Author's Note: This is it – the epilogue of "This Little Light of Mine". Thank you again for reading and reviewing – it's lovely to see people enjoying what I write. If you haven't already, feel free to check out my other fanfics!
If you're interested, the inspiration for Timmy's family unit came from Garabatoz on DeviantArt. Check out "Vicky's Family," "Timmy Kids" and "Sis X Sis" and you'll see what I mean. ;)
Epilogue: What Happened Next
It's amazing what a difference thirty years can make.
Turbo Thunder is now the leader of Wonder World. Under his presidency, the realm is being restored to its former glory, with piles of money having been poured into community regeneration schemes. He's also made a number of successful alliances with other planets, including Earth, sharing technology promising to advance education, healthcare and government efficiency. The Darkness's consumption of Wonder World is rarely brought up in polite conversation, but it was good for one thing: an outpouring of brilliant novels and inventive artwork inspired by the experience.
Mark and Mandie's engagement was the one topic that the Yugopotamians and Boudacians couldn't stop talking about. Mark's fellow-creatures couldn't understand what he saw in such a "hideous" woman, but they piped down once the potential political advantages of marrying a powerful warrior race were exposed. The wedding was thereafter highly attended. There haven't been any full-on wars with other planets yet, but the Boudacians are not above sending out the fighter pods to get what they want, much to Mark's chagrin. This power couple is pretty fearsome, and so are their two hundred children.
Chester and Tootie are husband and wife. Chester always thought girls gave him hives, but spending more time with Tootie as a teenager convinced him otherwise. By daring to look beyond her slightly dorky appearance, he saw all her good qualities – her optimism, her courage, her dedication, her self-sacrificial nature. He started making more of an effort to be nice to her, poofing up flowers and chocolates and the like. It took Tootie a while to realise what was going on; she was so used to pining after a single guy that she'd almost forgotten it was possible for other guys to fall in love with her. In reality, there were plenty of fish in the sea. And one fish in particular was such a sweetie pie! They now have three daughters in total: sixteen-year-old Garnet (the Blonde Beauty), thirteen-year-old Beryl (the Bespectacled Brains) and eight-year-old Sapphire (the Bratty Brawn).
A.J. and Trixie are husband and wife. It didn't work out between her and Timmy; once the initial attraction had faded, they realised how little they had in common. Yes, they both had a fondness for Crimson Chin comics, but Timmy grew out of them as a teenager, whereas Trixie refused to let go. Yes, they both avidly viewed The Kissy Kissy Goo Goo Romance Hour, but disagreed over the extent of Rodrick's Flanderisation. The real nail in the coffin was Trixie's wandering gaze. She seemed to get the hang of magic faster than Timmy, so at school she was moved up to A.J.'s set, and they joined forces for many a Show-and-Tell project. Realising she might like A.J. more than Timmy, she umm-ed and ah-ed before breaking it off with her pink-hatted boyfriend. Words were exchanged (or rather shouted), and when the heat died down, she and A.J. were free to be together. They've stayed strong ever since. Their ten-year-old triplet sons are Matthew, Butch and Seth, each more mischievous than the last, each with a wackier hairstyle than the last.
Timmy and Vicky are husband and wife. No, they didn't expect it either. But after Timmy was unceremoniously dumped by Trixie, Vicky was actually the first one to comfort him, offering him a hug and a reassurance that he could do so much better. Emotions were kindled that evening, and gradually they became too powerful to be ignored. They tried dating other fairies, but it never worked out – perhaps because, deep down, they knew who their soulmate really was. One day, Timmy and Vicky sat down together and uncovered all the reasons why a relationship between them seemed less ridiculous than they first thought: They'd known each other for years; they spent more time with each other than anyone else; they balanced each other out by being so different from each other; they cared about each other more than they'd been previously willing to admit. Afterwards, they shared their first passionate kiss. When they revealed the relationship, their friends and relatives were pretty shocked, no-one more so than Tootie, but they fought with all their might until the others accepted their love. Their family now consists of fourteen-year-old Valentina and the ten-year-old twins called Tammy and Tommy.
