Chapter 10

The Reunion

Fear was a foreign emotion to Meredith.

In her sixteen years of life, she had no conscious recollection of it. What others found frightening, she thought of as an opportunity to test herself. When Eddie found something to be dangerous, she looked at it as an opportunity for fun. Sticking a hand in a stalled turbine? Exciting. Trailing after the Corps to handle some maritime monsters? Thrilling.

There wasn’t a single thing Meredith could think of herself as afraid of; not even riding a skyship while vomiting.

So why? she had to ask herself. Why am I shaking?

Hours had passed. The tent had been pitched on less frosty ground. Eddie had made dinner. Yet still, Meredith could not cease the trembling within. Her fingers caused the bowl holding their soupy dinner to clatter, and her body shivered in spite of the warmth that Eddie was giving to the tent. Hard as she tried to deny it, Meredith had no other word for what she was feeling but fear, itself. She was undeniably scared of the shadowy specter that loomed before her.

“The food will grow cold if you keep letting it sit there,” Eddie would occasionally say to her. She didn’t listen. The steam atop the stew faded and night fell, with only the moon, stars and lights of the Twisted Towers giving them illumination. Stuck in a loop, Meredith did naught but watch her bowl’s contents, not really seeing them.

All she could see was the black figure. The mask covering their face. Their voice, deep and distorted. The aura. The thrill of death. Meredith’s hands let go of her bowl, and it clattered to the floor of the tent.

It was all so…frightening. She could think of no more apt a word, repetitive as it was.

Though, the more she thought, the more she realized there was one thing that made her shake most of all: the souls. Meredith’s hands now clenched, forming fists, and her teeth bit into her lip as she remembered the multitude of souls she felt from within the Reaper. She couldn’t explain it, not really, but she knew they were there. Her eyes closed.

Eddie was moving closer, cleaning up the bowl. There was only one soul within him. One, distinct and multi-colored soul. One that was tinged with worry, and soon shared those words. “Mera, you’ve been silent ever since…what’s going on?”

“I…” Meredith almost choked on the spit in her throat. “There were so many souls. It was like they…like they collected them.”

Eddie didn’t need to ask to know just who Meredith was talking about. Whether he had sensed them or not, the encounter had left an indelible mark upon them. The Order, to either, wasn’t just a shadowy group of whack-jobs. They were something else. Something with a conviction and belief in their goddess so strong, nothing else mattered. Being led by a force (for they couldn’t be anything but one) such as the Reaper only cemented this further.

Eddie reached over, placing a hand on hers, stopping the shaking. “It’s okay, though. They’re gone.”

“Are they?” Meredith asked. To this, Eddie gave a confused expression. “Maybe they’re not here, but it’s like our souls touched. I could sense the pain, and all the souls there and…they tried to touch mine.”

“You can sense all those things?”

“I wish I couldn’t, now.” Eddie let go, crouching on his knees as he watched her. Meredith let her eyes travel up, meeting Eddie’s as she inhaled a shaky breath. “I think…I’m not alone.”

“You mean…?” A pause passed between them, and then Eddie asked what she already felt. “You think there are other Soul Magic users?”

She didn’t verbalize the answer.

Eddie fell back, gripping to the bowl, his head looking like it was considering every possible implication of Meredith’s thoughts and theories. Fingers were raised and counting, while mumbling issued forth from Eddie’s lips. Meredith watched him, the lump rising in her throat once more. It was a thought she’d uttered in haste. Whether it was true or not, she could never know, but the ghost of those souls squirming before her…

Her throat became dry. Instead of letting her fingers twitch, she reached back for her water. What she found was the hilt of the broken sword, tossed next to her bag. Meredith paused.

Eddie was still mumbling out possibilities, but Meredith stopped listening. Her soul stilled, forgetting the fear. Her eyes remained on the blade, and asked a single, silent question that echoed from within. Why me?

As always, the blade provided no answer.

Meredith’s hand slipped away, though her stare did not. She lingered on it, hoping the cold steel might finally give up its secrets. After a time of glaring at it, she knew it wouldn’t, and but one path lay ahead. The only path to some answers for the origin and purpose of her Soul Magic.

Maybe even answers on the Reaper, the Order and what was so important about these Weapons.

She fell back, splayed out across the tent floor as her hair fanned around her. None of it mattered. Just a burning question for why she’d been saddled with such a rare and frightening power, and how she could master it. How she could master the fear still bubbling up.

