CM- Final Confrontation (part 4- Final)
Back in the main performance tent, some people were meeting up to discuss what they had found out so far. Belle was there, as was Rapunzel, Emily, Meg, Clopin, Bugsie, and Harley. Other people were scattered about as well, including Alex, Maleana, Odette, and Gus.
“I still say we break into Facilier’s caravan,” said Harley. “He’s gotta have something that can help us.”
“Isn’t that bad, though?” asked Bugsie.
“Sometimes, you gotta do bad things to save someone,” said Meg.
“I don’t know, I’m trying to come up with something,” said Clopin.
At that moment, however, a portal suddenly shimmered into the air. Everyone looked up, surprised. Some thought that it might be Thrax returning. But, it wasn’t. Saya, Tulio, Esmeralda, Jim, Miguel, Facilier, Dongwa, Tzipporah, and John came tumbling through the air, landing on the stage.
“Look, it’s Esme!” Rapunzel cried, a happy look on her face. “They got her back!”
Everyone started cheering, thinking that they had won. But then, they saw that the rescue group’s faces weren’t cheerful. It took them a moment to realize that Tulio was hurt.
“Oh no,” Belle said, her face paling. “This isn’t good.”
She and a bunch of other hurried to the stage. Saya was laying Tulio down, her face looking grim. Tulio’s face was covered in sweat, and his wound glowed an orange-red color.
“Facilier, do something!” Esmeralda yelled. “He’s dying!”
“I can’t,” said Facilier. “That’s a demon wound, and a powerful one at that. Nobody can survive those.”
“No!” Esmeralda shouted, shaking her head. “I won’t let him die!” She knelt next to Tulio, her hands glowing. She placed them over his wound, making him wince. “Don’t worry, Tulio. You’re gonna be fine. I’m gonna heal you. Everything’s gonna be okay.”
“Esme…” Tulio raised a weak hand and put it on her shoulder. “It’s…alright…to let me go.”
“Tulio…” Saya’s eyes filled with tears. “Tulio, you can’t…I love you.”
Tulio gave a weak smile. Saya took his hand, firmly grasping it in two of her own. “I love you too, darling. More…than anyone I’ve ever met.” He gave a cough, the sound racking his whole body.
“Tulio, hang in there, don’t give up yet,” said Esmeralda, still frantically trying to heal him.
“Miguel…watch over things for me, when I’m gone. ‘Kay?” Tulio gave a tired wink at his best friend.
Miguel nodded, trying not to cry. “You bet,” he said, his voice choked up.
“No, no, no! Tulio, you’re not dying, you’re not…” Esmeralda’s eyes filled with tears as she tried to save her friend.
“It’s okay, Esme,” Tulio said, his voice getting weak. “It’s…okay…”
Tulio’s eyes closed, as if he was drifting off to sleep. His chest stopped moving in time with his breathing. His hand went limp in Saya’s.
“Tulio, Tulio, no! Don’t!” Esmeralda cried. Her shouts soon gave way to cries however, and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
Saya’s shoulders shook, her tears falling on Tulio’s hand. Miguel put an arm around her and she buried her face in his shoulder. The whole tent had gone quiet as Tulio passed on. Some people hung their heads. Other people cried, people he had become friends with. Tzipporah’s face was dead-pan, her face unreadable. It looked like Maleana was going to ask her mother something, but Odette just put an arm around her, not wanting her to look at Tulio’s dead body. There was that moment of mourning, of grief. But then, something started to happen.
It took a moment for someone to notice it. And actually, the first person who noticed it was Maleana.
“Hey, what’s that?”
She pointed at Tulio. Everyone looked up at the small voice. And that’s when they saw it, too. Tulio’s wound wasn’t glowing bright red-orange anymore. It had a yellow glow instead. And it was getting bigger. Facilier watched with wide eyes, having never seen any kind of magic like this. Miguel, Saya, and Esmeralda took a few steps back, not sure what would happen. The glow surrounded Tulio’s body, covering every bit of him until he was glowing all over. Then, there was a brilliant flash of light, making everyone shield their eyes. But it only lasted for a moment, and soon, the light died down. Miguel, Saya, and Esmeralda looked at each other. Could…could a miracle have just happened? They hurried over to Tulio, wondering if it was wise to hope at this point.
“Tulio?” Esmeralda asked softly, putting a hand to his cheek. “Tulio, can you hear me?”
