Day 7 - The End
To the beachgoers, it seemed like just yesterday that they had come so close to meeting fiery ends on the beach. In actuality, it was six days earlier, and their journey had since taken them from the shores of Lake Lachrymose to the heart of The City. The final stage of their journey was approaching with all the speed of the submarine which currently housed them.
"Aye! Land ahead! Batten down the hatches! All hands on deck! Thar she blows!" the captain excitedly gestured. The beachgoers, as part of his crew, helped steer the vessel onto the beach of a lush (a word here meaning "containing many trees and assorted other foliage [a word here meaning "lush vegetation]") island. Several friendly-looking people stepped forward to greet the beachgoers.
"Welcome home, Ishmael," said one of them. "We feared you had left us forever."
"Call me Ish," said MP. "And I would never leave you. I simply ventured to the mainland to encourage others in joining our community. I didn't force them, but I found two more who wanted to come along." At that, Daisy crawled forward alongside Quin, each smiling the smile of true believers.
"Sunny, how could you?" asked Sig tearfully. "What would Klaus think? Or our parents?"
"Quin, how could YOU?" asked Jack irritatedly. "Joining cults is against the Village rules!"
"They're with me now," said MP calmly. Now, I suggest you all leave the Island if you won't join us. I don't want to force you, but I would advise not posing a nuisance."
"Hey!" shouted Dom, finally making his presence felt. "We still haven't found the last killer. I'm not leaving until I do!"
"I say, that's a very good point," agreed Golden, coughing into his handkerchief. "The killer must be brought to justice!"
"And I want revenge for my sister!" said DDL, grabbing Sorsha and dragging her to the water. Sorsha flailed and fought back, running inland and finding a grove of apple trees. Sig, DDL, Golden, and Dom found her and moved in to end this debacle (a word I assume you are familiar with).
"At least let me eat an apple before I go," she pleaded, grabbing an apple. Before she could take a bite, however, Sorsha began choking and fell to the ground.
"I poisoned you on the submarine," said Dom. "Everyone always says I need to stand up for myself, so I figured poisoning was a good first step."
Sorsha reached for the apple, which would cure a certain illness but not the one she currently had. This proved irrelevant, as she collapsed before reaching it anyway. Her androgynous frame landed with a crash on the floor of the grove, ending the Troupe's era of villainy once and for all.
The quartet returned to the beach solemnly.
"Captain, take us home," said DDL. Widdershins started up the Queequeg, and the four headed for home. For DDL, home meant finding his long lost brother. For Golden, this meant returning to the bank in the City. For Dom, this meant moving on after finding out that his wife had been a villain, and had then been dead. And for Sig, this meant finding somewhere to belong, without his siblings for support.
In other news, Daisy and Quin remained on the Island with MP, who continues to advise (a word by which MP here means "boss around") them in his "happy" "community" "."
Finally, Jack decided that it was time to go back to the Village of Fowl Devotees. After spending several months stuck on the Island with the community, he noticed a passing shadow in the water, resembling a question mark. Jack decided to swim out to it, but was intercepted by a stray flying machine, which coincidentally was set on a default course to the Village of Fowl Devotees. Jack returned safely and celebrated with the rest of the villagers.
And so, as all good stories must, this one ends with the eating of ice cream sundaes.
Sorsha has been lynched. She was the Person of Indeterminate Gender.
The Troupe has been eliminated.
Congratulations to the civvies and the Village of Fowl Devotees!