#ciu project

INT. ELYSIAN LODGE RESORT - LOBBY

Several hours later, the sun is just beginning to set outside the windows of the Elysian Lodge’s expansive lobby, which has been completely transformed into an ornate party room, complete with marked-out dance floor in the center of the area. A series of tables laden with food have been set up near the walls, with a haphazard arrangement of various candles scattered around. Craig, dressed in a tight-fitting dress shirt and tie, leads Furball around the room as the little fox freeze a series of impromptu “ice coolers” around the bottles of champagne and other drinks scattered about.

CRAIG: Nice job, little guy!

FURBALL (proudly): Mrrrrrffff!

Raj emerges from the kitchen, dressed in a suit and tie with an apron over it, bringing another food-laden tray out into the lobby. Quinn follows close behind with a tray of desserts, a similar apron to Raj covering her ornate blue dress.

QUINN: Where should I put these?

RAJ: Over here is good!

He indicates a table, and she sets her tray down. Raj looks down at one of the fruit trays and frowns.

RAJ: Hey… has someone been eating all the strawberries?

CRAIG: Don’t look at me… but I think I spotted Alyssa usin’ some strawberries to practice her Time Lord stuff.

RAJ: Aww… (brightens) Ah, never mind! Good for her. If I know anything, it’s that the Time Twins are gonna be the key to getting us out of this place. Besides, there’s still a bunch more fresh strawberries in the kitchen fridge!

FURBALL (excitedly): Ffrrrruuulll!

A few of the Vaanti trickle in, all wearing haphazard mismatches of formalwear. Varyyn, dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, accompanies them.

VARYYN: Hello, Centaurus. I am told today is your people’s New Year celebration. I thank you for inviting us.

Varyyn bows deeply. Raj blushes and laughs.

RAJ: No need to be so formal, Varyyn! You invited us to your festival the other day, the least we can do is return the favor!

Michelle and Ian enter the lobby, chatting animatedly about school. Michelle is wearing a sparkling golden dress, while Ian is dressed in a black tuxedo with matching bowtie.

MICHELLE: --so I think you’d only need one more bio elective if you already finished Genetics and Ecology. And the MCAT, of course, but I’m pretty sure you can take that anytime…

Michelle’s voice trails off as she sees the newly redecorated lobby. Behind her, Sean and Grace walk in, chatting excitedly to one another.

MICHELLE: Wow! Look at this place; Raj, you did all this?

Raj turns and grins broadly at her.

RAJ: Yep! With plenty of help, of course. Quinn here was--

He stops abruptly when he turns and sees Quinn is no longer in the lobby. He frowns, puzzled.

RAJ: …Uh, Quinn was right here a minute ago. Huh.

IAN: This place looks amazing! Perfect for a Raj party!

RAJ: Haha, thanks!

ALYSSA (O.S.): Alright, let’s get this thing started!

Alyssa strides confidently into the lobby, wearing a long white dress with a plunging neckline. Michelle looks her up and down approvingly.

MICHELLE: Wow. Looking good, Alyssa!

ALYSSA: Thanks, Michelle! You too!

Alyssa frowns as she looks around the room, evidently searching for something.

RAJ: Hey, Alyssa, everything okay?

ALYSSA: Yeah, I’m fine, just.. y’seen Top Gun anywhere?

It takes Raj a moment to realize who she is referring to.

RAJ: Oh, you mean Jake? Actually, I haven’t seen him since--

A sudden commotion from the top of the lobby stairs draws Raj’s (and everyone else’s) attention. Emerging from the second-floor hallway, Jake, Estela, Quinn, Diego, Aleister, and Zahra stand on the landing, all fully done-up and impeccably dressed. Alyssa, Ian, Michelle, Varyyn, Grace, and Craig all stare open-mouthed at the sight of their respective significant others, completely lost for words. Estela frowns.

ESTELA: What? What are you all looking at?

RAJ: Hey, there you all are! Come and join the party!

All of them descend the staircase, though Estela is blushing heavily as she does so. She doesn’t look entirely comfortable in her formal dress. When she reaches the bottom of the stairs, she beelines immediately for Ian.

IAN (stunned): I… uh. You. Wow.

ESTELA (shyly): I… I know Raj wanted us to dress up for New Year’s, but I never… really went to big parties or anything. Is this right?

Ian smiles warmly at her as he takes her hand in his.

IAN: More than right. Wow. Uh... I actually can’t even think of any other words right now.

In spite of herself, Estela giggles.

ESTELA: You… uh, you’re looking pretty good yourself.

Ian blushes heavily. Near the back of the room, Raj plugs his phone into the stereo system, but nothing happens. He frowns.

RAJ (frustrated): Damn, and here I thought this would work…

Craig and Zahra approach him.

CRAIG: Man, can’t believe it’s been a whole year already.

ZAHRA (frowning): …It hasn’t. We skipped six months, remember?

CRAIG: Oh. Right. Duh. I knew that!

ZAHRA: Raj, y’need some help?

RAJ: Yeah, I’m tryin’ to get the music working, but…

Zahra takes his phone in her hands and fiddles with it for a few moments. Before long, party music starts playing through the whole resort.

RAJ: Awesome! Thanks, my dudes!

CRAIG: Anytime!

ZAHRA: Craig, you didn’t do anything.

CRAIG: What? Naw, I… uh…

Any retort he may have had is cut short when he looks back at her in her formal dress. Craig can only stare open-mouthed.

ZAHRA: Huh. Guess there may be perks to dressin’ up like this after all…

Zahra playfully reaches out a finger and closes Craig’s mouth for him. Near one of the tables, Jake pours himself a glass of whiskey and raises it into the air.

JAKE: So! Who’s up for a toast?

ALYSSA: Personally, I can’t believe I’m still sober. Drink, please!

ESTELA: What are we having?

Jake grins and glances toward Ian.

JAKE: Why don’t we let Hero Boy pick?

IAN (surprised): I… what?!

ALYSSA (smirks): You heard him, “Hero Boy.”

Ian looks nervously at the assortment of drinks laid out on the table, feeling put on the spot.

IAN: I, uh…

Alyssa nudges him, glancing meaningfully toward the glass of whiskey in Jake’s hand.

IAN: Alright, how about this one?

He grabs a similar glass to Jake and pours himself some whiskey as well, then pours two more glasses for Alyssa and Estela. Estela takes a sniff of her glass and frowns.

ESTELA: What is this? It smells like sawdust.

JAKE: Trust me, there’s an art to whiskey. Now, the key to appreciating it is--

ESTELA: Getting it over with. Cheers.

She clinks her glass against Ian’s and throws back the whiskey. She winces.

ESTELA: It burns.

IAN: That bad, huh? Sorry, I--

ESTELA: Pour me another.

JAKE: Looks like Dragon Rage’s a fan, y’all.

Ian pours Estela another shot of whiskey as the four of them clink glasses and toast to the new year. In another area of the party, Varyyn and a few of his Vaanti warriors sip their own drinks as they chat with Diego, Lila, Raj, and Quinn.

VARYYN: It is interesting that your people count your years. You say this year is…?

DIEGO: Well, in a few more hours, it’s about to be 2018.

RAJ: Y’know what Varyyn here needs? One of those party sunglasses with the year on ‘em. Then he’ll never forget!

He, Quinn, Lila, and Diego burst into laughter. Diego claps Varyyn’s shoulder and pulls him into a hug.

DIEGO: Varyyn, I know you probably don’t get it right now, but we will take a picture next year while wearing those, okay?

VARYYN (warmly): I trust your judgement, my light.

Diego and Varyyn snuggle into one another as Quinn glances wistfully across the room. The camera follows her gaze to where Michelle stands chatting idly with a few of the others…

Some time later, the sun has set and most of the Catalysts are noticeably tipsier than they were previously. Several of the Vaanti warriors excitedly clink glasses of whiskey together with a triumphant cheer, then all down their drinks in one shot as Zahra looks on approvingly after downing her own glass.

ZAHRA: Doin’ great, guys! Now this is a New Year’s party!

Behind her, Aleister takes a seat at the grand piano as Michelle stands beside him. The others all crowd around. Aleister begins to play Auld Lang Syne.

MICHELLE (singing): Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never come to mind…

Aleister accompanies her, infusing each note with a delicate, classical touch. A few people sniff back tears, including Quinn and Grace.

MICHELLE (singing): For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne…

Alyssa looks pensively up toward the ceiling while Jake wraps an arm around her. Estela and Ian look deep into one another’s eyes. Raj sniffs back a tear. As Michelle begins the final part of the song, Quinn stands up and joins her:

MICHELLE AND QUINN (singing): We’ll take a cup of kindness yet, For auld lang syne!

Everyone bursts into applause. Aleister stands and takes a formal bow. Quinn and Michelle look at one another; Michelle is the first to blush and look away. Jake walks up and claps Aleister on the back.

JAKE: Nice job, Schroeder. Didn’t think you had it in you.

ALEISTER: Ah. You are most welcome. I did enjoy that quite--

RAJ: Whoa! Everyone, hold up! I almost forgot; we still gotta sing “Happy Birthday!”

Everyone looks back at Raj. He grins broadly and gestures to the crowd.

RAJ: Dunno if I mentioned it to everyone yet, but with the skip forward in time, we missed a bunch of birthdays! Including Aleister, and the Time Twins here! …Not to mention myself, of course!

He steps between Alyssa and Ian, pulling them both into a group hug.

RAJ: Anybody else we missed? Who’s had a birthday between… uh…

GRACE: June 6th and December 26th!

Aleister, Michelle, Craig, Quinn, Estela, Zahra, Raj himself, and the Czasa twins all raise their hands.

RAJ: Alright, cool! Aleister, if you don’t mind?

He gestures to the piano. Aleister nods and takes his seat once again at the keys.

DIEGO: Are we even allowed to sing it? I heard it was copyrighted--

CRAIG: Who’s gonna stop us, bro? Unless… (completely seriously) Dude, does Rourke own the rights to Happy Birthday? That’d be his most evil plan yet!

Zahra shakes her head and sighs. Aleister begins to play, and everyone else starts singing along, with the Vaanti catching on after the first few bars…

EVERYONE (singing): Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear…

A variety of names are all shouted out at once. Ian makes a point to sing Estela’s name rather than his own, and she likewise sings his name in return. They both smile warmly at one another.

RAJ (excitedly): Dudes, that was flawless! Best birthday song ever!

CRAIG: Ha! Take that, Rourke!

Everyone applauds and hugs one another after the song. Lila stands off to one side, glancing around at the others with a strange expression on her face. She glances around furtively for a moment, then quietly slips upstairs as the others continue celebrating.

SEAN (shouting): Hey! Don’t forget, it’s only a few minutes ‘til midnight!

Everyone startles at this pronouncement, glancing at various clocks… which all show completely different times. Sean shrugs.

SEAN: Well… as close as I can tell, anyway. Who knows on this island?

ALYSSA (laughing): Fair enough. Alright, let’s do this!

RAJ: Craig, you ready for our master surprise?

CRAIG: You know it!

Craig and Raj lead the others up onto the roof of the Elysian Lodge. A large crate full of red flares has been set against one edge of the roof; Craig rushes toward it excitedly with a lighter in his hand.

MICHELLE (worriedly): Uh… guys?

JAKE: Are those flares?

Craig stops and turns around, grinning broadly.

CRAIG: Yup! One of those commando dudes dropped ‘em! Me and Raj thought--

JAKE (fiercely): Don’t you dare light those--

RAJ: Aww, c’mon, don’t ruin our fun! I’d have thought you’d be all about this! What’s the harm in--

Estela crosses her arms and steps closer to Raj, glaring angrily.

ESTELA: So, right now, we’re hiding from a death squad of highly trained, well-armed mercenaries… and your plan is to shoot off a bunch of flares directly over our location.

She holds her death glare on the two of them. There is an awkward silence before Craig and Raj finally glance at each other, both clearly embarrassed.

CRAIG: Okay, when you put it like that…

RAJ: Sorry guys. No fireworks this year.

Raj looks down dejectedly and starts heading toward the stairs, when suddenly:

GRACE: Wait! Look!

Everyone follows her gaze off toward a distant mountain range, where the sky is lighting up in beautiful, otherworldly colors. Jake and Alyssa exchange a shocked glance: the colors are identical to those they had seen during their first day on La Huerta, back at the airstrip.

SEAN: What is that?!

VARYYN: Ah, the Lights of Vaanu. Among our people, they are believed to be a sign of good fortune to come.

JAKE: Dunno about y’all, but I’d say we could definitely use some good fortune right about now.

Raj shrugs.

RAJ: Well, it’s not fireworks, but it’s close enough for me! Fifteen seconds ‘til midnight!

Everyone starts looking around at one another, most of them pairing off: Alyssa with Jake, Aleister with Grace, Craig with Zahra, Diego with Varyyn, and two of the Vaanti with one another. Quinn looks as though she is about to approach Michelle, but shies away at the last minute. Ian nods toward Estela, who approaches him. Ian starts to turn away, when Alyssa not-so-subtly kicks him with her heel, pushing him back toward Estela.

IAN (annoyed): ‘Lyss!

