Chapter -88: Duel of the Fates
The metallic leviathan they were on was being dragged out of the sky at a steady, but powerful rate. The pressure was coming down upon them both, but neither let it be a distraction.
The black lord named Vader began with a firm but monstrous march, every step leaving his dark, cold presence rippling through pure steel.
Sarajin took a couple steps back and leaned aside, twisting his sweating hands around the grip of his blade and tightening his teeth.
He had confidence in one thing: His speed.
With the wind at his back he locked his gaze on Vader's strange sword and then charged forward.
The man had no hesitation bringing his sword up ready to slice him in two. Sarajin leaped overhead and then tried to go for the back of his neck, "Right here!"
He was frozen in place upside-down like he had been grabbed by an invisible hand and then tossed hard towards Vader's front.
Vader calmly turned and readied his sword to impale Sarajin through the gut. Split second timing and a burst of wind threw Sarajin off course and into one of the people working here, smashing them both into the console.
While they were fried by the electricity, Sarajin could weather it, and began channeling it into his arms through grunts and groans of pain.
He stabbed his sword out and pushed the electricity towards the tip. Vader raised his hand and a powerful shockwave shook the room, bending metal into multiple craters but none greater than the one that shoved Sarajin harder into the machines.
"Gah!" His bones cracked, his arm wouldn't move.
Vader then threw his sword straight at his vulnerable neck.
Sarajin widened his eyes in desperation and the sword froze, positioning the tip inches from his neck, with wires pulled from the ground grappling around the handle.
Sarajin breathed a quickened sigh of relief before Vader walked right up, ripped the sword from it's shackles, and went right into a brutal swing towards him.
Sarajin gathered his strength and tore his arm free from the metal to swing his electricity enhanced blade at Vader's hand.
Vader's whole body lit up and his deadly breathing hastened for a few seconds, with smoke and sparks rising from the vents in his armor.
Sarajin then pulled the rest of his body free and threw everything he had into ramming Vader dead center in the chest to knock him on top of the raised platform.
Vader levitated mid-fall back onto his feet and Sarajin started applying pressure with blades of wind while working his way back into front of the broken window.
The blades were thrown off course and sliced through the metal like paper, with a few more of the people working here being sacrificed in the process.
Sarajin grit his teeth and trembled at the casual cruelty Vader put on display. He never looked back with a hint of regret hidden behind those abyss-like eyes and advanced forward, meeting Sarajin in the middle.
The ship began to shift around. The remaining people here gave up their desperate repairs and fled for the back door.
Fire burst forth from the cracks and quickly filled the room with hot, electrified smoke.
Sarajin quickly glanced around and then concentrated on the smoke. Vader ran in with surprising speed and a vicious swing, forcing him to retreat.
There was no punishment for this lord of black's failure to connect. Every swing was planned, his power was more than a tool of execution, it was to scar Sarajin's shaking soul with fear.
Sarajin let out a gasp unconsciously and then grit his teeth, trying to keep himself brave. The room was heating up, it was getting harder to see.
He would have to abandon his plans and retreat outside...IF Vader would allow it.
He stood unfazed by the hot ash surrounding his blackened form. In fact, it complimented his presence, as though he had been born from fire...
Sarajin had his heels on the edge and Vader showed no intent of attacking. His breathing deepened, retaining it's menace.
Sarajin raised his sword towards the man and his gritted teeth trembled.
"When an enemy's too strong, sometimes it's wiser to retreat." The words of Twinbeak came to mind. But with a heavy gulp and a tense look at the bodies lying on the ground, plus the fires that ravaged this world, Sarajin's gaze began to sharpen in Vader's direction.
"But this...I can't ignore this."
"This isn't a human. It's a monster, consumed by hatred..." And when Sarajin gazed deeper into this armored figure drenched in black as dark as the canvas the stars occupy, he knew, "And if I don't stop him here..."
Sarajin's determination was reflected in the fire that rose to surround his blade like a miniature twister, "He'll spread more death and destruction to other worlds!"
Vader brought his sword down to his side and remarked in the face of this refusal to back down, "You cannot win."
Sarajin swallowed his last thoughts of hesitation and then cracked out a slightly unhinged chuckle, "You're right...I have to win!"
He then summoned his concentration to grab hold of all the smoke filling this room and set it upon Vader in hopes of messing with his strange breathing vents.
Vader swung his hand up and unleashed another shockwave to blow it away and knock Sarajin out of the tower, bending the metal around where he stood like curling flower petals.
