Legacy of Darkness

The Wild Rose was flying over the ocean, the cold weather was slowly beginning to subside, whether it was due to Bryan no longer controlling the temperature, or if winter was simply coming to an end.

It was almost morning, most of the ship was asleep, but Anya was sat in the lounge, watching an old film, wrapped in a duvet. She had seen this film many times. Though this was the first time she had seen it through these eyes.

Anya was lost in thought, she hadn't really had the time to sit down and think, as the journey back to Disceath was restless. This was the first night she'd been able to sit back and relax. Was she really the same Anya? Or was she just a copy? A copy that had killed the real Anya...

The door to the lounge slowly opened, and Lotte walked in, yawning.

"Morning" Anya smiled. Lotte jumped into the air, she clearly hadn't been expecting anyone to still be awake.

"Morning, you gave me a fright there" Lotte chuckled, as she walked over to the coffee maker to make herself a drink.

"You're up early" Anya said, as she muted the film on the TV.

"You're up late" Lotte smiled. "I like these early hours. Before the chaos" She winked.

"There is something peaceful about late at night" Anya said, as she sat up.

"Peaceful, but sometimes lonely too" Lotte nodded, as her coffee finished brewing.

"Yeah" Anya sighed.

"How are you holding up?" Lotte asked, as she added sugar to her coffee, and sat down.

"I don't know, it's a lot to take in. I hadn't really had time to start processing it all until now" Anya replied.

"I can imagine" Lotte looked at the coffee in her mug. "But, you are Anya. Nothing can change that" She smiled.

"It's easy for you to say that" Anya frowned. She sighed deeply, before looking at Lotte. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap" Anya said as she sat back.

"Look, you can let it all out with me, I know you must be hurting" Lotte sighed.

"It's not only the whole 'finding out I was once human' thing that's getting to me" Anya said.

"Hmm, your father?" Lotte asked. Anya nodded and frowned.

"I know everything he did was wrong..." Anya shook her head. "But he was my Dad" She sighed.

"He was, and he did love you, Anya" Lotte said. "That's one thing that didn't change" She added.

"No, he loved the real me, this version of me that exists right now, he despised" Anya put her head into her hands.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring that up, I didn't realize" Lotte sighed. Anya smiled slightly.

"Don't worry, it's very complicated, I'm just glad you're here to listen" Anya smiled. "Did you get on with your father, what was his name... Deux Wynd?" Anya asked.

"Yeah, he always took care of me, and helped me on my path... but he wasn't perfect. Nobody is" Lotte smiled.

"From what the others tell me, he tried his best" Anya nodded.

"He did. I'll miss him" Lotte said. "With him gone, I am the Headmistress of Wynd Academy" She pondered.

"The Academy is gone, is it not?" Anya asked.

"It is" Lotte nodded. "But it can be rebuilt, the crystal still exists, protecting Ishtall as we speak. When the time is right, we will return and restore the Academy" She explained.

"What is Ishtall like?" Anya asked, having never seen Ishtall in person.

"Lots of tall glass towers, a golden beach... and quite windy" Lotte chuckled.

"Sounds nicer than Raryst. I always hated the brimstone, and the constant heat from the volcano. It felt so oppressive" Anya began. "Then, in the city itself, the shops were all ran by machine, just technology everywhere. It felt so... empty" Anya recalled.

"Well, Ishtall was nice for the most part, but that was mainly thanks to Crystech investment in the city" Lotte explained. "In some corners of the city, the old town still existed, old empty warehouses, slums, stuff like that" She added.

"Still sounds nicer than Raryst was, it felt like a fake city" Anya sighed.

"What about New Raryst?" Lotte asked.

"It is impressive to see the spirit of the city lives on, post-eruption. It would have been so easy for the cityfolk to leave for a new home, but they decided to stay, and rebuild" Anya smiled.

"Right, just because the old died, doesn't mean the new is worse" Lotte winked. Anya smiled.

"I see what you did there" Anya chuckled.

"It's true though, you are still Anya in every sense of the word. You've just... been through some things, that make you feel different" Lotte said.

The two talked for a few more minutes, before Anya began to drift off to sleep. Lotte picked her up and carried her back to her room. The ship drifted off across the ocean as the sun rose behind it.