So here we are at the conclusion. I hope everyone has enjoyed the story, and will enjoy this final chapter.

Sera would appear and disappear every few moments.

"Is that normal?" Callum asked.

"Yep. It's hard to control when yer little," Rayla smiled, "Runaan and Tinker always said I'd give them such trouble on full moons as a bairn."

The door slammed open, practically forced off its hinges. A pair of crownguards flanking Aanya and Ezran ran in. Instinctively, Rayla handed Sera to Callum and got in front of him. Even without weapons and not at full strength, she knew ways to incapacitate at least one of the guards before going down.

"What's going on in here?" Aanya demanded. "The guards tell me they heard shouting and cries. Are you in danger?"

"We're fine," Rayla answered, not moving from her protective positioning.

Callum narrowed his eyes at the guards. "If you thought we were in danger, why waste time warning Aanya and Ezran instead of helping us?"

The crownguards didn't respond.

"They told Aanya they overheard you arguing about leaving," Ezran said. "Then she told me." He looked taken aback by the idea. Crushed.

"Oh, so yer spyin' on us?"

"You were shouting," one of the guards spoke up. "It would be harder not to listen."

"Look, everyone, it doesn't matter anymore," Callum stepped out from behind Rayla. "Because of this."

He held out Sera, and everyone stared at him, confused.

"Uh, what are we looking at?" Ezran squinted at Sera.

Callum laughed nervously. "Come on, Sera, show them." He tickled Sera in hopes that would prompt a reaction. Nothing happened.

"I know this will sound crazy, but-" before Callum could finish, Sera finally vanished again.

Ezran, Aanya, and the crownguards all gasped. The guards' swords clattered to the ground.

"She has a moon arcanum. She can use magic." Rayla stepped in front of Sera and Callum again, just to be safe.

"That's incredible!" Ezran was beaming with joy.

"It's unbelievable," Aanya said, hardly able to trust her eyes. "This could change the course of the war. Of history." She shifted her attention to the crownguards. "Bring Viren and Aaravos here. Now."

The guards left without a word.

"What?! I don't want them anywhere near Sera," Rayla said.

"Didn't you just put Aaravos in the dungeon for something you still won't tell us about?" Callum added, "And the last time I saw Viren, he tried to steal my voice with an evil box... That is not something I ever expected to say."

"They are our foremost experts on magic. If anyone can figure out what's going on, its them."

"Don't worry," Ezran said, "We'll be here with you and I won't let them do anything you aren't okay with."

Rayla held her ground. "I'm not okay with this, period."

"Your daughter may be only person in the world with magic. This is bigger than her, or you, or any of us. We need their council," Aanya explained.

Ezran wanted to side with his family, but found himself unable to disagree with Aanya on that note. He looked to Rayla and Callum pleadingly that they would cooperate.

"We have to figure out what's going on. Viren and Aaravos know more about magic than anyone else."

Callum and Rayla shared a series of quick, wordless glances with each other. "Fine. But if either of them lays so much as a finger on Sera without my or Callum's say so-"

"I will do no harm to your daughter," Aaravos said as he was lead in by the guards. His wrists were shackled. Viren entered after him, with no restraints save for the crownguard clutching his left arm.

Viren stepped forward, as forward as he could while still being restrained. "Callum, it's a pleasure to see you again." He looked over to Rayla. "And you must be the moonshadow elf I've heard so much about. I'm Viren, formerly the high mage of Katolis-"

"I know who ya are," Rayla glared. "A dark mage who stole the egg of the Dragon Prince and had yer own children try to kidnap the princes so ya could steal it back. Tha' close enough?"

"He also tried to have us killed," Ezran clarified, "but that's why he's got this armed guard as an escort."

"As you can see," Viren shrugged his left shoulder in acknowledgement of the crownguard, "even if I wanted to harm you I cannot. Now may I see the child?"

Callum walked up to Viren and Aaravos. He held Sera out but just far enough that neither could touch her. Aaravos stared directly at Sera, the moment they made eye contact she vanished again. Viren and Aaravos were in awe.

