"I think you're pregnant."

There was a long moment where each of us was silent. I looked from Sydney to my stomach, then to Connor. His eyes moved to meet mine. There were a number of emotions therein, but chief among them was shock.

My own shock was slowly beginning to be replaced by joy. A small smile touched the corners of my lips.

"Um," came Opal's voice. I nearly did not hear it. She was much quieter than usual. We all glanced over at her.

Her eyes flitted to each of us. "I'm not sure that's even physically possible?" she said, her tone turning the statement into a question. "And even if it is…to get pregnant, don't you have to, you know…well, you know?"

I glanced at Connor briefly. His shock seemed to be fading, as well. Now he looked a bit embarrassed. I supposed it was because of what Opal had said. I looked back at her.

We could all tell when she understood. "Oh!" she said, looking from me to Connor. "That's where you went on our way back to Alltrades!?"

I gave a very small nod. Opal's reaction was not quite readable. It seemed to be a mixture of shock, disgust, and an I knew it! triumph.

Then I thought of something. "And how did you know?" I asked, rounding on Sydney. Her fingers began rubbing the rosary at double speed, and it occurred to me that if she did not break that habit, she would end up rubbing off the designs carved into the metal.

"I didn't mean to find out," she said. "After we found you in Wormwood Creek, I was checking to see if you'd broken anything, trying to treat your injuries. And – please, please don't judge me! – I, well, I got curious, medically and theologically speaking."

Heat rose to my cheeks as I got her meaning. Sydney continued speaking, tripping over her words in her haste.

"I swear I wasn't trying to pry, and I fell awful about it, but I was really curious! And – you know anatomy, you know what this is – I realised that your hymen was broken, and I remembered that you two weren't on board, and… I'm really sorry."

I could not think of an appropriate response to that. My brain was still too full of the idea of having a child growing inside of me. My child. My child and Connor's.

Opal seemed to be struggling with all of this. "But," she said, "if she'd gotten pregnant then…if you'd gotten pregnant then, you would have known by now, right? I mean, it's been over two months since then! And you said you menstruated again. You don't menstruate while you're pregnant, do you?"

She did not seem comfortable talking about this.

"No, you don't," Sydney said. She fixed Connor and me with a look. "You two did it again, didn't you? While you said you were sleeping, if I'm right."

I flushed. Connor shifted beside me. "But no one would be able to know this soon," he said. "I know pretty much nothing about this, but it was either a few hours ago or two months ago. That…that doesn't make sense."

"He is right," I agreed, remembering something I had read while at Swinedimples. "People do not feel anything straight away." Strangely, my heart sank when I remembered this. It was silly. I was upset about something I had never really had…

"Some people do," Sydney said, and I perked up.

This was ridiculous. I was a Celestrian, for Almighty's sake! I could not be pregnant! And yet…I was. I found myself very happy about the idea.

"So I am pregnant," I murmured, testing out how that felt. I smiled at the sound, and looked at Connor. After a second, he smiled, too.

"With a freakish half-breed kid," Connor said. I tried to glare at him for a moment, but it did not work. I knew he was teasing. And I had to laugh.

"Yes," I agreed. "Our little freak." I sighed, smiling. "What a child – half-mortal, half-Celestrian."

"Real special," said Opal.

And suddenly, we went from a group of friends in shock to a family of sorts. A mother- and father-to-be. Two aunts-to-be. And one little baby, preparing itself to come out and meet us. With the hand that was not holding Connor's, I reached out and took Sydney's. She took Opal's. And Opal took Connor's free hand, completing our circle. The four of us looked at one another and smiled. Then the circle collapsed inwards, and we were hugging one another.

It was then that I very suddenly remembered why it was we had been going down the stairs in the first place. All that had happened had completely driven the thought from my mind.

"We need to speak with Apus Major," I said, pulling back from the hug. "I completely forgot."

"Right," said Sydney. "Me, too." She squeezed my hand and smiled. "Let's go, then."

/\*/\

"So, Zera, you are returned," said Apus Major. "We give great thanks for your heroic rescue of so many of your captive brethren. Now, you must tell me of all the goings-on in the lands of the Protectorate…"

We did so – with some strategic omissions, of course. The more we said, the greater the degree of shock upon Apus Major's face grew. When we finally finished, he leant back in his chair, eyes wandering as though deep in thought.

