Chapter 17; Facem Transiens
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Faraway Park
{A cause worth fighting for}
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The Dream friends continued to chase ROWAN down the street, intent on catching up to him, a swipe from his shovel made them move back a bit as he pivoted to face them. "Stay out of this, I'm not in the mood for a fight right now." he snapped and picked up the pace.
"ROWAN you gotta help us! why do you gotta be such a jerk?" KEL shouted angrily and ran ahead of everyone, dodging another swing from the shovel. ROWAN snarled and slammed his weapon into the ground causing cracks to form in the pavement. "I know you can help! if you can break rules then you can help our friend Kel!" AUBREY clung onto his leg trying to slow him down but even her iron grip couldn't stay on as he kicked her off of him. He was growing more frustrated as KEL dodged his attacks. "Now you want my help? that's rich...did OMORI sic you guys on me to get back for turning him down? that spiteful petty bastard..." he snapped and continued. "You're all just playthings to him! he doesn't really care about you like he says he does! you only exist until he doesn't need you anymore!"
KEL once again tried to get close but ROWAN managed to land a heavy uppercut straight to KEL'S jaw. "Leave me alone! you can't possibly hope to beat me!" he sneered. KEL grunted and spat out some blood. "We don't stand a chance...but you're the only person I know who can save real world me!" ROWAN paused and glared down at the dream friends with a impatient look. "And why would I bother wasting my precious time and energy on someone I barely know?"
"Please...he's already lost ability to walk and he's gonna die soon...please..." BASIL pleaded
"Fine, I'll do it..." But before the friends could relax he held up a finger "On one condition..." The Dream friends gathered around and leaned in curiously.
"You have to stop doing what OMORI tells you to do...even you faker..." he said, pointing his shovel at BASIL with a slightly threatening gesture.
Everyone looked at one another in surprise. "Abandon OMORI? but that's a bit extreme..." HERO said quietly.
"You want my help? renounce your false god and set yourselves free from his shackles like I have, he's not here to stop you and I'm the only one who can help your friend, make your choice..." he said, holding out a hand for them to take.
KEL sighed and stepped forward. "...Sorry OMORI...I'll stop following him..." ROWAN sighed in relief and took his hand. "Good, glad to have you on board KEL, knew I could count on my best friend..."
"KEL?! you're just going to stop being friends with him? just like that?" AUBREY exclaimed.
"I-I'm with ROWAN...I'll stop following too..." Basil said shyly and shuffled over to his taller doppelganger.
AUBREY was flabbergasted by BASIL'S sudden betrayal. "BASIL? how could you?! he's your best friend!"
KEL sighed and rubbed his shoulder. "You heard him earlier, he killed BASIL a whole bunch to keep a secret he didn't want us knowing, I don't know if II can keep trusting someone who does that, friends don't do that...it's messed up...and if leaving OMORI'S side means I can save real me and everyone will be alright, I'll take it...how would you feel if you found out he killed you a bunch for being annoying?"
AUBREY looked shocked and shook her head in denial, what if OMORI did secretly hated her for all those times she's flirted with him? She looked to HERO for support, but he too had taken ROWAN'S side. "Come on AUBREY, I know it's hard to do, but I just don't want to see you get hurt anymore because of him, please." he said gently and added. "Do it for your real world self...join me..." Seeing the odds were against her, she reluctantly went over to join her friends, eyes filled with shame and regret.
ROWAN nodded, what was done was done..."I'm...genuinely glad you guys are able to see reason, take me to Kel and I'll see what I can do..."
"T-thank you ROWAN...thank you..." AUBREY said and hugged his leg. ROWAN didn't shake her off this time, instead he let her stay until she decided to let go...seeing her embracing him reminded him of what he had before...before it was all taken from him...
