"For the love of god Will, when are you planing to untie me!" Erik, still strapped to the bomb that was ticking, was sweating pools and was defiantly kicking his feet. "I wanna go home. I hate this journey, I hate that stupid plane, and I hate this Mu place! Now, untie me dammit!"

        Will smiled at the appearance of his friend's newfound backbone. Before they started out for their adventure, Will would have never heard Erik use a curse word. At the least he would have said, "Untie me dammit please?" or "Beg your pardon dammit, would you please to be untying me?" Everyone was changing so much. Sometime this realization made him sad.

        "Will!" Erik had snapped him out of his thoughts. He rushed over to his friend and started to untie the ropes.

        "Don't bother with the ropes, cut the wires on the bomb." Will started getting annoyed by Erik's bossing him around but he could understand his need for urgency. Will got behind the large bomb and noticed two wires. One red and the other blue. "Will, hurry up already!"

         "Hey, If you keep whining I'll be happy to leave you here. Okay, which one…maybe red…no, it's gotta be blue…but perhaps…" As the bomb reached the last few seconds Will chose the blue wire. He wiped the sweat from his brow and grasped the wire in his hand. He closed his eyes and gave the blue wire one good tug. Will started fearing for the worst when he continued to hear ticks of the timer. He cursed his luck and prepared for the worst. He waited down the last few seconds and the ticking stopped.

         Will opened his eyes, "Huh?"

         "Tsk tsk, you must always cut the red one my boy. You're lucky this was only a dud" Neil walks over to the bomb and inspects it, "My my, not good at all." Will sighed, he liked his cousin Neil but sometimes felt over shadowed by his genius and it didn't help that Neil still treated him like a kid.

         "The situation was well under control, Neil." Will looked at the ground. He didn't feel like looking at Neil because he knew he would catch that disdainful look, and that would make him feel even more like a kid.

         Neil shook his head, "If this was a real bomb then 'under control' would be least likely to describe the situation."

         Will kept staring at the ground. "Jeez, what do you want me to say…. goo goo, or maybe a ga ga would help you feel better", he muttered under his breath.

         Will looked up and, noticed Lance and Kara running into the room and, his spirits began to lighten. He almost expected to see Seth run into the room laughing and smiling brightly but Will remembered that unfortunate incident on the Inca ship. "It's a shame. Seth spent his whole life trying to make other people happy to compensate for how he couldn't make his own parents stop hating each other. He never had a chance to become the adventurer he always dreamed of being." The last time Will had talked to Gaia, he asked her why such things happen to decent people and she said that people couldn't escape their fate. That's all she said. Sometimes Will felt that Gaia was cold hearted (if her body even had one, hey! does she even have a physical body). Ever since he had left South Cape, he felt that Gaia was the only maternal figure he had around and, sometimes he didn't feel very appreciated by her.

         Will laughed, "What am I thinking. Now I'm considering that floating head as a mother? Man I'm screwed up." He could feel Gaia watching him so he looked around with an arrogant smirk on his face, "Yeah you heard me, floating head."

         Kara ran over to Will and wrapped her arms around him. He embraced her tightly and gave her a light peck on the cheek. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lilly trying not to look at the two sharing their moment. Feeling guilty, Will hugged Kara even tighter hoping that feeling his new love interest close to him would dull away the guilt. Ever since they had been ship wrecked, together Will had been seeing Kara in new ways. It wasn't only that puberty had been being particularly good to her but also her new attitude towards life. She now actually took the time out to respect and appreciate other people. "And that", Will thought "makes her more beautiful than any other girl." He smiled at the thought of the first time they kissed in the town of Freejia. He could still remember the warm feeling he felt inside. The light-headedness and the feeling a pure elation. Things had become so hard over the past months; he didn't want to spend a minute not kissing her.

         Lilly crossed her arms over her chest. "Ahem", Lilly was obviously annoyed at this open display of emotions between the two. "Will, did you get the Mystic Statue?" Will gave Kara one last kiss on the cheek and dug into his pocket.

         "I sure did." Will pulled out the ancient statue and held it in his hand. The statue shimmered with a ghostly glow. He closed his fingers over the statue and a calm fell over him. And for a moment, he was no longer in Mu. He pictured his dad holding a younger version of him in his arms after he had a bad spill and scrapped his knee. Young Will cried softly and moaned about the pain. His father told him not to worry and pulled out a flute from his pocket. He began to play. His father wasn't very good on the flute but amazingly the pain died down and soon disappeared. Young Will giggled and fell asleep.

         "Will"…a voice…"Will, are you okay?"…his mothers voice?…"Come on Will your scaring us"…not quite… "Will please wake up!"

         Will opened his eyes and rubbed them as if he had just woken up. "Huh?" He saw Kara standing right in front of him. Will still really groggy. "Wha happened?"

         Lilly decided on answering this one, "Well Will, as you were holding that Mystic Statue you just sort of…well, uh, left us."

         Kara touched a finger to his cheek. "And then you started crying, see?" She showed him her finger and the moisture collected on it. Will realized that his face is soaked will tears and quickly acted to wipe them away.

         "Uh yeah, I'm okay…well what are we waiting for, lets go."

         Everyone started walking but Kara stared at him obviously still concerned, "Are you sure, you're really sure your okay?"

         "Yeah, quit asking me, I'm fine…just fine…"

         Days later Will and his companions found themselves working their way through the Seaside Tunnel. Everyone was restless, hungry, and very annoyed with each other. Will had foolishly offered to carry all of Kara's stuff for her. He was now paying for his mistake. Kara looked over to Will, "Will dear are you okay with carrying all my belongings?"

         "Sure thing Kara, no problem." One of Kara's heavier bags fell on foot just after he had said this. He cursed and started his epic struggle all over again.

         Lance walked over to Will very amused at the situation. "Don't you mean 'Sure thing Ma'am'?" Will started to get mad, "What the hell do you mean by that?!"

         "It's just that you're getting whipped by your own girl man." This comment came from Erik who decided to jump in the conversion. "A real man doesn't let a girl boss him around." Fortunately, for Will he knew just how to get back at his spoiled friend.

         "Well, Erik I don't think a real man would sleep with stuffed animals." This sent Lance into a fit of laughter. Erik, now that the cat was out of the bag, began to blush heavily and his temper rose. "Don't you make fun of Mr. Wuggles!" This set Lance off again, "This is rich…. Mr.….….Mr. Wuggles? You sleep with stuffed animals? Oh my God…what a wuss!" Will decides to throw one more in, "Hey Erik why don't you tell everybody about Muffy Mouse." By now, Lance and Erik were both speechless, one with laughter and the other with embarrassment. Lilly, who had spent all day hearing Kara complain about how her feet hurt and how tired she was, was about to blow and the boy's argument wasn't helping her mood any.

