Author's Note: Please forgive me for writing this spoiler. But I just couldn't help it. I put it in words that I hope are symbolic, but I'm a crappy writer. The bold italic sentences are the lyrics to the song. Thanks to Kaiyote for the lyrics.
Melbu Frahma screamed.
It had been Dart that delivered the final blow to the reincarnated Wingly emperor. I do not know where his energy came from, fate perhaps, but it was strong enough to kill the demon. The explosion from the mutated Wingly sent streaks of fire through the entire cavern, knocking the Dragoons, so that we have to flap like demons in order to stay aloft.
"Shana!" Dart yells, his eyes searching.
The girl is just regaining consciousness, groaning. But she is not stupid. She knows what is going on, and she knows that it is time to get out of here. "Dart!" She screams, reaching her hand out for him.
The warrior, now silver-clad, lands softly beside her, despite the heavy armor that triples his size. Reaching down one enormous armored arm, he scoops up his childhood friend so that she sits safely on his elbow, choking back a sob.
I see this with half a mind. I ignore the flames searing my skin, and land on my feet next to Zieg. He is awake now, his eyes open and staring at the ceiling, but no expression on his face.
"I have been waiting for this moment." I say, softly. I've been waiting for over 11,000 years, never once forgetting you.
His voice is gentle as he replies; I kneel down beside him, gathering him in my arms. "I kept you waiting for…so long. I'm sorry." he looks older than I last saw him, his fair hair growing paler with gray, and lines around his eyes, but it does not matter. I am old too. It is only because of the choker I wear that I am immortal.
He reaches up and gently traces one finger along the scar on my face that I had received from the Super Virage. It is a relief to know that the Zieg I saw in Aglis and Zenebatos and Mayfil was not the same Zieg from 11,000 years ago. He is still kind and gentle, and I still love him.
Haschel yells a warning and Miranda screams. I lift my head to see.
"What?" The leader of our Dragoons turns to see that Melbu Frahma has pulled himself together. A new form, a hideous one. His face is scarred with fire, in tones of green and blue. His lower body is a sphere of green power, and his arm a long ridged tentacle. I swallow a rising of bile.
"How dare you!" he all but spat. "Inferior humans cannot outshine me! A god!"
"Rose." Zieg calls my name, softly, and I turn my attention back on him. He does not seem to be bleeding, but he seems weak, almost resigned. His breathing is labored, and his words hesitant. Is he dying? He speaks slowly. "Rose, the time has come. This is the end of our long journey."
"I had a dream that I could fly."
"Zieg." I whisper. I understand his meaning.
His voice is almost small, as if unsure. "Could you…come with me?"
I bury my face in his chest. "Yes. I will never leave you again." I vow. And I mean it. I will give my life to be with you. Like you said before, even if one of us dies, our bonds of affection will last forever.
I help him to his feet. He is weak, but determination drives him. The red-eyed Dragon still recognizes him, and he transforms with the grace that I remember from 11,000 years ago. Wordlessly, I hold out the Dragon Buster, and he meets my eyes. I nod, and he takes the blade. Pushing off together, we glide through the air.
"I can feel each moment as time goes by."
Melbu Frahma launches an attack of green light toward the Dragoons. Dart, with his large armor, blocks the way, positioning himself so that Shana is not hurt, absorbing the attack. It leaves scratches on his invincible armor, and I have no doubt that he is in pain. "Damn!" he swears, grimacing.
"We'll never be too far away."
Zieg slashes with the Dragon Buster, and the Wingly Emperor does not see him until too late. The limb that is shooting at Dart drops off, falling down into the abyss. An explosion tears at my armor. My love speaks, his voice quiet, but somehow loud enough so that it deafens even the shouts of the Dragoons and the dying screams of Melbu Frahma.
"Dart, you have grown up."
"You would always be here, I heard you say."
Dart looks around for the voice. "F-Father?"
Zieg's voice is sad. "I couldn't do anything for you as a father. Please, forgive me."
"I never thought…"
Dart knows that Zieg is not only asking forgiveness for the past, but for what he—we—must do. "But Father, we finally met! It's not fair!"
The world isn't fair. Haven't I taught you that? I smile. I am probably wrong to interrupt this moment, but if I do not speak now, I will not have the chance later.
"Thought that it would be out last goodbye."
"Dart!" I call, and his gaze shifts toward me. His eyes widen, as if for the first time realizing that I am with Zieg as well. "Dart, I'm so glad I met you."
I'm so glad I met all of you.
I smile at all my friends. Talkative and playful Meru. Strong and reliable Kongol. Forthright and friendly Haschel. Wise and kind King Albert. Harsh and loyal Miranda. Beautiful and gentle Shana. Heroic and passionate Dart. All of them had always been there for me, and I had taken them for granted.
