Author's note: Hello, dreamers! This is the start of the final arc of book 1! In this chapter, the truth will be revealed, and the Nightdreamers will launch their big attack on Haventown. Lily and a couple of others will go to the movie Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs for her final mission, while the older characters stay behind and fight Dio and Megan. The movies Lily goes through in the future will get more mature as she gets older and more mature, but for now, they'll be more kids movies. So, with that long note out of the way, enjoy!

Characters introduced (or mentioned)

Author (?)

Esperanza (Oc)

Lysandra (Oc)

Disclaimer! Any of the characters, ideas, locations, or stories that aren't my OCs or part of my ideas aren't mine and I do not claim to own them.

November 2012

Aurora was prepared. She was prepared to reveal the entire truth about Etheria, but she just couldn't find the words.

"It's ok, Aurora. Just say one thing at a time, and try not to overload." Coletta said.

Aurora took a deep breath... "We're not real."

Lily gasped. "But what does that mean?" Aurora's statement kind of scared her.

Aurora continued. "We are all part of a story. Years ago, an author was born. She was a maladaptive daydreamer, but not a magical one. She discovers magic wasn't real and decided to create her own world within her mind. The reason we are all able to do extraordinary things is that we are a figment of her imagination. Our story is being written in Reality as we speak." Aurora said.

"So, if she wants to hurt us, she can just do it?" Lily asked.

"She chooses not to because she's kind. Morgana, however, is not. She seeks to overthrow the Author and spread misery throughout our story forever. The entire story is complicated, but I'll explain everything in chronological order." Aurora said. "This might be long. 2012 is the year the Author began making her story. She created her first-ever OC." Aurora turned to Coletta. "Coletta was supposed to be beautiful beyond comparison, have a perfect voice, be good at everything, and be unkillable, with immense powers Coletta was supposed to be the happiest character, and have no sorrow or strife in life, but the author was young and didn't know immortality was a curse. She didn't understand that Coletta would outlive all of the fictional character friends she met and would live beyond the end of the universe." Aurora said.

Lily's mind was blown. "C-Coletta's THAT powerful?" Lily asked, with eyes widened.

Aurora nodded. "The Author created her as an indestructible robot, able to feel no pain, and never die. The author's intentions were good because she wanted Coletta to be able to beat any enemy who tried to hurt her friends. The Author created her as the sister of Loretta from the movie Robots, whom I heard you met at the Fallingstar beach house, Lily."

"I did! She was nice!" Lily said.

"She's nice, and I'm cold and aloof. All because of that stupid immortality. As soon as you guys nabbed the heart, I remembered everything." Coletta had tears in her eyes. "Back in July 2012, Captain Chantel Dubois found me in a fashion boutique. She handed me my locket." She took her sleeping beauty locket out from under her shirt, where it was tucked. "This is called an Author's Gift. It's the charm from where we get our power from, and it usually is a piece of jewelry the Author wears and loves in real life. Dubois told me I had a role to play in protecting the world. Back then, it was simple. It was just, 'the world.' After that, I went on my first mission. Every movie the Author watched and imagined me in, I went. First, it was Robots. I went to Robot City to meet my sister, Loretta, who, according to the Author's story, I had never met before that time.

Then we went to Percy Jackson, where you just were, Lily. I made friends with everyone. Back in those days, the Author incarnation and her closest friends were all friends with the villains and didn't even need to do any of that purifying, or timeline splitting nonsense. But, then, my friend Persephone told me about being immortal. There's a point where an author's creation breaks off from the author's mind and starts becoming self-aware. If what she told me then didn't make me self-aware, I don't know what would. The gods told me since they were also immortal, they would stay by my side. I left for a little bit and promised I would come back after a few solo missions. I traveled through Wreck-it Ralph, Madagascar 3, and many others. Back then, I used to love the author dragging me along to any place she wanted to, but now I wish I hadn't... The missions weren't dangerous until she got into Winx Club. I became a Winx girl, with enough power to destroy a universe. I did the Winx missions for the rest of the year, until 2013, when the Author threw me away... " Coletta's story was just so sad to Lily...

"What do you mean, 'threw you away?'" Lily asked.

