Does Anyone Even Know Anymore?

Ame

"It's hard to tell who has your back, from who has it long enough just to stab you in it."

― Nicole Richie

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Ame paced back and forth, tossing the powerful ring that she had confiscated from her irresponsible companion into the air. Tension filled the empty space, adding extra awkwardness to the silence that had materialized after the recent argument. Finally, Joss took a breath and broke it.

"I never specifically said that this was a good idea!"

"Then why did you help her do it?"

"It was her plan, not mine! I just happened to be a vital component." 

Ame sighed. There was no way, no possible way, that Joss wasn't jesting. They had enabled Grey to go off to the Obsidion Lands, a literal underworld, to look for Aspen, who clearly wanted nothing to do with anyone, and Joss had no problem with that? Unbelievable. 

There was, however, something that Ame had no problem with, and that was expressing outrage.

"How dare you let Grey go to that wasteland to find my extremely dangerous sister. Who, let's not forget, betrayed all of us-" She held up her hand as Joss tried to interrupt, undoubtedly with the same contention constantly used in Aspen's favor. "Without anyone helping her- and don't tell me that no one else knew- and without an Abrus!" Ame took a breath.

"Now that I think back on it," Joss admitted sheepishly, "that wasn't the best idea I've ever had."

"No kidding," Ame snorted.

Joss held up the Ring of the Exiled. "But hey, I can make it right."

Ame froze. "You do not mean what I think you do."

"We need Grey back." Joss rolled their eyes. "Are you coming or not?"

Grey

"Our doubts are traitors,

and make us lose the good we oft might win,

by fearing to attempt."

― William Shakespeare, Measure for Measure

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Treading carefully through the reflecting lakes of the Obsidion Lands, a dark smoke of hopelessness fogged Grey's mind. She wished she could blame it on the psychological effects of being in the wrong Nexus, but a good portion was just the realization that she had absolutely no inkling of a plan. 

Based on the amount of time that had been spent trudging through the murky landscape with no results, there was a good chance that Aspen didn't want to be found. Furthermore, Grey was entirely lost and most likely forgotten by her Guide. 

About right, she thought bitterly, even Joss can't be bothered to care. She shook her head. No, Joss probably did go after her; they probably just hadn't caught up yet. Yet somehow, that was worse. Joss, alone out in the Obsidian Lands, no one to help them...

Mid-thought, a glint of movement caught her eye. Grey's head whipped around, but then a familiarly gentle voice echoed from the opposite direction, shocking Grey with a wave of nostalgic grief.

"Grey?" Aspen, the actual Aspen, stepped out from behind the near-impenetrable sheet of bleak umber fog. "Why are you here?"

Before Grey could muster up the stability to form words, the missing spirit switched into that familiar Protective-Aspen mode. "Did they hurt you? I swear, I'll destroy them, one by one. I'll find a way to leave this Nexus and go back. They made me into a monster-" Aspen's voice trembled into silence at that last word, and Grey felt a surge of hope.

She's actually back. She can go home to the Isles of Ash. Ame can finally forgive her.

"No, nothing like that," Grey assured her. "Joss found a way to get me here, and there might be a way to get you out." She halted, anticipating the overjoyed celebration that was inevitable to come. But it never did.

Instead, Aspen sank to the floor, weeping. "Grey, you don't- you don't understand," she sobbed. "I don't deserve to go back." Aspen gestured to the lagoons encompassing her. "Look at what I've done."

Grey stumbled back. "I- I don't see anything."

Aspen's focus shifted up. "In the pools... you can't see anything?"

"Just a reflection."

"Odd. I see every event of my life. Replayed in a loop, over and over. For years-"

Grey interrupted her. "Years? It's only been months."

Aspen looked disconcerted, but still nodded. "I presume so. It's challenging to keep track of time here."

"Hm." Grey paced around the wasteland. Throughout all of the arguing and defending Aspen, she had never had a doubt that Aspen deserved a second chance. So why, now, when the possibility of bringing her back was dangling in the air, did Grey start to believe that Aspen's lamentations might have been correct? Was almost a year of convincing, mourning, and stone-cold belief worth nothing?

Emiel

"A selfish person can still love someone else, can't they? Even when they've hurt them and let them down."

― Rosamund Lupton, Sister

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Emiel couldn't decide which was worse, the idea that this was his fault or that it was out of his control.

He stomped violently around the tent. It was the only thing that could possibly make him feel better. Not that it was working. In the end, it was technically his fault. He'd been the reason that Joss had joined the Assembly of Ash, and he'd been the reason they'd left.

But Joss had chosen on their own to go to the League of the Storm. They had been the one who resolved to keep risking their life, yet for the wrong side.

Joss had been the one to find Aspen. Joss was responsible for the damage to the entire Ember Collective, all 16 Nexusus.

Emiel shook his head. No, he couldn't be blaming Joss for his own error. No, he realized, Not just a mistake. A betrayal. He felt the floor on his knees but couldn't remember sinking. I broke the Ember Collective. But, more importantly, I hurt Joss.

He hugged his arms and shivered, his surroundings becoming a blur of red and yellow, indistinguishable from the fire licking at his mind. Just then, a figure obstructed the fabric flames.

"Emiel, did you finish your assignment- what are you doing?"

Emiel hastily rubbed the tears from his face at the sound of his commander's voice. "Nothing, why?"

"You've been crying. What is it, now? Are you still bitter about that Joss person departing our ranks? We're going to re-recruit them once we surmount Dynamere, you know that," Eryx observed sharply.

Emiel knew better than to retaliate. "No, never mind." So instead, Emiel shouldered his crossbow, pushing past the sharp-tongued commander on his way out the door. "I'm off to conquer the king."