Chosen: Epilogue

Xxx

Two weeks after the battle in Atlantis, Duncan walked through the doors of Magic School and entered the grand hall. A table had been placed in the center of the room, where several Elders had taken place. Among their numbers, he saw the friendly faces of Sandra and Kevin, as well as the stern face of Qetesh. As he took a seat across from them, Duncan felt like he was back at school, being called into the headmaster's office. He looked to his side and saw Paige sitting next to him, which made him feel somewhat better. In the back of the room, several magical beings were seated in a line, including a nymph and a dwarf.

"Thank you for coming, Mister Phillips." Qetesh said. "Where are the rest of the Chosen?"

"They couldn't make it for personal reasons." Duncan replied.

"This is an important meeting." Qetesh remarked.

"Are you kidding?" Paige asked with a frown.

"I think we can all understand that given recent events, Billie and Violet need some time to themselves." Sandra noted.

"Agreed." Kevin added. "Besides, we can proceed without them."

"Very well." Qetesh replied. "We called this meeting to discuss the so-called war against the wizards and its consequences, particularly the effects of the virus."

"I thought everyone had been cured?" Duncan asked.

"Once the cure was spread, yes." Sandra replied. "But before that, many magical beings lost their lives, both on the side of good and evil."

"How many are we talking about?" Paige asked.

"Hundreds." Qetesh said. "And while the threat is over, the magical community has been greatly damaged, which affects all of us."

"I lost three brothers to that damned virus." The dwarf snapped.

"And I lost many of my sisters." The nymph added. "The trees and flowers are already missing their magic, causing them to wither and die."

"We need to take measures to ensure the magical community shall recover." Kevin said.

"What kind of measures?" Duncan asked.

"Considering the heavy losses, the magical community shall be forced to withdraw from the mortal world in order to recover." Qetesh explained. "They shall all be summoned back to the Enchanted Forest to heal and grow anew."

"What?" Duncan asked confused. "What about the world that needs them?"

"It won't be forever." Sandra replied. "And their good magic shall still affect the world, but their presence will not be felt as much."

"Similar to the loss of the Tribunal, the Grand Design will adapt to these changes." Qetesh said.

"So why did you call us here?" Paige asked. "Just to inform us?"

"No, there are other reasons." Kevin replied as he glanced at Qetesh. "Some of us have questions."

"What do you want to know?" Paige asked skeptically.

"Ambrose has been killed, but there are still wizards out there." Qetesh noted. "Some of his children included. We need to know if they are a threat."

"How can you even ask that?" Duncan called out. "Arthur has always been on our side, while Ramsey risked his life to save Violet and create the cure."

"For a virus he created." Qetesh retorted.

"He should be put on trial for killing my brothers." The dwarf called out.

"He was manipulated by his father." Duncan replied. "And he is determined to make amends."

"As far as I know, we're not in the business of punishing the guilty." Paige said. "Ramsey has surrendered to the prince of Atlantis in order to pay for his mistakes."

"And how can we trust Atlantis?" Qetesh asked. "These wizards are powerful beings that had their city destroyed. They're ancient and no longer familiar with this world. How can we be certain they won't follow Ambrose's example?"

"Emyr is an honorable person." Duncan replied. "His people shall follow his example."

"I'm sure they will, but their return does raise concerns." Sandra admitted. "Their power and knowledge can change everything."

"We need to know if they stand with the magical community." Kevin said. "Or if they choose to remain a separate entity."

"They just got their lives back, I'm sure they need time to adjust." Paige replied. "Besides, you already have the best possible ambassador at your disposal."

"Arthur." Sandra noted.

"Yeah." Paige replied. "He's both a wizard and a professor at Magic School."

"He can be a bridge between us and Atlantis." Kevin reasoned. "Do you think he would be willing to play that role?"

"I'm sure Arthur wants to help the people of Atlantis every way he can." Duncan said.

"We shall consider this option." Qetesh replied. "I have another question. What about your mayor and that government agent? Are they a concern?"

"I don't think so." Duncan said. "Murphy is a good man. The mayor has her flaws and reasons to fear magic, but she supported us in the end."

"Mortals have always had a complicated relationship with magic." Paige noted. "Just look at Henry. Sometimes he still doesn't understand anything about it, but he tries."

"That's hardly the same thing." Qetesh replied.

"They're trying." Paige said. "The government has known about magic for years, but they just leave us alone."

