Wands and Warframes

Aftermath

Aftermath

Pandora flies through the Lotus' home with reckless haste as she heads towards the Reservoir. Cursing herself once again for getting so caught up in managing Xeno and his moments that she assumed that her daughter was fine. It's with more than a little shame that she remembers every single time that she did the same on earth. Oh, she was a dutiful and attentive mother until Luna was 4 or 5, and able to look after herself. Then she started to work again and, while it did bring in more money, she would often get lost in her research. When she came out of her study, she'd sometimes find Molly in her living room with a disappointed look on her face. More often Luna would have got into something, played with the fairies that lived in their garden, or made a mess trying to make something to eat.

She thought she'd been doing better because this world allows face to face communication from anywhere in the solar system. Only now, when her daughter is in real distress because she just hadn't been around to be a mother, did she realise that those brief conversations, no matter how regular, or how long, were no substitute to being able to watch her daughter move and act. She knew Luna well enough that she's confident that she'd have spotted the problem long before now if she had. Actually, she amended to herself, that is probably not true anymore, as Luna is a young woman now, not an 8 year old child.

As she finishes reviewing all of her conversations with her daughter for the 8th time, she realises that she's only travelled 2m. Despite moving at full speed. Forcing herself to calm down, her thoughts slow down enough for distance to be passing at a fast, but reasonable pace. It's only seconds later that she hurtles into the Reservoir and scoops Luna, in her Wisp, into a hug.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you. I... No, there are no excuses. I was so wrapped up in the small problems and the potential of a new world to explore and research that I neglected you again."

"It's ok mummy, I can take care of myself."

"But you shouldn't have needed to. I should have been here for you, being around to talk to, hug, hold, and sing to sleep. Instead I chose to manage your father, an adult who was managing himself somewhat successfully before you came along. You were, and are, a child."

Luna looks up at her, "No mum, I'm not a child, I'm a Tenno. Even at 8 years old I knew what was likely to happen when I saved your life. It's been happening all my life after all. If I didn't then you wouldn't be hugging me now."

"Luna, just because you accepted the situation doesn't make it right." – she waves one of her hands at Natah, who is standing off to one side – "I should have been here, learning how to be a Sentient and a better mother, with your auntie. I've just discovered that I can think far faster than I did as a human. If I'd stuck around I'm sure Natah would have taught me, and then I'd have been able to spend my time with you and done my research."

Natah shrugs, "Maybe, it's more likely that I'd have just made an offhand comment. I'm not, and never have been human, I've been forced to emulate an Orokin, but they were about as close to the sort of human that lives in Cetus as I am. I have been a mother though, so I'd have been able to help you with that."

"Mum," – Luna interrupts – "when I said I was a Tenno, I meant I'm a Tenno in truth." Her voice trembles as she continues, "When we first came here, The Man in the Wall visited me while I was sleeping in Harry's wisp. He showed me two visions of the future. In the first. In the first, I was watching you from the door of the study, waiting for you to finish so that I could have my mummy time. You were almost finished casting a new spell when a blackbird smashed through the window and distracted you enough to make a mistake. You died. The second didn't make sense at the time, I saw a stranger in pain crawling towards my wisp. Then Auntie shot them, shot me in the back. She was a stranger because she was me, a little older, but recognisably me. I remembered what you and father said about making deals with the fae, and refused. I used our blessing to stop you from dying, and thought that I could... I, I have void powers now, and I can't control them." – she indicates an amp that's sitting on a nearby table, along with a hood – "We tried using an amp, but I don't have the control I need for that either. Mum, I'm going into the second dream, and when I come out I won't be a witch anymore."