Ranko: Hey guys, so this is the last chapter. Can you believe it? I can't. The ending totally snuck up on me. So there will be no fancy intro today, just a quick disclaimer and I hope that you enjoy this last installment. It has been an interesting time writing this story.

I do not own anything that involves the Mortal Instruments series or Howl's Moving Castle (movie or book); both belong to their respected owners/creators.

-/-

Magnus was always searching. All of his long life he had been searching. There came a point when he forgot what exactly he was looking for in the first place. Something that once made him happy to get up in the morning was now just a lost cause. He had lost hope and stopped searching, completely putting it from his mind.

It became obvious after years of vain searching that he was never going to find that person who called for him.


Alec stepped through the door that was no longer attached to the castle. How could it lead to anything? It was just a doorframe; but he took a step in despite that and his foot sunk disappeared into the darkness, as if he had just stepped into murky water.

About the only thing that helped him see where he was going was that beam of light coming from Magnus's ring. It shined out, small and thin, but enough to show him where he was going. It cut through the thick darkness.

He stepped fully in, past the threshold, and it felt like he was walking on air with Magnus again. There was nothing solid under his feet but there was a sort of pressure there that kept him standing and aloud him to walk. He couldn't even describe the feeling. He didn't even notice that the two cats had followed behind him, floating along side by side.

It felt like he would be walking forever, but he saw a small square of light floating up ahead. He picked up the pace and as he neared it, it became larger and it expanded around him. And then like magic, he just stepped out of the light, airy darkness and planted his feet on a sturdy wooden floor that was solid and real, as far as he knew anyway.

The cats were right behind him, padding around and sniffing; there must have been something wrong with Chairman Meow, he began to slouch and yowl softly, as if he were in pain. Church padded over to him and licked the kitten, then picked the cat up with his teeth and carefully put him on his back.

Alec was too busy looking around the room. It was so small and there was only one door leading to one other room—the bathroom. Did someone live here? But that couldn't be. It was so small. There was an army cot pushed up against the far corner of the room. There was a fireplace with a pot hanging above it. What took up most of the space was a large table that was cluttered with textbooks, papers, and what looked like jars of paint. Or was it makeup?

He didn't have much time to meditate on that. A noise form out sight startled him out of his thoughts, and startled the cats too. It was the sound an object made when it dropped from a high distance; a whistling and then a boom, though it wasn't a very loud boom. The boom that fireworks made and a kind of shing sound followed it.

Alec didn't take a second to determine if it were safe to go outside or not. He found the door that did not lead to the bathroom and flung it open, rushing outside into the humid night air.

He stopped on the stone porch; the first thing that caught him by surprise was that the night sky was filled with shining stars; it looked as if one might land on him. Then he realized that there was one that was about to land on him. He quickly shut the door, just in time. He felt the pressure of the star hit the door and then the boom-shing.

He slowly opened the door again—wary of more falling stars—and peaked out. They were no longer falling towards him. He opened the door wider this time and stepped out.

Now that he actually looked at this place, he couldn't help but think that it was familiar. He felt as if he had been here before. There was something about the atmosphere of this place; the flowers, the clear lake reflecting the night sky like a mirror. With a start he realized that he has been here before. With Magnus.

This was Magnus's secret garden that he showed him.

But why was he here?

As if Alec's thoughts summoned him, he saw a familiar figure that was walking along the other side of the lake. Even though he was farther away, Alec felt as if he could make out every detail of his handsome face. His tan skin, his green-gold cat eyes, his long black hair that fell to his shoulders. Magnus…but he looked smaller, younger.

Was he in Magnus's memories? How?

Magnus seemed completely unfazed by the dangerous stars that were falling all around him; in fact, it looked as if he welcomed them to fall towards him.

Alec jumped off the porch, not even bothering with the steps, and began to run as fast as he could around the lake to the other side. He tripped a few times, almost falling, but didn't slow down his speed. He didn't even notice that no matter how fast he ran, he seemed to be making no progress. Or how the Magnus's ring was tightening painfully around his finger.

Church and Chairman sat worriedly on the porch for a second, watching Alec, and then decided to follow; Chairman was still on Church's back.

