Reflections; a KOTLC fanficion

Epilogue

Caroline woke in her bed, fairy lights twinkling above her. She had never been more relieved in her life; they had done it. The corruption was gone, and she could finally breathe. She snuggled her head against the soft pillows to get more comfortable when something big bounced onto her chest. Her reflex caused her to raise her head too quickly and it hit the backboard with a sickening sound.

"What the...?" Caroline started. But the sound of laughter cut her off. She turned to see Ash snickering at the edge of her bed. The last of the shadows in him was gone, but he had dark bags under his eyes. An odd feeling erupted inside her. One she hadn't felt for a while. The butterflies were back and in full force.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Caroline laughed.

Sitting comfortably on Ash's lap was Buttere, purring softly as he stroked her long ears.

"I knew you would eventually wake up. I just didn't expect Buttere to help," he smiled.

"Why are you here? I thought my parents weren't exactly thrilled with having an ex-Moonlark here. And aren't you being held, waiting for trial" Caroline asked.

Ash's dazzling smile widened. "I have my ways." Caroline looked around the room for anything that would give away his entry, but she found no such thing. "I could not have let my favorite Foster continue her boring school life without me, not when there are so many disasters that I could witness...or help create?"

Caroline smiled, but she pushed it down. "Now you're starting to sound like Keefe, what is the real reason you're here?"

Ash sat cross-legged across from her now. "Okay, you want the real reason?"

Caroline nodded, fingering a mammoth stuffed animal.

"Because I want to know that you're okay. You might be Elwin-checked physically fine, but I know that I and my sister put you through way more than any regular person should go through in a couple of months. I know that from your point of view, I am just a hot-headed Vacker trying to flirt with a Foster, but I do care. I always want the best for you, and that is probably me going through with this trial and spending my remaining days in Exile. So I guess, in reality, I came to say goodbye." Ash's eyes were burning with embers now, but Caroline could tell it was a new kind. Not with anger, but sadness. His usually gelled hair flew in all directions. This was not the perfect Vacker she usually saw. No, this was the one she saw at the Wanderling Woods, crying over his human mother's grave. The true Vacker that Sophie Foster would have seen in Fitz all those years before.

She took out the small compass he gave her at Christmas. It had never left her pocket. She could see now why it wouldn't point north. The needle was pointed straight at Ash. Her friend looked down at the trinket and smiled.

"Well, you will be disappointed, because I'm not saying goodbye," Caroline said, not believing the words coming out of her mouth.

"What?"

"We will win that trial, and you are walking away innocent," Caroline told him.

"I'm thankful you're going to try but—," Caroline stopped him and did what she never thought she would do. She moved closer to him and clasped his hand, kissing the Vacker. Then she realized, there was no way in the world, that the moment could get better.