Fan Fiction ❯ The Goddess Sagas ❯ I am after all Ryan ( Chapter 51 )

Chapter 50: I am after all Ryan

A few weeks later

"The rocket will be ready to launch tonight." Maria informed. "I hope it works."

"Yeah...It may be our only hope to beat this thing. Maybe...maybe it might actually stand a chance, I mean, this is the first time everyone on the planet ever worked together for one goal, all our hearts entwined."

"Yes. It just has to work. We'll see tonight."

Maria's image on the computer faded and Bra turned away, beginning to leave her lab when Holly came up to her, frowning.

"Ruto is still not awake."

"Hmmm...." A sad look crossed Bra's eyes. "I wonder what could have happened to her..."

"Aria's also been silent for awhile. I think something is troubling her. I try to get her to talk but...she wont."

"Aria never trusted any of us except for Genki. Though she is mature for her age, she is still a child and she lost the only one she ever really cared about."

"Hmmm....I can't believe little brother is gone. I can't believe Keith has turned against us either. Keith, Genki and I, we were all inseparable, we always played together as children...and as teenagers, though we didn't play games, when one of us needed help the other two would always be there. Now it's just Keith and I left...and I can't go to him for help, and he can't go to me for help either."

"Keith go for help?" Bra asked confused.

"I think....I think he is crying out for help. I think just like Ryan he is being controlled. I know him and he is not this bad....I know..." Holly's eyes shimmered brightly. " And you should know as well....afterall, just like Genki, you raised him like your own son."

"Holly...." Bra shook her head. "I've denied it all this time to myself, but every time I saw you and Keith together...I could not shake off the feeling that...that you loved him, and now even as you speak, I can see the look of a young girl in love in your eyes."

"............." The girl looked down at floor. "I know it is a sin to love one's own blood in a lustful way, but....I do. And I wont accept the fact that he is this bad. I know that he isn't...I know it in my heart. I would stake my life on it..."

FLASHBACK

"Wahh--ahhhh!" an very young Holly sat on the ground crying, holding her bleeding knee.

Little Keith and Genki barely able to walk came up to her. The brown haired boy put his hands over his eyes.

"Owie, looks painfully."

"Oh, Holly, don't cry." Keith knelt down next to her, he turned to Genki. "Go get some bandages."

"Why should I go?"

"Because I say so, now get going!"

"Hmmmhp!"

After Genki left, Keith turned back to Holly. "Does it hurt bad."

"Yes...it...hurts *Sniff* alot."

Keith leaned forward, kissing the wound, causing the little girl to blush. H smiled at her.

"Does it feel better now."

"Yes, very much! Keith your the best friend anyone could ever have!"

END FLASHBACK

"Every time I fell...every time I got hurt....every time something bad happened to me...he was always there, except until recently...which is why I know he is being controlled! He would never not care about me and I know he would care about Genki's death..."

"Holly....maybe......maybe...I just.....maybe your right."

**************************************

"Play nicely now..." Lemon said softly, setting the two babies down beside each other on a blanket. Pan reached up to grab his hair again but missed for it was all tied back into a bun. The braid had not worked out so well.

"I wonder Squall....what could of happened to Maya." He asked, setting next to Squall whom laid on the bed.

"I don't know......."

".......Angel needs parents. It was bad enough her father was gone, but must she loose her mother to?" Lemon looked depressed.

".................."

"It's just not fair. Ryan and now Ruto are both dying...not stirring, not blinking, just laying there. If only...."

Squall turned to Lemon, whom seemed to being staring at the wall as though in a trance.

"I only there was some way I could just....Alex, Genki, Mara, now Ryan and Ruto....if only I could share my immortality so they could all live again. Why can't everyone only die of wounds to their vital organs or elemental causes? But...I can't just go around turning things into vampires...that would be horrible of me...besides....other speices...evovled ones...mostly turn mad when a vampire injects their venom into them....living for a enterinty, being crazy. That would be terrible. I really only injected one thing with my venom...and that was a baby dear a very long while back in our adventure. I wonder how it's doing.....taht dear will live forever, to bad our friends can't."

"............................"

