Post by Swith on Jan 19, 2016 14:57:10 GMT -4
NOMINATION 2: The Last Post
Nominated by: Yaana Noore
Notes by Yaana Noore: none
"It was impressive." The Doctor acknowledged to Ivy. "You did quite well with breaking us all out of the nightmare." he told her.
"Agreed." said Calliel, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked in a quieter tone, trying to lead her away, but she stayed put.
"As much as I can be." she told him. "But Calliel...I saw that vision. That was indeed you attacking Uriel, wasn't it? Not an apparition?"
Calliel was quiet.
Ivy hugged him. "It's okay, Calliel. It's okay. You couldn't have protected everyone. And he...even he deserves a second chance, alright?"
The Doctor nodded. "This is true, Lord Calliel." he said softly. "Anger is there. I feel it constantly myself. But you can't give in to it."
Calliel spoke now, his voice breaking. "I was so angry. So possessed by that rage. But...I just love you, Ivy. So much."
"I know." she replied softly. "So do I. But we need to talk."
The Doctor nodded, now turning to Jon. "Landsville, help clean this up. There may be bits of Nixon's organisation left. Khan and I have to leave. But I'm certain you'll see us again."
Jon looked at Khan and felt a fundamental sadness as the TARDIS lifted off.
Vworp. Vworp.
"Fuck." Aleister Lewis sighed. "Go ask Erin to get me a drink off the top shelf, will you? I think we all need one now."
2080
Aleister Lewis, now much older, walked through the hallways of Elfen High confidently, glasses on his face and book in his left hand. They had finally dealt with the dangers of the library. The books knew who the boss was now. Now, to deal with the fact that the old science classroom on the third floor seemed to have a banshee nobody could find that was screaming at all hours of the day. Even the werewolves couldn't sniff it out, but everyone heard the shrieks. So for now the third floor was sealed off.
It was a school board meeting now. He didn't care too much for these, but they were necessary. "So," said Aleister Lewis, walking inside and getting right to business, arriving at 1 pm on the dot. "What should be the first topic of discussion?"
"Well, we've made some progress on the hallway on the fourth floor of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering building." said Professor Rajasekar hopefully, the Tamil man coughing. "The hallway is now fully finite in breadth."
Aleister Lewis broke out into a grin. "That's great news! Why aren't you happier about it?"
"Well... it still appears to be infinite in length. But the fact that it no longer swallows light itself indicates that this is merely due to the limits of perception, and the hallway does now possess an end." Rajasekar coughed. "Somewhere."
Aleister Lewis sighed. "For fuck's sake." he muttered. "Fine. Alright. How long have we estimated it is?"
"There's no real measuring equipment that can state that. But we've estimated it'll take at least four human lifetimes to traverse it, so..."
The dwarf gave the Tamil a death glare. "Alright. We'll try to deal with it later. Let's bring in our new professor, who'll present his dissertation now."
Jon Landsvile coughed, standing up. After he had quit the ISSR recently, he was finally pursuing his true passion - applying to teach Philosophy and Literature. "Anyway, for my dissertation I shall compare Shakespeare’s unproduced and unpublished play, Orgy in Dys, with elements of Chaucer’s unwritten childhood daydreams." he said, opening his mouth to begin, but was interrupted by the alarm system.
Err, Headmaster Seward? Another kid has gotten lost within the second floor of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering building.
"For fuck's sake. Landsville, join Professors Chen and Moorthy in dealing with that. That'll do instead of a dissertation."
"I worked on this sonofabitch, you exotic butters!" said the offended Pittsburgher.
"Yeah, sounds bueno." waved Aleister Lewis, focusing on the new item at hand as Sophia Chen and Raj Moorthy went to deal with the lost student with Landsville. "Now, Professor Fernadez, you'll be teaching Economics here?"
"Well, my cat will be teaching economics. I'll be snorting cocaine in the backroom. She can't type, so I had to fill out the application."
"You're already better than most of our staff." admitted the headmaster. "You're hired. Now, next item on the agenda, our new courses. History 311 – History of Post-War Britain, taught by Dr. Green. Alternative History 133 - History of Nazi Britain, taught by Dr. Cerise." Aleister Lewis looked up. "Nazi Britain?"
"It's really fascinating." Dr. Cerise said earnestly, her blond hair and blue eyes looking at Aleister Lewis as he sighed. He had hired her out of the remnants of the Thules, but occasionally some things came out. "Just don't use this as a training ground." he muttered.
"Would never dream of it." she said, though the headmaster could tell a lie when it was spoken.
"Computer Science 180 – Java Programming and Hatred, taught by Professor Arjun Khan-"
"It is lies! It is all fucking lies and hatred!" snarled a destructive force of nature.
"Settle down, Professor Khan." replied Aleister Lewis, unphased. "Biology 371: Cloning and You and You, Math 261: Magical Mathematics, Math 251: Integral Calculus, so on..." he sighed. "Seems like it works."
"Math 251 seems like it'll be hard." observed Christian O'Neil, an Irish professor of Biology 278: Alcohol, Weed and You.
"Stop being so white about it." said Aleister Lewis. "At any rate, that should be good. Now, if this meeting is wrapped up, I'll deal with some other stuff. Goodbye, ladies, gentlemen and those who don't fit in either." he said with a nod, walking out.
"I do miss him." confessed Ivy Michaelson nee Green with a wistful smile as she and Aleister Lewis drank tea together. She was old now, very old, but still full of vitality and energy, a twinkling smile. "Richard came by to the funeral, funded it entirely himself so the taxpayer here wouldn't have to though everyone was willing. But Calliel wouldn't have wanted that."
Aleister Lewis and Ivy looked out the window quietly, seeing the city of Heavensgate moving outside. Aleister Lewis blinked. "Not to alarm you, but a man outside is taking a piss on a cross."
Ivy made a scoffing sound. "One of those bloody atheist movements. Richard Dawkins found Heavensgate and is trying to cause a fuss. Annoying, isn't it?" she asked as a human and demon guard grabbed the man and dragged him off.
Aleister Lewis chuckled. "How is Richard? Enjoying his life?"
"Oh, certainly. After he was done at his job in Brussels and then after he left his job at your school-"
"Yes, he was done after Kevin's performance of Romeo and Juliet. it did go overboard, I admit. There was certainly less Satanism in the original play."
