Epilogue – Last Hurrah
Third Person's POV, Resistance HQ
The mood was sombre as the Resistance came over to a huge graveyard. Each of the fallen soldiers was buried. Each of them was wrapped in a blanket with the Resistance symbol on it.
Richard had a pain that was like nothing before. Worse than the pain anyone experienced in the war whether physical or not. His body was crying out in huge agony and hopelessness.
His family and squad were gone and never to return.
As he buried the last body, wrapped in a blanket with some red marks, he felt strange. He remembered during the war when one of the soldiers quit over the failure of a mission…and the punch he received from that soldier.
"You're just going to QUIT already?!" he said that day.
"How so?" said that soldier. "I can't trust anyone."
"But I'm sure that we will find a solution-"
"This Resistance will NEVER find a solution this war. It gives no hope and only gives out lies and costs everything!"
Those words have a big impact. Richard wondered if that soldier was right.
He lost everything.
It costed him everything to fight for peace.
All he got were lies with false hope…
…but that changed when the Black Squad came and everything was resolved.
So why was he still upset?
Why did he still had sorrow when everything was better already?
Why did he felt helpless when peace came back?
People should not weep when they became victorious.
Richard stared at the tomb for a long time. He looked up. Mic was talking to his father.
"Mic is so lucky to still have his father," Richard thought grimly. "Why? How come…I got nobody to look upon…?"
He felt somebody holding onto his shoulder. It was Sonic.
"Hey Richard," said Sonic smiling. "I heard that you're going to be the new commander of the Resistance. Congratulations."
That was true. After discussing with his squad, Richard became the new leader of the Resistance since the Red Squad was given the leadership role as Knuckles was planning to head back to Angel Island soon.
"Well I guess that sounds pretty fantastic," said Richard sarcastically. He was too upset to be happy about it.
Sonic noticed his grief. "Don't be sad. The war's over. Your family and friends would be proud of you for doing this."
Richard glared at the blue hedgehog. "Why? Why do you find everything so PEACHY?"
"What do you mean?" asked Sonic.
"You've always been carefree about dangers. You never refuse to give up. You've never show that you're ashamed of yourself for those six months. How did you handle the pain? Why do you always stay cool?"
Bitterness was dripping from Richard's mouth. He looked like he was ready to cry.
"I…" stammered Sonic. "I always look on the bright side. Yes…I do feel the shame of many incidents these past years and mourn for those I left behind. I have to admit that I still haven't gone over my trauma. I have a few outbursts and I'm going to take counselling soon. But during war, I can't always focus on the past, as we need to look for a better future. I find hope for myself and everyone…it takes a lot of work to reach to this phase."
"But what was it all for?" said Richard. "What was it REALLY for? The cities? Destroyed into rubble. Everyone? They are dead. MY family died. And that was because I sacrificed EVERYTHING. I rather die than looking for a solution during those months of pain."
Sonic sighed. "Well, not everyone gets to live forever. Sometimes existing life has to move on and let new life grows. Your friends would have to sacrifice themselves, so that they could protect everything they love and show their goodness. Old life may be lost, but it won't be lost for no good reasons."
"Duh. Bubblegum told me that those who died would 'go to heaven and be with God'…whatever THAT means!"
"I'm sorry that your friends are gone. That doesn't mean that they are gone from YOUR memory. As long as you remember them, you know that they are always by your side."
"I don't feel it. I don't feel comfortable being alive without a family member…I think I should just go home."
"Oh shut up Richard," said an amplified voice.
Richard looked behind. It was Minty, her hands on her hips.
"My parents aren't here anymore. Neither are yours. And so is Mic's mum. There are some things we can't always have. I was thinking of quitting as well, but that all changed when Sonic gave us this hope. We already won the war, but now you're giving up on us. You STILL haven't lost everything. I'm here for you. The rest of the Resistance is here for you. We all lost somebody important in our lives, but our army is our family now. A REAL family. We share the same scars and the same thoughts. We made friends with the other squads. The deceased ones sacrificed themselves to save us and everything they always desire. The Resistance Headquarters is our home, and you can have the choice to be the father or go away with nobody on your side."
