Alone together: Alone together

How… embarrassing.

Arael hadn’t even hit the age of majority yet, and she’d already landed herself in a single-person maximum security cell.

 

So much for breaking the cycle.

 

The night prior… was mostly a vast blur. Arael acted out in an undignified and cruel manner, that stinging memory was certainly still there – but after that other girl managed to calm her down… it was all just blurry flashes of being restrained and escorted from place to place. She was still able to remember though… despite that other girl’s protests, her needless empathy… the forces who apprehended her weren’t as kind.

 

What a cruel and unforgiving reality.

 

Arael wasn’t super aware of how much time had passed as she was mulling over in thought – the room she was confined in was filled with the same, unnatural light all the while.

She was aware she could easily bust her way out, either through wormhole or brute force, but… that’d just cause more problems than she already had.

 

If anything, Arael was plagued with the thought of what her parents were going to think. Of if they’d even care. She’d been going about her recent episode of megalomania under their noses thanks to the vast freedoms they provided her, and she went and wasted it all.

 

Arael just sighed.

It was a bit too much to think about.

 

Suddenly, over the intercom speaker in the corner of Arael’s cell – a sterile-sounding voice.

 

“Visitor arrival imminent to cell 44, cell block B.”

 

Oh, goodie. The last thing Arael needed while she was drowning in her own thoughts was for a visitor to push her deeper.

Though… that did beg the question to Arael. There’s no way any of her parents could make their way into a maximum security facility without ending up behind bars, too.

Who was the visitor?

 

Arael waited for a moment, before her visitor came into view, being escorted by some prison guards.

Oh, it was Daichi. She was wearing a rather official looking uniform for the Craterlands space program as well, which seemed quite uncharacteristic of her.

 

“Craterlands authority has received permission from the Station’s government to collect you. You’ll be coming with me.” she said, her voice tinged with a manner of cold sternness that was almost scary to hear from her in particular.

 

“Seriously? Are you for real?” Arael scoffed – the thought of getting bailed out so quickly was almost more embarrassing than getting locked up in the first place… like it was all a joke.

 

“Don’t make this more difficult than this needs to be.” Daichi replied.

 

Arael rolled her eyes, and silently followed along. She was handcuffed and escorted through the prison’s corridors alongside Daichi, before ultimately making it outside to a transportation area.

It was raining.

 

“Thank you. I’ll take it from here.” Daichi said to the prison guards, her tone still rigid and formal.

 

She motioned for Arael to follow her onto an above-surface cruiser ship, and maintained her stern posture until the ship’s door fully closed behind them… which she immediately followed with a roll of her shoulders and a deep groan.

Taking a moment to rub her temples, Daichi grabbed a device from out of her uniform’s pocket.

 

“Arael, give me your wrists.”

Her voice sounded a lot more… normal now, with the tone of familiar softness Arael was used to having returned. But she still sounded… frustrated.

 

Arael nodded, and raised her handcuffed wrists up – to which Daichi responded by lining up the machine to them, and pressing a button on it. The machine fired some kind of electrical charge between the handcuffs, unlocking them.

 

Arael was a bit shocked, but ultimately shook off her freed hands now that she could.

 

“You would not BELIEVE how many strings I had to pull to get to you so fast, jeez.” Daichi sighed.

“I called. And then I had to get Dina to try and back me up. And THEN I had to get HER to call that Tonantzintla character who the station’s higher ups actually LISTENED to…”

 

Arael… felt bad. From Daichi’s tone, she could tell she was sort of… trying to make light of it. But the thought of causing so much difficulty after everything she’d already caused… it didn’t sit right.

 

Still, Daichi put a reassuring hand on Arael’s shoulder – though had an expression of concern on her face.

“What did… you even DO??”

 

Arael avoided eye contact still. As if she wanted someone as kindhearted of Daichi to know the extent of her violence.

There was silence as Arael refused to talk – but thankfully, she didn’t need to. Daichi and herself weren’t alone, after all.

 

“It was pretty impressive, but a bit of a mouthful to explain.” a familiar voice sounded out from behind a corner in the ship.

 

Oh no.

 

“Geez! Way to be sneaky for no reason, Haz. I thought you were in the cockpit, still.” Daichi said, laughing off her initial shock.

 

“I couldn’t help but eavesdrop just a little.” Hazel snickered. It was a display of a side to her Arael had rarely seen… it was odd.

 

Arael remained silent, now avoiding any sort of eye contact with Hazel, as well. Out of her parents, Hazel was the one she had really hoped wouldn’t initially show up.

 

Slinking away from the corner, Hazel came to join both Arael and Daichi where they were standing. Arael reserved her posture even more.

 

“Arael.” Hazel started, noticing her daughter’s tense stance.

“I’m not mad.”

 

Silence. Arael didn’t entirely believe her.

 

“In fact, I prevented the others from intervening. I’m sure they’ll come to understand why now, but…” Hazel continued, sighing.

“If anything… I’m relieved.”

 

“You’re not making any sense…” Arael mumbled in reply.

 

She… didn’t get it.

Arael, in her own eyes – and apparently the government’s, had screwed up to such a colossal degree.

 

“We all knew something like this was going to happen eventually.” Hazel said with a shrug.

 

Bewildered, Arael whirled around to finally face her mother with wide eyes.

“What… what the hell’s that supposed to mean?!”

 

“It’s hard to know how to control the full extent of one’s power until you unleash it.” Hazel nodded.

“...The same goes for resentment.”

 

Arael sort of got what Hazel was trying to say… she glanced over to Daichi to try and see if her expression had any pointers, but she seemed equally as shocked.

 

“But… now that it’s happened, we can do things moving forwards to keep it in check a little better.” Hazel continued, turning to Arael with a smile.

“The others would probably insist otherwise, but I don’t think anything could have prevented this… but… that’s OK. We just have to focus on moving on now.”

 

“I… I see.” Arael mumbled.

She was just trying to process it all. The fact that Hazel of all people not only wasn’t upset, but understood… it seemed a bit jarring. But…

 

“Though I’m not without fault. I could’ve done more, but I distanced myself to try and prevent the inevitable…” Hazel sighed.

“But, now… it can be a new chapter for me as well. I’m sorry that… for the past however long, that I haven’t been as available as I should have. You don’t need to forgive me if you don’t want to, Arael – but if you’d be willing to, we can take the next steps together.”

 

Whether voluntary or not, Arael felt her face growing warm and her eyes welling with tears.

 

A second chance… forgiveness…

Hazel smiled, and opened her arms in a welcoming manner.

Arael… felt like a hug was something she needed right now.

 

“...That’d be cool.” was really all Arael could say in response to Hazel’s question.

 

The two had a heartfelt moment for a small while longer, before Daichi piped up.

 

“I’d hate to… ruin the moment, but I should probably get the ship moving.”

 

Hazel nodded, and broke the hug – giving her daughter a pat on the shoulder.

 

“Let’s go home – I can only assume you’re exhausted.” she smiled, before trailing off to follow Daichi.

“And hey! On our way back, you should tell me about it, if you want. I imagine it can’t be as bad as blowing up half of Ultra Space, or blowing up your own fath-”

 

Hazel was cut off by an annoyed shove from Daichi, which managed to get a laugh out of Arael.

 

And so… the onward point to a brighter future began.