This is wordsmith-'s entry. Enjoy :)

Kaapo

A sense of hopelessness pervaded Kaapo as he looked around him.

He didn't know how long it had been since the fighting started, only knew that the rest of his team had stumbled their way into the hall, their enemies close behind. Now all three groups were being pressed together, slowly being forced against the wall of the demolished wall. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Matoaka crouching behind Aurei with a few of the other teens. The worry he always had for her didn't abate, but he was comforted by the knowledge that Aurei would protect Matoaka. He had seen how Aurei had come to care for all of the young ones.

Orange flickered in front of Kaapo and he ducked the oncoming rope of flame. There was a pained scream and he turned to see Max fall to the ground. Kar'yn rushed over to him but Kaapo knew he was dead. More importantly, he knew that they were all going to be dead soon unless a miracle happened. Already he could see that Dooku and Ozai's forces were close to overwhelming them. Too many bodies were scattered across the floor, and Kaapo's heart broke with every face he recognized.

Jay. Corin. Delia. Jake. Rowan. Rastaz. Willow. Maria. Campbell. Ty. Kaapo looked away. He didn't want to see who else had been lost.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see one of the fire benders running toward him, and he reached for his gun. Aiming it at the other man's heart Kaapo barely managed to fire before he was bowled over by a metal droid. Cold metal hands wrapped around his throat and Kaapo's arms flailed instinctively. Before he could do anything else the hands around his throat went slack, and Kaapo wrenched himself away.

With blurry eyes he turned to see Vardes staring at him. Her eyes were hard and she nodded silently at him before turning, a strange silver gun in her hand glinting in the sun. Kaapo lifted his own gun, firing and then ducking behind a tree when a rope of fire came his way. To the right he could see Vardes darting away, blue hair flying behind her.

The bark was rough against his back, leaving shallow scratches he barely felt. He lifted his gun again only to realize he was out of bullets. Kaapo cursed and then shoved his gun back into his holster. His gaze flitted to the bodies around him; one of them had to have a weapon he could use. He had just spotted one that vaguely resembled a pistol when he heard someone shout his name. Kaapo looked up to see Fiona running toward him, red hair flying in a tangled mess, her clothing singed and her eyes bright.

"Get everyone you can," she ordered. "We're leaving."

"What? Leaving for where?" Kaapo asked, even as he started to search the nearby area for the other tributes.

Fiona pointed to the right, where four men stood. Three were dark haired but one was blonde, and two of them had the same strange tattoos Fiona did. Fiona's eyes were bright as she looked at the two of them, alive in a way that was unfamiliar to him.

"Look, I don't have time to explain everything, but those four are here to help us."

"And you trust them?" Kaapo demanded incredulously. Orange flames burned in the corner of his eye and he ducked, bringing Fiona down with him. The other woman rolled to the side, throwing a knife in the direction of the flames.

"That's Jace Herondale and Alec Lightwood," she said, panting slightly, and Kaapo was surprised to hear the awe in her voice. "They're heroes where I'm from—they're the reason we won the war," she said, and Kaapo hesitated.

He glanced over to where the four men were and his eyes widened. Two of them were fighting with a speed and skill that was reminiscent of Fiona and Aurei, while another two were throwing something into horde of fire wielders and droids. They were small black objects that he thought might be bombs.

The unexpected help seemed to have bolstered the remaining tribute's morale, and Kaapo could see them fighting with renewed energy. The blonde man with the same tattoos Fiona had was fighting directly with Ozai, and Kaapo's eyes widened as Ozai was sent flying into the wall. Hope bubbled in his chest for the first time since Dauntless. Maybe we have a chance after all.

"I'll go find the other tributes."

Simon

It was strange to see Jace and Alec, albeit a version of them. Simon was sure that the other him, the one that was a hero, would have known what to say, even to these different timeline versions of his friends. (And did that mean there was a different version of him somewhere? Of Clary? Was he still a mundane here?) But he wasn't that guy, and he didn't know what to say. Instead, all he could do was stare at Jace with confusion as he followed the blonde to the portal.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," Jace said snarkily.

