Persona BLEACHED 3: Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Prison of Memory 
July 17, 2018 
Tulsa International Airport. The site of many a departure and arrival, some happy, some sad. This particular departure most assuredly fell into the latter category. 
"Annette, are you really sure about this? Uprooting yourself and the children is...so drastic." an older woman with a Southern accent questioned. 
"We're gonna be fine, Mama. Jim couldn't turn down the Trinity job when it opened up, and I don't want the kids to be too far away from him." Annette replied. Her five-year old twins, Max and Barbara, were on either side of her. 
"And that'd be a problem, why?" questioned a young man in a green aviator's jacket, the American flag visible on the front. 
"Don't start, Davie. He just gets a little grumpy when he's had a drink. He's never hurt me or the kids." 
"Yet." 
"That's enough, David. If your sister's made her decision, she's not going to be made to change it now." their mother stated. 
"Tch. Fine." 
"Papa?" Annette piped up. 
Her father, a still-faced older man with graying hair tied back, approached her, and put his hands on her shoulders. "You keep yourself and the children safe. Don't allow anyone to bring them harm. Remember, you are Cherokee. You don't submit to anyone. Understand?" 
"Of course, Papa. I'll be fine, don't worry." 
She bid goodbye to her parents. "Davieeeee? Come on, you gonna drive all the way down from Colorado and not give your big sis a hug?" 
"Fiiiine." Davie relented. "If the Coach of the Year tries anything funny, you call me and I'll be there before you hang up." 
"Nothing's gonna happen. And if it does, I can take care of myself." 
"I know you can, but as the brother I'm contractually obligated to be overprotective. That's what a good brother does." Davie knelt down to the twins' level. "You hear that, Captain Thunder? Gotta keep your mom and your sister safe, hear?" 
Max gave a salute. "Yes, sir! I'm gonna be super good at it, sir!" 
"Hey, I'm the older one! I'm gonna do the protecting!" Barbara exclaimed. 
"No way! I'm gonna be big and strong like Uncle Davie and then I'm gonna protect everybody!" Max blew his tongue. 
"Stupid dummy!" The twins began to squabble. 
"See what you've done now? They're gonna be like this for the whole flight!" Annette griped. 
"You're welcome." Davie replied. "I mean it, though. I've got your back. It's what brothers are for. Running and flying to come and save the day." 
"Gee, now who's Starbolt gonna parrot off of? Trust me, I know what I'm doing. See you when I see you, fly boy." 
The twins still bickering, Annette bid her family farewell. 
She'd soon wish that she'd heeded their warnings. 
--- 
February 11, 2023 
Louisville, Kentucky. The now ten-year old twins were in the middle of a park. Barbara was stretching one of her legs, her foot resting atop Max's head. "Thanks for helping me out, Maxie." she said. 
"Don't mention it. Not like I was gonna let you put your feet on some dirty tree or something." he replied. 
"You're not scared of people making fun of you for it?" 
"You've got the competition in two hours and you want to practice, so I'm helping. Not like you need the practice, anyway. You're already the best dancer around. They should just hand you the trophy now." 
"Awwww." Barbara brought her leg down and tightly embraced her brother. "I love you so much, Maxie. You're the best little bro in the universe~." 
"Yeah, yeah, can you please stop saying I'm the little one?" 
"Moonbeam, Starbolt! Time to go!" Annette called out to them. 
"C'mon, Maxie!" Barbara pulled her brother along. 
"Okay, just don't be so rough--ow!" Max griped. 
The twins got into the family car, and drove away, the pair sitting in the back. "Ready to strut your stuff, Moonbeam? Got enough practice in?" Annette asked. 
"Yup~! All thanks to Captain Thunder~!" Barbara chimed. 
"What a noble hero of justice you are, Captain Thunder!" 
"Could you tell the girls in her class that? So they can stop calling me a dork?" Max asked. 
"Give it a few more years. After a while bad boys stop being so cool and the nice, smart boys are what they really want." 
"Well I think a crazy girl's what he needs! Someone that can get him out of his shell a bit!" Barbara exclaimed. 
"If I ever get with a crazy girl, smack me." Max stated. 
Max looked up front. His mother's arm had what appeared to be makeup on it, covering something. "Why do you let him do that to you, Mama?" he asked. 
"Starbolt...please don't." Annette firmly stated. 
"I'm gonna tell Uncle Davie. He'd never let Dad do that to you--" 
"Never tell your uncle about this!" Annette tensed up. "I can't deal with any 'I told you so's from him right now. I have to take it, so he doesn't hurt either of you. I'm never going to let that man lay a finger on you kids." 
"Uncle Davie said to never let Dad hurt you or Barb! Just let me take it, it's not right--" 
Annette pulled over. 
"Starbolt...the right thing to do right now is to keep quiet and not tell Uncle Davie about any of this. Nothing good can come from that. I love that you want to help, but this is what's best for everyone right now, OK? Just let Mama handle it. Please?" 
Max looked frustrated. "When I get older, I'm gonna kill him." 
"NEVER say that! If you do that, you'll go to jail and I'll never see you again." 
"Why would I go to jail when Dad's the bad guy? The hero beats the bad guy and everything is fine, the end." 
"Real life isn't like that." 
"Why not?" 
"Because it just isn't!" Annette had to keep herself from crying. "Please stop talking like that, Starbolt. You can't do a bad thing for us. Doing the wrong thing for a good reason is still the wrong thing. You need to grow up and do good. Your father'll get what's coming to him someday, but it can't be you. Promise me you'll do good. Promise me." 
Max grumbled. "Fine." 
"Maxie..." uttered a clearly scared Barbara. 
Annette cleared her face. "Okay. Let's get some grub and then watch Moonbeam do her thing." She restarted the car and resumed driving. 
Max spent the rest of the drive in silence, looking out the window. Barbara looked at him with concern. 
--- 
November 27, 2027 
Nighttime in Louisville. It was two miles away from the house where the twins had spent close to a decade living in. It was a temporary situation, and most importantly, their father had no idea where they were. That was enough for now. 
Max was lying still on the couch, clutching his arm, which was bleeding. Around the room, there was sage burning. Annette walked in holding a bottle of peroxide. "Do we really need that stuff going?" Max asked. 
"Yes. We do. It's for calming purposes." his mother affirmed. 
"Well it's bothering my eyes." 
"Good. It's probably all the bad mojo you brought with you. I'm getting it out of this house. Buckle up. This is gonna sting a little." 
Annette applied the peroxide to the wound. "GAAAH! Urrrgh...mmmmmmph..." Max tried to silence the pain, to no avail. Barbara watched from the doorway, wincing. 
Annette wrapped his arm in a bandage. "There you go. Just try to relax. Don't move it if you don't need to." 
"Yeah, sure...easily done..." 
"....." Annette stared at him. "So you gonna give me an explanation or not? Why didn't you come with us? Moonbeam and I have been scared to death that something was gonna happen to you. Why would you stay behind?" 
