[Fiction] New Dawn

[Long]

January 30 08:30 am

"It's time for you to go back my son. You are needed back home, Your House needs its leader, and your family needs it's Father."

Long looked up to his mentor/father and shook his head. "I still have so much to learn. I'm still not strong enough." The Shen-Khan figure began laughing at that last remark.

"Ryu, you are among the strongest of novas. You could wipe away an entire city if you so deisred at any time with minimal effort. Your speed is unmatched and your resistance to injury is almost total. Above those Physical qualities, your mind is rapier-sharp, you have an excellent grasp of Tactics and Strategy. Your senses allow you to perceive things few others can. You are but for one thing, the perfect Avatar or War itself. You have a human conscience, you still believe in certain values of human morality, even after all our time together."

Long began to open his mouth to speak, but Shen-Khan raised a white hand to forstall the younger nova's comment. "Your morals are however not a bad thing. Your reluctance to show your full power has saved you, and you know this. That's why you only unleash your true power away from others. If the world knew the full extent of your power, given your wife's actions, they would kill you both just to avoid certain risks. You have worried that hiding your godhood would set you back, but I tell you, Your struggle to balance godhood and humanity is what makes this possible. Your family would perish if you acted as others do. You are a God amongs mortals, but they do not share your power. You strive to make weakness your strength, to overcome your limits, and that in the end is what a true warrior does. Saori was right, you are a killer, but within that chest beats the heart of a true warrior, never let anyone tell you otherwise."

"Hai, Sensei. I will always remember.I am both shield and a sword in the scabbard to my family. Their safety supercedes everything, even my own honor." Long bowed his head in respect, knowing his mentor was right.

"You have given me clarity, the ability, to touch the minds of others, and have taught me much about relating to people without the use of fear and intimidation get what I desire these past months, for that I thank you."

"You gave yourself clarity Ryu, the second you admitted to yourself you had failed. At that point the door to true understanding and clarity was opened. The other things are knowledge you sought. They are Knowledge I am happy to impart to you, my son." Shen-Khan lays his hands on Long's shoulders and gives his adopted son a genuine smile. "They're waiting for you my son, now go back to them."

Shen-Khan vanished leaving a kneeling Long alone within his mindscape. Almost as if he were restarting an shutdown engine, he stoked the quantum fires burning within. He could feel his power surging through his body, warming his fingertips and toes. The blue fames wreathing him in his mind grew hotter and more intense. Outside, the stone covering his body began to crack.

Sensors beeped and sent signals to a terminal in Rianna' Connelly's office even as the cracks began to grow and spiderweb across his entire form. Rianna saw the flashing red light and immediately made her way to the private elevator down to the Vault where Long was waking up. "I was wondering when you'd wake up old man, seems like you pick today of all days. She sent out a message to Liz and to Cade on the ride down to the vault. With other business finished, the door opened and she saw the light shining from the now cracking stone tiger. It started as only a flicker, but blue flame began licking up from the bottom of the crumbling statue. Crackling blue plasma flickered across the stone skin beneath the flames. She could feel Long's immense quantum signature growing and leaking out from the stone and then slowlyThe stone covering the eyes cracked and fell away, revealing two Cerulean blue eyes.

A still heart began to beat again and ther was a flash of blue light and an explosion of rock fragments. When Rianna opened her eyes againThe flames had backed down, but they were still enough to light the room. Standing where the statue had been Stood the new and improved Ryu Hideyoshi. Gone was his regal tawny fur, replaced with striking snow-white fur. "Remarkable. You look so.. so.. Striking." Even as she said it something screamed for attetion in her mind. An image she'd found of a younger Long and The other Tiger-like nova, his Mentor, Shen-Khan. If she didn't know better she'd have said it was Shen-khan standing before her.

Long's lip curled into a smile and he nodded. "I feel better than I have in nearly two decades. It's totally clear now, No fog of rage, no red curtain, no beast chained deep within. I'm really and truly free..." He trailed off, as his breathing became erratic. His time in Chrysalis had left even his expansive reserves of energy sorely depleted. His breathing was heavy as he went down to one knee. Then he truly felt it. A burning thirst from within his core. He needed to replenish his energy supply. "Rianna.. I don't... think...I..." She didn't give him time to finish, she was there next to him and took hold of his shoulders. Immediately his head raised up and their eyes met. Rianna could feel her quantum energy flowing from her body and into him. It seems like his very soul is reaching into her, making contact with hers, and absorbing it. Even though she can feel the drain eating through her own reserves, she didn't release him. This was a level of intimacy she hadn't felt in a long time. Once again she was there for him, providing solace when others couldn't. As his breathing normalized and he stood, the connection was broken. She snaps back to reality from her thoughts about this new development. "That was..."

