[I, ________, agree to stay with the Fish Traveling Group until it becomes necessary to leave, at which point I will inform everyone in the group of my decision ten (10) days before leaving, giving time for the group to find a suitable replacement.

  (Signature) ________, (Date) ________.]

  .

  Echo stared at the paper as she walked down the dark street, tears blurring the words. Maeve hadn’t said anything specific, just said it was a formal thing for formality’s sake.

  But the hint was loud and clear.

  Finally she got to the small church building and pushed the door open, her hair changing to glow brightly enough it lit the otherwise dark interior. Not sure what formalities there were to observe, she just went straight to the front, where there was a tapestry of the Watcher in a humble pose Echo thought unlikely for Bonnie to take. She looked at it, starting to understand why Luke disliked churches. The depiction of a praying neko was nothing like the Bonnie Echo knew.

  Setting those thoughts aside, she put Maeve’s paper on the ground and set her notebook next to it, open to the page the Duplication rune was on. Guessing what was proper here, she got on her knees.

  “Hey, um, Watch- Goddess Bonnie, I need- request your… guidance.”

  There was silence for a few seconds, and then with a flash the Goddess appeared.

  “Kid, you don’t need to act like this. Come on. We’re friends.”

  “I do,” Echo said, fingernails digging into her knees as she looked down. “I’m not asking as Echo.”

  Bonnie sighed, kneeling down to put a hand on her shoulder. “Then you already know the answer. Echo would be happier signing that paper and traveling the world with her friends. The woman who will be crowned empress tomorrow needs to show her people the runes in that book. That’s why she spent one of her last days here interviewing Calvin instead of with her friends.”

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Echo forced herself to nod. “Right. There are things I must do, regardless of how I personally feel.”

  “It sucks, but that’s how it is,” Bonnie said softly. “There are rules which must be followed, even if they say dumb things like you have to marry a changeling.”

  “The world will benefit,” Echo muttered, the words feeling hollow. “It is my duty to set the well-being of my subjects over all else. So I will.”

  Bonnie hesitated, then pulled her into a hug. Echo broke, sobbing into her shoulder. The Watcher said something in a comforting tone, but Echo couldn’t hear the words. Her heart felt like it was being torn out of her chest. Her stomach tightened until she wanted to throw up, and her head pounded. She cried, and cried, and cried until there wasn’t enough water left in her body to produce tears.

  “So,” Bonnie eventually said, “when do you want to go?”

  Echo sat back on her heels and picked up her book. After a moment, she chose to leave Maeve’s paper on the ground. “I don’t want to explain it to anyone. Take me now.”

  “Wait!”

  They both looked around, surprised to see Cali in the doorway. Echo shrank, feeling ashamed she might have seen her break down. She walked in, stopped a few feet away to glance nervously at Bonnie, then looked at Echo.

  “You shouldn't leave without saying goodbye,” Cali said, ears flat with worry. “It'll hurt, but you should let people know you're leaving.”

  Echo couldn’t meet her eyes.

  “You're part of our group,” she added softly. “Stay with us.”

  “I can't,” Echo said, her words coming out very slowly. “You have no idea what my life is like and what I need to do.”

  “Does it matter?” Cali asked. “Can't we help? Can't we do it together?”

  Echo finally looked at her. “No. I have to do this alone.”

  Cali almost replied, but stopped. After a moment she looked up at Bonnie, smiled sadly, and turned away. “Ok. If you ever want to come back, you can.” With that, she walked out of the small building.

  Echo watched her leave, feeling like a big chapter of her life had just officially ended.

  Bonnie put her hand on Echo’s shoulder again. “Ready to go?”

  “Yeah…” She picked up Maeve’s paper and slid it into her notebook. “Yeah. Let’s go.”