Epilogue Two
Raven
It will not be an easy 24 hours for Raven. Her "to do" list is long. She has to tell Octavia that Bellamy has lived an entire lifetime and is now dead. She has to help Breeze through his culture shock. All of this while navigating a situation on Sanctum that – when they left – seemed ready to devolve into chaos. And in the back of her head, Raven has to think about whether she wants to live the rest of her life on Skyring or on Sanctum - and she doesn't have too much time to make that decision either. One of the draws of Skyring would be spending time with Emori but given the time dilation, Emori might be dead by the time Raven returns to Skyring if she waits too long.
Dying of old age. Raven spends a minute to contemplate the very idea and compare it to the deaths of the other people she cared about. Finn died at the end of a knife, a mercy killing. Sinclair was stabbed to death by someone who survived Mount Weather. Jasper died by suicide, Abby was body-snatched, Shaw died from radiation. Well, there were Monty and Harper – they died of old age, or natural causes in Harper's case. The idea, to Raven, does hold a certain appeal given the alternatives she's watched her loved ones suffer through.
Raven shakes her head. The first thing she has to do is talk to Octavia. She turns to Gabriel and Breeze.
"Okay, Breeze," she begins, facing him. "We talked about culture shock before we left Skyring. Do you want to stay here in Gabriel's camp for a bit while I talk to Octavia?" She pauses and adds, for herself, "Your Great-Aunt is gonna really have a hard-"
"I know," Breeze says, sounding calm and meeting Raven's eyes. "This will be hard for her. I'll stay here for now if Gabriel's okay with it. One thing at a time. Meet some of the Children of Gabriel maybe," he adds with a smile. He appeared to listen intently to everything Gabriel and Raven had to say back on Skyring, so Raven is not surprised that he remembers the Children of Gabriel.
Gabriel confirms that he's good with the plan, and Raven heads off to find Octavia.
Emori
"That was harder than I thought it would be. Watching Raven leave."
Emori is sitting next to Madi on the porch of their cabin. Dinner is less than an hour away and the women are enjoying cups of tea.
"Harder than watching Breeze go?" Madi asks, a twinge of surprise in her voice.
"Breeze needed to go," Emori said, shaking her head. "You know he's always been the most stubborn of the grandkids. The most independent. And the most vocal of the three about wishing he could get a…a love interest."
"And the first to ask for stories about 'the other worlds'. I see what you mean. You know that this is best for him."
Emori nods and takes another sip. "I'm happy for him. But watching Raven leave?" she asks, her voice almost cracking. "I'd accepted that I'd never see her again. We've had such good lives here. Seeing her again….brought back all those memories. And then to have to just say goodbye to her again…"
Madi tilts her head. "But she's coming back, right? With Octavia? Numbers were never my thing, but they said they'd gotten the time dilation way down."
"It still exists though," Emori says somberly. "It could be months in our time before they return. And they said Sanctum is unstable right now. For all we know, they could've gotten shot as soon as they returned. Or burned at the stake," she adds, not about to forget the time she, Murphy, and others were almost burned at the stake.
"Crazy," Madi murmurs. "The kind of stuff we lived through. I do kind of wish Breeze didn't-"
Emori cuts her off. "I know. His dad told him he had to live his own life and make his own mistakes. Even if this mistake costs him his own life, which it very well might." She pauses, "I agree with Reyes, even though I knew that meant I might never see Breeze again." She takes another sip of her tea. "After John died, you know I thought all the time about doing what Clarke and Jackson did when they lost their spouses. Just kind of decide to slow down, sleep most of the day, not eat, let it go…..but I wanted to be around for the kids and grandkids as long as I can, watch them grow up. Now I have another reason to hang on. I really want to see Raven again!"
"Even though you miss Murphy," Madi says straightforwardly. Her voice contains warmth and understanding.
"Every single day."
Months do, indeed, pass. Everyone misses Breeze and agrees that Skyring feels strange without him. His absence – plus Raven and Gabriel's visit – are heavy topics of conversation. They speculate about whether Raven and Breeze will return, whether they will ever get to meet Octavia, Jordan, or any of the others. Reyes sometimes worries that the portal which Gabriel is guarding will get into the wrong hands and that their paradise will be overrun.
