Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

- ❆ -

It wasn’t that Bronya was born a feeble child, sickly and in desperate need of tender, loving care from Belobog’s equivalent of royalty. No, the Architects made sure to choose the best of the best - to select an orphaned child of the fittest degree. They gave out an assortment of tests, observed how each child reacted to it, silently giving out scores and silent discussions between them of who obtained the best qualities that may one day be molded into a fine leader. Children in the Underworld tended to be birthed with a well-developed physical strength once grown, though generally rough-and-tumble at all edges, born from parents that knew only of hard work. They made sure to choose the healthiest child there was, the fittest and most intelligent, despite how the conditions of the air in Underworld then were not the best.  

They selected the one that would have survived all odds.

Perhaps that was how she survived… this.

Bronya remembered little of what happened. The battle was just about the same as any; she stood on the front lines, something that happened occasionally as an acting commander-in-training. She gave out commands to soldiers of undying loyalties, soldiers that would stand with her till the very end. Her mother had always told her that a good leader was one that would lead by example, one that would be so brave as to be open to any and all sacrifices. A leader was not one that would hide in the shadows, to give out orders while standing heartlessly by the sidelines as their followers proceeded to fight tooth and nail for their cause.  

She’d been there, a dwarfed form amongst the many Silvermane Guards that stood tall surrounding her. She was to be their Supreme Guardian one day, and even as they towered over her in appearance, her every word hung even higher.

It had been the usual - waves of fragmentum monsters coming one after the other. It had been necessary to fight them, to wipe them out as much as they could. Though the troops’ defence lines had since gotten pushed back as years passed on by, they kept going. One day, there would be an end to it, and Bronya herself would see it through.

She’d sustained injuries here and there every once and again. It was inevitable. Most soldiers never come out unscathed - they would get scratches or sore limbs, at the very least.

One year, the attacks had come out fiercer. In reality, Bronya knew that the true reason she’d never truly gotten an injury bad enough to incapacitate her for a length of time was due to the fact that, as loyal as her soldiers were, they also prioritised taking on the toughest opponents, leaving her on defence more often than not. She was young then, but her battlefield experience was enough to rival that of the oldest guard. Yet she was still their leader, and her mother’s words rang true.

So when she saw a guard go down, all other guards far too occupied to watch his back, Bronya stepped in, rifled musket at the ready. That was where it all went wrong. Having underestimated the size of the wave, she was overwhelmed far too soon, and everything that happened after that was a hazy blur of ice and snow, with a finale of splashes of scarlet that would not be the colour that came to mind when one were to speak of the eternal freeze.

Having been rushed to the field medic was an occurrence she was only told of, not one she recalled. She’d been taken to the Belobog's Architects' Charice Hospital afterwards after receiving the temporary fix, her injury having been deemed dire enough to require what turned out to be an urgent surgery. Bronya had thought then that it was only due to her status that she had been treated as such, though it had indeed been revealed to be necessary once she was well out of the woods.

The next clear memory she had was waking up in a private hospital room, the only light source being the bedside lamp that stood on her left, and the rare star shining in from the gap in the curtains. It wasn’t often that Belobog was visited by stars - the frequent blizzards often left their skies a misty mystery.

Then the next thing she remembered was of two blonde women in the room, leaning against each other, fast asleep. Cocolia had her head rested against Serval’s shoulder, eyes sunken and forehead creased in the way that told Bronya she’d been worrying herself sick for what had to be at least a few hours. Serval had an arm loose around Cocolia in what looked to be an embrace, and the young girl was able to conclude that they’d fallen asleep in that consoling position. It was a pleasant sight, she thought - her mother hadn’t spoken nor seen Serval once since the latter was fired from her job some years ago. It truly took a tragedy for two old friends to reconnect.

As much as Bronya would like to keep it that way for as long as possible - she doubted it would happen again - she had no idea how long she’d been unconscious for. Her tongue felt like it’d licked a frozen pole and had to be pried right off with hot water. A gentle rumble ran through her stomach, and suddenly her delicate nose was able to catch a whiff of the fruit and pudding cup on the nightstand.  

Moving, however, proved to be a mistake as a forced hiss sounded through her teeth, a sharp pain on her right revealing that her arm was in a sling for the purpose of what she supposed was a dislocated shoulder. She’d had one or two in the past for it to be recognisable enough.

The muted sound was enough to rouse the two other people in the room. Serval had woken up first, bolting into a standing position so sudden that Cocolia practically fell forward to where she’d been sitting. The engineer was about to apologise when the Supreme Guardian caught sight of Bronya’s gaze, not hesitating for a second longer to rush to her side.

Her mother was apologetic, the most emotional Bronya had ever seen her in for the longest time. Cocolia was, most days, serious and stoic. Gentleness was Cocolia when Bronya was small, and firm was she when Bronya became a teenager, the age she was now. She assisted her daughter when Bronya informed her of her thirst, and for a moment, they were just a mother daughter pair, and nothing else mattered.

Having fulfilled her needs, Bronya was told to rest again, though still no one told her anything, and she of course had her questions. When she finally braved herself to speak, the first thing she asked was not of her condition. Of why she was there or what happened. The only thing she asked was what she would have if she were a small child - not that she was one, not anymore.

“Are you and Serval friends again?” She spoke, hopeful. She missed that - the lightness that came with having the other woman in her life. Of a childhood where Serval was there to entertain her when Cocolia was far too busy for her, a mother that was close yes distant.

No one answered. Cocolia simply averted her gaze and pulled the blanket up to Bronya’s chin, tucking her carefully underneath the covers. There were many words left unspoken behind her mother’s iridescent eyes, none of which came to light.

After a beat, Serval pulled a chair up to the bedside and gestured for Cocolia to sit, to which the woman did so with a silent breath of thanks.

“Mother?” Bronya tried again, knowing of the sensitive territory she’d just thread. She didn’t want to upset the Supreme Guardian, and her mother was sensible enough to not reprimand her bedridden daughter right then and there, so she targeted the obvious question, the one someone in her state would have asked. “Mother, what happened to me?”

Cocolia’s mouth twitched unpleasantly. “Bronya… you… the battle-” She paused, unsure, yet another rare scene omitting from her usually confident, unshakable, undeterrable mother.

A hand landed on Cocolia’s shoulder. It was meant to be one of comfort, but the woman simply ignored it.  

Serval reached the other hand out to Bronya, gently stroking her cheek. Hesitantly, she finally spoke, “Can you move your legs, BeeBee?” 

The teenager wrinkled her nose, a natural reaction to the childhood nickname she never liked, until she processed the engineer’s words.

That was when, to an ultimately, terrifying degree, she realised that she could barely feel her legs.

❆

The next time Bronya was to awaken in a hospital, she was no longer in the Overworld. It was many years later, when she had found herself in pursuit of three strange people claiming to be visitors of the sky, in search of an object called the Stellaron. This somehow had her knocked out and ending up in the Underground.  

A lady doctor by the name of Natasha greeted her with kindness, letting her know that she was fully uninjured. Despite how pleasant the woman had been, Bronya was trained to be cautious, and this meant not to be too quick to trust, especially when she was in a strange place with no one she knew of. So, the moment Natasha and a navy-haired man that was apparently tasked to ‘watch’ her were distracted by a child throwing a tantrum - Why were there children running around the hospital? - she made her escape.  

Bronya had no idea where she was meant to go. She, in fact, wasn’t able to get too far when one of her legs nearly gave out from below her, and she managed to catch herself in time before tripping over herself. With an arm against a wall for support, she managed to limp her way into an alley, one where no prying eyes could see.  

Pulling off one boot, she assessed the damage. Tiny pieces of metal compartments falling out of the boot were the first sign of her bad luck. The mechanical brace attached to her leg had few dents and missing pieces where the functionality was disrupted enough to restrict her movement and be unable to perfectly support her weight. This meant that her knee would not be able to bend as efficiently as it should, and over time it would start to become very painful once more body weight was forced upon her weakened joints, no fully functioning brace to prevent it from happening. Noting how bad it was, she inwardly cursed herself for letting her guard down - she’d most likely damaged the brace when she’d fallen unconscious.  

The accident from several years ago had compressed her nerves some, apparently caused by corrupted pieces of a fragmentum monster being embedded beneath her flesh during the attack. Her legs had not been able to work properly since.

It had come as a shock to her at the time, followed by months of agonising recovery.  

She would need to get her brace repaired if she were to have a chance at escaping the Underworld. Perhaps, if she managed to somehow get a message to her mother, Cocolia would send some soldiers down to retrieve her. It felt wrong to ask for such a thing - Bronya was supposed to be able to hold off on her own. She wasn’t raised to cry over her disability. The Supreme Guardian had made sure of that, treating her no different than she had before.

Serval had made this brace specifically for her. She would need to find an engineer, perhaps, if any would be willing to help her. Otherwise it may be a major setback. Bronya wasn’t a knowledgeable engineer by any means, but watching Serval repair it the times when she did accidentally break it from not being careful enough gave her enough information on how it worked. If she could temporarily fix the major missing parts of the mechanism with a placeholder of sorts, it may be able to support her for a little longer.

She took off the other boot and observed the braces closely, comparing the partially damaged left pair with the right one that still somehow managed to stay in one piece, - if not for a few harmless dents in the surface. Noting how the pieces she’d discovered unattached in her boot were shattered pieces of a larger mechanism enabled her to access what was missing.

Unfortunately, there was no way she could find something to replace that particular piece, and she hadn’t even considered the other damages to the mechanical brace. It was far too out of her abilities to repair.

She decided that finding someone that could actually repair it was her best chance, though she had no idea where to begin. Bronya breathed slowly through her nose, reminding herself to remain level-headed. There was too much going on, too many unknowns. She was a trained soldier, but she had never been alone before.

