(Earth) Chasing Shadows

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

What: Searching for Whatever Maleficent's People Are Up To
Who: Mabry, Medrau, Others
When: May 6, 2011
Where: Earth, Oregon, Gummi-Ship, Wherever the Trail Takes Us

Mabry hesitantly landed the borrowed gummi-ship at the agreed upon coordinates. She was still only an indifferent pilot, but necessity had forced her to it. She felt lonely. She had left Ashlyn at home, and while it wasn't the first time, it wasn't yet something that seemed routine. Just last week, they had celebrated Ashlyn's second birthday with cake, ice cream, presents, and her first pair of "big girl panties." Leaving her just now was especially difficult. And then there was Songbird. Mabry had just as strong an inclination to go to Twilight Town to be there for her younger sister.

But this had to come first. There was no avoiding it. So she flashed the gummi-ship's lights and settled herself to wait for Medrau.

Comments

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

"But I did... I remember." Nothing here was making sense to her. It was clear that she hadn't been acting under her own power. She never would have hurt Mabry, and she didn't remember coming here, but at the same time, she couldn't get past the feeling that it had been her, in some way. She tried to think rationally, she honestly did, but she couldn't banish the guilt and anguish.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"I . . . think . . . you're . . . her." Mabry choked slightly and spat more blood. "Need . . . your . . .phone."

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

That didn't make any sense to Song, and yet it did. This was all terribly confusing, and the distress of Mabry's condition made it impossible to concentrate.
Numbly, she brought out her phone again. "What do you want me to post?"

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry frowned. "Warn . . . them. . . . Medrau . . . is . . . a . . . traitor . . . . and . . . you . . . might . . . be . . . her . . . she-" Mabry stops and pales. "Stone . . . Robin . . . give . . . me . . . the . . . stone."

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

Biting her lip, Song typed each word in on the tiny keypad as Mabry spoke, pausing when her tone changed and looking up in confusion.

"What stone?"

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"Pocket" was all Mabry said.

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

She set the net-phone aside and checked her pockets, coming up with things she didn't remember putting there - for that matter, she didn't remember owning these pants in the first place - but no stone.

"There's no stone. What stone?" she asked again.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry stared in horror and coughed blood again. "Gone . . . must . . . have . . . gotten . . . it . . . away." She shook her head wearily. "Tell . . . them . . . she . . . was . . . looking . . . for . . .a . . black . . . stone . . . it . . . felt . . . wrong . . . and . . . she . . . found . . . it." She stopped for several moments to breather heavily. "She . . . turned . . . into . . . you." She looked at Songbird sadly. "Warn . . . them."

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

Song dutifully finished the message. By the end, she'd bitten her own lip hard enough to make it bleed.
She couldn't bring herself to look at Mabry except in short glances, and she certainly couldn't touch her. She'd have run from the cavern by now except that she couldn't leave her sister alone either. It was driving her mad.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"You . . . okay?" Mabry asked softly.

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

"No."
She was fiddling with the phone in the dim light of the cavern, looking for a reply. When Mabry spoke up again, though, she set it down beside her and pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. It might have been an unconscious gesture, but she was wrapped quite securely around her own belly.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"Love . . . you," was the quiet reply. "Did . . . you . . . see . . . the . . . doctor?"

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

She ignored that question. It wasn't the time to discuss that sensitive topic. And where the hell was help? She needed someone to get here so she could run away.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"Song?" Mabry asked again.

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

"Stop talking. You're hurt." It might have been good advice, but her tone was a familiar one, and not meant to show concern. It was low and nearly a growl, listed in her head as the 'don't talk to me I'm brooding' voice.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"Need . . . a . . . distraction," Mabry replied. "And . . . you've . . . been . . . shutting . . . me . . . out." The cough that punctuated this sentence was weak, but dry. "That . . . hurts . . . too."

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

A distraction. Fine. She could manage that. Maybe if she found something to ramble about, it would keep Mab quiet and avoid the touchy topics at the same time.

She tapped her fingernails on the stone floor, racking her brain for randomness.

"... When I get home, I'm building a pillow fort. Me an' Amy. Biggest one you've ever seen. I'm warning you now, I could take over a whole floor of Rainbow's End. Well, maybe half a floor. Plenty of beds with mattresses and pillows. And blankets. Maybe Josi will come back then. Lured by the pillow fort. Have you ever had sex in a pillow fort? Sounds childish. I bet it would be fun. Could make Amy blush. 'Course we'll have to tear down the fort eventually. Pillow fight, then. Jalen will win, you know. But Josi's good with short-range weapons and duel-wielding, so maybe not. Me, I've got good aim. I'll distract him with a pillow to the head, Amy and Josi will pounce. Oh, and Chase. She's quick and clever. Wherever she is...." She cleared her throat. "I could really use a cup of tea."

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"So . . . you . . . are . . . coming . . . home . . . with . . . me?" Mabry's small voice was hopeful. "Missed . . . you."

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

"'Course I am. Sure. Maybe..." She glanced at the exit longingly, recalling the desire to run and hide where she wouldn't be able to hurt anyone... oh damn, was that how Josiah felt when he left? This possession thing was really getting old.

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"Promise."

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

She glared at Mabry, rather aghast.
"... No."

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

Mabry looked at her sadly. "Why . . . not?"

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

"Stupid... possession.... precautions." Her search for words inadvertently echoed Mabry's staggered speech. "If I can hurt you, I could do it to someone else."

[belegwen.livejournal.com]

"Better . . . for . . . you . . . to be . . .where we . . . can keep . . .an eye . . on you," Mabry pointed out. "If . . . if you . . . go . . . there's . . . nothing . . . any of . . .us . . .can do . . . to help."

[songbird9.livejournal.com]

Right, there was her own argument thrown back at her. Didn't it figure? She'd been the one to scold and fuss each time someone else ran off for that reason. Despite her own history, she'd never experienced the emotional basis for that kind of decision. It was a real effort to let Mabry's logic - her own logic - convince her, and that pissed her off further. She should be the one to know better, after all.

"Fine. Whatever."