She had left her world behind. A world that had ostracized her, belittled her, hated her. A world where her own parents disavowed her for what she was, how she loved.

It had almost been a gift to be whisked away by the Timebroker… or rather, Timebreakers. To meet new people, who would forever enrich her life as she defended the multiverse as a member of the Exiles.

Exile. Seemingly a fitting name for someone like her. But with them, she didn't feel exiled at all. They were her family, her closest friends. She would die for them.

And she did.

Her name was Mariko Yashida. She was Sunfire.

She was twenty years old.

On one of those damaged worlds that the Exiles had ventured out to save, she had met the love of her life. Mary Jane Watson, the Spider-Woman of Earth-8545.

It was like nothing Mariko had ever experienced. She was happier than she had ever been. It was a love that spanned worlds, galaxies, universes.

A love so deep that departing that world, a fact of her duty to the Exiles, was probably the hardest thing she'd ever had to do.

They would find their time, find each other again. They would spend two wonderful weeks together, full of joy, love, and bliss.

And that was the last time they would spend together.

In a battle with a madman, Mariko had given her life to save others. She had died a hero. It almost broke her friends and loved ones, especially Morph, who accepted that she would never have romantic feelings for him, but loved her all the same.

The Timebreakers, who charged the Exiles with their duty… a duty to correct their mistakes, had recovered Mariko's body. They kept the dead in crystalline structures out of respect. Remembrance. A reminder of their failures.

The Exiles had a different idea of laying Mariko to rest.

She was buried on that world that had once been ravaged by the Legacy Virus. That world where she met Mary Jane. So her love might visit her again, and pay her final respects. It was what Mariko would have wanted, her team knew that.

And that was the end of her journey. Death was meant to be the end, right?

Well, with superheroes that tended to be a little more complicated.

The Exiles had undergone a lot of hardship. Not just losing Mariko. So many battles. So many changes. People coming, people leaving. People dying. Their membership had changed so many times. Few who knew the original team were left.

But Morph was left. And so was Blink, the leader of that original team.

They had taken on a role of mentoring new recruits into the Exiles, continuing the work of healing worlds through actions, and helping those who joined find an unlikely community. A family.

And in bringing new people from across the multiverse into the fold, they met a man named Peter Parker. He wasn't the first Peter Parker they'd met, but he was certainly unique.

This Peter came from Earth-120703M. On his world, he had lost the love of his wife, a woman named Gwen Stacy. Her dad had perished the year prior helping him. And at the beginning of his journey as the Spider-Man of his world, he had lost his Uncle Ben.

But whereas most versions of Peter Parker simply processed these world-shattering losses and found a way to continue being heroes, this Peter had discovered another chance.

He had created a formula which allowed him to resurrect the dead, triggering a regenerative process for their bodies and minds.

Before he had gotten further than restoring his girlfriend Gwen Stacy, Peter had been whisked from his universe via the Timebreakers' technology and offered membership in the Exiles. Though he wished to continue his work on his world, Peter had shown the formula to Gwen and believed she would continue in his stead, and thus reluctantly agreed.

The dangers of playing God and tampering with how things had unfolded were not lost on the Exiles. Their experiences with the aftereffects of the Timebreakers' mistakes had taught them much about that.

But… the losses they had suffered on their missions. Their friends and loved ones. These were no natural events. These people had been taken from their native universes and thrust into an unnatural situation. And while Blink, Morph, and the others understood the importance of their mission, they knew at every moment that it was very much not how their lives were supposed to go.

The people who had fought alongside them… who had given their lives to safeguard the multiverse… did they not deserve a second chance at a full life?

A vote was held. Ultimately, the team decided that they did.

And the first thing Morph wanted to do was pay a visit to Earth-8545, to see his best friend in all the worlds of the multiverse, and give her that fresh start.

While sudden and jarring at first, renewed life quickly became a joy for Mariko. To see her friends again, to hug them and laugh and listen to their stories. To feel the vigor of being alive again, something she never thought could happen to her.

She felt of course that her sacrifice had been the right thing to do, but that hardly stopped her in reveling in this new chance.

After the celebrations had died down some, Mariko was sitting on a ledge with Morph, making up for lost time.

"So… what are you gonna do now?" He asked her.

Mariko contemplated for a moment. "Well, given which Earth this is, I'd say that's pretty obvious."

"Of course!" Morph agreed. "I just meant like… with your life, I guess. Sorry if that's too big of a question."

