PROMISE HAS BEEN KEPT! Here are the thank-yous (read the A/N at the end for "closing comments"): lynxygirl16, Smitten by Marauders (oo… can I have the cookie now! lol), Mad-4-Manga, Whende (I loved the compliments! But, I said it would be updated on Dec. 25… so, yeah… THANK YOU THOUGH!), jubli pebble (I like being evil w/cliffies! It's so much fun! Anyway, I really liked your suggestions! I am going to use them in some way. Thanks for the ideas! Read my final A/N…), JamSack, little mimi, Indian Ink, Kat (Merry Christmas to you, too!), Masked Dragonfly 0926 (I'm glad you won't kill me! Happy Christmas!) And now, THE FINAL CHAPTER!
Madria and I stood in my backyard. I was in a "bathing suit", I had a strange brown drink in one hand that I remembered calling "root beer", and I was holding the book that I loved so much: Ella Enchanted. No time whatsoever had passed on Earth.
Madria kissed me on my cheek gently, saying, "May you find peace here on Earth. I leave you now."
Of course, Madria couldn't remain that solemn for that long, and burst out in merry laughter. "Oh, I do hope you had fun! It was so much fun for me, at least. What a wonderful adventure! Goodbye, Ruth Elisa Kent. Goodbye, Elisa the Elfian Warrior."
With that, she was gone in a rich aroma of roses. For the longest time, I stood there, trying to figure out if the other world was just a wonderful dream, or if this world was a terrible nightmare. After a while in thought, I realized that I wasn't angry or sad or happy. I was simply… confused. I looked down at my feet. There, lying in the grass, was the wooden sculpture John had made for me: the rearing unicorn that I thought resembled Moonlight. My confusion melted away into calm peace when I picked up the sculpture. I wondered if I had kept… yes, there it was. My diamond necklace from Flora. And then, just for curiosity's sake, I gently reached my hand to feel my back. The scars from the whipping were still there. I vaguely thought about how I would explain it to my… parents and brother? Neither world was a dream; they were both real. I sighed as I turned towards the strange-looking dwelling… my home.
I walked into the house, muttering to no one in particular, "What a stupid fairy."
A year passed. I, as Ruth Elisa Kent, changed from the way I had been before. I began taking horseback riding lessons, which came very naturally to me. I went everywhere in bare feet, because I was so used to walking in bare feet in the other world. My brother and I, instead of fighting all the time like we used to, became good friends like Emma and I had been. I got a job at a large farm, where I was actually paid well and the owner said I was the best help she had ever had. I was also a natural at foreign languages, and I began to learn as many as I could. I was stubborn to get my way, defiant if I did not want to do something, and I relished being able to say "no" to a command. Of course, I realized that this was no change in my personality on Earth. That whole year I never had a boyfriend; in my eyes I was still married to the love of my life, but I did not tell anyone.
My mom and dad worried sometimes at all these changes, but they concluded it was for the better. My mother was a fashion designer, and my father owned his own restaurant. They reminded my so much of my parents in Kyrria that I had a feeling that they were, except in modern Earth time.
I reflected on the past year with a tinge of sadness. I was trying to meld both of my worlds together, and it was a losing battle. I stared at my reflection in the mirror with a smile. My eyes held a certain look that made me seem far beyond my fifteen years. I looked mature, but mischievous at the same time. I liked it. You know, I thought, if I look closely enough, I almost look like I'm part elf.
The next day I decided to do something for old times' sake. I walked out into our backyard, root beer in one hand, Ella Enchanted in the other. I hadn't read that book since… that day. I walked out to the garden, feeling the soft, moist earth underneath my feet. The sky was painted in beautiful shades of blue, purple, yellow, orange, and red as the sun faded from view. I lay down on the earth, propping myself up on one elbow. After taking a sip of root beer, I began to read.
A thundering of hooves filled my ears. I stood up calmly, not at all surprised to see a group of horses and their riders galloping towards me. Emma and Ginger, John and Cinnamon, Rilean, Caspian, Flora, Seek, and one horse without a rider – my precious Moonlight. They all stopped in front of me. John bent down from his saddle and we kissed passionately, with much cheering and cat-calling from the others.
"Hey, Mom?" I called to the house after our lips parted. "We'll all be back for dinner, all right?"
"All right! Have fun!" Came the reply.
Emma grinned as I vaulted easily onto Moonlight's back, as if I had been doing it all my life. Moonlight pranced underneath me, joyful to have his rider back. With that, we all took off into the sunset, Emma and I with our green-flecked hair streaming behind us, revealing slightly pointed ears, and joyful, gleaming eyes.
The End
FINAL A/N: Or is it the end? I have decided that, by popular request, I will make a sequel. Just give me some time to get a story together, and I will see you soon ((winks)). Look for me in a couple of weeks or more! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LOVELY REVIEWS! I really, really appreciate it so much! Thanks to the faithful, the random and sparatic, the new, and the old. I feel as if I've become good friends with you all ((sniffle)); I expect you all to be there when I begin that sequel… I'm honestly not sure how it's going to turn out… I hope you'll like it. So, perhaps it's not the end, and I'm not as sad at ending this story knowing that I will attempt a sequel to my story. Look for the sequel!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL,
AND OF COURSE, A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!