         Kara stopped her whining for a moment and was the first one to notice Lilly marching over to the group of boys. She stopped when she came to Lance who was laughing hysterically at her feet. She lifted her foot and gave him a swift kick to the head.

         "Hey! that really hurt Lilly." Grinning with satisfaction, she walks over to Erik.

         "Now, Lilly….no need for violence…we can talk this out like civilized-UMF!" Lilly pushed Erik down and turned to Will. She stared at him for a long time. Since Will's mother was from Itory Village, Lilly noticed he shared common features with people from Itory. She began to remember about how her mother used to tell her that boys didn't like her because she hid her beauty on the inside. Lilly's mother used to spend hours lecturing her that if only she wouldn't act so tough people would like her more. When Lilly was younger she used to pick Brawu nuts with her mother, her mother used to tell her about how nobody picks the nuts with the rough outsides even how sweet they may be on the inside because 'they just aren't pretty'. Lilly always hated the way her mother would use every opportunity to make her feel ugly. After her mother turned her back, she popped one of the rough-shelled nuts in her pocket and that night she cried into her pillow. Lilly started thinking about how Will and Kara became so close while on the raft. Because of their common Itorian background, Will was the only one she could imagine ever being in love with. She lowered her head a bit, "I wish it were me…"

         Will still awaiting his beat down dared to ask, "What was that you said Lilly?"

         "What I said…I said I wish you three would stop screwing around, NOW STOP SCREWING AROUND!"

         Will, Lance, and Erik all lined up side by side, "Yes Ma'am!"

         She walked back to Kara who was still complaining about her feet. Lilly didn't hear any of it though, all she can think about is the rough-shelled Brawu and the voice of her mother. "They just aren't pretty."

         That night Neil cooked (may God help us all) stuffed mushroom surprise (the surprise was that the mushrooms were stuffed with smaller mushrooms, go figure) and on the side everybody had some mushroom juice. Needless to say, everyone quickly went to sleep after that, to get the taste out of their mouths. Not only, was his inventing ability limited but his cooking abilities were limited too. Will stayed awake though, he couldn't go sleep that night. After a day of fighting weird rock monsters, water elementals, and vampires, he couldn't bring the adrenaline rush down. He got out of his sleeping bag and stepped over Kara. She looked so peaceful as she slept. Will wanted so much to kneel down and sneak a kiss in. He quickly shook the idea out of his head and continued on his walk. Will couldn't help but laugh when he saw Erik snuggled next to Mr. Wuggles. As he continued, he saw Neil, who was probably dreaming of new inventions to accidentally kill them all with.. Then he saw Lilly. Will found it sort of odd that Lance was curled up in his sleeping bag so close to Lilly. That made him wonder. While continuing his walk, he decided to take a seat on a rock next to a stream. Will started thinking about his father and questions arose in his mind. He started to wonder if Olman would be proud of him right now. He was seeing so many new things and experiencing so many new feeling. With the absence of his father, Will often wondered what Olman would think of him, never truly knowing whether he would approve of the method through which he was living and doing things. He looked up at the peaceful form of Kara sleeping. Will knew one thing, his father didn't like royalty. His father despised the greed and childishness that royalty often displayed. This issue often tore him up inside but Will knew that Kara was different from her parents. Everytime he would commence in any sexual actions with Kara he would feel his father was right behind him looking over his shoulder and shaking his head disapprovingly. This always made Will want to move forward with Kara to drown his guilt in passion like when he was being watched by Lilly. He decided that he didn't want to think about it anymore. For the rest of the night, Will sat on the rock and listened to the trickle of the water going by.

         Not much happened for the next few days but when the group's spirits were at the lowest something incredible happened. Their friend Seth, who they thought was dead, turned out to be alive. It had all started when everyone was looking for mushrooms to eat for that night when they heard a banging sound coming from the wall. Will put his ear up against the wall to see if he could hear what it was when the ground started to shake.

         "Goddam! What the hell is that", Erik had recently picked up a habit of swearing. Kara looked especially freaked out because she recognized the sound before.

         Kara screamed out, "Oh my god! It must be Riverson." Their prior meeting with Riverson had also left its mark on Lilly too. Her and Seth, both coming from backgrounds where they both felt neglected, got along very well when they first met. But as soon as she met him the sea monster Riverson attacked the ship they were on and Seth fell victim to it.

         Kara and everyone were still freaking out so Lilly decided to help get control of the situation. "Ok, everyone we aren't sure if it is Riverson perhaps-"

         "Wait" Neil interrupted Lilly and silenced everyone, "I can't hear it anymore." Neil was right. The loud noise had stopped. Everyone was relieved except for Will and Lilly. They looked at each other. He knew it and she knew it too. They both had their telepathic connection to nature and they could still feel that something was alive out there. Whatever life form that was bashing the wall before was huge, was turning right around, and it was coming right back at them very fast.

         Will tried to spread his arms out to encircle everyone. "We have to back away from the wall…guys come on, back up."

         Lilly provided Will with some assistance, "Guys, Wills right back up, the creature, it's-" Lilly fell to the floor unconscious. One of the many rocks that held the underwater cavern together burst from the wall and had hit her. Now water was shooting out and it didn't take long to cause chaos in the group. More rocks started shooting out from the wall and water was soaking everyone. The pounding started again and it was soon clear that whoever didn't get killed by Riverson would be drowned. It was over. Lance grabbed hold of Lilly so she wouldn't sink. Will wanted so bad for Gaia to just stop time and somehow fly them out of that place, he was sure that she could do it if she wanted, to save and protect them like the mother everyone praised her as.

         Will's head went underwater and he could feel his mind grow dull with the lack of oxygen. He wanted to feel Kara next to him. "Doesn't she care? Why does she toy with me?" He felt someone pull him up by his sleeves. Air filled him as he spit up water and gasped. His lungs felt like they were on fire. He turned around and saw Neil smiling behind him. "Thanks Neil."

         Erik was a good swimmer so he was surprisingly calm in the situation until he noticed something was awry. Erik started splashing franticly, turning his head from side to side, "Oh my god! Where's Mr. Wuggles? I can't find Mr. Wuggles!"

