Their drive was in relative silence. The roads were silent, even the hum of the Mercedes' engine seemed quieter. A few short conversations bounced between the two of them, the question wasn't asked until Gale armed another cigarette.
"You got a spare?" Carola asked as he brought the lit lighter up. Gale didn't respond until he was puffing out smoke.
"Yeah." He practically grunted, opening the arm rest. Gale's eyes were locked on the road and he didn't even notice the minutes go by while she waited for the lighter. "Abit keen to get in a car with a stranger aren't you?"
"You're not a stranger Gale." She stated with confidence, nodding as he tossed the lighter into her lap. "We might have only just met in person, but we've been in the City for awhile now... that has to count for something right?"
She only got a grunt in return, he was focusing on the road. Leading them out of town. "Don't really care what happens to be honest..."
"Bit of a grim outlook at what was it, twenty two?" He asked, finally looking at her. She was sad. The wound was still fresh.
"Got nothing else have I?" She took a long drag on her cigarette, she cradled the smoke. Seemingly taking a fascination in it drifting through her fingers. "She took everything when she left."
"Hard to save your world when there's nothing left to save." He wanted to see how far this bitterness ran, not too far he hoped. One of them had to have a reason for this.
"The phrase is saving the world. Not saving your world."
"No that's wrong." He earned a glare from that. "Why go out of your way to save someone you don't know about? Why go and donate money to someone you've never met. Save your world Carola, the people who love you.. Because there are always people who love you. That is your world, and it is all that's worth saving."
They were silent. A thoughtful silence no doubt. It all made sense to him now. He nodded, understanding entirely. He reached back behind his seat, scrambling for something he swore he'd taken from the ferry. She gave him a curious look, a look which got answered when he passed her a folded newspaper.
"Give that cover a read." He hoped the distraction would work. She seemed to frown at him, like his sudden change of topic wasn't what she had expected. Carola huffed quitely, and scanned the title. She donned a look of surprise, followed by awe.
"What did you do?" She asked, reading the simple phrase upon it. One that Gale himself had frowned at: 'Do you remember it?'
"My Son announced its existence to the world."
"That's good right? The City might come back to life?" She sounded hopeful. She cursed lightly as they hit a pothole a little too firmly.
"The damage is already done. The City can't exist in that world anymore." He said simply, he drew on confidence with no evidence.
"So what's the plan, gov?" She asked, throwing the paper onto the dashboard. She snuck another cigarette. "And why did you need to cross several hundred miles to do it?
"If we can sever that last connection, then bring the City into the real world. People seeing it, and actually being able to go to it without having to grow a spine might just give it the life needed to live again." His confidence had faded. He was clutching at straws. "I have no idea if it'll work, or if it will just kill it for good. It's hard to explain, I think we have to try... But trust me, if it fails... It'll be a helluva show."
Gale gave her a look of hurt as she clicked the lighter. He snatched it from her mouth, claiming it as his own. Carola shot him a cocky smile, twirling another stolen white cylinder in her fingers.
"Where are we going?" She asked as she puffed out more smoke.
"Somewhere with a field." He responded, turning the Mercedes off the roads onto a less beaten track.
"Good choice, no one comes here." Carola said with a smirk, she turned to her companion. "Why do we need a field?"
"I don't want anyone to see what we're going to do." Gale responded, only after, did he realise how suspicious he sounded. Carola reached into her jacket, pulling the firearm free and resting it in her lap. Gale chuckled. "No not like that. Imagine how much people would panic if they saw a Shardship land in their garden."
"You crashed it, remember? Going senile aswell are we Gramps?"
"Dad... Alban doesn't have a bratling yet thank god." He grumbled, finally parking the car and turning off its engine. "You can sleep on the backseats if you want."
"Taken!" She said, jumping from the car eagerly. It seemed she was driven to see the plan come to fruition. Not much after they both felt the tug of the City.
They felt a wind blow against their exposed skin as they awoke in their armour clad bodies. Carola watched Gale's body reassemble from ash on the bridge they had last been upon. The City's shattered skyline framed the horizon behind them, the thick fog clouded everything ahead of them, the bridge's determined span all that dared breach it.
They both heard the echos. Sounds eeking across the otherwise silent world. They both turned back in turn, looking into the depths of the City in search for the echoing heartbeat. They were not alone.
"Is that?" Carola asked, doubting her own instincts. Gale let out a long whistle at the sight ahead, whilst Carola herself put her hands to her mouth in shock.
The drifting district of the City descended from its place in the World's sky, turning gently in its slow descent. The spires upon it fell in reverse, rushing up to forge once again as a single whole. Debris set into their old places, the cracks and splits between them withdrew and faded. Their paths were replaced with stone of every colour.
Like scar tissue on their towers themselves, they held their new form with pride.
The city rumbled with a thunderous crash as the district rested back into its former position, merging seamlessly into the whole, the decay still crept and tainted the land, yet even with so few to witness it, the City fought back.
The damage could not be fully undone. Debris still scattered the air and the causeways. Distant districts still hung suspended in their death, whilst others still foundered in the abyss below. All the while little coloured spots wove between the many towers, insects in the great garden of the gods.
"We have to be quick." Gale stated. He reached for his waist, pulling away the inert crystal upon it. "Before too much of the City's power returns."
He held it out to her, she watched the cracks and faded surfaces start to glean again, it was awakening from it's forgotten slumber.
"Grab it." He instructed, she threw him a look, but the urgency could not be avoided. She reached to the crystal, holding it weakly. At her touch it flashed to life. it's surfaces sheened, its colour returned. It was as new again.
"Think of that little ship." he instructed. He held the air of authority well. "Call it with me."