Magnus held his hands out in front of him, like the way Alec and his sister would do when they tried to catch raindrops when they were younger. Only instead of raindrops, Magnus was trying to catch stars.

Stars were falling all around Alec, one only missing him by an inch, but it was as if there was a barrier around Alec that was protecting him. His feet sunk into the mud as he ran; the mud was like clay, sticky and glue-like, making it harder to run.

There was a star that was about to fall right towards Magnus, and the younger Magnus repositioned himself to catch it.

Alec stopped to watch in awe as one of the twinkling substances fell into younger Magnus's hands. Light exploded all around the younger boy and it looked as if he were holding fireworks in his hands, but it didn't look like he was hurt or being burnt.

Alec's feet sunk deeper into the thick mud; Church and Chairman had caught up with him but he paid no attention to the two cats.

It looked like Magnus and the star were talking about something serious. There was something about that image, the familiarity about it that caused a memory to tickle the back of his mind; he felt as if he had seen something like this before.

Magnus was beginning to become very animated as he became excited about something. Then he did something that made Alec's heart stop for one brief moment.

Magnus brought the shining star to his lips, and swallowed it. Then Magnus seized his chest in pain, letting out a grunt. He saw something that looked like it was coming out of Magnus's chest, and when he pulled his hand away, he was holding something. A small flame.

Alec gasped as suddenly everything in his mind clicked into place.

Jace.

Then the ring around his finger burst and a giant vortex opened up under his feet, a loud rushing wind whipping his clothes around.

No! He couldn't leave yet! He still had to talk to Magnus! He needed to tell him something!

He was slowly sinking down into the hole but he could still see Magnus and Jace; it looked like they were a lot closer now.

"Magnus! Jace!" he cried, in one last desperate attempt; this would be the only chance he got. He was the only one who could save them and if he let his moment slip through his fingers, than he would never be able to help them. "I know how to help you now!"

His heart became light when he saw younger Magnus make eye contact with him. There was still a chance.

"Find me in the future!"

And that was the last thing that Magnus heard before the mysterious person disappearing into thin air.

He turned to his new companion, Jace, who was looking at him quizzically. "Did you hear that?" Magnus asked, holding his heart in his hands.

Jace simply nodded. "The person sounded pretty desperate," the flame said.

Magnus stared back at the spot where the beautiful stranger with blue eyes was once standing. He hoped that he could find that person in the future. He would like to meet him and get a better look at his face. "Yeah, he did," Magnus said.


Magnus was always searching. All of his long life he had been searching. There came a point when he forgot what exactly he was looking for in the first place. Something that once made him happy to get up in the morning was now just a lost cause. He had lost hope and stopped searching, completely putting it from his mind.

It became obvious after years of vain searching that he was never going to find that person who called for him.

"I'm not lost. Now if you will let me pass…"

Magnus had been walking down the old streets of York Valley whenever he heard it. It made him stop in his tracks; that voice… Was he dreaming? Was this for real? He looked over his shoulder hesitantly, afraid of who he would see—if it was real or just another figment of his imagination—and saw a young, beautiful boy being hassled by two other gentlemen.

There was something about that boy that was familiar to him. The way he held himself, his messy black hair, and of course…that voice. He had heard that voice so many times in his dreams, so much he thought that he had imagined that event that happened when he was a child.

Could this be the man from his childhood? The one that told him to find him. Magnus had been trying to find this mysterious boy for years, but there was nothing that came of his search. What made this different than all the other times he thought he had found the boy?

Then he noticed that the boy had startling blue eyes; he sucked in a breath. He had only seen one other person with eyes like that in his lifetime…

"Leave me alone!"

That voice, with those eyes, this was the boy he had been searching for all these years. The boy from his dreams, the mysterious voice that spoke to him. He had finally found him.

He wouldn't let the boy disappear so easily this time.

He briskly walked up behind him and put a firm, supporting arm around his shoulder, hugging him to his chest just to make sure that he was indeed real.

"There you are, sweetheart, I've been looking everywhere for you."


Alec stepped out of the watery darkness, through the detached door he entered through. He barely registered that thick tears were rolling down his face. He didn't even notice that the door dissolved into nothing as soon as Church walked out with Chairman on his back.

