Who is the real monster

Chapter 31

"Commander Nathan'' Austin said as he ran up to me in shock. "What is it, Austin?" I asked with concern. "Captain Zane has returned from his battle with the coda" he replied in shock. "Alright but why is that so shocking?" I asked in a confused tone. "Squad Divine is also with him, '' Austin replied in shock. "What they escaped from the monsters" I said in shock. "Yes they did and Zane was seen carrying an unconscious Rylie and Alex was carrying Dylan '' Austin said in shock as he grabbed my arm and led me towards Zane and Squad Divine.

"Alyssa, Alex I'm glad you two are alright and I thank both of you for bringing Dylan and Rylie back safely. To think just about a year ago if you had found them lying on the ground unconscious you would have killed them without hesitation. I'm just glad that you guys are alright and that you four aren't dead like I had believed you to be" I said as I put Rylie onto a bed. "Even though you and I don't always see eye to eye I still thank you for giving me a second chance" Alex said as he put Dylan down next to her. "If you four hadn't entered my life then I don't think I would even be alive today. It was because of you four that my broken heart has finally begun to mend from all of its scars. Sure the deep ones will never go away but with you four by my side I finally am beginning the light at the end of the tunnel I've so desperately waited for these past eight years. I just wish they could see you and me now Alyssa as they would be proud of us fighting alongside one another as allies instead of enemies" I said with despair. Alyssa just smiled as I looked down at Rylie and put my hand on her cheek as tears of despair and joy rolled down my face. "You two go and rest and get something to eat. I'll send Captain Austin of squad Delta to catch you up to date with what's happened these past three months" I said as I whipped the tears from my eyes. "Alright thank you Zane" Alyssa said as she grabbed Alex's hand and walked him out of the room. "I see that you finally see what we've all been wanting you to see this past year" Mia said as she walked up to me. "I guess after all these years of closing off my heart it took nearly losing those I hold close for the third time to realize what has to be done. I can no longer hold back any punches or strikes. I have to use full power slashes and awaken Night blade to its full extent. Kamion, Monster queen, you have stepped on the lion's tail for too long and have invited the dragon's wrath. It has been too long that you've been allowed to live and you deserve a fate worse than death. The next time we meet it will be our last battle no matter the outcome" I said as I turned around. As I walked over to the door Mia put a hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry Zane, I will do everything I can to keep both of them alive" she said in a soft tone. "Thank you Mia I have faith in you" I said as I left the room. "Zane, is it true that squad Divine has returned," Nate said as he walked up to me with Austin dragging him along. "Yes it's true uncle Nate and captain Mia are taking care of Rylie and Dylan well Alyssa and Alex eat and get some rest. But since you're here I'm going to tell you I'm going on a patrol and taking care of any monsters I find along the way" I said as I began to leave. "I know that isn't what you're going to do, Zane. In fact I know exactly where you're going" Nate said as he turned around. "If you don't hear from me by tomorrow morning then send squad Ranger to come search for me" I said as I left.

"Where is he going Commander Nathan?" Austin asked with concern. "He's going to the place his parents were killed to try and lure Kamion out of hiding" I replied with concern. "Should I take squad Delta with me and follow him?" Austin asked in concern. "I don't know Austin because Zane has finally broken to the point of no return. Even though his squad and love of his life are alive that doesn't mean that his heart can fully heal. I'm worried about him and what he's going to do" I replied with despair. "Please Zane for the sake of those who hold you close to their hearts don't do anything that could get you killed" Austin said with worry.

I walked onto the porch of my old home and opened the front door. Everything was still where it had been left nine years ago. Dust and cobwebs littered the house as it had for these past nine years. As I walked into the dining room I felt a wave of both joy and despair flow past me like a rushing waterfall. "It truly was the best eight years of my life, mom and dad. You always knew what to say to me when I felt worried or sad. I just wish you two could see me today and how powerful I've become. The day we meet again in heaven is the day I long to see. But now isn't the time for me to return home and join the family again. I wanted you to see me grow up and watch me start a family of my own. If I had known that you two would have died when I was eight years old then maybe just maybe I would have somehow prevented your deaths. I would have gone with you and fought with you. To awaken my magical power and kill Kamion before he even had the chance to bat an eye. But if I had gone with you that night I would have just died alongside the two of you. I just want you two to know that I will always love you and keep you in my heart" I said as I walked into my bedroom. As I sat on my bed tears rolled down my cheeks as I did my best to wipe them away. After around twenty minutes I finally stood up and walked to my parents room and opened the door. The bed was still made and everything was how they left it right before they had left for the party. Even more tears welled up in my eyes as I fell to my knees in sorrow. "Does the pain ever truly go away?" a young voice asked from behind me. I whipped the tears from my eyes and stood up to face the child and noticed that it was my eight year old self holding our favorite stuffed animal Blaze in his arms with tears of despair and fear. "I wish I could stand here and tell you that everything is going to be alright. That the pain and suffering will eventually subside and you will be able to live the life you wanted to live. But no it never truly goes away as the pain will always be with you. I wish that it could go away though sadly that isn't how you grow" I said as I got down on one knee. "I'm scared," he said with fear in his voice. "I know you're scared because I went through the same pain and suffering you're going through now" I said as I put my hand on his shoulder. "Do we have to be the one to lose our parents? Why can't it be somebody else" he asked with despair and fear. "I wish I could tell you that all of this was nothing more than a bad dream that your parents are just waiting for you to wake up. But sadly that isn't how this world works nor is it how anything work" I said as my younger self hugged me. "Please let it be somebody else" he said as tears ran down his face. I just held him in my arms as the despair and sadness just washed over him as his tears flowed down his face. Soon my eyes opened and I found myself lying on bed. I sat up as tears fell down my face by the dream I just had. "Zane, are you there?" A voice said from behind my bedroom door. "I'm here Austin please come in" I said as I whipped the tears from my eyes. After he had entered he sat down and put his arm around me. "Austin have you ever had a dream where your younger self asked you why it had to be you for the pain and suffering" I asked as tears welled up in my eyes. "No I never have Zane" Austin asked confused. "Austin why must I continue to suffer and lose everything that I hold close to my heart. How much more do I have to lose before the world decides that's enough and let my broken heart heal from these wounds that it has inflicted upon me" I asked as a tear fell from my cheek. "I don't know Zane how much more pain and suffering you have to take. I don't even know if the world will ever say you've had enough. All I know for sure Zane is that even if the whole world turns against you I will be there standing by your side helping you fight it. Because to me you're my little brother and I could never replace someone like that" Austin said as he pulled me closer. "Thank you Austin" I said as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

