Last chapter of the arc! Wow, hard to believe it's finally here. Enjoy!
Chapter Thirty: Genesis
The room was empty. To any ordinary person, this would be odd, and that person would probably only be able to stay so long before growing impatient and leaving. However, Angela was not an ordinary person. She stood in the center of the room, staring blankly at the stained glass windows ahead of her. Waiting, waiting, waiting to fulfill her purpose. Once the person behind all of this emerged, she would do what she had been created to do. Never did she consider how ironic the situation was. The only thing in her mind was her duty.
Finally, a man appeared in front of her. He wore a long, brown jacket over his dark brown suit, giving him an appearance like one might expect from a professor. His gray hair and beard gave away his age, which an estimate of sixty would not be far off of. Katrina's eye color had surely been inherited by this man, for they were the same light blue beneath the wire glasses he wore.
"Sarov Yggdrasill," Angela said flatly.
Sarov's expression, which had originally been stern, softened at seeing her. "The core of Teknisk Wereld, the Guardian, Angela… all of these names you go under. Which would you prefer I call you?"
"Your question is illogical," Angela stated. "As my creator, you should have the knowledge of which name I go under while amongst humans. However, if you require this information once more, the answer is Angela."
This response caused Sarov to sigh. "She really is lost… I knew, yet I kept foolishly hoping…" He took out a card and held it up. "Angela, this is a magic card called Thunderbolt. I am well aware that support cards usually will not work on you, but this one is special, like the Receding Circuit Kai used. Its power is far higher than most Thunderbolts, and it will affect your data. One hit will surely delete you. What is your reaction to that?"
"My protocol has self-survival as its highest priority," Angela said. "I will not allow you to use it."
Sarov nodded. "That is what I thought you would say. Yet what if you cannot stop me? You still have the instinct to protect me, and the instinct to save yourself. I am aware of which is supposed to be higher, yet will it remain that way?" He hesitated, and then moved his hand towards his Duel Disk.
The sound of the door flying open caused him to halt, his hand frozen. Katrina came into the room swiftly, saying, "Grandfather!"
"Katrina… why are you here?" Sarov said, his voice a mixture of surprise, disappointment, and… relief?
"To stop you from destroying this world," Katrina said. "And from killing someone we care about."
"Angela!" Larka went next to her, looking over her. "You're not hurt, are you?"
"No," Angela answered.
The rest of the group had entered by then. Brandi glanced at Sarov, saying, "So, is that…?"
"Sarov Yggdrasill, I assume," Zack responded.
"Good." Before anyone could ask what Hope meant by that, she went forward, glaring at Sarov. "Sarov Yggdrasill, my name is Hope Gales. You should recognize it."
"I do," Sarov confirmed.
"Then answer this," Hope said, her temper flaring. "Why have you done all of this? You banished us from this world, separated each of us from the rest of our friends and loved ones, and have tried to have Judges kill us when we finally returned! You caused innocents to fall into comas, ones they might never awaken from, for the sake of your ambitions! You tried to kill the Guardian you created for the world you made it possible for others to enter, yet you seem to think this is justified! Sarov Yggdrasill, I want an explanation, and I want it NOW!"
Even Katrina seemed surprised at Hope's outburst. Sarov's expression was now one of extreme guilt, and he had visibly flinched at the end of her rant. He did not respond at first, which gave Will enough time to mutter, "That was another vision I had."
Finally, Sarov said, "The real world is a cruel one to live in. My wife died from a disease shortly after giving birth to our third child. Two daughters and a son… yet I lost both of my daughters to this wretched world that I created… a world no better than the one we live in now. Perhaps it is even worse, for we come to Teknisk Wereld to escape the horrors found in real life. This is no sanctuary, as I had once hoped. Instead, it deceives us, lures a false sense of safety, and then lashes out. It must be deleted, before others fall victim to it."
"But by destroying it, you're killing people!" Hope protested. "And it's no different than real life! Both have their dangers, both have their methods of ending lives, so why should one be destroyed while the other goes on? We're already part of this world; we can't just end its existence!"
"Have you ever lost a loved one to Teknisk Wereld?" Sarov asked.
"…No… but several times, I nearly have," Hope answered. "Nor have I lost anyone in real life. I'm not biased one way or another in that matter, so don't try to use that excuse. My points still stand! You can't just say that people dying justifies killing others, along with an entire world!"
