Our Prayers, a Love Beyond the Sky

by rubylily

Summary:

"Why do we kiss to fly the Simouns?"

Dominura and Rimone, before and after eternity.

Notes:

• For Soryenn.

Chapter 1: i. prologue ~ a beginning

i. prologue ~ a beginning

In the ballroom of the Arcus Prima, Rimone had her collection of snacks and candy laid out before her. In a few days' time, the Arcus Prima and Chor Tempest would act as hosts for peace delegates from the Plumbum Highlands, but none of the sibyllae wanted to worry. Aer, Neviril, Paraietta, and Dominura were elsewhere, but Floe, Alty, Kaim, Roatreamon, and Morinas were gathered in the ballroom with Rimone. An ordinary scene, just like any other day on the Arcus Prima.

Among soft pillows, Floe leaned her head back, staring at the high ceiling above. "Why do we kiss to activate the Simouns?" she asked suddenly.

Alty gave Floe a pointed look. "Where did that come from?"

"I mean, think about it!" Floe clapped her hands together. "Who was the first person to look at a Simoun gem and think about kissing it of all things?"

Roatreamon tugged at her braid, a faint blush upon her cheeks. "According to legend, when the helical motors were first discovered, two priestesses came down from the sky in a Simoun and taught people how to pray to the skies."

"There's still so much we don't know about Simouns." Morinas chuckled as she touched her sibylla necklace. "Maybe those two priestesses were a couple if kissing is what we do now."

"That's rather romantic, huh?" Alty turned toward Kaim, and Rimone saw the wishful expression on her face. "What do you think, Sis?"

"D-Don't ask me!" Kaim snapped, scowling. "A-Anyway, aren't there more important things to worry about?"

"Aw, don't be like that!" Floe said with a pout. "There's no one else we can talk about this kind of stuff with!"

Rimone picked up a piece of chocolate. "We're Simoun sibyllae," she said without thinking. "We're closer to Tempus Spatium than anyone. But once we go to the Spring, we won't be able to pray anymore."

A somber air came over the group. It was a question every Simoun sibyllae asked - why could only maidens who had not yet entered the Spring fly Simouns? Rimone herself had asked that question often, but the only answer she ever received was that it was the will of Tempus Spatium.

Floe clutched a pillow to her chest. "Going to the Spring is supposed to be a wonderful thing," she said softly. "And if these peace talks go well, most of us will be able to go to the Spring by our next birthdays…"

Roatreamon smiled at Rimone, although Rimone couldn't ignore the traces of sorrow in that smile. "You're lucky, Rimone. You'll still be able to fly a Simoun for years to come."

Rimone opened her mouth to speak, but instead Kaim exclaimed, "Lady Para!"

Paraietta greeted Kaim with a nod as she approached the others. "The maju pool is ready for us now."

Floe stood and stretched her arms. "Where are Aer and Neviril?"

"They're already at the pool," Paraietta answered, and confusion crossed her face as she glanced around. "Is Dominura not with you?"

"I'll get her," Rimone said as she packed away what remained of her snacks.

"Thank you, Rimone." Paraietta waved for the other sibyllae to follow her while Rimone headed in the opposite direction alone.

Excluding Neviril, the regina of Chor Tempest, sibyllae shared their rooms with one other, and Rimone shared her room with her Pair Dominura. Naturally Dominura had arranged for it to be so using her strange influence; she was still rather pushy, but a part of Rimone was flattered that Dominura was so determined to be her Pair. However, outside of the Simoun, Dominura seemed to prefer to keep to herself, so Rimone still didn't know her very well.

As she followed the familiar hallway, Roatreamon's words still rang in her ears. Even if the war ended soon, she could still be able to fly a Simoun. She should've been happy. Yet she remembered the older trainees' jealousy when she had been chosen to become a Simoun sibylla. For many of those trainees, that had been their last chance to be chosen to fly a Simoun before they had to go to the Spring, and yet Rimone had been granted that privilege instead, despite her tender age.

She reached the sibyllae's sleeping quarters soon enough, and as she pushed open her door, she saw Dominura staring out the large window. Her dark hair shined in the sunlight, and on her face was a quiet expression Rimone didn't quite understand. Her red lips curled into a soft smile, one that carried a kind of peaceful sorrow, like resignation or acceptance.

Rimone swallowed dryly. Staring at the sky like that, Dominura longed for something more, just as she did. "Dominura?" she called out.

Slowly Dominura turned to face Rimone, her gaze as sharp as ever. "Ah, Rimone. What do you need?"

"Everyone's gone to the maju pool." Without thinking Rimone held out her hand. "I came to get you."

For a moment Dominura stared at Rimone's outstretched hand with an expression of puzzlement, but then that strange, increasingly familiar smile returned to her lips as she accepted Rimone's offered hand. "I suppose I should join you then."

They walked the corridors in silence for a bit, and Dominura's hand was warm in Rimone's. She wasn't sure why she still held Dominura's hand, but it was too late to let go either without drawing attention, she supposed. Glancing up at Dominura, Rimone thought of asking Dominura why she kept apart from the other members of Chor Tempest or why she hadn't yet gone to the Spring despite her age. However, Rimone instead said, "When we in the ballroom, Floe asked us something. Why do we kiss to fly the Simouns?"

"Just as Tempus Spatium has two wings, Simouns have two helical motors," Dominura said after a pause. "So perhaps a kiss is mean to display the bond between paired sibyllae."

"A long time ago, two sibyllae descended from the sky in a Simoun and told people how to pray to the skies. That's what Roatreamon told us."

"So the legends say." Yet as Dominura spoke those words, her eyes grew clouded. "Rimone, what do you know of the Emerald Ri Majon?"

"Um…" Rimone's fingers tightened around Dominura's. "It's a legendary Ri Majon. It can open the door to a new world, but nobody alive now has seen it performed."

"And yet we know how to draw the glyph." Again Dominura smiled, that strange smile Rimone couldn't quite read. "I wonder what lies on the other side of that door."

Rimone and Dominura reached the maju pool, where the other members of Chor Tempest were already dressed in the pale bodysuits. Dominura and Rimone helped each other into their own suits, and as they dove together into the airy pool, Rimone remembered a certain legend of two ancient sibyllae who had performed the Emerald Ri Majon and disappeared into light long ago. Neviril had tried to perform the Emerald Ri Majon with her former Pair Amuria, to bring that legend to life, but they had failed and Amuria had been lost.

As she flew beside Dominura, leaving a smoky trail in her wake, Rimone's eyes drifted to Aer and Neviril. Everyone knew the legend of the Emerald Ri Majon, but none could say they had seen it completed. Rimone flew upwards, and Dominura followed. Myths and history - no matter how much she read and studied, sometimes she simply couldn't tell the difference.

