“This is a Fracture?” Guinevere asked, gazing with horror on the jagged landscape. “But why… why are pieces of the Library here?”
“I’m so glad you asked,” Not-Alice said, giggling. “You see, whenever I get lonely — and I do spend a great deal of time alone — I’ve always found books to be the best company. And one day, I noticed a flaw in the bottom of the Library’s Vault, and I thought: ‘Well now, there’s a whole host of books that hardly anyone ever reads. They’re rather going to waste, aren’t they? I should add them to my collection.’ And so I did! Well.” She looked around at the mishmash of bookshelves impaled by black stalagmites and shrugged. “It’s a work in progress.”
“And we just happened to be here at the same time?” Alice asked, glaring at her lookalike.
“Yes,” Not-Alice said with a smirk. “Come on, Alice. You know I don’t plan that far ahead.”
“Stop this, Lacie!” Alice cried, hands balled into fists at her sides. “Leave the Library alone! Leave us all alone! Go back to sleep!”
“Lacie?” Sheena asked.
“My name,” Not-Alice — Lacie — said. “Sorry, we haven’t been properly introduced, have we? Oh, well, no time like the present. I’m Lacie, and you all are — well. I already know all your names, of course. Some better than others. And Alice, what makes you think I’m not asleep?”
Then they all gasped — and Alice let out a little shriek — as Lacie vanished from her stage, appearing right in front of Alice, so close their noses were nearly touching. “What’s the matter?” Lacie asked softly, a wicked mischief flickering in her eyes. “You don’t actually like me better when I’m all caged up, do you?” She tilted her head, pouting. “That would be very rude of you. I’ve missed you something terrible all this time we’ve been apart. Don’t tell me you haven’t felt the same.”
Tobias stepped in close to the pair, leveling his sword at Lacie. “Leave her alone,” he said.
Lacie looked wide-eyed at the obsidian blade — but not, Guinevere thought, in fear. No, it was just play-acting. Was all of this a game to her? “Good sir, you wouldn’t really harm a child, would you?” she asked, clutching her hands to her chest. “And I thought you were the noblest of us all — Tobias.” She drew his name out slightly, speaking it with some unspoken meaning, and her smile returned as she did so.
“How do you intend to keep us down here?” Sheena asked, casting her eyes all about the space.
“Oh, I have my methods,” Lacie said. She vanished, reappearing on her stage, and in her hands was a small glass filled with what looked like milk. She took a long drink, draining the glass in a single go, and then dropped it as she let out a sigh. The glass shattered on the stage —
And Alice screamed.
Guinevere stared at Alice, shocked by the sudden outburst. And even more shocked by how it was more than just a scream. Alice had dropped down into a tight crouch, drawing in on herself, trying to make herself as small as possible, her eyes squeezed shut, her hands over her ears.
“Aww, Alice,” Lacie said, with a teasing pout. “Still afraid of a little shattered glass? I should think you’d feel more guilt than fear, though. This is all your fault, after all.”
“Stop it!” Alice cried, and Tobias echoed her, stepping between her and Lacie, fire in his eyes. Flynn went to Alice, resting his forehead gently against hers.
“Hmph,” Lacie said, frowning. “You’re no fun. But!” Her smile swiftly returned. “You will be. The fun never stops, down here! Whether you like it or not. Toodles!” She gave a little wave, and then was gone.
“What…” Elliot started, looking around. “Where did she go?”
“Not too far, I’m sure,” Sheena said. “She’ll be watching us. But as long as we have the chance, we should be looking for a way out of here. Alice?” And then they were all looking at Alice again. “Are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” Alice said quickly, waving them off — though she did give Flynn a grateful pet around his ears. She stood up quickly, brushing herself off. “Sorry. I was just caught off-guard. Anyway! We should go. There must be a way out of here, right?” She started walking, and Guinevere swallowed a million questions.
She’s trying so hard to be brave. Whoever this Lacie is, whatever their relationship… she terrifies her.
Answers can wait. We should get out of here, as fast as possible!
Ninian sang out a sudden warning. Elliot swung his silver sword, and something deflected off of it, spiraling off into the distance. Guinevere pulled forth her sword — awkwardly, still unused to drawing it with her left hand — and cast about for the source of the unknown projectile.
