Rising Shards

“Caeda…talk to me.”

Clover’s voice. Right after it happened, Caeda found herself unable to speak.

“How are you feeling?”

“Fine, just…”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be. It’s just…a little mistake. That happens, right?”

“S-sure, yeah.”

Once more, she couldn’t speak.

“Caeda? Are you OK?”

“I’m fine, yeah. I’m good.”

“Caeda…your mouth…it’s bleeding…”

And the next thing she knew, Caeda was in the void.

She shivered in the cold of the cave.

“’First real Cani adventure,’ terrific.” Caeda said to herself. “I plop down in the void, meet like twelve other Cani, then they all leave me in a cave while they go fight. Cool!”

Caeda thought about following the others, but once the shouts and explosions started out there she figured she’d just get in the way if she kept tripping over her new tail.

“I don’t even know what my powers are…” Caeda said. She held her hands out, wondering if a beam of light would come out, but nothing happened. “It’d be great if I had some kind of warm power. Because it’s freaking cold in here.”

Caeda noticed that the sounds of battle outside had died down. Would someone come back to get her? Or would she just get in the way?

Clover’s voice from just before she went to the void rang in her head again.

“It’s just…a little mistake. That happens, right?”

Maybe this was punishment for that mistake. If so, it definitely didn’t feel like a little mistake like Clover said. Maybe being stuck in a cave alone would be easier than facing what had just happened between her and Clover and the consequences she now faced. Caeda slumped down, wrapping her arms around her legs as she buried her head over her knees. She felt helpless, unable to do anything but cry.

Her tears were interrupted by shouts in the cave. They were from a path the other Cani hadn’t taken, one deeper in the mountains. Caeda looked around for a place to hide in, but the voices were too close for her to do much.

A pale skinned clybrid Cani with blue hair walked quickly, with a small robot following close behind.

“Blue Atrian, stop and answer me!” The robot said. “What happened to the others?”

The blue haired girl continued walking, ignoring her.

“Hey, excuse me?” Caeda asked.

“Another Atrian!” The robot said. “Did you stay behind as backup?”

“…sure, yeah? Maybe?” Caeda said.

“That’s great! The other Atrians are in trouble—”

“The other Cani? Are they alright?” Caeda asked.

“I don’t know, which is why I need you and the blue Atrian’s help right now.”

“I’m…I’m new. I’m really new. So I don’t know if I can help with—"

The clybrid suddenly stopped and turned around. She looked at Caeda curiously, her red eyes glimmering for a few seconds.

“Caeda Firae,” The clybrid Cani said. “Seventeen years old, single, interested in military history, documentaries, historical dramas, Haven fights. You constantly post about being famous one day, and you were recently went to the newest Infinites movie three times and posted a review giving it four hundred and a half stars out of ten.”

“So…all that stuff about clybrid reading through your stuff right away is true, huh…” Caeda said. The girl had just read off various details from her social media pages in seconds without looking. She’d heard stories about clybrid doing that, but experiencing it gave a vastly different feeling.

“Sorry, it’s just a thing we do,” The clybrid said. “I’m 09.”

“Caeda,” she turned to the robot. “And you are?”

“Kiki,” she said. “And if our introductions are done, I need your help. There were tendrils of the Order of Terina, and they captured all of the Atrians, and—"

“I’d rather not,” 09 said. “Caeda and I are going home.”

“What?” Kiki said. “But…the Atrians!”

“I’m sure they’ll figure it out.” 09 said. “Caeda, hold out your hand.”

“Huh?” Caeda said. “But…the others…?”

“They’ll figure it out,” 09 said. “Let’s go.”

09 grabbed Caeda’s wrist and pulled her away.

“Atrians!” Kiki yelled. “They need you…this island needs you!”

“Just keep walking,” 09 said. “She won’t follow us much longer, I bet.”

Caeda wasn’t sure if she should keep following 09, but she also knew she didn’t have much of a choice. Not only was the clybrid’s grip intense, even if she did break away to go help Kiki, what could she do?

After a few minutes of walking, gradually tuning out the sound of Kiki’s yells, 09 let go, stopping at a spot with glowing crystals above them lighting their path.

“Should we just leave her there like that?” Caeda asked.

“She lives here. She’ll be fine.” 09 looked at her hands, which had blood on them.

“Sorry, that’s from me,” Caeda said. “I tried to clean the blood off, but it just smeared my fangs. And my face.” She sighed. “I normally have it a lot more together.”

“I don’t really care, sorry,” 09 said, wiping her hands on the wall.

“Ouch, cool, great.” Caeda said. “I don't even know if I want to go back with you if you’re gonna be such a bitch about it. I just got my fangs, you know. I’m going through a lot here.”

09 didn’t snap back right away, which almost would have been easier for Caeda. 

“I just spent a long while trying to talk someone out of continuing to do something really stupid, and got acid thrown at me for my troubles. So forgive me if I’m a bit done with all this today.” 09 said.

“Like, acid as in like sharp words, or like literal acid?” Caeda asked.

“Literal acid, it’s her Cani power.” 09 said.

“I’m sorry,” Caeda said.

“And I’m sorry this is your first Cani experience.” 09 said. “But since you’re a new Cani, and I’m a clybrid, I can take us home.”

“How are we gonna do that?” Caeda said. “Oh, oh! Cani need a…what’s it called…that…like the thing they use for stringed instruments…what’s the word…”

“Don’t strain yourself there.” 09 said. “I literally just told you what we need, and it’s just us.”

“Hey, listen, I’m not normally like this,” Caeda said. “I just had my fangs come in, you know. So don’t talk to me like I’m some helpless kid. I’m just…very overwhelmed.”

“Sorry,” 09 said. “I shouldn’t take today out on you."

“Damn straight.” Caeda said.

“Right,” 09 squinted. “Where were you when you got your fangs?”

“Well, right before my fangs came in, I was…” Caeda stopped. “I was with my best friend, Clover.”

“Where? As in town, city, state? I’m mainly hoping you’re not countries away, but I guess I can figure something out.”

“I’m from Sky Clay,” Caeda said. “Me and my friends are.”

09 smiled. “That’s perfect. And explains why you’re here in particular, at least.”

“Is it? And it does? How?” Caeda asked.

“I’m sure as soon as we’re back and you’re settled, someone will take a very long time explaining this very boringly to you. So please enjoy these brief moments of wonderment before then.”

“…alright.” Caeda wasn’t sure if she liked 09, but maybe she’d be easier to talk to when she wasn’t in such a foul mood.

“To explain it quickly, new Cani that get booped to the void usually go right back to where they started when they leave. And clybrid Cani are really good at opening gates to and from the void. It’s why I got kidnapped today.”

“You got kidnapped today too?”

09 nodded. “So since we’re both here against our wills, and since the fates or whatever led us together, let’s just go home already. Give me your hand.”

Caeda didn’t want to go back and face Clover again, but she also didn’t want to spend any longer in the void. She held out her right hand. 09 placed her fingertips on Caeda’s palms.

“So, is something going to—” Caeda started before she felt a burst of energy that felt like it surged over her skin. She shut her eyes as the energy flared, thankful she had at least a split second to brace herself for the interdimensional trip this time.