Here we are at last. The final act. The last tale of David Kojima, Samantha Aran, Dr. Main, and the rest of these smashed minds. This, ladies and gentlemen, is the last chapter.

Well, technically we still have the epilogue. Which I'm working on (because there's one question that is never answered here-for good reason- and deserves its own epilogue to our tale). But this is the last official chapter, and it's also the longest (5,607 words...whew) and most action-packed yet. I was originally going to put it out at the same time as the epilogue and thanks page, but I realized that I'd be dumping THREE updates at once on everyone. Yikes. So, instead, everyone gets the final chapter now, and in a week the epilogue and thanks page will be out.

At this point I realize I'm rambling, but I do want to take a quick second to thank all the readers who have made it this far, as well as those who review and follow/favorite. You guys are the best. Seriously. Hope you enjoy this ending- it's been a wild ride, and I thank you for sticking with it for nearly a year.

I won't post a note at the bottom, but do know that the epilogue WILL be out next week at some point, so be prepared!

Now, it's time for the end to begin! Enjoy this chapter!

*Nintendo owns everything*

Chapter Thirteen: The End

"No!"

An anguished scream was seemingly torn out of Sam, who rocketed towards the cliff only to be held back by David. "No! Let me go!"

"Sam, he's...he's gone." David's voice felt to him as if it came from miles away, and he hardly noticed Sam struggling to break free of the iron grasp he held on her arms. "It's already too late."

"We can still help him- he could survive that! He can't be dead from that, David- he's too strong! Please, let me go! I can dive in and save him, just let me-"

"Samus, listen to me!" The rational mind of a soldier suddenly roared to life, as David shook Sam slightly, making her fall silent. He attempted to keep his voice steady as he slowly spoke. "He just sacrificed himself for all of us, so that Soloro wouldn't hurt anyone else, and so that we can stop Main. Gann was always doing what needed to be done, and he proved his worth with one last act. I...I can't believe he's gone either, but we have to keep going, especially since time is running short. I think it's what he would have wanted...I'm sorry."

There was a hollow look in Sam's eyes as she looked back at the cliff, then at David, and then lowered her head in a single moment of grief. "He promised me," she muttered, "that we would go home together. He believed in me, he was my friend...and now he's left me like everyone else has."

"Sam, we are going to get home, I promise. I don't know how, but I swear that somehow I'll find a way for everyone to get home together. No one is getting left behind again."

She refused to look at him, but she nodded and swallowed back her grief. "Alright." Something seemed to suddenly come to her mind, and she quietly laughed. "Main said you remember who you are now. Is it true?"

"I think so. I remember you, actually- who you used to be. You were-"

Sam held up a hand. "No, I don't want to know. Not until Main is taken care of. You can just tell me when this is all over, when Main's dealt with, and when we found a way to go home."

For what felt like the first time in forever, David felt himself smile. "Deal."

Miles, who had been relatively quiet up until that point, spoke up. "I hate to interrupt, but I believe it may be best to return to the Mansion and seek out Main."

David let go of Sam and turned to face the albino man. "Right. I don't know what he's up to, but we need to stop it, and fast. We should head back to the Mansion- I have a feeling that's where the answers lie for us."

So the three began to make their way back to the Mansion, picking up the pace as the sun slowly began to rise on what could be the final day for all on that island.

Much to David's surprise, the entrance hall inside the Mansion was busier than he had expected it to be, especially this early in the morning. The nurses and doctors had apparently rounded up all the patients, for the doors to the sunroom were open, giving David a glimpse at them milling about in confusion. As he, Sam, and Miles entered, they spotted Rosalina talking quietly to one of the nurses, but dismissed her as she spotted the trio and came to greet them. David noticed that she still wore her bloodstained uniform, but no look of grief or horror occupied her eyes. It was as if she had pushed the recent events to the back of her mind, in order to keep her courage and collected state afloat.

She seemed to know immediately what had happened to Isaac by the look in the group's eyes, but she didn't seem surprised. "So Dr. Soloro...?"

"He was stopped by Gann," Sam said, her voice surprisingly strong despite the magnitude of the words she carried.

This revelation caught Rosalina off guard, as she raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Gann? Oh my. He was always a quiet patient...but it seems as though whatever he was guilty of has been washed away by his actions."

