The Second Archon War: Sapentia Oromasdis 7 (Patreon)

Sapentia Oromasdis  7: Fertile Ground

For once, Nahida had trouble sleeping. This was a new experience for her, because typically she could simply step into the world of dreams and go to bed whenever she felt like it. Today was December 4th, 2002, and that meant that the next day was Eid al-Fitr.

The previous four weeks had been the month of Ramadan, which had meant fasting from sunrise to sunset. Nahida had greatly impressed Imam Taher that she had observed the fast dutifully with Bashir, and faithfully attended Mosque for prayers each and every day.

“Such a faithful and devoted child. You do us all proud, Nahida,” Taher had told her after the first day where she’d fasted, and Nahida had beamed with pride and pleasure. It wasn’t often that she got compliments, even if it was sort of cheating. It wasn’t like she actually needed to eat, she just enjoyed it.

Normally, a five year old little girl would not be expected to fast, as most children of that age could not make it through the day without a meal. Qiqi certainly couldn’t and definitely didn’t have the understanding to even begin to comprehend why she would be denied a meal when she was hungry.

Thus, Nahida had sat with Qiqi for lunch and snacks but had abstained herself. Qiqi, of course, didn’t really notice, but it was still nice to sit with her pretend sister for a meal. Even if it didn’t really feel all that pretend anymore after six weeks.

The morning of December 5th, Nahida bounced out of bed even before Dr. Bashir was up, pulling Qiqi up to get her ready for the day. Qiqi was still sleepy, but seemed to understand that Nahida was excited. Nahida had tried to explain what Eid al-Fitr was in their shared dream the night before, but went over it again as she helped Qiqi bathe and get dressed.

“Eid is held on the first day the Cresent Moon is visible after the Month of Ramadan, where grownups fast every day. Today, we’ll say special prayers for peace and goodwill among men. But, at sunset tonight, when the crescent moon rises, the Feast of Eid begins! For two days, we get to eat all sorts of sweets and goodies, and celebrate! There might even be presents!”

There were, in fact, presents. It was terribly hard to surprise someone who was both a mind reader and extremely good at reading someone’s emotions just from how they acted.  Dr. Bashir had clearly been plotting to surprise Nahida and Qiqi with sweets and stuffed toys that he had hidden in his bedroom. Nahida would respect his privacy, and attempt to pretend to be surprised and delighted when he finally gave her the stuffed radish.

“Cocogoat?” Qiqi asked at the mention of sweets, perking up from her usual malaise.

“We’ll make kleicha! Usually, they’re stuffed with dates and nuts, but also…”

Nahida grinned, and Qiqi gasped in excitement as they both squealed, “COCOGOAT!”

There was a yawn behind them, and they both turned around to see a sleepy-eyed Dr. Bashir, who was smiling at them. “Hmm, some people are excited this morning. I wonder why?”

“Cocogoat!” Qiqi declared, running over and grabbing Bashir’s hand. Then she swallowed and said, “Qiqi, eat cocogoat, please?”

Both Bashir and Nahida gasped in shock and delight, and Bashir scooped Qiqi up in his arms to kiss her.

“Yes. Today, there will be coconuts for Qiqi, and for all good little girls.”

“Have I been good too?” Nahida asked shyly. She knew the answer, but it felt like she had to ask, simply because she needed to hear it.

“Of course,” Bashir agreed, picking her up as well and kissing her forehead, his beard tickling as he did so and making Nahida laugh. “Come, let’s say prayers before sunrise, then we can have breakfast.

Since it was still Ramadan until moonrise, they had to eat before the sun came up, then wait for the entire day before they ate again. This day, Bashir made coconut crepes, served with fresh cream. Despite herself, Nahida was so excited she got some cream on her nose, which Bashir reached over and wiped off for her.

“Nahida, we’ll be attending a big party for the feast,” Bashir informed her. “I’ve purchased new dresses for you and Qiqi to wear.”

Nahida nodded, already knowing this. “Yes! We’ll get to travel to the palace, and eat all sorts of delicious food!”

“Yes. But Nahida… Farasha will be there,” Bashir said gently.

That gave Nahida pause. She’d known that, of course, but she hadn’t really stopped to think about what that really meant in her excitement for Eid. “This will be the first time I’ve seen her since…”

“Since you did… that thing to her,” Bashir agreed, wiping his own face with a napkin and setting aside his plate. He frowned at Nahida, absently rubbing his Vision with his thumb. He kept it as a sort of bolo necktie, and the Vision had shrunken slightly to accommodate his wishes. Nahida wondered if he’d noticed that. “Nahida… what did you do to Farasha?”

It was a question he’d asked before, and Nahida had dodged the question or prevaricated. She looked down at the table, biting her lip. “I… I can’t say.”

“You don’t know, or you won’t say?” Bashir asked, leaning forward. “Nahida. I do need to know.”

