Author's note: Hi guys, I hope you guys are doing well with finals (just gotta finish my bio test and then freedom!). As we get into the final battle, the book will end and I will be discontinuing Crows Can Fly with Swans once I post the new chapter. I'm just not as into the idea as I used to be (though no promises, I might do another TMF fanfiction but we'll see). For now, I'm just focusing on finishing this one. For my next fanfiction I'm thinking about either Harry Potter (I've only read the books and have not seen the movies) or Trolls (I've watched the first and last Trolls movies so I suppose this one). I'll tell you the final fandom for my next fanfiction at the end of the book. Enjoy and I hope you survive finals (if you do have finals). Also, Melody is one of my favorite TMF songs (though honestly all of them are good). The song I put is only for fun and has nothing to do with the story.

—---------------------------Carmi's perspective-------------------------------

And so finally we vowed to Milo at his grave that we'd take down AI. Me and Jake put our flowers down on his grave and I put a hand on Jake's shoulder. We didn't have a plan but we were going to charge in and do what we had to do. That was why we were right at the video game store entrance and we entered.

"Split up and look for something," Liam said. The Homies had wanted to tag along so we let them (Sadie had her child to attend to and Daisy was taking care of Drew and Daisy's adopted child, Blossom Elrod).

"Hey, there's this room," Zander pointed out. And so we stepped into it and immediately something I couldn't explain was happening.

—---------------------------Zander's perspective------------------------------

I rubbed my eyes and now apparently I was in a house? What the heck? Who's house is this? Definitely not my house now. I hate being confused about things! Then I saw a man standing with his reading glasses on his head. He had messy black hair and angry dark honey yellow eyes. This guy was also still in his suit.

"Shannon, it's not my fault that boy is trouble!" the man said with a heavy British accent.

"Blade, he's only 6 years old! He doesn't know any better!" my mom said, as her British accent is more light, calm, and welcoming.

I then realized that this was the day my dad left. I tried not to cry but I hated how my dad treated me like I was different. There were barely any traits of him in me, which is why he hated me.

"He needs to go! I can't live with this nuisance!"

"Why? I thought you wanted a child with me!" Now the shouting match was on. The welcoming part of her voice was gone and she was Full Mom Mode.

"I did until he had none of me!"

"Why would that matter?"

"Because then he's not perfect!"

Those words stung me. Perfect. The word I never was, especially when I found out I was gay the summer before 6th grade. I walked on and saw my sad face that had tears. I definitely looked horrified.

"You can't say that he isn't perfect! He's our son and he has brought me happiness!"

Then he slapped her. It was so hard that my mom fell down on the floor. It was like the high school version of Drew kicking me in the stomach. My tears were now falling as I fell to my knees in agony. I couldn't bear seeing my mom get beat up.

"So he brings you more happiness than me? Fine then, enjoy your son because I'm leaving! Let's see who'll be crying to me then!" my dad yelled as he kicked her before leaving with apparently all the necessities and left through the door and slamming the door.

My 6 year old self then ran over to my mom. She was on the ground but she was so brave to take all of the damage my dad dealt her. "Mommy, it's my fault you're like this! Daddy didn't think I'm good enough!" I said, now breaking down and crying.

"My little boy, I'm so very sorry about Daddy. Daddy was wrong because you are my perfect sunshine, Alex. He should be apologizing," my mom said softly, stroking my hair while shedding a few tears.

And so now I was crying on my knees because I hated this day even at the present moment. I guess I'm pathetic because this is something a 31 year old man should not be doing.

—-------------------------Hailey's perspective---------------------------------

I was immediately in my first grade classroom apparently. I saw my first grader self. And Drew when he was nice. Young Drew was helping a crying classmate with her cut after she fell. My teacher then said, "Hailey, your daddy is going to pick you up early."

"Ok."

And so I went to the principal's office and he walked me over to the car. We pulled our seatbelts on and I noticed that my dad was heavily breathing. "Daddy, what's wrong?"

"Mommy got pulled into the hospital when she passed out at work, so we have to go see if she is alright," my dad explained, looking worried.

And so it was a tense drive. I realized then that I was witnessing the day that my mom died. When we got to the hospital, we rushed over to her room. "How is she?!" my dad asked, a bit panicked.

"I take it that you are Micheal Austin along with Hailey Austin," the nurse said.

"Yes, we are looking for Haisley Sunniva Viotto."

"Unfortunately her diabetes affected her while she was at work. She is suffering Arrhythmias, which means that her heart beat is slowing down. You can talk to her but hurry because she is running out of time. We tried our best but for some reason the treatment is not working."

Watching this memory is like watching a movie. I want to do something but I can't because what can you do to a memory? I saw my mom, who was looking tired. It wasn't unusual since she was often sleep deprived. She had bright neon blue curly hair and sapphire blue eyes. Even when she was about to die, she still looked like a princess.

"Hailey, Mikey, almost thought you wouldn't make it here on time," my mom weakly chuckled.

"Hails, don't leave me. We have to take care of Hailey. She needs you and so do I. Who else will I ever sing with?"

"Mikey, my time is up. It's better to accept than to be in denial. Though I have something to tell Hailey."

"Mommy, don't leave!" my younger self pleaded loudly.

"Starlight, stay true to yourself. Don't let others define who you are because you know who you are. The world is like sugar. If you're afraid then you'll never be able to taste the good times. I love you, Starlight."

And just like that her life was done. She was dead and now it had me crying. I loved my mom like anything and did anything to feel her embrace. I watched as me and my dad were crying over her. Then I realized that without my mom then I wouldn't have met Zander.