A sigh expelled from Meredith’s lips and she rolled over to look at Eddie, hands in his lap. He was lost in thought, ruminating on the events in the ruins. There had been more said there than she had ever expected, such as who comprised the Order…and a destination both were seeking after.

I wonder why…Could they be after the Weapons too? Though her question was posited inside, and towards the blade, she learned nothing. It was a terrible thought, and one she didn’t want to entertain, even if it nagged at her. Then again…what do I know…? They could just be looking for artifacts or…

Something about that didn’t sit quite right, a connection on the edge of her mind. Unable to piece it together, however, Meredith sat up, right as Eddie shrugged and slapped his hands together with a loud noise. She jumped, catching her breath as her best friend gave her his widest smile.

“I guess it’s possible, Mera, but I wouldn’t worry,” he said. Pushing up, Eddie came to a standing position. “Maybe there are other soul-users out there, but there’s no way to know for sure. It could just be a trick, after all; an illusion. You’re still just getting started in the ways of magic! Maybe you just need more time.”

“Or knowledge.” Meredith was drawn to the sword and then Eddie. He was still smiling, telling her she wasn’t alone, but not in the way she had feared moments before. He was pushing her on, knowing she’d get stronger, work past this. “Right…thanks, Eddie. I mean it.”

“For what exactly? I like hearing it when you thank me.”

“Don’t be cocky,” Meredith said. She launched upwards, latching her arm around Eddie and rubbing her knuckles into his head. The fear left her. She pushed it aside, replaced with burning ambition. “Just because you know magic better than me, doesn’t mean anything. I’ll get better, just watch. I’ll be running circles around you and the rest of A-Class. I’ll even clear this Trial of Self and-”

“Sounds great. Can you let me go?” Eddie’s wheeze and purple face caused Meredith to give him one more knuckling and then she let go. He coughed and then flicked his finger in her direction. The small dart of wind sent her tumbling over on to her back. “Just stay there, Mera. Gotta rest up for the journey tomorrow.”

“Not on your terms!” Before Eddie knew it, she had tackled him around the legs, bringing him crashing down. Focusing her soul outward, she latched on to the water of her canteen and sent it splashing on Eddie’s face. “Ha! How’s that?!”

“Cold…” The grumbling satisfied Meredith, and she pursued the fight with Eddie no further. She stood, dusting her hands off, though her breath was heavy with the earlier worry. With a brush of her hair, she left it behind and began to set up for the night. Eddie craned his head. “Hey, Mera. It’ll be fine. You’ll ace that trial tomorrow. Don’t think about anything else.”

She halted, hand once more shaking on her things. Then, she winked an affirmation and went to sleep.

The Twisted Towers was a construct that hearkened back to an age that no one living knew about. A tower that stretched towards the sky with two turrets at the top, it was burning in the blue distance. Each piece of stone was intertwined, hewn through magic. Upon first glance from anyone, they would think it was two towers that were spliced together and ended up a strange aberration while remaining stable.

Eddie called it a masterpiece. Meredith called it her upcoming site of success.

“Trial of Self. Feels like it’s been a long time,” she proclaimed when the duo had arrived in the early evening. The air had grown a little warmer, and the inviting flames atop the tower and in the settlement at its base stirred Meredith’s passions. “Let’s do this, Eddie!”

“You’re the one doing it, Mera. I’ll sit this one out.” The two walked in tandem across the wet grass, the squelching of their feet indicating their progress. “I don’t need a trial to tell who I am.”

“Don’t think that’s what this is about,” Meredith said. Her shoulders rolled back and forth, loosening her body for the task ahead. Her hands flew behind her head, stretching as she looked towards the trial site. On her side, the broken blade felt like it was twitching, though she figured that was as much an effect of her own imagination and anticipation.

“Yeah? What is this about anyway?” Meredith shrugged one more time, having no answers. “I’ll cheer you on from the sidelines, anyway. You’ll do great.”

“I’m ready to get the top rank this time! No more holding back! I’ve got magic, I’ve got skill and I’m acing this!” Meredith’s fist flew up in the air, pumping up and down to get her blood circulating. Eddie laughed, but she ignored him, pushing the warmth into her legs for forward progression. Her foot hesitated a moment at yesterday’s memory resurfacing, but she didn’t look back. She walked further into the encampment at the base of the tower.

“Not a lot of people here, are there?”

