Chapter XXIV
Chapter XXIV
Farewells and High Tides
When I close my eyes,
To this paradox place,
I'll fly away.
Far away from here.
I'll get away and dream,
Dream of you…
When it's all said and done,
And the night has come,
I'll disappear.
Take flight on the wind of
Wishing you were here.
Fading light,
Like a star who's life
Has been gone for years.
And I'll fly,
Fly across the sky.
And I'll leave,
I'll leave it all behind.
If you'll be here,
Here with me tonight.
I'll be fine, I'll be fine,
I'll be fine. – Mae, "Awakening"
The stars were absolutely brilliant. Nothing was present to obscure their light. In fact, there was nothing to be seen but stars. Everywhere, all around, in every direction, was a gigantic sea of them. They drifted gently in an empty ocean of black velvet.
They stood in clusters here and there, while others stood separate and alone. Some twinkled an icy blue, while others were a brighter yellow and fiery red. They were all magnificent together, and they created a landscape never to be seen from the highest peaks on Earth. In fact, Earth wasn't even in sight…
All that was were the stars and a single stranger among them.
Five new stars, in the shape of Delphineous, were also there. Only, they weren't real stars, but markings on the melon of a dolphin. Ecco.
The Bottlenose groaned, slowly lifting his head. He remembered pain and suffering, a tremendous pressure on his chest, constricting his heart…but now all that was gone. Air came freely to him, and yet his body was gently suspended, as if submerged in water.
When he opened his eyes, the dolphin gasped shallowly. His crystal blue eyes soaked up the stars surrounding him, opening wide in shock. But as startled as he was, he wasn't afraid. His heart and mind were still and calm. Awe overtook his emotions, and he stared openly at the beauty surrounding him.
Where…where am I?
A sound echoing from a distance caused his thoughts to pause. He turned, pivoting towards the direction he believed it was coming from. To be honest, it was hard to tell in this place. Ecco's logic told him he was in Outer Space, a place that only Land dolphins and humans had ever seen from inside wondrous machines, but that was unreasonable. Though Ecco had never been to this place before, he assumed that one couldn't survive, let alone breathe, out here…
But the sound brought his curiosities elsewhere. It was light and joyous, even musical. It was pleasant to Ecco's ears, and it seemed to be getting closer. When Ecco was able to recognize it as delphine, which came as a great surprise, Ecco was even more shocked when he determined it to be…laughter.
A shape suddenly appeared a short span away from him. It was a ghost like apparition, flicking in and out of vision. It would appear, and then vanish, all the while its happy sound playing. Ecco attempted to move towards it, but his tail seemed to be unable to move. The dolphin was reduced to simply watching, and trying to figure out what in the world was going on.
The image flickered into sight again, and this time it stayed. A streamlined head, beautiful and white, turned to look at him. Bold blue eyes glittered in happiness. A smile appeared, and a song reached out to him. Ecco's breath stopped. He couldn't believe it.
"Angel…"
She cocked her head, grinning, and the laughter echoed softly again. She swam towards him, eyes covering every inch of him. Ecco found himself smiling too, his inner self seeming to warm at the very sight of her.
"You're…you're smiling…and laughing," he said to her. Angel nodded, her eyes never leaving his. She was stunning among the stars, her beauty unsurpassed. Her white hide glowed softly among the black emptiness around her.
"Do you know why?" Her voice crooned. The sound, if it could be something physical, seemed soft and silky. It drifted by Ecco, caressing him, soothing him. Hearing her voice again, and hearing it with joy radiating inside, was enough for him to sigh deeply, his fears literally evaporating off of him like water in the sun.
"No, I'm afraid I don't know why," he admitted. Angel chuckled.
"It's because I find it amusing that you're here. I wasn't expecting you; you aren't supposed to be here yet." The Bottlenose opened his eyes, eyeing her suspiciously.
"What do you mean…'not yet'? Angel, please tell me….where are we…?"
"Where do you suppose, dear Ecco?" The marked dolphin looked around.
"I feel comfortable here. It's peaceful, serene. It's unlike any place I've ever been before…on Earth…" He drifted off, eyes trailing off to look out into the far distances. The stars twinkled peacefully. He finally understood.
"We're in a Sea of Stars…yes, I think I understand now. Angel…I'm sorry to disappoint you." The Bottlenose smiled, feeling sorrow at his realization build up. "But it is beautiful," he said as he looked around. "…it's not as bad as I had sometimes imagined." Angel laughed at this, the Bottlenose turning surprised. He hadn't been expecting that.
The white gem came closer, her eyes sparkling mischievously. Ecco was suspicious, but took full enjoyment at her approach.
"Imagine how beautiful," she whispered with her snout almost touching his, "if this was the real thing." Ecco cocked his head.
"What do you mean?" She pulled away slightly, sighing softly.
"Like I said before, you don't belong here, Ecco. Not yet, at least."
"This isn't real?" She shook her head gently.
"Not a true Sea of Stars. Only what is in your thoughts."
"You mean, I'm not-"
Her smile interrupted his speech. The Bottlenose suddenly felt his sorrows climb. He lowered his head slowly.
"I've missed you," was all he could say to her. Angel nodded, closing her eyes.
"You haven't forgotten, and neither have I. Nor will the seas of the Earth ever again. I will be waiting patiently, all eternity if I must, for your song, Ecco." She smiled one last time.
She then turned, starting to swim away.
