Yet We Mourn

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Main Theme- Diaspora Oratorio by Bear McCreary

Tom didn't want to go to Kaz's house. He didn't want to try and coax his friend out of his room, out of his depression. He used to feel obligated, since Kaz is his best friend, to try and prove to Kaz that there is more to the world than Chaotic. God, it would have been so much easier if Chaotic was just a game and there is no other world but Earth. Yet, there is another world. A world where Creatures and Tribes existed, a place wrought with wonder and danger, the same place which Tom and Kaz died in. Tom misses Perim, he misses his adventures, he misses his Drome matches, he misses seeing Sarah and Peyton in the flesh, but he misses Maxxor most of all. With Sarah and Peyton, Tom actually may come across them in Earth one day. He still has the ability to call them over the phone and e-mail them, so he is not completely out of touch with them. However, Maxxor is from another world and Tom is forever severed from that world. Tom took the news hard about his own death and Kaz's too. It took a month, actually three weeks and four days, before Sarah and Peyton delivered the news. Tom didn't believe them, didn't want to anyways, but they had proof. Proof was in the form of pictures that they had taken and later sent to Tom's and Kaz's Chaotic email accounts.

The first picture was about Tom's death, a very chilling demise. Sarah told him that Maxxor, the actual Ruler of the OverWorld, ordered his guard to stay on the lookout for her and bring Sarah to him if they spotted her. Sarah was only at Kiru City for answers about Tom's whereabouts, while Peyton was at UnderWorld City for Kaz's. She was barely a minute in the city when the guards, quite urgently she added, ushered her to Maxxor. He was waiting for her in his office; she remembered the room mostly because of the huge globe with a dragon lazily draped on it, it was the only good thing in that room too. The guards left Sarah alone with Maxxor, the guards gave her a look of pity and Sarah felt a knot tying her heart and stomach together. Maxxor's expression was solemn and his golden eyes were dampened with sadness and duty. Maxxor informed her that Tangath Toborn found Tom, well the icy remains of Tom, inside a cave in Glacier Plains. Tom was frozen against the cave's icy pillar, cold and white by the icy, ruthless grip of death. Sarah didn't believe him, didn't want to that is, that Tom was dead. Sarah got mad at him and even yelled like a crazy, ex-girlfriend at Maxxor. She told him that he was wrong and Tangath was a liar, amazingly Maxxor refrained from glaring at her. Maxxor reached inside his desk and pulled out a roundish, covered object from his desk's drawer. Maxxor handed it to her like it was some fragile newborn and told her to unveil it, and then promised to tell her of his grapple with Tom's death.

She pulled back the blue, rough spun cloth and she screamed in horror. In her hands was Tom's frozen head. His skin was a ghastly, snow white with a hue of blue to them like an icicle. His lips were cracked; literally the lips had cracks on them like some crack in a road, and blue with flecks of red. His hair was hard like some sort of black dome but brittle enough to snap a few strands of hair off. The ears were frozen in place like the hair, but Sarah noticed that the tops of the ear were chipped like a cup. His nose was white like the skin, but a small red dot was on the tip of his nose like Rudolph's red nose. The eyes were what made Sarah scream in the first place, and again shortly after, those eyes were dim like Maxxor's but had tears frozen in them before they could be shed or wiped away. She dropped the head out of revulsion and shock, but Maxxor caught Tom's head with ease and wrapped it back up like he was trying to shield the head from more damage. Maxxor then told her his story. Tangath informed him like a remorseful executioner about Tom's demise, only two weeks ago. Maxxor had to wait nearly a week before venturing to the very tomb that froze Tom's body. Once he got there, he saw Tom's frozen corpse and all his hopes that Tangath was wrong were dead like Tom. He only took Tom's head because he knew that humans, or Sarah in this case, would not believe him like Maxxor almost did with Tangath. Other than informing her of Tom's death, he wanted her to tell him what Tom would have wanted to be done to his body in the event of his death. It took a few minutes of processing the information in her head before she told him.

