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SILVER: Tales from the Fringes of Reality. Episode 24 – Pieces of Silver.

ALEXANDRIA: Whim, there you are. Marigold has proposed a plan to find Silver; we’re meeting to discuss now. Normally I’d ask if you’re up for this, but you’re rather integral in this one. Will you join us? 

Thank you, Whim. Come on, we mustn’t keep the others waiting.

SPARROW: Mari, are you sure?

MARIGOLD: Are any of us sure of anything anymore? Even Opal isn’t certain where Silver is concerned. That doesn’t mean we don’t try. 

SPARROW: You’re right, you’re right, I just– Dria! Good, you found them. We’d like for you to hear Mari’s proposal, Whim. And know that no matter what your answer is, we will support you.

GUILLERMO: Stars, ren, you’re making it sound like it’s life or death. It’s not, Whim. It’s more like… Physical pain or mental pain.

MARIGOLD: Not helpful, Memo. Look, Whim, I’m not going to pretend that this won’t hurt because lying to you won’t help anything, but– (tapping) ‘Just tell me what it is’. We want you to jump from the in between with us. I know, I know, we said it wasn’t safe before and honestly it still isn’t safe but it may be our only shot.

OPAL: There’s too much… The Fringes are both everything and nothing at all. In order to try and reverse the polarity–

MARIGOLD: It’s more complicated than that–

OPAL: I know, Mari, just let me simplify it please. (pause) Thank you. In order to try and reverse the polarity on your heartline like we had discussed when Luna was here, we’ll need to be somewhere less intense, so to speak. Usually we’d just do the controlled jump from here, but Alasdair thinks the randomness is a factor in fixing this and I’m inclined to agree with them.

ALASDAIR: You wouldn’t be alone for this either, Whim. We’d be there with you, every step of the way. But the jump from the in between isn’t always easy; you’ve heard Silver’s recordings, you know how it can get. 

GUILLERMO: It should also be pointed out that, well… We don’t know for sure that it will work, Whim. 

OPAL: It’s true. Being sure of anything with Silver involved is… Difficult, to say the least. Whether or not getting down there and trying to do the reversal will actually work is anyone’s guess.

ALEXANDRIA: Give them a moment to breathe, darlings. We’ve given them a lot of information, give them a moment to ponder it. (tapping) ‘Have we tested the reversal before?’ Opal?

OPAL: We did. And it worked; we got your dad back home, Whim. It’s part of the reason we have so much faith that it could get Silver back too.

SPARROW: Your parents are on their way. I figured having them here would help you make as informed a decision as possible. We’ll give the three of you time to discuss before asking you to make your decision.

ALASDAIR: No one would be mad at you for saying no, Whim. It’s dangerous, no matter how much we try to mitigate that danger.

MARIGOLD: We can always think of something else. Always.

(footsteps)

It sounds like Luna and Winston are here. We’ll leave you to it.

WINSTON: Whim. Oh thank the heavens, I was so worried– (they hug) I’m not letting the three of us get separated ever again.

LUNA: Wind–

WINSTON: …Unless, of course, you want to go through with the jump. I won’t lie, Whim, that scares me, but… But if that’s what you wanna do…

LUNA: But if it’s what you think is right, then we will support you. We found our way back to you once. We can do it again.

(tapping) ‘What was it like?’

For me, it was a bit like static. The world was buzzing around me, every nerve standing on end as electricity coursed around me. After a few moments, I could feel a tug right from my heart. It pulled at me, not dragging me towards it but dragging itself towards me. Time slowed to nothing, or at least it seemed that way, and I saw the world split open and open and open again until your father came tumbling through the openings.

The world closed itself back up and your father was there, in my arms.

WINSTON: Your experience will probably be closer to your mother’s but for me… I don’t even know how to begin to describe it. It was like one moment I was wandering, trying to feel for your mother on a moon that didn’t bear her likeness and the next…

Pain isn’t the right word, or at least I don’t think it is. What this was was something more intense than pain. It was like longing given a physical form, the aching gap of knowing something was missing, the intense wrongness of a situation closing in on you and drowning you on dry land. Just when I thought everything was going to swallow me whole, I felt it: a single line of calm stretching from my chest out through infinity. I didn’t even know it was a physical line until I reached to my chest and saw sparks of gold shimmering in my palm. From there I just pulled, unthinking, unknowing of what I was doing but so certain I was doing the right thing. Sky after sky, forest after forest, city after city, all of them passed me by until suddenly I stopped, familiar arms wrapped around me and tears I thought I had finished crying streaming down my cheeks. 

Your mother has always been beautiful, but seeing her after that… Breathtaking is the only word I can use.

LUNA: We don’t know for sure that your experience will be like either of ours; Opal was confident it would work for us but when we asked about Silver she wasn’t as sure. I guess my question for you is this, Whim: is the pain and the risk worth it even if Silver doesn’t get back?

(tapping) ‘Even if it doesn’t work, we have to try’. That’s my kid. Come here (they hug) You are braver than anyone I have ever known, Whim. I’m sorry that the world has made it so you have to be brave, but my gods am I proud of you. 