And then one day Emori and Madi are on their morning stroll through the forest when Sky dashes up to them. "Raven's back!" she breathes. "Along with Aunt Octavia and Jordan."
Raven
Raven is returning to Skyring for now, this time with Octavia and Jordan.
They will be the only three visiting this time. They are bringing with them supplies from a list that the inhabitants of Skyring asked for. Although the people on Skyring are self-sufficient, things like new clothing and medical supplies will be appreciated.
Echo is staying back on Sanctum, which Raven fully understands. For Echo, it has been only days since she and Bellamy broke up. If Echo regrets the break-up, she doesn't show it – no surprise there, Raven thinks. Raven does gather that there's more to it than that though, more than just potential discomfort at the idea of meeting the descendants of her recent ex. Apparently more members of Azgeda survived the bunker than any other clan, and they respect and admire Echo. Indra grudgingly admires her prowess too, especially the more she learns about Echo's role in the battle for Shallow Valley. Echo is carving out a new role for herself in Sanctum, among Wonkru, and she's in no hurry to leave right now.
Indra, Gaia, and Niylah are remaining on Sanctum for now too. Wonkru is showing signs of cracking and Octavia's departure won't help, but it is hoped that Indra and Gaia can hold them together (with Echo using her influence on Azgeda). Gaia says she'd like to see Madi again someday but Wonkru needs her right now. Niylah has spent a bit of time working in Sanctum's medical center, and she has met a nurse there. Sparks seem to be flying between them, so she's not eager to head to Skyring just yet either - though she does say that eventually she'd like to meet Clarke's descendants.
Gaia and Niylah add that if Miller and Jackson were still alive they'd like to see them, but they apparently missed that chance. They are as bowled over as everyone else at the news and the concept of time dilation.
Breeze, who is just embarking upon his mission to live life outside of Sanctum, says he doesn't need a chaperone while Raven's gone, but Raven insists. ("We told you. Sanctum just lost its leaders. Things are unstable.") Gabriel has plenty of things to contend with now – going over all the data from Skyring and the anomaly plus leading the Children of Gabriel in his spare time. He and Raven decide the best approach is to ask people who they trust to function as "guides" for Breeze. Gabriel asks one of his people, Nelson, to take on the role and Raven asks Niylah to do the same, when she's not working in the medical center or getting to know the nurse.
With that sorted away, Raven can return to Skyring, this time with Jordan and Octavia.
Octavia.
Raven has to pause for a second just thinking about her. She took the news better than Raven would have expected, though Raven can easily sense the storm brewing just below her surface.
When she first returned from Skyring, Raven sat with Octavia in a quiet place and told her the news. She had to swallow her nerves and just relay the facts. Although Raven first met her years ago back at the dropship camp, she has hardly spent any time with Octavia. The woman who Bellamy spoke about during those six years on the ring bears little resemblance to Blodreina - not that Raven spent much time with Blodreina either.
Octavia had many questions, Raven answered them, and Octavia appeared to accept the answers. She did not display emotion. Octavia said she wanted to go to Skyring, Raven nodded, and they got down to planning for the trip. Items needed to be procured, Jordan and the others needed to be spoken with and each needed to decide whether they were coming.
"You said one of them is here?" Octavia asked, again dispassionately.
"His name is Breeze," Raven answered. "He's at Gabriel's camp in the woods. I'll take you to meet him."
Octavia's face again remained neutral, but she apparently needed to repeat what Raven had told her. "And he's the grandson of Bellamy. And Clarke, and Murphy and Emori."
"Yes."
"Okay. Take me to him."
Raven doesn't see Octavia again until it's time for the trip back to Skyring. The two of them plus Jordan get ready to cross the bridge.