"Tom and I once joked about what we do if we found the other dead; it was so funny at the time for us. He would want to be buried without a coffin. He never said where but it had to be in some sentimental or awesome place in the OverWorld. I need to take a picture, so I could let Earth Tom know about…this." It was all that Sarah managed to coherently choke out. Maxxor smiled and shook his massive, green head like he found what she said amusing but depressing. Maxxor even told her so softly that Sarah almost thought it was all in her head that at least Tom was still alive, but he might as well be dead for all the good it did for Maxxor. Tom of Earth could never see Maxxor of Perim ever again. Tom didn't vouch about the burial place for his Chaotic self because Sarah had done so much for him, and he didn't want to press Sarah into doing more for him. There was one more picture and it was for Kaz. Peyton sent the picture to him and Kaz shortly after Sarah informed them, though a wretched email, about Tom's death. They, Sarah and Peyton, felt it would be best to inform Kaz last because his death had less information than Tom's. Yet, they both knew that Kaz was definitely dead like Tom.

Peyton went to UnderWorld City, figuring it would be a perfect place to find some trail that lead to Kaz. And like Sarah in Kiru City, he was barely a minute in when he was ushered to go to Chaor's Palace. However, he was ushered by a downtrodden H'earring rather than guards. Peyton didn't even crack one joke or some laidback observation on his way there, he felt too spooked by the sad, mutant rabbit to be humorous. There was no one in the throne room except for an apathetic Chaor on his volcanic rock throne with a familiar pair of pink spectacles in his colossal hands. Chaor bluntly, and angrily Peyton added, that Kaz was dead and these glasses were all that was left of him. H'earring was showing Kaz the spot where Maxxor and Chaor first met and fought each other near the Lava Pond. A volcanic eruption happened and H'earring ran for safety while Kaz was left to fend for himself, at this point H'earring wringed his ears like he regretted his cowardice. Really, H'earring was using his common sense to run instead of staying and being burnt to a crisp like Kaz. When H'earring returned to find Kaz, he only found the pink glasses and nothing else. While H'earring was returning to UnderWorld City to bring Chaor the news, he stumbled across a mostly melted Scanner in one of the lava lakes. H'earring knew that Kaz was not lost, but dead.

Peyton was able to restrain himself from crying at the news. He only managed to ask for Kaz's glasses back from Chaor. Chaor remained rigid on his throne and promptly grunted a "no" and told Peyton to leave. Peyton decided to push his luck and requested, more like groveled, that he may take a picture of Kaz's glasses so he may let Earth Kaz know what happened to him. Chaor glared at him like he was itching to set Peyton on fire, but relented and allowed Peyton to take the picture. Peyton sent the picture to both Kaz and Tom, well on their Chaotic online accounts. Even though the pair will never be able to access their online deck, they still can use the other features of their accounts like sending and receiving messages. When Tom found out, he immediately ran to Kaz's house. Kaz had just finished reading his email when Tom burst into his room, Tom has a key to Kaz's house and Kaz's mother was out of town again. They didn't say anything to each other and just looked at each other, they knew without saying a thing that they were both dead on Chaotic. Tom was the first to make a sound, he cried like a newborn baby but with the despair and loss of an adult. Kaz watched on emotionlessly, Tom wondered what went on behind Kaz's pink-tinted glasses. It continued like this for an hour where Tom cried and Kaz watched with detachment. After an hour, Kaz told Tom to leave and Tom did. Tom, now, feels guilty about being so selfish and leaving then, instead of staying behind to comfort his friend. Maybe that is why Tom feels "obligated" to reach out to Kaz and try to break him out of his depression.

