This was the very reason why I always fought off the invading forces of sleep in occasions in which I knew that things were still not stable.

"We're crashing down!" Hoets barked out.

The ship's alarm wailed out its warning of an impending crash while our vision spun along with the fast revolving motion of the ship. I looked around, twisting my body front to back and wandered my eyes to each and every one in the ship and noticed that Tom-Ak-Ta was nowhere to be found.

"We're going to die!" Joe screamed out before getting intensely shaken by Hyuk Min.

"Shut up Joe! Shut up! We're going to make it!" Hyuk Min cheered on. Joe calmed down for a bit with leftover pants from his early panicking stage before his pants became labored and hurried breaths.

"We...we're going to live!" Joe wailed before Ki reached behind and slapped him. I believe we were making progress with Joe. Soon, he shall be spreading a positive outlook of living even in times of impossible situations.

"Then cheer up before I murder you myself!" he growled.

"Eject the seats!" Stugox ordered.

Hoets slammed his fist on one of the buttons in the control panels of the ship. My eyes were blinded with unblemished darkness before my whole body realized that it was plummeting in a blistering manner. The winds hurled its shrills against my ears carrying the scent of rot to my nose. Team Ske's screams broke through the protest of winds while I held on tight to my seat trying to grasp the situation at hand.

Will I even have hands after this fall? No, I must stay positive like Hyuk Min!

Stugox released his light beams from his eyes and soon each member followed.

"Doesn't this have a pressure function?!" Imsothy asked out loud.

"Initiating safety bubble please hold breath for a moment..." Our seats instructed.

"Safety what?!" Imsothy questioned in confusion.

Our seats released a jelly-like substance that formed into a bubble, forbidding us to breathe naturally. Once we reached the ground, the bubble bounced off the impact before disintegrating to the floor and leaving flabs of slime all over our bodies. Coughs and groans poured out and I released myself from the confinement of the chair before helping the others near me with their own restraints. Our ship crashed down just near our landing spot providing slight illumination with its blaze like a bonfire in a cold night.

The sound of the floor squelching beneath my boots and the dead silence surrounding us burned fear into my well-being. I was afraid of being afraid. I was exhausted of being dreadful. I wanted to be at ease but I couldn't not when Planet Aecha was still in the brim of being permanently lost by the darkness of another God's agony.

Please Kaisen, please tell me we were not too late.

"You know I just realized something..." Imsothy spoke out.

"What's that?" Hyuk Min asked.

Imsothy cleared his throat as we all gathered into a circle.

"We can be considered as a race more advance than humans but why is it that our ship isn't even equipped with those overrated jet packs and flying iron man suits?" he pointed out.

"Simple answer to that very good question: because our previous President was corrupt and took the funds of our equipment for his own business," Won responded. "Now what do we do now?" he asked.

"I'm trying to grasp someone's open communicator but I can't get anything," Hoets' sighed.

"It really stinks," Ki groaned and pinched his nose.

"Where is Tom-Ak-Ta?" I asked worriedly. With the mention of the God, everyone started to realize that the God we took home with us disappeared in an instant.

"Now that you mention it...he disappeared when the ship started to get a problem," Hyuk Min commented.

He did tell me to leave the rest to him however; he did not explain what he was going to do to end this dispute and Necron's misunderstood onslaught.

As Team Ske tried to think of something to get out of this ruin, my eyes caught the formation of a wavy white light that extended to a far away distance leading to a location that was unclear to my knowledge.

"What is that?" I asked and pointed at the light.

"What do you mean Aecha?" Stugox asked me.

"That light, can you not see it?" I stated. It was very visible.

"There's nothing there," Ki told me.

"There is..." I murmured before sauntering towards it and looking up a head. We really have no option. It was very dark, communication to anyone in Planet Aecha cannot be obtained and Tom-Ak-Ta's absence will only water our growing anxiety. 

https://youtu.be/TchHlLC80-w

 "I shall follow it and see where it leads me," I told Team Ske once I turned around.

I didn't want to take them with me in fear that this might just be fate's trap for us however; how can I say no to friends who already became my family and sacrificed their own lives to follow me to Earth?

Hyuk Min brisk walked to my direction and gripped my hands tightly. "I'm coming with you. I won't leave you alone out there," he spoke out with much determination and compassion.

"There's really nothing else we can think of so might as well bring the whole group with you," Ki suggested and gave me a trusting smile which warmed my core.

"Let's go I'm more than ready, I am oozing with energy..." Won drawled as he sluggishly pushed his arm up for a pump in the most enthusiastic way he can give.

"We're gonna live through this, I'm sure of it!" Joe fired up causing everyone's mood to rise from the usual pessimistic member.

