Fer.al Series #2 - The Blood Tundra

Chapter 14: Fortuna Redux

For actual things, say a Fae or a Shinigami, Aref would welcome them here. It's the creatures that come here themselves. Aref would just give them Sparks.

Fata Morgana was a Spark now. Lillie was overjoyed. She hugged the newly born Kitsune, nearly squeezing the air out of them.

"Woah, you're...Lillie, right?" Fata Morgana asked in a muffled voice.

"Yes, Fata Morgana." She let it slip.

"Fata Morgana? What does that mean? A mirage, a miracle, right?" Fata Morgana looked down at their paws. Lillie suddenly felt a pain. Her lover not remembering who they were is much more painful than she thought.

Fata Morgana stared blankly at Lillie, the shiny red spark atop their head looking so out-of-place.

"Who am I?"

A conversation so far away, replayed in Lillie's head.

Wait, so you mean you're not Sapnap? Fata Morgana?

Never was, never will be.

Fata Morgana was too much. The name was hard to remember, and the meanings, the endless stories behind, the infinite deaths and revivals and missions were too much for Lillie to bear. "Your name is Sap. You saved me. I loved you."

"Sap?" Fata Morgana lit up, as if smiling at Lillie, as if understanding everything. "I like that."

...

The trip back was full of laughter, as Lillie, surrounded by her friends, walked out of the vault. "Hmm, I see, you and Sap do go together like rubies and emeralds," Maxwell noted, spreading his wings and taking off. Lillie had told Sap about what Fata Morgana did for her, and it took even longer to convice them that they did all of that. But still, Robin and Arc would be entertained when Lillie tries that.

The Wingwatchers were disbanded. All the colorful animals were returned to their former homes. Wingwatcher property signs were uprooted, banners tore off and burned, some even by Lillie herself who enjoyed it. There was joy and pleasure everywhere in City Fera, just like before, before the Wingwatchers existed.

Pug, well, had to sign a verdict to make the Nekomata public. And she's happy to do that, for her once small Senri army has enlarged and expanded, containing not only Senris but also Kitsunes, Dragons, Werewolves and Kirins. Applications were rolling in, as well as more letters asking for the secrets of their success.

Well, all except for the Blood Tundra Bakeneko, whose leader, Lumiax, was imprisoned for betrayal, and the destruction of the Vault. With their felony confirmed and despised by not only Pug of the Nekomata but also Sigma of the Lakeroot Bakeneko and Aventyr of the Mugmyre Bakeneko, Lumiax had to send an apology to all of Fer.al, saying that it was her fault she trapped Aref into the Decree Board and made up the whole "banished to the Blood Tundra" thing to cover up.

Speaking of Aref, all the Sparks of Fer.al are getting along with her, like normal pals, instead of a mythical goddess and her guests. Aref also laughed, told them that she was getting over her craze, and sent all her ideas to a Bird Trainer turned Comic Book Illustrator, the Kitsune, Teth Thievul, then faded away to watch from the skies.

The Blood Tundra is cold. Winds whipped against Lillie as she slowly walked towards the Nekomata Skyship, with Robin, Arc and Sap close behind, taking one last look at the white stained wasteland. Yes, the Tundra is cold, the Tundra is cruel. But inside the Tundra, love, and feelings, and friendship, burn like eternal flames, like herself.

"Goodbye, Blood Tundra."

Nobody knew, deep under the snow, in a hidden vault, under a fallen wall, a green spark flickered.

...

Lillie and Robin. Back onto the Rat Wall.

Andrulian organised a huge party at Fera Fashions, with everyone else there, including Sap, Arc, Pug, Maddie, Maxwell, Seth, all their friends. Lillie and Robin snuck out, because the blaring music hurt their ears, they told everyone else.

"So lovely..."

"Wait Robin is that you?"

"No Way!"

Lillie looked down. Sap was clinging on to her, on one of the lattice structures. "Oh, Sap," Lillie muttered, feeling warmth down inside her.

She lied down, nearly onto Sap, as they cuddled, for the first time.

"Ew," Robin commented under his breath, then joined to sit next to them.

The moons were hidden behind the clouds, reappearing again and again.

Suddenly there was a huge bam.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF SAPNAP WAS THAT!?" Lillie jumped, and nearly knocked Sap and Robin off the Rat Wall.

Then she laughed. Even in the shifting expanses of the Tundra, some things will never change.

I, PERILPLAYZ, HEARBY DECLARE, THE BLOOD TUNDRA IS COMPLETE!!