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 Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:40 pm
Harmony wasn't concerned with much as a ghost. The afterlife wasn't a thrill and as she hovered over the battlefield the only person she seemed to care about was Camelot. Her spirit found him, hovered over him, while he was trapped under the rubble. There wasn't much she could do but watch and wait and hope. Whatever was happening between the senshi and knights and between the negas and their monster - it was bad. She wasn't the only spirit around and that frightened her. More kept being added and more...
And the next moment she was standing back in her bedroom again away from where she'd been, whole and alive. Yes...there'd definitely been a pause when she remembered nothing and now that she looked around being in her bedroom seemed surreal. Everything was exactly as she'd left it but the bed was made now. Had her mother made it while she was gone? Probably. But the one thing the girl couldn't shake was this nagging feeling. This helpless question why.
Why was she alive?
"Mom!" she whispered, harsh and broken. "MOM!" a shout. She raced from her room into the house to try and find her. "MOM!" But the word echoed back to her each and every time. How could she not be home? Harm grabbed the phone to dial her cell and the call went to voicemail. She didn't leave a message. Instead she grabbed a coat and went out to find her.
Kyndall, conveniently, was near the library looking for Tony. She hadn't seen him in more than two weeks and hadn't heard a word. She was worried about him and tried his house first. Though the library was closed and it was a long shot she'd thought to try there. Occasionally he worked late if he came to work at all. Which he hadn't and she saw an dark office in the dark building. She sighed, leaning against the wall and trying his phone again.
Frustrated by hearing his voicemail message she hung up and noticed she had a missed call...from home. "Harm!" She dialed the number frantically, already running toward her car. When no one picked up she cursed and for a moment lost hope that it was her daughter. But who else would call from home?
Kyndall didn't find Harmony at home and Harmony didn't find her mother at any of her normal haunts. She sat down hours later on a park bench exhausted and nearly disappointed to tears. While Kyndall was trying to console herself that it was a false alarm, it had been a month and a half, after all, Harmony just wanted to see a familiar face.
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 1:37 pm
Camelot returned from space as soon as he could, but not soon enough, it seemed. His first stop was the library, but it was empty by the time he got there. Closed up, a little earlier than he would like, by Carol in his stead. He would be back at work tomorrow, of course.
He checked his messages, seeing he had missed a few calls. Nothing caught his attention, most of it work related, or people asking him where he had gotten to. He had tried to let the story of his vacation/trip spread as best he could, but it seemed a few of his friends and colleagues were in the dark.
He'd handle all that later.
He wasn't Tony yet, and couldn't worry about librarian duties. He had a few more things to do as Camelot, first. Then he would be a father, before being a librarian. He had a plan.
Since the whole mess had been settled, his thoughts had turned to Kyndall and Harmony. He wanted to see them reunited, but he imagined by now they had managed to find each other. He wanted, then, to check in on them and see if everything was alright. His route took him through the park, where he spotted Harmony sitting on a bench.
"Oh, ah..." he was a bit surprised seeing her, and she looked very upset. He moved to her, kneeling carefully at her side. "Harmony?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 1:50 pm
A familiar face. There was one. And as she reached into her memory the last thought she had was of Camelot lying beneath the rubble with her spirit unable to do a thing to help him. She was grateful to see him alive and standing right in front of her. She stood up and threw her arms around him, hugging him tight. He was such a comfort to her now after her ordeal. He was the steady thing she'd been able to cling to. That and his promise to bring her home safe and sound.
"Camelot..." she started to cry in his arms and the whole story came tumbling out of her of what she'd been through and how she couldn't find her mother and couldn't reach her by phone. He would know Kyn had her phone. She'd called him a few times to see if he was alright. She sounded worried. Harmony was going through something akin to post traumatic stress. Dying did that to a person.
"I just want my mom." she cried, near hysterical with what she'd been through. "You promised."
She wasn't thinking logically. Yes, she'd checked everywhere her mother might be regularly but she didn't check home again mostly because she was terrified to go and find it empty again. She didn't want to think he mom had forgotten all about her and didn't know how much her mother was actually agonizing at home at that moment.
Kyndall, of course, had given up on Tony the moment she thought Harmony was home and now she wouldn't allow herself to leave though she was trying very hard not to get her hopes up. It was easier to convince herself that there was nothing for her to be excited about then the deal with the crushing blow later on.
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Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 1:07 pm
Camelot let her hug him, knowing it wasn't the hug of a love struck teenager despite her confession. They had come to an understanding about that. He held on to her now to comfort her, knowing she needed it more than anything else. She was a child, scared and alone.