Madi
It is a bit surreal, she knows. During the six years alone with Clarke in Shallow Valley, Madi used to listen to Clarke's stories of life on the ground and on the Ark. Octavia had been her favorite. Then she'd had the chance to meet Octavia, who was known as Blodreina by then. When Madi thinks back to those events, events which happened a lifetime ago, she remembers fleeting images and impressions. The dank, dark bunker. Blodreina's hard eyes, hard shell. Clarke's constant worry, which made Madi's own gut sink and tremble. Then war, battle, bloodshed, and tears in the fight for Shallow Valley. And the metallic, mechanical smell of the Eligius ship as Madi did something her birth parents and clan could never have even conceived – headed off into a cryo pod and then into the depths of space.
"Seems like some crazy dream," Madi remembers Reyes saying one day during one of the countless stories told about life before Skyring.
"Sometimes it seems that way to me too," Madi had added, her voice sounding far away.
And now back to the present day, Sky has just run up to Madi and Emori during their morning walk.
"Raven's here? With Octavia and Jordan?" Emori repeats at her granddaughter.
"Yes," Sky confirms. "No Breeze though. Come on, let's go."
Madi
The group congregates in their usual spot – the garden and picnic tables outside the three cabins. The morning is a warm one and clearly will be climbing towards a hot day, but right now it's not unpleasant.
Madi tries to take it all in. Raven is helping to introduce Octavia and Jordan to everyone. Jordan's face hides nothing – he appears to be somewhere in between shock and awe and something else. Sadness, Madi realizes. Jordan looks very, very mournful.
Octavia looks stoic. She's greeting her nieces and grandnieces with hugs. Madi wouldn't call them particularly warm or passionate hugs, but at least Octavia's not shrinking back from any of them either.
At last it is Madi's turn to greet Octavia. What a difference this will be, Madi knows, from the battlefield all those years ago when Octavia knelt before her.
"Octavia," Madi says, taking a few steps closer to her. "It has been many years."
"Not for me it hasn't," Octavia replies. Again her face is stoic, unreadable. "Raven warned me that you and Raven were old now. Couldn't believe it."
Madi reaches for Octavia and pulls her into a hug. "I'm sorry for your loss," Madi says quietly. "Bellamy had a long and very happy life here. He missed you a lot."
"I just saw him a few days ago," Octavia says. Her voice again does not display much emotion. Madi feels perhaps a slight tremble coming off of Octavia's body in the hug though. She guesses the younger woman is struggling to hold it all in.
"We brought gifts," Raven says. The group soon turns its attention to the gifts, and the word 'excitement' doesn't do any of it justice. The group is completely overwhelmed with joy at having new clothing and medical supplies. Exclamations along the lines of 'It takes me half a year to make a pair of pants and they still never fit right!' are heard as someone holds up a new pair of trousers. There are other gifts too, simple things like puzzles, games, paper, and writing implements.
"Let's celebrate," Reyes said. "This calls for opening up some of the moonshine."
"We've been saving some for this," Tavia adds with a smile.
Sunshine
"I heard so much about your parents. I wish I could've met them."
Sunshine, the eldest of the grandchildren, is walking with Jordan. They started out walking around the lake and are now heading into the forest. Jordan is slightly tipsy from the moonshine and he seems like he knows it, so he's letting Sunshine hold his hand at times, and at other times steady him by taking hold of his arm.
"I loved them a lot," Jordan says in reply to Sunshine. He's silent for a long time, and she respects his silence, suspecting that he will have more to say soon. Jordan then adds, "They would have loved it here," and his voice cracks as he says it.
"Go on," Sunshine says softly.
"Give me a second," he says, sniffing back tears.
Sunshine reaches for his arm once again and positions it so that she's supporting him as they walk.
Jordan finally continues. "They would've loved it here," he repeats. "Spending their lives here instead of on that….that sterile spaceship. The garden. The lake. All the food, not just algae." He pauses. "And I'd have had cousins. Maybe would've had brothers and sisters too. They never had another child because it was risky without a doctor there."
He pauses, smiles, and turns to look at Sunshine. "You probably think I'm just feeling sorry for myself. Self-pitying fool."
"Not at all," Sunshine answers, her voice firm. "My grandparents – all except Clarke – lived on the Ring for six years. It wasn't the same as the Eligius, but….well similar concept. And same food," she adds with a smile. "They all said that living here was about a million times better." She pauses. "You didn't have anyone your own age growing up, while I did. And so did my parents. I-I have no doubt that the universe handed me a better deal."
