The room explodes into cacophony as all the courtiers unfreeze simultaneously. The bullywug knight, two drow mages, the goblin boss with dragonfly wings attended by four similarly winged goblins, the seven pixies, and two quicklings all shriek and stumble and talk at once as they get their bearings and realize that they are not in immediate physical danger.

She whispers some inaudible instructions to the pixies; five of them fly off.

Zybilna returns the horn to Titaani. "Thank you my dear. Keep that very safe."

She turns to Ben "You say you have 'temporarily slain each hag' – could you explain exactly what you mean by that?"

Ben:

”We believe Bavlorna is truly dead, but Endelyn is rumored to only be killed during an eclipse, and we just shoved her into her own lightning contraption where she vaporized.  We are not sure about Skabatha.  Our attacks would have killed normal mortal creatures, but the rules appear to be different here in the Feywild,” responds Ben.

”And, uh, the Jabberwock attacked us and we had to defend ourselves.  Good news is we survived to be able to free you.  Bad news is that the Jabberwock did not survive,” he adds.

"Yes, I see. Such a pity. The jabberwock was loyal. Did the owl survive?" Her tone becomes harder. "And the League of Malevolence? Are they all dead?"

"As to the Coven, I expect at least some have survived. They have survived much before this. But I expect they will have flown, and I believe I know where. But I will let them stew in exile for awhile."

"I have a lot to do. But first, as a reward for your help, I offer you one free casting of a wish spell. Tell me, what is your hearts’ desire?”

Ben:

”The owl is fine, as far as we know.  The members of the League of Malevolence are dead, thanks to the heroic efforts of Valor’s Call with our help,” says Ben humbly.

”As for wishes, I know not how to phrase it eloquently, but my heart’s desire is to have all those who lost something or someone at the Witchlight Carnival have that thing or person restored to them.  So many have lost so much, myself included, and the Carnival could be such a place of pure joy with just this one thing remedied,” requests  Ben.

Pulling out the polished wishing gem he has been given, he adds, “Please, take this, as a representation of my hope to follow the rule of reciprocity.  Your realm’s ways are new to me, but I am trying.” 

Zybilna smiles and holds Ben's crystal up to the light. "Ah! A wish stone! I see you have befriended the brigganocks. They are a good people. I will treasure this. Thank you."

"But tell me more of what you have lost at the Carnival? What did you lose? Perhaps I can help."

Ben:

”I…I’m not sure.  When I was a youth I had dreams—wonderful, fanciful dreams of adventure and love, heroism and sacrifice.  Then, after I got back from the carnival, I just let all that go and became a stonemason.  Not an artist or a sculptor in stone, just utilitarian structural work,” starts Ben uncertainly.

”Oh, for some reason I can’t light a fire like a normal person with flint and steel.  That’s been rather odd,” he adds sheepishly.

Matilda shrugged and pulled out the device holding her brother, " My Brother is trapped in here, he was taken at the carnival. Can you help him?"

Pud looks down and reflects what he’s lost. He bends his knee on his wonky leg that used to be shorter. He’s thankful that he got his leg bag and now he can run and climb like a squirrel again. But he’s lost so much more than that. Everyone here has lost so much! Tears well up in his eyes, he takes a deep breath and snorts up a wad of snot. 

Pud steps forward. 

“Queen, my friends Ben and Matilda lost all that they mentioned. I lost something, too, but with my friends help we got what I lost back.

But now that you ask, I got to thinking that we’ve lost so much more than our inspiration or will to dare to be better. We lost more than a brother who’s frozen in some sorta magic glass orb.

We lost everything at that dumb carnival!!! I lost my will to be better too! And I also lost my brother. And my Ma! I lost everyone and everything back home!

Thats what I lost! WEEEE lost Everything! We want our lives back!”

Pud falls to his knees and sobs with his head in his hands.

Rizzo comes to life and flutters around him out of concern. 

Zybilna frowns. "Oh, but I see you already have what you are seeking."

"You, sir," she says to Ben, "you already have the key to your wonder."

"And you," she says to Matilda. "You already have the compass that will lead you in the direction of your brother. You don't need me to grant you wishes for you to do that."

"But you do need to go home. And for that, I can use my wish, if that is what you want. Perhaps you would even like me to dilate time, and send you home as the children you once were, so that you can live your lives over without having suffered the terrible losses that brought you to Prismeer in the first place?"

"But it is your wish. What would you like my gift to be, my friends?"

Matilda grimaced........yep.......that's pretty much as expected....a pat on the head and get lost...I don't have any damn compass and she knows it but I'm not about to argue with someone this terrifying.........

"  No, these memories are important, these friends are important. I don't want to lose them......but I'll happily leave here.", Matilda muttered.

