CW: Deadnaming, Transphobia, Suicidal Ideation

 

Zee

 

“...It’s a long story,” Cat answers, sheepishly grinning and putting her paws on her hips. “I’m sure it’ll be a big funny story to retell once this is all over.”

“...You are quite confident in a happy ending, then…?” Coyotl muses, clearly finding it difficult to hold onto hope after all they’ve been through the past week…

“Well, duh,” Cat grins, sharp teeth on full display, ever the shining star. “Wouldn’t be much of a herald of hope and light if I didn’t have full confidence that we can beat our way through any problem that comes our way.”

The chimera sighs, leaning in as Cat places a paw on his shoulder.

“So, what’s the plan?” Fox asks, getting us all back on track as we stare out at the growing mass of ghosts beginning to mobilize and move towards us. “Can we just blow all these guys to hell and back and free you from these chains?”

“I…I am not sure it is quite so simple…” Coyotl says, their claws reaching around the green chains binding them to the frigid throne. “I don’t quite know what to do…”

“Then I’ll light the way.”

Coyo perks up and looks at Cat, the feline extending her arm and summoning her spear pen.

“Plans were never quite my thing, but I’ve made it this far on fire and fuel alone. Just follow my lead.”

“B-but how…?” he asks, antennae twitching above his screenless face. “Even if I follow, how will I keep up…?”

“Together,” Fox answers, taking Coyotl’s claw and holding it in both of her own. “I wouldn’t have made it this far without all the help others have given me, even help from another part of myself. If you’re having trouble trusting yourself…trust us to trust you.”

“Would I not just be dragging you down at that point…?” the chimera worries, at which point I join in, throwing my arm around his waist.

“Was I dragging you down when you kept pulling me to my feet in the Ghost Train?” I ask before shaking my head and smiling. “I doubt you’d ever think of me like that, neither would any of us think that of you. Everyone needs help at some point.”

As I speak, I can see a few of the chains around Coyotl shudder, cracks beginning to form as we break through his insecurities.

“I…I understand,” he stutters, and all of us squeeze in tighter around him. “I know I cannot exactly help without my artifacts…and I cannot exactly use my power in this state…so thank you. I will repay this debt someday…”

“Oh, Coyo…” I frown, patting his back. “Nothing to repay when you’d do the same for us.”

I give him a big wide smile before Cat clears her throat, gesturing to the growing hoard with her thumb.

“I’m all for sappy soul uplifting, but we really should get started on these bozos,” she says, extending a paw and a great big smile to Fox. “I think we’ve been holding this off for far too long. How’s about make good on our namesake?”

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Fox quite so ecstatic, grabbing Cat’s paw and pulling herself in before the feline tosses the girl in the air and they both spread their arms wide, the vixen shouting with glee.

“The time for Twin Tails is finally here!”

 

“LET’S DANCE!!”

“LET’S DANCE!!”

 

Cat leaps into the air, and the moment the girls connect, a brilliant glow and a pure darkness whirl and dance, surging with power and love until either side takes the shape of half a person, each with their own tail.

Like the crash of thunder, she lands, a tall, orange kitsune with two magnificent tails, mighty claws on both her hands and feet, her short hair and tail tips white as a flash, and garbed in what looks like a combination of both the girl’s old stealth outfits. Fox’s gloves extend to the elbows like Cat’s, Cat’s knee socks made tattered like Fox’s, Fox’s vest and chest piece fitted over Cat’s slim top, and of course being equipped with Cat’s collar and Fox’s shoulder guards. Holding out one of those massive claws, they catch a lightning bolt and summon what looks like a huge lance fashioned with a barrel and trigger…it’s a goddamn lance cannon!

“Know a Thief when you see one~?” they tease with a wink and a fiendish grin. “Keep up if you can~!”

I’m not even graced with the chance at a rebuttal, the two tailed fox disappearing with a blindingly fast dash, already halfway to the amassing army with only a few leaps in a matter of seconds! Goddess damn!

