Sky Forever

Chapter 30: Our Saviours

We looked down at the battle field from the ruined balcony. The fighting had stopped and everyone was crowding around where Jasper Homunculus had landed.

"Why are they not fighting?" I asked.

"Their leader is dead. There's no point." Amber replied.

I stared around the room at the destruction.

"We need to get out of here." I said.

We headed for the door and walked back through the corridors. Once we got down a floor, there were flames crackling. We sped up to try and get out before anything collapsed.

We made it down the countless flights of stairs, across the destroyed atrium and out the main door. Or what used to be the main door, it was now reduced to rubble and left a gaping hole at the front of the tower.

When we stepped outside, everyone turned to look at us. The city dwellers, the soldiers, even the Wasp Men. I noticed Jasper's crumpled corpse a few houses away to our right. Then everyone started coming towards us, stepping over the corpses and the debris.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Our saviours!" One woman shouted.

"Our saviours!" Another person repeated.

Then the chant started, along with some cheering.

"Our saviours, our saviours, our saviours!"

Suddenly, we were hoisted onto some shoulders and carried out into the city.

Amber started laughing and I laughed with her. I couldn't quite believe what was happening. Even the Wasp Men were chanting.

"Our saviours, our saviours, our saviours!"

They carried us down the main road to the gate, that had also been destroyed, and put us down. Amber climbed up onto a large bit of rubble. She looked down at me and stretched out her hand. I took it and she helped me up onto the rock.

I looked out at the sea of survivors. Considering the scale of the battle, a lot of people were still alive. Although, it was probably about half of the entire population.

"Citizens of the city!" Amber called across the crowd, "Soldiers! Children! The battle is won. Emperor Homunculus is dead. His tyrannies and dictatorship reign no longer. You are all free!"

The crowd cheered. It was almost deafening. I just stood, smiling, as Amber carried on her speech.

"A lot of the city has been destroyed and damaged. But, we can all rebuild it. And at the same time, rebuild your lives!"

The crowd cheered and whooped again. I heard some people yell "Our saviours!"

Amber jumped down from the rock so I followed.

I spotted Janey approaching us from the hole in the wall where the gate used to be. She didn't say anything. She just smiled at the sight of us.

Amber noticed her and turned, "Janey! We've won! The battle's over!"

"Yep!" Janey replied, short and sweet as usual.

There was a short moment of silence between us. All the survivors had started celebrating amongst themselves now.

"Where...where have you left Ryder?" Amber asked, quietly.

"I placed him by the wreckage of your ship." Janey answered, "Your ghost is there to protect him."

Amongst all the commotion of battle, I had forgotten about Lonely Soul. Amber and I walked out towards the giant heap of metal that used to be the System Uncontrollable.

Ryder's body was under a tattered sheet and Lonely Soul was standing by it, shimmering in the daylight. They were surrounded by a thin veil of Ecto-Emission; a sign that Lonely Soul was upset.

"Congratulations, friends." The ghost greeted us, though forlornly, "Your battle is won."

"Thank you, Lonely Soul." Amber replied, "Can I see the body?"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" I said.

"Yes..." She stated, "I need to see it one last time."

I bent down and delicately removed the cover. Ryder looked peaceful lying on the dirt of the Ash Plains. His eyes were closed now and the blood had dried on his chin and his goatee.

"Okay." Amber said, her lips trembling.

I obscured his body once more and stood back up.

All four of us, Amber, Janey, Lonely Soul, and I all looked back at the City of Ashes and Gold. The way the tower was burning was almost beautiful. The flames licked the brown bricks that were once home to a dictator.

I adjusted my tourniqet slightly, but the wound didn't hurt anymore. Thinking about what we'd all been through in the past two and a bit weeks, I felt immortal.

I also felt loved for the first time in my life since my father had disappeared. All the people around me, an unlikely group of friends but friends nonetheless, were people I knew I'd treasure forever.

Especially my guardian angel.