10 years ago…
It was a peaceful evening in the Inkwell Isles and Gwen and Clarence were enjoying the married life and were blessed with their first-born daughter Priscilla Eve Hopewell who is 2 years old. After feeding Priscilla, Gwen puts her to bed and joins Clarence in bed. They both sleep peacefully until Gwen is woken up by a faint sound. Gwen looked outside her bedroom window and barely catches sight of something glowing red in the distance in the fields.
"What the?" Gwen said to herself.
Gwen puts on her coat, shoes and prepares to go outside.
"Gwen? What are you doing?" Clarence asked.
"There's something out there in the fields. I'm going to check it out." Gwen said as she grabbed her ink pen and magic inkwell.
"Wait, let me get Priscilla and I'll come with you." Clarence said as he gets up.
Clarence gets Priscilla and follows Gwen outside while Priscilla was still asleep in Clarence's arms. Gwen makes her ink pen glow and leads her husband out to the fields. Suddenly, the noise started to get louder, and Gwen realized a baby was crying.
"Oh no. It sounds like a baby crying." Gwen realized.
"Oh boy." Clarence said worryingly.
They continued towards the crying sound until finally, they reach a burned out clearing and discover a newborn baby crying on a cloth. Gwen gasped and quickly approached the baby and lifted it up in her arms.
"Oh, you poor thing! Aw, don't cry sweetie." Gwen soothed the baby until it stopped crying.
Clarence took one look at the baby and noticed its ears were pointed and its eye color was red.
"Wow, I've never seen a baby with pointed ears and red colored eyes. Maybe he's an elf or something." Clarence said.
"She." Gwen corrected him.
"What?" Clarence asked.
"It's a girl. Look." Gwen said as she showed him the baby.
"Oh. I see. She must've been abandoned like I was. What does that note say?" Clarence asked, pointing to a piece of paper on the ground.
Gwen looked and picked up the note and read it out loud,
"From the Stork Baby-Delivery. One baby. Species: Cambion. Sex: Female. Mother: Gwendolyn Mae Emmons Hopewell. Father: The Devil. Requested by: Anonymous."
Gwen's eyes widened.
"Cambion? As in half human, half demon?" Clarence asked.
"This is crazy, I didn't do this nor would I ever! Who would do this to me, the Devil?!" Gwen fearfully asked.
"Honey, calm down. Don't overreact. Maybe the Devil's probably got some evil revenge plan to break us up or something. We need to be ready for him." Clarence assured her.
Gwen took a deep breath.
"You're right. If the Devil thinks having a child created from me and him will break us up, he's got another thing coming." Gwen said, ready to fight the Devil.
Just then, they hear someone coming. Gwen grabs her ink pen and prepares herself.
"Clarence! Take Priscilla and hide!" Gwen instructed.
Clarence takes Priscilla and hides behind a tree.
Gwen's ink pen glowed until suddenly, an anthropomorphic stork wearing a delivery outfit appeared and was covered in smoke.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Gwen asked.
The stork coughed up smoke and answered,
"Uh pardon me Mrs. Hopewell. I've come to take that baby away." The stork wheezily answered.
"What do you mean? What has this baby done? Why was she even created from me and the Devil? Did he do this?" Gwen asked, full of questions.
"I can explain! The Devil didn't do this!" The stork said defensively.
"What? He doesn't know?" Gwen asked, now confused.
"Shh! Look, all I know is someone who we don't know who or what they look like mysteriously sent a request to have a child created from the Devil and you. So, this little cambion girl was created and she was set to be delivered to the Devil. We then realized too late it was all a miscommunication and I was supposed to turn around and take her back. But suddenly, she exploded fire at me, and I was shot down from the sky down here! And then you showed up! You weren't supposed to find her!" The stork explained the situation.
"So, someone remaining anonymous requested this girl to be created and taken to the Devil, then you were gonna take her back and have her destroyed?" Gwen asked, trying to understand.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry about the miscommunication. Just hand over the baby and I'll take it away for good and be out of your way." The stork said, lifting the baby cloth in his beak, gesturing her to put the baby inside.
Clarence and Priscilla come out of hiding, shocked by the story.
"Wait, she's already alive. So, you're just gonna take her away to be killed like I was when I was a baby?" Clarence asked the stork, feeling ticked.
Gwen also decided against giving the baby cambion up.
"Your father Harry Hopewell almost did that to you. So, what do you think? Should we…?" Gwen was about to ask until Clarence interrupted.