Coletta continued the story. "She recreated me. All throughout 2013 and 2014, Esperanza reigned supreme. I lived in solitude in the back of the Author's mind, while 'Queen Esperanza' reigned over a kingdom without a name! That's right, the Author was so ignorant, she couldn't even decide on a kingdom name! None of them were extraordinary enough!" Coletta sighed. "During the years in the back of my creator's mind, I watched Esperanza. Even though she was immortal, I wished I had her life. The Author either didn't give her the ability to feel negative emotions, or she just did a good job of showing them, but she lived such a good life. Turbo, Monsters University, Chipmunk Adventure, Rio 2 Wall-E, Arthur Christmas, and the two Twitches movies were the Author's most important movies back then. Esperanza loved every character she met, but those movies held a special place in her heart. Then he came along. There are rumors that he may return in the future, but the incarnations promised not to speak his name until the young Princess Lily gets to meet him. At the end of 2014, Esperanza fell in love, but he perished." Coletta looked away. "That's all I can tell you about Esperanza." Coletta looked at Cadenza, next. "Cadenza, when we crossed paths in the Fallingstar mansion during the Army of Darkness's assault, I didn't remember you, but now I do," Coletta said.

"Wait... CADENZA is one, also?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, it's me... That's what Dio showed me through that mirror he stole... He has too much information because that mirror tells about everything except the heart. After all, that info is only safe within the mind of Alessia." Cadenza said.

Coletta went back to the story. "Esperanza's replacement meant the end of the 'golden ages,' and brought way to the eras of darkness. Drama ruled the world, and the warm family comedy that was the Esperanza house became the 'everything is drama' house. Evil sorceresses taking over, Cadenza losing important people, sabotaging competitions, and even time travel heists happened. We didn't think things would get worse. Until 2016 came. Evil dinosaur attacks, corrupted heroes, revenge, the birth of a new kingdom that didn't belong to an incarnation, (finally...) and more."

"Where was Cadenza during all of this?" Lily asked.

Cadenza was still there, but her bad qualities manifested themselves into a being called Aznedac, her dark incarnation. See, the Author planned to create more OCs, most of which were relatives of villains. She aimed to shine some of the limelight off of her incarnation, for the first time in 4 years... The true reason Aznedac was born was that The Author would make her other characters feel sorrow, too, to soften the blow on her incarnation. Aznedac intervened to try to stop the Author, and make her stop making everyone suffer, but she was ultimately overthrown by Cadenza. 2017 came, and it SUCKED! Well, at least the first part. The Author convinced her parents to let her watch more 'inappropriate' shows like The Simpsons, and the entire year was nothing but one bad joke after another. Until mid-August came. I won't reveal too much, because you're gonna love it! All I'll say is it has to do with a long-running video game franchise, and from mid-August through May 2018, things were tumultuous but good! An actual story instead of constant dumb jokes! Lysandra was her new incarnation, and she was SO DIFFERENT! She had character, she had an actual backstory, she's my favorite incarnation!"

"Hey, I'm right here!" Cadenza said.

"Sorry. Anyway, may 2018 came. Now, the first half of 2018 was great, dramatic, but not unbearable. The dramatic, epic battles were actually kind of fun. Then the second half came. It was the 2020 of Etheria years. This guy came along, tore everything apart, and suddenly the drama was no longer fun, and in my mind, I was saying, 'I don't like this game anymore.' 2019 was drama, and 2020 was drama. At the time this is being written, we're about done with 2021. That was a good year. The Author reconnected with the video game characters from 2017, and it's just like that year! Dramatic, but fun! I think 2022's gonna be good the whole way through, unlike 2018. Here's where it all ends. The Author realized what she was doing ruining her world, and decided to create a new timeline. This one. The original one is running parallel with this one, so some things will be changed, but some will stay. The author did one last thing, however. She created one final incarnation of herself, which is Alessia. Alessia isn't a traditional incarnation, but is the author herself, and holds her full power. The Author created you to be the last incarnation, the one who will find the remaining 7 incarnations, along with the 7 Maladaptive Daydreamers, which are the Author's most beloved characters, and the closest members of her royal court, find the essence, and fulfill the prophecy. I had to use my power during the battle with the Trix to save you, and by using them, I reawakened the pink Mountains of Beginnings and Endings, which is where you'll hear the Author's voice. Alesia's heart is the Author's heart, but the heart you just found is her mind. In order to talk directly to her, you need to take the heart to the mountains." Coletta said.

