My usual end-of-fic ramblings can be found below.

Chapter 35 – The Last Sorcerer

A weird sort of screech is what alerts them that Hakyeon is home. The screech is followed by several profanities and the sound of someone falling to the ground. Sanghyuk is considering making a run for it when Hakyeon appears, dragged into the kitchen by Leo.

It had been almost a week since Leo had left them here and they’d started to get worried. Now they kind of wished that Hakyeon had stayed gone a little longer. Through letter updates Hakyeon had explained he was going through the process of removing the magic of the remaining sorcerers and guards from the front lines and palace, and that Leo hadn’t woken up for a few days due to physical exhaustion. He was supposed to be home yesterday.

“What happened to my house?” Hakyeon asks, placing his hands on the counter and forcing them to look at him.

Hongbin tries not to notice the way his teacher’s hands are trembling and looks away, only to realise that Leo has been watching him.

Hakyeon’s menacing ways quickly give way to reveal how concerned about them he’d actually been. He’s still got Sanghyuk trapped in his eyes when Ravi asks the question they’d all been wondering for a few days.

“How are you going to fix it?”

The three of them had searched through books for a spell that could repair giant holes in walls but apparently it didn’t exist. Each individual part – the glass, wooden frame, plaster, and brick – would need to be fixed separately.

“I’m not going to,” Hakyeon answers.

Only Leo is unsurprised, which in itself is unsurprising since he’d been with Hakyeon for the last week. Or it was more that it was because he’d been with Hakyeon for the last nine years.

Before Ravi, Hongbin or Sanghyuk can demand why Hakyeon isn’t going to fix it, the sorcerer has motioned to Hongbin.

“Let’s go get this over with.”

Sanghyuk wants to protest and Ravi wants to try talk Hakyeon out of it, but they let Hakyeon lead Hongbin through the kitchen cupboard and to wherever that door goes today.

“He’s going to take his magic?” Sanghyuk asks.

Ravi nods. “Yeah.”

“Poor Hongbin.”

“It’s the other way around,” Leo whispers, leaving the room.

“I’m really proud of you for fighting off Yeongsik,” Hakyeon says once they’re in his bedroom.

“Thanks,” Hongbin mutters. “I didn’t think I’d win.”

He hesitates for a moment before finally asking what had been bothering him all week. “Why did you train me if you weren’t going to take me with you? You planned it all out, right? From the beginning?”

Hakyeon sits on the edge of his bed and sighs. “I trained you for a really selfish reason,” he replies.

“And that is?”

“To take away my magic,” Hakyeon states, meeting the younger sorcerer’s eyes.

Hongbin hopes his mouth hasn’t fallen open, because it certainly feels like it has. “What?!” he demands. “No.”

“Please, Hongbin,” he begs, tears in his eyes. “It’s torture.”

Hongbin’s throat grows tight and he blinks rapidly to clear the moisture in his eyes away. “But you’re the most powerful sorcerer!”

Probably ever, he adds silently.

Hakyeon laughs sort of bitterly. “I never wanted to be, I just wanted to have fun with magic. But then I was made to work in the palace and I met Leo and everything changed. I never wanted to get dragged into this mess and work for the prince. I just want a future where I’m still myself, Hongbin.”

The older sorcerer’s eyes are clear now but Hongbin is on the verge of sobbing. This isn’t what he wanted. Until a few months ago magic was the thing he’d desired the most. Coming to terms with losing it because of Hakyeon had made him re-evaluate everything about himself and what he wanted. Now, he could understand exactly what Hakyeon meant.

Those moments after fighting Yeongsik when his body had trembled, and the days following when he’d had thoughts he didn’t think were his own, had been the scariest time of his life and he’d kept it to himself. Hiding this weakness from even Ravi. Hakyeon had gone through that for years and to a much higher degree of severity. Even now he could see Hakyeon’s hands still shaking on his lap. How much worse could Hakyeon get if he kept his magic?

The thought of having a future where he turns out like Hakyeon terrifies Hongbin, but his eyes are locked with Hakyeon’s despite being clouded by tears and his hand is rising despite the way it shakes out of fear and the word is leaving his mouth before he even thinks to change his mind.

The spell throws Hakyeon back onto the bed and Hongbin couldn’t have cast a cushioning spell even if he’d tried, voice caught up in a sob. Luckily Hakyeon lands on the pillows and all Hongbin has to do is pull a blanket over him.

Trying to control the sobs that are suffocating him, Hongbin kneels next to the bed and tries to come to terms with everything. He tries to accept what he’d chosen to do and what he’d be stuck with for the rest of his life.

He’s less than ten minutes into the wait for Hakyeon to wake up that he realises that despite still having his magic he’s never going to use it again. He can’t. He can’t become like Hakyeon. He’ll never do magic again but it will always be there floating around in the back of his mind, teasing him. He’d accepted a future with no magic months ago and there was no reason why he had to change that.

“You’re awake,” Hongbin says.

His voice is croaky and Hakyeon notices right away, sitting up so he can pull the sorcerer into a hug. “I’m sorry, Hongbin.”

Hongbin shakes his head but returns the hug. An hour and a half is a long time to sit in silence with just your thoughts, especially if they were thoughts you didn’t want to have. Eventually he’d told himself that this is the way things were now, all he could do was look forward and move on. He refuses to regret his decision.

“You’re not going to fix the house,” Hongbin starts. “What are you going to do then?”