Even Lavitz, chivalrous and faithful Lavitz, who had sacrificed himself to save his King. He had tried to speak to me during the short part of the journey he was in. I had not forgotten him. The others thought I was a cold detached woman with harsh words and a nasty temper, but in actuality, I was simply afraid of losing my friends again, after what had happened in the Dragon Campaign, the terrible memories that I had been afraid to show them. But I needn't had feared.
Now after 11,000 years, I see how wrong I was.
"I still can dream…"
"Rose! Father!"
"Good bye, Dart." Zieg whispers, and I know that if I look at him, I will see his eyes wet.
"That one day love will fall out from the sky."
I had always thought that when death came, I would face it screaming and struggling. But now, as I flew toward Melbu Frahma, my sword raised, with my love beside me, I felt an unusual sense of peace. I now understood Shirley and Shana, how they had embraced the world's suffering as their own and cared for strangers without even the slightest thought of selfishness.
"Do you still remember all the time that has gone by?"
This was the least I could do, as a repayment. To all my friends, for all their kindness to me. To Dart, for trusting me even though he learned that I was the Black Monster who had destroyed his hometown. To all the people that I had killed, to repay them, to make sure that there would be no need for a 'demon', a 'black monster' ever again. To all the monster creatures, who were not as mindless as I had thought, because they had lives and a right to live, just as Humans.
"Do you still believe that love can fall out from the sky?"
So right now, as Zieg and I struggle to our deaths, hands held, shoulders touching, wings beating simultaneously, I am not afraid.
I'm sorry, Dart, but my time was over 11,000 years ago.
"If from where you're standing, you can see the sky above…"
Death was not so bad once you accepted it. And after all this time, I finally understood honor, its price, and its prize within itself.
"I'll be waiting for you; do you still believe in love?"
Every time a new Dragoon had joined the team, I had foolishly passed it off as a wild coincidence. But perhaps it was Fate that bound us all together, kept us together, kept the Dragoon Spirits alive.
But then again, what was Fate?
Dart had said, before we entered the Moon, that he would take Shana back from even "Fate" herself.
"Find the way to bring back yesterday."
Maybe Fate was only the infinite amount of possibilities. Maybe there was no "one" direct unchangeable path for everyone. Maybe Fate could change, by the actions that one did. Maybe one could manipulate Fate, and change her own destiny, choose her own path. Fate was only the ultimate 'if' in the world.
Then Zieg and I chose our own paths, and willingly. This is what we must do. This is what we want to do.
"Find a way to love…"
"Goodbye, Dart, and thank you."
Thank you for proving to me, after all this time, that I can have friends.
I smiled at him, a private smile meant only for him.
Damia, I had promised to you that I would come when things were over. I always keep my promises.
"I hope you'll stay, when tomorrow becomes today…"
Twin swords flash, one fiery and one dark, both blades piercing the weak spot in the god of destruction's heart.
"Love will find a way…"
The stored energy within Melbu Frahma/Virage Embryo exploded outward, devastatingly, fatally, and still Zieg and I stayed. Unafraid, because it was for my friends, for the innocent people waiting down there on the planet.
"I'll be waiting for you, in my heart you are the one."
I could see the Dragoons flying off; wings beating just like my friends had 11,000 years ago. They all look back, but they do not stop. I call after them. "My role has ended. Blaze the way to the future by yourselves." My work is done. I have taught you. You understand the power and responsibilities of being Dragoons. I hope—I know—you will do well. You can take care of yourselves now.
"If I cannot find you, I will look up to the sun."
"This is your time to live…and shine." Again Zieg's voice is quiet and resigned, but I know that Dart and the others can hear him. I hold him tightly, tears staining his armor.
Dart's voice floats back to us, as if he expects us to follow him. "What are you talking about? We'll all live together!"
"If from where you standing, you can see the sky above."
Now even my voice is quiet, and I am crying shameless tears, but I do not care. "We were never meant to exist in this time."
"NO!"
"My age ended…in remote activity." Eleven thousand years, Dart. I was never meant to see you. But I am so glad that I did. You changed my life, you know.
"I'll be waiting for you, if you still believe in love."
"Rose!"
"Farewell, Dart…and…thank you."
You'll understand sometime, Dart. You of all people will understand. Your heroic passion was risky at times, but it always pulled you through. You should understand why we had to do this, and you should know why we did it willingly. Your father is a good man, Dart, and you took after him.
"Rose! Father!"
The explosion hurt, but just for a moment. Just like love. I didn't know how long death took, but Zieg and I held each other all the time and then my spirit rose from my body, and I was finally free.