By unspoken agreement the pier had become their meeting place. It was quiet and far away from the bustle of the city, which suited Billy just fine. Nisan could be oppresive in its own way. He didn't know how Elly managed to carry the weight of so many hopes on her shoulders. It must be something she was uniquely suited for.

It was a funny thought. He remembered knowing Elly when they were both much younger, and of course, he'd never gotten the impression that she would turn into such an amazing person. Wasn't that always the case with one's childhood friends? She seemed so normal at the time. And that was all he could remember - her face, her high-pitched voice, and how heavy she was when she fell off of the slide and landed on him. He might be amused, if he could remember anything else.

Memories of Solaris were like that. Life there was so long ago, so far removed, that he couldn't put a picture together in his mind. Yet when he finally returned to invade Etrenank, he'd know exactly where to lead his team until they reached a certain point.

He wanted that sense of deja vu back. He wanted to roam those streets again one last time, and it would never happen. That lesson was intimately familiar - one cannot always have what one wants.

Sometimes one must say good-bye to a father, a mother, a home, a soul. Twice.

The perfect summer afternoon felt dull and lifeless. Water rippled in a breeze that felt every bit as warm as the still air, and leaves skittered over the pier and drifted into the water. There was no shade to be had with the sun overhead. Where was Emeralda? She wouldn't notice the discomfort of sitting out under the sun, but she was always accomodating of his limitations.

More and more often now it was Billy doing the talking during these visits, and Emeralda would listen silently until he ran out of things to say. She was never one of many words, and he couldn't really blame her for it, but he couldn't help feeling guilty. He'd agreed to help her improve her speech, and what did he do now? He whined. Bitterly.

She reminded him of Elly. They were so alike in some ways. He wanted to think he saw more than that, but now he wasn't so sure.

What was it about Emeralda that inspired him to come back? Child-like mannerisms and tears that never fell? Impassive eyes like liquid gold, or wild hair that defied all logic? She was certainly more interesting than her mother, in that respect. People suffered for less than that in the city in the sky, and he was glad - glad! - that she had been confined to the labs.

Billy had seen all of three actual rooms in Krelian's laboratory, but he'd heard all of the screams. What did Emeralda hear when she was there? Would she have known what those sounds meant?

She seemed so innocent. Maybe that was the key - the innocence of a child in the guise of an adult. He loved children for their innocence. Even Deus wasn't enough break that precious quality, in the children or Emeralda.

He sighed and glanced at the stunted shadow of the tree beside the pier. It hadn't moved enough to be noticable, but he chewed at his lip anyway and pushed to his feet to pace back and forth. The pier was three steps across.

Where was she?


(For Nyuna.)