Schoolhouse Rock: Symphony of the Future Chapter 12: Epilogue: Time's Proposal, a crash bandicoot fanfic

-AUTHOR'S NOTES-

Okay, so this is the epilogue to wrap up the third in the Schoolhouse Rock set, and probably the last in the trilogy. I'm not really sure what to follow with next, but it was still great to write as it was.

So this may show itself as a typical finale with everyone saying their last goodbyes and that, but it's needed if the overall storyline for the trilogy had to follow right.

If there's something to point out here in terms of references to other stories, I'd point out a note for the "restored" formation of Volcano Isle. The result of the fanfic here in turn managed to affect its appearance in Galaxy of Europe – no harm in adding in a reference to that fic again, huh?

Anyhow, thank you for reading. Good night, and God bless!

Peace out,

-Rexy-

Sparky's corpse, no matter how much of a dangerous appearance it held, started to glow a bright yellow at this point. The blood trail from behind him started to roll back inside his body, like time was being reversed. That caused Neo to gasp over at it, before... the body was lifted into the air.

"No, Sparky, please don't go now!"

What looked like bright yellow fireflies started to go all around him. By the time he was a meter above the ground, his body then turned into a pure white color, before shape shifting into a series of white butterflies of light, coming towards his hand and swirling around him.

"Illumina..."

Neo's face remained with shock. Then, the butterflies started to come closer together, with most of which stopping right in front of his hand and taking the shape of a stick. Then, they all glowed together, and they started to change their form once again, into a different object altogether.

"Illumina..."

The light soon started to fade out from around them, or should we say, it - what was now in Neo's hand was a long sword, with a golden handle and a graving of a thunderbolt brought onto the top of it. He looked down at the weapon, with his eyes widened as far as they could go.

"What is this...?"

As he stood there with his surprised looks, the others then came around and surrounded him, taking their time to look at it. Their awe-filled expressions were shown on the reflection of it, lighting their gravel-covered faces in the darkened room when necessary.

"By the looks of it," Beverley started speaking, "it seems that Sparky's spirit lives inside the sword."

"I think I'm understanding the prophecy", replied Aiko in a restless tone. "Saving the island under another's expense... I never thought it would be him."

With a sigh, she looked down to the ground, with her hair starting to go over her face. She then sat down, and hugged her legs before hiding her chin under her knees. Most of the others started to face similar concerned expressions and share them with the entity next to them.

"Chyna no thought of it either," the wombat creature sighed, "but otherwise, Sparky be great kid when gang knew him."

She then looked down, and brought herself into a crawling position with her legs, before bringing her tail up to her face. She then gave out a light howl from her mouth, before looking back at Boron, whom came over to her and stroked her back with a look filled with sympathy.

"No matter how much Sparky cared for us, and how much we respected him in return, I can't accept this."

The voice caused both Boron and Chyna to turn around. At this stage, Neo was seen looking down at the sword and seeing his reflection for himself. No matter how beautiful and precious it seemed to be, it seemed that a look filled with lack of temptation was shown upon his face.

"The stone that Sparky was contained in came from a place far away from the present. If it was in the same warp as you guys, then it's better traveling back with you guys, back to where it rightfully belongs."

He looked over at Crash, at Crunch, at Chyna, at Zephyr, and finally at Spike. They all seemed to give in reassuring nods towards him, before he walked his way over to them all. Once there, his eyes met with Spike's again, who could only look curious back at him.

"Spike," Neo started, "I want you to have this."

With no second thoughts, he took a hold of the handle of the sword, and brought it towards Spike's direction. His face started to show a slight bit of bewilderment in his face. Then, slowly and carefully, he got a hold of the handle, but... the blade instantly hit the ground as soon as Neo released his grip.

"But it's too heavy for me to carry!" the dingodino cried out.

Neo then placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "You'll get used to it, trust me."

Again, Spike gave in a light nod, before dragging the handle in his direction, and allowing the sword to cut a mark across the ground. Then, several seconds later, he got round to finally lifting it up into the air. From nearby, Crunch took a hold of it, and held it for safe keeping.

"Speaking of our time," Crash smiled, "it's almost time for us to head back over there."

"We've had a great time with you nonetheless, and your future is starting to show some brightness already", exclaimed Crunch with a wink.

The brown bandicoot then slipped the sword behind his back, before it vanished. Then, that left Neo to look on at the five again, whom all gave in smiles towards him. He then had a choice, and was more than happy to smile back at them all with a twinkle showing within his eyes.

"Thanks guys", smiled Neo. "You seem to be a bunch of great people to hang with."

"Hey, no problem."

Crash gave in a wink towards him, before looking at the center of the room. Nearby, the small robot picked up earlier started to shake in Aurora's hand, before its hatch opened up again, revealing its crest. Then, a warp portal was opened up, showing a bright red tunnel in there.

"The time has come", Zephyr said. "We'll see you later, dude."

