Epilogue

Never After


The colony was in for one hell of a ride as Holden, Shade, and Marina narrated their journey, each filling in any incident or detail the others missed. It was indeed a tale one never would've expected to be accurate. Still, every word that slipped from their lips painted such visions in the Silverwings' minds as they ate it all up. They were on the edge of their roosts, eating and sleeping never crossing their minds, especially when a few revelations were revealed and when the boys demonstrated their echo projecting skills. As the trio spoke, Holden wished that Kassidy were here to give out her point of view; it would've been something she definitely would've wanted to partake in, but he tried not to let his emotions get in the way and continued the storytelling with his friends.

Some time passed, but Holden, Shade, and Marina eventually finished. Holden's mouth was as dry as the Sahara Desert, and Mercury brought him and his friends a leaf smothered with water from the waterfall, which they gratefully accepted, their mouths and throats satisfied as they were deluged with cold, fresh water. It couldn't have tasted any better.

"So that's what all that noise was outside," Mercury realized. "We thought there was an earthquake, but I never would've imagined it being magic, let alone Martin's—who actually turned out to be Kassidy's half-uncle."

"Oh, that poor girl," Ariel said sadly, "she's been through too much. And so have the rest of you." She gathered Holden, Shade, and Marina in her wings, comforting them, her gaze flickering between them and Orestes and Helen—who were standing near them. "It will all be okay, though, and I pray to Nocturna that Kass is still out there somewhere."

"She has to be, Mom," Shade purposefully said. "She just has to be."

"I believe that too," Marina chimed in, "she's a survivor and fighter, anyway."

Holden took in a breath and exhaled it. "Yeah, she is," he agreed, "and the most amazing person I've gotten to know on our journey… and fell for."

A weighted silence fell over everyone.

"Silverwings, I would like us all to join hands for a moment," Frieda's voice gently requested, "and say a few words to Nocturna."

No one objected, and one by one, the Silverwings intertwined their fingers with one another and dipped their heads, eyes closed. Holden locked his fingers with Ariel's and someone else's, replicating what everyone else was doing. He felt like he was back in church in his hometown, praying to the Lord himself.

"Dear Nocturna," Frieda started the prayer, "Goddess of the bats and bringer of the night, we would like to thank you for the return of Shade and Holden and for bringing Marina, Orestes, and Princess Helen into our lives. It's a hard life we got. Sometimes I don't know how we're going to make it. But somehow, Shade and his friends make me think we will. We needed a few brave individuals, and you sent them to us. We may not still be here if it weren't for them."

Holden gazed at everyone slightly, the air around him filled with belief for not only a deity but also for better times. They had all been through hardship, but a brighter future was still ahead. Whether it would happen sooner or later, it was evident that there was still more in store for them.

"Thank you, Nocturna. And please let Kassidy be okay and watch over her. Amen." Frieda then concluded.

"Amen," everyone repeated in unison.

Holden hovered his fingers in front of himself, forming the symbol of God. He hoped for some kind of sign that they'd been heard.


A few minutes had passed, and the colony began to go about their business. Holden and his friends talked about how nice it was of Frieda to hold that prayer until suddenly, two Silverwings approached them.

"I must say I am very impressed and amazed with the journey you all told us about," one of them spoke, and the trio of bats and duo of owls turned to see a familiar face and an unfamiliar one. The familiar face—the one that spoke—was the same bat that looked like Chinook.

"Uh, thanks, man," Holden replied. "Let me guess: you're Chinook's dad?"

A faint smirk appeared on the Silverwing's face. "Good guess, but I'm actually his Uncle Hector."

Holden blinked his eyes, surprised. "Wait, really?"

Hector pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "That's his dad, Plato. Also, my twin brother."

Holden and his friends brought their gazes up, and their eyes goggled when they had a good look at Plato. He and Hector were definitely twins—identical ones, for the matter. Plato slightly waved to them as he was roosting with Chinook and his mate Isis, and the friends returned the gesture.

"Wow, you weren't kidding," Holden managed to say.

"Wait, I recognize you," Shade piped in and pointed at Hector. "You're one of the male elders."

Holden never noticed it until now, realizing that the sky-blue Silverwing was right. It took him a moment to process his face and voice, but he definitely saw him among the male elders. He was the one that proved a point about the owls finding any excuse in the book to prosecute a war for a long time. Who knew that one of Chinook's family members was part of the council of elders?

