I have not shared my concerns with the others. The plan is sound, though risky in its primary objective. The aftermath of success is what concerns me. Human history is full of instances in which the cure is worse than the disease, if perhaps in a different way. If Reya is slain, then what? Upheaval across dozens of realms? Infighting? War? The post-war period is what will shape the future of humanity, of every realm; the lack of attention to it astounds me, especially when my allies will no doubt be most suited to serve as focal points for any political agenda. Yet what might I achieve on my own, with so little strength, and so little time?
-excerpt from the diary of Jillian Salvius, 12 A.F.
When Mira’s vision returned, Beatrice was on the ground on the other side of the room, expressionless and blinking slowly as she pushed herself to her feet. Ava was leaning against the interior wall opposite the piano, which was, Mira was thankful to see, undamaged.
Mira felt a hand on her shoulder, and a doubled voice whispered behind her. “Thank you.”
“Mira.” Beatrice was taking small steps forward, her left hand raised and empty. She sounded like she was trying to tame a horse. Mira hated it. “Please. You don’t understand how dangerous they are. Let’s just step outside and we can talk.”
“Dangerous? Dangerous?!” Camila spat the word. “We’re not the ones who put her in danger! We’re not the ones who broke our word, went back on a plan with the entire human race at stake and everything that is besides! You wanted to see her again after all this time? Congratulations, you did. Now Reya knows about her, about the two of you, and that’s going to give her more than enough to piece together the rest. Which means that the plan is dead. We’re all dead, unless we can figure out something else. Who could possibly be more dangerous than the two of you?”
“What plan?” Mira looked between the three of them, but no one answered. “What plan? And why can’t you all just stop for a minute? Stop fighting!”
Camila cocked their eyebrow. “How much detail would you like?”
“If you’re going to actually explain everything, let me step outside first, because I don’t want to hear that.” Ava stood and began to step away before Beatrice grabbed her wrist.
She looked on the verge of tears. “Please don’t go.”
Ava nodded and sank down next to Beatrice, then wrapped her up in a tight hug.
Camila took a deep breath. “They can tell you what they are comfortable with. As for the plan, we’re going to call a meeting. Lilith won’t attend, but she’s sent word that she abstains, and we share her proxy with Jillian if there’s a need for her vote.”
Mira looked at her mothers and bit her lip. She hadn’t meant to hurt them. She looked back at Camila.
“It’s OK. Despite how they came here, they are welcome. Rooms will be prepared. You can talk to them in your room for now if you’d like some privacy. And if they’re done here.”
Mira still didn’t like the way either of her mothers looked at Camila as they got to their feet, but she nodded. Better to keep the three of them apart. “Come on.”
The thing that first got me to write Warrior Nun fanfiction (as opposed to reading it endlessly) was the idea of what would happen if Ava and Beatrice fell in love with someone else. What would that look like? How would that happen? How would they navigate a friendship, with everything that had passed between them? How would their separate relationships bring out the aspects of their love that were most precious and beautiful? By the time I was done, I had this: angsty, funny, fluffy at times, and with the happiest possible ending I could think of for a post-canon fic (and the happiest such ending I've seen so far).
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