“Mother…” She spoke quietly to herself, completely lost.

Using the ribbon from her hair, she tied it as firmly as she could around her left knee, hoping that the makeshift brace would at least be able to help her for a short while. The damage to her legs wasn’t a normal one - she had needed mechanical braces for a reason, but she would survive for however long it took. Gritting her teeth in an attempt at holding back a pained grunt, she gingerly stood, allowing all her weight to rest on one leg before slowly balancing it onto her left side. Once satisfied, she tugged the boots back on, and resumed on her way.

Bronya had no idea where to go, her best option being to ask around for a way out.

Except, according to the townsfolk, there apparently wasn’t one. The Undergrounders had given her disgusted looks, offended that she would even dare ask such a thing. But from the few that answered her question, they simply told her what she already knew; the way out had been blocked for years.

But she knew there was one, or else she wouldn’t have been able to arrive there in the first place.

❆

“Who do you think you are?”  

The girl, - Seele, as her name turned out to be - snapped at her, seething furiously at Bronya’s mere existence. When they met, the Underworlder had deflected, or, more accurately, downright destroyed, a bullet as it was shot in Bronya’s direction. The future Supreme Guardian was beyond mesmerised by the girl’s superhuman ability, because she had somehow managed to appear out of thin air, shatter a bullet into a million tiny pieces, and fought off some violent vagrants all in mere seconds.  

Bronya had been ambushed by them, the vagrants being far too displeased at the sight of a woman in a Silvermane Guard uniform. They’d quite literally threatened her life. She had been unable to pull out her rifled musket in time, and they’d already begun their attack.  

Having been unable to move fast enough, Bronya was incredibly lucky that this specific Underworlder had shown up in time. It turned out Seele was on patrol, and that someone by the name of Chief Oleg wished to see Bronya, sending this particular person to escort her. Bronya had agreed to it, wanting to meet the leader of the Wildfires herself, and hopefully be able to escape from this place she’d been dragged into.  

Maybe he could even help her with her brace. It was slowly becoming even more agonisingly painful to walk on a half-functional part of a pair. If someone were to shoot at her again, she didn’t think she’d be able to dodge in record time.

“Are you going to continuously pick a fight with me? I don’t imagine I have a lot of time to waste on such a thing.” She replied, as politely as she could, though her words only seemed to leave a negative impact.

“You’ve got plenty of time now princess , considering how I saved your pathetic life." Seele scoffed. “I almost wished I didn’t.”

“Would have done both of us a favour, wouldn’t it?” Bronya didn’t mean to sound so pessimistic, but her leg was giving her far too much pain for her to have a thicker layer of patience. She didn’t know how she managed to get dragged into a mission to prevent another fight from breaking between the miners and vagrants, but the additional amount of walking was not doing her any favours. Especially with these uneven, steep slopes.  

They’d found themselves in the midst of a battle with a few stray robots guarding the geomarrow area. Robots that were apparently owned by no one. Seele had gotten angry when she’d faltered during a clear shot at the machinery, when a particularly sharp, sudden jolt of pain distracted her enough to lose focus on her target.

“Now listen,” Seele jabbed a finger against her sternum, almost causing Bronya to stumble, “As much as it itches me to let that thing whack you and leave you in the dust, no one is dying under my watch.”

This girl seemed to be unable to make up her mind, Bronya decided. She had a big, selfless heart, and her intentions were clear, but the words spoken were the exact opposite of her actions.  

“Stop fighting.” The companion by the name of Dan Heng spoke with a sigh. “We have much pressing matters at hand.”  

Seele grumbled something under her breath, and the most reserved trailblazer must’ve heard it, because he had a reaction that almost looked like he was trying to fight back a smile. Seele gestured to everyone and sauntered on forward, to which the rest of the group followed.  

Bronya followed a distance behind Seele until another one of the trailblazers fell into step next to her.  

“Did you get hurt?” The grey-haired trailblazer asked, squinting her eyes as if she could see through Bronya. “I think I saw you limp just now,” Tapping a finger against her chin, she added, “But you didn’t take any hits.”  

She smiled a little. It was the smallest bit of concern she’d received since arriving there so far. But she had no desire to burden anyone with her current turmoil, so she’d selfishly accept this brief moment of attention for now. “No, I’m fine. Just tired. Thank you for your concern.”  

It wasn’t a lie, but it was something. In all genuity, Bronya was truly touched.

“We should rest later,” Stelle decided, seeming to yawn. Bronya wondered if that was an act for her sake, “I’m kinda worn out myself.”

“You woke up last! You slept the longest at the clinic!” The pink-haired one, March, piped up immediately. Stelle rolled her eyes and seemed to give Bronya a look that so clearly said ‘Can you believe her?’.

For 'criminals' she was just chasing after some hours ago, they were certainly keen on treating her like another friend. It was… not unpleasant. Bronya never truly had friends before - perhaps she would if she counted Pela, but their relationship was mainly professional, and Pela was closely associated with Serval. She had been keeping her distance from Serval since the woman’s falling out with Cocolia, in honour of her mother’s wishes.

This new company she'd gotten herself surrounded by was not unwelcomed. It had been a long time since she'd been able to simply be just Bronya, no forbearing weight of being a leader weighed down on her.

Stelle seemed keen on sticking by Bronya's side for the rest of the walk, and though she didn't talk much, the quips that escaped her lips were enough to entertain the group. Even Seele couldn't maintain her irritated scowl for long as the three trailblazers broke into banters after every ridiculous statement. This company filled the Overworlder with a warm feeling in her chest, and as they encountered more fights along the way, it distracted her enough to stay in high spirits.

But every time she faltered, or couldn’t get out of range of an attack fast enough, Seele was quick to come to her aid. Though it wasn’t before she shot a disapproving glare towards Bronya every time.

After defeating the last of Svarog’s robots, Chief Oleg arrived right at the nick of time, several other miners and Wildfire members trailing behind him. A few of them were injured, and he took a moment to ensure that the path back to Natasha’s clinic was clear before instructing them to leave and rest.

The trailblazers introduced themselves to him, stating their purpose. They spoke of the object called the Stellaron, and how they needed to look for it to be able to seal it and put an end to the eternal freeze. They sounded so sure of it, that Bronya was nearly inclined to believe it. This matter was put to a pause for the next day, everyone simultaneously agreeing that they’ll see the ancient robot Svarog for answers once they were all well rested.  

While the conversation went as smoothly as could be, what didn’t sit right with Bronya was how Oleg had carelessly insulted her mother right to her face. She’d spoken up instantly, and they’ve simply had to agree to disagree, out of respect to one another.  

But then he asked her to stay behind while the three visitors left for their hotel.  

“You’re not too bad.” Seele said, sauntering over to her once it was only the three of them left behind. She looked Bronya up and down, seeming to seize her up properly, a stark difference from the first impression Seele had of her. “That Stelle told me that you’re the leader of the Silvermane Guards?”  

“I am.” She was also the future Supreme Guardian, but several people were already out to harm her just for existing as a Silvermane Guard, so it was best she’d keep the higher title to herself. For a moment, she briefly wondered if simply admitting to Seele that she was a commander of the Silvermane Guard would get her on the girl’s bad side.

Instead, she was met with a look that told her the girl was incredibly impressed. It came by as a surprise, to say the least. She was certain that this spitfire of a person would have came up with every reason to despise her.

But clearly, she was not about to judge Bronya simply from where she originated from, and with that she was grateful.

 “You fight sick.” She stated. “I’ll give you that.”  

Bronya wasn’t sure what she meant by that - she’d never heard the word used in such a context before. But it sounded like a compliment, so she decided to accept it as one. Seele had been rather displeased with her during combat, and Bronya didn’t exactly wish to tell her of her faulty immobilisation, but it was good to know that at least her attacks were recognised.  

“Thank you, Seele. You are a worthy comrade yourself.”  

The edge of Seele’s mouth twitched slightly, though she didn’t say anything to add onto their current exchange.  

“Well, young miss - Bronya, was it?” Oleg interrupted with an apologetic smile. “I believe there is a lot we must discuss.”  

“Yes.” Bronya steeled herself, eyeing him warily as she remembered what he’d said about her mother. But he was here for a civil discussion, so she willed herself to hear him out. It was what good leaders do, after all.  

When he spoke, it was one revelation after another. He told her about the monsters they’ve had to face over the years, how the Underworlders all struggled to survive once the Silvermane Guards were all taken back up to the surface. He informed her how they’ve run low on supplies, barely making it through every day without a reliable source for resources. She learnt of the geomarrow line, discovered how it was a risky job but it was the only one that could get the Overworld to send in any supplies, if at all, for a trade. She was told of the children that barely stood a chance, of illnesses brought by the fragmentum.

Everything that had been hidden from her for so long, she discovered in one night.  

Slowly, Bronya learnt of how all her mother’s decisions had only succeeded in accomplishing more harm than good to the people - their people. What was layered with a striving community above, covered the suffering community below it.  

Bronya stood, stiff and anxious, and suddenly the pain in her leg that she’d internally been pitiful over was so insignificant in the grand scale of everything around her. She turned to Oleg, the man giving her a sympathetic look. He seemed to understand that while none of this was truly her fault, she had still lived a far more privileged life. She hadn’t been actively allowing their suffering - she simply didn’t know.  

“You have a good heart.” He said after a long minute of Bronya staring at a small shard of geomarrow on the ground between them, attempting to process everything. “I trust that you can understand that due to our perils, we have a reason to be against the Architects, and not spare a single kind word for her Supreme Guardian’s leadership.”