Tobias and Sheena saw it first. Guinevere’s eyes followed their startlingly fast dash up onto the stage, where they immediately engaged a pair of… spiders? No, they couldn’t be spiders. They had eight legs, but the legs were mechanical, and the bodies attached to those legs were almost human, rising up with a head and arms. The heads had no faces, but instead circular windows that shone with light — one of them red, the other blue. Their mechanical arms hoisted strange, narrow rifles that hurled long, black darts rather than bullets. Tobias and Sheena made swift work of the mechanized monsters — which weren’t entirely mechanical, Guinevere realized with a sickening sensation, as they burst in showers of sparks and… well, it must be blood, but it was black and green, and boiled in bubbles where it splattered on the stage.
Those two spider-legged mechanical monsters were only the beginning, though. Tobias and Guinevere deflected several more darts, and then shared the briefest of looks, and a silent exchange that Guinevere couldn’t follow. Sheena danced forward, while Tobias rushed back to the rest of them.
“We need to move,” he said, his gaze lingering on Alice.
“I’m fine,” Alice said quickly. “We should go…” She looked around, then pointed, seemingly at random, down a path that wove its way through stalagmites, cave walls, and shattered bookshelves. “That way!”
“Let’s go!” Tobias said. “Flynn, on Alice. I’ll take point. Elliot, watch our flanks. Sheena will have our backs.”
“Got it!” Elliot said. They started moving, Tobias leading, while the others took up their places, Alice rushing to stay right behind Tobias, Flynn at her side.
“What about me?” Guinevere asked.
“You’re supposed to protect me, too, remember?” Alice asked. So Guinevere went to her side, Ava following behind her. The sounds of darts whistling and deflecting off of metal, and the screech and crash of metallic monsters being destroyed sounded behind them, and then a flurry of footsteps. Guinevere cast a glance back, and saw Sheena was with them, Akko perched on her shoulder, big eyes alert and darting back and forth.
“So… who is that girl?” Elliot asked as they ran. “I mean, Lacie, obviously, but aside from a name… who is she? Alice?”
“She’s my sister,” Alice said, her voice taut. She didn’t look back at anyone. And she didn’t elaborate, even as they all waited for more.
“I… see,” Elliot said. He looked back as Sheena blocked a pair of darts that came whistling for them. And then they were rounding a bend, out of sight of their pursuers — for now.
“Why is she sending these monsters after us?” Guinevere asked. “I didn’t think she was trying to kill us! She seemed like she wanted to help me in my… my nightmare.”
“Don’t trust her!” Alice said urgently, looking up at Guinevere, tears shining in her eyes. She wiped at them hastily, and looked away. “She… she was trying to help you. But for her own purposes, not for your sake. Please, I…” She shook her head. “Please, just trust me!” She looked forward. “Tobias?”
“I do,” Tobias said without hesitation. And then, “Watch out!” He deflected a trio of darts that came flying at them from above, and Guinevere cursed her lack of awareness — she hadn’t seen the three monsters perched on the ledge high up, across the passage, until long after Tobias noticed them and blocked their missiles.
“Go right!” Alice said, and they hurried to the right, Tobias deflecting two more darts, and then Elliot was in the line of fire and took up the defense. They rounded a new bend, scattered books and torn pages rustling underfoot, and were out of sight of their attackers.
Guinevere, sword in her hand, felt utterly useless. Even if she noticed the next group of attackers before they launched a volley, she knew from just seeing a few demonstrations that she had no hope of blocking those whistling darts with her sword. Once again, she recognized the gulf between her and her companions when it came to sword skills.
Nothing is Finished.
It’s just a new goal to aspire towards. If they are able to perform such feats, then one day, so shall I.
“Oh, sorry!” Lacie called out. The group came to a stop, and all looked around, but there was no sign of Lacie anywhere. “Silly me. I didn’t adjust my friends’ threat assessment protocols for you.”
“Some friends,” Tobias said dryly.
“Don’t worry, they won’t shoot at you anymore,” Lacie said. “Though you’ll doubtless find other challenges if you keep trying to escape. Don’t let me stop you, though! This is oh such fun to watch.”
“Why don’t you come out where we can see you?” Guinevere asked, gripping her sword tightly. And then gasped, staggering back a step, because Lacie appeared right in front of her, mere inches away.
“Why?” Lacie asked, and her fingers danced along the edge of Guinevere’s sword. “You weren’t thinking threatening thoughts towards me, were you?”
“Perhaps I was,” Guinevere said, glaring. But while a part of her wanted to do harm to this child…
She was a child. Something in her just wouldn’t allow her to attack.
