Always darkest before pitch black

[empress_without_a_throne]

[1]

[When she awakes, Mizuki finds herself no longer in the DuskBird and the battle is long since ended.  The second battle with SolEraser, and her desperate, last attempt at taking the machine down... it's still fresh in her mind.  But she's in the infirmary, bandaged and with whatever deep see-based medicines the Unity Group had on-hand in case they were needed.  She felt... weary.]

What happened out there?

[And it's then that the medical staff gets to break the news to her.  About just what happened to SolSavior and the power it had unleashed.]



-But if I'd done that much to SolSavior itself, then...

Oh God!

[2]



[And some time later, Mizuki is just, lying in a sobbing heap nearby Ken and Dido's beds.  It was the SolBalmung incident all over again... there was just a hard limit to how much Void energy a human being can be exposed to and Ken and Dido had skirted dangerously close to it.  She had done this.  She had brought forth all the power of the Abyss Empress to bring down on the Eraser team, but it was her own friends and comrades that'd paid the price for it.  SolSavior itself lay wrecked even more than before, and this too was her doing.  And even if her body was in better shape now, her mind...]

Stop it...

[It's barely above a whisper.]

Stop congratulating me... all of you!  I'm not Marianas!  I'm not here to cause suffering!  I didn't want... I never wanted any of this!

Comments

[actuallyselfish]

"Whas..."

Did stirrs on her bed, arm reflexively scratching at the IV in her arm. "Did we..."

[empress_without_a_throne]

[She was awake. Thank God... Ken at least had some degree of physical training and resilience, but for Dido there'd been that worrying, wiggling thread of fear that she'd never wake up. That exposure to that kind of Void energy would've done too much to her.]

... Yes and no.

We managed to take down that big warship, so scratch another Indalph leader. But SolEraser... got away.

Dido, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!

[Tears are starting to well up anew as she just balls her hands up into fists.]

[actuallyselfish]

"What?" Dido says blinking her eyes. "No! I mean, c'mon! What've you got to be sorry for? You saved the day...you saved everyone in that city!"

She tries to move and winces. "Don't cry...!"

[empress_without_a_throne]

And if I'd killed you and Ken? Or if that maneuver hadn't worked at all?

Are we going to just go into every fight knowing that we'll have to risk blowing it apart and us with it if the enemy's too strong?

2

[jianai]

Of course you didn't.

[Ren approaches quietly, and speaks up only when the timing is appropriate.]

You never wanted to hurt your friends. All you did waas to protect them. Them, and others.

[empress_without_a_throne]

And look where it got them. They didn't ask for this, they probably didn't even think it was a possibility!

I didn't even...

... I just wanted to help people. That's... the reason it's SolSavior!

[jianai]

If they knew this was coming, would your friends have acted any way different?

2

[63rd_shockwave]

...Heard you had some trouble.

[Sarah will wait to approach Mizuki until the abyss empress is outside Dido and Ken's rooms.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

I wish all we had was "some trouble".

... SolEraser showed up again. The maneuver we all trained for didn't exactly work out as well as I would've liked though... and ultimately we were locked in a situation where it was try to defend against SolEraser's Horizon Buster beam... or just get out of the way and let a lot of innocent people die.

We stood our ground, and I didn't want to lose. I wanted... to save everyone! And when I drew out everything I had in me to bolster SolSavior...

Well, this is a world of Light. There's only so much Darkness I can bring out before there starts being consequences. And I was an idiot to not think Ken and Dido would pay for it.

[63rd_shockwave]

[Sarah leans over, and...flicks Mizuki in the forehead.]

Really, stop being so hard on yourself.

2

[a_louse]

What's going to happen to them? What are the consequences of the ability you used?

[empress_without_a_throne]

If they're exposed to Void energy of any noticeable quantity in the foreseeable future... they'll die.

My energy... it's like a poison, a life force that runs completely contrary to how things on this planet work. That's why I get sick when I eat normal food, or feel uncomfortable when I'm in contact with sunlight. I was engineered to be able to at least endure moderate exposure, but they...

... It's not the first time Solaris pilots have been put through this. And it's proven fatal in the past.

[a_louse]

But right now they are safe, aren't they?

1)

[sang_av_helten]

[Mizuki. You feel something batting at your leg. It was like someone poking a fuzzy thing at it.]

Mizuki? Mizuki teammate of Dido of Sybil?

[The voice was somewhat less gruff than usual. In fact it was more tired, more anxious. It was Skald. Unsure if he was able to get through to her he lets out a low rumbling noise... then jumps onto her, squirming himself under a hand. Hoping that it would calm her a little.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

Yes?

[She looks down at the cat, deciding after a point to stroke his big, fluffy body.]

[sang_av_helten]

[He actually didn't complain like he usually would when he feels he is suffering an indignity.]

I wanted to be sure that you are alright. I owe it to your companions as well as being your comrade to ensure as such.

[Skald lowers his head a little, ears flicking slightly.]

It has been a very trying day for us all...

2

[tiger_ken]

Who are you talking to?

[Ryuko appears, like a flicker out of shadow.]

[empress_without_a_throne]

Who else?

[She gestures up into the air.]

My predecessors. They're gone, but... if there's an afterlife for normal people there's probably one for them too. And they're probably celebrating what just happened.

I'm... sorry though. For what I did to your son...

[tiger_ken]

I'm not really the one that needs such apologies. And besides...

There's no way he'll be mad at you about it either.

2

[keep_your_dignity]

HEARING VOICES NOW, TOO, ONODERA?

[empress_without_a_throne]

Or something close enough to it.

Call it a guilty conscience. I was originally made to accomplish something like this.

[keep_your_dignity]

PRETTY SURE THEY DIDN'T MAKE YOU WITH THE IDEA OF USING YOUR POWERS TO SAVE CITIES, ONODERA. THAT, OR MY INTEL ON YOU PEOPLE IS EVEN SHITTIER THAN I THOUGHT.

2

[majestic_keiki]

[At least you're not alone, Mizuki. Kei is there to support you.]

I don't know who Marianas is, but we all know you're not trying to hurt people.

[empress_without_a_throne]

"Marianas"... is... was my intended name.

The "Abyss" in "Abyss Empire" wasn't just meant to refer to darkness, but also the depths. Deep underwater, Marianas Trench, go figure. A lot of the Void's creations had names like that. Like how the Eclipse Sentries were themed around the constellations, and their leader was called "Ptolomeioh". Like the astronomer, but also playing off the word meaning "Dark Lord".

And in spite of my best efforts I still wound up doing devestating a Sol machine and sending two pilots into intensive care...

[majestic_keiki]

[Kei stood wordlessly for a while, listening Mizuki's explanation.]

You were protecting them. You didn't intend for either of them to get hurt. And they both lived.