They all gave in one last smile each towards the others, before they climbed inside one by one. Chyna gave a hug over to Boron, with a tear going down her eye, before running through the portal first. Spike was next to jump in, with his coat flying in the wind. Then came Zephyr, facing a similar action.

"Crash!" shouted Neo. "Don't leave just yet!"

"Remember, you have a bright future ahead of you. Don't waste it, whatever you do!"

He gave a wink towards Neo, whom could only look on at him back. Then, he jumped his way inside the portal. That left Crunch behind, who gave in one last wave before jumping in himself. The portal then started to shrink, before it dissolved into nothing within its position in the air.

"You know, maybe they were right", smiled Sara. "They've given us a lot to live for."

Her voice caused Neo to face straight towards her. She showed a smile upon her face, knowing that what she meant could show some truth. He looked blankly into her eyes for a few seconds, before taking a hold of her hand and they all started walking as a group. That left them to go through the tunnels themselves, down towards the exit of the island, to freedom.

-May 31st, 1981 - 10:25 local time-

A whole week has passed since the incident, and as the sun rose over the penthouse, its shadow started to decrease in size. At the front door, six figures all went outside in a line - those for Jenny, Lozzy, DJ, Aiko, Aurora and Taylor. They were only just on the tarmac, when Snappy came into view over the door.

"What, you six are leaving already?"

"Yeah, sure we are", said Jenny. "We've had a good time here, but nonetheless, our job is done."

She then gave in a light nod towards him, before walking ahead of the group, with her clothes starting to trail behind her. Lozzy looked over at her, with her eyes blinking every two seconds, before turning back to Snappy's direction with a smile brought over her face.

"We can still be able to see you again, someday, now that you're in our phone books."

"Oh yeah", blush the alligator. "Remember that it's two zeros after the 3, not after the 6!"

The shout caused her to fall down with an anime sweat drop on her face. Then, from nearby, both DJ and Taylor took her by the arms and pulled her up while they were walking far away from the penthouse, with their bodies being brought further and further away into the distance.

"We'll remember that!" Aiko shouted. "We'll see you soon!"

"Remember to keep in touch!" Aurora beamed.

"Adios, Snappy!" Taylor jumped and waved at him. "You and your group were just great!"

"It was nice knowing you!" DJ winked over at him.

Their waves then started to turn into a blur, and it wasn't long until they appeared to be as small as ants through Snappy's eyes. Then, they went over the hill, and down the path, blocked away from his view. He wiped a tear from his eye, before he went out himself and down the street.

Meanwhile, the back doors to the streets were also opened up, by two different figures. Over there, Neo and Bev stepped out into the golden light ahead of them, with their hair starting to blow in the light winds and the sunlight blocking their view for a few seconds, before they turned away from it.

"I'm sorry I have to leave you like this Bev," Neo begun speaking, "but it's my job to hunt down my brother and pay him back."

"I understand what you mean. But look at it this way - do not hate him too much, otherwise you may end up containing hatred back."

As she said that, she brought her fingers right inside Neo's hair, brushing them and giving him a comfortable feeling inside his stomach. He smiled over at her, before they both faced the ocean line together. Over there, there was an island that stood mightily, now with a peak up on top of it.

"After today," she sighed, "it seems that Volcano Isle may never be the same again."

"But look at its restored form!"

"Not exactly fully restored, mind. All that remains of the incident is the misshapen peak - kinda looks like a pig between you and me - and two buildings remaining."

She pointed back at the island, and at the two features. Right through the foggy clouds, the tip of the volcano can be seen, which actually had the shape of a pig's head. And nearby, two temple-like remains of the castle can be seen among the surface of it, with a path actually built up to reach them.

"Got any names for them?" he looked back at her.

"After what happens here, I'd call them the Hidden Fortress, and the House of Dreams. I don't know why, but that's what my heart tells me."

She looked down, with her hair starting to go over her face. Then, Neo went round to the other side of her, before brushing it back over her shoulders and giving over a reassuring smile towards her. She blinked over at him back, with her lip starting to quiver at the same time.

"We may have faced a radical change here today," Neo blinked at her, "but here's one thing that has stayed the same. No matter what happens, we will remember our friends and company, and wherever you go, I'll still be with you."

Bev kept a speechless look on her face, leaving them in silence for a few seconds. They then held hands, and started walking their way around the left hand side of the penthouse, with their shadows starting to trail behind them as they walked. Above them, a pack of doves flew and made their way to the top of the building.

They looked at each other for one last time, knowing that that could be the final time in their lives they'll make eye contact with each other. But... their thoughts were broken by the sound of a "La Cucaracha" car horn. That caused him to look ahead, and they saw Snappy, Brio and Boron back in the jeep, heading towards them. He turned back to Bev, whom hugged him for one last time.

"I'll be with you too."

They remained in that pose for no longer than 26 seconds, until... she released her grip, leaving him to go over to the jeep for himself. He got in, and then, they sped off into the distance. She started to shed a tear over at him, before walking back in, keeping with her emotions.

