Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“There is no way this could get weirder.” Those were the last words that Azurite thought as they sat in the Ancient Glade, surrounded by the friends they had known for years and those they had met just recently. Well… as recently as it can get when you were in a time loop for void knows how long. Despite the song being long finished, Azurite felt wrong collapsing the possibilities, they didn’t want to let go just yet.

Looking around, it seemed like that was the sentiment that each of the travelers had. Or it appeared to be so, it was hard to tell what expressions Gabbro, Feldspar, Riebeck, and Chert had underneath their helmets. Esker seemed content, but they are often like that, part of Azurite didn’t quite believe that they fully understood the weight of everything that happened. Solanum’s expression was even harder to read, but her stance gave the idea that she might be nervous. Solanum noticed, and simply nodded, ready to see what happened next. Azurite took a deep breath…. and touched the smoke above the campfire….

It's dark

Why is it dark

Did the possibilities collapse?

Is this what the Eye did once it’s time for a universe to end?..

It’s so cold…

Is that thunder?....

Pain. That was all that Azurite felt. They tried to move, but everything hurt. They tried to open their eyes, but it felt like there was something holding them closed. They couldn’t move. They couldn’t see. All that was left was to listen, and that was when it got weirder.

They heard the unmistakable sounds of the Hearthian village, the sounds of geysers, hatchlings playing outside, faint sounds of Slate working on their next project.

Were they…. back home?

“Careful, we still don’t know exactly what happened to the hatchling.” An older voice spoke from nearby; it was hard to guess who it was, but after a while Azurite realized that it was Gneiss.

Were they in the medicinal cabin?

“I know Gneiss, but I still don’t understand how a Hearthian could withstand such injury and still survive,” A second voice spoke, “We don’t even have record of this hatchling, Tektite said that they found this one out cold when a sudden explosion happened near that Phantom grove.” Azurite was certain that it was Porphy speaking, solidifying that they were in the medicinal cabin. Wait… there was no record of them?...

What did the Eye do?....

“Porphy, I understand your concerns,” replied Gneiss, “but we still need to focus on stabilizing them and making sure that there are no further complications.”

There was silence for a while after that, Azurite guessed that one of the two had left the cabin. It gave them time to think about what they heard. There was no record of Azurite existing, how is that possible? Would they have to fully restart their life in a familiar place where they were a complete stranger to everybody?

Azurite had no idea how much time had passed, hard to keep track of it when there is cloth over their eyes, but they could roughly tell that it was getting closer to nighttime since the sounds of hatchlings playing outside had quieted down. How much else has changed? They couldn’t even begin to answer that question before another voice broke the silence.

“Porphy?!” was all that was said. Azurite felt a pain in their chest, it was Gossan. Their old flight instructor. “Porphy! Rutile wants to know how the found hatchling is doing!”

It felt so wrong being called a hatchling again, they weren’t that young, they had passed their sapwine ritual just before the nightmare of the time loop had started. But if Porphy’s words were to be believed, not a single soul on Timber Hearth knew who Azurite was. Gossan never trained them to be a pilot, did they even train anyone after Riebeck graduated? Azurite winced at the thought, having to restart their training from the beginning, although they did have a slight advantage of having done everything that Gossan taught them a thousand times over.

A thought crossed Azurite’s mind, maybe they were in the past? At a time before they hatched? That would explain the “no record of existence” that Porphy mentioned. If only they could get a look at Gossan. And against their better judgement, Azurite tried to remove the bandages around their eyes.

Their entire body felt like it was on fire, just moving their arm sent searing pain through their body. After a few moments, they were able to remove the bandages. There wasn’t even any evidence of blood on them, why did someone put them on? It took a short bit of time before Azurite’s eyes adjusted to the dim light of the cabin, looking out the window confirmed that it was nighttime. The cabin itself looked just like how it did before Azurite launched for the first time, so that didn’t help their mental theory. They couldn’t see Gossan from where they were laying, making it even harder to pinpoint roughly at what time they were in Hearthian history. Azurite then turned their head to look outside, maybe the few things they learned from Chert could help with their time-based dilemma.

“PORPHY!!!” A scream interrupted Azurite’s stargazing, “Porphy, the hatchling is awake!!!” That panic, Azurite knew it all too well. The same panic that Gossan had in their voice when they were told about Feldspar being alive inside of Dark Bramble. Azurite forever regretted that loop, having to explain how they were able to know that, how they found Feldspar before launching, and furthermore about how they had to prepare to be the one to bring Feldspar home. The memories of that loop caused Azurite to tear up slightly.
It didn’t help when they felt a hand on their face, wiping away the few tears that escaped. Looking over, they saw Gossan, face riddled with fear and worry. They looked just the same as they did before Azurite launched…. Azurite never hatched in this universe….

They did not belong here

They were alone again

Was this a punishment from the Eye?

Chapter Text

There wasn’t as much pain the next time Azurite opened their eyes; their right arm still stung a bit when they moved it though. Sitting up, they looked around the cabin. *Still the same* they thought, deciding to try and step outside.

“Hatchling?! Don’t try to get up now!” Porphy’s voice cut through the herb scented silence, almost as if they read Azurite’s thoughts. “Your arm is still a mess, and I haven’t been able to properly check you for any hidden injuries since Gneiss didn’t want to risk it worsening your coma.”

“Why are you calling me ‘hatchling’, I’m not that young y’know?” Azurite carefully asked, slightly dazed.

“We don’t know your name, there isn’t any record of you.” Porphy’s response felt like a falling stalactite from Ember Twin pierced their heart.

“But….” *don’t cry, don’t cry, don’t cry” “Everything feels the same to me…”

“Hatchling, it’s okay.” Porphy soothed, “You do seem to be about the same age as Granite, so at least we have a rough age for you.”

The room felt like it was spinning. Who was Granite? Azurite had to fight the urge to ask that question, there was no Granite in the village before they went to the Eye. But it also couldn’t have been a scenario where they’re in the future either, both Gossan and Porphy look the same.

“Do you remember your name hatchling?” Porphy’s voice cut through their thoughts.

“Huh? Oh… it’s Azurite.” The response was shakier than they wanted to, but not much can be done when faced with this kind of second chance.

Porphy didn’t reply after that, simply smiling and writing it down in their notes. Azurite sat down on the bed, their head swirling with thoughts.

You don’t have a place here

They don’t remember you

No-one knows you existed before

You are alone

Is this the void that Gabbro talked about it? Oh stars… Gabbro… The relationship that the two of them slowly carved together over the span of thousands of loops… it’s all gone… Would they be able to begin to try again or did this “Granite” Hearth took their spot there as well.

“Porphy!” A younger voice pulled Azurite out of their thoughts. They looked up, ears still ringing from the void, they couldn’t hear what Porphy was saying but they were able to read their lips as they said the younger one’s name.

Granite

Azurite couldn’t feel anything around them. The void was overpowering them. They wanted Gabbro…. Their Gabbro…

But they’re gone

You can never get them back

“Are you okay Azurite?” a voice, Granite’s voice, piercing through the raging sea of thoughts. Azurite couldn’t respond though, would they make things worse if they called for Gabbro? Was Gabbro even alive in this universe? Azurite didn’t even notice themselves signing Gabbro’s name, almost out of instinct.

“Porphy? Could you ask Hornfels to radio Gabbro?” Granite called out, “I think Azurite is asking for them.”

The next few days felt like a blur, was Gabbro looking for their ship? There weren’t many visitors, mainly Porphy, but Gneiss and Gossan did stop by a few times to see how they were doing. Azurite never spoke though, their mind never quiet thanks to the void. They didn’t know how to process the fact that their lover now never knew that they existed. All their conversations now seemingly never happened. The loop where Azurite confessed, none of it happened in this universe. There were moments when Azurite would continuously scratch at their arm, but Porphy would often stop them before it caused blood to begin beading from the injuries.

“Do you know why they specifically asked for Gabbro?” It was one of the few things that Azurite remembered from that week after they woke up. It was Hornfels, likely shortly after radioing for Gabbro to return to Timber Hearth; they still weren’t back, their ship needing repair assistance from Esker. Porphy didn’t have an answer though, since Azurite had mentally shut down after their realization.

They will never remember the adventures you had together

Chapter Text

It was about another week after that brief conversation between Hornfels and Porphy before anything the void let Azurite remember. Despite being just about fully recovered from their physical injuries, Azurite was still confined to the medical cabin due to their mental shutdown. It had gotten so bad at that point; Azurite didn’t even notice Gabbro entering the cabin.

“So, you’re Azurite?” Gabbro’s voice was still just as nonchalant as from before the Glade, “Why did you call for me?”

Azurite’s chest felt extremely tight; how would they explain everything that happened to their once lover? It was too much for them to contain, they didn’t even notice the tears forming.

“Heh, the void is loud for you, isn’t it?”

“I- I don’t know how to explain everything…” was all that Azurite could choke out.

Gabbro didn’t reply to that, they didn’t need to. Somehow, despite never meeting Azurite before, they knew exactly what they were going through. A gentle hug was all that it took before Azurite broke into heavy sobs. They didn’t realize how loud they were crying until Porphy and Gossan ran into the cabin to make sure nothing bad was happening.

“Whatever happened to them before they were found,” Gabbro quietly said, “it was something that I don’t think should have happened to anyone.” There wasn’t much after that which broke the silence, aside from Azurite’s periodic sobs. Somehow, despite them effectively being complete strangers, there was some sense of familiarity from how Gabbro held them. It made Azurite faintly hope that Gabbro at least remembered the Ancient Glade.

