The Chronicles of Ostrunov 4 The Time Intruder

Chapter 12 Final

Anders! You must come! Today is my day! I'm going to show how brilliant I am!"

"Hah! You won this time, but it won't be next time!"

"Olympic this time, I'll show you! I shall bring back my first gold medal!"

"Oh, man. So embarrassing. I can't understand this subject, but you seem perfectly fine."

"Thank you for tutoring me, Anders. Why only you can tutor me?"

"I can lose to anyone but you, big brother! One day, I'll surpass you!"

All childhood memories were popping up inside Michael's mind as if he was dying slowly. He decided to work with Philip because of the last straw that Kvislemark has done with his family.
When he was little, he could remember his father being maltreated severely and unforgivably by his relatives. His father never said anything wrong about an Emperor or the royal courts. He never missed any royal family events. He also never expressed any bad behavior in front of any ancestors or relatives, from what he saw. The others seem to have no problem with his family. Still, he doesn't understand why his parents had to live in the remote countryside near the border, like Aizkile city, Northern Oceania.
In contrast, the other royal members instead lived in the capital. His father is the Emperor's younger brother, but he never deserves proper respect. Every time Michael visited the palace, he usually heard a rumor from the adults. Also, Great-grandfather Victor acted so cold to his father. Nevertheless, Michael was treated well like all descendants. Usually, the cousins played with Michael, so he sometimes wondered if it was only an adult's problem.

One rumor told that Emperor Gregers sent Prince Simon away not to bring about the war between two brothers that once happened between Emperor Victor and Prince Chris. Another story said Prince Simon did something unforgivable and unacceptable to the royal family. I heard it unintentionally a hundred times, but it didn't hurt him like what he saw during one of the royal family's annual events. While playing, Michael accidentally watched his parents being scolded impolitely by one relative. Even though he was a kid, he remembered it very well.

"You, the outcast! You son of the bitch! If your lustful mother didn't seduce your father, our family would never be dirty by a half-blood like you! And If it weren't for your father, you would never stay in this place! Bustards!"

Michael remembered all tone and every word the woman said to his parents and how his parents were so raged. Unfortunately, as a child, Michael couldn't do anything but cry. Ferdinand and Anders had to comfort him for a couple of hours. The next thing he knew was that Emperor Lucas came and admonished that lady loudly and ordered the soldiers to take her out. His parents shook with tears and hurried to go back to Aizkile. After coming back home, his parents argued for a while. Michael kept crying alone in his bedroom.
From that day, his parents never spoke about what happened again. They still lived together, but their relationship wasn't quite well.
Next year, only Michael came on behalf of his family. He chose to close his heart and saw everyone as his enemy. Even though Michael heard that the lady was punished and banned from every family event, it didn't make him feel better. What he heard from the lady was only forbidden to say in the palace, but rumor continued outside. Emperor Lucas did his best to maintain family relationships. Emperor ordered to punish of all soldiers, servants, and even members who spread the story or talked outside the palace. Emperor Lucas showed no mercy for those who broke his order despite his kindness. Emperor took special care of Michael. However, it's hard to deny that Emperor was involved with why his family was being expelled. As a result, Michael didn't trust any adults and worked so hard to be accepted by the royal family.
As they're around the same age, Anders and Michael were always chosen by adults to be a rival. At first, they were not so different, so the competition was always set for this two. Instead, Anders and Martino were very close. For Michael, Anders was the only big brother he trusted. They compete, but they never hate each other. They always supported each other no matter who won or who lost.

At Aldebaran, both had their name on every student's top score list or trophies. The two were in different classes and years. They had their friends and rarely saw them together at school. But few people knew that Anders and Michael always studied together lately at the student council's private room or library. They never said it directly, but they all knew how they cared about each other.

After their latest fighting, Michael traveled aimlessly. He lost his wand and didn't know where to go or what to do. Should he go back to the future? Or going where? He traveled through time without proposes until reaching Skogfjord accidentally. He met Simon without noticing that the demon was controlling Simon. Michael was captured and used as its energy.
Now, he felt hopeless. He had nowhere to go, no one to love, nothing to do. He only accepted that sooner he would die alone here.

