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One might expect it would be hard to make a being who controlled all of space nervous. With such a vast domain to preside over, such a being would surely be very powerful. And if their existence was tied to it directly, then... Well, that would basically make them invincible! What person could hope to stand up to them?
And, to a certain extent, Sana would say that... these people were correct. In her eons of life, very few things had ever truly threatened her life. In the entire universe, there was almost nothing that could match her at her full potential. Only the aspects of Chaos and Time could ever hope to match her power... and they had been her best friends since the birth of existence! (Even if Kronii was quite tsundere about it.)
That was not to say nothing had ever given her a challenge. The Ancient Ones, for one, could be quite annoying to force back out of her reality. She also really did not have a way to deal with time anomalies, making it more of a conflict of attrition until Kronii dealt with them. But overall, she was pretty much one of the most powerful beings to ever exist! She flew through the cosmos without any fear, capable of withstanding nearly anything!
...Yet despite all of that power, she did get nervous at times. Not against any kind of threats to herself... but over smaller things. Stuff that could not be solved by conjuring a tiny black hole or harvesting the power of a supernova. More... personal relationship things. Things that made her more than just a living embodiment, and instead... made her a person.
And currently... she did not think she had ever been as nervous about anything as she was now.
The Speaker pursed her lips at this thought, zipping through the space between stars surrounded by a sphere of yellow light. Her speed was far faster than light - beyond what should even be physically possible. Mumei often joked that if humans reached the stars, their best space ships would never be able to match her. She could go from one galaxy to another faster than they could get to the closest stars.
(The Guardian had laughed at the time, clearly seeing it all as a joke... Yet the tanned woman had not found it funny. Not that “if” part of things. She had smiled and giggled anyway, though... to mask how her heart had hurt... And so that her friend might not notice Kronii and Bae’s expressions then.)
Her speed was what she considered a “less impressive” part of her powers, though. Like, Bae could just teleport around, which was far more convenient! Still, it was just another example of her immense capabilities. Her near-immeasurable power...
And yet... it was incredible how little that meant in the face of some issues. No amount of asteroids to fling could help awaken IRyS from her latest bout of Rejuvenating Rest. Every star in the galaxy could not change the march of time, which not even the Warden of it could extend or stop by any great stretches. And even with their powers combined with the Embodiment of Chaos, they could not stop the entropy of the cosmos.
...And, of course, these powers were all irrelevant in the face of her relationships. How she made friends and bonded with them... Or how to deal with the immense love she felt for one being in particular.
She was going to see her right now, in fact, which was a large part of her current nerves. Being with her always made her heart race a little bit in the handful of millennia they had been dating. Such a short amount of time for a being like her, and even the other... yet it felt far longer. Her mind even struggled at times to fully remember there was a time they had not known one another... That her lover had not even existed.
This did not change how magical their time together felt to her, however. From the fledgling days when the other’s domain was growing and she watched on curiously from above that random planet. Then, when her love-to-be got a proper foothold on that rock, creating something so unique that she had never witnessed before. A laying of the groundwork for strange beings to rise - mortals and lesser immortals, who all were tied to this world in some way.
Seeing it all happen had stirred wonder in Sana’s heart then. Even now, despite her current anxieties, she could not help but smile at those memories. It was the start of something truly special for her and her two original friends. The beginning of something that made them, and that handful of others from the dawn of existence, no longer... quite so alone in the vast, yet very empty universe.
She would forever be grateful that Bae suggested that they go down to meet the woman helping to maintain this new spark of life back then. It was the beginning of a truly beautiful friendship... that later became so much more. Every star across space had felt a little brighter the moment she got to talk to the newly solidified Keeper of Nature. Someone so calm and sweet, who had created a bounty of new experiences for everyone!
...And who did not seem to realize the fragility of her existence.
That made the Speaker frown, looking down as her speed slowed down just a tad, still in the space between stars. (Or, well, down being quite relative in a void like that.) The same bittersweet feelings she had been dealing with for ages reared their heads again. The joys of their time together... but also the pain of how fleeting it was. The small blip it would ultimately be in her life... before leaving a hole in her that she could scarcely even imagine living with.
...Unless something was done to change that. Which she had a plan to do now - one she was not sure would work, but... was basically her only chance to prevent the end she tried not to imagine. To... preserve someone who did not deserve to be a footnote in the grand scheme of the cosmos.
She had a real chance to make it happen now, thanks to Kronii and Bae agreeing to help. They had been hesitant at first, a few millennia ago. As close as they were with the green-haired woman, as well, they had wondered if it was worth the risks. And she had never begrudged them over it, knowing it was a lot to ask of them, straining the powers of all of their domains like that. There was so much that could go wrong for them all.
However... when humanity rose and their Guardian with it, they had finally understood her perspective. Why it was she was willing to push herself to her limits to help her girlfriend... For love was a powerful motivator. And they would not lose the most cherished people in their lives without a fight...
And now, their project had made enough progress to show something for their efforts. At last, they might be able to make a difference for one of their two smallest members of the Council. The plans for their little owl-girl were still underway, but she had gotten permission to share what they had done so far with her sweet kirin-girl. The other two knew she had been dying to... and how the whole ordeal had been eating her up from the inside.
She planned to do it on this date as a surprise. As far as her lover knew, this was just going to be some in-space star gazing - nothing they had not done a few times before. But once she took them exploring a little bit... she would show the planet that had progressed the farthest from the Speaker’s, Warden’s, and Embodiment’s combined efforts. It might even let her confirm with the Keeper whether it was having any kind of impact on her.
It was all rather straightforward... yet she could not help but be a little afraid. Not enough to deviate from her course as she sensed she was “close” to the correct star. If anything, she willed herself to go a little faster, knowing delaying would only make things worse. This needed to happen one way or another. She could not avoid the conversations that would come of this if she wanted to continue her efforts.
...But the bad scenarios would not leave her alone. What if... the other could not feel anything once they arrived at the planet? Would that mean that there was no chance to preserve her or Mumei? Or just that they needed longer for the effects of this to take root in their domains? Yet how long would that be? Millennia? Eons? Did she have the patience for that? (Ironic that an immortal by her would be bothered by so much as a year longer being necessary.)
Worse than that, though... was the possibility that her girlfriend would try to say no. That she desired to live and die with the Earth, being attached to it or for some other reason. Telling her to stop... and being forced to wait for the inevitable.
...Sana nearly broke then just from imagining it. However, she shook her head, using her arm to dry her eyes before her tears could fall. She could not fall apart from simply thinking about the possibility of rejection. And she firmly reminded herself that it was only a chance. This could go amazingly for all she knew! That her lover would be amazed, kiss her several times, give her a thousand thanks, and they would be happier than ever before! That was the ideal scenario, and one that helped to keep her a little bit brave in this!
...But that’s also only a chance, a part of her thought gloomily. She sighed at it, feeling distinctly uncomfortable as her chest tightened. She hated these feelings. Before the Earth had come to be, she had almost always been carefree and joyous. Not even after tough bouts with the Ancient Ones would you be likely to find her without a smile. The wonders of the universe had kept her upbeat, glad to simply exist.
Yet here she was now, feeling so close to falling apart thanks to love. It had made many pains for her so much worse, robbing her of an innocence she had not realized she had. It was the price of attachment, she supposed - specifically someone who, unlike Kronii and Bae, had a potentially limited lifespan.
It hurt so much... but she had no regrets. Not when it made the good things in her life so much better in turn. Never was she going to regret having fallen in love. She refused to let the possibility of loss imbitter their time together!
...But she truly hoped she would be allowed to remove that chance of loss as much as possible.
She would soon find out, though, as her internal senses told her she had nearly arrived. Taking a deep breath, she wiped her face one last time, trying to remove any signs of her sorrow and unease. She also made sure that her special size limiter was still on her head. She did not want her normal size to disrupt any orbits or cause her to smack something out of place! She was forgetful about that at times in other places across space.
...Not here, however. Never here. For she knew that any damage she did to this planet could not be undone. Not in the way that would be needed. If she so much as made a small meteor strike it... she would never forgive herself.
So, upon confirming her limiter was on, the Speaker took a deep breath. Then, calling upon her powers, she started to gradually slow the golden sphere in which she traveled. Soon, the blur of stars outside of its semi-translucent walls became more distinct as she dipped into far more natural speeds. Then, it came to a stop - or so much as anything “stopped” in space - and with a blink of her eyes, it dissipated entirely, leaving her floating in the void.
And just ahead... she could see her destination, millions of kilometers away. The sight managed to make her smile return, feeling warmth in her heart despite her earlier thoughts. The orbs in her hair glowing briefly, she used her powers to alter her orbit, heading right toward the planet. Even without her specialized travel, she was rapidly closing the distance with speeds that would make many scientists jealous, she was sure.
The remaining journey only took a minute, but it felt far too long to her. Still, this was another necessary precaution. While realistically she knew she could have stopped far closer to the planet without causing issues, she did not want to risk it. There were enough dangers in the cosmos to it, of which she could not stop all of due to things simply... falling beneath her notice, no matter how much she focused. There was no need to add herself to the dangers all upon this world faced.
...That was what made this place so unique, in fact. And as she drew close, like the millions of times before... she could not help but stop to admire it. From her angle, she could see half of it lit up from the star it orbited... the surface covered in greens and blues not found elsewhere. On the dark side, though, the signs of intelligence upon the surface showed as artificial lights lit up the land, creating such fascinating patterns. All of it beneath a pale moon, whose current position put it in what those below considered its waxing phase.
Earth, as humans called it... There was nothing quite like it in the whole universe. One of only a few worlds that had ever spawned life, and had lasted the longest out of all of them. It was what could be considered a cosmic anomaly, she considered. But unlike the dangerous time ones Kronii dealt with, this anomaly... It was the most precious thing she had ever witnessed. A planet full of experiences that you could not find anywhere else among the stars.
At least... not naturally. But her work was still ongoing there.
She could have looked at it for hours without getting bored. However... her lover was waiting for her. And so, taking one last deep breath to steady her nerves, she drew on her powers and surrounded herself in a blue orb of light. Then, being mindful about not hitting any of mankind's artificial satellites, she began to descend through the atmosphere toward the point they agreed to meet.
It only took a few minutes for her to reach the surface, though it still felt too long. The temptation was there to just forgo using her powers and to just drop like a rock. It was not like she would receive any serious damage! If anything, the touchdown would be a light tickle to her... But it would also leave a crater. And whether it was nature or civilization she would destroy by doing so, she once again refused to do so.
