Title: Mythology

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Author's Note: This is the final chapter in this story. It is quite sad, so I hope you are prepared to both cry and hate me at the end. Make sure you have read Checkmate and the Crucible, or some of the references won't make any sense. The song is Dig by Jars of Clay. It would be worthwhile to read the lyrics as you read the story, although it isn't necessary to do so.

Chapter Fifteen: Battle of the Gods

I had a big idea
I had a crazy eye
I broke the sacred seal
I told a lazy lie

How did it end up like this?

The top of the summit was a small circle, about twelve feet across. It was flat, with the occasional rock and tuft of grass. The ground was covered in sand and the remains of the early morning dew and fog. From this vantage point, the world sloped out in great rolling plains and winding roads. To one side, the Landra River wound its way through the province. To the other, the Fel Mountains curved about in a twisted line, and far beyond them the sand of the Triaji desert glistened in the morning light. High above, the cloudless sky was flooded with brilliant red from the rising sun.

But the beauty was lost on Tess and Khivar.

The two stood and faced each other, unaware of anything around them. They stood on opposite sides of the summit, watching and waiting. Far below them, every soldier in the rebel and royal armies had paused to look up at the scene. They had watched in fascination as Khivar climbed the hundred feet to face the Queen.

And Tess had let him climb, not wanting to strike him until he was level with her. This would be a fair fight. He had finally pulled himself to his feet in front of her, his hands scratched and covered with blood and dirt, his hair matted with sweat, his eyes shinning with greedy anticipation.

And so they stood, two still statues, waiting for the final battle to begin.

How did it end up like this?

You kill me, you kill your son.

Seven simple words that had forever changed the fate of an entire planet.

She hadn't thought it through at the time. There hadn't been any time to think it through, not with her son dying in her womb, not with the clock ticking away, not with the furious face of the boy-king glaring at her with ferocity unparalleled.

But it hadn't been about any of that.

She had wanted to hurt him.

And she did.

Checkmate.

But had she thought it through, had she realized the consequences of her actions when she uttered those seven words, would she still have said them? Would she have lead herself to this place?

Maybe, maybe not.

It was too late now, and why waste precious moments on something that could not be changed?

She had said those words, and she was here.

Here, on the Mountain of Fate, facing her destiny.

I've had my conscience bent
I've had my patience tried
I've been up in the desert and down by the river side

How did it end up like this?

It took her years, decades, to become the Queen she was. She cannot relearn it in two weeks.

I can try. Arya is right, I am still Ava. Teach me how to be a Queen.

If only it was that simple. If only one could be taught to be a Queen. But Khai had been right about one thing, it took more than just training to become the person she once was.

It took blood and tears and sweat.

And she had given all three.

She had given them, and in return, she had become the person she had always wanted.

A Queen.

But did she want it now? Did she want to be here on this mountain, fighting a battle that had started long before her hybrid self was born? Or would she have rather hid in the back and let the King ride to the front of the regiments and lead them into the fray?

She didn't know the answer to that, but it didn't matter. She was the Queen, whether she willed it or not, and she was here, whether she wanted it or not.

And there was no King to save them all.

How did it end up like this?

How do you know the desert is impossible to cross? Have you ever tried? Has anyone ever tried?

Another action she had not properly thought through. She had decided on the plan the moment the idea had occurred to her, and she had not stopped to consider the final end result.

But perhaps it did not matter. Perhaps she never had a choice in any of this. Perhaps every path she chose would have eventually lead her to this moment in time.

Battle.

No, not battle.

War.

Will the eagle fly
If the sky's untrue?
Do the faithful sigh
Because they are so few?

There were no taunts, no tricks, no traps, no deceptions. The battle started in silence, but beneath the wordless cover a inner conflict raged, one filled with fire and passion and hatred. Tess struck a blow, and Khivar parried it; Khivar struck a blow and Tess jumped to the side. They moved around each other, circling in greedy anticipation, each filled with the desire to finally end the conflict that had brewed since Khivar's first attack on Zan many years ago.

