The Curse of Taloncrest Manor

Chapter 36: Eternal Peace

The party climbed out of the fireplace, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Bart turned to all of the five kids. "Thank you....all of you. You honor us with your bravery and valor," he said warmly. "As a result of your actions, this mansion is going to be safe for the foreseeable future. And we owe it all to you."

Jane also spoke up. "You wonderful kids helped reunite me with my husband, and for that, I will be forever grateful." She turned to Bart. "If our love can survive this, it can survive anything," she joked. After a few seconds, the two ghosts then shared a kiss, much to the joy of Ricardo and his friends.

"Does that mean.....?" Rose asked.

"Indeed," said Bart. "Jane and I, as well as the rest of the party guests, should be passing on soon. But, as a parting gift...." He walked up to Ricardo and handed him a scroll. "Here is the deed to Taloncrest Manor. It is yours now," he explained.

Ricardo took the scroll and put it away in his pocket. "Wait!" he exclaimed. "What about Melody? She wasn't connected to the 1905 curse.....didn't she die five years before that?" "Do not worry," the Magistrix said calmly. "The remnant tainting my spirit was directly connected to Thomas's existence. When the fire serpent dragged him away, it dissolved, freeing me of my dark pact with him."

"Yes, I'd say we all earned our happy ending here," Dischord remarked with a smile.

Just then, the rest of the party guests and the Songsworn cultists flooded into the Foyer, each of them voicing their happiness at being able to move on at long last, thanks to the actions of Ricardo and company. Of note, Cadence, Cantrelle, and Clarion exited the crowd and walked up to Melody, who shared a group hug with them.

"Did we do it, Grand Magistrix?" Cadence asked innocently. "Yes, young one....yes, we have," Melody answered happily. Then, all the ghosts started glowing brightly, and they all began to dissipate for good, until it was just the main seven remaining.

Cadence looked over at Cantrelle and Clarion. "Well, girls, we've finally done it. We've loyally toiled for the Magistrix for countless years to make it to this moment. Let's keep the music spinning! We'll see them on the other side, yeah?" she assured as the triplets faded away.

Dischord gave Melody a long look. "I have fervently defended you without question in this life for as long as I can remember. And I will gladly continue to do so in the next." With that, he faded away as well.

As the Magistrix herself began to dissipate, Rose called out to her one last time. "Rest well, Melody! I hope you can find your mother and father on the other side and tell them about all the wonderful people you've met!" Melody glanced at her and chuckled. "I'm going to have a lot of stories to regale them with, that's for sure. It's been a long time coming.....my reunion with them beckons." She turned to Ricardo. "I'm deeply sorry for all the trouble I put you and the rest of your friends through earlier....I truly felt like I had no other choice. I know you probably have no love in you for me, but I hope one of these days, you can forgive me for what I've done."

Ricardo stooped down to meet her at eye level. "Hey....it's okay. I understand now that all of this happened as a result of Thomas's actions. You've got nothing to apologize for." he assured. Happy tears rolled down Melody's face. "Thank you...." she said, before disappearing.

Only Bart and Jane remained. As they joined hands, Bart imparted some final advice to the kids. "Love is a wonderful thing, heroes. If it remains strong and true, it can persevere through anything. And, by finding it, it makes our lives worthwhile. I sincerely hope you develop a brighter view on love and relationships than my butler did." He glanced downward solemnly. "I don't think I'll be able to overlook what you did for a long time, Thomas...." he muttered. "But I'll never forget you and hope you can realize the error of your ways someday."