We’ll be waiting here for all of you to return, alright? Not going far from you, even if you feel far from us. (tapping) ‘I love you guys’ We love you too, Whimsy. Go get ‘em, kid.

(footsteps)

GUILLERMO: Whim! How did it go? (tapping) ‘I want to make the jump’ Are you sure, kiddo? (tapping) ‘We have to try’ …Thank you, Whim. Are we ready to get moving?

ALEXANDRIA: I believe we are. Luna and Winston are staying here and have been briefed on how to pull us all back up if needed, everyone is rested, and everyone is in agreement. 

(many footsteps)

ALASDAIR: You’re going to be jumping between me and Guillermo. I want you to take deep breaths as we go, okay? Anything you need to do to keep yourself calm; seeing reality pass you by like that, especially for the first time, is overwhelming. None of us could figure out if you were conscious when Minerva tossed you into the void, but in case you weren’t, you need to stay calm. We’ll be right beside you the whole way down.

GUILLERMO: It’s a bit like– (fast tapping) ‘Letting reality swallow you whole’ Huh. So they did remember some things about us while in Minerva’s vicinity. Silver always loved that I would call it that, would giggle and picture reality like a big whale in a fairytale. It’s a bit more intense than being swallowed by a whale, or at least I assume it is. You’re going to see a lot of places pass by before we land wherever we’re landing; just make sure you keep a good hold on us, okay? That’s the only way to guarantee we all land in the same space.

SPARROW: Take positions everyone. And hold on tight.

(wind rushing past, slow at first but growing faster and faster. Deep breaths followed by the crunch of people hitting rock and a small moan of pain)

SPARROW: Easy, Whim, easy. How are you feeling? (tapping) ‘Like I just fell from the edge of reality.’ (laughter, before yelling away) They’re fine, Opal!

(footsteps)

OPAL: Are you sure? That was a rougher landing than I was expecting. 

MARIGOLD: Where even are we?

GUILLERMO AND ALEXANDRIA: 1227S2.

ALEXANDRIA: It’s fairly mountainous and heavily forested. It appears that we landed on one of the peaks overlooking… Memo, what is the forest here called again?

GUILLERMO: The Viridian Sea. Landing by the forest feels good, Silver was always in and out of the forest. It’s like reality called us the same way it called her.

MARIGOLD: Let’s not waste any time then. Opal, can you start drawing the sigils we’ll need? I’m going to start pulling magic down to myself.

OPAL: I’m on it. Counterclockwise, yeah?

MARIGOLD: Yeah.

SPARROW: The rest of you, start storing magic and prepare to stand guard. All of us concentrated in one place may catch the eye of Minerva, we need to be prepared in case it does.

ALEXANDRIA: Guillermo, you and I will start feeling for weak points in reality. Sparrow, you take Alasdair and start feeling for Minerva’s magical signature. She’s been good at masking it before, but we’ve never been in one easy to attack spot before; she might get sloppy.

OPAL: Whim, stick with me. We’ll need you nearby once the sigils are painted and Mari has enough magic stored. (tapping) ‘Is there any way I can help?’ Just keep being delightful, Whim. And get ready for whatever’s coming next.

GUILLERMO: There are soft spots all over the place here. It shouldn’t be like this, there usually aren’t as many intersections falling into one place, unless…

Oh no.

ALASDAIR: IN COMING!

(explosion)

ALEXANDRIA: Alasdair! Start casting protection spells! Memo, help me start closing these spots!

(explosion)

OPAL: Sigils are drawn, Mari!

MARIGOLD: I just need a little bit longer–

(explosion)

SPARROW: We’ll hold off these spells, just keep focusing! Opal, do you think they’re being amplified somehow?

OPAL: Not amplified, mutated. Corrupted. She doesn’t know what she’s casting, just casting blindly, I can feel it. Closing those soft spots is our best bet right now, it gives her less places she can send magic through.

ALASDAIR: The magic has signs of both fire and shattering; whatever she’s trying to do, it’s not mixing well!

(explosion)

MARIGOLD: Almost there!

(explosion)

ALEXANDRIA: Sparrow, Alasdair, Opal: funnel some magic towards Mari, help speed this up!

OPAL: I’ve got it! Al, Ren, keep trying to send these spells away from us. (muttering) Come on, come on, come on…

MARIGOLD: READY! Whim, stand in the center there, quickly! 

(Sound like lightning crackling across the sky) 

Hold still alright? I’ve got a good feeling about this.

(thunderous boom before heavy silence)

GUILLERMO: Whim? Whim– (sounds growing distant) Come on, kid, wake up–

(beeping, faint at first, growing more and more clear)

A VOICE: Easy there, Whim. Don’t come up too fast, but come back to me. That’s it! Come on, wanderer, you’re doing great. Keep following my voice, alright? You’re going to be so mad when you wake up, I already know it; hopefully you’re not mad at me. Or, at the very least, not so mad at me that I’m unable to apologize. I’m coming in a bit clearer now, aren’t I? That’s it, wanderer, you’ve got this, just a bit further–

(pause)

I’ve missed your eyes, Whim. Didn’t even realize how much I had missed them until they were gone again.

(tapping) ‘Silver?’

SILVER: Yeah, Whim. It’s me. I’m home.