Fortunately, her blade did not get that far. For the majority of
their little conversation, Mitsuko had been searching through her
programming for some kind of 'radio' system that would be able to contact
her body and, if for a limited amount of time, allow her to control the
body's functions. She had managed to accomplish her task in the nick of
time, sending out frantic messages to the body, concentrating hard on
exactly what she wanted it to do. It had risen from behind Tahra as she
spoke, and now leapt forward, grasping her by the neck, pulling her
backwards. The staff flew from her hands and clattered to the ground, Dr.
Sloth, for the moment, graciously spared.
The robotic body and Tahra struggled for a moment, and then, the headless body decided to end it. With a jerk of its one arm, it smashed its fist into the panel on Tahra's forehead, cracking the panel, destroying it completely.
Instantly, Tahra went limp in the robotic body's arms, and so did the body, Mitsuko ceasing sending the messages. Her one red eye seemed to go dull, gazing upwards blankly. For a moment, she was completely still-and then a black haze seemed to seep from the panel on her forehead, floating up into the air and then diving down into the ground. The wires connecting the handcuffs to her skin suddenly sprang from her skin, floating into the air. Indeed, the machine parts of her body seemed to be going crazy, as if trying to escape from her body, for underneath Tahra's limp body grew a black pool from where the black gas had hit the ground, spreading around the body.
It first sucked Mitsuko's former body in like it was nothing more than a piece of food, a large bubble popping upwards as it was submerged completely. The former Space Faerie, however, seemed to go more slowly, her legs sinking first. Mitsuko watched in horror as the enigma unfolded before her, unsure what to think or what to do. Although the black pool did not extend towards her, she still felt a great sense of fear, wanting to move away, but unable to due to her lack of body.
Dr. Sloth, on the other hand, gave a cry of alarm. Although bruised and battered by the very person who was slowly being pulled into the quicksand-like material, he still scrambled forwards on his arms alone, his legs dragging behind him uselessly, desperately stretching his arms to try and reach her body while not falling in the black liquid. As Mitsuko looked at it, she realized that it appeared just like the swamp water that had surrounded the castle. And even as they were in the room, the feeling of the castle beginning to shake, slowly lowering itself into the liquid along with its ruler, rumbled through their bones.
Dr. Sloth finally managed to get a decent grip on Tahra body. With all the strength he could muster, he pulled her vigorously, trying to free her of the liquid. It only proved to suck her down more, and dragged Dr. Sloth with her, stumbling forwards and falling into it. For a moment, he struggled against the force that pulled him down, but soon submitted to the inevitable, relaxing his muscles. Instead, he reached forwards to Tahra, either unconscious or dead, wrapping his arms around her almost protectively, as if it would do anything to save her. Still, he held her close, and she seemed to take a bit of notice, the one eye becoming slightly less cloudy.
"Frank. . .?" she asked, confused and deranged, her eye looking upwards and searching around the room, occasionally passing by Dr. Sloth altogether. She lifted one of her hands and reached aimlessly, trying to touch something that wasn't there. Gently, Dr. Sloth reached his hand forwards and wrapped his around hers, bringing it back towards their bodies as they sunk lower and lower. With her hand in Dr. Sloth's, Tahra seemed to calm down, her one usable eye closing, a hopeless smile spreading across her face. It quickly faded, however, and her eye opened again, the tears still running down her face, this time with more intensity.
"It's.all my fault, isn't it. All of this. The castle. Your pain. Rose's pain. The world's pain. I wasn't strong enough, and I allowed myself to be overcome by something that wasn't me.the machine.I'm so sorry, Frank," she wept, choking out the words between fits of sobbing. Dr. Sloth buried his face in her blue hair, shaking his head.
"No. It's not your fault. You did all that you could. That's enough."
"I failed everyone. . .Frank, I tried to kill you. . .I would die if you were gone. . .I. . ."
"Shhh," whispered Dr. Sloth in a soothing voice, running his fingers through her hair, his other hand squeezing hers encouragingly. "Everything is going to be fine, Tahra. . .maybe not right now, but. . .someday. . ." He spoke this even as they sunk downwards. Tahra probably knew that he was lying to make her feel better, but the smile reappeared on her face amid the tears. Neither of them seemed to care that both of them were heading towards their death-as long as they faced it together, it would be enough.
"I don't want to leave you, Frank."
"You're not going to, Tah."
"I can't hold on much longer. . .you're fading, Frank, and I don't want to go alone. . ."
"Hold on just a little bit longer, Tah. . .we'll be able to get through this."
"No. . .why. . .why can't I see you? Or Rose?" Tahra's word's were obviously supposed to be frantic, but her voice sounded calm, and the smile never left her face. "Is this what dying is like?" she asked softly, her eyes looking questionably into the air. For a moment, they were bright, as if seeing something that she truly desired, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Frank. . .won't you come with me?" she asked in a hardly audible voice, staring seemingly through the space above her. With those last words, her one hand slowly reaching above her, Tahra died, a smile lasting on her face eternally.
"Tah?" whispered Dr. Sloth, seeming shocked at first as Tahra's arm fell limp to her side, the grip on his hand loosening. He released her hand and patted her gently on the cheek, a desperate look passing over his face. "Tah?" he asked louder, looking down at her blank eyes. A look of horrible realization encompassed his face, and he gripped to her body, breathing hard. "No. . .no. . ." his voice began, quivering, but slowly increasing. The tears that had threatened at his eyes now broke the dam that he had created, pouring down his face as the liquid reached to his hips.
