Serenity

Reflect

|Sabre|

...

I'm having an internal panic attack right now. I don't look like it on the outside, but I am. HOW IN THE NAME OF EVERYTHING THAT EXISTS DID I DO THAT?! I just revived my friend, fought Sol by just creating and manipulating things out of nowhere like a superhero, and just witnessed Light shoot a freezing blast and freeze Sol in place! Well, he's used ice before in the past, I believe. BUT WHAT THE HECK JUST HAPPENED IN THE PAST THIRTY MINUTES?! I DON'T UNDERSTAND ANY OF IT!!!

"Sabre?" Time's voice draws me from my internal panic and I turn my head to look at him. "Hm?" Time sat about five feet away from me as a Green Steve held his hand above a wound he had gotten on his arm from Sol and a green glow was slowly stitching the broken skin together. "You've been pretty quiet. I was just wondering if you were alright, considering everything just happened so suddenly and everything."

His glassy eyes were focused on me from under his dirt-scuffed mask as the Green Steve shifted his hand back, signaling he was done healing his arm. I give him a shrug and turn away, looking out of the temporary set up tent we were in, at the crowd of Steves milling about. It was hard to see a bit in the dusk, but the set up lanterns helped to illuminate everything in a gentle glow.

I had only been here a little over two weeks... Nearly three. Yet Sol, in the time I was gone up to now, managed to take so many Steves and make them like... whatever state they were in now. I don't even know how he did it, or in what ways he could have. I'd never even heard of this sort of thing being able to happen. The redstone staff wasn't that powerful to do that sort of thing. At least- Well, I can't say I know what the professor did to it when he created it. He is a little crazy. But still. I've never seen another Steve control so many others. "Can we talk more about it later?" I glance back over at Time, then let out a drawn out sigh and nod. "Yeah, chief."

The sound of someone approaching breaks the sound of people conversing outside and I look towards the tent entrance. Orange Leader pulls the draping cloth back as he steps in and his eyes meet mine. "Sabre, Time. I was told I could find you two in here. I wanted to simply check in and make sure you two were alright." His eyes held a tired look as his gaze flitted to Time, then back to me. I glance over at Time, who now had his arm wrapped up while the Green Steve was now checking his stomach.

"We're alright, Orange Leader. I'm a little roughed up, but not badly. Sabre is unscathed, thankfully." He says with a note of exhaustion as he looks to me and I give a small nod. "I understand. Well, glad to see." Orange Leader pauses a moment, then glances to me. "I'm- going to go check up on Light and see how he's doing. Red leader had dragged him off to the sanctuary before I could have a moment to speak with him." With that, he was gone, back into the slowly thinning crowd outside as the movement of the draped cloth was the only sign he was there. For a moment though, I swore I saw a momentary fear in his eyes and my mind started to swirl. Were they afraid of me, again? I wasn't trying to scare anyone... I barely could understand what I was doing in the moment either. It just kind of... happened. But it was me during that.

After a few minutes, the healer clears Time and he and I get up and leave the tent. Not even five steps out of the tent and he breaks the silence. "You are having a panic attack, aren't you." Time says as he and I walk alongside each other and he turns to look at me. I groan and sigh, then rub my neck. "That obvious?"

"Yes."

"Great."

Just great.

——

|Light|

Was I a bad leader? Did I neglect to deal with an impending threat before it occurred? I should be dead right now. I really shouldn't have survived that attack. It wasn't normal fire or powers from a Steve. Then again, the First Curse isn't a Steve. Is everyone alright though? Should I not stay in this position anymore? I neglected my duties as a leader.

"Light." A voice startles me from my thoughts and I turn to see Orange leader standing there, his hand on my right shoulder as he looked at me with concern on his face. "Oh, hey Orange Leader." My voice is filled with a numb tone and I sigh, glancing away from my friend and old leader. "You are definitely out of it..." I feel him sit down beside me on the bed in this room M had brought me into. Not immediately meeting his expecting gaze, I look around at the flowery wallpaper on the walls.

I knew he wanted to talk about something but... to be honest, I didn't want to talk. For some reason, I just felt numb again. Emotionless. I... hated it.

"How are you feeling?" His question draws my attention finally to him and I meet his gem-like eyes. Tiredness sat in them like a frog on a lillypad, as he sat in his usual relaxed pose. Silence filled the room for a minute before I broke it, quietly talking. "I'm... ok, to an extent. A lot did just happen and I'm still processing it all." His hand settles on my arm and he gives me a tired smile. "I could tell. A lot did just happen for us all. Especially you." A moment of silence passes, then I bite the inside of my lip and let out a sigh, finally feeling a bit of emotion breaking through. "Uhm... Leader. I have a question."

I glance towards the wooden flooring as he nods. "You can ask your question, you know. I'm listening." His voice was gentle, despite the tiredness that surrounded it and him. I feel the sinking feeling in my chest worsen, then take a deep breath and talk. "Do you think I am a good leader? I just- well. Because of the fight with Sol, I feel like I completely neglected an obvious threat, alongside that I didn't take enough steps towards warning the general public or do enough with the disappearances. I feel like I completely failed everyone by letting it get as worse as it did." A tight feeling closes on my throat and I stop talking. My leader rubs my arm a bit, which prompts me to look up at him again.

"We cannot predict certain things from happening. In the situation with Sol's escape, you and your elites did all that you could to find him. You exhausted your resources as much as you physically could. You also did aptly warn us leaders, to which we let our peoples know the gravity of the situation. You haven't failed as a leader, nor as a protector. You have done wonders, Light. You have helped to bring around an era of peace. And if it comes to the case that we need to fight again to keep that peace around, then we will. As a people united. In fact, I think you also handled it better than I would have."

His words settle on me as he continues to rub my arm a bit. I was... speechless. I... didn't, fail? I guess now that I was thinking properly on it... I did do my best to cover the situations. With a sigh, I rub my neck with my free hand and murmur a thank you to him. He gives me a nod, then I lay my head on his shoulder and relax, letting my stress leave.

I had a feeling tomorrow might be as eventful as today.

...

Wait-

HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN OUT FOR?!