Greetings! Please, read the first two books of this series before proceeding, or prepare to be clueless throughout our next adventure. You can find their prologues as well as the one for this story linked in my profile.


Book 3: Our Providence

Chapter I
The Breath of Humanity

I recall taking my time on the way home. There was certainly no rush as I was not particularly excited about relearning to live in my native world. School definitely didn't seem like something I could concentrate on after all that had transpired. As much as I wanted to see my family, there was so much uncertainty lingering in the back of my mind that the air seemed thick with it, and the sensation hindered what haste I may have had.

What would become of Arella? What would become of me?

The dark rift sealed shut one final time behind me, and the slender object in my left hand was gripped tighter. My eyes slowly shifted to the left and then right, wearily scanning the area. My body wouldn't move.

Forest.

The same one I'd left in my wake on the way to Hyrule.

The leaves were tinting orange and red and the humidity level was low. Apparently, I'd returned in autumn. Finally glancing down at the item in my hand, I frowned.

"I suppose I'll never get to utilize this…" I mused. It was a beautifully-crafted silver cross, composed of cylinder rods, nearly a foot and a half in length, and decorated with golden rails and beads. In the center, it bore a shining tomoye symbol…the Japanese mark for Universe. Just prior to my departure, Usagi had requested that the inner senshi assist her in creating a farewell gift. I'd tried to reason with her that I was grateful for the thought, but it truly wasn't necessary. What a vain attempt that had been…

The result had been a weapon only Sailor Universe could wield. And soon…I would no longer hold that title.

Lifting my head again, a heavy, drawn-out sigh escaped my lips and I began walking forward.

††††

The doorbell sounded an obnoxious three times in a row in the home of a small blonde woman, and her little dog began barking hysterically. Her brow furrowed as she put aside the magazine she'd been peacefully flipping through to stand and head towards the entrance of her home.

"What in the world… Pepper, cut it out," she told the mutt. Glancing through the peephole, she beheld a frantic young lady with an oddly vibrant get-up and brunette hair extending all the way to her knees.

Yeah. That was me. In one of the most awkward situations I've ever been in.

The woman opened her door and stared at me blankly. She wasn't even about to waste a breath asking what my deal was as it was certain I was bout to spill it anyway.

"Mrs. Bay…! Hi! I'm sorry, where's uh-" I took a breath, and man did it feel weird to be communicating in English again, "…where's Taryn?"

"I'm sorry…" she spoke with a suddenly perplexed expression, "do I know you?"

I froze. One quick glance at the ground reminded me that I was definitely not in a seventh grader's body…or even completely my own for that matter. Thinking further, I realized didn't even know what time period it was. Upon revisiting my home on the Air Force base, I found it changed. The backyard was fenced unlike how I left it, and my family was nowhere to be found. Without even stopping to check on how much time had passed, I'd made a mad dash for my best friend's place in hopes she could help me out. But her mother didn't even recognize me.

What a mess. I had to think of something quick.

"I'm a friend of your daughter's. I'm in town for only a little while and wanted to see if she was around."

"Where does she know you from?"

Damnit…

That's when I spotted a calendar through the door, clear on the other side of the house, hanging by the back door. My eyes narrowed in on the current date written in bold black over the stark, white page, and my legs almost failed me.

Two thousand nine?

I'd disappeared during the summer of two thousand two at twelve years old; that would mean my age, along with Taryn's, would then have to have been approximately nineteen or twenty. Which would mean we were…

"Are you alright?" the lady asked as the color started draining from my face.

"College…" I replied. "I met her at college." It was a flat lie and a lucky guess at Taryn's situation, but I didn't have much of a choice.

"Ah, ok. Do you have her number?"

So she is attending one… Wait…she has a number? I don't even have a phone! Or money!

Clutching my bag, I shook my head. "I recently got a new cell and have to find all my contacts again…" The lies were beginning to make my stomach churn.

"Got a pen and paper?"

Again I shook my head.

After another suspicious glance, she told me, "Alright…come in while I get it for you. The fall semester just began, so she's up at the university."

"Oh…she lives in a dorm?" I asked, stepping into the air conditioned home.

"Uhh…all freshman, sophomores, and juniors are required to live in the dorms. Do you not attend Trinity?"

Ack…! Slipped.

"Well…no, we met uh…while I was touring the place…looking for colleges." Oh, how I could not WAIT to get the hell out of there. My flustered state was digging my hole far too deep for comfort.

As I waited for my friend's mother to get me the information, my mind continued to spin. I should try Mike and David's place next… Maybe I could use their phone…I definitely don't wanna bother this woman anymore. But the problem is convincing them of who I am…

Then, an idea struck me.

"Here you go."

I was handed a slip of paper with Taryn's phone number on it, and thanked her. "May I ask," I started, "about her best friend? Does she still live around here by any chance?"

"Who…Maddie?"

A sudden pain pricked at my chest at that, and my eye twitched slightly as my breath clipped. "U-Um…I thought her name was Autumn?"

"Oh! Her…I didn't know you knew her as well. She moved a long time ago," was the answer.

"I haven't met her. But Taryn's mentioned her…was I wrong about the...best friend part?"

"Well, you know, she moved right after their sixth grade year, and we haven't seen her since. So, Taryn's just got a new buddy to hang out with, that's all. She refers to Maddie as her best friend, but it's not as though Ash doesn't have a place in her heart."

I really couldn't take much more. "Oh, yeah? That makes sense. Where'd Ash get to?"

"The military moved her and her family to California. We still get letters sometimes, but… I'm sorry…I haven't gotten your name."

My heart skipped. They went…back to Cali…? Why…why would they send them there again… My name?

"Arella." I guess… I extended my hand to her.

"Nice to meet you," she smiled, shaking my right hand with hers.

You already know me…

"Sorry for bothering you, Mrs. Bay. I'll be on my way now," I said, turning for the door. I didn't know which base my folks had been transferred to, but at least there were only so many in the state.

††††

As planned, I found my way over to my old neighborhood. I reached the house that belonged to two of my other dear old friends and stopped at the corner of the sidewalk. The essence of summer was still fading…and the sound of cicadas could still be heard in the distance.

The subdivision was silent. The dusk was setting in and it caused a heavy blanket of peace to surround all that was there. Even the birds were hushed. There were no little kids out playing on the streets on wagons and bikes, or climbing trees and making forts out of bushes, or annoying the old lady around the block.

