Chapter 26 – Beach Episode

The situation was aside, nowhere and neverminded from the lilac-tinted shores. On the beach waves of Jublina-12 in Xi. Becca, Petal, Maisma, Pyra, Caleb, Veronica, Jel, Dylan, Bliss and Lake. Their minds were on the horizon, not a care in the world. It was just a couple of pals. Petal had altered Thatti’s bracelet device to give her the illusion of a moving hand, in absence of her missing limb. The group believed her to be Thatti, who’d just undergone a horrible ordeal in a conventional political struggle of another world. Nothing about Goliath, Nightcity or any of her past was aired. The group swam along the waves, the cruiseliner had stopped along the shore and would be going on tour for 2 weeks after that night.

Maisma giggled. “Guys-!” Petal turned around, Maisma grabbed at her arm. “Come onnnnn, my man just jumped off the boat, I’m getting so wet!” Amy shapeshifted a tail like a mermaid and swam with the lilac waves underwater, laughing and giggling as she emerged, Petal in the deep. They both came up onto the boat’s hull, and the rest of the group got up from the hammocks. Jel and Dylan had already went in, swimming and relaxing under the sun, Caleb shooting him suspicious looks every other minute. The group had been out of their way, all in their own ways for the past week, not mentioning their own lives nor anything they knew from beyond the sands of the world.

On the shore, Thatti put her feet in the water. She sat down and leaned forward, arms around her knees. Lake flew down behind her concerned, before Dylan came up to her. “I know you, gem girl you’re not in a talky mood for a reason. What’s with your friend over there, she seems a little sad.”

“Ahh, she’s been through a lot lately.” Lake said. “Cut her a break.”

Dylan nodded and leaned down. “Thatti, what’s on your mind?” The dashingly handsome young boy said, looking at her.

“Nothing’s on my mind. I’m fine, I’m just trying to enjoy it.” She shrugged.

“Nice lie.” Dylan said, sitting down. “If you don’t want to talk, we get that.” The boy said. “But you’ve got a good heart, something tells me you don’t mind if someone else talks to you about their own shit.”

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a white bag with a sealed bowl in it. “My sister Yuna and I made this, it’s homemade potato salad. She said it was your favorite since you cooked it with her once in Echostar’s cooking class.” He pressed the bag into her hand.

Thatti looked at the bag. “I hate potato salad.”

Dylan shrugged and picked up his bag. “Oh well, it was made with love. That was my olive branch, and that’s what matters.” He got up.

Caleb looked over as Dylan walked away, staring at Thatti. He hadn’t seen her wand in a little while, the girl claiming Becca and her had gotten into an intense fight. That could work to his advantage, if they were always apart he could snatch up Becca and call up Jetti easily. He oft saw Thatti talking to herself, likely still traumatized by the incident back in Orchid. He sympathized, but the words of Nathan that so easily put his confidence in him still lingered.

Caleb wondered if that was an act or not, if Nathan really believed in him or it was some form of

mindgames or deception. Either way, Nathan had been proven the victor of their confrontation, all the same. Caleb wanted to be on top. He wanted to be loved. All the same. Caleb was in love. He wanted to win Thatti’s affection back, after their incident at the con he felt their relationship hadn’t been the same. The girl kept running away. It’s always like that, the way they get away he swore. “Girls.” The boy shook his head.

Not that Caitlyn would know anything about them.

Lake stood off the beach. She saw Thatti shiver. With a single wave of her hand, she controlled the flow of the nearby ocean, the shore bending around Thatti and herself, sitting by her side as it formed an aquatic orb shielding them both. Caleb furrowed his eyes in suspicion. Hasn’t Thatti just been fighting these gems months back? Why was he all buddy buddy with them now, it didn’t feel right.

Jel sensing his uneasy, put his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “Sorry, must be weird for you right? She’s all spooky and emotional now. But this is like a nightmare for her, and Thatti is still stuck in Xi. She has no power to leave, you know that right? Not after the whole usurping thing we saw..” She dug her spoon into a cup of Dylan’s potato salad, which she’d switched with a bowl of spiders left for him.

“It’s tough on her.” She said.

The Domina watched the group on the beach, their faces happy and laughing. Their backs to her, the ocean surrounding them, the sun warm and the breeze soft and refreshing. Lyras saw it all and thought of Nathan, Orchid and the mess that was her life and world. She turned around and stared off, a single tear sliding down her eye. “What are you crying about?” Jetti said, holding her head in a silver trey.

“N-nothing! The Domina does not cry or show weakness.” She yelled.

“Ex-Domina.” Jetti said, watching the other group from binoculars from a far beach cliffside.

“Mind your tongue, ins-” “Yata yata I know how much you need propriety. Spare me.” Jetti put the binoculars down and leaned back. Caleb had promised to get her the wand in exchange for her watching out for the Domina, or what was left of her. She liked the idea of fighting Becca as an equal warrior, wielding powerful weapons. She never imagined she’d be babysitting a decapitated head and hoping some boy stole her enemy, it felt cowardly. Jetti liked to fight fair.

She didn’t just want revenge, she also wanted justice. Stealing Becca before she could transform and dishing out to her felt anticlimactic.

