The chase was on! Lucas, Kumatora, Duster, Boney, Flint, and Rosella made their way below the city as quickly as possible.
The Masked Man had just made it to the seventh needle when the others caught up to him.
"Don't do it," Lucas shouted.
The Masked Man turned around and got his sword out. With one swoop, he summoned a lightning attack, which knocked Kumatora, Duster, and Boney to the ground.
Rosella yelped as she saw her friends fall.
But then...Hinawa's ghost suddenly appeared behind Rosella.
"Lucas..." she said.
Lucas gasped and turned around as he heard his mother's voice.
"Claus..."
The Masked Man growled as he heard her voice.
"Claus, stop it! You aren't Porky's robot! You're our son..."
"Get out of my head," The Masked Man shouted, firing another lighting attack.
"Lucas, look out," Flint said as he took the blow for Lucas. He then grunted and collapsed to the ground.
"Dad," Lucas shouted worriedly.
Flint looked at The Masked Man.
"Claus...please remember...I've been looking for you for so long..."
"Claus," Hinawa and Rosella said at the same time. "You and Lucas are brothers."
The Masked Man looked at Rosella and Hinawa, his eyes widening as they both shared the same sentiment.
"Can you hear me?" They both continued. "You're Claus. Your name is Claus."
"You're our son," Hinawa shouted.
But the Masked Man wasn't having any of it.
"Enough," he shouted as he attacked one more time.
Rosella rushed in front of Lucas and took the attack for her.
She yelped as the lightning struck her.
The Masked Man stopped dead in his tracks. His face went pale as he realized he just attacked the one person he never wanted to hurt.
Rosella took this as her chance. She started to walk towards the Masked Man, but Lucas stopped her.
"Rose, what are you doing?!" He asked her, holding onto her wrist. "Are you crazy?!"
Rosella looked back at him with tears in her eyes and a determined smile on her lips.
"Well," she answered. "Love makes you do crazy things. That's why...I have to get through to him...even if it...costs me...my life..."
With a heavy heart, Lucas let go of her wrist. He knew if anyone could get through to his brother at this point, it would be her.
Rosella took another step forward.
"Claus," she shouted, standing her ground.
The Masked Man turned to face her.
"I know you're still in there, Claus! So listen up, okay?!" She continued. "You Lucas and I have been through so much together...we played together...we laughed together...we even cried together. And not just that...You and I...we did so much on our own! The nights you would sneak up to my window, and take me out to see the stars...those were some of the happiest moments of my life! Don't you remember me? At all? It's me, Rosella...I'm finally back."
The Masked Man started to tear up as well.
"If you really are the girl from those memories, then why did you leave me all those years ago?!" He asked, crying.
"I never wanted to leave you," Rosella answered, putting her hands to her heart. "If it was up to me, I would have stayed a lifetime. Because I..."
Rosella took a deep breath.
"I..."
And then she finally let it all out. She finally told him the one thing she's been wanting to say for years.
"I LOVE YOU, CLAUS LOCKWOOD!"
Rosella suddenly rushed up to him and jumped into his arms, kissing him. As the momentum of her kiss knocked his helmet off of his head, All of his memories came flooding back to him. He finally remembered that he was Claus.
Claus broke the kiss.
"Rose...? Is it really you...?" He asked softly.
Rosella nodded, before hugging him and sobbing. Claus held her close.
"I thought I lost you forever, Claus," Rosella said through sobs.
"Were you really that worried about me?" He asked her.
But before he could answer, Lucas rushed up to the two of them.
"Claus," Lucas shouted.
"Lucas, I—" Claus said happily as he saw him rushing over.
Rosella let go of Claus and let the twins hug and cry it out.
"Son," Flint said as he joined the hug.
"Dad," Claus cried. "I...I'm so sorry...I'm so sorry for everything!"
"It's okay," Rosella answered, putting her hand on his back. "Cause now you're here, and your safety was all we were worried about..."
Claus let go of his dad and brother and held Rosella's hands.
"Oh Rose," he said, tears still in his eyes. "You've always been there for us...even at our worst."
Lucas's attention then turned to the needle. He pulled it with all his might.
The Dark Dragon appeared before the group.
"You each get one wish," it roared.
Rosella and Claus turned to the majestic being.
Lucas went first.
"I wish for the world to be restored to its former glory, without the influence of the evil that has corrupted it," he said.
"I wish for everyone brainwashed by that evil to be set free," Claus said.
"And I wish for everyone who had tragically passed because of that evil to be given a second chance at life," Rosella added.
"It is done," the Dragon said as it got to work.
"Thank you," Rosella said, beaming at the Dragon.
"No," the Dragon said as it nuzzled into Rosella a bit. "Thank you..."
And as the Dragon disappeared, Kumatora, Duster, and Boney got up.
Boney suddenly barked and wagged his tail when he saw one very special woman return.
She gave Boney some scratchies.
Flint was the next to notice her presence.
"Hinawa," he whispered, tears in his eyes.
Flint and Hinawa shared a passionate hug and kiss.
When the two broke the hug and kiss, Rosella turned around and gasped.
Lucas and Claus were the next to turn around. They were stunned.
"MOM," they shouted, running to her and hugging her.
Hinawa turned her attention to Rosella.
"Well?" She asked. "Aren't you going to join us?"
Rosella walked over and joined the hug.
"GROUP HUG," Kumatora shouted as she and Duster also joined the hug.
"Let's go home," Hinawa said once everyone was done hugging and crying it out.
And so all of them went back to Tazmily Village.
When they returned, the villagers welcomed them back with open arms. The Six MaQueens that helped aid our heroes were brought back to life. Kumatora hugged them, sobbing. Bianca rushed up to Hinawa the moment she saw her and they hugged it out. Pierre and Flint high-fived and hugged each other.
Nana rushed up to Lucas and pulled him into a kiss.
Lucas smiled and kissed back.
Rosella started to get emotional again, so Claus squeezed her hand before holding her close.
"We're planning a block party to celebrate the fall of Porky's empire," Nana said after breaking her kiss with Lucas. "I hope I'll see you all there tomorrow night."
"Yeah, we'll be there," Lucas said.
But for now, it was super late, so everyone went home.
While Rosella went up to her room and fell asleep, Pierre and Bianca decided to address the elephant in the room.
"We're staying here for good, right?" Bianca asked him.
Pierre smiled.
"Of course...forever and always."