---

That night, Rimone couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned, and when she gave up trying and opened her eyes, she saw Dominura staring out the window of the room they shared, much like she had done so earlier. Against the moonlight, Dominura appeared almost ghostlike, and in her eyes that sense of longing had grown more obvious, but what she longed for, Rimone didn't know, nor did she know how to ask.

Finally Dominura noticed Rimone's gaze. "You couldn't sleep either, hm?"

Wordlessly Rimone stood and joined Dominura at the window. As the Arcus Prima sailed through the night sky, few clouds lay below. As sibyllae, the sky was their domain, and rarely did they need to set foot on solid ground. Yet, eventually there would come a day in which they gave up their wings for good. Rimone laid her hand on the window and asked, "If the peace talks go well, will the war end?"

"That depends." Dominura crossed her arms over her chest. "What do you think?"

Rimone's fingers curled against the cool glass. "I don't know."

"An expected answer." Dominura smiled ironically. "You're still young, after all."

"If the war ends, will you have to go the Spring?"

"Perhaps." Dominura leaned her head back, catching strands of moonlight on her red lips. "What about you? If the war ends, what will you do?"

"I…" Rimone stared out the window at the stars filling the night sky. "I want to keep flying and drawing Ri Majons in the sky."

"Then you should sleep now. We have an important day tomorrow."

Yet Rimone didn't move as she watched Dominura return to her bed. Rimone still didn't understand Dominura, but for better or for worse, they were a Pair, and never again did Rimone want to lose a Pair as she had her instructor and feel so helpless. So she climbed into Dominura's bed and pulled herself closer to her mysterious Pair.

Dominura's eyes grew wide. "Rimone? What are you doing?"

"You're my Pair, aren't you? So this is all right, isn't it?"

A weak chuckle fell from Dominura's lips as she laid her hand on Rimone's hair. "What a stubborn girl you are. You know I'm just using you to make Chor Tempest stronger, don't you?" Her smile darkened. "After all, why do you think a girl as young as you was allowed to become a Simoun sibylla during a war?"

Rimone tensed; all her life adults had praised her genius, and her own pride would have accepted nothing less than Chor Tempest, the chor reserved for only the greatest sibyllae, and in that chor she had found someone who wanted to be her Pair. "That doesn't matter. You chose me because you need me."

"Yes, I suppose I've placed a great burden on you. As long as we fly together, our prayers may bring destruction. Are you fine with that?"

Rimone closed her eyes. Young as she was, even she knew war brought about death and destruction, and many enemy soldiers had died because of her. Was it right that someone as young as her was a sibylla? Or just desperation? "I told you, as long as we can draw Ri Majons together, that's all that matters," she whispered, unsure if Dominura could hear her.

And if Dominura did, she made no reply, only rolling onto her side and turning her back to Rimone, and Rimone tried not to feel hurt.

Chapter 2: ii. eternity, before

ii. eternity, before

Upon arriving in the past, Rimone noticed a change in Dominura. A subtle, almost unnoticeable change, but a change nonetheless. The other villagers treated them as messengers of the gods and did not hesitate with their generosity, and while Rimone sometimes felt guilty for taking advantage of that kindness, the truth was that she wasn't used to this kind of rustic, simple life, so it had taken a while for her and Dominura to settle. Yet it was also peaceful, and Dominura's smile grew more sincere.

Thus the days blended together as Rimone helped the villagers clean the ancient Simouns scattered about and drew for them all the Ri Majons she could remember. Dominura sometimes helped, but more often than not she preferred to keep to herself, and she was always ready with a soft smile whenever Rimone returned to their little home.

One day, however, when Rimone returned home, she found Dominura attaching supplies to the wings of their Simoun. She gulped; it had been a while since they had last flown together. "Dominura?" she said carefully. "What are you doing?"

Dominura put her hand on her hip, and in her eyes was a determination Rimone had not seen since they had first met. "There's someplace I want to show you, and since I'm not entirely sure how long it'll take, I prepared some supplies."

Rimone stepped closer to their Simoun and touched one of the helical motors. "Where?" she asked. She supposed she should've been annoyed at Dominura making such a decision without her, but if it meant she could fly again, she would be more than happy to tolerate Dominura's stubbornness.

Dominura's lips curled into that familiar mysterious smile. "To the Ruins."

The Ruins, Simulacrum's holiest site. They were the remnants of an ancient civilization and from where the majority of helical motors had been discovered. Only a handful of religious officials were allowed on those grounds, and not even Simoun sibyllae could enter lightly. Yet Rimone's only question was, "In this era, would they be ruins?"

"Part of the reason for this journey is to answer that question, yes." Dominura let out a weak chuckle. "The other reason is that I want to tell you more about myself and the chor I was part of before I met you, and the Ruins are part of that."

"So you've been to the Ruins before." Somehow, Rimone couldn't say she was surprised. "When can we leave?"

"Tomorrow, if you'd like. We may be gone for a few days."

"Yes, let's leave tomorrow." Rimone smiled and her heart began to race.

Dominura laid her hand on Rimone's hair. "It's been a while since we last flew together, hasn't it?"

Rimone beckoned Dominura closer, and as Dominura bent, Rimone cupped her face and kissed her lips, not for the Simoun but for love, a kiss for only the two of them.

That night, Rimone was too excited to sleep, even as Dominura slept soundly beside her. They shared a bed, as they always did since finding this abandoned house on the edge of the village. Between her, Dominura, and Roatreamon's oversized plush, the bed was rather small, but Rimone didn't mind. She liked the feel of Dominura's warmth so close to her, Dominura did not shy away from Rimone as often as she used to.

She touched Dominura's cheek, and in the moonlight Dominura's face appeared genuinely peaceful. To Simoun sibyllae such as themselves, the sparseness of this village was a stark contrast to the luxury they had enjoyed on the Arcus Prima, and while Rimone's family hadn't been especially wealthy, they'd had enough status for her to be chosen as a Simoun sibylla. She wasn't used to such meager living, but because she and Dominura were treated with reverence by the other villages, as if the two of them were goddesses, they wanted for nothing. It was appreciated, but also a little lonely.

Would the other members of Chor Tempest realize what had happened to her and Dominura? What about her parents? She couldn't deny that she missed them all greatly, and yet…

Tears stung at her eyes. She couldn't deny that she had no regrets. Yet if she had the chance to do it all over again, she would still choose to perform the Emerald Ri Majon with Dominura and leave everything else behind. Dominura had chosen her, and she had chosen Dominura.

Rimone laid her arm over Dominura's waist and closed her eyes as she drew closer to her beloved Pair.

---

In some ways, while in the sky the Simulacrum of the past didn't look much different from the Simulacrum of the present. But Rimone had been born and raised in the capital city, near the Great Temple, and she hadn't realized just how little she knew about the country she had fought and prayed so hard to protect until she had arrived in the past. The sibyllae of Chor Tempest had gently teased Roatreamon for being a pampered rich girl, but in truth, save for Aer and Mamina, they had all been pampered rich girls fortunate enough to be born into the "right" kind of family.

