AN: Hello, my dear readers. It has all be building up to this. This is the final chapter of my work. I thank all of you who have been with me, encouraged me, and critiqued me. I am grateful to everyone who has read this work and enjoyed it to stick through to the end. But most of all, I thank God for this conclusion which wrote itself, and I couldn't be more pleased with how this story has concluded.

I hope you enjoy this, the series finale, and I'll see you the next time I fire up a new fic.

Love,

Pagliacci-11.

Chapter 96

Yolanda woke up to the sunrise. The rich deep pink of the morning announced a storm. She knew this in her bones. She looked over at the chair where Natasha had settled to slumber the night before, only to find it empty. Yolanda listened and heard gentle footfall above her. She saw the Jeremy had no signs or could even attempt to wake up, and so Yolanda headed upstairs. As she entered an upper room, she saw Natasha examining a hunting knife. Yolanda recognized the hilt from afar. Natasha's knife from the wars; ivory in the handle taken a walrus embellished with a gold snake wrapping around the grip.

Yolanda asked softly, "Trip down memory lane?"

Natasha was quiet as she examined the blade, and after a moment, she replied, "No. Just relishing the memory while I am allowed to have it." She threw the knife in the air, caught it, and sheathed it. "Coffee?" she asked.

Yolanda nodded, "Please. How long have you been up?"

"Since three-thirty this morning. I've always been an early riser. My schedule was set when my father worked the early mornings for Carthage before The Fall." She sighed and looked at Yolanda, "I'm going to make some bratwurst. Care for some?"

"No, too fatty. Thank you, though."

Natasha chuckled, "My dearest Heidi, always the health nut."

"The children didn't care for our attempted regimen, Commander."

Natasha laughed before saying, "Pft, course not. They're fucking children, teenagers at worst. They don't care for healthy food; they care about food. Can't tell them shit, but at least we gave it a shot, eh?"

Yolanda came in and sat at the counter with the aid of an old squeaking stool, "Commander, are we ready for the news to break?"

Natasha took out a skillet and filled it with an inch of water from the tap before taking out a small case of bratwurst. She replied, "Ja. We're ready. I have our dear Felix on call for the discovery at the coroner's office. I have the event more or less time-stamped, and I advise you to be at Kadic today at around one o'clock sharp. Once the call is made, it will become public and very messy. But you know the press, my dear; you can't beat fresh blood on the walls."

"And the body?"

"It is prepared and ready." Natasha took a knife and began slicing open the membrane of the bratwursts, "I will trigger the rats for a more sensationalist approach, and from there, we proceed with the traditional formalities. From which, we will nurse Aelita's hatred; however, we need not do too much at all. Her rage will build, her heart becomes heated and cold. She will be our weapon, and from this, we can finish what we started."

Yolanda nodded, "Natasha, why are you doing this?"

"To bring order to a fucked-up world." Natasha placed the bratwurst in the pan and put it on the burner, "Sometimes, to do what is right, we must burn the world away and start anew. Here, I will breathe new life into North-Gate and gather research, resources, and manpower to achieve my vision. My brothers and sisters are ready; they will come when I call. However, until such time, we bide time and research the beasts of this fallen world."

"I wish you luck, Commander. It's not as easy as it sounds."

Natasha looked at Yolanda and replied, "Beloved, it is actually quite easy to do. All that matters as it did under my people was to bide time and give raw facts to the reasons as to why such actions must take place. The people are the must understated resource any commander can have; you know that."

Natasha looked off in the corner as she contemplated a moment or two and asked, "Do we have any bourbon in here?"

Yolanda shook her head, "This is a safe house, Commander, not the Savoy."

"Mores the pity. These types of bratwurst are delicious with bourbon."

"Niki, did you ever want to be a cook?"

Natasha smiled, "Of course. Why do you think I asked you to prepare my dossier with an eventual emphasis in such? Cooking may be another form of sensationalism, but it is one of the most soothing elements by which you can unite a divided people; another wheel of the plan."

