Chapter Text
Anameme sat atop the senate house, not bothering to look at her partying comrades beneath her.
Her heart ached with excitement and terror; once the Argo II got here, it would be time.
She sighed, leaning back on her palms, looking up to the night sky, who was only colored by the moon, stars, and the Milky Way herself.
Could that be a sign?
Who could even give her signs when she is the highest of all, hell, she should be the one giving out prophecies and warnings to all of the partying New Romans below like Halloween candy.
But then again, she wasn’t called Prophet, no, her name is Warrior.
“Anameme, why aren’t you enjoying the festivities?” A cold, powerful, yet mildly playful voice asked from behind, Anameme beamed and turned to face Reyna, her smile turning into a wild grin at the sight of her close friend.
“Hey‘a there Praetor.” Anameme said languidly, patting the marble beside her.
Unfortunately her smirk disappeared quickly, turning to a deep frown as Reyna sat down next to her.
“Is everything alright? You look exhausted, Anie.” She whispered, rubbing slow soothing circles on Anameme’s back.
“I- I have a lot on my mind.” She muttered, looking over at the city
“Are you upset that you weren’t chosen as predator?” Reyna asked carefully, Anameme merely shook her head
“Nah, it just means I can share a room with you.” she bumped her fist to Reyna’s shoulder, Reyna allowed herself a moment to laugh at her friend’s flirting before quickly sobering up.
“You're planning something.” Reyna said quietly, making Anameme stiffen.
“You were clever, I can admit that.” She whispered lowly, her umber eyes flashing in the starlight “Aurum and Argentum alerted me to your suspicious behavior.” She leaned close, making sure Anameme knew her threat
“You know, It's odd to lie about wanting to be my co-Praetor, Anameme.” Reyna’s voice was a deep growl, Anameme flinched at her tone but she didn’t back down.
The silence between them was thick with tension and unease to the point it was suffocating.
“Did you pretend to love me?” Reyna suddenly spoke up, her voice more genuine but uncharacteristically uncertain and desperate? No, that’s not right, Reyna should be better than that… she is better than that.
Anameme inhaled sharply “it wasn’t the plan. My plan was to make connections, to gain favor and trust, but..” she pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing deeply.
“I like you, Reyna, you are the strongest girl I know, I would be with you if I could.” she sniffled.
“My own lover wouldn’t even care, she’d just love you, too. She might even bring her own gal pal, just as sweet as yourself.” Anameme laughed sadly, unable to bring herself to look at Reyna.
“Our love is real Reyna, so real to the point it hurts my chest just thinkin about you. You're a strong, confident, determined natural leader. You impressed me more than I expected.” Anameme laughed bitterly, blinking away her tears.
“Unfortunately for you, I have a plan. Something nobody has ever seen before, and trust me when I say, I’ve everythin.” She shook her head slightly, finally looking down to her partying subordinates below, basking in the city lights, the noise, and the pleasure for the first time tonight.
“I shouldn’t have let my feelins win. Should’a kept it professional. But I didn’t. Now I have been a shitty, selfish prick in your beautiful umber eyes” Anameme spat, fire temporarily burning in her eyes.
Reyna didn’t know what to do, or to even think in this moment, she was so incredibly pissed at herself for being played again, for allowing herself to fall head over heels for this Daughter of Mars, Reyna should have confronted her sooner.
Gods, that’s not even getting into Anameme also having a girlfriend. How in the name of Pluto was she supposed to react? Saying ‘it’s okay’ would be a total lie, why does everyone have to play with her heart like this!
“Tell me what your plans are.” Reyna said through gritted teeth, her words waterlogged with emotion “It’s the least you owe me.”
Anameme hesitated, she didn’t want to tell Reyna, but she was right, although there were so many unknown variables; Reyna could manage to foil their plans! Push them back another infinity, or worse, she could get hurt in the process of doing all of those things.
Anameme sighed deeply, they have waited that long once, they sure as hell can do it again. Josiah might give her the ol’ Alpha Charlie but Reyna is right, it’s the least she can do.
“I have three others involved. One of them is my aforementioned girlfriend. We have been plannin on mergin multiple realms, worlds, veils, into one, this one.”
Anameme looked back up to the sky, savoring the light of the moon, to Reyna she looked so angelic yet so ugly and so very red.
“Each of them are in separate places, separate Earths, with separate their separate systems, ways of life, years, times, magic, powers, quirks” she chuckled slightly, like there was an inside joke, an inside joke that Reyna wasn’t in on.
