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Gaea
"WHAT?!"
Dysnomia looked up at the woman that had spoken and nodded. "It's true. There is ... only a day, maybe two. The dimensional travellers have to return home ... or there may not be another chance."
Lysithea sighed as she sagged in her chair. With Uranus and Jupiter missing and Venus injured, the youngest and oldest Goddesses were in charge. Mars was busy apologizing to Triton, who kept insisting that there was nothing to apologize for, while Mercury had her hands full trying to heal everyone's wounds. The children were all still wary of each other and were busy trying to figure out who was related to whom. The dimensional travellers were recovering from their own wounds and had been trying to reach their friends all night. Now Dysnomia had just told her that time, for their world, was accelerating while Earth was slowing down. "Are you certain? It isn't like what this, Aura, said happened last time?"
"It isn't. I've gone as far as I dare from here. If they don't go home now ... they won't be able to. Our world will begin moving so much faster than theirs that connecting the two will be impossible." Dysnomia had hoped that a little more time would change things for the better, but they had only slowly gotten worse.
"And if they go home?"
"It will happen either way."
"What about ... the others? Elara, Rosa, their family? Could you ... do you know what happened to them?"
Dysnomia shook her head. "I've tried going forward, I've tried to go back ... I can't see what happened to them." She buried her face in her hands and sighed. "I think I didn't really want to see. I don't ..."
Lysithea placed a hand on her arm and squeezed. "I understand. Part of me would rather think they're just missing, than know for sure. We gave up hope on the kids and were proven wrong. We don't have any reason to give up now. Even if it takes another seven centuries." She stood, lightly hugging the other woman as she passed her. "I'm going to talk to Taiki. I'll leave the decision up to them."
"You're going home and that's final."
Taiki crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Seiya. "I'm staying here and helping you find Yaten."
The dark-haired singer glared right back at the redhead. "No, you're going home, with your three kids, to convince Kakyuu to divorce Meiya and marry you. You wanted a reason to tell her to leave him, well now you have one. Two, actually. Not to mention there are four more reasons waiting for you back in California. If you don't go the moment Aura opens that portal, I'll kick your ass in to it."
"And what about you?" Taiki asked. "You have Rei-chan and the twins. You can't just abandon one of your kids."
Seiya's glare became darker. "I'm not abandoning my daughter. I am staying here to find her uncle and return one of my best friends to his family. I was hoping that the other of my best friends would see sense and go back to take care of my child for me until I can return. Don't you dare think that just because this portal may not work anymore that we won't find our way home."
Kageshirou glanced at Xavier and saw the same look of indecision on her cousin's face. Ever since they had arrived, they had been putting off telling Seiya about Urani because they didn't want to distract the older woman from her 'mission'. But now that it looked like she was staying, neither they, nor Kaish, the only adult they had told, had the heart to tell her she would be abandoning him as well.
"Look, Taiki, just go. We don't know that there won't be something that Dysnomia couldn't see. You know how Setsuna-chan said the Time Gate works. Maybe ... maybe the worlds can be realigned, but we can't stand here arguing about it all day. The longer we do, the harder it will be to go through the portal, right Aura?"
Aura nodded slightly. "Seiya-san is right. The longer we wait, the harder and more dangerous crossing through it will be." The only place she dared to open the portal to their world was several yards away from the palace and it's wards. The magic from the wards would help to stabilize the portal on this end, but any closer and it could suck the entire palace through. The Goddesses had remained in the palace, leaving only the other Kinmokunai to come say goodbye to their friends. Seeing that most of the group was ready, Aura began the spell that would open the portal.
Kaish smiled sadly at the redhead before hugging her. "Idiot, go. You can kick my sister's ass as soon as we come home. And keep my nieces and nephews out of trouble, okay?"
"You sound like you're saying goodbye again, Kaish." Taiki hugged the gray-haired woman and sighed. She knew her duty was to Kakyuu and her simply being there put two of the redhead's kids in danger. Letting go of the gray-haired woman, she pulled Seiya into a hug as well. "Fine, I'll go. But that won't stop me from sticking a warship in the portal to hold it open for you guys."