Natasha washed her hands in the nearby sink and said, "It's almost time for your general preparations for the news break. I've conducted a small inspection to be in place, and you should become acquainted with your new attaché in my absence. Go to Valen's and order a Cappuccino number three; sit at the far end of the café, your back to the door. At five minutes past seven, you will raise your right hand, and a barista will ask how he can help you. You are to tell him that you would like a raspberry scone. The attaché will meet you two minutes after the scone is delivered at your table. Do not be surprised by who you see; I tell you that right now. The attaché will affirm identity with a code word that I will hand to you soon."

Yolanda nodded as she remembered all of this, committing it to memory, and after she finished, she asked, "Niki, how long have you been in this world? Or rather, how long have you conducted operations?"

Natasha chuckled, "Ever since I came to age sixteen. I passed all necessary exams, studied who was needed for success. I have my men and women all over this blue ball, and my attaché is one of my most trusted in all my army, my closest advisor, and dearest friend." Natasha took out a pad, and she wrote down a word and handed it to Yolanda.

Yolanda looked at it, and she said, "I don't understand."

"No need. Now, please get ready. You can have one of your hippie breakfasts at the café. Regardless of how you see my judgment in who you will see before you, don't forget. My chosen was here long before you and is the foremost in knowledge about this hellhole. Do you understand?"

Yolanda stood, and she clicked her heels and struck her chest over the heart with her fist, "Long live the Directive."

Natasha returned the gesture and then replied, "Now, go."

In time, Yolanda arrived at the café. It was a lovely and charming place. It was sweet with the smell of perfectly roasted coffee beans that were the epitome of fresh-ground from the aroma she could tell. She ordered her cappuccino and sat down at the designated table. She tasted the drink and was filled with gratitude. Despite its sweetness, it was filled with a breathtakingly hearty earthiness with the slight accent of citrus. Yolanda almost groaned, so good was the drink in her hand. She looked at the cub, and having a hunch; she looked underneath it.

Yolanda placed the cup down, and her whole heart was glad. Underneath the cup was a gilded crest with the coiled snake. The coffee she'd just had was of the Ministerial Brew: A painstakingly bred coffee-bean that required precision conditions for a taste that was velvety in texture and at the same time so smooth due to the hint of brandy in the coffee.

Yolanda sighed as she waited for the time to flag down the barista, "She'll do very well here." She said to herself, "She's made her plans already and is acting on them."

Soon the time came, and Yolanda asked for the scone. Yolanda sighed in an attempt for composure as she heard heavy footfall gently come behind her. This was Natasha's best friend, and she didn't want to fuck this up; it was too important she make a good impression. She closed her eyes and waited for the creaking of the chair across from her to subside.

The word came, "Paco."

Yolanda's eyes shot open in shock. She was stunned in amazement; she could hardly move. Across from her sat the solid form of James Morales.

Jim seeing this look on her face, sighed with a bit of vexation. His eyes were stern, far more than they'd ever been around her, and she still was stunned. Jim looked at her and said, "Surprised?"

"U—uh…" Yolanda could still barely process all that was going on. Jim took off his bandage, and immediately Yolanda swallowed hard. Underneath his bandage was the gilded serpent running horizontally, the coil of security, the coil of the leader's confidante.

Jim took her scone and took a bite. After he chewed and swallowed, he said, "We've work to do."

Yolanda finally found the words and said in an almost frightened whisper, "You?"

Jim nodded, "Natasha sent me here when I was a boy, not much older than most kids. I grew up alongside Jean-Pierre, a prized student when he was still a lowly teacher of history at a high school nearby named Aulamerta. I was the one who scouted him for our Commander, and I was the one who arranged Kadic in its hierarchy until Waldo surfaced in due time."

"So, she arranged it then. You endeared yourself to Jean, and Jean knowing of your dedication, hired you on when he assumed the role for Kadic's headmaster position."

Jim smiled, "Exactly, girl. Meritocracy in action. Of course, Jean has been blind to who I am; sentimentality does that to the old. That's alright. I am here for my mission for this mission."

Yolanda was stunned, and she tried to gather herself, "Natasha—"

"Thought all of this through. That's right, pretty much every step."

