Inherently Innocent

A Wild, Mighty Flower Rests

Liliac held Thyme's hand. She reassured herself that the hollow shell that was the Host could not hurt her in this state, but her heart still skipped a beat whenever he sobbed.

She had poured all her effort into recalling every pain, every anguish, and concentrating them into the polluted heart of the host. She had spoken back the words that he had said and turned dirt into dirt, and ash to dust. She had stood free while the chains dug into his skin. He had cried in the dark while she watched. She had written something down while he held his empty stomach, numb in poisoned pain. Liliac hated every second of it, but she needed to show the host what he had done to her, to everyone he had destroyed.

So it was true. He was a nymph. And he had been all along.

The only thing keeping her in shape, and by the looks of it the others as well, was shock. She couldn't wait to leave that basement, but they had to wait for Juniper.

The human, if she could be called that, had hurried to fix a fallen antenna, cut and tie cables, and reconnect plugs of all shapes and sizes.

Liliac had no clue what any of it did, but saw Thyme stare carefully, following every move.

"What is she doing?" Lee asked.

"Reconnecting."

Juniper was finally fidgeting with the screen. Her fingerprints remained red wherever she touched, which was everywhere. Her nervous fidgeting reminded Liliac of worse times. So she reached for Juniper's shoulder and placed a hand on it. It didn't fix the girl's haunted stare, it was even painful when the two girl's eyes met, but it was a start.

Thyme remained distant. He refused to look at either of the Marulls, digging his vengeful feeling deep into Liliac's hand.

Just as she was opening her mouth to tell Thyme he was hurting her, another voice spoke.

"Hello?" The screen said. It spoke in an odd accent. It flashed black, and suddenly chalk white. From the burns on the page, appeared a person. A figure with a short neck and lifted shoulders frowned at the camera. "You should know it's a felony to access this line."

"Who am I talking to?" Juniper's voice recomposed. She straightened her neck and pressed her lips. Her own face was mirrored, small, at the bottom right corner of the screen.

Liliac frowned, wondering how many times before she had faked the confidence.

"I should ask the same."

"You're talking to Earth."

The figure on the screen concealed surprise, turned and talked to someone outside of the frame, but their words were not heard. They had muted themselves.

They stood and walked away, leaving the screen blank once more. Juniper's frown tensed. Liliac found her own lips following along.

Finally, another figure appeared.

It was an older woman in white formal attire with silver makeup and greying black hair. She held her chin up, looking down at the camera, and spoke solemnly.

"You are speaking with the president of Olympus. If this is a joke, and you somehow managed to hack into the interplanetary connection, you could be facing over forty years in jail, young lady. But if you say the truth... there's no way the settlement on Earth has not succumbed to the attacks."

The woman breathed in. Liliac read Thyme's lips repeat the word Olympus. She had never heard it before, but something in it felt strangely familiar.

"My name is Juniper Moore Marull," She had to control a laugh, "I'm the granddaughter of Rocío Marull. Daughter of Leilani Marull Moore. Niece of Cove Marull. But what matters is that I'm on Earth, you are on Mars, and the connection has been reestablished after its sabotage."