Work Text:
In the forest just beyond the wreckage of villages there was a tree house high up past the red leaves, in the spruce-oak trees ,and by treehouse I just mean big pads of wood tables and tents spread out across bridges in between, some of the thicker trees even had rooms in them. This my dear friends is the HQ of The Rebellion, and today much like any other, chaos filled the treehouse.
Emet sat at a table, usually the table used for eating; however, Emet, instead of eating any of the many assortments of foods, was staring at one person in particular. Alestar Skiavesselia.
“You know if you're just going to glare at people instead of eating you don’t have to take food.” Elliott, Emets mentor and legal guardian said, picking up her plate and tossing her, now very cold, food.
“I just don't trust her, I mean she shows up out of nowhere, tells us she used to work for ES but now, all of a sudden, she wants to help! I just don't trust it.”
Elliott signed, he’d heard this rant many times before, He'd even agreed with it at one point, “look, Emet, I understand your concern but,” he sighed again, “but.. Alestar has helped a lot, all the information on Elite Skull she’s given to us, I think we can trust her Emet,” he stood up and walked past Emet setting his hand on her shoulder, ”I understand the harm Elite has done, and you have the right to be upset but you can’t let your feelings of Elite Skull affect your work with her, ”he finished walking away.
“Wait, what do you mean ‘ work with her’?” Emet shouted after Elliott, he didn’t respond, “Elliott?!” She shouted one more time as he kept walking.
‘So this is what he meant’, Emet thought while sitting in the planning room. Alestar adjacent.
“Alright, here's the gist of it, Liet is currently being invaded by Elite Skull, this causes multiple problems. One Liet is currently the main supplier for our potion material, and plant suppliants, and two they have one of the largest populations next to Desmosia and Melancholy, ES gets their hands on their magic or any of the people their we are effectively done for, Alestar what do you think would work best for stopping their invasion?” Axel, the war strategist, explained before asking Alestar for her opinion.
“Normally I would suggest evacuating the village, protect the people, but clearly this is more about someTHING inside than the Citizens so I think it would be best to attack Elite Skull first before they can do more harm than they already have.” Alestar spoke confidently, she knew how these people worked, she could help.
Emet didn’t quite agree.
“And why should we trust you exactly?” Emet interrogated aggressively I mean how do you know they didn't change their plans and general strats after you left? How do we know this isn't a setup?” Emet continued, ending with a a passive aggressive hmm?
Alestar simply stared, she was somewhat used to people questioning her leadership and strategizing skills, while being in Elite Skull since a young age certainly wasn't healthy, mentally or physically, she did learn how to assert herself as mature and intelligent, people didn't typically immediately listen to the 14 year old in a room of adults.
But she knew Emet wasn’t questioning her intelligence, she knew Emet had seen her in combat, Emet just didn’t trust her.
She inhaled deeply, “Emet I understand you don't quite trust me but you have to understand, I was there for fifteen years I know these people they wouldn't change their strategies over one person,” she said coolly, “I’m not asking you to be besties with me i'm only asking for you to work with me, just this once. Please,” she finished desperately.
Emet rolled her eyes, stood up and walked out, her only sound an exasperated sigh as she shoved the chair violently into the table.
The sun was setting long behind the team, the journey here had been long, not particularly dangerous (Except when Rose had somehow fell into a river at one point), but long. The team now stood in front of the wall door that surrounded the city, the sky shades of orange and pink Hinata, who had been seeing to it that Emet did not interact with Alestar up to this point, knocked on the door. They had gotten word that there were now spies in the kingdom's walls, Axel and Elliott both insisted they handle them first, of course Alestar objected claiming that an attack on ES’s camp would be better, she clearly wasn’t so diligently listened too this time.
As they walked through the city, its buildings taller than trees in the forest behind them, they took notice of the odd lack of people on this side of the city as they could clearly hear blaring music and chanting coming from the other side of the city.
“Maybe they're having a festival? Fall is starting after all,” Rose suggested wearing a pair of Emets pants, (hers being soaked from when she fell into the river).
Alestar was quick to correct her, “No Liet only celebrates the start of spring and summer, it’s when the Alliums start growing from their farms an-”
“What was that?” Aaron, Axel's son, cut her off.
They all looked towards the alleyway Aaron stared down when six guards clad in very clearly Elite Skull armor (They had blue skulls on both of their shoulders if you care). As the assumed traitors charged, the team dropped their bags and began fighting, Aaron pulled deep red vines from the ground, jumping on and off walls, Axel was spear fighting one of the guards, Rose summoned glowing yellow shields defending (her lack of athleticism clear in her refusal to actually fight), Alestar was sword fighting one of the other guards, and Emet had turned into a purple mutant goop fighting the others.
As Emet used her purple arm to hold their leader in place she heard an arrow being released from a cross bow and then Alestar crashing into her moving her out of the way, the arrow quickly penetrated the guards chest.
Before Emet could say anything to Alestar they all very quickly ran out towards the door Rose yelling something about how she saw more coming.
They slowly came to a stop as they closed in on the tree house. Alestar and Axel were moving very quickly.