"That I am," Hector proudly said, "and believe it or not, I just happen to be one of your father's old friends."

Shade was taken aback as he said, "Really? You're an old friend of my father's?" He pinned his gaze on his mother, seeing if what the elder said was true.

In response, Ariel nodded.

"I was one of his old friends, too," the other Silverwing came forward. He was a blue-green bat with turquoise hair, the same being said for his goatee, and had hazel eyes with gray flecks. "I'm Icarus, star navigator, and Mercury's mate."

"Wait–wait–wait," Holden cut in, not expecting to hear that declaration, and the same thing was said for his friends. "Mercury's mate?"

"That's right," another voice reached them, which turned out to be Mercury, as he dropped down next to Icarus. The two held each other in their arms as they gazed at Holden and his friends. "I take it you're surprised?"

"Surprised? Yeah. Judging? Not at all. I honestly just assumed you were single." Realizing that might have come out the wrong way, Holden rubbed his head awkwardly, his face turning red as a beet. "Eh, no offense."

Mercury shrugged. "None taken. I understand why you would've thought that. Part of my job is that I'm not allowed to mate with any of the females, but it works for me since I'm gay."

"And you do a great job as a scout and messenger," Icarus complimented his mate, and the two nuzzled each other.

"That is so precious," Helen admired, her purple eyes smiling.

"Definitely," Orestes sided with her.

Looking at them made Holden's chest ache like a blunt knife was twisting in his heart as Kassidy's image began to take shape in his mind's eye. How he wished to entangle her in his arms and engage in another kiss with her again…

"I can't believe I never knew that you two were friends of my father's," Shade said honestly.

"And now you know," Hector responded, planting his hand on the sky-blue Silverwing's shoulder. "And like all of us, your father would've been flabbergasted by all you went through, but he would be proud of you."

The sky-blue Silverwing staggered, puzzled by his wording, and Holden understood why. Instead of, "He would've been proud of you" or anything like that, he said. "He would be proud of you."

Didn't Shade say that it was said that owls took his father while he was scouting one night? Holden wondered. Did Hector word his sentence like that by accident? … Unless

"I-I thought my father was… dead?" Shade managed to word out. He switched his gaze to his mother, yearning for an explanation.

A guilty sigh escaped Ariel, her head hanging. "I'd always intended to tell you–"

"OWLS!" Someone shouted at the top of their lungs.

Raw screams tore from the colony's throats, and everyone threw their gazes toward the entrance to see three figures burst through it. Shit, they found us! Holden swore. And there's no other way out!

The intruders landed on the ledge near the mouth of the cave, and everyone managed to discern them. It was two owls and a red-tailed hawk, and Holden, Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen's eyes widened when they saw those three familiar faces, relief dashing through them.

"Aha!" Stella cried out, and she brought her head over her shoulder. "I knew there was a cave behind the waterfall, and you didn't believe me, Sylvester!"

"Well, good for you for being right, Stella!" Sylvester called out in a sarky manner on the other side of the waterfall. "But I refuse to go through; I would rather freeze my fur off out here than get wet!"

"Oh, come on, are you really going to act this way over some water?! Even if it means Holden, Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen are here?!"

The colony hushed, the ghosts of their screams echoing against the walls, watching what was happening before them, still frightened but now also confused and a little intrigued.

"I hate how it feels against my fur! Every time I get wet, I feel like a mop soaking up so much water! I'm not doing it!"

"Sylvester, you don't have to get inside the we did!" Raymond said, trying to get through to the feline. "Just teleport like you usually do! Look through one of our visions and teleport to the spot you see!"

A beat of quietness elapsed, and Holden could almost hear Sylvester's vexed sigh as he responded, "Alright, fine! But if I get wet, I blame you and Stella for it!"

"Just get inside, Sylvester!" Stella requested in an equal tone.

Silence.

Then, suddenly something began to manifest near the trio, all shadow-like, and it wasn't long until Sylvester materialized with no side effects present on him, earning gasps from the Silverwings as his magic vanished from view. The black cat shifted his gaze onto Raymond and Sylvester, and while he didn't succumb to the waterfall, it didn't stop him from making a face at them like Grumpy Cat.

Holden immediately shot toward them, and Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen followed. "You're here!" The purple Silverwing yelled out, making their presence known to Lightning and the trio from The Spell Organization as they plopped near them. "Wh-what happened?! Where have you been?!"