Meredith glanced around at Eddie’s observation. He wasn’t all that wrong. While most settlements manned by the Corps always looked to have a garrison’s worth, this trial only had a mere four or five stationed. Even the number of candidates had dwindled. Perhaps it wasn’t the small number that attended the Trial of Desert, but it certainly wasn’t anything the size of the other trials, either. A few trickled in from the east and west, with the north being hidden behind the gigantic tower, but the outpost remained quiet and near-still. There was little, unnerving anticipation, just as there had been at previous trial sites.

Meredith was ready to chalk it up to location and move on with registering when she took a second glance at the waiting candidates.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Against her better judgment, Meredith stomped across the grass to two familiar figures. Eddie trailed behind her, calling for her in confusion, but she didn’t halt her steps. Thankfully, she didn’t need to call out to the one she was approaching, as they turned at the same time. Instantly, Meredith’s gaze met with Vivian Lacroix’s, and the air around them grew harshly still.

“Oh. It’s you.”

“Vivian.” Both girls had spouted their statements with the utmost of venom, glaring at each other. To that effect, Eddie hung back, shivering. All Meredith saw was him shooting a small wave to the blonde opposite her. As usual, Vivian took no notice of it, her arms folded across her chest and her straight blonde hair pinned behind her ears. More noticeable was the scowl on her face, outlined by the fur-rimmed coat that encapsulated her body. Not that it looked out of place. The scowl and the shivering, monocle-wearing attendant named Max at her side were as familiar as the day she left them.

There was one thing out of place, though.

“Where’s your posse?”

Meredith’s question put Vivian on edge. Her nose wrinkled and her shoulders shook. It didn’t take long for her to turn her nose up, however. “Left them behind. They were too slow.”

“Uh…don’t you guys have a skyship?” Eddie’s entrance to the conversation didn’t escape Vivian’s notice. “Good to see you, though.”

“No, it’s not,” the two girls said. Eddie sighed, his breath visible. Meredith took the break in…whatever it was, to observe her rival.

Nearly a month had passed by since they’d seen Vivian, yet other than a distinct absence of the boys and girls that had surrounded Vivian back in the desert, she was the same as ever. Same nasty face. Same haughty expression. Same disdain that Meredith shared for her. The two girls, therefore, locked eyes again, glaring at each other. When that yielded nothing for either of them, Meredith took to scanning the trial grounds, trying to find any sign of the skyship that Vivian likely would have taken to get there. She found nothing.

“So, how’d you get here, Viv?”

“How else? And you call me that name again, we’ll have a repeat of our first meeting, trash.” Vivian stepped closer, her boot pressing upon Meredith’s own shoes with a snarl. Meredith didn’t back down, but her eyes narrowed in reminder of their very first encounter: the desert oasis where the blonde had certainly proven her superiority in combat.

After her time in Lacardia, Meredith felt things were a bit different.

“You walked here, didn’t you? What, did daddy cut the purse strings?”

“Mera, how about we not antagonize each other?” Eddie’s warning went unheeded.

“Where’s your skyship, Viv?”

“Not here, trash.” The two were now close enough, Meredith could feel her opponent’s breath on her nose, remarking that it smelled vaguely of apple. “The mountainous climate zone wasn’t very good for it, and Max isn’t the best mechanic in the world, so I left it behind in the Metropolis.”

“So, daddy took it away.” Vivian’s fingers twitched at Meredith’s conclusion, itching to grab ahold of the bow that was resting on the table she had been sitting at. “What was the reason?”

Vivian’s face was twitching, and Meredith saw it before it came; could sense the instinctive reaction from within the girl’s soul. On reflex, Meredith’s hand snapped up and caught Vivian’s fist before it punched her. That made the girl’s blue eyes widen, as did Meredith’s grin.

“Lady Vivian, please! This is no time for fighting!” Max’s familiar, shrill voice squeaked over the girls. They held their position for a moment, and then Vivian disengaged. She huffed and turned right around to sit back down in the outdoor table setting. When she finally had, Max blew outward. “A pleasure to see you again Miss Meredith, Mister Eddie.”

“Don’t pay any attention to them, Max. They’re just idiots that will get in the way of things,” Vivian said. She was trying her hardest to ignore them, something soon made more difficult by Eddie grabbing a couple empty chairs and placing them at the table. He sat, grinning at the pair of girls. Both shared in their scowls. “Fine. I don’t care.”

