Episode:
23: The Great Monsoon, Part 5

Having achieved the Inner Harmony of the Self and gained a new perspective on revenge, Adam says his goodbyes to the people of Apophis. Star reflects on events since Adam's presumed death as she prepares to make the riskiest move yet.

In the Butterfly Kingdom, a certain solemness hung on the air at all times. Black crows were perched on the gravestones, particularly that of Adam Butterfly. It was several inches away from the rest, on a soft patch of dirt towards the middle of the large graveyard. Usually, the birds would hide away in states of torpor, as the constant bombings on the Butterfly Kingdom forcefield scared them away.

This was one of the rare few days where the kingdom was not bombarded with attack after attack from the Empire, slowly wearing away their forcefields and defences.

No, the Empire was far too distracted with the siege on Apophis. They weren't sure as to the power that Apophis held, so they wanted to make sure all their resources were ready at a moments' notice.

That left the Butterfly Kingdom enough time to take inventory. Much had happened since the taking of the Mace Kingdom by the Butterfly Empire. The Marc-nificent Seven was disbanded, the Magic High Commission assumed higher authority in the Butterfly court, Star Butterfly disappeared from the public eye, and the Underworld claimed diplomatic immunity from the Butterfly Kingdom.

Now, pink sunbeams shone in through the window of Adam's bedroom. It cast a magenta haze on the dusty room. Cobwebs hung from the walls, gathering on the guitar and the books. Framed photos sat on the chests of drawers, hardly touched. They depicted Adam from various occasions spent with his friends, like the Mackie Hand marathon he had with Marco, the Ephemeral Conflict with Kelly, and himself in line to get Goblin Dogs with Marco and Star.

One of them was missing. It was held in the hands of one Star Butterfly, who inspected the photo on the decrepit bed at the back of the room. It was her, Marco, Janna, Kelly, Pony Head and Adam. They were posing for a photo at the Frostfolk Fair in Ravenfrost.

Star traced the outline of Adam. He was smiling. She'd almost forgotten what his smile looked like.

Two months. It had been two months since Star watched the man she saw as her brother be disintegrated right before her eyes. And nothing ever seemed to get better. One by one, the kingdoms of Mewni were subjugated by the Empire, the Alliance dissolved, all thanks to their psychotic queen Dark Star. Marco was practically the only thing holding her together.

This photo seemed to be the very last time Star could be happy without having anything to worry about. And Adam, too. Her days were numbered with tragedies, unlike the levities that it had once been, and she wished she hadn't noticed all the weight she had lost.

Star put down the photo on the chest of drawers. She rested her palms on the edge of the cabinet and let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"I know a killer when I see one. And you're definitely not a killer."

Her grip against the wooden frame of the cabinet was almost strong enough to splinter it. She reached down and pulled open the drawer, taking the object inside. It was a large, ornate brown book, worn at the edges and covered in dust. Ancient Fairy–tales of the Forgotten Lands.

Star stepped back and sank onto the bed. She flipped open to the contents page. This book was the only thing she really had left of Adam; the only thing that came from his home, besides the Magic Instruction Book. She was initially searching for the penultimate chapter, Star Butterfly's Last Breath, but when she skipped to the end of the book to find it faster, she came upon something else entirely.

A journal entry, on the blank few pages at the end of the book. It was written in the signature scribbles that Star immediately recognised was Adam's. She almost wanted to gasp. She began to read it.

22nd of Solarfall

I filled all the space in my journal today, so I'm using this as my placeholder. I'm sorry Mom. I know you loved this book. Please forgive me for defacing it.

It has been exactly twenty-four hours since…it happened. I kept watching the hours tick by. Somehow, I thought that would help. It didn't.

It doesn't change anything. Beru is still dead. And now I am all alone. I found the bunker; I found a safe haven…but it's no haven without my friend. It's just…silent, without him. I keep looking up and expecting to see him there, but he isn't. He's just gone. Forever. And there's nothing I can do about it.

Star Butterfly murdered my best friend. She took the only thing I still had left in this world and ripped it out of my frail hands.

And then she flew off like nothing happened.

What's the point in this anymore? Everyone around me dies. But not me. I always have to live, as if I'm supposed to be the lucky one. I want to give up. I want to lie down and let them kill me. I want to escape. But I can't. I'm trapped.

Because I can't let them win. Star Butterfly needs to die. The Red Queen needs to die. They took everything from me. I want to rip them limb from limb, until they're choking on their own guts. I'll strangle them with their own goddamn intestines.

Then they'll know our names. They'll know the town of Salem. I have to keep fighting. Somebody has to. Or else the Butterfly Empire will murder and pillage and destroy for the rest of time.

Never give up. Never give in. Never let it be in vain. I swear I'll follow your words for the rest of my life, Beru.

Star exhaled through her nostrils pensively as she finished reading. She wished she could say that she couldn't imagine what Adam had gone through, watching his friend die right before his eyes. But she could imagine it. Every time she closed her eyes, she could picture Adam's pallid face as black veins creeped up his face and splintered his skin apart.

Never again. She knew then that she couldn't lose anybody else.

