Eternal Daughter

Chapter 8: Repository Of Creation

The Crosspath welcomed me back, Life's shining doorway almost obscene compared to the dim quiet of Death's domain. Mom had made sure anyone who entered the space between realms was acutely aware of the fact she and she alone held the crown as the ruling queen of tacky. Lurid, golden cherubs softly stroked giant lyres, their music growing louder as I approached, turning their creepy heads my way and smiling in their yellow metallic awfulness. Even their teeth were gold, their overlarge eyes. And the door itself, all shining white marble and elaborate metal lacework and flowering vines of gems backlit from the edges so it glowed, cast shadows from the glare.

I paused, hesitating to rush to the Garden just yet, knowing what I was in for. The staring disdain or absent ignorance of my sisters, the arrogant demands of my mother, all that shimmering, golden perfection and excessive sparkliness I could do without just now.

I should have gone to Mom. I knew that was what Dad intended. But I couldn't bring myself to do it just yet. Instead, in a flare of defiance and the need to see another friendly face before my forced return to Life's Garden, I crossed the soft carpet to a more traditional wooden entry with two shining white pillars flanking the heavy, oak doors. The shining gold handles glistened in the low light, my hands loving the smooth, warm feel of the metal as I firmly pushed the right one open and stepped through.

The Repository of Creation welcomed me with its usual rush of delight, the hurry up and take your time mix of feeling always making me a little giddy. The archive of all knowledge in the Universe had felt more like my home than Life or Death's realms ever had and I felt a smile spread over my face, my own aura warming as the steady, welcoming presence of the Repository offered its own brand of hello.

Not that the realms had personalities, per se. But this one did if any of them could. And had the most understanding feeling about it I'd ever encountered.

Maybe I should have been asking Dad and Mom to let me move here. After all, my best friend was in the Repository and her family had always treated me kindly. I waved at a pair of passing pixies who barely noticed me, their high pitched voices sending glittering cascades to the ground, thin, colorful wings flapping so quickly they were almost invisible. I stepped aside and let them leave into the Crosspath, scanning the immediate area below the entry stairs for signs of a familiar face.

There were plenty of faces to choose from, the regular, busy activity of the Repository as much part of its charm as the way it felt to me emotionally. The centaurs and pixies who managed the vast library made up the bulk of those making their way down the massive center aisle or disappearing in the distance down one stack or another. The clomp of massive hooves and the swish of heavy tails added extra volume to the constant conversation, as people of all races it seemed milled about, asking questions, being directed and guided by the helpful pixies.

The whole place felt like one big part of me every time I came, and always improved my mood no matter what I'd been doing or gone through. But I was here when I was meant to be elsewhere and the guilt of my side trip was enough to keep me from rushing forward into the mayhem.

I paused one more moment, trying to decide if it was worth it to go hunting for Tulip when a small pixie, her bright pink eyes sparking with magic, long, purple hair glittering over her tight, white tunic fluttered to a halt before me, her wings fanning my face with the scent of cotton candy.

"Eve," Evanescence chirped, tiny clipboard in hand as she scanned the surface. "You're here for Tulip?"

I nodded. Like she had to ask. But that was her job, after all.

"Tulip is in the Recent History department, 60th stack, section 45-B." She tapped her clipboard with her pen, efficient smile on her tiny face. "Do you need a guide?"

"Thank you, I'm good." As if I hadn't been here before. Really, the pixies of the Repository were wonderful when needed, but I just wanted to see my friend and avoid running into anyone who might not agree this side trip was a good idea. Like one of my sisters or brothers, though they rarely visited the Repository so my concerns were likely unnecessary.

Still, hurry drove me. Mom would be calling me sooner rather than later, I was sure of that. And I wanted enough time to absorb some Tulipness before I had to face the Garden.

I stepped around Evanescence's hovering form, heading for the main floor. Tulip was close by, at least, only a few stacks away. So I wouldn't have to bum a ride from anyone to find her.

