Author's note: Alright, I wanted to advance a little on some upcoming fanfics and so this one chapter is longer and I might have tried to squeeze too much at once.
But we're getting much closer to the end, and again, a thank you to ,my friend Vanessa Masters for help. Now enjoy!
It was Belos.
The Collector stated there was a way. He flew up to Belos and stated he understands he needs kindness and forgiveness, then hugs Belos' skull, much to the group's dismay and Belos' confusion. Assuming they reconciled, the Collector calls out they are friends now, but Belos breathes fire upon him.
Luz protected the Collector from the blast.
Shocked that Belos still attacked, the Collector asks if he did the right thing; Luz assures he did and tells him not to worry, but then looks down to find the moss stuck to her arms, spreading quickly. Luz says farewell to a horrified Eda and King, Aurelie and Oziel before succumbing to the mold, leaving behind small particles of light. The Collector tries to reach for her hand, but catches only one of the light particles.
The rest float across the Boiling Isles, including one that drifts by the students trapped at Hexside, and another to the Archive House where the kids are; sensing this, the puppet of Camila produces tears from its eyes. Without her wielder, Stringbean shifts into her staff form and falls to the ground.
Aurelie had gasped then tugged Oziel into her arms tightly. They'd just watched one of the first humans from Earth perish.
"Mommy?! Mommy, what happened to Luz!?" Oziel asked, and Aurelie felt her body shake with grief. She'd known the girl only for their two month stint on earth and her trying to thwart Belos, but the sight of a child being killed shell-shocked her.
"She's...she's gone.." Aurelie sobs. "Belos...he killed her."
"...no...no! Why did Daddy do that!?" Oziel whimpered, and pressed his face into her belly. All Aurelie could do was hold onto her son, trying not to hyperventilate from the horror and grief.
On Oziel's head, Munchkin groaned and wiped his eyes too.
The Collector was confused. "Luz? Luz? Yoo-hoo! You can come out now. Well, it's okay, she just broke, so I'll fix her." He snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. "What? Why isn't it working? The Archivists aren't here, they couldn't have taken her."
Belos aimed another beam at the Collector.
King suddenly roared and defends the Collector, conjuring a round shield with glyph patterns on it. His eyes have become purple and extra fangs appeared in his jaw. A blue light glows in his mouth and tears flowed down his face.
Aurelie remembered Belos and began pulling Oziel back, trying to take care not to step on the mold. The golem rumbled and picked up both mother and child.
The Collector addressed Eda. "Owl Lady, you know where Luz is, right?"
Eda gently pushed him aside, "Back up, kid. I don't think I can control myself right now."
She roared, growing in size and reverted to her original Owl Beast form. The grief has caused her eyes to turn orange and has extra sets of wings. Roaring again, she joined King and they attacked Belos. King released his power and they avoided the blasts.
The Collector looked to Aurelie with a sobbing Oziel. "W-where is she?"
Aurelie shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid Luz is..."
Terrified, The Collector tripped, causing him to let go of the light glyph. "She's really gone."
A light orb floats into the Strange Realm and settles into the water. From it, Luz's body reappears and she sinks into the water.
'Oh. I know what I should have said... I should have thanked them.' She thought.
A clawed hand grabs her arm, pulling the girl out before she sank any further. Two human-like hands hold her up until she's able to stand. She blinked seeing two figures in front of her, the second one greeted her with a single word. "Shalom."
Luz squinted at the first figure, "King?"
The new being chuckled then spoke in the same baritone voice that urged her to wake up. "No. But he does get his good looks from me."
"Oh, Titan." Luz was in shock.
"Oh, me. Nice to meet you, Luz the Human."
"You can't actually be the Titan, right? You're the Boiling Isles, and that Titan is all – " Luz began.
"Dead-looking?" The Titan titled his head slightly.
"Does that mean I'm also..." Luz wondered and unknowingly began to sink into the dark water.
The Titan pulled her right out. "Ah, no, nope, no. Don't wanna do that. If you go under without a portal, you really will be dead-looking."
Luz grinned. "I can't believe this. You're King's dad!"
"I think King said it best once. 'I am both King and Queen, best of both things.' But Dad works fine." The Titan replied.