Jordan clears his throat again as if to halt any potential crying. "Thank you. For not getting down on me for being sad about this."
"You don't have to thank me for that. Your parents made this possible. If it wasn't for their work to crack the Eligius files and find out about Sanctum then…well, then my grandparents wouldn't have ended up here." She tilts her head and adds wryly, "I might never have been born."
Jordan looks at her intently and nods. "Yeah. But seriously, thanks for understanding. I feel….so sad and so…left out. I know that doesn't make sense."
"It makes sense! And your feelings are your feelings. You can be as sad or as angry or as feeling left out as you want around me."
"Can we sit for a bit?" Jordan asks. "I definitely had too much of that cider."
"Of course." Sunshine looks around and points. "How about there? The ground doesn't look damp there and we can rest our backs against that tree."
They sit together, mostly quiet now though Sunshine asks Jordan a few questions about his life and he seems happy to answer. She asks about his time on the Eligius and also about some of what he lived through on Sanctum. He is full of questions for her as well. Murphy had been his favorite, so he asks her a bit about her father's father.
Sunshine intentionally takes his hand and holds it as they talk. She knows he's a bit tipsy and so she silently debates herself on an ethics question. She then decides to just ask.
"Hey Jordan," Sunshine begins. "Do you think I'm pretty?"
If he's taken aback, he doesn't show it. In fact, his reply is eager. "Yes. Very."
"Do you want you…you know, kiss and stuff? I've never been kissed before." She strokes his hand as she asks.
His eyes are wide. "I'd love that!"
"Good," she smiles. "Uh, I also have to ask. You said you'd had too much to drink. I don't want to take advantage of you or anything like that…"
"Oh, you wouldn't be! You definitely wouldn't be." Jordan replies, again not hiding his eagerness. "And I swear I'm not that tipsy!"
Raven
Well, I picked the wrong time to go for a walk in the forest. Just wanted to enjoy nature for a bit and clear my head, and then I come across Monty and Harper's son having sex with the granddaughter of Clarke, Bellamy, Murphy, and Emori. Not something I ever hope to see again.
Raven makes an about-face as soon as she sees Jordan and Sunshine together, and rapidly heads back to the cabin.
She'd set out for her walk on a purpose. She knows she needs to make a decision: stay on Skyring or go back to Sanctum. Raven had thought that a stroll through the forest might help clear her mind. She's used to acting decisively, but is struggling now.
Well, at least I just got a reminder of one thing I need to factor in, Raven tells herself with a shake of the head. I decide to stay here, I can forget about ever having sex again. No one here's a fit for me even for just a hook up. Dominick's single but there is no way in hell that I'm sleeping with Murphy and Emori's son.
There are many factors to consider, and sex is one of them. There are other negatives to Skyring too. There are no machines, no technology. Raven suspects she could make another dash back to Sanctum and get the components she'd need for solar panels. But anytime she tries to do that, she runs the risk of coming back years later. Of Emori or Madi being dead by the time she returns. So Raven needs to seriously consider whether she'd be bored here. Do I want to spend my life repairing roofs and weeding the garden?
However, the list of positives is long as well. Could all the technology and computers on Sanctum possibly outweigh the fact that Skyring offers her a life of peace? A life of not worrying about seeing herself or her loved ones get stabbed or bodysnatched or fried by radiation? A life of not worrying about where her next meal is coming from or fearing a dictator's rise?
What about companionship, apart from sex? Emori and Madi might live another ten years or so - or they might not. The other people here all seem nice enough though I don't really know them. Hell, if I could get through six years on the ring with Murphy without killing him, then I'm sure I can get along with everyone here. Raven goes on to remind herself that she doesn't know what Octavia and Jordan will decide.
Jordan I wouldn't mind spending a lot of time with here. Octavia could be a problem since I really barely know her. And as much as she's trying to hide it, she's not happy right now. I don't like the look in her eyes today.
