Dear Mom and Dad,

I know this letter won't reach either of you. It can't. But this is a letter that I felt like I needed to write. I haven't talked to you in a long time and I wanted to tell you some things that I thought you might want to know if you get a chance to see it wherever you are.

First, Ez has been doing a fantastic job as the king of Katolis. It's been twenty years since he took the throne and it looks like he'll be there for a while yet. He managed to finish what you started, Mom—getting rid of dark magic. You can't practice it legally anywhere in the human kingdoms or Xadia. There's no need to. Humans can connect with the Primal sources to do magic; it just takes a lot of extra work. I've been helping with that since I'm the High Mage and the first human to truly connect with an arcanum.

Speaking of High Mages, Viren is gone. I don't know where he is and frankly, the only reason I want to know is so we can get rid of him. He's done so many terrible things, Dad, and even though he was your friend I can't understand why. I haven't seen him in five years but I can feel his presence hanging over everything like a dark shadow. I wish I could figure out why.

In happier news, you'll both be glad to know I got married about thirteen years ago. You might be a little less glad to know that my wife is an elf—a Moonshadow elf who tried to kill me when we first met. But I love her very much, and she's strong and brave and smart and beautiful and I can't find enough words to say how much I love her and our children, all three of them.

Sarai is our oldest. Rayla jokes that she looks like a female version of me with horns, but I don't see it. Honestly, she takes more after her mom than me, especially with how strong she is at the age of eleven. She kind of has to be, since Ezran has named her the heir to the throne of Katolis. The first halfling born in over a thousand years and she's going to be the queen. I hope I'm around to see it when it happens because I know she's going to do great things.

As for our other two, they're a pair by the name of Saoirse and Harrow. Twins, turning five soon, and they're the ones who really take after Rayla, too—silver hair and violet eyes but no horns. Harrow is our shy one. He follows Rayla and his twin sister around like a baby duckling, though, and he'll go along with whatever his sisters suggest. I think he's going to be a mage like me one day. Saoirse has made it clear she wants to live with Aunt Amaya in Lux Aurea.

Oh, yeah. Aunt Amaya got married a little while before I did. To an elf. She married the Sunfire elf queen, who isn't the friendliest person until you get to know her. They rule Lux Aurea together. I love when we go to visit since Aunt Janai always pulls out all the stops to make sure our visit is the best possible, even if we're only passing through on our way to the Storm Spire. I think you both would've liked her. I know Soren does and he's always trying to beat her in duels when he goes with us… not that he does much of that these days. He's got a family to take care of since he doesn't know the meaning of the word 'restraint' when it comes to things he cares about.

Basically, he and Claudia have opened a foster home for humans and elves.

There's so much more I want to tell you both, but I either can't find the words or it's not the sort of thing you say over a letter. I'm sure you can see us from where you are, and I hope I can see you again someday so I can tell you everything else.

I love you both.

Love,

Callum.

He folded the page and stuck it in his bag just in time.

"Callum, it's time ta go. And I could use a hand with the twins."

The High Mage of Katolis turned around to see Rayla standing with her arms straight out, Saoirse clinging to one arm and Harrow to the other. He couldn't help but laugh, picking up their son and allowing Rayla to finally situate Saoirse in her arms. Sarai poked her head in.

"Are we going?"

"Of course," Callum replied, following their eldest into the hallway.

It was a happy and sad day today. Happy because this was the twentieth anniversary of the day he met Rayla, sad because it mean it had been twenty years since his stepfather had died. In memory of that, their family was heading out to where the king had been laid to rest alongside his queen. The twins knew little about their grandparents on their father's side, but they knew today was important. Sarai knew it was important. And that was why she'd suggested that Callum write the letter to his mother and stepfather—to give him a sense of peace since he couldn't actually speak to them.

Ezran met them in the hallway before they left the castle, the road to the graveyard seeming ever long and sorrowful as they went. Nobody said a word as they approached the statue that immortalized the late Queen Sarai. Her namesake stared up at her grandmother's statue, feeling awed at the resemblance between the statue and herself. Everyone said she looked just like her grandmother; now she believed it. She'd never come out here before because she felt it hadn't been right to visit the graves of people she'd never met without people who had. Her throat tightened.

Would she and Grandpa Harrow be proud of me?

"Grandma Sarai was really pretty," Saoirse told her mother, breaking the silence. "Was she nice, too?"

"She passed before I met your father," Rayla explained, her voice low. "But from what I've heard, she was kind and brave and strong."

"Like Auntie Amaya?"

"They were sisters, ya know."

"Wow…"

There was more silence as Callum set his letter down at the base of his mother's statue. Without saying a word, he lit the corner of it on fire and it burned up in seconds. Wind carried the ashes upwards to the sky and the family watched until they couldn't see anymore.

"Hey, Dad?" Sarai said as they started the walk back. Saoirse had caught a piggyback ride with Ezran while Harrow was napping in his mother's arms.

"Yeah, Moonbug?"

"…do you think… do you think Grandma and Grandpa Harrow would've loved me?"

"Of course they would've."

