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Living the Real Love
Two years after defeating the Profound Darkness, Rune, who had finally taken officially his position as Lutz, held a conference with Espers in Esper Mansion to discuss the works of reconstructing Algol. Though Dezoris had not been affected so hard as Motavia, they had still lots of work to do. Thanks to Demi and Wren help, they had precise information about the systems that were still alive, controlling different aspects of the solar system environment. The android couple was working very hard to stabilize useful systems and to shut down the rest. More than 1,000 years after Mother Brain's demise, it was time to stabilize the solar system once again.
There was also a special esper, placed in Motavia, helping the reconstruction of that planet. He was invited to join the Espers conference to present the situation of the neighbor planet, to coordinate the Motavian computer systems repairs with Wren and Demi and to discuss the next steps in the reconstruction of the planet. After the meeting, Rune asked him to stay for a bit longer to discuss particularities of Motavian reconstruction, as that esper was not just a common esper, but also a telemental like him.
"Hey, weirdo, tell me more about Motavian reconstruction. Are people cooperating? I know people here in Dezoris trust the knowledge and wisdom of espers because they are used to our presence in daily activities. Raja has been helping us a lot by convincing the Dezorians to help us in the reconstruction task, and apart from their terrible jokes, the Dezorians work hard. I'm worried about you, alone, coordinating all the reconstruction jobs in Motavia." Rune treated the other telemental in a very informal way, but the other telemental didn't seem to care.
"Well, Rune, things are a bit harder there. The Motavians do most of the hard work. As for the Palmians, well, they don't help very much. They have developed an aversion for computer systems, so they will never help me fixing the broken systems. I have to do almost all the work alone. You don't know how much I celebrate when Wren or Demi order me to shut down a system. Frying them is very easy with Nafoi. Fixing them, even with my gifted mind, is always an impossible task. I don't understand a word of what Wren and Demi tell me to do. Studying electronics consumes all my free time! You screwed me giving me Motavia to take care of!"
The telemental's lament made Rune laugh. "Who told you it would be easy?"
"It would be far easier to face three representations of Profound Darkness alone, at the same time."
"But you had a much more important task in your mind while we were facing Profound Darkness, didn't you, weirdo?" Rune winked at the other telemental. "What about Chaz and Rika? Aren't they helping you?"
"Chaz?" The telemental laughed. "Oh, that boy won't help with anything. Since he went to live together with the Numan girl, he completely forgot about his obligations. I can't blame him, though. He had faced such a terrible ordeal at such a young age that I think he really deserves a break. Both Chaz and Rika are very young, they will have the time to mature and finally understand the need of helping us rebuilding the planet. You know, when we are in love, we forget about all the rest. It is as if the world existed only for us. I know well this feeling."
Rune let out a deep sigh. "Yes, you are right." His voice had hints of sadness in it. "Anyway, I'm so glad you finally understood the need of helping the others. Keep up the good work."
"Thanks, Rune."
"I think you may go now, if you want." Rune motioned to leave his Lutz throne.
"Wait!" The telemental made Rune stop. "I know I can't consider myself your friend, but I consider you as my friend, Rune. I've noticed you are feeling sad."
"Oh, don't worry, weirdo." Rune dismissed the telemental's worries with a wave of hands. "It is nothing really important. Soon I will be fine."
The telemental insisted. "Please, Rune. Tell me what happened. I may be able to help you."
"No one can help me with it."
"Why not? You know I'm very powerful. Please, tell me what happened and I may help you." The telemental seemed sincere in his will to help. "You seemed to be upset by my comments about Chaz. Is there anything wrong with the boy?"
Rune shook his head. "Oh no, absolutely not. I think it is something wrong with me, but let's not worry about it."
"Come on, spill it out!" The telemental was being annoyingly persistent.
"Alright..." Rune sighed. "You know what makes me sad? I feel lonely."
"I know, sometimes it makes me sad too, but I think I've already got over it." The telemental lost a bit the focus on the conversation while thinking about his past.
"You mean the girls you had been chasing all around the universe while we were fighting Profound Darkness, heh?" Rune said so with his voice filled with sarcasm.
The telemental ignored the sarcasm. "Anyway, I messed it up. I deserve to be alone. But you don't."
"Well..." Rune sighed. "I have never told it to anyone else, but I'll tell you, my friend. Did Chaz ever tell you about Alys?"