"You would have the ones who died lose their lives in vain?" Sarov said. "We can learn from them that this world should vanish before any others die!"
"No!" Hope retorted. "We can learn from them, but not the lesson you are suggesting! Some of the victims were from errors in Teknisk Wereld, ones that were fixed afterwards. Others, like the Black Snake Sickness, were human creations. As long as our race exists, incidents such as that will always occur, one way or another. You can't place that much blame on Teknisk Wereld!"
Sarov let out a long and weary sigh. "Our view points will never match. It is enough to convince me that we should use a different method for deciding the outcome of this." He turned his gaze to Angela. "Angela, I challenge you to a duel. If you win, I will stop this deletion, and will not harm you. If you lose, I have full right to continue, ending your life in the process. Do you accept?"
"Yes," Angela said.
"Angela!" Larka said. "Are you sure about this?"
"Yes. It is the reason I exist," Angela stated, not even looking at her. "Please stand aside. We must begin."
Larka did so, eyes reflecting her worry. Katrina took the opportunity to say, "I have not seen you for the past seven years, yet you look no different than I remembered. While it is true that you could not have… hm… I am not sure how to say it. I suppose I simply expected to see you in a different light, as I do with many things as compared to my childhood years. Do you recognize me, Angela?"
"Katrina Bifrost," Angela recited. "Granddaughter of the creator and the original substitute until replaced by Larka Luna."
"So you see me as merely a name, and not a person," Katrina said.
"I see you as a person I have been ordered to protect," Angela responded. "Nothing more."
"And that is how it should be…" Katrina muttered, her grasp on Bast tightening. Bast meowed in annoyance at the rough handling, but did not react otherwise.
Sarov appeared to be about to say something to Katrina, but stopped, instead bringing out a Soul Card. A humanoid monster wearing orange armor appeared. He carried a curved sword in his left hand, had a red cape, and his entire head was concealed by an orange helmet. Sarov said, "This is Deus, an Avatar of the Creator. I am aware you do not have a Soul Monster, Angela. Are you ready to begin?"
Angela held out her arm, causing the Duel Disk to form on it. "Yes."
"Looks like the fate of Teknisk Wereld is in Angela's hands now," Draken said.
"Fitting, seeing as she's the Guardian," Will stated. "One would think she would be the best person to duel for the sake of it."
"I am concerned for her sake as well," Zack said. "Hopefully she will come through this unharmed."
"Yes… that is exactly what I wanted to say…" Larka agreed.
"There is little we can do but watch, and support her," Max stated.
"So let's do that," Hope said. The group members nodded, turning to watch the duel.
Angela: 8000
Sarov: 8000
"If you wish to go first, I will allow you to," Sarov offered.
"I accept. I place a monster face-down and one card," Angela stated. "Turn over."
"It seems I will get the first attack," Sarov said. "I summon Maniac Zombie (1600/400) and attack your defense monster."
"Your attack is equal to Flame Ruler's defense." (1500/1600)
"Then I lay two cards down and end my turn," Sarov decided.
"That's a weird card to use," Miles said. "Does it have an effect?"
"Yeah. When special summoned from the Cemetery, its controller draws a card," Max said.
"Really? Katrina, what kind of deck does your grandfather use?" Brandi asked.
"You will see shortly," Katrina answered.
Angela proceeded to take her turn. "I sacrifice Flame Ruler for Phoenix God of Nefutisu." (2400/1600)
"I am well aware of what your Phoenix can do," Sarov said. "But I will still stop it by using my trap card, Ascending Horn! By sacrificing a monster on my field, I negate a summon or special summon and destroy the monster. I will sacrifice Maniac Zombie to do that to your Phoenix!"
"Turn over," Angela stated.
"With your main monster out of the way, I have little fear in showing mine," Sarov said. "I summon Avatar of the Creator. (1600/1500) His effect allows me to sacrifice him to special summon The Creator from my hand. I do so!" (2300/3000)
The huge being that appeared left the spectators in no doubt of what his deck theme oriented around. It wore orange armor over its entire body, had two folded wing-like objects on its back, and a large ring behind its head. Its face was cast in shadow by its helmet, which had a blue jewel in its center.