Luz then noticed Malak. "Hey, you're Malak! You're the one who helped Aurelie – er, I mean, Sophie? Well, that's what she used to be called."
"Yes, I had intended to speak you the first time you arrived. However I was duty bound to the one who first freed me until then."
"I guess that makes some sense." Luz said then glanced around, "What is this place?"
"This is the space in between. Well, in between a lot of places. And I've been stuck here for quite some time. But at least I can keep an eye on my child. And those who have been kind to him." The Titan replied.
Luz sighed. "I'm not so kind. When I saw the Collector fly up to Belos, I hoped with all my heart I would see them blast him away, and…"
"Hey, I can relate. I was willing to do anything to keep my kid safe. But I attacked the wrong person. Dragged the Collector down here for nothing."
"Does that make us as bad as Belos?" Luz questioned.
"What? Have you been drinking Eda's homemade Apple Blood?" The Titan sounded baffled.
Luz explained herself sadly, "Well, Belos says he's trying to save humanity. Aurelie wants to stop another Holocaust from repeating. And we are saying we want to save our families. So isn't that the same thing? Don't—Don't these feelings come from the same place?"
"Nay." Malak answered morosely, shaking his head.
The Titan said, "You assume Belos's goal comes from a genuine place."
"It may have begun with two brothers attempting to fit in with a town full of fear and hatred. Had they not conformed at best they'd have been shunned, at worst dead. Caleb was his only living family member and caretaker…while only being a few years older… But even then, that familial love Phillip had for his brother was misguided due to his initial refusal to believe his brother would willingly leave him behind of his own free will." Malak explained, his voice full of sorrow. "Belos claims to love his family, however what he wants for them and what is truly the best for both his wife and child are vastly different. A mistake he made with his brother Caleb."
"Which led to the whole mess…" Luz murmured uncomfortably.
"However," Malak then intoned. "Phillip Wittebane, those provincial humans and many more like them have continuously forgotten or ignored the lessons of compassion and integrity." He looked upwards with great nostalgia. "Abba loves and still loves all," Malak said. "Even those of the Titan's realm here, be they witch or. Regardless of what one man thinks."
"And because of that, Belos fears what he can't control." The Titan said shaking his head.
"And now that fear is going to win."
"Sophie as you recall was a frightened young woman who fled persecution from those who'd annihilated so many of her people. She had thought this was the case for her family, thus she longed to form one." Malak replied.
"Speaking of Sophie, well as Aurelie she makes a better ruler than Belos does. Her faith and loyalty kept her on her feet allowing her to respect life in the Isles that bore enough room to love both her little boy and the young grimwalker as her own kin. Why it even won over someone ese." The Titan winked, then he became a little morose. "It's too bad she's terrible with magic, and that she couldn't bring that sweet old lady with her."
"Does that mean you led her here?" Luz questioned the Titan.
"Aw, no. I didn't send that rabbit through the first time. Or those scrolls that helped Aurelie build the golem. Or little Oziel to meet Munchkin. The very big guy did some nudging there." The Titan said with a casual wave and pointing up.
Luz blinked then had a bizarre idea. "Wait, does that mean Malak here is an alien?"
Malak said nothing, but the Titan let out a full belly laugh and slapped his knee.
"An alien?! That's a good one!" The Titan chuckled.
Luz is confused, if Malak wasn't from Earth, or the Boiling Isles nor from the stars then from where? But it didn't look like she'd get a straight answer. But judging from Malak's stance, it looks like he blamed himself for other things out of his control.
"Hey look, er, Malak." Luz addressed him. "If your er, Dad's anything like mine. I'm sure he'll understand, what does it hurt to ask?"
Malak didn't answer but he looked to be considering her words when something else happened to interrupt the conversation.
"Ah, dang." There was a glowing green hole in the middle of the Titan's chest, "I thought I had more time left. But Belos will have full control soon. You ready to stop him?"
"What? What can I do?"
"You've already helped King so much. And Aurelie's plan helped save many more lives. So let me use my last bit of life to help you."
