Dedicated in memory of Elli Swanson's 'twin' - Tiffany

The queen lifted her head, sniffing the breeze. "We're being watched."

"What?!" her lifemate exclaimed. "Where?"

As the intruder emerged from the brush, the queen's rider muttered, "It's just Dana."

"But not the one we know," the queen responded, swinging her head my way. "Your stealth abilities are quite impressive."

Chuckling, I told her, "I wasn't sure what would give me away first… my scent… or my psionics."

"Actually, both," the queen chuckled. "What brings you here? My name is…"

"Chlorith," I interrupted, earning a snort of surprise from her. "I know. And you're the reason I'm here."

"Me?!" she exclaimed, her head rising up. "Why?"

"Golanth."

"F'lessan's bronze!" Chlorith's rider exclaimed, coming closer. "What does this have to do with Chlorith?"

"Are you familiar with the concept of quantum jumping?" I asked, glancing from one to the other.

Dragon and rider looked at each other, their expressions puzzled.

"Wait!" Chlorith exclaimed, her head whipping around to look at me. "I remember reading about that in some of the esoteric files regarding quantum mechanics I'd been studying!"

"I'm guessing you were trying to uncover additional information regarding quantum ergokinesis," I surmised, nodding. "The dragon's ability…"

"To jump between realities!" Chlorith's rider exclaimed, coming up beside her lifemate. "You said you'd been exploring the other dimensions, the alternate realities where the colony ships still existed, helping the people of those worlds to reposition the ships equidistant around their Perns! Is this the Dana you were talking about?!"

Chlorith shook her head, rumbling, "No. She doesn't know the Eridani protocols."

"You've met an alternate me who does?!" I exclaimed, taking a step backwards. "Stars above, if only!"

"The Dana of this reality," Chlorith's rider responded.

As if on cue, the Dana they knew came swooping down atop their version of Tarnaa. It was more than a little disconcerting seeing this reality's version of me.

"So," the other me remarked, astride her dragon, "Tarnaa wasn't exaggerating when she said she felt more than one of me."

My alternate reality double dismounted, coming up to face me. "This can't be a timing incident. I don't feel the usual dizziness when that occurs."

"This Dana," Chlorith remarked, coming closer, "is from a different dimension, an alternate reality. She says she's here because of me."

"Why?" this reality's Dana asked.

"Quantum jumping," I replied, drawing a deep breath to slow my racing heart. "I've been having repeated visions of a queen dragon doing physical therapy on another dragon. I have a patient in my reality that desperately needs it."

"Whose dragon?" the other me wondered aloud.

"Golanth."

"F'lessan's bronze?!"

"Yeah," I nodded. "He's been pretty down in the dumps since the savage Southern feline attack. He's desperate to get back in the skies one last time before Threadfall ends forever."

Turning to Chlorith's rider, I explained, "I've been receiving repeated images of your dragon performing physical therapy on other dragons. Right now, we don't have any what I would call healer dragons in my reality. I'm hoping for one of two possibilities."

"Two?" my alternate self wondered.

I nodded. "Either we can bring our healer-riders to your reality to learn from Chlorith…"

"Or we go to your reality," Chlorith concluded, glancing over at her rider. "That way, I can do the physio on your Golanth and your healer-riders can observe and learn from it."

"You can't be serious?!" her rider exclaimed, glancing back and forth between her dragon and me.

"We've done plenty of dimensional jumps in this reality, Elli," her dragon responded. "This is one more reality we can explore. Besides, they need our help. The quantum jumping that this Dana has been experiencing is proof of that."

"Elli, is it?" I spoke, looking in her direction. "Forgive me. We'd never been properly introduced."

"Given the circumstances of your arrival," Chlorith remarked, her head drawing closer, "we really didn't have time for the formalities."

"A remarkable queen, Elli," I said, grinning as I patted Chlorith's neck. "Highly intelligent, exceedingly perceptive, and very well spoken. I'm impressed!"

Just then, two more queens and their riders settled into our little clearing. I couldn't stop the gasp that escaped me when I realized these two riders were twins… and exceedingly young.

"See Ori?" one twin spoke, gesturing my way.

"Just like in your vision," the second replied, nodding to me.

"Stars above!" I hissed, backing up a step as the two very youthful queen riders unhooked and slid down their lifemates' sides. "When did you… how did you…" Vigorously shaking my head, I turned to the young rider who had first spoken and asked, "You're a precog?"