But they don’t

You don’t know that

Your hope is nothing but a distraction

It’s pointless

That night was the first night in a while where they got a decent amount of sleep.

Chapter Text

The morning after Gabbro visited, Porphy decided it was time to start integrating Azurite into the village. They explained what it would entail, it all felt slow for Azurite. Azurite isn’t used to the life that the other villagers enjoy, having joined the space program about a month after Feldspar’s disappearance. All they knew was the thrill of training and the freedom of space, and now they were confined to the crater. Porphy insisted that this would benefit them, and they hoped it would. Maybe slowing down will help them understand what exactly happened.

Gneiss had arrived at the cabin by then, having Azurite join them in helping with the hatchlings. They liked hatchlings, often enjoying the games that Tephra and Galena would come up with, but the freshly hatched ones always gave them anxiety. Gneiss insisted that it would be fine, and that the agenda for today didn’t involve the younglings. Sounded simple enough, just sit off to the side and make sure no-one gets injured.

“Are you okay there?” Gneiss asked, “you seem uneasy”

Azurite hadn’t even noticed that they were fidgeting, it was almost second nature to them. Going from dodging jaws of angered anglerfish to babysitting hatchlings was quite a big jump for about a week’s time. Azurite did give a meek apology that Gneiss shook off with a laugh, telling them it wasn’t needed. It did make them remember what Gabbro had told them during a loop once, around the 500’s mark.

“You seem nervous”

“How can I not be?” Azurite borderline screamed, “We’re reliving the forced death of our sun at the hands of the Nomai!”

“Come here, Zuri” Zuri was the nickname that Gabbro had given them when the two were still hatchlings. Gabbro was beckoning Azurite to lie down on their hammock, sensing that they needed to slow down a bit. There was silence between them for a while, save for the noises of the ever-passing tornadoes on Giants Deep.

“I’m going to try and land on the Sun Station next loop,” Azurite whispered, “if there’s an answer to what’s causing the sun to explode, then it would be there."

Gabbro didn’t respond to that, simply nodding.

That next loop was one permanently burned into their memories.

”Azurite?” Gneiss’ voice interrupted the lovely trip down memory lane, “is everything okay?”

Azurite quickly wiped the tears that formed, nodding in response. Gneiss decided that it would be better for them to switch directions for the day, sending them to Hornfels to help them with sorting out the notes that Riebeck had brought from Brittle Hollow. Most of the notes were what Azurite expected: notes about the escape pod ruins, entrance to the southern observatory, old settlement. Some of the notes on the old settlement were hard to read, they guessed that Riebeck had noticed the black hole.

“Did Riebeck ever get to the Hanging City?” Azurite asked when looking over some notes about the gravity crystals.

“I don’t think they have,” Hornfels’ response was almost melancholy, “The gravity inversion properties of the crystals lead them to feeling motion sick.”

Azurite had to hold back from saying that they understood how Riebeck must have felt, they didn’t want to end up grounded before even getting a chance to restart their astronaut training.

“The sun is going to be setting soon,” Azurite got startled by that, not noticing that it has been several hours, “why don’t you head out and join the others by the campfire?”

Azurite didn’t respond, simply choosing to nod. Thanking Hornfels for letting them help, they carefully exited the observatory. The museum itself felt much the same, but they did tense up a bit when walking past the Nomai statue. Unlike the last time they saw it, its eyes were still closed. It made Azurite feel uneasy

“Are you going to be joining us at the campfire tonight?” Gabbro’s calm voice felt like ice down their back.

“AH! Oh, hey Gabbro.” Azurite took care to not knock anything over, “Uh, yeah sure. I’ll join.”

Walking out of the museum, Azurite noticed the image of the founders hanging right by the entrance. It was different that how they remembered it, it was still taken shortly after the Ventures were created but this time around Esker was in the image. How did Azurite being here affect whether Esker was in the founder’s photo?

“Lost in your thoughts again?” They’re never going to get used to how suddenly Gabbro could appear from behind them. Azurite didn’t respond, just playfully pushing them away and walking down towards the campfire.

The campfire itself felt like any other, but their heart still stung knowing what happened the last time they were at one with a larger group. The only members of the travelers were Riebeck, Esker, and Gabbro. Was Chert still on Ember Twin? There was a bit of music played, mainly by Riebeck, a few of the older hatchlings were there as well. At some point, Granite walked over and asked how their first day out of the cabin was, Azurite kept their answer simple since that’s what their day was. There was a bit of tension relief in Azurite’s heart when Gabbro didn’t really look at Granite any differently than they had looked at Azurite. So it looks like they had a chance to slowly recarve the love that the two of them shared in another universe. Watching the fire slowly crackle as small embers floated up into the deep sea of stars above, they didn’t even realize that they were slowly drifting off to sleep while resting on Gabbro’s shoulder. The only thing faintly indicating that was a distant feeling of Gabbro’s hand on their side, slowly bringing them closer to the older Hearthian.

“Have you ever wondered what the Ancient Glade looks like?”

“I never thought of that before.”

“Heh, neither have I buddy.” Gabbro laughed, “But I do sometimes have dreams of an endless sea of trees taller than the stars.”

It took Azurite a while to understand what Gabbro meant by that.

Chapter Text

It’s been about a month since Azurite was integrated into village life, and they felt like they fell into a routine. After about 2 weeks, Porphy and Rutile agreed that it was beneficial for them to be allowed to travel outside the crater. It was like when Slate did so, let someone else know and keep a radio on you so that you can be reached if needed. But this particular trip outside the crater was one where Azurite realized that things might indeed get weirder.

It started off normal, Gossan was going to explore the abandoned Nomai mines since Granite noticed the entrance on a fly-by. The trip towards the mines themselves was nothing odd, simple conversations and Azurite trying to get a bearing on the historical differences. There was something odd though; when they asked Gossan if they would be able to eventually get training to become a member of the ventures, all they got in response was Gossan looking away from them and saying, “I can’t.” Azurite didn’t push the issue further.

The mines themselves didn’t look nor feel any different than when Azurite had explored them, so it wasn’t difficult to cause confusion within their old flight coach. The pair carefully traversed the ruins, noting the differences between the Hearthian mines and these ones. Upon reaching the top platform, something felt different. When Gossan went towards the center to look at the gravity elevator, Azurite took that as their chance to identify the source. It didn’t take long, finding a smaller than usual Nomai staff hidden behind a scroll inscription wall. Did this belong to a Nomai hatchling? The staff itself was the right size to be used by them, despite not being able to understanding how to operate it.

“Azurite!” Gossan called out, “Come take a look at this!”

The thing their flight coach wanted to show them was the gravity well conveyor system that the Nomai had used to help with extracting the ores. Gossan was fascinated when seeing it, making a joke about how their mining days would have been a lot easier if they had something similar.

The visit to the mines was wrapped up shortly after that interaction. But Azurite made a note to return there by themselves to be able to bring that staff home. And bring it home they did, a few days after visiting the mines with Gossan. During that second trip, they even found some parts of a Nomai spacesuit. They made sure there wasn’t evidence that it was worn when the Interloper’s core ruptured, but it seemed like these were forgotten about long before then. The parts they found looked like a set of boosters, meant to be attached to the boots of a spacesuit. If they could gain enough trust to be able to slip away without being called back, they might be able to explore space once again. But what did Gossan mean when they said that ‘they can’t’? Azurite knew that back when they originally tried to begin training, Gossan initially refused because it was shortly after Feldspar went missing. But what happened in this universe that caused the same response when it has been 8 years since the incident?

Azurite chose to not dwell on that for now, as they had Nomai tech to learn about. It seemed that the boosters needed the staff in order to be used, Azurite began to slowly regret not taking a few loops to learn how to manually translate Nomai. Trial and error wouldn’t hurt, right?

And so they tested, spending another 3 weeks simultaneously earning the trust from the villagers while figuring out how to explore space once more when the sun was gone for the day. Eventually, they figured out the combination that allowed them to activate the boosters. The fuel efficiency on them was shot though, just barely enough for them to get out of the atmosphere, so they needed to figure out how to offset that. They knew that there should be some refuel spots on each of the planets, but they were difficult to reach when the amount they had to begin with was equivalent to a quarter of a regular jetpack’s fuel tank. Azurite toyed with the idea of asking Slate for advice, but that would mean risking blowing their cover. Having questioned the mechanic as to why Gossan couldn’t train them leading to the older Hearthian nearly snapping at them. They knew that it couldn’t have been the eye thing, did something else happen?

During all this time, Azurite was walking wherever their thoughts took them outside the crater. Nomai staff in hand, so that they could test combinations without fear of being seen. Eventually they wandered their way to Youngbark Crater, the bramble seed was still there. Some of the roots were hacked off, to prevent the spread, but the central ‘node’ was still there. Its white glow of fog was calling, knowing that Azurite knew that Feldspar’s camp was on the other side of it. Azurite also knew that the Nomai staff they held had some form of similar mechanism to the Hearthian scouts, how else would the Nomai knew which parts of Brittle Hollow were stable. They also knew the combination, having accidentally activated it when trying to figure out how to get the boosters working. Carefully pointing the end of their staff at the center of the node, taking a deep breath…

They input the combination.

The recoil was powerful, not meant to be experienced by a Hearthian, causing Azurite to fall on their back. Slightly dazed, they look at the screen of their staff. While they cannot exactly understand what is being shown, they knew one thing.

