Rising Shards

I followed Jeans outside.

The stage spun, revealing the walkway on my apartment’s floor once it fully rotated. Just like in real life, the walkway was weirdly empty a lot of the time I was out there despite the view of the city.

“I don’t understand,” I said. “Are you a ghost or something? Was that a really badly sourced news show and you’re not on your trip at all, which then—wait, did you break into my apartment?”

“Zeta, breathe,” Jeans said. “It’s a lot simpler than that.”

“How?”

“You can see me, right?” Jeans asked. “And you could see me at the hospital.”

I nodded.

“Wait, what?” I asked. “You weren’t really there at the hospital?”

“With my Cani gift I can project myself here,” Jeans said. “I’m very busy, but I’ve been practicing my projection gift. You’re the first person I’ve actually been able to show up to.”

“Oh,” I said. “Hey, wait, you mean I looked like I was just talking to nobody at the hospital?”

“Yup,” Jeans said. “Probably looked pretty dumb.”

I sighed. Did not need that extra embarrassment.

“But that really doesn’t matter,” Jeans said. “I need your help.”

“Help with what?” I asked.

“To explain that I’m going to have to show you something.” Jeans said. “May I?”

“Uh….sure?” I said.

Jeans pulled a small piece of fabric out of her pocket.

“A bracelet…” I said. “Made of denim? That’s on brand.”

“Yep,” Jeans said. “But it’s more than that. This is your ticket.”

Jeans wrapped the bracelet around my right arm at my wrist.

“If you’re projecting yourself, how are you giving me this?” I asked.

“Think of it as a more stable link between you and me,” Jeans said. “So I can always know where you are.”

“Oh,” I said. “That’s kinda creepy.”

“I’m not gonna spy on you Zeta,” Jeans said. “But anyways. Focus. Have you ever seen Grove of the Unrequited Harmony?”

“Grove of the unrewhatted what?” I asked. 

“Have you seriously not seen Grove of the Unrequited Harmony?” Jeans asked.

“I’m having trouble following,” I said. “Like, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the whole projection thing.”

“It’s only the greatest movie of all time!” Jeans said. “It’s where I got the idea for my project.”

Jeans was looking through her bag now. Her eyes lit up as she pulled out a small gray cartridge.

“Here,” Jeans said.

Jeans put the cartridge in my hand. It was a video cartridge with The Unrequited Harmony written on it. She closed my fingers around it. 

“Be careful with it, it’s my only copy,” Jeans said. “And before you ask, my projection is strong enough to pass small items like this to people I’ve connected with. And you’re the only person I’ve connected with.”

“Got it,” I said. “You just keep that on hand?”

“You just carry around Raina Starlight books?” She shot back.

“Alright, that’s fair.”

“Just watch it, and you’ll understand what I was working on.” Jeans said. I still didn’t really get any of this at all.

“Zeta…have you been into the void yet?” Jeans asked.

“What?!” I said. “I don’t even have my fangs in! No!”

“I know that, but sometimes Cani go there early.” Jeans said.

Jeans looked pensive. But I didn’t want to let her down already. It had been so long since I had anyone other than Stella even talk to me this long.

“Here,” Jeans said. “Hold my hands.”

I let out an awkward “uh?!” noise.

“Zeta,” Jeans said. “You there?”

After the awkward noise I must have just been awkwardly silent for an awkward amount of time.

“Yeah,” I said. “Are you…saying you can take me to the void? I don’t have my fangs! I haven’t trained or anything, I’ve never been, I’ve never—”

“I’ll be there,” Jeans said. “And you can trust me. Just take my hands, and I’ll show you.”

I inadvertently let out a moment more of hesitation, and I saw a pained expression on Jeans’ face for just a second. That killed the doubt. 

“OK,” I said. “Let’s go.” 

Jeans pulled a clear yellowish stone from her pocket. She scraped it on one of her top fang teeth. Sparks came out from it. Jeans grabbed my arm and touched the wristband she’d wrapped around me with the stone just as I felt the little sparkles flicker against my skin. Instantly the world blinked away. A lightning bolt filled with doubts and worries filled me. I had never been to the void. I had never done any of this. I wasn’t even like a full on Cani yet. And now I was in some weird pocket dimension with basically a stranger? A split second of blinding energy. Worlds upon worlds folded and unfolded before me. Before I knew it, I was face to face with Jeans again. It was paradise. A serene beach, with no one else there. No buildings, nothing built by people around us. Just nature. I felt safe. But something was wrong.

