Last time, DM and Anti-TL saw Wraith with Drake. The Darkness left the Darkside after Drake insulted Wraith's people and used them as cannon fodder. Anti-TL then fought Drake…and virtually got beaten into a pulp. DM prevented Drake from finishing off the Anti-Author. And someone DM has long-believed dead came in. What happens next? Read to find out!
Chapter 49: A Reason to Live—A Fictorian's Revival
"Hey, DED!" someone shouted, "I've learned a few tricks!"
A streak of white came out and something delivered a series of kicks to Drake before zipping over to DM.
The half could hardly believe his eyes. He saw (or read) this person die.
"TL?" DM asked.
"What's the matter? Afraid of ghosts?" TL asked, his usual cocky grin spreading across his face. He then said, comically, "Boo."
"Sylar showed me the comic with YOU dying!" DM said, "HOW can you be here?!"
"Well, it went kinda like this." TL replied, voice going solemn. He turned to Drake and said, "Okay, Drake, could you give us a chapter to explain things?"
"I don't see why not." Drake replied with a shrug.
"Well, it went like THIS…" TL said, beginning his narration.
AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF
In the room where Hikari defeated Shadra, the remaining Authors stood around TL. D-Dude nipped his right wing, allowing a small, droplet of crimson to fall onto TL's chest. Ross placed his Life Auras around TL, in a circle.
"Now, Hikari…" D-Dude said, gesturing with his claws.
Hikari pulled out TL's necklace and placed it in the center of the circle. The Life Auras began to glow and rotate, slowly, in a circle. Lunatic was looking more anxious every second.
"Alright, we have everything we need…" D-Dude stated, but then said "Except one."
"WHAT?!" Loon shouted, anxiety breaking through in full force.
"Calm down, Loony." Airnaruto scolded. He then walked over to D-Dude and said, calmly, "I think what Lunatic's TRYING to say is that we thought we did."
"We do to get him READY to come back, but we still need one thing." D-Dude explained.
"Which is…?" Nukid asked, impatiently.
"We need to give him a REASON to live." D-Dude explained, "Like what Liz did with Hellboy in the second movie."
"Kinda makes sense." Ross shrugged, "Who'd wanna be dragged out of somethin' better without a reason for comin' back."
"Anyone got anything?" Ranger asked.
"He owes me for the Hanabi pairing!" X Prodigy said (shrill note).
"He promised to kill some fangirls with me!" Ranger said (shrill note).
"He promised to stop the shrill notes that come on whenever we say something dramatic." Sylar stated (shrill note).
TSS pulled out a pistol and shot someone off-screen three times.
"Problem solved." TSS stated.
"Personally, I think those reasons won't do." Nukid said.
D-Dude and Loony then walked up.
"We both have a reason for him to live." D-Dude stated, solemnly.
"And it would be…?" Blackcat asked.
"I already know what it is." Hikari stated.
"Us." Lunatic answered, "Not just D-Dude and me, ALL us. I think THAT'S why FTL had you guys come with us."
"Because we're some of TL's best friends." Airnaruto said, realization dawning on him.
D-Dude leaned in close to TL's body and whispered, "We need ya, bro."
AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF
In the void, TL and his shadow were still caught in their combat. TL let out a sigh as his shadow jumped in with black lightning claws. TL ducked around the blow and delivered a sharp kick, which was quickly grabbed and he was thrown aside. He bounced off the "wall" and landed in a heap. His shadow scoffed.
"Looks like you don't have what it takes." TL's black counterpart stated, walking over to TL.
Without warning, TL sprung up and drove his Aura Arm through his shadow, making a clean hole through him.
"Maybe. Maybe not." TL shrugged, retracting his Aura Arm. His shadow looked at the clean hole through his gut and then back up to TL.
"You win, TL." The shadow said, in a somewhat cheery voice, "NOW, you have a choice."
TLSoulDude looked a bit taken aback. He then snapped, "Hey, I thought that if I won, I move on."
"You CAN, but it's up to you." TL's shadow replied, voice becoming higher, more feminine.
TL gave the shadow a funny look before asking, "You're not my shadow, are you?"
"No. I'm your…" TL's shadow then shot up, became more human-esque and had long hair with a female body.
"Mom." TL said, dumbstruck.
"You've made your father and me so proud." TL's mother said, "You and your brother. Dimensiondude, a well-known researcher. You, the Ultima Master. And Lunatic, training to become a great ninja."
"It's so great to see you again…" TL said, smiling and tears appearing in his eyes for some reason. He felt the tears and asked, "I'm crying. Why?"
"Because you'll be leaving soon." TL's mother replied. She then looked at TL and asked, "Why did you wish you were dead, TL?"
"Wh-what?" TL asked.
"Before you met your father, you asked why you didn't die in your explosion twelve years ago." TL's mother explained. TL felt like he'd been hit with the gentle fist…again. He fell to the ground as his mother asked, "Why did you wish you were dead?"
"I was TIRED, mom!" TL said, in a quiet scream, "Tired of the pain and tired of the guilt!"
"You did the worst possible thing imaginable—you blamed yourself." TL's mother scolded. She ushered TL down and sat down, pulling the hedgehog into a small embrace, "But you forgave yourself, too." She kissed TL on the cheek and said, "Tell your brothers I said 'hi'."
TL felt as if he was being pulled away and clutched his mother even tighter. He then felt her evaporate and himself get pulled away. He was going back…
AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF
A sharp intake of breath, TL's eyes snapped open, and he sat up, eyes darting around.
"Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?" TL asked, randomly. He then glanced at D-Dude and Loony, grinned, and simply said, "Mom says 'hi'."
Immediately, a hunk of the wall fell down and crashed into the floor. TL looked in to see Anti-TL getting beaten into a pulp by Drake.
"I'll handle this." TL grunted, dashing in as Drake and DM got ready to fight. For kicks, he shouted, "Hey, DED! I'VE GOT SOME NEW MOVES!"
He kicked Drake, rapidly, and darted to DM's side.
AFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAFAF
"And that's pretty much what happened." TL finished.
DM took out the comic Sylar made and tossed it aside.
"Your chapter's up." Drake said, "Let's settle this.
DM held out his staff and TL's right hand began to spark with red electricity.
"Just like the FIRST fic." TL grinned.
"Yeah." DM agreed before saying, "LET'S FIGHT!"
Drake: You might've beaten me, but you can't escape your fate!
DarkMagicianmon: So, THAT'S what you've been doing…
Drake: Yeah. Too bad you guys had to come THIS far just to die. To stop it, one of YOU will have to die to stop it.
Next time: DM and TL vs. Drake pt. 2—The Final Showdown!
Me: Well, guys, the next chapter is the SECOND to last one. See ya, fellow Authors, until the next chapter!
