Author: Alex Williams | Banner: Andrew Sudomerski
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: The Top of the Mountain
Chapter 2: “Do as Aki says”
Chapter 3: Home Again
Chapter 4: Earthly Tales
Chapter 5: Takeout with Taro
Chapter 6: “It Isn’t Solely Up to Me to End This”
Chapter 7: A Sister’s Love
Chapter 8: Reunited
Chapter 1: The Top of the Mountain
Mount Myoko
“You out of breath already!?” exclaimed Hideki, taking a look back at his Minami, his hands placed against his knees, breathing in and out.
“Not all of us hike in their spare time!” breathed Minami, nearly tipping over onto the rocky surface, but was saved by Ryo. The child helped prop him back up, with Hideki lifting an eyebrow up, smirking at his friend’s misfortune.
“Neither do the kids and they seem to be doing a good job catching up,” the Ultra host pointed out.
Minami huffed, feeling the energy slowly build back up, he glanced up at his friend. “They’re not old like us, they don’t deal with muscle aches.”
“Minami, we’re in our twenties,” Hideki pointed out, waltzing up the rocky path. He placed his hand on his shoulder as he extended his other hand outward. “Just a little bit further, Ibuki.”
Takeshi jerked his head back from Hideki’s insult. “That’s just insulting.”
Hideki burst out laughing, patting him on the back. “Well, then you better get going or else the kids beat you to the finish line.”
“What’s taking you guys so long!?” Jiro shouted out from the distance, waving his arms up as he stood proud at the end of the trail.
The Ultra host smirked. “Remind me, weren’t you the vice-captain during our time with MAT?”
“Oh shut up!” Miami playfully groaned out, picking his feet up as he started ascending the trail with Hideki and Ryo following closely behind. He already lost to one kid, he couldn’t afford to lose to the other, otherwise he’d never hear the end of it from Hideki or the rest of his friends.
Each step he felt himself getting stronger and stronger, he could push through this rigorous trail Hideki put him through. The end was almost there, he could see it! Just a few more seconds and he’d at least get silver in their newly made up race to the top.
With one last step, Minami saw the entirety of the landscape around him. The flat surface with grass surrounding them, flowers standing amongst them and a singular tree casting enough shade for everyone to catch a break from the sun. He breathed a sigh of relief and stumbled over to the sapling. Minami turned his back against its bark and slid down it, resting his body against it.
“I did it,” Minami exhaled, closing his eyes, allowing himself to finally rest. “I got second place.”
“Hey, bud…..” Hideki’s voice called out softly.
Minami’s eyes opened up to see Hideki and the two kids standing before him, smiling at him and still full of energy. “You were the last one up here,” the Ultra host pointed out.
“It took you five minutes,” Ryo pointed out.
Takeshi raised his palm up to his forehead and sobbed. “Oh no!”
“Oh yeah!” Hideki exclaimed, setting his pack down and reaching for a cold bottle of water. He passed it over to his good friend and without any hesitation he snatched it from him.
The former vice-captain took the bottle and downed its contents in the span of a few seconds. He let out a huge sigh, placing the crushed plastic bottle next to him. “Got any more?”
“Of course, pal,” Hideki spoke, complying with his friend’s request, before sitting next to him under the tree.
The kids soon followed up as they all dug into their supplies, consuming the snacks they brought along their trip. Peanuts, beef sticks and pieces of fruit were all seen as delicacies during their adventure, giving them the much needed energy they deserved.
After sitting under the tree for a while, Hideki got up from his resting spot and stood at the edge of the mountainside, gazing at the whole landscape below him. A whole forest was under them as the sun’s light was cast over it, allowing life to flourish. Hideki couldn’t get enough of it, especially with the bright blue sky above him.
It helped him, allowing him to feel at peace.
“I can see why you love this so much,” Jack spoke, materializing next to his host.
Hideki smiled at the arrival of his friend. “Decided to finally join us, huh?”
“It wouldn’t be fair to give Minami another bully,” joked Jack, covering his forehead, taking in the vista.
“Eh,” Hideki shrugged, taking a step forward. “It might have motivated him to get here a minute earlier.”
The Ultra chuckled, following in his host’s footsteps. “You know, this trip… it reminds me of one I took back during the early days of the academy.”
Go turned back to his good friend, smiling at him, curious to see a good memory from the hero. “Show me.”
Jack nodded.
The sky above the two changed into a plethora of colors, changing by the minute. Hideki recognized it all too well, the planet where Jack hailed from, the Land of Light. The former MAT member gazed upon three silver and red beings marching through the grass, the stars shining brightly onto them.
“It’s this way!” Jack’s past self hollered out, pointing towards the hill before them.
“I didn’t think you’d be up for more of a workout,” Seven pointed out, following closely behind.
Jack briefly turned back to his fellow compatriots and shrugged. “It’s all worth it for the view!”
“Better be some view,” Seven huffed out, keeping up with his fellow Ultra.
“You already sound like Ace,” Taro spoke out.
A lightbulb flashed in Jack’s head while he navigated the path upwards. “Where is Ace, by the way? He would have gotten a kick out of this.”
“Out with his partners,” Taro answered, briefly putting his hand against his chest, catching his breath.
Jack stopped for a moment, curious to know a bit more about his fellow soldier. “Oh?”
The horned Ultra raised his hands up, immediately dismissing the probe Jack sent his way. Taro respected his beloved brother’s privacy way too much along with not wanting to discuss the intimate details with his friend. He shivered after accidentally walking in on the three of them one time. “Don’t ask. I barely know what goes on in his life.”
“Fair enough,” Jack spoke, before turning his attention back to the trail. “I’m sure he’ll open up sooner or later.”
The three continued their trek as they then made it to their destination. Each of them took in the view overlooking the grassy valley and the village they came from. The night sky turned purple, illuminating the land beneath them, creating a light show for them.
“I’ve seen better in my travels,” Seven pointed out, pressing his back against a large rock while he put his hands behind his head.
“Uh-huh,” Jack playfully groaned, turning his attention back to the natural lights dancing in front of them.
“But, this isn’t so bad for what we got at home,” added the Ultra brother, keeping his eyes trained on the colorful display.
“It’s a little quiet,” Taro interjected, pressing his hand against his chin.
“We could have always crashed Ace’s date and dragged them along,” joked Jack.
“Oh no! No, no, no!” Taro hollered out, raising his hands out. “We’d never hear the end of it, even if Ruko and Yuri would have a blast up here.”
“Well, you’re not giving me a lot of options to raise this place up to your stands.” Jack shrugged his shoulders. “I can always just fly over to where they’re at.”
Taro shook his head rapidly. “Nope! No! I immediately adore the quiet.”
Jack laughed at his friend panicking over his brother, allowing him to rest and to take in the view he was excited to see once more. Until Seven spoke up, much to the detriment of the rookie.
“He’s just taking it out on you cause our aunt isn’t here.”
“Hey!” Jack hollered out, his eyes widening up as he started to pat his head, making sure he was looking at his best. “Remi’s not here, is she?”
“Still at the meeting, champ,” Seven nonchalantly answered, closing his eyes. “Don’t worry.”
“Or is she?!” Taro hollered out, causing Jack to spin around to find no one else at the sight but them.
“Hey! Uncalled for!” Jack retaliated as Taro immediately started laughing at the prank.
