Interlude IX

(Cassidy)

The world as she knew it was breaking. Her mother, the center of her world was dying of cancer and there was nothing that she or anyone could do for her.

Father was there, and he was great. Deep down Cassidy knew that her father would give her all the love and affection she could need. But she was greedy, was it greedy to desperately beg and plead for a miracle a cure to come down from the heavens, but nothing ever came.

Just when she was about to give up all semblance of hope, then as if divine providence or extremely lucky coincidence, she found a passage that struck to her core.

While reading through her mother’s old journals about inspirational quotes, something that her mother always cherished and vehemently wrote down and swore to embody. That is when she found a passage labeled Grandmother Cassie’s Quotes.

Seeing the section there were many quotes that spoke to persevering, to being tough both mentally and physically. This was obviously related to Great Grandma Cassie, who passed away back when Cassidy herself was just seven years old. It was also the same woman that Cassidy herself had been named after, Cassidy couldn’t help but feel a resonance with seeing the words.

She began reading the section out loud, hoping that these words more than others would help provide meaning and purpose in this time when darkness seemed to be encapsulating her from all sides.

As time passed she read quote after quote, until finally one quote caught her eye.

“Never expect miracles to come when you yourself have done nothing to lay the groundwork for where that miracle will appear.” The words were so profound that at first Cassidy glanced over them.

At this point in her process her voice was getting hoarse from talking so long to her mother, hoping that she would awaken from her most recent bout of chemotherapy.

Then as if the words were a sacred spell, that only gained power after saying the complete quote, she felt a chill of recognition strike her as she felt the power of those very words.

Never expect miracles to come when you yourself have done nothing to lay the groundwork for where the miracle will appear. A second time she muttered the words, this time feeling their weight and power resonating a bit more within her.

Then for a third time, she spoke the same words out loud, letting their full power resonate within every fiber of her being.

Whoom.

Flicker.

Cassidy felt a surge of energy erupt from her, as something deeply profound had been awoken deep within her. Something that made her feel both alive and made her realize that there was still hope. As long as Cassidy herself and her mother were both here, there was a chance that her mother could recover.

At this, Cassidy remembered the stories and antics of her great grandmother on the viewing feeds. In particular Cassidy remembered how there was an incurable disease that great grandma Cassie had found a cure for. Not because she stumbled across it, but because she was too stubborn to allow people to die, while she had the ability to save them.

Cassidy read through the entire list of Cassie’s quotes, and while she felt there was profound wisdom in most all of them. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel a resonance, an awakening related to the quote about miracles.

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Maybe it was the fact that she had herself been asking for, if not pleading with higher powers about blessing her family with a miracle to save her mother. Yet, despite all her best efforts and countless prayers, nothing had ever come.

Yet, with this one passage, she felt a connection, a deep personal belief that she could overcome her mother’s cancer, if she just laid the groundwork. Just as Cassie herself had managed to cure the incurable disease, so too could Cassidy, if she but believed in herself.

That above anything was what she believed in. Cassidy was also at that tender age where she was old enough to realize the truth that while magic doesn’t exist, she can still desperately plead and hope that somehow, in some way it did.

Finally tired of reading, her mother’s journal on inspirational quotes, she opted to turn on the BiPrism feeds. In her hopes she wanted to find a subchannel related to either Cassie, or her guild. Fortunately, those feeds had become top streaming sites, and were even available in free use hospitals, as long as one didn’t mind watching or being constantly split screened with commercials dancing around the screen.

Cassidy was so excited, that she lost track of time. Only realizing that her great grandmother, the person she wished to see, to be inspired by was sleeping.

At that point, exhaustion had taken over. Seeing the beautiful elven girl that looked to be roughly Cassidy’s own age, she felt a wave of exhaustion flow from her.

“No, not now. I need you great grandma.” Cassidy said, defeatedly.

Then seeing the state of her great grandmother something within her snapped as all her high from earlier collapsed. Suddenly the waves and surge of energy that she felt so deeply just moments before, now seemed to come due with a heavy dose of exhaustion.

That was how Cassidy found herself somehow talking to the very person she had been desperately trying to reach.

All she remembered was falling asleep in a half delusional stream of late-night prayers and lucid dreaming about Cassie somehow being able to help her.

That was how it all began.

Cassidy awoke, to hear both Grandmother and Mallory shaking Cassie awake. It had almost felt like a dream, one where she had directly interacted with Cassie.

But it couldn’t have happened, as dreams were just adaptations. Yet, somehow there had been a disturbance as Cassie was casting spells within her sleep. Spells that apparently threatened to break apart the very structure of the world they were in.

There was a moment, a deep moment when Cassidy felt a deep resonating spiritual connection with her grandmother. One that was both indescribable and wonderful.

For the first time in months, ever since finding out about her mother’s diagnosis Cassidy felt calm. As if her prayers had been answered. For a moment she knew that Grandma Cassie would somehow reach across the veil and heal her mother. She was certain that she almost felt at a loss when she awoke abruptly as the connection of peace that she had was severed violently.

Great Grandma also seemed to have experienced the same, as she seemed to accept the fact that the connection they had was somehow not allowed. That it was dangerous for everyone within BiPrism.

Yet, despite this, Cassie seemed resolute in her attempt to help. Going so far as to train Jhonny, a person many considered to be yet another charity case of great grandmother’s to learn how to both circulate and sense mana. Going so far as to give him simple tasks to do that could be repeated by anyone.

Even going so far as to call out Cassidy’s name while doing the training.

That was when Cassidy knew that she had asked for a miracle, and now it was up to her to make it so that miracle could fully land.

Hearing everything that Great Grandma said to heart, she recorded the sessions, going so far as to crop out the dancing commercials and musical jingles and focus solely on the lessons being provided.

Those lessons had been close to forty-eight hours ago, and Cassidy was now more resolute than ever that she was going to be the conduit for the miracle that she had been requesting all along for her mother.

Tears.

Cassidy knew that in this time she had to be the conduit for the requested miracle, for her mother truly had no other options at this point.

Fwoom.

Energy pulsed and circulated throughout Cassidy’s body. With each rotation of energy, she felt her ability to sense and control the foreign energy within her body just that much more.

Having mastered the first two skills provided. Cassidy found herself praying desperately that Cassie would somehow know to show her the next steps needed. The power was right there, the miracle that she had been praying for so vehemently was finally within reach. Now, all Cassidy needed was to find a way to use her power to attack the cancerous cells within her mother’s body.

Then it hit her, how stupid she had been. Cassie never asked others how to cure the Blight, she just did. She used her innate control and knowledge of her power to heal bodies from the corrosive effects of the Blight.

Realizing that Cassie had given all the guidance she could, or at least all the guidance that was needed. Cassidy now realized that everything else that was yet to come would be placed squarely upon her shoulders.

With the moment that she was now fully being realized, Cassidy stood up from her lotus position, walked over to her mother’s bed, and held her limp hand within hers.

The doctors had been in earlier, stating that if they had anything left to say to her, that they should do so now.

Holding her mother’s hand, she realized the words she wanted to say to her mother.

“Not yet.” Cassidy whispered, her words barely more than a whisper as she didn’t want to awaken her father who was also passed out on the far end of the room. He had taken an odd half slouched, half collapsed sleep-sitting position in the chair provided by the hospital. Seeing him, and how much he had aged from this whole ordeal as well, Cassidy realized that she had no more time to wait.

Then as if reaffirming to herself what steps she should next take, she repeated her words again, this time a little louder.

“Not yet. You can’t leave me yet, I still need you.” Cassidy said, then with a lone tear of resolve pouring down her face, Cassidy went to work.