~Prologue: Choice of Destiny
Unknown Place…
A grown-man appearing in his mid-30s woke up on his bed while his husband was in twilight sleep before realizing the crack of dawn. The light from the sun glowed softly in their majestic room with a fresh, oceanic breeze sweeping in the air. Their bodies were only dressed by the sheets that kept it quite a bare minimum.
Their eyes met before they exchanged a brief morning kiss.
"Good morning, babe," the first man greeted.
"Mornin' cutie," his partner chuckled.
"It feels…like, I've been dreaming a long time," the first man said.
"Oh. What did you dream about?" the second man asked.
"…I think it was from the past, all those years ago," he answered, "So much has happened since that day."
"You're right," his partner smiled, "A lot has evolved and developed since then."
"I need to see it again," he stated, "The visions…the sights…"
"Honey, why are you still being obsessed about it?" the partner sighed, "You know you've given it your all."
"I know that, but based on our current situation, things are about to get rough again. I need to go back once more…" he answered, "There has to be a reason why things were meant to be back then and I'm worried…why do we even suffer wars?"
"Hey, don't blame yourself, alright?" his partner kissed him again on the forehead, "I know you will find the answer to your question. But I do worry for your sanity and safety too, don't forget that."
After bathing and eating breakfast, the man arrives to see the author waiting for him with the book once more.
"So, you called again, your majesty?" the author asked.
"I know I have been a pest for you, but I still need your help. I know the past is the past but even now I feel like the nightmare has twisted even to this day," the king answered, "Please let me…once more. I need to recover the truth so I will continue to make the right choice."
"You will…you always have been," the author nodded, "I only worry because we have faced so many powers that be trying to change everything. If you keep going back in time, you'll be trapped in a reality that you may never return to."
"For certain, I know where the answer is," the king stated, "I just need to see it…one last time."
With a shrug, the Author opens the book once more to the king as his eyes glowed in golden yellow at first before turning to a turquoise blue. His mind and heart were now linked to the book as he once again…dives into the memories of the sea…
Gen 1.0, Post-Book 5: Heroes of the Gods
The Airships arrived in the golden, great heavens where landscapes vary in a matter of several square miles. From the mighty mountains to the great barren desert, and forests that replenishes in unlimited. Was it truly possible that this 'so-called reality' exists? Or was it an afterlife?
Six heroes along with their friends and family have finally settle a spot of land where several landmarks were built: Neo Cleveland, Neo Phoenix, Silver Tokyo, Los Angeles Metro, New Chirottori, Iwamara Centre, Crystal Iwatobi, the Idaina Shire (with Stonehenge). Time could almost not exist here, yet it felt like they have lived their lives most days. Sometimes, some would wake up as youthful and innocent children, other days, they would be old in age. But for the most part, the civilians were aged appropriately by default.
In one such area between Crystal Iwatobi and Neo Cleveland was a mega-house comprised of the Marotta Family as well as families of rest of the Magic Six team. In such a hexagonal-shape series of homes connected by a mega Sakura Tree in the courtyard, one could say this would be one definition of paradise.
Alex stared out from one of the said balconies, looking at the mega Sakura tree as it drifted down petals to the pond below. He saw Haru, Makoto, and Nagisa walking around the tree while Rin was talking with Rei on the bench nearby.
"You're not going to join them?" Sergi asked.
"…I feel like I am in their way," Alex said, "Yet…I can't keep my eyes off of them. But this isn't right either. I'm supposed to be here in heaven with my family and friends."
"You don't think this is the heaven that you pictured?" he asked.
"No…I do think it is…but it's not what I expected. We were fighting against her…trying to help this…ugh, I just…don't get it," the older brother stumbled on his disbelief, "Planet Duniya…and our old world…Earth. Just how are they the same? The stars here don't show the big dipper…and yet we're not supposed to be in the same-said universe."
"I did try to understand what the nature of this reality is…" Sergi said, revealing a small piece of paper.
"What's this?" Alex asked.
"Something I found one day in Stonehenge. It was in a box with the words 'Scatola' on it. Once I opened it…a bunch of notes that looked like my own handwriting was written in such information."
"Yours?" he looked confused.
"The thing is, I don't remember writing these but…it does make a lot of sense. Apparently…this world…to simplify things, is the last of all reality. We are in a time where space itself is vast far beyond to any numerical and calculations can perform."
"What does that even mean?" he looks at him.
