Aki looked at the eagle soaring in the sky and back to the man lying in her arms. She sadly remembered what she had told Gray. "It's waiting for life to return"
Thanks to him, life had returned, but at what cost…
Aki ran her fingers through Gray's hair. She looked at him and could hardly hold back the tears that were welling in her eyes.
She brought her hand to his wrist, even though she knew there wouldn't be a pulse anywhere on his cold body. The Gaia of the Phantom's world had taken his spirit out the shell she held in her arms.
Just as she expected, there was no pulse. She shuddered and pulled Gray's body close.
Dr. Sid had finally finished pulling them up on the lift.
"Aki!" He rushed forward. He saw her huddled over Gray, and stopped in his tracks. "Oh… oh no… I feared something was wrong." He came forward slowly and knelt next to her. "Aki… child, are you ok?"
Aki nodded, looking at Dr. Sid.
"He's?"
Aki nodded again. "Dead. He…. He…"
Dr Sid placed a hand on her shoulder. "Hush, child. I'll get him onto the ship. It is imperative we contact the council as soon as possible to tell them what we have done. There was also quite an explosion in the sky while you two were down there. I want to find out what that was." Sid picked up Gray and turned back to face Aki. "Are you going to be alright? Come aboard with me. You should rest. Then tell me what happened."
She looked up at him and nodded. She slowly pushed herself to her feet and followed him to the Black Boa.
Aki went to her quarters on the small ship. She lay down, and since she was curious, activated the dream recorder. She then fell asleep.
"It is good to hear that you have escaped unharmed from the failure of New York's shield, ladies and gentlemen of the council." Started Dr. Sid. "I have contacted you to let you know that, indeed, the phantoms have been eliminated from the Earth, but there was a high cost. We—"
"Yes, Dr. Sid, we know. Some of the undeniable heroes have died in the process. But the losses was not in vain,"
"Yes." Agreed Dr. Sid, thinking that the heroes the council acknowledged were Aki and Gray.
"Dr. Sid. The Zeus station exploded just before letting off the blast that rid the earth of the phantoms. It is believed that all onboard died. Including General Hein, one of the true heroes of the war."
Dr. Sid thought for a moment. "Really? You truly believe it was the Zeus cannon that rid our world of the phantoms?"
Aki was hanging from the ledge clinging to Gray's hand. "Gray! No!"
"Aki…. You saved my life. Let me help you."
"Gray!"
"I love you, Aki…" Aki watched again in horror as Gray stuck his hand into the Gaia of the phantoms's world, transferring his soul and the completed 7 spirits inside Aki into the Gaia. Thus mending the wrong that the Zeus cannon had done.
Aki clung to Gray's spirit as long as she could, but it slipped from her hands and into the Gaia.
