Sometimes, when the sounds of the Universe melted away, he would look

over his old trinkets. Each one had its story, each one had a connection to an old
friend. The scar that formed when he realized he would probably never see them
again was old and well-healed, but it would never fade away completely.
The puzzle box was always the first one he grabbed. It was so tiny he had to
use his smallest finger to move the interlocking pieces. He had solved it many
times, though it had given him trouble for a while. He supposed that was why she
had given it to him. She knew he would be alone soon, she knew he would need
something to occupy his thoughts before he lost them completely.
Yidaffen, Breaker in the Common language (she had always hated how
intimidating that made her sound), she thought of herself like a mother. She was
barely any older than the majority of them, yet she loved to coddle. He remembered
how she would yell at him for skipping his Stasis periods, she was always the most
worried about his condition as she had always called it.
Not long before their departure, she had pulled him away from training. He
followed her through the forests of his old planet, watching as she marveled for the
millionth time at how the gnarled trees locked their branches together at their
canopies. She was rarely so quiet, but as they entered the darker part of the forest
he could see the smile.
Her face was an open book. She never smiled like that unless she knew
everything was going to be okay. Whether out on a mission or back home, that
smile never lied.

I made something for ya, she said as she chucked something at his face.
Dont break it, I slaved over that for a while.
He caught the object inches before it struck his head, bringing it down to
inspect it closer. It was very small, carved from the wood of the very trees they
were surrounded by, he could tell by its dark lavender color. It was intricate to be
sure, each piece had its specific place though he could tell by the joints that they
were able to slide around.
Uh dont think Im ungrateful, I appreciate the thought, but why exactly?
He kept his voice at a whisper, there was no need to strain his throat when there
were no other sounds to drown him out.
I figured you could use something to keep you busy when youre out of
commission, theres even something inside it if you actually manage to open it. He
didnt really like being reminded of how often he could be out of commission, but
he found the gesture to be sweet all the same.
Well thanks I guess seems like it took you a while though, He said,
noticing the careful detail put into the mechanisms as he slid the pieces around
absentmindedly, Why go through all the trouble?
Do I really need a reason? She asked, feigning annoyance, Youre my
friend and I thought it would help. He couldnt help but look at her strange. He
didnt want to believe she was hiding something, despite what her eyes seemed to
be showing.
But then she showed off that smile again, and even though he was confused
about the sudden extra kindness, he couldnt help but smile back.
You know I bet Ill figure it out faster than you think.
Dont figure it out too fast, she said with a chuckle, all that work I put in,
at least take long enough to appreciate it!

He had listened, though not on purpose. He spent a lot of time trying to figure
out the puzzle box, shifting the wooden pieces back and forth, turning the gears
forward and back. It had taken him almost two standard years, but by then she was
gone. They had all returned to the Void.
He had built up in his head what would lay inside the box. Yidaffen had told
the others, but made them swear not to tell him. All of their bluffing and boasting,
how could he not think it was some great secret?
But it was a note. A simple note on simple paper. He had carved the words
into his trace so they would never be forgotten.
We are with You, You are made of Us
When the light grows too bright
When the darkness suffocates
When the stars burn
When the In-Between collapses
With every slice of the blade
With every surge through space
With every light extinguished
With every darkness culled
You are made of Us, We are with You
The days will be long and lonely
It had driven him mad.
Why would she claim they were with him and then remind him of his
inevitable solitude? A cruel joke? A punishing taunt? For a while afterwards the Void
seemed only to cloud his thoughts, rather than bring peace. The feeling of his
parental dimension flowed through him like a cloying ooze, rather than a clear
stream.
It had taken longer than he would ever admit for him to understand the
message. Yidaffen was too kind to haunt the rest of his days like that. She had
meant to prepare him for the road ahead. She tried to bring comfort where she
knew there would be betrayal.
At least, thats what he believed. There was no way to ask her, just to be
sure.
 He had turned it into a mantra. He repeated it in times when the Universes
sounds melted away. Despite its gloomy message, it comforted him. To know that
any factor of his life held certainty.
The days would be long. He would be lonely.
And so they were. And so he was.