It has been three months since the pair learned of their deaths, and each had their own ways of dealing with it. Tom decided to busy himself because most people buried their grief into their work, or at least that is what Tom believes. Tom decided to rejuvenate his social life, which took a backseat when he got involved with Chaotic. He went to parties, invited or not, and reconnected with classmates that he only associate with during the school year. At some parties there was alcohol and Tom got drunk or tipsy at those parties, but he was fast enough to get the Hell out of those houses when the cops showed up. He even went out on a few dates with girls from his class, none of them led to a serious relationship like Tom had hoped. He even got a summer job as a lifeguard so he would have money to pay for his dates. He knows that he has spent the last month of summer vacation wisely by the time school began again. His summer job was over and his social life waned a bit, but he still went to parties on the weekends and even began to study harder in his classes. He has gotten straight A's before, but in high school he slacked off with studying for Chaotic and Kaz. Now, he is maintaining a 3.9 GPA with straight A's even in his worst subject, History. Tom has been flourishing without Chaotic, while Kaz is just…deteriorating. Kaz only leaves his house when Tom can drag him out, which hardly happened, or school. Even before Chaotic, Kaz didn't associate much with his classmates unless it was about Chaotic or a school project. Now, he doesn't even bother to say "hello" even when someone is trying to talk to him. His grades have gotten worse, he is failing English and is even making a C in Science and that was his favorite class. Which reminds Tom of his unpleasant duty, but this will be the last time he will try to convince Kaz to move on.

"What is wrong with him!?" Tom is shoved out of the way by a distraught, tearful Mrs. Kalinkas. Mrs. Kalinkas has a suitcase in hand and clumsily opens her car; she just throws the suitcase onto to the passenger side and hurriedly gets into the driver seat. Tom is amazed at how the crying woman was able to back out of her driveway without hitting the curb. Tom doesn't have to use his key to open the door since Mrs. Kalinkas neglected to close the door. Tom has a feeling that Kaz has finally unleashed his bottled rage onto his mom, he guiltily wonders if Kaz has finally realized that his mom has been abandoning him for years for these "accounting meetings" when she was actually with her "secret" boyfriend in Chicago. Tom learned all of this from his mom. Has Mrs. Kalinkas finally ceased blaming herself for her son's….strangeness? Tom punches himself for thinking so harshly about Kaz and his mom. Tom goes into the house and swiftly up the stairs, noticing that the plasma TV in the living room is gone. The door to Kaz's room is ajar and Tom just grabs the doorknob to pull it open, he slips right in and notices that Kaz is actually out of his bed and fully dressed. Normally, Tom would find Kaz in his bed and wearing his pajama bottoms for clothes until Tom can convince Kaz to go somewhere (anywhere) with him. Kaz wasn't in his usual attire of a multi-pocket vest with green shirt and black cargo pants, but he is wearing a thick, black sweater and clingy jeans. Tom begins to shiver; he finally realizes how cold the room is. Why is the room so cold?

"Tom, what the Hell are you doing here?" Kaz sounds grumpy like he was dragged out of bed on a Saturday, when today is actually Sunday. Kaz almost sounds like Chaor but without the grunts, Tom would have laughed back in the old "Chaotic" days. That was then and this is now, the now with his humorless dick for a friend.

"Trying to get you out of the house…again. Look outside, Kaz, it's so beautiful and sunny….and warm." Tom added that last bit in hopes that Kaz would crank the heat up in the room, but it does nothing but make Kaz scowl at Tom like Tom has done something wrong.

"I have nothing to do outside, so why don't you just leave?" Tom can see the words "and never come back" burning on the tip of Kaz's tongue. Tom is not going to give up halfway; he is going to try genuinely for the sake of their friendship and perhaps Kaz's sanity.

"Kaz, it's been like three months since…you know. Face it; we're never going back to Chaotic. You need to move on." Tom can see Kaz stiffen. For a second, Tom believes that Kaz may be holding back tears. And then in a flash, he sees Kaz clutching at his sides.

"Ha….ha. he... …..HAHAHAHA! You poor, naïve fool! You're such a hypocrite! Every time you show up and try to whisk me away from my comfort, you dropped hints so subtly about 'moving on' like a wanton slut trying to give up sex. Remember last week at your house, you tried this same spew but made it even more ridiculously subtle. As you talked, I noticed that you still have posters of Chaotic. You even snapped at me when I 'accidently' knocked your cards to the floor! You talk about 'moving on' yet you still retain those trinkets! Now take a good damn look at my room, what do you see?" Tom looks around and sees walls bare, all without UnderWorlders and Locations. He also looks over at the desk where Kaz always left his Chaotic cards on and Scanner, but the desk is bare of those Chaotic items.

