my body wasn’t tempered the way it was, my armor will surely protect me,” she sounded surprised. Turns out she didn’t know me as well as she thought.

I charged forward and readied my fist. As I swung forward, she blocked with the armor covering her arms, something which I already predicted she would. That was when I shot my leg forward and kicked her in the stomach. Despite that part of her being defenseless, she did not so much as budge or groan. My foot under my thick, leather boot, felt crushed as if a boulder landed upon it. I pulled back and hissed.

She really is hard as a rock, I thought.

My tactic changed: this time, I pulled out Stella. She may only be an ordinary whip now, but I was willing to bet I was strong enough to leave some kind of mark.

When I cracked it, she blocked it by lifting up her knee. Even if she wasn’t so durable, that armor was still in the way. So I switched hands, aimed for her face and to my astonishment, she didn’t even flinch or try to block as it hit her cheek. More so, there was nary a mark upon her.

She stepped back, undid her armor as she did so.

“I have no intention to fight you. I may not be capable of being harmed, but that doesn’t mean I am very strong, either. Still, I have to deter you from such foolish notions,” she declared.

I kept trying to hit her while she continued to take steps backward. Then, her armor shifted into that of a long, thick, black cleaver of a sword.

No way. Is she going to cut me down with that thing? But that’s not what she did – in fact, what she did was far worse. She held it against her own wrist.

“While others wouldn’t fare so well, I can allow myself to bleed,” she sounded less like she was about to harm herself, and more like she wanted to show me a magic trick. And indeed, she was, as she slid her blade against her wrist and a few drops of thick blood poured down and sunk into the frozen earth.

“It is time you met one of my daughters.”

What was just her fresh blood expanded and shot upward until it formed the shape of a person: brown skin, short, braided black hair, and emerald green eyes. Her pointed teeth poked out from her full lips and she opened her mouth and spoke in a firm, yet warm tone:

“You summoned me, mother?”

“Yes, Atropos. Go fight Sunny for me, but do not mortally wound her. She need not die, only deterred.”

“Mother, call me Aisa,” her summoned daughter pursed her lips and pleaded. Despite looking like a grown woman, this ‘child’ of Ananke’s expression reminded me of a toddler soon to burst into tears.

“But that name is too hard to pronounce,” Ananke rebuffed.

“I won’t do as you say until you call me Aisa.”

“Fine,” Ananke sighed, not nearly as stubborn as I. “Go fight Sunny, Aisa!”

Although Aisa was blocking the view, I managed to catch a striking detail from Ananke for just a split second – her wound on her wrist had already closed up and healed, without even so much as a scar.

Her sword transformed back into her outer armor and attached itself to her limbs. Before turning away, she addressed me.

“Don’t come looking for me,” she warned before flying off.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think it was an invitation.

A faint trace of smoke was left by the fuel used to carry Ananke away. I let out a faint cough, and I would have been thankful for that brief warmth, were it not for the guest in front of me.

Aisa wore a long, flowing, white robe, with a V-neck which tastefully (in my opinion) showed off her small cleavage. That robe of hers extended down to the point that they covered the ground and blocked any view of possible footwear. Shame, too, as whether she was wearing sandals, boots, or barefoot could have made a huge difference in whether I stood a chance or not.

She reached her hands into her pockets and pulled hand spindles from one, and a wooden wheel from the other. Even if its diameter was smaller than my head, I still imagined it would have done some damage were it to strike me.

Jeez. How big are those pockets? I wondered, but not a moment sooner, she spun the wheel toward me, with many strings connected to it.

I dodged in time and she ran toward me, tossing spindles my way. One cut against my cheek. I tried to grab onto the needle, unbothered by the cut, even in the stinging cold, but she pulled the needle back.

I bet she’s a yo-yo expert, I observed and pulled out my whip. Stella may no longer be ‘Stella’ as I knew her, but she was still stellar in her own right.

With one crack, I wrapped Stella around the threads of her spindles and pulled her closer to me, then kicked her down.

“Ha,” she smirked, “I can see why mother would find you special.”

“Me? Special?” I asked, wide-eyed.