"If that means I have visions around future events," she replied, smiling, "then, yes, I am! My name's Ari." Gesturing to the other youthful queen rider, she added, "This is Ori, my twin. Even our dragons are twins!"

"By the Fire Falls of Firlea!" I whispered, my eyes I knew were bugging out. "I hadn't thought such a thing was possible!"

Abruptly, I burst out laughing, puzzling everyone else.

"What's so funny?" Elli demanded, coming up beside her girls.

"A double yoker!" I chuckled, shaking my head at the unlikely possibility. "I'd read somewhere that this sort of thing occasionally happens among the avians of various worlds. Once the egg is fertilized, the yolk undergoes a cellular division, turning one yolk into two… twin chicks emerging from the egg. Well, our queen dragons are all egg layers. I suppose it was only a matter of time before they also ended up laying double yokers from which the twin dragonets emerged."

"Twins for twins!" I chuckled, daringly patting the necks of the twin dragons. "Well, okay. Bound to encounter a few surprises along the way as you explore other dimensions!"

As I glanced back at the twin riders, I gasped, asking Ari, "How far in time does your vision extend?"

"Up to the moment Chlorith is doing physio on your Golanth," Ari cheerfully replied.

"And, Mom," Ori chimed in, glancing Elli's way, "according to Ari's vision, we're all there!"

"What the billie bob jack?!" Elli stammered, staggering back a step.

"All of us?!" my alter self exclaimed, glancing over at her Tarnaa.

"I would believe her, Elli," this reality's Tarnaa spoke, nodding at Ari. "Time and again, her prescient visions have always proven true."

"No, No!" Elli nearly screamed, clutching her two daughters tightly. "I won't allow it!"

"You know they have to, Elli," Chlorith calmly addressed her rider. "You have taught them well, turning each dragon and rider pair into a top-notch team. They have to go, Elli. You know that."

"Besides," Ori chuckled as she returned her mother's hug, "you'll be there to keep us out of mischief!"

"As if I've ever been able to do that," Elli muttered, grinning ruefully, tears running down her cheeks as she gazed at her twin daughters. "I hope I don't live to regret this."

With tiny squeals of delight, Ari and Ori hugged their mother tightly.

"Wait! I just realized something!" this reality's me exclaimed, glancing at me. "Tarnaa said she could feel another me! Where's your dragon?"

"Waiting for this Dana back in their dimension," Chlorith concluded.

"She inherited her dragon's ability to go between," this reality's Tarnaa concluded, "just like you can."

"You jumped straight here?!" Elli exclaimed, horror and confusion filling her eyes. "Last time we made a jump like that, we were all wearing spacesuits!"

"And so was I," I responded, pointing off in the distance. "I shucked my gear and hid it a short distance away."

"A sensible precaution, Dana," Chlorith said, nodding approval. "I'm guessing you removed the suit so as not to appear too strange to us, giving you time to ask for our help."

Chuckling softly as I daringly patted Chlorith's neck, I whispered, "No question, Elli. Chlorith is an amazing dragon!"

A shadow passed over our little group. As we glanced skyward to determine the source, Elli suddenly cried out, "Twinny!"

Finding a spare spot to land, another queen and her rider joined the assembly.

"Ho, what's this?" the queen's rider called out as she removed her riding helmet and goggles. "Plotting some sort of mischief and you didn't invite me? For shame, Elli!"

As the new rider slid down her dragon's side, Elli ran up to her, wrapping the latest arrival up in a fierce hug. "I never could keep secrets from you, Tiffany."

Tiffany's dragon bugled in surprise when she realized there were two of me in the clearing!

"Rollith, dear, what's wrong?" Tiffany asked.

When she saw where her dragon was looking, she turned. "Holy bat shit!"

"You think you're surprised, twin," Elli chuckled, giving her friend yet another hug.

"I'm confused," I spoke up, glancing back and forth between the two riders. "The two of you look nothing alike. Fraternal twins?"

"No," Elli replied, leading her friend over to me. "We just grew up together, did everything together, just like we were sisters. When my Mom started calling Tiffany my twin, it kinda stuck!"

"We practically are twins," Tiffany remarked, smiling as she gave Elli's arm a hug. "Even completing each other's sentences."

"Hmm," I hummed, glancing back and forth between the two women. "Could be a latent psionic ability the two of you share. It would certainly explain the two of you Impressing queen dragons." Reaching out my hand, I said, "Tiffany, it's a pleasure to meet you!"

Grinning shyly, Tiffany took my hand, pumping it up and down in the usual courtesy.

