Epilogue:

The clean-up crew was digging through the ruins of Mobotropolis in order to clear the path for it to be rebuilt.

From the ruins of the Royal Palace a form appeared, limping slowly out of it.

Pan and Bra, who were sitting silently beside the now docked Zephyrus, looked at the person walking out of the Palace.

Bra's eyes brightened. "Master Link?" she squeaked, looking over at Pan.

Without another word they jumped up and ran toward him, stopping when they saw the blood all over him, and the clear wound on his shoulder. "Oh, no!" Bra said, tears in her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Pan managed to choke out.

Master Link nodded. "Get Piccolo...he knows what to do."

Pan nodded, and ran off to summon Piccolo.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A helicopter landed and the door slid open. Sonic and Amy jumped off, followed by the others.

Anthony Bault turned to face them, and smiled. "Thank God!" he headed toward them. "Are you alright?"

"We are..." said Sonic. "What happened here?"

"The Outcasts..." Anthony said. "They caused this..." he looked at the Zephyrus, and decided not to tell them the rest.

Staring into the horizon, he sighed.

We may have freed Mobotropolis from the Outcasts, but we still have a long way to go...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following day, Master Link was standing alone in Knothole, where the ones who fell during the reign of Robotnick were buried. Specifically, he was standing in front of a grave that had the name Leona Poseidon cared on its gravestone. A silent tear rolled down his cheek, unseen.

The first victim to fall to the Outcasts was the one he loved more than the world itself. He bent down and placed a bouquet of roses on Leona's grave, and wiped his tear. "Goodbye, Leona..." he said in a shaky voice. "I...miss you."

He turned to face Vegeta's grave. "Vegeta, you have proven yourself to us all. A Prince by heart..."

Turning around, he walked to his team, who were dressed in black just as he was. Nobody said a word, but they all knew that more would fall before this is over...

THE BEGINNING

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Author's Note: Thank you to all those who read this fic and enjoyed it. The Outcast Saga shall continue in 2004. See you then!