"A mistake I can't possibly make again." I heard the Seelie Queen say as I walked toward the room Jonathan had her in, "Never in the history of the Seelie Court has someone managed to do what you have."

"Well- I can't take all the credit, your Highness." I heard Jonathan reply in a low tone.

I walked into the room, "If you two are done flirting-"

He looked at me, "I wasn't flirting."

"I was." She smirked.

"We have more important things to worry about?" I fixed my sleeve, then looked at the Seelie Queen, "I know you know why we've brought you here, so why don't we just cut to the chase, hm?"

I walked closer to her, "Why don't you use your birds and your bees to tell the Seelie Court to hand over the Morning Star sword?"

She looked at me, "And if I don't comply?"

My jaw clenched, my fist coming in contact with her face, "How 'bout now?"

"I'd expect this behaviour from a proper Morgenstern-" She grunted, "-not from you."

"Oh shut up-" I scoffed, taking a few steps back, "I am a proper Morgenstern- it's in my blood-"

"And this rune? It's brought me even closer to the Morgenstern name that I've ever been- I'm just like my brother." I stood next to Jonathan, a small smirk forming on my lips, "After all- we are one."   

-

"Hey- the Queen is secure." I walked into the living room where Jonathan stood, "Why haven't we left?"

"I guess I got distracted." Jonathan slowly turned and looked at me, "It's difficult for me to believe that this is actually happening."

"What?-" I stood straight, crossing my arms, "Us on the verge of reclaiming our birthright?"

"Yeah- precisely that." Jonathan was honest with me, "You and me- us."

"The look you had in your eyes the first time you saw my true face, the hatred, the disgust-" Jonathan trailed off, "I guess I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"I was naive- in the moment, I forgot what it could be like if I just- saw you for who you really were- not Valentine's experiment." I slowly walked towards him, "But, answer me this- why me? Why not, Clary- I'm not even your full sister-"

"Because you saw good in me when no one else would." Jonathan stares at me, his voice lowering, "And the warmth I felt knowing that- it's a feeling I never wanted to let go of. I never wanted to let go of you-"

"Jonathan, what Lilith did to me forcing us to be attached to each other, not being able to fight you without hurting myself-" I stopped in front of him and placed a hand over his rune, "At first, I thought it was the worst thing that could have ever happened to me-"

Jonathan breathes out, "And now?"

"Without this rune, I would never have been forced to see you for who you really are." My voice lowered, "And who Jace really is."

This made Jonathan's eyes light up, "What about him?"

"He doesn't care about my happiness- he doesn't care about the fact that I love you and I want to be by your side, Jonathan." I swallow, "I don't want to love someone like him if he doesn't accept my wishes."

When Jonathan leaned into kiss me, I quickly stopped him, my hands on his chest, clearing my throat and changing the subject, "And, as my older brother- don't you think it's about time to teach me how to drive this place? It's- my home too, isn't it?"

Jonathan stammers, then nodded slowly towards me, "What's mine is yours."

-

"Make sure it's the genuine article, Sister." Jonathan said to me, his blade to the Seelie Queen's neck when we had encounters Meliorn at the Seelie Realm.

Meliorn stares at me, before getting the Morning Star sword in front of me, as I dropped my blade and grabbed it, watching as it bursted up in red flames by just the contact, "Rest easy-"

"We can finally restore the Morgenstern name-" I smirked at the sword in my hand as Jonathan let the Seelie Queen go, as her and her people rushed away and off the bridge.

"You're not a Morgenstern." Jace's voice made me turn around quickly, him and Clary walking towards us, Jonathan and I holding our blades toward them, "You're a Young."

Jace sighed lightly, his eyes locked with mine, adding in, "Maybe even a Herondale one day."

"Don't try to sweet talk me-" I held my blade firm, "I told you what would happen if you got in my way again-"

My head turned toward Clary, "That goes for you too- you get as much mercy as he does."

"You're my little sister." She held a sword that I didn't recognize as any seraph blade but as a Glorious, "I'm always going to be there for you- we, are here for you- whether you like it or not."

"I'll handle Jace." said Jonathan, walking towards him, making Jace back up, "Have fun, Sister."

"Oh, I will-" I flipped my sword in my hand, before swinging my sword towards her, her blocking my swing, backing off the bridge, "I don't know whether to be honoured or offended that you're trying to stab me and not Jonathan-"

"You left us no other choice, Zee-" Clary's blade slammed against mine as we fought each other off.