He bumps into Estela, who awkwardly catches him in her arms.

ESTELA: Oh! …Hey.

IAN (awkwardly): …Hey.

Everyone else starts counting down from ten. Ian scratches the back of his neck and glances away from Estela. Alyssa shoots him an “are you kidding me?” glance, while Diego raises his eyebrows so far that they nearly vanish into his hairline. Ian sighs and nods in acknowledgement, then takes a deep breath.

EVERYONE: Five… four… three…

Estela steps close, the brilliant otherworldly lights reflecting in her deep brown eyes as she and Ian gaze at one another.

ESTELA: I…

EVERYONE: Two… one… HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The other couples all pull one another into New Year’s kisses as those who are single celebrate in their own ways. Ian starts to hesitate, then relents and pulls Estela into a deep kiss. When they part, Estela smiles up at him.

ESTELA (laughs): I almost thought I would have to do everything myself. Again.

IAN (laughs): Guess I just thought… I was worried you might not want--

He is interrupted by Estela pulling him back in for another kiss. Elsewhere, near the rooftop jacuzzi, Diego and Varyyn sit side-by-side, just breaking apart from their own midnight kiss.

VARYYN: This tradition of yours. Kissing at midnight.

DIEGO (awkwardly): Well, it’s not exactly my tradition--

VARYYN (warmly): I enjoy it quite a lot. Does it apply only to midnight?

DIEGO: Well, uh, if you’re asking if we can kiss again… I won’t say no.

VARYYN (ecstatic): Wonderful! Then, may I…?

Diego nods, and he and Varyyn kiss once more. In the background, Raj can be seen nodding at the two of them, and Craig groans and hands over some cash. Elsewhere, Jake and Alyssa stand hand-in-hand, gazing off at the multicolored lights.

JAKE: Looks familiar, huh?

ALYSSA: How could I forget? That was kind of a big day for me. Y’know.

JAKE: Why, ‘cuz you met me?

ALYSSA (teasingly): Don’t get too excited, Top Gun. A lot more happened than just that.

JAKE: Alright, answer this: were you really looking at those lights the whole time?

ALYSSA: I--

She laughs and rolls her eyes in tacit admission that her attention had indeed been elsewhere at the time. Jake wraps his arms around her and pulls her in close.

ALYSSA: What do you say we take this somewhere else?

JAKE: What were you thinkin’, Princess?

ALYSSA: Somewhere with a bed, if you know what I mean…?

JAKE: I am never gonna say no to that. Lead on.

Alyssa takes him by the hand and leads him back downstairs. As the night continues on, several other couples do the same. Diego and Varyyn are on their way toward the stairs when Diego stops for a moment near where Ian and Estela are sitting.

DIEGO: Go ahead, Varyyn, I’ll catch up. I’ve just gotta check on something first.

Varyyn nods and continues down the stairs. Diego approaches Ian and Estela, resting a hand on the former’s shoulder.

IAN: What’s up?

DIEGO: Can I talk to you for a sec?

IAN: Uh… sure?

Ian gives Estela an apologetic look, and she nods in response. Diego leads him over to a secluded area of the rooftop and lowers his voice.

DIEGO: You know the night’s not over yet, right?

IAN (genuinely confused): What?

DIEGO: Ian! Seriously! Surely you noticed the other couples heading off, right? Me included?

IAN: Yes… and?

Diego seems to be fighting the urge to facepalm.

DIEGO: You. Estela. Do I need to say anything more?

IAN (nervously): Okay, I get what you’re saying, but… where would we even go? It’s not like the lobby is exactly private, and--

DIEGO: This is a hotel, Ian! Are you kidding right now? All the bedrooms you could possibly want! Just go find one!

IAN (laughs): Alright, alright. I’ll ask her. You know, she might say ‘no’--

DIEGO: With how she’s been looking at you all this time? If she says ‘no,’ I’ll literally eat my shoe. Not even kidding. (sighs) Just ask her, would you?

IAN: Will do, Diego. And thanks for the push.

DIEGO (shrugs): What can I say? It’s kinda my job.

He nods at Ian, then turns to rejoin Varyyn and head back downstairs. Ian steels himself, then heads back toward Estela.

ESTELA: What was that all about?

IAN (awkwardly): Diego. He, uh, not-so-subtly hinted that… we should… y’know, ‘find a bedroom.’

ESTELA (coyly): Oh? And what did you think about that?

Ian scratches the back of his neck awkwardly.

IAN: Well, uh… if you said ‘no,’ I’d definitely understand--

ESTELA (genuinely confused): …Why would I say ‘no?’

IAN: Dunno, guess I just thought--

She holds a finger up to his lips and smiles.

ESTELA: You think too much.

With a wink, she takes him by the hand and leads him downstairs…

_______________________

Note: If anyone was wondering, Ian was born at 11:59 PM December 31st, 1995, and Alyssa was born at 12:01 AM January 1st, 1996.

Next: The Fourteenth Vaalta (Coming soon!)

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EXT. LA HUERTA - NIXEBEG REGION - EVENING

It is almost impossible to see anything in the severe blizzard that now blows around the Catalysts and their Vaanti escorts as they make their way steadily northward. Almost everyone is wincing and struggling against the fierce winds and pounding snowfall… all except Furball, who freely skips ahead of the others.

FURBALL (happily): Mrrrmph! Murrrrr!

Then, Furball abruptly stops. The little fox-like creature raises his head, sniffing cautiously, before turning back to look concerned at the others.

FURBALL: …Mrroo?

QUINN: Huh? What’s wrong, little guy?

Estela holds up a hand, stopping everyone else in their tracks. The others look at her, confused.

ESTELA: Someone’s there.

Ian and Alyssa look ahead, where the faint outline of a human silhouette can barely be seen amid the white haze. This is REX LUNDGREN, Jake’s former commander, although he is unrecognizable at this time. The Catalysts and the Vaanti stay silent, struggling to keep quiet as a small circle glows red near the outline’s face. An angry, deep voice shouts over the howling blizzard:

LUNDGREN (angrily): McKenzie! Where are you, ya miserable pile of shit?!

At a look from Estela, the others remain silent, though Jake is visibly struggling with some internal conflict. The voice calls out once again:

LUNDGREN (mockingly): Your family’s disappointed in you, McKenzie! First you sold American arms to a foreign dictator, then you resisted arrest, then took yourself off the grid…

Alyssa looks at Jake with surprise. Jake shakes his head frantically, motioning her to stay quiet.

LUNDGREN: Had to break the news to your mama myself. (mockingly) “Sorry ma’am, your son betrayed his country and endangered his fellow soldiers!” Then I held her. As she cried hysterically. Least I could do--

JAKE (seething with rage): Don’t. You. DARE!

Jake finally snaps and lunges toward the voice!

JAKE: Lundgren! Where the hell are you?! Come fight me face-to-face, you piece of--

LUNDGREN: C’mon, where’s the fun in that? As much as I’d love to catch up on old times…

Jake is sent sprawling face-first in the snow as Lundgren draws close enough for Jake (and the audience) to make out his scowling, bald face, as well as the elaborate powered exoskeleton he wears. Lundgren plants a boot on Jake’s back and aims a pistol at his head.

LUNDGREN: You’re dead either way. But if you don’t want your new friends to get hurt… you’d better tell ‘em to come out and surrender.

JAKE (spits): Go to hell, Lundgren.

Estela hisses, her voice so low it’s barely a whisper:

ESTELA: Ian, he’s on his own, I can take him easily. If Jake keeps him distracted for a few more minutes, I’ll just--

LUNDGREN: Arachnids! Into position!

Lundgren gestures with his free hand, and a series of armored Hummers suddenly come roaring over a nearby ridge. Soldiers in face concealing high-tech powered armor emerge from the vehicles, readying their rifles. For the first time since arriving on La Huerta, Estela looks truly nervous.

ESTELA: Uh…never mind.

RAJ: You’ve gotta be kidding me!

DIEGO (terrified): A whole army of evil Master Chiefs is not something I wanna deal with!

JAKE (struggling): Princess, it’s me he wants! Get outta here, all of you!

ALYSSA: No way, Top Gun! I can’t leave you!

MICHELLE: Seriously, Alyssa? You’re doing this now?!

FURBALL: Hff-huff!

Furball suddenly darts forward toward Lundgren! Startled, Lundgren pulls the trigger… but Furball blows a beam of ice from his mouth, fully encasing the gun in ice and causing it to misfire!

LUNDGREN: Stupid dog! All of you, fire!

CRAIG: Get ‘em!

Craig, Zahra, and Sean start pelting Lundgren and the other soldiers with a series of hard-packed snowballs they had been gathering during the previous confrontation. Lundgren grunts in pain.

VARYYN: Warriors, loose arrows!

Varyyn’s scouts draw their bows and fire at the soldiers! Bullets ring out across the canyon, most of the shots going wide. One Vaanti scout goes down as the other Vaanti and the Catalysts sprint toward a nearby outcropping of rocks.

LUNDGREN: Find them! They can’t have gone far!

Concealed by the blinding snow, the Catalysts wait with bated breath as several Arachnid soldiers march around them. One of the soldiers, a woman codenamed FIDDLER, calls out:

FIDDLER: Damn it! Lundgren, are you sure Wolf’s even here? I can’t see shit in this blizzard!

LUNDGREN: He’s here, all right! Had ‘im in my sights before that damned raccoon got in my way!

Another Arachnid, a man codenamed TETRA, responds:

TETRA: Want me to break this ice? I can definitely do that!

LUNDGREN (angrily): And drown us all in the process? No, Tetra! (to himself, annoyed) Why am I surrounded by idiots?

The footsteps recede, headed away from where the Catalysts and Vaanti are hiding. After a few tense moments, Alyssa lets out a huge sigh of relief.

ALYSSA: Okay, are they gone? Because that was literally the most terrifying moment of my life.

JAKE: I think we’re safe. Listen, Princess, I never meant to get you--

ESTELA: Can we do this later? We need to find shelter, right away! Those soldiers may be gone, but we still have no food, no shelter, and barely any drinkable water, remember?

VARYYN: Draco speaks true. We must find shelter immediately. Catalysts, are any of you capable of overcoming the Hydra’s security?

ZAHRA: What, you mean Rourke? Yeah, we’ve beaten that before thanks to Aleister here--

Varyyn visibly brightens.

VARYYN: Excellent! In that case, I know the perfect destination. Come, Catalysts, follow me!

SEAN: Uh, Varyyn? I can barely see you…

DIEGO: I’ve got his hand! Follow my voice!

RAJ: Okay!

DIEGO: C’mon, this way, guys!

As Diego continues to call out, one-by-one the other Catalysts manage to find him and Varyyn and begin following them through the blizzard. After a few minutes of walking, Craig shouts:

CRAIG: Whoa! I think that’s a building over there!

VARYYN: Indeed, Ursus. We have reached another of the Hydra’s caches… and if your--er, if Corvus is correct, we may be able to access this one.

They all draw closer as the blizzard begins to gradually subside. A large ski lodge looms up in front of them. A sign nearby reads “ELYSIAN LODGE RESORT.” Sean frowns in puzzlement.

SEAN: Another resort? All the way up here?

LILA (brightly): Yes, of course! The Elysian! We’re saved!

ALEISTER: Oh, thank goodness. Quickly, let us get inside!

He darts ahead of the others, resting a hand on the doorknob at the entrance. Nothing happens at first, and he frowns as the others arrive.

ZAHRA: What are you waitin’ for, an invitation? Open it up!

ALEISTER: Yes, of course. Just one moment…

He glances down at his palms, as though some secret will reveal itself there. With an annoyed huff, Estela slams a fist against the door as Aleister tries the doorknob once again. This time, he is greeted with a click as the lock opens. He turns the handle and opens the doors, revealing a cozy lobby a bit smaller than the Celestial’s, with an ornate double staircase leading up to the second floor. The others all file in, gaping in wonder at their surroundings.

VARYYN: So this is what the Hydra was keeping from us all this time…

CRAIG: Holy shit, this is awesome!

ZAHRA: Point me to the nearest couch. I’m practically unconscious already.

QUINN: Wow! Look at this place!

Everyone quickly files in, grabbing the first couches, armchairs, or rugs they can find to fall asleep on. Alyssa practically collapses onto a couch nearby; Jake takes a seat beside her, stroking her hair gently.

JAKE: Princess… listen. I’m sorry--

Alyssa waves a hand dismissively and yawns.

ALYSSA: Right now, I’m tired. Whatever’s goin’ on, you can tell me in the morning. Okay?

Jake smiles and shakes his head in amusement, taking her hand and giving it a squeeze.

JAKE: Alright. ‘Night, Princess.

ALYSSA (sleepily): ‘Night, Top Gun.

Alyssa flops face-first onto her couch. Jake sighs, lost in thought. Then he shrugs and leans back against the couch, closing his eyes. In no time at all, the two of them are sound asleep.

_______________________

Next: Any Port in a Storm

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Ian Czasa had been trapped in the Prism Realm–or, as the local Atiin called it, Jhi’il-tar–for exactly five years now. Five years since he’d last seen another human being aside from his twin sister Alyssa and the other girl who’d been trapped here with them, Sasha Stevens.