“I’m going to tell you something you’re probably going to hate.” Jetti said, her eyes locked on the

Domina’s. “But I was on your world, in your palace. You were out.” She closed her eyes. “I was on your bed.” She shrugged. “Your sister tried to make Caleb into one of her ‘bois’ and I stepped in and rescued him.”

Lyras watched the group afar begin to gather for a game of volleyball. “That’s hardly surprising. My sister, I refer to her. You breaking into my private quarts is just rude.” “That’s not all.” Jetti leaned back and looked at the head. “Your holyiness, there was something else I uncovered. I looked through Veena’s papers and documents. There were blueprints for solar ships, new weapons, funding and armaments.” She paused. “They were for the Boy’s Liberation Front. Your sister was funding their operations- or, maybe just Nathan’s? Seemed to be a gift for her nephew. She was aiding him, and is likely going to be helping establish his legitimacy and arm him.”

For so long, she’d been had all of Orchid under her thumb, the power of the throne was hers. But now she was just a powerless girl, just like her daughter and Nathan was free. The new Domina, she could hardly bare to acknowledge it. He had his own power and ambitions. Perhaps that was simply the way of her people, Sovereign by Might. But her sister scheming, aiding the new regime rather than opposing him?

That felt especially painful. Traitorous even, moreso than Nathan’s uprising. She always felt she had a duty to her people, to guide them through their hardest struggles. But now? She was but a ghost in the

annuls of history. Lyra’s heart began to beat quicker. “She’s a bastard. I never trusted her.” She said. “Her and my son are wicked. He needs to be stopped. At any cost. No matter the consequences.”

Jetti shrugged. “Easy there, your highness. It’s just another tyrant disposing and replacing another for me. You were disgraced, so what. As far as I’m concerned, all your Orchid types are like roaches.” She said.

☆ ☆ ☆

Goliath sat on a purple throne. The Fleur-de-Lis seat of Prospit, reserved for the Lady of Leaves of the floral folk's aristocracy and second in status only to the Domina. Only a very small few Dominas had ever sat on the seat, Astrid holding the current Lady, Moss Mintigrent in a chokehold, preventing her from moving at the moment. Jack sat on a stone column, kicking her legs playfully as she held her umbrella overhead, she watched the world from above like a lark passing judgement. She looked nearly passed out, not even moving when two figures walked in, pushing several BLM members bodies onto the floor in the process. Jack sighted them walking past her column, briefly turning eyes to greet Hyde with a wave and giggle as they passed.

"Y'know, didn't think purple was your color." Hyde said, colorful spheres behind him. Diane stood at his side, both wearing suits and ties. Goliath got off the throne, pushing Mintigrent with him.

"Were you going to keep talking, or get the fuck out of my temporary throne room?"

"Oh what's the matter, gold not a good look for you? Prospit must be under a lot of renovation after you trimmed the fat." He sneered at the Domina.

"I want her wand back. And you're going to give it to me." He crossed his arms.

"This?" He briefly took out the hilt of Headhunter, the brilliant crystalline and metallic core of the weapon missing, making it little more than an ornamented stick. He placed it back on his belt. "Fuck you too, the wand is like family, and it's rightfully mine, not some little girls you're having a temper tantrum about." Snapped his fingers, and his armored suit began to manifest like liquid across his form, dark density starting up. "Is that what this hissyfit is about? You're trying to avenge your dead girlfriend."

Diane grumbled, creating a red spear. "I'm sorry, Ex-girlfriend." He finished.

Hyde took a step back, letting Diane take on the Domina's assault. "GIVE US BACK THATTI YOU CREEP." She stomped on the ground, opening up a portal along the surface and stabbed her spear in, jolting Goliath from behind. She fired a bolt of red from it before pulling the spear from the rift, and the rift disappeared in a flash.

"You know, I think I'm pretty done with this whole, 'talking shit' thing, Hyde." Goliath slammed his fist into the floor, his hands stretching outwards, a ring of black liquid wrapping around his arms, spreading from his back and up to the ceiling. "Let's walk the dog." The black liquid turned into bullet-like projectiles and launched at Hyde, who dodged most of it but one of them hit his shoulder. Goliath slammed his hand down, a wave of gravity ready to crash, the gem of Pride already grabbing Hyde and flying out

of the way.

He lifted his hand, a massive gravitational force started to rip him out of Diane's arms and send Hyde towards Goliath, the prince reaching for his katana. Hyde shapeshifted into an oxen along the way attempting to slam him down, Diane doing flips and landing atop the oxen as she clapped her hands and two dozen portals appeared nearby. With a press into one, flaming spears attacked Goliath from all directions. The blue afterimage of his cascade could be seen as he dodged the fire before pressing his hand against the center of the ring, sending everything outwards as he began to fly upwards, creating Hex-signals that shot thunder and lightening bolts at the two, Hyde doing a stampede to avoid the bolts.

"Think we're going to need to stick with my plan, we cannot possible fight this man like this, he's going to kill us." Hyde said.

"Ughh, are you kidding me? Do you know the danger we're putting my sisters in?" Diane panicked as Goliath sped up in front of them. With a hammering slam of gravity, Diane went flying and Hyde cracked into the ground until it broke beneath. He shapeshifted, Diane needing to pick him up from falling in with a hard pull.

