The sunlight grew far more intense, burning away the storm clouds and turning the grass under his feet a deathly shade of brown. As Xander stepped, the grass crunched and crumbled under his weight. Reflecting off the white surface, the light was hard to look at. It seemed to sparkle in the air, reflecting blindingly in his eyes.
Yet, there was silence. Xander knew the brilliant sunlight represented the last of the Elementals, but the Fire Elemental refused to acknowledge his accomplishments.
“It’s finished. You have succeeded as we had so earnestly hoped you would,” the Wind Elemental said after a pregnant pause, waiting for Fire to speak. “What remains of humanity has been saved. That’s because of you.”
“I told you after London I trusted you because of your willingness to place the well-being of others before yourself,” Water added. “You have proven your worth a hundred times over.”
“The cycle has ended,” Earth said. “No longer will humanity have to worry about a deadly transition between Wind and Fire. However, that doesn’t mean the good we have done for humanity ends with you. You are the Earth Elemental now. Begin the cycle as you see fit by rebuilding.”
“Use the power of Water to nurture humanity,” Water said. “They will need your help with sustenance, if they are to survive as a species.”
“But guide them,” Wind remarked. “You can show them the error of their ways; show them all the things humanity did poorly which led to the rise of the Fire Caste in the first place. Make humanity better as a species. Teach it to live in harmony with the world rather than as a parasite, feeding off it. Make the world the utopia it should have been. Succeed where we failed.”
Xander wanted to ask them questions, but he couldn’t find his voice. He wasn’t sure if it was a side effect of being in this place, this supernatural world that, more likely than not, only existed in his mind. Whatever it was, he was mute. He turned slowly toward the Fire Elemental, wondering if it would ever speak to him again.
The intense sunlight seemed to sparkle in aggravation. Finally, the Fire Elemental spoke. “And should someone resist your teachings, should someone choose violence and the ways of old over the ways of harmony, then use the powers you have to burn them to ash. No mercy for those who would defy you.”
He could sense the disapproval of the other Elementals, though no one spoke out against Fire’s advice. Xander cringed, knowing the dragon was very much still alive, even if only harbored within him. They all existed within him, now, as aspects of his own personality. The stony stoicism of Earth, the calming fluidity of Water, the vibrant inspiration of Wind, and even the angry retribution of Fire. It would now be his mission to keep each of those emotions in balance, ensuring he didn’t become one of them completely. They needed balance, and he was it.
The sunlight faded, and Fire disappeared without another remark. The leaves turned red and orange, falling from the tree.
“Tend to your world,” Earth said before the green grass vanished.
The water droplets fell, one after another, into the pool on the ground.
“Tend to the needs of your people.” As though someone had pulled the plug at the bottom of a drain, the water was drawn back into the white plain.
Xander turned slowly toward the remaining Elemental. Of all of them, he felt the strongest connection to Wind. It wasn’t just that he had started his life as a Wind Warrior, but rather that he understood the need to inspire and lead humanity, if they had any chance of surviving after the apocalypse.
“Tend, most of all, to your friends,” she said as the tornado quit spinning and dissipated into the air.
At the mention of his friends, he remembered all that had happened, leading to the dragon’s defeat. His heart raced and the white plain faded away to nothingness.
Xander was standing in the middle of the street. The air reeked of sulfur and brimstone, stinging his nostrils and making his eyes water. He wiped the corners of his eyes quickly with his shirtsleeve and blinked the world back into focus.
His stone giant was resting against a ruined building nearby, toppled when the dragon on which it had been sitting disappeared. The stone hands that once held its claw and neck were still upturned, though they grasped nothing. Xander turned slowly, aware that there were eyes upon him. A small army of leather-clad, blond men and women stared at him from the buildings, alleyways, and streets nearby. Collectively, they looked frightened and lost. Some raised their hands, as though trying to summon the flames, but nothing came. Xander knew nothing would ever come for them again. He had absorbed the Fire Elemental, which severed their connection to their powers. The Fire Caste was human once more, if they had ever really been human to begin with.