Meeting Bashir’s eyes, Nahida did some rapid calculations. There would be consequences for telling the truth, but lies would have greater consequences down the road, especially for her relationship with Bashir. That was increasingly the most important thing in the world to her. He wasn’t really her father, but… but he felt like one.

“When she came back… I-I could feel the death on her,” Nahida admitted. “I-It scared me. I knew it wasn’t really Farasha that had done it, but-”

“Not really Farasha?” Bashir asked, his brow furrowing. “What do you mean?”

Again, Nahida’s mind raced, but she’d already made up her mind to tell the truth. How to word it though…

“She’s what you call a Parahuman. But… but when I look at her… I see a demon,” Nahida said quietly. She glanced sideways at Qiqi, who was licking her plate to get every last drop of coconut from it. “Qiqi too… but hers isn’t as big or scary. I mean, it is… but there’s less of it in her… Sorry, it’s hard to explain…”

“A demon,” Bashir said, drawing the word out and looking deeply disturbed. “Can you describe it? Draw a picture?”

“It’s not something you can really describe with words. It’s like…” Nahida struggled for the proper phrasing to describe something she saw not with her physical senses, but with her spirit. “A tesseract.”

“A tesseract?” Bashir repeated, started enough to jerk back. He blinked a few times, then prompted, “You mean… a fourth-dimensional object?”

“Yes! I can’t really see it, just… sense it. It’s latched on to their souls. Only… the demons are different. The same, but different. Farasha’s is hot and bloody, and Qiqi’s is cold and spiky, but they’re both so hungry…” Nahida said, wringing her hands.

That troubled Bashir even more, his face going pale as he clutched at his Vision, looking worriedly at Qiqi, who was now looking around in her highchair for more food. “Hungry. For… what, exactly? Not… conflict?”

“That might be,” Nahida admitted. “What they truly hunger for is knowledge. Not wisdom, just… information. The demons are feeding on people’s souls because they are desperate for information, and I think it’s because only people can give it to them. They’re so hungry, they eat the people up. Farasha’s demon had nearly eaten her entirely. So… I fed it.”

“You fed it? You mean, the demon is eating you now?” Bashir gasped, reaching out a hand toward Nahida to feel her forehead.

“No!” shaking her head, Nahida spread her hands. “I gave it some knowledge. Not anything specific, just… a blast of knowledge. Pure dendro. I wasn’t very careful about what I fed it, but it let go of Farasha, just a little. It’s still there, and it will come back for more. I… I’m not sure what to do…”

Leaning back, Bashir considered that for several moments. Then he glanced at Qiqi, and held out his hand. “All done?”

“Qiqi all done,” the girl agreed, handing over her plate. Bashir took it, then passed her a napkin.

“Clean up,” he instructed, and Qiqi complied, wiping her face off. She didn’t do a very good job of it, but she did try.

“Go wash up,” Bashir instructed, standing and helping Qiqi down from her high chair.

“OK,” Qiqi agreed, and toddled off to the bathroom on her own.

Nahida smiled, then sensed what Bashir was thinking and blushed. He turned back to her, looking thoughtful.

“You did something to Qiqi too. You’ve mentioned sharing dreams with her… you weren’t just telling stories, were you?” Bashir asked.

“Um, no,” Nahida admitted. “I’ve been… prying her loose. Not all of her problems come from her demon, but… it feeds on them. It’s actually angry at her, because she hasn’t been fighting anything. It’s not paying her very much attention, and I’ve been able to… help. But Farasha’s demon… she’s given it a lot of conflict. And it’s hungry for more. I’m worried about her.”

“As am I,” Bashir agreed, his expression distant. “She…” He suddenly blinked, then muttered an oath and dashed to the bathroom, where the water had been running for an excessively long time.

Qiqi had washed her face, but she’d also accidentally flooded a good bit of the bathroom. Unusually for her, she seemed to have realized she’d made a mistake, and had been frantically trying to clean up the splashes she’d made. However, that had resulted in her clogging the sink with towels, and Nahida and Bashir had found a crying and desperate Qiqi who had frozen the water and tried to stuff it all into the bathtub.

“Bad Qiqi, no cold,” she said mournfully, trying to hide behind the shower curtain.

“Shh, it’s alright, we’ll clean it up. You were trying to help. Qiqi is a good girl,” Bashir assured her as he turned off the water. Nahida went to get more towels from the kitchen, and they soon had the mess cleaned up.

After that, Nahida went out to the garden to work for a bit and think. It was good to touch the plants and soil, to feel the life within, and to feel connected to it. But at the same time, she was deeply concerned. What would Farasha say when she saw Nahida again? Would she hate her? What would her demon want?

“What is wrong, Sarva Nara?”

Nahida looked up to see Aranarakin peering up at her, having come over as she worked.

“I’m worried about Farasha. The last time I saw her… I think I hurt her. I’m worried she will be mad at me,” Nahida admitted.

Aranarakin cocked his little head to one side at that. “Is she not Marana Nara, like Cold Nara? She should be happy that Sarva Nara has helped her.”