         Everyone who could stared at Erik in disgust but they noticed that the sea monster stopped at the mention of Mr. Wuggles' name. A huge voice echoed through the whole cave. /Erik? Guys? Is that you?\ It was Seth. Will was speechless. His childhood friend, Seth, was still alive. Gaia had never told him…

         After the whole crisis, everyone moved through the rest of the tunnel, which took them to Angel Village. The Angel people provided them with a room to stay in and warm clothes until their own clothes dried. Lilly's forehead was bandaged up. She was sitting in a corner by herself regaining strength. She couldn't shake the story she was told about Seth out of her head. It seemed so surreal because she wasn't awake to experience it herself. From what she was told, she knew the creature trying to break through the wall of the seaside tunnel was Seth. Seth said that his shape changed when he was thrown of the boat. Something about the light of a comet, shining down on him did it. His shape changed to that of the sea monster Riverson. Seth apologized for trying to eat them, he said he couldn't help it and could only survive that way. He told them not to be sad because now he could be an explorer of the undersea world for the rest of his life. Seth informed them that he now had children. He had spawned with the original Riverson and they were very happy. Seth said that his children would spread out and soon they would fill and dominate the seas. Everyone was a little freaked out by that but were glad that he was okay. Seth said his good-byes, apologized again, and told them to tell Lilly that "fate works out, it always does." Lilly appreciated what Seth told her but she was still sad. She wanted to feel the way that Seth did. She wanted to be held and kissed, just to be loved.

         "I just wanna have what everyone else has. Why shouldn't I at least have that. It's not like I'm really the big apathetic tomboy everyone takes me as." She reached in her pocket and felt around for the Brawu nut. When she found it she put it between her thumb and index finder and rubbed its rough surface. It made her feel good. It was tough on the outside but worthwhile on the inside. Its deep crevices made it mysterious because it hid things. "Sometimes," she thought, "I think this little thing gives me strength." The thought of her getting strength from a tiny nut made her laugh.

         Will was pissed. Kara had strictly disobeyed the decision of the team and had gone out on her own. She had done something that he should have expected of her. She left the main room to look around. They had already agreed to stay near the room they were given and when their clothes were dry, they would leave for Watermia. Kara had left and got captured by this crazy artist named Ishtar who had the power to trap people in portraits. Ever since his father had disappeared, Will had never been very good at confronting difficult emotions. He would always try to cover them up with other emotions that made him feel better. He had to save Kara from Ishtar. After defeating the creatures and solving the puzzles of the twisted artist's studio, Will thought the situation was under control. Ishtar took his own life in the end by painting a self-portrait, thus becoming trapped himself. Kara and Will made it out okay but it stung his mind horribly how Kara's juvenile antics and selfishness led to the downfall of a man. Ishtar wasn't a good man at all but the realization of this still bothered him.

         "Will…I screwed up…I'm sorry." He didn't answer her.

         After they got to the floor where their room was, Will finally spoke up. "Go tell the others to go get ready. I'll be back in a minute." The group was now behind a day in their trip already so Will figured another minute wouldn't hurt. Besides, he needed the time.

         Will walked down a few floors and found a Gaia space entrance and walked in. He needed to talk to someone. He was left with no one else to go to. He opened his eyes to see the spectacular view that was all too familiar to him but would never get used to. All around him, he saw empty space decorated with an array of blue, red, and yellow stars. This scenery always seemed to make him feel smaller that he was.

         "Yes child, do you need healing?" Gaia's words seemed to flow through him and out in to the empty space around him to continue forever.

         Will looked at his feet not really knowing how to approach her, "Well I just wanted to sit and talk." He smiled expecting her to return some expression but none came.

         "Sit and talk? Are you feeling well child?"

         Will furrowed his brow. This wasn't getting him anywhere. He had felt before that Gaia was sort of cold and unfeeling. He remembered all the times when he was hurt during battle so he came to Gaia for healing. After a battle where he was beaten badly, he would not only need his bodily wounds healed but also his wounded pride. He would hope to expect for Gaia to ask him if he was alright and console him. At least she could be concerned for his wellbeing but all he heard from her was, "You should have gone as Freedan child, He is much more capable. I will heal your wounds for you."

         "Don't worry Gaia I'm not sick I just need someone to talk to."

         "Then it shall be child, speak."

         The Aquatian Tavern was always a hot spot in the city of Watermia but tonight the music was not so loud and the people were not so jovial. Tonight the Jackal sat with the villagers. People had their shared stories about the famous assassin. Some claimed that he killed his parents to prove himself worthy of any test. Others said that he was raised by wild kruks. Everyone else who didn't have a story didn't bother to make one. He was dangerous. That's all they needed to know.

         Jackal didn't mind the silence. He preferred it that way. It helped him organize his thoughts better. One of Jackal's favorite hobbies was to observe the people around him. The people surrounding him in the tavern reeked of alcohol, sex, drugs, degeneracy, lies…fear.

         Since birth, Jackal was gifted with super acute senses. Every smell, sight, touch, sound, and taste would come alive to him in unbelievable ways any normal human couldn't imagine. Over the years he had learned how to subdue his super senses only when he needed to because it was these same senses that kept him employed. He didn't want to abuse them with petty material temptations.

         "You, that Jackal hit man the whole town's talking about?"

         Jackal looked up to see a waitress staring down at him. She had caught him off guard. He couldn't help but wonder if this girl was just naive or bold. She couldn't have been more than nineteen years old. He looked back up at her, "I don't want to order anything."

         "Okay hon", She tucked the pencil behind her ear and winked at him. "I don't see what a big name like you is doing here. You gonna kill someone in town? Oh yeah, my name is Claris." She looked at the robe he wore and ran her fingers along it. "Nice material, how much a hit man like you make?"

         Jackal let out a low growl from his throat. This girl's babbling was working his last nerve. Claris sat down on the chair across from him. She just up and parked her ass right in the chair! He figured there was no use in ignoring her so he might as well talk to her.

         His voice had a scratchy tone, "I'm here on work." He looked up and saw Claris listening intently. Jackal chuckled to himself, this was probably the most exciting thing that this idiot girl will ever hear in her life. "I'm hear to find and eliminate a possible threat to King Edward."

         "You came all the way from Edward Castle? Wow! That's so exciting." Claris tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I would love to travel like that. Hey, hold on a second." Claris got up and walked back to the bar. It had been a long time since he had held a real conversation with a person. He looked at Claris' back at she faced the bar and felt primal urges welling up inside him. He acted quickly to push them back down.

         Claris came back with two large beers. She pushed one right in Jackal's face. "Here ya go, It's on the house Mr. Hit man."

         "Don't call me that." Jackal sniffed at the foamy beverage and reared back in disgust. "I don't poison my body with such things." Jackal pushed the beer back at her and looked away hoping that the girl would leave him alone. Claris' being there disturbed him in ways he didn't want to think about right now.

         Claris did seem hurt at the refusal of her gift but it was soon forgotten as she pushed the beer back in his face. "C'mon, drink it. It'll make you feel better, please?"

         "Who said I needed cheering up?" He shot back at her.