"Exposure is a serious threat." Qetesh remarked. "Do I need to remind you of the witch trials?"

"Speaking of exposure…" Duncan interrupted. "I wanted to thank the council for wiping the memories of our neighbors when our house was destroyed. Fixing it with a spell was easy, but explaining it was a bit trickier."

"You're welcome." Kevin replied. "It was the least we could do after you saved all of us."

"We still cannot underestimate the risk of the mortal government knowing about magic." Qetesh repeated.

"Qetesh, mortals have come a long way." Sandra replied. "Many mortals have accepted magic and are even helping witches in their fight against evil. Perhaps we should give them the benefit of the doubt for now."

"If we act against them now, it might cause the very problem we want to avoid." Kevin added.

"Very well." Qetesh replied reluctantly. "Then I guess we have nothing else to discuss. I shall return to the Heavens and start relocating the magical beings."

Qetesh rose from her chair and she orbed away with several other Elders. The remaining Elders escorted the magical beings out until only Sandra and Kevin remained. Duncan was relieved the meeting was over, as he wanted to leave Ambrose behind and move on. His friends needed him back home, especially Nathan, who had been shutting him out ever since losing his brother. He wanted to get back quickly, as there was a memorial service for Nick starting soon.

"Thank you both for coming on such short notice." Kevin said.

"You're welcome." Paige replied. "I was glad Odin wasn't here, but Qetesh might be equally stubborn."

"She means well." Sandra said. "She has been through a lot."

"Where is Odin?" Duncan asked.

"In the Enchanted Forest, coordinating our Whitelighters to help as many magical beings as they can." Sandra explained.

"So they're really retreating from the mortal realm?" Paige asked. "I might even start to miss the leprechauns."

"What about beings like Nadia and Ridley?" Duncan asked. "They wanted a mortal life."

"We're not forcing anyone to leave." Sandra replied. "But we do feel this is for the best."

"And Atlantis?" Paige asked.

"They are free to make their own choices." Kevin said. "Although we hope to build good relations with them."

"I'll pass the message along to Arthur." Duncan replied. "Now if you'll excuse me, I really have somewhere I need to be."

"Me too." Paige said. "I asked Henry and Tyler to meet me at the service."

"Of course." Sandra replied. "Please pass on my condolences for your friends."

"Nick was a good guy." Kevin said. "He helped save us all, that won't be forgotten."

"Thank you." Duncan replied.

"Do you want me to orb you home?" Paige asked.

"I have somewhere I need to be first." Duncan replied. "I think a certain someone will try to avoid going to the memorial service, even though it's for his brother."

"I understand." Paige said. "We'll wait."

"Don't wait too long." Duncan said. "Billie needs this. If we're not there in an hour, start without us."

Paige gave him a quick hug before orbing out, at which point Kevin and Sandra orbed back to the Heavens. Duncan grabbed his phone and tried to call Nathan. As usual, he wasn't picking up. Duncan hated that he couldn't be there for his boyfriend, as he kept pushing him away. With Billie mourning at home and Violet running away to her parents, it felt like his friends were drifting apart. He wasn't going to let that happen just like that. Nathan needed to be reminded that he still had people who loved him. Using a teleportation potion, Duncan was swept away in a cloud of smoke.

xxx

Billie sat on her bed, staring at herself in the full-length mirror in the corner of her bedroom. She was wearing a black dress and had her hair styled in a somber ponytail. She was done crying, as it was all she had been doing for the last two weeks. After everything that had happened, she felt like there were no tears left to cry. She had lost another important person in her life, which felt like a vicious cycle she was trapped in. She had lost so many loved ones, her parents and Christy, Mikelle, Jake and now even Nick. Why did she keep letting people into her heart when they ended up leaving anyway?

There was a knock on the door and Billie turned to face it. The door opened and Hope entered her bedroom. She was also dressed in black, as the memorial service for Nick was starting downstairs any minute.

"Hi, people are starting to arrive". Hope said. "Are you coming?"

"I'll be down in a minute." Billie replied.

"Are you sure?" Hope asked. "If it's too difficult, I can ask everyone to leave."

"No." Billie said as she stood up. "Hiding in here isn't going to help."