The telemental smiled. "All the time. When I met him, I thought he was in love with the girl, so much he talked about her. But then I realized he just considered her as his guide and mentor."
"So..." Rune hesitated. "Well, I don't have any reasons to not tell you. I was in love with her. I'm still in love with her. We have been lovers in the past. Now she is gone and I still miss her. I'm doomed to live the rest of my life alone, sad, thinking of her, remembering the good times by her side... I'm sure she loved me as well. But she is dead. Dead! What can I do? There is no way of living this love again..."
The telemental stood in silence for a few seconds, when a sudden thought crossed his mind. "Wait! There is a way."
"What?" Rune was baffled by the suggestion.
"Yes, Rune, there is a way for you to have Alys again." The telemental's eyes were shining.
"You must be kidding!" Rune's countenance showed utter disbelief.
"No, I'm not. Someone can do it. Princess Marlena!"
"Princess Marlena?" Rune was confused. He didn't remember hearing about such a woman.
"The girl who revived Nei, Anna and the healer..."
"Wait wait!" Rune remembered who the girl was and it made him feel uneasy. "Are you saying that the girl can get Alys revived?"
"Of course she can! If there will be some benefit for the future, she can do it."
Rune could notice how much the telemental admired and loved the woman he had just mentioned, and he feared the telemental could be becoming mad again. "I can hardly believe it to be possible. But I am not sure about the idea. I don't know if I can justify reviving Alys..."
"Don't worry, my friend." The telemental stood up in order to leave the room. "Leave it all to me. I'll stay here some days more and I promise I'll help you. You deserve to live this love."
"Oh, thanks for trying. By the way, what happened to that woman? What happened to them all? Have you really left them in a planet outside Algol?"
"Yes, I did." The telemental was clearly moved by the memories of the girls he had left behind.
"They were originally from here. Why don't you bring them back?" Rune shrugged.
"I don't know."
"You are mad." Rune shook his head.
"Well, I know how to find her."
The telemental left the room. Rune stayed wondering if it was really possible to revive Alys and if he should let her be revived. He didn't know what would happen if she was revived. Maybe she would ignore him. Maybe she would become evil. Maybe her revival would trigger other calamities in Algol. He didn't know what to expect from the unbelievable revival process and he even questioned if it was fair to revive a woman just to cure him from his loneliness. He knew it was not a good idea, given the reputation of the man, but he decided to leave it to the telemental anyway.
After a week, the telemental entered the Lutz private room running and shouting excitedly.
"Reverend Lutz! Reverend Lutz! I've got it!"
"What?" Rune, who was lost in his thoughts, was startled by the noisy presence of the telemental. "Oh, it is you, weirdo."
"I've got it! She agreed!" The telemental kept running towards Rune, shaking a sheet of paper he had in his hands.
"Why are you so excited, man?" Rune was annoyed by the telemental's grin.
The telemental held Rune by the arms and started shaking him. "She agreed! She will come!"
"Who?"
"Princess Marlena! She agreed on reviving Alys!"
"What?" Rune was startled by the news. "Give me this letter!" He took the letter from the telemental's hands with violence and started reading it. His heart was pounding madly inside his chest. He could not believe what his eyes were reading. He let the letter slip from his hands and fell on his knees, crying.
"I knew it was the right thing to do, Rune. I'll get the things ready for you."
"How can this be possible?" Rune was still so moved that he couldn't believe it was true. He feared it would be a joke, a mistake.
"You may ask her when you meet her." The telemental had a big smile in his face. His eyes were also wet.
Rune stood up again and tried to regain control of himself. He had noticed the way the telemental was moved by the news. Anything related to the princess always had a deep emotional impact on him.
"She states she doesn't want to meet you. Sorry about that." Rune tried to comfort the telemental.
"You don't need to feel sorry about it." The telemental shook his head. "It is alright."
"No, it is not. I can see it is not. I can see you really love that woman. Why don't you try to explain it to her? You have changed. You have become a better man. Maybe you can change her opinion about you. If she is really the marvelous person you say she is, she will surely forgive you."
"No, leave it the way it is."
"It is not fair, weirdo. You are helping me by bringing my love back to me. Why shouldn't I help you having your love back? No, I will try to convince her to give you a second chance."
"Don't do it, Rune. I beg you."
"Why not, man?"