“Yes,” she closed her eyes. Her wheel, which still hung low, spun toward me and cracked against the icy ground. I watched as her hand flung the string forward and aimed the wheel up toward my stomach. I held onto my whip with both hands and blocked against the wheel. The wheel didn’t let up speed and spun higher, toward my face, forcing me to follow along with my whip.

I thought it would keep getting closer and shred my whole face apart, but just as I could feel a tickle of wind against my nose, it slowed down. Aisa pulled back, leaped up and spun in the air. She flew up high enough that for a moment I thought she was a fairy.

Instead, she dove down like a torpedo. I backed away, and in that moment, noticed that she wore stiletto heels with a dagger poking out. I gulped, grabbed onto her ankle, and tossed her away.

She landed on her feet, unfazed.

“Ha! I’m impressed as well! See, mother doesn’t care for people, but you? You caught her interest!” She as flattering as she was in ecstasy over the thrill of battle.

“I don’t see how!” I shouted back. “I don’t have any magic power! I’m not immortal!”

She spun the wheel and it missed my face, but cut against the sleeve of my shoulder and left a searing cut.

“Ack!” I winced.

“Don’t sell yourself short. Mother is never wrong.”

We’ll see about that, I huffed.

She tossed spindles once again. Each time, I swatted them away with my whip. It was my turn to advance on her, and this time I’d whip her senseless.

“Not bad,” she nodded. “Unfortunately, I’m going to wrap this up now.”

She didn’t try to dodge my whip. Instead, she set her wheel on the ground, then propelled herself up into the air once again, with wheel in hand.

I avoided this once, I can do it again.

She dove down, aiming her heels once again my way. I backed away and wrapped my whip around her ankle. She was caught, and would soon be slammed to the ground and I thrust down.

However, she had the same idea, and slammed her wheel right against my stomach. I was knocked back to the ground.

Aching, I tried to pick myself up. She didn’t pull back her wheel, and it kept me down, like a weighted blanket.

“For a mortal with an ordinary weapon, you put up a good fight. However, as I am the weakest of the fate sisters, you have no hope of reaching mother.”

She pulled her wheel back and placed it in her pocket. I watched her wrap threads around herself and she spun away like a spinning top. She leaped up in the distance and I watched her fade away into a crimson mist.

“Ugh,” I rubbed my head.

Dawn would be breaking in just a few hours.

I checked on Stella, my whip, and saw that the middle of her was threadbare, almost cut in half from the pressure of that accursed wheel. It made me lay my head back on the ground in defeat.

Only a few minutes later, I struggled my way to sitting up. My busted up belly ached to the point I felt like throwing up, but I held in whatever bile would have spewed out.

Tears flowed down my cheeks. It stung the cut on my cheek, even if the cold already did a good job of that.

Utter defeat. Time and time again.

No, I wasn’t going to give up, but when I counted up the different times I’ve lost, the idea was tempting.

Then there was the issue of succeeding. Was I really willing to destroy someone’s home in order to see myself back home?

I folded my knees and buried my head in them.

Where was my determination? It must have been buried as well.

My greatest treasure: my home. I’ll retrieve it at all costs. But how?

I must have been lost in my wallowing to the point that I didn’t hear anyone approaching. It was only when a hand was placed on my shoulder, the same one that was still wet with my blood.

I looked up to see Ray. Not my Ray, but it was still him all the same.

“What’s wrong, miss lady?” He asked in his soft, Ray voice.

“Ray…” I sounded hoarse, weary.

“Won’t you tell me another story? Someone as interesting as yourself shouldn’t be so sad.”

“I don’t know if I have it in me.”

“At least come inside where it’s warm.”

“But what about your husband?”

“I already gave him a few good spankings. Apologies for his rudeness.”

What other choice do I have? I thought while taking his hand.

Pierre looked down in shame next to the bar counter where Ray would usually serve drinks to passing customers.

Of course, most of the time, the diner lacked customers, and this time was no exception.

What other yarns could I spin for them? Either out of regret for his actions or genuine interest, Pierre sat next to Ray at the booth and leaned in. Both of them were awaiting some kind of tale.

