"AAHH!"

With a shout, he bolted upright in shock and looked around to look at-

His living room.

Glancing down in complete astonishment, he saw that he was sitting on the small couch in his apartment. A news program was playing on the TV, so he must have fallen asleep out here watching it.

He held a hand to the side of his head, his heart still racing. What the hell kind of dream had that been? Most people dreamt of flying, or falling, or something relatively normal. No, he'd imagined some kind of dystopian world where- well, he wasn't quite sure. As was the case with most dreams, the details had begun to fade from his mind the moment he'd woken up.

Shaking off the last vestiges of sleepiness, he yawned and checked his watch. Two thirty? How convenient, that was right in time for-

A knock on the door alerted him to the arrival of his guest, and he rolled his eyes with a smirk at her punctuality. "Give me a sec, I'll be right there!"

Standing up from the couch, he meandered over to the front door and quickly unlatched the locks on it and swung it open. "You know, it's okay to be a bit late every now and then-"

"Matt!"

Two voices had called out as one in excitement, and he looked down right before he was swarmed by two shorter bodies who rushed forward and wrapped their arms around him. Raising his arms defensively, he laughed in surprise. "Mia, Eli! What are you two doing here?"

He heard a chuckle from behind them, and looked to see his lovely lady standing there with a grin on her face as she observed the display of affection from the twins. "Caught these two stragglers outside and heading in. They said your mom dropped them off for a visit? Apparently she didn't think you'd mind."

Sara was right, he definitely didn't mind. It can't have been too long since he'd seen them last, but it felt as though it'd been forever. He kneeled down to hug the two teens properly. "Of course, someone's gotta keep these two trouble-makers off the streets after all!"

Mia pulled away giggling. "Oh c'mon, mom says you were just as bad as us when you were younger?"

He raised an eyebrow disbelievingly. "Really?"

She huffed. "Okay, well maybe not as bad, but still-"

"That's what I thought," he cut her off with a chuckle. "I may have been rowdy, but you two take the cake when it comes to mischief-"

"Are you alright, Matt?" asked Eli suddenly. His younger brother was looking at him with mild concern. "Why are you crying?"

He blinked, not knowing what the young twin was talking about until he raised a hand to his face and pulled it away wet, tears sliding down his cheeks without him knowing.

"I … I don't know." He was just as confused as they were, but he pushed past it and spun it back on them with a laugh. "Maybe I'm just so horrified at the prospect of having to be around you two!"

The smiles returned to their faces, and he stood back up to look at Sara. "What do you say we head out and grab some food?"

She nodded with a grin. "Food sounds great."

He lowered himself down next to her on the bench, wrapping his left arm around her as he raised his burger to his mouth with his free hand-

He stopped and looked around wildly. "Wait, what?"

She turned her head to look at him. "What's up?"

He stared at her uncomprehendingly, trying to understand what just happened. "How did we get here? We were at my apartment just a moment ago, and-"

"We just went out to grab a bite to eat," she replied, an inquisitive expression present on her face. "Don't you remember?"

He racked his brains, recalling his suggestion to eat … slowly, pieces began to fall into place and fill his mind like a tap bringing forth water. "We bought the burgers … and then came to the park … to watch the twins?"

On cue, a frisbee flew through the air and Eli ran after it while cursing his sister's aim. She probably snarked back to him, but he still felt too bewildered by the whole situation to notice. "That was weird, I just … it felt like only seconds."

She cocked her head curiously. "Not quite Déjà Vu then, but something like it?"

"Yeah," he let out slowly, "something like that."

They sat there together, watching the two teenagers throw the frisbee back and forth in the open field of the park. Laughing, yelling happily … it seemed so surreal to him for some reason.

"Remember when we were that young?" Sara remarked, nestling her head into the crook of his arm.

He rolled his eyes at her question. "We were that young just a few years ago. We're only twenty one, it's not like high school was a lifetime ago."

She didn't say anything immediately, instead remaining silent for a few moments before replying, "A lifetime ago … right."

