Aryna leaned on the counter while Allison started cleaning up her supper and breakfast dishes from the last two days. Allison didn’t look at Aryna when she spoke.
“You cheated. I felt it.”
Aryna folded her hands.
“It’s not cheating for Qual’sa, it’s how we help children meditate. She has so many mental scars I wanted to make sure she had a good sleep. How do such monsters exist in this universe?”
Allison shrugged.
“I don’t know, but all I want to do is keep her safe. Mom won’t let her stay. We’re all too busy, she needs people who will be there for her. Real, loving parents. Not two sisters who will spoil her rotten and a mom who is busy at work and a dad who is three galaxies away. Besides, if she stays here, she’ll have to wear sun block for the rest of her life.”
Aryna kicked her leg up.
“She needs you. That child is in awe of you. She never imagined a place where she would see a girl like you. Now she is starting to see a place where she can be like you. Just being with her for the last two days you have had a profound effect on her.”
Allison looked over her shoulder.
“Yesh, teach you Alliance Basic and now I need a dictionary or thesaurus or whatever. Try using more big words, why don’t you. Profound!”
Aryna shook her head.
“My sister, you always do that. When something becomes uncomfortable, you dodge and evade the subject with humor, or anger. I am trying to tell you something important. Something you don’t see about yourself. It is a quality I wish I possessed. It is a quality my mother and every queen before her possessed and that is the ability to lead by example. I don’t know if I will ever have it but you do. Many people, including me, think they’ll do certain things if faced with a situation. They imagine themselves as their best selves. You make that version of you a reality. That is what Robin sees, and now she believes she can be anything and anyone she wants.”
Allison rolled her eyes as she scrubbed the wok out.
“Pfft, whatever. I just wish she wouldn’t have jumped from whatever crazy half-brained nutcase version of Christianity her cult was following to the Dark Mother of all religions.”
Aryna smiled.
“Oh, my sister, you have done something wonderful, and you see it as a failure. When my mother was teaching me about people, and how to nudge them in the direction you need, she taught me that each sentient being has within them a set of core beliefs, morals and values. They are most definitely not always good, but they aren’t always bad either. These core beliefs, ect, change over time. They shift one way and another. Cults as you call them manipulate their people into shifting their cores towards what they want them to believe. It is the same for people who are paranoid or see conspiracies. Attacking their beliefs head on is a near pointless exercise. You might succeed in very rare occasions. The trick is to use the same techniques cults use. Shift their core subtly, let them find the errors in their logic themselves. The problem is often times people like that have nothing to cling to and they’re pulled away from any stray gust of wind. So you nudge them into something more stable, and logical. While neither of us agree with religions as most practice them, it doesn’t mean they are wrong. What you’ve done is put her on a better track. When she is older, like us, she will form her own opinion, but by helping her out of the abusive cult mentality she had, you have given her that chance.”
Allison listened to Aryna patiently. She didn’t have the heart to tell her she’d already figured all that out from her intelligence training. Aryna didn’t take long to catch on, she was powerful telepath after all.
“Well, now I feel like my own court jester.”
Allison shrugged.
“It sounded really good though. Nice speech. I like how you said to manipulate people, without actually saying to manipulate people. Very political of you.”
Aryna made a face and then laughed. Allison smiled. She loved Aryna’s laugh.
“My sister, when we are apart, I miss you with all my heart, but when we are together, sometimes you drive me to madness.”
Allison finished filling up the dishwasher and washed her hands.
“Well, I guess that means we really are sisters, based on everything I have heard that sounds like siblings.”
Aryna shook her head.
“I cannot believe you put your armor on and pretended to clear her room. Who are you and where is my sister? And that story. You had me trying to read your mind for what happens next. It is truly sad you never had a chance to have a little sister or brother until now, you are amazing with children.”
Allison rushed around and started tickling Aryna’s sides.
“Curse your tongue, take that back, I hate kids!”
Aryna giggled and the pair fell over the couch and onto the floor with a muffled thud. Oozie came out of the guest room and glared at them both before going back in. Allison covered her mouth and started laughing. Aryna was doing the same. Allison hit the floor softly.
“I think we’re in trouble.”
Aryna giggled and they lay there on their backs legs up on the couch looking into each other’s eyes. The fire crackled behind them. Allison’s hands fell on her abdomen and she caught her breath.
“This feels nice, can we just sleep here?”
Aryna pulled herself up.
“It is not very ladylike.”
Allison groaned and sat up.
“I suppose I should take the armor off. It does get awful ripe.”
Aryna put her hand on her mouth to stifle another giggle when Oozie came out again and glared at them. Aryna whispered.
“So that is what the smell is coming from your room.”
