Kits and Space Stations: Chiya and Ketvia's Story

"I hate you! I hate you!!"

Chiya had just been on her way out of the hatching bays, into the restricted areas of the Abstract Destiny, on her way to a brief lunch in the ship's cafeteria, when she heard the furious, childlike screams from down the hall. That alone would have changed her direction. That it was Callidei's voice made her change direction and start towards her at a charge.

Who in the world would she be saying that to? she thought, half frantic at the idea of her sweet, easy-going kit somehow angry-- and quite possibly in trouble!

"You're mean! You're just a big bully!"

Callidei, it seemed, had quite a set of lungs on her, when she wanted to use them. Chiya skidded around a turn, paws slipping on the cool floor, but still she wasn't quite there. One more turn, she hoped--

"Just-- just go away! Leave Claw alone! Leave me alone!"

This time when she skidded, she nearly ran into the swiftly retreating rear end of a Fire dragon, complete with a tucked tail and skewed ears-- though the skewed ears were much farther head on her body than her tail! And there was Callidei, standing protectively in front of a crouching, fur-bristling, teeth-baring Battleworn Claw. The whole hallway smelled like heat, with a faint overtone of sulfur.

"What's going on here?" Chiya asked quickly, before Ketvia ran into her.

Ketvia stopped short, flicking her ears and half a glance back at the new-come Light. Without skipping a beat, Callidei cried out, "Ketvia's just a big bully, Mommy! And I hate her!"

"So do I!" Claw echoed, but with a slightly shaky voice that said he was more afraid than hateful.

"What happened?" Chiya asked, confused. Ketvia had been out of bed, up and around, for only half a day, and suddenly Callidei had decided she hated her? What could have happened?

But Callidei and Claw had already turned and bolted down the hall together. "Calli--" Ketvia tried calling after her, but cut herself off, ears pulling back, when Callidei merely scooped her smaller bond up with a wing and rolled him onto her back, so she could run faster and not leave him behind.

"Ketvia?" Chiya asked, taking a step further into the hall.

Ketvia shook herself vigorously, fur fluffing, but she kept her head low and didn't look up at her. Her voice was gruff when she explained, "I was just trying to tell him to be good to my girl... guess I got carried away."

"What did you do, Ketvia, burst into flame right in front of him?" Chiya exclaimed.

"Of course not!" she snapped back, but her posture was still tense. Under Chiya's disbelieving stare, she muttered, "Not quite, anyway... I just got carried away, all right? Temperature just went up a little...."

"A little--" At Ketvia's expression, Chiya broke off, sighing. "Well, no wonder it smells like fire in here, and no wonder Claw looked terrified.... Come on, Ketvia. It's too late now, you can't take it back, and Callidei isn't about to change her mind for at least an hour. You can watch the eggs while I get us both something to eat."

Chiya left her friend and partner surrounded by eggs, all enthusiastically sending their thoughts at her-- they were up to twenty-three, now, an astonishing number, the largest that the Abstract Destiny had yet produced, and also one the doctor swore wasn't going to increase again this close to hatching-- in an attempt to cheer her up. It seemed like the best thing to do. Ketvia had never really gotten to know any of their egg-bound children... she knew their names and talked to them now and then, but her attention had always been on Callidei, who she could play with and feed and rescue. Now that she knew Callidei wasn't going to be coming home with them, she would have to get to know her other children-- or risk never caring about them even after they'd broken shell. That was Chiya's biggest fear, now that she knew Ketvia was getting her fire back: that she would never, could never, care for any of their other children.

Besides, it also seemed a good thing to be walking through the ship alone, just then. As she started back along the path to the cafeteria, she detoured briefly to find Callidei and Battleworn Claw. Her daughter was barricaded in Schroeder's office with her bond, and she didn't seem particularly upset... in fact, she seemed to have cheered right up again, as if she'd completely forgotten the incident in the hallway, within the space of half an hour.

Then again, Schroeder had probably made an effort to cheer her up, if she'd gone straight to him, upset and angry. Claw still seemed nervous, and Chiya wished she could somehow reassure him that Ketvia would never actually hurt him... but he wouldn't want to listen to her, anyway. ::Doctor Schroeder?:: she tried, sitting outside his office door.

His reply was prompt, and supremely unsurprised. ::Hello, Chiya, dear. Everything all right?::

::Not really, doctor... is Callidei all right? And Claw?::

::They were a little upset when they found me, but they seem to be all right, now. Is there something wrong?::

Chiya sighed faintly. ::Ketvia just scared Claw, and I think Calli's angry with her....::

::Oh, dear. Do you want to talk to her?::

After a brief thought, Chiya answered, ::Not right now... later, I will, once there's been some space. Thank you for looking after her right now.::

::Oh, it's not a problem, my dear. Just let me know if there's something I can do.::

::Thank you, Doctor Schroeder.::

Chiya continued on her way to the cafeteria quietly, thinking. Children often said things they didn't mean, and regretted later; but Callidei had been very angry, and threatening one's bond-- or seeming to threaten, Chiya didn't know exactly what words had been exchanged-- was a dangerous thing to do, especially with a pair as inseparable as Callidei and Battleworn Claw. Still, Callidei was not an angry child, or even a particularly emotional one: though Claw might never forgive Ketvia, Callidei probably would. Especially if Ketvia apologized....

When Chiya returned to the hatching bay, two trays piled with the best picks of the current selection at the cafeteria-- one of them piled rather higher than the other, given Ketvia's half-starved condition-- floated along behind her. She paused outside, staring at the closed doors and wondering whether Ketvia was happy, or if she was still hurting, or if she simply had gone back to not caring. Wondering if she would ever care.

With a quiet sigh, she sent a brief prayer up to Asuka and her Lords that things would turn out all right, then let the automatic doors open for her and went inside to face whatever would happen, when those eggs hatched.