Lacie smiled up at her, the earnest smile of a happy, innocent child. “It’s all right, Guin,” she said. “I can’t expect us to be best friends when we’ve barely met. But with enough time, I just know you’ll come around to me. You’ll see!”
“Leave her alone!” Alice cried.
“ ‘Leave her alone!’ ” Lacie echoed mockingly, and then laughed. “Oh, Alice. If you really wanted me to, you’d do something about it. Only… you can’t, can you?” She smirked at Alice, who glared back — but for all the fire in her eyes, there was something helpless there, too.
A bell tolled somewhere in the depths, its discordant tone setting Guinevere’s ears ringing, and beside her, both Flynn and Ava winced and whined. “Ah,” Lacie said, unperturbed by the awful resonance. “It’s high tide. Hope you all can swim!”
And with a giggle, she vanished.
“High tide?” Guinevere asked. She looked all around, but couldn’t see even a hint of water anywhere, let alone a lake or ocean.
“She won’t deliver empty threats,” Alice said. “We should search for higher ground.”
As if in answer to her warning, there was a sudden sound of rushing water, far off in the darkness… but approaching fast. Guinevere sheathed her sword — it wasn’t doing her much good, anyway — and cast about for some way up. But all there were around them were steep, jagged walls of rock, with no ways up, and no clear platforms to climb to.
“Flynn, which way?” Tobias asked. Flynn’s left ear did a little circular flick, he sniffed twice, and then he darted off to the right. No one asked any questions — they all followed Flynn as fast as they could.
Guinevere gasped as they turned a corner and found three mechanical monsters click-clacking on their eight legs towards them. But the machines just walked right on past, completely ignoring them.
“Guess she made good on adjusting their protocols,” Elliot said. Hector barked at one, but it completely ignored him, and when Elliot called, Hector came back, falling in line with the rest of them.
Way ahead, Flynn stopped to wait for them, but gave a quick one-two bark, like he was saying “Hurry up!” Tobias obliged, and Guinevere struggled to keep pace.
I’m not slow. I can run faster than some of the Knights I trained with. Everyone here is just so fast! Even…
She marveled at Alice, who, even with her short stride, was keeping pace with Tobias with seemingly little effort.
They turned left, and finally started to climb, first a shallow ramp, which then turned into a spiraling stair cut into the rock, rising to a high plateau. Guinevere was staggered by the scale of the place — it was all underground, but the black ceiling could have been a night sky for how high it was above them, impossibly out of reach. The sound of rushing water grew to a roar in Guinevere’s ears, and she chanced a glance back to see dark waters come pouring around the corner from the direction they’d come. Rapids crashed against stone, washing onto the lowest steps — and climbing fast.
“How high will high tide be?” Guinevere asked, nearly shouting over the roar of the water.
“We’ll find out,” Tobias said.
How helpful.
The stairs took them up what would have easily been five stories — very tall stories — in a grand mansion in Ars Moran. Up on the smooth plateau, they waited with bated breath.
There was nowhere else to go. If the water rose too high, they’d all be swept away. Hector sat right in front of Elliot, gazing up at him, whining softly. “It’ll be all right,” Elliot said, giving the big midnight-blue dog a soft pet on the head. They, along with Ninian, Guinevere, and Ava, decided to stand in the center of the wide plateau — as far from the rising tide as possible.
Ava remained calm and steady, right by Guinevere’s side, a perfect contrast to Guinevere’s gasps of breath and pounding heart, partly from exertion, partly from fear. The waters were visible now even from the center of the plateau, and they weren’t just rising fast — they continued to rage and swirl, vicious, unpredictable rapids that could sweep away or drown even the strongest swimmer.
Tobias and Flynn stood right at the edge of the plateau. Tobias had the tension to him that he always had, a readiness to leap into action at the first sign of need. Beside him, Flynn was alert but unworried. And with them was Alice, hands clenched at her sides, shoulders tensed, watching the rising tide with bated breath. Sheena stood at the opposite edge, one hand resting lightly on her sheathed sword, Akko on her shoulder, watching and waiting.
That was all they could do up here. No other paths to take. No more stairs to climb.
The raging tide reached the edge of their plateau. Alice flinched back as a little bit washed up over the edge. Guinevere tensed, her heart racing, eyes wide.
But the waters didn’t rise higher.