"Exactly, not a thing. Nothing! So you see you're the one that hasn't 'moved on' and like the aforementioned wanton slut you cannot change. Speaking of sluts and hypocrisy, Tom, did you know that my mother has been seeing some bald accountant in Chicago? You know it kind of makes sense, why she was gone half the year that is. She was with her boyfriend all this time, maybe even before. It would explain why she was so conveniently absent when dad was home. I kind of found all of this out when my mom so wisely decided to announce her engagement to this son of a bitch. And it all just clicked in that second. Well, I kind of lost it and made her cry. So I'm not in the 'mood' to tolerate your hypocrisy today. In fact, I think I'm just done with you forever." Every last word from "slut" to "forever" was laced with so much coldness and intolerance, and fucking selfishness, that Tom has had it with Kaz. He has had it with the sleepy, depressed Kaz and this bastard-that-called-his-mother-a-slut Kaz. Tom clenches his hand like he is about to beat the living shit out of his best friend, his best friend that practically declared their friendship null and void.

"You heartless bastard, you arrogant, self-centered prick, you Chaor-wanna-be-fucked-by-him stalker, how dare you say that! How dare you be so FLIPPANT about US! I've been putting up with your moodiness for three months now! You decide now just because your mother is actually going to be happy for once in her life, and yeah your dad may have loved you but he fucked over his sweet, committed wife for his self-centered, Elektra-complex son! Let's face it, Kaz; you're just throwing a bitch fit because you're still that angry, lonely nerd that has yet to move past his own father's death! You know what, fuck you, and fuck your father too! Oh wait, I bet you wished you had but it looks like you can't, so you were going to use Chaor but died before that unholy union could happen." Tom can only described in that blind moment of hurt, anger, and perhaps vindictive desire that he had lost all control over his mouth so he may get back at Kaz. And for that brief second when he regained his senses, he truly thought about apologizing to Kaz. Unfortunately that apology was never going to happen, for Kaz in that span of time has decided to throw his desk chair at Tom. Tom ducks and only the top of his head got grazed by the wooden limbs. The chair makes a loud clatter in the hallway and Tom can see a nearly foaming Kaz breathing heavily. Tom clutches himself again as if trying to preemptively protect himself from the upcoming slaughter, or perhaps he has just notice the room has gotten a lot colder.

"Get the fuck out, Maxxor's bitch, before I go and beat the shit out of you with the chair!" Kaz's brown eyes have become hard and furious like Chaor's when he has lost to Maxxor. Tom wordlessly, and perhaps gladly, leaves the angry boy to his loneliness. He tried like he promised himself and has failed, and he will not try again and has fulfilled another promise. He metaphorically has thrown his hands in the air. There is no point in trying to help Kaz. Kaz doesn't want his help, and not even his mother's. Tom grimaces and heads home. At least there I'm not freezing my balls off, Tom thinks. He does not notice Kaz watching him leave from the master bedroom window, nor can he see the small smile radiating from the emotionally-damaged boy.

Maxxor has been having trouble in bed. He has been cold even with layers of heat on top of him. He has been tense even when experienced hands were working on him. He has been so drowsy that he has fallen asleep midway through the climax of the night. In other words, he hasn't been sleeping well and is sluggish on the best of days while irritable on the worst. Maxxor is falling apart, piece by piece into some unfathomable void. He went to see Najarin for a cure, a Mugic that may get rid of this problem; he wanted it to be instant and painless like a first kiss. Instead, Najarin denied that there was such a Mugic for Maxxor's problem. The only cure is through verbal interaction where denial is distant while the other emotions have to be carefully funneled, so Maxxor would not be too embarrassed. Intress insisted, after watching Maxxor's melancholy swell, and she got Tangath Toborn to plead with him. Maxxor made a promise to Tangath that he would see Najarin for help. He fondly (and sadly) remembers a joke that Tom once cracked about the old Muge, "Najarin is like the therapist of the OverWorld!" By the Cothica, he sure misses Tom.