Five years since the last time he’d seen Estela.

It wasn’t fair. It hadn’t been more than a day since the two of them had pledged their lives to each other in the heart of the Vaanti city of Elyys’tel… hardly a day that they’d been able to spend together before fate so cruelly yanked he and his sister away from Earth, probably forever.

No. Not “fate.” Fate hadn’t set up that impossible choice he and Alyssa had been forced to make. That was… well. Complicated. Some days, he thought about Everett Rourke, the man who’d been driven so insane with power and fear that he’d threatened to rewrite all of reality to suit his mad whims. Other times, Ian blamed his parent, Vaanu, who’d created him and Alyssa so long ago while knowing full well, given their power over time, that such a choice would eventually come to pass. That he and Alyssa would find love, only to have it cruelly snatched away from them at the last moment. Still other times, Ian found it easy to blame the Endless Ones: the alternate versions of himself and Alyssa, who’d orchestrated things behind the scenes across countless time loops, all because they’d faced the very same impossible choice and hesitated rather than commit to an action.

But mostly, Ian just blamed himself. If Ian hadn’t met her… hadn’t let himself grow close to her… hadn’t fallen in love with her… he wouldn’t have hurt her so badly when he was forced to leave Earth forever. It was his fault, in the end. He should never have… shouldn’t have… he just hoped Estela had moved on with her life. That she was happy. She deserved that. Deserved someone who… someone who was normal, and kind, and human, who wouldn’t suddenly vanish through a portal the day after their wedding. All the time power in two worlds couldn’t undo that. He hissed in frustration as he slammed a fist against the wall of the small dwelling he’d been living in, then slumped down to the floor, his head in his hands.

Ian was so lost in his own thoughts that he didn’t even hear his sister calling his name, until his door shimmered with time energy for a moment before abruptly “rewinding” itself open. He looked up to see Alyssa frowning at him, her arms crossed. “Hey! Are you deaf?” she asked.

“Nah, I was just… uh. Sorry.”

“Geez, I’ve been shouting your name for the past few minutes. Vaanu’s looking for us.”

“Oh. Okay. Guess I’ll… get ready.”

Alyssa softened when she caught sight of Ian’s red face and downcast expression. “Oh. Hey… sorry. Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine…” He sighed and shook his head; there was no point in lying to his sister. “No. I’m not fine. You know what today is, right?”

“Of course: five years. Five years since…” She shook her head. “I was crying my eyes out earlier today. I miss Jake. I miss everyone. So, so much.”

She crossed over to him and pulled him into a soft hug. He sniffed once. “I… ‘Lyss, I should’ve done something. We could’ve… if we’d just…”

“Don’t you start that. This was not our fault. We were stuck with an impossible choice, and we chose–”

“I shouldn’t have ever met her. Shouldn’t have put her through–”

“No. No, Ian. You stop that right now. Understand? If you gotta be mad at someone, blame Rourke. Or Vaanu, even, if that helps… Lord knows I’ve done that enough already that they wouldn’t be too surprised.”

That got a weak chuckle from Ian: he remembered all too well Alyssa’s uncontrolled time-rage against Vaanu that she’d unleashed shortly after arriving in the Prism Realm. “I’ll pass, thanks. I just… I hope wherever everyone is, they’re happy. She’s happy.”

“I know. It’s not easy… but it is what it is. What else can we do besides just move forward?” She paused and smirked faintly at him. “Y’know, I think my brother might’ve said that to me more than once.”

He sighed and pulled back, letting out a soft laugh. “Ha. Yep. Time to start taking my own advice, I guess.”

She nodded toward the gleaming red-and-gold Armor of Perseus that had been stacked haphazardly in one corner. “Exactly. Now suit up, Hero Boy. Vaanu’s got a mission for us… and I get the feeling they think our armor might help.”

He nodded. “Meet you there. I just… I need a minute.”

She nodded in understanding. “Take your time. See you at the Chamber.”

With that, she turned and left the building, leaving Ian alone with his thoughts. He crossed over to the set of armor and began putting it on. Whatever Vaanu needed them for, it was at least something to do… and he really needed the distraction.

~ ~ ~

“My children,” said Vaanu, their ethereal form briefly glowing the brilliant bluish-white that signified happiness. Around the three of them, dozens of other Atiin–showcasing an incredible array of different forms–moved to and fro, most of them ignoring the twins completely. Early on, the presence of humans would draw countless stares, but by now it had become so routine that Ian and his sister barely warranted a passing glance. “I have been in deep conversation with Tua’an and the others. The Fractures are increasing in frequency… and the outskirts are being overrun with the Dimensional Beasts’ emergence. Sasha is already assisting with one of them on the far side of the city. There is another rather large Fracture that has appeared roughly seven liree past the city’s main gate. I will need–”

“You want us to take care of it, I’m guessing?” interrupted Alyssa. “No worries, we’ve got this. Right, Ian?”

Ian shrugged and gave his parent a firm nod. Vaanu’s aura brightened once more. “Excellent. You both have grown so much… I have nothing but confidence that together, you will be able to handle this. Now, go… and may Time be ever at your side!”

Together, Ian and his sister turned and left the Chamber, heading out into the city proper… and beyond, toward the Dimensional Fracture they had been tasked with closing.

~ ~ ~

“Looks like we found our Fracture,” Alyssa remarked as they crested a hill and spotted the swirling vortex of energy in the valley beyond, with all manner of strange and violent beasts pouring out of it. At the far edge of the valley, another figure too distant to make out was already fighting off a few of the creatures. “Wait. They sent one warrior against all that?! No wonder Vaanu wanted us to help out.” She turned to look over at her brother. “So, any ideas?”

“Remember that mini-Fracture we took down in the Prism Forest? Same idea,” Ian suggested. “Fight our way down to the portal itself, then sandwich it between us and squish it away.”

“Works for me.” Alyssa took only a second to concentrate, summoning twin vortices of swirling time energy in her palms. Ian followed suit a moment later, then together, they turned to face the growing horde of Dimensional Beasts below. “Alright, let’s do this!”

Side-by-side, brother and sister charged down into the valley. At first, none of the Beasts noticed their approach; most of them were too busy mindlessly flailing at the dirt and rocks around them or were already battling their other opponent on the far side of the Fracture. But as the twins drew closer, several of the Beasts looked up and began charging in their direction. “Here they come!” Ian called out.

“No shit, genius!” Alyssa snarked back as she sent a net of time energy out toward one of the beasts, enveloping it completely.

One of the Beasts–a six-legged alligator-like creature–charged straight toward Ian, its jaw opening wide. Ian sidestepped at the last second, allowing it to barrel past him. Before the beast could reorient itself, he caught it in his own net of time energy, lifting it into the air–then was suddenly slammed from behind by another creature, forcing him to drop the net! “Oof!” he called out as he turned to face the new threat. This one was bipedal with a more dinosaur-like appearance, but with arms significantly longer and more muscular. It reared back and prepared to grab him, but he leaped out of the way, sending twin blasts of energy toward the ground to propel him higher. While still in mid-air, he sent out two energy nets that caught both the dinosaur and the alligator, then slung them together, knocking the two beasts’ skulls into each other with a CRACK! They fell to the ground, both unconscious, as Ian landed on a third creature’s head, knocking that one out cold as well.

He leaped off of the downed Dimensional Beast, casting his gaze around the battlefield–he’d become separated from Alyssa, who was still fighting her way toward the Fracture. He grunted, then charged straight toward her and the Fracture, tossing a few more Beasts out of the way as he did so. One of them, he even managed to sling all the way back through the Fracture itself. “Three points,” he muttered to no one in particular as he fought to rejoin his sister.

“Hey, slowpoke! What are you doing way over there? You’re missin’ all the fun!” Alyssa called out even as she sent a large yeti-like creature sailing over his head, landing on top of another Dimensional Beast. “You ready to help close this thing, or what?”

Ian sent another Beast sprawling with a prism-enhanced kick. “Yeah, if these things would leave us alone for five seconds, that’d be great,” he remarked as two more Beasts came at him from either side. “This is getting ridiculous!” He caught both of them in time energy, then sent them ‘rewinding’ backward until they seemingly moonwalked themselves straight back through the Fracture.

“Think we should switch to the old divide-and-conquer? Worked last time,” Alyssa suggested as she performed a Prism jump straight upward, then came down on another Dimensional Beast and sent its face slamming straight into the dirt.

Ian lifted another Beast with his powers, then gestured palm-out at the suspended creature, sending it flying into a group of its fellows and scattering them like bowling pins, forming a momentary clearing in the battle. He glanced across the way for a moment, where the other fighter was still holding their own against the Beasts. “Not yet, ‘Lyss, I was thinking we should–”

Then for just a brief moment, he caught sight of the other combatant at the far side of the valley… and his words caught in his throat.

He was vaguely aware that Alyssa was shouting his name, even while she fought off another wave of Dimensional Beasts, but she could’ve been screaming in his ear and he wouldn’t have noticed. Because, for just a brief moment, before more Dimensional Beasts had obstructed his view again, he’d recognized the other fighter. Not just in appearance, either: at that distance, with all the chaos of battle, any vaguely human-shaped figure looked the same as another if he was being completely honest. But the way that she moved, the way she fought… the fact that she was using spears at all rather than some fancy powers or A’atenic weapon… it all pointed to one obvious conclusion.

But it was too good to be true. Wasn’t it? He had to be sure.

“...Alyssa?” he asked, barely recovering his senses in time to throw up a Prism shield, blocking a charging rhinoceros-like Beast.

“Yes, that is a big angry rhino, thanks for noticing,” Alyssa snarked. “Glad you’re done staring at nothing. Help out, would you?”

She kicked another creature in his direction; he caught it in a Prism field and used it as a club to slam into the rhino creature. “Alyssa,” Ian said, with all of the seriousness he could muster. “This is important. Can you get a good look at… the person over there, helping out? Tell me I’m not crazy? It’s not a hallucination, or another test?”

She spared a moment to look over at him, confused. “...What?”

“Just do it, would you? Please. I have to know–”

Alyssa rolled her eyes and sent a series of tiny biting lizards scattering in all directions like the world’s strangest whirlwind. “Fine, whatever,” she sighed, taking advantage of the momentarily cleared “launchpad” of open space around her to perform another Prism Jump. She alighted on a nearby spire of rock and crystal before performing another Jump from there.

With Alyssa gone, the Beasts all began converging on Ian. He lifted one and slung it in a wide arc, momentarily driving its fellows back, then sent the captured beast soaring through the air to fall neatly through the Fracture. He watched his sister out of the corner of his eye. He had to know. If he alone had seen her, he could chalk it up to wishful thinking… but if Alyssa saw…

Alyssa slammed down into the center of a large cluster of Dimensional Beasts, kicking up purple dust in all directions and momentarily obscuring everything around the twins. As the dust cleared, Ian looked over at his sister… who was staring at him, her eyes wide and her mouth agape. “Holy… holy shit,” she said. “Ian, you’re not crazy. I saw her. That’s Estela!”

At that moment, he knew. Had Estela been another Prism illusion, a test for the two of them like the countless others they’d faced since being trapped in the Prism Realm, Alyssa would instead have seen Jake in her place. The fact that she, too, saw Estela… “She’s real,” he gasped, barely recovering his senses in time to join forces with his sister, the two of them working together to send a massive sluglike creature soaring high into the air in an arc that would carry it back through the Fracture. “It’s her. I can’t… I don’t…”

A thousand emotions seemed to flicker across Alyssa’s face, something which was no doubt reflected on Ian’s own face at the same time. Then she glanced away for a moment, taking a deep breath, before returning her attention to her brother. “Well, what are you waiting for?” she asked him. “Go help her out!”

“Are you sure?” asked Ian, kicking another Beast into Alyssa’s path, which she caught neatly in a Prism field before catapulting it clear out of the valley. “What about you?”

“Geez, you waited five years, Ian. Just do it! I’ll shut the Fracture, then come help you two mop up the stragglers.” She turned and gathered twin swirls of energy in her palms, before flinging them outward, sending multiple Beasts flying and creating a small open area of ground in front of Ian. “There. One launchpad, ready for business. Now go!” She paused for a moment, smirking at him. “Say hi to my sister-in-law for me, would ya?”

He paused for only a moment to smile gratefully at his sister, nodding once before turning back toward the makeshift ‘launchpad’ she’d provided him. Concentrating, gathering Prism energy to a level he’d never done before, he focused and unleashed it all toward the ground below him, sending him soaring high over the battle, straight toward Estela. As he descended, he saw that Estela had been backed against a rocky, crystalline spire. Two spears of high-tech steel flashed in her hands, bringing Dimensional Beasts down one after another, but more kept coming. He targeted the center of the pack of creatures at the edge of his jump radius, gathered Prism energy in his palm, and struck true. The Beasts were sent flying in all directions. Ian picked himself up from the ground… and then he and Estela caught each other’s gaze.

