The Crossroads - Special Meeting RoomNext Day - MorningPresent: Marco, Legion, the five Jeans Grey, Tarínel (medical supervision)
Marco looked at the circle of chairs he had arranged and wondered, not for the first time, how his life had come to this point.
"TARS, am I qualified for this?"
[Define 'qualified'. If you ask if you have a degree in psychology: No. If you ask if you have unique experience dealing with fragmented consciousness: Absolutely yes.]
"That's not comforting."
[I didn't mean to be. Now smile. Your customers are arriving.]
The door opened and the five Jeans entered—no, Marco thought, he needed to get used to their individual names.
Jean Prime (Jean) entered first, with confident but cautious movements.
Jean Phoenix followed her, practically bouncing off with energy.
Jean Hope walked softly, smiling at the plants she had grown in the gardens of La Encrucijada.
Jean Sage entered with a book under her arm, already absorbed in reading.
Jean Cosmic floated inches from the ground, her eyes holding the distance of someone seeing multiple realities at once.
Legion entered last, observing the dynamics with the professional interest of someone who understood the complexity of multiple consciousnesses.
"Good morning," Marco greeted, gesturing to chairs. "Welcome to our first session of... honestly, I'm not sure what to call this."
"Group therapy for fragmented people?" suggested Jean Phoenix with a smile.
"Club of divided consciences?" Legion offered.
"Cosmic Challenges Support Meeting?" Jean Hope attempted.
Marco laughed despite his nervousness.
"All of these are valid options. But basically, this is a safe space to discuss how you're adjusting to your new... situation. No judgment. No pressure. Just honesty."
The five Jeans sat down—and Marco noticed something interesting. They sat in order: Jean Prime in the center, the other four forming cardinal points around her. Like a compass.
"Do they always sit like this?" he asked.
Jean Prime nodded.
"It's instinctive. It represents our structure. I am the center. They are directions: North, South, East, West."
"And that means...?"
Jean Sage replied, her voice analytical:
"It means we are a system. Not just connected individuals —a complete system with inherent structure. Jean Prime coordinates. I process information. Jean Phoenix handles intense emotional reactions. Jean Hope maintains a positive emotional balance. Jean Cosmic perceives the bigger picture."
"Like organs in a body," Legion said understandingly. "Each with a function, but all part of a larger organism."
"Exactly."
"So," Marco pulled out his notebook (he had decided that taking notes was important), "let's start simple. How did you feel after fragmentation? Jean Prime, you first."
Jean Prime considered.
"Liberated. For the first time in weeks, I didn't feel like I was going to explode. The power is distributed. Manageable." She paused. "But also... incomplete. I know I'm the 'main' version, but I only have 40% of the whole. The other 60% is out there." She looked at her other versions. "It's like... like using only one arm when you know you have two."
"And do the rest of you feel the same way?"
Jean Phoenix spoke next:
"Yes and no. I feel complete as an INDIVIDUAL. But I'm aware that I'm part of a larger whole. It's strange. Like being a finger that knows it's part of a hand but can also think independently."
"That's a disturbing but accurate analogy," Marco murmured, writing.
Jean Hope added gently:
"For me it's... comforting. I'm not alone. I'll never be alone. I can always feel my sisters—no, that's not right. They're not sisters. They're... me. Other versions of myself." She shook her head. "Language has no words for this."
"I know," Legion said empathetically. "I lived that for years. Eventually, I stopped trying to explain it to others and just... accepted it."
Jean Sage looked from her book.
"Acceptance is key. I've been reading about identity philosophy. What makes us 'us'? Is it continuity of memory? Unified consciousness? Or something else?" She looked at Jean Prime. "We all have memories of Jean Grey. We all think like Jean Grey. So who is the 'real' Jean?"
An awkward silence fell over the group.
Finally, Jean Cosmic spoke, his voice resonating with strange harmonics:
"I've seen probable futures. In 67% of them, we eventually reunite into a single Jean Grey . In 23%, we remain permanently separated and eventually develop entirely distinct identities. In 10%..." she hesitated, "...in 10%, one or more of us dies and the rest must continue incomplete."
"That's... grim," Marco said.
"It's honest. The future is uncertain. But knowing the probabilities helps." Jean Cosmic looked at her other versions. "Do you want to know what's common to ALL futures?"
"What?" asked Jean Prime.
"We matter. All of us. Individually and collectively. We make a positive difference. That's constant."
Jean Hope smiled.
"So no matter what happens, at least we know that."
Marco felt something loosen in his chest. He hadn't realized how much he'd been preoccupied with creating five entities destined for suffering.
"Okay. That's... really good. Legion? Anything to add from your perspective?"
Legion leaned forward.
"Just this: The path from fragmentation to reunification—or, in this case, fragmentation to acceptance—is not linear. There will be good days. Bad days. Days when they will want to kill each other despite being literally the same person."