And even compared to Aer and Mamina, Dominura was an outlier among other Simoun sibyllae, Rimone knew.

"It seems not much has changed, has it?" came Dominura's voice from above Rimone.

Rimone's fingers tensed around the controls. She almost said, "I don't know," but stopped herself in time. "We're always flying above everything. In the Simoun, in the Arcus Prima, in the Messis, so I can't really tell if things have changed or not."

"Well put, Rimone." Dominura chuckled softly. "Simoun sibyllae are treated as sacrosanct, apart from these mortal lands."

"We're not goddesses," Rimone muttered. "We just pray to the skies, that's all."

Eventually the land below them grew more brown than green, and against the horizon Rimone saw what she thought were mountains. However, as the Simon flew closer, she realized the ridges were the outline of a crater, as if something large had struck the earth long ago, and within that crater were… buildings?

"These are the fabled Ruins, the holiest site of Simulacrum," came Dominura's voice, clear as day. "It seems I guessed correctly in which direction they were."

"The Ruins…" Rimone breathed, her eyes wide. Buildings really did lay below her and Dominura. People had lived here once, a long, long time ago.

"Let's head near the north," Dominura said. "There's something I want to check."

Carefully Rimone and Dominura guided the Simoun to the northernmost point of the Ruins, and the Simoun transformed to safely land on the rocky ground. Dominura opened her cockpit first, and then took Rimone's hand to help her climb down from the auriga's seat. Rimone almost said she didn't need help, but she found that her longing to feel the touch of Dominura's hand was stronger than her desire to appear mature.

Once her feet were on solid ground, Rimone's breath caught in her throat as she gazed at the structure before her. Tall, worn pillars lined toward a cavern entrance, almost reminding her of the Great Temple, and it felt both foreboding and sacred. "Is this a temple?" she asked aloud.

"Of a sorts," Dominura answered, and Rimone couldn't help but notice her fingers were trembling. "Do you want to go inside?"

Rimone bit her lip. All her life she had been taught the Ruins were Simulacrum's holiest site, the source of the divine Simouns. To set foot on these sacred grounds without good reason was tantamount to blasphemy. But Dominura had brought her here for a reason, and she trusted Dominura. "Yes," she said firmly.

Hand in hand, Rimone and Dominura entered the ruined temple. Inside were more stone pillars lining the path forward, and enough light came in from above for Rimone to see. In the shadows she spotted Simouns of the same make as the abandoned ones in the village, and while one part of her wanted to examine the ancient Simouns more closely, another part of her said to leave them in peace.

Soon they came to the end of the path, to a large opening almost the size as the village. At the head of the clearing was a statue of two wings, and a hole above allowed light to shine directly onto said statue. Rimone had seen such statues before, but rarely with both wings so clearly intact. "Tempus Spatium," she said without thinking.

"Your readings theorize that Tempus Spatium and Animus of the Plumbum Highlands may once have been the same god," Dominura said. "And both deities are always depicted with wings."

"Is that why Simouns can only be flown by pairs?"

"That is one theory. After all, Simouns have the power to manipulate both time and space."

Rimone returned her gaze to the winged statue before her. "How long has this place existed…?"

Dominura glanced down at Rimone. "In our time, this path leads to the Spring."

"What?" Rimone turned to face Dominura. "But that's impossible! The Spring is near the Great Temple!"

A grim smile came upon Dominura's lips. "For Chor Dextra, the Ruins were the training grounds to perfect the Emerald Ri Majon. Over the years, all the failed attempts caused a distortion, and now the Spring exists in two places at once, defying the laws of reality."

"But that can't… How can…?"

"As I said, Simouns can manipulate both time and space. We both know that all too well."

Rimone tried to visualize the Spring before her, but she had never actually seen the Spring, only heard about it from her parents and read about it in books. The place where all maidens went someday and made a choice, and where sibyllae lost their wings. "What about Onasia?" she asked. She had only seen Onasia once before, during a religious ceremony. "She's the keeper of the Spring in our time, isn't she?"

"Onasia is…" Dominura bit her lip, as if hesitating. "I don't know. She is real, I've seen her, but somehow… perhaps she exists outside of time too." She touched Rimone's shoulder. "It's been a long flight, so we should eat now, and then I'll tell you more."

Rimone simply nodded and followed Dominura out of the ruined temple, and she suppressed the urge to look back over shoulder, suddenly afraid of becoming lost in time. Once outside, they returned to the Simoun and unpacked some of the food and water. Carefully Dominura started a fire and hung a pot over it, stirring the broth every so often. Rimone thought of offering to help, but she knew little of cooking, and since arriving in the past, Dominura often seemed to enjoy cooking, and she had improved quite a bit.

As if reading Rimone's thoughts, Dominura chuckled lightly. "Before I became a Simoun sibylla, I had no choice to learn how to cook, even if I wasn't very good at it. Being a nomad left me little other option."

"How did you become a Simoun sibylla? If you weren't…" Rimone began to say, thinking of Aer and Mamina, but stopped herself, not wanting to insult Dominura's heritage or family.

"If I weren't from the right kind of family?" Dominura finished, smiling at Rimone's stricken expression. "But that's precisely why I was chosen to join Chor Dextra."

Rimone knew her knees to her chest. "In all the records of Simoun sibyllae and their chors that I've read, I don't remember any mention of one called Chor Dextra."

Dominura's hand around the stirring spoon faltered just slightly. "Such information is not so easily found by regular sibyllae."

As silence fell over the two of them, Rimone gazed at the ruined buildings all around them. Deep in the earth, this place had once been a lively city, hidden away from the rest of the world. Perhaps the land itself had once been fertile and covered in lush greenery, but now little remained, and only brown stretched as far as the eye could see. Yet Rimone longed to explore each and every one of these buildings, even as Dominura had told her not to wander. More than that, however, she feared leaving Dominura alone in such a still place forgotten by time. Irrational as it was, she worried that Dominura would vanish if she let her Pair out of her sight.

Right now, that look in Dominura's eyes was too much like those days on the Messis…

The aroma of a hot stew filled Rimone's nose as Dominura held out a bowl for her. "Here you are," she said. "You've been awfully quiet."

Rimone accepted the bowl from Dominura, being careful not to burn herself. "Being here in the Ruins, the holiest site in all of Simulacrum, and you tell me that the Spring exists in two places at once… it's a lot to take in." She glanced up at hers and Dominura's Simoun. "Once, this place was alive, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Dominura replied as she followed Rimone's gaze. "Once, a long time ago, a civilization greater than ours thrived, creating vessels that could control time and space. However, war and famine eventually brought that ancient civilization to ruin, and their knowledge was lost. No one remembered the purpose of the vessels once called Simouns. Lands grew dry and cold, and yet humanity still clung to survival. One day, two maidens descended from the skies in an ancient vessel, and by the grace of the gods they shared knowledge of the Simons so that humanity could pray to the skies once more."

