“Mathitev, have you seen my Exa? I haven’t seen him since last night.”

“Your Match has disappeared again has he? Why don’t you call him?” Mathitev asked obviously.

“He doesn’t come when I call him. Never has. He’s been so restless. The gaps between awakenings are getting smaller, and with every one, he becomes more and more unruly. I worry about him,” Madam said, trying on a small frown for effect.

“Why are you worried? He’s already dead,” Mathitev offered sardonically.

“Not his soul dear - and that’s what really counts.”

At that moment, Flim Distill’s body, which now carried the reawakened soul of Dr Alpha, entered the room with a huff. Dr Alpha’s new body was now groomed and tidy, his broken arm already healed. He had removed Flim’s childish clothes, replacing them with the white cloak of the Creator of the light. The same raiment he wore the last time around, during the last emergency when Omega and Themiatos and The She reared their tiresome heads, insisting that he make-good on old promises.

“Omega has arrived. I can smell him,” Alpha protested, pinching his nostrils.

“On Earth?” The Madam asked.

“Yes…Of course Earth. Where else?” He retorted. “Stop focusing on the damn cloud Prostasia - our enemies are all near if you can be bothered to shake the dust out of your ear-holes. The Great Ship Tefra is literally in Orbit.”

“Darling Alpha, you haven’t changed a bit. Not even the fresh flesh of a chubby little child has dulled your barbed tongue,” she half-joked.

“Bah. You impertinent woman. If you weren’t the only help available to me, I’d have had you disposed of years ago!”

He took a short breath and resumed his conversation.

“Do you know the plan?”

“I’ve had as much practise at this as you have Alpha darling. I know very well what is required of me you silly sausage.”

“Well you couldn’t find the Librarian, so I’m not sure you understand much of anything, or begin to sense the urgency of the matter. So humour me, and explain the plan.”

“Anything for you handsome. I am to head-off The She at the horizon’s edge, distract the Four from their purpose and give you time to convince the boy to extend the clock one more time.”

“Correct.”

“And what will you do Dr.?”

“I’m going to show Papa what the light really looks like.”

“And are we going to continue to ignore the fact that the time between turns is shrinking faster and faster? I barely got a nap in those twenty short years since the last emergency.”

“It’s irrelevant. If you wish to continue to persist forever then you’ll do what I say.”

“Bossy boots,” she said finally, turning on her heels and making for the door.

“Mathiteeeeeeevvv!” She sang, “ready the Great Ship Archius for flight.”

Mathitev ran ahead of her mistress and made the few remaining and final preparations to launch the Archius.

The Archius was not exactly a ship. It was not a physical object (most of the time) but more as a force, and a wave, and a vibration in the overlapping sheets of space-time that make up matter. To the few who could perceive her, the Archius looked exactly what you would expect a magnificent space-craft to look like…Magnificent.

“Archius my darling,” the Madam said, her increasingly slender form sliding into the console.

She took the controls of the ship, typed in the coordinates to the centre of the known universe on the command prompt and leaned back as the ship did the rest.

“Archius - My beautiful baby-girl, take me to The She. The nasty lady has crawled back out of her paltry prison, and we have to deal with her again.”

The ship vibrated, and as it did it rose into the sky. As it rose, it grew and grew and began to shine brightly with the brilliance of a diamond caught against the rising sun. The ship shot out of the atmosphere, and into the cool darkness of space, towards The Her, The She, the great destroyer of Universes, the devourer of time and matter.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

…

“Fero!” Ms Togami screamed, as she swung her arm around in a low arc with her fingers outstretched.

Ms Togami had found a vacant shop not far from Madam Prostasia’s home. She knew that Mathitev would be sent to hunt her down, so she had to act quickly. The vacant shop would not do for a hiding place - it was a store front, with wide glass windows facing onto the street. So she had cast the transformation spell so that to all who passed, they wouldn’t see an abandoned store, but a book store, with a convenient “Back in 1 hour” sign hanging on its door.

“This is kidnapping Librarian,” Exa protested.