She told Marco to stay out of the Great Monsoon. She kept trying to send him home, but he simply refused. She even went to the effort of asking Hekapoo if she could confiscate his dimensional scissors, but she said that wasn't able to. Star was tempted to take them away herself, but Eclipsa managed to change her mind on the matter. In a way, she was glad she had, because she wasn't sure how she could've kept going on without him.

Not that it made the endless defeats any easier. She hadn't seen much of Dark Star since she assumed control of the Butterfly Empire…and she had spent so much time being terrified of the idea. However, once her hatred and grief had been left to fester, there was only thing on her mind whenever she thought about Queen Star the Unforgiving.

Revenge.

Star shut the book and set it down beside her. Right afterwards, there was a knock on the door. She looked up as someone walked in. Star sighed.

'You aren't going to change my mind, Mom. Don't even think about it.'

Moon stepped into the room, spotting the Ancient Fairy-tales book on the bed beside her. Her lips trembled slightly.

'I can't allow you to do this, Star,' she said. 'You're making a mistake.'

'I have to take Dark Star down,' Star insisted. 'Adam died for this. If she's going to present herself to me, then I'm gonna take that chance. I won't let her take anyone else from me.'

'You're doing exactly what Dark Star wants!' pleaded Moon. 'She wants you emotional, on edge. This is how Adam died, Star! Through recklessness and carelessness!'

'Don't put that on me, Mom!'

'Then don't make the same mistake!' cried the woman, closing her hands into fists. Star stood up, equalling her glare with her own ferocious glower.

'Get out of my way, Mom. Or I'll make you.'

Moon stood in place, glaring. After a moment, her expression faltered, and she stepped back. Her face fell. Utter defeat was spelt across her features.

'Is this what my daughter has become? A murderer?'

Star barely flinched at the accusation, as she walked past her mother. As she went to leave, she stopped for a moment and turned back. Star's eyelid visibly twitched.

'You know what I learned, after what happened to Adam?' The cords in her neck became visible with apoplexy. 'Not everybody deserves to live. Some people are meant to die.'

Breathe in. Breathe out. The tightness of the water against his chest was somewhat manageable, but he had to be careful not to breathe too quickly. Sure, he could instead use magic to make this easier, but recent events had inspired him not to rely on his magic so much. Besides, he needed to save his mana for the rest of this little operation.

Adam did gentle brushstrokes in the water to manoeuvre himself. His reinforced wetsuit did well against the heavy water pressure at the bottom of Lake Majoris. His transparent plasteel helmet allowed him a good view of everything around him, too, although there wasn't that much to see.

As he moved around, the city of Apophis was revealed to him. It shone with brilliance and luxury, although it was muffled by the deep blue waters. Despite the Empire's attack on the city, it was still holding together well. The glass dome had been repaired, the forcefield reinforced, and all minor floods sustained were extinguished.

With the Primajora waiting for their next attack, Adam volunteered to ward off the Butterfly Empire permanently. In his opinion, he had a pretty ingenious plan for that.

Adam raised his hands. Halos of white energy glowed around his palms and fingers. His cheek marks glowed from inside his helmet. The borders around Apophis gained a new, magic circle of blue energy, which rose and surrounded the whole city.

Adam felt his mana draining rapidly. This was causing more fatigue than he expected. He whispered some words to himself and summoned the power of the Seal of Arybailos.

Every nerve ending in his body surged with power. The power of the spell had almost been forgotten to him, and he wasn't ashamed to admit he had missed it. The pain was bearable, like a long-lost friend.

In moments, all of Apophis was blanketed in his magic. It pulsated for a few moments more, before eventually fading away. In its place, a version of Apophis lay in ruins. All of the light had been snuffed out, and the buildings seemed destroyed. Any fire was extinguished by the waters, but it didn't stop the fragments of rubble and debris rising up in the tiny bubbles of air. The whole city looked like it was nothing more than a mass of rock and glass lying on the lake floor, obliterated by ordnance.

Satisfied, Adam opened a portal in front of him and swam through. He appeared in an airlock with a rush of water. There was a loud electronic beep, followed by the hissing of air escaping the airlock. Adam sighed in content and reached for his helmet, unscrewing it and lifting it off his head.

The automatic door slid open in front of him, granting him entry into a hangar bay. He stepped into the room. After fumbling with his wetsuit, he slipped off the suit and hung it on the wall. There was a guard at the door, waiting to let him in.

The Seal of Arybailos faded away. He nearly stumbled over as he felt his life-force returning to him, his soul revitalised.

'Whew,' he breathed. He nodded to the guard, and they seemed to understand him, as they walked away to inform Ophis.

'How did it go?'

Adam blinked. He turned around in surprise. Argynos was leaning by the door at the opposite end of the hangar, arms crossed.

'Swimmingly,' he replied, smirking. Argynos rolled his eyes. 'With the illusion of the city destroyed, the next time the Empire shows up, they'll just assume Ajax detonated the Leviathan. They won't bother invading some old hunk of junk.'

'And they won't realise it is an illusion?'

'They wouldn't consider it. They don't know about me,' he reasoned. He frowned for a moment. 'I'm surprised you're here, though. Woulda thought you'd be at the hospital, tending to patients.'

'You are my patient,' replied Argynos unflinchingly. 'I am still your guardian. I was assigned to you to look after you, and that is what I am doing.'

