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Worlds of 'What If's {Chapter 1}

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For a year, she'd waited. Emily Jane Pitchiner had been alone one whole year in the depths of space with no one to keep her company but the golden star fish and the old blind constellation, Typhan. And yet, over all that time, she'd never given up hope. Every morning, she woke on her little moon and gave her adoptive father a 'good morning' before heading straight to her array of telescopes. In the beginning, she'd only had one. It was small and ornate, meant for decoration rather than use, but she'd kept it all the same. It had been a gift from her father which was the only reason she'd had it that day. Here in the emptiness of endless stars and blackness, it was all she had left of a world that was now shattered. Everyday she would sit on a stone not far from a shambled camp made of wood and tattered cloth. She would sit for hours at a time with her little telescope, watching the stars for the ship she longed to see the most. She would speak with the star fish that swam around the constellation, interrogating them for any detail they might have on her father. And every night, she would curl up on a pile of rags for a bed with her telescope tucked safely to her body. Some nights Typhan would tell her stories from before the Dream Pirates extinguished his eyes, his loud booming voice shaking the air around her, but most were filled with a longing silence.

Two weeks after first arriving on her little moon, she spotted the first ship. It was nothing more than a blot on the horizon, a speck of existence passing before the glow of far away stars. Emily's heart jumped wildly at the sight. Was it him? Had he finally come? Had he finally found her? She called for Typhan, telling him that a ship had come on the horizon. Though the old constellation was blind, he could sense the girl's unbridled excitement as she bounced across the pale surface of the moon. Her hope peaked and she wanted nothing more than for that ship to be the beautiful flag ship that her father personally commanded.

"Friend of foe?" Typhan asked, though his voice only a whisper, it still rang loud enough to make the air shiver. She pulled her scope to her eye once more, leaning forward as though that would let her see the far away ship better. Though the ship was closer now, it's details were still indistinguishable. She was forced to wait until it came even closer as her telescope had very little power. Slowly but surely, the details came into shape. The strong bow sharp and barbed, the color of fear in the night. No. It was not her father's flagship. It was a ship belonging to the very creatures that had stolen everything important from her. A rage sprang up in her towards the Dream Pirates who undoubtedly captained it.

"Foe!" She howled and Typhan destroyed the foul ship with a gust of celestial winds.

For several months, things continued this way. She would spot a ship far in the distance, her hope would rise in her chest only to be replaced by rage when she saw that it was an enemy rather than a friend. With every disappointment that she faced, a small bit of that rage settled close to her heart as to steel it for the next one. Once the ships were destroyed, she'd hop upon her tiny schooner and make her way through the remains. Emily would pick them over for anything that might serve useful and check for any survivors. She quickly collected an array of telescopes of all sizes and designs, along with many other treasures. Plundered clothes became hers, those she could fit into at least, and those she couldn't, she used to decorate her little camp site. Food of all sorts came through as well, ranging from the vilest gruel to the fine delicacies that only a Tsar should eat. Maps and charts of constellations and planets piled high and she soon had enough to rival her own father's collection. Any gold, silver, or other valuable items she would carry deep down into the moon's hollow core so that no one would ever find it. To leave treasure in plain site would be an act most foolish in this dangerous galaxy. When she was not picking through the littered wood and broken remains left by the Dream Pirate's dark ships, she sailed with the star fish around Typhan's enormous body, being sure never to go too far. Though, for much of her time, she stayed and watched and waited. She waited for that regal golden ship to appear on the horizon and her noble father to come and take her away from this awful moon. And yet, the only ships that came were those belonging to the enemy.

After six months, Typhan could feel a deep sadness and longing growing well within her. It was natural, of course, and one that was similar to one he'd felt before. However, this sadness bode dark and deep and sang out that it would not be leaving anytime soon. This sadness was one that sat within for far too long and could bring the greatest and mightiest to their knees in tears and even to death. This was a sadness he wished not to see in his new-found 'daughter'. It would seem that waiting and hoping so long for someone whom she'd heard nothing of was harming her more than he'd thought. So he began to teach her the powers only the constellations possessed. At first it was difficult, she'd fallen into her habits, lacking desire to do anything else as well as the focus to learn. But as she learned what he had to offer, she found she had quite an affinity for it and grew to love it. Three months later and she could summon small storms and gusts of wind to do her bidding. She was not very good at it, but she enjoyed it all the same. Skill would come with practice and that could come later. For now, she was happy and that was enough. For hours, he would summon larger gales and more powerful storms for her to ride in her little schooner. If only to hear her laughter and drive that horrible sadness away. He was her father now. He could make up for everything that had happened and he was determined to make sure he did.

This was not a sentiment Emily Jane shared. Though Typhan had done much for her and she appreciated it to no end, he was no father. A teacher, a good friend, a wise adviser and a wonderful listener. But a father? No. She looked up to him, but still she waited for that ship to come.

It had been a year now. A year of waiting. A year of watching. A year of scavenging and hoping and surviving. The sun peeked over the horizon of her small moon and her tent lit up with light. The inside glowed with an assortment of bright colors. From under a pile of cloth, Emily Jane stirred. The girl had never been a graceful riser and emerged from beneath her pile with a rather loud groan, her thick hair looking as though a rat had spent the night in it. She stumbled to her feet blearily and made her way out through the flap of tarp she used as a door.