Long holds up a hand to silence her comment. "I am sorry. I forgot my place. I should have asked before I slaked my thrist." Rianna looks up into the eyes of The first nova she'd given herself to and smiles. "I'll just add it to the list of everything else you owe me Ryu. Heaven help you when I come to collect." She gave him a sly smile and they both knew what was meant by it. He'd put off his feelings for her when he married Timeslip. That said he had finally given into his feelings for Endeavor, there wasn't much stopping him here, and Rianna was definitely one of the more attractive novas he knew. But deep down he knew he just couldn't. With Endeavor it had been mutual, but it was one-sided here with Rianna. She still carried a torch for him, and he felt a deep debt of honor to her. It simply wasn't the same.

She broke the awkward silence first. "I take it you'll be going to find your wife now." She felt winded, Long had take well over half her quantum reserves in less than a minute.

"Yes, I need to catch up with her, there are certain matters she and I must discuss." He turned to leave and then turned back. "The data you recorded, I'll be by next week to go over it with you. Until then, it doesn't exist. No one can know that you have it. The others within the movement would be quite upset if they found out that there is actual analysis data on their best-kept secret. They would stop at nothing to retrieve and destroy it."

Rianna nodded, knowing the truth behind things. He wasn't worried about the Teragen, it was his wife that actually concerned him. "I understand, it will remain in the Vault until The we can see exactly what went on while you took your little "personal training session."" In a flash Long was gone, relocated to the woods outside of Denver. From there he reached out locating Timeslip's mind from memory. He knocked against the door of her mind and smiled. "I'm back, There have been some changes. Where can we meet to discuss things?"

[Timeslip]

"Are you certain that everything is fine?"

The man in a medical coat and glowing eyes replied. "Trust me, Timeslip, the fetus is fine. The pre-natal eruption was to be expected, considering some of the things you've been through lately, but if anything, it has improved your already excellent chances of carrying her to term. You can relax a bit."

Visibly, there was no change in the starscape nova. But the doctor's keen perception was not limited to the visible spectrum; he could sense a slight lessening of tension in his patient's muscles in other ways. "Now, you do plan to stick to the schedule, right? Back here three months from today, and stay put in the maternity ward until you deliver."

Timeslip nodded as she stood. "Barring unforseen complications, that is my plan. Thank you, Doctor Ramac," she said as she shook his hand; then, rather than moving toward the door, the master of time swirled and vanished in a flash of stars... only to reappear beneath the night sky, deep within a park in Rio De Janeiro, literally worlds away from the office of her nova - and Incan - physician.

She patted her rounded belly, reassured both by the doctor's words and with the knowledge that there would be no years or decades of nail-biting in hope that little Yokiko would blossom from latency into the full promise of the One Race. Indeed, so distracted was Timeslip with this uncharacteristic happiness that it took her a moment to realize that her husband's voice had touched her mind.

When she did realize, however, her happiness found new peaks. "Long? You've ended the Chysalis so soon? This is wonderful news, and I have some for you as well. I'm in a park in Rio, but I could be anywhere right now; if you asked, I could touch the moon!"

[Long]

The familiar sound of his wife's voice is something that for the first time in a while, he truly enjoys hearing. "Well I won't ask you to go that far my love. In fact, stay where you are, I can see where I need to be from the link. Just remember that there are some changes that come from this, Try not to exile me."

Long concentrated for a moment visualizing where he wished to be and in a flash of blue light he vanished from the woods around Denver and appeared about ten feet in front of Timeslip. Azure fire wreathed him for a moment, and small flashes of energy crackled over his snow-white pelt. They subsided quickly, leaving him standing there before her, not quite the same as the last time, but even to the casual eye he just seemed more at ease.

He looked down to Timeslip's slightly swolen stomach and smiled. "Hello again Timeslip. I was hoping to get back in time to see the birth of our daughter. I'm quite happy that I have."

He keeps his distance, aware of who he now resembles and their shared history with that idividual. "I assure you it is me, just with a few changes." His tail flicked about casually behind him in a manner she'd seen before countless times. His black shorts were trimmed with blue now, matching his pupiliess cerulean eyes.

[Timeslip]

"Try not to exile me"? What in the worlds does he thing I'll...

