Elena, Isabel and Mateo each sat tall upon their jaquin companions as they flew back to Avalor, quiet smiles set on their faces. A new calm swept over them. No more threats, no more dictating sorceress, no more spirit army. Everything just seemed so peaceful now. They had done it. With Elena using the wand to lead the dark army away from Avalor, Mateo was able to slowly send each of the undead soldiers back to the spirit world. It had taken a while but it was done.
When the group returned to Avalor city they headed straight for the palace and landed on the balcony outside of Elena's room. The friends dismounted their jaquins and just stood together a moment. Elena looked to Mateo and took his hand and then looked to her sister and took her hand as well.
"What would I have done without the two of you?" Elena sweetly praised. Isa and Mateo smiled towards one another, knowing how hard they had worked together to come up with the answers and then they turned back towards Elena. Elena turned her full attention towards Mateo, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as she did.
"I'm so proud of how far you've come Mateo." She told him, that pride shining in her eyes. "You're not just a hero to Avalor.. You're a hero to all of the Ever Realm!"
Mateo shrugged modestly but met Elena's eyes and smiled in thanks of her praise.
"We would be no where without you Mateo!" Elena continued.
Mateo continued to beam at all the compliments but, after a quick thought crossed his mind, it all faded and he grew a bit somber. He looked down towards the ground, dropped his shoulders and released Elena's hand. "Yeah... I just wish my mother was alive to see it all and celebrate with us."
"She would be so proud of you!" Elena reassured him and his eyes reconnected with hers. The two friends shared a comforting look, conveying all the gratitude and admiration that they had come to feel for one another. "I'm sure that where ever she is.. she's celebrating with us right now."
"You're right... she would be" Mateo agreed, suddenly picturing Rafa De Alva looking down on him and delightfully declaring to the other angels that that was her son who was the chosen one. He could see her joyful expression and hear her loudly calling out commendations his way. Something that, were she alive, probably would have embarrassed him as it had many times before. A humored smile spread across his face at the memories and Elena knew exactly what he was thinking and let out a soft giggle. The two friends wrapped their arms around one another for a warm embrace.
"We should go find Naomi and Gabe and fill them in on what happened" Mateo suggested.
Elena nodded in agreement but asked Mateo if he could go on ahead. She wanted a moment with her sister.
Elena knelt down in front of Isa, and placed her hands on her sister's shoulders. She cocked her head to one side and just stared, truly looking at the strong young woman Isabel had become. Isa raised her brows at Elena's doting stare, wondering if Elena was ever going to say anything to her. Elena just laughed at Isa's bemused expression.
"I'm going to miss you more than you'll ever know when you go back to Cordoba" Elena said, her tear ducts beginning to fill.
"Trust me Elena, I know... cause I'll be missing you just the same" Isa replied and a single tear dropped from one eye as she sniffled slightly. Elena brushed her thumb over Isa's cheek, wiping away the tear.
"Promise me that no matter how busy we get, we'll always visit each other? And often?" Elena asked as she too began to cry.
"Elena! A trip to Cordoba only takes a day! It's not like we're going to be oceans apart!" Isa laughed.
"Still! You need to promise me" Elena insisted and Isabel grinned and agreed that of course she would.
"Ummm... Elena?" Isa asked, a bit nervous as to how Elena was going to react to what she had to say next. Elena appeared a bit concerned with Isa's hesitance and urged her to continue. "So... when I go back to Cordoba as Queen... I'm going to be appointing a counsel, just as you had here and well... Mateo has already agreed to come back with me."
Elena said nothing at first. She was too taken aback. She quietly stood to her feet as she thought about Mateo leaving Avalor.
"It's just for a short time... not necessarily forever!" Isa quickly added, trying to put Elena at ease. "And Mateo can come back here anytime. Like I said, it's not too far... there's no reason that he can't serve both kingdoms"
Elena nodded slowly but she wasn't completely focused. She was a little in shock. She had never imagined Avalor without Mateo. He had been the one to help free her from the amulet and he'd been by her side as not just her royal wizard, but as her friend, teaching her how to channel and use the magic inside of herself. He'd also always been there for Isabel though and at this time in their lives, Isa needed him more. Plus, having Mateo there to look after Isa would make Elena feel a bit better about having her sister so far away.