All he cared about was Magnus, who was standing right in front of him.

He looked absolutely horrible. He looked tired and weak and like he was about to collapse. There was no life in his beautiful cat eyes. His wings hung limp and dripping with blood and his claws were chipped and cracked.

His vision became even more blurry as fresh tears sprung to his eyes; he rubbed them away but they were just replaced by more. He walked up to Magnus like one would walk up to a startled animal. The look in Magnus's eyes scared him; he looked dead, like he couldn't feel anything. He was just staring at nothing.

"Oh no, Magnus," he whimpered, clutching Magnus's shirt and burying his face in his chest. "This is all my fault. I should have been here sooner. I am so sorry," he said in between broken sobs.

He felt Magnus twitch, like he wanted to say or do something but didn't have the energy to do so.

Alec looked up at Magnus's face; he was still staring blankly ahead. He sobbed quietly. "Please…" he said desperately. "Please…come back to me…" He got up on his tip toes and pressed a small kiss to his unresponsive lips.

It may not have been a long, passionate kiss, but he still poured all of his emotions into that small kiss. All of the feelings he has toward Magnus, everything that they had been through, all the moments they shared, the growth they went through together. His need for Magnus to come back to him.

"Alec…"

Alec gasped, feeling his heart stop and then start back up again rapidly, blood tingling through his veins in excitement. He looked up hopefully and saw Magnus staring back down at him, his eyes full of life and happiness. "Did you just kiss me?" Magnus asked, raising a suggestive eyebrow and grinning playfully at him.

Alec let out a choked little laugh as he began to cry again, he threw his arms around Magnus's neck to kiss him again, but he was interrupted when they heard someone above call for them.

"Alec! Magnus!" Clary cried from the edge of the crevice. "We finally found you two! Thank goodness!"

"Clary!" Alec cried, looking up and spotting the girl's bright red hair. He felt tears of joy collect in his eyes. She found them!

"Jace! Camille! There down there!"

Jace…Jace was all right!

"Do you think you guys can make it up here?"

Alec shared a look with Magnus; he still looked so tired. He didn't want to make him waste any more of his energy. Magnus seemed to be reading his thoughts and simply shook his head.

"It's all right, love," he said sweetly.

Alec was still unsure but he wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. He picked up the two cats and then Magnus scooped Alec in his arms, as if the man weighed nothing.

Magnus flapped his large wings; it took a moment but Alec felt them being lifted up from the ground. He heard Magnus grunt as he worked up all of his energy to do this. Alec looped his arms around Magnus's neck and kissed his cheek.

Magnus managed to fly out of the crevice and Alec saw that the castle—or what remained of the castle—was waiting for them. It was only a small square of floor that was just wide enough to fit all of them on chicken legs.

Magnus landed heavily. He managed to set Alec down before he collapsed, his monster form dissolving away. Alec put down the two cats and went rushing over to Magnus, lifting his head and putting it on his lap.

Alec softly combed Magnus's hair with his fingers and tucked a few locks behind his ear. "Magnus, stay with me, please," he said in a soft, pleading voice.

"Alec," Clary said, coming up behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, its going to be all right," she said. She looked over her shoulder at Camille and beckoned her to move forward; Camille did so hesitantly.

Alec noticed that in her hands was a soft, blue flame that was barely flickering. With a start he realized it was Jace. Camille walked up to stand beside Alec and carefully held Jace to her small chest.

"Camille…" he said, his eyes flickering from her hands to her face.

Camille was pouting cutely at him. "If I give you this heart, then you have to promise to take very good care of it, alright?"

Alec nodded and rubbed the tears from his eyes. "Yes, I promise," he said, cupping his hands to receive the flame. "Now, can you please give it to me?"

Camille still looked unsure. "If I give this to you and Magnus does receive his heart, then does that mean you won't love me anymore?"

Alec gaped; that is what she was so worried about? "No, of course not," he said reassuringly. "I will love you no matter what." He felt as if he were talking to Max right now. But then he had to remind himself: Max was dead, he wasn't coming back. Camille was a living child who was different from Max but needed love all the same. "I will love you, Camille; nothing will change about that."