The Titan decided to give Luz the last amount of his power to Luz. Hesitant at first, Luz asked the Titan if he is sure about giving his remaining life. The Titan assures he is, since she is the only one here, but she's the one who has to choose to accept it, reaching out his hand to her as he asks her if she will choose. After a moment, Luz accepts his hand. A glowing orb appears around Luz, and she is lifted into the air. Before she can depart from the realm, the Titan warns Luz that his power will not last long, and she will have to defeat Belos fast, however Luz asks him if there is anything she can say to King for him. The Titan whispers a message into her ear, to which Luz excitedly remarks he will love it. Looking back at the Titan, she sees the Titan has assumed his full skeletal form and slowly sinks into the void.
When she looked at Malak, he was saying something while keeping his gaze upwards. The next thing she knew, he was glowing a very bright whitish gold. "Shalom Luz."
The Collector in the meantime was already processing what death meant. Aurelie pleaded with the Collector to send Oziel away to the archives so that her little son would be safe while she and the golem fight off Belos. Oziel didn't want to go but she convinced him. So the Collector tearfully sends the little four year old away on star, telling him to free the others.
For the very time in millennia, the Collector showed empathy, causing him to cry for the first time over the chaos he has created and reacted in confusion to the tears he is producing. The Collector sees that he was hit by Belos' mold blast from earlier, weakening his magic. Truly afraid, the Collector apologized.
Belos prepares to crush Eda and King with his hand. He brings his hand down, but a beam of purple light deflects it. When the light clears, there is a gaping hole in Belos's hand. A light glyph shines through. A figure can be seen with an appearance similar to a Titan. The fog clears to reveal that it is Luz. Stringbean awakened and flies to the figure standing in the dust, parting to reveal Luz, who is now imbued with Titan magic, taking on Titan-like features. Eda, King, Aurelie and The Collector are all in shock. Eda and King have slightly reverted.
The Collector gaped "Huh? It can't be..."
"Impossible." Aurelie whispered.
"I'm back!" Luz declared.
They all stared at her in awe and shock.
"I - wait - Uh. Couldn't keep me away from - Hang on. Ugh! I still can't think of anything to say!"
Eda squealed and reverted to Harpy form as King hugged her happily. "It's Luz, all right!"
Aurelie smiled and raised her hands to the sky, "Baruch Adonai!"
Belos roared in anger. This caused everything to shake, including the Archives. Luz created a glowing orb around her, King, Eda, Aurelie, the Collector and the golem. It shot up suddenly and into a series of erratic motions. The screaming inside. It finally stopped and everyone is shaken.
"Overshot it a little. Still getting used to these powers." Luz laughed.
Eda glared at her, unimpressed. Aurelie held her head trying to fight off the vertigo. Belos roared and the Archives shake precariously.
Eda recalled, "Oh no, everyone's still in the Archives."
"Oziel! Hunter! Darius!" Aurelie gasped.
The Collector said. "Leave them to me." He jumps onto his blue star and flies off. He notices that the mold is progressively getting worse. "Come on, you can at least do this."
At the same time, a gentle light shone on the golem perhaps as a final helping hand from Malak.
Back in the Archive House, Oziel is dropped off as Camila is freed from her puppet form by Amity and the kids. The group is interrupted by the shaking of the Isles. Amity tried to activate her magic but fails, Camila noting that the kids haven't gotten rest in days. Despite her grief over Luz, Camila assured the kids that Luz will never give up, and they can still help the citizens another way.
Luz, Eda, King and Aurelie encounter resistance within Belos' twisted forest, working together to break through the waves of mold. They then see the Titan's left arm rising up, so Luz flew them up for a view of what's going on.
Back at the Archive House, the kids help rescue the puppet citizens with glyphs made by Camila. However, the Archive House then descends, bringing everyone down with it. Suddenly, light-tethers wrap around the house, suspending them in mid-air. The kids look to see it is from the Collector holding the house steady, to their surprise.
In the fight against Belos. Still in their glowing sphere, Luz, Eda, King, and Aurelie make it to the top, admiring the view for a moment.
Luz noticed the Titan's power beginning to fade. She looked at the glowing orb coming from the skeleton. "We have to cut Belos off from the Titan's power."
Eda asked her, "What are you thinking?"
"Come on Eda, you know where magic comes from."
Luz, King, Aurelie and Eda said in unison. "From the heart!"
