Ruby sat by Odeen after the fire was set by Vatic. A soft shudder ran up her spine, capturing Odeen's eye. He didn't hesitate, unclipping the cloak from his shoulders to wrap it around her. "The weather is a little odd at times. Heatwaves can be followed swiftly by cold fronts. If you're feeling chilly, just tell me."
Ruby chuckled weakly, pulling the warm cloak around her. "It's nice. Safire, are you cold? We can share this and body heat. We'll be nice and warm together." Safire's gaze shifted away from her conversation with Genis to land on Ruby with disdain before turning away silently. 'I'll take that as a no. Here, Odeen. I need to go talk to her."
Ruby stood, passing the cloak back to Odeen before sitting beside Safire, wearing a cautious smile. Genis pushed Safire closer to Ruby, standing to leave them alone. Safire sighed in annoyance, her shoulders slumping. "I'm struggling with some things right now, Ruby. It'd be best if you kept your distance."
Ruby frowned, shifting her hand toward Safire's. "Hey, I've kept my distance. For 20 years now. I'd like to get to know you; if you're struggling with something, you can talk to me about it. We're two halves of one whole."
Safire exhaled, burying her face into Ruby's shoulder. "I'm so fucking jealous of you." Ruby's eyes widened from the shock. "I mean, you've got to live with parents who wanted and loved you, you've got to have a career that you wanted, follow your own dreams, and live under your own rules. I never had any of that. Even after I fled."
Ruby's expression softened as her hand moved up into Safire's hair. "I never thought of it that way. I'm here now, next to you. I know that your life has been tough, but think on the bright side, we're trying to get our lives back. You'll never be controlled again."
"That's just wishful thinking, Ruby. After this is said and done, you're going to leave me for Odeen. I'm always going to be Safire of Cyrus, Hendric's greatest disappointment for not being male. My mother fell ill after my birth. She could no longer bear children. I was all they had. And all they didn't want."
Ruby moved to pull Safire's head from her shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. "And you're all I've been searching for." Ruby's face began to blur with the tears that filled Safire's eyes. "I have been searching for you on my world and yours. Your parents may not have wanted you, but you're all I ever wanted."
Ruby brushed her thumb across Safire's eyes, her tone lowering. "Being beside you is like finding warmth for the first time in my life. Like, I was freezing since the day I was born. Then I met you, and someone handed me a blanket, and suddenly, I wasn't cold anymore. You complete something inside me that I've lacked my entire life. I can't undo the pain of your past. But I can uplift your future if you'd let me."
Safire broke into pathetic sobs, nodding her head weakly. She shuffled closer to Ruby, wrapping her arms around her tenderly. "I'm sorry for being so upset with you! I've never known jealousy before, but I don't want to be jealous of the other half of me a moment longer. Ruby, Genis was right. I needed to talk about how I was feeling."
"Holding in your pain doesn't help you get past it." Ruby squeezed Safire in her arms securely, looking up at Genis, who wore a pained expression, clinging to Jasher against his will, nearly in tears. Ruby chuckled at the sight, mouthing 'thank you' to him. That was all it took for Genis to break into loud crying.
There were no more words to be shared; the two halves merely held one another until the pain subsided. Finally, after they pulled apart, feeling fuller than before, Jasher placed their meals on large leaves they'd collected in front of the girls.
Ruby leaned forward, looking at the grotesque creature that looked oddly like a creature that would be found in the deep sea on Earth. She poked at the creature's charred flesh, causing it to ooze a dull grey substance. Immediately, she gagged, pushing it away. Odeen, Vatic and Safire had already begun to eat.
Jasher sat by Ruby, leaning over to her to mutter into her ear. "It tastes as bad as it looks. Don't even bother trying to get the goo off; it's worse without it. Just close your eyes, take a bite and swallow. Sustenance is sustenance. Who knows when we'll be able to eat again?"
"Yeah, I'm not doing that." She pushed the leaf aside, clambering to her feet to stretch her back. "I'm going for a walk. Unless there's anything that might eat me out there? There's – nothing that would eat me out there, right?"
Jasher merely shrugged. "Patterbugs would be your worst enemy. The razor worms wouldn't touch you if you were a moving target. The larger beasts aren't found in this area. Just don't go too far, we should be thinking about sleep soon."
Ruby nodded, turning on her heels to walk upstream, exploring the nearby area. She picked up a nearby stone, skipping it into the river. The water rippled from the bouncing and left the reflection of the starry night sky distorted.
A soft sound began to break through the treeline the further Ruby got in. Jasher's warning to stay close left her mind as she followed the sound to its creator. It wasn't long before Ruby realised the soft stringing noise was a violin being played further ahead.
Once she broke through the trees, finding the source, she found herself at the peak of the river, where Nexus stood by the edge, bowing the violin in short, smooth motions to cause the sound to echo throughout the woods, playing the beginning notes of 'You Raise Me Up' by Brian Kennedy.
Ruby smiled delicately, approaching Nexus with her hands held behind her back. His eyes shifted down to her for only a moment before setting his sights back on the beautiful, open scenery. Ruby scoffed playfully, looking up at him. "And just where did you get a violin from, Nexus?"
"I am a deity who can go where I wish, when I wish, however I wish. Nobody can see or hear me aside from a select handful. There are very few things that I could not obtain with the power I possess." He spoke matter-of-factly.