"Are we those kind of friends? The ones with the snarky inside jokes?" Simon couldn't help but ask, and Jace gave him a sideways glance that quite clearly said Simon was an idiot. (He didn't seem all that different from his Jace.) Then Jace was pushing him through a portal, not quite like the one that had brought him to the Academy. For several seconds the world spun on its head, and Simon's ears popped before he was suddenly stumbling into a crowded street. He wasn't quite certain where he was; he was in the middle of a street with very young Shadowhunters fighting strange looking creatures. Before Simon could do anything more than fumble for the bow and arrows strapped to his back he was sent tumbling to the ground by Jace.

"What the-" he spluttered and even in the face of imminent danger he could see Jace rolling his eyes before flicking his wrist and sending a small knife into the chest of a strange blob like creature.

"You're welcome Lewis!" the blonde called out as he bounded away, no doubt to kill more Shadowhunters and look unfairly put together doing so. Then he was gone and Simon was left alone.

Panic fluttered through him, a constant feeling these days but he forced it down, running to an empty area and pulling out his bow and arrow. He could hear Fiona's voice in his head, shouting orders as she so often did, and telling him to watch everyone's back. Simon inhaled deeply. He could do this. The motions felt familiar, something he'd done a thousand times even before he'd known Shadowhunters existed, and a part of Simon calmed. He drew back the arrow slowly and then it fly.

It hit his target, a man who had been hovering over one of the younger girls, Rasha, he thought. Simon nocked another arrow and this time it hit a woman with dark hair. Again. This time a man, red hair so much like Fiona's that he wondered if it was a cousin. He pulled out another arrow. Draw back. Release. Again and again until the movements became automatic.

There was a sudden shout of his name and Simon turned to see a Shadowhunter barreling toward him, white seraph blade in hand. He dropped his bow as he stumbled backward in surprise, reaching frantically for an arrow when he realized he no longer had a weapon. Then a woman darted in front of him, Elsie, and Simon stumbled backward, flecks of blood spattering across his face as Elsie thrust a blade into the other man's chest.

"Thanks," he said and Elsie nodded sharply. Before they could exchange any other words their names were being shouted.

"Simon! Elsie!"

Simon turned at the sound of his name only to see that Fiona was staring at him. Blood soaked her clothes and her hair was falling out of its braid—it was disconcerting to say the least. Her expression was lined with impatience as she screamed his name again.

"We found where Sargon is, let's go!"

Hope and excitement bubbled in Simon's chest. Clary. He was so close to finding Clary. On unsteady legs he ran after Fiona. There were perhaps 35 other people with her, and as he came closer he could see the a mix of emotions in their faces. Fear, exhaustion, and a hope that made their eyes brighter.

"Where is he?" he demanded, hurrying after Fiona.

"Hiding," she said, contempt clear in her voice. "He's in the Armory."

Silence fell at her announcement, and Simon could feel the tension in the air as he and what was left of the group followed Fiona. His breathing came in spurts, and Simon gripped his seraph blade tightly. The pounding of his heart was a drum beneath his chest, sweat beading on his forehead. Everyone was silent as they made their way to the Armory, and he wondered if it was some strong and silent warrior thing he'd understand if he got back his memory.

A foreboding fortress loomed in front of them before long, stone walls and more Shadowhunters guarding it. Of course it's a stone fortress, of course it is, he couldn't help but think. He didn't have time to think anything else before the Shadowhunters noticed them, and he lifted his seraph blade.

It felt awkward in his hand and he wished he'd picked up his bow up back in the alley. He swallowed, looking at Fiona. Her face was pinched with worry, and he could see the way her eyes darted between the row of Shadowhunters before them. She looked like she was going to be sick.