The telemental swallowed hard. "I think it is my turn to confess you something I've never told anybody else. Princess Marlena once loved someone very dearly. And I... I..." The telemental couldn't hold back his tears. "Killed this person..." He broke down in tears. "The person... who healed me..."
"By Great Light!" Rune was shocked by the telemental's confession. He had never imagined the telemental had killed someone. At least not without a purpose. That man's past was more mysterious than the current Lutz had previously thought. However, he was not in the mood for probing the secrets of his friend's past; he was anxious to meet the owner of that unique power which promised to bring her beloved Alys back to life.
Rune returned to Motavia for the first time since he had finally defeated Profound Darkness and stayed there, waiting for the girl to arrive. The telemental explained him it would take her some days to travel from the planet she was to Motavia, but Rune traveled to Motavia immediately. He had nothing else in his mind, but Alys. He knew he was acting like a teenager, forgetting his duties as the Lutz for a while, but for Alys it sounded okay. After all, he was still a human. He deserved a break. He deserved to love and be loved. He deserved a happy end too, like Chaz and Rika. If it were not possible to have Alys again, he would have to accept it. However, if he had just a small chance of having her again, he would cling to it until the end.
After a couple of days, early in the morning, Rune was surprised by a knock on the door of the inn room he was occupying in Aiedo while waiting for the princess to come. When he opened the door, he was confronted by the figure of a short cyan-haired woman, wearing a long silk and satin white dress. She wore a silver diadem on her head and lots of assorted jewelry; she also had a purse with her. Her eyes shone in an impressive combination of cyan and blue, something he had never seen in his life. She was surely the prettiest woman he had ever seen in his life and her smile sent shivers down his spine. He let his jaw drop.
"Rune?"
"Yes! It is me." Rune answered in a rush, trying to hide his embarrassment.
"I think he have already met before, didn't we? I am Marlena." Her voice was very melodic, sounding like music to his ears.
"Oh, I think we did." Rune was trying to work his mind on remembering their only meeting more than three years ago. His heart raced like mad in his chest.
"The telemental send me to bring a woman back to life. I can't guarantee the success of the operation, but I'm willing to try it for you. Are you ready?"
"Yes, I am." Rune answered in a hurry.
"Are you sure? Shirtless and shoeless?" The cyan-haired princess laughed at him, shyly.
"Uh?" Rune was confused for a brief moment before being aware of his semi-nakedness. "Sorry, I'll be back in a few minutes."
Rune slammed the door and hurriedly put on some clothes. He was ashamed of himself, but not because he had presented himself shirtless to the girl. In the past, he would love to do it to a young and pretty girl like the princess, as he was certain she would like what she saw. However, besides not noticing any changes in the cyan-haired girl's countenance that could indicate she was interested in him, he was feeling very bad because he was interested in her. There was something in that woman that made him feel immediately attracted to her. No wonder the telemental was so in love with her. He didn't have the time to think of her, though. She was there for Alys. He was there for Alys. So, he tried to dismiss the thoughts towards the mysterious princess.
As he opened the door again, the girl was patiently waiting for him.
"Ready?"
"Yes, let's hurry." Rune started leading the way and motioned the princess to follow him.
"I can see you are anxious to have her revived, but there is no need to hurry." The princess said so calmly, while trying to keep the same pace of the desperate esper.
"Huh? Sorry, Marlena. We will be there soon; she is buried in this city's graveyard." Rune slowed his pace. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Sure."
"How is it possible? How can you revive a dead person? With all my knowledge and all the knowledge I've inherited from the ones before me, I've heard of people who could reverse near-death conditions, but I've never heard of anyone being able to revive a dead person."
"I don't know it myself." The princess was feeling shy. "I just know that I was able to revive some flowers and then the telemental happened, asking me to revive those girls. I tried and it worked. I can't guarantee I'll be able to revive this woman, because I have no control over the process."
"I understand you. I don't want to put any pressure on you. Just do what you are able to do."
"Heh, that would be a first, to be able to do it without being pressed." The princess grinned with her own sarcastic remark.
"Why?" Rune was confused.
"Didn't the telemental tell you? He threatened to kill me if I didn't revive them." Despite of the contents of the message, Rune could not feel any hate in Marlena's voice.
"Wow! I knew the man was mad, but not that mad!" Rune was surprised.