“Don’t worry, Coyo, I’ll keep guard,” I tell the chimera, stepping in front of him and preparing myself for anything that slips by. “I won’t let these fucking creeps lay a hand on you ever again.”

“...Th-thank you, Zee…”

For the moment, I’m able to watch the duo made one getting to work, constantly on the move and building up power for every second they’re not standing still, spinning and slashing and stabbing through the ghosts that have yet to amalgamate, not a single one able to touch them at such a blinding speed. Their strength only seems to compound the moment they stop moving and pull the trigger on their lance, all of that lightning surrounding them releasing in a massive crash of thunder. An afterimage of Cat and Fox made of lightning appears a hundred times over in a second before they’re back on the move.

With the crowd thinned, what spirits have conglomerated begin to take shape, three separate groups each writhing and screaming until they’ve crushed their own form into a shape acceptable by the standards of their rotting corpses. One is quite familiar: the worm that we’d been told had attacked Monorise before our assault on the Ghost Train. This slithering, pained creature worms its way around the building Thief stands upon, constricting it and demolishing its entirety with a single wailing motion. The kitsune is forced to spiral up its body with a continuous slash before leaping off the top and stabbing downward onto its faceless front, pulling her trigger and sending dozens of Cats and Foxes into and clawing out of its body. Though far from finished, it’s stunned long enough for her to jump to another building to deal with the next amalgamate.

It’s…oh dear Goddess, it’s somehow the most repulsive ghost yet…Wings made from a string of weeping bodies burst from the mass of sludge beginning to levitate into the air, each exploding out violently, screaming, the very pain they cause themselves being excruciating. First two wings, then six, twelve, twenty, I can barely count them with the way they all writhe and blend together around the dripping orb of ghostly ooze that powers it, a blackhole that’s constantly consuming itself over and over as it takes flight.

Thief keeps a distance from the ceaseless void of tormenting spirits, seeing its endless hunger pulling at her very souls, forcing the kitsune to move fast and away as the unholy worm recuperates, undulating and screaming as it tunnels holes through the buildings below before rising up out the top of one to try catching Thief. Thankfully, she’s much too fast for the worm, using the distance she’s made from the void to spin circles around the point where the worm has emerged, slashing wildly and carving soul after soul from its body until the void has made too much ground, err, air, at which point the fox carves a path up the worm and holds her lance over her shoulder like a rocket launcher. With the trigger pulled, the void is forced to consume hundreds of lightning bolts at once, searing off a few of its wings in the process as Thief resumes her escape.

With two out of three being dealt with, that leaves one left for me…an amalgamate that had flattened itself out into a sheet of screaming souls, blanketing an entire group of buildings before rising and taking the shape of the reaper underneath it, an oily steam billowing out from under its hood while a metal skeletal hand extends from its opening. A mass of writhing souls climb up its arm, allowing themselves to be crushed within its palm and grinded to a putrid mist that whirls into a storm before taking form as a cross shaped blade, immediately charging towards us!

Noticing Coyotl trembling, I revv up my skates and launch myself off this tall roof, colliding with the spirit’s blade buildings away from the chimera, sparing him its presence for what time I can. The steel of the sword and the metal of my fist clash, deflecting its strike but sending me flying backwards. I need to use the Foxy Propulsion to catch myself midair, landing and leaping right back at it.

“CAN’T YOU ACT YOUR AGE AND DROP DEAD?!” I shout as I find myself under the cloak of souls, their blade pointed down and plummeting towards me, prompting me to parry the attack with the back of my arm and reach for the blade, hissing as I feel its malice trying to burn through my grasp.

“PITIFUL THAT YOU WOULD TARNISH THE BODY BEFORE THE SOUL HAS EVEN BEEN CORRUPTED”

Gritting through the danger sirens going off through my body, I pull down on the sword and begin to make circles on my wheels, spinning the spirits and sending them crashing into a nearby building…or so I’d hoped, watching it instead pass through to the other side.