And just as this occurred, the liquid seemed to tighten its grip on Tahra and yank her downwards furiously, leaving Dr. Sloth alone in the liquid that now ceased dragging him down. It took Dr. Sloth a few moments time to realize that his hands were empty from pure shock, and when he did, he cried out like a wild animal. Reaching downwards, he frantically dug at the liquid, as if searching for Tahra through it. Judging by his expression, Mitsuko estimated that his arms touched nothing but the goop, covering his arms all the way up to his shoulders.
After tirelessly searching for what seemed like hours, Dr. Sloth sat back, holding up his hands and looking at them blankly, not making a sound as he wept. He covered his face with his hands, leaning forwards and placing his elbows on his useless legs, wallowing in his own puddle of grief. Mitsuko offered no condolence-he was the reason that Phil was dead, and causing something like that was virtually unforgivable.
Yet as Dr. Sloth covered his eyes, the liquid before him seemed to change. From the utter blackness of it came a ray of light, slowly spreading through the pool, lighting up the room. Dr. Sloth, obviously noticing the light change, pulled his hands away from his eyes, looking down at the liquid around him that now looked fluorescent, white with many different color sprinkled in. Before him grew a figure from the liquid, rising into the air, covered in the liquid. For a moment, it was suspended in the air, the body masked. The liquid, with a suddenness, flew off of the body, revealing a fully organic form of Tahra, her wounds healed and absent. Her eyes, however, were still blank, her body naked. She didn't seem to notice Dr. Sloth sitting before her, tilting her head upwards and holding her arms towards the sky as if she were possessed by some celestial being.
The clouds in the sky above them suddenly parted, the blue of the day sky fading quickly, as if the hours of the days had been accelerated, bringing it to night. With the clouds out of the way, all of the stars and the moon were apparent, all of their light seeming to collect towards Tahra, streaming into her body. She closed her eyes, as if embracing their energy, and began ascending upwards towards the moon at a rapid pace, disappearing into the night sky among the moon.
She was not gone for long, however. The moon beamed its solemn rays down on Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko. Mitsuko searched for Tahra's body, but found none-instead of a brown-skinned organic faerie descending from the moon, now, she saw something that appeared like some kind of spirit, seeming to come from the very light of the moon. Mitsuko gazed up in wonder, unable to believe its beauty. The figure, shaped like Tahra, the only color besides white on its body its two fiery red eyes, was not heading towards Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko, however. Instead, it floated over the surface of wasted surface of Neopia and the descending castle of the former Faerieland, gazing down upon them almost pityingly.
"Tah?" asked Dr. Sloth, confused as he craned his neck upwards to look at the spirit.
The spirit gave a gentle smile to Dr. Sloth, one that a mother would give to a beloved child. Then, she turned her attention back towards Neopia, holding her wispy hands upwards towards the sky. A bright beam of light formulated between her two delicate hands, seeming to come directly from the moon, so bright that Mitsuko was forced to turn her head away temporarily to avoid from damaging her ocular circuits. The spirit's eyes closed, the red dots disappearing from view. In moments, the collection of light above the spirit's head had increased to an enormous amount, the spirit seeming to be struggling to contain it. Gradually, the spirit brought her arms down, pointing the great ball of light towards the castle, her lips murmuring silent words.
Thousands of individual beams sprouted from the collection of light. It did not come out in straight beams, however-instead, it seemed to grow from the light as if it were ivy growing in fast forward, stretching itself towards the castle. The branches of light caressed the sides of the castle, wrapping tightly up against its walls, plunging their endings into the many cracks within the walls. The branches also reached out to the black liquid surrounding the castle, so many falling into its darkness, seeming, at first, to be consumed by its utter lightlessness.
The castle again began rumbling beneath Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko. But this time it was not descending-no, instead, the castle was lifting into the air, as if being carried by some mystical force, which no doubt was actually happening. The branches of ivy produced from the light lifted the castle upwards from the liquid, the castle giving a loud groan. Those beams which had made their destination to be the liquid began diminishing it, finding their way to the wrecked and ravaged other buildings of the former Faerieland, wrapping their long fingers around them and bringing them up with the castle, the liquid underneath dripping from the sides of the castle and the buildings alike.
As the buildings and the castles ascended into the air, the ivy vines of light seemed to sink deeper into the sides of the buildings and the castles. Slowly, cracks that had formed in the buildings closed up, being healed by the light. The castle itself, however, was slowly being completely reformed, as if it were under a renovation program. The top that had formerly covered the room that Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko currently occupied was not reapplied above the two of them-instead, it merged with the side of the castle, as if it were a bacteria splitting in reverse, reducing the height of the castle, but stretching it wider. This made it look like less of a faerie structure, but still improved nonetheless, all of the cracks and grime that had accumulated on its surface washed off from the light cleansing.
As the buildings ascended higher into the air, among the few puffy clouds that now littered the sky, the buildings seemed to situate themselves into the sky, as if setting up a town from life-size toys. The few clouds that were in the sky seemed to bubble into increasingly larger ones, growing underneath the buildings and supporting them in mid-air. The castle and the buildings, for the first time, high above Neopia, stopped their ascending, propped nicely upon the clouds, holding up their immense weight as if they were not much more than the weight of feathers.
The spirit now hovered above the room that Mitsuko and Dr. Sloth still were in, Dr. Sloth's expression stuck in one of confusion, his eyes squinting, as if trying to decipher if it was truly the late Tahra above him. The spirit, though, was not done with her work-indeed, she had just begun, as there was still a considerable quantity of light still stored in her hands. Giving a wistful look towards Dr. Sloth, she moved away from the castle, over the surface of Neopia's still jaded lands.
