Epilogue (And That's The Way It Should End)

Epilogue (And That's The Way It Should End)

Matt passed through the gap to his own world. T.k. had beaten him back barely. There he found Izzy and Joe. Both were wearing odd expressions that seemed to have nothing to do with his sudden and unexpected arrival. Matt felt funny for a minute. Nothing passed between the group for a while. Then Joe motioned toward the trees as if he intended to head in that direction. Matt sensed they had nothing to say to T.K. and even that they wanted T.K. not to hear. But there was no way to get T.K. away nicely. Then Tai appeared. Joe and Izzy seemed a bit panicky. "T.K., why don't you go talk to Tai? We'll be right back," Matt encouraged his brother. T.K. went off and greeted Tai.

Joe spoke first, "Matt, we have to talk. Some weird things have been going on since you left." Matt nodded. A multi-world disturbance would certainly have effects all across the plane. "What about my parents? Are they okay? Are they worried stiff?" asked a concerned Matt. "No, they think you are all at my place," answered Joe. Old Reliable Joe. Izzy walked up and shook Matt's hand. "I have to congratulate you on successfully coming out of that other world, it was prodigious." "Well, you sent von Moltke. Remember that. And we got that Gundam working. We owe you Izzy," answered Matt. Izzy was flushed for a moment, "Aw, shucks." "Enough, Matt, we didn't come to talk about your battle which Izzy told me bits and pieces of. We're here because you've been missing for some three or four days. And in that time someone has been worried sick that you'd get back okay. And I'm not referring to me because I've got enough to worry about to worry about you and some fifty-foot high mobile suit," Joe lectured. Matt smiled at Joe's familiar manner but looked at Izzy, who seemed to be going to speak next.

Izzy looked up at Matt, his friend was expectant. "Well Matt, Joe knows the story better than I but the answer's Sora." Joe nodded. Matt was blank for a moment, not sure how to take the news. Joe didn't wait to see how Matt was finally going to respond. "It's true Matt. When you didn't appear at the weekly group meeting, she called your dad. He said you were with me; she called here. I had to give her what little information I had from Izzy. Now she's bombarded Izzy's phone and mine with calls asking if you got back. I've heard that she's taking your disappearance pretty hard." Matt thought on it. "Thanks, guys, I'll be on the lookout. But I need to get T.K. home." "Why spending the night at my place?" offered Joe, "You're supposed to be there anyway." "All right Joe, I'll get T.K." Matt found T.K. and Tai. The sun set, and the stars came out. The five of them walked toward Joe's house. Sora, Matt thought, who'd have thought? T.K. looked into the heavens. Where Orion should have been was instead a Namek. T.K. looked at this constellation and smiled.

Dende turned around to find Piccolo there. It had been the first time in a while that Dende had seen the Namek who had fused with his brother Nail. Mr. Popo came out too. "Piccolo, where did you go?" The Super-Namek looked at the genie and said, "I had business to take care of." He stalked off toward the edge of the lookout; below him down there was the Earth. His planet. Somewhere Gohan was just finding out his mother was pregnant. Somewhere Krillin was trying to open his feelings to Android 18. Not on the Earth, but in some other realm, Goku was keeping King Kai busy or training if he was ever called on again. Piccolo crossed his legs. Yes, it was good to be back. Everyone, everything was all right now. Dende watched the Super-Namek. He knew Piccolo must have a lot to think about, but he would not bother him.

A furious wind whipped across the sand. There was a vast ocean beyond. It met the land, and yet less than a mile later it struck the waters of the sound. Nags Head, they call it, where a pirate attracted ships to plunder by leading around a horse with a lantern on its head. Then it was just a sandbar of a barrier island, now the commercial growth was quite visible. Hotels were now present. At one, a strange car was parked just off Route 12. Take Route 12 north and you'll find Kitty Hawk, where aviation was born. South you'll pass Jockey's Ridge. A little further and you will find Cape Hatteras with its famed lighthouse. Of course you'll need the ferry. These are the Outer Banks. At Nags Head, the waves hit against the beach in rhythm. A visitor from Baltimore looked his paper. Scientists had picked up an alligator skeleton. Imbeded in the neck bones were the teeth marks of a strange animal. Scientists were highly puzzled when the only match found were those of the extinct velociraptor. The man remembered hearing strange cries lately, cries no one could identify. He looked over his paper and saw a single person on the beach.

He wore no general's uniform, but it was hard to doubt who he was. The wind flew through his light brown hair. Home at last, but he had to make this final stop. The lights of ships at sea were the only things that were noticeable other than the stars above. The trial was over. Now before him was the Atlantic Ocean. It was as far east as he could go without crossing the watery road that lay ahead. Life was still to be lived. He had to figure out what he was going to do. A new challenge. A new path out of the many. Was it chemistry, history, astronomy, or political science that called him? Was it military? A brilliant object shown in the sky, too brilliant to be a star. He watched it for a moment, breathing the air around him. It was the sweet air of the South. Another time another war. He could see the batteries as they would have been and the Yankee fleet in the ocean. He turned to walk back to his room. The mist was full of memories. As he thought on a new and exciting future he remembered the words of Tigertron. "Let the trails lead where they may, I will follow."