"So, Sylvia's revolution—what was that?"

"Playacting mixed with placation. Natasha knew her sister wanted the throne, thinking she could do better. So, let her have it. She hid a body underneath the bed when she was killed. The soul immediately going underneath the second of the death-rattle into a waiting container. That is why there was no signature going out; too close to send out the necessary ping. A loophole we found after enough experimentation. When Sylvia left the room that night to signal her friends, Natasha slipped out and, every year since, has lived in the country safely hidden away, preparing this exact solution.

She knew you were desperate and angry over time with Sylvia because of what she'd done to you and so approached you when you were younger with her proposition. Thus, here we stand."

Yolanda was stunned, "She—she—" she looked at Jim, who simply smiled a broad smile and snapped his fingers, "Barista, Number three Cappuccino."

Yolanda caught her breath, "Jim, who is she? How did she do all this?!"

"She was always bright, Heidi. Exceedingly so. She studied people, studied their ways, studied their regimes, studied their weaknesses and their aspirations. Years and years as a law student in Aras, Natasha trained herself and immersed herself in diaries, historical accounts, and economic breakdowns of all the regimes first at home, then here, across the horizon. She spent countless hours pouring over books, listening to plays, talking to people from all walks of life. She wasn't the heiress to the throne for nothing.

She spent all this time learning, and subsequently, she used these formations with the guidance of Mr. Barrow when he was alive to make ironclad the foundations of the North-Gate program. She knew who Mr. Barrow was, and she knew he was co-ruler. However, because of the whore that her mother was, she knew that Sylvia couldn't be trusted with the power of North-Gate if she were poisoned against her father, Waldo.

So, what does she do? Natasha anticipates the poisoning and does not let it bother her. She knows that John Barrow, despite his love of Anthea, loved his daughter Sylvia even more. The soldier you know as Terrence was Natasha's butler back home, and he was sent to infiltrate North-Gate to grow closer to John Barrow in a way that only he could do.

Officially under the doctrines of back home, we couldn't cross-pollinate efforts. It was a way the Ministry ensured that no one man had too much power. However, Natasha knew early on that consolidated power needed to be unified under one house to be an effective nation. She knew that she couldn't approach John and so, she sent in Terrence. Who he really is, only Natasha knows. Terrence, for all intents and purposes, is a ghost. He doesn't exist in any record anywhere. So, having a true outsider join John, he immersed himself in John's life, eventually growing to be his confidante and advisor to Sylvia when Anthea would grow impatient and want to strike in her timetable.

Now, being that Terry had immersed himself this far, Natasha moved him to the forefront, and he was blended in with Sanford first and then others to infiltrate North-Gate's workings. You come along after Sylvia gained enough traction to go into extraterrestrial seizures, and Terry is smitten with you, and you join Sylvia when she's frankly at her peak. You grew weary, and you eventually saw who she was, who many often saw her as. And you grew angry, and well, we approached you."

Yolanda sat back in her chair and then asked, "But wait, so—how does Maria, the one Terry loves, play into this? What about Ricky? All of them? Who were they to you guys?"

Jim shrugged, "They were Sylvia's tried and true. You didn't know how Sylvia came to power until we approached you. You were swept by her visions, by her ideals. You're human; most anyone would love them. This gave birth to her fervent supporters, and the merry band of misfits fits the mold, but Terry was the lynchpin. However, he was so good at acting, we forgot at times he was on our side. The man is a damned fine method actor and was even recruited, if memory serves, from a major play when Natasha and I were young.

But as any usurper of the throne, Sylvia made herself appear a hero. Natasha had many policies to enact due to our scientists in our technological divisions and societal think tanks. Sylvia simply took credit for these things when she assumed the throne. According to history, Sylvia, not Natasha, revitalized the economy, established the State's gangsters, pioneered magnetic and gravitational travel, all kinds of shit, you know? So, Sylvia became the people's champion, and it was hard not to argue differently because she had roaming death squads that in its earlier days you oversaw if you'll recall."