"It's simple…this is the place where all possibility is formed…by the foundations of the universe…Chaos…and Cosmos," the younger brother reveals, "Light cannot exist without darkness. Darkness cannot exist without light. When the first big bang happened, Chaos was left behind in its wake as Cosmos was separated, expanding the first universe before more universes formed not long after. Of course, with the Mahotsukai writing them out once they learned how to manipulate things, more universes formed with the potential of alternate realities."
"Back then we chose to change our story," Alex looks back to the tree, "It ended so abruptly…why?"
"Perhaps she wanted to make sure you and everyone we love…could survive for whatever happened on Duniya after everything that has happened there," Sergi said.
"…I see," he looks at him again, "Even the Darkness…regrets?"
"Just think about what I said," Sergi reminds him.
"That's not the point," Alex sighed, "To be fair…what will become of us? Are we just going to reside here until the last of the universe dies out? Will we be reduced to…well…"
"Energy? Nothingness? Probably," Sergi said, "With such vast of emptiness before another universe may reform. Perhaps everything will repeat itself? Or will there be something new and original?"
"Even if we wish for a happier story…that comes with a price, doesn't it?" he asked.
"No matter how much happiness there is…it's the same as Chaos and Cosmos…the greater the desire for happiness, the stronger the sadness will be," Sergi stated.
The five along with new arrivals of Sousuke, Momo, Ai, Asahi, and Ikuya arrived on scene at the base of the tree.
"Ah, everyone is here! Almost," Nagisa looks at the group.
"Has anyone even seen Alex?" Rei asked.
"Was he hiding or something?" Makoto questioned.
"He's been kinda too quiet lately," Haruka said, "Almost like as if…"
"As if…?" Sousuke looks at him.
"Geeze, how many secrets or skeletons in the closet does he have," Asahi muttered.
"I'm sure he's alright," Ikuya said, "Give him his time."
Finally, the two Marotta brothers arrived as the older one had a somewhat grim look on his face.
"What's wrong Alex-chan?" Nagisa asked.
"There's…something…but it's a lot to explain in a short summary," he shrugged.
"Try us," Asahi crossed his arms.
After clearing his throat, Sergi revealed, "This…reality is the last of existence. The definition of the afterlife in actually, is a disconnection to all the other realms. Certain entities of high power close to Cosmos and Chaos can proceed in and out of this realm."
"Um, okay my head…" Nagisa feels a head split of confusion.
Once everything was finally explained out, the group looked at each other as if all this otherworldly knowledge was enhancing their senses on an overdrive.
"But there's something else that I need to show you," Sergi revealed another piece of paper, "I found this box of notes in the runes of Stonehenge, and it has my handwriting in it despite not ever making these notes."
Haruka took the piece of paper before passing it around to the others as the younger brother continued, "They are some sort of blueprints…that are tied to your powers."
"The necklaces?" Makoto looked down at his Suiei necklace.
"The power of the Suiei Gods…" Rin muttered.
"Actually, the word Suiei is a misnomer," Sergi replied.
"EHHHHHHH!?" Makoto, Rei, and Nagisa gasped.
"What are you talking about?" Haruka said.
"Their actual names are 'Mizu'," Sergi replied, "But using the word 'Suiei' was to protect them from the dark energies of Chaos because water…is a byproduct of Cosmos…with hydrogen and oxygen…"
"Yeah, yeah, basic science," Rei said.
"Why did they never tell us that?" Rin asked.
"Probably it was one less burden," Nagisa muttered.
"Where are they now?" Makoto asked.
"Out by the seas, working on their own sanctuary," Sergi shrugged.
"This drawing…what is it really showing?" Sousuke asked.
"A powerful entity that may someday…be called to exist," he continued, "One who is a rebirth of Cosmos itself."
"Cosmos…" Haruka narrowed his eyes.
In due time, the powers in their necklaces would reveal the greatest power within them…the Suiei Crystals. Pandora once hinted at this but never fully explained during the final battle for she was too keen on her destructive agenda.
Not realizing what he was doing, Makoto kissed on the heart of his jewelry before it made a soft crack and revealed his Orca Heart Crystal. The other five gasped and did the same.
"T-this is…" Alex breathed on the shock.
"The heart of your powers locked away until now," Sergi smiled, "One day…you will need to use them."
"How do we use them?" Rin asked.
"These notes I have found in the Scatola provide instructions," the author said, "You will need to be ready for what lies beyond the borders of this reality."