"yeah. You're right" Elena finally said and this time gave a firm nod of approval. "You need someone with you that you can completely trust and he'll help you make the right decisions."
"Thanks Elena! And you'll be OK here. You'll still have Naomi and Gabe and I don't think you really need a counsel anymore anyways... You've more than proven yourself as Queen!" Isa told Elena, warm esteem glistening in her eyes. Elena was not just her sister, she was her hero. Isa wanted nothing more than to be the sort of leader that Elena already was. She wished that Elena could be by her side every step of the way but she also knew that in order to truly soar, she would need to step out of Elena's shadow and do it on her own.
Isa ran off after Mateo and the others. He was going to be happy to know that Elena was OK with him leaving Avalor as well.
Elena watched her sister run off, looking so youthful in that moment. Elena knew though that it was time to let go. Isabel was still young but the things that she had seen and done made her grow up far beyond her years. She would never again go back to the innocence of childhood. The only thing for her to do now was keep moving forward towards her future.
Elena then turned around and walked over to the balcony's rail. She placed her hands on it and stood tall and regal as she looked out over her kingdom. Her kingdom. It was all hers now and it wasn't something that she had just inherited anymore. She had earned the right to rule and govern Avalor. She had made the most dehumanizing sacrifices and lost herself along the way but throughout it all, there were people who believed in her. Even when she had felt as if all hope were gone, there had always been people willing to fight for her and with her. She was meant to be a leader and others saw that in her, she truly saw it in herself now. She closed her eyes, feeling the breeze that came in from the harbor and the took in the familiar smell of the salt air.
She was too busy breathing in the moment to hear or see him coming but when she felt a hand rest upon and grasp her shoulder, she knew exactly who it was. She knew that touch all too well.
"Elena?" Gabe questioned softly, unsure if she was ready for company.
"This is all mine now" Elena sighed happily. She placed her hand on top of Gabe's and squeezed it. It was invitation enough for Gabe. He slid his hand off of Elena's shoulder and wrapped his arm around Elena's waist, hugging her tightly against him as he stared off into the distance alongside her. He leaned in and skimmed his lips across her neck. Elena grinned at the way the slight chill of pleasure put her at ease. It never mattered how far from Avalor they were, when she was in Gabe's arms, she always felt at home. Now, she truly was.
"Elena Castillo Flores" Gabe whispered in her ear "Queen of Avalor"
"Mmmm... I like the sound of that!" Elena giggled. "You really think I'm ready to crown myself as Queen though?"
Gabe let out a loud belly laugh. "Are you kidding me? You've been arguing that you were ready from the moment you stepped out of that amulet and now that you've somehow brought all these kingdoms together, all of which were willing to fight for you , defeated Shuriki for the second time and banished a spirit army out of the Ever Realm... now you're going to question it?"
Elena laughed as well. "Yeah... I guess that does sound a little ridiculous" She turned around to face the man who had stood by her through it all. Gabe nodded in agreement as he stared into Elena's lively eyes. Holding his loving gaze, Elena wrapped her arms around Gabe's shoulders, remaining attentive to his wound, and gently folded her hands together, letting them rest on his neck.
"You did it Elena. It was so long ago now... but when we were first stranded on that island you vowed to do whatever it took to get back to Avalor and win back your throne. You did it!" Gabe repeated in an incredulous tone, letting the wonder of her accomplishments set in.
"I did didn't I?" Elena stated, eyes sparkling in a way that Gabe had never seen before. She wore the look of pure confidence as she had in the past but this time she wore it without the naivete of youth. she wore it with experience and with wisdom. She wore it well.
