Note: Thanks goes toTRDowden1, Compactor, and SilverMidnight52 for their input that helped created this chapter! Thank you so much!
Oh, the ending of this chapter is stolen . . . um . . . inspired by the movie Ladyhawke. Heh-heh.
Ch. 20: Resolved, Revelations, and Rewards
Charlotte looked at her daughter and gave her a motherly smile, as she watched Nathan join Audrey.
"Hello, Audrey," Charlotte said in a bittersweet, yet loving tone. "I'm so happy and proud to see you again."
"Not for long," Arla said, snapping out of her reverie, and put her arm out, preparing to use her magic on Charlotte.
Charlotte calmly looked at Arla. "You were in such a hurry to capture me that you overlooked two very important things. First, Duke destroyed your extra skins; the second you will find out now."
Just as Arla was about to use her magic, the skin around her arm began to peel off, and soon, skin from other areas of her body began to peel off as well. Her body began sizzling, smoking, and drying up underneath the heat of the sun. Arla screamed, knowing now she was out of options, as her body caught on fire. Audrey turned away as Nathan held her close, and he too, closed his eyes.
A minute later, they looked and saw where Arla had been standing was a pile of smoldering remains and ash. Charlotte looked at the remains and Wade's corpse and blinked. The remains and the corpse then vanished. Audrey and Nathan gave Charlotte curious looks.
"We do not need to have them around to ruin the mood," Charlotte said and then noticed Duke's terribly injured animal friends. Charlotte nodded, and a bubble encircled each animal and levitated a few feet off the ground. Nathan and Audrey could see the animals' injuries were being healed. They then looked back at Charlotte.
"Mom . . . why? . . . how? . . . what's . . .?" Audrey said.
"If I could ask you to wait a little longer, I will answer everything," Charlotte said.
Audrey just nodded in response, and she and Nathan watched Charlotte carry Jennifer and Duke underneath the tree where Jennifer had found the otter. She gently placed them down and looked at the two, smiling. Charlotte then kissed Jennifer on both her cheeks, like a mother would kiss her child. Jennifer fluttered her eyes open and saw Charlotte, who gave her a warm and welcoming smile.
"Hello, Jennifer," Charlotte said in a kind voice. "I am Charlotte; it is good to finally meet you."
Jennifer was in awe, but before she could even think, Charlotte kissed Duke on his forehead. The otter grew taller as the fur receded and his whiskers rearranged to form a mustache and goatee. His muzzle melted into a nose and mouth as his ears moved to the sides of his head. The webbing shrunk as the digits grew into human fingers and toes. Clothes materialized on him as his tail retracted into the base of his spine. Jennifer stared in amazement at the now human Duke, sleeping, with his head resting in her lap.
Duke stirred in his sleep as he opened his eyes. He shielded his eyes from the light from the sun with his hand . . .
. . . wait . . .
. . . his hand . . . in the sunlight . . .
Duke bolted upright and examined himself: skin, not fur . . . fingers instead of paws . . . two feet instead of four . . . hair . . . no tail . . . in the daylight . . .
He checked his reflection in the water of Rouge Pond, then turned and saw Jennifer standing up, still staring at him, astonished.
"Jennifer . . ." he finally said, as she slowly walked up to him, and gently held his hands. "It's day . . . I'm human . . ."
Jennifer reached up and slowly stroked his face.
"This isn't an illusion," was all she could say, a little shocked. Duke had to smile hearing her words.
He then became more aware of his surroundings and saw Charlotte, Audrey, Nathan, and his animal friends, floating inside giant bubbles.
"Charlotte? . . . what's? . . . Dwight?" Duke began as Jennifer stared at Duke's animal friends.
"As I told Audrey, I will answer your questions," Charlotte said, once again, in a kind voice, and turned around to look at the animals. "They deserve something nice, don't you think?"
Before anyone could answer, Charlotte waved her arm and the animals' forms changed. Dwight's fur shrank away into skin as his paws turned into hands and feet. Claire's wings melted into arms and hands. Tommy grew arms and legs. Claire's beak reformed into a human nose and mouth, along with Dwight's muzzle and Tommy's face. Dwight's ears moved to the sides of his head, as the feathers on top of Claire's head changed into long hair, while Tommy's scales merged into skin. Clothes appeared on them. The bubbles lowered to the ground, then faded away as Duke's . . . now . . . human . . . friends . . . awoke and saw their new forms.
Tommy was changed into a dark-skinned man with black eyes, black hair cut very short, and a goatee. Claire had turned into a woman with bright blue eyes and dark red hair. Dwight was now a tall muscular man with dark blonde hair, the start of a beard, and blue eyes.
Duke and Jennifer ran up to them as the former animals examined their new forms. Charlotte watched them, proudly smiling.
"Oh, my," Claire said and chuckled, feeling her human nose and mouth. "We're . . . human."
"How complicated," Tommy complained. "Legs . . . hands . . . teeth . . ."
Jennifer reached Dwight first, who now towered over her. She touched his arm, getting his attention.
"Dwight," she said, feeling a little embarrassed that she was blushing as she felt his muscles. "Is that really you?"
"Huh? Yeah!" Dwight cheerfully responded, happy that he was now able to communicate with her. He smiled at Jennifer, then noticed Duke. "Duke! You're human again!"
Duke's friends gathered around him and began talking and asking questions.
"Wait! I don't know exactly what happened!" Duke finally said and turned to face Charlotte. "But I think Charlotte has the answers."
Charlotte smiled at them as Jennifer stood next to Duke.
"Of course I will," Charlotte said and looked at Audrey. "First I will start by answering my daughter's questions."
Duke's and Jennifer's eyes grew wide as Duke's friends looked surprised.
