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“Can you hear me? Say something!”
Moonflower’s body lay prone on the floor of the Ragnarok, completely unresponsive. The Scions surrounded her, alternating between tearful begging and demanding each other to heal faster. She was bleeding rather severely from one of her legs, and had bruises up and down her arms.
Raha wasn’t listening to what the others were saying, however. He only had eyes for her, watching for any sign of movement. “Open your eyes,” he begged. “Please!” Again he squeezed her hand, hoping against hope that she would respond.
Alisaie sobbed across from him, sprawled out over Moonflower’s body demanding that she return to them, and it must have been very effective, for after a heart-stopping moment, her eyes opened.
Green, green eyes, usually full of life. At this moment, they were dull and exhausted, but they were alive.
“Are you… are you with us?” Alphinaud asked hesitantly.
A smile came to her lips. “Hello, darling,” she whispered, and reached up to pat Alphinaud’s cheek. Her hand dropped back very quickly, however, and Raha was quick to take hold of it again.
Here, Alphinaud lost his composure, and tearfully said, “Thank the heavens… For a moment we thought…”
“Is everyone all right?” she asked, unable to turn her head much but attempting to catalog everyone.
Raha leaned forward, his shoulder brushing against Alphinaud’s. “After what you’ve done, you’re the last person…”
Again, she smiled, and slowly, painfully brought both of her hands to his face. “My sun.”
“My moon.” His arms wrapped around her and pulled her up to him, relief flooding through him. “How can you keep your promises if you’re not here?”
“I could ask the same of you!” she countered weakly.
“Another fine show you’ve put on, my friend,” greeted Estinien.
“Another fine show indeed,” Y’shtola said, and stood up. “What were you thinking, fighting alone? Never do that again. My poor heart couldn’t take it.” She met Moonflower’s eye and raised an eyebrow, which made the younger miqo’te burrow her face into G’raha’s shoulder.
Thancred chimed in as well, and his scolding made Moonflower’s ears flatten. “Put yourself in our place. If you hadn’t returned, how do you think we would feel? And if that sounds harsh… it’s because we care.”
“It’s not my fault that Zenos wanted a fight to the death,” she grumbled. “No matter how many times I beat him to a pulp…”
“We tended to thy wounds as best we could, but how is the pain?” Urianger cut in worriedly.
Raha supported her as she wiggled her feet and hands. “Are you all right?” he couldn’t help but ask, and he knew that she understood what else he was asking.
“I didn’t let him touch me,” she said. “That’s part of why it took so long…” Moonflower took a deep breath, and then faltered. “He—he didn’t hurt the baby, I think.”
“Baby?!” Alisaie shouted. “First, Meteion appeared, said you were right behind her, and we got our hopes up. But you never came!” Tears streamed down her face. “And then, when you finally deigned to appear, you were within an ilm of your life!” She swiped at her eyes furiously. “And now, you’re telling us that you’re pregnant again?! After the fact?!”
Moonflower, Warrior of Light, Warrior of Darkness, Hydaelyn’s champion, and many other titles besides, shrank back from Alisaie’s righteous fury. “Well… well, there was a lot happening! I barely had enough time to tell Raha.” In fact, how many days had it been since the Final Days first appeared over Thavnair, before she had a chance to go to the First and speak to Elidibus in the Crystal Tower? It couldn’t have been more than a week.
“That explains the aetheric anomaly,” Alphinaud muttered.
“So far as I can tell, you’re both fine,” Y’shtola assured her. “But never do that again. I’m not sure Cosmos could bear it either.”
“You come up with the worst ways of telling us.” Thancred shook his head, although he was chuckling.
“This isn’t funny!” Alisaie hissed. “Damn you for making us worry!”
Moonflower opened her arms and looked at her friend imploringly. “Alisaie, come here?”
Alisaie sniffed but did as she was asked, and hugged her friend. “That’s not fair, why are you always like this?”
“I promise that next time, I’ll give you a nice, normal announcement.” Moonflower stroked her hair, although she couldn’t do it for long due to the exhaustion. “Right when you’re drinking your wine.”
This finally got Alisaie to laugh.
Estinien, who hadn’t been there when Moonflower had given birth the first time, shot Raha a look in disbelief. Blandly, he said, “You certainly don’t waste time.” As far as he knew, Raha had only joined the Scions a few months before, although he had heard everything about their time spent on the First.
The couple immediately turned red, mirrored by the twins, but the rest of the Scions laughed. Everyone was safe, they all survived Ultima Thule, and now they had returned home.
Livingway and the other loporrits came in, relieved that their cries were from joy, and told Thancred that they were within range of communication.
“I hope you’re ready,” Thancred said with a wink.
As he spoke to whoever was on the other end, Alphinaud turned to Moonflower, who was still hugging Alisaie while being supported by Raha. “A baby?” he asked in a sotto voice.
“Yes, Alphinaud.” She smiled, and despite her exhaustion, she truly seemed excited. “Think you can handle another toddler running around?”
He shrugged, not sure how to respond. It was a lot all at once, plus—as much as he believed in Moonflower’s strength, she had nearly died from her battles with the Endsinger and Zenos, so she would have to be very, very careful for the next few months. “I’m sure I can handle it. More importantly, how will Cosmos take it?”
Their daughter, who was a little older than two years, had not liked watching her parents fly away without her. She would undoubtedly run straight for them when they got off the ship.
“Oh, she’ll be on cloud nine,” Raha said confidently. “We’ve asked her about siblings since I returned to the Source.”
“You two are impossible,” Alisaie complained, finally letting go of Moonflower to cross her arms. “We can’t leave you alone, can we, Alphinaud?”
“No indeed, Dear Sister,” he agreed, and crossed his arms as well. “Perhaps we ought to separate you two.”
Moonflower and Raha stammered in protest, but then the twins pulled Moonflower to her feet and brought her to the window so that she could see everyone she saved. Raha hovered behind her to keep her steady, and as they approached Sharlayan, they could see a toddler running for the ship, Krile and Tataru not far behind her.
Cloud nine wasn’t big enough to fill the joy of the heavens as sun, moon, and star reunited.