"Wait!" Ecco shouted after her. She stopped, looking over her left shoulder at him. "Please stay, for just a while longer…" She shook her head.
"You misunderstand. I'm not going anywhere. It is you that cannot remain here and must leave." She then looked off to her left, and Ecco followed his gaze until his eyes caught something familiar.
It was the constellation of Delphineous, the dolphin. The stars that formed the picture were brighter and more noticeable than their neighbors, and the image was clearly visible among the burning dots. They glowed with an intensity that grew and grew, until it worried Ecco he may go blind. But…he couldn't turn away from them. Their strength was holding his head still, his eyes not being pained by the brightness. A voice entered his head, seemingly emanating from the stars themselves. It was strong and calm, different from any other song he had ever heard before.
Well done, Ecco.
It sounded extremely pleased, and the marked dolphin felt his heart swell in response.
The song was a complete stranger to him, but to hear it brought him incredible joy. He didn't understand exactly why, but he didn't need to. It felt wonderful, absolutely wonderful…
It was wise to put faith in your kind. You have not brought any disappointment, ever. You have saved Earth's future. Rejoice, singer! You have indeed done well…
When the stars diminished in brightness, Ecco looked around. Angel was gone.
He lowered his head slightly, eyes squeezing shut. He felt…pain. It was returning slowly from within, growing inside. The sensation spread from his chest throughout his body, reaching towards his tails and fin tips.
"Ecco…"
The dolphin gasped, the pain starting to greatly increase. His breathing became more difficult, and he felt cold water run down his spine. The new voice called again, frightened and concerned.
"Ecco!"
The dolphin squeezed his eyes shut, the stars disappearing in darkness. It was becoming too much for him. He wanted to stay in this peaceful sea, this place where pain didn't exist. He wanted to sing with Angel, and swim beside her…
"Ecco, please wake up! Please, Ecco!"
But then the dolphin realized that he was forgetting more than remembering. There were more important things where he truly belonged. Angel was right; he couldn't afford to come here. Not yet…not yet…!
He opened his eyes.
The stars were gone, and instead they were replaced by a dark, stone tunnel. His head was inside the boundaries of an air pocket, the oxygen bursting from between the cracks in the floor. Hovering next to him, her dark complexion filled with anxiety and concern, loomed Karli. The harness was still strapped onto her, the gold and silver metal gleaming in the soft light streaming down the tunnel. When she noticed Ecco awake, a smile stretched as far as one could reach.
"Ecco! You're awake!" The Bottlnose moved his head slightly, signifying he heard her. Then groaning heavily, he attempted to pull himself up. Karli backed away to give him room, her face expectant and anxious.
"Karli…how did you…?"
"I was summoned back," she explained. Ecco eyed her confused. The Common just giggled and motioned with a pectoral to her right. Ecco's gaze followed her gesture to see a golden orb, shining with an eternal light from within, hovering quietly just a couple meters away. When he saw it, Ecco released a stream of bubbles in awe. He could feel his presence completely, now, that he realized that he was here.
"Are you feeling all right, Ecco?"The Asterite asked. The Bottlenose sighed, nodded once. He felt stiff, sore, but whole.
"I was running off, just like you told me to, Ecco, when I heard a voice call to me. It seemed to be coming from inside me, and I knew immediately it was the Asterite. He was calling for help; I couldn't doubt his song. I raced back just in time to see…to see…" She blushed, lowering her gaze. Ecco cocked his head.
"You were awesome, Ecco," she finally got out. Ecco chuckled once, but soon noticed her smile vanish.
"What's the matter?"
"Something's still wrong, Ecco." The Bottlenose's eyes widened, his heart quickening. Feeling the beat strong inside him again, he felt renewed energy flow in his veins.
"What?"
"She and I brought you here safely to recover Ecco, but the fight isn't over…not yet. Do you remember the reason we had to stop the Queen?" The Bottlenose bit his tongue.
"Oh no, the Timestream!"
"Correct," the Asterite hummed. "Already, the fabrics of this reality and those forcibly connected are beginning to warp and bend. The stress they have endured is finally proving too much for an extended period of time. The crossed Timelines are beginning to collapse, and if they are allowed to crumble into the chaos of the Tides, our worlds may not be the only ones that are destroyed in the disaster to come."
"Asterite! What can we do?" Ecco shouted, feeling his nerves tense.
Before the globe could answer him, though, the earth moaned. The very walls seemed to shift and tighten, the rock grinding painfully together.
"Oh no!" Karli squeezed her eyes shut, curling up into herself. "It's happening again!"
"Again?" Ecco glanced at her.
Although they were in a dark tunnel, light flared in front of them, the walls echoing pain and strife. Cracks and bangs, like lightning and thunder, were synchronized with the flashes. One particular loud boom caused Karli to scream. Ecco came above her, fins shrouding her protectively. The earth wailed in agony, trembling under some unknown force or pressure. The globe remained still in its suspension, waiting for the shaking to subside.
It did eventually.
"The tremors are getting worse," the Asterite mused unhappily. "We must hurry, Ecco. There is a way to correct this problem, but we must return everyone first to the sanctuary of their worlds."
"Why is that Asterite?" Ecco demanded. "Why can't we fix the problem ourselves right here, right now, before it's too late?"
"If I expend the energy necessary to stabilize the timelines, I may not be able to help you or your friends in the aftermath. I cannot tell what will happen, and I need you ready for anything."