Marlena shrugged. "But now he is healed, isn't he? If he doesn't harm anyone else, that is enough for me."
Rune was speechless. After the telemental's confession, how could the girl not have anything against him? He still hated Zio, Dark Force and Profound Darkness for what they had done to Alys and another number of innocents. That woman was something he could not understand, with all his wisdom and knowledge.
They walked in silence to the graveyard. Rune felt deep emotions at the sight of his former lover's grave and started crying. The princess rubbed his back in a friendly way and smiled at him.
"In a few hours, I want to see you crying tears of joy. I need to have her exhumed."
Rune ran to the graveyard administration and demanded them to exhume Alys body. Though it was illegal, as he was not responsible for her, they didn't question the Lutz orders. During the exhumation, Rune felt sick. He felt an extreme repulse for the partly decayed body of his former lover. If the revival process didn't work, he would go mad at the princess for disrespecting Alys' body. The princess' coolness made him feel less comfortable. After the exhumation was complete, Marlena asked the gravediggers to lay Alys body on the floor. They were feeling uneasy, but complied with her request.
The sight was too much for Rune. He preferred to have never seen Alys body partly decayed, with vermin scattered all over the chunks of flesh that remained. No, that was an unbearable humiliation to his former lover. He turned his back on Marlena, hating her for what he and Alys' body had to endure. The princess sat down beside the corpse, left her purse beside her.
"I'm starting it now. It may take a while, so please, be patient. You can watch the process if you want. I just ask you to never interrupt me, for it may ruin the whole process and make it impossible to revive her and, for your safety, never, ever stare into my eyes."
The esper just mumbled unintelligible words as an answer. He considered the last princess' instruction awkward, but he was not in the mood of discussing. He was so angry that he wanted to kick that woman in the face for disrespecting Alys' corpse. He waited impatiently for almost one hour before trying to look at the princess again. After feeling a cold chill down his spine, he didn't resist anymore. When he turned his head, he was baffled; Marlena had the corpse's head lain on her lap. No, he couldn't control his anger anymore. That woman was mad. He had to stop that ridiculous act. He started walking towards Marlena, with the intention of kicking her in the head, but he balked at the sight of Alys' corpse.
The corpse was partly recovered, with almost all the skin and flesh reconstructed. Even parts of the outfit Alys wore when she was buried were reconstructed in order to preserve her modesty. It was an amazing sight. Rune couldn't believe his eyes. He was ashamed of himself again. Even if the princess was unable to bring Alys back, what she had already done was unbelievable. Rune calmed down and sat on a small wall, behind the princess, in order to watch the revival process. He was marveled to see the princess guiding her imposed right hand over Alys body as if she was retouching a piece of art. He would never be able to understand Marlena's magic powers.
After an hour, Alys' body was perfectly reconstructed, yet she was still dead. Rune grew impatient as the minutes passed and nothing else happened. But now he believed in the princess power. And he was sure Marlena was doing it out of compassion. He could see that the princess respected and loved Alys, without even knowing her. So he tried to be patient and let the princess take all the time she needed.
After one hour more, the princess let a deep sigh and started passing out. Rune was startled by it and ran towards the girl. Arriving near the girl, who had resisted fainting, he stopped. He was shocked, so shocked he could not move. The princess was gently stroking Alys brown hair with one hand and caressing her cheeks with the other. Alys was breathing again. Tears were falling from Marlena's eye to Alys face. The brown-haired woman opened her eyes.
"Alys…" The princess greeted the resurrected woman with a beautiful smile.
"Huh? What happened?" Alys was confused.
"You are alive, Alys."
"Alive?" Alys frowned. "Alive? Alive!" Suddenly she became aware of what it meant. "How? Who are you?"
"It doesn't matter, Alys. The only thing that matters is that you are alive."
"Alys!" Rune screamed and knelt down beside Alys.
"Rune? Is it you?" Alys was suddenly moved by her former lover's voice.
"Alys!" Rune took Alys in his arms. As the princess predicted, he was crying tears of joy. "I can't believe you are here with me again, my love."
"Oh, Rune!" Alys embraced Rune. "What happened? Am I really alive?"
"You are, my love. You are." Rune tried to comfort his former lover.
"Where are we?" Alys looked around was the sight of the tombstones scared her. She became desperate. "Are we in a graveyard? Why? Were you about to bury me? Where are the others? Who is that woman?"