"And we were those maidens," Rimone said with a soft chuckle. "Though I don't remember being so grandiose."

"Such is the nature of legends." Dominura took a spoonful of stew into her mouth. "You should be flattered."

Rimone followed Dominura's lead, also taking a spoonful of stew. "Oh, it's good!"

"Even though it was a necessity, I wasn't very good at cooking before I became a Simoun sibylla, and as a sibylla, other people cooked for me." Dominura's smile grew prideful. "But now that I have someone to cook for, it's good to hear I've gotten better."

"Maybe I should learn how to cook too."

"Whatever you cook, I will happily eat." Dominura set down her spoon and stared up at the sky colored in sunset. "For a long time, I thought of this place as a kind of paradise."

Rimone shifted closer to Dominura as a sudden chill came over her. "You're not originally from Simulacrum."

Slowly Dominura shook her head. "The borders between Simulacrum and neighboring countries aren't so well-defined, and thus there are regions that don't belong to any country. I was born in one such region, and for much of my early life I only remember traveling and never had a home of my own. I could not speak Plumbum, so I wasn't welcomed there, but although I could speak Simulacrum's language, its citizens did not look kindly on stateless nomads."

"Stateless," Rimone repeated, the word unfamiliar on her tongue. "I'm sorry, I don't know much about the frontier regions."

"That is hardly surprising," Dominura said, and Rimone couldn't miss the haughty bitterness in her voice. "For years we traveled, unwanted and unwelcomed, passing down songs of a promised land blessed by the winged gods. We didn't have access to Simulacrum's Spring or Plumbum's. One by one our numbers dwindled, and eventually the religious officials of Simulacrum approached those of us who still lived with a proposition."

Rimone remembered this part of the story. "They gave you a home in exchange for your life," she said, recalling Dominura's words on the Messis.

Dominura was silent a moment as she stared at the bowl of stew in her hands. "With war brewing, both the religious faction and the military agreed to revive Chor Dextra. The Emerald Ri Majon is the most powerful of all Ri Majons, but also the most dangerous, so it wouldn't be proper to use well-bred sibyllae as test subjects. Thus Chor Dextra is always composed of unwanted immigrants."

"That's so horrible…" Rimone whispered. On the Messis, Dominura had once said as much, but she hadn't truly understood the gravity of those words until now. She had become a Simoun sibylla with her parents' encouragement and enjoyed learning new prayers, but more and more she realized how little she knew about Simouns and their sibyllae.

"It is, isn't it?" That strange smile returned to Dominura's lips. "But to be accepted, to be blessed enough to be chosen as a Simoun sibylla - at the time, that was enough for me, no matter the reason for my choosing."

"Then you knew all along that the Emerald Ri Majon allows sibyllae to travel through time." Rimone touched her own sibylla pendant, both wings still attached. "The Simoun even showed you what would happen, and still you performed the Emerald Ri Majon with me."

"Yes. You wished to perform the ultimate Ri Majon, and I would oblige any of your wishes. You said it yourself - if we had chosen differently, we would never meet. Everything begins with us."

Again the two of them fell silent, and Rimone ate more of her stew, although it had grown cold. She had never cared much for politics or government business. She had only wanted to be a Simoun sibylla and draw beautiful Ri Majons for Tempus Spatium. But it was only because of those politics a girl as young as her was allowed to become a full-fledged Simoun sibylla, wasn't it? Or was she a soldier? The high priestesses called such thinking heretical, but both Aer and Neviril had said they were fighting a war. That Plumbum priestess had sacrificed herself for her religious beliefs, using the peace talks as a cover. Beliefs were political, and sibyllae used vessels of the gods to battle. Maybe Rimone had simply been too naïve, too sheltered to notice the politics.

Even so, she still just wanted to offer prayers to the skies with Dominura.

When Dominura finished her stew, she spoke again. "I just remembered something. When we were on the Messis, you said my song reminded you of Aer's locket?"

Rimone nodded. "When you open it, you blow into it and it plays that melody. She said she received it from her grandfather."

"Grandfather, hm? I did hear that there was one survivor of the previous generation of Chor Dextra. Perhaps it was him."

"Aer said he was a Simoun sibylla once. If he was a member of Chor Dextra, then he had to have been a nomad like you. Maybe he even learned some of Plumbum's language while traveling."

"When you told me what her name meant, I did wonder why Aer had such an odd name. Some may think it strange to name their granddaughter after a foreign country's religious concept, though."

"But once, a long time ago, Simulacrum's Tempus Spatium and Plumbum's Animus may have been worshipped as the same god."

"The only gods we worshipped were those who could guide us to the promised lands." Again a heavy sigh fell from Dominura's lips. "Maybe these ruins were the promised land we were always searching for. Maybe a Spring once existed here and dried out a long time ago. Chor Dextra's meddling may have distorted the memories of this place and created a false illusion." She smiled darkly. "Ah, I'm rambling again, aren't I?"

Rimone shook her head. "It's fine. I want to know. It's interesting that the reason the Spring might exist here too is because of the Emerald Ri Majon recalling forgotten memories."

"But because Simoun sibyllae themselves are mortal, the memories are imperfect. Still, one may ask, why memories of the Spring?" Dominura paused a moment. "What do you think happens to those who never choose a permanent gender?"

"That's…" Rimone frowned, her thoughts moving quickly, but she was forced to admit, "I don't know."

"It's been a while since you've said that, hm? But I'm not surprised - that kind of thing simply isn't discussed." Dominura shifted, moving closer to Rimone; the temperature had fallen with the sun. "For nomads, finding a Spring isn't simple. My parents must've, but they passed away when I was young. Among those I traveled with, none of us could find a Spring, and eventually the older ones began to fall… ill, you could say. They became weak and their skin a transparent blue, and by the end, little of their bodies remained but gold specks. Those of us who were still young believed that would our fate too until we were chosen to join Chor Dextra."

Rimone stared at Dominura, and suddenly Dominura seemed much older, as if timeless. "Chor Dextra is no more, and we aren't part of Chor Tempest either anymore. Why haven't you gone to the Spring yet?"

"Why, indeed. You of all people should know the answer to that. It is because we are no longer part of a chor that I truly understand what it means to be a Simoun sibylla. If you wish to fly, I will fly with you, because you are my Pair."

"What about your previous Pair?"

Much to Rimone's surprise, confusion was clear on Dominura's face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when you were with Chor Dextra. You had another Pair before me, right?"

"Ah." Dominura didn't answer immediately, and Rimone worried that she would refuse, but soon enough she spoke again. "We didn't have set pairings, not quite. Every time we flew, our dux would try different combinations to see who came closest to completing the Emerald Ri Majon. Pairs couldn't be set in stone, as eventually someone would be lost, and then another. But we couldn't stop. We had a duty to complete the Emerald Ri Majon, no matter what. To one another, we were replaceable, tolerating each other enough to satisfy the Simoun's gem. Over and over we tried and failed, until there was no one left to fly with me."

