At The Core Of It All

There is some implied/referenced homophobia in this chapter, but it is brief. Just thought I would warn y'all!

It was magical watching Phastos work, the way the orb bent to his will. He'd removed it from Sersi and was trying to find a way to repurpose it, so it could activate the Uni-Mind.

"So how will we do this?" Druig asked them and Corey looked up curious, she'd changed into a shirt and jeans  with some sunflower earrings, an outfit she'd said would be better for fighting in (she probably wasn't going to be doing much fighting though.)

"Thena will take care of Ikairs, the rest of us will work towards getting Uni-Mind working," Sersi explained not going too into detail.

"What about Sprite, surely they don't want us to succeed?" Makkari signed.

"Don't worry we have a distraction for Sprite," Sersi looked over at Corey who smiled and waved.

-☼-

Corey walked up to the top of the hill-mountain that she'd seen Sprite on. Sprite was staring away at something off in the distance.

"Sodapop," Corey greeted through deep breaths. "Next time you really need to choose a place closer to the ground, I am so tired."

"What are you doing here?" Sprite asked looking at her warily.

"The world's ending, I came to see you," Corey told them, then she heard a crash as the Domo crashed into the ground.

"Oh, that does not look good, that goodness I am not on that flight," Corey shook her head, she hoped no one was injured.

"Corey, you need to go," Sprite warned him.

"And do what, make popcorn while the world ends?" Corey questioned.

"I think I-no I do love you, Sprite," Corey said taking Sprite's hands in her own. "I get it if you don't love me back but I figured that since the world was ending I should probably tell you."

"No, you can't-"

"And I get that this may be confusing, hey it's confusing for me too but I do love you that much is true." Then the volcano exploded and lava rocks began raining down from the sky.

"Ah!" Corey covered her head with her hands as if that would protect her.

When the rocks stopped falling Corey put her hands down, taking something out of her pocket. It was one of her rings that Sprite had seen her wearing before now on a string.

"In case it doesn't work out this way even if you forget me you still have a piece of me with you," Corey said and she slipped the necklace over Sprite's head.

Corey went and sat down on the edge of the cliff facing the water and took the picture from before holding it out. Sprite stood behind her, watching.

"You know I love sunflowers, I always found it fascinating that they could turn to face the sun like they were finding the light in dark times," Corey said randomly, she looked up at Sprite with a smile then back at the picture, her smile fading.

"That right there is my mom and dad," Corey told them pointing to the people in the picture. "And that is me. Come sit down with me."

Sprite hesitantly sat down next to her and Corey smiled.

"Do you want to hear a story?" Corey asked. "The story of why I live with my grandma instead of my parents?"

Sprite said nothing just stared.