For a moment, time seemed meaningless. He couldn’t have said how long he and Estela simply gazed into one another’s eyes, their mouths agape: it could have been seconds, or hours, or heck, another five years for all he knew. Somehow, despite no words passing between them in that moment, they both understood. It was Finally and I’ve missed you and Thank God and You’re beautiful and countless unspoken questions and phrases between the two of them, all at once. For that moment, for just a brief moment, it felt as though nothing could come between them.

Then a giant angry scorpion decided to come between them. It lashed out with its tail, and Ian caught it in a prism-field and angrily shoved it aside. He’d waited five years. All the Dimensional Beasts in the multiverse weren’t going to keep him and Estela apart any longer. A flying reptilian creature dive-bombed him, and he leaped aside, ducking and rolling. As he came up, he briefly caught a glimpse of Estela again: she’d charged back into battle with renewed fury, battling Beast after Beast like they were nothing. Slowly but surely, the two of them fought their way toward one another, Ian’s powers and Estela’s spears carving identical paths through the melee.

A large reptilian creature lunged at Ian with its massive jaws, and he threw up a Prism shield to block it–and at the same time, Estela deflected the same blow with a shield projected from one of her spears. At long last, after all this time… they were side-by-side once more. Without any need for words, Ian and Estela locked eyes, then shut their eyes tightly… and when their eyes opened again, the battle-bond forged over thousands of looping timelines on La Huerta activated once more. For the two of them, it was like water for someone dying of thirst, oxygen for a drowning sailor, food for someone on the verge of starvation… they’d been deprived of the bond’s sensation for so long that to experience it again was pure euphoria. As one, they faced the reptile and the hundreds upon hundreds of its fellow Dimensional Beasts.

Less than five minutes later, it was all over.

Every last one of the creatures had either been driven back through the Fracture or were lying dead or unconscious around them. Ian and Estela looked at each other, both panting heavily, as the battle-bond dissipated. Ian was vaguely aware of his sister finishing her task of shutting the Fracture in the distance, but that didn’t matter to him at the moment. One hundred percent of his attention was focused on the woman beside him.

She was panting heavily, her skin and clothing scratched and torn from battle in dozens of places. Her hair was a mess, held back haphazardly by what looked like a makeshift hair tie made of some kind of plant material. She was completely drenched in sweat, and had clearly not had access to deodorant or a shower in several days. She was limping heavily on her right leg.

She was the most beautiful being Ian had ever seen.

For several moments, neither of them said a word. Then, finally, Estela looked him up and down, nodding approvingly. “You’ve… upgraded,” she said, smiling softly at him.

He smiled back. “So have you,” he said, gesturing to her new spears.

Then they pulled each other into a tight embrace that quickly turned into a deep kiss, that turned into an even deeper kiss… five years’ worth of heartbreak and loss and desperation and desire all wrapped into one moment.

~ ~ ~

Somewhere between a few minutes and an eternity later, Alyssa coughed. “A-hem,” she said. “You two gonna come up for air anytime soon?”

The two of them broke apart in a flash, looking at Alyssa with matching deer-in-headlights expressions. Alyssa couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, man, you should see your faces! Seriously, though, keep kissing. I don’t care, you two have earned it.”

“Well, this just got way more awkward now. Thanks, ‘Lyss,” Ian said sarcastically.

“I mean, I was gonna help mop up the rest of the Beasts, but… seems you two had that covered already.” She gestured at the dozens upon dozens of dead or unconscious Dimensional Beasts littering the valley before turning back and awkwardly waving at Estela. “Hey, sis. It’s been a while.”

“Alyssa!” Estela hugged her briefly. “It has been a while. We… we all have a lot to catch up on, it seems.”

“You got that right,” Ian said.

Alyssa was looking this way and that around the valley, apparently searching for something. Ian quickly put two and two together. Frowning, fearing the worst, he asked Estela gently, “Uh… ‘Stel? If you’re here… where’s Jake?”

Alyssa’s eyes went wide. She stared at Estela, awaiting her answer with bated breath and clearly fearing the worst. Estela noticed her expression and smiled reassuringly. “He’s fine. He’s okay,” she informed her, and Alyssa let out the breath she had been holding. “That portal I came through… he’s keeping it open for us. Long story short, Rourke has control over the Earth side.”

If Ian had been drinking anything, he would’ve spat it out at that moment. “Wait, what?!”

“Oh, come on!” groaned Alyssa. “Everything we went through, and he’s still not in prison?!”

“Well, he was,” Estela clarified. “He escaped. And now he’s got an army of nearly-invincible robot people and… well, whatever he’s trying to do, it can’t be good.”

“He has what now?” asked Ian. “How did you manage to–”

Estela shook her head. “Wasn’t just us. We had help. If it hadn’t been for the superheroes and elemental wizards and the other robot helping us out–”

“Wait, the what?!”

Estela laughed in spite of herself. “You two have… missed a lot.”

“You don’t say,” snarked Alyssa. “Even with five years, we didn’t expect–”

“Wait. Five years?” asked Estela.

Ian looked at her. “Yeah… that’s how long we’ve been stuck here. Why?”

Estela frowned. “That’s not right. It’s only been a year since… since the top of the Celestial.” She held onto Ian tighter as she said this, as though afraid that simply by talking about that night, she might lose him again. “Actually, today marks exactly one year since…” She hesitated. “Since it happened.”

Alyssa and Ian exchanged a glance. “Prism time,” Ian said, breathing a huge sigh of relief. “So it wasn’t as long for you… thank God for that. I was so scared… I thought I’d left you alone for… for five years…”

He shut his eyes tightly to ward off the tears. Estela took hold of his head and made him look at her. “I know. I know… but listen, Ian. We’re here. We’re together. And nothing, not Rourke, not any Prism being, not any force on Earth–or off it,” she added quickly, “nothing is ever going to separate us again. Not like this. Do you understand? I will personally fight whatever tries to–”

Her last statement had the intended effect: Ian couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t doubt that for a second, Estela,” he told her sincerely. He kissed her again, shorter this time.

“That’s great and all,” Alyssa said. “You two may be able to survive on love alone, but I am still a being who requires food and water and stuff. Can we take this someplace else? Like, not a barren valley filled with dead Dimensional Beasts?”

Estela and Ian exchanged a glance, then both started laughing. “Sure, ‘Lyss, how about the city?” said Ian, still laughing.

“I don’t even know why we’re laughing,” Estela remarked. “It’s just… I never thought this day would come. I’m… I’m just… so happy.”

The three of them began walking back in the general direction of the Atiin city when a thought occurred to Alyssa. “Hey, you two,” she said. “I’ve got something that’s… well, either adorable, hilarious, or really weird depending on how you look at it. Estela, you said today’s exactly one year from the day… that happened, right?”

“Yes…” said Estela, clearly unsure where her sister-in-law was going with this.

“And that happened the day after our handfastings, right?”

“Yes…” Then it hit her. She gazed at Ian in wonder. “A year and a day.”

“No way,” Ian gasped. “It really is.” He squeezed Estela’s hand as they continued toward the city. “‘A year and a day…’” he muttered, quoting the words that the Vaanti had spoken to them at their handfasting.

“‘...And from then, ‘til forever,’” Estela finished.

And at that moment, Ian Czasa didn’t care what awaited them in the future. Whether it was Rourke, or ten thousand Dimensional Fractures, or some other unknown threat… he knew that with himself and Estela working side-by-side, they could overcome anything. For the first time in five years (to him, anyway), his future felt… hopeful.

————————–

Note: At long last, it's the reunion story I've been wanting to write for ages! The actual story once I get around to it in the CIU proper will be written from Estela's perspective, hence why I decided to tell it from the twins' perspective here. And yes, Alyssa does reunite with Jake later that very same day, once they dive back through the portal to the other side!

Fiora Luxen dismounted from the air taxi, alighting neatly on the residential street near Pennelia’s city center. She smiled and waved cheerfully at the Air-Att pilot, reaching into her bag to hand him some money.

The pilot shook his head, pushing the money away. “Wouldn’t dream of charging the Bridger of Realms!” he said frantically. “Please, please, keep it! The ride’s on me!”

Fiora shrugged. “Suit yourself, then. Oh! Whoops!” She made a show of allowing her money to fall from her hand, where it was picked up in the vortex of gently swirling winds that made up the air taxi. “Looks like I ‘accidentally’ dropped all this money into your air taxi. Oh well!” Before the pilot could object further, she turned and started heading toward the nearest house on the street. The pilot stared after her for a moment before making a few quick gestures with his arms, causing his wind vortex to lift him up into the sky, on his way toward his next passenger.

The house Fiora approached was an ornate, lavish one. Even among the many extravagant homes on the street, this one stood out from the others. Personally, Fiora thought it was a little much, but it made her wife Shreya happy, and that was enough. Besides, she admitted to herself, it’s kinda growing on me. Not that she’d ever tell Shreya, of course.

The front door was just as fancy and decorated as the rest of the house, though it conspicuously lacked a handle. This was by design. Fiora reached out an arm, allowing her palm to rest on the front of the door. She closed her eyes for a second, allowing the tiniest burst of Fire Stoichi to gather in her palm. The moment the door’s ward detected her energy, it swung open all on its own. It was only a token security measure–if any would-be criminals wanted to get in, all they’d need was a single Fire-Att among their number–but no one would be dumb enough to attack the home of not one, but two Heroes of Cordonia. Obviously.

Fiora stepped over the threshold into the foyer, and was immediately greeted by a whispered “Shh!” from Shreya, walking slowly down the stairs, a soundly sleeping Priyanka held in her arms. Fiora nodded in acknowledgement, making every effort to set her bag down as quietly as possible so as not to disturb their daughter. At not-quite-two years old, it was very difficult to get the little girl back to sleep once she’d awakened, as her two mothers had learned the hard way on more than one occasion. Shreya approached and gave Fiora a light peck on the cheek, maneuvering to avoid jostling the little one too much. “How was work, ma charmante epouse?” she asked in a whisper.

“Not much to say,” Fiora whispered back. “Pretty normal. How’s our little girl?”

“She was a handful all day, I can tell you that much. Finally got her to sleep. I’d like to keep her that way for a little while yet.”

“I’ll be quiet.”

“I’ll take her back upstairs. You’d better eat something, promise me?”

Fiora smiled. “Of course, love. I promise.” Shreya smiled back before turning to head back upstairs to allow little Priyanka a little more time to sleep. Fiora tiptoed back through the hall into the kitchen. “Now that I think about it… I really am hungry,” she whispered to herself. Normally, the problem would be solved the way it always was: a quick Summon request, followed by the food instantly appearing in their home a few seconds later. Though, given the loud thunderclap sound that always accompanied a Summon, that wasn’t exactly an option while Priyanka still slept. Instead, she settled for the traditional Tuneless method: staring at the inside of the fridge, hoping something she had a taste for could be found.

She was just starting to consider walking outside and requesting a Summon from the other side of the street, hoping the distance would be enough to ensure the little one kept sleeping, when Fiora was abruptly startled by her phone ringing. Her normal, Tuneless phone. (Setting the network up for reception in the Stoicheal Realm had been a logistical nightmare, but they’d managed.)

Frowning, she closed the fridge and fished her phone out of her bag. It wasn’t something she checked much. After all, most of her friends were Attuned like herself, and they had plenty of easier ways to get in touch with her. The only people she really stayed in touch with on the other side of the mirror… wait. She did a double-take at the name on her phone’s screen.

Estela?!

Alright, that was definitely unusual. Estela barely used her phone as it was; why she would be giving her a call out of nowhere, Fiora had no idea. Curious, and more than a little nervous about what terrible news her fellow Hero of Cordonia might be bringing, she answered the call right away. “Uh… hello? Estela–?”

A loud burst of static answered her, and Fiora quickly jerked her phone away from her ear. Behind the static, she could barely make out a high-pitched voice shouting, “Mama! No, no!”

Then Estela’s voice: “I– Ian, stop her!”

Then Fiora’s friend Ian, Estela’s husband: “I’ve got her. Olivia! Olivia, please!” Followed by the telltale sound of a stoicheal technique being used, along with a few more smaller bursts which to Fiora’s ears sounded wild and uncontrolled.

Finally, the static receded. “Fiora?” came Estela’s voice over the phone. “You’re still there?”

“Yeah, I’m here,” Fiora responded, keeping her voice as quiet as possible.

“Sorry about that. Listen, we’re having a crisis. The Servis tried to kidnap Olivia while Ian and I were out–”

“Sources beyond!” gasped Fiora in shock, barely remembering to stay quiet. “What the– is she okay? Are you at home? I can be there in ten minutes; sooner if I go dragon–”

Estela laughed. “No, Fiora, it’s okay… Hayden was babysitting for us and she fought ‘em all off. Don’t think they expected to battle a Match when they planned their surprise visit. We’re all fine. Olivia’s safe and sound.”

“Phew,” breathed Fiora. “That’s good.” She involuntarily shuddered at the thought of something similar happening to Priyanka, making a mental note to entrust any future babysitting duties only to those strong enough to defend their daughter if need be. “But then, what did you–”

“It’s a different kind of problem,” Estela explained. “What we need now is advice. We’re both new to this whole stoichi, Awakening, Attunement thing, even Ian, and now Olivia is–”

Another series of uncontrolled-sounding stoicheal bursts. Followed by an exasperated “Olivia, no, please!” from Ian, and a series of more concentrated, refined-sounding technique usages.

