A sound of someone approaching drew Phoenix's attention and she looked up.

Canya stepped forward, watching them with an impassive expression. "I had hoped this is how it would end. It could have gone two ways."

Phoenix felt Eric seize up against her, and she held him tighter to keep him from escaping her grasp. "What are you doing here?" she asked, struggling against her brother's strength.

"He needed to see me again. You needed him distracted. I complied." Canya tilted her head and considered Phoenix. "You had to die--you realize that, right?"

Losing the battle against Eric, Phoenix released him. He shoved forward toward Canya, but a strong pair of arms pulled him back. Castor kept Eric on his feet, but didn't let him take another step forward.

"She had to die," Canya repeated, cocking her head at Eric. "Or else she wouldn't have lived."

"She was dying already," Castor said. "Her body burning from the inside out. Canya's stabbing gave her a chance to renew. To heal."

Eric stopped pulling against Castor, steadily glaring at Canya. "Why didn't you just tell her? Why did you have to--"

"Would you have believed me if I told you, 'die or else you'll die'?"

Phoenix let out a little snort of laughter. "Not when you put it that way. No."

"I still don't understand," Eric said, jerking his arm free of Castor. "How could you possibly know?"

"Can I come out now?" a young voice called. Phoenix whirled around to see a little boy with dark hair and brown skin stepping into the street. Wisdom lit his eyes and grey markings lined his hands.

Phoenix had to search her newly returned memories for his name, her tongue fumbling over it. "T-trey?"

The little boy grinned at her, stopping at Canya's side. "Phoenix! She said you'd be okay." He tugged at Canya's sleeve. "You can come out now."

Canya, Phoenix noticed had grown very pale. She shook her head. "No. Not yet. The key is still outside the lock and the graves are all piling up."

Phoenix arched a brow at Altair, who frowned and shook his head. Trey, however, seemed to understand and nodded. He turned to the rest of them.

"There are more coming. I wanted to see this part."

Phoenix opened her mouth to ask what he meant, but the sound of feet on cobblestones caught her attention. Everyone had stayed inside, not daring to leave amidst the strange battle of the Guardians and their Watchers. But now, it seemed, someone had braved their way into the streets.

Phoenix turned and saw four people standing at the cross of the north road, a young man with auburn hair at the front, his face twisting in a cascade of emotions. Many times now Phoenix had seen these expressions cross someone's face at the sight of her, but she was never able to return the feeling.

This time, though, she knew him.

"Maverick?" she whispered, barely able to believe it. He stared at her, dumbstruck, with Gwen--yes, that was her name--Gwen at his side. There were others with them, but Phoenix only had eyes for the boy she'd grown up with - the one she'd seen in Eric's memories.

Her other brother.

"MAVERICK!" She shouted, blowing past Altair as she sprinted toward him. He stood frozen, as though he couldn't believe it to be true.

She hit him with the speed of a runaway horse, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing as hard as she could. His arms clumsily found their way around her, squeezing back, seeing who could squeeze tighter and make the other give up.

The way they always used to.

"I--I don't--what--who--" Maverick's words were as jumbled as Phoenix's emotions. She pulled back, staring up into his beautiful, wonderful, familiar face. She didn't have to say a word. Maverick didn't need an explanation. Face splitting into the widest grin she'd ever seen, he lifted her off the ground and spun her around, laughing and crying at the same time.

It was several long minutes before they stopped, partially because they didn't want to, and partially because Eric threw himself into the mix, joining by wrapping his arms around both of them. As much as Phoenix would have loved for everyone else to join in, they all stood and watched, alarm and joy playing on different faces at different times.

"Eric!" Maverick shouted, grabbing him by the shoulders when they all broke apart. "You're you again!"

"I don't know what that means, but okay!" Eric said back, the two of them practically jumping up and down. Phoenix couldn't help but wonder what this would look like to the terrified townspeople watching from their windows.

Maniacs. That's what they looked like.

Maverick put an arm around the other two, tears streaming down his face. "I don't know how or why and I don't care. I don't care."

"What you're doing is working," Phoenix said as he kissed the top of her head. "There are towns all over that are spreading the word about Bainon and--" she stopped dead, mouth popping open. "Hey! I know you." She pulled away from Maverick, pointing to the older man standing next to Gwen. "You're Bainon."

Bainon didn't acknowledge her accusation, which is exactly how she'd intended it to sound. His eyes were on Eric, his face one of compassion and sadness. "How are you, m'boy?"

"Sire," Eric said, his demeanor changing to one of deference as he stepped forward. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"And I yours, son." Bainon clasped Eric's forearm, his eyes moist with tears. "Abigail Trusoe was a spirited and feisty young lady. Better than most."

"I'm glad you're safe," Eric said, nodding to Maverick and Gwen. "You found the right people to travel with."

"This woman," Bainon patted Finny on the shoulder, "kept me alive by keeping me secret. I've never been so thankful Narissa never let me visit the villages. No one knew me by sight."

While Phoenix watched with fascination as their camaraderie unfolded, but turned in distraction as Maverick stared over her head with an open mouth.

"What?" she asked, turning.

Canya, Trey, Altair and Samson still stood a few yards away, watching them all. Phoenix nodded in understanding.

"Maverick, this is Castor and Altair. I know you know who they are because you've technically met them before, but this is what they look like. Don't worry about Canya--she isn't a threat. She did what she had to do because--"

"Samson, I understand," Maverick said, cutting her off and stepping forward. His eyes were fixed on the Watchers. "It makes sense that he would be the one. You were always there. Always watching Eric's every move even before you became his Second."

Castor cast a wary glance at Altair. "You're taking it better than Eric did."

"But you," Maverick said, turning to Altair. "At what point where you going to tell us? At what point where you going to say 'oh by the way, I'm an Ancient protector and all,'?"

Phoenix grabbed Maverick by the arm, pulling him away from Altair. "What's wrong? Why are you treating him this way?"

"You're not upset that he lied?" Maverick asked, pointing at Altair.

Her Watcher answered before she could. "She doesn't know."

"How could she not know? She's standing right here, looking at you the same as me!"

Altair's brows knit together. "You don't understand. Until about ten minutes ago, she didn't remember anything from her past except Elyo and Selene. Her encounter with Eric has filled in most of the gaps, but to her, I've always been Altair." He gestured to Castor. "He's always been Castor. She doesn't remember Samson. She doesn't remember me."

Phoenix stared at the pair of them, trying to think of any other way for Altair to be. None came to her. He was as he'd always been. Large like a bear, his long blond hair falling in tight curls around his face. His blue eyes warm and understanding.

Who else could he be?

Maverick turned to her, his expression twisted. "You really don't remember him?" He turned back to Altair. "You really don't remember Youlden?"

TADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I have revealed almost all of my secrets by now. That's it. There's only one left. I think...

Altair is Youlden and Youlden is Altair! Once upon a time, some of you guessed it, but you'd forgotten about his secret identity in the wake of all things horrible going on for Phoenix and Eric.

Time to remember! BOOM! *Pats self and the readers on the back* ahhh this has been fun.