After they finished dinner and went back to Lucas's plot of land, Cass waited for Lucas to do whatever it was she had to do behind her back.
"It's prepared." - Said Lucas - "You can turn around now."
Cass turned around and looked at the objects Lucas had created, gathered on a table.
Thirty-seven replicas of the One Ring. A life-size statue of a manatee wearing a feather boa. A steel drum filled to the brim with whipped cream. A cat o'nine tails with a handle decorated with smiley faces.
"Oh." - Said Cass - "I understand completely."
Whether or not she was being sarcastic is your decision, reader. But suffice to say that Lucas did not intend to take the objects to the Room of Fate.
Selene/Neruite had just come back from the stairway when Lucas walked into her villa, with only her sword, as usual.
"Hey, Neruite." - Said Lucas - "Can you take me to the Room of Fate? I need to test some stuff."
"You can make it to the room by yourself." - Said Neruite. It stood to reason; if Lucas's sword could cut the threads of fate, it would, after all, work as a key...
"I'll go there to try again. I tried opening up a few alternatives. That and I want to see what else this sword can do to the threads of fate... The entities clean up whatever damage there is to the balance, right?" - Said Lucas.
"More or less, but if you are careful with testing we should have no problem." - Said Neruite cautiously. - "What are you planning to test?"
"Trying to see if I can use my sword to guide the threads somehow... Seeing how much leeway I have, really. I know next to nothing about my sword, and I figured the best way to know would be testing it. I also... Wanted to ask them something more personal. Or to be shown something..." - Said Lucas.
"That kind of test should be okay. And I had been wondering how long it would take for you to want to ask them about your own past, and what it may have prevented or caused. You won't do this, though." - Said Neruite, guessing Lucas's plans with ease.
"Uhm, okay... Why not? Would it upset the balance? Look, I know I have scant reason to complain, but still, there are some things in my past that... Well... Every geek goes through it, though it was more pronounced in my case... Still... If things happen for a reason... I mean, I'd like to know why." - Asked Lucas, not wanting to delve deeper into the issue.
"It would not upset any balance. And, in fact, you have my permission and my blessing to ask it. It would even be shown. What the things you went through prevented or how they improved the lots of others would be made perfectly clear to you, Lucas. It just would be pointless. Suppose it indirectly saved a life. Would you be happier about it? Suppose it saved dozens. Thousands. Billions. Would it make you feel better about what you went through if you suddenly found out the, quote-unquote, 'reason'? After all these years, or even back then, would it make a difference? Would it make it all okay, whatever the reason? Ask yourself this." - Said Neruite gently.
Lucas paused, closed her eyes for a moment, and sighed.
"Point..."
"Your past is part of what you are, and you like what you are right now. Yet, you do not like all details of your past; you are not thankful for all of it, and you should not be; as with anyone else, some parts of it were, indeed, bad. And wanting answers about what happened is normal, especially now that you will get to be frequently in one place where you can truly get them. However, this is also where you come to understand that the reasons make no real difference." - Said Neruite.
Lucas nodded. "Yeah, I do see your point..."
"And yes, I do know of your other, personal reasons for saving Lilly. I know that them deeming her expendable is, in part, precisely why you want to save her, and I know that you want to stick it to them." - Said Neruite.
Lucas blushed. "Well, you know me too well to think it's all about being nice, I suppose. I admit, part of the thrill of saving her is giving fate the metaphorical finger. I know they won't understand it, but still..."
"For that matter, that would help their purpose. Their purpose is balance and more life. So, even if they could understand it, it would not offend them." - Said Neruite, smirking - "Worst. Act of rebellion. Ever."
"Not that bad, I'd still be getting to force the ultimate authority to reconsider a decision." - Said Lucas, giggling - "Plus, y'know, saving a little girl and preventing the prejudice her death would cause, both of which are still my main priorities in this... I hope I don't sound silly."
"Don't worry. As long as your top priority is saving her and sticking it to them is secondary, it's quite okay." - Said Neruite - "You can open the portal to the stairway yourself from your plot when you wish, and go back from there as well." - She opened the portal, and Lucas stepped through.
I understand you, Lucas. - Neruite thought to herself as her protegé entered the portal - On this matter, I also want to rebel against fate...