"So the Gittish Empire ravages the lands of the Protectorate once more…" he murmured. Then he fixed his gaze upon me. "You are too young to remember, but the Gittish Empire was an evil dominion that fell into ruin centuries ago. Its denizens sought supremacy over the Protectorate, but were destroyed by their unquenchable thirst for power."

Slowly, he rose and approached me. "…Zera," he said. "You spoke before of Aquila's betrayal, and the theft of the fyggs…" He gestured. To my shock, a golden glow appeared between us, resolving into the form of the seven fyggs.

"But behold, the fyggs are here, returned to the sacred bastion of the Observatory," Apus Major said. "And by none other than Aquila himself."

As I traded shocked looks with my companions, Apus Major began a vision-telling of Aquila's return of the fyggs. My sight was replaced by Apus Major's memory.

Aquila kneeled where I had stood (or would stand, later). I felt a rush of anger as I took in his face and heard his voice: "My lord, I bring you the lost fyggs in Zera's stead."

He held out the seven fruits. Thief, I thought scathingly. Traitor!

"The fyggs are restored to their rightful home," said Apus Major's voice, seemingly from my own mouth. I did not like that part of vision-tellings. It was unnerving to feel yourself move when you did not will it. "You have our deepest gratitude, Aquila. But it was Zera to whom I entrusted their retrieval. Why is it you who returns them to us?"

"Zera and I were reunited in the Protectorate," Aquila said, "and resolved to work together to seek out the fyggs. We roamed the land separately, eventually locating all seven of them. Alas, we were separated during our return to the Observatory. Surely, though, she will return ere long."

A traitor and a liar! I thought angrily. But I could do nothing about my anger at this time. My mouth had begun to move again, saying Apus Major's words.

"Hmm… What can have become of her, I wonder…"

Aquila handed me – no, Apus Major – the fyggs. Like a phantom heat, I could feel their presence in my arms. "Aquila, truly you have done well," said Apus Major. "Now, perhaps peace can finally return to the Protectorate."

The words came out tasting much like vinegar.

"Thank you, my lord," replied Aquila. "And now, if I may, I will take my leave." He bowed and turned to go.

"You do not await the return of your apprentice, Aquila?" asked Apus Major.

Without turning, Aquila replied, "I fear not, my lord. I have business that must be attended to."

You always do, I thought. Aquila turned to look at me. No. To look at Apus Major. I needed to keep that in mind…

"My lord…" he said. "I pray that Zera will be safe in your care. Farewell…"

As he left, my vision came back to the present. I shook my head, attempting to rid myself of the feeling of helplessness that came of not being able to control your own limbs. I hated that feeling.

"Aquila returned the fyggs unto us," said Apus Major, turning to the side. "This surely is not the act of a traitor." He turned and began to pace. "But Zera, you are pure of heart, and have nothing to gain from bearing false witness. What can this mean?"

For a moment, he paced in silence. Then he turned to look back at me. "I can make little sense of it." He sighed.

"Zera, Celestrian and Guardian…" he said. "We of the Observatory have a teaching: 'Fyggbloom hails the opening of the Heavenly Gates, and sets the Celestrians on the path to salvation."

"And lo, it shall be in the celestial carriage that we, the chosen custodians, journey to the Realm of the Almighty'," I finished quickly. "What of it?"

"All of the fyggs are returned to the Observatory," Apus Major said. "It is time. Let us seek out the Realm of the Almighty! We cannot know the extent of the teaching's truth… But we must have faith. If the Almighty Himself is to be found there, surely we are saved. Zera, you and your companions will journey with me to the Realm of the Almighty!"

I heard a gasp from beside me, and turned just in time to see Sydney slump to the floor in a dead faint. "Oh, no," I said, trying not to laugh as I kneeled down to help her. "Why am I surprised by this?"

"Dunno," said Opal. She grinned. "I wouldn't think there'd be much left that could surprise you."

I gave her a look. There was a reason I had omitted everything about Connor and myself, and the baby. I did not want Apus Major to know about it!

Sydney seemed to be coming around. She blinked once, and we helped her to sit up. "Please tell me that I didn't imagine that," she requested. "The…the Realm of the Almighty?"

"Yep," Connor said. "Don't faint again!"