Besides... she did like the sights below her as she came down at an angle. She passed over the dark side of the planet, the moon and a star-filled sky above her. They provided a nice little bit of illumination as she passed over lush forests and fields of grass. On occasion, she thought she could also pick out little animals there or nocturnal birds flying around her. And in the distance, she also saw some tall, strong buildings, and could see some cars driving by on roads not far away. She thinks she even saw a campfire briefly, some humans enjoying nature.
Nature and civilization... Two aspects that were created with life on this planet. And, in turn, had made two members of the Council. It was quite impressive the sway these concepts had to create immortals, just as space had done with herself! And while the two domains were often at odds with one another these days, they both had their charms to them... and their overseers were looking to heal the rift between their sides.
It was so magnificent... which made the limits of their powers seem so unfair to her.
But Sana tried not to dwell on that - not until later. For soon enough, her descent finally put her above the ground in the middle of a clearing. She came to an abrupt stop just above, causing a large gust of air that made the grass sway. But it left no real damage, much to her relief. So she dissipated the ball, letting her feet touch down onto the soft plants with bare feet.
She took a second to look around. There was nothing inherently special about this location. It was a simple clearing in the middle of a forest. Tall trees stood around her, and in the distance under the moonlight, she could see some mountains. Not a bad place, but hardly the most impressive sight this planet has. She would know from experience, her girlfriend often taking her on dates around there, too.
But still... knowing it all belonged to the Keeper made it special to her. She smiled softly, taking a long breath of the fresh air the Earth provided. To her, every sight there, no matter how small, deserved to be cherished. So she turned about, trying to commit it all to memory... This place would only be around for so long, after all.
And as she turned... she spotted her lover. She was standing in the open, unhidden and clearly having waited a good while. Her smile was ethereal in the moonlight, her green hair and her white and blue clothes swaying in a passing breeze. She stood tall, appearing as calm as ever with her hands clasped in front of her.
The Speaker’s breath hitched at the sight. It had... been far too long since they had seen one another in person. She had just been so focused on getting some last touches done with the start of her project to help the other. So now, being so close to her again... Well, it was making her heart flutter more than it usually did when around her, which was saying something!
Yet how could she not? It was Ceres Fauna, the Keeper of Nature. The most wonderful immortal she had ever met... and who she so desperately cherished. Her nice, sweet... delicate little flower.
She was pulled from those thoughts as the kirin-girl stepped closer. The woman giggled, smiling with amusement as she stopped right in front of her. “Well, someone looks happy. It’s only been a few months! Did you miss me that much?”
Sana’s heart melted at the caring tone. Combined with her relief that the other did not notice any signs of her previous crying, she was able to smile widely back as she nodded. “Of course! Every second away from you is so sad for me!”
Fauna rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “I somehow doubt that with how much you go on about how pretty the galaxy is.”
“Yet not a single bit of it holds a candle to your beauty,” the Speaker retorted smoothly, her expression becoming warmer.
The Keeper blinked, before chuckling with a faint bit of pink on her cheeks. “D-did Kronii or Mumei teach you that one?”
Sana gave a faux pout. “What? I can’t be mushy on my own?”
“Oh, no, you definitely are all the time,” Fauna reassured, before smirking a little. “But... I’m used to my little dork of a girlfriend getting tongue-tied. If you keep this up, I might need to come up with more ways to make you too love-struck to talk. It’s so adorable to see.”
“...Giving me a kiss would help with that,” the Speaker offered softly, giving a shy smile.
Giggling, the Keeper wrapped her arms around her and leaned up. “Well, in that case...”
With no further prompting needed, the two of them pressed their lips together. It was a slow kiss, though one that still got the astro-girl’s heart to hammer in her chest. She wrapped her arms around her lover... though not too hard. She kept her embrace light and gentle, not daring to apply more force... Not to someone like her.
When they pulled away, she took another moment to admire the other. The kirin-girl’s face was so soft... just like the rest of her. Yet the shimmer in her golden eyes gave a sense of strength to her otherwise dainty appearance. Looking in them... the tanned woman could almost feel the nature around them as she did. The sturdy solidity of the trees around them. The immovable force that was those distant mountains. The power she seemed to draw from the night animals as they scurried in the distance.
Here on Earth, the green-haired woman must have felt all-powerful like she did. Perhaps not quite so invincible, as humans tore away at her domain every day, and not always giving back in return. But even so, she could make them cower with a well-placed earthquake or bear down the force of a tornado. She had plenty of tricks up her sleeve to make it clear to mankind that no matter how hard they tried, nature would not go down easily if they sought extermination of it.
She had to feel so formidable here... But she was not. Not compared to someone like herself. Her girlfriend did not appear to grasp her position... How minuscule it truly was. How, in the grand scheme of everything... she did not have nearly the power she thought.
Sana always felt ashamed of thinking that way about the other. Perhaps it was unfair, given just how different their positions and roles were. She certainly did not think she was powerless. And yet... she could never get rid of those feelings. Not with the way she felt the universe. Even as her love grew ever-deeper for her... she only ever seemed to become more aware of how fragile all of this was.
Which was why her plan had to work... assuming her girlfriend approved of it. If it did not...
She was brought back into the present, though, as Fauna spoke up, this time sounding more genuinely worried. “Um... Sana? Are you okay?”
Realizing how long she had been staring, the Speaker shook her head and forced her smile to widen. “Oh, yeah! Sorry! I’ve just... had a lot on my mind here recently.” She tried giving her a wink. “And it’s easy to get lost looking into your eyes.”
“...Okay, that one I know you got from Kronii - that corny woman,” the Keeper commented. They both shared a chuckle over this, any tension that had tried to build up dissipating. Yet even so, the green-haired woman tilted her head at her. “But... you sure you’re okay? If you’re feeling out of it, we don’t have to go up and see-”
“No, no - I want to take you up!” Sana quickly reassured. Then... she sighed wearily, unable to help her mask slipping a little. She tried to hide it somewhat, though, by pulling the other closer and resting her head on her shoulder... keeping her touch delicate as ever. “I’ve... missed you a lot. I guess it’s getting to me right now, too.”
Fauna paused for a second, but soon returned the embrace. Her voice was soothing as she rubbed the taller woman’s back, a smile in her tone. “Okay. If you’re sure, then. Don’t ever feel like you have to force yourself to see me if you’re ever unwell, though.” She giggled lightly. “And don’t worry about keeping me waiting. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon!”
...The Speaker was glad her face was hidden so that her lover could not see her wince. She almost held her tighter... but she could never bring herself to. Not when it felt like, if she was not careful... she would break her in two without effort.
Still... it was nothing that a little stargazing could not distract her from for a while. So, pulling away, she smiled, gesturing to the stars above. “So, are you ready to go? I think I’ve got a good spot for us this time!”
The Keeper chuckled, nodding as she held out her hand. “Yes, I’m ready. All of your spots are amazing, though! You seem to know where the best angles of the stars are in space like the back of your hand!”
“Oh, but trust me - it’s extra special this time,” Sana insisted, taking her hand gently. And it was true... though not because of the stars themselves this time. But rather, the project that she had left in orbit around one of them, which she would subtly bring them toward...
Fauna, being none the wiser to this, just smiled again and shrugged. “If you say so. I don’t know how you keep track of it all, though.”
Just giggling at this, the Speaker proceeded to call upon her powers. A moment later, they floated gently off the ground by a few centimeters. This was followed by them being surrounded by a blue sphere of light, which proceeded to raise them further up and toward the sky. It was at a slower pace than when she came down, but it was necessary. Her lover could not handle high speeds while they were still in the atmosphere, likely due to the Earth’s gravity. So until they were properly in the void, she had to take her time again.
The Keeper always seemed fine about this, though. It gave her time to admire her world from above as they kept getting higher and further away from it. Even now, when she looked over at her, she saw the kirin-girl looking beneath them at the forest they passed over, looking slightly in awe. Getting to see it all from this angle seemed to be an experience she enjoyed, and she would not take that from her.
Sana’s heart felt fuzzy watching her... but also heavy. It sometimes felt like she was... weakening her girlfriend by taking her on these trips. Taking away what power she had by stealing her away from her very domain. Just from this angle, she swore she could see the power in those eyes already starting to fade. That the other always seemed troubled at times while away from the Earth only gave more fuel to her guilt.
But... space was who she was, and she wanted to share it with her. And this time... she was going to be sharing it in a way far more special than any time before. So she kept up their ascent, reassuring herself silently that everything would be fine. She was there to protect her, and she would see her safely to their destination.
She would protect Fauna from anything... Even from the very domain she commanded. Something that she was about to prove in a whole new way...
-------
Despite all the times they had done this, Fauna was certain she would... never get used to this. Being in space, she meant. Not because there was anything physically wrong with it, but rather due to it being... disorientating.
At least, it was for her. Kronii and Bae never seemed to have any issues whenever they were brought out here by her lovely Speaker. Even IRyS, to an extent, was able to handle it, and she was not an immortal concept. All of them seemed rather happy to enjoy the eternal freefall that was the vacuum that lay beyond the Earth.
But she and Mumei always had more... difficult adjustments. She supposed it came from them being born on a world bound by gravity. A place where things like up, down, and cardinal directions had power. And if they were flying - mainly on account of the Guardian’s wings - they still felt that strong pull. There was still the wind in their hair and sounds to accompany them.
...Space had none of these things. Telling a direction beyond a simple going from point to point was a useless endeavor. Everywhere was up, down, and all other things at once! There was no ground to orient oneself, or sounds to give an idea of where anything was. It was just... an all-surrounding sky, as she liked to put it. One where you heard no noise, meaning even the largest asteroids could sneak up on you without you realizing...
...Or, well, she supposed it was not completely soundless. It was meant to be, but... when you were in the company of its Speaker, then a few rules were bent a little. Including one’s ability to... well, survive in it.
Proof of this was given as she felt a tap on her shoulder where she floated. (Or, more accurately, was eternally falling, but she tried not to think about that.) She looked over at Sana, who was tilting her head at her as she spoke. “You alright, Faufau? Do... you not like the stars? I can get us a better angle!”
Smiling softly, the Keeper shook her head, grabbing her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Yeah, I’m okay. I’m just... missing the ground and dirt between my toes a little.” She could hardly lie about that, her unease always rearing its head on these outings. The other had surely noticed without her having to say it out loud.
It made her sad, though, when the Speaker inevitably looked down at this, pursing her lips. “I’m... sorry. Maybe I should have found a planet. But the void-”
“‘Always has the best angles,’” Fauna finished for her, smiling fondly to hopefully dissipate the other’s gloom. “You don’t need to explain yourself. If this was too bad for me, I would have told you ages ago! It’s just... light vertigo is all. It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“...You promise?” Sana asked, looking uncertain.