Sarajin suspended himself in mid-air and raised his sword, valiantly slicing through sharp metal sent his way, twisted by Vader's will.
Vader walked forward, creating a path out of metal and glass until his assault allowed him to get within swinging range of Sarajin.
Sarajin tried to fly away but Vader's power kept pulling him back in. Sarajin assaulted him with bursts of wind and bent his body to avoid his sword, and took whatever hits he could with his flaming blade.
The armor was composed of materials he didn't recognize, dense enough to handle a steel sword enhanced with fire.
But the glass and metal was familiar enough that he started concentrating on that to fling at Vader, "If you can use this, so can I!"
Vader started redirecting his efforts into broader swings to counter him on both fronts, each attack empowered by his will to great effect to push Sarajin away.
Sarajin used this time to switch from fire to electricity in his blade and then lash them out in waves. Vader cut through the electricity like it was solid matter, dispersing it into electrons.
There was seemingly nothing his blade couldn't cut through...And maybe that was the key to gaining an advantage over him.
"He doesn't know everything I can use." Sarajin evaded around his swings to the best of his ability and came close to his enemy's mask a couple times.
"He probably thinks I can only hit him with solid attacks!" He took a brief glance down out of the corner of his eyes at the water down below, "If I can drag him down there...I can surround him in water, and strike him with a powerful lightning bolt!"
The metal leviathan was starting to tilt and looked like it would crash into multiple islands on impact.
Sarajin pulled away and was on guard upon realizing that Vader, after minutes of relentless offense, was now walking back with his sword at bay.
It was an ominous sign, forewarning Sarajin ahead of time of the power Vader would soon put on display.
The dense metal beneath the base of the room they were in began to crumble and break with an ear-grinding, metallic screech.
It was torn off and Vader raised his hand out, lobbing the entire room through the air so that it'd drop down on top of Sarajin.
Sarajin floated there awestruck and succumbed to it's descent, as he found himself slamming into the back door in his failure to retreat, where he remained pinned down until the mass of metal crashed down atop the leviathan.
A series of explosions went off across the surface and polluted the air with the smell of burning metal. Sarajin fortunately was able to shield his lungs with an air barrier and then start using his blade to slice his way free. But the impact left his body aching and his right arm throbbed stiff, unable to take a swing.
As he stood atop the broken tower, gasping for relief for his aches, he saw no signs of Vader in the air.
The man's deadly breathing threw Sarajin's heart into a panic and he turned around to take a swing, his desperation rewarded by Vader slicing through the middle of his blade in one effortless motion.
Sarajin flinched, while Vader raised his hand and concentrated his will into Sarajin's rib cage, pushing him back and riddling it with cracks.
Sarajin fell onto his knees and gasped harder, stabbing the remainder of his blade into the ground.
The ship's tilting worsened, causing what they stood on to slide and tear up even more of the metal leviathan.
Those orb-like ships started flooding out of the side three at a time. This ship was going to hit the ground soon.
Vader towered over Sarajin and continued his abnormal breathing, stating to him firmly, "Your tricks are impressive, but they do not compare to the power of the Force."
Sarajin twisted his grip on his sword's handle and then concentrated on the electricity still in the wires, focusing them underneath Vader's feet.
The metal began to creak. Vader of course would jump backwards to avoid the incoming electric geyser.
But it was a feint, giving Sarajin ample time to stand and throw himself towards the edge of the metal leviathan as quickly as he could.
He could sense Vader attempt to squeeze him in place with his will. Sarajin's second wind allowed him to concentrate the remaining electricity into becoming a lightning bolt for a few seconds to escape his will.
He then stumbled off the edge of the metal leviathan and flew far, far away, hopefully out of Vader's reach.
The titanic dagger would soon plunge into the ground, causing mass devastation to both sides' forces and the environment.
...There was nothing Sarajin could do, and his heart ached with guilt. "Was this my fault?" He wondered for a brief moment.
He had to focus on Vader, irregardless of how much he wished he could help.
The man's stare penetrated him from this far away, as he remained stationary on the sinking leviathan. Sarajin raised his half a blade in both hands out of fear.
More of those orbs continued to flood out, but now the white armored soldiers were spilling out with extra orbs coming down with them towards the water.
One such orb had the plates bent diagonal at the top and bottom. And its presence spurned Vader to leap off and land right on top of it.
The orb immediately rose and pursued Sarajin with a bombardment of energy blasts. The light of Vader's sword retracted into the metal hilt and he crossed his arms, once more using only his will to enforce his power upon the objects of the world.
