Sunbug and Moonstruck found themselves back in the ruins, because honestly it was the most interesting place Sunbug had been to thus far in her scouting adventures. She was pretty fascinated by all the hoards of things left behind by the Others; the huge but crumbling structures, the little mechanical bits, the pipes running seemingly everywhere and to nowhere. Surely this was also the most dangerous place, but she couldn't help but be attracted to it like a moth to a flame. It was Moonstruck's first time, however. "There's so much... stuff," he said in disbelief. "What did they do with it all?"
"I've got no idea," she answered honestly. "I don't know what most of it is, truthfully."
She watched as he darted up to a window full of spider-web cracks and put both his paws against it to peer in. She winced, nervous, but he was so light the glass didn't even creek. His little ears swiveled this way and that, but she could see from where she stood that the store looked like many of the others they had already passed. The roof had long since cracked, allowed sunlight to stream in as well as any other thing that wanted to. Leaves littered the table tops and gathered in the corners. Cobwebs stringed all across the walls and ceiling. It was utterly desolate.
"I don't understand how they could work so hard to make things like this only to destroy our planet," she said quietly. "Surely if they were capable of this, they were capable of saving the world instead of destroying it?"
Moonstruck, finally satisfied, pushed off the glass and returned to her side. "Dunno. Maybe they spent so much time making all this happen they forgot to figure out how to save it." He was looking up at her instead of where they were going and he padded right over one of those grates in the ground.
Sunbug panicked and quickly shoved him so he was standing on solid asphalt instead of the grate. He stumbled, landing on his side, and blinked in confusion. "What was that? What did I do?"
Sunbug took a deep breath. All she could think of was that little rodent she'd tried to save and it's unnaturally bent little leg. She didn't want Moonstruck to get stuck and get hurt. "Sorry. Nothing. You didn't do anything. Just... don't step on those grates, please."
He looked at her suspiciously, and rightfully so. She'd acted so rashly he couldn't possibly know what to think. "Oookay then." He fell back into stride with her, very dramatically avoiding all the grates they came across. And Sunbug watched, making sure he did.
After about three grates, Moonstruck had enough. "Okay. This is weird. Why are you being so strange?"
Sunbug stopped, and after a few more steps Moonstruck got the message and did too. He stared at her expectantly, and she sighed. "Last time I was here, there was a little rodent stuck in the grate. It couldn't get out on its own so I tried to help it. Except when I finally got it free, I broke its leg."
Moonstruck's ears fell back and his clicked his tongue in sympathy. "Poor thing. What happened to it?"
Sunbug frowned. "I used my ability to fix the bone. And then I took out to the edge-" she looked up, orienting herself to where they were, "Actually, not that far from here. I left it with some food and water."
"Well, that's not so bad then. You healed it up and left it to recover. Seems like no real harm no foul. You fixed your mistake." Moonstruck nodded, because really everything he was saying was logical.
And Sunbug felt terrible, because it WAS logical. But she couldn't help but still feel awful. "I just... don't want to do it again."
Moonstruck tilted his head. "Hurt something? I wouldn't want to either. But it happens sometimes."
Sunbug huffed, frustrated. "I don't want to have to use my ability again. I hate it."
Moonstruck looked surprised, but then understanding dawned. "You were upset when you healed me, too. Why?"
"It makes me sick. Seeing broken bones, or blood, or any other kind of suffering. I get nauseous and want to pass out. How can I be a good vivify noul when I can't even stand to look at the people I'm supposed to help? Why am I a vivify noul when I'm just a simple scout. Wouldn't something else - anything else - have been better?"
Moonstruck digested her barrage of feelings for a moment. "Seems to me," he started, "Like it could be useful. You're on your own, or we're on our own I guess, and one of us gets hurt? You don't have to go searching for help, you are the help."
"Some help I am if I can't even heal one bone without wanting to run away and pass out."
"You've managed it twice though! And maybe there's something else you can use your gift for that'll be useful to scouting. Don't you have any other abilities?"
She sighed. "I think I got a new one, recently. I ate a root."
Moonstruck stomped his feet excitedly. "Oh! Good! Let's give it a shot then!" He waited a moment for her to comply, then stomped his feet again, impatiently this time. "Come on! Magic time!"
Sunbug deflated. He wasn't going to let it go, so she might as well try. She wasn't really sure what the new ability did either, honestly. She closed her eyes and reached out, and she felt Moonstruck give an excited little gasp. And for a second, that was all she felt, but then her mind lit up. It was only a few little sparks, but after a second she recognized it as the shape of other living things. In front of her was Moonstruck, a huge bright glowing fox shape that felt comforting and known. And a little further out, way up in a tree she could make out the shape of a squirrel flitting back and forth.
The one that caught her attention most though was the shape of a teeny tiny rodent, just around the corner from where they stood. She opened her eyes suddenly and gasped. Without a word, she took off toward where she saw the glowing figure.
Moonstruck made a startled fuss and chased after her, but she was on a mission. She rounded the corner of a dark building and came face to face with a little rodent standing on a pipe. It looked at her, wide-eyed, before seemingly recognizing. It's little eyes crinkled up in joy and it let out a delighted squeak.
"You're okay!"
Whether the rodent understood what she said or not, the rodent made a little fuss of squeaks and ran back and forth on the pipe. It seemed genuinely happy.
Moonstruck watched, and seemed to comprehend. "This is the one?
Sunbug nodded. "Yeah, I think so.
The rodent settled and just sat on the pipe, looking up at her contentedly. Moonstruck smiled. "Seems like you did good to me. It seems happy, and it might have died if you hadn't come along."
Sunbug looked conflicted, but she reluctantly nodded. "You're right. I'm glad."
"How did you know it was here?
"My ability told me. I saw living things near by, like little glowing things in my mind. I saw it standing nearby and thought it might be the one."
"You saw it? In your mind?" Moonstruck looked surprised and then excited. "That's amazing! Sunbug that's going to be so useful when we're out scouting! You can see dangers before they see us! Your gift is going to be useful."
And for the first time, the grip on her heart loosened just a little. Maybe she wasn't going to be the best vivify in Vykeli, but she wasn't going to be totally useless. She'd be able to keep doing her job and maybe do it a little better.
"Yeah," she admitted. "You're right, that can be useful." She looked back down at the little rodent and nosed it gently. It rubbed up against her happily, and she understood that it was thankful. "I'm sorry for hurting you, but I'm so glad you're alive."
With that, she and Moonstruck left the little creature behind and continued on their way. The ruins were only one section of Vykeli needing healed, and they had many other unnamed places left to go. And Sunbug was going to tackle that with a new outlook on her gift.