"Keep her? Yes. I don't want what almost happened to me to happen to her. We can't make her suffer for being born on accident. Well, created in this case. I should know." Clarence said, feeling empathy for the baby.
Gwen is touched by his words and love and gives him a kiss.
"I'm so proud of you honey. You are not your father." Gwen said with tears.
Gwen and Clarence look at the baby and noticed she was smiling at them. Gwen looked at the stork and bravely said,
"We're not giving her up so you can forget it. We're gonna take her in. We don't care if the Devil's her real father. She's already born and alive and we're not gonna let you take it away just like that! Life is a precious gift! We'll raise her to be a good daughter! Now go!"
The stork was shocked.
"So, you wanna keep the kid? I must warn you, she's a ticking timebomb. She has fire powers and who knows what else." The Stork warned.
"I have powers too. We'll teach her to control them! And we'll protect her! Now, please leave!" Gwen ordered.
"Okay fine! But you're gonna regret this!" The Stork warned as he took off and flew away.
Gwen ignored his warning and looked at the baby and cuddled her. Priscilla wakes up and noticed her mother holding the baby cambion.
"Baby!" Priscilla said.
"Yes sweetie. A baby." Clarence said as he carried her closer to Gwen and the baby.
Priscilla looked at the baby and placed her hand on the baby's head.
"Gentle Priscilla." Gwen said.
The baby grabbed Priscilla's finger and smiled at her as both girls laughed.
"Let's go home. All four of us." Gwen said.
They all head back to the house with the new baby. They arrive home, enter the nursery and Gwen magically creates another crib for the baby to sleep in.
"Honey, what are we gonna name her?" Clarence asked as he put Priscilla in her crib.
"Hmm. Well, when I looked out the bedroom window earlier, she was glowing like a fire's glow." Gwen said.
Then, she suddenly got an idea.
"Wait! I think I'll name her… Ember." Gwen announced.
"Ember. Hmm, that's really pretty." Clarence agreed.
"Ember Hestia Hopewell. That's the Greek hearth and fire goddess." Gwen said, deciding the full name.
"Mommy!" Priscilla called.
Gwen looked at Priscilla in her crib and walked over to her.
"Priscilla, this is your new baby sister Ember." Gwen said.
"Ember." Priscilla repeated.
"That's right sweetheart. And you two are gonna be sharing the nursery together just like your Aunt Rose and I did." Gwen said.
"Are you sure? That stork said she's a ticking timebomb with fire explosions. You saw how badly burnt he looked." Clarence said.
"Not to worry. I have an idea." Gwen said as she raised her ink pen.
She places Ember in her crib and magically creates a baby headband with a special jewel with the power to create a force-field to keep Ember from exploding fire without burning anyone or anything.
Ember suddenly sneezed and exploded a little fire, but the force-field activated and contained the fire without burning anything. Ember coughed and sniffled as Gwen lifted her up and wiped her nose.
"Gesundheit sweetie." Gwen said gently.
"Ah, clever." Clarence complimented.
"There, now every time Ember explodes fire, this jewel will activate a force-field to contain her fire until she's old enough. Then, we'll teach her to control her powers on her own." Gwen explained her plan.
"Okay honey, if you think we can do this." Clarence said.
"No, I know we can." Gwen corrected him.
Gwen wraps Ember in a swaddle, gives her a kiss and places her in the crib. Then, she gives Priscilla a kiss and puts her to bed. Gwen and Clarence leave their daughters to sleep and go back to bed.
"Clarence, I know she'll be a good daughter. We'll teach her the Devil is our enemy." Gwen assured him.
"I know. But one day when she's older, she's gonna have to know the truth." Clarence reminded her.
"Yes, but not yet. Until then, we'll tell the family we found Ember and adopted her into the Hopewell family. Okay?" Gwen explained the plan.
"Okay honey." Clarence agreed.
They both kiss and go back to sleep. In the middle of the night, Ember is heard crying, so Gwen wakes up and checks on her, changes her diaper and goes back to bed.
As the years pass, Ember grows up trying to be a normal kid along with Priscilla. But her headband jewel keeps her fire powers contained every time she exploded without burning anyone or anything. Ember tries making friends with other local kids, but she unintentionally scares them away with her powers. During that time, Gwen gave birth to a baby boy they named Timothy Earnest Hopewell.
When Priscilla and Ember were older, both parents enroll Priscilla into school. They tried with Ember, but she was frequently bullied and feared by everyone that Gwen had no choice but to pull her out of school and homeschool Ember herself and taking care of Timothy while Priscilla attended school and Clarence worked with his singing career to provide for the family.
