A/N: Kimora doesn't quite know yet that touching creatures is against the rules. I mean, it's not liek he's ever done it himself, and he wasn't there to see what happened to Toji... better hope Brightmore doesn't catch him! Screw the rules!

In which felt like no time at all, an entire week had passed. Hawkins laid back in the hospital bed, still a little drowsy from the pain medication he'd taken. On one hand, he was kind of guilty that he'd let that thing get away with Hector, and on the other was quietly relieved that he hadn't been caught with his gauntlet when the paramedics had shown up. He barely had time to fully engross himself in this thought before one of the nurses came in telling him that he had a guest. Though barley able to lift hid head off the pillow, he was able to see who it was, and was very shocked by him.

"Ben? I thought you still hated me."

"Not really," Kimora said softly, rocking back on forth awkwardly in the doorframe. He was holding a bouquet of yellow roses, and he kept looking in between them and Hawkins, not really sure what to do next. "I don't think I ever did, I was just kinda… overwhelmed, I guess?" He walked in through the door and gently placed the flowers on a table next to the bed, and knelt down next to it himself.

Aaron smiled at him and attempted to roller over to him while still keeping his arm supported. "Yeah, I'm really sorry about all… that."

"No, I should be the one apologizing! If I'd just told you how I felt before I made a big deal about it, then Hector would still-!"

"Hey, hey!" Aaron said, propping himself up on the arm that was still intact. "That wasn't your fault. None of it was. You've just gotta rethink stuff, and then you'll…" He lost his place, possibly the effects of the medicine kicking in, but continued quickly. "You can still help, y'know?"

"But they…" Kimora leaned closer, not wanting anyone to overhear them. "They took my gauntlet. Ad Nadia's, too! I'm grounded, dude."

"You still have my gauntlet." Aaron said, rolling back on his back. "And the doc says I'll be out by tomorrow, so I can be like a double agent for you! It's up in my room, next to my baseball cards." Kimora, with a sudden rush of exhilaration coming over him, could almost feel the confidence within himself reforming. Yeah, he could totally do this! He could find wherever the Injured Order was hiding out, rescue Hector, and save the realms.

But, there was still one question that he still had. "Wait. Will it even work if I use it?"

"Only one way to find out," Aaron said. "Only one way to find out!"

Meanwhile, Nadia was in a slightly worse mood, and by that, I of course mean she was absolutely miserable. Not only had she lost her gauntlet, but she'd lost her only way to get to the temple. Her own teachers had destroyed it while they thought she was fast asleep. She'd never see Kimora or Aaron or Hector ever again, at this rate, and she could hardly bear it.

Her family had noticed her sudden mood swing as well, which to them, was prompted by nothing much. She refused to eat at times, and barely came out of her room, sometimes sleeping for half the day, or just lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. Though her parents had initially assumed that she was ill with the flu, a trip to the doctors disproved their theory out the gate.

It upset her siblings as well, who had become so accustomed to their baby sister's adventurous attitude that they feared she was dying. They would attempt to speak to her, to ask what was wrong, or to joke around, but nothing ever seemed to get her to open up or even respond to them. Making eye contact, or a slow head nodding was just about as much as she could muster for them, but it wasn't like she was intentionally attempting to make them just as sad as she was.

It was late at night when Nadia's second eldest brother, Erik, came into her room. There she was, as usually she'd been for the past week, curled up into a ball and lying on her bed, facing the wall. She was muttering something to herself that he couldn't quite make out, but he walked over to her bed, and sat beside her. Once she'd realized he was there with her, she stopped murmuring and lay still, as if she were pretending to be asleep.

{Are you feeling any better, sister?}

No response, as usual.

{I, uh, didn't think so. Sorry. It's just that…} He took a deep breath. {This just came out of nowhere! I want to help you with this, if I can. Please, just tell me what's wrong.}

{I don't want to talk about, Erik. Not ever.}

Well, at least she was talking again, he thought. He knew it wouldn't be in his best manners to pry further, so he shifted off the bed, and walked out the door. {Goodnight, Nadia.}He said, and shut the door behind him. Nadia pulled herself out of the fetal position and sniffled a bit as she laid on her back, staring up at the ceiling again.

Something odd, whether it be intuition or a pang of nostalgia (ha— for something so recent) caused her to get up and out of bed to gaze out the window. Most of the snow had melted, but a soft flurry was beginning to remerge through sheer natural willpower. A pit grew in her stomach as she looked over the horizon to see… well, only the horizon, blank and pitch as a canvas sheet.

That is, it was, until a flash of golden light began to shimmer softly. Nadia blinked in confusion and awe, wondering what exactly was going on. Feeling a small sense of déjà vu, she slid on her jacket from the coat hanger on the wall, and quietly went downstairs, as not to wake anybody else up. As she opened the door, the golden light had now taken on the shape of Guardian Ahaal-Tekk, with Kimora seated on top of it, hanging onto its neck for dear life as he attempted to land it in one piece. This invariably failed, and Kimora went flying off the Skyforce Champion, crashing directly into Nadia.

For a few seconds, everything was rushed and awkward as they two disentangled themselves off of each other and off of the floor. But, once they'd regained their bearings, they took one look at each other and tightly embraced, crying tears of joy and just being happy together. Nadia released from the hug, silently shushed Kimora, and guided him out of the house in order not to alert anyone.

"How did you- how did this- you're here?" Nadia gasped, after she'd gotten them out of the house and onto the front yard. "How are you here, I mean?"

"Well, uh, long story, that." Kimora said, shivering a bit. He rubbed his arm from where the torn jacket sleeve didn't cover. "So, let me give you the shorter version. I have my best friend's gauntlet, and a creature whom I have no idea how works, and I'm here to rescue you so that we can rescue Chavez. Does that make sense to you?"

Nadia giggled and smiled, thinking about how much she'd missed the sound of his voice. "I guess so. But, how exactly are we going to find him, or get to him once we have?"

"Well, I was planning on going into the Light Civilization!" Kimora said, grinning broadly. "They have Stalker Spheres of their own, we just need enough information from theirs to help us. As for transportation…" He motioned towards Guardian Ahaal-Tekk. "Our steed awaits us!" He scrambled on top of it, and once he'd gotten his balance, held out his hand to her to take. Though she hesitated a bit, she grabbed it and hopped on, holding onto him tightly as the creature gave a somewhat annoyed neigh and took off.

The snow and wind whipping around them, Kimora attempted to get to a higher spot where they wouldn't be spotted, trying to keep a brave face. Nadia didn't seem to care much, she was back to her normal, cheery self and was enjoying every minute of the ride, laughing loudly as they soared higher. "Hold on!" Kimora yelled, removing his arms from the creature's neck as he sent it away with the two of them still on it.

Though many of her other family members were still fast asleep, Erik Lobachevski had gotten up in the middle of the night to get himself a glass of water, and had noticed Nadia's door was wide open, and her coat was missing. He bolted downstairs, and saw that the door was opened just a crack, and that there was a small puddle from the snow that had been let it. Pulling the door open, he looked out into the dark fields surrounding their house, and saw a set of tiny footprints going out and towards the vast expanse.

{Nadia… I don't know what's gotten into you, but I am staying right here until you get back!}