Reconciled: An Equilibriai Short

Elan
Viridia Residence
Humanoid Era
xxxx, X.X.

 “What else could have I done?” Margaux asked angrily. Althea said nothing and watched the brunette girl pace back and forth in the living room of the Viridia’s home. “Did you think I could have introduced myself on the first day out of the blue while she was still adjusting? I had to give her time, Althea,” she defended.

Althea merely tugged at a loose thread on her sweater. “I was trying to tell you to tell her sooner. Now look what happened. It came out while the fucking attack was happening,” the golden-eyed girl replied sharply.

There had been an attack on L’accademia, causing the school to immediately send back the lowerclassmen. Four hovercrafts had taken the students according to where they lived – Abluvion, Silvicultrix, Susurrus or Élan – while the willing upperclassmen stayed and fought along with the faculty.

“You have the shittiest timing,” Althea scoffed. “Now she’s worried about her family, who’s trying to be in contact with the school because Harlene stayed back to fight.” Margaux said nothing more and Althea exhaled, turning back. “I’m going to make the three of us something to drink.”

“And what about me–?”

The dark-haired girl didn’t miss a beat. “You go to her and apologize for nearly five years of no contact and fooling her with that…new identity of yours.”

Margaux said nothing more, only running a hand through her hair in a frustrated manner before heading towards the stairs.

The Viridias were kind enough to let Margaux and Althea stay. Although Althea lived in the same neighborhood, she decided to stay with the Viridias since no one remained back in her household. Her older sisters and mother were doing their best to keep the medical services going while her father had to attend a meeting on the safety of Élan.

Once they got back, Skylar was the one to race to her room and lock the door, having had enough on the hovercraft. Margaux had attempted to chase after her, but Althea held her back and asked for the brunette to give Skylar more time.

So they waited for an hour. The noises in Skylar’s room stopped and the two of them awkwardly settled in the guest room, Althea reorganizing her clothes while Margaux kept pacing. Having had enough of the stiff silence, Margaux then retreated to the living room.

After receiving word that the others (Roxanne, Carmina, Xandra) were fine, they could finally relax and then concern themselves on other matters.

Like Skylar.

Margaux inhaled deeply and hesitated. She wasn’t sure if talking was the best thing to do, considering that she and Skylar had an argument on the way back. She had nearly forgotten how it felt to argue with the smaller girl and found herself wishing she didn’t need the reminder.

After taking a deep breath, the brunette knocked on the door.

Skylar didn’t answer. Pressing her ear against the surface, Margaux could detect the sound of Skylar sniffing quietly. Sighing, Margaux knocked again and cleared her throat. “I can hear you.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“We have to. Golden might kill us if we don’t,” she joked weakly. When no other response came, Margaux stayed by the door and sighed yet again. “…please, Skye. Just let me explain why.”

It felt like an hour until the door unlocked and cracked open. Margaux took a hesitant step inside – when no blast of power from Skylar came, she found herself walking inside and then closing the door behind her.

It seemed like the room grew with Skylar. The walls were still that familiar shade of mint green, the white floor rugs were ever fluffy and pristine. Only Skylar’s books were in disarray, shoved awkwardly together in the bookshelf. The walls were bare except for the corkboard above her black desk, coated in pictures and various other decorations.

A familiar sight caught Margaux’s eyes. She spotted the teddy resting on top of the table holding a box. She swore she felt her heart soar.

But now wasn’t the time to reminisce.

Now was the time to make up for years of no communication.

“Can I sit?”

Skylar looked up from her comforter, eyes dull and red from all the crying she did. No answer came yet again, so Margaux stood in front of the blonde instead. Silence fell upon the two as Margaux struggled to find the right words to tell the other; she had to look away from the other’s expression just to concentrate.

Finally, it was Skylar who broke the silence.

“You never answered them.”

“I – what?”

“You never answered my letters,” Skylar muttered, rubbing at her eyes. “I sent you letters but I never got a reply. At first I thought I was sending them to the wrong person, but I had your address written down to the exact detail.”

“I never received them.” At that, Skylar sent the other a furious glare to which Margaux clenched her fists. “I never got any letters! I was sending you my own letters but you never answered either. I thought you were angry and gave up, so I stopped. I stopped Skye, because it was just going to be useless.”

“Five years!” the blonde exploded. This made Margaux jump a little, “Five years I sent you letters and you’re trying to tell me that you got none of them?” Margaux was nearly about to argue back when she saw the look in Skylar’s eyes, making her close her mouth slowly.

She never did know how to lie properly.

“I thought you wanted to start fresh and to meet new people.” Skylar absentmindedly played with the bands on her wrists, her voice leaking bitterness. “For five years I was convinced that you broke your promise but I just held on because I didn’t want to believe that you were that cruel.”

Margaux approached the other with a mild hesitance. “Five goddamn years of wondering if you just gave up, and then I thought I was okay when I reached the academy – and then I met you, and…” Skylar’s grip on the sheets tightened. “I thought I moved on.”

The other briefly remembered how closed off Skylar was when she met her as Margaux and not as Marguerite.

The way the other had her hood up almost all the time – except when they were having classes – and preferred to be the listening type than the talking during lunch. Even getting Skylar to open up was difficult. Xandra had told her that Althea was the one who knew her best of all.

(And even Althea had difficulties at times.)

“I wasn’t sure if you recognized me.”

Skylar glanced away. “It was the eyes. Then again, a bunch of other people has orange eyes. I had my suspicions, yeah, but…I didn’t think it was possible.”

“So when I used Theiara, that was the big clue.”

“Mhm. That was the one.” Silence came again and Skylar managed to sit this time, tying her hair up into a bun. “…I never really took it off.” The admission was quiet, almost absent to the ear. But Margaux caught on and watched as Skylar’s fingers grasped a rope around her neck, soon showing the onyx stone hanging down. “I never did. One of my suspicions was when I caught you staring at it during lunch one time.”

“I was shocked.”

The barest hint of a smile appeared on Skylar’s face. “I saw.” Finally lifting her eyes towards Margaux’s, the girl’s shoulder slumped. “I really, really thought you were gone for good, Marg.” Her voice trembled and Margaux took it upon herself to sit on the other’s bed, carefully wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner, Skye.”

“Don’t be. I know you have your reasons.” Attempting at another smile, Skylar glanced up at Margaux with a hopeful look in her eyes. “I – I’m sorry too. For being closed and shit. For taking a long time to accept you and the others.”

Margaux patted the other’s back, smiling herself. “It’s okay. We have each other back, right?” Skylar nodded slowly and Margaux looked at her. “I’m still Marguerite. I have a different name, but it’s still me. I was with you the entire time.” She flashed a small grin and chuckled as Skylar punched her shoulder with a scowl. “I know it was hard for you, Skye…and it was hard for me too.”

This seemed to sate the other, who resolved to lean her head on the other’s shoulder. Margaux decided that the incoming shoulder pain was worth it.

“We'll be okay. Everything will be okay.”

And for the first time in a while, Skylar started to believe.