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Before

It was a crisp, cool autumn morning when mother and child were found huddled on the riverbank on the outskirts of the city.

There was an air of mystery about them.

No one knew where they came from. They didn't speak the Common Tongue, nor any of the other languages known to the local populace, and they could only communicate in the most rudimentary of manner. They were ignorant of all of the accepted customs, but they didn't have the look nor conduct of the outlanders.

The edge dwellers were at a loss and made the mandatory notifications.

It wasn't long before the Garda came and whisked the woman and little girl away.

Now

Ana flipped the pen between her fingers as she contemplated the symbols on the page.

"Stazia!" Ana's head jerked up at the irritated tone of Marshall's voice. "Get your head out of the clouds, girl. You're wanted on Three."

Ana let out an agitated huff as she gathered her current research notes and headed down to Sublevel 3. She hated the constant interruptions she dealt with on a near daily basis, though she was looking forward to getting her hands on the new specimens Jenkins had for her to play with today. The Drones from Seven had brought in a new haul the week prior, and the whispers she overheard indicated some promising artifacts.

After the rigmarole of the standard security check, Ana was let into the lab. A grim-faced Jenkins lifted his head as she entered. He pointed to table 5, and with a loud grunt he urged her, in his less than personable way, to get on with it.

Ana prepared herself for possible disappointment before she started examining each individual item.

More than three hours had passed and all Ana had to show for her time spent were some pretty, decorative paper weights.

She grasped a slightly misshapen, pure red stone and nearly dropped it in shock. It felt alive in her hand. Ana fully opened her senses and couldn't believe it. This was it. The final piece. She suppressed a grin. She could almost taste her freedom from this horrid place.

Then

Ana was happiest when she was running wild in the outer ruins. She didn't get to do it very often. Her studies and thrice-weekly cultural and counseling sessions took up most of her time. But on those rare occasions when both her and her mother's free time matched up—and Nyssa wasn't too worn-down to sneak them out of the city—Ana would scamper about and revel in childish glee.

She loved to explore the rubble where Gaia was busy reclaiming her once glorious domain. Ana would pretend she was on an expedition to find her lost homeland. The landscape didn't quite match what she vaguely recalled from before they arrived here or what her mother—in her more maudlin moments—hinted at about The Time Before, but it was a sight closer than the dreary city neither one of them willingly called home.

Ana meandered along her favorite path when a brief flicker of light caught her attention. She knelt down and brushed some debris out of the way. Ana gasped in delight. "Mama! Look! Look what I found."

Ana rushed over to where Nyssa lazed in the sun. With no small measure of enthusiasm, she shoved her muddy hands into her mother's face. "Careful there, cub," Nyssa murmured as she gently lowered Ana's hands to see what new treasure she had discovered. A hint of satisfaction sparked in her eyes as she beheld the three glittering stones in Ana's hands. "They're beautiful, cub. Be sure not to lose them and they'll be added to the collection when we get back."

Now

Ana spent several nerve-wracking hours acting as normal as possible. She painstakingly continued her examinations as she waited for her workday to come to an end. She couldn't let anyone learn of her discovery.

Finally, The Enlightened Master dismissed everyone to partake in their well-earned rest.

Ana took the expected route back to her assigned housing, never straying from the path as she was wont to do during her more reckless moments. She couldn't risk a stint at the reconditioning institute now that she was so close to getting her and her mother away from this place.

Soon after Ana entered the house and greeted her mother, Nyssa could tell something of great import had happened. She led Ana to the sacred chamber and waited with studied patience for her daughter to get her words out.

"I found it, Mama! We can go home!"

Then

Nyssa had just finished cleaning up after dinner when someone knocked on the door. No one was expected, and the unscheduled inspections had finally ended a little over a year ago. Nyssa wondered who it could be and secured the chain before hesitantly opening the door a crack.

An unimposing blond stood on the porch. "Madam Stazia?"

"Yes. Who's asking?"

"Jefferson from Secor." He held out an Ident Card. "I'm here about your daughter."

"Secor? That's the academy sponsored by The Enlightened?"

"It sure is. May I come inside?"

Nyssa reluctantly opened the door and waved Jefferson in.

"Why exactly are you here?" she asked as she offered Jefferson a seat.

"Your daughter was recommended for the accelerated path. After evaluating her, we at Secor believe her to be the exact type of candidate that would excel under our tutelage."

"I don't know. Ana is happy with her current placement. I don't think—"

"Madam, the girl is gifted."

"Every mother believes that of her daughter, but—"

"This is a lovely home you have here."

Nyssa released an irritated breath. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"It really is lovely. You're aware of the recent string of arson attacks, yes? It would be a shame if the arsonist targeted this neighborhood next."

Nyssa's hackles rose at the implied threat.

"The paperwork has already been pushed through. The girl is expected to be on campus on the 13th. It was a pleasure speaking with you, Madam, but now I must take my leave. No, don't get up. I'll see myself out."