"One wish..." Titaani murmurs under her breath contemplatively. "One final gift from the fey..."

Seeing Pud begin to cry, though, the warlock runs over and gives him a hug. "Oh, Pud, you've been through so much. More than any of us. I'm so sorry. But it's over now. You can go home."

"But before we do," Titaani straightens up, addressing the queen with one hand over her heart, "My lady, ever since I visited the Witchlight Carnival as a child, I lost a piece of myself. I used to be able to focus, to concentrate on many different things at once, but now, I am barely able to start one thing before being distracted by another. And even though many years have passed, it's still like...like I'm still just that same little girl I was at the carnival. I'm supposed to be almost an adult, but I still feel like a reckless, naive kid, and act like one."

"I don't want to lose my memories, or return to the way I was, before the carnival. That wouldn't be much different to the way I am now. But if you can fix," the little gnome gestures to herself with a laugh, "This, well, then I would be very grateful."

"I can return you home just the way you are, if that's your Wish."

She turns to Titaani. "And you, too, already have what you have lost. You have rediscovered your stolen focus, I see. You just need to use it! That requires no Wishes from me."

Ben:

Realizing that he has grown much over the past few weeks since he started this harrowing journey, Ben responds, “I have become the man I am due to choices I and others have made in my past.  I would not undo that, though it is very tempting.  I would no longer be myself.”

”What of the creatures of this realm?  We have met many, and tried to help whom we could.  Lost memories stolen by Longscarf, lost boys and their cat missed by the mother at the lost and found wagon, a magic frog with lost items hidden inside, theater servants cruelly polymorphed into lifeless masks.  Little Oak and Grandfather Oak, worried about the demise of Prismeer until the queen returns, Clapperclaw with his missing head we tried to return.  Kids we tried to rescue from the log home prison.  Unicorns we were able to restore and reunite.  Valor’s Call we have rescued,” Ben lists off.  “Some we have saved, but many others are left lost and alone.  How can we help them?”

"I understand," replies Zybilna to Ben. "I have clearly been frozen for some time – I obviously have much news to glean from my domain. I placed too much trust in those hags – a lesson I will surely take to heart. But I fully commit to restoring Prismeer to its former self, and to bring aid and justice to all of its inhabitants. Do not worry about them. They are my children, and they will be cared for."

"You all now possess what was stolen from you by the Coven, whether you realize it yet or not. You have executed the League, vanquished the Coven, and freed me to restore Prismeer. We thank you. I thank you. But you must still choose your reward, your Wish. Would you like to use it go home?"

"May I point out that Ben's wish was that you see to it that cursed carnival undo all the harm it has done to everyone it has done wrong to. All of them . And to see to it they never do harm again. You did not respond to that wish. Yes or no?" Horatio says, coldness in his tone. 

Pud takes some deep breaths trying to gather himself. He shakes his head at the queens riddles and evasiveness. He’s exhausted, confused and deflated.

On the one hand he misses his birth family and his home. But he doesn’t want to lose these friends who have helped him so much. They didn’t have to rescue him. They could’ve left him at the hags log house. They could’ve dumped him anywhere along the way. But they didn’t and he’s so thankful for all that they’ve done. These friends are his chosen family and he’s torn.

He looks at Matilda and he’s gutted. Of all his friends, he feels like he’s let her down the most. We haven’t found her brother. And this job isn't finished. 

Matildas eyes flashed with fear towards Horatio.....this Queen was dangerous.....more dangerous than the three Hags put together from the sound of things.....

" We should go.", she said quietly.

"Maybe we can find your brother in the material plane, now that the hags are gone," Titaani suggests, taking Matilda's hand in her own. "Come on, sis. Let's go home. I won't leave your side till we get him back. I promise."

An idea flashes across her bright teal eyes. "Oh, and if you wanted to, once we've freed your brother, you could both stay with me and my moms. Only if you want to, of course, but I get the feeling you don't like your aunt much..."

Irritation flashes in Zybilna's eyes as Horatio confronts her. She stands tall; a small tattoo shaped like a chicken’s foot flares briefly below her left eye.

"I created the carnival as a means by which mortals could enter my realm and beseech my aid," she replies cooly. "If the hags usurped it as a means to steal from children, or as a means to steal children, I assure you that I will address that, and undo all their damage. You do not need to Wish for that."

"This conversation grows tiresome, and I have much work to do. Tell me – are Naeryx and Urmius, those two shadar-kai who go by 'Mister Witch' and 'Mister Light', still in charge of the Carnival?"

Matilda gives Titaani a grimace and shrugs.

" Last I saw they were."

" Yes, I'd like to wish us back home."

" Oh....and theres a lost kitten here somewhere that needs to go back to her mother at the Festival."