*Adam POV*

I practically pass out during the night. I couldn't sleep at all, knowing Eva and Jordan are missing... and in the worst scenario also dead... I couldn't bear any thought about it. I wouldn't accept it. After waking up, I look around our room in hopes Eva would be here by now... and the hope was for nothing

Adam: "Eva... please, you can't die. Don will shoot himself and what am I supposed to tell Maya? What I'm supposed to tell aunt Ophelia? That I let you go to your death...?"

Last night I didn't even care to change, I just crashed into my mattress headfirst and sob into the pillow. I walk to the bathroom and see my bloodshot eyes and tear stains on my cheeks. After washing most of it, I made my way to the control room, where Stan and Koji are still trying to contact Arrow III

Adam: "Anything?"

Koji: "We're trying, but we haven't-" audio with static comes through the speaker

???: "Earth Team module answer me!" we look at each other

Stan: "Was that... Molly?"

Adam: "It was! They're alive!" Koji quickly puts on his earpiece

Koji: "Earth Team module here. Do you copy?"

Eva: "Koji is that you?! Answer m-" the message ends with static

Koji: "Molly? Molly! Do you copy?!"

Adam: "Eva! Come in!" I growl "Dammit!" I slam my fist on the desk

Koji: "At least now we know they're alive"

Stan: "We know Molly is alive. Jordan... is another matter"

Adam: "And we still don't know where they are. Koji can you locate their position based on that signal?"

Koji: "It was weak, but I will see what I can do"

Adam: "Okay. I will try to contact them again. If we locate them they need to stay near Arrow"

*timeskip, several hours later*

I, Stan, and Koji still try to contact them and locate Arrow III. Don joined us

Adam: "How are you feeling, boss?"

Don: "..."

Adam: "Okay... Don't worry. We got the message from Eva, I and Stan are trying to contact them while Koji is trying to locate Arrow III. Koji, you got something?"

Koji: "I thought so, but the radius of it is too big to locate them. I will try, but-"

Stan: "You can give it a rest Koji... All communications are dead..."

Adam: "Damn it..." I put my head in my hands

Don: "Try again!" we look at him "Didn't you hear what I said?! I said KEEP TRYING!"

Adam: "There is no use, sir. If comms are down, we have a low chance to-"

Don: "And you want to give up on her?! I thought you love my daughter!"

Adam: "..."

Don: "So yes or no?!"

Instead of answering, I leave the room and get upstairs on the platform.

Adam: "...I fucking hate him, but I swore to Maya to not harm him... And when I finally get him and Eva to talk, she must disappear! Great!" I sigh and look down "It's high from here..." my mind is gone to some dark place

'Jump'

'There is no hope left'

'You should have gone in her place'

'This isn't a fairy tale, there are no happy endings'

Adam: "Maybe I should just-" I start to take a step forward before someone dragged me back

???: "What do you think you're doing?!" I turn around to see Don was the one who saved me

Don: "What were you going to do Adam?!"

Adam: "Nothing that should be in your interest"

Don: "Do you think jumping down and killing yourself would solve anything!? Do you... really think that what Eva would like? For you to die?!"

Adam: "Listen, I know you don't like me dating Eva, so what's your problem now, old man? We don't know if she is alive, and if she is then there is a chance we can't get to them"

Don: "And taking your life would help in this?! Get yourself together, young man! Don't... don't make the same mistake I did..."

Adam: "..."

Don: "She... she may not forgive me, but... you and Ophelia were there for her. If you're gone, she would really be alone in this world"

Adam: "Don" I turn to him "Do you want to know how she got those tattoos?"

I then proceed to tell him about our war against the librarian from Stern

Adam: "In the end, she got in trouble for signing those forms for me and Eva"

Don: "I assume you know I'm not so happy about that"

Adam: "She wanted to look like Maya. I only helped a little"

Don: "By forging a signature. I'm pretty sure it's illegal"

Adam: "And what are they gonna do, put a thirteen years old kid into jail?" I shrug "She wanted me to get a sun tattoo" I put the medallion from under my shirt "All because of this medallion" I open it up and look at the photo inside

Don: "Hubert and Anna..." I close it and put it back under my shirt

Adam: "Yeah, I don't know when I get it. So... who was the first to start parrying me and Eva?" Don looks at the horizon and faintly smiles

Don: "Anna was first. The moment I and Maya told her we will have a daughter" he chuckles "Maya quickly caught up. They started planning your wedding long before Eva was born"

Adam: "Heh, was Maya really like that?"

Don: "She was. And I loved her for that... Maya was perfect in every aspect. Smart, beautiful, with a great sense of humor"

Adam: "So, how come you and her get together?"

Don: "*chuckle* Your parents and aunt are responsible for that. They knew we had a thing for each other, but back in high school, we were extremely awkward toward each other. Hubert and Anna had enough of that and set us up"

Adam: "Yeah... sounds like them"

Don: "And thanks to them I got with Maya. We tried to set up Ophelia with a boy she liked, but well... he turned out to be a homosexual" I chuckle

Adam: "Really? Man, I feel sorry for auntie now"

Don: "Ophelia never had luck in love" he stands up "Come on boy, we need to find them" I nod and follow him to the control room. After a while, we hear the portal activating. Don runs out of the room with me right behind him. We look up the stairs to see Eva and Jordan slowly coming down... but something is not right

Don: "Eva!" Stan and Koji run up the stairs to meet them

Stan: "Molly! Jordan! It's impossible!"

Koji: "But how did you-uh?" Eva walks past them while Jordan stops in front of them and shrugs. Don walks to the base of the stairs, while I lean on the wall behind him. Eva stops in front of Don, who is smiling at her before noticing Eva's mood "What's the matter?"

Eva: "Everything" I walk next to Don

Adam: "Want to talk about it?" Eva nods. We get upstairs and sit at the edge. "First of all..." I hug her tightly "I was worried beyond everything... Eva, where have you and Jordan been?" I break the hug

Eva: "We crashed all the way down to the bottom of the canyon. We tried to find the way out, ending up in some ancient temple" I give her a look "And before you say I always end up in places like this, this time we had no choice. Some weird shadow creatures chased us down the place, but that temple was repealing them, so I and Jordan ran inside. In there we found an ancient being called 'Creators', and they told us the truth about the Ultimate Prize"

Adam: "The truth?"

