I fell asleep on the ride home, but Ben held me. We followed everyone out.

Los Fa ran to me. “Molly, Ry’nao needs you! Can you port to Ye~?”

“Sure!” I was still worried about him. Angel stopped running towards us and walked off. Oh, no! Fa and Mea gave a knowing look, then ran after her. Good.

Ben waved a white portal to get us there fast! We giggled as we shot to Ye~ and stumbled out.

We stood in V’chsan Ye~. Little gray stone domes with bright flowers all around. Each dome had a big arch, open. That’s diff.

Jal Fa Sai ran to us. “Oh, my friends! Please, come this way. He startles easily. It’s not far.”

With a giggle, Ben snatched me up and ran after him. “Oh, Ben, I love you!”

Ben smiled, big. “Cesarae, I love our life together!” His neon green eyes sparkled.

Jal Fa Sai chuckled as we reached the end of this sand street. “Young love is wonderful. I feel it also because Pirad revived my wife. Later I will bring her. Let us come quietly.”

“Quietly, Sai?” ‘Ao laughed from the bed.

We walked in the open arch. His wife held him, but glared at Ilios, who sat on the other side in a chair. Iona sat with him.

There were chairs all around the round bed, much smaller than a Zheien bed. Xchou only have a setup like this when someone’s too sick to lie on the floor. Ben taught me a lot! But the fact that Ilios wasn’t on the bed got me. He’s crying. Had a death grip on Iona’s hand. How would I feel if I went crazy and killed a lot of people?

But I did kill a lot of people in that battle. All that guilt hit me at once.

‘Ao noticed. “Molly, come.” His hand lifted a bit.

I got up there.

“What’s wrong, Child?”

"I killed people! I'm a healer, I'm not supposed to—" I just blurted it out. Sobbed! He’s sick, he doesn’t need this!

Ry'nao tried to reach, and Ket helped him hug me. I laid my head on his chest. Too exhausted to cry any more.

"Molly, we just fought a war and won. For every slaver you killed, you saved a galaxy. Civilizations, Molly, that would have gone extinct. Your Cube found them."

"Cube? I don't have--" But I found minds. Most of 'em were kings of MarKu all the way back to their founding! All of Ryee's ancestors had clones there, too! They told me, You are MarKu's Councillor.

We landed on Alb Seer, and Wslarc ran to us. "Ry'nao, you should have let her rest before you told her. I will go to Ea~, since you also worry for them."

‘Ao cried.

Pinda shoved Wslarc. "Knowing this will give her strength. Many of these new Councillors didn't know that they were. Pirad's plan worked, to use his clones to find people with Gifts, people whose love could power Cubes. Once they have clones again and replenish--"

Stolen story; please report.

I held up my hands. "Wait a min! So, what are Councillors supposed to do?"

Pinda, Wally, and Ry'nao laughed. They looked at Wslarc. "You know there is confusion over the duties of Elders. Councillors are much the same. If there is a threat, do something to stop it! Otherwise, use your Gifts to help others."

"I guess I can handle that!" I thought about Ray after she defeated Rentappenen. Sometimes she could heal someone no one else could, but mostly, she had an idea here and there and would run over and surprise people. Solved a lot of problems for Pirad and other people doing great things for Rainbow. Yep, I can do that. I don't have to understand all his higher level stuff, to just heal people. And, maybe, because I killed people in a war, I don’t have to feel that guilty. I didn’t enjoy it. Won’t do it again. To save galaxies, that was worth it.

Then, we met with the Alb Council, and all my Rainbows are healing a lot of people. It dawned on me that all those clones of me Pirad made act like members of my Collective, because my Collective is powering their healing. We're doing the miracle work that we did in the old Rainbow, just with a lot of Rainbows! My cube has a diff rainbow color on each of the 6 faces. It combines all the primary functions marked by each color. Huh.

Every world, even Elshar Zheiea, released everyone from Rainbow, and they can go home now. Not one died.

I went to Goes' ship. On it was King Herda, Goes and his bae with their wives, and MarKu Council. They all bowed low.

I didn't expect that! Herda stayed low, and his brown eyes studied me. "What will you have us do, Councillor Molly?"

I smiled. "Friends, unless we find out there's another bad guy like Rentappenen, it's business as usual! Councillors are like Elders. Our duty is basically to be ready to protect our territory against a threat. And help our people rise to the next level. That's not going to happen as fast as it has in the past.

"All of us just need to take care of our people. We already know how to do that, don't we? Rise and be comfortable!"

They quit looking scared, and their happiness tingled on me. Goes laughed and looked at Herda. "Ah, we are yet learners in this also, but we friends help one another well." Clicking stopped beneath us. "Shall we all go to Council, then, and see which problems we can solve today?"

We walked through the orange sand of Fig. Children played. The festival was still going on. Scientists and artists demonstrated work. A baker offered a tray and all of our huge group found faves to munch as we walked. People bowed and mentioned problems. For every one, something popped into my head for 'em to try. Traders dickered.

We went into the green building, to the huge Council Chamber that was indigo blue. Each of the nine couples had an urgent concern that I solved right then. I worried that I'd run out of solutions! But the meeting didn't need to go long.

I bowed to King Herda.

"Eae yeo, Councillor Molly! I decided, and my Council approved, that I shall become Elder King and Ait will be Elder Queen. See your new king, Goes, King Of MarKu, and your new queen, Shannon, Queen Of MarKu!" Everyone's happiness tingled on me! But there were rumbles of sadness, too. They expected Goes and Penny.

In their chamber, Goes' sadness rumbled on me. His parents are there with him, and they are sad, too. On his bed are the nine couples of the Council, and all of them had to let their clones run the kingdom.

I started to walk in the open doors, but Ben scooped me up. "Is time for you to follow Rule Number One!"

I laughed. We went to our room, and I felt overwhelmed by all that happened. But, I have time to think. I have an army of clones with my skills. I have friends to help me. Most of all, I have Ben. I hugged my husband and let him feel all my gratitude for him, my pride in ideas he had that solved Council problems, and my love. Ben felt the same about me.

Suma encouraged us to share the negative stuff, too. I let all my worries out, fear that I wouldn't know an answer, or they'd take my Cube away because I offended someone, or that I'd suddenly get so mentally ill that I couldn't do it anymore!

Ben worried that it was too much for me, that I wouldn't be able to keep this up if I didn't spend more time with family and friends. My poor hubby was terrified I’d die helping in the Battle Of The Cubes!

"You're right. This time, I'm going to set aside time every day and make more of an effort to take care of my loved ones." I kissed his forehead.

As he kissed mine, he gave convincing arguments, that I needed to promise to let him and them take care of me more. Tomorrow we made plans to stay with his family in Lut’s Chambers. I offered to go tonight, but Fa dared us to port.

Sylvania pressed herself between us, purring. So many nights of her life, my tears wet her silky white fur. The feel of her and my husband, the soft bed, and the comfort of Ben's mind all brought happy tears. The longing for acceptance and something to trust in my life wasn't strong. This life is new, but it's filled with hope and healing.