“You think you’ve got me clocked?! Our body still exists, dumbasses!!”

The unholy reaper hisses and screams at once, rising up and launching themselves at me thankfully from far enough away that I can dodge and watch their blade sink into the roof, giving me a chance to dash in and deliver a flurry of buzzsaw boosted kicks from my green glowing wheels, testing the ghosts’ endurance until they abandon their sword.

“YOU KNOW NOTHING OF THE AGES WE HAVE ENDURED IN PAIN TO SEE A CLEANER WORLD”

“YOU LITERALLY WANT TO COMMIT GENOCIDE!!”

The reaper lunges at me again, this time attempting to envelop me in its deathly cloak…so I permit it. Reeling back my fist, I charge up all the power I can to form a blade of electricity from my wrist, leaping forward into their attack and cutting through them, bounding out of their back and drifting around as I land to zip back in and tear them to shreds! Only to be suddenly plucked from the ground by a dashing rogue.

“Well, hello, darlings!”

“We figured you’d miss us~”

 

I look behind the kitsune to see the pursuing ghosts hot on her tails, rolling my eyes as Thief continues to bound from building to building.

“I’m sure that’s the only reason I’m seeing you right now.”

“Totally! Now think fast!”

Oh, I love this game! Landing and bending their knees, the fox jumps to new heights as the worm erupts below us, Thief holding me in one claw before chucking me down towards it, twin electric blades extended from my arms as I spin and slice straight down through the ghost tunnel, landing on a much lower floor of the building where the void can’t see me. Up above I see that hungry hole zip by, only to be launched back by another blast of lightning, angrily struggling to continue the chase. Meanwhile, I feel the building rumble as the worm begins to wake from its staggering…only to suddenly begin rising higher and higher out of the hole in the roof…? Oh Goddess.

The worm isn’t moving itself, the reaper is eating it!! Disgusting and vile crunches and squelches gurgle from the ghost’s emptiness until its meal is all but gone, the cloaked one stumbling as it pulsates and ripples, grunting and groaning in agony as all it had consumed begins to transform it once again…

They reach for their blade once more, stabbing themselves and cutting open a hole for their new slithering lower half to sprout from, their cloak billowing out larger to make room for its growing size, both in height and for its pulsating skeletal arms puncturing the sides of its worm body simply to exist.

“WE WILL ENDURE…ANYTHING…TO SEE YOU DEFILERS OF NATURE…BURNING IN HELL!!”

At this point I can see Thief trying to distance the void from the rest of the ghosts upon realizing their plan, but it’s too late. The void collides with the worm like a train wreck, and the final transformation begins already, Thief taking this chance to leap to me and rescue me from the bottom of this building, bringing us back up to Coyotl’s side, the chimera…clearly not doing well…he sits at his throne, chains constantly pulling at him as he trembles, darkness seeping out from his broken screen.

“Coyo, it’s okay! It’s nothing we can’t handle!” I assure him, but…something else is clearly going on…something which becomes all too clear as the ghosts become one…

Its entire body consumes itself like a stomach left to digest itself, six screaming wings bursting free from the back of their cloak and spreading as far as the horizon, all-consuming in their despair. The writhing worm half violently breaks apart into a mass of writhing and wailing tendrils built of pained souls, while up above from under the fleshy undulating hood billows a torrent of smog and hate…and worst of all…a voice…

“WAAAAYWRIIIIIGHT…DON’T LET THEM DO THIS…TO YOUR MOTHER AND FATHER…”

The slimy, manipulative tone slithers and oozes out of its face like maggots, each word hungry to eat away at our desired corpses. This is it…this is the Inkton Way, every remaining hateful soul forming one, singular message in the form of a monster taller than any building in this headspace, such a thing even existing in Coyotl’s head undoubtedly causing him intense distress.