"Maxxor, my friend, you clearly still long for Tom. Enough to let him affect your leadership." From anyone else, even if it was from Intress herself, it would have sound offensive and Maxxor would have no qualms about beating the code out of the Creature that said it. Yet, this is Najarin; he is just stating (with a twinge of a suppressed sigh) the facts.

"I dug the grave, right at the heart of the Forest of Life. I wrapped his body, the body so cold and dead, in the finest blue cloth that I can find. I even buried him. Intress, Tangath, and even the humans, Sarah and Peyton, offered to do all of this, but I wouldn't even let them touch him. I don't know why…." A part of him raged at him, calling him a foul-mouthed liar. It hurt to even listen to that side, the side that viciously spouts, "You were attracted to him, a mere boy even by your standards. That's why you didn't let them touch him; you were still in 'love' with him and an oh-so possessive lover you were! You were even tempted to keep the head so you may have some piece of him, a piece that he would have never given willingly to you. But he would have given his heart to the human female, to that Sarah but not you, the King of the OverWorld." Maxxor grinds his teeth and feels more self-loathing envelop his mind.

"Maxxor, Tom was different to you. He was different, not just in the sense of species, but in the quality of a person. He even tried to prove to you that not all humans were bad, and you looked to him as the hero of the humans. Unfortunately, he wasn't as…..durable like the heroes that you have known. When Tom died, his death shocked you so terribly that you mourned for him. Not merely grieve for him or try to find another replacement, but mourn to the point of not letting him go. Tom didn't live for a century, but only a few sols. It is an unjust, cruel, and horrifying surprise for you. Fortunately, it was only a part of him that died here. There is still a living, warm Tom, but not here. You may have thought that he may as well be dead to you for he is in a world that no one can access, and no one ever will." More facts, but even more emotional emphasis in Najarin's tone. Maxxor almost cracks, just wanting to scream or maybe tear his hair out in frustration. Maxxor swallows as if he is swallowing down the emotional word bile in his throat.

"Najarin…..I believe I viewed him more than just a hero. I think I may have…..had an unhealthy…..attachment to him." Maxxor looked away as he confessed his vile, loathsome truth of himself. He is disgusted with himself, has been disgusted with himself but denied it until Tom's death. He wasn't ever going to admit to Najarin, even if the old Muge peered inside his mind, that he actually kissed those chapped, chilled lips of the dead boy's severed head. He actually did that many times until the burial.

"Maxxor….." Was Najarin shocked? Maxxor doesn't know because he still refuses to look at Najarin. He still feels ashamed at himself, even more now thanks to Najarin's wordlessness. He has just made the most ancient and knowledgeable Muge in Perim stunned into silence. He almost hates himself as much as he "liked" Tom; his death has caused an irrefutable rift in Maxxor's persona. Maxxor is secretly glad that Chaor hasn't taken advantage of his weakness. He even has heard reports that Chaor is almost, and Maxxor snorts at that, going through the same thing that Maxxor is going through. Except Chaor is actually more angry than sad, he is more physical and angry than he is drowsy and irritable like Maxxor. It is almost droll, but Maxxor doesn't laugh, at how Chaor is torn up like Maxxor over a human boy. Unlike Maxxor however, Chaor is in denial about his feelings for the boy. Maxxor has no idea whether to envy Chaor or shake his head in pity at the emotion-resistant UnderWorlder.

It has all been going swimmingly for Kaz, he only had to adjust/tweak his plans only slightly but he was still able to retain the results he desired. He needed to push Tom away, permanently, and it finally happened. Kaz should be weeping over purposely ruining a decade-long friendship, he should be cursing himself for being so cruel and hateful towards Tom, but he is truly pleased with this turn of events and is even humming a happy tune under his breath while he is finishing his months-long work. He is only making last minute calculations for the wormhole generator on a sheet of paper. In the week after his Chaotic self's death, Kaz had been having this nightmare revolving around his failed science project and Chaotic. His dreams all end with him dead, but it proved indefinitely that his machine is a link, a motherfucking godsend, to Chaotic. Kaz, the depressed genius that he is, realized that he can go back to Chaotic, the place of fucked up adventures, and stay there forever.