Raven considers the grandson, Breeze. If she stays here and Breeze stays on Sanctum, then she obviously can't look after him. Are Gabriel and Niylah and that Nelson guy going to be enough? What if Sanctum collapses into civil war and Breeze ends up on his own? I'd sure be failing to protect him. Along those lines, Raven asks herself whether she would truly be okay with never learning how things shook out on Sanctum. She's not particularly attached to Wonkru, but she would be curious to know if they ever do find peace. Echo is back there too, and Raven does feel something of an attachment to her. Echo would never agree to spend her life here, that's for sure.
Raven also reminds herself that she could, if she wanted, go back and forth between the two worlds. But there are downsides to that idea. Based on what she and Gabriel could determine, frequent travel between these two realms could wreck havoc on her system because of the time dilation. She doesn't really want to mess with that, and would rather pick one place and stay there. She's had enough travel between worlds for one lifetime.
By the time she returns to the main area, Raven is leaning one way but still not certain.
Raven
A few hours later, Raven's namesake approaches her. "Hey," Reyes begins. "I'm on fishing duty this afternoon. Would you come with me for a bit? I wanted to talk with you."
"Sure," Raven says, and she soon finds herself at the lake's edge with Reyes. She watches him with the fishing gear and notes that if she does decide to stay here, there are plenty of things she can learn; they just don't have anything to do with machines or computers. She's never fished or gardened before, for example. She doesn't count helping with the algae farm on the ring.
Reyes first asks about his son, and asks Raven to go over again any information she has about the people who are acting as his "guides" on Sanctum. They did cover this during the celebration when Raven arrived this morning with the others, but she understands a parent's desire to want to hear it again. Raven ends with saying, "I wish I knew Nelson better, but Gabriel tells me he trusts him completely. And I know that Clarke, Miller, and Jackson all trusted Niylah – I never knew her that well but they did."
Reyes thanks her for the recap. Raven can see in his eyes that he's missing his son and wishing that Breeze hadn't had such a strong desire to leave. They are distracted for a bit when Reyes catches a fish, but once it's reeled in, he continues.
"Tell me again about the anomaly – and how safe the portal really is now. The last thing I ever want to see is an army of bodysnatchers coming through someday. Or an army of Wonkru warriors."
Raven takes a breath. "No one but Gabriel and I really understand how to operate it. He said he's going to teach Breeze - and Nelson – to do it too. But – well as your parents know– there are no guarantees in life." She pauses. "I know that Gabriel will do his best to protect it…but anything could happen."
Reyes sets down his fishing rod and looks at Raven. "I want it destroyed then," he says firmly. "Even if it means never seeing my son again."
"That seems a little extreme, Reyes," Raven says with an exhalation of breath.
"Extreme would be 400 Wonkru warriors charging through here. Or hundreds of supporters of - what was his name?- Russell Prime deciding to make this their new home. We couldn't accommodate that many people if we wanted to." He pauses. "And we don't want them here anyway," he concludes firmly.
Raven opens her mouth to reply, but Reyes isn't finished. "We've had a life of peace here, Raven. Don't take that from us."
Raven is quiet for a moment. His plea makes sense. And the fact remains anything is possible right now – could Gabriel someday be forced to show someone else how to use the portal? Could Gabriel be killed before he's able to fully train Breeze on how to use it?
"We should at least consider it," Raven allows. "Destroying the portal."
"You're staying, right?" Reyes asks. He's got a slight smile right now, and once again Raven is reminded of the way his mouth and his voice so closely resemble Murphy's.
"I'm leaning that way," Raven admits. It's good to say the words out loud. The concept of living out the rest of her life here now feels more real.
They are quiet for a bit after that. At some point, Jordan and Sunshine stop by. Sunshine is on dinner-duty today and she's asking people for their preferences.
"They were holding hands," Raven notes, once Sunshine and Jordan are back out of earshot.
"She moves fast," Reyes observes with a small smile. "I know she's been really eager for….a boyfriend." He sighs. "Can't fault her for that; I was the same way growing up, about wanting a girlfriend."
"Oh yeah?" Raven asks. She's glad for now to have something to think about other than the idea of destroying the portal – and thus is happy to latch onto wherever Reyes is going with this.