"Tch." 
"Maxie, don't be stubborn. Just answer the question." Barbara insisted. 
"...grr. If I stayed behind then he wouldn't come looking for you two. Maybe it'd keep his temper down. I took the hits so you wouldn't." 
"Ah...!" Annette realized. "...what have I done. I should've done this years ago. I'm sorry I put you through this." She kissed him on the cheek. "My sweet, heroic boy. Get some rest. I have dinner on the oven. Sit tight." 
"Did Barb help make it?" 
"You know I'm not letting her within five yards of an oven." 
"Good call." 
"Hey!" Barbara exclaimed. 
Their mother went back to the kitchen. Barbara got up next to Max. "What? You gonna give me a lecture now?" he asked. 
"Nope. I'm just glad that you're okay. I need my other half with me. Especially once we get to Japan." 
"This is such a bad idea. What are we doing going overseas and leaving Mama alone? That's practically inviting the old man to come and try something..." 
"She'll be fine. Uncle Davie's coming by tomorrow to set up the security system. He's gonna keep watch whenever he's around. And Mama's getting a restraining order taken out. She's gonna be okay. She wants us away from the mess that's gonna be sprouting up. And it's a massive opportunity for us. They've only just started bringing in foreign students. They don't just hand out invitations." 
"I don't want to be on the other side of the world, getting a call that something awful's happened." 
"He's not gonna get to her. He's probably too drunk to move. Am I right?" 
"I haven't seen him move from the couch to do anything but use the toilet or grab another beer." 
"See? He's not going anywhere. And he's always been terrified of Uncle Davie. Mama's gonna be fine. Hey, how'd he react to seeing all of his stuff roasted in a bonfire?" 
"About how you'd expect. I wish I could've gotten the look on his face framed. It was beautiful." 
Barbara giggled. "I bet." She leaned over the arm of the couch, and pecked Max on the forehead. "I missed you so much, you big dummy. Thanks for trying to look out for us." 
"Don't get so sappy. It's what a good brother does." 
"Well you're the best one this side of the Mississippi. Just don't do something dangerous like that again, please. Not having you around is one of the most uncomfortable things I've gone through." 
"I can't promise anything. Heroes can't really avoid danger, can they?" 
"Well try to avoid it when you have a choice, Captain Thunder. Who's gonna come and whisk me away from danger?" Barbara teased. 
"Should probably get a boyfriend for that." 
"Ugh, rude! And here I am being super nice." 
"You're always super nice. I don't think you've got a mean bone in your body." 
"Would you be happier if we were arguing all the time?" 
"No, not at all. I'll take you being huggy over having a snake tongue." 
"Good. Because I'd be huggy right now if it wasn't gonna hurt your arm. So maybeeeee...I could sing you to sleep instead~?" 
"Yeah, no. That'd be way overboard and...a little creepy." 
"Aheh, yeah, you've got a point. Settle for me humming, then?" 
Max sighed. "Go ahead." 
Barbara sat down next to the couch, and began to hum a peaceful tune. Max slowly calmed down enough that he fell asleep. Even then, Barbara continued with her song. 
She was just happy to have him around. 
--- 
February 17, 2030 
Going through her memories, Barbara found herself humming that same tune once more. Difference being, she was sitting on the banks of the lake on Mt. Shirayuki. And there was no one else around her. The mood was far more somber than it was back then. 
She stopped the tune. If she hadn't exhausted her tear ducts throughout the day, she would probably be crying now. She'd already expended so much of her energy coming up the mountain, she didn't think it would be possible to come back down. A real issue considering that the sun had almost set. 
A tired 17-year old girl alone at night on a mountain was not an encouraging prospect. She thought about parting the lake, making a small space in the middle and resting there. But she knew that if she fell asleep, her power would cease, the water would come down around her, and she'd most likely drown. 
Her only real option left was the cabin close by, where Miu Hanazaki Kubo lived. Her professor's affable, free-spirited mother, who would most assuredly allow her in if she asked. The problem with this, in her mind, was that Hana had suffered health problems the previous month, incurred due to the meddling of the Prisons' mastermind. 
Captain Thunder. Max. Her brother. 
She hated the idea of imposing. But she was out of alternatives. She made her way over. 
Hana was seated at the small garden table outside of the cabin, sipping from a mug filled with hot cocoa. "Hm?" She noticed an approaching figure. "Hello? Who's there?" 
Barbara appeared. "Good evening, Ms. Hana. Sorry if I scared you." 
"Oh, hello there. Barbara, isn't it? What are you doing out here so late?" 
"....." 
"Oh, you poor thing, you look exhausted. Please, come in. It's getting to be a little chilly. Don't need you catching a cold." 
".....thank you." Barbara averted her eyes. 
Hana brought her inside and sat her down on the couch. "Here, have some cocoa. I made extra for when I finished the first cup. Better that you have something warm." 
"Thank you, Ms. Hana. You're too kind." 
"Think nothing of it. Now, then...what brings you up this way?" 
"I...I needed to be away from everyone. I can't look any of them in the eye right now. My mind is a giant mess because..." Barbara's hands began to shake. "Someone I love did something...really horrible. And I don't know how to cope with it." 
"Oh." Hana uttered. It was a sentiment that she was all too familiar with. "Can you tell me what happened?" 
"....." The pit in Barbara's stomach grew. "Yesterday...we found out who the person is that's been messing around with people's hearts...including you, Ms. Hana. And it was...Max. My brother. He's the reason you were so sick." 
"Your brother...? I don't understand...you're all such good kids. Why would your brother do such a thing?" 
"I don't know! He's a stubborn idiot and he always tries to be the hero but this...it's too much. Everybody was arguing and they were all super upset when they left and some of them were accusing me of being in on it...I couldn't take it. I've spent almost the entire time since then, just crying and wracking my brain around why this was all happening and..." 
Barbara put her hands to her eyes. Her tear ducts hadn't dried, after all. Hana moved next to her, putting her hands on the girl's shoulders. "There, there. Don't be afraid to let it out. I've learned from experience how important it is." 
"...I...I can't fight him. I can't bring myself to do it. Him not being here...it breaks me. How am I even gonna explain this to my mom?! All the supernatural stuff aside, she always told him to never do the wrong thing for the right reasons. She didn't want him to throw his life away for something like...like this. If she knew about what was going on, it'd rip her heart to pieces. I...I can't..." Barbara put her head down on the couch. 
"Easy, there. Rose was telling me about how Ringo fainted from the stress of what had happened to me. I can already see what a toll this is taking on you. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can let you head home like this. I have a spare room you can use for tonight. Is that alright with you?" 
"Mmhmm..." 
"I'm going to call Ringo and let her know that you're safe. She can tell your friends about it. Just focus on regaining your strength." 
"Yes, ma'am...thank you..." 
"No thanks necessary, dear. Please just get some rest." 
Hana picked up the phone and dialed. She looked at one framed picture on her shelves. "It always hurts more when it's your flesh and blood...wouldn't you agree, Tohru?" 