He would never have to put up with all of this shit, from people mostly, and live a relatively "better" life in Perim. He wouldn't have to put up the heckling of bullies or the occasional passive-aggressive beatings. He wouldn't have to put up with females because let's face it, he knows (and that may be the saddest thing for a guy to accept) that there is no "the one" for him, at least not in this world. He wouldn't have to put up with his mom's long absence, he didn't notice (or cared) before because Chaotic distracted him. He wouldn't have to put up with his mom's lies and usually swallowing them as truth, until her recent news of her engagement to some ass in Chicago. He wouldn't have to put up with Tom. Tom is (was) his best friend, but Kaz overlooked major faults in Tom even though Kaz's are much more severe. Tom is very genial and doesn't even know what a loner is. Even if Kaz's machine somehow finds a habitable Location, there may not be any Creatures for miles and Tom would get bored shitless with just Kaz as company. Another example is that Tom is innocent. Sure, he would be able to pull a few lies or tricks, but he could never go beyond that. Kaz could (and probably will) commit murder, or at least survive months without any affection or social contact. His years in middle school were not lost to him; they were grueling drenched in loneliness and barely restrained thoughts of mass murder. Also, Tom hasn't spent months in preparation for life in Perim like Kaz has.

Kaz has neglected his schoolwork because all of this history and grammar of Earth will do nothing for him in another world. He actually can say, but doesn't, to the teachers that their subjects won't do jack shit in his life. Perhaps, Kaz will reminiscence about his wasted school years and may even look fondly back on them. But not now, he has no time for that now if he wants to be gone from Earth by tomorrow morning. He goes over to his closet and slides the door open, inside is great mass of motherboards and customized computers. It is ironic how this project caused him to fail at the Science Fair, nearly a year ago, but it is actually going to send him to Perim. He only failed because he decided to change-up the story behind it, basically he lied that it was actually a Star Trek teleporter. He got an "F' because it was a "Science Fair, not a Science-Fiction Fair" as Mr. McGrutter mockingly stated. Kaz had to do that so "Chaotic Crisis" would not ensue. He did not get rid of the project like Tom thought he did, but only stashed it in the attic in case it would come to be of use in the future. His Scanner is hooked up like an IPod to a charger. The screen was not black with a red circle and a slash through it, he used his computer to hack it and that took a month of encryption (and Codemasters' detection) to bypass. He wept with joy that night he finally cracked it and got something other than a black screen to pop up. Unfortunately, the new screen is merely a grid that needs coordinates to be typed into it. Kaz had to use his memory, and some estimation from the Chaotic message boards, so he may guess a Location. The only reason he hasn't turned the machine on now, even with the coordinates entered, is that he has been up since five in the morning. He needs rest and he needs to pack for this trip in Perim, and write up a note for his mother to find. He at least want someone to know that he will be alright and happy, since Tom will never care about him ever again.

Chaor would not admit it, would not consider it, and would not acknowledge that he missed the human he dubbed as Kazzy. He crushes the bowl of minced meats in his hands, he hates thinking about Kazzy. The servants were not going to come and clean-up the pieces of the cup, not since Chaor threw a flame orb at one that dared to enter. It has been many, many dawns since Chaor learned about the news of Kazzy's death, yet he was still breaking almost everything in his clutches. The only thing safe, other than Takinom and Agitos, is the pink spectacles that Kazzy left behind. He remembered once, after breaking several, ancient shields, asking his advisors on their theory to why he kept the glasses of that annoying boy. Agitos claims that it is because Chaor may have actually developed "feelings" for the boy and regretted not expressing them to the boy, fortunately Agitos was very swift and was able to dodge a sword being hurled towards him. Takinom, cautiously hovering near the door, suggested that Kaz's death was really an unpleasant surprise for Chaor. Chaor naturally doesn't like surprises, since it is usually a traitorous attack by Van Bloot. In short, Kaz's death wasn't something that Chaor saw happening, at least not instantaneously. Chaor thought that Kaz would maybe only live as long as humans generally did, which Chaor knew was much shorter than a Creature's lifespan. Takinom didn't get blasted like Agitos did, but Chaor dismissed her so he can destroy more shields and artwork.