"The Creator…" Will said. "I have heard of this monster, although I have never seen it."
"Three guesses at why he uses it," Miles said sarcastically.
"Now I will use The Creator's effect!" Sarov continued. "Once per turn, he allows me to discard a card to special summon a monster from my Cemetery. I discard Kaiser Seahorse to revive Avatar of the Creator! I order my two monsters to attack!"
"Protective measures activated," Angela said. "Emissary of Harmony reduces all damage to zero."
"I have nothing else to do," Sarov said.
"Phoenix God of Nefutisu returns, destroying all magic and trap cards on the field," Angela said. The Phoenix's fire instantly burned away the only one.
"You destroyed my Holy Barrier-Mirror Force," Sarov said.
"I summon Sonic Shooter. (1300/600) When the opponent has no magic or trap cards, Sonic Shooter may attack directly," Angela stated. "Phoenix God of Nefutisu attacks The Creator, and Sonic Shooter attacks directly."
Of all the holographic battles the group had seen, this was easily one of the most impressive. They watched the Phoenix reduce The Creator to ashes in awe.
Angela: 8000
Sarov: 6600
"I place a card. Turn over," Angela said.
"I play a magic card, Rebirth of the Dead!" Sarov said. "By discarding a card, I can place a monster in the Cemetery into my hand. I discard Spiral Dragon to take back The Creator! I sacrifice Avatar of the Creator to special summon The Creator! This also means that Deus' Deck Master ability activates. When the monster I special summoned through The Creator's effect leaves the field, I return the card I discarded to my hand. I get back Kaiser Seahorse and discard it to revive Spiral Dragon! (2900/2900) Spiral Dragon attacks your Phoenix, and The Creator attacks Sonic Shooter!"
The Spiral Dragon's massive tidal wave overwhelmed the blazing Phoenix at once. It gave a dying shriek before vanishing, leaving the Sonic Shooter to meet its fate through one of The Creator's thunderbolts.
Angela: 6500
Sarov: 6600
"I'm done," Sarov said.
"I activate Iron Cage of Nightmares. No attacks may be made for two turns," Angela said. "I place a monster in face-down defense mode. Turn over."
"There is little I can do with your Iron Cage up," Sarov stated, glancing at the bars. "I play a permanent magic card, Reward of Rebirth. When I special summon a monster from my Cemetery to my field, I draw a card. I will also switch The Creator to defense mode. That is all."
"I place a monster in face-down defense mode. Turn over," Angela said.
"At least I can do something somewhat productive now," Sarov said. "I summon Initiate Troops. (1000/1000) By sacrificing them, I can destroy one of your monsters. I choose the one you just set!"
"Tornado Bird is destroyed." (1100/1100)
"Then I am done."
"On my standby phase, the Iron Cage of Nightmares is destroyed." Angela waited for the bars to burst apart before saying, "I summon Birdman (1800/600) and place a card down. Turn over."
"Now is my chance to strike," Sarov said. "I discard Declaration of God to revive Initiate Troops, and draw a card from Reward of Rebirth. Then I sacrifice my Initiate Troops to kill your defense monster!"
"Burning Bird." (1000/800)
"I get back Declaration of God and attack Birdman with Spiral Dragon!" Sarov announced.
"Countermeasures activated. I use God Bird Attack," Angela said. "I sacrifice Birdman to destroy two cards on your field. I choose The Creator and Spiral Dragon."
"So that was why you played him in attack mode…" Sarov muttered. "I get back Kasier Seahorse and lay a card down. Your turn."
"I activate Early Burial to special summon Phoenix God of Nefutisu," Angela said. "Phoenix God of Nefutisu attacks directly."
Sarov held his arms up in a useless attempt to shield himself from the flames. When they cleared, it was apparent that he was shaken by their power.
Angela: 4700
Sarov: 4200
Angela did not react to his expression. "I place a card down. Turn over."
"Grandfather, don't you see that you cannot win?" Katrina said. "You still care about this world, and about Angela. You won't be able to bring yourself to do it. Angela has nothing holding her back."
"I… I cannot give up…" Sarov forced himself to say. "I activate Cry of the Living Dead on Avatar of the Creator, drawing a card from Reward of Rebirth. Then I sacrifice him to special summon The Creator from my hand."
