Radiance

The Garden

|Sabre|

Tewtiy paused for a moment at my question, looking around at the beautiful garden around us. Small lights hung off of lines that attached from the side of the building and ran to poles scattered across the area. The warm air from the day was only now starting to cool as I looked around the space. My brown haired friend lets out a sigh before looking at me with his dark brown eyes. "Well, you know that steve I was sitting by? He was with you when we first met back up?" Tewtiy shifts a bit on his feet, his hands stuck into his pockets. I nod to his question, knowing he was talking about Time. "Yeah, Time. What about him?" I ask Tewtiy, who rubs his neck.

He finally sighs after a hot minute, then his eyes trail to the ground. "I uh... I think I may have some sort of connection to him. I don't know how or what it is about, but I just feel this pull in my chest to be beside him. It's kind of complicated to explain." Tewtiy makes a bit of a face, tapping his boot against the stone path underneath us. Connected? How would he be connected to Time? He's never been to this world, ever. Unless... No. If mine is suppressed then theirs would be- But Lucas was able to. My train of thought brings me to realize with a shock that Lucas and Tewtiy were both able to use their birthrights in this world. I don't know how; Maybe because of their recentness to this world. But regardless, they still had access to theirs. I let out a sigh before I continue to talk. "Do you think it's related to your emblem," I ask him before looking off to the side. "I mean. If memory serves me correctly, your birthright is galaxy based. And it's possible you could be connected to Time's old creator, Galaxy." My comment causes a realization to hit my friend suddenly.

"Wait! Galaxy Steve?! I think I've met him but, in a- Weird way?? Through my dreams? I don't know, all I remember is falling asleep, then waking up in this weird place, going fishing, and him holding a pufferfish?" He shakes his head as I just stare at him. It was years ago, but I still remember how Galaxy had an obsession with pufferfish and loved fishing. But... Galaxy was dead and there was no way Tewtiy could have met him. Unless his birthright... I shake my head in disbelief while Tewtiy was rambling on more and more. "Ok ok, pause chief. Galaxy is dead he was killed by Void and his death caused the creation of Time and Elemental..." I trail off at the memory of Elemental and his last moments, then let out a sigh. But Tewtiy shook his head. "Sabre, there is no way it couldn't have happened. Something with my birthright did happen. I don't know what exactly... Maybe something with a rumor I've heard, but it happened. I've never seen anyone like him before in my life!" My usually joking friend has a serious look on his face as he looks me dead on.

To be fair... With everything going on, I think I could believe it. I came back to this timeline after I thought I would never, didn't I? The First Curse came back and he was supposed to be dead. So... At this point, what was not out of the realm of possibility. After glancing down at the ground, I look back up at Tewtiy and nod. "I believe you." I admit, causing him to let out a sigh. "Thank you... I honestly was hoping I wasn't going crazy considering this guy actually talked about you and knew what was going on in this place." Tewtiy dropping that tnt on me made me shake my head and sigh. Either his dream was severely coincidental and accidental, or he actually met Galaxy and Galaxy was still watching this world. Not going to lie, I was hoping on the last option. I still felt some of the pain from seeing him get destroyed like how he did. He was crazy and out of this world, but he seemed like a fun guy.

"I uh- anyways... Yeah. I really just wanted to talk about that but... Gosh. How are you Sabre? I just feel like I haven't gotten to ask you that." My old friend sticks his hands into his pockets again, having been flinging them around while explaining, then looks at me. I pause for a bit, then shrug and walk with him further into the garden. "Well... That's honestly a vague question cause a lot has happened to me this week and in the 12 years that I've been gone for. So... What do you mean in specific, chief?" I say to the blonde at my side, who sighs and looks up at the starry expanse above us.