Adam smiled and walked over to him. He put a hand on his shoulder. 'Argynos, I'm fine. I've got things I need to do.'

'That is precisely what I am worried about,' he admitted. Argynos sighed. 'Ophis called again. He wished to know whether you have made a decision about the job he offered you in the Primajora Administration.'

'Oh, right. That.' He bit his lip as he walked down the metal hallway. Argynos followed him. 'You know I have to turn it down. I told him I wanted to keep working at the care home until I'm absolutely certain the Empire won't be coming back.'

'And now that you have cast that illusion?'

Adam gave him a reluctant glance as he stopped at a large circular door. He reached out and pressed the button on wall. The door slid open to reveal the streets of Apophis, filled with citizens going about their daily business. Adam didn't get to answer Argynos's question, as the citizens noticed him immediately.

'Hey, it's Adam Butterfly!'

'No way, really?'

'Where?'

'Over there!'

The citizens on the street rushed over to him, surrounding him and Argynos in an instant. Adam found himself standing before a huge crowd within moments. He smiled awkwardly and raised his hands.

'Now, now everyone…calm down…'

'WE LOVE YOU, ADAM!'

'Uh. Thanks,' he said, grimacing.

'You showed us what true freedom looks like!' someone cried.

'Yeah, we just want to thank you for inspiring us!' responded one of them. Like, yesterday, my boss tried to get me to fix the holoscreen, and I was like, "no way, I wanna be free!" and then I told her to go fuck herself!'

Adam frowned. 'Um…maybe don't do that. I fought for freedom, not anarchy.'

'Aren't they the same thing?'

'Uh…'

'Ladies, gentlemen, and variations thereupon!' Argynos exclaimed. 'Adam is much too busy at the moment. I must see him at the hospital for a check-up.' He gestured between them. 'Make way, make way.'

After some unsubtle pressuring from Argynos, the citizens dispersed into the streets. Argynos nodded for Adam to follow him, presumably to the Royal Hospital of Apophis. Adam scratched the back of his scalp. Argynos looked at him.

'So…are you going to tell me what is on your mind?'

'Hmm? What are you talking about?' enquired Adam. Argynos's eyes narrowed at him.

'Do not play dumb with me, Adam. There is something that you refuse to tell me.'

'We spent the last week clearing Apophis of the Empire,' he replied, sighing. 'They're gone now, and with the illusion, you're not in danger anymore. And…thanks to the Empire being distracted by Ajax, Ophis managed to deliver the map of Negative Mewni to the Butterfly Kingdom. That's a vital resource, and it's already making a huge difference. Things are looking up, but…'

'But you feel like they still need your help,' Argynos surmised.

'Well, yeah. I know the Empire better than anyone. Besides…my friends still don't know I'm alive. I have to see them. And now that Apophis isn't in any danger…what's the point in staying here?'

'Maybe you do not need us,' he said, 'but what if we need you?'

'You don't need me,' scoffed Adam. 'You were all doing just fine before I got here. If anything, my being here is what put you all in danger in the first place.'

'It is hardly your fault. Ajax would have done what he did eventually. You were just a catalyst.'

Adam looked up at the glass dome overhead. 'There's a war going on up there, Argynos. A war that I started. I have to finish it.'

'You can never let these things go,' grumbled Argynos. He walked on ahead, not saying a word.

Adam frowned for a moment, before catching up to him. Argynos didn't feel like talking. The awkward tension in the salty air was almost suffocating. In fact, the entire walk to the hospital felt more like an exercise in teetering the edge of his temper.

The silence continued even as they made their way into the hospital. The patients in the hospital greeted him with a smile and a handshake, which seemed to irritate Argynos even more. Up into his office, Argynos didn't seem to have much of anything to say.

'Take your shirt off and take a seat on the operating table, Adam.'

Adam nodded and did as he was asked, as Argynos gathered his equipment. He took a measuring instrument and scanned along his right arm. He hummed.

'Interesting. There's no trace of the Whispering Spell left,' Argynos said. He reached out and hovered his hand over his shoulder. Turquoise energy circled his hand as he scanned across him. 'There is still some scar tissue of course; there always is after such immense physical trauma.' Indeed, the muscle and skin tissue on his right shoulder was marred with a darker pigment, and crumpled flesh where the new arm had grown. 'And that is without addressing the elephant in the room…I don't know everything about Mewman biology, but I am certain regrowing whole limbs is not usually within your ability.' Adam gave a cursory shrug. Argynos rolled his eyes and grabbed a reflex hammer. He tapped it against Adam's right knee, and his leg shot right up. 'And your psychosomatic limp is all but gone. I suppose you are fully healed. And you no longer need us.'

Adam rolled his eyes.

'Argynos. You've been quiet the whole way here. I've upset you, haven't I?' Argynos looked away. 'What is it?'

'You're telling me, after all the time you have spent here, you are willing to just up and leave?' he asked him, folding his arms. 'Just like that?'

Adam frowned in surprise. 'Well, I wasn't even here by choice…'

'But you have seen how the people in the kingdom look up to you,' Argynos pointed out. 'They view you as their saviour. Their inspiration. If you were to just leave…what kind of message would that send?'

