(WARNING: Apocalyptic levels of squee ahead! Don’t bme me if you get turbo-diabetes!)

  I scroll through the options, ignoring some that either aren’t particurly useful, or outright detrimental to my purposes. Then, I smirk, jabbing my hand at the skill evolution I’ve selected. I notice the icon and name change, and feel the swell of excitement build in my chest. “I can’t wait to try this out! Tonight, there are going to be FIREWORKS!”

  Then, Astie and I adjourn to the Void, changing into our gowns and taking the fall down the huge dark hollow until we reach the bottom safely, music and ughter already filling our ears. Drinks in hand, Asteria and I share a lingering look as we take a sip. She murmurs, “I cannae wait to hold you in my arms again, a cuisle mo chroi. To not have ye beside me is torment… but the sweetness of knowing you’re in the best pce ye can be and gettin’ what ye want most is enough to keep me calm…”

  I feel my heart throbbing in my chest, and lean in, my lips and tongue dyed a rich cobalt as I set down my half-drunk Mortisberry Blue cocktail. “You’ve called me that before, the night we first made love. ‘Acush machree’” I butcher the pronunciation, making Dana smile tenderly. “I could have sworn you told me what it means, but I can’t quite remember…”

  She breathes, “A cuisle mo chroi. ‘Tis a term from my homend, and it means ‘the pulse of my heart’. It means, Kylie, that I cannae live without ye. Ye have fair stolen my breath, beloved, and I… I got t’ help ye become the woman you are. Ye have no idea how much I love ye, because everything I am is yours.”

  I stare at the taller girl as she leans in, her lips briefly meeting mine. She draws back, just an inch, and breathes, “’Tis almost a year now, since we started dating, mo chéadsearc… and I’ve been thinking about something very hard for me to ask. But this isnae the time nor the pce. Will ye give me a little time, just before midnight tonight?”

  I nod, blinking and a little stunned by the kiss. Dana’s lips are now blue, too, and she smiles warmly at me, the ever-shifting flood of feelings in her eyes colouring them with highlights of pure emotional eloquence, too fast for me to decipher. She sips from my gss as she hands me hers, and I blush at the indirect kiss, noting with a little delight that Dana makes sure to pce her lips exactly where I had pced mine when I first drank from the delicate crystalline flute.

  For the next few hours, Dana and I just drink in each other’s closeness and warmth, and I can’t stop smiling. God or gods help me, I feel the same, Dana. I may have stolen your everything, but you stole mine first…

  A few times, I notice Dana using the system to send a few messages and respond, and I smile. “Popur girl, hmm? I hope I’ll have your attention back on me tonight, yes?” I tease, making her ugh, her husky, smouldering accent lilting as it runs through my veins like lightning.

  “Have no fear, there’s not a thing on Earth that could distract me from ye, Kylie… now, it’s gettin’ on, should we be headin’ out t’ the Bck Peaks for yer space-rock punching?”

  I nod, checking the time. “Yep. It looks like Cwdette’s online, too. We need to collect her first, before we get moving!”

  Picking up the excited Ashiga, the three of us fly towards the Bck Peaks, alighting upon the highest, staring back towards the city. There are countless winking dots that flicker and shimmer, and I can tell they’re candles, lit to honour the Festival of Holyfme, and Asteria grins. “Lord Furnacio’s holiday is beautiful. Once those candles have been set alight, they willnae go out till morning, no matter what. ‘Tis a ritual to thank him for his protection and guidance over the year, and prayin’ that he’ll continue in the year to come.”

  I smile and ce my fingers through Dana’s, squeezing her hand softly as Cwdette points skyward. The first flicker of small celestial passersby leave brief trails through the dark night sky, and I spread my wings, releasing Dana’s hand. Activating Radiant Wings, my feathers begin to glow with a gentle golden light, as I rise into the air, wings beating slow and serenely. I climb up, up, as high as I can, until I’m surrounded by the stars. It’s cold up here, and I can see the meteor shower so clearly from up here, almost a part of it.

  Higher I go, preparing to cast my newly-upgraded ability, locking my gaze on the oncoming asteroids. I ascend until I’m above it, and then release my new power.

  “Voltage Railcannon!”

  I raise my arms, levelling them at the leading meteor, feeling the build-up running through my entire body, sparks flying in every direction. Bands of lightning link my arms, running from shoulder to fingertips in sequence, a solid mass of crackling, shuddering electrical energy coalescing into humming, jolting life in front of my chest. Then, I ‘trigger’ the ability, and the sky splits with a fizzling roar, a pressure wave hurling me backwards and up, even higher, the air growing so thin that breathing is nigh-impossible.

  The meteorite takes the full brunt of the impact, the shockwave from the collision shattering the air a second time, and, with abrupt and visceral swiftness, it drops from the sky, its forward momentum arrested by the strike, the metal and stone of the asteroid shrouded by lingering tendrils of writhing blue lightning.

  I jack-knife in the air, plunging downwards, wings furled to boost my speed even further, as the light of some of Asteria’s magic illuminates the dark mountain peak far below, the space-rock tumbling end over end as it descends upon my lover and our newest guildmember, their faces coming into view as tiny, pale shapes, growing clearer as I plummet at near-terminal velocity, as Asteria’ s gravity magic halts the onrushing orbital bombardment before it can impact and create an apocalypse-level event.

