Bonnie did not like to dream. When she slept, she remembered the world as it once was—a simpler world, when she was young, and the monsters hiding in the dark were the fears of a child.

But then she grew up, and she saw how strong they were. She watched them take away the people she loved. Her father first, then her childhood love. Even when she managed to fight something back, her victories were always short-lived. The monsters won in the end.

The ones she lived with now were not monsters in the same way. But their ambition took away her girlfriend. How much better were they?

She stayed with them anyway. The Awakened fought different monsters, the kind who killed and didn't care. For all their faults, mages were still people. They knew pain, they loved and hated and cried.

Bonnie cried in her dreams too—over the one who lived too fast and left her. There were crystal flowers in her bedroom now, a final parting gift. Sometimes Bonnie tucked one behind her ear for good luck, whenever they were about to go on a difficult mission.

There were a lot of those, especially after the cabal discovered Tempest’s blood had opened the ruins after all and had to defend the relics within from competitors of all kinds.

It was on one of those that Bonnie finally saw for the first time. One of her new allies got impaled by a road sign, before the deadly shapeshifter fell to Bonnie's silver bullet.

She knelt beside Akiko, watching the light fade from her eyes. There was nothing a first aid kit could do for such a terrible wound.

“Lyra could've fixed this,” she whispered, holding the dying mage up off the ground. At least she wouldn't have to die alone on this empty road.

Something nudged against Bonnie's knee, soft and gentle. “Maybe she could've, so what? You're not someone who ever wanted to rely on someone else.”

No housecat should be out on her own this far from Canterlot. Her body was lean, and her fur tangled with briars, as though she'd been lost in the wild for a long time. She still had a collar, though it had faded in the sun and the fabric peeled in places.

The cat was talking to her. “Don't let her die, Bonnie. You don't need her to fix this.”

Akiko shuddered and convulsed, dark blood dripping down her lips. She had only seconds of life left, maybe less. “I don't know—”

But that was wrong. Bonnie watched Lyra heal so many times, she'd heard the words of her spells. They never meant anything before, but now...

She stood, easing the bent metal out Akiko's back. With the other hand, she imitated the gestures her girlfriend had used a hundred times. “Darkness follows day, where the workman retires, and the city is quiet. The night cannot come yet, there is still more to do. Mend what is torn and take up your tools.”

Bonnie watched in amazement as they spell worked. The wound closed; color returned to Akiko's face. Her breathing stabilized, and her heart slowed into a steady rhythm. Bonnie lowered her gently to the ground.

“Now call Reagan,” said the cat. “Tell her to come pick up her girlfriend. You can't bring her home right now.”

She reached obediently for the phone, then froze. She turned back to the cat—a calico, with gold and mint green splotches. “Why?” she whispered, voice cracking. “I have to... help her.”

“You just did,” said the cat, rising onto her paws. “There's something you have to do now. Don't worry, you'll be back.”

“What's that?” She reached sideways, running one hand down the animal's back. She felt soft and warm, despite her wild appearance.

“See the secrets at the heart of the universe,” Lyre said, matter-of-factly. “Don't worry, I think you'll like what you see. It's the way things should've been. Maybe with your help, we can fix this place.”

The End

Author's Note

Not a long epilogue, but I did want to give us a brief glimpse into what might happen next.

I can't believe I got to write a World of Darkness story. After playing so many games in this setting, and playing with so many different races, I got a chance to try and capture some of what I loved to share with others.

Thanks for coming along for the ride. I'm a little sad I didn't get to stick here longer and share more. But I'm grateful for what I could explore. I don't know exactly what Lyra's future looks like in this world, but I'm sure it's magical.