         She tried to put her hand over his but he quickly yanked it back as soon as he saw what she was trying to do. Jackal figured that the only way to get the idiot girl out of his face was to drink the damn beer. He lifted the glass and took another whiff. It caused him to growl. He pushed back his disgust and gulped it all down. With his sensitivity to taste and alcohol, one beer was all it took for him to get tipsy. He lowered his cup only to see that same idiot girl grinning from ear to ear.

         "How is it, you like?" said Claris

         "It's…interesting , yeah that's the word for it…interesting." He was having a heard time keeping his head up.

         "You drunk already? Wow. What about me?"

         "What about you?", he responded.

         "Do you like me?" she started to blush.

         Jackal was in trouble. The alcohol was keeping him from controlling his super acute senses. He was starting to overhear the whispers from people at the tables around him. He could now clearly smell her perfume. It was sweet and tangy like flowers; sort of an odd combination. By smell, he could tell at what hour she put the perfume on, about how old she was, how many people she had greeted that day, where she had been, and…other things. She had never been touched by another man. Each scent on her told a story. Jackal realized that he had to keep talking unless he wanted to pass out or fall so deep into intoxication he couldn't control himself or his senses.

         "To tell the truth your pretty aggressive for some small town girl. I was surprised when you talked to me; most people are scared of me so I figured you'd be too. Guess I was wrong. As for liking you…your pretty annoying but I've seen worse; I guess your okay. You're kinda hot. I've haven't talk to a woman for a long time, so if I come off as an ass you'll know why. My conversational skills aren't what they used to be." Jackal noticed that he was telling her more than he would have liked to. He stared back into his empty glass, "What the hell is in this stuff?"

         Claris was a little thrown back and hurt by his openness. "Well at least you were honest…so, why aren't your conversational skill what they used to be?" She reached out to cover his hand with hers and this time he didn't pull back.

         By the time Jackal waited out his intoxication, he had told Claris his life story. From when he was outcast as a child for his affliction up to his running away from a father who no longer regarded him as his son. He even told her how he got the name Jackal and about the first time, he ever killed a person. By the time he finished he looked up at Claris and saw that she was crying. She rubbed his hand to try to console him but by the way, she was crying, she looked like one who needed consoling. He couldn't help but wonder if she could truly understand his story. As she continued to rub his hand, he let go of his senses again. He could feel the pressure and warmth from her hand. The texture of it was incredibly smooth. This was making him really uncomfortable. Claris was definitely affecting him.

         "Hey Jack, how bout we go upstairs. There's a nice room up there. No charge, it's on the house." She smiled at him so kindly with such trusting eyes. Jackal couldn't believe his ears even though with his hearing it's hard to miss what's said.

         It couldn't hurt to forget who he was for a while. "Sure, I'll join you", he smiled.

         "Good, everyone has to do some good to get some good, and bad people eventually get what's coming to them, even if they try to correct themselves there are still repercussions that must be dealt with responsibly, every choice has its consequences, that's that." She stuck out her index finger so it touched the tip of his nose, "And you remember that, okay Jack?"

         Jackal was left speechless. So much brash truth came from her words. And it came from the most innocent source. "Okay Claris, I'll try."

         "Good!" she perked up right away; "Let's go have some fun."

         Will felt refreshed after talking to Gaia. He had cried and let out all his feelings. Gaia did her best to help him but all he really needed was someone to listen. After he got back Will made up with Kara and now everyone was on their way to Watermia. Part way on the way there Lance pulled Will aside.

         "Hey man I need to talk to you."

         Will could see that Lance was nervous. He was all sweaty and jittery like Grampa Bill when King Edward's soldiers came for the taxes. "Sure thing, what's on your mind?"

         "Well…uh…um… You see, Lilly's birthday is in a few days and I was wondering what to get her." He kept fumbling with his hands.

         Will had forgotten all about her birthday, "You're right, we gotta do something nice for her. Have you noticed that she has been upset about something lately?"

         "Yeah, well I had a separate gift for her but I can't decide if I should give her a bouquet of flowers, a necklace or a…um…" Lance began it blush horribly.

         "A what?", Will didn't feel like playing any guessing games right now.

         "A…well, a…kiss", Lance hung his head in embarrassment.

         "Sooooo, it seems that I was right. You do like Lilly." Will could see that his friend was in agony so he decided to make it a little worse. "So what is it that you like about her? Is it the way she always yells at you hen you screw up? They way she smacks you when you say something stupid? Or is it something more…physical."

         "Well, she has this whole tomboy thing going on and she's always got things in control." He noticed the look on Will's face was one of amusement but he decided to continue, "It's just that she not some girl who acts all weak, she's tough and, I like that. But at the same time she knows when to let her soft side show. She's a myriad of emotions but all the right ones at just the right time. She's just, special."

         Will was touched by everything Lance had just said. It was odd because just about every reason Lance had for liking Lilly, Will loved Kara for the opposite of that reason. "Wow man, you must really love her. Well, good luck but let's get back to the present. Hmm…If it were me I would choose a really nice necklace."

         "The necklace? Really? Thanks. I'll tell her how I feel after we get to Watermia." Will could see that Lance was bursting at the seems with excitement. "Jeez Will, I can't believe I'm gonna do this, but I'm ready for it…I really am."

         "That's great Lance." A mischievous grinch smiled formed on Will face. "Soooo, you say you like Lilly because she's tough huh?"

         Lance was getting nervous, "Well yeah…"

         "I never knew you were into 'tough' women. I guess you do like it when she bosses you around? You into that huh?"

         The shade of Lances face instantly went to a deep crimson, "Uh…"

         The Jackal left the Aquatian Tavern early the next day. He felt a bit ashamed yet he also felt relieved at the same time. He had let off a lot of emotional baggage that previous night. He felt guilty at his leaving Claris after sleeping with her but he had to leave. He had to become the merciless killer that everyone knew him as again. He collected what few things he had and took a small portrait out of his robe. The portrait was of the great explorer Olman and a young boy. Jackal closed his eyes and said the boy's name out loud, "Will" He said his name to get the feel for it. The name sounded foreign and unfamiliar to him. It was time to leave Watermia. The boy wasn't there and it was no use staying. He took a look back at the tavern and sighed. He could still smell her scent on himself. That odd perfume. He made a mental note to take a good bath later on.

         Lilly was so surprised that she started crying from happiness. Kara pulled out a cake and set it on the table. "Blow out the candles Lilly, don't forget to make a wish." She already knew what she was going to wish for. She took a deep breath and blew out all the candles. Everyone clapped and the festivities began.

         After everybody stuffed themselves with cake they all, more or less, fell right asleep. Lilly wanted to stay up though. She left the house she and her friends were staying in and walked out into the town of Watermia. She sat down and watched the water flowing. From somewhere in the city, she could hear bar music playing.