At first, there was no answer. But then, Tulio gave a groan, his limbs starting to move. Everyone’s face brightened.
“Tulio, are you okay?” Saya asked, tilting his head so he could see her.
Tulio groaned. “Oh, my head…”
“He’s alive, he’s alive!” Jim crowed. He started jumping up and down in the air. Everyone gasped, hardly believing it was true. But, right before their eyes, they Saya laughing with joy as she swept Tulio off his feet and spun him around as the two hugged each other. Tulio started laughing as well, and that was when it finally set in. Tulio was alive. Somehow, he had managed to come back from the dead. Miguel and Esmeralda hugged each other, laughing and close to crying. Rapunzel and Harley started doing some kind of happy dance. Meg and Belle just smiled and smiled and couldn’t stop smiling. Facilier and Odette smiled at each other.
“I can’t believe it,” Esmeralda said as she hugged Tulio. “I don’t know how it happened, but it did.”
“I think I can explain that,” said Facilier, walking over. “It’s a rare case, but one that’s happened a few times in the history of magic. A demon wound is evil, sucking the life out of the victim. But, if there’s one thing that that wound can’t stand, it’s love.”
“Love?” Tulio repeated.
Facilier nodded. “When Esmeralda started healing you, the spell drew on the energy surrounding it. In doing so, it drew on everyone’s love for you, and it was enough to push the demon wound away.”
Tulio had to smile. He couldn’t believe it. To have so many people love him enough to save him, it was amazing that a guy like him could have something like that happen to him. Saya smiled and kissed his cheek as she laced her hand into his.
“So…Thrax is gone?” Rapunzel asked.
“You bet he is,” Esmeralda said. “Me and Facilier managed to finish him off.” She gestured towards him.
“It’s so weird,” Belle muttered. “Facilier as your dad, it’s gonna take some getting used to.” She gave a little laugh.
“You and me both,” Facilier said. But he did smile at Esmeralda, who decided to give a small smile back at him. She wasn’t sure exactly how to feel about the whole thing yet.
“Hey, Esme,” said Jim. “Since we never finished your party, do you…think we could pick up where we left off?”
Esmeralda laughed. “I think that’s a great idea. And this time, everyone in the circus is invited!”
Everyone cheered at that. In a matter of minutes, the party was back in full force, and the tent was filled with whoever wanted to come. There was even more happiness in the air now that Esmeralda was rescued and Thrax was destroyed. Only Tzipporah excused herself, saying that she had no head for parties. But she did give Facilier a mischievous smile before she left. Esmeralda was practically a bouncing ball of energy, flitting between all her friends with a big smile on her face. Tulio was also pretty popular, what with everyone wanting to know about how he saved Esmeralda from Thrax’s attack and him coming back from the dead and all. Saya never left his side, always having her hand in his. Tulio could often be seen kissing her in between his conversations with people. When Facilier and Dongwa finally approached him however, it was for a more serious conversation.
“You want to speak to me?” Tulio asked. “About what?”
“Esmeralda’s little healing spell,” Facilier replied. “You’re not the same person you were, Tulio. You’ve changed. And those change are important.”
“How so?” Tulio asked.
“Well, for one thing, we can’t sense that curse on you anymore,” said Dongwa, his tail swishing back and forth.
Tulio gasped and he and Saya looked at each other. Then he looked back at Facilier and Dongwa. “Are you serious? It’s…it’s gone?”
Facilier nodded. “You told us that the curse would stay with you until you gave up your thieving ways,” he said. “Sacrificing yourself to save Esmeralda showed that you had finally put your stealing behind you.”
Saya smiled. “Oh Tulio, I’m so proud of you!” she exclaimed as she hugged him. Tulio laughed. He couldn’t believe it. He was no longer cursed. He felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders.
“And there’s one more thing,” said Facilier. “Can I see your hands, please?”
Tulio raised an eyebrow, but did as the wizard instructed. Facilier muttered an incantation and wiggled his fingers along Tulio’s palms. There was a small flash of light, and Tulio and Saya gasped to see that a shiny sheen had covered Tulio’s palms.
“What the…” Tulio gaped as his hands in amazement. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything, except bring out the power inside you,” Facilier replied. “You see, Esmeralda’s healing spell did more than bring you back. It took your curse, and basically reversed it, made it do a total 180.”
