Nathaniel:

"Stinger has had way more guy who are better then you in every way come on their hands and knees begging for marriage." Glow continued to tell me as she sharpens her knife, it's hard to believe that she is only 16, the same age as Ames. "I was quite surprise she choose you over those hunks."

"Wait." I stoped her. "She choose me? Did she say that?"

"No exactly." Glow laughed. "But she does let you into her house, which she doesn't let anyone into, not even her parents."

"Why?"

"It's her house."

All of my friends except Stinger, who stayed home for personal business, sat around a fire with me in the middle of the Forrest. We have been searching for a portal for two days. We haven't found anything. Stinger and I have been writing letters through messenger birds. It's been great, no fighting, I just need to make sure she likes me.

"Our mothers were sisters." Uriah cut in. "They were both the same way, protective over their stuff. Stinger has claimed you as hers, she will protect you with her own life now."

"Like a mother bird does with her babies?"

"Sure," Uriah threw his knife into a tree. "If you put it that way. My mother used to tell me that you had to think quick, claim what is yours and let nobody else think of laying a finger on it. My mother was a genius before she died, one of the smartest viking here, she helped plan our war strategize."

"You guys are all lucky to have mothers." I crossed my arms. "Mine's died before I got to meet her."

"How old were you when she died?" Vector sat down beside me.

"Around five." I stated. "Azun always used to tell me stories of her, he said I was just like her. My father I got to know quite well, I had to when my brothers and I got together to plan ways to assassinate him and my brother Luke."

"I meet your father once." Alvin balanced on his cane. "He is the reason I have this limp. I spent five minutes in a room with him thinking I would change for the better and understand everything he understood. Instead he threw a chair at me and yelled insulting things and threw a pencil in my eye. Believe me, I would be more then happy if you killed him."

"What was your parents like?" I asked.

"They were both dedicated to their gospel." Alvin smiled. "That was my family for generations, I am the first not to be a priest for nun or bishop. I went to school to become an alchemist and my parents disowned me."

"At least you remember your parents." Vector rubbed her hands together. "I know I must have some but I can't remember anything."

"You guys all got sad lives." Skadi smirked. "My parents live three doors down from me. We have a good relationship and I often go over for dinner."

"Hey-I go to dinner at my parents." Magistrate smiled, kicking up his feet onto a rock. "They sent me to boarding school a little ways downtown, they still don't know I dropped out to join a band that later got me expelled and banished to earth."

"Yeah, that sounds like you." Alvin said, throwing more logs on the fire.

"Alright." Glow interrupts. "Are you going to address the elephant in the room?"

"What's that?" I asked.

"I have been searching for portals all day and does anyone want to know if I found anything?"

"Sure." Vector snapped her tongue. "What you got?"

"I found this cave full of gems beyond your wildest dreams." Glows eyes lit up. "There were big and small crystals, all different colors. Take a look."

She pulled out a bag and handed us each a crystal she collected. They were beautiful, smooth edges, mine's was bright blue. I think I had finally found something more blue then my eyes. Magistrate quickly sat onto the floor and crossed his legs, beginning to meditate with the crystal.

"Meditation won't work." Alvin mocks. "It has nothing to do with science."

"Well my people believe in being reborn." Magistrate explained. "It's called Karma, if you do good things in this life you will be reborn as a better thing in the next."

"That's insane." Alvin rolled his eyes. "You can't be resurrected, no one has power over death."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. If there was power over death I am sure one of the Zodiac family members would of gotten it by now."

"Maybe they don't know they have it."

"How could you not know you have power over death?"

"Just saying. I have been very good at keeping my Karma clean, so I'm the next life I will be reborn as a millionaire Zodiac."

"You can't just be a Zodiac by being good."

"Not by being good, keeping your Karma clean. My guess is that you will be reborn as one of those slugs people eat to become skinny."

"I won't be a tapeworm." Alvin walked away. "Karma doesn't exist."

"You believe in the Big Bang and I will believe in Karma." Magistrate went back to meditating.

Hours past and no science or magic could tell if these crystals were portals. I have never had any experience with portals, so I have no idea how they work.

We headed back to Stinger's house, it was a small cottage I have spent two night in, warm and cosy, perfect place to raise a family. Stinger greets me with a kiss on my cheek.

"Hey beautiful." I hug her.

"I missed you." She whispers into my ear.

Vector flys in through a window as a bird, then transforms into a human as her feet hit the ground.

"Nathaniel." She says to me. "Maybe we are trying to hard to find a portal, it might be right under our noses and we just have no idea."

"Well I need rest." Alvin collapsed into a chair.

"We need to keep searching." Magistrate says.

"Alright." I take charge. "One hour nap, then back to searching."

Everyone immediately falls into a deep sleep wherever they are. Uriah and Glow sleep on the bed, Alvin in a chair, Magistrate on the floor, Vector on the couch, and Skadi on the rug.

"Lets go somewhere we can talk." Stinger pulls me out the door and leads me into a small barn by her house.

"Did your father ever reply to my letter?" I ask.

"He wants to speak to you in private." Stinger closes the door behind us, we lay in some hay by some horses.

"When?"

"I don't remember." She rolls closer to me. "I'll have to check when we go back inside."

"Stinger?"

"Yeah?"

"If I asked for your hand, what would you say?"

"Yes!" She responded right away. "Is that what that letter was all about?"

"Yes." I admitted.

She kisses my cheek. "I'll put in a good word for you."

"Thanks." I smile. "I love you."

"I love you too."