"Yes. Anyway, after that, he's been doing really well at his job in Jasper as a business executive. He's happy in America now. And really, that's all a parent can want, right? Happiness for their child." she smiled. "Our daughter Jane is also doing really well now, but you know that."
"Yes, I have to meet with her soon, as well as Loki and Thor." laughed Aleister Lewis. "Lady Jane of Heavensgate. Grew up fast, hasn't she?"
"She's less than five years younger than you." said Ivy sharply but warmly.
"Yeah, but even so." muttered the headmaster. "Do you know how fucking weird it is to meet with your ex-girlfriend as an important world leader?"
"Least it's not a current world leader, like your predecessor had to deal with." observed the former First Lady of Heavensgate. "Poor William. He was surprisingly less whipped than I thought though, good on him."
Aleister Lewis finished off his tea. "It was a pleasure to see you again, ma'am." said the dwarf, shaking the hand of the older woman. "I'll pay my respects at Calliel's grave before I go."
Ivy nodded, her eyes unfocusing as she remembered old memories. His smiling face. Those dances, oh, those dances. For an awkward angel who never knew music, Calliel could dance. That had been a love. A true love. She looked at a photograph of him smiling, his arm around her, Richard and Jane also in the picture, smiling at the camera. The photograph was off, of course, because it had been taken by Laz, so it was taken upside down and you could clearly saw Laz's finger. But it was a memory. And she had so many.
Quietly, she heard him whisper to her, appearing as a vision. "I'll never leave." the wisp of a ghost said. Was it actually him? Was it just a hopeful daydream. "I'll be with you, always. Always in your heart. And soon, you'll join me, alright? But don't wait for it. Live for me. But I'll be never be truly gone, alright?"
Then he was gone, and only the music was left.
Well, holy moly me oh my
You’re the apple of my eye
Girl, I've never loved one like you
Man, oh, man, you're my best friend
I scream it to the nothingness
There ain't nothing that I need
Well, hot and heavy pumpkin pie
Chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
Ain't nothing please me more than you
Home, let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Home, let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you
La la la la
Take me home
Mama, I'm coming home
I'll follow you into the park,
Through the jungle, through the dark
Girl, I've never loved one like you
Moats and boats, and waterfalls,
Alleyways, and payphone calls
I been everywhere with you
Laugh until we think we'll die,
Barefoot on a summer night
Never could be sweeter than with you
And in the streets you run afree,
Like it's only you and me,
Geez, you're something to see.
"Endings...are always hard." said Kevin quietly on his radio show. "When I started this radio show nearly half a century ago, i never imagined it'd become so popular and huge, but it has. I'm thankful for that. You listeners have been amazing, and I'm glad to have navigated this time with you. Thank you, and thank you to those who chose not to pursue legal action, and fuck you to those who did." He cleared his throat. "Alright. Anyway, our final show, at least with me as the host. So, today-"
There was static and distortion. Kevin cleared his throat. "Err, listeners, there seems to be something going wrong here, we're getting a frequency from somewhere else..."
"What the fuck is this?" demanded a distinctly British voice. "Who the fuck am I talking to? Did the hallucinogenics work? Evidently more than I expected."
"Hold on, who is this?" Kevin asked.
"You fucking well know who I am. Aleister fucking Crowley, who the fucking exotic butters are you"
"Aleister Crow- wait, hold on, please. What year is it?"
"2029." said the voice. The sound of a bottle opening was heard, it being chugged. "But it all may as well be over, to be frank. Who gives a fuck?" said the depressed voice.
"Listeners, it seems that we've broken through time and are now actually communicating with the real Aleister Crowley. This is so excitin-"
"Who cares? Yes, it's fucking me. There's only me. Fuck me, fuck you, fuck this." he sighed, sounding tired and depressed. "Who are you? I remember you somehow..."
"Kevin, sir. From 2080. And it's an honour-"
"2080?" Crowley's attention perked. "So you know how this turns out. You know how I turn out. Before you do, just remember. I do my best with what I have. And I don’t have much." he took a breath, and asked very timidly. "What happens? How does it go?"
"It goes well, sir." Kevin replied quietly. "It goes well. You'll be alright."
"Huh. I guess that's something to await." he said after a pause. "That's nice." The static died. And he was gone.
Kevin seemed a bit shaken and surprised. "Well, listeners, you heard that. Wow! What a blast from the past, right?" He said, as the static returned.
"Who's this?" asked that same voice, but sounding different. Sharper. More aware.
"Crowley?"
"How do you know me?"
"Sir, my name is Kevin. I'm a professor at Elfen High-"
"Elfen High? What the fuck is that?" he said sceptically.
"Sir, I'm from the future. Long, long in the future, it seems. I assure you, i am from your school. I'm looking at a statue of you right now, actually - it's quite magnificent."
"Why is there a statue of me?"
"Well, you were Headmaster, sir!" Kevin explained, excited again. "A hugely revered figure. Someone everyone knows. Sir, you were so well known. Not a man on Earth doesn't know who you were!"
There was silence on the other end. "People know me?" he asked quietly. "The school becomes a thing? I become headmaster?"
"Sir, you win. You succeed. And because of you, we all do. Sir, you gave us all more time. You're the stuff of legends!"
"I-"
The static went out. And so did the connection. Kevin blinked. "I think that's it, everyone." he said softly. "But let's hope that did some good, right? But as we go out, I want to feature a cameo by a certain musician. And before we go, please remember to attend my latest play, alright? But without further ado...Live from my studio, everyone, welcome Young Empires."
"No, I won’t lose hope
No, I won’t lose sight
But heaven is a place I just can’t find
Run from the shadows and run to the light
Running from a past I left behind
Haunted by a memory that I just can’t set free
Searching for the man that I used to be
I’ve made my sacrifice in the ashes of
But heaven is a place I just can’t find..."
Elsewhere, Priestcruncher cracked open a beer with Jackson and Corvallis Sanchez on the islands of Kirbati, which had been restored by Fen a while back with magic. The tides had been stopped, and the islands existed peacefully again, everyone happy. Priestcruncher and Jackson had chosen to take a vacation here after returning to their time, and then had decided it was useful to just move here permanently. It was a beautiful place, really.
Priestcruncher looked up at the sky, the sun shining bright. "We did it. The last Crowley's Penis was killed. And i think any remnants of Nixon's old organisation is gone for good now too." he said, taking a smoke.
"Good fucking news." muttered Jackson, having a drink. "Good fucking news indeed."