Then she was moving, fast and graceful in a way that Simon associated with Jace. Her movements were swift and practiced, seraph blade stabbing hearts as Fiona ducked and dodged. Simon tried to do the same, but fear slowed his movements. His stabs were half-hearted at best and it was in a daze that he made his way up the steps.

Black flashed in the corner of his eye and he ducked. His arm came up instinctively, his fist colliding with a nose. Pain burst along his fingers—he still hadn't figured out how to properly throw a punch—and then he bounded forward, slipping past the door a few seconds after Fiona did. He hoped that the others would be able to follow.

Then Fiona was running down hallways and through corridors, following a path that only she seemed to know. Simon ran after her silently, his palms slick with sweat. Those they ran into were quickly dealt with by Axel's fire or Raina's knife or someone else's weapon, and Simon was glad to see that at least 20 of them were still left.

"Where are we going?" someone demanded, and Fiona's pace slowed briefly.

Her breathing was labored as she answered, "Penny was able to track him; he's in the first weapons room." She turned a corner and then stopped completely. Simon ran past her and then jogged quickly back.

Before he could ask Fiona pointed to a door along the middle of the hallway. "He's in there, right?" she asked, turning to look at a woman with dark hair and a pale face.

The woman, Penny, nodded. "Yes. He's in there and the key is on a chain around his neck. It's so bright," she muttered, swaying. She paused, and her eyes glazed over. After several moments where Penny twitched violently, kept upright only by Fiona's support, Penny looked at them again. Her eyes latched onto a woman who was barely taller than a child, with a scarred face and hard eyes.

"You'll take it from him," she breathed, and Simon couldn't blame the woman for looking freaked out.

"Wha- how?" she asked slowly, and Penny blinked. She sagged against Fiona.

"He's distracted and you take the key from him."

"How do you know that?" the woman demanded.

"I'm a seer," Penny said, and the woman's eyes widened, but before she could say anything Fiona cut in.

"You have to get that key from Sargon," she said, looking directly at the tiny woman. "We," her arm swept over the others around Simon, "will distract Sargon and whoever else is in there for you, but you need to get the key Sertina, okay?"

Sertina nodded.

"Wait," he said, and Fiona looked irritated.

"What?"

"What do we do when she gets the key? How do we make it work?" he asked.

"We'll figure it out," Fiona said, and her words did nothing to reassure Simon. "Now let's go."

Sertina

The second Sertina and the others entered the weapons room chaos erupted. There was yet another line of soldiers and she wondered just how many people they'd have to fight before the day was done. Then someone barreled toward her and she didn't have any more time to wonder. On instinct Sertina ducked, rolling to the side and cursing as the man she was fighting laughed at her. She shook her head, clutching her blaster more tightly as she fired it. Red light shot out and hit the man in his chest, making him stumble back, and Sertina felt a moment of triumph.

She didn't understand this new world with these tattooed people; all she knew was that they moved faster than she'd thought possible and fought with experience far beyond their years. It made her want to scream with frustration, but all she could do was keep firing. Sertina's bones ached with tiredness but she forced herself to keep going; she had to make sure she got to the key. After all, Sertina might not have family waiting for her, but the others did. And she'd be damned if she just let them lose their family the way she had.

Her resolve bolstered once more, Sertina hoisted her gun higher. More red beams shot out of it and she stuck close behind Fiona, searching for Sargon.

"Where is he?" she heard someone shout, and Sertina's eyes roved over the mass of people around her. Someone slumping to the ground caught her eye, and she realized it was Simon, his eyes wide even as he fell.

Suddenly heat flooded the room, bright orange ropes of fire flaring into existence, and for one wild second, Sertina was back on the other planet, a fire bender running toward her. Then she shook her head, and realized the fire was coming from Axel. Great waves of it poured from his hands, shifting and wrapping around a man with a key around his neck. Sargon. It had to be. Sargon seemed to be fighting back, the flames never quite touching his skin, but Sertina could tell that his attention was divided.