To any watching their curious stance must've been moreover humorous. Yet to those listening, the call was rhythmic. It sounded out across the spires, echoed through their great halls. It melded into the City's own quiet song, funneling its will to that debris field, it's notes weaved between each shard, weaving them together like threads between pieces of fabric...
Those new explorers walked it with wonder. They surveyed the fallen debris scattered across such a massive area. The spire's stump was growing back, yet its reach into the sky was slow. They ran their hands along the debris, in awe as it seemingly healed beneath their touch.
That amazement turned to surprise as it began to shift suddenly. Pieces jumped into the air like dolphins from the sea. Landing back with a splash of dust and rubble. They watched it with an entertained curiosity. With each jump pieces smashed together. They sang. They healed.
They barely ducked as it leapt together into a whole. The Shardship imploded back into a single piece in one bound, launching above their heads with a vigour of a new life. It's flight was graceful yet energetic. It's arch into the sky could be seen across the City, it cast glowing blue plumes behind it. Ethereal jet trails from an ethereal machine.
"This is the nasty part." Gale said as he saw the vessel crest the towers. He looked at his companion, almost sorrow filled. "We wake up, together."
"How? Wait until the sun comes up?" She asked, hopeful. Yet it wasn't enough.
"Won't be quick enough..." He said, the Shardship closed in. He pointed at his neck. "You know how... You've already done it once."
"Oh come on there must be another way." She looked horrified, Gale shook his head.
"Ever tried waking yourself up?" He said simply. He held his hand out with trepidation. "I'll be gentle. Do not let go."
It was a grim sight. The Shardship sped towards them as they reached out. The feeling was alien to them both. It was wrong, yet they both squeezed only as much as needed. They both worked gently as they began to choke. They didn't notice the eyes watching them, their vision on eachother, they watched as one another faded into dust.
On a distant island, on the distant clear ocean, the World Tree came alive. One by one scattered buds began to bloom, their crystal flowers opened of all colours, glistening in the orange hues of the dawn. Yet no eyes came to see it, the scattered light illuminated the Tree like it was glowing, its roots grew further into the City's bedrock.
Those that came, began to wake it.
The City began to live again...
They woke up gasping and flailing. The pressure only relieved when they realised their hands were free. They coughed and wretched as the air filled their lungs once again. They wheezed for a long while, their throats were marked...
...and their hands were cold.
The feeling of stone was overwhelming. It radiated a heat that felt alive, yet it was a heat that rapidly cooled. They both looked at their hands respectively, the crystal prism was sheared in twain, yet nonetheless...
It had crossed to their world.
They both scrambled out the car, leaving the doors wide they charged into the open field. Carola tossed her piece to her companion, Gale snapped it from the air with trained precision.
He slammed the broken ends together, causing it to flash with a blinding light. It sent out a punch of air that rippled the grass and shook the trees, leaving a crater of blown down overgrowth. Its light faded to an ebbing strand, sparks shot inwards from the cracked perimeter. It was still broken, yet he held it whole.
And then held it aloft.
The world was eerily silent.
Their breathing was still heavy, as they watched the skies they hoped and prayed. A faint crack sounded out in the darkness, they watched as the crystal began to fracture and dissolve into the wind.
"Comeon!" Gale bellowed, Carola jumped back, eyeing him carefully. She scanned the skies again and again.
And they both cheered.
It screached through the sky alight with fire.
They watched the bright ball of fire begin to descend. It trailed like a comet, yet instead of burning out it only grew brighter. The orange flame it cast out dulled for favour of its long, blue flight-giving trail...
It slashed through the clouds, cutting them in twain with ease. They roared in victory as the crystal in Gale's hands glowed equally bright from its core.
It came to their call...
It came eager, it came with pride.
The air rippled once more as it came to a hover. The Shardship scattered the light of the distant streetlights, illuminating the grass and trees beyond with facets of colour.
It was here, it had come.
The duo ran its perimeter in disbelief as it settled to the ground. Carola slapped herself, thinking it couldn't be here. Gale just reached for it, his fingers touching it truly for the first time. It was soft. Like a wild animal he ran his hands across its stony surface. The light blue crystal of its hull shone brightly. It purred at them, awaiting them. Carola leaned her head on its snout, she listened for it. It was here, it was alive.
He snapped his fingers, and it responded to his call. Its canopy opened wide. Its cockpit shifted, and it awaited them as the decay set upon it. Yet it would not yield.
It had crossed between worlds...
It would never yield.
"Let's get this done old friend..." He whispered to it as he climbed upon its surface. He reached to his comrade, offering her the hand atop it. The vessel hummed louder and louder as they scrambled upon its surface. Gale dropped himself into its flight seat as Carola did exactly the same. It was comfortable, even if it was made of glass. Gale's hand rested on a panel, letting the canopy close above them. Their eyes of the real world could barely see through it. It wasn't made for them.
And slowly cracks began to web its surface.
"Well then, straight up..." Carola said to it with a hint of cheer.
Gale held the crystal out, then slightly upwards, the vessel launched. Chasing its direction rapidly. The motion made their heads spin. It rushed through the air faster than a jet, launching them from the field, rapidly leaving it behind in a shimmer of trailing light.
Those few that saw it in flight began to fathom how alien their world was becoming...
In moments they were high enough that the dawning sun appeared on the distant horizon, past the curvature of the Earth. The cloud covered night rapidly began to fracture. After a few seconds of clouded bleakness the sky gave way for the twinkling lights of the stars.
The vessel tore through the atmosphere, igniting its surfaces once again for the briefest seconds. The flames faded away into nothing. It had surpassed the bounds of Earth.
And as they began to choke on the void once again... they passed onwards into the world beyond.