Epilogue

Once upon a time there was a girl, a naïve yet brave adventurer who wanted to see everything and do everything, but more than anything, she wanted desperately to fly. Then one fateful day she met a dragon, a mysterious and terrifying creature with a dark past and an uncertain future. But despite her reservations and fears, the adventurer was enchanted by the dragon. She befriended it, and in exchange, the dragon did the unthinkable. The dragon taught her to fly.

The two became inseparable, a team of fierce fire and heart, until one day a dark magic descended on their little world, and the dragon began to disappear. The adventurer tried desperately to save him, attempting every bit of magic she knew, but the more she tried, the faster he seemed to disappear. So one day, in an effort to save the dragon—and herself—she left.

Fire and heart remained separated for many long years.

Until one day the dragon found his adventurer once again. And although the dark magic still remained and the dragon continued to disappear, he spent his last days reminding her what it was like to fly. Then the magic claimed the dragon, and he disappeared completely, leaving behind a broken-hearted adventurer who knew without her dragon, she would never fly again.

Except an older, stronger magic still existed. A magic of dragons that were dark and rare and unyielding. The fierce beasts could not be tamed nor could they be owned, held captive, or commanded. But if a dragon chose to give his heart away, an unbreakable bond was forged; a bond not even dark magic could overpower.

A long time ago, the disappearing dragon had given the adventurer his heart in secret, without her even knowing. So once the dark magic finally lifted, the tired and battered dragon found his way back to the adventurer once again. And the two lived out their remaining days together as if they'd never been apart.

The End

A/N: I have to admit, there were days I thought I'd never finish this, but I appreciate that so many of you believed that I could. Michelle, your encouragement has been invaluable! You've shown nothing but support from the very first post I made here on fanfiction, and the friendship we've forged over the years has been great. You've always seen the best in my writing, and you have always been willing to suffer through my crazy whims and ideas. Thank you! And Matt, you're a relatively new inspiration, but I couldn't have finished this without you either. Thank you for keeping me in a good place for writing. The laughs and smiles never stop coming with you, and they've proven to be such wonderful weapons against the fierce foe of writer's block. You're the best, and if I can ever help you tackle your own Mt. Everest, I'll be happy to help in any way I can. To the rest of you, you make the hours of writing all worthwhile. Your reactions are priceless, and your engagement in the story is far more than I could've ever even hoped for. Thank you for being the best readers and supporters! I hope you all have enjoyed the story.