My memories produced silhouettes of my childhood, and I began to see my younger self running around in a muddy dress with little boys, chasing them...laughing with them. Turning, I caught site of a gutter which disappeared under a footbridge. The faded figures of adventurous children fearlessly crawled through it and journeyed through to the main road on the other side…only to return with treasures of lost jewelry, stolen grapefruits, and bottles of fireflies. They took them and ran home to show their parents what they'd found in sheer delight. Visions of the middle-aged widow next door appeared as she set up a garage sale with her big, beautiful husky at her side. The kids stormed her yard as she welcomed them to set up a lemonade stand in her driveway…the boys with cookie crumbs all over their faces, and me…dressed up in some fancy costume with over-sized necklaces and a cowgirl hat on. A policeman stopped by and sampled the lemonade. I heard echoes of him asking what we were selling it for, and then I heard myself reply, 'I'm helping my parents raise money for a house!'

Then, I saw myself running across the street with a book in my hands, screaming, 'Guys, guys! Look what I got!' The cover read, 'Prima's Official Strategy Guide – The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.' I watched until my memory disappeared into the house before me.

A shudder befell my shoulders, and my hand slowly rose to touch my cheek. It was moist. I don't know when I'd started crying, but it didn't matter. I didn't dare glance across the road to my old home. It was all becoming a bit torturous to deal with.

Making my way up the lawn, I came to the front door and knocked twice. After a few moments, a gentleman opened it and looked at me with an uncertain stare.

Is that the only way people can greet me these days…

But it bothered me more that the man wasn't who I was looking for. "I'm sorry…" I stated quietly, "the Moodys don't live here anymore, do they…"

"Uh, no…they don't. Can I help you?"

Well, he didn't seem like he would bite my head off if I asked anything of him, so I did. "Actually…would alright if I used your phone? I don't want to be a bother or anything…I haven't been around here in a long time, and I just need to contact a friend."

He didn't seem to mind. That's one thing I always loved about the folks in Texas. Much more hospitable than most. I was let inside and shown over to the kitchen where the phone was. Getting out Taryn's number, I picked up the receiver and quickly dialed. As the phone rang, I glanced over at the fridge, and a sudden flashback hit me of a photo the Moodys kept on their refrigerator door of Mike, David, Grayson, and me up in a tree. I quickly looked away and let out a shaken breath.

Come on…please answer…

"Hello?"

Oh my God…

"Taryn…" was all I could say at first.

"This is she…may I ask who's calling?"

I lightly bit my lip and stared at the wall in front of me. "This is…Autumn."

"Autumn…?"

"Brett."

"OH! Dang, wow…what's up?"

"Hey, uh…I'm in San Antonio. I wanted to see you, but have no idea where your college is."

"…Are you serious?"

It wasn't easy trying to apologize for the sudden notice, and lying that I had no intention of getting stuck in Texas after a cancelled connection flight out of Dallas. Eventually, I got her to give me her address and told her I'd be taking a cab to get there that evening.

Hanging up, I thanked the man living there for his kindness, and swiftly left the house. Of course there was no way I could get a taxi. I had no money whatsoever. Upon leaving the property, I looked up to see the home where I once lived with my family right across the way. Gritting my teeth, I took in a sharp breath and began running down the road in the opposite direction.

Focus…focus… God… where are you, ARELLA?

††††

As night fell, I barged into a grocery store and found a clerk nearby.

"Miss…miss, excuse me…" I called, thoroughly out of breath.

She asked me if I was alright, suspecting I'd been running from a perpetrator or something judging from my state. But when I asked her for directions to the other side of the city, she suddenly got the impression I was running from the law.

"May I ask what's goin' on?" she asked in a thick southern accent.

I would have loved it…just LOVED it if she'd have simply given me directions, but nothing seemed to want to go smoothly.

"I'm gonna be late for a friend's graduation party…can you please tell me how to get to Trinity University?" I showed her the paper with the address written on it.

After some reassurance, she promptly directed me over major highways and I paid specific attention to her landmark descriptions. Not a second after she finished, I thanked her and ran out the way I came in…which was not an exit, but hey…I was in a hurry. Taryn had said she'd be waiting outside for me, and I wasn't one to make people wait too long. Out in the parking lot, I stopped short. There was no way I could make it over there in a timely manner on foot.

A frustrated sigh left me as I looked around. My only cover was the night…there were no clouds, but luckily, there was also no moon. My single concern was the reflection of city lights. My feet began moving again and carried me to a dark crevice between buildings. My fist clenched around the Tenyo embedded in Universe's brooch which was clipped to my pants pocket. My head lifted to the sky as I became nervous and uncertain.

You've got to, Ash…if you're going to get through this, you've got to…

In the next moment, I took off…and as I flew passed by the roof tops of the surrounding stores, I knew there was no turning back.

††††

A bob of strawberry-blonde curls twirled about as the college girl glanced in the direction of a strange noise. The majority of students at the college had already vacated the front courtyard, and the night was growing uncomfortable to stand alone in. Any sort of random sound had her on her toes. Stepping away from the wall, she glanced around the corner.

I was just coming around when I looked up and saw her. Our eyes locked and I stopped moving.

"Oh, hi," she said, "Heard something back there, and wanted to make sure it wasn't my friend." She went back to leaning in her spot against the brick wall.

Fully clearing the corner, I continued to stare at her. It was rude, sure, but I simply couldn't believe what I was seeing. My hair was completely wind-blown, and I'm positive I looked like a total dork, yet caring was beyond me at that point.

She looked back over at me, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Yoooou okay? Anything I can help you wi-"

"Taryn…" I finally said.

"…You know me…?"

"You've gotten really pretty…"

"Woah, okay…uuuh…I don't…think I know you, and that was really creepy. What do you want?"

My heart sank, and with it, my expression. "I'm…Autumn…" My gaze trailed to the lamp post on my left as I waited for her denial.

There was a long moment of silence as she mulled that one over.

"You…you don't look that tall on Facebook…" was her quiet reply.

I looked up. "What's a face book?"

"Really? You being serious? Who are you, honestly?"

"I told you, I'm the Autumn you knew in sixth grade, there's just a lot I have to tell you still."

"Yeah. Right." Her arms were crossed, and her stance told me she was ready to take me out if necessary. Always so strong-spirited…it's one reason we always got along so well.

Keeping my frustration suppressed, I told her, "Back then…I nicknamed you Panny after we read countless Dragon Ball Z fan fictions and I said you looked like a super saiyan Pan. And one time at lunch…we were play-fighting and I accidently gave you a bloody nose over gushers. And in P.E. class…you'd always make fun of Claire and I playing our Sailor Moon games. But something happened after school ended that summer that's keeping me from remembering anything afterward. Please…you have to hear me out."

She was slowly shaking her head. "What the hell…" Certainly, those details were only shared by us, and it made no sense in her mind why some stranger would be randomly spouting them off.