'You can't just keep me here, Argynos,' Adam argued. 'You know you can't. Sure, it's nice that the people in Apophis are…invigorated, but I have responsibilities. Friends and family to go home to.'

'You said that map you delivered would turn the tide in the war. Perhaps they don't need you as much as you think.'

'I don't know on what authority you're making that argument.' A frown pressed down on his brow. 'Information like that was a commodity, sure, but I'm the genuine article. And it's not just the information, my magic is important. I invented Multiversal magic. I'm the best person for it. And even if I wasn't, it was me who started the Great Monsoon. I have to finish it. And I have to see my family!'

'You can go see them, but all I am saying is that…do you really have to leave forever? I mean, what about all the kids at the care home? You told me they have grown quite attached to you.'

Adam bit his lip and stood up. 'I know. I'm gonna tell them myself. It's better that way.'

'Would you look them in the eye?' he asked, as Adam headed towards the office exit. He stopped by the open doorway and looked back.

'I'll try to.'

Back in his room at the hospital, Adam filed the last few bits of items into his backpack in silence.

He didn't have much with him besides some clothes; all his belongings had been left behind in his room at the Butterfly Castle, though he had gotten a few things. He kept a gift that Lily had given him, a little crudely-drawn poster she had drawn of herself with Adam with the words "BESTEST BUTTERFLY FOREVER" scribbled across the top. Adam smiled warily at it, as he folded it up and slid it into his backpack. There was his old walking stick, which he considered returning, but he decided to keep it as a memento. It obviously couldn't fit in his backpack, so he miniaturised it with a bit of magic. Adam figured that, anytime he needed perspective, or a humbling, he'd look at the cane and remember that era of his life. Argynos also handed him a medical certificate last week, so he figured that was worth keeping, too.

Adam swiped a letter from his desk drawer. It was addressed to everyone at the care home. He smiled to himself and slipped it into his trouser pocket. He stared off into space, thinking.

'How'd you lose the arm?'

'Let's just call it "an epic space battle".'

It probably wasn't the best way to describe it. And needless to say, the kids (and his co-workers) were pretty shocked when he came back to the care home with an extra arm.

There was a knock on his door. Adam frowned and went for the door. He opened it to reveal Ophis, along with two of his guards, outside his room.

'Hi, Adam. Can I step inside?'

Adam nodded but then glanced at his guards. 'Just you. Not your bodyguards.' His guards looked at him for confirmation. Ophis reluctantly nodded to his guards, and he stepped inside without them.

'So what do you want?' asked Adam, shutting the door behind him.

'I've been informed that you succeeded in your illusion operation,' Ophis told him, glancing at Adam's zipped up backpack. 'Excellent work. You have my deepest thanks for saving our city.'

'You haven't answered my question.'

'Quite right. Well, I haven't heard your verdict on your job offer.' When Adam rolled his eyes, Ophis persisted. 'I know you said you wanted to remain in your position at the care home until we had cleared Apophis of the Butterfly Empire. Now you have, so…'

'I'm not working for the government, Ophis,' he said, sighing. 'Ajax might have been a terrorist, but he spawned from your failings. Not in housing me, I'm grateful for that…but I looked into it. You laid off hundreds of employees in the mayoral office when you first took administration, and you doubled taxes on food and drink. That's what led to the formation of the Happiness Patrol. I'm not going to be a part of that. Ever.'

'So you're going back home?'

'I have a war to fight. And friends and family to see.'

'I suppose I have no grounds to keep you here,' Ophis admitted, looking out the window. 'You were only here to pay community service in exchange for accommodation…and since you no longer need accommodation, you no longer legally need to do community service. Legally, you're a free man.'

'I know. Which is why you're going to let me leave.'

'I would much prefer if you stayed,' he admitted. 'You've done a lot for our city. But I can't force you. I do want to say this, though…thank you.'

Adam raised an eyebrow. 'For what?'

'Your modesty is admirable, but Adam, but don't be ignorant. You saved all of Apophis when you stopped Ajax, and you did it again today with the illusion that you placed. You know, when Argynos first told me he had rescued you, I was concerned it was a huge security risk. I would have been happy to expunge you out of an airlock if Argynos hadn't given him his testimony.' Adam frowned at his bluntness. His brow deepened even more when Ophis reached into his pocket and produced something. A small, hinged metal box. 'Here. I wanted to give this to you.'

Curious, the Mewman took the box from the Lacetus. He gripped the lid and snapped it open. Adam hummed in surprise. It was an ornate silver necklace, braded with bronze gilding and platinum plating. There was a central blue sapphire gem, which glinted with the tiniest of light reflections.

'Woah…' he marvelled.

'It's the Sapphire Valour,' Ophis told him. 'It's an award for bravery, and a token of good luck for our people. Strictly speaking, it's only meant to be awarded to another Lacetus, when they accomplish something profound, not to a Mewman, but…I'm more than willing to make an exception.'

Adam blinked.

'Ophis…I-I can't take this.'

'Of course you can. I insist,' he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Adam bit his lip nervously.

'Fine…you're not gonna take no for an answer anyway.' He reluctantly took the necklace from the strongbox and hung it in the air. 'It's certainly pretty. Thank you, Ophis.'

'Oh, don't mention it. You've earned it.' Ophis backed away towards the door. 'It's been a pleasure working with you, Mr Butterfly. I do hope you stay in touch.'