And in sometime down the road, they did…for when Dodecadron resumed the destruction agenda of Singularity and Planck by the Dark One of Chaos, the nine of them used their crystals to form the creation of Suiei Cosmos or at least the arrival of one of its hosts. Such entity would then enter into the current forms of Apollo and Artemis upon their birth.
However, the curse of the twins would repeat the Chaos and Cosmos unbreakable law and the war once again…
Is there ever a way to end such a conflict?
Camelot Magna
With a good chunk of the realm ablaze and in ruins, the Mahotsukai have fled their homes and migrated towards the ocean and coastal areas while Apollo as Suiei Chaos already claimed his territory. True, the Story Tower and the Cauldron of Characters no longer existed but the plan to start a new omniverse was in the making.
When the darkness fled from Dodecadron after the final battle on Olympia, the said wisps found itself in a place where everything and anything was possible. Despite using its physics and all matter to create its own world, the heroes still rebelled and escaped.
Deciding to utilize the witches from behind the scenes, the birth of the twins was all that was needed in order to curse the Le Fay family once again as they were all direct descendants of Cosmos. However, there was another problem…the chosen story, the chosen universe, those of the swimmers were on the verge of wiping Chaos out completely once again.
After discovering a poor solitude warrior who lost his brother, his homeland due to a powerful, seemingly selfish warrior whose intentions were to actually end the Elder Bairns, Chaos brought Memnon to start the empire.
It was very here where the edge of all existence was located…in that so called "Edge of the Omniverse". The Rhodinean Cathedral Palace was built as a gateway to protecting the "wall" as well as trapping all the Sports Crystals (more specifically the Suiei/Swimming Heart Crystals).
Apollo surveys the charred land, knowing that there was still work to be done. However, something about this plan seemed to be a bit off. Was coming here just some distraction ordered by Memnon and the rest of Chaos? Or was this a legitimate mission that will guarantee power for all?
To think that Artemis hasn't even arrived yet, this is making my job too boring, Apollo thought.
Alpha!Earth: The Final Stroke – Part 2
The skies above Tokyo were filled with dreary and uncertainty as the water itself became alive and fell in masses of drops. Not many people were out and about on this depressing day.
At one such café shop, a brunette-haired man with a pair of glasses was busy on the phone talking to his friend about the change in weather.
"Sorry. I spaced out and missed out what he said," Ikuya replied on the phone.
"Ikuya, do you want me to bring you an umbrella?" Hiyori asked, "And where are you?"
"I'm fine," he answered, "Just wait till it stops. Don't worry about me."
Ikuya turns his head to see Kaede staring at him with a bit of a hesitant look on his face.
"What's that all about?" Kaede asked.
"It's nothing," Ikuya shrugged, "I just hope this rain will stop soon."
Kaede blinked his eyes before finally answering, "Sorry."
"For what?" Ikuya looks at him confused,
"When I first met ya, that weather was also pretty crappy," he sighed.
"Huh? Did you eat something weird?" Ikuya asked.
"No, I haven't touched anything yet today," Kaede shrugged.
After Kaede departed, Sousuke walks in and remarks, "He's kinda difficult to please, isn't he?"
Ikuya slightly jumped back as the black-haired man turns to him, "Not like I got lost."
"Did you?" Ikuya asks.
"I have heard of you, Ikuya Kirishima," Sousuke continues, "You plan to go professional?"
"Yes, I made up my mind," he answered.
They continued to discuss the sport as well as Haruka when Hiyori arrived with the umbrella. From there, they decided to head to the Marron Café where the others gathered forth.
The Mikoshiba siblings would be laughing and chatting over a ZOOM conference call, recounting the events that took place in Sydney and prior to.
However, no one would ever suspect that this little universe, like all others…depended on the Greatest Light from another reality.
Present Day: Idaina Magna
With the deaths of many characters from the Parallel Universe timeline, many of them here have sensed something terribly wrong has been happening. Pandora just returned to confirm their suspicions as everyone looked at each other, concerned that the end had finally come.
"But if they have been gone at this point, how come most of us are even here?" Alex asked.
"Apparently only the bodies were destroyed, but their souls…are inside the crystals," Pandora revealed.
"Was that why you asked us about those crystals in the necklaces we carried during our battle against you?" Nagisa looks at her.
"Nagisa-kun…" Rei sighed.
"Yes, I knew how powerful those crystals were and what exactly they can do," she continued, "They link to every and any variation of yourselves. These crystals are nearly indestructible except…"
"Except…what?" Rin looks at her.
