A new chime echoed through the hallway and Maia stopped dead. "What's that?"
"The proximity alarm," he said without being asked. "The Wraith are inside the city."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. "But the detection system, you said it—"
"I said we could detect the Wraith a million miles away; but I didn't say that we shared it with the general population." He mumbled to himself, "Now there's not time to get away."
"How enlightened of you." She said.
When they heard a man screaming, they broke into a run. They found Liu standing on a table staring at her Wraith hand; on the ground was a dried up corpse.
"Liu!" Maia choked out.
The girl didn't look up, didn't take her eyes off her tiny hand. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream.
Deri pushed forward cautiously, one arm out in front of him, almost defensively. "Liu," he said softly, "Look at me."
She looked up, but it was as if she couldn't see him. "I—I didn't mean—"
He reached her, and held out both hands. "It will be okay Liu, but right now we have to go, okay?"
She was trembling wildly. When she didn't respond, he grabbed her around the waist and she collapsed in his arms, weeping. "I didn't mean to."
They rushed her from the room, and Deri led them though corridors. "I have a way for you both to get away from here."
Maia slowed to a stop. "What do you mean, both?"
He stopped too. "I had a friend of mine modify an escape pod." He hesitated, "It will only carry two." His gazed at her, and his eyes were filled with something she hadn't seen in a long time. "I can't come with you."
She stepped closer. "You can take another pod."
"I'm needed here." He said, but his voice was heavy with grief.
She stepped closer, and looked as if she wanted to say something more. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him softly. He leaned in as far as Liu's body would allow, and touched her face with his free hand. She pulled back, but stayed close. "Maia," he said, "I will find you again."
Liu stopped crying and reached an arm around her mother's neck. They stayed like that, silently, for a long moment before they broke apart and ran down the hall.
"Deri." Liu said, "I'm really sorry, about your friend. I don't what happened. I don't know why I—"
She met his eyes. "Liu, whatever that was; it was no longer my friend."
Suddenly, she gasped. "The Wraith—they're so close."
Maia walked in front of them, and as she rounded a corner, she was confronted by a massive Wraith. He grabbed her by the throat with one hand and hit her chest hard. The life began to flow from her.
Liu screamed, causing the Wraith to look up at her, and grinned.. In one smooth motion, Deri set Liu on the ground, swung his weapon over his shoulder and into his hands and fired. The arrow hit the Wraith an inch below his shoulder blade, nowhere near the heart. But the Wraith staggered and dropped Maia to the ground. He fired again, hitting the heart. The Wraith fell, and Liu went to her knees beside her mother.
Deri stood for an instant, weapon at the ready, before dropping his guard and sitting near Maia. There were trails of blood running from the wounds in her chest, staining her white dress. She turned her head and gazed at him though hazy eyes.
"Maia—"
"Don't, Deri. Don't bother saying I'll be okay." She smiled faintly.
Liu wailed and grabbed her mother's hands. "You will be okay!" she shouted. Maia reached up and brushed her daughters face. "My Liu." She said softly, "I've loved you since the moment you were born."
"I loved you before then." Liu replied. "So how can you leave me now?"
"You told me that we are connected, and you're right. And no matter what happens to either of us, I can never leave you."
Liu cried and held Maia's hand against her face.
"Don't worry, you will be well taken care of, because there's someone who loves you just as much."
Liu turned her eyes to Deri.
"No Maia, don't talk like this." Deri said, the fear in his voice evident.
"It's too late." She said. Her hair was rapidly graying. "You're going."
"The city—Atlantis needs me." He said hollowly.
"But Liu needs you more." She pulled one hand out of Liu's grip and slid her fingers down his cheek. "I need you."
He hesitated, but then steeled his resolve. "No, We're getting you out of here." As gently as he could, he picked her up. She cried out and Liu whimpered sympathetically. "It's going to be okay." He said softly, as if he was trying to convince himself. They rounded one final corner and stopped at a blank section of wall. He looked at Liu, "It' time to go, are you ready?"
She nodded, and Deri shifted Maia slightly to press his hand against a hidden panel. A section of the wall slid away, revealing a dimly lit staircase. He practically ran down it with Liu close behind, and they stepped out onto the narrow walkway that bordered the water. "I hid the pod in one of the secondary bays, so we could have access to it."
"Deri," Maia whispered, "Stop."
"No."
"Put me down."
He hesitated, and set her as gently as she could against the city wall. She seemed to be aging before his eyes. "Maia—"
"You're going." She said again.
"No!" Liu screamed suddenly. "No mommy, I won't leave you—I won't go!" She wept.
"Of course not Liu." Maia said, "Come here."
The little girl fell into her mother's arms, weeping. "I won't leave you!"
She whispered, "We are closer than anyone else in this whole universe. Always remember that, and we will always be together."
She nodded solemnly, and whimpered, "I love you mom."
"I love you Liu. I would gladly go though all of this again to be with you." She brushed the tears from Liu's cheek. She glanced at Deri, who was pulling the pod out from a hidden chamber just beneath the water.
She gave Liu one last hug and a kiss, and she turned her attention to Deri. He knelt at her side and reached for his hands. He leaned in and kissed her softly.
"I never thought I could love anyone else." Maia whispered. "And yet here you are." She laughed, and despite himself, he smiled back. "I should have told you before. I love you."
"I love you too, I think I loved you from that moment on the path."
"Listen to me Deri." She said, holding his face close. "I need you to take care of Liu."
He glanced up at the towering city; the place that had been his home all his life, the place where he had fought against the wraith, the place where he buried his father and brother, and he realized that all of it meant so little. He met Liu's pale blue eyes, and he felt that his heart would burst. He looked down at Maia, who was smiling again. "Of course I will."
The chime changed once more. "Oh no, they're submerging the city."
"Then it is time for you to go." He started to object once more, but she put one hand to his lips. "Both of you have given me so much love, and in it I have found peace. I would ask nothing more from my life." He leaned forward and kissed her one last time. Liu stepped forward and hugged them both tightly and kissed her daughters cheeks.
The whole city shuddered and very slowly began to slip into the water. "Go." She said.
"I meant what I said." Deri whispered, kissing her forehead. "Somehow, I will find you again."
He stepped away and picked Liu up of the ledge, which was slowly submerging. He lay down in the small pod and settled Liu on his chest. She began to cry again as the transparent shield slid closed over them. Maia leaned and touched her hand to the top. She smiled at them one last time. He brushed his fingers against hers before pushing the launch button within the pod.