(Day of the Switch)
Location: Market in Silvermarc, capital of the Verdant Kingdom of Eldoria in the world of Aethalgard.
"I am fine, Cal. I just did not sleep very much," Alura said to Prince Callum.
"Nightmares, again?" Callum said as he walked beside Ally. She looked at him with a smirk at asking such a stupid question. "Okay. I get it. I will stop worrying."
The pair, who were dressed in "the people's" garb to blend in, were headed to a shop off the main thoroughfare. The royal Barklar protective detail was watchful but kept enough distance to avoid too much attention. The royal prince and his family's ward, Alura Emberfell, had decided to go on an unplanned outing. Or rather, Lady Ally decided she had to go somewhere and Prince Callum followed.
The pair leaving suddenly was, unfortunately, a common occurrence. The Royal Barklars even had a code word for it: spinassi, which roughly translates to "Code: Thorn" in Eldorian. Still, it was a type of drill practice to keep the Barklars alert. While the leader of Callum's royal Barklar protective detail, Kel, made sure the Barklars were always on standby, his second in command, Aart, looked enough like Prince Callum to be used as a decoy.
So today, Prince Callum and Lady Ally were —unintentionally— testing the unit's readiness by strolling down the thoroughfare of Silvermarc. The uniquely Eldorian capital, with its unique harmony between architecture and nature, was home to around 1.7 million people, many bustling and moving about the Market District. As usual, the two royals were among them, engrossed in an argument about something; or rather, Ally did whatever she wanted, and Cal followed her to keep her out of trouble.
After Ally's family was killed and she became a Royal Ward, Ally was known to have a thorny disposition. She never tried to get close to anyone and spent time by herself or with Cal, most often sparring. Though her magical talents made her a formidable weapon for the Kingdom of Eldoria, her unpredictability in combat made her more of a last resort.
Still, Ally continued to seek out ways to become a stronger mage. Other mages referred to her as the KravLenSol, or someone who only sought knowledge and power. But Ally's drive challenged Cal to get stronger, too. He was already one of the top swordsmen in all of Eldoria, excelling at close-range combat. It was a good complement to Ally's long-range offensive magic. For that reason, most people knew not to pick a fight with the pair.
Of course, on that day, someone was dumb enough to try with the advantage that too many people were around, acting as a shield for any would-be attacker. Accordingly, Cal leisurely raised both of his arms above his head in alternating stretches. It also happened to be a signal to his guards to be on high alert.
Ally felt a violating wave pass through her and stumbled. "Cal?" she said with urgency. "I think… Vivian is coming." Cal helped Ally steady herself and took her hand. Pulling her in between an alley formed from a row of permanent market stalls. He leaned closely and examined his childhood friend's face.
"Ally. Tell me what is going on."
"I feel a wave, and now my eyes are going blurry. Cal, I do not think this is a normal Switch." Ally closed her eyes.
"Keep Vivian and my body safe. If I am right, I think she is the one they are looking for."
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SWITCH
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Location: Downtown San Francisco, California, on Earth
Ally suddenly felt heavy and could hear lots of muted voices and beeps. She opened her eyes to some strange vision of a yellow, bulky man-blob. She turned her head left and right, then spotted a red glow that turned to orange and then yellow the further away from the red center it got. She also noticed that the air was thick with the acrid scent of smoke and burnt materials. Intrigued, Ally walked toward the red glow, noticing there were a few more here and there.
A hand came down on her shoulder, and she heard clicks followed by a tinny voice saying, "Viv? What do you see? Did you find one?"
Ally sighed. They had switched, which meant she was back in Vivian's world. She was in a dark, smoky, and ruined building. The ground was treacherous, littered with wet ash and debris. Her body felt cumbersome, weighed down by thick, multi-layered gear that smelled faintly of sweat and diesel. Her head was encased in a hard, plastic shell, and the air she breathed tasted metallic and artificial.
