“What about your parents?” Daiki asked Kasumi. “Surely they–”

    Aquila shook her head. “The hub worlds don’t have much tolerance for miracles in which the dead come back to life. It was trying to reject her within minutes. If I hadn’t created this world and gotten us here, she would have faded away.”

    “I did have Aquila go back and mail them a letter,” Kasumi said. “So, they know what happened to me, and that I love them, and why I can’t ever go back...assuming they believed the letter in the first place.”

    “That’s quite a story,” Cap said, leaning back. “I think I stand by my assessment, though.”

    Aquila blinked. “But the things I’ve done–”

    “Were terrible, yes,” Cap said. “I’ve been to war too. Mine wasn’t like yours, but I killed hundreds of people in the war I fought. So many that I promised myself that no child would ever lose a father in battle at my hands again. Everybody does terrible things in war – what prevents somebody from being decent or good afterwards is not being bothered about it.”

    Aquila gave him a fragile smile as Kasumi served out the stir fry. “Well, thank you for your kind words. I don’t know if I agree, but I am grateful for them.” Aquila picked up her chopsticks and looked at Daiki. “You’ve heard my story. Now it’s your turn. Tell us how you ended up so far away from home.”

    Despite himself, once Daiki started talking, he told her everything. He told her about how he was taken from Osaka, the false accusation of theft, rescuing and falling in love with Athena, the machinations of Saline, fighting the forces of the Devil King, and then everything that happened in the world of his creator. Aquila listened intently.

    “...so, I did what Akari Soto had told me, locked the sword onto my world where Athena was, and stepped through the portal. But, I was in the wrong place. I was in some kind of high school romantic comedy world instead. And then I tried again, and met Cap in his story world. And then I tried again, and we ended up here.”

    Aquila nodded and swallowed her mouthful of food. “Well, I have a theory. Now that we know there are alternate hub worlds, two information streams from different hub worlds must have crossed. So, you started on your way to your story world, but got redirected to another. That’s the only thing that I think would explain it.”

    “But, in that first world, I watched Seven Samurai,” Daiki said. “It was exactly as I remembered it. Surely if that world was created by a different hub world, the movie should have been different.”

    “Not necessarily,” Aquila stated. “One way of thinking of multiple hub worlds is as alternate realities. There’s plenty of room for duplication. Other hub worlds are allowed to have Seven Samurai.”

    “On another subject,” Cap said, “we’re stuck here until tomorrow morning. Is there a place you wouldn’t mind us camping out until then? We brought our own tents.”

    Kasumi sighed. “Do you have to leave? It’s been years since I’ve been able to talk to anybody I didn’t create.”

    “I’m afraid so,” Daiki said. “Athena is waiting for me, and I’m starting to think that Natsuki – she’s somebody I met in the high school comedy world – was right. I think I’ve got a long way to go before I’m home. So, I’d like to be off as soon as I can.”

    “Just camp in front of the house, we won’t mind,” Aquila said. “But, when you go, I want to come with you.”

    Kasumi stared at Aquila with alarm. “He’s got a superhero helping him,” she said. “He doesn’t need you too.”

    “I know,” Aquila said. “But I’ve done a lot of bad things. I think if I can do some good, I can start making up for it. Helping Daiki Yamato get home would be a good start.”

    Kasumi closed her eyes for a moment. “I was afraid you’d say that. Okay, but if you go, I’m coming too.”

    Aquila held up her hand. “No! It’s dangerous out there – you could get hurt!”

    “That’s true. But you’re taking me with you. Besides, you know what I can do, and you know how useful that could be.”

    Daiki glanced over to Cap. Cap just shrugged. “Your journey, your call,” he said.

    Aquila opened her mouth to object, but then closed it as Kasumi gave her a stern look.

    Daiki allowed himself a small smile. “Then I guess in the morning we’ll be a party of four,” he said.

That night, Daiki and Cap built a campfire in front of their tents, Cap setting it alight with his laser eyes. As the flames flickered in the darkness, Aquila and Kasumi came down to join them.

    “Haven’t done this in ages,” Kasumi said.

    “It is pleasant,” Aquila stated.

    “Are you sure you two want to come?” Daiki asked. “It’s a long trip, and I have no idea how far away my world is from here.”