"Look," I said more firmly after coming to terms with the fact that 'desperate times called for desperate measures', "the Ash you've known since then isn't the real one. She's a copy…"

"Okay, now you've-"

"Listen to me! Do you remember Sailor Universe? Tell me you do…"

"Uh, yeah, the REAL Ash talks about her all the time on Facebook, which is, by the way, an online social networking site. You'd know that if you were her."

What the hell has she been doing these last seven years…

"Wrong." I held up the brooch plain for her to see. "She's a being who stayed in my place when I left to awaken this power."

"What are you talking about?"

No turning back…none at all. The transformation wand was also brandished.

"Universe…Celestial Power…"

"Seriously about to get a cop over here…" She began looking around as if searching for a guard nearby.

"…Make-up."

An instant later, Taryn was standing stalk still, pressed against the bricks as I took the dive and summoned the sailor senshi to the front.

It all seemed incredibly surreal. There I was in my own homeland, breaking the barrier between what was supposedly fantasy and reality right before her eyes, and even I still had trouble coping with the fact.

Head bent, I reopened my eyes to take in the uniform. Yep…it was there alright…and I still wasn't dreaming. "Taryn…" I spoke, my voice begging her to listen, "I can't really expect any kind of cooperation out of you, but I'm begging you…please, let me explain myself. I need help…and I need you to believe." Finally, I reestablished eye contact.

I'd never seen such a horrified expression on her face, and it made my heart ache.

"Please…"

"Uh…whatever… Lose the get-up…I don't wanna be seen walkin' around with a Japanese freak or somethin'…"

She was pissed…but knew that meant she'd give me a shot. I was grateful. Finally, someone I could trust.

††††

"Keep it to a whisper. My roommate goes to bed early," the girl told me as we walked into her dorm room.

It was a small room…but nice. Complete with a bunk bed, two desks, an entertainment center, coffee table, microwave, fridge, and closets.

So this is what a dorm room looks like…

There was a dark lump on the top bunk and I figured that's where her roommate was sleeping.

After throwing her keys onto her bed and pulling up a chair, Taryn told me to sit while she grabbed a snack. "You hungry, or what…"

Oh, I was…definitely. Nothing a snack could cure, either, but I'd take anything. "I am…" A granola bar was tossed at me, which I gratefully caught.

After procuring a banana, my friend situated herself at the edge of her mattress and stared at me intently. "So…what the fuck…"

I told it to her straight. There was so need to beat around the bush or go into detail. "You know about my nightmares. I've told you I thought they were caused by demons, and I was right. You know Sailor Universe was brought about as a result…like my mind's defense mechanism, or a way of coping with them. What I didn't know was that it was the result of something deeper. Her image was put in my head by a freaking angel, Taryn. My guardian angel possessed my body, and I didn't even know it. She's what drew the demonic presence."

She stopped chewing and simply continued staring with an expression that scoffed, 'you're freaking joking, right…'

I took a deep breath and let it out harshly. I stood, spun the chair around, straddled it, and leaned my forehead against the backrest. I needed to cool my head before continuing.

"This…angel…is only a half angel. I know that sounds ridiculous...but trust me, they exist. And this one has the power to travel to different universes. She died a long time ago, but it wasn't her time…and so God used someone from a parallel universe that she'd previously visited to revive her. She used me to be reborn physically. The thing is…the person God used was a sailor senshi."

"You mean like one of those Sailor Moon people?"

"…Yes, Taryn." I mentally sighed at her phrasing. She never had been a fan of the series.

"You know this sounds like a goddamn fantasy movie, right? How the hell is that even possible?"

Another deep breath. I was doing everything I could not to go insane over that situation which seemed so incredibly unreal even after all I'd been through. "There are people in this world…with minds that can connect with alternate worlds. They don't know it, but their creative ideas are actually linked to the occurrences going on in other places."

"…I knew it," she whispered, turning her gaze to the window.

I let out a slight chuckle at that before continuing. "Anyway…due to the way she was revived, the angel inherited the powers of a sailor senshi." As I spoke, images from my journey with Pluto filtered back into my mind, and with them…all the emotions. Powerful visions of Arella overwhelmed my senses, and I looked to the ceiling with a hand running through my bangs to regain my composure. "She was to be called Sailor Universe for her unique ability as a soldier. That wasn't exactly why I thought I named her Universe, but what the hell did I know… Yet she's only a senshi in body. Her spirit is still that of a demiangel, so she's not really…one of them, y'know? And somehow, she separated herself from me in a different body back when I was twelve and told me to go awaken Universe on my own. I think she had it in mind that we would unite again once Universe had awakened and she wanted me to learn how to fight. But I don't think I want that…"

Taryn took another bite of her banana and asked, "So, where'd you go…?"

"Oh, uh…Hyrule."

Choking ensued.

I knocked over the chair as I rushed to strike my friend's back and get the food out of her throat. "Breathe, woman…" I told her, being cautious so as not to break her spine.

When she could finally breathe again, I sat down next to her on the bed and watched her safely swallow the mouthful of fruit. We heard her roommate stir up top, but luckily, she didn't waken.

"Son of a bitch…" she croaked.

"You okay?"

"You did not…I thought the angel was the one with the universal power…ability…thing or whatever…"

I raised a brow. "You really don't believe me, huh…even though she's technically a part of me…"

"I mean, why would you go there…for what reason?"

I shot her a quick look which told her, 'seriously…think about it.'

She was silent for a moment…then turned to me with a completely disgusted expression written all over her face. "You are the most pathetic…lovesick little fangirl I have ever met…"

Of course we won't go into her elaborate swooning sessions with the Prince of Persia and Gohan. At least she never seriously acted on those feelings … to my knowledge.

"Mm…" Leaning back, I let myself fall onto the covers and stretched my hands over my head, trying to relax. After that day…I was absolutely exhausted. But Taryn was still curious, and made certain I wouldn't fall asleep just then.

"So, you met him, huh?"

"Yeah…" And even then, I couldn't smile. "But I found out…that it's his fault…it's his fault completely that I'm here now…in this situation."

"Say…what…?"

"It turns out the angel…Arella…ended up in Hyrule when she was young, and her fate was entwined with his from then on."

Taryn swung her legs up into the bed and leaned against the post while staring out the window. "That's, uh…deep," she remarked.

"Mm…" I nodded, trying to fight the urge to pass out. "I'd rather not go into details…but…it was his fault she was killed. Not his intention, but I think once she was reborn, she stopped loving him because of it."

"Oh, she loved him?"

"Yeah…and I think that might be why I did at first sight."

"Which would mean she's still got a thing for him…wouldn't it?"

"Heh…maybe."

"So, what did you…do while you were there?"

A moment later, Taryn caught sight of a soft glow emerging from the corner of her eye and glanced over in my direction, "…HOLY…" and somehow managed to say that in a whisper.

