Niqi and Ambree

This is completely my writing.

Niqi opened the door to the Nexus and walked through, Ambree in tow.

After a moment of walking, Ambree commented, “I should probably believe I’m dreaming by now.” When no response came from Niqi, she continued. “I wake up somewhere I’ve never been before, with people I’ve never seen, and then you open a perfectly normal door into this place… But I’m not so sure. My voice is lower. I feel different.” She looked down and examined her hands briefly, and then dropped them and was silent. A minute passed. “How long has it been, if I’m going to believe that I really do just have amnesia?” she asked in a quiet voice.

“…Ten years,” Niqi replied reluctantly.

No immediate response came from Ambree.

When she did speak, it wasn’t about that, however. “This place…something about it…” she began hesitantly. “It seems…familiar.”

Niqi stopped walking and turned to face Ambree. “What about me? Do I seem familiar at all?”

Ambree concentrated for a moment. “…No, I’m sorry. I don’t know your face at all.”

Niqi sighed, turning around and walking again. “This place. You would’ve used it, traveling from Earth to Seisen,” she said, echoing the reply she had given when Ambree had first remarked about the Nexus.

 

…

 

Ambree spoke up again after a while. “I never actually asked. What is this place?”

“This is the Nexus,” Niqi replied in monotone. “It contains doors. A lot of them. As you’ve probably already gathered,” she continued, her voice creeping towards sarcasm. “They lead to planets. Which is why you can use it to travel, from, say, Earth to Seisen.”

The two arrived at the door to Hygeia.

“So why aren’t we going to Seisen?” Ambree asked.

“Nevermind that,” Niqi responded, sounding nonchalant. She opened the door, walked through, and held it until Ambree followed.

Predictably, it was raining. They came out of the side door of a large building. It was made of brick and supported by columns; no one was around, except for the nearest street, where cars resembling bubbles were travelling. “Come on, let’s find a hotel,” Niqi said. She began walking, and it took her a moment to notice that Ambree wasn’t following. She had a vacant expression. “Ambree?”

“…It was raining,” Ambree said softly. “Warm rain.” She took a few steps forward, holding out one of her hands into the shower of water. She looked upwards. “I was taking shelter under the overhang of a building.” She let her hand drop. The memory was fading. “Something…horrible had happened…” She turned to face Niqi. “That’s it.”

Niqi stared at her. “Can you remember anything else?”

Ambree shook her head. “No, just that one little piece…” She trailed off, and then smiled. “At least I know you’re telling the truth now.” Her smile faltered. “…Is that a good thing?”

Niqi didn’t reply. “…Like I said, hotel,” she said after a few moments, and then began walking swiftly through the rain.

 

...

 

“I’ve got hot ch–” Niqi stopped short, seeing that Ambree had passed out in her chair. She smirked, setting the cups down on the coffee table. She picked up the human girl easily enough and laid her down on one of the single beds, pulling the covers up over her. She went over to the chair Ambree had been in and drank both cups of hot chocolate, listening to the comforting sound of the rain.

After about fifteen minutes, Niqi yawned. “I think you’ve got the right idea,” she said to Ambree, though the girl was still unconscious. She pushed the empty cups aside, getting up and closing the blinds before climbing into the other bed. She passed out instantly.

 

…

 

Niqi woke to the sound of water, which wasn’t all that unusual, but it was coming from inside the hotel room. “Save some of the hot water,” she called, rolling over in bed and dozing a little more.

“…Can I have some clothes?” Ambree yelled after another couple of minutes, startling Niqi out of her light sleep.

Niqi laughed, then got out of the bed and walked over to the closed bathroom door. “You’d better be prepared to wait. I’ll go get us some.” She opened the hotel door and left.

Ambree stood for a moment more, then resigned herself to waiting and sat down. She pressed her head against her knees. “Ugh. What the hell is happening to me?”

 

…

 

Niqi announced her presence with a, “Clothes, incoming,” as she opened the bathroom door and threw a wad of assorted cloth in.

“Thanks,” Ambree mumbled, picking up the clothes.

They didn’t speak again until after Niqi had showered and they were both dressed and in the chairs in the main room.