"Mara died...I don't know how, but the one with us was a clone. Alex died in an explosion, but if he was a vampire he would has survived...perhaps...since his heart and brain were not damaged. Genki....he would have died vampire or not...he was impaled all the way through the heart...but Ryan and Ruto, one is going to die from guilt and the other from heart break...it's just not fair. Why must I be the only one whom has an unfair advantage at keeping my life then the others?"

"................." Squall sat up and put an arm around Lemon. " You can't help that you was born a vampire, and therefore born with near immortality. I can picture how you feel. You've lived thousands of years, and watched probably hundreds of friends die from different causes. It must never get easier no matter how many times you face it."

"................"

"I know that you probably cried tears every time. I know that you probably loved other's before I, and I know you probably wept for them too when they left you. But Lemon, promise me something. When the day comes that I die...don't cry."

"...........Squall...."

"I don't want to see you always cry. I don't want you to live your immortal life in tears all the time. Tell me, will Pan..." Squall looked over at his daughter with a smile. "Does she have your immortality."

"No...I'm glad I didn't pass on to her such a curse. There is not enough vampire in her. I'm happy Pan will never have set back and watch as everyone she love grows old and dies. When some think about eternal life they think that it must be bless, but it really is just a curse. When life goes on and on, it does not have any importance to it. The only important thing to my existence right now is you Squall and our child and all our dear friends. But....what happens when you all die....I will be left alone again."

"Your worried, aren't you?"

"Hmmm?"

Squall leaned close to Lemon. "When Oisa falls, all things with souls will die and the planet will be turned barren. Your afraid that...Oisa's crash will not be enough to destory one of your vital organs. Your frightened that you might live after it's crash...your frightened that you might end up alone again."

"......Squall, please don't talk like that." Lemon's eyes shimmered with tears.

"Like what?"

"Like Oisa is going to fall....like we have no chance."

"............I didn't mean too....I guess I must feel hopeless inside."

".........Squall. Let's go and fight. We have to fight, for...." Lemon looked over at the two children whom played on the blanket and smiled. "Them."

"Lemon...." Squall turned the boy around to face him. "We'll fight."

The vampire closed his eyes as Squall kissed him deeply and passionately.

*************************************

Lima sat, back pressed against the wall, looking at her legs and arm. " I wonder if being part cyborg makes me anything like those androids..."

Rose turned to her, frowning. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about how they sold their own souls to become powerful and almost immortal. I...I got these implants to becomes stronger, and an implant in my brain to make me smarter because of my guilt I felt for Pai-Pai, I wanted to become a good cop.......So I would not do something so stupid again and hurt someone else."

"You did it for good reasons. Everyone else just became cyborg's and androids for selfish reasons like power and eternal life. What they didn't realize however is that you can't have eternal life with out a soul."

"Hmmmm........Rose?"

"Hm?"

"These are the only people whom will be able to survive Oisa, aren't they? Because they have no soul to loose."

"Not if I can help it!" Rose slammed her hands down on her makeup stand. "I'm going to fight to protect those who deserve to be protected and not some cowards who care more about power and their own lives then anything else! I'm going to fight!"

"Then I am to!" Lima exclaimed standing to her feet. "You said yourself I became part cyborg for unselfish reasons, but it would be selfish of I to just set hear, hopeing that my implants are enough to protect me when Oisa hits. I'll fight my hardest to the very end!!"

"You can be such a ditz and a dense flake at times Lima...but other times you can be a very courageous person." Rose smiled. "Come on, let's get ready, we will attack tonight."

***************************************

"Mimi....What are you doing?" Parfait asked as she walked into the room, spotting Mimi putting some healing medicine in a little pink pouch and polishing and sharpening her rose sword.

"I'm....going to fight."

"What!? Alone?"

"Yes. Oisa is coming closer everyday. It'll crash soon, maybe in a weak, give or take. We can't just sit around anymore. If the others aren't going to fight I will."

"Then....Then, let me come with you!"

"No, Parfait. You are a brave girl, but it's too dangerous, I can't let you get hurt."

"I'm going to die anyway!"

Mimi looked at her startled. Parfait's eyes were watering.

"When Oisa hits, I'm going to die anyway, I want to die at least trying...."

"Parfait." Mimi knelt down next to the girl. "I'll tell you how you can help."

"How?"

"Be hear, be hear for those who decide not to, or can't fight. Be there to give them hope. Be hear for everyone in the city, give hope to the people."

".......I'll try........"

"That's a good girl."