"Great Nocturna!" Chinook's voice came in as he flew out of nowhere, joining them, and it wasn't long until Ariel, Frieda, and Mercury did too. "Is that who I think it is?!"

"You guessed it," Marina answered, "it is."

"Everyone, this is Lightning, Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella!" Shade's voice drifted to the Silverwings. "They're the allies that we mentioned!"

The colony was in awe as they looked fixedly at the two owls, the feline, and the red-tailed hawk, whispering among themselves. They were finally here.

Holden immediately averted his gaze toward the cave opening, expecting and hoping that Kassidy would sweep in at any moment. Only she didn't. A ball of dread formed in his stomach, and his eyes were back on the trio from The Spell Organization and Lightning as he then queried, "Where's Kass?"

When her name was mentioned, Raymond, Sylvester, Stella, and Lightning gazed at one another, their faces carved with rue, and Holden did not like it at all as he wanted an answer. "We're sorry, we did all we could to find her," Raymond said, breaking the news to the purple Silverwing and everyone else, "but there were no signs of her. All we found was this."

Raymond lifted something in his talons, and Holden, Shade, Marina, Orestes, and Helen gasped. It was Kassidy's necklace, and the pendant was shattered, webs of cracks taking place. The blue had darkened like life had drained from the charm until it was as dead as a doornail.

Holden could barely breathe at that moment, like the air around him had evaporated, and only one word kept repeating in his head over and over again: No! His hands shook, his knees giving out, and he would've sunk onto the floor had Shade and Marina not caught hold of him and kept him on his feet. And his emotion somehow hadn't triggered sparks on him.

"Y-you're not saying–"

"We can't conclude anything yet," Raymond interrupted Holden. "We'll still keep searching for her as there's a chance she may still be out there. However, if we can't find her within the next few days… we will have to assume that she passed on within the waters."

No one said anything; the entire cave was tensely quiet. Holden felt as if his throat was closing like a fishbone was stuck in there. This was beginning to be too much for him.

"I-I won't believe she's dead," Holden managed to say, his voice strained, "I won't… I won't… She–she has to be alive."

"We can't promise anything," Raymond spoke again, understanding Holden and his friends' pain, "but we will do everything in our power to locate her… and while this is a bad time to tell you, there is something else, and it concerns you, Holden."

While the purple Silverwing didn't want any more bad news thrown at his face, it was evident that he had no choice but to hear what the great gray owl had to tell him. Without saying anything, he gestured to Raymond to continue.

"After we brought Kassidy's family to Glamour Island, we went to speak with the council about what happened. As soon as we explained everything, the council took a vote, and they all agreed that you need to return home, Holden."

"W-what?" Holden managed to form words, seeing that Raymond was not joking. Whoever the council was, it was not hard to guess that they were in charge of The Spell Organization. "They can't be serious; they expect me to when Kass hasn't been found?! What if I don't–"

"I'm sorry, son, but the council has spoken and ordered us to take you back home, and even though you will go back, that will not mean you will be completely safe. You will be placed in the Witness Protection Program."

Holden cocked his head. "Why the hell do I need to be placed in that? Doesn't that seem unnecessary?"

"It's for the time being until we can determine whether or not Martin's dead. Like Kassidy, we couldn't find his body, nor Dianna, Goth, or Throbb's, so the council wants to play things safe."

"But we saw what happened to Martin," Shade commented with no trace of a lie detected in his voice. "There's absolutely no way he's still alive, even when an icicle stabbed him in the eye."

"That is true. However, Martin's been known for surviving even the most brutalist of things, so no one is safe until his body is found."

Hearing those words made Holden remember the image of him and his friends shocked when they saw that Martin was alive when they thought that Kassidy electrocuted him to death. But surely he was dead this time… right? And as far as Dianna, Goth, and Throbb went, there was no doubt that they were dead.

Holden quietly inhaled a breath before finding his words. "I really have no choice, do I?"

"I'm afraid not, boy," Raymond collectedly said, "and believe us, we wish there was another way."

His chest knots, getting tighter and tighter. Holden felt like everything was being ripped from him. He found himself gazing around him: the cave, the colony… his friends. The knots at that point felt like a large pile of ropes that could not be unspooled and just continued to tie and tie.