Sydney reddened. "Sorry," she said. "It's just…oh!" A joyous smile spread across her face.

I had to smile, as well. She was a priest, after all. Little wonder she had fainted at the idea of visiting the Realm of the Almighty!

We helped her up and turned to Apus Major. He quickly looked away to hide the fact that he had been staring at us.

"The Observatory was struck by an ill-omened light," he said, "and the Protectorate suffers the resurrection of an evil empire… We cannot know what fate has befallen the Realm of the Almighty." He looked back to us. "I may have need of your aid. Come, let us make haste. I shall await you at the Starflight Express. Make good your preparations and join me there forthwith."

He left, accompanied by one of his guards. The four of us looked around at one another.

"Shall we?" I asked, gesturing towards the door.

Opal grinned. "Do you even have to ask?"

We headed towards the door. But before we reached it, I heard a voice from behind me: "Zera!"

I turned to see that Columba had come up the stairs. She hurried towards me. "Did something occur between you and Aquila, Zera?" she asked, reaching us. "He came here to deliver the fyggs to Apus Major several months ago. He spoke strangely… He said that he was no longer worthy of calling himself your teacher… If you have fought over something, please, for my sake, you must heal the rift. He was ever wont to brood so…"

There was genuine concern in her voice and face. I could not bring myself to tell her of Aquila's betrayal. She was close to him – closer than anyone else.

But I was bitter against him. He had betrayed me, and her, and everyone else.

"He was right," I said, and my voice came out harder than I meant it to. "He is no longer worthy. I am sorry, Columba…but I cannot bring myself to heal the rift he tore between us."

Then I turned away, hiding the tears that sprang to my eyes as I exited the room. Connor rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb.

"Half a century," I said. "Nearly half a century I trained under that traitor. He was the closest thing I had to a friend…to a father. If I ever do find him…I am going to kill him." Then I squeezed my eyes closed, trying to keep the tears contained.

And we headed up the stairs to the Starflight Express.

"You are here, Zera," said Apus Major. "Good. Now, let us journey to the Realm of the Almighty aboard the celestial carriage."

Oh, good, I thought. I was afraid that I would have to walk!

As I moved over the door of the train, Apus Major said, "Ah. But before we do so, there is something I wish you to confirm for me."

I turned and looked at him.

"Aquila attacked you, and stole from you the fyggs. You are certain of this."

"Yes!" I said angrily. "I have told you already. You accepted my testimony! Why must you question me again?"

Apus Major looked at me for a long moment. Then, sighing, he said, "I know not why he would do such a thing…"

"Because he is a traitor," I said. "He is working for the Empire."

"Yet when he gained possession of the sacred fruits, he delivered them faithfully to me," said Apus Major calmly. "Such is not the act of an Imperial pawn. Whatever his motive, I know that his intentions are good. I trust in him as I trust in you, Zera."

"You trust blindly," I said. But I could say no more. The laws of the Celestrians forbade it. So, sighing, I looked down at Connor's hand, entwined with mine, and attempted to calm myself.

After an appropriate pause, Apus Major said, "Now… The fyggs are all recovered. If it is as the teachings say, we will at last be able to travel to the Realm of the Almighty. Should we be able to gain an audience with the Almighty, I must beg for the deliverance of our world from the evil that besets it. The prospect makes me a little uneasy…" He looked at me. "Zera, board the celestial carriage. I will join you shortly."

I boarded the Starflight, accompanied by Connor, Opal, and Sydney. Stella fluttered over to us. "So, off to the Realm of the Almighty, eh?" she asked. "Shall I pack my swimsuit? I've heard it's paradise. A tropical paradise, I hope…"

Oddly, Stella's prattle put me in a better mood. Usually it did just the opposite. But it made me smile this time. "I hope so, as well," I said. "I hate the cold."

"What's up, Zera?" asked Sterling, looking at us. "'Ave you bin an' 'ad a chat wiv Apus Major about everyfink that's been goin' on or somefink?"

"Yes," I said. "We need to deliver the fyggs to the Realm of the Almighty."

"Sure fing, Zera, I'll get on it," said Sterling conversationally, and I held in a laugh as he turned to the controls. I asked that he take us to the Realm of the Almighty, and he acquiesced as though I had merely requested that he bring a bit of meat for supper!

