Day One Hundred and Seventy One - Once Upon A Time Part 6

Arif had told him to be cautious, to not assume the intimacy of seven years ago. That things had changed that he couldn’t understand until he saw her. Arif had of course been right, Saturn had seen that immediately. She looked so different. And not just because she was in her Hauke form. Seven years had changed her from a girl to a woman. But who were the others? Were they the humans spoken of in the lore? Haukes?  She watched over them, paced over them, worried over them as they slept. She knew them, she loved them. So much so she had yet to even notice Saturn’s presence.

“Olivia.” He said quietly. Her head snapped up and relief flooded her face. She ran to him, jumping into his arms.

“Saturn.”

“You got big, little one.” He said, setting her down. She blushed. “And you’re Hauke. And have Hauke friends.”

She burst out laughing. “Oh Saturn. You’re the only one who could understand how horrible it was. They’re not Hauke. They’re human.” She saw his confusion. “Where did the portal send you?”

“Alta.” He said, his eyes going over them again. So these were the humans.

“But –“

“Alta hasn’t existed in a thousand years. I know. It will again. I was sent to the future, with Arif, to be trained. Where did it take you?”

“To a different world entirely. Earth. There is only one race there, human. And when I first got there, I about died. You see them, they look Hauke but they’re not. I thought I was on a world solely populated by Hauke to punish me. Instead, I found them. They’re my friends, Saturn. We have to find a way to get them home. I don’t know why they’re here.”

“I do.” He said quietly, pulling her close, into his arms again. She went willingly. “They’re here to help us. What is going on is bigger than us, little one. It’s about everyone. Every race. We need them if we’re going to succeed.”

“They’re not warriors,” she said, taking a step out of his arms to look him in the eye. “They’re not even part of this world. Humans are fairly useless. No abilities at all.”

“They’re being changed,” He said softly, wanting to draw her close again. He’d missed her more than he could express.

“Changed?” She took the few steps toward them. “Changed into what?”

“Us. Sort of. They’re being infused with our races. They’re going to help us.”

“They can’t! They don’t know anything of our world, of the war.”

Saturn moved to be near her again, “What are you talking about? How could they not?”

“I didn’t tell them.”

“What?”

“Well,” she chewed her lip, “I told one. Jonah. Before I left. I wanted him to know. I had to explain why I was suddenly leaving.”

“The others?”

“Have no idea. They were in a house, playing cards. And then they were here. Asleep.” She sighed, taking Jonah’s hand in her own. “How can I explain this? I’m sorry you were ripped away from your life, from your families, to come here to fight a war that isn’t yours and I can’t promise you’ll ever get home?”

Saturn thought. “We’ll have to explain it to them. I’ll do what I can to get the ambassadors to come to us. To help them transition.”

“We can’t ask them to fight a war that’s not their own.”

“No, that’s exactly what we’ll do. We’ll ask them.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle as she squeezed Jonah’s hand and then stepped back. “They’ll say yes. You couldn’t keep Jonah from a fight. Or Audrey. Temple is just curious about everything and Brock… well Brock might say no. Frankly I think Wallace may have known this whole time.”

“I don’t understand.”

She looked up at him, “What don’t you understand?”

“The way you talk about them.”

She sighed, beginning to understand. “You went to Alta, you were trained, just like we were before. I went away from all of it. There is war on earth, fairly constant from what I learned but where I was there was nothing but peace. It took me over a year to start talking to Jonah.”

He took her back in his arms, her back against him. “This one is Jonah?”

“Yes.”

“He’s special. To you.”

“He was my first friend.” She leaned her head against Saturn’s chest. “With his help, I learned how to love someone other than you. He taught me how to love people.”

“And the others?”

“In time.” She said closing her eyes. Now that she knew they were safe, even if it was only momentarily, she felt as if she could breathe again. “How long will this take?”

“I don’t know. It seems we’re suspended in the portal until they’re done.” He rested his chin on her head. “I’ve missed you.”

She put her hands on his arms, giving a gentle squeeze.  “Missed you too.”