"So this must be it." Mason declared to himself, as examined the castle below. "What a horrible place. It's so filthy; I bet it hasn't been cleaned in centuries!"
Nonetheless, he went inside and was a bit surprised that there were no guards at all. He found his way into the lab room and Dr. Doom was waiting for him there.
"My creation has told me about you. You defeated my best creation ever, so you must be strong."
"You created her? What kind of psychotic, twisted mind do you have?" Mason asked.
"Yes, I am insane. So what? I like destroying people's lives, and that is what I do. My greatest desire is to torment a person until death, and there is no better feeling than watching him suffer! So, what is your desire?"
"Desire? My desire is to get Margarita out of this creepy place."
"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."
"No one asked for your permission. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you."
"Yeah, what if I don't let you?"
"You better tell me where she is..." Mason walked right into him and grabbed him by his shirt. "Tell me now!"
"You dare use such force against me! You can't do this to a genius!" Dr. Doom said, with his wide, open, scary eyes.
"I'm not gonna ask again!" Then Doom pushed his hands away and went back several steps. He drew his short dagger and pointed it at Mason.
"Take this!" He sliced nothing but the air, then Mason grabbed his arm, and he dropped the weapon. Then Mason kicked him in the guts and slammed him into the wall. Dr. Doom folded his fists and threw a ton of needles at him, but he dodged them.
"You need better aim to hit me!"
"Yes, but you were a little careless."
Mason looked at his leg saw that one of the needles was in his thigh. He ripped it out and crushed it.
"Ha ha ha! You're now infected with the Blue Needle!"
"Blue Needle?"
"That's right, it's the same thing that the girl has. I have given her both the Black Needle and the Blue Needle! You can't save her now!"
"Monster!" In an angry rage Mason punched him as hard as he could, and he could feel his fist sinking into his cheek. Then he took off Dr. Doom's mask. He had expected to see the face of the devil or a monster of some sort, but Doom had the human face of a young boy.
"You're just...a..."
"What did you expect? A freak?"
"Then why were you hiding behind that mask of yours...if you're not hideous?"
"Why? Because I think beauty is the rarest and most valuable of all treasures one can find in the universe! It would be a shame if something were to scar my face, so I must preserve it. You are very lucky...indeed! Magarita is a beautiful woman. And she's been calling your name all the time. I don't know what she could possibly see in you-I'm the most fit for her-"
"Enough non-sense!" Mason grabbed his shirt again and lifted him off the ground. "Give me the antidote for the Black Needle now!"
"Fool! There is no cure! You cannot save the villagers. It is already too late for them." Dr. Doom said nervously.
"Give it to me!!" he repeated. "You don't want anything to happen to your precious face, now, do you?"
"It's…it's in these bottles." Dr. Doom said, pointing at the table. "All they have to do is drink it. And the effects of the needle will wear off."
"What about an antidote for the Blue Needle? And don't tell me you don't have it."
"Yes, it's in my pocket...but I have only enough dosage for one person."
"What?"
"That's right, only one. You'll have to choose who you want to save - yourself, or the girl." He laughed hysterically. Mason was speechless. "It's a shame, only one of you will live, and one of you will die. It's your decision, I hope you choose wisely!"
"Damn it! This is all your fault! Make another one." Mason closed in on him, and Dr. Doom's back was against the wall. He realized that it was time for his final move.
"You will never get me! I obey no one, not now and never will. I guess my time has come...I have been granted a gift, and I have cherished it. Now you will suffer Fate's punishment!" He injected a needle into himself and laughed hysterically.
"No!" Mason yelled, but it was too late. Within seconds, the laughing, maniacal 'doctor' was bleeding from the mouth and he collapsed.
He stared at the body in horror. "What a rash thing to do..." In his hand he held the syrum tightly. He opened his palm and examined the needle. "What do I do with this now?"
Mason was still holding the needle tightly as he waited in the mist. He had done everything he could to help the people of Altari. The people had already been given the antidote and were slowly recovering. Even Stone had completely recovered from the illusion poison.