"What is going on with the patients?" David peered past her at the sunroom in curiosity. "Did Main order this?"

"No, I did. Main hasn't been seen since Zelda...well, no one's seen him. Yet if he truly plans on doing something, it may be best to have everyone together, just in case."

"So what do we do?"

"...I was hoping you would be able to answer that, David."

The reporter felt the weight of everything suddenly crash onto his shoulders. It had been barely a month since his arrival, and already the world he knew had been turned on its head. Nothing was or would be the same, for there was no longer the warm familiarity that surrounded his life. The captain of the ship that had delivered him to this forsaken island had been right: the islanders had stolen away his sanity. What else could he have lost, after all, if not the only thing that grounded all he had known?

He had come here for a story, and in the end, he had found one- the story of himself. He was the hero; he had grown and discovered so much with the help of those around him. Now, there remained just one last obstacle: the villain of his tale, the chaotic Dr. Main. It was finally time to turn to that page of his adventure, and write the final chapter.

Apparently, however, it wouldn't be the easiest task.

Suddenly, there came from under the floor a deep, rumbling sound, like the growling of a dragon. Everything suddenly began to shake, sending all tumbling down until the vibrations faded away after a few seconds. There were cries of shock from the patients nearby, but it was Miles' voice that David heard above all else. "What the hell was that? Some kind of earthquake?"

"There's never been an earthquake here," Sam countered with a hint of snark.

Rosalina, however, remained silent, and somehow her face had grown even paler than usual. "I know what that is," she whispered in disbelief. "That's what happened right before Main started up his machine that brought us here. He's...he's turned it on again."

"Then we really don't have much time." David rose to his feet, and looked to Sam without hesitation. "Sam, you are a member of the Starling Court, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I need to talk to the Raven."

No one responded to that simple statement for what felt like eternity. "David," Sam answered, "you can't...you can't exactly do that."

"Why not?"

"Because nobody knows who the hell the Raven is!" Sam waved her arms wildly in sweeping gestures as she continued, "Whoever the Raven is has always dealt in secrecy. The only person who knew who the Raven was Zelda-she'd get messages and things from it. Since she'd dead, we're screwed! Why do you even need to talk to the Raven anyways?"

"I think the Raven knows what we need to do," came the reply, "and I need to ask it something."

Sam hesitated, as if struggling to not argue with him, then let out a long sigh. "I can summon the other Starling Court members together, but we cannot talk to the Raven. If it helps, it might work if you go to the place where they always talked to you, and see if you get a response."

Nodding, the reporter looked at the others, "What about-"

"I'll help the patients," Miles quickly answered. "This is your fight, David...I have done all I can."

"I will check Main's office for anything that might tell us where the machine is," Rosalina also added in. "It sounds like it came from within the island, so perhaps there's some tunnels underneath us leading to it. You go talk to whomever- we'll handle the other things."

The three went their separate ways without another word, leaving David alone in the center of the hall. He looked around at the old Mansion, and couldn't help but feel a pang of familiarity. Had he once called this place home? It seemed as if it had seen better days...but it felt to him like he had lived here forever. As he climbed up the stairs, a chuckle escaped him. Never in his wildest dreams would he have called a horrific place like this his home, but now he saw the beauty in its madness. It was chaos at its purest level, but like him, it held deeper secrets at its core. You could dig deeper and disturb them, or just admire their toxic pull on your curiosity. Whatever the case, one thing could be said- the truth, however terrifying or crazy, was there.

David entered his room, noting that everything was still in its place from where he had left it the night before. A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he spotted his journal and glasses on his bed. He tried on the frames, but found that they made his vision blurry, and set them on his backpack instead. Turning his attention to his journal, he flipped carefully through its dog-eared pages, gazing at the slow spiral of progress he had recorded in his time here. Once he had been so lost and naive...how could he be that man again? Yes, he was still driven by curiosity, but he didn't feel the same about it anymore. Who was he- Snake? David? A mixture of both? It was hard to tell, but he knew that whoever he was, he still had the strength, courage, and drive to investigate.

Tap. Tap tap tap. Tap. Tap.

That familiar sound echoed through the room, emanating from the wall. David translated the now familiar code in his head. Welcome back, David Kojima.

Quickly, he reached for the wall and answered. Hello Raven. It has been a while since we spoke.

It has.

