Chapter 11: The Spirit Carries On

"Kim," breathed Luke as he exited the house, "I'm now officially satisfied with what you have shown me."

"And I with what you have seen," replied Kim with a sad smile. "Guess that means this is farewell." A tear began to well in her eye.

"Don't cry, Kim," soothed Luke, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No parting need last forever. How long it does last is up to us."

"But," began Kim, "since you and I are the same, I don't think it'll be possible for me to see you again."

"We will see each other again, Kim," reiterated Luke firmly. "We may share a soul, but our identities are completely different. That is what matters in the land of the dead."

"You're certain?" asked Kim hopefully.

"As sure as death," answered Luke, "pardon the expression. But now I'm not sure that even cold, bitter death is permanent."

"Why?" queried Kim, confused.

"Why, you ask?" started Luke. "I'll tell you why.

Where did we come from?
Why are we here?
Where do we go when we die?

What lies beyond,
And what lay before?
Is anything certain in life?

They say, 'Life is too short,'
'The here and the now,'
And, 'You're only given one shot.'

But could there be more?
Have I lived before?
Or could this be all that we've got?

And just the fact that you're standing there gives me the answer to that.

If I died tomorrow,
I'd be all right,
Because I believe
That after we're gone,
The spirit carries on."

"It's official," stated Kim. "You are not the same man I first met in the white mist."

"Is that a bad thing?" asked Luke.

"No," assured Kim, "you've changed so much for the better."

"I'm glad to hear you think so," thanked Luke.

"I used to be frightened of dying.
I used to think death was the end.
But that was before;
I'm not scared anymore.
I know that my soul will transcend.

I may never find all the answers.
I may never understand why.
I may never prove
What I know to be true,
But I know that I still have to try."

"Oh, Luke," praised Kim, "I'm so damn proud of you."

"And I of you," responded Luke. "Is there anything else you want to tell me before I end this journey?"

"As a matter of fact," answered Kim, "I do have one last request:

Move on, be brave.
Don't weep at my grave
Because I am no longer here,
But please never let
Your memory of me disappear."

"Come on, Kim," teased Luke. "You and I are one and the same; how could I possibly forget you, even if I wanted to?"

"True enough," agreed Kim. "Well, no use putting it off any longer."

"No, indeed," concurred Luke, "but I have to say that spending this day with you has been the time of my life."

"Oh, thank you," gushed Kim. "I hope I see you again someday."

"You don't have to hope, Kim," reassured Luke. "We will most definitely meet again, and sooner than either one of us might think." And he wrapped her in a hug, which she returned in equal measure. Eventually, they pulled just far enough apart to look eye-to-eye with each other. Then, driven by instinct, Luke leaned in slightly and closed his eyes. Next thing he knew, Kim had closed the distance, and they were sharing a soft kiss, filled with compassion, strength, and caring.

When they finally pulled apart, Luke softly said, "Goodbye for now…Kimberly Anne Possible. …I love you," he added in a voice that was little more than a whisper. Then he broke the embrace and started to back away, never taking his eyes off Kim.

"And I love you," she mouthed back at him, waving as he made his way out of her time period, perhaps for the last time, tears leaking from her eyes.

Looking up to the nighttime sky, Luke called out, "OK, Doc, I'm done. Bring me back." The white shaft of light began to descend upon him. The instant it touched the ground, Luke began to rise up through the light, finally returning to his own time.

(1)
Safe in the light that surrounds me
Free of the fear and the pain
My questioning mind
Has helped me to find
The meaning in my life again

Kimberly's real
I finally feel
At peace with the girl in my dreams

And now that I'm here
It's perfectly clear
I've found out what all of this means

If I died tomorrow
I'd be all right
Because I believe
That after we're gone
The spirit carries on…

(/1)As Luke began to feel the sensation of being rejoined with his own body, this final thought went through his head:

Thank you so much, Kim…for everything.

1-/1: No one in the cast itself says this. This is the part that plays over the scene of Luke rising through the light.

TBC...

NEXT: Finally Free