The small probe landed where they hoped it would.

Knowing that it would take a while to perform a full terrain scan, since they didn’t know how to stop or retrieve it without going to Dark Bramble themselves, they left the Crater pondering about how they would translate all of the readings that were shown.

Riebeck would not be the one they turned to, since they would have more interest in the staff rather than the output logs it was producing.

A vague memory flashed in Azurite’s mind as they approached the village and saw Gabbro’s ship on the launch pad…

“What do you mean you know how to read Nomai???”

“Never found reason to tell you buddy.” Gabbro said while still looking at the image that their lover brought them. “My understanding isn’t as good as Riebeck, but I can get a basic idea of what it being said.”

Would that mean that this universe’s Gabbro also knew how to read Nomai? It was worth a shot, given that the older Hearthian had recently invited them to go fishing.

“There you are!” speaking of Gabbro, “Was just about to go looking for you, ready to go fishing?”

Fishing was one of the few hobbies that Gabbro had that didn’t have them remain in their hammock. The two hadn’t gone fishing together since Gabbro had their first launch, since shortly after that was when Azurite started their training. Then the time loop happened, and they never found a time to be able to go again.

The river that Gabbro brought them to was not too far away from the village itself, a calm stream within a nearby set of woods. The two of them set up their little hideaway for the afternoon, which included some sapwine that the older one snuck out from Porphy’s favourite batch. It’s almost like they remembered.

“Any findings about that staff?” Gabbro asked, breaking the calm silence between them.

“Sort of,” Azurite replied, “I was able to fire a scout of sorts into the seed at Youngbark, it’s giving me some readings right now but then they stopped when I ran into you.”

“Let me take a look.”

Azurite carefully turned the screen of the staff towards their once lover, trying to analyze the look in their eyes. It was the same look that they once saw during their time loops, focus.

“I think it says that the analysis was interrupted when something moved the scout.” Gabbro said semi-confidently, “There’s something alive in there.”

Azurite saw a look that they had never seen before, fear. They never saw Gabbro afraid before, the always calm collected Hearthian in front of them was now showing signs of nervousness.

“We need to get this fully written down to show to Hornfels, once the reading finishes when the scout has stopped moving. You might be able to have the staff write it onto a surface afterwards.”

That part didn’t go as planned, forcing them to mentally restructure their plans of getting back into space. Maybe they’ll be able to join Gossan, since they knew 100% that the thing that moved the ‘scout’ was Feldspar.

The two Hearthians didn’t talk much after that, choosing a comfortable silence periodically broken by a caught fish and the sounds of them drinking wine. Azurite missed these times, sitting near the one they still loved, listening to the quiet humming that was a habit of Gabbro’s. They felt as though the sapwine is what made things more comfortable, it’s like the Gabbro right beside them was truly their Gabbro once again.

It was so comfortable in fact, that they didn’t notice that Gabbro had decided to move closer to them. Almost as close as they were back at that campfire 2 months ago, Azurite didn’t quite notice what was going on until they felt someone turning them. They were now facing Gabbro, who was now much closer to their face than before. Too close for drunken friendly banter. It felt right, it felt normal. Were they maybe misremembering what happened after they woke up? Did they mishear Porphy when they said that Azurite never existed?

“Gabs?” Azurite carefully whispered, “what are yo-“

They never got to finish that sentence. Gabbro had closed the gap between the two, which caused Azurite to melt almost instantly. The warmth that they were silently begging to feel once more, the feeling of fireflies within their stomach. It was here once more. Azurite almost accepted it when the two had fallen over, Gabbro having pushed a bit too far. Seeing the shocked expression on the older one’s face, now above them, the two broke out into laughter that was silenced by yet another warm kiss.

The two never properly finished their fishing trip, choosing instead to fill the dark night with passionate kissing.

…

Azurite woke up in their cabin, not remembering how they got there. They must have drunk more sapwine than they thought. Their staff was beside the bed, with a small note stuck to the screen.

“Thanks for joining be on that fishing trip,” it read, Azurite immediately knew it was from Gabbro, “I can’t remember much after telling you about that scout’s reading, hope I didn’t say anything embarrassing while drunk.

• Gabbro”

Gabbro didn’t remember what happened?

…

Did you really think it was going to be that easy?

Chapter Text

The reading stopped going through, Gabbro confirmed that the last line on the staff’s screen read,

* Advanced Terrain Scan Finished *

Meaning all that was left was to somehow transfer this to paper then present it to Hornfels. Which was easier said than done, Nomai writing like this wasn’t meant to be put on paper. It was meant to be contained in their data scrolls. Gabbro suggested just using the staff to transcribe everything onto the ground or a wall and go from there, which is what Azurite chose as it would be easier.

The walk up to the observatory felt more tense than usual; they could explain the way they got the data, claiming that they learned how to shoot that ‘scout’ on accident and got curious, but how would the founder react? Best case scenario, Hornfels is fascinated, and it gets them a recommendation into becoming an astronaut. Worst case scenario is that they get in trouble for sneaking back into the Nomai mines without telling anybody. Hopefully.

“Hornfels?” Azurite called out, “I think you’re going to want to see this.” They nearly froze at the top, Hornfels wasn’t alone. Gossan and Slate were there as well, this was going to be tense.

“Azurite?” the youngest of the founder’s replied, “what do you have to show?”

“I think it’s better for you to see it rather than me explain it,” they meekly said, “how good are your translation skills?”

Hornfels didn’t get a chance to respond, their light confusion replaced with fascination as Azurite used the staff to sprawl the finished log onto the wall that was used to help with Nomai translation.

“The staff has almost like a Nomai version of a scout,” Azurite briefly explained, “I got curious and sent it through the bramble seed in Youngbark Crater.

Gossan and Slate stood there in shock as Hornfels began slowly translating the information.

"This is fascinating!" Hornfels said in awe, "It's giving us information about what is inside of Dark Bramble!" They were already grabbing some paper to write all of what they read down.

"It definitely is," Azurite nodded in response, "This 'unknown material' part has to be the bramble itself, given that the Nomai likely never got a chance to scan it themselves."

The only thing that was left from the original simple scan was a brief bit of information about what was just barely around the ‘scout’ when it landed,

* Simple Terrain Scan Complete *

* Materials identified: bone, ERROR UNKNOWN MATERIAL DETECTED NO KNOWN MATCH FOUND *

* Beginning Advanced Terrain Scan *

* ERROR TERRAIN SCAN INTERRUPTED *
* TERRAIN SCAN WILL CONTINUE WHEN SPARK IS MOTIONLESS *

* No SPARK motion detected in 15 minutes, continuing Advanced Terrain Scan *

“That’s odd..” Slate noted.

"So what does this part mean?" Gossan asked, "Is it saying that there's something alive inside of Dark Bramble?" Pointing to a branch of the spiral.

* Detecting living creature. *
* Exact profile unknown, scanning for similarities *
* Partial match found to species found on Timber Hearth *

Everyone in the room froze when that section was read aloud. Partial match?

“P- partial match?” Hornfels choked out, “what does that mean?”

“A match to our ancestors?” Slate suggested, “I mean, it’s not like they could have a data scan match for today’s Hearthians.” The engineer did have a point, if Azurite remembered correctly then in their universe it had been just about 300 thousand years since the Nomai had died. Was it a similar amount of time here? They didn’t have time to theorize until a single sentence felt like it sent the entire universe into silence.

“Slate… Gossan…” the historian’s voice was just barely a whisper, “I think this ‘spark’ is detecting Feldspar…”

“WHAT???” Slate’s voice echoed through the room, “That is physically impossible, they’re dead. They’ve been dead for 8 years!”

“Maybe the inside of Dark Bramble acts differently than the outside?” Azurite asked.

“DON’T SAY THAT!” Slate yelled, “I’M DONE HOLDING OUT HOPE!”

The engineer stormed out afterwards, mumbling how the tech must be faulty. But deep down, they knew it wasn’t. They all knew it wasn’t faulty

Feldspar was alive

Chapter Text

That night, Azurite barely slept. They contemplated how they would approach the rescue operation; would they join up with Gossan and tag team it or would they go on their own? Would they recreate one of their favourite loops but with more stability this time or would they go the easy way? Their mind kept swirling with thoughts, it was difficult for them to hear the noises of the campfire gathering outside. They almost forgot that it was happening today, a bi-annual celebration that honored the beginning of the Outer Wilds Ventures.

“Azurite!” Granite called out, “I was beginning to worry that you wouldn’t be joining us!”

While they wouldn’t consider Granite to be as close a friend that their Hal was, the two did manage to create a stable friendship despite the confusing beginning. The gathering itself was not something they’d experienced before their… experiences…

It was lively, exciting, hatchlings were running around playing games. The adults were in distinct groups, mainly around those they’re closest to. Even Esker is back from the Attlerock. It felt natural for Azurite to be there, as if they were always here. Like they finally belonged.

Almost instinctively, they found where Gabbro was at. They were chatting with Hal and Marl. The two shared eye contact for a little while, the older one playfully smirking which yielded a blushing startle from Azurite. They liked to believe that the two now had a relationship that was around the 400^th loop. Not quite to the point that the two confessed their feelings, but also not total strangers. Although, it did come with confusing actions from their friend. Gabbro kept acting the exact same way that their Gabbro did whenever the two spend loops together, and it was uncanny.

