opportunity for vengeance and you abstained. What stopped your blade?" she asked.
"You did," Akio replied, turning towards her.
Just then, He-Xiangu threw a knife which found Sayonara's heart. Sayonara gurgled and fell down dead.
"Why?" Akio asked in puzzlement.
He- Xiangu pointed at Sayonara's outstretched arm. There was a blade tightly clasped in it. "He was going to throw it at you. I would rather you lived than he."
Akio nodded and knelt before He-Xiangu. "I owe you my life."
"You owe me more than that, you fool. But I will be satisfied with taking just your heart," she said huskily.
"You have it," said Akio drawing his sword and pointing it at his heart.
"Oh, you idiot! What use is a dead heart?" she asked. She then walked up to Akio and kissed him gently on the lips. Akio nodded, as things started making sense to him again, and kissed her back.
"Uso needs a new Emperor, Akio. Do you think you have what it takes?"
"Yes, if you will be my Empress," he responded.
She nodded and kissed him again.
Thomas gets a Valet
Out on the battlefield, Hearthoff, Peter and Thomas were still only just managing to survive against the onslaught of the Midgard Serpent and Beelzebub. And then, the skies thundered and black clouds swept in over the battlefield. Hearthoff started glowing an electric blue. He threw his hammer at the Midgard Serpent, who crashed against the ground, creating a crater that stretched for acres.
"Look around you, Serpent," Hearthoff said. "The battle is lost."
The Serpent looked around dazedly and saw the remnant of his troops fleeing into the neighbouring forest. "Curse you Hearthoff," he shouted. "Beelzebub, come."
The Serpent and Beelzebub took off into the air and flew away.
"Should we go after them?" asked Peter.
"No lad, let them be. I'm too exhausted to continue the fight."
"So am I," sighed Thomas, who collapsed onto the ground.
--------------------------------------
On their way back to Cloud Palace to fetch Snow White, Thomas asked Hearthoff, "Can we go home now?"
"No. I instructed Shooflee to open the portal in ten days. We finished much sooner than I anticipated."
"So, we're stuck here for the time being?"
"Yes.."
"What are we going to do in all that time?"
"You could explore and make the most of your time here. Meet new people, visit new places, learn new things."
"Know anyone who'd be willing to be my valet?"
Exeunt: All
Our heroes went their separate ways. Hearthoff returned to his wife Sif, where he remained in contented peace. Peter and Thomas travelled the Afterlife world together, vanquishing demons and righting wrongs. Peter became known as the Mighty Maroon Sweater Knitter, and Thomas became known as the Gentleman Cleaver. They became famous as heroes all over the Afterlife world.
Akio married He-Xiangu, and they lived as Emperor and Empress in Da Kapital. Mary and Anne stayed with them learning more of the Chi Kung arts from He-Xiangu, and philosophy from Han- Xiangzi, who had decided to stay in Uso for some time as well. A General from Genghis Khan's army approached Akio's court soon after, beseeching Anne to placate the Khan. She dictated whatever she remembered from 'The Thousand and One Nights' to the Khan's general who diligently took it down. Genghis Khan lived content for a while, his General reading to him every night. The mocking bird became a famous rap artist, and his first album went triple platinum. He won fame and fortune, as well as a lot of nightingale feathers with cell numbers written on them.
When the time came to depart, our heroes gathered at the lake near Valhalla and waited for the whirlpool to form.
"I'm going to miss this place," said Peter, looking around him sadly.
"We all are," said Mary.
"It's time," said Hearthoff diving into the lake. "Ow, not near the shallow bit."
They dived into the lake and got sucked into the whirlpool that took them back to their home world, to Laird McShooflee's castle.
"I take it your trip went satisfactorily," he said handing them towels.
"Last I saw, Reality hadn't caved in," said Hearthoff sarcastically.
"Home at last," sighed Thomas, sniffing the air with pleasure. "Home at last."
{Oh yeah, and Thomas married Anne. Sadly, Mary and Peter didn't hit it off}
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