Welcome to Gaia! ::

“By asking politely, usually,” a voice said from behind her. Cosmos did not immediately seem to have an energy signature; after she arrived it seemed to bubble and slowly grow in strength. She tucked some hair behind her ear and offered a kind smile.

“You were lucky, I was just about to head home.”

Home, the Galaxy Cauldron.

Once, she might have called Earth home, but now her visits seemed limited to when something was wrong—or when someone needed something.

She seemed tired, but in a timeless way. This wasn’t some late night fatigue; it was an eternal weight she bore on her shoulders. Cosmos never slept.

“What do you need?”

Cosmos shrugged faintly. “I visit, occasionally. I do not think we have been formally introduced, though.”

She extended her hand politely and shook the hand Lysithea had offered. “I am Cosmos.”

But Lysithea knew that. She bowed her head just slightly in greeting. “You called me, only a few nights ago. You and your team, with the little youma. Perhaps that is where you feel familiarity? I did not stay for long. The process was taxing, but,” she shrugged and smiled faintly. “I come when I am needed. How are you all doing?”

Cosmos’ eyes flashed. “If he knows who you are, then I must. Your life is at stake. Metallia’s claws dig deep. If he knows, then it is only a matter of time before she knows. No matter how willing he is, her will is stronger. If he is serious about leaving the Negaverse, I will need to see him as soon as possible. I can do it,” she insisted; she had been busy on Earth and had spent a lot of energy already, but a trip to the Cauldron would heal her quickly.

“…Do you know the risks, though? Aside from that? Purification is not always easy. Even if he is willing, the Chaos clings to all that it can. He will not purify whole. There will be lapses in his memory…”

She was careful, trying not to scare the woman away.

She only wanted to prepare her for the inevitable if she did not already know.

Cosmos watched as Lysithea tended to her affairs; she leaned on her staff and waited patiently. The Cauldron was calling, but this was as important as any other Earthly task.

She shook her head.

“I require nothing. I am only doing my duty, that does not need repayment. If you are prepared, if he is prepared, then I will wait.”

She was prepared for an ambush, but only because the Negaverse had taught her to expect the worst.

Cosmos glanced at her. “…I know this will be hard, but it is the right decision. We will correct a mistake that never should have come to pass. Whatever transpires once he arrives, he will be a better person afterwards. I hope that you have faith in that.”

Everything was ready.

Zack had done more in the past few days than he had in the last year, it seemed. He glanced at the box in the corner. His heart was pounding in his chest; he patted himself down like he was looking for his keys.

In the box, already.

Everything was in the box, except for the cell phone he’d just gotten the call from, and a letter he had shoved in the back of a desk drawer.

A letter, for Evan.

The words he couldn’t say face to face, but that he wanted said in case he didn’t come back from this.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled out the drawer and laid the letter atop of the desk.

It would have been hard to miss, if anyone had looked. Evan’s name was on it; he’d find it eventually. The house was silent; Cambria was gone and Evan was lying on the couch, asleep in front of a muted television.

Zack quietly stalked across the room and looked down at him. He wanted to sigh, or make some noise to wake Evan, if only to have an excuse to talk to him. Only, Evan would have known something was wrong, and Zack wouldn’t have been able to explain to him just what it was. Instead, he leaned over the back of the couch and pulled the blankets up to tuck Evan in a little more.

Evan was out; he snuggled deeper into the blankets but his eyes never opened.

Zack leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the temple—as sweet of a goodbye as he could manage.

He couldn’t risk leaving the house; the doors would be unlocked and if Evan woke up, alone, in an unlocked house he’d have been frantic. Instead, Zack powered up in his living room and teleported to Cambria’s location.

It hadn’t been perfect; he’d guessed her area and when he arrived he was near enough to feel her—and someone else—but he’d still had a bit of a walk.

He didn’t waste time; he teleported closer, figuring he might as well get as much use out of it as he could.

This time, he was only a few yards from Lysithea—and the stranger. He cast Cosmos a wary glance before focusing his attention on the Senshi he knew.

“Evan’s asleep on the couch. Everything I’ve got is in a box by my desk. I don’t think I forgot anything.”

He’d made his list; he’d checked it a few times.

He was ready.

Cosmos watched with a calm expression; she did not accept Lysithea’s offer for dinner but smiled and thanked her. She fell quiet when the General arrived, watching him with a wary expression.

He did not make any attempt to attack her, and when he spoke to Lysithea, she relaxed further.
This was not the action of a scheming Agent. Still, she did not want to take any chances.

“We should do this quickly,” she said; her voice was soft and guiding and despite the message she didn’t seem like she was rushing them.

She just didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity that could disappear at any time.

Cosmos nodded with the same calm she’d had this whole time. “Alright. This will sting. Brace yourself.”

She held out a hand, a good few inches from his chest, and began to push in a slow stream of energy. The grip of Chaos was always more difficult on Generals and she always felt like she was at her most vulnerable when she was focused on the purification.

She tried to stay alert, tried to watch her surroundings for any indication that this was some sort of trap, but it was difficult to do both jobs at once.

She didn’t want to compromise the purification and chased the thoughts from her mind; with all of her focus, she pushed the Chaos out of him.