"Why didn't he just revive The Creator? You know, the one in his Cemetery?" Rue asked.
"The Creator cannot be revived when in the Cemetery," Will explained. "I remember that much at least."
"I discard Kaiser Seahorse for Initiate Troops, which I sacrifice to destroy your Phoenix!" Sarov said. "I get back Kaiser Seahorse and attack with The Creator!"
The bolt that crashed down on Angela did not
even cause her to sway. She kept her gaze on Sarov, disregarding her
decreasing Life Points.
Angela: 2400
Sarov: 4200
"Take your turn," Sarov ended.
"That was not a very smart move," Max remarked.
"What do you mean?" Neo asked.
"He could have revived Spiral Dragon and attacked," Max explained. "But he chose Initiate Troops instead, which means Phoenix will revive this turn."
"I know my grandfather well," Katrina said grimly. "He is in a terrible state of mind. This is probably not the first mistake he has made."
"Good to hear," Miles said. "We need all the help we can get!"
"Considering how well he duels in a poor mindset, I would hate to see him in top condition," Gaston said.
"You have a point," Mana said, shivering.
"Phoenix God of Nefutisu returns." The Phoenix flapped its wings, sending a wave of fire to destroy Reward of Rebirth. "Phoenix God of Nefutisu attacks The Creator. I place one card down. Turn over."
Angela: 2400
Sarov: 4100
"I am not done yet!" Sarov said. "I play Early Burial to revive Spiral Dragon! He attacks your Phoenix!"
"Protective measures activated. Emissary of Harmony reduces all damage to zero," Angela said, repeating her earlier phrase.
"Then… I lay two cards down, and end my turn," Sarov said.
Angela: 2400
Sarov: 3300
"On my draw phrase, I activate Destroying Ring," Angela stated. "I use it to destroy Phoenix God of Nefutisu and cause us each to lose 1000 Life Points."
"That would mean your Phoenix would return, and destroy all of my magic and trap cards, including Early Burial," Sarov realized. "I won't let that happen! I activate Declaration of God, paying half of my total Life Points to negate and destroy your trap!"
Angela: 2400
Sarov: 1650
"Wow, that's a pretty steep cost," Miles said.
"It can negate a magic card, trap card, or monster summon," Max told him. "It isn't just traps."
Miles nodded. "Ah, then I guess it makes sense."
"I activate Force," Angela continued. "Half of Spiral Dragon's attack power is absorbed by Phoenix God of Nefutisu."
"I'll stop that with Magic Jammer!" Sarov countered. "I discard Kaiser Seahorse to negate and destroy your magic card!"
"Dang, he just countered her twice!" Rue exclaimed.
"They say third time's the charm," Draken said. "Let's see if that last card in her hand will do it."
Draken turned out to be right, for Angela said, "I activate Hammer Shoot. The monster on the field with the highest attack is destroyed."
"No… it's over…" Sarov moaned, watching his Spiral Dragon get crushed into the ground with a gigantic hammer.
"Is it wrong that I want to laugh at this?" Neo asked Mana.
"Nope. Not one bit," Mana answered.
"Phoenix God of Nefutisu attacks directly," Angela said.
With a screech that froze their hearts, the Phoenix produced a final fire burst, annihilating Sarov's remaining Life Points.
Angela: 2400
Sarov: 0
"I… have lost," Sarov reluctantly said. "And I will keep my word. Angela, please come here."
Angela's Duel Disk vanished as she walked towards him. Before she could get more than a few feet forward, Katrina went next to her, going with her.
"Katrina?" Sarov said.
"I am ensuring you do not break your vow," Katrina stated. "As I know you will not hurt me."
"If that is how you wish it to be." Sarov waited until they had come to his side, and then said to the group, "No longer may I try to delete Teknisk Wereld. However, others will try. I cannot aid those people in destroying it, but… they will have a much easier time if Teknisk Wereld's top defenders are gone."
Hope eyed him suspiciously. "What are you saying?"
"I am saying… that to ensure Teknisk Wereld will eventually end, you and your friends must die!" Sarov said, his hand going to his Duel Disk.
"Grandfather, no!" Katrina cried, grabbing his arm. But she was too late, for the card had already been inserted.