After I took a sip of warm water, I figured it out.

“One time, there was a sculpture I learned about under an Egyptian tomb. Emeralds for eyes and in the shape of Anubis. But I wasn’t about to donate it to some museum or sell it to a black market – no, that’s not the way I roll…”

It was a fantastic tale, one from my old days. That tomb consisted of a maze and several traps, including moving giant statues with spears. Ah, I was a lot more agile then, as well.

“Wow so you were a regular treasure hunter?” Pierre’s eyes lit up.

“Ha. You like that?”

“Well, I always dreamed of doing stuff like that when I was a kid, but then I stubbed my toe on a thumbtack while exploring an abandoned building in my neighborhood.”

Ray wrapped his arm around Pierre’s shoulder.

“He’s such a baby,” Ray joked, “but I love him anyway.”

“Well, I’m a baby, too. I’m just a big one with lots of experience. Sometimes you just gotta...jump into that active volcano, wander into a toxic mine shaft, or search for the monster under your bed.”

“Yeah, but you make all that sound easy,” Pierre whined.

“It’s not that it’s easy, it’s that it’s…”

I didn’t know the word. I probably did at one point.

My sole weapon is nearly broken. In those examples, I usually had a parachute, a gas mask, or a torch.

“So here’s another story, from just a few minutes ago: Ananke, the woman that I’m searching for, turns out she’s immortal.”

“What? Oh, right, it’s a story,” Pierre was shocked until he scoffed.

“Just because it’s a story doesn’t mean it’s not astonishing, dear,” Ray closed his eyes and sipped his tea.

“Maybe she’s not invincible, but immortal and ageless? Yeah. And for what it’s worth, she practically seems invincible. I tried to fight her and not so much as a dent. Someone like her is beyond belief.”

“It sounds like you’ve got a thing for her,” Pierre suggested.

“I have a thing for Ray,” I waved my hand away, “err...not your husband. Mine.”

“Yes, but she’s your ticket out of here, no?” Ray said. “I must say, even if you make it back home, you’re not someone I’m likely to forget any time soon.”

“That is true. But I don’t even know where she resides.”

Ananke mentioned somewhere tropical. In the Southern hemisphere, perhaps? But didn’t she say it was an artificial environment? So the region probably doesn’t matter so much. Now that I think of it, she found me pretty fast, didn’t she? It’s almost as if…

“I think I do, actually!” I shouted and grinned.

“Oh? That’s great,” Ray clapped his hands together.

“Yeah! I gotta go there now! Like, pronto! ASAP!”

“But...your injuries…” Pierre pointed to my knuckles, then my shoulder.

“Eh. Wounds build character,” I flexed my arms.

“Yeah, if you give them time to heal! Be sensible!”

“Pierre Oiseaux, you bird brain! You’ve known me to be a fool since I got here! Why would I be sensible now?”

“It’s not pronounced ‘Wee-saw,’ and you should be sensible because what good is going home dead? If Ray died doing something stupid, I’d never forgive myself. Think about what your Ray must feel if you died doing something stupid!”

“If Ray dies doing something stupid, just kick him until he wakes up!”

Ray chuckled.

“I should agree with my husband – but I won’t say this isn’t amusing,” he said.

I paced around the dining area. It wasn’t good enough to think it would be close. And just saying I wanted to be there now wouldn’t get me there.

“Quick question: do you know an Aurora B?” I asked the two gentlemen.

“What?! Are you associated with her? Her and her gang are awful!”

“In a manner of speaking, yes. But I’m not looking to rob you guys. In fact, if I wanted to do that, she’d already be nearby and of course things aren’t that easy.”

“Why would you want to meet her?”

“Because she could take me there. I have a feeling that Ananke’s close.”

“I’ve got a motor sled. Why don’t you just borrow that?”

“Pierre, I could kiss you if you were Ray and not Pierre. But even if I used your sled, I’d still have to swim across freezing water.”

“I’m with my love on this one,” Ray held out his hand and waved it about. “She’s tried to rob us before a couple of times. Even though she wasn’t successful the second time, she still made a mess of the place. I don’t even think she meant to leave it a mess, she was just shitfaced drunk and kept knocking into things.”

