Cammuravi and Ethel
Entering a base on top of the snowy mountains, it used to be part of Y's experimental lab. At the other side of the room, in the middle, stood an empty pod. Noah wondered, "What is this place...? And... is that a cradle?"
They walked forward and observe it more. Cammuravi, whom scanned the surrounding, recalled, "I... remember this room..."
Taion prompt for more information, "Anything you want to tell us, Cammuravi?"
He turned to them and said, "This is where I awoke, met Miyabi and the others."
Mio: "So that means that cradle is..."
He walked closer to it for inspection, and acknowledged, "It is no simple cradle. Fitted inside is a device which matures a life to a state close to Homecoming."
Noah: "That makes sense... So that's what Y used when reviving Mwamba and the others."
Ethel, whom were listening the whole time, suddenly asked, "...Cammuravi, is that cradle still usable?"
He answered without a second thought, "The installation works, just- barely. Why do you ask such a thing?"
Lanz wasn't having a good feeling, "Uhhhh... Ethel, you're not thinking...?"
"Our enemies are supernatural beings, monsters who use human lives for fodder. You can all fight against them, but me?" And she shook her head in hopelessness, "As I am now, I'm barely able to protect myself. All I can really do is hang back and watch, so as not to be a hindrance... But... Suppose I was to use this cradle..."
Noah tried to change her wrong thoughts1, "Ethel, you don't have anything to prove..."
Cammuravi spoke, "As far as the choices available to you go, you could also return to the City, and live a peaceful life. And yet, you're saying you want to throw your body back under war's grindstone, and spend your life fighting?" She didn't reply him, looked at him blandly, trying to read what he meant; but she does not need to. He continued, looked down and shook his head, "...But then, you were ever thus. By the time you speak your mind, your body and soul are loooong ready. I think you should do as you wish."
Mio second guessed his opinion, "Cammuravi, are you sure it's fine? To embroil her in what's ultimately our fight?"
"Ethel's path should be hers to choose. I am certain her resolve is firm. If she wished for a life of peace, she would not have followed us this far... The Way... must have been inside her all along."
Taion can see the argument, can't deny logically but tries deny emotionally, "I sup-pose that's true, yes, but still..."
"I am anxious about the result, same as you. Nevertheless, as a devoted follower of none other but the Warrior's Way myself... I wish to respect the will and resolve of one who has chosen the same path. I believe Ethel's freedom is hers to do with as she wishes."
"Thank you, Cammuravi..."
"At- the same time, I am of course not in a position to decide such things myself. We have conveyed to you our desire. Would you tell us your opinion, in turn?"
"Huh..." And Ethel turned to the others with a perturbed mind. Will the others support her?
Mio asked the others, "Well, what should we do?"
And you can choose whether or not to put Ethel into the case here. In the case you choose not, interacting with the case again to 'change your mind'. To continue the story, of course we need to choose 'yes'.
Ethel stood in front of the cradle as it opened its door. She took off her unnecessary garments, left only with the gray shirt that all people born from the cradle came with2. She turned around and looked at the others, and Cammuravi, being at the center of the stage, nodded back to her with encouragement. She nodded back and entered the pod. His eyes creaked; not as calm as he showed exteriorly. Her eyes still opened, looking over the translucent cradle door at the others for the last time as a child, closed it down.
After closing her eyes, she's ready, and the process of maturation3 starts. The bright released from the maturation process was so bright the others have to closed their eyes, except Cammuravi, whom don't want to miss a single moment even if it blinds his eyes.4
The cradle opened its door after the process finished, the light dimmed, and out stepped the grown-up Ethel, with her full armor5 on. Cammuravi casted a thin smile. She tested her wrist, fingers, and arms to see everything's working fine, all touch sensors intact.
Outside the base, Ethel stood herself under light snow, overlooking the foggy emptiness that lurks beyond the cliff. She had some time for herself until Cammuravi and the others approached, Noah asking, "How are you feeling, Ethel?"
She turned to face them, "Ohhh, never better... I mean that literally. It's as though new strength is welling up inside of me. This way I'll be able to fight by your side too. You have my thanks."
"Huh..."
"What's wrong, Cammuravi?"
"'Silvercoat'."
"Ahhh!" Noah was surprised that word came into his mind.
Ethel herself don't understand, "'Silvercoat'...? What does that mean?"
He shook his head, "I'm... not sure... When I saw you just now, the word simply came to me... A-as though something was... guiding me... What in the world? This... sensation... from where did it spring?" His tone got excited.
Noah offered, "Cammuravi, I can explain..."
Before he could tell the story, Ethel chose another path, "What we should be thinking about now, is the future... What we can achieve in unison... No?"
"Huh..."
"I said I could be your eyes... That has not changed. Just as you showed me the Way before, let me now be your guide."
"You are right!" And he walked forward to stand beside her, her eyes following his face, continued, "You can see that which I cannot, indeed..." Looking towards her before tilting it back down in thoughts, he shared, "I wanted to live life true to myself, but the answer is still not clear. But... perhaps, by working together with you..."
Ethel turned around and face the same direction as him, offered, "Let's search for the answer hand in hand, Cammuravi. With unity between us, nothing can be impossible." And they exchanged glance, before all looking beyond the misty foggy way that they won't know where it'll lead; but they'll walk the path, step by step, to craft their future. It is theirs!
Footnotes
1: Yes, we always have wrong thoughts all the time. Examples speak more clearly. E.g. we thought people, strangers, are unwilling to speak to us. That's wrong. They're as willing as you are. E.g. we thought people will look at us all the time, so we feel awkward when we wore the wrong shoes, or our hair tweaked to the wrong place. Wrong thought: other people don't always look down, and if they do, they're on their phone screens. You are probably none of their business; and because you feel awkward, you're probably the only one looking at other people and noticing their shoes (to calm your pitter patter heart).
2: YES, they born with shirt, as if shirt is one of their organs!
3: 拔苗助长
4: Actually, his eyes was blind, at least the one that originally had the iris on, remember? Otherwise Ethel won't offered to be his eyes on the battlefield.
5: What the spark! Don't ask me where her armors came from...