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SILVER: Tales from the Fringes of Reality. Episode 30 – Long Lost.

GUILLERMO: And are you sure this is safe?

ALEXANDRIA: I’m sure, darling. I wouldn’t let her go if I didn’t think it was. Alasdair and Whim will be monitoring her the entire time, you don’t have to worry.

SPARROW: I’ll likely stick around as well; I know the signs of fading better than anyone else. We won’t let him get to that point, I promise.

GUILLERMO: Are you certain you want to do this, mijo? You don’t have to, we can find another way to figure this out.

SILVER: I want to go, dad. I promise, if I had any doubts I’d let you know, but I want to go. 

ALASDAIR: They’ll be safe, brother. They’ll come back to you.

GUILLERMO: Okay, okay. I… I’m gonna go with Opal and Mari so I don’t continue to cause problems with my hesitation. You’ve got this, kiddo. I believe in you.

SILVER: Love you, dad. I’ll be back soon.

ALEXANDRIA: Now, you remember what we talked about before, right? 

SILVER: It’s not possible to traverse the plane of magic in its entirety, so I have to do readings for clues.

ALEXANDRIA: And since no one has gone into the plane of magic itself since we first started returning souls to it upon their death, we’re not sure what those clues will look like. If it feels like you’re getting nowhere, just give the tether a tug and we’ll pull you back.

SPARROW: And if you feel us start tugging at your tether, it means you’re close to fading and you need to go, regardless of what you’ve found.

ALASDAIR: You’re not dying over this, Silver. No bit of information is worth your life.

SILVER: I don’t have a death wish, you know. (pause) But I will try to rein myself in. You… You don’t think she’d be able to grab me if she is hiding in the plane of magic, do you?

ALASDAIR: Absolutely not.

ALEXANDRIA: We’ve got a tether this time, you’re not getting away so easily, little one. Are you ready?

SILVER: As I’ll ever be.

(whooshing magic sounds)

SPARROW: Come on, Whim. Let’s get you settled while we wait for the recording feed to kick in. I’m sure it can’t be easy watching her walk into the unknown like that but– 

(static sound)

Oh, there he is!

SILVER: Okay, I’m looking for clues, any clues that can tell me if Minerva is here or if anyone knows where she might be. This is fine. This is fine! Not terrifying at all.

LUCINDA: Oh, amorito, you don’t have to lie to yourself. Not here.

SILVER: Who– Mom?

LUCINDA: It’s good to see you, mi amor. You’ve grown so big since I last saw you. You look so much like your father.

SILVER: He says I look just like you.

LUCINDA: I suppose that’s the thing with love– you always see the bits of your beloved in everything. He sees myself in you, but all I see is him; his eyes, his smile, his caring. His wonder, pure and simple. 

SILVER: I missed you, Mom. Gods, I’ve missed you so much. You were here and then- and then you weren’t and I had to leave everything behind and- and- 

LUCINDA: Shh, amorito, it’s alright. You were just a child, mija. A child who had to make an impossible decision, but I believe you made the right one. Your father needed you and you needed him; going with each other, it was right. My sisters understood, I understood. There were certain things you were never going to be able to handle on your own if you stayed down there without me and without a constant presence from your dad. The world you knew was already far more vast that our reality would’ve allowed for, mijo; you deserved the chance to explore it. 

SILVER: I wish you could come back with me.

LUCINDA: I wish that too, mi vida, but I’m afraid it doesn’t work like that. I died, mi amor. I died and there’s no coming back from that, not how I am. Others, maybe, but me? I’m just here to guide you along. You’re looking for something, right? Something important?

SILVER: I need to know if Minerva is here.

LUCINDA: I have not felt artificial life in this plane, not here at least. (shimmering sound) Here, amorito. Follow this to wherever it next leads you. I’m not sure where that will be, but I know this is what I am here to do. I love you, Silver. More than life or death itself, I love you. Never forget that.

SILVER: I love you too, mom. 

ALASDAIR: Stars above.

ALEXANDRIA: I suppose it makes sense that it would present itself as those closest to them. But other than their mother, they haven’t lost anyone who would be in the plane of magic; what else could it possibly show them?

SPARROW: I guess we’ll have to watch and find out. At the very least, it seems the plane is taking to him kindly.

ALASDAIR: Magic isn’t malevolent, ren. You know that as well as any of us.

SPARROW: There was still a moment of worry. 

ALEXANDRIA: I’m just glad Guillermo didn’t have to see that. I don’t know that he would’ve recovered.

ALASDAIR: They still love each other. Even after all this time.

SPARROW: Your sister is rather good at her job. (tapping) You’re right, Whim. It does seem like something is happening.

SILVER: Okay, now this thing has stopped. But it’s just more– More. So what am I supposed to see here?

MELINOE: That would be me, lovely.

ALASDAIR: Is that–

ALEXANDRIA: We’ve got you, darling. 

SILVER: You’re… You’re Melinoe. My uncle told me all about you!

MELINOE: I hear tell he stole my son’s name. He’s lucky I love him just as much as I love my son, otherwise I may resort to violence.

SILVER: He loved you and your family so much. 

MELINOE: I know he did. Didn’t even have a name until after us, had to find out upon my passing that he was no longer just a wandering, nameless magician. It’s funny how much of an impact people can make on each other after such a short time; he took my son’s name and I shared his spell with generations of my family and people in my village. One fleeting friendship changed the lives of so many. 

SILVER: Your story was one of the first stories they told me. It was their way of reminding me the importance of names and letting me know I could pick my own if I ever needed to. But Silver suits me, I think.

MELINOE: It does indeed, lovely. You shine like you’re made of it– I could make quite the dagger out of you if you were truly silver. (laughing) There’s a lot of Alasdair in your mannerisms; the way you hold yourself reminds me so much of them. You can definitely tell the two of you are related.