“How’ve you been, Vivian?” Eddie asked. The blonde watched him, and then answered.

“I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Things didn’t go well at the Trial of Power, did they?” Meredith asked. The pointed expression away from them told Meredith what she needed to know. She, herself, puffed air out to her bangs and strode to the last open seat next to Eddie. For a brief moment, she crossed in front of Vivian’s view, the broken sword clanking before she sat. “I checked the rankings while I was in Lacardia.”

“They weren’t optimal, so I didn’t waste my time. Seems I needed a little longer to recover than I anticipated. That’s all.”

“Uh-huh…” Meredith sat back, her own arms now folded as she crossed her legs. She surveyed Vivian. The other girl avoided her gaze while she played with her bow. Something was off about her. Meredith knew it. She just couldn’t quite place what it was, other than her accounts not quite matching up.

As if on the same wavelength, Max and Eddie cleared their throats simultaneously.

“Yes, I’m afraid the damage Lady Vivian took prevented her from pulling out her full power at the trial, so we turned our route northward. The rest of our party was still quite exhausted from the desert and was not up for the trip, therefore they returned home, and our skyship required more expenses than our revised travel profits would allow to repair,” Max said. He sounded like he was trying to get it out before Vivian interrupted, but Meredith shot a smug expression to the bored blonde.

“I told you it was going to have problems. You might mock a mechanic, but we keep the world going round.”

“Ugh, Max, what is with you being a chatterbox?” Vivian snapped, ignoring Meredith’s jabs. The black-haired teen took satisfaction in that, grinning as Eddie rolled his eyes. “When did you become so chummy with them?”

“Merely extending kindness, Lady Vivian. I was under the impression you wouldn’t mind, given your continued mentions of them.”

“Aw, look, Eddie! She really does think about us!” Meredith said, lifting her chair legs up a little before slamming them down. Vivian’s scowl took up near-permanent residence on her face.

“I only cared so much as I worried about you surpassing me, but I see you just spent time in Lacardia, so I needn’t have worried about dilly-dallying anywhere.” Max gave a distracting cough at his lady’s behavior, but no one spoke otherwise. Meredith switched legs, tossing her head back towards the setting sun and the twisting tower. She wanted to get moving to sign up, but before she stood, Vivian’s voice called her back. “I see you’re still carrying that crappy sword around. Why did you ever take it from that filthy salesmen?”

“Stick around and maybe you’ll see. Training magic wasn’t the only thing I did in Lacardia. I figure I’ll be able to beat even you with this once I fix it,” Meredith said. Her fingers trailed downward, touching the cold metal. With no response, she swallowed, noticing the reflection of the sunset on its surface. Night was coming. That darkness scared her.

“So, you’ve gotten stronger. Not that it matters. You’re still no match for my Enchantment Magic and weapon.” Meredith scoffed. Vivian returned the scoff. “How about you? Your magic get better?”

Eddie blinked, realizing the blonde was addressing him. He soon rubbed his hand behind his head to answer. “Ah. I think so. The other students at Lacardia were really helpful. Though they don’t have much love for you.”

“That’s their problem. They couldn’t keep up with me at my weakest, after all.” Meredith leaned forward now, frowning at Vivian. The blonde didn’t take notice, too busy looking at Eddie with her own appraising glance. Max was of more interest, his gaze directed downward. It seemed like an ashamed expression was splashed on his face, or perhaps it was pity. Meredith only knew it wasn’t the usual, frantic fretting.

“I wouldn’t underestimate them now,” Eddie said, his own grin of challenge tossed at Vivian. “I have a question, though: where is everyone? Seems like you’ve been here a time, so…”

“Who knows or cares? All they said was something about Renegades and the Order or something. Unimportant to trial-goers.”

At Vivian’s ignorant remark, Meredith and Eddie locked eyes. He was the one to address the matter. “You mean, you haven’t seen the news recently?”

“The Beastmaster started razing villages west of here. Considering the Renegades are after him, I guess they’re both moving, and the Order…” The Reaper surfaced in her mind, and Meredith found herself cutting her words off. He hovered in front of her vision, a dark reflection in a mirror. Her breath came out in a shaky exhale.

“That guy again? He just doesn’t learn. What a loser,” Vivian said. The growl she’d uttered the words with indicated that the memory of having been knocked out by one of Caleb’s creatures still put a sour taste in her mouth. “And what is the Corps up to? They should just push everything at the guy and blow him up. They’re such pansies compared to the days of my father! Marcus has been getting weaker ever since those stupid Lacardia negotiations. He’s more focused on mitigating things than holding down threats with an iron fist.”

