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Epilogue: Iro - This is who I Am

Pride makes fools of us all...

It was possibly the worst time Iro's young life; a time when his species' mating season coincided with the hottest days of summer. A heatwave had hit the large Anron Kingdom where he had been hunting recently and that usually meant that the knights of the kingdom were too busy tending to their own little lands to bother with a Hydrian like himself to hunt him down. But when word spread of 'Iro the Terrible' making his way through the kingdom and there was news of other Hydrians moving to the precarious Morim Peaks, they knew it was the one time they could kill 'the Terrible'.

What kind of name was that anyway, 'the Terrible'?

Iro scoffed at the moniker and just focused on getting across the country to his native mating grounds without spilling his seed all over the place. This time of year was notorious to most Hydrians. During this time they secreted powerful pheromones that addled even the most diligent of minds and reduced them into sexaholic, rutting beasts that quite literally painted the countryside with their cum. It was how the humans tracked them. Just look for the drying pools of seed in the grass. Some dogs had even been trained to sniff them out. Though it was funny how _some_of the less disciplined tended to succumb to the pheromones as well.

Iro was a smart Hydrian, though. He restrained himself for most of the trip and only let himself feel the bliss of release when it was greatest and he was safest. That meant that his pheromones were highly concentrated and when someone found his trail, they were likely to fall into a sexual stupor, affording Iro enough time to get away. He wasn't a monster as the rumours said. No Hydrian was as bad as the bizarre tales the humans made up. He mostly fed on cattle and livestock. Much more flavoursome meat. Humans tended to be rather... gamey.

Of course, sometimes even the hardest minds couldn't fight against their own urges.

Halfway to the Peaks, he was constantly sporting a hard-on that was barely concealed by the thick leather kilt he had made from the hides of the many cows he had eaten over the years. It hugged his twelve foot frame quick nicely and offered him a lot of breathing room in his nether regions. Humans were dumb but they were certainly inventive. He thought kilts looked like a good idea and adopted the design.

Of course, when humans saw him walking around with a kilt, they immediately concocted some sort of tale of some legendary warrior that had been twice his size that he had killed in some brutal ambush and now he wore that warrior's kilt as a trophy. Mages even thoroughly believed that since he appeared reptilian, he was cold blooded and thus hindered by the lower temperatures. Aspiring knights always seemed to attack him most often during the winter months because they thought he would be slow and sluggish. He was only ever slow and sluggish from gorging himself on their flesh.

At least the food came to him.

Simpler times.

Just a few days away from his mating grounds, he found that he could no longer hold in his sexual needs. He was loathed to stop especially after he had just lost a band of bandits hoping to cash in on some bizarre reward the King of Anron had put on his head. Something about the king's daughter? It didn't matter.

Iro found a nice little hill that had sides steep enough that he would hear the clatter of armour if they came too close. There, he slumped against some rocks, removed his kilt and proceeded to jack off. Needless to say, since it was mating season and his species was known for its... copious amounts of seminal fluids, he didn't last long before he had created a venerable moat of cum around his little perch. He mildly chuckled at the passing thought he had about how stupid mages would often follow Hydrians to their mating grounds, collecting semen in some belief it held magical properties. Just because his race could breathe flames, frost and electricity from the multiple serpent heads sprouting from their bodies it didn't make everything they shot magical.

He took this thought with him into the blissful slumber of afterglow...

... which was interrupted by a polite cough.

The sun was already hanging low in the sky when Iro cracked his eyes open.

He had assumed every idiot that decided to attack a Hydrian - which was basically a multi-headed land-bound version of a dragon - would at least wear some kind of armour. But the lanky man standing in front of him didn't wear any of that. He had his fair share of peasants that just wore rags in the hopes that their lives would be turned around by his defeat and he always let them go. Rags or riches stories were so overdone and there really was no challenge in barbequing a peasant. Besides, he needed someone to spread rumours about him.

"Um... can I help you?" Iro asked.

The man cleared his throat. He was dressed in rather plain clothes that were decked with colours so that he wasn't just_a peasant but at least a well-off one. Maybe a noble's son? Iro had a few of them as well and he _enjoyed devouring their arrogant asses. Watching their uppity self-confidence shatter before killing them was always satisfying.

"M - m - my name is Raymond!" the man announced proudly. "And I have come here to slay you, O mighty beast!"

Iro lifted a scaly eyebrow. "So... why didn't you kill me while I was passed out from..." He glanced around at the pool of cum around his little stone throne. "... Well, you know."

"There would be no honour in that," answered Raymond. He then hefted a massive, bejewelled sword that looked much too big for him. "Now, en garde!"

Iro barely got a word in before the sword proved too heavy for the youngster and the poor guy toppled over. He crashed to the ground with a strangely musical sound. The pack Raymond wore clattered open and the sound of the comical music was revealed. A lute.

"Alright..." Iro began curiously. "Before I eat you, would you mind clarifying something for me?"

Raymond's face had gone pale and he didn't even have the courage to speak. At least he hadn't voided his bowels yet.

"Just what kind of knight _are_you?" Iro asked. "I've seen squires, noblemen and peasants all try to throw themselves at me but you... you look like a mix and match of them all." He inclined his head to the side, allowing the two snakes sprouting from his shoulder and the other emerging from just above his rear to slither around and examine the human.

"Well... erm..." began Raymond. "I'm... not really a knight. I'm... Ah... a bard."

All his heads reeled back in surprise. The heads all exchanged glances which was just part of the illusion that all the heads had some different consciousness. They were all connected to Iro's, sharing the same bigger brain.

"A... bard," Iro repeated. "And you hoped to kill Iro the Terrible. Why?"

The young man, probably no older than eighteen, blushed and looked away. "Well... you see, there's this girl."

Iro rolled his eyes. "Here we go. Let me guess. The King's daughter?"

"Yes." Raymond looked insulted. "The King is offering his daughter's hand in marriage to anyone that manages to kill you."

"So you saved up all you had and set out on this fool's errand." One of Iro's heads poked the heavy sword embedded into the ground. "Spent all your savings on this sword, I take it?"

"Snakebite, yes."

The Hydrian rolled his eyes. "Great. A sword is useless to those that don't know how to use it." He appraised the bard's scrawny frame. "Or the build for it."

"I'm plenty strong!" countered the bard, defiantly rising to his feet. He seized his sword and tried to wrench it from the ground. Sadly, it would not budge.

Iro felt nothing but pity for the child. So much so that he didn't even want to eat him. "Okay... This is becoming _increasingly_sad." He slipped off the rocky outcropping, stretching his tall, muscular frame. "Listen, there's probably a town somewhere around here. Maybe you can sell that thing and get something out of it. Might be able to concoct some songs about how you failed miserably at killing me."

Raymond glanced at the ground mournfully. "But... The closest town is three days away. I don't have anything to eat..."

"You don't? Seriously? How did you expect to get back with my head?"

"I... Uh..."

The stupidity of humans never ceased to amaze Iro. He had a running theory that the larger the population, the dumber the average member was. There were probably only about a thousand Hydrians left in the world but they could very well be scholars and mages in their own right if they weren't so busy having sex or masturbating.

But, sadly, being so smart also came with another consequence.

A conscience.

Iro couldn't leave this poor, deluded fool to starve.

"Wait here," he said with an exasperated stare.

"Wh - Where are you going!?" Raymond exclaimed.

"To find something to eat," Iro answered as he trudged down the hill.

"You're not going to eat me?"

He didn't even dignify that question with a response. There was a pack of deer nearby that he easily captured. He may be a twelve foot behemoth, but when you could shoot icy spears or bolts of lightning that could instantly paralyse any foe, even the fastest stag couldn't outrun him. It only took him a few hours before he returned carrying two fully grown deer back to the hill and set them down in front of Raymond. The young bard looked like he was going to be sick at the sight of the dead creatures, the fur slightly singed from the lightning that had stopped their hearts.

"Please don't tell me you've never hunted in your life," Iro growled.

Raymond pressed two hands against his lips like that would somehow stop him from barfing. He scrambled behind a few bits of rock and the sound of retching was Iro's answer.

'Pathetic' didn't even begin to describe what Iro thought of the fool. Seeing as he was hungry himself, he began to gut and clean the deer using a big hunting knife that one of the gentler souls he had encountered had offered him. Really, no Hydrian wanted to kill or eat the humans that hunted them but it wasn't like any of them were going to argue when food walked right up to them already encased in their very own oven. Knights in all their armour always made for the easiest kills.

By the time Raymond returned Iro had already started a good fire with some sticks he had found and was cooking the meat.

"That smells... lovely..." murmured the bard, offering a shaky smile. The smell of vomit was still on his breath. "Where did you learn to cook like that?"

"From this fellow who tried to kill me," Iro responded. He relished the moment when the rumours and 'evil sorcerer' tales began to fill Raymond's heart with fear. There were many tales about how people eaten by Hydrians had their knowledge imparted onto the 'beasts'. "He was a nice guy. Had a wife and child. Couldn't bring myself to kill him. I let him go instead and he we had a nice chat over a fire he built. I never knew cooked meat could be so delicious."

Raymond sat beside him. "Seriously?"

"Deaths at the hands of Hydrians have been extremely exaggerated," answered the cobra-like creature. "I mean, how do you think I'm so knowledgeable about the world if I didn't talk to people and then let them go after they_charged into my lair and attacked _me?"