"…those crystals are to never be near the Edge of the Omniverse, beyond the Existing Wall," she answered.
"The entire existence of everything has an edge?" Rei asks.
"It's not that simple," she revealed, "Chaos and Cosmos were once nothing but a mere nonexistent energy that separated themselves after a foreign substance created from itself. A chain reaction occurred, and the big bang finally happened, leading to the separation of the two."
"So then what is beyond the edge?" Haruka asked.
"There is a speculation that far region of space is growing faster than the speed of light," she revealed, "Putting factors aside, the very region of space is beyond normal physics. Anything that crosses the line would be severed from any possible existence."
"So then…what does that mean?" Makoto looks at her.
"If anything goes there, especially a living being with magic…all existence of that creation as you know…will end," she warns them "No amount of speed can return because of the higher broken speeds of physics."
"Which means that…if a person of ourselves goes there…then all other variation of our own existence will end?!" Rin gasps.
"N-No! NO!" Nagisa stepped back, "We can't just be fade away like that!"
"That is what Chaos wishes," she continued, "That was…what I did too…but only now I realize how bad the magnitude of this madness really is."
"I don't believe that will happen," Makoto said as he turned to the piano and sat down.
"Mako-chan?" Nagisa looks at him.
"Aren't you nervous about all this?" Rin asked.
"I am, but we have to put our faith and trust in our other selves…to never give up," Makoto readies his hands with a brief stretch, "I think the power of song might give a little push."
"Eh? Mako-chan sings?!" Nagisa looks a bit interested.
"We all sang, remember silly?" Rei reminds the blond, recalling the musical wedding of Pandora and Dodecadron.
"Oh yeah, that's right," he makes a nervous sweat drop.
The entire cast of Gen 1.0 turns to see Makoto briefly meditating on his breaths before finally being all magically here at some gigantic music hall in formal suits and dresses. It was as if something of great despair was happening outside of this realm and avoiding the mess was not an option.
"We must remember why we are here," Makoto whispered, "For everyone here and outside beyond."
Finally, the tune starts to play as Makoto closed his eyes to hear the words in his head before singing…
"Akiramekirenai koto wo
Nageite wa mukiaezu niiiiii
We then see a bunch of symbolic swimmers standing together at the Arena Global Aquatics pool with a gentle rain of cherry blossoms. Their backs are turned from the viewers. One by one at a rapid pace, they each glowed their respective colors as the Heart Crystals that were taken were brought back to them to re-exist once more.
Waratte saigo mukaeru nara
Boku wa mou machigawanai darou
On Alpha!Earth, we see Rin and Haruka talking under the empty Sakura tree, leading to a confrontation about their futures. Haruka's heart raced as he was calling Rin out about 'disappearing' all the time.
Meanwhile, on Beta!Earth, the young 30-year-old Cytotech looks out at the window in one of the hospital hallways, seeing the White Tank Mountains to the west. His breathing was getting better but it was hard being on this medication since August 2022. He rests his hand over his heart with a lone tear, hoping to be finally cured of this horrible disease of Valley Fever (a fungal spore in the lungs).
Sumiwataru kono basho de
Sora he mau tori no kage ni
Kizuki hajimetetanada
Tatta hitotsu no koto
Meikaku na kioku he toooo kaete ikeru
On Duniya, the remaining Swimming Guardians stood at the doorway created by Kronos that would bring them to the galaxy where planet Suizei resides in orbit of the Aero Star.
Kagayaku hibi no naka de bokura wa
Kawaita iro wo tashikamete iku
Alex turned to see the landscape of Iwamara and Duniya for one last time while the others walked in. He was grateful to have pushed back Memnon during that invasion and that Final Reckoning taking place, which nearly destroyed the entire planet.
Kazashita saki no asu ni mukaeba
Wazuka na nozomi no kizashi he tobikonda
In his heart, he was still very torn heavily for seeing all of the swimmers being killed left and right…from the Shimogami, Hidaka, Natsuya, Nao, the Samezuka Trio, Aoba, Hiyori, Asahi, Ikuya, and the STYLE FIVE along with his husband. Memories of their deaths flashed quickly in his head again. However, this was not going to be the end here. He could still envision a happier future with all of them swimming together and bringing this sport back to the world.
I promise we'll swim happily ever after, he thought, finally stepping into outer space where the Suizei Quintet with their prince Yamato, and the Macedonia team of Kotetsu, Kaede, and Albert waited. They all were in full angelic-wing mode as Kotetsu, Kaede, and Albert were finally in their Ultra Senshi forms.
