LAST CHAPTER!
I think you'll be pleased to find out that Spectra wasn't the one responsible for the footage… =D
I really feel proud of this story…
I mean a lot of people liked it enough to stick to it to the end… =D
And for that I am very touched… =D
Thanks so much to the loyal readers!
On with the story!
Chapter 10
You will always have me by you
I trusted you…
That was my first mistake…
You were the leader of the Vexos…
I should have known better…
I am nothing but a plaything to you…
Am I right…
Keith…?
Alice sat in front of a huge glass-paned window. Her eyes betrayed any emotion, they were lifeless and lost.
The door opened behind her and Hydron came in. She neither turned nor did she greet him. Hydron didn't mind.
"Well Alice," he said "I guess it's time for you to be getting home don't you think?" he asked "Your friends must be worried sick about you…"
Alice didn't respond. She continued to stare out the distance that stretched before her.
"The airship will be ready soon." Hydron said "And soon you'll be home; the painful memories will all be gone." He smirked and added "Especially the ones about Spectra…"
Alice slightly turned to Hydron to reveal her lifeless eyes. She turned back immediately to the window. Hydron let out a satisfied smirk before he left the room.
Spectra woke up to find Alice gone. She left a message saying that she just went out to buy some groceries and that she'll be back soon. He was initially worried, but he decided that worrying wouldn't do him any good. He took a shower and decided to analyze the data that Gus synthesized for him.
It was already noon and Alice still wasn't back. Now, Spectra was getting worried. How long did it take for her to get some groceries? She still had her wristband on her so he could still track her down.
He took the faint signal coming from the wristband. He saw where Alice was, but what he found out surprised him.
"What's wrong Spectra?" inquired Helios
"Alice's gone…" Spectra replied
"Didn't she have the wristband with her?"
Spectra nodded
"Why are you so worried then?" asked Helios
"I've tracked down the faint signal that came from the wristband…" Spectra muttered "But… it came from Prince Hydron's room."
Helios was surprised "What did you say?"
"It makes no sense." Spectra said "Why would Alice be in Hydron's room?"
"It sounds like something suspicious to me…" Helios said
"Indeed…" Spectra nodded.
He stood up and wasted no time going to Hydron's room. He knocked on the door and he was greeted by a transmission left by Hydron.
"This is Hydron, Prince of Vestal." The transmission said "I am currently away at the moment, but I'll be back soon." The transmission ended and the screen faded to black.
Spectra glanced at his gauntlet and saw that the signal from the wristband came from inside that room.
But that can only mean two things: either Alice is inside or she left the wristband inside…
"Why Spectra, what a lovely surprise…" said a voice that came from behind him.
Spectra bowed his head and acknowledged his presence "Prince Hydron…"
"What business do you have with me?" Hydron asked "Make it quick I still have something else to attend to…"
"I see…" Spectra said "I was just wondering if Alice is inside."
"Why yes…" Hydron replied "She is inside. In fact, she's waiting for my arrival."
Spectra was confused.
"She agreed when I told her that I'd bring her home." Hydron added
"What?"
"She was quite heartbroken by what you did, Spectra…" Hydron said as he twirled a lock of his hair with his index finger.
"What are you saying?" asked Spectra who was oblivious by what the prince was saying.
"How cruel of you…" Hydron muttered "You gained her trust through your deeds of kindness, but in the end you use her for your purposes… You did an awfully good job of making her cry so easily Spectra…"
Spectra was speechless. He had no idea what Hydron was saying, but it seems that Alice thinks that he just used her for his own benefit.
"I have to see Alice…" Spectra said in a low voice.
Hydron shrugged and said "Suit yourself…"
The door opened and it revealed Alice who was sitting in front of the window and gazing endlessly.
"Alice…" Spectra called
Alice didn't turn to him.
"It's useless Spectra." Hydron said "She won't respond even if you scream at the top of your lungs…"
Spectra ignored Hydron and he walked towards Alice. He turned to her and saw the same lifeless expression on her beautiful face.
"Alice?" Spectra called once more.
Alice didn't respond.
A sharp pang seized Spectra. What had happened? Why won't Alice answer him?
"If you have no more business here Spectra, leave." Hydron said in a commanding tone "You are bothering the preparations we are making for her journey home…"
Spectra dragged himself away from Alice and out of Hydron's room.
What happened?
What was Prince Hydron talking about?
His mind flooded with questions. He walked to Gus's room. Surely Gus would know what has happened these past few days.
He knocked three times like he always did and Gus answered like he always did.
Gus seemed surprised and troubled at the same time when he saw Spectra "Master…" he managed to say "What brings you here?"
"I need answers Gus…" Spectra said plainly "Alice is in Hydron's room and I have no idea why… What happened?"
Gus couldn't reply directly.
"Gus…" Spectra repeated; this time his voice was more venomous "What happened?"