Eva: "The real Ultimate Prize is not a wish... it's to become the next Avatar..."

Adam: "What...?"

Eva: "Satis is the current one..."

Adam: "But... if that's the way, then we can still-"

Eva: "No we can't! Satis said something like you told me before. That Death and Life is a balanced matter..." A single tear escapes her eye

Adam: "Dammit... so, we have nothing more to do here? We can just pack our things and go home?"

Eva: "That's right... We wanted the Ultimate Prize to bring my mom and your parents back. I... I thought that afterward, our families would be happy again. That dad would change back to his old self before mom died... Now that that can never happen I just feel... empty. There is no reason for us to race anymore"

Adam: "There... is no need to feel empty, Eva. You still have your dad, you still have me and aunt Ophelia"

Eva: "*sigh* Sometimes... I think that she was my parent, not Don"

Adam: "*sigh* Then it's time to pack our things. I will tell Stan and Koji not to waste time with Arrow III. Anything else I need to know about the Avatar?"

Eva: "Only one person could become one... meaning if either of us race today and win..."

Adam: "We can no longer be together... then it's settled. How much longer before we need to give Satis our answer?"

Eva: "The deadline is at-" Jordan gets in front of us on the floor below

Jordan: "Adam, Molly, it's almost time"

*timeskip*

I and Eva get near the lake at Satis' temple with every other finalist also present, except for Muir

Satis: "Muir has not joined our party. I suppose he dropped out. What about you?" Kross steps forward

Kross: "I'm in"

Furter: "And I'm in" Ning and Skun look at each other and nod

Ning and Skun: "We're in"

Ondai: "And I'm in" O meanwhile just blinks once. Aikka looks at me and Eva before stepping forward

Aikka: "I'm in" Satis look at me and Eva

Eva: "We..."

Adam: "We, uhh"

Aikka: "Adam! Molly!"

Adam and Eva: "We're so out" Satis hums sadly and Aikka gasps. We then turn around and start walking back to our temple, getting ready for our trip back on Earth. Kross meanwhile laughs

Kross: "I suggest you all do the same. None of you stand a chance against the power of the Crogs" We get some distance from the lake and suddenly Aikka gets next to us

Aikka: "Molly! Adam! You two can't do this. All of us must stand together against the Crogs. If Kross becomes the Ava-" Eva had enough

Eva: "I think you switched sides a little too easily, Aikka"

Adam: "Get out of our sight, Aikka. We trusted you, and you betrayed our trust with something even a Nourasian wouldn't forgive"

Eva: "You take care of it. It's no longer our fight" We walk away, leaving Aikka alone After a while we get back to our temple and into our room. I start packing my things while Eva sits on her hammock with her legs close to her chest "Are we really doing the right thing, Adam?"

Adam: "What, you want to become a master of the universe for 10,000 years?"

Eva: "No! All I wanted is to have a family again! And start to live, finally, live!"

Adam: "Then we're not doing this. Let Aikka be the Avatar, not us"

Eva: "But... We had fun, didn't we?" I then remember everything that happened on Alwas and Oban and smile

Adam: "Yeah... we did" then we hear Avatar's call "*sigh* Eva if anything, I will stay with you on Oban"

Eva: "And I will stay with you here too. Together?" she offers me her hand and I grab it

Adam: "Together" We walk downstairs to see what Stan and Koji did with Arrow III. Jordan turns around upon hearing our footsteps. We get in front of him

Jordan: "You know guys, maybe this is for the better. I wouldn't want to ride in this thing anyway" Koji and Stan glared at him, with Stan emitting an angry growl. I and Eva meanwhile look at Arrow III. Eva smiles and I laugh

Adam: "Hahaha! It's perfect! What're you talking about Jordan?!"

Eva: "It's beautiful. Hurry up boys, we're late"

Adam: "Yes ma'am!" I salute "Stan, Koji, you added the extra seat in the cockpit?" Koji gives me a slow nod "Sweet! Jordan, come on!"

Jordan: "You mean... we're going to race?" Eva meanwhile climbs up the ladder and I wait for her downstairs "Hey! Wait for me, masters of the galaxy"

Eva: "We're racing only to stop Kross, got it? Neither I nor Adam has the desire to become-"

Jordan: "Whatever, Miss and Mister Avatar" he salutes and jumps into the turret. I and Eva look at each other and smile

Adam: "Yup. I'm keeping Jordan as a friend when we get back on Earth"

Eva: "Yup. He's stuck with us now" I sit down on a jumpseat and fasten my seat belts before connecting to Arrow's III interface

Adam: "We're all green Eva. Now just wait for the drop" Eva starts the engine

???: "Eva, Adam..." We look at the right side of the glass to see Don video calls us

Don: "Eva, you don't have to do this. We can go home now. I promise you and I will never get separated again. Adam, please, you both need to leave Arrow III. I will call Ophelia, you and Eva will live nearby I promise. You two won't part away like when you were little"

Eva: "Huh?"

Adam: "And here goes the surprise. Later after the race Eva, okay?" Eva growls and turns to me

Eva: "You better tell me" she turns to Don "I hope I can live to see that day. But for the moment we've something to finish. There is a lot more than us to worry about here"

Adam: "Don, I'm with Eva, don't worry" Don growls and shakes a little before looking back up

Don: "Good luck, you two. Eva... your mother would be so proud" the floor opens up and we fall. The final race of Oban has officially started. As we're falling the distance sensors are starting to act

Adam: "500 meters, 300 meters. Eva, push it more!"

Jordan: "Pull up Molly!"

Eva: "What do you two think I'm doing?! Adam, more power!" I get more power to the fall thrusters, but we get it too late. Arrow first hit the building on the side before hitting the floor quite hard

Adam: "Hull damage at 90%. Nothing bad" I look outside the glass to notice an abandoned city with some type of sandstorm going on right now "Sidewind at 40 meters per second. Adjusting side reactors to comprehend it"

Eva: "Huh?"

Jordan: "Charming... I'm glad they saved the best part for last" Eva starts flying through the city

Eva: "Adam, any sight of the gates?"

Adam: "I have nothing at all. Stan, Koji?" A call from Koji comes to us, it was partially distorted with static

Koji: "Neither do I. I'm picking too much interference on the main scanners"

Eva: "Oh great..."