Now

Ana was preparing for what would hopefully be her last day at work. She psyched herself up for the planned heist and was nearly ready to leave when Nyssa came out carrying her red cloak.

She looked drained yet happy. "You'll need this. I've altered the innate properties. As long as you're wearing it everyone around you will overlook any strange behavior or suspicious activity."

Ana took the cloak with a fair share of reverence and put it on with great care.

~*~

Filled with a giddy sense of accomplishment, Ana burst through the door. "Mama, I'm back." The house was strangely silent. "Mama?"

Ana raced through the house calling for her mother. There was no answer. Everything looked the same as it had that morning. There was no sign of a struggle. Her mother was just gone.

Before she could be overtaken by despair, Ana noticed a letter on the table.

Darling Daughter,

I am so sorry I have to leave you like this. It was the only option. I still have tasks I need to complete in this dreadful place, but it is time for you to go home.

I've packed you a bag that you must take with you on your journey. You must go to the river, you know the one. When you get there, drink from the bottle, and let your instincts guide you. They'll not steer you wrong.

After you cross through the river, you'll meet someone very important. He'll be a bit grouchy, but you mustn't be afraid; he would never harm you.

I love you dearheart. Don't worry, we WILL be reunited. Now go.

Your Loving Mother

Ana wanted to cry out her heartbreak, but she couldn't waste any more time. Her liberation of the stone could be discovered at any moment, and if she was still here when they came calling it would have been all for naught.

She found the bag and placed the letter and stone inside before she hightailed it out of there.

Ana ran and ran and ran some more.

~*~

After she arrived at the river, Ana took a few careful sips from the bottle. The taste was indescribable. It tasted of moonlight and sunshine. It tasted of a warm summer breeze and a cold winter night. It tasted of fire and rain and of a million other things. And suddenly, Ana knew what she must do.

She dug out the strange wooden bowl she found a few years after they arrived here. The special stones and crystals they had gathered over the years went into the bowl. As did a few drops from the bottle. A green flame burst into life, and she threw the bowl into the river and dove in soon after.

~*~

He sensed a change in the air. Something he hadn't felt in many moons. Not since the horrible night they were lost. His mate. His cub.

Enraged, he ran towards the disturbance. He wouldn't allow it to bring forth more tragedy. Not now. Not ever again.

~*~

Ana emerged from the river. She looked around and was awestruck. She was surrounded by a dark forest. It felt familiar, but she didn't understand how it could. There was nothing like this anywhere that she knew of. It was breathtaking. And then it hit her. It was so obvious. She was home.

Something inside her urged her to run, and so she did. She whooped with joy as she ran for miles and miles. She circled back towards the river and that's when she heard it. Growling.

~*~

He smelled her before he saw her. An odd scent wafted through the air. Familiar yet not. He followed his nose. A strange creature appeared before him. He started to attack, but something inside him made him pause. He knew this creature. He didn't know how, but he did. He inched closer. He sniffed. Cub. His cub.

~*~

Ana turned and that's when she saw him. A large, dark wolf come to devour her. She was terrified. Frozen in place, she waited for an attack. An attack that never came. As her heart started to slow to a more steady pace, she remembered snippets from the letter. You mustn't be afraid. He'll be a bit grouchy. He would never harm you. And she knew this wolf was who her mother warned her about.

As she calmed even more, Ana heard one word whispered over and over again. "Cub." Something unlocked in her mind, and she was bombarded with memory after memory. Howling at the moon. Cuddling. Running. Always running. Running on all fours. Yapping. Nuzzling. Playing. In The Time Before she was a wolf.

~*~

He drew closer to this creature. This creature that was his cub. And he saw. He saw a strange land. His cub. His mate. They were stolen from him. Changed. Became these odd creatures. But they were still his. His cub. His mate. His cub was back, but his mate was still gone. But he knew. He knew how to find her. He would find her. Bring her home. He would have to leave his cub here. He didn't want to. Not now that he finally had her back. But she was safe here. And his mate was still in danger. Still trapped. He looked to his cub. Saw she understood. He would go. He would get his mate. And then they would come back. Back to their cub.

~*~

Ana saw. And she knew. This wolf who was her father. She saw his plans. He would leave, but he would come back. With her mother. They would come back. She understood. She watched as he went to the river. To the hidden gateway. The way to that place. That place that was never home.

Ana was alone now. But she was home. She started to explore. She needed shelter for when night came. She ran and looked. It was getting colder. She should start a fire. She would need the warmth. But something was happening. It was getting darker and colder, but she wasn't. She was getting warmer. The moon started its ascent. She was changing. She expected pain, but it never came. She dropped to all fours. She opened her mouth and howled at the moon.

After

It was a warm and misty autumn afternoon when a determined stranger stalked into the bleak, sterile city. . . .