"Calm down, calm down, my love. Everything is alright." Rune tightened the embrace on her. "I'll explain everything to you, but what I can say to you now is that you have been dead for almost three years."
"Three years?"
"Yes, my love, I'll explain everything. You remember you died from Zio's dark energy wave, don't you?" Alys nodded in agreement. "So, my love, we resumed our journey and defeated all the evil. All the other are doing fine. Chaz, Rika, Gryz, Demi, Hahn, they are all safe. I was feeling lonely, I never stopped thinking about you, and I have never stopped loving you, Alys."
"Oh, it is so hard to believe such a thing to be true, my love. But you are here and it is all that matters." The resurrected woman was still confused.
"A friend of mine, Esper like me, told me about this woman. He told me she could bring you back. I never believed it to be true, but you should have seen what his girl has done. Her power is something unique. I've never seen anything like it. She took your decayed corpse and reconstructed your body perfectly, including your clothes. Then, she made life flows in your body again."
"Oh, Rune, I must thank this woman." Alys made Rune release her from his embrace, and then she turned back to the girl who had revived her. Marlena was standing up, smiling at the happy couple. Alys threw herself in Marlena's arms. Rune was surprised; he had never seen Alys so passionate. "I have no words to say how thankful I am for what you have done for me."
The princess, who was feeling exhausted, accepted the embrace for a few moments, and then gently pushed the hunter away. "I'm happy to see you are alive. You deserved it." Marlena had a serene smile on her face.
"Oh, Marlena…" Rune joined the two women. "What can I say to you? What you have done today… you came here just to revive her for me. It is something hard to believe."
"I know. This star system asks for someone wise to coordinate its reconstruction. This person needs to exert his leadership with love. He must know the real love to teach the others how to share their love. To know the real love, he must live it. Besides, because of the distance between the two planets, one is not enough for the task that lies ahead. That is why this rare event took place here, today."
Rune and Alys stared into each other's eyes and smiled, for it had not been a vain act; they deserved to live that love and it would be the base for building greater things. Rune turned to the princess "And how can I thank you for your effort in helping us, Marlena?"
"Just love her with all your heart."
Rune was still feeling uncomfortable. He wanted to reward the person that made it possible for him to have his beloved Alys back by his side. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Marlena shook her head. "No, there isn't, Rune. I'll only wait for the telemental take me back."
"Don't you want to stay? To come back home? That rascal told me what he had done to you."
Marlena shook her head again. "Thanks, Rune, but we are doing something really important there, building a new kingdom. I think we should stick there."
"I see." Rune frowned, as he was not able to do anything for the princess. Then, he remembered of the telemental's confession and the way he loved Marlena. "Don't you need some love to be able to perform your task like Alys and I do?"
"Thanks, Rune, I have already all the love I need and much more than that." The princess blushed a bit.
"Really?" Rune looked confused. "The telemental told me he had killed the person you loved."
"He almost did it, but fortunately my love survived the whole ordeal." The princess opened her purse and took out a bottle filled with a yellow liquid. A strong scent of lilies filled the air. "Before I forget, there is something my love has sent Alys. She told me Alys might feel weak in the future, so she prepared this medicine. Alys shall take a spoonful of it every month and another spoonful whenever she feels unexpected internal pains or weakness. If the bottle is emptied or there is some accident, ask the telemental to tell me, so she can prepare another bottle for you." Marlena handed the bottle to Alys.
"Thanks." The hunter took the bottle in her hands and looked at it with curiosity.
"So your love is alive? I shall tell the telemental the news. He tortures himself thinking he killed him..." The princess interrupted the Lutz.
"No, Rune, don't do it. It is not the right time. If he learns she is alive, he may want to go after us. He is not ready yet. Don`t tell him anything I may have told you."
"As you wish." Rune shrugged, but then realized something that made him ask the princess startled. "Hey, did you say she is alive?"
"Stop it, Rune! This girl had just brought the love of your life back to you and you will put her life under scrutiny? Aren`t you happy with me? Let her be happy with the love of her life as well." Alys scolded Rune.
"Uh, sorry, Marlena." Rune put his arm around Alys shoulder. "But you don't know how I missed being scolded by her." The trio laughed.
The princess closed her eyes "Well, I think it is time to part ways with you. Farewell, Rune and Alys. Bring this star system to its former glory. Moreover, cherish your love daily. " The princess turned back and started walking outside Aiedo.