'I'll keep it in mind,' replied Adam. Ophis nodded back and left the room, politely shutting the door behind him. Adam stepped back and leant on the sink counter. He glanced down at the Sapphire Valour, the golden chain hanging between his fingers. Ultimately, Adam raised the necklace and put it around his neck. He looked down at the blue jewel at the centre of the necklace.

He gave a small hum of content.

Loitering wasn't illegal in most parts of Apophis, but outside a children's home it definitely was. Adam knew he wasn't entirely respecting this law, given he had been standing outside the building for fifteen minutes, rolling on the balls of his feet. His arms wavered with every attempt to reach the door handle. He managed to make a few negotiations: a small step forward every now and then, a few deep breaths and solemn vows. Nevertheless, he still hadn't truly mustered the courage to take the inevitable step inside the Royal Residential Children's Home.

Adam reached into his coat pocket and produced the envelope. He read the writing on the front, "To Everyone".

Sufficiently motivated, he reached forward and opened the door. He stepped inside and took a deep breath.

'''Mr Butterfly!'''

Adam was greeted by a rush of voices and silhouettes racing toward him. Moments later, he found himself swamped with hugs. Adam breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled.

'Thank you for the warm welcome, Cordelia, Tomas, Charlie!' he exclaimed, hugging them back. 'It's always nice to see you three. Has Michael gotten your playset fixed yet, Cordelia?'

'Yup!' cried Cordelia, jumping up and down. 'Do you wanna see?'

'Maybe later. I need to speak to Mike.'

'Is someone asking for me?' Adam looked up. Michael walked into the main lobby from his office. His eyes widened. 'Oh, Adam. This is a surprise. I didn't think I'd be seeing you today; Argynos told me the King Head had you doing some important assignment.'

'Yes, um…can I talk to you for a moment?' he asked nervously. Michael nodded, but he didn't move. 'In private.'

Michael nodded. 'Oh, right. Well, we can speak in my office.'

Adam nodded to the kids, bidding them well, before following Michael into his office. He spotted Sylvia in the living room, who waved at him. He waved back, before disappearing behind the office door.

'So, to what do I owe this pleasure, Adam?' Michael asked him, settling into his seat. Adam picked his fingernails for a moment.

'I'm here to tender my resignation. Effective immediately.'

He looked up at him.

'Oh. Well, I…I can't entirely say I'm surprised,' he admitted. 'You probably want to see your friends, right?'

'They think I'm dead, Mike. I can't let them keep thinking that. I won't do that to them.'

'Well, I would've preferred a little more notice, but I understand.' He glanced sadly out the windows toward the children in the living room. 'I'm not sure they will, though. How are you going to tell them?'

'I'm just going to have to be blunt,' Adam said. 'I'll call a meeting and just tell them.'

'And what about Lily?' When Adam frowned, Michael responded with a sigh. 'She has abandonment issues. And she's…quite attached to you. I can't imagine she's going to take the news well.'

'I'll tell her personally. Where is she?'

'Where else?' replied Michael. 'She's in her room.'

Adam reluctantly nodded and walked towards the office door. Michael shifted his lips to the side as he watched him leave. Adam walked out and went towards the stairs, trying not to kick himself. He should have considered Lily, and he was tempted to punch himself for being so inconsiderate. God, he was such a terrible person sometimes.

The way towards Lily's bedroom became more excruciating with each step he took. Images of Lily's potentially upset face, or worse, an apoplectic face, filled his mind without restraint. But he had to tell her eventually. He didn't want her to think he abandoned her.

Adam groaned internally. He didn't like endings.

'Lily?' he called, as he knocked on her door.

'Come in!'

Adam twisted the doorknob with a slight tremor. Upon stepping inside, he spotted Lily sitting on her bed with a book in her hands. The second she spotted him, she dropped her book and leapt off her bed.

'Adam!' she cried with glee, diving into his arms. 'You're here!'

'Of course I am. I had to visit my favourite resident! How are you doing then, Lily?'

'I'm good,' Lily replied, still hugging him tightly. 'Mike said I'm making big steps in my social an-ans-anxietry.'

Adam smiled warmly. 'That's excellent, Lily. I'm really proud of you.' His smile slowly began to fade. He steadily removed Lily from him by her shoulders and crouched down to her eye level. 'Lily, there's…there's something I need to tell you. I-I have to be honest.'

Lily looked at him inquisitively. The way her innocent eyes gleamed with intrigue almost broke his heart then and there.

'What is it, Adam?'

'The thing is…you remember how I told you that I got lost from my home, and I couldn't see my family anymore?' he asked. She nodded hesitantly. 'Well…I can now. And I need to see my family. But…they can't come here. I have to go to them.'

'So you're going to visit your family?' Lily bounced with miniature excitement. 'Can I come with you?'

Adam looked away.

'Where I'm going, Lily, I-I can't take you with me. And…I can't stay. There's…things I have to do.'

Lily's face slowly began to droop.

'Well…h-how long will you be gone?'

'I…I don't know,' he confessed. 'B-But I'll visit! It's not like I'm leaving forever!'

'You're…you're leaving?' squeaked Lily. 'No…don't…don't leave.' Her eyes began to well up with tears. She jumped forward and grabbed him by the waist. 'Please don't go!'

