13. A New Hope

The future is always in move. No human can predict it, not the randomness of happenings that roll the universe forwards. And it is not meant for us to see the fortune. The darkness, the lightness, their eternal fight inside every one of us is there to decide, how to build the coming periods. On the other hand, maybe encountering one's weaknesses, finding out the own mortality, makes even the most callous conscious work, leading to penitence and absolution...

Hundreds of Star Cruisers and transportation ships glided in the velvet vacuum, their engines singing a humming melody. That was the parade of justice, coming to take over the hell called Planet Z. The tyrant was gone, as well as the despotism. What was there to hinder the Alliance to finally make its own little dream come true, to one day rule the dark Zurgean Empire. No one knew what to do with such vast distances of solar systems, but maybe the time would show a meaning. 

 Weeks after the destruction of Empire Z, Capital Planet's main hospital had been the main stage of the happenings. Emperor Zurg, or more strictly said Zoxedaszeĉ Zora Lightyear, had gone through a difficult surgery. He had been in coma for a while because of the handicap and the blood loss, but now he was gradually recovering from the accident.

 However, the prospects of Buzz Lightyear were not that bright. On another department, he had been given medical treatment because of the mental shock he had gone through. In addition, the medicines that his vessels were fed with, started to cause him withdrawal symptoms, because he did not get them regularly any longer. For the moment, he was furthermore deeply depressed. But during all this time, he had not spent much hours in his own room. He sat at the bed of his father, at first watching him laying in coma and then, silently chatting with him, about considerably lame topics, but in every case. Somehow he could not leave the presence of Zurg. There was a huge emotion binding those two. Without noticing, it had been built during the time Buzz had served the dark side. It was only strengthened when the identities had come clear. There had been the prohibition, but he knew he could not flee the bitter truth. Two gloomy figures in a dim room, talking almost with whispers... that was the usual view for the nurses and guests.

 The extraordinary story of Father Lightyear was gradually dug out from the mental dungeons. After the death of Adi-Gaia, her husband had little by little grown full of hatred and feelings of revenge. One day there was no belief of goodness any longer in him. In the diplomatic life he had then gotten friends with an old senator, who had seemingly been keen on to help him, to get out of that depression. However, that friend appeared later to be a spy of a small but raising empire out of the borders of the Alliance. And... one unlucky day, that senator had persuaded Zoxedaszeĉ to visit the reign which representative he was. Evil Emperor Zidár, the ancient ruler of Planet Z, had been for a long time highly interested in Lightyear's skills in politic environments. Especially intriguing it was now when he had heard about the depressive moods of the particular person. So, by offering Zoxedaszeĉ a possibility to get a revenge on the mafia that had killed his poor wife, he made a deal with Zidár. The Emperor would arrange the deaths of the mafia members... and for the prize, get an apprentice. As Lightyear's mind was already full of wrath, he was easy to turn to the dark side, to follow his teacher. For the same time, Zoxedaszeĉ still practised his profession as ambassador, but gradually got more and more hooked to the other part of his double life. Behind the backs, he worked as a spy of that foreign empire, alike Warp Darkmatter had once been Zurg's relevant worker. As the gates were open for to examine the classified files of Alliance, what was there to stop him not stealing them? Keeping his identity well in secret, he was a perfect infiltrator.

 When Father Lightyear had reached the age of 25, Zidár suddenly died. As he was now the anointed successor of the Emperor, he decided to make a complete change in his life. Being a single-parent of a five-year-old boy did not interest him much any longer. The relatives would take the care of that kid, he was not needed any more. What he wanted was evil glory, might, as he had learned to thirst for during the years. Therefore, one day a new Emperor was crowned... and an ambassador announced to dead. The rest was history.

 But... what it was said about perceiving one's weaknesses, may lead to drastic vicissitude. Zurg seemed not to be himself, any longer, after waking up from the coma. Moreover, he was introvert, silently regretting everything he had done to himself and to the rest of the world during all this time. When his surgeon and caretaker, a young maiden named Mariañ Haydée, pushed him along the hospital corridors in a wheel-chair, he did not exist as the scary Emperor at all he used to be. Only there was left a mid-aged, yet very majestic-looking man, who with bowed head and shadows under his eyes cursed the day he had started to obey Zidár.  And... beside him, walked another male with bent shoulders, his son. Everywhere Zurg went, Buzz was there, timidly.