"Farewell Marlena!" Rune and Alys answered in unison.
The princess looked back, smiled, and then resumed walking away. The couple stayed for some moments embraced, watching the princess disappear from their sight. Then, Rune turned to Alys and held her face in his hands.
"Oh, Alys, my love. Tell me it is not a dream. Tell me you are here with me once more."
"It is not a dream, Rune. I knew our love was not just a dream. I knew you would fulfill your promise to kiss me again."
The couple kissed passionately for several minutes. After more than a decade without kissing Alys' lips, it was an exhilarating sensation for Rune. Alys' lips tasted sweeter than before. And, in fact, they did, and Rune knew why. It was not because it took him thirteen years and a miracle to allow Rune to feel the taste of Alys' lips again. It was because that was the first kiss after he was completely sure that Alys truly loved him.
Alys had the same feeling in her heart, but she hadn't had the opportunity to rationalize the situation. To be revived was a very awkward idea to be digested in a few minutes. One thing she had clear in her mind, however. To be dead made her realize how important it was for her to share her love with all her might before it was too late. Not that she regretted what she had done in the past, for she knew it was needed to make her relationship with Rune blossom. But now she knew better what she was supposed to do with her own life, which goals to seek, how to make better decisions. In addition, she knew better how she could give her love to the love of her life.
They were so absorbed in their own love that they didn't notice a plasma circle forming in the horizon and a translucent plasma bubble rising to the sky, with the princess inside. The princess felt a warm feeling in her heart, knowing that she had done the right thing, and happy to see the joy in the faces of the two lovers. The bubble was rising very slowly, so the princess witnessed some of their talk after they finally stopped kissing and walked back to Aiedo's inn, as if she was Great Light herself smiling at the beautiful sight of a couple who truly loved each other.
"Oh Rune, I've been away for three years. You must tell me what happened after I died." Alys was anxious.
"Well, from where can I start?" Rune paused for a moment, but the pause didn't last long because he immediately realized which would be the obvious answer. "Well, after you died, we resumed our fight against Zio and we managed to defeat him. Then, we discovered there was an ancient evil force behind him called Dark Force, which used to appear every 1,000 years in Algol. We defeated this force and then discovered there was a stronger force behind it, since the creation of the universe, trying to destroy Algol. We defeated this evil force. Now we hope all the evil is gone for good." Rune rushed the explanation because he was not in the mood for retelling their whole journey.
"You need to explain me those things, I didn't understand it very well." Alys was confused.
"Later I can tell you the entire story with more details."
"Alright." Alys bit her lower lip. "And then, what have you all done?"
"We started reconstructing the planets, after the calamities caused by the Dark Forces. There is so much to do; I'll devote my life to this task."
"No." Alys stopped walking and turned to Rune. "You will devote your life to me. Then, if I allow you, you may work in this reconstruction."
"Oh, Alys… I missed so much your bossy temper." Rune laughed.
"I'm not joking!" Alys pretended to be angry, just to tease Rune. "But it is very nice of you to be helping the reconstruction of our solar system."
Rune, noticing the sincerity of Alys' words, answered in a serious tone. "Well, Alys, you know that my duty is to oversee the solar system's protection and well-being. If it was not my duty, I'd have never left you back then, you know that."
"I know Rune, and that is a reason more for me loving you. Well, do you know what happened to my former house? I can't wait for settling down here in Aiedo again and work with you in reconstructing Motavia, my love."
Alys smiled in a way that left Rune embarrassed. He started rubbing his hand in the back of his neck, trying to think in a better way to tell Alys what he had to say. "Alys, there is a problem... I'm living in Dezoris. I must stay in the Esper Mansion."
"Dezoris? No way will I be going to live in that icy planet!" Alys couldn't hide her distaste for the planet.
Rune frowned. Her words were like needles piercing his eardrums, getting inside his veins and stabbing his heart. He had gone so far to bring her back and now that he was so close to having the love of his life with him again, she objected. What hurt more was the fact that she said so in a very cold manner. Was he wrong about her love? But they have kissed so passionately just a few minutes before. Could it be that he was wrong and Alys didn't truly love him? Could it be that, absorbed in his own feelings, he ended mixing up reality with his own hopes, wishes and dreams? Could it be that the Alys he loved so dearly only existed inside his mind? He was very confused, but one thing he was certain; if it was needed, he would sacrifice his love for a greater good. He would not abandon the Esper Mansion. He had to go back to Dezoris, no matter what.