Ally looked through the clear section of her mask, her red eyes trying to discern her surroundings. Her partner, a man named Jones whose voice she now recognized, stood beside her, his axe resting on his shoulder, his helmet lamp cutting a clean beam through the gloom.
"Hey, Viv." The other firefighter called out to her. "What's the status?"
Ally's eyes darted around, her internal magical senses trying to make sense of the strange environment. She was in an immense, cavernous room, and its ceiling was a tangle of charred metal beams and fallen debris. Fire, in this world, was a fascinating, terrifying thing. It lacked the raw, elemental power she knew in Eldoria, but it was just as destructive. She could feel the lingering heat, the angry, chaotic energy of the blaze still humming in the air around her.
She swept the room through the gaze of a device in her hands and saw several smaller areas still burning, but her eyes locked on a larger, more powerful blaze behind a collapsed wall. It was a vicious, hungry flame, licking at the ceiling, threatening to engulf the entire space. Jones must have seen it on the screen. Her partner followed her gaze. "Damn. We missed that one. Stay back, Viv, that's a big one. I'm going to open up the wall and radio for the hoseline. They'll need to go for the interior attack."
But Ally was already moving, bypassing the slow, logical process of Vivian's training. She felt a deep, profound connection to the raw, consuming energy of the flame. It called to her, and she felt an overwhelming urge to respond in kind, to subdue the unruly blaze not with water, but with her own power.
She took a slow, deliberate step forward, her hands raising instinctively. As she did so, a faint, iridescent glow, unseen through the smoke and grime, appeared on her skin. The red tattoos on her face and arms, now invisible under her gear, tingled almost to an itch with a low but potent energy. The ambient heat around her, the chaotic energy of the fire, began to flow toward her, drawn in by an irresistible, invisible force.
"Vivian, what the hell are you doing?" Jones yelled, his voice a panicked squawk.
Ally ignored him. She was focused, channeling the raw energy, feeling it pass through her, a rush of power that she had only ever felt in her own world. The raging inferno before her, the one that had threatened to spread through the entire structure, seemed to falter. The flames shrank, flickering wildly, as if an invisible hand was choking their very life. With a final, silent, all-consuming pull, the fire was gone. Instead of water, the raw energy of the blaze vanished by Ally's own power, leaving only a cloud of swirling smoke, sputtering in its place.
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the distant roar of other fire crews. Jones stared at the space where the fire had been, his jaw agape. He was an experienced firefighter, but he had never seen anything like this. The fire no longer needed to be out. It had simply… disappeared.
He looked at Vivian, his eyes wide with a mix of shock and fear. "Viv?"
Ally, her magic now receding, felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She'd expended a massive amount of energy, and in this world, it took a toll on her physical body. Her knees felt weak, and she leaned heavily against the charred remains of a wall, gasping for breath.
She had to think quickly. Friend Ben's face, with all of his overprotective lectures, flashed through her mind. She needed a good lie. A very good lie.
Ally responded, "I guess it was not as big as we thought it was?" She gestured vaguely toward the wall and pulled down pieces that flaked away with ease. Ally sighed, exasperated. She was not good at lying. But she was good at being intimidating.
"Uhm… okay. Do you see any more on the TIC?" The other firefighter called out to her.
"I see… red," Ally said, continuing toward it.
"Wait. Don't go towards it." The firefighter "buddy" reported that they found a hotspot still in the building. Ally wanted to get out of there, but the other firefighter asked, "How many?"
She saw 4… no 5, red blobs. This was going to take too long. Ally closed her eyes and drew the red blobs towards her body and absorbed them one-by-one. Well, almost all of them. "Just one red blob," she responded confidently.
In all the years since Ally and Vivian started switching, this was the first time that Ally found herself in the middle of Vivian's job. But she followed the others and did what they did until she got back to the fire station. She took off all of the gear and felt sweaty and messy. She wanted to wash it all off.