The sphere rocketed down and lands forcefully near the Titan's heart. Belos screamed in agony as he felt this. To add further shock the golem had split in two: A much large one held the Beast Belos in place, while the smaller one aided Aurelie.
Down below in the chest area, Raine Whispers was caught in the moss. They are whistling their version of Eda's Reqiuem in order to halt the moss's growth. Their glasses have fallen off, and a beam of purple light can be seen on the glass reflection.
Raine becomes wary. "Who's there? Stay away!" They struggled in the moss's hold.
A hand put their glasses back on. "It's okay Raine, I got ya." Eda had pulled Raine out of the moss and hugged them.
"I am... still not used to this new look, but it doesn't matter. I'm just happy you're here." They noticed Luz and gasped in surprise. "Luz? You look... fluffier? How long was I out for?"
Luz again noticed the Titan's power starting to fade. "We don't have much time. Let's end this."
Aurelie sat on the now ten foot golem's shoulder and she set her gaze determinedly. "Agreed."
Raine nodded, "Finally."
They clear a path to the throne room in the castle. They see Belos's form in the heart and prepare for an onslaught.
Luz launches spells that destroy the upcoming branches of mold, then summons a set of ice stairs and climbs to the heart. She grabs onto Belos's ribcage and starts pulling.
Belos hissed, "You can't defeat me!"
A large number of hands manifest and attempt to hurt Luz. Eda slices them up with her harpy magic. Raine whistles at the moss and causes it to retreat. King releases his powers and helps to protect Luz. The golem used part of his clay to form extra fists to strike away the moss.
Luz's eyes glow orange and various glyphs manifested around her hands. Belos-Titan yells in agony, trying to break loose from the giant Golem, and everything shook again. The Collector struggled to hold up the Archives.
"Do not underestimate me, Belos, for I am the Good Witch Luz," Luz declared, referencing an entire speech from the Good With Azura, terminating his control over the Boiling Isles. "NOW EAT THIS, SUCKA!" And she rips him right off the heart.
Titan-Belos screamed in agony as its heart emits a flash of purple and black lights and it explodes. The Titan's hand is stabilized as a rush of energy runs through it. The Titan's eyes lose color and turn off.
Back to the castle, the golem releases its hold and slowly begins to shrink down, while the Titanian Belos-monster turned to stone, then began to crumble into dust and is blown away, along with the mold, thus restoring the red grass across the isles.
The Archives building was slowly lowered down to the Titan's head. The pink strings disappear as a tired Collector flew to where Camila and the others are. The blue star disappears as the moss around his hands slowly began to fade away. Amity stepped closer as The Collector recoiled in fear. Amity then offered her hand out to him. He took it, and small tears formed in his eyes. They all rush to the balcony as they stare in awe as the moss slowly cleared up.
At Hexside, the mold at the front door shriveled away. Skara slowly opened the door as she and Matt stared in shock. After fully opening the door, they and a few other students observed their surroundings and slowly smiled at the sight.
Back at the castle, the mold also started to clear up one by one. Raine, Eda, King, Aurelie and the golem burst out of the moss. King gasped for air as Raine and Eda looked at each other as she smiles.
Luz looking off into the distance, with the moon looming far from them. In front of her are the small remnants of Belos' goo form, which slowly turned into Philip Wittebane as Luz had met him back in the past. A brief glimpse Aurelie got of Belos when he was a young man.
"Luz... Luz, I'm- I'm free. Thank goodness you saved me from-" he paused his speech visibly anxious. "From that horrible curse."
Luz does nothing but glared at him angrily. Her long hair and dress slowly bounced off and back into the wind.
"Yes, I-I was cursed with a terrible, terrible sickness, by... by dark magic, just like your mentor."
As he speaks, the sky slowly turns dark, signaling the fall of boiling rain.
"It forced me to do all those… horrible things, but-but now, I'm free." Belos insisted.
A drop of boiling rain falls and he screamed in pain, the part that the rain touched on his hand becoming green. Boiling rain started to fall from the sky.
"AH! Qui-Quickly, now!" He slowly crawls towards Luz, his face begging for help. "Don't- Don't you want- to make peace - Luz?"
The falling rains melt away the skin of his illusory form, and makes his form look more like a melted rotting corpse.