"Mimi your not going to leave right now, are you?"

"....No...I know it's silly, but I want to see if the rocket works first. I'm putting a little bit of hope on the rocket blasting Oisa to pieces. "

*************************************

"Colt...." Carrie stood next to him, as the boy sat depressed looking in his wheel chair.

"..........."

"Colt, I'm going back to fight."

"What? Why?"

"I can't just wait to die. I have to..."

"But why fight when it is hopeless. Why fight at all? What is the point to it, when you know you can't win?"

"If you can't answer that question yourself, there is not way someone else can answer it for you."

"........."

"This is the type of question that the heart...no the soul of a person answers."

"Carrie..." Colt reached out with his good arm, taking her hand. " I love you."

"Colt..." Carrie knelt down, and leaned forward giving him a tender kiss. "I love you too."

"Please, try and come back alive Carrie. Please....I want to go with you....I want to be by your side, even if I don't know why we fight..."

"Colt, you will be with me, in my heart. I promise, I will try my best to come back to you."

****************************

Lena smiled, closeing her eyes as she stood outside the door, listening to the two children.

"It seems as though none of them is ready to give up after all. Now if only Ryan and Ruto decides to fight along side of them..."

****************************

Ruto opened her eyes weakly, gazing around herself tiredly. The darkness had surrounded her, she couldn't see past it. It made her feel terrible. Guilty, angry, sad, every negative emotion one could think off was mixed up inside of her like a jumble of scrambled words, and created just one unnamed, unknown and horrible feeling emotion inside of her.

"I have to find Ryan..." She forced herself to move. Every step she took used every ounce of will power she had. The darkness just kept on growing thicker with every single step, until it was crushing her bones and taking away her breath. Every ounce of her flesh hurt but...she had to find him...she wasn't going to give up.

She had been walking with intense agony for what seemed to be hours, everything was a watery black dessert.

"I wont give up....no matter the pain....no matter how frightening this place is....I will find you Ryan."

"Where am I vanishing into?

Into a clam, quietly sleeping in the sea?

Last night's dream, I dreamt an unbelievably real one.

I'm just sleeping...

Town beyond the boundless horizon, nobody seems to be there.

Only the moon shines, and her light creates shadows.

Imagination, like illusions, starts overwhelming the town.

Holding inconsistency, wasted sense of value,

penetrates into the ground's surface so, so deeply.

"Where am I vanishing into?"

Truly, into a dark, calm layer.

But, wind, don't stop blowing yet.

Yeah, wind, don't stop blowing yet.

Gentleman with a rich chest living in an east mountain,

crowd of ladies wasting time for nothing.

Children creating a perfect evil, like a genius does,

river forms a flow but never needs water.

Purple time turns everything into the truth,

mysterious rumors floating in the skies.

Group of information creeping on the ground filled with noise.

Memories of a story that was never born.

Holding inconsistency, wasted sense of value,

penetrates into the ground's surface so, so deeply.

"Where am I vanishing into?"

Truly, into a dark, calm, layer.

But, wind, don't stop blowing yet.

Yeah, wind, don't stop blowing yet.

"What's he seeking?" "What does she understand?"

"You love me?" "I sure do, honey."

Satisfaction constantly creates loose portrayal.

A lake filled with mystery but not leading to the sea.

Thousands of molecules slash the darkness while giving ultrarapid lights

"Who knew it?" "Everyone owns it in common."

Unnatural body and unconsciously developed technologies called "indifference"

.

Value of enormous intelligence named "ignorance" is disregarded...

But, wind, don't stop blowing yet.

Yeah, wind, don't stop blowing yet..."

Ruto stopped walking startled, twisting around looking behind her. `That voice...' in the distance, an image appeared, glowing white. It was an image of herself, dressed in a long pink and white dress, the tiara she wore as Angelo's princess on her forehead.

"Who are you?" Ruto demanded balling her fists angrily.

The princess stopped singing a turned to her double with a mean smirk on her face. "I am the princess of Angelo, Marie-Maya Gazumaro."

"Your are not!" Ruto hissed. "Your just someone my mind is making up!"

"Who are you Ruto?" Princess Marie-Maya asked mockingly. "You were Key and Saiyoua, but now Key is dead and Saiyoua is no longer you. So without the souls of the two goddesses, who are you?"

".............."