“Well, you haven’t changed in your approach at all!” Meredith said. She waved the image of the Reaper away from her mind, coming to stand. “Still putting destroying the enemy over the needs of the people. You could stand to be a little softer, Viv.”

“And you could stand to know your place. Why are you still here again?”

“Whatever. I’m registering for the trial. I’d guess you already did so?”

“Lady Vivian’s been registered since a few days ago,” Max said. It was without thinking. That much was obvious the second that Vivian rounded on her attendant with a melting glare. The action called to mind everything else that Vivian had mentioned. Suddenly, a great rush of pity filled Meredith as she put the pieces together. It showed on her face.

“Wipe that ugly look off your face. I plan on passing this trial and moving on to the Trial of Enlightenment. What you think is irrelevant. Now go…do whatever grease monkeys like you do.”

Meredith wanted to retort to the usual insult, tired of the girl’s attitude; a little of Vivian Lacroix went a long way. Eddie stopped her before she could start, bounding from his chair. He grabbed Meredith and swiftly dragged her towards the gathered Guardians at the tower entrance, his face adorning a similar, sympathetic expression for the now shivering blonde. Max was trying to help her, but she pushed him off.

“Don’t go starting fights at another trial site,” Eddie said once they were away from the duo. “You do it enough.”

“I’m not a child, Eddie. She just gets under my skin.” Meredith raised her hands to her mouth, blowing on them to warm them up a little. “Still, I wonder if daddy really did cut off her funding. That Max must be loyal, but everyone else gone, and her being here for days…”

“Maybe this trial is really complex. Maybe that’s why there are so few people, ignoring the lack of towns nearby. You need to be ready, too.”

She was more than aware.

To steel herself against the task ahead, Meredith tied her hair into a ponytail and approached the Guardian standing out front. No one was speaking to him at the moment, allowing Meredith the chance to bring her registration card out and get signed in. The process went by rote, her overall rank of C parroted back to her (to her displeasure), and she was signed up in minutes. The only variation came at the very end.

“Trial begins at night. Be prepared.”

That instruction surprised her, wondering the special meaning behind taking the trial at night, but she soon found her stomach grumbling. The Guardian returning to a book of his told her she wouldn’t extract any more information anyway.

Meredith turned away, finding a table setup that was far from Vivian and seating herself at it. Eddie joined her, only after bringing a plate of food from something that had been prepared there. She ate it without thinking, glancing around at the different candidates that had arrived. She could see their souls, and the magic inside them. They were all confident, as if this was one of the hardest trials to reach. Or that was Meredith’s supposition; she couldn’t sense every emotion inside their souls, though there was some murmuring and dissatisfaction with results.

The sun crept lower, casting its dying light of the day over the trial site. Meredith’s breath puffed out, crystallized on the air, and her chest tightened. Night was coming.

The Reaper flashed with the darkness.

She clutched at her chest, feeling pain with the chilled wind.

Trial of Self…Flame of Identity…Meredith looked at the broken weapon again. She wanted answers. Perhaps she’d find some along the way. That was scary.

She was scared.

“Mera, kick some ass.” Eddie’s encouragement echoed. She nodded, forgetting the fear as best she could, and she dropped her bag to the table, taking only her blades and the bottle Matthew had fashioned for her.

“Thanks.”

Her words, as night settled, felt like a trigger. With a burst of light, the Twisted Towers erupted with lines of flame. It illuminated the night sky, like a pillar of oddly-shaped fire. It pulsed, haunting and consuming. There was something about it that went beyond magical, into an almost ethereal and internal place. The flame drew her close, towards the other candidates, and Meredith found herself standing next to Vivian.

“Anything to expect, Viv?”

“Shut up. You’re not going to pass anyway.” Neither girl looked to each other, too drawn to the flames that gave no heat. A crackle resounded in the air, and Meredith was able to look away, to one of the Guardians that was acting as administrator.

“Welcome, candidates, to the Trial of Self,” she said. The woman that was the administrator held her hands behind her back, but in the haze of bright, burning fire, Meredith didn’t discern any other features. “You stand before one of the least challenged trials, because there is no option but success. You either complete the trial and receive an S-Rank…or fail.”

