trans_9 | Unchained [Open]

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Unchained [Open]

Sirius Black was no longer in Azkaban. He had spent but a few months there, a small fraction of the time he would have spent had Stacy not ripped him free, but it had left its mark on him. He knew his mind had fractured, he could feel the pieces as surely as if he were holding them in his hands, but he couldn't fit them back together. He didn't know how. He couldn't do it on his own. He needed James. But James was dead.

He should talk to Remus. He'd always been the most sensible and resilient of them. Remus knew what it was like to break apart and then put yourself back together. He'd done that every month since before Sirius met him. But Sirius couldn't go to him, not yet. Not when he could barely string together a few sentences.

Sirius had gone to the city first but it was strange to look out across all those buildings, places that should be full of life hauntingly empty. He turned away and wandered more until he found somewhere full of life. He could forget that he was on board a- what had they called it? Spaceship? It seemed like the four walls around him had fallen away and finally, finally he was free.

He stood still, eyes closed, arms spread, feeling the air.

He remembered his life. There had been bad times, yes. Horrible, terrible times but he had endured. He'd survived. And James had always been there for him. James...

So many happy memories now bittersweet. They flowed over him like waves, each one threatening to take him under but each one he cherished. Life was hard. Life hurt. Knowing that the person who'd brought so much happiness into his life was gone, knowing that Sirius was responsible for his death, it was a pain he could not describe. A pain he never expected or wanted to diminish. But through the pain there was laughter. Through the pain there was love. And that was worth living for, no matter how deep he hurt.

It's what James would have wanted.

"I'll look after him, Prongs. I promise."

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"I see," the woman smiled. "Then I won't interfere." Perhaps he was a druid or something. He didn't look well, but nature, even this hydroponic one, had powerful healing properties.

Sirius opened his eyes and let his arms fall by his sides. "That was a joke. Must be out of practice."

Linsha laughed. "You look rather pale. Some communing with nature would do you good." She offered him his hand - hard, callused by a sword hilt. "Linsha Majere, of Krynn, wife of Councillor Bight. A newbie here. Just looking around, making acquaintance with the ship. I definitely like it here in the hydroponics, and you seemed to enjoy it, too."

Sirius hesitated a moment before shaking her hand. "Sirius Black. It's good to have- well, I suppose it isn't fresh air but it's close enough to it."

Linsha continued to smile. Somehow she liked this man, he reminded her of her brother, though she couldn't say why. He had definitely endured a lot, perhaps here in this ship he'd find some respite. Though war was war.

"Glad to meet you, Mr.Black," she said. For her, the name Sirius didn't mean anything, just a gracefully sounding word. "Have you already decided what you're going to do in this ship? I hope to be engaged in the very next fighting mission. I want to get my world back as soon as possible."

Sirius did not return the smile. He knew that if he tried it would only look as hollow as he felt.

Now there was a question. What he was going to do? Funny, all this internal reflection and that thought had never crossed his mind. He knew that he was going to look after Harry and apologize to Remus (again) but beyond that...

"I'll see where they need me. I've been in a war but it wasn't anything like this."

Linsha wasn't a great psychologist, but somehow she felt this man needed action. Perhaps even more than respite. Perhaps she could help him with this. The ship was huge, there were a lot of people in it, and waiting while someone finds him and offers him some job could be very long.

"So you've a war experience, right? Which kind of experience, if I may ask? A fighter, a healer, a magician, a war vehicle driver or something else?"

He actually did smile wryly at the word "magician."

Well, Remus hadn't told him not to use magic. In fact they'd used it in front of everyone. And even if he wasn't supposed to it wouldn't be the first time he'd used magic in front of a Muggle.

He pulled his wand from out of his plantsuit pocket and waved it once, issuing a red sparks that briefly formed the outline of a phoenix before falling away.

"Wizard."

"A war wizard? Now that's great! Listen, Mr.Black, I've an idea. You know sometimes they have fighting missions here. I'm going to volunteer for the next mission anyway, but why do it alone? I could use a well-prepared group of fighters and magicians, trained to act together. So far, I'm looking for people who would be interested to join. Would you care to? We can have some training sessions together. But Mr.Black, I must say I have just a very vague idea of how magicians and fighters act together in fight - only what my grandfather had told me, and that was very long ago. So, if you're interested, I'll need your help in this."

"I wouldn't say I'm not a fighter just because I use a wand. You've never seen a duel, have you? Or is magic different where you're from?" He couldn't see how it might be different but he supposed it was possible. After all, he'd never considered the kind of Muggle technology here on Stacy. It was so far beyond what they'd covered in Muggle Studies.

As for the offer... hm. He just met this person and yet they'd all been chosen to fight. They both had the same goals in mind. Just the same, he couldn't help but expect a catch. Things might be different here but he knew the rules were the same. Trusting the wrong person could get you killed.

"Why don't I check out one of your training sessions and then we'll see."

Linsha understood. This man had been through much. He wasn't ready to trust anyone he met for the first time. Still, she was absolutely sure this sort of action was what he needed and that she needed him - or someone like him - to achieve her goal.

"A duel - what do you mean by that? A fighting contest? I've seen a lot, but not among wizards. Though I've heard of such contests, but they didn't include fighting, usually more subtle ways were used. Perhaps our magic is arranged differently than in your world."

"Good. I hope to find some more people who're interested and when I'm ready I'll contact you through the comm ring."

"Very different. Maybe I'll show you one of these days though it would be a duel between friends and not a real one." Real ones were much, much different, especially when your opponent didn't play by the rules.

"I would be glad to see. A friendly sparring is a good training." She was thinking of doing some sparring herelf, just to stay in form. Perhaps with Kang, or even with Lord Bight himself, though it would be just hopeless. "What world are you from, Mr.Black?"

He blinked then realized that right, he was on a spaceship. Why hadn't he ever bothered with Muggle scifi? This would make everything so much easier.

"Earth. I don't know how else to distinguish it from others."

"That's enough. After all, here in this ship, a world is people native to that world and their memory. I've asked you just because people from the same world have much in common. Thank you, Mr.Black." Linsha looked at him again. Perhaps she could still help. "You are not well. I'm a healer, though not a great one. Would you like me to try to heal you? It would be not much, just a little more strength, a little more positivity."

He paused for a while before answering her, his voice suddenly hollow. "You can't heal the wounds I have."

"I guess. But I can give you vitality needed to endure them. Perhaps one day you'll be able to heal yourself - or find someone wise and benevolent enough to heal you." Linsha knew the sort of wounds he was speaking of. He wasn't wounded physically, everything was all right with his body, it was his soul that needed healing, and she wasn't Goldmoon or even Blister. "Perhaps you would just like to tell about them." Sometimes it worked - to tell about one's problems to someone completely strange brought relief. "If it's not a secret, of course. I understand and respect secrets. I have some of my own," she smiled.

"No thanks." As if Sirius Black needed an infusion of vitality. "This is my business. I can take care of myself." Not entirely true but that's what Remus was for.

"All right." She gave him the possibility, it was up to him what to do with it. "I wish you well, Mr.Black, and hope to hear from you soon." Linsha smiled to him, nodded and went further along the hydroponic rows of plants.

(OOC. Thank you for the episode!)

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Unchained [Open]

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