A few years later, Gwen gave birth to another baby girl named Joy Marie Hopewell. Despite being homeschooled and having no friends, Ember was still happy with her family because they were not afraid of her. Ember got along with her sisters and brother and played with them every day as well as do their chores together since she had no one else.
On Ember's spare time, she takes up a hobby outside the house. She goes into a garage away from the house and works on making blow glass art with bags of sand and using her fire powers. She often gifts her glass art to her parents and siblings for birthdays and Christmas.
One day, Gwen decided to surprise Ember. Gwen escorts Ember to an area away from the house in a blindfold.
"Okay, Ember. You can look now." Gwen instructed.
Ember takes off her blindfold and sees a training ground set up just for her to practice her powers with dummies and fire-proof equipment.
"Mama, you made this just for me?" Ember asked, awestruck.
"Yes sweetheart. Now, you can train with your powers on your own training grounds like I did with the magic inkwell when I was younger." Gwen answered.
"Oh, thank you mama! Thank you! Can I try it out?" Ember asked.
"Of course, dear." Gwen said.
"Yay!"
Ember said and ran to the training grounds and uses her fire powers and other powers she recently discovered like electricity, shapeshifting, making items appear and teleportation.
"This is great mama! I can blow off steam over here!" Ember said happily.
"Well, I'm glad you love it. Just remember, if you need to blow off steam and your anger, you can come over here and do that without burning anyone or anything. Understand?" Gwen explained her condition.
"You have a deal mama! I won't let you down!" Ember said as she continued unleashing her powers.
Clarence walks up to Gwen watching Ember unleash her powers.
"That was a great idea honey. Look how happy she is." Clarence complimented.
"Yeah, I figured she could use somewhere to unleash her powers like I did when I lived with Elder Kettle and the cups." Gwen said.
Then, Gwen remembered something.
"By the way, where are the other kids?" Gwen asked.
"Don't worry, Priscilla's watching Tim and Joy." Clarence answered.
"Oh great." Gwen said, feeling relieved.
"Say, Gwen? Who do you think you'll pass the magic inkwell to when the kids are older?" Clarence asked.
Gwen paused for a minute.
"I don't know, and I don't wanna think about it." Gwen answered, feeling nervous.
"What's wrong? What are you afraid of?" Clarence asked.
"Well, whoever I pass it on to will be the next target of the Devil. I mean, if Priscilla gets the magic inkwell, how do I know the Devil won't try to kidnap and marry her instead?" Gwen asked, expressing her fear.
"Then, you need to prepare Priscilla if that's who you'll pass it on to." Clarence suggested.
"We're still hiding from the Devil. He hasn't tried to find us in years and I wanna keep it that way for the sake of our kids. Especially Ember." Gwen reminded him.
"Gwen, sooner or later, Ember is gonna have to learn the truth about her real father and where her powers came from. We can't keep this from her forever we need to come forward." Clarence told her.
"Then, she's gonna want to go find the Devil! Then he'll kidnap her, make a minion out of her and he'll probably have her turn on us!" Gwen said frustratingly.
"Honey, calm down! Deep breaths." Clarence scolded.
Gwen took some deep breaths and calmed down.
"Gwen, you don't know that'll happen. I know you're scared for the kids, but we'll figure something out. When we tell Ember the truth, we'll warn her about the Devil and the dangers. We'll help her understand." Clarence said.
Gwen exhaled and said,
"I don't know what'll happen."
"Don't worry. We'll prepare Ember when the time comes." Clarence assured her.
"Okay." Gwen said hesitantly.
Both Gwen and Clarence kissed as Ember ran up to them.
"Mama! Papa! What are you both doing?" Ember asked.
"Oh, we were just talking about stuff sweetie. It's almost dinnertime. What do you say we all head back?" Gwen suggested.
"Great idea honey, I'm starving." Clarence agreed.
Ember holds both her parent's hands and head back to the house where Priscilla, Timothy and Joy were waiting for them. Gwen cooks up some roast chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy and roasted vegetables.
Present Day…
After some more time has passed, Ember is now living with her birth father the Devil in Hell and training under him to control her powers. Ember still keeps contact with her human family and visits them once in a while.
One evening, she is having dinner with her father and feast on spaghetti and meatballs. Ember has been thinking about something lately and works up some courage to ask her father.
"Father? Can I ask you something?" Ember asked.
"Sure dear. Shoot." The Devil said.
