"So, that's how it was," Alice whispered. Reese standing near the lake quickly turned to her, it was two years from creating of the last crystal. "W-what happened...?" she wondered. "After Rod and Laura traveled to their time, you stopped responding to your surroundings," Alice explained to her, "kinda dreamed out, huh? I do it sometimes too, actually all the time. You know... You made others worried by this, especially Kyra was pretty worried sick and I had to calm Zoe down. They're all in the café. I decided to stay with you since I'm experienced in losing the notion of time." "What did you mean by 'that's what happened'?"
"While you were out like this, I... I used my crystal to see what happened while the most of us didn't know anything. I wanted to know more about the last crystal and your motive. Now I understand," Alice replied. "Isn't that a coincidence?" Reese laughed, "I was thinking about the same thing. You're the only one besides the guardians who knows about that, so please, don't mention it anywhere."
"Don't worry, I can keep my mouth shut. I saw everything that happened in Akuno," Alice confessed, "and before the climax of our story. Now I understand." "You shouldn't use your crystal that often," Reese told her, "it can be dangerous for you." "That's fine. I'm tougher than I look, but... Are you okay?" Alice wondered. Reese looked away, her hands kinda shook. "Ah... S-sorry! I didn't want to say it... I didn't realize it can be painful for you... I'm sorry. I'm just bad at saying things like that..." Alice's voice was trembling. "No. It's okay. I must face it. I can't be healed." "Wait! But there is some kind of operations available these days, right? We still can save it. I'm sure you'll be able to have kids again," all those words came out of Alice's mouth so quickly. "You know... My body was seriously injured several times. My organs are artificial. It's a big risk for me. And even if it would work, I'm not sure if I'd be able to stand a pregnancy or a birth when I'm like this..." Reese said. Alice knew she's totally honest, but why did she tell that to her? Well, others would very likely freak out, Zoe, Kyra...
"You are a really strong person," Alice reminded her, "just don't try to say you deserve that or something... Yes, you did bad things, even a few people died, your actions made others happy at the end. As Dark says 'darkness can't exist without light and light can't exist without darkness'. Just like shadows... You can't know that a good thing is good until you don't experience a bad one. We would never meet, Zepar wouldn't be defeated, she would find someone else to do that, but they may not be able to handle that like you. A strange feeling that Zepar would choose Kyra, for example, scares me. She wouldn't survive that. So, I'm kinda glad it was you... I-I mean! No!" The Komatsu panicked. "Calm down, Alice. I'm not mad. When I think about it, you're right."
"You are the true hero. Reese," Alice said. "What?" Reese wondered. "Let everybody hear it, Reese Drake is a heroine of this story!" Alice imitated Zepar. "That's your sense of humor, huh?" "You're a hero and a villain, a protagonist, and an antagonist of your own story. You've made a mistake and most of us won't forgive you for a long time, but the truth is that you should forgive someone. You should forgive only one person, yourself. Not right away, but someday... I know it's hard. It took me five years to forgive myself those words and start to talk again, but it feels even better than if Nicolas forgave me. I was able to face myself."
"Thank you, Alice."
"Yeah... You're welcome..."
"Go to the others. I have some business to take care of."
That little business took almost an hour to do since 7 guardians and 2 ex-guardians Reese called had to go to D-lab.
She was showing them her back. When everyone was there she spoke up: "There is something I must tell you." "Does any of you have deja vu too?" Sora wondered. "This is happier than the last time. Zepar is gone."
"We know it since yesterday," the others said. "Excluding me," Jeff, the ex-guardian, snapped. Reese turned to them. She noticed how anxiously Wendy's watching him. No wonder, they used to date and they have a son together, but Jeff was acting terribly and pissed her off.
