where you go i go

Twelve

Twenty-nine years had passed since the end of the war, and Nayoko looked over the room that had been her home and refuge for the past three decades as she prepared to say goodbye to it.

There was only so long one could be in a position of power before the masses began to wonder and theorise as to why their benevolent leader didn't look a day older than when she had started. Nayoko wanted to be a strong leader, but she never wanted to be a deity. So, when Tanya mentioned that perhaps it was time for the two of them to move on to greener pastures, she'd agreed readily and began to settle her affairs.

A soft knock rapped against the door to her room, and she gave permission to enter. It was unsurprising to see Tanya's head pop around the corner before she entered. There were few in the Archives that Nayoko had grown close to, despite her attempts. Perhaps she was only meant to make friendships in the depths of war, and what friends she did have were finding the travel harder with each passing year.

"It will be strange to say goodbye," Tanya said as she perused the room, bare of the knickknacks and eccentricities that Nayoko had decorated it with over the years. "It is a shame that we will have to leave before Lena returns. I had hoped we would all travel together. I can only hope my communications have reached her."

Nayoko paused in folding her clothes and sat back, changing the topic, "It's funny, I never really considered it but... the Archives have been the only home I've ever known. Before that, it was just run-down towns and unpaved roads. Will you miss it?"

"Yes, I think I will. Though not all the memories I have of this place are pleasant, it has also given me great joy and seen me grow..." She trailed off, shook her head, and added, almost as an afterthought, "After all, it did bring me to you."

Nayoko looked over at Tanya, her hands busy and head down. It was a curious statement to make, and yet....

"Before we settle, you might want to consider choosing a new name for yourself. While your name has increased in popularity in recent years if we are to remain discrete..." Tanya's voice petered off as she noticed the distant look in her eyes.

"But– my name..."

"It is not a pressing matter," Tanya amended quickly. "If you do not feel comfortable doing so—"

"It's not something the average person must consider."

They fell into silence. Nayoko was lost in her own thoughts, while Tanya continued to distract herself with the menial task before her of preparing them for travel. Soon, the frigid chill of the coming winter would blanket the libraries, but that would be a thought for the future Archivist, whoever it may be.

"I hear the weather in the Southern Plains is quite pleasant this time of year," Tanya mentioned with a small smile and a sideways glance towards her. She smiled back.

"I think that sounds perfect."