A/N: Just the epilogue after this!
We all try to keep our balance as the earth shakes around us. I look up at Sunil and Nilima to make sure they're okay, and they look concerned, but safe. The shaking lasted a little longer than previously, and I turned to shield Nik with my body.
Once it stops, I look back at the clearing. There are now huge columns rising from the ground, decorated in bright paints, with golden details.
"Ren."
"I see it, iadala."
These pillars look exactly like the Cave of Kanheri, where we found the original prophecies, but much more ornate. I find the pillar that has the prophecy that led us to the Fruit inscribed, and delicately touch the carvings. There are swirling designs much like my henna, wrapped around the text, mingling with images of tigers, women, and a few weapons. I see a handprint in the swirls, and I smile. I lay my hand on top, for old time's sake, and the earth starts rumbling again.
"Oh, shoot," I mumble. "Sorry," I call back to everyone. "My bad!"
The most recent earthquake rearranged some vines and trees in the back of the clearing, now revealing an altar. Of course.
I walk back to the group, now huddled around the pedestal raising Sunil and Nilima in the air.
"You guys okay up there?" I ask.
"Yes," Sunil replies. "We are still unable to get down, though."
"Okay. There's an altar over there," I say, gesturing behind me, "so I assume we should go over there."
"Sounds good to me," Kishan says, slinging Nik onto his shoulders. My baby lets out a gummy laugh, and I can't help but laugh with him. I take Ren's hand and we wander over to the stone altar.
It looks much like all the other temples we've seen, with a statue, but no tiger. Fanindra is wrapped around her upper arm.
"Kells," Ren says, indicating a handprint on the base of the statue.
"Geez," I complain. "Apparently you guys just need me for my handprints now." As always, I lay my hand down, the henna glows, the statue turns from stone into a woman, and none of us are shocked.
We are, however, thrilled to see Ana again. Kishan passes Nik off to me and runs to embrace her. They speak in the same grinding tongue that they last time, and it is clear how much they love each other. She doesn't look pregnant, so I assume that she has already had the baby Kishan was so worried about.
After a moment, Kishan steps back.
"Goddess," I say respectfully, incling my head as Ren gives a little bow. I'm not really sure what to do in this situation. We don't actually have anything to offer her at the moment.
"Ah, but you do," Ana says warmly. Apparently she is a mind reader now. "You have brought my husband back to me, and that is worth more than any of the other gifts. And you have brought my work to an end. My gifts have enriched my land as much as they could. It is now up to my people to steward it as best they can."
Ren sidles closer to me, eyes still on Ana, and wraps an arm around my waist. "So what now?" he asks. "Do we just go home?"
"Yes," she says kindly. "You have done more than anyone had the right to ask of you, and though you may not have always done it happily, you did it well. I thank you, more sincerely than I have ever thanked any before you."
"You're welcome," I reply. "And as honored as we are and everything, we'd like to get our friends down and go home."
"Well," Ana says with a twinkle in her eye. "You all have several choices to make, actually. Let's start with theirs."
We all follow Ana into the clearing, walking right up to the pillar they are still stuck on. Ana raises her arms gracefully and floats right up to their level, but there isn't anything actually supporting her. We can see their mouths moving, but can't actually hear anything, which I suppose is the point. Kishan lurks off to the side, seemingly deep in thought about something.
"What do you think happens now?" I ask Ren as Nik reaches for him.
"What else, rajkumari?" Ren asks, while he tickles Nik and makes faces at him. I wiggle in a little closer to join in on the fun; I love watching the two of them together. "We go home, go back to normal, and hope this truly is the last quest we are sent on."
I hum in agreement, quite content with my little family.
Ana floats back to earth, literally, and addresses us once more as Kishan moves to her side. "There are several things for you all to decide before you return home. The first has been chosen already- Sunil and Nilima will return to our original time and lead those who have nowhere to go."
"What?" I gasp. "Nilima- can't we even say goodbye?"
"Of course, but I wanted they're decision to be theirs alone. They are desperately needed, and will do much good," she points out. "Now, second. Dhiren, would you like to retain the tiger inside you? There would be no time constraints, you could use him or not"
His jaw drops, and he looks over at me. "Kells? What- do you want me to?"
I shake my head in mock exasperation. "Ren, that's your choice. We'd have to either keep it from Nik or figure out a way to keep him from telling people, but other than that I see no downsides."
I see the wheels turning in his head, probably thinking about how much easier it would be to protect us as a tiger. "Whatever you want," I remind him, leaning up to kiss him softly. Ren looks down at our son still smiling in his arms.
"Yes, I would," he decides.