'Lily –'

'Please! Ple-ea-ease!'

Adam knew he wasn't going to get through to her yet. Instead, he held her in his arms and let her cry for a bit. When her whimpers began to die down, and she became mostly quiet, he spoke up.

'Lily…I'm not leaving you. I promise I'll visit.'

'Why can't you just stay here?!' she cried.

'I wish I could, Lily, but…I have a family. People that I miss…so much. And people who miss me. (I hope.) I can't just leave them behind.'

'You're leaving ME behind!' Lily yelled, suddenly banging him on the chest. 'Why does everyone LEAVE ME?!'

Adam knew he couldn't hoodwink her. He had to be honest.

'I do have to leave, Lily,' he admitted. 'But I'm not leaving forever. You're important to me, too. Hey, look at me.' She leaned back and looked him in the eye. 'I am NOT going away forever, okay?'

'W-Why can't you take me with you? You could adopt me!'

'I'm still just a kid myself, Lily,' said Adam guiltily. 'And there's…a war going on up there. No place for a child like you. I told you before that I was responsible for your safety. And I will never allow you to be in that kind of danger.'

'But why do you have to go? You said you're a kid, too!'

'I can't explain it to you, Lily. I have to put an end to it. But I'm not in any sense of mind to raise a child. I'm sorry, Lily, but I can't.'

Lily looked down, leaning on her right leg. She squeezed her fingers. 'H-How often can you visit?'

'I can't make any promises,' he admitted. When Lily pouted cutely at him, he quickly added, 'But I hope at least once a week.'

Lily reluctantly nodded. Adam smiled and took off his backpack. He reached inside and produced something from it.

'Hey, I got something for you.'

Lily looked up. Adam was holding a large black teddy bear in his hands. He beamed at her. Lily's face lit up instantly.

'Woah!' she cried, immediately taking the bear from his hands and holding it tight to her chest. 'He's so cute !I'm gonna keep him forever!'

Adam sniggered. 'I knew you'd love it.'

'Thank you,' she replied, hugging him again. 'I'm going to miss you!'

'Well, you won't have to miss me for long,' Adam said. 'Goodbye, Lily.'

Lily waved animatedly. 'Bye, Adam!'

Adam smiled as he stepped out of her room. Next, he needed to tell Michael to call a meeting in the foyer. As long as all the children were waiting in the appropriate area, it didn't matter.

Indeed, Michael did as Adam asked and shepherded all the kids, except for Lily, into the main foyer of the children's home. The whole collective, including Sylvia and Jason stood in the room, with varying degrees of confusion or boredom. Even Michael looked on the edge of his seat. If he were sitting, that is.

'What are we doing here, Michael?' asked Alex, folding his arms. 'What's this about?'

'You'll have to ask Adam,' he replied.

Trilla frowned. 'Well, where is he?'

'Right here.'

The group of children, plus the adults, looked up to see Adam at the top of the stairs. He smiled at them as he walked down the steps toward the main foyer. The group of kids smiled back, although a few of the older ones bore a nervous undercurrent below their otherwise ebullient faces. Adam stopped at the bottom of the stairs and sighed.

'Hello everyone,' he greeted. His face seemed somewhat neutral. 'You're probably all really confused right now.'

'Yeah, is…everything okay, Adam?' asked Sylvia.

'I had some things I wanted to say.' He scratched his scalp, abashed. 'First off…I guess I should say, uh, I've learnt a lot in my time here. To tell you all the truth, when I first came here, I wanted to be out the door as soon as possible. Now, well, I guess you could say I found a second calling. Part of me wants to stay here forever. But I…I can't. I've been away from my friends, my family. They need me. I won't abandon them. Not again.'

'Wait…' uttered Trilla, 'you're leaving?!'

Adam blinked.

'Well…' he began.

'You can't just go!'

'We need you!'

'So you're just gonna abandon us?!'

'What about what we want?!'

The voices of the children descended into utter chaos. Loud yelling and louder arguments erupted amongst them, as Adam attempted softly to quiet them. To no avail, of course. Eventually, Michael had to step in.

'QUIET!' he boomed. The group of children fell silent near-instantly. 'Thank you. Now, if you'd listen to Adam, I'm sure he has some things he needs to say.'

Adam nodded. 'Thank you, Michael. As I said, I have friends and family to go home to. I'm not abandoning any of you. My friends haven't seen me in a long time, and they're beginning to think they never will. I've been lost, lost and afraid, and it's time for me to go home. I'm not going to leave forever; I'll be back to visit. That's a promise. But if you love something, you have to let it go.'

'I understand,' Trilla said. 'You just want to go home.'

'Mike, were we keeping him here?' Cordelia asked.

Charlie gasped. 'So we're like a prison?!'

'It's not like that,' Adam reassured them. 'I'm glad to have been here. Honestly, I never thought this is something I could be good at, and without you all, I never would've found that out. So thank you. I feel like…I'm leaving this job a better man than when I first got it. That's something that you gave me that nobody can take away.' He beamed warmly. 'So really…I just wanna say thank you. For everything. I won't forget any of you. And this won't be the last time you see me.'

'I hope not,' uttered Tomas. 'You were one of the good ones.'