As much as he'd critiqued her verbiage, however, he realized that he felt the same way. Now that he thought about it, it did feel as though their school years had been behind them for far longer than was truly the case. He reflected on the memories fondly, a satisfied sigh escaping his lips. "Man, we've got to get the three of us together again sometime, it's been too long."

"You mean Lucas?"

He nodded. "Can't remember the last time the three of us were all in the same room. I guess we'll have to wait until he get back from his trip to Russia to have a … reunion …"

Slowly, he trailed off at the startling conflict of information in his mind. "I … I'm supposed to be with him on that trip. He'd been planning it for years, but he invited me along because I needed to get my mind off of …"

Sara made not a sound as he faced her directly, a look of obvious disturbance at the revelation he'd come to covering his face. "You died. You … died-"

"Just how realistic was that dream you told me about?" she asked. "I'm right here, so how could I have possibly died?"

He was getting mixed up, what she was saying was confusing him. "The … the Traveler, its light poisoned you-"

"What 'Traveler?'"

"You know, the …" Now, his memory of it evaded him and he struggled to explain it properly to her. "The white orb, the thing-"

"You mean the mars discovery?" she quipped. "The thing our leaders ran out of the solar system? We haven't seen it since our leaders scared it off. They decided it was too dangerous to investigate, and tried to nuke it? Don't know what it was, but I've got the feeling that we're all much better off without it. Remember-"

"Stop telling me to remember!" he grimaced, holding his head. "Something- something's not right here, I know it-"

"As you keep telling me," she shushed him as she lowered him onto the couch gently. "I know. Just relax, and I'll get dinner started. Sound good?"

He was about to reply that it sounded fine, when he noticed his surroundings and leapt up from the couch anxiously. "And now we're back at my apartment? We were just at the park-"

"-and your mom came by to pick up the twins," she supplied, looking at him worriedly. "Remem-"

He held up a finger, pointing at her accusingly. "Don't."

She held up her hands in a show of surrender, obviously frustrated for whatever reason over his behavior. "Well then, what do you want me to do?"

"Just- just give me a moment to think, alright?" He paced around the room, shaking his head and sifting through all the confusing images flashing through his mind. Every time he thought he had something to hold onto, a face, a recollection of an event, it danced out of his reach. His supply of unknown memories continued to dwindle, until he had nothing to hold onto but the world around him.

She walked over to him cautiously, seeing the he was on edge, and wrapped her arms comfortingly around him.

"Hey; it's alright. Everything's going to be alright."

"No, it's not!" he growled, separating himself from her. "I don't know what's going on, or why I'm feeling this way, but-"

She reached out and grabbed his hand, holding it fast. "Look, I can see that you're … troubled … to say the least. But whatever's going on, I'm going to be right here for you."

Sara smiled, though he felt anything but at ease from it. "Best friends don't abandon each other. And I'm not giving up on you."

Best friends don't abandon each other. And I'm not giving up on you.

Those words, that phrase … it was something they'd to each other before, something they used to reassure one another … but someone else had said it once too-

White face, smooth and metallic.

Blue eyes, electric and sparking full of life.

He reached his hand around her waist, pulling her into a hug. She didn't know how to react initially, but she gave in and reciprocated enthusiastically.

"You came back," he whispered softly, full of relief that she was alright … that she'd chosen not to keep her past memories.

She embraced him tighter, whispering back, "I'm not going anywhere. Like you said, best friends don't abandon each other." Leaning back, she gave him a full view of her countenance, full of joy and hope.

"And I'm not giving up on you."

All at once, his memories came flooding back. The Traveler, the City, saving the Traveler's Spark, venturing into the Vault of Glass, killing Crota, slaying Oryx, forming the Legends, and …

"… Ash."

Sara jerked backwards as though she'd been slapped. "What?"

He glared at her. "Let's not pretend that both of us don't know what's really going on. What did you do?"

In an instant, Sara's face changed as she dropped the act. She became exasperated at his questioning, "I told you, I'm setting everything right-"

"How is any of this right?" he shouted angrily, gesturing to the world around them. "This shouldn't even be possible, let alone right-"

Raising her hand, she snapped her fingers.

