Juno's weapon morphed back into Brutus who sat on her shoulder. She rubbed under his chin, "Very well. Hope is too important to him to die again..."

Ceres crawled over to the blackened sphere, "Juno, please." She held the sphere in her hands, she couldn't feel her connection to CoCo at all.

Juno looked at her and then away, "It's his magic not mine. I can't do anything for it. Let's go, Rogue is probably already there." She said bluntly heading for the exit.

Ceres stood up, arms trembling as she held the sphere.

Coulson looked to Grant who merely nodded and took off ahead towards the ship. Coulson hung back to help Ceres' grandfather.



May was laying unconscious on the floor, Fitz and Simmons had gotten themselves locked in a storage closet while Skye was locked in with Horatio with Iron Fist guarding the door.
They had put the ship on lock down the moment they had realized Rogue was there-which was the moment she had taken out their communications with the rest of the group. She had proceeded to take out May and had finally reached Vesta's gem. "Enough is enough" Rogue spoke quietly to herself as she reached out to touch the stone, "I'm going to be in charge of my own life now..."

Oswald grunted, "Thank you, Coleson." Ceres ripped her skirt and wrapped the sphere in it, making a bag to carry it. She came over and pulled Oswald's arm around her shoulder.

"You ok, Papa?"
"More embarrassed, my dear..."

~

Polly, Juno and Thor all ran back to the plane.

"She's gonna do WHAT with Vesta's soul stone?" Polly asked as they ran.
"You heard me."
"What will that do to Vesta?"
"Nothing, Vesta will remain in her slumber until Rogue passes away."

Lifting the gem she looked it over, "So you're going to fix all my problems huh?" she sighed, "Here goes nothing" she pressed it against her chest.


"I have him Ceres" Coulson assured, "You should go on ahead, they'll probably need you to help with Horatio when they get there."

"I...I don't know what I can do....My connection with my familiar is broken... If I use my magic I'll I'll..." Her mind was looping the events of the house fire and Vesta killing her parents. She hadn't gotten CoCo yet. Their familiars helped them control their powers... make sure they didn't overload.


The gem reacted to Rogue's absorbing powers and began to glow, it embedded itself into her chest. Rogue felt like a thousand fire hot blades were carving into her bones. It was beyond painful. Her body felt like it was on fire, then dipped in lava.
A bright red light surrounded her and when it faded, Rogue felt... Different, like a great evil had been pulled out of her. She felt...free.

Coulson frowned, "Then we're going to have to get him out of there."


A scream echoed throughout the ship and beyond as Rogue fell to her knees. She took a moment to stare at her hands, her whole body felt different but... but there was only one way to be certain. She turned back to the unconscious May, reached out and touched her.

Nothing happened.

Polly and Juno covered their eyes as the red light filled out from the plane windows and engulfed the jungle around it.
"Oh no..." Polly said hurrying onward.

Ceres nodded, helping Coleson carry her Grandfather.

Since the ship was in lock down, Thor launched forward, slamming his hammer into the door to send it flying off it's hinges. The sound reverberated through the ship.

Rogue looked up, they were here. Time to finish the rest of her job quickly. She got to her feet and took off down the corridor to where they had Horatio.

About halfway back to the plane, Ceres and them saw the bright light.

"Ceres. I know you're scared, but your sisters might need you." Grandpa Oswald said softly.
"But-"
"Here," He pulled her closer and kissed her forehead, "I'm feeling better... Now Hand me CoCo. I'll watch him. Go on."

Ceres handed over the cloth bag and raced back. Once she was out of sight, Oswald put all of his weight on Coleson, "It has certainly been an interesting day... Coleson, did you remember to put a good word in to Fury about marrying Ceres?"

"I did, but he seems to think it would be too dangerous for her to be with the director Shield." Coulson replied, "Polly's one tough cookie but Ceres is... softer. I don't think Fury would be a good fit"


Iron Fist was sitting next to the unconscious Horatio, meditating to help keep Horatio's soul calm and in place. Then Rogue showed up on the other side of the glass door and Skye let out a yelp of terror.
"Iron Fist-Irrrrooonn Fist guuuyyy" Skye gulped, poking him, "the scary lady's here"

"the doors are sealed" Iron First replied calmly before Rogue raised her fist and punched the glass, creating a crack.

"I don't think that's going to stop her" Skye pointed out, pressed against the back wall of the room.

Opening his eyes, Iron fist stood and walked over to the glass doors, "You are angry, Rogue. There is no need for such fury to run through you, breathe and let it drift away along then-" Smash. The glass shattered as she punched through it and seized Iron Fist by the throat.

"I have a job to do," she stated firmly, "and you are in my way."

"Perhaps you're right. I've sheltered her too much. She's barely seen the world for what it is. And with all of this happening, I'm worried she my shut the world out for good..."

"ROGUE!" Polly appeared at the top of the stairs, pointing a gun at her, "Drop him. You've got Vesta's stone."

Rogue turned sharply, keeping Iron Fist between them, "This isn't over yet. Not until Horatio is dead."

"Over my dead body!" Polly stated bluntly and fired her gun. When she fired, it was like her gun was sucked into the bullet and the bullet expanded into a blue goop, which smacked Iron Fist in the face and then moved around him to Rogue, wrapping around her entire body, binding her in place.

She struggled against it, "Release me! You don't understand, he has to die so he can return home. He HAS to go back!"

Polly marched down the stairs and kicked Rogue over, stepping a Shield certificated boot on her, "...You're met our True father, haven't you? How? Explain yourself." Polly boomed.