“Ha ha! I’ve done that before!”

Actually, now that I thought about it, I did have a way to contact her. That is, if my hunch was correct.

“Ray, can I borrow your phone?”

“Whatever for, miss?” He asked, smiling coyly.

“I want to know just how alternate this timeline is,” I explained.

Pierre gave a confused look with a side of disgust.

Ray tossed his phone and I caught it in my palm. Just a simple black flip phone. Rather outdated, but y’know, it was cute.

I entered in the digits and dialed.

Back in my own time, Ray had (reluctantly) added Aurora’s number to his contacts back when he decided to have her babysit the diner. I pretty much had her number memorized. Not that I called her often or anything.

The phone rang a few times before I finally heard a familiar, gruff voice.

“Who is this?” She grunted.

“Hey pretty lady,” I cooed. “Why don’t you come over to my place. I’ve got something for you.”

It was Ray’s turn to give a confused look. From the other end of the line, I’m sure Aurora looked just as confused. In hindsight, there was a better way to get her attention.

“I think you have the wrong number. I don’t do booty calls. I got a crew to satisfy me.”

Fuck this.

“I’m not talking about sex! I’m talking about food! I heard from a friend that you and your crew was starving, so I thought I could help, but you know what? Screw this! Some ingrate you are!”

“Hey! Nobody talks to me like that! Where are you? I’ll show you a thing or two!”

“Ray’s place. Look for a yellow building. Can’t miss it.”

“Gah! Just you wait! I’ll satisfy my hunger and then make you eat those words!”

“Bring it.” I hung up and tossed the phone back to Ray.

“What did you do that for?! Are you trying to endanger us all?!” Pierre panicked.

“Yeah, that was...wow,” Ray gave a nervous smile.

“Trust me. Just as much as I know how to deal with Ray, I also know how to deal with her.”

“I hope you’re right,” both Pierre and Ray said.

Now we just had to wait.

We didn’t have to wait long. For all Aurora’s faults, she was at least good at keeping her word. The train parked right in front of the diner. I stepped outside just as she stepped out of the front train car.

There she was, the big redhead with the big, bushy strawberry hair. She had on a thick yellow wool sweater, a gray scarf, and fuzzy black pants.

Oh, and a heavy scowl.

She rolled up her sleeve and clenched her fist.

“Who are you? I wanna know the name of the person I’m about to beat to a pulp!”

Good luck. I’ve already been beaten pretty bad. What’s a little more?

“Sunny Reyes, at your service,” I took a bow.

She grunted.

“I’ve never heard of you!”

“Well, I’ve heard of you.”

“Of course! Who hasn’t heard of the great Aurora B? Now are you ready to pay for what you called me?”

“What? Pretty?”

Aurora stroked her chin.

“Now that I get a good look, you’re rather pretty, yourself. What say you? Wanna join my crew after I finish giving you the beating of a lifetime?”

“That’s only if you can beat me.”

“Oh, I sure can!” She began to run toward me, but I held my palm out.

“Hold it! I didn’t say how we would battle, did I?”

“What? You can’t just order me around!”

“Leg wrestling. You and me.”

Aurora’s face turned red.

“Well...I...my legs are so strong that I could probably crush yours like a grape…”

“What? Scared?”

“No way! You’re on! Right here and now!”

“You can’t be serious, Sunny! Leg wrestling? Unprotected?” Pierre asked, the fear in his voice palpable.

“What? We’re both wearing pants.”

“That’s not the point! People have died leg wrestling! It’s no joke!”

“That’s silly talk! Leg wrestling is perfectly safe as long as you know what you’re doing,” I waved my hand away.

Jeez. Pierre really was a baby.

We both laid flat on the ground, opposite of each other, but our legs against one another. Just as we raised our knees, Aurora yelled, “wait!”

“What now?”

“We should at least roll up the sleeves of our pants. Who’s ever heard of arm wrestling with mittens on?”

“Oh, right. Good point.”

