The Aeronaut's Daughter

Apprehended

(Lyra P.O.V)

(M/C) and I arrived at Mary Malone's office. I knocked. The door opened revealing an excited Mary. "Lyra! Come in! Come in!"

I pulled (M/C) inside. 

"I'm so glad you came back," Mary breathed happily. 

"I told you I'd come back," I said. 

Mary flew a glance over to my new friend next to me. "Who is this?" 

"This is the boy I was connected to on your computer cave, through dust,"

Mary gave (M/C) a strange glance that made him a little quivering. I rubbed his hand to consul him.

"What's your name?" she asked.

He looked at her a little distrustfully. 

"It's alright," I assured. "You can trust her,"

"(M/C). My name is (M/C),"

"He actually felt dust when I was communicating with it. He can feel it when it operates,"

(M/C) sent me a soft glare. I shrugged. "(M/C), Mary's computer cave can you answers to why you're connected to this substance," I turned to Mary. "Would it be okay if (M/C) has a go on your cave?"

"W...well..." Mary stuttered. "If he wants to do it,"

I turned to (M/C). "It won't be painful (M/C). It might be able to help," he remained rather stubborn like before. "Trust me,"

(M/C) took in a deep breath. "Okay," he accepted my words. "I'll do it. Just this once,"

Mary took us to the computer cave. We sat on seats. She held up the wires with pads to connect them to his temple. When she lifted them, he drew back a bit. 

"It won't hurt. I promise," Mary said soothingly. 

(M/C) turned to me and I rubbed his hand comfortably. 

He allowed Mary to connect him to the machine and she later turned the engine on. 

"I'm scared," he said with a fear which I had never seen in him before. 

"It'll be alright," I assured him. 

The computer began blurring a bit and he began to quiver. 

"Just relax your mind," I instructed. "Stop fighting it. Let it flow. Put your mind at a certain spot. Try think of what you want to happen,"

He closed his eyes. He took in deep breaths and let out long exhales. Then after a brief moment, I saw his mind was relaxing. Turning to the screen, I saw loads of strange pictures. Not exactly like the ones from the Alethiometer. But they looked like people. 

(M/C) opened his eyes. The moment he did, the images on the screen began changing into something else. "What is this?"

"That's Dust. It's telling you something," 

He turned to me. All I offered was a face of interest. 

He turned back to the screen. "So that's what it was doing. All those nights I couldn't sleep, all those feelings I was having...it was this Dust...telling me things. All this time, I wondered what all those pictures and dreams I wrote down in my journals meant..."

"It must be Dust...giving you answers. How are you feeling?"

"I feel...relaxed. It doesn't feel like I'm having a migraine or a horrible headache,"

"You just need your mind to feel relaxed," Mary said. "That's how this Dust flocks to your head like birds," 

"Thank you Lyra. I feel more relaxed than I have in such a long while," he answered after that.