Hey, guess what? THIS IS THE EPILOGUE! And drumroll please… I GOT TO TYPE IT ON MY NEW LAPTOP! Yes, no more old, nasty computer, this sucker is AWESOME! :D :D Happy New Year, people!

Disclaimer: Again, I don't own Maximum Ride or Shrek!

Epilogue

"Fang!" Max yelled from across the house.

"Yes, Max. I'm coming!" Fang shouted back. Max was currently trying to brush Phoenix's long, tangled brown hair.

Phoenix's hair was almost exactly like her mother's, with small golden streaks flowing throughout her chestnut colored hair. However, her eyes did differ from Max's. Instead of having pure, warm brown eyes, Phoenix's were a reddish brown tint with gold laced brilliantly amongst the fiery brown. Altogether, her eyes were very intimidating, beautiful, and quite dramatic. However, her skin tone was closer to Max's fair skin than Fang's tanned skin.

There was a loud bang from where Fang's end of the tree-house. Yes, they lived in a tree house, and it was quite a large one at that. Max and Fang had first started building it right after they got married, which was only a day after Max escaped that horrible, wannabe king, Dylan. It took two weeks of arduous work, but the house was finally done and they were far away from any human dwellings. After three years, no one had discovered them and they lived there happily.

There was the sound of light running footsteps from the room where Fang was, another bang, then laughter. Max chuckled. Fang and Griffin were horsing around. If they kept it up, someone would fall out of the tree house…again.

A few seconds later, Fang emerged from the other side of the house with a struggling Griffin over his shoulder. Griffin was a year older than Phoenix, making him three years old while Phoenix was only two.

Griffin's black hair, which was much like Fang's except with brown streaking occasionally through it, was shaggy and just above his eyebrows.

"Let me down! Daddy, put me down!" shrieked Griffin. His light Carmel and gold eyes gleamed with mischief and playfulness like they usually did.

Fang grinned, which was something that he did more often ever since he found out that he was going to be a father. He then let Griffin down, and Max couldn't help but notice the resemblance in skin tone between. Griffin and Fang's skin was pretty much the exact same shade of tan.

Fang ruffled Griffin's black and brunette marbled hair and Griffin beamed.

"So do you have everything ready for the trip, Griff? It will be a couple of hours before we reach the castle. Then, you can see uncle Iggy and auntie Nudge." Fang said to Griffin.

"And play with Gazzy! Yep! I got everything!" Griffin said as he held up a small sized leather pouch filled with random items.

"You're ready to leave?" Fang asked. Griffin nodded. Fang then swiftly picked Griffin up and walked out the door and to the balcony, and threw him over the side and in to the open air.

If you are new or not used to the normal lives and Max, Fang, and their family, you are probably freaking out at this point. Don't, seriously.

Griffin's yells could be heard below them, then suddenly, they stopped. Next, Griffin appeared flying around the sides of the balcony, with his amazing wings, which were as black as Fang's at the primary feathers, and slowly worked their way to a dark brown at the top, where all of the downy feathers were.

Griffin whooped and cackled in delight as he soared in a wide bank around a nearby pine tree, then glided over to the balcony.

There, you see? Fang is not a bad father who just throws his kid over the side of a tree house. No, in fact, Griffin enjoys the lift.

Max finally un-tangled the last snarl from Phoenix's hair, and Phoenix hobbled over to Fang.

"Daddy!" she giggled as Fang kneeled down and hugged her. Fang grinned at Max and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him as she put the brush back on a nearby table.

"I gonna go fly now. Bye Daddy, bye mommy!" said Phoenix as she walked outside the door, and jumped over the side of the balcony.

Again, don't freak.

Phoenix's maroon, ginger, and gold wings looked like a flaming fire and therefore, earned her the name 'Phoenix'. Phoenix's little five and a half foot wingspan was met be Griffin's six and three quarter foot wingspan. Yes, apparently, when you're born with wings and both your parents have wings also, you learn to fly when you're around two years old.

"Griff, you and Phoenix can fly around for a minute, Mommy and I will come out in a minute. And Griff, watch out for your sister." Fang said. Griffin nodded and he flew off with his sister.

Max clutched her growing belly, which was much larger than its normal size. Fang saw her motion out of the corner of his eye, and in a flash, he was over by her side.