Raymond scratched the thick beard that no doubt grew over his long trek. "So... you don't hold down your foes and then eat their brains to grain all their knowledge and experience?"

"Of course not! Brains are squishy and taste off!" He grinned at the bard's terrified look and tore a chink of the venison. It was still hot but he still offered it to the bard. His suspicions on how stupid the human really was completed when the man ate the hot meat and spat it out.

"Needs salt..." choked Raymond though he tried to downplay how he had burned his tongue. To Iro's surprise, the bard actually reached into his backpack and fished out a packet of salt. He stood up and sprinkled it on the cooking meat.

"Wait... so you're out of ratios but you have plenty of seasonings?" Iro asked.

"Of course," Raymond answered like it was the simplest question in the world. "You need to enjoy the finer things in life. We only have a limited amount of time on this world. We need to make the most of it. If that means making sure every meal is well seasoned, then why not?"

Iro lifted a scaly eyebrow. "You'd make for a fine Hydrian."

Raymond flinched. "Wh - What?"

"Philosophically speaking. In all other respects, you'd make a poor one." Iro waved a hand absently through the air. "Fact is, we Hydrians are a dying race. We're all male now."

"You... are? But then how do you breed?"

"That's just it. We don't."

"But - but... but this is your mating season!"

Iro gave the dumb human a pointed stare. "Right. It's mating season. Not breeding season. We're just drawn to the one place were we can all fuck ceaselessly for two weeks. Then we go off and do our own thing. You humans eradicated all our women years ago."

Raymond sat down solemnly. "I'm... I'm sorry."

The Hydrian waved away the apology. "Don't be. You didn't do it. And there's nothing that can be done. No amount of moping around, vengeance or murder will save my species." He gave Raymond a broad grin. "But at the very least, we can have fun and enjoy what time we have left before we all die, hopefully of old age. It's why despite the fact we can't reproduce, we still all meet up and have one hell of a party."

The bard smiled softly at that. "That really is an inspiring story... How a whole race is doomed but they don't bear a grudge and just live happily until the end of their days..." He shook his head. "But what about all these stories about Hydrians attacking villages and what not?"

"Attacking villages that, despite what the story says, still stands?"

Raymond looked perplexed. "Erm... point taken." He shook his head in disbelief. "I don't understand... So most of the stories about your race?"

"Just propaganda because people need monsters to fight," Iro said with a shrug.

"That's terrible!" Raymond suddenly stood up and pressed a hand against his chest. "On behalf of the human race, I sincerely apologise for everything we've done."

The gesture was appreciated even though ultimately it meant nothing. "Thank you."

"No!" Raymond shouted suddenly. "That's not enough!" He seized his lute from his bag. "I will endeavour to make sure that you and your race are respected for the noble species that they are! You said you've spared people before, right? Even sat down and had supper with them like this? So I'll go from town to town and sing my songs of your kindness and nobility! One of them will speak up eventually right?"

A noble cause and certainly another kind gesture but Iro sincerely doubted it would do anything. But seeing the fire in the young bard's features stirred something in him; the drive to change something more than his location and who he slept with.

"Very well, Master Bard," he said with a smile, "Let's hear what you've got."

Raymond cleared his throat and began to strum the strings.

"Iro the Terrible his name is,

With a heart of gold and lips of kiss."

Iro reeled back. What did 'lips of kiss' mean?

_ "Though all call him a beast,_

He only wishes to travel to the east."

The mating grounds were actually more to the north...

_ "To live and frolic with his own,_

_ And fuck from dusk till dawn."_

Iro winced and lifted his hand for silence. "Okay... that was just... Just terrible. You make me sound like someone who beds his own children. And 'own' doesn't even 'rhyme' with 'dawn'."

Raymond ducked his head and blushed. "I'm... ah... not a very good bard."

"I can tell."

The young man's eyes lifted with a glimmer of home. "Well... maybe you could offer me some more inspiration?"

"Like what, pray tell?" Iro said with a roll of his eyes. Those very same eyes went wide when the young man stepped towards him and gently ran a hand down Iro's thick, muscled leg. He could smell something... different from the young man. Arousal. He was shocked that a human would be attracted to him but he supposed the powerful pheromones he emitted plus the pools of cum all around him must've had some effect on the bard...

"Like... maybe..." Raymond croaked.

The sad thing was, it had been several hours since Iro had last relieved himself and that meant he was starting to get very pent up again. His sex-addled brain couldn't make very wise decisions and before he knew it, he was taking off his kilt and Raymond's lips were around his cock.

That was the night things changed.

*******

It too many months but rumours of the Hydrian-loving bard spread throughout the kingdom. Though the Bard was booed and heckled out of most towns, there were people who backed the tales. Change was brought slowly and eventually, a young noble, completely unarmed, stepped into Iro's cave, asking for an audience. Iro recognised the man's voice and beamed when Raymond announced that he had been promoted to court bard by the King for his bravery. He then came with an invitation to the king's court.

Though he was still met with much suspicion, Iro met with the King of Anron and they had a nice dinner together with meat seasoned by Raymond. The King, an avid hunter himself, thoroughly enjoyed the trips into the woods with Iro. At the next mating season, Iro brought his relationship with the king to the feast along with Raymond. Needless to say, the young bard became quite... involved in the festivities and had many tales to share afterwards.

The Kingdom of Anron pulled all bounties from Hydrians and declared them official citizens after Iro saved the king's life from a wild boar attack. Iro became an official knight of the kingdom and given lands where he and his species were allowed to thrive and flourish. He took to wearing armour but every night, he would strip it down and just wear his old dusty kilt.

If only because it reminded Raymond of that first night when they made love.

The two were never seen far apart from one another and when Iro's life finally reached its end due to old age, Raymond left his lute at the noble Hydrian's grave and knelt in front of it for days. When someone finally went up to check on the old bard, they found that he had died with a smile on his lips.

People say that those who first found him spied the ghostly image of the bard in the arms of the Hydrian he loved. Both in the company of a mysterious angel with wings made out of chains.

Epilogue: Caroline - Letting him go

... but admitting you're wrong...

Caroline was unsure what to say.

It was the first time she had ever visited Reggie's grave since the funeral. The beautiful bouquet of flowers she had received from that travelling florist somehow stirred the need to be here. She thought the florist looked like someone she knew but she had shaken that delusion off. She looked down at the stone tablet, still feeling _wrong_about not being able to feel sorrow. She knew should miss him but...

"Hi Reggie," she said softly. "I'm sorry I haven't visited in... Well, ever. A... A lot of things happened." She felt like she should be choking but every pause she made came from doubt and the question of what she should say.

"I brought you flowers," she said, holding up the bouquet. "Your favourite." She knelt down and rested them at the base of the tablet. "I guess I'll just leave them here..."

Words would just not come... and she just knelt there, unsure what to do or how to feel. It made her feel empty. She was lost. With her father dead, she wasn't even sure what she should feel. She felt nothing. What lay in her future? Did she even care?

"Hey."

Caroline lifted her head.

Jacob came to stand beside her, looking down at Reggie's grave.

"Jacob... You're out..."

The youngest of the Reaper brothers hadn't been seen for about four days since the end of the Pollenburn Plague as the public dubbed her father's rebellion and the outbreak of parasitic plants. He had locked himself in a room in building that MODD had commandeered for their operations since the Tower was still undergoing repairs."

"I've always been out," answered Jacob with a wry smile.

She gave him an exasperated smile. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah..." His mirth faded and his gaze dropped. "I'll be honest, I wasn't past that door you guys were constantly banging on."

"You weren't?" she asked, surprised. She had spilled a big speech about how she had gotten over Reggie's death through that door.

"I was actually out with Max. I asked him if I could come along on his trip across Pollenburn to thank those soldiers that died during this whole mess. Been spending the last few days hopping from motel to motel incognito." He shrugged dismissively. "I imagine none of the people have spoken up about the 'Wielder of Realmbreaker' paying them an official visit yet because they're still rebuilding their lives."

He gave her a grin, one clearly forced. "But I still got all of your speeches on record. It's how I guessed you'd be here."

Caroline was glad her words weren't lost or at least went to some use. "So... You're over it?"

Jacob lost his grin and took a deep breath. He held it for a long while before let it out of nostrils slowly. "Honestly? Not really. I feel hurt. Marcus and I spent some intimate times together and for him to..." He looked about to choke but he bit it back. "I guess I always suspected that he hadn't let go of Eric. I hoped that I'd be able to help him move on. But I guess in the end he chose otherwise."

"You're not angry?"

"I was." He gave her a lopsided smile. His tail was drooping as well. "I cried. A lot. But I was never one to linger on something too long. I needed to do something. Not only to get my mind of things but to slowly work my way through it."

Caroline chuckled softly and regarded the grave. "I would've thought that'd be you travelling up to Atlas to receive your medal from the President."

"I've convinced Rex to delay the festivities," Jacob answered with a wave of his paw. "At least he understood. Besides, I still need to drag Rex's ass back home."

"Home?"

"Yeah. To my dad's place." Jacob grinned softly. "He's been trying to delay it but there's no escaping it. Today, I'm going to walk through the front door to my dad's place and bring Rex and his boyfriend in."

"Is that really such a wise thing to do?" Caroline asked. "I remember you saying that your father and brother didn't get along that well."