I know who I am now. You were right about Main too.

I see. Why have you asked for me, David Kojima?

There's something I need to know.

My identity?

No.

Then what?

What will happen if Main activates his machine?

There was a moment of stillness before the next response could be heard. There will be a universal catastrophe. Master Hand defied the laws of the universe the first time he attempted to gain power. If he does it again, he would collapse all known universes on top of one another. Everything would cease to exist- nothing can survive the merging of universes on such a massive scale.

Is there no way for us to go home, then?

There is one way, but it requires something.

What?

A sacrifice.

Now it was David's turn to hesitate. How?

Main used the power of the warriors to transport his machine, except one of them was unable to have their powers harnessed before they were taken here- that was you. You were somehow taken out of your old universe in the travel, lost in space and time, and returned to this universe with no memory of your experiences. You thought you had a different life, but you still managed to end up here, on this island, and deep inside you, your power is still available. In order to make the machine return you all to your world, it requires power. However, unlike in your world, the power cannot be collected without harming the individual to who it belongs.

So in order to return everyone home, I...I have to die.

Yes.

Is this the only way?

The machine must have power to transport, or else it will explode and the universe will cease to exist.

Then so be it.

You would really sacrifice yourself?

If it meant returning everyone else home, then yes.

You are a brave man then, David- braver than I imagined. Nevertheless, Main will try to stop you.

I will stop him first. It's time he payed for everything he's done.

Then I have nothing more to say to you.

Raven, wait. I wanted to say one thing.

Yes?

Thank you.

Me? For what?

I know who you are. It took me a long time, but I figured it out while I was coming to talk to you. Don't feel guilty for what you've done. You were the one who spoke the truth all along- it just took me a long time to realize it.

Once again, there was silence. So this is the end then. Godspeed, David Kojima. Go, defeat Main, and put an end forevermore to this place of smashed minds.

It took a shorter amount of time for David to descend the stairs, but his mind was calmer than before. There was an aura of peace that surrounded him, like a shield protecting him from the angers and fears of the world. Was he sure of his future? No, but he knew that he had a simple task: to stop Main. If he died, it would allow the others to go home- therefore, it was a simple choice to make. He would not hesitate to sacrifice himself, so long as it prevented more deaths.

He made his way to Main's office in a daze, finding the room empty and cold upon his arrival. It had never been the liveliest place, but now the stench of death and depression was impossible to mask. The books were all still in place, but their timid shelves and quiet leather covers could not match the grandeur of the main library. Even the two sofas in the center of the room seemed to shrink at his gaze, as if they expected to be destroyed by their master's anger. The mahogany desk was covered in various papers, and as David approached it, he half expected to find the familiar leather chair occupied. To his disappointment, it was empty, but faced the window as if contemplating the crashing waves. How had Main managed to sit here, day after day, gazing at such a destructive force and knowing he was the same way? The reporter took a brief moment to stare outside at the nearby ocean, watching the sun spread glittering patterns over the crowns of the dark curls of the water. There was a savage beauty in it, a savagery that seemed to disperse throughout the island and the Mansion itself. Chaos within beauty, beauty within chaos- the two were linked here, forever bound together in a dance across time and space.

David turned his attention to the desk of the Master, wondering where the man in question was- if he could even be called a man after everything that had happened. There was only one way to find out, but that path...well, now he knew what lay in wait for him at the end of it. He brushed his fingers on the underside of the desk, feeling the sharp contrast between the smooth outer surface and the rough, almost splintery underbelly. Finally, he found what he was looking for in the form of a small, rounded button, and pressed it inward until he heard a click. Suddenly, there was a grinding sound, as the floor under the desk folded inward, revealing a set of stairs. Smiling in triumph, David moved to duck under the desk and head down, but stopped. Somewhere in the Mansion, Sam and the others had no idea of the mission he was about to partake in... shouldn't he warn them? No, there was no time. This was his mission- it had to be done alone. Shoving the thoughts out of his mind, he knelt down and half-crawled into Main's secret passage.