There really was so much Rimone didn't understand, she found herself thinking as she listened to Dominura's words. How could Dominura speak of something so tragic so impassively? This was the dark side of Simulacrum, a country that treated Simouns as divine and sacrosanct but also discarded Simoun sibyllae as mere pawns. "That isn't right…" Rimone said, her shoulders shaking. "You're a Simoun sibylla."

"But not the proper kind of Simoun sibylla who came from the right family." Yet there was a wishful tone to Dominura's voice. "Even so, I was needed. I could've gone to the Spring, but I was told if I could mold Chor Tempest into soldiers, I could still fly a Simoun, and I loved Simouns too much to give up flying. And…"

"And?"

Dominura closed her eyes. "How could I go to the Spring alone? I still hear their screams. One by one they all fell. It was the fate we chose for ourselves. Because we were willing to die, we were needed." Tears began to roll down her cheeks. "I don't understand. We were only bound by circumstance. So why… why does it hurt so much now…?"

Rimone raised a hand to touch Dominura's cheek, tears slipping between her fingers. "Because you miss them," she said simply.

"I… miss them…?" Dominura repeated, much like a child would. "We were… never close, but…" She shook her head, though the tears still fell. "There weren't many of us left, and all we had were each other… Ah, how could I have forgotten…?"

"Dominura," Rimone said firmly, taking Dominura's hands between hers. "It's all right. I'm here with you now."

"You and I… we've lost so much, haven't we?" A broken smile came upon Dominura's lips. "Oh, Rimone, my sweet Rimone…" She let out a loud sob as Rimone caught her, and Rimone's shoulder soon became damp with her tears.

Over and over Dominura repeated unfamiliar names, as if reciting a mantra or prayer, and all Rimone could do was hold her tightly and gently stroke her long hair. With each name Dominura spoke, Rimone repeated them silently to herself, trying to commit them to memory. No public records existed for the fallen members of Chor Dextra, so it was the least Rimone could do. For Dominura's sake, she would ensure they were never forgotten.

Eventually, as the stars grew visible against the darkening sky, Dominura rested her head in Rimone's lap as Rimone threaded fingers through her hair to soothe her. Silence fell over them, and neither thought of moving. In these forgotten ruins, it was as if they were the only two people left in the world. But if there was anyone Rimone could spend eternity with, she would choose Dominura always.

Dominura stirred, and her tears had dried. "I've almost forgotten why I brought you here in the first place."

Rimone giggled. "You wanted to tell me more about yourself."

"Oh, I did, didn't I?" Dominura also laughed, a softer, far more subdued laugh. "You're so young, and yet I burden you with so much."

"It's not a burden. You're my Pair."

"Thank you, Rimone." Dominura closed her eyes. "Thank you."

Rimone touched Dominura's cheek, feeling that gentle warmth against her palm, and she began to sing, much as Roatreamon had sung for her on the Messis. She wasn't very good at singing, nor did she remember all the lyrics, but she tried her best. Dominura simply listened, saying nothing, and Rimone kept singing, her voice echoing across the ruins. Perhaps even their Simoun was also listening.

In the sky, Rimone could also swear she saw a wake left behind by a Simoun, the glyph of a Ri Majon. But maybe it was simply her imagination.

She took Dominura's hand into hers, brushing her lips against the back of it. "Thank you, Dominura," she said as she pressed Dominura's hand against her cheek, "for choosing me."

In the morning, they would fly together again. She would fly with no one but Dominura.

Chapter 3: iii. interlude

iii. interlude

To be keeper of the Spring was a different kind of solitude than Yun had expected. The veiled attendants had not seemed particularly surprised by her presence in place of Onasia's, and upon Simulacrum's unconditional surrender, neither Plumbum officials nor Argentum official took any notice of the new keeper. In Simulacrum's former government, Onasia's word had been final, but Yun doubted she would have that kind of political power.

What she did have, however, was time.

Grieving cradle in hand, she stared into the waters of the Spring, and the remnants of Mamina's braid in the wooden cradle still carried a faint shine. The waters here were much like a Simoun's helical motors, transcending time and space, and often Yun caught glimpses of the past and present reflected upon the waters.

At first she had felt much like a voyeur, as if she was spying on private moments. But Onasia had stood here for countless centuries, watching memories she could never be part of, so Yun had to be just as resolved and not turn her gaze away either. To be keeper of the Spring was more than simply guiding young maidens toward adulthood and thus a future; she was also meant to keep memories that would otherwise be forgotten by history.

She was something of a divine figure now, not quite human any longer, but not quite a god either.

In the days since the disbanding of Chor Tempest, several group of sibylla-aged girls had arrived at the Spring, and while they had expressed surprise at the unknown keeper in Onasia's place, they entered the waters nonetheless. Most knew what gender they wished to be, but some didn't, and when they emerged from the Spring, Yun having chosen for them, some wore expressions of relief while others could only cry out in anguish. Like Onasia before her, because Yun did not make a choice for herself, she was burdened with forcing a choice on those who could not choose. However, because Onasia was now at peace, Yun would not regret taking her place.

She stepped closer to the water. Paraietta, Roatreamon, Alty, Kaim, Morinas, Floef, Vuraf - Simulacrum's final Simoun sibyllae. When those maidens had entered these waters, Yun fully understand the depths of the burden she had accepted from Onasia. She would likely never see any of them again, but she held their memories close to her heart.

Gently she touched Mamina's braid in the cradle, and her chest tightened. The memories she saw in the waters were not hers to reveal, no matter how much she wished otherwise. The first time she saw a glimpse of Rimone and Dominura, she had nearly cried. She had always regretted not taking the time to learn more about them, but to know that they both still lived after completing the Emerald Ri Majon was a great relief, even if she could never share that knowledge with anyone else. The kisses Rimone and Dominura shared throughout the years were theirs and theirs alone.

The waters, however, never revealed what had happened to Aer and Neviril, and she understood why. They had opened the door to a new world with the love they shared. They had made a choice only Simoun sibyllae could make, their wings unclipped by the Spring. Yun touched her own sibylla pendant; while she didn't regret her choices, she couldn't say that she wasn't just a little bit envious of them. Where Aer and Neviril how flew together, not even the keeper of the Spring could see.

With a smile on her lips, Yun was about to turn away from the waters, but a new image caught her eye. Rimone and Dominura, both older, walked side by side in a forest path. What they spoke of, Yun couldn't hear, but they smiled so lovingly at each other. However, Dominura stumbled and Rimone caught her arm, and Yun saw what she left behind in her wake: golden flakes.

The longer one refused to choose a permanent gender, the more their body weakened, their skin becoming translucent, and soon they could no longer touch another person. The same had happened to Onasia, and she had been made keeper of the Spring so that no one else would hesitate as she did. Like Dominura, she had been a time-displaced member of Chor Dextra, but unlike Dominura, she no longer had a Pair with whom to fly.

