After spending a couple of hours at the hospital with the others, we decide it's time to go home. It's been a tough weekend for everyone, and we all need some rest. Faye says she'll keep Ayame company a little longer before maybe giving it a couple more attempts to use her own healing powers to speed along her recovery. I take the bus home to let myself have some time to sit and process on my own before confronting my parents.
Putting in my earbuds and slumping in the seat of the almost empty bus, I feel the gravity of everything that's happened settle on me and completely fail to do any actual processing. My mind goes blank, and I find myself simply staring out of the window for the entirety of the trip. Chibi Destiny stirs in my purse, peeking out of the opening up at me with concern on her face is what finally breaks my stupor. I put a hand down in the purse for her to hold and reassure her I'll be fine, while pulling up my phone to check the news with the other.
The very first thing that pops up on my screen is a live report from the site of our battle, where a field reporter is giving a recap of what the public has learned. Practically overnight, a makeshift quarantine area has sprung up around where the motel used to be, with unmarked government vehicles parked all around the perimeter, while workers in strange, neon green hazmat suits are erecting a thick plastic barrier on steel supports, quickly blocking off view from the outside, but an anonymous cell phone clip overlaid on the report shows the viewers that the black hole Jeanette created to summon all the larvae is still there.
This would be the first time a battle between the Knights and one of our enemies has left anything behind ever. It hasn't happened at all in twelve generations of Celestial Knights being active, so it's no surprise that the government would be interested in studying it. I wish they wouldn't, though. It's probably dangerous, not to mention it might hold clues to how we can get Jeanette back, and now we definitely won't be allowed near unless we're transformed. Maybe not even then.
Several eye-witness accounts all corroborate the same story: that they saw flashing and moving lights from afar, most of them guessing at a battle between the Knights and some kind of monster no one managed to see. No one gets even close to the truth. I'm sure that government black site or whatever you'd call it is going to be a hot topic both at school and between the six of us that were there, but I'm not going to worry about it just yet. Way too many things to think about already.
"I'm home!" I call out as I open the door and take off my jacket and shoes. It's already Sunday afternoon and I still feel exhausted both physically and mentally. It's going to be a tough day at school tomorrow. "You in the living room?"
"Hey sis!"
"Shawn?!" Before anyone answers my question about where they are, my brother pokes his head through the doorway with a big, goofy grin on his face. He's in his senior year of college, history and technology major, and hasn't been home much because his studies have been so busy. Seeing him now takes me by surprise, dispelling my worries for the moment as I run and throw myself at him in a hug. He's the only one in the family who's taller than me. Like dad before he went bald, Shawn's got brown hair and the same blue eyes all four of us have. He's not exactly lean, but also not chubby either, though he's taken my advice on how to dress to suit his body type, and today is wearing a pair of grey slacks, black shirt and his varsity jacket. "What are you doing home?"
"I was in the neighborhood for a museum visit on Friday and decided to come surprise you all. Leaving in a few hours, so I'm glad I managed to catch you! Did you change your hair?"
"Uh, y-yeah. A little bit. You know, something new. And you know me, gotta stay ahead of the trends. Is it weird?" He nudges my shoulder gently and steps back a little, wrapping an arm around me in a side hug.
"Nah, it suits you. My sister deserves to bring a pop of color and light to the room whenever she enters." Shawn's always been my biggest supporter, always been in my corner, through thick and thin. He leads me into the living room where mom and dad are sitting around a board game I recognize from one of the many nights Ida got us Knights to play with her. "We were just about to get started, why don't you join us?"
"Oh man," I grin and shake my head. "I should've known you'd get into this stuff. Yeah, I'll join. And I'll kick your ass, too. Ida's been teaching me this one recently." At his raised eyebrow, I hastily add "Oh- she's a friend I made last year. She's really into these sorts of games."
The game goes on for a little over an hour. Mom and dad are having a little trouble with the semi-complex rules, but are just enjoying spending time with both of their kids. A fierce battle spawns between Shawn and I, going back and forth. I very deliberately don't do anything to manipulate which cards anyone draws because using my powers to cheat is just plain wrong, and in the end, Shawn ends up winning with just a few points over me. Mom's been staring at my hair the whole game, and dad's been pointedly trying not to, so I know full well they've noticed and just aren't saying anything because we've got a pretty clear deal they don't try to meddle with my appearance. We clean up the game and make a bit of small talk before Shawn looks at me seriously. "So, Destiny, colleges? You got your applications all done yet?"
"All sent out and stuff, but I'm getting kinda nervous. At this point, I just wanna know if I need to move or not, you know?" I mutter.
"Yeah, I get that. I can help you look for some apartments to get in the queue for already if you want?"
"Yeah. Yeah, that'd be nice." I nod and get out of my chair, showing him to my room. Of course, I bring my purse with me so I don't leave Chibi Destiny downstairs. The first thing I do is turn on my laptop, but before I can start pulling up apartment rental websites for Shawn, he stops me, puts a hand on my shoulder and looks deep into my eyes.
"Hey. I can tell something's going on. You're good at hiding it, and mom and dad would never ask. They love you, but both have had a little trouble figuring out how to talk with you about serious stuff since you came out."
"I know, I- I'm trying-"
"Is it anything you can talk with me about?"
He nods and sits down on my bed, gesturing for me to join him, which I don't hesitate to do, almost slumping down on the mattress beside him and leaning on his shoulder with my hands in my lap. He strokes my shoulder and hugs me tight, just giving me whatever time I need. It takes a few minutes before I say anything, and in the meantime I spot Chibi Destiny peeking out of my purse, but it doesn't look like Shawn sees anything. "Jeanette's been in trouble. A lot of it. I guess I've been busy with some new friends and I didn't notice. When I did, she pulled away and disappeared. Now she's hurt and in the hospital."
