Epilogue
The grave was by no means simple…it was delicately designed and masterfully decorated. Flowers of all shapes and sizes adorned the beautiful carved marble, the most predominate though were blood red roses. It was mid-January, and the snow swirled about gently as the musty gray skies promised more. Bare trees stood naked beside the many stone structures and the ash colored graves appeared even more somber as the form of a curly-haired young man kneeled before the most elegantly adored grave. He held a bouquet of roses, though he made a point of making them white, and calmly he placed them before the cursive letters: Gustave. The amber eyes of the rose bearer were narrowed in respect, and he quickly drew the sign of a cross before closing his eyes and mumbling in prayer. Unexpectedly, a large frosty ice ball smacked the boy in the face and he angrily stood and turned towards the red-handed snowball bearer. Seventeen-year-old Jean Paul Destler rolled his eyes and wiped the leftover snow covering his face before speaking.
"You're such a bastard."
Bending, Jean secretly gathered a large clump of snow into his hands and compacted it deftly into a large ball. His adversary dressed entirely in black and red, smirked and also began gathering more snow. Thus a large snowball fight ensued and after thoroughly covering each other in the frozen water particles, both exhausted forms climbed aboard two black and white spotted steeds and made their weary way homeward. From a large beautiful Château, a raven-haired beauty came stomping out.
"Gus! Jean! You're late!"
Smirking, the twins put their horses, Romulus and Remus, back into their stalls in the nearby stable and slowly turned to answer their gold-eyed sibling.
"If you-."
"Want to-."
"Blame someone." "Blame someone."
"Blame." "Blame."
"Jean." "Gus."
"Say what?" "Say what?"
"This is your fault!"
"No way!"
"You started the snowball fight!"
"You took like twenty minutes to 'say your prayers' to Grandpa!"
"I just wanted to say some nice things to Granda!"
"You didn't even know the guy!"
"You should pay more respect, you're named after him!"
"Shut up!"
"You!"
"You!"
"YOU!"
"YOU!"
"Both of you shut up!"
"Shut up Odette!" "Shut up Odette!"
Odette rolled her eyes at her elder brothers before heading out of the cold. As she entered the family room, she smiled as she spied her mother reading a bedtime story to the youngest in the family, Leonardo (Leo for short). Leo was by far a momma's boy, but at six it was definitely allowed. Christine looked up and smiled as Odette came into the room followed by Jean and Gus. It still took her back to see how much her little babies had grown. The twins were now both seventeen, and pursuing their futures in art and music. A few moments passed before Erik entered the room holding the hand of the youngest girl, Aurora. If Leo was a momma's boy, Aurora was a daddy's girl. She was only eight, but since the time she was born she seemed to feel most comfortable in her Papa's arms. Eleven year old, Odette was beginning to grow into a wonderful young woman, and she unfortunately looked up to the twins the most. Almost every night she asked the boys of the adventures of their youth and almost every night the three of them got into even more trouble. It had been a miracle ten years ago when Jean awoke after his near-death experience and found that his twin was alive and in the bed right next to him. When the bullet had hit Gus's mask, the porcelain naturally shattered, but steered the shot away from his face and causing it to only graze his ear. The force was enough to knock him out, and the shards of mask had cut his temple, but he had survived and had one hell of a story to anyone who wanted to hear. Life was now sweet for the Destler family, and Erik and Christine wouldn't have it any other way.
End Chapter 30
A/N: Well folks that's the end of SemiAngels Fly by Moonlight. Carpe Dia Belle Muerte means Reach for the Day Beautiful Death and at the beginning Jean was visiting Gustave Daae's grave (a.k.a. his grandfather.) If you aren't clear please send me a message and I'll explain. Thanks again! Ravenseye131
[Edit 9/30/11]: There will be no sequel to this story; I apologize for anyone who read this previous to this update and wanted one. I am not particularly proud of this piece several years down the road and while I don't want to take it down I also don't want to rewrite it. Again my apologies to anyone who has read this and desired a sequel.