"Now Sertina!" Fiona's voice was in her ear, frantic and commanding. "Go!"

The sharpness of her voice sent Sertina into action. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Fiona and a few others advancing on Sargon, weapons out as Axel continued to wield his fire, and she took her chance. The chain holding the key was loose around Sargon's neck, easy to pull as long as he didn't notice her.

Running up behind him, Sertina's eyes fixed on the golden chain around the man's neck. Her fingers had just grazed the tip of it when Sargon whirled around, his hand coming down around her wrist and snapping it.

Pain erupted along Sertina's arm and she cried out, sagging to the ground. Tears of pain blurred her vision and all she could think was that Penny had been wrong.

"You truly thought you could sneak up on me?" Sargon sneered, jerking her to the side with her injured wrist, arrogance and anger dripping from every word.

Sertina didn't answer, a small cry escaping her lips. She could feel the heat of Axel's flames around her, the fire making sweat bead along her forehead.

"You arrogant human," Sargon snarled, but a knife flew past his head before he could say anything else. The blade scraped against his cheek, sending his head snapping to the side and even with pain clouding her mind, Sertina knew she had to take this chance. With her good hand she grabbed the key and yanked it from around Sargon's neck. There was snap as the chain's clasp snapped and Sertina tried to jerk away only for pain to slide along her arm once more as Sargon twisted it.

She slumped to the ground, key still clutched in her hand. As he leaned down, hand reaching toward the key, Sertina turned to Fiona and whispered a silent prayer. Then she threw the key.

The gold glinted in the light of the room, and Sertina swore that everyone was holding their breath. Then Fiona caught it and Sertina let out a sigh of relief that was short-lived. Her body was suddenly jerked upward and then she could feel Sargon's hands wrapped around her neck, slim but strong. Her breath came in short, shallow pants and fear washed over her in an icy wave.

"Hand me the key," he said, voice carrying over the din. As if by magic, everyone turned to look at him, pausing in whatever they were doing. The ground was littered with bodies, and even though Sertina hadn't known the names of all those she had traveled with, she could see that over 20 of them were dead, most children. She looked away, shifting her gaze to Fiona.

The redhead was looking straight at her, and Sertina could see the conflicted expression on her face, the key held tightly in her hand. In that moment, all Sertina could think of was her family.

Her father, tall and strong before the Wraith fed on him. Her mother, just as strong but unafraid to be gentle. Her brothers, wild and angry and filled with a thirst for vengeance, just like her, but still so very kind. Images of them flashed through her mind, and Sertina was hit with a sudden wave of bitterness and homesickness. She couldn't go back to Athos, couldn't bring back her family. But she could make sure these people, these strange alien people with their varied hopes and dreams, at least had the chance to see their families.

She looked back at Fiona. It's okay, she mouthed, and Fiona's expression crumpled, anger and hopelessness and regret crossing it for a split second. Then she nodded, and Sertina closed her eyes.

Axel

Axel watched as Sargon snapped Sertina's neck, unable to tear his eyes away from the sight. He didn't know why he surprised that Fiona would choose to Sertina die for them; she had made her priorities clear with Zanna, but some part of him had hoped she would try to save Sertina. He didn't have long to ponder though, because Fiona was shouting for everyone that was left to come over. There was a mad scramble toward the redhead, and Axel thought he spotted Sargon amid the circle but then light was descending over them, so bright that Axel was forced to close his eyes.

The air around him became hot, pressing in and making his ears pop as he felt his body leave the ground. There was the disconcerting sensation of disembodiment and then Axel landed with a hard thump, his legs jarring as they hit the ground. His eyes swept his new surroundings, taking everything in. He was in the middle of a bridge—the largest bride he'd ever been on. It spanned across what had to be hundreds of feet over an icy river whose cold he could feel even from here, like the River Lethe but longer and wider. Cold air whipped threatened to blow out the flames of his hair, and Axel's skin broke out into goosebumps.