Richard was silent. He looked at Mic who was still talking with his father then at the grave.
"I guess you're right," said Richard finally. "This is where I'm supposed to be."
"Welcome home, Commander," said Minty smiling.
Bubblegum's POV, Forest Tournament Town, A Few Months Later after the War
I sat down in my office, reading a newspaper that was just recently released. It was a while since an 'incident' happened, but now, everything was cool.
Sort of.
"That's a shame," I said as I read the paper while talking to Amy on the phone. "Should have gone with the headline 'Metal Virus ROBOTICISED Major Cities in America'."
"Right," said Amy. "It's a good thing that we finally got rid of the virus. A lot of cities are still under heavy damage and we managed to save everyone. Eggman and Doctor Starline are still yet to be found, but we did found the latter last week. You should go write for the newspaper."
"A job without gigantic robots, ruby-wielding maniacs and crazy illusions? Sounds boring. Besides, I got a better job."
"Well…I found a town that might be linked to Infinite. I was thinking of sending you there to investigate."
All of a sudden, a low humming sound could be heard from my vest pocket. I was silent for a while.
"Anyway, I got to go now. I got to handle a few other reports."
"Alright, see you later."
"Bye-bye!"
I turned off my phone. I heard the humming noise. I looked at my vest pocket that was glowing…RED. I took it out.
It was my Phantom Ruby prototype.
Whoops. I forgotten about it for a while.
I leaned on my chair. What should I do with it? I hadn't use it for a while. Even if I would, I didn't feel like using it for anything at the moment. At one point, I was thinking of selling it off…but I realized that it could fall into the hands of evil.
I couldn't just destroy it.
It can be, but I didn't need it at the moment.
An idea popped over my head.
After my afternoon shift and paid my workers, I went off to someone's house. I arrived at the golden house and knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal that it was Mecha.
However…
"Shouldn't you put at least a shirt on?" I said in disgust.
"Sorry," said Mecha yawning, pushing his fingers through his long hair that was in a mess. "I overslept."
I looked at what Mecha was wearing. He was just wearing army camouflage shorts and nothing else…well he also wore his goggles and black fingerless gloves for some reason.
How could he sleep with goggles and gloves?
For some reason, I couldn't help but….look at Mecha's body. His feet weren't covered by his sneakers, revealing his tough-looking yellow talon feet with slightly sharp black claws. Even thought he was thin like most anthropomorphic animals, it was nearly noticeable that his chest and abs were rock-solid and toned. His biceps had a bit of muscles in them. That was unusual…for a fifteen year old like him.
It looked so…hunky.
I wondered if Richard had abs and muscles like that.
Mecha's eyes widened. The bird quickly grabbed a nearby black coat and wrapped it around his body.
"Don't even look at my chest," he said angrily.
I quickly snapped out from my daydream, realizing that I was staring at his chest longer than I should.
"Sorry," I said blushing.
"What do you want?"
"Something…I think YOU want."
I took out my prototype. It glowed in my hand.
"Oh," said Mecha. "I thought you destroyed it."
"Maybe so," I said. "I wasn't sure what to do with it. I thought…maybe you can keep it."
Mecha got interested. "Why's that?"
"Well, everyone knows how you like to take back gems you found during your trips and examine them. I thought you would like to observe this ruby. Besides, I'm not using it for the moment. I don't think I need it anymore unless something big happens."
Mecha looked reluctant, but he…looked tempted to test the prototype out.
"OK," he said, taking the prototype.
"So…where are you going to put it?" I asked.
"Follow me."
Mecha led me inside his house and took me to a large scientist lab. There was a large bench in the middle with scientific microscopes, Petri dishes and a large whiteboard.
"Oh…" I said, noticing something hanging from the ceiling. "That's new."
It was a large white silky spider web.
"Welp," said Mecha shrugging. "At least the chemicals work."
He walked up to an empty glass case and placed the prototype in. As he did so, a strange noise could be heard.
"What was that?"
We both looked at the left side of the room to see a tiny fire at the corner.
I was getting nervous.
"What the…?" I said, concerned.