Ruby broke out into amused chuckles, enjoying the perfection with which Nexus bowed the violin with the correct notes that carried for miles. "So, what you're saying is that you stole it? Nicely done, deity boy."
Nexus grunted, drowning Ruby's taunt out in his music. She felt the music wash over her, bringing her back to the good days she had on Earth. Once the music lulled, Ruby sucked in a deep breath and began to sing the first verse for him.
Nexus's eyes widened, turning toward Ruby with shock plastered across his face. She merely smirked, gesturing with her head for him to continue. There was a moment of hesitation before Nexus brought the violin back under his chin, drawing the bow in slower motions to create a longer melody for Ruby to harmonise with.
The sound of their music being made together carried for miles, and the silent, sleepy woods seemed to come alive, almost as though the dull light of the moon illuminated directly over them, casting their performance as centre stage.
Ruby smiled weakly, inhaling for the last bridge. As the words came out, they were multiplied, sending an electric shock of fear through Ruby. She turned back to find that the others had come looking for her. Jasher and Genis approached, singing along with Ruby.
She wore a proud smile along with the lyrics, holding her hands out for Jasher to take. Genis approached Nexus, throwing his arm around his shoulder to sing with the others. Odeen and Vatic watched in pure amusement.
The light of the moon cast behind Ruby when her eyes met Safire, stretching a hand out toward her. She swallowed thickly, stepping forward to take her hands, listening to the sweet melodies that Ruby sang only for her, straight to the end.
By the last string of music that faded into nothingness, the two halves embraced once again. Genis turned to Nexus, stifling a chuckle. "You still have a flair for music, baby brother. When did you learn the violin?"
Nexus grunted, rolling his shoulders with annoyance. "Sometime in my eons of solitude. You'd be surprised what I learned while waiting for you to return and serve your own sentence."
Genis frowned deeply, nodding in agreement. "What you had to go through because of me was not fair. But I did it to keep you alive. I know this isn't easy for you, finding out that Serina isn't the woman that you thought she was. But I want you to know that I thought she'd take on that burden, not leave it for you. Being the head Deity, it's her job to ensure the three worlds thrive. I don't know how it landed on your shoulders."
Nexus hung his head, letting the violin fall by his side. "I never said that I trust your words. I was there that day, and your story seems to match up with the turn of events, but Serina has never given me a reason not to trust her, and you've never given me a reason to trust you. Change that for me, and maybe we'll talk."
Genis couldn't deny the smirk that etched on his face, prodding his brother's cheek with his finger. "You say that like you don't trust me, but you haven't asked me to get off of you yet~ You trust me, you know you love me, and you're gonna get a kiss now!"
Nexus sighed. Suddenly, Genis fell through the ground, entirely disappearing. Ruby and Safire looked around in shock before Genis's screams alerted them to the above. He fell from the sky, hitting the ground dully. Nexus straightened up his cloak, clearing his throat commandingly. "Get off of me."
Genis snickered, lying on the ground while his body worked through the aching pain. "You still love me. That hurt like a bitch, but nothing broke. So clearly, you don't hate me that much."
"I could change that outcome on a moment's notice if you keep running your mouth, so I suggest you keep it sealed before your fate is sealed. Such a bumbling, moronic simpleton."
Ruby stepped forward, furrowing her brows in intrigue. "That's the melodies of the universe, right? I've had a question about that for a while now. I get that it's really tough to master the melodies and all, but how are they always right where you need them at all times?"
Nexus laughed mockingly, almost comical about his amusement. Ruby's eye twitched with insult as Genis returned to his feet, curiosity taking over him, too. "While I appreciate a mortal's lack of knowledge of the divine cosmos, I did not master the melodies of the universe."
Genis scoffed, joining in on Nexus's laughing, despite his own lack of knowledge on the process. "Yeah, Ruby. Come on, it's not that difficult... But you should explain it to the mortals just in case I leave something out."
Nexus raised a curious brow to Genis, his lips pulling up at one side in amusement. "I doubt you'd know a thing about it either, Genis. I did not master the melodies. I became the master of the melodies. They answer to me alone."
The silence would have fallen upon the group if it weren't for the shocked inhale from Genis that almost echoed in the small surroundings. "You- HOW?! The melodies of the universe answer to no one!"
"They answer just fine when you know how to call them." Nexus turned, starting his way back to camp. "Don't get me wrong, I have no intentions of teaching anyone how I controlled just a powerful force. This gift is something far too dangerous for even me. And it took centuries to master. Come on, the night is reaching its peak."
Genis scrambled after Nexus, almost begging to be taught. Jasher and Safire shared a silent, knowing glance while Odeen accompanied Ruby back to camp as well, staring at her like she were the only one in that moment. "You made pretty sounds..."
Ruby snorted, stuttering her steps from the absurd statement. "Thank you, Odeen. I'll make pretty sounds for you, too. I can't believe that Nexus can control those portal things. The more we learn about him, the more I'm grateful that he's seemingly on our side. Even if that's only because I'm here." Jasher and Safire stayed behind a few paces, walking slowly before Jasher slipped his blade to Safire from behind, speeding up to leave her side. Safire silently sheathed the divine weapon and concealed it, staring at the back of Nexus's head with vengeance.
-End of chapter 29-