[Fiction] Future Legacy

[Long]

-April 17 2017 8pm-

Long knew the routine. He waited alone in her section of the garden and felt the temporal distortion form as his wife came into view. It made her easy to track for those who could feel it, a secret only the two of them knew. This far along she was showing her pregnancy in full, she looked to have put on close to thirty pounds. From their many dives in each other's times he remembered her looking like this before. That had ended in tragedy.

"This time will be different."

He crossed the distance to her and stopped about half a meter away at the last moment. The divorce was a sore subject, his bowing to baseline society, but they both knew it was necessary. He did it for the children. He made up his mind and enfolded her in his arms, his tail coiling around her waist. "I've missed you my Wife."

She looked at him, and hesitated, but then returned the embrace. It was a prelude to the activation of an ability he'd seen many times. The starfield expanded, enveloping him, and then they were gone, ripped from one temporal stream and crossing into another as easily as one crosses streets.

Long released her and smiled. "One day, I want to finish my research on just how you do that. It's an ability I greatly envy you for. One I have missed for a long time."

The place where they stood was likely part of the Hideyoshi home. Long sniffed the air and smelled the scent of his kin, of himself-but-not. He turned back to her, his eyes taking in all the details of his soon to be ex-wife, drinking it in, remembering other times, more peaceful times. "Thank you Angela. I've been very unfair to you, and yet you have allowed me to be here with you for the birth of our daughter. For that, I cannot repay you."

[Timeslip]

Her face was unreadable as always, but her echoing, ghostly voice betrayed a panoply of feelings. "You're right, you know. You have been unfair to me, Ryu. But then, ours is an unfair world, and it's a small wonder that we cannot always be fair within it. Were it a fair world, Excavator would not be dead."

The words stopped in unspoken agreement for a moment, an unofficial but no less poignant silence for a lost nova. Only after the moment had passed did Timeslip say, "If you would do the honors, love, I'd just as soon not fly the distance to Coricanchac. Little Yokiko is taking a lot out of me these days; even bringing you across has left me a bit winded."

[Long]

"Indeed." Long nodded and a warpgate opened. He walked with her through it and onto the streets of Coricanchac. The gateway sealed behind them and he turned to her. "We can walk, or I can fly and carry you, I'll leave it up to you." He gives her the barest hint of a smile. "Though I don't know exactly where I'm going. You will have to tell me that."

He waited, not sure which option she would choose, but a part of him hoped she'd allow him to carry her. He knewfrom her tone of voice that she was winded, and he wanted tomake this last month as easy as he could.

[Timeslip]

"Flying is just fine, but I can fly myself. It was just the distance that I found to be a bit daunting today." Without another word, the temporal currents swept the starscape woman into the sky, to the delight of the pedestrians to whom she had obviously become an accepted sight.

[Long]

He took off into the air after her, a blue and white streak of fur and light. He noticed the people seemed to enjoy her presence, something that simply never happened back home. The building style wasn't what he thought of as impressive, but it was definitely functional. He remembered the office of the doctor they'd seen last time, indeed they were only about a block away. They kept flying though.

He kept on flying, figuring they were goin to Pachacamaq's palace. He kept silent, following Timeslip closely, wondering in a partitioned part of his mind how wise this really was.

[z-Pachacamaq]

The temple came into view, rising above the green forest. Normally, the temple was a monolith of bare, golden stone; today, white banners were hung over the major faces of the rough pyramid. 'Welcome, coming goddess!' was written in Quechua on the banners in gold, orange, yellow and red paint, all the colors of the sun.

Timeslip had seen them go up yesterday and knew that they were the gifts of the poorest of Pachacamac's followers. They had been given cloth and paint, and they had painstakingly painted the fabric. Their gift was a sacrifice of time, and despite the mountain of gifts that were store inside the temple, Timeslip thought that the banners were the most fitting.

At the base of the temple, a song arose from the waiting worshippers as Long and Timeslip came into view. These faithful had taken time off work and gathered together days ahead of time, waiting around the clock. They all wanted to be there when the baby goddess was born.

