4

Epilogue: "Full Circle"

"I appreciate being flown back to Haven City… but why am I blindfolded?" Frost asked over the rush of the wind. He was seated in a hellcat cruiser, on the right side, in a black shirt, matching pants, and boots, with a strip of white cloth wrapped snuggly around his head at eye-level.

Driving the cruiser was none other than Seem, in her same armored gown, the wind lashing at her hair as she smiled gently at him. "It has been a month since we defeated the Darken, and you have still not set foot in Haven City since your initial transformation. All of your friends are upset about this, and so I agreed to fly you in using one of the left-over hellcats."

Frost sighed, but was clearly amused. "We were helping get the Metal-Heads situated, and doing repairs on the temple. The desert is my home now…" he softened his voice before adding, "with you."

Her gentle smile warmed. "Our home is where we are together. Haven City has special memories for you, memories I want you to be able to cherish for a good deal longer with fresh reminders."

Frost couldn't see it, but they were already passing over the city. It looked even more beautiful than before, during the Baron's reign. The ominous palace was replaced with the more humble, practical Freedom League fortress in the center, the bazaar area had been restored, the bay as well, and even the former headquarters of the freedom league in the newest part of the city, built over the old water-ways.

The former Freedom League guard himself replied to his beloved with the same gentle amusement. "I doubt I'll forget the parts of Haven City I cherish so much any time soon. …But you're right, I'll be glad to see it again… So why the blindfold?" He raised his original question dryly.

Seem was allowing her mischievous smile to be clear since he couldn't see. "You shall see, love. Patience."

He sighed in amused exasperation, and crossed his arms. "Fine, fine."

Soon, the hellcat slowed, and was dropping through the air smoothly. Frost waited, felt the vehicle halt completely, and by the sound, could tell they were just over the ground, effectively landed. Seem got out, came around, and gripped his arm. Frost chuckled a bit, but she helped him out, blind as he was. His feet touched dirt, which made his brow crease faintly. "Where are we?"

"Wait, just a moment more," Seem answered cryptically, though she sounded quite happy.

Frost felt Seem take his shoulders, and turn him away from the hellcat, putting the nose of the vehicle at his back. Then she loosened the blind, and let it slip away from his face.

His eyes blinked open… and he froze, his eyes slowly growing wide. Seem gently leaned around him, her gentle expression passive, watching his growing, powerful reaction to what he was seeing.

The city gardens had been restored. The high walls rose on either side of the twisting, winding paths, grass, lush and healthy, grew on either side of the narrow dirt path, and gardens of naturally-grown vegetables were even then being watered by the large sprinkler jets at the base of certain sections of the gardens area, the former Metal-Head nest.

Frost swallowed hard. They were standing at the entrance to the gardens from the restored bazaar, the snaking path branching off visibly before vanishing with its own curve. Seem gently placed a hand on Frost's shoulder as tears started to drip from his eyes. He could see her… his sister, her husband, their children, resting under… the very tree, or at least a tree in the very spot he could see not ten meters away.

He remembered her lovely voice, warm with fondness, telling him, "I love the city gardens, Frost. They're so naturally beautiful, even for all the structure of the city. I go there, and this war, this fighting, all seems far away… Except for those pesky Zoomers!" And she broken down into giggles.

Yet right now, there were no Zoomers filling the sky above him. It was beautifully clear, peaceful, with just the distant sound of rushing water.

Frost sank to his knees, Seem slipping down with him, but then let him fold over, his hands actually caressing the dirt in front of his knees before he kissed the ground. Tears were splattering in the dirt before he started to pull himself up. He finally held a hand to his mouth, trying to control himself, and so Seem gently wrapped her arms around him, supporting him as he started to sink against her completely.

"…Thank you," he whispered.

"I am very glad I could be part of this gift to you, but it was not me alone. There is something else I wish to show you, if I may…?"

He pulled up enough to nod to her, and they stood up together. His emotions were calming, but he was still deeply wistful as he looked around. Seem led him up the path, holding his hand softly. When they reached the first branch in the path, Seem led him around… and waiting there, on a large blanket, with several sizeable baskets and food already spread out, were all their friends.

Jak and Keira were sitting together nearest the turn, and were smiling happily up at Frost. Daxter and Tess were 'sunning' themselves in the middle. Ashelin and Torn were seated beside Sig himself, with Maia and Siluna kneeling beside him in turn near the back of the blanket, all of them putting their food down. Samos, Onin, and Pecker were even there, a little more distant, but watching Frost as he came into view.

Frost's eyebrows rose up. "You're all here…"

Ashelin smiled, stood up, and walked over to him. "When we thought you'd died, everyone put redoubled effort into restoring the gardens. We knew how much it would mean to you, so it felt like the best way to honor your memory. When we found out you were alive, we decided to dedicate it to someone… who you would think it appropriate to dedicate to."

Torn smiled as he looked over, dry and calm as ever, but sincere. "The entrance to the gardens now has a plaque over it. In memory of your sister and her family."

