Epilogue
'Fatherhood suits Fox.' Peppy thought with a smile as he climbed the stairs. Fox was waiting for him at the top landing, holding his three-month-daughter, swaying a bit absently. "So, how goes solitude?"
"WHAT solitude?" Fox wanted to know. "Fara's parents are here almost weekly because they're so delighted to have grandchildren, everyone else drops in erratically, and Jordan is so sick of the babies crying he actually is trying to sing them to sleep at night, which only makes it worse…" He huffed.
Peppy looked at Fox for a long moment. He did look tired, but there was a glitter in his eyes that belied it. "You're having fun, aren't you?"
"Yes." Fox grinned, leading Peppy through the tree house to the den. Fara was already there, relaxed in a chair, playing with her son. Everyone had been stunned when Fara had had twins, except Alan--he had known all along.
"Afternoon, Peppy." Fara said, looking up. "What brings you here?"
"Nothing, really. Just erratically dropping in." He grinned at Fox, who smiled and shrugged. "So, really, how are things here?"
"Wonderful. Peaceful." Fox said, sitting down, snuggling his daughter. "So, anything interesting on the grapevine?"
"Nothing you haven't already heard. Katt finally collared Falco into marriage…"
"That took long enough." Fara remarked.
"We all think that, I assure you. Bill's still traveling, I don't think he's doing so as a gladiator though." Peppy frowned to himself thoughtfully. "How about with Tempest? Heard anything recently?"
"Actually… No. Though I did hear him mutter something about 'going home' last I saw him." Fox paused. "It's kind of odd still that my grandfather has adopted him, but I don't mind at all. Anything new from the Bayou?"
"Complete chaos, from what I've heard. The treaty still holds, but according to traders, the Carnival was completely ripped down and rebuilt. Not only that, supposedly Alan is starting to bring in powerful clerics, trying to purge some of the poison out of the land so it's more productive. And this last thing I know for certain. He kicked out Lord Quick."
"You're kidding."
"No, he's not." Alan leaned on the doorframe, grinning. His clothes had changed, he was dressed much like the Jack had once, apparently it was part of the position. He had left off the Jester's cap, though, it seemed that he was satisfied with his own bright crest of feathers. "Hello, everyone. Your house was nice enough to let me in, Fox."
Fox grinned. "Alan! Sit down! When'd you get here?"
"About ten minutes ago. I left the Baron and the Demoiselle in charge." Alan strolled in and leapt over a chair, landing neatly and crossing his legs at the knee absently. True happiness and power radiated from him. "So, since Peppy started explaining, I'll finish. Evil exists, it must to balance the light, but it needn't be so completely vile. The old carnival was falling apart, so I replaced it. Lord Quick apparently threw a complete fit, saying it had been standing for centuries, and I just told him that was why it had to come down." He polished his nails on his shirt and looked at them absently, mind wandering. "Apparently the fact that I was going to be enacting many large changes worked into his plague-addled brain, and he tried to rebel. The fight lasted about an hour. Most of the fiends were wiped out, and he was chased off." An evil grin spread across his face. "But don't worry, he won't be doing any harm, I promise you that."
"Good to hear, I guess… Um, do we want to know what you did to him?" Fara finally said, blinking.
He continued studying his nails. "I turned him mortal."
Fox grinned. "Good choice. Glad you didn't kill him."
"I'm not the Jack of Tears, old friend." He grinned at Fox, but this time it was his normal one, full of light and energy. "Now, can I hold your children or what?"
"I never thought I'd return here." Tempest remarked, craning his neck up. The trees were all still standing, taller then he remembered, and the skeletal remains of the once-grand Elven city clung to the branches, broken rope bridges swinging in the wind. But in his mind and heart, he still saw the city as it once had been, and it sent a ripple of pain through him.
"Given what has happened here, I don't think anyone could blame you." Aust sighed, looking up at the ruins. "I still can't believe this happened. I used to visit here, every now and then. Your family was some of my finest allies…"
"The fact that it happened still fills we with rage." Tempest finally admitted. "But it's done, and there is nothing I can do to undo it."
"Would you if you could?" Aust lifted an eyebrow.
Tempest opened his mouth, then looked thoughtful. "I would give anything to have my family back, to hold my wife again… but I would not have made some very good friends if this hadn't happened." He sighed. "I don't know, Aust. I don't know."