"Oh I expect there to be a fire but I've got Silas there so I figure I'll hold back my dad and Silas holds back Rex and we just might make it to dinner. If they can avoid killing one another before then, I'll consider it a success."

He glanced towards her. "How're you doing by the way?"

"I should ask you the same thing," she responded, rising to her feet.

"I'm still hurting," he said, his gaze cast down. "But... I guess my old Worldrider habits kicked in. I've got to move on from it. But if there's anything I've learned from this experience is that there's a difference between being too eager to let go and being too fanatical about holding on. Hades just could not move on and would've killed millions because of that." His ears folded back in shame. "And on the other side of the spectrum, is me. I just shrug and move on. Or I would have."

He took a deep breath again and this time let it out as a long sigh. "Looking at Hades, I realised we're a lot alike."

"You're nothing like that monster."

"Actually..." he chuckled sadly. "We are. We're both in denial but we approach it in different ways. He acts on it... I run away and don't even address it." He turned his gaze to the skies, now clear blue and free from the smoke of a burning city. "After my mom's death, I just shrugged and went straight to working to keep my dad sane. I've been jumping from job to job, never moving forward and never making any improvements just like Hades. I never achieved anything and I never dealt with these feelings..."

He clutched a paw to his chest. "I don't want to be like him. I don't want to be so set on that kind of path."

"But weren't you just going from house to house with Max and not dealing with Marcus'..." She stalled, unsure whether she should go on. "...you know..."

He gave her a smile and a shrug. "Hey, I can't just turn my life around like that after I learn an important lesson, you know. Some storybook heroes may do it but I need time to learn how to let go. In fact..." He reached into his coat and pulled out a slip of paper before handing it to her. "Read that aloud."

Caroline regarded the sheet with her eyebrows raised. "Let it go. Let it go. And I'll rise like the break of dawn. Let it go. Let it go. That perfect girl is gone. Here I stand in the light of day. Let the storm rage on..." Then a smile crossed her features and she shook her head. "The cold never bothered me anyway." She waved the sheet at him. "Did you write this?"

"Oh hell no but I imagine we're going to get quite a bit of flak for this." He was grinning at her broadly. "But it fits, don't you think?"

"I suppose." Caroline gave him a smirk. "If you consider yourself a girl."

He nudged her playfully. "I meant for you, smartass. I'm learning to let go. So should you."

She looked back towards the grave. "I only wish I had something to let go of."

"Funny you should mention that because..." He revealed that object he had been holding. It was the package that she had asked him to deliver to this very grave. "... I still happen to have this. I forgot about it back at your manor and when someone told me you were here, I thought you might like to do the honours of... well..." He handed it back to her. "Letting go."

Caroline found doubt causing her fingers to tremble. Still, she took the small brown box from him and gently pulled it open. Nestled within the box were two rings. The very same rings that Reggie had used in his proposal.

Then... something broke.

Caroline remembered that magical evening. She remembered how her heart stopped when Reggie bent down on one knee and asked her to marry him. Her breath got caught in her throat and she could barely utter a word. All she could do was nod. Then all of Reggie's friends sprinkled rose petals down upon them while all her friends rushed forward to congratulate her.

It was the happiest moment in her life.

And now... she had to let go of it.

She wasn't sure if there would be happier moments but she couldn't let it hinder her. Not anymore.

"I'm so sorry, Reggie," she said softly, kneeling back down. She set the box right beside the bouquet. "I love you."

A single tear rolled down her cheek and a gentle smile crossed her features.

"Maybe one day you'll meet again," Jacob offered.

"Maybe," she agreed, once more rising to her feet. Then, bearing the first true, genuine smile she had worn in what felt like an eternity, she said, "But I've got a life to live first."

"Yeah..." Jacob agreed, returning the smile. "We all do. "

Epilogue: Dorothy - I'll take Care of You

... and doing whatever you can to make things right,

The church bells rang loudly and for what felt like the billionth time, Dorothy groaned. She didn't understand _why_she ever decided to direct all calls to her through bells. Whenever a church bell rang, the phone she had tucked in her robes would vibrate madly. It was constantly shaking these days, at least once every hour. Sometimes more if it was a special occasion like a holiday. But now it was just getting annoying.

"You do know that most of the others just make assistants to deal with their calls, right?"

She turned with some relief when R3 stepped up beside her. They both stood on top of one of the many skyscrapers in the city of Harbriem. Far down below them, the mortals she had created milled about, all different species from lions, wolves, pigs, cows and even the occasional human. She found humans endlessly fascinating predominantly because she had never seen them before. The conferences she attended that R3 and his kind hosted to make sure all the owners of their realities continued to remain in touch gave her much insight.

"I'm seriously considering creating my own 'angels' or something," she admitted. "Dealing with everyone's problems personally is _quite_demanding."

"You're young," R3 answered. "You'll learn."

"I'm over thirty billion years old!"

R3 just chuckled. "Yup. Still young."

She didn't know why she thought thirty billion was 'old enough' in comparison to the entity that had given her the capacity to make her own universe. At least she was not alone in this capacity. She had been in constant contact with other people that R3 and his group had promoted to 'godhood'. This other deity in particular she had grown rather fond of had been around for twice as long as she had and had created a world solely with humans. They had tea together every so often.

"You called me here for a reason?" R3 asked.

"Actually, yes," she responded with a smile. "I needed some help. Caroline..."

The Writer of Reality smiled even though his visage was hidden by his helm. "Still looking after her, I see. Still hoping she'll meet Reginald again?"

"They are soul mates," Dorothy agreed. "I don't think they would be complete with one another. I know in her past life, she let him go but I can feel her soul yearning for him even as she was reborn into my world." She looked down to the crowded streets. It was raining and everyone had umbrellas up. One particular umbrella, an ice blue one, stuck out from the sea of black and bland colours. "I was just hoping you could offer some advice on how to get them back together..."

"Dorothy," R3 said gently, "you can guide people but you can never force them to do something. People will always have a choice no matter what you do or no matter how much you want them to even if it risks your own existence. Condition them, build them in a certain way or even just make sure they only have one path, they will always have a choice. That is the curse and blessing of being a mortal. If you want your sister to find Reginald again, you can't force it."

Dorothy's gaze dropped. "I know... But one of the reasons I built this world was so that she could have a safe place to find love again. I hoped she would find someone else and she's dated. Believe me, she's dated a lot but none of them have ever stuck. I just feel..."

"That Reginald is the one." R3 nodded sagely. "Well, like I said, you can't force people but you can guide." He made a very light wave of his hand.

Suddenly a gust of wind picked up and targeted the light blue umbrella. There was enough force that it knocked the umbrella right out of the woman's hands and sent it sailing through the air and right into the coffee of a young boar sitting in a nearby coffee shop. The woman, a sow, hurried over, profusely apologising.

Dorothy's eyes widened at the sight and she laughed. "You must be joking! How did I not see that before?"

"You've been busy with an entire reality to take care of," answered R3 with a smile. "You really need some assistants. Why do you think I've got my Advocates and friends helping me? You don't think I give everyone their stories by myself, do you?"

She threw her head back and laughed. "I'll take that advice on." As the two far below them began to talk, the boar ordered a coffee for himself and the girl that had just ruined his thick, woollen jumper. She beamed as the paths of the two began to converge, their destinies intertwining once more. This time, she saw a much happier ending.

Her gaze was driven away from the two when two books were offered to her by the Writer of Reality.

"Can I trust you with these?" he asked.

"Don't you usually give them out?" she countered.

"I do but I thought this would be more appropriate, don't you? They are your family, after all."

Dorothy shook her head and pushed the books back. "I'll see them in the end. I fear that if I get those, I'll probably jump the gun and make things worse. You're the great Writer of Reality, after all. You know what's best."

R3 shrugged and tucked the books back beneath his cloak. "Not always. I'm still mortal. I've been wrong before. The others always point it out." He laughed softly. "But thankfully, they're always there to help." He patted Dorothy's shoulder. "We take care of one another."

He stretched and turned away from her. "Anyway, I've got a few more stories to hand out. Did you need anything else?"

"No just... One last thing." She smiled at him. "Is it true that you're really...?"

He laughed softly. "It took you thirty billion years to figure that one out? 'Dorthiel', you still have much to learn."

Epilogue: Alicia - Flowers For All

... that is where you can find a man's true worth.

His name was Henry. A small armadillo who had lost all his hair to a radical treatment to a terrible disease. He was constantly sickly and it showed in his sunken blue eyes. But these days, he was not worried about himself. The source of his sickness came from a broken heart. His wife, after taking such good care of him for years, was now in the hospital three blocks away, dying. The Pollenburn Plague had hit her and though it ended weeks ago, the damage to her body was severe. Too severe for even modern medicine to repair.

She was on constant life support and Henry had no way of paying for the medical bills.

After years of taking care of him, he couldn't even take care of her.

But he would be damned if he let her see him crying. She told him to always smile. That's what she said. Regardless of how sick he was, always smile and he'd get better. He'd find some way to get the money.

But for now, it was his turn to make her smile.

He jogged down the street and spotted the cart that he was looking for. It was a simple cart. One of those ones that people pushed around and could open anywhere at any time. The rustic design came from the fact that it was made mostly out of wood and covered in growing flowers. Most people in Pollenburn were wary of flowers these days and there was a massive aesthetic design change to remove the plants that normally dominated the architecture in some fit of paranoia. It was refreshing to see a simple mobile flower vendor in the cold, concrete streets.