"But Asterite-"
"Please, Ecco. Trust me." The Bottlenose glared at the globe, but his dark look quickly dissipated.
"Of course, Asterite. I trust your songs with my life. Forgive my lack of faith." The globe shimmered dimly for moment in silence in the darkness, the golden surface reflecting the emptiness around it.
"Let's hurry back down to the shrines. Your friends are waiting for you there."
Ecco smirked. That's right…they had won the battle against the Vortex, and without his help this time.
"Karli, let's get back," he whispered to the Common. She looked up to him, smiled, feeling more secure now that the earth wasn't shaking anymore.
"Okay."
The trio raced back through the tunnels, the singers following the light of the globe. The Asterite seemed to know where he was going exactly, or at least was able to sense, if not see, his course. Ecco never asked which way to go or argued his thoughts. In no time, it seemed, they came to light. A glass tube extended from the mountain; the dolphins were almost to the bottom. The man-made tunnel reached out from the earth, coiling downward where it re-entered the mountainside near the bay's surface.
When the trio entered the sunlight, what they saw made the dolphins' strokes hesitate in terror.
The sun was setting far in the west, the orb blood red. The red rays painting the seas a terrifying combination of crimson and yellow, as if the waters were on fire. But the rays didn't reach far into the sky before they became obscured by swollen, gigantic clouds black as coal. They roiled and bubbled like an angry ocean, moving faster than any storm before. Lightning struck constantly, thunder bursting in fury afterwards.
Winds shrieked past the mountain, the lone trees that survived the Planet Wars between Man and Foe bending at the current's whim. Several were already uprooted, the ancient organisms sadly being tossed as diminutive twigs. Even the mountain cracked and groaned against the wind, as the waters in the Open Ocean foamed and spit underneath the wind's power.
"It looks like the end of the world…" Ecco glowered, straightening his fins angst. Karli looked out across the sky, squeaking in fright.
"Ecco! Look!"
In several spots in the boiling heavens, the sky would suddenly tear open. The wind would scream in response, or was that the sky itself? The black abyss would be visible for only an instant, but the surrounding air would warp and shift, sending the clouds into a tight spiral. Then, the vortex would disappear into the clouds again, sealing itself.
"The threads that hold everything together are being stretched to their limits. Once they snap, those vortexes will remain in the sky. They will suck everything into their eternal maws, ripping the earth into shreds, leaving only emptiness," the Asterite explained.
"And I think I know what will happen once there is more emptiness than matter in this timeline," Ecco said through clenched teeth.
"Yes, the timeline will collapse, dragging all those connected with it. The other intertwined realities are facing the same effects we are right now; I can sense their distress. Before these worlds dissipate into nothingness after they fall, if one should strike any neighboring timelines, they too could break apart into destruction. Existence will be thrown out of balance, and that will prove the end of everything."
"Asterite!" Ecco shouted, the thunder causing the tube to tremble.
"Follow me." The orb shot off down the path again, and the two dolphins chased after it, their tails pumping as fast as possible.
Lightning flashed before their eyes as they descended into the mountain again, feeling their hearts pounding ferociously inside their chests. The globe flitted quickly in front, taking the turns tight and swift. The dolphins had a hard time keeping up. Ecco found himself growing fatigued…Karli was flitting ahead of him with ease.
"Just a little longer!" The Asterite cried inside his head, sensing his exhaustion. Ecco forced himself forward, biting back the pain, summoning energy from deep inside. He felt the Asterite present, and the warmth provided him the final push into the familiar waters of the shrines.
The Temple was no longer there. The sandy bottom deep below had shifted and stirred, causing the support beams to bend until they gave out. The Temple had crashed into the ground far beneath, and the fog left over from the recent collapse still obscured the building from normal vision.
Instead, the entire remains of the Clan army had sought sanctuary near the mountain, as far from the Open Ocean as possible. The trio burst through from the side, entering through a newly formed crack as the mountain was being torn apart. When the Clan members spotted them, hundreds of clicks and whistles erupted over the wind.
"Ecco! Ecco's alive!"
"He did it! He defeated the Queen!"
"We're saved! Ecco, help us!"
The Bottlenose ignored them, his crystal blue eyes scanning for his closest comrades. He saw none of them.
"Asterite, where-"
"At the Mover Shrine," the globe answered. The golden orb dashed off, the two singers following. The Clan did not stand in Ecco's way, but instead gave him plenty of room to traverse the waters quickly. As Ecco approached the Mover Shrine, just a short distance from the surface, he noticed several familiar figures hovering near its crown.
Tara turned to his song, smiling as she saw him.
"Oh, Ecco!" She trilled. Trellia turned from the shrine, adding her own song dashing up the scales in joy. Karli whistled back, hurrying to Trellia's side. Also among them were the Prime Mover, her mate, and her son, Pilot. The Circle was pacing nervously, constantly chatting to himself, but he grinned when he saw Ecco. The Crimson was not present.
"Are they all right?" Karli asked. Trellia's happiness dimmed at this question.
"I…I don't know for sure."
"What's wrong?" Ecco probed, coming closer. Instead of answering, the sky singer just pointed with her snout towards the shrine's ceiling. Resting on top of the dome lay two figures with the same markings and shape. Their heads were safely encased in the air pocket bubbling at the top. The Spinners, Taren and Neria.
"What happened?" Ecco asked roughly, starting to soar downwards to them. When he got close enough, he realized that there weren't two injured dolphins, but just one. Taren's eyes opened when he heard Ecco, and the Spinner leapt up agilely to back away.