"Yo, Viv. What's gotten into you?" One of the other firefighters was close to her, removing his own gear in a neat and specific way. "Prep your turnouts."
"Sorry," Ally responded. "I just really need the…" she grasped for the right word, "toilet!" She tried to give the man next to her a pleading look, which seemed to work because he said something like 'I got you this time' and let her leave. She looked around for something familiar and finally found the small room where Vivian had been staying.
"Where is it…" she muttered to herself. She spied a small closet in the corner. She opened it to find a bag of Vivian's clothes and sundries. After she unzipped a side pocket, she found Vivian's journal and her phone.
Ally picked up the phone, which seemed to have something about a face on it, and found the picture that looked to her like the top of a carriage turned on its side. She touched it and then the number 1. There was that strange, low trilling sound a few times and then a click.
"Hey, Viv. What's up?"
"Friend Ben?"
There was a pause, then Ben said, "I'll be right there." Then another click.
Ally sat down and put the journal and the phone next to her on the small bed. The normally unflappable, powerful mage felt vulnerable and uncomfortable in this world. She spotted a short, reflective square on the wall. They have so many mirrors in this world. I may never get used to it. She looked at her face and poked various parts of it.
She sighed and said to herself, "All of the many different clothes in this world and you still have such terrible taste." She pulled the band out of her hair, changing from Viv's ponytail to Ally's normal flowing look. Ally then looked through the bag of clothes Vivian packed and sighed, "This girl…"
Ally eventually gave up on bettering her appearance and sat down on the bed again. She wanted to read the journal, but she also didn't want to read it around other people. She was protective of her own journal, always worried someone would find it. She lay back on the bed thinking: At least she is comfortable in these men's clothes. Before she knew it, however, she drifted off to sleep.
She dreamed of her and Cal, playing in the tall grass of her family home when they were kids. She looked up to see her brothers in the distance chatting with Cal's big brothers like old friends. There was a pleasant innocence as she felt at ease, giggling at how easy it was to tease the sheltered Prince Callum.
She woke to some knocks on her dorm door and a voice saying, "Viv? You have a visitor."
She could hear the knocker's voice talking to a familiar voice on the other side of the door.
"I don't think she is feeling well."
"Yeah, she called to ask me if I could pick her up."
"I see. She is only supposed to be on the clock until tomorrow morning, anyway. Hopefully, there won't be any calls, but we can manage either way."
"Thanks, Captain."
"You're a good friend, Ben. And we all have a pool at the station, betting on when you two are getting married. You could thank me with a little inside information…"
Ben chuckled uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "I should…" Ben gestured at the door. The captain nodded, patting Ben on the shoulder before he walked away.
A few moments after the captain went away, the door creaked open, and a hand pulled Ben inside. Ben studied Ally's face, muttering, "Red eyes. Ally mode."
Ally looked at him, her eyes sardonically half-closed.
"Okay," Ben said with raised hands in surrender. "As always, a woman of few words."
"I called. We will go now." Ally sounded like she was giving an order to her attendant. She left the room and all of Vivian's belongings.
Ben sighed and grabbed everything that was left behind. "Good to see you, too, Lady Ally." Then in a terrible Bridgerton accent, he sarcastically added, "Perhaps you'd care for a spot of tea…"
Ally suddenly looked back at Ben, her face practically beaming at the offer to taste more of Earth's culinary offerings. "That sounds lovely," Ally responded so sweetly that it took Ben by surprise. Then, in her normal tone, "Come. I have my lemon tart to eat."
Ben followed and then directed Ally to the exit when it seemed she wasn't sure which way to go. One of the firefighters called out as they were almost to the exit, "Hey, Ben! I've got less than a year in the betting pool. What are my chances?"
Another called out: "I'm on Team Benvian!"
Ben called back, "Still just friends, guys." And they left with the sound of Viv's coworkers chuckling behind them.
They did, in fact, stop for a spot of tea.