Corvallis, who had moved here some time ago and was their neighbour, just shrugged. "Just relax, guys. And you know, that new play by Kevin O'Shaunwhatever is going to play soon. Jackson, turn on the TV, will you?"
The play started soon after. It was an original work based off true events. It was called The Fall of Elfen High. It would win many, many awards, especially for the musician Gavin Duane's cameo at the climax.
Priestcruncher sighed, looking at Jackson. "I never told you what I saw in my nightmare, you know. All that time ago, in the school."
Jackson shrugged. "I never told you mine. It still bother you?"
The bear shook his head. "I stared into the abyss. The abyss looked back. And I stared it down there. And then...I don't know. But ever since, I've felt better."
Jackson gave his friend a smile. "Well...best that we can all hope for, really."
We could go on forever. We really, honestly could. There's so much. There will always be so much. The world is massive. There's so much built in here.
Stories never end. This is a truth. We can talk about this forever. We can talk about the Great Mormon Civil War. We can discuss the Chinese invasion of Mars. We can talk about how the space race advanced and humanity, demonkind and others spread to the stars and met creatures there, and more threats and more adventures and more love and more hate and more stories. Hell, we can talk about the day when Headmaster Billy the Sixteenth of Elfen High defeated the Pittsburgher threat, as after the Cataclysm that city flew into the stars and tormented the good people of our Solar System, and how Billy the Sixteenth managed to defeat the Pittsburghers through eldritch knowledge gained from his time in Upstate New York.
There are just too many stories, going on infinitely. They'll never stop.
But let's try to find a good point to make it stop, or at least give the illusion of a conclusion. Let's give a few last tales.
Let's go back to the beginning of this epilogue.
Aleister Crowley coughed, leaning back and sighing. "Where am I?" he asked.
"DEAD." said Death simply. "NOT JUST YOURS THOUGH."
Crowley stared at Death in confusion. "Sorry?"
"THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS, CROWLEY. WHERE WE ALL END." explained Death patiently. "YOU ARE AT THE END OF ALL THINGS. AT THE END OF THIS OMNIVERSE." he said, not unkindly.
Crowley gaped. "Wait...did I fail?" he asked quietly. "Did we fail in saving everything?"
"YOU SUCCEEDED." said Death quickly and reassuringly. "BUT EVERYTHING FADES. IT'S INEVITABLE. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR FAILINGS. YOU SAVED EVERYTHING, AND THOSE COMING AFTER YOU HELPED TO MAINTAIN THAT. BUT ALL THINGS GROW OLD. ALL THINGS FALL AND DIE. IT IS INNATE."
Crowley paused. "You told me once that one day everything would end and you would be there to take care of it. Is that this time? How long has it been since I died?"
"ALEISTER, IT HAS BEEN MILLIONS OF YEARS. YOU DID GOOD."
"Yeah. I think I can work with that."
"WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE LAST SENTIENT BEING NOW, THE LAST PERSON TO COME JOIN US."
"Oh? And who would that be?"
A gasp was heard. Crowley turned around, and saw a very old man, impossibly old, looking back at him. His eyes, however, were energetic and active, looking alert.
"YOUR WORK IS DONE." said Death gently.
Uriel stood up slowly. "Really now?" he asked, breaking into a genuine, honest smile. "That's a new thing. I'm retired?"
Death placed a hand on Crowley's shoulder, causing a jolt of energy to go through him as he absorbed the multitude of memories that burst into him, giving Uriel's life story after his own death, causing Crowley to understand how his brother had taken on the task of being the Harbinger of the Sun.
The brothers embraced.
"How old are you now?" asked Crowley warmly.
"Old." replied Uriel. "I have long outlived everything else, brother. It's been...it must have been trillions of years since I saw you, from my end, since we had that battle."
"Yes, this meeting has happened in slightly less fucked up circumstances." Crowley allowed. He let go of Uriel.
"Glad to see we're all a family again." said Richard, approaching with a beaming Raphael and Michael. But then so many more. Lewis. Minh. D. Daisuke. Calliel. Ivy. Ciel(s). Damien. Aleister Lewis. William. Hilde. The Mummy. Billy. Daniel. Laz. Everyone who had ever played a part were here now.
Crowley looked astonished. "What's going on?" he asked, as did Uriel, seeing so many figures. Trillions of figures, their souls dancing in the blue lights.
"THE COILS OF THE OMNIVERSE ARE UNRAVELING." said Death. "EVERYTHING ENDS, MR. CROWLEY."
"No more runs." said Minh with a wide smile. "We've done them all, Aleister."
"Do all of ye' fuckers have a fucking addiction to sentiment?" demanded an irate voice standing next to an Irish woman.
A memory flashed back to Crowley now.
Events like this shaped everyone's life. Again, Crowley realised that he had loved. Everyone. Everything was connected, and he could see the connections as bright as day, he could see the lines that linked them all together. And it was all quiet, it was all ending, and it was all...perfect.
There wasn't any more time for improvement. There couldn't be, not anymore. It was the end of the world as he knew it.
And he felt fine.
He leaned forward, embracing one after another, dancing between the crowd, before he came upon someone.
Leah, his wife, his truest love, smiling radiantly at him, holding their son Spero in her arms. Crowley embraced them, crying.
It was all closing up now.
Smiling
Spinning 'round and 'round
Holding hands
The whole world a blur
But you are standing
Tears streamed down Crowley's face, and he saw Uriel standing in the distance, uncomfortable despite it all. He gestured to him, and the former archangel walked forward, being hugged and held by hundreds.
"Should i give a speech or something?" Khan asked Jon.
"Could work in these circumstances." Jon concluded.
Khan shut up to spite Jon.
"WE'RE CLOSING UP SHOP, EVERYONE." said Death gently.
"Where to now?" asked Crowley, looking up.
"ANYWHERE."
And then it all ended. There was a flash of white light.
Death was alone. And quiet.
When the first living thing existed, he was there, waiting. When the last living thing died, his job finished. He put the chairs on tables, turned out the lights and lock the universe behind him when he left.
And then he would go.
But...there was one thing left.
He petted Stanley, smiling at his eternal companion. "LET'S GO. WE HAVE SOME CLEANING UP TO FINISH."
A long, long time ago.
Crowley sighed, sitting on a bench. There was a lot going on right now. Frankly, just too much, with his wife's dead, the destruction of their village, and the death of...well, a lot. It was tiring and exhausting. But maybe, just maybe, if he exhausted himself enough, his mental exhaustion and physical exhaustion would cancel out.