The Ultra couldn’t hold in the grudge for long, immediately joining in on the laughter. The three, in addition to the now orange colored sky, felt fully rejuvenated by the calming night sky and the laughter. It was a night they all could look back onto with fondness.
The memory soon faded away and both Hideki and Jack were met with the present, still observing the earth below them.
“I think it’s time to head back,” Hideki spoke.
“Agreed,” Jack vocalized, turning back to the path they ascended from. “Aki’s probably wondering what’s taking us so long.
Hideki shook his head and smiled. The Ultra really had no idea what he meant. He knew he would have to spell it out for him.
“No,” Hideki countered softly, turning to face his dear friend. “I think it’s time for us to head back.”
The Ultra host walked next to Jack, instinctively placing a hand on his shoulder only to realize it went through it. Hideki raised his hand back and tightened, once again reminding himself that they can’t touch each other. The former Ultra brother chuckled at his friend’s display while Hideki shook his head.
“A heart to heart conversation, Hideki?” inquired Jack, crossing his arms.
“Something along the lines of that,” Go answered, pausing for just a moment to compose his thoughts. “I think it’s time for us to head back to your home, the Land of Light.”
“Oh,” Jack murmured, turning his attention back to the hiking group. He was afraid the day would come, he couldn’t deny that to Hideki. After all, his host confessed the very same thing to him just a few months ago.
The Ultra sighed, knowing that this was different for him. That, it was now his time to close that very door Hideki had done before. Jack observed the rest of the group enjoying themselves, the one he helped inspire Hideki to create.
“You’re right, Hideki, we will go,” Jack paused, taking a moment to compose himself as he felt himself still entranced by the world he had come to love. “But let’s just enjoy the moment a little longer with everyone here.”
Hideki nodded. “Of course.”
Hideki traversed with Jiro down the hallway to their apartment. He felt a light thump against him, discovering Jiro was drifting off. The boy was stumbling as he repeatedly kept bumping into him. The Ultra host chuckled at him and placed his hands on his shoulders, guiding him to their home.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the key, inserting it into the lock. Hideki opened the door to find Aki sitting on the couch, her eyes focused on the television. It didn’t last as the Ultra host soon closed the door and her eyes turned to the two of them.
Aki smiled. “How was the hike?”
Hideki grinned back at his partner, setting Jiro down on the armchair, allowing him to go off in a deep sleep. “It was great!”
He moved on over to the kitchen and snatched a bottle of water from the fridge, chugging down its cold contents. “You should have joined us.”
“You know I had work today,” Aki countered, getting off the couch and heading towards the kitchen.
“Could have taken a sick day,” Hideki said, setting the empty bottle on the counter.
Aki eyed the empty bottle and raised her eyebrows at Hideki. “That doesn’t give you a brain freeze?”
“Oh, that,” Hideki laughed, briefly looking at the bottle. “Thanks to Jack, I don’t really suffer from brain freeze anymore.”
“Oh….” Aki murmured, placing her hands together and pointing them towards Hideki. “Did you happen to talk to him about what we discussed yesterday?”
“I uh….” Hideki nearly stammered out, his eyes scanning the entire apartment before meeting her gaze. “I talked to him a little about it…”
“Crap,” Jack’s voice muttered out.
Aki smiled, tiptoeing her way towards him. “What did he say?
“He, well….” Hideki tried to answer, but Aki immediately frowned.
She knew all too well how not only Hideki acted, but how his respective Ultra was. Aki folded her arms as Hideki couldn’t help but snicker at her demeanor. She stared right into Hideki’s eyes, but before too long the two realized, she was staring at the Ultra hidden away in his mind.
“Oh boy,” Hideki simply stated, trying to hold back his laughter, knowing full well she was targeting Jack.
Aki raised her right eyebrow up.
“Jack, come out here,” Aki commanded, taking a step further towards Hideki. “I’m not going to speak to you through Hideki.”
“Shit,” Jack vocalized.
“You ready to tag in, buddy?” Hideki inquired, smiling.
“You really set me up for this, didn’t you?” asked Jack, his voice slightly trembling from the conversation he was about to endure.
“You should have known this was coming!” Hideki hollered back, causing Aki to take a step back in shock. The Ultra host, realizing how he sounded, waved his hands at her, motioning to her that she’s not the one he was referring to. “You see and hear everything I do!”
“I give the two of you privacy!” Jack retaliated, defending himself from his host’s accusations.
“Jack…. you’ve battled countless kaiju, my girlfriend is nothing to be scared of,” Hideki pointed out, taking a quick look back at Aki, who frowned at him. He nervously pulled on his collar while looking in a different direction. “Most of the time.”
“There’s no way I’m getting out of this,” Jack concluded before a bright light enveloped Hideki, forcing Aki to shield her eyes for a few seconds.
It was then, when she opened her eyes, the mighty silver and red Ultra stood in his place. Instead of standing proud like every appearance he made, he stood there, staring at Aki. They both endured in silence for a few moments, realizing neither of them could speak as instantaneous as they wanted to.
Jack was the one who decided to break the silence.
“Funny how this is the first time we’re meeting, officially, that is.”
“You’re doing great!” Hideki chimed in, giving the Ultra two thumbs up.
Aki was stunned to see an Ultra in front of her, much less one standing in her very own kitchen. She felt herself ready to give the alien a pep talk, but was just stunned at how close the being of light was to her. However, she knew she still needed to get through to him.
She brought her hand up to her mouth and cleared her throat. “Jack, I know what happened to you was terrible, but you’ve been away far too long.”
Jack hung his head down at what she said. “I know….”
For the Ultra, the memories came rushing back to him as Hideki was forced to witness them all over again. Every bad deed he committed back home still tugged at his heart, but he saw a light in the center of it. That light soon materialized as Aki as he kept his focus on her, lifting his head up again.
“It’s just… seeing them again is what’s going to hurt,” Jack murmured, seeing Beth, Taro, and Remi materialize behind Aki. All of them glaring at him as his heart raced, pounding with anxiety over their inevitable reunion.
“Jack, there’s at least one thing everyone has taught me in life,” Aki spoke up, determination rising up in her voice. She walked to Ultra and snatched him up with a hug, completely shocking both Jack and Hideki.
Aki looked up at the Ultra. “People always surprise you; don’t count them out.”
“Jack,” Hideki said, gaining the Ultra’s attention. “The battles that are the most important to us are never easy, you can do this. I will always be there to support you.”
“You’re right,” Jack vocalized, removing himself from Aki, before getting an earful from Hideki. “You’re both right. I need to do this. Not just for me, but for all of them.”
Aki grinned at the Ultra’s newfound determination.
“And let Remi know I’ll be her host!”
Jack completely froze in place at her declaration while Hideki cackled, filling his entire head with his laughter.
“Hideki, you and I are having a conversation at some point about this!” Jack called out, raising his hand up.
Jack soared through the cosmos, leaving behind precious blue and green Earth he’d come to love. As beautiful as the seemingly endless display of stars were, he was thankful to at least have the company to prevent his journey from becoming dull.
“So…. any good food you’re hoping to try?” Hideki’s voice inquired, leaving Jack to squint his eyes in confusion before chuckling at his question.
“I can’t tell if you’re joking or not.”
“What?” Hideki questioned, feeling baffled at Jack’s confusion over a simple question. “I really have no idea if Ultras eat or not.”
“Huh,” Jack vocalized, keeping his eyes focused on the path to their destination. “It’s rather interesting, I suppose. You sure you want to hear it all?”
