Couldn't fit it all in one book so this is the end of the story.
Sit tight, it's a real ride.
After the author's note, you'll see I wrote an epilogue in the form of a bonus book of extra stuff I wanted to see more of and couldn't fit in the main boo...
After returning to the school from that other dimension, the team were a little dazed for a while afterwards.
At dinnertime, when some of them were gathered for it, Oscar finally said, "I can't believe he's gone... completely now."
Shine, who as usual was the only one who acted normal about it, shrugged. "He'll be happier this way."
"Yeah." Oscar fingered his fork. "I know... it's just... strange after all this time."
"I'm happy for them though." Ruby leaned on her hand. "And now I know what happened to Mom for real. I guess... I really have no questions left about the past. At least not ones that matter that much. I feel... a little weird. Is it weird?"
"It's weird all right," Weiss sighed. "What are we going to do?"
She shot a look at Shine and Wally, the latter of whom wasn't even listening that closely. He was trying to stack peas into a pyramid.
"Huh?" He looked up.
"You are such a child," Winter noted.
"It's not my fault it's so easy to play with food," Wally said.
"I think it's a good sign," Shine said. "We're not taking things too seriously anymore." She tugged her hair.
"You really are tolerant," Qrow noted.
"What are you looking at us for anyway?" Wally asked, popping some food into his mouth instead. "We don't know."
"Don't you?" Winter replied.
"No," Shine said. "I mean, it's your lives, not ours. We just helped you stop Salem and the gods, and that was hard enough. You think we want the rest of your lives? Please." She rolled her eyes and sipped her drink.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
[Shine image design by Onerose.]
"It's just that now that Ozma and Salem are gone, and there's no more magic and not as many Grimm, we're kind of lost," Blake pointed out. "We hoped you'd have other ideas by now."
"It's so weird to hear you ask us for ideas," Wally muttered absently.
"I'm thrilled that you no longer feel such a divide from us as before," Shine said. "I suppose it's the result of the gods' power being removed."
"Or we're just grateful," Ruby said.
"I knew it wasn't that you liked us," Wally teased.
"Of course we like you," Ruby argued.
"He's just kidding." Shine tapped him a little to let him know to dial back the teasing to the impressionable kids. "Sorry, we're in a good mood after earlier. But really, what else can we teach you?"
"You must have so much you've hardly even covered." Winter lifted the holy book. "From what I've seen."
"Hmm," Shine mused. "Well, of course... but I don't think we'll have time for it all, and we're not the final word on things. There's a reason our influence is limited. We've been over this."