"Max, sweetheart, are you alright? Do you need to rest for a second? If it's too much for you, Iggy and Nudge said in their letter that we can visit after the baby was born." Fang said.

Max smiled.

"I'm fine, Fang. The baby just kicked, that's all. Besides, Griffin and Phoenix are really looking forward to seeing Iggy, Nudge, and their kids." Max said.

"Are you sure Max, because the kids will understand if…" Max cut him off.

"Fang, I'm supposed to be the talkative one, not you. Trust me, I'm fine." Max said and Fang gave a wary smile. He really didn't want Max to go into labor in the middle of the journey where there was no one around, or worse, if there were people there. The people would see the baby's wings, and that would be the end of the trip.

Max took Fang's hand and put it on her belly. The unborn baby then kicked where Fang's hand was. Fang looked at Max and his grin could've lit up the room. Max grinned back and attempted to lean over to grab the bag full of necessities for the flight over to the castle.

"Max, I've got it. With your condition and all, you shouldn't strain yourself. You could…." Max cut him off again.

"Fang, drop it with the Nudge act. I. Am. Fine. I am also perfectly capable of flying and picking up our bags. Just because I'm pregnant, does not mean that I can't kick your butt!" Max snapped. Fang rolled his beautiful, onyx eyes.

"Yeah, Max. Later. Right now, we have to go." Fang said as he stepped out and spread out his massive wings, then took off soundlessly. Max followed his example, and spread out her brown and white wings. She laboriously took off.

Whew, flying around eight months pregnant is no picnic. Max thought as she struggled to catch up to Fang and the kids. Not that she'd ever admit that to Fang.

Fang's gaze automatically checked up on Phoenix and Griffin, who were trying to make shapes out of clouds. Fang then glanced backwards to see Max a good ten yards behind them. Fang slowed down, and waited for Max.

Max painstakingly flew towards Fang. Max looked at Fang's stoic face. His eyes, however, revealed that he was anxious, even worried.

"Max, are you sure that you can…" Fang started, but was once again, cut off by Max.

"Fang, I can make it. I just can't fly as fast." Max said shortly. Fang said nothing else, and kept up at the same speed as Max.

The couple observed their children, who were now playing tag. With their hawk-like vision, they could make out the figure of a looming castle in the hazy distance.

Fang couldn't help but glance at Max, whose face was beaded with sweat. Her brow was furrowed with silent strain and her wing beats were slightly off balance.

Fang watched her movements, well…like a hawk, and was ready in case anything unexpected was to happen. It was rare when something went according to plan.

About fifty minutes later, Phoenix and Griffin slowed down so that they were flying just above their parents.

"Daddy, Mommy, I'm tired. Will we be there soon?" Phoenix asked in the quiet tone that she almost always used. She had the same quiet and passive demeanor as Fang did whereas Griffin was loud and a born leader, like Max.

Max couldn't help but wonder what the new baby would be like.

"We're almost there, Sweetheart. It will be just about five or ten more minutes." Fang said. Phoenix nodded tersely and she and Griffin took off ahead once again.

Fang glanced at Max, to see what condition she was in, hoping that she could make it for the remaining ten minutes of the journey.

Max was sweat covered and tried to hide her panting. She was exhausted. She wouldn't complain though. She wouldn't complain until she was about to drop out of the sky.

Fang glided a little ways ahead and swooped upward. He then slowed down until he was flying right above Max. His extensive, glistening black wings, which winked in a purple hue from the bright sunlight, completely blocked the sun off of Max.

Max smiled gratefully up at Fang. It was like he could read her mind sometimes. That sun was unforgiving and was scorching the back of her body.

Fang's lip twitched into a half smile in return.

Their little moment was interrupted, as it usually was, by the kids yelling.

"We're here! We're here!" they hollered as they swooped downward and managed to land on the large balcony where Iggy and Nudge said that they'd meet.

Max tried, but couldn't hide the relief as she and Fang glided down, and landed gracefully on the marble balcony.

Griffin and Phoenix had already snapped their wings against their backs, and were grinning in excitement.

Max tucked her wings neatly in the back of her shirt. She preferred to wear shirts and breeches, because they were much more practical to wear while flying that a dress.

