Legacy of Darkness

The sun gently rose over the ocean, the light reflecting from the dome at the centre of Aquala University reflected the red light onto the city of Inchaya. Dozens of small boats floated in the waters outside the city's docks.

Wes was sat on one of the mooring posts at the docks, looking out at the rising sun, and listening to the waves gently lapping against the shore. Despite any bad memories from his childhood, this place was home.

Footsteps approached behind Wes, it was Anya.

"There you are" Anya smiled.

"Oh, hi" Wes waved his hand.

"This view is lovely" Anya said as she stared across the ocean.

"It always calmed me as a kid, coming out here first thing in the morning and watching the sun rise" Wes smiled.

"Oh yeah, you visited here, right?" Anya asked.

"Nah, I lived here, on the streets" Wes explained.

"Oh... I see" Anya nodded. "Did you sleep well?" She asked.

"Yeah, was quite an exciting night last night, and that meal we had when we got to the hotel was amazing" Wes replied. "How about you?" Wes asked.

"I'm sleeping better these days, but..." Anya sighed, Wes put his hand on Anya's and hugged her.

"It'll take time, Anya" He smiled. Anya nodded and smiled, before looking back at the sun. "We'll all be here to listen anytime you need to talk about anything" Wes added.

"Thank you, Wes..." Anya hugged Wes back.

"We've come a long way since our days at Pyre Academy haven't we?" Wes chuckled.

"It seems like a lifetime ago now" Anya nodded.

"Hmm, what happened to your aversion to bright lights?" Wes asked. "I remember you used to have to take the maintenance tunnels because of it" He added.

"Oh, that was due to the virtual reality thing and how it interacted with my visual cortex. Since I haven't used it in a year, the side effects have gone" Anya explained. Wes nodded and sighed.

"I used to think Pyre and Crystech were amazing" He began. "But looking back now, they did so much wrong, and we all just ignored it, because it wasn't being done to us" He frowned.

"I was just as bad, in my days as the real Anya, I never used to think about what my fathers work meant for the workers in Raryst, for me progress forward with technology was all that mattered" Anya said, as she looked at her hands. "I guess I paid for that in the end..." She frowned, Wes sighed and hugged Anya again.

"You didn't deserve anything that happened to you" Wes said as he continued to hug Anya.

"I... can remember the moment I was stabbed" Anya stuttered. "I remember it from both my point of view... and the human Anya's point of view..." Anya began to cry. Wes remained silent and just hugged Anya tighter.

The city lights behind them began to fade, as the sun rose higher, Anya and Wes let go of each other and turned to look at the sea, they began to hear the dockworkers in the distance talking and starting their work.

"Sometimes, I wish I was like them..." Anya said, as she looked toward the dockworkers.

"You wanna be a dockworker?" Wes teased.

"Shut up" Anya chuckled. "You know what I mean, I wanna be normal" She said.

"I'm sure they wish they were saving the world, or flying about kicking bad guy's butts" Wes smiled.

"I guess, it's just, I've never had a life like that, where all I had to worry about was just... dock stuff" Anya explained.

"Their life isn't that simple though" Wes said. "They've gotta do that job for hours a day, most days a week, then they have to go home and find enough money to pay bills and buy food" Wes explained.

"Hmm, I guess, growing up in a family like mine, I've never had to consider stuff like that" Anya nodded.

"In the end though, without people like those dockworkers, the world would grind to a halt, they're the real lifeblood that keeps the city ticking over" Wes smiled.

"Hmm, you're wise, you know that?" Anya teased.

"Just call me Grand Maester Flash" Wes laughed.

"I'll be sure to do that" Anya joined the laughter. The two carried on joking for a little while longer, before standing up to head back.

As Wes was about to leave, Anya grabbed his hand.

"Wes" Anya said, Wes turned to look at Anya. "Thank you" She smiled, before kissing him. Wes was taken aback, but returned the kiss.

"Thank you too" Wes smiled. The pair walked away from the docks, holding each other's hands and chatting away.