"Ecco…I…"
"What happened?" Ecco demanded again. Taren lowered his head.
"Neria saved my life, at the cost of her own." The Bottlenose halted.
"What?"
"Peace, Spinner," The Asterite crooned. "She isn't dead, not yet. Your care and perseverance have kept her spirit in tact and whole." Taren lifted his melon, eyes widening in renewed hope.
"What can I do to-"
"Nothing more, I'm afraid, but don't fear," the globe soothed. "Her connection with you made her will to live stronger than most. Your devotion afterwards gave her even more strength. You can't do any more, but allow others to assist you." The Spinner backed away.
"Of course, Asterite."
The globe approached the resting Spinner, her body showing absolutely no signs of life. She looked dead, as far as Ecco could tell, but he refused to doubt the Asterite again.
"Neria, dear Neria…" The globe crooned, its shell beginning to glow with a faint light. It grew in intensity, like a lone star in an empty sea of darkness.
"Wake up…the others wish to see you, to hear you, and to sing with you once more. The oceans are distressed without your song, little singer. Please wake up…" The globe's light then stretched out, drifting over the female Spinner and brushing her skin softly. She stirred.
"A…Aloch…is that you?" She murmured.
"Neria: The Ocean's Singer. Please come back to us all."
"All…of them?...I know…Taren…T-Taren?" She was becoming more alert, her eyes finally opening. By the time she had said Taren's name the second time, her head was up. She gasped, her eyes fully awake.
"Aloch!" She yelped, seeing the globe hovering close by. She attempted to get up, but the moment she tried, her eyes clouded over and she fell back.
"Neria!" Taren rushed to her side.
"Be easy, singer," the Asterite spoke to Neria. "You must recover. Your body is very tired, but there will be time to rest in the future. For now, we must act quickly."
"Thank-you, Asterite," Taren bowed his head.
"How are you all?" Ecco asked, turning to the Prime Mover. She bowed her head humbly.
"We are fine and strong, Ecco. The last remnants of the Vortex army that was surviving inside the Mountain raced out terrified when the first tremors came. We struck them down as they rushed out."
"You fought as well?" Ecco's brow rose impressed. The Prime Mover smiled.
"This is our home, Ecco. We would not allow those disgusting creatures to set one claw inside our Temple or shrines." The Bottlenose turned towards where the Temple once stood.
"I'm sorry for what has happened-"
"No need to apologize," the male Mover spoke. "That thing was old and useless. It stood for lies from the past, telling us only what horrors we used to believe with every fiber of our being. It was time for it to be erased." The Bottlenose glanced around.
"Where…where is the Crimson?" They all looked suddenly saddened. Ecco knew then what had happened.
"Sadly, we couldn't save him," the Circle chirped softly. "But he fought as brave as any of us. We mourn the loss of the last Crimson."
"We placed him in the Crimson shrine," Pilot whimpered. "We thought he would be happy there, with what was left of his race." Ecco nodded, a small smile of comfort appearing.
"I believe you did the right thing, Pilot." The globe hummed then, the gentle rhythm causing Ecco to turn his attention to it.
"Ecco, I suggest you let the rest of our comrades know exactly what is going on."
The Bottlenose nodded, turning to face the army quietly waiting. The winds were muffled under the water, but even under the cover of the mountain, the surface stirred and churned slightly. It was unsettling and frightening. The abysses appearing every once in a while in the sky sent shivers down the spine of any dolphin unlucky enough to see it appear.
"Listen, everyone!" The Bottlenose commanded. His voice was strong and firm, and everyone quieted immediately to hear.
"This is a terrifying time, but trust me and my friends. Believe me when I say you must all return back to your home, your world. They are all in the same distress, but once you are there, we can heal the timelines."
"You're not coming with us?" A Clan member spit. Ecco halted, remembering.
I promised them…
"Where is Mutaclone?" The same soldier asked. Ecco bit his lip, looking away.
"He…got left behind."
The Clan army stirred restlessly, murmurs echoing through the numbers. Although Ecco didn't need to say anything, they all figured and understood. They knew what had happened, and why.
"Our world is falling apart at the very seams, both physically and socially!" Another recruit shouted. "We will plummet back into war and bloodshed without a leader!"
"Ecco, please come with us!" Another begged.
"But…I…" Ecco began, but the Asterite summoned calm. The army quieted.
"Ecco, you can't go with them. Your task awaits you in your world. They must return alone."
"But I made a promise," the Bottlnose said weakly. He felt suddenly sick to his stomach.
"Wait," a voice suddenly came in. Everyone turned, amazed, to see Taren standing boldly, slightly away from Neria. She was watching with an uncertain expression.
"I…I can go in your place, Ecco."
"What?!" The entire group, minus the Asterite, cried.
"Taren, you're crazy!" Tara popped her jaw.
"But Taren…" Trellia began.
"No," was all he said.
"Taren," Ecco shook his head. "I can't possibly allow that."
"You allowed me to fight among them, lead them. I am the last general alive." The Bottlenose halted at his words, eyeing him in shock. Ecco knew Taren wouldn't lie about something so grave, and Neria behind him lowered her head in understanding.
"Is this what you truly want?" The Asterite asked him. Ecco turned sharply to the orb.
"You're not serious, Asterite! Taren can't lead a civilization!"