Azurite realized that they were staring once they saw a shocking action, Gabbro and Marl were chatting when suddenly the two leaned in and kissed…

Shock ran through Azurite’s body; did they imagine the things that Gabbro did? The secrets they whispered, the moments they shared? Was it all real? Rutile noticed Azurite go still and carefully lead the younger Hearthian away from the main crowd.

“Are you okay?” The mayor asked.

Azurite couldn’t speak, their mind filled with a mixture of betrayal and confusion. Anger and sadness.

Rutile didn’t mind the silence, carefully pulling the younger one into a hug. It didn’t quite feel the same as when Porphy hugged them, not as gentle, but it was also not similar to Gossan’s hugs either. It felt genuine, like Rutile knew what was going on in Azurite’s mind.

“I know how it feels to worry that your loved one turned their back on you,” Rutile whispered, “But Gabbro is the kind of Hearthian to be more free-spirited.”

Azurite blinked, holding back tears.

“They still love you, Azurite, but you aren’t the only one.”

It felt wrong to hear that, for ages Gabbro was the only thing they had that actually changed. They wanted that back. They wanted to feel that way again.

“I’ll leave you be for now,” Rutile said while standing up, “Don’t be afraid to call for someone if you need company, okay?”

Rutile didn’t even wait to see if Azurite would respond before retreating back to the main celebration.

They were alone again, both physically and metaphorically.

Would they have to move forward like this? Knowing that Gabbro loved someone else?

Are you surprised by that?

Azurite lied down on the ground, silently begging their thoughts to leave them alone.

The noises of the celebration were too loud.

Hearing Gabbro’s laugh, genuine, it hurt.

They were laughing with Marl, someone who never showed any interest in Gabbro before.

The laughter that they only heard whenever Gabbro was with someone they loved deeply.

They wished they could tear their ears off.

They wished to just disappear.

They closed their eyes to try and block it all out.

…

Silence.

That all too familiar silence.

What happened?

They carefully opened their eyes…

Void…

How were they back here?

An endless ocean of trees… taller than the stars…

The Ancient Glade

There’s no way that this should have been possible, the last time they found themselves here was by entering the Eye. Panic rose through them as they began pacing around. How were they back here?

Would they be forced to reset all over again?

“You’ve got nothing to worry about Zuri.”

That voice…

That nickname…

Azurite turned around so fast that their neck audibly cracked,

“Gabbro?...” Their voice cracking.

Their lover stood there, without their space suit. They were alive. Azurite ran towards them, finally being able to embrace their lover in a hug. The taller Hearthian rarely gave tight embraces, but this one felt like they were scared to let go.

Azurite felt the same way.

“You’re alive…” Azurite crocked out while quietly crying into their lover’s chest.

“I don’t think I ever properly died”

Gabbro always joked with the idea of their own mortality, despite rarely joining Azurite in their adventures.

The two stood in silence, carefully embracing each other. Afraid to let go.

“I thought I lost you…”

Gabbro’s response was simply to pull them in closer, their heartbeat a steady rhythm that never failed to help Azurite relax.

“Why don’t we sit by the fire and eat some mallows?” their lover suggested.

The two loved sharing marshmallows by a fire, it was a small constant in an ever-repeating heat death of the universe. Azurite was just about to ask where they would get the mallows from when they saw a campfire suddenly appear just ahead.

I forgot how quantum this place is

“Sometimes these are all that are needed to help someone relax.”

Azurite barely responded, holding on to Gabbro’s hand. Worried that if they let go, then Gabbro would disappear.

As the two sat together by the fire, it helped Azurite feel peaceful after 3 months in this new universe. But this little string that tied their heart to Gabbro’s, it continued to hold them back.

“You need to let go of me.” Gabbro spoke, breaking the loving silence.

“What?”

“Even though I can’t explain it, I can feel that there is another version of me that you know. That you love.”

“Gabbro…”

“I will always love you, but you need to learn to love the version of me that exists now. Not the one that vanished with our old universe.”

Azurite couldn’t answer after that, their eyes filled with tears as they embraced their lover once more.

“I’ll never forget you…”

“As will I. Look to the stars should you ever feel like you miss me too much. Maybe you’ll hear the distant flute from Giant’s Deep.”

That one earned a giggle from Azurite, even between universes Gabbro still preferred Giant’s Deep over any other planet.

The two knew that there would be no better time for it, as they carefully moved closer to each other. And cautiously close the gap between them. A way to say goodbye, a way to release what they had into the void of the Glade.

“I love you Zuri.”

“I love you too, Gabs.”

Azurite carefully rested their head on Gabbro’s shoulder, feeling their arm around their torso, and closed their eyes.

"Don't be scared," Gabbro whispered, "I will always remember you."

…

When they opened their eyes, Azurite was confused. Sitting up in their bed, they realized that they were back in their cabin.

They never left.

It was all a dream.

They never left for the celebration, that happened last week.

Looking outside at the early morning view of the village, they couldn’t help but feel content. They had a chance to finally say goodbye properly, they could move on. Their heart would still ache for their lover, but now they know that it's meant to be.

Their thoughts got interrupted by a small prickling at their leg. As Azurite reached into their pocket, they found the source of the pricking; a little pinecone. It just barely fit in their palm, a small reminder that maybe it was never truly a dream.

That their experiences were real.

Maybe it was a sign from their Gabbro that, no matter where they are, they are always in their heart.

Even if they’re gone.

Chapter Text

Yesterday’s revelation caused tension that was felt by everyone. Slate was not seen since they stormed out of the observatory, but they could be heard working on something. Hopefully their anger doesn’t translate into an explosion. Hornfels never left the observatory, focusing on the terrain scan log. Esker was helping them, horrified after hearing what they learned. But there was a small problem, nobody could find Gossan.

It caused a bit of worry in the village, Rutile explained that this tension is very similar to when it was revealed that Feldspar was presumed dead. They nearly mentioned something else but quickly stopped before revealing too much. Another incident similar to Feldspar’s disappearance? It didn’t matter at the moment; Azurite’s focus was finding their old flight coach.

Azurite knew for certain that Gossan wasn’t in their cabin, both Rutile and Gneiss confirmed it, so that left the zero-gravity cave, Porphy’s cabin, or Youngbark Crater. The last one was unlikely, but there was a chance that they were with Tektite.

Porphy’s cabin was the first choice, being the closest. But even from where they stood they knew that it wasn’t where Gossan was at, since the winemaker was outside. So instead, they decided to check the zero-g cave instead. The path up towards the cave felt solemn, it reminded them of the loop when they were the one to tell Gossan about Feldspar. Were they feeling that same kind of panic as they did back in that loop?

The cave itself didn’t feel any different, except for the fact that Gossan wasn’t by the entrance. ‘There’s still a chance that they’re inside’ Azurite thought to themselves, ‘gives me a chance to properly test out the boosters.’ Descending deeper into the cave, they felt the weight of gravity becoming less and less restricting. They felt like a hatchling again, that same feeling of freedom when Gossan first brought them here during their training.

Carefully tracing along the walls, they carefully listened for any disturbances. The village was far enough away that it made it easy to hear the smallest movement from deep inside the cave. Carefully breathing out, they stood at the top of the cave. Listening.

…

Nothing.

The cave was ever-still, Gossan wasn’t here.

That was disappointing, they didn’t even get a chance to use the boosters. But at least that left one reasonable location before they had to inform Rutile that Gossan might have gone MIA. Youngbark Crater, the place that started this whole mess. Azurite partially hoped that it’s where Gossan was, cause otherwise the only other possible answer was that they went to Dark Bramble on their own.

It didn’t take long for them to reach just outside the crater, they hadn’t heard anything else that would indicate that Gossan was elsewhere. Aside from the calm noises of Timber Hearth, the only other thing they heard was Gabbro’s flute from the quantum grove. It was a favourite hideaway for them when they return from space. Azurite contemplated taking a break and visiting their friend but chose otherwise as they needed to find their old coach. Carefully listening as they approached the crater; they heard the quiet sounds of crying. At least Gossan was still on the planet.

“Gossan?” Azurite called out as they descended into the crater, “Everyone is worried, are you okay?”

Their flight coach didn’t respond at first, continuing to stare at the bramble seed. Azurite sat down next to them, remembering the lessons about patience.

“For years I thought that my best friend was dead,” Gossan quietly spoke, voice riddled with guilt, “we searched for months. Every planet, every possible place where they could be.”

With each word, their voice was filled with more and more guilt.

“The one place we never properly checked was inside of Dark Bramble,” they nearly screamed, “Chert saw that it was worse on the inside, with a giant anglerfish quietly floating, we couldn’t safely continue!”

Their flight coach was sobbing at this point, it was worse than back in the time loops.

“But we could go and rescue them now,” Azurite carefully reassured, “since we know that they’re alive, maybe there’s something on the surface of the planet that would lead us directly to them?”

They didn’t say it aloud, so as to not confuse their coach more, but they knew that there was evidence that Feldspar had left one of the innermost nodes at some point. The partially exposed jellyfish, there was a path right near it that led directly to their camp.

“Why don’t you go back to the village,” they said, extending a hand to Gossan, “to regroup with Slate and Hornfels?”

Their flight coach stared at them, wondering where this space confidence came from, before accepting Azurite’s extended hand.

“You say we as if you’d be joining us.” They noted.

“I’m not going to lie,” Azurite confessed, “I was hoping that this is what would convince you to give me a chance.”

Their flight coach stopped dead in their tracks, “You’re hiding something, aren’t you?”

They couldn’t look them in the eyes, would Gossan believe them if they explained?

“Does the scar on your arm have anything to do with it?”