Ally sat looking out of the large glass window as people walked by, mostly looking at their devices. It was rare to see someone looking up or straight ahead. They're all just open without any sense of awareness of each other, let alone danger.
Vivian's world was loud. Ally always had to adjust to the sounds, lights, and so many people in such small places. And her otherworldly counterpart, Vivian, had picked a job that was filled with such distractions and noise that it never seemed to cease. Although there were some things that piqued her curiosity through the years, she mostly kept to herself in Viv's apartment until she returned.
After they decided to keep journals for each other as a way to communicate, Ally asked Viv to leave something for her to read when they switched. So Vivian wrote out instructions to Ally on how to make different things, how to call Ben for help if needed, and how to use things in the apartment. Ally glanced over the instructions, then only focused on "contact my friend Ben for help."
But it was a little quieter in the cafe, and Ben returned to Ally with two drinks. Ally looked at her tea, but spoke to Ben. "You people have so much. But… Everyone looks sad or unhappy. Is this what happens when there is no magic?"
Ben smiled at a somewhat vulnerable and innocent question. Viv and Ally sometimes seemed polar opposites. Yet their curiosity and sense of wonder were nearly identical. "I think you're just seeing them after a long day of work. But many people are happy, and there are even places made for being happy — though, I guess that depends on how you want to be happy…" Ben trailed off slightly red in the face. "Is everyone happy in a world with magic?"
Ally shrugged. "I will respond after… my cake?"
Ben chuckled. "I knew you would ask. It's on its way."
"Well done, Friend Ben. You have my sincere gratitude. There are so many tasty things to eat in your world. I would probably be plump if I lived here, too. They are strange ingredients to me, but I will find out how to recreate them in Eldoria." Ally suddenly seemed deep in thought to Ben, but he wasn't sure if it would result in a good thing or a bad thing.
"I hope your Cal-person is taking care of Viv. I get worried after she tells me some of the things that she sees in your world."
A small ruminating smile crossed Ally's lips. "In that, you and Cal are the same."
An employee called out Ben's name as she set a plated lemon tart on the counter. Ben brought the tart back to the table and gave it to Ally. "I recall this is one of your favorites?"
Ally calmly looked at the sugary dessert with what Ben thought was a somber and distant face. "I did enjoy it last time."
"I don't suppose you have any estimate of the length of the Switch this time?" Ben asked, knowing the answer.
"No. But…" Ally paused as she looked at Ben with genuine concern. "It was different this time. It was like I was forced into Vivian's body. And…" Ally hesitated.
"And?" urged Ben.
"I think they were looking for Vivian. I think they know she will be me. I was looking into it when we Switched, but I did not get to pick up my book before the Switch happened," Ally continued eating her lemon tart.
"They are targeting Viv? Is she in danger? Why would you think such a thing?
Ally put down her fork and looked at Ben. "Yes. Likely. And I heard her name before Cal signaled his Barklars. Cal pulled us out of sight, so I am sure she is still alive."
"She'd better be more than just alive," Ben said a little too loudly, garnering curious looks from the employees. Ben rubbed his neck— his habit when nervous— and quietly asked, "If they know about Vivian there, is it possible someone here knows about you?"
"It is plausible, but it seems less likely. Vivian has no power. It would gain nothing in either world." Ally resumed eating the last pieces of her dessert. "But they could be after my body without me in it to defend myself in my world." Ally considered Ben's reaction and felt she should comfort him in some way as a favor to Vivian. "There is nothing you can do from here. Cal will make sure nothing happens to my body— and your Vivian, of course."
"Nice afterthought," Ben mused, dripping with sarcasm.
"You do not need to worry. Cal tells me he enjoys the company of your Vivian very much. He will keep her safe."
"He enjoys Viv's company in what way?" Ben asked in a hushed tone, nearly out of his seat.
"It is of no concern. I told Cal that I would set him on fire if he used my body without my consent." Ally drained the last of her tea.
Ben spat his drink out.