Bronya turned to Seele, the girl looking at everything but her. Seele had been stripped of her momentary friendliness once she was reminded of all their hardships, facing Bronya with a scowl so deep, it looked like it would stick permanently that way like a large crack carved out of a smooth pebble.

“I understand.” Bronya said, swallowing thickly. “I will give this more thought - and, while I know this could do nothing to fix all the damage that has been done over these past few years… I must express my sincerest regret.”  

She must’ve said something wrong, because it caused Seele to scoff and walk a distance away.  

“Don’t mind her. Like you, she has a good heart - anger is how she expresses it.” Despite the heavy, exasperated sigh he exhaled, there was a fondness in Oleg’s dark eyes. “I appreciate you understanding our situation, Miss Bronya. This must be a lot to take in.”  

At that, she could only nod.

“Is there anything else I can do for you, before I send you away to the hotel?”

“Yes, actually…” Bronya fidgeted, guilt taking over as she thought about asking for anything when she now knew that she was surrounded by less fortunate people. But she needed to help herself first if she were to help them. “-is there anyone here that could help me fix something?”

Oleg scratched the old scar stretched down half the length of his face as he gave her question some thought.

“Is it a weapon?”  

“No… a mechanical object.”

He considered this. “The miners here use robots to assist with their work in the mines, so I’ve no doubt they may know a thing or two. But I would not recommend seeking their assistance. While you did well to fight with us, there may be some people that aren’t too fond of Silvermane Guards.”

 Her face fell. “I understand.”  

“Is it of great importance?”  

She thought back to the Underworlders, how their lives had succumbed to pain and tragedy since they had been blocked away from the surface - since her mother’s actions had doomed her people to suffer.

Bronya could last longer with a slightly broken brace, she decided - though the pain throbbed through her joints in a way that made her long for a rest.

“No.” She answered, giving Oleg a smile that she hoped reached her eyes. “It can wait.”

❆

Chapter Text

- ❆ -

After telling the trailblazers that she would stand guard while they slept, Bronya took a seat by the stairs and pulled off her boots, needing to let her legs breathe after such a strenuous day. She fixed the makeshift wrap she had done with the ribbon, relieving the pressure slightly once it was applied properly onto her knee. It had gotten loose during the subsequent battles.

That was how Stelle found her - the girl’s eyes still heavy with sleep, though the rest of her body appeared to be on high alert. She came from behind Bronya, startling her. 

“You’re lucky I wasn’t armed.” The Underworlder stated seriously, one hand on her chest from the initial surprise. 

“I could take you on.” Stelle quipped with a comical wiggle of her brows. 

She couldn’t help but chuckle a little at that. Admittedly, Stelle undeniably could. “Why are you awake?” 

Stelle shrugged, murmuring something about a nightmare. Her eyes then fell on Bronya’s position, legs stretched out in front of her, boots stood to the side. “Why do you have that?” 

“What are you referring to?” 

The grey-haired trailblazer gestured awkwardly. “I don’t know what that is, but why do you have… metal things attached to your legs?” 

Bronya turned to where she was looking, seeming to have forgotten that she’d exposed herself. “Oh. I apologise, I thought I was alone. I didn’t mean for you to, well…” 

Stelle frowned. “Is there something wrong?” Before Bronya could respond, she seemed to remember something, knitting her eyebrows together. “That’s why you limped, wasn’t it?” 

“It has just gotten slightly damaged on the route down here.” Bronya hurriedly explained. “I didn’t get hurt. I’ve… always been this way.” 

She waited for it. The reaction she was all too used to; sympathy, large amounts of pity that Bronya didn’t need. She’d gotten far too used to it. All too often, people began walking on eggshells all around her the moment they found out, and it had taken much convincing for everyone around her to believe that she was still as capable as she had always been. All she wanted was to be treated as the person she was, as any fully functioning individual.

To her surprise, however, Stelle straight up ignored the revelation that was Bronya’s physical condition. “Damaged?” She moved from where she stood in favour of kneeling next to the sitting woman. “Can I take a look?”

Bronya blinked. “Do you know how to fix something like this?” 

“No.” She stated, already poking at a dent. Bronya raised a brow at her uncertainty. “I mean, I don’t actually know, but when I tinker with stuff it just works out, y’know? It’s like I have some sort of muscle memory or something, or I could like, read into how it works.”

“I see.” Bronya was hesitant, but this girl seemed reliable enough- perhaps it’d be worth taking the chance. It was better than it eventually getting entirely unusable if she kept using it in this state, after all. “Please don’t break it further.”

Stelle simply nodded - she was already tinkering with something. Bronya wasn’t certain what it was the girl was thinking, but for someone that claimed not knowing anything, she appeared oddly confident at this.

They talked as Stelle meddled. Bronya had a few questions about the Stellaron herself, and Stelle was only too happy to give the answers she had. Before long, she was done, and Stelle was towering over her, holding a hand out. 

Bronya accepted it, allowing Stelle to grasp onto her arm tightly as she was hauled to her feet. 

“How does it feel?” 

The Overworlder tested it tenderly, folding her knees one at a time as Stelle held her upright. It creaked a little, but the movement was eased further than it had before. For the past few hours, it had taken her more effort to bend her legs. She tried walking, Stelle following beside her the entire time, and to her relief, it was working fairly well. Some dents would still need to be fixed, and the temporary parts Stelle had somehow managed to replace would need proper replacements, but whatever it was that the trailblazer did, it would hopefully last her long enough until she was to leave the Underworld and see the support’s original creator. She beamed at Stelle, completely impressed. 

“Thank you, Stelle. You have done me an incredible favour.”

“No prob.” The girl nodded, grinning toothily. “It was a nice distraction from my nightmare, so thank you, too.”

“Where did you get the replacement parts?” Bronya had to ask, thinking of how the girl had simply reached into a different pocket of her jacket every time she needed something. There seemed to be various knick knacks stuffed into every part of her outfit. She wondered if Stelle was actually a mechanic.

“The trash.” Was the answer she received, short and simple, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. The Overworlder paused, waiting for an elaboration, or for the outsider to reveal that it was a joke.

It wasn’t one. 

Bronya tugged on her boots, though it wasn’t before wiping off the dirt and grime off her foot that had come with walking barefoot a moment ago. “I doubt we’ll be able to sleep anytime soon, so, walk with me?”

Stelle accepted this. They engaged in small talk, Bronya speaking of how strange it was that she’d find herself walking through such a strange place. She hadn’t taken walks in such a long time, either - ever since she’d taken over command for the Silvermane troop, she’d found that her free time was filled with studying and constant training, and that was only when she wasn’t out on the battlefield, keeping the monsters at bay. 

After a while, they heard a familiar voice, and at the sound of Seele’s conversation with the lady doctor from that morning, they made themselves known. Before they knew it, they were off on another mission to a corroded town for urgent supplies. 

That was how Bronya discovered that she came from the same orphanage as Seele as a child. Perhaps, she thought then, she had so much more close ties to this world than she’d initially thought. Seele had become quite flabbergasted upon knowing that the future Supreme Guardian had been amongst them the entire time, but she was quick to get over it once Bronya expressed her regret for not having done much for them. Insisting that she hadn’t been the best leader, wondering why, of all people, she was chosen. 

Seele gave her the fiercest glare, acting as fed up with her as she did when they’d come across the child thief Eric. Her words surprised Bronya enough that she’d completely forgotten to feel sorry for herself. She was used to being met with gentle consolation when she was to ever doubt herself, of people encouraging her and expressing how they had faith in her abilities.  

When her legs failed her, needing adequate support to work as well as they used to again, Bronya was endlessly coddled. 

Seele did none of that. Instead, she simply told her to shut up and do what she needs to do instead of wasting her time feeling remorse for the things she never got to do. 

It was refreshing, Bronya thought. 

"Even if I am but a small glimmer of light in this world, I must try my best to shine brightly for others.” Seele had said, quoting her words from earlier when she’d been asked of her generous action to give up something important of hers. Seele hadn’t approved of it, claiming she didn’t understand what Bronya meant when she’d given the thief boy a chance. But in a way, Bronya had a feeling she certainly did understand. Like anyone else in the Underworld, she simply wanted what was best for the future generations.  

“Didn't you say that?” She resumed, and Bronya found herself shrinking under her stern gaze. No one had ever had that effect on her before - no one other than her mother. It was strange, to feel how much this girl’s words mattered to her. “Well, if you really want to help everyone, what are you standing here crying for? Get to it!"

She had thanked Seele then, and briefly, she considered telling her about her legs. But she then decided that it was unimportant. A part of her still feared that Seele may change her perspective of her were she to say anything. Let it one day be known as an insignificant fact, with weight as light as knowing a favourite colour.

Seele showed her around, seeming to want Bronya to learn more about the childhood she had there, while the trailblazer left on her own, presumably to look for the rest of the supplies. Bronya appreciated the sentiment. The trip down memory lane with Seele turned out to be incredibly important for Bronya to reconnect with her roots.

“This was where I bit the railing because I just refused to leave the playground. Natasha came to get me for bed, and I held on for dear life.” Seele chuckled, her fingers running over yet another dented curve on metal. The location, as it turned out, was filled with plenty of little Seele’s teeth marks. “Never underestimate her - that woman is one of the toughest you’ll ever meet.”

Bronya laughed a little, daintily hiding her mouth behind a hand. It was nice to have Seele share this with her. The more Seele spoke of her past, the clearer her memory seemed to become, as if they were her own. 

“Do you remember your going-away party?” Seele asked, leading the rest of the way up the orphanage. 

The strange concept caused her to tilt her head questioningly in response. “Party?” 

“We had one every time someone was adopted. Of course, I never had one, but I know everyone else that left did. You must’ve had yours.” She stopped when Bronya hesitated on the stairs, eyeing her questioningly.