"Meh," said Mecha, reaching out for the nearest fire extinguisher. "Must be one of my test tubes. Don't worry. I'll…"
He trailed off when the flame unexpectedly expanded. It was teal in color.
"OK," I said. "That is unusual."
And then, it hit me.
"Wait…that means…"
The flames started to change and revealed a ghost of a teal wolf.
It was Finn.
Mecha's beak opened wide.
The coat he was wearing dropped to the floor.
"F-Finn?" he said.
Finn waved timidly. "Hi…Mecha…"
Mecha started to tremble. He began to speak in many languages. He slowly turned around to face me…and froze. I heard something behind me. I turned around…and saw the ghost of Addison.
"Uh…hi…" said Addison.
Mecha's POV
OK. I will admit that I've seen weird things before – especially during the war. This? That was a whole new level.
I rubbed my eyes. "I must be hallucinating again."
Bubblegum bit her lip. "Oh…right. You can see them as well."
I blinked, but those uh…ghosts were still there. "So…we can both see them? Let me guess. Visions from the prototype, isn't it?"
"I don't really know."
I looked at Addison. "So…you…you can become a ghost and talk to us now."
Addison nodded. "Well yes."
"How come?"
The pink fox just shrugged. "I don't know how. It's…just like that."
I turned to Finn. Again, I moved my hand towards Finn and my hand went through the ghost. I pulled it out, causing turquoise flames to dance out.
So…they AREN'T really gone after all.
"I…I'm here," said Finn. "It's me."
I slowly nodded. "But…I wish I get to talk to you a little longer before. Why did you leave me back in Metropolis?"
"It's just that you need to join the Resistance for the final battle. I don't have the time to talk with you properly."
"…Finn…are you really…dead?"
Finn nodded sadly.
"Well…" I said nervously. "Just a question; do you remember what happened after you were…killed?"
The teal wolf's eyes widened. "Uh…I'm not AND can't be allowed to say why. You won't be able to hear what happened to me now…"
"Did you feel…pain…when you were killed?"
Finn stuttered.
I immediately regretted my question and I held onto Finn. "You don't need to say."
He insisted. "No…just let me…it was horrible…I…I felt so scared…my body was in pain when I was hit on every side…I knew that I was going to die…I…I felt helpless when I was shot…I blacked out…I felt as if I lost all my breath in my lungs and…I…I…I wanted help…I…I just wanted to live…I…don't want to die…I even want to be with you…and with my uncle…but…but…"
He started to tremble and have tears in his eyes. I hugged him for comfort. To my surprise, I could feel his body. The fact to see Finn breaking down made me feel like to cry as well.
"I'm…I'm so sorry that you were killed," I said, my voice wavering. "I should have helped. But now…you're gone…"
Finn sniffed and let go off me. "It's alright. I don't have suffer anymore. I can still be with you."
I nodded and wiped my own tears. I turned to Addison.
"Addison," I said. "I'm not sure if you believe it, but I'm sorry for mistreating you."
"That's OK," said Addison. "As long as you got along with Bubblegum, that's what matters."
Bubblegum was about to say something when her phone ringed.
"I got to go," she said. "My next shift is on. See you guys."
"Wait," I said. "You…you know that only the two of us know how Infinite…Zero…looks like…right?"
"…what's your point?"
"Should we tell everyone about that?"
Bubblegum thought for a while. "Just forget it. Infinite is gone and Shadow hasn't even told everyone about his true face. Let's just leave it for now."
She went out of the room, making her way to the door. Sighing, I leaned heavily onto the wall. That was…pretty interesting on that day. I looked at Addison.
"I'll see you later," said the fox.
She turned into a pink flame before flying straight into the prototype.
"Where is she?" I said.
"She's resting," said Finn. "She is still fine."
I placed a hand on my beak. "Hmm…for some reason…this must be from the prototype."
"I don't think that is possible."
"So are ghosts….well since Bubblegum is the user of that ruby and since she is close to you and Addison, which means…she gets to see you guys. And also…I guess you can be seen by EVERYONE as part of their reality…and anyone can feel your body."
"…but…is being a ghost a bad thing?"
"Not really. Yes, you're dead, but you don't age. You can't be hurt physically anymore and you can't be thirsty or hungry. So…you're somewhat an immortal ghost."