Adam: "Well, this sandstorm is to blame. Koji, are comms still on?" We have nothing "Koji do you copy? Crap... communications are off too"

Eva: "Guess we need to find it ourselves" I nod and Eva continues to fly around. We both search for gates from the cockpit while Jordan observes our surroundings from his turret. Then an explosion of purple energy happens to our left

Jordan: "What was that?"

Eva: "This is the last race, Jordan. And it's becoming a battle"

Adam: "Plasma blast... Ning and Skun found either Kross or Ondai. Better keep our eyes wide open. Jordan, anything coming too close to us, you have permission to take down"

Jordan: "Roger" Eva meanwhile enters a narrow canyon while I try to get a stable signal from scanners

Eva: "Still nothing Adam?" I nod

Adam: "I will tell you if I got any signal" We exit the canyon and enter the new part of the city. I and Eva look around, continuing to search for anything resembling a ring

Jordan: "Guys!" We look forward, seeing a laser beam is charging.. and it's aiming our way. Eva emits a shriek before pulling Arrow up with fall thrusters right between the roof of a small shrine and the laser beam. A second shot is fired, this time it goes over us, but some rumble falls on us, burying Arrow III, knocking me out. A while later I hear Eva calling me

Eva: "Adam, you okay?" I open my eyes and get my hand on my head

Adam: "Yeah, I am. You?"

Eva: "I'm okay too. Jordan, how're you?"

Jordan: "*grunt* Maybe okay... I'm hurt all over" We hear some metal bending and later an explosion which buries us out. I stand up to see Furter ship in two parts is slowly burning and sinking

Adam: "Guess the little pirate got his karma. Come on, we need to locate that gate" Eva nods, starts Arrow again and later we fly inside the tunnel. On the other end, we see... Aikka

Eva: "Aikka!" I notice Jordan is aiming at him

Adam: "No you don't" I turn the turret off, sending all the power to the reactors "I think we have to talk with Aikka for now. Eva, open up the cockpit'' Eva nods and I step forth "Aikka! I will not question your past actions! I only request you to confirm my suspicions! Did you had to attack us because Crogs held your family hostage?!" Aikka hesitates, but nods "That's all I have wanted to know! Thank you!" I get back and Eva closes the cockpit. I meanwhile turn the turret back on

Jordan: "And why should I believe him?! Wake up you two! That guy works for the Crogs!" Aikka lowers his bow

Aikka: "Molly! Adam! Jordan!" he opens his arms "Let us forget our past quarrels!" G'dar gets closer to our ship "The time has come! For Nourasians and Humans to join forces!" Eva looks at me and I nod. She opens up the cockpit again

Adam: "Prince Aikka of Nourasia!" He looks at me "I and Eva accept your offer of the alliance! May we keep it for this race and the time past it!"

Aikka: "Thank you! Together I have no doubt we can defeat Cross. You or Molly would make a wonderful Avatar, Adam!"

Adam: "What?!"

Eva: "Huh? We were thinking about the same thing about you!"

Adam: "You would be a better Avatar than us, Aikka!" Then we hear a hiss to our left. A stone gate emerges from the building, emitting a beam of light

Jordan: "The last gate"

Eva: "Let's beat the Crogs together. We will play rock paper scissors for the Avatar''

Adam: "Deciding the most powerful being in the universe by a game of rock paper scissors" I laugh "Okay, we will do it later. Let's move guys!" Aikka nods and Eva closes the cockpit "Rock paper scissors, you really have the strangest ideas, Eva"

Eva: "Well, the coin doesn't have three sides, so we couldn't toss it for it" She winks at me with a smile

Adam: "Sure, sure" I smile and we fly towards the last gate. We get behind Kross "Jordan, I'm putting some more power to the turrets. Be sure to make it worth" I open the power management of Arrow III and put 'Turret' to 20%

Jordan: "What exactly will change?"

Adam: "Range and power. Be ready to intercept... Now!" Kross however was faster. He turned his ship around and shot at us first. Eva does some dodges while Aikka turns G'dar under them. After that Jordan fires a series at the Crog General. Aikka meanwhile loads a powerful magic shot from his bow. Kross meanwhile loads an energy shot at the end of his trident. Two projectiles collide halfway, resulting in a blinding explosion that throws Kross into a building, resulting in another explosion

Jordan: "Yeah!... Not bad prince" We now have a freeway out... or maybe not. Aikka gets some distance ahead from us, but Kross' trident gets from the building and starts shooting at him. Kross activates his ship's blade, catching G'dar in them. The giant beetle falls, while Eva floors Arrow towards him

Eva: "Aikka! Adam, be ready to grab him when we get closer!" I nod. However, Aikka shoots a blue bubble, making us stop

Aikka: "Molly. Adam. Do not worry about me. Stop Kross. Our hope is in your hands" I nod

Adam: "We have to respect his wish, Eva. Let's go kick Crog's ass" Eva nods determined and we rush after Kross. Soon we get behind him

Eva: "You monster!"

Adam: "Someone like you does not deserve to be the Avatar! We won't let you!"

Eva: "Never!" Kross activates his hyperdrive and gains more distance between us. I growl

Jordan: "He's getting away!"

Eva: "The booster drives are our only chance! Adam, Jordan, you guys with me?!"

Adam: "You already know Star" I smirk "Let's do this"

Jordan: "Go for it Molly" Eva activates the booster drive, diming the cockpit in red

Eva: "Hold on"

Adam: "Ten seconds to go. Fasten your seatbelts!" Soon a sudden rush of acceleration comes. We get near and pass Kross. As Eva maneuvers through the buildings, I keep an eye on the stats. After some barrel rolls, we enter a narrow tunnel

Eva: "Adam, how's she holding up"

Adam: "You're good, Eva. Some scratches, nothing more"

Kross gets above us, trying to slice us in two, but Eva uses one of Maya's aces. A sideways loop... I look at her and I swear, for a moment I saw Maya behind the steer, not Eva. I blink a few times, only for Eva to slam Kross into the ground. Later he crashes into the staircase leading to the last gate and his ship explodes

Adam: "You know what they say... like mother like daughter" Me and Eva smile at each other and soon we pass the final gate. It gets our ship in yellow light "So it will be..." I sigh

'Guess we have no choice now... I love you, Eva, I promise I will visit you after I become the Avatar...'