"Ecco, your lack of faith hurts me," Taren said. The Bottlenose turned back to him, jaw dropping. The Spinner just smiled. "Please, hear me. I want nothing more than to return home with Neria and you all, to go back to familiar waters. But, like you said, you promised these singers. Your words of assurance gave them hope, and they fought with bravery beyond anything I have ever seen. I am amazed that they allowed me to lead, let alone follow me with their life. Let me take your place, so you can save us all."
"But, what if you can't come back?" Trellia whimpered. Taren smiled at her.
"I have the patience to wait for the chance to come. I am certain that I will find a way home." He glanced back at Neria. She didn't return the gaze.
"I promise, dear Taren," the Asterite said. "That I will do everything in my power to bring you home, someday. Your courage will be coveted by countless singers to come."
"Thank-you, Asterite." The Spinner bowed. He quickly turned to Neria, eyes dropping.
"Is it…okay with you?" Neria finally looked at him, and she smiled gently.
"Taren: Leading Star. You have found your destiny. I knew you would, someday." Taren lifted his head, mouth open slightly in awe. He had never thought of that before.
"The whales and I will be waiting for you. When all is well, come back home." Taren came up to her, nuzzling her softly.
"I will try."
With that, he bowed graciously to Ecco and the Asterite, taking his place among the Clan army.
"Clan, I pledge my service to all of you, if you would allow me to help you in any way I can." The recruits glanced amongst one another for a short bit, and then many nodded and smiled. One of them spoke up, loud enough for the listening pod to hear.
"We pledge our loyalty and support for you. Help us, and we will help you. Thank-you, for leading our song." The Spinner bowed, and so did the speaking soldier.
"Good luck, Taren!!" Tara squealed, flapping a fin gleefully. Trellia nudged her, scowling lightly.
"Everyone," the Asterite commanded. "Quiet your songs and close your eyes. Listen for the sounds of home."
Although a little lost, the Clan members obeyed. Ecco and his friends all did the same. Taren caught his last glimpse of his friends before he surrounded himself in darkness.
"Mover and Circle," the Asterite chimed. "Keep strong. Your songs will continue to echo in the future, and these waters will heal with your guidance. You may watch…"
Pilot snuggled closer to his mother, his eyes sparkling in excitement. As the skies shrieked over head, the dolphins listened for something different. Anything and everything…something besides the sounds of the world dying…
Eventually, the horrid noise died away, replaced by calm, serene, tranquility. Ecco listened to the peace, the quiet reminding him of the sea he had just left behind inside the mountain.
A low, extended moan grumbled far off. Ecco concentrated on it, and he recognized it as a whale's call. The creature was frightened, uneasy, but he sang out his comfort and strength to his family. His mate answered him, her cry rising up the notes gently in salutation.
"Ecco!" It was Tara. "I'm coming with you!"
"Me too!" Trellia's voice echoed along side her. Before the Bottlenose could protest, the waters suddenly were sucked away from beneath them. Or maybe…he had been lifted up into the skies at a tremendous rate. Either way, air whipped around him, but he wasn't tumbling and twisting around. Whatever vortex the Asterite had created, it was much more gentle than those the Time Machine or Foe technology had ever made. Quiet overwhelmed him, and he felt his skin cool in the transfer.
"I can hear them!" This song was Karli's, her excitement building. "I can hear the dolphins of Altantis!"
Soon enough, Ecco could hear them too. Their cries, calling out for help, but they were alive and well. His timeline, his world and reality, were still generally stable.
Suddenly, water enveloped the starred dolphin from all sides, sloshing around the surface as he returned to the water. The air ceased its movements, and water in a constant stirring motion replaced it.
"You may open your eyes, singers." The Asterite's voice, strong and certain, made their hearts flutter in eagerness. The comrades were all but too willing to see again.
"Ecco!"
"He's returned!"
"The Immortal is back!"
The dolphins of Atlantis were close around, and the sudden reappearance of the pod members caused them to cluster close around the group. Trellia, Tara, Ecco, Karli, Neria, and the Asterite in its form of a golden globe were all tightly grouped, and the large gathering of dolphins gasped and backed off when they noticed the globe.
In the background, just a short distance away, the Guardian hummed softly. The giant crystal stature of Ecco tailwalking in victory was gray and cold reflecting the colors from above.
Ecco glanced above to the skies. Just like in the world of Man's Nightmare, the heavens were darkened.
Thick, angry clouds of dark grey and black tumbled over and over one another, but the lightning was less fierce and frightening. The winds howled and moaned, but the skies didn't scream. The trees quivered and the grasses trembled, but weren't bent in pain against the wind. The earth was steady and calm. If any abysses were being torn open up above, the clouds were obscuring them where they couldn't be seen. Ecco had no doubt they were there, but this timeline was in much better shape than the one he just left.
"Ecco, you've made it." Lenthan, the bottlenose podleader, approached him, his head lowered in worry. His melon was creased with deep lines. He had been stressed for some time, and the appearance of Ecco seemed to relieve a lot of the pressure on his shoulders.
"Yes, I'm back. And I see that we're in trouble."
"Ecco, what is going on? Please, what can we do? Our world is falling apart-"
"Don't worry," the marked dolphin assured him. Lenthan swallowed hard, looking unsure, but wishing to believe. "My friend is here to help us."
"Your…friend?" Ecco smiled.
The globed suddenly burst into music. His light extended out, the orb shimmering and sparkling like a snow globe in firelight. The emotion it radiated caused some confusion, because Ecco felt it to be…anger.