"Alicia!" he exclaimed.

The mole tending to her flowers turned and beamed brightly. "Henry! Just in time."

She turned and plucked a large bouquet from the many buckets filled with water housed in her cart. It was bigger than he had expected and arranged beautifully. There were some flowers he had never seen there before amongst exotic orchids, colourful roses and all rimmed by delicate tulips. She worked expertly to wrap the flowers in a silky, waterproof, lavender sheet, tie it with a beautiful bow and then hand it over to Henry.

"This looks so beautiful!" he exclaimed, taking a whiff of the myriad of scents. It smelled spicy, sweet and delicate. Most of all, it smelled of life. He reached into his pocket. "How much do I owe you?"

Alicia shook her head, waving a paw in his direction. "This one is on the house."

Henry looked stunned. "Are you sure? I can pay you."

She just smiled brightly and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Just make sure she gets them."

Overcome with her generosity, Henry flung his arms around the small mole, hugging her tightly. "Thank you so much!" He pulled away and began dashing down the street. "I'll make sure to mention you to all my friends!"

Alicia waved as Henry disappeared down the street, her smile starting to falter.

"She's not going to make it, will she?"

"Actually," replied R3 softly. The entity was suddenly standing beside Alicia, a book in his hands. "One of my colleagues has taken up their tale and is quite enamoured by it. There are still much they have to do before they can earn their own reality and the Liaison of Life has decided to take up the mission of helping them. She will be making a visit shortly as a nurse who will give Henry's wife a pendant that she must _never_take off. It will help her get better. Assuming things go down their optimal path, they will live long and happy lives together and at the end, they will earn their tales."

Alicia took a deep breath, pressing a paw against her chest.

"And you helped make that happen, Alicia."

She smiled softly and leaned against her car, arms folded. "I'm glad." Then she glanced over her shoulder at him. "You're not going to try and convince me to take my book?"

"I know you won't until you've filled Pollenburn with flowers again. I'm actually here to inform you that there's a familiar girl at 65 Barnview Avenue that is having a bit of trouble accepting that her fiancé is dead. Maybe a few of his favourite flowers will convince her to visit his grave and start her on the path of moving on?"

Alicia beamed and gripped the railings of her cart. "Sure. I'll be there."

Epilogue: Cal - Advocacy

Because no matter who you are, where you're from...

Moving around Naught was so... disorienting. At the Naught tour, he had been told that to move around the white space of nothingness that R3 called his home, one just simply needed to think of where they wanted to go and they would be there in an instant. Some mumbo jumbo about people subconsciously thinking about moving while walking was how people could be seen walking across the big campus of the Advocate Academy.

Sadly for Cal, when he decided to move around, he had - for a fragment of an instant - wondered what it would be like to see the massive campus from one of the trees that seemly grew out of the grass that similarly just sprouted out of the white.

And now... he was stuck.

"Um... Little help?" he shouted. Several other Advocates passed him. He remembered that even his voice had to be consciously controlled. Naught was a world of nothing and everything. Just because someone was standing in front of you, it didn't mean they were really in same plane of existence... or something like that. His instructor had told him it was like tuning a radio. Everyone existed on a certain frequency and you had to consciously think and believe yourself onto that frequency for anyone to take notice of you.

But how was he supposed to do that!?

"How the hell did you get up there?"

A wave of relief hit him as a big, black wolf dressed in white and gold armour stood at the base of the tree, looking up at him with a big grin. He had a unique golden forelock and deep, sapphire blue eyes.

"I... Uh... I kind of thought myself up here?" answered Cal, not entirely sure how to describe his predicament.

"Newbie, are you?" asked the wolf. "Happens to everyone. At least you didn't phase yourself into the middle of the tree." The lupine walked towards him, every step lifting him off the ground like he was mounting a set of invisible steps. "Trust me, I really don't like having to uproot trees around here. The Ingenious gets very testy when plants are ruined for some reason."

"Who?" Cal replied as the helpful wolf grabbed his paw and gently guided him off the tree. Having seen the example of the thirty-something wolf, he imagined himself standing on an invisible platform and found sturdy ground.

"I5 the Ingenious, one of the No Ones. She governs the Soul."

Cal winced as he was guided slowly back to the ground or at least what was defined as a 'ground' on the cobblestone path. "There are so many of them... And I still have to choose which one I'll serve under, right?"

"Unless they ask you," said the wolf with a smile. "But you can always switch if you want."

"Can't I just serve under R3? He seemed the nicest."

A laugh came from his companion. "Well, you could but the Writer of Reality has a shit tonne of Advocates. Everyone wants to be his Advocate. It's a sign of prestige to serve under the head of the No Ones." The wolf rolled his eyes. "But being an Advocate isn't about honour, battle or who you serve. It's about you finding your way to your own happiness because you couldn't find it in your own world."

Cal rubbed the back of his head, flinching a little as he felt the metal of his gauntlets rub against his fur. "Well... uh... R3 actually did offer me my book... I just didn't think I should take it at the time."

"One of those, huh?" The more experienced Advocate nodded. "Well, then I think it's best we set you up with V10 the Valiant. She governs the Mind. She's also crazy horny and incredibly inappropriate at times."

Cal flinched. "Why would you think I'd be good serving under her?"

The wolf grinned at him. "Answer me this, did you have anyone you loved back in your world?"

Cal's jaw dropped before he clamped it shut. "Of course!"

"Family doesn't count. Unless you were sleeping with them. And it was consensual. A true bond of love. Yeah..."

He hesitated. "Erm... I had girlfriends..."

"Uh-huh. Were you thinking of anyone before you were made an Advocate? Were you thinking only about your job or your mission?" Cal dropped his gaze and the other wolf nodded, crossing his arms. "See? V10 will teach you how to relax a little and enjoy the other parts of life beyond duty and your job. She might come onto you every now and then because you're cute but just ignore her."

Cal frowned. Was the wolf hitting on him? "Did... did you just flirt with me?"

The male shrugged with a sheepish grin. "Hey, I'm gay and I like cute guys." He lifted his paw to show the ring there. "But I'm married. My husband is here too. He heads up the psychological department of the academy so if you ever feel like you need someone to psychoanalyse you, feel free to talk to him. Just look for Brett Sykes Wolfe."

This man's husband was head of a department. "Erm... If you don't mind me asking... Who are you exactly?"

The wolf beamed at him. "My name is Jason Wolfe. I'm the head of the Advocate Academy. I'm also F6 the Patriarch's son and the big guy's dad."

Cal's jaw dropped again and he wasn't sure whether or not he should bow, kneel or salute. Then that last statement caught him off guard. "Wait... You're R3's dad? But -"

Jason lifted a paw to silence him. "I know, I know. But trust me, he has a very twisted origin story. It involves dark powers merging with the forces of good, cosmic imbalances and time loops. If you manage to corner him one of these days, ask him about it. If he gives you some dialogue about 'learning it in time', just tell him you already know about the time me and Brett double stuffed him."

Cal reeled. "You fucked R3 the Writer of Reality!?"

"Multiple times," Jason snickered. "Still do in fact. His armour is _really_annoying to remove though. Wolfe family orgies are always fun."

Cal wasn't sure whether he should be taking this seriously or if it was some sort of freshman prank. "Um... alright..."

Jason grinned brightly at him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Come on, buddy. Let's get you settled in. I'll get V10 to pay you a visit so you can make formal introductions. You been given the full tour of the Academy yet?"

He considered how little he knew about Naught and how he had gotten stuck in the tree despite having gone on a tour. "Ah, no..."

"Well, that's why I'm here." Jason gave him a light punch on the shoulder. "Didn't catch your name, by the way."

Cal smiled softly. "It's Callum Reichmann. People just call me 'Cal'."

---

Epilogue: Sherry - Confession

... or what you've done...

"We've all lost many to these simultaneous disasters that has struck our fine city. I like to think that Rillotia and even Mortaelis as a whole has been shocked by the events that have transpired here."

Gale Winthrop paused while cameras flashed all around him. The reporters all around him had fallen into reverent silence as the Elemental Lord of Wind seemed to take a moment to recompose himself. Though his features were solemn, even through the screen, Sherry could tell that Gale was still reeling over what had happened over the past few days.

"It is clear that we do not know all that there is to know about Seals," Gale continued. "Not only in their use but how people would like them to be used and distributed. I do not blame Winston Boswin or the rest of the six founding families of Pollenburn for what they attempted. MODD will further its attempts to reach out to the people and open our doors wider to welcome any and all feedback offered by not only users of Seals but the public as a whole. It is just regretful that many lives had to be lost for because a few people thought MODD would not listen to their pleas."

A very diplomatic way of phrasing that Boswin really shouldn't have started a coup and just approached MODD peacefully. Sherry knew that would never have succeeded. That was why she did what she needed to do. And it worked. Now MODD would be forced to make an attempt at listening to the public. If they did not, they would be criticised heavily and possibly fined. She had heard that Rillotia was now implementing some sort of 'corporate watchdog' to make sure that MODD and other large corporations had their practices heavily monitored. All complaints would be taken to them first before audits were sent to the accused bodies.

It was a step in the right direction and one Sherry hoped would help unite the world against Hades' machinations.

"What about the Unsealed!?" a reporter shouted. "Will MODD attempt to broker a truce between them and the rebel group?"