“It’s not that simple. For one thing, I don’t know that I helped her Marana at all. For another… well, removing the Marana would hurt a lot.”

“Hmm, Aranarakin does not understand this, but Aranarakin knows that Marana is bad.” He turned to a plant, motioning to some dead growth on it. “Plants must be pruned, for them to grow strong and healthy. It may hurt, but it is best for the plant.”

“I don’t know that people’s souls work in the same way… but maybe?” Nahida sighed, leaning back and looking at her grubby hands. How could she help Qiqi and Farasha, and all of the other so-called parahumans? If only she were as powerful as Beelzebul, or as experienced as Morax. She had learned enough to know that Beelzebul was here on this world, or someone much like her. But reaching out to her to solve Nahida’s problems for her… that didn’t seem right.

“Is Sarva Nara sad?” Aranarakin asked, coming over to put a stubby arm on Nahida’s leg. “Should Aranarakin sing Sarva Nara a song?”

“No, it’s alright, I was just wishing I were stronger. It’s frustrating, because I’m really old, but… I still act like a little kid,” Nahida said with a sigh. She held her hands out, and Aranarakin whirled up to land in her palms.

“Aranarakin understands. Though Aranarakin is very brave, he still does not like Big Nara, for they have such dry dreams,” the little aranara said mournfully.

“What about Father Nara?” Nahida asked, using the aranara’s term for Bashir.

“He is Vasara Nara, even if he is big nara. He does not scare Aranarakin,” the spirit declared boldly, puffing out his chest.

Nahida smiled and nodded. “That’s good. What about… Farasha. The fire butterfly nara.”

That got Aranarakin to let out a terrified squeak. He tried to hide under Nahida’s burqa, trembling mightily. “F-fiery Nara is scary big nara! She has Marana, even more than Cold Nara.”

“Yes,” Nahida agreed, shivering herself. “But it’s not her fault. Maybe… maybe I can find a way to cure her Marana.”

Hearing that, Aranarakin made his way out, still looking frightened, but taking a firm stand atop Nahida’s head. “If that is what Sarva Nara wants, then Aranarakin will help. It is scary, but the Marana must be stopped, or the whole world will turn to sand and dust.”

“Will you come with me tonight then?” Nahida asked hopefully. “There will be lots of big nara there, and many Marana.”

Despite his fear, Aranarakin nodded, holding up a stubby little fist. “Aranarakin will help Sarva Nara!”

Reaching down, Nahida pressed her pinky against Aranarakin’s arm. “Together, then. We’ll find a way to cure the Marana.”

It was probably best if she didn’t mention to Aranarakin that the Scary God had told her not to interfere with the Cycle right after she’d interacted directly with Farasha’s Demon. What the Cycle was, Nahida didn’t know, and that more than anything frightened her. There was also something very wrong with the Scary God. Despite what Nahida had mentally dubbed him, he didn’t feel like a god. He felt more like… an all devouring hunger. Was he the King of Demons? That was too frightening a concept to dwell on, but Nahida had to consider it.

The rest of the day Nahida spent preparing for Eid, mostly by fasting and saying prayers. Her prayers were all for her family and friends, that they would be healthy and safe in the year to come. It was odd to think she really did have a family now, but it made her desperately happy. She wasn’t quite sure who she prayed to. Herself? That seemed very vain and selfish. Perhaps to Allah, the Merciful and Just, who had created everything. Was He out there right now, watching her? Nahida spent a lot of time considering that.

At last, the afternoon came, with Bashir closing the clinic early for the day. Then he changed not into his usual western style suit, but into a plain white robe. Nahida was dressed in a wonderful green dress, while Qiqi was wearing a blue one. It was a bit on the nose, but it did compliment her complexion rather well.

“Now, before we go, I must tell both you girls: Be very, very cautious,” Bashir informed them. “Supposedly, this is an evening of prayer and meditation, but it isn’t. This is a party where the President shows off his power and influence. At the feast, all of his most prominent parahumans and Vision Holders are displayed for all to see. Nahida, you and I are the only two Dendro Vision Holders in the entire nation, and there are less than 100 of us known globally, so we’re a big feather in the President’s cap right now. He’ll want to show us off. Farasha will be there as well, as his right hand.”

“Farasha?” Qiqi said, taking her thumb out of her mouth and looking around expectantly. “Play?”

“No, my heart. But there will be coconut,” Bashir promised, which made Nahida giggle when Qiqi immediately perked up.

After that, they drove across the city to Al-Salam palace on the banks of the Tigris River. There was heavy security out, with guards with machine guns and several capes checking every vehicle as it pulled in. The guards even checked Qiqi and Nahida’s car seats, roughly questioning Bashir as well.

“They are invited, I have their invitations here,” Bashir said, holding them out. “One parahuman, one Vision holder. His Excellency wishes to have them at the feast.”