The others seemed just as amused. "'Sure thing', he says," said Connor, rolling his eyes.

"That's old fatguts for you," said Stella, keeping her voice low. I supposed she did not feel like being chewed out again for calling Sterling 'fatguts'. "Confidant to a fall if you ask me."

We all looked around as footsteps heralded Apus Major's arrival aboard the train. "Hmm, so this is the Starflight Express," he murmured. Seeing all of us staring, he said, "Please, forgive my intrusion."

He stared around, taking everything in. "It is bathed in the same golden glow that envelops the fruits of the Great World Tree. This is truly a creation of the Almighty."

In my ear, Stella half-whispered, "Who's this old fuddery-duddery, Zera?"

She was not quiet enough. Her loud whisper attracted Apus Major's attention, and he hurried over to her.

"Ah!" he said. "You are the sainted stewardess of the Starflight Express, are you not?"

Stella nodded, giving her hair a small flip.

"I am Apus Major, keeper of the Observatory. It is an honour." Turning to Sterling, he asked, "And this is…?"

"Sterling's the name, sir," replied Sterling. "Captain and chief engineer of the Starflight Express, and one of Zera's closest comrades!"

I smiled, and Apus Major gave a small bow. "Excellent, excellent," he said. "Well, Captain Sterling, I have a favour to ask of you. The unstinting efforts of Zera and her companions have brought the fyggs back to the Observatory. Now the prophecy must be fulfilled. You must deliver us to the Realm of the Almighty aboard the celestial carriage."

Sterling looked off, thinking. "Well, sir," he said slowly, "the Almighty did once tell me somefing. 'When them fyggs 'ave finally bloomed, you bring them Celestrians up 'ere to the Realm of the Almighty', or words to that effect."

I smiled as I imagined the Almighty speaking like Sterling. Perhaps it was a bit blasphemous, but I could tell that everyone else – well, excepting Apus Major and Sterling – were imagining the same.

"An' I ain't no genius," Sterling continued, "but I reckon this must be wot that spiel was all about." He brought his gaze back to look at Apus Major. "So you just leave it to me, sir. Sit back an' make yerself at 'ome."

He turned to the console and began pressing buttons. "Next stop, the Realm of the Almighty!" He pushed a lever, and the inside of the Starflight began to glow white-gold.

"My goodness," said Apus Major, "the Starflight Express, it's…"

We rounded the Observatory twice, gaining speed with each metre we travelled. Then we shot up, and I could tell that we were flying much faster than before. Apus Major was staring out the window in amazement.

"Incredible…" he said. "The Observatory is a mere speck below us already. Truly, this is the conveyance of the gods."

He turned to Sterling. "Captain Sterling, does your command of the Express span many years?"

Sterling seemed to enjoy being called "captain". He swelled with visible pride and said, "I've been at the 'elm since the very day the Almighty put 'er into action, sir! It's been a while now."

"Blimey," muttered Stella, "so old fatguts is even more ancient than I thought…"

Sterling whipped around, fist clenched. Stella was not the only one to reel backwards. "Shut it, you!" he bellowed. "I ain't ancient, and I ain't no fatguts, neither! I'm the captain, got it? Captain!"

The five of us traded glances in various shades of amusement and shock as Sterling turned back to the console. Apus Major was clearly surprised by the outburst.

Sterling pushed one of the levers all the way up. When it reached the far end, the Starflight began to pulse in a rainbow of colours, and we doubled our speed at the least. Apus Major and Stella, with the benefit of wings, did not seem troubled, nor did Sterling, but the rest of us stumbled and fell to the back of the carriage as gravity suddenly seemed to increase by a large amount.

"Amazing!" exclaimed Apus Major, staring out the window. I hauled myself over to look out the window nearest me, and gasped in shock. Several large, grass-covered islands floated there in the blue sky, connected by bridges of light and rainbow. The largest, topmost island was occupied by a temple of sky blue, white, and gold. It was beautiful!

I felt a hint of nausea, but fortunately this time I did not throw up. I could not imagine how embarrassing it would be to get morning sickness in front of the leader of the Celestrians!

We slowed as we looped once around the Realm of the Almighty. Finally, we pulled up and stopped before the lowest of the islands.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now arriving at the Realm of the Almighty," said Sterling. "All change!"