It then switches to my dad coming back home looking happy. I was curious why because it had been a month since my mom died. "Hailey darling, I found a college friend of Mom. She's going to come here with her son."

That made me excited a little because of the fact that it was a friend of my mom. And so we waited until we heard the doorbell ring. Dad opened the door and there was a dark violet haired person with a small violet haired kid. "Hi Michael, that must be Hailey," the person said.

"Yup, and Alexzander must be that cutie," my dad said, smiling warmly.

"My name is Zander! I hate my full name!" Young Zander said with his hands on his hips.

"Anyways Alex, why don't you take Hailey to visit Luke?" Zander's mom said nervously. She whispered something to Zander and then sent him off. The atmosphere was a bit silent until my young self said, "You're Zander right? I'm Hailey."

"I know," Zander said bitterly.

"How's school?" I said, determined to have a conversation with Zander.

"Don't ever talk about it!"

"Ok then do you like music?"

"Would it matter?"

"I'm just asking."

"I don't want to talk to you! Why don't you understand that?!"

And so we were silent all the way to the park where Luke was waving. "I missed you!"

"You saw me at school," Zander said, smirking while rolling his eyes.

"Who's she?"

"The daughter of some guy that my mom seems to like."

"Why are you so mad at me?"

"I don't like you."

"Can't we try to get along?"

"Go away! I hate you already so do I have to call you Starlight or something?!"

I saw as my young self got affected because Starlight was my mom's nickname for me. My younger self ran into the woods and I just kept running and running. Tears were streaming down my face as I kept running. Finally I bumped into someone's leg.

The person had a black hoodie and I noticed that he looked somewhat like Jake. He had strawberry blonde hair with olive green eyes. It was messy spikes like Jake's hair but without the shaved sides. I had no idea about him before but now he looks familiar.

"Hey kid, where are your parents?" he said in a deep but concerned voice.

"I came with Zander, a kid I met," I say.

"What's your name?"

"Stranger danger!"

He just sighs and says, "Alright, I'll say my name and then you can say yours. My name is Elias Sterling and I'm the father of a boy your age and a one year old boy."

My eyes went wide when I realized that I had met Jake's dad as a child. His eyes were hard as stone yet filled with kindness. "I-I'm Hailey Austin and my daddy's name is Michael Austin. He let me go with Zander."

"Zander is your brother?"

"My mom's friend's son but he was really mean."

"Then I'll assume that he has been through something. You can't judge someone based on their outside. Get to know them first. Who knows? He might be your best friend."

And so then all of a sudden, he picked her up and ran off. "What's going on?"

"Some very bad guys. They want to get me. I have what they want so they are searching for me."

And so he ran and ran until he got cornered to a tree. I saw that they were two adults in their thirties. "Elias Sterling, we know you have the prophecy stone. You better give it!"

"You mean this innocent stone?" he said with Jake's smirk.

"No more games, Sterling. Give it up."

"Not a chance, Kyle and Lyle!" While trying to grab him they instead accidentally got me.

"Hey, let me go!" I screamed as I frantically kicked and flailed.

"Shut up, little girl! We might as well settle for you if we can't get that stone."

"Lyle, that just might work."

"Hey, leave her out of this!" Jake's dad shouted.

"Then you better spill it if you don't want her pretty face to get scarred," Kyle said coldly while holding a switchblade to my younger self as I started crying like any 6 year old would if they were threatened with a knife.

"Let go of her you creep!" young Zander suddenly said as young Luke hid behind him.

"Oh that's cute, they are two more tiny morons," Lyle said, smirking.

"You heard me. Leave Hailey alone," young Zander said with a determined and fierce look in his eyes.

"And what are you going to do about it?"

But then suddenly time stopped. Their faces were frozen and it looked kinda funny. Hailey was still crying and Jake's dad took my younger self and held me by his hip. "I'm so sorry for getting you kids involved in this mess. It's dangerous for you guys because you guys could've gotten hurt by him."

"If I hadn't been so rude to Hailey then she wouldn't be in danger. So it's actually my fault," Zander said, his eyes slightly showing pain.

"Now you kids don't get into any more trouble, ok?" Jake's dad said with the same look of stone cold olive eyes that showed kindness. Hailey then realized how they got back to the playground and she asked, "Mister, how did you freeze time though?"

All he did was smile. The smile warmed up his eyes and now they were soft and filled with happiness. He left and just waved goodbye to the three kids.

"I suppose then I'll have to get to know you another time," young Luke said as he went back home.

This time when they walked back, they told the painful stories that they endured and had gotten to know each other better. "Let's be friends then. I'd love to be friends with you."

Zander smiled and said, "Fine, if it'll make you happy."

And so when they came back, Hailey's dad and Zander's mom both decided to make the most life changing decision ever. "We decided that we're going to marry. We both love each other so we want to be together."

"Yay! Then I'll have another Mommy!"

And so everyone smiled and they warmly hugged. I remembered how that day made me so pleased. And so then it changed to a lowly lit room and I saw the present day Zander. "Someone somehow did something to that room to remember our worst memories. I would've lost it if I hadn't thought of the day I met Luke."

Just then almost everyone came out. "Man, that was the worst," Drew said, pale and breathing heavily, "Good thing I thought of the day I proposed to Daisy."

"AI plans ten steps ahead of you though." Surprisingly, it was Daisy. Her baby blue eyes showing regret and sadness.

"Daisy, but why?" Drew asked, looking betrayed.