Adam sniggered a little. 'Thanks, Tomas.' He reached into his pocket and handed it to Jason, walking over to him and Sylvia. 'Open this when I'm gone.'

Jason nodded.

'We're gonna miss you, you know,' he said, crestfallen. Adam smiled a little.

'Yeah, I'm gonna miss you all, too.' Jason reached forward and hugged him. Adam blinked in surprise for a moment, before hugging him back. As he released from the hug, he sighed. 'Nice.'

'Be safe out there, Adam,' Sylvia told him, hugging him tightly.

'I will, Sylvia. Take care of yourself.'

'I will,' she replied, smiling. 'And you'll always have a home here.'

Adam sighed happily.

'You remember that time Adam taught us that human game called "tic-tac-toe"?' reminisced Cordelia. Charlie nodded, jumping up and down.

'That was so exciting!'

Eventually, the group of children began talking amongst themselves about their favourite moments with Adam. Even Sylvia and Jason began to divulge some stories, though only the child-friendly ones. When it seemed nobody had their eyes on him, he quietly disappeared out the door. A whiff of salty air met his nostrils instantly. He stepped onto the street and glanced up at the ocean sky.

It seemed only yesterday that he got here. And he certainly remembered how much of a rush he was in to get out. A bit of urgency still existed within him, of course. There was a war going on up there. But maybe he could drink in the sights for a little longer.

Somehow, he ended up saving the entire city. Mainly because he put the city in danger in the first place. That was another bit of red in his ledger that he'd never be able to pay back.

'Hey, you didn't think you could just sneak away, without anybody noticing, did you?'

Adam spun around. Michael was standing on the front porch of the children's home, as slight smirk tugging at the edges of his lips. Adam coughed awkwardly and scratched his neck.

'Yeah. Figured I…you know, I have to get going.'

'Never one for the spotlight, are you, Adam?' he surmised. Adam nodded awkwardly. 'You made quite a difference here, you know. Lily is in a much better place because of you.'

Adam grimaced a little at the praise.

'You would've done the same thing.'

'Yes,' Michael replied. He took in a deep breath through his nostrils. 'But I didn't. You did. That's what matters.'

He shrugged begrudgingly. 'Yeah. I guess so. Thanks, Michael.'

Michael smiled back.

'Don't be a stranger, okay?' he said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Adam let out a sigh as he gave his final goodbyes to Michael.

This was it, Adam thought. After so long spent in Apophis, it seemed almost weird to be leaving now, but he had to. He sighed and took a turn away from the children's home.

Only to immediately collide into someone. He stepped back.

'Oh, sorry…!' he exclaimed, his voice trailing off. He frowned at the person standing in front of him. 'Argynos? What are you doing here?'

The Lacetus was huffing heavily, his face red and puffy with perspiration. Adam patted him on the back, uncertain.

'I've…I've been…looking for you…everywhere,' he panted. He took a few seconds to catch his breath. 'Ophis just informed me that the Apophis Radio Communications Team managed to intercept a transmission between the Mace Kingdom and the Capitol City.'

Adam's face instantly darkened. 'What did you hear?'

'It's urgent. Queen Star the Unforgiving made an announcement to her disciples less than a half hour ago. She's accepted a duel to decide the fate of the Positive Multiverse!'

'A duel?! Who against?!' he demanded. Argynos's dark face paled visibly. The veins on his face became more visible, but he still remained silent. 'WHO?!'

'Your sister.'

A fist shot out. Adam struck the wall next to him, splintering the brick.

'Shit.' He wiped off the pain in his knuckles. 'Where?'

'The Forest of Redoubt. In one hour,' replied Argynos. He extended his hand. Adam looked surprised. 'Go help her. She's family to you. But don't be stranger, alright? If you ever need any help, just give me a call. We'll come running.'

Adam managed a tense smile. The two of them shook hands hastily, but slow enough to emphasise mutual respect.

'I can't thank you enough, Argynos. You brought me back to life. I don't think I could ever repay you.'

'You already have, Adam. You saved the whole kingdom. Just…visit, alright? The city could still use a man like you from time to time.'

'I will,' he promised. 'This won't be the last time you see me.' A golden, glimmering portal opened behind him. He smiled and gave one last nod. 'See you around.'

Adam disappeared behind the golden, glowing portal.

Back at the care home, things were silent for quite a while. You could hear a penny drop, if you were so inclined. Sylvia held the letter that Adam had left them. The edges were creased from the time spent in his pocket. The group of kids all remained standing in the foyer, uncertain of what to do now.

There was the sound of footsteps at the top of the stairs. Sylvia looked up. Lily trudged to the bottom of the staircase, holding her right arm.

'Has…has he left now?' she asked nervously.

Sylvia crouched down and softly placed her hands on her arms. She rubbed her arms comfortingly. 'I'm afraid so, honey.'

Lily looked down.

'Okay.'

'But he left us a letter in case we're missing him,' Michael told her, smiling. Sylvia handed the girl the letter. 'Something tells me…you could really use it right now.'

Lily sniffed and looked at the letter. It was written in Adam's typically haphazard handwriting, although it was noticeably straighter, and the letters were more clearly defined. There was a small impression in the characters from where Adam had pressed his pencil into the paper. She affixed a tiny smile onto her face. She ripped open the letter and removed the piece of paper inside.