    Aquila nodded. “After all the time I spent hurting people, I think I’d like to help somebody for a change.”

    Kasumi poked her in the ribs. “Hey! You help me – I’m somebody!”

    “It’s not the same,” Aquila said, rubbing her side.

    Kasumi scowled.

    “Besides,” Aquila said. “I’m an all-powerful former god of destruction. There’s almost nothing out there that could so much as scratch me. You, on the other hand, are a soft and squishy creator. You should stay here, where it will be safe.”

    “No deal,” Kasumi said, poking the fire. “Where you go, I go. That’s final.”

    Aquila made a show of rolling her eyes, and then turned to Daiki. “I’m curious about your sword. May I see it?”

    Daiki nodded and unscabbarded it, handing it over but keeping one hand on the hilt.

    “I’m not going to try to steal it,” Aquila said.

    “It’s not that,” Daiki said. “It’s bound to me. If I let go of it, it will either teleport itself back to the scabbard or my hand, regardless of whether I’m ready to hold it. Almost chopped off half my toes the first time I put it on a table.”

    “Ah,” Aquila said. “I see.” She gazed at the sword and intoned, “Eleventh Stage.”

    “What’s the ‘Eleventh Stage’?” Cap asked.

    “It shows me the truth of a thing,” Aquila explained. “And this is a very interesting sword. I’d go as far as to call it as much technology as magic. Neural interface, abilities with unlocks...your creator really liked her RPG mechanics.” She handed it back. “So, any plans for our trip?”

    Daiki slid the Black Sword back into its scabbard. “I didn’t start with any, but now...I think we need to be really careful about what we say when we’re out there.”

    The others stared at him. The fire flickered as the firewood popped.

    “When I was in that high school comedy world, I made a lot of mistakes,” Daiki said. “I treated it like it was just a high school comedy. And, I let slip enough information that one of the girls – Natsuki – figured out that she was in a story world. And, I think that may have screwed her up.”

    “You worried that she won’t be able to cope?” Cap asked.

    Daiki nodded.

    “It will probably be fine,” Cap stated. “After all, I know the truth, and I’m coping.”

    “You’re a hundred and two years old,” Daiki said. “She’s sixteen.”

    “Finding out the truth always causes our kind an existential crisis,” Aquila said. “Well, almost always,” she added, staring at Cap. “My entire existence began with that realization. But, so long as we can get someplace where we can sort it out in peace, we get through it fast enough.”

    “She’s still in her story,” Daiki pointed out.

    Aquila grimaced. “That would introduce complications.”

    “Wait, didn’t you come into existence in a story world?” Cap asked.

    Aquila shook her head. “I was created independently by Kasumi. She put me on a forum and said ‘Here’s this character I made – what do you think?’ Almost all of my powers were added by fan artists drawing me and adding stories, but none of them were in a coherent story world. I came into awareness in a pocket of semi-formed story space in the void with an information stream attached directly to me, and full knowledge of what I was.”

    “So you decided to follow the information stream and meet your creator,” Cap said.

    Aquila nodded. “It seemed the thing to do.”

    “Are you worried about what else might be added by these fan artists?” Daiki asked. “From what you described of your war, they might have written some pretty nasty fiction about you afterwards.”

    Aquila shook her head and smiled. “The miracle that brought Kasumi back to life also tethered my information stream to her and her alone. Vindictive writers can’t do a thing to me.”

    Cap yawned and stretched. “It’s getting late, so I’m going to turn in. I suggest that everybody else does too. Oh, yes, Aquila and Kasumi, if you’re coming with us you should probably bring some camping supplies, just in case.”

    “Don’t worry about it,” Aquila said. “Kasumi can just draw anything we need once we’re there.”

    Cap cocked his head. “I’ll assume that will make sense later. Goodnight everybody!”

    As Cap made his way to his tent, Kasumi prodded Aquila. “He’s right – we should turn in too.” Aquila nodded and stood. Together they headed back into the house.

    Daiki sat alone for a while, watching the fire and thinking about the party that had coalesced around him. A superhero, an ex-villain, and a creator...not what he had ever expected. He smiled and wondered what the next story world would bring.

NEXT: “Reckoning”