We rolled up our pant sleeves to our knees and folded our bare knees into each other, with her foot between my legs, and mine between hers.

“Hey hey!” Waved what looked to be a cheerful redhead with freckles. “I’m Allison Daughters! I’ll be your referee!”

She jumped up outside the train and looked real giddy, with a whistle tied around her neck.

“All right! Whoever can pin the other’s knee down first, wins!” She explained, then blew her whistle.

We pushed against each other. I had to admit, she was doing a pretty good job of keeping her knee in place, but only time would tell if she would last.

“Remember: if I win, you gotta join my crew,” she sneered.

“Let’s make this interesting: if I win, you gotta take me somewhere,” I said back.

“What?”

“I have somewhere in mind.”

I began pushing harder and her leg began to fold inward.

“Gah!” She grunted.

“I can’t bear to look! It’s too scary!” Pierre gasped.

Oh please. Even though you tried to shoot me? I thought, though my eyes were concentrated on Aurora’s leg. I pushed harder and saw as her knee began to go down, even just a little.

“I can’t lose yet! My pride as a captain is on the line!”

She pushed herself up and sat up. I didn’t know whether or not that could be considered cheating, but I didn’t really care. It wasn’t going to give her the advantage she thought it would.

I sat up and inched closer to her.

“Now we’re even,” I declared and began to push harder. She let out a gasp as she tried to push my leg away.

“Nng…” She winced. “If we get any closer to each other, this might get bad.”

“Agreed,” I held my own, but I wasn’t getting her knee down any lower. I was still in the advantage, but damn if she wasn’t trying.

“I’ll allow it! Get as close as you want!” Called out Allison, the referee.

Aurora pushed harder and our knees were both up once again, evenly matched.

“You’ve got a lot of stamina,” I said.

“I practice with my crew.”

“Sorry to sully your pride in front of your crew, but,” I pushed my leg with as much force as I could muster. Aurora tried to hold on, but it was clear she wouldn’t hold much longer.

“Haa...haa...heh, if you beat me, forget about pride, you’ll earn my respect.”

I grinned, even though I was straining to finish this.

And finish it I did – with one slam of my knee against hers, I pushed her knee down on her other leg and held it down.

“Ha! Victory!” I raised my hands in the air.

We released our grips on each other and huffed in short breaths.

“Haa...aa…that felt really good,” Aurora sighed.

“You’re telling me. Been a while since I’ve had a good workout like that.”

“Um. Sunny. I think you drained our boss!” Allison declared.

“Hey! I’m just fine!” Aurora yelled and pushed herself up off the ground.

“Amazing,” Ray had his hand on his chin as if it were some game of chess.

“So where is it you’re looking to go?”

“I believe there’s an island off the coast of here. I want to get on that island.”

Aurora nodded.

“I see. You’re one of those people.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing bad. I am too. See, there is an island, or rather, three islands. It’s an archipelago surrounded by a wall of fire. There’s a bridge to get across the water to each island, but the problem is that it’s gated. There’s some powerful lady with a wheel who stands guard to the first island. She seems to let most people in as refugees, but it’s like she’s some kind of mind reader.”

“What do you mean?”

“Like, you probably want in for the same reason I did: to steal the food and take it back for yourself, no? Or get this: there’s probably a vast wealth of treasure on those islands. When I walked up, she said she knew what I was after and chased me off with her wheel. Like, excuse me? She wasn’t even that hot.”

I snorted. Sounds like Aurora all right.

“Well, nobody tells me what I can and can’t have...is what I would like to say, if I could get in. That fire wall stretches high. Unless you drop in from the sky, I don’t see you walking in the normal way.”

“Nah. And I don’t want to.”

“So if that’s your goal, I don’t know how I can help you, sorry.”

I placed my hand on Aurora’s shoulder. It wasn’t like her to get discouraged. And I was already reeling back from remembering when I was discouraged.

“It’s okay. We can do this. You just gotta send me flying. Got a cannon?”

Her jaw dropped.

“What?”

The train sped through the icy terrain. I stood atop the front car, wind in my face.

Needless to say, this was going to happen. Just not in the way that I hoped.