"How- How long have you known?" Viren could barely keep his composure.

"About half an hour or so," Callum answered.

"This isn't possible."

"It is," Aaravos spoke up. "It is and I've spent the past decade awaiting this moment."

Everyone's attention turned from Sera to him.

"That day when magic left our world, my connection to the primal sources allowed me to realize what was happening before it was too late. I cast a final spell, a unique form of star magic to see into the future. It didn't work, not entirely. I was left with bits and pieces. Snippets of information that only now do I truly understand."

"You know why it happened?" Aanya asked.

"No, but I have realized that," Aaravos paused as if to build anticipation, "magic never went away at all. The primal sources still envelop this world. What vanished were the arcana. On that day every creature, magical object, elf, or," he stared at Callum, "human lost their arcanum."

"But Sera has a moon arcanum, so she can do magic," Rayla said.

"Exactly."

"But how? Why isn't anyone else being born with an arcanum? Why is it just her?" Ezran asked.

"It could be her unique parentage," Viren suggested.

"It better not be. Could ya imagine what people on either side of the war would do if makin' half-elves or half-humans was only way to use magic?" Rayla shuddered, unable to even put into words the horrific implications of that idea.

"Maybe she's not the only one? Maybe she's the first, or one of the first, and even right now there could be other babies with arcana out there?" Aanya said.

"Wait!" The excited speculation was cut off by Viren's outburst. He realized something wonderful, and terrible. "It doesn't matter if she's the only one or not. We only need one. If magic never actually disappeared, then dark magic should still work... if there's something with an arcanum to draw from." His gaze came to rest on Sera.

Callum clutched Sera to his chest and Rayla got between them and Viren.

"I should kill you for even thinking that."

Ezran had never heard such malice in his brother's voice.

"I will kill him," Rayla balled her hands into fists and took a step forward.

"You misunderstand me," Viren raised his hands in surrender. "I don't need to harm your daughter. I just need enough of her to test. A lock of hair, for example."

"No. I won't let any part of Sera be used for dark magic!" Rayla shouted.

"It's just a lock of hair," Aanya said. "And if we can confirm dark magic still works, imagine what that would mean for the world."

"I don't care what it means. Dark magic should stay gone. I was right, this place isn't safe. Callum, we're leavin'. Now."

"You can't leave!" Ezran cried. "I just got you back."

"Claudia told me about your aptitude with magic. From one mage to another, you have to understand how important this is, Callum," Viren said, ignoring the three way argument between Rayla, Ezran, and Aanya.

"I used dark magic once and I nearly died. I still have nightmares about what it did to me. Rayla's right, the world is better off without it."

Viren looked down. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

He leaped at Callum, pulling free from the shocked crownguard's hold. They tumbled to the ground. Sera shrieked. Callum could take Viren in a fight, thanks to his training from Rayla, but his arms were preoccupied with clutching the wailing Sera. The crownguard and Rayla were on Viren a second later to try and pry him away from Callum. They were too late.

"Stop!" Viren lifted himself up enough to show to the others that he had his hand clutching Sera by the hair. "Or I'll use all of her."

Everyone froze. Callum stopped struggling. Rayla didn't let go of Viren, but didn't try to move either.

"Remove his shackles." Viren gestured to Aaravos with his free hand.

The crownguards standing on each side of Aaravos looked to Aanya.

"Do what he says." Aanya couldn't imagine what dark magic Viren could work from Sera, and she didn't want to risk finding out.

Aaravos was released from his bindings. He stepped over to Viren and knelt down beside him.

Viren shared his plans in a hushed tone. "Obviously we can't use her up at once, but we'll start with some tests and figure out what makes her different. Then we can start being more liberal in drawing from her for bigger spells. Perhaps that idea we had about using dark magic to give others an arcanum? If it works, we could restore magic to who knows how many people. We ensure only the right people have it, and we could end the war. What do you think?"