"At long last," murmured Apus Major. "My most fervent prayers are finally to be answered."

We poor wingless ones in the back of the carriage had managed to pull ourselves upright. Sydney was staring eagerly out the window, her face shining. I could see that she was itching to go out there.

"Follow me, sir," said Sterling, sliding open the door and taking his leave. Apus Major hurried after him as the remainder of us watched them go.

"I suppose we ought to tag along too, eh?" asked Stella. "Don't want to be left behind like a bunch of melons, do we?"

"Definitely not," said Sydney, and she hurried out the door. It struck me how much her eagerness resembled that of Apus Major, and I smiled as I followed her out.

Once outside of the Starflight, I could feel the pleasant warmth of the Realm of the Almighty. A gentle breeze blew, and I took a quick step away from the edge of the island. We were even farther up than the cliff edge in my nightmares!

"Such holiness…" murmured Apus Major. "Such beauty… Truly, this could only be the Realm of the Almighty." He looked at me. "Zera. Etch these sacred sights into your memory. We know not when we may tread this hallowed ground again."

There was a long pause as every one of those who had travelled in the Starflight stared around, taking in the beauty of the islands. Pools of crystal-clear water sparkled on several. Brightly coloured birds sang in the trees, mixing their music with that of the breeze and a waterfall on one of the islands above us. Nothing shone, for nothing needed to. It was simply there, incredibly, impossibly, beautifully real.

It was a long time before Apus Major pulled his eyes away from the scenery and said, "Now, we must offer the fyggs unto the Almighty. Where might He be found, I wonder?"

"The temple's straight up there in front of us," Sterling said. "If 'E's anywhere, the Almighty'll be up there."

The seven of us began up the path of light that led up towards the Almighty's temple. But on one of the islands, our path was blocked by a blue door, inlaid with gold. An inscription upon it read Only the pure shall pass.

My heart sank at the words. I was not pure. No one was, not even Opal or Apus Major. I was pregnant, Connor was the father, Sydney had been a thief…we were all guilty. None of us would pass this point.

But then, to the utter shock of all who stood before it, the door swung open. A voice said, "Pass, pure-hearted ones. Go to your god."

It was impossible. Yet it was true. Somehow, each of us had been forgiven our iniquities. A smile spread across my face, and I took Connor's hand as we continued travelling through the Realm of the Almighty.

At the doors of the palace, we stopped for a moment. "So herein dwells the Almighty…" murmured Apus Major. "Finally, my prayers of countless millennia are answered. Finally, we shall meet…"

Hesitantly, I laid my hand upon the cool marble of the doors. At my touch, they opened inwards, and we walked into the throne room of the Almighty.

And there we stopped, gazing on in shock. A dark crack spanned the marble floor, leading up to an enormous hole. A throne lay on its side next to the hole, as though it had been flung aside.

"Wh-What is the meaning of this?" stuttered Apus Major.

"What's gone on 'ere?" exclaimed Sterling. "The temple's smashed to bits!"

As we stared around in growing horror, I realised that that was not an exaggeration. Myriad tiny cracks spanned out from the main one, crisscrossing the floor in a spiderweb pattern. The elegant carvings along the wall were damaged, the walls were chipped, dented, and scraped, and there was a sense of terrible wrong filling the room.

"What has befallen this place?" Apus Major asked of the world in general. "What has become of the Almighty?" He stepped forward and looked up. "This rupture… It cannot be… Surely the light which ravaged our own realm cannot have penetrated so far…?"

I could hear the desperation in his voice as he cried, "O, Almighty One! Heed my call! Where art Thou? Hast Thou forsaken us?"

When there was no reply, Apus Major's head drooped. "Almighty One!"

He sighed. "What can have become of Him? Why does He not heed my call?"

Because He is not a trained dog, I thought, and had to bite down on my lip. This was a very inappropriate time!

"Ooh, I've got a nasty feeling about this," Stella muttered. "We should never have come to this flapping place…"

"Wot the bleedin' 'eck's 'appened 'ere? Wot kind of toerag'd do a fing like this, eh?" Sterling gave a sigh that sounded more than a little like a growl. "Any'ow, we'd best 'ead inside and see if the Almighty's in there." He pointed up a set of stairs to the left of the throne. There was a matching staircase to the right, but to get to those we would have to climb over the throne and the hole in the floor.

