The sun shone brightly overhead as people helped each other up the hill, faces drawn and tired and with a certain amount of sadness on each. Starly's fluttered around the large group of people trudging toward the top of the hill, dressed in traditional black.
At the back of the group, three seventeen year olds walked slowly, climbing together. The girl was dressed in a dark hunter green Operator uniform. The shorter boy had a tuxedo on, and he looked uncomfortably around at the taller boy, whose ranger uniform looked much better than it had when he first reappeared in Almia.
Keith, Rhythmi, and Isaac walked together toward the top of the hill where sad music from the Go Rock Quads was playing, advertising for all who wanted to hear that there was a funeral.
A funeral that no one wanted to have happened. The ranger union had surely lost a valuable ranger.
Keith kept his gaze on the top of the hill for a moment, his mouth in a somber frown. Rhythmi stumbled. Isaac offered his arm. They continued a few more steps in silence.
"Wait." Keith muttered suddenly, looking over at the two as he stopped and glanced down the hill. Isaac and Rhythmi halted and also looked down the hill, small, sad smiles on their faces.
Another form trudged slowly toward the trio, bandages around her torso and over her shoulder shining white in the sunlight beneath the red ranger jacket. The rest of her outfit was the same as before, if a little more loosely fitting. The only other thing that could be noted as different about her was her slow limp; one leg was slightly weaker than the other because of the cut her side had taken. Besides that, she was almost as cheerful as she had been before everything.
Kate smiled ever so slightly when she caught up with her three friends, grabbing onto Keith's arm when he offered it to her and letting him help her the rest of the way to the top of the hill. There were people standing around the white coffin, and in the front of the group were the two solemn forms of Christen and Noah.
Everyone respectfully kept their distance from the two, who moved to the coffin first. Christen placed a rose on top of it and leaned against Noah, crying silently. Noah wiped his eyes lightly, wrapping an arm around Christen's shoulders and bowing his head solemnly.
The rest of the funeral passed in a blur, everyone giving their best to Christen and Noah and wishing them well. Kate, Keith, Isaac, and Rhythmi slipped away shortly after the ceremony ended, walking with each other away from Breeze Hill where everyone was still mourning. Nabiki beach sand soon crunched under their feet. They paused together, friends finally reunited, and sat on the beach near the water. Kate kicked off her shoes and leaned against Keith. Rhythmi leaned against Isaac.
For a few moments, none of them made a sound, each lost in their own thoughts. Then Kate sighed happily.
"It's over." She whispered with her eyes closing as she rested her head against Keith's shoulder. "It's finally over."
"We survived." Keith chuckled.
Isaac rested his arm lightly around Rhythmi, pulling her closer as he watched the sun setting over the water. "It's been forever since the four of us hung out, just us. What was the last time?"
"Spinz, in the library, I believe." Rhythmi chuckled, "Back in Ranger School."
"Yeah." Kate chuckled a second, then stopped and rested her hand against her aching side.
"Careful, Kate." Keith cautioned her, "We only barely got you bandaged up in time, thanks to Darkrai, you know."
"Yeah, yeah. Darkrai transported me through the darkness to the Ranger Union so I could get bandaged up…" Kate sighed, "It also explains what he was trying to do before our little adventure, on Altru Tower when Kincaid was there. He was trying to get me away."
"Kincaid's been interrogated." Rhythmi announced, "He told Sven and Wendy that he had been using the microchips to frame Kate, trying to get her out of the picture in the beginning. He also declared he'd nearly succeeded, too."
"He probably did, from his point of view." Isaac said thoughtfully, "As far as he could see, Kate was simply disappearing into the darkness."
"Yeah well…" Kate sighed, "I'm really glad to be out of the darkness, thank you very much."
Keith kissed the top of her head, smiling. Rhythmi relaxed against Isaac while her ankle crossed over Kate's. The two couples sat in silence again for a few more moments until Rhythmi declared she was tired and wanted to go home to sleep. Isaac helped her up and offered his hand, smiling at her. She took it without hesitation.
Before they walked up the stairs and out of sight of Kate and Keith, Rhythmi turned Isaac around and kissed him, full on the lips. Kate chuckled slightly, "About damn time!"
"Hey lovebirds!" Keith called, "Get a room!"
"Get one yourself!" Rhythmi called back, "Jokester Keith!" Isaac blinked before smiling widely, turning Rhythmi back and kissing her.
Kate chuckled again, turning to Keith. Keith turned his head toward hers and she smiled. Keith smiled back.
With the setting sun as their witness, the two kissed once more as an official couple in the eyes of Almia.
--
"Mom! Dad!" Kate yelled waving with her left hand as her parents climbed off the boat and ran over to her and her little sister. The family hugged, tears flowing down more than one face. Off to the side, the blue haired hero of Fiore chuckled and glanced toward her darker blue haired companion.