"She's losing the battle if she doesn't wake up from her coma soon she will sadly pass away" Mia said with despair in her voice. "She can't die if she does then Zane will commit suicide" I said with fear in my voice. "I know but I don't know how to wake her. She's in a deep coma" Mia replied as she put her hand on her head. "What about Dylan?" Alex asked with concern. "His condition is better than Rylies and he should wake up in the next couple hours to days" Mia said with despair. "We can't tell Zane about this," I said with despair and anger. "I agree with you Alyssa but sadly he would eventually figure it out. Not only has Zane dedicated his life to fighting but to work as a doctor to help his allies on the battlefield. Especially after he lost one of his squad members back when he was just a cadet in squad Silver. He did everything he could to help them but in the end it wasn't enough to save them and they sadly passed away in his arms. That day he went to my captain when I was just a cadet of squad Heart and he asked to be trained in the medical field. He didn't tell anyone that Captain Dexter was teaching him. It wasn't until after Dexter retired that I learned of it. He wanted me to continue on with training Zane but after Dexter retired Zane was already the captain of squad Divine. I did my best to continue training him until the death of Jason when he fell deeper into his depression and refused to be trained. He has quite a lot of medical knowledge and he will find out the truth eventually. That is if he hasn't already" Mia said with despair. "What are the chances he doesn't know yet?" I asked with concern. "Low to say the least he knows about as much as me" Mia replied. "How long do you think she has left then?" Alex asked with concern. "If she doesn't wake up within the next couple days then she only has about four to five days left to live. But that won't stop me from trying to save her life and prevent her death. If you guys had been a member of the core when Zane was the captain of Delta then you would have seen just how much medical knowledge Zane has. To be honest if he hadn't become a monster hunter I feel as if his next dream was to work in the medical field and help people. He truly is an amazing young man who puts others before himself and lets his heart come crashing down" Mia said as she put a hand on my shoulder. "Please teach me as well Mia so I can help my cousin in any way I can. He has suffered so much already I can't let his heart break any more. I wasn't there when his parents died nor was I there for Jason's death. But I want to help prevent the love of his life from passing on as well" I said as tears ran down my cheeks. "I will do my best Alyssa," Mia said with a soft smile. "Thank you captain Mia" I said as I whipped away the tears.

I opened my eyes and saw Austin lying on the floor next to my bed asleep. I sat up and looked out my bedroom window to see it was dark outside. Tears still ran down my face as I knew the truth that Mia was trying to hide from me. She wasn't going to wake up from her coma and would sadly pass away within the next couple days. "Austin you awake" I asked in a soft tone. "Ya I just woke up why" he asked in a soft, concerned tone. "Come with me I want to show you something" I said as I got off my bed and left my room and walked to the back door. As I opened the door the cool air rushed past me as I stepped outside and looked up at the night sky. Austin stepped outside and looked up as well. "I know she doesn't have much longer to live. I'm going to lose another person that I hold close to me. That's why I came here so I could look up at the night sky one more time. Because I know my fate has been set and as soon as she passes away into the next life I'm finally letting go of the pain and suffering I've endured these past eight years. I'm going to take Kamion and the monster queen out with me and there's no way you can stop me from doing so" I said as I whipped the tears from my eyes. "Zane, you can't seriously believe that Rylie is going to die, do you?" Austin asked in shock. "Austin you know just as well as I do that she won't awaken from her coma. Besides I can't go on living if she dies because my broken heart has already been shattered beyond repair. That's why I was hoping you would follow me to Austin so I could talk with you one last time. I've never told you this but I've always seen you as my elder brother, someone that I could come to when I needed advice or a shoulder to cry on. If only I had opened up to you more then maybe you and I could have truly been brothers. I believe that if Jason was alive he would accept you as his brother as well" I said as I whipped the tears from my eyes. "Zane," Austin said in shock. "Soon this war between humans and monsters will be over and you will all be able to live in harmony" I said with despair. "I don't want you to go little brother because Rylie will live to see tomorrow I promise you she will wake up from her coma. You will be able to hold her in your arms again and live the life that your parents had wanted for you before their death. Please Zane you just need to hold out hope" Austin said as tears rolled down his face. "I hope you're right Austin" I said as I put my arms around him. "I hope so, little brother" He said as he wrapped his arms around me.