Love Conquers All _The Sequel_

Chapter Thirty Two - Impetrate Vindication

ET's POV:

An abrupt, engulfing swelling of emotions spate through and drench my mind. If I had eyes, they would be wide open, pulled apart in frantic shock. I am still soil, though, and all I have left is soul. But as of now, something feels outlandish. I am warm, which tells me that the sun is beating down on the dry ground I am immersed in.

You know, I have been waiting patiently for my return to Neverland. Waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. I think it's about time for something to happen... I'm bored. I want to be entertained.

In a swift spur of a moment, I feel as if I am purling round. The sun is consolatory, and makes me feel steamy throughout the quintessence of my very being.

Then, something near indescribable encircles me. It is a feeling of wholeness. Piece by piece I gradually solidify... I am coming together. Being remade.

And I know now that sudden moment in time, it was the moment that we said "I do."

And guess

Who

Is back?

Me.

My vision is veiled by a crips whiteness. Vision... I haven't had vision for so long...

Slowly but surely, the blurriness of what I see begins to focus itself, and with a crescendo vibrant colors reveal themselves to my pupils.

I can breathe. In and out. The fresh air cools my lungs yet the sun slightly scalds the surface of my skin, and as I look up into the clouds I feel magnificent. Flowers spring up all around; golden, white, and pink little blossoms dappling the green grass. A calm, cool breeze tiptoes across my face and it feels so good to be alive.

I feel unstoppable, but then I turn around, and I am greeted by my very own face.

Well, a reflection of my face. I stare into my eyes, shining off of the polished chrome of a massive machine. My mood shrinks a small bit when I see I am still ugly, old ET. I croak, and even my voice is still a crackly, raspy moan.

But then I back up some, looking at the machine in front of me. I observe it fully, quickly realizing that, looming over me, is none other than the Jolly Roger, my ship.

"W-wwhaatt thhhe..." I whisper, my voice incredibly hoarse.

It must've gotten reversed and rebuilt by the wedding, too. It did contain a spark of my magic, so I guess you could say it was living.

Time to go back...

The reality of what I am about to do stuns me. I'm about to go back... I'll see Michael, maybe even Tex... I'll be home! I'm excited.

But, I am extremely anxious as well. After all, I have turned into the very enemy that I know Michael despises. My fear is that he won't let me explain what's happened to him.

Nevertheless, I step inside the Jolly Roger and crank the levers, sending myself hurdling into the future. I set the date for March 18, 2015, which is exactly four weeks after I left Neverland and lived with the jaguars.

As I course through time and space, I start to shiver with nervousness. There is a lump in my gut, and my Life Diamond is beating erratically.

A trilling ding rings around me and I know now that the ship has landed. The hatch opens, and I step outside.

This is it.

The air is fairly warm, but I'm shaking like there's snow falling from the clouds.

I wonder if I should warn him, like, call him or something. But my voice...

A quick idea flashes through my mind. Back in the ship, I grab a piece of paper and scribble down a quick note.

I read it over before folding it up.

Michael,
I have returned. But I've changed a lot. I have so many things I need to explain, but I am terrified to see your face when you lay eyes on me. I have become repulsive. I will be waiting for you by the ferris wheel. When you see me, don't freak out, because I can explain.
Love, Mary.

I crease the note into a neat square and quaintly write "To Michael" on the front. I shuffle back up to the porch and lay the letter on the welcome mat, facing the door so that whomever answers will see the "To Michael" right away.

I ring the doorbell and waddle away as quickly as I can, headed to the Farris wheel. Behind me I can hear the squeak of the door hinges as it is opened, and I can hear the crinkling of the paper as it is lifted by a pair of hands. I duck behind a tree, the wheel only twenty feet away from me.

"Michael!" I hear the faraway voice call. It sounds like Tex... I am flooded with more anxiety.

After waiting by the ferris wheel for what feels like ages, I can suddenly hear the grass and gravel crunching beneath the feet of Michael. I duck into the shadows. Tears are already streaming down my squatty face.

"Mary?" I hear his soft voice ask.

Involuntarily, a sob escapes my throat. I can hear Michael sigh.

"Don't cry..." He whispers. His feet shift, and I can tell he's trying to get closer to me, so I back away.

Well, it's now or never.

I reveal my ugliness from behind the dark shadows of the ferris wheel.

When Michael's eyes meet mine, my heart breaks. If I had any color left in me, my face would be turning red right now, but all I am is a wrinkly brown sack with salty tears running from my eyes. Michael's mouth is gaping wide, and an ear-piercing scream is ringing from his throat.

He's yelling "No!" And I'm sobbing and groaning and the moment is very surreal. I feel absolutely and utterly terrible. Michael drops to his knees and I feel even worse.

"This is all just a trick," Michael mutters.

"N-n-nnno, i-i-itttsss-" I start to croak but my vocal chords are failing me. "Itttsss-"
I grab my throat and start choking. Then I point to my neck, signaling that I really can't talk.

"Is it really you?" He whispers in disbelief.

I nod.

"Ittsss mmeee," I manage to say. "P..pappperr annnd pencilll," I grunt, and then I pantomime writing.

He looks around, confused, and the starts patting his pant pockets as he searches to fill my request. He pulls out my letter and a pen from his shirt pocket, and gives them to me.

As he passes the objects over, his hand touches mine and he pulls away quickly in disgust. I cry even harder.

"No, no I'm sorry," he mumbles. "I'm sorry, this is just hard," he says, and then he starts to weep, nearly as hard as I am.

I write down everything. I write down how I lived in the jungle and became so overwhelmed with anger and sadness that it shriveled me into ET, and that I had to build a time machine and travel back to carry out ET's actions, and how, if I hadn't, I would've never met him and everything would've gone wrong. As I wrote, I accidentally got tears on the page. I hand the note over to him and he takes it gently from my clutch.

He's still crying as he reads, sniveling and suppressing sobs. I watch his face. It looks solemn and pained.

When he's read everything, he drops the piece of paper and looks up at me. The letter blows away from us, with the wind.

"It's you..." He squeaks.

"I-I," I heave, trying to get my words across. "III'mmmm ssssssorrrry-yyy"
I groan, and then I gasp for air. Saying two words takes all the energy I have.

Then he does what I definitely did not expect him to do. He crouches down and hugs me, tightly, as if he's not entirely repelled by my slimy skin.

"I missed you so much," he whispers into my tiny, wrinkly ear hole.

"Mmmmmisssseddd y-youuu, toooo."