Delta and Julie cuddle for the first time in what feels like weeks, lying on a hastily constructed bed that is not at all comfortable. We cannot see inside Julie’s mind, but Delta is at her calmest in God knows how long.

“Just us,” Julie says. “Been a long while.”

“Don’t say that. You’ll tempt fate.” Delta gives a stern look that melts into playfulness.

“Fate doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“Yeah, but even if not, I don’t want anyone barging in right now. I just want to be here with you. Only you.”

“Yeah. I get it.”

Delta touches her wife’s face.

“I always loved that about you,” she says. “You get things.”

“I do.”

“But do you know what I’m thinking now?”

“I think I do.”

“Good. Then let’s not talk about it.”

They kiss.

A while later, Esther enters the bedroom and scoots into the middle of the bed, between the two. They are both asleep, but both are suddenly awoken.

“Honey, what are you...” Delta mumbles.

“Maman, I’m worried. Can you comfort me?” Esther asks.

“What’s wrong?”

“It might be a bit difficult for you to understand,” she says. “I just feel strange about tomorrow.”

Julie wakes up slightly herself. “Esther, do you feel it too?” she whispers.

“I do. What can it be?”

Julie shakes her head. “Esther, I have no idea. Don’t worry about it.”

“But... Mom. This feeling... This aura. I can’t even describe what it might be. It simply showed up a few hours ago.”

“I know. It’s a very strong aura. Whatever it might be, though, we’ll face it tomorrow. Not tonight.”

“I’ve never felt something so powerful in my life. I’m scared.”

“You’re not even two years old, Esther. You have a lot to experience in your life.” Julie pats her on the head. “Now, this bed isn’t really big enough for all three of us, you know that. You’re a big girl now.”

“Can’t we sleep together one more time?”

Julie sighs. “Yes, Esther. We’ll do our best, won’t we, Maman?”

Delta mumbles something and goes back to sleep.

The three of them spend their last night before the battle resting as a family.

But the power they feel does not fade in the slightest.

***

Pablo endures one last round of intense post-workout post-training exercise. A nightly run around the Anti-Mage fortress. Practically the rest of the base is asleep, besides the night watch, and they’re off in their own little corners. It’s just him out here in the damp cool night of... Wherever they are.

Mystix is a strange place. A stranger in an even stranger land, this Pablo Rosas is.

But he enjoys the thrill of it. It brings meaning to his life where for the longest time there was none.

Finally, he can utilize his immense strength without the need of olive oil and wine. Finally, he can decide his own path that has nothing to do with that wretched tourist town. Finally, he can embark--

“Hiya, Pablo!”

He nearly trips over himself and falls to the ground.

It’s The Goddess, looking as chipper as ever in a cute dress. Her half-robot body glimmers even in the darkness.

“Oh, it’s you,” he says, panting. More from the run than the surprise. It’s a light jog, only a 15K, but he’s still recovering from the subjective weeks inside Julie and Eryk’s fantastic time bubble. His powers have probably tripled since he entered that zone, but he will only be able to know once the battle begins tomorrow.

“You look might handsome out here,” she says. “I thought I’d watch you exercise. Gets my jimmies in a whistle.”

“Ma’am.” He salutes her and continues running. Indeed, she stands there silently and watches him. For some reason, it isn’t quite as discomforting as he thought it would be. For the first time in his life, he can say with absolute certainty that a deity is watching over him.

When he finally finishes the 15K, The Goddess is there with a bottle of delicious, refreshing, replenishing Powerade Advance Cherry Lime.

He takes a swig of this spicy elixir and smiles.

“You’re welcome,” The Goddess says.

“Wow, The Goddess. How did you know this is just what I wanted?”

“Every true athlete needs a taste of Powerade and its ION4 system. It’s like a Destiny Point for your body.”

“Yes. And it tastes great, too.” He finishes the drink, much faster than anyone who just ran a 15K should ever finish a 700ml bottle. “I have to ask, though. Why are you up at this ungoddessly hour?”

“What do you mean?” she asks.

“Everyone else is asleep. Or preparing for the battle.”

“Oh, sleep. That thing.” She bonks her forehead as if she had forgotten something stupid. “Yeah, I tried it once. It ain’t my thing, really.”

“Oh, I see.” Pablo scrambles to think of something to say and avoid an awkward silence. “Well, it’s nice having your company.”

“And likewise, real nice seeing your shirtless muscled eye candy out here.”

“Do you... fancy me?”

“Oh, hell yeah. I’m hotter for you than a dog on cheese.”

“Well then.”

Pablo, for some reason, feels a little proud that The Goddess, creator of this multiverse, has a crush on him. Maybe he has a reason to keep going after all.

***

“Francis, you look positively dashing,” Eryk says.

A very nude, extremely sweaty Francis flexes in front of the mirror in their room and does some power poses. After a nice shower with his boyfriend, he is looking oh so nice. No longer is he some pudgy streamer with a heart of gold and a head full of nothing.