I took Connor's hand as we clambered around the destroyed dais and up the stairs. At the top was an area with sky-blue walls and grass as the floor. The sense of wrong that had occupied the floor below vanished as we reached the top of the stairs. To the northern end was a raised space, lit by a soft golden light.

"Truly, it is a sublime light that shines here," said Apus Major, and Connor and I both turned to look as Apus Major and the others reached us. "Perhaps this is where we must make an offering of the heavenly fruit. Zera, my child, you must offer up the fyggs."

"Why me?" I asked as he handed me the fyggs. Their soft, warm weight felt familiar in my arms. It made me wonder if my child would feel like this when I finally got to hold it…

Apus Major did not expressly reply to my question, except with a long, slow blink. Then he said, "Now, make the offering."

I knew it would be no good trying to argue. So I turned and walked up to the centre of the dais. The glow was warm, and it reminded me of the light that had enveloped me when my vocation changed. I glanced back at Apus Major and the others. Apus Major nodded, and I turned back, lifting the fyggs into the air. They began to glow as if infused with the light of the dais.

"O, Almighty One!" cried Apus Major. "Take these divine fruits we offer unto You!"

At that moment, the fyggs vanished. But nothing else occurred.

After a long pause, Apus Major said, "We offer up the fyggs and still nothing. Still our call is not heeded. What can this mean?"

"…Zera, Celestrian and Guardian…" came a soft, halting voice. My eyes widened as I recognised it. This was the voice which had spoken to us atop the Observatory, and when my vocation changed. It had a comforting familiarity about it. The only comparison I could imagine was the voice of a mother.

"…And Apus, keeper of the Observatory… Canst thou hear my voice…?"

I looked up and around for the source of the voice. Out of the corners of my eyes, I noticed everyone else doing the same.

"Is this the voice of the Almighty?" murmured Apus Major.

I did not think it could be. This voice was feminine, gentle. Recalling the dream I had had at Yggdrasil's foot, it sounded to me more like the voice of she who had pleaded for the mortals.

The next words confirmed it for me. "…Alas, I am not the one whom you Celestrians call 'Almighty'… Benevolessence born of pure mortal hearts caused fyggs to bloom on Yggdrasil's sacred boughs, and the celestial express to find this realm… And now, Zera, you and your companions have returned the fyggs to the Realm of the Almighty… And so I am awakened from my slumber of countless aeons… Now return to me, my Celestrian children…"

A golden light enveloped me, blocking everything else from my sight. When it vanished, I looked in shock to see that I stood at Yggdrasil's foot. She had a soft glow about Her.

"Wh – Eh?" squawked Stella. "Are we back at the Observatory?"

"What is this light that bathes mighty Yggdrasil?" asked Apus Major. All seven of us traded glances, then looked back at the Tree. Her glow grew brighter.

"Welcome home, my Celestrian children…" said the voice, and in Yggdrasil's branches appeared a beautiful woman with long, flowing golden hair. My eyes widened, and I felt a rush of recognition as I looked at her. Something else flowed through me, too.

Love.

Not the kind that I felt for Connor, nor that for my unborn child or my friends. This was an entirely different kind – a gentle, reliant kind. The kind that a child would feel for a mother.

"…I am she whom you have heretofore known as Yggdrasil…" she said. "…I am the only daughter of the Almighty Himself, the Grand Architect Zenus. I am the Goddess Celestria…"

"…Wh – My…" whispered Apus Major. "Can this be…?"

"…My dear Celestrians." said Celestria…Mother. "Long have you tended to the Protectorate and offered me the benevolessence you gathered there… And your diligent efforts have finally returned me to consciousness… You have my deepest gratitude…"

She looked down, directly at me. I was transfixed – not by her beauty, but by the love in her eyes. I had never seen the like of it before.

"…And you, Zera…" she said. "You and your beloved friends retrieved the fyggs, which we had though found, but which were lost once more… We are eternally in your debt…"

"Lady Celestria –" said Apus Major – "I hope I may address You so – what can have led to Your transformation into Mighty Yggdrasil?"

Mother looked down and closed her eyes. "…I did so to protect the mortals and their realm…"

It was! It had been Mother who had spoken in my dream, protecting the mortals from her father's fury. She opened her eyes amid gasps from her assumed form's foot.