"Wow. THAT SOUNDS AWESOME!" I CAN'T WAIT!" Lily yelled! She was pretty excited...

Just then, Rosie and Corrin came thundering into the Mansion. "AURORA! Dio and his army are attacking! They've almost broken through the shield!" Corrin yelled, urgently.

"This early?! Everyone, get prepared! Corrin, could you take Lily to the Multiverse Hotel?" Aurora asked.

Corrin shook his head. "No can do. They've taken over any possible escape routes."

"Then I'll send a message to Swallow Falls with the interdimensional phone, bring them here, and let Lily go to Fallingstar with them." Aurora turned around." Please tell me Fallingstar's safe.

"For now, so act fast," Rosie said.

Aurora turned to Lily." Can you handle going back to Fallingstar with some new characters?" Aurora asked.

"Yeah, but I wanna stay and help!" Lily said.

"When you're older, you'll learn to fight! Now I need to get you out of here!" Aurora ran over to the phone. "I'm calling Flint and the others. No, not just flint. Mike, Sully, the Winx, the Muppets, Percy's friends, and the Great Valley inhabitants, since their arc's over now. We'll just have to tell them about us early! We need all the help we can get!" Aurora called everyone, and they teleported to the Mansion. She hugged Lily goodbye, and sent them to Haventown, before sounding the attack alarm.

"I want everyone to go check on other places in Haventown. It would be easier if everyone split up because you'll cover more ground like that." She turned to Lilith. "Lilith, I want you to go to the stores, Dire, you go to the restaurants, Corrin, you go to the recreational places, like the arcade and bowling alley, Rosie, you get to the hotel, and Coletta, Cadenza, and I will stay here," Aurora said. So, everyone split up.

Meanwhile, before the alarm was sounded, Lilith was walking through town, trying to get to the shops in town. She was almost there when a blonde-headed man walked up to her.

Her heart stopped. Dio. She thought.

She tried to go the other way, hoping she would lose him, but he was faster. He caught Lilith, and prepared to steal the gem!

This is it... I'm about to be trapped within the shards of this gem forever... Lilith thought.

She remembered the necklace.

She pressed the gem and prayed Dire would come... She hadn't tried it yet...

All of a sudden, Dio was blasted away.

"WHAT WAS THAT?" He yelled.

Dire towered over Dio, with a scowl on his face. "If you ever try to hurt her again, you die. Understand?" Dire would protect Lilith no matter what...

"Whatever... We have something better planned, anyway..." Dio said, before escaping.

Dire turned to Lilith. "Lilith, are you hurt?" Dire asked.

Lilith stared into Dire's eyes and nodded. Her heart was pounding. I'm gonna do it, I'm finally going to tell him. She thought.

Fire Emblem Fates Love Theme

"Dire... I... love you..." She said.

"I-" Dire looked away, with what Lilith swore was a blush... "I confess... I love you, too... I've been trying to fight these feelings since the Mysterious beyond..." He gazed into Lilith's eyes. I know we've only just met, but I adore you." Dire said.

"I do, too. I think it's the first time I've felt this way for someone..." Lilith took Dire's hand, and he softly gripped it in return. The two new lovers stared into each other's eyes until Lilith broke the silence.

"Dire... This might be too early, but, can we... kiss?" Lilith asked. Her heart was beating so fast, she thought she might faint.

"Yes, Lilith," Dire said.

He leaned in and planted a kiss on Lilith's lips. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever felt, and she never wanted it to end... At that moment, she thought of a world where there was no more prophecies, no more fighting, no more Nightdreamers, Author, or immortality... A world where it was just her and Dire, forever...

As soon as the kiss ended, Lilith said, "Dire... When the fighting's over, can we still stay together?" Lilith asked.

"What do you mean? Of course. I would never leave you, Lilith." Dire said.

