Jake groaned softly. He was very stiff, his muscles numb. He heard a gentle voice, and tried to open his eyes, but they refused to obey him.
"Easy, buddy. Just take it easy, Jake."
"Ch... Chance...?"
"I'm here."
"Where... where are we...?"
"Safe. We're in the Tower of the Moon."
"The Tower...? How...?"
"Mau found us. He used magic to bring us back here."
"Mau? But... Kirok...?
"Is dead. The lich is dead, Jake. I killed him. We killed him."
Again Jake tried to open his eyes. This time his eyelids barely opened. His vision though was just a big blur.
"What happened to me?"
"You... you died, Jake."
The ginger kat just lay there in silence a few moments. He had... died?
"How?"
"Kirok. He broke your neck. You died instantly."
"But then... how am I..."
"Elena. He..." Chance choked on the words. "He killed her too. But with the last of her strength, she brought you back to me."
"But... she came back? His beast killed her, and she came back?"
"Her Goddess sent her back to help us stop Kirok. It was only temporary, Jake. She's gone now. We burned her body on a funeral pyre in the old graveyard."
"From the battle with Shade Kat?"
"Yes."
"Oh, no... Chance I... I'm sorry..."
"I know, bud. It's alright. I know she's at peace now. Finally."
Jake tried to sit up, but Chance placed a firm hand on his chest, holding him down.
"Not yet. You're still way too weak. You've been in a coma for the past month."
"Month?"
"Yes. It's been a month now."
Jake closed his eyes again. No wonder he felt like this. His entire body was numb. Not from pain. Not from injury. But from simple disuse.
"You just take it easy and rest. I'll have some food and milk brought up for you soon."
"Thanks..."
Chance gently gripped his friend's hand. Jake was still very stiff, but he just barely managed to move the muscles in his fingers. Chance smiled and squeezed his brother's hand.
"Just take it easy. I'll be back later."
The tabby got up from the chair beside the bed and walked towards the door. Halfway through the doorway, he stopped and looked back at his friend.
"And don't you dare try to get up yet."
"I won't."
...
It was nearly a full week before Jake had fully recovered his strength. In that time, Mau had taught him the basics of how to use the Astral Stone. What took Elena fifty years to master, Jake had to learn in five days! But Elena learned to use the power simply by chance over her long life. Jake already had an idea of the Stone's power, and how to harness it. He was actually the one who used the Stone's energy to throw the firedrake off of him. Kirok and Chance both had thought that it was Elena's doing. With Mau's instruction, he now felt confident enough he could use the Stone to send him and Chance back to their own world.
Jake knew he would never master the Stone's power like Elena had. It had chosen her, afterall. And, in a way, he didn't want to either. He remembered that she had actually bound her spirit to it, and whenever she used it too strongly, it drained her. He'd rather not have access to the Stone's full power, and have it not drain him. He'd already died once. That was more than enough.
Chance almost didn't want to go. But he knew he had too. The SWAT Kats were still needed in Megakat City. They had to go back.
They waited until the moon was full, so that the power of the Astral Stone would be the strongest. As evening drew near, Chance and Jake prepared for the attempt to return home. The Spirit Blade was a powerful artifact that needed to remain in the Shadow Relm, in case it was needed again. The Reaver however, Mau had given to Jake, saying that it may come in handy again at a future time.
As the red sun began to sink towards the western horizon, the full silver moon hung low in the darkening eastern sky.
Mau regarded the two kats who stood with him in the clearing outside the Tower's walls.
"In time, you'll come to better master the power of the Stone. You'll never be able to use it's potential as strongly as Elena had. But then, no-one else ever has, and possibly no-one else ever shall."
Jake nodded.
"I understand. And thank you, Mau."
The sorcerer then turned toward Chance, and pulled a bundle of dark blue cloth from beneath his robes.
"I know you're still not keen on using blades, but I still think you should have this."
Curiously, the tabby took the bundle and unwrapped the cloth. The thin sword was of very fine craftsmanship, with pure silver plating on the hilt and a deep blue stone on the pommel.
"Stormbringer?"
"Yes. I think she would have liked for you to have it. A part of her own power and essence went into the blade when she forged it."
Chance closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, letting it back out slowly. He then opened his eyes again and re-wrapped the sword.
"Thank you."
A sudden strong burst of wind blew down through the clearing. It was winter now so that was not unusual. What caught their attention was that this wind was warm. The three kats looked up, to the small form that sat perched at the top of a nearby tree at the edge of the forest.