All at once, reality shifted and warped back to what he recognized; the top of the Citadel. The singularity pulsated and glowed blue behind Sara while she crossed her arms and stared at him. He glanced down to see himself no longer dressed in clothing, but in his Hunter's armor.

Next to him, both Reynard and Seraph seemed to be disoriented. The Exo stood up and looked at Matt. "What … what just happened?"

"The same thing you've been doing for years!" Sara yelled at him, advancing upon the Warlock with fury. "I have power over time now, not you! Don't pretend that you've suddenly become good, the only reason you agreed to end it all was because you were bored! "

"Stop, Sara-"

"NO!" she cried out in consternation. "You really think that his moment of moral righteousness justifies any of his actions? Infecting humanity with this plague, tormenting you over and over- look around you! How is this right? How is this better?"

She waved her arms at the open air around them, seemingly at a complete loss for his behavior. "If it wasn't for the Traveler, billions of lives wouldn't have been lost! We would have never gone through the collapse, never would have been attacked by the Darkness and its armies-"

"That's not the Traveler's fault!" he yelled back. "Look at all the good it did; it jumpstarted our future, granted us gifts that we never would have thought possible, and even sacrificed itself to save us-"

"It killed me!" she shrieked. "How can you not understand that? I had to become an Exo because of its so-called 'light', nothing more than a glorified toxin to me!"

"We're not the only ones who matter here!" he tried to explain, but she laughed mirthlessly.

"Of course we are! That's the point I've been making this whole time!" She walked forward, pulling her arms tight to her chest. "I have complete control over time, nothing else besides us matters because nothing besides us will happen! I can put us in a loop, living out our lives together and growing old as we always dreamed- and when we die, I just reset the cycle and we do it again!"

She raised a hand to caress his cheek, though he gave no reaction. "People wish to be able to live with their true love forever; you and I can actually do that. Would you really choose this future over the life that was taken from us?"

He pondered her question, looking at it from every angle. But all he could think about was how, assuming she had her way, his new life wouldn't exist. None of the people he'd met would ever become reality, and they'd be doomed to whatever void lies beyond actuality.

But even in Sara's perfect world, the only happy ones would be the two of them. Time would never progress because she'd reset it at the end of each cycle, and the only ones who'd know would be the two of them.

He remembered a fear that Ash had told him about years ago, a while after they'd started dating. She'd told him how she couldn't imagine life without him and Aria, but wondered if he felt the same way … or if he'd give up his life with them if it meant he could have his old one back.

Could he live like that? Knowing that no harm would come to humanity, but that life itself was meaningless?

Grabbing her hand, he pulled it away from his face. "I made my choice when I remembered the life you stole from me."

Her eyes widened in outrage. "How- how dare you-"

"You say that the Traveler took away your life, your choice," he continued, his voice strangely calm. "But that's exactly what you're trying to do for me, for the rest of humanity; eliminate any sense of choice."

"And look at what I'm giving you!" she argued. "We're together again, your family's alive again, and there's peace! What has this life given you?"

"A new purpose defending humanity as a Guardian," he answered proudly, "a new family that I found in my team … and a love that I'd lay down my life to protect."

Once more, Sara looked as though she'd been struck. "You … you mean Ash?"

"I love her," he confirmed, "and I made a promise to her when I married her that I was hers, and hers alone."

He stepped back from her slowly. "I loved you, Sara. I will never forget the time that we had together, I can't. But … I love Ash, and my life is with her."

She shook her head in disbelief. "I am Ash-"

"No," he replied coolly, "you're not. You're a part of her, just as much as she's a a part of you. But you're not her. You're not even Sara."

She blinked. "Now you've lost me."

"The Sara I fell in love with would never have done something like this. I'm not willing to sacrifice so many lives just for our happiness, but it seems that you are." He pointed at her. "You became the Warrior out of personal vengeance, a grudge against the Traveler. That grudge resulted in nothing but heartache and pain for centuries that you spent killing for the Darkness. But when you finally let go of your hate … Ash was born."