The though trailed off as Shen-Khan flashed into being, wrapped in blue quantum and a promise of pure, raw power.

...do? Fear washed over Timeslip like a wave. There was no way that Long's ex-mentor would stand still while she exiled him again, and obviously he had found his own way hope again anyway. Then, only a moment later, she realized the differences. This was not a feral monster... indeed, this was not a Monster at all. No, the huge tiger-man before her was a Marvel. The uncanny appearance notwithstanding, this was Long.

He was saying something; words began to register. "I assure you it is me, just with a few changes." But there was no need for those words; changes or no, she fell into his embrace.

[Long]

Long was somewhat shocked by her reaction, but by no means unhappy with it. His massive arms quickly enfolded her even as his tail coiled around her pulling her close. He didn't care who was watching them, just that he was there with his wife in his arms after so long without her. He purred, which most would tell you tigers didn't do, but he could, and did. After a few minutes of just standing there holding her, he looked down into her eyes. "I missed you too, my love."

He smiled, and knelt down to be more at the same height as Timeslip. From there he kissed her softly at first and then with a passion that had been denied the last four months.

[Timeslip]

Afer a long, long moment, Timeslip broke free from the embrace and smiled up at her husband. "I have some truly wonderful news about Yokiko, love. She is already one of us; she is fully of the One Race."

[Long]

"That is wonderful news." His eyes seem to sparkle as he smiles. He smiles as he tenderly rubs Timeslip's stomach with his left hand. "I see that you both are doing well. I trust there has been no other complications or things that require my attention."

He looks at her with soft Blue eyes and his smile and eyes take on a mischievous glint. "There are things that I should attend to I know, but not today. Today is all about us, and our little family. What would you like to do? I am at your disposal."

[Timeslip]

"Well," she said, an impishness in her voice that Long had not heard since before her own Chrysalis. "In that case," she added, taking his clawed hand within her ebony own and leading him him elsewhere within the park, "I think that there is someplace I would like to go."

The thick shroud raced out from her, enveloping both in star-filled blackness. When the shroud fell away, they stood along a tree-lined boulevard, surrounded by architecture both ancient and modern.

"Welcome to Tawantin Suyu, love."

[Long]

Long surveys the architecture and can feel several nodes in their immediate vicinity. Despite that, he remains at ease. Timeslip wouldn't have brought Yokiko somewhere unsafe. He draws himself to his full height and smiles. "Where exactly are we?"

[Timeslip]

"We are in Coricanchac, a close analogue for Rio De Janeiro, in a world where the Incan Empire didn't fall. We're also about a block away from the office of my OB/GYN, a member of the One Race by the name of Doctor Ramac."

She started walking down the street; while the two drew stares and pointing fingers by most of the other pedestrians, there was no hostility in the onlookers. "This has been one of my favorites timestreams for the past few months. Mind you, many of our kind here haven't quite figured out that they are no longer human, but at least it's a peaceful world that seems genuinely accepting of us."

[Long]

"A world where we aren't hunted, and generally not feared..." He trails off taking everything in. It's too good to be true, and almost immediately his thoughts turn to seeing the Japan of this world. In his brain he begins assembling everything he knew about the Incan empire, which is to say not much. He decides that things will bear a bit more investigation, but for now he decides to enjoy walking down the street with his wife and not causing rampant fear.

"How did you find this little world?" His hand keeps one of hers enveloped even as his tail swings idly behind him. His nostrils flare as he takes in the smell of clean air and of a world where novas aren't feared.

[Timeslip]

Timeslip smiled over at her husband as they walked. "You really have no idea how many worlds I've visited, do you? I've been to thousands, love. It's what I do; I'm an explorer at heart. I've seen things you wouldn't believe. Worlds without novas, worlds with nothing but; worlds at war, at peace, at death, at birth. Worlds where other species won the evolutionary race. Worlds where no living thing ever evolved. Worlds that never even existed, never coalesced from the stuff of the cosmos.

"As things stand, Long, this one is very tame."

[Long]

"I don't know because I don't usually ge to go." His tone is playful, but it doesn't fully mask some bitterness. With everything that had been going on, he had fallen behind in some of his research, other things had demanded his immediate attention. He silently vowed to continue that project once he returned home.

Just because he'd decided that he no longer wished to retrieve a version of his first wife from other streams of continuity didn't mean he didn't want to see them. Despite his age, he never really lost that adventurism most young men possess. Truth be told he enjoyed finding new things, even more he enjoyed understanding them.

