A portal appears and swirls out from nothing





Polya and Nix walk out of the portal.





They're back in the main plaza on the isle of Hollidae. The sky is grey and overcast. The girls step out from their homes with trepidation.

—Eladea—
Polyta...!

—Helen—
You're back!?

—Eladea—
Thank the Goddess! Through her light, our tribulation is truly over...



—Rilly—
Where's... Jiro...?




Polyta looks very, very tired.






—Polyta—
...Girls.
Our days on this island... it's been a most wonderful time.
We've known pleasures most wouldn't dare dream of.
Many of us endured hard lives before the Goddess so kindly granted us a home in these sacred lands.
And here, in times of calm, we've...
We've discovered a side of ourselves we'd not been able to indulge before.
To laugh, to cry, to love...
To be girls.




—Polyta—
That time is over.
Maybe not forever. Maybe the day will come when we can lay again in the grass, and bask again in the shining sun.
But we're going to have to fight for it.
We're on our own, now. Jiro can't return to us.
But I know we'll make it through.
Because I know that within each and every one of you rests the burning soul of a warrior.
The time has come for us to stop being girls...



Polyta sets the duffel bag she's been carrying on the ground and unzips it. She pulls out an avean carbine blaster.


—Polyta—
...and start being women.





In the crowd of girls is Coral, in her long skirt again, watching on concerned. She's holding onto a Bottled Homecoming.

















Glard Gorpnan waits among the gum trees. Sitara's there with him. The light of morning filters through the leaves.





Coral appears with her bottle in hand.

Sitara
* Ah! There you are.

Coral
* Hey, you two.
* I got something.


Coral
* Glard. Here.
* It's called a Bottled Homecoming.
* You uncork it, and it sends you home.
* Simple as that, yeah?


  Glard Gorpnan
...Why are you helping me?

Coral
* I... I have to.
* I have to make sure everyone turns out okay.


Glard takes the bottle and uncorks it. He's looking back at Coral as he does. He can't refuse this kindness, he can't, and yet...



Coral
* I have to.



Glard steps through the portal, taking one last glance behind him as he does.









The portal flickers out and vanishes away, its purpose fulfilled. Without a word, Coral turns and walks back the way home, through the bush.





























END OF CHAPTER FOUR.


















Lum says:
What a chapter! And what a lotta work it's been. I've been working my sweet little behind off lately, so I hope you all don't mind if I take myself a well-deserved break. I'll be back on the 13th or 14th of April, depending on what timezone you're counting from.

In the meantime, I'm gonna be posting some guest art! Check again every Monday as usual for some art contributed by some friends of the comic.

And before we go, I'd like to thank our $8 Patrons for their support:
  • Avunian
  • Axollyon
  • Alyssa Riceman
  • Benedict Ide
  • Digamma-F-Wau
  • Dr Psyche
  • Elisabeth Latini
  • gnar
  • Exa
  • IGU
  • Phaeton
  • Th4nkyoub3n
  • Robert Kerman
Until next time!