She then attempted to take a step forward, but lost her footing and would have fallen, if not for Fang. He grasped her by her arms and helped her up.

He didn't need to say anything, because despite his emotionless features, his obsidian eyes were softened by a fraction of a degree.

"Thanks." murmured Max.

"It's what I'm here for." Fang said. Max smiled.

"No, you're here because I love you." She said softly. Fang smiled a genuine, real smile and kissed her sweaty forehead.

"Well so good to see you!" said a familiar male voice from behind the velvet curtains, which separated the balcony from the inside of the castle.

"Uncle Iggy!" the kids shouted in unison as they ran forward and hugged the man dressed in expensive clothes. A golden crown encrusted in jewels and the kingdom's coat-of-arms sat on the man's strawberry blond hair. His sightless eyes looked in the direction of Griffin and Phoenix's voices. He grinned broadly.

"How are my favorite niece and nephew?" Iggy chuckled as he hugged Griffin and Phoenix.

"Silly Unca' Iggy," giggled Phoenix.

"We're your only niece and nephew." Griffin finished. Phoenix bobbed her head in agreement.

"And I still love you guys." Iggy said.

"And girl." Phoenix chimed in.

"Yes, and girl." Iggy said as he ruffled Phoenix's golden brown hair.

"Hey," said Max in an angry tone. "It took me a good twenty five minutes to straighten that hair, so don't mess it up."

Iggy laughed quietly. Fang had Max pulled against his chest, with his strong arms wrapped around her growing belly. She could feel the deep vibrations from his chest when he chuckled.

"We can't have her hair all messy, now can we?" said another familiar voice, this time, it was female.

"Antie Nudge!" cried the kids as they ran to Nudge, who had just emerged from the curtain. The kids ran and embraced Nudge.

"It's good to see you too." Nudge said. Just then, two blond heads poked through the curtains. Angel squealed as she ran to her female cousin. Phoenix grinned and hugged her blond, curly haired cousin. Gazzy, on the other hand, decided to go for the more masculine approach and shook Griffin's hand.

The kids exchanged excited greetings and then were led off to play. Angel led Phoenix one way and Gazzy led Griffin in a different direction.

Then, the parents had a chance to converse.

"Max, Fang, it's wonderful to see you! How was the flight over? Poor Max, I could barely walk down a staircase, let alone fly when I was eight months pregnant! Oh my! You don't look good at all, Max! Do you need a glass of water or some food, or chocolate? Oh I practically needed chocolate every couple of hours when I was pregnant with Gazzy! I really didn't crave chocolate when I was pregnant with Angel, I wanted roasted pork instead. I know what you need! You need a royal bath, with essence of lavender and hot towels, and warm oils! That will do the trick!" babbled Nudge.

Before Max could protest, Nudge clapped her hands, and two maids in frilly black maid uniforms scurried out to the balcony.

"Ladies, please prepare a bath for Miss Ride. She is a very dear friend and is in dire need of some relaxation. Roxanne, please light the therapeutic candles." Nudge said sweetly to the nurses.

Max couldn't help but notice how sweet and kind Max was to the servants and staff. Her mother and Father were never nice to the servants, and treated them like scum. That was another major improvement made when Max turned the kingdom over to Nudge and Iggy.

The maids smiled sincerely and rushed off to fill Nudge's orders.

"Now, while they do that, we will pick out your dress and jewelry and other necessities. Oh my, Max!" Nudge snapped in a way that was so out of character for her.

"Just what in the name of St. Patrick do you think you're wearing? Is that men's clothes?" Nudge said in a horrified tone, as if men's clothing was the worst possible thing in the world. In Nudge's mind, it was.

"Oh, no! MAXIMUM RIDE, I thought that I taught you better than this! No, we have got a lot of work to do. Men's clothes… just how am I supposed to react to this?" Nudge muttered as she steered a speechless, sputtering Max off the balcony and into the castle.

Iggy chuckled. Now, it was just Fang and Iggy left on the balcony.

"Same old Nudge." said Fang. Iggy nodded.

"Your kids have blond hair… I mean not your kind of blond, more like a…" Fang trailed off.