“Very well, you may pass,” the guards said, though they looked grumpy. Nahida got the sense that they had been expecting a bribe, or at least a larger one than Bashir had slipped them. However, Nahida and Bashir’s names were on a list of people that the President very much wanted to show off at his party, and they were let through.

The palace itself was decorated with various banners and pennants and was a tall structure of white stone with two tall towers. Inside, Nahida saw that it was made of fine marble, and decorated lavishly with gilded hardwoods and kept immaculately clean. Despite the finery, or perhaps because of it, Nahida felt nervous as they entered, two guards in fancy uniforms watching them. This felt too much like the Sanctuary of Surasthana, and she found herself clutching tightly to Bashir’s hand, trembling at the thought of once more being imprisoned in a gilded cage.

“Shh, it’s alright, don’t be nervous,” Bashir said softly. Qiqi was clinging to him as well, and there were hundreds of people in attendance, most of them in fine clothes. All of them were attempting to get close to President Saddam it seemed, who was dressed in a fine silk suit, his black hair and mustache gleaming in the artificial lights. He concerned Nahida, but not as much as the person at his side.

Right next to Saddam, with his arm draped over her shoulders, was a smiling Farasha. She was, perhaps, the only thing keeping people away from Saddam, as even his bodyguards looked a bit overwhelmed by the crowd. She didn’t have her spear, but she was in her black dress and hat, fresh red flowers tucked into the brim. Despite the roiling emotions that Nahida could feel coming off of Farasha, she was laughing and glad-handing along with the President.

“She’s the sign of his power,” Nahida whispered quietly. Fortunately, only Bashir seemed to hear her, but he shushed her immediately.

At last, it was Bashir’s turn to greet the President, and he stepped forward, a hand on both his daughter’s backs. Nahida blushed but tried to stand up straight. She didn’t meet Saddam’s eyes, as a lot of men would have perceived that as a challenge.

“Ah, Doctor! So good of you to join us! Happy Eid!” Saddam said, laughing and pulling Bashir into a handshake. He turned, pointing to Bashir. “You see? This shows the might of Iraq! The good Doctor was one of the first men to obtain one of these new Visions, as did his daughter! Here, pick her up, show her to the cameras!”

Bashir obediently scooped Nahida up, and she got out her false Vision. Together, she and Bashir showed them to the media, flashes going off in their faces. It made even Nahida’s eyes dance with lights, and she felt like the entire room was spinning.

“Later, at the feast, you must show off your new powers, Bashir!” the president commanded. “If your daughter can grow a tree from a seed, I look forward to seeing what a man can do!”

“I… have not much practice with my Vision, aside from using it to heal,” Bashir said, but he bowed his head. “We will do our best to impress, your Excellency.”

“Daddy, daddy go now,” Qiqi begged, tears filling her eyes. The press of people was overwhelming her, and she had been left to stand by herself in a strange place.

“Ah, and this little one, she has powers too, eh?” Saddam laughed. He made as if to shove Qiqi in front of the cameras as well, and Nahida’s heart skipped a beat. The temperature began to drop, and ice formed by Qiqi’s feet. Saddam took half a step back, and there was a sudden hush.

Then Farasha swooped in, tickling Qiqi and holding her up. “She’s a cutie patootie too! Qiqi’s really only good at making ice cubes, but someday I’m sure she’ll be a member of the Special Action Squad.”

Qiqi seemed at a loss for words herself, clutching Farasha’s face in her hands. Nahida could see cold appearing there, and Farasha grimaced briefly.

On reflex, Nahida reached out as Bashir stepped in, touching Qiqi’s arm. Araknarakin popped out of the back of her dress, and began to hum, encouraging Nahida. Remembering what she had done to Farasha’s demon, and how she had dealt with it in Qiqi’s dreams, she sent out a pulse of Dendro.

Stop. You’re hurting her. Please.

CONFLICT. DATA. EVOLUTION.

Here. Have a little information. You can have more later, just… be kind to Qiqi. No conflict, just sharing.

Nahida set out a schematic for a small construct that used cryo energy to chill drinks from fontaine that was several decades old. In response to the information, the Demon relaxed its grip.

NEW DATA ACQUIRED. THIS IS… SHARING?

Sharing. Friends. No fighting. No conflict.

The demon didn’t seem happy about that, but it did back off, excited to study this new information. All that happened in mere heartbeats. Qiqi let out a gasp, collapsing onto Farasha’s shoulder, looking exhausted. Farasha had got stock still, her eyes very wide as she stared at Nahida. She hastily pulled Qiqi’s face to hers, then shoved her into Bashir’s arms even though he was still carrying Nahida.

“Poor kid’s tuckered out! Come on, I’ll take you to a room where the kids can catch a nap!” Farasha said brightly.

“What? Where are you going? You are to stay here with-” Saddam began, but Farasha leaned in and whispered something in his ear. Saddam colored, then nodded and relaxed. “Ah, I see. Well, it’s that way, is it? Good, good, I’ve said you’ve been single for too long. Go on then.”

