First of all, I'm SO VERY SORRY for this chapter being so late. I'm so sorry! I had extremely bad writer's block.
All my thanks goes to The Lost Son of Gaia, LucasTheCookie, and warrior of six blades for their encouragement and friendship.
I don't Elsword, it's characters, or any other non-OC entities in this story (ie, Pichu.)
I do own Alma, Mira, Cedric, and my OC-ish concept type whatever you call it for Seris.
(I have no idea how to credit Seris? Like KOG uses her in Raven's backstory, but I sort of characterized her for this story? Does that even? What do?)
And if you haven't noticed from the prior chapters, this story is part of a series! Read Relearning the Seraph and Finding the Blazing Heart first!
Annnnyway-here's the final chapter for Embracing the Future!
Classlist:
Elsword: Rune Slayer
Eve: Code: Nemesis
Rena: Wind Sneaker
Raven: Blade Master
Chung: Deadly Chaser
Aisha: Dimension Witch
Ara: Sakra Devanum
Elesis: Blazing Heart
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Alternate World Classlist:
Elsword: Lord Knight
Eve: Code: Battle Seraph
Rena: Night Watcher
Raven: Veteran Commander
Chung: Tactical Trooper
Aisha: Elemental Master
Ara: Asura
Elesis: Grand Master
~/~
Original Character Classlist:
Seris: Body of Light
Mira: Code: Future Hope
Alma: Moon Maiden
Embracing the Future
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Chapter 10: Jingling Hearts of Home
'Just in time...for a Christmas miracle...and a better year ahead for us all...'
It had been weeks upon weeks since Alma's battle with her demon-possessed alternate. She had been in recovery since then at the castle, until her strength would be enough to handle the strength of her sword. The sword that would send everyone home. That time had finally come, where Alma...that was, Philomela...was strong enough. However, she did not wish to be fully known by that name...thus, to the El Gang, she was still Alma. She was still as Raven had called her when they had first met. As the door of the castle closed behind them, Seris looked over to Mira, Cedric, and Alma while cradling Tyrell in her arms to guard him for Rena. They had all just shared their farewells and goodbyes with this version of their ElGang...but it was time to go. Alma gently drew her sword then, stepping forward in silence as she then rose it and stabbed it right into the ground.
"Sword of a Thousand Moons, your Moon Maiden calls to you! Hear me now and send us all back to which we came! To our dimension, I command you now!"
Alma was indeed heard, as a starry glow rose through the sword, a small magic circle encircling the party before they became encased in pillar of light. Proactively, all closed their eyes as they rose into the sky then. Even when they felt themselves land somewhere...none opened their eyes until finally...
"Mira!" cried Elsword.
"Our daughter!" Eve exclaimed as well.
"Alma! Seris! Cedric! Thank God..." Raven gasped.
"Tyrell!" Rena yelped.
"...where the hell did that sword come from?" inquired everyone else in unison.
"Daddy! Alma is a Moon Maiden!" Cedric cheered, clapping in joy.
"Mother! Father!" Mira called.
"Raven!"
Alma sat up as Raven got tackled to the ground by his wife and son. Mira threw herself into Elsword and Eve, while Rena swept up her baby brother in a fit of squealing adoration. She gazed lightly at her sword now. Her sword. It felt weird to call it that, considering she had been responsible for shattering it into pieces. The blade gleamed black, yet glistened like stars when light stuck it. The handle was white, with purple speckles. It was a long, thin blade...and it was dangerous. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at it silently, ignoring the reunion for the time being as Seris gently explained to Raven what he had missed. Including the truth of who Alma was. As Alma stared at her sword though, she began to glow again. A soft white this time. Raven looked up just in time to watch the woman's hair completely turn a sheer, pure white. Whiter than even Eve's hair. A slight pink tint came into it too, as she opened her crystal blue eyes, looking at them. One of her pupils was normal, the other a crescent shape, as she finally looked at Raven.
"I am Philomela Livna Relivu. But...with all of you...I only wish to be known as Alma. I am...I am a Moon Maiden. And...if you don't mind...I'd like to stay with you. You and Seris...Raven. If I may."