“...I’m afraid I can’t recall. I apologise.” The Overworlder frowned. The Underworld had small amounts of resources to spend on celebrations, but they did on hers, and she couldn’t even remember it.

 “Don’t be sorry for that, weirdo.” Seele hesitated, then reached out a hand. She didn’t need to - Bronya could quite literally walk up the rest of the stairs herself, but when Seele didn’t retract, she accepted anyway. 

“I feel like it was meant to be something to be remembered.” She sighed, noting the way Seele’s coarse hand squeezed hers. 

“It’s okay. I don’t remember yours either. When I was little, I used to be jealous of those parties. Not because I cared about getting adopted, but because being the centre of attention and being made such a big deal of felt really special - so I kinda just ignored the kids that got it.” Seele didn’t sound sad about it at all. In fact, she only seemed nostalgic, as if that matter in itself was a delightful memory to remember despite how it wasn’t one of happiness to her. Bronya wondered if she’d be able to feel that anytime soon. 

“Natasha always told me that I used to follow her around like her shadow,” She continued, “I wasn’t even her most well behaved kid, I was always the one coming back to the building with scrapes and bruises, if I wasn’t the one causing scrapes and bruises.” She grinned. It reached her eyes in the way Bronya didn’t expect it to, and she could’ve sworn her violet irises sparkled. “Maybe that’s why I’m still around her now. She’s the closest thing I’ve had to a home.” 

They found themselves standing in front of the old orphanage’s double doors. Before Bronya could ask if she’d planned to enter, Seele took out her scythe and smashed the rusted lock keeping the door together. She did it with one hand, the other still holding Bronya’s. 

“The coast should be clear,” She informed Bronya, “If the door is locked, and the windows remained intact, then no monsters could have entered.” 

“That sounds plausible.” Bronya agreed. Seele proceeded to tug her forward, making her way further into the building. She seemed to recall the way, walking with purpose as they strided through the hallways. 

For a place that had been abandoned for years, a lot of it seemed to have remained perfectly preserved. It simply stayed the ghost of the building it could have been, where children would have been seen running around, growing up in these very hallways. Bronya imagined her younger self in this place, perhaps side-by-side with a younger Seele, holding hands as they currently were, weaving up and down the stairs, in and out of hallways. A joyful life where there were less responsibilities on her shoulders, though the wound of the world stayed deep. 

“This used to be my room. There was enough space here for everyone to either have a roommate or have one room for themselves. I used to be in one for two people, until they kept complaining that I was too loud or rowdy and Nat just gave me my own place.” 

As she said this, Seele gingerly twisted the knob and pushed the door open with a foot. Bronya could spy an old piece of paper stuck to the door, yellowed with age. It seemed to have a doodle of Seele’s name on it, alongside drawings of what was presumably her hand in hand with multiple other children. Despite her stories, Bronya had no doubt that with the compassion Seele had, she truly cared deeply for the children she once grew up with. 

The room consisted of a rusty old bed frame and a dust-coated mattress. There was only one small chest to the side where Seele must’ve once used to store her belongings, one chair and no table. Perhaps she’d never had the need for one.

“I would climb out that window whenever Nat grounded me.” Seele winked, as if it was still a secret, “When Oleg found out, he recognised my stealth skills and started training me. Have you ever been grounded?”

 When she whirled around to face Bronya, Bronya found herself thinking very hard. Her mother had never exactly prevented her from leaving her room, though disobedience was often met with punishments of additional hard work. She remembered her bedridden days of recovery when she would be made to stay home, but that hardly counted, she thought.

“Not exactly.” She responded finally, receiving an immediate snort from Seele. “What?”

“Nothing. I just think it fits you that you were always well behaved, even as a kid.”

That wasn’t true, Bronya thought. There were times when her mother had to reprimand her for questioning her orders or for giving better reasonings for some of the woman’s nonsensical actions. Most of it ended with her achieving nothing - her mother’s words were often final. But she wasn’t always the perfectly obedient daughter her mother wanted, Bronya knew. 

Of course, she said none of this. “Maybe you’ve just yet to get to know me.” She said truthfully. Seele gave her a weird look, though she had nothing to add to that. 

“Stelle probably needs us. We should go.” As she closed the door behind her, Seele turned to Bronya, and her face held this impossibly soft look that almost spoke of a promise. “Maybe we can come back another time.” 

Every part of the Underworld was a part of Belobog, and it was, and always will be, her home to protect.

❆

Chapter Text

- ❆ -

Bronya had a lot to digest. After returning with the supplies, the group had reunited with Dan Heng and March and had proceeded to go off in search of Svarog next. While it had led to yet another battle, the team reigned victorious in the end. That was how they discovered that the Eternal Freeze had been caused by the Stellaron itself, as the first ever Supreme Guardian, Alisa Rand, had requested aid in the Stellaron to win against the Antimatter Legion’s invasion centuries ago.  

Which got her to this point in the matter; Cocolia was, more likely than not, associated with the Stellaron. Which would explain why she had issued an arrest to the three trailblazers when they came looking for the Stellaron in hopes of sealing it.  

The Stellaron had been associated with the Supreme Guardian from the very beginning. That was why the people that knew Cocolia had been telling Bronya how her mother was a whole different woman before she became the Supreme Guardian. She didn’t have all the answers as of yet, but the most likely conclusion was that the Stellaron had done something to influence her mother.

So when she arrived in her hotel room, the first thing Bronya did was write a letter. She had decided to confront her mother, and she couldn’t get anyone else involved. This was between her and Cocolia. But she couldn’t leave the outsiders without any external support from above.  

There were two people she knew she could trust. Serval Landau had been there for her since she was little, and the engineer had even attempted to make her presence known for as much as possible even when her relationship with Cocolia became strained and evaporated into nothing. Serval's experience of working with the Architects before she was ejected would surely be of useful assistance, and she had a strong presence in Belobog in more ways than one. The same can be said for her brother; Captain Gepard of the Silvermane Guards.

If her plan to confront her mother were to go awry, Bronya knew she could trust the Landaus to aid the outsiders and fight for their cause. If Gepard’s undying loyalty to her mother were to remain unassuaged, she knew for certain Serval would have her back.

Finishing up the letter, she kissed the tips of her fingers and placed it against the paper,- hoping, truly hoping, that these would not be her last words to them. Once it was sealed, she tucked it carefully within a hidden pocket of her dress and stood. If she couldn’t say goodbye to the outsiders, she could at least do so with one particular person; the person that had somehow come to remain a solid consistency of her life.

Seele appeared as soon as she asked for her. Bronya had no idea how word managed to arrive so fast in the Underworld - she had only just informed the hotel staff of her desire and they seemed to know exactly what to do. Perhaps Wildfire had a secret code amongst them and the civilians.

They’d returned to the orphanage, taking the walk back to Rivet Town - no danger this time. Perhaps it took a while for monsters to return once they’d cleared it. But if it were that simple, Bronya knew that they wouldn’t have needed to leave in the first place.

“Don’t you need rest?” Seele asked after a while, skipping forward a few steps before turning around in a joyful twirl. Lightheartedness looked nice on her, Bronya thought. Perhaps one day they’d be able to live without worrying about the fate of the world around them.

“You need the rest too, Seele.” Bronya reminded her. She walked slowly - whatever Stelle had done to fix her leg up was seeming to undo itself. It had stayed intact during the fight with Svarog, but her moves must’ve been too strenuous for it to bear for too long.

Of course, she couldn’t tell Seele that.  

“Looks like you need it more. Are you sure you want to be walking at this time instead of resting?” The Underworlder stared at her as Bronya tried to keep up, “Nat would love to have a few words with you once she finds out.”  

“I’ll be fine.” She was planning on leaving for the Overworld right after this, after all. Serval would be able to fix it as good as new, and she’d stop having issues.

Seele raised a brow. “Suit yourself,” She actually slowed her pace this time, falling into step with Bronya, “Any specific reason you wanted to walk around this particular part of town a bit more?”

“I just wanted to see it again.” The heir replied, a heavy weight suddenly filling her heart. It was meant to be a farewell from her to Seele, and there was so much she wanted to say, though there was too little time for it. “Can you tell me more about your childhood?”

The tales were enough to last a while, she thought, once Seele plunged into several stories and mischief she’d gotten up to so many years ago. She had far too many to share, and Bronya wished she could stay longer to hear all of them. They talked, and it may have worked as a distraction of sorts when Bronya realised that the overwhelming thought of her heritage's revelation faded easily into the back of her mind. Everything felt lighter with Seele around. She couldn’t even remember why they fought so much before, when they’d first met. It all felt like a long time ago now, even though it’s barely even been more than two days.

When they arrived at the orphanage, she finally told Seele of her plan to return to the Overworld. Seele was understandably shocked, and while she did try to stop her at first, Bronya simply said that she’d made up her mind. Seele promised to give the letter to the outsiders, and that was when, regretfully, Bronya felt that she didn’t have anything for Seele herself.

The snowglobe came to mind - the old childhood toy of hers that she’d found only a few hours ago. She returned to where they’d left it, and lifted it for Seele to see. Small drops of fake snowflakes dropped when she shook it, the rabbit and snow owl inside glinting under dim underworld light.

“I don’t remember who gave this to me, but…” She handed it over, receiving a sceptical look from her company, “Will you take care of it for me, Seele? As two of the final remnants of my past. If I don’t come back, I know I can trust you with it.”

The wildfire’s voice was small, “Two?”

“You’re the first one.” Bronya told her, and she truly meant it.

Seele’s face twisted with a sort of emotion she couldn’t perceive. “You will come back, Bronya.” She said determinately, “I’ll walk you to the Furnace Core, and I’ll see you there again.”