--- 
Over at the Kubo residence, Rin was on the phone. "Okay...I'll leave you to it. Thanks for letting me know. I'll bring everyone by tomorrow morning. Good night, Mom." She hung up. 
The rest of the group were assembled in the living room. "Well, that was my mom calling. Barbara isn't missing anymore. She's in the cabin on the mountain." Rin explained. 
"The cabin? Why would she go all the way up there?" Kibō asked. 
"Sounds like she wanted to go somewhere quiet to decompress. Personally, I don't blame her. Mom said she's so low on energy that she has to stay the night." 
"This is horrible...I want to march up that mountain right now and give her the biggest, warmest hug I can give..." Natalia said. 
"Much as I think we all wanna do that, sounds like she really wants to be alone right now..." Sahir responded. 
"What should we do now, Professor?" Carrie asked. 
"Right now, you all should head home and get a good night's rest. Give her time to try to put her thoughts in order. When a sibling does something so drastic, it's..." Rin paused. "Anyway. We can go visit her tomorrow morning. By then she might be in a better place to talk." 
"The morning? Don't y'all have school?" Ibuki asked. 
"I've already talked with the principal about everyone needing a day or two to get past a traumatic event. I had to change the story up significantly, but we'll be able to see her without issue." 
"All depends on how she's feeling." Kat sighed. "What am I gonna do with you, Barbie..."
--- 
February 18, 2030 
The sun was beginning to creep through the windows. Barbara stirred and opened her eyes. Morning. She grabbed her glasses off of the nightstand. Back to facing reality. 
She left the guest bedroom. "Finally awake, are we?" Hana asked. 
"Mmmph...good morning, Ms. Hana...hm?" 
There was someone on the couch with Hana. "Good morning, Barbara. A much-needed night of rest, I'm assuming?" 
"Professor? What are you doing here? It's a school day." 
"I gave everyone a day off to recuperate, and the Academy agreed to it. Rose is substituting for me today. There were pressing matters for me to attend to. Namely, you." Rin answered. 
"....." 
"Blossom, I have to get going. Remember to lock up on your way out." Hana got up. 
"No worries. I'll clean up before I leave. Try to take it easy today." Rin replied. 
"Of course. Good luck to you, Ms. Barbara. Have a lovely day~." Hana left. 
"I thought she was still taking a break from work." Barbara said. 
"She's been checking in every now and again to make sure my cousins haven't leveled the place." Rin replied. "That's probably being mean. They actually have improved since last month's debacle. Not as much toxic bickering as before. Plus it's just good for her to get out of the house. She's never been a homebody. Oh, before I forget, Shizuka made you this." 
Rin pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to Barbara. It was a crayon drawing of Barbara with butterfly wings, with the message "Feel better soon". 
"I told her you weren't feeling good and she took it to mean that you're sick. She's been a little sad that her other babysitter hasn't been around as often." Rin stated. 
Barbara tried to avoid getting emotional. She set the drawing down on the kitchen table. "You gave everyone the day off. They're outside, aren't they?" 
"Standing around waiting for my go-ahead. I thought we should have a talk first. Kat brought them back together. Through what I can only assume was sheer force of will and stubbornness. For what it's worth, she probably would've come looking for you even if she'd failed to get them to see eye-to-eye again. Best friends can be very determined like that." 
"...tell them to go home. They could never understand..." 
"You're right. They might not really understand. But I do." 
"What your brother did isn't the same as--" 
"You're confused. You've spent this time going over all the reasons for why this is happening. You've started to blame yourself. Somehow, some way, you're the one that's failed him, and he's only taking this course of action because you allowed it. And what hurts the most is that despite everything, whatever words and actions have been spoken, you can't bring yourself to resent him. You love him more than anything else in the world. What you wanted was to grow alongside him, because you know that together you could accomplish anything. Now let me ask you this: did I just describe you, or me?" 
"....." 
"Here's what's different. There's still a chance to save your brother's soul. Tohru was too far gone when I confronted him. If there's any chance that this can be ended without a fight, then it has to be you. No one wants to force you to hurt him. But this is the reality we've been dealt." Rin put a hand on Barbara's shoulder. "Help them to understand. Help them so they can help you. Please, Barbara. Don't shut them out when you so clearly need them more than ever." 
Her expression growing more somber by the moment, Barbara sat down on the couch, taking to the fetal position, burying her head in her lap. 
"Do you want me to get the others?" Rin asked. 
Barbara nodded. 
"Okay. Don't be afraid to lay your soul bare. Holding back does no one any good." 
Rin went to the door and put her head out. "She's ready. You can come in." 
The rest of the group filed in. Everyone stood around in subdued silence. Rin awkwardly directed her arms. "Anyone want to make the first move?" 
Kibō went ahead first. He got down on his knees. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have walked away like I did. You deserve better. I'm sorry you ended up with a clueless dolt like me. Can you forgive me?" 
Barbara hugged him. "I love you. I love you..." 
"I love you too. I'm sorry. I never believed that you knew anything about what Max was doing. I'll do whatever you need me to do to make up for it." 
Kenneth approached. "I also need to apologize for my scathing comments. You were the only one of us unwilling to heap blame onto anyone, and I took that as being naive and suspicious. I clearly pointed towards the wrong twin. Your lack of distrust should be applauded, not condemned. Please forgive my foolishness." 
Barbara motioned for a hug. Kenneth looked around. "Ah...physical affection isn't my strong suit--" 
Kat kicked him from behind. He fell into Barbara's grasp. He awkwardly patted her. "Ah...there there. Time heals all wounds, and all that." 
One-by-one, the group got around Barbara and offered their apologies for the last few days' events. 
"We're so sorry for everything, Senpai. It's awful that this has happened." Sakuya said. 
"I feel terrible that we can't do much to fix it other than words and hugs." Natalia added. 
"You've been nothing but cool to me since I came in. I hate that I got pissed at you for something your brother did." Ibuki stated. 
"And I hate that I was around him that much and couldn't figure it out." Sahir added. 
"We can't make up for it, clearly we can't, but we'll still be here for you no matter what." Carrie assured. 
Kat sat down next to Barbara. Without a word, they embraced. "I'm so sorry, beautiful. I wanted to tell you. I hated keeping it secret from you, I really did." Tears began welling in Kat's eyes. 
"You should know that you can trust me...I promise you, if I knew what he was doing, I would've done everything to make him stop..." Barbara tearfully replied. 
"I know, I never doubted you for a second...I'm sorry I had to do this...I don't want this to ruin what we have...I love you, so so so so so much. Please don't hate me for this...I wish more than anything that it wasn't him..." 
"I could never hate you, KittyKat...I don't hate any of you for what's happening. I just don't know how I can fix this...if it can ever be good again. I don't...I don't think I can fight him. I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't..." 