"No one expects you to." Remarked a voice above them. They both looked up, and saw Corellon sitting on one of the low branches, swinging a foot absently. "The events that have passed cannot be undone. But if they are remembered, we can prevent them from happening again."
"Come here often, my lord?" Aust finally asked, stunned.
"Sometimes. It's a good place to think." Corellon leapt down. "And to muse on the past. You agree, apparently."
"Indeed." Tempest nodded. "I suppose that I needed closure. Ending of one life, starting of another."
"A good philosophy, that." The avatar easily agreed, and turned to Aust. "Being you are so tolerant, would you be willing to take in a trio of Drow I kidnapped from Lolth during the fight?"
"I don't see why not, if they've truly given up their past belief." Aust replied easily.
"Good then." He hesitated, then looked back to Tempest. "I have a message for you. Your family sends their regrets that they are no longer with you, and asks to be remembered, but has ordered you to mourn no longer."
"Ordered me?" Tempest blinked.
"Yes indeed. Apparently they feel they've been mourned enough. They'd like you to move on."
Tempest sighed, staring up at the ruined city. "I will. I'm going to rebuild a family, collect some allies, and build this city anew."
"Good plan, my friend, very good plan." Aust smiled.
Wind washed over them, and when they looked back at Corellon, he was already gone, happy his follower had healed. After all, everyone needed closure.
Heian sighed, leaning on the table and watching the carnival. Why he had come back here, he wasn't sure, but he actually felt sort of safe here. No one here had a reason to hurt him, and none of his enemies dared pursue him.
Speaking of enemies, he had to wonder what had come of Himo. He knew that Himo had won the fight against Lolth, but when Mormo had appeared, he had thought it prudent to leave, and leave quickly. He assumed that his old rival had probably continued traveling with the group he was in, which meant east, over the mountains.
Feeling eyes bore into him, he looked up, and saw Sashima, the new bayou leader's lover, staring at him. He wove a finger idly, she just looked at him, then turned away and slipped into the crowd. It didn't bother him, stranger things happened every five minutes in the Bayou, so he continued to sip his beer and stare off into space. It wasn't until the area around him started getting quiet that he realized something was going on. Looking up, he saw the crowd parting, now silent and curious, and a regal figure strolled through the path cleared, right toward him. Lord Alan Mangrove, nicknamed the Jack of Mercy. He nodded and lifted his mug. "M'lord the Jack. What can I do for you?"
"For starters, elf, I am not your lord." Alan leaned on the table and looked at him, and Heian startled, realizing that this new Jack wasn't smiling at all. In fact, anger rolled behind his eyes, burned off him.
"Is something wrong?"
"Oh yes, elf, something is very wrong. I know everything and everyone in my Bayou. You're not one of my people, but I recognize you." He narrowed his eyes. "I saw you fighting Tempest before Mormo rose. And I strongly suspect that you are the one that nearly killed him."
"You know him?"
"He's my friend." Alan said in a very quiet, deadly voice. "And those that hurt my friends are my enemies."
"Hold on, now." Heian stood and held up his hands in treaty. "I haven't done anything to you."
"You didn't have to."
Power exploded as Alan tossed the table aside as if it weighed nothing, lunging forward and grabbing Heian by the throat, easily taking him to the ground. Heian gagged, effectively pinned. "If you kill me, you'll put your new title to shame." He remarked, straining to breathe.
"I'm not going to kill you." He replied, flicking his wrist in the air. Foolscap appeared in his hand, and he twirled the wand through his fingers. "I'm going to make sure that everyone who meets you knows you're trouble. So tell me, do you still ally with Lolth?"
"She wants me dead."
"She'll want you more then that now." Was the smug reply, and Alan pressed the wand to Heian's chest. Pain gripped him, and suddenly the torches lighting the area sent stabs of pain through eyes so sensitive a candle would burn them. He screeched and curled up on his side when Alan released him, standing over him and grinning to himself. "Get used to it. You see in heat vision now."
Heian trembled as he looked at his hand, looking at what he knew was black skin and fur. A curse, perhaps, or a powerful polymorph spell, it didn't matter. He was crippled, blinded by starlight.
"Now get out. And never come back. Be sure you tell people what happens to my friends." Alan turned on heel and walked back through the path still parted in the crowd, which suddenly surged to life, applauding and supporting their new leader, leaving the former elf to moan, curled up on the wooden walkway, wondering how soon he would be found and killed.