Her eyes traced the lines written down several times over. She frowned. The other kids exchanged uncertain looks.

'Well,' said Trilla, 'what does it say?'

The kids moved round to see what it was. Jason, Michael and Sylvia initially tried to curtail them from crowding Lily, but eventually even their own curiosity overcame them. They all stared at the message.

"LOOK IN THE GARDEN."

'What's in the garden?' inquired Ellie, confused.

'Let's go see!' Cordelia exclaimed, sauntering in the direction of the nearest garden door. All the children, Lily included, decided in their own time to follow her. Soon enough, a conga line of them ran to the garden, along with Sylvia, Michael and Jason.

'What's Adam done this time?' Jason wondered aloud. Sylvia shrugged.

'I don't know. But I really want to see!'

When they made it to the garden, the changes became immediately apparent. The children filed into the garden.

'Woah!'

'Oh my gosh!'

'That's amazing!'

Michael looked on with his co-workers in wonder. He shook his head as he smiled.

'Son of a bitch,' he muttered to himself.

A massive climbing frame stood in the middle of the sizeable garden, seemingly conjured from nowhere. It was vast and complex, with benches and seating areas, monkey bars and railings, little playground telephones, several slides and even a zipline. And for the slightly older kids, there was now a new wooden hut with a pool table in the middle of it, along with a collection of board games.

All produced from seemingly nowhere. But they all knew precisely where it came from.

'He just can't do "subtle", can he?' Sylvia remarked, holding a hand across her mouth. Jason held back a gasp.

'No, he can't,' he said, as the children leapt onto the climbing frame to explore every inch of it. Some of the older ones went straight to the pool table to play a game together.

Sylvia felt someone take her hand. She looked down. Lily stared up at her.

'What is it, honey?'

'Adam's…going to come back, right?' she asked, tightly clutching Sylvia's fingers.

'Of course he is, Lily,' Sylvia responded, hugging her. 'I think we'll see Adam again very soon.

Thanks for reading the latest chapter; I hope you enjoyed it!

This chapter more or less sets up the next chapter, as well as resolves the Apophis arc. Initially, most of the events of this chapter didn't happen and instead it would have gone straight from Adam placing the illusion to him leaving the city. This is part of the reason why the finale is now seven parts instead of six like I always claimed. There's another reason, but I'll mention it when it's more relevant. Anyway, it didn't feel right to just leave Apophis when Adam had formed actual connections with the people there - particularly Lily - when Adam would at least say goodbye. He certainly didn't find it easy, but I felt it would have been weird for him to not do it at all. The goodbyes ended up taking up a reasonable chunk of the chapter, because I wanted to establish how Adam was able to prevent the Empire from simply invading again, how he would go out of his way to not abandon Lily, and how a lot of the people in Apophis are still relying on him so him leaving makes it harder for him.

I also wanted to show Star's perspective once more to show how much she has changed. And to set up the next chapter where Adam (finally!) reunites with her. She's going down the same path that Adam was, and with Adam coming back, he might have something to say about that. I mean, the duel she's put herself in is the same logic that Adam had that got him killed, but Star's too blinded by her grief to see that. She'll have to almost die at Dark Star's hands first to realise her error.

Adam's gotten pretty powerful, hasn't he? He cast an illusion which covered the entire exterior of Apophis, and presumably is convincing enough that it is practically undetectable to the naked eye. It is important to note here, however, that illusion works best when the possibility of it being an illusion never comes to mind. To Dark Star's knowledge (and the rest of the Empire), Lacetans can't cast illusions - they specialise in hydromancy and something called Spiritual Magic, and even then most Lacetans can't cast magic without first using relics. So, as Adam claims in the chapter, nobody would evenconsiderit's an illusion, as nobody outside of Apophis know that he's there, so people won't notice it. The illusion only really needs to work the one time the Empire checks on it anyway, since they're not going to go back to check.

Adam's earned his title now: the Unexpected. In a few ways, and he's obviously going to earn it again when he reappears next chapter. Of course, he doesn't know this is his title yet, but he'll find out! Technically this means he could get a chapter in the Magic Instruction Book, but the Book really stopped being relevant chapters ago, and also, we'll see in the epilogue why it was essentially forgotten after Adam's "death". Red Glossaryck is going to show up in the coming chapters, too, so stay tuned for that!

This chapter does feel slightly uneventful, but I promise the next chapter will make up for that! This story issoclose to being done, it's weird to think about. I've spent almost three years now on this story. I'm 100% certain now that there will be 63 chapters in total. Chapter 63 will be the epilogue. I'm quite excited with how this is going, because I've some things planned that I think will be pretty awesome. The only thing I am going to mention is that the final episode will feature a lengthy magical duel between Adam and Dark Star! It's probably not too surprising to learn this, since the ultimate way to show Adam's character development is for him to fight the main antagonist that he has barely stood a chance against for the majority of the story. It's gonna be really exciting.

Anyways, I've rambled enough. Thank you all for your support, as always, I appreciate it. I hope all of you have been enjoying this story as much as I have enjoyed writing it! I'll see you all in the next chapter, "Butterfly with Bullet Wings"!