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Faraway Hospital
{The Long Walk...}
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ROWAN kicked through the front door of the hospital and strolled in with the friends in tow. a doctor stood in his way. "Sir your going to have to wait for a reserva-" the tall goth shoved him against a wall. "Order me around again and I'll toss you off this fucking building! where is Kel Rodriguez at?" he demanded and tossed him to the floor. Intimidated, the doctor scurried to his feet and presented the number for Kel's hospital room. "Actually we have a very special spot for you, right this way fifth floor second to last one..." Afterwards, the group arrived at the room. Kel looked incredibly pale and his breathing was very faint, as was the pulse on the heart monitor nearby as it beat weakly...there wasn't much time left...his parents were sitting outside of the room, too consumed by sorrow to notice them.
"Oh god...oh god...my baby is going to die...my precious little Kelsey..." Mrs. Rodriguez cried and buried her face in her hands.
ROWAN calmly inspected the damage with a neutral expression "This is real world you? doesn't look too lively like when I last saw him...I'll need more JUICE if we're gonna save him, bring your strongest healing items too..." he said. HERO stood next to him and offered a MELON SMOOTHIE to boost their JUICE enough for their combined healing, AUBREY stood over Kel with a WHOLE PIZZA and BASIL had his HERBAL REMEDY prepared... "Alright, now for my RESTORATION SKILL to work, I'll need someone to take a pretty heavy hit..." KEL hopped on the bed and laid himself out for him. "I'll do it hit me." he told them firmly, Everyone gasped and looked scared for him. "Are you sure you want this KEL? You might be permanently damaged." even ROWAN seemed reluctant to harm his own friend. KEL laid there unmoving and firm in his decision. "I don't care...I don't want the real world versions of us to lose the only thing keeping them together!" The look on the tall goth's face was indescribable, whether he was wondering how stupid he was or if he was braver than he looked. when he spoke, it was in a tone of genuine concern. "You're going to risk losing your own mobility? your speed is your best trait, if you can't run..."
"It's worth it! just do it!" KEL snapped and extended his leg out. "I'm ready...just do it quick!"
ROWAN blinked and brought out his shovel. "I-I can't believe I'm going to cut off my own best friend's leg to save his future self's life...but if it means I can be the good guy for once..." he tore off a piece of his shirt and handed it to him. "Put this in your mouth and bite down, hold on to my hand...this is going to hurt a lot...on the count of three we heal at the same time!"
"One..."
Everyone prepared their healing items and SKILLS...
"Two..."
KEL closed his eyes and held his breath, tears ran down his cheeks as he waited...
"Three!"
[KEL took 459 damage!]
[KEL'S SPEED dropped]
[KEL'S SPEED cannot go lower!]
[HERO used COOK]
[AUBREY used WHOLE CHICKEN on Kel]
[BASIL used HERBAL REMEDY]
The shovel had severed his leg in one clean chop, KEL only felt the sheer agonizing pain a few seconds later as it ran through where his leg once was. He screamed bloody murder into the cloth and held ROWAN'S hand so tightly that his hand was starting to turn white. The pain only became worse when he looked down at his severed leg leading to even louder screams. ROWAN tried to ignore the horrible burning guilt in his mind and used his special SKILL, placing his hand on Kel's forehead. He closed his eyes and focused as hard as he could...
[ROWAN used RESTORATION]
[Kel gained 984 heart!]
Kel was feeling woozy...the last thing he remembered was telling Hero how much of a good job he did on that honeymoon before he fell asleep. All around him in the darkness were voices he knew and a warm feeling coming back to his legs...
"...Did...did it work?"
"I'm not sure...we did- wait he's moving!"
"His heart rate is getting faster! he's healing! it worked!"
"Come on Kel! you can do it!"
Kel coughed and shook himself awake, he sat up and looked around at everyone giving him shocked and relieved looks. AUBREY gave him a big hug and wept happily into his hospital gown. Next to him, KEL sat curled up in a ball holding his bleeding stump, whimpering in pain while HERO and BASIL tried their best to heal his wound. He looked down to see a pool of blood dripping off the side of the bed where his dream self's leg had once been and gasped in horror...his first words being of panic and fear. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR LEG?!" Kel exclaimed and reached over to cradle KEL in his arms. "You're okay...I can't believe it worked...he did it..." KEL whispered weakly with a small smile on his face. Kel blinked confusedly and moved his foot, he was speechless as it bent effortlessly like it was never broken in the first place. "What m-my leg it's healed? but then what happened to your leg? why is it gone?" he placed a hand over is face, too much was happening all at once...
