The rattle and clack of the cart along the track was almost deafening. Quinn gripped the edge anxiously and dug her nails into the wood beneath her fingers. Even on the ride back from the impossibly distant vault, she somehow felt just as uncertain of her safety as she had on the way there. With her free hand, she pressed the small cloth pouch to her chest and said a silent prayer that she'd make it back to solid ground.

When the ride was over, she walked through the lobby shakily and her shoes clacked unevenly against the marble floor. Two sets of doors later, she was back in the glaringly bright sunlight of midday. On a nearby bench, Rachel lifted her head at the other woman's approach and slowly rose to her feet. She gripped the small of her back and winced as she straightened her spine. The brunette had grown stiff from sitting in the same place for so long. One age-spotted hand shielded her wrinkled eyes from the glare and she smiled as her companion drew nearer.

"Did you get it?" she asked unnecessarily, having already spotted the bag clutched in the other woman's fingers.

"It was exactly where she said it would be," Quinn replied.

Her green eyes studied the familiar pouch with a wistful expression as she remembered the last time she had seen it so many years ago. She swallowed and blinked her eyes several times before smoothing her black dress to avoid looking up for a moment. Rachel feigned interest in the surrounding buildings and passersby while she respectfully waited for the blonde to lift her head again.

"Are you ready?" the taller woman asked at last.

"Yeah," Rachel responded with a somber nod. "It's time."

They held hands and walked until they found a suitably clear street. Closing her eyes to concentrate, Quinn called their destination into her mind and they disapparated.

When she opened them again, they were on a cliffside overlooking the ocean. The wind whipped her short hair into her eyes, and she had to tuck it back behind her ears to get a clear view of the endless stretch of sky and sea. Rachel's braid, laced visibly with myriad streaks of gray, shone brilliantly as it was touched by the glow of unfiltered sunshine.

"Do you want to do the honors?" Quinn asked as she held the bag open for Rachel to reach inside.

The shorter woman nodded somewhat nervously and pulled out the Resurrection Stone. Her mouth hung slightly agape as she inspected the dark rock for the first time. It was just as the stories she'd heard in school described it. She drew a shaky breath, straightened her shoulders, and tried to focus on the task at hand.

"Here goes," she murmured quietly before turning the stone over in her palm.

One turn. Two turns. Three.

They were there. The immediacy of their appearance made Rachel jump initially, but gradually the hammering of her heart quieted. It was incredible; they both looked exactly the way they had the last time she had seen them alive as a couple - on their tenth wedding anniversary. Brittany and Santana stood side-by-side at the cliff's edge and smiled serenely at their old schoolmates.

"We did what you asked us to do," Quinn told Santana. "I got the stone from the bank and we brought it here to the place you chose."

"Thank you," Santana said. "It really is better this way. It will do more harm than good if we leave it to fall into corrupt or uneducated hands. After today, it can fade into legend and eventually be forgotten just like the Invisibility Cloak and the Elder Wand."

Rachel and Quinn bobbed their heads in silent agreement.

"It's so good to see the two of you together again," the shorter brunette said sincerely. "Especially after your funeral, Santana. When all those people were gathered around it was hard not feel sad. Now, though, looking at you with Brittany... You're in a better place. You found peace."

"Yeah, I did," Santana agreed with a contented smile. "I lived a really long, really good life, and now I get to be back with the woman who made that possible."

She linked her pinky with Brittany's and her wife beamed at her proudly.

"Well, I guess this is it," Quinn mused as she looked around at the other three women. "Time to complete the act. The four of us, just the way we started."

They all nodded while they reflected on the memory.

"Is it okay if we say good-bye?" the former Ravenclaw asked tearfully.

"Of course it is," Brittany insisted and extended her arms.

Quinn rushed into them gratefully and held her best friend in a tight grip. She burrowed her head into the other blonde's hair and closed her eyes. Her chest burned, but for a few moments she pretended that she would never have to let go.

While they exchanged their final sentiments, Rachel slowly approached Santana. Her lips twitched in a feeble smile. The taller brunette threw her arms wide and smiled back. The smaller woman's vision blurred at this unexpected kindness, and she stepped forward into the hug with a broadening grin.

"I'm really sorry you and I didn't get along better when we were growing up," Rachel apologized through her tears.

"That's okay," Santana replied sweetly. "We're friends now and that's all that matters."

After a few minutes of talking to one another, they traded places. Brittany lovingly tugged Rachel closer to enfold her in her arms and Quinn hesitantly offered Santana a last embrace.

"Quinn, I want to apologize for being so awful to you," the brunette insisted earnestly as she rested her chin on her companion's shoulder. "You did nothing wrong. You were always so nice to me, even when I least deserved it. Forgive me?"

The blonde nodded as her cheeks flushed with a fresh surge of emotions.

"Of course I do. Besides, things improved between us after you separated yourself from the stone. We got along better than we ever had."

"Still, I needed you to know that I appreciated what you did for me. All of it, even the parts that got on my last nerve. Brittany was right about you all along. You're a really great person and an even better friend."

Quinn pulled away from the hug and swiped at her face with the back of her hand.

"You, too," she choked out as she returned to her place at Rachel's side. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

"Oh, I'm going to be just fine," Santana assured her as she reached out to hold Brittany's hand. "Never better."

She and her wife smiled at their friends one more time and then gave the nod to indicate that the moment had arrived. Rachel handed the Resurrection Stone to Quinn, who walked with it to the farthest edge of the cliff.

After taking a steadying breath, she wound her arm back and released the stone from her hand. As it arced through the air, Brittany and Santana disappeared from sight... forever.

"Good-bye," she and her companion whispered in unison to the empty space the couple left behind.

Rachel held out her hand. Quinn accepted it as she linked their arms. The two women leaned their heads together as they wandered away and didn't even look back as the falling Hallow dipped at last and sank below the undulating waves.