He smiled back to her. "So ka, what of this world's Japan? How has it changed, or not changed?"

[Timeslip]

"Haven't been there yet," she replied as they waited to cross a busy street. The presence of the huge tiger-man wasn't helping the traffic situation any; several drivers slowed to gawk at the newcomer nova.

"And before you ask," she added as the light turned and they transited the crosswalk amongst curious baselines, "I haven't checked to see if you have an analogue here. There are a few close matches to known personalities I've run into, though. Seems that Mithril - sorry, you knew her as the Girl Made of Titanium when you went into Chrysalis - is here, though she erupted differently; a non-metallic flyer. And there's a local in this city who would be a dead-ringer for Procyon... had Procyon been born Inca. You can see the statue of his 'father' up there on the hill," she quipped, pointed at the huge gold-plated statue of Inti that towered above the city.

Well across the thoroughfare, the couple stepped into the shadow of a looming tower that looked as though art-deco had been wedded with ancient Egyptian. A shadow fell over Timeslip's mood as well; her voice was quiet as she added, "There's no me here. I checked. Angela Waters was found dead at the age of 14 from starvation in a closet in Los Angeles."

[Long]

his tail and an arm find their way around her softly, gently pulling her closer to him. "I'm sorry."

He looked around and smiled to several of the native populace, the sight of his sharp teeth bared in a grin filled some with fear, others however smiled and nodded and kept on with their daily lives. Novas weren't new here, but he wagered he and Timeslip were far different than what they were accustomed to seeing.

"So what else can you tell me about this world, or perhaps we could do some exploring of it today?" Eager to learn and hoping to lift her mood some he tries to find something they'll both enjoy doing.

[Timeslip]

Timeslip recognized the effort for what it was; that recognition made it no less effective. She began to explain the background for this world - the point of divergence when sailors wrecked on the coast of South America in the early 15th century, how the early arrival of smallpox had both hurt and hardened the Inca people, the failure of the conquistadors to do as they had back home, how the Empire had closed in upon itself for centuries in a manner reminiscent of Japan before opening itself up to outside technology and trade, how there was no Project Utopia or Teragen here for lack of a few key people.

Her description went on for over an hour, even after they had tired of strolling and took to the skies. As she explained, other novas - novas that had never known the kind of deep hatred and anger that permeated the world back home - were also seen above the shining city. Some waved, and were waved to in friendly fashion by Timeslip and eventually Long, but some simply kept to whatever was their business at hand.

[z-Pachacamaq]

A finger of flame edged out of the sun, glowing brighter than a billion candles. People on the street below cheered, clapping and laughing as the living flame arched somberly and majestically out of the sky. Below the couple, a man pulls out a strip of white cloth and begins to sing, holding the ribbon over his head.

The fiery arc shot past Long and Timeslip, snatching the ribbon from the singing man. His voice faltered, not from anger, but from devotion; he became choked up from emotion, tears pouring down his estatic face.

"Timeslip!" the finger of flame called out, coasting to a stop close to the couple. The flare fell away, the bright glare becoming a soft golden glow. Pachacamac's Incan features beamed with pleasure - a pleasure which turned to mock censure. "What is this, making an appointment to stay at a clinic when my home is entirely open to you?" His blue eyes twinkled as he chuckled, "I don't think your child will forgive you if she misses the chance to be born in a palace."

His blue eyes flickered over to Long, giving the man a friendly nod. He knew who this was; Timeslip had spoken of her husband often enough. But most of his attention was on Timeslip; she was his friend, and in his opinion, the one who was important to him. Perhaps, Long would forge his own place in Pachacamac's heart.

[Timeslip]

Timeslip grinned an invisible but no less broad grin at the arrival of her shining friend. "If I were to stay at the palace, people would begin to talk about little Yokiko as if she were your own," she joked, oblivious to the unintended effect on the nova at her side.

"Pachacamac, I would like for you to meet my husband, Long. Long, this is Pachacamac, my friend."

[Long]

Even without the fog of Rage clouding his mind Long doesn't like what he just heard. Anger spills over the link, but he quickly reigns it in. He wills himself to remain calm, but that doesn't fully stop his fur from bristling at the comment. His eyes flash a stormy blue, then return to theirmore serene blue color. After all, he did sleep with Endeavor. Bt at least he didn't make jokes like that.