         "Hey Lilly can I talk to you." Lance walked out of the shadows. She noticed that he was really nervous. He was taking caution in every step, approaching her very carefully as if she were an animal who would run if startled.

         "Sure Lance, what do you want to talk about?" She flashed him a smile.

         "Well…Lilly we've been traveling together for a while now….and we've gotten to know each other a little…but well…"

         "Go on"

         "What I'm saying is that…"

         "Spill it Lance!"

         "I LOVE YOU!" The words came out a little louder than he would have liked but the burden was finally off his shoulders.

         Lilly couldn't believe it. All this time she spent what Will and Kara had she never noticed Lance trying to get closer to her the past few days. It caught her off her guard. Out of know where Lance threw something at her that hit hard and cut deep. She needed time to recover. She needed time to think.

         Lance tried to walk closer to Lilly but she stepped back. "Lilly, please say something. Please speak to me. Lilly?" Lilly turned into a dandelion and flew away. Lance sighed and wiped away the tears forming in his eyes. He decided to go back inside and get some sleep.

The next morning Will didn't notice Lance or Lilly around. He freshened himself up but before he woke everyone else up, he saw a note left on the table with his name on it.

         Will dropped to his knees in exhaustion. It had been a long journey and an even longer battle but he had survived the onslaught of monsters that the Great Wall of China had to offer, defeated the Sand Fanger, and found one more Mystic Statue. Halfway going through the Great Wall Will met up with Lilly.

         She told him all about the encounter with Lance the night before. She was really upset at what had happened and worried about all the things that could have happened to Lance with all the monsters around. Lilly helped Will find his way through the rest of the Great Wall by pointing out the broken pieces of necklace Lance left behind to leave a trail. After Will defeated the gigantic centipede called Sand Fanger, he and Lilly saw Lance.

         "Hey Lance it's me, Will…and Lilly is here too", Will ran up to his friend and gave him a slap on the back. He could tell that Lance was mad at him for bringing Lilly with him. Will threw his arm around him and pulled Lance close to him and whispered, "Sorry man but she really wanted to come, just hear her out. Okay?" Will lifted his head up and spoke at normal volume so they could both hear him, "Well guys, I'll just leave you to alone to…discus and uh…talk things out?" Will could feel the thick tension in the air, he was trapped between a pissed off Lance and a confused Lilly. "Man, I gotta get out of there before what's about to go down goes down." Will started walking backwards toward the nearest exit, "So I guess I'll see you guys back at Watermia then?"

         Lance looked Will straight in the eye, "Why don't you stick around Will? It's a long walk back to Watermia." Lance gave him a pleading stare. He wanted Will to be there. He needed someone to help him through this.

         "Sorry Lance I really should get back." He looked at Lilly who was staring at the ground, "I'll see you later too Lilly…" and then lowering his voice to the point of where they couldn't hear. "I'm getting the hell out of this death chamber, screw you guys I'm going home."

         Lance knew that there was no way out now. He sighed, "So what do you want Lilly, why'd you come here?" Lilly hung her head in embarrassment. He heard her sniffle and Lance's heart softened. He could hear his conscious in the back of his head, rebuking him severely, "Just because she is tough doesn't mean you can tear through her like that and expect her to bounce back unaffected. She has feelings. She came hear for a reason so just listen to her you ass."

         "Lilly…"

         "I don't know goddamit!" Lilly was clearly shaking with emotion and she couldn't stop herself. "I don't know what I want anymore. Why don't you just-" she felt a tear slide down her cheek and she cupped her face in her hands. "Oh, this is just damn well fantastic." Lilly removed her hands from her face and stared into Lance's eyes. She stretched out her arms in cross like stance. Eyes and cheeks both very red and soaked, hair mussed and clothes tattered, she had been broken down. Someone had hit her in her one weak spot collapsing her defenses in one attack. "Is this what you wanted to see, Lance." Her hurt-filled voice was reaching a mocking tone. "Did you wanted to see me cry to prove to you that I was human and not some emotionless creature? Well you succeeded then…if you really love me just stop. Stop it okay?!" She felt around in her pockets for her nut. She needed its strength now. "I'm not some creature. I live and breathe just like you. Why can't you just look me in the eye and treat me like a person. I am a person! And God help you if you try to treat me as anything less!" Lilly realized that she was no longer talking to Lance anymore. She was talking to every guy who had every called her ugly, every guy who had just walked up in her face and called her a bitch and every person who tried to make her feel less of a person because she was a girl. But after all the rage subsided and her fire burnt out it was just Lance again.

         Lance felt awful. He had objectified her into being something she wasn't. He wanted to make it all right with a few words but nothing could come to his mind. "Lilly I…I…"

         "I know Lance, I know…" Lilly swept her hand across her face to pull away at the tear soaked hair matted against her face and walked up to Lance. "So Lance, you've finally caught me off my guard huh? Just don't take advantage, okay?" Right after saying this she took Lance into her arms and hugged him tightly.

         "Okay Lilly, I'll try harder. I'm sorry."

         "Don't beat yourself up, I shouldn't have run away from you, I love you too Lance."

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Dear Journal,          It's me Lance. Sorry I haven't written in a while. I'm just so happy!!! I have found true love in the arms of Lill(that's my new name for her) and a newfound friend in my father. Plus everything I say and do now seems all poetic and crap, haha. Dad's memory has been getting better ever since I gave him the medicine from the Great Wall. I miss Mom but I plan to visit her in South Cape sometime. Lill and I decided to stay in Watermia and hopefully we can build a life together here. Jeez, I would have never figured myself settling down with someone but here I am now, planning out my future. Will and everyone left a few weeks ago to continue their journey. I'm gonna miss my friend Will but when destiny calls you just gotta go. I'll even miss Erik, he was a whinny little runt but he's a good kid. I really hope Will finds his father someday. I'll write in you later cause... well... Lill needs me right now. She is so bossy, but I like her like that. She being demanding right now, I'll try to write tomorrow. Domo Arigoto Mr. Roboto,                              Lance PS: I took a picture of me and Lilly using Neil's camera. You can see that using one of Nile's inventions was a bit of a mistake but the picture came out sort of okay. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

         "Lance! How many times do I have to call you." Lance could tell that Lilly was getting impatient but that was half of the fun.

         "I'm coming Lill" Lance ran walked into a darkened room with the figure of Lilly standing in a corner wearing a robe. He cautiously approached her. "Sorry I took so long."

         "Get closer Lance, I wont bite" Lilly lifted her hands to her shoulder and pushed back the light fabric of the robe she wore. The robe slid down her back and the rest of her body in a liquid motion filling in and accenting all curves and crevasses of her body as it fell.

         "Wow…Lilly…you look really great *oh man*"

         "Really Lance?" She laughed, "You're so kind but don't you mean 'You look really great Ma'am'?"