SILVER: He took some of his mannerisms from you, too, you know. His accent, for starters.

MELINOE: You think he can hear us?

SILVER: If my device here is working, he should be able to do so.

MELINOE: You probably know this already, but you had such an impact on me and Adam and baby Alasdair. He grew up to be a gifted caster because of you, lovely. Everything you did for us, it stuck with us for all of our lives. We loved you, even if just in passing moments with each other. Take care of yourself, Al. 

Now you, lovely, need to be heading off that way. If you follow this (shimmering sound) it should lead you wherever it is you need to go. 

ALEXANDRIA: Are you alright, darling?

ALASDAIR: I… I will be.

SPARROW: If we had known–

ALASDAIR: I didn’t know either. Stars, I knew consciousness could remain in the magic but I didn’t think it could reform like that outside of reality. Her memory remains; her family remains, even just a little bit. Enough to guide Silver on their way.

SILVER: I hope Alasdair was able to hear that. Or maybe I don’t. Gods if mom made me cry, then seeing Melinoe… Stay focused, Silver. Follow the beacon, see what the plane of magic can tell me, then go home. 

LEANNE: I’m afraid there’s still a ways to go before you’re able to go home, deary.

SILVER: I kind of figured as much. I’m Silver, who are you?

LEANNE: My name is Leanne, although it’s been awhile since I’ve taken on this much physicality. Ursa’s belt, I can’t even remember the last time I was put together like this.

SILVER: Ursa’s belt… You’re from reality 1? 

LEANNE: I was indeed. Me and your grandparents go way back; I was the second person your grandmother ever created. She was a dear friend, both of them were. You must be doing something mighty important for the magic to want to reveal my story to you; I don’t usually get pulled out for anything.

SILVER: It’s an honor to meet you, Leanne. I’ve heard so much about your reality– my grandparents’ history has always fascinated me which meant a lot of time studying your reality. You were the second to be created, does that mean…

LEANNE: I was the first to die, yes. It was consensual, or as consensual as death can be. I was tired, being alive for so long would make anyone tired. Alexandria wanted to see if the process of passing the magic back here would work and, well… I loved her and Sparrow dearly, they were my closest friends in the whole world. Of course I took the chance offered to me.

SILVER: And you’ve just been… here?

LEANNE: Yes and no. I’ve gone back a few times– allowed my magic to be pulled out and shaped into something new. I liked some of those people I got to be, but this form has always been my favorite. When I return to the magic, I like to return to being me. Whoever I was when I was in reality exists here too, as a fraction of a memory in my brain. Death allows us to become so much more than we were– or at least it did for me. Don’t go chasing things based on my experience alone, you hear?

SILVER: I wouldn’t. There’s still so much I need to do, and my family… I wouldn’t.

LEANNE: (shimmering sound) Here you are, deary. I believe this is what you’ve come to visit me for. Do tell your grandparents I said hello, won’t you?

SPARROW: Stars above.

ALEXANDRIA: …The system works. I mean, we knew that but seeing them again…

SPARROW: I know. Who else will be waiting out there for Silver?

ALASDAIR: I think we’re about to find out.

CL: Ah, so you’re the one I was waiting for.

SILVER: Oh! I wasn’t expecting to bump into someone so soon. My name is Silver.

CL: CL or Louis, whichever takes your fancy right now. You’re… You and Whim?

SILVER: You’re Whim’s CL?

CL: So they told you about me? I always wondered if they would tell others about me. I mean, we were children when we met, and like everything in childhood our friendship was so fleeting–

SILVER: They did talk about you. You were their first friend, you know that? 

CL: And they were mine. 

SILVER: I didn’t expect you to be… here. Whim is still so young, both of us are. When faced with infinity…

CL: There was an accident on the way to work. I’m told the same happened to your mother– lovely woman, by the way. Life is often unfair in that way, but being here… Death is rarely the end. Sometimes death is a new beginning. The way I went was an open wound at first, but now it’s a possibility to try something new. I’ll be heading back into reality again soon, as who knows what or who, and that’s not something I ever expected for myself. Finding out that there is magic in this world and that it pulls into a billion other worlds and there’s no singular god who will pass judgement on my life… Living made me. Dying set me free.

SILVER: Dying set you free…

CL: She’s not here if that’s your worry.

SILVER: What?

CL: Minerva, the AI you’re looking for. She’s not here. That’s not what you’ve been guided towards this whole time, she couldn’t have gotten in here even if she wanted.

SILVER: If that’s not what I’m being guided toward, then what am I being guided toward?

CL: (shimmering sound) Dying set me free, but it doesn’t set everyone free. But maybe you can set him free. Good luck out there, Silver. Stay safe.

ALASDAIR: Do you think…

ALEXANDRIA: I’m not sure. I don’t want to get her hopes up.

SPARROW: I never felt his magic moving through there again. If it’s him. (tapping) ‘Who?’ I don’t want to jinx it. Al?

ALASDAIR: I’ll go get her.

SILVER: If Minerva isn’t here, then who– Stars above. Hey, hey can you hear me? Good, good, okay. I’ve got you, just hold on to me, okay? Don’t try to speak, not just yet, I… Hold on. Please just hold on, I’ve got you, you’re going to be okay, I can’t believe–

Gran? Mama? Pull me back, please, and hurry, I–

MARIGOLD: Alright, I’m here, is everything okay? Alasdair seemed really worried and–

(feet hitting the ground, soft groan)

SILVER: Uncle Alasdair, get him an IV set up please. Gran, can you help me carry him to the infirmary? And someone needs to tell– tia Mari. You’re here.

MARIGOLD: Is that…

XANDER: (groaning) Mari?

MARIGOLD: Xander?