Seiya returned the hug, then pushed the redhead toward the group that was leaving. Only she, Kaish, Xavier and the twins were remaining behind. Both Seiya and Taiki knew it was pointless to try and convince their friend to leave either her sister, daughter or lover behind. Will all three missing, there was certainly no way she'd leave. "And don't let any of the girls get the bright idea to try and stage a rescue, either. That includes you."
The redhead nodded as she heard the portal open behind her. "Just don't do anything stupid, Blue." She took Kageshirou's arm and helped the younger woman through the hole in time and space.
"Too late, Red," Seiya replied as she watched first Taiki & Kageshirou, then Tanetomi & Tsuki vanish through the portal. They were followed by Truli, Nami, Minako, Hotaru, Sarah and the Shitennou. The singer saw Aura hesitate for several long moments before stepping into the portal and vanishing.
Xavier found herself blinking back tears as she turned to face her mother and aunt. The twins were clinging to her legs, as they had been all morning, when not clinging to Seiya. "Aunt Seiya .... there's ... something you need to know."
Elysion
"I'm sorry that I had to pull you all here like that, but there was no choice. The island you were on was being reclaimed by the sea."
Rosalind blinked several times to make sure she was actually seeing what she thought she was seeing. They were standing in what looked like a garden of crystals surrounding a golden palace. The entire thing was situated inside of a giant cave of light gray rock. "This ... is Elysion."
The man that had rescued them nodded, smiling at her and at Elara. "It is. It is wonderful to see you again, old friends."
Elara turned to look at him and smiled. "Helios." She walked over to him and hugged him. "It has been far too long. Why have you hidden yourself away from us for all this time?"
Helios returned the hug, his smile turning sad. "I had something I had to do here." He led them into the palace, smiling a little when he saw the way Rosalind was holding on to the younger blond. "Is that ...?"
"This is Sora, one of my daughters," Rosalind replied, tightening her grip on the blonde.
Sora hugged her mother, then glanced over at Haruka. "Is she my sister?"
"No, dear. Your sister is back at the palace. Serenede is too frail to fight."
Helios stopped and looked at the blondes. "You named your daughter for her? She will be pleased."
"Helios, the Queen ... she is-" Elara's comment died on her lips as they stepped into the main hall of the palace. There, in the middle of the room, stood a crystal dias. Upon it, encased in soft pink crystal, lay Queen Serenity. The brunette hesitantly stepped closer to the crystal and touched it. Immediately, the eyes of the woman inside, opened. "She's ... alive."
"Father."
The entire group turned to the woman that had spoken. She had hair that was just a shade lighter than the gold walls of the palace behind her, and eyes that were as blue as the sky before a rain storm. She was wearing a simple white dress and her golden hair was pulled up into two pigtails, each topped with a bun. Beside her stood a girl, a few years younger than Devii, dressed similarly to her mother and with white hair pulled up into a similar style, but her eyes were a deep brown. The older of the two started down the steps smiling a little at the newcomers. "I felt a portal. Is everything okay?"
Helios nodded. "Everything is fine, my dear. These are some old friends of mine that needed a little help. Rosalind, Elara, everyone, this is Usha and her daughter, Hecate. Usha is the daughter of Serenity."
Earth
Urani was nearly asleep when he felt it. Just a brief touch, no more than a whisper, but it was enough to make him sit up and look around the darkened house. He knew who it was immediately, it was a mental touch he had felt a million times in his life. It was the first one he had ever known. "Dema."
Jinia was sitting up, watching the others sleep and hoping her nerves would calm down enough to let her sleep. Ever since they had learned Mi-ko was missing, her entire body felt like it was on pins and needles. She had managed so far to keep calm in front of the kids, but she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep it up, as it was starting to affect her health. She had been fighting back a wave of nausea when she heard the young man beside her whisper. "'Rani, is something wrong?"
"I ... felt her. Dema. Just for a moment, but ... she was there," he replied.
"Are they back already? Can you tell if they're okay?"
Urani shook his head. "It was ... just for a moment, but it's gone now. I can't sense anything."
Jinia smiled a little and gently touched his arm. "They'll be home soon. You'll have your Dema and your sisters back and you'll be one big happy family again."
"I hope you're right."