She fell silent, processing his words as he pleaded for her to see what he saw.

"When I lost you, I cursed the Traveler with every fiber of my being," he continued, "but when you were gone, and I didn't have to watch you die … it was easier to see how much good it had done for humanity."

He stepped forward, joining her once more. To her surprise, he grabbed her hand in his own. "I'm not the same Matt you knew; you keep thinking that things can go back to the way that they were, but they can't. It's easier to believe you're doing the right thing when your dream is so close … but if you look at the bigger picture, you'll see that I'm right."

She delved into the time of his new life, determined to find what exactly he was so hellbent on guarding-

In an instant, she was flooded with experiences. Many of them frightening, dangerous. There was violence interlaced throughout all of his time here, it seemed that this 'life' of his was nothing but an eternity of war and fighting-

But she never detected him feeling the same weariness she'd felt as the Warrior. Instead, it was the opposite; adventure, friendship, family … it was always there, driving him forward.

She watched as he sat at a restaurant with Ash and Aria, all of them laughing together at a mission they'd carried out, cracking jokes and enjoying each other's companionship. She saw them trapped in the Vault, staying alive through the motivation that each of them gave one another, even as they remained trapped in Atheon's conflux.

After possibly the worst battle they'd ever fought, after everything he'd gone through in the abyss and destroying Crota … he still considered it one of the best nights of his life because-

She swallowed hard, her heart getting caught in her throat.

"I don't see you as a machine," he spoke, "and I don't see you as human. I see you as an Exo. You are unique, and that's part of what makes you who you are. I don't love you because you try so hard to be human, I love you for you. I love everything about you, every strength, every flaw, it's all what makes you … you.

"I don't care about any of t-that other stuff. One problem at a time. All I c-care about … is you, Ash. I love you."

And again, she saw them in the Clovis Bray facility as they learned of Ash's true nature and past-

"As much as I miss her, as I will always miss her … Sara's dead. She's gone, and there's nothing either of us can do about it. But she died so that you could live on. Because you are your own person. Are you predisposed to liking me, and am I predisposed to liking you? Maybe. But that's just because of the way our personalities attract, how they match; it doesn't make our feelings any less real, and just because I did love Sara, I won't ever stop living her … it doesn't mean I love Ash any less. Do you understand?

"You can never compare yourself to Sara because you're not her; you are Ash. And believe me when I say; I love you for that."

She sank to her knees, overwhelmed with how powerful his feelings towards Ash were. It hurt, there was no denying that; her heart was broken utterly and completely. But she understood at last what he'd meant, and why he rejected her vision.

He hadn't chosen his new life over her. She'd chosen her own happiness over his.

Matt kneeled down next to her, understanding that she'd finally realized what he'd been trying to relay to her. "Are you alright?"

"No," she answered honestly. She looked at him. "But I'm not the only one who matters here, am I?"

He smiled sadly, the regret in his eyes ever apparent; but his stance was firm, and she knew it. Still, she gave herself one more chance to turn his mind.

Raising her arms, reality changed once again. His head spun every which way, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

All around them was a cold, desolate landscape full of nothing but sand, dust, and dark jagged rocks that jutted up from the ground to tower over the dunes of the desert. The wind howled hauntingly, and his cloak flapped in the breeze.

She motioned to their surroundings. "I have seen time, and I know what you face if you continue on the path you've chosen. All this that you see around you?"

He nodded in confusion. "Yeah?"

"This is the Balance."

His eyes widened in shock. "That prophecy that Scorch is supposed to be a part of? This is-?"

"Yes."

He had no words; he'd always thought of the balance as finally getting rid of the Darkness once and for all, a happy ending for the light. But he had no idea what any of this was, or what it meant. Where were they? When were they? He had a feeling like Sara wasn't going to give him any answers, though that didn't stem the flow of questions.

He turned to her. "My path, the life I've chosen … it leads to this?"