"More like a golden blond? Yeah, my mother had blond hair. It's weird how they both ended up with blond hair. They both got my blue eyes though. Angel got Nudge's curly hair. And Gazzy…" Iggy laughed again. He sure was a jolly king. "Gazzy has my fascination for everything that flames or explodes. It drives Nudge crazy."

Fang's lips tilted in a half smile that was lost to Iggy, who obviously couldn't see it.

"So, how's the kingdom's politics coming along? Is anyone causing any trouble?" Fang asked, trying to keep up his end of the conversation.

"All is well. It's very quiet on the war front, which is good. The peace is great." Iggy said.

"The peace remains, that is, until you blow up a poor famer's barn with one of your exploding contraptions gone wrong." Fang chortled.

"Hey, that only happened once and I totally paid for it! The guy was rich afterwards!" Iggy protested.

"Hey, are we going to go inside? If not, I could stretch my wings." Fang said with sarcasm. Iggy rolled his sightless eyes and walked inside. Fang laughed silently and followed his friend into the castle.

A few hours later, everyone except for Max and Nudge were seated at the long, dark wooded banquet table in the stone dining hall. A cheery fire roared in the hearth.

Phoenix, who now had a little silk bow holding a neat braid in place, was seated next to Fang.

"Daddy," whispered Phoenix to Fang. Fang looked down at his adorable daughter.

"Yes, Sweetheart?" Fang said quietly.

"Why are there so many forks? And spoons? I only need one." she said. Fang smiled a small smile.

"I don't really know, just pick your favorite and use it." Fang answered. Phoenix smiled and nodded. She went back to talking with Angel, who was seated next to her. Fang heard Griffin ask the same question to Gazzy, who laughed and kindly explained what each one was for. Fang knew that Griffin would just do what Phoenix would do, and pick one and use it for the entire meal.

Fang was observing the exquisite dining room and elegant silverware, when two beautiful women descended the main staircase, which could be seen through the large, open doors.

One had a dark skin tone, and was dressed in a caramel colored gown, with intricate white designs all over it. White lace finished the gown. The darker skinned woman, who was obviously Nudge, wore large diamond earrings and sparkling silk shoes. A delicate, white jeweled necklace was strung around her neck. Nudge was beautiful, but she wasn't the one that Fang was staring at.

Max wore a midnight azure dress. The gown was long sleeved and looked that the fabric was the trimmed from the night sky itself. Tiny diamonds were sewn with a random precision into the fabric, and glittered like stars in the lighting from the extravagant chandeliers.

Max's light skin glowed radiantly as she neared the table, and the flickering firelight made the 'stars' on her dress twinkle. Max had her hair up and somehow, little jewels were intertwined in her hair as well. Max's shoes almost seemed to be perfectly carved from large diamonds.

Another thing struck Fang, Max was wearing makeup. She was gorgeous, but Fang thought that she was striking without makeup.

Max was so beautiful, that her grandeur totally distracted the viewer from her big belly. However, Fang thought that her baby bump was one of the most beautiful things about her.

When Max neared her seat next to Fang, he stood and pulled her chair out for her. He smiled, knowing that the chivalry would silently annoy Max. She was very headstrong, and liked to do things for herself, like pulling her chair out for herself.

To Fang's surprise, Max smiled graciously and sat in the chair. Stunned, but not showing it, Fang pushed the chair back in, and sat down.

Who was this girl, and what had she done to that arrogant, impulsive Max that he loved so much?

Max read Fang's almost imperceptible look and whispered,

"Nudge is forcing me to be 'ladylike', otherwise she swore that she would send dresses, makeup, shoes, and perfume to our house. Where would I put all of that useless stuff?"

Fang smirked.

"You look beautiful." Fang whispered in a voice that sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. She blushed. She was about to make a smart comment about Fang's regular, un-extravagant clothes, when Iggy stood.

"Well, since everyone's here, chef, bring out the food!" Iggy said as the kitchen doors opened and a parade of scullions and cooks came out with delectable, eye pleasing food on silver trays and platters.

After the steaming and chilled food was placed on the table, everyone piled their plates high with food.

"Do you always have dinner like this?" Max asked in wonder.

"No, we usually have appetizers, then the main course, but since it's just you guys, we decided that we could lay off a few of the courses." Iggy said with a straight face. Nudge abruptly whacked Iggy's arm. Iggy winced at the sudden impact.