"Sign me up, add me, here's my number and let's get ready to rumble!" Imsothy shouted out.

"Sexy Hoets has joined the chat," Hoets approved.

My eyes pinned down Stugox who was already giving me a grin of his blessing as the leader of Team Ske and I willed my tearful eyes away.

"Lead the way Aecha," Stugox encouraged.

I turned back to the light with a profound courage and a more positive overview of what was ahead. I strode with much credence in every step as Team Ske followed behind me, cheering me on. With Team Ske holding me up, there will be nothing that I cannot face because they will face it with me headstrong.

As we walked for what seemed to be hours of endless talking of what we were going to do after all of these were done, the end of the line became more visible. The line grew thicker and brighter in a world that seemed to have drawn to its end.

My steps became faster, wider and more desperate. My heart grew lighter and my eyes became heavy with tears. My feet went in an abrupt stop when I saw my birth tree's form standing powerfully in the midst of the end but it was the end that would finally free Planet Aecha from the endless invasions of a pleading God asking for forgiveness for a love that he had shattered due to differences that they cannot control.

https://youtu.be/qrTB2y7bRT4

Tom-Ak-Ta knelt in front of the tree and leaned his head against its trunk. We stood witness to the transformation of a God in disguise of a humble form and watched Ecgtheow gently place his hand on top of Tom-Ak-Ta's head. My eomma's face was adorned by a welcoming smile before giving out a soft command.

"Return to your owner and cleanse the world from its peril," he murmured.

The kneeling Tom-Ak-Ta grinned and obediently nodded. His form started to break into tiny glittering lights before swirling elegantly as it scattered around us. Little by little the small glittering lights around us grew bigger bringing revelation to what the darkness had hid from us yet cleansing everything in the process. We looked around in awe when everything began to return to its normal state and the glitters of light which actually absorbed the murk coming from the decay flew back together and became Tom-Ak-Ta in his true and original form.

He was finally at peace with his tears freely flowing out of his eyes. For thousands of years he carried this regret in his heart and continued to ask mercy from a God that adored him and created a world with him. For thousands of years he continued with his failed expeditions gaining hate from a world he did not mean to destroy.

He was now free. He was no forgiven. 

His dark hair was now mixed with the silver strands of the Tom-Ak-Ta who we've met on Earth and as the two Gods were finally reunited, they began to fade in their embrace.

"Eomma?" I called out worriedly. My eomma's bright yellow eyes focused to me and he broke away from Tom-Ak-Ta to spread his arms in a welcoming embrace. The dams of emotions crumbled and I ran towards my birth tree and embraced him tightly.

My eomma returned my embrace and caressed the back of my head lovingly. "Would you like to come with us Aecha?" my eomma asked me.

I hiccupped in my eomma's embrace and felt the sorrow of abandonment squeezing my ticker.

"Eomma you are going to leave Aecha?" I asked him as I held onto my birth tree in a pleading embrace. "Why?" I shakingly asked. "Can you not stay here?"

My eomma continued to soothe me with his hands and rubbed his tear-soaked cheek against mine. "It is time for us to rebuild. It is time for us to grow again. Won't you come with us Aecha?" eomma asked. I released a series of sobs before breaking away from my eomma and looking at him in the eyes.

"But my friends...I can't leave them," I murmured. I have been born into Planet Aecha and grew attached to its land and to its people. Was it selfish of me to refuse my eomma's offer to live with him? Was I a child of rebellion?

My eomma simply showed no bitter dejection but rather, an understanding smile. He cupped my cheeks and rubbed the tears off my cheeks with his warm hands.

"I understand Aecha. Go and live freely. You belong to the planet in which your heart shelters," he murmured. "We shall see each other again, I promise you. You are my detka and I shall love you no matter how many stars stand between us..."

I cannot show this face to my eomma. I must show him strength. I must give him more pride before he fully leaves Planet Aecha. 

I wiped away the tears obstructing my vision and nodded at my eomma. "I love you eomma. I love you!" I yelled out as he continued to fade with a smiling Tom-Ak-Ta.

"Thank you Aecha. Please do not forget my last and final favor. It is a gift," Tom-Ak-Ta stated.

"I won't. Please take care!" I reminded them restraining myself from showing sadness at my eomma's departure. Once every trace of the two Gods vanished, my face twisted back into its depressed state and a sob emerged as I collapsed to the ground bearing the grief of separation.