The Jeans laughed.
"Is that over yet?" Marco asked.
"This morning," admitted Jean Phoenix. "Jean Sage wanted a silent library. I wanted to train with fire. Jean Hope was gardening. Jean Cosmic was meditating on the nature of reality. And Jean Prime was trying to coordinate EVERYTHING while each of us pulled in a different direction."
"How did they solve it?"
"Scheduling," said Jean Prime. "Two hours for each of us to do what we want. Then we rotate. It's not perfect, but it works."
"Commitment. Good solution." Marco wrote more notes. "What about interactions with others? How do people react to you?"
Jean Hope sighed.
"Confused. Yesterday I helped Tarínel in the healing gardens. Three different elves called me 'Jean'. But when Jean Phoenix passed by an hour later, they called her 'Jean' too. It's... complicated."
"Perhaps you should wear distinctive clothing," Legion suggested. "My personalities have distinct energetic 'signatures.' You could have visual signatures."
"Like a uniform?" Jean Phoenix immediately became excited. "I TOLD you we needed coordinated uniforms!"
"No uniforms," Jean Sage said firmly. "Just... subtle color codes. Jean Phoenix in reds. Me in blues. Jean Hope in greens. Jean Cosmic in starry blacks. Jean Prime in... white, I guess."
"It's practically uniform!"
"It's a COLOR CODE. Important difference."
Marco watched the exchange with fascination. They were the same person, yet clearly distinct. Different shades of underlying personality.
"How is your telepathic connection?" he asked. "Can you communicate mentally?"
"Constantly," Jean Sage confirmed. "It's like... a radio channel always on. I can mute it if I concentrate, but by default, I hear each other's superficial thoughts."
"Is it annoying?"
The five considered it.
"Sometimes," admitted Jean Prime. "Especially when Jean Phoenix has nightmares. We all wake them up."
"Hey!"
"It's true. Last night you dreamt you were accidentally burning down Rivendell. We all woke up screaming."
"It was a DREAM. It doesn't count."
"Shared trauma counts," Marco said gently. "Are nightmares frequent?"
"Just for me," Jean Phoenix said more calmly. "I represent the destructive aspect of the Phoenix. Fire. Death. Rebirth through ashes. That aspect comes with... baggage."
"And don't the rest of you have nightmares?"
"I dream of endless cycles of life and death," said Jean Hope. "Not nightmares exactly, but... intense."
"I see probabilities while I sleep," added Jean Cosmic. "Possible futures playing out endlessly. It's exhausting."
"I process all the information we absorb daily," said Jean Sage. "It's like studying while you sleep. Functional, but not rested."
"And you, Jean Prime?"
"I coordinate their dreams. I try to keep them from interfering with each other. It's like... being a telepathic night filter."
Marco wrote furiously.
"So none of you are sleeping properly."
"Correct," the five confirmed.
"That's a problem. TARS, do we have a solution?"
[Searching... Yes. Sleep Stabilization Devices. Like the one you ordered for Legion. But you'd need five. Cost: 250,000 MC.]
Marco grimaced. That was more than he had.
"It can wait," said Jean Prime, clearly having overheard the conversation telepathically. "We're driving for now."
"I shouldn't have to wait. Proper sleep is crucial for mental health. Especially when you're dealing with fragmented consciousness."
Legion nodded emphatically.
"Marco is right. When my personalities don't get enough rest, they fight more. Sleep balance is essential."
"Then I'll prioritize it," Marco decided. "TARS, can I buy it on credit?"
[Do you want to go into debt AGAIN? Right after paying off previous debt?]
"For the health of our customers, yes."
[...Okay. But with interest. 250,000 MC on credit = 275,000 MC to be paid eventually. Do you confirm?]
"I confirm."
[Devices will arrive in 48 hours.]
The five Jeans looked at Marco with identical expressions of surprise.
"Did you just go into debt... for us?" Jean Hope asked.
"For your health. It's an investment in a successful treatment outcome."
"That's it... no one has ever done anything like this for us before," said Jean Phoenix, her voice cracking slightly.
"So the people in your universe are idiots," Marco said simply. "Next topic: How are they handling food?"
"Food?" Jean Sage raised an eyebrow.
"Five bodies. Five metabolisms. Do they need five times the amount of food?"
The Jeans exchanged glances.
"...We hadn't thought about that," admitted Jean Prime.
"Have you eaten today?"
"I had breakfast," said Jean Hope.
"I drank tea," added Jean Sage.
"I haven't eaten anything," admitted Jean Phoenix, Jean Cosmic, and Jean Prime.
Marco massaged his temples.
"Okay. New rule: Everyone eats three meals a day. Minimum. They're not one person in five bodies—they're five people connected. Each body needs independent nutrition."