Jordan: "We won... Guys, we won! I can't believe it!"

Adam: "Yeah... we won... which means..." The yellow sphere gets us up in the air

Eva: "Wait! We've gotta find Aikka! You gotta let us go!"

Adam: "Eva, there is no fighting it... it's magic, no matter how much power we use we can't escape"

Eva: "He needs us, Adam! We have to do something!" A yellow light pillar shoots from the underneath. It gets us... back to our module. Eva looks around and a yellow light emits from her hand

Adam: "Eva!"

Eva: "Adam! it's happening to you too!" I look down to see my legs disappearing too "Adam, we need to-" she disappears

Jordan: "What's happening, guy-"

Adam: "Eva!" I disappear too. We later appear in a place full of pillars and a pyramid in the center "Eva, you okay?"

Eva: "Yeah... Where are we?" she looks around

???: "Congratulations, Adam and Molly" We turn around and see Satis.

Satis: "I'm sorry I had to block you two away like that, but the coronation ceremony waits for no one"

Eva: "The what?" Satis hits his cane on the flow and the pyramid glows in the light blue. A sphere of the same color appears on top of it. Me and Eva back away

Satis: "Don't be afraid. The enormity of the task scared me too at first, but either of you will make a perfect Avatar"

Adam: "That's all great Satis. But... we won't leave each other"

Satis: "I suspected you two will be afraid of that. That's why Avatar can have someone to help him rule the universe. This person would live for as long as the Avatar. You and Molly won't part ways"

Eva: "We'll keep that in mind" She looks at the portal to Earth Module "But your little ceremony will have to wait" She grabs my arm and we run towards our portal.

Satis: "Gah! Bah! But! That's impossible! Please, Molly! Adam! You two don't understand! Time is running out! Oban will die... without an Avatar" Eva finally found our portal

Eva: "We'll be back soon. We promise. Anyway, the man for the job is Aikka"

Satis: "Stop!" We run through the portal

*Somewhere under the Oban, 3rd POV*

???: "Free! At last!" Says a bird-like humanoid trapped in the cage above the lake "After an eternity. My time has come!"

*Adam POV*

We get back to our module

Eva: "We have no time to waste Adam" I nod and we run towards Arrow III, passing the control room by the way

Don: "Eva?! Adam?!"

Eva: "Later, dad"

Adam: "We don't have much time Don!"

Don: "Eva! Wait! What happened?!" The whole temple starts shaking, making me and Eva lose our balance. We fall from the stairs

Eva: "Aaa!" she lands on top of me, but quickly gets up. I look around, seeing a black mist covering the walls "What? What is this?"

Adam: "Nothing good..." We back away from the mist. Then we feel another shake and I notice an alarm from my phone "We're falling! The flying temples are all falling!" Don runs downstairs

Don: "Climb into Wheezing Arrow! All of you!" I and Eva get upstairs to the cockpit and I start the engines while Eva fastens her seatbelt on the jumpseat. Jordan climbs up to us

Jordan: "Adam! Take off now!"

Adam: "Hold to something!" I floor Arrow's fall boosters and fly from under our module to a roof nearby where we should be safe "Eva..." We look at the falling temple

Eva: "What have we done...?" I floor Arrow's accelerator, trying to outrun a possible explosion, but to no effort. "AAA!"

Adam: "Ahhh!" The light goes down and we get into some type of storm. It's got harder to steer since the wind. I try my best to keep Arrow on course "Jordan, come here!" Jordan climbs up and helps me with steering

Jordan: "Hang on buddy" With our summed strength we somehow get our ship under control "There is a temple still standing. Let's head for it" We turn Arrow in the direction of the temple. After a wobbly flight, we made it there. We stay inside Arrow until the storm loosen up

*timeskip*

I, Eva, and Jordan are in one of the windows of the buried temple we stopped by. Everything on Oban became an endless desert. No trees, not water, just sand. Eva sits on some rocks while Jordan squats on her right and I lean on the wall to Eva's right.

Eva: "Everything's gone. The temples, the trees, the animals"

Jordan: "We're still here. There's always hope"

Adam: "We can't go back on Earth. Unless we turn Arrow III into a spaceship"

Eva: "Everyone's gone. Satis, the other pilots and... even our best friend" Jordan grabs her shoulders and turns her to him

Jordan: "Molly, let it go! It's not your or Adam's fault"

Adam: "It's OUR fault, Jordan" Eva starts crying

Eva: "And no one else's!" Jordan gives Eva a tissue and she wipes her tears

Jordan: "You two only did what you thought is right. Like always. Adam, no one put as much bravery when he pilots like you. Molly, you put all of your heart and soul in those races" Eva sobs and I sigh and look away

Adam: "Thanks Jordan..." We sit in silence, until... I hear something like wings flapping... bug wings flapping! I stand up and look at the horizon

Jorda: "What's got your attention, Adam?"

Adam: "Be silent. Do you guys hear it too?" Eva and Jordan pick their head up and listen

Jordan: "Yeah, sounds like buzzing..."

Eva: "Or... a giant beetle's wings..."

Jordan: "It's for sure just a wind. Calm down"

Adam: "Now where is... up here!" I point up at the silhouette of a giant beetle

Eva: "It's him..." I ran upstairs with Eva right behind me. Upon getting to the roof I see G'dar but without Aikka

Adam: "G'dar?"

Eva: "Is he here-G'dar?"

Adam: "G'dar, where is Aikka?" G'dar backs up a little, reviling an unconscious Aikka. The beetle gets its tongue out and pets its rider "Oh damn... I run up to Aikka's side

Eva: "Aikka!" she runs after me and hugs him "We thought that you died because of us... Thank God you're okay"

Adam: "Let's get him inside Eva. We need to get his wounds treated" I notice Jordan standing behind us "Jordan, care to help us?"

Jordan: "Do I need to?"

Adam and Eva: "JORDAN!"

Jordan: "Alright, alright. I'm going" I and Jordan get Aikka's arms around our shoulders and get him downstairs. Seeing us, Don cleared us a way to one room with curtains at the entrance. We got Aikka there and left him with Don and Stan to treat him... After fifteen minutes they exit

Eva: "How's he?"

Don: "He'll be fine. But he needs a lot of rest"

Stan: "Poor kid, he's completely dehydrated. He's very lucky" I and Eva breathe a sigh of relief

Eva: "Thank goodness"

Adam: "So can we visit him?"