Yun watched as Dominura leaned against Rimone for support, and the image vanished, leaving only a reflection of Yun in the water. "Dominura…" she said softly.

Chapter 4: iv. eternity, after

iv. eternity, after

Since they day Dominura and Rimone visited the Ruins, they had flown together less and less. Often they made plans to fly, but just as often something else would come up, and it was put off for another day, and then another. Days passed, weeks, months, even years, and eventually Dominura could no longer remember the last time she and Rimone had flown their Simoun together. She supposed she should've been distressed by the realization, but she wasn't certain.

Standing outside, she raised a hand to touch the earthbound Simoun. Rimone was in the village teaching - she had become far more outgoing and confident in these past few years - while Dominura had remained behind to keep an eye on their small home. Sometimes she had thought of teaching too, but she had never been comfortable with the way the villages watched her with such reverence. Rimone, on the other hand, had begrudgingly accepted that the villagers would always view her as a divine being, and she once told Dominura that if they were going to hang onto her every word, she'd might as well take advantage of that and teach them everything she could. That was why the Emerald Ri Majon had brought them to this era, after all.

Dominura chuckled to herself. Of the two of them, Rimone had always been the more practical-minded one.

She pressed her forehead against the Simoun, feeling the whispers of the helical motors. Perhaps when its gem was lit again, Rimone would have a new Pair. At first the idea had troubled her, as she herself would never take a new Pair again, but eventually she had accepted the fact that while Rimone was old enough to journey to the Spring, she was also still young enough to put off that journey for another year or two. If she still wished to fly, she could choose a new Pair, one who was younger and not several years late to the Spring, and Dominura would accept that. She had too, if that would make Rimone happy.

Yet she felt her chest tighten. Although she and Rimone had not flown their Simoun in a long time, she had not yet either gone to the Spring to make that fateful decision. It was not a subject either of them brought up lightly.

"Dominura!" came a familiar voice and the clouds engulfing Dominura's heart seemed to vanish. She turned her head, and Rimone approached. Over the years Rimone had grown taller, although not as tall as Dominura, and her hair was longer and her body more mature. Her eyes, however, had little changed; they were still the eyes of a girl who was contemplative and sometimes too serious, and were always looking to the skies. On her arm she carried a basket filled with loaves of bread and exotic spices. Dominura couldn't help but smile; word had gotten out about Tempus Spatium's holy sibyllae, and people bearing offerings traveled wide and far to this tiny little village.

"Rimone," Dominura said, leaning against the Simoun for support. "You're back rather early today."

"Some of the girls will be flying for the first time soon, and everyone's excited," Rimone said, a faint blush upon her cheeks. "It was… overwhelming, so I said I needed to go home and rest."

Dominura put her hand on her hip. "Well, you are quite popular among the villagers. I imagine some of the girls even have their eye on you too."

Rimone shifted uncomfortably, but otherwise said nothing.

With a careful hand Dominura touched the Simoun. "Once those girls start flying, everything will change."

"I know," Rimone whispered with a nod. "This is the will of Tempus Spatium, and…"

"And…?"

A quiet smile came upon Rimone's lips. "Because we shared the knowledge of the Emerald Ri Majon, we'll meet again in the future."

Dominura mirrored Rimone's smile. When she had violated a Simoun to look inside, she had seen the destruction that knowledge had created, and still she had performed the Emerald Ri Majon with Rimone, playing right into the hands of fate. But as Rimone had said, Simouns also created miracles and blessings, and they had brought her and Dominura together. "Of course," Dominura said, her voice also a whisper. There would still be war, but even among destruction love could still blossom.

Rimone also touched the Simoun's helical motor, her hand brushing against Dominura's. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"

"Yes, it has."

"Watching those girls reminded me of something. On the Arcus Prima, sometimes the other sibyllae would dance together before a maju session. But because of my height, it was hard for me to dance with any of them…"

"You have gotten taller since then. Would you like to dance now?"

Rimone's face brightened. "Yes, of course!"

With a smile, Dominura took Rimone's hand once Rimone had set down her basket, and she led Rimone to the clearing behind their cottage. Dominura put her free arm around Rimone's back while Rimone laid her hand on Dominura's shoulder, a sparkle clear in her eyes as she gazed up at Dominura. Holding Rimone like this felt so natural, and idly Dominura wondered why they had never danced together like this before. Simoun sibyllae were taught to dance, after all, as a way of perfecting Ri Majons offered to Tempus Spatium, and like Simouns, dancing was a privilege of the well-born, those considered blessed by the gods. Both Dominura and Rimone knew the rigid lines of society, and even in the past such unspoken rules could not easily be forgotten.

Even so, Dominura, who had never known her family name, and Rimone, who had cast aside her own family name, had come together.

Their dance was slow and careful, and more than once Dominura had to suppress an urge to glance down at hers and Rimone's feet. Unlike the chors on Arcus-class ships, the members of Chor Dextra had never danced together or used maju pools. As Dominura had once told Rimone years ago, Pairs among Chor Dextra were fluid and ephemeral, and if a sibylla was lost, Pairs were reformed without ceremony. To activate the Simoun's gem was enough. When Dominura had first stepped onto the Arcus Prima, the difference of how sibyllae of the skies were treated and respected was a brutal shock. The sibyllae of Chor Dextra had been little better than earthbound, always looking up at a sky they would never be part of. Even shattered, Chor Tempest had held more divinity than Chor Dextra had ever been allowed. Thus Dominura feared that Rimone thought her movements clumsy.

Yet Rimone's smile was true as she and Dominura danced, and that sparkle in her eyes only grew stronger. Their feet were soft against the grass as they moved and swayed, and soon enough Dominura felt as if she was following Rimone's lead. A smile tugged at her lips; it truly was wonderful to see Rimone so confident these days. Thus Dominura began to relax, Rimone's gentle hands guiding her.

Gold flashed across Dominura's vision, and she fell from Rimone's hands and to her knees, coughing harshly. "Dominura!" Rimone cried, reaching for Dominura's arms, but the exposed skin she touched burned, and Dominura jerked back, gold flakes falling from where Rimone had touched.

"I just… need to rest…" Dominura forced out between pained breaths. She tried to smile, although she knew Rimone would never believe that lie.

A pained expression on her normally calm face, Rimone put Dominura's arm around her shoulders and wrapped her own arm around Dominura's waist to help guide her into their cottage, and she was careful not to touch any exposed skin. Once inside, Rimone put Dominura to bed, beside that strange plush that had once belonged to Roatreamon, and as Dominura shut her eyes, a restless sleep came over her.

