"Are there still boxing trees?" Cassandra asked nervously, the pups had occasionally gone exploring with their folks along the northern edge of the town, where much of the forest that likely existed in 1689 still remained.
"Sadly, no," Marie sighed, "The American Boxing Tree fell victim to human industries and pollution before they could be fully studied and protected. Unlike Maple trees, they do not produce a sap that could be made into syrup. A couple tried and found the result to be EXTREMELY bitter. But the wood was tough and durable. There are legends in your country that the USS Constitution was made from American Boxing Trees, though no hard evidence of that has survived to our era... and if its value as timber wasn't enough, the American Boxing tree proved to be highly vulnerable to pollution and acid rain."
"So what man didn't cut down, his industries destroyed," Lawrence sighed.
"Yes," Marie-Eliza nodded.
+++++++++++
"So you are Gillian II?" Serenity asked politely, leaving the last name out, since most people had heard the story about the Leoman that had fallen victim of a Lupman with a turn of the game.
"Yes, "free" at last," Gillian answered as he shook Serenity's hand, "and to put Patrick's guilt to rest."
"Patrick?" Serenity wondered, everything that she had learned that in the previous time line it had been Jessie Smith, and if he was a Lupman in this time line, it would only be Jessie... along with a Greek letter, if some of the things Serenity had overheard in her recent visits to Wolf Manor were true.
"The Pack's elder," Mother Glen answered as she sat between Gillian and Serenity, "Jessie was the one who did the deed, but Patrick... or Blackie as I've called him..."
"Blackie?" Serenity wondered, it sounded like they were referring to each other like pets.
"He's called me "Snow-White" since the fifties, dear," Mother Glen answered, "perhaps longer... anyway, he was the Alpha when Jessie did what he did, and was still Alpha when he learned what Jessie did. He practically ate his own heart with guilt."
"Sounds like he took it personally," Serenity commented.
"As the Alpha, it'd be expected of him among Lupman," Gillian commented, "they hold their Alpha's responsible for the protection, leadership, and prosperity of the Pack. To have unknowingly allowed something so uncivilized would be seen as a failure on Patrick's part among Lupman."
"Thankfully though he didn't lose a challenge match or receive a unanimous vote against him until Jensen took over as Alpha," Mother Glen nodded.
"Vote? Jensen had told me their leadership was all settled through wrestling matches."
"Yes, but if a unanimous vote AGAINST the reigning Alphas is rendered, the Alphas are expected to step down in difference to the Pack they are supposed to serve," Mother Glen answered, "but such occurrences are rare. I think I've only seen ONE such occurrence in my lifetime."
"I see," Serenity nodded.
Gillie only sighed as her "friend" ended up in a friendly chat with her grandparents.
+++++++++++++
August 10, 1689
"Katherine, you're not a murderer," Marie Cruz sighed through the door, "and I know this doesn't help, but the witches followers might have killed you if you hadn't defended yourself."
"I GUTTED TWO LEOMAN WITH THAT STUPID SPEAR!" Katherine screamed, "Don't tell me that they still live!"
Marie paused and then turned to the banister, "Dr. Azrael, there are two Leomen outside that might need your help then those in here."
"Where would they be?" "Dr." Azrael asked.
"I'm not sure precisely," Marie sighed, "Somewhere in their backyard. Katherine says they have been disemboweled."
"I can check," Dr. Azrael sighed, "though I fear there is not much that I will be able to do."
Katherine some heard this and could be heard crying harder.
"I'm sorry, Katherine," Marie said, barely holding back tears herself, "I should have done more to keep you in Rome..."
"But..."
"Katherine, this is precisely what I was worried about," Marie spoke, "I feared you would lose what made you happy... and what made you my best friend to begin with. I do not know if I'm really an Inquisitor or a Nun... but I know you are my friend. That is something that will never change."
There was silence for a moment.
"Though once this is over, unless someone recalls Draco to Rome, I'd guess that whatever responsibilities I owe to Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition will likely end," Marie spoke, "We won't have the power here to enforce such activity."
"You'll probably be luck if my superiors even allow you to remain Catholic," Linus commented, "they didn't allow me to remain so."
Marie nodded, and then finished what she was saying, "anyway, once this is over, I will need some reminders on how to be a Nun."
The door finally opened.
"Promise?" Katherine spoke, clutching her rosary, "that once this is all over, this will be the end of all the secret missions and so forth."
"Of course," Marie answered.
The Felman and human hugged.
+++++++++
"It is getting late Joella," Running-Bear said slowly, "it would be best to go in for the night."
"I don't want to," Joella said, "I want to make sure Free is fine."
"She will be fine," Vatican answered, "Sleep well, and I will protect you."
+++++++++++
"You made these trees?" Rosa asked, thinking about what Titania had said about the trees.
"No," Titania answered, "the witches made them."
"And you support them?" Mal'akh asked, "the witches?"
"Not truly," Titania fluttered up to Mal'akh, "they reunited our families after being alone and apart for a long time... though I can not remember what made us split up."
"They didn't turn you into fairies?" Mal'akh asked.
