Pandora's Box: Discord (girlxgirl) (Book 3)

Serving the Goddess

Pandora's eyes glow black at Jemma as she holds The Box against her chest. Jemma waits for something to happen, but The Box doesn't react to Pandora. It makes her look down at The Box in confusion. When she brings her view back to Pandora, the girl with a destiny is smiling.

"What?" questions Pandora, "Were you expecting something to happen?"

Jemma pulls The Box back in confusion,staring at it before shaking it to see if that will do something. She thrusts The Box into Pandora's chest again, hoping to have it work this time. Still, nothing happens except for Pandora's eyes glowing black.

"I... I don't understand. I thought it would work if I just..." tries Jemma.

"You thought what? You thought if you just put it against my chest, you'd get something out of me? If you wanted to get access to my chest, all you had to do was ask. I mean, it's what you liked the most about me, if I remember right anyway." Pandora says with a bit of a seductive tone.

Again Jemma pulls back from Pandora, this time putting a little distance between them.

"I... I was trying to help you. I wanted you to be okay. Back to the way you were." Jemma attempts to explain.

"And what makes you think that I want to go back? Going back means getting all weepy again. To worrying about how other people feel and caring about what they want. I'm not interested in that anymore." Pandora declares rather forcefully.

It takes Jemma a second to respond, "That's what I didn't see."

"What?"

Just then, someone comes in.

"My lady..." starts the entering subject before seeing Jemma, "The interloper!"

Jemma puts some distance between all three of them out of caution. Pandora holds up her hand to stop them as they try to rush in.

"It's fine." insists Pandora, making her subject stop, "Whatever she came to do, she failed."

She turns her focus back to Jemma, looking her right in the eyes.

"She can go." commands Pandora.

Jemma doesn't move right away, looking between Pandora and her subject. When it's clear that they will do as Pandora says, Jemma cradles The Box and runs out of the cafeteria. Pandora waits a little while before turning to her subject. They bow to her before she speaks.

"What is it?"

The subject takes a moment, "We have a problem."

"Well don't keep it to yourself." insist Pandora.

"Jemma and your father aren't the only ones who are resisting." her subject explains.

That has Pandora turning to them, "Who?"

* * *

Jemma walks into Jove's office.

"I think I understand now." declares Jemma.

"Understand what exactly?" questions Jove.

"Pandora. I think I understand her now. What it is that she wants." responds Jemma.

Jove watches his student for a while.

"What happened?"

"I... I tried to do what you said. I went to talk to Pandora so I could understand her." starts Jemma.

"And it worked?"

Jemma shakes her head, "No, but I think I've figured out why. I tried to empathize with her and be compassionate. I tried to save her with The Box when I thought I knew what was going on."

"But it didn't work." adds Jove.

"No... but it's because I thought she wanted to be free of the power she's got. She doesn't." Jemma begins to explain, "She wants people to see her. To know that she's helping people and making a difference. That's why she kept reaching out to me. Maybe if I'd just responded, none of this would've happened."

"You can't blame yourself. There was no way for you to know." Jove reassures her before shifting the conversation, "Besides, we might be beyond that now."

That has Jemma give her principal a questioning look, "What do you mean?"

"You said that you tried to use The Box on Dora, and it didn't work."

"Yeah... why?" wonders Jemma.

"The Box should react to anyone who's possessed, even if you haven't figured out why the spirit has them. Did it react?" says Jove.

Jemma thinks about it for a second, getting concerned, "No..."

"That's a problem." suggests Jove.

"How big of a problem?" questions Jemma, very worried about where this is going.

Jove leans forward on his table, taking a deep breath and not really saying anything for a while.

"That bad?" rhetorically Jemma asks.

Again there's silence from Jove,clearly in consideration of the implications for what he might suggesting and who he's saying it to.

"We might not be able to save her." starts Jove, a long break between it and his next sentence, "The only thing we might be able to do... is stop her."

His words has Jemma taking a long silence.

"Stop her?"

The weight of things being suggested hangs between them as they speak. Jove takes a deep breath.

"I love my daughter." declares Jove, the pain of what he's saying pretty obvious to his student, "She means more to me than almost anyone could really understand. She has such an important destiny. There are so many people that she was meant to help. But if she's this far gone, it might be too late."

Jemma doesn't answer right away, "What are you saying?"

After a moment, Jove answers, "I'm going to have to kill her."

"W-w-what?" a shocked Jemma asks.

"It was always an option, although we hoped it was more of a last resort. It's supposed to be my job if all else fails. We might have reached that point." suggests Jove.

"But... killing her? Isn't there any other way?" a desperate Jemma questions.

"Unfortunately not."

"You said this was an option. What were the others? Is there one we haven't tried yet?" Jemma asks, wondering if there's another way out.

"We've already tried most of them. My wife sacrificed herself to save Pandora, and she's not going to recover in time to make any difference now. Not that I would want her to try given what it did to her the first time. She might not survive a second attempt." Jove begins to explain.