The tunnel-like structure was narrow and dark, and David silently thanked the fact that he was not claustrophobic. The soldier in his mind gently nudged his reporter-like instincts to the side, as he began to carefully maneuver down the dirt tunnel. It didn't look too stable- nothing seemed to hold up the roof above him, and every once in a while, a light plume of soil escaped to the ground at his feet. The only light came from the office behind him, but that soon faded out, leaving him in utter blackness with only the sound of his level breath for company. He didn't mind the dark or fear getting lost, for after a few minutes he could spot a faint light in front of him. The light grew a bit brighter and larger as he approached, until soon it yawned in front of him, and he stepped from darkness into light, feeling as if he had just been born again.

He had emerged in a cave, much to his surprise- one that seemed massive and brighter than the cave where the Starling Court usually met. Massive stalagmites and stalactites rose and fell towards each other, with their gray-blue color making them look like cobalt teeth. David could faintly hear the sound of waves, but for the most part the cave was silent and empty.

Then he saw it.

In the middle of the dark cave was a pool of water, at least five feet across on either side, and in the middle was a gaping hole. Light could not pierce its yawning jaws, as it seemed to stretch down to the very center of the earth, emitting a faint humming sound in the process. As David stared in curiosity, the noise suddenly increased in pitch and became a wail, and the ground began to shake. David let out a curse as he braced himself, but the shaking ended as quickly as it had come, and the wail returned to a bubbling hum. That has to be Main's machine, he thought to himself as he gazed suspiciously around the empty cavern. Yet if his machine is here, then where is...?

"Ah, how nice of you to join me, Mr. Kojima. Or should I call you by your real name now?"

David stepped angrily forward as Main's voice echoed through the room. "Where are you, you coward?" the reporter yelled, hearing his voice bounce furiously off the rocky walls. "You know there's no need to hide anymore!"

"There is always a need to hide," came his hissed reply. "That is the point of secrets- they serve as our personal shields against the outside world. Nothing can touch me so long as I have mine."

"Isaac is dead."

This didn't seem to come as a surprise to Main. "Damn fool. They're all damn fools, you know. Each and every one of them, so unsure of what they believe, but unwavering in their belief that their way is the right way. I pity them. They have no idea of what they truly are, and now they never will."

Time was running short. Any moment now, Main could bring all of creation to a shuddering and sudden stop. "Why, Main? Why would you do something like this? Why the secrets and the lies and the drugs? Why the murders and the ruthlessness? Why destroy the universe?"

"Ah, you have changed, Solid Snake." The name made David take a sharp breath of surprise, as Main darkly continued in an almost slimy voice. "You used to be so quiet, so loyal, never questioning orders, always following through with the plan given to you. Yet, you always were too curious for your own good, weren't you? Do you remember that night, the night that was supposed to be my triumph? You spied on me and my brother- perhaps if it weren't for you, we would have gained immeasurable power. Yes...yes, it must be your fault! YOU are the reason we are here! You're the reason all have died, and the reason why the Raven exists!"

"Your words mean nothing!" David's scream sent Main- whose voice had risen into a yell- into silence. "I have changed, yes, but I have changed to help people. We trusted you, Master Hand, and all you ended up doing is leading us to this hellhole!"

"Yet I kept you ungrateful scum together! We defeated a great evil, remember? I made sure you were all looked after in our exile here, and how do you repay me? By conspiring against me!"

"You are so blind, Main- it was you who caused all this. It was you...who caused your brother to kill himself."

"HOW DARE YOU! Do you believe me to be a fool? MY brother and I were once gods, but now the powers we once held are eating away at these delicate forms. Imagine holding the power and fury of a storm, but contained in nothing more than a fragile eggshell."

"It was that same power that caused you to yearn for more! You could never be satisfied with what you had- you always wanted more. Now see what you have done! Not even your brother wanted to strive for what you did, and yet he followed you loyally to his death!"

"ENOUGH!" The machine sent out another shaking moment longer than the original ones this time. "It's too late. The machine is nearly ready; right now, it is harnessing the pure energy of this world. Soon, all the universes will be drawn in by its power -by MY power- and then collapse one on top of another. Nothing will survive. I shall become Death, the giver and the taker of life. My final act will make me the most powerful being in existence."

"Not unless I stop you."

"Ha, and how could you do such a thing? You have lost, David Kojima. Admit your defeat. Comfort your loved ones. I will permit you to leave now, to await your inevitable death."

"You seem to forget," David said softly, ignoring the barbed words of Main, "that I am a soldier...and a soldier must make sacrifices."

