In Hindsight

Caverns Below Mountains

Past eternity and beyond the boundaries of time, there was the Universe.

And the Universe spoke, and its voice was that of caverns below mountains, of grains of sand over snow, of lines on a screen.

And the Universe said it had no one to love but itself.

And the Universe said there must be a balance in all things.

And the Universe said there must be someone to love, and to be loved.

So from the Universe came Creation and Destruction, equal and opposite, a perfect battle raging through the Universe's embrace.

And the Universe said it was good.

And the Universe said it was only the beginning.

Understand this, child. Understand your place in the Universe's sight.

I don't understand yet.

You will.

We have eternity for you to learn.

❖✩✩✩❖

"—ine with Tango, he can— OH MY GOSH PEARL!"

Pearl grinned, dropping down from where she'd been perched, leaning out above Xisuma's bed. "Did I scare ya?"

"Gave me a bloomin' heart attack, more like it!" Xisuma leaned against the bed frame, hand on his chest. "Geez!"

Pearl laughed, patting Xisuma on the shoulder. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself. How was the void?"

"It was fine, yeah, it—" Xisuma shook his head. "Geez, Pearl, don't do that!"

"Sorry, sorry," Pearl chuckled. She reached up, untangling a strand of hair that had gotten caught in her antenna. "I wanted to ask you about the hacker. . .?"

Xisuma's demeanor changed in an instant. His shoulders slumped, and his eyes dimmed slightly behind his faceplate. "Ah. Yes. We're still figuring the situation out, it's. . . complicated."

"I guessed as much, seeing as he's back on the server," Pearl said. "What's going on?"

"It's—" Xisuma glanced away. "I can't really tell you much, there's a lot of— he— gosh. I took his code, and there was. . . information in there that made the situation more complex than we thought, but I don't think it's my place to tell you what that was. . ."

". . .Okay. . ." Pearl raised her eyebrow. "Did you learn anything you can tell me?"

"I got a company name from him, I haven't looked into it yet, though. Do you recognize the name Showfall Media?"

"Sounds familiar, but I can't remember where I heard it." Pearl frowned. "'Media' sounds like a production company. Why would they send people after Grian?"

"I don't know," Xisuma muttered. "I need to ask Grian about it. There's definitely something strange going on, though."

"Oh, definitely." Pearl's wings twitched. "Do you think I could talk to the hacker? Just for a bit? I've got somethin' I wanna ask him."

Xisuma hesitated. ". . .I-I'm honestly not sure that's a good idea. Tango says he's just barely woken up, and I think he needs a bit of a break—"

"A break? X, what? He's— don't tell me you've gone soft on him!" Pearl said incredulously.

"It's. . . complicated," Xisuma said. "He nearly died, Pearl, like, perma-died, outside the server. I think he could use a moment to rest. . ."

"He's a hacker." Pearl crossed her arms. "He shouldn't die, but he shouldn't have been on our server— even near our server in the first place! If he's a little shaken up that's just what he gets for trying to kidnap Grian!"

"Pearl, I hear what you're saying, but it's simply too difficult of a situation—" Xisuma's communicator buzzed, cutting him off, and he glanced at his wrist, then sighed. ". . .I'm not going to stop you from talking to him. But. . . be gentle. He's probably scared out of his mind."

"I won't lay a finger on him," Pearl promised.

". . .Okay. I trust you." Xisuma checked his communicator again, then pulled out a rocket, elytra fanning out behind him. "Meeting's in twenty minutes, don't be late."

"Wouldn't dream of it. Where's the hacker?"

"We put him in a room dug out of the base of my base." Xisuma's brow furrowed. "I mean, the base of my mountain. I mean, the mountain that my base is built into?"

"Iron door, base of mountain?" Pearl said, having seen it as she was flying over.

"Yeah." Xisuma's communicator buzzed again and he winced. "I gotta go meet Tango in the Shopping District, see you in a bit?"

"Sounds good!"

Pearl watched as he boosted himself, flying out of the room, then she spread her own wings, following him up and out of the massive build.

❖✩✩✩❖

Tommy was in the middle of dismantling the bedframe when the door opened.

"Fuck—" Tommy said, banging his mask on the nightstand. He winced and turned, re-adjusting the metal, then froze. A woman was staring at him, eyes stony, massive navy moth wings lifted slightly to block the entrance.

". . .Hallo?" Tommy realized he had a screw in his hand, and quickly tossed it under the bed, raising his hands with a nervous chuckle. "I was. . . definitely not taking the bed apart."

"Your hybrid traits are gone," The woman said bluntly.

Tommy slowly shifted, getting his feet under him, then stood. ". . .I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Oh, yes you do." The woman's eyes narrowed. "You used to have ears and a tail. Pretty sure your eyes weren't that dark, either. What did you do?"

"Look, ma'am, I don't really feel like discussing my fucked up biology right now, okay?" Tommy glanced at the tiny flames swarming around his feet. "You guys don't wanna hear about that, right?"

The fires crackled in disagreement.

"Fucking wankers, you're supposed to be on my side," Tommy muttered. He looked back up, squinting at the woman's gamertag hovering above her head. "So, miss. . . Moon? What's the deal, Tango just left, aren't you all supposed to be in a meeting or something?"

"It's happening in a few minutes," Pearl said, expression darkening, "which gives us plenty of time to talk."

"I thought we were done with the interrogation," Tommy said carefully, taking a step backwards. "Xisuma's already got my code—"

"Oh, don't worry!" Pearl's voice took on a sing-songy tone. "I've only got one eensy-weensy question for ya!"

She began walking towards him slowly, wings fully unfolding. Their tips brushed the ceiling, and as she got closer they began to vibrate, making a dry rattling noise against the stone.

Tommy let her approach him. Every muscle in his body was tense, wanting to back up, but getting pinned against the wall was the last thing he wanted. Besides, it wasn't like there was anything she could do to him. She was just a moth, after all.

She stopped in front of him, eyes boring into his, then pulled a paper from her pocket, slapping it down on the nightstand. "Recognize this?