"Whoa! Wait a minute!" Duke said and looked at Audrey. "You're her daughter?"
"You didn't know that?" Nathan asked.
"How should I know?" Duke shot back.
Charlotte chuckled and continued. "I am not bound by Rouge Pond, so I can leave and visit other places. Years ago, when I was visiting Aether Lands, I met and fell in love with your father, the king," Charlotte said. "My love for him grew as he upheld his promise to never tell anyone my real identity. We were then wed, and a couple years later, I gave birth to you, Audrey. Having you and your father in my life was the happiest I've ever been. However, soon, I found out my power and lifeforce were weakening the longer I was away from Rouge Pond. I was so scared. My first instinct was to survive, so I returned to Rouge Pond. I only had time to inform your father before I left. He was supposed to tell you, but he died . . . I could feel it."
Tears fell from Charlotte's face. "Audrey, I wish I could have returned, but I had to stay at Rouge Pond to fully recover." She then looked at Duke. "And Duke, I must apologize to you for being selfish, having you replace Audrey all those years."
Duke was accepting. "Don't worry about it."
Audrey walked up to Charlotte and put her arms around her mother as she began to cry. "I'm not upset with you. You had your reasons, and I know you hurt as much as I."
Mother and daughter wept and embraced each other. After a while, they separated and Charlotte looked at Nathan.
"Nathan, I know how much you love Audrey and the hardships you experienced. I also know you helped Jennifer and Duke. I couldn't ask for a finer son-in-law." Charlotte said, causing Nathan to blush a little. "For making Audrey happy, allow me to lift one of your burdens."
Charlotte walked up to Nathan and kissed him on his forehead before she returned to Audrey. Nathan blinked then gasped. He brushed his fingers against his face, then rubbed his shirt. Before anyone could speak, he walked up to Jennifer and ran his fingers through her hair. He then stroked her skin and dress, as he smiled in joy and wonder.
"Nathan, why are you touching her?" Duke asked, then thought over his words. "Wait . . . you can feel?"
"Yes," Nathan said, still smiling, as he slowly removed his hands, and Jennifer smiled. "I can feel."
"So you're saying if I punched you right now . . ." Duke began.
"It will still be the last thing you ever do, but yeah, I could feel it," Nathan said with a thin smile. He then looked at Charlotte. "Tha—"
"No thanks is necessary; you were there where my daughter needed someone the most," Charlotte said.
Audrey ran up to Nathan, and they hugged and kissed each other. Jennifer walked up to Charlotte and Duke followed her.
"Um, Charlotte," Jennifer said, getting her attention. "If you don't mind, I want to thank you for saving my life and removing Duke's—"
Charlotte smiled and shook her head. "I didn't lift his curses, you did."
That got everyone's attention.
"B-but . . . but . . . I broke Duke's heart—" Jennifer began.
"Yes, when Wade tricked and forced you to marry him, that really did break Duke's heart," Charlotte said. "But Duke forgave you, knowing you did not do it, intentionally. You risked your life to protect him, even though you knew he could not be saved. What you both did even overrode my conditions about breaking his curses. Jennifer, your courage, and Duke, your forgiveness, were done out of love for each other. So, you removed Duke's curses."
Jennifer and Duke were astonished. Jennifer then looked at Duke and hugged him, and he returned it. Tommy then stepped forward, followed by Claire and Dwight.
"What's the deal with making us human?" Tommy asked. "Couldn't you just heal us?"
Charlotte smiled again. "The change isn't permanent. You can transform back to your own forms at will. I thought it would be easier attending their weddings as humans," Charlotte said, indicating the two couples.
Nathan looked a little shocked, but then joined Audrey smiling who was at everyone.
"You're all invited," Audrey said, still smiling.
"Oh! I always wanted to attend a human wedding!" Claire said, excited.
"I will come, whether you like it or not," Tommy said with a sly smile.
"So, um, how big is the wedding cake?" Dwight asked. Nathan chuckled.
"I think we need to teach you all some human etiquette before the wedding," Nathan said. Duke's friends looked confused, causing the two couples to laugh.
Charlotte, who was about to speak, looked at Duke, but he unconsciously interrupted her when he remembered something.
"Right," he said and went over to the tree. On the way there, he stopped to pick up Jennifer's tiara and the Crocker knife.
After he placed his knife in his pocket, he took out the two rings, and went back to Jennifer. Jennifer softly chuckled as he placed her tiara on her head and straighten it out. He then took her hand and slipped a ring on her finger.
"Jennifer, would—" As soon as Duke had the ring on her finger, Jennifer passionately kissed him.
"Yes!" Jennifer exclaimed after her kiss, then took the other ring, and placed it on his finger.
It took a while for Duke to recover from the surprise, but he smiled when he saw the rings on their fingers. Then he kissed her. As they parted, Duke noticed Jennifer softly crying.
"What? Are you crying because—" Duke asked.
"I always imagined what it would be kissing you in the day," Jennifer said, through her tears. "It's more . . . magnificent than I've ever dreamed!"
Duke chuckled as he smiled, and they kissed again. Charlotte spoke when they were done.
"You know, Duke, I could grant you the ability to change into an otter at will," Charlotte said. "Also, like your animal friends, clothing will materialize or vanish, depending on the change."
Duke thought it over, while Jennifer watched him.
"Maybe later," Duke said, then looked at Jennifer and smiled. "I want to enjoy being human for a long time."
Charlotte nodded and smiled, understanding, while Nathan and Audrey wrapped their arms around each other. Jennifer smiled at Duke and they kissed again.
After their kiss, Duke picked Jennifer up, slowly spinning her around. Jennifer gasped in surprised, but soon laughed, and Duke joined her. The two lovers, who saved each other, laughed together in happiness.