"Now would someone mind telling me what the billie bob hell is going on here?!" she groaned.

Chuckling all the while, Elli did her best to explain my unexpected arrival and the reason I had come.

"Golanth, huh?" Tiffany quietly spoke. "Well, Chlorith's physio of our Golanth finally got him back in the air." Glancing over at Elli's queen, she asked, "There's no Chlorith in your reality?"

Solemnly, I shook my head in the negative. "None of you are in the reality I come from."

"Then how did you know about Chlorith?" Tiffany wondered.

"Quantum jumping," Chlorith replied, nodding to me. "Somehow, across the intervening dimensions, this Dana was repeatedly getting visions of me when I was doing physio on other dragons, especially our Golanth. They've never done anything like that to dragons in her reality, so she came here to ask for our help."

"There's one more thing, Aunty Tiff," Ori spoke, coming up beside her twin, "Ari's had a vision of all of us in Dana's reality."

"What?!" Tiffany exclaimed, backing up a step.

"I saw all of us there in Dana's dimension," Ari explained, "watching as Chlorith did physio on her reality's Golanth."

"A prescient episode?!" Tiffany gasped, glancing over at Elli.

She nodded. Smiling as she gave her daughter a hug, she quietly added, "Ari's been so right with her visions, I have to believe this one is also true."

"Sharding hell!" Tiffany whispered, staring at little Ari. "You just said your vision showed all of us there?"

"Including you, Aunty Tiff!" Ari replied, giving the woman a warm hug.

"You're all going?" Tiffany whispered, glancing around her.

Grinning from ear to ear, everyone nodded.

"And I know you'll be coming with us," Elli chuckled, hugging her 'twin'. "I know how much you hate to be left out of an adventure!"

Chuckling herself, Tiffany added, "It's been one nonstop adventure after another since those dragonriders brought us forward to Pern. Okay, I'm in!"

Plenty of cheering as the others gathered around Tiffany.

"Soon as I get suited back up," I remarked, drawing everyone's attention, "we can make the jump."

"The rest of us will need to gear up as well," my alter self added. "I say we meet back here in ten minutes."

Everyone nodded. As I headed off to recover my spacesuit, the others remounted their dragons and took wing, heading off to retrieve their own gear. Ten minutes later, everyone reconvened in our little clearing. I had my spacesuit back on, helmet under my arm as the dragons landed in the clearing. Every human was now kitted out in their own spacesuits.

Removing her helmet, Tiffany asked, "Where's your dragon?"

My answer was a grin from ear to ear!

"Oh, billie bob hell!" Tiffany exclaimed, glancing over that their reality's Dana. "You're just like our Dana!"

"Inheriting her dragon's ability to go between," Chlorith responded, glancing at me. "Even the power of quantum ergokinesis."

Chuckling, I walked up to Elli's queen, "Your queen is a true marvel, Elli. I'm glad I had a chance to meet her."

Donning my helmet, I pressed the radio button, calling "Systems check!"

Each suited rider donned their helmets and checked their suits over to make sure they were functioning properly.

Chlorith, can you see the place I'm sending?

Master Robinton's old home, Chlorith responded, not far from the teaching hospital!

It fills my heart with joy that the hospital exists in this reality, too, I wept, a tear sliding down my cheek. Does everyone else have the fix?

It is very clear, Rollith rumbled.

We shouldn't have any difficulty making the jump using that, Aureath, Ariana's queen commented.

This is so exciting! Aurelith, Oriana's queen, chimed in. I can't wait to see this reality!

Tarnaa?

You are just like my rider, she quietly rumbled, gently rubbing her muzzle against my helmeted head. We'll be fine!

"Then, let's do this!" I called over my radio. "We jump on my mark."

Raising my hand over my head, I called out, "Five… four… three… two… one… MARK!", dropping my hand in a cutting motion.

All of us vanished between. Almost ten minutes later, we reemerged on the sands in front of Robinton's home in my reality. There were many ooohs and gasps of surprise as we humans removed our helmets.

"How's everyone doing?" I asked glancing around at the group.

To a one, dragons and riders let me know they were fine. Suddenly, Elli's queen gave a startled squawk, glancing skyward.

"He's in space?!" she gasped, turning to stare at me.

"On the Yokohama, yes," I explained, looking around the group. "We were successfully able to make the three colony ships habitable again, so we took Golanth up to the Yokohama's docking bay."

"Ah! Zero-grav therapy!" Chlorith concluded, nodding at the same time. "Minimizes the stress on his body as you try to undo the damage that feline caused."