Goliath then pressed his hand against her face, disintegrating it and sending her flying with a kick. Astrid watched from the side, smiling at their little attempt.

When Diane finished regenerating, she regrouped with Hyde. She turned towards Hyde, pressing her lips together with a smack and nodded.

"Your blossoming forms? Bring it." Nezra aid with a confident smile, his arms stretching outwards, sword held defensively in a horizontal stance.

 

 

The two gems walked side to side and began to tango Diane stood at his side as he moved through, pressing him with her body. He then pushed his arms in an arc at her. She danced with him and turned away, pressing her leg, hopping up between his waist, then his neck and spinning on Hyde's shoulders, she spun back, kicking and flipping him away, pressing a foot against his back and falling for him to catch. Their lips met in a passionate embrace, bodies beginning to glow and pull together. The two gems collided, sending white light exploding off their bodies, which broke down into hundreds of smaller explosions in a bright burst.

When the light and red steam cleared away, a singular form with goat horns, an equine's lean forelegs, a large scruff of white fur around their neck and a scabbard at their waist could be seen along their waste with a lance on the other end, held by the mid-section. Long black nails pulled the weapon upright, the skeletal head of a ram at the handle. A firetrap of an aura stormed over them, forming a halo and similar rings formed at their wrists and ankles. The energies of Bedlam and AU coursed through the two of them, revving up their halos to spin like flaming engines. The silence broken by a chuckle, coming from their androgynous face.

 

 

"All shiny and new, combining you two. How adorable." The Domina's katana began to vibrate, he aimed it at the fusion. Dydiana reached upwards..

Goliath opened his mouth to speak, before snapping it shut, something tugging on his ankle and sinking

him into the ground below. His hole was crashed into the floor as the tiny rift around it closed. Dydiana took their lance and stabbed midair, a portal manifesting in front of it and sending the end into Goliath's chest, mouth spraying with blood. The Domina gasped for air, coughing up the blood, the damage slowly transferring to Jack who noticed the gaping hole growing in her chest above. With a clutch, she slowly absorbed the pain and regenerated it. Dydiana wasted no time, creating a hundred flaming portals in the room, jumping through them and punching Goliath from every angle, swiping their lance and kicking him as he collapsed, creating a swarm of portals beneath his feet. Jack's eyes widened, taking a leap and catching herself midair by stabbing her umbrella into a flaming rift above.

The two noticed the umbrella nearly jabbing their kneecaps from below, a dozen red energy-spears shot from Dydiana, entering rings in space, hitting Jack from all sides across her face and knocking her back. She landed onto her face with a hard thud, cracking her pretty face. When Goliath finished recovering, Astrid nearly stepped forward.

"Stay." He said with a single command. "You can use portals to extend your range. A cowardly tactic." He flew upwards, breaking the ceiling and heading out into Prospit's atmosphere. Dydiana pursued them, flying upwards, ping-ponging between portals to attempt to make a swipe. When the arrived far away enough from the tall purple cathedral below, Goliath put out one hand. "Void Hex: Pulse Interlude." A powerful purple sphere began to suction in air, spinning and increasing in density. Rooftops began to shed, rubble lifted up, chunks of ground headed towards the sphere as an expanding ripple of gravity pulled everything into his singularity.

"Shit.." Muttered Dydiana. Their wings sped up to fly away, struggling like a fly caught in a turbine. No matter what portal they entered the single gravity wave pulled at them and made it impossible for them to travel far enough away. From below, Jack and Astrid felt the wind in their hair, Astrid using pulse to stay anchored Jack felt a sharp pain in the head as the column slammed her and knocked her back, the shock making her stumble back. While panicking, Dydiana watched as the gravity sucked her way in, unable to do anything but get squished. Their body struggled to stay fused as metal and concrete slammed at them.

Jack then started to cough up blood, and her body slowly slid outwards, she looked up noticing Goliath was struggling, an ashen cloud of dark smoke from his hips, how much damage was he taking just to use this ability she wondered? As long as she could bare the strain, she figured it was of no consequence to her father.

When the gravity crushed everything into a planetoid 500m in size, Goliath caught his breath and gasped.

"Is it done?" He narrowed his brow, not seeing a portal open behind him. An Osprey with red-ringing eyes quietly flew up, hovering behind the Domina, rapidly swapping Headhunter's hilt with a forgery before flying back into the tiny portal.

"Wait. Something’s not right… Hmn?" Goliath turned around, and a moment later, Dydiana emerged from above, a monstrous giant serpent-skinned, antelope-skull covered gem who shot fire from their fists and a bladed tail, their halo and wrist rings spun up like a hurricane and their tail cut like a chainsaw as it gutted Goliath. The bulk and strength they displayed appeared as a juggernaut of instinct and passion upon the violet backdrop. They flailed wildly, attempting to tear Goliath to pieces.