The ‘scar’, the one thing from their old universe that remained. The one piece of evidence that what they experience at the Eye of the Universe was real, that they didn’t imagine it. Their right arm covered in a web of deep purple scars, fading as it went up. They knew that Gossan would never believe them if it explained this.

“I wish I could explain everything,” they whispered, “but nobody would believe me if I did.”

Gossan didn’t respond immediately, taking a while to look at Azurite’s arm then at their face. A small chuckle escaped them.

“You remind me of somebody.” Their coach quietly whispered.

What did they mean by that?

After that, Gossan didn’t question things further. The walk back to the village was filled with a familiar silence; except for the distant sounds of Gabbro’s flute, that crater has surprisingly good acoustics. Would Azurite ever be able to explain their origins to their old coach?

Just before reaching the village, Azurite did ask one more question.

“What are you going to be doing?”

Gossan took a moment to respond, but after taking a deep breath,

“We’re getting Feldspar back home.”

That was all they said before they began to descend into the crater. Azurite stood just outside for a while, processing all that happened. Would they actually be join Gossan on the rescue operation?

As they looked up to the sky, they saw the spider of Dark Bramble’s outer core carefully crawling across the night sky. Faintly, just quiet enough to think one’s mind was playing tricks, the melody from Feldspar’s harmonica could be heard. It was a melody echoing the one Gabbro played on their flute. They stared at the soulless planet above, knowing that it held secrets that would be discovered in due time. And it made Azurite make a decision that could either guarantee or destroy their chance to return to space.

They were going to get Feldspar back themselves.

…

That night, Azurite began finalizing their plan on their own rescue operation. They knew that they would have to sneak out repair tools and parts from Slate’s workshop, and given the recent explosion sound heard from it, it was going to be difficult unless Gossan convinces them to leave for a while. At least Azurite had the foreknowledge of exactly what was needed to repair Feldspar’s ship just enough to get the two of them back to Hearth. They also needed to find a safe enough crash-landing spot, at the possible chance that the ship doesn’t have enough fuel to safely land. Perhaps weaving some rope together into a net would be a way to catch the ship, maybe they could even try to catch the ship using the rope itself.

‘No, that one wouldn’t work, it would risk whatever part is grabbed onto breaking off entirely without slowing the ship down at all.’

The net was the safest backup plan. They would likely need to perform a secondary gravity maneuver, pulling the ship into the atmosphere and then pulling it back into space. That could slow down the ship just enough to where they could attempt a landing. But that then brought worry towards the first gravity maneuver they were planning on executing.

A gravity maneuver around the Sun.

They had done one before, during their time loops, they knew that if they positioned the ship just outside of the Twin’s orbit, the gravity from the sun would be powerful enough to shoot them out in any given direction so long as you straighten out the path at the right moment.

It would be incredibly risky, but they would have Feldspar piloting the ship, but it was the only way that they would be able to get both Feldspar and their ship back home.

They had their plan.

All that was left was to execute it, without any redoes or mistakes.

But what if Gossan offers them the chance to join them in their rescue mission? Would they be able to still try? They knew that they would only have to resort to their plan as a last resort. But they did wish that Gossan would give them a chance, since the other founders had mentioned that they would be delighted to have Azurite join the ventures. They knew that they could have joined much earlier, but they wanted to return to space. Sure they could have become Esker’s or Hornfels’ apprentice, becoming part of the next generation of ground control, but Azurite is a stubborn one. It’s one of the few personality traits they inherited from their parent. Azurite’s heart began to ache slightly; while they had a chance to say goodbye to their old lover, they never got a chance to say goodbye properly to their parents. Maybe they could slowly begin to form a relationship with their counterparts in this universe, Porphy was the one who took care of them throughout this whole time. Maybe they saw something in Azurite’s eyes?

A small knock came from their door, it caused Azurite to jump slightly. The knock was quiet, yet swift, whoever it was must have been in a hurry. But the sun had already set a while ago, who was needing them at this time?

Peeking outside their door, Azurite didn’t find any evidence of someone being there moments before. Except for a single neatly folded note left just outside their door.

Carefully picking it up, the small pinecone reappearing around their neck as they did so, Azurite wondered who left it. They opened the note and examined the contents.

“Meet me at the quantum grove in 3 cycles time.

• Gabbro”

Azurite felt their heart sink to their stomach, remembering their dream. It felt real, but it still brought worry. Why would Gabbro ask for 3 cycles time? Were they planning something?

Azurite now had a choice to make, would they go meet with Gabbro first or would they hold off until after they got Feldspar back to Timber Hearth?

Chapter Text

It was a calm morning the next day, Azurite couldn't help but feel suspicious about it. They were still getting used to the idea of peace, despite these past two months in this new universe. Their mind was slightly racing because of that note from Gabbro, what did they want from them? And would Azurite be able to go through with their plan before the three cycles happen?

A brisk knock on their cabin door pulled them out of their thoughts.

“Azurite?” Gossan's voice called out, “Are you awake?”

Opening the door to see their once flight coach stood in front of them, Azurite couldn’t help but feel confused.

“Good morning Gossan,” they responded still half asleep, “what's going on?”

“Hornfels wants to speak to you about the findings from that Nomai scout…. thing"

Neither of them quite figured out what it's supposed to be, their Hearthian scouts were the closest thing. Azurite nodded in response and quietly headed towards the observatory with Gossan close by.

“Are you feeling better after yesterday?” Azurite asked

“It feels surreal,” Gossan replied, “all these years we thought Feldspar was dead… I thought that my… friend was dead”

They paused, looking at the sky, Azurite did mentally question why Gossan paused before saying ‘friend',

“We held a memorial campfire for them, we still do so once a year to keep their memory alive.”

Gossan's shoulders shook slightly, “How are we going to tell the village that they're actually alive?”

“I don't know,” Azurite said, placing a hand on Gossan's back, “but we can figure it out.”

Gossan didn't respond to that, instead continuing to look up at the sky. The sun hadn't risen yet, so the pair could still see the stars. Stars that slowly moved across the dark canvas of space. Just above the horizon, the slow crawl of Dark Bramble could be seen; the planet that was feared by all Hearthians.

And the two of them were both planning on going there alone.

“Gossan! Azurite!” Slate called out to the pair, “Hornfels is waiting for us.”

Us? Why would Hornfels want to see all three of them?

The trio quietly finished the path up to the observatory. Azurite is concerned about how everything is being laid out. As they walked up the walkway to the observatory, Azurite couldn't help but feel tense. Did someone figure out what they were planning?

“Ah, there you guys are,” Hornfels called out, “I was starting to get worried.”

The other two founders simply nodded, which caused Azurite to become more worried. Slate looked tense as ever, Gossan was worried, and Hornfels looked like they hadn't slept for the past few days.

“Why did you ask for me to come by?” Azurite carefully asked.

“You see,” Hornfels started, “while the log from that Nomai tech is indeed proving that Feldspar is alive and there isn't any other living creature. We still don't have a guaranteed path towards them.”

Hornfels leaned against the wall, before continuing,

“We're definitely sending Gossan and Granite up there, as those are the two most experienced pilots we have. And it only makes sense for Gossan to be part of the mission to return Feldspar home.”

“But why am I here?” Azurite questioned.

Hornfels sighed before responding, “We're sending you up there as well.”

Azurite felt their heart stop for a moment. They were going to be joining the rescue mission? But Gossan continued to refuse to give them a chance at training.

“While we are concerned about how you will handle being in space,” Gossan spoke, “you are the only one who knows how to operate that Nomai staff that you have.”

The Nomai staff, the one they randomly found, was now a crucial part of this mission.

“Having you join us would also help us prove a few other things about you.” Hornfels added.

Did they suspect that Azurite came from a different universe?

Azurite felt a lump in their throat, fear radiating through their body. The founders (minus Esker) were looking at them, waiting for their decision.

Taking a deep breath, they meekly responded, “I'll join the mission.”

The was silence among the group after that, but Azurite could tell that their response yielded a positive reaction.

“Perfect,” Hornfels said, “let's go over the plan then.”

…

Azurite didn't leave the observatory before the sun had settled below the horizon. While this wasn't the way that they had planned on returning back to space, it did save them the headache of what could have happened as a result of their original plan. The injuries that they could have gotten from that would have been too great to not outweigh the triumph and subsequent panic from the village elders. But this plan still had a great chance of working. Granite would pilot, Gossan and Azurite would inspect the surface for any clues left behind by Feldspar. Only caveat was that Azurite wasn't sure how they could explain that the anglerfish were blind without it making the others think they were crazy or sneaking out of the village.

“What's gotten you stuck in your mind like this?”

Gabbro's calm voice pulled Azurite out of their thoughts, again. Seeing them after receiving the note, Azurite couldn't help but question.

“Why did you leave me that note?”

“Ah, well. You seemed to be quite busy with your plan to get Feldspar back. So I thought I'd give you time to finish that up before I distract you with what I have to tell you.”

“You do realize that it only caused more distraction, right?”

Gabbro chuckled at that.

“And plus, Hornfels told me that I'm joining Granite and Gossan on their rescue mission. So my original idea is being scrapped.”

“I’m surprised that they allowed you to join, given you never had any proper training.”

They said that last part with a slight hint of sarcasm, did Gabbro suspect something?

“Well, since I found you now. Why not tell me what you wanted to say?”

The older Hearthian's face flushed at that, likely having caught them by surprise.

“Oh! Uh… I can't really tell you unless we're at the quantum grove.”