At that precise moment, a frantic Goldie popped out of between, chittering hysterically about not being able to find me. Quick on her heels, my own Tarnaa backwinged to a landing next to her alter reality self, snorting in surprise at seeing another of her.

"Sorry I left you guys behind," I apologized, scratching Goldie's eye ridge once she took up her accustomed position on my shoulder while I gave my golden heart a warm, apologetic muzzle hug.

This is the one you've been having visions about? Tarnaa rumbled as she glanced over at Elli's queen.

"Her name is Chlorith, my heart," I said, thumping her on the neck. "In her reality, she is a healer dragon!"

"A damned good one, too," my alter self admitted, smiling up at Chlorith.

A dragon who heals?!

"Yes," Chlorith responded, earning a dragon's version of a gasp at the spoken words.

Lifemate? There was no mistaking the pain in her thoughts.

"My alter self had the great good fortune to be visited by the leader of the Eridani, Concordantrix Zigrill herself," I explained, nodding to my alter self. "She passed on her knowledge of the Eridani protocols to their Dana, who subsequently used them to give the dragons of their reality the ability to speak."

"She's beautiful!" Ari spoke, stepping up beside me as she glanced over at Tarnaa.

Rising up on her haunches, spreading her wings, Goldie gave a snort as if saying, And I'm not?

"You're both beautiful!" Ori assured Goldie, stepping up beside Ari and daringly reaching up to scratch Goldie's eye ridge. "Wish I had a little queen like this!"

Within seconds, Goldie settled back to my shoulder, her neck coyly curved so Ori could continue her ministrations.

"I think she likes you, Ori!" Ari chuckled as Goldie headstroked Ori's cheek.

"We'll see about fire lizards for you two once we're back home," Elli told her children as she came up to them. "Right now, we need to see to this reality's Golanth."

Fortunately, my spacesuit's radio had the necessary range to contact the Yoko directly.

"Yoko bridge, Angel Zero One," I radioed.

"Bridge here, Dana," Rill responded. "Why are you using a spacesuit radio? You have the satphone. What's going on?"

"How's Golanth doing?" I asked.

"He's happy flitting about the docking bay," Rill reported, "but he still wishes he could fly Thread one last time before the Pass is over."

"Then, I have good news," I relayed, smiling around at our little group. "I've brought someone who can help him."

"Really?!" Rill exclaimed, her voice betraying her excitement. "Who?"

"Her name's Chlorith," I responded. "She's a healing dragon!"

Several seconds passed in silence, the group around me chuckling before Rill radioed, "Sharding hell, Dana. A dragon who heals?!"

"Yep!" I chuckled, the others echoing my mirth. "You'll get a chance to meet her. Clear everyone out of Docking Bay Two. Some of our visitors will be jumping between to that location. Make certain we have sea-level Pern atmospheric pressure and Pern-normal gravity dialed in. If F'lessan is with Golanth, clear everyone else out of the bay and have dragon and rider move to the aft end of the bay. Chlorith will be jumping between to reach them there. Get on it, Rill. We'll be jumping in five."

"Damn, you are just full of surprises," Rill radioed back. "Count on us, Dana. We'll be ready."

"Why separate jump locations?" Tiffany wondered.

"If this Yokohama is the same size as ours," my alter self commented, "then the cargo bays have limited space. I'm sure our friend here doesn't want someone accidentally appearing inside a bulkhead."

Grimly, I nodded. "I'll go ahead first, then send each group the image of where they need to jump to. It'll be a little tight, but I think we can get both groups aboard."

"Then, what are we waiting for?" Tiffany excitedly asked.

Five minutes later to the second, Tarnaa and I jumped between to Docking Bay Two.

Aureath, Aurelith, Tarnaa, I silently broadcast, can you see where I'm sending?

Seconds later, all three dragons and riders appeared in the bay, settling to the deck with a slight 'Thud'.

"Good call, Dana," my alter self remarked. "We'd've never got the entire group in here."

"We're in space!" Ori gleefully exclaimed, sliding down her dragon's side to glance out of the porthole at the glory of Pern as only a few have seen it.

"Get going, Dana," Ari chuckled, joining her twin at the porthole. "We'll be fine."

Nodding, I gave my Tarnaa a different fix, and we jumped over to Docking Bay One.

"Dana, what the hell's going on?" F'lessan demanded, floating over to us. "Rill came in here and practically dragged everyone else out of the bay!"