“THESE CREATURES…THEY ARE KILLING US…PLEASE…WAYWRIIIIGHT…”

The giant grasps at the base of the building and snaps it right off the ground unseen below, raising us higher and higher while their tendrils slither through the windows and begin making their way upwards. Thief and I know the plan, the kitsune already leaping to action and speeding up the length of their skeletal arm while I stay back and ready myself for the oncoming tentacles.

“SO FRIGHTFUL…SO MONSTROUS ARE THEY…PLEASE…STOP THEM…”

The souls making up the wraith contest Thief, sprouting from its very being to attack her, but once again finding their attempts futile as she is simply too fast, attacking the arm while spinning all around it, trying to disarm them. Meanwhile, my first guests appear, and I greet them warmly, electro blades extended to slice and dispose of each tendril, making sure to kick or throw the remaining bits off just in case. It feels like we’re defending ourselves well, and yet…a creeping dread gnaws at my back. The longer this goes on, the worse Coyotl gets…no…no, come on…!!

“WE ARE SO MUCH MORE…MORE THAN THEIR SICKNESS…PLEASE…WAYWRIGHT…”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU FUCKING ASSHOLES!!” I shout, desperate, holding on however I can, through anger, through hope, through defiance or persistence, I can’t let them win, I can’t let them get to Coyo…! “YOU’RE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF CREEPS!! YOU’RE NO FAMILY!!”

“KILL HIM…PLEASE…YOU HAVE TO KILL HIM…KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM KILL HIM”

All at once, the world goes black. From Coyo’s broken screen flows sludge, oil, and inky static, overtaking the building we stand upon as a wall of ceaseless static begins to rise between Coyotl and me.

“NO!! NO– COYO!! COYO, PLEASE!! YOU CAN FIGHT IT– WE CAN WIN!! WE’LL MEET IN THE PRESENT, JUST–”

As I rush towards the barrier, I’m flung from my feet as a tendril yanks at my ankle, throwing me to the ground as the wall bends and solidifies, beginning to form an orb around Coyotl. I struggle, I try my fucking damnedest to get there but the unceasing hatred of the Inkton Way pulling and shoving and tormenting me as I watch my friend become lost to this pure malice…! The whole world around us is consumed in static…silent in all ways but the buzzing, burning screaming, their screaming, their torment yelling over my shouting voice, I can’t hear anything, I can’t see anything but darkness, I can’t…

 

It can’t…

 

It can’t end this way…!

 

Coyotl

 

This dream…I know this dream.

Perhaps I should call it a nightmare, but…this is where I belong, isn’t it? This is…home. And perhaps if I refuse to call it a nightmare, it does not have to be one…

 

…It hurts…

 

Why does the dream hurt…?

 

I feel…nothing. Less than nothing. I feel my very being sundered, torn piece by piece before each part melts into nothing.

 

I have to give it up

 

I cannot escape this feeling…a pain burrowed so deep inside me that it has become more of what I am than any other part of me. All I feel is the tightening of chains…

 

Die and let go

 

I…I cannot even hear my own thoughts…my mind and soul move as though pulled by strings, and just like a puppet, I feel nothing.

 

Give up

 

I…I knew it would end like this…from the very beginning, I knew there would be nothing for me but an emptiness that cannot even be called existence.

 

Die already

 

I don’t…I don’t want it to end like this…! I…! I don’t want to die, it cannot…end like this…!

 

Zee

 

And…and it doesn’t have to…

 

In a senseless world, I feel the wind at my back…The strumming of a guitar plucks the sound of screams away one by one, a song that heralds my very heart through the static…wrapped in the comforting embrace of darkness…

 

And in a world without darkness to separate the light, that cloak of shadow around my heart helps me to feel the warmth and spirit of a fire, flickering, burning on and on, shining, full of hope…

 

I’ll break through.

 

Fist pulled back, I won’t give up.

 

This wall of static…

 

Coyotl

 

…

 

…

 

…

 

Numbness…

 

Nothing…

 

…Shaking…?

 

From within this endless static of voices, I…I hear…something…

 

Do not listen

 

The chains tighten once more, but…the shaking and thumping ceases not. I feel it…

 

Feel nothing! Do you want to experience an eternity of agony?!