But Mason and Margarita were still not well, for they have been poisoned by something maybe even worse than the Black Needle, because there was only one antidote. Now Mason held in his hands the fate of two lives, his own, and his loved one. But who will he choose? How will he choose?
"Hey Piper, how's she doing?"
"She's in critical condition. Mason, hurry up and make your decision, she can't hang on much longer." Piper insisted.
"Make my decision? How can I? I have here in my hands the key to two lives, but I can only save one. I...I just don't know what to do. I really don't know."
"I understand your difficult position, Mason. Time's running out, and at this very moment you will have to make the hardest choice in your life."
"What would you do if you were in my place, Piper?"
"Me? Well...if I were unlucky enough to be you, I'd split the syrum in half and give half to Margrit and half to me."
"But that way both will die."
"I know. I'm sorry, but I can't help you on this one. But I just want to say - that you did the right thing back there. You finally came to your senses and helped Altari. Mason, no matter what you decide, I will respect your decision."
"Even if it's a selfish one?"
"Yes, selfishness is bad. But…it's either one way or the other."
"Damn it. Is this the thanks I get for doing what I have done? Why has this cruel fate brought upon me?! Magarita...if only I came sooner...it's all my fault!"
Piper became speechless.
"Hmm. How can I just sit by and save my own life while she is suffering? Magarita has done way too much for the colony to die just now. She's the one I love the most. But if she wakes up and finds me not there…what will she do? I don't want her to be unhappy. Is this…the only way?"
"Oh no, we're losing her!" Kane shouted critically. The life-support machine was keeping her alive, but it couldn't do it for long. The screen displayed a message indicating her condition was critical with big flashing letters.
"Has Mason made his decision yet?"
"No."
"Why won't he hurry up? If he does chooses himself, then at least tell us, and I can say goodbye to my sister. If he chooses Margrit, then he'd better hurry, or we're gonna lose her for good."
"Piper, I have thought it through. Margarita will have the antidote."
"I respect your decision."
Mason handed him the syrum and without hesitating, they both ran for the colony.
"Here it is!" Piper announced. Jerrell snatched the syrum from his hand and inserted the needled into her arm. The life-support machine's sound was steadily decreasing and soon it displayed the message "Condition normal." Seconds passed by, and the effects can be seen already. Her pale body finally got back its color and she looked alive again. They were all surprised how quick the antidote had worked.
"She's looking better now. The danger is over." Kane said calmly.
"Mason, thank you for all that you gave." Jerrell said.
"Mason!" Leila hugged him, then Zelfire and Piper followed.
"Guys...there's no need to be sad. Remember what I told you? To live your life to the fullest. I can be honest with you that...I have no regrets doing this. I have never regretted anything I did in my life, because life is too uncertain to have regrets. Margarita will live. And I will die soon, but you don't have to be so sad."
"Mason, I just want to say you're like a brother to me. I will miss you very much." Zell said, and although he was holding back, Mason could tell he was crying inside. Piper and Leila bursted into tears. Even Kane sobbed a little.
"Goodbye guys. I'm just going to take a walk...too much has happened recently, and I need some time alone. Oh yeah, and by the way, don't tell Margarita about this. I've never asked for much, so please do me this big favor. We don't need to give her anymore bad news. She'll never get over it."
"Come back soon!" Leila shouted as he left the room.
"There goes the bravest and most noble man I've ever known. I owe you everything, Mason. Including my colony, and my sister." Jerrell was crying also. He's never respected a sayan as much as he has now.
"Mason, you're here!" Margrit exclaimed joyfully, and embraced him.
"You're ok?"
"Yes, I've never felt better."
"I'm glad to hear."
"I know at the end you came to Altari and saved me. Nobody told me, but I knew you gave me the antidote."
"Wow, I guess you know me very well."
"Of course, silly." she said, and broke the hug. "Let's go inside."
"Sure thing." Just as he said this, he felt great pain in his chest. He clinched it tightly with his hand, and his feet seemed to shut down.
"Mason, what's wrong?!"
He fainted and fell, but she caught him before he hit the floor. "Jerrell! Jerrell! I need help!"