"Gail and I liked each other from the start. With the way we all live on top of each other like this….well, let's just say there were lots of discussions about it." Reyes sounds bemused as he thinks back. "Our parents just wanted to make sure that…we never got out of line, that people's boundaries were being respected. I joked that I had to listen to about 100 lectures about consent. When Gail and I agreed we were ready to go further, we practically had to get a written sign-off from all four parents." He shakes his head but definitely seems to find humor in the situation now. "But yeah," he concludes. "I was eager. So's Sunshine. It's natural."
It is, Raven knows. She has to ask herself once again if she's really ready to give up the chance of ever having romantic love or sex again.
Madi
Since it's warm, the group is having their dinner outside. Sunshine is on cooking duty, but Madi insists on helping and they have prepared a feast. The crowning touch is that they have opened some of their canned fruit (it's a fruit that no one knows the name of but they refer to as "apple berry"). They serve it stewed slowly in oil with cinnamon sprinkled on top. It is a sweet treat that the group uses only for special occasions.
Although Madi registers that Sunshine and Jordan appear to already be an item, it's Octavia who keeps drawing her eye. There is a spark simmering and it's threatening to turn into full-blown fire soon. The group chats merrily during the dinner, except for Octavia who is mostly quiet. Just as the exquisite dessert is being served, Octavia stands up.
"I'm leaving. I can't do this anymore," she announces.
Madi sees Gail and others start to open their mouths to offer words of comfort, but Octavia holds up a hand. "And don't anyone else ask me if I want to go on a walk and talk about it."
Madi decides to speak, hoping that her status as Octavia's one-time commander – however brief it was – might carry some weight. It wasn't that long ago, for Octavia anyway. "Octavia." She lets the one word hover there for a second. "It's okay," she says simply. "It's okay to be upset."
Octavia peers at Madi. "You're not that much younger than he was. Why couldn't he have lived a few more years?"
"I don't know. I don't know why any of this happened – why he and the others of us landed here and you didn't. We can't control it. But Bellamy had a lo—"
"Yeah, I got it!" Octavia says harshly. "Bellamy had a long and full life here and he was a great dad. I've heard it a hundred times today. Great. But I never got to say goodbye!" She takes a pronounced breath. "You all seem like wonderful people, but I'm stepping into the last chapter of a book having missed almost all of the rest of it. I don't belong here."
Daphne leans towards her aunt and speaks softly. "I promise I won't ask you if you want to go on a walk again and I won't say anymore platitudes. But…maybe stay the night? We dug up and saved as many of Dad's letters to you as we could. It might be good to read them. I-I know before you said you didn't want to, but just think about it, okay?"
Octavia gazes at Daphne and slowly sits down.
Madi watches Raven slightly clear her throat. "Uh, also, Octavia? You can't leave now," Raven says. "Gabriel's opening up the portal and based on our calculations, it should open up tomorrow morning."
"Okay." Octavia says. "I'll stay the night. But I'm leaving tomorrow. I don't belong here. But I do belong at Indra's side, and she's back at Sanctum. With Wonkru."
Breeze
Breeze understands now, and he's beyond thrilled that he's getting to experience it. He understands why artists, poets, writers and musicians spend their lives preoccupied with the topic. He has grown up experiencing and witnessing all the other kinds of love such as between parents and children or between siblings. But romantic love and passion is indeed a stunning, exciting gift and now it is something he experiences first-hand instead of only witnessing it between his parents and the generation before them.
Unlike his sister Sunshine, Breeze did not specifically plan to reach out to and proposition the first interested, single person he met. But from the moment Gabriel assigned Nelson to be his guide, Breeze felt a spark. He felt his insides sing just a bit. Even after a few hours with Nelson, he realized he just wanted more time with him, more time spent hearing his voice and looking at his eyes. And then there was the fact that Nelson kept meeting his gazes, kept giving hints that the interest might be mutual.
So one evening Breeze decides to toss caution aside, reminding himself that life is short and that the worst thing that could happen would be a rejection. He lets his hand linger on Nelson's arm too long, he moves in too close, and before he knows it, he is having his first kiss.
"Thought you wanted to see the world. But you've barely left this lab – or Nelson's bed," Gabriel teases the next time he sees Breeze.