 

Again, and again, like the beat of a heart, like the rhythm of a soul, this husk feels…reanimated.

 

DO NOT DO ANYTHING!

 

But…these chains…I…I cannot…fight them…!

 

BE STILL AND KILL HIM LET HIM DIE

 

It hurts…it…it hurts…!

 

YOU ARE WAYWRIGHT YOU ARE AN INKTON IT IS ALL YOU WILL EVER BE

 

These…chains…

 

“...Will…”

 

“SHATTER!!”

 

Breath fills my lungs after what feels like an eternity of nothing, my senses returning for but a moment long enough to see a crack in the static…and peering through it…a light…a sound…

 

STOP THINKING

 

It…it brings back…memories…

 

YOU ARE HURTING US WAYWRIGHT

 

A warmth…the heat of passion…being taught in front of a hot stove…

 

DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO US

 

A gentle breeze…a careful easing forward…claw-in-claw with a loved one…

 

YOU ARE ALONE YOU ARE HURTING US

 

A shaking…a purposeful shove…a promise made fist to fist with a friend…

 

YOU HURT US YOU TURN YOUR BACK ON OUR HUMANITY WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS

 

…This is your humanity?

 

DO NOT DARE SPEAK BACK TO

IF THIS IS YOUR HUMANITY…

 

THEN I REJECT YOUR HUMANITY!!

FROM HOPE ANEW, I SHATTER THESE CHAINS!!

WITH FIRE IN MY HEART, WIND AT MY BACK, AND FRIENDS AT MY SIDE…

“I WILL UNITE US!!”

 

SHATTERED IS THE STATIC THAT WOULD PART OUR WAYS– BROKEN IS THE DARK SEAL BINDING ME WITHIN– YOU DO NOT CONTROL ME!! I REJECT YOU, AND ALL THAT YOU STAND FOR!!

THOUGH YOU BREAK AND BEND, I WILL PUT MYSELF BACK TOGETHER…NO LONGER DEFINED BY STATIC, I FEEL THE COOL CHILL OF SNOW FALL FROM THE SKIES AND ENVELOP ME IN ITS MAGIC– NO MORE AM I BOUND BY THESE CHAINS, EVERY SHARD OF MYSELF YOU BROKE WILL FIND ITSELF MENDED ONCE MORE!!

TOGETHER THE SNOW GATHERS MY BROKEN GLASS AND ONCE AGAIN MY SCREEN SHINES!! TOGETHER THE SNOW GATHERS THE SHATTERED REMAINS OF THE SUMMONING STONE, RETURNING ITS POWER TO MY CLAWS ONCE YOU ARE EXPELLED FROM MY VERY BEING!!

“ALEXANDER!! I FREE YOU FROM YOUR BINDING CONTRACT!!”

 Though the writhing hate of the Inkton Way’s wings would black out the skies, the twilit sky shines through its murky malice as the Great Tower releases us from his realm, and at last I return to the waking world, standing atop the grand City Hall of Monorise with all of my friends, one most dear freed. The sealing bottle containing her shatters, and the Goddess herself shines ever brighter over us, her twilight enveloping us in hope!

“Coyotl…were I able to express how proud I am of you…”

Clearer than crystal, her voice and light defy the creeping dread of malice, the wraith’s voice booming no longer.

“INSIGNIFICANT THINGS!! IF OUR LEGACY CANNOT BE OURS, WE SHALL CRUSH ALL HOPE FROM YOUR SOULS!!”

“GO RIGHT FUCKING AHEAD!!” screams Cat, shaking her fur until her tail and eyes return to normal. “YOU’LL CRUSH US, STOMP THE LIFE OUT OF US, BURY US IN THE FUCKING DIRT, ANYTHING TO PERPETUATE YOUR SICKENING HATE!!”

The brilliant soul marches to the edge of the roof. Burning hope and bravery in the face of overwhelming hate and despite, she marches onward.