Ceres headed into the plane through Thor's newly made door. (Fury: A really nice plane!) "Hello?" She called out. The place was a mess.

"When I touch Horatio" Rogue cringed, "his powers sent me somewhere. Your father told me everything. I was supposed to be happy!" she snapped, "I was supposed to have a better life before HE ruined it. Horatio is the reason I've had no control over my powers, why I could never touch anyone-ANYONE. With him gone, it all changes."

"His powers..." Polly mumbled. Polly grabbed Rogue by the collar and lifted her, "I don't know what he told you but killing Horatio will NOT change you fate. And he's presence is NOT the reason you're unhappy. Some people are designed to be unhappy, to balance everything out. Horatio didn't make you unhappy, True Father did! " She yelled.

Ceres found May laying on the floor, "May? May?" She knelt down and took a deep breath. 'Just stay calm, you can do this' She lay her hands over May as they began to glow.

Rogue just turned her head to the side. Polly could yell all she wanted but it wouldn't change her mind. Not after what she had seen, True father had shown her all of it himself.


May gasped and sat up quickly, her hand suddenly gripping Ceres' throat. Noting that it was Ceres however she did let almost immediately, "Where is she?" she demanded furiously.

Polly lowered Rogue, seeing it was useless. "That gem is the only reason you're free Rogue. And whether you like it or not, you're actually going to help save Horatio.

Ceres raised her hands to the sides of her head and let out a breath once May let her go, "I'm not-"

"Down at that lab thingy by your hanger." Juno was leaning against a partly broken wall, "Pallas has her all wrapped up. Should have put a bow on it. Come on, let's get this over with. I have places to be, Ceres."

Ceres got up and followed Juno down the stairs to the rest of the gang.

May got to her feet as well, following them to where the others were.

Iron Fist was brushing himself off, "I suggest we begin the process shortly. He does not have much time left."

Polly dragged Rogue over to Horatio's bed. Juno and Ceres soon headed as well.

"Shall we?" Polly stated, linking hands with the rest of them, Ceres placing her free hand on Vesta's gem.

Rogue tried to fight it but she didn't have a handle on Vesta's powers at all.

Skye quickly slipped out of the room and Iron Fist stood in the doorway to observe.

They all began to glow their own colour, Red, blue, pink and green. The energies flowed through all of them and into Horatio. A bright white light flashed across the island and when it faded away to nothing, Horatio remained, surrounded in a golden light of his own.

~

"Ceres, he's fading. There's nothing we can do." Pallas said softly.

Hope's body was slowly disappearing, starting from his toes.

The little pink haired girl pushed out of Pallas' arms, "NO! I won't let him." She placed her hands on his chest, where once there was a gem of gold. "You can't go! You promised. You promised you'd take me to that park." She was crying, her pink light beaming into him.

Hope stopped fading and Ceres turned to her older sisters, "Help me! PLease! We have to save Hope."

Juno sighed, uncrossing her arms and knelt down across from Ceres, her hands out the hole in his chest, "I can't stand it when you look at us like that. Baby eyes and all."

Vesta knelt down behind Ceres, placing her hands over top of Ceres' and Pallas placed her hands as well.

They were able to keep him in his form but that was all.

"Come on you big dumpy!, "Juno blurted out, tears finally creeping through.

"Girls." Vesta began. It was going to be one of those speeches about letting go.
"No! We can do this. We just have to believe." Pallas snapped
"And if we wish real hard-" Ceres began.

A voice rang out, "If you wish will all your might, that wish will come true... However all things must be balanced. The worlds cannot be sent into utter chaos."

"Who-" Pallas began.
Vesta froze, "M-Mother?"
"What clever girls you are..."
~

Horatio remembered falling, hurtling to earth through the atmosphere, blazing on fire in a rainbow coloured comet but it didn't hurt. He was only conscious for a few moments, opening his eyes he saw them all, surrounded by their stones he felt a pit in his stomach. They had given themselves up for him, they were keeping him whole but in return, they were falling with him.
"sisters..." he reached out to them, but suddenly they hit the earth and the bond shattered, scattering them across the globe.

After that, it was hazy. Floating around with no body, no way of finding out if his sisters were alight, no way of finding even Ciara. The phantom form was exhausting, it was hard enough to hold yourself together without a stone but even no body? Yet how could he take the life of a human away from someone? He could feel the barriers around his soul weakening with every day, all the effort his sisters had gone through would be for naught if he didn't do something soon.

Then he found them. A man and a woman, building a life together, their hope and happiness drew him to them. She had a baby along the way, they were so excited. What they didn't see however was how weak the child was. It didn't even look able to survive another week let alone four more months.

"Everything will be alright" Hope spoke softly, smiling at the couple. How could he ignore such an opportunity? These two were clearly meant to be together, they would be wonderful parents and he had seen how the loss of a child could change things. So he placed his transparent hands on her stomach and became one with the little boy. He would live, they all would, a happy ending.

He could not have been so wrong.


With a startled gasp, Horatio sat upright. His hands trembling as these long lost memories surged through him. It took a moment for him to even realize there were others in the room and he blinked, looking at them in shock, "... sisters?"

Of course, the moment Horatio was awake and looking well, Grant took the opportunity to shook Juno with one of their strongest tranquilizers.

"Big brother!" Ceres smiled widely, wrapping her arms around him.

Seconds before Grant shot Juno she was showing signs of passing out but she fell forward onto the bed.

Polly turned toward Grant, "Really? She was gonna pass out on her own any second now."