The Keeper nodded. “I promise. And the view is good! I’d say you’ve outdone yourself this time! You really know how to find the most colorful areas!”
Normally, this sort of thing would cheer her girlfriend right up. She would smile widely at the compliment, and possibly pull her into a hug. They would end up spinning and laughing, the view temporarily forgotten.
...But this time, the Speaker was rather subdued. She only looked away and murmured in concession, with no smile in sight. After which... she just ended up looking off in thought, not appearing to really be “seeing” the stars... Showing no wonder for her domain, which she normally could not help but eagerly describe at any opportunity.
It made Fauna frown, her heart twisting up in her chest. She felt a strong urge to ask about it... but her last two attempts had gotten her nowhere. These bouts kept coming and going since they left Earth, and her lover kept trying to hide it or deflect about it. Something was troubling her... and for once in their relationship, she seemed hesitant to share.
However, she seemed to want to talk about it. More than once in the corner of her eyes, the green-haired woman had seen her look ready to speak up, only to back out and go back to stargazing. (Or trying to, at least.) So whatever was on her mind, she just seemed to be working up the nerve to discuss it.
So for now, she let the matter be and turned away. She would get some answers soon, she was sure. And if not, then she was hardly going to force the other to speak if she decided not to. They were both entitled to keep some troubles to themselves, so long as they were not actively causing themselves harm.
...She kept their hands locked together, though. Partially because it helped to ground her a little and not feel so discombobulated. But also because... she wanted to show her girlfriend she was there for her, no matter what was bringing her down. To show she was not alone, even when they were silent.
And, given how her hand soon received a gentle squeeze... she believed it was working.
Taking that as enough for the moment, the Keeper went back to looking at the surrounding stars. She took a deep breath to help with the floaty feeling... which was odd, since it was not “air” she was breathing like back on Earth. She did not really know what she was breathing, honestly, while inside the translucent, but very tangible bubble the Speaker had around them. All she knew was that it helped her not feel like she was suffocating, even if she doubted it would kill her... probably.
She ignored that, however... and instead took in the tapestry of stars before her. Thousands, if not millions, of glowing points sparkled before her. White, yellow, and even red and blue, they made what would otherwise be a black void feel alive as any plant or animal. The way they glowed could almost convince her at times that she was looking at an impossibly large organism, surrounding them on all sides.
There were some special effects they were causing by this angle, too. In several places, the stars seemed to make areas of the sky look like they were in a misty cloud. Red and blue nebulae were scattered about, but the real treat was an arm of the Milky Way Galaxy! The white streak cut right down the middle of her current view, stretching off toward the further reaches of space that were beyond her view.
Sana had explained this phenomenon to her once. It was a combination of several stars being (relatively) close together and plenty of dust and other particles reflecting their light. There were plenty of colors possible, and her lover seemed to know where all the best clusters of them were. Or perhaps she made some of them herself for fun, though she did not know if her abilities extended that far.
Either way, they were among some of the Speaker’s favorite things in space to show the kirin-girl. There were other things, though, that were equally breathtaking. She had seen gas giants up close and the various moons that orbited them. She had followed along several comets' paths in real time as they orbited stars and such. And - though it was reserved for when all Council members were available in case anything happened - she had even seen a few supernovas and black holes at a distance.
The phenomena of space were grand... and a little terrifying. Fauna shivered at times when she thought about just how... big it all was. There was so much out here beyond her sanctuary of nature. Things with immense power that could exert it at distances almost too large for her to imagine.
And... she did not have the power of her domain to back her up. On Earth, she felt all of nature wherever she walked. Not all consciously, but it was a nice... humming in the back of her mind. One she could focus on to find specific melodies to find issues or... just to relax to. From birds high in the sky to anglerfish deep in the ocean, they all added to the harmony.
But out here... she heard nothing. The hum of nature was too distant to give her even a tingle. There was just a dead void with lights that were alive with fire and energy, but... nothing that gave them souls.
That should probably have been scarier to her than it was. Which was not to say it was not a little bit... However, it was hard for that fear to find any purchase. Not when she knew who this all belonged to. When the woman who commanded this void was warmer and so much more energetic than any star she maintained.
As if to give proof of this, Sana chose then to speak up again, floating closer to her. She pointed to a section of the starry expanse, her finger seeming to trace lines. “Hey, look over there! I think those stars form a little puppy constellation!”
The Keeper hummed, trying to follow along the finger’s path. It only took her a moment to notice the stars being used, glowing a tad brighter than their surroundings. She imagined lines there to see the form they took, just like Mumei had shown them both ages ago. And once she did...
...Well, perhaps she just was not a constellation expert. Yet as she comprehended the form, she could not help but tilt her head. “Um... It kind of seems more like a leopard to me.”
The Speaker turned to her, eyes wide. “Huh? No way! It’s clearly a small dog of some kind!”
“Small do-? Look at how long the legs are!” Fauna gestured to the stars, tracing the patterns again. “There are so few dogs that have legs like that when they’re just puppies!”
“...So you’re saying that there are some.”
“...Not enough with a length like this for it to be my first choice.”
Sana sighed, pouting a little. “But it has to be a puppy! There’s a larger animal right above it that I want to be the mama dog! Can’t you work with me here?”
The Keeper could not help but giggle at this. Shaking her head fondly, she shrugged and conceded with a grin. “Oh... alright. I guess it can be a big mama dog and her puppy... even if the legs are a mutation of some kind.” She gave her a fake pointed look. “But you really should not argue with me about animals. I’m the expert here!”
“And I’m the expert on the stars!” the Speaker declared proudly. She kissed her cheek, giving her a cheeky smile. “So, I get the final say on constellations and what they are! It makes sense, doesn’t it?”
Fauna rolled her eyes again, but smiled and kissed her cheek back. It left her girlfriend in a giggling fit as she looked back at that part of the sky, appearing to be trying to create more good constellations. She also pressed against her more, keeping their hands gently interlocked.
It was a nice change from her earlier subdued state... which the green-haired woman suspected was intentional. She had not hidden her worry about her at all, and she doubted her lover wanted to bring down the mood with her issues. And while she was not going to simply forget about what she had seen, she appreciated the gesture.
Making her smile had seemed to be her priority since the day they had met. The Keeper sighed happily, thinking back to that day millions of years ago. It was when her domain was finally settling itself upon Earth, and helped to solidify her existence. While she had existed long before then, it was only during the Phanerozoic eon, as humans called it, that her body finally took shape and she became a true immortal. (It always fascinated her that she and most of the Council predated humans in their appearances. She supposed it was just a good form!)
Back then, she had wondered if she was alone as a being like herself. All other life had appeared to be giant insects and the massive dinosaurs that roamed the world. And while she cherished them as she did all of nature... it had felt like it would get lonely. Having no animals that were anywhere close to smart enough to have a conversation with, who would truly understand the things she said beyond vague feelings...
...Until a woman with darker skin than hers had descended from the sky in a blue sphere of light. Then, without hesitation, proceeded to run up to her and give her a big hug. And while the action had been startling... even then, something about the other’s bright expression had put her at ease almost immediately. Feeling warm that this random stranger just seemed to be happy she even existed...
The rest was pretty much history after that. With Kronii and Bae, the four formed the original members of the Council. Those three would frequently visit her, discussing their domains with her and also taking time to explore hers. A few millennia ago, this had expanded to include Mumei, too, who, while having trouble remembering many things, never seemed to quite forget her friendship with everyone.
She was quite close to the little owl-girl, despite how their domains clashed constantly. It was just too hard to muster any sort of anger toward someone so overwhelmed and struggling enough to keep humanity from destroying itself, let alone another force doing it. She had certainly had her fair share of laughs with Kronii, too, who she loved poking holes in her narcissistic facade. Bae also kept things lively for her, too, with all her silly games and pranks... and her disputes with IRyS were just hilarious to watch.
Yet... it had always been the Speaker she had been drawn to the most. The woman who appeared to view the Earth as a treasure among her stars. Who never failed to bring smiles to everyone with seemingly endless optimism. Who had, more than anyone, taken time out of her duties to her domain to help her expand and maintain hers. Who had remained at her side, being there for her when things like the dinosaurs' extinction left her sickly.
The two were inexplicably drawn together. Perhaps it was fate, given that it was by the light of one of space’s stars that nature could flourish. Or perhaps they just happened to be that compatible as people with no higher influence. Yet regardless, given all of that... was it any wonder they had grown to love one another? To have both confessed one day on a beach and sealed their bond with a kiss?
Fauna’s cheeks pinked at the memory, smiling softly. She certainly had no regrets about their decision to become closer. They had to spend good amounts of time apart, unfortunately, as Sana’s duties took her far from the Earth. Yet no matter how long the wait was, it was all worth it when they saw each other again. They just seemed to... complete one another. When with her lover, nature felt a little bit stronger, and the stars above her domain seemed all the prettier.
She loved the astro-girl so deeply... which made these slow changes in her hard to witness.
Before she could think more about that, though, her girlfriend nudged her. She gently pulled her by her wrist, making them float with more speed than they had already been in another direction. “Well, I think that’s enough of that view. There’s one more that I want to show you if you’re ready to go.”
The Keeper could not help but smirk. “Oh? You, the incarnation of space itself, have grown tired of looking at a section of the stars? What has the universe come to?”
The Speaker chuckled. “I never grow tired of any of it! There’s just always so much more to see! I can’t be everywhere at once!” She smiled humorously, a sparkle in her eyes... However, after a moment, that look dimmed. Her smile shrank, yet before it could fade entirely, she turned away from her. “But... this next one is special. More so than anything else. And I’ve... been waiting a long time to show you.”
Fauna paused at this, looking at the back of her lover’s head. That uncertainty from before was returning. Hell, she even sounded a little nervous now. Her hand also tightened a little around hers for a second. A moment later, though, it almost jerked as the grip loosened, as if realizing what she was doing.
She’s never very rough with me, she noted, not for the first time. For ages now, the other had treated her so... delicately. She never did get any more strong hugs or given hard pats on the back like was done with Kronii and Bae at times. Instead, the astro-girl always kept her touches fairly light. Nothing was ever done forcefully, even at her most excitable. Even when they were intimate, those touches never ceased to be gentle caresses and the like.