Suddenly, the pieces clicked into place for Fiora. “Olivia’s Awakened,” she breathed. “But how? She’s only, what, two? She isn’t much older than Priya–”

“It happened during the battle,” Estela explained. “Hayden told me. Now the house is a disaster, and Ian can barely keep up. Do you or Shreya have any advice on handling a hyperactive, Attuned toddler?”

Fiora scrunched up her forehead in confusion. “Toddler? Not that I can think of. Shreya had her Awakening in high school, which seems like it’s pretty typical. Me, I didn’t Awaken until she helped me–”

Another burst of static drowned Fiora’s words out completely, then the sound of something clattering onto the ground, likely Estela’s phone. A second later, the sounds had ceased, replaced with a frantic cry of “Ian, stop her!” followed by a slightly calmer “That was Olivia again, sorry,” from Estela. “So do you know anyone who’s dealt with… uh, Awakening… this young?”

“No…” Fiora said uncertainly. She subconsciously glanced upward, toward the nursery. “Y’know what, let me pass this on to Shreya. She’d probably know better than I would–”

“What’s that? What would Shreya know better?” asked a familiar voice, calling a little too loudly from the entrance. Fiora looked over in the voice’s direction to see her twin sister Atlas, shaking out her long silver hair and setting a large tote bag down on the floor. “Hey, sis. Thought I’d stop by.”

“Atlas! Shh!” hissed Fiora frantically, gesturing toward the stairs and miming someone sleeping. “Priya!”

“Oh!” gasped Atlas, immediately dropping her voice to a whisper. “Sorry. You should’ve warned me.”

“I didn’t even know you were coming!” Fiora frowned as a thought occurred to her. “Hang on, how did you get through the door, anyway?”

Atlas held up a hand, allowing a small burst of electricity to crackle between her fingertips. “Those locks weren’t exactly designed for us Sourceborn,” she whispered with a smirk. “I thought I’d drop by and check in on you three,” she explained. “How’s my favorite niece doing?”

“You mean your only niece?” Fiora clarified with a laugh. “She’s okay. Sleeping peacefully. Why?”

“She might be Awakening soon. Just wanted to give you a little sisterly advice, since you–”

“Wait, what? I thought–y’know, actually, we were just talking about this. Don’t Attuned usually Awaken as teenagers? Not, like… age two?”

“Tell that to little Beckett number three. Froze his entire bathtub the other day, and his dad’s fingers along with it.” She shrugged. “Early just like me, though my Awakening was a Deluge rather than whatever ice thing he pulled off. Must be a Sourceborn thing.”

Fiora’s eyes lit up in sudden realization. “I have never been so glad to see you in my life, Atlas. Estela’s on the phone–their daughter’s a Time-Att and she just Awakened today. I think you might be able to help her out. Can you…?” She practically thrust the phone in Atlas’s face.

After a brief moment of confusion over how to use the device (Atlas still had never really gotten the hang of Tuneless technology, even now), she answered the phone. “Yeah? Hey, it’s Atlas.” Silence. “Fiora told me. Our little one Awakened the other day, and I myself was a toddler when mine happened. I think it’s got something to do with being Sourceborn.” Silence. “‘Prismic,’ whatever, same thing.” Silence. “At that age, it’s all subconscious. Based on their emotions. You both have to calm down, and she’ll settle down herself. I know it seems counter-intuitive.” Silence. “Trust me, okay? Look–”

A burst of static so loud that even Fiora could hear it sounded over the phone’s speaker, and Atlas jerked the device away from her ear, glaring at it as though it had personally attempted to assassinate her. Slowly, without taking her eyes off the phone, she brought it back to her ear. “What. Was. That?” she hissed. More silence. “...Okay, yeah. That’s a problem. You’ve got to get her to calm down.” Silence. “At this rate, she might tire herself out–even we Sourceborn have a stoicheal limit, and she’s just a kid.” Silence. “Alright, good. Hey, listen, let’s all have a Sourceborn–ugh, Prismic, whatever–let’s all plan a get-together. Sounds like we could all use a little advice now that the kids are getting to Awakening age.” She paused again for another few moments, then smiled, nodding at whatever Estela was saying on the other end. “There ya go. Happy to help. No problem.” She held the phone out in front of her face, frowning at it. “Uh, Fiora… how do I–”

Fiora sighed and snatched the phone from her sister’s hands, clicking the button to end the call. “There you go. So…?”

“Am I a genius, or what? The kid’s calmed down. They’ve got her under control. Piece of cake.”

Fiora sighed in relief. “Thanks, Atlas. Seriously. I had no idea what to tell her…” She frowned as a thought suddenly occurred to her. “Wait. You’re saying this ‘early Awakening’ thing happens with all Sourceborn?”

“As far as I can tell, yeah. Seems to be followin’ that pattern. Well, except you… natural Awakenings only happen when there are adult Attuned around. You were a special case.”

“Yeah, no, I get that part. I’m just worried… so, Priya–”

She was interrupted by a sudden shriek from upstairs, followed a moment later by the sound of an explosion. Fiora and Atlas exchanged a glance. “You just had to jinx it, sis…” sighed Atlas. Fiora shot her a death glare in response.

The twin sisters sprinted straight for the stairs, only to see little Priya, now wide awake, dashing down the stairs trailing flames from her hands. Shreya followed after her, desperately thrusting out her arms in a desperate attempt to re-absorb all of Priya’s flames. “Priya, no! Priya!” she called out in desperation. “Priyanka Alyssa Luxen!”

But the toddler continued on, relentlessly continuing on into the foyer in her effort to apparently cover the entire home in sparkling flame. Fiora gasped in shock. “Stop! Priya! No!”

“I got this,” said Atlas nonchalantly, flicking a wrist over her head and summoning a small cloud in the center of the foyer. “Torrentus.” The cloud expanded, covering the entire room and covering the room in a brief shower of rain that easily extinguished the flames and left Priya in the center of the room, soaking wet. The toddler immediately burst into tears; Shreya rushed to her side as Fiora shot Atlas a glare. “What? Nothing’s on fire anymore…”

“Our daughter is soaking wet, Atlas. You’ve replaced one problem with another.”

“Relax, sis.” She made another quick gesture, palm-out, in Priya’s direction. “Absorb.” All of the water in the room leaped off of the various surfaces–Priya included–and coalesced into a neat, swirling stream that vanished into Atlas’s palm. “There. Fixed.”

“Atlas, you are… just… Atlas,” Fiora sighed in frustration. Then she approached her wife and daughter, kneeling down beside the two of them. “Shh. It’s okay. Mama Fiora’s here. It’s okay.”

After a few minutes, Priya calmed down enough to stop crying. She simply stared up at her parents and Atlas with confusion. “Ma-fa?” she asked. “Ma-sha?”

Shreya and Fiora both nodded at her. “We have you, Priyanka,” Shreya reassured her. “You’re okay. It’s okay.”

“Well, as great as this all has been,” said Atlas, “I’ve got my own little Sourceborn to get home to. That bag I brought has a few things that might be useful for keepin’ Priya under control: Torrentus and Deluge gems included. Like I told Estela–the key is calming her down when she gets like this. But if the house is about to burn down, might wanna skip straight to the gems.”

“Y’know, Atlas, you could’ve mentioned the whole ‘early-Awakening’ thing before today. Just saying.”

“To be honest… I kinda… didn’t think of it until just now,” Fiora’s sister admitted. Then Atlas smirked at her as she pulled open the front door. “Besides, experience is always the best teacher.”

“That doesn’t–!” shouted Fiora, exasperated, as Atlas shut the door behind her.

Once the door had shut, Fiora and Shreya exchanged a knowing glance. Shreya sighed. “Well, I must say, that was… inattendue,” she said. “I had no idea this would be an issue for… at least another few years, to be sure.”

“Me neither,” admitted Fiora. “Atlas really could’ve warned us, y’know?”

“That would certainly have been helpful. Your sister is certainly… a character.”

Fiora shook her head and smiled. “True. She drives me nuts sometimes… but I wouldn’t trade her for the world.”

They both looked down, regarding their young daughter who was even now subconsciously summoning small glowing orbs of light between her fingers. “Well,” said Shreya, “sounds like Priya and the other little Sourceborn are going to be quite the handful.” She looked away, lost in thought. “Who knows what their futures will hold, now?”

“I dunno. Whatever it is, we’ll all face it as a family. And not just us, either–our whole, big, Heroes of Cordonia family. Right?”

“Of course, la bien aimee. All of us, we’ll face it together!” The three of them–one Fire-Att and two Sourceborn of Light–held each other tightly, certain that their family’s future, whatever it might hold, will be bright.

————————–

INT. ELYYS'TEL THRONE ROOM - DAY

The next day, Varyyn, Seraxa, and Uqzhaal meet with most of the Catalysts within the throne room. Craig and Zahra are absent, as Craig is presumably recovering from a severe hangover after the events of the previous day’s celebration. Lila stands apart from the others, in a similar position to where the other Catalysts had been during the Tribunal.

RAJ: You’re sayin’ Rourke has a magic teleport portal?! ...Actually, now that I think about it, that’s not all that weird compared with everything else that’s happened.

LILA: Technically, it’s called a “Prismatic Interdimensional Transporter.” But yes, you’re basically right. With the proper power source--what you call the “Vaanusor”--the device could be used to instantly transport all of you home!

Jake crosses his arms and scowls.

JAKE (skeptically): And you expect us to just believe that? I dunno about the rest of you, but I don’t remember any magic portals back at the Celestial.

LILA: It’s not at the Celestial. Rourke has several facilities all over the island. The Gate is kept in his experimental research installation, codenamed “MASADA.”

ALYSSA: Yeah, this is smelling more and more like a trap every second.

LILA: No, I swear I’m not lying! I told you, Rourke nearly killed me! I did whatever I could to escape!

ALEISTER: That does seem in-line with what my father would do...

DIEGO: Where is this place, Lila?

LILA: It’s just off the tip of the island’s northernmost peninsula.

SERAXA: The northern reaches. The most dangerous part of the island.

ALYSSA: You’re saying this part with the sabertooth tigers, killer crab, and giant sea monster is the un-dangerous part of the island? Well, that’s just fantastic.

RAJ: I mean, this place ain’t so bad now that you Vaanti dudes are on our side! Do we even need to leave?

MICHELLE: Given the number of times we’ve almost died since coming here... I’d say “yes.”

JAKE: The real question is, can we trust Dimples?

SEAN: Varyyn’s the elyyshar. Why don’t we let him make the final say? Varyyn?

He gives Varyyn a respectful nod.

VARYYN: Hmm... There is much to think about when it comes to Auriga. I am not certain--

LILA: Wait!

She seems to suddenly remember something, pulling out her pack and rummaging through it. A second later, she pulls out another vaalta statue much like the others that had been seen, depicting a toga-clad woman riding in a chariot. Uqzhaal gasps in surprise at the sight.

UQZHAAL: Ah! This vaalta... it is yours--

LILA: Yes! I took it from Rourke’s collection before coming here. I know it’s important to you Hos--uh, Vaanti. You really think Rourke would let me just give this to you?

Uqzhaal approaches, and she hands the statue over to him. Ian and Alyssa both gaze at it curiously.

IAN: Keeper Uqzhaal... should we, y’know--

He mimes touching the idol. For a split-second, Lila tenses up, then sighs in relief a moment later when Uqzhaal shakes his head.

UQZHAAL: There is no need, Perseus. It shall be brought safely to the Temple of Auriga where it belongs, alongside the others.

ALYSSA: Oh, that reminds me...

She pulls out Sean’s vaalta and hands it to the old Keeper. A second later, Ian does the same with Michelle’s.

UQZHAAL: Excellent! We have nearly all of them now. This is truly a joyous day!

VARYYN: Yes, but still... I will need to think on all of this. Auriga, thank you for bringing this back to us. I will make my decision later, after conferring with... those I trust most.

He smiles briefly at Diego, who blushes and smiles shyly back. Then he turns back to face Lila.

VARYYN: Until my decision is made, you are to remain in the city. Understand?

LILA: Of... of course. Thank you.

Lila nods respectfully and nervously backs out of the council chamber. Taking their cue, most of the others do the same, aside from Diego. Jake shakes his head as he walks toward the entrance alongside Alyssa.

JAKE: I dunno, Princess. Just... somethin’ really rubs me the wrong way here.

ALYSSA: The statue, though. This is one elaborate trap if it involves Rourke willingly handing one of those over. Especially with how important they supposedly are.

JAKE: Yeah... (sighs) I just can’t shake this feeling. This all seems too easy.

ALYSSA: Y’know, Top Gun, there’s no law that says you have to be paranoid 24/7. It’s okay to lighten up once in a while!

Jake nods.

JAKE: You’re right.

ALYSSA (teasingly): Aren’t I always?

JAKE: Except for when you said I was asleep on the plane, which I definitely wasn’t--

She shoves him playfully.

ALYSSA: You were asleep, and I’m never gonna let that one go.