Cries of surprise filled his ears, and Axel turned to see perhaps 60 people huddled together. The families, he realized. He looked into all of the people there and he recognized none of them. Some of them were human but others sported the tattoos Fiona wore and several had purple skin or horns or other clear signifiers that they weren't human.

Yet all Axel could see were the warriors standing in front of them. Tall and terribly beautiful with their varied wing colors and white gear. Silver weapons were clutched in delicate hands, and Axel reached for his flames but he was exhausted. He had spent most of his energy trying to distract Sargon, and the energy that had taken was beginning to take a toll on his body.

"Attack now!" he heard Sargon scream, and he barely had time to realize that he must have traveled with them to prison before the warriors were turning toward them. For a split second, flames appeared in Axel's hands, but then he let them peter out.

He could see the others fighting, and a part of him knew Fiona would want him to join, but he didn't. He couldn't, not when he was weakened like this. And, though he was loath to admit it, Axel was tired of fighting. It was all he had done his entire life, first for Hades and then for Fiona.

Besides, there were families that needed to be reunited. He thought of Hades for the first time in days, and even though a part of him was still angry and confused, Axel wanted nothing more than to return to the Underworld. To home. With this thought in mind Axel hurried over to the huddled figures.

Three of the strange winged warriors moved to stop him, but Axel summoned his flames once more. Two of them were strangled with the fiery ropes and the third Axel simply threw into the wall. His vision blurred slightly and he stumbled as made his way to the prisoners.

Up close he could see that they were all handcuffed, their legs left free, and pushed up to the very edge of the bridge. Axel hesitated and then leaned forward, his hand brushing only air, and he realized that there was no barrier keeping the prisoners from simply falling off the bridge and into the water.

"A couple of them fell the first day we got here," he heard a girl say quietly. He looked down at her, and she stared at him with tired eyes. She was pretty, and she reminded him a little of Zanna. They had the same hair and eyes.

"We're going to get you out of here," he promised, and he could see the longing warring with hopelessness.

"How?" she asked, gesturing to the fight around them. Her handcuffs glinted in the dim light of the prison and Axel shivered, remembering his own time being chained.

"We'll take care of Sargon and his men so you can go home," he said, trying for gentle. He had never been one to comfort, so the words came out clunky and awkward, but it made the girl smile.

"Here, give me your wrists," he said. The girl did so, and Axel studied the cuffs. He could hear swords clashing and magic hissing behind him, but he tried to tune it out; being distracted wouldn't help him to help these people.

"What the hell are you doing just sitting there?" someone shouted, and Axel turned to see Raina staring down at him. She was covered in blood, a long burn making the skin of her arm red and shiny.

"I'm helping them," he shouted, gesturing to the prisoners. Something flickered across her face, an expression he couldn't read. Her eyes darted to a small group of people huddled together, several men and women who were staring at her with varying expressions of awe and hope, before she nodded.

"I'll watch your back," she said, and he inclined his head before going back to the cuffs. There was a small keyhole, but there was no key in sight, so Axel simply snapped the cuffs apart with magic. The action was simple, but he knew it was going to drain him even more, especially since he had to do it for all the prisoners.

He was nearly a third of the way through them when he was suddenly sent flying through the air. There was the disconcerting feeling of being weightless, and then he landed hard on the cold wood of the bridge. The air had been forced from his lungs with the impact, and it was with a breathless curse that he looked up.

Ozrakh stood before him, a familiar sight from the times the Orc had visited Hades. The Orc sneered, turning his already ugly features into something near horrifying to look at, and Axel grimaced at the sight.

He struggled to stand but Ozrakh was quick despite his large build. With a single move he punched Axel in the stomach, sending him to the ground with a breathless gasp. As he hit the ground he could see Bidati fighting Sargon himself, Aurei standing next to him. They seemed to holding their own.

"You are weak," Ozrakh snarled, words slightly garbled. "Too weak to be worthy of the help I gave your team."