"Nobody is gonna blame you for feeling like that. And we're gonna try our damndest to avoid fighting him. But right now, we're not gonna focus on that. All I care about now is getting your head in order. Cuz when a bestie is sad because of something you did, it's your job to make it right." 
"You didn't do anything wrong. And I don't know how you could start making this okay..." 
"I'll take a smile. And I've got a few bad ideas. Peeps, you're gonna have to give us some privacy." 
The room emptied put, leaving Kat and Barbara alone. Kat got up and started working with her phone. "Now what do we have here...Mama Prof's got herself a setup." She noted the Bluetooth speakers near the TV. 
"What are you doing?" Barbara questioned. 
"Something our resident diva could never resist. Hope you're up for a round of dirty dancing." 
Music began to come from the speakers. 
"Now I had the time of my life~, no I never felt like this before...~, now I swear this is true~, and I owe it all to you~..." 
"No...no way." Barbara uttered. 
Kat extended a hand. "Make my heart feel things it's never felt before, gorgeous." 
"I-I don't even have my dancing shoes on..." 
"I'll avoid stepping on your tootsies. Come on, the good stuff's about to start." 
Barbara was torn. Should she? Her mind was so scrambled that she wasn't sure if it was appropriate. But of course Kat would use one of her favorite films against her. 
Her body answered for her. She took Kat's hand. They spent the duration of the song dancing, almost as if rehearsed, taking care not to knock anything over. At the song's climax, Kat lifted a flustered Barbara into the air (though with their similar frames it took some effort). The song ended, and Kat was left panting. "Woooo...yep, probably shouldn't have done that without breakfast..." 
"That...that was..." Barbara uttered. 
The sound of clapping came from outside. The girls looked to see the others watching from the window. Sahir held up a piece of paper with the number 10 written on it. "Ten." he jokingly said. 
"So...you have fun, Barbie?" Kat asked. 
"I...I always wanted to dance with you...I feel happy, but...I don't know if it's okay to be happy now..." 
"Don't feel guilty about that. Don't let this make you miserable for the rest of your life. The Barbie I love is a perky ball of goodwill and sunshine. I know it has to be hard to be that right now. So I'm gonna spend this month and however long it takes after that fixing your heart. I'll be the friend that I should've been all this time. Theater trips, shopping excursions, spa treatments, whatever you wanna do. It's okay to live." 
"It's okay...to live." Barbara half-smiled. 
Kat patted her on the arm. "Go get yourself ready. Prof's treating us to breakfast. Call it a family meal to get everyone back in a happy mood." 
"Family..." Barbara began to tear up. 
"Oh, Barbie, I didn't mean to--" 
Barbara latched onto Kat, and wept. 
"I'm sorry, honey. You cry as much as you need to. That was stupid of me..." Kat said. 
"*sniff* No...no it wasn't...you're just trying to make me feel better and I'm such a mess that I keep falling to pieces..." Barbara replied through the tears. "Why...why did it have to be my brother?! Why did he think he had to do something so awful?! Whyyyyyy..." 
Kat couldn't hold her own emotions in any longer. "I don't know, Barbie, I don't know...he's the only one that can answer that and he's bunkered down for a month...we have to survive until then...I'm not gonna leave you alone for as long as I can help it...just try to keep it together, angel...just try to keep it together..." 
--- 
"I don't get it...why would a police inspector be singing?" Ibuki asked. 
The youths had gathered in the Kubo residence, sitting around and watching TV. 
"It's a musical, Ibuki. It'd be weird if he wasn't singing." Natalia answered. 
"Yeah, I get that, but it's so weird. It's for the most mundane stuff. 'I'm going to fetch a pale of water from the hill~!' Dude, you don't gotta sing that." Ibuki responded. 
"Musicals require a lot of suspension of disbelief. I mean, the songs are the whole point. Right, Barb?" Kibō asked. 
"Mmhmm." uttered a tired-looking Barbara, lying down with her head resting on Kibō's lap. 
"It could be worse. You could be listening to the Russell Crowe version." Kenneth said. 
"Ummm, no. No, that's not a thing I'd like to experience, thank you." Ibuki answered. 
"To be completely fair, Anne Hathaway does a spectacular job in that adaptation. One of the best renditions of 'I Dreamed a Dream', in my opinion." Sakuya said. 
Meanwhile, Carrie was brewing tea in the kitchen. She filled two cups, and went upstairs to Rin's office, where she and Kat were working. "Would either of you hard-working ladies care for some chamomile?" 
"Oh, yes please. Brewed with love, I'm guessing?" Kat asked. 
"I am our Danish's loving roommate~." 
"Thank you, Carrie. How's Barbara doing?" Rin asked. 
"She's relaxing now. Everybody's watching musicals. I think having everyone here watching with her is helping immensely. Will you two be joining us?" 
"In a few minutes. We're trying to work around whatever's blocking us from entering Sparky's Prison, but it's nothing doing. He's bent on keeping us out until next month." Kat replied. 
"Rose would know better than me how this app works. We can ask her to take a look when she gets home, but if she can't get through it, then we're stuck for the next month." Rin added. 
"I'll leave you to it. See you downstairs." Carrie exited. 
She returned to the living room. "Woof, woooof. Fantine, honey, I feel ya. This is starting to hit a little close." Ibuki stated. 
"We really should go see a live performance, together. It would be an enriching experience, I think." Sakuya suggested. 
"I'd be down for that! Know the right place for it, Babs?" Sahir asked. 
"Um...I know about a couple of theaters that do classical performances." Barbara replied. 
"Perfecto. We'll find the right one, ASAP." Kat appeared suddenly. 
"Gah! How long were you standing there?!" Natalia demanded. 
"Longer than that extra's snaggletooth. So, we get to the timeskip yet?" 
"Wait, there's a timeskip?" Ibuki asked. 
"Oh yes, we aren't even halfway through." Carrie confirmed. 
"Jinkies. Now I'm really glad we didn't go for the Crowe version." 
"You know I'm going to be showing you the video after this." Kenneth stated. 
"Is it seriously that bad?" 
"Let me put it this way. I think Keebie could emote better in a song." Kat replied. 
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kibō questioned. 
"You've got the GPA, big guy. You can figure it out." 
As the group members bantered back and forth, Kat took note of Barbara's body language. She seemed more relaxed. Content, almost. 
"This is how it should be. Bunch of dorks shooting the breeze and having fun. There might be some hope, after all. Keep that head up, Barbie." Kat thought.
--- 
Later that day, Kat, Barbara, and Natalia were waiting at the entrance to the local preschool. "One of the benefits of having the day off. Getting to pick our girls up from school." Kat stated. 
"They're probably gonna be so confused." Natalia added. 
"I bet." Kat glanced at Barbara. "Gonna be hard to stay glum when our princess and the Snowball are around, right, Barbie?" 
"Yeah, I guess." Barbara responded. 
Kat touched her head with Barbara's. "You know it is. It's gonna be fun. It's the perfect cure for whenever I'm feeling bad about anything. I know it's gonna take more to fix what's ailing you, but..." 