Sarajin couldn't beat this orb with a sword that was half weak. He used his agility to weave around the blasts and then dove for the shore.
Vader's orb was faster than the rest. Or perhaps this was another effect of his will. He could keep pace with him, perhaps beat it out.
This power, this "Force", was too unknown to comprehend. Could it even be beaten? It was taking everything Sarajin had at his disposal just to survive it.
"No!" He cut down the doubt clouding his mind and clutched his arms against his sides, speeding faster towards the shore with wind wreathing him like an arrowhead, "I can't give up here!"
Every friend and family member he had waiting back home flashed through his mind in seconds.
As he neared a landing he noticed a towering tree at the back of the sand that had been abandoned and set aflame.
"Perfect!" He then hit the ground and spun around, steeling his concentration as the energy bombardment threw clouds of sand in his eyes.
He grabbed hold of the largest tree branch and tugged it free by thrusting his palms pressed together. Then he threw it at Vader's ride with all his might and a strained roar.
The wood speared the glass and caused the orb to explode into smoldering metal and flames. Vader jumped off and landed on the sand at the very edge of the water.
As debris rained down around him, he stood resolute with his sword drawn once more, the blade shown igniting through thick black smoke.
Sarajin hunched over with limp hands, his breathing deafened by the metal leviathan wedging into the planet's crust a mile away.
Vader marched through the tremors with greater imprints on the planet left in his wake. He held his other hand slightly on high and then clutched his fingers down in an instant.
Sarajin's knees let out a loud crunch and a scream was torn from his lungs as he fell down on top of them, furthering the pain.
Vader then stopped in range to put the tip of his sword below Sarajin's chin, telling him that if he surrendered any more to pain, he'd fall upon the blade.
The cold sweat on Sarajin's face fell and sizzled on the blade. The light from it burned, an extension of Vader's hatred.
Sarajin dared to look up into his hollow eyes and ask him, "Why...? How can you look at all this destruction and death and not feel anything?!"
Vader's breathing deepened as he responded, "Millions lay dead at my feet, not knowing that answer. Not just men. But women, and children."
"What makes you any different?" His iron cold question pierced Sarajin and made his heart tremble. But not out of fear. Nay, it was spurred by rage, and disgust, at how this one man, this monster, could have surrendered his humanity.
"Because I...!" Sarajin's eyes flared as he squeezed his hands against the sand, "Can stop you!"
The sea roared high as a tidal wave ready to crash down upon Vader and consume him.
The dark lord turned without missing a beat and thrust his hand towards the tidal wave, causing it to be shoved back into the sea.
Sarajin didn't even blink and forced himself onto his feet to charge Vader and punch him square in the mask.
Vader turned back around and crunched Sarajin's chest with a shove from his will, propelling him onto his back further along the shore.
Blood sprayed out of Sarajin's mouth and soiled his poncho. He then weakly raised his head and looked upon Vader's mask, exposing himself to true terror...
The metal around the eye crumbled off. Underneath was skin charred gray and barely alive, wreathing an eye that burned like lava.
His breathing quickened, but never lost its menace.
No more words. He marched upon Sarajin with a sword ready for execution.
Sarajin was motionless, eclipsed by the black that denied the sun at his back.
There was nothing he could do.
He would die here.
He came this far to learn the truth.
And the truth was...the stars harbored monsters.
Vader's final breath and the swing of his blade were to be the last sounds Sarajin would hear, but he let them come with his eyes wide open with grim acceptance...
"-araj-!"
As the blade fell, it's descent seemed to slow, and then stopped entirely, consumed alongside Vader by a spread of monochrome colors.
The world followed suit, all save for Sarajin losing their color.
He felt a bit of trembling coming from his pocket that died down when he reached towards it. He had almost given up all hope, but that stone was there to provide one last sliver.
But that voice...was he imagining it?
He closed his eyes and silently gave his thanks...
He then grabbed hold of his blade and charged it full of electricity.
Vader couldn't do anything. One stab to the chest would put this monster down for good, and save countless lives from his hate.
Sarajin grit his teeth, and thrust the blade up at his target with blood dripping out of his nose and the veins in his eyes looking ready to burst.
…
There was a golden flash of mythical light. The space between the two forces were separated by a great distance, and Sarajin found himself without his sword.
And in the place where he once sat stood a man that glowed with holy silver. Wearing a fine robe down to his feet, covered in black five-pointed stars, he had a somewhat unnatural looking face, fantastical by design.
