Chapter 29 - Acceptance

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Flashback - 20 days before the meeting of the Earth Warriors, Bumblebee Creek

On a lush and green day in the forest, Amira was sitting near a flowing river. She saw most of the fish swimming alongside the flow of it. From such a simple sight, it sure caught her interest as she continued to gaze her focus on the flow of it. It's almost like if she was expecting something surprising to come out.

She kept on with that until...

"Don't you think you've seen enough of it?" a familiar voice said.

This question made Amira jerk her head back to see the direction of the one who asked her. It was none other than Varris himself, all sporting a smile on his face.

"Hey Varris, you should be more polite when greeting someone who is unaware," she replied. "Also, there's so much to see in this place than what you expect."

"Oh, you think so?"

"You can sit with me if you like, brother Varris."

He chuckled in response before he sat down near the river alongside Amira, waiting for something surprising to come out from it. Nonetheless, it was still a good time between two siblings to enjoy.

"All of this makes me wonder...of how such beautiful creatures could survive from Humans for so long," she said.

"I-I honestly...honestly, I really don't know. This world...it puzzles me."

"How so?"

"The number of things that I've heard about the species and yet looking at this sort of beauty...it makes me wonder..."

"Then, maybe we haven't seen enough of them from what they told us."

"That's too early to tell, sweet sister," Varris retorted then got up from the grass, "there is no need to think many of the committee would ever be mistaken from their report on this planet. It must be some sort of way that enables them to continue to breed enough to survive the Humans' killing intents but still not sure how."

"But...isn't that contradictory to studying further on a species? Even if they may not find us, we can't just be left in the dark."

Varris stayed silent for a moment, thinking of what Amira told her. He then closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

"The Zlocu...you're right. But that's just one case for now. We must hope that the case on Terra and the Humans is not mistaken. And knowing their status, the Zlocu may not even try to go here."

"But what if they-" Amira replied, but she was cut off by Varris.

"No if. Even the Zlocu won't be crazy enough to go here to face some creatures worse than their own ambitions."

Such words made Amira turn away from Varris. Such harshness was something that always turned brought her down, since it meant it could forbid her to do some interactions beyond the wildlife of Earth. Noticing this, Varris sat down once more with Amira while also putting his hand on her arm.

"Sorry, didn't mean to snap. I know you want it and I know we could try to talk more about it, but there are other matters to attend to."

"Oh right... I am going right away," she said as she gets up and accompanies her brother away from the river. But before they left any further, hearing some splashes from the nearby river, making the sibling turn their focus back to the river. What they saw was so surprising they stood still at such a sight. The sight was none other than one shiny scaled member of the school of fish leaping out of the water. This sight made Amira smile.

"See what I told you? There really are surprises here!" Amira said with giddiness in her voice.

Varris could only smile and chuckle for a bit from his sister's discovery. Even if they may not see it always, wonderful surprises would always come when they least expect it.

"I'm sure I'll be ready for more," Varris said.

Back to the present - 5 minutes later

Back in the custody room, Amira is still curled up like a ball, still with her low. Most of the guards can hear her sobbing, even though it feels like a whisper this time. Most of the guards' faces don't have expressions on their faces, mostly because it's not their job to express something else with somebody they're observing.

Amira is breathing in slow duration as she weeps, still with her hands covering her face. She still doesn't have the strength to get up, at least not yet.

Everything in solitary, a twisted fate after all. From the actions of a judgmental mind, still unknown to the facts of the Universe. One that cannot be so distant to many living beings.

Please...please...please...please...

Dedication to love is her focus on life. It is something so precious to the Universe as a whole and especially to certain others as well. A beacon capable of shining even the darkest stars, and the darkest of all souls if met right. And something to cherish a lot for the cloth where she and Varris belonged to. In fact, to even every other cloth that there is in all existence.

Such words and actions are worthy of many promises, many potentials for many living beings. And yet, a single race renounced those deeds and wishes, their right to live. A blind pursuit for an ideal that, although empowering, would only lead to the loss. Loss of valuable traits that define everything in the Universe. And without those traits, only violence, hatred and suffering remains.

One always wonders when something so horrible may end. It all depends on time, but time cannot be kind to all sometimes.

I need something...I need something...

Just as her loneliness continues, she hears a beep from outside. The door opens, revealing a figure that could be something she may not have expected, but one she needs.

Sylvester, himself in the picture, enters the room holding most of her equipment with his hands, namely most of her armor and her light blade. The guards turn their attention towards Amira too. Not raising her guns, but focusing on her to make sure nothing happens to Sylvester.

