Outside reality
Contamination verified. The Time Devourer is ceasing to exist. Initiating disconnection protocols to avoid contamination by definition. Mission aborted.
The Time Devourer was now on its own. And dying.
Death watched, impassibly, even in her "goth woman" form.
The being screamed, dark energy coursing through its now-much-more-defined body. The energy seemed to pull the essence of the being into nothingness, consuming it from within. It grew more and more silent as the formless creature shrunk, gradually, leaving...
...a pink cat.
Lucas was about to hit it once more with her lance, to end this once and for all.
"Stop." - Said Death - "That's just a husk. The Devourer is dead. I should know."
"Oh." - Said Lucas, simply. It all seemed very pointless to her now. She took a moment to look around.
By a luminous river that surrounded an enormous ball of light were banks of a silvery sand.
"That is the sand that, tied to destiny, defines how long one lives, Lucas..." - Said Death - "It is responsible for the difference between life and that husk." - She pointed the pink cat.
"So... Given that my sword screws around with destiny... Maybe I could give Lilly a parting gift?" - Said Lucas.
Death smiled lightly.
"If you infuse the husk with the sand using your sword, I can create the being you want. Lilly defined it as a magical girl's pet, so it helps, besides granting to it sentience. It will... teach her magic. And it will do so like a magical girl's pet would."
"I thought only specific beings could do magic?" - Said Hawkins.
"Some kinds of magic, yes. But outside of that, magic is a science like any other." - Said Death - "Sakura will teach Lilly the kind of magic one studies and knows by knowing, for instance, the laws of physics and how to subvert them."
Lucas nodded and changed her lance to resemble a bladed shovel, then picked up some of the sand and infused it into the cat. It now breathed, sleeping.
Lucas sighed.
"Well. We won. We saved the world, innit? And no one will ever know. Greatest story never told, the guy that saved the universe and died trying..." - Said Lucas, a sad smile on her face. Her tears marring it, mixed with the dirt and blood of the fight.
"We still have a chess match to play for your life, you know." - Said Death.
"That was a joke. You know it was a joke. I was gonna do it for YouTube." - Said Lucas.
"I gave you my word that you would bet your life in a chess game. We will go back to the Lunar surface. You will heal yourself. And we will play. It will show on YouTube, as well, as per my word. If you lose, you will still die, even healed." - Said Death - "Come with me."
"So there is hope?" - Said Hawkins - "Death, can I ask Cecilia to..."
"Lucas must play the game herself. With no help and no interference." - Said Death.
"Slim hope is hope. Hawkins, do me a favor? Cover my torso in darkness so that Lilly won't see the, well, the gaping hole?" - Said Lucas.
Hawkins obliged.
Lucas walked along with Death and Hawkins.
"Hawkins! Lucas!" - Cecilia shouted at seeing them "“ "Are you okay?"
Lucas was now with her torso covered in shadows, and just sighed at Cecilia's inquiry. Hawkins carried a pink cat, wordlessly.
"S-sakura..." - Said Lilly, softly.
Hawkins carefully deposited the sleeping cat on Lilly's arms. Cecilia looked clearly alarmed.
"It is okay now. We... removed the evil presence from your guide, Lilly. When awake, Sakura will explain more to you..." - He said.
"What happened?" - Asked Cecilia.
"It's a long story, Cecilia..." - Said Hawkins.
The five, Lilly too tired to argue, got in the car and left that dimension. They were now back to that strange world with infinite iterations of the same place.
Death concentrated, and the rift closed.
CONTINUE
-she could relearn English and rebuild her life. She could regain her autonomy in a more healthy fashion.
Anneza's mood brightened a bit with that line of thought.
Hawkins, Cass, Lucas, Death and Neruite were on the Lunar surface now. Cecilia had gone to take Lilly home after verifying that time was again working properly, but did say she'd be back as soon as possible.
"Wish me luck, goddess..." - A healed Lucas said, softly. She should be crying. But...
Neruite walked to her protegé and embraced her gently.
"Death... Can we not select some other mortal to play for her life?"
No. - Death was now back to the skeleton-with-scythe-and-cowl form. It didn't help matters.
Lucas moved away from Cass's anime aura, where she had been embracing her very alarmed lover, walked up to the board, which had several cameras near it. Even though the point of putting it on YouTube had been lost, Death now demanded it, presumably to 'fulfill the deal', and Lucas had even said to the cameras that she was playing for her life. But it was all very pointless now.
"Let's begin."
It wasn't the quick loss Lucas anticipated. The game, in fact, had reached a type of standstill. Death's black rooks and bishops were checking her king time and again, forcing her king to move near the enemy lines of the board.
Death played impassibly. Lucas, for all her attempts at showing some dignity, looked exactly like someone who was staking her life in a chess game. Move after move.
A matter of time.
Lucas finally moved her queen in front of Death's king, killing one of the knights. This both removed the threat to her king and checked Death's king. It was also the only move Lucas could make at that point.
Pointless. - Thought Lucas, bitterly, looking at the other knight Death had yet to move, and that could easily both kill her queen and checkmate her king. Ironically, that was also Death's only means to prevent Lucas from checkmating him.
Death looked at his knight. His eyes showed a menacing red glow as his bony hand gently moved towards the knight...
Death looked up to Lucas. Its voice had an even more terrifying tone to it now.
Remind me again - he said - how the little horse-shaped ones move.
Lucas had no reaction for a second.
Well, - said Death - If no other piece can jump over others, I doubt the little horse-shaped ones can. Checkmate. You win, Lucas. You may live.
Terry Pratchett... - Thought Lucas, in a daze, smiling lightly - He gave me the YouTube joke too... The joke was on ME! And he SET UP THE MATCH to reach this moment!
Lucas laughed, unable to believe her luck, and in utter admiration of how she had been tricked into making the funny YouTube video she had wanted.
Hawkins smiled under the mask - quite clearly, for once.
"I am very glad you are okay, Lucas..."
Cass and Neruite were a bit more effusive, and grabbed Lucas from her chair, jumping while embracing her.
The cute Goth woman Death changed into right after turning off the cameras smiled.
"You get the same everyone gets, Lucas. You get a lifetime. Enjoy yours, One Who Can Destroy All Fates." - She said, more to herself than to the celebrating people in front of her.
As she turned to leave, she was a bit surprised at being embraced - with hands and wings - by Lucas.
"Ya ain't going nowhere! We're CELEBRATING! I'm calling up some folks!" - She said - "Sushi, fake nectar, Dr Pepper and fake ambrosia for everyone!"
Death blushed to herself. It was the first time EVER she was actually invited to anything.
"Just keep the cute Goth form for now, okay?" - Said Lucas.
"Deal." - She smiled.