He had a long, pointed beard that was smooth as silk, his head mostly bald.
In one hand was the blade Sarajin once wielded, being reduced to particles of light. In the other was the man's own blade, a strange, heavenly design with two handles and blades crossing together to form a "X", with wings of gilded glass spread from the middle.
They lacked a presence, so far beyond the reach of the mortal eye that it was only by their will that they showed themselves as human.
The man was tired, presenting his fatigue with furrowed brows as he swerved towards Sarajin.
The next thing Sarajin knew, he was being bound up in golden, hollowed chains of light, as the man dictated with an air of cold familiarity in his words, "You shall interfere in the affairs of this world no longer, Blank."
Sarajin was not allowed a word as the entire space around them shifted from the plentiful lands to a void of white nothingness in the blink of an eye.
The man then lowered his sword and stepped away without a sound.
Sarajin's eyes were forced to look up as a mighty shadow fell upon this white land.
Serpentine in form. Incomprehensible in size.
It was a beast burdened with majesty, and dawn-lit scales painted by the beauty of tens of millions of worlds, some Sarajin had been to before.
There was no end to this beast, no expression through which to discern humanity. No arms for holding. No legs for standing.
It existed, and by its mere presence alone showed that even galaxies were little more than ants before it.
With eyes like a red giant, and pupils like black holes, it swallowed up all traces of resistance in this void and rendered Sarajin null of his individuality.
A gleam of a thousand starlights shone from the beast's draconic face, and thus, its voice would soon be enforced upon the void.
"Tainted being, born of the impure typings of those beyond the glass. You had sought to poison the narrative of the Star Wars Cluster, and for that you will be sentenced to judgment at the hands of I, who speaks for all the Wills of Fantasy and Dreams your ilk has tampered with!"
"Your voice has been rendered null. Your boiled tongue will not spew words of poison upon this sanctity. I will understand your existence and then DENY it from this universe forever!"
The beast's gaze ate the knowledge of Sarajin's very being calmly, even as their voice thundered with the echoes from millennia of birth and death.
"Your name is Sarajin Stratos. And your poison, cast into the sea of stars from the designated world of..."
There was silence. A dreadfully long pause through which the tension in the atmosphere softened, as the beast's tone became one of genuine bemusement, "Gene...stasia?"
The bearded man commented with a deep and wise voice, "One of the Man Forged Worlds?"
The endless entity hummed in solidarity, and then pondered deeper aloud, "...You are...not a Blank?"
The entity and the bearded man shared looks, leading to the bearded man nodding and turning towards Sarajin with his sword raised.
The gesture was two-folded. It unraveled the chains that bound him, and then summoned a glowing bell with bright green leaves around it over Sarajin's head, sprinkling him with a flurry of magical flakes.
When Sarajin fell on his feet there was no pain in any part of his body. He felt just like he had the day he first left home.
The bell faded, and Sarajin looked up with a blank look in his eyes. Who knew what emotion he was feeling by the second...
The entity bent it's head with remorse and whispered like a gentle-natured friend, "I offer my sincerest apologies, child of Genestasia. Had I cast my heart even a second further into hate, it would have been the cessation of your innocent life, and the undoing of the oath I had sworn to upheld."
Sarajin rubbed his wrists and looked the entity up in their eyes, the genuine displeasure it had towards itself leaving him feeling urged to say, "I-It's alright..."
But it was laced with confusion, and led him to follow-up with a drawn out hum as he looked around this void of white. He stared at the bearded man with his mouth agape, then back up at the entity, feeling a warm, heavenly vibe in the air as of now.
"Ummm, who are you?"
The entity answered in kind, "We are they who govern the balance of that which has been scripted in the pages of our universe."
The bearded man followed suit with, "Our identities remain obscured from mortal eyes. Even those who can see beyond the beyond, can only refer to us as the 'higher-ups'."
"But for you, child of Genestasia, shall I offer my true name in apology. For though I have been perceived as the All-Father of Dreams, the Arbiter of Your Present Reality, and even the Infinitasmal Serpent...Thy truth has been engraved upon my being from creation to present. I am Futanji Shinryu."
"Futanji...Shinryu?" It was a warm name with a grandiose presence when spoken of. Sarajin felt his soul tremble, but it was a welcome feeling.
The bearded man then tucked their hands into their sleeves and remarked, "And I am Yen Sid, the Wise Man of Wills Good and Pure."
