And they were running running running and they would get there right on time.

Or Lyre was running anyway and Spike was supposed to as well but he didn’t right away. Usually stuff like that happened where he didn’t do things right away which was fine because Lyre didn’t do things right away either unless she thought about it sometime behind. But also it was weird and got in the way and she just wanted to know.

She knew though that she could check what he was doing just by paying attention to him because it was a worry she had and her plan told her most of the time that would work. When she looked at him he was just starting to run but he wasn’t next to her yet but that was fine because it was within the margin of error so off they went.

Her plan didn’t actually tell her to go straight West. Well it did but that was far away and right now for the right now part of it they weren’t going that way at all, they were going south quite a bit because it was faster. They would get wherever they were going and it would be fast and also it got some things out of the way; there would be no shelter that night that Lyre had to find and Spike had the one food one water for her so it was easy.

It was really easy actually and Lyre didn’t even think about it before but there were things Spike was making easy that she couldn’t even consider. He just knew how to get the one food one water to go farther through days and it freed so much time for stuff and thinking and plans it almost made up for everything else too.

One of those everything elses was what just happened actually in the hole. Spike was weird because people were weird but he was more weird then in a way people weren’t supposed to be weird. And Lyre knew being weird was usually bad so it made her wonder if things were bad but her plan said it was okay for now. She couldn’t see past then but she wondered if maybe somewhere it would be bad and she wouldn’t even see it at all.

But that was whenever and she was here and nothing told her anything about it so it was fine. It was fine because there was nothing wrong. If there was nothing wrong then nothing had to be done.

So right now was running to the end of the plan and it wasn’t close at all yet, well maybe sort of but not for distance because they would run fast to get there. And it wasn’t close but there it was.

Lots and lots and lots of dust it was hard to see that far, far distance not far far, it was hard to see because of the dust but Lyre knew it was there of course because of the plan. And as they were running Spike was talking.

“Is that dust cloud where we’re going?”

Lyre needed to think to respond of course but lots and lots of time to think of exactly what to say. So running towards it and Spike kept going so probably it wasn’t super important anyway but she would ask anyway just in case. And then she was almost there with the answer and they were closer (distance and actually) and it was a bit easier to see and it was there.

Very big and fast but so big it didn’t look fast and throwing all the dust in the air. And they had to get there right when it was there exactly.

“Yes.”

“What do we need from this thing?”

Spike’s sentence almost was something Lyre knew instantly but not quite and she was so close to just knowing but she’d have to check the whole thing. So more time and more running and then talk.

Running running running and they were almost to the next part and then she had her answer right before it happened. “It’s the end of our plan. It will take us closer to the end of our whole plan.”

Spike wasn’t done, he had more to say. “It’s going too fast to jump on. How are we supposed to get on it?”

“It’s not going too fast. We are going to jump.” She had to make sure he knew and she didn’t know why he was saying things if they weren’t true.

“Well then, you’ll go first.”

That wasn’t important so that was the end of that and just in time for the next part and it was the ground which was different now. And Lyre would be okay because her plan made sure and it was very thorough as usual but Spike was invisible and she didn’t know.

The shoes were thick and the hot didn’t reach through, the ground was smooth but the shoes were grippy so she kept going. It had slants and grooves and stuff and the plan told her to be careful but she knew where to go. But then there was Spike who didn’t have a plan.

She didn’t know how fast he would be but she needed him to be there right on time which might be hard. She just had to know.

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

In the background she was making another plan just in case of course something happened weird and Spike didn’t do it right.

And then she checked and he didn’t because he was on his hands and knees and not moving forwards anymore. And it was before her plan was done so she didn’t even know what to do about it except keep with her old one so she kept going and he stayed there and it was scary. It was scary but it was the best guess she had, it was the only plan she had.

But it wasn’t for long and he still wasn’t close to her but not far either so he was moving forward okay now so it might be okay. She kept the plan still going just in case but maybe it would be okay.

Then some hot steam came from the ground and even though her plan knew what to do it didn’t know it would happen right there right now so she couldn’t do a whole lot. And she listened and jumped out of the way but it was too late and it got her a bit and then she was on the ground too and her skin was hot and red.

Right when she got back up Spike was actually next to her because he didn’t get got at all, well maybe just the tiniest bit where the very very tip of his elbow was a tiny tiny tiny bit raw but basically not and he didn’t really slow down so he was next to her. In some ways it was closer to the plan since he was there but also farther because they were supposed to be a little closer but it was fine and her plan was actually ready.

It was okay it said but maybe go just a bit faster so that’s what Lyre did. And Spike couldn’t really quite do that so she turned the arm around and switched it on and the magnet was aiming for just his magnet arm but not any of his real body or anything and she pulled him after her. And then it locked on and he stumbled and fell and yanked Lyre back but it only took a little for her to pull them back up and she was tugging him along just a little faster than he could run.