Gus opened the door wide and let Spectra inside his quarters. He sat in front of the computer and said "I just received the footage this morning from Volt. He said that it was broadcasted to the entire area of Vestal."
A video played on Gus's computer. Spectra's eyes widened under his mask when he saw what the video was about.
It was the night when Alice cried into his chest. He saw the Pyrus emblem at the far right of the screen, indicating that the video belonged to him.
His fists clenched. Hydron told Alice about the video and told her lies about bringing her home.
"I didn't do this…" Spectra muttered
Gus said nothing.
"I didn't do this and I never would." Spectra said "I would never hurt Alice like this."
"I know you didn't, Master…" Gus said "I know how you care for her. It must be one of Prince Hydron's tricks again."
Spectra clenched his fists. Alice's lifeless expression came back to his mind over and over again.
"Hydron showed this to Alice and promised that he'd take her to Earth again…" Spectra muttered.
"He must be stopped." Helios said "Who knows what he might do…"
Without another word, Spectra ran out of the room. The signal from Alice's wristband was caught by his gauntlet.
He ran outside and saw Hydron's airship high in the sky. It didn't move from its position, just above the Vexos quarters.
Spectra clenched his fists. Hydron was using Alice for his own selfish purposes.
Spectra ran back inside the Vexos quarters and tried using the stairs to reach to the top floor. He could see Alice from the windows. She was standing on a plank on one side of the airship. Hydron was right behind her.
He's going to kill her?
It made perfect sense. Hydron hated Spectra and the only way to finally get his revenge on Spectra for humiliating him numerous times.
Hydron wanted Spectra to suffer. He wanted Spectra to suffer the worst pain imaginable. He was going to kill Alice and make Spectra suffer from grief.
Thinking fast, Spectra put his gauntlet on his arm. He was planning to use Helios as a means to get to the airship before Alice falls off it.
He grit his teeth in frustration when he realized that his gauntlet wouldn't activate under normal circumstances unless in a battle.
He continued running. Never mind what the others would think as he frantically ran up the stairs. Never mind what would be the consequences of his actions. Never mind if he would be called traitor.
He had to save Alice and give Hydron a piece of his mind.
"Spectra!"
Spectra turned behind him and saw Volt.
"You're never going to make it like that…" said Volt as he put his gauntlet on his arm.
"What?" Spectra was out of breath and it seemed that his sense of understanding was damaged by his fatigue.
"I'm not going to battle you." Volt said "I'm going to help you get up there faster…"
Spectra understood and nodded.
"Gauntlet, power strike!" they shouted in unison.
Spectra quickly threw a gate card down "Gate card set!"
Volt threw down Brontes and said "Bakugan, brawl! Bakugan, stand! Haos Brontes!"
Spectra threw Helios down as well "Bakugan, brawl! Pyrus Helios, stand!"
Helios and Brontes stood. Volt nodded at Spectra and said "Go."
Spectra hopped onto Helios's hand and they flew up.
"Aw Volt…" Brontes teased "You're such a softie…"
Volt let out a satisfied smirk "You think?"
"Go on…" Hydron encouraged Alice who was walking along the plank "The Dimensional Gate stands before you…"
Alice didn't seem to see that there was no Dimensional Gate in front of her and that she stood tens of feet away from the ground.
"A little more and you are almost home, Alice…" Hydron said with a smirk on his face.
Alice walked slowly. She was not quite herself at that moment.
Hydron twirled a lock of his hair with his index finger. He was growing impatient. He walked towards Alice with the intention of pushing her out of the plank. He stopped dead when he heard the violent whistling of the wind coming towards him accompanied by the shout of someone familiar.
"Hydron!" Spectra shouted
Out of fear, Hydron pushed Alice out of the plank. Alice fell down at insanely swift speeds.
Spectra could not believe what he just saw. He saw Alice falling right out of the sky at full speed.
Without another thought, he jumped out of Helios's hand and went after Alice.
"Spectra!" Helios called
Hydron cowered inside his airship out of fear. He didn't know what Spectra was going to do to him after he's rescued Alice, but he's guessing that it won't be pretty.
Alice was getting further and further from Spectra's reach and she was getting closer and closer to the ground. Spectra felt something drop on his cheek. He wiped it off and realized that it was a tear: Alice's tear.
I'm sorry Alice…
He stretched out his arms and caught Alice headfirst. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, like it was the last time he would ever hold her. His mask got loose and got flown away by the wind.
Helios caught Spectra and Alice on his hand.
Spectra turned to his partner Bakugan and smiled "Thank you Helios…"
"Let's get out of here…" Helios said.
Volt saw Helios fly overhead and down to the garden. He smirked and said "It seems that my work here is done…"
Helios put Spectra, who was carrying Alice in his arms, down. Spectra put Alice down. Alice stood on her own feet, but her expression remained unchanged.
