The Broken Doll

Alternate Chapter 18

Shing and I thought the original ending was too sad, so this alternate ending is for people who want to see a happy ending!

The day of the wake arrived and everyone piled into the car. Shing kept to herself but looked around at everyone, Yuri right next to her with an arm around her. Akari and Haru were sitting at the front, looking solemn but steeled. The spellcasters were huddled in the backseat, pouring over the book and whispering to each other in the language of their home world. Astral and Dark flew outside, exchanging their emotions mentally and trying to seek comfort in one another's presence. Everyone in the car tried anything to keep from thinking of the wake.

It came by too fast, though. The funeral home was appeared in the distance, and it was all anyone could do to look straight ahead and face the inevitable. Akari parked the car, shut off the engine, and everyone just sat there for a while. No one wanted to come out, and for the longest time, no one did. Then, one by one, they opened the doors and stepped out.

Shing looked up at the funeral home with moist eyes, but she promised herself, Astral, and Yuma that she was done crying until the actual funeral. Then, she and Astral could cry all they wanted. For now, though, the both of them held back their emotions and followed Akari inside.

Yuma's friends were already there, dressed nicely and quietly speaking. They didn't notice the family until they came into the area, and then it was a series of "I'm sorry"s and "He's going to a better place"s. During the soft chatter, Astral and Shing both went up to Yuma's body to see him one last time.

He was dressed nicely and looked peaceful, but beneath the makeup and embalming, his skin was too pale and sickly. The boy looked almost asleep. Neither Astral nor Shing could bare to look.

"I never imagined he could look like that," Astral whispered, stealing a glance at his former partner. Pain nagged at his heart.

Shing sighed. She knew this was her fault, all the way back when she first came here to mentally manipulate everyone. It was so long ago... Was she really that desperate for some kind of love? "I'd do anything to bring him back," she said hoarsely. The pain and sadness was all too clear in her voice.

Astral averted his gaze from the corpse. I would too...

Abruptly, the girl turned away from the body and ran into Yuri's arms. Judging from her trembling, Astral guessed that she was just barely holding back tears. He started to join her away from the body but stole one last glance at his fallen friend.

Somehow, he had a bad feeling about the body. As though the curse would return if touched. He watched anxiously as the people went to see the body, but luckily, no one touched him. He breathed a sigh of relief, but his calm was interrupted when he heard hiccuping breaths.

"Why did he have to be the sacrifice?" Shing sobbed softly into Yuri's chest. Astral's heart hurt to see her like this.

Yuri's grip tightened around her. "I don't know," he whispered back, "but we can't change anything about it. Death is reversible here."

And then, as though a light were gradually going off in her head, Shing stopped crying and raised her head slowly. A smile crept on her lips. "Yuri my love, he won't stay dead for long."

Both Astral and Yuri shared a glance, and even Dark looked comically confused. "Y-you're talking nonsense," Astral said, though he hoped her words rang true. "From what I understand, death is death."

"You'll see!" Shing giggled. "Oh, I can't believe I forgot!" She released herself from Yuri's grip and ran over to Yuma, looking at him once more but in a new light. She ran her hand against his cheek softly and thought, Soon, my dear. You'll be back soon. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Astral shuddering when she touched Yuma, but she couldn't tell if it was him bristling or from fear. Either way, she didn't care.

"I'm afraid I don't follow," Yuri stated, earning a vigorous nodding from Dark. 

"You said death was irreversible here, but you should know the same cannot be said of home!"

It took a moment for the realization to dawn on him, but when it did, Yuri's eyes widened. "And there will be no price to pay!"

"What are you talking about?" Dark whined pitifully. "You're not making any sense!"

"I agree," Astral sighed. "Would you care to explain to those of us who are not from your world?"

"Seven precious orbs that will give you anything you want when gathered together," Yuri explained. "With them, anything is possible."

Astral inhaled sharply. Was there hope to get his Yuma back after all? "So he could come back?" he whispered, barely daring to hope.

But the look on Shing's face erased any doubt. "Not could, he will come back."

The sheer joy he felt at those words nearly made him leap for joy. "Then what are we waiting for?"

The girl nodded happily. "Yuri, get Yuma and the others out of here and to a secluded place. I'll meet you there shortly."

Yuri nodded. "I'll do my best." He walked past the people in hushed discussions. Shing followed him for the sole purpose of taking the Key off her neck and back in its rightful place in Yuma's possession. Then, she left; no one noticed her leaving.

Yuri started picking up the body, which made people look over. "What are you doing?" Kotori asked. Slight anger crept into her voice.

"Somewhere out in the open. Follow me if you wish to see."

While everyone tried to stop him from taking the body, Yuri kept marching through with Yuma in his arms, still as limp as though he were asleep. Soon, he was outside with everyone in tow, out in a clearing with no other people and nothing to be ruined. He laid the body down gently in the soft grass and waited for his queen to return. Yuma's family and friends were confused and admittedly uncomfortable with this, but they were also curious as to what Yuri was planning to do. What could possibly be so important that they had to bring a dead body outside?

Finally, though, Shing came back with a velvet sack in her hands. The load seemed a bit heavy, but she wasn't breaking a sweat, determination furrowing her brow and hope lighting her eyes. She carefully took seven orange orbs out of the sack, looked at Yuma's sleeping face and back at the orbs. When she spoke, she was calm. "None of you have any reason to fear what's about to happen."

This, of course, made almost everyone unnerved. "And what's about to happen?" Akari demanded. 

"Watch and find out," Shing replied. She stood up and looked to the sky. "Eternal dragon!" she cried. "By your name I summon you!"

The orbs in front of her started glowing together, and the sky darkened as though a storm was suddenly upon them. The people gasped as a sudden beam of light shot out of the seven glowing orbs and beamed straight into the clouds. That light soon took form of a green serpentine dragon, its body so long it had to loop around itself so it could lower itself to hear the tiny human calling its name. Its eyes glowed red. The people below it watched with mouths and eyes widen, fear and awe weakening their knees.

"I am the Eternal Dragon," the dragon boomed. "Speak your wish and it shall be granted."

Shing looked up at the dragon, her eyes steeled and showing no fear. "I have one wish. I only ask that you bring this boy back to life." Her eyes drifted down to the sickly pale boy at her feet. Upon hearing this wish, everyone around her seemed to hold their breath.

It felt like an eternity before the dragon spoke again. "Your wish shall be granted." Its eyes started glowing brighter as Yuma's body started glowing golden. Black smoke billowed out of his chest through the Key, and then the golden glow disappeared. "Your wish is granted. Fare thee well." With a final burst of light, it disappeared and the sky returned to normal.

At their feet, the boy took a single breath.