“So…if your curse made yourself sick…” Saya thought through it for a moment. “Then…the opposite would be…you healing others?”
“You got it,” said Dongwa. “Tulio’s a healer, now. A shiny palm is the trademark of all healers.”
Tulio didn’t know what to say. He stared at his palm again. He was a healer now? He, wasn’t a normal human anymore? “This is…this is so much to take in…And I’ll have to tell everyone too…”
“I know, son,” said Facilier. “And I don’t know much about healing. But I’ll do some research and try to come up with some info for you. Until then, you should enjoy yourself.” He smiled. “We did win a big battle, after all.”
Tulio smiled back. “Yeah, you’re right.” He would save his questions for later. Right now, it was time to enjoy himself and revel in today’s victory. “Come on, Saya,” he said, grinning at the vampire. “Let’s dance.”
Saya smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.” She took Tulio’s hand and the two hurried over to where everyone else was dancing.
Dongwa looked up at Facilier and smiled. “You did good today, Facilier. It looks like Karura’s good luck worked, after all.”
Facilier nodded. “Yup, looks like it. I guess it knew that if it kicked in later, Esmeralda could find out I was her dad and Tulio would be able to get rid of its curse. If I had beaten Thrax the first time, none of that would have happened.”
“Luck is strange,” said Dongwa.
“But at least it was one our side,” said Facilier. “Thrax is finally gone, and…I can relax, for once.”
Dongwa smiled. At that point, Odette approached them, her hands playing with the folds of her dress. Facilier smiled at her.
“I know that look, Odette. You want to ask me something, don’t you?”
“Well…I heard…Tulio saying that you had told him and Miguel about how Esmeralda was born, and…the woman you loved,” Odette said. “And…I was-“
“Say no more,” Facilier said, reaching over to take her hand. “How about you, me, and Dongwa find a table and we’ll tell you the whole story?”
Odette gave a small smile. “I’d like that.”
Facilier gave a small chuckle before walking off with Odette. Dongwa followed, purring softly. Not only had Thrax been beaten, Facilier was willing to talk about his past. It might still pain him, but he knew that talking about it was better than keeping it all in. And even though Facilier still had no idea what Tzipporah wanted from him in return for her services, he decided to worry about that later. Right now was a time for celebration, and a happy one at that.
“I still say we break into Facilier’s caravan,” said Harley. “He’s gotta have something that can help us.”
“Isn’t that bad, though?” asked Bugsie.
“Sometimes, you gotta do bad things to save someone,” said Meg.
“I don’t know, I’m trying to come up with something,” said Clopin.
At that moment, however, a portal suddenly shimmered into the air. Everyone looked up, surprised. Some thought that it might be Thrax returning. But, it wasn’t. Saya, Tulio, Esmeralda, Jim, Miguel, Facilier, Dongwa, Tzipporah, and John came tumbling through the air, landing on the stage.
“Look, it’s Esme!” Rapunzel cried, a happy look on her face. “They got her back!”
Everyone started cheering, thinking that they had won. But then, they saw that the rescue group’s faces weren’t cheerful. It took them a moment to realize that Tulio was hurt.
“Oh no,” Belle said, her face paling. “This isn’t good.”
She and a bunch of other hurried to the stage. Saya was laying Tulio down, her face looking grim. Tulio’s face was covered in sweat, and his wound glowed an orange-red color.
“Facilier, do something!” Esmeralda yelled. “He’s dying!”
“I can’t,” said Facilier. “That’s a demon wound, and a powerful one at that. Nobody can survive those.”
“No!” Esmeralda shouted, shaking her head. “I won’t let him die!” She knelt next to Tulio, her hands glowing. She placed them over his wound, making him wince. “Don’t worry, Tulio. You’re gonna be fine. I’m gonna heal you. Everything’s gonna be okay.”
“Esme…” Tulio raised a weak hand and put it on her shoulder. “It’s…alright…to let me go.”
“Tulio…” Saya’s eyes filled with tears. “Tulio, you can’t…I love you.”
Tulio gave a weak smile. Saya took his hand, firmly grasping it in two of her own. “I love you too, darling. More…than anyone I’ve ever met.” He gave a cough, the sound racking his whole body.
“Tulio, hang in there, don’t give up yet,” said Esmeralda, still frantically trying to heal him.
