Strife | Fated Four: Book 5

Epilogue

A blonde haired woman sat on her daughter's bed, finishing up the bedtime story that her beloved daughter insisted on hearing.

"So you see, Adriana, the soulmates and the brothers won," the woman told her, "They defeated the evil sister and the traitor sister, broke the curse, and the soulmates became even more powerful. And then...when it was all over...they all came home and stayed together, like one big family. The eldest brother's soulmate even gave him a gift."

"What was it?" Adriana asked.

"She gave him a beautiful little Princess," the woman replied, "A little girl. A daughter."

"Like me," Adriana declared. The woman smiled.

"That's the end of the story, moonbeam," the woman told her daughter, "You should get some sleep."

She kissed Adriana's forehead and tucked her in. The woman the turned to leave, but Adriana stopped her.

"Mommy?" the small girl asked.

"Yes moonbeam?" the woman replied.

"The story about the four brothers...was it real?" Adriana asked curiously.

The woman smiled.

"Maybe," she replied, not giving her daughter a firm answer, "Now get sleep. Goodnight moonbeam."

"Goodnight Mommy," Adriana replied as she held on to her teddy bear tightly and closed her eyes. The woman left the room, closing the door behind her. She went downstair and looked outside to find that the rest of her family was sitting on the beach near the lake, watching the stars.

She walked outside to join them and as she got closer, she couldn't help but notice the way they were sitting. Calix and Davina were snuggled up together under a blanket. Rosalie and Soren had lit a fire and were sitting near it on a log. Ryder and Avalon sat on a log with their hands intertwined. And then there was her own soulmate. He was sitting on a log by himself, waiting for her it seemed.

She went over and sat down on his lap.

"Finally," Ryder told the woman, "Took you long enough Clary."

Clarissa rolled her eyes.

"Hello to you too, Ryder," she replied.

"Did you manage to get our moonbeam to fall sleep?" Arrow asked her.

Clarissa smiled.

"Yes," she assured him, "I had to finish the story, but I got her to sleep."

"She really loves that story," Ryder noted.

"Do you think she has any idea that it was all real?" Avalon asked.

Clarissa shrugged.

"I'm not sure, but let's not tell her just yet," Clarissa replied, "She's too young to understand the whole story."

The others all nodded in agreement.

"She's still such a Daddy's girl though," Davina noted.

Arrow smiled.

"Soren and I have some news to share," Rosalie declared.

The others all turned to look at the Allocator and the Goddess of the Future.

"We're going to have a baby," Rosalie announced. Davina, Clarissa, and Avalon started squealing and embraced Rosalie.

"Congratulations," Arrow told his brother and sister in law.

"Oh I'm so happy for you!" Clarissa gushed.

"How far along are you?" Davina asked.

"About a month, I think," Rosalie replied.

And then the air shifted and Nyx appeared in a flourish of shadows.

"Hello Mother," Arrow greeted her, "Where's Father?"

"He has duties to attend to," Nyx replied, "But it seems I've come during a time of celebration. Congratulations Rosalie."

"Thank you," Rosalie told the Goddess of Night.

"I'd be happy to design the nursery for you once you find out if it's a boy or girl," Nyx told them.

"We'd like that," Rosalie replied with a smile.

Nyx smiled back at her.

There was joy in the air that night. And it was needed to make up for the countless years of torment and darkness that the Fates had experienced.

They were here and they had healed thanks to their soulmates. But they weren't the only ones that had been changed by the newfound joy around them.

The Fated Four had began their journey as demigods. Throughout their journey they overcame challenges and got stronger. Now they were able to call themselves Goddesses.

But the happy moment shifted to one of shock as the air shifted again and in a flash of light, the Goddess of Retribution appeared. Nemesis looked at her family with a guilty expression.

"Mind if I join you?" she asked.

"Not at all, Nemesis," Arrow replied and Nemesis sat down next to him.

It was silent for a moment and then she spoke.

"I'm sorry," Nemesis told her family, "I didn't mean to stay away."

"Don't apologize, Nemesis," Clarissa told her, "We understand."

"Did you find the answers you were looking for?" Soren asked curiously.

Nemesis shook her head.

"No, and I'm okay with that," she assured her brothers, "I've accepted that it wasn't my fault and that there's no good explanation of my powers failing. And I know where I belong now."

"And where's that?" Arrow asked.

"Here," Nemesis replied, "With you all. This is my home and you're all my family. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be now."

And so she stayed there with them. And that night the Fates' family became whole again as they all revelled in their happiness.

Things had changed so much, but one thing hadn't changed.

Family.

And family was forever.

AN: Thanks for reading Strife and the Fated Four series! Be sure to drop some comments and vote!

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