“We got the whole galaxy to travel through! I think I can manage storytime.”
“Of course,” Jack chuckled, taking a moment to compile his thoughts for how his race consumed energy. “We don’t necessarily eat, we technically do, but it’s only for pleasure. Like, the equivalent of your kind eating at restaurants.”
“So you’re telling me you can stuff your face with a cheeseburger? Hideki nearly blared out, eager to know if his Ultra was capable of performing that task.
“If I felt inclined to, yes, but I’d die of a heart attack,” answered Jack.
Hideki was taken aback at the reveal, perplexed at how a simple burger could slay an all powerful superhero like Jack. He just couldn’t believe a bite from food would kill him, but nonetheless, he had to investigate. To know if he could figure out a solution for him or if he was having fun at his expense.
“Really? Out of everything, a cheeseburger would kill you?”
Jack kept his mouth shut for a few seconds, looking at the vast emptiness of space. It was then, he knew he couldn’t keep the charade up. The Ultra started laughing at his host’s question as Hideki’s projection rolled his eyes.
“I survived Sartan!” Jack cackled out, remembering just how ugly that invisible kaiju was before resuming. “A cheeseburger is nothing!”
“When you put it like that, give me a full truckload of burgers. I’d have a better time getting a heart attack than seeing that creature again,” Hideki added, eliciting gagging noises at the thought of that horrifying kaiju.
Jack laughed at his host’s gesture, before returning to his actual question. “To give you an answer, we’re beings of light. The Plasma Spark provides us with the nourishment and power to make us what we are. Otherwise, we just acquire it from any sun we find.”
“That sounds nice to essentially be a solar panel,” Hideki interjected, feeling a bit envious at how his friend finds nourishment. “Not having to worry or waste time on finding a meal.”
“Funny,” Jack responded, cracking a small smile. “I was thinking the same whenever humans have a meal. Everything looks delicious, but there has never been a chance for me to try it.”
“Maybe when you meet up with one of your friends, you can invite them to a so-called restaurant that you know of.”
“That’s not a bad idea!” exclaimed Jack. “It’ll help smooth things over with whoever I find.”
“Speaking of your friends, got any idea how you want to approach it?” Hideki questioned.
“I was thinking of Seven first, since I know him and I are likely on decent terms,” Jack answered, lifting his fist up before opening it up to reveal the broken Ultra bracelet. “I figure I might get an earful about the bracelet, but things will go smoothly beyond that.”
“That sounds like a solid start,” Hideki spoke. “Any idea after that?”
“Hopefully wing it with Beth and Taro, in any order, I suppose,” Jack nearly rambled off, feeling his entire body starting to convulse out of nervousness. “Then…. after that is Remi.”
Hideki noticed his Ultra starting to feel unwell from the mere mention of their names. He saw the inner turmoil Jack was about to deal with once more and frowned. Hideki wasn’t going to let it plague his friend again.
“Jack, buddy!” Hideki vocalized, gaining his friend’s attention, looking straight at him. “They’re just memories. They’ll always be there to cause us misery, but we have each other, and we’re stronger than them.”
The Ultra stopped for a second, gaining a moment to compose himself. Jack felt the memories subsiding as the present slowly came back to him. They were in the past and that was what he was here for today. To put an end to several of them.
Hideki’s projection floated down in front of Jack, giving him a stern yet hopeful expression.
“You’re stronger than them.”
Jack nodded at the vote of confidence Hideki relayed to him as he resumed course towards their destination. He appreciated the help his best friend had just given to him, making their memories of bonding prior all the more special to him.
When their regrets start invading their thoughts, they have their cherished memories that brought them joy, each other, and their families to combat them.
It was then, a green light shone upon the traversing Ultra as he stopped. Both him and Hideki’s projection gazed at the massive planet, feeling enamoured by its beauty.
“The Land of Light?” quivered Hideki.
“The one and only,” Jack answered, feeling himself a tad intimidating by seeing his home planet once more. A place he used to call home, but was now just a planet he once knew of. He had no idea how different things were or if anyone would still recognize him.
No.
He needed to see this through, to bring peace to himself.
The Ultra zoomed in towards the Land of Light, entering its atmosphere, allowing himself to bask in the energy of the Plasma Spark. He immediately felt rejuvenated, a feeling he hadn’t felt in millions of years. If there was one thing he was immediately grateful for, it was the energy his home planet gave him. It was nothing like the average sun, as it brought him to full strength in a flash.
SHUWATCH!
Both Jack and Hideki were startled by the unknown voice as they turned around to see an Ultra with two large yellow eyes approaching them. However, his fears were alleviated when Jack recognized the pursuing Ultra.
“80?”
“Correct,” the pursuing Ultra answered, stopping just in front of Jack. “Ultraseven wishes to speak with you.”
“Seems like you’re in luck,” Hideki pointed out, smirking at the request given to him.
Jack acknowledged his human counterpart’s comment with a small nod before turning back to 80. “Bring me to him.”
“Nice place,” Jack spoke, walking in as he took in Ultraseven’s office, taking note of the grey walls with several paintings he recognized from Earth’s culture. The Ultra chuckled upon noticing the beige lanterns before the realization hit him. “Earth got to you too?”
Seven snickered, getting up from his desk and moved around to greet his old friend. “It’s an acquired taste.”
The two Ultras reached out to each other and shook hands. Jack was feeling ecstatic to once again see one of his best friends on good terms. Despite his reservations, he felt nothing but joy to be back in the world he once belonged in.
“Your arrival here is unexpected,” Ultraseven pointed out, before shrugging his shoulders. “But appreciated.”
“I was planning to stay here for a bit,” Jack answered, resting his back against one of the walls, carefully placing himself away from the nearest painting. He looked back at his friend, waiting to see who would continue the conversation. It was then Jack let out a deep breath. “I just wanted to thank you…. for the times you helped me.”
Seven slightly huffed, remembering when he offered the Ultra bracelet to his fellow brother twice. He knew just how terrible he felt when he saw him in both of those occurrences. The senior Ultra observed Jack’s body language, sensing he was doing better than before. He didn’t show it well, but he felt pride towards his good friend, realizing Earth had changed him for the better.
A good man emerged.
“It’s what friends are for,” Seven pointed out.
Though, he did notice something about him was off. Seven studied Jack’s hands and realized the once bestowed weapon was gone.
“I see the bracelet is gone,” Seven pointed out.
“Yeah…..” Jack murmured, rubbing the back of his head. He was apprehensive about showing Seven the remains of such a valuable weapon, but he knew hiding it away would do only more harm. The Ultra pulled out the remains of the bracelet as Seven’s eyes studied its contents. “It’s not exactly in the best shape.”
“It’ll take some time, but I can get it working again,” Seven relayed, still keeping his eyes on the ruined weapon.
Jack slightly jumped at the revelation, realizing there was hope for the weapon. Not just a weapon, but something that was a part of him. When the bracelet broke that day, he felt like a part of himself died, as he couldn’t forgive himself for another failure.
Now, he didn’t know what to think.
“And you’ll have your bracelet soon,” Seven reported.
“That’s uh…..” Jack paused, feeling himself slightly choked up about the return of his greatest asset. He appreciated the time and effort Seven will throw in for the device, but he wasn’t sure if this is what he wanted. “Great…”
Seven tilted his head slightly. He was puzzled by Jack’s lack of enthusiasm towards the reconstruction. “I don’t understand, I thought you would be happy.”