Yolanda nodded, albeit reluctantly. She was still amazed at all of this. "And so, what now? What's going to happen here?"

"You let us worry about that. You've played your part near to completion, and you'll be getting your payment very soon. For right now, we have to be ready for what will transpire in the next forty-eight hours."

Yolanda nodded, "I just can't believe all this. The attention to detail is excellent."

"Regardless, we have work to do, you and I, and it starts very soon. Get ready to move back to Kadic as soon as I leave. A small incident notifies you via vomiting from one of the students at the infirmary, and from that, we'll gravitate to more serious matters." He got up, and he patted her on the shoulder twice, "Goodbye for now."

That afternoon, the grounds of Kadic seemed lacking in spirit. Many students were still afraid for Jeremy, and Delmas knew he could only keep Milly and Tamia from the truth for so long. However, he was still doing his level best, having hit upon the solution to halt the presses out of respect for the events transpiring, a bitter pill to swallow for the red-headed lover of spectacle.

The students went about their studies in the conventional fashion as best they could. Many students were silently still rattled about Mrs. Hertz's death, and this recent aspect of Jeremy gone missing did understandably nothing to stabilize the social pulse of the children. The teachers from both Kadic and Mercier and were doing as best they could to keep order, but even the more severe of the teachers still wished to be an open-source of council to the children as was natural in such situations.

To Ulrich's amazement, even Ms. Meyer, who had been her form of snooty in his opinion, was shockingly warm outside of the classroom, and it was this warmth that to Ulrich was a great breath of relief to him. As strong as he often let on to be, or as Ms. Hertz would have termed it devil may care, he was finding it increasingly hard to keep up this façade. Inside, his walls were cracked nearly to their foundations, and Ulrich yearned for this nightmare to stop. Despite how he'd put on a show of resolution to Yumi in their last talk, he was in fear and agony for Jeremy. In many ways, he hoped that she was wrong that Jeremy was still alive.

Yumi was in her own form of Hell as she had been the one to discover the blood in the sewer, and it was tying a massive knot in her stomach keeping such a foundational secret from Aelita. Aelita was her best friend and, in many ways, her sister. But she knew Ulrich's reasoning for this, but it did no good whatsoever in terms of comfort despite the logic.

Aelita was suffering most of all. She'd tried contacting Natasha through the mirror twice already with no response. In many ways, this was its own form of torture, but worse still was that no matter how often she would check Jeremy's room, he would never show up. Natasha was right about one thing, Aelita's hatred was growing. What was once a concern, now was in the light of their enemy, was smoldering into righteous fury. She loved Jeremy more than the life he'd given her. Jeremy was her completion, her proxy-pie, her everything. Yes, she could say it and proudly admit it. He was her everything. Now, he was missing, and she knew where Sylvia was. However, she could not just go to the factory to have the confrontation that boiled in her blood, trapped inside her bones.

Yolanda was at her desk appearing to review the student charts when she was looking at Jim's personnel file. It was spotless, an exemplary record as a student specializing in history and chemistry with cited military service as a marksman in America and gravitation from the military into the civilian sector, first in America and then Europe.

Soon, a knock was heard, and Yolanda replied, "Come in."

In stepped Mathias Jorel, and he said, "I'm sorry, Yolanda, but I have a very sour stomach, and I threw up in Ms. Kensington's class."

Yolanda nodded, and she stood up and motioned for him to sit, thinking, "It's time."

A few moments later, having treated a now resting Mathias, Yolanda saw Jim approach, "Yolanda, sorry to interrupt." He spoke softly, "Jean-Pierre wants you in his office. I've already contacted Mr. Beck, he'll cover for you in the meantime."

Yolanda nodded, and she headed out as Mathias rested. As she walked alongside Jim, she asked, "Who were you? I mean, really?"

"I was her father's chauffeur before I was brought in. Now come on, we have a meeting to attend."

Once at Delmas's office, they saw all teaches were gathered. Delmas then spoke and with a shaking voice said, "N-now we're all here. I can tell you all what has happened. Our student Jeremy Belpois went missing yesterday, you know this. This morning—th-this morning—" the old man couldn't help but weep. He continued, "Jeremy was found in the sewers in the city. He was only identified by his sweater and shoes."

