Another Way

Chapter 26: Kinship

For the first time in a while, Sue let herself rest for as long as she needed.

The surrounding tranquility soothed her as her awareness slowly drifted around, never quite falling back asleep; but not waking up either. Warmth, safety, just enough ambient glow for it to not be entirely dark—all combined into a profoundly calming experience. It's been... years, decades since she could recall being at this much of a peace in the morning. Without anything that needed to be attended to right away, without any persistent worries.

Granted, she wasn't quite sure whether the latter was earned considering just what she'd seen at the end of her dream, but she discarded it soon enough. Ominous, sure, but hardly meaningful, and she wasn't in the mood to try predicting the future based on her exhausted, trauma-influenced dreams.

Especially since, unless she tripped on a magical ocarina later today, it wasn't like she could do anything to stop the Moon from falling on her.

Or Duck, for that matter.

The thought—equal parts stupid and morbid—did wonders in speeding Sue's awakening up. Just a few minutes later, she'd gone from idly resting to stretching and yawning as her mind felt around the room with its extra sense. Solstice was absent—understandable, with her having an important job. The same was true for Comet; she must've taken him somewhere. In front of her, Joy snoozed on, her quiet snores making up much of the quaint ambiance. Twinkle—

...

...

Twinkle wasn't here.

The revelation tossed the once-human into the freezing lake of full focus in an instant, eyes not even wincing as they snapped wide open. Confirming her worries, the messy bag wrapped around her chest was empty, sending her straight into ever-tightening anxiety.

"Twinkle? Twinkle!?"

Her aching limbs' complaints fell on deaf ears as Sue pushed herself up, frantically scanning around the room. The awareness that she was looking for someone whose true form wasn't meant to be looked at was present in her head, but shoved into a locker. She didn't care that the sight might hurt her; she needed to find them; she needed to find her—the little one.

With each nook investigated and found empty, she felt the stabbing feeling in her chest grow more intense, any remaining grasp on calmness fading soon. She kept looking around the tent, soon getting on her knees to check under the beddings and baskets, to the immense displeasure of her still-hurting leg. It could wait, everything could wait, she had to find them; they had to be somewhere in here!

R-right?

Only emptiness, again and again. Most trinkets she spotted were overlooked in the chaos, including a small bundle of a long needle and several tiny bags she found hidden under Solstice's bed. She didn't have the spare brainpower to think about it or even remember seeing it—all that mattered was finding the little ghost. With each passing moment, anxiety distilled into despair, catalyzed by the pulsating pain on her still-injured leg.

They must've headed out, but how am I gonna find them!? What if they ran off into the woods; what if they hate me now; what if they died—

*rustle-rustle*

The sudden sound made Sue look over hard enough to make her neck hurt, but she didn't have it in her to think about that.

Or... anything else, for that matter.

For a few moments, she stared at the misshapen, pitch-black spot, unable to process the sight. Her body ached as brain remained locked up, air slowly running out—