Well, as the author I feel I might want to step in to answer any questions and clear up a few misunderstandings here. Rob and the others got it almost right but missed a few details:
First off, Chris and Aaron are "dead". At least in the "real world". There is a flashback in Chapter 3 which pretty explicitly shows Chris dying and shows Aaron dying shortly thereafter. Of course, the manner of their death is NOT an important plot point at ALL. ;p
There are actually several premises running through Hyrbid Theory. Basically if you want to look at it for meaning its a deconstructionist fanfic. The first arc (chapters 1-10) deconstructs the typical self-insert scenario. Both by showing how it wouldn't work out the way most people think it would and how the crass manipulations used by the protagonists of certain self-inserts are rather... I won't use the word evil, but certainly not nice when you really think about them.
The second arc (chapter 11-20) is about deconstructing crossovers. It basically shows that the concept of the crossover doesn't really work unless, like Rob said, you place some pretty aritificial limitations on the actions of those involved. Plus, most anime series have incompatible universes.
The third arc isn't about either of those things. Basically by this point we've set up everything we needed to and "said" all the stuff we want to so this arc is basically about wrapping up the story and doing a satisfying conclusions. So many series fall apart at the end or just wander off into perpetuity and never get finished that ending Hyrbid Theory, conclusively and in a satisfying manner is a big important thing for us.
We did receive complaints about the size of the cast and the number of plot threads (especially in chapters 19-20) but there really wasn't much we could do about it. Thankfully the next ten chapters are going to remain more centrally focused with a small (if dynamic) cast of characters throughout.
As for Pluto. Well... she's a person stuck in a bad situation. She knows that Ukyou is going to destroy all creation. She knows that the only way to stop her is to kill her. She wants there to be another solution but doesn't see one.
That being said... she DID choose to save her friend's life instead of finishing off Ukyou when she had the chance...
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Epsilon
Willing to answer any other questions which aren't direct spoilers
First off, Chris and Aaron are "dead". At least in the "real world". There is a flashback in Chapter 3 which pretty explicitly shows Chris dying and shows Aaron dying shortly thereafter. Of course, the manner of their death is NOT an important plot point at ALL. ;p
There are actually several premises running through Hyrbid Theory. Basically if you want to look at it for meaning its a deconstructionist fanfic. The first arc (chapters 1-10) deconstructs the typical self-insert scenario. Both by showing how it wouldn't work out the way most people think it would and how the crass manipulations used by the protagonists of certain self-inserts are rather... I won't use the word evil, but certainly not nice when you really think about them.
The second arc (chapter 11-20) is about deconstructing crossovers. It basically shows that the concept of the crossover doesn't really work unless, like Rob said, you place some pretty aritificial limitations on the actions of those involved. Plus, most anime series have incompatible universes.
The third arc isn't about either of those things. Basically by this point we've set up everything we needed to and "said" all the stuff we want to so this arc is basically about wrapping up the story and doing a satisfying conclusions. So many series fall apart at the end or just wander off into perpetuity and never get finished that ending Hyrbid Theory, conclusively and in a satisfying manner is a big important thing for us.
We did receive complaints about the size of the cast and the number of plot threads (especially in chapters 19-20) but there really wasn't much we could do about it. Thankfully the next ten chapters are going to remain more centrally focused with a small (if dynamic) cast of characters throughout.
As for Pluto. Well... she's a person stuck in a bad situation. She knows that Ukyou is going to destroy all creation. She knows that the only way to stop her is to kill her. She wants there to be another solution but doesn't see one.
That being said... she DID choose to save her friend's life instead of finishing off Ukyou when she had the chance...
----------------
Epsilon
Willing to answer any other questions which aren't direct spoilers