There, Gale actually smiled for the first time in the entire conference."I am happy to announce that we could not have won this day were it not for the efforts of one particular Unsealed agent who has insisted that they remain unnamed. With them as an official liaison, MODD has brokered a truce between the two groups. While the two entities will remain the same, any hostilities between the two have been put on hold."

That was good. An alliance between the Unsealed and MODD could only help fight against Hades and his plots.

"Can you tell us about the Worldrider that now wields Realmbreaker_? Can you tell us about Rex Reaper's brother?"_

The conference instantly erupted into a swarm of questions and Sherry smiled softly in her cell. Gale, despite having little time truly in the public's eye, had learned how to control the crowd very well. The chimp lifted his hand and beckoned for silence so he could speak.

"Already being dubbed the Hero of Pollenburn, Jacob Reaper is currently on his way to Atlas to meet with the President for official congratulations. I believe he is to be presented with Rillotia's greatest honour, the Silver Star, for his efforts in not only defeating the first Puritan in centuries but also for eliminating the Pollenburn Plague. Before you ask, he is not an official MODD agent nor is he a member of the Unsealed. Further, he is not part of the Rillotian military. His status as a Worldrider is still up for debate but I think we can all agree that it doesn't matter where his allegiances lie. He is the one that saved us and that should speak volumes."

"But isn't it a risk that someone possessing such a dangerous weapon should be -"

The reporter was cut off by someone with a louder voice and a shorter question.

"Are you sure he can be trusted?"

"What if he turns against MODD?"

"What if he uses Realmbreaker against us?"

Gale patiently let all the questions fly around in a flurry until the reporters grew tired and let him speak. A good tactic. Make them wait for him. He was completely in control of the press conference.

"Rex gave him some very good pointers."

Sherry glanced over her shoulder. She wasn't sure if she should be surprised or scared. That second Chaos Lord, the one that didn't speak, was standing a few short feet away, his skeletal wings made of chains hanging behind him.

"He's showing it very well," she conceded. "He was always a fast study. Once you get through his thick skull."

"Sounds like someone else I know."

She laughed softly. "You know me?"

"I've been with you your entire life, Sherry. I've been watching you since you were a little girl growing up in a privileged household. I was there when you started your rebellious phase, eating into your family's savings. I watched as you took that ill-fated journey to Oxis and were captured by Tribals before being rescued by another tribe. I was also there when your best friend died on another thrill-seeking trip while you studied tactics and she became your Seal. Your childhood died with her. That life of glamourous parties, ball gowns and tea parties all vanished into your Seal and you spent the rest of your life hardening yourself into a stone-cold tactician while your heart secretly yearned for those times again."

She didn't say anything.

"Let me make something perfectly clear," Gale said on the screen. "I do not doubt Jacob Reaper's loyalties. He is a brave, compassionate and inspiring warrior. Most of all, he is also a friend. I trust his judgement as he trusts mine. If anyone questions him, they are not only questioning MODD but they are questioning me as well."

"If you were there and you saw all those things, why didn't you do anything?" asked Sherry.

"I did. Who do you think guided that band of Tribals who had no reason to be there to you? Who do you think convinced the MODD lieutenant who had no reason to take a privileged, arrogant socialite like yourself under his wing? Who do you think led Gale to your case?"

She fixed a sharp gaze at him. "You _controlled_those people?"

The Chaos Lord shook his head. "No. I guided. Everyone always has the choice to reject the paths I set for them. I'm not always right. People can still find their way to happiness without my aid. But sometimes, they take different paths even after I try to guide them and these lead them elsewhere. Maybe even destruction. Other times, they willingly throw themselves onto another path because they think that is the only one that is before them."

"You're saying I didn't have a choice?"

"I'm saying that you didn't see any other choices. Rex and Jacob were unknowns. You admitted it to yourself. You made friends with Jacob. If you had told him your suspicions, do you think he would've just tossed it aside like Gale? You had tea with him. You spoke earnestly with him. He trusted you. If you had informed him of your findings, given that he has the power of Realmbreaker and the power to see through time and space, don't you think he would've put two and two together and realised you were right?"

Sherry's jaw dropped open before slamming shut. "But it was too late... By that time, Rex had already arranged the Gale and would've still forced Winston to start the coup prematurely. I had already thrown my lot with him."

"It's never too late. Silas had already thrown his lot with you as well and yet at the last moment, he backed out and chose Rex over your mission."

She was cornered.

And she felt utterly terrible.

"I made a mistake, didn't I?"

"Only if you choose to believe that. In my opinion, you did exactly as you believed and that counts for something. If you use that sort of conviction on a path that isn't so suicidal, you might not have been in this cell. But this is all a learning process. Accepting that there were other paths opens your mind to those other paths in the future."

The Chaos Lord stepped up beside Sherry, gently placing a heavy, gauntleted hand on her shoulder. "I cannot save you from this cell. You will have your Seal extracted from you and you will stand trial. People will support you. They will say that you did what you needed to do to motivate Gale. But the majority will condemn your actions. You will be executed two years from now."

"That's a long time," she chuckled softly.

"It could be shorter depending on your actions. Or longer. It all depends. But rest assured, when your end comes be it six months, two years or twenty-two years from now, your actions here have earned you another chance. From what I can see, no path from now on will do anything to jeopardise that even if you decided to be complacent with that knowledge."

He gently patted her shoulder and turned away.

"Just remember, Sherry, it's never too late."

---

Epilogue: Winston - Redeeming Chance

... all it takes is to swallow your pride...

"I'm... I'm dying..."

"I know."

Winston dared to look at the gaping wound in his stomach. His hand lay across it, blood dripping between his fingers. Somewhere in the rest of the house, his daughters screamed. They were crying for him while that murderous psychopath made his way room to room, laughing manically. The bastard had caught him by surprise and left him to die. He had told his daughters to run but Penelope and Belinda were just little girls...

"They're a few months from graduating."

With the last ounces of his strength, he somehow managed to lift his head, blood dripping from the corner of his lips. What could only be described as an Angel of Death stood in front of him, broad skeletal wings spread and an ominous help showing alien eyes peering straight into his soul.

He knew what was coming.

He was bleeding out and the Lakeside Butcher had cut him so many times that he could barely move. Every part of his body hurt... but that pain was slowly fading. Whether it was from blood loss or the cold embrace of death coming, he was starting to feeling a little... light headed. But he fought against the sensations.

"Please..." he croaked. "Just... a little more time... I... I can't let that asshole kill them... Please..."

"You're going to die regardless," answered the Angel.

"I don't care... I just want my daughters to be safe... I love them so much... I can't let it end like this..."

"If I told you that the Butcher will make it quick because he doesn't like screaming and that in death, all three of you will be together, will you change your mind?"

Would it? They'd be together anyway... What was the point of fighting if in the end they'd be pain free and together?

"No," he said firmly. Shaking his head took a toll on his remaining strength and it fell limply against his neck. "They... they still deserve to live their lives... I've lived a full life. They haven't. Please... I just need... a little more time. Enough to... to stop him..."

"You know I can't guarantee that you will be together if you choose this path," replied the Angel. "If they live on beyond this moment, their paths will take them in different directions. They might end up completely obliterated. They might have different endings to your own. You might not be together."

There was that risk... Was he willing to sacrifice his chance to be with his daughters forever so that they could live long, full lives?

"Please..." he begged. "It's their life... I don't care if I can't be with them... as long as they get to live..."

The Angel let out a soft chuckle. "Well, what do you think Dorthiel?"

Winston suddenly felt a rush of strength flood him. He managed to lift his head again. Standing beside the Angel was the Goddess, Dorthiel. He couldn't mistake her strong physique and porcine features. She was smiling down at him while light radiated out of her halo.

Then... a rush of memories filled him.

"Dorothy...?" His eyes flicked over to the Angel. "R3!"

"Hi daddy," Dorothy greeted, beaming gently.

"You... You're the Goddess? You're Dorthiel!?"

R3 nodded and waved a hand towards Dorothy. "Your daughter from one lifetime created this entirely reality after she had earned the right to write her own tale. On her request, I integrated your story into this world. Even Caroline is here."

Winston's eyes went wide. "Caroline...? Is she...?"

"She lived a long life on Mortaelis," R3 confirmed. "But she could never get over Reginald's death. She died alone, sadly."

"But R3 brought Reggie here too, daddy," Dorothy said. "We just recently brought them back together. They're getting married."

"That's still a few years down the track," R3 corrected. "You really need to get the hang of this time-space displacement thing."

"I'm not as experienced as you!" Dorothy laughed and shook her head. She offered her hand to Winston. "Come on, daddy. We'll give you the strength to fend off the Lakeside Butcher. But afterwards..." Her features softened. "I'm really sorry. But you'll have to leave Penelope and Belinda behind."

Winston took Dorothy's hand and the Goddess of this world, her daughter, pulled him to his feet. The pain was gone. R3 offered him a strangely familiar looking shotgun. "Will I get to see them again?"

"If they make certain choices, yes," answered R3. "But like I said, this path can't guarantee that. I can help them along that way, if you ask."

Winston opened his muzzle... but then froze. He remembered what he had done to Dorothy and Caroline what seemed like eons ago. Then he thought about his two new daughters. He took the shotgun and the moment he did, the two deities vanished.