Stan: "Go ahead, but don't take too long" We nod and move the curtains aside, entering the room. Aikka lies on a pillar in the center of the room. He turns his head to us and slowly opens up his eyes before looking at us. Eva smile and I smirk

Adam: "I heard about sleeping princesses in some stories, but never about sleeping princes. It's good to see you alive, Aikka" Aikka tries to stand up, but Eva runs to his side, stopping him

Eva: "Aikka, you need to rest" I get next to her

Adam: "Lie down, drink a lot of water, and sleep. Take time to heal up"

Aikka: "There is no time to rest or heal. We must hurry or Canaletto will seize the powers of the Avatar"

Adam: "Canaletto? Who's that?"

Eva: "I-I don't understand what you mean, Aikka" I lie him down on the pillow

Adam: "What happened to you during the race?"

Aikka: "After G'dar rescued me from my fall, I quickly headed back to the flying temple. But something was just not right. At first, I feared Kross had won the last race. The truth was much more insidious. Before his death, Satis has given me a task. To bring you two to the Temple of Heart. This is why I've come for both of you"

Eva: "I... I'm not sure I can do this. I'm too young. Too inexperienced. Look at all the harm I cost "

Adam: "Then I will go" Eva's eyes widen

Eva: "No! You can't!" I get near her and put my hand on her cheek

Adam: "Eva... Someone has to become a new Avatar. And you just got Don back. I only ask you one thing" I get the tears away from her eyes "Remember me. Remember, no matter the distance, I will always love you" Eva hugs me

Eva: "Dummy! You're a dummy, Adam! I won't let you!"

Adam: "Eva..."

Eva: "Satis said Avatar can get his helpers. I'm staying with you!"

Don: "Eva, rethink this, please!"

Eva: "If Adam is staying, so am I!"

Adam: "Don is right, Star. You will finally have a normal life, with your family. Just tell my aunt I'm sorry" Eva hugs me again

Eva: "No! I'm staying with you and that's final!" I sigh

Adam: "Guess I can't make you change your mind?" She nods into my chest "Alright" I look at Aikka "When are we going Aikka?" Aikka stands from his bed and gets on one knee before me

Aikka: "Adam, you're the new Avatar. And I put my bow and my sword at your service" I nod

Adam: "Let's go. Canaletto is ahead of us" Aikka nods. I, him, Eva, and Jordan get in front of Arrow III

Eva: "How is she?"

Koji: "The booster drives are totally dead. But the Wheezing Arrow III will fly"

Adam: "I'm counting on you partners. I will go with Aikka on G'dar" Eva and Jordan nod. She turns to Jordan

Eva: "Ready?"

Jordan: "I'm born ready. Let's teach that magician a few new tricks!"

Eva: "Then we're set. Adam?"

Adam: "Yes?" Eva gets in front of me and pulls us in a loving kiss which ends thirty seconds later

Eva: "Now I'm good to go" I nod

Adam: "Don't worry. We'll rule over the universe, together"

Eva: "Together" I start to follow Aikka while Eva turns to Arrow III. That's until Don stops us

Don: "Eva! Adam! Wait!"

Jordan: "Eva?"

Adam: "I thought I told you Molly's real name is Eva and that she is Don's daughter"

Jordan: "Oh, right" Don gets opposite of us

Eva: "Yes, dad?"

Don: "I... I love you, Eva" Don looks at Aikka and Jordan "You boys take good care of my daughter" He then looks at me "And you, Adam. Keep her safe and make her feel loved here with you. I know you will, so I give you my blessing" Eva blushes a little and I nod

Adam: "If Eva really wants to stay with me, then no harm will come to her. Avatar's word" Don nods, turns around and exits the room. I turn to Eva, who is having glassy eyes "He finally told you those words, Evie"

Aikka: "Adam, Molly, we need to go" Eva nods and enters Arrow while I and Aikka walk back to G'dar. Eva flies Arrow out of the temple and I and Aikka follow her on G'dar

Adam: "Thanks, for everything Aikka. You become a good friend of mine"

Aikka: "And the same can be said about you, Avatar"

Adam: "I think I know the first thing I do. I will free Nourasia from Crogs"

Aikka: "My people shall be grateful for that, Adam. We shall show our gratitude to you"

Adam: "I will have 10,000 years for everything. And if I can travel from Oban then for sure I will visit you. You have my word" Aikka nods and we continue our journey. I then get a call from Arrow III

Eva: "How're you guys holding up?"

Adam: "Kinda bumpy, but nothing more"

Jordan: "So, what shall I call you now, partner? Eva? Molly? Mrs. Ortin, or Mrs. Avatar?"

Eva: "Any except for those mistresses will do fine"

Jordan: "And what about you, Adam. Lord Almighty? Your highness?"

Adam: "Adam would be fine. We're friends, no matter if one of us is an all-powerful being" We enter a canyon and G'dar sensed something, resulting in a little turbulence

Jordan: "We've got company" We stop and look around. O emerges in front of us from under the sand and blocks our way. Jordan aims at him and Aikka pulls his bow, aiming at him too "What do you want from us?" O gets to the side, allowing us to go. Eva flies past him, same as me and Aikka. O starts flying behind us. After some more flying, we get to a large square

Adam: "Is this the place, Eva?"

Eva: "Yhm. Looks like we got here first" We fly forward, but at one point O stops. Eva lands Arrow III in front of the staircase and Aikka sits G'dar next to it. Eva opens up the glass cockpit "This is it! This is the Temple of the Heart" O emits a growl and we look at him. Then, the earth starts shaking, and two figures above the entrance light up in red before one becomes white and the other turns to black. Then they start moving

Aikka: "Molly, it's a trap! We must flee immediately!" G'dar goes into the air, same as Arrow III. Jordan meanwhile shots at O

Jordan: "I hope Canaletto paid you well for this, you traitor!"The black figure gets from its form and later tries to smash the Arrow with its fist

Eva: "What is that thing?!" Jordan tries to shoot it, but lasers deal no harm to it. Aikka loads an arrow, says the spell, and let it go at the giant. It connects, creating a wind burst, making G'dar stumble a little. However, when the dust settles, the figure is still in one piece. It shrieks and starts chasing us. The white giant meanwhile give chase after Eva and Jordan

Adam: "Eva! It's either me or you! Head for the temple right now! We will keep them busy!"