Once again, she closed her eyes, holding the light above her chest. A portion of her own body seemed to contribute to the ball of light suddenly, as if being emitted from her chest, her very soul being used in the process of healing the lands around her. Bringing her hands forth from her chest, she brought them downwards, pointing the ball of light towards the ground. Squeezing her eyes shut, as if bracing herself for impact, she released the ball of energy in one thrust downwards, sending it spiraling towards the surface of Neopia.
It seemed, at first, that it would collide horribly with the ground, causing an enormous crater and thus more catastrophe. But no-instead of acting as a solid object, it hit the ground as if it were a drop of liquid, splashing upwards, little droplets sprinkling across the land. And, unlike a drop of water, it began to spread like a dam breaking, the water beneath it gushing out. Also, unlike water, it did not damage everything in its path-no, in fact, it seemed to become transparent, though its influence was still quite visible. Where there had once been desolate deserts and wastelands sprung greenery of all sorts, restoring the surface to its natural state. Thousands of flowers bloomed beneath the reborn Faerieland, and the refertilization only continued to spread throughout the planet at a rapid pace. The ravaged palaces of Sakhmet City grew once again from rubble, the castles of Meridell reconstructing themselves, and the many buildings of Neopian Central finding themselves back in perfect order, as if no invaders, radiation or plagues had even touched the surface of the pure planet. It was a Neopia that Mitsuko was unfamiliar with, besides perhaps the quiet personality in the back of her mind, Rose-but she felt that she could quickly grow accustomed to the change.
Yet even as the wondrous changes occurred before her, Mitsuko could not help but lament over the death of Phil, wishing that somehow, someway, the departed Desert Shoyru that she had so loved could see his world transformed into one of absolute beauty. There was also the far-off sense of being disconnected from the world, as if she were dying, though it was impossible for a robot to die. She struggled to keep her eyes open, looking over to Dr. Sloth and then up to the spirit of Tahra. The spirit seemed to be suffering from a bit of weakness, faltering a bit in the air, but watching in satisfaction as the scene beneath her occurred. As the light finished its travels through the world of Neopia, the spirit turned her attention back to Mitsuko and Dr. Sloth, who still remained in the cramped little room.
Her attention first seemed inclined to go towards Dr. Sloth, but she turned it to Mitsuko, seeming to notice that the robot was fading fast. Her great, white body floated towards Mitsuko, and the robotic Shoyru felt a great sense of peace swim over her consciousness, her eyes closing.
Yet as she closed her eyes, she seemed to awaken to a whole new consciousness. She was no longer confined to the dimensions of the room, nor to the dimensions of time and space that restricted Neopia. She and the spirit seemed to be floating high in the sky, above Neopia yet not in the darkness of space. Mitsuko could look down on her disembodied head and observe it from a third person instead of being trapped within it-the sensation was strange, but welcoming. She was vaguely aware that she was no longer in a robotic body, but she did not take the time to see what form she had assumed-instead, she looked forwards at the spirit intently, somehow knowing that she was about to speak.
"Rose. . .Mitsuko," said the spirit of Tahra calmly, her crimson eyes seeming to be able to see right into her soul. But it was not an uncomfortable sensation-in fact, Mitsuko felt freer with this arrangement.
"Tahra," replied Mitsuko, acknowledging the spirit. The spirit smiled.
"Then you do know that this, in fact is me."
"Yes. But I'm not quite sure why. . ."
"Well, the explanation is a bit of faerie mythology, so I shall describe it to you. There have been many Space Faeries before me- reincarnated into many different forms, in order to save Neopia. We all share a common soul, and thus are all connected-but when I was destroyed and then brought back by science, that pattern was disrupted. My temporary absence allowed for many various invaders who had not been quite so obviously as other offenders in Neopia to descend down upon the planet. Even restored as a machine, however, and banishing the invaders, part of my. . .well, our soul had been obliterated, temporarily lost in the cosmos, allowing for the corruption that comes with being mortal. When I died once again, the remains of our soul was allowed to be recovered, and thus I was able to restore Neopia to its former glory."
"But. . .Dr. Sloth. . .?"
The spirit smiled tenderly. "Though immortal, a soul still cannot avoid love, whether it be from an ally or an enemy." The spirit of the Space Faerie turned away from the subject however, ending it simply with a thoughtful, affectionate smile. "But now, Mitsuko, we have more important matters to discuss-such as what shall happen to you?"
"I don't understand. I am a machine-I do not possess a soul."
"Perhaps not the machine. But, being partly organic, you still manifested a sort of soul, if not a full one-and this allowed you to grow. Besides, how do you define what has a soul or not? Is it something that is sentient? If that is the case, than any robot could possess a soul."
"Then.then what can happen to. . .my. . .soul?"
"You may choose to stay within the boundaries of the robotic body, to be reconstructed, living a long and fruitful life, though filled with hardships as it may be. Or.you may choose to die, not able to live the joys of life, but able to reside within the peace of the afterlife."
Mitsuko did not answer immediately. She hardly noticed that a troubled expression had overcome her face as she delved deep into thought, but either that or the spirit had been able to read her mind, for the Space Faerie's spirit spoke up once again. "I can see that the issue troubles you. In all admission, you do enjoy life, don't you? As any thing with a soul should. Life. . .living. . .it has its pleasantries far greater than that of the afterlife, yet it may leave you miserable as well. It's a double-edged sword.