Strangely not feeling any pain, he spun and marched right through the lake house. His daughters' screams grew louder as he made his way up stairs. The sound of a door splintering pushed him forward and he hurried towards the second level bathroom. He saw the bulky frame of the Lakeside Butcher stomping into the bathroom, whispering his mad lines over and over again.

"Daddy!" Penelope screamed.

Winston rounded the corner just as the Butcher lifted his big combat knife at Belinda.

BAM!

At point blank range, the power of a shotgun was devastating. The Butcher was hurled straight at the two girls who moved away at the last moment. The enormous tiger slammed into the sink, his head crashing against the corner and cracking his skull. Blood splattered everywhere. His body went limp, eyes side will in shock.

"Daddy!" Belinda cried.

Winston saw the relief in his two daughters' eyes and he had enough strength to give them a smile before his legs gave out from underneath him. He collapsed, dropping his shotgun. There was no pain, just endless relief and a sense that he had done the right thing. His daughters instantly rushed to his side, Penelope cradling his head on her lap and begging him not to go. Belinda held his hand tightly, weeping openly. Seeing them one last time... he felt so proud... He wasn't afraid as the darkness slowly began to close around his vision.

Dorthiel - Dorothy - stood behind the two girls, smiling proudly down at him.

Beside her, R3 stood and though his features were concealed, he knew the deity was smiling as well.

"Take care of them..." he begged. "Just... take care of them..."

"Daddy?" Belinda begged. "Daddy! No! Please! Stay with me!"

"I'll do everything I can," answered R3 gently.

Winston closed his eyes, content in the knowledge that R3 would do everything he could to give his two girls the endings that they deserved. Even if he wasn't part of it, as long as they were happy, he didn't care.

"Come on, now, Winston, it's time to go. You'll only make yourself sadder."

Winston, suddenly standing over his own body, looked up at the two deities. R3 was suddenly holding a book in one hand. "You know, you remind me of this wolf I knew back on Mortaelis..."

Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Can I tell him? Please?"

R3 chuckled and handed the book to Winston. "What? You don't want him to spend the next thirty billion years figuring it out?"

"Thirty billion!?" Winston exclaimed. She stared at Dorothy, wide-eyed. "You've been..." He slapped his forehead in shock. "Oh wow... I just realised my daughter is a goddess!"

Dorothy smiled gently at him, taking his hand. "You can be too if you want. Here, let me show you how..."

---

Epilogue: Marcus - To Guard a Heart

... say you're sorry.

The day had started off pretty shitty. Marcus got the usual flak from his father in the morning. It was the same tired old mantra.

'I dun care if yer in da army. Ya've never seen combat so yer still a greenhorn!'

'Ya ever killed a man, boy?'

'When I wus in da army, I never hadta go to any fancy, pansy gym! I got big from servin' mah country!'

'Whatchu studyin' again, boy?'

And just like every morning, he rolled his eyes, made his dad bacon, eggs and hash browns complete with a bottle of beer to wash it all down and then headed off to gym to work off the aggravation of having to live with a drunken parent despite being twenty-seven years old. He wondered again and again why he didn't just go with military housing but considering how his veteran of a father could barely get through the day without a single beer every meal... well, he knew where his duty lay.

He was easily one of the biggest guys in the gym and he enjoyed some of the envious looks people gave him when he stripped off his shirt and exchanged his military camouflage pants for some tight-fitting gym shorts that showed off his huge thighs. He tried to keep his thick tail from thwacking the ground as he strutted out and hit the weights. He had hoped to work on his chest today, a reason why he had decided to go shirtless to let his enormous pectorals room to breathe.

The gym was just a local facility built by one of the other war veterans who decided that he would do something other than drown his sorrows in alcohol after he finished his service. Using his funds, he had converted what had once been a large furniture warehouse into a gymnasium. There was plenty of room but most of it was taken up by large cardio machines and 'classrooms'. For bodybuilders, big muscle building equipment was sparse. That meant there was only one bench press set and it was currently taken by a large cougar dressed in a black tank top and grey sweatpants. The guy wasn't even really using it. He was just leaning against the bar and talking to his buddy, an eagle.

Marcus decided that they'd eventually move so he moved past them to do some free weights first. He worked up a good sweat for twenty minutes just pumping iron, grunting loudly as he stretched his chest muscles to their limit. When he began to start getting stiff from that particular exercise, he glanced over to the bench press.

Much to his irritation, the cougar was still chatting and they didn't look like they had even worked out. He growled to himself. Probably one of those pretty boy assholes who got good looking from genes alone and never really worked out in his life. Yes, the cougar was buff but good looks didn't make for good people. The least he could do was to move elsewhere to take his conversation instead of hogging the bench press.

Whatever, Marcus wasn't feeling that confrontational and moved over to the free workout area and set down a mat. He began his usual regimen of crunches and reverse crunches, loving the feel of his abs burning and how they melted the thoughts of his alcoholic father or the stress of his class.

His father was a military grunt through and through and never believed in college. He had enlisted the moment he got out of high school and ensured that his only son had done exactly the same. But Marcus dreamed of more things than just being like his father who had been deployed more times than he could count. He wanted to build things and not just his body or military reputation.

That was why he was taking a class in architecture.

But who knew architecture needed so much math!? And physics and chemistry!?

Just thinking about it made Marcus' head hurt. He gave the headache to dehydration though and decided that it was time for a break. He got off the mat and after a quick drink from the drinking fountain, he noticed that the bench press was free.

"Fuckin' finally..." he grumbled softly. A soft smile touching his brown muzzle, he eagerly headed over and set his towel down.

"Hey, dude!"

He turned at the voice. That cougar from before bounded over to him, green eyes narrowed dangerously.

"That equipment is taken. Didn't you see my stuff there?"

The cougar pointed to the ground where a towel, a phone and some keys were resting. Marcus had failed to notice it. Logically, Marcus should've apologised but recalling how the feline asshole had just spent the better part of forty-five minutes doing nothing but chatting away and hogging the equipment...

"I'm sorry," he rumbled. "I thought Ah wus goin' ta use the bench press, not yer personal water cooler. My mistake." He swiped his towel off the equipment and turned away.

The cougar's paw seized his shoulder. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean!?"

Marcus snarled back, his tall ears folded back. "Ever thought other people would've liked ta use the bench press? Last I checked ya were jus' leanin' on it and chattin' away with that eagle!"

The cougar's fur bristled. "This is may be a gym but that doesn't mean we can't communicate with the other members through more than just grunts and groans. I like to be social!"

"While hoggin' da machines ta yerself? Really good way ta make friends there, buddy." He shrugged off the cougar's paw.

"What? You think just because you're the biggest guy here that you're automatically the king on making friends?" the cougar snarled. "People are more than just the size of their muscles, fatty."

He jabbed Marcus' stomach. Though the kangaroo had just finished working out his abdominals, he still bore the slight belly of one who had more than 1% body fat. In comparison, the cougar was only slightly smaller than him in terms of muscle mass but completely ripped. Marcus tried not to be jealous but he had been trying to shred the body fat for a while now. It was hard when his father kept insisting to stop drinking the 'prissy low fat drinks' and chug some beer. It was the only way he could get the senior Willows to leave him alone at night.

"'Course they are. Others are just giant assholes."

The cougar growled and slammed his paws against Marcus' chest, a feeble attempt to push the bigger roo away. Marcus barely budged. "You wanna start something with me, farm boy!?"

"Ya makin' fun of mah accent?" growled Marcus. "'Cuz I ain't from no farm." He jabbed a thumb against his chest, his firm pectorals resisting the gesture. "Ah'm a marine."

The cougar rolled his eyes and threw his paws into the air. "Oh wonderful!" He then began clapping his paws together in a slow, sarcastic way. "Just brilliant! Way to epitomise our great nation's military there, farm boy. Can't get what you want? Just take it. Find some resistance? Push back until they back down! Brilliant! Just brilliant!"

Clearly the guy was well educated and though Marcus didn't think he was that dumb, he knew when someone had him beaten. Others in the gym were starting to look on and he could see the owner starting to remove himself from the back of the counter. He didn't want to lose his membership here. It was his one sanctuary apart from school away from his father.

"Ya know what?" he said, lifting his paws. "Yer not worth it, assface." He took a step back and turned around. "If ya get hard over mockin' the people that make it their job to protect yer permed ass every day, then go ahead. Jack off in front of ev'ryone and show everyone how big yer cock is. Jus' remember this..." He jabbed a finger in the cougar's direction. "I dun need ta show da world how big my dick is. I got motherfuckin' guns."

To emphasise his point, he flexed both his biceps and let out a loud 'bam'. The cougar actually took a shocked step back and that was more than Marcus needed. He turned around and went back to the change room. Though he didn't get a wide range in his workout, knocking the cougar down a peg or two was endlessly satisfying.

It was almost time for class anyway.

After a quick shower, he got dressed once more, throwing on a plain, tight, form-fitting white shirt and his camouflage pants. He wore his usual large military-issue boots because they were really the only set that could fit his big feet. Once he was done, he headed out of the gym and towards the bus station. His dad wouldn't let him use the car predominantly because... well... he hadn't fought in a war yet. He had been overseas and had some duties here and there but until he fought in a war, he wasn't a man in his father's eyes.

That suited him just fine.