“Miguel…watch over things for me, when I’m gone. ‘Kay?” Tulio gave a tired wink at his best friend.
Miguel nodded, trying not to cry. “You bet,” he said, his voice choked up.
“No, no, no! Tulio, you’re not dying, you’re not…” Esmeralda’s eyes filled with tears as she tried to save her friend.
“It’s okay, Esme,” Tulio said, his voice getting weak. “It’s…okay…”
Tulio’s eyes closed, as if he was drifting off to sleep. His chest stopped moving in time with his breathing. His hand went limp in Saya’s.
“Tulio, Tulio, no! Don’t!” Esmeralda cried. Her shouts soon gave way to cries however, and she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
Saya’s shoulders shook, her tears falling on Tulio’s hand. Miguel put an arm around her and she buried her face in his shoulder. The whole tent had gone quiet as Tulio passed on. Some people hung their heads. Other people cried, people he had become friends with. Tzipporah’s face was dead-pan, her face unreadable. It looked like Maleana was going to ask her mother something, but Odette just put an arm around her, not wanting her to look at Tulio’s dead body. There was that moment of mourning, of grief. But then, something started to happen.
It took a moment for someone to notice it. And actually, the first person who noticed it was Maleana.
“Hey, what’s that?”
She pointed at Tulio. Everyone looked up at the small voice. And that’s when they saw it, too. Tulio’s wound wasn’t glowing bright red-orange anymore. It had a yellow glow instead. And it was getting bigger. Facilier watched with wide eyes, having never seen any kind of magic like this. Miguel, Saya, and Esmeralda took a few steps back, not sure what would happen. The glow surrounded Tulio’s body, covering every bit of him until he was glowing all over. Then, there was a brilliant flash of light, making everyone shield their eyes. But it only lasted for a moment, and soon, the light died down. Miguel, Saya, and Esmeralda looked at each other. Could…could a miracle have just happened? They hurried over to Tulio, wondering if it was wise to hope at this point.
“Tulio?” Esmeralda asked softly, putting a hand to his cheek. “Tulio, can you hear me?”
At first, there was no answer. But then, Tulio gave a groan, his limbs starting to move. Everyone’s face brightened.
“Tulio, are you okay?” Saya asked, tilting his head so he could see her.
Tulio groaned. “Oh, my head…”
“He’s alive, he’s alive!” Jim crowed. He started jumping up and down in the air. Everyone gasped, hardly believing it was true. But, right before their eyes, they Saya laughing with joy as she swept Tulio off his feet and spun him around as the two hugged each other. Tulio started laughing as well, and that was when it finally set in. Tulio was alive. Somehow, he had managed to come back from the dead. Miguel and Esmeralda hugged each other, laughing and close to crying. Rapunzel and Harley started doing some kind of happy dance. Meg and Belle just smiled and smiled and couldn’t stop smiling. Facilier and Odette smiled at each other.
“I can’t believe it,” Esmeralda said as she hugged Tulio. “I don’t know how it happened, but it did.”
“I think I can explain that,” said Facilier, walking over. “It’s a rare case, but one that’s happened a few times in the history of magic. A demon wound is evil, sucking the life out of the victim. But, if there’s one thing that that wound can’t stand, it’s love.”
“Love?” Tulio repeated.
Facilier nodded. “When Esmeralda started healing you, the spell drew on the energy surrounding it. In doing so, it drew on everyone’s love for you, and it was enough to push the demon wound away.”
Tulio had to smile. He couldn’t believe it. To have so many people love him enough to save him, it was amazing that a guy like him could have something like that happen to him. Saya smiled and kissed his cheek as she laced her hand into his.
“So…Thrax is gone?” Rapunzel asked.
“You bet he is,” Esmeralda said. “Me and Facilier managed to finish him off.” She gestured towards him.
“It’s so weird,” Belle muttered. “Facilier as your dad, it’s gonna take some getting used to.” She gave a little laugh.
“You and me both,” Facilier said. But he did smile at Esmeralda, who decided to give a small smile back at him. She wasn’t sure exactly how to feel about the whole thing yet.
“Hey, Esme,” said Jim. “Since we never finished your party, do you…think we could pick up where we left off?”
Esmeralda laughed. “I think that’s a great idea. And this time, everyone in the circus is invited!”