He smiled at her, "Only if you forgive me for what I did."
"I already have."
Releasing his wife and child, he laughed as Alma ran to him and threw her arms around him, tears in her eyes as she hid against him.
"Thank you for forgiving me too...Dad, Mama."
Seris chuckled and wrapped her arms around her husband and new daughter, as Cedric hugged the girl as well. Alma embraced this family now, holding the boy and snuggling close to her new parents. She was ready to accept her future. She was ready to embrace it with all her might.
"It looks like we're all finally together, just in time to decorate for Christmas!" Elsword announced.
"Aw, yes! Today is Christmas Eve! They're just in time!" squealed Rena, "Time for me and Tyrell to get dressed in those cute elf costumes I got!"
"I guess Raven finally has someone to pull the Mrs. Claus to his Santa this year," Eve chimed in.
Raven turned dark red and Seris looked over at him with a giggle.
"Aww! Raven, you still pull off a good Santa? I can't wait to be your Mrs. Claus then," She chirped as she poked his cheek, even as he rolled his eyes and then just surrendered to kissing her head.
But nothing could wipe the pink blush off his face.
"Yay, Christmas!" screeched Cedric.
"Yahoo!" Aisha yelled out.
"I'm going to make the best Gingerbread Houses ever!" Elesis announced.
"Sure, as long as you don't bake the pieces," Elsword deadpanned.
"How dare you insult my amazing cooking!"
"Elesis, honey, don't worry about it. I bought you the kits at the store today," Chung sighed and patted the Blazing Heart on the arm.
"See! Chung has faith in me!"
"Yes because he got the kits, not the ingredients."
"Hmph!"
Rena took off with Tyrell while Ara began stringing garlands and lights all over the house. Aisha took up crafting and hanging paper snowflakes all along the ceiling. Raven and Seris doubled down on a Christmas Eve meal and planned out the one for Christmas day tomorrow as well. Eve and Elsword put together two huge Christmas trees; one inside the house and one outside. Elesis began crafting the Gingerbread houses while Chung began decorating little mini Christmas trees; one for each ElGang member to have in their respective bedroom. While Seris mixed up the soup for dinner, Raven came up behind her to gently hang one of her gifts around her neck, which was a beautiful pearl necklace. Elsword lightly hung a frilly red scarf around Eve's neck and another matching scarf around Mira's neck. Both were imbued with a rune to keep them warm, as Eve rested a stuffed kitten in Mira's arms. She then dragged him under the mistletoe that Aisha was hanging, waited a bit, and lightly kissed him under it. With a grin on her face as she stared as the huge blush on his face, she presented him a new scabbard for his sword. As Cedric and Alma ran into the kitchen to help their parents with dinner, each were handed matching stuffed teddy bears. Chung put a ruby hairpin in Elesis' hair, while she gently handed him a pair of nicely knitted blue gloves. And Stay the Pichu tackle hugged his face, managing not to electrocute him. Ara tossed Aisha a new pair of snow boots and was thus handed a fox mask, which caused Ara quite the amused laugh.
Of course, decorating had it's fiascoes.
As Aisha levitated along the ceiling and walls to hang the decorations and mistletoe, Ara wound up hanging garland on her. It didn't help that Elsword kept eating the popcorn for the special decoration strings Eve was creating gently. It amused the nasod slightly, but it did cause them to have less strings than planned. Still yet, the trees came out really nicely much to the pride of the nasod queen. Raven avoided allowing his wife to chop anything up, recalling that usually resulted in her injury. Instead, he let her make the soup broth, while his children rinsed the vegetables for him to cut up into the broth. He couldn't help but notice a blush on Alma's face as a light glowed in her eyes while she gazed at Cedric as the boy talked away with her. The little boy was telling her all about the vegetables and how to clean them. And she was listening, as though nothing else could possibly make her happier than hearing his voice. It made Raven happy to hear from her, proud of the bond his son and adopted daughter were making. It was precious and he grinned to Seris, her gorgeous eyes sparkling as she winked back. Despite Aisha screeching at Ara about the garlands, Elesis seemed to have great luck with the gingerbread houses, building one for each ElGang member and child. As Ara apologized in panic, Rena danced back in with her baby brother, both dressed like perfect Christmas elves.