“Didn’t you promise you’ll come to protect me?” She meant it as a joke, but a part of her was hopeful.

“Did you think I’d go back on my word?”

Seele gently pushed the delicate snowglobe out of her grasp, prompting Bronya to hold it close to her chest. The future Supreme Guardian locked her eyes onto it, and though the snow falls within were gentle, the blizzard inside her raged on.  

“Of course not. As I said, I’ll be waiting.”

❆

Her mother had a lot to say. When Bronya first returned, tired and worn out from the path up the Furnace Core, her mother had fussed over her in an instant. Cocolia had apparently been convinced that she’d lost her. It was almost endearing, until the Supreme Guardian found out that she’d been in the Underworld the entire time - that was when her entire feature changed.

She returned from being her mother to the cold and unfeeling Supreme Guardian. The woman had gotten angry when Bronya stated all the truths, only relenting once Bronya stood her ground, and that apparently had Cocolia deciding that it was time.

Something sharp pierced her mind when her mother stabbed through her with a stony gaze, and strange whispers resonated within her head.

Before she knew it, she was following her mother into forbidden territory, attempting to make sense of every word her mother was saying. Cocolia spoke of a new world, a world that apparently could only exist once they’ve destroyed and reformed the old one, the current one. None of it made sense to Bronya, of how the woman that raised her would ever consider sacrificing lives for a future that wasn’t even guaranteed to be true. Simply them making their way to the Stellaron sent shivers up her spine. Fragmentum monsters paved the way for them, appearing completely harmless even as waves of negative energy radiated from their crystalline bodies. If her mother had always had the power to control them, as if she were in command of such mindless creatures, then how could she have let so many soldiers perish in the snow?

Then there was the Stellaron. It was, to its credit, beautiful. But Bronya had known now how a false, mesmerising beauty could easily be the downfall of many. Like how the Underworld held a rustic charm and provided many homes even when it wasn’t as grand a city as the Overworld above. There was always something hidden beneath layers of beauty, she thought. Something painful, something that needed to either be saved or prevented.

As Cocolia spoke, coaxing her into accepting what had become the cancer of their world, Bronya’s head pounded. She gripped her head with both hands, crying for her mother’s mercy, for her mother’s help - because that was what mothers were supposed to do, was it not? It struck her head as something worse than a headache. For a moment, she thought she should even hear the cries of all the Supreme Guardians before her, begging for her assistance.

It became too much, and suddenly not at all, when an all too familiar voice shouted her name.

“Bronya!”

Seele.

She’d come to save her, just like she’d promised.

Behind her, the other three outsiders ran, attempting to keep up to the Underworlder as best they could. But Seele was always so fast, as she reached Bronya before the girl could even blink.

“Seele?”

And suddenly, everything the girl said next, anchored her to their world, locking her reality into place.

❆

“Serval, can I ask you a question?”

Serval hummed affirmatively from behind the counter. The teen waited patiently for the woman to finish finalising a small detail on her current project. Her mother would not be happy that she’d managed to sneak out in the first place, let alone seek out Serval, but none of that mattered to the heir at that moment. She wobbled a bit as she walked, her hold on her crutches taut as she attempted to balance herself. It had been a few months since the accident, to which Serval was slowly becoming a constant in her life.

Initially, her mother had not been very happy about it, but even as the arguments went on - arguments that happened whenever they thought Bronya was safely asleep in her room - Serval insisted on staying. She didn’t truly understand it then, confusion plaguing her young mind as to why Serval would fight to remain by her side even when she was so unwanted. She knew how her mother could be. Cocolia wasn’t uncaring. She simply had her own principles she stuck to, principles most everyone was unable to understand.

“What is it, Bronya?”

Bronya hesitated, but she wasn’t one to not see things through, especially as she had gotten this far to Serval’s shop. “Why do you always do so much for me?”

Serval appeared surprised at this question, the surprise being very brief, as she proceeded to click her tongue thoughtfully before smiling at nothing in particular. Her eyes never strayed away from her handiwork.

“Because you do things for the people you love, BeeBee.” Serval told her then, wringing her hands together before reaching over to slowly pull Bronya close, the only thing preventing an embrace being the counter between them. She opened her mouth, appearing to add onto the initial statement, before seeming to decide against it.

The young girl wrestled with her mind, contemplative. Wondering if her next few words were okay to say. If they were intrusive at all. “For my mother?”

That caused Serval to freeze.

She clenched her jaw. “No. That’s… long forgotten. I’m doing all this for you now.”

“But…” Bronya chewed on her lower lip. “You left for a good reason. I know it hurts you to be close again. So why do it for me?”

“Because you are precious to me.” Serval stated calmly. She wiped her hand on a piece of cloth, one that appeared to be fully stained at every corner, looking quite worse for wear. “BeeBee, remember when you first came here? Oh, of course not, you were very small…” There was a wistful look in those deep azure blues when Bronya shook her head. “When you were adopted. I was happy. Cocolia was the happiest. I told myself I would be a part of your family, and I wanted to keep that promise even after your mother sent me away. Admittedly, she didn’t make it easier for me to be close to you, but she’s letting me now, and I’m not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.”

The woman paused, moving from behind the counter to crouch in front of Bronya. The girl wasn’t a small child anymore, she had grown up to Serval’s shoulder since the last Serval was allowed to be near her. But old habits die hard, they supposed. “So what matters most is… I ask you this. Do you want me around?”

Bronya didn’t miss a beat at forming a quick response. “I do.”

Serval embraced her, letting Bronya lean onto her for support when her crutches cluttered to the ground.

“Then, as long as the Supreme Guardian isn’t about to send out a summon for banishment to her former best friend, I’m not about to leave you when you need me most.”

❆

Chapter Text

❆

“Serval, I can’t do this.”  

“Sure you can, BeeBee.” Serval encouraged, her grin wide as she stood at the other end of the room, watching Bronya bend over herself as she struggled, both arms grabbing onto the poles at each of her sides with great strength. Her hands turned white with the effort, and the girl was gritting her teeth in a show of exertion. 

“It hurts . It’s so difficult-” She gasped, taking another careful step forward. She was halfway across the room now, and Serval was there, on the other side, with her arms opened and ready for her.

“I know, I know.” The blonde soothed, maintaining her smile. “You’re so close, honey. Look at you go - you couldn’t even move your legs some weeks ago, and now you’re walking! Just a little bit more…”

“Serval…” The teen cried, though she kept moving. The space in her chest was restricted as beads of sweat broke through her forehead. She took another step, slowly and carefully, taking her time to balance herself before moving forward once again.

“You’re almost there.” It pained her to watch the girl suffer so much, but Serval knew that it was for the sake of her own recovery. If she were to let Bronya fall into herself, overcome by self-loathing for letting herself come to such a state of unwell, it would only be unhealthy for her. Bronya was a fighter, and there could only be one way forward for someone that had such a bright future ahead of her.

So she stayed, for many weeks she did. Though Cocolia was far more than capable of dispatching staff members to help Bronya on her road to recovery, Serval had volunteered herself. It had led to breakouts of massive arguments, arguments that stemmed from how Cocolia insisted that she knew how to care for her own daughter, and how Serval straight up stated that her idea of ‘caring’ was hiring more people instead of attending to Bronya herself. In the end, Cocolia relented, which came as a surprise to Serval, but she was not to look a gift horse in the mouth and instantly took the chance.

Serval had said yes - she always did, even after she was made to give up on her life’s work by the very same woman, demoted to a mundane job of being an engineer that repaired knick knacks. Bronya knew it bored her to death to do that, with nothing more to challenge her brilliant mind.

For many weeks, she left her shop to her assistant, though closing it at times when Molly wasn’t able to work. She couldn’t make Molly work overtime simply because she herself wasn’t present, after all.

But it was worth it to see the girl she’d once raised with Cocolia be back on her own two feet once again, even if it was with the help of an additional set of support.

“Closer…” Serval found herself whispering, and when Bronya looked at her, her eyes glistened with tears.

“Serv- ah!” A misstep, or a knee that shook too much, caused the girl to lose her balance entirely and drop to the floor in an uncomfortable tangle of limbs.

Serval rushed to her side, helping untangle her arms from the poles and placing the offending objects aside. She pulled Bronya up to lean against her, seated carefully on the floor as the girl caught her breath.

“You did so well, Bronya. I’m proud of you.”

Bronya had yet to reach the rest of the way across the room, but she’d made it more than halfway, and that was an improvement, they both knew. The girl sniffed beside her, hurriedly brushing away her tears as if it was improper to shed them. She didn’t say anything, entirely focused on calming herself, but leaned in further when Serval placed her arms around the girl.

“Let’s take a break. I’ve got a surprise for you.”

❆

For a moment, she was rushing forward, Seele by her side. In the next, she was thrown off herself, the result of a particularly large chunk of crystal that had come rolling down the uneven surface and hitting her right beneath the knee as she was unable to dodge in time.

“Bronya!”

Bronya rolled over to her side with a groan. They’d been running, the battlefield far too immense for them to stay rooted to one place for a clear shot at the enemy. It took a tremendous amount of effort for Bronya especially, the cold not doing her joints any favours as more pressure weighed upon her and restricted her every movement.

“Bronya, are you alright?” An extended arm was practically shoved into her face, haste being their only option as attack after attack came at them without mercy.

“I’m fine.” She grumbled, ignoring the way something was rolling around weirdly in her boot, and what felt like a stone in her shoe was moving about against the surface of her leg as she accepted the help. She tentatively placed weight on her legs, and the pain shot through her in an instant, telling her that something was damaged again.

