[Fiction] A New Star In the Firmament

[Timeslip]

...and so it came to pass on the eighth day of the fifth month that, in the palace of the sun-god Pachacamac, the night to his day gave birth to a new goddess. Though named Yokiko in the foreign tongue of her father, the girl - with her flawless skin as fair as the high mountain snows, with her eyes and soft hair that shone the cosmos as did her divine mother Timeslip, with her elegant tail as told in the ancient legends of the jaguar-people - was lauded by all of Tawantin Suyu as Quillachaska: Moonstar.

[Long]

It was something that he'd hoped for since they were married. A miracle born of the love between Timeslip and himself. Her first cries were sweet sound he had missed once before. He fulfilled the usual role of the father and cut the umbilical cord, though in nova fashion he used a pair of his own ebony talons as a pair of scissors. He stood smiling as Mother and child bonded for that first moment. The naming was important, Yokiko Hideyoshi would grow to be a strong nova, this Long knew. Moonstar, It would come to suit her in time.

Long waited till later on, and stole a moment alone with the newest member of his family. He held the infant nova in his arms and nestled in the soft fur covering his chest. She slept quietly, and Long enjoyed the moment and purred softly. Her stort tali coiled slightly around one of his fingers while she slept. "So much of your mother bred true, I'm glad that at least some of my heritage is present."

She stirs a moment and returns to sleep, and be kisses her forehead softly, mindul of pulling his whiskers back so as to not disturb her. He nodded to one of the nursemaids who took her from him gently and then he walked into the room where Timeslip lay resting after the ordeal. He lays a hand to her cheek idly as he had in happier times.

"Our daughter is beautiful beyond words. She'll love this world, one where she will be free. After meeting my counterpart, I am starting to like this world."

He shrugs with a certain amount of sadness. He knew that they'd be going home in two short weeks and that Timeslip would submit to her trial. It could be the last time she comes to this world, the last time she saw their daughter.

"If only we could have kept walking together."

[Timeslip]

The mother, for her part, offered the father a faint smile. Those who would have been able to even see the smile were few and far between; as always, the cosmic view hid her features. Of those few, most would have supposed the smile to be faint from weariness after the trials of childbirth.

Long knew better; this was a smile of sadness.

"Our walk together ended in a moment's mistake. It's funny, in a way. I visit endless worlds of 'if' and 'maybe', but I cannot fix the largest 'if' in our lives."

The smile fell away, and her echoing voice lowered to the barest of whispers, low enough to require even Long, with his inhumanly sharp ears, to lean close to the woman who was still - for now - his wife.

"I've been to thousands of other worlds revolving around that one day, that one instant, to see what might have been. I've seen the probabilities, watched the outcomes, witnessed the results. It's possible that she might have meant to kill me - she did so in a number of those other timestreams - but in many of them, too many to ignore, she was just using her powers to try to hold me with the earth.

"I believed at the instant that it was my life or hers, love. But I think that I may have been wrong."

[Long]

"I wanted to believe for a long time I could have stopped her. Or at least I could have gotten in the way of both attacks. Would have hurt alot, but dammit it would have been worth it. That I was strong and fast enough to have gotten there. I've dissected the entire moment and compared it to every mode of transit I can manage. Nothing would have gotten me there in time. I've had to accept that. I couldn't save you, couldn't save anyone right then. You are the mistress of time and even you couldn't find any more in that moment."

His tail idly reaches up and brushes her arm above the wrist. "I just wanted to be with you and raise a family. We had our bad times before that incident, but we'd always come back. When you told me about your pregnancy I focused on that. Even if you and I went our separate ways, there would be some legacy to our love. There's no deal I can make that would have allowed you to come home in peace without being hunted. There is no deal you could have still loved me after for making."

He kneels down beside her bed, even thought the position isn't comfortable. "I'm affraid for you Angela. This trial sets a precedent, whichever outcome is reached. It's a brave thing for you to do. You're prepared to sacrfice the most important thing I can think of, time with our daughter. Difficult as it is for me to say this, Part of me would urge you to stay here with Pachacamaq. Live here with Yokiko in peace. But I'd be wasting words wouldn't I? This trial's too important for the Movement, for all novas. It sets us apart, and to you that's worth dying for isn't it?" There's no effort made to hide the bitterness in his voice.

"Goddammit, lecturing you wasn't what I wanted to do. We should both be happy, enjoying the time we have with our daughter together as a family, not lecturing each other. Please forgive me." It was spoken as though he was asking for forrgiveness for far more than the lecture, but for his bitterness, for the entire situation.

[z-Pachacamaq]

Heat warmed Long's back as golden light danced into the room. Pachacamac had toned down his golden light, but as always, his brilliance preceeded his presence. "Timeslip, are you able to move?" he asked softly, giving the starscape woman a gentle smile. "The people would like to see their newest goddess, if you are up to it."

It was only after he'd recieved Timeslip's answer did he turn to the small baby in the massive tiger-man's arms. "You are one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen, Yokiko Quillachaska Hidoyoshi."

[Timeslip]

With an unseen grin, Timeslip responded. "I think I can manage," she said as - with barely a wince - she rose from the decadent bed in which she had been recouperating.

"As for the other matter," she said in a quieter tone to Long, "I've made my decision." With that, she retrieved her daughter from Long, then followed Pachacamac toward the balcony.

[Long]

Long followed behind. The lack of communication was something he'd grown accustomed to. He waited in silence to see the reaction of those gathered below, knowing it would be utter adulation and celebration.

At least Yokiko, you will not be feared. You will be loved and adored by all. Your "Aunt" will see that you are well received in Japan.