 As the days turned to several weeks, it was the time for Buzz Lightyear to step out of the hospital chambers. Still, in a long time, he would not work as space ranger. Some directions told that his career would be over for eternity, but nothing was sure, this far.

The Galaxy was not the same as it used to be, either. After the dispatch of the greatest foe's ravage had reached the furthest corners of the Galactic Alliance, it had been a moment of silence and astonishment. Would space finally be peaceful to all its habitants? Was this too good to be true?

 The official news was, however, that Emperor Zurg was passed away. No one needed to know the truth of him being alive, since there would be a million avengers knocking his door if someone knew him subsisting in the neighbourhood. Neither it was necessary to inform intergalactically that the most evil creature in the universe was actually the father of a famous space ranger. Only in the infirmary, there were persons that were aware of his true name. So, it fell upon him like the shades had covered Warp Darkmatter. A new identity, a new life, a new hope... a confidential amnesty of the Galactic Alliance... only the future would write the saga onwards. There was actually no sense to arrest or put Zurg in prison, since how would it benefit anyone? Perhaps it was better to give the sinner a second change, just like his ex-henchman was once granted to do.

 One day, an undetermined time beyond the new era, Team Lightyear, Warp, Zarah, Zurg and some personnel of the hospital had gathered to share news. The colloquy was awkward for everyone, long and taciturn breaks shadowed the atmosphere. No one was sure about his or her emotions, what to say, how to manifest one's opinions. Being face to face like this with Emperor Zurg was nothing easy. Forgiving all this, the poor destinies of the thousands of innocent who had seen their ending from his claws, was merely impossible. No one could bring their cries back, how much Zurg would ever do confessions. The burden of sin would stay, until the earth would swallow his corpse.

 But was there any reason to nurse a grievance, either? No one would be healed that way. What was learned from all these occurrences was that the moods of grudge and unforgiveness were the ones to cause destruction. Only cherishing right values would help to fight the evil forces.

 In the assembly room, the emperor let a couple of times his harsh bass voice echo in the air, declaring words of remorse. He was something completely different without his usual get-up, now only dressed to full-black leisure cloths. Under there, his huge chest was bandaged, his body amazingly quickly recovering from the accident. Sitting there taller than anyone (excluding Booster), letting his dark eyes blaze their regard, he still managed to look dangerous and full of might. However, his hand seemed deliberately to fiddle the one of the woman sitting next to him, his surgeon Mariañ. Finding love after 30 years of loneliness, was one more prospect there to boost the mental ameliorating.

 Opposite to them, Warp finally spoke. "We have no words to describe this... only thing I can say is that it feels so odd to be able to walk along the streets of Capital Planet like a normal decent habitant..."

Zarah was in light tears, squeezing the blue hand of her mate. "...and to finally live together with my love without the need of constant hiding and secrets..."

"That's right, babe", Warp whispered back to her and took her under his arm.

Buzz, who was sitting in the right, seemed to have adopted fully the fashion he was made to fit in on Planet Z. No more thermal hoods, he let his black full-beard chime with his almost blue-shiny hair.

"I... I don't know what is going to happen to me..." he sadly sighed, "I can't get back to my work... at least not now. Maybe some day Buzz Lightyear reports for duty, but now... I just want to rest... and..." he gave a look at Zoxedaszeĉ, "...be... with my father..." then the eyes turned to Darkmatter, "...and also, share the long-gone and remade friendship with you, Warp."

Zurg slowly and darkly announced, "I am sorry, Son... and... about all the things I have done wrong in my life... I never should have left you... and I hope that we shall live in peace for this on...Mister Darkmatter, I can beg nothing but apologies from you, too. I have wasted my youth, my forces to the darkness... but shall it be too late to find a new beginning...? I hope that the laws of humanity are not arranged that way."

With hesitating moves, Mira sat up and tapped to him. For a moment, the old man stared at her extended hand in front of him. When he at last took it for to shake it, Nova nodded, "It's never too late."

"We will return to our works... remembering that the universe is not the same as it used to be in the decades of the monster reign..." Booster and XR concluded while watching the scene with watery eyes.

"What will become of your conquered empire?" Nova asked Zurg.

"I do not know... I do not care. I do not want power, might any longer... only to forget, to begin the new life you promised being possible for me..."

...

...

The Galaxy will keep on living, going, starting noveau epochs. The day and night will continue their twist and turn, but always there is the new hope, the hope that the goodness will one day rule it all.

...

...

...

THE END.

Evil never wins.