“Are you sure? You look like-” March appeared out of nowhere, forming a temporary ice shield around them. She left out a tiny gap for her to aim and shoot through.

“I’m fine,” Bronya repeated, gritting her teeth and pointedly ignoring the warm, wet feeling against her skin, hidden deep beneath her boots, “This isn't important right now. What matters is we win this fight. Save our world.”

Seele looked unconvinced, but as a warrior herself, she understood almost immediately. She placed a hand on Bronya’s shoulder, a grave look on her expression, and Bronya understood that she’d stand with her till the end.

As their future leader, she’d keep going, even if it was one small step at a time.

❆

Her mother, Bronya thought, took more than she gave when it came to Serval.

The next she saw Serval again was a few days after she’d been shown the blueprints to what looked like a mechanical limb, completed with her own measurements. Serval had called it a leg brace, and that it was meant to make her movements easier and assist in supporting her weight so the full extent of it would not be left to her weakened limbs. Though in Bronya’s eyes, it looked far too detailed and excessive for it to not be more than a simple brace.

She had informed Bronya that the girl was ready for it, after seeing her great progress in returning to become mobile once again. Though an implication was left unspoken, once the parchment was rolled out in front of her.

“I’m not going to fully recover, am I?” The heir asked, tracing the outlines of the drawing. Her expression was stiff, the one she often gave when she was preparing herself for anything.

“According to your doctor, your legs won’t be the same.” Serval answered carefully, brushing silver hair to the side as an act of comfort. “But this will help you feel as normal as possible again. I’ve designed it to fit your every manoeuvrability; your combat skills, techniques, everything. It won’t be as perfect, there may be some deficiencies on the way, but… this will help.” She seemed confident, and Bronya would feel eternally guilty if she were to refuse, after everything the woman had done for her. “If you’d like to accept it, I will begin progress on creating it as soon as I get home.

Bronya had said yes,- how could she refuse? If what Serval said were true, if it were to return her to her original self, efficient and as tirelessly functional as she had always been, then it was like discovering the light at the end of a long tunnel. She’d had to take care of herself to be able to help people, and sometimes that meant accepting the help of others first. She wouldn’t be able to return to the front lines as acting commander if she were to remain as incapacitated as she was now, and would the entirety of Belobog wish for a useless leader?

The Architects would have to elect a new successor to the Supreme Guardian. After all Cocolia had done to train her and teach her everything she knew to reach this point, letting herself be as she was would be futile. She’d disappoint her mother.

She gave the engineer a wide-eyed look, hands clasped together. “Please, Serval.” 

“You don’t need to beg, Bronya.” Serval teased, pulling her into a side hug. “I’ll be back once it’s done.” 

It didn’t take Serval long to return. During the woman’s absence, Bronya had resumed her physical therapy on her own, privately pushing herself more than she needed to. With the renowned hope in her mind, she walked with purpose, and though her legs would never be as strong as they used to be again, her strength of will would forever grow. 

When the day came for them to try out Bronya’s brace, Cocolia was there. She had apparently been informed of the occasion, and when the teen came into the room, pushed into the room on a wheelchair by their butler, she was surprised to discover that both women wore cone-shaped party hats. Only one person could’ve put the Supreme Guardian herself up to that, and Bronya was surprised to know that she would have been able to make it happen. 

There was even cake, made with Bronya’s favourite flavours. They each had a slice before Serval opened a huge case, revealing a pair of mechanical legs - they truly did seem more like actual robot legs than braces. Serval had outdone herself - she’d gone out of her way to carve elaborate designs onto the surface of the metal, while maintaining its functionality.

“Gotta keep the future leader of Belobog stylish.” She said, winking.

They allowed Bronya to take a look at it, completely mesmerised as she ran her fingers delicately against the cool metal, “It looks… nice. Can I try it on?”

As if on cue, Cocolia stepped forward and assisted Bronya to her feet. The teen couldn’t remember the last time she had been in such close proximity to her mother, even if it was for a hug. She held on tighter than necessary, grabbing the arm Cocolia had thrown across her shoulders and simply enjoying the closeness the three of them seemed to have. It had been a long time since they were able to remain in one room without an unpleasant vibe rising from both women.

For a moment, it felt normal, like she was a child again. When the weight of the world was yet to fall on her shoulders, when Cocolia and Serval were still on good terms with each other.

Equipping the brace took less time than expected. All too soon, Cocolia was letting go of her, and already she was missing her mother’s warmth.

“Try a few steps.” She encouraged, remaining at an arm’s length, seeming ready to catch Bronya if she were to fall.

It would be a lie if Bronya were to ever claim Cocolia never spared a moment to love her. She’d been around when it mattered, and as a successor to her mother, Bronya understood better than most that whenever the woman was absent from her life, it was because she was more than a mother. She was a leader.

Determined to make the most of the time the Supreme Guardian had taken out to be with her at that moment, Bronya took the first step as hastily as she dared. To her surprise, her knees didn’t shake with effort as it often did when she was using the poles, and she didn’t feel the impending dread of gravity giving out before her. The brace stabilised her, accepted her weight, and obeyed her every move. Her every step came faster after the next, and soon she’d completed the walk across the room without breaking a sweat. 

She would not need Sebas the butler to push her around in a wheelchair anymore. Serval wouldn’t have to keep encouraging her to keep using her legs. Her mother wouldn’t have to keep getting up every night just to help her get to the restroom. It was like a burden had been lifted, and she was that burden.

She didn’t even care how undignified she looked. Far too elated to care, she walked to her mother as fast as she dared. Cocolia opened her arms and the smile on her face was real, genuine,- joy akin to watching a toddler walk for the first time.

“Mother, mother, look at me!”

❆

“Mother!” Bronya screamed, tugging forward forcefully, but Seele’s grip on her arm was stronger. “I’ve got to get to her - Mother!”

“Stop, it’s too dangerous!” Seele pulled her back with equal strength, and with both of their alternating efforts, it only served to keep the two rooted in place.

A small explosion threw both of them back, causing them to land in an awkward splaying of limbs. Bronya thought she heard something snap, but she couldn’t find it in her to care.

❆

Ignoring the agonising pain in her leg, the unmistakable pain of something quite literally stabbing into her flesh, she limped forward. 

“Mother! Stop!” 

Cocolia was halfway collapsed on the ground, clutching at her chest as she attempted to keep what looked to be a golden orb within her. The Stellaron destabilised, fighting against her hold as it threatened to explode. It was only later when Bronya learnt that the Stellaron could no longer remain sealed within her mother’s body, their bond not working as well as Stelle’s did with her version of the Stellaron. Cocolia’s was parasitic, and once she was defeated, she was no longer a compatible host. 

Bronya may have been imagining it, but it seemed like there was a barrier between her and them. She struggled to get to the Supreme Guardian, hands grasping at something invisible as she attempted to get through. Her mother smiled, a content smile that she hadn’t ever seen grace the woman’s face for years.

Little did she know, was the last she would ever get to see of Cocolia. 

When the Stellaron exploded, taking her mother with it, the only thing left of Cocolia were specks of gold floating off into the coldness of the eternal freeze.

She cried, not for the last time, for a woman that in the end left her a lasting, broken legacy to recover. Bronya had no idea how long she’d sat there, collapsed onto her hands and knees, sobbing for someone that would no longer be able to hold her again. She’d forgotten that she wasn’t alone if someone hadn’t approached her and spoken up, voice ridden with barely-concealed guilt.

“Bronya,” Seele sighed, grabbing an arm, “Come on, let’s get you back.”

She hurriedly wiped her cheeks, hardly minding the uncouth manner she was doing it with the ends of her sleeves. Bronya could almost imagine a faraway voice of her mother’s berating her for this unladylike behaviour.

“S-sorry. I didn’t-” She tried, the words barely forming on her tongue.

“Don’t apologise.” The Underworlder hesitated, “I’m… I’m the one that should be sorry.”

Seele helped her to her feet, and even though it could’ve been anything else bringing her back to reality, out of all things, the movement did. The moment she straightened her legs into an upright position, she felt that stinging pain again, returning once all the numbness of sitting on the snow faded away.

She would’ve fallen had Seele not been there to catch her, wrapping a firm arm around Bronya's torso as the heir struggled to catch her breath.

“Bronya? Bronya, you need to tell me what’s wrong.”

Seeming to understand that she wasn’t ready to stand, Seele lowered the both of them, this time positioning the girl on her lap as she attempted to get Bronya off the cool, unforgiving snow. In any other circumstance, Bronya would have been embarrassed by this position, but right at the moment, that was the least of everyone’s concerns. 

Hesitantly, Bronya breathed inwardly, pulling herself up into a partially seated position by the hold she had around Seele’s shoulders. She straightened her legs, her eyes squinted shut as she did so, the act barely effective at staving off the agonising pain she was now forced to deal with.

Knowing that there was only one thing to do, she slowly reached forward and tried, in vain, to pull the boots off, only for the effort to leave her in a dizzying blur as she fell back into Seele’s hold.

“Let me.” Stelle was speaking. Before she knew it, she could feel the constricting space within released into the cold air, and the pressure was off the space underneath her knees.

There was a shocked gasp from March, and up until that point, she’d completely forgotten that the three trailblazers were with them. 

“Oh Akivili… that’s a lot of blood.” 

Dan Heng spoke next, solemn voice riddled with concern. “That looks serious.” 

“It’s gotten worse…” Stelle uttered under her breath.

“You knew?” March practically screeched, her words immediately shushed by the other two.

Seele paid no mind to them, instead opting to place a hand against the side of Bronya’s neck, turning the girl to face her.

 “Aeons… How were you still standing this entire time?” 

