Redhawk Caldera So let me hold you tight and share a killer, diller, chiller, thriller here tonight

As the breath left his lungs, his heartbeat slowed and Peregrine slipped into unconsciousness, all his worries and hurts—not just from tonight but from the whole of his crazy life—faded from him. He felt unburdened. He felt like he was floating. He was at peace.

And then they started to appear. First there was Atticus, grinning at him. Then he saw Crete at his shoulder, also smiling. Peregrine swore he saw burns on his mute brother's face and neck but they flickered from view. Behind his brothers, he saw Lasher and Pantaleimon. Peregrine's heart felt so full as he gazed upon his closest loved ones (well, the dead ones). He even saw little "Derp" sitting between Atticus's forepaws. And Peter Pan stood beaming beside his namesake.

There were others too, beyond them. He recognized his older brothers and sisters. Although it made him a little sad to see that the likes of Athena, Perseus and Echo were dead—their figures looking burnt like Crete, only to repair themselves and become whole again right in front of his eyes—Peregrine was still happy to see them. He saw Ray waving at him from his spot between Aether and March Owl and felt a flicker in his chest.

And then he saw him. Peregrine felt cold all of a sudden. His throat felt tight. He returned Tyrannus's stare. For what felt like a small eternity, they just looked at one another. Then Tyrannus's face broke into a tentative smile, which Peregrine could only call sheepish. He blinked. And then, after a long pause, he returned it as a way of saying, I forgive you. And he did.

But there was someone else behind Tyrannus, mostly obscured from view. Only slowly did she move forward. Everything about her body language betrayed her fear and sadness. She would not look him in the eye, even when Peregrine's bored into her face. His gaze dropped to her forelegs. Her wounds did not magically heal like the others'. They remained, hideous. Peregrine's eyes lifted back to her face. He saw that tears were sliding down her muzzle to wet the ground at her feet.

Could he forgive Junior, after what she'd done? Everyone seemed to be holding their collective breath as they waited. Peregrine kept staring at her, even when he felt "Derp" and Peter bump gently against him. Peregrine thought of that day when she'd attacked Wildfire and they'd killed her. He felt none of the wrath or fear or pain of that day. It just played like a movie in his mind.

After another small eternity, Peregrine's mouth opened. "Fffuuuccckkk," he moaned, eyes watering as he squinted up at the screaming Fox.