“Are we safe?” Guinevere asked, watching the raging rapids race around their plateau, hungry for victims. And then, indeed, she saw victims — several eight-legged mechanized monsters went racing by, crushed and sparking in places, jerked around by the rapids.
“I thought they were her friends,” Tobias said.
“Oh, they’re just in need of a good bath,” said Lacie’s disembodied voice. “It’s important for friends to practice proper hygiene, after all.” That statement was punctuated by the rapids smashing one of the “friends” into a stalagmite, blasting it into a million pieces. “Well,” Lacie continued, completely unperturbed, “now that I have you all here, with nowhere else to go, shall we enjoy a spot of tea?”
Lacie appeared in the center of the plateau with a suddenness and nearness that made Guinevere nearly jump out of her boots. And with Lacie appeared a long black table, with black chairs arranged haphazardly around it, a lavish tea set, and placements for twelve.
“Expecting more guests?” Tobias asked, eyeing the table warily.
“Oh, the Librarian should be along eventually,” Lacie said. While the others had to raise their voices over the rush of water, Lacie spoke casually, her voice projecting with magical ease.
“And the rest?” Tobias asked.
“For the animals, of course!” Lacie said cheerfully. “Though I do suppose the chairs are too small for Ava and Hector, aren’t they? But that’s easily rectified.” She snapped her fingers, and Guinevere winced at the discordant tones that sounded. When she looked again, two of the chairs were wider, more nicely cushioned. Like dog beds on stilts.
“Why would we drink tea with you?” Guinevere asked, glaring at Lacie. But her expression softened when Lacie gave her the earnest look she had in the nightmare.
“I really am trying to help you,” Lacie said. “The song inside of you yearns to come out. Ninian knows what I’m talking about.” She looked at Ninian, who looked back at her cautiously. “Though it rather vexes me that you would set your song free only to willingly shackle yourself to order defined by higher powers.” Ninian sang a brief, earnest reply and Lacie waved a hand, rolling her eyes. “Yes, all true believers are the same, aren’t they? But I still haven’t lost hope for you.”
“Are you the leader of Zweitracht?” Sheena asked. Guinevere looked at her in surprise, and noticed Elliot do the same.
This child… could be the leader of that entire organization? The same terrorist group that burned down Saint Gloriana, that killed the headmaster…
This… this little girl… is…?
Lacie smiled, turning a glance towards Alice and Tobias — who, Guinevere realized, didn’t look at all surprised by the suggestion of her true identity.
“ ‘Leader’ is functionally true,” the mysterious, dangerous child said, “though ideologically false. I’m no ruler, nor queen,” she smiled meaningfully at Guinevere, “I don’t lord over my agents. I’m trying to set this world free, after all. But it is true that I organized this merry band, and am the primary recruiter. And I do set the standards, so to speak.”
“You chose to burn down Saint Gloriana Primary School?” Guinevere asked, one hand going to the hilt of her sword.
Lacie didn’t flinch at this challenge, at the fire and venom in Guinevere’s voice and expression. She smiled coolly back at her, and then nodded. “That’s exactly right,” she said. “And it really was quite chaotic, wasn’t it? And made quite the statement, didn’t it, with the way the headmaster nobly died saving others —”
There was a blur of motion, and the flash of azure steel, an arcing line of violence straight through Lacie’s torso. There Sheena stood, sword held outstretched at the end of its slash, an attack that had gone right through Lacie, enough to cleanly slice the child in half.
Only… it didn’t.
Lacie was whole and unharmed, not a tear in her dress or a hint of blood on her. She was staring at Sheena with wide eyes, though, her mouth open in a shocked “o.”
And then she hopped up to stand on her chair, shock mingling with indignation. “You tried to kill a child!” she cried. “I can’t believe you! I thought you were a heroic soul!” In response to that, Sheena slashed again, and Lacie leapt over the attack with astonishing speed, saying a quick “No thank you” as she landed lightly on the table, just barely avoiding knocking over the teapot.
“You are no child,” Sheena said, her voice steely.
“Actually, I am,” Lacie said matter-of-factly. “In every sense of the word.”
“Taigi no Me,” Sheena said, turning on Lacie. Surprisingly, she sheathed her sword.
“Taigi…” Lacie started, tapping her chin thoughtfully. “Ah! Auge Gerecht. Yes, of course you’d take offense to that. But it’s true, I have sponsored them quite extensively.” She turned a mischievous grin Tobias’ way. “I even convinced a very special friend of yours to leave them and join my cause, Obsidian.”