Camille nodded, tears collecting in her eyes as well. She dropped the flame in Alec's hands then Camille threw her arms around Alec neck in a tight hug. Alec wished that he could hug her both, but his hands were occupied with something very important.

He looked to Clary for help and the redhead gently pried Camille from Alec.

Alec looked down at the light flame in his hands. He saw the familiar face of Jace appear.

"Alec, I'm so tired…and so weak…"

"If I give Magnus back his heart, what will happen to you, Jace?" Alec asked worriedly.

Jace looked very unsure, as his small flames flickered indecisively. "I'm not really sure, I mean, after everything that Magnus and I have been through, we're still okay, so who knows? But no matter what the outcome is, I'll be okay if you do it."

Alec smiled. "Thank you, Jace." He closed his eyes and actually felt Jace's warmth for the first time since he had known the fire demon. He held it close to his own chest and he could almost feel the two heartbeats in sync with each other. "It is so warm, and fluttery; like a bird's wing."

"It is only the heart of a child," Jace explained.

Alec nodded in understanding; he kept Jace close to his chest for another moment to say a hopeful prayer, before he brought it down to Magnus's chest. He pressed Jace to Magnus's chest and it dissolved away as if it were nothing.

Alec sat hopefully, waiting for Magnus to open his eyes and…


"What?" Alec asked as Magnus suddenly stopped the story. They were sitting on the loveseat in Magnus's—currently redesigned—living room of his loft as Magnus told Alec a story that was presumably from his past. Alec had complained that he was bored and Magnus decided to amuse his boyfriend by simple means.

"You can't just stop the story right there!" Alec protested.

"I can do whatever I want, love," Magnus said, grinning like a full and hooking an arm around Alec and pulling him close to his chest.

Alec huffed. "I still don't believe you."

Magnus stared down confusedly at the top of Alec's head. "What?"

"There is no way all of that happened to you! Admit it, you just stole the plot from Howl's Moving Castle!"

Magnus put a hand to his chest in mock hurt. "I did no such thing! Stealing is beneath me! Perhaps Dianna Wynne Jones just stole my life story to write her novel, did you ever think of that?"

Alec gave him an unamused look. "Just finish the story."

"Fine, you impatient child," Magnus said, bringing Alec closer to him until he was practically sitting in his lap. "Well, let's see. The Warlock got his heart back and he and his lover got together in the end. After that the castle crumbled away but the Scarecrow saved the day! The Warlock's lover gave the Scarecrow a kiss for saving their lives and he was transformed into the missing prince!"

"What?" Alec interrupted to express his surprise. "Now I know you made that up!"

"You want to hear something really unbelievable? The handsome man that the Warlock's lover's sister fell for was actually the prince."

"No way! You're lying to me!"

"I would do no such thing, sweetheart!" Magnus said indignantly. "But don't worry, they had a happy ending too, made lots of babies. Now will you please let me continue the story?"

Alec sat back and waiting patiently.

Magnus nodded his approval. "Good, well, the Star came back, only he changed to his human form and he and the Warlock's Apprentice got together too."

"Does everyone end up in a relationship in this story?"

"Not the Child-Witch," Magnus said.

Alec sighed.

"So, they rebuilt their castle and they all lived happily ever after. The end!" Magnus finished, very proud of himself.

Alec got up and shook his head. "I hope you know that I didn't believe a word of that story."

"Your words cut me deep, Alec," Magnus said, looking defeated and downtrodden. "I would think you of all people would understand that all the stories you hear are true."

Alec smiled and shook his head. "Forget it," he said, and leaned down to give his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips before he went back into their bedroom to change to go to sleep.

Magnus smiled and shook his head. Actually, not a bit of that story was true. Well, actually, the finer details are true. There was one point in his long life where he was being pursued by an evil witch who wanted his heart, he did have an apprentice at one point, and he made a pact with a fire demon at one point.

And there was a man from his childhood that told him to "find him" and then suddenly vanished.

Magnus did search for years for the mysterious man from his childhood.

He never found him.

Or maybe he did end up finding him, just not as he expected him to be.

-/-

Ranko: Hey guys, I just want to thank you for sticking with me through this mess of a story and thank you for waiting patiently for this last chapter. I love you all, and as always, review!