He never thought he would admit this, but he liked—no loved—being a bat. It brought him closer to Kassidy. He made some fantastic new friends, went on a crazy ass adventure, and, most of all, he got to experience what it was like being a bat. These past days had truly changed him into something better, something he never thought possible… and now he had to go back to his old life as a human. But was that what he really wanted? He knew, though, that whatever the answer was, he'd have to go home either way.

Sucking in a shaky breath, Holden turned his attention back to the trio from The Spell Organization. "I have a few conditions before you take me back home," he firmly said.

Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella were quiet but indicated they were all ears.

"I want updates on the search for Kassidy and her family's treatment, and I want you to give them to my friends as well. I also want updates on the colony. I want to ensure they're safe as they planned to abandon Hibernaculum and relocate somewhere else, and my friends and I told them they'd be safe at Morgana's place." Holden then drew his gaze to Lightning. "You and Morgana are willing to help them, right?"

Lightning nodded. Of course, they're welcome to stay, his voice reverberated through the purple Silverwing's mind. There will be enough room for them, and we will ensure they get situated and feel at home.

The purple Silverwing believed him. "Thanks, Lightning, and I mean it."

Raymond, Sylvester, and Stella's gazes swept between each other, but then they silently nodded and rested their eyes back on Holden, "Of course," Raymond accepted, "we can arrange what you want. You have our word."

Holden was aware that they'd have to get moving, but first, he wanted to do something. "Can I say goodbye before we go?"

Sylvester looked like he was about to say something, but Raymond extended his wing and stopped him. Without speaking, the great gray owl then nodded.

Holden took in a breath, exhaled, and then faced Shade and Marina and approached them. They stared at him, heartbroken they'd be down another friend. "This is really it, huh?" Shade said, his voice cracking. "I wish you didn't have to go, Holden. It's going to feel weird without you and even Kass."

"Me too, Smalls," Holden replied.

"Will we ever see you again?" Marina asked.

"I hope so, but if not… it was nice to have gotten to know you guys. Thanks for being my friends. It's hard to believe that we've been through so much together, but it will definitely be something I will never forget."

"Same for us," Shade piped up. "I hope we will see you soon… and maybe one day we'll see Kass again."

"We're going to miss you and Kass so much," Marina said, tears beginning to work their way up. "I pray to Nocturna that we'll see you two again one day."

"Me too," Holden said, his voice lowered.

The trio linked each other into a group hug, and tears streaked down Shade and Marina's cheeks. One tear managed to trickle down Holden's cheek, knowing he'd have to let them go at any moment. Finally, they broke out of it, the space between them empty and cold, and Holden made his way over to Orestes and Helen.

"Thanks for having our backs and for believing in us, you guys," Holden spoke, his gratitude shown on his face and in his voice. "It's nice to know that there are still individuals willing to help the innocent."

"You would've done the same thing for us," Orestes responded, "and it was the least we could do, especially after you, Shade, and Marina saved me from that human trap."

Helen nodded in agreement. "We wish you well, Holden. Have a safe trip back home."

Holden nodded, and Chinook approached him hesitantly. "Hey, umm…" the pigeon blue Silverwing began to say, "I know that we didn't have a great start, but it was nice seeing you again while it lasted." He then raised his fist toward the purple Silverwing, trying to make amends.

Holden did not expect that out of Chinook, but deciding not to hold a grudge against him, he side-fist-bumped him. "Thanks, man, and I suppose, for what it's worth, you might not be half bad. But I still have yet to decide that."

"Heh, fair enough."

The purple Silverwing then crossed over to Mercury, the first bat Holden ever talked to, and began to thank him. "Thanks for helping Kassidy and me out and never judging us, especially when you first met us."

"It was but a great privilege meeting the both of you, and I certainly won't forget how you reacted when you first saw me," Mercury said, adding a little humor to make the situation less depressing. "Good luck, Holden, and try to stay out of trouble."

A bit of amusement glinted in Holden's brown eyes. "I'll try my best."

Holden stepped toward Ariel, and as soon as he came close, she did not hesitate to enfold him in her wings. "You take care of yourself, Holden," she gently said. "And don't forget about us."

"Trust me, I won't," Holden said, returning the embrace. "Thanks for welcoming Kass and me with open arms and caring for us. I wish I'd had a mom like you."

"If I had the chance to do it again, I'd do it in a wingbeat."

They released each other, and Holden finally drew near Frieda, her expression warm. "Frieda, thank you for everything. No words can describe how thankful I am to you."