 

 

[Blossoming State: Pride & Wrath amor fusion]

"Rot." Goliath said, placing his hand to their chest as they grabbed his throat. The gem cut off Goliath's

entire arm- Jack watching her limb go flying instead in a bloody whirl while Goliath's reformed and regenerated quickly. The gem, already a monstrous fusion, grew larger, turning into a 20m-tall body and tearing a chunk of Goliath's heart out of his chest, tossing him away until they crashed over the cathedral. Jack below was hacking and coughing a slippery crimson pool as she felt the hole in her chest. When Goliath recovered and stood up, he grimaced. "That's enough." Dydiana looked at him with a blank stare, and smacked the ground, sending a wave of black flame at Goliath, who was lifted high into the air by the force. He managed to create a gravity shield around him, but it slowly began to buckle as the strain was put upon it. The Domina flew up, the read aura of his Drive kicking in, a series of set features from claws, a tail to ear appearing translucent on him as he stabbed forward, piercing them center mass and launching them forward. "I've grown tired of these games." Buildings went flying. Streets shook. Jack watched the cathedral burst apart into a storm of rising black flames as the two rumbled in the destruction, Astrid shielding her arms around her daughter and stroking the girl’s forehead gently until a golden light lit up in her eyes and a wave of calm washed over her.

☆ ☆ ☆

 

The volleyball net was makeshift, a piece of driftwood balanced on overturned sandcastles.

Despite the casual set-up, the game grew fierce. Caleb, unleashed from his internal machinations, played like a man possessed, his competitive spirit rising to the surface. Lake, with her water-bending, manipulated the ball's trajectory, using the salty water to send the ball flowing back into the other team where Maisma would bounce it against her blubbery chest. Thatti, on Lake’s team could hardly keep up. The laughter, the playful energy, felt so distant. Each carefree shout felt like a hollow echo against the weight bearing down on her. She couldn't escape the shadow of Orchid, the memory of Goliath, the specter of loss. The game hardly crossed her mind.

"Hey," Dylan plopped down beside her again, "You tryin' to win a staring contest with the net or what? It's not gonna blink back, you know."

Thatti forced a small smile. "Sorry, just spaced out."

"Well, space back in for a minute. What's really going on?" He hit the ball back at Caleb. "I don't make a habit of gifting food to people who actively dislike it."

“I’ve, just got a lot on my mind, okay?” She said, trying to jump up and hit harder as Caleb spiked it towards her. The trajectory hit her in the face and sent her flying through the sand, the ball popping. “Woops.” He said, not used to how his strength had grown since he got back.

High above the beach, Jetti surveyed the scene, a smirk playing on her lips. Lyra, the severed head propped up with a makeshift sand base, hissed with desperation.

"You should make a concentrated effort to assist me, Jetti dear! Nathan is consolidating power, arming himself. I have to stop him, for my people, for my daughter."

Jetti tilted her head, her hair braided up and swaying in the sea breeze. "Yeah, yeah, I heard you. But what's in it for me? I get to beat up Becca, fine, but overthrowing another dictator? That's not my usual gig." She knew if she really did defeat Becca, Thatti might have a harder time, but it wasn’t really her concern, this whole ordeal.

"I can pay you," Lyras sputtered indignantly, "Orchid's vaults still hold untold riches. More than enough to-" Jetti cut her off with a laugh. "You’re trying to bribe an Xi Glitterkiss magus? We Xi’ans don’t work that way. What good is gold to me out here? No, what you have is more valuable." She gestured towards

Thatti. "You know how to make those fancy weapons, don't you?” She whispered in Lyra’s ear. “Tell me those secrets.”

As Caleb walked over to help Thatti up, she slapped his hand away. “I’m FINE!” She pulled herself forward.

“Geez, who pissed in your lemonade?” He asked.

“You wouldn't understand. No one here possibly could." Just as she said it, the ground shook. Her words were shattered as a massive figure erupted from the sand. It was a hulking lizard woman, easily twice Caleb's size, her green scales shimmering in the sunlight. Spikes jutted like cruel thorns along her back and tail, and her eyes were narrowed slits of fiery yellow. She wore studded leather armor and held in her hand an electrical mace. Before anyone could react, the lizard warrior roared, the sound vibrating through the sand. She lunged toward the group, her target clear Thatti.

She stumbled backward, panic surging through her. Her missing hand throbbed with phantom pain, and she felt naked without her wand, her powers. The only thing she could think about was Thatti, the real Thatti. She ran back afraid and tripped. “Thatti Nezura! The domina ssssssends their regards!” They

raised their mace up, its power pulsing with blue and green sparks. She began crawling away, looking up with fear.

“GET AWAY YOU FREAK!“ She kicked up, her leg sputtering on the Warrioress’s face. It briefly had her snarl, before she grabbed the girl’s leg and tossed her like a ragdoll.

Caleb clocked the lizard assassin in the snout, causing her to spit out a tooth. He moved between the attacker and Thatti attacker as she was dropped, the Warrioress turned her attention to him.

She was relentless, her mace swung, the handle glinting dangerously. Caleb, his heart pounding, dodged the first brutal strike. Then, fueled by adrenaline and a desperate surge of protectiveness, he struck out with a punch, a raw, instinctive blow to her chest. She went flying with pain, Caleb rushing forward to grab her throat. She hissed, wrestling with Caleb for about a minute, her claws reaching into his back.