I taunt, "You seem worried-"

"What can I say?" Clary dodged my swing, "You're a better fighter now-"

"Now?" I scoffed at her, kicking her back, "I've been a better fighter- face it, Clary- I've always been better than you- ever since the beginning-"

"Wanna play the taunting game? Okay-" Clary grunts when our swords come in contact, "You think Jonathan really loves you? You're not even a true Morgenstern- you're only halfway there- and you never will be- if I didn't have common sense, he would've picked me-"

"You're trying to provoke me?" I laughed at her, my jaw clenching, as our swords pushed against each other, lighting up in flames, "'Cause it's working-"

Before she could reply, I knocked her in the face, then kicked the sword out of her hand, having her on the ground within seconds.

I felt a burning whip wrap around my arm, making me look back, Isabelle standing behind me.

I wrapped my hand around the whip despite the pain, and pulled her onto the ground, my head snapping up at the sound of Simon's shout, "Zee, stop!"

Clary looked at him from the ground, "Simon?-"

I grit my teeth, "Cheap shot, bringing my best friend-"

"It wasn't part of the plan-" Isabelle said from the ground, as Clary knocked the sword out of my hand, her and Isabelle finding their way to Simon's side.

I pulled out my kindjals quickly, glaring at them, as Simon breathes out, "Super-villain is not a good look on you, Young! Trust me-"

"Funny." I snip, "This is who I am."

"You and I both know that's not true." Simon said.

I scoff lightly and shook my head, threatening, "Stand down, or this kindjal finds its way into Simon-"

"If you do that, Zee, that's a choice you're making." Simon was trying hard, "A choice you're gonna have to live with every day for the rest of your life-"

"Shut the-" My sentence was cut off when I heard Jonathan's distant call of my name, my eyebrows furrowing in worry, "Jonathan needs me-"

I turned, my heart dropping and my eyes widening at the sight of Jace in the air, holding Glorious, coming towards me, "No-"

"No!" I shouted, my kindjals falling from my hands when he pierced the blade right through my rune, his free hand going to my back as we both fell to the ground to save me from the fall, and terrible pain erupting right where the rune was.

I fell back into Jace's hold behind me, my scream echoing through the woods, this being the worst pain I had ever felt.

When the pain started to slowly die down, my screams did along with it, my breathing heavy, as Jace slowly pulled the blade out of me, pulling me up to my feet, "You're gonna be okay-"

The rune stung, as Jace pulled my jacket to the side lightly, his fingers grazing over my skin, watching as the rune slowly disappeared, my eyes glued to him.

Jace dropped the sword, grabbing my face with both hands, his eyes locked with mine, his voice quiet, "Are you- are you back?"

"I'm- I'm here- I-" I didn't say anything else, grabbing his face and crashing my lips into his, my heart erupting with an overwhelming feeling as I had finally reunited with him as myself again.

Jace pulled away slowly, his eyes lighting up as he looked at me, his forehead against mine, "You're- you're home-"

"I'm home-" Tears burned in my eyes, as I quickly nodded, a wide smile on my lips as I looked at him.

Jace kept a hand on my waist, before reaching down and picking up Glorious, flipping it in his hands, "Cool sword, right?"

I softly giggled, "Totally-"

It was all good and light hearted until Jace hissed at the feeling of holding the sword, dropping it, catching everyone's attention.

When the sword began shining brightly, we all knew it was about to blow, as Isabelle and Clary rushed to cover Simon, as Jace covered me, everyone falling to the ground as the sword blew.

"Are you- are you okay?" Jace asked me, making sure no shrapnel had hit me, his hands on my back.

I nodded assuringly, "I'm fine-"

"Izzy?-" Simon's panicked voice filled our ears, along with her grunts, "She got hit by shrapnel!-"

"Guys- help!" Clary called for us, as Jace and I quickly rushed over to them to help them.

-

"We're in Alicante-" Alec looked out the window when I had used what Jonathan had taught me to move the apartment.

"Wow-" Simon gaped, laughing lightly, "And we're in one piece, no less-"

I looked at him, "Hey!-"

"What?" Simon looked at me, "You barely got your license to drive a car, much less whatever that was-"

Jace softly smiled toward me, "I think what Simon's trying to say is nice job."

I swallowed hard, "How is Isabelle?"

"She's back up on her feet, and she's refusing help from any of us." Clary told me, making me purse my lips and look down.

Jace's eyes stuck on me, "How are you?"

I looked at him, but stayed silent.

"We'll give you guys a minute-" Simon realized, then nodded toward Clary and Alec.

"I'll try to warn Jia." Alec walked away from us.

"Simon, I'll portal you home in a minute-" I quietly called out after him, as he nodded, leaving the room with Clary.

Jace knew what this was about right away, "You weren't in your right mind-"

"But- I was." I hugged myself, standing in front of him, "It's not like the Owl, Jace- I wasn't- possessed- I- I was in complete control of my actions."

"I wanted to help Jonathan- I felt that anger towards you when you tried to take me away from him- god, I just- I wanted all of it." I was disgusted with myself.

