Ivy stood in silence, quivering in her own heels as she began to pant. Her grip around her staff had yet to loosen, as if she was expecting something to jump out at her from the darkness beneath the Garth. It was only when she heard Lila's sobbing that the heiress finally dropped her guard.
"Lila." She spoke softly, unsure of what to do next.
Lila was a shaking mess, kneeling on the floor as she looked up at Ivy in despair. And after a brief flash of Psionic energy, she appeared right in front of the heiress, throwing herself into her arms. The Earthling hung on to Ivy for dear life, crying into her chest.
They were together again.
"I-." Ivy paused as Lila's arms wrapped around her. "I'm sorry. For everything. You deserved better."
She hesitated for a moment before properly returning Lila's warm embrace.
"There, there." The heiress patted her on the back.
Ivy wished for nothing more than to cry alongside Lila and express her vulnerability. Yet some part of her was still clinging to the fight and remained stoic and solemn. It kept her feelings at bay.
Another thing to agree with Sonera on.
But more importantly, a notable amount of Ivy's shame had dissipated. It didn't feel wrong to be with Lila. If anything, she felt a sense of pride at having conquered the insurmountable all for a girl she called a pet.
Still, she felt a tinge of guilt. Ivy had hesitated to fight for her friend. And perhaps, she thought, that scar would never heal.
"T-thank you." Lila's voice quaked. "Ivy."
Ivy simply closed her eyes in response. And once the Earthling began to collapse under her own weight, she was happy to lift her into her arms. In a time not so long ago, Ivy was the one exhausted and worn out. It was now her time to play hero.
"Let's go." Ivy smiled, tossing her staff aside before cradling Lila's limp body in her arms.
As if on cue, Yrix appeared in front of the girls, her posture exuding satisfaction. One might expect her to be annoyed at the demise of her friend. But it seemed the pride she felt for her own work superceded Imura entirely.
"Well done." Yrix commended the girls. "You'll make a fine pair of Psionid warriors."
"Shut up." Ivy snarled as Lila drifted into a slumber.
"And leave you here all alone? I think not." The Arch-Flayer paced around the girls with an extended arm. "But feel free to rest on your own terms once you're back in bed."
"You promised us we'd have a week to ourselves."
Yrix simply shrugged in response. She clearly didn't need any justification for her actions, not when she held all the cards. All Ivy could do was hope she'd keep her word.
"Now then." Yrix snapped her fingers before all three figures disappeared into a purple rift.
Ivy re-merged at the steps of Yrix's desk, barely maintaining her footing as she held tightly onto Lila. She was swift on her way out, making sure to kick the doorframe in the process. The heiress truly had enough aliens for one day.
"Lila!" Lunae beamed with energy as she looked up at the pair.
Sonera was still sleeping in her arms, but she managed enough energy to gesture for Ivy to come closer.
"She tried to help, didn't she?" Ivy sighed, kneeling in front of Lunae.
Lunae spared one hand to feel Lila's temple, releasing a warm and tender smile in the process. She was relieved to find the girl safe and impressed with Ivy's strength.
"I'm afraid she did." Lunae grimaced. "But it seems things turned out fine."
Ivy squinted at Lunae, furrowing her brow. She could tell something was wrong and felt genuine concern. Sonera and Lunae were considered friends after all.
"Are you...Alright, Lunae?" Ivy frowned. "You didn't have to put yourself in harm's way for us."
Lunae shook her head, still clearly shaken by the way Yrix treated her. "We...will survive."
"Damn right we will." The heiress swore with unusual vigor. "Believe it."
"Let's put them to bed." Lunae huffed with a bit of relief in her voice.
"Who? Our little beauties?" Ivy teased.
Lunae nodded. "Yes."
The pair set down their companions onto the lower bunks, confiding in each other's company as silence washed over them.
"Lunae..." Ivy's voice whispered into Lunae's mind. "I do appreciate you trying. For us."
"Sonera's too brave for her own good. I told her to stay." Lunae looked away in shame.