"By the way, Wendy, since we're all here, where is Gerard?" Lucy asked, "don't tell me the kids have him." "He's with my colleague," Wendy answered, "Matt can handle it... I... Jeff..." Wendy just couldn't continue. "Don't bring that up right now, fine?!" Jeff growled, "so, you're saying she's dead, but how?" "You can thank us for that," Zakuro said. "Really?" "Don't make it look like you are the hero," Cruz commented, "the true hero is standing in front of us." He smiled at the researcher. She looked away, her cheeks were little red. "Hero?" Dr. Owen wondered, "is that true, Reese?" "I'm no hero..." Reese replied, "I just..." "How? What happened there?" Aki asked her. "I... I wanted to trick Zepar, but she saw through it. Controlling my body, she used me and brought me in Akuno, forcing me to hurt the owners," Reese was explaining, putting her hand on sister's scarf around her neck, "fortunately, Zoe and the others came and... saved me. I'm so grateful to them."
"I won't let you do that. You are a part of the team, my friend, my family. I can't let you! We'll find another way to stop Zepar, I promise."
"I was able to fight back... I destroyed the last crystal and survived. I'm thankful to them, Max, Rex, Zoe..."
"You risked your own life to save them, that's insane," Dr. Taylor told her. "Like you wouldn't do that for them. After all, I promised to protect them. I only fixed my mistake."
She closed her eyes, a sweet smile appeared on her face.
"And that makes you a hero," she heard Max's voice. When she opened her eyes, everyone was in the D-lab. "Have you already forgot what I told you? It could have been worse... I am sure this is what sister wanted to say," Justin said. Alice just froze in a place, she couldn't say anything in front of this big amount of people. She hid her face in her hoodie.
Jeff only sighed and left before anyone of the owners could recognize him.
"All of you can call yourselves heroes," Cruz admitted, "every single one of us here had an important role in this story, else it could have been totally different. Am I right, Alice?" But the owner of the time crystal was sleeping...? Seriously, guys, wake her up!
"Well, I guess this will never change," Niki laughed. "You're pointing to the alternative timelines, right, Cruz?" Dengyo spoke up. "Seriously?" Sue wondered, "I know I said our lives are now boring, but just hell really?" "We just defeated one destroyer of the world, give me a break for a while," Andy murmured.
"Then I have an idea!" Kyra cheered up, "we'll sing!" "Really?" Nicolas growled in disagreement, "can you seriously be my family?" "Kyra... I think I'll avoid that event," Rex said. "Me too," Max joined.
"Fine, fine, then it will be girls only."
"Don't tell me..."
"No way!" Sabi snapped, "you won't get even a tune out of me in front of people." "In front of people?" Kyra repeated, "that's perfect, we can sing in the café." "Thanks, Sabi, you gave her an amazing idea," Ema said ironically. "Well, thank you, Sabi," Niki sarcastically commented.
"It isn't that bad idea," Zoe said. "I think so too," Bel agreed. "I... I would go, b-but... You know... Like Hermana said... Not... In front of the people..." Dark whispered. "Hermana?" Wendy wondered. "Just three of all..." Kyra murmured disappointedly, "nevermind! Others will cheer us up!"
The owners headed out, Zoe suddenly stopped.
"Sounds fair," Sue said, "Uh... Girl, you don't go?" "Just a second." Zoe ran to her sister and gave her a big hug. "This is not fair," Sue growled quietly. "Just don't create any superpowered stuff that can cause the end of the world while we're gone," Zoe said. "Don't worry..."
"Hey, no fair!" Kyra yelled and rushed to them. "I want too!" She warped her arms around Reese. "Kyra, get off of me," Reese angrily growled. "Fine, fine, but first..." Kyra kissed her crush on lips and headed out. "Wait..." Zoe was realizing what just happened to her sister.
Reese was blushing. "Get out," she told Zoe. "What?" "Get out!" she repeated and gave a death glare to Max, Rex, and Cole that were still in the room, "you too." "W-wow, wow, wow. I have a question," Cole said. "Out! Now!"
All four of them were gone in another few seconds.
"Stay quiet!" Reese said before anyone else could, "it isn't what it looks like. Kyra is just... Well, Kyra... Go. There's still something I need to do."
Walking out, Kyra was smiling from ear to ear, Max, Rex, Cole, and Sue that heard everything behind the door, were kinda creeped out, Zoe still thinking about Kyra's behavior.