"Listen- the pull of family of blood, rune or not, it's an impossible thing to fight." Jace justified my actions.

"I should have fought harder for this family." I shot back at him, tears burning in my eyes, "I- I have you, and Clary- and Simon- and god, even Alec- and I know he hates me-"

Jace places a hand on my arm, a soft expression on his face, "He doesn't hate you-"

"I'm so sorry, Jace." Tears fell from my eyes, as he pulled me into his chest, a sob leaving my lips when he does, "I'm so sorry-"

-

"Jonathan!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when Jace and I spotted him, stopping a few feet away from him, tears running down my cheeks when destruction had been brought all over Alicante, the demons towering falling and demons coming back and forth from the rift that had opened up in the sky, "What're you doing?-"

"You wanted a monster." He slowly turned to face me, his wings sprouted, holding the Morning Star sword in his hand, "Here I am."

"Jonathan- please," I took a step closer to him, sniffling, "Stop this-"

"There is no stopping this." Jonathan was angry, "Every demon you banish ends up on the other side of that rift, ready to come back again and again and again until everybody in this city is dead!"

Jace shouts from behind me, "That includes Zee!"

"Jonathan- please, I believed that you could be good when no one else could- I had faith in you." I inched closer to him, my voice breaking as I raised it, "I know that love you felt for me, the love you still feel, is real- I know it came from a good place-"

"You told me you wanted to be better." I was trying so hard to get through to him, "To be good- so- this is your chance to show everyone I was right about you- please-"

"It doesn't matter what I do-" Jonathan destroyed the sword right in front of me, a gasp leaving my lips, "You will never love me back!"

"No!" Jace shouted into the sky when Jonathan flew into the air, disappearing from our sight.

"They're just gonna keep coming until- everything we love is gone." Jace stares at the sky, his eyes filled with tears, his voice breaking, "This is my home-"

"This is all my fault." I was staring at the sky as well, my heart shattering, "I'm- I'm so sorry-"

Jace looked at me, tears falling from his eyes, regardless of my words, "I love you- so much."

I looked at him, my voice a whisper, "Jace-"

"It's okay- it's okay." Jace dropped his blade and put his hands on my arms, "I would go to the ends of the earth for you-"

"And if this? If this is the end-" Jace grabbed my face gently, tears streaming down his cheeks, his voice shaky, "I will always love you-"

Jace leaned his forehead against mine, sobbing quietly, "Until the day I die- and after that."

"And I, you-" My hands were trembling, crying harder than I had ever, "I love you with all my heart- until the day I die- and after that."

Jace shushed me, pressing his lips gently into mine.

-

"Where's the sword?" Alec asked Jace and I when we ran in, Magnus, Isabelle and Clary stood in the room as well as they looked out at the destruction that was happening.

My voice broke, "Jonathan destroyed it-"

Jace sounded just as broken as I did when he spoke, "We can't close the rift."

"This is it, isn't it?" Isabelle stares out as our only defenses had fallen and shattered under the power of the demons.

Magnus looked out at the destruction, "My father told me about- a way to increase my power."

Clary questions, "Enough to close the rift?"

"Potentially, yes-" Magnus began, "The strength I would need to pull it off- can only come from one place."

Isabelle looked at him, "Edom?"

"Magnus, don't." Alec slowly began to say.

"We can only fight them off for so long." Magnus cut him off, "The demons will keep coming back unless we seal the rift- it's the only way to keep you all safe."

"Magnus, you can't!-" Alec's stammering was breaking my heart. "There's something I had to do, there's something I had to say-"

"I know." Magnus held the Lightwood family ring, "Needless to say- you forgot something back in New York."

He slowly made another ring appear, before staring up at him, a smile on his lips, "Alexander Gideon Lightwood- will you marry me?"

Alec slowly picked up one ring from his palm, tearing up, "Only if you'll marry me too."

When they slipped the rings on each other's fingers, Alec let a tear fall, "I love you-"

Magnus stares up at the man that he loved with his whole heart, tears in his eyes as well, "I love you too, Alexander."

Right before they could kiss, Magnus looked out at what had become of Alicante, moving away from Alec and out to the balcony, opening a portal above himself.

"It's only Edom." Alec called out after him, sniffling, "You always come back."

"Never thought I'd be a runaway groom." Magnus sniffled, a small smile on his lips as he pushed himself in the air and entered the portal.

Alec slowly walked onto the balcony, tears streaming down his cheeks as he fell to his knees, making the rest of us quickly rush to his comfort, as we all watched Magnus' magic close the rift in the sky.

authors note:

this was a good chapter tbfh

zace made me cry

and MALEC, oh my GOD

but, thank you for 57k !

go read redamancy!

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