For Khivar, it was a final attempt cover the bitter loss that had filled him since Vilandra had turned away, the anger that seeped from his pores at the mention of the Queen, the fear that he would never win the planet. For Tess, it was the opportunity to prove, once and for all, that she was worth something. For Antar, it was a battle between the two most powerful beings on the planet, a battle that would decide their fate and destiny, a battle that would be recorded in the history books as the turning point of the nation, whether for good or evil was yet to be seen. And for Earth, for the three hybrids who unaware of the horrors of the war that had been fought in their names, it was the only chance they would ever have to stop the end of the world.

Only a few moments into the battle, and Tess was already covered in bruises. Already filled with despair as the energy left her. Already counting the seconds to her death, to the moment in time when she would never breathe again.

But Khivar was weary as well, because although he had the stronger power, Tess had the greater passion. It radiated from her waves of energy that almost knocked him over in their intensity. For her, this was so much more than just a battle.

This was her destiny.

Tess struck another blow, a bolt of energy to the chest. Khivar blocked it with a shield of green energy and launched his own furious attack, a rapid series of electric bolts that flashed through the sky and shattered at her feet. She was blown backwards and tumbled over the grass, smashing her head against the rocks.

Tess swung around and forced herself to move out of the way before Khivar could attack again. Crouching on her hands and knees, she let the current power leave her outstretched hand and fill the air with the hum of electricity.

Khivar stepped aside, and the energy hit the rocks behind him, smashing in a violent burst of light. He was too fast for her attacks, and held the upper hand. It was not long until Tess was on the defensive, struggling just to make it through every agonizing moment.

You lived another life, Max...a life completely different from this one...a life when you loved me.

I don't remember that.

But she remembered. She remembered only too well the countless memories of the life none of the others cared about. She remembered the people depending on her to win this battle. She remembered those she loved, dead now because of Khivar and what he had done. And she remembered her son, so young, so innocent, so full of life and naïve happiness.

And she pulled herself unsteadily to her feet.

Remember when I cried
Remember when you knew
Remember the look in your eyes
I know I do

As Tess struck another blow, as she dove out of the way of the countering attack, she remembered another memory, one from only two days ago, a memory of the promises she had extracted from Khai, of the life she had provided for her son and for Antar.

Tess stood and placed her hands on the Granolith, feeling the surge of power flowing through her body. She lifted the orb in the air and stared at it, watching how the light danced within it, swirling about in an array of different shades. "It's funny," she murmured, "how so much power could be held in something so small."

Khai turned and looked up at the petite alien's tiny figure, a smirk curling the corners of his lips. "Indeed," he said, and Tess turned sharply, knowing there was more to the one word than Khai let on. But Khai turned and looked away, his eyes betraying nothing. "It's yours."

"The Granolith?"

"Yes." Khai stood and stretched his arms. "It belongs to the ruling family of Antar." He looked away, out over the land, and frowned, watching as the sun sank slowly. "The final battle is near. I can feel it."

Tess nodded and knew that it was time to discuss the plan that had been slowly forming in her mind for the past several days. "After the battle, you can keep it," she said bluntly, holding the glowing orb out to Khai.

Khai glanced down at the Granolith, but made no move to take it. "It belongs to the…"

"…ruling house of Antar," Tess finished his sentence quickly. "Yes, I know." She waited until Khai was looking at her, waited until she could see the comprehension dawning in his eyes, then said, "Sria told me once that Antarian children were weak when they were in the womb, but Alex could probably survive on Earth now."

"You mean to send your son to Earth?" Khai asked incredulously. This, coming form the woman who had so vehemently disliked the course the other hybrids had chosen, who thought stay on Earth was tantamount to betrayal, this coming from her was beyond understanding.

"Alex is no use to the planet, Khai. Once Khivar is dead, Antar needs a strong leader, not a little boy. They need someone who can pull them out of the pit of despair Khivar has so blindly thrown them all into. They need you."

"No," Khai countered. "No, they need you."

Tess shook her head. "I must face Khivar, Khai. And it is a battle I must start and finish on my own. But I am no fool, I know that Khivar far out-powers me. My only hope is that if I must die, I may be able to take him with me."

"No…"

"You, Sria, Larek, Lotho, Kani, Arya… you've all taught me that a ruler's primary task is to ensure the welfare and prosperity of their people," Tess pressed. "And I am honest enough to admit that leaving Alex here as ruler after I die will do them no good. He will be a puppet in someone else's power struggle, and I don't want that for my son or for this planet."