On the temple's upper entrance, a form in gold and white came into view, waving. The song became more fervent, and the form flared with golden light as Pachacamac, son of the sun, extended his arms in a blessing to those gathered.

[Long]

Long was actually stunned at the reception. He knew it was for his wife and daughter, but it was all too easy to remember how he and Timeslip were greeted by the masses back home. Fear, respect, but never this, never worship. Part of him railed against it, knowing it was based in fear. The other part spoke only two words. "Embrace it."

This was part of being a Marvel. This was part of being a God among mortals.It was part of who he'd become. In an instant his fur seemed to shine brighter, the black stripes grow darker, his eyes blaze with Cerulean Fire as he removes the restraints holding back his power. Blue flame wreathed him as he lands behind Timeslip, in front of Pachacamaq. The last time he was here, he'd had to conserve his power, this time he allowed it free reign. In this world, he didn't have to be affraid for someone seeing the truth. There were no enemies in the shadows, watching, recording it all. There was no threat to his family poised like a dagger at his throat.

Like Eden, he could be free in this world, so long as he was mindful of the destructive power he had. Revel in the adoration they show her and your daughter. This will be her future, She will never have to live with the hate and fear you will, that your family will. The voice spoke the truth he knew in his heart, and it saddened him. I will find a way to change that. I wield the power of a God, it is high time I start to act like it. It was a silent promise to everyone, but most of all to himself.

[Timeslip]

...and he finally comes into his own, Timeslip thought to herself with an invisible smile as she watched her husband bask in his full glory.

For her part, the mistress of time settled lightly - even with the added mass of her pregnancy - on the balcony beside the glowing sun god. "I think," she said with a touch of fatigue in her voice, "that I have made my last journey away from this world until after Yokiko arrives. It simply takes too much out of me."

[z-Pachacamaq]

"Well, it's a good thing you got your sister already, then," Pachacamac said, slipping an arm around her to steady her while a priestess moved to the other side, hovering at the ready. Pachacamac turned and gave one last wave to the crowd. Still helping Timeslip along, Pachacamac ushered her into the temple proper, while his priestess bowed to Long and waited for him to move.

Pachacamac walked Timeslip into her room; as soon as he cleared the doorway, a slight form jumped up and took Timeslip's arm. Pachacamac willingly handed the starscape woman over to the new woman. Long blinked as he realized that her dark hair wasn't Incan, but Oriental. Saori was here.

[Long]

Pachacamaq's freindliness to Timeslip grated Long's nerves. She was still his wife. He followed behind in silence doing his best to hide a fair amount of jealousy.

He spoke only one word when he saw who had just taken hold of Timeslip. "Saori." It was his other big failure. In near blind rage he'd exiled her. No not her, this Saori wasn't his Saori. This was this world's version of her. He composed himself. "I was beginning to wonder when I'd meet someone from this world's version of my family."

He bows traditionaly to Saori. "I've noticed some very interesting differences already in this world's version of the Hideyoshi, I'd be interested in what you could tell me if you have time to talk later." With that he continues returns to imposed silence, trying to clear the clutter of his mind.

[z-Gu Saori]

Saori smiled; he'd not expected that it would be so drawn or tired. This Saori reminded Long a great deal of his Saori. "Brother Ryu," she said, bowing, "I am your sister. Timeslip is my sister, and as family, it is my duty to be with her, as she has no family on her side to be here."

Stepping forward, Saori hugged her brother, though he could feel the tension in her body as they touched. Stepping back, his petite sister said, "How is Ms. Hino? Doing as well as any nova would, I trust?" She seemed to be genuinely curious.

[Long]

Long's smile fades as realization hits him. This is the real Saori, the one he'd transgressed against, then asked forgiveness of. Now she was here in another world, another traveler that doesn't belong.

The smile returns quickly even through the tense embrace. "You have nothing to fear from me Saori, I am not the man I was before. I am in control."

He looks down to his youngest sister and smiles, his blue eyes flashing. "Sakurako is doing well. She's suffered no complications and the doctors say the twins are perfectly fine. I will convey your concern of her well-being to her if you wish when we return."