“I mean, it’s great you can get it working, but…..” Jack stopped, feeling himself almost hesitating at what he was about to relay. He knew the choice he was about to make was the right one for him, but wasn’t sure how Seven would feel. “I can’t accept the bracelet.”
“Not anymore.”
“Is it because you still blame yourself?” Seven inquired, taking his eyes off of the bracelet and moving them towards Jack. “Because there’s no need. Everyone has forgiven you.”
“It’s not that,” Jack spoke, lightly pushing himself off the wall, giving himself a moment to compose all of his thoughts. “The bracelet helped me a lot in life, but it’s not what defines me.”
Jack took a step forward and placed it in Seven’s hand. “It just helped guide me on where I needed to go.”
Seven silently accepted Jack’s relinquishing of the bracelet as the younger Ultra continued. “It belongs to someone else now.”
“You’ve grown up since you left,” Seven pointed out as he stashed the ruined bracelet in a storage unit on the other side of the room.
Jack shook his head slowly. “Not fully. I still have a lot to learn.”
“I disagree,” Seven spoke, glancing down at a photo of him as Dan Moroboshi with the rest of the Ultra Guard. He stared a few seconds longer at Anne, feeling his body go stiff while his heart beat. The Ultra was able to break out of the trance and return his attention back to Jack.
“Like Lipiah and I, Earth brings out the best in us. We experience just how fragile yet beautiful life really is through the eyes of humanity. They’re flawed, more so than us, but that’s what makes them so much more complex and interesting. With us being a part of their world, we learn to become more than what was possible,” Seven regaled, remembering his many adventures with his friends in the Ultra Guard.
Jack recalled every range of emotion and motivation everyone presented through the eyes of Hideki. He found himself realizing he was in a similar position as Seven described. Despite it all, he still stood firm in his belief that he had a lot to learn, to improve on. He did, however, acknowledge Seven’s claim to being different.
“I guess some change has been made,” Jack murmured, rubbing his left arm, before noticing Seven staring back at the photo he was previously attending to, particularly towards the woman in picture.
The Ultra titled his head slightly until it dawned on him.
“Who is she?”
“Anne Yuri,” Seven vocalized, looking up from the photo. He was tempted to brush it off, but realized Jack was already onto him and it would dishonor her to dismiss her. The last person he’d want to insult even further.
“She meant a lot to you, didn’t she?” inquired Jack softly, briefly thinking about the love Hideki and Aki shared for each other. He smiled a little, going through the memories he watched through his host’s eye. Some of the most beautiful moments he experienced until his mind lingered towards her.
Remi.
Jack thought about her and their time together. He clenched his fists, scared to death about seeing her again. In the back of his mind, he had a gut feeling it’ll end badly for him. The Ultra moved his hands aside, unclenching his fists. He returned his attention to the present, his friend going over their conversation.
“Her and I had a connection,” Seven paused, feeling himself choked up on regret, at how things ended between the two of them. “We tried to make it work, but we each had our own responsibilities.”
“I know the feeling, at least two times over,” Jack spoke, empathizing with his close friend. “My host almost lost the love of his life twice, but they made it work. It was a lot of work, but they made it.”
“At least they’re happy,” Seven breathed, placing his hand under his chin.
“It’s not too late, you know?” Jack spoke, gaining Seven’s attention. “You still have time.”
“I thought about going back constantly, but my duties require a great deal out of me. I can’t jeopardize that when the Earth is already protected by you,” Seven reasoned, finding himself slowly pacing around the office.
“It doesn’t hurt to have a duo to protect it,” Jack jokingly reasoned, eliciting a small laugh from Seven. “The Defense Force can get someone to fill in for you anyway. Take the time off and enjoy yourself.”
“It’s not just that, things didn’t end well with my previous marriage and the banishment of my son,” Seven murmured, feeling angry about Zero’s attempt to steal the Plasma Spark and how his family soon dissolved right after. He was distraught over it, losing two of the most important people in his life. “I just don’t think I can do that to Anne as well.”
“It’s still not too late,” Jack brought up, looking at Seven, realizing his friend didn’t fully believe everything he was saying. “She’ll be happy to see you.”
Seven chuckled, admiring Jack’s newfound optimism in everything, including his own personal life.
“Earth definitely changed you buddy.”
“You just have to try,” Jack relayed, speaking not only to Seven but to himself as it was the only way they can break through their regrets.
“I’ll consider it,” Seven vocalized, raising his hands slightly.
“And hey,” Jack spoke, his voice getting lighter as if he was ready to crack a joke. “If it doesn’t work or you need more time, you can crash at my place.”
Seven laughed at Jack’s proposal. “It’s good seeing you again, my friend.”
“Alright! We’re making progress!” Hideki’s projection materialized in front of Jack, as he walked through a busy street. “Just three more to go.”
“Yeah, you can say that,” Jack breathed out, following it up with a small chuckle. “Seven is pretty considerate depending on what it was.”
“He seems like a good guy.”
Jack let out a small smile, continuing to search around key places in his homeworld. As he told Hideki earlier, Taro or Beth would be next. It’s just a matter of who he finds. The lone Ultra continued walking, passing by several Ultras who barely paid much mind to him. Some of them were conversing with each other, going off in their world as several others sat together enjoying the day.
The lone Ultra studied them carefully, trying to reach an understanding with the people he once called his own. He saw a couple playing with a newborn, their laughter bounced off each other while they held onto together tightly. A couple of kids ran together, chasing after a ball of light, trying to outrun each other to grab the orb.
“Lighting Sphere,” Jack chuckled, briefly remembering the time he used to play it with Beth.
“Jack, pass it to me!” Beth hollered out, stretching her arms out for Jack to see. Jack’s younger self got in front of the present, with the ball in hand as three Ultra kids congregated towards him, intending to steal it.
Jack spotted his best friend still waving her arms and smirked. He threw it way over the opposing team’s heads, flying over towards the little girl.
“I got it! I got it!”Beth yelled out excitedly, reaching her hands as the ball landed in her palms. She brought the ball to chest, hugging it as she excitedly ran off, holding onto it as much as she could.
Reality came back to him as the memories of him and Beth as kids faded away. Jack continued to study the people all around him and came to a realization.
None of them treated him like a monster.
He was puzzled by this display of behavior. Jack was fully expecting scrutiny from the public like he endured thousands of years ago. It did not come to him.
That feeling. He wasn’t sure what it was.
Relief?
Emptiness?
Peace?
It didn’t last long as Jack turned his head towards a window and saw an all too familiar face behind it.
Taro.
The horned Ultra sat at a crystal table, waiting on something. Jack stared for a few moments, completely ensnared in silence and petrified to find his good friend this early. The Ultra scanned through his options on how to reunite with his friend, determining what to say and more importantly, how to make amends.
“Jack!?” Taro exclaimed through the glass, his eyes growing big at the sight of his friend.
“Too late. Better think of something fast,” Hideki commented, giving his best friend a smile and a thumbs up.
Jack rubbed the back of his head, looking away for a moment while Taro swung the door open. Despite the lack of not being able to grin, he could tell Taro was ecstatic. The nervous Ultra slowly turned his head back to see his old friend rushing up to see him.
“It’s good to see you again, buddy!” Taro snatched Jack up, wrapping him up with a big hug.
