“You had your heart set on leaving this place. You were determined to be the one to leave, and it looks like you did just that,” said Blossom. “But in leaving, you also took a great risk.”
“What exactly was our plan?” asked Ruby.
“It started with you. But there were others who helped us along the way. We were thinking about how we could use our tools and powers to fight the humans,” said Blossom. Were there others? Could there be a whole group of dolls who had helped her escape? That thought filled Ruby with warmth. She had had good friends here.
“Were you a part of that group, Ivy?” Ruby asked. Ivy shook her head.
“I met Blossom several years after your escape. And like she said, by that time we assumed you had been destroyed,” said Ivy.
“We gave up on trying to fight the humans. None of us really wanted to risk it. They control everything, from our strength and weakness to what powers we get to have. Fighting them head-on would just backfire on us. So, instead we decided to use their power against them,” Blossom went on. “As you might know, time magic is what makes this loop work. That was the magic that we decided to use. Space and time go hand in hand. We targeted the city’s core. The heart of the city is underground. The only way to reach it is through tunneling. That is the source of all the city’s magic.”
This was something that Robert had never told Ruby. He probably didn’t know about it. All this new information was going to overload Ruby’s poor brain. But she still wanted to know more. These were the secrets that she had spent her whole life wondering about.
“That’s amazing,” Ruby breathed.
“It really is. We found the heart and set the plan into action. With the right spells, and a bit of tinkering, we were able to teleport you outside of the city. We used the time magic to warp space,” said Blossom. Ruby needed a few minutes to just process that information. “It was very risky. But apparently you made it outside of the city.”
“Yes, my very first memory is of me waking up in the woods, just outside of the glass city. I couldn’t remember anything, and I was almost completely shattered,” Ruby whispered. Blossom sighed.
“That was before we knew that they could wipe our memories. We had hoped that you could help us escape too. But before you made it out, the overseers took your memories.” There was a pause. Guilt began to bloom in Ruby’s heart. These people had risked so much to help her escape. They had been counting on her to help them. But she had left them all behind.”
“Ruby, it’s not your fault.” Blossom placed her hand on Ruby’s shoulder. “They took everything away from you. None of this is your fault. I’m just glad that you’re still alive,” she said. Had Blossom just read her mind?
“Were… were you punished?” Ruby wasn’t certain that she actually wanted to hear the answer.
“Yes,” Blossom’s whole face twisted into an expression of pain. She shouldn’t have asked that. Ruby’s eyes searched the room, looking for something to use as a topic changer. She found nothing.
“Do you guys have any questions for me about the outside world? I can remember it very clearly,” she said at last.
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“Yes… but I don’t know where to start.” Blossom burst out laughing. “I have more questions than I can count! You go first, Ivy,” Blossom added. Ivy turned to Ruby, her eyes glowing with curiosity.
“This is a big question. It’s a question that I’ve had on my mind for a very long time. I’m not even sure how you would know the answer. But if you do, please tell me. W-what is this place and… and what are we?” Ivy’s voice didn’t sound like her own. It was soft and hesitant. There was no bitterness or snark in her tone. Had Ivy just transformed into a different person? “Why were we made? We were made, right?” Ruby’s jaw dropped. Ivy seriously didn’t know. Blossom also looked eager to know.
“You mean you really don’t know the city’s history?” asked Ruby.
“No. We have no clue why we’re here,” said Ivy. Ruby turned to Blossom.
“Don’t you know? Don’t you remember when the city was a theater?” she asked Blossom.
“What?” Confusion exploded across Blossom’s face. “What do you mean? All that I can remember is the game,” said Blossom. Had the overseers wiped her memory?
“It sounds like you know quite a bit about our city’s history,” said Ivy. “Please, tell us what you know.”
Ruby cleared her throat. There was so much to cover, and they didn’t have much time. For a moment she just sat there, trying to organize her scattered thoughts. She had no clue where to start. At last, Ruby decided to start at the very beginning and see how far she got. Robert had told her these stories more times than Ruby could count. Yet somehow, she never got tired of hearing them.
“Science and magic are at odds with each other in the outside world. I know that here, they are used together, but that isn’t the case everywhere. It has been like this for a very long time. The Glass City was created to bring some unity to Novle. It used science and magic to create something beautiful that could be entertaining for people. But at first it was designed as a huge theater. Musical performances were what it was made for. When our glass shells were made, we were made to perform here. We would sing and dance.”
“Fascinating. Did it bring unity to Novle?” Blossom asked.
“Yes! It was thought of as a beautiful and otherworldly place. I’ve heard stories of little girls who would go as often as they possibly could to see the dolls perform. It was meant to be something of an amusement park for families as well.”
“So… what changed?” Ivy demanded. This was where the story just stopped making sense. Robert had explained this to Ruby. But it still didn’t fully make sense to her. He had described it as being a miracle of sorts.
“Well… we woke up, I guess. It wasn’t because of magic or science. Humans control both science and magic. But humans can’t build souls. Something happened that the humans couldn’t control. Naturally, the humans didn’t like that. After that, the city changed. It’s still used for entertainment. But these games are cruel and harsh. Now our job is to prove to the humans that they control every ounce of our power. This world is a display of their hold over us.” Those were the exact words that Robert had used. Ruby fell silent. She gave them a few minutes to let the words sink in. A loud knock at the door shattered the silence. All three of them flinched.
“Ivy? Ivy? Are you there? We have a question for you,” a voice called. Amusement replaced Ivy’s fear as she got to her feet.
“I still have more questions. But this was helpful. Thanks, Ruby!” she said.
“We’ll have to find some time to discuss things later,” said Blossom. Ruby nodded. This was amazing. There were people in the city who hadn’t given up hope. They were still planning to break free. Maybe Ruby could help them. She had always dreamed about the Glass City and wondered if the dolls would ever be saved. Perhaps she could help save them. That thought filled her with a bubbling, boiling joy.
“Ivy?” The voice called again.
“I’m coming, I’m coming!” Ivy rolled her eyes. “Where would you all be without me?” she chuckled. Ruby got to her feet and followed Ivy. She felt as if she might fly away; her heart was so light. No horror or fear could touch her when she felt like this. Hope pulsed through her. Perhaps she could bring some of that hope to the people of this city. These dolls were her people. It was her duty to help them. Now she had something solid to care about and fight for. That was something that the humans couldn’t take away from her.