Oh my goodness, I passed out on my keyboard! I don't think that's happened in four years… That's what I get when I rest my head to think about ideas. Snooore~

I am Snorlax.

ANYWAYS. Considering this is the last chapter, I feel like I have to have some big explosion of excitement up here. But I think the writing speaks for itself. I think you guys know by now this is freaking me out anyways. xD

Again, thanks for sticking with me through this! And here we are… at the curtain fall!

Kizumii: And hello, again! Thanks so much for your review! I'm addicted to fluff. :3

ShermanTheWorm: You got it, girly! Last chapter coming right up… now! Happy Halloween, everybody! :D

End III

Somehow, there was only place they could be. Hand in hand, two couples made their way through the forest Shakespeare style, meeting across two wooden bridges where a hollowed out tree supported a rickety old hut with a ramshackle roof.

Luke and Molly were lightly arguing who made it there first. Luke was sure he won with his extreme slide, but Molly thought he was delusional. Gill was scolding Vivi for eating too much wedding cake – did she really have to bring a plate home, too? Vivi told him to bugger off.

Everyone quieted as they faced each other. The four of them. Looking each other up and down, glancing side to side. No one knew quite what to say.

The first to speak was Gill. "I should've known."

Molly stuck out her tongue. When she looked back and saw Luke at her side, she giggled happily, intertwining her hand with his again. "Damn right…"

"Is that cake?" Luke asked the important question, pointing at the plate balanced on Vivi's palm.

"Why, yes it is," Vivi nodded, poking the slab with a fork and savoring the taste. "Mm! Marble cake!"

"Can I have some?" Luke begged.

"It's my wedding cake!" Molly argued.

"I'm the one who picked it out!" Vivi placed a hand on her hip, mouth still full.

"I paid for it…" Gill crossed his arms. He went unheard.

"Fine, I'll share," Vivi groaned with exaggeration. Luke fist pumped and hollered something about sugar rush.

"Wait!" Molly suddenly shouted, stopping Vivi from turning the knob on her house.

Her urgency caught everyone off guard. All eyes were on her, waiting for an explanation.

With as serious a face as she could muster, Molly said: "I say we promise that from here on out… we never speak of this again."

"Of cake?" Luke asked, scratching his head.

Gill hid his frustration with a hand over his face. Vivi liked that Luke could irk him so easily. Her patience wasn't golden by any means, but she could tolerate more Luke than Gill could. She smirked.

"No," Molly shook her head. "I mean… this. All of it."

"It's the only way we're going to survive," Gill agreed.

"Never again," Vivi whispered darkly, swallowing more cake.

Though it didn't make much sense to Luke, perhaps it was for the best if everyone else was in agreement. He nodded. "Okay! My lips are sealed!"

There was a silence. Gill coughed.

"So! Would you like to see my cottage?" Vivi tilted her head to Gill.

"It might be a nice summer home…" he commented dryly, looking over the exterior.

"Summer home?! What makes you think I want to live in your stuffy house all winter?" Vivi bickered, storming through the front door he was holding open for her.

Gill gave Molly and Luke a glance as they talked in the yard. He pulled on Vivi's cloak to stop her.

Vivi followed Gill's gaze watching the pair. Her eyes flicked back to his face in study. "What?"

"We're not going to live like this, are we?" Gill asked distastefully. "All four of us?"

Vivi scoffed, not doing her best to hide her snobbish laughter. "Ha! This isn't a charity. Or an orphanage. Hell, no. Besides, it'll be a little… crowded."

Gill wrinkled his brow. "I don't follow."

"Gill?" She called in an over-acted, loud voice. "Won't you help me find a place for this cake? In… side?"

He wasn't a Luke. It didn't have to be spelled out for him before Gill shut the door behind them.

"Did you hear that? Cake's inside!" Luke pointed, walking up the path.

"Uh…! Luke, wait!" Molly grabbed his sleeve, trying not to sound too alarmed. She spotted a curious Archie peering at her from around the side of the house. Nice save… "Hey! I don't think you were ever properly introduced to my friends!"

"Your friends?" Luke asked, successfully distracted.

Molly walked down to the edge of the lake, sitting down in the feathery snow there. She pulled Luke's jacket tighter about her shoulders. "Speed? Archie!"

Archie was the first to come scampering to her. The white weasel leapt into her arms, smelling her hands and snuggling into the jacket. Molly giggled. Luke sat down, completely enchanted that his girlfriend was a fairytale princess – wild animals just came to her out of nowhere!

Molly held Archie in her lap as the reeds shifted along the lake. Out from hiding was Speed, the wrinkly, old turtle. Molly cooed in delight when she saw him, waiting for him to get closer so she could give his head a pat.

Of course, the last to show was Romeo. He came out of the garbage in the hollowed tree as if this meeting was a coincidence he was happening upon. He distastefully eyed Luke, remembering him for stealing his spot well over a week ago, before brushing his tail up and taking an empty spot next to Speed.

"See, guys? I told you everything would be okay," Molly smiled at them.

Nearly everyone rolled their eyes. Molly frowned at them sadly. "I wish I could talk to you again… I'll really miss hearing you…"

"You talked to them?" Luke asked. He didn't sound disturbed but interested. Thankfully.

Molly nodded. "Only when I was a swan… These guys were my best friends in the daylight hours! Speed even taught me how to fly."

There was a bustle as Archie and Romeo each tried to voicelessly argue how much they helped in that particular endeavor.

"So who's Speed?" Luke asked with a smile. It was cute to watch Molly so absorbed in something so simple.

Molly quickly got to the introductions. She laid a hand on the turtle's bumpy shell. "This is Speed. He's the wisest turtle you'll ever meet. He can answer any question – he's had decades of experience!"

"Wow," Luke smiled wider.

"This is Romeo the tanuki," Molly put her hand against Romeo. He flinched away, making her roll her eyes. "Oh, I forgot! He's special. You can look, but don't touch. Kind of a narcissist, but he's got a good heart. He'd never admit it though."

Archie chittered with laughter as Romeo frowned in annoyance. If he was human though, he would have blushed that she had him pegged.

"And who's this?" Luke asked, scratching Archie between the ears.

Molly held him up by the underarms. "This is Archie! Very excitable little guy. Kind of reminds me of you, actually…"

"Really?" He asked, less and less interested in the weasel as he scooted closer.

Molly talked on obliviously. "Yeah… He's very sweet, but he's easily distracted. Though you can usually form complete sentences!"

When Molly looked up, she realized the look she was getting. She blushed in embarrassment and set Archie down. "Sorry… I can talk a lot, can't I?"

"Just enough," Luke said, pulling the collar of his jacket that was around her closer.

Archie squeaked and hid behind Speed, shielding his eyes. Romeo had enough of this human nonsense. The tanuki flicked his cream colored tail and pawed at his black mask as if he didn't have a care in the world. Speed smiled at them both, glad to see the swan girl finally have a happy ending.