"…My father believed the mortals a flawed creation, and resolved to erase them from existence…"

As she spoke, her form, Yggdrasil, and all that was around me was replaced by something else: The throne room of the Almighty's temple. But it was whole. A Being sat in the throne, so powerful that I could scarcely bear to look at Him. I knew immediately that this was the Almighty. Standing before Him, looking rather pale and unreal in comparison, was Mother.

"…Yea, the mortals are not fit to inhabit my Kingdom," said the Almighty, in a powerful voice to match His appearance and position. He raised an arm, and a red light began to form about His hand. I recognised it immediately as the light which had attempted to destroy the Protectorate in my dream. "They are an abomination. From dust they came, and to dust I shall return them."

He let loose with the red light, and I saw again the scene where the red light was intercepted by the blue just above the waters. "I beg of you!" cried Mother's voice. "Stay your hand!"

My sight returned to the Almighty's throne room. "Wherefore do you defy me?" boomed Zenus, and a thought flashed through my mind: I am truly beginning to like the word defy! "What cause have you to give them succour?"

Mother looked from the door to her Father. "Father," she said, "I – I have faith in the mortals. You cannot – you must not – lay waste to their realm… I beg of thee…"

"You dare question my will?" Zenus boomed. "You dare obstruct my purpose?"

I heard a number of shocked gasps as Mother's form began to glow. Mine was among them.

"Celestria!" cried Zenus. "What is this insolence!?"

Leaves and branches began to sprout from Mother's back. Within moments, she had transformed into Yggdrasil, glowing golden. Her torso and face were still visible in the trunk, but that was all.

"If it be the only way to save mortalkind," said Mother, "I shall take on this form… I shall become Yggdrasil, the World Tree. My body shall be restored only when the good that lies within mortal hearts is proven… There is purity in the mortal soul… There is good… I will prove this to you, though it cost me my freedom…"

"Impetuous child!" roared Zenus. "You know not what foolishness you contemplate, Celestria! If no such proof should present itself, you will be cursed to eternal slumber!"

The trunk of the Tree closed in around Mother's form.

"My child," Zenus murmured, looking both shocked and saddened. "What have you done?"

There was a pause. Then Zenus said, "…So be it. Your rashness has stayed my hand. The mortals shall live."

I gave a silent cheer.

"Let there be beings to serve your purpose. Let these beings stand ever-vigilant over mortalkind, awaiting proof of the purity within…"

He looked sadly at the Tree that had moments before been Mother. "But know this, Celestria: The day of your awakening may never come…"

As my sight returned to the current moment at the foot of Yggdrasil, I looked around at the others. My mortal companions were looking on in shock and amazement, a sentiment that Apus Major, Sterling, and Stella all seemed to share. I took Connor's hand as Mother began to speak.

"…The benevolessence you gathered was the very proof of mortal purity I had awaited… I assumed the form of Yggdrasil to persuade my father of the goodness within the mortal heart… When benevolessence was offered unto me, in time, the fyggs would bloom… And when the fyggs were delivered to the Realm of the Almighty, I would awaken once more… Zenus created the Observatory and you, my Celestrian children, to serve me… To watch over the mortals… To gather benevolessence… to offer it unto me… To gather the fyggs that would one day bloom, and by their power, to awaken me from my slumber…"

"So this has been our calling all along…" murmured Apus Major. "But…what of the Almighty Himself? Could He be…? The ill-omened light that struck our realm, and His also… Is He in fact…?"

Mother smiled, and her glow grew to envelop the entirety of the Observatory. "…Fear not," she said. "Had my father ceased to be, I too would have passed on to another realm, and this world would have ceased to exist… He is somewhere, though He is not to be found in the Realm of the Almighty…"

She looked down at us, growing serious. "…My Celestrian children…" she said. "There is something I must convey to you… The light that violated the Realm of the Almighty… The being from whence it came… He wishes to destroy our world… It is he who brought the Empire back from the forgotten reaches of time… His hatred emanates from the palace at its heart…"

Her gaze came to rest on me. "…Zera, Celestrian and Guardian… You and your companions must journey together to the heart of the Gittish Empire and deliver mortalkind from the evil that dwells therein…"

She closed her eyes, clasping her hands before her chest. "I shall open the way before you…"

Over my view of Mother and the Tree, I glimpsed the land that had been blank upon Sydney's map. But now it was filled in, with the Goretress and a dark palace. A tree just like that by Alltrades Abbey bloomed into existence near to the palace.