Eva: "I will need to crash at the door!"

Adam: "Then do it!"

Eva successfully crash lands, but the white giant crushes Arrow under its fist. Meanwhile, the black creature tries to swipe us from the air. O then lands and transforms into a giant, higher and buffer than those figures. He roars and runs at the white one. Grabbing its hands, O starts wrestling with it. it gets one arm free and scratches O, but he just regenerates and continues to outpower the statue. The black one notices its partner is in trouble, allowing me and Aikka to fly towards Eva and Jordan. G'dar gets low enough for me and Aikka to just jump down. We run up the stairs where Jordan and Eva are already waiting. I look back, seeing O at his knees

Adam: "Thank you, O" I follow the rest of our group inside. Not long after we heard an explosion which made us fall to the ground. We look back to see nothing left of either of those creatures or O except for still smoking hole in the ground

Jordan: "I guess O was a good guy after all"

Eva: "And that would only mean one thing"

Aikka: "He's here already. Waiting for us. Canaletto is here" We look at each other and nod. After helping Aikka up he gives me his dagger and we start walking forward. After some walking, we enter a dark room enlighten by white geysers exploding around a single bridge. On the other side stands a high entrance

Jordan: "Looks like we don't have much of a choice"

Eva: "We don't" Aikka steps forth

Aikka: "Adam, Molly. Stay between me and Jordan. We cannot let Canaletto near both of you" I get the blade ready and stand in front of Eva. Jordan holds his bow at ready while Jordan checks our six. After passing the first half of the bridge, it started shaking

Adam: "Everybody, lay low. Geyser is erupting" I get Eva down and the geyser to our right erupts. After it finishes its doing, we make a run for it. We made it to the room with the same pyramid as in the flying temple

Eva: "The pyramid hasn't been activated. Where is he?"

Jordan: "He's here, alright. In the darkness"

Adam: "Be careful then" We run behind one pillar, keeping our guard high.

Jordan: "I can't stand this. Let's force him into the open" he whispers to which Aikka nods

Aikka: "Adam, Molly, you two need to stay here for now. If something happens, either of you run to the pyramid and don't look back" Eva nods "Adam, my dagger may not be much, but even Canaletto will feel its royal sting"

Adam: "I will remember that"

Aikka: "Ready?" Jordan hums in agreement

Eva: "I expect you both back, very soon" Jordan runs away in his direction, while Aikka runs the opposite. I meanwhile get both my knife and Aikka's dagger ready

Adam: "Be safe guys..." we wait. Until we hear Jordan's scream and the sound of the laser gun. Soon it replaces with a sound of a painful scream

Eva: "Jordan..." A blue light starts on our left

Aikka: "Get down!" he fires his arrow and it explodes on the opposite wall. Eva meanwhile stands up, hearing something on our right

Eva: "Jordan?" I stand in front of her

Adam: "Or Canaletto?" Soon a stumbling figure of Jordan emerges from the dark I get near him and help him walk to us

Eva: "Are you alright?"

Jordan: "Don't worry about it. It's just a scratch" he grunts in pain and gets on one knee. I get his arm around my shoulders and drag him next to a pillar, where I let him sit

Adam: "You fractured your kneecap" I look at Eva "Eva, you need to go. I will stay with Jordan here" I pass her the blade

Jordan: "Don't worry about us. Go. Aikka will protect you"

Eva: "You two better stay here. It won't be long" Jordan gives her a thumbs up and I nod. Eva runs off and Jordan starts grunting in pain

Adam: "Jordan, I need you to be a big boy now" I smirk, but later get serious "You didn't fracture it. Your entire kneecap is dislocated"

Jordan: "Is that good or bad?"

Adam: "Very bad. Hold still" I grab his leg, making Jordan grunt "I will try to get it back in place" I pull his leg down, making him scream in pain and then I feel a pop "There, you will stumble a bit but it's nothing too bad"

Jordan: "*pant* Thanks Adam" and he passes out. I look around the pillar to see Eva slowly walking there. then we hear another explosion, as the whole place starts shaking. pillars start getting down. I shield myself and Jordan from some of the rubble, but in the end, he slides down and I slowly follow him. After getting down I hide behind some rocks, but then I feel a warm feeling at the back of my head. I get my hand there and see some blood

Adam: "Great...Come on, wake up Jordan" I say quietly and start to feel dizzy

Eva: "Aikka!"

'I need to be quiet. Canaletto is somewhere here... and Eva just give him her position... fucking great'

Eva: "AIKKA!" she looks around "Jordan! Jordan!" she looks around even more "Adam! Adam, where are you?! Say something, please!" But all I can do is observe. I feel like I'm after some heavy drinks

Adam: "Dammit... why now...?" I look at Jordan to see him stirring awake. He tries to stand up, but can't "Wilde, lie down. Eva is nearby the pyramid" I look around our hideout, seeing Eva only a few footsteps from the pyramid.

*3rd POV*

When Eva got closer, the pyramid lights up, but just as she was going to enter it, a red wave stops her. A silhouette of a giant bird-like humanoid appears in front of her. Canaletto... Eva backs up a little before rushing him with Aikka's dagger. But it soon turns to dust upon Canaletto's magic

Canaletto: "Your inner resources never ceases to amaze me. But you're destined not to defeat me, Eva" Eva slowly back up

Eva: "You know my real name?"

Canaletto: "I know everything about you and the second human, my dear child"

Eva: "Second human?"

Canaletto: "You may know him by the name of Adam'' Eva's eyes widen "For centuries, I vow and unvow the threads of time, just to find both of you. The two of you are my creation. My secret weapons. My most trusted pawns'' Eva starts hyperventilating

Eva: "But that's a lie!" Canaletto points his finger at her

Canaletto: "Deep down inside you, you know it's the truth. Who else than you two would have refused the Avatar's crown? I patiently waited in my cell, these many years for I knew you and Adam would come, Eva. To set me free"

Eva: "You're lying. I wasn't even meant to race. And Adam got here as a mechanic"

Canaletto: "And yet, both of you did, didn't you?" Eva stats shaking, remembering Rick's crash

Eva: "Rick's crash. It was you. You caused it"

Canaletto: "Yes. The human had the potential to win. But far too high of an opinion of himself to refuse the Avatar's throne. He had to be... removed"

Eva: "You got rid of Sul too.. didn't you?"