I was holding up my right hand for her with the Triforce mark aglow…Din's portion brightly illuminated. "I screwed up…that's what."

All of a sudden, Taryn grabbed my wrist and looked my hand all over. She pressed her fingers against the mark, but it wouldn't disappear. Soon, she was shaking my hand vigorously, and then smacked it against the bed.

"Ow…! Ok…" I said, and pulled my abused limb out of her reach.

"Talk. NOW," she demanded ever bluntly.

Luckily, I had intended to. "Ocarina of Time was actually transpiring when I got there somehow. I went through it with him, and no thanks to my intrusion…not everything went as it was supposed to. He, uh…he almost bit it in the fight with Ganon. And I lost it." I paused a moment to stare at the mark, recalling what had happened. "I destroyed the guy before Zelda could seal him…and because of that, we couldn't go back in time or he'd be free again."

Her finger was pointed at me in sudden accusation, yet her tone was riddled with skepticism. "You…effin' killed Ganon…" There were so many things she wasn't ready to believe, and how on earth could I blame her…

The glow faded, and I sat upright. Removing my vest, I put it beside me on the bed. My shirt followed suit.

"Oh, we're stripping now, oka- shhhhit…" Her breath faltered.

Still on my shoulder, was the ghastly scar I'd received during the battle with the King of Evil. And it still looked like a painful mess even after all the time that had passed.

"It still hurts sometimes…especially when I think about what happened…or when I'm in close proximity to dark energy. And I feel bad…I didn't mean to ruin this body for Arella. She didn't say anything about it, though…"

"She didn't say…so, like…you've been in contact with her or something?"

I nodded. "Up until recently, anyway. She won't talk to me now…I don't know if something happened, or…if she's testing me, or what."

"You said she's the 'Ash' I know in this world now, right?" Taryn asked, using finger quotation gestures while saying my name.

Again, I nodded.

Taryn looked over at the clock on her desk. "It's ten…meaning it's only eight at night in California. She may be online, wanna check?"

My eyes slightly widened. "Definitely…"

My friend got up off the bed and went to go boot up her laptop computer. I waited patiently with my weary gaze glued to the floor. There was so much then in my world that I didn't know about. A lot could happen in seven years, and I had quite a bit of catching up to do. There was so much I wanted to ask, but I would hold of for a while and get situated before anything else. I had to find Arella.

As the light from her monitor lit up the dark room, Taryn spoke again, "Y'know…that doesn't make sense…"

"What doesn't?"

"You couldn't go back in time or he'd be free? He'd be free anyway even if she did seal him."

I looked up to her, confused. "…What?" I knew Taryn had always been somewhat of a gamer like myself, but I never thought she'd look so closely into details about the Legend of Zelda.

"The princess sent Link back in time to warn her younger self of the dangers of drawing the Master Sword so that they never would. Remember? At the end of the game he's still got his Triforce mark. He remembers everything…she doesn't. I read something a while ago that officially confirmed a split in Hyrule's timeline. The future, in which Link fought Ganon, somehow broke free of the past. So, Link disappeared to go seven years back and undo what he did…but the future continued as if Ganon was still sealed and his adventure had still transpired. All while he rebuilt the past with Zelda and started a new future. The two timelines then ran simultaneously."

"You…you're being serious…" I was nearly on the floor. My mind had been blown and my gut was wrenching with regret over not knowing all that sooner.

"Yeah…then they came out with two new games…the Wind Waker…which took place in the future timeline, and Twilight Princess…which took place in the past timeline. It's really weird, and doesn't make any sense, but hey...I didn't make it. I wonder if that would actually be happening in that world right now…"

My head began to hurt. "How…far in the future do those new games take place…?"

"Uh…I think it said…about a hundred years from Ocarina of Time."

Okay…we have time…

"I have to go back…" I whispered.

Taryn looked back at me with raised eyebrows. "Really…"

"I screwed shit up big time, Panny… I have to undo it…somehow…"

"Yeah, well to completely set it right, you'd have to revive Ganondorf."

My eye twitched at that. "Which is odd…apparently Miyamoto was seeing the future of Hyrule when he created these games. Ocarina of Time transpired in a game before I got there and went through it. Now, they're cranking out games that far into Hyrule's future…it's like I was meant to hear this from you and set things right before it could…actually happen for him to…create…"

We both sighed heavily at the implications and I lowered my head into my hands.

"I think I…liked it better when life was a tad bit more simple…"

"You're tellin' me… I still can't believe I'm freaking discussing shit like this with you. Hey, I'm on Facebook…"

"Is she on?"

"Hang on…"

I officially had a headache by then. As soon as I found Arella I was going to throttle her for putting me through such an ordeal, and then head back to the land I once thought only existed in a dream to spin it in the right direction.

"Yeah…! She is, come 'ere."

I hurried over to the desk and Taryn picked up the chair so I could sit. Once situated, she showed me how to open up the chat window to speak with a girl under my name. Next to the name was a small personal photo of a nineteen year-old brunette in college.

"…So, that's what I look like when I'm older…"

Taryn shot me an almost pitiful look. It wasn't really possible for her to know what I was feeling, but it must have been clear how difficult it was. "You should…start talking before she logs out."

"Yeah…" I began typing, realizing just how long it had truly been since I last used a computer.

"YOU!"

"? Oh! Hi, Taryn. :)"

"No. You bitch, this isn't Taryn."

"…uh?"

"Why did you lose contact with me? Do you know the hell I've been through? Never thought I'd see the day when my own guardian angel would abandon me."

"…"

"ARELLA! Where the hell are you? Answer me!"

"Calm down…"

"You're telling me to calm down…really?"

"Did your trip teach you nothing…?"

"Oh, it taught me shit alright…"

"Watch your language."

"You're talking like Adrana now."

"…you saw her…"

"In a vision Din produced of your past. YOUR past. I'm not the angel here, Arella. YOU are. And I want my body back. Sailor Universe is here as you wanted. Now get me home. I want to see my family."

"Ok, for one, you ARE in your body, believe it or not. And I don't want you flying all the way out here on your own. We'll get you a plane ticket. Does Taryn have ?"

"…Pay what?"

"…just ask her."

I looked up to the blonde and she nodded with a slight smirk on her face.

"I still can't believe this…" she told me.

"Yeah… me either…"

"She does."

"Alright, I'll send over about $600. That'll get you a ticket, some food, and a cab if you need it. Be sure to take the fastest route."

"Thank you…but where are you getting this money…"

"I have a job. Oh, by the way, I haven't lived with your family for about a year now."

"Woah, woah, woah…"

"Chill. I'm in college, that's natural. They live only about forty-five minutes away…your father is now retired from the military, and they're planning to move back to South Carolina, so…good luck with that."

