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Description
Ridge stood still, silent and covered in blood. He was looking at Smiffy, who was lying in his bed wrapped in bandages and blankets, pale and weak and covered in blood.

It was dark now. It had taken them seventeen hours to put everything back together, and he felt completely drained of magic. Smiffy was still in bad condition, but at least he was alive.

Ridge glanced to the left and looked at Trott, who was fast asleep in the chair next to Smiffy's bed. His lab coat was still bloodstained, and he looked exhausted. Ridge couldn't blame him. Only a few hours ago, he had been putting his friend's spine back together.

Finally, Ridge looked down at Ross, who was curled up on the floor in the fetal position, nesting in a pile of blankets. He had remained in wolf form throughout the entire operation, and he was paying dearly for it. He had been sick almost immediately after turning back into a human, and within a minute he was unconscious. Trott had put an oxygen mask on him to help him breathe and sleep.

Ridge knew a lot about werewolves, so he knew that turning into an actual wolf like Ross had required ten times the energy of being a regular werewolf, and because Ross had held that form for so long, he wouldn't be surprised if it took longer for him to recover than it did for Smiffy to wake up.

He stood there looking at them for a while longer. These three reckless maniacs who had unknowingly saved the Other World and the lives of everybody there. It was a good thing they called him here and that they were able to stop Void before he could reach the others.

Slowly, he smiled. Then he conjured up a bit of paper and scribbled two words. Then he set the piece of paper on the table next to Trott, and with one last glance around, he left, returning to the Other World.

A few minutes later, Trott woke up. He looked around and saw the piece of paper.

It said “Stay safe.”

XXX

Ridge stood on top of a tall cliff, overlooking the ocean and the bay of Owl Island. He watched in a trance as they had put the body in the boat and set it adrift.

There was no wind. The water was so calm and still that it perfectly reflected the moonless night sky above. There was no telling where the ocean ended and the sky began. There was no horizon. Just an endless sky full of stars.

He had hoped beyond reason that Void had been lying. That nobody had been killed while he was gone. But he was wrong. One day. That was all it took for one of the only people in the world he considered a friend to be attacked, poisoned, and killed.

And as he watched the boat drifting along the starry ocean, he realized that the man from the skies was returning to the stars.

So he stood watching the funeral. He didn't have the nerve to go down and face the others. So he stood watching as the dark boat gently drifted out into the bay, which was reflecting every star in the sky.

When the boat had reached the edge of the bay, the first burning arrow was shot. It hit the boat dead on, and the flames began to spread. Five more arrows followed it, each one hitting its target.

As the boat was consumed in brilliant orange flames, Ridge closed his eyes. Being stabbed in the chest multiple times was less painful than this. He felt like all three of his hearts had broken, and there was nothing he could do – there was no magic powerful enough – to heal them.

He told himself he did the right thing, leaving and stopping Void. If he had stayed here, he may have been able to save Xephos, but for how long? Void would have killed Smiffy and Trott and left Ross to madness, then he would have escaped. He would have caused chaos. How many would have died before they stopped him?

He opened his eyes again. The boat was beginning to sink lower in the water, the flames slowly going out. The only thing left of the boat was a shell.

A few minutes later, it was over. The boat had disappeared, and Xephos had returned to the stars.

He turned away and started walking. He wasn't sure where he was going, but the only thing that kept him from breaking was that he kept telling himself he did the right thing.

XXX

After a week and a half, Smiffy finally woke up. He was confused, not knowing what was going on, and he was still in a lot of pain from the wounds on his back. He felt weak and dizzy, both from the blood loss and the lack of eating solid food for two straight weeks.

Looking around, he saw that he was in his room alone. He was hooked up to several machines and an IV drip, which he refrained from immediately ripping out this time. He hoped there was morphine in the drip.

Just when he was starting to wonder where Trott and Ross were, the door opened, and they both stood there, looking in. He could tell by the shock on their faces that he had been asleep for a while, and they weren't sure if he was going to wake up.

“Smith!” they both exclaimed, running into the room. They looked like they wanted to hug him but thought better of it.

“Hello,” choked out Smiffy, his voice barely a hoarse whisper. At least it didn't hurt to talk anymore. “Want to tell me what happened?”