"Hey... Kyra," Cole spoke up and stopped, "can you explain that to me?" "Huh? What do you mean?" Kyra wondered as she looked at him. "That was really too much, you know..."
"We'll leave you for a minute," Max said and went farther away with the others.
"Kyra, why didn't you tell me that you're-" "I'm sorry..." "What else are you hiding? Kyra, what else I don't know?!" Cole raised his voice. "I... I'm hypersensitive especially when I hear my second name, Lucy... Because only my dad used to call me like that. I saw him get shot and when he died my mind went totally black, I even tried to hurt and kill myself... And I am a bisexual, crushing on you and Ree. I thought you'd be excited since guys are about these things." "Maybe if it was the first time," Cole snapped, "you lied to me and how I know you I can't trust you." "But Ree doesn't want that," Kyra said. "So what?! I can't trust you after this. You already kissed Cruz right in front of me and now one of my friends! How?! How can I put my faith in you?! You're crushing on her... I just can't stand a thought that you'd be making out with someone else. Kyra... I'm done with you."
"What...?" Kyra was still progressing everything she just heard.
"You broke up with me when Kami kissed me, so now it's my turn. I'm done with you, Kyra Komatsu!"
Cole turned around and left without any other word.
"C-Cole..." Kyra's eyes were filled with tears. Her mind totally blacked-out. She was trembling like crazy. "Wha... Whaaaaah!" she cried. Running away, back to the guardians. "No... Noooooo!" The owners looked back to her screams. Her sister quickly rushed to her, she knew this will happen, she saw it. Kyra ran into her mother's arms. Cried, screamed, suffered. "I don't want to... Please, someone, end this!"
"Kyra, what happened?" Lucy asked her, anxiously looking at Wendy that was with her. "He... Cole..." No sentence came from her mouth. "Kyra!" Alice, not very tall girl with short brown messy hair, wearing a dark jacket with spots of paint on it, was finally able to find them, she was exhausted. She didn't run, it was more like power-walking.
"Kyra..." In her sleepy brown-green eyes with bags under them was fear about her older sister. "Ali, what-" "Cole broke up with her. He was really harsh... He was really pushing her," Alice explained, knowing more than the others, "I guess from what I could see."
"What's wrong?" Max wondered when he came. He took a few deep breaths because he ran faster than the others. His red vest with a yellow hoodie and a black fanny pack around his hips were kinda messed because of his speed, so were his spiky brown hair. He grabbed his red visor with triceratops horns and closed his hopeful purple eyes while he was catching his breath.
Alice immediately burst out: "What's wrong?! You're asking what's wrong?! Then I'll tell you, Taylor! Your brother! He's just an idiot for judging Kyra for what she is!"
Their friends just came to them.
"Alice, calm down," Rex tried to step in, but Alice didn't let him. "You stay out of this!"
"Ali, we should take Kyra home, let your brothers about it." "Okay..." Alice nodded. "Wendy, will you go too?" "Sure."
Taylors' house, Cole's room
The brunette shut the door from his room, slammed his fist against the wall with all of his strength.
"Damn it!"
A tear ran from his worrying purple eyes down his face.
Komatsu's house
Kyra still in her mindless state was sitting on the couch with her mother and Wendy taking care of her. The rest of Komatsus was standing away.
Kyra's pretty short blond and brown hair fell on her beautiful face. Tears were streaming. The violet scarf she always wears around her head was wrapped around her bloody wrist. All of her clothes, her denim jacket and shorts were covered by blood.
"Kyra's bisexual...?" Nicolas asked quietly, "that explains a lot. But Cole not accepting it? That's horrible and I know what's acting horribly." "He was actually jealous, but extremely..." "We must stay strong for Kyra," Justin said.
"Feeling better, sweetheart?" Lucy asked her eldest child. Despite being worried sick about Kyra, she kept her strict look. Her hair as red as Kyra's blood was almost as messy as Alice's from her un-showed fear. "Yes, but..."
"Just keep strong and fight it."
"Yes, I will..."
"Kyra, it'll be fine, just don't worry about it," Wendy tried to assure her. As a doctor and Lucy's friend Wendy was very experienced with things like this. She slightly grabbed her shorter raven hair. Her one black and the other red eye, they were kindly watching the hurt teen.
