As planned, the Planeswalkers gathered atop the Citadel of Bolas, where Gideon Jura had died. As Jace climbed the steps of the pyramid with Vraska by his side, he spotted Kiora and Tamiyo. And Samut, Saheeli Rai and Huatli. The angel Aurelia was there, too, though she wasn’t a Planeswalker and couldn’t possibly join them on their journey. She held the leaf-wrapped breastplate of their fallen friend.
Vraska had come to see Jace off, but she had already told him she wasn’t going with him to Theros, and now she explained it to the others: “I’m sorry, but I barely knew the man. And I have Golgari business to attend to.” She glanced then at Aurelia, who nodded subtly—but not subtly enough for Jace to miss it. He made a conscious choice not to ask what Golgari business Queen Vraska had with the Boros guildmaster. Instead, he reiterated to his new love that he would return to Ravnica and be back with her soon.
Kiora also offered her condolences, but explained that she, too, would not be going with them. It seemed she was persona non grata on Theros. “Ajani can explain it to you,” she said. “Although maybe today is not the day to bring it up.”
“Where will you go?” Tamiyo asked.
“Home. To Zendikar. But first, I want to say…It’s been…That is…” She trailed off, looking inward. She glanced up at the others, shook her head rather hopelessly and planeswalked away, vanishing in a fine mist.
Almost immediately—and practically simultaneously—Chandra, Nissa, Teferi, Karn, Ajani and Jaya planeswalked in from Kaladesh.
Jace looked around, shrugged and said, “I figure that’s pretty much everyone.”
Aurelia said, “I wish I could go with you. I would have liked to have seen the world that forged Gideon Jura.”
Jace knew she had loved Gideon as much as any of them and watched as the tears of the angel fell upon the leaves that enfolded Gideon’s armor.
Jaya said, “I’m going to beg off, too.”
Ajani said, “What?”
And Jace said, “Really?”
A stunned Chandra just stared and whispered, “Jaya?”
“I’m sorry, Chandra. But when you’ve been alive for as many centuries as I have, well…sometimes you simply cannot face one more funeral for a friend.”
Teferi eyed her a bit suspiciously, but Chandra nodded. She seemed to accept the explanation, though she still seemed disappointed in her mentor.
“I guess the rest of us can go,” Jace said. He kissed Vraska one more time and whispered, “I’ll be back soon. And then Vryn.”
“And then Vryn,” she whispered back.
And with that, Jace, Chandra, Nissa, Karn, Samut, Teferi, Ajani, Tamiyo, Saheeli and Huatli departed Ravnica for Theros, leaving Vraska, Aurelia and Jaya behind.