Once they had gotten into the tree house they all went their separate ways, Axel went to talk to some of the other adults about what happened in Liet, Rose went to help with dinner, and Aaron kinda just disappeared (he did that a lot). Emet went towards the bridge leading to the dining area to help set up, Alestar went to the infirmary to bandage some cuts.
The dining pad was filled with people all sitting around eating, some were at the nearly full table others were sitting on the railing. The sun and long set so naturally the lanterns were all lit..
The time in which Emet would usually sit and eat with her friends Emet instead was silent, bitter. How could any of these people trust Alestar? She clearly set up that trap.
“Seriously though thank you for helping Emet, she's a great fighter but you know how our physical awareness decreases when we go all mutant and stuff,” Emet picked up on Elliott's’ voice.
“WHAT?!”Emet nearly screeched, “are you insane?! She clearly set all this up! Ms. ‘they wouldn't change their strategies over one person’! You know full well what you're doing, you liar making them all think you’ve changed. Well I don't buy it!” Emet yelled, the entire pad now staring at her.
“Emet! That is enough! Alestar has done nothing in any way harmful to us since she’s been here, you will stop with all of this. And quite frankly I think I speak for everyone when I say WE ARE SICK OF IT,” Elliott quickly defended Alestar.
“What?! How?” Emet stuttered continuing despite Elliott's shouting, “we can't trust her, how could we trust her?!” Emets eyes were beginning to shine with tears, she stepped back before shoving past everyone to her room.
Despite Emet’s shouting Alestar had yet to say anything she just looked rather upset.
As the night carried on people attempted to console Alestar, eventually though the night ended and everyone went towards their quarters. All except Alestar, as the others all said their goodnights, Alestar walked towards one of the areas of the pad without a railing and sat down staring at the sky.
Emets' eyes fluttered open disturbed by a small light shining through the sheet she uses as a door as she got up and rubbed her eyes, she grabbed her glasses and walked outside to see Alestar on the ledge making spheres of light. No stars.
Emet stared , “your a starborne.”
Alestar raised her head still facing away from Emet, her fingers were covered in a fade of what looked like the galaxy, stars dancing across them. Indeed she was. She was unaware why or how but she was.
Emet sat down next to Alestar good distance away, still on guard.
Before Emet could get a word out Alestar spoke, ”For my entire life I was told I had been abandoned by my parents. When I left I learned that wasn't true. I learned a lot of things weren't true when I left, I learned that Mala had been corrupting our planet, destroying and taking over towns and cities. I had known we were taking over villages before but I had always been told they were military villages 'enforcing their will on the innocent’. Lefi and Xe had found me in the woods after I ran away. They told me I wasn't abandoned. I was taken. They said they had always known what was wrong with Elite Skull and they stayed to protect me. And They said they couldn't tell me who I was taken from. Said I had to discover that myself. What they did tell me was that i was taken as a war maneuver. Somehow Mala knew I would become, I was a starborne And then, ”she took a deep breath in,” They brought me here…”She breathed out. She had spoke carefully and slowly. As if the world, her world, would shatter if she were any louder.
She looked down at her hands, The stars and milkways had faded leaving her pale, scar covered hands. Some of her scars were from her time here, soft reds and pinks. Others… were deep blues and blacks. Those were the ones she didn't talk about. All of her scars had a story. Stories she was happy to share, not these ones. They were too similar to the one that scratched out her eye. No matter how many people asked It was the one story she refused to tell other people. She had heard the story from herself many times for that.
A team Alestar handled had failed on a mission, one she wasn’t a part of, Mala had blamed her and when she attempted to defend herself she was quickly shut down. All she remembered from that night was the wringing in her ears that dreaded voice seeping in and black and deep blue cutting into every part of her, tearing her to shreds from the inside out. She was thirteen. Luckily it had only hit her right eye. And the only reason she still had it was because Lefi was really good at making potions, especially healing ones. But the scar still remained, and with that the memories. And the nightmares. Even now she struggles to see clearly with that eye, everything a blue tint, and very blurry.
“I will never ask for you to trust me, don't think ill ever deserve that but…I want you to believe me just this once.. I have been trying, and I will continue to try, to fix everything I have broken because I have broken a lot. I care So much and I know you care too. All I ask is that you allow me to care in the same space you do. Nothing more. Please,” Alestar had turned to her. Begging for an ounce of trust or compassion or empathy. And Emet knew.
She wasn't lying, She wasn't manipulating anyone, she was scared.. And she was alone. As alone as Emet had been before Elliot had found her, as alone as before any of them found the Rebellion. If they could make room for Lefi and Xe they could make room for her...They had made room for her… everyone else had made room for Alestar.. Everyone except Emet. And she cared. They both cared so much and yet no room could be made for anyone else. But she could make room now. They both had so much to fix, and if the rebellion helped them do that.. Yeah..yes.
“I think I can make room..” they looked at each other, “I should've given you that a while ago. I mean I can make room to care…” They smiled at each other, “but if you mess this up!-” And they laughed.
In the forest just beyond the wreckage of villages there was a tree house high up past the red leaves, in the spruce-oak trees, two girls sat and laughed as they ate breakfast. Two girls sat together and they weren’t alone, not anymore, Because they cared. Together
Together.