Finally, I came to a part more sand than rocks. Looked back and it was maybe, 5 blocks. My knees shook. Got on ‘em. That’s my last down, today. I won’t be gettin’ up without help. Maybe we’re all dying, today, anyway. Better to be out here by my lonesome.

I sobbed. Hoped it’s too far for Gwen to hear. “Lord, what a way to die, out here all alone!” I told Him all my fears, about my sins, and how I wished I’d done better by my daughter.

After I talked for a while, I just laid in the dust and no strength to cry. But, I heard crying. Didn’t sound like Gwen. “Luna? Luna, Honey, izat you?” I looked up.

The sun was setting in that brown sky. Brown, drab sand—but I saw a bit of green! Was she wearing green today?

“Luna, I’m comin’. Granny’s comin’, Honey!” I got on my hands and knees and crawled towards that bit of green. Not gonna let my poor granddaughter die out there!

Sand went forever, but I got close enough and there’s a hand. Green skin! Three fingers! “Oh, Dromie! You came back!” The closer I got, the stronger I felt! He reached, and I held his cold hand against my cheek. “Poor thing, you’re froze!”

He hugged me. “Oh, Granny, we won. I got hurt. I can’t fix things. Forgive me? You think Lord’ll forgive me?”

“Honey, the Lord always forgives people! I think He’ll forgive you. Luna missed you so much! She won’t even get out of bed, she’s so depressed! Won’t you go t’ her? She’s in her room.”

“Mama don’t like me, Granny. She told me to stay away. But I missed you and I came back. There’s nothing left to heal you, Granny. Nobody can heal me, anyway. I’m the last.” He panted.

I looked at our little house with its black, wrought iron fence. Realized, I can’t get myself up, and I can’t lift even little Dromie. All I wanted was to take him in to see Luna before we die.

But, as I looked, a streak of white came across and left someone in bright blue clothes. With white robes. Like that healer--

They ran over here! Red curls flew behind her. “Hi, I’m Molly, and I’m a healer! What’re y’all doing out here? It’s cold!” She waved and we had a warm, white blanket.

“I’m Aine and this is Dromie. He went to fight Rentap-whatshisface! He’s hurt! Ya know how to heal him?”

The blanket glowed enough to show her green eyes and a frown. “I know you! You saved me so I could heal Ry’nao! I tried to get Wslarc not to send all of you out here by yourself, but he said I could visit, so I’m here! Eat some of this, and I’ll heal you, Aine.” She waved up a whole platter of pastries like we ate on that ship! I said a quick blessing thanking the Lord for bringin’ Dromie and this Molly to us! Then I ate and she hummed and I wasn’t skinny any more! White light took us to Luna’s bed.

Gwen shocked me by talking to Dromie. “I’m sorry, Dromie! I shouldn’t have said anything! Please fix the food so Luna can eat!” She sobbed.

Dromie’s blue eyes got big and teary. “I wanted to keep things going, but it was harder than I thought, to fight Rentappenen! He hurt me so I couldn’t keep the server running! I’m sorry, Mama! I wanted to help Luna!” The poor little thing cried.

Molly waved another humongous platter on the bed. Held a pastry under Luna’s nose. Gwen sobbed. “Honey, you gotta eat! Doesn’t this smell good? Wake up, Luna!”

I touched her arm and it was cold. Stiff.

Molly put pastries under her green shirt, Dromie’s color. Didn’t say a word, but she sang.

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Sunshine and butterflies

Free wings under blue skies

Listen to my heart rise

It sings for you.

I sing for the rainbows

I sing for the mornings

After closing my eyes

Darkness hid your light.

Darkness brings sorrows

But see these bright skies?

After the rain will come rainbows

Sing with me now.

Luna looked up, but she didn’t sing. “Dromie! Oh, we have good food! Here!” She grabbed a pastry off that platter and fed him.

He took a bite, a very gentle bite. Then, she bit into it. Molly kept singing that song. Gwen and her ate, and both of ‘em gained weight. When Molly finished, those pastries on Luna’s chest were gone!

Eating seemed to help Dromie. Between the three of ‘em, they ate all of those pastries. Then, Molly waved. Gwen and I had soft baby carriers, hers with Luna and mine with Dromie. “I’m taking y’all to MarKu! I can’t leave any of you here! I’ll ask Emperor Ry’nao to pardon you, my friend!”

Dromie hugged her. “You’d do that for me? But it won’t work, Molly. Wslarc is a greater Councillor than Ry’nao.”

Her green eyes filled. “I have to try! As I understand it, all of us Councillors are equal rank. Let’s go. Hold onto me! All they can say—” White light came and we zoomed up in the sky!

At first I was scared enough t’ beg the Lord for forgiveness of all my sins, oh, my! I clung to Molly’s skinny arm and Gwen’s! But I got used to it when it went on for hours! Molly held the top of this portal-thing and we couldn’t talk ‘cause it was loud! Finally, we got to a big, orange planet. It had oceans, and continents like Earth had, then we got close and saw farms. Most of it was farms. Cities were little groups of pyramids in circles, each a little rainbow.

As we got closer, I got scared and prayed again, but we just zoomed over the land until we came down—gently—on orange sand in front of a deep blue building made of a jewel. The door had horses with rings in their mouths on it.

All of us laid on the orange sand. It was soft like cornstarch. Molly hummed and my arms weren’t sore or tired.

But, the very orange fella standing over us didn’t look happy. “Molly, you can nae bring these people here! Will you threaten all of Alb?”

She got up and gave a very fancy bow with one leg behind ‘er like a ballet dancer! “King Goes, forgive me, but see my memories! This fella saved me so I could save Ry’nao!”

He listened, but looked at Dromie like he’as a snake ready to strike!

People gathered around him in fancy sashes across their chests, too. The man had eyes as orange-brown as a parrot’s. Dark curls. More pins on his sash than people around him had. “Molly, I can nae help you with this situation, as much as I would like, for kings of Zheiea have no say in Council affairs. Ry’nao comes, with his healer, Ket.” He looked up.

A white portal left a man with skin red like a fire engine! Only four fingers. His feet had four toes. Even his eyes were deep red. He leaned on a white fella with black eyes. Never saw that color! Like the colored part was all black like his pupils! “Molly, these people cannot stay.”

“’Ao, please! They nearly starved because Dromie couldn’t keep them alive—”

“He is a danger to my Thirteen Galaxies and cannot remain in Alb!”

“He saved my life so I could save you and the Thirteen!” She bowed really low to him and stayed that way. Didn’t move, just sobbed.

Dromie got up. I let him out of the carrier she made for him. He fell at the red fella’s feet. Shoved his hands into the sand and touched his four-toed feet. The fella looked shocked!

“You cannot stay here. Even if you die here, your body cannot—” His chest heaved as he looked up.

Deep blue portals rained down from the green sky. Sky can be green? Fluffy clouds drifted and I counted five moons.

When the blue lights faded, there were more people like Dromie than I could count! Gwen screamed and pulled Luna under her! I just sat in the sand and enjoyed the flowers all around us. We’ll have to go back, and I’ll never see one again!