All present were stunned save for two, and Mr. Fumet asked, "What happened, Jean-Pierre?"

Jean-Pierre replied, "It's too gory to recount, and so I will say it only once. The coroner said someone struck him from behind repeatedly, and he apparently drowned in the sewer after being dropped in. However, that's not the worst of it. The sewer workers had to fight off the rats who had—who had—" he paused and rushed to his private restroom and vomited violently.

Yolanda approached, and he waved her off, "No—no, I'm fine!"

He got up, and he said, "The rats ate him. His face, his torso, and leg were all that they could find."

The teachers were stunned in silence and stayed that way for two minutes. Jim cleared his throat, "Uh, Sir, what should we do?"

"We have to address this, but we, of course, save the details from the children. Jim, bring Ms. Stones and Mr. Stern here. They knew him best, and we need to let them know, given their proximity to him. Mr. and Mrs. Belpois have been notified by the authorities and will be here soon." He sighed, "This is a very dark day for all of us. After I make the announcement to the students, teachers will have a two-day period of mourning, and—considering how this flies in the face of Kadic, we may have to dismiss for the semester soon after.

An investigation is already underway, and considering what has happened with Ms. Hertz, Mr. Barrow before her and—" he gripped his head and screamed, "Oh fuck! We're entirely fucked!"

The staff was stunned, and in frankness, many knew this was a form of noose about their necks. However, none of these events was their fault. But definitely, this would be a true hornet's nest in terms of the community overall.

"I'll bring Stones and Stern, Sir," Jim said after a respectable silence and headed out of the room.

As Ulrich and Aelita came to sit down in Delmas's office, both looked as if they'd a hunted rabbit look with a gun leveled at their heads. Jean-Pierre seeing this, knew there was no sense in wasting words, but he had to go to about this tactfully. But if it wasn't the more pressing form of tactfulness he'd ever had to implement, he didn't know what was. Taking a small breath, he began.

"Ms. Stones, Mr. Stern—there is no easy way to say this—Jeremy Belpois has been found, and he's—dead. I'm so sorry."

Jim saw the look on the two, and it was a genuinely stunned silence. Aelita, it seemed, could barely breathe. Suddenly she had a massive gasp, and her face began to turn red as tears seemed to fall effortlessly.

"What h-h-happened?" She asked, hardly able to get the words.

Jean-Pierre replied, albeit with great hesitation, "He was attacked and dumped into the sewer."

Aelita stood up, and with extremely shaky steps, she headed to the door and walked out down the hall. Ulrich, however, had stayed frozen. The announcement of how Jeremy had died barely registered. He was now mute and motionless.

Jean-Paul looked at Jim, "Jim, please, go check on Ms. Stones."

Jim nodded, and he headed out after Aelita, but he knew very well was going to happen soon. He saw Aelita turn the corner slowly, and he sped up, but as he expected, when he rounded the corner, Aelita was already speeding down the hallway and the stairs at a genuine break-neck pace.

Jim went to the open phone in a nearby room and dialed a number, "She's on her way, as you said. She's loaded for bear."

"Excellent. The setup is ready over here. Heidi is to go to Island B. Her role is finished."

Aelita tore through the park and through the woods. She didn't know how fast or how hard she was running, and she didn't care. All she knew was that the sooner she could end all of this, the sooner she could leave her godforsaken agony behind. Aelita reached the Hermitage before she knew it and, with a ruthless slam, kicked in the front door. Speeding to the living room, Aelita fired up the scanner. She tore off her clothing in her rage and jumped in, and the program spoke in the last sound byte of Jeremy's voice for the operation, "Scanner, Aelita. Virtualization."

Aelita let loose of a horrid wailing scream as her body was virtualized. Soon, she was in front of the path leading to Sylvia's tower. Aelita sped forward, fueled by her rage, and soon, she was phasing into the tower. As she ascended, her rage was strangely disappearing into a unique peace. She couldn't explain it, but soon, she felt the descent onto the platform.