The silver and white barn owl looked down on the three kats with deep golden eyes. For several silent moments, she watched them. She then spread her wings wide, and took to the sky. The owl's form shimmered with a silvery-blue glow, and seemed to grow. The owl grew large, and it's body seemed to change into a silver mist with glowing blue eyes. It screeched and swooped down over the clearing, then flew off into the distance beyond the Tower, disappearing into the coming night.
All three kats smiled as they watched the bird. They knew. In their hearts, they all knew.
Mau then turned back to Jake.
"It's time."
The mage took several steps back as the ginger kat gripped the Astral Stone firmly in both hands. Chance put a gentle hand on his friend's arm. Both kats closed their eyes, and Jake concentrated on the Stone. He felt its power. Felt it grow. The Stone flared to life, creating a swirling wind in the clearing, surrounding the two kats. The intensity of the blue and red bands brightened to a brilliant purple-white light. Mau brought up an arm to shield his eyes from the light. Moments later, the wind stopped as quickly as it had began. The light was gone. So were the two kats.
...
It had been nearly two months since the pair of kats had gone into the Shadow Relm, but less than an hour had passed in their own world. Their dog, Aries, barked from outside the garage when he heard them return. The large dog ran inside to greet them, his tail wagging. Chance kneeled down and rubbed the dog's ears gently. Jake gave a sarcastic smirk.
"I thought you didn't like dogs?"
"Kats can change, Jake."
"Yeah... That they can. So what now?"
The big tabby stood back up and looked around him at their home.
"Well, I think we've got some serious work to do. We need to rebuild the Turbokat."
The smaller kat nodded.
"Right. The SWAT Kats still have a job to do."
Chance looked down at the sword in his hand, still wrapped in the blue cloth.
"Right..."
...
It took them several weeks of work since they had to rebuild the jet from scratch. Unlike the last few times, they didn't even have any of the original parts to work with, since it was destroyed in the Shadow Relm. Fortunately, no major criminals started any trouble, so they simply left to the more 'minor' situations to the Enforcers. Callie had contacted them a few times, but they explained that the jet was having to be rebuilt.
Two weeks after their return, the she-kat came to the garage again. Chance and Jake were working on an old car, doing a small amount of restoration on it, their only client for the day, when the green sedan pulled up outside. Chance simply glanced up for a moment, then went back to what he was doing.
Jake noticed how his partner's attitude had been greatly changed since Elena's death. He was so much more quiet and mellow, not at all how he used to be. It bothered the smaller kat, but he knew it was probably better not to say anything. Jake smiled when he saw Callie pull up, and stood to walk over towards her car as the driver's door opened.
"Afternoon, Miss Briggs. Problems again?"
"Hi, Jake. No, the car's fine. I actually... needed to talk to you guys about something."
"What?"
"It's... it's kinda personal. Something I'd really rather no-one else find out about."
The tone of Callie's voice caught Chance's attention and he looked back up from the car. Setting the tools down, he walked around to the doorway of the garage and leaned on the frame.
"What's the problem, Miss Briggs?"
She took a deep breath. She'd been preparing for this for a while. The she-kat knew that she was right, but it was still difficult to say it out loud.
"I... I know who you guys are. I've known for a while now, I've just never said anything."
The big tabby gave a slight smirk.
"What do you mean? Callie, you've known us for several years now."
"No. I mean, I know what else you do. Who you really are. T-Bone."
Chance's jaw dropped.
Jake was likewise shocked.
Chance quickly regained his composure, and just shook his head slowly. Elena had told them that she had suspected Callie knew.
"Miss Briggs, I think you need to come inside."
Callie nodded, then she, along with Jake, walked back inside the garage as Chance closed the large pair of doors.
Jake and Chance then led Callie up the stairs to their apartment. She sat on one end of the sofa, Jake on the other end. Chance leaned against the wall nearby, his arms folded across his chest.
"How?"
"As you said, I've known you guys for several years. I probably know you two better than anyone else. Do you really think that, after talking to you at least once every week or two as the SWAT Kats, that I wouldn't learn to at the very least recognize your voices?"
Jake finally spoke up.
"How long have you known?"
"I suspected it a couple years ago. I've only been certain for the past few months. I tried to get a bit of information out of Elena, since I thought that she also knew, but she's very good at avoiding things." Callie then realized something and looked around. "Where is she, anyway?"