Jack chuckled at his friend’s enthusiasm. He never figured he would be forgiven that easily, or at the very least be tolerated. He slowly reached up to hug his friend, but the chance to zoom past him like a bullet train.
Taro pulled away, throwing his hand to the side and pointing at the restaurant they were standing in front of. “Join me! I’d love to have you be with me during lunch.”
Jack paused for a second, scratching the back of his head, still not fully sure if it’s a good idea. However, the voice of his best friend chimed in.
“Hey, take him up on the offer. I want to see how you guys eat.”
“Of course you do,” Jack mumbled, gaining Taro’s attention as he tilted his head.
“Wait, what?”
“Of course I’ll join you!” Jack exclaimed, taking a step forward. “It’d be great to catch up over a meal.”
“Splendid!” Taro hollered out, lowering his arm and clenching his fist excitedly while he opened the door for him.
Jack took a small step forward, feeling apprehensive about the whole. A part of him wanted to run, but knew he could back out now. Not with all the progress he had been making.
“Hey,” Hideki’s voice echoed in the Ultra’s mind. “You got this, and I got your back on this. You can do it.”
The two seated themselves at the table Taro previously sat on as the horned Ultra smiled at him. “How have you been?” Taro paused, tapping his fingers on the table. “I heard you did a lot of great things on what is it… Earth? It’s Earth, right?”
“Planet X…. actually,” Jack joked, fighting off the stuttering that was trying to dismantle every world coming out of his mouth.
“Uh-huh, you wouldn’t last five minutes there,” Taro replied, placing his elbows onto the table.
“You’re right,” Jack admitted, leaning forward, resting his body against the table. “Numbers bore me and I lose track after three consecutives.”
Taro chuckled at Jack’s joke as an attendant approached them, looking over at them. “What will you two gentlemen have?”
“Hmmm…..” Taro placed his hand onto his chin, thinking of what he was in the mood for. “The fish and rice bowl mixed with broken up Bemstar beaks.”
“Mhm,” the waiter simply murmured before turning their attention to Jack.
“A beef donburi and purin as a dessert,” the Ultra answered, looking up at them as they gave him a confused look. Jack only now realized, the waiter had no idea what he was talking about as he let out a sigh. “Just scan my head for it.”
The waiter pulled out a small device and brought it up to Jack’s head. The lights beat rapidly until the commotion subsided. The waiter simply nodded and left to fulfill the orders.
“Purin, huh,” Taro asked.
“They’re really good!” Hideki told me to come out just to try them once.
“Damn right I did!”
Jack snickered at Hideki’s interjection, but resumed his focus on Taro. “How have the past couple thousand of years treated you?”
“Pretty well. I’m a teacher at the colosseum now,” answered Taro. “It’s a lot of work training everyone there. I don’t know how Zoffy did it.”
“You happy there?”
“Absolutely,” Taro answered brightly.
“I’m happy for you then,” Jack said, congratulating his friend on achieving his dream job.
“And if I said no?” Taro raised an eyebrow, placing his hand under his chin.
“I would have been laughing hysterically,” Jack teased as Taro joined in on the joke.
The laughter dissipated after a minute as the two looked back at each other.
“You?” inquired Taro, placing his elbows on the table.
“Saving the Earth from weekly monster attacks, but it’s broken up spending it with my host and his family,” answered Jack, letting himself stretch back onto the headrest. “They helped me…. a lot.”
The once forsaken Ultra looked back up at his friend, feeling a sense of relief that the conversation, no reconciliation was going on. He briefly smiled before looking down at the crystalline table, realizing something still wasn’t right.
Doubt.
That voice in his head faintly spoke, telling him things will never be okay. Jack sighed, feeling himself be approached as if it were a sea of despair splashing at his feet.
“Jack,” Hideki spoke inside his voice, conflicting with that despair. “We’re still standing, you’re still standing. He’s not.”
“A visit might be an order for me,” Taro spoke up, snapping Jack away his thoughts as he then saw their waiter approaching them with their food. “But first, let us ‘feast’.”
“Of course.” Jack shook his head and inspected the meal he ordered. It was exactly as he described, something Hideki was able to recognize as well.
“And now the moment of truth,”Hideki eagerly spoke out.
The two dug in as Jack put his hand through the food, taking a chunk of it with his hand. He brought the food up to his mouth as it lit up in front of his face. The piece of his meal disappeared in his body, replenishing him.
“That was it?”Hideki exclaimed, shocked at how brief it was. “Why even bother disguising it as something else?”
“For aesthetic purposes,” Jack quietly answered, so Taro couldn’t hear him.
The two Ultras looked back up to continue their conversation, but noticed the restaurant had more patrons than expected. The noise bounced all over the room even to the point where they felt themselves barely able to think.
Taro placed his hands on the table. “You want to just do takeout? It’ll be easier to hear each other.”
“What!?” Jack exclaimed.
Taro sighed as he was about to reiterate what he said only to find his friend laughing. “That sounds good.”
The two grabbed their food and left the building, walking throughout the city. The two discussed several things about their lives from the past thousands of years. Jack was glad to see Taro doing well, out of everyone, he was the one who deserved it. Despite filling each other details about their life, there was one lingering question he needed answered. One that still terrified him.
Jack let out a deep breath, stopping for a moment. Taro soon stopped, realizing his friend was now a few feet behind him.
“How…. how has Remi been?” Jack stammered ever so slightly, rubbing his shoulder, feeling ashamed to be asking that question, much less asking her nephew about it.
Taro’s mind began to flash. He remembered how his departure devastated his aunt, locking herself away in work. She came out gradually to visit the family, but it wasn’t as often as he’d like. Jack’s decision, even if it was understandable, shattered a piece of their family. He wanted to give Jack the full extent of the truth, to tell him it was stupid to leave, but seeing the pain he endured and regret painted on him right now, it wouldn’t be wise to start a fight with him.
He still valued Jack as a treasured friend.
Instead, he gave him a kinder answer, one that might inspire him to make amends with her. “She’s doing okay. Aunt Remi’s more or less been busy with work, ensuring we’re up to date on everything we can know about the universe.”
“That’s…. um…. good,” Jack stammered, not knowing what to say about how his former partner was doing. “I’m glad she’s doing okay….”
Jack was speechless. Taro and Beth, he could at least handle, but Remi was another subject.
Taro huffed, shaking his head. He was annoyed by Jack’s struggle on whether to visit Remi or not. He walked up to his friend and bumped his shoulder against him.
“Are you at least planning to visit her?”
“I….. I don’t know.” Jack paused, glancing up at the horned Ultra. “I would really like to, but I’m not sure she would want to see me. Especially after everything I said to her.”
“Jeez!” Taro exclaimed, throwing his arms up in exhaustion. “She wouldn’t be devastated if she didn’t love you!”
Jack was taken aback from the outburst, taking a moment to reflect on everything. “I thought you said she was doing okay?”
“She is,” Taro answered. “But there have been days where she’s been withdrawn, drowning herself in work because of what happened.”
Jack sighed, knowing he was fully right. He knew he brought suffering upon her, starting on that fateful day. One of his biggest failures, but he didn’t realize that leaving made things worse. Like his human host, he was afraid of seeing her. There was still a high chance of him bringing further harm to her even if he never intended to.
However, he still had to do it.
“You’re right,” Jack spoke up. “I need to fix things with her, to provide her that peace she deserves.”