"And I was a coward who left Lila all alone. Nobody expected perfection."
"I just wish I could protect her. Without losing myself."
Ivy ruminated on those words, thinking back to her unusual abilities during her fight with Imura. That Flayer mentioned a power by the name of the "Harrow". The mere mention of it caught Lunae's attention.
"My mother mentioned it. Once or twice." Lunae muttered, massaging Sonera's scalp. "Be careful with it, Ivy."
The girls suddenly heard a footstep behind them and spun around to see Alia. Never once had the girl bothered to speak to them, nor did she make her thoughts known even to Lunae. Clearly, Ivy thought to herself, she must have brought grim tidings.
"Ivy. Lunae. Right?" She did her best to smile.
Lunae scanned the girl from top to bottom before releasing a slight grin. She did enjoy the prospect of another fellow lady. Ivy, on the other hand, simply rolled her eyes.
"What did you want?" The heiress frowned.
"It's Rena." Alia continued. "She's...fallen ill. I beleive it may concern the power you speak of. I was hoping you could shed light on the matter, if you were to investigate."
"You're asking us for help!?" Ivy scoffed. "I don't know you. Get lost."
"Ivy!" Lunae pinched the heiress's arm. "We'll check it out just as soon as our friends are healed, Alia."
"Really?" Alia stammered, revealing a slight hint of vulnerability.
"Of course." Lunae winked. "We're all in this together. And besides, who would turn away such an alluring girl?"
Alia placed one hand on her hip and another on her mouth. She was trying to hide how amused she was by Lunae. It wasn't exactly a common occurrence for her to meet an equal on the field of promiscuity.
"Lunae-." Ivy tried to interject.
Lunae simply shook her head. "She came to us, Ivy. That means something."
"I don't beleive in favors either way." Alia reasoned. "Do this for my ally, and I'll owe you."
"A dance?" Lunae placed a finger on her lips, looking down at Alia's belly.
"Ugh." Ivy groaned. "Freaks."
"Hey, you're not too bad looking yourself, princess." Alia played. "But yes...whatever you ask. But only if Rena lives."
True to her word, Alia gestured over to the bunks closer to Yrix's office, where Rena could be seen in a restless slumber. The twins that she had met earlier watched over her, silent as ever. And as much as Ivy wanted to turn them all away, she was forced to follow Lunae.
She had become loyal in that way.
"It was that Psion," Ivy exclaimed, ignoring Alia's flirtatious remark. "She must have meddled with her mind."
The dancer looked down at the floor, crossing her legs as she pondered. "I could feel it too. It was...familiar."
"In a shamefully empowering sort of way?" The heiress smiled.
"Join the club," Lunae added. "Or at least...that's what Lila would say."
"I do hope she heals." Alia averted her gaze towards Lila. "The Psion must have done a number on her."
Ivy clenched her fists. "We've all been ravaged by Yrix and her ilk. In that sense, we can find common ground. But make no mistake, dancer. Mess with my friends, and I will hurt you."
"Whatever you say, princess." Alia chuckled before walking away, her hips swaying with each step.
"She's cute." Lunae teased.
Ivy rolled her eyes once more. "She's a manipulator."
"Aren't we all?"
"Fair enough."
- - - - - - - - -
Deep within the Garth, Yrix toiled away, cleaning and rearranging the environment back to its original state. She didn't seem to care about the dead Xenquar, nor did she flinch at the sight of her dead friend. It was all just a chore to her.
Building a subteranean hunting ground was a pastime for her. Luring her own comrade to her death was simply a strategy. And most of all, the suffering of her students was deemed a necessity.
"Most impressive." Yrix prattled on to the ghosts of the dead, standing atop the hill Imura used to cast her spell. "The heiress weilds the Harrow. So soon as well. I can recall that was your life's work, dear Imura. But then again, it all affects us in different ways.
Or at the very least, it can. All roads do lead to it, when all is said and done. I only hope my students can survive to make their own fate.