The moment my shoe met the shining white marble floor I realized my friend was closer even than the pixie spotter's notes told her. It wasn't like the Repository not to keep them up to date with its magical monitoring of everything going on in its realm. I forgot to wonder about that slip up almost immediately. "EVE!" The sound of my name shouted in a deep, feminine voice followed by the pounding of hooves was invariably met with folks scattering in either direction as my best friend, Tulip, barreled her way through the crowd, nearly taking out a pair of dwarves and a very anxious looking imp, and skidded to a halt in front of me.

"Sorry!" She cast that apology over her shoulder to everyone she'd inconvenienced in general before bending down to hug me. She towered over me, and always had since we were kids together, her shapely torso balanced on the gleaming golden body of a palomino. Her matching cascade of pale ivory curls hung down her arched back in a waterfall of froth, the full, fluffy feathers of her massive hooves and perky tail the same near-white. Tulip blinked her big, brown eyes at me, wide smile full of her natural enthusiasm as her big, strong hands swung me up on her broad back. I clung to her narrow waist as she reared and spun on her haunches, leaping into full gallop back the way she'd come down the main corridor.

"Tulip!" We pounded past her mother, Blossom, who frowned and shook her long, golden hair, stomping one back hoof. "Slow down." Her scowl turned to a smile as she waved at me, already behind us. "Hello, Eve!" I giggled into Tulip's back as terrified folks continued to leap out of her path, her mother's order forgotten while she almost continually shouted her jovial, "Sorry!" to everyone we passed.

By the time she pulled to a stop, her hooves thudding on the now wooden floor, we'd exited the main Repository and taken a hard left into the private quarters area of the realm, the smell of coffee driving me a bit mad. Just like her to head straight for the Repository Café. Tulip waited patiently for me to dismount before leading the way to a tall, wide table where she gestured to the pixie serving coffee.

"Two espressos," Tulip said, arching her eyebrows at me. I shrugged and smiled. "Make that three." No wonder she was wound up today. Her coffee addiction made normal people's look mild. It didn't help the giant cups the pixie returned with, her wings and magic straining with the effort to support her platter, were about five times the size of a mortal one. Tulip downed her first, ignoring the stares of the others in the café, pushing mine toward me while she c****d one back hoof and relaxed, exhaling in a big gust of happy to sip her second.

"I didn't think I'd see you today," she said. "Moving Day, right?"

She had to bring that up. "You're my excuse for not going right to the Garden," I said, hating that my voice sounded glum. It wasn't Tulip's fault and I didn't like dumping on her, didn't want to be that friend. Though, my beautiful centaur bestie never seemed to mind. Still, I never had good things to share with her, it seemed, so I did my best to just keep my stuff to myself.

Tulip wrinkled her nose, freckles over the bridge and scattered across her cheeks. She tossed her head and brayed a faintly horsey laugh, foam-like curls bouncing.

"You're sixteen now," she said. "You'll be able to tell your parents where you want to live before you know it." Sparkling brown eyes blinked slowly at me, her good humor fading while she reached out and engulfed my hand with one of hers. The matching pink polish flashed from her own fingers as she spoke, voice falling low and sad. "I heard about your last task."

No way was I going to cry on Tulip. I refused to meet her eyes, sipped my coffee instead. And reached for the hope Dad gave me.

I told her everything he'd said, and then rewound at her insistence. She muttered her condolences at my failure, her growling irritation at Daphne's normal bitchiness, and then squealed like a girl when I mentioned my encounter with the mortal, Adam.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me." Her tail swished in time with her excitement. "Is he cute?"

I laughed. "He's... delicious."

Tulip swooned, resting her chin on her fist, dreamy look on her face. "I bet." She'd always been so girly about these things. She had crushes on every available centaur male her age from the time we were twelve, and was an absolute romance novel addict. I rolled my eyes at her ridiculous reaction.

"It's not like anything can happen between us," I said. "You know the rules. He's mortal and I'm not."

"I know, silly," she said. "But still. Tell me every detail." She leaned toward me, broad shoulders straining against her crisp pink button up, Repository staff vest barely containing her full chest. "Don't you dare leave out a single thing."

***