“It’s not done yet…” Jeans said. “But I wanted to make a place where everything was safe, where no one could be in pai—”

I groaned, interrupting her thoughts.

“It hurts…” I said. Something about being in another dimension, the void dimension, for the first time with Jeans. It was wrong. I was happy to help her but my whole body ached. It was like an electrical current was running through every molecule of my body. Jeans looked terrified.

“I was worried this would happen,” Jeans said. “I’m so sorry, Zeta.”

Another warping feeling. Another split second of endless universes folding in upon each other. And then we were back in LE. Like no time had passed.

“I’m sorry,” Jeans said.

I felt like I was going to puke. I saw little kaleidoscope bits on the edges of my vision. They luckily faded away right as I got really freaked out. After a few deep breaths, I was OK. But not really OK. Tears filled my eyes. Jeans took the bracelet off my shaking wrist.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you before your fangs came in,” Jeans said.

The spotlight fell on the two of us as the rest of the stage went black. The me-stagehands were buzzing about moving the set.

“But…it has to be you,” Jeans said. “Just you.”

Her saying “you” echoed throughout the theater.

“What does?” I asked. “Why would you want someone like me? Can’t you connect with like a Cani ranger or something? Or even an actual Cani?”

“I can’t do that,” Jeans said. “It was difficult enough just connecting with you.”

“This has to be a delicate operation, and I’m putting myself at a huge risk just asking one person.”

“What kind of delicate operation would involve someone like me?” I asked.

“Because you’re the first person to create enough of a spark within me to actually connect with them strongly enough to project myself. That’s huge. Capital H huge.”

“But even if I’m the only one you can project to…I’m not a Cani yet. I don’t know how to do any Cani stuff.” I said. “Are you sure I’d be any help?”

“Yet,” Jeans said so matter-of-factly it felt like acid on my doubts. “You will have your fangs soon.”

“What would I do?” I asked. “I don’t even know what exactly you’re doing. How could I possibly help?”

Jeans put a hand on my shoulder and looked me dead in the eyes.

“I know it’s scary,” Jeans said. “And I know I’m being stupidly vague, but please trust me. If you train enough, if you work hard enough, you can be strong enough to be part of this with me. By the time you are, you won’t feel so sick in the void, and you won’t feel so sick in the world I’m making. I just need you to try.”

I’m not sure what I said in response to that, but I’m fairly certain none of it was an actual word, just me awkwardly making noises because I couldn’t handle any of this.

“I’m seriously the only one who can help you?”

“Yeah,” Jeans said. “You’re my one in a million shot. It’s a literal miracle I’m even speaking to you right now. But it’s proof my plan can work.”

I really didn’t know what to say to something like that, said from someone looking at me with such hope and determination in their eyes.

“And when your fangs do come in,” Jeans said. “It’d mean everything if you went to Wildfire Hearts, too.”

“Do you think I’d be good there?” I asked.

“Obviously. They have the best access to the void for Cani students.”

My heart flipped. I suddenly felt the invisible weight of the ‘now or never’ moment over me, just as drops of rain started to fall.

“Then I guess I’m going to Wildfire Hearts when my fangs come in,” I said. “…Jeans?”

Jeans was looking upward. The drops of rain that landed on her seemed to wash her away. “I think that’s all for tonight.”

“Wait, can’t we go back inside and talk about this?” I asked.

“I don’t want to overwhelm you,” Jeans said. “And once my projection starts getting washed away…”

The raindrops’ pace started to increase. Jeans was vanishing more, drop by drop.

“I’ll talk to you again soon,” Jeans said.

“And I’ll do everything I can to help you.” I said, suddenly feeling a rush of determination that I didn’t know I was capable of.

“I know you will,” Jeans said.

Another thing happened that I didn’t know I was capable of.

“Hey wait, before you go!” I said. “Did you really mean it when you said I was the cutest person you ever met?”

Jeans winked.

“Of course I did,” She booped me on the nose as the rain washed her away completely. I was stunned but also exhilarated. I must have stood there staring blankly for a while even after Jeans left. Her smile alone made me wish my fangs were in.