Things Left Undone Book 3, Chapter 13

Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

By CuteLucca

The others awoke, relaxed and refreshed, and completely unaware of where they were. After a few moments, though, they remembered, and asked the old lady that was standing in the clearing with them where Sydney and Krono were.

"They have gone to take the Lightrunner's place. You may sleep soundly, knowing that your friends watch over you from the palace of light."

The nine remaining heroes exchanged glances, and then they all inclined their heads to gaze at the sky, now blue and yellow with the dawn.

"Sydney..." Johnny whispered. He still remembered his test, where Sydney turned into the Darkrunner, and he was thrilled that it did not come true.

The old lady smiled. "Now, I suggest that you go check on your friends and the unpossessed Karandians."

Marle laughed, exhilarated from her victory and Sydney's achievement. "That's right! Let's go see them, guys!"

First, they came to the Karandians that were guarding Jas-chu. There were twelve of these left, and they snored peacefully in sleep. Each one had a white scar in the center of his chest, and occasionally, and eyelid would flutter, revealing the bright blue eye beneath.

Crono took several minutes to dig a grave for Jas-chu, and he marked the spot with the bezel of Tryuiop's pendant. After he retrieved the rainbow sword from the bushes, the nine heroes left the clearing, not noticing when the old lady chuckled and disintegrated into dust, and was blown away on the breeze.

* * * * *

Slash and Ozzie greeted the returning heroes with enthusiasm.

Ozzie clapped Magus on the back, sending the haggard magician flailing to keep his balance. "Hey, guys! Did you win?"

Magus laughed. "You might be able to say that! But did you guys win?"

Ozzie shrugged. "There we were, charging at the big five-hundred Karandian army that was approaching over the hill, but then they all just collapsed and fell asleep. This big black cloud sprang from them, and white marks appeared on their chests. We never got a chance to fight them. Overall, we have thirty-seven dead, seven missing and the rest are accounted for."

Magus nodded. "Good."

Lucca walked up, and asked where Yahgrem and Vyrela were. Ozzie pointed her towards the ship, which sat in a patch of wildflowers nearby. She walked to the ship, and since the door was open, she walked right in. She saw Yahgrem and Vyrela breathing shallowly, clutching their chests, in obvious pain. "What's wrong?" She rushed to Yahgrem's side, and touched his shoulder, but it was burning hot and she jerked her hand away. She backed out of the ship. "I'll go get help! Hold on!!"

After several minutes, Lucca returned, with Marle and two of the creatures with healing abilities. The three healers set right to making the suffering Karandians as comfortable as possible, and tried to cure whatever might be ailing them.

Still, even though they tried and tried, all they could do in the end was cast simple spells of pain relief. They stood helpless as Yahgrem and Vyrela writhed on the floor. When the change began, they could barely notice it.

The giant, four-fingered hands of the Karandians began to shrink and lose their shine; they rounded off at the tips, gained blue fingernails, and turned a sea-green color. Then the Karandians' lionlike legs altered, the bones reforming to gain a human shape, also turning sea-green, and with blue toenails. Their bodies changed, losing some of their muscle, while at the same time straightening out and thinning, making them almost human. Their heads lost their demonlike features- the teeth were not pointed, though they still kept their large canine teeth, and they grew noses and ears, and their brows lost the overhanging quality. They kept their long black hair and blue eyes.

Lucca, Marle, and the two healer creatures watched spellbound as the beautiful, nine-foot tall man and woman stood, and put hands to their aching heads. Yahgrem now looked ridiculous in his yellow robe, which was much too large for him, being bulkier as a demon Karandian.

"Owww..." He groaned. Then, he held a large green hand to his face and studied it, and yelped in delight. "Yesss! Vyrela, we've turned back into true Karandians!!"

Vyrela, also, looked ecstatic, and the two "True Karandians" leapt into each other's arms and danced through the entire ship. Then, they noticed their four-member audience, and stopped rejoicing.

Marle looked beyond confused. "What's going on?"

Yahgrem stood before her, and towered three and a quarter feet above her. "Over three billion years ago, we Karandians were the most beautiful, powerful and good people in the entire universe. But as we were corrupted by the Darkrunner, we turned into hideous demons. Some of the demon Karandians were born pure, though, and these had blue eyes." He exchanged glances with Vyrela. "Now, with the Darkrunner banished, we have regained our true shape."

Then, they looked out the door, and saw the army of Karter's creatures standing over the now- true Karandians. Vyrela and Yahgrem rushed out and greeted their people.

* * * * *

Before anyone knew it, it was time to go back to their respective planets.

One by one, the army said their goodbyes and flew, teleported, or hitched a ride to their own planets. Finally, only the nine heroes and the True Karandians remained.

Yahgrem and Vyrela came up to the heroes to say their goodbyes. They were different from the other True Karandians, in that they did not have a white scar on their chests, for they did not have any darkness for the pendant to remove.

Yahgrem shook Crono's hand. "I don't know how we can ever thank you enough. Our people have elected us their leaders, and I was thinking. Instead of returning to Karandash and its ugliness, we should stay here, on this Eden planet of Newery, and make our home. There are no others here, as far as we can tell, so we would not be intruding."

Crono nodded. "Sounds good to me, Yahgrem. Good bye, Vyrela, good luck to you and all your future generations." Then, he turned, and walked with the nine remaining companions to the ship, which Lucca and Robo now knew how to use. They were going to head for Karandash, fix the Epoch, and give Tryuiop a ride to wherever he might like to go.

Before the door closed, though, Yahgrem darted in and took Marle by the shoulder. He pressed something into her hand. "For my pretty blond-haired one." Then, he left the ship, and he and Vyrela stood, arm in arm, waving good bye to the heroes.

As they took off, Marle looked down at her hand. In it was a shard of crystal, darker than darkness itself.

.

Go To Chapter 14

Return To CT Fanfic