"On the other hand, you have the afterlife. A place of even feelings, where nothing really changes much. . .constant peace. But can that be truly described as bliss, as everything always remains the same? Is death really the final answer?" Mitsuko considered this for a moment, and then spoke the only thing on her mind that the Space Faerie spirit had not vocalized.
"There is Phil in the afterlife. There is not Phil in life."
The two stood at a standstill for a moment, the spirit looking surprised, almost as if surprised that the Desert Shoyru could possibly mean so much to Mitsuko as to give up the blessing of life.
"Are you sure? I should warn you-such a decision is permanent. There's no such thing as 'coming back from the dead.' Reincarnation, perhaps, but you won't--" Mitsuko cut off the spirit, shaking her head in the middle of her speech.
"I understand. I choose death."
"As you wish."
The spirit held out her hand, and Mitsuko placed hers within the spirit's hand. As she looked at her hand, however, she noticed that it was not robotic, though she knew it would not be-no, it was of a pale blue color, the same color that her face had been. Still a bit astonished, she looked all over herself to find that she was within a blue Shoyru body which was fully organic. The wings were the only difference between her and other Shoyrus-for right before her eyes, the bat wings that had formerly adorned her back were replaced with ones made of ivory-colored feathers, like those of a graceful Pteri falcon.
"Come," whispered the spirit, and began to soar upwards at an alarming rate. Mitsuko, however, found it effortless to follow, as if she had boosters once again and they had been upgraded to those suitable for traveling through space. Higher and higher they flew, Mitsuko seeming to instinctively know the way, not needing a guide. As they climbed, she felt the spirit falling away from her hand, tagging back, finally releasing her hand. Mitsuko did not stop to wait for her.
For above her there was a light, growing larger with each second that she joyously beat her wings, her elegant angel wings. There was a light getting so close that its warmth touched every inch of her body, covering her field of vision. And that warmth felt distinctly of Phil's soft body pressing itself gently against hers, their touch meeting once again. Closing her eyes, Mitsuko allowed herself to be immersed in the soothing light, tears budding at her eyes in pure ecstasy. A smile found its way onto her lips, though she hardly even noticed it.
'I'm coming Phil. I'm coming.'
Epilogue
Krishna was awakened from his sleep on the cold, desert sand from the stumblings and gruntings of someone in the distance. Curling out of the comfortable fetal position which he had established on the ground, he stretched his limbs, feeling much better than he had when he had fallen asleep-for he had fallen asleep outside, the house which he had been staying at reduced to ashes. He had tried to get as far away from the gruesome sight as possible, and had found himself some way deep in the desert, with no desire to turn around, and no desire to uphold what little life he had left.
Yet as he looked forward through the darkness of the night, squinting, he could almost believe that he saw greenery in the distance- honest to goodness trees, things that he had pretty much heard of only in myth. Convinced that it must've been a mirage caused by the rising sun in the distance, he turned his direction to where he had heard the noise coming from.
Again, he found his sight unreliable and rubbed at his eyes. But he found his eyesight to be true-tumbling through the sand in his direction came the form of his father, walking independently. With a cry of half- alarm and half-happiness to see him actually alive, Krishna struggled to his feet and ran through the sand to Dr. Sloth. The doctor, his glasses askew on his face and one of the lenses broken, smiled weakly before falling forwards, as if exhausted. Krishna barely managed to catch him, shifting his weight to his left leg, supporting his father with his right side, wrapping his arm around his shoulder.
"Y-you're alive! I thought. . .I thought. . ."
"Do me a favor right now, boy," groaned Dr. Sloth, holding his side, "and don't think. Just get me home."
Krishna's face fell at this, pursing his lips together sadly. "I'm afraid that's not possible.you see, these fire faeries came, directed by. . .er, Mom. . .and burnt down the house. . .Phil. . .Phil died. . ."
"The house is still there. Trust me," replied Dr. Sloth. "Phil, perhaps not, but the house. . ."
"How's that possible?"
"How are trees possible in a desolate landscape? I don't know," answered Dr. Sloth wearily. "But in any case, order has been restored. . .or as much order as you can give to a sentient species." He rubbed his face with his hand, pulling it away slick with sweat. He wiped the sweat on his pants.
"What happened to. . .Mother?" asked Krishna, still finding the word strange on his lips. Dr. Sloth's face seemed to get very tight for a moment, as if he might break out into tears. He fought down the expression however, clearing his throat multiple times before he spoke in a low voice.
"She's where she should be. . .protecting the planet from very far away." Krishna fell silent after that for a moment, allowing his father to recover from the strain of admitting the fate of his former lover. Krishna felt he could do nothing to comfort him but wait and slowly walk towards the house, waiting for the precise time until he brought up another question that burned in the front of his mind.
"What has come of Mitsuko. . .?"
"I don't know. But I assume that she's somewhere, safe with Phil." Krishna understood immediately what this meant-a grim look overcame his face. Yet he was not overly sad, for he knew that this was probably what Mitsuko had wanted-to see the devastated look on her face at Phil's death had nearly killed him inside. "Look," said Dr. Sloth, interrupting Krishna's train of thought, pointing into the night sky.
Krishna strained his neck upwards, following his father's finger. Among the vast amount of stars, all twinkling beautifully, was a single shooting star, streaking across the sky, and then fading to nothing. Krishna felt his stomach well up, as if it were filled with water, which drifted to his eyes. He didn't know why the meteor made him feel so emotional-perhaps it was the way that the wind was blowing, or that in the distance he could vaguely see his father's house still in perfect order. Or maybe it was because he instinctively knew what the shooting star was, what it represented, and that the little Shoyru robot who had rarely smiled was finally at peace.