He slowly reverts back to his goo form due to the boiling rain. Luz's expression remained unfazed, the rain turning to sparkles on her hair as the boiling rain does not affect her.
"Don't just stand there!" Phillip's body decomposes as he is fully back to exactly how he looked when he crawled to the Titan's heart. "You'll be just as bad, just as conniving, just as evil, and just as unforgivable as those witches! We're human. We're better than this!"
Luz finally steps. A scowling Raine, King and Eda stepped in front of her, the trio under the protection of a magical leaf Raine had conjured.
"Well, we ain't!" Eda snapped.
"You never learn do you?" Aurelie snapped, striding forward. The golem was holding a much larger leaf over her and itself.
"I am your husband! The father of your son, and you are my wife!" Phillip screamed hysterically at Aurelie.
"No, I'm your widow," Aurelie said coldly. "And I can let you die, after all. You callously murdered your own brother, thousands of clones made from him and so many innocent civilians for your own ends. What's worse, you tried to murder a sweet boy I raised as my own child then tried to kidnap my son. So why shouldn't I be allowed this?"
"We're both human!" Belos insisted, discreetly taking advantage of the leaf the golem held over his wife.
"No, whatever part of you was human, died a long time ago. For you've forgotten what else was more important: Kindness. "no joy is greater or more glorious than the joy of gladdening the hearts of the poor, the orphans, the widows, and the strangers"" Aurelie recited solemnly. And to be kind to the foreigners, for the old tales remind us that my people were once foreigners in the land of Egypt."
Finally she raised her head and straightened up.
"Consider this our legal separation!" Aurelie snapped, she intended to turn away so that Eda Raine and King could trample him to death.
Belos has lied, manipulated and killed anybody who would support him on either side, and has nothing without the purpose of hunting witches, clinging to his hatred of them even to his last breaths, and is thus left weakened and collapsing into pieces even without the heroes having to directly attack him, unable to continue on without being able to parasitically drain 'support' from others who would give it to him.
However, Belos with the last of his strength, clawed at Aurelie's dress taking ahold of her, causing the others to shout in shock and fear.
"If I cannot have you, no one shall!" He snarled.
Aurelie had shrieked, the others barely had time to react when…
"Lo yoter!" roared the golem in deep rumbling voice. To the other's ears, they heard in standard English: "No more!"
The clay giant came to Aurelie's defense, swiping at Belos. The full force threw him off the terrified woman.
As the rain continued to fall, Belos was flung from the cliff, towards the Boiling sea.
Eda, Raine, and King look down below to see. Given they were all set to stomp the tyrant into oblivion, what they saw leaves them rather spooked.
There was barely any putrid sludge left when it hit the water, as all of Belos essence was burned away. The mad witch-hunter was gone forever.
Aurelie finally looked away. "Phillip, for all your talk about trying to protect humans, it was you who needed saving more than anyone."
Eda tried to make light of the situation. "Heh. One of us was bound to whack this jerk eventually, guess Queenie here got to be the lucky one."
"That… wasn't my doing." Aurelie shook her head.
"She's right. I think someone else gave a helping hand there." King confirmed that the giant reacted without Aurelie giving it a direct verbal order.
Luz nods a little astounded. "You don't know the half of it."
Raine felt the sun outside and they put down their leaf. Then to the group's further stupefaction, the golem rumbled once then Malak materialized from a single beam of sunlight. And he looked slightly more content since the last time either Luz or Aurelie saw him.
He addressed Aurelie. "Ikh vel frubirn tsurik aheym." "Azoy dos iz a gezegenung?" "Mir zaln trefn in an ander lebn ... ober nisht vider in dem." "Dank ir meyn fraynd. far alts."
Finally Malak looked to the sky with great longing and declared in another tongue, but only Aurelie knew what he was saying. A beam of sunlight shone down, Malak glowed a blinding whitish-gold light and he changed shape… and he shot up liked a shooting star far into the sky leaving them baffled.
"What was that all about?" Raine questioned, adjusting their glasses.
"He was finally able to return home." Aurelie replied, "And that it may be quite a long time before we meet again. Apparently he took Luz's advice to heart." She winked at the teenager.
Luz had been just as stunned, then she grinned upon hearing Malak listened to her advice. Then the teenager glowed and floated, her power from the Titan finally released. The energy manifested into the form of the Titan. Raine, Aurelie, King and Eda stared in shock.
