December 12th, 2039
...
Ivory and Serene spend their time in the family room. While Ivory was watching TV, Serene sat next to the side door that lead to their backyard and garden, and watched the workers plow the snow outside.
Ivory sighed at the weather forecast. It would be 10 degrees all week. She loved that The Seraphyne were reversing climate change; she just hated that it was cold and snowy all the time. Kael and Elara often complained that the snow would get in the way of their training --- but Blue disagreed. Blue told them they have to be prepared to fight anywhere at anytime, no matter the weather.
"Mommy," Serene said. She was three now, almost four.
"Yes, baby?" Ivory asked.
Serene pointed to something. Ivory got up and looked outside to see that the workers were shoveling the snow in the backyard.
"Yes, they're working," Ivory said.
Serene shook her head and still looked out the window. "They're going to ruin it."
"Ruin what?"
Ivory guessed Serene made a snowman or snow angel somewhere outside. She often followed Lyra and Cassian around.
Serene slowly turned to look up at Ivory. "The altar," Serene said.
Ivory chuckled and cocked her head to the side. "I'm sorry, Serene. I don't follow. There's no altar outside."
"You're silly, mommy," Serene said. "There is. You made it."
Ivory's head dropped into her stomach. Ivory guessed that Serene had seen the tombstones and candles she had organized for the former members. Ivory didn't know what to tell Serene --- she thought Serene was too young to understand why she had the memorials in secret, and that Serene couldn't comprehend how evil her father really was.
"Don't worry, mommy," Serene smiled, "She isn't upset with you."
"Who isn't upset with me?" Ivory asked and she crouched down next Serene. "Did you show somebody what's out there?"
Serene shook her head. "No, mommy. I know it's a secret."
"Huh?"
"She told me that it's a secret, and that I can't tell daddy, because he'll be mad at you," Serene said.
"Who told you this?"
"Your friend."
Ivory raised an eyebrow at her daughter. She had no idea what Serene was talking about, or where Serene had gotten this information. Lily had to be the only logical answer. She and Lily were very close and she pretty much told Lily everything, except the memorials she made. Ivory wanted one thing to herself.
"I understand," Ivory began, "Lily found my set up, and she told you to keep it a secret."
Serene laughed and shook her head. "No! Mommy you're so silly. Your other friend."
Ivory said nothing. She wasn't sure what Serene was talking about, or who she had meant by the other friend.
Serene walked away from the door and pointed to the hallway. "She watches you from here; she's sad when you're sad. She's happy when you're happy. She says you're like me, too. Dad keeps you busy, so you forget she's here."
Ivory looked at the hallway and peered to the end; she and Serene were the only ones around. She nodded and understood that Serene was seeing something, or she had an imaginary friend. Ivory wasn't going to tell Serene that she was imagining things --- creativity is normal for kids and helps them with social bonding.
Ivory crouched down again and took Serene's little hand into her own.
"Did this friend tell you her name."
Serene nodded. "Yeah. She's your friend from home --- the orphanage."
Ivory's eyes widened.
"Viper. That's her name."
Ivory took a few seconds. She had never been so shocked before.
"What? What did you say?"
"Viper. Your friend."
Ivory narrowed her eyes, and had become angry. "That's not funny, Serene. You can't make jokes like that."
Serene started to whine. "I'm not."
"Who put you up to this? Did dad tell you?"
"No. The others don't know that you're an orphan. Viper told me you escaped, and Blue kidnapped you."
Ivory shook her head. Someone told Serene this story, and here, Serene was using that information as way to play pretend; Serene was pretending that Viper was here.
"Serene, I'm sending you to your room," Ivory said sternly. "It's not nice to play games about people's dead friends."
Serene had begun to cry.
"No, no, Serene ---" Ivory tried to hush her, because she didn't want Serene to throw a fit.
It was too late. Serene had started to stomp her feet and scream, and tears fell down her face. She sobbed uncontrollably. Ivory gently wrapped her arms around Serene and tried to calm her down, but Serene pushed her hands away, plopped onto the floor, and wailed. She kicked her feet when Ivory tried to get too close.