"If I was delivered as a baby to you instead of my mother, would you have taken me in?" Ember asked.
The Devil paused and thought for a moment.
"Your mother kept your existence a secret from me for the past 10 years. But you're my flesh and blood Ember, so to answer your question: yes, I would have." The Devil answered.
Ember felt touched and said,
"Thanks, father."
They both finish dinner, then they both have some father/daughter time listening the radio together on the throne.
"You know Ember, I'm very glad you came to me. I never thought having a daughter would bring me joy." The Devil confessed.
"Really father?" Ember asked, feeling sleepy.
"That's right sweetheart. I should be thanking your mother for sending you here." The Devil said as he stroked her hair.
"Mm-hmm. I love mama too." Ember said as she drifted off to sleep.
The Devil shook his head, turned off the radio and carried Ember to her bedroom. He magically changes her into her nightgown, brushes her teeth and tucks her into bed as her demon kitten Umbra leapt up on the bed next to Ember. He kisses her goodnight and leaves her room to go to bed.
The Devil now had questions for Gwen about her and Clarence taking in Ember despite knowing that he was her real father. That night, he decided to pay Gwen another visit at the farm.
Back at the farm, Gwen and Clarence were both asleep in bed until a breeze blew in their window and woke Gwen up. She looks out the window and realizes someone was downstairs in her kitchen. She sighed, put on her robe and slippers, grabbed her inkwell and ink pen and goes downstairs, where the Devil was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her with the lights on.
"I received your message." Gwen said, unfazed.
"I figured you would. I have questions for you my beautiful flower." The Devil said.
Gwen sighed, then sat down at the kitchen table.
"What do you want now?" Gwen asked.
"I want you to show me something." The Devil said.
"Show you what?" Gwen asked.
"The day you and Clarence found Ember. I need to understand something." The Devil answered.
"Why? What do you need to understand?" Gwen asked.
"Why you and Clarence took her in despite me being her real father. So, please. Will you create an eyeball, activate your past and show me that day?" The Devil answered.
"I've never forgotten you invading my mind the first time I did this." Gwen said, recalling a painful memory.
"Don't worry, no tricks. I won't take over your subconscious this time." The Devil said, knowing Gwen always suspected him having tricks and some painful memories.
Gwen sighed, grabbed her ink pen and created an eyeball and held it up to her.
"Show me the night Clarence and I found Ember." Gwen bravely said.
The eyeball started glowing and floating. Then, it shot a beam into Gwen's eyes as she is being shown the past. The Devil closed his eyes, turned into a red smoke and goes into Gwen's mind.
Gwen finds herself in her bedroom 10 years ago this time with the Devil standing by her. She shows him everything from her discovering a glow in the distance, finding Ember, discovering who her father was, confronting the stork and the decision to keep Ember and taking her home and naming her.
"So, Clarence had empathy for Ember because he too was abandoned and was to be killed after he was born?" The Devil asked.
"Yes. He didn't want Ember to suffer the same fate he almost did for being born by accident. And neither did I." Gwen explained.
"Wow. Despite everything I did to you, you and Clarence still saved our little girl." The Devil said, feeling shocked.
"Yes. We raised her to be a good girl. I thought we could help her with her powers as she got older. But then, it was getting out of hand since her emotions were getting out of control due to her being bullied and feared that she needed more help. That's why we finally came clean with her about you being her real father and she wanted to go find you and seek your help and answers." Gwen finished the story.
"Gwen, you should've given her to me long ago. I would've raised her well." The Devil scolded.
"Well how do I know she wouldn't have become a totally different person if you took her in? Are you not happy with who she is because of me and Clarence?" Gwen asked suspiciously.
The Devil paused and thought for a moment.
"Touché." The Devil admitted.
"I think you've seen enough, let's head back." Gwen said, preparing to wake up.
"Leave that part to me dear." The Devil said, insisting on taking them back.
He snapped his fingers, and both disappeared. Gwen wakes up and both reappeared in the kitchen.
"Okay then. I hope that answered your questions." Gwen said after regaining control of her mind.
"Yes dear. Well, I guess I'll be on my way then." The Devil said as he gets up from the chair and prepared to leave.
"Devil?" Gwen asked.
"Yes Gwen?" The Devil asked.
"Is it true you put Ember back in public school?" Gwen asked.
"Not just any school. It's that school for superpowered children like our daughter. She's actually quite enjoying it and she's even made friends unlike before." The Devil explained.
"Wow. That's great. She's learned a lot from you. Whatever you're teaching her, keep it up." Gwen complimented.