Spectra raised Alice's chin only to see the same lifeless expression he saw when he was looking for her. Tears lid her eyes, but her eyes betrayed any emotion. She was clearly broken and lost, and once again it was his fault.
His hands on her shoulders clenched. He was the reason for this. He didn't have the strength to move or even utter a word.
Out of sheer desperation, he wrapped his arms around her shoulder and brought her to a tight embrace. Alice stood on her toes because Spectra was slowly lifting her up.
It's my fault…
I'm sorry Alice…
I wasn't able to take care of you…
I only caused you more pain…
I'm sorry…
Alice felt something moist and cold on her neck. It was Spectra, no, Keith's tears.
Keith…?
"I'm sorry… Alice…" Spectra managed a weak whisper.
Alice blinked. She was overwhelmed by Spectra's embrace.
"Keith…?" she rasped.
Spectra immediately let go of her and looked at her face carefully. He was relieved to see that Alice was back to the way she was. Her eyes were filled with sadness and surprise, but it was better than the lifeless expression she had moments ago.
He wrapped his arms around her once more. But this time it was tighter and more heartfelt.
"I'm sorry Alice…" Spectra said
"Keith…" Alice said in a clearer voice
"If I had been more careful then none of these would have happened…" Spectra continued
"Oh, Keith…" Alice said as she tried to wrap her arms around him, but his arms around her were too strong "I'm the one who should be sorry…"
"Alice…" Spectra tried to say something, but Alice cut him short.
"I'm the one who didn't trust you well enough to know that you would never use me like that…" Alice sobbed "It was stupid of me… It was stupid of me to ever doubt you when you were the only one who really cared for me…"
"You don't have to apologize Alice…" Spectra said "There's nothing to forgive… If you want to go back home then, at least let me do it for you… It's the least I can do for you…"
Alice managed to shake her head in disapproval "There's no need…" she said "I… don't want to leave Keith…"
"What?" Spectra exclaimed as he gently let Alice go.
"I… don't want to leave you, Keith…" Alice said "I want to stay here with you… Even if I have to go through the clutches of the Vexos just to stay here with you, I will still stay with you…"
Spectra gazed into her eyes. He was baffled by Alice's sudden determination. He took her hands in his and said "I promise I'll take care of you Alice…"
Alice smiled at him; this time, her smile was one of those smiles which Spectra would give anything to see "I promise I won't doubt you ever again, Keith…"
He wrapped his arms around her once more. He dug his head into Alice's orange hair and whispered "You will always have me by you… Alice…"
The birds were singing sweetly as they perched on the branches of a tree. The wind rustled the leaves and made the branches swing to and fro.
The sun was bright in the sky. Its warmth and radiance graced the world below. Its light came through the spaces between the leaves of the tree.
All around this tree was a grassy meadow. In the middle of this meadow was an octagonal gazebo. A few flowers could be seen on the vast green canvas.
Under the shelter of the tree's leaves were two people sitting side by side: a boy and a girl. The boy had spiky blonde hair. Beside him was a girl with curly orange hair.
The girl was a tormented soul by his mistake. When her life was in peril and on the verge of its end, he came to save her. She thought that he betrayed and used her once before, but it turns out that she was a fool to ever think so.
The boy was the girl's master, but he never treated her any differently. For formality's sake, their relationship was nothing more than master and servant. A lot took advantage of this relationship of theirs. He did everything he could to restore her back to the way that she was. To him, she was a friend, an irreplaceable friend…
Or maybe even more…
These two souls were sleeping peacefully under the tree's shelter. The girl's head was resting on the boy's strong shoulder, while the boy's head was resting atop the girl's head.
Their hands were entwined with one another. The boy's right hand fingers possessively took her left hand fingers.
The boy made a promise to the girl…
A promise that would withstand anything that his world would throw at them…
A promise that no one would ever be able to break…
A promise that she trusts wholeheartedly…
A promise that he made for her to hold…
.
.
.
.
You will always have me by you…
THE END
So I kinda left you with a scene to help you decide what happened to both of them… =D
Obviously it was a happy ending (yay!), but it wasn't really detailed (awwww…)…
You see I had a dilemma as to how I was going to finish this story…
So I decided to leave my readers with a scene to make them decide an ending of their own to this story… =D
Leave me with a note okay? I'll still appreciate it... =D
Thank you all for supporting this story!
To Warboss, thanks for being the first… =D
To JetravenEx, I know you were hoping to see Masquerade and I'm sorry I didn't put him in, but don't worry! Exedra's apprentice will be fully dedicated to Masquerade I promise… =D And thanks for your supportive reviews, I really appreciated it! =D
To the others who reviewed thank you!
And to those who will hopefully review, thank you in advance! =D
See you guys in between the pages again… =D
chquine_harvinellisse