The realization of what had happened settled slowly over the crowd. Some turned and fled, seeking a refuge that no longer existed. Xander was sure some would try to return to their underground cavern, but the trip would probably kill them. They had withstood the scalding temperatures and toxic fumes as Fire Warriors, but that environment would kill a normal person. He guessed that others would go into hiding, realizing quickly that the surviving humans wouldn’t take kindly to the damage they had inflicted. A part of him ached at the knowledge that those Fire Warriors, as well, would more than likely be killed. He knew he was supposed to be the spiritual leader for humanity going forward, but he doubted anything he could say would be enough to dissuade those who lost loved ones in the apocalypse to spare those responsible.
A vast majority of the Fire Warriors simply looked defeated. Some cried. Others raised their hands in surrender, though Xander had no interest in taking them prisoner. He stared at them, knowing there should be something to say to the masses but unable to think of anything. He was as mute here, it seemed, as he was in his dreamscape.
The truth was that he just didn’t care what happened to the former Fire Caste. They had tried to kill him and his friends, and Xander’s concern rested far more with his hurt friends and, most importantly, with the woman he loved.
Xander kicked off the ground and floated into the air. Voices called after him, pleadingly, but he ignored them. He floated over the destroyed roof of the Staples Center and drifted inside, eager to rejoin his friends.
Sean and Jessica stood around Lord Balor, who knelt at Sammy’s side. Sean glanced up as a dark shadow fell over him, the pistol clutched in his hand, ready to defend them. The relief painted on his face because a smile of joy and nearly happy tears as he saw Xander returning victorious. Jessica followed his gaze and nodded appreciatively, barely concealing her exuberance.
Though Xander longed to embrace his friends, he gave them only curt nods as he touched down on the basketball court beside the father and daughter. Lord Balor glanced up at Xander, his expression far more weary than it had been before the final battle began. His gaze drifted past the old man and instead fell on Sammy.
The blonde woman was deathly pale. Her eyes were closed, but Xander could see the unsteady rise and fall of her chest with each hitched breath. The stone had been removed, though he wasn’t sure if Balor had done that or if she had done it herself, one final way of making sure the Elemental wouldn’t reclaim her body. Blood was stained across the ground in a wide pool. Xander felt ill at the sight. He didn’t know how much blood the human body could hold, but he was sure damn near all of hers was spread around her.
“How… how is she?” he asked, nervously.
Balor’s frown deepened as he gently shook his head. “She’s dying. I’m surprised she’s held on as long as she has. The dragon’s magic was keeping her body alive far longer than it should have been, but you took all our powers away when you defeated the Elemental. She’s just a girl now and…” His normally stern voice faltered as he looked down at his daughter.
Xander sat on the basketball court beside her and cradled her head in his lap. She groaned softly as he moved her.
“If you wanted to say goodbye,” Balor said haltingly, “now’s the time to do it.”
Exhausted, Lord Balor collapsed
backward onto the ground, ignoring the blood that now smeared across his armor. Balor had been denied water, tortured, hanged from the battlements, and left to die before his escape. The power of the Fire Elemental had kept him alive, too. Now, he was just a bone-weary old man, suffering countless wounds and prematurely mourning the loss of his daughter. It seemed that all his years caught up to him at once as he lowered his head into his arms.
“I’m sorry, brother,” Sean said softly, unsure of what else to say.
“I know…” Jessica said before stopping. Even the most articulate among them didn’t really know what to say.
“She’s not dead yet,” Xander said as he smoothed Sammy’s hair out of her face.
“I know,” Sean said. “It’s just that… she’s lost a lot of blood, man. We’ve been trying to stop the bleeding, but it’s a pretty nasty cut.”
Jessica cleared her throat. “Once you absorbed the dragon, it’s like we knew. Her bleeding got worse, her heart rate grew erratic. It’s like that power was the last thing keeping her going.”