Canaletto: "That wasn't a part of my original plan. One must improvise. The fool dared to toy with the course of destiny. My entire plan was in jeopardy"

Eva: "I've never been free... You controlled everything"

Canaletto: "You were free, Eva. The same as the boy. The loss of his parents and your mother. The desertion of your father created perfect alchemy, a blazing pain within both of you" his hand gets around Eva "Once in place I simply waited for these flames to reach Oban and set the entire galaxy aflame" Eva collapses on her knees and starts sobbing. Adam meanwhile tries to stay awake, but hears everything, as tear fall from his eye

Adam: "He... he killed both Maya and my parents..."

Back with Eva and Canaletto

Eva: "My mother... Adam's parents... It was you. You made her crash and sabotaged their engine, didn't you?"

Canaletto: "They had to go. To bring out the best in both of you" Canaletto sends a wave of red circles at Eva, trying to hypnotize her "Forget the past, Eva" Eva's gets enveloped in red light and Canaletto lifts her with his magic "This is a new beginning" Eva closes her eyes and Canaletto gets her towards the pyramid "Together we will tear down this fault world. And build a new one full of purity

A/N: Yes, Canaletto is like space Hitler.

Canaletto: "A world without pain. A changeless world of perfect and eternal stillness. Surrender yourself to me, Eva. There is nothing to fear. Eva activates the pyramid and summons the Creators. A stickman like figures in light blue color

Creators: "Begone, Canaletto! You have no purpose here! You're no longer the Avatar"

Somewhere else, Adam is dragging Jordan to a cliff above the pyramid

Jordan: "Adam... Where are we? Did Molly did it?"

Adam: "We're actually saving her right now"

Jordan: "Oh... cool then" and he dozes off again

Back with the creators and former Avatar.

Canaletto: "Enough! The pyramid of power has been activated as it's required. Now fulfill your function. Give me back the powers of Oban!" He shoots his magic at the creators, and every time it hit one, it flies back to the sphere above the pyramid

Adam: "Eva" he says from the top of the cliff

Eva: "Adam..?"

Adam: "I love you, Eva, forever and ever" Just as Adam was about to jump, Jordan grabs his arm and throws him back

Jordan: "Don't be mad, Adam. Guess I will become the Avatar"

Adam: "Why? It's not your duty, it's ours!"

Jordan: "You and Molly have a family to come back, not like me"

Adam: "What are you..."

Jordan: "I'm an orphan, buddy. Well" he salutes at me "Wish me luck, Ortin" with that, Jordan jump down the cliff and into the sphere

Eva: "NO!!!"

Adam: "Good luck, Avatar"

Eva: "Jordan!" Jordan connects with the sphere and disappears inside of it

Adam: "Thank you, Jordan..."

Canaletto: "No!" He screams in pain as white light envelopes the room. His body disintegrates to ash. This white light envelops a whole planet.

*Adam POV*

After Jordan sacrificed himself, I lost my consciousness. When I open my eyes the first thing I see is white walls. Everything's white

Adam: "Ugh, my head..." then I hear Jordan's voice

Jordan: "Adam? Molly?"

Adam: "Eva? Jordan?" I look to my right to see Eva, still unconscious

Jordan: "Molly, wake up" Eva wakes up, and then a yellow silhouette gets in front of us. it has Jordan's face

Adam: "Jordan... what? How so? Where are we?"

Jordan: "My body?" I nod and Eva stares in awe "It's just for show. Creators told me it will wear off in a few weeks. When I settle into my new role"

Eva: "So you're the Avatar?"

Adam: "Avatar or not, I will punch you for doing that. It was our duty to sacrifice ourselves, not yours!"

Jordan: "And it was my choice. I had to do it, for both of you"

Eva: "I'm... We're so sorry, we never meant to"

Jordan: "Don't worry about it. I always wanted to do something bigger in my life. But I never had any strength to do anything on my own until now. I did this completely on my own. And let me tell you it's really big" Creators appear behind him "It's time for me to leave now. For creators have lots to teach me and very little time. I grab Jordan's arm before he can float away

Adam: "Oh no you don't, Wilde. Not without the last Team Earth group hug" Jordan smiles at me and Eva. We get into a group hug "Be sure to visit us on Earth if they allow you"

Jordan: "Be sure to remember me, guys. Adam, Molly, you were the best friends I could have ever got. Goodbye"

Eva: "Goodbye Jordan. We will miss you" Then Jordan just disappears into golden particles "Jordan?"

Jordan: "Take care of yourselves, Adam and Molly" The white light envelopes the room and after waking up I'm lying on.. grass

Adam: "Grass? Wait, grass! Oban is alive again! Woohoo!" I look around "Now to where is this sleepyhead, Eva Wei? Evie! Evie?!" I see her sitting up "Evie!" I run to her

Eva: "Hey Sun" She looks around in disbelievement "This isn't a dream, right?"

Adam: "Nope. This is 100% real. Come on, we need to search for either Aikka or our team" I walk forward towards some temples with Eva behind me. From behind the structure emerges Aikka

Eva: "Aikka!" she runs up to him and hugs him

Aikka: "Molly-" I cut him off

Adam: "Aikka you snake. Should I tell your fiance about that?"

Aikka: "Worry not as she is the only person who holds my heart. I'm so glad you two made it. But, what happened to Jordan? Is he?"

Eva: "He's fine" she slightly smiles "He's better than ever"

Adam: "He jumped into the pyramid and became the next Avatar" We then hear a noise. To our right, a flying temple rises, sending a wind wave. Four light beams emerge from the tom and spread across Oban. I take Eva's hand in mine as we smile at the sight. Then we hear Don from behind

Don: "Eva!" We turn around to see him, Stan, and Koji running towards us

Adam: "Go, he's your father after all" I smile and she runs off

Eva: "Dad!" they met half-way and hug tightly

Stan and Koji: "Adam!"