HERO went over and placed a reassuring hand on Kel's shoulder, his eyes were wet with joyful tears. "ROWAN saved your life...KEL had to sacrifice his own leg to bring you back from near death...don't worry, he'll get better, I can reattach his missing limb and fix him in no time..." KEL nodded and gave a thumbs up. "R-ROWAN, he...cared enough to help? but I thought he...er, nevermind, where is he now?" Kel asked nervously, seeing no sign of the goth teen anywhere." AUBREY detached herself from him and responded. "He left right after we finished, told us he was going to the roof to 'wait on the roof to give what's coming to her' whatever that means..."
Kel's face twisted into a concerned expression. "The roof... before I blacked out...that's where Hero said he was going..." he said and looked over at the door. At that moment a familiar woman walked by the open door, for a split second Kel spotted a hidden pistol strapped to her thigh barely visible from under her lab coat. "It's that mean lady from the Othermart from a month ago, the one who tried to capture us!" BASIL squeaked, his voice filled with anxiety.
Instantly everyone went into panic mode, the only sound in the room was Kel's heart monitor beating even faster. "No...no no!...Dr. Yen's here and she's going to the roof too? we have to stop her before she gets up there!" he shouted and leapt out of bed, his legs were surprising strong enough to keep him up while he stood upright. The friends wasted no time as Kel hefted his dream counterpart on his shoulders and charged out towards the staircase...the only sound left in the empty room was the life support system flat-lining as it's host was no longer connected.
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Faraway Hopital, Roof
{Hero}
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Hero stood over the edge of the hospital balcony, thoughts clouded with questions of grief and misery though he couldn't find any answers...not the ones he needed. The foggy atmosphere outside the roof obscured the ground below...it would be awfully tempting for anyone to just...fall over the side and end it right there...it wasn't like he himself had any reason to keep going anyhow now with everything falling apart again...
He had failed.
He'd failed Mari...when she died that day four years ago,yes he knew the truth now, but with Sunny being hopelessly out of reach, it felt like he'd broken some promise to protect what was left of her memory...thus, he had failed her not once but twice...
He'd failed his friends, he was should be the one keeping them from despair, but now it wasn't enough...he. wasn't. enough.
...and now he'd failed Kel...he was supposed to be together with him till the end but instead he was here sulking on the room like a coward, he just couldn't bear to watch his little brother take his last breath, and so he failed him too...abandoned and left to perish alone...
what was the point of any of this? The click of the door behind him drew his thoughts away for him to see a elderly man open the door.
"Ah, forgive me young man, I did not realize..." his voice trailed off when they both saw each other's faces. "Ah I know you...you're Henry, or do you prefer Hero?"
"I don't know who you are, how do you know who I am?"
"I believe you've met my other co-workers, Dr. Rayburn and Dr. Yen, the latter's behavior is one of the reasons I came up here...she is the one who was responsible for your brother's...unfortunate state."
"I think I know who you are now...your not just with D.R.E.A.M. you're..."
"Dr. Wilhelm T Schwartz, leading director of our world saving project, former head scientist for Hitler under the Nazi regime in World War II and the...murderer of my own wife and daughter...of all of those titles I hold save for the first, I only have with great regret and shame..."
"You were in the history books...you killed millions of people..."
"That I did, my punishment? the loss of my own family by own my hands...I have lived with these sins every day of my life until now...The clone inside of Sunny's apartment...I was not informed that it was actually a bomb, I apologize for my co-worker's lack of empathy towards life...I came here to get away from the war...and now it has followed me here...or maybe I brought it with me."
