Aislin holds the field around the explosives, hearing them tick down, knowing that she has maybe a minute before they go off. But she can’t run.
If she doesn’t hold the field, the bombs could go off anywhere. She can’t allow that.
“I’m sorry, Peg!” She calls to the radio, trying to keep the tears out of her voice.
Despite everything, she did want to live. She'd already said goodbye to Peggy, she supposed. It wouldn't really make a difference if she was dead or further ahead in time.
There was just- there were things Aislin knew she still had left to do.
"I'll just-"
A swirl of bright light, and then a smaller, sicklier version of Aislin stood there.
"All right."
A large gold portal appears beside her, inside it is a swirl of inky blackness. Shining stars. Exploding suns.
"Punch my sibling in the face for me, won't you?"
-- and a sudden force sucks her in, blacking out her senses, spinning her around and around and --
Aislin barely manages to find her feet, once the 'force' spat her out.
Christ. What the fuck was that?
" - Aislin?"
They're in a room. Creamy golden walls, soft sunlight filtering through light curtains, black binders with esoteric labels on bookcases, a desk piled with papers that Peggy is standing up from behind.
She flashes into her magical girl raiment - not too different from the army uniform for women - and senses -
"It's you, it's been sixty years - " She leaps over the desk to wrap Aislin in a hug. "What happened?"
"God, I don't even know where to start." Aislin hugs Peggy as hard as her skinny, non-magical body can. "I was just in the plane, Peg."
Hugs! Healing exists if Aislin gets bruised. Which she probably will.
"You cut off in the explosion - we never found a body - "
"That's because a talking jackal shot me through 60 years, to this exact moment. You never found a body because I never died."
"A talking jackal - there's been strange things I've heard of, but not that exact one..."
"It said it wanted to send me forward in time because that would be narratively interesting."
An older woman steps into the room and pauses.
"...is this a bad time? Did I miss something?"
"Angie - this is Aislin - she just reappeared - Aislin, this is Angie, my, well..."
It is a shock, certainly. For Aislin, it has been seconds since Peggy was begging her to find another way.
But she is so, so happy for her. "Peg, you found love again?"
"Guess it depends on how you define love, I guess."
"Each of you is different. It - I love you both so much."
"She has been taking care of you, right?" Aislin says, with very little heat, turning her head to smile at Angie.
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