         Lance laughed and let out an audible, *Gulp*

         "The last few days have been too much", Will thought. After navigating his way through the temple of Angkor Wat, he found a spirit that showed him a vision of the future. In the vision Will saw wagons of steel, gray towers, and metal birds that looked a lot like Neil's flying machine. The sight of this world shook Will to his very soul. The spirit said that this was the world to come. Ever since then, he couldn't shake the images out of his mind. "The future of all man kind…that was just too weird." After Angkor Wat Will, Kara, and Erik left for the desert town of Dao. Will's Grandparents sent him a letter and his Dad's old journal. It made Will uneasy to see his Dad's hand writing so long after he had disappeared. It was like Olman could have written that journal entry just yesterday. Will was currently on his way to the Ancient Pyramid where he would find one of the last Mystic Statues.

         "I hate all this damn dry air and sand" Will thought to himself as picked up his flute and prepared to leave for the ancient pyramid. A man walked by Will with his kruk following fast behind him. Will tried to cover his nose, " Oh man, I don't need this right now." With all of the dry weather, the smell of kruk wasn't helping his nose very much. Will was about to whip out his handy dandy all-purpose hanky when a woman came stumbling up to him and fell at his feet in a sobbing heap. "Are you alright Ma'am? Do you need me to get someone to help you." The woman gave no response; she only sat there on her knees, shaking and crying.

         The woman lifted her head and Will could see that she was pretty young, maybe in her late twenties. Will brushed some hair out of the way of her face and saw that se had a cut on her right cheek that was still bleeding. His eyes darted around hoping to catch some suspicious looking character who could have hurt her. He saw what looked like a tall man in cloak run behind a building to the left. Will prepared to follow the man but the woman held him down, clutching at his legs. "Nas! Nas!" she yelled at him.

         Will looked down at the woman, "Excuse me Ma'am, do you speak my language?"

         "Siru comos Will? Will? Hiru et coro diablo! Diablo! Plemo, Smas fara ma! Gaia fara ma!"

         Will eyes widened, "Did you call me Will? That's my name, my name is Will." The woman just stared at him. "This is getting me nowhere. Okay lady, let's try one more time, W-i-l-l." The woman began fumbling with her pockets, searching for something. She pulled out a crumpled up piece of paper and unwrapped it. Will looked at the paper and his breath caught in his throat. There was a symbol of an animal, a jackal.

         After he helped the woman, Will tried to find the man in the cloak but it was no use. Will knew that he was gone. Once again Will could fell Gaia's eyes on him, she was checking in on him. As he bent down to pick up his flute Will saw some of the woman's blood on his shirt. "I don't know what's waiting for me at that pyramid but I know one thing Gaia" Will looked up into the sky "you wouldn't have the guts to kill off your favorite little puppet. Maybe my luck won't run out." Will sneezed and reached for his handy dandy hanky. "I hate this place" he muttered as headed off to meet whatever the Ancient Pyramid had to offer.

*****

         "Will?"

         Jackal froze, he recognized the voice as belonging to a young girl, but he didn't know who it was…

         "Will are you here? It's me Kara."

         "This couldn't go any smoother, now I can take Kara back to King Edward" Jackal thought "I'll kill Will and get Kara at the same time." In the back of his mind he though of Claris. What she had said and what he had done to her. He could hear her voice in the back of his head, soft and quiet. "I've got to put her aside, there is no time for hesitation in this business, it's too late to stop. I'm sorry Claris." He silenced her voice and jumped out of the shadows to capture his prey.

         "Back up against the wall, now boy!"

         Will's heart speed up, "Who are you? Tell me dammit!"

         "My my, aren't we the vulgar little brute."

         He knew, he knew it when the man spoke his first words, "You're the Jackal, aren't you?"

         The Jackal chuckled "You are your father's son, and you'll die just as he did."

         Will felt the anger welling up inside him "Show yourself you bastard!"

         "Fine then, lets not delay this any longer." A man in his late twenties walked into the room. He had on a blue cloak with spiky mane of blond hair, wearing a confident grin and then Will noticed something else. He was holding Kara hostage. "I smell your fear boy, hers too. Why don't you speak up and say something princess."

         Kara couldn't stand to look Will in the eye. She was to embarrassed. She had done something stupid and now she was going to pay, Will was going to pay. She shouldn't have followed him to the Pyramid. "I'm so sorry Will…so sorry."

         At that moment Will remembered something he had said before 'you wouldn't have the guts to kill off your favorite little puppet'. Gaia may had kept Will from death's grasp but she cared nothing for Kara. Will had gotten reckless, would she have to pay for that?

         Will felt for Kara, she still had so much to learn. He looked into Jackals eyes and saw the eyes of the warrior, the same as Freedan. He knew that he would not hesitate in killing Kara even if he had an agreement with King Edward to bring his daughter back. Will realized that his fists were balled up and he was trembling with fear and anger. "I will kill you."

         The Jackal didn't mind the threat, he had heard it many times before. Without saying a word he pulled out a concealed dagger and stabbed Kara in the arm. She tried not to scream even though the pain was incredible. Jackal let go of her and she fell to the ground. He remained expressionless throughout the whole thing.

         That was it, he'd gone too far. Will lunged at the Jackal with flute in hand. He tried to hit him but Jackal deflected all the shots and shoved him into the corner where a statue of the fire god rested. Will knew that Jackal was preparing for his final assault. As Jackal lifted, his dagger Will could only feel guilt. He couldn't stand that his last thoughts would be ones of guilt. In desperation, he looked up hoping to see a vision of Gaia. He knew she was watching him; he could feel her eyes all around him. "I just wish Gaia would just pick me out of this place and-no, this is my problem. I can't just go running back when life gets hard. I have to fight, I won't give up. Gaia didn't keep me alive, I kept me alive. I'm not invincible. I'm not unbeatable. I have to take responsibility. I'm sorry father." As he stared up Will eyes began to focus on the hieroglyphics and he noticed they spelled something.

"Beware, loud noise will absolve the soul of evil"

         Will swallowed, and looked at the fire god statue "Here goes." Will blew as hard as he could on his flute and all that resulted was a stunned Jackal.

         "Did you think that your flute would make me go deaf or something? I can control my senses." Jackal lifted his dagger, "Oh yeah, your flute playing sucks." Jackal pushed the dagger up too Will's throat but stopped when a pebble fell on his head. The whole pyramid started rumbling and Jackal stepped back.

         "What is that? What did you do?"

         Will looked into Jackal eyes and this time he didn't see the quick calculating mind of a killer. He saw pure fear. The statue of the fire god started shaking and flames began spewing from it's mouth. Jackal's hair caught on fire and his whole body was soon consumed by the blaze.

