They spent the night laughing over food and telling stories. Bain got to hear Lina's embarrassing story about the vacuum cleaner and she learned about the time he was hiding from his mother and accidentally locked himself in the dungeon for half a day before he was found. And by the end of the night, when Mom was yawning and talking about going home for sleep and Bain was already snoozing against Lina's shoulder, Lina felt okay about leaving. She'd still miss Mom, of course, but part of life was moving on. Growing up and leaving comfortable, familiar things for scary and exciting ones.
"You've done a good job with that one," Mom said, her eyes flicking toward Bain.
"You approve then?" Lina asked, feeling his drool start to seep through the fabric on her shoulder.
"I do. But if he ever does anything to hurt you, I'll squish him," she said, smiling behind a yawn.
Lina laughed. "I don't think that will be necessary. I'm just glad you're not upset about... everything."
"What kind of mother would I be if I didn't want to see my little girl go off into the Universe to chase her dreams?"
"I guess," she said.
Mom patted her head softly. "Sleep well. We'll get to work tomorrow."
After Mom left, Lina woke Bain long enough to drag him to her bed, and there they fell asleep in each other's arms.
The repairs to the matter transporter took a few days, but with the information they had, and the new technology Lina had studied on her travels, they made quick work of the task. Mom was impressed with how much she'd learned. Lina had always been more mechanic than inventor, but now she had more of an understanding of the theories and science behind the devices she worked on. She actually felt like a contributor. And it made her think that maybe there was room for her to invent some things on Mabnoa. She already had ideas brewing.
Bain mostly tried to stay out of their way. He and Mom developed quite the rapport while Lina was hard at work, and when she needed an extra set of — tiny — hands, he came in very handy.
It was four days after they'd left the Fibbuns and crashed on Earth when Lina climbed out of the transporter and brushed her hands together. "I think... I think that's it?"
"Really?" Bain asked, jumping to his feet. "It's ready?"
"Well, there's really only one way to find out," Lina said, eyeing the machine warily. The last time she flipped it on, it sucked her in.
"You mean...?" Bain's eyes went wide. "Isn't there some way to test it first?"
"We'd need someone on the other side to confirm that things went well," Mom answered.
"There's no way for us to contact anyone on Mabnoa," Lina said. "The only option is to test it ourselves. I'll go first... If something goes wrong, Mom can fix it and you can try again."
Bain scoffed. "Are you insane? I'm not letting you go through that thing by yourself. We're going together."
"But we'll only have one chance at it. At least if something goes wrong and I'm the only one that goes through, there's still a chance for you to get back to Mabnoa and end the war. Your mother wouldn't listen to me if I came back alone without you."
"Well, I'm not going through that thing without you. So we go together, or not at all," he said, that firm royal tone that brooked no argument. Lina hated when he used that voice on her. It just made her want to argue more.
"He's right, honey. Maybe one shot is all you'll get. It could rip the machine apart. It's best if you do it together," Mom said.
Lina whirled on her, glaring at the traitor. "But—"
Bain's hand took hers and clenched tight. "No, Lina. No buts. We'll do it together."
She sighed, knowing she was outnumbered. There was no arguing with their emotions.
"I guess if we're torn limb from limb, it'll be together then," she grumbled.
"That's the spirit," Bain said, chuckling as he kissed her temple.
"But we're going to hope that doesn't happen," Mom said quickly, her face paler than it had been moments before. Lina felt guilty for her comment about being ripped apart. Just because Bain took it well didn't mean Mom would.
"I just wish there was some way for you to let me know you made it to the other side in one piece," she said, her voice wavering.
"I'll find a way," Lina said. "It might take some time, so don't worry too much, please."
Mom swiped at an errant tear and nodded. "Of course. I know you will. You've already done so much."
A flush rose up from Lina's toes, rushing all the way to her cheeks, making them warm and red. She shrugged. She didn't feel like she'd done all that much. She just knew she had to get back here, and so she did. Now she knew she had to go back to Mabnoa, and so she was. It was simple, but she knew if she argued that it would look like she was fishing for compliments and praise, so she kept quiet.
"No use in waiting around then, right?" Bain said, clearly anxious to get the journey over with.
"No, I suppose not," Lina said, looking back at Mom, tears gathering in her eyes now, too.
"No, no. No crying from you," Mom said, sucking back her own tears to put on a brave face. "I just know you're going to have the most wonderful adventures. You've made me so proud."
Lina climbed into her palm and hugged Mom’s fingers with all her strength. "We'll see each other again. I promise," she said suddenly, having no reason to believe she could make good on that promise, but it felt like the right thing to say.
Mom just nodded, setting her back on the table. "You take good care of her, you hear me?" she said, a threatening tone toward Bain.
Bain held up his hand and gave her a solemn nod. "You have my word as the sovereign prince of Mabnoa; I will do everything in my power to keep Lina safe and happy."
"You better," Mom said, tears gathering anew.
"Okay, we should go before this turns into a bigger mess," Lina said, her emotions clogging her throat. She didn't want to break down. Not now. Not in front of Bain.
When she left before, she had no idea it was happening, no time to say goodbye. That almost seemed preferable to this. But it also left her feeling like she needed closure and now she finally had it.
"You're right," Mom said, pushing a small staircase up against the base of the transporter. Lina and Bain climbed it together, hand in hand, the metal ring of the portal still dark and dormant.
"You ready?" Lina asked, turning to Bain.
He nodded. "As I'll ever be."
"Hold on," Mom said, flipping the switch.
The transporter whirred to life, the motor starting to fire, the fans starting to spin. The whole platform under their feet vibrated, and Lina listened closely for any unusual sounds. But there were no pings or clanks or screeches. There was no smoke or sparks, only the crackling blue energy that started around the metal ring and moved inward.