Sarajin threw himself into a bow with his hands firmly planted on his knees, "It's a pleasure to meet you both, s-sirs!"
He then stood back up and stumbled over his tongue trying to say, "Umm, if you don't mind me asking though...Why did you bring me here? And...what happened to Vader?"
Futanji raised his head and muttered, "I am not offended. As rare a sensation as it is, I too, am curious."
"R-Really?" Sarajin said, pointing at himself with a look of surprise.
"It is not unheard of for beings from one Cluster to make their way to another," Yen Said remarked, "But it takes an incredible strength of will to traverse the breadth of Clusters that brought you to where you were."
"So if you may, please, first tell us what brought you so very, very far from your home, child of Genestasia."
"I...came out here in search of answers," Sarajin was slowly feeling more comfortable in the presence of these two supreme divine beings, feeling that if anyone could help, maybe it was them, "See, our planet has suffered from decay at the hands of the Rot for thousands of years. I thought that if I went out into space, I could find a solution to it on other worlds."
"So, the consequences of the Rot Horizon still linger on your world..." Muttered Futanji in a mildly concerned tone.
"H-Huh? You...already know about that?"
"Do not mind that for now. So, your determination carried you across entire galaxies until you landed upon the planet Kashyyyk."
"And from there, led to your encounter with Darth Vader." Yen Sid remarked.
There would be many new names and terms to come in the conversation that followed, but out of respect for the time and answers he was given, Sarajin moved along at their pace, "I...thought finding other people was a good sign. But the white soldiers there were...enslaving the planet's populace, and destroying their home."
The thought of the pain, death and fire consuming the land brought his fist to rise, clenched in rage, "I-I couldn't look away. I had to do something to help out!"
"I understand now," Yen Sid remarked, catching Sarajin by surprise, "It's no wonder that your actions so strongly bore the stench of a Blank."
Sarajin gestured his hand at the two and muttered, "You've said that a few times now. 'Blank'. Is that...related to why you brought me here?"
"There are dire truths that could be brought forth if I am to answer that question," Futanji then spoke in a sincere tone, "You do not need to bear them, child of Genestasia. Refuse, and you may return home with your peace of mind. I would not dare force this upon you."
Sarajin stood still and thought about it long and hard for a few minutes, "I can't go home empty-handed...Who knows, maybe these Blanks have a connection to the Rot."
He firmed his gaze upwards and said, "N-No, please. This might be important to me!"
Futanji's sigh was like a pure wind that could light up entire galaxies, "Very well."
"In the beginning, there was nothing. Then, there was I."
"From my very being did I shed the light that would grow to form the stars and planets that clutter the cosmos."
"And from this void beyond I watch over these worlds and their growth, seeking to maintain a very particular and delicate balance."
"But there are beings who exist beyond our scope of understanding known as 'Authors'. From behind a veil of glass they watch, fiddling with this delicate balance with their many-angled hands."
"Their purpose is enigmatic, their presence more so. They cannot interfere with our universe directly, and thus create 'Blanks' as a medium."
"These 'Blanks' may appear at first to play by the rules and laws that govern the worlds in each Cluster. But their existence hides a truly ravenous disease."
"'Author's' are not content to merely impose their presence upon these worlds. They want to impose their will in full, make all who were born into these worlds love them, respect them, give them everything without any respect for consequences."
"And when these worlds are shifted this far off their natural course, their corporeal forms scrape against the walls of our reality and make it bleed, giving birth to the 'Poison'."
"If left unchecked, 'Poison' will grow exponentially until it consumes all worlds, even those in other Clusters, throwing everything into pure chaos."
"And there would be no end to it, until every universe, across every timeline, has been tainted."
"Thus, this is where our purpose as 'higher-ups' lie. To watch over this ever-delicate balance, and intervene before the 'Poison' spreads too deep."
"This void exists outside the laws of the universe. Thus, it serves as the perfect prison to prevent 'Authors' from exerting their presence upon the world through their 'Blanks'."
"Once a 'Blank' is banished, the 'Author' tends to lose interest, so we have come to understand."
"But their kind spans infinity. And thus we must always remain vigilant."
This was...a lot to take in. Perhaps too much for any mortal man.
This information exposed the fundamental truths behind the creation of...well, everything, of which there was a lot more than Sarajin understood.
But even with all this information on hand, he centered on one important detail, which left him mumbling in a bothered tone, "My actions were like a 'Blank'. So you mean, it was...wrong for me to stop Vader?"