He did his best to keep his claws hidden in his fingertips, an agressive posture wasn't required, yet. Besides, His energy reserves were laughable right now, and Timeslip had used the term freind, something she rarely used. Deep insde, hidden from the link, he wondered if it was true.

He extended a massive hand to Pachacamac. "It is nice to meet you. I thank you for the hospitality you have shown my wife during her stay here."

[z-Pachacamaq]

Pachacamac remained serene and relaxed; neither nova saw him gather his powers, setting himself on a hair trigger. "It is good to meet you as well," the golden nova said. "I have heard about you from Timeslip. As far as entertaining your wife, I have found that her company is quite enjoyable. Believe me when I say that it was my pleasure." The words could have been delivered with a lecherous sneer or even a hint of impropriety, but Pachacamac kept his tone platonic.

Pachacamac hesitated before taking Long's handshake. "Odd, I thought only American baselines practiced this greeting," he said calmly, again, had his tone been anything else, it could have been grounds for an attack. But it was clearly a casual observation.

"And Timeslip?" he added as he dropped his hand. "I meant what I said when I ask you about staying with me. Baselines are born in a clinic - gods are born in palaces. Our children are rare enough that this will be understood by Dr. Ramac. Also, I would insist on a nova healer to be there. Nothing should happen to my friend or the child of my friend, simply because I did not think to prepare for anything." For the first time, Timeslip saw something other than arrogant serenity in her friend's eyes. She saw true concern for her and her child.

[Long]

Long shrugs off the comment and puts it down to differnt worlds. There was no way he would bow to this nova. "Perhaps it is so here, but it is a gesture I've grown accustomed to using to signify peaceful intent, a greeting between equals."

Not really a lie, since it is how he greets the nova he trusts the most, and many of the other novas he knows, it would do. "This is a marvelous city.." He gets no further as there was a loud rumbling from his stomach. He'd ben so eager to see Timeslip again he'd neglected to eat anything since his awakening. A Flood of curses flowed in his mind, yet none escaped his mouth.

"It would seem that perhaps a meal is in order. It has been four months since I've eaten anything." He smiles to Pachacamac. "Do you have any reccomendations?"

[Timeslip]

If she had been oblivious before, Timeslip was now accutely aware of the tension between her husband and her friend. Inwardly, she groaned. Men. Give them a node, and they're still just overgrown boys, jockying for position based on who has the larger penis.

Still, Long was managing to rein himself in, and that was something at any rate.

Her reverie was broken by the veritable thunder from Long's midsection. She remembered how it had felt when she first left her quantum coccoon; now....

"Yes, a meal would be in order. Preferably somewhere used to a nova's appetites," she said to the beaming sun-god.

[z-Pachacamaq]

"That depends," Pachacamac answered, "on whether you would allow me to host you for a meal, or if you'd prefer something else? There is a lovely restaurant in Baltimore that is run by a beautiful Basque lady, or you can have traditional Eskimo fare by a nova native up in Alaska."

His eyes sparkled again as he said, "And you could travel as guests of mine. Have you ever been part of a diplomatic entourage?"

[Long]

"Whatever is easiest for you though If I may make a request, the fare must be fresh. I fear there are certain aspects of this form that are closer to the truth of a real tiger." It was as close to admitting to a stranger that he required freshly killed meat in the same way his wife required LSD.

"As for being part of an diplomatic entourage I'd have to say no. it's defintely not something I have done before. But really, whatever is easiest for you. Though I echo my wife's sentiments. Somewhere used to serving nova level appetites would be best."

Things aren't quite as he planned, but a chance to eat will do him well, and more importantly, at least here he can be with his wife without having to be on high alert for an incoming Utopian Strike force.

[z-Pachacamaq]

"Large quantities of fresh, raw meat? That sounds like Alaska," Pachacamac grinned, flashing perfect white teeth. Behind him, a warp flared lazily to life, its golden border framing a white expanse of snow. The sky was dark, despite the midday sun shining over their heads.

Pachacamac floated backwards through the hole in the air, talking as he went. "I actually come here quite a bit; the change in diet from my usual Incan fare is very refreshing." Below him, a palace built of ice came into view. The only flaw in its crystaline structure was a small building half-incased in the ice-wall. A steady stream of smoke rose from three chimmeys, carrying the smell of cooking food. "And in many ways, I feel a kinship with the Eskimos - we spring from the same native blood.