It's amazing what a difference thirty years can make.
…
Crocker stands before a class of fairies, anti-fairies, leprechauns, elves and sprites. "To remember the three types of magic, from least to most difficult, we have this abbreviation: TMM." He chalks it on the blackboard. "Now, who can tell me what TMM stands for?"
A girl with long brown hair and diva glasses sticks her hand up. "Transportation, Mutation, Manifestation!" she parrots.
"Correct, Tammy. And what's-?"
"Transportation is the movement of an object from one place to another by magical means! Mutation is the transformation of one object into another! Manifestation is the conjuring of an object out of thin air!"
Tammy's brother Tommy, a black-haired boy with a pink Whoopie Hat, elbows her in the chest. "Why don't you give someone else a chance?" he barks at her.
"Turner, stop hitting Turner," Crocker scolds the boy. "Besides, if you're so smart, why don't you come up here and demonstrate the principles of TMM for yourself?"
"Fine." Tommy strides to the front of the classroom and picks up the apple on Crocker's desk. "This is transporting the apple," he begins. By pointing his wand at the fruit, it moves of its own accord – and flies into Tammy's head. She cries out in pain. A lump sprouts on her forehead.
"Turner…" Crocker warns.
"This is mutating the apple," Tommy continues. The fruit sprouts eight legs and scuttles across Tammy's desk.
"SPIDER!" she shrieks. She leaps up and dashes to the other end of the room. "Get it away from me, get it away from me!"
"Relax, sis, it's gone."
"Good." Tammy gingerly returns to her seat.
"And now I'm gonna make it manifest again!" Tommy adds with a malicious chuckle.
The tension returns. "Where is it? Has anyone seen it?" She flicks her head from side to side.
She spies it creeping over her shoulder.
Her scream shatters the glass in the windows.
The spider vanishes again. Tammy stands staring at her bare shoulder with a pale visage, while Tommy rolls on the floor laughing. "You should have seen your face!"
"TURNER!" The boy is silenced by Crocker's explosion. "Report to the Principal's office immediately!"
Tommy scowls and heads for the door. Tammy starts to follow him. "Not you," Crocker stops her.
"Who, me?" Tommy asks hopefully.
"No, the other Turner." Crocker sighs. "Why are there so many Turners in one class?"
"There are two," Tammy points out as Tommy leaves.
"That's still two too many."
…
"He did WHAT?" The buck-toothed teenage redhead throws her head back and cackles. "And that got him sent to the Principal's office? You're such a wuss!"
Tammy folds her arms. "I was expecting a little more sympathy."
From the comfy armchair, Valentina regards her little sister, still sniggering a little. "Have you even met me?"
"I guess not," Tammy grumbles. She hovers by the window. "Wait till Mom and Dad get home. They'll be concerned for me."
"Not Mom," Tommy corrects her. "She'll call you a wuss, too."
"Fine, Dad will be concerned." She cleans her glasses on her white t-shirt. When she puts them back on, there's a flash of pink and green past the window. "They're back!"
Valentina looks up from her magazine. "Already?"
Timmy has only just stepped inside when Tammy flies into her father's arms. The startled man peels her off. "Where's the fire?"
Tammy starts to whine, "Tommy hit-"
"Okay, before that, we have bigger news," Vicky cuts her off.
"How big?"
"We had a meeting at Fort Jorgen earlier," Timmy explains, "and he said we were making good progress with our course. If things keep going our way…" He trails off. "You tell them, Vic."
"We might be getting our very first godchild by the end of this week!" Vicky finishes.
"Wow! That's great!" beams Tammy.
"You guys are gonna be fairy godparents at last!" Tommy joins in.
"Woo-hoo!" The twins do synchronised mid-air backflips.
"Congratulations!" Valentina joins in. The rest of the family is dumbstruck. "What?"
Vicky squints at her. "Are you being sarcastic?"
"No! I'm genuinely happy for you guys."