Finn nodded. "That's good."
I turned to the ruby.
"Are you going to experiment on it?" asked Finn.
I shook my head. "Nah. I'm a bit too tired to experiment and honest to God, I want to rest for a while. I still have to process everything that happened."
"I thought you are interested in new gems…"
"I DO…probably not Phantom Rubies. I'll get back to this later. I still like to observe that prototype since it isn't the final version and it made you and Allison."
Finn nodded. "OK then. I'll see you later."
And with that, he turned into a teal flame and flew straight into the prototype.
"I wonder if we would use it again," I thought before walking out.
?, An Unknown Studio
(Clay, Bubblegum and Mecha are still sitting in their seats, looking nearly exhausted. The camera in a bad angle.)
TurquoiseTriangle: OK. We got the story finished.
Clay: Good lord. (rubs his face)
TurquoiseTriangle: Buuuuuuuuuuut, I want to hear what happened after all of this. How did things turn out after the whole experience? After the war?
Clay: (groans, but sighs in somewhat understanding the director) Well…things have been this better ever since the war. First of all, Belt and I settled in at Forest Tournament Town. We both feel like it was our home. It is much better than living in the forest. We left a little monument at the old treehouse that was stripped from the leaves and trunk in honor of our parents. At our new home, it is much bigger and comfortable. As Belt was getting weary of selling newspapers, he decided to get a new job. I wanted to help out. Eventually, both of us work as servers at a café called 'Garden of Eden'…but it wasn't fancy as I thought it would be. But I was happy for helping out.
TurquouiseTriangle: And was the pay good? Don't you even have school to attend?
Clay: Yeah, the pay is good so we manage to pay off the rent and any insurances. And I am currently at the town's school.
Bubblegum: It is pretty much a 'danger zone' for us. A LOT of students like us, so they always crowded us.
Mecha: (smirks) By the way, we started the tournament again. Belt is on my team while Clay joined Tom's team. Eventually, both of us are near the semi-finals!
Clay: I will admit that Tom was a bit TOO hard on me. (Bubblegum clenches her teeth nervously) Somehow, I'm able to avoid being yelled at…by keeping my distance from him.
Bubblegum: Uh…I handled my job as the Police Chief well. Since I am too young, I have assistants who help me with all the work.
Mecha: (pats Bubblegum on the back) Apparently, she is a great leader.
Bubblegum (blushes) Thanks. I sort out the jobs of the workers and how they can improve the law. I am planning on making a project, so that our town won't plunge into chaos. As for my anger issues, I'm learning how to control them. I still get bullied by some people and it upsets me. However, I decided to go to church daily to get a blessing and hear sermons. It makes me feel better. Of course, that Zach bully attempted to send more rumors and emails, but they came to the point that they made no sense. I never saw him again and I realized that he moved when school started. I never know why, but I know that I won't see him again…not for a long time.
Mecha: (sighs) I apologized to the people I mistreated and even apologized to the Mayor for my actions. Almost everyone forgave me, but they are a little worried when I'm around. Right after that special celebration on the day I returned, I went to Sebastian's house to learn some…meditation. That way, I will learn how to relax and calm down whenever I get uptight. We did this for a couple of weeks to cure my depression and anger, and I became a new leaf. (stayed quiet for a while) OK. I STILL have a few old habits, but they are just minor. I still suffer some…'psychotic things', but I can handle it. I grew closer to everyone and finally improved my relationship with my family. I made new bonds with my brothers and sisters, and for bonus, I'm not feeling too depressed. It's almost fading away and I'm more happy than ever.
Clay: Also, because Belt was worried about the PSTD I had, I had to go see a therapist. To my surprise, I was slowly breaking away from my depression, so after four weeks, I was allowed to go on with my life.
TurquoiseTriangle: So Clay. Since you are living in that town, any thoughts about it?
(Bubblegum and Mecha stare at Clay.)
Clay: Right. Well…I was happy there. I feel like I am back to my old good and happy self. Of course, I am still shy. Spending 14 years in the forest still have its effects. There are a lot of people and I awkwardly wave at some who want to talk to me. Like I said, when you're a celebrity, you would have many fans. However, we all start to treat each other like brothers and sisters, so the whole town became like a huge family.