“We plan on bringin them here in a big show of magic and power, finally allowin ourselves to show what we truly are to the fullest extent. Sure, we’ve put different systems together before, but never like this. Normally the worlds would set up, ready and waitin for us, now we are takin it into the palm of our hands for the first time.”
Reyna felt her heart beat fast, was Anameme being serious? This was ridiculous, but that excitement in her cherry red eyes told Reyna all she needed to know, well not all, but enough.
“Wh-what are you?” Her voice quivered, she internally cursed herself for letting her composure slip like that.
“I ain’t a daughter of Mars, if that’s what your askin” Anameme said with a playful scoff
“But-“
“I’m the daughter of no one, I made myself in every way. There is no one higher than me and my true allies.” Anameme finally forced herself to look Reyna in the eyes, power radiating off of her like waves in a hurricane against a battleship.
The silence between them was even more overwhelming and unbearable than the first time. Reyna closed her eyes, her chest heaving with restrained sobs.
Anameme looked her over, unsure how to make her feel better, if that want even possible.
“Reyna..?”
She didn’t open her eyes.
“I know the words „I’m Sorry„ mean nothin, but it ain’t mean that I don’t feel bad for doing what I did. I do care for you, I do love you, and there’s nothin either of us can do about it. I have preestablished plans for world conjugation, that means I might not be a good choice to pursue, hell, I’d push you away if you tried.” Anameme shook her head
“Just note that if you somehow manage to stop this, it will happen again, just not with you specifically.”
Reyna swallowed thickly, overwhelmed out of her wits, Anameme studied her thoughtfully, her mind a lot calmer than the former.
“sixteen, seventeen, next month yeah?” She mused “You could just run away in the night, this night. You deserve to live like a normal teenager. You know, have a childhood.” Anameme stood up, readying herself to jump off the roof but Reyna stood up too, towering over her, the of the day’s battle wounds healed over seamlessly by Anameme’s silent tears, Reyna would rather those cuts right know.
“Your not leaving so easily Handsyn.” She spat “You can’t just leave after telling me all that!” Reyna cried out
“I…” her voice faltered, she took a minute to desperately catch her breath but the tears were too fast, too hot.
“Oh Reyna..” Anameme whispered, her face soft with sympathy.
“You're the strongest girl I know. No matter what you choose, you will have my respect.” Anameme reached into her bra and pulled out a necklace with an hourglass charm,
“When all of the Sand reached the bottom, that means I’ve done somethin big.” Anameme is hesitant to put on, but Reyna doesn’t move an mucle as Warrior gently clasps the necklace around her neck, the sand already had started to fall at a steady pace, by late dawn the last grain should hit the top of the pile.
Reyna stared at the necklace, hesitantly turning the timepiece around in her fingers, it was simple and unpolished, she lifted the hourglass closer to her eyes to inspect it. It was nothing flashy, just a simple shape. Hold on… Was this made out of ceiba wood?
That clever girl…
That clever fuckinb god in plain fucking sight. “Thank you, Anameme.” Reyna whispered, her words firm with resolve, Ameme grinned wickedly.
“Atta’ girl! I know you can do this.” She offered her hand to Reyna, who hesitantly accepted, allowing herself to be pulled into Anameme’s embrace, that was warm as fresh blood. Reyna knew she couldn’t trust Anameme completely, not after what she hid from her, but she didn’t have the time to process any of that. Still, having Anameme on her side during the end of the world might be her best shot of survival, to keep New Rome safe.
Anameme pulled back just enough to study Reyna with those intense red eyes of hers, her grin turning more soft as she reached up on her tiptoes to kiss Reyna, it wasn’t passionate, or heated, it was nice, soft, easy. Anameme pulled away once again,
“Good luck Reyna, I know you can pull through, you are the strongest gal that I had the pleasure of meetin.” And with that, Anameme took a few steps back and took a leap of faith off of the roof, Reyna didn’t bother to see if she landed safely, after all Warrior always did.
Reyna sighed, trying to rub the last of the tears from her eyes, but the tears just wouldn’t stop, she slumped down and let herself sob into her hands. Reyna can’t remember the last time she cried. That's a lie, she did remember; It was when she thought she had lost Hylla to their father, when she was ten years old.
Reyna looked up to the star speckled sky, her sorrow staining her face, it was all too much.
Finally her dam broke, she screamed up into the night, pushing her voice even when it wad raw and red, tears streamed fast and hot as her cries were lost into the embrace of the Milkyway herself, who eagerly absorbed her laments.
Nobody in the city heard Reyna, and nobody ever will.