Although there were certain disadvantages to having wings, such as getting stuck in doorways more frequently than usual (though admittedly it happened a lot to begin with), Claire was pleased by the enhanced regality of her figure, and nothing made her prouder than stepping into a room and spreading her wings as Owen marched by her side, beaming proudly as whispers of awe traversed a crowd in their wake. It was at times like these that Claire felt ten times taller than she was, and at least fifty times as beautiful.
And so she gave her signature wing-flourish as she entered the Nublar auditorium, which was filled with her friends and family, just as it had been before the incident. She passed Vic, Zara, Vivian, Sarah, Karen, Lowery, and many others. Owen, Lily, and Charlie were in the front row. Claire sent a wink and a smile their way, and they beamed in reply.
As she stepped up on the stage to address the Nublarians, Claire felt her heart quiver. Although she had grown a pair of wings and absorbed magic beyond the levels of even the most skilled sorcerers, she did not feel like anyone but herself, and she was not immune to stage fright. When she gazed out at the amazed faces of her peers, however, her heart stopped trembling, and she realized that these were the people who loved her, and whom she loved in return. She had no reason to fear their judgment. Hell, she was standing before them as a fat, green hybrid dinosaur, so she was pretty sure a little flub in her speech wouldn't catch their attention.
As the crowd fell silent, Claire took a deep breath and began her announcement, placing her foot over the script to pin it in place, though there was no trace of a warm wind to stir the papers.
"Hello again. I know this announcement didn't exactly go as planned the last time I was up here, but I promise, that's all over now."
There was no visible reaction from the crowd, but Claire knew that they were tense all the same. They must be wondering if she was going to address what had happened to their former leader, or if she'd keep quiet to honor Ellie's memory. Truly be told, she wasn't a fan of either option. This issue required prudence, planning . . .
"In a way, it pains me to address you in this setting, because I had originally planned to do it with Ellie. She should have been here. I miss her more than I can say."
Claire realized that she had neglected to follow her own notes, which made no mention of Ellie. Deciding she wouldn't be able to get back on track, she slid them to the side.
"But that's how life is. You can plan it out all you want, but until you accept the fact that change will happen, you can never truly be happy. I thought I could live my life according to a precise plan, beat for beat what I wanted it to be ever since I was a little girl. But that's not living. You can't force yourself to stay on one path and expect everything to fall into place. You have no way of knowing who you'll fall in love with, what will be taken away from you, where your path with lead . . . but that's the way it should be. The greatest moments of my life were the ones I didn't plan. And despite everything I've lost, I'm happy, because losing those things led me to this point, and I'm . . ."
She gulped. After a moment, her tail relaxed, resting on the ground behind her.
"I was lucky to know Ellie. It's not often you get to meet the one who started it all, the person to whom you owe your entire existence. But that's not what I remember about her. When I think of Ellie, I don't think of the times she defeated demons or fought in revolutions or did even the simplest of good deeds for the sake of others. I think of the moments we were together, not doing anything of consequence, just enjoying those hours in between the stuff you read about in books. I remember Ellie the person, not Ellie the Queen. At first, I didn't know how I'd go on without her . . . how any of us would go on without her, but although she was important to all of us in a great deal of ways, she was a person like any other. She was not our protagonist because she was inherently special. She chose to be a hero. Every single one of us has the potential for greatness, in fact. We just have to look inside ourselves and decide whether or not we will choose to stand up and become the best person we can be. When we think of our idols, we elevate them above humanity, but they're just people like us. It's scary, I know, to think that your Queen has flaws and doubts and a soul like your own, but that's what makes life so wonderful. You can be a Queen, a King, a Lord, a God. You can be anything. Whether you know it or not, that power is inside of you, and someday, you'll see the greatness that was always there, waiting to be set free."
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
"Change is hard. It's only when you come out the other side that you realize how important it is. And then you get used to the way things are, and the next change catches you off guard all over again. We fear the unknown, because a stable present is more comforting than our billions of potential futures, but we can't let the fear of extinction stop us from evolving. I don't know what the world will look like when I've taken on Ellie's mantle, and I don't know what the future holds for us now that we have begun to integrate with Jurassic World, as I'm sure most of you have heard by now. I don't know these things, but that's why I want to find out. Jurassic World and Jurassic Park are different in many ways, but they are also the same. Each is filled with people who have hopes and dreams, stories that will inspire generations to come, and more than a little silliness from all ends. I did not expect to be a Stegoceratops, nor did I ever envision myself being happy this way, but I am happy all the same. I didn't know what I wanted until it was given to me. Even though you may be afraid of the changes coming your way, or maybe even repulsed by them when they happen, I urge you not to judge these changes because you want things to stay the same for all eternity. Not all change is good, but more often than not, it is necessary for growth. We can always look on the past fondly, but it is the future that excites us, because it's new and mysterious and different from anything we've encountered. Together, we can reach that future, but only if we promise to give each other room to breathe. Don't try to be Ellie Sattler. Don't try to be Claire Dearing. Don't try to be Steven Spielberg. They are themselves, and you are you, and in order to be yourself, you must go beyond what they have done. You may be scared that no one will want to hear what you have to say, but remember that at one point, that's how these other people felt as well. They made a change, and changed themselves in the process, for they were inspired by those who came before them, and built on this legacy by trusting in their own ingenuity. Now, it's your turn to trust yourself. And if you don't think it's possible, just remember that this entire spiel is coming from a winged Stegoceratops."
She stepped back and spread her wings.
"The time has come for us to take our first step towards a brighter future. From this moment on, Jurassic Park, Jurassic World, and Pallasmaa will become one. We will join the past, the present, and the future as well, all with a little magic. It may sound silly, but I promise, it'll be more or less acceptable in practice. In any case, we will learn from each other by becoming one."
And with that, her chest began to glow with the magic of The Star, and radiant gateways began to appear at every corner, bridging the gap between the two franchise-worlds, as well as the Asterparan island from which magic was born. The ceiling of the auditorium opened to reveal a bright, blue sky, as wide and infinite as the possibilities of this union. Claire beat her wings and flew into the light, emerging in her native world as a Queen and God, no longer fearing the gaze of humans, who she knew would come to accept her as she was. After all, it is impossible to suppress the goodness of humanity forever, though it may sometimes seem like the world will never be the utopia we envision.
Claire was certain that there would be times when her people would see her as an animal, and that the revelation of her hybrid form would not be met with unanimous acceptance, but in time, she would be seen as no more or less than a human being.
That day would come sooner than she thought.
As Claire soared over the characters of Jurassic World, they gazed up at their Queen with shining eyes, hearts aglow with the wonder of this magical being who had started off as a human and become so much more, not because she strived for perfection, but because she strived to be herself, and so was beautiful to those who understood her, and who would someday understand themselves in the same way. She saw tears of joy, a great deal of which were her own, but they stayed on her scales, and her smile made it impossible to tell that she was crying.
Claire Dearing crossed the Earth and touched down on a mountain that overlooked the wild and changing world, and as she gazed at her kingdom, she extended her wings to their fullest breadth and reared up on her hind legs, giving a moo that echoed throughout the land, ringing in a melody that would be heard for ages, and would never be forgotten as long as someone was around to tell her story.
Cler, da Rei.
Hybrido Rei.
Sî, tœ.
Tœ arc da lei.
Da lei den vo corat.
She was home.