“Good, you’re my friend and I love you a lot, but you need to fix things with her,” Taro relayed, slapping Jack on the back, forcing him to stumble a bit.
“You know you’re also incredibly clueless,” the horned Ultra pointed out.
Jack chuckled at the observation thrown at him. “Yeah, I’m well aware of that.”
“You’re even more clueless than me,” Taro huffed.
“Oh really? How so?”
“It took Talia only two hours for me to figure out I was gonna be a father,” answered Taro, a smirk growing on his face.
Jack smiled brightly, his heart beating rapidly. The news he received was absolutely beautiful. One of his best friends had started a family. “You’re a father!?”
“I sure am!” Taro smiled smugly.
“That’s amazing!” Jack exclaimed, slamming his hand against Taro’s back. “How are they?”
“Talia is a ranger and Taiga, my son, is a top cadet in the Defense Force,” answered Taro.
“That sounds amazing,” Jack mouthed, extremely proud of his friend for raising an amazing family. He did envy him, hoping he could have started a family with Remi all those years ago, but fate did not allow it.
“Hey, don’t be upset,” Hideki’s voice spoke, calmly swirling around in his mind. “You still have time.”
Jack shook his head slightly.
Taro took a step forward. “Jack, despite what you’ve done, knowing you’re not proud of everything you’ve done, you’ve grown for the better. You may not have said it or even shown it, but I’m glad you no longer see yourself as a bad man. You did some amazing stuff back on Earth.”
“Thank you, Taro. For not only that, but the pep talk,” Jack spoke, feeling himself slowly being built back up.
Chapter 6: “It Isn’t Solely Up to Me to End This”
His eyes gazed at a white and pink medallion. Jack took note of its white circular body and the pink jewels spaced out. The jewels themselves had planets inscribed onto them, with the Land of Light, L77, U40, Altara, and surprisingly enough, Earth.
“We must be famous to your people,” Hideki spoke, materializing right next to his Ultra. He then leaned over to inspect the amulet.
Jack chuckled, rubbing the medal, placing his thumb over the largest jewel containing the Land of Light. “Must be from Lipiah or Seven’s tales.”
“And I’m sure from you as well,” Hideki pointed out, looking back at Jack. “You got a hell of a story to tell everyone.”
For a brief moment, Jack thought it was nonsense, but his mind drifted back to what his friends have told him thus far. The Ultra took a deep breath in and nodded his head. “One that’ll fill up a whole book.”
“We’ll write it when we get back!” declared Hideki, throwing his arm around Jack’s back, but phased through his entire body, eliciting a chuckle from the Ultra. “Shit. I still have to get used to that.”
“We have a hell of a story to tell,” Jack added, rubbing the broach once more before placing it in a white and red container. He then grabbed it and headed towards the clerk. The Ultra handed the money required to the cashier and soon walked out with his purchase.
“Huh,”Hideki simply mumbled.
“Hmm?” Jack murmured, stretching his head back in reaction, curious at what his host had to say.
“Out of all of the things in your culture, I never thought shopping would be similar to us, much less exist in your society,” explained Hideki, rubbing his chin, trying to wrap his head around the simplicity of it.
“It is nice to keep you on your toes,” Jack said, keeping his grip on the box.
“Asshole,” Hideki jokingly retaliated, earning a laugh from the Ultra.
Jack inspected the box, making sure everything was in order. He breathed a sigh of relief, feeling himself anxious over the integrity of not only the gift, but the container as well. In his eyes, everything had to be perfect even if he had a feeling it wouldn’t matter. Just the fact it was there, that he was there.
That’s what mattered.
He looked up to see a person he never thought he’d see again and that person was furious to see him.
Ace.
“Shit,” muttered Jack.
“Of all the people I had to see today!” Ace spoke up, venom spitting out with each word. “It had to be you.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Hideki groaned, remembering the Ultra who constantly harassed Jack in the memories he viewed.
Jack didn’t respond to Hideki’s comment, but instead kept his focus on the approaching Ultra. “Ace, it’s been a while.”
“If only it’d been longer,” countered Ace, stopping just in front of him. “You never cease to amaze me, though. That’s the one compliment I can give you.”
Jack knew he shouldn’t engage. Both Hideki and his mind were screaming that at him, but he saw the pure anger and hurt in his former comrade’s body. There was a risk, he would incur Ace’s wrath, but there was also a chance he could say something positive. Maybe even reach him, to help his anger subside.
“And how do I continue to amaze you?” inquired Jack, rubbing his left shoulder.
Ace snorted at how oblivious the exiled Ultra sounded. “Wow!”
“You’re just really living up to that praise, probably feeling giddy that you’re finally good at something,” continued the angry Ultra brother, feeling the rage brewing inside his entire body. A part of him was really hoping Jack would give him an excuse to hit him, something he had been wanting to do the last time they had seen each other.
Five-thousand years was a long time coming.
Jack, on the other hand, recognized the pain he had thrown at Ace in the past. He knew he wasn’t perfect or even a shining example he once thought of himself to be. The Ultra still had a lot to go through, but knew he was on the right path.
Jack lowered his arm. “I’m not here to cause any trouble or to be reinstated as an Ultra Brother, if that’s what you’re trying to ask.”
“Shocker!” Ace exclaimed, almost chuckling at Jack’s claim, remembering all the heinous acts he committed just to impress their superiors. “But at least no one else will get killed because of your screw ups.”
The words pierced through his body, making him relive those memories. Flashes of the constant beings he slaughtered alongside all the people he let die flooded his mind. Hideki noticed Jack beginning to stall, and spoke up.
“Hey! Jack! You’re better than this asshole! You’ve done more with your life than he has. You don’t need to prove anything!”
The flooding ceased almost immediately as Jack’s mind went to normal. Hideki’s words pulled him, but it wasn’t what he wanted to say to Ace. Despite their history, he didn’t hate him. He wished they were friends, but fate loved its drama. Jack just had a part to play in it.
“If you must know, I’m just here to make amends with a few people,” relayed Jack, telling the complete truth with his answer.
Ace shook his head in utter disbelief, completely appalled by Jack’s intentions. He couldn’t see how the Ultra once concerned with only glory could admit he was wrong. Ace tightened his hands, convincing himself it was all just a ploy to achieve a goal in mind. He had told himself there was nothing far greater to Jack than to be the hero.
“Amends?” Ace scoffed, before raising his voice, taking a step forward, almost lunging at him. “Nothing you’ll do will ever erase what you did! All the lives you took, the ones you ruined and the planet you destroyed!”
“Yes,” Jack spoke softly.
Ace was right.
Everything he had just said was completely true and Jack knew it. It was a thought that plagued him for thousands of years, however, his line of thinking had changed in that time. He had grown and learned to start forgiving himself for every misdeed he performed.
“It’ll never erase any of those things,” the exiled Ultra relayed, taking a moment to pause. “But I’m not going to let it conquer me anymore. I can do more for everyone instead of sulking and letting those memories play on repeat.”
Ace stood there motionlessly, trying to process the words Jack delivered. Despite his earlier claim, Jack had surprised him. He didn’t expect him to express his supposed growth or to even right his wrongs. He felt himself still angry just for the sole reason of Jack standing in front of him and attempted to retaliate, however, he was cut off.
