And finally... the last chapter.
John's POV
"You sure you don't mind goin? It's Antarctica." Hellboy said.
"You know, I don't really mind the cold. Not at all." I said. "I've got a lot to think about. So much has happened since we met. I can't believe it was only three years ago."
"Yeah, after all that's happened to us… I can't believe all of it." Hellboy said.
"I never believed in all this stuff till I met you guys. The crash course I got was intense. But nothing… prepared me for Shadow."
"I don't think anything could have prepared us for that little encounter. It was hard to believe she was my sister… sort of. But… now…I'm glad I had family." Hellboy said.
After everything we had been through, our life was going to seem much calmer. I was in more control of my abilities. I had learned so much in such a short time, I hadn't woken up from the ordeal until after most of clean up had been finished, three months later.
If you could say one thing for the bureau, it was quick to pick up after itself. The blast was said to be some sort of terrorist attack, and the loss of life had been minimal.
Just remembering the whole ordeal made me feel so lost. I sighed, trying to steady my nerves. I saw Moon, who hadn't taken human form since the battle. She had hardly spoken to me. It was as if she was no longer a Celestial Wolf, but just a run of the mill wolf, with higher intelligence than normal.
She had been hit pretty hard by the outcome, just as I had. I approached her slowly, in case she chose to attack.
"I know you can still understand me Moon. I know how badly you hurt by all that happened. But we're safe now. Come on. Let's go to the meadow to say goodbye. I know Shadow would want us to. She would have wanted to see it one last time." I said.
She followed me, and we entered the meadow. It was in its fall state; the leaves were turning, and swirling around us in a small breeze. I smiled, knowing that I could have something like this in Antarctica if I really wanted. And perhaps I would ask for one. It would help remember what it was like before.
I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I was going to miss all of this. The romping of the Wolf-kin through the meadow, chasing after them, since I had been charged with their care. The times I had spent with Shadow, not realizing how in love with her I was. The kiss.
Without realizing it, we had all been drastically changed by her entry into our lives. I had gone beyond the world of the living. Into a realm no one else dared go, except for one, Hellboy. I had traveled beyond the realm I knew. I had braved the grasping souls of the dead to bring her back to life, to do battle. To ultimately sacrifice herself.
Shadow had sacrificed herself to destroy the one we had known as Phineas, the one who had stolen the face of another. But Moon and I, we had realized it just in time, and we had saved her from falling over the brink.
When everything was on the road to normalcy, as normal as it got at the BPRD, we had chosen to be married. All according to Liz's calculations, to be within the rules of the Mage world.
I looked at Hellboy as Moon and I returned.
"It's gonna be cold."
"I don't mind the cold, really. Besides, I don't want Manning to get wind of our little secret before we head out. It's for the best. I'd rather not be recalled in mid flight."
She would be safer there, in Antarctica. The magnetic pole would hide her from any others while she was pregnant. We weren't sure if she would be the mother of a new litter of Chaos mages, or if they would have something else to be empowered by. What I did know was that to keep the world safe, for now, we would have to hide the existence of the last Chaos mage.
Shadow's POV
It was hard to remain as still as I had to be. I had been placed in a chamber to hide my mage abilities. No matter the amount of control I now possessed, they did not want to take any chances in my condition, especially with the amount of interest at the bureau, and among those who we did not call friend.
I saw John and my pack sister enter the room. We would soon be leaving for our new home. He smiled as he saw me; it was a strange word for the action of baring your teeth. And it could be used in so many ways, even as the way wolves used it.
I couldn't think of who, or what, I was now. I had grown up wolf, but in reality I was human and demon. I even remembered parts of my life that had happened ages ago. They were memories that I did not wish to have. But they were a part of my life.
The happiest memories I had were of our wedding.
It had been a small affair. I had not wished for human traditions, but I knew John would want nothing less than the people we worked with. His family hadn't known that he had even chosen a mate. They were surprised to be called to his wedding. They were more surprised to see the female he would be bonded to for life was me.
They were not used to Hellboy either, so tried to like me. I could tell by the way they smelled of fear and loathing. I looked nothing like a normal human, the jungle clothes I wore, my tail, my eyes. But they were things that John had cherished about me. And soon he let them know it too. They thought be exotic and beautiful, but a savage instead of a human.
I had been fitted in a dress, but soon my jungle clothes had taken it apart, and created something completely new. It would have looked the same to any other, but it was in fact many small white jungle flowers, except for the crimson flower that marked a scar I would have for the rest of my life. A wreath in my hair was made of beautiful flowers as well.
As soon as the human ritual was done, we performed the sacred jungle ritual. We had marked one another as our mate. No one would ever see otherwise.
We had what John had called a 'honeymoon'. It wasn't much in his opinion, but any time alone with him, I cherished, because I knew it wouldn't last long. We ran as wolves, as humans, and enjoyed the company of one another, as a mate should.
John pressed some buttons on the chamber wall, and smiled. I could only think he was looking at what I had been for the past few sunrises. Our cub.
I felt the temperature in the room outside change, a small sound like chiming metal, and a slight breeze from a fall day.
"Your pure heart has led you down a great path John Meyers. You have protected this girl, my daughter with all you had. And you have loved her more than I ever thought possible. I thank you John. I am again a grandfather, and very proud of my children."
We looked at the image of my father, Professor Broom. He had been present at our wedding. Since the battle, I had managed another feat. To bring the spirit of a dead one to the realm of life. I had wanted my mother, but I understood what my father had meant to my brother, and everyone else at the Bureau.
"I heard you had chosen a human name. It is a little unorthodox, for a human name, but it is fitting I suppose. It has the same meaning as your other name, your code name, as it were. Lilith. The first woman, who would not submit to her husband. You have your work cut out for you John." My father said.
My mate flushed, embarrassed.
"And Moon chose Phoebe."
"Ah, you chose names that are like your original names, but more human."
"They didn't want to change too much to fit into the human world. And they knew that if they were to continue, they would have to take more human like names, so it would be harder to find us." John said.
"Yes, it is a good choice. Be safe in that frozen land. It is not hospitable to many forms of life."
"We know. Thank you." John said.
Two days later, three wolves were running across a frozen wasteland. They seemed much larger, more built for the weather. They were strangely colored for wolves, smoky grey, deep chocolate brown, and a pale moon white.
They stopped for a moment, and howled, their voices carrying across the frozen desert, to any who would hear them, and be afraid.