Margrit watched sadly as Mason laid unconscious on the same bed that she was on just hours ago. "Mason..." she whispered.
Jerrell entered the room, and Margrit knew it was him without having to look. "Answer me, brother: Was he poisoned also?"
"Uhhh...yeah."
"I want you to tell me honestly, was it the Blue Needle? Was it the same needle that I had in me?"
"Yes." he answered plainly.
"How could this have happened? How come I'm cured and he's not?"
"Uhhh…"
"Tell me, brother!"
"I promised Mason not to tell you this…but…"
"Just tell me!"
"...Dr. Doom had only one syrum for this certain poison. And so, well, um, he had to choose between himself and you. I knew all along he was going to choose you to live."
"He had to choose who will live? And…he picked me?" she said with a blank expression. "Mason...gave his life...so that I could live? Mason? How could you this Mason? How could you do this to me?" Margrit sobbed.
"Margrit...he wouldn't want you to be sad."
"I feel whatever I want!" she screamed madly. "I feel sad when I feel like it! And I feel love when I feel like it!" She began to weep and Jerrell tried to comfort her.
"Sis, I -"
Margrit (sobbing): "Leave me alone."
A little while later, when she calmed down, she thought up of a great idea.
"The syrum is still in my blood, right?" she asked, breaking the silence.
"Yeah..."
"Why don't I transfer some of my blood into him? It'll work."
"How do you know?"
"Looks like you need a lesson from Margrit the scientist! The syrum is like a bacteria, right? So once it's been injected into my bloodstream it starts reproducing itself, and thus there would be more than enough of the syrum for one person. We have to try! It's our only chance."
"But you could die..."
"Mason is about to die…because of me. I don't care about that!"
"I care." he said.
"Mason was willing to give his life for me, and it's only right of me to do the same for him. It's a risky bet, but at least we have hope. I would give anything for him...and I'm not about to let him go without a fight. If he dies, then I might as well die with him."
"Alright then. Let's do it."
So a sayan doctor began the transferring process and he announced it will take a while. A tube was attached to Mason's arm and blood was flowing into him from Margrit's arm. The room was empty except for them. She prayed like she never prayed before that it will work.
Mason was finally showing some signs of life as his fingers moved a bit. Then he opened his eyes and groaned. "Uuuuuhhhh...huh? I'm still alive?"
"Mason! It worked!" She hugged him tightly and cried again, but this time it wasn't sadness, it was happiness.
Later, Jerrell explained to everybody about her brilliant plan, and they were just glad their friend was still alive.
"I thought I was a goner." Mason declared.
"Not when I'm around." Margrit said.
"You're pretty lucky to have her," Piper said. "She's not only tough, but smart as well. She came up with the whole blood transferring idea."
"Of course." she bragged. "It's rare for a woman to have beauty, brawn, and brains all in one! I'm not just your average sayan."
"Yes, you can search the galaxies but only find one that is special like you." Mason said, laughing.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye. For good." Margrit said.
"Yeah…I'll miss you." Mason said as he waved.
"Me too. You better send letters. Lots and lots of letters."
Mason smiled. "I will. I promise."
"It's too bad you can't stay…"
"Hey, you don't have to miss each other." Jerrell interrupted. "Margrit, why don't you go with him? Earth is really a nice place for one to live in."
"No...I have to stay here, with you. I have a colony to protect!"
"What colony? Look at it. It's almost completely destroyed. Rebuilding it would take years, and I don't think this place is right for you. There's nothing left for you here."
Margrit's eyes widened and her eyes glowed like that of a child's. "But what about you?"
"Don't worry about me. Your happiness is more important. If you do love him, then go with him. I'll be fine. Like a said before, one day I'm going to form a police group that protects the galaxies and make sure no innocents suffer, and to keep tyrants like Dark Spectre from ever starting a war. It's my dream."
"That's an awesome goal. And I do bid you luck." Mason said, and offered his hand.
Jerrell shook it. "Take good care of my sister."
"You know I will."
"Mason! We can finally be together for good!"
She hugged him real tight and they kissed passionately.
End.