I slumped back into the chair in disbelief.

"Autumn…thank you for what you've done. There's much we have to discuss when you get here. Let me speak with Taryn, please."

I got up out of the chair, using the desk for support, and headed back over to the bed as Taryn sat down in front of the computer. I wanted to hit something…shatter something into a million pieces. My brain was on overdrive, and I couldn't process the new information fast enough. I fell onto the mattress…and as soon as my head hit the pillow…I was out.

††††

"Yeah, uh, well…having her in here is kinda freaky," said a rather sharp voice.

"She'll be leaving in a moment. Just trust me…she's an old friend of mine. We go way back, and she needed a little help last night 'cause…what can I say…can't hold her liquor. I couldn't let her drive home like that."

"Yeah, okay…"

The door closed.

My brow twitched and I rolled over under the covers to meet the light. "I was not drunk…" I mumbled.

"Oh, shut up. What was I supposed to say…'uh yeah she just got back from another universe and needed a place to crash'?" Taryn asked in a sarcastic tone.

"Yup…"

"Uh huh. Sure."

It took my eyes a moment to adjust to the daylight, and even longer for me to gather the energy to sit up. "Don't you have class or something…?"

"I'm skipping for today. We gotta get you outta here. Arella started the transaction, but it won't get to me for a few days, so I got you a ticket with my own cash."

A paper was dropped into my lap. "That's your boarding pass for Southwest Airlines. Your plane leaves at one this afternoon."

I picked up the paper and put it down by the bag on the floor. "What time is it…"

"Little after nine. You hungry?"

"Very."

I stayed in bed just staring at the pattern on the comforter as she fixed us both a breakfast of cereal. I heard her chuckle to herself. "What…?"

"Remember that time you got the 'midnight munchies'… and so I got you a bowl for cereal and you said it wasn't big enough? Then I got you a giant mixing bowl…filled it to the brim with Froot Loops and you ate the whole damn thing in under five minutes?"

I laughed with her then and nodded. "Hey, that's what happens when my blood sugar gets low. Interestingly enough, that doesn't happen with this body…"

"I still can't believe it…"

"What?" I asked as she handed me my regular sized bowl of frosted flakes.

"All this." She sat beside me as we ate.

"Hm… y'know…when I go back seven years in Hyrule, it'll affect this world, too. It was brought to my attention that if worlds can be connected, they are no longer separate universes. It's…really interesting. But…when I go back, we'll still be twelve year-olds."

"And none of what we're doing now will have ever happened… I won't have any recollection of it, and you will…" She lowered her bowl, thinking.

"…Unless we're like fricken Hyrule, and our timeline splits."

We looked at each other, and after a moment shook our heads in unison. "Nah!"

††††

My best friend offered to take a cab to the airport with me which I was grateful for. I certainly wasn't used to being on my own in that world. On the car ride over, she told me a few things about what all had transpired while I was gone. I silently wondered if it was okay for her to be telling me things that would soon be considered occurrences of the distant future. What a creepy idea. The driver must've thought we were nuts. She told me that Pluto was no longer a planet, which left me reeling in disbelief, and that Arella had gotten herself a boyfriend that she dated for two years and then dumped a year ago. After a while of that kind of conversation I told her to just stop. There was only so much I could handle at once.

At the San Antonio airport, we were about to say our good-byes when Taryn suddenly stopped short and cursed up a storm. When I asked her what was wrong, she replied, "You don't have an ID, do you…"

I slowly shook my head.

"Fuck…"

"Surely it's not that big of a deal…"

"Ash, ever since the nine-eleven attacks, airports have been nightmares. There's no bullshitting this one."

We were both silent a long moment as we stood on the sidewalk thinking. Suddenly, the cab driver got Taryn's attention and told her he couldn't park there much longer as it was only an unloading area.

"I'll figure it out, Panny, I've gotten through many seemingly impossible situations as it is. You've done enough already," I told her.

"Ash…" she sighed, "Alright. Here." She handed me a small wad of cash before pulling me into a hug. "Call me if you need anything. But I'm gonna ask a favor in return…"

"Anything."

"Tell me about everything once you go back in time. Trust me…I'd wanna know about this."

"Heh…" I smiled and pulled away. "I'll certainly try. Thanks, Taryn…"

"Yup. Love ya. Take care…!"

And with that, I walked away from my best bud to face the next insane challenge on my own.

††††

I followed the signs all the way to the security checkpoint and then just stood there watching people go through without getting in line myself. Right there at the front, they were checking boarding passes and IDs.

I slumped down onto a bench and continued to stare ahead while thinking about how to get through. Force would definitely not work as they certainly wouldn't let the plane leave if there was a criminal on board. I couldn't very well sneak by with all those people watching, and not to mention the cameras everywhere.

What a drag… I thought. I'll be reverting time back anyway, so I could just fly to Arella, it doesn't matter who sees me now. Wait a minute…

I looked down at my hand in sudden revelation.

"I have the freaking Triforce of Power…" In one, swift motion, I stood and hid behind a pillar away from the flow of people. Holding my right hand to my chest, I whispered, "Din…help me out here. I need to be unseen…"

The mark lit up suddenly, and I felt a warm wave of energy wash over me in the next moment. Looking up, I noticed a security camera not far from me. A black, glass dome covered the device, and as I stared at it, I couldn't see my reflection at all.

Did it work…? If so…that footage is gonna be so wacked up… I mentally chuckled.

But I had to be certain. The mark was still lit up, so I took that as a sign that something good was happening. To test my appearance, I placed myself right in the path of a man walking with a rolling suitcase in tow behind him.

He didn't stop…he didn't swerve…he didn't even blink. He just kept right on walking forward.

BAM!

Oh shiii…!

I stumbled out of the way just as he hit me straight on. I rolled onto the floor off to the side while he reeled from the impact.

"What the…FUCK!" he shouted.

There was a lady next to him asking what had happened; I took her to be his wife at the way she was talking. "Are you alright, honey?"

"SHIT. AUGH! What WAS that? Damn it!"

He was clearly flustered, and not taking it well at all. I watched in horror and slight amusement as a security guard approached him and asked him to calm down.

"This is why…I HATE airports! The most fucked up shit goes down, and I-"

"Sir, I said you need to settle it down…! If you don't comply, we're going to escort you off the premises. Understand that?" the guard reminded him.

"Honey, please…" the lady begged.

By then, everyone was staring.

"Don't touch me! Y'all got some weird shit up in 'ere an' I hate it!"

He just wouldn't stop and the situation went from bad to worse. I looked around and realized that no one noticed me on the floor. That's when I glanced over and saw a window that wasn't reflecting me at all like it was everyone else. Getting to my feet, I brushed myself off, and headed over to the security line, leaving the bad scene behind me.