"I've brought someone who can help Golanth fly again," I replied, giving his shoulder a companionable squeeze. "Right now, we need to move as far aft in the bay as we can."

"Why?" F'lessan wondered, his expression mirroring his confusion.

"You'll see," I chuckled, pushing off Tarnaa and grabbing a support truss at the back of the bay. F'lessan did likewise, our two dragons crowding as close as they could around us.

Chlorith, can you and Rollith see where I'm sending?

The two queens' response was to pop from between dead center in the middle of the bay.

"Ooh, zero gravity!" Tiffany remarked, grabbing her dragon's riding strap.

"Why didn't you warn us?" Elli complained, her own hand tightly grasping her own dragon's riding harness.

"Because this Dana is using zero-grav therapy to help her Golanth," Chlorith responded out loud, earning a human gasp and a dragon snort of surprise as she slowly drifted over to us.

"By the First Egg!" F'lessan spoke in an awed whisper. Then, more vociferously, he exclaimed, "She can talk?! Our dragons can't do that!"

"That's because Chlorith, Rollith, and their riders are not from this reality," I explained, chuckling softly at the totally stunned expression on F'lessan's face. "They're here from a different dimension."

"What?!" F'lessan exclaimed, his eyes bugging out. "How? Why?"

"Quantum ergokinesis," Tiffany replied, grinning at me as she grabbed a nearby support strut.

"We discovered our dragons had the ability to not only go between," Elli chimed in, settling next to her twinny, "but also do it transdimensionally."

"Shards and shells!" F'lessan hissed, glancing from one dragon to the other.

"And quantum jumping," Chlorith explained, giving Golanth's wings the once over. "Your Dana has been experiencing repeated visions of me doing physio on dragons in our reality. She used that as a fix to jump to our dimension to ask for our help."

"Physio?!" F'lessan gasped, turning to me. "You mean physical therapy?!"

I nodded, grinning at his surprise. "In her reality, F'lessan, Chlorith is a healing dragon!"

"By the First Egg!" he gasped, staring at Chlorith. Hope coloring his voice, he asked, "Can you help him?"

Chlorith was scrutinizing Golanth's left wing. "Between our two Danas who can do the restorative surgeries, and me doing physio on your dragon… yes."

Hearing that, F'lessan broke into tears, hugging his dragon tightly; Golanth crooning softly to his rider. "I never thought… I didn't think it was possible!"

"Hey, it'll be alright," Elli responded, floating over to give F'lessan a comforting hug. "Our Dana knows the Eridani protocols."

Groaning as I hugged the strut, I muttered, "If only I had been so fortunate. That knowledge would vastly improve healthcare in this reality."

"Maybe one day, you will," Tiffany calmly replied, giving me a comforting hug. "You never know."

Looking at Elli's dragon, I asked, "What do you need?"

As a healer, Chlorith was top notch, close to master level. First, she pointed out the areas that would need restorative surgery. Fortunately, me and my alter self were more than up to the task. Within a sevenday, the surgeries were done. Another sevenday, and with judicious applications of oil to keep the skin soft and pliable, Chlorith pronounced our Golanth fit to begin the physio.

I knew this knowledge would be of extreme benefit to the dragons of my reality. With a few discrete inquiries, I managed to round up three healer-rider dragons who expressed an interest in that particular healing art.

With that information, I passed it along to Chlorith. When she was ready, I summoned the three to Docking Bay One.

"This is Chlorith," I said by way of introduction. "She is going to teach you about dragon physical therapy. Pay close attention. This could pay off hugely for all dragons."

As they glanced over at Elli's dragon, chuckling, I added, "Try not to be too surprised. This dragon can speak out loud!"

The response was instantaneous… gasps from the dragons' riders and snorts of surprise from their lifemates. It was a heartening reaction!

"Pay attention now," Chlorith instructed, earning another round of disbelief from her students. "This technique will largely depend on how well you can focus and use your TK ability. Do you understand?"

Mutely, dragons and riders nodded.

"Then, let's begin."

It was a grueling month of therapy for Golanth. Through it all, F'lessan never left his dragon's side, cringing whenever his lifemate would howl with pain. By his side throughout the whole ordeal was Tai, his weyrmate. As gut wrenching as it was to watch, as time passed, they could see that Golanth was regaining his wing strength.

Enough! No more! he cried out, pushing away from Chlorith before settling in a quivering heap on the far side of the docking bay.

"Golanth! Do you know what you just did?" F'lessan excitedly asked his dragon.