And then a figure fell from the sky. Thatti looked up and widened her eyes. “Sunny?”

The catgirl hopped onto the beach from above, drop kicking the Warrioress hard enough to daze her. She picked them up and began spinning them around like a broom, before karate chopping the assassin far into the ocean.

The rest of the kids soon gathered, Lake taking notice of the situation. Her eyes turned white, and with a wave of her hand, completely overwhelmed the Warrioress thrashing about in the shore with a tidal wave, until she was washed away in the ocean.

Nefriset, still pumped with adrenaline, helped Thatti to her feet. “I followed that scaly creep all the way here knowing they’d try something dumb!” She mewled, making an assortment of martial arts poses. She raised her head and saw two more figures on the beach, an armored assassin and a rat person wielding a trident. They had come to kill Thatti, the assailants pointing a dagger and chakram. Pyra tapped on both of their backs, they turned around.

She waved and stepped back a few feet. A huge shadow casted over them and they looked up, Bliss on 4 legs. The huge spidergirl roared, letting out a deafening screech. The assassin and the rodent both cringed and backed away. The assassin raised her hand, waving her fingers, sending a pulse of dark energy toward the group. Nefcy leapt up and crashed on their arm, crushing their limb with her powerful legs and proceeding to maul them. The rat ran the other way, Bliss grabbing them in the palm of a hand and slamming them back and forth into the beach until they were buried halfway.

The two recovered slowly, looked at the crowd of Gems and out of panic stopped to abscond into the ocean.

“Guess they’re gone.” Caleb said, turning to Thatti. He saw eyes in her he’d never seen, the kind of eyes that knew powerlessness, that called out not in determination for the next brawl, but only fear. She was visibly shaking, she looked like a deer caught in headlights.

“You ok?” Caleb asked, still a little confused, still a little off.

“I’m not sure.” Thatti looked around, her face flushed. Her expression full of vulnerability and dread. He put a hand on her shoulder, and she leaned into it. “Where’s Becca? It seems dangerous for you to just not be with her like this, doesn’t it?” He asked. She shook her head weakly. “D-don’t worry about it..” Veronica and Jel approached her concerned. Caleb embraced her.

“Thatts?” Jel asked.

“They were trying to kill me.” She whispered. He hugged her closer. “I’m not going anywhere.” Thatti broke free of the hug and looked at him, eyes wide.

“You’re going to stay with me?” She asked. He nodded. “Of course.. I promise.”

From the cliff, Jetti had observed the occasion. She turned to Lyras. “Those were-“ “Assassins. But

typically, they go after the new Domina. If he’s sunk so low to hiring them to rid any sibling competition, that’s repulsive.” Lyras said.

“What are we gonna do?” Jetti asked.

“Send me.” Lyras said. “I am your Domina, your superior. I am in charge. I want you to assassinate Nathan. Take me to him.” “Hmmmmmm, you mean..” Jetti tapped a finger to her chin and thought about it. “Nah. Sounds hard, he’s a prince that beat you down right? If Becca and Thatti couldn’t do it, it’s not worth risking my life. Killing a Domina isn’t on my priority list.” She poked Lyra’s cheek.

The group of teenagers sat by the fireplace that night before the cruise would take off again. Becca, still disguised as Thatti was not used to Caleb being back. She sat with him, enjoying the quiet moment by the kindling fire. She rested her head on his shoulder. She felt the sunset warm her skin and closed her eyes. The girl felt comfortable with him, safe.

“I..” She trailed off, not sure where she was going with this sentence. “Thattsy?” Nefriset asked her.

“I’m sorry that I..” She didn’t know how to explain it, her anger, her disdain, it was so strong. “You’re sorry for what?” Nefriset prompted her.

“For.. getting..” she closed her eyes. Forget. She remembered some of Goliath’s last words when they clashed. ‘I won’t forget.’ The girl shuddered. “For getting you all involved in all this.” The crystal gems,

Jel and Veronica all looked at one another, then back at her.

“I never thought about you, my family, as people. Orchid, gems as a people.” She said, starting to sweat. These memories were only half hers, could she truly apologize on Thatti’s behalf, for her failings?

Perhaps she was only apologizing for her own and that was enough she felt. “I… I realized… how I used to have power and used it to hurt others. That I was in a position of great power, to be able to manipulate, to take advantage, to hurt and use others. I’m sorry I didn’t… consider that, or respect it. I’m… I’m

sorry.” She sat up on her log, her face flushed.

“Well, I love ya, little missy.” Veronica smiled at her. “And based on all your gem pals here, seems everyone else does too.”

She nodded, relieved to see such warmth. The girl was starting to believe it, that these people cared for her, loved her, that she had purpose in their lives, that she mattered. Even if all this was wrong, and it felt wrong, she still had to withhold to the truth, that Thatti wasn’t here tonight.