"I always knew you would find a way" Gabe told her, evident sincerity in his voice. He pulled Elena's hips into his own and rested his forehead on hers. "Things got kind of dark there for awhile but... I never doubted you... not even for a second"
Gabe's eyes lingered on Elena's, silently relaying his love for her as they had so often done over the years. The prevalence was of little matter though, the look took Elena's breath away every time. Her heart would always stop and skip a beat and she couldn't imagine that feeling of enchantment ever ending. Gabe brushed himself against Elena's cheek on his way to meet her lips with his own. He kissed his Queen with the most gentle touch. Elena closed her eyes and let Gabe do the work for a moment before returning the gesture.
"Whoa!" Interrupted a shocked voice from behind them. It was Naomi. "Whoa whoa whoa!" She continued to repeat as she watched Gabe and Elena slowly pull away from each other's embrace, sporting slightly sheepish grins, as they had not yet mentioned to any of their friends about their relationship. It just didn't seem all that important given the impending doom of the world.
Naomi, with Mateo and Isa now also beside her and all with dropped jaws, continued to wonder aloud about what was going on "When did this happen?!" She asked, flailing her arms in the couple's direction. "I mean... yeah... we all kinda knew it would eventually happen but I mean... when did this actually happen?!"
Standing side by side with his Queen, Gabe wrapped his uninjured arm around Elena's waist and she reciprocated the move. They looked at one another, remembering the long, emotional journey that they had traveled together. The ups and downs of decisions and sacrifices that lead them back to Avalor. They then turned back towards their friends and just shrugged, not even knowing where they could begin.
"It's a looooong loooong story" Elena finally replied, sounding exasperated at just the thought of telling it. The five friends all shared a short chuckle as they wrapped their arms around each other, closing themselves off into a tight huddle, each of them knowing that they all had long stories of their own to relay. Stories of struggle, death and loss, breakdowns and hopelessness. But also stories about strength, determination, fearlessness, leadership, and valor.
"So now what?" Naomi asked as they broke their circle.
Elena looked to Mateo and Isabel who she knew would be off on their own path soon. Then to Gabe, who would remain by her side as always, as her guard, her love, and her purest supporter. Then she looked to Naomi, the girl with the biggest heart and even bigger mouth (in the best possible way). Elena had always relied on her open and honest approach to everything. Naomi never held back her thoughts or feelings.
"I become Queen of Avalor I guess" Elena answered with an awkward grin. There was no one there to tell her otherwise, all that was left of her grand counsel was Naomi, it seemed as if it were time for her to rule the kingdom on her own. "You'll stay here with me of course won't you? As my royal advisor?"
Naomi became overwhelmed with the love she had for her best friend. She was honored that Elena would offer her such a position. "Me? You're sure? Maybe you should offer it to someone with more experience?"
"No way!" Elena replied quickly. "Who would I find with more experience than you? You've served on my counsel for two years, always giving me sound and reliable advice, you were able to convince the Queen of Norberg to send her ships to an unknown island just to save me, you then led that world famous navy into battle for me not once but twice, each time proving you are a skilled commander... Naomi... there is no one who deserves the position more than you do and there is no one else that I would want to have it! You're it... and I won't take no for an answer!"
Naomi laughed at Elena's persistence before squeezing her friend extra tight as she happily accepted.
The five companions again took a moment and each looked to the other. They had a bond that was unbreakable. No matter where their lives led them next, they would always be connected to each other. Against all odds, they had survived and each made their way back home. There was so much love in that small circle. They were no longer just friends, they were family.
"I give you... Queen Elena Castillo Flores!" Armando announced as a newly crowned Elena sat upon her throne looking towards a crowd of Avaloran citizens who had come out to see her receive her title. The sound of the crowd's ovation engulfed Elena with warm feelings and filled her with pride to be in the position that she was in. She scanned the crowd, first looking to her right where Naomi, Mateo, Gabe and Isabel were watching. Her eyes then met those of Professor Mendoza who was standing front and center. She and Elena had come together earlier in the day and Elena flooded the professor with praise and as much gratitude that she could muster and then some for all that she had done for Isabel. Moving along, Elena spotted Gabe's parents. Their eyes were locked on their son and Elena noticed that they held each other just a little bit closer than they had before, clearly never wanting to be separated again. Their love for each other and for Gabe was obvious. Gabe was lucky to have been able to grow up seeing what real love was supposed to be like and Elena couldn't help but get a little excited about what a future with him would hold. She caught a glimpse of Skylar, Luna and Migs hovering in the back of the room and frowned slightly at their situation. They were all that was left of their kind now. They had lost everything yet, they remained loyal to Elena at all times. They kept their promise and upheld their duties to protect Avalor. Elena marveled at their unyielding spirit. She finally settled on the dignitaries that stood to her left. The leaders of the kingdoms that had come to her aid and rallied for her. They were the true heroes to Elena. She stood up and took a few steps forward, ready to address her people.
