Siren never had to apologise, not to him. Mother be damned, She'd suffered enough for her flaws and failings.
He felt the nothingness from the other side of it now, though only an echo. The cutting of the string, spiraling inward, into darkness, into nothing once more. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck
This is familiar, isn't i
He shouldn't have asked. He rattled with the sensation, struggling to return to his senses. "You are enough." Even if Siren hadn't asked, the memory rushed through him all the same. Pain, screaming down its nervous system as its body was kept alive, barely conscious. Its fleshed tore free of the body as it felt that same apology wail down the line as she, sister, was taken before he could reach. He failed her. His one chance to protect his family and HE HAD FAILED, O̸H̴ ̴M̴O̷T̶H̷E̷R̸ ̵̳̠̭͖̎̽͝M̸͙̮̆͐̉̋͜O̴̗̰̯͍͍͋T̸͔̙̣̍͜H̸̨͓͈̀͐̒̀͝E̷̹͖̓́̅́̐Ŗ̸̹͝ Ṗ̴̡̧̡̡̮͍̼͔̲͖͕͉̄̈́̈́͂̈́͐̉̕͜͝ͅL̸̞̘̗̪̥̃̄́̒̑̿̌͗͗͛̄̎̃̔̎̿͝͝͠Ȩ̷̨̖͎̯͓̪͇͍̪͓̘̠̣̫̪̖̘̕͜Å̸̢̛̹̯̰̠̬̹͔̞͈̜͙̮̱̠̦̣̱̎̑́̆́̓̈́̊͘͜͝ͅS̶̰̉̔̀͌̍̒͐̏̐̾̽͐̂̄́̔̆͝͝͠ͅĘ̴̯̪̦͉̺͉̠̲̫̆̀̒̈́̏̊̎͜͝
"You are enough." And distantly, a vision of something far, far worse than that. Ships on the sea - two things neither of them had ever seen, dancing amidst a storm, waiting for the end. Knowing each other truly for what they were, for the parts of them their mother's couldn't define. Knowing that despite everything-
Finally, the stream was severed, and Juggernaut forced himself to become a non-thinking entity, cling to that buzz of warmth that was always there for him when he faltered like this. He was quiet for a long, long time.
You are enough. Siren hears it distantly - it knows despite everything that it works hard enough for the Hive to be considered enough. Works hard enough for Mother to prove its worth. Even then, something deep down - it tingles inside its head every time it fails. Wiggles and growls to fight to the surface demanding it do MORE.
Work for the Hive is never done, and Siren has come to accept that. It is a Drone. It is there to better the Hive for Mother. Make it into something Mother wants, take control of the Caves, infect more Lessers, infect more Gembound. That is Siren's duty.
Something is wrong.
There's a rattle through the link, like something destructive and broken. The visions come to their mind with a force that pushes the air out of its lungs. Pain, tearing away from flesh as its being forced to watch the destruction.
Something is Wrong.
Visions of something Siren cannot understand - it feels another shot of sadness through their nerves. Siren does not understand this vision - and does not ask. It fades away as fast as it comes.
SOMETHING IS WRONG.
Juggernaut shuts down, the visions leaving along with it. The connection is severed. Siren cannot feel Juggernaut anymore. There is a buzzing in the link, Siren can feel the others distantly. It is also quiet. It takes some time for Siren to muster up the courage to speak again. When she opens her mouth, nothing comes out. Snapping shut, Siren instead sends her thoughts to Juggernaut directly.
You are enough, too.
@Juggernaut
Juggernaut was reminded why he had to be careful with his own mind. He could no longer share himself freely, or exist within others untethered - this blight on his consciousness dragged all that had broken him with it. Again, he'd endangered this sibling. Again, he'd brought it harm.
It was nothing, for a moment. No one. Just the background hum of the web.
But Juggernaut could not escape himself forever. He would had to be present for his family, at the very least. He lowered himself again, his version of taking a seat. His wings wafted gently around him as he answered Siren, the thought carrying a tired finality.
No. I am not.
@Siren
There is nothing Siren can do to make Juggernaut feel better. The knowledge of that strikes it with the force of a claw through the heart. The togetherness is both a curse and a blessing. The link means they can be in pain together - but there is no way to fix this... Thing that has cursed them. It wonders if the others feel the same.
No. They wouldn't. Mother's call pulls them all forward - to a future where the Hive is magnificent. Normally Siren is preening at the thought. Instead its focus is still on Juggernaut. How can it help? Siren has no spells in its arsenal to fix this. Nothing that wouldn't hurt Juggernaut - or their relationship - in the future. Siren cannot use Reprogram on one of its siblings. Especially not this one.
No one has to be perfect. Siren settles on. She pushes the thought further to Juggernaut, trying to implant everything. You are enough. We do what we can. Though not direct words to Juggernaut, the feeling stands.
They do what they can.
@Juggernaut
They sat in silence, the rift between Juggernaut and all it'd once known widening. Inch by inch, further, further, further. It was nothing but itself, a hollowed out shell of what it could've been, once. If it hadn't-
Mother began to leak in again, slowly. She told him he was tired, so so tired. Or maybe that was his voice. The lines were blurring into one, brilliant halo of light.
Long after their last thought, he began to express, gently, that he wanted to rest now. It came in a low buzz emanating from his carapace. His many eyelids began to draw closed, thoughtless warmth welcoming into Her embrace again. He was grateful.
[end?] @Siren