Bronya blinked, never before had she been in such close proximity with Seele’s large indigo eyes - except they’re not quite that colour now, - hints of crimson were slowly taking over. Perhaps Seele would be able to explain the fascinating mechanics behind her unique irises one of these days. 

Before she could calculate a plausible answer to the initial question, Seele was speaking again. 

“We need to take care of this now. We’ll talk about everything that happened later.” The Underworlder readjusted her hold, placing an arm underneath Bronya’s knees and the other one firm against her back. Before she could stand up, however, someone stopped her. 

“Wait… we need to take care of the wound first. She’s losing too much blood.” The only male amongst them spoke. 

“I’m f-fine.” The stutter was unexpected, and the girl blinked again, an attempt at clarifying her oncoming, muddled thoughts, “We need to get to- Serv- ah-!”

She bit down on her own lower lip forcefully when Seele accidentally jostled her, causing her foot to hit the ground. Pain radiated through her bones, and it took everything in her to not cry out.

Realising her mistake, Seele lowered her carefully. “I’m sorry, I didn’t-”

“It’s okay,” Bronya exhaled softly, “It’s okay, it’ll be okay.”

Seele sucked in a strangled breath, “Idiot, I should be the one telling you that!”

Her vision was getting fuzzy, and she found that focusing on the splash of violet and blood red of Seele’s eyes were so much easier than trying to take in the people surrounding her. Brows furrowed in deep worry, and if she wasn’t starting to feel so disconnected with herself, she might have fallen into the temptation of  poking a finger in the space between the Wildfire’s eyes and giggling when her forehead scrunched in further.

More voices spoke, and she could only briefly register the rest of herself being tended to. Seele never kept her eyes off her, the same way Bronya’s own gaze didn’t stray, though it was likely for a far different reason than Bronya’s. She noted the way the girl’s gaze was frantic, concerned, even afraid, and all she could do to alleviate the concern for even the tiniest bit was to catch at the scratch on her friend’s cheek, achieving the miniscule drop of blood that no one else noticed.

“I failed you. I’m sorry.” Seele whispered after what felt like the length of a million of their heartbeats combined together. “I made you a promise…” Her words faltered, and Bronya was certain she was about to cry.

“You didn’t fail to protect me. It was already falling into pieces from the moment I arrived in the Underworld.” She tried to reason, though revealing that she had been hiding it the entire time was likely not helpful in their current plight. “Y-you came to save me, just like you said you would.”

To her surprise, Seele ducked her head, leaning her forehead against the side of Bronya’s face. Her breath was warm against the Overworlder’s collarbone. “What were you thinking? You could’ve killed yourself!”

It was strangely comfortable, Bronya found. She couldn’t remember the last time she was held in such care before. She’d been raised to stand on her own,- steady, strong and alone. After losing the only person she could call family, Bronya felt a part of herself die with it. She wasn’t sure what to feel, or think,- the rest of her wanted to simply give in right then and there. Let her succumb to the blizzard, end the line of false Supreme Guardians for good. These intrusive thoughts were not what her mother would have wanted for her, she was certain- and yet, the temptation existed.

But there were still people waiting for her. She was capable of so much more, granted with the responsibility to strive for the living instead of mourning the dead.

Then someone shook her, and she allowed her eyes to open back to reality once again.

Dan Heng’s voice spoke a moment later as she mildly registered the pull of something tightening against her thigh, “This should hold for the time being.”

“Come on, we have to be quick.” March’s unmistakable voice chirped with anxiety.

Seele’s hold against her tightened, and she felt herself lifted off the ground as the Underworlder stood up.

“Stay awake for me, Princess.” There was an odd fizzing sound as Seele activated the phantom powers Bronya had only seen her use once, clouding both of them in a luminescent purple hue. As they sped past hoards of fragmentum monsters, the creatures being none-the-wiser to the stealthy Wildfire, Bronya heard one last thing before she drifted off to wherever she hoped her mother had to be. 

“I swear to the Aeons if you die on our way back, I’ll kill you myself.”

❆

Chapter Text

- ❆ -

Bronya had an ongoing tradition of waking up in hospitals, it seemed.

When she came to, someone familiar was seated on the plush chair next to her, blonde hair tied into a messy bun and a pair of reading glasses perched upon the bridge of her nose as the woman was deeply immersed in a book she was holding. She watched as the person flipped a page, humming quietly.

For a moment, she imagined that it was her mother, until intelligent azure - not the all too familiar strict, unfazing purple - eyes fell upon her.

“Hey.” Serval closed the book, placing it by the bedside table. She hesitated for a moment before leaning in to press her lips against the crown of the girl’s head, smiling wanly when she pulled back. A hand stayed, stroking the roots of her hair. “How are you feeling?”  

“Alive.” She replied simply, blinking the grogginess out of her eyes. Recent events immediately jumped into the forefront of her memories. “Serval… is mother really…?”  

The final word stayed stuck to her tongue.  

The mechanic bit her lip, and Bronya thought she saw the woman’s eyes glint under the dim light, a shine often seen on the smallest bodies of liquid. “The outsiders and Seele told me everything… Or at least, some of what they thought I may need to know until you wake up… I’m sorry, Bronya.”

Instinctively, immediate denial fell on her tongue, “No, I’m the one-” A finger against her lips stopped her from resuming her statement.

“Hush now.” Serval quietened her, gentle but firm. “Whatever your mother did, you are not to blame for it. Of course there are consequences for it, but that’s the last thing you should worry about right now.”

“But I’m the Supreme Guardian now, aren’t I?” Not once would Bronya ever forget her duties.

Serval straightened herself, the sympathetic look Bronya always hated slowly taking over her features, “You will be. But the Architects are well aware of your physical state. They know you need time to recover. The leadership will be yours as soon as you are well, but don’t worry about the entire world crashing and burning just because you were gone for a few days.”

Bronya wanted to argue, but soon realised that Serval had a point. It wouldn’t do Belobog any good if she were to take over in an unfit state. There was the revelation of recent events, not to mention that she was incapacitated once again.

Before she could mull on it further, a sudden snore interrupted her onslaught of raging thoughts, and her eyes immediately fell on a slumped figure at one corner of the room. Seele was laid across a couch that was much too short for her, with her legs practically falling off and her arms outstretched in the most ungraceful manner. Despite that, she looked perfectly comfortable, and a little twinge of hurt in Bronya’s heart reminded her how the people of the Underworld didn’t likely have very comfortable beds to sleep in at nights, if at all, to find the small hospital couches comfortable.

Noticing where her gaze drifted off to, Serval chuckled lightly. “She carried you all the way back to the restricted zone. Refused to leave your side since. I was certain she would’ve bitten the doctors' heads off if Gepard hadn’t given a hand in holding her back when they took you away.”

“Serval,” She began, suddenly realising something. “Did Seele see…?”

The mechanic raised a brow. “You mean your leg supports? Well yes, was it supposed to be a secret? Considering the brace broke and impaled your leg…” She shook her head, smiling in an attempt to hype her up, “I’ll have to make you a new one, with improved modifications this time. It will be near indestructible, if not completely indestructible. I have no idea how you managed to get it wrecked to such a state. The fights you’ve gotten into the entire time you were gone must’ve been something bigger than the fragmentum.”

As she recalled - it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. She’d somehow managed to break it - or woke up and discovered it broken, the moment she woke up in Boulder Town. She’d gotten into fights with Svarog’s robots, fragmentum monsters and Svarog himself with it already malfunctioning. Stelle had managed to patch it up some, but she still went into the battle with Cocolia with it barely in one piece. If anything, the many battles she’d gotten herself into had only made it worse for wear.

She had no idea the state it was in at the end, but based on Serval’s brief mention of it, it had apparently become damaged enough to cause her mortal harm.  

“You would have had to tell her eventually. She seems to really care about you.” Serval brushed Bronya’s bangs back, still stroking the roots of silver tresses. There was a hint of sadness in her tone, “More than your mother and I did for each other, I think.”

Bronya would talk to Serval about her mother some other time, she decided. As of that moment, the thoughts of her mother weighed heavy on her mind. There was this vision of a parent she’d come to love, and was loved in return, but at the same time there was also this maniacal ruler that practically threatened their entire existence with unrealistic promises.

Silencing her mind, she decided to focus on a different matter. Thoughts of her mother… that can wait.

“I’ve only known her for a few days.” She told the mechanic, thinking of the evolution of her relationship with Seele that had transcended differences and reached mutual understandings, closing her eyes to the gentle caresses of Serval’s calloused hand.

“You’ve been asleep for longer.” Serval felt the need to add, nudging a thumb towards Seele. “She’s been here every day since. Even if you’ve known her for a short time, there’s nothing wrong with that. It seems like now’s as good a time as any to have a fresh start with new people, don’t you think?”

As if on cue, the girl in question stirred. Both Bronya and Serval turned to where Seele was slowly rousing herself, starting with pulling her legs down and stretching her arms up into the air. She cracked her limbs a few times and blinked owlishly at the wall, as if confused as to where she was - when clarity suddenly dawned on her and her gaze immediately snapped to her silver-haired friend on the hospital bed.

“Good morning, Seele.” Bronya greeted warmly, truly overjoyed to see her there. She had no idea if it was actually morning - the curtains were drawn, presumably to let the two girls rest. The only light was from the dimly lit lamp beside Serval, which was the little light she’d used to read earlier.

Seele opened her mouth to say something, only to close it and shake her head in resignation. The Underworlder got off the chair in a few flimsy steps - legs still asleep, most likely - and managed to reach the other side of the bed in record time. Before Bronya could say anything else, or perhaps ask her if she’d slept well, Seele’s arms were around her in an instant.

She accepted the embrace willingly, lightly patting dark hair when a slight shiver went through Seele’s body.