"Is that..."
Eda smiled "I think it is." she said proudly to King. "Dang kid, you do have tall genes."
King's eyes sparkled in wonder as the manifestation of King's father flew upwards.
Luz had returned to her Azura costume. She opened her eyes, noticing she doesn't have powers anymore, she fell and screamed. Eda and King ran up to her and catch her as the three laid on the ground, side by side, panting. The clouds slowly started to reveal the sun shining as the three looked on, their faces steady.
Just then, Luz remembered something. "Oh! Your dad had a message for you." And she whispered in King's ear.
"I... loaf you? I loaf you." King chuckled "Bread pun!"
The trio laughed.
"Isn't it amazing? We did it. After everything, after all that... we stuck together."
Eda and King looked at her, satisfied.
Eda agreed. "Yup, we did alright."
King chimed in, "I'll say."
And that was how the Boiling Isles was saved. It was a relief to see everyone safely released from the Archives. The Collector was gracious enough to free everyone from their puppet shapes which allowed everyone reuniting with their families and loved ones. Which reminded me.
Amity, Gus and Willow were able to see their families safe and sound, and viceversa. Froma distance, Oziel had gone from hugging Hunter happily then spotted Darius to fetch him.
"One more thing." Aurelie told the group. The former empress approached the Blight woman.
"Madame Blight, I've just talked to Luz: and it sounded like you sort of were intending to hand over my two boys right over to Belos." Aurelie said a little too calmly.
The others saw where this was going. Luz, Eda, Amity and Willow grinned mischievously. King and Raine were barely able to contain their mirth, they were close to laughing. Alador looked on with interest.
"Oh, if it isn't the old empress," Odalia said with deadpan manner. "And what exactly do you intend to do about it?"
"This."
Instantly, Aurelie was across the room and Odalia was shocked by the movement, she couldn't react as she was clocked across the face. King and Raine finally couldn't hold it in, they burst out laughing. Oziel and Munchkin, who'd found Darius and Eberwolf, were also laughing.
"You are a horrible, disgusting, disgrace to the female race and an embarrassing failure as a mother," Aurelie screamed at Odalia, who was bleeding from her nose. "And when this is all over, I'm helping Alador take his children far away from you as possible!"
Aurelie lets out a shuddering breath, and pats down her hair as she turned away from Odalia to the shocked Luz, Eda and Willow.
"What?" Aurelie asked.
"Dang. You've done what I've dreamed of doing," Eda chuckled. "Props there foxy mama."
Aurelie laughed and brushes it off. Not too far, Alador is surprised although Amity snickered. She couldn't wait to tell the twins.
And if someone thought they had no one waiting for them, well, they were in for a nice surprise.
Hunter had been watching the whole scene mildly impressed with Aurelie's pluck. Then someone suddenly ruffled his hair, he was annoyed at first until he saw that it was Darius and Eberwolf, with an appreciative look on both of their faces with a beaming Oziel. Darius then suddenly pointed to Hunter's shirt to which Hunter goes into detail explaining everything while Darius and Eberwolf look on, interested.
Back in Hexside, everyone celebrated the return of Principal Bump. His long black hair, which is flowing in the wind, stops to reveal Amelia and Cat, who waved happily. Boscha suddenly pushed through the Blight twins, ran over, and hugged them, crying, with everyone celebrating.
Of course, there was still much to do yet. It was time to rebuild this land and undo what Belos has done.
Various citizens of Bonesborough, including Morton, observed all the damage done. Darius and Eberwolf were inside the ruined castle, looking on at the Titan's hand, now in its new position.
And unfortunately, not everyone was keen to change things...
Vitimir, Terra, and Graye began making greedy overtures towards Belos's throne only to be stopped by Darius making an abomination fist while Eberwolf does an "I'm watching you" gesture. They back away sheepishly, and then Vitimir tried poking the throne with his finger, only for the throne to get blasted by a burst of abomination goo.
If that wasn't disturbing enough. Graye, one of the Titan Trappers and a scout captain are ogling Aurelie as she's giving orders to the golem to help.
"Mommy!" Oziel ran to his mother in relief.
