Epilogue: Nevermore

The boat cut cleanly through the dark waves, sending the boat bobbing gently back and forth as Kapp'n rowed steadily through the misty rain. His meager rowboat was a far cry from the large vessel he had commanded before, but the old man thought it fit him better. It had been easy to obtain, after all- only three days ago, some had reported a beam of light shooting into the air from the direction of the island where the infamous Mansion lay. Upon hearing these reports, Kapp'n had told his crew he would no longer need their services, and had sold his boat for his current mode of transportation, and set off for the island.

Everything, like always, was a misty gray upon the sea, and inside Kapp'n yearned for warm sunny summer days, the kind he had spent with his wife and daughter long ago. So much time had passed since he had seen them, but a day never went by when he didn't think of them. Would they forgive him for leaving so suddenly? He had hoped so, but he wasn't sure.

From out of the clouded mists came the rocky and familiar outline of the island's formidable coast. A month had passed since he had brought the eager reporter to this very spot, and Kapp'n was sure that the dock would be empty when he arrived. After all, the boy had shown the same spark of curiosity that could be easily mistaken for madness. He too could fall victim to the treacherous ways of the land.

However, as Kapp'n neared the dock, the mist parted to reveal a figure waiting upon it, a black umbrella perched delicately over their shoulder to keep the drizzling rain at bay. Kapp'n blinked, and then blinked again, hardly daring to believe what he saw as he stopped rowing. The boat glided forward and bumped against the dock with a small thunk, and he broke into a smile as he stared up at his visitor. "Well, whaddya kno'."

"Hello Kapp'n," Rosalina greeted the man with a small smile. "Mind if I come aboard?"

"Naw, 'ere's plenty o' room- but I take it th' boy..."

"You mean David?" Gently, she stepped down into the boat while taking the hand that the captain offered, and sat down with the umbrella still on one shoulder. "Ah, that's right- you were supposed to pick him up today, weren't you?"

"Aye, but somethin' tells me 'e's no longer here."

"You're right: he isn't." A momentary silence drifted down, interrupted only by the pattern of rainfall. "No one is here, actually. I'm the only one left."

"Wha?" Kapp'n's squinty eyes widened in surprise. "Is 'e...did 'e..."

"Yes, he found out all here isn't what it seems to be, and he managed to get Main's machine to work. A few days ago, he fought Main to keep him from destroying everything, and now he and the others are in their rightful place."

"So we can go 'ome now." A larger smile spread across Kapp'n's cracked and worn face. "I can see m' little girl 'gain. And m' wife."

Rosalina nodded. "That's why I was waiting on you- I wanted to make sure you were with us before I left. I wouldn't dare leave you behind." Her smile faltered, as she quietly added, "Kapp'n, I'm so very sorry for keeping you away from your family for so long. I already served my penance for giving Main something he needed to complete that infernal machine, but knowing I separated you from the ones you love cannot be so easily forgiven."

"Eet's not yur fault, m'dear," Kapp'n remarked softly. "Ya did yer best, and eet worked."

Rosalina seemed to find this hard to believe. "If only I hadn't given him what he needed...it's partially my fault we ended up here, because of what I gave him. That's why I served under Main, since I thought it would be a way to repay the crimes I had inadvertently caused. Yet in my time here, I have seen so many lies, so much hatred, and so much death. "

Kapp'n said not a word as his companion looked up at the cloudy skies, and the rain traced soft watery patterns down her cheeks. "Master Hand let himself be corrupted by power, and in the end, he received his just desserts. However, being here made me wonder...what is the limit of our sanity, Kapp'n? How do we know that our lives are our own, that our memories are in fact true? What if this is all nothing more than a dream? I know it seems silly now, since I know the life I live is my own, but after so many years of parroting Main's lies, I find the truth to be...questionable."

"Then what do ye believe?"

She thought for a moment. "I believe we all walk a fine line between sanity and insanity, and that sometimes that line becomes blurred. Yet, in the end, it all boils down to what we believe, and to ourselves that becomes the truth. The truth can set you free, Kapp'n, but it also can destroy your world...the question is if you are ready to accept the truth and all of its consequences." As she spoke, a smile drifted back onto her face, while she continued, "I knew David was one of those people who sought the truth and the answers as soon as I laid eyes on him. He was so naive, he needed guidance, and therefore the others and I helped him along. In a way, everyone here- David, Isaac, the Starling Court- was looking for the answer to the question we all asked ourselves: what is the truth? Luckily for us, David was the one to find it, and now we can finally see the answer with our own eyes."

The captain nodded slowly. "So, yer ready t' go then?"

"Yes, Kapp'n. It's time for me to return at last to my home, and for you to return to your world. It's been long enough- no more waiting."

He couldn't agree more, but just as he went to row away, something about Rosalina caught his eyes. At some point, she had traded in her nurse's uniform for a sea-green dress- how it had escaped his notice before was puzzling, but its fabric seemed to glow faintly and mesmerize him. "Gar, is that...?"

"Yes- I haven't worn it since I arrived here with the others."

"But what 'bout th' little thin' on eet?"

Her pale hand reached for the piece of fabric near her neck, where something had been sewn on in black thread- something that faintly resembled a bird. There was an accompanying chuckle from Rosalina. "Ah, this is a raven. It's a reminder of something I did during my time at the Mansion, so that I never forget what happened here...I think I might tell you the story behind it one day, if we ever meet again."

"Eet's one I'll be lookin' forward t' hearing. Now, let's be off!"

The thought of seeing his family again made Kapp'n let out a creaky laugh as he cast off, and he began to hum an old song that reminded him of the seas he had once traveled. Rosalina absentmindedly brushed droplets of water off the symbol that now adorned her dress, and turned her attention to the island. "Goodbye," she whispered under her breath, and for a moment she could have sworn the fog lifted enough for her to see the outline of a mansion in the distance, one that stood proud against the crashing waves and crumbling landscape that surrounded it.

Then the dense clouds of fog rushed in once more, and the island and boat disappeared into the ether, leaving behind nothing more than the lull of dark water and the memory of what once had been.

~Fin~