It surprised him that she wasn't with her mother, and he wondered what could have possibly happened since she returned to Earth to keep them apart.
Listening as she sobbed at him, he smiled softly. They must have missed each other, as he knew Kyndall was on constant vigil for Harmony's return. There was no way she would be unaccessible, unless something important had come up. And the only really important thing he could think of was Harmony coming back. Her mother must have been busy looking for her.
They were like ships passing in the night, unaware.
"Let's get you to her, then," he said softly, "I know she's worried about you. Let's calm down and take a breath, okay? You're alright now. I'm sure your mom is waiting for you. Let's go." He smiled at her, his instincts telling him to carry the damsel in distress back to her home.
Instead, he offered her his arm to hook on to. He knew the way to her house, and could take her there directly. The only thing that could go wrong was if Kyndall wasn't at home.
He really, really hoped she was.
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Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 5:55 pm
Harmony took a while to quiet and calm down. She still clung to him, looking pale and scared. She held onto him until she felt able to let go and even as she did she trembled. She sniffed and wiped away her tears, trying to be reassured by his comfort. She nodded, hoping that he knew what to do even if she didn't.
She took his arm and leaned heavily on him. This was certainly not how she imagined her homecoming. She imagined something a bit easier...more joyful. She kept trying to tell herself that now that she was back in the real world she could go back to being normal. That she could go back to school and to work and she wouldn't have to remember. But it simply wasn't true no matter how much she repeated it to herself. She wasn't normal anymore and she couldn't forget what she'd been through.
It would take her a long time to get anywhere close to normal if she could ever be again. How was she supposed to live knowing that monsters and the Negaverse existed? It wasn't like she could just go to sleep and wake up back in ignorance, was it?
"How do you do it?" she asked, noticing they were heading toward her house. She wanted to point out that she'd already been there but she didn't just yet. Maybe he was right to take her home. "How do you handle knowing what you know?"
The better question. The million dollar question was how could she?
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 9:18 pm
Camelot looked at her as they walked, his expression sad but understanding. He put his arm around her shoulder, letting her lean against him for support rather than cling to his arm helplessly.
"Believe me, I had a hard time of it for a long time. I wasn't always like this, you understand. I have a life like yours, away from all the Chaos and the fighting. And I haven't been Camelot too very long, months, not years. Before that, I was in the exact same position you are now. Knowing too much about a terrifying world. But trust me, life goes on. This is, you'll realize, another kind of normal. And if you're lucky, what you know won't throw your life too far off its normal course."
He smiled at her, reassuring. Fatherly, in his way.
"Don't worry. I know it's very scary and overwhelming now, but always remember... as dangerous as things feel, and as scary as they are, there are always people looking out for you. Like me, and many more. Senshi and Knights, who will do what they can to protect you and keep you safe. Allow you to live a normal life. So... leave the worrying about all this to us."
He paused, realizing he had gone off on a lecture, and they were already nearing her house. He looked at her again, checking to see if she hadn't fallen to sleep while walking, or if he had said the wrong thing. He wasn't sure he had answered her question, and for the life of him could not remember what it had been, exactly.
"We're almost there. Knock on the door, and we'll see if she's home." He would stand back and watch, not wanting to crash the moment. He knew Kyndall was beside herself with worry, and something in him was positive that she would be there, waiting.
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:41 pm
Her illusions were somewhat shattered when he explained that he really was a superhero. He had a nine to five and a life outside of the costume. No longer could she fantasize that he was immortal and that brought with it worry that someday he might die like she had. The thought made Harm shudder and before she could stop herself she stopped him and threw her arms around him again. Not having him around, or the possibility of having him around, was more than she could bear. She did love him…just not in the way she originally thought. He was a security blanket, a comfort and she held onto him fiercely for a good long minute without explaining the sudden stop. She knew why she did it.
“I love you.” she repeated. This time it took on a whole new connotation and not an ounce of it was romantic. Only once that was said did she let go. They were at her door anyhow. She looked at it as if it might bite her but with his soft encouragement she approached. Harmony took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock. She hesitated and gave him a quick frightened look before finally knocking on the door.
Inside Kyndall’s heart leapt. She’d been dozing in her chair and knew, knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was her daughter. She got up and raced toward the door, knocking over the chair in the process. She looked a fright, felt like she might be ill with nerves and relief alike. “Harmony.” She breathed, yanking open the door. It took only about two seconds for mother and daughter to see eachother and about two seconds more for Kyndall to realize she wasn’t actually dreaming. “My baby!”