Yeah, Azurite definitely caught them by surprise. Gabbro's face was now a deep shade of purple and their calm demeanor got replaced by a sense of panic. Whatever it is that they had to say, it wasn't something casual.

“Okay, why don't we meet there tomorrow then?”

Gabbro didn't respond to that, simply nodding in response before walking away.

Perhaps they weren't so different from my Gabbro.

Watching Gabbro quietly walk away from that small interaction, Azurite couldn't help but smile. If their suspicions proved to be correct, it would be interesting to see how Gabbro would articulate it. Since back during the time loops, there was never a proper confession. In fact, Azurite wasn't even certain they even made their relationship official. It eventually became normal for the two of them to act like a couple.

Looking up at the slowly darkening sky, their body filling with excitement and nervousness. The next few days were going to be grueling, with quick training to ensure that they would be fine in space, more planning with the founders, and potentially a new relationship with Gabbro. Somehow, it felt more exciting than when they originally joined the ventures.

When the rescue mission happened, they were finally going to prove that even the fog of Dark Bramble was not enough to discourage them from going back into space.

…

The next day felt like it was longer than it should have been. Azurite spent the morning and the early hours of the afternoon in last-minute training with Gossan. Their once-more coach was surprised by Azurite’s skill, despite them seemingly never going to space before. By the time the pair returned to the crater, Azurite’s entire body was aching in a way that they wished they never had to experience again.

“I don’t want to push you too hard,” Gossan commented, “but we need to make sure that you will be fine once we launch for the rescue operation.”

Azurite simply nodded in response, remembering that Gabbro had asked them to meet at the quantum grove. They passively wondered if they were already there. Were they as nervous as Azurite is about it?

They made a mental note to check the grove while they were still on the outer portion of the crater. They took a deep breath, silencing the world around them, and listened. After a few moments, Azurite heard the unmistakable melody from Gabbro’s flute.

They’re at the grove

Azurite felt like running, but they forced themselves to a brisk pace as to not seem like too much of a mess. The travel time there wasn’t too long, but it felt like an eternity. Each step brought them closer to getting back something they thought they lost. Each step brought them closer to being able to embrace a new version of their old love. Eventually, Azurite found themselves just above the quantum grove, and Gabbro was in their hammock.

Azurite took a deep breath; then carefully descended into the grove.

The small pinecone from the Ancient Glade carefully hung around their neck, its presence making Azurite feel as though their old love was observing them. The grove itself didn't look or feel too different from how they remembered it, the trees and rocks periodically moved when between observations but that was expected due to the quantum shard that danced around the grove. Gabbro was in their hammock, positioned near the center, carefully letting the wind swing them about as they played their flute.

“Gabbro?” Azurite called out, “What is it that you wanted to talk about?”

The calm melody from their flute paused as the older Hearthian carefully sat up.

“I was hoping to confess something to you.” Gabbro said after a brief pause.

Confess? Oh stars, how am I supposed to react to this?

Their thoughts were interrupted by Gabbro carefully placing Azurite's hand in theirs.

“I never knew why exactly you had called for me when you were found three months back,” they carefully spoke, “be it fate or something else, but I always felt drawn to you.”

Azurite felt themselves slowly bringing their body closer to Gabbro's

“Throughout all this time, I felt like there was something special about you. The way you seemed to understand things at a level that no-one else could.”

The distance between the two was now barely noticeable.

“I just wish I knew how to tell you this properly…” they whispered.

“Don't,” Azurite responded, “I already understand what you mean.”

The pair subconsciously closed the distance between them. A careful kiss within a warm embrace. While Azurite didn't know what Gabbro was thinking, their own mind was filled with excitement. They would finally be able to experience a relationship outside of the time loops. What adventures would the two go on if Gossan deems them worthy of continuing training after the rescue mission? Would they find a melody that would pair well with Gabbro's flute?

Azurite wished that this moment never ended, but deep down they knew that there would be plenty more during their time on Hearth. After what felt like too short of a time, they parted from the kiss. Carefully resting their forehead against Gabbro's, Azurite whispered the final sentence before the two remained in a comfortable silence.

“I love you Gabbro.”

Chapter Text

Azurite woke up the next morning feeling lighter than ever, their body still felt warm from Gabbro's embrace. The smell of pine lingering on their clothes, a reminder of the new promise made. It was still dark outside, not even the early rays of dawn were in the sky. Be it to make the memories of last night linger as much as possible, or due to sleep clinging to their body, Azurite spent the morning in a slow pace. Savoring every memory from the previous day.

“Azurite?!” Gossan's voice rang out from outside, “Are you awake?”

It sounds urgent, did Hornfels find something?

Opening the door, now much more awake, Azurite sensed that Gossan's urgency might be greater than expected.

“Hornfels identified that today is the best day for launch, Granite is already preparing.” Their coach said, slightly out of breath, “We need to get your spacesuit ready.”

Before Azurite could reply, Gossan grabbed their hand and started leading them to Gneiss' cabin. While the elder was the retired doctor, Gneiss still helped the ventures with making the spacesuits. And Gossan's urgency made it clear.

They were launching at sunrise.

Gneiss' cabin wasn't too far from Azurite's, despite that they were still out of breath from being dragged there by Gossan. The two older Hearthians didn’t say anything, simply nodding before all of them entered the cabin.

Either by sheer luck or someone backing out last minute, there was already a half-finished spacesuit laid out and ready for the alterations. Gneiss gestured for Azurite to put it on so that they could make the adjustments.

“I swear you remind me of somebody,” Gossan quietly said, “yet I still can't figure it out.”

Were they catching on?

“Okay, it's not going to be perfect" Gneiss spoke up, “but it should still be air-tight enough for space.”

“Good, I'll go see if Granite is ready. The sooner we launch, the better.” Gossan spoke, turning to leave the cabin.

Azurite barely had time to process before Gneiss started sewing. They carefully watched the elder work, wondering if they did this for any of the other ventures members.

“I hadn't done this since Feldspar was preparing for their first launch,” Gneiss said, almost as if they read Azurite's mind, “it became a tradition for someone important in the Hearthian's life to be the one to help them sew their spacesuit.”

I know, Gossan and Porphy helped me with mine

“It's going to be so different if you guys succeed. Porphy already has medicine prepared since we don't know what kind of state Feldspar will be in.”

Gneiss started shaking a bit, trying their best to keep their hands steady.

“All I hope is that they are safe...”

Azurite tried leaning over to try and comfort Gneiss, but their attempt was met with a swift grab from the elder.

“I don't want to prick your scales with the needle.”

Azurite simply nodded in response.

The remainder of that time was spent in silence, with Gneiss carefully making sure that the spacesuit fit as well as it could. It was clear that it wasn't made for Azurite, but maybe it was meant for them.

“There we go,” Gneiss spoke, carefully finishing the last stitch on Azurite's shoulder, “you should be ready for space now.”

The grin on Gneiss' face reminded them a lot of Gossan. While the two weren't related, there were some jokes about it back from when Azurite was a hatchling.

Gneiss put a hand on Azurite's shoulder, and led the younger one outside the cabin and towards the launch tower.

The walk there was silent, the sun was just starting to show its morning rays. A thick silence stretched over the village, most were still asleep. Over by the launch tower, four figures could be seen but it was hard to tell in the darkness. As Gneiss and Azurite approached, it became clear who they were.

Gossan and Granite stood by the elevator, spacesuits on and ready, Hornfels was nearby, likely giving some last-minute information, the fourth was Slate who looked like they had done some repairs on a ship. All four looked over, with a glimmer of expectation and hope in their eyes. Gneiss patted Azurite's shoulder, as if signaling for them to join Granite and Gossan.

“Are you ready?” Granite spoke up, handing a helmet over, “It's now or never.”

“I'm ready.”

As the three stood on the elevator while it moved up towards the launch pad, Azurite couldn't help but feel nervous. This launch was different from any other. No time loops, no resets, no second chances. When the elevator reached the top, the ship that stood there was one that they had never seen before. It looked older, similar to Feldspar's ship.

“Slate managed to fix this one up.” Granite said, “It used to be Gossan's, though they rarely used it.”

“I only used it whenever Feldspar damaged their ship the first few months,” Gossan chimed in, “but once they got over their impulsive desires to crash the ship, I never really had a use for it.”

The younger ones chuckled at that, Feldspar was always the one to act first and think second.

“If you two don't hurry up then I'm going to launch without you!” Gossan's voice called out from inside the ship, the tone made Azurite and Granite sprint over and climb in.

Azurite went first, getting help from Gossan to make sure they didn't fall. The inside of the ship felt very different from how theirs, and likely Granite's, was. There were some modern upgrades, but it still felt rustic. Granite climbed in shortly after and sealed the door.

“You'll get a chance to look around once we've launched,” Gossan spoke from the pilot's seat, “but for now, get ready.”

There was something else that Gossan said, but that was likely over the radio to Hornfels. It felt weird for Azurite to not be the pilot, but they weren't in a place to argue.

There's a first time for everything.

A loud roar was heard from the engines, as the ship soared into the sky and the darkness of space beyond it. The trip from Timber Hearth to Dark Bramble was going to take a while, so the small crew spent it chatting about random things. Azurite still passively wondered where Granite fit back in their old universe. They knew for certain that they weren't the equivalent of themselves, as Granite didn't look like either Gossan or Porphy. In fact, Granite couldn't be more different from Azurite. Their eyes had a unique glint to them, a pretty rare feature for Hearthians to have. Azurite themselves had one that was similarly rare, the scale pattern on their arms was a combination of their parents'; their spotted scales formed lines similar to how Gossan had their pattern, but other than on their arms the rest of their pattern is the same spotted one as Porphy.