"You know what this calls for?" Tammy holds her arms out. "A group hug!"
"Sorry, kid," her sister declines. "I'll happily lay off the sarcasm sometimes, but I draw the line at group hugs."
"Aw, come on!" The girl's eyes are big and shiny with unshed tears. They're the eyes Valentina can never resist.
"Let her have this," Timmy asks the teenager.
"Oh, all right." Valentina joins her parents and siblings.
As far as Tammy is concerned, hugs can never be too long. They're soft, they're warm, they're always with people you love … what's not to like about hugs?
When they break apart, Timmy asks his younger daughter, "What happened to your head?"
"Oh, nothing. I flew into a door. Clumsy old me."
There's a quiet, "Thanks," that only Tammy can hear.
…
"Timmy Turner."
The man in question opens his eyes and pricks up his ears. The sound is not repeated. It's probably nothing.
"Timmy Turner."
There it is again. "Vicky?" he answers. But the woman beside him is snoring away.
"Timmy Turner."
He sits up, searching the now-gloomy bedroom. Someone wants him. Who?
"Come here."
He slides out of bed, fumbling on the nightstand for his wand.
"Looking for something?"
His hand freezes. The yellow star on the end of his staff glints in a darkened corner.
How did it get over there?
That's not all. Two blood-red eyes peep out from the shadows. "Hello, darling."
Timmy tiptoes towards the source of the whispers. His throat is tight. It's not her. It can't be. She's dead.
"Dee?"
He catches the ghost of a smile. "I'm back."
Timmy glances back at his wife. "Why are you here?"
"How can I leave you be?" she spits. "How can you expect me to go away, wandering alone through the universe friendless once more, pretending I never met you?"
Timmy doesn't answer. It's taking too much effort just remembering to breathe.
Dee goes on. "You're unforgettable. You're the one who pulled me from my miserable existence and brought me into the glow of real happiness. You're the one who gave me the hope of finally forging a meaningful friendship. You're my precious little light." The red eyes disappear for a second, possibly holding back tears, and then they return. "I want you, Timmy. And you want me, too."
"No, I don't." He clenches his fists.
"That's not what you said to me all those years ago." She mimics his scratchy young voice. "'I want you to be with me. I need you to look after me. I love you. Don't you love me?'"
The man cringes. "I never said anything like that."
"You did. I remember. I remember everything."
The Darkness leaps out at him. He yelps.
She clings to his hands. Her crepuscular form creeps across his skin and spreads up his arms.
She wants to transform him.
"Let go of me!" Timmy cries. "I have a wife and three kids now!" He tries to yank himself free; he fails.
"Can your wife and three kids give you this?"
There's a glimmer of a promise. He's sinking into her. They're becoming one. It's a beautiful feeling. It's bliss…
It's so tempting…
He shakes his head. He snaps out of it. "Don't I get a choice in this?"
"You have two choices: Go quietly now, or force me to destroy everything keeping you tied here."
She makes it sound as easy as putting on a shirt. How can the Darkness be so kind one minute and yet so cruel the next?
The layer of unlit film has reached his elbows. Timmy is frozen to the spot. Terror races through his mind. What the heck do I do now?
"You're evil," he splutters.
"Not for long," she counters. "When I flew away with you, I was the best I had ever been, because my sole purpose was to surround you with joy." She squeezes his hands so much they hurt. "Make me good again. Please. This is what friends do for each other, after all."
She emerges from her hiding-place.
"They make each other better."
He sees her hideous flaking skin, innards spewing out over her clothes. He sees her deranged expression, her wide eyes and furrowed brows. And reflected in those dense pupils, he sees himself, ten years old again, darkening, darkening, fading into nothingness with a smile on his face.
"NO!"
He frees himself.
He falls back on the bed.
Vicky's lamp flickers into life.
"Timmy?" She scrapes the sleep from her eyes. "What are you doing? It's three in the morning."
"Vicky!" He scrambles over his wife, blocking her view of the threat. "Vicky, you have to get out. It's not safe here."
