36: Sayonara Starburst!

Starburst continued his assault on the blinded Mason. He saw nothing but black space, nothing but darkness all around him. He tried to open his eyes, but they're too weak from the injury.

Mason: "My eyes...what's wrong with my eyes?!" Starburst hit him hard and he fell onto the ground. Mason got up slowly and prepared to fight.

Starburst: "You're getting up slower and slower. It's only a matter of time before you wear out!"

"You and your dirty tricks."

Starburst hit him again and it looked like the final blow. This time, Mason couldn't get up. "I-I'm s-sorry everybody...I lost...sorry Margrit...sorry Burdok..."

Suddenly, Mason heard a strange, yet familiar voice in his head. ("Mason...what are you sorry about?")

"F-Father? Burdok?"

("Mason, I understand your situation.")

"I...I was careless, look at me! I'm blind!" he said, trembling.

("Yes, you can not use your eyes, but it is not over yet!")

"Not over? I've already lost! I can't even stand up!"

Starburst: "Who are you talking to?"

("I know things look gloom, but there is still hope, as long as there is hope, you can win, you must believe my son....")

"W-What are you talking about?"

("Your eyes may be blind, but your heart is not. You can use your other senses...")

Mason: "Other senses?"

("Your sixth sense. You must feel him out, feel it...that is only way you can see him. ")

"Feel him out?"

(Each of us living beings has five senses. They are your levels of awareness. Sight lets you see. Hearing lets you hear. Your sense of taste lets you taste things. Your sense of touch lets you feel things physically. Your sense of smell lets you smell things. But a select few of us has the sixth sense. It lets you feel another's spirit. So feel him out.")

"I'm trying! It's not working!"

("Mason, remember your fight with Radus. You sensed out which one was real. Now you must do the same...")

Mason: "I'm just too weak..."

("My son, you must not fight with anger in your heart. If you only think about revenge then you will never succeed...that's all I have to say. Goodbye son...")

"Wait..! Father! Don't leave me!"

Starburst: "What's the matter? Are you crazy from the beating?"

(I must follow my heart, I must forget about my anger?) Mason thought. Yes, that seemed logical.

Starburst: "Any last words?"

Mason concentrated for a while, and Starburst waited impatiently. Mason suddenly saw it. Everything was dark around him, but a bright red light was in the center. It felt hot and threatening. That was Starburst.

Mason: "I can see him! I can see!"

Starburst: "What?"

Mason charged at him and punched him in the face, then he punched him furiously. Starburst blocked as Mason continued hitting him. Starburst made it for his face, but Mason grabbed his hand just in time.

"Huh?" Starburst shrieked in disbelief.

"I might be blind, but I can still see you!"

"No! Impossible! You're not supposed to do this! You're blind!"

Mason: "I don't need my eyes to fight you!" He let go of the alien's cold, fleshy hand.

Both of them were now fighting at their full power. Like the battle on Earth, nearly everything around them was destroyed in their fight.

Starburst: "H-How is this possible?" He continued his denial and was losing to Mason.

Now, Mason was fighting like before as if he wasn't blinded at all. Maybe even better. Suddenly, Mason began to recover a bit of his eye sight. He opened his eyes slightly, but everything he saw was distorted and blurry.

"My eyes! They're healing! But I can barely see anything..." His eyes still hurt, but he could blink. He continued to use his other senses and beat the stuffing out of the evil alien. Starburst was wearing out, but he's not going down that easily.

He once again charged up a star shaped disc and tossed it at Mason. He quickly got away, and the star hit the ground. Just like last time, it left a large star shaped hole on the ground.

"That's it! You've made enough holes already!"

"Take this!" He threw a bunch of energy discs at him, Mason blocked it all with one hand.

"No!" the alien screamed.

"You lose Ultra Blast!" he yelled, and fired. Kaboom!

"Aaaaaagh!" Starburst was gone for good this time.

Mason caught his breath and couldn't believe that he had won. It was over. Burdok and Margarita had finally been avenged.

"I did it! I, I really did it! Thank you for everything, father...you might be gone, but you'll always be in my heart..." But suddenly, he collapsed.

The doctor removed the blindfold from Mason's eyes. Everything was blurry around him, but his vision had improved. He can make out several figures looking at him.

"M-Margarita?!" Then he realized it's not her. She was still in the healing chamber.

"How many fingers am I holding?" The doctor waved his hand.

"Uhhh, six?" he answered stupidly. He swore he saw six fingers.

Piper: "This doesn't look good."

"Your eyes were damaged from high intensity lasers from a close range. You're lucky your friends brought you to me in time. I was able to give you proper treatment. Your vision will return to you bit by bit."

Mason sighed. "That's a relief. I thought I'd be blind like this forever."

Zelfire: "Mason, before did just call out Margarita?"

"I thought I saw her..." Mason said dreamily.

"Must be an optical illusion. It means you do truly care about her."

Jerrell was listening on their conversation outside. He was leaning against the wall with crossed arms. (So he does care about her. Their love is…real after all. I never should have doubted Margarita's judgment.)

"I took revenge for her." Mason said.

Zelfire smiled. "You certainly did. Now stay here and get some rest."

"Sure thing."

"I'm going to tell Piper and Leila the good news. They'll be over excited to hear about it. Cya."

"Bye!" Mason closed his eyes tightly and eventually fell asleep.

Mason opened his eyes. His vision was still blurry, but he could see the walls. He walked over to the Medical Room and to Margrit's chamber.

"Hey Margrit, how's it going?... That's a stupid question, you're injured...and it's all my fault..." He sighed. "Margrit...because of me you are in the chamber. That day...when I went off, you came looking for me. The whole colony was looking for me...I left without knowing how worried you were...when you finally found me...actually I found you...and you tried to help me. But all I did was hurt you. You tried to save me, but I did this to you...Margrit! Please just wake up!... You woke up last time, you can do it again, right?"

He sighed. "If you do wake up, I promise to make things right...I'll make it up to you somehow...I'll never let you get hurt because of me, again! I'll do anything you say. Anything that make you wake up again. So please…just wake up!" A tear dripped down his face. "Wake up…"

He felt extreme remorse and guilt. At the time he was still 'evil,' he was conscious of his own actions. He remembered the scene clearly and vividly.

Margarita, after taking the last hit, fell in front of him. "M-Mason…"

"No!" he yelled, catching her. "NOOOOO!" In a fit of rage, he expelled all the energy he had at the time, and blew up the ship. Boom.

"Margarita…" he called out. She was in his arms, barely conscious. "Why didn't you fight back? Why are you so stupid?!"

She woke up. "Mason. Because…because…I wanted you to kill me. I'd rather die than see you turn out like this. I always knew this wasn't you. You have a good heart. It's too bad it ended up like this. Mason…let's…die together."

Tears drip down his eyes. "Margarita!!" But he didn't want to die, not just yet. It's still too early for death. He powered up, forming a shield around himself and the unconscious Margrit. As the Battalian blew up, they were safe.

Mason never knew he'd find love in such a place as this. After all their adventures, this is where he ended up. The first time he met Renegade. The first time he met Kane. The fight with Destructo. Nimbus. The G-Force. Rasputin. Zarbon. The first time he met Zorton. The fight with Starburst. The first time he met Margarita and Kyle. And Jerrell. And when Zorton unmasked himself, saying he is his father. The time he fell in love with Margarita.

What is to become of him now?