When the ship got closer to Dark Bramble, Gossan reiterated what Hornfels told them. The crew was to scour the entire surface of Dark Bramble as much as possible, and if nothing is found then they must report back to Hearth before they return to search the center node. Azurite nodded when Gossan finished explaining the plan, knowing that the second part was unnecessary, but they made sure to not show it. When Gossan landed their ship on the south pole of Dark Bramble, it was go time.

Before they split off from Granite and Gossan, the latter handed a signalscope over to Azurite.

“If you find anything that could have come from Feldspar,” Gossan said with a strict tone, “you radio immediately.”

Azurite nodded in response, their hands slightly shaking from excitement. Once the other two headed off to explore other areas, Azurite carefully scanned the area around them. They vaguely remembered that there was a path directly to Feldspar's camp by the frozen jellyfish, and there was a way to get there from the surface.

They just needed to remember where it was located.

I know it's somewhere near the south pole.

Carefully making sure that they didn't fall into the center node, Azurite began looking through the cracks in the surface to see if they could find a hint at the jellyfish's location. For a while, nothing came up, the dull similarity of each section made remembering where they checked more difficult the more they looked. But eventually, Azurite found the right spot. Carefully dropping down to the bramble branch, their past knowledge proved to be correct. The path towards the frozen jellyfish. And in turn…

The path directly to Feldspar's camp.

Reaching for the signalscope, Azurite called out to Gossan and Granite.

“I think I found something.”

They did their best to remain calm as they stood on the branch still. After hearing a response from the other two that they're on the way, Azurite then carefully continued down towards the jellyfish.

It didn't take long for Gossan to arrive, well sort of arrive. They couldn't tell how to get down toward where Azurite was, so the younger had to backtrack a bit to signal to their coach. Azurite did their best to have their body language show concern, and it seemed to work as Gossan immediately asked to see what they found.

“What is this?” Gossan said once they saw the jellyfish, their voice filled with worry.

“I don't know,” Azurite quietly said, “but the items left around it… I think they're Feldspar's…”

Gossan didn't respond to that, simply walking over to the tape recorder to hear if there is a message on there. By that point, Granite had jumped down and was sprinting over towards the two.

“Whoa,” Granite said in awe, “I only saw these on Giants Deep before. Do you think they're from Dark Bramble?”

“They could be,” Azurite carefully said, “I feel like that’s more of a Hornfels question though.”

The two laughed as they approached the fossil, not noticing Gossan suddenly seeming extremely nervous and radioing someone.

“This is fascinating,” Azurite said, carefully running a hand along an exposed lappet, “I think Feldspar must have been here, I don't think it froze over like this naturally.”

“Azurite?” Gossan called out, “Was there anything else that you found?”

“No, I hadn't,” Azurite responded, “there's a chance there could be something on the other end of the path.”

The three of them looked back from where they came, making sure they didn't slip and fall they traced the path as far back as they could.

“It leads directly into Dark Bramble…” Gossan chocked out.

Granite looked tense, “Do you think Hornfels would let us?”

“They said to keep looking, why don't you stay out here Granite?” Gossan noted, “Keep your signalscope nearby so that we can reach you if we find anything.”

Granite didn't reply, simply nodding and placing a marker nearby so that they could find their way back to the branch they're at. Azurite and Gossan exchanged a quick look before walking further into the darkness of the bramble.

…

The fog was dense, Azurite never liked this planet but thankfully following the path the branch took made it more tolerable. The branch felt unnecessarily long, were they even inside of the node maze yet? Would things still be the same here as they were in their old universe?

Azurite's thought were interrupted when they accidentally knocked into Gossan, who had paused in shock at what they were seeing. Once the two managed to orient themselves again, Azurite looked at what caused Gossan to become shocked.

“That's Trailblazer…” they whispered.

Feldspar's ship, Trailblazer, floated in the fog right in front of the pair. It was exactly as Azurite remembered, sparks flying everywhere and some hull damage on the side. Though Azurite couldn't see Gossan's expression, they knew exactly what was going on through their coach’s mind.

Panic

Azurite watched as Gossan carefully approached Trailblazer, their guess was that they were looking for a way to stop it from sparking.

“Do you want me to radio for Granite to come over here?” Azurite asked.

“Yes, and tell them to radio Hornfels and let them know that we at least found Trailblazer.”

Azurite did just that, spending the time between radioing Granite and their arrival watching their coach carefully assess the damage.

“I found the emergency shutoff switch,” Gossan called out, “if we can find a way out of here that isn't through that branch then we’ll need to pull the ship out to the surface so that Esker can come by to take a look at the damage and fix what they can.”

“You found Trailblazer???” Granite's voice called out from nearby. Thankfully they managed to stop without crashing into Azurite. “Oh void, what happened to it?”

“I don't know,” Gossan whispered, “but we're getting this out so that we can fix it.”

“Wait, what's that light over there?” Granite said, pointing to a spot deep into the fog.

The three exchanged a glance before silently agreeing to head towards it. After a bit, the source of the light came into view. A giant anglerfish fossil, and a… campfire?

A quiet melody echoed through the fog, a distinct one from a harmonica.

“No…” Gossan quietly whispered before dashing over to the campfire.

Azurite and Granite exchanged worried glances before following.

As they approached the campfire, the pair noticed what caused Gossan to react that way. They were standing, frozen in shock, in front of an equally as confused Feldspar.

“Gossan?” The now-found pilot spoke, taking off their helmet, “Is that you?”

Gossan didn't reply immediately, instead taking off their helmet and running to embrace their old friend. While the younger two couldn't hear the exchange over the sound of Feldspar's laughter, it was clear that Gossan was voicing their frustration over the pilot's disappearance. While on the way to Dark Bramble, Granite had mentioned that the two founders had a really strong friendship before Feldspar went missing. Yet what happened next made them question the differences between this universe and their old one.

Despite Gossan being upset at Feldspar, and the latter laughing it off, the two still shared a kiss while Gossan was crying slightly.

Both Azurite and Granite stood off to the side in awkward shock, which earned another bout of laughter from Feldspar.

“Who are these two hatchlings Goss?” the pilot asked.

“That’s Azurite and Granite,” Gossan responded, still slightly angry at the pilot, “you remember Granite, but Azurite is… their story is a bit more complicated.”

Of course it would be difficult for Gossan to explain. How would one explain that Azurite had suddenly appeared out of nowhere, battered and scarred, and there was no previous record of their existence?

“Hate to break the moment,” Granite spoke up, “but we should probably be working on getting back to Hearth.”

“Wait…” Feldspar said, “you guys came to rescue me?”

“We had to ‘spar,” Gossan spoke quietly, “we have to bring you back home.”

Azurite had to step away for a moment, partially because they were too confused about what had happened and partially because they needed to find the Nomai ‘scout’ that Feldspar had moved. That second part seemed to be more difficult, since Azurite had no idea what it looked like, but a quick scan around the campsite was all it took for it to be found. After grabbing the scout, they turned back to look at the other Hearthians. It was rare that Azurite felt out of place since they woke up 3 months ago, but this time it was more prominent than ever.

You’re never going to truly fit in

Welcome back void.

Granite beckoned them over, their body language showing excitement. Clearly something was said while Azurite stepped aside. The two founders were looking proud, with Feldspar having a tinge of smugness in their expression.

“I know I’m going to have to talk with the others to know for certain,” Gossan started, the tone that they used immediately made Azurite feel terrified, “but during your last-minute training, and your findings during this mission…”

Oh stars, what did they do wrong…

“I believe you have proved yourself more than capable of being a member of the ventures.”

What.

Did they actually?

“Are you serious?” Azurite whispered, their voice filled with fear, shock, and excitement.

“Yes, I am,” their coach replied, “I’ll have to let Hornfels and Slate know so that they can begin working on their parts of having a new astronaut, but I am proud of how well you handled yourself. Once we get back home and we recover from this, we’ll start on your proper training.”

Azurite couldn’t help but start hopping a bit from excitement, despite it earning a confused look from Granite and Feldspar. They were finally going to be able to return to space properly.

“You sure that Azurite’s story is complicated?” Feldspar questioned with their typical smug attitude.

Gossan pretended to ignore that, but Azurite could tell that there was a hint of recognition in their eyes.

“Okay,” Granite said, “happy reunions aside but we have to figure out a way to get Feldspar’s ship out.”

“Oh, that’s pretty easy once you deal with the wires sparking.” Feldspar noted, “We just have to exit thing node from any spot, and we’d be outside of Dark Bramble.”

Granite and Gossan looked at Feldspar with pure confusion, Azurite pretended to do the same and hoped it was believable.

“Yeah, this planet is really weird. But trust me on this one, okay?”

Thankfully they did believe Feldspar. The four Hearthians, after a brief rest with mallows and a fuel refill, carefully pushed Feldspar’s ship towards one of the exits. There was excitement from all that had occurred. Gossan had their friend(?) back, Azurite was joining the ventures, and Granite is happy from a mission success. As the fog dissipated from around the crew, The light from the sun shone across the vast expanse. The crew carefully landed the ship on a nearby chunk of ice and Gossan radioed ground control to inform them of their findings and where Trailblazer was located. Esker was going to be flying out in a few cycles to repair the ship, Granite volunteered to be the one to pilot Esker over so that Trailblazer could be returned on the same trip for more in-depth repair.

