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Shiana & Eliade: Only Meant Well

Waking up was less like the usual morning, and more like surfacing from deep water. Awareness came slowly to Shiana, and the asari made a small, weary sound as her lips parted to draw breath. Where was she? The blurry ceiling above her resolved into utterly unfamiliar shapes - not a starship bunk, not her home with Alcyone. Her chest hurt as if she'd been punched.

Thou art awakened, stars-child, blue-like-ocean.

The voice made her stop breathing for a moment; she stared up at the ceiling unmoving. Very, very slowly she moved her hand to her chest and found something hard there, the cloth of her shirt pulled away to bare the space above her breasts. She felt the rough ripples of stone and then the bruised and aching lines of her own flesh, pressed together as if the stone had taken root in her body.

Which, of course, it had.

Stars-child. The mental voice shifted down into a more serious register, almost a teacher's tone. Breathe.

She did so, a long, gasping breath that left her shaking. "Y-you..."

Eliade, stars-child. She could feel something moving in her mind, sorting through her thoughts and memories; she abruptly tasted long-ago dessert, a concoction from her favorite restaurant as a child on Thessia. The wet, rotting scent of Pertica tickled her nostrils as random sensory impressions slipped through under the deity's inspection. Her mouth went dry.

And then there was a sigh, and the presence withdrew. I do not mean to frighten thee. He... she... sounded like waves breaking now, a low sigh, wistful and sad. I called thee here, stars-child, as the fish to the sea, iron to magnets. You had no choice, and yet you chose truly. And I love thee for it, stars-child. She felt that love surround her, abruptly, and closed her eyes, resting in that shimmering haze of emotion.

"I don't know what I've done, Eliade," she whispered.

I do. You have done well, stars-child. The power of the shift, of change, has re-entered the worlds because of you. His - her-

Zir, if you would.

Zir voice was like a bell, now. Shiana relaxed into the bed, just a little. "And I'm going to die." It was not a question.

Yes... but that was always going to happen, was it not? You are fragile creatures, mortals, you star-travelers, sea-swimmers, rock-crawlers, forest-leapers. So delicate and temporary and astonishing. You live longer than most, do you not? Your race? At her internal nod, zir voice shifted again, the hush of reeds along a shore. You know the way you feel when you see those who seem so... tiny, compared to you. It is like that. You will die, stars-child. And yet you will not. Thou shalt dwell in me, and we will live until the End of All! Zir laughter was bright, water falling into water.

Despite zir strangeness, Shiana felt the strangest rise of hope in her heart. "Eliade... Shapeshift. What does that mean?" It wasn't something she'd ever imagined a god could be for.

All that changes in shape or form, be they undergoing mere metamorphosis or some more eldritch transformation. They are mine - perhaps not such a glorious following as a god of Flame or Forest, but they are mine. The sense of pride and possession rolled through her like a wave. Do not be afraid, stars-child. I will tend thee and keep thee all the days of thy remaining life. I called you to me, did I not?

"You did," she agreed, weakly. "You did."

So, then. Ah, stars-child... we must rest more. She felt the exhaustion at the same time zhi did, like being pushed back and smothered under a great weight. We two must become one. Our own transformation is yet new.

She nodded and settled more deeply back into the bed, her lips parting to release a soft sigh. "Eliade..."

Yes, stars-child?

"I don't... regret."

There was a pause, and then a soft, quiet warmth from within her. Her smile was weak and weary, but genuine. Even through her confusion, she did not regret.

Sleep took them both, once more.

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