"It's… a big one alright," Mariko admitted. "I… I'd love to help the team again, but at the same time, dealing with all that was… I don't know if I can do it anymore, you know? I'll always want to help people, and I'll gladly be on reserve if you need me, but I don't think I can be an Exile again. Not full time."

"I can't blame you for feeling that way," Morph said honestly. "It's been hard from the moment this all started. Things have gotten better but it's still a big job… and it's still dangerous."

"Yeah," Mariko agreed. "I… I think there's only one place I think I can go. And one person I want to spend the rest of my life with."

"I'm sure she'll be more than happy to see you." Morph said with a smile.

Mariko offered one in return. "Yeah… why didn't you bring her here, anyway? I think she deserves to know that you've-"

"She'll know when she sees you again," Morph pointed out. "I just… didn't wanna spoil the surprise, yknow?"

"That's sweet," Mariko complimented. "And hey… thanks for burying me here. If that really had been the end… I can think of nowhere else I'd want to rest."

"Only the best for you, Mariko," Morph replied. "After all, you were the best of us."

"Nah, I think that's you," she argued. "Seriously man, this…. I don't know how to thank you."

"Well… can we still visit?" Morph asked.

"Anytime," Mariko assured him. "I'm gonna… I'm gonna head over to her place now. I think I need a little alone time. She's gonna be so shocked…"

"I'll keep the rest of the gang at bay." Morph offered with a small salute.

"Thanks Morph," Mariko said appreciatively. "You're the best."

Mariko hopped off the ledge and set off towards a humble house in Queens, at Blink's suggestion. She'd made sure to find the right address. Mariko thanked her, before she left.

To see the love that no force in the multiverse would keep her from ever again.

MJ's aunt Anna had passed away about a year or two ago, and left her house to Mary Jane in her will.

It had been hard… MJ had tried to keep her family safe during the Legacy Virus crisis. Her best friend Peter had been lost to the virus itself… and now her aunt was gone.

Still, she found it in herself to carry on. Her world had survived a cataclysm, and so had she. In her mind, that meant that whatever force might be out there wanted her to keep going.

It wasn't enough to make the pains of the past go away entirely. MJ had rarely spoken to most of her friends the past few years, and found herself making fewer quips as Spider-Woman. These days she mostly dealt with criminals without saying a word. She had assisted in another multiversal crisis that affected her fellow Spider-People across all universes, but even meeting others like herself hardly brought the sense of kinship she might've hoped for.

She had been given a communication device in case they ever needed to reach out to her or vice versa, but she made little use of it.

There was one loss that compounded it all. Mary Jane knew this. She would go to her grave when she needed guidance, needed something. Sometimes it helped. Other times she just found herself sobbing.

The question on everyone's minds after the Legacy Virus crisis had ended was "What now". How to continue on with life. How to figure out what "normal" was again.

Mary Jane asked herself those questions every single day.

Even now, as she left her house to buy groceries, those thoughts were pervasive. She found herself looking down at the sidewalk as she moved, the chilly air of this time of the year blowing past her.

She continued on, quiet and solemn, until she felt a sudden warmth. She figured the sun must have changed positions, but it felt closer… and almost familiar.

Mary Jane looked up and there she was, walking towards her.

"M-Mariko….?"

Mariko's eyes lit up when she too realized who was in front of her. Tears of joy began welling up for MJ. Smiles crossed both of their faces.

And then they ran towards each other like they were the only two people in the world.

Mariko and Mary Jane wrapped each in a loving embrace. A hold neither of them ever wanted to loosen again.

Mary Jane pulled back slightly and put a hand on Mariko's face.

"I-Is it really you? H-How?! I never… I never thought I would…"

MJ started crying and she wasn't sure when she would stop. Mariko held back tears of her own for the moment.

"Yes, yes MJ, it's me," Mariko assured her. "How I came back… it's kind of a long story. I'll tell you later."

"That's fine, that's fine," MJ wiped the tears from her eyes. "All that matters is that you're here. I love you."

"I love you too," Mariko said back. "And I promise. This time, I'm here to stay. It doesn't matter what universe I'm from, you are my world, and I don't plan on ever leaving you again."

Those words brought such joy to Mary Jane. To have this love in her life once again had been previously unimaginable.

She struggled to find the words, then remembered something from a few years ago, and smiled once again.

"Far out." She replied.

Then the two star crossed lovers closed in for a kiss. A kiss that would mark a new beginning to their lives.

Mariko Yashida was an "exile" no more.

She was home.