As he stood out in the spring heat, the little speaker beside the bus schedule suddenly announced that the next bus had been cancelled due to difficulties. The next bus would be there in twenty minutes. He swore loudly, apologising to the nun beside him. That would make him late for class and he was already behind in his studies as is. He tapped his foot impatiently and paced across the bus station until, eighteen minutes later, his bus arrived.

He hurried inside, paid for his ticket and took up a whole bench himself just because of his size. Not that anyone seemed to mind considering he was feeling a little pissy and his scent clearly made that clear.

When he reached the college, he managed to squeeze in some cardio as he bolted to Architecture 101 which was halfway across the campus. He tried not to make a scene as he slipped in through the back door and immediately took up the next available seat. It looked like they were just going through some historical pieces of architecture. That he could catch up on.

Hopefully.

Maybe.

Fuck.

"You stink, farm boy."

Marcus' eyes widened as he immediately spun to his left, to the seat right next to him.

It was the cougar!

Double fuck!

"You take this class!?" he snarled softly. "Since when!?"

"Since the semester started," answered the feline haughtily. "What? Didn't you notice because you just joined after you finished killing off foreigners and accusing every second country that they're 'terrorists'??"

Marcus' fur bristled. "Hey, Ah haven't been deployed yet. There ain't even a war goin' on!"

"Oooh! So you're a baby mass murderer. How adorable!"

"Fuck you, asshole."

"Isn't that what your _drill sergeants_do?"

Marcus was just _one more comment_away from punching the guy's lights out but he could see the professor was already starting to give them dirty looks and he didn't want the embarrassment of getting up and relocating. That would just be humiliating especially since it would be the second time that day that he retreated from the cougar.

So, he just huffed softly, opened his notebook and...

"Fuck..." he snarled.

"Yes. Your drill sergeants fuck you. We established that."

Marcus shot the cougar a foul stare. "Not that. An' fer the record, that's just in the fucked up porn stories." He rifled through his backpack. "I forgot ta bring a pen." He rummaged through his belonging. Gym towel. Protein shake bottles. Gym clothes. His physics book for later on in the afternoon.

No pen.

"Really shows how backwards our military is if their grunts still need to use pens..." rumbled the cougar who had a laptop sitting on the small table offered by the seats.

Marcus chose to ignore him. He was already so far behind and he didn't think he could memorise everything the professor was dictating on screen. The mongoose was one of those types that only put summaries on the slides he posted online and the most content - the content on the exams - were based on what he said. His heart began to sink...

Then he found a small, capsule of blue ink contained with a cylindrical slab of plastic to be dispersed via ball point offered to him.

"Here," the cougar said.

Marcus frowned at the offered pen. "Um... thanks..."

The cougar gave him a rather charming sidewards smirk. "Hey, we may hate each other but I'm sure we can unite against a common enemy." He nodded down at the professor. "I figure one of us can diligently take notes while the other can look blankly or sleep. We'll trade at the halfway mark?"

Marcus snorted in laughter and immediately covered his nose in embarrassment. Their professor glared at him and he ducked his head. He took the offered pen and pretended to be diligently taking down notes until the mongoose turned away.

"Your snort is pretty cute," the cougar whispered to him.

Was that... Was that the cougar coming onto him?

He was pretty sure the guy was flirting.

Marcus decided to nip the advance in the bud.

"Hey man, I appreciate the pen an' I'm flattered but I ain't gay."

The cougar smiled. "If you aren't gay, then how do you know about all the 'fucked up porn stories' involved drill sergeants and cadets?"

Marcus' eyes widened. His cheeks began to go bright red as he recalled those few times in the barracks that he had repeatedly_visited this _one site that had... well... drill sergeants_. Male_ drill sergeants. On male cadets. He ducked his head, trying to focus on his notes... But the floodgates had been opened and he started wondering what it would be like if he were the drill sergeant and his cock was buried deep into the muscled, ripped cougar's ass. What it would feel like to have their large forms intertwined in passionate sex, their lips intertwined.

He tried not to make it obvious that he was sporting a boner. Thank god his pants were nice and loose.

Thankfully, the cougar didn't say anything else for halfway through the class when they were affording a quick fifteen minute break to stretch their legs.

Then...

"My name is Eric by the way," he said, offering a paw.

Marcus turned a shaky smile towards the cougar and took the paw gingerly. "Marcus."

"So Marcus," Eric said with a smile, "did you want to grab a coffee?"

He hesitated. "What? Right now? We only got fifteen minutes. Is there time?"

Eric gave him a cute, gentle smile. "There's always time."

---

Epilogue: Reaper - Hades

Pollenburn

Hades seethed.

He opened his eyes for the first time in what felt like an eternity and moved his original body out from where it lay on a soft, white bed. The room where he lay was pure white. There were no shadows here. How anything remained illuminated was always a mystery but such was the case in the Chamber of Chaos. Around him were three other beds, one for each of the other Chaos Lords.

There had been a time when he would've woken to all the beds being occupied by his fellow Chaos Lords but these days, only Tiamat rested in the bed opposite to him. Abaddon and Lilith found their own ways of integrating into a world without the need for Destiny creating connections.

"That was a very close call."

He turned towards the tall, lithe figure of a human woman. Gnarled, black horns jutted from her brow but at the same time, a halo sat comfortably around them. Eighteen large wings made completely out of light and reminiscent of Puritan wings jutted from her back. Eight jutted from her back. Two were wrapped around her brow like a crown. Another two were wrapped around her waist, hiding her exposed private parts while another pair curled down from her shoulders to hide her breasts. Two emerged from her forearms like bladed fins and another two came from her calves. Her long, black hair was a stark contrast to her pale almost alabaster skin.

Destiny, the Chaos Lord of Connection and 'leader' of the Chaos Lords.

"The Wielder caught me off guard," growled Hades, rising resting his head back against the pillows. "Send me back in. I will create a new body and bring him to me."

There was a pause. Then... "No."

Hades snapped his eyes open and sat up. "What?"

"No, Hades," answered Destiny firmly. "When Realmbreaker touched you, it reached through time and space to here. It shattered the connection between your consciousness, this body and the form you had chosen on that world. It could've reached to me and killed both me and you. I cannot risk that."

Hades had experienced that himself. When he was controlling the multitude of zombies and mutants, the Wielder of Realmbreaker had traced his lines of control from his troops straight back to him, injuring him. It was entirely possible, had the Wielder known, that his true body and indeed even Destiny could've been mortally wounded - even destroyed - as a result.

"I will be careful next time."

"There will not be a 'next time'," Destiny answered, taking a step back and shaking her head. "I am not going to risk my work on your foolish endeavours anymore, Hades. I respect you as a fellow colleague but when your _obsession_risks my life and the progress of my work, I cannot support you any longer."

Hades' fury exploded inside of him. "All your work is geared towards destroying the Ultimate Seal and seeing what lies beyond Chaos! Nothing lies beyond Chaos! Chaos is everything! Chaos _made_everything! What was made from Chaos will return to Chaos!"

Destiny shook her head grimly. "No. Chaos no longer exists. It was reforged into all existence and kept stable with the Ultimate Seal. Once before, Chaos was_existence then it ceased to exist and became everything we know." She lifted her black, empty eyes towards him. "Surely should everything be destroyed, we will enter a new phase in our existence. Just as Chaos perished to make us, when we perish, something else will take our place. _That is what I hope to see."

Hades shook his head and leapt off the bed. "You're insane!"

"Perhaps so but one could argue that your obsession with finding your wife and child is similarly mad."

"I have a goal! I love my family! I will bring them back!"

"Then you will have to do so without my aid. You can make your way to that world without my aid. Just remember, should you die, that will be your _final_death. I will no longer extend your consciousness and abilities to that world. If you desire to go to other worlds, I will gladly assist but -"

"No!" Hades shouted, stomping his foot. "Realmbreaker only exists in that world! I must have Realmbreaker."

"Then I wish you luck," answered Destiny. "There's the door."

******

The engines began to spool into life and Kerry took a few steps away from her work. It had taken a while but now her super-secret stealth transport was finally ready. It had taken a while to peel away from the other evacuees and return to Pollenburn, to her secret stash of equipment. She was somewhat disappointed that Joanna hadn't used it but at the same time, she was grateful. After all, she was meant to be on holiday somewhere in Oxis, not in Pollenburn. If Sierra caught wind of her dalliance as some menial worker in the besieged city, questions would be asked. Now that the transport was ready though, she could sneak back into Angelsea unnoticed.

Satisfied, she thought she thought she deserved a cigarette and popped one out, lighting it in the dark garage. The moment she took a deep puff, she smiled.

"I was honestly wondering if you'd want to talk."

Joanna stepped up beside her, regarding the transport. "I got your message and I rushed here as quick as I could." The vixen gave her a smile. "Thank you for brokering that peace between us and MODD."

"It was mostly done through secret correspondence," Kerry answered. "I barely had anything to do with it. Our leader was quite interested in Realmbreaker_as everyone rightly is. The fact that it defeated a Puritan, could break open _Tors from inside and even travel into Tors without being sucked in..." Kerry blew out her cheeks and shook her head, a grin crawling onto her features. "This could revolutionise how we fight Seals."

"Realmbreaker really didn't do anything," murmured Joanna. "It was its Wielder. Jacob. He did everything."

