The starship glided over the familiar forest of Ma Lan's village as the first light of dawn painted the sky pink. Below, the willow tree in the square swayed gently, smoke curled from cottage chimneys, and a crowd had already gathered in the meadow—Jax, Li Wei, Ma Lan, and even the three scrapyard kids, their faces pressed upward, waiting.
Lin Che landed softly, the starship's engine purring to a stop. Before they could even step out, the crowd surged forward. Ma Lan pulled each of them into a tight hug, her apron smelling of fresh bread, while Jax clapped Lin Che and Mo Ying on the back so hard their shoulders ached.
"Took you long enough!" Jax laughed, his eyes crinkling. "Heard you fixed mills, bridges, pumps—all the stuff I'd have charged 'em double for. Smart move, using Xiao Ya's plants. Never would've thought of that."
Li Wei held out a notebook, its pages filled with sketches—of the starship, of the villages they'd visited, even a rough drawing of the enchanted horseshoe from Hazelton. "The slum kids asked about you every day," he said. "Wanted to know if you fought any monsters. I told 'em you fought cold and rust—way harder, if you ask me."
The scrapyard kids swarmed Xiao Ya, asking to see the cedar bowl from Cedar Falls and the jar of apple butter from Pine Creek. She pulled them from the starship's storage, letting them pass the bowl around, while Su Qing showed Ma Lan the journal from Willow Bend—its pages filled with Mrs. Bennett's stories and the kids' drawing of the schoolhouse.
Ma Lan flipped through the journal, her eyes soft. "You didn't just fix things," she said. "You brought them hope. That's the best kind of help there is."
That morning, the village hosted a feast in the square. Tables were loaded with roasted deer, fresh vegetables from the garden, and Ma Lan's famous berry pie. The villagers sat together, listening as Lin Che, Su Qing, Mo Ying, and Xiao Ya told stories of their journey: of Gareth's forge coming back to life, of the bridge in Pine Creek spanning the river, of the sawmill in Cedar Falls cutting firewood for winter.
Xiao Ya told the story of Lila in Birch Grove, who'd knit her the woolen gloves, and how the plants had wrapped around the well pipe to keep it from freezing. "The plants said it was like giving the village a hug," she said, smiling, and the crowd laughed.
Mo Ying talked about fixing the gristmill in Maplewood, and how the first loaf of fresh bread had smelled so good, she'd eaten three slices before she realized it. "Ben gave us his best flour," she said, holding up the cloth bag. "Said it's for when we get hungry on the road. Smart guy—knows I'm always hungry."
Su Qing shared the story of the runes she'd carved—how they'd kept the bridge planks from rotting, the mill gears from rusting, the schoolhouse roof from leaking. "My grandmother always said runes are about protection," she said. "Not just for things, but for people. I think she'd be proud."
Lin Che talked about the Star Marrow on his wrist—how it had glowed softly at every village, as if recognizing the good they were doing. "We didn't fight darkness this time," he said. "We fought fear. Fear of cold, fear of hunger, fear of not being able to help. But together… we beat it."
As the sun set, the crowd began to disperse, but Jax, Li Wei, Ma Lan, and the kids stayed. They sat around the willow tree, passing around the jar of apple butter and dipping pieces of bread into it. The scrapyard kids begged Mo Ying to show them the starship's engine, and she led them over, explaining how the enchanted horseshoe kept the wheels from rusting.
Li Wei handed Lin Che a new map—this one marked with villages farther away, ones Elder Gao had heard about but hadn't visited. "More places that need help," he said. "If you're up for it."
Lin Che looked at the map, then at his friends: Su Qing flipping through her Arcane Manual, already making notes on new runes; Mo Ying laughing with the kids, her wrench in hand; Xiao Ya sitting under the willow tree, talking to the leaves. The Star Marrow on his wrist glowed warmly, as if agreeing.
"We're up for it," he said.
That night, they slept in the small house Ma Lan had lent them—their first real beds in weeks. But even as they rested, their minds wandered to the next journey: to new villages, new problems, new chances to help.
The next morning, they packed the starship—now with the new map, the old memories, and the promise of more adventures. Ma Lan pressed a basket of bread into Lin Che's hands, and Jax gave Mo Ying a new wrench, "For fixing whatever comes next."
They climbed aboard, waving goodbye. Ma Lan, Jax, Li Wei, and the kids stood in the meadow, watching as the starship lifted off and flew toward the horizon.
Inside the cabin, Xiao Ya held Lila's gloves, Su Qing studied the new map, and Mo Ying adjusted the controls, grinning. Lin Che looked out the window, at the forest below and the sky above. The dashboard was filled with their treasures—the iron key, corn seeds, apple butter, cedar bowl, journal, flour, salve, gloves—each a story, each a reminder of why they did this.
Their journey wasn't over. There were more villages to visit, more problems to fix, more hope to bring.
But for now, they were together. They were heading toward new horizons.
And that was perfect.
The starship flew higher, toward the sun, as the next chapter of their journey began.