He looked up at Futanji, who answered in sincerity, "All worlds are scripted to follow a certain course."
"But he was raining destruction on an innocent planet!" Sarajin proclaimed.
"That is simply the way things are meant to be," Futanji's words seemed cold, but he softened the blow with what he said after, "The universe he's from has had many wars. He, or rather, his Lord, are merely the victors of the latest one."
"And their victory march has brought many worlds under fascist rule, through fire, blood, and death."
"But life will not die out without a fight. One day a rebellion shall form under the feet of this Empire, and grow stronger following the light of a new hope."
"A warrior's kindness will awaken the last trace of humanity in Vader's soul, and together they will end the reign of the Emperor for good."
"So it turns out ok?" Sarajin hung his head and furrowed his brows.
"Is something the matter?" Yen Sid pondered with his wise expertise.
"Well, yeah..." Sarajin gestured his hand out and tried to appeal to both entities, "How many people will die before their war stops? Shouldn't it be ok to try and save as many lives as possible?"
There was an air of melancholy surrounding the draconic entity, his voice coming off as tired and pitiful, "Life should be cherished. But all things come to an end. Even I, eventually, shall face oblivion at the hands of entropy."
"I empathize with your plight. None truly bears the weight of life more than the one who holds the universe upon their back. But you should focus solely on the affairs of your own world, child of Genestasia. Leave the other worlds to us, and the figures who shall come and go."
There was fatigue in his insistence that Sarajin picked up instantly.
"The entire universe...I couldn't begin to imagine how hard that is," Sarajin briefly bit his bottom lip and then said to Futanji, "I still didn't learn anything that could help reverse the Rot. Isn't there anything you can do or say to help?"
"We cannot," Yen Sid spoke up immediately, "We are guardians. Not gods. To meddle in the affairs of other worlds would make us no better than the 'Blanks' we condemn."
Sarajin's eyes briefly flickered with disappointment before he muttered in reluctance, "I-I...understand."
He gathered his thoughts regarding everything he just heard, and as Futanji spoke up "Now, I will send you back to-"
"Wait!" Sarajin got a spark of inspiration and boldly interrupted, much to both beings' surprise.
Sarajin hearted raced. His travels had been leading up to this point, a climatic question through which many fates would be decided, most of all his own.
This was the day a legacy would begin, and it all started with this...
"What if I helped you protect the balance of other worlds?" He laid a hand on his chest and said in earnest, "I can go from world to world and deal with 'Blanks' or other problems that would disturb them."
"And even if you can't give me ideas to help stop the Rot...What would be the problem with me taking inspiration from the worlds I visit as compensation?"
Yen Sid paused for a few moments while Futanji hummed. The wise man then faced his partner and remarked, "Perhaps...there is merit in what he suggests, Futanji."
"He is from a Man Forged World. His existence would provide an element of surprise that would expose the subtler 'Blanks'."
The entity then faced Sarajin and remarked, "You would offer your aid...even though you aspire to accomplish so much already?"
"I can't stop thinking about what you said…'' Sarajin clutched his fists and gestured them around in the air, "Maybe...I can't save every life. But if I can help keep the world in order, give as many people as possible a chance to make their dreams come true...That'll be good enough for me."
"...I see. We will deliberate on this matter for a time, and then deliver our answer."
Sarajin's body then began to glow with the same light surrounding Futanji, "For now, you shall rest at the place you call...home."
Before he could blink he found his view shifting elsewhere, the sun burning bright in his eyes.
He flinched and stumbled a couple steps back, where he caught a familiar tower poking up from out of the corner of his eyes.
He looked around to see familiar houses on familiar land, floating amidst a familiar blue sky...
His racing heart began to relax and he smiled from cheek to warm cheek.
He spun right around without a second thought and found he was face-to-face with his home. He rushed right through the front door panting with excitement, his parent's pulling their heads away from their seat at the table.
Their eyes slowly widened, his mom's face dripping with tears.
He held onto the sides of the door and pulled himself in, tears welling in his eyes as well.
A promise had been fulfilled, and though the future still seemed uncertain, Sarajin's hope remained strong.
"Mom, dad...?" He grinned and closed his eyes, letting the tears run free as he whispered with delight, "I'm home...!"
Next Time: Who I Am
Author's Note:
I didn't intend for this chapter to take so long and unfortunately the next one will take some time too. Holiday season just happened to have some rough scheduling for once and I'd rather not push through when I'm not prepared. After Christmas though I will be back to consistency.