Tears were rushing back to Frost's eyes, and he tried to talk. Keira cooed adoringly and sympathetically, pressing her lips together with a soft pout. Ashelin, however, just came closer and hugged him, patting his back. "They'd be proud of you."

He choked on a sob, but returned her embrace before pulling back with a soft nod, managing to mouth 'thank you'… which got across more than enough sincerity in his gratitude.

Daxter hopped up. "So are you gonna stand there like a cry-baby, or come enjoy this food we made for ya!"

"Daxter!" most of the group present shouted, specifically Samos, Keira, and Jak. Even Onin gave a sharp jerk of her hand.

Frost actually laughed. "It's alright. He's right. Get me some of that food!"

With a fresh laugh from everyone, Maia giggling as she took her plate up again, Frost pulled Seem with him gently and playfully, sitting her down with him near Jak and Keira as Ashelin sat back down with Torn. Keira pulled plates over, already filled with fruit, sandwiches, and plastic cups of juice for the two late arrivals.

Soon everyone was having a wonderful time. Chatting, joking, and simply enjoying each others' company, even the basic concerns of life seemed far away. As the others started sharing funny stories, Frost set his plate down, and looked to Seem softly. She looked into his eyes, and smiled in her adorably gentle way. Frost reached up, and caressed her cheek. She let her eyes close appreciatively, and then eased toward him. He let his eyes shut, and they kissed softly.

Keira's adoring squeak made them split apart, blushing, but the blue-green-haired woman was completely happy for them. "You two are so cute!"

Seem smiled, Frost smirking. "So are you two."

Keira blushed happily, Jak coughing into one hand with more discretion.

Sig leaned back with a leisurely sigh. "Might surprise you chili-peppers to know I'm quite the romantic myself. Yes, sir. Lovey-dovey isn't too sappy for good ole Sig."

Ashelin smirked. Daxter, however, hopped up, shaking his head. "Don't even start, ya big-bag-a-muscle. You shattered your image with yak-cow milk and poopsy bear last time, don't do it again!"

The red-headed governor of the city gave Torn a dryly amused look. "Well it must be too sappy for Torn here." She looked up and off in a mock-huff as Torn gave her a dry side-long glare. "I suppose it's just too much to ask for a little kiss or something, even in a romantic setting, not a cloud in the sky—!"

She was cut-off with a muffled yelp, the others gawking in surprise, even Onin, as Torn simply twisted around, gripped her, and pulled her down into a kiss. At first Ashelin kicked from reflex, but her leg paused in mid upward swing, and slowly eased down as her eyes closed with the kiss.

Daxter and Pecker were slack-jawed, Samos and everyone else simply wide-eyed.

Torn broke the kiss calmly, gave her a dry smirk, and helped her sit back upright from being pulled over his lap by the shoulders. Ashelin was simply sitting there, a distant, but very sincere smile on her face, and seemed quite appeased. Only then did Torn start to blush a bit, coughing down into his fist rather like Jak.

Pecker couldn't contain himself. "Where did that come from?"

Daxter started to grin, Tess giggling as the others recovered from their shock, even Seem stifling laughter into her hand. The trouble-making ottsel hopped up and down. "I know where it come from, I just never knew ya had it in ya, Torn! Not bad for an angsty, silent-but-deadly undergrounder, eh?"

Torn had his knife out and pointing at Daxter with a flat glare. "Watch it, rat-face, or you'll get an unscheduled tonsillectomy."

"Same old Torn," Daxter said with mock-motherly adoration.

It caused Torn to firm his expression, frown to the side, and put his knife away as the others stifled laughter afresh, even Ashelin. Before Daxter could continue, however, Tess grabbed him in a perfect reversal of Torn's kiss to Ashelin, muffling and lulling the little fur-ball into a contented puddle on her lap, allowing her to grin up at everyone.

Maia couldn't avoid a smirk. "Effective control…"

Siluna coughed trying to avoid laughing, Sig and Maia quickly moving to see if she was alright.

"Very effective indeed, now pass me that fruit-bowl," Frost said with a badly hidden grin, leaning across everyone.

Laughing, Sig handed it to the Metal-Head leader, and they started chatting again, even Torn joining in on the conversation more easily. It seemed a certain barrier had been broken for him, but he was very much his calm, controlled, low-spoken self.

And there they were. Friends and comrades, laughing and enjoying their lives together in a renewed city, fully restored, and with new hopes brought to life. From a woman redeemed from darkness, to a warrior of light, and everyone in between, they were a strange, happy, loving family in a world in desperate need of recovery. And for that day, they could simply enjoy it. It was the beginning of a new, bright future, for all.

The End

(Author's Note…)

Thank you very much for reading this story. I'm quite pleased with it myself, but it can't make everyone that happy, so I really appreciate others liking it. Your positive reviews helped it get finished, and for that I am most grateful.

This is, currently, my second-longest fan-fic ever written (153 pages, single spaced), and one of my best stories despite it being a fan-fic (i.e. not entirely original). I hope you found this finish enjoyable and worth the atrocious wait I inflicted on you all. My apologies, and I hope I didn't lose any readers in the gap.

Thank you.

--Cy