It was a silly hope and the wizard knew full well it wasn't possible. But sometimes you'd believe even the impossible to feel better.
"God fucking hell." he told himself, sitting on the bench, his head in his lap.
He had failed. Massively. Leah was dead. And others. God. Fuck. He wept, his head in his hands, wanting death.
"Well, listeners, you heard that. Wow! What a blast from the past, right?" came a voice out of nowhere, in his head.
He looked up, startled. "Who's this?"
"Crowley?"
"How do you know me?"
"Sir, my name is Kevin. I'm a professor at Elfen High-"
"Elfen High? What the fuck is that?" he said sceptically.
"Sir, I'm from the future. Long, long in the future, it seems. I assure you, i am from your school. I'm looking at a statue of you right now, actually - it's quite magnificent."
"Why is there a statue of me?" demanded Crowley incredously. After all, it's not like he would amount to anything.
"Well, you were Headmaster, sir!" the voice explained, incredibly excited and happy. "A hugely revered figure. Someone everyone knows. Sir, you were so well known. Not a man on Earth doesn't know who you were!"
He was quiet, comtemplative. This was just a daydream, of course. It was absurd someone was speaking to him from the future. Absolutely absurd. "People know me?" he asked quietly. "The school becomes a thing? I become headmaster?"
"Sir, you win. You succeed. And because of you, we all do. Sir, you gave us all more time. You're the stuff of legends!"
"I-" Crowley began, but the voice cut out. And he was alone again. He sighed. it was just a daydream. Absurd. But he was...he was hopeful now. He might grow into something, if he kept himself encouraged. The depression was there. It always would be, really. But he might...he might move beyond it one day. This dream had given him something as he sat on the bench, sighing. "God..."
"What's wrong here, then?" Richard asked, somehow there. The fact he had been called by this was quite amusing in retrospect.
Crowley glanced up. "Nothing much, sir. Nothing much. Just tired from running and all." He decided not to mention this daydream. It'd seem absurd.
"Well, why stop now?"
"...Because I'm exhausted?" Crowley asked, smiling ever slightly now as he looked up at his mentor.
"When you hit that level of exhaustion, only thing left to do is to go on. You can't get more tired, can you? It's like life. You can't get more fucked after a certain point. You may as well keep running and get better at it. Then you'll run better and better each time."
Crowley paused. "Perhaps you have a point there, sir."
Richard smiled smugly. "I always do. Now, I'll come with you on this one. One more run, alright? Then I'll talk to you about something new we're thinking about."
"Hmm?"
"A school. An idea. Valaran and I have been seriously discussing this, as has Loki. A school where we can help people out, people with powers and gifts, help them integrate into society, master their skills, grow stronger."
"And what do you want from me?" asked Crowley, turning. "I can hardly manage myself, let alone others." He said even as his mind was blown. The school...it would be real? Was this more than just a dream? A prophecy? An actual conversation from the future? Anything was possible at this point.
Richard looked at him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can manage a lot more. You need to believe, son. Just do that. I believe in you, alright? Look, we want you to help Valaran with this project. It'll be good for everyone. But first...let's run for awhile."
From somewhere else, a radio station far in the future, music played.
No, I can’t lose hope
No, I won’t lose sight
And I won’t stop looking for heaven’s light
I hear the angels singing when I close my eyes
And I can hear the bells ringing like a siren’s cry
And I can feel it in my bones
Every time I think of home
(You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone)
It still haunts me like a ghost
But I know we’re not alone
(You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone)
And I can feel it in my bones
Every time I think of home
(You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone)
It still haunts me like a ghost
But I know we’re not alone
(You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone)
They ran one more time, and then they ran a second lap, and a third. And then, ultimately, Richard buckled down to the ground, laughing, now himself too tired to keep going.
"Holy hell." Richard laughed. "You're dammed good at this. What are you, eh?"
Crowley grinned, his smile spreading wide on his face, a certain arrogant, innocent and happy charm.
Crowley looked at his mentor and father figure, and he saw Loki approaching, as well as Valaran, and so many others. In his mind, he imagined the future and what it could bring. Regardless of whatever, he wouldn't be alone.
"Oh, you know," he began, scratching the back of his head as he helped Richard up, reflecting on his life and what could come. He'd always have someone. And so will everyone. Nobody is completely lost. There is always love. There is always loss. And there is always life. And we're all, in our own way..."Stuff of legend."
"GOODNIGHT, BHENCHODS."
Nominated by: Yaana Noore
Notes by Yaana Noore: none
ENTRY BEST HEARTWARMING OR TEAR-JERKER SINGLE POST
"It was impressive." The Doctor acknowledged to Ivy. "You did quite well with breaking us all out of the nightmare." he told her.
"Agreed." said Calliel, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright?" he asked in a quieter tone, trying to lead her away, but she stayed put.
"As much as I can be." she told him. "But Calliel...I saw that vision. That was indeed you attacking Uriel, wasn't it? Not an apparition?"
Calliel was quiet.
Ivy hugged him. "It's okay, Calliel. It's okay. You couldn't have protected everyone. And he...even he deserves a second chance, alright?"
The Doctor nodded. "This is true, Lord Calliel." he said softly. "Anger is there. I feel it constantly myself. But you can't give in to it."
Calliel spoke now, his voice breaking. "I was so angry. So possessed by that rage. But...I just love you, Ivy. So much."
"I know." she replied softly. "So do I. But we need to talk."
The Doctor nodded, now turning to Jon. "Landsville, help clean this up. There may be bits of Nixon's organisation left. Khan and I have to leave. But I'm certain you'll see us again."
Jon looked at Khan and felt a fundamental sadness as the TARDIS lifted off.
Vworp. Vworp.
"Fuck." Aleister Lewis sighed. "Go ask Erin to get me a drink off the top shelf, will you? I think we all need one now."
2080
Aleister Lewis, now much older, walked through the hallways of Elfen High confidently, glasses on his face and book in his left hand. They had finally dealt with the dangers of the library. The books knew who the boss was now. Now, to deal with the fact that the old science classroom on the third floor seemed to have a banshee nobody could find that was screaming at all hours of the day. Even the werewolves couldn't sniff it out, but everyone heard the shrieks. So for now the third floor was sealed off.