While Viren spoke, Aaravos reached into his robes and withdrew a shard of glass he'd kept hidden the past five days. Silently, Rayla watched. Aarvos held out the glass shard, just out Viren's range of sight. Rayla took it.

"I think," Aaravos whispered in Viren's ear, "that you've overplayed your hand."

Rayla plunged the shard into Viren's back.

"It wasn't supposed to end this way, my friend," The remorse in Aaravos' voice was real.

Viren gasped and his grip on Sera loosened. Callum couldn't see what was going on, but noticed the change. He slammed his knee into Viren's groin. The former dark mage toppled over. It wasn't quite sweeping the leg, but it had the desired effect. Viren fell and the room was quiet save for Sera's crying.

Rayla stared at her hand. She'd cut it gripping the shard of glass. "I really am an assassin now." There was a sudden wetness on her face. She wiped it away and realized she was crying.

Callum got to his feet. He checked Sera all over to make sure she was okay, then embraced Rayla. Together they tried to calm down their daughter.

"Can someone tell me," Ezran was the first of the room's other occupants to break from their shocked stupor," why no one checked if Aaravos had a weapon on him?"

"If they had, then tonight's events would have ended… poorly," Less of Aaravos' unreadable mystique came through. The sadness underneath couldn't be hidden. Whatever his goal had been, it wasn't this.

Sera finally quieted down. The crownguards re-shackled Aaravos and hauled away Viren's body. The weight of what transpired hit Ezran. How would he tell Claudia? How could he expect Callum and Rayla to stay after that?

"In the morning, I'll give you everything you need to set out."

"Yer lettin' us leave?"

"Isn't that what you want?"

"What we want," Callum said, "is for Sera to be safe."

"Nowhere is safe. The closest you can come is to be around others who care for you. Who will protect you as you protect them," Aanya interrupted. "I understand that Duren hasn't made a good impression, but going back into hiding will make you just as vulnerable."

The speech galvanized Ezran. "You've seen what this war's done to the world. I think that together, we can work towards ending it. This won't be easy, but neither was taking Zym to his mother, or surviving on your own for ten years. My offer stands, you can leave in the morning if you really think that's best. But," Ezran held out his hand, "I need you guys, the Pentarchy and Xadia need all of us, and you don't have to do everything alone anymore."

Callum and Rayla stared at each other. Rayla slipped her hand into Callum's.

"Well?"

"Just breathe," Callum instructed, crouched down next to Sera on a windswept hill.

Sera exhaled. Callum held up his old sketchbook, open to a page detailing a rune familiar to both of them.

"Now draw the rune, like we practiced."

The seven year old nodded. She drew the rune in the air, but this time, it took shape where her finger traced.

"Now say-"

"Aspiro!" Sera finished, and her breath created a torrent of air. The blast knocked Callum over, leaving him sprawled out on the grass. Sera ceased blowing and ran over to her father.

"Sorry! Are you okay?"

Callum laughed and sat up.

"You did it! You connected to the sky arcanum!" He pulled Sera into a hug. "I was twice your age before I figured that out."

Sera's eyes lit up. "Mum! Did you hear that? Dad said I'm twice as good at magic as he was!"

"Ya sure are!" Rayla called back from her spot on the hill. She sat just far enough away from them to ensure she was out of 'getting blown away' range.

"That's not exactly what I was saying."

Sera had already moved on from that. She cast aspiro again and delighted in blowing the grass flat.

Rayla got up and sat down next to Callum. "Reminds me of someone else, about seventeen years ago." She learned her head against his shoulder.

Once Sera had tired herself out, she ran over to her parents beaming with pride. "We should celebrate."

Callum smirked. "By celebrate, do you mean eat all of Uncle Ez's jelly tarts?"

"Of course!"

Rayla stood up and ruffled Sera's hair. "Well if we're all in agreement."

They descended the hill, heading back towards the rebuilt castle of Katolis.

