The Way, The War, And The End

Just to say I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this chapter, I am 14 and I'm taking a shot at typing a fan fiction just so I can fill this empty space that was created by the ending of TAS. (sob) I've changed the title to this cus i wasnt satisfied with how i named it.

Chapter 1

Will Parry is turning eighteen soon, and still his heart had ached. 'Five years…' he muttered. Indeed, it has been five years since Will had closed the window in the Botanic Gardens; separating him and the one and only love of his life Lyra. Every year since then on Midsummer Day, he would go into the botanic gardens and sit on a bench in the quiet atmosphere of the garden and reflect on the adventures he and Lyra shared together. Oh how it pained him deeply.

Will did not change as much over the five years. He was taller and stronger than before but what would never change about him was his love for Lyra. Everyday, he wishes he would wake to Lyra but sadly he wakes to no one; just the plain wall of his bedroom. Over the five years, he did not once shed a tear. He told himself that very day they were separated that 'Being cheerful starts now.' After he had closed the window, he had tried to be cheerful. Unfortunately, there was nothing really he could be cheerful about after then. Sure, he brightened up as he finished the last of his exams for the year but that was no where near the happiness he experienced in the world of the Mulefa.

Around him in his daily life, everyone perceived Will as to having a normal life, but everyone who has met him can see that he is deeply scarred. By what; no one seems to know. What everyone does know is he is attached to his 'pet' cat. Lots of people noticed his cat was a little bigger than most cats and that its fur displayed a brilliant array of deep dark colours. People would know what the word subtlety meant just by looking at its fur. Many girls tried to flirt with Will. Will merely brushed them aside as he found there was not a place in his heart for another girl in his life.

Mary had been the one to save Will from ending up in a juvenile detention centre. After a few hundred papers (or what seemed like it) and a few court cases, Will was free. Mary named her Alpine chough, Alex. Mary had continued to study on Shadows and demonstrated to a group, using 'The Cave' what Shadows were. Soon, businessman, scientists, bankers were queued up wanting to partake in this wonderful event. Funding for the project poured in and Mary and an expedition team headed north. During the expedition up north, they discovered many artifacts which brought vast wealth to her and the muesuem.

Mary still kept the seeds that the Mulefa gave; she even planted one. To both her and Will's surprise, it actually grew. Three years of tender care to the plant and it was taller and stronger than any of the native trees around. Mary still misses her time with the Mulefa and spent much of her spare time looking into the sky with her spyglass while sitting in the tree. Mary had become Will's legal guardian shortly after his mother died and they both lived together in a nice place just far enough for Will to walk all the way to the Botanic Gardens in Oxford. Mary knew quite well that his trips to the garden were both important and painful.

'It's nearly Midsummer Day Kirjava.' Will said

'I know… I know…' Kirjava replied.

'Kirjava I keep asking myself, why did we have to be repaid in this manner' Will said, 'we saved Dust and we saved countless millions of billions of dead people from living a empty dead life. We gave them peace after all the countless years they had been there. Why must we be repaid like this?'

Kirjava's answer was always the same, 'Because you must build the Republic of Heaven. And to do both you and Lyra must have a full life to accomplish this.'

'Yes, yes I know Kirjava' Will continued, 'but how?'

'You will find a way,' Kirjava said, 'after all you're Will.'

That line always ended the conversation. Will pondered every night what the angel Xaphania had mentioned. Her words continue to echo throughout his head, uses the faculty of what you call imagination. a form of seeing…This way is hard, but much truer. What is worth having is worth working for… a friend who has already taken the first steps, and who could help you… no more travel. What did it mean? Who was this friend that him and Lyra knew. How could this friend help us in travelling across worlds? Nonetheless, Will knew there had to be a way to get across the worlds. Will spent much time unravelling the secrets of the words the angel spoke. Sadly, all the efforts were to waste.

Mary had been working hard and long at the office with her daemon perched on the table next to her. She had been gathering all her notes and memories about Shadows all night and was preparing a long speech for a conference down in Sydney, Australia. After the events taken place five years ago, she had rebuilt the machine she had destroyed at the lab. Her hard work had seemingly been to waste as the Shadows did not respond when it was finished. Mary tried several times a day hoping the Shadows would talk to her. Apparently, she has not been able to communicate to Shadows since then.

Mary sighed and went over to the same machine that enabled her to speak to Shadows. She put her mind into the same state she would always put herself. She remained calm and conscious. Mary typed 'Hello…' only to be disappointed for god knows how many time she has tried it. She sighed and sipped her coffee only to look up at the screen typing back…

'Hello Mary, it has been a while'

Mary thought she was dreaming and blinked a few times, walked away from the computer to go to the toilet and wash her face. She came back down to find the words still there. Immediately, she sat down in her chair and typed…

'Indeed it has been a while but why…

'Did we ignore your attempts at communicating to us? I apologise but a lot of events have taken place since the window being closed in the Botanic Gardens.'

'So you are quite aware that…'

'Will is in pain. Of course we know about that, after all I was the one whoexplained their task.'

'Wait so you are…'

'The angel Xaphania that told Will and Lyra they could not be together, yes I am that same angel, I am also that same angel that told you to play the serpent'

'I remember quite well Xaphania. Though I must admit, I had no idea what you meant. It was only until I saw them in love that I knew how I had played the serpent'

'Yes you tempted both of them with the words of love. Without your efforts, the Mulefa would fade from existence and both would not have realised they were in love.'

'I feel guilty though, because of my efforts they are both suffering.'

'Yes, I feel guilty as well. Although I am an angel, that does not mean I am always right.'

'Excuse me?

'I must admit what I said all those years back to the young lovers was what I believed to be true. And in all the years that I have existed, I have never been wrong. It appears they will prove me wrong.'

'But how, all the windows have been closed and there's no way to travel in between worlds.'

'And that is where you are wrong. I told them there was a way of travel that the angels knew of and I said they already knew someone who had already taken the first steps.'

'Then who is it?'

'You already know who it is.'

'What? Explain more.'

The screen did not reply back, and Mary sat n her chair amazed, excited, but puzzled. Even she knew this someone. Is there really a way?