It took Axel a moment to register his words through the exhaustion and pain. Then it hit him. Ozrakh had been the one to send the notes, and everything else. Including the potion Zanna had drunk. At this realization anger flooded through Axel, anger he had been carrying ever since Zanna's transformation. It rushed through his veins, making his blood rush with new-found adrenaline and he forced himself to stand.

Fire burst from his palms and he sent a wave of it toward Ozrakh, but the Orc moved out of the way. Red tinted Axel's vision and he advanced on the Orc, ignoring the fighting around him, focused only on his own fight. It wasn't long before he had Ozrakh surrounded by flames near the edge of the bridge. With no magic, the war hammer in his hands was useless.

He could see Ozrakh calling for help, but his warriors were all either dead or fighting. A cruel smile flickered across Axel's face. Flames wrapped around Ozrakh's body, and the Orc screamed, a mix of pain and humiliation crossing his face. Axel knew he could make the flames burn hotter, could make the Orc suffer for hours if he chose. He could make Ozrakh hurt the way he had when Zanna died, the way they all had. All it would take was a little pressure, and Axel could draw screams of agony from the Orc the way he'd made the boy in Baelor's Sept scream, the way he'd been taught to torture, but something stopped him.

There was none of the pleasure he'd expected from having an enemy at his mercy, none of the anticipation. Even his anger had dimmed. Instead, there was only a sense of satisfaction that he could now get justice for Zanna and her brother. And, some small part of him recognized, Zanna would not have wanted him to torture someone because of her. She had been too kind for that.

A single sweep of his hand and the flames burned white hot before Ozrakh's neck was snapped. The scent of burned flesh filled the air and the Orc fell to the ground with a loud thud. Axel didn't hesitate to push his body off the bridge. The dark shape of his body became smaller and smaller until the sound of it hitting the water reached his ears.

When he turned away from the water he swept his gaze across the bridge to see bodies littering the ground, both tributes and Sargon's men. The winged warriors were all dead and Axel turned to watch the single remaining fight, weariness settling into the very marrow of his bones.

Bidati and Sargon were still facing each other. The blue genie was sending streak after streak of light at the Unseelie King, while Sargon dodged or deflected them. There was burst of white light and then the genie disappeared, and Axel felt his heart speed up. Where had Bidati gone? He could see the triumph spread across Sargon's face as he turned only to freeze mid-action.

Silence fell as everyone stared at the frozen king. Then Mizlani's voice broke the silence. "What happened?" she asked, and Axel was abruptly reminded that Mizlani couldn't see anymore.

"My plan worked," a woman with a golden tattoo on her forehead said. Kar'yn, Axel thought her name was.

At the outburst of sound she held up a small lamp. "Bidati found his lamp and I took it to keep safe until he was free, not for wishing. However, I could see that Sargon was a formidable opponent, so I wished for Bidati to put him in stasis forever."

"That's brilliant," he heard someone say, but all Axel could do stare at Sargon's frozen body.

Their enemies were dead and Sargon was trapped forever. They were free.

Fiona

They were free. They were really free. A near hysterical laugh bubbled out of Fiona.

"Fiona!" Her head whipped around to see Charlie and relief so strong swept through her that it nearly brought her to her knees.

"Charlie!"

For the first since this entire mess had started, Fiona felt the weight of the world lift off her shoulders, and she ran toward her parabatai. The two of them collided and she wrapped her arms around him as tightly as possible, drinking in the sight of him bloodied but still breathing. She tangled her hands into his shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin and reveling in the fact that Charlie was alive. After so many days of worrying, so many times where she'd triple checked to make sure her parabatai rune was black not silver, Charlie was here in front of her.

"I'm here, I'm here," he said, voice rough and gravelly. Fiona clung to him, for once uncaring of what her tributes might think of her. It didn't matter. It didn't matter anymore because they were free and Sargon couldn't hurt them or their families.

