Chapter 51
The big guys are looking at Ark, wanting to tell him about their plan, but when they see the concentrated look on his face as he watches Melody, they can't bring themselves to interrupt. They exchange glances and understand each other, there's nothing to do but wait for Melody to wake up, and then they'll talk.
They wait for a few minutes then they see Melody's eyes open, she looks around and sees the big guys smiling at her and a relieved look on their faces, then she sees Ark with his dark face and forcing himself to smile at her, she also sees Terra sleeping body on the bed next to her.
She turns her head again at Ark and says:
"I am back big brother, i managed to defeat him in the end, i didn't lose, i changed my fate, and Terra's. I changed the destiny that would've taken me away from you by being weak."
She says all of that with tears in her eyes, and when she finishes, she jumps in Ark's arms crying even louder. Ark for the first time in his life doesn't know how to react, this is not what he expected.
He thought that Melody will be mad at him, maybe even trying to hit him a few times, because he was the one who let all that pain to reach them.
But then a real smile appears on his face, and he thinks: 'Yeah, i really am not alone anymore, i have a family now. And this is what families do, they forgive.'
Melody calms down and looks at the other people in the room, and her cheeks start to take a shade of red, but then she remembers to ask:
"How long was i out, and what happened in the meantime?"
Kyle answers her and tells her about the Celestials move and what their plan is.
Immediately Melody knows what she will do:
"I will stay here with Terra, and besides the cube's energy is almost empty, i need to find a way to charge it again, so whoever wants to help me by coming here...'To Die', then is more than welcomed."
Melody looks really scary right now, the others think. Leah tells her:
"Melody, you look scarier than the Devils right now."
The other start to laugh and the heavy atmosphere lightens, then Ark speaks: "Melody, I'm sorry."
"I know that i failed the both of you, but i promise that i will pay them back a hundredfold, i will show them what 'Pain' means."
Melody just shakes her head and says:
"You don't have to apologies to me, i knew what it meant to walk beside you. I knew, and i was ready for 'Pain' from the start. I'm glad i overcame my old self, and now i can walk beside you further and further."
"And i know Terra will be mad at you. But don't worry, because for Terra, you are her most important person in the entire Universe, so if you try hard enough, she will forgive you."
Then the big guys leave the care unit to do their jobs and prepare for the incoming threat.
With the unit not so crowded anymore, Melody relaxes a little bit and starts to talk with Leah about everything while waiting for Terra to wake up.
All around everything seems fine, but all know that is only the calm before the storm. Slowly pressure begins to build in the air, and the people start to feel the weight of waiting and the fear of the unknown. The fear of not knowing, what is going to happen.
Ark walks the streets and sees how the people are affected. So he raises his soul aura a little bit, and a calm and soothing energy spreads all around that takes some of the burden from their shoulders. Niobe feels it and looks in Ark's direction while smiling.
Ark walks aimlessly until he reaches a part of the city where is completely deserted, when he looks around and sees only the rubble and destruction around him, he thinks, 'It seems i really don't want to lose anything, especially to see the entire Earth becoming like this.'
A new sense to care and protect comes over him, even surprising himself. 'Home', will always have a special place in someone's heart.
After a new wave of resolve he walks back, even more determined to make it up to Terra and keep her safe. When he gets back, he sees the little Marshmallow hiding behind Melody's back, completely healed, he thinks, 'It seems she became even more powerful now'. But she has her head lowered.
At the sight of her, his heart aches, and some dark thoughts creep in; 'What if she won't forgive me, what if she doesn't want to have anything to do with me...What if, she fears me?' But he steels himself and walks towards her.
Melody tries to make way for Ark, but the little girl holds her in place, then Ark nods his head, saying it's okay;
"Hello Terra, I'm sorry, I'm sorry for the pain that i caused you. I know that as a big brother my job was to protect you, to keep you from harm."
"I hope that you can forgive me. I promise that from now on i won't let any bad guys come anywhere near you. I'll destroy them all."
"And...I still have your present. What do you say? Do you still want it?"
The little girl peeks from behind Melody. For a moment she doesn't know what to do, she is also afraid, but the temptation of a present is equally great, she struggles for a few moments and then the curiosity wins over fear, and she starts to walk towards him, but her head is kept low.
Again, a few arrows pierces Ark's heart, but he forces himself to smile. And says;
"When i was far away in another Dimension, i found something incredible, something rarely seen, that i kept only for someone special, and you are special and incredible."
Then Ark puts his hands behind his back, increasing the expectations even more, then a rainbow of lights starts appearing behind his back, making the little one giggle, and after a few seconds of admiring the lights, Ark starts slowly to bring his hands in front of him, but not before he says:
"Close your eyes."
The little one listens. Then she hears again;
"You can open them now."
When Terra opens her eyes, she sees a crown made of crystal that is clear like water, there are five pointy tips in descending heights, the tallest in the center being fifteen centimeters tall, and the crown is not a compete circle, the back is open apart. And each tip holds a perfectly round, colored stone, the tallest tip holds a green colored stone, the middle ones being ten centimeters long hold a blue and gray stones, and on the smallest ones that are five centimeters long hold brown and black stones.
The little one makes big round eyes, that she can't take them away from it, the more she looks at her the more she likes it, she hears Ark's voice;
"This is 'Void Shard', the crown once worn by the Void Queen, it is a soul-bonding weapon, that at her peak, could fight even with the Dimension's Destroyer Weapons and not lose, so if you manage to unlock all its power, then you will be more powerful than even your uncles Kyle and Zmaug."
Terra eyes shine with excitement, she carefully takes the crown from Ark with so much care that she doesn't even dare to breath to hard, she treats it like it could break with a touch.
Ark starts to smile and says;
"You don't have to worry about breaking it, it is stronger than even dragons' scales, try and put it on, then you will be able to unlock some of its powers."
Terra gives him a questioning look but does as told, then immediately the crown starts to shine, and Terra passes out, but Ark catches her and takes her in his arms, then he carries her to the bed in the care unit.
Melody looks at her and asks:
"Is she now in the Soul Space in the trials of the crown? Will she be ok?"
Ark answers while walking;
"Yeah, everything is fine, the crown only needs to connect with her soul, the larger the soul the more power it can draw from it. And i think that the little Marshmallow will give us a big surprise."
Melody nods and smiles. After putting Terra to rest, they return to the others. The final preparations need to be made, Ark will leave with the others on the deserted planet.
Ark goes to Kyle and asks;
"How long do you still need?"
Kyle answers;
"Not long, half an hour, then we will leave."
Ark looks around and sees only calm faces, no one from the big guys are worried, then he says:
"A new hunt is about to begin, but who is the hunter and who is the prey, is still unknown."