“I don’t know… I don’t really want to be in this country anymore,” Hakyeon admits, eyes dropping.

Hongbin can understand that. He feels like this country is a temptation to do magic. He’s glad he’s going with Ravi now, more than he had been before.

 “Ravi and I are going looking for his mum… if you want to come.”

It wasn’t really his place to invite people along, but Hakyeon’s expression had been heartbreaking.

“Oh!” Hakyeon cries. “That would be a great cover story!”

“C-Cover story?” Hongbin demands, startled by Hakyeon’s sudden change in mood.

“Yeah! Don’t tell Leo though, I don’t want to get his hopes up.”

“About?” Hongbin prompts, wondering if he really wants to know.

“Well, I was thinking about this for a while,” the elder says. “But, Anyethi can teleport.”

Hongbin blinks stupidly at the other man. “And?”

Hakyeon blinks at Hongbin like he’s stupid. “They can teleport. Why would they just stay in a country where they were going to go extinct?”

“Ah,” Hongbin mutters. He can’t believe he’d never actually wondered that before.

“It’s just a theory I have that they did leave. Some old books say that Anyethi kind of worshiped the land and were territorial, so that might be one reason not to leave. But wouldn’t they adapt if the threat was as great as it was?”

“You haven’t told Leo about this?”

“Leo always says that Anyethi wouldn’t leave but I think that’s just him being stubborn.”

“So you’re going to look for them?”

“I want to but I don’t want to get Leo excited about nothing…”

That was fair enough in Hongbin’s opinion. Leo was the last Anyethi, surely he’d get his hopes up at the thought of finding more of his kind.

“So you’re going to say that you’re helping us look for Ravi’s mum?”

Hakyeon grins. “Yes. We’re going to look for Sanghyukkie’s family too.”

“Why couldn’t you just use that as a cover?”

“Because Anyegi are pretty much only in one country, it would be suspicious to look in other countries too.”

Hongbin just sighs and rolls his eyes, if Hakyeon says so then he’ll just accept it. “So the five of us are going together then?”

“Six,” Hakyoen corrects.

“Six?”

“Mmm, Jaehwannie’s coming too.”

Who is that? Hongbin asks to himself. “Oh, cool. Why?”

“Aah, he didn’t say.”

Hakyeon suspects the huge fight Jaehwan and Minho had had during the week was one reason. He also thinks Jaehwan just really hates being a guard.

“Oh.”

Hakyeon ignores Hongbin’s confused tone and grins. “It will be the six of us and no magic! This will be great!”

 Despite how down and out Hongbin had been feeling only minutes earlier, despite the hopeless feeling he’d had, he gets swept along at Hakyeon’s pace and feels himself get just as excited.

“Are you okay?” Hakyeon asks.

Hongbin smiles. “Everything is okay now.”

The End.

So… that’s it… I don’t really have anything to say.
“…But then I was made to work in the palace and I met Leo and everything changed when the fire nation attacked…” sorry.

I want to thank all the subscribers, upvoters and commentors, you guys are pretty much the reason this story got finished. Also thanks to anyone who reads to the end just in general. 

BONUS: Original Endings (from about chapter 5-10 these were thought up)

Bad Hakyeon ending:
Hakyeon is very unstable and his morals are all over the place but he thinks he’s doing the right thing. He dies at the end, either by using too much magic or by Hongbin’s hand.
Leo dies too, caught up in the crossfire or trying to defend Hakyeon.
Hongbin moved from the country with Ravi, who returns to his mother’s home country.
Jaehwan continues to work in the government but is more involved with assimilating creatures into society. Sanghyuk is introduced right at the end and follows Jaehwan like a puppy.
Considered title: The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions (Rotting Whip)

Bad Hongbin ending:
Hongbin is corrupted very quickly (which can happen) and discards anything Hakyeon has taught him in favor of his old teacher. He catches Leo/Kills Leo.
Hakyeon kills him.
Ravi moves to his mother’s home country in mourning.
Sanghyuk meets Jaehwan… somehow.
Considered itle: A Descent Into Darkness

Hakyeon no magic ending:
Hakyeon is fighting with the king. Leo gets caught in crossfire and died. Comes back and can now transform?
Hongbin has learnt Hakyeon’s no-magic spell and Hakyeon makes him use it on him. Hakyeon loses his magic.
Ravi and Hongbin move to his mother’s country where Hongbin gives up magic (coz it’s illegal, yo).
Considered title: Everything Is Okay

Hakyeon magic ending:
Hakyeon still has his magic but is unstable, he gives it up entirely.
Leo still transforms randomly.
Sanghyuk decides he’d rather follow Jaehwan.
Jaehwan moves home to his family.
Hongbin and Ravi move to a different country.
Considered title: Everything Is Okay

+Original Chapter 3 plan to show what this story almost was ^.^

Ken and Hyuk come over. (Ken, sorcerer. Hyuk, apprentice)
Leo can’t stand Ken.
Hongbin thinks it’s funny.
Hyuk thinks Hongbin is awesome and hot.
Hakyeon teaches Hongbin the last of his potions.
Leo disappears to the bedroom and Hakyeon follows (Leo changes in secret)
Hyuk talks about becoming a creature hunter and ingredient gatherer for Ravi.
Hongbin asks about Ravi.
Ravi introduced? Chapter 4?

Jjang! That's it! Back when this fic was going to be 6 chapters and about the crazy house. Oh those were the days...