She nodded.

Gazing out at the horizon once more, he only had one more question to ask.

"Is there a way to stop it?"

"If you go back, time will become an inevitability," she replied. "Every choice will lead to a single moment where light and dark clash for the final time. When the dust settles, who knows if humanity's fate will become that of what you see before you … or something else?"

He sighed. "So there's a chance?"

"An infinitesimally small one, but yes."

He shrugged, looking back at her resignedly. "Then you know what my answer is."

She smiled sadly, a few tears escaping her. "Of course I do; it wouldn't be you otherwise."

In an instant, they were back atop the Citadel with the others. Reynard and Seraph were once again looking dazed and confused as they were pulled back into the timeline from nonexistence, and Sara faced the singularity whilst raising her arms.

Another pulse spread out from it, and Matt braced himself to avoid being knocked to the ground again. "What was that?"

"I've scattered myself into the future as well," she answered, "to guide you when you need it most. Your pain and hardship will undeniably be a lot to bear …" She faced him with reassurance in her eyes. "But even when I'm gone, some part of me will be there to help you."

Walking over to him, she grabbed his hands and held them warmly in her own. "I have no life without you, Matt. There's nothing for me here; but I know that the same cannot be said for you. You've found friends, family, love … there's nothing I want more than to be a part of it, but I know now that it cannot be."

Now, tears were falling from both parties as they said their final goodbyes. She pressed on while her voice wavered, "I'm scared, I won't lie. But … I'm happy to know that even if my time is over, yours is just beginning."

Tilting their heads together, they pressed their foreheads against one another silently and embraced for what would be the final time. The last time they'd said farewell, it had been in a hospital bed where she'd slipped from this life and into the next.

No one else was ever given another chance like this; what each of them had been given with this encounter was a gift, one that transcended time and space. This time, instead of parting ways wishing they'd had more time, they did so grateful for how much of it they'd been given. The bond they shared stretched for an epoch across the timeline … and they understood that, as with everything, it was coming to an end.

Sara looked over Matt's shoulder towards Reynard, regarding the Exo with acceptance. "It's time to set everything right. How about it, Reynard? Are you ready to finally die?"

He nodded with a sigh. "We've lived far too many lifetimes for one person. I think I'm ready to stay dead this time."

She looked back to Matt. "Before I go and fix this all … can I relive one last memory with you? It's my favorite one."

He wiped the tears from his eyes, giving a small sniffle before smiling. "If it's the one I'm thinking of, that's my favorite too."

"You know me so well," she said with a wet laugh, and they both held each other closely as the singularity began to glow again and everything faded to white.

—X—

Skipping back happily from her endeavor, Sara held her hand out for him to see. "Ha! I told you!"

Clutched tightly in her grip was a stick of cotton candy she'd gotten from a man at the front of the line, and he laughed at her showcase of victory. "But you paid that guy ten dollars for it! They're only selling them for three-"

She took a big chunk of it and popped it into her mouth. "Yeah, and we would have had to wait forever before getting any if we'd stayed here at the back. I think the cost was worth it."

He shook his head while grinning. "I think you need more patience."

"And I think you need to live a little," she chuckled, and held out the tuft of sweetness towards him. "Now, do you want any or not?"

Giving in, he grabbed a handful to her amusement. Together, they walked off to enjoy the rest of the carnival's sights and sounds, sharing the treat the whole way.

A/N: Okay, even I'm getting a bit emotional over this. I know that might sound cheap, but it's the truth; I've had this scene in my mind since I first started writing this over two years ago, and I'm just happy to finally have reached it.

Alright, so first thing's first; new cover. I really like the look of this one, and it's the third one I've made in all the time I've been writing this series. I hope you guys like it.

'The Last Hunter' (and by proxy this series) is still not over yet, not by a long shot. I told you guys this was going to be a long book.

Let me know your thoughts in the reviews, seriously; I want to know how each of you felt throughout this whole arc, if you think it was done well or poorly, etc.

Until the next time,

- Matteoarts