That woman needs to grow a pair or something…and beat her husband when he gets like that… I sighed.

Reaching the checkpoint, I stood in front of the employee checking IDs. He was half distracted by the commotion, but didn't even notice me there at all. He called for the next person in line, and that's when I slipped passed him to the conveyer belt where people were taking off their shoes and putting their stuff through the x-ray machine.

What the…

I noticed people were getting things like shampoo and toothpaste confiscated. Even water bottles!

What has this world turned in to…?

I heard them talking about possible explosive materials being inside fruits and things, and it just made me shake my head. It was sad indeed. Deciding I didn't want to walk through that hell, I levitated until I was above the scanners. Then, holding tightly to my bag, I floated across the way to the other side. But I didn't stop once I was clear of the checkpoint. I continued in the air until I came to a women's restroom and went inside, wondering the entire way why I couldn't just fly like that all the way to Cali. But I suppose it no longer mattered. Once I was safely in a stall, I landed and closed the door when no one was looking.

That's when I let Din's power fade.

A big grin spread across my face at what I'd just done. "YES!" I shouted, doing a little victory dance. I burst out of the stall to find a black woman at the sink just staring at me. I gave an awkward smile and a quick bow before running out of the bathroom.

The lady shook her head as she continued to wash her hands.

††††

I leaned my head against the plastic wall of the narrow cabin, staring contently out the oval glass from my window seat. It was right by the wing of the aircraft, which I enjoyed. The wingspan was so impressive, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching it glide gracefully over the clouds. I silently wondered…if that cherub in the temple had spread its wings…how much larger it would be in comparison to that Boeing seven thirty-seven. I wished I could fly beside a plane someday. Unsure if I'd ever get the chance, I closed my eyes and began daydreaming…slowly drifting off to sleep.

††††

The next time I passed a security checkpoint was on my way out of the Sacramento airport. No IDs necessary for leaving…thank God. Stepping out onto an escalator headed for the first floor, I grabbed the railing for support and pressed against the side so those in a rush could easily slip by me. So many people in a hurry…it nearly made me feel like I was doing something wrong to be taking my time.

I was still groggy from the trip even though it wasn't nearly as long as some of the cross-country flights I'd taken in the past. It was a little awkward, though…I'd certainly never had a man hit on me like the guy across the aisle on that one. The new body was…definitely a new adventure. Wasn't sure if I liked it then or not. But it wouldn't matter soon…

Halfway down the escalator, I heard a familiar voice.

"When I sent you off, I didn't expect you to disappear for seven whole years…"

A small gasp sounded between my lips as I looked up to scan the crowd below. People of all sorts were standing there waiting for their loved ones to meet them from the terminal, so it was hard to spot such a short figure at first.

But then, I saw her. Or rather…I saw me.

Petite as ever, yet with a distinctly older face, far more defined and mature. I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

When I reached the floor, I abandoned the escalator and slowly made my way over to where she was waiting for me by a thin, potted tree. There were so many things I wanted to say to her…to ask her…but I couldn't. I finally understood what she was, and the thought consumed my mind. So, I just stood there…stalk still and silent before her.

She did the same, but only for a moment. The next thing I knew, she was circling me like a hawk, looking me over as though I was some kind of potential fashion model or something. I felt her grab my hair and lightly run her fingers through it from behind.

"So…little miss sixth grader grew up… How're you liking the height?"

I glanced back at her briefly. "The height is nice…I'm not sure I like all the male attention, though…"

She chuckled. "And the hair? It's straightened a lot with all this weight."

"I suppose it's alright. Sometimes gets in the way when I'm fighting, though." Truth be told…I loved the hair the most. But it wasn't mine, and it'd have been a bad idea to get attached to it.

"Then why did you let it grow out?"

"I didn't really have a choice…it grew out when we were sealed in the Chamber of Sages. I guess I never cut it because it…grew on me." I turned to her with a smile over my own pun. But then, my expression fell. "And even that wouldn't have mattered, would it…since I was fated to take on a good handful of your previous characteristics…"

She pretended to not hear that last part. "Chamber of Sages? …It sounds like we have much to talk about."

"…Indeed."

††††

We took the bus back to her apartment as she didn't yet have a car of her own. I found out that she worked at a music store, and it made sense. I made a point to compliment her on her singing voice from her ancient life. She thanked me, and then added that my body made it harder for her to sing like that. That irritated me a bit, but I made no comment. Not much else was said on that ride. I was too busy staring out the window at that golden California state I hadn't seen since I was about eight years old.

Soon, I found it hard to keep my eyes open. A sudden peace washed over me as I confided in the fact that my guardian angel sat right there at my side, and before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep.

††††

As my breath clipped, the glass of water I held slid right through my fingers and hit the floor, bursting into a hundred pieces on impact. I will never forget the horror I felt in that moment when Arella told me she was no longer an angel.

She stared at the mess for a moment with a raised brow before glancing back up at my fear-ridden expression. "Your mother gave that to me, y'know…"

The sound of her voice was suddenly sharp in my ears and snapped something in me which caused my eyes to water as if I was about to cry. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't register anything she said after that. My heart pounded loudly against my chest as I choked back shouts of disbelief, and I couldn't find the words or the strength to question her.

It was like a floor had crumbled from under my feet, and with the support missing, I was falling into a dark abyss of doubt and fear. My guardian angel…had vanished?

I stared at the wall where she'd been leaning even after she moved to sweep up the shards of glass all over the kitchen floor. I couldn't move. Was she being serious? And if so, how in God's name was something of that nature even possible?

The broken glass was soon in the trash, and the remaining droplets of water were sopped up with a cloth before I made another sound. "Uh…" a nauseated breath left me before I gasped it back in, "I don't…understand…"

Arella wrung out the wet cloth over the sink and draped it over the cabinet door below before turning back to me. "Go sit," she told me, gesturing to the couch in the next room.

Clutching the hair that spilled over my shoulder with both hands, I obeyed her and claimed a corner of the sofa, pulling my knees up to my chest and staring at the floor. Not long after, I felt a slender hand caress my cheek and slide down to my chin to lift it upward.

As soon as my eyes met hers, she stated, "I know you don't want the life of a demiangel…"

I slowly shook my head.

"I sensed as much a long time ago. Listen…in order to form the flesh and blood you see before you, I used one of my sacred golden feathers. It gave me the power to create a perfect copy of you while maintaining my angelic abilities. I had every intention of becoming one with you again upon your return, but then your heart changed. I felt it before you even knew what you wanted." She paused a moment, taking in the overwhelmed look on my face. "You noticed I stopped speaking with you after a while?"

I nodded.