"You were born as a rebirth of the two goddess in one body, then tell me Ruto, without the two goddesses, who are you?"

"I.....I...." Ruto could not answer the question. She felt the darkness around her grow thicker, and sadness blanket her feelings. Suddenly she shook her head, angrily and turned to the double of herself.

"I am who I am! It doesn't matter where my soul came from, I know I have one! I'm not going to be detracted by a few mind games by a copy made from my thoughts."

"What!?" The princess hissed angrily.

"I know nothing in this place is real...I know my body right now is not real. Everything I'm seeing in this place is made up of Ryan's and perhaps my own thoughts. Our guilt, our sins, our dreads, this world is made out of that and so are you. I wont let myself fall into self-pity, and I'm going to get Ryan out of hear as well. I wont....I wont be stoped, no matter how painful or tiring this darkness is, or what copies of my self made out of my own doubts and fears stop me!"

The princess vanished, leaving Ruto standing alone in the darkness. "Your song helped me though, realize that this is all fake. And if this is all fake...then there is no use for me to continue walking. This ocean...it's not really hear, and as long as I believe it is, it will expand on forever, and I'll never get to where I am going. I have to fallow my heart instead of my eyes." She placed her hands on her chest, closeing her eyes. Her palms glowed and a beam of light left her body. She walked forward, staying on the path, even though her eyes were closed. Her feelings were guiding her, in this place she would not trust her eyes, but her heart.

************************************

Ryan turned weakly to face a sudden light which shimmered out of the darkness. He watched slowly as a glowing figure approached. It was tiny at first and he could barely make it out, but as it got closer, his eyes slowly began to widen.

"R...Ruto."

The girl's eyes snapped open, and she smiled widely, dashing forward. "RYAN!!!"

Ryan stood still, as though frozen like a statue as she ran into his arms crying happily.

"I finally found you! Ryan! Oh, Ryan! Let's get out of hear!"

"Are....are you real?" He asked slowly. "Or is this another image my mind is making up to punish me. Are you really Ruto or is this just more mockery."

She looked up into his eyes sadly. "It's really me Ryan, can't your heart see that? It is me."

".......My heart.........do I have a heart?" He mumbled slowly.

"Of course, why wouldn't you?"

"I'm.....I'm just a copy....a clone of Saiyoua....I'm nothing but a fake doll. Ryan died six years ago.....I...I'm not even real. I probably don't even have a soul......."

"Ryan, you are real."

"No I'm not. I'm just a....copy."

"And can not a copy feel things? Don't you bleed? Don't you cry? Don't you love? If you were poisoned, wouldn't you die? Don't you need to eat to stay alive? If slapped across the face does it not hurt? If held by the one you love does it not fill you with a sense of calmness."

".......Maybe my mind makes up all those feelings....maybe all my feelings like my memory were lies."

Oh it feels like I've been on a long journey.

Feels like I've waited all this time,

For that one moment.

Was it God's will or

Was it my own will? I swear I heard a voice telling me.

"Then what is it you feel when you look at me?"

"............."

"Is what you feel for me nothing more then an illusion!?"

"Ruto....I...."

"When you started your journey...we've come a long way since then. You felt and was there through it all....how can you say you aren't real, when you cared about everyone so much as to travel across the world trying to save everything?"

Awake... Awake...

Among the waves I can bring back memories...

"I remember everything about the journey. I remember every single thing...I remember laughing, crying, getting angry, getting confused, wondering around, and good times as well as bad times with everyone....but.....I...I'm not really real. I'm a puppet whom can be easily controlled."

Beyond dreams, beyond memories.

A sacred tree calls upon me.

Beyond dreams, beyond memories

I realize I am myself.

And we find each other...

"Were you being controlled then?"

"..........."

"Ryan. " Ruto gazed at him sadly. "Don't you see, even if you can be controlled. You weren't controlled those times, and all the time before all this happened. Remember a boy named Ryan died six years ago, but you lived for those six years as yourself, who you are right now. Doesn't that tell you something?"

"........I know I felt things....but....Ryan died six years ago."

"And how many people on the planet is named `Ryan' how many are named `Ruto', `Mimi', `Genki', `Mara', `Carrie,' `Squall,' `Lemon,' and `Alex' ? How many people with these names die everyday? There is not just one Ryan in existence. There are many, and you are one of the many that exists. Who cares if you aren't a particular one, you are who you are. Your my Ryan."