"I'm a little less inclined to see the rest of the world, I have to admit," Breeze says, and he and Nelson laugh.
"Trust me, you're not missing much in Sanctum," Nelson adds flatly.
Gabriel is back a few hours later, entering Nelson's tent with a serious look on his face. "Raven and Octavia just returned," he says. "You have some important decisions to make."
Emori
Emori finds she can't concentrate on her sewing. Sitting on her porch, she looks down and realizes she's already made a mistake and she'll need to take the stitches out.
"Mom. Come on," Dominick says, taking a break from his gardening work. He lays the gardening tool he was working with against the wall. "With all the stuff that Raven brought from Sanctum, you don't need to keep repairing that shirt."
"Couldn't hurt though," Emori replies, but she knows he's right. Her hands tend to be sore nowadays too, though she brushes the pain aside. She takes a glance down and muses how her unusual-shaped hand was never an issue for Murphy, never an issue here on Skyring. She hates the idea that her grandson is currently somewhere where things like that could be an issue, could be the difference between life and death.
"Guess you're right. I'm gonna take a break now and get some water. Do you want some?"
Emori nods, and moments later Dominick is back with two canteens filled with cool water. He sits next to her.
"It was hard watching Raven go again, huh?" Dominick asks. He wipes his brow with an old cloth he'd stuffed in his pocket.
"It was," Emori admits. "Seeing Aunt Octavia's reaction was hard too. I guess it wasn't unexpected though."
"Indra's like a mother to her," Dominick says with a shrug. "So maybe she'll be a lot happier there."
Emori nods. "I just wish I knew what Raven will decide. And Breeze."
Those thoughts have been swirling around Emori's mind since Raven and Octavia left. Emori feels that Reyes is right and the portal should be destroyed. She doesn't want to wake up to Wonkru, Sanctumites, or the Eligius people charging through here some day and destroying their peaceful home.
She does want to see Raven and Breeze again though. Raven appeared to be leaning one way, but who knew what she would ultimately decide? Will they really destroy the portal? And if so, would that be enough to lure Breeze into returning? Or would he really forego seeing his family ever again so he can experience the other world?
Rapid footsteps approach and soon Jordan comes into sight. He dashes up to the porch. "They're back!"
Emori jumps to her feet so quickly that she appears to have startled her son. "Who?" she asks. "Who's returned?"
Jordan is smiling broadly. "Raven, Breeze, and one of Gabriel's people. Come on," he says, offering his arm to Emori.
Jordan enjoyed Skyring – and Sunshine's attentions – so much that he never even went back to Sanctum with Raven and Octavia. At last he is living in the peaceful world that his parents sacrificed so much for.
Emori takes his arm and heads in the direction of the trail leading to the lake, where the others are already starting to head. She knows her hearing isn't as good as it once was, but her eyesight is strong. It is indeed as Jordan said. Raven is leading the way, followed by Breeze and a dark-haired man with an expansive beard. Each is carrying several bags. No Octavia.
Emori's hearing is good enough to hear Jordan happily telling the new man, "You're gonna love it here." Emori sees Reyes hug his son, looking overjoyed.
Breeze continues hugging his parents and sister. Emori knows he will get to her sooner or later. Raven rushes up to Emori and gives her a tight hug.
"It's done," Raven says. "No more portal, no more going back and forth. This is it."
"I-I'm so happy that you decided to stay here!" Emori says, for a second getting choked up. "And my grandson decided to return. You will love it here, Raven. I promise."
Raven nods. "I know."
Emori sees that the new man is shaking the others' hands and going through introductions. Raven nudges Emori and says, "Looks like Sunshine isn't the only one who moves fast. Breeze got himself a boyfriend too. He jumped at the chance to come here. His name's Nelson."
Emori peers at him, thinking that perhaps she met him once on Sanctum. She's not sure though; it was just so long ago. She has to smile. Sure, two of her grandchildren have definitely moved fast, but so what? She and Murphy did too, all those years ago. It was the right decision, and she's never looked back.
Emori smiles and watches Raven and Nelson begin to join Jordan in their new life here.
THE END