(Cyrus POV)
Awakening in the void, I saw the aftermath of our battle against the Voidfang Basilisks. All that remained were remnants of the creature, one of which was a massive horn that had taken my entire strength to break. Even now, as just a fraction of what it once was, the horn was enormous. I let it continue its aimless drift through the void until it gently rested in my battered and beaten hands. I was lucky to be weightless here—if I had been in the physical realm, I doubted I would have had the strength to carry it in my current state.
Holding this horn provided a sense of accomplishment that I desperately needed at this moment in my life. Even though I hadn't dealt the final blow or inflicted significant damage on the behemoth, I took satisfaction in knowing that I had overcome an insurmountable hurdle through sheer willpower and determination. I would need that same resolve if I was going to stand side by side with my father once I freed him from his imprisonment.
"I see that you are finally awake, little one," a soothing voice interrupted my introspection. Searching for the source, I spotted the drake undulating above me as it drifted closer.
"Yeah… Sorry for passing out. My astral body took quite the beating in this rift for who knows how long," I replied.
"It's fine, little one. You deserve the rest. If it weren't for you, I don't think I would have defeated the Voidfang anyway. It is the direct counter to what I embody."
"If your role is to help create a pathway into the astral realm by mending the damage caused by the supernova, I would assume you've fought them before. How did you defeat them in the past?" I asked, curious about this mysterious creature.
"This was my first time, little one. To my knowledge, my kind has never encountered a Starbound, let alone fought astral behemoths in the rifts. I was only supposed to emerge from my cocoon once the Rift Guardian was defeated. We were never meant to meet, and yet, for some reason, I was awakened early—because of you. What are you, exactly, little one?"
"What do you mean? I'm a Starbound, just like any other who might have entered this rift before me," I responded, a tinge of nervousness creeping into my voice.
"No, you are something far different from the other Starbound I have sensed in this part of the rift. I couldn't quite place it before, but when you activated that rune of yours, it radiated an essence unlike anything I have ever encountered. Even your core… Is that a black hole, little one?"
"You can see my core? And… yes, it is a black hole. But it didn't start that way. My old core was ripped out by Solaris during my Starbirth Trial, and he replaced it with this," I admitted.
"Lord Solaris did this? He hasn't been involved with any of his attachments since before the Great Ascension. Why now? Whatever his reasons, there must be a purpose behind them. He rarely acts without one. It seems my judgment was correct—you are special. Perhaps fate forced me out of my cocoon to help you. Perhaps you are destined for something great."
"Maybe…" I muttered, though my mind echoed those words more deeply than I wanted to admit.
"I believe in you, little one. Here, let me offer you a token of my gratitude," the drake said, placing its claw on me. A surge of cosmic energy poured into my body, refilling my nearly empty reserves and healing my wounds. "You will need to be at full strength if you are to face the Rift Guardian."
"Thank you so much," I said, feeling my vitality return. "Oh, um… do Celestial Mergers have names?"
"My name is Rava, little one."
"Thank you, Rava. I won't forget you."
"No, thank you, little one. Because of you, I got to experience something beyond what I was created for."
With that, Rava gently clasped me in her massive claws, offering an embrace unlike anything I had felt in a long time. Then, she gestured toward the broken horn still in my grasp.
"Oh, let me see that, little one." Taking the chunk of the horn from my hands, she infused it with cosmic energy, her claws molding the dark material into a curved sword.
"A true warrior needs a weapon, don't you think?" she said with a wry smile.
"There you go, little one. Now you're ready for the final stage. But I don't know how useful it will be once you leave the rift—you lack an Astral Forge to store it."
"It's okay, Rava. This is more than enough," I said, showing my gratitude.
She nodded her large, prismatic head before lifting me toward the space where everything in the void began to meld together, forming a portal to the last section of the rift.
"I guess this is my stop. Here goes nothing," I said sarcastically, glancing back at the beautiful creature one last time before stepping forward.
"And so it is," she replied, giving me a small push, just enough momentum to send me drifting into the portal.
"Goodbye, little prince… I'm sure we'll meet again someday," Rava said softly as she floated away, her form gradually becoming encased in another cocoon.
Part of me was sad to leave Rava, there was something about her essence that was quite warming and nurturing. I almost forgot what that feeling was like. I had to press that need and yearning for that affection deep down and lock it away, because I couldn't afford to be soft and still act like a kid with our current situation.
I turned and took one last glance at my new ally as her encasing was almost finished and let an out loud farewell. "Bye Rava I hope to see you again one day. Maybe next time I'll be strong enough to break you away from your job."