She didn't know how long it was before she let go, only that by the time she was done, all of the prisoners were uncuffed. Fiona glanced around to see who was still left, and her heart sank at what was left of her tributes.

Kaapo and Matoaka had both managed to survive, but she could see burns running the length of Kaapo's face and Matoaka's leg looked broken. Axel, Kar'yn and Tikaani both had burns as well, some more severe than others, and there were too many bruises to count among them. Raina was being supported by an exhausted looking Levi, Raina's legs both burned. And somehow, Mizlani was still alive. Fiona honestly wasn't sure of how Mizlani had managed to survive without being able to see, but the werewolf had, and Fiona was more relieved than she had ever thought she would be about a Downworlder.

Her eyes swept over the prisoners they had managed to save as well, though she felt her heart sink further at the fact that some had died during the fight. But there were still a good number of them, perhaps 40, still alive. Seeming to sense her distress, Charlie's arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"What now?" It was Matoaka, and Fiona had never heard her voice sound so small.

Everyone turned to look at Fiona, and she inhaled deeply. For a moment, she was uncertain and then she remembered the weight of the key in her pocket. She pulled it out and then looked at the people around her.

"Now we go home."

~

Fiona took the most severely injured home first, ensuring that each of them had someone that could care for them before going back to the prison to pick up someone else. Each time she left, Charlie accompanied her; Fiona wasn't sure how long it would be before she could let her parabatai out of her sight without feeling panic crawl in her throat. As the two of the transported each person, sometimes in pairs or small groups, it wasn't long before only Axel, Kaapo, Matoaka, Raina, Levi, and Mizlani were left.

"Raina," she said quietly, and Levi helped the woman forward.

Fiona held the key out so both were in range. "Just think of your home Raina," she said softly, and then light descended over them rapidly. When she opened her eyes they were in a dumpy motel and Fiona wrinkled her nose.

"This is where you live?" she asked uncertainly.

"Home sweet home," Raina said dryly, and Fiona wanted to say something but Charlie just shook his head. After a moment Fiona nodded; Raina was no longer her responsibility.

Still, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you have someone that can come help you?" Raina glanced hesitantly at Levi. A look passed between them and then Levi stood a little taller.

"I'll stay with Raina, make sure she takes care of herself," he said.

"Like those fish you used to have?" Raina muttered quietly, and Fiona assumed it was old joke between them, given the way Levi just smiled.

"We'll be fine," he promised, and Fiona nodded.

"Goodbye," she said, a note of finality ringing in her words, and the two nodded. Then Fiona pulled out the key, sending her and Charlie back to the prison.

Kaapo and Matoaka were next, and Fiona was unsurprised to see that they would be traveling together. Matoaka might as well be Kaapo's daughter; there was no way they were going to be separated, especially when they lived in the same world.

This time, they landed in the middle of a room covered in a thin layer of dust. She guessed it was Kaapo's, from the photos of him and a young woman as well what appeared to be his family. An ache went through her at the sight; she wanted to see her own family.

Fiona was pulled out of her thoughts by Matoaka suddenly flinging her arms around her middle in a hug. The action startled her, but after a moment she wrapped her arms around the young girl. Despite her reservations about Matoaka being resurrected, Fiona couldn't deny the soft spot she still had for the girl. After all, Matoaka had been her first tribute that wasn't an adult, the first one that she'd felt she had to take care of.

"Thank you," the girl said and Fiona closed her eyes. She didn't understand why Matoaka was thanking her; Matoaka had seen things no child should ever see, had died, and yet here she was, thanking her of all people. "Thank you for bringing me here with Kaapo," Matoaka said, and Fiona inhaled shakily.

"I-" she started, and then stopped, unsure of what to say. "I'll miss you," was what came out, and Matoaka stepped back to look at her. Fiona was struck with the realization that the Native American girl was nearly her height.

