Whispering Voices

033 • Beyond the Memories

"Then what are you doing here?"

Loki looked around. "More than anything, I was curious." It was bizarre to walk around this place, in this world of ice and mist where death was omnipresent. "I don't know how this is possible, but it's absolutely fascinating."

He turned to Rota gain. Aella, he told himself. But now he saw Rota standing in front of him, he doubted they were different people. His memories of Rota weren't so clear he could remember the details of her face, but he'd seen Aella an hour ago and there was a scary resemblance. 

He wasn't surprised his memories of Rota had faded, but it was strange Brunnhilde hadn't seen the connection. They had been sisters. Or would memories fade even then? He had to admit he couldn't see the face of his own mother so clear either. 

Aella placed a hand on her hip while she gave him a critical look. Blood was still dripping from her shoulder, where an arm was missing. He nodded to the wound. "Doesn't that hurt?"

She followed his gaze and looked a bit crestfallen at it, as if she'd forgotten her arm was cut off. "Less than before."

"That must be because you are creating new memories instead of using Rota's," Loki mused out loud. This was all so fascinating...

"All this doesn't make any sense. I don't get it."

"Neither do I," he admitted. He'd said those words before he thought about it. Actually he hadn't want to tell her he wasn't in control of the situation. She had a strange impact on him, making him more honest than he usually was. 

Was that also the reason she'd seen through his illusion so easily? He needed to spend more time with Hayes if he wanted to be able to copy his behavior effortlessly. Sooner or later he could use it to his advantage, he was sure of it. 

Aella's eyes found his. Even though they had the same color as Rota's, there was a clear difference. The Valkyrie had always been fearless and full of confidence. The eyes showed doubts now, and fear. He felt the urge to say something comforting, but swallowed the words quickly. Sentimentality wouldn't help her. That's what the boy was for. 

"What will happen if I die now?" Her words were just a whisper. "Now this is more than a shared memory?" Her breathing faltered a moment when the look in her eyes became intenser. "What will happen if you die here?"

The corner of Loki's mouth curled up. "Are you telling me you would shed a tear for me?"

She didn't reply, but turned away from him to oversee their surroundings.

Loki thought about her words. It was a good question. He honestly had no idea what would happen. This whole action had been quite impulsive and he didn't even know how to return to the spaceship. "Let's just make sure things like that won't happen," he said, more to himself than to her. He took a few steps toward her, so they stood next to each other. Once again his eyes were drawn to the red waterfall coming out of her shoulder. 

"Let me heal your arm. Stop the bleeding."

She looked at him, with her large dark blue eyes. "You can do that?"

"Normally, yes."

With one hand he hugged her left shoulder, the other he pressed to the bleeding stump. He closed his eyes and let his power flew out of his hand. The flesh grew together. 

Aella took a step back. Her lips slightly parted, but it wasn't gratitude she showed him. "Why didn't you heal Rota?"

Loki shrugged his shoulders. He knew Rota rather would have died than living with the knowledge that all her sisters (except for Brunnhilde, it seemed) had died and her mission in life had failed. It had been a selfless action and for some reason he believed he looked weak if he admitted that out loud. He rather clothed himself in the harshness he was known for anyway. 

"You still hear them? The voices?"

She took a deep breath. "I don't know what we're doing here, Loki. You took the soul catcher away from this planet."

"Maybe we have to look beyond this planet?"

"How?"

He tilted his head a little. "You have wings."

A few seconds passed by. "You don't."

"No," he admitted. "That makes things a bit more complicated."