"Tara! Trellia! You disobeyed and came along?" The Asterite wasn't pleased with this circumstance, and Ecco had a hard time understanding why. Neria, though saddened at the absence of Taren, also looked curious.
"I didn't want to leave him behind!" Tara whined. Trellia lowered her head.
"My apologies, Alronsutka, but I wished to see Ecco finish his mission, and I will then have finished mine."
"You finished yours long ago, sky singer!" The Asterite reprimanded. Trellia winced under his harsh tone. "You two realize that, after I do what is necessary here, I may not have enough energy to return the two of you home for some time."
"We don't mind waiting," Tara lifted her nose high. The Asterite seemed to sigh, defeated by childish whims.
"Your hearts are strong. You love and care, and that is why you listened for this world and not your own. It seems I misjudged you both. My recovery time shall mean nothing to you."
"Recovery time?" Ecco inquired. He became concerned, and a sudden explosion of light from the static discharge above caused the pod surrounding him to flinch and draw further below.
"Asterite, please tell me. What is happening? What do you mean?"
The globe hesitated, but only for a moment.
"Ecco, the timelines are collapsing. I can stabilize them, but I can't heal them. My powers are not great enough for something of that magnitude. They will be vulnerable, extremely weak. If anything should disturb the fragile balance at or near the intersections, another infiltration of what has been and what was meant to be…this disaster could repeat itself instantaneously.
"I am able to sense the status of the Timelines flowing through the Timestream. If something is amiss, I may be able to extend my reach into the Tides of Time and provide the needed support, but I can't reach to sustain them at my current condition, let alone after I take the effort I must do here, and quickly. It will take time, and how much I am uncertain, before I am capable of taking that responsibility." Ecco cocked his head.
"I'm still lost…"
"I need someone to take my place temporarily. The Timestream needs a constant guardian amongst the Tides, to prevent any disturbance from occurring in the first place. Once I have healed, and my energy is renewed, I will be able to commit my life to maintaining the stability of these realities. Unfortunately, many things have happened recently in such a short amount of time. I am unable to say how long it will take for my strength to recover completely. It could take centuries…"
"Centuries?" Karli gaped. She eyed her guardian with uncertainty, but the marked Bottlenose was absorbed in his own thoughts too deeply to notice.
Ecco finally understood. He had figured it out after the Asterite's first sentence. Someone to take my place…
So that's why the Asterite didn't object to Taren's demands to leave with the Clan.
Was Ecco the only one who knew?
No, Angel knew. She said she would wait for me…for an eternity if she had to…
"Is there no other hope? No other option or choice?" The marked Bottlenose asked. The globe shimmered unhappily.
"I'm afraid not. I need your help, Ecco."
"Wait, what's going on?" Tara demanded, her cheeks flustered. "You're hiding something from us Ecco, and it's not good. I can tell."
"Ecco…?" Trellia whimpered.
"I have to return," he eventually said. The pod around him was extremely quiet. They didn't understand why, but when Ecco said this, they all felt their hearts skip a beat. A sudden fear and longing spread through the group at lightning speed, almost as fast as the thunder above them. The winds shrieked angrily, and the earth began to tremble.
"I have to return to the Tides of Time."
"No!" Trellia and Tara shouted together.
"The last time you went there, you didn't get out for 500 years!" Tara complained. "You can't leave again!"
"I have to!" he snapped back at her. She pulled her head in, flinching away from his glare.
"Why, Ecco?" Karli whimpered. The Bottlenose glowered at the ground.
"Because if I don't, then something may happen, and I may not be around to save the day. Or, I may just be incapable. It's too risky to just leave them unattended after all these terrible things have happened. The Timelines need someone to watch over them, a guardian, someone to defend their fragile existence." Ecco halted in his thoughts.
Someone to defend them…
"There are other beings capable of creating mass destruction if they so choose to tamper with the timelines," the Asterite inserted. "Until I heal and am able to guard them myself, I must depend on another to do it for me."
"And how long will that take?" Tara growled at the orb. Trellia's brow rose in shock at her animosity.
"I don't know," the globe spoke sadly.
"That's why the Asterite wanted you two to go to your own worlds," Ecco said angrily. "Because you both could very well be trapped in this point of reality for the rest of your lives. You should have gone home."
"My home is with you!" Tara yelled.
"Tara," Trellia gawked. Ecco didn't say anything, but he glared at her coldly. His dark look was enough to make her stutter into saying something else. Karli backed away slightly, seeking shelter under Trellia's fins.
"But…but…I wanted you to come back home to the rest of us," Tara whimpered. Her fins shook, fighting back tears and sobs. "We all missed you so much," she whispered. To her surprise, Ecco smiled. His anger suddenly vanished, because the dolphin finally admitted that what was happening right now was really happening, and there was nothing he could do to change it.
"I know. But, it looks like I'm destined to be a lone swimmer, wherever and whenever I go. I do have a home, though, and it's when I'm with every single one of you." He sighed then, lifting his head higher, looking up towards the angry sky. The abysses appeared, their frightful mouths of emptiness gaping and screaming wide.
"It is my duty to defend the future of everything and everyone here. I am a defender of the future, of earth's future." He looked down upon everyone again, this time including the Atlantis dolphins in his gaze.
"Will we ever see you again?" Karli whistled softly. Ecco shrugged.
"I can't promise."