Allison put her hands on her mouth as a thought almost caused her to burst out into laughter. She whispered.
“No, Oozie just goes in there to fart after she has chicken giblets.”
Aryna gasped.
“Oh, now you’re in trouble she heard that.”
Allison pointed at Aryna when Oozie came out of the guest room and sat down. She was staring daggers at Allison. Aryna snickered.
“I don’t think she believes you. Night.”
Aryna scrambled up and into her room. Allison shook her fist.
“Coward.”
Allison sighed and looked at Oozie.
“It was a joke.”
Oozie did not look amused. Allison groaned and pulled herself up. She walked into the kitchen and pulled down Oozie’s favorite treats. She threw two of them at the nargle who gulped them down before rubbing against Allison and purring.
“Oh, my god, you are the most manipulative little conniving furball.”
Allison got down on her knees and proceeded to wrestle Oozie to the ground and give her a bunch of kisses on the head and nose. Oozie purred loudly and brushed her cheeks against Allison’s nose. Allison sputtered and rubbed white fur off her face and fought back a sneeze as the fur tickled her nose. She threw up her hands.
“How can one nargle shed this much!?!”
Allison stood up and pointed to Robin’s room.
“Off you go, you had your fun, you tortured me and got your treats, now go back to guard duty. She needs you more than I do right now.”
Oozie rubbed against Allison and trotted off to join Robin. Allison yawned and decided bed sounded really good right then.
*****
It took the remainder of the week for the refugees to be resettled or be given homes in Eden Prime, now, almost officially New Alexandria, they decided to hold off until warm weather in late spring to make it official, with a giant party. A giant party shortly after a colony attack that cost the lives of thirty-six hundred and seven people seemed to be in bad taste. New Alexandria had taken in most of the orphans, rather the League Embassy had taken them in and offered to take more. A planetary radiation shield meant for another colony in the Milky Way had been rushed to New Alexandria and put in place in record time. Deployment was quick, it was the construction that took time because of the amount of energy required to power a planet sized shield. With that in place, and as long as it was functional, sun block on people of paler complexion was a thing of the past. The solar radiation was still deadly to normal vampires, day or night.
Monday was the first day back to school, a week late, and that meant an extra week was added in June to make up for it, the children were not happy, neither were the teachers. The fall mid-term grades came out on the Friday before, which made for a very bad weekend on Allison’s part. That morning found Apiyo with her three daughters sitting at the kitchen table eating a hearty breakfast of Hasop eggs and Aqua-ham bacon. Hasops being a flightless bird native to a colony in the Milky Way, and Aqua-ham being a strange aquatic creature from the same colony that tasted almost exactly like pork of different cuts. Apiyo sipped her coffee and nudged more bacon towards Robin who ate it quietly. Apiyo looked at Allison.
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“Allison, you need to drop Robin off at school at 0800 on the nose. She gets off at 1530 and you need to go there right after school before you go to cheerleading practice.”
Allison rolled her eyes.
“I know mom. Yesh.”
Apiyo looked at Allison.
“Well apparently your memory doesn’t extend to assignments, does it?”
Apiyo looked at Robin.
“Robin you be ready right after school or Allison will be late for her practice. You are to sit in the stands at the high school quietly and do whatever extra work your teacher has assigned you, you have a lot of catching up to do. Wanjala children get A’s, isn’t that right Allison?”
Allison shot her mother a dirty look. She looked at all three.
“I do not want a call from the school today. If I do only the Lord Almighty himself will save you from my wrath.”
Allison groaned.
“Come on mom, you’re layering it on just a little bit thick there aren’t you?”
Apiyo shot Allison a look.
“Allison Wanjala, watch your tone. I’ve been very lax this year. That changed the moment I received your midterm grades. C’s! My child got a C! It’s that training, you’re doing too much. I have half a mind to call your Aunt Maria up and complain. Aryna received an A in the history of humanity, she isn’t even human! What is your excuse, Allison?”
Allison just sunk into her seat and picked at the remnants of her food. She’d been dealing with this the whole weekend, well almost the whole weekend her mother had slept in on Saturday. She expected it to let up, but Apiyo had doubled down, no, tripled down. Her mother, who was still barely on speaking terms with her father had reached out to him to yell at Allison, she’d also reached out to her babu, and Eyre. That had been the worst of the three calls. Her babu and dad had just told her she can do better. Eyre didn’t yell, she just looked disappointed. The worst part wasn’t even that she was upset about Allison’s low marks, just that Allison hadn’t felt comfortable reaching out for help with human history. Her mother was still going on about how terrible this all looked on the family. How she was sure Allison would be taken away because of her poor parenting. Her mother was so upset she had slipped into Swahili halfway through her monologue.