The kirin-girl normally did not mind this treatment. She had figured for a while that it was the other’s way of showing her love... But recently, she had started to doubt this. She had not confronted her about it, but she was starting to suspect there was... something else to this. Just something about how those golden eyes flashed with some kind of hidden emotion at times when they embraced...
And right now... the forced gentleness stuck out to her more than before. It started to form an idea in her mind regarding where they were heading. Nothing specific - she knew too little for that - but a general feeling. One she did not want to ignore this time, given how much she sensed it was affecting her lover.
Thus, before Sana could summon her powers to move them along, she pulled herself closer using her arm. She managed to float right up to her back, where she proceeded to wrap her arms around her neck. She rested her head next to hers, speaking softly. “Sana?”
Said woman paused, glancing over at her with a light blush. “Y-yeah?”
“...Is this thing you’re about to show me what has you so anxious today?” the Keeper asked, deciding to be direct. “You seem tense about it...”
...The long silence that followed was answer enough. Yet when the Speaker looked away, her lips pursed, she eventually gave a response nonetheless. “That’s... complicated to answer.”
Fauna frowned. “Complicated in what way? What’s been going on, Sana? You’ve been acting strange in so many of your visits these last several decades. And I’m trying not to pry, but... it’s worrying me.” She grabbed the other’s chin, turning her head so their eyes could meet. “You used to be so full of passion. Yet it seems to be growing smaller every time we meet, and... I don’t want to see it vanish.”
This seemed to stricken Sana a little - a rare emotion to see on her face. She could only remember seeing such an expression when those meteors wiped out so much life on Earth millions of years ago and left her weakened... Which naturally told her how significant this situation was.
But the dark-skinned woman still did not explain anything. She looked down, her voice getting quieter. “You’ve... noticed that?”
“I always notice when you’re upset,” the Keeper said softly. “And... it’s not even just you. Mumei’s told me Kronii and Bae have been acting strangely around her for a long time now. Like... something about her presence is hurting them.” She bit her lips. “I want to think that’s an exaggeration, but... it lines up with you with me as well.”
To her surprise, after a pause, the Speaker chuckled. Not a warm one like she usually gave at things, but one that was more... hollow. Her smile matched this as well, looking so unnatural on her. “Heh... And here I thought I was running good interference for them. But I... guess we’re not as subtle as we thought, huh?”
Fauna frowned deeply, giving one of her lover’s shoulders a squeeze. “S... Sana? What’s going on? What does that mean? What are you three going through?” A thought occurred to her, making her expression fall. “Did... me and Mumei do something?”
Freezing for a second, Sana quickly turned her body and out of her grip. She grabbed her upper arms - once more not too tightly - and shook her head vehemently. “Nononono! You didn’t do anything, I promise! You’re...” She swallowed thickly, looking down. Yet her words seem to come straight from her heart. “You’re... the best thing that has ever happened to me. One of the most amazing additions to my life in eons. You have no idea how deeply Kronii loves Mumei, either, and how much Bae values their friendship.”
The Keeper blushed hard at the declaration, gaping a little. “Sana...”
“You two are so special to us,” the Speaker continued. “I... I love you with all of my heart. I know I’ll never stop feeling this way, either.” She paused, then hung her head lower. “But... I won’t lie and say what you’ve noticed isn’t related to you both. Nothing that either of you did, but... just an inescapable fact of life.”
Fauna’s chest tightened at the sad tone she used there. She lifted her arms, gripping the wrists of the other. “And what’s that?”
“...It’s honestly better if I show you what I’ve been working on first before answering,” Sana said softly. She turned her head away, seeming to almost shrink in on herself. “It’s... a gift, you can say. Something I’ve been working on for a long time. It’s only because Kronii and Bae started assisting me that it got anywhere, though. It was tricky, since this wasn’t technically anything we have direct power over. But together... we finally made progress, and I want you to see.
“But I... I just don’t know how you’ll react to it. I’m worried you won’t like it, or you’ll be offended by some of what I have to say. I feel awful enough for some of my feelings, yet I just can’t help... I can’t...” She took a deep breath, taking her arms back and hugging herself. “It has me scared. I’m... not used to being scared like this.”
The words only crushed the Keeper’s heart further. She did not fully understand some of what her girlfriend was saying and alluding to, but it was clear it had taken a toll on her. Whatever this “gift” was, it was incredibly important to her, as well as the Warden and Embodiment. And to be this worried about her reaction...
She felt so confused by a lot of this... but she knew how she felt about the other. And she was not going to stand to see her upset a moment longer. So, she forced herself to float closer to her girlfriend again. Thankfully, the barrier of protection around them made this easy as one of its effects, like she were swimming through water. It allowed her to get close and wrap her in another hug, this time around the waist.
Looking up at her, she smiled kindly, hoping it would put her at ease again. “Sana... we’ve been together for so long now. I know that anything you do is always with the best of intentions. And I could never hate you over anything.”
“...I’m not sure about that,” the Speaker said, her voice nearly unhearable.
Sighing, Fauna leaned in and gave her cheek another kiss. “Sana, please. Whatever it is you’ve been working on, you can show me. I promise to give you time to present it and tell me about it, if that’s what you’re worried about. I’ll save any judgments for afterward. Though, I seriously doubt that you have anything to worry about. You know me very well, too! I’m sure that’ll reflect in whatever I’m about to see.”
...Sana was silent for a long few moments after this, still not meeting her eyes. Before it got too worrying, however... she sighed, giving a small shrug. “...I hope it does. I don’t know what I’m going to do otherwise.” Taking a deep breath, she finally met her gaze, her eyes pleading. “Just... please listen to everything I have to say. I don’t want you to misunderstand.”
“I just promised I would,” the Keeper said soothingly. She released her, giving a small smile. “Now... care to show me what all the fuss is about?”
Taking another breath, the Speaker nodded, once more gently taking her wrist. “Right... Yeah. Get ready, then. It’s... something you need to see to believe.”
Fauna hummed, looking down at where she was being held. It did not escape her notice that the other’s touch was lighter than ever now. There was barely any pressure at all, to the point she believed even a light pull from herself would set her arm free. The way some of those darker fingers twitched also gave her an idea of how conscious an effort this was.
Frowning, she looked up at her lover, who was facing away from her as she appeared to get ready to get them to where she wanted. As a golden sphere of light surrounded them, though, she tried to draw attention to the action. “Sana, really - I’m not upset. You don’t have to be so light on me. I’m not fragile!”
Sana paused as the sphere finished forming. Then... she once more spoke so quietly she nearly could not hear it. “...You are in my presence.”
The Keeper blinked at this. In a different circumstance, that comment might have annoyed her. She was hardly some little flower waiting to be crushed under some animal! If anything, she felt she was a mountain, standing strong even as humans dug into her for more resources and such. The idea that she was fragile in any way was ridiculous to her!
...Yet she could not muster any such feelings. Not at how heartbroken the other had sounded while saying this.
There was no time for her to question it, however, before she felt a lurch. Shaking her head, she looked at the shimmering sphere they were in, watching as the stars outside it turned to streaks of light. As their speed increased rapidly, those soon became even stranger shapes that were... difficult to describe. It kind of hurt her head to look on, honestly, so she turned away from it and blinked hard. The effects of traveling faster than light, I guess...
Instead, her eyes were left to settle on her lover... who was facing fully away from her now. Yet she did not let go of her hand, turning her arm to better accommodate the gesture. The Speaker simply focused on getting them to their destination otherwise, though.
The kirin-girl frowned at this, wanting to ask more questions. However... she got the sense that the other did not want to talk anymore right now. The way her shoulders hunched showed she was still weighed down by the issue she was dealing with. And the green-haired woman did not wish to make this worse for her. So for now, she just kept squeezing her hand, praying to whatever might be listening that it would do something to help...
But, really... her curiosity was starting to really eat away at her. Just what was it that they were heading toward? How was it related to herself? And what about this did her girlfriend possibly think she would be mad over?
With nothing else to do as they continued to fly through space at impossible speeds, she began quietly speculating. Whatever the astro-girl had made, it had required the help of both Kronii and Bae. It was something that they could only accomplish together, yet was apparently still not within any of their jurisdictions. Or, at least, it was nothing that space, time, or chaos could effectively do on their own, even if they had some amount of influence on it.
So, then... what could they have possibly made? Had her lover made her a whole star as part of their anniversary or something? That was still months away, though, and she could not think of any reason she would be upset by that. So was it perhaps something more unique, like a rift in time and space itself for her to use? She again could not think of why she would need that, though, and it seemed like a rather dangerous thing Kronii would never agree to.
What else could it possibly be, though? And why would it make all of them so cagey about it with her and Mumei? Just... what about the two of them had been causing their close friends, and in specific cases girlfriends, so much pain, albeit without intention?
...Was it anything specific to nature and civilization that was causing it? Fauna shuddered at the idea, hoping their very existences were not causing issues for the rest of the Council. But... then again, the dynamics between their domains oftentimes shifted in subtle ways, due to specific phenomena happening. Did something perhaps happen ages ago that was causing problems for them? Civilization was always advancing and appeared to find ways to breach all of their spheres of influence, after all. And while she could not think of how nature would do so...
But she said it was a gift, she reminded herself. That would be an odd way to describe something that was meant to solve an underlying issue for them... Yet it also seemed like something Sana would do to make the blow gentler for her. Perhaps that was why she was worried about her being offended? That she would take it as the others accusing her of hurting them, or the like?
Still... that did not tell her what it might actually be. She felt like she was missing an obvious answer here, but it was evading her grasp. Though, really, all of this was mere speculation. She would not know anything for certain until they actually arrived at their destination.
Though, whatever awaited them... she would keep her promise. She would give her lover the time she needed to explain what had been going on with her. Being born from the concept of nature, which was all about the slow growth of things, she had lots of patience and could offer a little more. And... if this cheered her up again, she would consider it all worth it.
The time for this came sooner than she expected, in fact. After a few more minutes, she noticed the stars starting to become more comprehensible streaks of light again, showing they were slowing down. It was pretty fast, considering how long the trip was to take her to the previous stargazing spots. But it would make sense that the other had made their last one close to the creation she wished to show off.
The Keeper took a deep breath as they gradually slowed down. (Thankfully, the sphere protected them from the inertia of it as much as the initial speeding up.) This was it, she acknowledged. She would finally get answers as to what had been tearing away at her girlfriend and other friends. As they came to a stop, she let herself be pulled next to the darker-skinned woman, bracing herself for whatever she was about to see.
The sphere of light dissipated, no longer obstructing her view at all. She turned her head forward to see this apparent “gift” that had been made for her. And what she was met with was...
...the Earth?