When Rayla and Callum decided to stay, decisions left on the back-burner had to be finalized. Aaravos was imprisoned again, but by the next morning he was gone. While Corvus was sent after him, no one ever found a trace of the startouch elf. Claudia didn't blame anyone for Viren's death, other than Viren himself, but mourned him all the same. She left Duren as it held too much grief for her now. Perhaps one day she would return, but not anytime soon.

Sera's moon arcanum and the implications behind it gave Ezran and Aanya an idea. On the next full moon, they called a meeting of the kings and queens of the Pentarchy. By then Rayla was well enough to travel, and she, Callum, and Sera would be officially presented to the rest of the human kingdoms. Ezran hoped the issues of succession would be overshadowed by the magical elephant in the room, but that wasn't the case. Something far greater stole the other leaders' attention.

Aanya's guess had been correct. Sera may have been the first, or one of the first, but she was far from the only child born with an arcanum. By the time the meeting of the Pentarchy came, rumors had already spread of elven newborns in Xadia with arcana and of human infants that had less noticeable but still unexplained connections with the primal sources. Newborn magical creatures, including dragons, showed signs of possessing arcana too.

There were only a handful of such cases that could be confirmed, Sera included, yet it seemed more were born each day. It had no benefit in the war, as none of the arcanum-possessing children were older than a few months at the most. Xadia and the Pentarchy called a temporary ceasefire to focus on the return of magic. Negotiates occurred on the border, where Callum and Rayla got to work.

They shared their story to both governments. Some were moved, others indifferent. Most kept the status quo and gave no opinion. Even still, minds slowly began to change. They continued to spread their message of peace and coexistence while Ezran oversaw the demilitarization of New Katolis and Xadia's borders. Peace continued long after the 'temporary' truce expired. Both side's infrastructure and armies were exhausted, neither was keen to reignite the conflict.

As for the future of Katolis, Ezran promised to find a wife as soon as possible. Whenever a noble or council member asked why no progress had been made, he would say he was working on it and joke that perhaps Sera being the heir apparent wasn't such a terrible idea. As the years passed, the council stopped treating it as a joke. Ezran did eventually marry, but he did so for himself, long after he was certain that Sera would be welcomed as a potential crown princess if the need ever arose.

Five years after magic came back, the kingdom of Katolis was renewed. Ezran proposed a daring plan to encourage the tenuous peace. Old Katolis would be resettled, but not just by humans. It would be the first human and elf integrated territory. In exchange much of New Katolis returned to Xadian ownership. The other kingdoms weren't enthused with the idea, but Ezran justified it as a way to ensure Katolis was reclaimed and its people given a home again, even if they shared it with elves. Inevitably they were growing pains, but order prevailed. Many were just too tired after the war for any further hatred. Eventually Claudia returned to Katolis, and brought with her a family of her own.

Duren remained Katolis' most steadfast ally. Even once Katolis was reclaimed, Aanya insisted that Ezran and his family were always welcome. They visited at least once a year. This was the world Sera grew up in. In some ways it lacked from that of her parents and uncle and honorary aunts. In other ways it was far better.

Callum reflected on that during their walk back to the castle. It had been a long, strange trip and it wasn't over. A new generation of mages and magical creatures would inherit the world. Coexistence was a concept Xadia and the Pentarchy were still adjusting to. A lot of work was ahead of them. But they were up for it.

"Ezran was right," Callum told Rayla while Sera ran ahead.

"About what? Ez's right about a lot of things, be specific."

"That it had a happy ending."

Well, that took longer than expected. Aside from being twice as many chapters as I'd originally planned, this finale proved tricky. The confrontation with Viren went through multiple iterations. Originally Aaravos killed him himself. Then I thought Claudia would fit better, but I couldn't think of a reason for Aanya or Ezran to request her presence in a "need to know" situation since no one was in need of medical attention. Ultimately I realized it was best for Rayla (with a minor contribution from Callum) to save Sera her/themselves. I also wrestled with the ending, including having very nearly ended it with Callum and Rayla not staying but I went for a happier finale.

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorit-ed, or put the story on their alert list. Thanks you all.