Kerry took another puff. "Regardless, you're to continue to observe him and sway him to our side if possible. But you have new orders." She gave Joanna a firm stare. "I feel, and most of the leadership agree, that it could be potentially damaging to your relationship with Jacob if your past activities were fully... disclosed. MODD is already requesting information on certain Unsealed activities using the information that this 'Hades' might be involved to get what we know. Most, if not all, of your past accomplishments will be attributed to others. If all of them were revealed, it could be potentially damaging to your standing with Jacob. We cannot deny that you are the closest to him any of us can get and just 'trading you out' for another agent who is less... _experienced_will damage our standing with him."

Joanna's eyes narrowed. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that you need to stay with him but if he found out who you really are, then he just might turn against you, against us. In that event, you are to do everything you can to eliminate him."

Joanna staggered back in shock. "You want me to kill him!?"

Kerry shrugged and drew in the last of her cigarette. She tossed the butt aside and stepped towards the transport. "He is a valuable asset but he would also make an incredibly dangerous enemy. If he turns against the Unsealed, we will likely not be able to defeat him. Not with the backing of MODD. So..."

"I need to kill him..."

"For the cause," Kerry agreed, stepping into the cockpit of the transport. "But only as a last resort, of course."

Joanna was silent for a long while and Kerry took that as confirmation. She shut the door to the transport and began powering on the systems.

"He's alive, you know."

Kerry glanced out the window at her subordinate. "Who?"

"Liam."

Joanna's fiancé. Kerry lifted her eyebrows. "Jo, Liam has been dead for years. He was sucked into Valentine Burns' Tor. Everyone knows -"

"But people continued to exist for years in Dorothy Boswin's Tor," countered Joanna, her eyes fiercely defying Kerry. "Liam could still be alive. He could still be fighting! If there's a way, any way we can go in there and save him..."

That look in Joanna's eyes gave Kerry pause. "Very well. You know your heart best, Joanna, and you know Jacob best. But keep my advice."

The vixen nodded slowly. "I know... I know."

******

"This is such a bad idea..."

Jacob rolled his eyes and pushed open the door to the cab. Behind him, Silas had already moved to the rear of the car and started to pull the bags out of the back. "Come on, you big baby. It's just for one week. You managed to live under dad's roof for a little under half your life. You can survive this."

Rex shuffled uncomfortably in his seat. "I... I don't know. From what you told me, he's a mad scientist. From what Max told me, once tried to create a replica of the particle cannon with a toaster."

"A toaster, egg beater and a dildo," Jacob corrected, stepping out the car. He took in the fresh air, feeling a strong weight fall on his chest as he was spared a second to think about what had happened over the past few days. The thoughts came rushing in and he allowed them to come.

Pollenburn had been saved and was now in a state of repair. Gale's official press conference had both shaken and cemented support in MODD especially now that the Unsealed had officially given their tentative backing towards the peace treaty. All information on Hades was being freely shared between the organisations though the Unsealed had very little to offer. Regardless, that meant more people against the Chaos Lord. The public knew nothing of Hades, however. That piece of information was kept under wraps until they understood more about the Chaos Lord and his abilities.

As for Pollenburn itself, just over a million had died and in a few short days, Jacob was to fly back there for the official opening of the memorial to those that had died. The entire Rattlesnake Stronghold was going to be refurbished to commemorate those the dead with the names of the deceased engraved into the walls of the labyrinthine facility. They were even going to keep the Skytrain embedded into for authenticity. Apparently there was going to be a statue of him, Rex and the others who had defeated the plague and save Pollenburn in the courtyard but Jacob refused to allow his image on there. It didn't feel right.

Speaking of not feeling right... That statue would also show Marcus who had died in the tunnels. Jacob wasn't sure if he could go to the grand opening knowing that he'd have to look at the kangaroo's face like that. He had spent a good few days with Max going to the homes of those that had died and spending time with them. Max had some incredible knowledge on the men who served under him even if they were just briefly and he could tell the dragon was deeply affected by it. When Jacob saw how the families of those that passed broke down, he let the memories and emotions spill forth just a little. It hurt but it helped to deal with the pain in small doses.

That was the limit of how far he'd let the thoughts drown him. He shut the floodgates and let the waters of the past drain away. After five days, he was finally ready to take the next step to recovery. He knew what he had to do.

It was time to move on again.

He was getting better.

He had a life to live.

At least this time, he didn't cry.

"Are you sure I can't just send him an email or something?" Rex whined.

Jacob seized his brother's paw and pulled him out of the cab. "Hey, I go to your fancy ass ball at House Atlas and meet the President and you come home and meet dad. That was the deal. Now haul your ass out of there. We're being charged per second."

"Money shouldn't be an issue," Rex muttered. "You've already got multiple endorsements from various branches of MODD, dozens of interviews lined up your own clothing line..."

"Yeah well, I -" Jacob stopped and narrowed his gaze at his brother. "Don't I have to sign a contract for that?"

Rex gave him a sheepish grin. "I may have forged your signature..."

"You did what!? And how the hell did you do that!"

His brother shrugged. "It's simple. You're a Worldrider so you don't have a signature on record. It makes you untraceable. So anything I scribbled was taken as your signature."

Jacob's jaw dropped and he spun to Silas, looking to the older wolf for answers... or maybe permission to deck his brother. Silas just gave him a shrug and started carrying the bags up the driveway to the front door.

"What the hell have you gotten me into?" he growled at Rex.

Rex held up a paw, his thumb and forefinger just an inch from one another. "Just a few interviews in over the next week, some photo shoots for your own line of jacket bags and some personal appearances and endorsements. Oh and you're going to have to be at Crescenta in about five weeks for the official first leg of the World Wide Boat Race." He shrugged again. "And that thing with the President next week."

Jacob really had to fight not to punch his brother and tried to focus on something, anything, to keep his mind off what was practically exploitation. Unfortunately, his fury kept reminding him that he'd have to be looking at his face over and over again as he was Mortaelis' newest celebrity at least until some movie star gave birth or got married. So he focused on something somewhat related but still not enough to motivate him to knock out Rex.

"What are jacket bags?"

Rex beamed and gestured at his coat. "These things! You know, the bags that are built into jackets? Totally hitting it off in the market! You've got designers from all over the world clamouring to make it! In my honest opinion, this up and coming designer -"

"I don't want to hear it!" Jacob snapped, lifting his paw. "Pay the cab and haul your ass into the house. I'm going to see if dad's death ray is still around."

Rex's ears folded back and his tail sunk between his legs. "Dad has a death ray?"

Jacob refused to answer mostly because said death ray was made out of a hollowed out gourd, parts of the microwave and a colander. He marched up to the house while Rex settled up the cab fare.

Silas was already waiting for him.

"So... Rex finally told you he's going to cart you around as his newest protégé, huh?" Silas asked.

He gave the older wolf a foul stare. "You knew?"

"Did he tell you about the part that you're going to be meeting Chadstone West in Crescenta?"

Jacob's eyebrows shot up. "He omitted that part but..." He shook his head and growled. "Still... I don't want any of this."

Silas chuckled softly and patted his shoulders. "Like it or not, you're on the world stage now, Jake. Moving on doesn't mean you get to go back to the same place you were when you started."

He groaned at that statement. "Why couldn't I have just somehow managed to remain undetected like the other guy? I mean, he blew up the tower in Pollenburn, killed Gale, turned Rocky into a renegade and assassinated Sierra while nearly sinking Angelsea. He didn't need to run from place to place shaking paws, getting medals and getting stuff designed out of him."

Silas just shook his head. "Just be grateful that Rex is there with you. He may be an idiot but he knows what he's doing. He actually rejected the movie deals, you know."

Jacob flinched. "They wanted to make a movie about me!?"

"Multiple. It was going to be a three part movie."

"I spent a week in Pollenburn and this book was barely five hundred pages! They want to make three movies out of it!?" Jacob buried his face in his paws. "I blame Peter Jackson..." He lifted his gaze and shook his head. "It isn't even fucking over..."

Silas' expression grew grim. "Hades is still out there, isn't he?"

"Definitely. And I want to stop him." He locked gazes with the wolf. "If you get the chance, remind Rex that all this bullshit is secondary. Hades is my priority."

The wolf gave him a salute. "Will do."

Rex finally caught up with them, clearly dragging his feet as he came up to the door. He didn't speak as Jacob rang the doorbell.

BOOM!

Rex jumped and would've bolted had Jacob not seized his collar and forced him in place.

"That's the doorbell," Jacob said.

"His doorbell is an explosion!?"

"It gets your attention, doesn't it?"

Then... the door slowly opened.

Isaac Reaper looked up, dressed only in a bathrobe. His expression broke into a brilliant smile. "Jacob!" Then he caught sight of his other son. "Rex!"

His arms suddenly flung around both his sons, pulling them together in a tight embrace. The gesture shocked Rex to the point where he was babbling incoherently.

"I was so worried about you boys!" Isaac exclaimed. He pulled away and appraised Jacob. "You've definitely grown." Then he turned to Rex, a soft smile on his features. "And I've missed you, Rex."

Rex finally found a way past the lump in his throat and managed to croak, "I missed you too dad."

Isaac then turned to the one other wolf yet to be introduced. "And who is this?"

Silas held out his paw and shook Isaac's. "My name is Silas, sir. I'm Rex's official bodyguard. I'm also fucking him."

"Si!" Rex exclaimed in horror.

Isaac laughed brightly. "That's okay. I'm fucking Jacob."

"Dad!" Rex looked about ready to faint.

Silas beamed.

"Something tells me we'll get along just fine."