Oh if all we can do is be disheartened by

What is to come.

And wait for this pathetic feast to end.

Our history fading

Away, then what is there left of us to expect now?

"But....even if that is true, Ruto, I doomed everyone on Gaia. I sentenced them all to death."

"No Ryan..." Ruto closed her eyes sadly. "If anyone did, it was me. Remember I am Saiyoua after all....as I am Key also. If anyone should be blamed it should be I."

Awake.. Awake...

Among the waves I can bring back memories...

"No, Ruto!" Ryan protested. "It was not your fault...you couldn't help yourself, you was being..."

"Controlled?"

Ryan stopped speaking instantly and stared at her with wide shocked and confused eyes.

Somewhere among distant memories.

Something awakens inside me.

Will it learn love... and tenderness?

Then will all this finally end?

"Why is it, you don't blame me for doing what I did from when I was being controlled, but you blame yourself?"

"I............."

Ruto approached him, holding out her arms. "Ryan...Do you realize now, it wasn't your fault. You were controlled when you gave her that stone. I was controlled as well...does it make it my fault? Our souls were both over powered by her dark influence."

"Our souls.....?"

"You can't be controlled if you did not have a soul, for to be controlled you would have to have a resistance to take over. Our emotions, our will to resist the darkness comes from the light in our souls."

"So your saying....I have a soul....?"

"One shimmering bright with pure light. If you can feel things or think, then you are real."

"But how can you be sure what I feel is real?"

"This place, this dark ocean is made up from our negative feelings, and our guilty and sinful thoughts. If all your feelings were false you couldn't be hear now. If Saiyoua controlled your every move, you would be just laying hear, empty inside without a feeling of care in the world. But you see you are hear....and I know that if you can feel negative thoughts then you can feel positive as well. And Ryan, if you weren't real...I would not be able to love you so much."

"You still love me after all I did?"

"I do, and all our friends still care for you as well. No one blames you, and if you can have friends then you are real."

Ryan felt tears come to his eyes and he dashed forward, throwing his arms around Ruto, sobbing.

You were always close to me, right there by my side.

I swear you have always been.

You were always close to me, right there by my side.

I swear you have always been...

Ruto returned the hug, holding him close to her. The darkness began to fade as they held each other.

"Ruto...I'm sorry for all the times I hurt you....I just did not know how to admit my feelings....I didn't know if they were even real...I just couldn't form the words...."

"Shhhhh.....don't worry about it. It doesn't matter anymore....I understand how you truely feel now. I love you too. I always will."

"Ruto...."

"You can't just leave this place!" The red headed Ryan appeared, growling angrily. Ruto looked nervously back and forth format he two Ryan's. Her Ryan shook his head.

"I know the truth now...I'm real...I'm alive....I can feel things...I don't need you anymore to punish me."

The other Ryan closed his eyes in defeat and faded away.

"Ryan...." Ruto smiled still locked in his embrace.

"I am after all Ryan. Ruto let's get out of this place."

The darkness vanished and everything was taken over by an white light.

When the sin covers us with its song the land will

Suffer, suffer.

You must understand...

Everyone stood outside all around the world, as the rocket was launched. Everyone's hopes relied on this one thing....this one act in which everyone put their whole heart into. The rocket blast forward, like a shooting star, but before it could ever get close enough to scar Oisa, the darkness of the comet hurling towards them became to much for it and rocket exploded, crashing down, falling from the sky burning like a fiery phoenix no longer able to stay in the air as it fell and turned to ashes. Except unlike a phoenix no new bird would be born from it's ashes...the people's hopes were crushed. Men, woman and child cried in disappear, some falling to their knees, watering the ground with their bitter tears as they pounded it' s surface with thier fists in hopelessness.

Let us not forget (let us not forget) we must never forget.

Heaven, land, sea, and sun are life.

Let us not forget (let us not forget) when the color of evil

Fills the land you'll see Dies Irae

And everything will end...

Maria let her head fall low, crying as she saw the rocket fail...the rocket in which everyone in the world had been relying on. Something with the goodness in the hearts of almost everyone of Gaia was not strong enough to defeat the darkness.

What hope did they have now.......?