Main let these soft words sink in. Then came his angry roar as he realized what David was about to do. "NO!"

A strike came from behind David, bringing its sharp companion known as pain along with it as they paid a visit to his left shoulder. He cursed again in surprise as he fell to his knees, before rolling out of his way as he felt something whiz past him. It was impossible to see who his attacker was or what weapon was being used against him, but whatever had hit him hurt. Main's wheezing laugh filtered through as David looked wildly about for the next attack. "Ah, now you know how it feels to lose control of all your confidence! Are you scared, Snake? Do you know you cannot best me?"

David only smirked. He was a soldier after all- fighting was in his blood. Even if he had misjudged angering Main into confronting him, he still had the upper hand. "One blow does not decide the outcome of a fight, Main."

"Ah, but you have never faced off against someone with power! You have never battled against a god!"

This time, David was hit just below his ribs, and a searing pain shot through his body. He bit back a scream as he felt blood flow from his wound, and instead narrowed his eyes and relaxed his breathing. He knew what he had to do to stop Main. If he had to take Main down while doing so...then so be it. He was ready.

Sensing motion out of the corner of his eyes, David spun out of the way, watched as a ball of light shot past him, and hit the wall with a bang that jarred the bones in his body. If it was Main attacking, he was certainly powerful, just as he had proclaimed himself to be. Yet, he had to get him out of wherever he was hiding, so David leaped to his feet and dashed to the pool and the hole in the ground. If he could get himself inside it, then all the destruction would be ended...

Something heavy slammed into him from the side, forcing him to the ground. A gloved fist flashed before his eyes, and David blocked it without a second thought, earning a cry of pain from his attacker. It provided him a split second glance at his attacker- a small, fragile-looking figure cloaked in black- before he was forced to dodge again from another gloved fist, his feet stepping in the icy-cold waters of the edge of the pool in the process. The figure, breathing heavily, stared him down from a mere few feet away. It was hunched over, back bent in an unnatural curve, and the gloved fists visibly shook with each painful, shuddering breath the figure forced out of its lungs. Yet, there was something else, a barely visible aura of darkness that surrounded its frail form, drawing in David's eyes with the darkly whispered promises of power. This could only be the fallen leader once known as Master Hand, the being who had let greed and paranoia twist him into an unrecognizable force of evil.

"Do you see now, what this world has done to me?" Like a deathbed murmur, Main's hoarse voice emanated from under the hood that obscured his face. "My body has become weak and mortal, and the life-giving power has become a cancer to it. To use my power brings me unimaginable pain, but it is a sacrifice I must bear to stop you and your damned curiosity, Mr. Kojima!"

"Main, I am giving you a chance to stop this. Just turn off the machine now, and we can work something out."

"The time for negotiations is past! Now it is only the eve of destruction- come! Bear witness with me to the end!" A ball of energy manifested in Main's hand, and was sent hurtling at David. It struck him square in the chest, sending him flying backwards, and the world around him spun until finally the ground met him face first with a jarring thud. The pain alone almost sent him tumbling into unconsciousness, as he felt something in his chest crack. The ground felt good for a moment, as it was nice and still and cold, but he was once again sent flying by Main. He landed again, feeling the rocky floor bite into him, and feebly he clutched at a piece of fallen stalactite, sensing the warm blush of blood seep from his palm as he gripped the stone. Main was treating him like his personal ragdoll, flinging him over and over in an attempt to break him- and so far, he was succeeding, as again David felt himself be thrown through the air.

This time he splashed down in the pool of water, just as a mighty rumble came from deep within the earth. The freezing flash of the water jerked his eyes open, as it seemed to increase his pain rather than numb it. Something red ran down his brow into his right eye, but his arms felt too heavy to move and wipe it away. Never before- not as a soldier, nor during his short tenure as a reporter- had he felt like this. The earth continued to rumble and shake as he relaxed his neck, feeling his head hang over the edge of the hole. He was so close, so tantalizingly close...and yet he knew, deep within, that he had failed.

A shadow fell over him, as David heard the crack of falling rocks from within the cave. Again, he felt himself be lifted off his feet, with a dead pressure wrapped around his neck. Forcing his eyes to stay open, he peered down at Main, who held him at eye level and unnaturally steady for a man of his stature. "If only you can see yourself now," Main whispered, in almost pure ecstasy. "You- the great Solid Snake, the soldier who could be any odds- are broken beyond repair. I see in your eyes the cold fires of defeat, the acceptance of death...all your mystery is stripped away now, at the edge of death."

