Last chapter? Not really. Whaddaya mean, what do I mean, not really? I just said… Argh! You'll see!
My Father
We went up on the elevator. I sat on the couch, looking around at Third, Tiz, and Thor. Third looked comfortable on the couch, while the rest of us were uneasy. Then, the elevator stopped, and the door slid open. We stepped out together. Two guards walked to us. "From this point, only Ziann Cariz and Thor Klien can proceed onwards. The rest of you must wait in the waiting room." Cariz. I had a surname! I wondered what my mom and dad looked like.
"How come Zia can go?" Tiz demanded as she was shooed back.
Thor turned to her. "Don't worry, Tiz. I'll be back." Then, we walked forward. I wondered why I could go. Maybe… just maybe… I was being taken to see my parents. Which meant that Third lied. My heart soared.
One man did something with his back to us, then the door slid open. We went inside.
"Thor. Ziann." The man sitting on the chair nodded to us formally. I stared at him. "Who are you?" I asked.
"Odin." Thor gasped, and I put a restraining hand on him.
"Let me explain to you, Ziann, as I know that you want to know of your mother and father. We tested experiments, and made you. You were made from the feather of a Phoenix and were born out of a woman called Aliza Cariz. She was killed."
I squeezed my eyes shut. My mother… killed. "Why?" I whispered. "How did she die?"
"She refused to give you up once you were in her. So, when you were born, we had to take extreme measures so you can go the Chimera and do what you had to do."
"What was that?" I asked, eyes still closed.
"We sent you there to take care of Thor."
I took a deep breath. "What about my father?" I asked.
There was a hiss behind us as the door closed. Someone came in. "'Tis I."
I turned around and saw Third. He was different. His eyes and hair were like Thor's and he wore a white uniform, like those of the guards who escorted us in. I opened my mouth, and whispered, "Daddy?" Thor looked at me. I ignored him.
Third nodded and took a step closer to me.
"Third!" Thor gasped.
"Third never existed," Third corrected Thor, looking at him. "I am Heiza." He turned to me again, and opened his arms. I bit my lip fiercely, trying not to cry. Third–Heiza–took another step to me, arms open. I cast my eyes around, and saw everyone staring at me. I saw Heiza's slightly sad face, and I ran into his arms.
………………………
Thor looked at Zia in Third's–no, Heiza–arms, and smiled. Then, he turned to Odin. "I want to know what crime my parents committed that they had to die," he demanded.
"Very well, if you want to know, then know you shall." Odin sat back in his chair and studied Thor's face. "You really have grown," he murmured. "The Kliens, the people who you call family, are strangers to you. You weren't their son."
"But Rai and I are twins!" Thor protested. "We look the same!"
"You are a DNA experiment, Thor," Odin said fiercely. "You were made, like how young Ziann was made."
Thor shook his head. "No," he breathed. "They're my family!"
"I'll tell you the reason why they had to die first, then you can object," Odin told him. "As I said, you were a DNA experiment, and were born long with Rai, whom you call your 'twin', in the Klien family. Yet, you weren't part of them. Your family is here, in this place.
"The DNA of the Jyu-Oh was injected into you, because the planet Chimera had become too dangerous for the people to live. We collected all the Jyu-Oh for their strength and strategy to defend themselves.
"Your mother knew that you had to go here one day, but she loved you all the same. When the time came for you to go, she refused to let you, so we had to take extreme measures on your parents to send you here. We will need your DNA now to make some stronger people."
Thor fell to his knees. A gentle hand touched his shoulder, and Zia's voice. "Thor," she said. "Thor, I'm the same as you. Yet I don't cry. You cannot cry as well. You are our leader. We'll go back to Chimera, and you'll marry Tiz and have a baby with her." Her voice was filled with compassion, and when he looked into her eyes, he saw his pain reflected in her eyes, yet, with that pain, was hope.
………………………
We were taken to an office that overlooked the whole planet of Chimera. Thor sat on the floor, still in shock, while I looked out. The place I had wanted to escape so long ago was now my home.
Tiz came in. She rushed straight to Thor, and they chatted softly for a while. Then, I heard Thor say, "Let's go back to Chimera, Tiz, and we'll have a baby."
Even though I told him to have a baby with Tiz, I still felt sad. But I swallowed, and told myself that I could never marry anyone.
Then, a weird sound drifted to my ears. Thor, Tiz and I stood up straight. We exchanged glances and then, we ran. "What is it?" Tiz shouted.
"I don't know!" Thor shouted back.
We passed Third on the way. "What's happening?" Thor asked, still running.
"He sounded the alarm," Third explained breathlessly. "We have to stop him before all of Chimera is gone!"