As the night drew on, Caleb and ‘Thatti’ began to pull together on the log, the warmth of each other’s bodies beginning to serenade their gentle hearts. Becca hadn’t had any true companionship since her days in Nightcity, mostly one night stands and all sorts of fools she played hearts with. Drunken adventures and explorations with men and woman that caught her fancy, and whose charms she could reel in. She saw Caleb swaying from side to side, he looked at her with awe and blushed. Her eyes turned away, cheeks becoming equally red. Caleb put his arms around her, and while an instinct to flee kicked in, some part of her suppressed it. Was it the Thatti feelings inside of her, the neediness she had, the desperation and loneliness since losing Goliath to that frenzied madness? She didn’t know, all her emotions swirled at once overpowering reason and he leaned in, she put her hand between their lips first and gasped. “W-wait.” She yelled.

“Yes?” Caleb said, blinking at her like a handsome dashing prince.

“Uhhh.. I..” There it was again, that moral conscience perking up. Don’t do this, this will be bad for you, the implications scream for themselves. But a carnal wave of desire ran her, she lost all control. The girl smiled at him with wading eyes and closed them, pressing in. Their tongues met, lips frothing as a curled set of holes that exchanged the fluids of love with each passionate turn and twist. The rest of the group watched the two kiss and put their full hearts forward on display, cheering and hollering.

Her voice wavered a little. “Do you really love me?” She asked. “Yeah. I do.” He held her cheeks. The crowd nodded, though Becca looked a little conflicted. It had been years, but she hadn’t forgotten about Goliath, their connection had been strong. Why was she still thinking about someone like that, in spite of having so many friends around her? There were people who were depending on her, or she thought so.

Her virtual, unmoving illusion of an arm reminded her that she was acting under the pretense that she was someone else.

Caleb smiled. “Yup.”

She leaned back abit, before there was a gargling in her stomach. “Ohhh, you guys I have to go badly. Like uh, ‘that way.’ Were we still on for Smoothies?” ‘Thatti’ asked.

Veronica looked at the pier. “We have to be back at the ship in less than half an hour, I asked the hotel to check us out in the morning. But if you have to go uh..” She looked around, then found one of her journals. With a whistle she tossed Thatti the book. “Rip out a page if you need. Just don’t wipe your ass with my notes okay.” She winked.

Thatti nodded, taking the journal and turning around towards the jungle. “I’ll be right back!” She held in her waste and ran deep in, still brimming with the warmth of her friend’s support.

“I better go look out for her so she doesn’t get lost.” Caleb got up, Jel throwing a piece of popcorn at him. “You doofus. Don’t peak on a lady when she’s doing her business.”

He ignored her and quietly followed along. Soon he pushed through the bushes and trees, seeing her head into a cave along the cliffside.

Within the cave lied no warmth, the cool openness of the outside blanketed by the stars nowhere to be seen. Thatti stumbled deeper, clutching Veronica's journal. She reached out to rip a page, only to find her attention drawn to the pages, immaculate handwriting laying out countless notes and observations. She was drawn to a certain page.

“Thatti Nezura. Has a fondness for horses and children’s Galanet media. Acts out to maintain a semblance of control in the face of her mother’s matriarchical complex. Appears to exhibit trauma and loss, but takes the reigns of her life. Naivete is one of her defining traits, an oddity for an Orchid native, acts impulsively almost unknowing to her flaws. Physically a powerhouse, vulnerable to a fault. Talks in her sleep, does

she know that?” Becca blinked for a moment. She looked at the following piece.

“Caleb, my bro, longtime friend. Obsessed with Thatti, protective but to what end? Masked as affection? As a scoundrel? He displays remarkable ambition but his hunger is yet to be sated. “

She flipped a page, reading notes leading up to the con, then the events proceeding and after at the Con.

“Got into a fight with Thatti. Called her a dumb cunt dressed like a horse. Seems to have created a rift between her and him in recent weeks. Has left school and gone missing.”

Becca’s eyes widened. She scratched her head nervously, before her bracelet started to go off the fritz. “W-what the?!?” The bracelet flickered again, weakly projecting an illusion of a hand, but it was warped, the fingers melting into indistinct shapes, her entire shape returning to her true form, back and forth. “Thatti, you okay in there?” Caleb said, seeing an odd light within the cave from the outside.

Shoot shoot. “Uhh. Yess- I mean, always!” She covered her mouth, her voice even sounding like herself. Caleb began to come in, she shook the bracelet desperately.

Her body kept shapeshifting. Becca’s real face was a mix of disbelief and fear.

“You need to go. NOW!” She panted, as the bracelet again flickered, the illusion returning but still

stabilizing. She looked up to see the outline of the Caleb’s shape on the walls casted in shadow. She shook violently, her heart leaping in her throat right before it finally flashed and she was Thatti again. Caleb walked in and sighted her. “Thatti? Everything alright?”

He sighed, relieved to see her. Thatti closed her eyes and began to relax. “Sure, just having some lady troubles.” She said. “I’m sure you want to talk later, I’m kind of in a rush for the bathroom.” She lied,

feeling a sudden unease. “I’ll see you at the ship.” He looked at her hand, a blue discoloration around her wrist where the sparking bracelet was.

“What lady troubles?” He said aloud, almost to himself. “What was that light?”

“Oh, um it was..” She pulled out her phone. “My phone, left the light on. C’mon, why don’t we go get

some smoothies at the bar before the ship leaves?” She tried to hide her bracelet hand behind her back. He peered over at her. “What? What the hell are you doing?”