"What are you talking about?"
"Just go! And take the kids!" His eyes dart between her and the enemy. "I'm trying to protect you!"
"From what?"
"From-" He does a double take. "Where'd she go? She was right here."
"Who was right here?" Vicky sits up. "Did you just have some crazy nightmare?"
"I – I'm sure she – but – well, I guess I did."
She examines the object of his wild gaze: an empty, unlit space. "About the Darkness?"
"Uh-huh." He barely regards the woman beside him. "More light. We need more light."
With a wave of Vicky's wand, the room is bathed in a piercing cyan illumination, bright enough to sear her retinas. "That light enough for you, scaredy-cat?"
Timmy scrutinises the bedroom. "Good. She's gone." He settles down under the covers. "We'll just have to keep the whole house like this so she doesn't come back."
"How do you expect us to sleep when it's so bright?" The grumpy wife undoes her spell with a huff.
"TURN THE LIGHTS BACK ON!"
"Shut up, you'll wake the kids!" But Vicky obliges. Her husband tightly grips the quilt, holding it like a shield; she strokes the white knuckles. "You're pretty shaken up." She attempts to comfort him. "Chill out, Timmy. It was just a bad dream."
"You didn't see her! You didn't-" He sobs.
He's a wreck. He's regressed to the state of a child, trembling, crying, cowering under the sheets. He thought he'd moved past it. He thought he was more than just 'the guy that killed the Darkness and saved the world'. He thought the childhood hauntings had stopped. Evidently, he was wrong.
He's a grown man, and he's afraid of the dark. How pathetic is that?
The door creaks open, and all three Turner kids enter. "What's the hubbub?" Tommy asks with a yawn.
"Your father had a nightmare about the Darkness," Vicky tells them.
Timmy sits up. "But I'm okay now. Go back to bed." There's an ill-timed smile. You can't show any weakness in front of your kids.
Tammy moves round to the foot of the bed. "You'll be fine," she assures her father. "If the Darkness wants you, it'll have to go through me first."
Valentina pouts. "What can you do? You're just a kid."
"A fairy kid. And fairy kids have a lot of tricks up their sleeves."
To prove her point, Tammy shoots out a pink ray. There's a massive BANG! The entire outside wall is decimated. Cool air whooshes in and displaces a few more bricks.
"Wow," Valentina breathes.
Timmy chuckles.
"What's so funny? I'm serious!" Tammy smacks her wand into her palm. "If that thing comes near you-"
"Relax, sport." He teases the talisman from her stubborn fingers and makes the wall ping back to normal. "You don't have to defend me. I can take care of myself. And it was just a dream, anyway." This time, his smile is real. "I appreciate the thought, though. Now, let's all try to get some sleep."
…
It was no dream.
She's still there, lurking in the corner, confined to the night.
She's always there.
For as long as the Sun sets and lengthens the shadows, she will be there. For as long as people reluctantly turn off the lights as the moon rises, she will be there. For as long as Timmy Turner refuses to acknowledge her presence, she will be there.
She can never be truly happy if seeing him is forbidden. She can never be at peace if he is not inside her. She can never become the kind of person she is meant to be if she doesn't have Timmy spurring her on. The pain of his rejection is worse than that of the uncountable weapons which have previously lacerated her – worse, even, than the smouldering blaze he sent streaming through her at the concert.
Once in a blue moon, life throws you an opportunity to fulfil your dreams, and it's up to you to take it. She had her chance thirty years ago, and she blew it.
Fortunately, the Darkness is nothing if not patient. Fairies have been known to live forever, so if it takes her another ten thousand years to recapture her Chosen One and mend her broken heart, so be it.
She'll do whatever it takes to rekindle her little light.
THE END
Author's Note: To finish, here are some quotes I thought were fitting to this story:
"The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for."
Bob Marley
"But being chosen doesn't make you a hero; what you choose does."
Batman, Batman: The Brave and the Bold
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."
Friedrich Nietzsche