“I don’t expect you to ever forgive me,” Jack spoke, inspecting Ace’s body language, recognizing the hatred that flowed through him, but sensed the love he shared. He didn’t know them personally, but he knew how much love he threw at both Ruko, Yuri, and the rest of his family. At the end of the day, Ace, like himself, was a person, drowning with flaws, but brimming with so many amazing qualities. “Hate me all you want, I can’t control that, but please don’t transfer that anger to the people you love. Don’t push them away.”
Jack stepped aside and walked past him. He knew he could have engaged him further, but knew it would only transform into a screaming match and soon a physical altercation. Leaving would be the best option for the both of them even if he wanted the best for his former comrade.
“Earth. I can’t believe they’re sending me to that wasteland even though I want to be nowhere near you,” Ace relayed to the departing Ultra, his words oozing with hatred yet exhausting. He was dreading the mission, wanting to be anywhere but the planet that got two recommendations compared to the countless other systems.
Jack stopped, turning his head slightly back to the still furious Ace. He contemplated leaving with silence, but he saw Ace was still struggling with not only the universe, but himself. The Ultra sighed, knowing full well this could fall on deaf ears, however, he wanted to leave some parting words of advice.
“Earth isn’t so bad. It’s not about saving the planet, they’re more than capable of saving themselves. It’s about saving ourselves.”
Jack turned his head back, leaving Ace by his lonesome. It was then for the first time in a very long time, Ace felt his mind brewing with possibilities on how his mission to Earth could go and exactly what Jack meant about saving himself.
Ace wasn’t left alone with anger, but with uncertainty, confusion even.
And it scared him.
There she was.
His best friend.
His sister.
Beth.
She was off in the distance speaking to what Jack only presumed to be friends of hers. He kept his distance for a short while, not wanting to interrupt the conversation or to put pressure on Beth in front of everyone.
Jack took note of the nearby wall and leaned on it, allowing him to rest for a few moments. He was lucky that Emerald Park seemed to still be a place Beth liked to frequent. The Ultra smiled softly, recalling some of the adventures they used to have on the playground, battling “monsters”. Nowadays, it was for the view of the variety of statues plastered around the grassy landscape.
The Ultra then saw Beth’s friends disperse as she got ready to turn. Jack perked up, pushing him away from the wall and moved towards her. He took a deep breath, seeing her almost turn to him, feeling anxious at how the reunion would commence.
Then, silence.
The two met eyes and stood there motionlessly.
Jack saw Beth tremble ever so slightly, completely unsure whether it was out of shock or anger brewing from the way he last treated her. Her mouth quivered while Jack rubbed his hands together, feeling his confidence in making amends dissipate at the sight of her disturbed by his presence. He pondered turning away, as it was becoming clear to him he wasn’t welcomed in her eyes.
“If not with her, then what chance do I have with Remi?” Jack questioned himself.
He took a deep breath, hanging his head low and started turning around. The Ultra accepted defeat, realizing what he had said all those years ago to her still haunted her.
“You and I were never capable of anything! What I told you was only to calm me down, to take solace in the fact I will never amount to anything! To take someone down with me!”
What he screamed out behind the barrier to Beth was disgusting and sickened him. She was rightfully still devastated by him and he huffed, knowing he still deserved the reapercussions.
“I’m….. sorry, Jack. I wish this went differently,” Hideki murmured, huffing ever so slightly at the display, their reunion not going as planned.
“I told you once before,” a demonic-like voice echoed throughout his mind, slowly materializing in the corner of the Ultra’s eye. “You will always be alone.”
Jack shivered at the sight of his demon fading back into his conscience as his entire field of vision transformed the park into a dark abyss. His fists tightened, terrified by all accounts, but was willing to stand his ground against it.
The figure grinned at him, flexing its sharp claws, readying to charge at him, but in a flash, its body vanished. Jack was perplexed by the ordeal while the void was snapped away, returning him back to the park.
“You came back,” a soft, feminine voice murmured.
Jack looked down to find the culprit, only to discover it was Beth standing right in front of him, wrapping her arms around his body. The former Ultra Brother realized it was her who brought him back, proving to him that he wasn’t alone even when he didn’t ask for help.
As Hideki once described it to him, he’d felt choked up about the display of love Beth showed him. “I came back,” Jack whispered, enveloping himself around her, feeling solace in the fact that Beth still cared about him.
“I’m so sorry for everything,” Jack huffed out, pulling himself to meet her gaze.
Beth smiled softly at him, smacking on the shoulder, eliciting a small wince at him. “Shut up. You’re back in my life; that’s all that matters.”
Jack chuckled at Beth’s lecture or her attempt at one. “You’re my hero.”
“I should be because I’m in the Ultra Force now,” Beth revealed, letting go of her grasp on Jack and pumped her fists in the air in excitement.
Jack was frozen momentarily by the announcement, but passionately punched the air right after, celebrating her achievement. “I’m so proud of you!”
“Thank you!” Beth yelped out, her voice cracking all too slightly from the hype she generated about her new job.
“I know you’ll be fantastic out there,” Jack commended. “No matter the destination.”
“Same to you once they reinstate you,” Beth replied, assured in her belief that his heroic deeds on Earth would make him more than qualified to serve once more.
Jack smiled, shaking his head.
Beth’s eyes widened in shock, paralyzed at the gesture. The Ultra Brothers was his big dream and now it didn’t mean anything to him.
“I…. thought you would want to go back,” Beth stammered out, still bewildered by the revelation, trying to rationalize his decision at how he would not want to go back. “It’s what you always wanted.”
“It’s what I thought I wanted,” answered Jack. “Being there for the people, as its guardian, its healer, is what I want.”
A goal, a job, a livelihood, he would cherish his entire life.
“But…… what about everyone here……” Beth quivered, feeling a sense of abandonment by her brother. She was glad Jack was able to forgive himself and to find a sense of purpose in his life, but she didn’t want to lose him again. This brief amount of time wasn’t enough.
“Make no mistake, I’m not going to disappear ever again,” Jack relayed, taking a step forward.
“But what if we need help, or just want to see you?” inquired Beth, rubbing her shoulder nervously, apprehensive about the answer Jack would dish out.
“If they need me, if you need me, I’ll be there,” Jack spoke, wrapping his arms around his sister once more, as he embraced her. He wasn’t going to lose her this time, not again. “Always.”
“We made this,” Beth spoke, regaling what she once said to her best friend all those years ago, wrapping her arms around Jack.
“And we will go beyond.”
He eyed the seemingly endless teal hallway, traversing down it. His eyes scanned each of the doors leading to the variety of offices. His hands trembled, but he remained determined to see this through. He owed her that much.
Jack spotted the door to her office. The Ultra stopped right in front of it, raising his hand up to knock, but the trembling of his fist lowered it towards his body. The fear was still present in his body even when he thought he expelled it and when he told Hideki to face his fears.
“It’s easier said than done,” Hideki said, placing his hand next to Jack’s faltering arm.
The Ultra chuckled, glancing back at his friend. “It is.”
“You made a promise to yourself about seeing this through,” added Hideki, moving his hand underneath Jack’s arm as a gesture to help raise it up. “If she’s anything like Aki, she’d just be glad to know you’re here, that you’re really here this time.”
“It’s just…. You never know how it’ll go and I’m afraid it won’t be the way I want it to be,” Jack stammered, taking a moment to compose himself, feeling himself gearing up for the hardest encounter in his life. “But her being angry with me would be justified.”