"Hmmmm..." Shawn sighs and scratches the side of his head a little bit. "Hurgh. Yeah, that's a tough one. What about her parents?"
"They're part of the 'trouble'."
"You blame yourself a bit, don't you?"
"Of course I do. How could I not?"
"I don't know, sis. But I know you probably did everything you could to help her, and that not even a monster attacking would stop you from helping her now if you could, right? That's just how you work." I sigh and nuzzle a little extra into his shoulder as he speaks. He's right. I've already been planning how to go about investigating how to fix Jeanette's magical coma in the back of my mind, and I think I've got some pretty solid ideas.
We sit and chat a little more, with him assuring me, and me asking him about how his studies are going. Apparently, he's been getting really into the history of weapons technology, and in particular from the last 80 years. He's writing a whole term paper about it for class. We forget all about the whole apartment hunting thing, and before we get up to go back downstairs, he looks at me very seriously. "So. Your hair. Your eyes. You know you've gotta be careful with what you're doing out there, right?"
"... So you've obviously figured me out," I sigh. I should've known he would. Shawn's always been very smart. "How long have you known?"
"Your name is Destiny and your hair is blue. Her name is Destiny and her hair is blue. She appeared right around the time you miraculously walked away from a monster attack without so much as a cut. It's not exactly rocket science, sis. I'm honestly surprised no one else put the pieces together."
"That's part of the magic, literally. Keeps those around me from figuring things out too easily, but someone always does. Just... Please don't tell mom and dad?"
"I won't. But maybe you should? They probably figured it out too and just don't know how to talk to you about it. We all just want you to be safe, you know?"
"Yeah, probably. And I'm trying, I'm doing my best." I'm talking both about staying safe and actually talking with my parents about the important things going on in my life. "Have you figured anything else out?"
Shawn thinks for a moment, sitting back. His hand on my shoulder strokes my skin with its thumb in a soothing way. "Asha is probably Incarna. I'd recognize her pretty much anywhere. And the new friends you talked about are the other Knights, though I don't know who any of them are."
"Shit, you're good."
"I know." Well, at least he hasn't figured out that Jeanette's gotten involved too, though I guess that would be a pretty big leap. "I am curious though: How does it work? For you, specifically. There's been interviews, biographies and all sorts of stuff about previous Knights, enough to give a good sense how they work. But you don't fit in that puzzle, and that's what I could never figure out."
We joke and chat a little more, though he lets the topic of my being a Knight drop at this point. He was just worried and wanted to make sure I knew that, I think. Eventually, we join our parents and eat dinner. It's really awkward at first, and mom is still staring at my hair, and now my eyes too. "Mom, you're staring."
"It's pretty!" She deflects. We all know each other well enough that I can see she's not worried about the hair.
"Fine. Maybe we should talk about the elephant in the room then?"
"We just want to know what you're doing all the time, honey," dad says, reaching over to hold my hand. "We see you leaving late at night without telling us. You're spending almost as much time away from us as Shawn, and sometimes you're gone the whole weekend."
"And your appearance has changed so much! You're beautiful, but it's just a lot of things happening at once, and we aren't sure why." That's mom again. She had the most trouble accepting me after I came out, but she's really been doing her best. If I'm being honest, that whole situation might have been a big part of why I've been keeping secrets.
"I-" My words fail me for a moment. Shawn catches my eye and gives me a reassuring nod. "Remember how that sixth Celestial Knight appeared out of nowhere? The same day I was caught in that monster attack?"
They both breathe a long sigh of relief, catching me off guard. That was unexpected. "Oh thank the stars," mom says.
"We weren't sure if that was you or if you'd gotten into drugs or something."
"Dad, what the fuck."
"Language, young lady. We don't swear in this house."
"I would never! So wait, you weren't sure if I was putting my life on the line against monsters, or if I was on drugs?"
"Well, I mean, with the colorful hair and sudden change to a more cheerful attitude, it could be either," mom mumbles, looking at her nails for a moment.
"You're both being a lot more chill about this than I thought you would." I squint at them a little bit and then look at Shawn for help. He just shrugs at me.
Dad leans in and gives me a little clap on the shoulder. "We were kind of panicking a little to begin with. But you're a grown woman, Destiny. You can make your own choices, and we trust you to keep yourself safe."
"Plus, we saw how happy whatever was going on made you in just a couple of months, so we decided to not meddle until you told us."
"Well, that's nice. Thank you. There's still a lot of stuff I can't tell you, especially about the Knights themselves or what we do, so you gotta keep trusting me about this."
They both nod at me, and we small talk a little about all the small, inconsequential details surrounding the Celestial Knights and my work with them. Mom asks a couple of questions that get a little too invasive over the course of the conversation, but I barely even have to make a grimace for her to back off. Like Shawn, dad is mostly interested in how the whole Knight thing works for me, but he gets the same answer as my brother. Mom makes a comment about the little doll I brought home that makes me certain she figured out there's a connection there, though probably not the details of it.
Eventually, Shawn has to go back to Westview, so we see him off when his friend picks him up. I'm still rather stressed about everything going on in my life and wanting to figure out what to do with Jeanette, but getting to see my brother and be assured by his presence was surprisingly calming. My parents finally knowing what's up is surprisingly helpful to my mood as well. At least now I have someone I can talk to outside the Knightly circles about this stuff if and when I need it.