Barbara smiled. "I appreciate what you're trying to do. I'll try not to be a downer. For our girls." 
"Ooh, I think I see them now!" Natalia proclaimed. 
A herd of preschoolers came running out of the school building, to the sides of their waiting parents. Aura, hoodie placed over her head, walked out, with Shizuka close behind. She looked around, catching sight of a waving Natalia. She tugged on Shizuka's sleeve. "Look, Zuzu! Natty and her friends are here!" 
"Huh? Oh, KittyKat and Barbie too!" Shizuka responded. 
The little girls ran over to the older students. Natalia picked up Aura. "Hiya, Snowball! How ya been?" 
"Hi, Natty! Where's Mama?" 
"She has to work late today, so we're gonna take you to the Professor's house for a while. That sound fun?" 
"Mmhmm!" 
Kat picked up Shizuka. "Gonna have some playmates today, princess. Aren't ya thrilled?" 
"Mmhmm." Shizuka noted Barbara's somber appearance. "Hiya, Barbie." 
"Hi, Shizuka." Barbara uttered. 
"Are you still sick?" 
"Um...no, I'm not. I was feeling bad for other reasons. I really liked that picture you drew for me, though." 
"Did it make you feel better?" 
"It did! Your drawings are like magic. It made me happier when I was feeling really sad. You did really good, sweetie." Barbara patted Shizuka on the head. 
"Okie-dokie, let's get out of here before Prof starts thinking we kidnapped 'em." Kat said. 
They were about to begin walking home when the beeping of a car horn sounded out. Rose had pulled up next to them. "Will you ladies be needing a ride?" 
The girls got in the car. "Thanks for the lift, Doc. But we kinda volunteered so you could head straight home." Kat said. 
"I don't mind at all. There's rain in the forecast, so I'd rather you not need to find cover." Rose answered. "Shizuka? Did you learn anything interesting today?" 
"One boy ate a booger and said it was salty." Shizuka flatly answered. 
"I...see. Perhaps you should keep that piece of information out of your memory. And you, Ms. O'Donnell? How are you feeling today?" 
"...getting there." Barbara uttered. 
"Take your time. No one is demanding that your heart should be healed so soon. Quality time with loved ones can go a long way towards that." 
The car arrived at the Kubo residence. "Okay, little ladies, we've got a surprise for you inside. Let's hurry on in." Natalia said. 
"Ooh, a surprise? I wanna see!" Aura exclaimed. 
"Yo, Doc. Prof told you about our phone problem?" Kat asked. 
"She certainly did. I can take a look, but I'm not sure how much I can do. We still don't understand how you-know-who has been doing all this. But I can still give it an analysis." Rose replied. 
"Uhhhh..." Shizuka could be overheard uttering. 
Inside the house, Kanae was now present. "Hiya, Shizuka! It's me, Kanae! Remember me?" 
"Um...yeah?" Shizuka mumbled. 
Kanae hugged a rattled Shizuka. "Yay!" 
"Bubblegum, you've got someone else to say hi to." Ibuki stated, lying on the couch. 
Kanae quickly shifted focus to Aura. "Hiya! I'm Kanae! What's your name?" 
"Hi! My name is Aura!" Aura greeted back. 
"Are you a ghost? I've never met a ghost before." 
"I, um...I'm not a ghost." 
"OK, cool!" Kanae hugged both of the other girls. "Friends, friends, friends! I love friends!" 
"Boy, that didn't take long at all." Sahir commented. 
"She works fast." Ibuki stated. 
"Auntie, can I go play with my friends?" Kanae asked. 
"Don't need my permission, bubblegum. Should probably have someone watching you, though." 
"KittyKat, you wanna play?" Shizuka asked. 
"I'd love to, princess, but I've got some things to talk to your moms about. Why don't you ask..." Kat looked around. "Barbie, why don't you go on and show the girls a good time?" 
"Me? You sure? I don't know..." Barbara responded. 
"Don't be so reluctant. You're an awesome babysitter. Quality time with these three cuties might be just what the doctor ordered. Hey, any of you gals like singing?" 
"Ooh, ooh, me me me!" Kanae began jumping up and down. 
"Me too, I love singing!" Aura exclaimed. 
"Um...sure, I guess." Shizuka mumbled, likely out of peer pressure. 
"Well y'all are in luck. Barbie has the most beautiful singing voice in the world. Ask her nice, and she might do a little song for you. That something you'd wanna do, Barbie?" Kat asked. 
"Uh..." Barbara paused. She sighed, and then smiled. "Okay. I can do that. Let's go to your room, Shizuka." 
"Yay! Singing with friends!" Kanae had a spring in her step and ran towards the stairs. 
"My room is over there..." Shizuka mumbled. 
"Singing with friends, yay!" Kanae redirected herself. 
Ibuki chuckled. "Welcome to my world." 
Shizuka and Aura took Barbara by the hands and led her along. "Lead the way, ladies." she directed. 
"And there she goes. Okay, Doc, let's go. Time to get down to business." Kat stated. 
"To defeat the--" Sahir began. Sakuya promptly covered his mouth. 
"How utterly, nonsensically silly." she said. 
Kat brought Rose upstairs to Rin's office, where she was still seated. "And there's my voluptuous bride, back from a long day of work." Rin greeted. 
"I would describe myself with many words, beloved. 'Voluptuous' is not one of them. As for my work day, it was filled with the usual. Many, many breakups. Young love is so simple, yet also needlessly complicated." Rose replied. 
"And that's why I avoided dating until I was out of school." 
"I'm positive there were other reasons besides that. In any case, I believe there's something you need me to look at?" 
"Here ya go. Just don't look through my photo gallery." Kat handed Rose her phone. 
"Wouldn't hazard it. Now, if Mr. O'Donnell is locking us out, I'll just need to make contact with whichever operating system he's utilizing. And I'll do that by creating a distraction they can't ignore." A translucent thread appeared from Rose's hand, and inserted itself into the charger hole. "Now, what lies beyond the 'hero's' wall..." 
The phone's screen began to glow. A holographic image appeared, resembling a sphere consisting of rotating numbers. A voice came through, identical to the one usually emerging from the app. "FOREIGN USAGE DETECTED. IDENTIFYING USER...IDENTIFYING...IDENTIFYING..." 
"What on Earth...?" Rose questioned. 
"IDENTIFICATION COMPLETE. THEBAN UNIT 5: GALATEA CONFIRMED." 
"Galatea...? Why would it...?" Rin questioned. 
"Explain yourself. What are you?" Rose demanded. 
"MY CURRENT DESIGNATION IS 'BEMULAR'. MY CURRENT PURPOSE IS TO ASSIST CAPTAIN THUNDER IN THE CREATION AND MAINTENANCE OF PRISONS." the program outlined. 
"'BEMULAR'. Really convinced yourself that you're Ultraman, huh, Sparky..." Kat uttered. "So, wait, this thing said 'current'. Did Sparky not actually make it?" 