"Lord Chaor, Lord Chaor!" Chaor was only seconds away from torching Ulmar for his high-pitched squeaking.

"Yeah, what is it, Ulmar?" Ulmar could tell that Chaor is annoyed, so he decided to just be close to the exit in case he had to run from one of Chaor's attacks. Chaor, as of late, has been attacking various Creatures that popped in unannounced like Ulmar here.

"In my lab, I detected some strange energy spike in the Lava Pond. I think something powerful may have just appeared there, or at least have a device as powerful." Chaor grunted. Ulmar gulps believing that he has displeased Chaor with this news.

"S-Should I get the guards to check it out?" Ulmar stammered. Chaor narrows his cold eyes on Ulmar's flinching form. Chaor lets out a huff.

"No, I'll go. Get my Mowercycle ready, now!" Ulmar lets out a shriek and rushes out of the throne room to prepare Chaor's vehicle. Chaor goes over to his throne and peers at the pink spectacles on the throne's left arm. He flirts with the idea of leaving the glasses here, but decides to pocket them in his belt compartment. He doesn't trust that the glasses will be here when he gets back. For the first time in months, Chaor is actually happy about leaving the castle. Mostly because he might be able to beat the shit out of this new "Creature" and he smirks sadistically at the thought of blood coating his hands again. Ah, violence is Chaor's way of mourning.

Kaz has sold most of his Chaotic merchandise, from the posters to his action figures. The only things that he didn't sell were the cards of Chaor and H'earring and his Scanner. Kaz needed the money so he could buy survival manuals, wildlife gear, and a top-of-the-line weather protected backpack. He had been studying how to survive in a variety of environments like deserts or very hot places with volcanoes for many months now. When he wasn't working on the wormhole generator or going to school, Kaz buries himself in his studies and exercising. Kaz figures a healthy person, or at least one with average speed, would be able to survive in Perim. Honestly, he has no idea if his machine will teleport him to the UnderWorld even with the coordinates punched in, for all he knows he could end up in some strange Location that he has never heard of. After months of studying and physical training, Kaz is much stronger (at least to survive about a hundred push-ups) and confident about surviving. He can even fit into his father's old soldier outfit. The outfit is desert camouflage cargo pants and shirt with tan hiking boots. Kaz has his cards in his right pocket while a combat knife in his left, the rest of the pockets are filled with dehydrated food and personal notes on wilderness survival. He is wearing contacts because his glasses would just be a bother if they break.

He has left a letter with the rest of the cash, his mother's jewelry, and his glasses inside the mailbox. The reason for this is that he has drenched the bottom floor in lighter fluid and has left the stove on. In maybe a few hours the house shall be consumed by flames, leaving hardly a trace of his project. He only did this so his mother would know that he is in a better place (he did not mention Chaotic anything in the letter) and that she will never be able to find him. He also mentioned that she needs to move on and use the money on her new husband, even though Kaz is apathetic about the man. He has not tested his device, so if it fails then Kaz will die in the fire or at least from the fumes. Kaz knows the consequences if he fails. He does not care because there is nothing left for him here. There is no girl or "the one" for him to settle for. There is no best friend to constantly save, which Tom did for him. There is no family that would be in perpetual pain if he left, his mom would only mourn for maybe a year and then move on. So what was the point on staying in a world that has no one or nothing for him? Kaz turns on the machine and the machine comes to life with a whirl. Kaz closes his eyes to enjoy that sweet humming of fans and electricity discharging, ah the wonderful schema of computers. His fingers hover above the plus sign button; if he presses it then a portal should appear, if his generator works.