“You can’t catch what isn’t thrown Exa. You will help me find Mul, or I’ll finish what Omega started.”

“Gasp. You wouldn’t dare. It’s not in your nature.”

“I know you want to help me you scoundrel. I heard you in my head last night, and I didn’t want to listen then. But I’m listening now.”

“You’re imagining things and your imagination is running away from you.”

“You’ve softened Exa. I heard you whisper to me as I walked into your master’s room.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Then I’ll extinguish you,” she said brandishing her tarnished spoon at the shadow.

“It’s what I want anyway. End it,” Exa offered.

“Ha! I knew it. Then you sense it too? The balance shifting.”

“No I sense nothing of the sort - but you were right Nou-Nou. This is one iteration too many. We have to let the page turn this time on this last chapter.”

“Every end a beginning. Just like in the prophecy,” Ms Togami said.

“Trite, sentimental, nonsense. And you’ll remember it also says, every beginning and end. ”

“We have to get to him before Papa does Exa or it just starts again. Where are they?”

“Papa has them in his sights.”

“You’re waisting time then.”

At this Exa’s sighed, his shadow-body dancing in the false glow of a fake bookstore.

“He’s gone to find his family at the Grove of Kings. He’s with the two-type.”

“How did Papa find him?”

“You remember the last boy you failed don’t you Librarian?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” She asked.

“He remembers you.”

“That’s cruel even for you Exa.”

“You seem to collect bodies around you. Don’t you?”

She didn’t respond, only turned away from him.

“Apeche is helping him. He’s standing in as a Match for Papa himself. The Four are ready this time. They are leaving nothing to chance. And The She. She can smell the turning of the page.”

At this, she stood up and smoothed her dress. She knew she had to find Mul and convince him to do what no other child in the history of endings has ever done.

“Are you leaving?”

“And you’re coming with me. Not because I tell you to. But because you want to be there when it’s over.”

“For once I think I agree.”

Exa’s shadowy body appeared to look up, into a sky that wasn’t there.

“Prostasia and Alpha are fulfilling their roles. Following the prophecy word for word. Which means she will soon leave to confront The She. And Alpha, he’ll come for the boy.”

“So you’re saying we have a little time.”

Exa chuckled a deep, scratchy laugh. He was tired, and old, and deprived of the peace of death. He swallowed hard, and turned to her, in the way that shadows do.

“My dear Librarian. You aren’t going to make it to the end. But I’ll protect you insofar as I can and for as long as I can. I think you finally see the bigger picture.”

Ms Togami lowered her shoulder to the floor, and Exa jumped on. She could feel the distant hint of his sharp, clawed legs, latching to her as she straightened.

“There’s only one way to get to the Grove in time and that way may already be closed.”

“The Earth is under attack, the Council of Queen would have closed that Perasma the second it happened.”

“Maybe - but it’s nearby and there’s no harm in finding out.”

She walked to the open window, that looked out onto the highstreet of the Great city of Fig. It was morning, and the streets were beginning to fill with those courageous enough to brave yet another attack on the fabric of existence. The Harbinger had not yet reached this place.

“So I guess we’re going to the Library.”

“I guess so - though you sound strangely reluctant.”

“Just scared.”

“You worried other Librarians will make fun of you for being basic?”

Ms Togami chuckled. Some of the tension in her soul dissipated and she felt at that moment that she had not laughed for a hundred years. She was always holding her breath for the next disaster.

“I know a quick way,” Exa said, his shadow blending with hers, fuzzy at the edges.

She pushed the door open, her eyes peeled for Mathitev, who would not think twice about extinguishing her on sight. The dim, early-morning light, obscured and coloured by thin grey clouds was still enough to make her squint.

“Then let’s go.”

“Stop dilly-dallying Librarian, or I’ll find someone else to spend my morning with. Believe it or not, you weren’t my first choice for company.”

At this she pushed off in the direction of the City Library, in hopes of finding the Perasma to the Grove Kings, and to Mul and Milk and a destiny she had not written for herself, and which, she hoped, was not already pre-determined to fail.