"In summer, you eat on flat rocks in the middle of a plain; in winter, an ice palace," Pachacamac explained as he started to drift downward, igniting his aura with a golden flare of brilliant light. "The only 'real' builing here is the kitchen." A golden finger pointed out the structure half-buried in ice. Long received a big smile as their host said, "Don't worry - you'll be able to get plenty of raw meat. I don't think that the muktuk* will be fresh enough for you, but there will be things on the menu other than whale."

*whale skin and blubber

[Timeslip]

Dinner ensued, with all of the excess that novas have come to know. After his initial bristling, Long behaved as a perfect gentlemen... a bit too perfect, Timeslip realized, remembering his quantum knack in that regard.

Finally, as pleasantries came to a close, Timeslip told Long to transport them to the site of what had been their home in Japan, so that she could take him home. Once on the site - an ages-old house that was, in this world, a museum showcasing traditional Japanese architecture, Timeslip centered herself in preparation for the costly effort of taking two bodies across the boundaries of the multiverse... then stopped.

"There's something you need to know before you go home, Long. You would find out from her, but frankly, I want for you to hear it from me. Endeavor is pregnant, by you."

[Long]

Long's ears perked up and his tail stopped moving, these were the only tells of his suprise. After a moment he nodded. "She is pregnant by me..." he trailed off, trying to find a way to put his feelings on the subject into some sort of order that might not get him sent to another inhospitible reality.

"I'd be lying if I told you I regret what happened. She is someone I love, and who returns that love. Like you and I she is a member of the One Race, and as such I'm happy that she is not plagued by the sterility issue that affects so many of us. She's pregant with my child, so be it. I will be a father to her child the same as I plan to be a father to Yokiko, to Misato and Benkei."

He looks at Timeslip, guaging her reaction to his words. "I know you weren't happy about her and I and this is probably only angering you further. I regret breaking the vows I made to you nearly two years ago, but I do not regret listening to my heart.Though it cost me much honor I do not regret loving her. I broke our vows, and you'd be well within your rights to leave me for it. If that is your wish, I'll abide by it. I hope however you can forgive me and that we can still raise our daughter together."

[Timeslip]

Timeslip was an unreadable void, and her echoing voice was dead level as she replied.

"What has been done, has been done. Yes, it is good that she will bring more of the One Race into being, though if I understand the situation correctly, 'children' rather than 'child' would be the operative term.

"As for Yokiko: I do not know what exactly you expect in that regard. Your life is public; mine is, by necessity, not. Indeed, I spend more time entirely apart from my home timestream than in it for just that reason. Despite the best wishes of those such as Mithril and Typhoon, there is exactly nothing that can be done to correct the situation, and I believe that you will find that our joint-parenting options will be minimal at best. She is of the One Race, however, and will simply have to endure your absence. In any event, you will undoubtedly have your hands full with your other children."

[Long]

"So I should just write off being a father to her? I'm sorry I can't do that. She deserves more than that."

He stops and his massive shoulder sag somewhat. She'd seen him beaten and his body broken, but this was new. He looked defeated. In his mind he cursed the events that had led to amsterdam, and himself for giving her too much freedom. Now it had not only cost him his wife, but it sounded like it was going to cost him his daughter as well.

"I can't write her off like she means nothing Angela. I just can't. We can work something out. We'll figure something out."

[Timeslip]

"Of course we will, Long," Timeslip said without an ounce of conviction in her voice. "Of course we will."

Long's world went black, but he neither noticed nor cared; his world was already black enough. When the cosmic shroud fell away and he stood in his own home and timeline once more, the joy that should have been in his heart was entirely absent.

"I need to leave now; three different agencies have this house under constant surveillance. Take care, love." The last three words saw emotion - true, genuine emotion - return to her voice... and Long was hard-pressed to tell if that was better or worse, as his wife vanished from his world and his life in a swirl of stars.

[Long]

He wanted to roar out his rage, to retrieve her and make her stay if only abit longer. Instead he walked to the small shrine in the flourishing gardens and knelt down and quietly asked his ancestors to once again watch over Timeslip and their daughter, because it was now very apparent to him, he simply could not. Nor would he be allowed to even try.

They'd finally reached that point he'd feared back when she first returned from chrysalis. Their marriage had been shattered by her mistake in Amsterdam. He'd tried to keep things together, but it was time to face the fact it simply wasn't possible anymore. She was lost to him, and what hurt him more was that their daughter was lost to him too. "She'll raise you a good little Terat, and never give you the option to choose for yourself Yokiko, for that I mourn. I only hope you learn from all her mistakes, because it seems you won't ever have the chance to learn from mine."