"Oh, I will keep teaching her. You'll see. Alright, I better get going." The Devil said.
He tapped his pitchfork and disappeared back to Hell. Gwen smiled, believing there is hope for her and the Devil to finally be at peace with each other as she goes back upstairs to bed.
One sunny afternoon, Priscilla, Timothy and Joy were out playing in the fields when suddenly, Ember and her new best friend Isfrid appeared.
"Ember!" Joy and Timothy exclaimed.
They both run up to Ember and hug her as Priscilla walked up and gave her a hug.
"Hey Em." Priscilla greeted.
"Hey everyone!" Ember said.
"So, this is where you grew up?" Isfrid asked looking around.
"Yes Isfrid." Ember answered.
"Who's this, Ember?" Priscilla asked.
"Everybody, this is my new best friend Isfrid. She's an ice sorceress. Isfrid, this is Priscilla, Timothy and Joy." Ember introduced.
"Charmed." Isfrid said politely.
"Ice sorceress? As in ice and snow?" Timothy asked.
"That's right. Here let me show you." Isfrid said as she prepared to show off her powers.
Isfrid made some snow appear on the ground and magically made a snowman.
"Wow, that's amazing Isfrid." Priscilla said, impressed.
"Thank you, Priscilla." Isfrid thanked.
Timothy and Joy started playing in the snow.
"Well, I see you made a new friend Ember." Gwen said, approaching the children.
"Mama!" Ember exclaimed.
Both Gwen and Ember hug each other, and Gwen gives her a kiss.
"Mama, this is Isfrid. My best friend from school." Ember introduced.
"Greetings Mrs. Hopewell." Isfrid politely greeted.
"Nice to meet you Isfrid." Gwen answered back.
Just then, a swirling blizzard blew in and an ice-blue human-like woman appeared. It was Isfrid's mother Isolde.
"Mama!" Isfrid said.
"Isfrid darling. I thought I'd find you here." Isolde said.
"Oh, hello ma'am." Gwen greeted.
"Ah, so you are Ember's mother Gwendolyn Hopewell. I've heard so much about you." Isolde greeted.
"Yes. You can call me Gwen. And you are?" Gwen asked.
"I am the all-powerful ice sorceress Isolde Frostbite. And you've already met my daughter Isfrid." Isolde introduced.
"Yes, she is very kind and polite." Gwen complimented.
"Why thank you. Say, while we're here, why don't we have some tea and cakes? Let us get acquainted?" Isolde suggested as she magically made some teacups appear.
"I'd love that ma'am." Gwen agreed.
Gwen grabbed her ink pen and magically made two comfy chairs and a little table. Gwen and Isolde sit down while the children continued playing with each other.
"So, Ember told me she and Isfrid met at that school and became friends?" Gwen asked.
"Oh yes Gwen darling. Isfrid was kind to Ember on the first day of school. She even invited her to the back-to-school party I hosted for the kids not too long ago." Isolde answered.
"How nice of her. You know, she's never had friends before." Gwen said.
"I'm sorry to hear that. I imagine it was difficult growing up for Ember?" Isolde asked.
"Yes, Ember tried to make friends when we tried to put her into school, but the kids and teachers were too afraid of her fire powers that I had to pull her out and homeschool her myself." Gwen explained.
"Oh my. Well, the headmistress Professor Cyfrin saw potential in Ember when she saved her from that falling sign before the first day of school. It was kind of her to offer to enroll her into the school." Isolde said.
"Wow, the Devil didn't tell me that. That's amazing." Gwen said.
"Yes. Just like she saw potential in my little girl too." Isolde said as she took a sip of tea.
"So, the headmistress took in Isfrid too? She saw potential in her?" Gwen asked.
"Oh yes. It happened one day when we were out on the beach and Isfrid wanted to show off her powers she accidentally froze the entire beach." Isolde said.
"Yikes." Gwen said.
"Yes. I had to thaw everyone and apologize for Isfrid. Then, I grounded her for a week. Only then, Professor Cyfrin approached us and offered Isfrid to join the school and she accepted." Isolde finished her story.
"That's great. I'm sure our girls are gonna get along just fine." Gwen said as she took a bite of the cake.
"Oh, believe me Gwen. We'll go places." Isolde said.
Later, Isolde and Isfrid said goodbye to the Hopewell family and disappeared back to the North Pole. Ember returns to Hell to rejoin her father. Ember was happy to be home to resume her spell studying and training while attending school.