A crash of thunder was heard outside the temple, and before any of them could react, a lightning bolt tore though the ceiling, descending towards them in a glorious blaze, one that would be their final sight…
…If not for the one that leapt in the way, taking the entire force of the blast.
All of their eyes were on Angela in numb disbelief as they saw the electricity do its fatal work. Yet even with her life being destroyed, her hair extended, forming a dome around the group. Pieces of the ceiling were deflected by it, sparing them from any harm. None noticed this; they could not tear away from the gruesome sight of the Thunderbolt hitting Angela.
Then the dome dissolved, the hair becoming wisps that vanished as she fell, fell slowly, so slowly… more slowly than could be possible…
"ANGELA!" Larka lunged towards her, and barely managed to catch her before landing on the floor. Ignoring the pain of the collision, Larka desperately said, "Answer me, Angela! Please, answer me!"
Everyone else rushed to them, but halted a short distance away. Angela's state took their breath away. Her body was completely blackened, with only her vivid yellow eyes remaining the same. They gazed ahead blankly as Angela said, "Error… I have gone against protocol and disobeyed my orders. Vitality decreasing… demise estimated in three minutes, fifty-two seconds…"
"Impossible…" Sarov whispered, his face pale. "Angela overrode her most important protocol… and sacrificed herself… to save these people. That's… impossible…"
Larka looked up at him, tears flowing. "You have to help her! If you were able to hurt her, you can heal her too, right? Please, help her!"
Sarov stared at her silently, and then shook his head.
"No! I… I was too late…"
They looked towards the door to see a man standing there, one clad in a white robe with golden symbols stitched on. Under his arm was a copy of the Bible, and a golden cross hung around his neck. His gray hair made him appear old, yet he could not have been beyond his forties, and his pale blue eyes were clouded with sorrow. On his left shoulder sat a white owl that had a crown on its head.
"That owl…" Gaston said softly. "Could it be that…?"
Hope's gasp cut him off. "You're that priest!"
"Uncle Joseph!" Katrina said, eyes wide. "Why are you here?"
"I knew what would happen, but I was too late…" Joseph walked towards where Larka knelt, gazing at Angela. "She… probably cannot hear me now, but… Rose… I am so sorry…" He trailed off, putting his hands over his face.
"Grandfather!" Katrina said insistently.
"It's no use…" Sarov responded. "I cannot help her. I only made two cards that would affect her. One was Receding Circuit, and the other was Thunderbolt. It would take too long to make a healing card that would work on her data…"
"No!" Larka sobbed. "She can't die! Not now… not after she finally realized she is human…"
"This brings two great sorrows," Katrina said in a wavering voice. "The death of a person I love, and the death of a world that means just as much to me."
Zack looked at his mechanical arm before saying, "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Everyone turned to him in surprise, Sarov saying, "What do you mean?"
"If Angela is made of a certain type of data, I may be able to absorb the part that keeps Teknisk Wereld alive," Zack said. "There is… nothing… I can do to help Angela. But doing this would save Teknisk Wereld, and those who would die if it were to fall."
"Really?" Larka looked towards Angela. "What do you think, Angela?"
"Do it," Angela responded at once. "My duty is to protect Teknisk Wereld. This gives the greatest probability of its survival."
"Then you'd best go for it," Max said.
"Right." Zack knelt on Angela's other side and put his left, metal hand to her forehead. "Angela… this will probably hurt you severely, and I doubt you will be able to live on afterwards. If you are prepared for that, I will begin."
"I am prepared," Angela stated.
"Then… all I can say is… goodbye." Zack closed his eyes, concentrating. A purple light began to emerge from Angela's forehead and was absorbed into his hand. She did not react, hiding any agony she was feeling.
The ones watching were stunned to see Angela's body begin to disintegrate, starting from her feet and going up her body. Larka continued to hold on to her as she started to vanish, trying to provide comfort to the best of her ability.
Angela's eyes slowly shifted her, and she said, "Larka… something is not right. I should not have emotions… yet… I think I am… afraid."
This brought another wave of tears to Larka's eyes. She let them fall freely as she said, "Of disappearing? Of being alone forever? I know of that fear… all too well. But you don't have to feel it, because… I know we'll find each other again. Even if it is in an afterlife… I'll find you there. I… promise I will…"
Angela's blank gaze, the one Larka was so used to, finally changed. She thought she saw hope in those eyes before she was gone, leaving nothing behind. The hair binding Larka and Max's injuries fell away, vanishing as well.
