“Trent, I presume the delivery went as planned…” Weber said from behind 
a desk.
     “Yes sir.”
     “Do they suspect anything?”
     “No sir.  Even if they did, I just got word that it happened.  The 
Black Mesa facility is destroyed.”
     “Where there any survivors?”
     “No sir.”

     Astendar looked down on the one named Gordon Freeman.
     “Are you sure he’s one of the chosen ones?” Jaspree said, appearing 
behind her.
     “Yes, I am certain.  But what troubles me is if the loss of one chosen 
one will affect the war…”
     “In war, a single soul can affect the battle…” Thystonius said, walking 
up to Astendar.
     “Then we will have to change the time-line once again…”

     She sat in the chamber, Scyther beside her.  The guards in front of her 
raised their machine guns.  She braced herself, holding the tears.
     *Dan…I love you…*

     He stopped walking.
     “What is it?” Cologne asked, balancing on her staff.
     “I…I thought I heard something…It’s nothing…”
     “Ok, let’s hurry and see how long it’ll take you to learn Bakusai 
Tenketsu…” Cologne said, heading for another room.

     Scyther looked over to the woman beside him.  His masters loved one.  
His master tried to hide it, but only a fool couldn’t see through it.
     The guards aimed their machine guns.  He wanted to try and save her, 
but Scyther knew nothing could be done to prevent this.  The guards 
fired…and everything seemed to go in slow motion.
     The bullets flew at him slowly, and he couldn’t move.  He noticed the 
woman wincing in pain, most likely from a bullet…
     …then he felt it.  A pain in his right arm.  His life flashed before 
his eyes.  His birth.  His childhood.  His master finding him in the forest 
and protecting his swarm from an attack by the Rocket Gang.  Him following 
his master as a reward for saving the swarm.  He saw the two of them 
becoming friends.  He then saw Jusenkyo, and himself falling in the spring.  
He then saw the airplane flight and New York…
     …and he saw the light.  A bright, white light in front of him.  He was 
dead.  He was on his way to the afterlife…

     “Are you all right?”
     *Is this what it’s like to die?*
     “Wake up…” a voice said.
     *What?  Who?*
     “She’s not coming to…” another voice said.
     She opened an eye, and saw two faces.  One was the local doctor of 
Nerima, and the other was the one named Ranma.  She looked over and saw 
Scyther.
     “Good, she’s awake.  Hello?  Miss.  Can you hear me?”

     Scyther opened his eyes, and looked over to see the woman starting to 
sit up.  He then noticed two other men.  One of the two he recognized from 
the tournament.  Ranma Saotome.
     *I’m not dead…*

     “Astendar, we must focus ourselves.  We cannot function.  We are 
dying…” Garlen said.
     “No, we cannot die.  We have lived for millions of years.  We’ve seen 
man crawling up from the primordial ooze.  We are Gods!” Astendar shouted.
     “Yes, and that is why.  We’ve overused our powers.  We weren’t born to 
time travel.  No one is…” Mynbruje interjected.
     “It is true, Astendar.  Our power is gone.  There are only two choices 
left…” Upandal agreed.
     “I’m not releasing HIM…” Astendar said, turning away.
     “Then we have only one choice left…” Raggok started
     “…to become mortal…” Astendar finished.