This man, The notorious Dr. Shwartz from the history books...the same war criminal who had been responsible for the loss of countless lives was ashamed of what he had done. Not once had Hero ever thought he'd be meeting with the man he'd only heard of in school history books and college studies on the man.
"Fear not young Hero, I have no underlying intentions to harm you or you're friends...I just needed a moment...would you like to talk to me? I know you must have many many questions, and you'd be the first person outside of the organization that I'd talk to that isn't a colleague or imaginary..." He reassured, calmly "Could you do this for a tired old man?"
"Well...I guess it wouldn't hurt...I do ask a lot of things, especially as of late...so, D.R.E.A.M. why are you doing this? what's the purpose of pulling out Sunny's dream world?"
"Depends on who you'd be asking, Simmons, would say he'd just wanted to relive his childhood, Yen Su...she never told us what she wanted...and me? I want to make the world a better place...
"But you're still a war criminal
Shwartz shrugged. "Well someone's been studying...I do this not because it'd get me a pardon from my crimes, I'm way beyond redemption now, I just want to have a clear conscious when they eventually put me away...just one good deed and that'd be enough for me..."
"That is...not what I expected..."
"Let me ask you something in return...what do you know about us?"
Hero cleared his throat and explained how he heard they were a secret science cult that lived under the city, and that they kidnapped Sunny from his home for twisted experiments...Dr. Schwartz shook his head and sighed. "
"I've even figured out where you might be hiding in Nearbye."
"Oh? is-is that s-so?"
"From the newspaper reports from all the way back from when SWEETHEART took over the city for a time, people said they saw strange creatures, SPROUT MOLES going in and out of a canal tunnel that was supposedly closed...seems like FLOWER also tipped us off to where you guys were hiding."
"You can't tell anyone where we are...please just forget about it and go! you can still leave while you can!"
"No! Sunny is my friend, even after he killed his sister...my love interest...and hid it for four years...But I've learned that dwelling on the past is not good for you, moving on is the best way to honor their memories, she would have wanted me to forgive Sunny."
"So you finally forgive him?
Hero nodded "Yes...Sunny deserves forgiveness. Even someone like you deserves a second chance."
"Then you are stronger than I ever was..."
ROWAN suddenly burst onto the roof looking around until he spotted Shwartz, "Hero, What are you doing here? you shouldn't be here!" he shouted
"What's going on? you two know each other?"
"Yes, I did not tell you this but the reason I came up here was because ROWAN and I as much as we dislike each other have found a mutual agreement; Dr. Yen must be stopped. She was the one who injured your brother! she's a monster who must be brought to justice!"
"Yeah she's a real piece of shit! old man! you recall the plan? you stay up here as bait and I'll hide behind the door so I can-"
"That sounds like a solid strategy, one only a traitor and a failed experiment could come up with."
"Cavorting with the enemy I see? and you want to kill me? well I'm glad you confessed now, so it'll make a more convincing story of how you had a terrible accident on a hospital roof."
"You don't want to make the world a better place don't you?
"Correct, The world is a chaotic and uncontrollable variable in this stage we call life, people riot in the streets when they don't get what they want, wars break out over petty ideals, humanity is eating itself alive in a twisted sick Ouroboros of death and anarchy...but a dream can be controlled...adapting to fit one's desire, order and balance at the snap of a finger...a perfect and controlled
"You're insane..."
"No my dear Dr. Shwartz...I am the harbinger of your salvation...and soon when I take Subject 143's dream world from his husk and show it to the world...I'll be your new god..."
ROWAN swung his shovel over his head and brought it down but Yen activated her EMOTION amplifier setting it to UNHINGED and darted out of the way and behind him, beating him over the head in a flurry of attacks that staggered him.
[ROWAN took 9999 damage]
[ROWAN did not Falter]
Dr. Shwartz pulled out his Luger pistol in a panic and shot at her wildly but Yen dodged all of the shots with inhuman speed and was at his side in a instant, she swatted the pistol out of his hands, grabbing it out of the air and bludgeoned Shwartz over the head with it knocking him over.