Michael! Michael!
Can you hear me?

What? This voice?
Can't it be?

Michael slowly opened his eyes. The light was shining in front of him and gradually getting more significant.

Michael! I come to save you!

No, it can't be. Am I dreaming? Why you, why you are here?

The two started to communicate through their telepathy
"Anders, Is that you, big brother? How could you find me?"

"You light brought me here! Come on, let's go home! Everyone is waiting for you."

"Home? No, impossible. I don't have a home anymore. What I have done was unacceptable. I deserved to die here."

"No, you're wrong! You're worthwhile to me! And for everyone who is waiting for you outside as well! It's not over, little brother! And it's not too late! Because I'm here for you! I believe in you! And I will bring you from here!"
That kind and familiar words impressed Michael that he couldn't stop crying. He wanted to reach Martino, but he couldn't. Michael's body was chained and shackled to the devil's body.

"No, I can't. I can't reach you. I was trapped here."

"Michael, only you now can break these chains out. These things are linked to your miserable soul. You have to destroy it."

"But how?"

"Trust me, Michael. Now closes your eyes and figure out what still trapped you from inside."

Michael did what Martino said. As he was reminding his painful memories, even though this world gave him such sorrowful and terrible things he met, he realized that this world also sent many people he sometimes forgot about, people who care about him. Many cousins, kind adults, good friends at the Ice Hockey club, and even some professors always stayed by his side and supported him.
He realized he wasn't truly alone. Even now, there's someone still waiting for him.

Suddenly, the chains that trapped him were slowly cracking down and destroyed. Michael finally broke free. He escaped from the dark water tank of the soul. Michael was soaked and exhausted, but he still managed to fly toward Martino. Martino held Michael tightly and healed him with his power. Michael then gradually opened his eyes. He greeted Martino with relief.

"Welcome back, little brother! Now let's find your father and get out from here."

"Thank you, big brother, for believing in me."

Martino turned Michael his wand. Now the two must release Simon from the devil to destroy the dungeon.

Martino then summoned his old magic wand. Michael saw it and was surprised.

"Oh, Anders, do you still keep that?"

"Yeah, it's still working. Why not?"

Twos hold each other hands tightly, prepared for their final battle. Then, suddenly, their wands powerfully revealed their true magic. It spread a shining, radiant beam towards the darkness around them. Then, two rods changed themselves to new mystical staffs in front of two.
Both watched it with fascination.

"What is this? A new staff?"

"I'm not sure either. But I feel that I know how to use it."

Michael and Martino grasped their new rods and rushed toward the center where the devil was. They sent a powerful white-black beam smashed throughout the whole darkness. All evils were eradicated and crashed into several pieces. The light beam was also exposed outside the devils so that Lucas and the others could see it.
The devil then exploded and sent shockwaves to blow everyone away.
When it was over, Martino and Michael showed up in the sky. Martino changed himself back to normal, and several pieces of the devil slowly disappeared, revealing Simon's body lying on it unconsciously. Gregers and Lucas rushed to check him. Luckily, he is still alive. Martino then took everyone back to Skogfjord safely.

Back at Skogfjord castle, Simon regained his consciousness and learned what had happened. Simon then kneeled and apologized to Gregers and Lucas while still crying. He admitted that the Dark Art's black magic from his servants was controlling him, and he accepted all of the crime he did to Lucas. Simon also realized he was jealous of Lucas and felt neglected by Gregers. According to royal family law, he didn't make any excuses and begged Gregers to execute him with no mercy. Gregers refused even though Gregers and Lucas forgave him and truly knew that Simon's guilt was unacceptable.
As the Emperor, Gregers couldn't let him away and must punish him with the maximum penalty to ensure this event would not happen again.
Gregers found himself in a dilemma, so he asked King Nicolai for advice. Straightforwardly, Nicolai advised that execution was legally acceptable, but Gregers would blame himself for his decision for the rest of his life. In contrast, if he didn't punish Simon, it would favor all Dark Art servants and bring endless tragedy to the family, so he suggested Gregers as the third choice to solve this.
Finally, instead of execution, Gregers sent Simon to Aizkile for controlling the north rebels and for redemption. Simon accepted it with a tear and went back to Kvislemark with Prince Lucas.