"Angela…" Larka's voice gave out on her as she succumbed to her tears. Nobody but Zack was able to react. He embraced her, allowing her to cry into his shoulder. As if lamenting with his master, Malon raised his head and howled mournfully.
Will turned to Sarov and Katrina. "I know this is affecting us deeply, but if we are to save Teknisk Wereld, I assume we have to move fast."
Katrina slowly nodded. "Once the Guardian is destroyed, we have exactly an hour before Teknisk Wereld is permanently deleted. This was an emergency measure set to give people time to evacuate in case something happened."
"Zack, you must come to the official headquarters at once to transfer the data," Sarov said with a newfound determination. "Can you make it in time?"
"If someone is willing to drive," Zack said.
"I'll do it! I can get us there quickly," Brandi volunteered.
"Unfortunately, I think that will be our best choice," Max muttered.
"What about the rest of us? We're not close enough to go there!" Rue said.
"Even I would probably not be able to make it in time," Will stated.
"Max, Brandi, Larka, Zack, and I will go," Hope said. "Everyone else should log out, in case this doesn't work. We'll contact you once everything is done and say how it went."
"That sounds like the best thing to do," Draken agreed.
"I do not like it, but I suppose we have no choice," Kazel said.
"Good luck," Kisara whispered.
"Thanks. We'll probably need it," Gaston said.
Everyone in the temple reluctantly logged out, except for Larka and Zack.
"Come on," Zack said gently. "We have to go."
"I-I know…" Larka said, wiping her eyes with her sleeve. "I'll… mourn later."
"…And I will join you in that mourning," Zack promised.
His words helped Larka move. She logged out, and Zack went after her.
…
"Let's go!" Hope said, wrenching off her Envoyant Machine and Duel Disk as she leapt up.
"I'll start the car, you two meet up with Larka and Zack!" Brandi called, running towards the car. "Mana, you're going to have to get in your Soul Card, or we won't have enough room."
"Aw man!" they heard her respond, along with the front door swinging open.
"What is going on?" Hime asked, blinking as Hope and Max rushed by her.
"No time to explain!" Hope replied, bringing out her Soul Card. "Gaston, I'll tell you about it later!"
"Got it!" Gaston said, entering it. Tenma also left, and they went outside.
"There they are!" Hope said, indicating to a door that Zack and Larka were coming out of.
"This way!" Max said, leading them to the car. Brandi had already started it, and once Max had gotten in the front seat, with the other three in the back, they drove off.
Despite Brandi's reckless speed, Larka was quiet for the entire trip, her arms locked around Malon for comfort. He would occasionally give a sad whine and lick her arm. Only Max and Brandi spoke otherwise. Max gave directions as they drove to the official headquarters, and Brandi tended to swear softly when nearly crashing into some cars that appeared abruptly from side roads.
They finally arrived in front of the building, with a parking spot next to the door empty. Considering it was completely full otherwise, someone had apparently taken the precautions to clear a space for them. The car screeched to a halt, and they leapt out, running for the doors.
The only person in the lobby was a female red-haired secretary, who stood up at their entrance. "Five of you? Then you must be the group Miss Katrina was waiting for. Please go to the top floor immediately!"
"Thanks!" Hope said as they sped towards the elevator they saw her indicating to.
One short elevator ride later, they were on the top floor and facing a hallway that ended in a door. Ignoring the staircase leading down that was near the elevator, they went to the door, and Hope flung it open.
Katrina, with Bast in her lap, was sitting at a computer that was hooked to a large, black machine. She glanced back and said, "Zack, come over here, quickly!"
He did so, and she indicated to a screen on the machine. "Place your hand on that and transfer the data."
"All right." Zack did as she instructed, and the same purple light from before began to enter the machine. When it was gone, Zack stumbled back, looking exhausted.
"Are you okay?" Larka asked worriedly.
"Yes, just a bit tired," Zack assured.
Katrina hurriedly typed at her computer, leaving everyone to tensely wait. After what seemed like ages, she finally let her hands fall with a sigh of relief. "Teknisk Wereld is now stable. Congratulations, you've just saved a world from deletion."