"Thank you!" Elena spoke out to the crowd and their applause slowly became sporadic before it finally came to a halt. "Thank you everyone. It is an honor, a privilege and quite frankly a miracle to be standing here before all of you today. I'm proud to be able to call myself the leader of this great kingdom whose people have survived far too much tyranny, were forced into disparity and who were near annihilation. Still, the people of our nation remained strong and true. There were those of you who took risks far greater than I could ever ask or expect and too many ended up making the ultimate sacrifice in the name freedom. All of you standing before me today gave your unwavering support and never let hope fade into the shadows of darkness. It is YOU, my fellow Avalorans, who deserve praise and applause on this day"
The crowd erupted into cheers at Elena's words and she softly smiled at the people who were all willingly united. She was overwhelmed by their respect and by their loyalty.
"There are a few very special individuals here today that I would like to specifically honor. For every good leader must acknowledge that in order for their people to thrive, they can not rule in isolationism. We must support one another in times of struggle but also in times of peace for we are all of one race. Avalor would be non-existent if it weren't for the incredible friendships that we have formed with our neighboring kingdoms. It is because of their bravery, their willingness to stand up and fight for good over evil and their belief in us as a people and myself as a leader that we were able to overthrow dictatorship. And it is for those reasons that I'd like to invite the leaders ,or representatives, from the kingdoms of Cordoba, Enchancia, Norberg, Cariza and or course, Fuerza to please stand before me at this time"
The crowd again showed their gratitude but this time with a more controlled and respectful applause rather than wild cheers. Isabel, Queen Teresa, King Roland, and The Turner's all stepped forward. Elena noticed that Gervaso remained where he was. She walked over to him and looked up into his eyes.
"Would you please join the other leaders... King Gervaso?" She said sweetly. He looked down at her a bit skeptical at first, she had never officially turned the crown over to him.
"So this is it then? The end of our bargain?" He asked.
"You help me take back Avalor and I hand Fuerza over to you" Elena confirmed with a nod. "This is it. We're even. We no longer owe each other anything"
Gervaso's seemingly ever serious expression faded and he gave Elena a heartwarming smile, making the large warrior appear to be nothing more than a cuddly teddy bear. "We owe each everything. But I think... That a life time of friendship between our kingdoms will be more than enough to pay the debt" He offered as he held out his hand. Elena agreed and shook on it, officially denouncig herself as Queen of the Fuerza people and securing Avalor an incredibly strong and trustworthy ally. Gervaso then followed Elena back over to the other leaders and joined them. Elena once again took her place at center stage and had Armando roll out a tray that displayed each of the six Maruvian artifacts that were used to give Mateo his ability to defeat the spirits.
"As strong as our allies are in the present day, our strongest ally throughout this battle was always the Maruvians. An ancient people who prematurely left this world. But they knew that one day the people who would come to settle this land would be threatened by darkness once again. They cared enough about the human race to leave us survival tools. These tools, when combined as one gave us more strength and power than they possessed individually. The Maruvians also knew to spread them out across the lands, predicting that every kingdom would need to come together as one. These artifacts represent our bonds. They represent the diversity of people, culture, and kingdoms all uniting as one for a common cause. They prove to us that we are stronger when we stand together. Well, these artifacts no longer possess the magic left to us by the Maruvians but it would be a great honor if they could be accepted as gifts... to each of the kingdoms that stood together as one and fought for Avalor."
Elena picked up the Amulet of Avalor and approached King Roland.
