"I never thought I'd ever see that rune again…" Sierra said. She flew in and reverted back into her human form. Leon Silverburg looked a little…afraid. She followed Hiro and his party inside. Maybe she wasn't as strange and cold-hearted as Hiro thought. "Well, carry on as you were Hiro. I'll stand on the side and watch." Okay, scratch that idea. So maybe she was STILL weird, but she definitely had something on her mind.
"Leon Silverburg…you dare mess with spirits of the dead?" Hiro asked. He stood up from his bench.
"Ha, they are only part of my master plan to rule the world! And you, Hiro of the State will soon become my pawn as well…" Hiro thought for a moment. So his plan wasn't working…his plan to reverse the spell on him wasn't working…or was it? If he cast the spell on him…it shouldn't work…but what if it did? And what if he realized he wasn't dead…then what? Well, he's lived through worse things, or that's what he figured. Hiro was about to speak again, when he realized something. If he didn't talk, maybe he would think he was dead. After all, dead spirits aren't supposed to talk. "What's a matter…cat got your tongue…?" Camus looked over and caught on.
"Who are you talking to Leon Silverburg? Has using your rune made you lose your mind? Or does it make you see dead people, because our lord is not here…he left the castle after the war ended and has never returned. They found his body yesterday, and we are planning to hold a memorial service soon…" Camus said.
"That's right, we do not fear you! We'll defeat you in memory of our lord," Miklotov added. Leon Silverburg looked confused for a minute. Then he looked at them like they had made a grave mistake.
"You…you have made an error. The State shall fall now since your admittance to the death of Lord Hiro. So, if you don't mind…I'll just be BORROWING his SOUL!!!!" Leon Silverburg shouted. A blast was fired from the rune on his hand. Hiro closed his eyes. He was ready for this. After all, an undead spell couldn't hurt him, could it? He closed his eyes, but the stream disintegrated before it got to him. He opened his eyes and looked up. It was Jowy standing infront of him. Was it? He couldn't believe anything he saw now. He looked again. It couldn't be mistaken. It was Jowy…he was standing so close to Hiro once again. He felt all the memories of their past flow through him. It was almost like he was alive again, but Hiro faced reality. It wasn't. He wasn't really alive…he was dead. Leon Silverburg just interrupted the eternal sleep that Jowy was just beginning. Leon Silverburg was wrong, wrong to do that, wrong to start another fight, Hiro made sure he was going to pay.
"J-Jowy…" Hiro said quietly. He turned his head to look. It looked like Jowy…but when Hiro put his hand out to touch him, it slipped right through his body. "Jowy…"
"Hiro…I knew you'd come. You wouldn't be the type of person to let this kind of thing go…"
"Jowy…" Hiro said. He looked past his friend to Leon Silverburg. He was curled up on the floor. Sierra was beating up on him like she did Neclord. She was taking back the rune that was rightfully part of their clan's. Leon Silverburg looked defeated. Finally a bright white light ensued, and Leon Silverburg vanished. Sierra turned around.
"Well, he's gone now. He's been sealed in the Underworld. He won't come back again. As for the spirits he called out…you'll return peacefully soon…" Sierra said. Hiro nodded.
"Jowy…we don't have much time then…"
"Hiro?"
"I'm…I'm going to do what I should have done…what I should have done before…" Hiro nodded and lifted his right hand up. "I caused you to carry the burden of this rune much longer than I should have…now…that your time has passed, the burden should be lifted off you and onto me. I can handle it…I've learned also that I'm not the only one in this world…just look at all the people around me. They're all there for each other, we're all here for each other…"
"Hiro…I understand…" Jowy replied. He lifted his right hand up. Though they were one in one world, one in the other, their hearts and souls seemed to combine as one, no matter the barrier. Their souls, seemed to be singing together as the transfer of the runes was taking place. Hiro could feel the energy flowing through them. It felt like he was accomplishing a heavy task out of life. The runes combined to form the True rune. The Rune of Beginning. Pretty soon the light faded, and Hiro was staring back at his best friend. Only he looked a little different…he looked real. Hiro had to poke him to make sure. "OW!"
"You're solid!"
"Of course I'm solid, I'm human I'm…oh gosh…"
"Jowy!!!"
"Hiro…"
"Jowy!!! You're back!!!" he hugged him. He didn't care if he didn't understand how it came to be. All that mattered was he got someone important in his life back. Leknaat appeared to greet the new bearer of a true, complete rune.
"Hiro…bearer of the Rune of Beginning…"
"Oh…" Hiro said. He turned around. Leknaat was barging in on his life again…but perhaps for the very last time.
"Hiro, you and Jowy have completed the Rune of Beginning…in its true form, it is tremendously powerful. As the Rune of the Beginning…once in a rare while it will grant the bearer's deepest desire…that for you, was to have Jowy back. Therefore, it granted your wish…"
"Are you saying…that this can bring back the dead?" Camus asked.
"Perhaps…yes…but only if it is your deepest desire…a true want…"
"I see…" Hiro said. He nodded. He knew what he was going to want next, but it wouldn't happen. The rune had granted his wish once, it was not likely to grace him again.
"I've watched you for a long time now Hiro, you are a wonderful leader, and an amazing youth. But…I fear I have intervened in your life for too long now…"
"Are you saying you're going to leave now?" Hiro asked.
"Yes…it is time for me to go, Luc…however will stay here with you until I give him further notice," Leknaat said. A groan was heard in the back of the room. Apparently Luc had appeared as well.
"What do you mean I can't go back with you milady? Haven't I studied here in the world enough?"
"There are more things you can learn, things you can learn from him…" Leknaat answered.
"What can I learn from that kiddo?" Luc asked. Hiro laughed. It looked like everything was back to normal.
******************************************************************************************
It looked like everything was okay. Hiro stayed at the castle for a few days while everything resumed its normal course. The State flourished again, and the people returned to living their lives in peace. Jowy, was welcomed into the State by its leaders…it was a time of forgiveness, not for contempt. All that mattered was that they could finally live in peace again, possibly for the rest of their lives.
Then came the day when Hiro had packed his bag. He looked like he was ready to leave again. Would he take the course that he had taken three years ago? Would he risk coming back to the same place three years later, and have the same problem? But perhaps it was different this time…now that Leon Silverburg was dead and gone…maybe something like that wouldn't happen again. Everything would work out fine, even if he did left. Jowy came to knock on his door.
"Are you ready buddy?" he whispered through the crack in the door.
"Yes," Hiro whispered back. It was midnight, and everyone was asleep.
"Are you sure about this?"
"Maybe its better, that people like us, once it's all over…let the people decide their own future. After all, we shouldn't be the ones deciding for them all the time. They must learn to be independent, and not rely so much on one person…"
"Well then…let's go…we'll live our lives out in peace, together…like we always have been," Jowy said. Hiro closed the door gently behind him and they walked under the light of the moon…far out beyond the horizon. After that…they were never seen again. People say they lived their lives in the mountains, only coming out when they needed to. They lived happily…until the very end of their meaningful lives.