"Could I do it?" Jemma responds.

"What?"

"You said her mother sacrificed herself. Whatever she did, maybe I could do it too?" suggests Jemma.

"That's not..."

"I'll do it. I know there's a risk, but..." tries Jemma.

"It's not just a risk. You would die." pushes back Jove.

It takes Jemma a second to respond, "But... Dora's mother..."

"Uni has a very special connection to The Box. Her connection is why she survived, despite how she ended up. You don't have it." explains Jove.

There's a silence in the room for a moment.

"I'll do it."

The young girl's principal is taken aback by the suggestion.

"No..."

Jemma tries to push back, "But..."

"Not a chance. I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself for my daughter." declares Jove forcefully, "We don't have any other choice."

"You said most."

"What?"

Jemma continues, "You said we've tried most of the options. Is there one we haven't tried?"

He doesn't respond right away, "Yes, but we can't do it."

"I'll try anything." insists Jemma.

"No, I mean we literally can't. The only other option requires someone who isn't here. And even if we could find them, they might not be able to help." explains Jove.

"Couldn't we try?"

Jove takes a deep breath, "Not if we want anything to be left when we find them. Pandora isn't going to wait around for us to save her. There might not be anyone to save."

"So... what do we do?" a desperate Jemma asks.

"WE don't do anything. This isn't your responsibility anymore. It never really was. Now it's time for me to do my job." declares Jove in a matter of fact way.

"I can't just sit by and do nothing." insists Jemma before adding, "I'm going to find a way to save her."

She turns around and heads out the door.

"Jemma!" Jove calls out as she leaves.

It doesn't change anything.

* * *

Pandora's servants rush ahead of her as they make their way into a classroom. They hold the door open for her as she enters. Inside, Pandora stops as she sees a teenage boy sitting at a desk rather casually, his feet up on it and leaning back in the chair. What catches Pandora's eye though is the fact that he's got a golden delicious apple in his hand with a bite out of it. He's chewing.

"Who the hell are you?" Pandora asks rather forcefully.

He smiles at her.

"Well you kinda answered your own question there." the boy says, obviously pleased with himself. When they don't respond, he continues, "Yeah, it's kind've a problem. My name is Ulysses, but most people just call me U."

Ulysses takes another bite of the apple, chewing it with a smile on his face.

"This is the problem my lady. We gave him the apple, but it... he..." the servant attempts to explain.

"It didn't change him." Pandora completes with a suspicious look at Ulysses.

"Oh I disagree." responds Ulysses as he talks with his mouth full, continuing to take bites, "These have to be some of the best apples I've ever tasted. Really life changing."

Pandora watches him for a moment before turning to her subjects, "Leave me with him... but stay nearby in case I need you."

They do as they're told and it isn't long before Pandora and Ulysses are alone. Pandora makes her way closer to him.

"Who are you?" Pandora asks, curiously but also cautiously.

Ulysses gives her a questioning look, "Didn't we already cover that? My name is U."

"But who are you really?" she pushes back.

Again Ulysses seems weirded out by the question, "A friend."

This makes Pandora suspicious, "I have all the friends I need."

"What them? They seem more like subjects than friends." suggests Ulysses.

"I wasn't talking about them." responds Pandora, "Who are you with?"

"With? I'm with you at the moment." Ulysses says with a sly smile.

Pandora scoffs at that, "You wish."

He laughs back, giving her the once over, "Actually, I kinda do."

That has Pandora giving him an angry look without saying anything.

"Look, obviously you're going through something. I guess this is a bad time." Ulysses says, getting up from the desk and throwing out the half eaten apple as he heads for the door, "I can come back."

As they pass each other, Pandora grabs him, "You're not going anywhere."

He smiles at her as he look her in the eyes, "I'd like to see you stop me."

"Okay," Pandora starts before yelling out to her subjects, "GET IN HERE!"

Moments after she gives the order, several of Pandora's subjects enter from both doors, cutting off anyway for Ulysses to escape.

"You called, my lady?" one of them asks.

"I want you guys to figure out why he's immune to the apples we've given out." orders Pandora.

"And how far would you like us to go?" another requests.

Pandora looks at Ulysses and they stare each other down for a while. The tension between them is obvious but neither really backs down.

"Do whatever you have to." suggests Pandora, before adding, "Just make sure you don't kill him in the process. It does us no good to know unless he's still alive for us to help him see the error of his ways."

Ulysses can't help but respond with a somewhat curious look, "Wow, you've really gone off the deep end, haven't you? Are things really that bad?"

Pandora's subjects approach Ulysses cautiously before trying to pull him away. He resists at first but they're persistent, so he turns to them.

"Fine... do whatever you think you have to." he says as he begins to make his way out and Pandora's subjects follow him, but he turns at the door to face her, "We'll talk later."

Pandora just watches him go.