"Amira..." Sylvester says as he stares down at Amira. His tone is one that makes the guards raise their eyebrows. Sylvester usually speaks with a tone of authority, one fitting for someone like him and others. A fitting one for a colonel. But this time, his tone...is quiet. Almost like that lost most of its power. A long sigh of his follows this. His gathered eyebrows are proof of it.

I will take anything she will give to me. I will not stop her...

"Look, gentlemen, whatever happens next, just let her do what she needs to do. It's the only way." The guards then trudge backward while still focusing their eyes on Amira.

Amira lifts her head to face Sylvester himself. Her eyes are still pretty red, dull and puffy. Yet, the moment she sees most of her equipment in Sylvester's hands and seeing his face, her eyes widen. Her tears stop dropping while also breathing normally.

She reaches for his arm while it trembles. The guard on the left notices this and aims his rifle, only for the other to wrest it.

"Don't you trust him?" he whispers to the guard. The guard can only glance back at the place where both people are in. Sylvester is now grabbing Amira, lifting her up to stand on her feet while still having some trembling around her.

"I am...I am..." he then sighs, "it's just that, Humans- we, in fact- are quite complicated if I'm putting this correctly. All the years, we explored the stars to understand what's out there, what could the Universe hold for us, maybe even life, like...like yours."

He then glances away from her as she takes her equipment back. Her eyes are still wide enough over what she is witnessing.

"And that included finding someone who can be living like us...but like our times of discovery before, we let pride take over us." He looks down to the ground, sighing again. "You probably know what pride can do to beings, right?"

Though he cannot see it, Amira only nods in small motions, though still with some trembling as she does so. "And here we are, looking at a recent example of too much pride." He glances back at Amira, his face still looking down. "All for a single soul...Amira, what happens now, it's up to you."

Amira can only stare at Sylvester as she slowly nods, looking at him, without trembling this time. All this while seeing with her now clean eyes, away from any sort of sorrow for now.

There is one thing that can be inaction, letting someone suffer by not doing anything. And for how severe that can be, one could be certain that one should be angry at the one who did nothing.

But is that really the only action? Was the situation really on their control to consider other alternatives, or even within their reach of knowledge at the time?

Amira has only one answer...one that can be answered in a way that she knows best.

She drops her equipment to the ground and reaches towards Sylvester's chest with her left arm, touching the zone of the heart. This action makes Sylvester's head jolt back in seeing Amira in his own sight, the latter's eyes now closed. The guards witnessing this only stare at this event, even compared to what one had tried to do out of impulse.

Amira caresses Sylvester's chest for a bit, as the latter rapidly blinks over such a sight. Something that is familiar to Soranians, perhaps not too much on Humans.

"Is she doing what I think she will?" the guard with the grabbed rifle asks. "This ain't time for cliche fantasy," the other replies.

After some moments of silence, while holding Sylvester's chest, Amira moves her arm away from it, Sylvester still looking in a frozen state. And then...Amira opens her eyes.

And smiles.

"Sylvester...I think I know the answer now for you all," she then hugs suddenly. This move causes Sylvester to get stiff, his look fully dazed as he tries his best in what to think of what just happened. The guards look dazed as well, with the one guard letting go of the other's rifle, contemplating a sight that is not that expected of them in some situations like this.

Amira...damn, I've never seen such a kind and forgiving living being for quite a while. But this is quite nice, actually, well, maybe too much.

Amira then lets go of Sylvester while still smiling at him for his actions. Sylvester, while still a bit dazed, can't help but also sport a smile for something that was so unexpected yet so nice for someone like him.

"Did you...do what I think you did?" he asks.

"I've felt your heart to see the truth in it...and it seems you are truly living up to them, Sylvester."

"Heh, mind reading. Quite a cliche to perform in these sorts of situations, but still a nice way to do it." Amira only giggles in response while he also lets out a chuckle from it. "Yeah, this is all nice. But there's also an urgent matter that must need your help and the others' too."

Amira's smile then drops, with her eyes widening too. "What is it, Sylvester?"

"First, I'll take you to the quarters of your comrades and see if they're there or not. If they are, then the better, I think. Quick, let's go grab your gear."

Amira uses her telepathic powers to grab the dropped equipment on the ground, with Sylvester now heading to the quarters by exiting the room. Amira is coming close behind him. But before they can leave, Sylvester glances at the guards one last time.

"Gentlemen, you can be free now." He then leaves as he opens the door, taking Amira with him to see the others for the next mission.

As for the guards, they drop the dazed looks and glance at each other for a moment.

"Yeah, cliche right?" the guard teases.

"Hey, they did it without cringe at least," the other muses.

Amira now knows what many Humans could be capable of, but to prove that even further, she must prove her conviction in a battle like no other.

One that equals to a rescue, even forgive the ones who have hurt her.


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