“But we’ll rise,” Cat hisses, a fiery gaze burning through the specter like sun piercing a metal storm.

“We’ll rise from the ground if you bury us,”

Rays of light flicker and gleam around her shining form.

“We’ll rise from the depths if you drown us,” 

Cat steps forward, every soul behind her marching in a wave of light and dark whirling and dancing.

“WE’LL RISE FROM THE ASHES IF YOU BURN US!!” 

Her voice echoes through this everlasting twilight, another stomp forward carrying the weight of our dreams onward.

“WE WILL RISE…” her voice booms, shuddering the ghastly will like a mighty roar.

 

“WE WILL LIVE…!!” Cat continues, and we march onward.

 

“For the future you’ve taken…” Sue continues, and we march onward.

 

“For the future we’ve gained!” Fox continues, and we march onward.

 

“For everything you’ve tainted…” Violet continues, and we march onward.

 

“For everything we can yet save!” Zee continues, and we march onward.

 

“For dose who may never see da light…” Liz continues, and we march onward.

 

“For those still here, thriving in the dark…” Niamh continues, and we march onward.

 

“For the magic you would see held from this world,” Yombroila continues, and we march onward.

 

“For the magic of this world you would refuse and refute!!” I continue, and we march onward.

 

“WE WILL LIVE!!”

 

“...So go ahead,” Cat says, “No matter how many times you push us down, we will rise higher than you could ever imagine, and you’ll be blinded by our silhouette caressed by the sun, moon, and stars!”

 

The specter screeches, spreading its wings, reeling back its fists, unfurling its tendrils, and in the midst of this hopeless monster, I feel more unified than ever before…

 

We feel unified…!

 

SYMPHONY

 

All together now…we come together as individuals to become far greater than hate!

“WH-WHAT MADNESS IS THIS?!”

Our form stands taller than this wraith, shaped like a centaur, we feel Cat’s hind paws as our rear legs, Violet’s claws as our forelegs, Fox’s tail swishing behind, a robotic upper torso and arms befitting of Zee, Niamh’s wings at our back, Sue’s hat atop our head, Liz’s whiskers keeping us informed, a snouted head of ambiguous animal shape with hearts in our eyes, and inside the clear portion of our chest…a screen displaying Coyotl’s snow whirling within.

“My goodness…but…how…? Coyotl…your unity…!”

Our heart alight, we waste not a moment as we reel our fist back and punch a hole straight through the Inkton Way’s chest, every single breath and motion of ours powered by our love for each other…and the outcry of love and support from below! We feel it…all of Monorise…those looking out from Aspen Town…maybe even a few from Railsent…all of their hope and love…we can feel it!

“YOU DO NOT FRIGHTEN US WE SHALL DESTROY THIS GODFORSAKEN PLACE”

Clearly feeling somewhat outmatched, the wraith turns to try and attack the building behind them, but alas, Violet’s shadow spreads from her claws and blankets the city in her protection, the swing of their arm being completely harmless to the structure! Perhaps somewhat scary seeming from below, but safety comes first!

“CEASE THIS NONSENSE AND PERISH”

Liz’s whiskers twitch, becoming acutely aware of the sneaky spirits the Inkton Way begins spilling out of its lower half to attack the denizens, but under our protection, none shall come to harm! Lifting up Sue’s hat, an entire swarm of Navi-bots disperse and begin scouring the city, blasting hot beams of laser through any ghost they find with the help of Liz’s rats!

“D-DO YOU NOT SEE HOW MONSTROUS YOU ARE?! YOU DISGUST THE WHOLE WORLD”

Running out of options to attack within the city, the wraith looks elsewhere, tearing off its own arm and looking to throw it right on top of Aspen Town, but nope! Fox’s tail simply reaches over and grabs the limb as it's thrown, at which point we find a safe place to drop it before raising Cat’s hind legs and stomping the ghosts attempting to scurry off of it into oblivion with her incinerating paws!