         Jackal started screaming. The fire had spread to his whole body, and soon his eyes began hiss and crackle as fire made them dry and shriveled like raisins. He closed his eyelids to shut out the fire and saw Claris. She was wearing a white silk dress that flowed down her legs and onto the floor. He could hear her voice in his head again and this time, she was much louder.

         After his sight was no more the fire spread to the inside of his ears.

         Now Jackal could no longer hear Kara's screams. The world was silent.

         He could no longer feel anything, his skin was now charred black with cracks in it where blood red flesh would show through. The skin around his face was horribly melted and his lips hung down in a grimace of anguish. "Oh god, I can't even move my arms. Everything is dead" he thought.

         Every thing was taken away, the Jackal could now only think to himself. His thoughts were the only thing he had left and even that would be gone soon. All he could see now ahead of him was the darkness. He couldn't even see Claris anymore. He tried to reach back into his mind to remember what she looked like but all there was, was darkness. Darkness...

         While walking through the ancient temple Will came upon a door sealed by beams of light. "That's odd" he thought, "Well I haven't come this far to let some light stop me." Will reached out his hand to a beam and touched it. He felt a wave of incredible heat flow through his body and was thrown up against the wall. Will started gasping for air "Huff... aww... crap. What the hell was that? It can't end like this…not like this." Will got up and noticed that his flute had fallen on the ground. He bent down to pick it up but in the process, something shiny fell out of it. It was a dark blue crystal ring. Will looked back at his flute "Was that in there the whole time?" Will put the ring on and glanced back at the door. "This better work." He closed his eyes and reached back towards the door. He passed his hand through the beam of, light waited a few seconds and yanked it back. Will cautiously walked forward and before he realized he had passed through the door. He continued running down the next corridor, when he heard someone calling him.

         "Wait up Will, don't walk so fast."

         Will turned around and saw Kara smiling behind him, "Kara! What are you doing here? I though I told you not to follow me."

         Kara looked down and smiled "I'm not just gonna let my best friend go into something this intense without back up. Your father disappeared here and I'm gonna make sure the same doesn't happen to you. I may not be as strong or smart as Lilly but I am not gonna let down a friend, and at the least my boyfriend."

         Will smiled; he was too tired to argue with her "Okay, Kara let's go." Will started walking but soon stopped abruptly. "Hey Kara... "

         "Yes?"

         "How did you get passed those light beams blocking the door?"

         "Oh those? I just walked through them."

         Will rubbed his forehead, "I'm too tired to figure that one out, let's just keep going."

*****

         Will looked at Kara, "We are gonna need a house when we arrive back."

         Kara winked at Will, "And you're gonna need a job."

         He rolled his eyes "Oh lord!"

         Kara's eyes narrowed with deviousness and cunning shinning in them, "What about children?"

         "Sure, We'll have kids. I have no problem with children"

         Kara's face lit up with delight, "That's great! Because I plan to have at least five"

         Will gulped hard, "Five…"

         The conversation continued like this for the next few minutes until they reached the next room. What Will saw there left him breathless. He had finally found his father at last.

*****

         The view from top of the Tower of Babel was incredible. I looked over the edge and was instantly amazed. I was actually above the clouds! Even Neil's flying machine didn't go that high. I looked over to Kara and saw that her face was very solemn. "Are you okay, Kara?"

         Kara turned around and faced me; "It's just that all of 'this' " she extended her arms to indicate the space around her, "is to much too soon. It'll be okay but I just need time for it all to sink in. So we're gonna save the world, huh?"

         I smiled and hugged her, "Yep, we are going to be the greatest heroes of all time."

         Kara broke away from our hug and looked up at all the stars in the sky, "Cool."

         I decided to let Kara ponder to herself for a while so I went over to see the view again. My father's spirit approached me again and asked if I was ready. "Ready for what father?" I responded.

         "It's time to meet some acquaintances long gone."

         I noticed white flames of spirit just like my father's appear around me. "Hey Dad, who are these people? Is mom hear?"

         "No son, she is not, but go speak to these people. They have a lot they want to tell you before you and Kara go off to fight the comet." Olman saw Will reluctantly looking at all the sprits. "Go ahead, talk to them."

         "Will, are you alright?"

         I'm sure she could see me trembling, "I don't want to do it…I'm afraid to die Kara. This is to extreme." I looked up at Kara and I saw her raise her right hand. At first, I thought she was about to caress my cheek but I noticed she started pulling her hand behind her. I was sure that she was going to try and smack some sense into me until I saw all five of those cute little fingers roll into one big fist of destruction. She held the fist up for a moment and then swung at me. I was down before I knew it. Right in the nose too. I stumbled to my feet while rubbing my nose. "Now I know how Lance probably feels…" I mumbled.

         "That's a good start Will. You should be thinking about your friends, your family." Kara grabbed me by the collar and dragged me over to the tower's edge. "Take a good look Will. Do you like what you see?" Kara put her hand under my chin and tilted my head up so I could see the bright star in the sky. "See that? That comet is gonna kill everyone. Everyone! We have to do something." She pulled me close and clasped my face in her hands, "I understand you're scared, I am too, but snap out of it. We have a job to do. We owe it to everyone." She reached in and kissed me "We owe it to our children that we'll have someday."

         Kara surprises me sometimes. She really does. She wiped my eyes clean and held my hand. "Thank you, Kara." I looked up at the comet in the sky. "We will fight you, we will survive."

         Olman spirit floated over to me, "Gee son, she's a tough cookie. She sort of reminds me of you mother."

         I smiled, "So, mom used to smack you around too, huh?"

         "Uh…I just meant that she's a nice girl is all. Not bad for royalty."

         "So you don't mind she is a princess?"

         "No, she is a wonderful person. That is good enough for me."

         "I miss our conversations dad."

         "I do too Will." Olman's spirit seemed to glow brighter for a second. "It's time."

         Kara turned to my father, "What do you mean it's time?"

         "Kara, you and Will must join together. Only then can you fight the evil that rests on the comet. The Mystic Statues will magnify your powers. Will, take Kara's hand in yours."

         I took Kara's hand into mine and kissed it. It was then that I noticed something. "Kara, that ring on your finger, it's just like the one I found in my flute except that it is a light blue."

         Olman's spirit decided to explain, "The people who used the light of the comet to create technology made such rings to symbolize a bond. You two are descendents of these people." I looked at Kara and she at me. Olman began talking again, "We must hurry, close your eyes and let your mind go."

         Both Kara and I joined together with the power of the Mystic Statues. When joined we formed a creature call Firebird. For the first time in my life, I was in the moment of battle and I feared nothing, because I was not alone.

*****

         "Will…Will?"

         "Kara?"

         "Where is your hand?"

         "Are you okay?"