No, I wasn’t going to be launched from a cannon. Yes, she did have some, but none in working condition. Instead, one of her crewmates, Russel, said he’d take care of it and to wait in the front car. Allison brought Ray, Pierre, and Aurora a can of ginger ale in the meantime.

“It ain’t much, but it hits the spot. Dawn’s going to be breaking soon,” Allison looked out the window.

“Mm,” Pierre hummed as he chugged down his can of soda. He let out a belch, then said, “you know, I brew the best ginger beer. It’s at Ray and I’s place.”

“Oh yeah? We might have to rob that from you guys sometime,” Allison said. She was far too cheerful about such a prospect.

Ugh. That reminds me…

“Hey. Aurora. I’ve got another deal for you.”

“Yes, dear?” Aurora’s eyes fluttered. Something about being bested at leg wrestling really changed her demeanor.

“I want you to stop robbing Ray and his husband’s establishment.”

“Nu-uh. What’s in it for me?” Aurora crossed her fingers.

“I’m not telling you to quit your lifestyle – how about this? You avoid robbing their place, and they’ll give you and your crew free food for life.”

“What?! What’s in it for us?!” Pierre balked.

“An interesting proposal, but one that we would have to agree to as well, no?” Ray said while stroking his chin.

“Simple: Aurora, you refer anyone you rob to eat at Ray’s diner. He’ll get customers. You’ll get free food. Sound good?”

Aurora shrugged.

“Eh. Yeah. Sure. Maybe I’m just getting on with age, but that sounds fine.”

She didn’t sound too enthusiastic, but better than nothing.

“And if they go back on the deal,” she added, “I could just have my crew shoot ‘em.”

“There’s no need to go that far. I’d be happy to have you as a business partner,” Ray held out his hand. Aurora shook it while looking away and whistling.

The door to the train car opened. Out popped Russell with his thick brown facial hair and his thick, gray sweater and gray flappy hat.

“It’s ready,” he announced. “Got a big slingshot on the roof.”

Along with the announcement, he reached behind and tossed me a parachute.

“Thanks, RJ!”

“Uh-huh,” he growled. It sounded like a happy growl.

“I forgot that guy’s a construction expert,” Aurora said.

“Oh? You mean to tell me he’s --”

“Yeah. Into model trains.”

Thank goodness there was someone on a train who was into model trains. Always an essential crewmate to have.

“Now, here’s the plan: I want you to accelerate until we get close to the side of the first island. Once we’re close, hit the brakes. I’ll be on the roof, preparing the sling.”

“Are you insane? That’s going to send you --” Pierre was about to protest, but I cut him off.

“Yeah. I want Aurora to send me flying.”

Ray chuckled.

“I think I see now why my other self fell for you.”

“Damn right. I wanna get in her pants,” Aurora agreed.

“Well, I’ll have to give the other Ray and Aurora plenty of love when I get back home,” I gave them a thumbs up and climbed onto the roof.

Before I reached the top, Ray stopped me.

“Hey. You had better live to tell the tale.”

I winked.

The train accelerated and the brisk air caught up with me. I felt icicles form on my nostrils. The wind and icy air caused my air to set backward. I didn’t care. My racing heartbeat told me all I needed to know.

The sky grew brighter. What was deep purple turned into a light, frosty view. It was enough to make me reflect on some things. But not for long, as the island, with billowing flames blocking the way, came into view.

“NOW!” I shouted. “HIT THE BRAKES!”

I pulled the sling back and readied the parachute. I was going to do this.

Just as the train slammed to a halt, near the edge of the shore, there were a few bumps from the train cars in the back and I let go of the sling, soaring into the air in the process.

My parachute opened up midway through the air. I spread my arms out and grinned the whole way, the wind propelling me forward. It still didn’t look like I was high enough...but…

Whether I would become a shooting star or go down in flames, I knew I was going to make it.

#remoras full #writiing #stories #scifi #drama #comedy #action #fate #ananke #aisa #sunny #this was a long time coming #started back in late september #but then lots of stuff happened #got depressed #didnt write for a while #and took a while more to get back into it #but here it is

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