Adrian's not gonna be able to hold out against Gordon forever!
Gordon's the stronger one -- he'll win if I don't do something!
It's a large disc with a ring around it made out of two stone serpents biting each others' tails. One of the serpents has almost completely swallowed the other.
It's a strange...instrument, perhaps? With a bag, and lots of pipes running up to the ceiling.
It's not a window -- more like a mirror, or a portal, with swirling blue mist outside, and decorated with the image of a flaming eye.
It's a dragon's head.
I might just make things worse if I try to get involved in the fight that way.
I think I may be able to answer that question, Ms Ryan.
No! Stay away from me! Don't! No!
(groans)
You? How-- How the hell did you get here?
You didn't think your little games back at the station would fool anyone, did you? Well, aside from those moronic and useless guards...
It puzzles me why Mr McAllen could be such a visionary, and yet be so lacking in his apprehension of human nature to surround himself with brainless louts.
Maybe because he wasn't human.
He was not? That would explain...a lot. If he was not human, then what was he?
You mean you didn't know? He was your boss, and you had no idea who you were working for? How pathetic can you get.
Don't toy with me, child! Don't you dare toy with me! I-- I don't...
I do not know what came over me. I'm not prone to anger. In fact, I'm usually quite incapable of it.
Must be the...the environment that's...(deep breath) I don't feel quite right, like there's something in here that's...calling to me. What are you doing to me?
I don't know what you're talking about, Gordon.
(swallows) No matter. I can...ignore this...it's so hot in here. Don't you feel it? The heat?
I'm freezing. Maybe you should lie down for a minute or two.
(laughs) Maybe you should lie down, Ms Ryan. I actually have a good reason to be here, but you do not. After all, you are no longer a candidate in this race, are you?
I may not become the new Guardian, but neither will you. The Balance will never accept you.
Don't be so sure, April. I... That's your name, is it not? April?
Yeah.
I will be the Guardian. The Balance will have no choice. Not with you and the previous Guardian...gone. And I'm...I'm...
There's something...here, isn't there? Someone's calling my name. Someone's...
No. No! Not that, not here! You brought it here? You stupid bitch!
What happened to him?
(deep breath) I...I'm alive again. You gave me back my life!
I did? You don't sound like yourself. Are you okay?
I do sound like myself. And I'm better than I've ever been, April. I'm whole again!
So...it worked? The joining of two halves?
Magic and logic, order and chaos...I'm in balance, now. I am Balance. And it's glorious!
I'm sorry for what I did to you, April. And to you, sir. I'm sorry for...for everything.
It wasn't you. Not all of you, anyway.
It was me, but a misguided me. I wish I could undo all the harm I've done to both worlds, both as Gordon Halloway and as the Chaos Vortex.
But I can't undo my actions. All I can do is make sure they never happen again. And the only way to ensure that is by becoming the Guardian.
You? The Guardian?
It's my destiny, April Ryan, not yours. I was born to be the Guardian, and although the Vanguard almost managed to prevent that from ever happening, they didn't succeed.
And now I'm ready. Thanks to you.
But what about me? If I'm not going to be the Guardian...then who am I?
That's something I cannot answer for you, April. Only you can do that. But I don't think the Universe is done with you. You are important. Just not in the way you'd imagined.
Stop!
I never thought I would see this place again...
It's cold. Was it always this cold?
I...do not know. When I was here last, I did not feel much at all.
Well, I'm freezing.
I spent more than one thousand years in this tower, and yet I cannot remember ever feeling warm or cold. Being Guardian, there is just the Balance, and our duty to it.
You didn't feel anything?
There are no emotions. Emotions interfere with the Balance. I was the conduit between magic and logic, between chaos and order. And I had to be...clean.
That sounds horrible.
It never felt that way. I was...content, as far as it was possible for me to be content. Until the very end, when I became restless.
That's when you left the tower?
I had no choice. The Balance forced me out. I was polluting the flows that passed through me, through this room, and it was time for someone to succeed me.
So now it's...it's my turn. To be Guardian.
Are you afraid?
I've never been so afraid in my life. A thousand years. Everything will be gone when I'm...when I'm done. My friends, my family...dead. My world probably changed beyond recognition...
I know, April. I have experienced this myself. When I returned to Stark, I could not believe that all the things I knew, the memories of a life that I recalled as clearly as if it was only yesterday...they were all gone.
I was lost, alone, dying...until the Vanguard picked me up from the street and imprisoned me. It shames me to say it, but that was a relief. To be fed, to sleep comfortably, to be warm...
You have every right to be afraid. But consider this. Your sacrifice will be the salvation of mankind, of two worlds. What greater gift is there? What greater reward than to know you are like a god?
Believe me, I could do without the reward. If there was any other way, I'd embrace it in a second. But I won't shy away from this either. If it is my destiny, then so be it.
Good. To wish for the loss of dreams and emotions would be wrong, but to acknowledge it in the face of your fears, this proves you are ready.
Okay, so...what now? What do I do?
Just walk to the edge of the disc. The tower will know what to do. If you are the new Guardian, the tower will embrace you.
All right. Here goes. One thousand years...
Now what? Nothing's happening.
You are right. Then it is as I suspected.
What? What did you suspect?
That you are not the one chosen to take my place in the tower. You are not the Thirteenth Guardian.
But if I'm not, then--
He speaks the truth, April. He is to be the Guardian, now. It was always his destiny, even though it was taken from him by the Vanguard.
We will begin the changing of guards now, Gordon. And you, April...thank you. Thank you for your sacrifice, your courage, your kindness--
Okay, stop. You're making me feel very self-conscious. I only did what had to be done.
Which is more than most people would have done. Your journey here will be remembered, April Ryan. Remembered and retold for all time.
Right now, I'm only concerned about what's coming next. Where do I go, now? Where can I go?
That is your choice to make. But do not fret, this world will not hurt you again.
How do I get back to Stark...or Arcadia, for that matter?
Walk. Walk until you are outside, and then go back inside. It is easy, from here. You can go anywhere you wish.
I guess, then, that this is...goodbye.
Perhaps we will meet again?
Yeah. Why not? It's not an impossible thought. Anyway...you guys have an important job to get to, don't let me hold you back.
Thank you. Goodbye.
Yeah. Goodbye.