Sylvia, who was opposite her, looked slightly surprised to see her, "Oh, hello."

Aelita didn't have much to say, and she took out her sword. She rolled her neck and said, "Make peace with whatever god you pray to. I'm going to finish you. I'm going to butcher you like the fucking swine you are. Who do you think you are? I can abide a lot of things, but—you—you took him from me. For that, you're going to go straight to Hell."

Sylvia looked bemused, "Get in line, sweetheart. In case you missed it, we're under lockdown. Even if you devirtualize me, I'm still sent back outside. So, swing your heart out. Mind you; I think that would be difficult with a primary portion missing. What was Einstein anyway? A major ventricle or what?"

Soon, laughter was heard, and Sylvia looked for the first time, legitimately surprised. She knew the laughter, and soon her surprise turned to terror. She got up and took out her sword, "Natasha!"

Natasha soon descended from her ascent in the tower. She chuckled, "Oh, dear sister. Always so self-confident."

Sylvia was stunned at first, then she said, "A fucking snake always knows how to come back somehow."

"Yes, yes. But enough about me. Our dearest sister has her revenge to enact. Aelita—"

Aelita looked at Sylvia and said, "I went into this thinking I could help you, save you from your pain. Show you what love is," she approached the fiend, "and what do you do? You take him from me!" She swung, but Sylvia dodged, albeit with difficulty.

"Yeesh, tell me how you really feel; why don't you?" Sylvia replied.

"Shut up. SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" Aelita shrieked and began swinging ruthlessly at Sylvia with every scream. "You took from me all that I ever loved! God damn your miserable fucking heart!" Aelita's blade connected, and soon Sylvia was down half her hit points.

Sylvia felt a terrific shock of pain, but smiling, she said, "It's not the end for me."

"For the first time, you're stretching." Natasha replied as she watched as Aelita was preparing another swing, "The Ministry knows of your treason, sister. Your desperate hail-mary attempt to destroy this world. Now, because you have spilled innocent blood, you will be executed the moment you leave this place."

Sylvia looked at Natasha, "You planned all this? Because it has you written all the fuck over it!"

Natasha shrugged, "So?"

"Lady, you need a hobby or a fucking woman or guy, SOMETHING! Do you even have a life?!"

Suddenly Sylvia felt terrible pain as she looked down and saw that Aelita had run her through with the blade.

Aelita's eyes burned as she said, "Shut—the fuck—UP!" She took out the blade and, with a devastating slash, severed Sylvia's head from her body. The body fell, but Aelita noticed that Sylvia didn't dematerialize.

Aelita looked at Natasha, "Why—"

"Is she not disappearing? Because of the fact she tried to bypass Lyoko as you, it treated her like a virus, and so, you being here, despite how Sylvia thought she had a way out, you were—the antivirus. There was no way out. Not when you try to cheat the system this way. One of the shared universes' more gory failsafe elements, honestly."

Aelita threw her sword away, and she said, looking at Natasha, "We made a deal but—considering what has happened—I don't think it's at all viable anymore."

Natasha didn't say anything as she knew words were not needed

Aelita sat down, "She took Jeremy from me. She bashed his head in and threw him into a fucking sewer."

Natasha was silent for a moment, and she approached Aelita and sat across from her. She waited for the silence to have its effect, and she said, "Aelita, there is something I can do for you. Now with Sylvia gone, I can access the Master Control of both North-Gate and Lyoko. With that power through what remains, I would like to give you a choice."

Aelita looked at her, "I'm not in the mood for more games, Natasha. Do you understand? But, if you are sincere, I'll hear you out."

"My options for you come with a choice, and it's a choice that would take time to consider at the very least. The first of which is that I can do a full restore of your past life and negate many consequences of that life. However, to do this, all the energy from the Supercomputer and North-Gate would be drained entirely. So you'd be stuck in a place where you'll have to move forward with your young life into the present. But, I can make it so that Jeremy will be with you, raised by a family I can have in place of his own parents from my land. You both can grow up and grow old together.