“I wish we could get her to a hospital, but I don’t think there’s still one in working order,” Sean said. “Trust me, we were just in one, and I’m pretty sure it’s not set up to save her life.”
Xander didn’t look at his friends. His gaze was fixed solely on Sammy. He brushed her pale cheek with quivering fingers. She looked very little like the woman he had met in White Halls. That girl had seemed so innocent and pure, but most of all, smart witted when standing up for herself. The woman cradled in his lap was so fragile. He wanted to protect her, to wrap her in a cocoon like he had done in France and give her time to heal.
He raised his head and looked apologetically toward Lord Balor. The older man had his eyes closed. He was exhausted, but it seemed so wrong that he had gone through so much only to lose Sammy now. Balor, like Sammy, seemed so fragile without the Fire Elemental’s power within them.
Without its power. Those words rattled around in his mind, searching for purchase amidst his roiling emotions. Xander furrowed his brow and glanced back down at the woman he loved.
“Tend to your friends,” he muttered, echoing the Wind Elemental’s parting advice.
“Xander?” Jessica asked.
“I can save her,” he said excitedly.
“Xander, buddy,” Sean began, but Xander cut him off.
“The Fire Elemental was keeping her alive. It was the dragon’s power coursing through her veins that kept her going, even after being hurt. It used that same power to keep General Abraxas alive time and time again, right? Well, guess what?”
Sean’s eyes widened. “You’re the Fire Elemental now.”
“No,” Xander corrected. “I’m all the Elementals now.”
Xander gently lowered Sammy’s head to the ground and knelt over her. He tried his best not to look at the oozing wound in her stomach, but he was drawn to it. Frowning, he scooted down until he was over the cut. Extending his hands, palm down, he looked into her pale face.
“Don’t die on me,” he said softly. “Follow my voice or whatever you have to do, just don’t die.”
He placed his hands on her stomach and concentrated, feeling the flow of elemental power race through him. Beneath his hands, he saw the faint glow starting. A kaleidoscope of colors raced under his fingers, soaking into the wound and saturating her body. His consciousness raced through his hands and into her. Xander was her tether, holding Sammy to this world. He could feel her body fading, growing weaker by the second. Concentrating, he sent a wave of elemental power through her body. Like being struck by a defibrillator, her body jerked before settling back down onto the court.
“Was that supposed to happen?” Sean whispered to Jessica.
Xander could sense her awareness nearby, fading but still there. He reached out to her, calling her back.
“Come back to me, Sammy,” he muttered.
Another pulse of healing power rolled through him. Her body jerked once more. Beneath his hands, the edges of the wound started to close. Muscles spontaneously grew within her wounded abdomen. Skin stretched over the gaping hole, sealing it closed. Slowly, the deathly pallor on her skin receded, replaced by her normal vibrant tone.
Overwhelmed, Xander slumped backward. His work was done, as best as he could do it. Staring at her, he saw her eyes move gently beneath her eyelids. She took in a sharp breath, her chest rising and falling in a soothing rhythm.
Xander scrambled back to his knees and leaned over her. “Sammy?” he whispered.
Her eyelids fluttered before opening, revealing the crystal blue pupils staring up at him. Catching sight of him, her lips curled into a smile.
Xander sighed with relief. “I thought I’d—”
His words were cut off as she slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. As they parted, she looked into his glowing eyes.
“I like your eyes,” she said softly.
The group walked out of the Staples Center and looked at the wanton destruction around them. A few nearby Fire Warriors cowered at the sight, unsure of what to do in Xander’s presence. He ignored them as they stepped out onto the street.
Sammy snuggled in next to him, her body wrapped in Sean’s winter coat. It looked like a tent on her, but it hadn’t taken any of them long to remember that the athletic blonde woman was completely naked following her transformation. Sean walked beside them, one hand still clutching the pistol but the other holding Jessica’s hand tightly. Lord Balor stumbled along behind them, no longer as threatening as he had once seemed.
“I can’t believe it’s really over,” Sean muttered, glancing around the ruined metropolis. “It’s hard to believe this is what the rest of the world looks like right now.”