Michael finally understood everything since he was little and what his father always hid from him. He apologized to Gregers and Emperor Lucas for what he did. Lucas instead hugged Michael warmly and told me he was never angry at him; in contrast, he was relieved Michael was safe. He never thought it was Michael's fault at all. He also apologized for hiding the truth from Michael since he thought it would be better if family members never spoke about the past again. Gregers also glad that no one would die, and how he was delighted to see his two grandsons today.
But Michael still wondered a question about his grandmother; he asked Gregers if it wasn't Grandmother Camilla. Greger was silent for a while; finally, with King Nicolai's encouragement, Gregers began to tell that Michael's grandmother, or Simon's mother, was Princess Klara, King Nicolai's little sister. It shocked everyone, including two Axels. Nicolai never told anyone in the family about his little sister. He explained that King Hans, Nicolai's father, banned Klara from the family after her guilt about using a love potion to seduce Gregers and forced him to have a love relationship, which made her pregnant. King Hans was furious with her unacceptable behavior and expelled her from the kingdom. After Gregers knew, he showed his responsibility and took her to Kvislemark, which raged many relatives at that time. Westergaard members bullied Klara many times as they saw her as a prostitute that dirty high-class pure-blood wizarding family like them. Soon, Klara gave birth to Simon, who became the first half-blood member of the family. At first, Emperor Victor denied accepting either Klara or Simon, then Emperor Benjamin came and negotiated with Victor. Benjamin said it's unfair if members should blame Simon for his mother's actions. As a result, after his birth, Simon was sent to Camilla before Klara committed suicide alone in her room. Everyone saw her as a family's curse, so no one ever wanted to talk about her again.
Meanwhile, in Los Cielo, King Hans eliminated all documents about Klara and ordered family members not to say anything. Klara didn't even have a funeral or proper graveyard. When time passed, only Nicolai remembered her and placed a flower on the family's tomb annually on the day she died.
After hearing Gregers's story, everyone was shocked. All Midnatthimmelsen members felt sorry for her. King Nicolai then explained that King Hans didn't want her to become the conflict between the two kingdoms, especially when all Scandinavian kingdoms suffered from the pandemic. Nicolai also apologized to all his descendants for keeping this secret.
As both have Midnatthimmelsen's bloodline, Martino finally understood why he and Michael were connected. Michael also comprehends Simon's feelings and all conflicts or rumors he has been through in his whole life. He finally accepted his unlucky fate. Michael hugged Gregers and cried a lot, bringing Lucas and Martino to comfort him. Michael also asked Martino what if he became his real big brother; Martino accepted.

The mission is finally over. King Axel talked to young himself and King Nicolai for a while before farewelling to everyone in the past, and the team flew through the time dimensions wormhole back to the future.

Back to Aldebaran, Professor Frederickson greeted everyone and showed them the map saying that the time dimensions were now reset and become stable once again. Thanks to Aldebaran's location, the school didn't get any effect. Fredericksen congratulated Martino for accomplishing the mission and saving the world and also welcomed Michael to be back. Fredericksen was glad everyone was okay, except for Philip. Skyler was curious about how his world had been changed or renewed. Fredericksen didn't know in detail either.
Nevertheless, he noticed that the new dimensions were more mature than before; he said perhaps their new world might not be the same they used to know, but it could be better. And about Philip, since he passed away in the previous dimensions, history would rewrite him as death as birth or something that didn't interfere with the main timeline. Vincent was also concerned about his past; however, Fredericksen advised him to see for himself. And for Axel and Lucas, even though they didn't want to go back to being a spirit again, they finally completed the passion they wanted to go on an adventure with their children.
In the end, Martino and the team say farewell to Fredericksen and go back to their timeline. As they approached their world, the dimension interfered with them and sent them to the unknown, everlastingly extremely white tunnel to reboot them all. No one could see each other. And no one could explain what it meant or where it led.

