Vuela

Epilogue

Over one year and two bags of treasure spending later, the future's looking the best for the Hawkins family and Sora Gates. Soon after Vuela and Sora tell the story of their voyage and show Maxime the bags of treasure that Savage has gifted them from the collapse of the island, working on restoring their lives officially begins.

While Vuela has been on the sea, Max has been doing his best working odd jobs just to keep himself alive and to upkeep Celia's house. With the rewarded treasure Vuela brings home, he starts thinking about all the shops that he can start and spread throughout the city.

"Real estate is in a dire need. Or perhaps another hotel. No, we need a center for the homeless. Or how about a restaurant? Everyone is always hungry."

Sora makes another option and a much better one in Vuela's mind. "How about we gotta appeal to the kids of the hood? Kids like their machines. They like their boards. They like to fix their boards. Starting a repair and parts store will change your life forever, Mr. Hawkins. You'll be rich by the next week."

Maxime announces, "It's a deal!" He winks at Vuela as if to say, I like him already.

Construction and purchase of supplies takes over that whole year, even taking over Vuela's sixteenth birthday. Maxime promises his sister that they will celebrate at the same time as the store's grand opening, to which Vuela replies:

"That'll be the greatest birthday present on Earth."

In other words:

"Screw a sweet sixteen! The whole city is gonna come to a grand opening! That's more than enough."

And indeed they do.

Hawkins & Gates is what Maxime and Sora together name the store. The youth rush to the opening when they heard of Sora's prices, and they can't be happier as they ride their boards and crafts to his front door.

Maxime serves the kids with cheesecake he prepares way in advance, and the party is a blast with a local band singing and playing their instruments in the background.

Copper works as Sora's right hand with the busy crowd. The customers are extremely impressed with his fast repair skills when he can screw in nuts and bolts in less than two seconds.

The biggest supporters are Maxime's high school friend and her steady girlfriend, the Head Captain of the West Military Brigade, an honorary guest. With the voyage blasting Celia's career up her scientific ladder, they don't need new rocketboards or gadgets for them to give money to the business. They arrive to make an even bigger announcement.

"Congratulations, Celia! Greater congratulations to you, Captain Kujo."

"Every soldier has to settle down at some point, Mr. Hawkins," Delilah says with the widest smile she has ever had on her face. "When Celia got down on her knee, I thought it was time for me to retire and let life lead me into a simpler direction."

"And a less dangerous one," Celia adds.

They all chuckle as if Celia was joking...though Celia believes otherwise.

"With all due respect, Captain, when it comes to Celia Rathbone, it just can't be simple."

"It's much simpler than everyone else's here. Still mocking me as always, Max?"

"It's a cheers to you, old friend," Vuela, who has just come down from the second floor in a gorgeous ruby red dress, specifically bought for the occasion. "Congratulations, Celia. Captain Kujo."

"Vuela, I told you plenty to call me Delilah. Captain is for those who aren't close friends."

"A force of habit, Cap...I mean, Delilah." The now-sixteen-year-old playfully perks her eyebrows. "It cannot be helped."

Maxime and Celia laugh gleefully.

"Happy birthday, Vuela Hawkins. Is this everything you ever wanted?"

"Not exactly, Delilah," she honestly responds, "but our lives have only begun. Give us some time if you please." She finishes her glass of water and asks her brother if she can try a glass of champagne since she's finished and full of pure liquid.

"This is your sixteenth birthday, Vuela, not your twenty-first. Five more years, little sister."

She pouts. "It's just one sip, Max. I can't get drunk off of that"

"I'm sticking to my word, Vuela, and I'm not going back. Keep yourself on this good girl shtick and maybe I'll let you try some on your eighteenth birthday."

Vuela rolls her eyes and returns to the snack table for another glass of water. Her now-official boyfriend sneaks right next to her for a couple of celery sticks with ranch dip.

"Finished now?"

"On the last few customers, but Copper said he can handle it. It's his way of thanking me for returning his memory."

"I saw that he's pretty fast and efficient. He wasn't kidding about that back on San Martín's Isle."

"Now the real question is...do Androids mind getting paid? What will they do with money?"

"Copper is more human than you think, Sora. He'll probably come up with something."

"I don't doubt it. I've witnessed it in action."

Vuela places her empty glass at the end of the snack table. "Are you ready?"

"As I'll ever be," Sora replies, munching on his third and last celery stick. Before taking Vuela's hand, Sora grabs a napkin and cleans his fingers of the ranch dip. He tosses it into the nearest garbage can as she guides him back up the stairs.

She takes Sora into her new bedroom, which is full of new things and some replicas of the old. It's not exactly nostalgic, but nostalgia is not what Vuela's looking for when it comes to a place for her to get away from life, but not as much as she used to.

"How does it feel, Lala?"

"How does what feel?"

"Living this life. To finally have the life you always wanted."

"Well, I only get one life regardless of what goes on in it, Sora Gates." Vuela takes Sora's mechanical hand and kisses it.

Sora nuzzles his nose against hers. "That even means you get an ex-pirate con artist like me?"

"Sora, everything we have here...I chose. I chose this part of my life. And I have no regrets." Vuela shuffles her left hand under her pillows, and she pulls out something that she found on her outside windowsill earlier that evening.

A blue gem the size of her palm.

Sora's surprised expression quickly transforms into a gleeful smile. "Knowing Auntie Latimore, she always shows her presence somehow."

"I think it's more than that. I've been getting a gem similar to this every month."

"Oh?"

"Sora...I think she's watching me...like I was the daughter she never got to raise."

They turn towards the window and watch the clouds over the island and the sea it's surrounded by. Sora wraps his arms around the girl of his life and rests his head on top of hers. Vuela peacefully closes her eyes and she thanks both Sebastian Hawkins and Latimore Savage for fulfilling their duties, whether they are decided or thrust upon them, as teachers and parents to the successful woman that Vuela focuses on becoming, regardless of where she has been all her life.