"G'morning, Typhan." She said with a yawn. The surface of the moon was pale and bland, flat as could be and the color of sun bleached limestone. But there was a calm to it. It glowed in the sun and cast away most shadows. The emptiness could be boring at times but for the most part, it sang of peace and ease, the only sounds coming from nearby creeks. It was quite a change from the chaotic mess of ruined ships that floated just beyond the atmosphere.

"Good morning, Emily Jane." The great constellation rumbled. She made her way to the closest stream to wash her face. Had she what she needed, she would have brushed her teeth as well. However, she had yet to find a tooth brush among the ruins, though, she wasn't sure she wanted to. If she could get a clean one, she'd happily accept it. Emily hated the taste in her mouth every morning when she woke up. After sufficiently washing her face and her hands, she walked over to the store of food she kept behind the tent she slept in. All the food she found was kept in another large tent made of heavier fabric. The light wasn't allowed in and it often kept a lower temperature than the rest of the moon. It was wonderful to sit in it's darkness during the warmer parts of the days but it's main function was food so it lacked the comfort her sleeping tent offered. Just two days ago they'd destroyed yet another ship and she'd made quite a haul. But that was two days ago. The fresh meat had been cooked the night she found it and was now starting to turn sour. It wouldn't be long until she was forced to feed it to the star fish which lived nearby. The same for the fruits and vegetables. For now though, she chose a slice of ham, some bread, and a bright red apple for her breakfast. She sat on her rock as she ate, watching until she was done and even after that. The morning passed as normal. There was nothing in the sky, no signs of life besides herself and the star fish, so after lunch she boarded her little schooner and set to sail. She looped a rope around the fin of the head star fish as it made it's way through space and used the free time to question the others about her father. She never had to worry about them straying too far from Typhan. They weren't the boldest of creatures and had taken refuge from Dream Pirates in the great constellation's shadow just as she had. But also, they were her friends. They understood her desire not to leave and wouldn't leave her either. Some days, it seemed as though only the star fish understood her. But they never had any new information on her father. Where ever he was, whatever he was doing, he simply wasn't near enough for them to find him. With his duty to the army and the Tsars that ruled the Golden Age, it was possible that they were pulling him to the edges of the galaxy to fight in the war. They'd done it so many times already. But she knew that where ever he was, he was thinking of her and he would find her.

Late in the afternoon, Typhan had her practice the skills he'd been teaching her. She managed to summon nothing more than a small rain storm that the young star fish played in, riding the celestial winds that she commanded. It was tricky work as storms are wild things, but she managed all the same. She was getting better at this, much better in fact, but Typhan refused to teach her anymore. Should her father come for her, something he doubted greatly, he didn't want her to be able to create anything noticeable. By all rules, he really shouldn't have been teaching her in the first place. This was something that only constellations should know. However, he'd already placed a request that she be accepted as his daughter and allowed to learn. They were making him wait for a time before accepting, just to be sure that her father had indeed disappeared from her life. He doubted the young girl's family so much though that he saw nothing wrong with teaching her some small skills. Her father would not come and he would replace the other being. Then he wouldn't be so very alone.

For dinner, she started a small fire and set about ridding herself of the smoked turkey that was about to turn. Emily curled up on her rock once more, just outside of the light of the fire. She stared up at the stars between bites. The silence seemed eternal. It was neither sad nor tense. It was peaceful, an understanding that this was time for quiet. The only sounds came from the crackle of the fire. She sat for an hour, watching and waiting like she did every night, when something finally caught her eye.

"Ship!" She called to Typhan, so he would be prepared should it be an enemy. Through her most powerful spy glass, she could see the dark shape of a ship moving on the horizon. It was too far away to tell if it was friend or foe, but either way it was coming her way.

She watched it like a hawk, perfectly focused on it's shape as it came closer. Slowly but surely, the ship took on a more defined shape and it became very clear just who's side it was on. The ship itself was a warm woody red, detailed with golds and blues. Huge white sails boomed to full size with the celestial winds that pushed it forward. And atop the highest mast waved a deep blue flag with a pure white moon across it, the sigil of the Lunanoffs. This ship belonged to the Golden Army. But which one was it? Her breath hitched as she leaned forward, desperately trying to read the ship's name on the side.

"Friend or foe?" Typhan asked. She didn't answer. The words were slowly coming into view. The looping letters were difficult to read but after seeing the first two, she needn't read any longer. She knew the ship. She knew the ship as sure as the sun rises and sets. She knew the ship. "Friend or foe?" Typhan asked once more. The girl had been quiet for too long and he worried for her. Just what had she seen?

It took her a moment to answer. She was simply too overwhelmed. "Friend." She just barely whispered. "It's a very, very good friend." If the constellation could see, he would have seen the most brilliant smile plastered across her face. A smile so bright that the girl was weeping with joy. Her father was here, he'd come at last! She always knew he would and now he was finally here!

