A Return Worth Waiting For...~
Both Hattie and Snatcher watch Astel sit down on her knees, letting little particles like stardust gather in her closed hand as she seemed to focus on the space right in front of her. Moon could see her work it out in her head. How she was going to try to open up a portal to her own pocket dimension and then open up another portal to the Other World within the Midnight Garden, keeping the portals small to minimize the risk of potential collapse.
That's right... The Midnight Garden... How... How could he forget?~ The memories were hazy, but he could faintly recall her having two pocket worlds of her own. There was the cloud arena, a training ground of stone and marble painted with a pale sunset sky as big puffy white clouds peacefully drifted by. Then the Midnight Garden. He saw it only once, when she needed a safe place to keep her Eevee egg. But he could still remember how it felt... It was nothing like his world, he knew that for certain. The Garden felt far older. But... there was a certain... peacefulness to it. He remembers it feeling like... a home, the way it welcomed any and all who entered it. Maybe that was just the way it had been. Or maybe... it was because Astel had let him in, so the Garden welcomed him just as she did.
It was still a mystery to him, but... he did remember. Even if just faintly.
Astel eyed the portal magic in her left hand for a moment, hesitating a little as she stared at the bandages wrapped around her hand and fingers. If this backfired it was certainly going to hurt... But she hoped to God not, she didn't want to scare Hattie if it did... But if it backfires, then it can't be helped. The best she can do is pray.
Turning her focus back to the space in front of her, she threw out the little ball of portal magic, holding her breath... She, Hattie, and Snatcher all watch as a glittering portal the size of a grapefruit opened up right in front of Astel, a nocturnal garden scene visible as Astel clapped and threw her hands into the air in victory.
YES! Yes-! Okay- Okay that worked!~ So now if I...
Some more portal magic gathered in her left hand once more, Astel eyeing the space within her Garden as her next target. Once she was ready, rather than throwing the little ball of portal magic, she flicked it right through the little hole in reality she had made. A second portal opened within her Midnight Garden, the new portal opening up right in front of Moon within the Other World! Much like the first portal, it was also no bigger than a grapefruit.
YES!!~ IT WORKED!~ HAHA!~ I'm smarter than the universe!~ ...n-not actually though, don't quote me-
Now Astel was going to struggle a bit though... Traces of portal magic remained in her hand, the dimension-hopper holding it to keep the portals open as it crackled and sparked in her palm. There's no telling how long she can hold this open for... So, without any explanation, she shoved her whole right arm through both portals, Moon now faced with Astel's open palm as she made a grabby motion while her voice sounded from the other side.
Another grabby motion, Astel repeating her strange request.
He seemed caught up in trying to pry his memories from whatever held them from him, almost jumping at the sudden hand.
He briefly considered telling her no, perhaps going a step further and giving her a button rather than the hand she clearly wanted, but he did want out. Well, maybe not out- more he wanted access to what he fully considered to be his.
“Promise I can get back.” He frowned, pushing past his unease to take her hand. He could live outside of his realm for a time, but it’d certainly take a toll if he dawdled for too long- not to mention how uncomfortable it would be to not have complete control over everything.
“Buttons?” Hat echoed, looking far more apprehensive than she was a minute ago.