Hideki smirked.
“People surprise us in the best ways possible,” Hideki said, continuing to make the gesture of lifting Jack’s arm. “You just have to be there.”
“Right,” Jack concurred, turning his head away from Hideki and lifted his arm up to match the door. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“Go get her.”
The Ultra reared his fist back and gently knocked on the door. He waited a few moments, contemplating the encounter he was about to have with his beloved.
“Come in,” Remi’s spoke, her voice coming through the wall like sweet music. The most enchanting sound to ever grace the Ultra’s ears. Jack smiled, feeling pure ecstasy coursing through his entire body just by her words.
Jack pressed through to find her at her desk, face nearly buried in reports. His footsteps alerted her to the visitor’s presence as she looked up. Her heart froze at the sight of her former partner standing just across the room.
As if her body was turned against her, she got up from her station and walked around to meet him. Jack, in turn, did the same, moving towards her until they reached a certain point, keeping each other at arm’s length.
Their hearts beat almost in unison, as if they wanted to return to the way things were. However, uncertainty still filled the room, with Remi hesitating on making the first move. Unsure at how Jack has recovered from his life in the past several thousand years.
Jack looked into Remi’s eyes, noticing that hesitation, felt himself slightly trembling. It was him, who had to make the first move, to assure her everything was getting better.
“Remi…..” quivered Jack, slowly raising his hand up. “I’m sorry for all of it.”
Remi observed her former partner’s body language, taking note of how far he had changed. She saw the doubt still present in him, but hope was devouring it each step of the way. She smiled softly, noticing there was no self-hatred, no attempt to one up everyone or to be the center of attention.
He was just a man.
She lightly brushed his arm, eliciting a slight wince from him, but kept it steady. “I’m just glad you’re here.”
With those few words, the weight of an entire planet was lifted off of Jack’s shoulders, allowing himself to feel brighter than ever. He was ecstatic that she seemingly forgave him. Still, despite what was said, he didn’t want to rush anything.
Taking it slow with her was the right approach.
“How have you been?” Jack inquired, inching slightly towards her. Even if Taro had told him what was transpiring in her life, he wanted to hear it from her.
“Just doing my job to keep everything here afloat and watching out for the family,” Remi regaled, keeping it short, knowing the minute details about her daily life weren’t important.
“You sure you don’t want to tell me it all?” Jack teased, chuckling at the suggestion.
Remi scoffed, but deep down felt pride at seeing his humor emerge. “No one would want to read a fifty-thousand book on my daily life.”
“I would,” Jack cheerfully responded.
“That’s because you’re you,” Remi pointed out, frowning slightly at his suggestion. “And besides I have other commitments.”
“Doesn’t sound like you had a lot of time for yourself,” Jack said.
Remi rolled her eyes at him being oblivious to what she just relayed. “As I said, I’ve been busy.”
“It’s not fair to you,” Jack pointed out. “You deserve more than just slaving away in an office.”
Remi threw her arms up, feeling a sense of irritation wash over her. Their final encounter in the past caught up to her as a brief surge of anger enveloped her. “What you said back then wasn’t fair to you or to me!”
He was stunned by her outburst. Jack knew she was right, he wronged her, but he was stunned to hear that last part of her sentence. She called him out, but she was upset just by how much he viewed himself as nothing in the past.
He huffed
“I know, I’m sorry for what I said, and if I could take it back, I would. I just wish I could have seen it back then.”
Jack hung his head down in shame, letting out another huff. She saw disappointment flowing around him for how he last treated her and himself. Her anger subsided when she realized it wasn’t doing any good aside from purging it from her body.
She grabbed his arm, caressing it softly. Remi’s action caused Jack to lift his head to meet her gaze as she smiled softly at him. “Tell me about Earth.”
“Do you really want to know about it?” Jack murmured, her head tilting in confusion at how he could say that to her. Her concerns were alleviated when he smirked at her. “It’d be at least three novels worth.”
“You jerk,” Remi giggled, playfully smacking him on the arm.
There was silence for a moment.
“But I did save someone’s life when I showed him he was more than his past, than his regrets,” Jack revealed, tilting head slightly to see Hideki off in the distance nodding his head. “And he in turn saved me.”
Remi listened to every word, grasping just how important his self-discovery was by his bond with his host, his brother. She didn’t need him to tell her who he was, spending all those years with him made her able to piece everything together.
“Belial.”
“What about him?” Jack inquired, trembling ever so slightly at that name. A name he hadn’t given much thought to since his path to recovery.
“You’re not him and you never will,” murmured Remi, pressing her body against his and placing her hands on his back. She heard his heart beating rapidly and chuckled just how much she could still turn him into a goofball.
“Thank you,” Jack softly spoke, returning the gesture, allowing his hands to rest on her back. “It just took me a long time to see that.”
“I’m glad you’re finally seeing yourself as others see you,” Remi spoke, pulling herself away, but planting her hands on his hips. “Does that mean you’ll be staying?”
Jack shook his head. “I’ll visit, but Earth is my home, the place I’d want to live my life, but…”
Remi cocked her head in confusion. “But?”
“I…..” Jack stammered, trying to think of a way to perfectly articulate his response as he had always done. His mind went blank on what to say, so he did the unthinkable. He went for the very first thing to come out of his mouth. “You know what?! I missed this. You, me! But I also know it’ll take time…..”
The Ultra rambled, words oozing out by the second as it all seemingly became gibberish to her. She shook her head and followed his advice. Remi slammed her hands on Jack’s back and yanked him towards her, placing their lips together, silencing him.
The pure moment was bliss, there was not a single worry for the two. Pure silence carried out for the two of them as they were one, together at long last.
“My man!”
Jack contained his laughter at Hideki’s comment, before pulling away, completely flabbergasted.
“I…. uh… wow!” Jack exclaimed, still struggling to find the words to convey to his partner.
“When do you want me to stop by on Earth?” asked Remi, placing her hand on her hip.
“Here in a few days, just gotta let Aki know in advance,” Jack rambled, immediately going over the plan on how to integrate Remi into his life on Earth. “Oh Aki! She’s my host’s girlfriend, you’ll love her!”
The Ultra continued rambling as Remi planted her finger on his lips, still smiling at him. “Perfect, I look forward to meeting them.”
“Earth really is a special place, but it’ll be even better with you on it,” Jack relayed.
Remi purred. “I look forward to the vacation.”
“Oh!” Jack exclaimed, smacking his head. “I almost forgot something.”
“Hmm…” Remi murmured, curiosity piqued her interest when she saw Jack reaching behind his back. He pulled out a small blue box and held it in front of her. She jerked head back slightly, confused about what he was trying to do. “You’re not proposing to me are you?”
The younger Ultra chuckled. “It’s a little too early for that, but this was intended as a peace offering.”
Jack handed her the box as carefully took it from his grasp and inspected it once more. Remi smiled before opening it to reveal the white and pink broach. She placed it around her neck and smiled. “I love it.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, because it came from you,” Remi purred, taping Jack between the eyes as they stared at each other lovingly.
Jack paused for a moment before meeting her gaze once again. “I wanted to thank you.”
“For what?” inquired Remi.
“For loving me even when I couldn’t love myself,” Jack spoke, earning a nod of approval from his girlfriend as she placed her head on his chest. The Ultra wrapped his hands around her body, the two enveloping each other in silence once more.
Like Hideki before him, Jack was free.