"Then don't." He nodded, grateful, and the common grinned back. He turned to the globe.
"Asterite?"
"Ecco…"
The dolphin halted, turning around. That song he hadn't heard in a long time, its metallic edge and harsh tone making it completely unique to any living creature.
The Guardian had spoken.
"Yes…Guardian?"
"I can provide you passage."
"What?" The Bottlenose cocked his head. The Asterite hummed thoughtfully.
"Ah, I see," he mused.
"I can open a vortex into the Tides of Time. The Asterite may return your friends safely to their waters."
"You…you can do that?" Ecco asked, incredulous.
"Yes."
"Who knew?" Lenthan mumbled, shaking his head. "There are still so many secrets to our creation. This will be one Man will surely want to know about."
"We don't want to go," Tara stood firm. Trellia sighed deeply.
"Yes you do," Ecco countered, rolling his eyes. Tara wanted to protest, but he ignored her. He came up close to Trellia then, nuzzling her on both sides of her snout. Her blue eyes mirrored his own crystal gaze, but they weren't nearly as brilliant. After centuries of generations, they blue had lost their sparkle within her, but they were the same exact shade…only until they were extremely close like that, did anyone notice the similarity.
"It was good seeing you again. Next time, I hope to meet when there isn't a crisis at hand." She smiled at his words, nodding once. It looked like, if she had tried to speak, she would have burst into tears. Karli saw her lip trembling violently.
"You!" Ecco eyed Karli underneath her. "Be good, okay? You've grown so much…but there's always room for improvement." He chuckled. He eyed her deeply, smiling broadly. Then, he came close, touching his nose tip to hers for a second.
"I'm very, very proud of you Karli. Thank-you for all your help. I couldn't have done it without you."
"Thank-you for watching me," she whispered. Ecco nodded, closing his eyes.
"Good luck, Dad."
Ecco found he couldn't respond to this, for risk of breaking himself. Instead, he turned to Tara, who was still fuming, but not nearly as bad as before.
"Do me a favor, and do your best for the pod, okay Tara? I'm counting on you."
"Okay," she answered. Ecco paused, then deciding he should do this, suddenly glided close. He encircled his pectorals around her body in a tight embrace, and the female released a collection of bubbles in surprise.
"Thank-you," he whispered to her.
"My best wishes for you, Neria," he said as he pulled away to face the Spinner. "I'm sure Taren will find a way home. The Clan is not without resources, thanks to Mutaclone's dealings." Neria nodded. "Don't stop singing, though. You helped me more times than once on this crazy journey." Neria laughed lightly.
"Ecco, I promise. I won't stop singing till my last breath. I will spread the stories throughout the ocean and tell the world of all the good that is present and left. As a Master Singer, I will make sure our story echoes far and wide, and so will news that the world is safe. Please return someday. The ocean will miss your song dearly, as will I."
The Bottlenose nodded.
"My thanks for that."
Finally, the dolphin turned to the globe. He smiled, feeling the Asterite's warm thoughts in his head. He hoped that, in the Tides this time, this connection would remain.
"Thank-you, Asterite, for saving me back in the mountain. When I was unconscious, I saw Angel. She was in a sea of stars. It was remarkably beautiful.
"And someone spoke to me there, before I came to. I wanted to thank-you for those words; they brought much comfort." The Asterite didn't respond right away.
"It wasn't I who spoke to you in that place, Ecco." The dolphin hesitated.
"…it wasn't?"
"Where your mind was, my own connection could not reach you. Whoever's voice you heard, it was not mine."
Ecco continued to look confused, but he didn't have long to ponder the situation.
The sky ripped open for a moment, the clouds whirling into a tight spiral. In a flash the hole was gone, but the earth moaned and cried, rocks and dirt flying upwards in a whirlwind. Even the grand Temple in the center of Atlantis creaked in the quake.
"Hurry, Ecco. We are running out of time." The Asterite urged. Nodding towards the globe, the dolphin hurried over to the Guardian.
"Guardian!" He shouted over the waters frothing at the surface. "I'm ready! Open the vortex!"
"Understood. Good luck Ecco, Defender of the Future."
The giant crystal suddenly glowed brighter. The light danced inside its tall, metal body. It shimmered and shone, the humming growing louder until the ground seemed to shake underneath it.
A beam of violet light sprang upward, shooting into the sky directly above like a beam. When it struck a decent distance up, the beam halted its advance, the tail end catching up to meet at the top, single point. The dot hovered for a moment, and then suddenly widened with a boom. It sounded like the air had exploded apart to make room for the new giant hole in reality, and the dark abyss extended for eternity beyond.
Then, the air, light, and matter around the hole began to get pulled inside, spiraling into the dark maw until they blended into a rainbow of colors. Light flashed from inside the vortex, sparkles cascaded out from it in a waterfall of starlight.
Taking a deep breath, although he probably wouldn't need it, and swallowing hard, Ecco breached into the air, diving down towards the bottom of the city. Feeling his belly brush the sands, the dolphin with the stars on his head soared upward, his fluke making him race at a tremendous speed. He aimed his snout towards the sky, and leaped upward with all his might. The surface burst with his exit, his body soaring higher and higher.
Ecco dove into the vortex, his body disappearing in an instant by a flash of white light. The giant hole then wavered, pulsing as if alive. The edges contracted, and the vortex shrunk in size until it disappeared from sight.