She held her little boy in her arms in relief as he jabbered about what happened when he reached the Archives. Then she informed him that his father was dead. "Now it'll just be you, me and your cousin Hunter."
Oziel inevitably felt some sorrow, mourning only the man he thought he was. In time, he understood Belos demise was for the well-being of his loved ones and so many more. "What are we going to do now?"
Aurelie sighed. "Well, we're most likely out of a home. And when we get back to Earth, while your cousin attends Hexside, I'm sure your Auntie Emmi will be more than happy to house us for a time-"
But before she could finish, a resounding shout came from all around.
"Nooooo!"
"Huh?" Luz, Eda and King are surprised.
Aurelie, Oziel and Hunter looked up in confusion. Around them has formed a large crowd of Boiling Isles denizens, they all looked somewhat flurried.
And what are the odds of people of the Boiling Isles might ask Aurelie if she will continue to be their empress? More than half remembering how she desperately tried to warn them about the draining spell and
"The thing is… we wanted to say thank you. "
More than half the population remembered how she desperately tried to warn them about the draining spell.
"We got tied up by the scouts, and we know it had to be you who set off those little things." Derwin added.
"Little things?"
"You know those furry little guys like the one on your boy's head!" Steve pointed to Munchkin, who waved.
That part was true. Aurelie was able to set off the harmonic ringing making the furries could dismantle the abomatons so that the trapped people had a chance to run from the Titan's head when the spell began.
"Don't forget how you were able to use that giant mud creature over there to fight back!" A Hexside student said.
"Yes, that was super! Just super!"
"Amazing!"
"Fantastic!"
Aurelie stood with her boys in the midst of this, taking it all in, their faces contorted not in anger or sadness, but in a mix of surprise, wonder and gladness.
A former scout cried smiled at her. "Stay here and rule over us."
She turned back to him, her eyes wide. "Me? Are you sure?"
"Yes!" Another Hexside student cried enthusiastically. "Be our Empress again!"
The cry was caught up and the crowd began to shout, 'Yes . . . Empress! Aurelie! .. Aurelie!'
Aurelie stood in bewildered silence before them, waiting until they had all grown quiet again.
I probably should've taken a much humbler life back on Earth. But my time as Sophie Weinberg had ended a long time ago and would've raised too many suspicions that could cause trouble to my family. Thus I agreed to become Empress once more, but on the condition that once Hunter and Oziel grew up that if they wanted to abdicate, the population was to respect their choices. They agreed.
Then there was one more loose end to fix. Many clues I had recalled that placed all the pieces together. Thanks to Masha's little story and a little digging Malak had told me before his departure, I was able to determine that the Clawthorne family are the descendants of Caleb Wittebane and Evelyn.
Aurelie, was shown talking to Dell and Gwendolyn asking them something. Gwendolyn confirmed the question before it sinks in. She and Dell looked at Aurelie, Oziel and Hunter in wonder, Lilith and Eda do the same.
It must've felt so odd for Eda and Lilith to be related to the Wittebane and now the Weinbergs by marriage. However on the bright side, it looks like Dell would be getting an apprentice palisman carver in a few years.
Alador asks if she'd like to get coffee. But it's just for parenting tips, he explains why he was the way he was and such.
But Darius thinks he's making a move. Oziel rolled his eyes at the misunderstanding and gently pulls Darius' hand to Aurelie to clear things up.
"It wasn't a date." Aurelie laughs.
"I'm not ready for that, not quite yet." Alador said. "But I wish you two the best."
Hunter, Oziel and Eberwolf beam.
Inside the Owl House, Eda fixes the nest as she laid Raine down, then resting by their side. King jumped from behind, plopping into the spot beside Raine as Luz and Eda laughed.
A blue light suddenly flashes offscreen and the gang turned to look at it. Cut to the door, where The Collector appears and goes inside the house, followed by a hooded Lilith. The sisters reunite and hug as Camila and Amity also entered the house. Amity ran to hug Luz, they subsequently share a kiss. Camila then nudges Luz's hand as the two then share a hug. Camila then looks behind her to see Eda and King holding out their hands with nervous expressions on their faces. Camila grabs Eda's hand and she and King are pulled into a hug with Luz.