"For you…I destroyed the feather. For you, I made this body human. It could only happen in this vessel, a duplicate of the original, as a Celestial Seed will never dissipate within its original bearer. Universe is now the true demiangel. Once you learn how to spiritually connect with a human soul, we can transfer you to this body, and I'll resume my role as your guardian in yours." Arella squeezed my shoulder, her eyes ablaze with sincerity. "Consider it my thanks."

I sunk back into the couch and her hand slipped away. I felt numb. Information processing was shot…again, and I just wanted to shove everything out of my mind for that moment and rest. Being human again…

"Does it feel good…?" I asked her.

The question must have caught her off guard, for she drew back and hesitated a moment.

I wasn't looking at her, but my silence urged her to answer still.

"It is…" she started, "…relieving. However…"

Her pause caused me to stare back up in her direction.

"I will have no qualms with regaining the ability to protect others," she finished.

At that, I smiled…finally. "You were meant for it, Arella. Not me."

Her eyes averted to the window, a subtle smirk plastered on her face and a soft 'hmph' sounded in her throat. "You must be eager to see your parents. I'm not sure how we'll explain your uh…appearance, though."

At that, my smile fell. "Then I won't see them like this," I told her.

"Oh?" Arella turned back.

"There's actually one more thing I have to take care of before all this can be settled." I watched her cross her arms and give me an 'is-that-so' kind of look before explaining. "When I talked to Taryn yesterday, she gave me some information about Hyrule I hadn't thought of before. I need to go back and undo some childish mistakes…and revert time back seven years."

Again, I watched her expression change. That time it was to one of true surprise. Finally, she was the one at a loss for words.

With a deep breath, I stood. Arella's gaze rose with me as I looked back down on her from the taller form. Silently, we both went over what my statement meant. Everything I'd just gone through would have never happened, and we'd both still be of angelic status.

"It's not very easy to think about. I formed some intense bonds in Sailor Moon's reality…especially with Pluto…I…"

"Oh, you know that's not a planet any longer…"

"Yeah, I got that." I rolled my eyes, slightly shaking my head at the thought of what astronomers had done. That was one thing I hoped the Guardian of Time never found out about.

"Here's what we'll do…" the young woman told me, getting situated with the idea of my plan, "while we wait a while for the universe to stabilize before you open another rift, I'm going to fill you in on a few things that happened while you were away that I don't' want to forget. You're going to remember everything when you go back in time, and when I switch bodies with you, I will gain all of that back."

"Woah…"

"Yeah. And everything you've learned thus far will stay with you. Your mind is now a living treasure chest of memories, I hope you know. Take good care of it."

"I will."

"There's much we can get done in the meantime. I need to coach you on how to build portal frames and manipulate your spirit. We've got to somehow get in contact with Din again to let her know the situation and to prepare Hyrule for another visit; it'd be best to have a frame ready on the other side to-"

I put a finger to her lips to quiet her. Then, pulling away, I showed her the back of my right hand. "…She's already listening. And, Arella…before we do anything at all, I'm going to sleep. Jetlag really sucks."

She nodded and respectfully didn't say another word.

I grabbed my bag from the table and dug something out before heading back to the bedroom. Without a sound, I placed the object in her hand, and then took my leave.

Staring woefully down at the locket laying in her palm, the former demiangel furrowed her brow as reminiscence of the distant past crept slowly back into her mind.

††††

Over the next few weeks, in between work hours, Arella gave me lessons on all sorts of new tactics I was previously incapable of. She completely dropped college as it would soon become pointless, and only went to work so she could continue to pay bills and buy food.

I learned how to better manipulate material with extensions of my energy to repair and even build new things with existing substance. My healing abilities were enhanced, but she could not teach me telepathy as the Celestial Seed within Sailor Universe still hadn't completely awakened. Unfortunately, Arella could not practice any of it with me as she'd given up everything when the feather dissipated. At first, I wondered why she'd want to teach me any of it as she'd soon possess the body herself, but I then realized it was all still a part of conditioning the body for her use. The thought would have depressed me if I wasn't so eager to be human again.

All the while, the former demiangel went on and on about her experiences while I was gone. I didn't even want to hear most of it, partially because it was seemingly useless information about the typical process of growing up, but also because it was detailing bits of the future that I was not comfortable knowing.

"I got surgery on your foot."

"Woah…why?" I asked, suddenly alarmed.

"You screwed it up when you slammed it in that door, remember? It was still hurting me six years later."

It took me a while, but soon I remembered the painful experience. I must have flinched noticeably as she reassured me the pain vanished after they removed scar tissue from inside the big toe.

And then…I abruptly remembered, "Oooh…uh…sorry about the scar on this left shoulder…and on the forearm…and for twisting the ankle…" I stared at the wall out of the corner of my eye as I went down the list of injuries I'd unintentionally inflicted on her new body.

"The scars will disappear once you go back in time. The ankle…well we'll have to take care of it later."

I was sitting quietly on the couch as she folded laundry on the living room floor. It was very peaceful…and I had time to think again.

"Link was my first kiss…I guess I'll lose that, too, when I go back…but…"

"The both of you will still remember the experience." There was a hint of sharpness in her voice which I quickly picked up on.

"Do you really not love him anymore?" I knew I was treading on dangerous ground with that one, but it's something I'd been wondering about for a good while.

"You realized he remembers my past. I know you saw the hints. And yet he still chose you over me. All the more reason to forget about an idiot who lost control and got me killed."

Very…dangerous ground.

"Yeah, those hints…they're what told me he misses you."

"You know what…?" she shouted and threw a shirt down on the floor, "he can kiss my ass! I'm done with Hyrule. It's history."

I was silent. Yet I began to wonder if the portal incident was really what made her push him so far away from her heart.

"I had me a human boyfriend already, it was pretty interesting. Of course he was a Christian, and there was no immorality between us… But he was a young kid, and with me being however many hundreds of years old, it just didn't work out with the whole maturity thing." She was then hastily folding the remaining clothes in such a way that told me she was desperately trying to distract herself.

"Is that another reason why you became human?" I asked her almost blankly.

With a quick glance in my direction, she replied, "No," even though we both knew any relationship such as that was hopeless for a demiangel in the first place.

After a few more moments of silence, I grew restless.

"Arella…" I said, "how long do we really have to wait before opening another rift…?"

"Can't be certain."

"You mean there's no way to feel changes in the atmosphere or anything…?"

When she didn't respond I looked down to see what she was staring at. My eyes narrowed in at the object in her hand. "…Oops…" I mumbled.

I'd accidently kept my brooch clipped to the front pocket on my jeans when I threw them in the wash. By the looks of it, there wasn't a single scratch on it.

Arella was staring at it so intensely, I felt nearly invisible sitting nearby her on the sofa.