"King Roland, this Amulet and I have a long history. It brings back so many memories of my family, of my worst years trapped inside and of course of your daughter, Princess Sofia. This amulet is beautiful but it is nothing compared to the beauty of Sofia's heart. She was willing to come to my aid, not even knowing who I was but simply knowing that I needed help. The people of Enchancia embody all that is good and beautiful in this world. May Sofia always keep this amulet close to her heart. Thank you King Roland"
She then picked up the Ruby Ring and stood before the Turners.
"Captain Turner and Captain Turner. This ring was used for generations by the royal family of Cordoba as a wedding ring. It represents love. I can think of no two people who better embody the meaning of love. Love for each other, for your family, your friends. Love for your home country of Norberg and the love that you have come to have for Avalor. Where ever your ships may bring you, may you wear this ring and spread that same love that gave you the strength to fight for us."
Elena embraced the Turners and then returned to the tray and picked up Shuriki's wand. She stood in front of Queen Teresa.
"Queen Teresa. It was in Cariza that Shuriki began her return. She split and tore your kingdom apart and ravished what was left. What you all went through was devastating and it will take a lot of hard work and time to rebuild. But you will rebuild and you will be stronger than ever. This wand belonged to Shuriki. May you look at it and be reminded that you and your people were stronger than it. Cariza was won back without magic or sorcery and it will be rebuilt without magic. Avalor will be with you every step of the way."
Next was the dagger. She stood before Gervaso.
"King Gervaso. This artifact was the only weapon. It is the only one that without magic can still be used in battle. It takes strength to use it and it also takes strength to know when you don't need to use it. The people of Fuerza are the epitome of what it means to be strong. I am proud to have been able to call myself their Queen and proud to have had the opportunity to lead them into battle. Use the dagger if you must but remember the way your father ruled. Firmly but without violence. I know you will do great things and fulfill your father's dreams of bringing Fuerza together with the rest of the world"
Elena then picked up the Codex Maru and hugged it closely to her chest. She took a brief moment for herself, knowing this was going to be the hardest to give away. She stood in front of Isabel as well as Mateo.
"Queen Isabel" She addressed formally, the sound of speaking her sister's title eliciting an abundance of emotion. She choked up a bit and just stared at Isabel with love and the highest esteem. Once she was able to compose herself, she continued "There is no artifact more fitting for you to take back to Cordoba than a book. A symbol for intelligence, knowledge, your eagerness to learn." Elena then playfully glanced towards Mateo before giggling a moment and adding "Plus, the codex is still filled with ancient Maruvian spells and history. Mateo will need it while he serves as your royal wizard." Mateo chuckled a bit too and was thankful to remain the keeper of the Codex. Of course he would get to keep the Codex! Elena then turned back to Isa, both girls trying to remained poised. "You are so wise Isa and Cordoba will no doubt thrive under your rule" Elena finished as she handed the book over to Mateo and then embraced her sister.
Finally Elena picked up the scepter and addressed all who were in attendance.
"The scepter will remain here in Avalor. I can no longer channel any magic through it but that doesn't matter. The scepter has been in my family for generations, no one ever knowing it's capabilities. This scepter represented leadership. Since I received this scepter three years ago I've been trying to learn about being a strong leader, like my father was before me and like his parents were before him. It wasn't until I saw all of you and your willingness to fight for me and to follow me that I realized what being a leader truly meant. You didn't follow me because of my name, or my army, or the fact that I could manipulate light with my scepter. You followed me because you believed in me. You could all see something within me that I didn't even know I had. True leaders don't use power, intimidation or magic. They use their hearts, they use love, they do what is best for all, not just what will benefit themselves. You all believed in me. You believed that I would stand up for what is right and for what is good in this world. This scepter will remind me everyday that because you all put your faith in me, that I can not let you down and I will not ever stop trying to be the best leader for not just Avalor but for our neighbors, our allies, our friends. Today... I declare that we will no longer play the vicious game of thrones that had hurt us all. Today... we are forever bonded!"
With that last statement, Elena lifted her scepter high, closed her eyes as she listened to the celebratory roar of her people and just... smiled.
THE END