Running running running and here they were here. And it was super big so impossibly huge towering way above into the sky which Lyre knew because her plan mentioned but she wasn’t looking at that right now. And what she was looking at was the smooth outside gliding on the ground kicking up tons of dust right in her eyes but she kept looking, not really she couldn’t see but she was facing that way and her plan told her where to go. Pulling Spike where he didn’t know he was supposed to go too.

And he wouldn’t know so she had to say it so they were right there and she said “Jump and turn on the arm!”

And then two things happened because he jumped just like the plan and then he didn’t listen at all.

He jumped and Lyre jumped and she turned on the arm and stuck to the side and he didn’t turn on the arm and there he was on the ground going far far far away so fast.

And then she just knew her plan wasn’t going to work because how was he that far away already and what could she even do? And she would come up with a new plan but there just wasn’t time for that so what was left?

She had to think and really really think even though she didn’t know how. Even though she couldn’t and she didn’t even know if she used to behind her either.

Thing she knew one: Spike had to be there because all of them had to be at the end of the plan. If he wasn’t here then she would have to find him again and that would make everything super far away and it was bad.

Thing she knew two: Lyre had to be there with Spike because she checked before and all the plans she ever had didn’t like when she wasn’t there. And he wouldn’t be there at the end of the plan and even though it was super vague so Lyre didn’t really know it didn’t even look like there was maybe an end or not one worth considering so that was that.

Thing she knew three: There was a margin of error and Lyre knew how big it was but not in what directions which she wished she knew but it would take the whole margin maybe to figure that out and maybe it wasn’t worth it. So she had to do everything without a perfect plan but maybe she had a little bit of time for the plan to not be perfect.

Thing she knew four: Even if Spike was invisible and even if he was supposed to do his own plan and even though Lyre didn’t really know what was going on she could still put him in her plan. And her plan was getting to the end which was right there while he was there.

Then the best thing she could come up with was if Spike had to be there with Lyre and they had to get to the end of the plan and she didn’t know how much time she had to do it, then she would do the plan and take Spike.

And then she couldn’t figure out the rest but it was okay because asking how to get to Spike and how to take him with her part of the plan was way faster than just asking for a new plan so she could use that time and then she was ready. The first thing to do was turn the magnet off and she fell onto the ground and ran ran ran back to where Spike was as fast as she could.

And it took a while of running and lots of dust it was hard to breathe which she knew was danger but the plan wouldn’t be much more and there wouldn’t be dust so it would be fine. Running running and finally Spike was there on the ground he didn’t have the arm on or anything so Lyre picked up the arm and pointed it at the side of the thing and she turned them both on at the same time and they were attached.

Then climbing up up up with the grippy gloves and shoes which the plan said would take longer since Lyre had to do everything for Spike but it also said the margin didn’t matter now so she had the time it was fine. Hold onto the side of the thing as tight as she could and turn off the magnet move it up turn it on then Spike’s turn. Hold onto him tight let the arm support both of them turn off his arm move it up turn on he gets pulled up a bit and sticks there then she inches up and she kept doing this over and over until it was done.

Over and over and over and over for so long the dust isn’t as thick anymore and the danger isn’t there. All the way up to the top and then no more wall, it was clear, and the ground was so far away with the wind in her hair and she rested Spike down and sat on the back of the thing herself.

And it was like that for a while with the wind and dust and that blue blue sky and Lyre thinking about things. And making her plans but she finished with those and it was just the thinking left and she didn’t know why she was doing it but she was looking up at the sky the whole time. There wasn’t a reason to look at it but that’s what she did.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I… passed out. I should be fine now.”

Luckily with all that thinking and planning Lyre actually already knew what he meant before he said it and she knew he was saying it because he felt sorry about things and she knew exactly what to say too. “It’s okay. I’m glad you’re okay for now.”

“How bad are your burns? Do they need attention immediately?”

She had already checked that too so she knew the answer and she would share that too, that was what to do. “I’m okay for now, but since we have time, now would be a good time to address them.”

And then Spike was getting things from his backpack and he was looking for something but it wasn’t important that he got it or anything so Lyre just waited until he got some water and poured it on her and then the burns were okay for now.

“...” Spike was about to say something but he didn’t and then he went and said something else just like the plan said. “You’re responding to me a lot faster than usual. Why is that?”

“There was a lot of time so I was planning and then I knew what to say.”

And then he wouldn’t say much for a while so it was back to nothing. Then he got the phone and he didn’t do anything about that and Lyre already knew there was nothing so she didn’t do that.

And there was nothing to do and looking at the sky was something to do, not something she had to do, but she kept doing it anyway and she couldn't think of a single reason.