“Getting smoothies?” She said, eyes startled.

Caleb wasn’t having the farce any further, he quickly grabbed her wrist. “And, I couldn’t help noticing, what is-“ yanking off her bracelet. “This?”

Her body flashed, the illusion dissipating like a faded dream. Without her mirage she was no longer Thatti, reminding the world she never was. Caleb stared ahead, Becca standing in her place.

They blinked at one another. The uncomfortable silence pierced them both.

“What the hell?!” Becca yelled. “I’ve switched with Thatti, how’d that happen!?” Caleb didn’t say a word. The silence incriminated her further. “Not buying it huh?” She said.

The air froze in time. “You’ve.. been impersonating Thatti this whole time?”

She tried to break the silence. He looked at her with eyes that were haunted. She was a reptile, a snake, sly and conniving in his vision.

“Soooo.. I know this looks bad and I’ve got a lot to explain..” His eyes grew wild, as she put it together. “Then fucking explain it, because this is messed up on so many levels.” Caleb yelled. “S-stop shouting I..” She sighed. “Caleb, I’m stuck in Thatti’s body!” Becca exclaimed, looking around the room.

“What!?” His confusion grew. She took the bracelet back and put it on her arm. The illusion on her body was quickly returning until she took on the Orchid girl’s visage.

“I don’t get it. How’d this happen?” He asked. “More importantly, where’s Thatti?”

“Thatti’s… gone.” She loathed reliving all this. “Then go find her!” He yelled, the word echoing. “No, I mean she’s gone gone. And not coming back.”

The boy was speechless.

She’d been acting odd, but he didn’t know that she was Becca. But now he did. And he didn’t know how to deal with it. He’d had been lied to.

“Caleb.. Thatti’s dead. But I have to stay this way.” “And what does that mean?” He asked, his voice rising. “The war. Nathan. He’ll come for me. If I don’t take this seriously, he’s going to be coming for more of us. And knowing Goliath, he’s not going to stop with just Orchid.”

“Are you protected with it? Or do you just feel like you are.” Caleb stirred. He looked at her stub, the arm missing. This girl was a farcry from the one fighting gems and magical opponents a mere few months back, she was shaking from her core. Traumatized beyond measure.

“Please, I need you with me on this..” She said.

The arrangements in Caleb’s mind hurt to comprehend. The trust Nathan put in him. The deal him and Jetti made, he remembered his promise and it hurt to hold onto. Could he change his mind? But everything in front of him seemed to confirm Jetti’s words, letting go of any positive impressions he

might’ve had of her.

“What if I don’t care?” He yelled. “Orchid, the Domina, this whole war and revolt of your brother’s-“ he shook his head. “No, Thatti’s brother. It has nothing to do with me, and I damn as hell don’t know what it has to do with you.” He looked up and down her. “What was your plan, to hideout and takeover her life? Go back to school living in her cushy dorm, fool all her friends? Get smoothies?”

“No, no Caleb listen to me! NO!” She shook her head, voice starting to crack.

“You didn’t even tell me you were impersonating Thatti, you just acted like you were her. Lied. In front of everyone! What the hell were you thinking?” He said. “Thatti is dead and I didn’t even know, you let me think she was alive and she was- YOU. That’s so friggin fucked up Becca!” His arms threw about wildly. “You were wearing her skin like some psychopath!” “It’s not like that! You don’t understand!” She replied.

“Then WHEN were you going to tell everyone?” His voice roared.

“I, don’t know okay! I just, don’t know. Eventually, I hoped.” She tried to hug him but he pushed her away, his head reeling from everything she said. He stepped back and kicked the ground with rage.

He wanted to kill her. She wanted to rip her apart. All he wanted to do was to get revenge on her for

abandoning him in Orchid, to be as cold and cruel and manipulative as she’d been towards him. He could go get Jetti right now, and end all this. She didn’t have her wand, Caleb saw how defenseless she was against the assassins, he could pin her down right now and drag her to Jetti if he had to. Some part of him relented however.

She stood, losing hope. “I need you alongside me. You promised, remember? I thought you were my friend?” She sniffled, hands shaky.

Caleb looked at her, gaze dripping with disgust. “Tell me one thing. Did you think about any of this, how wrong any of this was when you decided to kiss me?” His fists tightened.

“I..” She hesitated. “It was just a kiss, I should’ve said something or stopped but-“

“But what? You’d just go on kissing someone disguised as someone else? Pretending to be something you’re not and lying to them? You do that?” Caleb asked. “There’s a little thing called rules of consent, and I feel like that, kind of violates.” His judgements pierced her worse than any blade of Goliath’s, she had no reply.

“Becca, you completely violated my trust.”

Everything came to a cold, impossibly vacant stop between them. She felt her emotions welling up, partially Thatti’s she realized but nonetheless. Stolen body, stolen memories, stolen heart. A thief, just like her reputation in Nightcity. He turned around. Her voice became frail. “Please Caleb. Stay with me.” She said, tugging on his sleeve.

Caleb didn’t reciprocate. “I think it would best if you didn’t come back on the boat.” He told her. “In fact, don’t ever see me again if you know what’s good for you.” He pushed her away, walking out finally. “So long becca.”