Trott explained the damage that had been done when Void tore his way out, and he explained that his spine and half of his internal organs were destroyed. He explained how he and Ridge used magic and science to fix him.

“Don't forget about the flux,” said Ross. Smiffy noticed that he looked pale and tired and almost as sick as he felt. Had there been another full moon lately?

“Oh yeah!” exclaimed Trott. “As soon as we brought you out of stasis, the flux came back, and it would have killed you if you hadn't made that antidote.”

“Wait...” muttered Smiffy. “My cure actually worked?”

Trott nodded. “It saved your life.”

Smiffy was so surprised by the fact that his cure had worked properly that he almost didn't hear Trott telling him that he would have a lot of trouble walking at first because of how fucked up his spine was. He did, however, clearly hear Trott telling him just how much pain he was going to be in while he was rehabilitated.

He knew he would get past the pain, though. As long as he had his friends to help him.

“Y'know...” said Smiffy after a while. “I think I'm going to take a break from magic for a bit.”

They weren't sure if it was because of the great relief of stress or because that statement had simply been very funny, but they laughed about it for several minutes.

“Speaking of magic,” said Trott, once the laughter had ended, “I think we should destroy that wand focus.”

“Good idea,” said Ross. “I mean, if Void wasn't killed, that's probably where he would hide.”

Smiffy nodded. “Let's throw it in lava just to be safe.”

Trott nodded, and he went to go find the wand focus, but he returned a few minutes later empty handed.

“I can't find it,” he announced. “Ross, do you know where it is?”

Ross shook his head. “Maybe Ridge had the same idea we did. He probably took it and destroyed it.”

Smiffy nodded lethargically. Whatever medicine was being pumped into his blood was making him feel sleepy, and he was starting to struggle to keep his eyes open.

“We'll just ask him next time he comes by,” he said with a yawn. “I guess as long as nobody uses it, Void can't get out...”

He heard one of them answer, but he was already drifting off. A minute later, he fell asleep.

And when he woke up again a few hours later, it was dark, all the lights were out, and his friends were curled up next to him, Ross on his left and Trott on his right.

He smiled and went back to sleep, afraid to let go.

Description
Ridge stood still, silent and covered in blood. He was looking at Smiffy, who was lying in his bed wrapped in bandages and blankets, pale and weak and covered in blood.

It was dark now. It had taken them seventeen hours to put everything back together, and he felt completely drained of magic. Smiffy was still in bad condition, but at least he was alive.

Ridge glanced to the left and looked at Trott, who was fast asleep in the chair next to Smiffy's bed. His lab coat was still bloodstained, and he looked exhausted. Ridge couldn't blame him. Only a few hours ago, he had been putting his friend's spine back together.

Finally, Ridge looked down at Ross, who was curled up on the floor in the fetal position, nesting in a pile of blankets. He had remained in wolf form throughout the entire operation, and he was paying dearly for it. He had been sick almost immediately after turning back into a human, and within a minute he was unconscious. Trott had put an oxygen mask on him to help him breathe and sleep.

Ridge knew a lot about werewolves, so he knew that turning into an actual wolf like Ross had required ten times the energy of being a regular werewolf, and because Ross had held that form for so long, he wouldn't be surprised if it took longer for him to recover than it did for Smiffy to wake up.

He stood there looking at them for a while longer. These three reckless maniacs who had unknowingly saved the Other World and the lives of everybody there. It was a good thing they called him here and that they were able to stop Void before he could reach the others.

Slowly, he smiled. Then he conjured up a bit of paper and scribbled two words. Then he set the piece of paper on the table next to Trott, and with one last glance around, he left, returning to the Other World.

A few minutes later, Trott woke up. He looked around and saw the piece of paper.

It said “Stay safe.”

XXX

Ridge stood on top of a tall cliff, overlooking the ocean and the bay of Owl Island. He watched in a trance as they had put the body in the boat and set it adrift.

There was no wind. The water was so calm and still that it perfectly reflected the moonless night sky above. There was no telling where the ocean ended and the sky began. There was no horizon. Just an endless sky full of stars.

He had hoped beyond reason that Void had been lying. That nobody had been killed while he was gone. But he was wrong. One day. That was all it took for one of the only people in the world he considered a friend to be attacked, poisoned, and killed.