Chance closed his eyes, letting out a slow, deep breath.
Jake looked at his friend sadly, then back to Callie.
"Elena's gone."
"What? Why? What happened?"
"Her past caught up with her. That's all we can really say."
"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry. I know she didn't want to talk about her past, simply saying it was very hard for her and she couldn't go back. Is... is she at least okay."
Chance was the one who spoke up.
"Yeah. She's okay, at least."
"Chance, I'm sorry. I'm sure you miss her. I actually enjoyed her company the few times I met her."
"Thanks, Miss Briggs."
Callie also noticed how Chance's demeanor was so much more solemn than he used to be. She gave Jake a curious look and he simply shook his head.
After a few silent moments, Callie stood back up.
"Well, I think I should probably get going."
Jake stood up quickly.
"Wait. You are going to keep our secret, right?"
She smiled softly.
"Of course. As I said, I've already suspected for a few years. You should know that I'd never say anything. What would happen to this city without the SWAT Kats?"
Jake nodded and returned the smile.
"Thanks, Miss Briggs."
"Callie, Jake. Call me 'Callie'."
...
A few more weeks had passed. The Turbokat was almost complete again. A situation did arise where the SWAT Kats help was needed, but thankfully they were at least able to handle the job with the Thunder Truck. Also, a slight burden seemed to have been lifted from the pair now they knew that Callie actually knew who they were. They also trusted that she would never say or do anything to reveal that secret. Jake even took Callie out on another date recently.
Chance was slowly starting to act like his old self again, but Jake knew that his partner would never be the same after everything that's happened to them since their first accidental trip to the Shadow Relm.
It was night now. They would run the first test-flight of the new Turbokat in the morning. Jake sat on the edge of his bed and looked out the window. The moon outside was full. Even as bright as it was, it still seemed pale compared to the silver moon of the Shadow Relm. He looked down to the small nightstand beside his bed. The Astral Stone seemed to reflect the moon's light. Slowly, he picked up the Stone. It felt warm in his hands. He could feel it's energy.
"Where are you, Elena? Why did you have to leave us? Why did you have to leave him? This Stone was meant to be yours, not mine. You could have taken my place. You have all the skills I do, and more."
Jake closed his eyes. At times, he actually wished that he had been the one who died, instead of Elena. She had sacrificed the remainder of her own life force in an attempt to restore his.
Almost as if in answer to his questions, the Stone took on a soft blue glow. He opened his eyes and looked down at the Stone. He felt a presence nearby, one that he had not felt in over two months.
"It can't be..."
The ginger kat jumped up and moved quickly to the window. A small form sat perched at the top of a tall pile of scrap in the yard, silhouetted by the full moon behind it.
The stone's glow became stronger. Jake watched the bird. Five, almost six weeks, they have been back in their own world. That had to be at least a decade to the Shadow Relm. Possibly longer. Time passed quite strangely between the two worlds.
The Stone's red bands now began to glow, forming a bright purple light. The owl spread it's wings and flew down to the ground below. Aries began barking. Jake watched as the owl's form shimmered, then changed. Standing in place of the owl, he could see a she-kat standing outside in the yard, her black hair catching the shine of the moon. The dog ran up to her, and jumped up to put his paws on her chest, licking her face.
"CHANCE!"
Jake quickly placed the Stone's chain over his neck, then turned and ran out of his room.
Chance opened his own bedroom door at the yell.
"What's wrong?"
"Outside! Now!"
The tabby saw the Stone around his friend's neck glowing brightly. The two kats ran quickly down the stairs and to the door of the garage below. They opened the door and stared in disbelief at the figure that stood just outside, the dog standing at her side, wagging his tail happily.
Elena looked up at them, a soft sparkle in her emerald eyes. She smiled gently.
"I told you, I'll always be near..."
...
[Though this is technically the end of our story, and of the Shadow Trilogy, there is still one more chapter following this one. Chapter 22.5, Spirit World, was originally meant to be Chapter 23, but I removed it from the story since I felt that it revealed too much information that I wanted to introduce more slowly, and that it took a bit of mystery out of the ending of the final battle. Thank you for reading my stories. I truly hoped you enjoyed them. At a later date, I am planning to continue this saga in a series of short stories based off of the Trilogy. (sort-of how a TV series can be a spin-off from a movie) Please send me a review to let me know what you thought about my story, and feel free to read the 'deleted chapter' of the story following this. It should answer a few questions some of you may have about Elena's return. ]