Jessica squeezed his hand. “Right now, I don’t really care what the world looks like. All I care about is that this nightmare is over. We’re not going to have any more Fire Warriors trying to assassinate us in our sleep.” She glanced mischievously toward Sammy. “Or trying to kill us at our Spring Formal, right?”
Sammy laughed, a flirty sound Xander had greatly missed. “I’m out of the assassination game. I just want to spend some time being… well, human, for a change.”
Sean shook his head. Xander saw his friend’s worried expression and nudged him with his elbow.
“What’s going on with you?” Xander asked. “I figured you’d be pretty happy right about now. We won and you got the girl.”
Sean shrugged. “It’s this,” he said, gesturing toward the city. “The Fire Caste existed to destroy mankind, right? How did the quote go?”
“The Flame burns the world of man down to the Earth,” Balor, Sammy, Xander, and Jessica all quoted in unison.
Sean pointed at the burnt husks of once-massive skyscrapers. “Well, they did, didn’t they?”
The mirth Xander felt a moment ago seemed to fade. He took in the scorched city, trying not to think about all the people who had once lived here or, worse, all those that had never made it out of the city alive.
“The Fire Caste was supposed to burn down the world of mankind, and they did. Take a look around. Didn’t they actually succeed?”
“They did,” Xander admitted, to everyone’s surprise. “But on the other hand, they really didn’t.”
He stooped over and brushed aside a pile of ash and soot, exposing the churned dirt beneath. He gently touched the ground and a flash of green saturated the soil. From the ground, a single flower grew, a stark contrast to the destruction all around them. He plucked the flower and handed it to Sammy.
“They may have destroyed most of what mankind built, but so long as I’m alive…” he pulled Sammy tighter to him, “and we’re all together, we’ll rebuild it. We’ll make the world better.”
Together, the group rose slowly into the air before flying quickly out of the city.
A young girl sat in the dirt, wearing a fancy dress as she played with her dolls. Her hair was in tight curls, which bounced as she move
d. Two dingy dolls—a Barbie and a Ken—sat atop a small mound of dirt while she flew a plastic dragon around their heads.
“Roar,” she said in a high-pitched voice as the dragon swooped past the two helpless dolls.
“Oh no, what will we do?” she said, mimicking a voice for the female doll. She picked up the Barbie, accidentally grabbing a handful of dirt in the process. The girl paused her game and glanced at her filthy hands. Absently, she wiped her hands on the front of her dress before going back to her game.
“I’ll save you,” she said in a lower voice as she picked up the Ken doll. Her Ken wore homemade clothes that made him look like he was an extra in a Mad Max movie.
The Ken doll leapt from the dirt and smashed into the dragon, which groaned as it fell out of the sky and crashed unceremoniously onto the grass below. The Ken swooped back to the top of the mound and picked up Barbie, before they both settled onto the ground beside the dragon.
“The dragon has been defeated,” she said in her best male’s voice.
“My hero,” the Barbie replied.
Their celebration became a makeshift dance party as they danced around the fallen reptile. In the middle of her dancing, the sliding glass door behind her opened. The girl stopped and turned toward the house.
Sammy leaned against the doorframe and smiled down at her daughter. “Come on, Althea. Uncle Sean and Aunt Jessica will be here any second. We need to get you cleaned up.”
“Coming, Mom,” Althea replied. She stood and turned toward the house, but Sammy shook her head.
“Fix the yard before you come in,” the blonde woman said.
Althea huffed before turning back to the pile of dirt. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at the churned earth. “Sorry, but my mom says I need to go inside. We’ll play later, okay?”
The mound of dirt rumbled, sending loose clods of dirt cascading down the side of the hill. The pile shrunk as the dirt receded back into the ground. When the backyard was level once more, she started to turn back toward the house, but paused. She looked down at her dress. The knees of her tights were filthy, as was the front of her dress from where she wiped her hands, and the back where she had been sitting in the dirt.
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