She pulled Harm into her arms with a small cry, tears flooding her eyes. She kissed Harm’s face all over, hugging her as she cried. The girl, in turn, clung to her mom and did the same feeling truly safe for the first time in a month and a half. “Mommy.” She whimpered, not thinking at all about who might be watching or really that anyone else was here. Kyndall cupped her daughters face in her hands, studying her features as if she’d been without them for far too long. She smoothed her daughter’s mint hair away from her face.
“Apply Dapply, a little brown mouse went to the cupboard in somebody’s house.”
Her daughter replied in a whisper. “In somebody’s cupboard there’s everything nice. Cake, cheese, jam, biscuits. All charming for mice.”
Harmony knew at that moment that she was home.
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Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:34 pm
Camelot was surprised when Harmony stopped and threw her arms around him. He hugged her carefully, closing his eyes and taking a moment to calm not only her, but himself. He had never really given himself the time to really worry about her safety, in a personal sense. He realized now how relieved he was that she, not just all the civilians but she specifically, was alive and safe.
It was strange, how quickly bonds had formed in space. Though, when he thought about it, it hadn't been that quick at all.
He nodded his head, rubbing her back reassuringly before he let her go and watched as the door opened. He stood back, still down at the end of the walk up to the door, watching like knight ought to. He had done his job, after all, he had brought her home to her mother as he said he would. It felt as good as he had imagined it would, his joy at seeing the two reunited finally settling the last of his nerves.
He smiled.
It was a sweet scene, and in a way he was jealous. His reunion with his son had been far from this kind and loving. A grunt of acknowledgement, and then some cursing when Tony forced him into a hug and would not let go. Ah well, Camelot knew that Harmony and Kyndall had a different relationship, and they had been through a different ordeal.
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Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:27 pm
Kyndall held onto Harmony for long minutes while both women cried tears of relief. She’d almost forgotten Camelot was there at all, delivering on his promise. Harmony eventually took herself away from her mother, looking at her. She looked at Camelot knowing she’d said all she needed to say to the knight. All that could be said between them. How quickly things change when you’re a teenager! Especially matters of the heart. That was certainly not the case of adults…or most of them. Harmony was quite secure in her new relationship with Camelot, as someone she trusted and loved.
“I’m gonna go take a shower, mom.” She whispered, excusing herself and slipping inside. Her eyes were red rimmed and she felt happy to be home. Kyndall watched her go, nodding dumbly as she went. Only once Harm disappeared did her legs give out beneath her and she sank onto the steps. She stared at Camelot in wonder for a few moments.
“You know, you dream about something every minute, every day, and when it happens nothing feels the same. All the words you planned out vanish from your mind and all you care about is the idea of it. She’s safe. She’s alive.” She paused, resting her chin in her hands before she looked up to meet his eyes with her own. “I will never forget that it was you who brought my baby home to me. Camelot, I owe you so much I couldn’t possibly ever repay you. If you need anything, I swear to you, I will help however I can.”
She got up and moved down the steps, hugging him tightly. The armor didn’t bother her. She was sincere in her affection and in her offer and got misty eyed again. He was a real knight, a true one, and she’d trust him for the rest of her life. “You are my hero.” She repeated in a soft voice.
She pulled away at last and sat down again. Her legs felt dangerously rubbery. “I know you probably can’t tell me anything about your life. It’s probably against the rules but do I see you at all? Do I run into you at the grocery store or have one of your kids in my drama club? I’d like to think you’re around.”
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:05 am
Camelot didn't mind getting forgotten, watching them and smiling distantly. The jealousy remained, though he knew that it was unfair. After all, they had just gone through something horrible, and the last thing he wanted was to go through something similar with Nate just to bond with him.
He moved forward once Harmony went inside and Kyndall looked like she was about to fall over. He put his hand on her shoulder, kneeling by her.
"I didn't," he said to her sincerely, "a lot of people had to fight very hard to bring the civilians home, and in then end they were brought back here. They were put right back where they had been stolen. I found her in the park, after missing you a few times, I imagine."
He smiled at her reassuringly, glad that things had worked so well. He was proud, joyful, a little overwhelmed by the sheer emotions hanging in the air from the duo and their reunion. He straightened up at the bottom of the steps as she stood, and he hugged her gently.
"You see me," he offered. "You won't know when you see me again, but I'm around. And I'll be around, making sure you two stay out of trouble."
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