An Interview with an Ursidae

"Yooooo!" Two arms flew around Noble and squeezed her tightly. "I'm so glad you are not dead!"

Noble had sensed Teddy's emotional signature before entering the office, but she had not anticipated the mad dash the woman would take when she entered the room.

It was sweet, if a little unnerving coupled with the words. Noble hugged the younger woman.

"Dying was not an option as far as I'm concerned."

Teddy pushed her glasses up her nose. "It's always an option, but I'm still happy you didn't choose it, Mom—ma'am."

Fort's secretary often had to correct herself. Though Noble had never asked, she suspected that Teddy called her and Fort 'mom' and 'dad' in her head.

If it made Teddy happy, Noble didn't mind. 

"I can't believe that I never connected that you were Queen Bee. It all makes sense in hindsight, of course. But it blew my mind when I realized." Teddy mimicked her mind exploding with a flourish. 

Noble paled slightly. "How many people know my secret already?" she asked Fort.

"She figured it out on her own when you disappeared. And since I needed her help to get the ball rolling for a rescue effort, I confirmed her suspicions." 

Teddy tucked her long hair behind her ear. "You are a real-life superhero with an alter ego and everything. If I ever make a comic, can I use your life story?" 

"We can cross that bridge some other time," Noble hedged, "I believe I am here for an interview." 

The younger woman nodded. "Oh right, we should get going. I'm almost ready!" 

"Wait, are you my interviewer?" The floating Awakened realized there were only three chairs and no one else in the small office.

"Yep!" Teddy's eyes turned sad. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all, I just didn't know you were qualified for that," Noble felt bad for hurting the girl's feelings.

"Oh, I did that back before I became a personal assistant. I interviewed a large portion of the Forgotten Shore survivors, even. I guess you could say I am a qualified professional!"

Noble glanced at Fort, who nodded. "She is certified to do these interviews."

"So, what do you say?" Teddy pushed up her glasses with a smile.

Noble pursed her lips. If Teddy had spoken with the survivors of that horrific battle, then her story would seem tame by comparison.

"I am ready to begin when you are."

"One moment." Teddy relaxed her face and straightened her back. She sat down behind the desk and made a sweeping motion for them to join her on the other side. Teddy glanced at the datapad and opened it to the appropriate screen.

Clearing her throat, the interviewer began. "Good Morning. I am Teddy, and I will be your interviewer today, Ascended Noble."

The difference in the young woman's demeanor was so startling that Noble had a little difficulty believing it was the same person.

Teddy continued with her speech, unimpeded. "Director Fort is only here as an invited observer. He is advised not to answer for you or lead you in your answers. If he has any additional questions, he may ask at the conclusion of our time."

Fort, of course, already knew this. He gave a slight nod.

Teddy clicked on the datapad.

"Excellent. I will be asking you a series of questions about your time in the Nightmare. The purpose of the briefing is to enrich our knowledge base as well as let us know any ways we can assist you. What you tell us may help future Spell carriers as well as humanity as a whole. Of course, you don't have to answer anything you don't want to. Now, Ascended Noble…"

"Just call me Noble like you always have," the new Master interrupted. "Please, Teddy, you are very good at sounding like a competent interviewer, but I prefer the casual tone that usually exists between us."

The younger woman heaved a sigh of relief and relaxed her shoulders into a more natural slump. "Thank the dead gods! Being professional is exhausting!"

Teddy loosened her collar and smiled genuinely. Her fingers hovered over a keyboard linked to her datapad.

"Please tell me about your Nightmare. And don't mind my typing. I promise to only write flattering things!"

Checking her screen, Teddy nodded.

"First, do you know when or where your Nightmare took place?"

Noble folded her hands. "It took place in the Kingdom of Crestfall a least a thousand years after the Jade Queen inhabited Ravenheart."

Teddy's fingers moved at lightning speed. "That coincides with what Master Sarai said in her interview yesterday."

Had they spoken to her before she left the Academy hospital? Most interviews happened there for the convenience of Dreamers and new Awakened.

Noble's briefing at government headquarters was an anomaly.

"And were there any special circumstances around your entry into the Seed?"

'Ha! More than I can count.' The professor pushed aside the extra thoughts and focused on the task at hand. Retelling her experience.

"Yes. I was fighting a Gate Guardian when I accidentally fell through the gate with a weird Memory I had at the time called the Portcullis Key. That Memory also pulled me directly into a Nightmare without any search for the Seed. It was a strange little ball."

"Was?" Teddy tilted her head to one side.

"Yes, I was forced to leave the Portcullis Key behind in the Nightmare in order to complete the trial," Noble explained.

"The Spell stole your Memory? Bummer! That would have been cool to study." Teddy rocked back in her chair, lamenting the fact the seat didn't spin. "The Spell is a thief." She mumbled as she typed. "Got it. Please proceed."

Taking a deep breath, Noble launched into her tale. She gave all of the details about Counsel, Emira, and the world they lived in. While she had been reluctant to give a full retelling when looking directly into Fort's eyes, telling it to Teddy was strangely easy.

Noble used the interviewer's natural excitement to get her past the harder parts.

The professor could feel all of Fort's emotional reactions as well as the occasional squeeze of her hand, but he was wise enough to mostly stay silent.

The only time he had an outburst was when he heard that Counsel orchestrated a rebellion in Noble's name.

"That clod-for-brains was trying to get you killed so he had a martyr!" Fort balled his fists so tightly that Noble thought his palms might bleed.

Noble sent a calming feeling to her husband, which he reluctantly accepted. Sadly, she could not refute his claim since she also suspected that Brenna had died during the altercation with the Queen.

That would have been just the push Ender needed to get the rest of the population behind him in a final coup.

"Was Counsel tall?" Teddy asked, pulling Fort from his anger and Noble from her attempt to calm him. "And was this Emira taller or shorter than him? And what color was your dress when you had to fight her?"

"Is that relevant to your report?" Noble pursed her lips in confusion.

"No, I just want to get a mental picture!" Teddy brushed back her long hair as she awaited the answer.

Noble scratched her nose. "Counsel was tall, but Emira was even taller. My dress was blue."

"The shorty with a Napoleon complex caused the Azure-clad Beauty to challenge the Amazonian psychopath," Teddy mumbled as she made a note on her datapad.

Noble coughed. "Are you really going to include all that in the official report?"

"What? No! I'll make it all nice later. This is just for funsies, you know? Please continue!" Teddy urged before her eyes went wide. "Wait! I think I know what happens next. Is this the point when the two other challengers entered the nightmare with you?"

"Almost!" Noble couldn't help but smile at her interviewer. "But I did have to battle the Queen once first. Emira nearly fried me to a crisp. If not for Kosi, I probably wouldn't have survived."

"Sounds exciting." Teddy mused.

"It was horrific!" Noble shook her head.

"But a good kind of horrific, right?"

Teddy's sincere question made the professor's jaw drop.

"I don't think I've ever heard good and horrific used together, no." Noble rubbed the back of her neck. "But to answer your earlier question, it was the morning after Kosi saved me and I was sent to the dungeon that Sarai and Cellio showed up."

One corner of Teddy's mouth turned upward. She leaned forward in her seat. "Master Cellio, hm? Please, tell me everything..."