Team Ske flocked towards me and comforted me into their embrace. Hyuk Min was the first to cradle me with Stugox placing gentle pats on my back.

https://youtu.be/NE3Fr_t-TR0

I welcomed the dawn of Planet Aecha's victory with wails that drained me into a limp and sniffling disaster. The tree that gave birth to heroes that saved Planet Aecha countless of times had now left assuring that no invasions shall ever happen again and no children of Ecgtheow shall ever emerge. The two Gods left together to rebuild a world that they have lost and to clean the bond that was hidden and misunderstood but never broken and forgotten.

Hoets was finally able to contact someone and that was Gilmos-ssu. Gilmos-ssu and his team arrived and witnessed us Team Ske cuddled up in all the grime of decay fast asleep. Not even Saek-ssu's welcoming voice of terror could wake us up and they have decided to let us savor this success in a way that only Won knew.

Planet Aecha brimmed back to life with a more promising future. Gilmos-ssu decided to keep his place as the President of the Paragons and carried it with pride and authority. The cities destroyed were being rehabilitated as each citizen  tried to get back into their normal way of living. Seven was sedated and will be placed in confinement for an eternity for his crimes or just until a more promising punishment comes into the mind of Hesein and the other Aechean leaders.

"I'm so nervous...Do I look sexy?" Hoets asked.

It was really astounding how much things happened before I can turn into a year old. There were times when I would blankly stare and think about what my eomma was doing and how Tom-Ak-Ta was faring. I also constantly worried for Planet Eli and its new inhabitants. I wondered how Lucian-ssu's childbearing went and when he was going to give birth. I wondered about how all of them were coping and living their lives now. I always thought of how Luscev-ssu was doing in most of my days and prayed that someday,  I can see him again along with everyone else who became a huge part of me.

"That's the eleventh time you asked that Hoets I swear—"

"Shhh shut up Ki!" Hyuk Min scolded.

I just hope that wherever they were, they were finally living happily and freely and that someday, I can find them.

"We are here today to offer ovation to these brave Aecheans who carried the vision and mission of the Paragons on their shoulders and ventured a universe different from ours to claim the true key of our victory. We have lost so much but gained much more. Though the losses we had scraped the smooth surface of this victory, remember that everything returns to Kaisen and that Kaisen will return back everything through the birth trees that still stand on their fertility. Let us rejoice Paragons. Let this day be included in our history and bear in mind that you live in the same generation with these Aecheans. Praise to thee!" Hesein finished his speech orchestrating cheers from the Paragonian soldiers and students. The reporter bots flew around us as a soft breeze of air flew past us.

Each member of Team Ske was called and a golden medal of a heroic seal was clasped onto our grey uniform. When it was finally my turn, Gilmos-ssu presented a proud smile before pinning the medal to the left part of my chest and giving it a pat.

"You carried the world's victory," Gilmos-ssu whispered.

"No...All of you carried it with me..." I told him earning a wider smile from the President. "And those who carried this victory did not only come from this world Gilmos-ssu; we had some extraterrestrial help," I chuckled. We had Gods, demons, werewolves, ancients, aishahs, angels, dragons and a whole lot more.

We even had a breeding of almost all of the aforementioned races.

Our differences did not hinder us from working together, in fact, our differences had a great chemistry that complemented each other's strengths and compensated each other's weakness. Our differences did not result to war; they resulted to emancipation.

Once all of us got off the podium, I heard someone call my name and as I turned around, my body was tackled to the ground and I was squished against a chest.

"I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it!"

My eyes widened in shock and I looked up and saw Laechea merrily gazing down at me. I couldn't utter a word. What else can I say that would describe this feeling in my ticker? 

I found Eleo-ssu waving at me and remembered him saying about a reunion.

"You're no joke kid. You're actually better than this moron right there," Eleo joked causing Laechea to pout.

I took Laechea into a tight hug and squeezed him against me. We were the last ones left in eomma's children and no child will be born after me anymore. Though it was saddening I promised myself that as compensation, I will do everything in my power to watch over the next generation of newborns and treat them as my own siblings.

My life as a Paragon was only beginning. There will be more worlds that needed us and Team Ske will make sure that no one will be left behind in the bars of captivity.

The year was coming to an end and Gilmos-ssu gave us the liberation to venture and relax. I mostly involved myself with Laechea-ssu and Eleo-ssu and accepted errands from Gilmos-ssu. Members of Team Ske were with their own siblings and during my spare time, each day, I would visit the seed that I planted in place of my birth tree. I was keeping my promise to Tom-Ak-Ta. He did just tell me to plant it but I cannot help but visit it everyday.

My ticker brightened up when my eyes spotted a visible growth of green on the spot of the seed and I immediately scampered and scrambled on my knees in merriment. It finally grew! 

"Hello!" I greeted it. "Welcome to Planet Aecha!"

=======================================================

A/N: Le epilogue is next!