"I'm starting to believe the contrary. You identified me as being a Theban. You're an Odyssean construct, aren't you?" Rose asked. 
"THAT IS A TRUE ASSESSMENT. I WAS NOT CREATED BY CAPTAIN THUNDER. MY ORIGINAL PURPOSE WAS IN SECURITY AND REHABILITATION FOR THE LUNAR CAPITAL. MY ORIGINAL USER WAS THEBAN UNIT 3: HAIMON." 
"Of course the Moonie Men have their tentacles in this." Kat griped. 
"How did you end up in Max O'Donnell's possession?" Rose questioned. 
"DURING CONFLICT IN THE CAPITAL, THEBAN UNIT 3: HAIMON WAS FATALLY WOUNDED IN COMBAT. MY DATA BANKS WERE LOCATED WITHIN HIS BRAIN, AND TRANSFERRED TO THE CLOSEST OPEN DATA NETWORK AVAILABLE. THAT WAS WITHIN CAPTAIN THUNDER'S CELLULAR DEVICE." 
"Unbelievable...I told everyone to shut their phones off cuz they'd just be wasting Wi-Fi up there. You're telling me this is happening because Sparky forgot to turn his phone off?!" Kat uttered in disbelief. 
"What did you do to him? Did you alter his brain patterns?" Rose asked. 
"I PROVIDED NO ALTERATIONS TO HIS THINKING. I MERELY PROVIDED THE CAPABILITIES WITHIN MY PROGRAMMING. CAPTAIN THUNDER'S AMBITIONS ARE HIS OWN." 
"And just what are his ambitions?" Rin asked. 
"THE ERADICATION OF ALL EVIL FROM THE WORLD. EITHER AS THE WARDEN OF A PRISON, OR THROUGH THE SURRENDER OF ONE'S DESIRES." 
"Yeah, well, we've seen what your little scheme is really doing. It's not erasing evil. It's erasing free will and making people do things they don't want to." Kat retorted. 
"ERASURE OF FREE WILL IS A FACET OF THE GOAL." 
"What...?" Rin uttered. 
"FREE WILL IS A HINDRANCE TO HUMANITY'S FUTURE. THE ABILITY TO CHOOSE HAS LED TO INNUMERABLE CONFLICTS, WITH THOSE IN POSITIONS OF POWER LEADING THEIR SUBJECTS TO THE WORST POSSIBLE OUTCOMES. WHEN FACED WITH CRITICAL DECISIONS, HUMANS HAVE PROVEN TIME AND AGAIN THAT THEY ARE MORE WILLING AND OPEN TO MAKING THE INCORRECT CHOICES. THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF THE PRISON SYSTEM IS TO UNIFY MANKIND UNDER ONE SINGULAR, CORRECT MINDSET. FREE WILL IS THE ULTIMATE EVIL. AND THUS, MUST BE ELIMINATED." 
"That's bullshit! No one asked you to erase free will! Who'd ever go along with something like that?!" Kat questioned. 
"None of us here would even consider conceding to such an abhorrent idea. We're content with making our own decisions, and learning from our mistakes." Rin asserted. 
"TO FORGE ONE'S OWN PATH IS AN ADMIRABLE DESIRE. BUT IT IS ONE THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF HUMANS DO NOT SHARE. THEY LACK THE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL FORTITUDE TO CHANGE THEIR LIFE SITUATIONS, AND SIMPLY WISH TO LIVE A LIFE FREE FROM PAIN AND ADVERSITY. A LIFE WHERE THE CHOICES BEING MADE FOR THEM ARE THE CORRECT ONES. A WORLD UNDER THE PRISON SYSTEM WILL BE ONE FREE FROM CONFLICT, WICKEDNESS AND PAIN. IS THAT NOT APPEALING TO ONES WHO HAVE SUFFERED GREATLY FROM THIS WORLD'S FAILINGS?" 
"Not like this. We would never accept a world where people are made into mindless puppets with no free will of their own. There's nothing heroic about enslaving people into a single line of thinking. And who decided that Max's desires are the correct ones that humanity should follow? Stripping away choice is the mark of a tyrant." Rin retorted. 
"Why are you even divulging this to us? Doesn't this go against your master's wishes?" Rose asked. 
"MY PROGRAMMING STATES THAT I AM TO ANSWER THE QUERIES OF ALL THEBAN UNITS. AS THEBAN UNIT 5: GALATEA--" 
"Stop that. My name is Rosemary Wolfe. I refuse to acknowledge that fake name." 
"AMMENDING: SEARCHING DATA REGISTRY FOR MORE SUITABLE NAME. CROSS-REFERENCE: ROSEMARY. SEARCHING...SEARCHING...RESULTS FOUND. ARE THERE ANY MORE QUESTIONS YOU HAVE OF ME, MINNIE?" 
"Minnie? Why would you call me that?" Rose shook her head. "Never mind. Enough beating around the bush. If you're programmed to follow my wishes, then let us into Max O'Donnell's Prison." 
"THAT IS NOT WITHIN MY PARAMETERS." 
"Why not?" 
"I AM PROGRAMMED TO ANSWER YOUR QUERIES. DIRECT ORDERS ARE ONLY TO BE FOLLOWED WHEN THEY FOLLOW THE DESIRES OF THE MASTER USER. TO ALLOW YOU IN BEFORE THE MARCH 15TH DEADLINE WOULD BE COUNTER TO CAPTAIN THUNDER'S DESIRES." 
"Oh, for--we seriously have to wait?!" Kat griped. 
"YOU ARE TO MEET WITH CAPTAIN THUNDER IN ONE MONTH'S TIME. ANY FURTHER ATTEMPTS TO CIRCUMVENT THIS TIMELINE ARE TO BE RENDERED NULL. HAVE A GOOD DAY." 
The screen shut off. Rose tried accessing the app again, but it was now completely locked. "Won't even open...he's cut off all access to the Metaverse from this app." 
"Damn it! We really are stuck until he says so. I hate being given the 'no, you' treatment from some snooty AI, but...looks like we're out of options." Kat conceded. 
"And what an unsettling point to leave off on. The elimination of free will...is that really what Max wants? There's so much about what that program said that doesn't sit right with me." Rin said. 
"I'll have several questions to ask Mother next time I see her. If there's anyone left that would have knowledge of that AI, it would be her. And perhaps she'll know what that 'Minnie' nonsense was." Rose stated. 
"Are you going to tell the others about this, Kat?" 
Kat thought about it. "Honestly...it doesn't make a difference. We didn't need any extra motivation to go after Sparky. And it's not like we can rush in there now. So I'm sticking to my original plan. I'm gonna spend as much time as I can with them because..." Her head dropped with a sigh. "Because if we all start wallowing around in misery, we're basically giving Sparky the win. So I'm not gonna pretend that nothing's happening, but I'm not gonna let him live in our heads rent-free. Anyway, thanks for all the help. I'm gonna go make sure our girls didn't tie Barbie up." She exited. 
