Final Story - 010

"You should stop saying things you have to apologise for. It doesn't suit you."

"Yeah, I don't think so, either. I'll try not to make so many mistakes in the future."

"Oh? You think we have a future?"

"We don't?"

"No, you're just a passing fancy to me."

"I'm just a stand-in?!"

"Yeah. Until the world ends."

Until the world ends, huh?

"Well, hopefully that'll be after we both die."

"Hmm… I'd give it about ten years."

I smile, and Tayla smiles back at me. I'd missed bantering back and forward with her like this.

The worst part about going to the moon, is that I couldn't be around her. That should've been the first thing I said to her when I got back. That I missed her. And talking to her like this. And touching her like this. And embracing her like this.

"Even if it is only another ten years, I want to be here until I die too."

"Hey, we're not eighteen, you can't propose to me just yet."

"But I wouldn't be the Alexander Giovanna that you fell in love with if I don't do this by myself. If I let anyone else get involved, or if I ran away from this, it would all be meaningless. Nothing would've changed the whole time I've been here. Nothing would be different."

Tayla still wasn't satisfied.

"I know, but…"

"Don't worry, I'll come back."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

I'm so thankful for Tayla. I don't know how many other people would be this understanding. To be honest, sometimes I think she can't possibly be real. Like she's a character out of a story or something. Come to think of it, none of this seems all that real, does it? What are the odds of all this? That me of all people would have this kind of life. I don't think I'm a particularly interesting person. I don't have superhuman intelligence or strength. Truthfully, I barely passed my school exams, and I'm not exactly the peak of fitness either. I wouldn't say I'm dashingly handsome. In fact, I would say I have a horse face. And AJ says I have a beak for a nose.

If I didn't know better by now, I would say the only reason Tayla puts up with me is because she misguidedly thinks that I'm the one who saved her. Really, all I, or anyone else did, was push her in the right direction. If anything, she's the one who saved me.

Right, that's all I've ever done. Nothing special. Nothing at all, really.

On my way out of Tayla's house, Devon pulled me aside once again.

"I can't believe you'd forget what I told you that quickly."

?

At first, I'm a little confused what he means, but that doesn't last long. After all, it was only an hour or two ago. When I promised him that I wouldn't hurt Tayla ever again.

"Sorry."

"Well, it isn't like I said don't fight with her," Devon shrugged, "that would be unreasonable. All I said was don't let her go. And it seems like she forgave you already, so I can't do much."

I replied, "I won't let you down. I promise, I won't let her go until she's sick of me."

"What an audacious little punk," Devon laughed, "you're not supposed to say things like that to your girlfriend's father. Especially when they're so serious."

"Serious? You?"

"Huh? What do you mean? I'm as serious as they come."

"Right… well, I'm off now."

"Hey, come on. I'm serious, right?"

"Thanks for having me."

Without answering Devon's question, I made my exit. I only made it around the corner, before I collapsed on the pavement. Well, it wasn't quite that dramatic, but I sat down and leaned against the wall. Because my legs felt like bricks.

I was just so exhausted. Physically and mentally. The five hours of sleep I'd gotten this morning was probably the best I've slept in the last four days. I've never been good at sleeping in planes, so you can probably understand that the shuttle down from the moon was even worse.

And so, I'm ready to collapse. But I can't.

If I do, who knows what will happen to Kayla?

What will Kiss Duskdancer do to her?

I don't have a choice, but to go to this cathedral. The big ruined one in the centre of town. That's where the two of them are. And so, I have to continue on forward, to this place. Kiss Duskdancer: what is it that woman wants from me? I have to find out. To understand all of this.

To finish whatever this is.

…

…

…

…

…

I give myself five minutes to rest. Leaning against some stranger's fence, as I am. It isn't enough. It probably isn't even a hundredth of what I need. But I don't have that kind of luxurious time to spend right now.

I have to make it to that cathedral by midnight.

And so, I stand up.

And so, I walk forward.

Slow as I may be, I start to make my way towards that cathedral. So that we can put an end to all of this. So that we can finally put it all behind us.