In any instance, it was Krishna's turn to cry. Dr. Sloth gave him a queer look, and then brought the half-faerie's head to his shoulder in a grudgingly comforting gesture, as a real father might do. And slowly, stumbling every so often from the inconsistency of the sand, the two walked back to the house.
The robotic body and Tahra struggled for a moment, and then, the headless body decided to end it. With a jerk of its one arm, it smashed its fist into the panel on Tahra's forehead, cracking the panel, destroying it completely.
Instantly, Tahra went limp in the robotic body's arms, and so did the body, Mitsuko ceasing sending the messages. Her one red eye seemed to go dull, gazing upwards blankly. For a moment, she was completely still-and then a black haze seemed to seep from the panel on her forehead, floating up into the air and then diving down into the ground. The wires connecting the handcuffs to her skin suddenly sprang from her skin, floating into the air. Indeed, the machine parts of her body seemed to be going crazy, as if trying to escape from her body, for underneath Tahra's limp body grew a black pool from where the black gas had hit the ground, spreading around the body.
It first sucked Mitsuko's former body in like it was nothing more than a piece of food, a large bubble popping upwards as it was submerged completely. The former Space Faerie, however, seemed to go more slowly, her legs sinking first. Mitsuko watched in horror as the enigma unfolded before her, unsure what to think or what to do. Although the black pool did not extend towards her, she still felt a great sense of fear, wanting to move away, but unable to due to her lack of body.
Dr. Sloth, on the other hand, gave a cry of alarm. Although bruised and battered by the very person who was slowly being pulled into the quicksand-like material, he still scrambled forwards on his arms alone, his legs dragging behind him uselessly, desperately stretching his arms to try and reach her body while not falling in the black liquid. As Mitsuko looked at it, she realized that it appeared just like the swamp water that had surrounded the castle. And even as they were in the room, the feeling of the castle beginning to shake, slowly lowering itself into the liquid along with its ruler, rumbled through their bones.
Dr. Sloth finally managed to get a decent grip on Tahra body. With all the strength he could muster, he pulled her vigorously, trying to free her of the liquid. It only proved to suck her down more, and dragged Dr. Sloth with her, stumbling forwards and falling into it. For a moment, he struggled against the force that pulled him down, but soon submitted to the inevitable, relaxing his muscles. Instead, he reached forwards to Tahra, either unconscious or dead, wrapping his arms around her almost protectively, as if it would do anything to save her. Still, he held her close, and she seemed to take a bit of notice, the one eye becoming slightly less cloudy.
"Frank. . .?" she asked, confused and deranged, her eye looking upwards and searching around the room, occasionally passing by Dr. Sloth altogether. She lifted one of her hands and reached aimlessly, trying to touch something that wasn't there. Gently, Dr. Sloth reached his hand forwards and wrapped his around hers, bringing it back towards their bodies as they sunk lower and lower. With her hand in Dr. Sloth's, Tahra seemed to calm down, her one usable eye closing, a hopeless smile spreading across her face. It quickly faded, however, and her eye opened again, the tears still running down her face, this time with more intensity.
"It's.all my fault, isn't it. All of this. The castle. Your pain. Rose's pain. The world's pain. I wasn't strong enough, and I allowed myself to be overcome by something that wasn't me.the machine.I'm so sorry, Frank," she wept, choking out the words between fits of sobbing. Dr. Sloth buried his face in her blue hair, shaking his head.
"No. It's not your fault. You did all that you could. That's enough."
"I failed everyone. . .Frank, I tried to kill you. . .I would die if you were gone. . .I. . ."
"Shhh," whispered Dr. Sloth in a soothing voice, running his fingers through her hair, his other hand squeezing hers encouragingly. "Everything is going to be fine, Tahra. . .maybe not right now, but. . .someday. . ." He spoke this even as they sunk downwards. Tahra probably knew that he was lying to make her feel better, but the smile reappeared on her face amid the tears. Neither of them seemed to care that both of them were heading towards their death-as long as they faced it together, it would be enough.
"I don't want to leave you, Frank."
"You're not going to, Tah."
"I can't hold on much longer. . .you're fading, Frank, and I don't want to go alone. . ."
"Hold on just a little bit longer, Tah. . .we'll be able to get through this."
"No. . .why. . .why can't I see you? Or Rose?" Tahra's word's were obviously supposed to be frantic, but her voice sounded calm, and the smile never left her face. "Is this what dying is like?" she asked softly, her eyes looking questionably into the air. For a moment, they were bright, as if seeing something that she truly desired, a wide grin spreading across her face. "Frank. . .won't you come with me?" she asked in a hardly audible voice, staring seemingly through the space above her. With those last words, her one hand slowly reaching above her, Tahra died, a smile lasting on her face eternally.
"Tah?" whispered Dr. Sloth, seeming shocked at first as Tahra's arm fell limp to her side, the grip on his hand loosening. He released her hand and patted her gently on the cheek, a desperate look passing over his face. "Tah?" he asked louder, looking down at her blank eyes. A look of horrible realization encompassed his face, and he gripped to her body, breathing hard. "No. . .no. . ." his voice began, quivering, but slowly increasing. The tears that had threatened at his eyes now broke the dam that he had created, pouring down his face as the liquid reached to his hips.
And just as this occurred, the liquid seemed to tighten its grip on Tahra and yank her downwards furiously, leaving Dr. Sloth alone in the liquid that now ceased dragging him down. It took Dr. Sloth a few moments time to realize that his hands were empty from pure shock, and when he did, he cried out like a wild animal. Reaching downwards, he frantically dug at the liquid, as if searching for Tahra through it. Judging by his expression, Mitsuko estimated that his arms touched nothing but the goop, covering his arms all the way up to his shoulders.