Flashback: Terabithia
Sometime during Book 4.5 of Gen 3
Before it was time to move to Duniya, Sergi was busy finishing up the notes he created and shoved them in a box. That power he witnessed in the book when the Swimming Guardians called forth their powers like that to Ultra Suiei Marotta, and the awakening of Suiei Cosmos for the first time, he couldn't bear to have that information fall into the wrong hands yet…
Should anything happen, at least someone will use it for the right cause, he thought.
Stay cool, he'll be fine
I'll be alright too, you can always come back home
When standing up to the eternal fame
Don't be afraid to go
Holding your course
Kakureteta ganbou mo ato ni shite
Nakushiteta sensu wo ima te ni shita
It's easy thing for you to say with your Lock
Maybe this, is the answer to why we are not alone, Sergi thought, if this other reality is there…and so is ours…maybe we are two sides of the same coin. For now, this must be secured in a far safer place…
Present Day: Iwamara
With the Swimming Guardians on route to the Edge of the Omniverse, Mizu Marotta watched over the four hidden figures, finally becoming one with the water themselves. The process was certainly working, and he could sense a bit of balance returning here.
For once, this will be something unique, he thought.
Drying up yubi wo orikazoeta Yes or No
Tell me about kage wa kasuka ni kieteitta
At the ISW, Gou, Isuzu, Ayumu, Stellaluna along with the Marotta girls and Roxana were seen talking about several ideas on what they could do once everyone was home. They were going to need to redecorate everything and reschedule the Olympics no doubt with the committee along with Miho.
Arifureta nichijou ga
Bokura wo nigashitemo
Kono keshiki to kasundeta yume ga ima
Kasanete mieru
In Chirottori, the Five Chivashi returned to the empty castle but at least it was well restored with several of the other Mullerians who barely survived these last harsh days. They discovered that a bunch of them evacuated to the nearby mountains before returning here after seeing that great light enveloping the planet.
Kagayaku hibi no naka de bokura wa
Kawaita iro wo tashikamete iku
Kazashita saki no asu ni mukaeba
Wazuka na nozomi no kizashi he tobikonda
In Neo Sportsbrooke, Minato and Masaki arrived at the shrine and gasped to see several of their allies as well as other people struggling to stay alive as they paid the price of the mold illness from the Macedonia trio. Determined to save their friends, they both got to work using special herbs and talismans to help them recover from this plight.
Far away, at the site of battle, we see Alex and Memnon finally locked in a catastrophic combat of good and evil. They were fighting in a bizarre, open-aired chamber that showed "two walls" of light and darkness.
Sections of the Rhodinean Palace are torn as Memnon makes a mockingly stare at his prey with wide open arms. Alex raises up his Solar Astro Destiny Tiare, remembering all of his friends and family as the Swimming Guardians spiritually stand behind him, readying their powers together.
Todomaru koto wo yameta bokura waaaaa
An eruption of darkness looms over them with a pair of star-like eyes glowing in white and red with a hail of darkness raining down towards them.
Tagai no tobira akehanattekuuuu
With no other choice, a shadowy figure raises up its hands and a sphere of light could be seen symbolically, unleashing the Greatest and Final Incantation against Chaos…
Kawaita kaze niii kyou ga somerareeee
Finally, a mega, unrealistic, explosion of light, almost the birth of a new star is unleashed. It symbolically shatters the two walls, reaching out to all the other universes, blanketing it with light and hope in its path. War turns to peace, famine turns to abundance, sickness turns to health, and fallout turns to forgiveness. One could only wonder if this is another big bang or a reset of all reality?
Bokuraaa no hitomi ni hizashi ga tobikondaaaa
This same light reaches planet Duniya, engulfing it in a sheer majestic transformation as the entire view turns to white for several seconds before shifting into a spacey background. The logo then appears magically in-fade with sparkles briefly as the background slowly zooms outwards to view.
~Free! Cosmos Rebirth Chronicle – Journey's End~
Akiramekirenai koto wa
Kakenuketa toki no kesshou deeee"
Note:
There are two stories happening here at once and they will juxtaposition each other from here on out till otherwise stated. Additional flashbacks may appear.
~Storyline A:
The Final Reckoning arc
~Storyline B:
Swimming/Olympius Duniya aka "The Dream" or "Our Free!" arc