"This tree of purest blue shall guide you to the lands of the House of Gitt…" Mother said, and the overlay vanished. Mother's glow was increasing. "…When the evil that lies at the heart of that land is quenched…the world will be…safe once more…"

The glow faded, and Mother's form disappeared. Only her assumed shape stood before us. "…Please, Zera… You must…deliver…the mortal realm…from evil…"

The next words seemed to be only within my head. No one else seemed to have any reaction to them.

I give you…my blessing…my beloved daughter…

And then there was nothing.

There was a long silence. And then Stella said, "Flapping flip!"

We all jumped, and looked to her. "Well, who would have thought it! I'm all of a flutter after that!"

I let out a short, clipped laugh. "That is an understatement," I said.

There were grins from everyone but Apus Major. Stella shrugged. "Seems like everyone's accounting on us, eh?" she asked. "Well, we can't go cooking the books then. You'll have to get to work!"

"We'll have to get to work?" asked Opal, raising her brows. "Are you gonna stay up here, then?"

Stella waved a hand, clearly at a loss for a comeback.

"So you're the only ones who can save the Protectorate and the Observatory from certain disaster, eh, treacle?" asked Sterling. "Well, you've only got the weight of two worlds on yer shoulders then, eh?" He laughed. "Don't let 'em get you down, will ya?"

"We'll try not to," said Sydney.

"Right, I'll be waitin' on the Starflight," Sterling said, turning. "We'll 'ead off when yer ready to rumble. See you in a bit!"

With that, he headed down.

I glanced over at Apus Major and found him staring, transfixed, at Yggdrasil. "Such tragedy…" he murmured. "Such benevolence… That the goddess Celestria should sacrifice herself to protect mortalkind… It is well indeed that we served the Great World Tree through all the millennia. She is more than a worthy mistress."

He turned to look at us. "But now, the mortal realm is in peril once more at the hands of the Gittish Empire. Only you are able to save them. You must go to Gittingham Palace and extinguish the threat at its source."

I nodded and, and we left.

As we headed towards the Starflight, I let my mind drift back to Mother. The love in her eyes had been something amazing to behold. It was unlike anything I had ever known someone to feel for me. And it had been wonderful.

"You're happy," said Connor.

I smiled. "Yes, I am," I said. "I just met my mother for the first time. Would you not be?"

Sydney seemed to think about that the most. "Yeah, I would," she said. "I can understand how you feel."

We stepped onto the Starflight and headed up to the front with Stella and Sterling. "So if you go to the Gittish Empire and get rid of the baddies there, the world will go back to normal again?" asked Stella.

"Apparently," I said. "No pressure, of course."

We all laughed.

"Well, it looks like you'd better get crackling then, eh?" asked Stella when we calmed down a bit. "You can't expect me and everyone else to wait around forever to be saved."

"You got one 'eck of a fight ahead of you, treacle," said Sterling. "The 'ole world's countin' on ya. Good luck, yeah? Right then, let's get down to business…"

"Wait," said Connor, as Sterling turned to the controls. "Not yet. I need to do something first."

"What?" I asked, as he looked at me.

Connor took both my hands. "Listen," he said. "I love you, Zera. I'm always going to. And I want to know…will you marry me?"

My breath rushed out in a huff as I registered what Connor had just said. There were several gasps from around me. Then several things happened.

One, I remembered one of the visions of Connor I had seen when my vocation changed. It had been this exact moment: Him standing before me upon the Starflight, holding my hands.

Two, I felt a rush of happiness as his words' full meaning crashed down upon me.

And three, I flung my arms around him and cried, "Yes!"

Hello again, everyone.

Looks like this is gonna be a pretty long day, huh? Gotten pregnant, fought pig-monster, freed Celestrians, gone to the Realm of the Almighty, found a mom, and gotten engaged - and all before noon! Phew!

Anyway, thanks for all the reviews recently. I can't believe that this many people have actually read my story! It seems crazy.

This chapter was a milestone for me: I've crossed the 300-page mark. Boy oh boy...!

Well, til next time, may all the bodies of the heavens watch over you!