"But I'm half elf. And Grandpa hated—"

"No, he didn't. He hated the war. He hated the Dragon King for killing your grandmother. But he didn't hate elves. He didn't hate Xadia. And your grandmother would've loved you because you're you."

"Thanks." She smiled. "By the way, Uncle Soren said he could take me and the twins tonight."

"I don't think he'll notice three more kids."

"Aunt Claudia will."

"Yes, she will." They both chuckled and hurried to keep up with the others.

It's a whole new world.

That was what Claudia had been told by Callum when she decided to return to Katolis with him and his family. It was shortly before he'd helped her connect with the Earth arcanum and leave dark magic behind for good. Forging a connection to a Primal source had solidified it in her mind that yes, this was a new world, and yes, she could do more than just take life away from others. Part of her longed to know what her father was doing now, but most of her didn't care. She was an Earth mage now, a trusted member of King Ezran's council, aunt to three adorable halfling children, and aunt/mommy to half a dozen more children.

Nothing was more precious to her than family. Hers had been torn apart at least three times, and though her bonds with her parents were severed irreparably, she and Soren had mended theirs. She had six children who called her 'Mom' or 'Mommy'. Her family was bigger than ever and it made her realize how stupid she'd been to revive her father all those years ago at the Storm Spire. If he hadn't lived, he wouldn't have caused as much pain and suffering as he had. It was her fault he was alive, but in a strange, twisted way, it was because of her that any of them were able to have this kind of happiness and joy in their lives.

"Mommy!"

Kore, the youngest of the six children she and Soren had taken in, climbed into her lap as she read a book of spells in the kitchen. The three-year-old Skywing elf had lost her parents because of an incident with Viren's forces that left her an orphaned baby and the first that Soren had taken in. He'd found her in the aftermath, and when the other Skywing elves tried to take her from him, she'd screamed and cried and clung to him like an adoraburr. In a way, she'd adopted him first.

"What is it, Kore?"

"Daddy says Princess Sarai is coming to visit!" She clapped her hands.

"She is?" Claudia closed her book and carried Kore on her hip. "Well, then, we have to be ready, don't we?"

"Yeah!" Kore wiggled to be put down and her aunt/mother obliged. She toddled off to join her brothers and sisters—a mix of humans and elves alike. Claudia noticed Soren in the doorway.

"When were you telling me that they were coming over, brother dear?"

"When they got here. Figured I'd let it be a surprise." He shrugged. "Look, I thought about it and I figured that Callum and Rayla deserve a little time off from being a mom and dad—just spending time with each other."

"Well, I'm not going to be here, remember?"

"Oh, right—you have a date or something."

"Yes. And it's the first time I've really felt like I have a chance to make things go well with me and someone else since… since…"

"Your date with Callum at the Moon Nexus?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. I still feel horrible for using his crush on me against him."

"He's clearly moved on. If the three children and badass elf-wife didn't make that clear."

Claudia rolled her eyes and smiled.

"You're gonna be okay looking after nine kids?"

"Sarai's gonna be here. She's always a big help."

"Of course she is. I'd better get ready for them."

"You do that. And remember: I'm always here to punch somebody. Or whatever you need."

Claudia laughed and headed into her room.

Oftentimes, Sarai wondered what life would've been like without Viren.

He'd kidnapped her parents and imprisoned them underground. On his orders, an illusion of her had been tortured to death in front of her mother and one of her mother had been made to scream in enough pain to psychologically harm her father. Without a second thought he'd been willing to sacrifice a five-year-old girl if it meant gaining power. Undoubtedly he was evil, true evil she'd never seen before or since. And that was just what he'd done in the short amount of time he loomed over her life. She knew from Claudia and Soren's stories that he'd done worse, much worse.

But he'd also brought her family back together. If her parents hadn't been taken, she wouldn't have run to Katolis and met Ezran and Soren. She would've lived out her life without knowing Claudia, a woman who had easily become the fun aunt every family needed. Tiadrin and Lain would have never been freed. And Sarai wouldn't be the crown princess of Katolis now. She'd be a normal halfling child living out her life by the Storm Spire with her parents and Ethari and Runaan. In a strange sort of way, she could respect Viren for the threat he posed and who he was, but it didn't mean she approved.

No.

She was going to be Queen Sarai II. And she knew he would be gone before her reign truly began.

*goes to sleep for a few days after posting the last chapter*

*wakes up to see a ton of comments from AO3 and Fanfiction alike*

HOLY CRAP, PEOPLE

I wasn't expecting so much love! I think this is one of my more popular stories for any fandom. Not to mention the suggestion I put in as a joke—namely, Soren running a foster home—appears to be extremely popular. Except for that one person who apparently has something against Soren adopting children and not being married? Speaking of suggestions, I got so many for what to name the new baby and you've all seen my choice. I'm sorry, I know I promised ten chapters, but after I posted chapter eight, I tried to write the one I wanted and I couldn't. So we ended up going straight to epilogue town.

That being said, while I am done with this timeline (I have a few one-shots and other multi-chapters in mind), I am willing to open it up to all of you.

*coughs in 'I don't want to write Aaravos'*

Thank you all so much for following me on my first foray into writing TDP. I hope you'll all stick around for anything I have coming next.

So long and thanks for all the fish!