The Fire and The Storm - The Nexus of Kellaran #2 novel Chapter 156

Part 23

“Listen.” Talia said as she went to one knee before her children and put her hands on Fire and Six’s shoulders. “Just before the time-bubble is cast, we’ll cast our copies on Hilia. And I know that we’ll be with you while the time-bubble runs. But the us that’ll be in the time-bubble won’t be able to see you for years, and I know that’s going to be really hard on us. Only the knowledge that it’ll only be a short time for you and that we’ll regain the memories of that time after the bubble ends gives me the courage to do this.

“So give me a big hug, and I’ll take a really good Reading of you to remember while I’m away from you.”

She hugged them with desperate affection while she Read them, and Mark and Alilia did the same, and they continued until all three of them had hugged and Read all four children and Povon and Kragorram as well.

“We’ll miss you. And you won’t miss us.” Alilia laughed with a tear in her eye as she hugged and Read Povon.

“True, but I’m sure you won’t miss us much, what with all the little ones keeping you busy.” Povon teased as she released Alilia.

As those who would stay and those who would leave separated into two groups Mark asked Visinniria; “Let us know when there’s five seconds to go?” and she nodded.

When she gave that warning, Mark, Talia, and Alilia cast the Multiple Simultaneous Manifestations spell to create their copies on Hilia, and called; “It worked, we’re on Hilia, we love you, take care!”

Amirgath Translocated everyone who was leaving to their preferred destinations just a fraction of a second before the bubble was cast.

PART 24

“That was different.” Val commented, even as she and her siblings rushed to their parents on the patio of their cottage on Hilia and hugged them. “When Amirgath jumped us here, there was no perceptible time of transition, and no quick flash of cold. We were just suddenly here.”

“Yah, but that’s not as weird as hugging our parents while feeling like we just left them for a long time.” Fire commented with a tear in her eye.

“You’re sure right Mother.” Six told her. “The exceptional really have unique problems. I’m sure no one ever felt quite like this before.”

They all had to chuckle a little at that.

“Does it bother you, knowing that you’re a copy?” Kragorram asked Mark.

“I don’t think of it that way.” Mark shrugged. “I know this body is a copy, but it doesn’t bother me because there’s only one me, one mind with one soul. I just have two bodies right now, and I don’t know what I’m doing in my other body because we’re separated by the time-bubble.

“Most of the time when you use the Manifestations spell you’ll be able to know what you’re doing in your other body any time you wanted, which would reduce the tendency to think of it as two separate selves. This is just a unique circumstance, and I don’t feel any less me than I ever have, even knowing this body is the copy.”

“I feel exactly the same.” Talia said, as she and Alilia nodded.

“You know something?” Six quietly asked. “You’re right. We can take care of ourselves, but we’re still only seven. We should have just gone back in the time-bubble with you, it wouldn’t have been that bad, and it would have saved you a lot of trouble. But we really don’t have the discipline yet to make that kind of a self-sacrifice. Now that I’ve become psionicly aware of the full world around me, I’d risk my life in battle before I’d go into isolation like that again.

“If we really were capable of acting as adults, we would have insisted that you just go in the time-bubble without us. It would only have been six weeks without you. Lots of children go on vacations that long without their parents, to visit their grandparents or whatever, and they deal with it. We’d have had Povon and Kragorram and Sheramiv and all The Atoned and lots of people to keep us company, and we have lots to do. Real adults could do it easy.

“But I couldn’t even bring myself to suggest it. The thought of spending six weeks without you was simply unbearable.”