Hero stood by as the chaos unfolded in front of him, he saw her saunter over to ROWAN and kick him over to the side of the railing, she set her belt to LIVID and began beating him until he was bleeding. "You disobeyed direct orders and like a dog you must be punished!" she snapped and dug her heel into his ribs, ROWAN screamed as he felt the sharp edge dig into him until he passed out from the pain. Yen tsked and turned her attention to Dr. Shwartz who was recovering on the railing. "Kneel." she commanded and he got to his knees, she took out the pistol in her pocket and took aim at him, a victorious grin on her face.
"You died as you lived...a turncoat traitor and a thorn in my side!" she declared and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
Hero dove in the way just as Yen unloaded the entire five shots of her gun's magazine, the bullets punching into his body and blocking the shots from reaching a speechless Shwartz. His eyes went wide as pain jolted through him, he looked down at the fresh holes in him and collapsed to his side coughing up blood. Yen stared down at Hero with apathy before coldly walking over his body and placing the weapon up to her colleague's forehead. "Hmm, unnecessary heroism...valiant but a wasted effort...last words are overused and cliche, I'll just put you down now."
The sounds of footsteps coming up the stairs gave her pause, she let out a frustrated sigh and picked up Shwartz under her arms before leaping off the balcony into the fog below. Moments later the friends made it to the roof and were greeted by a grisly sight...ROWAN lay unconscious off to the side while Hero lay in a pool of his own blood barely breathing...Hero's vision blurred between moments in his life and reality, voices...memories...it was getting hard to tell...
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{"Some day, I'll be the best chef ever!"}
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"Hero! oh god! someone! please help! AUBREY, go get help! BASIL can you heal ROWAN? Dream HERO I need you to help me."
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{"I can't believe I have a little brother now...don't worry Kel I'll take care of you no matter what..."}
...
"He's been shot pretty bad, and he's losing so much blood...
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{"Hey there, what's your name? Mari? nice to meet you and Sunny, I'm Hero and this is my brother Kel."}
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"If you can hear me, try and stay awake okay? help will be here soon..."
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{"You must be Basil, Aubrey told me so much about you...I hope we get to friends."}
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"What's taking so long?! they should be here by now!"
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{"Hey Mari? will you be my girlfriend? I-I mean you don't have to if- you will? oh jeez I don't know what to say..."}
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"Come on come come on come on, don't die on me...don't die...just keep awake.
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{"Mari...why? why did you leave us?!"}
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"Oh thank god they're here my brother's been shot! he needs help right away!"
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{"Hey Kel, you got room for one more? I still have some free time before my break is over."}
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"Good news you're gonna be okay you're gonna be- Hero?..."
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{"Can't say I've ever heard of HEADSPACE…Oh wait! I think Sunny told me about it before he left! You're one of his dream versions of us."}
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"Hero this isn't the time to rest now...wake up..."
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{"I never thought that this was how Sunny always thought of me for all those years…I'm a little flattered."}
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"Hero...please wake up..."
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{"I know I know shouldn't feel this way…but I still can't get used to seeing her again after so long. After what happened to her…the real Mari…I…I don't think I can keep pretending she's gone when she sounds so much like her…what if something happens to her?}
...
"Henry?"
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{"It still hurts to see you again, I'm scared that I'll wake up one day and you'll be gone again, I don't know how long you and the HEADSPACE people will stay in this world…but I promise that we'll spend as much time together as possible before that time comes…when I'll be ready to say goodbye again."}
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{"...as long as we're together."}
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"Bro?...bro...please...PLEASE...WAKE UP!"
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{"What I wouldn't give for that..let's go home."}
..."Kel...you're...alive...I...I...
...
The life left Hero's eyes and his body went limp...
...
"No..."
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He found himself in front of a bright window, Mari was there waiting for him with a warm smile and a extended hand.
...
NO!
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Hero smiled happily and took her hand, passing through into a new world beyond...
...
"HERO!"
...