***********************************************

Ruto opened her eyes, setting up in confusion on her bed. Her eyes darted around in panic as her memories came back to her.

"Ryan!?"

She looked at the bed opposite of her and found Ryan pulling himself up into a setting position.

"Uh....Ruto?"

Her eyes filled with tears and she jumped from her bed, giving him a big hug. "Oh Ryan! It was really real! Your really back!"

"Ruto....Thank you, for saving me."

She just smiled back at him, trembling with happiness. "Ryan, I never want to let you go...but we must go fight."

"Yes, I know. I can feel the darkness filling the air...it's horrible. But can I really fight?"

"As long as we are alive we can fight. Hear." Ruto reached under the bed and pulled out the winged sword and talisman, both still turned black.

"They....they are still dark....If I hold them...I might..."

"Trust the light." Ruto whispered handing him the two items. As he touched them their was a flash of golden light and the talisman and the sword were once again bright gold. But they weren't the only thing that changed. Ryan was completely human, he did not have the golden wings the usually accompanied the transformation, but he was human.

He looked down at himself puzzled, he felt different somehow.

"You can no longer be controlled by Saiyoua, you no longer have any of her Kamertion inside of you. Key, even if her body is dead, she has blessed you and allowed you to become fully alive. You are not a clone or a copy in anyway anymore. You also have nothing of Taromecika in you. You can now live as yourself without clinging to false memories or a false identity. You have nothing the same as the Ryan before, except for your name, your true soul and your feelings. Your in a human form, because, that is what you wished to look like in your heart. You never again have to curse the demon blood in your veins."

"So...I have a chance to live life as something more then a copy. I can be really real..." Ryan looked amazed and smiled. "Ruto....I....."

"Ryan...my golden angel....You are now free of all the darkness and torment that was placed on you by Saiyoua. Just live as yourself now..."

The both leaned forward and kissed deeply.

Parfait choose that time to walk into the room, to vist her brother and Ruto and gasped. Face going from depressed to happy in a blink of an eye. Her joyful gasp made the two turn around and smile at her as she ran up to them happily. Tears of joy falling from her eyes as she threw her arms around her brother's waste.

"Oh Ryan!! Ruto!! I'm so happy your back!" She looked up at him smiling. "I was so worried. Brother!!"

Ryan smiled back at her, eyes gleaming with tears as he rested a hand on her red hair.

"Parfait I'm glad to be back...But I'm not your brother."

"I know my real brother died six years ago, but you were my brother since he left. You took care of me and protected me just like he did and so therefore you are my brother. Wow, Ryan, you look different."

"I have a new beginning, in a new body which wont rot away from Kamertion. I have a new beginning, these hands aren't stained with blood or sin..." He smiled, touched deeply by her words. She was his sister afterall...maybe not by blood, but by heart.

"Ryan! It's so wonderful to hear your voice! Ruto..." She looked up at the girl. "Does he know?"

"No, not yet."

"Know what?" Ryan asked confused.

"Parfait are you in hear....?" Mimi poked her head into the room and gasped, surprised. The others followed her all having the same surprised reaction.

Ruto notice Ryan take a nervous step backwards. She did not blame him, he still felt guilty. How could she expect him to react calmly when he saw them?

"Guys...I'm very sorry for what I did to you...I'll admit with shame that I lost it, I went momentarily crazy and allowed Saiyoua to control me. I'm sorry....I allowed her to summon Oisa. I'm not asking for you to forgive me....I can't expect you to. But please don't hate me for what I did....I did not mean too...But even if you hate me...please allow me to fight along side of you to make up for the sins I did."

The group slowly looked over at each other, as though they could red each other's minds they nodded. Squall was the first to approach him.

"I can't say that it wasn't at all your fault, because you did allow yourself to be controlled, but I know how overpowering the darkness can be....I can't say I will forget what you've done...but I can understand...and I can forgive you."

"Squall..." Ryan smiled.

Carrie, followed him, allowing Colt to lean on her for support.

".....I have to admit, I am angry for what you did but...you were being controlled....you couldn't help yourself....I've did terrible things to in my life....except I wasn't being controlled....so how could I forgive myself and not you? I forgive you Ryan." Carrie spoke.

"....I forgive you to. The fact your willing to apologize for it and are still willing to fight is admirable...I wish I had courage like that." Colt smiled weakly.