After tirelessly searching for what seemed like hours, Dr. Sloth sat back, holding up his hands and looking at them blankly, not making a sound as he wept. He covered his face with his hands, leaning forwards and placing his elbows on his useless legs, wallowing in his own puddle of grief. Mitsuko offered no condolence-he was the reason that Phil was dead, and causing something like that was virtually unforgivable.
Yet as Dr. Sloth covered his eyes, the liquid before him seemed to change. From the utter blackness of it came a ray of light, slowly spreading through the pool, lighting up the room. Dr. Sloth, obviously noticing the light change, pulled his hands away from his eyes, looking down at the liquid around him that now looked fluorescent, white with many different color sprinkled in. Before him grew a figure from the liquid, rising into the air, covered in the liquid. For a moment, it was suspended in the air, the body masked. The liquid, with a suddenness, flew off of the body, revealing a fully organic form of Tahra, her wounds healed and absent. Her eyes, however, were still blank, her body naked. She didn't seem to notice Dr. Sloth sitting before her, tilting her head upwards and holding her arms towards the sky as if she were possessed by some celestial being.
The clouds in the sky above them suddenly parted, the blue of the day sky fading quickly, as if the hours of the days had been accelerated, bringing it to night. With the clouds out of the way, all of the stars and the moon were apparent, all of their light seeming to collect towards Tahra, streaming into her body. She closed her eyes, as if embracing their energy, and began ascending upwards towards the moon at a rapid pace, disappearing into the night sky among the moon.
She was not gone for long, however. The moon beamed its solemn rays down on Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko. Mitsuko searched for Tahra's body, but found none-instead of a brown-skinned organic faerie descending from the moon, now, she saw something that appeared like some kind of spirit, seeming to come from the very light of the moon. Mitsuko gazed up in wonder, unable to believe its beauty. The figure, shaped like Tahra, the only color besides white on its body its two fiery red eyes, was not heading towards Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko, however. Instead, it floated over the surface of wasted surface of Neopia and the descending castle of the former Faerieland, gazing down upon them almost pityingly.
"Tah?" asked Dr. Sloth, confused as he craned his neck upwards to look at the spirit.
The spirit gave a gentle smile to Dr. Sloth, one that a mother would give to a beloved child. Then, she turned her attention back towards Neopia, holding her wispy hands upwards towards the sky. A bright beam of light formulated between her two delicate hands, seeming to come directly from the moon, so bright that Mitsuko was forced to turn her head away temporarily to avoid from damaging her ocular circuits. The spirit's eyes closed, the red dots disappearing from view. In moments, the collection of light above the spirit's head had increased to an enormous amount, the spirit seeming to be struggling to contain it. Gradually, the spirit brought her arms down, pointing the great ball of light towards the castle, her lips murmuring silent words.
Thousands of individual beams sprouted from the collection of light. It did not come out in straight beams, however-instead, it seemed to grow from the light as if it were ivy growing in fast forward, stretching itself towards the castle. The branches of light caressed the sides of the castle, wrapping tightly up against its walls, plunging their endings into the many cracks within the walls. The branches also reached out to the black liquid surrounding the castle, so many falling into its darkness, seeming, at first, to be consumed by its utter lightlessness.
The castle again began rumbling beneath Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko. But this time it was not descending-no, instead, the castle was lifting into the air, as if being carried by some mystical force, which no doubt was actually happening. The branches of ivy produced from the light lifted the castle upwards from the liquid, the castle giving a loud groan. Those beams which had made their destination to be the liquid began diminishing it, finding their way to the wrecked and ravaged other buildings of the former Faerieland, wrapping their long fingers around them and bringing them up with the castle, the liquid underneath dripping from the sides of the castle and the buildings alike.
As the buildings and the castles ascended into the air, the ivy vines of light seemed to sink deeper into the sides of the buildings and the castles. Slowly, cracks that had formed in the buildings closed up, being healed by the light. The castle itself, however, was slowly being completely reformed, as if it were under a renovation program. The top that had formerly covered the room that Dr. Sloth and Mitsuko currently occupied was not reapplied above the two of them-instead, it merged with the side of the castle, as if it were a bacteria splitting in reverse, reducing the height of the castle, but stretching it wider. This made it look like less of a faerie structure, but still improved nonetheless, all of the cracks and grime that had accumulated on its surface washed off from the light cleansing.
As the buildings ascended higher into the air, among the few puffy clouds that now littered the sky, the buildings seemed to situate themselves into the sky, as if setting up a town from life-size toys. The few clouds that were in the sky seemed to bubble into increasingly larger ones, growing underneath the buildings and supporting them in mid-air. The castle and the buildings, for the first time, high above Neopia, stopped their ascending, propped nicely upon the clouds, holding up their immense weight as if they were not much more than the weight of feathers.
The spirit now hovered above the room that Mitsuko and Dr. Sloth still were in, Dr. Sloth's expression stuck in one of confusion, his eyes squinting, as if trying to decipher if it was truly the late Tahra above him. The spirit, though, was not done with her work-indeed, she had just begun, as there was still a considerable quantity of light still stored in her hands. Giving a wistful look towards Dr. Sloth, she moved away from the castle, over the surface of Neopia's still jaded lands.