It was a school board meeting now. He didn't care too much for these, but they were necessary. "So," said Aleister Lewis, walking inside and getting right to business, arriving at 1 pm on the dot. "What should be the first topic of discussion?"
"Well, we've made some progress on the hallway on the fourth floor of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering building." said Professor Rajasekar hopefully, the Tamil man coughing. "The hallway is now fully finite in breadth."
Aleister Lewis broke out into a grin. "That's great news! Why aren't you happier about it?"
"Well... it still appears to be infinite in length. But the fact that it no longer swallows light itself indicates that this is merely due to the limits of perception, and the hallway does now possess an end." Rajasekar coughed. "Somewhere."
Aleister Lewis sighed. "For fuck's sake." he muttered. "Fine. Alright. How long have we estimated it is?"
"There's no real measuring equipment that can state that. But we've estimated it'll take at least four human lifetimes to traverse it, so..."
The dwarf gave the Tamil a death glare. "Alright. We'll try to deal with it later. Let's bring in our new professor, who'll present his dissertation now."
Jon Landsvile coughed, standing up. After he had quit the ISSR recently, he was finally pursuing his true passion - applying to teach Philosophy and Literature. "Anyway, for my dissertation I shall compare Shakespeare’s unproduced and unpublished play, Orgy in Dys, with elements of Chaucer’s unwritten childhood daydreams." he said, opening his mouth to begin, but was interrupted by the alarm system.
Err, Headmaster Seward? Another kid has gotten lost within the second floor of the Chemical and Environmental Engineering building.
"For fuck's sake. Landsville, join Professors Chen and Moorthy in dealing with that. That'll do instead of a dissertation."
"I worked on this sonofabitch, you exotic butters!" said the offended Pittsburgher.
"Yeah, sounds bueno." waved Aleister Lewis, focusing on the new item at hand as Sophia Chen and Raj Moorthy went to deal with the lost student with Landsville. "Now, Professor Fernadez, you'll be teaching Economics here?"
"Well, my cat will be teaching economics. I'll be snorting cocaine in the backroom. She can't type, so I had to fill out the application."
"You're already better than most of our staff." admitted the headmaster. "You're hired. Now, next item on the agenda, our new courses. History 311 – History of Post-War Britain, taught by Dr. Green. Alternative History 133 - History of Nazi Britain, taught by Dr. Cerise." Aleister Lewis looked up. "Nazi Britain?"
"It's really fascinating." Dr. Cerise said earnestly, her blond hair and blue eyes looking at Aleister Lewis as he sighed. He had hired her out of the remnants of the Thules, but occasionally some things came out. "Just don't use this as a training ground." he muttered.
"Would never dream of it." she said, though the headmaster could tell a lie when it was spoken.
"Computer Science 180 – Java Programming and Hatred, taught by Professor Arjun Khan-"
"It is lies! It is all fucking lies and hatred!" snarled a destructive force of nature.
"Settle down, Professor Khan." replied Aleister Lewis, unphased. "Biology 371: Cloning and You and You, Math 261: Magical Mathematics, Math 251: Integral Calculus, so on..." he sighed. "Seems like it works."
"Math 251 seems like it'll be hard." observed Christian O'Neil, an Irish professor of Biology 278: Alcohol, Weed and You.
"Stop being so white about it." said Aleister Lewis. "At any rate, that should be good. Now, if this meeting is wrapped up, I'll deal with some other stuff. Goodbye, ladies, gentlemen and those who don't fit in either." he said with a nod, walking out.
"I do miss him." confessed Ivy Michaelson nee Green with a wistful smile as she and Aleister Lewis drank tea together. She was old now, very old, but still full of vitality and energy, a twinkling smile. "Richard came by to the funeral, funded it entirely himself so the taxpayer here wouldn't have to though everyone was willing. But Calliel wouldn't have wanted that."
Aleister Lewis and Ivy looked out the window quietly, seeing the city of Heavensgate moving outside. Aleister Lewis blinked. "Not to alarm you, but a man outside is taking a piss on a cross."
Ivy made a scoffing sound. "One of those bloody atheist movements. Richard Dawkins found Heavensgate and is trying to cause a fuss. Annoying, isn't it?" she asked as a human and demon guard grabbed the man and dragged him off.
Aleister Lewis chuckled. "How is Richard? Enjoying his life?"
"Oh, certainly. After he was done at his job in Brussels and then after he left his job at your school-"
"Yes, he was done after Kevin's performance of Romeo and Juliet. it did go overboard, I admit. There was certainly less Satanism in the original play."
"Yes. Anyway, after that, he's been doing really well at his job in Jasper as a business executive. He's happy in America now. And really, that's all a parent can want, right? Happiness for their child." she smiled. "Our daughter Jane is also doing really well now, but you know that."
"Yes, I have to meet with her soon, as well as Loki and Thor." laughed Aleister Lewis. "Lady Jane of Heavensgate. Grew up fast, hasn't she?"
"She's less than five years younger than you." said Ivy sharply but warmly.
"Yeah, but even so." muttered the headmaster. "Do you know how fucking weird it is to meet with your ex-girlfriend as an important world leader?"
"Least it's not a current world leader, like your predecessor had to deal with." observed the former First Lady of Heavensgate. "Poor William. He was surprisingly less whipped than I thought though, good on him."
Aleister Lewis finished off his tea. "It was a pleasure to see you again, ma'am." said the dwarf, shaking the hand of the older woman. "I'll pay my respects at Calliel's grave before I go."
Ivy nodded, her eyes unfocusing as she remembered old memories. His smiling face. Those dances, oh, those dances. For an awkward angel who never knew music, Calliel could dance. That had been a love. A true love. She looked at a photograph of him smiling, his arm around her, Richard and Jane also in the picture, smiling at the camera. The photograph was off, of course, because it had been taken by Laz, so it was taken upside down and you could clearly saw Laz's finger. But it was a memory. And she had so many.
Quietly, she heard him whisper to her, appearing as a vision. "I'll never leave." the wisp of a ghost said. Was it actually him? Was it just a hopeful daydream. "I'll be with you, always. Always in your heart. And soon, you'll join me, alright? But don't wait for it. Live for me. But I'll be never be truly gone, alright?"
Then he was gone, and only the music was left.