"You'll still visit us right?" she asked, glancing between Fiona and Kaapo. "We live in the same place, city even," she said, and Fiona was powerless against the pleading in Matoaka's voice. She had already lost so much, and she couldn't deny that seeing Matoaka would be nice.

"Yeah, as long as Kaapo-"

"We'll keep a seat for you," Kaapo assured quietly, and Fiona was suddenly overwhelmed by the kindness in his eyes, even after everything that had happened.

She stepped forward and hugged him tightly, whispering, "Thank you," quietly into his ear. Then she stepped backwards, determined to leave before she started crying. As Fiona pulled out the key she could hear Kaapo saying something about keeping his promise before she was once again traveling through murky grayness.

When she arrived back at the prison Axel was waiting silently, an unreadable expression on his face as he walked toward her. For a long moment the two of them stared at each other, and Fiona wished that she could hug him too. Despite everything that had happened, she knew that she would always hold a spot in her heart for Axel. He had been her first tribute, her first companion in this messed up game. Apologies threatened to spill out of her mouth, but after a few moments she simply held out the key.

Axel reached for it and the haze of white light fell over them. When Fiona opened her eyes they underground, most likely in a cave of some sort. It was cold, and she could hear screaming from somewhere. She shivered, moving to stand closer to Charlie. This was Axel's home? When she turned to look at the flame haired boy though, there was an expression of relief on his face.

"Welcome home," she said, and there was too much emotion in her voice for it to come out as the light quip she had intended.

Axel nodded slowly. Awkward silence hung between them, and Fiona reached for the key. Before she could use Axel's hand shot out, resting atop hers.

"Thank you," he said after several moments, and Fiona swallowed.

"For what?"

"For keeping your promise," he said, and Fiona stared at him. "You took care of us. Me."

"I couldn't keep all of you alive," she replied, the crushing guilt of so many dead suddenly hitting her.

"You tried. And you brought some of us home." Axel swallowed. "I'm... sorry, for what I said at the Shinsengumi. You do care about us; you always did. So thank you." He hesitated, and then awkwardly patted her shoulder and Fiona wanted to laugh but she knew if she did she'd cry. So instead she just nodded with glassy eyes.

"You're welcome," she said, and Axel smiled a little sadly at her. The last thing she saw before being transported back to the prison was him waving goodbye. Then she and Charlie were back on the bridge for the last time. Mizlani was still waiting, sitting quietly on the ground. She looked up at the sound of their arrival, relief clear on her face.

"You came back."

"Of course," Fiona said, and Mizlani smiled a little shakily. Fiona looked away, glad Mizlani couldn't see the grimace that crossed her face at the sight of her mutilated eyes. Her fault. "Ready to go home?"

Mizlani nodded, and then they were floating through time and space once more until they landed in a small apartment.

"Do you have someone you can call to take care of you?" Charlie asked quietly.

Mizlani nodded. "Yeah, I can call one of my pack mates."

Fiona nodded then said out loud so Mizlani could hear, "Good. I'll check up on you later, since we live in the same world."

A soft laugh escaped Mizlani. "I never thought I'd hear someone say that to me."

"Me either," Fiona said softly. She wanted to say something else, something that expressed how relieved she was that Mizlani was still alive, that encompassed the sadness of leaving someone whom she'd come to bond with through fighting together, but all that came out was, "Goodbye."

Mizlani smiled as though she understood anyway. "Goodbye." She stepped back and Fiona pulled out the portal key for the final time. She looked over at Charlie, taking in his dark hair and still bright eyes.

"Ready to go home?" she asked, and he smiled.

"And to eat some cheesecake," he replied, and Fiona laughed, more out of relief from the familiar reply than anything else. Light descended around them and when they landed, Fiona kept her eyes closed for a moment, half afraid to open them. Then Charlie's hands were pulling the key from her fingers and his voice was right in front of her.

"We're home Fiona, we're home."

She opened her eyes to see the familiar purple and gold of her room, and a smile crossed Fiona's face. She was home.