JAKE: ‘Course not. You’re too stubborn for that.

ALYSSA: Right back at you.

She hesitates at the doorway, catching sight of Ian and Estela a short distance away.

ALYSSA: Go ahead, I’ll catch up. I’ve gotta ask my brother about something first.

JAKE: Alright, Princess. See ya around.

He gives her a quick kiss before turning and leaving the throne room. Alyssa dashes over to her brother and Estela.

ALYSSA: Ian! Este--

Ian fixes her with a look, jerking his head toward where Lila stands just out of earshot. Alyssa quickly understands and drops her voice to a low whisper.

ALYSSA: Lila doesn’t know?

ESTELA: No. And I’d like to keep it that way, at least for now.

ALYSSA: Uh... this is embarrassing, but I kinda forgot your alias. Sorry. Guess I’m not used to friends needing to use--

ESTELA (surprised): I’m... I’m your friend?

ALYSSA: Well, yeah! Duh? Of course you are!

ESTELA: Sorry. I just... that surprised me, that’s all. Thank you.

ALYSSA (laughs): No problem. Anyway, your name...?

ESTELA: Oh, right. “Elena Hernandez.”

ALYSSA: Got it. Sorry. (no longer whispering) Hey, “Elena!” Hey, Ian!

Ian gives her a subtle nod.

IAN: Great. So, what’s up?

ALYSSA: ...Right, almost forgot. Ian, can I talk to you?

He and Estela exchange a quick glance. Estela nods.

ESTELA: Come find me.

She turns and leaves the throne room.

ALYSSA: Bye, “Elena!”

IAN (whispering): Okay, you’re overdoing it a little.

ALYSSA (whispering): Oops. Sorry. (normally) Anyway, I, uh... so y’know how I’ve been kinda scared about this... power thing we can do?

IAN: Yeah...?

Lila walks past them, leaving the room, as Alyssa holds up a hand and concentrates. Small wisps of energy dance around her fingers for a moment.

IAN (impressed): Wow! ‘Lyss, you’re--

ALYSSA: Yeah. I talked with Zahra the other day. Promised to stop being afraid of myself. But so far, this is all I can do... Got any tips? I mean, you yanked me back onto that log the other day, that was pretty cool.

Ian shakes his head.

IAN: All instinct. When I actually try to do anything, I can’t do much more than you. I mean, it’s gotten a little easier with practice, but...

He demonstrates, achieving a similar series of energy wisps with significantly less effort than Alyssa needed.

IAN: No idea how to scale it up.

ALYSSA: Damn. So what are we supposed to--

Their conversation is interrupted by Kele, having finally recovered from his battle with Cetus, entering the chamber.

KELE: Elyyshar! I apologize for my long recovery. I am...

He stops as he realizes Varyyn is still deep in conversation with Diego, Seraxa, and Uqzhaal, none of whom have noticed his arrival. Then he spots the twins.

KELE: As long as I’m waiting... Good to see you two. How have you been?

The Czasa twins look up in surprise.

ALYSSA: Oh! It’s you! Water guy!

KELE (laughs): It’s “Wave-Lord,” actually, but really I’d rather just be Kele.

IAN: Fair enough. Glad you’re back up and about. That stuff you pulled off... how many times do we owe you our lives now?

KELE: Doesn’t matter. I’m happy to help. ...Actually, speaking of helping, I’ve been meaning to talk with you two for a while.

ALYSSA: With us?

KELE: That power of yours. It’s a lot like mine. I suppose you wouldn’t mind some friendly advice?

ALYSSA: I mean, sure, but I don’t think it’ll help much. I definitely haven’t been able to control water--which is super cool, by the way. All we can do is--

KELE: No, no, that’s not what I meant. I mean that your power is a form of stoicheal energy, like mine. They function on the same principle, even if they manifest differently.

IAN: “Stoich”-what?

KELE: Where I’m from, there’s all kinds of people like us. Some, like me, control water. Others control metal, fire, air, earth, wood... The point is, you two seem to have what I would call Time Stoichi. Similar in effect to my own Water Stoichi, at least enough that I could give you some basic pointers. So?

Alyssa and Ian look at each other and nod.

ALYSSA: Sounds great! So, what have you got for us?

Kele reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handful of small berries.

KELE: These are mezzberries. Watch.

He summons a swirl of water in his hand. Then, with pinpoint precision, he sends the water out to perfectly envelop a single berry, holding it in place within a watery shell. A moment later, he snaps his fingers and the water evaporates instantly into the air, leaving the berry unharmed.

KELE: First step: precision targeting. Try picking one of these berries out of the group, then holding it in place. Okay?

IAN: Got it. Alright, let me try.

He concentrates, summoning the energy around his fingertips. Then, he squints, concentrating hard on one of the berries. A faint greenish-golden glow starts to surround his entire body.

KELE: Good so far!

IAN: And... here!

He points one finger at one of the berries. The power leaps from his skin and toward the set of berries... but instead of surrounding one of them, it slams into the whole bunch, scattering them all to the ground! ‘Lyss doubles over in laughter as Kele stoops to pick the berries back up.

ALYSSA: He said hold the berry, not knock ‘em all on the ground!

IAN: You try, then!

ALYSSA: Alright, fine! Watch this!

She concentrates, a similar glow erupting around herself much like her brother had done previously. Kele nods in approval.

KELE: Keep it up. You’re doing--

VARYYN: Wave-Lord! You’ve returned!

Kele looks up and smiles at Varyyn.

KELE: Indeed. I apologize for my long recovery.

VARYYN: Please, no need for that. Come. We have... a situation. We require your input.

Kele nods to the twins.

KELE: Keep it up, you two. I’ll have some more basic exercises for you later, alright?

He heads over to confer with Varyyn while Alyssa manages to capture two of the berries in a time-field. She concentrates harder, sweat beading down her forehead, when suddenly the berries squish together, exploding with a POP and spraying berry juice all over her face!

IAN (mockingly): “He said hold the berry, not make it explode into juice!”

ALYSSA: Ha ha, very funny.

She picks up a berry and throws it at him. It smacks him right in the face, exploding into juice.

IAN: Hey!

ALYSSA: There, now we’re even!

IAN: That isn’t how that works at all--

ALYSSA: Hey, if I have to be covered in juice, then so do you!

The two continue to bicker playfully as Diego watches them, laughing to himself. Kele, Varyyn, Seraxa, and Uqzhaal continue debating Lila’s claims, as the camera shifts to the platform just outside the throne room...

EXT. ELYYS’TEL - MORNING

Lila sits on a bench, her head in her hands, as she gazes out across the city. Taari sprints across a rope bridge just below them, while Sean and Quinn chase him, all three giggling and laughing. On a platform above, Jake helps a pair of Vaanti repair the damaged hang gliders. Raj busily cooks something over a large cooking fire, with several Vaanti civilians looking on curiously. Lila sighs as she watches everyone enjoying themselves.

ESTELA (O.S.): Lila.

Lila looks up in surprise as Estela walks into the scene and approaches her. She takes a seat on the bench.

ESTELA: So...

LILA: I don’t know what you or anyone else expects me to say. I’ve told you all everything that happened. Still, you don’t believe me.

ESTELA: Can you blame us? With everything that man has done...

LILA: I know. I wasn’t lying, Elena. He tried to kill me! The longer I stayed with him, the more afraid I got. That all it would take was one mistake, one wrong step, and I’d make Mr. Rourke angry... and that would be the end of me.

Estela’s expression softens. She nods in understanding of Rourke’s cruelty.

LILA: All I ever wanted to do was be a good employee! Do my best to help Mr. Rourke! And still... he almost shot me. Almost killed me. I... I...

Her eyes start watering. Estela hesitates before awkwardly resting a hand on her shoulder.

LILA: I’m sorry, Elena. I shouldn’t be... I should be stronger. Better. It’s my job to be cheerful, happy, optimistic. I’m a Rourke International tour guide! And yet--

ESTELA: Rourke hurt you. It’s okay to be affected by that.

Lila sniffs.

LILA: Thank you. You’re right. It’s just...

ESTELA: I’ve been hurt too, y’know. Rourke is not a good man. He puts on such a show for the world, yet deep down... I think we both know what he really is.

LILA: I suppose we do.

They sit side-by-side in silence for a few moments. Then, the door to the throne room swings open, with Ian and Alyssa emerging, both of them laughing and covered in berry juice.

IAN: Oh! Hey, Es--Elena. Lila. Hi.

ESTELA: Why is your face covered in... whatever that is?

Ian shrugs.

IAN: Mezzberry juice. ‘Lyss and I were practicing with our... powers. Turns out Kele is a pretty helpful teacher!

ALYSSA (shouting): Yo, Top Gun!

She sprints toward the nearest ascending ramp toward the hang glider platform.

IAN: Everything okay?

LILA: I’m alright. Thank you, Ian.

ESTELA: Yeah. We just... y’know, I don’t think she was lying about Rourke trying to kill her.

Estela stands up and moves closer to Ian.

ESTELA (quietly): Nobody can fake that kind of emotion. At least about that, she was telling the truth.

IAN: Good to know. Varyyn wants us all to gather again. He’s ready to make his decision.

INT. ELYYS’TEL THRONE ROOM - MORNING

Everyone has gathered in the throne room once again: even a tired, groaning Craig has managed to make his way down, being propped up on one side by an annoyed-looking Zahra. Varyyn looks down at Lila from his seat on his throne.

VARYYN: After much deliberation... I have decided. The Catalysts have done much for our people. It is only right that we help them return to their own people... and to that end, I myself along with my best warriors shall accompany them to this device. This way, we can ensure that the Vaanusor stays safe until it is time to use it.

UQZHAAL: After all, what better use for Vaanu’s heart than to assist their children?

Ian and Alyssa smile at each other.

VARYYN: We depart tomorrow morning. Seraxa, Uqzhaal, and the Wave-Lord are in charge of the city whilst I am away.

LILA: Thank you. I’ll guide you all to the Gate with the best of my ability, I promise!

ESTELA: I know you will. Thanks, Lila.

QUINN: This is so exciting! We’re going home!

She pulls Michelle into a hug as Furball darts around at her feet, yipping excitedly. Diego squeezes Varyyn’s hand.

DIEGO: Look at you, Varyyn! You’re really taking to leadership well. It suits you.

VARYYN: Thank you, my light. The burden of leadership is lessened with you at my side.

DIEGO: Yeah. I just wish this could last forever.

He sighs and gazes pensively up at the ceiling, knowing that at the end of their journey, he and Varyyn will need to go their separate ways...

_______________________

Scene Notes: And so Act 2 begins... with the journey to MASADA! Good thing the twins have finally started really learning to use their powers, thanks to Kele...

_______________________

Next: Climate Change

CIU Tag List: @brightpinkpeppercorn @endlesshero1122 @bbaba-yagaa @acidsugar0 @shaylan211 @griselda1121 @acanthisorbis @marmolady @choicesbabie @mauvecatfic

GENERAL:

1. Who initiated the relationship, and how did it go?

Shreya initiated, although there was plenty of mutual flirting leading up to it. At the end of Fiora's surprise birthday party, the others knew Shreya wanted some time alone with her, so they made excuses in order to leave the two of them alone. Shreya revealed her other gift for Fiora: a series of beautiful, multicolored fireworks that they watched together from the top of Tsuria Hall. They shared their first kiss shortly thereafter, and from then on, it was official!

2. Did they have an official first date? If so, what was it like?

Their actual "first date" was a trip to Pennelia the day after becoming official. Shreya couldn't resist going all-out! They visited the Sacreu Mineral Spring (Fiora got the Subtle Lengthening, while Shreya got the Radiance Infusion), ate at the famous Six Sources Restaurant and Diviner (they've since changed their name, of course), and went to the Starlight Observatory for drinks that night! And of course, Shreya being Shreya, they got plenty of shopping done that day as well!

3. What was their first kiss like?

See the above answer for #1.

4. Were they each other’s first anything (kiss, relationship, etc.)?

Shreya had had several relationships before, but for Fiora, Shreya was her first.

5. What’s their height difference? Age difference?

Shreya was born August 23rd, making her about five months older than Fiora. Shreya's about three inches taller than Fiora; after Fiora gets a Subtle Lengthening infusion they're about the same height until it wears off!

6. What’s their relationship with each other’s families? Do they share a friend group?

They both share the Pend Pals, of course! Shreya adores Fiora's sister Atlas but is frustrated by the latter's refusal to allow Shreya to give her any kind of makeover or fashion advice. Still, Atlas acknowledges that beneath Shreya's exterior, she's a competent fighter (especially when Fiora's threatened) and is reliable enough in a pinch.

Shreya's sister Nehal at first didn't think much of Fiora, especially when she found out about her Tuneless background, but eventually warmed up to her with time. By the time of Fiora and Shreya's wedding and beyond, Nehal and her family have made it a priority to schedule regular visits with Fiora and Shreya! Once little Priyanka was born, Nehal absolutely doted on her niece from then on.

7. Who takes the lead in social situations?

Shreya, naturally. Though Fiora does take more of a lead role when they're on the Tuneless side of the mirror, which makes for a fun role-reversal at times.