Well, holy moly me oh my
You’re the apple of my eye
Girl, I've never loved one like you
Man, oh, man, you're my best friend
I scream it to the nothingness
There ain't nothing that I need
Well, hot and heavy pumpkin pie
Chocolate candy, Jesus Christ
Ain't nothing please me more than you
Home, let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Home, let me come home
Home is wherever I'm with you
La la la la
Take me home
Mama, I'm coming home
I'll follow you into the park,
Through the jungle, through the dark
Girl, I've never loved one like you
Moats and boats, and waterfalls,
Alleyways, and payphone calls
I been everywhere with you
Laugh until we think we'll die,
Barefoot on a summer night
Never could be sweeter than with you
And in the streets you run afree,
Like it's only you and me,
Geez, you're something to see.
"Endings...are always hard." said Kevin quietly on his radio show. "When I started this radio show nearly half a century ago, i never imagined it'd become so popular and huge, but it has. I'm thankful for that. You listeners have been amazing, and I'm glad to have navigated this time with you. Thank you, and thank you to those who chose not to pursue legal action, and fuck you to those who did." He cleared his throat. "Alright. Anyway, our final show, at least with me as the host. So, today-"
There was static and distortion. Kevin cleared his throat. "Err, listeners, there seems to be something going wrong here, we're getting a frequency from somewhere else..."
"What the fuck is this?" demanded a distinctly British voice. "Who the fuck am I talking to? Did the hallucinogenics work? Evidently more than I expected."
"Hold on, who is this?" Kevin asked.
"You fucking well know who I am. Aleister fucking Crowley, who the fucking exotic butters are you"
"Aleister Crow- wait, hold on, please. What year is it?"
"2029." said the voice. The sound of a bottle opening was heard, it being chugged. "But it all may as well be over, to be frank. Who gives a fuck?" said the depressed voice.
"Listeners, it seems that we've broken through time and are now actually communicating with the real Aleister Crowley. This is so excitin-"
"Who cares? Yes, it's fucking me. There's only me. Fuck me, fuck you, fuck this." he sighed, sounding tired and depressed. "Who are you? I remember you somehow..."
"Kevin, sir. From 2080. And it's an honour-"
"2080?" Crowley's attention perked. "So you know how this turns out. You know how I turn out. Before you do, just remember. I do my best with what I have. And I don’t have much." he took a breath, and asked very timidly. "What happens? How does it go?"
"It goes well, sir." Kevin replied quietly. "It goes well. You'll be alright."
"Huh. I guess that's something to await." he said after a pause. "That's nice." The static died. And he was gone.
Kevin seemed a bit shaken and surprised. "Well, listeners, you heard that. Wow! What a blast from the past, right?" He said, as the static returned.
"Who's this?" asked that same voice, but sounding different. Sharper. More aware.
"Crowley?"
"How do you know me?"
"Sir, my name is Kevin. I'm a professor at Elfen High-"
"Elfen High? What the fuck is that?" he said sceptically.
"Sir, I'm from the future. Long, long in the future, it seems. I assure you, i am from your school. I'm looking at a statue of you right now, actually - it's quite magnificent."
"Why is there a statue of me?"
"Well, you were Headmaster, sir!" Kevin explained, excited again. "A hugely revered figure. Someone everyone knows. Sir, you were so well known. Not a man on Earth doesn't know who you were!"
There was silence on the other end. "People know me?" he asked quietly. "The school becomes a thing? I become headmaster?"
"Sir, you win. You succeed. And because of you, we all do. Sir, you gave us all more time. You're the stuff of legends!"
"I-"
The static went out. And so did the connection. Kevin blinked. "I think that's it, everyone." he said softly. "But let's hope that did some good, right? But as we go out, I want to feature a cameo by a certain musician. And before we go, please remember to attend my latest play, alright? But without further ado...Live from my studio, everyone, welcome Young Empires."
"No, I won’t lose hope
No, I won’t lose sight
But heaven is a place I just can’t find
Run from the shadows and run to the light
Running from a past I left behind
Haunted by a memory that I just can’t set free
Searching for the man that I used to be
I’ve made my sacrifice in the ashes of
But heaven is a place I just can’t find..."
Elsewhere, Priestcruncher cracked open a beer with Jackson and Corvallis Sanchez on the islands of Kirbati, which had been restored by Fen a while back with magic. The tides had been stopped, and the islands existed peacefully again, everyone happy. Priestcruncher and Jackson had chosen to take a vacation here after returning to their time, and then had decided it was useful to just move here permanently. It was a beautiful place, really.
Priestcruncher looked up at the sky, the sun shining bright. "We did it. The last Crowley's Penis was killed. And i think any remnants of Nixon's old organisation is gone for good now too." he said, taking a smoke.
"Good fucking news." muttered Jackson, having a drink. "Good fucking news indeed."
Corvallis, who had moved here some time ago and was their neighbour, just shrugged. "Just relax, guys. And you know, that new play by Kevin O'Shaunwhatever is going to play soon. Jackson, turn on the TV, will you?"
The play started soon after. It was an original work based off true events. It was called The Fall of Elfen High. It would win many, many awards, especially for the musician Gavin Duane's cameo at the climax.
Priestcruncher sighed, looking at Jackson. "I never told you what I saw in my nightmare, you know. All that time ago, in the school."
Jackson shrugged. "I never told you mine. It still bother you?"
The bear shook his head. "I stared into the abyss. The abyss looked back. And I stared it down there. And then...I don't know. But ever since, I've felt better."
Jackson gave his friend a smile. "Well...best that we can all hope for, really."
We could go on forever. We really, honestly could. There's so much. There will always be so much. The world is massive. There's so much built in here.
Stories never end. This is a truth. We can talk about this forever. We can talk about the Great Mormon Civil War. We can discuss the Chinese invasion of Mars. We can talk about how the space race advanced and humanity, demonkind and others spread to the stars and met creatures there, and more threats and more adventures and more love and more hate and more stories. Hell, we can talk about the day when Headmaster Billy the Sixteenth of Elfen High defeated the Pittsburgher threat, as after the Cataclysm that city flew into the stars and tormented the good people of our Solar System, and how Billy the Sixteenth managed to defeat the Pittsburghers through eldritch knowledge gained from his time in Upstate New York.
There are just too many stories, going on infinitely. They'll never stop.
But let's try to find a good point to make it stop, or at least give the illusion of a conclusion. Let's give a few last tales.
Let's go back to the beginning of this epilogue.
Aleister Crowley coughed, leaning back and sighing. "Where am I?" he asked.
"DEAD." said Death simply. "NOT JUST YOURS THOUGH."
Crowley stared at Death in confusion. "Sorry?"
"THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS, CROWLEY. WHERE WE ALL END." explained Death patiently. "YOU ARE AT THE END OF ALL THINGS. AT THE END OF THIS OMNIVERSE." he said, not unkindly.
Crowley gaped. "Wait...did I fail?" he asked quietly. "Did we fail in saving everything?"
"YOU SUCCEEDED." said Death quickly and reassuringly. "BUT EVERYTHING FADES. IT'S INEVITABLE. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR FAILINGS. YOU SAVED EVERYTHING, AND THOSE COMING AFTER YOU HELPED TO MAINTAIN THAT. BUT ALL THINGS GROW OLD. ALL THINGS FALL AND DIE. IT IS INNATE."
Crowley paused. "You told me once that one day everything would end and you would be there to take care of it. Is that this time? How long has it been since I died?"
"ALEISTER, IT HAS BEEN MILLIONS OF YEARS. YOU DID GOOD."
"Yeah. I think I can work with that."
"WE'RE JUST WAITING FOR THE LAST SENTIENT BEING NOW, THE LAST PERSON TO COME JOIN US."
"Oh? And who would that be?"
A gasp was heard. Crowley turned around, and saw a very old man, impossibly old, looking back at him. His eyes, however, were energetic and active, looking alert.
"YOUR WORK IS DONE." said Death gently.
Uriel stood up slowly. "Really now?" he asked, breaking into a genuine, honest smile. "That's a new thing. I'm retired?"
Death placed a hand on Crowley's shoulder, causing a jolt of energy to go through him as he absorbed the multitude of memories that burst into him, giving Uriel's life story after his own death, causing Crowley to understand how his brother had taken on the task of being the Harbinger of the Sun.
The brothers embraced.
"How old are you now?" asked Crowley warmly.
"Old." replied Uriel. "I have long outlived everything else, brother. It's been...it must have been trillions of years since I saw you, from my end, since we had that battle."
"Yes, this meeting has happened in slightly less fucked up circumstances." Crowley allowed. He let go of Uriel.
"Glad to see we're all a family again." said Richard, approaching with a beaming Raphael and Michael. But then so many more. Lewis. Minh. D. Daisuke. Calliel. Ivy. Ciel(s). Damien. Aleister Lewis. William. Hilde. The Mummy. Billy. Daniel. Laz. Everyone who had ever played a part were here now.
Crowley looked astonished. "What's going on?" he asked, as did Uriel, seeing so many figures. Trillions of figures, their souls dancing in the blue lights.
"THE COILS OF THE OMNIVERSE ARE UNRAVELING." said Death. "EVERYTHING ENDS, MR. CROWLEY."
"No more runs." said Minh with a wide smile. "We've done them all, Aleister."
"Do all of ye' fuckers have a fucking addiction to sentiment?" demanded an irate voice standing next to an Irish woman.
A memory flashed back to Crowley now.
Crowley looked up, seeing Minh in his office. "What do you need, son?" he asked, not paying the boy - he would always be a boy to him- too much mind. He was looking more at the extremely good request he had been given to try and banish Piers Morgan from Europe, to force the Americans to deal with him. This was a proposition that Crowley was very willing to get behind.
"Err, well..." Minh fidgeted. "Headmaster, why did you pick me from my home in Russia?" asked the now young man, whose English was almost completely British, but still had considerable Russian influences in his English, shown by his hesitation and slowness between words.
"Well, we're always trying to help out kids." said Crowley, a bit surprised by the question. Kids normally did not just ask him why they were taken. "You could have caused some damage with your powers then, after all."
The young man sat down in the chair in front of Crowley. "I suppose I could have." he admitted. "I was a bit of an aggressive exotic butters when I got here."
Crowley laughed out loud. "That's a very true point." he grinned. "You quite were. But you aren't now, are you? You keep running You always do. Remember that, I'll definitely remind you if I need to." he said.
Minh smiled, guessing he would hear those words frequently in the future. He looked at Crowley nervously. "Al...I'm going to be a father." he said.
Crowley blinked. "That's bloody wonderful news! Blimey, you're going to be a father? This calls for a drink!" he said, waving his hand as various types of alcoholic beverages appeared on the table. "Cor, that's fantastic!"
Minh shook his head. "You don't see it, Al." he explained. "I don't know if I can do it..."
Crowley chuckled. "Look, mate...you can handle anything. You've dealt with quite a lot of shit. Something mundane as married life shouldn't break you. Hell, I've had a lot of those." he shrugged.
"Did you ever love any of them? Had any kids?" asked Minh. Crowley looked back blankly, as a memory returned to him, before being brutally smashed down.
"Never been much of a concern." he said briskly. "Never had any kids."
Minh gave a thin smile, guessing there was a lie. He extended a hand to his old friend. "Thanks, Al. I'll try my best."
Crowley chuckled, but instead pulled Minh into a hug.
"Err, well..." Minh fidgeted. "Headmaster, why did you pick me from my home in Russia?" asked the now young man, whose English was almost completely British, but still had considerable Russian influences in his English, shown by his hesitation and slowness between words.
"Well, we're always trying to help out kids." said Crowley, a bit surprised by the question. Kids normally did not just ask him why they were taken. "You could have caused some damage with your powers then, after all."
The young man sat down in the chair in front of Crowley. "I suppose I could have." he admitted. "I was a bit of an aggressive exotic butters when I got here."
Crowley laughed out loud. "That's a very true point." he grinned. "You quite were. But you aren't now, are you? You keep running You always do. Remember that, I'll definitely remind you if I need to." he said.
Minh smiled, guessing he would hear those words frequently in the future. He looked at Crowley nervously. "Al...I'm going to be a father." he said.
Crowley blinked. "That's bloody wonderful news! Blimey, you're going to be a father? This calls for a drink!" he said, waving his hand as various types of alcoholic beverages appeared on the table. "Cor, that's fantastic!"
Minh shook his head. "You don't see it, Al." he explained. "I don't know if I can do it..."
Crowley chuckled. "Look, mate...you can handle anything. You've dealt with quite a lot of shit. Something mundane as married life shouldn't break you. Hell, I've had a lot of those." he shrugged.
"Did you ever love any of them? Had any kids?" asked Minh. Crowley looked back blankly, as a memory returned to him, before being brutally smashed down.
"Never been much of a concern." he said briskly. "Never had any kids."