She didn't dream. Darkness surrounded her, like the void of a failed Ri Majon. She had glimpsed that void many times as it consumed the sibyllae of Chor Dextra one by one. That was the price of blasphemy; to fail a Ri Majon was to spit in the face of Tempus Spatium themself. Yet no generation of Chor Dextra had ever truly completed the Emerald Ri Majon. Only legends spoke of the mythical Ri Majon that could transcend time and space and open the door to a new world. The Emerald Ri Majon was sacrosanct, and only Chor Dextra would carry the burden of sin, hidden away in the shadows.

When Dominura opened her eyes again, night had fallen. Rimone knelt at her bedside, fast asleep. Again Dominura's chest ached; she'd worried Rimone far too often lately. With a trembling hand she touched Rimone's hair, and this time her skin didn't burn. She let out a silent sigh of relief, but then wondered if Rimone had noticed the golden flakes left in her wake. It was too clear a sign to be ignored, as she had seen it happen far too often before she had joined Chor Dextra; she was beginning to succumb to the curse of who had yet to make their fateful decision. All were born girls, all had to one day choose to become a woman or man, and thus an adult. That was how this world was, after all.

For a moment, Dominura thought of Aer and Neviril, and a sudden feeling of envy came over her, and she couldn't understand why.

Rimone stirred, opening her eyes. "Dominura!" she exclaimed, reaching out for Dominura, but her hand froze a hair's breadth from Dominura's skin, as if remembering what had happened earlier.

Thus with an assuring smile Dominura took Rimone's hand, their fingers lacing. "It's all right," she said gently. "I'm feeling better now."

Even in the moonlight worry was clear on Rimone's face. "What happened?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Dominura rose, biting her lip. As much as she wished otherwise, she couldn't lie to Rimone. "I've waited too long to go to the Spring."

Rimone's eyes grew wide. She too chewed her lip, her eyes darting back and forth, and finally she spoke again. "Do you not want to go to the Spring?"

With that question, time seemed to freeze. Dominura's fingers tensed around Rimone's; it wasn't as if she didn't know what she would choose, but why did becoming an adult hinge on such a narrow choice? In both the past and present Dominura knew of people unsatisfied with their choice, and those for whom neither woman nor man felt like the right choice for them. And to make that choice would mean she could no longer touch a Simoun… "I don't know," was all she said.

"'I don't know'?" Rimone shot to her feet, and Dominura had never seen such sorrowful rage on her face before. "Dominura, this isn't the time for that! If you don't go the Spring soon, you'll…!" She hesitated, unable to give voice to that dark outcome. "Let's go to the Spring together."

"No!" Dominura said, more forcefully than she had intended. "Rimone, you're still young. You can find a new Pair and fly a little longer with her before you make that decision."

"I won't!" Rimone cried, tears falling from her eyes, and her fists trembled at her sides. "I will never have another Pair besides you!"

Suddenly Dominura's hand felt too cold without Rimone's warmth. Seeing Rimone so anguished was painful, but she had to remain firm. "Listen to me," she said, trying to reach for Rimone, but this time her own hand hesitated to make that final touch. "I'm quite a bit older than you. We haven't flown together in a long time. I don't want to hold you back. The Simoun—"

"It's not just the Simoun I care about!" Rimone threw her arms around Dominura, her cheeks wet with tears. "Even if we don't fly together anymore, I just want to be with you, and only you! You said you need me, and… I need you too…!"

Dominura laid her hand on Rimone's hair, and she couldn't help but notice how Rimone's thin shoulders trembled. In all the time they had been together, she had never seen Rimone so vulnerable. Even when they had first met, Rimone had carried a wisdom beyond her tender age, but only because of her potential as a sibylla; if not for the Simouns and the war, she could've been a normal girl. Politics and war had stolen her childhood. Dominura had stolen her childhood, trapping her in the past. Yet now she clung to Dominura, her eyes filled with the love and longing Dominura had never dared to hope for. But maybe it wasn't so surprising; after all, on that fateful day, Dominura had told Paraietta in no uncertain terms that Rimone was her Pair, and together the two of them had performed the Emerald Ri Majon, leaving behind the war, the Messis, and Chor Tempest.

"Rimone," Dominura said gently. "I'm a coward. I took advantage of your youth and genius to make Chor Tempest stronger. I knew where the Emerald Ri Majon would take us, and still I asked you to help me, because I wanted to run away. From the war, from the military faction, from… everything. I was a coward, and because of that, I tore you away from everything you ever knew. Knowing all that, can you still say you need me?"

Rimone raised her head, and although tears still fell from her eyes, her smile was sincere. "Of course I can. It's not just that you're my Pair - it's because I love you." She touched Dominura's cheek and pressed her lips against Dominura's; a kiss only for them, not meant to be shared with the Simoun or Tempest Spatium, just one of many such kisses over the years. A kiss only for them, and no one else.

And with that kiss, nothing else seemed to matter. Not Dominura's past, not her cowardice, not that she was nearly a decade older than Rimone. If Rimone said she loved Dominura, then Dominura saw no reason to disbelieve her. After all, that honesty was why she had fallen in love with Rimone, and as her heart felt lighter, she was more than happy to accept any love that Rimone offered to her.

When their lips parted, Rimone rested against Dominura as her fingers intertwined. For a bit, silence lingered over them like the moonlight, and Dominura wanted to enjoy Rimone's warmth so near to her. She could touch and hold Rimone, and she didn't want to take that for granted. If she didn't go to the Spring, there may come a day when she would no longer be able to touch Rimone, and she feared that most of all.

Rimone stared up at Dominura through half-lidded eyes. "I do miss my family and the rest of Chor Tempest," she said, breaking the fragile silence. "But I don't regret any of this. I'm glad I'm here with you, and I'm glad we could ensure that we'll meet again in the future."

"Because of you, I could live again." Dominura threaded her fingers through Rimone's hair. "But… is it because of me you haven't gone to the Spring yet either?"

"Mm." Rimone made a noncommittal noise as her gaze fell and her body tensed against Dominura's. "I know I'm old enough, and the girls who chose not to become Simoun sibyllae have all gone, but…" She shook her head, a weak smile tugging at her lips. "I could ask you the same thing. Is the reason you haven't gone to the Spring yet is because you still want to fly with me?"

A faint chuckle fell from Dominura's lips. Rimone could be refreshingly blunt at times. "When I was the only one left of Chor Dextra, I could've gone to the Spring. But I didn't. I chose to become a pawn so that I could join Chor Tempest, the greatest of all chors. And then I met you." She was silent a moment. "It has been a long time since we've flown together, hasn't it…?"

"A very long time, yes." Rimone lifted her gaze. "You're not very good at answering questions, are you?"

Again Dominura chuckled. "No, I suppose not."

"Do you still want to fly?" Rimone's voice fell to a whisper, but her eyes sparkled in a way Dominura had not seen in a long time.

"Perhaps." Dominura stared out the window at the night sky, stars visible against the darkness. "We could fly to another world, vanish as suddenly as we appeared."

"We'll become legends, divine priestesses who performed the ultimate Ri Majon."