8. Who gets jealous easier?

Though Fiora has grown more confident than she was at the start of her time at Penderghast, she still has bouts of worry that she can't measure up to the many, many friends outside of the Pend Pals that Shreya is constantly making. Shreya is always quick to reassure her, of course!

9. Who whispers inappropriate things in the other’s ear?

That would be Shreya. Is anyone really surprised?

DOMESTIC:

1. If they get married, who proposes?

Believe it or not, Fiora does! She made it her mission to out-do Shreya's literal neon sign of a gala date ask, and she managed to pull it off with a little help from Atlas, Alyssa, Griffin, and even Jake of all people. Shreya was completely shocked and to this day has never stopped gushing about the proposal to anyone who will listen! As for the details of the proposal itself... that's a fic of its own in the works!

2. What’s the wedding like? Who attends?

The wedding was held about a year after graduation from Penderghast. It was a true Mistry wedding through and through: incredibly elaborate, lavish, costing a fortune and a half, and with the entire Mistry family present. Atlas and Nehal were maids of honor, and though Atlas claimed to loathe every minute of it, Fiora definitely glimpsed her enjoying herself on the dance floor once or twice when she thought no one was looking.

The only real problem was that Fiora, of course, invited her best college friends Alyssa and Ian... but their respective spouses, being Tuneless, couldn't take more than a few steps into the Stoicheal Realm before being drained of their energy to the point they could barely stand! Fiora and Shreya held a second, smaller reception in Northbridge a few weeks later so that Estela and Jake, along with their other Tuneless friends, could properly attend.

3. How many kids do they have, if any? What are they like?

Just the one daughter, Priyanka Alyssa Luxen. Fiora carried, and Zeph was the donor. Little Priya inherited Fiora's Light-Attunement and as such is incredibly powerful. She's an artist who loves making beautiful, yet fleeting, sculptures of light and flame. See the relevant post for more details about Priya!

4. Do they have any pets?

Just their two Lumian, Dracarys and Rys. Eventually Priya gets a Lumian of her own while in high school, which she names "Sunset" due to its coloring.

5. Who’s the stricter parent?

Shreya tends to get a bit overbearing whenever they are out and about, or have company visiting. Fiora's often the one to gently remind her wife to relax a bit and allow Priya to do her own thing. As Priya grows older, Shreya gets a lot less strict.

6. Who worries the most?

Fiora worries about every possibility under the sun, given what she's been through. Shreya, in contrast, is more down-to earth. Shreya's worries are more along the lines of "what if I have a bad hair day?" while Fiora's are more "what if someone manages to resurrect Raife and he kidnaps Priya and takes her to another dimension and we never find her again?"

7. Who kills the bugs in the house?

As much as Fiora has learned to control her power, her Sourceborn nature makes using her powers for small things a risky task. Shreya takes point whenever a bug needs a good scorching.

8. How do they celebrate holidays?

With family; the more, the merrier! Given their large, lavish house, there's plenty of room for all, and almost every holiday means inviting all of the Pend Pals (and families), the whole Mistry family, their fellow Heroes of Cordonia who are Attuned and can thus survive in the Stoicheal Realm (meaning the Czasa twins, Quinn, Eva, Kenji, Sasha, Caleb, and Hayden, plus children where relevant). They're also happy to travel across the mirror to celebrate Tuneless holidays as well!

The one exception to this rule is Amorelia Day. This holiday is always set aside as a day for Fiora and Shreya to simply spend time just the two of them. (Zeph or Atlas typically end up on babysitting duty.) As much fun as the big holidays are, Fiora really appreciates having a simpler celebration for a change.

9. Who’s more likely to convince the other to come back to sleep in the morning?

A typical morning for the two of them:

Shreya: *sits up abruptly in bed* There's so much to do today! By the Sources, how am I going to get all of this done?! I need to talk with Nehal, handle the latest assignment for Stoicheal-Archikeal Relations, plan the Mirror Banquet, get things sorted with Priya's school, contact the--

Fiora: *still in bed, mumbling* Shreya?

Shreya: Yes?

Fiora: It's fine. We've got plenty of time today. Cuddle with me?

Shreya: ...You know I can never resist you.

10. Who’s the better cook?

While Shreya can cook decently well, Fiora has developed an incredible talent for it. She's learned to blend Tuneless and Attuned styles of cooking to create the world's first fusion recipes between the two. Though not the last - Raj has learned enough from her to start incorporating some of her recipes into his restaurants!

11. Who likes to dance?

Both of them, but Shreya makes it into an art form. Fiora more prefers to dance casually together at home, while Shreya prefers an audience.

EXT. ELYYS’TEL - MORNING

The next day, the city is filled with colorful banners, Vaanti dancing and singing, the sounds of horns and drums, and multiple plates and bowls of food set out everywhere. From within a small hut near the top of the city, Jake emerges, wincing against the morning sunlight as he yawns loudly.

JAKE: Damn... these Vaanti start their parties early.

ALYSSA (O.S.) (groggily): Top Gun, can you tell ‘em to shut that light off?

Jake laughs and glances back at the hut.

JAKE: That’s the sun, Princess. I could ask your brother, see if he can undo it for ya--

ALYSSA (yawning): Ha ha, very funny. Alright, I’m up. Give me a sec.

The camera pans away from Jake and down through the city until arriving at the city’s central platform. Most of the other Catalysts are already there, as is Seraxa along with a large crowd of other Vaanti. Varyyn stands atop a platform, looking resplendent in the ornate robes and brilliant red headdress of the elyyshar. He raises his arms over the crowd.

VARYYN: This has been a time of great loss... and yet, also a time for celebration. Cetus has been driven back. The Children of Vaanu have returned to us. Delphinus’s life has been restored by the grace of Vaanu!

He spares a glance for Quinn, who is smiling broadly as she leans against Michelle. Her skin is back to its normal color and she looks healthier than ever. Michelle smiles back at her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

RAJ: Yeah! Go Quinn!

ALEISTER: Curing Rotterdam’s Syndrome in an hour? Let’s see my father do that!

From his position at Varyyn’s left side, Uqzhaal adds:

UQZHAAL: And let us not forget: we have also crowned a new elyyshar! Varyyn Ximaeiho!

Varyyn blushes a faint blue as the crowd erupts into cheers. Diego cheers the loudest of all. As the cheers die down, Varyyn speaks once again.

VARYYN: Yes... there is much to celebrate today. So let us put aside the pain we have suffered, and enjoy this day of joy! Let the 212th Valinorim begin!

As the crowd erupts into jovial cheering, Varyyn climbs down from his platform. Seraxa approaches him and bows respectfully.

SERAXA: My elyyshar. I must apologize for my harsh words yesterday. I misjudged you and the Catalysts, and I am sorry. I--

VARYYN: There is no need, Seraxa. I am just happy to have you here today with us. Now, go! Enjoy the Valinorim; I certainly shall!

Seraxa smiles faintly as Varyyn heads straight to Diego.

DIEGO: That speech was incredible! Nice job, Varyyn. And I agree with Uqzhaal: you are definitely a reason to celebrate, too!

VARYYN: I thank you, Diego. Truth be told, it all feels a bit... much.

DIEGO: Nah. It’s great! Speaking of which, what exactly do we do here? This is my first time seeing one of these... uh...

VARYYN: “Valinorim.” It is a day of celebration held after the crowning of a new elyyshar. It is one of our oldest rituals, and is traditionally celebrated with dancing, music, games, food, and drinks!

JAKE: You had me at “drinks,” Kermit the Chief.

He and Alyssa approach from a nearby ramp. Alyssa yawns, clearly still waking up.

ALYSSA: Somebody said something about food?

DIEGO: Yeah! You don’t wanna miss the Valinorim!

RAJ: It’s time to party!

A set of four Vaanti walk past, a large table laden with food being carried between them. Raj stares excitedly at it.

RAJ: Alright, that looks amazing! Where you going?

SERAXA: Only the bravest of souls dares take on the Challenge of the Feast. It is not for the faint-of... stomach.

RAJ (excitedly): You’re sayin’ it’s an eating contest? I am so in!

SERAXA: Eating, yes, as well as the imbibing of liquors. You will also need a partner--

CRAIG: Count me in, bro!

Craig claps Raj on the back.

CRAIG: Humans vs. Vaanti, let’s go!

Zahra smiles at Craig, nudging him playfully.

ZAHRA: Make humanity proud.

CRAIG: You know it. I got this!

He smiles back at her before he and Raj head off in pursuit of the group of Vaanti and their table. Alyssa sidles up to Zahra.

ALYSSA: ...I assume things worked out last night?

ZAHRA: You bet. Thanks for the support.

ALYSSA (shrugs): Guess Diego’s matchmaking instinct must’ve rubbed off on me. Glad I could help.

ZAHRA: And your half of the deal...?

Alyssa holds up a hand and shuts her eyes tightly, concentrating. A few small wisps of greenish-golden energy dance around her fingertips before vanishing.

ZAHRA: Nice. It’s a start.

ALYSSA: Thanks.

Varyyn approaches the two of them, a happy spring in his step.

VARYYN: Andromeda! Corvus! Come, you must celebrate with the rest of us. Most of my people will be gathered down at the beach.

ALYSSA: Alright, point us to the party!

Varyyn reaches out and literally points down in the direction of the water’s edge. Alyssa and Zahra double over in laughter.

ALYSSA (laughing): Sorry--that wasn’t--it’s a figure of speech!

ZAHRA (laughing): Aw, man! That was hilarious!

Varyyn stares in puzzlement for a moment... then starts laughing as well.

VARYYN: I suppose even as elyyshar, I still have much to learn. Come, let us join in the festivities!

He leads them along with most of the other Catalysts toward a nearby ramp. As they leave the area, Quinn lingers, looking into the sky, her gaze unfocused. Michelle hesitates.

MICHELLE: Quinn?

She walks back to stand beside Quinn.

MICHELLE: How are you feeling? Gonna head down to the party?

QUINN: Yeah. Just need a moment to collect my thoughts, I guess. It’s...

Michelle nods.

MICHELLE: You’ve been through a lot. Understandable.

QUINN: It’s... I feel completely fine. Even better than before, and I still don’t know what to do with this weird “feeling” I’ve got inside now. But it’s not that.

Michelle waits patiently for Quinn to continue.

QUINN: Michelle, I’ve been defined by my illness my whole life. Every moment, every choice, everything I ever did or tried... it was because I was Quinn, the Dying Girl. Even when I started at Hartfeld and decided not to tell anyone, to not let it define me... somehow, I guess I ended up letting it define me to myself.

MICHELLE (suddenly understanding): That’s why you were so secretive about it. I’m so sorry, Quinn. I never meant to pry, I was just worried--

QUINN: It’s fine. I know you meant well. All of you did. And it caught up to me anyway. No matter how hard I tried to hide it, I’d always be “That Girl Whose Days Are Numbered.”

MICHELLE: You were always more than that, Quinn.

QUINN: Sure, I found ways to cope. To stay optimistic. To keep living my life. But I always knew my time was limited. I’d never get married... have a family of my own...

A single tear drips down Quinn’s cheek as she gazes into Michelle’s eyes.

MICHELLE: Quinn...

QUINN: I’d accepted all of that. I’d come to terms with it. And now... it’s all just gone? Magic cure, poof, just like that? I...

She laughs weakly.

QUINN: It sounds stupid, I know. I should be happy. But I don’t know how to accept that. I don’t know who I am now, without my illness.

MICHELLE: It’s okay to feel sad.

QUINN: ...It is?

MICHELLE: Sure. In a way, someone did die last night. The old you. Now, you’ve been given a second chance, a blank slate... the chance to be someone new. Yeah, you should be happy about that, but it’s okay to mourn the person you were, too. It’s a big adjustment, and it’s not easy.

QUINN: Thanks, Michelle. That seriously helped a lot.

Michelle reaches out and gently touches her shoulder. She follows Quinn’s gaze toward the celebration going on at the beach below.

MICHELLE: I’m glad. So, uh... you ready to check out the festival?

QUINN: The old me always lived life to the fullest... and that’s one thing that hasn’t changed. Let’s go!

Michelle extends her hand, and Quinn takes it. Together, the two of them start walking across the wooden platform toward a nearby ramp.

MICHELLE: I know it’s not exactly the same situation, but if you’re looking for someone to talk to... the twins could probably relate to handling a sudden, drastic change in what they know about themselves--

QUINN: I hadn’t thought about that! You’re right.

MICHELLE: I mean, it can’t hurt. But only if you’re comfortable with it.

QUINN: It’s a really good idea. I think I will talk to them about it. But later! Right now, it’s time to celebrate!

Quinn grins happily and starts running toward the ramp, pulling Michelle along behind her. As they run, the camera zooms in on the floor beneath their feet. Tiny green shoots are instantly sprouting up from the spots where her feet touch the wooden platform...