She had to blink a few times, momentarily confused. They were in front of a planet, and... Well, she was quite familiar with the greens, blues, and other colors one could see from orbit, along with the fluffy white clouds. They were at an angle that let her see both the light and dark side of the planet, which she also had familiarity with.
And when she reached out with her senses... sure enough, she felt the hum of nature. It was distant in her mind, due to her still being so high above it. And there was something a little... off about it. Not in a bad way, necessarily, but something to the sound that was different from what she had grown used to. Yet the power was unmistakable.
Her instincts, therefore, told her this was Earth... But that made no sense. They had traveled far from it, and that was s pretty short amount of time for a return trip, even doing a straight shot. Unless, perhaps, the astro-girl had done a roundabout route for their stargazing trip this time? That did not explain why they were back, however. Did Kronii and Bae bring something there while they were away as part of the surprise?
Frowning in confusion, she glanced over at her girlfriend, hoping for the start of that explanation. “Um... Sana? Why have you brought us back to Earth? Where’s the gift you mentioned?”
For some reason, the Speaker perked up at this. She looked over at her, eyes appearing sharper than usual. “It... feels like Earth to you?”
Fauna was taken aback by the bizarre question. Raising an eyebrow, she nodded slowly, lost about what she was missing. “Um... yeah? You can’t exactly fool my senses? That’s my domain down there!” She took her hand back, crossing her arms and eyeing the other suspiciously. “Why are we back here, though? What is it you want to show me?”
Sana stared at her for a moment... Then, she started giggling. This soon became chuckles, and then full-on guffaws. The green-haired woman could only blink in shock as her lover clutched her stomach from how much she was laughing. It sounded crazed, and almost a little painful... yet there was an unmistakable elation to it as well.
Soon, the taller woman was clutching her head as she struggled to get herself under control. She smiled widely, her eyes shining with wetness as she stared at the planet below, continuing to chuckle. “It... it worked. It actually worked! It wasn’t for nothing! I knew it was possible! I just knew it!”
The Keeper could only stare on, concern and confusion swimming around in her head. She cautiously floated a little closer to her, gesturing in a placating manner as she tried to comprehend the situation. “S-Sana? What... what do you mean? What worked? What have you done to the Earth that-?”
“It’s not Earth,” the Speaker interjected.
...Fauna blinked, not sure she heard that right. “Huh?”
“It’s not Earth,” Sana repeated. She turned to her, smiling widely as pride shone in her eyes along with a myriad of other emotions. “We’re not in your solar system. That... isn’t Earth.”
The Keeper was only able to blink again. What... was her lover talking about? Of course that had to be Earth! She could feel the life down there! See it with her own eyes from this high up, aerial view! It...
...But as she looked back at it, she slowly noticed details she had missed initially. The land masses... They did not match the current continents. The look of the entire place did not match any globe she had ever seen made by humans... And as she thought of mankind, she also realized there were no electric lights visible on the dark side of the planet. It was like there were no cities and buildings to produce them... No traces of humanity whatsoever.
...Then her eyes drifted to the side, and she gasped. For she saw a moon... but it was not the moon she knew. It was a darker shade of gray, and a little smaller and closer. The crater patterns on it were also vastly different. It made for a good substitute, she suspected... but no large mass like this had ever passed by the Earth.
And taking this in... it finally clicked that her girlfriend was telling the truth. This was not Earth... but a different planet that somehow, inexplicably, had nature on it. Nature that she controlled.
She snapped her head back to it, gaping with wide eyes. She could not... Just because she realized the truth, did not mean she comprehended it. This was... What was going on?! How was this even possible! Her domain was specifically tied to Earth! This place should not even exist. Yet the proof was before her very eyes. She clutched her head with one hand, shaking her head as she spoke to herself. “I-I... H-how is this...? What?!”
As her mind was reeling, though, she felt her other arm get grabbed again. The Speaker was beaming, which only seemed half-forced now, and was already forming a blue sphere of light around them. “Seeing it above I don’t think does it justice this time. Here - let me give you a close-up view! You’ll be the fourth sapient being to do so, so feel more honored than I hope you already do!”
They started their descent before Fauna could say anything to that. Though, honestly, she was not sure what to say at this point. This did not make any sense! How could there possibly be another planet that held the power of her domain? That... just did not happen.
They had seen proof of it ages ago. On a few trips across the galaxy, Sana had taken her to worlds that had some amount of life on them. All of them had been rather frail, though, by appearance, with only the most basic of lifeforms. And even those had not appeared like they were going to last much longer due to the conditions of those planets and other factors.
Her lover had done what she could, having always said that another planet like Earth would be neat. Yet she could only do so much, and so wanted to see if she could add in her own efforts. After all, she was Mother Nature, essentially. If anyone could raise one of these worlds to have a more long-lasting ecology, it would be her!
However... she had no power over them. Her every effort to exert any kind of influence on those planets had ended in failure. For whatever reason, her abilities were tied directly to the plants and animals of Earth. Any organism that lived and evolved there was under her jurisdiction, but otherwise, she was just as powerless as her girlfriend to sustain anything.
That was why she should not be feeling a thing as they descended into the atmosphere. As they got low enough on the day side, the sky turning blue above them and clouds passing by, it should have all been dead to her senses. There should not have been even the faintest tingle in her head, as with every time before.
Yet as they got lower... the hum of nature was undeniable - so similar, yet different, from back on Earth. And getting closer, the Keeper started to be able to tell the two major reasons why. The first was the lack of human innovation. Looking around at the large, hilly expanses filled with yellow and white flowers, there was not a trace of any road, house, or other artificial creation. It almost reminded her of back home before mankind even rose. The air was just cleaner and crisper as she breathed it in. And it, in turn, made the hum feel fuller.
The second reason, though, was a... smaller number of animals. She could spot a few below, like deer - ones that looked strikingly similar to breeds back home - and felt more widespread across the planet. However, their populations were lower than they had been when mankind first began to raise their slaughter numbers. That might even be unfair to them, as they bred plenty of cows so that they could still eat meat! Yet she could barely sense a quarter of said animal here than when she last checked on the species on Earth.
But aside from these differences... it felt remarkably like home. Looking around and spotting forests and mountains in the distance, she felt a cozy warmth settling in her heart. This world... It almost felt like it belonged to her. Just another extension of her domain that should not exist, but inexplicably did.
That sense did not leave her as they landed amid the flowers. The sphere disappeared, and her feet touched the ground... And as they did, she could almost feel how the plants seemed joyous at her coming. As though they knew she would one day come and were now humming with unbridled glee. It did not take long for this to spread, too, as the entire world of life became aware of her presence, crying out like a child who missed their parent.
The Speaker let go of her, letting her feet carry her a few steps, feeling like she was sleepwalking. She, though, remained in place, with her joy from earlier now being laced with concern. “You... don’t feel anything wrong with the area, do you? I tried to memorize a lot of what you had said about soil and nutrients, and the balance needed... I thought everything was growing alright, but if there’s anything out of place-”
“N-no, no,” Fauna said, though she was distracted as she looked around, her brain still caught in a loop on itself. “Nothing feels... out of place. Nothing that nature can’t... fix on its own. It’s better at it than some give credit for.”
She could hear Sana’s sigh of relief behind her. “Oh, thank gods! I... I mean, I admittedly did some of this to try and make it look pretty for a first impression. I maybe shouldn’t have, since we tried so hard to even get this to work to begin with, but...”
As she kept rambling, the Keeper knelt and inspected the flowers closely. They appeared to be daisies, though... slightly different, like everything there. She supposed that made sense, though. These had been growing outside of her normal sphere of awareness, and evolution and mutations were always happening. However long these had been here, they were already taking their own path for the next hundreds of thousands of years to change.
It was... something she was not used to. Not necessarily in a bad way, but... it was strange to arrive somewhere and not have some idea what was going on with nature. Slowly, she reached out and picked a white daisy out of the ground. She twirled the stem in her fingers, inspecting the petals and the yellow center.
This was remarkable, down to this little flower... Yet it should not have even existed. It would have taken considerable effort from her alone! And the idea that anyone else could have done this was-
...She blinked, feeling something she could not place in her heart. She stood slowly, staring at the daisy as she called out to her lover without turning. “Sana?”
The Speaker paused whatever she had been saying. She could hear the nervous gulp from her as the woman finally took a few steps closer. “Y-yes, sweetie?”
“...How did you do this?” Fauna asked, wasting no time, her eyes locked on the plant. Her thumb gently went up and down the stem as if to soothe it. “Why... can I feel all of this?”
Sana hesitated. When she spoke next, her voice was wilting. “You... don’t like it, do you?”
“I didn’t say that,” the Keeper quickly interjected. She turned around, seeing how much her girlfriend was fidgeting with her hands with a shaky expression. Sighing, she stepped closer to her, gently putting her hand over her wrist. “I don’t know what to feel about this, because I don’t know why you made it. So please... explain that and how you did it. You promised.”
While the words seemed to help the Speaker, but only minutely. She looked away, her gaze going up to the open sky with fluffy white clouds moving around. A light breeze passed over them, the fresh air giving the green-haired woman fresh invigoration. Yet with the other... it only seemed to highlight how still she had become, her twintails the only thing moving from the wind.
Yet despite this, she soon started speaking, gaze slowly going down to the distant forest. “This... was something I’ve been working on for a long time, like I said. Even a bit before humans properly became... well, humans. For the first several millennia, it was just a little fun on my part. But... as we grew closer, it started to become more serious.
“Some of those planets with weak life on them were actually some of my attempts there. I took you to them, hoping they would give you strength... Extend the roots of your existence.” She gave a sardonic laugh. “None of that worked, though. It... hurt. Especially since you never seemed to realize what was at stake. And when we started dating... I only started getting more desperate. Maybe too desperate.”
Fauna frowned, a deep worry settling over her. She wanted to ask what she meant by “extending” her existence, and what she claimed she missed those times in the past. However, she kept quiet for now, letting her lover get all of this off of her chest. She looked like she needed this... especially as she saw a stray tear go down her cheek.
Sana took a deep, shaky breath, her hands clenching. “I... I needed to get it to work. I had to! But nothing was working! Time kept passing, and I knew if I did not find a new method before eons began to slip by, then... then...”
After another breath to steady herself, she continued. “I... had one idea I thought might work, too. A very difficult, complex one to accomplish, but I knew it was my best shot. For it to work, though, I needed Kronii and Bae. Space alone could not do this.” She sighed heavily. “They refused at first. They felt guilty about it, but they still had the perspective that it was too big a risk to our domains. That it was not worth straining them past their limits and risking any damage to reality. And I couldn’t really fault their logic...”