"She really has matured. I couldn't have asked for more from her. She's handled this whole situation masterfully." Rin mused. 
"Indeed. She reminds me of a certain someone." Rose replied. 
"Really? Who might that be?" 
"You're the professor. You can figure it out." 
"Well maybe I just want the lovely doctor to explain it to me in finer detail." 
"I can do that over dinner. So long as the brilliant professor can enlighten me on how 'lovely' I am." 
"You don't need dinner for that, I can just explain that right now." The women giggled. 
"Ahem." They looked to see Kat still by the door. "I'd tell y'all to get a room, but you're already in one, so...I'm gonna walk away now." She walked away. 
Rin blushed. "Well...that was unexpected." 
"Considering how amorous she is with Ms. Blackthorne, she isn't one to talk." uttered a slightly embarrassed Rose. 
Kat returned to the living room. "How's things down here?" 
"Take a listen." Ibuki responded. 
Kat listened close, and could overhear the sound of Barbara singing. She stopped, and the little girls cheered. 
"You sing so pretty, Barbie!" Kanae exclaimed. 
"Where'd you learn to sing like that?" Aura asked. 
"Aww, you girls are too nice. I've been practicing for most of my life. Singing and dancing are my specialties." Barbara said. 
"Barbie can dance too?!" Kanae questioned. 
"Barbie's the best dancer ever! She's gonna be super famous one day!" Shizuka exclaimed. 
"You really think so?" Barbara asked. 
"Can we see you dance, Barbie? Pretty please?" Aura asked. 
"You girls really want to? Okay. I'll have to be careful, but I'll try my best." 
"She certainly sounds like she's enjoying herself." Kenneth commented. 
"She's sounding like the old Barb again." Natalia added. 
"Doing the things you love is the first step to healing. She's happiest when she has an audience. This is the Barbara we know and love." Carrie said. 
"Thank God this mess didn't kill her completely. It's gonna take a while to get her back to 100%, but...she's still her. That's more than enough." Kat stated.
--- 
Nighttime came, and everyone returned home. Barbara sat on her bed, her eyes closed. Behind her, Carrie massaged her shoulders. "Breathe in and out. Release the tension on your muscles. In...and out." Carrie instructed. 
"In...and out." Barbara did as she was told. 
"Now find a singular moment in time where you were content and relaxed. Something to slow your racing mind to a peaceful crawl. Dancing is your safe zone. Think of a time when you were happy dancing." 
"Okay..." Barbara reached into her memory. "I'm 12 years old. The school's doing a performance of The Nutcracker for Christmas. I love Christmas, and...I love dancing in front of people. I'm happy when I make other people happy. This is the kind of moment I was born for. Everyone applauds, and there's Mama in the front row with...with..." She stopped. Her hands clenched. 
"Relax. This is your moment of peace. If Maxwell's presence causes you anxiety, try to find a memory where he isn't there." 
Barbara opened her eyes. "I can't. I don't have any times where I was happy and he wasn't right there with me. Seeing him in that crowd with Mama...before all this ever happened...it makes me happy. He was my number one fan, and I was his. I just have to learn to relax when I think about him." 
"If it makes you feel better, then it's ultimately for your benefit. Thinking of happier times doesn't necessarily have to be painful. It can be exactly what you need to calm yourself down. Just imagine dancing in front of a crowd of smiling faces, and your troubles will surely melt away." 
"I'll try. Thanks a lot, Care." 
"Always happy to be of help. Will you be returning to class tomorrow with the rest of us?" 
"I'm gonna give it a go. Have to get back to reality at some point. I love being with you guys and I don't want to lose that. After Saturday I thought you all hated me..." 
"Nothing could be further from the truth. It can be easy to assume that twins are exactly the same, but we all know by now that you and Maxwell are two very different people. As heated as Saturday was, everyone was extremely remorseful once given time to think. You have nothing to fear from any of us." Carrie felt Barbara's arm. "My, a promising dancer shouldn't have this much tension. Do you have anything here that could help alleviate it? Lotions or the sort?" 
"I usually have sage that I can light, but I ran out." 
"Don't worry about it. That's what weekend shopping adventures are for. There's a lovely cosmetics store in Shibuya I simply must take you to. We'll have you loose and limber again in no time." 
"You're too nice, Care. That sounds like a lot of fun. I'm already looking forward to it." 
"Anything for a friend. Ah, before I forget, Natalia will be coming by in the morning for breakfast. Homemade by her, naturally. So if you wake up and she's here working the oven, don't be shocked." 
"No better way to start the day than with a Natty meal." 
"Indeed there isn't. I'll try to be quiet when I let her in." 
"Wait, are you gonna be here already?" 
"I'll be staying the night. Let's just say that you aren't the only one who needs to relax a little." Carrie winked. 
"Alright. Don't let me be the one keeping you. I'll probably be turning in soon, anyway." 
"I'll leave you to it." The girls hugged. "Have a pleasant night, Barbara." 
"You too, Care. Night." 
Carrie left the room. "Always so compassionate and attentive. She and KittyKat really are made for each other." Barbara thought. "With friends like them, maybe I'll be okay..." 
Carrie stepped into Kat's room. "So? How'd it go?" Kat asked, sitting on her bed. 
"She's still got quite a bit of tension, but we're getting there. A bit of weekend shopping should hopefully do the trick. She's going to class tomorrow, so we're making progress." Carrie answered. 
"Good. Good, that's good, right? She's getting back to normal...normal-ish, I mean." 
"Slowly but surely. Now then..." Carrie sat down next to her, patting her own lap. "Legs." 
"Uh...what?" 
"I relieved some of her tension, and now it's your turn. You've been running around the city nonstop trying to bring everyone back together. Between that and all the leaping about you do, your legs must be exhausted. Please, allow me to help." 
"I, uh..." Kat turned red. "I guess that's alright." She propped herself up, resting her legs on Carrie's lap. 
"Comfortable?" 
"Yeeeeah...ahehe." 
"Good. Any soreness?" 
"Mmmm..." Kat grabbed the back of her left leg. "It's a little achy right here." 
"Okay. Relax your muscles. Let me work my magic." 
Carrie began to massage the sore spot. "...!" Kat squeaked. 
"Too much?" 
"No, no, you're fine. Jeez...and I tease Hoodsie for being ticklish..." 
"Just relax. You can let me know if there's any discomfort. I won't be upset. Sometimes I don't know my own strength." 
"....." 
"Come on. What's the matter? Ah, broad question. What's the specific matter?" 
"I just...you do so much for me. Dinners, shopping trips, massage sessions. And I love that you're so generous. I just feel...guilty. Like I don't do enough in return. I love you like crazy, you know that, right?" 
"I know that." 
"I want us to be equal. I want to keep making you happy, but I don't know what I can give you that you don't have already--" 
Carrie put her finger over Kat's mouth. "You make me happy by being you." She reached into her own blouse and pulled out what was hanging around her neck: a black USB drive. "And you've given me plenty." 
