[Limelight] Vision Swap Visions 2: The Receivening

[aboveallthings]

[In your hand is a fidget cube, a rounded white cube accented with buttons, dials, and switches in the color of a certain Family on the ship.

Play with any of the fidget cube's six sides and you'll receive a vision. There are two problems with this:

1) some very important information seems to have been blocked out, and

2) you know, with a bone-deep certainty, that this vision isn't yours.

But if this vision isn't yours...then whose is it? Maybe the color of your cube is a clue.]

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VINCENT C. FROST

[aboveallthings]

Your fidget cube's accents are Cirrus Network blue.

~

Ting, ting, ting-- The moon, which was so bright in the night sky that everything was bright as day, wept. Countless silver threads swayed as if in a gentle breeze, singing a song that only I could hear.

[If you abandon just one thing.]

The chime of the bells whispered to me. It would have been easy to back down and grasp the ordinary life that I longed for. As always, it was a sweet temptation. If I took just one step back, I could live peacefully.

"You can't take anyone here," I said as I looked up at her. "Neither ▮▮▮▮▮ or me." Or ▮▮▮▮, either.

[You’re always in my way.]

This time, it wasn't a whisper meant only for me. At what sounded like a threat, the people around me shifted, anticipating a fight. But her tall, otherworldly figure cloaked in silver moonlight only smiled down at us indulgently.

[Even so, you are dear to me. Every path you choose, each way you go—they are all beloved.]

I felt my breath release. All things, right or wrong, were the same to her. I already knew that. Yet it left me feeling hollow and stifled. What was the point of a love that disregarded what kind of person I was? The choices I made? Even that frustration would never reach her.

"If you think so, then withdraw and leave us alone. You already lost this round."

I felt her gaze on me--on everyone else, like a spider contemplating those caught in her web. But she didn't argue; her figure scattered into fragments, blending like mist with the moonlight.

"Is she...really gone?" ▮▮▮▮▮ sat down on the ground in disbelief. Before anyone could move, I motioned the rest to stay back.

“For now, don’t get too close to ▮▮▮▮▮! She might still be controlling him.” But since I had half of ▮▮▮▮▮'s power right now, I didn't hesitate and closed the distance separating us. Still, I approached cautiously; I didn't think he'd hurt me, but if he was being controlled it was hard to know how he'd respond. And my mind was a mess.

'If she's really withdrawn, and I still have half of ▮▮▮▮▮'s power for now, then I could finally...'

My heart began to pound. I could bring him back. ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮▮. I could end everything perfectly, tie it all up with a neat bow. I wouldn't even have to persuade ▮▮▮▮▮ much since I had part of his power already...Still, I calmed him down as he cried and clung to me and took my time explaining basic things like how to respect people's human rights. These were still important things for him to know, after all.

"Listen, ▮▮▮▮▮. About my friends. We need to send them back to our world. You can do it, right?"

"...I can do it if I had my full power, but not right now."

I nodded; that's about what I had expected. "That's okay, we just need to make a deal. Once you regain your power from me, you'll send my companions back home and grant a wish of mine."

▮▮▮▮▮ blinked back surprise. Maybe he wasn't expecting me to work with him so easily after the mess he'd caused. "Really? Even though she might try to control me again?"

"Well, do you feel her presence now?" I prompted.

He tilted his head and thought. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw ▮▮▮▮ and ▮▮▮▮▮▮▮ approaching us since it seemed safe.

"Hmm, no, I don't feel her at all. Maybe she really is gone!"

I'd be happy if she was, but it seemed odd. Would she really let us go that easily? Maybe things didn't have to be a struggle after all. Maybe, just this once, we could end things perfectly.

I felt a small wave of relief as ▮▮▮▮ stepped over, reaching out his hand. I let myself relax. ‘Maybe...This is really it.’

[It’s the end.]

As soon as the tension in my body released, and I felt a unusual calmness settle over my mind as well. I began to move before I could process what was happening to me.

[Once ▮▮▮▮ is dead.]

▮▮▮▮'s eyes widened as he looked at me. My hand reached for his heart. We both sensed her grip on me, realized it, yet I saw no reason to stop, and he couldn't avoid it. I was too close, stronger, and faster with all of the power currently at my disposal.

Crunch. The sound of bones breaking reached my ears. Blood poured down my arm. His eyes looked down at me, the light in them slowly fading. There were shouts of alarm behind me, but they sounded distant compared to the labored breathing from the man in front of me. I caught his collapsing body. Before I could fully comprehend what was happening, I shouted.

“Everyone, stay back!”

I caught a glimpse of ▮▮▮▮’s startled face near me. ...He'd been right. She'd completely let go of her control over him. Instead, all of that focus had turned to me, whispering and waiting.

But why? Why was I holding ▮▮▮▮, blood on my hands, in a daze? Before I could think of a reason, I heard his breathing stop.