The pod remained quiet for a while, until the earth suddenly began to shake violently. Rocks tumbled and buildings cracked, soft bits of coral breaking off into dust. Many screamed and wailed, afraid the earth was breaking apart.
Only the globe, glowing softly, remained completely motionless and silent.
Finally, the earth quieted. The dark clouds slowed in their mad dance, the lightning becoming less frequent until none was left. Their black, bloated color grew lighter and lighter, until they turned to fluffy whites and grays.
Everything returned to a tranquil peace, and the dolphins began to shift uneasily amongst themselves.
Was that it?
Abruptly, a loud crack interrupted the silence.
"Look over there!" Someone screamed. Everyone turned towards the Guardian, but the metal and crystal structure was perfectly all right. The sound hadn't come from it. Instead, eyes took in the giant statue of Ecco. A large crack had appeared near his fluke, and the break was jerkily reaching up his tail.
A network of breaks suddenly and loudly raced up the crystal dolphin, covering the body with a web of slivers. In one horrifying moment, the statue instantly shattered into hundreds of pieces, large and small. They tumbled to the ground, causing a cloud of dust to well up in the wreckage. When everything settled down, the pod slowly shifted to see the full scale of the damage.
The statue was far beyond repair. The Guardian continued to hum quietly.
"What happened?" Trellia asked softly. "Do you think…?"
No one answered her, and she didn't entirely wish to have an answer.
In the sky, a bird chirped timidly, testing its song. The sun's rays broke through the clouds, splattering the surface with glitter and light.
Neria's eyes sadly swept the scene, her heart heavy in depression. The crystal shards were brilliant in the sun, but a single piece glimmered differently from the others.
"Hey, look at that!" She sung, darting towards the piece.
"What is it?" Karli asked, coming closer in curiosity. Neria used her snout to dig and push away unwanted pieces, exposing the chunk she wanted to show. It was one of the many large portions from the shattering, but this one was different. Everyone near the surface gasped in awe when they saw it.
It was Ecco's stars, the constellation Delphineous. They were perfectly whole on the piece, not a crack or hair or chip anywhere near they're vicinity. The stars shone in the sunlight, glowing brightly.
"Trellia?" Neria asked softly, a smile coming to her face.
"Y-Yes?" the sky singer asked cautiously.
"You said long ago you were Ecco's direct descendent. Are you absolutely sure that is true?" Trellia looked taken aback for a moment.
"Well, of course it's true! I'm sure of it!" Neria turned to the Bottlenose podleader.
"Lenthan, was it?"
"Yes, dear Spinner."
"Do you know of any children that Ecco has fathered?" Lenthan's eyes widened, as if this was an inappropriate question for the time. After all, the earth had just been saved mere minutes ago.
"No, I'm afraid I don't. As far as my podmates and I know, the only child he has ever had anything to do with was the teaching of Karli, but she is a Common dolphin and not related to him in any way." Neria grinned mischievously after that.
"I thought so."
"What are you getting at, Neria?" Tara asked suspicious.
"Think about it. If Trellia truly is Ecco's descendent, he must have a mate and children sometime in his life to continue his bloodline. Time states that he must father a child!"
"So?" Tara asked again. Neria grumbled, annoyed.
"It means that Ecco is guaranteed to return someday!" A murmur of excitement shot through the pod. Tara's eyes lit up.
"You're right!"
"There is no telling when he'll come back, but he eventually will," Neria nodded while saying this, agreeing with her own words.
"Wonderful," Trellia added.
"Neria!" Karli piped. "Do you think there is a chance we will all get to see him again?" The Spinner hesitated, but then smiled. She saw Tara and Trellia, knowing they would soon return to their times.
"I do not know, dear Karli, but I do know this. Whenever I have doubted what is possible when including Ecco, I have been greatly surprised. Have faith, have hope…" She looked at the golden orb, its presence soothing and comforting. If the Asterite could have shown a smile, she sensed that it would be now.
The shooting star on her back shined brightly in the sunlight now stretching across the horizons. But, it wasn't nearly as bright or magnificent as the constellation directly below her.
"We can only wait and continue to sing and see what the future brings for us."
From the Author-
Okay, so remember when I said I would try to finish this story before August 23rd? Yeah, not gonna happen. :) Sorry, I tried, but you know me by now. It'll get there eventually, I promise.
Anyway, this chapter turned out pretty well. There were moments where I felt like a rushed through because I didn't want it to get too long. When reading through for spelling and grammar errors, I felt like there wasn't enough description in some parts, or that I could have carried a certain scene longer and into more detail. But I noticed the Word Count continue to count up, and I really wanted to get this chapter in before I moved into my dorm room for college. I think this chapter had the potential to be even better, but given the circumstances, I'm pleased with it.
Like the ending? The scene of Ecco departing in the vortex has been in my head for a LONG time too, just waiting to be written down. The idea of Taren staying behind with the Clan was a project in the making that I thought up of during the construction of this tale. Yey Taren, he finally found his purpose! It only took the entire story for him to get to it. :)
And what do you think of the final sequence? The whole idea of the statue shattering when Ecco disappears was a pretty cool addition, I think. And I was rather pleased at the ending itself. It isn't exactly a cliff hanger, but it isn't a definite conclusion either. I tried to find a happy medium, because technically, this IS the end of the story, but not the last page in the novel. We've got one chapter left, the Epilogue, so I'll get to it.
Thanks for sticking with me this entire time. Can you hold off for one more?
Yahoo!!