"Very well," Ana smiles. "Sohan, mera pyaar?" she says, turning to face him. "What is your choice?" She must have told him something when they spoke together earlier.
Kishan looks at the ground, then fires off something that none of us can understand.
Ana smiles like she is thrilled and trying to contain her joy. "Very well. Kishan will return to Oregon with you and live through a normal human lifespan, at the end of which he will return to my side in the lands beyond."
Now it is my jaw's turn to drop, as my head whips back and forth between Ren and Kishan. "So, Kishan stays with us for good, now? But, what about you kids?"
Ren looks bewildered. "Brother, you cannot abandon your family for us."
"I'm not," he responds. "I will be there to know my nephew and I will age past twenty-five for the first time in my life. I will grow and learn, and return to my wife better able to serve her."
"Actually," Ana interjects, "I will be joining you as well. I find myself also wanting to experience things as a human might, and our eldest can keep watch over things just as well as we might. "
Kishan pulls her into a tight hug and spins her around before kissing her fiercely. They whisper to each other for a moment then turn back towards us.
Ana waves a hand and Nilima and Sunil lower back down to the ground. Once they touch down, Sunil rushes to Ana, and Nilima to us. She hugs me tightly, and I return the embrace with everything inside of me.
"Oh, I'm going to miss you so much," I say, tears escaping my eyes.
"Don't worry about us , Miss Kelsey," Nilma says, wiping my tears away. "You know Sunil has always felt out of place here, and I've never truly found somewhere I fit in, besides this family. I want to let Sunil teach me no. I have been teaching him about the customs here for so long, it's time he took a turn," she winks. She hugs Ren, telling him to take care of Nik and me, then takes Nik into her arms, murmuring to him in Hindi, then kisses his brow. She hands him back to me, and starts to go say her goodbyes to Kishan. I follow her and meet Sunil in the middle.
"What am I going to do without all my old men around me?" I tease him, tears falling once again.
"You will be happy, and I will be happy, and we will be better for having known each other," Sunil says wisely. "I miss the simpler life I had, without all the distractions. I will not miss cell phones. But I will miss you, mera dost. Very much."
I hug him tightly, then pass Nik to him. "Say goodbye to your nephew. I need to speak to your sister." I kiss Nik's forehead, then walk over to the goddess.
"Hello, Kelsey," she says with a smile.
"Hello," I say, a little unsure of how to breach the subject. "One of the Silvanae told me-"
"Yes, I know. Between you and me, the Silvanae know little of how women's bodies work. The intention was good, but I had to do a little tweaking of their magic," she says, and I see a little of the tricky warrior woman I met so long ago.
"You will not give birth on Mount Everest, I promise. I also promise that you will see your daughter soon. Is that enough?"
I nod. "Thank you."
"Also, you will not need to make the journey back, I can take care of that now as well." With that, I almost sob with relief. I did not want to climb down Mount Everest again.
Ana squeezes my hand, then turns to Nilima and Sunil, who are now talking to Ren and Kishan together.
"It is time," she announces solemnly as we approach. They nod, say their last goodbyes, and they are gone between one blink and the next.
I look over to Ana to see her face tilted to the sky and I hear her whisper blessing to her brother. She straightens herself quickly, walking over to Kishan as I join Ren.
"And now for us," she says, as I take Ren's hand and he pulls our hands to his lips to kiss mine.
Next thing I know, we're standing in front of our house in Oregon.
"Well why couldn't we have done that every time?" I laugh. Ren pulls me close, hugging Nik between us as he presses innumerable kisses to my hair and forehead. I giggle, and all of a sudden Ren steps away from me. I look up to see that he is astonished. I see Kishan and Ana behind him, so I know they aren't what's surprised him. My stomach flutters at what might be wrong, but it doesn't feel like normal nerves-
Wait.
I look down to see my belly distended, much like when I was about five months along with Nik. I feel the flutters again, and I can't decide whether to laugh or cry.
Once I manage to meet Ren's gaze again, both of our eyes are filled with tears. I pull his hand to my side. "Oh, Ren," I say. "She's back."
"Iadala," Ren breathes. "I love you. Everything we have gone through, every second of worry and pain and heartache was worth it. For this moment, I would do anything. I love you, and I love our son, and I love this baby, and any other babies to come after."
I laugh and dry my eyes. "Alright tiger, maybe calm down a touch."
"Never," he says, kissing my temple.
"Okay, okay," I say as I adjust Nik a little higher on my hip. My center of balance has just shifted drastically, which makes this difficult. "Everybody," I announce, going to take Kishan's hand and pulling Ana with us towards the front door, "Let's go home."