I gave up, Golanth muttered, ducking his head under a wing. I just couldn't stand the pain anymore!

"You flew, buddy!" F'lessan declared, tears pouring down his face as he hugged his dragon's muzzle.

What?!

"It's true, Golanth," Tai wept, giving F'lessan a hug. "You didn't simply push off of Chlorith. You used your wings to get over here!"

I… I… flew?!

"You sure did, you great bronze buffoon!" Tiffany called, waving at him. "Come on! Use your wings to try and reach me!"

Giving his lifemate a brief glance, Golanth extended his wings, using a soft downstroke to propel himself across the docking bay, cheers and applause exploding all around him.

I can fly! Golanth wept, gently nuzzling Tiffany's face.

"You sure can!" Tiffany cheered, giving Golanth's muzzle a fierce embrace. "That was bloody brilliant!"

"Chlorith?" I asked, glancing over at Elli's amazing dragon.

"We're finished here," she replied, gently nuzzling Golanth. "I've taught your dragons everything I know about dragon physio. They should be able to take over from here."

Turning to the other dragons, she told them, "Work him slowly, gradually increasing the artificial gravity until it reaches Pern normal. Once he can safely do it on his own without assistance, then take him back planetside and continue the therapy until he's deemed well enough to return to Pern's skies."

To Golanth, she added, "Just don't be stupid and rush it. You need to move gradually if you want to fight Thread again. Our Golanth nearly died trying to fly too soon. Don't make the same mistake."

I won't, Golanth rumbled, bowing his head to Chlorith.

"Chlorith," I wept, tears falling unashamedly from my face, "I can't thank you enough for what you did for us."

"You're a good healer, Dana," she replied, nuzzling my cheek. "Don't be a stranger."

"The day Golanth soars the skies of Pern once more," I tearfully replied, giving her neck a gentle pat, "we'll bring Golanth over to show you his progress."

"I look forward to it!" she rumbled in reply.

"Elli, Tiffany, I can't thank you enough for what you all did to bring this about," I said to them, taking their hands and squeezing them gently in heartfelt appreciation.

"Our pleasure," Tiffany responded, returning the squeeze.

"Hey, you were the one who got the ball rolling," Elli added, giving my other hand a squeeze. "We just did what we could to help out."

"You've all been away from your reality for a long while," I groaned, lowering my head. "I hope you won't get into any trouble because of this."

"Easy peasy," Chlorith responded, almost seeming to smile. "We just tell them the truth." With a pause and a wink, she added, "They'll never believe it!"

Laughing freely, I gave Chlorith's neck a gentle thump, an eye ridge scratch, and a warm muzzle hug; my tears never slowing down.

Within moments, all the visitors were back astride their dragons, safely strapped in and suited up once more in their spacesuits.

"It took courage to do what you did to help Golanth, Dana," Chlorith remarked; Elli, her rider, nodding agreement.

"It has been an honor and privilege to meet you, Chlorith," I quietly spoke, backing up to give everyone room. "One day, we'll see each other again. Till then, dragonriders, may you always rise to fight Thread!"

Glancing about, Elli asked, "Chlorith, are we ready?"

Her dragon nodded.

Meeting my gaze once more, Elli said, "Then let's go home!"

A heartbeat later, the docking bays were empty of everyone who had come to my reality.

Our new friends did not go home empty-handed. Having noticed the signs of cancer in Elli's friend, Tiffany, I had spoken to my alter self, providing him with data on several immunotherapies that should eradicate the cancer, saving Elli's friend from a painful death. After everything they had done for us, it was the very least that I could do in return.

As I stared out the porthole, taking in the view of Pern far below, Goldie backwinged to my shoulder, gently head caressing my cheek.

I can't wait to see their world, my heart, Tarnaa thrummed, coming up on my other side. Think we'll ever be able to speak like Chlorith?

"After everything that has happened in the last month and a half," I told her, pounding my heart and soul on the neck, "I have to believe we can do both… visit their reality… and give our dragons the ability to speak like they do."

Maybe their Dana could help, Tarnaa rumbled, headstroking my cheek.

"Maybe," I was forced to admit. Chuckling, I added, "I wonder if the riders of this reality are ready for it!"

The past month and a half had been an amazing experience, filling me with hope that we could finally get our Golanth back in the skies again. I was certain that, once he was fully recovered, F'lessan would have his hands full trying to keep his overjoyed lifemate from attempting the jump himself! That was a happy future I was gladly looking forward to!