"Thank everything," Hope said, relaxing at last.
"I feel like I should be happy at that, yet… it came at such a cost…" Brandi said quietly.
Silence met this statement, until broken by the door opening.
"How is it?" Sarov asked, entering. Joseph came after him, with his owl still perched on his shoulder.
"Fine now. The deleted area has been restored," Katrina said.
Sarov nodded. "I used to want Teknisk Wereld to be deleted, but… I am glad that it was not."
Hope looked at Joseph's owl. "Have you been watching over us too?"
"Many times, yes." Joseph held out his hand, allowing the owl to fly down onto it. "This is Thoth, my Soul Monster. He is The Owl That Brings Happiness."
Thoth hooted softly, bobbing his head towards the group and then returning to Joseph's shoulder.
"You called Angela 'Rose'," Max said. "Why did you do that?"
Sarov and Joseph glanced at each other and nodded before Joseph responded. "I am the oldest of Sarov's children, and his only son. My older sister, Katrina's mother, was Annice. My younger sister… was Roseangela."
"W-what? How…?" Larka trailed off, letting Joseph continue.
"Rose, as we called her, was a frail child from birth. She was confined to a hospital bed at all times, never allowed to leave for fear of her life. Annice and I always visited her, as did our father. Our mother had died shortly after giving birth to her." Joseph paused, and then slowly said, "She only managed to survive until she was six. She was… amazingly intelligent for her age, and knew of what our father had been working on. He wanted to have a world where Rose could live like any of us, one that she could enter while leaving her real body in a safe location. However, he had nothing to serve as a core for this world. He found a way, but it would require a person's soul. Rose volunteered hers. Father refused completely, until she said that she did not want to die without knowing what it felt like to be part of the outside world. These words affected all of us deeply, and… Father agreed to it."
"But when I inserted her soul, I found her to be someone incapable of feeling emotions," Sarov said. "I could not bear to look at this mockery of my daughter. I changed her appearance drastically, so that she would not remind me of Rose, and changed her human name to Angela." Sarov broke off, and said in a trembling voice, "When she sacrificed herself… to save all of you… I realized I had been wrong. Rose was still inside her. It showed me… how foolish I had been…"
Unsure of how to respond to that, Max asked, "How did… Annice die?"
"My mother perished to the Black Snake Sickness," Katrina said without turning from her computer screen. "That is what convinced grandfather to act. The knowledge that his creation had killed so many people, including his own daughter-my mother-was enough to make him take action."
"And how I regret it now," Sarov said wearily.
"…There is little else we can do now," Zack said. "We should tell everyone else of the situation and then rest. After all that is happened, we need it."
"I completely agree," Hope said. She turned to Joseph and said, "By the way, thanks for all that you have done."
Joseph smiled in response. "I am glad that the Lord brought all of us together. It is something to not be taken lightly."
"Well, shall we head back?" Brandi asked, unsure of what Hope and Joseph were talking about.
"Let us," Zack said, Larka merely nodding. They exited the room, shutting the door.
Only Katrina and Bast remained. As Katrina typed, going through the data she had received to stabilize Teknisk Wereld, she suddenly froze and stared at the screen.
"This data… it couldn't be…"
…
"How about Bob?"
"For the love of omelets, Rue, I am NOT naming my kid 'Bob'!" Draken retorted, with Kisara blushing beside him.
"How about Bill?" Rue suggested, grinning.
"How about something that doesn't start with B?" Draken said.
"Satan?"
"What the-get out of here, Mephistopolis!"
"And here I thought I could help," the demon responded sarcastically before retreating, leaving Rue blinking.
"Could you guys discuss that later?" Gaston requested, looking around the hospital waiting room. Luckily, nobody was there to overhear them. "We are all enough on edge as is."
"Aw, and here I was enjoying their debate," Miles said. "Ever since I heard Draken and Kisara were engaged, all those months ago, the first thing I thought was 'Rue is going to have the time of his life picking a name for the kid'. Why else do you think I attended the wedding besides the free cake?"
"For the opportunity to laugh at Draken in a tuxedo? That's why I went," Rue said.
"Oh yeah, good point," Miles remarked.
"Okay, just one more name. Lance," Rue said. "You know, after Lance the Poke'mon trainer that used dragons. It's perfect!"