"Because when someone's assigned a guard to protect them when the danger's gone, they usually go away," Lilith said.

Dire answered. "I'm sure Coletta will let us stay together. And if for some reason she doesn't want us to, Lily probably will. She hates the idea of people being apart, so she'll probably make me stay here." Dire said.

"Then, that settles it... After this fight, we'll be together..." Lilith said.

Dire looked at Lilith. "I don't want to think too far ahead, but Lilith... If we were ever to get married in the future, you would become a queen, since I'm heir to the Frosterian throne. My sister, Frosteria, was named after the kingdom." Dire said.

Lilith was in awe. "A queen..." Lilith said.

She imagined herself in a long, blue dress, with a sparkling crown upon her head, with her king, Dire, at her side. Queen Lilith, of Frosteria...

"Dire... I know we'll all have to fight in the upcoming battle, but. I don't want you to get hurt trying to protect me, so I'll be the one protecting you this time, Dire!" Lilith said, with a smile.

"Lilith, I don't want you to get hurt, yet after what happened in the Mysterious Beyond, I have no doubt in my mind that you can protect everyone you love, and not just yourself. So, in the upcoming battle, we'll all be protecting each other, ok?" Dire said.

"Of course! Everyone will fight together." Lilith said.

"We should really get going," Dire said. "We need to find the others."

"Dire, I know of a way where we can spend more time together," Lilith said.

"Lilith, as much as I would love that, we have a battle-"

Dire was cut off by Lilith putting her hand up to his mouth.

"I can send us to the Astral realm. The flow of time in this dimension will be stopped, and we'll have all the time in the world." Lilith said.

"Alright," Dire said.

Lilith held dire's hands and concentrated with all her might. The two of them began to glow blue and white, then vanished from the Etherian realm...

The two of them appeared in a vast, beautiful realm, with a towering castle in front of them.

"Lilith, what is this place?" Dire asked, in awe.

"This is the Esperanza Castle. It's what the Author called her castle when she played Fire Emblem Fates. I remember now since we have the Heart. When the Author played Fire Emblem: Fates, she played as Female Corrin and created Cadenza in the image she had in her mind. This place never gets used anymore since the Author Doesn't play this particular save file anymore, but I wanted to show you." Lilith said.

"This place is beautiful..." dire said.

"I would like to show you around. Lilith said, taking Dire's hand. "This is a song I first heard before I met Lily. When I heard it, I imagined how it would feel to listen to it with another..." She began singing.

'Here Beside Me' From Mulan 2

The two of them traveled through the beautiful Astral world, holding hands, as Lilith's musical voice filled Dire's ears. Dire felt the wind in his hair, as he and Lilith traveled through the world in the stars... The two of them didn't want it to end... As Lilith sang the song, she had to fight tears. She didn't want anything to happen to Dire in the coming fight... She didn't want this moment to end, and neither did Dire... The two of them would do anything to stay together, but it was time to go back and face reality...

Lilith stopped singing and looked at Dire. "Even though time has stopped back home, we need to go back. We can't delay the final battle any longer." Lilith said.

"Ok. Lilith, when the fight's over, can we come back here, together?" Dire said.

Lilith smiled. "Of course, Dire. I promise." Lilith said. She held Dire's hands, and the two of them went back to Haventown.

When they arrived back, it was like they had never left.

"Now that we're back..." Lilith held her head high. "We have a final battle to get to..." The two of them headed back to the Mansion of Lucidity, to face the music...

To be continued...

Author's note: Well, that was a rollercoaster... I'm sorry that this chapter was dedicated mostly to telling the history of the Author, and starting Lilith and Dire's relationship, (I'm a sucker for unconditional pairings :))but the next chapter will be the start of the final fight. Lily will be safely in Fallingstar, so since she's not there, it'll be a little bit more intense. I'm trying not to expose Lily to too much violence until she's older, so that's why her missions are mostly in animated movies for now, except for Percy Jackson, which was the most intense movie I had seen at that point. There will be two parts to the finale, with the next chapter covering the first half of the final battle, and the one after that being extra long, converting the second half of the battle, and a special finale... So, with that out of the way, stay lucid!