The Keeper definitely did not like the sound of them potentially hurting themselves. Yet she did not press that point yet and instead tilted her head, pushing her along. “So... what ended up changing their minds?”
“...With Kronii, it was the same as me,” the Speaker answered, a soft smile forming on her lips briefly. “She fell in love with a little owl-girl... Bae also felt pretty much the same, even if her love is more like a sister to Mumei. They both finally saw why I was so adamant about this... Feeling that fear of losing what was precious to us.”
Fauna’s eyes widened at this. Before she could comment, however, Sana pressed on, turning and walking away a little, gesturing to their surroundings. “This isn’t the only planet we started working on, but it’s the one we’ve finally gotten... stable. It took several millennia, but we got it done. It’s still pretty lacking in animal life, but we’re working on remedying that.
“It took so much effort to accomplish. I had to make sure the orbit of this planet was right and that it had a proper moon to help aquatic life. Kronii’s power helped to speed up the process of land formation, and everything growing so fast. Add in just the right amount of chance from Bae, and... this is the result. There were a lot of other things, but those were all pretty vital.”
The Keeper looked around, frowning a bit. “That doesn’t explain why I can feel it all. Or why it feels so much like the life on Earth.”
The Speaker gave a small chuckle. “That’s because it all came from Earth.”
Fauna stopped, looking toward her. “Huh?”
“We took seeds, little bits of blood and embryos from human labs - anything and everything for a template!” Sana explained. “That was another large chunk of work right there. Bae had to make a little space for some of it all to grow, and then we had to figure out how to make a stable enough atmosphere to add them to the planet. That also, naturally, altered as we did so, so we had to constantly monitor it all.” Her shoulders hunched, her lips pursing. “It was... part of the reason we’ve had long periods of being gone in the past...”
The Keeper took a moment to process that. And... she was actually impressed with them in many ways. Controlling the path of evolution and containing growth were not exactly easy feats for herself in just select areas that already had life in them. That they were able to do it themselves to create a whole planet of life was something she had to commend. Particularly since she knew they had a limited understanding of her domain, even now.
...That did not change her biggest concern, though. Her frown deepened, once more stepping closer to her girlfriend. “And... did this end up hurting you all? Or your domains?”
The Speaker only shrugged. “Well, it didn’t end up breaking anything. It definitely stained us, though - this kind of bending of the normal rules of reality took a lot of focus and power, which it fought against at times. We might control time, space, and chaos, but that does not mean they all like obeying some of our commands, in a certain way. Still, we pushed through.”
That was at least partially reassuring to Fauna. She certainly understood how their domains did not always do what they wanted easily, even being their manifestations. But it was also not exactly nice to hear they had been staining themselves so much. All this time without her or Mumei fully realizing it...
...And it also did not answer another big question of hers. She narrowed her eyes, deciding it was time to focus this conversation on that. “...So why did you not get me involved?”
When the other did not immediately respond, staring off across the hills, she pressed again. “I could have helped you all with this! It’s my domain. Combined with all of you, I’m sure I could have made this go a lot faster! Saved you a millennium, at least!”
“We don’t know that for sure,” Sana pointed out, still not looking at her. “We might need to have crossed a certain threshold for you to be able to exert any influence here, despite this all coming from Earth. Or being near here might have forced you into that ‘half-state’ you were in when life was still solidifying there.”
“Well, we don’t know that, either!” the Keeper countered. Before she said more, though, she paused, then took a deep breath, calming herself. “Look, I’m not angry. But if this was a big risk for you to do, and you felt you had to do it... I would have loved to have helped. So why was I not involved?”
The Speaker sighed, shrugging vaguely. “Partly... it was because I wanted it to be a surprise. Something to impress you with, which I’m... glad I did. Really, I am.” She crossed her arms, shifting her legs. “I also didn’t want to waste your time on something that might not have even worked. You’re always saying how you're a bit stretched thin these days. This would have been more on top of that.”
Fauna sighed, but had to concede that point. With all the human innovation on Earth encroaching on her domain, it had made several things harder for her than a few millennia ago. Trying to help propagate an entire planet’s worth of life would have been quite taxing on top of that, she was sure. Her power was constantly being pushed now... which made her wonder what this place’s existence would do to that in the long run, the more she considered it. What it might add to her...
But that was a mystery for later. Right now... she focused on how silent Sana had become. She was refusing to look at her, once more very still. There was a sense about her, though, that suggested there was at least one more thing she wanted to say. One last point about why she kept this hidden.
...And the Keeper could guess what that was, based on earlier comments. Which made her take another step closer, speaking her suspicions softly. “...And I’m guessing it was also to not offend me? About me... being ‘delicate’ to you?”
...The lack of response from her girlfriend was answer enough once more. It made the kirin-girl woman sigh, putting a hand on her shoulder now that she was close enough. “Sana, please don’t get quiet now. I’m listening. If you can just tell me what you mean by that...”
She tried to smile, hoping it would give her some extra encouragement. “Besides, I’m sure it can’t be that bad! If you’re just concerned about mankind taking me out one day, it's understandable. You really should not worry about it, but I get it. Mumei frets about it all the time!” She gave her shoulder another pat. “If this is some refuge just in case anything happens, then I’m touched. But I’m tougher than that, I promise! I’m-”
“Far too limited,” the Speaker said softly... sounding close to tears. “Far... far too small...”
Fauna blinked, taken aback by that comment as her eyes got a little wider. “H-huh? What...?”
Sana sighed, staring up at the sky, though keeping her face angled away. “Fauna... what happens in a few billion years? What happens to your star? The sun?”
The Keeper frowned, glancing up for the first time at the star that this planet orbited around. Though, from this angle, it looked remarkably similar to the sun back home. She was sure her lover could tell her of the differences, but that bright yellow ball, as it shone warm rays upon her skin, gave her a cozy feeling like everything else. Since her conception, it was a glow like this that had helped sustain nature and let it thrive.
...But she knew how dangerous stars really were now. The astro-girl had never lied to her about their immense power when she brought her close to them. Mumei had also started sharing with her the humans’ discoveries about them as though it was news to either of them. (Perhaps it was to her, given the Guardian’s memory problems.) About what all these balls of fire were capable of... especially upon their “death.”
She could tell that was what the other was alluding to, so she shrugged at her and gave that as her answer. “It’ll... go supernova, right? The sun will expand as part of some fiery explosion... I think. I don’t think you ever specified which kind of death it would have. Like, becoming a white dwarf, or a black hole...”
“...And what happens to the Earth when that happens?” the Speaker asked.
Fauna blinked again... though this time an icy feeling was starting to form in her chest. She glanced away uncomfortably, never having liked to consider this... but she knew the answer nonetheless, and therefore responded. “It... will be consumed by the initial expansion. I think... Mumei told me that the explosion would go past Mars, potentially, based on-”
“And what happens to you when that happens?” Sana demanded, voice somehow hard yet so very fragile.
...What did happen to her when that happens?
The Keeper found herself momentarily perplexed, surprised she had... never quite considered this. She was just so very used to... well, being alive. Of nothing ever quite being able to cause her any permanent harm. She was an immortal, after all! One tied to a strong concept that had persisted for billions of years. That was just how things were.
When hearing of the fate of the sun, her focus had always been more about what she would lose, as if persisting afterward. All the plants and animals on Earth - always changing, but also always feeling like hers. Their long history as the continents moved and new species evolved from the old ones. All things she had spent so long observing...
And all of it would one day be gone. To humans, that day must seem distant - countless generations after anyone alive right now. But to an immortal like her, that day would arrive for her to witness. Perhaps sooner than she expected. And it had filled her with great sorrow, knowing she would have to witness it all. The Earth burning and all living things that...
...that fueled her existence to begin with. Life whose pain from human civilization affected her every day. That had left her sickly when so much of it had gone extinct from those meteors millions of years before. This despite how some of it survived and recovered afterward.
...So then what happened to her when there was nothing left to recover? When her whole domain no longer existed and was lost to flames?
The chill within the kirin-girl’s heart got deeper, eyes widening this time with rising horror. She looked over at the Speaker, who continued facing away... But now, she heard a few sniffles from her. Her shoulders were shaking as she held herself, seeming so close to collapsing. Yet somehow, despite her choked voice, she still spoke. “You... realize it now, don’t you?”
Fauna swallowed, glancing at the daisy still in one of her hands. That... Gods, how had she never thought of that? Not even once! She... she what? Just assumed her girlfriend would grab her and Mumei off of Earth before the end, and things would be fine? That she would persist even if what she controlled was gone?
That might work for a different immortal like IRyS... but what about her? She was born from a specific concept. If that concept no longer existed, then... Well, what did she think was going to happen? She did not think of herself as overly arrogant, but was she enough deep down that she just assumed she would live forever, regardless of evidence otherwise?
Reality was crashing down on her now, however. She spoke shakily, holding up her flower. “I... I didn’t... I had no idea...”
“I was kind of happy about that,” Sana whispered, more sniffles coming from her. “It’s... awful thinking about mortality. I got used to it with humans so that Mumei could show me some of her friends as they... cycled in and out.” A small whimper left her as she hunched her shoulders. “But I... never thought about what it would be like with people who live far longer than them. Who can root themselves so deeply in my heart, and... tear it to pieces later.”
The Keeper’s own heart started breaking, it now fully settling on her what all of this meant to her lover. “S-Sana, I...”
“How... how is that even fair?” the Speaker questioned, seeming oblivious to her words. “To be born of a concept so... finite? One limited to so small a place? Time marches on, chaos reigns, and space persists... yet everything else apparently gets left behind. Nature and civilization... abandoned and left to crumble away with no means to save themselves...” A choked sound left her. “Around long enough for us to know love... only to die and leave a hole in us until the end of existence itself...”
Fauna put a hand to her mouth, her horror continuing to mount. This... How long had her lover been thinking like this? How long had Kronii and Bae been thinking like this, too? Just... imagining that kind of burden. Of growing close to people, expecting new immortal friends to be with you until the end... only to realize they might be gone sooner than expected? After all the good times they had... How close they all were...
It... it was a joke. A sick, cruel joke that was causing the woman she loved immeasurable pain. And as she watched the taller woman slowly break down from behind, her heart could not take it. She had to say something - anything to make her feel better. To reassure her that... that she was not going to leave her. Not in such a horrible way...