As Azurite looked over at the inner solar system, a sense of relief washed over them now that the excitement had died down. They finally felt like their place in this universe was made clear. They had gotten back all that they had lost when they went to the Eye; and while they will never get back the relationship that they had with Gossan and Porphy, they could still rebuild it in a different way. And maybe.

Just maybe

It could be stronger than ever.

“Azurite!” Granite’s voice pulling them out of their thoughts, “C’mon we don’t want to leave you behind!”

Azurite hadn’t even noticed that Gossan’s ship was brought over to where Trailblazer rests until repair, but they did nod and walk over to the ship.

The trip back to Timber Hearth was felt with a sense of nervousness and excitement, with the silence being filled with old stories from Gossan and Feldspar. Hearing the two tell stories, correcting the other in a way that only couples would, it made Azurite realize why Gossan was hurting so much when they learned about Feldspar being alive.

It was the same way Azurite felt when they realized that they lost their Gabbro.

As the ship landed back on the launchpad, the sun was setting for the day. Exiting the ship and looking down at the village, it finally felt like home. Gossan and Feldspar descended on the elevator first, cries of joy filling the evening air as Feldspar was welcomed home. Just before descending, Granite did ask a question that Azurite finally felt ready to answer.

“How exactly did you know where that frozen jellyfish was?”

Azurite looked at the shorter Hearthian, sighing before replying.

“I’ll explain over some sapwine and mallows, you’re old enough to drink right?”

Their response yielded a laugh from Granite, clearly it was going to be a long night. As the pair descended on the elevator, the sounds of joy and reunion filled their ears. Feldspar was being held tightly by Slate, Hornfels and Esker nearby as the former barely held back their tears. On the edge of the small crowd, there was one Hearthian who was waiting for Azurite specifically. When Gabbro noticed them, they ran over and embraced them tightly. Sharing a brief kiss, Gabbro quietly asked.

“Was it as beautiful as you remembered it?”

Azurite giggled at that, Gabbro seemed serious enough for them to reply,

“As beautiful as it always was.”

The two looked back at the crowd, now dispersed as Gneiss was doing a look-over on Feldspar. Azurite wondered if there was a unique relationship between the two, as Gneiss was almost sobbing while they held Feldspar. After being calmed down by the surrounding founders, the retired doctor lead Feldspar away to the medical cabin saying something about how they will need to be observed for a few days.

Shortly after that, the remaining founders left the launch tower area as Hornfels was asking about the frozen jellyfish. It didn’t take long until it was just Azurite, Gabbro, and the quiet crackling of the nearby campfire. Azurite was about to ask if their partner wanted to call it a night before they were interrupted by Granite walking through the nearby bushes.

"I got some sapwine!" they triumphantly called out, “Now tell me everything!”

And that is exactly how that cycle ended. Azurite explained everything that had happened to them during their life. The time loops, dealing with the weirdest possible kind of loss, how they met Solanum on the quantum moon, finding out that the entire universe was dying, the final campfire at the Ancient Glade, everything. They then explained how they woke up back on Timber Hearth, but no one knew who they were. Not even their parents, Gossan and Porphy. Losing their love then accepting it after a weird dream from which the small pinecone around their neck still hung. Learning to accept things as they came while trying to secretly rebuild their life as they once knew it.

Once Azurite finished their story, Gabbro was holding on to them since they started crying about halfway through. It might have been the sapwine, but Granite had one thing to mention.

“I kind of had a suspicion that you were Porphy’s hatchling.”

It was Azurite’s turn to be confused.

“I mean, you have their eyes,” Granite clarified, “and your attention to detail is only the kind that a hatchling of the winemaker and doctor would have. But I never knew that your other parent was Gossan, aside from a few personality similarities I couldn’t really make the connection.”

Azurite knew that, and decided it was time to show where that similarity was at. All this time they always had their left sleeve fully down, and their right one rolled up to their elbow. Rolling up their left sleeve revealed the one physical similarity between them and Gossan that remained.

Granite stared at it for a moment, then noted,

“I was always bothered that you had them asymmetrically.”

Yeah, Granite was definitely drunk.

The night winded down shortly after, Azurite and Gabbro made sure that Granite was safely back in their cabin before they each returned to their own. A small kiss was shared between the two before Gabbro began the path to the Traveler’s cabin. Taking their own path back, Azurite listened to the night noises of the village. Small chirps of night critters and the soft glow of fireflies filled the darkness. Taking a pause just outside their cabin, they couldn’t help but look back up at the night sky. The stars once more felt familiar, the same that they did all those loops ago.

And soon enough…

They would finally return to them and find out what other things had changed between universes.

Chapter Text

It had been two weeks since the success of the rescue mission, and things have fallen once more into a steady rhythm. With encouragement from Granite and Gabbro, Azurite had explained their story to the founders (minus Feldspar since they were confined to the medical cabin). Though there was doubt about the authenticity of it, Azurite was slowly showing that there was truth to their words. Their proper astronaut training was changed to re-introductory training, since all of Gossan’s starter level lessons were proven to be unnecessary. Hornfels was more fascinated by the fact that Azurite had a solid understanding of the Nomai history than any other traveler and made them promise to document things intensively. Slate and Esker still held major doubts but were slowly coming around to the idea that Azurite had indeed lived a life previous to when Tektite had found them.

And while Azurite was never able to fully regain the relationship they had with Gossan and Porphy, the two did accept the understanding of Azurite’s history and promised to be the ones to help them with their spacesuit. In fact, they even occasionally helped out Porphy at the medicinal cabin; not quite a full apprentice, but the kind of aid that a hatchling would give to their parent and Porphy couldn’t be happier. “The space faring medic” was what they called Azurite when the latter suggested to use an herb found Giant’s Deep to help Feldspar’s recovery. While Gossan was more apprehensive towards the knowledge of Azurite being their hatchling in another universe, they couldn’t deny the similarities that were present. They were even shocked when their new trainee knew of a secret technique for spatial recalibration that only they knew. Their relationship remains as that of coach and astronaut, but there was that deep connection between them that was slowly reforming. Even if Gossan was in a relationship with Feldspar.

The pilot’s condition had worsened almost instantly once they were returned to Timber Hearth, Gneiss calls it survival shock. A condition where the body, after spending a long time in a survival-first state, goes into complete shutdown and the immune system cannot fight against infection. Everyone was horrified that Feldspar even survived that long. The first few days were spent in panic, as Gneiss and Porphy were doing everything they could to stabilize the pilot. Azurite never got a chance to see how bad it got, as Porphy refused their help when offered. Thankfully by the end of the first week, Feldspar’s condition was stabilized, and their body began to heal and was allowed occasional visits by the founders. Currently Porphy is focused on making sure that they start regaining weight, since a nigh decade in space had left little to no muscle and fat around the pilot’s bones. It’s slow and steady progress, but Porphy has high hopes that by the end of the next week, they will be able to slowly have Feldspar spend more and more time outside.

It's a relief knowing that things were slowing down again.

“Are you going to be camping out by the launch tower in a few cycles?”

Gabbro always had a unique way of appearing out of nowhere, startling Azurite out of their little trip down memory lane.

“It would be wrong of me not to,” they replied with a light chuckle, “after all, I feel like I never got a chance to properly experience the launch and return.”

Gabbro chuckled a bit, “It’s still weird to me that you lived a completely different life before Tektite found you.”

“Believe me, it’s still hard for me to grasp the reality of it as well.” Azurite sighed before continuing, “I thought that I would grow numb to the constant repetition of the time loops, but once you memorize everything that will happen… It becomes hard to want to continue to keep going.”

Gabbro carefully hugged their lover; the time loops are still a tough subject to talk about.

“I know,” they whispered, “but know you get to live life properly without worrying about doing things in a specific amount of time.”

A small pause hung in the air between them for a moment,

“You could finally focus on the small details without fear.”

Azurite always liked the smaller details, a nice yet sometimes troublesome quality they got from both of their parents. Gabbro didn’t mind it though, as their partner’s energetic personality paired well with their lax one. The pair even agreed that once Azurite returns from their “inaugural” space flight, they would become a team and would travel together. Hornfels endorsed the idea since it would mean that Gabbro would actually do something for once instead of just relaxing on their hammock.

As Gabbro embraced Azurite, the latter looked over the village once more. The younger hatchlings were out and about, being observed by Hal and Marl to make sure that none of them got hurt. Other than them, there were not many Hearthians that were noticeable in their actions but one did catch Azurite’s eye. On the side of the medicinal cabin, roughly around where Feldspar’s bed was at, Granite could be seen standing nearby. They were too far away to see exactly what they were doing, but based on their occasional body language it was likely that they were having a conversation with Feldspar through the window. Azurite noticed that the two were an interesting case; despite there being close to two decades of age difference between the two, they had a kind of friendship that could only be observed between Hearthians of similar age. Azurite made a mental note to observe them closer once Feldspar was allowed outside, friendships of this kind were always interesting to learn about. Maybe the two were just like Porphy told them when Azurite was a hatchling, unique souls who are always connected to each other no matter what time or universe they’re in. Friends beyond life itself, finding each other every time in the next one.

“I remember when Granite and I were hatchlings,” Gabbro spoke, noticing what Azurite was looking at, “they always viewed Feldspar as something else than all the other hatchlings.”

An old friend, perhaps?

Azurite took a deep breath, then looked up at the sky…

…

Surely, things couldn’t get much weirder