"Alma, this one is called a tomato!"
"It's so shiny!"
"Yes! And we get to make it shinier!"
"That's possible!?"
"Yes!"
"Okay!"
"And this one is called a carrot!"
"It looks delicious!"
"It is, I promise!"
"Elsword, stop eating the popcorn!"
"But it's buttery goodness!"
"Noooo, Tyrell! Don't nibble on your buttons!"
"Seris, that broth smells great!"
"Ara how dare you! I'm not a wall!"
"I'm so sorry!"
"You're flat like one!"
"Shut up Elsword!"
"You can't make me, tabletop!"
"I'll set you on fire to match your hair!"
"Oh please. Please just try."
"Knock it off, you two!"
"Chung look! I made the house!"
"It looks beautiful!"
"Thanks! I told you I could do it!"
"I never doubted it."
Before long, the house smelled like egg nog, cinnamon, and chicken soup as Seris served dinner onto the fine china plates that Raven had so gently set the table with. Alma finally took her place beside her new family. Beside her new friends. Mira joined them too, finally returning from wherever she had gone while the group was decorating. She put little tiaras on Eve and Alma, lay a small pocket watch in front of Elsword, and then handed Cedric a box for his stuff.
"It's called a keepsake box, for all your favorite things."
Alma smiled as she watched everyone interact, especially as Cedric squealed and hugged Mira, then tackle hugged the Moon Maiden, handing her a small token himself. It was a little ribbon, which the young girl tied into her hair, before thanking the boy. She wondered how she had ever gotten this far without such a loving family...she wondered how she could possibly deserve them...
But, as she listened to Rena and Seris sing Jingle Bells together, she understood...that it didn't matter whether she deserved them or not. Because they wanted her here, regardless. It was time for her to let go of everything she had done...and accept that everything was going to be better now. She eased for dinner as everyone began to eat finally. The table wasn't silent one bit as everyone began to chatter.
"So much happened this year! I wonder what in the world we'll achieve next year!" Ara chirped.
"Maybe Chung and Elesis will give me a nephew or a niece," Elsword snickered.
"Elsword, shut up!" Elesis cried.
"I'm too young!" the pairing finally screamed in unison.
"So what?" Elsword deadpanned.
"You know," Raven murmured, "I just realized that Elsword and Chung went for people older than them."
"Hah! Eve is an old lady!" Aisha howled with laughter.
"Aisha-"
"How dare you!"
Slap.
"Ow!"
Alma shook her head and chuckled, resigning to her dinner. Her white hair glistened and her heart continued to beat on and on. She was their Moon Maiden. Mira was Code: Future Hope. Cedric was...well, Cedric. Nothing could make Alma happier than that. She was proud, so very proud, to join this lovely group.
"I love you guys so much..." she murmured softly to herself.
"And we love you Alma," Raven responded, patting her head, "-we always will."
Alma smiled as she snuggled Cedric, eating her food with only one hand while the other lay on his back. The boy had not released her despite knowing it was time to eat...and his warmth relieved the young girl. She closed her eyes, letting those painful memories sink into the lining of her mind. Knowing he was calming Alma, Seris and Raven let their boy be, for they knew he'd eat when he was ready. Everyone was at peace with the world now, as they chatted away about the exciting holiday. This was their haven and their joy where they could be themselves. Eve and Elsword were gently teaching their daughter about the Christmas story. Seris and Raven were talking away about their children. Chung and Elesis carried a discussion about their families. Rena was feeding her brother while merrily telling him all about elves and Christmas. Not that anyone was really sure as to whether or not the boy understood. Aisha excitedly squealed about the date she had with Allegro later with Ara, demanding that the latter go with her for a blind date she and Allegro had set up.
Alma felt the peace of the group...she was safe here. Proudly, this was her present and her future for her to relish; to cherish.
~Fin.~
Thank you all for reading! Please review and let me know what I should write next, whether more of the series or another story altogether!
I love you all and I thank everyone for their patience as well as support!
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year my dearest readers!