"Nice reunion, eh, Lunick?" she asked with a smile.
"Definitely, Solana." Lunick grinned, "Definitely."
Kate was hugging her father happily, and she whispered to him, "I still expect that vegetable stew."
Her father laughed.
--
The Drowzee guy chuckled at the young girl who poked her head unsurely out of the door, biting her lip.
"How can I help you, young one?" he asked her, watching unblinkingly as she shuffled her way over to him.
The girl sat down in front of him, staring up at him, "I wanna know what happened to big sister." She declared, her dark blond hair falling in long pigtails on either side of her face. "Why exactly she got hurt… and what she did, since she won't tell me the story until she heals up."
"If I honor that request, you'd feel the same kind of pain as she did." The Drowzee guy warned her, gauging her reaction.
She nodded solemnly, "Show me what happened."
The Drowzee guy nodded solemnly back at her, "Very well."
The young girl slumped forward, sleeping peacefully while the Drowzee guy glanced at the Luminous Crystal, once again united with the three gems. A new generation of heroes was growing into the required maturity. Soon, Almia would have others to rely on than only Kate, the girl who had quelled her own darkness.
He was glad to see the youngest of the new heroes beginning to take her path.
--
Sven tugged Wendy up the escalator grinning. Wendy frowned at him, wondering what it was all about. Under the Tree of Harmony, Sven whirled around and pulled her in for a kiss.
It was a short kiss, and Wendy slapped him after it on principle.
Then she kissed him, long and hard.
They returned to the Operations Room with smug smiles on their faces, holding hands while everyone (especially Linda) cheered.
--
Floating above Almia, a dark speck to any observer, Darkrai looked down on his world. The world he had come to need to protect. The world he treasured more than anything else.
"She did well." He spoke to himself, chuckling, "Not even you can deny that she did well."
"Well," Ho-oh replied as he flew near Darkrai, "I never said she wouldn't."
"True." Darkrai allowed, "She has proven herself in more than one way during this journey. She deserves the rest she is getting."
"Though for how long?" Ho-ho asked seriously, looking down at Almia, "How long before another enemy appears?"
"Only time will tell." Darkrai sighed, "Only time will tell."
The End
AN: BAM! Take that, Fanfiction! TAKE THAT, LIFE! I WROTE A FRICKING NOVEL, START TO FRICKING FINISH! Now to think about the sequel that I put off thinking about. ^^;
*feels very accomplished* I wrote a full fledged novel. That's right, people of the world, THIS STORY IS OVER FIFTY THOUSAND WORDS! I'm so happy!
This is also TECHNICALLY my first multichapter story done from start to finish! I've cleared two roadblocks today!
I want to thank EVERYONE for your amazing reviews, and for sticking around long enough to read this Author's note. All ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY EIGHT FRICKING REVIEWS really encouraged me to finish this! (that is, by the way, more than six times as many reviews as I've gotten on any other story, I believe)
Lots of thanks to...
BlazieAura, AwsyWing, Ketchum Kid, Fishy ApplePie, Fluffy Lady, HorseMagic17, Tigmamanukan Mayari, phantomdare1, Butterfly217, Roses For The Kind, StrawBerriKitty, Berry Eon, Roses 'n Horses, Moona-Kat, Superikku, Timberstar, ChiRuOboe, Eire13, Vizz, iflip4dolphins, Hollywing, PokemonRangerKid, TakariFan8816, PokemonForever, AshleyKim01, shadow-dog18, Amaterasu77, Rena Tatsuyama, Tainted-Raven, Hatsuka-Chan, Ravenclaw53, Jigglypuff's Pillow, ZannaB, KatsuNoPawaa, The dragon of the moon and sun, Kashiko-Chan, animepeaceangel, Azul_Angel1251596, lizziekoda, Mingipooo, JellyBrain, eevee28, Miki-chi23, Cuddles da Shaymin, Leopardnose42, dardette9, saya-plus, KeithXKate1234, Gilded Game God, Wyla, HowltheWolf, Soulgrlzz999, and all the other anonomous reviewers (Except Emil. Take that, Emil! Darkrai HAD no malicious intent throughout this story!).
AND OF COURSE, special thanks go to my Ego Buddy, Flaming Blizzard.
AND ALSO OF COURSE, I have to thank my BFF Ashlynn. For listening to me when I ranted and raved about the pairing, for agreeing to draw a quick picture for me when I was in a slump to get me back on track, for reading my chapters and telling me when I needed to change things, and for putting up with me throughout the duration of this story! ILY Ashlynn!
Have Faith In Yourself is fricking OUT!