A while later, the jeep was seen leaving the city and going down a deserted highway, heading in a western direction. They looked at the cloudless skies ahead of them, with their eyes facing upwards and ahead at the same time. Then, Neo made eye contact with Snappy, whom blinked back.

"It's a bit of a funny feeling leaving behind your childhood home again, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I can imagine what it feels like", replied the alligator. "Man, I'd do anything to be ten years younger."

He gave out a sigh, as he then brought his feet up at his position at the back of the car, almost knocking Boron off his seat. Over time, he had no choice but to jump down and climb on top of Snappy's legs, with his paws starting to tap down slightly. Near them, Brio turned around, and saw the fading city view over the horizon.

"Do you think we'd be able to see them again soon?"

He took off his sombrero, and placed it down the gap between his seat and Snappy's legs. Then, Boron looked down at it for a few seconds, before looking back up. The weather may have seemed beautiful to his eyes, but the thoughts of leaving the city behind caused him to give out a howl, echoing around the area. Neo looked back at him, then he soon faced the path ahead again.

"Someday. I just know it."

The thoughts of his friends and his past over at his home town of Panama City flashed through his memory as the jeep went further ahead down the path. Even now, they may be leaving someone behind, but at the same time, they know that they could be doing the same thing for someone else when tomorrow comes round the corner.

(scene flashes white)

The scene switches back over to the present, with the cloud filled skies going across the area instead of the pleasant skies. The woman was still there, reading through the book, and she was finally down to the last paragraph in it. Her glasses started to give off a light twinkle in the lights inside her home.

"I watch upon the stars every night, waiting for that moment to come alive for me again. Even now I wonder when exactly did the travelers from the future came through the warp through time and space. But all I know, is that it's waiting for me over the horizon."

With that, she closed the book gently, and removed the tip of her glasses, to wipe the tear away from her eyes. She then stood up, and looked to the left, where Volcano Isle still stood with its pig's head. She then faced the other side, where she saw that the whole city was in working order again. She finally gave out a smile, before she slipped the book on a nearby wooden table, and she started to make her way down a bunch of velvet-covered stairs, while the memories settled into her heart.

It wasn't long until the woman finally touched down at the bottom of the stairs. She soon passed several photographs nearby, all of which showing the progression of her growing up, from baby to adult. One of which showed her teenage form, and we can now instantly tell that the woman, was Beverley in an older guise.

"Martha!"

Her shouts echoed around the corridors, before... the sound of tapping can be heard from the right. She blinked, before she rushed inside. Her eyes met with the furnishings around her, and in a corner was a woman with curly ginger hair, sitting in a wheelchair, and having a mask over her mouth and one of her hands.

"I know that you're handicapped, but please, I need to leave to meet someone. Surely you can manage on your own, right?"

She walked up to her, and all Martha could do was look on at her with her hair blowing lightly in the draft. Then, she looked down, with her eyes almost fully closed around her. She soon had the courage to look back up to her sister, with paler blue eyes than in previous years.

"I just wish that you didn't go to Volcano Isle to check out the new places a few days after its restoration. I just wish there was a way that I can help you."

She then sat down on a chair next to her, leaving them to look on at each other. They were left in silence for a while, with the sound of bird tweeting starting to pass their way around them. Then, Martha started to stir slightly, and over time, she raised her middle finger up into the air.

"You... really think there's a way around this?"

It took a lot of strength for her to gather, and she then nodded. Then, it struck her - the book. She quickly dashed out of the room, and came back down later with it in her hands. She started to skim read over some of the pages again, and then, she started to smile at the sight.

"Wow, I never realized that he knew much about the island as much as I did!"

Her eyes lit up with love in her eyes. Now she knows that there is another reason to leave - if seeing "him" was her original intention of leaving in the first place. At the sight, Martha raised her other hand to pull down her mask, covered in cuts and bruises. But within the mass of injuries, a smile was brought from there.

"Wish me luck, Martha!"

She packed the book into a bag, before she looked over at Martha. She brought the mask back over her face, and her hand fell back down onto the rails of the wheelchair, falling like a ton of bricks. She gave her a hug, before she walked outside the room. Her eyes met with the front door, and that caused her to push them wide open.

"As promised Neo, there's a time on the horizon that we'll meet again. No doubt about it."

With that, she stepped further into the cloud-filled skies along the town. She then saw a nearby car, with an open roof on it. With that, she smiled, and went towards it. She brought the bag inside the seat next to the driver, and climbed in herself. She took out a set of keys, and started the vehicle. From there, she pressed lightly onto the pedal. As she brought it round to the main road, she looked back at her penthouse, curious if she left something else. Then, she started progressing her way down the street, with her hair blowing in the wind, knowing that something was waiting for her on the horizon, willing to be searched for.

And yet today, she is still looking for him.

-fin-