The second choice is I can restore you to before Sylvia came to your world and started this whole mess. As she and her supporters have been routed, her coming back to attack anyone is not going to happen. As a consequence, you'll have Jeremy back entirely as he was. But to go so far back will result in the same effect, the nullification of the Supercomputer. But in both instances, you have an additional choice. I can withdraw all of the Lyoko team from the servers. Your memories will be eradicated from all that Sylvia has done; it will be as if she never existed. Or you may keep your memories, but you'd be pretty sick for a little while, maybe a week, maybe two."

Aelita thought on this for a while, five minutes, and she asked, "The life forces needed to restore the dead in either scenario; where would they come from?"

"They would be derived from Sylvia's supporters back home. There is still quite a large multitude for such a purpose. Think of it as an exchange. But the farther back we go, so nearly fifteen or so years in the first case it would drain nearly all of those supporters across her empire."

Aelita nodded, and she sat in thought and after a moment said, "And if we were restored to before she came? Are you sure she couldn't come back?"

Natasha nodded, "Her lifeforce has been extinguished, and her soul would be among those that are repurposed to repair her damages. However, because I don't know the true full extent of her death toll across the world, I don't know exactly how many lives we'd be restoring. That said, none will remember it, so it does not exactly matter. If you choose to keep your memories, the only ones who would remember are you and your team."

Aelita looked at Natasha, and she said, "I'll trust you with that. Take us back to before this all began. I can't go back to my own life—there are too many variables to consider happening again or possibly worse. But if you can restore Jeremy, do so. I wish to live here, with him and my family."

Natasha stood, and she asked, "Is that your final choice?"

Aelita stood and replied, "Yes, it is."

Natasha nodded, and she began to walk away, but Aelita called out, "Natasha."

She stopped and looked back, and Aelita asked, "What about you? What are your plans for us?"

Natasha waved her hand dismissively, "You fucks are too much trouble to try and correct. Besides, with Sylvia gone, a large thorn is out of my side. That being done, I have a promise to keep to one of my operatives. You're alright, Aelita, you and your family. I hope you can survive the world that you are to be acquainted with. But if you ever need me, investigate the mirror, and maybe, just maybe, my vision can start again."

Natasha walked to the edge of the platform and took a swan dive off into the tower's depths. Aelita suddenly saw her hands disappear, signaling devitalization. She soon came to in the scanner, and she lay down on the nearby couch.

Suddenly, a deep tone was heard on Jeremy's computer. Aelita looked at it, and she knew what it signaled. She lay still, and she heard Natasha's voice, as if a representative from the heavens, "This is Master Control of Convergence: Return to the Past Now."

There was a burning light, and it swept the entire globe. Aelita awoke with the rest of the team on the bridge just outside the factory. A massive sweep of nausea came over the group, and they all began to heave over the side of the bridge into the river below. This vomiting continued for the better part of five minutes until they all collapsed on their perspective potion of the railing. Aelita looked across from her and saw Jeremy barely recovered from nausea. The whole group saw him, and they looked at each other.

Odd spoke, "What the hell just happened?"

Yumi checked her watch, "G-guys! Look!"

Odd, Ulrich and Jeremy went over to her and checked the watch. It was back to the day they'd shut down the supercomputer.

Aelita said, albeit weakly, "Natasha kept her promise. We're back to where we all began."

The group looked at her, and Odd said, "You made a deal with her?"

Aelita nodded, and she began to feel nauseous again. At that moment, a car drove up to the bridge, the headlights nearly blinding the children. The lights turned off, and Terrence stepped out of the car with a flat of water.

He put it before the group and said, "Drink up. You'll need it to offset your nausea." He turned, headed back to the car, and gently left the children on the bridge.

The group went for the water, and soon, after two bottles of water apiece, they felt greatly relieved. Gently getting up, they decided to take it easy on the way home.

Jeremy was the first to speak on the road back, "How did it end?"

The group was silent, not wanting to tell him what happened to him, and Aelita finally said, "We won."