"Carrie....Colt...."

Lima stepped forward, smiling at him. "I can never bring myself to hate one of my friends! I knew you would never do such horrible things unless you were forced to against your will."

"Lima, thanks."

Rose frowned, crossing her arms. "Well....your forgave me, so I'll forgive you."

Ryan smiled, looking as though he held in a short little chuckle at the girl's attitude. "Thanks Rose."

Mimi was the next speak. "Ryan I saw in your eyes, during the battle that you really did not want to hurt us...I can't blame you...I can't be mad at you...and I can forgive you...and I'm sure Genki would have as well...."

"He does, as does Mara and Alex. "Aria informed, causing Ryan to blink confused.

"How do you know that? Who are you?"

"It's a long story." Ruto shook her head. "But she was the one whom sent me into your mind to be able to help you. Somehow she has the ability to speak to those in the life stream..."

"She calls Genki daddy....but she's not his child.....I don't know, she wont tell us who she is...." Mimi frowned.

Dispite the fact she was being talked about Aria did not even show the slightest bit of discomfort.

"Well...if what Ruto says is true then...I thank you Aria."

"Your welcome." The child nodded politely.

"Uh...Ryan...." Lemon stepped forward, uneasy.

"Lemon." Ryan looked over at the boy, for a second anger crossed his heart remembering that this was the one that killed Lou...the woman that was Ryan's and Parfait's mother. But then his anger softened, and he smiled.

"I found out who Lounaru was. I understand now....your sin. I'm not angry, and....before she died...Lou....she told me to tell you not to blame yourself, and not to feel any more guilt for her, that she does not hate you."

Lemon looked shocked, and he stood wordlessly, letting tears trail down his cheeks. Squall looked at the boy, and put his arm around his waste, holding him close as to comfort him.

"What's going on in...." Lena walked in and spotted what had brought everyone into the room. "Oh my god....Ryan, is that you!? You look so different...."

"I'm no longer a clone...I've been given a new body...and a new start free of Saiyoua's Kamertion." He informed.

"Key granted it to him." Ruto smiled happily. "Your still an angel Ryan, but your free of darkness, a though the past will always be with you, your rebirth starts now."

"Yeah....but can someone tell me everything that has happened while I was asleep. Somehow I feel as though lots of time has went by."

"It was a few months since Oisa was summoned." Lena informed. "We were able to cure everyone n the city who was injected with Kamertion. Saiyoua is still in the Neo Goddess Tower...and Oisa will soon collide with Gaia. The people tried to build a rocket to strike down Oisa....but it failed and now...now we have no idea what to do. But...." Lena looked away painfully. "That is not all what happened."

"Ryan..." Ruto began uneasily.

"What is it?" He asked, feeling frightened. The way they were looking at him...it made him nervous as though something had happened that would greatly affect him.

"Come with me..."

******************************

Ruto had lead him to a room with two baby beds. One of the children he quickly recognized as Pan, the other...

Ryan gasped as Ruto handed the other baby to him. He stared down at it's face, it's eyes were closed as it slept, but the golden and brown hair, her pointed ears, her tail, and her face which looked so much like an mix between an infant Ruto and himself was enough to tell him whose child she was.

"Ruto...when....how...?"

"That night we..." Ruto looked at her feet. "You probably do not remember, but when I was separated from the goddesses, I was pregnant. I had a baby girl....our baby girl."

Ryan stared dumbfounded, then noticed. "She has...tiny pink wings..."

"I guess the goddess cells from me passed onto her...I...I hope you don't mind, but I named her Angel."

Ruto watched as a smile slowly crossed Ryan's face. The expression on it....it was almost like a proud smile...a happy smile.

"Our daughter....I'm...a father..."

Angel opened her eyes, spotting him. Her ocean colored eyes, sparkling and glittering like diamonds. She opened her mouth in a wide grin, revealing two small pointed fangs, and she began to laugh happily.

Ruto smiled widely, glad at his reaction and stepped up beside him, staring down at the baby.

"Angel, it's your daddy, he's finally hear."

" I was given a new life and then something more precious then anything....Ruto, I swear I will protect you and Angel with my life."

"She is such a beautiful baby....Ryan, I'm glad your hear for her now."

"I will always be there for her, for both of you." He turned looking out the window at Oisa. "And now I have another reason to fight."