Adam: "Hey guys!" Stan and Koji tackle me into a hug "Guys! Stop it! Come on! You're making me blush!" We laugh

*3rd POV*

Eva narrating: "And so ended the Great Race of Oban"

Adam and Eva are saying their goodbyes to Aikka

Aikka: "We'll meet soon, I promise. You two must see my kingdom"

Eva: "With great pleasure"

Adam: "Then that's a promise, Aikka"

Eva: "Don't forget, we'll be waiting" the teens get their fists up, and soon a yellow light envelopes G'dar

Aikka: "Goodbye Molly. Goodbye Adam. Take care of yourselves" Adam and Eva wave him a goodbye

Adam narrating: "Jordan didn't come down to send us back, but I guess he is busy"

Don: "Adam! Eva! Hurry up!" The two teens run to their team. Just in time when the yellow light gets them up. Don helps Eva and Adam stand. Eva looks down

Eva narrating: "Goodbye Oban. Goodbye friend. You'll be the best Avatar ever" She winks at the temple and Adam sends a quick friendly salute. They soon board their ship and it takes off. Jordan observe them go as a single tear rolls from his eye

*Timeskip, Earth*

A yellow light comes from the ship, allowing the Earth Team to get safely on the ground.

Adam narrating: "Jordan always said we'll get the red carpet treat when we get back on Earth"

As soon as they stand on their legs, an airship and a limo get near them. Few more cars pull off and from there emerges some people with guns aimed at them

Adam narrating: "And we got the treat, sort of.." The team then sits inside a limo

Eva narrating: "The powerful burst of energy released into the cosmos by Oban was felt all the way back to Earth. Somehow, it disabled all of the Earth and Crog warships. Everyone believes the two enemies laid down their arms voluntarily. In reality, our fire way adventures ended up the war. But we were ordered never to speak of it. The truth must remain top secret. Forever"

Adam narrating: "Stan and Koji returned to work for Miguel"

Eva narrating: "Don Wei, well after getting his portion of Mrs. Goldfinch mind, he got back to his sweet self in a racing team. As for Adam, Don fulfilled his promise and got him a job as a pilot for his team. Of course, both Don and Mrs. Goldfinch agreed to let us race only after we got the degree. But it's better than nothing. Adam and his aunt moved nearby our home, letting us be as close as we were at Stern. Dad and Mrs. Ophelia filled me in about me and Adam being crib friends... and about what our mothers planned for us in the future. Guess we were destined for each other since the start"

Adam narrating: "Besides my job in Don's company, we got back to school. not Stern or any other place like that. We only got our stuff from there and drove back to Dallas. This school is a lot different, and it's close to where I and Eva live... but still it's a school

Half of the display fills with a bored Adam, wearing a black hoodie and shorts with a blue t-shirt sitting near the desk. The second one fills with bored Eva, wearing a black blouse with purple balls on both forearms, a black and purple skirt, and purple and white socks. They sit there bored until a ring bell and they leave their classroom. Adam is waiting for Eva outside

Adam: "Where did she go? She had as many lessons as I and-" he was cut of by Eva covering his eyes with her hand

Eva: "Guess who~"

Adam: "I dunno. Benjamin Franklin?" he gets Eva's hands off his face and smiles at her "You are awfully cheerful today, Eva" Eva giggles

Eva: "It's just nice to don't have a wall around the school building, Dontcha think?" I smile

Adam: "Yeah. Who is supposed to pick us up today? Don or my aunt?"

Eva: "Dad will. But as he is still not here" She leans forward and shares a quick kiss with Adam "I can kiss you"

Adam: "Yeah, he kinda got too overprotective. We can't even kiss near him. It's weird"

Eva: "He's a dad. Dad should be overprotective about his daughter"

Adam: "Not when said daughter has a boyfriend for nearly three months and he is a relative of his trusted friend"

Eva: "He just wants us to be happy"

Adam: "At least when you stayed over at my place we could cuddle. At your place, I had to sleep on a sofa" Adam looks at his phone "Shouldn't he be here by now?" Eva looks around

Eva narrating: "Sometimes I feel like none of it really happened. We never left Earth. It was just a dream"

Eva: "I think it's him" She smiles at the car pulling off, but a girl with twin tails runs to it. Eva slumps forward

Eva narrating: "But it wasn't a dream" Another car pulls off. Its window opens revealing Don. He leans out and starts waving at the teens

Don: "Adam! Eva! Come on kids, Ophelia is getting our dinner ready!"

Eva narrating: "I've got my dad back and..." Eva looks at Adam "I've got the best boyfriend I could've ever got"

Eva and Adam run to the car. They drive off to a cemetery nearby. Adam is carrying candles while Don gets two bouquets of red flowers. Eva meanwhile collects some of the field flowers nearby. They get to a tomb near the wall, the tomb of Maya Wei. Don places one bouquet on it, Eva places some of the field flowers, and Adam lights a candle before turning to two tombs on the left of Maya's. And they read: 'Hubert and Anna Ortin' A single tear gets from his eyes. Then Eva grabs his hand and Don puts his hand on Adam's shoulder. They put flowers and light a candle on top of graves before looking at each other

Don: "They are proud of you too, Adam. I'm sure of it"

Adam: "Thanks Don"

Adam narrating: "All I ever wanted is for her to be happy"

Eva narrating: "And now I'm. With Dad and Adam by my side, I feel like I got my family back"

The three of them walk back to the car. Eva and Adam behind Don still holding hands. Eva stops and looks up, seeing Arrow III flying above the trees. She remembers everything that happened on Oban and Alwas, Rick, Rush, Satis, Aikka, and Jordan. Eva looks down again

Adam: "Star, what's wrong?"

Don: "Eva? Are you okay?"

Eva: "Yes, dad. I'm fine. You don't need to worry, love, I'm okay"

Adam: "Hey. He promised us he will visit us. And he better do or I will fly to Oban and kick his ass" Adam smirks and Eva gives him a cheeky smile

Eva: "Us both will"

Don: "You will fly to Oban but after dinner. Come on kids, Ophelia is waiting" With that Don gets Eva's free hand while Adam still holds her other hand and the trio walks back to the car

Eva narrating: "Being Molly was fun... But it's good to be Eva again"

A/N A massive ending chapter! Oh shit, 12 hours of writing, but I couldn't just leave one episode for tomorrow. Anyway, this ends the original story of Oban Star-Racers. And what a ride it has been. I hope you enjoyed it and I will see you in the extra chapters tomorrow! Bye-bye!

Punkie out!

Oban Star-Racers belongs to Savin Yeatman-Eiffel

OCs belong to me