MONTAGE

Quinn and Michelle emerge onto the beach, where the festival is already in full swing. Hundreds of Vaanti mingle, play games, eat, drink, and dance. A Vaanti band plays a bouncy tune on flutes, horns, and drums. At the shore, Sean eyes a set of windsurfing rigs docked on the sand as a pair of Vaanti enthusiastically explain something to him. Jake and Alyssa stand at one of the feast tables; Jake guzzles down some type of Vaanti alcoholic drink while Alyssa valiantly attempts to fit a sample of every available food selection onto a single plate. Furball follows, eagerly gobbling up any food that she drops. Zahra sits nearby, sipping a blue Vaanti drink with an actual flame flickering across its surface; Seraxa sits beside her, sipping an equally “fiery” drink while regaling Zahra with a story about some long-ago battle.

ZAHRA: Dude. Seriously. How many did you fight off?

SERAXA: Alone, I vanquished twenty-seven of the foes before requiring assistance--

Zahra spits out some of her drink in astonishment. A nearby Vaanti yelps as the spray drenches his legs.

ZAHRA: No. Freakin'. Way. Badass.

SERAXA: What is wrong with my “ass?”

Zahra is unable to hold in her snort of laughter.

ZAHRA: Oh, right. It’s a figure of speech. Sorry, but that was hilarious. “Badass” means...

* * *

A short ways off from the crowd, Estela and Ian walk along the beach, hand-in-hand as they talk quietly amongst themselves. Diego and Varyyn come sprinting up behind them; Estela whirls around instinctively, already raising her spear to attack before she realizes who it is.

ESTELA (awkwardly): Oh. It’s just you two. Sorry.

DIEGO: Geez, please don’t skewer me next time!

VARYYN: I would not let her “skewer” you, Diego. I would vanquish her in a heartbeat if she tried.

ESTELA: You’re lucky I’m not trying to hurt Diego, or I’d beat you easily--

VARYYN: Ha! As though anyone could defeat me in combat, one-on-one!

ESTELA: Oh, I bet I could--

DIEGO: Whoa, Varyyn, Estela, Ian, calm down!

IAN (confused): ...What did I do?

Diego grins broadly.

DIEGO: So, Varyyn and I have a great way to solve this. We challenge you to quuk'vaalanan!

He pauses expectantly. Estela and Ian simply stare blankly.

ESTELA: Care to explain?

VARYYN: The Challenge of the Body. A contest of strength which we Vaanti have been celebrating with since ancient times. Myself and Canis, against the two of you: Perseus and Draco. Do you accept?

Estela and Ian exchange a quick glance, a silent conversation passing between them in an instant. Then they both turn back to face Varyyn, nodding in unison.

IAN: Bring it on.

* * *

Raj sits across from a Vaanti named PAACHEL, who is wearing an elephant mask. The two of them shovel as much food as they can into their mouths. Paachel’s partner sits beside him with a series of empty drink glasses laid out on the table. He and Craig each guzzle down drink after drink, with both starting to show clear signs of intoxication. Raj takes another heaping helping of food and looks his opponent in the eye.

RAJ: Alright, dude, ready to give up yet?

Raj shovels another pile of food into his mouth. Paachel struggles to push another spoonful of food into his own mouth. Craig laughs and cheers.

CRAIG: Whassa’ matter, elephant man? Can’t handle it?

Raj and Paachel continue attempting to ingest more food; Raj is clearly winning. Paachel’s partner downs another drink as Craig attempts to do the same, but misses and knocks one of the drinks off of the table instead. He points at Paachel.

CRAIG: Maybe we should call ya... “Ele-pants!” ‘Cuz your pants are gonna... are gonna...

Craig flops over face-first onto the table, completely passed out.

PAACHEL: It is two against one now, Centaurus... do you surrender?

RAJ: Nah. I’m just gettin’ started!

* * *

In the jungle not far from the city, Uqzhaal leads Aleister, Grace, and little Taari down a trail. Aleister is deep in thought, clearly puzzling over something.

ALEISTER: “Always at home...” “...strong and mindful...”

TAARI (singing): Zawak na bahom, matapoten vo maistrom!

GRACE: I suppose one wouldn’t expect the riddle to rhyme in English as well as in Vaant’igua.

ALEISTER: Thus far, all of the answers have been natural aspects of the world around us. Therefore, this clue is most likely something in nature as well. “Always at home...” Ah! Perhaps a snail? They forever carry their “home” in their shells along with them.

UQZHAAL: Is this truly your answer, Serpens?

GRACE: No! No, it’s not. Al, snails aren’t exactly “strong,” are they? I don’t think that fits.

ALEISTER: Hmm. You are correct.

As he and Grace struggle to think of the answer, Taari skips around them excitedly.

TAARI (singsong): Pastudo, pastudo, the answer’s a pastudo!

UQZHAAL: Taari! Do not give away the answer to the Catalysts! They must solve this riddle on their own!

TAARI: I didn’t say it in their language! They won’t understand--

GRACE (thinking out loud): “Pastudo...” “always at home...” I feel like I’m missing something.

ALEISTER: Hmm... (with sudden realization) Of course! "Pastudo..." “Studo...” Testudines!

ALEISTER AND GRACE: It’s a turtle!

UQZHAAL (sighs): You are correct. And this is why certain children ought to stay silent and not spoil the answer for others.

TAARI: I didn’t know! How do you know our language, Cat-a-lissus?

Aleister and Grace exchange a glance.

ALEISTER: We... we don’t. It would seem much of your language is derived from Latin, which we both have studied extensively.

GRACE: Right! Even the Catalyst names you’ve given us... Serpens, Cygnus...

She gestures to Aleister and then herself respectively as she says the names.

GRACE: Both Latin. “The Serpent, The Swan.”

UQZHAAL: That cannot be. Our ancestors arrived to this place thousands of years ago. How do you know--

ALEISTER: Latin is an ancient language in our world. It is entirely possible your people were influenced by Latin in some way when developing their language.

Uqzhaal frowns, clearly unsure what to make of this statement.

UQZHAAL: Much of our people’s early days on this island remains shrouded in myth. I shall have to think on this more.

Taari frowns, tugging on Uqzhaal’s cloak.

TAARI: I promise not to spoil anything else! Keeper, Keeper, give them the next riddle!

Uqzhaal smiles at the young Vaanti boy.

UQZHAAL: ...Very well. The Challenge of the Mind continues.

GRACE: We’ve got this. Right, Al?

They exchange warm smiles.

ALEISTER: Naturally. There is no test of intellect the two of us cannot overcome!

UQZHAAL: We shall see, Catalysts. Now then, the next riddle is as follows...

* * *

Out on the water, not far from Elyys’tel’s beach, Jake, Sean, and Alyssa play a game against the three Vaanti who Sean was talking with earlier. The six of them all ride windsurfing boards as the two teams each attempt to gain control of a wooden ring in an effort to score points by slinging it over an ancient wooden buoy. One of the Vaanti, RIALA, speeds past Sean, her board’s wake causing him to nearly capsize. As he struggles to stay upright on the board, Riala snatches the wooden disc out of his hands.

RIALA: Too slow, Aquila! The Wind-Disc is mine!

She beelines straight toward the buoy. Alyssa and Jake follow in hot pursuit as Riala’s teammates attempt to block them. At the last possible second, however, Alyssa and Jake expertly dodge around the two other Vaanti and head straight for Riala in a perfectly timed pincer. As they draw closer, the faint glow of a Cuhupla bond becomes clearly visible in their eyes. Riala panics in surprise and accidentally drops the wind-disc; Jake deftly scoops it up and passes it to Alyssa with perfect precision. She jams the disc onto the buoy; the bond dispels shortly afterward.

RIALA: A Cuhupla bond?! That is not fair--

JAKE (shrugs): Hey, all’s fair in love, war, and... uh, whatever this game’s called.

ALYSSA: That’s not how that phrase goes, Top Gun--

RIALA: It is called quuk’tanoi! The Challenge of the Sea!

JAKE: ...Yeah. That.

Riala and her teammates circle around the buoy, picking up the disc and bringing it back to the shore to “reset” the game. Jake and Alyssa follow, joining up with Sean along the way.

RIALA: Fine, Catalysts. Let us play again. We are ready for your tricks this time, Daughter of Vaanu!

ALYSSA: Best two outta three? You’re on!

She, Jake, and Sean move close enough to each other to exchange high-fives before returning to their starting positions.

* * *

Further down the shore, Quinn and Michelle hold hands as they cheer in excitement from within a crowd of Vaanti spectators. A series of dozens of narrow wooden posts stick up out of the water a short distance away. Estela and Ian face off against Varyyn and Diego, leaping from post to post in an effort to knock the opposing team into the water with their wooden sparring-staffs.

QUINN: I don’t know who to root for! I want Estela and Ian to win... but I don’t want Diego to lose, either!

MICHELLE: I don’t care who wins. I’m just cheering for the fun of it!

Quinn smiles at her.

QUINN: Y’know? That’s a great idea! Gotta just have fun, right?

She takes a sip from a fiery drink much like the one Zahra was drinking earlier and lets out a loud whoop of excitement.

QUINN: GO EVERYONE! WOOOOO!

Diego leaps toward another post to avoid a swing from Ian... but he overbalances and wobbles precariously!

DIEGO: Whoaaaa!

IAN: Sorry, Diego... but I gotta play to win!

He prods Diego in the back with his staff, gently but strong enough to send him falling into the water with a splash. Much of the Vaanti crowd boos, but Diego quickly stands up in the waist-deep water, laughing.

DIEGO (dramatically): Avenge me, Varyyn!

Varyyn leaps to a post next to Ian and swings his staff. Ian catches it on his own staff; as they struggle to push each other back, Diego starts making lightsaber noises in the background. Finally, Varyyn overpowers Ian, sending him splashing into the water right next to Diego. The two boys exchange a brief, amused look at each other before breaking into laughter.

DIEGO: Y’know, I think the lightsaber noises did the trick. (shouting) Use the Force, Varyyn!

VARYYN: I am using much force, Canis!

IAN: C’mon, you’ve been here for six months and he doesn’t know Star Wars?

DIEGO (shrugs): They don’t exactly have online streaming out here, y’know.

IAN: Sure, but you’re great at recaps. You could tell him the story!

DIEGO: What, like Threepio with the Ewoks?

IAN: Yes, exactly like that!

DIEGO: Huh... hadn’t thought about it before--

Another splash makes them both look up. Varyyn has fallen into the water on the other side of the posts. Estela twirls her staff, turning to smile triumphantly at Ian. Diego nudges Ian as he smiles back at her.

DIEGO: Well, that was a predictable ending.

IAN: Hey, your boyfriend put up a good fight--

DIEGO: Who, Varyyn? I mean... he’s not...

IAN: Is this opposite day or something? Because me teasing you about your relationship feels backwards.

DIEGO: I... (laughs) Alright, fair enough. If I can dish it out, I can take it. I mean, it’s been six months. Varyyn and I...

* * *

Some time later, Raj staggers back toward the rest of the party, his belly full to bursting with food as he supports a barely-conscious Craig. When he spots the others, Raj shouts excitedly to them.

RAJ: Catalysts win! We are the champions of eating contests!

CRAIG (slurring heavily): We... yeah... we win... whooooo...

The other Catalysts all start cheering.

ALL CATALYSTS EXCEPT RAJ AND CRAIG (chanting): Raj! Raj! Raj! Raj!

RAJ: You know it! ...Though I don’t wanna look at food again for a while. Another few days, at least.

SERAXA: Congratulations on your victory, Centaurus.

RAJ: Thanks!

VARYYN: This has been an enjoyable time. Truly a Valinorim that will go down in our people’s memory for many years to come. Now, then, let us continue with--

A sudden commotion from the direction of Elyys’tel’s entrance catches everyone’s attention. Estela immediately tenses up, ready to fight, while the other Catalysts all look toward the entrance with apprehension.

GRACE: ...What’s going on?

DIEGO: Varyyn? Is, uh... is this a normal part of the Valinorim?

VARYYN: No... I do not know what is happening. (authoritatively) Warriors! What is the meaning of this--

The crowd of Vaanti parts, and the warrior Calvia roughly shoves someone down onto the floor in front of Varyyn. The figure is clearly human, not Vaanti... her hair is a mess, filled with stray twigs and leaves, and the yellow shirt she wears is wrinkled, torn, and covered with dirt. She looks up at the assembled crowd, and the Catalysts gasp in recognition.

ESTELA (suspiciously): Lila? What is she doing here--

Quinn rushes forward to help her up as Calvia nods to Varyyn.

CALVIA: My elyyshar. We found this one wandering the nearby jungles. She was previously seen assisting Hydra at the Temple of Canis--

LILA: No, wait! Please! I had no choice... Rourke would’ve killed me if I hadn’t gone with him. I escaped as soon as I could and came straight here! There’s something you need to know--something he’s kept secret from all of you...

UQZHAAL: It cannot be a coincidence that one of the First Catalysts has arisen in our midst so soon after the Valinorim. Auriga, what brings you here?

She looks at the Catalysts one by one.

LILA: Rourke wants to keep you all trapped here. But I know a way home.

_______________________

Scene Notes: And so Lila returns to the story! Just like Kele and Varyyn, she's been given a Catalyst name as well, "Auriga." Also, we've reached the end of Act 1!

_______________________

Next: Portal to Home

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