i bought some postcards

[truthwright]

Kas is sadder, after Inkeri's prophecy. And it gets worse as time goes on. The closer they get to Isabella's return, the more it hurts.

He tries to do the best he can for Helen regardless. Helen, in turn, hugs him a lot and doesn't fuss when he cries on her. They make a good team that way.

Comments

[telesonorous]

It is the moon. It is very moonlike.

Helen is beaming.

[alicornucopia]

"You were going to explain interesting secrets?"

[telesonorous]

"Yeah," she says. "I'm just - kind of not sure where to start? Um, I'm the Shade-Dreamer's daughter. That's where Kas started when he told me, it kind of explains some things all by itself a little."

[alicornucopia]

"It could. Sort of. She was missing long before we were born, though."

[telesonorous]

"Yes," she says. "That was big secret number one. Big secret number two: she had a lot of magic that isn't anything like witch magic, and she gave Kas some before he left. That's what he used to make me, and what I used to bring us here - it grants wishes, and it's nice about it, as long as you more or less know what you're doing. I would've been in trouble if I'd tried to go to the moon without thinking about air first, but Kas took me the first time and I could just copy what he did after that."

[alicornucopia]

"Oh," says Inkeri, looking up at the sky.

[telesonorous]

"I took us to somewhere away from the Earth and the sun, but I could show you the Earth if you want," she says. "It's beautiful from up here."

[alicornucopia]

"Yes, please."

[telesonorous]

Teleport, and there's the Earth.

[alicornucopia]

There is Earth. Inkeri admires it.

"When the Shade-Dreamer comes back like I prophesied, what's going to happen?"

[telesonorous]

"I... really don't know," she says. "That's what Kas has been so depressed about, actually. He's always had a hard time with her being gone, and now he's having a hard time with knowing when she's going to be back and having to wait for it. And I've never met her or anything - Ranata's told me stories, and so has Kas, and of course there's about a million movies, but I don't really feel like she's someone I know."

[alicornucopia]

"Does she know you exist?"

[telesonorous]

"I don't know. Probably not. I can't imagine how she would; if there's yet another secret kind of magic that would tell her, I don't know what it is."

[alicornucopia]

"That sounds difficult," says Inkeri.

[telesonorous]

"Yeah. For everybody."

[alicornucopia]

Inkeri nods. "What are you going to do when she comes back?"

[telesonorous]

"I don't know," she says. "I can't help thinking... what if she doesn't like me?" She sighs, and looks up at the Earth. "I'd be okay. But I'd rather get along with her, and I don't know how to do that, or if I can even make a difference to it at all."

[alicornucopia]

Inkeri nods, still admiring the Earth in the sky.

[telesonorous]

"Maybe it'll be okay," says Helen. "I don't know. I guess I'll find out soon."

[alicornucopia]

"Very soon," agrees Inkeri. "I don't know exactly when because I don't know when she left. Do you?"

[telesonorous]

"Late spring next year. That's when Kas says."

[alicornucopia]

"Not long now."

[telesonorous]

She nods, looking up at the Earth.

"Yeah."

[alicornucopia]

Inkeri is quiet.

[telesonorous]

For once, Helen is quiet too.