The group nodded and headed back together quietly back into the city. It was beautiful as calm filled the warriors. The gentle chirping of the crickets and the warm and sweet air were breathtaking to their senses. As they made it back to the dorms, they bid each other goodnight, and Aelita, now finally alone with Jeremy, embraced him and kissed him deeply.

"I was so afraid I'd lost you." She said.

Jeremy looked at her, "Whatever you needed to do, I more than understand. I'm just—" he gently began to cry, "I'm so glad this is over."

Aelita said, "Come on. Let's get some rest, and we'll talk about it in the morning."

Yumi meanwhile approached her home. She was afraid; her heart was beating in fear as to what she was going to encounter. She hoped the reset was as Aelita said it was. She was still horridly weak, but she had the strength to open the door. Inside she saw Takeo sitting down reading his paper. In her heart of hearts, she couldn't help it. She found the strength and went rushing forward to her father.

Takeo saw her coming, and he embraced her warmly and tightly. "Oh, Daddy," Yumi said, tears streaming down her, "I'm so glad to see you."

He seemed surprised, but he hugged her tighter, "It's only been a day." He said with a chuckle.

Yumi replied as she had her head on his shoulder, "It feels a lot longer to me."

Akiko saw this, and she was silent. She smiled to herself and headed gently to Hiroki's room. As he lay sleeping, she sat beside him at the foot of his bed and gently ran her fingers through his hair. She said, "It's alright, Hiroki, it'll be more than alright."

Odd for his part looked through a small book he'd kept secret from everyone, even Ulrich, and he opened it. Taking his phone, he dialed a number a ring or two later; he said, "Hi, Sam. How are you?"

Aelita, for her part, however, was content as she lay beside Jeremy. The hell they had all gone through was now worth it. Many of them had secretly wished that it wouldn't be the end when this madness began to take place. They'd gotten their wish, and as Aelita drifted off to sleep, she recalled her last visit with Natasha as they were eating.

"It's a funny thing you'll find that happens in life, Aelita. The more you wish for something, the more the universe bizarrely hears you. When it's done as a collective, it hears you even more. Conversely, if you dread something and focus on it, you feed it, and in a bizarre, twisted way, the universe encourages your fear."

"How do you overcome it then? Both extremes, I mean?" Aelita asked.

"You realize that what is done is done, and there can be no more and accept it. For dread, simply put, do not dread. It's as daddy told me, "Aelita," he said, "You cannot live a life in fear. Only nine percent of things you fear ever end up coming true, and so all that time you spend worrying, it can mean nothing in the end."

Aelita thought about this as she drifted off to sleep. The marvels she'd witnessed, the lessons she'd learned, the wonderful and terrible truths she'd seen; were breathtaking. However, she knew for all this that knowledge and power were nothing without the person you longed most to share it with. He was here now beside her. A power-mad lunatic had been destroyed, and another one had surrendered her plans, but how close they'd come; how close to likely achieving their goals, Aelita still was amazed at.

She looked at the mirror across the room, and gently getting up so as not to disturb Jeremy, she gently turned the mirror on its face before returning to bed. She knew Natasha lay in the world beyond the pane, but she still didn't wish to invite her back. In many ways, she felt this was the best course of action because despite who Natasha was, there was still the hidden wolf within, and Aelita knew this. It was better to be safe than sorry.

Across the city, a young girl had finished tuning her guitar. She gave a few gentle strums finding the perfect chord and harmony. Soon a knock came at the door, "Come in."

A young man entered, "It's quite late. I'd prefer you get some rest. We have work to do tomorrow to get you registered at the school."

The girl smiled and said, "I know, Papa. I'll get to bed after I finish up, okay?"

"Alright, not too much longer. You have twenty minutes. Goodnight, Ame." He closed the door.

Amelia finished her chord assignment as she looked over the numerous files laid carefully across her dresser. Once she had finished with her chords, she began to play gently and soon began to sing.

When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we'll see

No, I won't be afraid

Oh, I won't be afraid

Just as long as you stand, stand by me."

Once she had finished the song, she put her guitar in its case and looked up the street in the direction of Kadic.

"You made the right choice, Pinkie. You did very well indeed."