And there it was... absolutely nothing out of the ordinary had precipitated her stay. Prayer was a natural part of the process, and Sarah was not unlike the very many who had come before her, transiting the oasis. Except... she had stayed. For how long?... this part he did not yet know.

So, why had she been able to slip so easily through the cracks in the fabric? Why had her connection been so much stronger than the rest, that she had been able to linger out here in the cosmos, beyond the outer reaches of the Milky Way, a solitary sojourner transcending the rules of time and space?

These are the thoughts he pondered as he sat in quiet contemplation alongside her, in the meadow where she had first appeared. They occupied the spaces in his mind, once reserved for more mundane musings, and directed his attention.

They had left the shelter of the trees a short while before to embrace the full warmth of the celestial sun. As the now azure skies shifted, Todd considered his next move, his fingers idly intertwining purple calyxes of mauve petals₁ plucked from amongst the wildflowers, their gentle scent of Origanum permeating the senses. He paused, finding himself staring down at a beautiful ring of flowers, bejeweled with Drops of Jupiter₂, newly formed by his hands. He looked up again to see Sarah watching him tie off the little bouquet, and in a moment of boyish charm, he leaned forward and placed the makeshift crown gently on her head. It complimented her beauty, and he returned her smile coyly.

Lying back down in the grass, staring up into the ether, he re-ran the logic...

Why the empty manual? Why the big red button? Why the written warning? It's not like anything had happened when he pressed it. What else could he possibly have done? And then he wondered what difference any of it might have made if he had just done nothing.

He thought back to his earlier conversation with Sarah. Was the joke on him? Was he going to find out that this was just some outlandish overworked act of initiation? Surely not! His gaze wandered again before fixing once more on her form. Her perfect human form.

No... he determined, this did not appear to be a prank!

His eyes moved to the Monarch nestled in Sarah's hands, its familiar delicate orange-red wings with black markings... still... resting. The butterfly appeared to recognise their kinship... two beings capable of migratory phenomenon and transformations beyond the comprehension of most minds.₃

And then it occurred to him that perhaps he might be going about things in the wrong way.

Perhaps he wasn't supposed to have done any of it. And perhaps that was the whole point. Something Sarah had said, had struck a note with him after all. With that, he knelt down, hands clasped together, and offered himself up in prayer.

Please guide me oh Lord, show me the way... that I may do... Your Will.

His deep ruminations were unexpectedly disturbed a few moments later.

Come in Todd... Come in To... Todd, come i...?...

A muffled and broken, but familiar voice crackled from deep within the side pocket of his cargo pants. Todd's surprise and joy at hearing Dave's voice again were palpable. He leaped up and fumbled for the radio, then holding down the transmission button, his words effervesced at a rate of knots.

Copy that Dave! Geez, am I happy to hear your voice again! And... oh sorry yeah... Go ahead!

Dave was bemused.

Problem, Todd? What's your 20?*₄

Todd quickly recounted Sarah's dilemma and the events that had transpired since their last contact.

Roger that, Todd! But... why didn't you just ask for help? I told you that you could request an intervention if things went off plan.

Um... the radios... they kept breaking up.... the manual... useless!!! As for the emergency stop - well that was fairly pointless too. There wasn't exactly an easy way to contact anyone.

Todd... we were never meant to rely on radio sets or big red buttons. Do you really think that is how it works around here, of all places? These are physical manifestations of the keys to the Kingdom, visual metaphors as it were. But you don't need them. You have everything you need right here, and here, said Dave, placing his right hand out and touching Todd first over the heart and then placing two fingers gently on his forehead between the eyes.

Wait! What? You're here? You're actually here!!!

Todd was more confused than ever.

Dave laughed.

Don't look so surprised. We are all capable of so much more than the limitations that we place upon ourselves. But when it comes to acknowledging that we need a little help and guidance, what do we do? What should we do? Life doesn't come with a finite set of rules, Todd. There is no manual to define all the ins and outs and to prescribe solutions for every challenge faced. There is no magic button to push when we feel trapped. Instead, we seek countenance through prayer. We connect, and we ask for help. He hears us, always.

But what about Sarah? She has been here for some time now... how do we return her to her home?

Dave looked at him and smiled.

That's just it. We don't. And it's not about the length of time, Todd; it's the depth of experience. Everyone experiences their moment differently. We are all called upon at some point in our lives, Todd, and just like the circle of Sequoia, we all need to die a little unto ourselves so that we may spring forth with new life. The parallels are there. There is no problem to solve here. Just a soul to care for whilst it dances its way along the light of day₅... This time that Sarah has spent here has been but a blink of an eye back on Earth. The world of the Water Guardians is but a mirror image of the water grave, capturing the spiritual moments experienced in the world below, and hers was made extra special with your support.

Todd was still processing Dave's words when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Sarah standing behind him.

Todd, I think I am being called to return. I feel a pull within me... not the same as the one that brought me here... that tug felt deeper, more permanent, but a pull nevertheless... and I think it is guiding me back to Pastor Mike... so I must go.

They stared at each other, knowingly for a moment. Their connection had meant something to both of them. The Drops of Jupiter adorning her forehead; a lilac crown fit for a princess, nay fit for a bride, His, not his. He smiled not only at her, but at himself, as he silently acknowledged the obvious.

Dear Lord, Thy Will be done...

She embraced him tenderly before turning to walk away.

Goodbye just Sarah,

he whispered under his breath, with a nonchalance belying the stinging sensations poking at his heart... as he watched her disappear into the trees.

Todd knew then that Sarah had been a fortuitous part of one of his biggest lessons in the Heavens - one which would cement his role more fully with the Water Guardians and in fact position him as one of its successors.

The realisation had finally hit home: "If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”₆

The last thing Sarah remembered before she broke the surface of the water, and the swell fell behind her in her wake, was a gentle rising pressure of a supportive hand between her shoulder blades, the light, scattered and brilliant, as before... and before that... memories of... Todd? She gasped, filling her lungs with the sweet joy of her new life.

Pastor Mike was still at her side. Supporting her at the tail end of her journey. She had no words to describe the experience. She could not quantify it... or explain it... heck... she had no idea which parts had been real and which had simply been a manifestation of euphoria, so she wouldn't try. Pastor Mike didn't ask. He simply prayed over her, helped her out of the water, and handed her a towel to dry off.

As she stood lost in thought, feeling truly at peace for the first time in her life, Sarah felt a sense of finally being home and was reminded of a quote she had once heard recited:

“Perhaps home is not a place but simply an irrevocable condition.”
_{James Baldwin, Giovanni's Room source}

...and it made her smile more broadly and knowingly. Indeed...and what a wonderful condition to be afflicted with... the passion of the Christ... the renewal of the spirit.

As they drained the baptism pool that evening, the water swirled, gurgled, and then the outflow pipe slowed to a trickle. Pastor Mike leaned in with abject curiosity... and passing his hand purposefully over the narrow outlet, felt inside the rim for any irregularities. Moments later he had retrieved the offending item slowing the water's escape. He didn't know what he had expected to find... a hair scrunchie, a sock perhaps... but instead he found himself staring down at a perfectly formed, albeit waterlogged, crown of purple petals.