Broken Hourglass (Sanscest Multiship)

Chapter 21 - Mystical Fire

School.

Fell hated school.

It wasn't that he was a bad student. Well he was, but it was more due to being tired and not having time to due homework than not understanding the work. But it was long and boring and kids are mean.

"You've never even been in a school," came the interruption

"Do you have to nitpick everything I say?," they asked.

"Is this because you got your feelings hurt by a three year old that one time?"

"Fucking kid needed to mind their damn business!" The other seemed thoroughly amused. He's always known exactly what buttons to press. "Anyway"

The class that Fell hated the most was gym. The uniform would have exposed the bruises on his arms and legs, and like most things in his life Fell didn't think that was worth the trouble it would bring him. He would either not change or on a day like this one, skip the class entirely.

Shop class was the only place he actually liked in the school. Harsh lights and loud machinery were much better company than any of people in this god forsaken place.

A metal detector lay on one of the tables. That looked like it would be interesting to take apart.
—
Fell tapped on the wall. Waiting for Dust to fix the engine was boring.

"Ladies, Gentlemen, and other Distinguished Titles, we have liftoff," Dust said over the comms.

The overhead speakers suddenly turned back on. "That concludes our final check. Thank you for your continued patience and we'll be on our way soon," the captain announced.

"Everyone be sure to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious. They know we're here now, but be sure to keep the civilians away," Geno directed.

Kinda ironic that they're protecting the people whose deaths they're going to cause but, that seems par for the course with time travel. He'd never really had to deal with much of that since Classic was Search and Rescue. That job seemed less morally ambiguous than most of the others.

Fell wasn't a time traveler, but he wasn't quite a civilian either. 'Strays' is what they were called. A non-time traveler who got dragged along onto missions. Some of the field agents could get quite attached to their strays. In his case, Fell assumed he was much more emotionally attached to Classic than the time traveler was to him.

In the market area, there were several stalls alongside the stores. In the center of the area, was a large concrete pad filled with tables and small planters with some greenery to break up the otherwise very inorganic surroundings.

At one of the tables, Fell, Sci, and Cross sat eating and discussing their next move.

"Can't you ask any ghosts around for help?" Fell asked, snatching the last handful of fries. He forgot how much he missed shitty fast food.

"No good. No one's died here yet," Cross answered.

"How does that even work? Souls disintegrate upon death," Sci said. "This whole thing is completely illogical."

More so than the entire concept of time travel?

"You are asking the wrong people," Chara interjected. There was never going to be a getting used to them just appearing out of nowhere. The ghost child grabbed a locket from around Cross's neck. "But it has something to do with this"

"I could have told you that," Cross said. "I picked up and I've been stuck with this little shit ever since."

"Please, like I want to be around your pathetic mopey ass," the ghost shot back.