Well everyone, here is the last and final chapter of this story. I hope you enjoy and please review.
Jeremy looked at the computer screen in horror. The tank was in front of Aelita and Yumi and Ulrich had already been di-virtualized.
"What the hell?" Jeremy said as he saw another Aelita appear on the screen.
The tank fired, and one of the Aelitas burst into a thousand pieces. The real Aelita took the opportunity to sprint towards the tower as her clone exploded.
"Jeremy I…" Aelita was cut off as a hornet started firing at her and she had to focus on dodging.
"Aelita hurry, I have a bad feeling about Odd."
"I'm going as fast as I can but it's going to be a minute or so."
Jeremy suddenly had an idea. 'Xana's not the only one who can create a virus.' Jeremy typed furiously away at the keyboard. Ulrich and Yumi entered the control room and walked up behind Jeremy.
"What are you doing?" Ulrich asked.
"I think if this works it may give Odd some more time." Jeremy hit the enter key putting his program to work.
Odd stood up to face Xana. The powerful creature pulled a second knife from his cloak and lunged at Odd. Odd dove out of the way but crashed into a bookcase in the progress. Stunned he looked up to see Xana hovering over him.
"Now I finish you." Xana smirked.
Xana stabbed down at Odd. Odd cringed as he awaited the blade to pierce his heart.
'Nothing, no pain, I must be dead,' Odd thought.
He opened his eyes to see Xana frozen in place, the knife a few inches from his chest. Odd crawled out from under the frozen villain's blade and ran to Sam.
"It worked!" Jeremy shouted.
"What did genius?" Yumi asked.
"I figured I could implant a virus that would momentarily freeze Xana's form on earth. Now Aelita has the time she needs to get to the tower." Jeremy said smugly.
Aelita ran up the hill and phased into the tower.
Odd sat down beside Sam who was barely breathing. The knife protruding from her chest had done the damage Xana had intended.
"Odd…I'm dying." Sam said in a hushed whisper.
"Don't say that Sam…I can't let you go." Odd cried as he cradled her head in his lap.
Sam looked up into Odd's eyes, "I'm so sorry, I … I love you, I…" Sam gasped for another breath. "I never meant to hurt you."
Odd wiped away the tears and tried to smile, "Sam I know, I'm not mad,…and…I love you too."
Sam smiled and gasped for another breath to no avail. She looked up at Odd with a panicked look in her eyes.
"No Sam don't leave me." Odd begged.
Odd saw Sam's eyes dull to a lifeless gray. He reached out and felt for a pulse, there was none. He lay there for a moment with her head still in his lap. Odd gently closed her eyes and kissed her on the forehead.
"I love you Sam, I'm going to miss you."
A white light enveloped Odd and he was transported into the past.
The morning was cold and misty as the friends gathered at the cemetery. Odd was dressed in a dark black suit and was surrounded by his friends.
"It's just not fair Odd muttered." Ulrich laid a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder.
Sam had died just before the return to the past. She was returned dead. Her body was thankfully not mutilated and the doctors said her heart had unexplainably failed. She had been found in her bed and it was assumed she had died in her sleep. The only ones who knew the true cause of death were the five young teens standing in front of the smooth head stone. The dirt was still fresh from where the grave had been filled an hour earlier.
"I don't understand Jeremy why didn't she return alive." Odd asked.
Jeremy looked up sadly, "You apparently return how you are not how you were. She was dead so she was returned dead."
Odd didn't acknowledge Jeremy's answer but continued to stare at Sam's grave.
"Guys can you give me a moment please."
The others nodded and Ulrich and Jeremy led the girls to a bench a small distance away. Once the others were gone Odd let the tears roll down his face.
"I'm sorry I didn't get there sooner Sam, I'm sorry."
With his heart broken and his face stained with tears Odd pulled a small red rose from his coat and gently tossed it on top of the grave.
"Rest in peace Sam, Rest in peace."
Odd headed back to join his friends.
The whole gang was somber for the next week, but most of them started to return to their normal selves, all of them except Odd who still had a part of him missing.
"I'm worried about Odd," Yumi told Ulrich as they walked to class.
"I know, I've woken up a few times the last couple of nights to him crying into his pillow. I just don't know what to do."
Yumi sighed and they continued to class in silence. The day passed like the others had in a somber silence whenever Odd was around. That night Ulrich and Odd went to sleep, with Ulrich praying that Odd would get one night of good, undisturbed sleep.
"Odd, hey Odd listen to me."
Odd couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"Sam? Is this a dream?"
Sam had a faint golden glow about her and she smiled at Odd. "Yeah, I'm trying to talk to you through your dream."
"Oh, well…" Odd was at a loss for words.
"Odd I just wanted you to know I'm ok. I'm not suffering and the one thing that I found comfort in the whole time I was dying was knowing you were with me. I'm not mad at you, I actually appreciate what you did."
"But I didn't save you. I let you…" Odd was cut off by Sam as she put a finger on his lips.
"No Odd, I was the one who messed up, not you, stop blaming yourself. Now I got to go so have a good life and take care."
Sam took Odd's head in her hands and kissed him gently on the forehead.
Odd stared into Sam's eyes, "Will I ever see you again?"
Sam smiled, "Only time will tell, Odd, only time will tell."
Sam slowly faded and Odd blew a kiss goodbye. The last thing Odd saw was Sam's gentle smile goodbye.
Odd woke up. "Ulrich wake up damn it wake up!" Odd yelled as he hit his friend with a pillow.
Ulrich looked up groggily, "What's wrong man."
"I just talked to Sam and she said she's fine and that it wasn't my fault!"
Ulrich stared at Odd half wondering if his friend had finally snapped. "What?"
"I had a dream and I think Sam was able to talk to me while I was asleep."
Ulrich smiled, "So are you going to be ok now?"
"Yeah I think I'll be fine, thanks for keeping an eye on me the last week or so."
Ulrich gave his friend a smile, "You had us all worried, but no problem."
The two went back to sleep. The next day the others were greeted by a much happier Odd. Once the dream was explained to the others they headed to class. Odd looked out the window and smiled, 'it was a beautiful day' Odd thought.
Ulrich, Yumi, Aelita and Jeremy looked at Odd with contentment. They knew their friend would be ok. Odd smiled and pulled out a sheet of paper and started drawing to pass the time. The bell rang and Odd jumped up, it was pizza day, and for once Odd felt like eating.
Hey guys, I hope you really like this story. Please review and let me know. If you have any questions or in depth commentsfeel free to e-mail I will probally start on another story soon. However I'm not sure if I'll continue this series, start another, or just write whatever pops into my head. Kind of depend on reviews. Well please review and thanks for reading.