Tiffany was asking questions and Taeyeon was her answer.

Beyond Horizons: Part Two - From Past to Present

Bishop's six chamber revolver gave Taeyeon an ~83% chance of surviving, which was a rather good percentage, depending on who you asked.

So what was the off chance Taeyeon would accidentally blow her brains out?

Around 17% but still very possible.

And it just so happened that luck wasn't exactly on her side that night.

...

...

BANG!!

Echoes of the gunshot rung deep in her ear, and the ranger was very much convinced it was going to be the last thing she'd ever hear.

She'd struck the one in sixth chance of landing on a bullet. Taeyeon very may well be dead had it not been the taller, angry mage standing in front of her.

The ranger forced her eyes open, her body no longer shaking. She looked up only to find Tiffany glaring down at her, gripping her wrist with a strong, intense force. It took her a moment to realize --

Tiffany had pulled her hand away at the very last second, the bullet grazing just the side of her scalp, drawing a small amount of blood. The mage's cold hands squeezed Taeyeon's wrist with a crushing intent. She was not happy.

"How dare you throw away the gift of life so carelessly like that!" The mage yelled, staring hard at the ranger sitting down. "Had I not been here, your bleeding, lifeless body would stain the ground of the earth with such a stupid act. What's going on in that thick skull of yours, ranger?"

The woman blinked, breathing in the cold air of the After World until her lungs shivered in relief. "It's you."

Tiffany scoffed, roughly tossing Taeyeon's hand to the side. The mage turns around to leave, her heavy garment flowing behind her.

"Wait!" Taeyeon calls out. "I want to talk to you! Please!"

Still displeased, the mage continued to pace forward. The ranger dashed ahead, reaching out to grab the ends of Tiffany's long, white sleeve. The mage stopped, her eyes holding a certain aura of pity as she turned to the shorter woman. "I don't understand your obsession of me, or this world. You don't belong here, I don't possibly understand why you'd want to return so willingly."

"Like I said earlier, I wanted to talk to you." Desperation was obvious in Taeyeon's voice. "Please, I just need a moment of your time. That isn't too much to ask of you, magus?"

Tiffany didn't respond to that and kept her attention on the ground. Finally, she turns around, her dark vermilion eyes casting a fearful spell that began to take root deep in the bit of Taeyeon's stomach. The ranger swallowed and cleared . "I want to know more of this world and if I can be a part of it."

Taeyeon barely had a moment to react when the mage's anger began to fury once more. By the end of her sentence, she felt herself under the tight grip of the tall woman, her shirt just a jerk away from ripping free. How was she so powerful?

Tiffany pulled the woman daringly close to her face and whispered. "You want to know of this world? Rule number one, I don't take suicides lightly."

Afraid, the ranger could not properly hold eye contact. Instead, her head shook vigorously as she pleaded to be free. She bit her lip to keep quiet. Finally, the mage sighs, opening her palms to release the woman. "I lost my temper." But she made no effort to apologize.

Gently patting down her garments and taking a moment to reacquaint herself, the mage clapped her hands and chanted a spell.

Small, orange balls of light floated into the air, wrapping itself around Taeyeon before disappearing into the mist. The clueless woman shut her eyes and tightened her body, afraid of some physical repercussion. Instead, her body relaxed at the new warmth settling itself in the air.

"The After World may be cold for you. I'm dead, so the temperature does not bother me." Tiffany took a step closer, erasing her previously displeased face and gave a lopsided smile. "Taeyeon, was it?" The tip of her wand grazed the upper parts of the ranger's thigh gently. "That weapon is what you call a gun, right?"

Taeyeon nodded, the revolver looking a little duller in the After World's gray mist.

"A weapon capable of changing a fate with a pull of a trigger. Both a blessing and a curse." She nodded. "Yet, you choose that blessing to enter a curse. Now, what are your questions? What do you want from me?"

"I didn't get a chance to thank you when we first met. We found the child, and as you said, he was still alive. We always go about missions assuming the worst. I also want to apologize for..attempting to get into this world in a very dangerous way, but I was desperate to ask you." Taeyeon drew in a small breath and opened her eyes. "I would like to know more about you, myself, and this world. I was hoping we could form some sort of partnership."

Tiffany lifted a brow up. "A partnership?"

"An agreement. I'll cut to the chase." Taeyeon stared at the sky above, like she'd realize the last time she was here -- time flew much faster in this world. "You have some sort of magical power right? You say you lead lost souls and help them find peace?"

"That's oversimplifying it, but yes."

"So you know where someone is and how to find them?"

"I'm not some omnipresent being you can bargain with. So what? You're asking me to do your job, searching for lost humans in this harsh, demanding forest. You have nothing I need. You are not in a position to make demands."

Taeyeon frowned but realized she was right. "..Is there nothing I can offer you?"

"The world was peaceful before you came in it and I intend on keeping it that way. Like I said, you have no business here."

"I want to help and find people before they get into your world." The ranger pleaded desperately. "That's all I'm asking. I'm a protector of this forest much like you are."

Tiffany scoffed and turned around. "I don't need your protection."

"But I need yours."

The mage paused and laughed at the ranger, laughing so hard it made the woman embarrassed. "Had you done your job properly and protected people, I wouldn't be here." The sunrise began to slowly dawn on them, the mist turning a subtle shade of orange and purple. In such setting, Tiffany looked as human as Taeyeon did. It sparked a question for the ranger. She'd been human too right? Where did she come from and how did she die?

Likewise, Tiffany had dreaded over the same question for years. Perhaps there was something Taeyeon could answer her.

"Very well." The mage's lips curled into a polite smile. "There is something you can answer for me."

"Anything."

She took off her robes, showcasing flawless, pale arms. She trailed her finger up against her flesh, digging her nails deep enough to draw blood. Taeyeon jerked forward at the sight of it. "What are you doing?"

"This body is mine. I'm someone's creation. I was a human too. But I have no recollection of my past." Blood drips down her arms, the red liquid pooling down on the floor. "I want you to figure out who I am, what happened to me, and how I died."

"..I..can do some research, but I can't guarantee anything. Do you have any information to give me?"

She shook her head. "I don't even know my real name. They call me Tiffany, but it's more symbolic than anything. I grew up in this world. That's all I can tell you."

Taeyeon clicked her tongue and stared at the sun above. "Do you know how old you are?"

"How old...?" She looked at her for some sort of response. Hushed, quick numbers escape the woman's lips. "Three hundred, forty-eight. That's the amount of times I've counted the full moon. If that's to be of any sort of indication."

Sure, the formula was easy. All Taeyeon had to do was divide it by twelve, but she lacked the amount of time and brainpower to fiddle with numbers. Instead, she mentally kept note of the number. "Okay."

"Then we have an agreement? I shall help you with your searches, in return, you seek for the answer to my existence. Yes? I'm going to safely assume you'll be back. In that case, why don't we make our communication a little bit easier?" Tiffany extends her hand, pointing her finger at the gun. "May I see that?"<