"That makes sense," Jean Sage conceded. "I'll add it to the list of 'obvious things we forget because we share consciousness.'"
"Are there other things on that list?"
"Oh yes. Like 'remember that we occupy five physical spaces, not one.' Yesterday Jean Phoenix and Jean Cosmic tried to go through the same door simultaneously. They crashed."
The Jeans laughed—a harmonious sound that made Marco smile despite the situation.
"It sounds like they're making progress. Mistakes are part of the process."
"Speaking of progress," said Jean Cosmic, "I have calculated that at the current rate of adaptation, we will reach optimal functionality in approximately seven months."
"And reunification?"
"It varies. It depends on whether we WANT to reunite." Jean Cosmic looked at the others. "That's a decision we'll eventually have to make."
"Do you want to reunite?" Marco asked.
Silence.
Finally, Jean Prime spoke:
"Honestly... I don't know. Part of me misses being whole. But another part..." she looked at her other versions with clear affection, "...another part enjoys getting to know them. Myself. In ways I never could when I was a person."
"It's like having sisters who are literally you," said Jean Hope. "It's strange but beautiful."
"And terrifying at times," Jean Phoenix added. "Because if they are me, then what does it say about me when Jean Sage does something analytically cold? Or when Cosmic Jean sees futures where we fail?"
"She says you're human," Marco replied. "Complex. Multifaceted. We all are. You just experience it more literally."
Legion nodded.
"I've learned that my personalities aren't flaws. They're aspects of who I am. The warrior. The strategist. The survivor. They're all me. Reunification isn't about eliminating them—it's about harmonizing them."
"And you?" Jean Prime asked. "How long until your reunification?"
"Four months. Maybe five. I'm close. I can feel it." Legion smiled. "And when it happens, I'll be COMPLETE Legion for the first time in years. It's terrifying but exciting."
"Will you visit us later?" asked Jean Hope.
"Of course. We're fellow fragmenters now. That creates a bond."
Marco finished his notes.
"Okay. I think that's enough for today. But I want to schedule weekly sessions. And if any of you need to talk individually, I'm available."
"Thank you, Marco," the five of them said simultaneously.
Then they laughed at the timing.
"We need to work on that," said Jean Sage.
"Or do we make it our brand?" suggested Jean Phoenix. "Like a band playing harmonicas."
"We are NOT a musical group."
"But we COULD be—"
"NO."
Marco watched them leave, arguing animatedly. Legion stayed behind.
"Good work today," she said. "The session was useful. For them and for me."
Did you learn anything?
"That I'm not alone. That fragmentation isn't a curse—it's an experience shared by more than I thought." Legion paused. "And that maybe, when I reunite, I should retain some of this multifaceted perspective. Not eliminate personalities, but integrate them."
"That sounds wise."
"I come from you. You're a good accidental therapist."
"'Accidental' is a key word."
Legion laughed and left.
Marco collapsed in his chair, exhausted.
[Successful session. You identified problems: sleep, nutrition, identity. You proposed solutions. The clients responded positively. Grade: A-.]
"Only A less?"
[You could have explored its relationship with Phoenix Force more. That's a separate entity within them. It deserves its own discussion.]
"Next session."
[Noted.]
Marco looked at his to-do list:
Get 275,000 MC to pay for sleep devicesMonitor Legion's progress (4-5 months until reunification)Weekly sessions with the JeansFinding ways to generate more income
[Also, update: You have three requests from local clients. Two elves and one dwarf. All are looking for weapons/tools. Potential income: ~150,000 MC.]
"Schedule meetings for tomorrow."
[Made.]
[And Marco...]
"Yeah?"
[You went into debt to buy sleep devices for clients. That was an emotional decision, not a logical one.]
"I know."
[But it was the RIGHT decision. Their needs are real. Their health matters.]
"I know."
[Just make sure you don't become a merchant who gives everything away. Balance compassion with practicality.]
"I'll try."
[Enough. Now rest. Tomorrow is another day of impossibilities.]
Marco closed the Crossroads and walked towards Rivendell proper. The sun was setting, painting the sky in shades of gold and pink.
In the gardens, she saw the five Jeans sitting together, talking animatedly. Jean Hope was tending flowers. Jean Phoenix was practicing firebending. Jean Sage was reading aloud. Jean Cosmic was floating, meditating. And Jean Prime was coordinating everything with infinite patience.
They were chaotic. Complicated. Five versions of the same person learning to exist simultaneously.
But they were also beautiful.
And Marco realized: He wasn't alone in saving lives.
I was helping people find ways of living they never knew were possible.
And so...
That was worth every debt. Every sleepless night. Every moment of terror.
"It's worth it," he murmured.
And for the first time in a long time, she completely believed it.
[END OF CHAPTER 20]