A few minutes later, the next thing Skyler and Martino knew was that they were standing on their royal cruise ship heading to the south, like before the mysterious lightning happened. The sky was clear, and the sea was peaceful. All servants were doing their job usually. Skyler instead found himself wearing the new uniform. But it didn't surprise him as he saw Martino in his gorgeous blue, royal uniform. Martino then explained it was his official Imperial Oceania Emperor uniform. He felt so shy as he never showed it to Skyler, but Skyler liked the costume so much.

"Wow, Martino. You're so handsome in this costume! I can feel the sense of great honor as the true leader from you!"

"Haha, you think? I personally prefer the usual one I usually wear. This uniform only appears in very formal ceremonies."

"Then, I should call you his majesty the Emperor, right? Haha"

While the two were talking, Montgomery came. He now wore the new royal uniform.
"Skyler! We did it! Everything goes back to normal. Woah! Prince Martino, you look different."
Then, three musketeers interrupted them. Tadashi, Jack, and Hiccup were now in the new look. They were different people now. Skyler realized he must get to know his comrades once again.

"Montgomery, you have to call him 'His Majesty the Emperor,' of course! We don't want to make any trouble to Oceanian again."
Tadashi said to Montgomery. He was no longer the same Tadashi that Skyler and Montgomery used to know anymore. However, despite Tadashi's new look, he still acted the same. Skyler heard the servants call him 'Yoshimura-sama' and wondered how much did he change.

"Oh! Tadashi-kun! You look, well, so formal. Long time no see."
Montgomery was surprised by the new Tadashi.
"What? Are you daydreaming again? We met several times today. And of course, I only wear my kimono during a very formal duty."
Tadashi replied. Montgomery still saw the same Tadashi he knew from him.

Meanwhile, Jack, now Captain Jackson, teased Montgomery as always.
"No surprise, Master Shogun. As Monty usually has seasickness, he kept sleeping since we left Skogfjord."

"Haha, very funny, Jack! You wanna eat my punch?"
"Oh, yeah! I always save my kick just for you, Monty!"

Jackson and Montgomery were fighting again, bringing Hiccup, now Christoffer, to stop them.
"Enough, you two! No fighting on this ship! We soon arrive at Hjellestad, so don't embarrass your majesty!"

Skyler saw four of them and felt relieved that they were still the same friends he had known for a long time.

"Wait, Tadashi-kun, I mean Yoshimura -san, didn't you have to stay at the capital?"

"Of course, your majesty. Until I finished taking care of all hidden rebels and spies inside the city, I could come with you here. Don't worry, your majesty. Everything was in my eyes now. I also have my team serve my order there."

"I see. I know I can count on you, my favorite prime minister."

"My pleasure. It's my duty to help you. And it's also my lifelong promise I made with King Axel. Besides, The musketeers must have a leader."

"Indeed! Master Shogun-sama, you're the best!"

"A-Ah! No, Jackson, I won't help you rearrange your documents this time. Ask Christoffer instead."

"Oh, no. Tadashi-san. Please don't let Jackson ruin my coffee break again."

"Please~"

The ceremony at Hjellestad was successful. Los Cielo and Oceania were now officially ending the prolonged cold war. The government opened the border freely for two citizens. Soon, there will be more cooperation between the two countries.
At the royal party, Martino met Empress Viola.

"How's going, Viola. Do you get busy lately?"

"Well, not really. But it'd be better if someone could help me fill many documents."

"Oop! I'm so sorry."

"Haha, I'm just kidding. I understand you, big brother. But I wish you come here more frequently, and the noblemen would be pleased if you attend the federal court meeting instead of me."

"I will, Viola. I'll come as frequently as I can. Woah! That guy!"

"What? Why you're so surprised? Did you think I could get rid of those boring documents without his help?"
Viola said to Martino as he saw Michael come to meet him. Michael was now a trustful prince and Empress Viola's consultant. He came to Martino and whispered.