David felt his bloodied lips move, as he struggled to spit out each word. "Yet you are the one who hides behind the shadows now. "

Something about his statement elicited a low growl of a laugh from Main. "They say, David, that the eyes are a window to the soul. If this is true...then I am a soulless man." With this, he threw back his hood with his free hand.

Out of all the things David had seen at the Mansion, nothing could compare to the true face of Main. No hair resided on his globulous head; his ears were mere balls of flesh fused to the sides of it, and where there should have been eyes and a nose and lips was nothing more than a smeared and bloody handprint. It was beyond human, looking like something that had crawled from the darkest part of Hell- like Death itself, in all its disgust and horror.

"Do you see now, why I curse this world? Look at what it has done to me, what it has reduced me to!" Main's voice came from his body somehow, although there was no physical way he could speak. "Look at me. LOOK AT ME!" He shook David, who flopped limply in reply. "I am twisted and mangled in this body, but yet I am the one who is victorious! I am still a god, and now I am the end of everything! The time has come- this will be the end! But tell me, David, there is something you know that I don't, hmm? Tell me...who among you is the Raven?"

And at that very moment, when there came a deep thrumming sound from within the machine, and everything seemed to be suspended and ready to crash down, David whispered one single sentence.

"It's all of us."

Then...he struck.

His aim was precise and true: the jagged rock in his fist dove deep into Main's chest, tearing through everything as it poked out the other side. Suddenly, everything seemed so silent and still. David felt Main drop him in the water, now clouded with the mixed blood of the fighters, and watched as Main stumbled forward with a gasp. The fallen god hovered at the edge of his machine, and faintly, he murmured, "Crazy...I'm sorry." Then he fell, disappearing over the edge of the precipice and into the core of his machine, returning the creator to the very thing he had created. Just like that, he was gone.

The shaking stopped. Everything returned to silence, and David fought back the creeping blackness at the edges of his consciousness. Had he done it? Had he averted Main's plan by sacrificing Main's power? It had to have worked somehow...

Suddenly, the machine began to hum, increasing in volume until without warning, a bright beam of white light shot out from the hole. It tore through the roof of the cave, shooting upwards in a magnificent display of force as it stretched for the sky. The humming fell again into silence, but a new sound soon replaced it...a sound not unlike a song, carried on a gentle breeze. There was a warmness of the light that invited David in, although he was too weak to do so, and he knew within his heart that he had succeeded. Somehow, they would all be going home.

"David?! DAVID?!"

There was a splashing sound, and David was rolled over to face a distraught-looking Sam, who looked both relieved and horrified to see him. "What the hell happened?" She asked, her eyes wide and illuminated in the light. "Oh hell, you're hurt!"

"Samus," he murmured weakly, blinking away the tiredness pooling in his body, "why are you here? You...you should be with the others."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "The Starling Court and I were meeting to discuss what to do when we heard the rumbling, and I knew...where's Main? Did you..."

"I did it. Main is dead- this machine is going to take you all back home, to the world we belong in."

"And you too!"

"No, my time is up. I'm done- I've given all I had, like the Raven asked me to."

"Screw the Raven!" Sam spat angrily, fixing him with a glare. "David, you are the one who beat Main, you're the one who we all counted on...you're the one who helped me see I wasn't crazy."

"Sam..."

"Shut up, can't you see I'm yelling at you?" There were the glittering imprints of tears on her cheek as she continued, "David, you're not dying. I'm going to get you back to the Mansion- Rosalina can fix you up, and you'll be right at rain." She choked back a sob and added, "Besides, a soldier doesn't leave his comrades behind."

Weakly, David smiled, letting Sam help him to his feet as he leaned on her, mildly surprised that such a small woman was able to hold his body weight. "I don't even know if this will take us home," he murmured. "For all I know, this will take us to Heaven."

"Well, there's no one I'd rather die with than with you, Solid Snake."

"That's reassuring, Samus Aran. But to be honest, I'd rather wait a bit before going through the pearly gates. Let's just go home."

Sam couldn't agree more, and without another word, without any hesitation or doubt, the two smashed minds walked into the light together.