“Did you sleep well?” She asked, receiving an answer in the form of a tightened hug. “I heard you saved me. Just like you promised. Thank you, Seele.”

There was a gruff response against the fabric of Bronya’s hospital gown.

“I apologise, I couldn’t quite catch that.”

Seele lifted her head slightly, though her face was mostly still pressed against the bedridden girl’s shoulder. “I said, you’re an idiot for thinking you could handle it all by yourself.”

“I’m sorry.”

Seeming to sense that this situation needed some privacy, Serval quietly excused herself. She rubbed Seele’s back once before leaving, promising to return.

“Try not to give her too much of a hard time. We still need her.” The mechanic joked, chuckling to herself when Bronya smiled.

Once they were both alone, Seele finally pulled back, revealing her bloodshot, sleep-lidded eyes. She had a bandaid plastered against her cheek, and Bronya couldn’t help but reach up to gently brush the back of her fingers against it.  

“You kept your promise.” She said again, as if in awe of such a fact.  

Seele scoffed, though she didn’t turn away. Instead, she appeared to lean into the light touch. “Thanks for staying alive long enough for me to do it.”

Bronya said nothing, unsure as to how to read into that statement. It felt like it was meant as a joke, but at the same time, there was an underlying bite in it that told her to thread carefully.

Violet eyes narrowed, as if recalling something. “You almost gave in, didn’t you? When I arrived.”

She remembered how Seele had come rushing to her aid that time on Everwinter Hill. How her mind was clouded with the voice of the Stellaron, slowly usurping itself into her consciousness. It had come close to corrupting her, and the only thing that managed to tether her back to reality was the reminder as to how her every action had the ability to affect the lives of many others.

“No. I wouldn’t have done it.” She replied honestly. “Not after everything I’ve come to discover about the Underworld. You’ve opened my eyes, and I was not about to let that slip by.”

There was that flash of crimson in Seele’s eyes again, and for a moment, Bronya misunderstood it as disbelief.

“I meant what I said.” She defended, “I saw through every flaw in my mother’s leadership. No longer will I not question her every action, even now, as her reign has yet to end. I am aware that with my position, I have the power to alter the course of the lives of many, and it is my responsibility to do so in the best interest of everyone, instead of granting it as a privilege to a selected partition of the nation. The Underworld is an important part of Belobog, every nook and cranny of it, and I have no desire to let it fall further into ruin.”

Instead of satisfaction, as she expected to see reflected upon Seele’s face, the Underworlder only stared at Bronya like she’d grown a second head.

“What are you on about? Of course I know you’re not going to be like that wit-” She bit her tongue, lest she insulted the dead, “What I meant was,- I believe you. I’ve always believed you, from the time we talked at the old orphanage. It’s just that y-you-”

Seele gestured to Bronya’s entire body, down to her toes, and her face flushed scarlet.

“Seele?” Bronya tried, “Are you saying you’re angry with me?”

The girl stood, crossing her arms, pointedly avoiding looking at Bronya. “I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you or anything. I’m just-” She paused, recollecting her thoughts, only to suck in a breath and spit out the next few words, “Okay, I’m mad, but Aeons, you scared me, you know? You’re so stupid I swear-”

Bronya pulled herself up into a seated position, careful not to  jostle her bandaged legs. She reached forward and pulled Seele close, relieved when the girl accepted the second hug.

“I have no intention of making you worry. In fact, the reason why was the exact opposite. It would be of no use if I was to become a burden to you all.”

“Can you stop being selfish? You don’t have to be the only one dealing with everything. You’re damn well not alone, Bronya.”

Seele pulled back to look at her.

“Serval told me everything.” She explained, her expression grim. “About the stuff that happened a few years ago, that you got badly injured by the fragmentum and almost couldn’t walk again…” She levelled Bronya with a glare when the girl opened her mouth to speak, “Before you say sorry or anything dumb like that, I wanted to know.” She emphasised, gripping Bronya’s shoulders in  a firm hold. “Okay? I wanted to know this kind of thing about you. I wanted to know the hard stuff and the fun stuff like what your favourite colour is and what you like to eat,- whatever you want to tell me. ‘Cause you’re not alone anymore, got it?”  

Bronya could only stare back, surprised at everything Seele was laying out in front of her. Seele - the girl she’d only met a few days prior, the girl that was merely one of the many people forced to live with the harsh truth of the Underworld, a victim of her mother’s tainted reign.  

A girl that had, ultimately, become one of the most trusted people that would fight by her side until the end of time.  

Seele sighed, then offered her a lopsided smile. She tucked a stray silver hair behind Bronya’s ear, her touch tender for someone so rough. “I always knew you had a lot on your shoulders, I just never thought this would be one of those things. Looks like I’m just going to keep discovering things about you.”

There was a funny edge to her voice. It wasn't annoyance. In fact, Seele sounded almost… content.

“Is it too much?” Her voice came out unexpectedly timid.  

“You’re always going to be too much.” The Wildfire declared. There was no ferocity in her tone,- only fondness. “But I don’t mind it one bit.”

A strange, warm feeling blossomed in her chest. “Thank you, Seele.”

There was barely a moment of silence when Seele spoke again.  

“Can I ask one thing?” At Bronya’s affirmative hum, the girl resumed, "Why didn't you tell me?"

She laughed, in spite of herself. "Would you have treated me any differently if I told you?"

Seele shrugged. They have no way of knowing that now. “You should’ve told me earlier. I could’ve helped you.”  

“I highly doubt that you would be able to provide any assistance aside from benching me from battles, or preventing me from returning to the Overworld alone.” Bronya laughed again, attempting to inflict lightheartedness into what was about to become an intense conversation. She shifted slightly in her bed as she turned to look for something to drink.  

“Nah, you were more than capable of handling that yourself.” The girl mused, reliving the first time they’d fought together, side-by-side. “I still can’t believe you fought with faulty robot legs. No one even suspected anything was wrong. You’re one heck of a fighter, Princess. But then again, I’ve always known that.”  

“Braces.” Bronya corrected her, opening a juice box she’d found sitting on the bedside table with a small note. Serval seemed to remember her favourite. “They’re just leg braces. Serval made them fancier than necessary.”

“Same thing.” Seele decided, causing Bronya to roll her eyes. She seated herself by the edge of the bed, almost appearing to slide right off when it came off unexpectedly softer than the beds she’d been used to. Her arms hovered for a moment towards Bronya, hesitant. “...Are you comfortable?”

Thinking for a moment, Bronya hummed and leaned in when Seele placed a careful arm around her shoulders. It was the closest contact she had in the longest time, not counting what must’ve been an agonising moment for Seele the day she had to carry Bronya all the way to safety. She could barely remember anything then, only of Seele holding her close, giving her all the warmth she had, with eyes so wonderful Bronya would never dare look away. She realised now that it was simply Seele keeping her awake, alive.

Other than a slight itch deep within the bandages, she was feeling fine, she decided. Thanks to Seele.

“I’m alright.” She answered, closing her eyes when the weight of the other girl’s cheek pressed against the top of her head. “Seele?”

“Sorry, am I getting too touchy?” She pulled away instantly, to which Bronya stopped in record time.

“No! No, you’re fine.” She held Seele’s arm in place, looking up and hoping she wasn’t appearing too bedraggled upon having just woken up moments ago. Seele was frowning, though she made no move to leave. Slowly, she touched the  band-aid again, to which a warm breath of air met her palm.  “What’s wrong?”

“I-” She looked embarrassed, for a reason Bronya could not fathom. “I’m… I’m just glad you’re alive.”

She understood instantly. The aching feeling Seele must’ve felt, Bronya understood. She’d felt it in the uncountable moments of death, the times when she’d lost soldiers on the battlefield. When people she once knew passed. When these people that she could once protect and touch and care for, whether it be to hand packages of food to, to give orders to, to speak to,- with all the people that she used to regret not spending more time with when she had the chance. She’d felt it over and over.

She felt it when her mother died.

And with that, she understood. Fear of loss was one thing the two girls in that hospital room were not unfamiliar with.

Instead of thanking Seele, or telling her how it was all alright now, Bronya settled with a gentle smile, “I am.” She pulled the blanket down, patting the space next to her. Seele stared at her quizzically from where she was already halfway off the bed, “It’s alright if you want to get close, Seele. I understand.”

Seele’s face twisted so oddly, Bronya had to hold back a laugh. It was funny, she thought, how they’ve only met a few days ago, and they’re already so comfortable with each other’s presence.

The Underworlder didn’t say a word as she slowly returned to Bronya’s side, eyes purposefully looking at everything but Bronya. She sat down  and her arms went around the bedridden girl’s stomach this time, causing Bronya to idly recount how this had to be their third hug for that night - or day, she still had no idea. Their heads bumped together, and neither girl seemed to mind it one bit.

 “What do we do now?” Seele asked quietly, contentedly. Almost as if she was asking what their future would be together.

But Bronya knew the real truth of the question. Everything would change. Nothing would be easy from then on. How would they plunge further forward into such an unpredictable future?

“We have to figure out what to tell people about Mother…” She said, voice lowered as if anyone could be listening. Taking a sip of the juice, one she had nearly forgotten - if only all of the heavy thoughts could be as easily forgotten -, she paused, quenching the thoughts of her mother’s demise away from her mind. “...Then we rebuild the bridge between the Underworld and the Overworld.”  

She must’ve looked uncertain, because Seele reached up to clasp her hands above Bronya’s, almost squeezing all the juice out of the box.  

“Hey, I’m with you, okay? I meant what I said at the orphanage. I’ll stand with you.”

She allowed herself to smile, to believe in the future they could build from that moment on. “I’ve never doubted you.”  

“So… together?”  

“Together.”

❆