Lilith smiles at this as The Collector approaches her. He then summoned a puppet Hooty and his birdhouse and Lilith touched it. In a puff of smoke, Hooty is changed back as he and Lilith share a happy reunion, Hooty wrapping Lilith in a tight ball as Raine laughed at the sight. Camila and Amity watched this with concerned looks as Luz pulled them both into a hug.
As for The Collector... ...he and Luz made a pinky promise to keep trying our best. He said he had a lot of growing up to do, so he decided to return to the stars. Nevertheless, he did say he wanted to hear me tell more stories to him.
The Collector then approached King and decided to give him back Francois. King happily hugged Francois as he walked away. King then caught up with The Collector and decided to let him have the stuffed toy. He then whispered in The Collector's ear, which makes him tear up.
No one argued, but King must've whispered, "I hope I see you again."
However when the Titan had finally passed on, so did the powers of the glyphs. Luz had learned the Titan's language, but now she had no one to speak it to. It had helped her find her place when she had no other way. True, one part of her life had ended but an entire new chapter was just the beginning.
Darius and I had decided to start dating, Hunter, Oziel and the young one were particularly enthusiastic about it.
I was able to take him to human world to understand the culture of my people... and to eventually meet my family.
To say they were happy and excited was the understatement of the century.
Sometime later, after months of courting and rebuilding the Isles.
"If I may be so bold, I would like an audience with your Highness."
Aurelie motions for him to go ahead. "What is your dilemma, good sir?"
"You are, in fact. I'm in love with a human woman, and I am enquiring if she loves me too." Darius knelt.
Aurelie pauses, then sighed wryly. "Do you have a quails for my table?"
"No. No, my kitchen is out of quails."
Aurelie flops back into the throne for a moment, in mock disappointment, then she ran over and they hug; he sighs and kisses Aurelie.
Darius then tests Hunters embarrassment, by pulling Aurelie into a dipping kiss. Oziel blew a raspberry in disgust, and Hunter blushed fervently, but smiled happily as he looks away.
Two hundred and fifty dates later.
There was an impending party in the Boiling Isles: a wedding.
"I swear to you, this everlasting oath," Darius drew a spell circle and took Aurelie hand in his own. "Hunter and Oziel are mine, they are my sons and will always be so. Even if we have more children, I will love them equal, and make time for them all. To teach them both our heritages and ensure their dreams come true."
"And I swear to love, honor and cherish you, Darius." Aurelie vowed warmly. "I will love you, and happily bear your children. I will spend every moment happy, grateful and honored to have this third chance at love."
"Third time is the charm." Eda chuckled nearby, as she nudged Raine with a wink.
Aurelie took Darius as her husband under a simple chuppah decorated with lovely blooms courtesy of Willow. Eberwolf and Hunter acted as witnesses for the ceremony on the side of the groom, on the bride's were Luz and Emmeline.
Oziel was in the audience watching happily with Camila, Vee, Lilith, Dell and Gwendolyn.
The Sheva Brachot is read celebrating the couple's union and express hope for their future together. Then couple drank from a shared cup of wine, symbolizing their shared life and commitment to each other.
La-lai-lai-lai-lai-lee-lai-lai
A boot is then seen smashing a clothed glass bottle. Then a great number of familiar characters and more than half the population of the Boiling Isles began cheering.
Lai-lai-lai-lai-lai-lai!
Aurelie held to her new husband, Darius, blowing a kiss to her loved ones. Her elderly siblings were grinning from ear to ear. On the groom's side, a drone flew, thus allowing the cousins to watch enthusiastically from Earth, courtesy of Gus.
Az eich shel adam nimdad
Im avad o im lamad?
The newlyweds run from the decorated chuppah ready to join in the festivities with friends and family.
Lo reim beeiney bassar vadam
Ach yesh od zug einayim!
Habet bachayim...
Luz pulled Eda and Raine by the hands to join the Hora dance, Amity does the same with her father and siblings.
Habet na bahem...
Camila and Vee clapped their hands to the music. Hunter, Willow and Gus were dancing to the music with their parents. King and Oziel had linked hands with some of the younger guests to join the dance, forming a circle around bride and groom.
Derech einei hashamayim!
To be concluded…
Author's note: That was wild. A rollercoaster to be sure. But that is not the end of our story yet.