Since the power was still out and didn't look like it would be back on soon, Tavek was on guard at the mansion, choosing to spend the night ensuring the safety of the Sol Senshi and their kids and hoping that, if the others were to return this quickly, that someone in the house would know first. Noi had come hours ago and taken the youngest of Taiki's kids to Jinia's, which left Tavek in a house filled with people that he didn't really know.
Sure he had met all of them at one point or another, but if push came to shove, he really couldn't tell who most of them were. He knew the one called Michiru, though. She had come to California when the one called Haruka had gone with Kageshirou. He had gotten a crash course in French from her daughter, Nereid, at Christmas and had taught the younger girl a few choice phrases in Kinmokunai that had made Kakyuu blush and earned him some dirty looks from the violinist. So when he found the teal-haired woman sitting in the living room with her lover's youngest child, he was hesitant to approach her.
"You can come in, Tavek-san." Michiru glanced up as the young man slowly walked into the room. She placed the baby on to the couch beside her and turned to face him a little more fully. "Is something wrong?"
"No," Tavek replied. He walked behind the couch and looked down at the infant. "It's just ... it's a little cold in here. You two should really be upstairs, where it's warmer."
Michiru smiled slightly, wrapping the blanket a little more snuggly around the baby. "We're fine. I'm glad Usagi-chan said we could stay here while Haruka was gone. The house is just too big with both her and Roland away. Not that this one is smaller, but ... at least here there are other adults to talk to. It doesn't feel quite so empty."
Tavek leaned on to the back of the couch, watching the baby for several long moments. "If you are in need of an adult to talk to, I am willing to listen."
"Gomen, but you're not exactly what I meant by 'adult'."
"I'm older than I look, Kaiou-san. I just don't have kids."
Michiru chuckled as she motioned to the other end of the couch. "Fine, then I guess you qualify, Commander." She waited for him to sit, then smiled. "Why, exactly, are you here? Shouldn't you be on your ship?"
Tavek shook his head. "Officially, we're on planetary patrol right now. The ship is in orbit around the planet. And with this storm and the power being out, I thought it best for someone to be planet-side, just in case something happens. I sent Noi to stay with Kakyuu-sama and Cyril is watching the other house. Plus there are two ships overhead with crews trying to work on the power."
"Wow. You guys really do need a vacation, don't you?" Michiru grinned at the look on his face. "I don't think I've ever heard a 21 year old talk about their job quite so seriously."
"This isn't just a job, Kaiou-san. This is my way of life." Tavek sighed and leaned back against the cushions.
"Wrong, it was your way of life during the war. You're young, you're on a new world, you're in love with a very handsome prince ... and you shouldn't have to waste your life spending it in space when you could do ... anything you want," Michiru replied.
Tavek shrugged, staring at the floor. "The only problem with that is, I don't know what I want. I've been in the Fleet so long, I don't know how to do anything else. I was raised to serve Kakyuu-sama, as are all members of the Guard. I should have served on a ship for another decade before I ever made Lt. Commander, let alone actually be in Command. It was fate, or maybe just dumb luck that 'Shirou wound up on the same ship. It wasn't even meant to be a warship."
"Then what kind of ship was it meant to be?"
"The Av'Nai is a research vessel, that's why we have such a large medical staff, but once the fighting started ... None of us really ever thought we'd survive. We thought we'd die fighting to save our home, just like our ancestors. We never imagined that ... that we would have to leave," he replied. He was about to say something else when his communicator beeped. He grabbed it and hit the button before it could wake the baby. He frowned at the message that popped up, then quickly rose from the couch. "There's something going on downtown. I think they're back."
It had been an early afternoon in January when the second freak snow storm in a month struck the Western portion of the United States, plunging a state of sun worshippers into below freezing temperatures and snapping power lines like they were glass. People had scrambled indoors, seeking shelter and any source of warmth they could find.
So it was that when a portal opened in a normally crowded section of town a few hours later, that there was no one there to witness it. There was no one there to see the brief glimpse of a bright sun shining off a crystal palace. There was no one there to see the fourteen people that stepped out of the portal and into snow up to their knees. There was no one there to hear curses muttered in a dozen languages. There was no one there to hear the last muffled goodbyes to childhood friends.