Ivory was overwhelmed.
"Serene, I'm sorry," Ivory began.
A hand met Ivory's shoulder. She turned to see Blue.
"I'll take her, and we'll talk later," he said, and he took Serene into his hands.
He walked down the hallway with Serene, who told Blue, "Mommy doesn't believe me."
Ivory saw Blue hold Serene's face into his chest as he walked off with her.
All Ivory could do in that moment was look toward the memorial she made for her lost friends, and tears swelled up in her eyes before she ran to her room.
...
Later that day, Blue found Ivory in the room. She was on the bed, and faced the wall opposite of the door. She turned to see him and Red come in.
"Serene told me what happened," Blue said.
Ivory nodded and looked down. She had no words.
"Someone told her," Ivory said after a while.
"Viper's file was destroyed, Ivory. There's no way anyone here told her. The Serapyhne workers don't know about her."
"Well, Harley or Spike had to have told her then," Ivory shot back.
For the first time, Red had nothing to say. He just looked between the other gang members.
"You've held onto Viper's death for 20 years, Ivory," Blue began, "you've been carrying her around."
"Serene shouldn't know those things."
"Serene told me no one here told her about Viper."
Ivory looked up at him. "And you believe her?"
"You don't?"
Ivory stood up. "Someone told her, Blue."
"Let's say she was observing you --- maybe she saw the memorial, heard a conversation, or even wants your attention: I don't think Serene would use Viper to connect with you. Out of all our kids, you're the closest with her. Serene is too young to understand what death is," Blue said.
The door opened and they turned to see Serene peering through the door. Her dark blue hair was in a French braid. Serene's cheeks were still pink from her crying an hour before.
"Mommy," Serene said and sniffed her nose.
Ivory got off the bed and opened the door to see Serene and Harley outside.
Ivory's and Harley's gazes met one another's; Ivory then crouched next to Serene, who wrapped her little arms around her mother, and the two hugged one another.
"Serene, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry," Ivory said.
Serene pet her mom's arm. She stayed silent as Ivory picked her up and walked down the hallway with her. Harley, on the other hand, looked down the hall toward Ivory, and then her eyes looked into the bedroom, where Blue and Red were.
Harley joined them and closed the door.
With crossed arms, Harley started the conversation, "What do you think?"
Blue thought for a moment. "Observe Serene, Harley."
"You think she saw Viper?" Red asked in shock.
"Red... children that age don't invent details like that. Serene described things she shouldn't know. She didn't embellish them. She simply stated them. That's not how children lie."
Red nodded.
"Didn't Ivory do the same?" Harley asked. "Rover said Ivory was speaking to Roxie's ghost, and Rover said Ivory smelled like burning flesh."
"Serene is like her mother; the different is that Serene will be a ruler, and her abilities will be an advantage if trained properly," Blue stated the obvious.
Harley nodded.
"Ivory hasn't worked on her abilities, but that's because her sole purpose was to produce my heirs, not talk to ghosts. If Serene truly perceives what others cannot..." Blue said evenly, "...then that ability has value."
"You want to train her," Red raised an eyebrow.
"Of course," Blue finally looked at him.
"She's four."
"The earlier the better," Blue replied.
Red studied him for a moment. "Ivory won't like that."
"Ivory doesn't need to know yet."
"And if this never happens again?"
"Then we lose nothing."
"And if it does?"
Blue's eyes narrowed slightly. "Then Serene possesses a gift that no Seraphyne should waste. If Serene truly sees what Ivory once did, she'll require training before anyone else realizes it. If the public finds out and sees that even Serene doesn't underhand her power, then the public will target her. The earlier we train her, the better."
Red and Harley nodded in agreement. The three knew that using Serene's abilities would help them and protect Serene in the long run. They had to make sure Ivory didn't know about it, yet.
"We've got ourselves a little ghost whisperer," Red joked.
Harley shot him a look.
"What?" Red replied. "I'm serious."
"She inherited Ivory's gifts more than I anticipated" Blue said, "Serene's gifts will even be useful to me."