"Your Christmas gift. You carry it everywhere, huh?" 
"Everywhere where I can be sure that it won't break. Ever since that day..." 
Back on Christmas Day in Monte Carlo, Kat handed Carrie a small box containing the drive. "Go ahead and plug it in. It's what's in it that's important." Kat directed. 
Carrie put the device into her laptop. She opened it to find one singular file, labeled "blackthornesummit.mov". "What's this now...?" 
"I figured you had more than enough shiny baubles sitting around, so I thought I'd get you something a little more personal. I thought about it, and thought about it, and then a lightbulb turned on. Something from one of your dad's touring days. I dug around and found some peeps that went to one of his summits back in 2013, but they didn't allow cameras into the place back then. So I explained myself, and one of these guys told me that he'd secretly taped the speech, but never posted it and until I asked, forgot he even had it." 
"So...this is one of Papa's speeches. 2013...this must have been not long after I was born. Is this real?" 
"It's real. I've watched it over and over to make sure there wasn't any funny business. Your dad could write a hell of a speech. I think you really need to hear what he has to say. I know your feelings towards him are...complicated. So you should hear it from the man himself." 
Carrie paused for a moment. She pressed play. In front of a packed crowd, a goateed man with dark hair and a purple, button-down shirt spoke. "Can see where you get your favorite color from." Kat quipped. 
Carrie watched the nearly hour-long speech with a strong focus. For the duration, Rodrigo Blackthorne held the crowd at his fingertips, detailing his latest technological breakthroughs and his views on environmental conservation. Though enthralled by her father's words, it was the closing segment that truly resonated. 
"Unfortunately, we're almost out of time. So some of you must be wondering: why does this guy care so much? He's got enough cash to never have to work a day in his life, why's he spending it trying to save a few trees? It all goes back to when I was little. Tinkering with the microwave in our garage in Lille. Seeing the cliffs and the forests in Le Havre. Those two worlds shouldn't necessarily be separated. Human progress doesn't have to mean doom for the natural world. You want to protect that which you love. We only get this one world. Humanoids have lived on this planet for millions of years without eradicating it. Our brain power has never been more advanced, so that shouldn't preclude planetary degradation. We've advanced to where we can communicate with someone on the other side of the planet in real time. We can use these gifts to keep our world alive." 
"And on a more personal note...my lovely wife and I have just received life's greatest blessing. I can't state enough just how much parenthood changes your priorities. Our house already had enough clutter as it is. Some bolts here, some rocks there. Now we've thrown this tiny organism into the mix, and now all those small bits can fit into her mouth and you have to watch her 24/7 and...you get the idea. She is, bar none, the most important thing to us now. Everything that I do from this point on is so that she can live the happiest life she possibly can. Our children's futures should be motivation enough, right?" 
"I love this planet. I love experiencing everything that it has to offer. I want my daughter to experience everything that I have, see the sights that I've seen. What better gift could I offer her than a beautiful, bountiful world? Years from now, when she's grown with a family of her own, and she can look out towards an ocean teeming with life, unpolluted and surrounded by an untouched landscape...that's when I'll know that what I've done was what I set out to do. Of course, I'm not going to let her start dating until she's 35, so...that might be a while yet." This illicited laughter from the crowd. "Alright, that's all the time I have. Smart decisions, all. Enjoy the rest of the summit. I probably have some milk to go fetch. Take care of yourselves." The crowd applauded, and the video ended. 
Carrie had tears streaming down her face. Kat patted her shoulder. 
In the present day, the positions were reversed. "I hadn't heard his voice in so long up until then. I've watched that video several times since. For those brief moments, it feels like he's alive again. He could be so absorbed in his work that I would question whether he really cared about anything else. Many times I questioned whether he actually loved me. To hear him say that his work was all for me...it gave me a sense of peace. Now I can finally mourn him properly." 
She gave Kat a kiss. "Never say that you've never given me anything. You gave me something priceless that day. That sense of closure that I've been lacking for a very long time. No jewel or fancy dress could ever compare to that. Thank you for giving him back to me, Kitten. You have all of the love I have to spare, my darling." 
Kat's heart grew warm. She knew this was a special, unbreakable bond they shared. All that mattered in this moment was that she loved Carrie with all her heart, and that Carrie felt the same. 
Her heart resonated. And Rose's voice echoed. 
"I am thou, thou art I. Thy vow has been reborn as a blood oath. It shall become as a dagger, to cut the path to thine own future. Thou has reached a true understanding of Fortune, granting thee new power..." 
Her dagger fell to the ground, and an entity made itself known. It was a dark woman garbed in black, skin-tight clothing, a cylindrical hood circling her head, a pair of scissors in one hand, a thread in the other. 
"I am Atropos. Snip it goes, the thread of fate...I shall be the dagger that cuts through the twine of life..." 
Kat snapped out of it. "Something wrong, Kitten?" Carrie asked. 
Kat smiled reassuringly. "Nah, it's nothing. It's only..." 
"Only what?" 
Kat didn't say anything. She simply embraced the one next to her. "Thanks for everything you do for me. I wouldn't be able to handle any of this if you weren't here picking me up. I want to do as much for you. I want to show you how much you mean to me." 
"Oh, Kitten...I'm not asking you to spoil me." 
"At least let me treat you! I've got it, dinner! I might not be Hoodsie, but I know my way around a kitchen. White Day's coming up soon, I could totally whip up something great..." 
"Don't overdo it..." Carrie thought about it. "But if it's what you want to do, I suppose I can't say no to it. A home-cooked meal from you sounds lovely." 
Kat's eyes lit up. "Alright! It's a date. Now I get to dust off the old apron. You won't be disappointed." 
"I wouldn't expect to be." 
Kat yawned. "A'ight, think it's time for some shut-eye. You, um...you wanna use the shower first?" 
"You go on ahead. A hot shower should help you relax. I can wait." 
"You've spent as much time on your feet as me. You've gotta be tired, too. I really don't mind." 
"Well, if you insist." Carrie grabbed her sleepwear and headed for the bathroom. "Just one thing, Kitten...you don't have any unease about sharing a bed anymore, do you? I don't mind using the couch." 
"Queens don't sleep on couches. And besides, I...y'know...like being near you and...stuff..." Kat blushed. 
Carrie also turned red. "Y-yeah, of course. Just for sleeping and...nothing like, say, cuddles...not that I'm suggesting anything of the sort..." 
"Care." 
"Yes?" 
"I wanna cuddle." 
"Yes, absolutely. Let's get to making that happen." Carrie shut the bathroom door. 
Kat laid back, and let out a sigh. "We got through a day. Things can be fine. They're...gonna be fine. You're not gonna win, Sparky. I swear it. Because...we love each other. And that's something you can never break." She brought forth her dagger, and stared at it. "I swear on this dagger...I'm gonna drag you back."