AN- This is it, guys and gals. The end of Janus! I'd like to thank everyone who read my other chapters and who is still reading. Anyway, here we are…
Epilogue
When Rayman stepped out of the portal to Janus' arena, the first thing he saw was Orchid waiting for him. When she saw him, she ran up to her friend and embraced him, teary eyed.
"I was so worried about you!" She cried. "When you just disappeared, I was so scared! Don't ever do anything like that again!"
"That's okay, Orchid." Rayman said, trying to comfort his frightened friend. "I'm alright now."
"What… what happened in there?" She asked him between tears.
"It's quite a story, Orchid." He said. He then proceeded to tell her about his fight with Janus.
"I'm… I'm so glad that you're okay." Orchid told him.
"Now, now," he told her, "don't worry about me. Dry your pretty little eyes off." Saying that, he wiped the tears out of her left eye.
"Thanks." She said, trying to smile. "But if you do something like that again, I'll… I'll…"
"You'll what?" Rayman said. "Drown me with tears?"
"I don't know yet, you big goof!" She laughed. "Come on, let's go see the others." At that, they walked out of the Council, hand in hand, and went into the night.
*******
"Rayman!" Ly yelled. "Rayman, I'm so glad to see you!"
"Me too, Ly." Rayman smiled. "How is everyone?"
"They're fine, Rayman." She told him. "We owe everything to you!"
"Oh, it's nothing, Ly." Rayman blushed. "Globox and his friend helped too."
"It was nothing, Rayman." Sam replied. "After we escaped from our prison cells, we were plotting to escape when we saw you. Rayman, I'm not a very optimistic man, but when I saw you with your staff… That was the first time I felt hope for the future in months. Thank you, Rayman."
Rayman was touched by the teensie's story. "You're welcome, friend." He said.
"Rayman, it's good to be outta there!" Globox told his friend. "Hey Rayman, what happened while I was locked up?"
Rayman sighed. "It's a very long story, Globox. I don't know if I'd be able to tell it all tonight."
"Well, I guess you could tell us all tomorrow." Uglette chimed in. "You'd like that, wouldn't you, kids"
"Yay!" Globox's kids yelled. "Stowie time!"
Rayman suddenly saw Orchid and Simon walking off towards the forest. "Kids," he said, "I have to go for now." At that, he hurried over to see his friends.
"Orchid! Simon! Where are you going?" Rayman asked, out of breath from his run.
"Rayman," Simon said sadly, "I and my daughter wish that we could stay. But we can't. We must get back to the camp to assure everyone that we are alright."
"I understand." Rayman sighed.
"Rayman," Orchid asked her friend, "will I ever see you again?"
"Yes." Rayman nodded. "You will."
Orchid smiled. "Goodbye, Rayman." At that, she leaned down and gave Rayman a kiss on his nose. She gave Rayman one last smile before she and her father went out of view.
*******
In another part of the world, a large, brown figure walked through the woods. Orion had survived the fall from the cliff somehow, and had devoted his life to finding and killing Rayman. He had also been driven half insane by hunger and thirst.
"When I find him… Ha ha!" Orion laughed crazily "Oh, he'll beg me to die when I'm done with him! He'll never escape me forever!"
Still laughing, Orion came upon a pond. "Water…" He gasped, throwing himself into the stream and drinking ravenously. "Water!" Suddenly, while he was scooping handfuls of water, he picked up something else.
"What the…" He muttered, staring at the thing. Suddenly, he began to laugh. In his hands, Orion held the golden Amulet of Janus.
To Be Continued