Once again, she closed her eyes, holding the light above her chest. A portion of her own body seemed to contribute to the ball of light suddenly, as if being emitted from her chest, her very soul being used in the process of healing the lands around her. Bringing her hands forth from her chest, she brought them downwards, pointing the ball of light towards the ground. Squeezing her eyes shut, as if bracing herself for impact, she released the ball of energy in one thrust downwards, sending it spiraling towards the surface of Neopia.
It seemed, at first, that it would collide horribly with the ground, causing an enormous crater and thus more catastrophe. But no-instead of acting as a solid object, it hit the ground as if it were a drop of liquid, splashing upwards, little droplets sprinkling across the land. And, unlike a drop of water, it began to spread like a dam breaking, the water beneath it gushing out. Also, unlike water, it did not damage everything in its path-no, in fact, it seemed to become transparent, though its influence was still quite visible. Where there had once been desolate deserts and wastelands sprung greenery of all sorts, restoring the surface to its natural state. Thousands of flowers bloomed beneath the reborn Faerieland, and the refertilization only continued to spread throughout the planet at a rapid pace. The ravaged palaces of Sakhmet City grew once again from rubble, the castles of Meridell reconstructing themselves, and the many buildings of Neopian Central finding themselves back in perfect order, as if no invaders, radiation or plagues had even touched the surface of the pure planet. It was a Neopia that Mitsuko was unfamiliar with, besides perhaps the quiet personality in the back of her mind, Rose-but she felt that she could quickly grow accustomed to the change.
Yet even as the wondrous changes occurred before her, Mitsuko could not help but lament over the death of Phil, wishing that somehow, someway, the departed Desert Shoyru that she had so loved could see his world transformed into one of absolute beauty. There was also the far-off sense of being disconnected from the world, as if she were dying, though it was impossible for a robot to die. She struggled to keep her eyes open, looking over to Dr. Sloth and then up to the spirit of Tahra. The spirit seemed to be suffering from a bit of weakness, faltering a bit in the air, but watching in satisfaction as the scene beneath her occurred. As the light finished its travels through the world of Neopia, the spirit turned her attention back to Mitsuko and Dr. Sloth, who still remained in the cramped little room.
Her attention first seemed inclined to go towards Dr. Sloth, but she turned it to Mitsuko, seeming to notice that the robot was fading fast. Her great, white body floated towards Mitsuko, and the robotic Shoyru felt a great sense of peace swim over her consciousness, her eyes closing.
Yet as she closed her eyes, she seemed to awaken to a whole new consciousness. She was no longer confined to the dimensions of the room, nor to the dimensions of time and space that restricted Neopia. She and the spirit seemed to be floating high in the sky, above Neopia yet not in the darkness of space. Mitsuko could look down on her disembodied head and observe it from a third person instead of being trapped within it-the sensation was strange, but welcoming. She was vaguely aware that she was no longer in a robotic body, but she did not take the time to see what form she had assumed-instead, she looked forwards at the spirit intently, somehow knowing that she was about to speak.
"Rose. . .Mitsuko," said the spirit of Tahra calmly, her crimson eyes seeming to be able to see right into her soul. But it was not an uncomfortable sensation-in fact, Mitsuko felt freer with this arrangement.
"Tahra," replied Mitsuko, acknowledging the spirit. The spirit smiled.
"Then you do know that this, in fact is me."
"Yes. But I'm not quite sure why. . ."
"Well, the explanation is a bit of faerie mythology, so I shall describe it to you. There have been many Space Faeries before me- reincarnated into many different forms, in order to save Neopia. We all share a common soul, and thus are all connected-but when I was destroyed and then brought back by science, that pattern was disrupted. My temporary absence allowed for many various invaders who had not been quite so obviously as other offenders in Neopia to descend down upon the planet. Even restored as a machine, however, and banishing the invaders, part of my. . .well, our soul had been obliterated, temporarily lost in the cosmos, allowing for the corruption that comes with being mortal. When I died once again, the remains of our soul was allowed to be recovered, and thus I was able to restore Neopia to its former glory."
"But. . .Dr. Sloth. . .?"
The spirit smiled tenderly. "Though immortal, a soul still cannot avoid love, whether it be from an ally or an enemy." The spirit of the Space Faerie turned away from the subject however, ending it simply with a thoughtful, affectionate smile. "But now, Mitsuko, we have more important matters to discuss-such as what shall happen to you?"
"I don't understand. I am a machine-I do not possess a soul."
"Perhaps not the machine. But, being partly organic, you still manifested a sort of soul, if not a full one-and this allowed you to grow. Besides, how do you define what has a soul or not? Is it something that is sentient? If that is the case, than any robot could possess a soul."
"Then.then what can happen to. . .my. . .soul?"
"You may choose to stay within the boundaries of the robotic body, to be reconstructed, living a long and fruitful life, though filled with hardships as it may be. Or.you may choose to die, not able to live the joys of life, but able to reside within the peace of the afterlife."
Mitsuko did not answer immediately. She hardly noticed that a troubled expression had overcome her face as she delved deep into thought, but either that or the spirit had been able to read her mind, for the Space Faerie's spirit spoke up once again. "I can see that the issue troubles you. In all admission, you do enjoy life, don't you? As any thing with a soul should. Life. . .living. . .it has its pleasantries far greater than that of the afterlife, yet it may leave you miserable as well. It's a double-edged sword.
"On the other hand, you have the afterlife. A place of even feelings, where nothing really changes much. . .constant peace. But can that be truly described as bliss, as everything always remains the same? Is death really the final answer?" Mitsuko considered this for a moment, and then spoke the only thing on her mind that the Space Faerie spirit had not vocalized.
"There is Phil in the afterlife. There is not Phil in life."