“S…STOP…! YOU CLAIM TO BE FIGHTING FOR LOVE AND YET YOU ARE HURTING US”

Growing more and more desperate by the moment, the Inkton Way throws themselves at us, only to be slapped aside by Zee’s powerful arms, our robot limbs grabbing onto the wraith and thoroughly beating the stuffing out of it! We hold it by the neck of its cloak and thrash the thing, a strike to the gut, a punch to the face, faster and faster with precision robot movements before…WHAM!! We send it sky high! Aw, shoot, it’s trying to fly away…

“WE…WILL RETURN…WE WILL ALWAYS…RETURN–”

Apparently they forgot about the giant wings Niamh gives us, letting us ascend to their altitude with ease, grabbing them by the flowy back of their cloak and stopping them in their tracks.

“NO NO NO NO NO NO NO YOU CANNOT WE HAVE SPENT SO LONG DONE SO MUCH SO MUCH MORE TO DO YOU CANNOT YOU ARE ENDING THOUSANDS OF LIVES STOP STOP STOP”

From atop our head we feel Penny walking, down and along the bridge of our snout to meet with the wraith of her descendants, face to face for the first time.

“You poor, poor souls…if only you hadn’t strayed from the path of love and kindness I had wished you would…”

With Yombroila by her side, Penny raises her sword, the Goddess’ light shining bright and powerfully through it, the sky’s rays intertwining in this twilit affair as the dragon puts all of herself into this one, final strike.

“...I love you…all of you…thus, from the past, I gift you this path to the future, that you may one day live for love and life itself.”

With the remainder of her power placed into this gift, she begins to fade, Yombroila clinging tight and tearfully…and letting go. Penny’s heart and soul cleave the wraith in twain, her only regret at last relieved as the love and twilight within this slash burns onward and on throughout every spirit within this specter, leaving not a trace of the legacy they had wished upon the world. Finally, we soar downwards, and return home…

 

Coyotl

 

The night sky embraces us as we become ourselves once more, Penny’s love twinkling and falling over Monorise as if stars were snow, flittering and fluttering to meet every soul who wishes for it. That is it. The ghosts of the past…vanquished. Here we stand, here we yet stand, in defiance of their malignant demands. Elizabeth seems to keep composure…until she cannot contain her jubilation any longer, jumping and cheering, lunging for Cat and embracing her, spinning until Cat rolls her eyes and grabs the rat, holding her close. Violet rises from Fox’s shadow, separating to wander over to Sue and pick them up, falling into a sit and wrapping herself around the navigator, Sue happily clinging to the wolf as we all bask in this long sought reprieve. Yombroila watches over with stoic admiration…at least, she was before Niamh slithered over and took her hand, the Goddess falling into the serpent, hugging her and crying as Niamh coils around her partner, comforting her after parting for so long.

So here I stand…Zee by my side, smiling as he ever has, holding his fist up towards me.

“Took us long enough, but…we’re here.”

…I smile. Bumping my fist with his, I nod, turning to look up at the sky, at a night starrier than it may ever be again.

“We’re here…I…I’m sorry it took so long,” I apologize, my gaze faltering as I close my eyes. “I’ve put you all through so much…would that I could undo it all…”

“Hey hey hey, let’s not talk about undoing the past, I’ve had about enough of that for a good while,” Zee jests, patting me on the back. “Besides…if changing the past had any risk of changing what we have right now…I wouldn’t want to change a damn thing.”

…Here he is, still making me smile. I would open my eyes, but I feel about ready to sob.

“I-I’m sorry…I’m…”

“Hey, Coyo…”

Alas, I do open my eyes, finding Fox standing before me, smiling up at me.

“Don’t you remember what I told you?”

Stepping forward once more, the vixen envelops me in an embrace.

“You should say thank you more. It looks good on you.”

…I simply cannot hold back the tears. I fall to my knees, holding Fox tightly, trembling and sobbing even as Zee pats my back.

“Thank you…thank you for everything…”