"I know you must be surprised. I also do not believe in what I saw. It's all thanks to you, Big brother Anders. I feel like I was reborn again."
Michael then hugged Martino tightly and delightfully before making an excuse to greet another guest.

Martino still wondered what else had changed. He then called for Vincent quietly.
"Sssp, Vincent, Are you around here?"

"My lord, You call?"

"Oh, hey, Vincent. You still look almost the same."

"You think so? I'm so glad to see Prince Michael become a new man. And I'm so happy that everything is okay in the end. But I still wish for something more."
Suddenly, there're guests came to greet Martino. Vincent saw them and was utterly stunned. They were his parents and his siblings, who were already dead in his old memories. They were still alive in this new timeline.

King Lennart showed Martino his respect gracefully; despite his senility, he is still healthy and active.
"ํYour majesty the Emperor, It's been my honor to see you here. My kingdom Theocor was restored with your great support and became a peaceful country like the old day."

"I'm glad to hear that. How's your health, King Lennart?"
Martino continued to ask with excellent social skills.

"My health is getting better now, your majesty. I now can live long enough to prepare my second son to inherit my throne. May I ask if my eldest son makes any trouble to you?"

"Vincent? No, not at all. He helped me a lot. I'm so glad I have him by my side."

Then, Theocor queen, Vincent's mother, said to Martino.
"It was such a good opportunity for my eldest son to serve your majesty. If it weren't you who went to the underworld and asked the satan for my son's second chance, he would stay there eternally for paying the debt. Please be of mercy to my son if he does anything wrong. And you too, Vincent! Be nice, and don't embarrass your majesty!"
Vincent couldn't stop crying and rushed to hug his family.

"Oh, dear! Vincent, you are a man now. You can't cry like a baby."
"I know, mother. Scold me again, mother, Scold me again!"

Martino was so happy to see Vincent finally has a chance to meet his family. When they left, Vincent hugged Martino with a tear.
"I finally understand why people said you could do a miracle. I see it now, and for me, it's so precious than any dream or gift I wish. Thank you so much, and I love you so much. I swear I'll be loyal to you for the rest of my life."

"You deserved it, Vincent. Hey, how about we visit Theocor together sometimes? I want to know your place more."
"Of course, my lord! You will love it!"

When the party was crowded, Skyler came to relax outside the palace. Martino then joined him. The two saw the spirit of King Axel and Emperor Lucas chatting near them.

"Father! Uncle Lucas! Are you still dead in our new world?"
Skyler asked with slight disappointment.
"Oh, my little king! And my baby Emperor! Feel disappointed? Don't make that face, Skyler. I can still come to meet you two anytime I want!"
Skyler replied.

"You're right, Axel. And you, Anders, did everything go well?"
Lucas agreed before turning to ask Martino.

"Yes, Father. Everything on this new timeline was incredible: Michael, Vincent, King Lennart, General Montgomery, and his comrades. But I wish you're still alive here."
Martino replied.

"Oh, my son. You can visit me many times you want. And as you know, you can resurrect me if you wish. Hahaha. But I don't want to be an Emperor again."
Lucas said.

"Oh, yeah. The resurrection spell. And I think I still remember how to create the temporarily revive potion."

"Haha, my genius boy. Let's do that again in our next adventure, shall we?"

"I will. Anyway, do you two have any interesting plans?"

"Yeah, son. We will go hiking with Immanuel tomorrow! Lucas already has a revive potion for us. We three will go trip after retirement! Hahaha."
Axel said joyfully.

"Haha, yeah, being a spirit or human is not a big deal now. Anyways, Have a safe trip, Father."
Martino replied.

Martino and Skyler continued to look around quietly. They saw a world that completely changed from what they knew due to dimension reset. What they used to see, hear, learn, or event used to happen was now gone. To them, it felt like waking from a dream. Now they had to start their new life, a new journey, and new history from here.

"It is a happy ending, isn't it, Martino?"
Skyler simply asked Martino.

"No, it's not. Instead, it's a happy, brand new beginning."


THE END OF SEASON 4