Anneza was hounded by reporters, wherever she went. They all wanted to know the story of the magic girls that saved the school and the world from the Enemy. Some had taken pictures of what they could from the battle. All showed a number of individuals but all of the ones with the magic girls ended up blurry. Some had a strange ball of light... but it was hard to know who or what that was.
... but one person that was recognisable, just by her description, was Anneza. She was famous enough from before after all, and now she had become infamous. She was also the easiest to access, with an actual normal address of her parents.
The space girl had started to learn to speak English again. It took many months and it was a little childish in her grammar at times... but it was there. It was a patience the world lacked though. They all wanted to know who the magic girls were. Everyone focused on Anneza to get more information about them.
Anneza was bewildered by the attention... but then she went on the defensive.
Again, the industry she once served had turned on her. She felt angry and violated in ways they couldn't ever understand... and the worst part of it all, she started to wonder if... this was poetic justice. This was the world showing her that in the end, she was still to be punished... forever.
"How did you do that? How did you save the world?"
Anneza had to pause to translate the sentence. 'Save... world?' Did she save the world? Anneza shook her head. She was just concerned of the monsters that came down from the sky, just like anyone else would have been. She was surprised she could send them back up as much as anyone else... that her power could extend on these unnatural beasts.
"Tell us the identity of the magic girls. Are they friends of yours?"
Again Anneza, shook her head. She didn't know them... she didn't know any of them. But the face of that white haired one haunted her. She felt like she should know her... but it was like a life time ago. Did their lives touch... ever?
"...What was death like?"
"D-Death?" Anneza felt herself tremble as she stared, with a slightly wild look in her eyes. They knew she had died... and come back. It also cemented her celebrity status even more- and not in a very positive way, as everyone knew her 'history'. Why her? Why someone so vile... so horrible... to some it was proof that there clearly was no God, while others said it demonstrated that there had to be a very forgiving God indeed...
But all that discussion painted Anneza into something other then who she was. It became more important to discuss God- or lack thereof, then Anneza's story. What could she possibly say to satisfy the question?
Anneza floated downward slightly. Death... how to describe it? Because... she wanted to live, but what had she returned to? To this life? To these people?
"Feel... sad," said Anneza.
Those were her first English words to the public on this subject. They were also her last words, as the space-girl shunned any further discussion.
Anneza wasn't the only space-girl having a few difficulties adjusting. Astra wondered Space, far from the Earth to the other side of the moon. It was cooler here, and she liked the shade of the strange 'twinned' planet.
The space-child felt her antenna's twitch as she listened to the song of the stars. There was so much on her mind. The story for one just... didn't feel right. So she went back as close to the beginning as she could, until she realised the horrible truth. The truth that her beginning, was not the same as the others. Which could mean... she had no story.
The revelation shocked and disturbed the little gitl.
Her 'mother', Anneza eventually found her. She gave a look that expressed caution, but also concern. "What are you doing here Astra?" she asked.
"M..." She... couldn't say it. She knew the truth of how this world worked now, and the stories... they never told her what reality was 'really' like. "I... ain't your daughter... really... am I?" she said quietly.
Anneza blinked. Okay... this was weird. Maybe part of her welcomed that the child was starting to realise this but- at the same time, she felt this pang of concern. "What.. makes you say that now?" she asked carefully. The space woman didn't really know a lot about children and seeing Astra act out like this was a little jarring.
"Because, you never gave birth to me," she said matter of factly. "An'.. everyone else is born. I... I was not. That is the beginning of the story. But I have no beginning. I never had one. I never can have one."
Anneza looked sadly, and unsure quite what to say. That the child put the very image of her 'giving birth' really irked her, but now was really not the time to dwell on that subject. She tried to ne honest with her. "I... don't really understand Astra. I found you in space, and you were kind of... already there, but not completely. When I touched you, suddenly you were there..."
"Do... you even want me here?" she asked pitiably. "Your... mom and dad say there isn't enough space for me in that strange.. enclose?"
"House," said Anneza.
"House..." repeated Astra. "An'... I... I know you don't even like... to... t' be a ... a mom," the little girl started to cry, shimmering orbs of tears, as they floated in the void of space.
Anneza slumped her shoulders a little as she floated forward, moving her legs outward in the process. "Astra... you wouldn't... want me as a mother," she said. There were far more qualified people out there then her. "The entire world hates me. I'm only this way because... it's a punishment."
"Punishment? I don't understan'."
"I... I was once a man." the space girl continued.
"Is... is that why you don't want to be my mom?" asked Astra looking at her.
"I- Astra, look- this... this isn't really..." She trailed away. "I don't know even how to be a mom." she said looking at the stars with some annoyance. "I hated the changed so much... I was trying to protect my business and... I never thought I would end up as one... or one like this." Anneza could now feel tears well in her own eyes, though she didn't cry. She accepted that... she would have to stay like this... forever. She would take it one solar year at a time... she felt she could handle it. If not for the periods anyway.
"But... I like you," said Astra. "An... you're a girl... like me. I like being like you. So... do you still want me around?"
Anneza signed. She certainly didn't want to turn away company. Space was so incredibly lonely. "Well... lets stay together for now. Space is rather large and... we would be better to be together."
"An'... even if... I ain't really your daughter... can I be? Please? I haven't got anyone else," asked Astra hopefully. "I promise I'll even help so people wont hate you. I'll fix it!"
"I... guess," nodded Anneza, though she didn't really think this girl could do anything. "Maybe we'll both find a new beginning."
Astra smiled. "I'd like that. Oh- isn't the moon so weird lookin' from here?"
Anneza looked at it. The dark side was certainly heavily scarred... yet everyone saw the beautiful side of the moon. "You want to... land there and have a look?"
"yeah!"