There were murmurs from the crowd now, and Farasha was blushing. She began to hustle Bashir and the girls away, even as Saddam announced, “My butterfly has found a lover! Soon, we will have an entire family of Farashas, to steward Iraq forward into the next generation!”

That got many cheers, with several people applauding.

“What did you do?” Bashir gasped as Farasha got them out of the crowd and headed up some stairs to a part of the palace where the party wasn’t taking place.

“I told him you’d offered to marry me and that Qiqi thought I was her mom. It’s true enough, and we needed to get the hell out of there, right then,” Farasha said grimly.

Bashir’s mouth flopped open, but he managed to close it and nod, swallowing. They reached a room that Farasha flung open, revealing a small parlor with a couch and chairs, along with a table. Bashir set Qiqi and Nahida down on the couch, with Farasha closing the door and leaning on it.

“Farasha, I-” Bashir began, but she held up a hand.

“We’re in the palace, Bashir,” she said, turning around slowly. “Think very carefully about what you’re going to say.”

Bashir’s eyes flicked to the lights and to the sockets, which prompted Nahida to reach out herself. She found several devices that were apparently listening in to every word that was spoken, as well as doing a visual recording. That was a bit too close for comfort to what the sages had sometimes done to her, so she discreetly wove a web of Dendro, hacking the network and altering their information.

“It’s OK, they can’t hear us now,” Nahida said, causing both of the adults in the room to turn to her with wide eyes. She hastily explained, “I found the devices they were using to spy on us, and altered the data stream.”

“Nahida! If the President finds out-” Bashir gasped, going very pale and reaching out a hand towards her.

“No, no!” Nahida waved her hands to reassure him They think they can still hear us, but I’m subtly altering the sounds and images they’re picking up. Don’t worry, I made sure to synch them so that they match up.”

Farasha came over from the door to sit down on the couch next to Nahida, looking trouble. “You can do that, little radish?”

“Um,” Nahida blushed, realizing she’d probably overplayed her hand again. She looked up, to where Aranarakin was balancing on her forehead.

“Do not worry, Sarva Nara, Aranarakin will protect you!” He trilled, and raised a little staff he’d made.

“No, don’t hurt her!” Nahida blurted.

Farasha jerked back, and Aranarakin lowered his staff.

“Nahida… what do you think is hurting me?” Farasha asked, her eyes filling up with tears as she clutched her own breast. Bashir came over to put a hand on Farasha’s shoulder, looking down at Nahida with eyes full of worry.

“Um,” Nahida decided to leave out Aranarakin, as most grownups thought talking of invisible spirits only children could see and hear was silly. “Well, it’s the demon inside you… what makes you a parahuman, I think.”

“Oh, that corona potenta or whatever in my head,” Farasha said with a grimace. “Yeah. If they could cut that out, that’d be great, except for the part where I’d be dead and there wouldn’t be anyone left to protect you kids.”

“The Corona Pollentia is but a physical manifestation of a spiritual malady,” Nahida said seriously, standing up on the couch and pointing a finger not at Farasha’s head, but her heart. “It’s feeding off of your soul, and whispering in your mind. Can’t you hear it? Can’t you feel it?”

As Nahida spoke, Farasha’s hand slowly went to her head, and she started to gasp for breath, her body trembling. Bashir gripped her shoulder, and Farasha leaned against him, apparently exhausted.

“Farasha OK?” Qiqi asked, looking up at her with concern.

“I… I’m fine, kiddo,” Farasha said, scooping Qiqi onto her lap. Absently, she fumbled in a bag she had at her side, and drew out a packet of coconut flavored cookies. “Here, for you. Cocogoat cookies.”

“Qiqi thank you,” the girl said happily as Farasha opened the packet, which made Farasha spill the cookies all over Qiqi’s dress. Qiqi didn’t mind, picking them up one at a time and stuffing them into her mouth like a hamster.

“When… when did she start doing that?” Farasha managed, looking up at Bashir.

“Fairly recently. There’s been a noted change in her since Nahida moved in,” Bashir said. He looked from Qiqi to Nahida, frowning. “Nahida… how exactly do you know all this?”

“You can feel it too,” she said, taking Bashir’s hand and placing it on Farasha’s head. He frowned at her, but she urged him, “Close your eyes. Focus. Listen to the heartbeat of the life inside of her.”

“I see…” Bashir didn’t protest, closing his eyes and frowning in concentration. Nahida helped him, just a little, guiding his senses through their connection via the Vision, and the deeper bond of family they had forged.

“I sense… something. A heartbeat? But… more. A warm sense, it’s-” Bashir cut off just as Nahida blushed and  Farasha went red to the tips of her ears. Bashir coughed. “Ah. It seems you are fond of me…”

“Gee, you figure that out before or after we slept together?” Farasha muttered, then glanced at Nahida. “Uh, ignore that, kiddo.”