Bubblegum: Not going to lie, dude. I am surprised that you now know everyone in town.
Clay: But still, I…uh…um…am still…uncomfortable when in large groups or around strangers…and I don't really participate in the activities they are doing.
Mecha: You still have us.
Clay: Besides, I stuck close to my brother. For the past few months, I was helping him overcome his trauma over our parents. He went to see a therapist as well and I think he is recovering from the torture he went through for 6 months by now. He has nightmares, but he said he can handle them. He was happy that I was around. I was happy that I get to be with my brother again. And my powers? Oh. I learnt how to use them well, but I haven't use them for a while. I'm OK though. Maybe I will use them again soon.
TurquoiseTriangle: Bubblegum. Along with being the police chief, how did you grow in character?
Bubblegum: I am still fine. I felt happier and proud. I…I still miss my friends and family, but I still have people around me…OK. I will admit that I can still be snarky and rude at some times, but I learnt to be more kind and caring for people. I started to warm up to those who hurt me in the past. To my surprise, most of the bullies and their lackeys acted nice around me because they saw me as a hero or they are being genuine. I wasn't bullied again and Zach's lies became nothing to me.
Clay: Do you still keep in touch with Richard?"
Bubblegum: (nods) Yeah. While you guys were busy, I still talked to Sonic and the Resistance through media when we are far away. I heard that they are on this crazy adventure including fighting a large supercharged neo robot and a metal virus. Even though we didn't join, I think that they enjoyed themselves.
TurquoiseTriangle: 'THINK' is the keyword. From what I heard, they were having trouble. And I was upset of what I had to see.
Bubblegum: Whoops.
TurquoiseTriangle: What about the Phantom Ruby prototype? What did you do to it?
Bubblegum: That prototype? That's a different story. I destroyed it. Never to be seen again.
Mecha: (glances at Bubblegum nervously)
TurquoiseTriangle: What about you, Mecha? You're still alright?
Mecha: Yeah. Everything was alright. Like I said, I still have a few bully tendencies, but I'm improving.
Clay: You still make stupid jokes.
Mecha: But they are harmless. I…I still miss my friend Finn, but I know that he will still be there for me. I grew closer to my team along with Sebastian. Like I said, I'm improving for spending quality time with my brothers and sisters. As for my mother…I haven't seen her for a while. Olympia already sent her off to that mental health facility. It took a while for the medical clinic her to solve her anger issues, but I hope she recovers soon. The world can finally become golden for me.
TurquoiseTriangle: What about Emerald? Is she OK?
Bubblegum: (nods) Yeah…as bubbly as ever.
(Clay sighs, shaking his head.)
TurquoiseTriangle: One last question, what do you have to say to our audience tonight?
(Bubblegum and Mecha stare at Clay. Clay gets a late reaction.)
Clay: Oh…uh…right. (Takes out a reading card, only for Mecha to pick it and throw it away without looking at it all in a single motion) Ah…OK then. (Takes a HUGE breath) Let me tell you something that I have been thinking about. I still feel like there is still something coming up soon. I know that the war was over, but that was just the beginning. I feel…scared that something bad may happen next in the future. I don't want to lose my friends, family or my home to a drastic event, but…(smiles in confidence) I know that my squad would be right by my side. I never thought I would be a hero. I never thought I could do the powers of the Dark Wolf. But the truth is, ANYONE can save the world. I finally know that I meant to EXIST.
TurquoiseTriangle: That's pretty good of you. And I hope that you three take care of yourselves. That's for today. Thank you for watching.
Clay: See you later. (Waves timidly)
Bubblegum: Sayonara.
Mecha: Mech no mistakes!
(A button can be heard clicking. It clicks a few more times.)
TurquoiseTriangle: Wait…it appears that I didn't record you three from the start.
Clay and Bubblegum: (appalled) WHAAAAAAAAATTT?!
Mecha: (immediately bends down and starts laughing)
TurquoiseTriangle: But no worries! We actually recorded down the audio, so the audience already heard you guys! This will make a great eBook!