Stepping closer, she tried to find her voice again. She scrambled for anything she could say that would help this. “Sana... I’m so sorry. I should have realized sooner that... I never thought about what would happen then. What... would remain of me, if anything. That... I should have considered it. For my sake, and yours. I can’t apologize enough for that.”
She took a deep breath, trying to put a lighter spin on things. “B-but... Well, we don’t know I’ll be gone when that happens, do we? I could live through it! Weakened, yes, but still-”
“You wouldn’t,” Sana said sorrowfully. “Kronii was able to peek into the future somewhat. Some potential ones, anyway. If life from Earth went completely extinct, or all of humanity was gone... You and Mumei would go with them. She was certain of it, as painful as it was for her to explain it.”
...Well, so much for that avenue of reassurance. Still, even as the Keeper shivered, she kept trying, starting to reach up. “Well... you never know? Humanity might... I mean, they want to go to the stars. Perhaps one day in the future... and if they bring livestock with them for-”
“We don’t know they will!” the Speaker snapped, whipping around. Her face was streaming with tears that continued to fall, yet her look was suddenly fierce. “Mankind could destroy itself before it gets that far! And if they did bring plants and such with them, who knows if that would be strong enough! Any terraforming they have could have no effect on you! Assuming they even stick enough to your spirit! They could leave you to die, Fauna!”
Said woman took a step back, only able to look in shock and slight fear of her lover. “I-I...”
“This is our best method to save you both!” the astro-girl continued, gesturing widely at their life-filled surroundings. “Don’t you get it? Our intervening on both of your behalves is the only way to guarantee you’ll live! Or at least give you a chance. That’s why we put so much effort into this! Endured the hardships involved!
“I... I don’t even know if this will work for sure. Kronii’s having trouble telling the future since it’s based on us bending the natural flow of events. If we’re lucky, this planet - all the planets we’ll make for you - will link back into your power! You’ll start to feel them and be invigorated by it all, no matter where you are in the universe! But if it doesn’t...” She looked down, clearly stricken by that potential outcome as she trembled.
Fauna’s chest tightened further watching this. This... this was so unlike her girlfriend’s usual, happy self. So much pain was pouring out of her all at once, making her kick herself further for not realizing the issue for so long. And while she knew deep down this might be good for the other to let out long-term, it was still heartbreaking to-
Then... something clicked for her about what the taller woman had said. Something she should have noted sooner. She blinked, staring up at her face. “Wait... planets? How many are you planning to do this for?”
Sana sniffled, hands clenched at her sides as she closed her eyes. “We... have a few dozen other ones we’ve been working on. Mostly around newer stars that’ll last a long time. But we’re going to do far more for you. And Mumei, once we figure out how to handle her domain more delicately.” Her hands got tighter. “We’ll... keep making more, too. As old stars burn out and new ones come in, until entropy takes us all...”
“...But how many planets like this are you going to make?” the Keeper pressed more firmly. “How many stars do you plan to have these creations?”
The Speaker was silent for a moment. But then... her answer came out, quiet but resolute. “...Every star in the whole universe, if we get our way.”
...Fauna’s eyes were officially bulging right now. Her mouth hung open, unable to comprehend what the other was suggesting for a moment. It seemed ludicrous in scale to the point that she thought her lover was exaggerating. For there was no way she could possibly be thinking to...
Yet when those eyes opened... she knew she was being completely serious. That she genuinely wanted to try and do as she said. She really would try to make places like this across every star that exists and will ever exist.
...And it was insanity. The green-haired woman slowly shook her head, a thousand concerns and fears springing in her mind. “Sana, that’s... that’s way too much. You can’t-”
“Please don’t forbid me,” Sana pleaded quietly, looking down as she once more trembled. “Please... let me do this for you. I... I can do this.”
“It’ll hurt you!” the Keeper stated, stepping closer to her and gesturing at the flowery hills. “You said this planet took a large strain on you, Kronii, and Bae. Well, what about trying to do that across every star?! What will that do to you?”
“...I don’t know,” the Speaker admitted.
“Would it... damage your domains?” Fauna pressed further. “Weaken you? Like when nature gets severely damaged with me.”
“...Possibly,” Sana also conceded.
The Keeper sighed, shaking her head. “Then you shouldn’t-”
“It would be worth it,” the Speaker suddenly insisted, hands clenching tighter. “We all have more than enough to give. I’ll bear whatever price is needed for this!”
Fauna glared at her despite herself, stomping her foot. Though her anger was nothing compared to her deep concern. “Are you listening to yourself? You could end up actively destroying parts of your own domain!”
“What can be gained is infinitely more than we could lose!” Sana insisted.
“And what you’d lose, you might never be able to get back!” the Keeper countered. “You could lose... I don’t know - comets! Asteroids! You could lose stars, couldn’t you? You love your stars and showing them to us! Are you really willing to destroy many before their time just to create a few small planets?!”
The Speaker flinched at this, her arms wrapping tightly around herself. The green-haired woman also had to blink, feeling a pang in her heart as she pursed her lips. Perhaps... that was a bit of a low blow. But... she was so overwhelmed, and her girlfriend was talking about basically risking destroying parts of herself by doing what she wanted. Can she be blamed for not being in the most rational state of mind?
Still, Fauna took a deep breath, holding up her hands as she tried to dial things back a little. “Look, Sana... I appreciate the sentiment. I do. And I understand how painful the future must seem, even if this and the few other planets you all made work as intended. It’ll only be a little bit of extra time, I’m guessing.”
She sighed, lowering her gaze. “But... I don’t want to see you or them get badly hurt by this. No more than I imagine you want to see me like I was when that meteor hit.” Another long breath left her. “So if that’s the price... while it’s starting to scare me now, perhaps it would... be better to leave this all to fate and-”
“Don’t say it,” Sana whispered, voice sounding like cracked glass, her gaze not moving up. “Please don’t say it. I... just let me... I can...”
The Keeper’s heart once more felt pulverized, her feet carrying her closer. “Sana, if this could be dangerous for you! And... I know what it’s like to lose parts of your domain for good. I don’t want you to experience that more than we already-”
“You promised you’d listen,” the Speaker said, tears once more falling. “You... you don’t understand. What might need to be sacrificed... It means nothing. Not like it would mean for you. It’s not the same.”
Fauna had to frown at this. “How is it not the same? Do you know how many old plants are gone that I wished still grew freely? How many prehistoric animals - not just the dinosaurs - I wish I could conjure back up? And maybe I could, but...” She looked once more at the flower she held. “I’d lose more in the process. Big and small things as the price of that.”
“It’s not the same with space,” Sana insisted, voice still trembling as her head lowered even further. “The loss... It hurts, but it’s not the same.”
The Keeper was unable to help glaring again. “I am not going to stand here and listen to you justify causing yourself pain! You can’t-”
“It’s worth it!” the Speaker said, voice actually rising a little. “It won’t hurt the same way it does for you! Our domains are too different for that!”
“How?” Fauna demanded, marching right up to her, trying to get her to look at her as her frustration and fears boiled over. “How can you claim that? What about losing parts of space is so different than if I lose anything?! Why are you being so stubborn when all I want is for you to be safe?! I’m sorry - I don’t want to die, either! But how can you think this method of changing that future is in any way-?!”
Sana’s eyes snapped up, eyes blazing as she shouted. “Because my domain is so ridiculously big, while yours is so, so small and weak in the grand cosmos! And I fucking hate it!”
...The Keeper was not sure what stunned her more. The statement, the self-loathing in it, the swearing - perhaps all of it. Yet whatever it was, it knocked out all of her hot air, making her stumble back. She could only stutter once more as she tried to process that. “I... Wha-?”
“Do you not get it even now?!” the Speaker insisted, taking a step forward. Her glare was intimidating, though it was more the large tears spilling from them that pinned the kirin-girl more. “Do you know how much it tears away at me, knowing that... that the most wonderful immortal I have ever met is tied to such a small dominion? Do you not understand how small it is? How tiny it is compared to my power?! Helpless?!”
Fauna stuttered more, instinctively defending herself. “I-it... isn’t weak! I expand over a whole planet! That isn’t-”
“Yes - a planet!” Sana growled. “And do you know how far I expand. As in, truly know?!”
She did not wait for a response... as suddenly they were being surrounded by a new sphere of light. Or, more so a dome with how they were on the ground. But what caught the Keeper’s attention as she looked around was that it was white. She had seen her lover make many of these spheres for travel and such, but... never a white one. It made her tense, not knowing what this was going to do.
And once it finished forming... everything suddenly went black. Not “dark,” really, for she could still see the astro-girl and her own body clearly. But it was like they were suddenly in an infinite void, the sky and fields vanished from sight. She could feel the grass beneath her feet, but could not see it.
Some... kind of illusion? she wondered wearily. That was... interesting. At another time, she might even be smiling and complimenting the trick. However, given the argument, she was mostly tense, unsure of what her girlfriend intended with this. Not that she thought she would ever mean harm to her, but even so-
...But then, in a blink, something formed between them... which she soon realized was an image of Earth. It was half the size of her whole body, spinning slowly, and appearing so realistic. A hesitant reaching of her hand, though, confirmed it was only an illusion. Looking around, she also saw the moon and the distant sun form, along with the distant stars winking into existence around it all.
From behind the image of the planet, the Speaker continued, her voice more subdued now. “I love the Earth so much... It will forever be the most impressive, natural phenomenon my domain has ever chanced to create, long after it’s gone.” She took a shuddering breath. “But... it’s only a planet. One planet... your domain... in the vastness of mine.”
Instantly, the image started zooming out... and kept on doing so. In a second, the green-haired woman was able to catch a glimpse of the whole solar system, right down to the dwarf planet Pluto. Then, it was an expanse of a few dozen stars... then hundreds... then thousands...
She found herself leaning back a little as it reached the millions, a part of the Milky Way becoming visible. She had seen the vastness of space several times now, but... she had never actually seen Earth recede when she did. Her lover’s way of travel usually did not give her a good view of that - they moved too fast, and just sort of appeared at spots. And... she never really pointed the way home, either. If she asked, she might, but otherwise...
Even paying attention, though, she was starting to lose track of it. The zooming out let her see the arm of the galaxy the Earth resided in now. That was billions of stars right there, making her breath catch. This was an angle of things her girlfriend had not shown, either. They had always remained in one part of the galaxy or another to see certain sights. They never went “above” it like she was seeing in this illusion now.
The view kept going out, showing more of the galaxy’s arm. Soon, she was able to see the bright center from which it extended. Then the other arms became visible, becoming easier for her eyes to be able to trace.
