Skye watched Celeste leave her, and looked back at Tsubasa. He appeared to be frightened, if anything. A white light in the sky had grown stronger, and soon, Skye found herself no longer of the earth.
A woman stood before them, her fair hair and skin looking very much like Skye's. Her face shape and build was a lot less angular, and softer looking. She glided towards them on large, white wings, and wore a simple white dress that cascaded past her toes. Skye could swear she saw a tear escape the woman's eye.
"Skye..." the woman said, coming to kneel at her feet. She took the girl's hands in her own, and smiled at her. "It makes me so happy to finally see your face, but your time here will be brief."
The woman, Skye's mother, looked at Tsubasa, with an expression that the boy was not expecting. He was kneeling before her, his wings folded, and his eyes cast downward.
"You have fought so well..." she told him, placing her hand on his head. "But I'm afraid Skye will have to learn to fight as well."
Out of thin air, she drew the staff that Exodus had given to Skye, and handed it to her.
"You must learn how to control this power," she said to Skye gently. "In it, is the power of love. How you use that power is your choice. It can manifest itself in many ways."
Skye nodded, unable to speak.
"My dear child," her mother said, touching Skye's face. "Your father...please be more patient with him."
The angel looked away over her shoulder for a moment. She smiled faintly, and turned back to Skye and Tsubasa.
"Your time is not now," she told Skye gently. "Now go...and we will meet again some day."
Tsubasa took Skye's hand, ready to lead her back to the world, back to her body. Skye's mother kissed her daughter's forehead gently, and placed her fingers over the spot she had kissed, closing her eyes.
"I love you very much. Please be sure to tell your father that I love him too. I think sometimes he needs to be reminded," she told Skye in a rather fond voice, and Tsubasa led her out of the light, and back to earth.
As they descended, Skye saw Exodus, tears in his eyes. She wanted to go to him, to comfort him, but Tsubasa pulled her back towards her body, and lay her down into it.
^^^
A gasp.
Small and barely audible, but Skye's chest rose, filled with air once more. Her eyelids slowly peeled back, revealing the deep indigo of her eyes. Tsubasa was over her, smiling. He lifted her gently in his arms, all signs of her wound completely gone. Skye smiled weakly back at him, but her eyes then sought for Exodus...