Khai swallowed back his protest and looked down at the ground, wondering if there was anyway to change the Queen's mind. But her sapphire eyes were set with steely determination, and he knew there was nothing he could do. And he knew also, that she was right. She would have to face Khivar in the battlefield, and she would not survive the encounter.

That thought hurt him more than would have expected.

"How can I lead? I've never trained to be a ruler," Khai pointed out. "Normally when someone abdicates the throne, the replacement is trained for years before they become King or Queen."

"Khai, you lead the Resistance for decades before I returned to Antar. And you've protected the Granolith for three months now, risking your life to keep it out of Khivar's hands. You proven, time and again, that you will do whatever is necessary to deliver this planet from hell. Whether you realize it or not, you've already proven that you can be King."

Khai bowed his head, knowing there was truth in her words.

"Khai, promise me that if I die, you will take the throne of Antar, and you will do everything in your power to protect and care for this planet and its people," Tess said in a voice ringing with authority. "And promise me that once you are King, you will send Alex to Earth, to someone nice and some place safe." She hesitated, and then continued in a softer tone, "And promise me that this planet will not forget me. Promise me."

"I give you my word," Khai replied, taking the Granolith from Tess and holding it in his hands in a symbolic acceptance of the throne. But it was an acceptance of so more than that. It was an acceptance of the truth that destiny had laid out a different path for Tess, one so far removed from what anyone expected, and one that refused to budge. With the Granolith, she could channel Max, Michael, and Isabel, and with the Granolith, she could defeat Khivar. But once that battle was over, life would pass her by, and the Granolith would move to someone else.

And count the stars to measure time
The earth is hard, the treasure fine
To the sea, I crawl on my knees

Tess bit her lip and stared down at the paper in her hand. She ran her fingers over the blank page, feeling the fibers beneath her skin. She wanted to write a letter to her son, something for him to remember her by once she had passed on, but what could she say? What could she possibly say that would ever explain everything she had done, everything she had wanted for him?

Dear Alex…

No, she crossed it out with a sharp mark from her pen. It sounded to formal, to stuffy, and if this was the only letter she ever wrote him, she wanted it to sound right.

My darling boy…

Too sappy. She scratched that out as well. Who wanted to be called a darling boy by their mother?

But she would not be his mother.

No, she would be his mother, but she would not be Mom. Someone else would be Mom, and she could only hope that whoever it was, they were as loving as the Evans, as understanding as the Valenti's and as ruthless in protecting their own at Nasedo.

She wanted her son to be happy, to be accepted, to be safe.

To my son…

I wish I could be there to see you grow up. I wish I could watch as you ate your first solid food, said your first word, took your first step. I wish I could be there for all of those firsts…

But she couldn't.

God, this was harder than she thought it would be.

No, it was just as hard as she thought it would be. But she had not allowed herself to think about it, to realize the reality of what she was doing, until that moment.

And she suddenly knew exactly what her parents, Michael's parents, and Max's and Isabel's parents has felt as they let their children go.

The knowledge that this was for the best did not completely mask the doubt that ate away at her soul as she stared at her sleeping son.

She would give him a memory, she decided abruptly. A memory of her, so that he would know who his mother was and where he came from.

A memory and a letter. It was not much, but it was all she had left to give.

She had already given him her life.


Feel it coming in
Feel it going out

Memories. A lifetime…no, two lifetimes' worth of memories flashed before Tess' eyes as she battled on, oblivious to everyone around her but the skin king. She did not know that, far below her, the two armies watched the battle with growing anticipation. She could not know that far away on another planet, three hybrids crouched around an apartment table, waiting for their fourth to contact them.

She was aware of only the present moment and the memories that rushed through her mind.

"Liz is human. She has nothing to do with us."

"No, you have nothing to do with us."

Water covers sin
Blood covers doubt

"What was the deal? Tell me!"

"To return home with you child, and deliver the three of you to Khivar." The answer was calculated to cause pain. You claim you never loved me? You claim that I was only a rebound, a woman you could care nothing about? Well, guess what? I never loved you either. In fact, this was all some great scheme of mine to get home. I was just using you. How does it feel to be used? To be nothing but a means to an end? To be nothing at all?

How. Does. It. Feel

"How did I ever fall in love with someone like you? How could I ever marry you?"