  With the hovering, car-sized chunk of astral debris safely contained in bands of purple light, my girlfriend beams at me.

  “Now THAT was impressive, my darlin’. I am SO looking forward to seeing you put that to use in battle one day, believe you me.”

  She kisses my cheek as Cwdette gawps, eyes wide and shining.

  “Whatever you did to that thing, it was AWESOME! It sounded like you just nuked it!”

  I blush and giggle. “Not THAT powerful, but definitely a very strong ability, yeah. I can’t see it being helpful in a duel, since it takes time to charge, but in a siege or army-vs-army combat, it’ll be great!”

  Cwdette frowns at her menu. “Aw, I’ve gotta log out for the night. I had to beg to get a couple extra minutes just to see this, but I’ve got to get some sleep. Night, guys!”

  She flies off, back to Vassim, and I smile, resting a hand on the meteor I’d struck from the sky. “We should probably get this over to Ulged so he can do… whatever mad science he’s got pnned for it.”

  Asteria snrrks at the thought of the Gnoll in a bcoat and safety gsses, before nodding. “Aye. Let’s go, love. I’ll race you there!”

  I smile and take off, the wind howling. Then, as I reach the outskirts of the city, I realize that I might have put a little too much speed into it. My girlfriend must be trailing behind really badly, or maybe the meteor’s weighing her down. Well, I’m too close to winning now; I can’t give her the chance!

  As I touch down in front of Bloodbath & Beyond, I grin triumphantly, before starting to get a little confused. There’s no sign of my girlfriend, and… the door to Ulged’s store is ajar. A small sprite, a little floating ball of pink energy, seems to be drifting between me and the door, as if trying to tell me to follow.

  “Huh. Well, this is a little weird, but I DO need to let Ulged know I did the thing with the meteor,” I muse, following the sprite as it flits inside. It leads me down the darkened hall to the backroom forge, where… the meteor is already waiting for me, in a corner by a workbench. Asteria’s there, too, looking uncharacteristically fidgety and nervewracked.

  I blink. “HUH?! How’d you beat me here???”

  She mumbles, “Stone… I used the translocation beacon… but I needed to get here first and I knew I’d never be able to beat ye in a flying race…”

  I frown. “So… you goaded me into racing you for nothing?”

  “Not ‘nothing’, love. This was a part of what I wanted tae ask ye…”

  I notice figures emerging from the rest of the building. Trinity’s there, as is Harvenhaight, even Dr Frank. Then I realise Asteria’s streaming to… five people?

  I blink in surprise at the names of those five viewers.

  Niamh MacGregor. Padraig MacGregor. Seamus Lynch. Thomas Porter. Sylvia Porter.

  The beautiful girl I’d fallen for steps forward, her face taut with emotion. “I’ve been trying to think o’ the best way to say this, before I realised the best way would be to just come out and askit o’ ye. Kylie Porter, will ye… will ye marry me?”

  She reaches out a hand, and opens a small bckwood box. Inside is a gorgeous ring of white silver, set with an amethyst. I swallow, eyes fixed on the ring, before stretching out my hand. “Dana MacGregor… put that ring on my finger, and then kiss me like you’re drowning and I’m oxygen! Yes, I’ll marry you, you fool!”

  As Dana slips the ring onto my finger, a trio of voices come through the camera –sphere’s speakers, thick Gaelic accents raised in harmony.

  'May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.

  May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.

  May the saddest day of your future

  Be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

  May your hands be forever csped in friendship

  And your hearts joined forever in love.

  Your lives are very special,

  God has touched you in many ways.

  May his blessings rest upon ye

  And fill all your coming days.'

  And with that, Dana’s arms encircle me, pulling me snug against her. She tilts my head back slightly, and brings her lips to mine with a raw, wild passion I’d never dreamed I’d be the cause of. I clutch at her shoulders, pulling her closer, as appuse and whoops of approbation fill the forge-room, with Mur, Ulged and Lagertha standing by the doorway, beaming like proud parents themselves.

  As Dana’s lips devour mine, I kiss back, trying to express the depths of my happiness, my love, and my etion, feeling Dana gasp into my mouth as I cling to her, my lungs starting to burn a little, but heedless of the unfortunate requirement for oxygen.

  Finally, we separate, both blushing and catching our breath. Harvenhaight approaches, hugging me fiercely.

  “Congratutions, Kylie. You deserve this, buddy.”

  Then Dr Frank, whose gnarled hand csps mine as he leans heavily on his walking staff.

  “Felicitations, mademoiselle Kylie. Zis is a most ‘appy occasion, so we must be sure to celebrate it!”

  Dana’s being hugged by Trinity, and I can hear my parents’ voices through the streaming orb now.

  “Kylie, your mother and I can’t begin to tell you how much you deserve this. When Dana asked us for our blessing, we were a little taken aback, but… come on; she’s clearly head-over-heels for you! We gave it to her, and now, we get to see our daughter get married to the girl of her dreams!”

  My mum chimes in, “This! So much this, dear! She reminds me of when I proposed to your father! He was so flustered, it was adorable! You two might just beat him out for sheer weapons-grade cuteness, though! Congratutions!”