         "I want to feel your hand in mine…Where are you? I want to feel your touch…"

         Will realized that his eyes were closed so he opened them and got up. All around him, he saw stars. Will looked down and saw the swirling blue energy of the comet beneath his feet. "We are still on the comet. I can't believe this. We are still on this goddam thing!"

         "Will?"

         "I'm coming Kara" Will walked over to Kara who was lying on the surface of the comet curled up in a fetal position with her eyes shut tight. As Will bent down Kara grabbed on to him.

         Kara opened her eyes, "What was that creature?"

         "You mean the one we fought at the end? I think it called itself…Dark Gaia." Will hugged Kara close to him. He never noticed during the battle that space was so cold. Will began to think back to where the battle had started. When he and Kara joined together, they formed a creature made of pure energy called the Firebird. They shot off into space and when they reached the comet a face formed in the swirling blue that tried to swallow them. After a fierce battle with the comet, a large ominous figure appeared before them, Dark Gaia. In the end, Firebird won out against the evil form of the Gaia Will knew so well.

         "We are alone now aren't we, up here on this comet?" Kara knocked Will out of his thoughts.

         "Yeah, I guess we are" Will hugged Kara tighter.

         "At least it's not headed toward the earth anymore, everybody will be okay."

         "Yeah, but what of us?" Will was now hugging Kara very close, not so much to make her feel better but to reassure himself.

         "Don't worry son, you will live."

         Will looked up and saw the spirit of his father floating above him.

         "You did very well Will, the comet's power has disappeared. You did well too Kara. Tell me something Will, do you know what that green thing in space is."

         "No father, what is it?"

         "That's the earth, son."

         Kara got up and walked closer, "That's the earth? It's so huge." She reached up her hand hoping to somehow touch it. "It looks like a desert oasis."

         A strange voice was heard all around the three, "Yes, the earth is finally awakened."

         Will recognized the voice right away, "Mother?!"

         Another spirit appeared next to Will's father, "Yes Will, I've missed you deeply. Look at you, you've grown so strong."

         "I missed you too Mom." He wanted to hug her, but Will knew he could never touch her again.

         Will's mother's spirit glowed bright for a moment, "Earth, she is a mother with millions of children. Will, I know you think about us a lot and Kara too thinks about her parents. The earth is the same way. She gets lonely if her children forget about her."

         Olman moved closer, "How does it feel you two? Looking at the earth you live in from the outside."

         "It's as if we ourselves were spirits", said Kara.

         "I wish the rest of the group was here to see this…No I wish everyone in the world could see this", said Will.

         "One day people will build ships to travel the universe. Then they will see this green earth with their own eyes" responded Olman. "Will, the world is changing as we speak. Look down at your map and you'll understand."

         Will pulled out his map…

         "The world, it's changed. So this is the new world."

         "New world?" said Kara

         "Yes, because of the outcome of your battle this is the way the world will evolve."

         Will's mother noticed a worried look on Kara's face, "When we go back to the new earth, will Will and I be separated?"

         "I don't know Kara", she responded.

         Olman began speaking, "You two must say your good-byes now. It's almost time for both of you to leave for the new earth."

         Will's mother dimmed, "Yes, your father and I must leave soon but always remember that we love you. Now you and Kara finally have the chance to become normal children. And Kara, don't worry about the future. It will all work out for the best." With these last words said, the spirit of Will's father and mother disappeared.

         Will turned to Kara, "I'm afraid we won't see each other on the new world."

         Kara smiled at him, "I'm sure it will all work out."

         As Will was about to embrace Kara he noticed the image of her flicker. One minute she was there and the next she was gone and back again. "Kara!"

         Kara placed her hand on her forehead. "I feel weird Will. I think…I think it's taking me to the new world."

         Will grabbed her hoping that whatever was pulling Kara away would take him too. "Kara, you can't leave me. Please don't…"

         Kara cupped his face in her hands. "I want to see your face one more time. Your voice, your eyes, your mouth, your hair, the warmth of your hand." She stared into his eyes. "Don't worry Will. We will see each other again someday, if fate allows it. This is just goodbye for a little while, okay? Until then, remember me…" Kara leaned in, kissed Will one last time, and faded away.

         "When we get to the new world I will search for you. No matter how long it takes, I will find you. So take care…"

         "I'm all alone now."

         "No you aren't child. I'm still here."

         "Is that you Gaia?"

         "Yes child."

         "Will Kara and I be reunited on earth? Promise me that you will do this for me."

         "I... I can't tell. I'll try but at this point, the future could go in any direction."

         For the first time Will heard nervousness in Gaia's voice. "What's wrong?"

         "Dark Gaia and I retained balance but the comet threw that same balance off. The earth will go to sleep until it is ready to be awakened again. Plants, animals, and humans will have to be resurrected by the Hero. When the time comes for this to happen, technology will emerge, and humans will reign as the masters of the earth, but until then the world must wait for the birth of the Hero. I am no longer in control. There is a higher power."

         Will could feel his mind starting to slow down. He was getting tired. Will looked down at his hands saw them flicker. "Who is this, hero?"

         Gaia remained silent.

         "Tell me!"

         "I'm not sure, not yet. Go to sleep child."

         "Will you try to reunited me and Kara? What about Lance and Lilly? Will they be together too?"

         "I'll see what can be done."

         Will closed his eyes and slowly felt his consciousness slip away.

         "Thank you for all your struggles and sacrifice Will. Now finally receive the rest you deserve."

*****

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤          Dear Journal, It's me, Will, who else! One week ago I started having past life flashes when this new girl named Kara came to my class. Lance and Erik think I'm crazy, but Seth says he believes in past life stuff. This girl was sort of weird and plus she was the new kid so everyone ignored her but I said, "Hey, she deserves a chance ya know?" I talk to her and guess what, she is so cool. She has got such an original personality. I started telling her about my past life flashes, and she said she had the same kind of memory lapses. One week ago, the flashes finally came together. I can't explain what I've seen but I know it's real. Kara, Erik, Lance, Seth, and I all had past lives together. Sometimes I stay up nights and wonder what the past Will was like. I'll probably never be able to appreciate the second chance I have been given but I'll try as hard as I can to live my life to the fullest with Kara. I don't believe I ever expressed my gratitude toward you though. I thank you, Gaia. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

The End

*****

Author's Note: How'd you like it? Comments and critiques are very welcome. Much thanks to BugonisX2 (Ricky), Dinozord1 (Brian), and always Jadecow14 (Diane), the one that when the world calls me crazy, reminds me that I'm only different. Also, mucho thanks to Cherubae for the ZSNES advice. If you have comments or want to post this fanfic on your page, you know where to mail me at, see ya later.

            Joe, a.k.a. Quintay