"Of course not," Titania answered, "only four humans have joined the Fae Folk. And that transformation was done by my "sisters". I assure you though, their transformation was willing."
There was an awkward silence before Monica spoke up.
"And how do the Fae Folk feel about the witches?" Monica asked nervously.
"They reunited our families, and we were indebted to them for that," Titania answered, "but recently, before all this fighting began we felt that our debt was paid and we had to go seek our fortune elsewhere."
"And your're still here?" Monica asked.
"My family is still in this area," Titania answered, "moving takes a lot of time and can exhaust the Fae Folk. We swim in magic, but we are drained hollowing out a tree so that we may live in it while insuring that the tree is not dead or sick."
"How can a tree be sick?" Mal'akh asked.
"They are living things," Titania shrugged, "it is only logical that they can get sick."
"And you acknowledge God?" Monica asked.
"We know he is stronger then us, yes," Titania answered, "he is a higher power. Why do you ask this question?"
"The trees you are mourning were protecting the coven of witches you say reunited your families," Monica began.
"Yes."
"Those witches have been defeated," Monica continued.
"So they are dead, like the trees?"
"No, their "hunters" intend to try the witches for crimes they have committed against the people of Glendale," Monica spoke, "We have been sent by them to find someone who can serve as a Jury and possibly as witnesses."
"I am hardly a jury," Titania answered.
"But there are other fairies, right?" Rosa asked, "Your people could be the jury."
"You would ask that of the Fae Folk?" Titania wondered.
"You've said that you didn't blindly follow the witches," Rosa said, "you would be a fairer jury then most others we have come across this day. The hunters I think would be inclined to find them guilty, and citizens of Glendale, so entranced by the witches would find them innocent, regardless of the evidence. Your people would be a fair choice."
"I see," Titania answered and then paused, "I suppose it could not hurt. Olga said something about getting a chance to insure there is light if I headed out now..."
"Thank you," Rosa answered, "the hunters are at the witches' manor, I think the trial will be held there."
"You are welcome," Titania answered and flew off toward the forest to collect her friends. She only hoped that Beatrice was feeling better after the pain she had suffered. The first pregnant fairy the Fae folk had... only to suddenly have her real in pain and lose the tiny life inside her... which had appeared to be male. Her husband, son, and daughter ended up trying to cheer her up for days.
+++++++++
"Wait, wait, wait," Maddex spoke, "earlier you'd said the witches left Glendale altogether and you didn't know where they'd gone."
"Not to mention that you didn't know if Harold and Beatrice were still genetically compatible," Lawrence added.
"I did not want to get ahead of myself," Marie answered, "and they had only departed the witches company. Not necessarily Glendale. THAT departure didn't come until after the trail. And as for why I didn't give a firm confirmation that Harold and Beatrice were still genetically compatible, was because in order to do so, you would have heard the end of this tale with no way of understanding it."
Maddex turned his heads to look at himself for a moment and then sighed. He didn't say anything.
"So the witches' machinations hurt the Fae folk as well," Betty spoke.
Marie-Eliza nodded, "Yes, though the witches thought the fey had left Glendale at the time, and the Fae folk had no way of knowing that it was the witches who had insured that Beatrice would miscarry, as they had left the witches service. Had they stayed, they would have known this, and Marie-Cruz would have found a "swarm" of volunteers to aide the hunters with their magic..."
"Which wouldn't have made them fair," Samantha spoke.
"Yes," Eliza nodded, one hand on her daughter's shoulder, "In a way, the Fairies leaving the witches' service benefited Marie Cruz's plan for a fair trial."
+++++++++++
Present Day
Harold played on a pipe flute in the top branches of the tree that the Fae now resided in. As he played, he thought back on the long ups and downs of his life. His time as a human, meeting and marrying Beatrice. Their first two children, Jasper and Ruth. Then his family joining the Fae Folk, though he and Jasper had been shrunk down so that they were the same size as the fairies.
Life among them hadn't been bad for him. Beatrice still loved him, though she also loved all the other female fairies. Harold soon learned that they'd all come to love him. He tried not to think of Beatrice's miscarriage and the witches' trial. From what Beatrice had told him, the witches didn't take kindly to them not freeing them from their bindings.
But life went on. The Fae Folk had found their new home where Glendale's curse would never threaten them, and Harold had sired multiple children with the female fairies, who came to him when they wanted a male lover. As a result, there were soon more then enough male fairies to finish the transformation for him and Jasper. Their magic wasn't as strong as their female counterparts, but it was enough.
"I thought I'd find you up here," came Beatrice's voice.
Harold turned to Beatrice flutter up to him, her hands resting on her womb. A new batch of children for the two of them on their way.
"Just enjoying the afternoon," Harold kissed her and helped her sit on the branch beside him, "and partially celebrating the end of the Curse the witches brought."
"How do you think Olga knows all these things?" Beatrice gave a polite chuckle.
"She is the strongest of us," Harold shrugged.
"I suppose that's it," Beatrice answered, "so what will we name these ones when they're born?"
"I'd like to wait until after they're born to name them," Harold answered.