She turned to watch her father through her spy glass as he came- wait. No. No! The ship was turning! It was leaving her! No no no! He didn't know she was here. She had to get his attention. Jumping down from her perch, she called for the star fish. The huge golden creatures swam around her eagerly, picking up on all of her energy. She quickly asked them to go and bring the ship here, giving her elaborate golden telescope to one of the fish as proof. They agreed, being almost as happy as she was at the news, and darted away as fast as their fins would take them. She clammered back aboard her stone, barely able to stay still as she watched through the telescopes.

The ship had already turned port when the fish arrived upon it. There was only one man on deck at the time, being as it had gotten rather late. At first he simply ignored the fish. A school of star fish swimming near the ship wasn't terribly unusual as they were very friendly creatures. It was when they began badgering him and interrupting his duty at the wheel that he got angry. He waved at them, undoubtably shouting some rather crude words that Emily shouldn't know, before coming to a sudden stop. He had the telescope. She could just see him turning it in his hands, inspecting it. She knew what he would find. She knew that he would see the words 'To My Greatest Gift' engraved on the side in swirling script and just what it meant. And he did. The helmsman struggled for what to do before turning the wheel hard towards her little moon, the boat practically tilting diagonal with the sudden jerk. Within moments of the action, men began popping onto the deck. One in particular came from just beneath the quarter deck, dressed in a stark white shirt and a deep red sash. Even from so far away, she could see that he walked with an undeniable sense of authority, tall and regal and also incredibly mad. He was on the man in an instant, chewing him out for the sudden change of course. The helmsman tried to explain but couldn't get a word in, the captain wouldn't allow it. It was as though he'd already been in a foul mood when he'd been rudely dragged up by actions he did not command. At last, the sailor simply thrust the golden object into the captain's face. The world stopped, for the man and for Emily Jane herself. She watched as her father carefully took the spy glass from the soldier, inspecting it as though he'd never thought he'd see it again. She wished he was already here so that she could hug him and never let him go. After what seemed like ages and just a second at the same time, he looked up at her little moon and it felt as though he was staring straight at her. The smile on her face only grew wider. Kozmotis broke the gaze and began shouting orders to the confused men on deck. The entire ship burst to life, all save the captain who was leaning on the railing as though he could make the ship move faster by sheer force of will alone.

"He's coming!" She let herself shriek, unable to keep it in any longer. She jumped off of her rock and raced around her little campsite. He was coming! He was here at long last! She would finally go home! She needed to get ready! But what did she have? Nothing but stolen goods that meant virtually nothing to her, not in comparison to finally getting her father back. She wanted to scream into the heavens, scream for all to hear, for all to understand her unbridled joy. And so she did.

"Emily! Emily! What is happening child? Who is coming?" Typhan needn't ask the question. He already knew exactly who was coming. He did not need to see to know what had made his hopefully-adoptive daughter so wildly joyful. He was coming. Her father. The one she had described time and time again during those long nights when the silent hadn't been so peaceful. But, while he was happy for her, he wished her father hadn't come. Emily Jane was to be his daughter. She was to keep him company in the vastness of space, to drive away that loneliness. He needed to hear the answer himself. He knew who was coming but only her saying it herself would solidify that fact. He would never take Emily Jane away from her father, but he had to be sure it truly was him. He simply wasn't ready to part with the girl just yet.

"Daddy! Daddy is coming!!" She shouted, picking through the clothing in her tent. She had an armful of cloth only to throw it back down again. It didn't matter. None of these things mattered! Her father had finally come for her and all she wanted was to feel his safe, warm arms wrapped around her again. She did the same with the books and the charts of stars. For all the knowledge they had given her, they hardly seemed to matter at all. At last, at long last, she was finally going home! The actions were little more than a distraction, a way to burn all that energy before it ripped her open. She had all the energy of a new star and could barely wait until her father arrived.

Fortunately, Kozmotis shared the same sentiment and the ship arrived within a few minutes. He could barely wait while they anchored the ship and lowered the gang plank, only to barrel down the wood seconds after it touched the pale ground of the moon. He stopped only for a moment to look for his little girl. When he spotted her, it made no difference for she was little more than a dark blur as she spend towards him. Emily Jane bowled into him with enough force to almost make him stumble, strong, fierce, and as wild as he'd remembered. She held onto him like he was the one and only thing keeping her from being sucked into a black hole and he did the same. He would never, ever let his little girl go ever again. A loud cheer came from the ship as his men leaned over the side to see what was going on. Neither of them even seemed to register it. Emily was shaking and clutching the back of his white shirt tight. She was crying and he knew that without having to look. He used his free hand to smooth her wild black hair and whispered in her ear.

"It's ok. Daddy's here. He's finally here. It's ok." His voice only made her shake harder but he just kept talking and calming her. "It's ok, my little gift. It's ok. We can go home now. We can finally go home."
This mostly comes from the idea of 'what if Kozmotis found Emily Jane on the moon instead?' I have some serious feels for these two. So many feels. There are going to be some serious happies in this story and some serious sads. You have been warned. 

Part 2: anybraginski.deviantart.com/ar…
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