The two stood at a standstill for a moment, the spirit looking surprised, almost as if surprised that the Desert Shoyru could possibly mean so much to Mitsuko as to give up the blessing of life.
"Are you sure? I should warn you-such a decision is permanent. There's no such thing as 'coming back from the dead.' Reincarnation, perhaps, but you won't--" Mitsuko cut off the spirit, shaking her head in the middle of her speech.
"I understand. I choose death."
"As you wish."
The spirit held out her hand, and Mitsuko placed hers within the spirit's hand. As she looked at her hand, however, she noticed that it was not robotic, though she knew it would not be-no, it was of a pale blue color, the same color that her face had been. Still a bit astonished, she looked all over herself to find that she was within a blue Shoyru body which was fully organic. The wings were the only difference between her and other Shoyrus-for right before her eyes, the bat wings that had formerly adorned her back were replaced with ones made of ivory-colored feathers, like those of a graceful Pteri falcon.
"Come," whispered the spirit, and began to soar upwards at an alarming rate. Mitsuko, however, found it effortless to follow, as if she had boosters once again and they had been upgraded to those suitable for traveling through space. Higher and higher they flew, Mitsuko seeming to instinctively know the way, not needing a guide. As they climbed, she felt the spirit falling away from her hand, tagging back, finally releasing her hand. Mitsuko did not stop to wait for her.
For above her there was a light, growing larger with each second that she joyously beat her wings, her elegant angel wings. There was a light getting so close that its warmth touched every inch of her body, covering her field of vision. And that warmth felt distinctly of Phil's soft body pressing itself gently against hers, their touch meeting once again. Closing her eyes, Mitsuko allowed herself to be immersed in the soothing light, tears budding at her eyes in pure ecstasy. A smile found its way onto her lips, though she hardly even noticed it.
'I'm coming Phil. I'm coming.'
Epilogue
Krishna was awakened from his sleep on the cold, desert sand from the stumblings and gruntings of someone in the distance. Curling out of the comfortable fetal position which he had established on the ground, he stretched his limbs, feeling much better than he had when he had fallen asleep-for he had fallen asleep outside, the house which he had been staying at reduced to ashes. He had tried to get as far away from the gruesome sight as possible, and had found himself some way deep in the desert, with no desire to turn around, and no desire to uphold what little life he had left.
Yet as he looked forward through the darkness of the night, squinting, he could almost believe that he saw greenery in the distance- honest to goodness trees, things that he had pretty much heard of only in myth. Convinced that it must've been a mirage caused by the rising sun in the distance, he turned his direction to where he had heard the noise coming from.
Again, he found his sight unreliable and rubbed at his eyes. But he found his eyesight to be true-tumbling through the sand in his direction came the form of his father, walking independently. With a cry of half- alarm and half-happiness to see him actually alive, Krishna struggled to his feet and ran through the sand to Dr. Sloth. The doctor, his glasses askew on his face and one of the lenses broken, smiled weakly before falling forwards, as if exhausted. Krishna barely managed to catch him, shifting his weight to his left leg, supporting his father with his right side, wrapping his arm around his shoulder.
"Y-you're alive! I thought. . .I thought. . ."
"Do me a favor right now, boy," groaned Dr. Sloth, holding his side, "and don't think. Just get me home."
Krishna's face fell at this, pursing his lips together sadly. "I'm afraid that's not possible.you see, these fire faeries came, directed by. . .er, Mom. . .and burnt down the house. . .Phil. . .Phil died. . ."
"The house is still there. Trust me," replied Dr. Sloth. "Phil, perhaps not, but the house. . ."
"How's that possible?"
"How are trees possible in a desolate landscape? I don't know," answered Dr. Sloth wearily. "But in any case, order has been restored. . .or as much order as you can give to a sentient species." He rubbed his face with his hand, pulling it away slick with sweat. He wiped the sweat on his pants.
"What happened to. . .Mother?" asked Krishna, still finding the word strange on his lips. Dr. Sloth's face seemed to get very tight for a moment, as if he might break out into tears. He fought down the expression however, clearing his throat multiple times before he spoke in a low voice.
"She's where she should be. . .protecting the planet from very far away." Krishna fell silent after that for a moment, allowing his father to recover from the strain of admitting the fate of his former lover. Krishna felt he could do nothing to comfort him but wait and slowly walk towards the house, waiting for the precise time until he brought up another question that burned in the front of his mind.
"What has come of Mitsuko. . .?"
"I don't know. But I assume that she's somewhere, safe with Phil." Krishna understood immediately what this meant-a grim look overcame his face. Yet he was not overly sad, for he knew that this was probably what Mitsuko had wanted-to see the devastated look on her face at Phil's death had nearly killed him inside. "Look," said Dr. Sloth, interrupting Krishna's train of thought, pointing into the night sky.
Krishna strained his neck upwards, following his father's finger. Among the vast amount of stars, all twinkling beautifully, was a single shooting star, streaking across the sky, and then fading to nothing. Krishna felt his stomach well up, as if it were filled with water, which drifted to his eyes. He didn't know why the meteor made him feel so emotional-perhaps it was the way that the wind was blowing, or that in the distance he could vaguely see his father's house still in perfect order. Or maybe it was because he instinctively knew what the shooting star was, what it represented, and that the little Shoyru robot who had rarely smiled was finally at peace.
In any instance, it was Krishna's turn to cry. Dr. Sloth gave him a queer look, and then brought the half-faerie's head to his shoulder in a grudgingly comforting gesture, as a real father might do. And slowly, stumbling every so often from the inconsistency of the sand, the two walked back to the house.