Meredith felt her eyes narrow. There was no traditional ranking? That was news. She had always believed every trial was ranked along the five major rankings before failing. The pressure for completion increased as a candidate in the crowd asked, “Why is the trial not ranked as usual, sir?”

“Because you are here to confront yourself. If you cannot reach the top of the tower, it means you have failed to do so and thus deserve no rank,” the administrator spoke. “There is no time limit to this trial, however, the flames that will test you are only active at night. It is best to finish the trial before morning, and reach the apex of flame, where you will be confirmed as victorious.

“This trial will test your mettle and mental fortitude. You will confront…something inside. What that something is will be up to you. The goal is to understand yourself, perhaps at your very deepest core. After all, a Guardian needs to understand themselves, or they will never be able to serve.” The administrator paused here, looking to each candidate in turn. She offered one last set of instructions. “Each of you has your own path. Enter the tower and make your own way. You will be isolated from your fellow candidates, so there is no interference. May you find your answers.”

Her steps away from the entrance signaled the beginning of the trial. Unlike usual, there was a hesitation. Cutting wind blew through the area, putting out smoldering fires on the ground, which only served to highlight those of the tower. Meredith bit at her lip, realizing her fingers were trembling. She clenched a fist. Seeking reassurance, she looked back and saw Eddie, standing next to Max. Her best friend offered a thumbs up, enabling her to take a step forward.

Meredith took the lead ahead of the others, even Vivian. Her feet climbed the stone steps that led inward, to the dimly lit halls of the Twisted Towers. Lines of flame ran along the walls, as if they were electronic, something out of a show she’d once seen. There was no heat, but whispers pervaded the space. She wasn’t sure if those were from her own magic, or if her fellow candidates could hear them, but she deemed it irrelevant.

All that mattered was the collection of darkened hallways, each indicated by a single line of flame.

“I don’t think which you choose matters,” Vivian said, her voice irritated. She bumped against Meredith, heading for one of the halls. “Later. See you at the bottom.”

Her insult given, Vivian stepped into the hall, and a door slammed shut. Flames and steam were expelled once the door had closed. The path to Vivian was cut off, and Meredith knew what she had to do.

She strode through the next nearest door and dove into a track-lit hallway.

A door slammed behind her, but she didn’t stop, walking forward with purpose. There was no way she was failing this trial.

Darkness and flame wrapped around her figure, drawing her deeper inside. Meredith felt like her steps were climbing up some sort of incline, but it was impossible to see. The lines of flame had become erratic, darting over the walls and floor to the point it was impossible to know which direction she was actually heading in. Curiosity over what the trial would present to her began to mount, especially as she saw nothing but darkness.

Unless it’s trying to tell me that darkness is what’s inside me…or…The feeling of cold death trickled down her spine. Was the tower, perhaps, trying to remind her of the Reaper? Her nose wrinkled, and before she could give it any more thought, Meredith found herself bumping into something. It wasn’t stone, however, but some kind of wood.

Meredith’s hand scrabbled around, and eventually found a knob, like a handle. It was a door, and something was behind it. She hesitated.

No time to worry, Mera. Just bust this trial wide open! You’re not letting Vivian get the better of you again! Throwing her caution and fear to the wind, Meredith yanked the door open and ran forward.

Light assailed her eyes, salt assaulted her nostrils and the sound of waves crashing against the shore was heard on the air. Meredith blinked, blocking out the light for a second until she could adjust to the change in setting. Even closed, her eyes knew where she was. It was her ears that found the second piece of information to tell her, not where she was, but when.

“You take care of your little sister by the cliff, Raymond. I don’t want Captain Clive bringing either of you home.”

“I’ll look after Mera, mom, don’t worry! She’s my little sister, and I always protect my little sister. That’s what Guardians do.”

“Do we get to see the ship? The big, big ship?!”

“Yeah, we do, Mera!”

“Can we bring Eddie? He’s in his room doing magic stuff. It’s so boooring!”

“I don’t think Eddie cares. Now let’s go see the ship! Bye mom!”

Of course…Meredith let a smile slip on her face, finding the two children, running hand in hand for the exit from town. Both had black hair, while one wore glasses that were too big for him. The little girl nearly tripped over her feet, but wore a grin that stretched off her face. Something big was going to happen.

“So…is this what you wanted me to see, tower?” Meredith asked the air. “You wanted me to confront the day I chose to become a Guardian.”