And the word "ultimate" sometimes meant an end, Dominura thought to herself. "Let me think about it for a few days," she said, planting a kiss on Rimone's forehead.

Rimone smiled. "I'll wait for you, I promise."

---

In the end, Dominura and Rimone took to the skies one last time. They had shared all that they could, leaving the past in the hands of this generation of Simoun sibyllae, the first of the modern era. Once again, they performed the Emerald Ri Majon and vanished, leaving behind only legends. Years passed, and although few could claim to have seen an Emerald Ri Majon, the knowledge remained innate in the hearts of any maiden who wished to become a Simoun sibylla.

Through time and space Dominura and Rimone flew, guided by myriad colors. The Simoun's gem shined brightly, and the silver trail they left in their wake sparkled more strongly than ever. The skies were endless, and an infinite number of prayers surrounded them. With each kiss Rimone and Dominura shared, eternity began anew.

Before them flew another Simoun, one of a modern design. The cockpit opened, and a girl with blonde hair styled like the ears of a mouse waved eagerly, and in the other seat her Pair simply smiled, a gentle, sincere smile. A familiar melody echoed, like the rustle of the wind.

"Aer!" Rimone exclaimed, and Dominura could only smile as they flew closer, and her heart finally felt at peace. With her beloved Rimone, she could fly anywhere.

Chapter 5: v. epilogue ~ neverending

v. epilogue ~ neverending

With a sigh Roatreamon set down her quill pen. When she had first opened this orphanage, she knew she would have to write many letters and records, but it was still more than she had expected, she thought ruefully. With tensions rising between Argentum and Plumbum, it was more important than ever to secure funding and supplies. Her family's status and name could only carry her so far, she had realized over the years.

As she straightened the papers on her desk, her eyes fell upon the photograph of herself and Mamina. Her chest tightened; Mamina's body had never been found, and when Roatreamon had visited Mamina's mother and learned that fact, they both had broken down crying. She took the photograph in her hands and pressed her lips against the frame. "Mamina," she whispered. "I wish you could be here with me."

Over the years, the pain had dulled, but she still grieved, not only for Mamina, and she missed Aer and Neviril, and Rimone and Dominura as well. She sometimes saw Yun at official functions, acting as Onasia had, but they had not spoken since that day the survivors of Chor Tempest had entered the Spring. Memories stirred in Roatreamon's heart, of Amuria, of Mamina, and the other fallen members of Chor Tempest.

A knock at the office door jolted her out of her thoughts. "Come in," she called out.

The door opened, revealing Paraietta. "Our friends are starting to arrive," she said with a faint smile on her lips.

"Thank you. I'll be there shortly." Roatreamon stood, and with one last glance at that precious photograph, she left her office. Today was the anniversary of the end of the war, and she had sent out invitations for reunions. Two members of Chor Tempest, who had entered the Spring after Amuria's death, had written back saying that they could not make it, while the others had promised they would be there. However, Roatreamon had yet to receive any sort of reply from Floef.

She met with Paraietta in the courtyard, and Morinas and Eliph had already arrived. Although Morinas had joined Chor Tempest after Eliph had gone to the Spring, they had become close friends while working together on the Messis. Morinas was heavily pregnant and children surrounded her, and as Roatreamon and Paraietta tried to calm the children, Alty and Kaim arrived, and the children grew even more excited. Roatreamon couldn't say she was surprised; it had been a long time since the orphanage had this many visitors, after all.

By the time Vuraf arrived, the children had thankfully calmed, so the adults were able to gather around the courtyard table and catch their breath. "And I thought dealing with one child was hard enough," Morinas said, patting her belly. "I really hope I'm ready when the second one comes."

Roatreamon chuckled. "The children are just happy to see all of you."

Eliph rested his chin on his hand. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? Though I'm not sure I have the right to be here…"

"You were a member of Chor Tempest longer than I was," Vuraf replied. "We were Simoun sibyllae all the same."

Paraietta returned with a tray of tea and set down a cup for everyone, but then frowned. "Floef isn't here yet, is he?"

"I sent a letter to his farm, but I never received a reply." Roatreamon glanced at Alty and Kaim. "Have you heard anything from him?"

Alty shook her head. "No, not in months." She let out a heavy sigh. "I know we're not a Pair anymore, but still…"

Kaim adjusted her glasses. "It's kind of strange, isn't it? Once, Floef would've looked down on farm work because of his family status. We all probably would've. But now he's changed."

"We all have." A wishful expression came upon Paraietta's face, and no longer did she force her voice so deep.

A sheepish smile came upon Eliph's lips. "Morinas told me a little of what happened to Chor Tempest after I went to the Spring," he said, a touch hesitant. "Could you tell me more?"

Between the six of them - Roatreamon, Paraietta, Alty, Kaim, Morinas, and Vuraf - the conversation grew chaotic, but Eliph listened intently. They told him how Neviril paired with the outspoken Aer, about Rimone and Dominura, Mamina and Yun, Wauf and the Messis. They told him how Rimone and Dominura performed the Emerald Ri Majon and vanished, and of Mamina's sacrifice to save Neviril. They spoke of how Yun became keeper of the Spring, and how they all helped Aer and Neviril perform the Emerald Ri Majon to open the door to a new world. They laughed and cried, and the memories settled over them like dust.

More than anything, Roatreamon wished this peace could last forever, impossible as such a desire was. Floef's absence was a sharp reminder of the fragile relationship between Argentum and Plumbum, and Vuraf had told her that both he and Floef had received draft orders from opposite sides. Roatreamon bit her lip; even though Simulacrum had surrendered unconditionally to end a war, another war was likely to erupt, and more children would suffer.

"Oh no, don't tell me I'm late!"

Everyone's heads jerked up at the sound of that voice, and in the gateway stood Floef, a familiar pout on his face.

Alty was the first to her feet. "Floef!" she exclaimed. "Where have you been? Why haven't you sent any letters lately? We used to be a Pair, you know! Don't you know how worried I've been?"

Floef rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I've been really busy lately, and then on my way here the train broke down, so…"

Roatreamon couldn't help but laugh as she stood to greet Floef. "What's important is that you're here now," she said, taking his hands. "Please, have a seat."

As Floef joined the others, Paraietta poured him a cup of tea, and the mood around the table lightened considerably. This image would never be complete, Roatreamon knew, not without Aer, Neviril, Rimone, Dominura, Mamina, Yun, Amuria, or the other lost members of Chor Tempest, but for now, this would have to be enough.

Above them the sky flashed, and a Simoun, one of a modern design and not ancient like Plumbum priestesses preferred, dashed across the sky and vanished as quickly as it had appeared, and then a second Simoun followed, also disappearing into the light. It happened in the blink of an eye, but Roatreamon recognized the shapes of both Simouns, and she uttered a silent prayer.

"Oh, Simouns. That takes me back." Floef grinned widely. "You know, I think I might have finally figured out why we kiss to activate our Simouns."