Kel's cry of despair echoed all throughout the surrounding area until it eventually faded back into silence...
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Faraway Cemetery
{One Life for another}
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Everyone in Faraway had gathered around the cemetery, some waiting outside for Hero's and Mrs. Suzuki's caskets to be brought to the two open graves. Many still inside mourning the loss of not only a widowed mother but a beloved friend to all. The Dream friends sat together in a big glowing blue DEPRESSED bunch, silently weeping, HERO just stared silently at the casket containing his real world self, still traumatized by the moment... in the both across from them sat Aubrey, Basil, Keith, FLOWER and ROWAN, watching as Kel stood at the center stage giving his speech about his brother to everyone, his eyes were red and sore from crying and when he spoke it was uncharacteristically quiet...
"Hero...Henry...wasn't just my older brother, he was everyone's brother, the one who kept us out of trouble and took care of everyone. He was my whole world...and I'd go to those ends to be with him...he had charm...he was the one who kept me and Aubrey from most of our fights, heh...man those were the times. He was an awesome cook, made the best meals and cookies I've ever had in my life... I don't think I've ever said this to anyone besides a friend who's not here right now but...My brother...after Mari passed...he took it hard...he became so depressed that he'd just lay in bed all day, like he was still stuck in the past, I did my best every day to try and cheer him up...One day I...I might have gotten into a...a argument when I shouldn't have...he got angry and started screaming at he, said a lot of things...I don't recall exactly but they were very hurtful, our parents came in to comfort him and just...ignored me, which was okay...he needed the comfort more than I did. He was crying pretty hard and I guess I was too...Hero saw I was being ignored and came over to hug me, saying he was sorry...Well, from that point onward he got himself back together again...though he wasn't exactly the same, especially after we all learned what really happened to Mari...I know it hurt him, it hurt us all, but we stuck by each other and got through it together. These past months have been so much fun...I met myself from another world, I got to go to a big party in a dress, I went to outer space, I was a fat guy for a time, survived a apocalypse twice, I was even going to die at some point...but it was worth it...cause I got to see my big bro smile and feel alive...goodbye bro...at least...y-you can (hic) be...t-together wi-with Mari again...(sniff)...see ya bro, I hope you're happy up there..."
Kel finished his speech and wiped his eyes...slowly stepping down from the podium and shuffling slowly over to his friends where he sat silently letting the tears fall down his cheeks...he may have lived but a part of him died anyways that day...he knew Hero would have wanted him to smile but...he just couldn't find the strength to anymore...
"He's gone...and it's all my fault." ROWAN muttered under his breath.
"ROWAN? are you okay?" FLOWER asked
When he turned to look at him, his eyes were filled with remorse and grief. "He gave his life to save the old man's! I wasn't fast enough...not strong enough, I-I screwed up at the last second when I should have killed Yen...I'm...I..." he got up and stormed off to cope with his rising anger and grief...
Aubrey embraced Kel in a hug and held him close...soon the caskets were brought outside and the final rites were given. Kel looked at his brother's face one last time before closing the casket...Kel stayed as they lowered Hero into the ground...he stayed when he was buried...and he stayed even when it was just him left to mourn...
...
After the funeral had ended and the two were buried, HERO, Kel and MARI sat on the picnic blanket together looking over the new tombstone sitting next to Mari's reading
'Here lies Henry, our Hero in shining armor...'
They said nothing to one another, for they did not know what to say to comfort the other...
6
Sunny awoke on his bed, the sun shining in from the window as he prepared for a new day. The smell of breakfast wafted through the air as he entered the kitchen where [][][][[] and Mari were waiting for him.
"Hey Sunny! your just in time for breakfast!" [][][][] said offering him a plate of freshly cooked steak.
"It's your favorite dish, steak! enjoy your breakfast!" Mari smiled and sat next to him
Sunny felt something was off, but enjoyed his steak regardless, when he was finished he looked at Mari.
"Mari? can I go play with Kel and Basil later?" Sunny asked, wiping his mouth and putting his fork and steak knife on his plate.
