over and over again

M  A   E    A I talked to God to no avail Said, "If you won't save me, please don't waste my time." Maea allowed the touch, the aid, the consideration. There was not much of a choice in that. Even if she had objected, he was bigger and stronger than her, and obviously quite a bit faster. Truth be told, she didn't mind. There had been so little of all that in her life, and now... she needed it. Even if she admitted it only reluctantly. There was a stupid sort of pride to being independent and making her own way... pride that she couldn't afford at the moment. So she swallowed. Nodded. Bit back the urge to pester him for more specifics - was it days, weeks, months? - and focused instead on maintaining what little composure she had left. Paying more attention to Amun helped; the cockiness of his mannerism would have grated on her at any other time, but right now it was oddly reassuring. Confidence had it's charm, and when he all but shouted aloud with fists slapping against the chest that she could rely on him... then why the heck not. Go ahead, take charge. Take responsibility. "Thank you" she replied, and managed a weak smile. "But I don't think... it had anything to do with me. I've never... never even heard of something like this happening before. A year... I've been gone a whole year! No stamina in the world explains surviving that." As far as she knew, no gods were involved in it. Stray magic, then? Or... well. In the end it hardly mattered. Only that she was here, now, and that she'd been fortunate enough to land in a place where help had not been long in arriving. Remembering that he'd asked about the Spire, Maea thought back to the event, the time that to her seemed so much closer than it apparently was. A year? Felt more like weeks. "The Spire.... it was... bad. People died. In the end, it felt like we were all puppets on a string, dancing to the will of the Core all along. Or perhaps the Voice. I don't know... if it was right or wrong, in the end. But the barrier came down. Now... I don't know." She glanced up at Amun. "You tell me. What has changed since then? If we're in Halo now... how many other areas have been connected to the Hollow Grounds since I... disappeared?"