Minh gave a thin smile, guessing there was a lie. He extended a hand to his old friend. "Thanks, Al. I'll try my best."
Crowley chuckled, but instead pulled Minh into a hug.
Events like this shaped everyone's life. Again, Crowley realised that he had loved. Everyone. Everything was connected, and he could see the connections as bright as day, he could see the lines that linked them all together. And it was all quiet, it was all ending, and it was all...perfect.
There wasn't any more time for improvement. There couldn't be, not anymore. It was the end of the world as he knew it.
And he felt fine.
He leaned forward, embracing one after another, dancing between the crowd, before he came upon someone.
Leah, his wife, his truest love, smiling radiantly at him, holding their son Spero in her arms. Crowley embraced them, crying.
It was all closing up now.
Smiling
Spinning 'round and 'round
Holding hands
The whole world a blur
But you are standing
Tears streamed down Crowley's face, and he saw Uriel standing in the distance, uncomfortable despite it all. He gestured to him, and the former archangel walked forward, being hugged and held by hundreds.
"Should i give a speech or something?" Khan asked Jon.
"Could work in these circumstances." Jon concluded.
Khan shut up to spite Jon.
"WE'RE CLOSING UP SHOP, EVERYONE." said Death gently.
"Where to now?" asked Crowley, looking up.
"ANYWHERE."
And then it all ended. There was a flash of white light.
Death was alone. And quiet.
When the first living thing existed, he was there, waiting. When the last living thing died, his job finished. He put the chairs on tables, turned out the lights and lock the universe behind him when he left.
And then he would go.
But...there was one thing left.
He petted Stanley, smiling at his eternal companion. "LET'S GO. WE HAVE SOME CLEANING UP TO FINISH."
A long, long time ago.
Crowley sighed, sitting on a bench. There was a lot going on right now. Frankly, just too much, with his wife's dead, the destruction of their village, and the death of...well, a lot. It was tiring and exhausting. But maybe, just maybe, if he exhausted himself enough, his mental exhaustion and physical exhaustion would cancel out.
It was a silly hope and the wizard knew full well it wasn't possible. But sometimes you'd believe even the impossible to feel better.
"God fucking hell." he told himself, sitting on the bench, his head in his lap.
He had failed. Massively. Leah was dead. And others. God. Fuck. He wept, his head in his hands, wanting death.
"Well, listeners, you heard that. Wow! What a blast from the past, right?" came a voice out of nowhere, in his head.
He looked up, startled. "Who's this?"
"Crowley?"
"How do you know me?"
"Sir, my name is Kevin. I'm a professor at Elfen High-"
"Elfen High? What the fuck is that?" he said sceptically.
"Sir, I'm from the future. Long, long in the future, it seems. I assure you, i am from your school. I'm looking at a statue of you right now, actually - it's quite magnificent."
"Why is there a statue of me?" demanded Crowley incredously. After all, it's not like he would amount to anything.
"Well, you were Headmaster, sir!" the voice explained, incredibly excited and happy. "A hugely revered figure. Someone everyone knows. Sir, you were so well known. Not a man on Earth doesn't know who you were!"
He was quiet, comtemplative. This was just a daydream, of course. It was absurd someone was speaking to him from the future. Absolutely absurd. "People know me?" he asked quietly. "The school becomes a thing? I become headmaster?"
"Sir, you win. You succeed. And because of you, we all do. Sir, you gave us all more time. You're the stuff of legends!"
"I-" Crowley began, but the voice cut out. And he was alone again. He sighed. it was just a daydream. Absurd. But he was...he was hopeful now. He might grow into something, if he kept himself encouraged. The depression was there. It always would be, really. But he might...he might move beyond it one day. This dream had given him something as he sat on the bench, sighing. "God..."
"What's wrong here, then?" Richard asked, somehow there. The fact he had been called by this was quite amusing in retrospect.
Crowley glanced up. "Nothing much, sir. Nothing much. Just tired from running and all." He decided not to mention this daydream. It'd seem absurd.
"Well, why stop now?"
"...Because I'm exhausted?" Crowley asked, smiling ever slightly now as he looked up at his mentor.
"When you hit that level of exhaustion, only thing left to do is to go on. You can't get more tired, can you? It's like life. You can't get more fucked after a certain point. You may as well keep running and get better at it. Then you'll run better and better each time."
Crowley paused. "Perhaps you have a point there, sir."
Richard smiled smugly. "I always do. Now, I'll come with you on this one. One more run, alright? Then I'll talk to you about something new we're thinking about."
"Hmm?"
"A school. An idea. Valaran and I have been seriously discussing this, as has Loki. A school where we can help people out, people with powers and gifts, help them integrate into society, master their skills, grow stronger."
"And what do you want from me?" asked Crowley, turning. "I can hardly manage myself, let alone others." He said even as his mind was blown. The school...it would be real? Was this more than just a dream? A prophecy? An actual conversation from the future? Anything was possible at this point.
Richard looked at him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can manage a lot more. You need to believe, son. Just do that. I believe in you, alright? Look, we want you to help Valaran with this project. It'll be good for everyone. But first...let's run for awhile."
From somewhere else, a radio station far in the future, music played.
No, I can’t lose hope
No, I won’t lose sight
And I won’t stop looking for heaven’s light
I hear the angels singing when I close my eyes
And I can hear the bells ringing like a siren’s cry
And I can feel it in my bones
Every time I think of home
(You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone)
It still haunts me like a ghost
But I know we’re not alone
(You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone)
And I can feel it in my bones
Every time I think of home
(You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone)
It still haunts me like a ghost
But I know we’re not alone
(You’re not alone, you’re not alone, you’re not alone)
They ran one more time, and then they ran a second lap, and a third. And then, ultimately, Richard buckled down to the ground, laughing, now himself too tired to keep going.
"Holy hell." Richard laughed. "You're dammed good at this. What are you, eh?"
Crowley grinned, his smile spreading wide on his face, a certain arrogant, innocent and happy charm.
Crowley looked at his mentor and father figure, and he saw Loki approaching, as well as Valaran, and so many others. In his mind, he imagined the future and what it could bring. Regardless of whatever, he wouldn't be alone.
"Oh, you know," he began, scratching the back of his head as he helped Richard up, reflecting on his life and what could come. He'd always have someone. And so will everyone. Nobody is completely lost. There is always love. There is always loss. And there is always life. And we're all, in our own way..."Stuff of legend."
"GOODNIGHT, BHENCHODS."