Flushed crimson with anger, she hit back hard. "You were different then, you were a king. Now you're just a boy."


So I begin again
Again the kneeling bow

The two of the buildings caved inwards. They glowed orange with fire. The air was suddenly filled with acrid smoke which hung heavily in the air. Shards of glass littered the streets, mixed with pieces of brick and other rubble. The fire raged, spreading rapidly across the ground and quickly catching the surrounding buildings in a blaze. The sounds of screams, of shouting, of panic sobs filled the air.

The two woman and the child had been caught in the thick of the fire, and the child screamed in panic and horror, his tiny voice barely audible over the crackling of the flames.

There was a time that I might have surrendered

The energy struck Sria in the back, and the redhead was lifted off of the ground, her body glowing with a eerie blue light. She hung in the air for a moment, then crashed heavily into the wall and slid to the ground, her eyes closing shut.

But not now

"The others? What about them, Larek?"

"They're gone…I think…I don't know…the planet it so…he's destroyed us…Ava. I think the others were not too lucky…I don't know if even Khai escaped, but I think…I hope and pray he did…the Granolith must not fall to Khivar…you understand that?"


Consult the cards to measure mine
The earth is hard, the treasure fine
To the sea I crawl on my knees

There were good memories as well, though. There were people worth fighting for and conversations worth cherishing.

When you first arrived here, I told you I did not think you would be able to become a true Queen. I told you that I saw you as useless, as worthless, as a waste of time. I see now that I was wrong.

Tess pulled herself slowly to her knees and stared up at Khivar. Blood stained her clothes. Her hair was matted to her face with sweat, dust and dirt caked her pale skin. As she stared up into the gloating yellow eyes, she felt fury and rage fill every fiber, every cell of her being. She dug deep into the reservoir of energy and with one final Herculean effort, managed to throw Khivar away from her.

I remember you.

It was hard to hold on. Every agonizing moment was dragged out as though in slow motion. Khivar struggled against the power surging from Tess. He blasted her with every bit of energy he had, and it was all she could do to keep her strength up. But somehow she managed, and her power forced Khivar backwards and closer to the edge of the rocks.

Listen, I just want you to know if anything goes wrong... if you're not able to go home, then you have a home here. That your child has a home here too. I mean, you're uh, you're both part of this family now. We'll figure out what's wrong with the baby. We'll find a way.

It was now or never. Tess reached out into the blackness around her mind, her spirit connecting with the power of the Granolith, and she felt Max, Michael, and Isabel combine within. The power from all four of them was like nothing she had ever expected, ever experienced, ever even dreamed was possible. It was wild and alive and colorful. It danced with brilliant light as it exploded from her outstretched palms, striking her enemy directly in the chest, sending his toppling into the air.

Yeah, well...you're my favorite Martian.

Khivar's body hovered in the air for a moment, suspended by the power flowing from Tess' outstretched arm. Then the last of Tess' strength gave way, and the skin King fell, tumbling a hundred feet to the ground below. And as the world darkened around her, as she drew her final breath and felt her spirit slip away, Tess smiled, remembering the one word that had brought so much joy, so much light, and so much strength to her life.

Mama.

On Earth, Max felt Tess' presence slip away from his own, felt the drain on his powers stop, and he realized, with a sudden rush of grief and agony, that Tess was gone.


Consult the cards to measure mine
The earth is hard, the treasure fine
At the sea I wait on my knees
At the sea I wait on my knees
At the sea I wait on my knees

Alright, show of hands, folks, how many people want to kill me? (Please don't answer this question until you've read my next story, I promise it makes up for the horrible thing I did here)

My next and last story in this series will be entitled Epilogue: Redemption. It will be posted soon because I've already gotten it written and I just need to add some final touches to it. Here's the thing, it starts thirty-two years after this story ends. And I'm not actually going to tell anything about what happens in between. Like The Crucible, I am leaving it all to your imagination. What did Mr. Evans do with his information? Did the other hybrids ever tell their parents and Jesse the truth? Did Khai lead Antar out of depression? Are Arya, Ceyla, Naj, and Nicolas still alive? That is entirely up to you.

The only thing I will tell you is this, at some point in between this story and the next one the FBI came after everyone on Earth, and they fled like they did at the end of Graduation.

So again, show of hands, how many people want to kill me?