“So much blood on your hands,” Sheena said, glaring up at Lacie — who started inspecting her hands, and then displayed her very clean palms for all to see, as if that was a counterargument. “How do you justify it? How do you expect any of us to trust a word you say, or to even consider joining your cause?”
“Well, I always speak the truth,” Lacie said. She started to casually pace up and down the long table, and this time did quite playfully kick over the teapot, spilling tea over the edge. “Except when it suits me to lie. But lies are strangely… pointless?” She giggled. “The truth is so much more potent. It’s amazing how often people believe the truth is a lie, just because they don’t want to believe it’s true. As if human desire could shape truth! Just further signs of how shackling yourselves to rigid order imposed by higher powers leaves you fumbling in the dark, unable to accept what’s right in front of you. The truth inspires such powerful emotions, such intense responses. As for joining my cause, well…” She shrugged. “Everyone will, eventually. If you chose to follow me now, that would be preferable, of course. It would certainly make things easier. But I have all the time in the world, and I really am quite fond of a good challenge.”
“Then let us go,” Tobias said. “We’re not going to join Zweitracht. And if you like a challenge, let us roam free, actively working against you.”
“Ooh, the Knight makes a compelling argument!” Lacie said, clapping her hands happily. “There’s just one problem, though. Why should anyone here trust anything you say?” Her grin turned sinister. “After all, you’ve constructed such fascinating lies of your own, haven’t you?”
Guinevere stared at Tobias, watching for a reaction. But he seemed ready for this accusation, and betrayed nothing.
“Don’t try to tear us apart or set us against each other!” Alice said, glaring at Lacie.
“Why not?” Lacie asked, pouting. “It’s so much fun.”
“Because it won’t work!” Alice said. “I’ll never let anyone I care about follow you into the darkness.”
“Hmm,” Lacie said, drawing out the syllable, eyeing Alice rather like a cat eyes a cornered mouse that it can play with to its heart’s content. “Are you trying to be brave, Alice? Heroic, even? Because it went so well last time, didn’t it?”
“Shut up!” Alice shouted. And then screamed, as Lacie kicked over a teacup, which fell to the floor and shattered.
Lacie laughed gleefully at Alice’s terror, but it was short-lived. This time Tobias drew his sword, slashing through Lacie in a blur of black steel. The slash had no effect, save to shut Lacie up, as she stared with shock at Tobias.
“Are you all trying to become child-murderers?” she asked. “This is really quite absurd. I thought you fashioned yourselves heroes.”
“What is this?” Tobias asked, curiously poking his sword through Lacie’s stomach. It protruded out the small of her back, without harming her in any way. “Are you some kind of projection?”
“Ah, my secret’s finally out,” Lacie said, grinning. “Though it’d be nice if you’d stop bullying me like that. Honestly!” She stepped out of reach of Tobias’ sword, strolling to the farthest edge of the table. “I’m only here in spirit. Though who needs to be somewhere in body, really? It would admittedly be nice to be able to touch all of you, but beggars can’t be choosers. I’m doing the best I can.”
“But then what… or where… are you?” Guinevere asked.
“Oh, in my Fracture,” Lacie said. She started pacing up and down the table again, lacing her fingers behind her head, humming a bouncy, but discordant, tune. “It’s not really mine — I didn’t make it — but I ended up here, and thought it was such a cozy space, that I should make it home! So I did. And so, somewhere down here, my body lies. Resting.” She shot a meaningful look at Alice, who was pointedly refusing to look at her. “Well.” She spun on the spot, looked around at the table — spilled tea, broken tea cups, and not a single person sitting at a seat — and sighed. “If no one’s going to take tea with me, then I suppose I’ll try again later. Enjoy yourselves, won’t you?” She gave a little wave, and promptly vanished.
“Why is this happening?” Alice asked in a small, trembling voice.
No one had any answers. They stood there, silent, trying to make some sense of what was happening, of all the things the villainous child had proclaimed.
And then, a sudden blast of water. Alice screamed. Guinevere looked, but it all happened too fast. In the space of a heartbeat, water rushed up onto the plateau, swept Alice’s feet out from under her, and dragged her out into the foaming rapids.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” said Lacie’s disembodied voice, even as Tobias, without hesitation, dove out into the deadly rapids after Alice. “Did I forget to mention? There’s a real risk of riptides. Do try to avoid the edge.”