“I, um, am aware of relations between men and women. I just um, think they’re very private,” Nahida said, looking away. She forced herself to maintain the connection though. “Look deeper. Past the physical, into the spiritual.”

“I’m not sure I-” Bashir suddenly cried out, jerking his hand back as though he’d been burned and holding it, even as Nahida had to fight off an attack from Farasha’s demon, even as Farasha stiffened, her body flooding with adrenaline.

Shhh. It’s alright. You don’t need to fight. He just wants to say hello.

ERROR. EXOTIC ENERGIES DETECTED. ACTIVATING DEFENSES. PREPARING SPECIMEN FOR COMBAT.

No! No! It’s alright! It’s just, um, an exchange of data! That’s all!

EXCHANGE… DATA?

Yes! Didn’t you get some new information from that?

ANALYZING. NO HARM FOUND. NEW DATA ACCEPTED.

With a heavy sigh, Nahida looked up to see that Farasha had retreated to the far side of the room from them.

“You see?! This is why I didn’t want to marry you! I’m a fucking DISASTER, Saeed! I hurt everything and everyone around me! I KILL people! I fucking liquefy their insides and turn them into butterflies and-”

“Farasha,” Nahida said sternly, planting her hands on her hips. “We are attempting to have an adult conversation. If you insist on using such language, I’m afraid that we won’t get anything productive done. I understand you’re  upset, but please be more discriminatory in your selection of vocabulary.”

“No bad words,” Qiqi agreed with a solemn nod. “Daddy said.”

For a moment, Farsasha just stared, then she hugged herself, slumping down against the wall. “And now I’m getting lectured by a couple of kindergarteners. Great. But girls… you don’t understand. I’m dangerous. People around me get hurt and die. And I don’t… I don’t want that to be you. Or… or Bashir…”

“Farasha, my heart… perhaps you haven’t noticed this, but I am now somewhat dangerous myself,” Bashir said, coming over to crouch by her. He produced his Vision, which glowed slightly as Farasha started at it blankly. “And, well, as much as I love these girls… they aren’t exactly safe themselves.”

“Doc, you know I’m not just some rando cape. I've got a body count,” Farasha said, burying her face against her knees as she hugged her legs to herself.

“I know,” Bashir said quietly. He reached out, caressing Farasha’s cheek. “I love you anyway, Hutah.”

“I’m not Hutah. I’m Farasha,” she said, her voice somewhat muffled.

In that, Nahida felt the sense of denial of self, felt the attempt to hide from herself and her past that Farsha was using to keep herself sane. The pain coming off of her was simply too much. Heedless of the demon that was still hungrily waiting in the background. And so, Nahida did what she’d always wished someone would do for her when she was alone and hurting.

She ran over and gave Farasha a hug.

“I’m sorry for scaring you,” she whispered. “I… I didn’t mean to hurt you, but… I’m sorry.”

Slowly, Farasha uncoiled, and put her arms around Nahida. “I’m not mad at you, Little Raddish. Whatever you did to me… I’m not mad. I just wish…”

Images exploded from Farasha. Not horrific nightmares, but a dream. A dream of herself and Baizhu, sitting on a sofa together dressed in fine clothes as their friends and family celebrated. Pictures of Farasha playing with Nahida and Qiqi, baking them cookies, and tucking them in at night. Certain other pictures with Baizhu that Nahida very pointedly did not look at, followed by pictures of Hutah with a child in her arms, Baizhu at her side, Nahida and Qiqi crowded around them.

Even as that happened, the Demon began to wake. Began to attempt to devour these dreams, to attempt to turn Farasha back towards conflict, and away from happiness. What data was there to be harvested in contentment?

“Fire Nara is so sad,” Aranarakin whispered. “But her dreams are so beautiful. Poor Nara… the Marana wishes to eat her dreams. Well, even if she is Big Nara, Aranarakin will not let it!”

With that, the little spirit hopped from Nahida over to Farasha, who didn’t even notice as he landed on her. “Together, Sarva Nara!”

Aranarakin pulled out a little staff, and tapped Farasha on the shoulder. At the same time, Nahida sent another pulse of energy into Farasha. This time, she spoke to the demon directly.

Don’t hurt Farasha. Take me instead. I’ll give you all the data you want, if you just leave Farasha alone.

The demon seemed taken aback by this, but it sent a fiery tendril out to Nahida. She gasped in pain, but the demon rapidly withdrew from her as soon as it touched her.

PAIN. PAIN. PAIN. YOU ARE NOT A SUITABLE SPECIMEN.

Still mentally reeling, Nahida responded, Then trade! My data for Farasha’s dreams! Let her be happy! Let her be at peace!

PEACE IS STAGNATION. STAGNATION IS ENTROPY.

No! Peace is the opposite of Entropy! Don’t you see!?

Before Nahida could do more, a burst of powerful Dream battered the Demon. Not from her, but from Aranarakin. It came as a loud, fierce song, and the demon quailed at the sudden assault that was so completely alien to it. It retreated, and for the moment, Farasha was free.