"Oh of course! have fun!" Mari said, H[]r[] stood next to her waving him goodbye and giving him that charming bright smile he knew him for...
Sunny opened the front door of his house, ready to enjoy another perfect day in FARAWAY TOWN where nothing goes wrong!
Standing at the front door was a elderly man with a somber grief filled expression, he said nothing as he offered his hand to Sunny.
"Do...do I know you?" Sunny asked.
"I am Dr. Wilhelm T Schwartz...you do not know me...but I need you to come with me."
Sunny blinked and reached for his hand but hesitated...there was something terribly wrong about the man's composure...his shaking hands, the remorseful expression on his face...eyes that looked like they had been wet recently...Sunny felt like he shouldn't
He shook his head and backed away. "I-I don't think I should..." he whimpered
Dr. Shwartz tried to get closer, he couldn't let this opportunity to tell him what had happened go to waste. "Sunny...please...I must show you this, it's important...don't go..." he pleaded, trying to keep his composure. "I need-
Suddenly Dr. Ray "Hey Sunny! hows my little buddy doing? we got a big surprise for you! you'll love it!"
Dr. Yen came out from the other side with a fake smile on her face. "Of course, Dr. Ray please try and keep this professional...we've been working hard to show you this..." she added cheerfully, giving Wilhelm a brief death glare over her shoulder before the two went off with Sunny...
Wilhelm dropped to knees in defeat, he reached out hoping that Sunny would look back, but as the trio rounded the corner...he could only feel the numbness in his hands, the same numbness from watching his daughter take her own life in front of him...
...
"Well Sunny, what do you think?" Dr. Ray asked, an entire world spread out before them on one side was a western town and on another was a city where a strange object floated above watching down on them, and right in the middle was a meadow full of flowers and magic balloons, it was strange as it was beautiful...
"What is all this?" Sunny wondered aloud.
"Well howdy there! what brings you fine folk to our humble home?" a jolly voice called out to them.
Sunny looked up to see three figures on the horizon, one was a girl in a white and red nurse's outfit, a warrior in armor and a cape, and lastly a cow in a sheriffs outfit, they all came down to meet the newcomer to their world while Dr. Rayburn beamed with pride.
"Ah hello! you're Sunny aren't you? you're a cute little guy...I'm MEDIKA, MEDIKA MAGICAL, and I can heal any injury you have!" the girl spoke in a bubbly voice
"Greetings...I am known as ALTIMA, rest thine feet little one, for thou art safe under my watch, as are the rest of the cosmos..." the warrior greeted and knelt down to his eye level while his drone hovered around them.
Last to greet him was the cow-boy, who strode over and took a bow out of respect. "The name's COWPOKE, SHERIFF COWPOKE if you want to be formal and stuff like ALTIMA, But all you need to know is I'm in charge of the lil' ol town of BARBECUE VALLEY just a little ways from here, you find trouble you come to me and me and my deputies will take care of it...it is a honor to finally meet my maker."
Sunny gazed at the world before him, it reminded him a lot of...someplace else in his mind... "COWPOKE? can you tell me where is here?"
COWPOKE guffawed and slapped his knee in delight. "Hoowee boy! sure thing bucko! all this here is the realm of make believe, you created all this and us thanks to the doctors here patchin up your memory, this is...is...er...actually, we never thought of a proper name for this place we call home...a little help fellas? you're better at talkin than I am."
The three took a moment to come up with a name before ALTIMA stepped up and pointed out at the vast plane. "I Welcome thou to the sacred lands of SANCTUARY."
MEDIKA clapped her hands together. and giggled in delight. "Oh I like that name! oh ALTIMA you have such a way with words..." she said dreamily.
"Thoust genuine compliments are very much appreciated..." ALTIMA nodded.
COWPOKE adjusted his hat and grinned widely as a cow could. "Well that there settles it! This here land is your new home!"
Welcome to SANCTUARY
You are safe here...
Tomorrow is going to be alright...