The Enchantments: Book 2 - The Key of Gandar

Epilogue: The Gathering

The bell tower chimed its eerie tones upon the large gathering as the band suddenly flared into a barrage of swing music and boogie. The magnificent ballroom held an array of people, most consisting of kids and their parents. Dr. Miller made his way around the group shaking hands and hugging many of the small kids that had made up Simeneon's class at the Great Steel Academy.

After shaking the hands of Brock Simms parents he wandered out the double doors and with directions from a few of the waiters he found Simeneon sitting on the rim of a great fountain slowly creating small eddies in the clear water with her hand.

"My dear, it is extremely rude to allow your guests to show up to a party that you yourself organized."

Simeneon looked up, her large blue eyes puffy and red from hours of crying. ""Sorry doc, I'm really not in the mood for a party right now." She said dejectedly.

"My dear Simeneon, if this is about master Fin, I have told you on many occasions that he is resting comfortably. Now would you please help me in welcoming your guests?"

"But doc, this party should be for Fin as well, he's as much part of this search as anyone, even more, it seems than most. It just doesn't seem right that I'm here enjoying myself while he's lying in a hospital bed."

"Simeneon come here please." She slowly got to her feet and straightening out her beautiful new yellow dress (Which she had picked out months before in the hopes of having this party) and sat down next to the doctor. "Now listen to me and listen well. Fin would never want you to feel sorry for him like this. He would want you to go out there and thank all of the people that have put their lives in your hands. They went around the world for you, dealt with death around every corner. Fin would not think anything bad of you if you went and celebrated the return of all of them safe and sound. You gave them something that they will take with them for the rest of their lives. They'll sit down with their grandkids one day and tell them of the story of Simeneon Enchantment and the adventure she took them all on. You've done something that everyone dreams of. You've made friends of many, many people. If you can send them away with one thing, and one thing only, and that is you care about single people in there. Now wipe your eyes and get in there and thank every one of them for a job well done."

Simeneon looked up at the doctor and smiled. She moved towards him and hugged him like she had never hugged him before. "What would I do without doc?" She asked.

"The question is what would I do without you." He hugged her again and watched as she stood tall and proud and walked over to the double doors of the ballroom, looked back, blew him a kiss and walked into the blaring sounds of the band.

The band ended their set and after the ovation, the doctor made his way to the center of the stage. The ovation continued as the doctor wiped his glasses all the while bowing slightly in a thank-you gesture. "Please if you could all take your seats." A few moments passed as the murmur of voices sounded as they all took their seats.

When quiet was achieved the doctor continued on, "I would like to thank each and every one of you who came her tonight to celebrate the successful and I must say the safe return of everyone involved." The erupting ovation was deafening as the doctor smiled and continued his bowing. "I would like to thank all who have worked and benefited from the search and hope they have gotten all that they could from their experiences." More clapping. "Now without further adieu, I would like to let Simeneon come up here and say a few words."

The applause was thunderous. Simeneon walked across the stage, her yellow dress sparkling under the lights of the stage, she looked absolutely beautiful. "How is everyone doing out there tonight?" Even louder applause could be heard. "I would just like to say that I'm extremely proud of each and every one of you right now. You've helped me to get one step closer to finding my parents and I could never repay you for that."

"Give us a kiss!' yelled a small voice near the back.

"Is that you Sean McNaughton? You I'll thank later with a swift kick to the behind." The laughter that erupted was a release and everyone seemed to enjoy the moment. "But seriously folks, I am truly thankful that you have come to celebrate old friends and the kindling of new ones that have formed during the past year. If my friend Fin was here he would have said-"

"-Don't you think I can speak for myself?" interrupted an excited voice from the back.

"Who said that?" Simeneon placed her hand on her forehead to cut down the glare from the overhead lights and stared ominously at the large doors to the entrance of the ballroom. "Fin... Fin... FIN!!!!"

Simeneon jumped from the stage as if an explosion had blown her off, she raced down the center of the tables to where Fin was standing on crutches just inside the doorway. She stopped within a few feet of him, a smile plastered to her face and tears now starting to stream down her cheeks.

"Hello, Simeneon it's good to see-"

But he was unable to finish his sentence as Simeneon jumped into his arms and began hugging him with every ounce of strength she had left. Tears were streaming down her face, as she wouldn't let go of her friend who she had missed very much. "I'd thought I'd lost you." She blubbered.

"You can't get rid of me that easy, you need me." He whispered back.

"You're right I do, this time, I'm willing to admit it." The room was filled with the heavy applause of everyone. Tears flowed from eyes not knowing why. All they knew was that these two needed each other, they didn't know why, just that they did, they really did.

With the bath finished and the two girls safely nestled into their beds, the old woman set forth down the stairs and into the kitchen. Boiling the kettle and pouring herself a cup of tea, she slowly made her way into the living room and the fire that was burning brightly in the fireplace. She placed her cup down on the side table and walked over to the bookcase, grabbed a volume from the many books that donned the wall and sat down in the easy chair.

"Can't get around like you used to the old girl, but you'll never admit that to those two wonderful kids upstairs." She chuckled at her wit and opened the volume to the pictures that adorned the inside of the album. She peered casually through pictures of kids smiling back and others joking around in different lands. But most of all she sat staring at one picture in particular. The one with her and a small boy hamming it up before the camera always made her laugh.

'Boy those were good times' She thought to herself. She leafed through a few more and found a picture of her and the same boy poking their heads out from behind bushes. 'That's the time we were dealing with that voodoo doctor' She thought again. She shuddered and closed the book as fast as she could. That was one adventure I would likely soon forget, she wondered if she would tell the girls that one. She smiled and got up to put the book back where she had gotten it. 'I don't have to worry about that until they ask, until then that's a story for another day.'

The old lady walked over to the light switch and with a zap of her finger, turned out the light without physically touching the switch, in the corner, the fireplace suddenly went dark.

'Yep, that's a story for another day.' She repeated to herself, 'A story for another day.'