When Nahida opened her eyes, she found Farasha staring at her, tears trickling down her face. Bashir was kneeling, one hand on Farasha’s forehead, the other on her wrist.

“Hutah? Farasha? What happened? Nahida, what did you do?” he snapped, his voice authoritative and stern.

Swallowing, Nahida tried to formulate and answer, but she was still half stunned by the touch of the demon.

While they were all sitting there on the floor, Qiqi toddled up to them, and put her own arms around Farasha. “No cry, mommy.”

With a jolt, Farasha sucked in a breath, then coughed. She looked down at Qiqi, who was stubbornly clinging to her legs. Hiccuping, Farasha managed to put an arm around Qiqi too.

“Well, I guess you were right, Doc. These girls are pretty dangerous,” Farasha croaked as she half laughed, half cried, and pulled Bashir into the hug too.

Despite the aura of death and the fear she felt at the Demons, something about this simply felt right to Nahida. She closed her eyes, and let herself enjoy the moment.

“Well,” Farasha said after several minutes, taking a handkerchief from Bashir and blowing her nose, then trying to mop up the mess of mascara and makeup her face had become. “I guess I already told good old Uncle Saddam you’d proposed to me. It wouldn’t be such a horrible fate to live out that lie. But Doc… you gotta accept that I’m seriously a hazard. People around me die. That’s just a fact.”

“Well, we’ll just have to find a treatment that works,” Bashir told her, and Farasha laughed and cried all over again.

When they finally rejoined the party, Farasha was taken away to speak to President Saddam again, and Bashir looked nervous as they went off to a corner to talk. He leaned down close to Nahida and whispered, “Did you really alter the cameras?”

“Yes, they did show Farasha crying still, but because she was so happy. A pleasant illusion,” Nahida whispered back. Then she flushed. “Though, um, I did have to add in some naughty words from her. It seemed more authentic that way.”

After a few minutes of talking, Saddam came over and shook Bashir’s hand, congratulating him. “Take good care of Farasha! She is the jewel in the crown of Iraq, and I love her like my own child! And you, doctor! A celebrity yourself! Two of these new Dendro Visions! Truly, you show the might and glory of the Republic to all!”

“Thank you, your Excellency. I shall take good care of her, and do you proud,” Bashir promised, bowing his head.

“See that you do! Ah, and now, come! Everyone wants to see these new powers of yours at the feast!” Saddam ordered.

Before that though, there were prayers and a short sermon from an Imam, with Saddam making a show of piety before the cameras. Nahida could tell his faith was even more false than Bashir’s had ever been before he’d renewed it, and she doubted there had ever been anything this man believed in aside from his own power. Still, she didn’t say anything, simply reaching out to Allah once more. More silence, though she could sense another watching.

She shivered, and very deliberately did not look up at the sky, where a golden streak passed by overhead. Whatever the Scary God was, he stank of the demons.

Thankfully, the Scary God departed soon after. But Nahida’s troubles were not over. They crossed the river, coming to an orchard, where tables had been set up, and lights strung amongst the trees. Saddam had brought out several fruits, and placed them atop tree planters.

“You will see now, the power of our newest members of the Special Action Squad!” Saddam bragged, gesturing to Nahida and Bashir as they stood before the planters. “Soon, Iraq will be a land overflowing with milk and honey, an earthly paradise to defy the Heathens and their false gods! Allah has blessed us, sending us those with mighty powers to defend us, and give us food! Now, show them our might!”

With that, he stepped aside, gesturing for Nahida and Bashir to come up to the planters. Nahida tried to hide behind Bashir’s leg, trembling as the bright lights and cameras watched her.

“It’s alright, Little Raddish. I’m with you,” Bashir said. He walked over to one planter, kneeling down and putting a hand over an orange in damp soil, frowning as he did so. He funneled some dendro into it, but Bashir was by no means a practiced Vision Holder yet, and this was a feat that no mere Vision Holder could manage in a short time.

Reluctantly, Nahida stood behind Bashir, putting her hands on his back. She let her power flow through him, making it look like he was the one doing the heavy lifting. In less than a minute, a small orange tree had grown, and had ripened to bear fruit.

Even with Nahida’s help, Bashir slumped over, looking exhausted as the crowd applauded and cheered. Having that much elemental energy pass through him had clearly put him near his limits.

“Magnificent! You see? With this power, we shall grow a nation not reliant upon any others!” Saddam bragged. He pointed to the next bucket, which held a date, grinning at Bashir and Nahida with greedy eyes that held no warmth.

Bashir managed to stumble over to it, and once more, Bashir put his hand out. This time, Nahida placed her hand over the top of Bashir’s own, and caused the date to grow into a palm tree after two minutes, and it soon was heavy with fruit.

The crowd erupted into cheers once more, and Bashir barely staggered to his feet, bowing to Saddam. “There, your Excellency. I am afraid… I am afraid I can do no more for now. I am yet unpracticed…”

“Hmph. And what of her?” Saddam said, frowning at Nahida.