She stood there, fully morphed again as Thatti. The night was dark and moonless. The stars illuminated above the ocean, the jungle on the coast. The water lapped back against the boat, rocking it in an unsteady manner. She wanted to die. She wanted to kill herself, or be killed. Time passed. Every minute felt like

murderous agony. Soon she watched the cruise leave from the shore from the beach. She started to sit down and sob.

Jetti saw her, suffering from the cliff and put down her binoculars. She turned around, laid on her back and folded her arm, passively refusing to do anything.

On the leaving cruise ship, Veronica came to Caleb and told him the gems had to leave prematurely. “Where’s Thatti?” Jel asked confused. “She not coming back?”

“What’s going on?” Veronica asked.

“Becca’s not Thatti. There’s a bracelet.” He said. Jel and Veronica feigned confusion. “Wooooah. Wait, you mean, Thatti Nezura’s..“

“Not here. That woman we met. Real identity is Becca, she’s not even Thatti.”

Jel was confused. “I mean.. is Thatti’s dead? Because Nathan would just want to kill her, like he tried to kill her mom.”

Veronica and Jel sighed uneasy, looking at each other nervous. Then he confronted them both. “You both, knew didn’t you?” He asked. “Uhh.. yeah okay okay, we kinda started to suspect it.” Veronica said.

“How long?” Cal wondered. “Two weeks in. You were still in Orchid.” Veronica replied. “Why didn’t you tell me?!” He yelled, looking towards her. “Didn’t you know she had the bracelet on this whole time? You both knew, but you let her pretend she’s Thatti anyway?” He said, the shock turning into rage. “It was a messy situation! I tried to investigate, I did, but rule 1# of journalism is never to cross any personal boundaries.” Veronica yelled. “Look, why don’t we give her some time to sort her feelings out, seems you two have some friction.” She looked out over the shore which shrunk the farther the ship went out.

“No. Me and her are done.” Caleb raised his fist to the air and squeezed, as if crushing something ineffable.

Dylan screamed behind him, covered in spiders. “WHERE’D ALL THESE COME FROM!?”

Across the beach cliff, Jetti grabbed her things and Lyra’s head, slowly taking off in a space shuttle. “Why didn’t you go through with it? Getting one over my daughter’s wand was your goal, was it not?” Lyras asked.

Jetti shook her head while she entered the next coordinates. “I’m not sure what happened but, Thatti pulled one over herself. She lost her nerve. I’m not going to just take her best friend away when she’s

already at her lowest.” Jetti like to think there was some sense of honour, or atleast empathy in it, even if she didn’t sympathize with Orchidans at all.

Lyras was nervous. “Take me to her, to my daughter.” She ordered. Jetti flicked the Domina’s forehead. “Nah.” She slammed the door.

Lyras shook her head, as they disappeared into the skies above.

Back on the shore, Becca returned to the Hotel room, looking out over the sordid night. Her eyes were blurred from the tears, her emotions raw from the rejection. She didn’t want to hurt him, she thought it would be alright to use Thatti’s identity because he wouldn’t be in a position to hold her accountable to

her own. But she hadn’t considered all that it would mean for him, or why she even cared this much.

“Becca.” A voice cracked from behind. She turned around. “Lapis?” Becca said, confused. “What are you still doing out here?”

She looked away sheepish. “My family went into hiding, and my mother went missing once Orchid went to shit. They’re mostly gems so..” She stopped short. “Anyway, I don’t have anywhere else to go.” She looked onwards at the cruise, growing in the distance. “The other gems are trying to come up with a plan. I want to help you, but, I have some stuff to sort out back home first.”

“Yeah.. don’t worry about me. Take care of your family first. Go home Lake.” Becca perched out over the balcony ledge. Her mind was a mess.

The girl’s phone started to ring. Thatti’s phone. She picked it up. “Hello?” She said.

“Becca.” Hyde replied. “Good news! I got your wand back. The hilt, we’ve got it!” “We.” Diane groaned along his side, missing an arm, a leg and whole chunks of her torso as to , healing ever so slowly. She laid on a stretcher within the bunkership they hid in. “How in the hell..” She said, trying to take in the absurdity. “Did we make it out alive?” The soreness of a hundred deaths bore across her body, of the two the gem of pride seemed to have absorbed most of their shared licks.

“W-what?” She said.

“Yeah! I said we got back the wand. Aren’t you excited?” He asked.

Becca stared at the sky stood crestfallen. “I- no. I, I don’t know. I don’t really care. Not anymore.” Shook her head. “You said you wanted your wand back? What... happened in Xi?”

“I’ll call you later.” She hung up. After a moment the phone activated again.

“Fond wishes dearie. I prerecorded this months in advance as I’m quite busy, but happy birthday Thatti. Turning 18, that’s a very big deal, I’m proud of you. You’re all grown up, which can be scary but don’t worry, Thatti. I’m always on your side. Love mom.”

Her heart sank, eyes closed.

As the clock struck midnight, the girl turned 18. “Thanks for nothing, lady..” She croaked, planting her face into her arm over the balcony in despair.

Becca was on her own.