Bubblegum: (groans and slaps her hand over her face) You duckward.
TurquoiseTriangle: Sorry. Be right back. I'm going to talk with the crew about the view counts. (footsteps of him walking away can be heard)
(Bubblegum and Mecha look at Clay)
Bubblegum: Clay?
Clay: Hmm?
Bubblegum: Well…next time if we go on another crazy adventure…I want you and Belt to take the lead. You be the one to tell the story, not us.
Clay: (shocked) Why's that?
Mecha: (rubs the back of his head) We…we talked about this. It was difficult to explain all of this. For us…rude and mean people…it was…emotional.
Bubblegum: Besides, you are a good person. I think it is best for people to hear from your perspective.
Clay: But isn't it fair to let you two do the same?
Bubblegum: We will also tell the story once we progress all of this. It is a bit too much, so let us rest for a while.
Clay: OK then. If that's what you want.
(At this, Clay suddenly pulls Bubblegum and Mecha into a hug. They are a bit baffled, but eventually laugh warmly, happy to be together. They finally let go and TurquoiseTriangle returns along with Cyan Wisp, Pink Wisp and Yellow Wisp. Cyan sits on Clay's head, Pink sits on Bubblegum's shoulder and Yellow sits on Mecha's lap.)
TurquoiseTriangle: These guys are really nice. Do they have names?
Clay: Nah. We just call them by their colors. This goes the same for Belt and his Red Wisp.
(All three Wisps squeaked in agreement)
TurquoiseTriangle: OK then! Tell our audience to "stay tune for 'Forces United 2 – Resist the Dark'"!
(Clay, Bubblegum and Mecha are confused.)
Bubblegum: What?
TurquoiseTriangle: Your next adventure!
Mecha: Oh, that makes sense. (Pauses for a second.) Wait, our next?
Unknown Voice: (off-screen) I thought that you already published that!
TurquoiseTriangle: Oh, right. Say "stay tune for 'Forces United 3 – A Special Present for You'"!
Clay: Um…"stay tune for 'Forces United 3 – A Special Present for You'"?
TurquoiseTriangle: And…oh. When will it be released?
Unknown Voice: We don't know!
TurquoiseTriangle: (Cheerfully) Near the end of this year? Or next year? Got it!
Bubblegum: (Holds her hands up) WAIT!
(The camera turns off, turning black.)
AN: Oh dear. Looks like the end of the road for them is still far ahead, huh?
And there we have it! Through all the hard work, the emotional battles and the tough year of 2020, I can proudly say that Forces United - A Test You Must Partake is finally down. Haven't been much, but this story reached about 1913 views, 9 followers and 39 reviews!
Special thanks to 1TGN, Animeloverdog, Infinite's Ruby, Simpsons22, TheLostEternity, TheRandomLady, The Sensational Spiderdom321, jaxxenox, 21, makerboy10, Witch08, Tashasaurous and teharrisonfox for following me on this epic battle and finally making it out on the other side.
Thank you all for reading this story! It was fun redoing the first Forces United story and I am proud of how it turns out in the end. I have to admit that because of what has been happening over the past few years for me and the pandemic, it has been a shaky story so far. However, I'm happy that this story can close its covers .That it is finally finished and I feel that the rewrite of this story is totally worth it and worth posting it for all of you. I'm grateful for all the support you guys provided for me.
However, it's not over yet. I'll be releasing the next adventure 'A Special Present for You'. It's going to be different, larger and full with drama. It will deal with what happened to Infinite after the war a year later.
And for now, feel free to check up on my other stories. If you want to see some horror, action and mystery, then check out my current story 'Five Nights at Freddy's - Raging Wind' with updates happening on Fridays and Saturdays. Also, check out my Trolls spin-off 'TrollsTopia - Road to Royalty' as well as 'Real Harmony Takes Lots of Voices'.
As always, thanks for reading this chapter! If you enjoy this story, be sure to follow or favorite this story, so you can get updates about this story. Make sure to review this chapter on what you think about this chapter. I'm OK of hearing improvements from you (please no flames).
Until next time, stay safe, be nice, trust in your friends, may God be with you all and keep on rocking!
This is Cheah signing out!