"Well... In general. Like you've said, you've been through a lot. I know you explained it to Lucas but I never really had you explain it to me. Plus... I'm just worried about you. Especially of recent and hearing what you said at the table." Tewtiy pauses to turn around and look at me, his eyes reflecting the same care he had on his words. I stand there, struck a bit by his statement and last line, then cross my arms. "I just... Thanks. For the care, chief," I pause a moment before continuing. "Uhm. I don't know, honestly. Its just been so long since I've last seen you and Lucas. Since I've came to this world, there was a lot of horrible things that happened to me. I lost a lot of people I cared about and got shunned away. Nowadays you can't really see anything about it, but I used to be really hated... Especially when the darkness was around." My eyes trail down as I bitterly remember the entire time after Shadow took over my body. Especially the damage I had caused...

Tewtiy places his hands on my shoulders, causing me to look up at him. "Honestly, I get it, Sabre. That feeling of being an outcast sucks. Especially as well- Your reaction to me saying I'm a Reaper now, was what I expected. It was Lucas's reaction as well. But it wasn't the only thing I've gone through. Every day that I am out there, I'm afraid for my life. At any point I could be facing Xenos or some other who is stronger than I that could kill me. Yet... Here I am. I'm back having wacky adventures with you, just like we were young again." He cracks a smile, the sadness and fear still in his eyes, but he shoved it aside as he hugged me. It has... Certainly been a while. I've definitely missed having Tewtiy around because he was always understanding and a charismatic guy. But... Hearing him admit being scared for his life every day hurt. I could see it in his eyes and I knew the feeling so badly. "Heh. I guess you're right, Tewtiy. Even still, we are having adventures as adults. I just..." I trail off with a sigh, then shift back. "Tewtiy. Have you told Lucas about anything? I'd assume you two are still close..." He shakes his head, then glances back around to the garden around us.

"I... Haven't told Lucas. You know how he gets when he learns about one of us getting hurt. He's really just been that way since we first started to live on our own and his family house was destroyed. But... I don't want to tell him and get him involved in Reaper matters. I've hid the fact that I've been keeping tabs on you two for the longest time, even from the Reapers. I didn't want him getting back in Sa'aal cross hairs." Tewtiy just gives a defeated sigh, then walks over to a nearby bench and sits down. I trail beside him, then sit on the bench beside him. "Jeez man. Also, again? What do you mean by that??" I give him a questioning look that he returns with a jaded look of anger and turns away. "They've been... The force behind a lot of our problems. My father's death? Sa'aal. Lucas's house being burned down and his family killed? Sa'aal. The assassin who came after you? Sa'aal. Every turn, they've had a play in the horrid things happening back home."

My body goes cold at the mention of the Undying and how they've been the cause behind most of the trauma we've been through. Honestly, who knows what they have truly done in full extent. Tewtiy lets out a drawn breath, then runs his hand through his hair. "I just... I realize to an extent that even though I want to return home, this place just seems so much more safer. You're safe here, Lucas is relatively safe here though from what I've heard, that was a situational thing... What I'm trying to get at is, I'm unsure on where to go, Sabre." Tewtiy's jaded look of anger molds into a helplessness as he turns to look at me. With a drawn out breath to let out the stress in my body, I reach to place my hand on my friend's shoulder.

"Cheif- Ryan. I get it. I realized that after a while. Though... This world is a lot more toned down and peaceful than it was." My eyes trail up to the stars and I can make out the set of stars close together that made up what I called, the "Feather". It looked like what it was called. "I've worked hard alongside some others to bring peace to these lands. Which in reality, sounds a lot easier than it is. I've lost people here who meant a lot to me. But..." I pause for a moment and look down at my hand, clenching it into a fist and relaxing it. "I'm coming to terms with my trauma." The man beside me sighs, then draws his knees up to his chest and lays his arms down on them.

I could tell that what I was saying, wasn't helping much with him. His posture and the distant look in his eyes was reflecting that. After a glance, I place my hand on his shoulder, causing him to look at me. With a sigh, I give him a small smile. He makes a confused look, but then exhales and shifts closer to me to lean his head on my shoulder. I was a bit offset at first, but then ruffle his hair. He and I both were touchy people, that was for sure.

Together, Ryan and I both sat there for a while. Not much was said after that, though... I think we had talked enough. We both silently knew that together, both of us had major decisions coming ahead of us. For me... I didn't know what it was.

Not yet at least.