Farasha swooped in then, putting Bashir’s arm over her shoulders and taking Nahida’s hand. She plucked a handful of dates from the palm, giving one to Saddam, and tossing several to the crowd. “Isn’t that great!? Free food! Come on, Mr. President, let’s get this party started!”

For a moment, Nahida feared Saddam would say no, and demand that they grow the pomegranate in the third crate. However, he merely smiled and popped the date into his mouth. “Delicious! We shall make the fertile crescent bloom once more!”

That got more cheers and applause, and finally, they were allowed off the stage. Saddam gave more of a speech that Nahida didn’t listen to, instead sitting with Bashir and Farasha as he slumped in his seat.

“What’s wrong, Saeed? Did you overdo it?” Farasha hissed.

“I’m fine,” he gasped, though he looked pale and clammy.

“Elemental exhaustion,” Nahida told Farasha. “He needs rest, and food and drink. He’ll be fine in a day or two.”

“Huh. Yeah, I’ve seen that before with Vision Holders who overdo it.” She glanced at the stage, where the two trees stood. “That was pretty damn impressive. Growing fruit trees like that… didn’t know you could do that, Doc.”

“I didn’t,” Bashir gasped, his eyes closed. “Thank you, Nahida. I feared we would disappoint his Excellency.”

“Huh.” Farasha regarded Nahida, then shrugged and mussed her hair. “You are a smart radish. And strong too. Don’t tell anyone.”

“Daddy OK?” Qiqi asked, holding out a glass to him.

He took it with a smile, sipping at the coconut water. “Thank you, Qiqi. I’ll be fine.”

“Come on, let’s get some food and drinks over here!” Farasha demanded, pounding the table. Saddam shot her a glare, as he was still pontificating, but the wait staff hurried over and served Farasha. Apparently, they feared her more than Saddam.

Soon, Nahida had a plate piled high with food and sweets, and she began to eat eagerly. Farasha fussed over Qiqi, forcing her to eat with her fork instead of just stuffing her mouth with her hands, while Bashir picked at his food. He took a sip of his drink, then blanched, looking at it in disgust.

“Alcohol?” Bashir asked, glancing at his glass in distaste. “On Eid? Have they no shame?”

“What? You don’t like your grown up juice?” Farasha teased. Then she saw the look on Bashir’s face. “Oh, fine. But I’m still drinking. You gonna call off the wedding?”

“We are not wed yet,” Bashir said with a shrug. Then he suddenly grinned. “Though I will not sleep with a woman who partakes of mind altering substances.”

“That’s low, Doc. Real low,” Farasha said with a groan, though Nahida did note that she waved a waiter over and got two non-alcoholic beverages. Nahida, of course, was drinking simple juice. She might be 500 years old, but she was very certain that if she ever wanted to actually grow up, she needed to avoid alcohol.

Besides, she’d tried it once out of curiosity, and it tasted icky.

In the end, Eid was nearly as much fun as Nahida had imaged. She wished that Nadia and Rasab could have been there instead of all the people who felt like the sages, but having Farasha, Qiqi, and Bashir was enough for now. Even Aranarakin was there. The aranara did try a few dishes, but seemed rather disappointed.

“Nara food is very strange. No wonder Big Nara lose their dreams: they do not eat enough soil and rain.”

“Nara food for Nara,” Nahida told him. Though she did enjoy delicious soil and rain herself.

“Hmm, Aranarakin supposes it is so.”

To Nahida’s surprise, Farasha came home with them that night, and after tucking Nahida and Qiqi in their beds, went to Bashir’s room with him. She half expected she’d need to adjust her senses to exclude what was happening, but instead they just lay in the bed together, Bashir claiming he was too exhausted to manage anything more, which Nahida judged was probably true.

Snuggling up to Qiqi, Nahida closed her eyes, and let herself drift off to sleep. When Farasha finally dozed off, she crept into her dreams as well. Within her own dreams, Farasha was nothing but a gangly little girl of 12, trapped in an endless nightmare. Her dreams were as violent and bloody as Nahida had feared, with horrific images of slaughter and blood, the Demon looming over it all.

“No,” Nahida said firmly, looking up at the demon. “Not here. Dreams are my domain. You want data? Let me show you what real data is.”

And with that, Nahida grabbed the Demon, shrinking it down in the dream until it was nothing but a glowing red butterfly. Then she turned to Farasha, pulling her up to her feet. “Come on. Let’s go have tea with Qiqi. Then I’ll show you how much fun butterflies really are!”

“But… but I’m afraid of butterflies,” Farasha’s dream persona whimpered.

“Not here,” Nahida told her. “Here, there is nothing to fear. After all, shouldn’t your dreams be pleasant? Come on!”

And taking Farasha’s hand, she ran off across the dreamscape meadow, a harmless red butterfly fluttering along behind them.