Rio doesn’t usually get pissed off. I guess he sees something in her Wave that tells him she really needs to be alone. I nod and take off to the Green Mountains.
Once there, I sit on the highest peak and look down at the world below.
“Angels make horrible suicide jumpers,” Jay says.
“Who told you I was here?”
“Rio.”
Jay sits beside me.
“You remember the last time we were here? You were beef’n with Ameana?” he offers.
“Yeah. Guess I always sucked in relationships.”
“Well, you ain’t got skillz like the kid,” he brags.
“I destroyed her.”
“You know what I learned about Emmy? Never ever count that girl out.”
“That’s true.”
“She survived the Akons and Lucy. I think she’ll survive being in love.”
“At least one of us will,” I joke.
“C’mon, let’s go play some Runner Ball. We leave earth in a few hours. We should get some play time in. After that, we need to talk about the Triplets.”
“What about them?”
“Well, I was wondering why—you know what? Screw it. Let’s go play some ball.”
I reluctantly agree and the two of us fly back to the hotel to see if the others want to join in. We round up the rest of the Guardians. Suddenly the thought of playing Runner Ball excites me. I need something, anything to shake the misery of the past few days.
As we gather in the living room of the deluxe suite, there is a knock on the door. Miku goes to answer it. When she comes up the stairs, Emmy is behind her.
“Hi guys,” she says. Her voice is soft and slightly hoarse.
Everyone greets her except Ameana. Emmy turns her attention towards me.
“I was gonna check on you but I thought you needed space,” I say, sounding way too eager.
“No need to check up on me.”
“Yeah I know, I just…I’m glad you’re okay. Look if you want to talk…”
“I don’t need to talk. I just needed to stop off and give you this.”
She hands me a glass casing with red liquid inside it.
“You’re giving me my Rah back?”
“Yes. You’ll need it for…”
“Wait. You don’t have to give it back to me right now.”
“Yeah, I do…”
She extends her hand once again. I take it from her. She heads out the door.
“Emmy…” I call out to her desperately.
She stops but doesn’t turn around. She simply says the words I’ve dreaded hearing since I first laid eyes on her.
“Goodbye, Marcus.”
CHAPTER NINETEEN: GOING HOME
It’s our last day on earth. There’s sadness in the air. I don’t think any of us thought we’d come to miss humans or earth itself. We just assumed we’d save the world and never look back. We were wrong about that. In fact, we were wrong about a lot of things.
I allow everyone to spend their last day anyway they want to. Rio is off traveling somewhere on the other side of the world. Jay and Isabelle will continue to see each other in the Light so leaving isn’t as difficult for him, although I know he’s gotten very close to Emmy and he hates to say goodbye to her.
Miku and Ameana are off giving their designer clothes to Goodwill and other charities. Jay had to give Siren away. If he could cry, I think he would have. The only saving grace was that he was able to give it away to a family desperately in need of money.
They all call to check up on me through out the day. They ask if I need company. I tell them I’m okay. They are nice enough to pretend to believe me. And even if I was to be honest with them, what could they do for me? What can anyone do for me?
They ask where I am and I tell them I’m playing Runner Ball with a few Ground Walkers. Rio, being Rio, knows I’m lying but that’s the great thing about him, he acts like he can’t read your Wave sometimes.
So, where am I?
I have no idea. I’m surrounded by mountains from every angle. I can’t even remember how it is I got here. I’ve been lost in thought ever since she came over…
I thought no matter what happened I would be spending my last day on earth near her. I could take “No See” Snaps and be with her all day. But it turns out there is a limit to how much pain a First Guardian can take.
I didn’t reach my breaking point with the The Hun, Rage, or Kairo. The one that broke me weighs about a hundred and fifteen pounds, has no powers, and can’t fly. Yet she was able to bring me to a place of total despair.
I can’t stand to be in the same hemisphere she is. Let alone the same room. I can’t stand to be around her beautiful eyes, soft lips, and enduring smile. I know I hurt her beyond reason, I just didn’t think she’d give me my Rah back. Why didn’t she fight for us like Ameana did?