The Goddess of Death and Her Empress

"Hanni!" Lena exclaimed and threw herself into Hannah's arms. Hannah's mouth fell open in shock. She had not been told of who she would meet, only that it was someone important.

There was only one person who had ever called her Hanni, as it was a slight change of her name in order to be more personal. Lena grinned, bowled her over, and laid on top of her.

"Hanni." She whispered. "Do you remember when I sent you to Haven? Your jellies were so good!" Hannah trembled as her memory seals were released, and the image of Jana's lips slowly opening her eyes came back to her.

"Jana? Is it really you?" She said softly. Lena smiled.

"Can you heal like the Others now, Hanni?" She asked innocently. Hannah nodded, so Lena grinned. "I've wanted to taste your jellies again. May I?" She asked. Hannah nodded, and saw Lena smile so wide before that pair of lips descended upon her eye once again.

It was a soft kiss that slowly opened her eye, and the warmth of her lips sent waves of affection throughout her core.

This was her Jana, her favorite acolyte of her time upon Imera. Her kiss was always soft, warm, and affectionate like a little sister. Her lips were never rough, and made her Offering a pleasant memory to take with her to Haven. Jana's teeth were quick, so as not to cause her undue pain. She watched with her remaining eye as Lena gratefully chewed and swallowed.

"Mm, so good. Just like when you were human, Hannah." Lena said softly. She was hugged fiercely about the waist. "I have missed you so much since I sent you to the goddess, Hannah. Everyone is so nice, and Mirri keeps me company, but I miss you every day." She lifted her eyes back to Hannah's face.

"Please heal, Hannah." She said softly. "I need to see you whole now. I loved your jellies, and knowing you were with the goddess, but I missed you desperately. I had no mom, and Rachel is only there in my dreams." Her face lowered to Hannah's chest. "Some days, I feel so alone." Hands gently rubbed Lena's hair.

"You're never alone, Jana. So many of us love you, and cherish you. Now that you're back, we'll never let you go again." Hannah sighed, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I have missed you so much, Jana." Kyrie cleared her throat.

"Jana, isn't it time you stand up and hug your goddess?" Kyrie said, with red cheeks.

Five hundred years ago, Kyrie, the goddess of death, nearly went insane after Jana died, and she couldn't find her spirit to take her to Haven. She raged within the dream world of mists and memories as she searched endlessly.

Now, she finds out that her Lena, her mate, was also her Jana from the past. She was confused, but also ecstatic. She loved Jana, and wanted her to grow up so she could accompany her to Haven. She wanted to keep her close, and see who she became as she grew up.

Now she was Lena, and she was grown up. Her heart couldn't stop trembling as she knew there were more secrets out there to learn. Gallae said as much.

Lena was an enigma that would continue to grow more complex.

* * *

"Rachel!" Lena bounced into Rachel's arms, and hugged her without reservation. Rachel smiled gently, and held Lena to her chest, as she also heard the muffled voice of the young woman. "Mom, I've missed you so much."

"Jana, I have missed you so much." She sniffed and stifled her own tears. She cared a lot about Jana, and spent every night soothing her in the dream world the goddess once built just for her.

"Will you be there tonight?" She asked innocently. Rachel petted her head.

"I'll be here now, Jana." She said warmly. "I would much rather you be awake and spend time with us then you be asleep to spend time with us." Lena looked up at her a bit, as though she was a lot taller than Jana once was, Rachel was still taller than Lena.

"Don't you have a lot of work to do in Haven?" She asked. Rachel smiled.

"The goddess made sure all of us knew that you were our priority. The work can wait. Our Jana is the one we have to take care of, not duties." Rachel said. Lena blinked, just like a child might, then grinned.

"Really?" She looked around and frowned. "Where is Mirri? I haven't seen her this morning." She frowned. "Come to think of it, where is Lana? This is her room, isn't it? No, that was Rhanna, the high priestess. Why am I confused about that? Didn't Mirri and I soothe both her mother and aunt two nights ago?"

"No, Jana." A voice said quietly. Lena turned, and her mouth fell open. "That was a long time ago, my dearest friend." A youngish looking woman approached her, but Lena could tell who she was.

"Mirri? You're older, and an Other?" She asked in shock.

"You went to sleep, Jana." Mirri said and wrapped her arms around Lena's body, holding her close. "We couldn't find you in the dream. You disappeared, and we weren't able to find you, no matter how long we looked." Mirri started to cry.

"I went to sleep?" she asked. "But...but..." Lena groaned as a pain shot through her head.

"Ugh, goddess?" She said and grimaced again.

"Lena!" Kyrie rushed forward. Lena fell to her knees, and everyone within that room started to panic. Lena was so important to them, and now they knew she was also Jana, so her importance grew to even greater heights.

"Syl." she whispered. Syl and Sonya appeared from out of a white mist, and rushed forward. They helped to move her to the bed, while Nuri offered her soft body as a pillow to keep her upright. Nuri sucked in her breath.

"Goddess, she's gushing energy. I'm almost full already, and she's only touched me!" Nuri said. Kyrie whispered, and Valjhana appeared. Syl and Sonya stepped in close and touched her thighs, while Valjhana leaned in. She was pulled down and forced down so Lena could kiss her.

Her throat bulged and looked ready to burst before she was released. She had such a burst of energy from deep within her own body, it was too much for her servants to handle.

A tear rolled off Kyrie's cheek as she saw the veins on Lena's arms and thighs begin to bulge. She was bursting out of her mortal body, and she wasn't yet stable enough to transform into a divine form.

Kyrie would lose Jana and Lena all in one shot, and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Nor could she stop the inevitable pain that would come with it.

"Not again. Please, mom. Gallae. Don't take her from me again."