Then... the image zoomed out far enough to make it the same size as the Earth had been. It let her see the entire galaxy - not a created image from humans, but the actual galaxy. And it was far more breathtaking than anything they could ever render. She could see it all - hundreds of billions of stars, she recalled from talks distantly. Creating spiraled arms mostly appearing blue and white, though with streaks of yellow and red scattered about. All around a bright center that was allegedly full of black holes.
The kirin-girl could not help but gasp a little at it all. This... she had known about this, but had never truly comprehended it, it felt like. Seeing the whole galaxy like this... She was sort of glad to be doing it by illusion, for she was not sure she could take the vertigo of floating in this case while witnessing it. Though her legs were pretty shaky, making her wonder if she was going to collapse. She stepped back, gaping at this marvelous perspective. She wondered if this image was doing it justice in the part of her mind not frozen in shock - had trouble imagining that, and...
...And she realized it was still zooming out.
Blinking, Fauna watched as the galaxy got smaller, reaching the size of her upper torso. She was about to turn to Sana, going to ask what she was doing... but jumped as something whipped by her head. Snapping her gaze to it, she nearly thought something had breached the sphere. However... she realized with widening eyes that it was another galaxy. This one more like a disk, and much redder, but given the myriad of different points of light she could pick up amid the glowing star dust...
This was followed by more passing by her. Some resembled hers, some were more disks, some had two arms instead of three, and a few were more disorganized. They all kept getting smaller, too, soon losing much of their individual features. She could soon see dozens of them in her view, just like with the stars earlier. Then hundreds... thousands... millions... billions...
This time, she ended up stumbling back, feeling like she was barely breathing. Her eyes darted around, trying to keep track of it all. Yet there were so many small lights around her now, numbering in the tens of billions, and all supposed to be made of as many stars, if not likely more. And trying to think of that made her head freeze up, her heart pounding harder, but the evidence remained all around her, and... and...
I... where’s my galaxy? some tiny part of her that had not shut down already asked. She had only looked away for a second, but she... could not point it out. There were too many of them. And more just kept entering her view, going into the hundreds of billions... then beyond, going into what she thought might be the trillions, barely able to see the distance between them now.
She stumbled back more, yet that just made her go through more images of them. It... was all just too much! This could not be... People had told her, but seeing it like this was... Everything about this... The daisy fell from her hand - so tiny - and vanished from sight, as if forgotten. And it just kept going and going and-!
Then, finally... the zooming out stopped. The Keeper was left surrounded by... Well, she did not try to count it. What was left of her sanity did not allow for it. All she could really do was stare at it all, her mind numb and... trying to detach itself from it all. Yet glances at the closest ones, which seemed to grow just enough in her view only to show more details in them... some stars... did not allow her. Or maybe it was her imagination. She could not tell at this point.
This... this was impossible. It felt like it should have been, anyway. This was... Nothing should have been this big, right? It was too much distance... Too many stars... Far higher than she thinks humans even had a number for. Yet the proof remained around her as she turned as if in a haze, trying to reboot her mind.
And when she looked... there in the center was the Speaker of Space herself. Her head still hung as her arms hugged around her chest. Yet when she spoke... whether it was her imagination or not, it sounded far more powerful than before, despite the quiet tone. “This... is who I am. This is my domain... in all of its glory...”
...What was Fauna even supposed to say to that? For the first time, she realized... she genuinely understood what all her lover represented. What it was that she controlled. The scope, the power... it was all laid out before her. What might as well have been an infinite expanse of galaxies, for all of her ability to even process it currently.
...And amid it was a planet that was less than even a spec on this scale - so laughably small... which she had thought was massive.
She swallowed thickly, trying to get her mind working again as she looked at what she knew the universe truly was now. (She wished they were in space now, too, given how close she felt to collapsing.) “I... I...”
Sana cut her off with a soft chuckle. Not a happy one, though... but one filled with pain that she could only now pinpoint the depths of. “I... I took this for granted at the beginning of it all, I realize now. I just assumed this was... natural. That everyone had powers and domains as huge as this. Kronii and Bae only seemed to reinforce that. Their aspects did not have the same... physicality as mine, but they were as big, if not larger, on their own scales.
“When a couple of others appeared, I realized I was wrong. Yet for eons... I remained disconnected from that fact. For me, that just meant I could visit wherever I wanted without fear. Nothing could... truly hurt me. Everything basically bent to my whims, if anything. I made up the very space they live in, after all. I never saw any problems with how things were. How it could ever negatively affect me.”
She paused... before her voice started to break. “...Until I fell in love. To someone with an aspect so small that most would assume it was beneath my notice... And that made me realize why everyone is so scared of space. A vast void that leaves everything to... to crumble away...” She took a shaky breath. “No matter how... I wish it wouldn’t...”
The Keeper felt her heart sink once more. A hand covered her mouth as she stared at her girlfriend, the weight of her guilt making her want to sink into the ground. “Sana...”
“Do... do you actually think I need all of this?” the Speaker asked, her body once again trembling as she nodded minutely to the illusions of the galaxies. “Do you not think that there aren’t some stars I can spare if necessary to do what I want for you? Do you realize how insignificant the loss of a galaxy would be? How little it would actually hurt?” More pained laughter came from her. “No... Only one alone could hurt me... One single star within it, and the planet it holds so close to my heart... An emotional hurt worse than any physical pain for me.”
She choked on a sob, before suddenly collapsing to her knees. She looked up, redness really showing up in her eyes from the tears now. “I... I can change that, though. I... I can make you as vast and powerful as me! Expand your being as far as I stretch! Y-you’ll no longer be frail, or in danger, or... or... You’ll be alive. We can live together happily! We’ll be close to one another no matter where we are! We...”
Her chest heaved, full sobs leaving her as she covered her face in her hands, looking down. Yet even as she wept, she kept pleading. “Please... Let me save you. I know I can do this. I don’t care if it might cost me a part of my domain. Just... please. I... I don’t want to lose you... Please...”
She kept crying like this, her words trailing off as she kept whimpering. Her entire form kept shaking, not even trying to rise back up. She just knelt there, countless little lights representing galaxies floating and spinning around her.
Fauna, for her part, could only stare at her for a few moments. That guilt from before kept churning in her gut, wishing she could take back some of what she said. Her mind was still reeling from trying to comprehend how huge her girlfriend’s domain was. The illusion remained a constant reminder of this, trying to draw her eye in.
Yet at that moment... her gaze could only focus on the taller woman, who, despite how vast her power was... now looked so small herself. It felt so wrong... and she would not let that stand.
This finally spurred her to act. Somehow, even as her mind was still in a loop, she managed to stand in front of the darker-skinned woman. She knelt in front of her, ignoring the twinkling of illusory galaxies around her. She did not reach out yet, though, letting the other ride out the last bit of her emotions.
Once her sobs calmed down, though... she asked a simple question, keeping her tone neutral. “...This isn’t my answer yet. But... If I asked you not to do this, would you listen?”
Sana’s hands lowered, and while her face was still mostly hidden, she could see how much that idea stung her. Yet even so... the other nodded. “I... would never force anything on you.”
“...And you really don’t care about losing parts of your domain for this?” the Keeper asked. “Your stars?”
“...I’d lose them all if it meant I could hold you until time came to an end,” the Speaker replied, her tone more serious than anything she had ever heard before.
Fauna took a deep breath, taking a moment to process that. Then, making up her mind... she gave a small nod, staring at her. “...Okay, then.”
...Sana looked up, meeting her eyes. “O... Okay?”
The Keeper nodded again, giving a small smile. “Okay. You have my blessing. If you’re dedicated to this... then you can do so. The same with Kronii and Bae as well.”
It took a second for the Speaker to understand what she had said. Once it clicked, though... the sudden, shining hope in those eyes was almost enough to make her heart melt. She straightened up a little, so much of that pain seeming like it was receding. “R... really? You’ll... you’ll let me.”
Nodding for a third time, Fauna sighed, looking down briefly. “I... I’m sorry for some of what I said. You were right - I didn’t understand what this is like for you. I... still don’t think I do. I never understood what your domain was compared to mine.”
Sana pursed her lips. “You... don’t have to feel bad. I didn’t explain it very well, and... it has to be a lot to take in.”
“It is,” the Keeper agreed, glancing at the galaxies, before taking a deep breath. “But... I get it a bit better now. And I understand why I’m a little... fragile in your eyes now. Our powers and domains are on two completely different scales. It would be foolish of me to ever ask you to just ignore that... or accept how things stand, given our feelings.
“So, if you understand the potential price in making more planets for nature... then you can do it. I would be honored if you gave me the chance to even be a portion as strong as you are.” She met her eyes again, smiling softly. “Just promise me that you’ll be careful while doing this... because I don’t want to lose you, too, however unlikely the possibility might seem.”
The Speaker’s eyes watered at this... though this time, it was tears of joy that left her. Then, at last smiling widely again, she pulled her into a hug, her voice choked with emotion. “Yes, yes! Of course I’ll be careful! I... Oh, thank you! Thank you! I... This is... Thank you.”
Fauna smiled warmly, returning the embrace. “Of course. And just remember, I’m not on your level, but... I’m not ‘weak.’ I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. Nothing is going to take me away from you... Least of all space itself. Not with you around.”
Sana nodded against her, hugging her gently... Then, after a moment of hesitation, she tightened the embrace, putting force behind it. Such a tiny thing... but knowing what it meant now, the kirin-girl felt light-headed from the affection.
They stayed like this for a long time, the illusion of the universe hovering around them. Eventually, the Keeper asked another question. “You said you were trying to expand civilization, too, right? For Mumei?”
The Speaker nodded again. “Yeah... It’s been harder than with you. Kronii and Bae are starting to get worried. We... might have less time than with you to pull that off.”
“...Would you like my help?”
“...Just so long as you promise to be careful as well.”
Smiling, Fauna pulled back enough to meet her eyes, raising her hands to wipe away the other’s remaining tears. “Of course. It’s us until entropy takes us... whatever that means.”
Giggling happily, Sana just smiles, leaning in and kissing her. The kirin-girl returned it, the two of them enjoying the moment. There was still more to discuss about all of this, she knew. She doubted that all of her girlfriend’s pain and fears would go away for a long time. She herself was now feeling daunted by the scale of everything... wondering if she could actually ever be as expansive and powerful as the astro-girl wanted to make her. The road ahead was going to be long, even for immortals like them.
But for now... they just enjoyed themselves. They sat in the image of space, while beyond the illusion, she felt nature continue to thrive on this new planet full of it. Their two dominions empowering them... and their love strong, no matter how small or vast everything was.