"Alys, you know, as much as I love you, I can't leave my position as Lutz, I can't betray the trust millions of Motavians and Dezorians have in me. If you will not come with me, I have either to fail on my mission and fail on millions of people who depend on Lutz or to sacrifice my happiness. And you already know my decision." Rune spoke his heart out. He could not hide the sadness in his voice.
Alys pushed Rune's shoulder playfully and smiled, leaving him completely lost about her thoughts. "Of course I know what your decision would be and that is a reason more for me to love you, silly boy. But I'm asking you neither. "
"So what, Alys?"
The hunter, noticing the anxiety in Rune's voice, burst in laughter. "Oh, Rune, I never expected you to believe we would live together as husband and wife! Do you think I'd sacrifice my freedom to become the boring reclusive wife of Lutz?" Alys shook her head. "No, of course not. But I have the perfect solution for us. I stay here in Motavia helping my people and you stay in Dezoris helping your people. Meanwhile, you come to Motavia to visit me whenever you miss me and I go to Dezoris whenever I miss you. I promise you I'll never let you feel lonely anymore." Alys suddenly embraced Rune, pulled his body tightly towards hers and started running her hands through his body in an insinuating way. "And I'll never leave you hunger for me anymore."
Rune couldn't resist the temptation and kissed Alys passionately one more time. For an outsider, it would look like they were trying to compensate for all the years of absence. But they were just living their love, not looking into the past, not worrying about the future. Both Alys and Rune were sure that, whatever happened in the future, they should not worry about their love; it would never end, because that is what happens in a relationship based on real love. After some minutes absorbed in their love, Alys, who still had many doubts in her mind, resumed the conversation.
"As I'll stay here, I must ask you some questions, my love. Is there anyone taking care of Motavia?"
"Yes, there is. Weirdo."
"Weirdo?" Alys looked confused. "Who is weirdo?"
"The telemental. The guy who brought Marlena here. He was a strange man when I first met him. According to himself and to Marlena, he was healed from his madness by Marlena's, yeah…, friend… and now he has become a great ally. He is still madly in love with Marlena. I think he will be pleased to have someone to work together. He was complaining to me one of these days that nobody helped him."
"Well, if he is not working properly, I can adjust him." The couple laughed. "Well, I can understand why he is in love with Marlena. When I had just opened my eyes again, there was something in her eyes I'll never forget. I think it was pure love…" Alys hesitated for some moments while trying to digest what she had just been through when a thought crossed her mind. "Hey, Rune, what about Chaz?"
"Ah, Chaz? You would be proud of him; he fought bravely the greatest dangers. Without him, we would never be able to save Algol."
Alys smiled. "I'm so happy to learn all my efforts were not in vain… And where is he now?"
The blue haired man shrugged. "I don't know. He married Rika and, according to the telemental's report, he is not helping him too much. The telemental told me he is just enjoying his married life."
"What?" Alys seemed to be shocked. "That rascal is lazing around with the cute girl while there are lots of things to be done? No, Rune, we must find him immediately! I'll teach him a lesson he will never forget! How does he dare to forget all my teachings?" Alys' tone was very angry.
Rune answered laughing. "Give Shorty a break! He is just a boy."
"No way! If he thought he could become a lazy man just because I was not there, he is completely wrong! We must find him now!"
Rune burst in laughter. The couple then walked slowly towards the Aiedo inn, embraced. It was just the new beginning of an old love story that survived the greatest hardships, but thrived because it was built on true love. From that day on, Alys and Rune worked together rebuilding Algol, making it a better place to live in. The evil had been vanquished, but it was a long way from the absence of evil to the omnipresence of love, and Alys, Rune, Chaz, Rika, the telemental, and many others have just planted the first seeds to make Algol the paradise people had in their minds.
Marlena, while distancing from Algol for the last time, had tears in her eyes. She was not crying for missing the solar system that was the former home of her people. She was not crying for what she had left behind. She was crying because she was sure all the suffering and pain that people had endured through the millennia was on the way to be just part of their past. She was sure Algol was in good hands and they would never repeat the same mistakes of their predecessors because they knew what the real love was and they would never let this knowledge be forgotten anymore.