“And think of the example you’re setting for Robin. She’s just starting school and what are you saying to her with your effort in school? You don’t need to excel; You can just do good enough to slide by.”
Allison stood up abruptly when she saw it was quarter to eight.
“Well, the roads might be bad. We should get going. See you tonight mom. Love you.”
She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek. Oozie followed everyone into the garage and waited by the pickup patiently. Robin was tugging on the collar of her uniform. Allison felt for the poor kid. She hated the uniforms at first too. Her attention was on Oozie at the moment though.
“No way. You’re staying here. Go get mom to put your shows on.”
Oozie stubbornly sat there Allison frowned.
“Silly nargle, when was the last time you were allowed at the school? I’ll tell you when, when you bit Ajay after I specifically told you not to. I hate him too, but you bit him! Go back inside.”
She pointed at the inner door to the house. Oozie refused. Allison sighed.
“Well, you’ll be stuck in the office then you… you know what I’m thinking.”
Oozie started wagging her tail. Aryna and Robin were trying not to laugh at the exchange. Allison opened the door and lowered the seat down. Oozie hopped in, followed by Aryna. Oozie tried to crawl onto Aryna’s lap and she was definitely not eager to be covered in white fur so an unseen force pushed the nargle away gently. Oozie pouted. Allison helped Robin in and they left for Robin’s school. Allison hopped out when they arrived at Robin’s school. Not only did the eight-year-old look uncomfortable, she also looked nervous. Allison had to stop halfway through closing the passenger door when Oozie lept into the front seat and down into the snow. Allison frowned at her.
“Oh no you don’t. The last thing I need with mom on the warpath about my grades is you causing a disturbance here.”
Allison pointed at the truck. Oozie stubbornly refused to go back in. Allison growled. Oozie growled back. Allison huffed and decided she was too damn cold to continue with the battle of wills, slammed the door shut and motioned with both her arms for the group to move out. Robin huddled close to Allison as they walked through the doors. Allison looked up at the giant statue of the Dark Mother, her mother, that dominated the three-floor foyer. It was a bit much. She’d been terrified of it. On the base of the statue there was a Latin sentence: Speret cor tuum, quia tecum est. She knew the words by heart because it was the school motto. Robin looked up at the bronze statue then to the words at the base.
“What does it say?”
Allison smiled.
“You mean you can’t read that yet?”
Robin blushed. Allison hugged Robin.
“I’m sorry, I should tease you, it isn’t in basic. It is in Latin, and it is the school motto, in basic it means: Let hope fill your heart, for she is here with you.”
Robin traced the letters with her finger.
“Like the monster told the prophet after he saved her.”
Allison nodded.
“Exactly like that.”
Robin looked up again.
“Do you miss her?”
Allison quirked her head to the side.
“Miss who?”
“Your mother?”
Allison sighed and crouched so Robin was taller than her.
“I never knew her, Robin. I have a mom, it’s Apiyo.”
Robin looked like she was on the verge of tears and a full-on panic attack. Allison put her hands around Robin’s. The physical contact seemed to calm her.
“Shh, what is going through your head right now? Just between you me and the Dark Mother here.”
Robin’s bottom lip was quivering.
“She is so mad at you, aren’t you afraid she’s going to send you away?”
Allison shook her head.
“No. She is my mom. She’d die before she let someone take me away. Once the legal stuff is all signed, she will be your mom too. She gets mad sometimes, but she always calms down and no matter how mad she gets, she will always be there for us. She wants children more than anything else in this world. The Dark Mother, the mother of everyone, chose her to raise me. I can’t think of a better mom for me. I know you miss your mom. That is natural, and Apiyo will never replace her, never. She will always be in your heart. I will tell you a secret, you can’t share it with anyone.”
Robin’s bottom lip was still quivering but she nodded.
“I found the stone with the picture that Seraph told the Sauroids about. I opened the door. When I did, the Dark Mother pulled me back in time to the very beginning, before everything, she hugged me, and she told me she loved me more than anything. I could feel it. When she hugged me, it felt like the entire universe loved me all at once. She told me that I had three mothers. Her, the woman she asked to carry me in her womb, and Apiyo. She told me that it was her greatest sorrow she could not be my mother, that it was her greatest joy that Apiyo gave me so much love. So maybe, with your mother it is the same. She is out there, with the Dark Mother, watching over you wanting nothing but for you to be loved and cherished by another mother. A mother who will never replace her, but a mother who will love you like you were her own flesh and blood. Apiyo can be that mom, if you let her.”
