Elsie groaned as she felt herself land against the hard earth, not sure just where they'd gone, but knowing she was somewhere away from Charles and the battle that had been going on around them. Sitting up, she couldn't help the cry that escaped – the pain she was in, she wasn't sure she'd recover from it enough to be able to find her way back to Charles.

She could hear movement around her, but her eyes hurt and opening them was taking a great deal of effort. Finally managing to lift her lids just enough to see, she looked around and caught sight of Sól who seemed to be faring far worse than she was.

Of course, she'd known that was what would happen – it had been her intent. If his body failed him, he would have to return to his original form and then he would have to leave her and Charles alone.

"You haven't won." Richard moaned.

"Hmm, I think I have. You have no idea where we are so you can't use any tricks to escape."

"And what trick did you use to pull us from the timeline?"

"No trickery. I am time – I can do with it as I please. That includes moving through it, backward or forward. We went forward. This is what the earth looks like because you banished Máni from the sky and then decided to follow to keep us apart. The only natural light is from the stars that come out at night, but there aren't many of those left. They've come up with an artificial light, but it can't grow things."

"And I'm supposed to care?"

Elsie dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands trying desperately to keep her mind clear enough to face off with her enemy. "I know that you don't, but I do. You aren't going to cause havoc anymore. I know that you won't last much longer. Even now your body is beginning to shut down. You can't go anywhere. You're going to die here in the middle of no man's land. I'm sorry you chose to be such a miserable human being, but I won't let you continue to hurt anyone."

"You're the reason."

"No." Elsie shook her head. "You don't get to do that. You don't get to lay the blame at my feet. I did nothing but fall in love with someone other than you, that didn't deserve any of this." She watched Sól as he struggled to stand, her own pain trying to consume her.

"You've trapped yourself here as well." Sól tried to yell at her, but didn't have the strength. "You've no way of taking care of your pain here, no one to help you."

"But my pain will lessen and when it does, I will be able to take myself home."

"You mean to Máni, or rather, Charles."

"Yes. I'll find him again." Elsie watched as Richard's eyes closed, his chest heaving with his last breath. Suddenly the sky was light with the sun's warm light instead of the artificial light of the technology that this world was bubbled in.

"Be happy, Sól," she whispered as she finally let herself collapse. What she hadn't told him, was that she'd figured out just exactly where she'd taken them.

They'd landed in the same desert she'd been found in by The Order.

She was counting on them finding her again.

CnE

"She knew you would find her." Kenda wiped Elsie's brow with a cool cloth. "She might not have known exactly why, but she knew I needed to stay with you. She knew she would need me."

"Why would she do such a thing? Surely she knew what it would do after using her power to save the young Mr. Crawley." Alpha asked.

Kenda shrugged. "I don't know what she did. All I know is that whatever she did, it was to save us all. Surely you know that. The bright orange ball in the sky is proof."

"So it is."

"Now please go and see if you can find Charles Carson. She'll need him to recover."

"We can't bring him here."

Kenda rolled her eyes. She didn't know what these things had against men, but it was rather ridiculous. "Fine then. Bring me some Scotch, then go find Charles Carson. You have to figure out a way to get them together. As bad as she is, I won't be able to help her. Only him. Only her Máni."

"How will he help her? He's nothing but the moon."

Kenda rolled her eyes. "He is the man she loves. Have you not read or heard the Ancient One's legend?"

"Of course we have. Why do you think we built this place?"

"Then how do you not know about him and what he is to her?"

"We only know of her and who she is, what she will do – what she has done."

"Just go and find me some Scotch then find the man. Maybe after you've done that you should read up on the legend." Kenda grumbled as she turned back to Elsie. She'd heard Elsie mumbling about AI several times over the years, and she'd learned from Elsie that Charles thought even less about the thing – but these, she shrugged. The Order was supposed to be made up of AI types that were far superior. Except – that seemed to be an erroneous assumption.

"I can see why your Charlie calls AI a bucket of bolts." Kenda whispered as she gently bathed Elsie's face and neck with a cool cloth. The lass was red from being out in the sun. She was sunburned, wind burned, and sand burned. She would be miserable if she woke right now as the healing hadn't finished yet. Beta had assured that the healing medicine was in the water and to keep bathing Elsie's skin in the cool liquid.

So far Kenda didn't see a difference, and she wondered what they intended to do about Elsie's lips which were cracked and bleeding. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a small jar, smiling when she thought about where it had come from.

Elsie had brought it back from Paris on one of her many time traveling trips. Opening the lid, she dipped her finger in then gently spread the substance on Elsie's lips, careful to cover every inch. She knew that it wouldn't burn but that it would soothe and help keep Elsie's lips from cracking further.

Hearing Elsie moan, Kenda gently caressed her cheek. "Easy, Lass."

"Kenda." Elsie whispered the name.

"Shh. It's me. You're safe now. You did it, Elsie. You saved us."

"Charlie."

"Soon. You'll see him soon. I've told Alpha that you need Charles to recover completely. They refuse to bring him here, but they're going to find him and send you to him. They'd told me the water will help heal your burns. Just be still."

Elsie whimpered when the cloth touched her. "Scotch?"

"They're bringing some."

"Thank you."

"No need for thanks. You know that I'll take care of you."