"Iggy!" Nudge hissed. "No Max, we usually eat much more modest meals, but since you guys were visiting, we decided to make it a special occasion. And don't be shy. I know that royalty is supposed to take small portions at a time, but we don't care. Heck, take as much as you want. We think that it's a stupid rule anyways. As long as you eat it, it doesn't matter. What are we sitting around talking for, let's eat!" Nudge prattled. She then took a bite of food.

The table laughed at Nudge's chatter.

"What did I say?" said Nudge after she swallowed.

"Everything." Iggy said as he began eating as well. The rest of the group began feasting as well. Nudge would have been appalled by the superfluous amount of food that Max was consuming, but she was not at all surprised when Fang and his kids ate as much as Max did. Nudge had lived with Max for a long time, and knew that she ate a lot. She assumed that it was part of having wings.

A little while later, dessert was brought out, and Gazzy, Angel, Phoenix and Griffin all gasped in awe. There was dessert delicately carved and crafter into elaborate shapes. There was a cake marvelously carved into the almost exact likeness of the castle. There was pudding that was decorated as exquisitely as Max's dress. And there were hundreds of cookies cut and frosted in sophisticated shapes.

"Kids, don't make yourselves sick." Max chided. The kids nodded, still in shock. Nudge and Iggy grinned at the children's expressions.

"Max, don't make yourself sick." Fang scolded in the same tone that Max had used for the children. Max playfully swatted the side of Fang's head.

After the amazing dessert, the kids were tired, and decided to go to bed. Angel insisted that Phoenix would sleep over in her room and Gazzy said the same thing to Griffin. Neither person refused.

After chatting in one of the many parlors, Max and Fang went to check up on their kids. Nudge had a maid show them the way to Gazzy and Angel's rooms, since the castle was so complicated, immense, and maze-like.

They first came to Angel's room. Angel was sprawled out, but taking up little space on the emperor size mattress. Phoenix was curled up, with her wings out and loosely splayed out behind her.

Next, they came to Gazzy's room. The bed was empty. Instead, there was a fort made of sheets erected in the center of the room. Gazzy was dozing soundlessly on his side while Griffin was sleeping on his stomach, with his wings lazily draped across the blanket.

Max and Fang smiled, said goodnight to Iggy and Nudge once again for their hospitality, and were led to a very large guest room, probably used for visiting dignitaries. Fang slept in the same manner as Griffin, on his stomach with his wings spread out in a relaxed position.

Max, on the other hand, laid on her back, staring at the high silk canopy towering over her. She still smelled faintly of lavender. She was currently in a satin nightgown, and Fang was shirtless.

Max wondered what life would have been like if she had kept the throne. Surely the kingdom wouldn't be as peaceful as it was now. With taxes low and enemies nonexistent, the kingdom was at the beginning of a golden age.

Surely the people would have rebelled if they knew that a winged person was ruling.

However, Max contemplated her children's look of wonder as they gazed at the desserts and food. Would they really be happier living as princes and princesses?

Then, Max remembered the dark side of the job as a ruling monarch. She had almost sacrificed her relationship with Fang because of her responsibilities as a ruler. She remembered her life as a child, when she rarely saw her parents because they were always gone or hiding her from the public.

She didn't want to have to do that to her kids. They would constantly have to hide their wings, but both she and Fang knew that their wings were a part of them, and they were never truly happy until they could be themselves for who they were, for all that they were.

That would never happen if they were constantly in the eye of the public. That's when Max finally fell asleep, fully relaxed, because it was then when she knew that she had made the right choice.

They were free and happy, and free to be who they were, and that was were true happiness was, not in possessions or riches.

She was happy, and with Fang who had showed her the most valuable lesson that she had ever learned; In order to love, you have to love yourself, and love is true happiness.

THE END!

So yeah. That was my ending. Please tell me if it was corny! I was going to wait until a midnight, so that I could be one of the first people to post something in 2011. However, I am not that patient, so I'll give it to you early. REVIEW! Like I said, please, please review. I worked really hard on this chapter. Anyways, this my last update for 2010. Much more will come in the new year! I already have two new stories planned!