"When we get out of this hospital, I am going to chase you around the parking lot with Will's book in hand!" Draken threatened. Kisara covered her face with her hands in an attempt to hide how red it was.
Will reached out and smacked Rue over the head with his book, causing him to yelp. "Next time, just ask."
"Wonder who'll be picking the names for Hope and Max's children," Neo joked.
"We're not even married yet!" Hope said awkwardly, looking up from the notebook she was writing in.
"But you will be this week," Darche said. "It took seven months since your return to Teknisk Wereld for Max to propose, but he did it."
Hope turned her gaze back to her paper, saying, "It doesn't feel like it has been seven months…"
"Time flies," Gen said.
"There are several things that have shown how the time has passed," Zack stated. "Larka needed those months to recover, and I am sure this day will help in that process."
"Yes… we must not forget what it cost us to be here today," Hope said softly.
"Oh, I'm so torn with nervousness and excitement!" Mana said, practically jumping in place. "I can't believe Brandi's finally going to be a mother!"
"I just hope the child will be all right," Randall said, holding onto the leash around GaBa. "Lilian said things could go badly."
Hope glanced towards the hallway where Matt, Max, Larka, Abby, and Lilian had disappeared several minutes ago. With the confined space of the hospital room Brandi was in, they could only allow a few people in while she was giving birth.
It was this event, along with the knowledge that Draken and Kisara would soon have their own child, and the upcoming wedding for Hope and Max, that had the group in a high state of excitement. The only exception was Chasity, who sat on a chair between Randall and Ender. She had been in a gloomy state ever since she came out of her coma. Compared to Amy and Claire, who were perfectly fine after their ordeal, this was not a positive sight to see.
"Still depressed?" Ender asked her.
"I don't want you to go," Chasity mumbled. "Nor Mom and Dad. I know you getting surgery is important, but…"
"We won't be gone forever," Ender said. "Just a while. And you'll be fine with Max and Hope."
"Yeah… still…" Chasity trailed off as Lilian came running into the room.
"It's done!" Lilian said happily. "Brandi gave birth to a girl, and she's doing all right!"
"Score!" Rue, Draken, and Miles chorused. Malon gave a victory howl, much to the amusement of all present.
"So, is she looking for suggestions for names?" Rue said mischievously.
"Brandi said that to avoid having you give her any ideas, she would name her child right away," Lilian responded with a laugh. "My brother is terrible with names, so he let her choose it. Brandi chose Courtney."
"Heh… that seems familiar…" Will said to himself.
Hope noticed that despite all the joyful reactions, Zack appeared distracted. She asked him, "What's wrong?"
"Hm? Nothing, really. I am just considering something Katrina said," Zack answered. "She told me she was working on a project, one that would take a long time to complete, but would be worth the wait."
"Really? That's interesting," Hope said.
"Indeed. She even said her grandfather is helping her," Zack added.
Hope blinked. "Then it must not be an official Teknisk Wereld project, right? I thought he wasn't allowed to do those anymore."
"After resigning due to what he had done, he has not partaken in any official projects," Zack confirmed. "So you are right."
"That'll be something to look forward to. It might take a while, but for now…" Hope smiled as she wrote the words 'THE END' at the bottom of her paper. "We have enough to keep us busy."
…
I am done. That is the first thing I thought at the end of this chapter. At long last, I am done. Never did it seem this day would come, yet it has finally met me.
But something is wrong with that first thought, because it is not a true statement. While these novels are indeed concluded, it is not the end. Each day brings a new adventure, and we are still here to enjoy those experiences. And when we pass on, our children will continue to live, taking their own journeys into life.
It is with this knowledge that I draw this writing to a close. Perhaps it will be viewed as a work of fiction. If so, I will hold no grudges to those who think so. This tale is hard to believe, after all. However, you have my word that everything I wrote is the truth. Should even one person honor me with their belief in this promise, I will feel that this story was certainly worth sharing.
As a friend of mine once said, the paths we follow in our lives will split, but they will cross several more times as we travel on. Let us meet again at those intersections, so that we may tell of our journeys through life. We will share stories, ones of yours… and ones of ours. For none of these are mine alone. That honor goes to my friends, for taking the same path I walked.
Farewell, until that next intersection… until our next meeting…
-Hope Driger
THE END