He takes one last look out of his bedroom's window. He can see an empty street with an empty driveway. All of the little kids are at school while their parents are at work, even the retirees are gone. His fire won't affect anyone until the time school ends when all the kids would be back. He feels a pang of sadness like someone should be here to stop him. Tom is probably in English right now; he might be jotting down notes or working on an essay. Tom will not know until he comes home, which won't be until 4:15 PM. Well, that is if Tom decides to go the long way home by cutting through Kaz's street. Since Kaz severed his bond with Tom, Tom will most likely head straight home and be there by 3:55 PM. He would cry, but the tears weren't going to save his life. He presses the button and his room is ripped apart. No he is being ripped apart and sucked in. Kaz with a heavy backpack of survival gear and sentimental photographs is tangled right into the energy field of the generator. He is sent hurdling through dimensions and only catches glimpses of fire in his room. He smiles as his Earth vanishes from his life.

Tom is looking out the window. He is in his English class, his last class of the day, and he is supposed to be brainstorming an argumentative essay about if suicide is selfish or not. His stance it is selfish and he has already three bullets with supporting sentences to it. Yet, he grew bored and wished the day to end. He is eager to be at home and relax for a bit, and then texting Mimi, a girl with black hair and green-gold eyes, if she wants to go out tonight. Today is the first day that he doesn't have to go back to Kaz's house. He feels some regret, but shoves it away with reminders about Kaz's selfishness. Maybe that is why he can easily argue that suicide is selfish. Outside, Tom can see the blue of the sky and the colorful houses of suburbia. Nothing is out of the ordinary, except for the alarming amount of smoke coming from Kaz's street. He can see a fire truck rushing to the street. Tom feels worried that Kaz may be in house, which he probably is since he didn't show up to school today, and Kaz's house could be on fire. His worry vanishes because Kaz is smart enough to get out of a burning house, or at least call 911, and is safe. Kaz is just probably sulking in his bed for being an asshole yesterday. He probably is waiting for me to apologize, Tom frowns and his grip tightens on his pencil. Tom tears his gaze from the window and focuses on his paper. He may as well try to write a conclusion to his rough brainstorm to kill some time.

Kaz breathes and he coughs because the air seems heavier and dirtier than the air back home. He rubs his eyes until his eyes adjust to a world without the brightness. Kaz can see harden magma and heated ground. He falls to his knees and screams with joy. It worked! He is finally in Perim! And it is in the UnderWorld! He would kiss the ground if he wasn't certain that he would develop a burn. The heaviness in his back reminds him that he needs to find civilization, or at least shelter. He can tell this place is the Lava Pond, the Location that he wanted to be in. If he had his Scanner, which is nothing but melted goop back on Earth, he would be able to get to UnderWorld City in seconds. Now, it will take days before he could even be the city's limits. The roaring of engines and Kaz perks up and tries to peer at the distance. He can see chunks of blacken rock being "mowed" out of the way and a large, red Creature. Kaz pales a bit because he wasn't prepared to face a Creature, and he doubts a knife will be able to penetrate the bare skin of a Creature. The "mowing" sound gets louder and the Creature gets clearer. Kaz hurriedly un-straps the backpack from his back and jumps up. He waves his arms like an epileptic moron and screams as loud as he can.

"CHAOR, CHAOR, I'M OVER HERE! IT'S ME, KAZ! THE REAL KAZDAN KALINKAS! I'M NOT DEAD! I'M NOT DEAD! I'M NOT DEAD!" Chaor on his Mowercycle can see the flailing of Kaz. He touches the center of his belt where Kazzy's glasses are stashed in. He can see Kaz without his glasses. He smirks at his own foresight and at Kazzy's excited screaming. Finally, Chaor can stop smashing items (and sometimes Creatures) in his kingdom and focus on yelling at Kaz for inconveniencing (actually scaring) him. Maybe after the reunion, Chaor might give Kaz a ride to UnderWorld City on his Mowercycle. Or maybe he'll just let Kaz walk there as punishment for dying on Chaor.