Hope nodded and extended her hand, which Billie accepted. Together, they headed downstairs. The living room was decorated with dozens of candles and a picture of Nick had been placed on the fireplace. The memorial was Duncan's idea, a way to bring everyone together to remember their loss. Billie saw the familiar faces of her loved ones and smiled faintly. It felt good to be among friends. Tyler, Henry and Paige were sitting on the couch, while Darcy and Brandon were standing near the dinner table.

"I haven't seen Duncan yet, but Paige mentioned he went to talk to Nathan." Hope said. "They will get here as soon as they can."

"I'm sure they will." Billie replied.

"I'll go get everyone some coffee and put out some food." Hope said. "You should go mingle. Everyone has been asking about you."

Hope headed to the kitchen and Billie walked over to Brandon and Darcy first. As they were talking, Billie noticed Darcy gently placing a hand on his arm with a flirty smile. It seemed the two of them had gotten a bit closer.

"Hi guys." Billie said. "Thanks for coming."

"Of course." Darcy said as she hugged Billie. "I know we haven't been on good terms, but I'm so sorry for your loss. I'm going to miss Nick."

"I'm glad you're here." Billie replied. "You too, Brandon. I'm sorry about your uncle."

"Thanks." Brandon said. "He gave his life for something good, they both did. I really liked Nick, he was fun to work with."

"How's the club?" Billie asked.

"I inherited the club from my uncle. Since Murphy had the destruction labeled as a gas leak, the insurance is covering the rebuild." Brandon revealed. "It will just be a jazz club from now on and nothing else."

"Just like you wanted." Billie noted. "Good for you. So what's going on between the two of you?"

"We're… taking it slow." Darcy replied with a smile. "Getting to know each other better."

"I'm happy for you." Billie said.

Billie turned away and walked over to Paige and her family. At the same time, Hope returned from the kitchen and placed a tray with coffee on the table. She handed everyone a cup. Billie sat down next to Paige and the Charmed One put an arm around her.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Paige asked.

"I'm okay." Billie replied. "Just trying to come to terms with everything."

"Losing someone is never easy." Paige said. "But you have many loved ones around you."

"I know." Billie said. "But I feel like I haven't just lost Nick."

"Have you talked to Violet since the battle?" Paige asked.

"When we got home, things were awkward." Billie explained. "After a few days, she said she needed some time and went to stay with her parents."

"I'm sure she'll be back and you'll have a heart-to-heart." Paige said.

"I hope so." Billie replied. "But enough about me, what's going on with you guys? I want to hear some good news."

"Tyler has great news." Henry said. "Tell her, kiddo."

"I got a full scholarship to Berkeley." Tyler said. "I'm starting in the fall."

"That's amazing." Billie replied. "Congratulations."

"Thanks." Tyler said awkwardly. "I'm still not sure I deserve it."

"Cut it out." Henry said as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "You worked hard for that scholarship and you earned it fair and square. Give yourself some credit."

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without you." Tyler replied as he looked between Henry and Paige. "You gave me a home and the support I needed."

"Of course." Paige said. "We might not be your parents, but you're a part of our family. Don't forget that, no matter where you end up."

"You're going to love Berkeley, Tyler." Hope said. "I always had a great time there."

"So why don't you go back?" Billie asked. "We've been trying to get you to go back for months."

"Yes, that's a great idea." Paige added. "You have sacrificed years protecting Pandora's Box, you deserve a life outside of that."

"I know." Hope replied. "I gave it a lot of thought and I decided to enroll in community college instead. It's more affordable and I'm hoping your offer to babysit the box still stands."

"Of course it does." Billie said.

"Thank you." Hope replied with a smile. "I couldn't have made this choice without you or Darcy. You guys really supported me."

Billie smiled and realized she was glad that her friends were moving on with their lives, even when she was having difficulty doing the same. Her heart still ached for Nick, but her friends gave her hope that things would get better. She was glad that they decided to have this memorial, just so everyone could get together and share their feelings.

"Should we get started?" Paige asked.

Billie looked at her watch and realized Duncan was running late. He was probably still trying to convince Nathan to come. He was the only person who took the loss harder than Billie. He had lost his twin, the person who had been there his entire life. Billie grabbed her phone to call Duncan, but she stopped when she heard the front door open. She entered the hallway expecting to see Duncan, however, she was instead faced by Violet.

"Hi." Violet said hesitantly.

Billie stared at her friend, unsure how to react. All of her feelings from the battle came rushing back at once, which was overwhelming. She couldn't deal with them, so instead she grabbed her jacket and ran out the door in tears.

xxx