Everyone cheered at that. In a matter of minutes, the party was back in full force, and the tent was filled with whoever wanted to come. There was even more happiness in the air now that Esmeralda was rescued and Thrax was destroyed. Only Tzipporah excused herself, saying that she had no head for parties. But she did give Facilier a mischievous smile before she left. Esmeralda was practically a bouncing ball of energy, flitting between all her friends with a big smile on her face. Tulio was also pretty popular, what with everyone wanting to know about how he saved Esmeralda from Thrax’s attack and him coming back from the dead and all. Saya never left his side, always having her hand in his. Tulio could often be seen kissing her in between his conversations with people. When Facilier and Dongwa finally approached him however, it was for a more serious conversation.
“You want to speak to me?” Tulio asked. “About what?”
“Esmeralda’s little healing spell,” Facilier replied. “You’re not the same person you were, Tulio. You’ve changed. And those change are important.”
“How so?” Tulio asked.
“Well, for one thing, we can’t sense that curse on you anymore,” said Dongwa, his tail swishing back and forth.
Tulio gasped and he and Saya looked at each other. Then he looked back at Facilier and Dongwa. “Are you serious? It’s…it’s gone?”
Facilier nodded. “You told us that the curse would stay with you until you gave up your thieving ways,” he said. “Sacrificing yourself to save Esmeralda showed that you had finally put your stealing behind you.”
Saya smiled. “Oh Tulio, I’m so proud of you!” she exclaimed as she hugged him. Tulio laughed. He couldn’t believe it. He was no longer cursed. He felt like a huge weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders.
“And there’s one more thing,” said Facilier. “Can I see your hands, please?”
Tulio raised an eyebrow, but did as the wizard instructed. Facilier muttered an incantation and wiggled his fingers along Tulio’s palms. There was a small flash of light, and Tulio and Saya gasped to see that a shiny sheen had covered Tulio’s palms.
“What the…” Tulio gaped as his hands in amazement. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything, except bring out the power inside you,” Facilier replied. “You see, Esmeralda’s healing spell did more than bring you back. It took your curse, and basically reversed it, made it do a total 180.”
“So…if your curse made yourself sick…” Saya thought through it for a moment. “Then…the opposite would be…you healing others?”
“You got it,” said Dongwa. “Tulio’s a healer, now. A shiny palm is the trademark of all healers.”
Tulio didn’t know what to say. He stared at his palm again. He was a healer now? He, wasn’t a normal human anymore? “This is…this is so much to take in…And I’ll have to tell everyone too…”
“I know, son,” said Facilier. “And I don’t know much about healing. But I’ll do some research and try to come up with some info for you. Until then, you should enjoy yourself.” He smiled. “We did win a big battle, after all.”
Tulio smiled back. “Yeah, you’re right.” He would save his questions for later. Right now, it was time to enjoy himself and revel in today’s victory. “Come on, Saya,” he said, grinning at the vampire. “Let’s dance.”
Saya smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.” She took Tulio’s hand and the two hurried over to where everyone else was dancing.
Dongwa looked up at Facilier and smiled. “You did good today, Facilier. It looks like Karura’s good luck worked, after all.”
Facilier nodded. “Yup, looks like it. I guess it knew that if it kicked in later, Esmeralda could find out I was her dad and Tulio would be able to get rid of its curse. If I had beaten Thrax the first time, none of that would have happened.”
“Luck is strange,” said Dongwa.
“But at least it was one our side,” said Facilier. “Thrax is finally gone, and…I can relax, for once.”
Dongwa smiled. At that point, Odette approached them, her hands playing with the folds of her dress. Facilier smiled at her.
“I know that look, Odette. You want to ask me something, don’t you?”
“Well…I heard…Tulio saying that you had told him and Miguel about how Esmeralda was born, and…the woman you loved,” Odette said. “And…I was-“
“Say no more,” Facilier said, reaching over to take her hand. “How about you, me, and Dongwa find a table and we’ll tell you the whole story?”
Odette gave a small smile. “I’d like that.”
Facilier gave a small chuckle before walking off with Odette. Dongwa followed, purring softly. Not only had Thrax been beaten, Facilier was willing to talk about his past. It might still pain him, but he knew that talking about it was better than keeping it all in. And even though Facilier still had no idea what Tzipporah wanted from him in return for her services, he decided to worry about that later. Right now was a time for celebration, and a happy one at that.