And as he watched the boat drifting along the starry ocean, he realized that the man from the skies was returning to the stars.

So he stood watching the funeral. He didn't have the nerve to go down and face the others. So he stood watching as the dark boat gently drifted out into the bay, which was reflecting every star in the sky.

When the boat had reached the edge of the bay, the first burning arrow was shot. It hit the boat dead on, and the flames began to spread. Five more arrows followed it, each one hitting its target.

As the boat was consumed in brilliant orange flames, Ridge closed his eyes. Being stabbed in the chest multiple times was less painful than this. He felt like all three of his hearts had broken, and there was nothing he could do – there was no magic powerful enough – to heal them.

He told himself he did the right thing, leaving and stopping Void. If he had stayed here, he may have been able to save Xephos, but for how long? Void would have killed Smiffy and Trott and left Ross to madness, then he would have escaped. He would have caused chaos. How many would have died before they stopped him?

He opened his eyes again. The boat was beginning to sink lower in the water, the flames slowly going out. The only thing left of the boat was a shell.

A few minutes later, it was over. The boat had disappeared, and Xephos had returned to the stars.

He turned away and started walking. He wasn't sure where he was going, but the only thing that kept him from breaking was that he kept telling himself he did the right thing.

XXX

After a week and a half, Smiffy finally woke up. He was confused, not knowing what was going on, and he was still in a lot of pain from the wounds on his back. He felt weak and dizzy, both from the blood loss and the lack of eating solid food for two straight weeks.

Looking around, he saw that he was in his room alone. He was hooked up to several machines and an IV drip, which he refrained from immediately ripping out this time. He hoped there was morphine in the drip.

Just when he was starting to wonder where Trott and Ross were, the door opened, and they both stood there, looking in. He could tell by the shock on their faces that he had been asleep for a while, and they weren't sure if he was going to wake up.

“Smith!” they both exclaimed, running into the room. They looked like they wanted to hug him but thought better of it.

“Hello,” choked out Smiffy, his voice barely a hoarse whisper. At least it didn't hurt to talk anymore. “Want to tell me what happened?”

Trott explained the damage that had been done when Void tore his way out, and he explained that his spine and half of his internal organs were destroyed. He explained how he and Ridge used magic and science to fix him.

“Don't forget about the flux,” said Ross. Smiffy noticed that he looked pale and tired and almost as sick as he felt. Had there been another full moon lately?

“Oh yeah!” exclaimed Trott. “As soon as we brought you out of stasis, the flux came back, and it would have killed you if you hadn't made that antidote.”

“Wait...” muttered Smiffy. “My cure actually worked?”

Trott nodded. “It saved your life.”

Smiffy was so surprised by the fact that his cure had worked properly that he almost didn't hear Trott telling him that he would have a lot of trouble walking at first because of how fucked up his spine was. He did, however, clearly hear Trott telling him just how much pain he was going to be in while he was rehabilitated.

He knew he would get past the pain, though. As long as he had his friends to help him.

“Y'know...” said Smiffy after a while. “I think I'm going to take a break from magic for a bit.”

They weren't sure if it was because of the great relief of stress or because that statement had simply been very funny, but they laughed about it for several minutes.

“Speaking of magic,” said Trott, once the laughter had ended, “I think we should destroy that wand focus.”

“Good idea,” said Ross. “I mean, if Void wasn't killed, that's probably where he would hide.”

Smiffy nodded. “Let's throw it in lava just to be safe.”

Trott nodded, and he went to go find the wand focus, but he returned a few minutes later empty handed.

“I can't find it,” he announced. “Ross, do you know where it is?”

Ross shook his head. “Maybe Ridge had the same idea we did. He probably took it and destroyed it.”

Smiffy nodded lethargically. Whatever medicine was being pumped into his blood was making him feel sleepy, and he was starting to struggle to keep his eyes open.

“We'll just ask him next time he comes by,” he said with a yawn. “I guess as long as nobody uses it, Void can't get out...”

He heard one of them answer, but he was already drifting off. A minute later, he fell asleep.

And when he woke up again a few hours later, it was dark, all the lights were out, and his friends were curled up next to him, Ross on his left and Trott on his right.

He smiled and went back to sleep, afraid to let go.