"You ok…?" I asked.

She turned it over in her hand and allowed the light pouring through the window behind her to gleam off the surface of the protruding crystal.

"I haven't really seen this since the day I met you in your mother's womb… It's just odd." She quickly unclipped it and tossed it over to me.

Catching it with both hands, I took my turn in staring at the Tenyo. I felt it meant much more to her than it ever would to me even though Universe had been my hope as a child. For to Arella…she was a second chance at life.

Finally, finishing up with her load, Arella placed each article of clothing neatly into a basket and set it aside before standing. "What do you want for dinner…" Dusting off her hands, she turned for the kitchen before something stopped her.

"Celestial…Power…"

She was caught off guard. "Wha-" Turning around, she caught sight of a familiar wand hovering before me.

A soft light lifted me off the couch in response to the subtle call.

The young woman put her hands on her hips in bewilderment during the transformation, and a look of slight frustration crossed her expression. "What are you doing…"

Dark auburn wisps of hair gently caressed my cheeks as the energy induced breeze settled again. I was lowered to the floor where my boots connected with the carpet in silence. My eyes were lowered to the subtle rays of light morphing across the floor in slow motion, and my arms fell limply at my sides.

"I can't wait around here any longer. It's tearing at my sanity."

"Ash-"

"I'm leaving."

††††

The oddity of a pretty suited solder traipsing across the busy streets of California didn't faze me in the slightest as I did just that. The world had essentially become a blur around me as the thought of going back in time rendered everything that was happening to be meaningless. I understood the dangers of peering too deeply into the future and wanted to separate myself from that time period as soon as possible. However, I also knew the dangers of opening a world portal too soon after the last, and the raging woman behind me reiterated that for me time and time again.

"Are you listening to me, young lady? Don't be foolish…get back to the apartment; it's not the time for this. Plus, you're drawing too much attention!"

I suddenly stopped dead in the middle of the crosswalk and turned to Arella who was still on the curb, fuming like an enraged mother. A gentleman, who was stopped at the light, stuck his head out the driver-side window of his truck to stare awkwardly at the two of us, but more prominently at my eccentric golden get-up.

"Let me fill you in on something I've learned, Arella…" I spoke with a solemn tone, looking her dead in the eyes, "in this body, you will no longer be just a guardian. This is the vessel of a warrior. And as it stands, a sailor soldier is intended to fight and be seen in the open. You will draw attention. So, I suggest you get used to it."

She was about to say something in return when several horns sounded. The light had turned green, and I was then blocking the flow of traffic, much to everyone's irritation.

Arella mumbled something under her breath about Americans always being so pushy before I made my move to get out of the way. But my method was not something she agreed with in the slightest. She made to protest…but I was already off the ground and sailing towards the clouds, leaving no time for another word.

She was left standing, for a moment, at an intersection filled with even more honking cars over other cars that wouldn't move. Instead, the drivers found it more important to stare up at the sky and shout obscenities at what they saw. Finally, the frustrated young woman tore out across the road in between halted vehicles. She knew where I was going…and that I wasn't leaving quite yet.

††††

I touched down on the sandy shore of a river not far from Arella's college campus. It was a secluded area covered by a thicket of trees and high bushes. Huge paw prints covered the shoreline, indicating a family of coyotes lived nearby, but during the day, they hid from the people who came to the river for recreation.

A young couple sat on the little beach a few yards away, and I did my best to ignore the horrific stares I was receiving from them.

"Hi," I told them passively with a brief wave and a smile. But I didn't stick around for anything further, and walked off into the brush.

There were small paths winding through the woods beaten out by people and animals alike. I followed one to an obscure tree a little ways down the river. This particular tree grew a thick and twisted trunk with a large loop in it right by the water.

Before hand, as Arella was instructing me on the art of portal frame-making, I'd used my Pulsar Blade to turn the surrounding sand into hard glass and meld it to the insides of the loop of bark. Infused with my own energy, it created a sustainable structure for world passage.

Approaching my destination, I was slightly startled to see an old homeless man perched right in the center of the tree loop with a bottle of Sam Adams in hand. Judging by the many beer bottles scattered across the ground below him, I imagined he'd claimed the tree as his little…spot…or whatever homeless people call their living areas. I stopped short and stared at him, subtly shaking my head.

"Hehe…" he chuckled and issued a flirty kind of wave in my direction. "What's yer name?"

My expression turned to one of complete disinterest, and my left hand rose to caress the front of my forehead and the bridge of my nose as if a headache was developing. "Get outta here, man…" I told him roughly, closing my eyes.

I heard him awkwardly rise from his seat and saunter closer to me. "Now, wut…? Funny girl…and Halloween's not 'til next month 'nyways." He reached out with his forefinger and thumb to grab my chin.

But before he touched me, my own hand shot out and captured his nose in a death grip. Reopening my eyes, I found a dumb look of shock plastered on his dirty face, and my brow furrowed. "Trust me," I spat, "you don't wanna fuck with me right now."

In a single, swift movement, I boosted my energy to lift him off his feet and fling him, by the nose, onto the path a few good meters behind me.

His pained shout ended in coughs and grunts as he tried to raise himself back to his feet. Somehow, he was still clinging to that stupid beer bottle which he should have skipped on in order to buy food. But no…I could hold no sympathy for people who made those kinds of choices.

"And for the record," I stated as he began running away, "I don't celebrate Halloween." Never had…never would.

On his way out of the brush, the man passed the former demiangel who was nearly breathless from running. She slipped passed him and strode forward to see me brushing dirt off the glass frame and kicking bottles out of the way.

"You…!" she started. But all I heard after that was soft panting.

"You know you can't stop me," I mentioned, stepping back from the trunk to observe my working space.

"Yeah…so if the void collapses again, I'm going to group you with that Hylian bastard, and it's back to square one!"

"It's not going to collapse."

"And how do you know this?"

I didn't answer that one. Truth was, I simply wanted to get out of there. Ironic…considering how badly I'd wanted to get home just weeks before. But that really wasn't home…was it…?

My arms were extended towards the loop from a distance as I prepared to initiate energy flow, but something stopped me.

Arella suddenly stepped in front of me and slipped her locket around my neck.

"What the…" I stuttered.

"Give that back to him. It was a gift." She told me with sincerity in her gaze. "And one other thing… There's a certain message I want you to pass on."

After vividly relaying her message, the young woman stepped aside and let me work in peace.

She watched in silence as the sparks flew and I slowly slipped away. Her eyes trained on the portal like a lifeline as visions of her past slipped by her. I won't tell you what she was thinking then…but at that time, I'd never seen such a sorrowful look on her face.


Many memories... See you in chapter 2 - and patience is appreciated.