This time, with Bain at her side, holding onto her hand with all his might, the transporter didn't suck her in like a tornado. The wind pulled at them and their hair flew around like crazy, papers fluttering around the room, but they were able to stay rooted in place, watching as the lush green landscape became visible on the other side.
"This is going to feel really weird," Lina told Bain, reminding him of what she'd already warned him about. They'd had lots of time for him to worry and ask again and again what it felt like to travel through the portal. She'd told him everything she remembered, not sparing any details about how strange and uncomfortable the journey was.
"Deep breath," he said, nodding.
In unison, they inhaled and stepped forward. Lina looked over her shoulder at Mom one last time as they disappeared through the portal, falling into space.
Wind rushed by and the feeling of falling and floating and being pushed and pulled in all directions all happened simultaneously. Colors swam and danced, and electricity crackled over her skin, making all the hairs on her arms stand on end.
Lina's entire body felt like it was being compressed into one tiny point at the same time it felt like she was being stretched into a long strand of spaghetti. But through it all, she felt Bain's hand in hers and knew they were still together. They would come out on the other side.
She'd forgotten how long the trip seemed to take, though. They floated in the colorful void where no sounds could manifest, where no breaths could be drawn. Her lungs burned with the held breath and she was desperate to take another, but she couldn't seem to operate her own body. Her limbs didn't respond, even her eyes wouldn't blink, though they were stinging and dry.
And then, all at once, there was grass, and fresh air, and the songs of birds in the trees.
Lina and Bain both laid face-down in the grass, not moving or saying anything for a long time. She didn't know if he felt the same way, but she was content to just soak up the sunshine. Happy to not feel like a piece of clay being manipulated through space and time.
The sun's warmth seeped into her, warming her inside and out. The grass tickled her skin and hummed all around her. She had never really noticed plants reacting like that to her before, but maybe she just hadn't known what to look for. Now, it happened without any conscious thought. Bain — and to a lesser extent, his mother — had opened her eyes to the life and energy in all the things around her and now it was inescapable.
Not that she minded. The feeling of being connected to everything was much better than the feeling of being isolated from everything.
"Weird was an understatement, my love," Bain finally croaked.
Lina managed a laugh, but he was right. It was stranger than even she remembered it.
"I wasn't really in the right frame of mind to pay much attention last time." She'd been too busy panicking, worrying about Mom, convincing herself that she'd be floating in space adrift forever.
"Fair enough," Bain said, rolling over onto his side with a groan, facing her. "Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded, but the gesture made her head spin and she winced. "I think so. I'd be perfectly fine if I never ever do that again, though."
"Agreed. I feel like I was pushed through a sieve and forced back together."
"We made it though," Lina said grinning.
He grinned back and her heart skipped a beat. It always did. "We did." His hand found hers and squeezed and Lina fought to keep her eyelids from falling. The journey through the matter transporter was no less exhausting the second time through, and after the first time she'd been bedridden for days.
"There's only one problem," Bain said, his voice straining.
"Oh?" she asked, losing the battle with her eyelids, letting them drift closed as a soft, fragrant breeze rustled her hair.
"I don't think I have the energy to stand."
She sighed. "That happens."
"But we can't rely on someone finding us... I was the one who found you last time."
Lina knew she should be more worried about Bain's concerns, but she wasn't. She was just happy to be back. Happy to know that they'd been successful, they were still together, and they were going to do everything they could to help the Mabnoans and the Fibbuns return to lives of normalcy.
Also, talking required a tremendous effort and she was already tired of it. She just wanted to sleep.
"Perhaps I can stand, after a nap..." she said dreamily, her thoughts already growing fuzzy around the edges.
"Don't fall asleep," he said, his voice tinged with worry. "We need Farita," he groaned. "We still don't understand how this affects the body. We could be in danger." He tried to push himself up to sitting, but his arms trembled and couldn't support his weight. He fell back to the grass with a grunt, but the grass welcomed him with a soft cushion, happy to cradle him.
It was just happy to be around them at all, it seemed. The plants she'd encountered were all so happy, so willing to help and bend to her will. The ivy had been the hardest to convince and even that, when she'd finally focused properly, jumped at the chance to obey her.
"I have an idea," she said, squeezing his hand.
Then the grass lifted them, listening to her silent plea. The blades bent and grew, carrying them over the land like a wave. Bain didn't even seem to notice what was happening until he asked, "Are we... moving?" Lina laughed softly in response, her eyes so very heavy.
The grass carried them all the way to the copse of trees that made the heart of the village. Lina pried her eyes open and saw the lush canopy, glowing overhead, golden sunlight filtering through the few breaks in the leaves. It was so far above them. They needed to get up.
"Whoa... hey—!" Bain cried as the grass lifted them up higher and tree branches bent to scoop them up, climbing higher and higher until they were in the trees, where they belonged, but still too far away.
"We need Farita," Lina repeated, more to the plants than to Bain.
"Lina, don't fall asleep," Bain pleaded, but even he was struggling to keep his eyes open. Neither of them would be able to fight it off much longer, and if they didn't get help before they fell asleep for days it might be too late.
"You too," she mumbled, not even sure that made sense. But the plants heard her. Surely they'd help.
They both laid cradled by a tree branch, resting against one of the massive trunks, all that energy surrounding them, wanting to help them. But it was already too late. She couldn't stay awake anymore.
"Bain?" she asked, her eyes too heavy to open.
The only answer from him was the soft breathing of someone in a deep slumber. She squeezed his hand once more, and let the sleep drag her under.