Niqi was about to say something once she’d settled in her chair, but Ambree beat her to it. “How do I even know that I can trust you?” she asked.

“I’m the only one you have right now,” Niqi replied calmly.

Ambree frowned. “Where are my parents?”

“Ugh,” Niqi mumbled quietly. “Nevermind about them. Tell me–”

“Are they hurt?”

“No,” Niqi muttered. “Please just–”

“So they’re both perfectly fine. Alive and well,” Ambree confirmed.

“Yes!” Niqi yelled. “Just let me–”

“No.”

Niqi glared at Ambree, her lips curling back to reveal her fangs.

Surprisingly, Ambree didn’t look away. “My mother died when I was three,” she stated.

“I know,” Niqi replied, her voice less harsh. “You told me yourself.”

Ambree looked confused. “But you just said–”

“I know what I just said,” Niqi growled. “I’m hoping I can get you to remember for yourself why they’re alive and well.”

“But…that’s just…”

“Ambree. Focus,” Niqi commanded. She waited until Ambree looked at her. “Tell me the last thing you remember.”

“Going to bed,” Ambree replied sarcastically.

Niqi rolled her eyes. “Some more information would be useful.”

Ambree sighed more dramatically than necessary. “I remember climbing up onto the wall, the way we’re not supposed to. Watching the triple sun set. Wondering about the outside world.”

Niqi nodded. “That’s good. Now…imagine being on the wall again, except it’s daytime. You’re on the wall that contains the gates.”

Ambree shot her an exasperated look, as if she doubted this was going to work.

“I mean it,” Niqi said, growing annoyed. She took a deep breath. “Just try it, alright?”

Ambree sighed again, but then actually concentrated on imagining what Niqi had told her. “Okay,” she mumbled after a moment.

“And now it’s not just the plains you’re seeing. There are two figures walking towards the gates of the Western Cross. It’s me and Glide,” Niqi went on.

“Glide’s the pink-furred one, right?” Ambree asked.

Niqi smirked. “Yes.”

“And he’s got his arm in a sling…is it broken?” Ambree wondered out loud. “And he’s talking to me…he’s got a problem with authority, too…” She suddenly gasped, and then fell back against her seat as if being assaulted with something. When her eyes focused again, she quickly looked to the wolf seated next to her. “Niqi!” she exclaimed, jumping up and wrapping her arms around her neck.

“Okay, okay, off,” Niqi said, smirking and pushing her back. “Same old Ambree again?” she asked hopefully.

“I think so,” Ambree replied. “Only…I just…” She paused. “Did we ever get around to killing those demons posed as selkies?”

“Oh, no,” Niqi groaned, holding her head in both of her hands.

 

…

 

“Here,” Niqi said, handing Ambree a newly bought journal and a pen. “Write everything that you remember down. I don’t want you to lose any of it.”

Ambree nodded and set to work, her hand flying across the page for several minutes.

Niqi began to get impatient. She paced the hotel room. “Planning on finishing that within this century?”

“Shut up,” Ambree mumbled, not really meaning it. “I haven’t written anything autobiographical since I was, like, ten.”

Niqi sighed and sat down in the chair across from Ambree, resigning herself to waiting.

 

…

 

Ambree finally put her pen down. She massaged her hand idly. “Okay, finished. I take it there was more.”

Niqi nodded and took the journal from Ambree, reading through it quickly. “Okay. Now I know where your memory cut off. So…” Niqi paused, thinking back. “The improved memory Therali gave me is really coming in handy,” she mused. Ambree gave her a quizzical look, but Niqi ignored it. “Think about waking up in the room you fell asleep in at the Snapdragon. There’s a rooster crowing. It’s f****n’ annoying.” Niqi grinned. “You go to the window and yell at it to shut the hell up.”

Ambree picked up before Niqi could go on. “And then Glide appears two windows down and says ‘Nicely done.’ And you…oh,” she breathed, collapsing against her chair again.

Niqi waited until she refocused, and then asked, “Now. What’s the last thing you remember?”

“Becoming a Crusader,” Ambree replied, still in deep thought.

Niqi thought for a moment. “…One day. Your memory is coming back one day at a time.” She paused to consider that, and then groaned. “And it’s been about 4,000 days since then.”