Nah, now Francis is TOTALLY RIPPED! Head’s fullness status results are still pending.

“I actually beat you in a fight. I’m never gonna forget this.” Francis beams at his boyfriend.

“I was extremely surprised. Your fighting improved so much during our time in the [Time Deceleration] bubble. So did everyone’s, really. Wredd Shire especially impressed me. But you... Well, you must already be aware.”

“Yep. We got that whole ESPer thing going on.”

{And we’ve mastered it perfectly,} Eryk thinks to him. {Our [Empathetic Link] is unbreakable, and so is our bond of love.}

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?” Francis asks. Eryk is always a real sillykins, but he’s acting weirdly feisty this evening. It’s kind of cute.

Eryk bends down on one knee, right in front of Francis.

“Woah woah woah.” Francis backs away. “Calm down. Remember the asexual thing?”

Eryk tilts his head to the side? “What? I was merely about to propose marriage to you in the traditional Earth manner.”

“You were--Oh, okay. I was misundersta---WAIT, WHAT?!”

“I believe we shall be happiest if we are together forever. And according to what I know of Earth culture, a wedding and legal document and ring are the most important symbols of that foreverness.”

“Holy shit, dude, that’s kind of awesome. But, isn’t this the worst possible timing?”

“It’s the day before our final battle. One or both of us may die.”

“Exactly,” Francis says. “It’d be lame as hell if we got engaged and then tragically one of us doesn’t make it.”

“I see. Tragedy is not something that either of us are looking for out of this relationship.”

“Yeah. So let’s save the wedding shit for AFTER we both make it out alive. Alright?” Francis goes over to his clothes and puts on some boxers and a tanktop. “But thanks for the offer.”

“I’m glad you didn’t simply refuse it outright, as I had worried.”

“Eryk Solbourne, Hero of Mystix, worried? Now that’s not realistic.”

Eryk smiles at him. Oh, that smile.

That’s where the trouble began with that guy. That smile.v That damned smile.

One look at him and all your troubles melt away.

They are definitely gonna win that battle tomorrow. And Francis is so fricking excited.

***

You know, G’L’K isn’t actually on fire when she’s asleep. Abby’s learned that the last few nights, seeing her in her (gypsum-based) bed all unignited. Just a bundle of cold rocks in shapely womanly form.

She isn’t sure if the girl even knows that about herself, since she’s asleep. But Abby knows. Just getting up in the night and passing her by.

And her heart fluttering helplessly for reasons she cannot even begin to explain.

She was a damn king of a nation. Now she’s supposed to be a vicious ronin warrior. So why in the world is Abby suddenly falling head over heels for some alien made of magical fire and rocks?

Why was that girl so nice and chipper and weirdly sensitive about feelings, and why did they always get along really well in conversations and like the same music... Ugh.

After this battle, she is going to confess her feelings and confirm what she already knows, that G’L’K definitely doesn’t like her back. Then she can finally be done with this giddy schoolgirl phase of her life. She’s not a child anymore.

But... she’s still watching her sleep, which she realizes might come off as creepy. She decides to walk back to her bed when--

“Abby?”

G’L’K has woken up.

She gulps. “Uh, hey.”

“Hey. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, nothing. I was just watching--” Abby cuts herself off. What was she about to just admit? Watch it, girl!

“Watching what?” G’L’K asks. “Me?”

“Um, yes?”

DAMMIT ABBY.

“...Oh.” The lava girl doesn’t seem to know how to respond.

“Sorry, I was just...”

“Want to cuddle? I mean, now that my fire magic’s all deactivated on sleep mode and all.”

“Yes. Yes please.”

“My pleasure.”

That was the day Abby had her first kiss.

Also, gypsum-based beds aren’t as uncomfortable as they look. Really surprising.

***

Malia and Master Keitou stand atop a tall cliff overlooking the U.S. military base.

Central Spire, the massive, towering structure, is right in front of them. It’s surrounded by military encampments and barracks and landing strips and warehouses.

The level of organization here is impressive. But it won’t be for long.

Malia, though, is more concerned with Master Keitou and her very strange demeanor at the moment. “Mother?”

It takes a moment for Keitou to respond to that call. She clearly isn’t used to it. “Yes, Malia?”

“Are you ready for what we have to do?”

“Of course,” Keitou says without making eye contact. “We’re going to save the day for our friends.”

“And you’re sure you’re ready to bear the cost?”

Keitou nods. “Absolutely.”

“I’m very glad I got to meet you one last time.”

“And I’m very glad I got to meet you for the first time.”

Parenthood through the barriers of infinite reincarnation are strange. But the bonds forged through family cannot be so easily broken by multiverses and memory wipes.

Together, this mother and daughter are about to strike out with a noble sacrifice like no other.