A thin smile hovered at the elder's lips, and she pulled him in for a hug. "And no words can describe how thankful I am to you, Holden. You are a good soul; remember that. I wish you all the best, and may the wind be at your back."

Holden hugged her back, but it wasn't long until he heard Raymond getting his attention. "Holden, it's time."

The purple Silverwing quietly sighed, wishing to say more, but did not argue with the great gray owl. He let go of Frieda and gazed at those closest to him, his heart squeezing in his chest. They were like the family he never had before, and deep down, he would miss them a lot, including Kassidy.

Slowly, he began to move toward the trio from The Spell Organization, his steps heavy as if he were trying to move through a mud pit. Step… step… step… And then suddenly, Holden stopped in his tracks when he heard something fill the silence.

"Shadows fall
And hope has fled
Steel your heart
The dawn will come…"

Holden slowly pivoted to see that Frieda had taken a few steps forward, singing a song. Her voice was soft as a flute and light as the wind in the springtime as she continued to sing solo.

"The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come..."

The elder was soon joined by Ariel, then Mercury, and so on and so forth, as it soon became a chorus with different voices swirling around the cave.

"The bats are lost
And their home is far
Keep to the stars
The dawn will come

The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come…"

That song… Holden could not quite explain it, but it poured into his insides, making him feel something vital. Faith, perhaps? Whatever it was, it was the start of a hole filling his chest.

And he prayed that one day they would all finally breathe.

As the singing progressed, purple magic encompassed him, and he managed to hear the last of the song before he vanished into thin air with the trio from The Spell Organization.

"Flare your wings
And raise them high
Stand your ground
The dawn will come

The night is long
And the path is dark
Look to the sky
For one day soon
The dawn will come…"


A full moon hung in the sky like a jeweled seed in the center, stars twinkling brightly beside it. A beam of moonlight cut through the veil of fog, revealing a slow and steady river. The river reflecting the moon's light ran like a sparkling ribbon through the night. Shadows gamboled against the surface of the water. It was a watery spectacle on the glazed silver of the river, with the silhouettes of trees and the wing prints of night birds.

All seemed normal… until suddenly, the river spat up something near the rocky landscape as if it tasted gross. It was a female bat with blue fur and ruby-red hair, drenched and unconscious. Crows spotted her and perched on tree branches, eyeing her carefully, with interest and hunger, cawing.

Then, a figure came out from the woods. Having heard the crows, it was only a matter of time before they would see what the commotion was about.

TO BE CONTINUED


A/N- And that, my friends, concludes the first story in Where the Wild Calls series! Holy hell, four years I've been at this, and it's finally finished! I'm amazed I was able to do this, and I am overjoyed to have finally finished one of my writing projects! I think I'm about to cry tears of happiness; that's how excited and mindblown I am!

I would like to take the time to thank each and every one of you that took the chance to read, fav, follow, and even review this story! You guys are amazing, and this story probably wouldn't have been possible without you all and your support! Sometimes I wondered if this fanfic may have been over the top and should've kept things simple, but knowing that there are those of you who enjoy it and loved what I put into this fanfic pushed me to finish it! So, once more, thank you all so much!

To show my appreciation, here's a playlist I made of songs that inspired me to write out certain scenes throughout my fanfic, and fun fact, one of the songs you'll see down below, which was called The Dawn Will Come, was what Frieda and the others were singing—with some of the lyrics changed up by me so it made sense. That song was from the Dragon Age Inquisition video game, and I thought it was too good to pass up as I felt it fit the scene well.

After I update my other fanfics, I will see you all soon in the sequel, When the Magic Collides! For the final time, thank you all so much for joining me on this ride, and have a lovely rest of your day ^w^


Where the Wild Calls Playlist

Strange Magic by Darren Hayes

Guardian by Lindsey Stirling

Gortoz a ran by Denez Prigent

Send Me On My Way by Rusted Root

Worth It by Fifth Harmony

You Should Be Dancing by Bee Gees

Stayin' Alive by Bee Gees

Enemy (Orchestral Version) by Imagine Dragons

Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac

On the Floor by Jennifer Lopez

Feel This Moment by Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera

Evacuate the Dancefloor by CASCADA

Give It Up by KC and the Sunshine Band

Night Moves by Bob Seger

Love is the Answer by Natalie Taylor

The Dawn Will Come by Trevor Morris

Breathe by Fleurie