"I'm just scared... What if this will happen again and I'll hurt someone...? I'm trying but it's stronger than me... I..."
"You won't," Lucy said, "you won't hurt anyone because we're switching to the strict mode tomorrow. I won't let you just chicken out forever!" She raised her voice, all those words motivated Kyra not to give up. Lucy's strong voice always helps especially to children, she was one of the best teachers in the city.
Taylors' house, Cole's room, Evening
Cole with his shoulder-length brown hair down was lying on his bed, not able to think, just staring at the ceiling.
He was unnaturally for him relaxing without doing practically anything.
Then someone knocked on the door. "Yeah?" he growled. "Cole, dinner is ready," Max's voice sounded behind the door. "Go away, Kid!" "But mom will be really upset..." "Just tell her I'm not hungry and get the heck outta here!"
Max only sighed. "That you've broken up with a girl doesn't mean you can act like that, bro..." He headed away.
Cole sat up and summoned all five of his dinosaurs. "Compy squad, go eat if you want," he said and opened the door. Gamma, the green Compsognathus with a yellow stripe, and Mitch, the grey Compy, stayed with him. He closed the door.
After a while, he heard a gentle knocking on the door. "Cole, can you please come out?" his mother asked. "No! Let me be!" he snapped. Aki didn't give up that easily, she had determination in her usually calm and worried purple eyes "Cole, please. Let's eat like a family as always."
"Leave me alone!" Cole shouted, "leave. I don't want to see you or talk to you. Leave!"
His words were like knives for her. Her eyes were full of tears.
"He'll be fine," her husband tried to comfort her. She didn't listen. "I need to... I go to the bedroom, leave me alone..." She headed away. "Aki..." "M-mom!" Max unnoticed until now wanted to run to his crying mother, but his father stopped him. "Max, we should give her some space..."
Rex, Ace, and Chomp watched it as well, but they couldn't do anything. Cole was acting like an idiot and hurt everyone around.
Sometimes you can't give up, you must fight.
She knocked once again a few hours later. Still kinda scared, knowing it won't make Cole happy, she opened the door and entered his room. Cole sitting on the bed just looked away.
"Kyra is just experimenting. I tried that too when I was younger. Her name was Rose."
"What do you want?!" he snapped, "this won't make me feel better!" "Just listen to me," Aki told him and sat down next to him, "I know this feeling very well. When I was quite older than you I found out my boyfriend was cheating on me, I was so mad just like you and I obviously broke up with him. I was a little scared... I even missed him... It felt like we were made for each other. But if that didn't happen, I would never meet your father... I wasn't sad, I took it as a new opportunity for my future."
Cole slowly turned to her. "A new opportunity?"
"Yeah... If I stayed with him, I don't want to imagine what could have happened..." She put her hands on his face. "Thanks to that I have four amazing men around me." Tears filled her eyes. "I met the great man that gave me two incredible sons... And..."
Tears running down her face made him feel uncomfortable. He shook a little bit, sweat bullets appeared on his face.
"N-no... Don't cry. Mom, please."
"I'm glad to have you..."
She focused on his face, smiled over a few growing hair around his mouth, he started to look like his father.
"D-don't do this... To me..." Cole sobbed and hugged Aki, "I don't want you to cry..."
"Even if every girl cheated on you, remember that there'll always be one woman that loves you." They heard a growl on Cole's shoulder, Gamma. "I guess she wants to say that there are two women that love me more than anything in the world," Cole laughed.
Aki stood up and headed out. "Good night, Cole."
Mitch laying on Cole's laps quietly murmured. "You're hungry, pal?" Cole wondered, "maybe all three of us need to eat. Mom, did you at least leave some food for us?" "I honestly didn't eat either," Aki admitted. Cole got to his feet. "I'm sorry... Sorry that I yelled at you and I ruined our family dinner... I know how important it is for you. I don't even know why..."
"It was all your idea when you were just a kid." "Totally forgot about that... Welp, let's eat, then."
Rose belongs to imyouknowwho/jboy44