Robin hugged Allison tightly. Allison patted her back. They were interrupted by someone clearing their throat. Allison flinched; She recognized that throat clearing. Sister Bernice had been her arch-nemesis at the school, admittedly Allison had been one of her most misbehaved students. Allison stood up. Robin clutched onto her hand and Oozie stepped between the sister and the girls.
“Just when I thought I was rid of you for good, here you are, with a furry white monstrosity no less.”
Her eyes softened when she looked at Robin.
“And this is one of our new students.”
Sister Bernice’s thick black, functional and very conservative heels clomped down the stairs. Like all Sisters of the Dark Mother she wore a conservative, very plain neutral grey-navy blue dress. She folded her hands behind her back.
“What is your name?”
Robin had a death grip on Allison’s hand when she answered.
“Robin Holi… Robin Wanjala, Sister.”
Sister Bernice smiled warmly.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Robin Wanjala. I am Sister Bernice. I am the vice principal of the school. I also teach music. I hope for everyone’s ear’s sake you are less tone-deaf then your new sister.”
Allison tried not to make a face. There was indeed a reason why she left music to the second semester of grade ten and planned on never taking it again after she barely passed the course.
“So, Allison, why is the creature here?”
Allison sighed.
“Sister Bernice, she has a mind of her own. It’s how nargles are. Apparently, she’s worried about Robin. Or Robin’s worried about her, I don’t know. Either way, trying to stop her from coming in here is asking for a fight. She’s great around kids, all of the kids from the Embassy orphanage know her. She doesn’t bite and she… she’s just a good nargle who is too smart for her own good and I think she needs Robin today. Oozie understands basic and is well, as smart as your average person, maybe smarter. Just tell her what you want her to do and provided it suits her mood she’ll do it.”
Robin rubbed Oozie’s head. Sister Bernice looked Oozie up and down.
“Well, if Robin is her emotional support human, I do not want to separate them. Dark Mother forgive me, you may stay, Oozie, but you are on probation. Any loud noise, biting, rough playing, stealing food or disruptions of the orderly operation of this school I will call Allison’s mother.”
Oozie sat right down at that threat. Even she knew not to mess with Apiyo. Allison smiled.
“I think she understands, Sister Bernice, thank you.”
Sister Bernice pointed up the stairs to a wall with a bunch of windows.
“Robin, that is the office, please go wait there. I will get you sorted out. Oozie, I expect you to keep your emotional support human on a tight leash. No running about and screaming.”
Robin ran up the stairs after Oozie and they walked into an open door. Sister Bernice looked at Allison and her expression was very serious.
“When I had you as a student, I believed you would be the first one of my children to end up in prison. You were brash, a bully, and very difficult to work with. You didn’t get along with anyone. You were selfish.”
Her face softened and her hand went to her chest.
“What a difference two years makes. We are all very proud of you Allison. I am very proud of you. I heard what you said to Robin. She is lucky to have you in her life. Thank you for leaving Oozie with us. I am sure she will calm Robin’s nerves and many of the other new students. She is welcome here anytime, provided she follows the rules.”
Allison blushed. She wasn’t sure what to say. She had struggled for eight years to earn Sister Bernice’s approval, now she had and she was speechless.
“You won’t really call my mom on Oozie will you?”
Sister Bernice shook her head.
“No, no one wants that. I will call you if Robin or Oozie have any issues. You’re listed as the backup emergency contact. While your father is away.”
Allison nodded.
“Thank you, Sister. I need to go to school, I don’t want to be late for Sister Silra’s class. She’s a stickler for punctuality.”
Sister Bernice nodded.
“Yes, she is, before you go, could I ask you a favor?”
Allison perked up.
“I guess, I’m not sure what I could do for you, sister.”
Sister Bernice smiled.
“It is not for me. We have a weekly presentation, Women who Changed the Universe. We would love to have you present for one of them, maybe in the spring, when you can bring your starfighter. We can do it in the field. It would mean a lot to the students. I wasn’t going to ask but I guess, it was your sister, Eyre Aurelius, suggested you in her stead. That the children would be able to relate to you better because you are not an ancient vampire.”
Allison found herself blushing all over again.
“Oh, I didn’t change anything, Auntie Eyre, she’s seen so much. She helped build the domes. I’m just me.”
Sister Bernice motioned to the statue behind her.
“Let your heart fill with hope, for she is with you. Do you know why we picked that motto?”
Allison shook her head. Sister Bernice continued.
“It was chosen because the high priestess thinks hope is the greatest gift the Dark Mother gives us. In the darkest of times, she shines the brightest, giving us hope. You are part of that gift, Allison. You are a beacon in this new darkness the Sal’nash is casting across our colony worlds.”
Allison sighed, and she thought, so it begins.
“I’ll be happy to do a presentation and bring Bit, Sister.”