WARNING: THERE ARE PLENTY OF SPOILERS HERE!!!!

We’ve arrived at the finale of the Fortune’s Wing trilogy. Fortune’s Wing: Flies Again was published for the first time via KDP on February 16, 2017, but I wrote the original version in July of 2002. Because I made certain changes to the second book in the series, I knew I would need to make changes to the third book as well. When we left Fortune at the end of the second book, he had reached the End of the Earth, but a fight with the Winged Seven prevented him from fulfilling his destiny: deciding the fate of the world.

If at first you don’t succeed, fly fly again…

Flies Again opens with Fortune and Haverdy trying to figure out what happened. They’re home and little Emery Holt is asleep in Haverdy’s bed. Just as they are wondering how to explain her existence to their parents, Mrs. Oyama comes upstairs and asks them if their “little cousin” is awake. They realize this must be the work of Adam—arranging things so their parents believe Emery is their niece. Emery awakens and informs the Oyama siblings Adam told her about the arrangement, and she has to return to the End of the Earth with Fortune and show him her “light”. Fortune decides they can’t wait for Adam to return and they must leave right away. The arrival of sudden minor quakes tell Fortune he’s running out of time.

Fortune and friends leave for the End of the Earth (with Kazumi joining them, too). They are attacked by Seynoma of the Winged Seven, and Haverdy and Kazumi get separated from the rest of the group. Fortune and the others find Verdonna Onnashari while Haverdy and Kazumi come under attack by small creatures, one of whom stabs Haverdy. The girls manage to get away and find Verdonna, who treats Haverdy’s wound.

Fortune and his friends reach the End of the Earth once again. While Haverdy and the others fight the Winged Seven, Fortune goes to the altar alone. He must decide what to do with the world. Demetri attacks him, and just when it seems like he will finally succeed in killing Fortune, Haverdy stabs him with her sword. But then, Haverdy succumbs to her injury and dies…

Fortune is prepared to let the world end because people like Demetri and the Winged Seven exist in it. Verdonna and Emery arrive to remind him of the good that still exists in the world. Emery reveals a ball of light, which Fortune refers to as the Light of Purity.

You can do whatever you like with the world. You can leave it as it is, or you can change it. You can even let it perish.

Verdonna Onnashari

While holding Haverdy’s lifeless body, Fortune makes his decision. He opens his wings and beats them once, sending a blast of air across the planet. The world goes on turning, but the Winged Seven have lost their power. Both Haverdy and Demetri are brought back to life.

Everyone goes home. In time, the changes Fortune made are brought to light: there is no more hunting and killing of endangered species, no more factories polluting the air, no more deforestation. There are good and bad people in the world. Fortune says while he couldn’t change people, he did have the power to change the world.

That’s the version you know. Now let me tell you about the version you don’t know.

The original version of the story opens with Haverdy waking up in her bed with Emery asleep beside her. She finds Fortune and asks him how they got home. He tells her he used the power of the Wings: he didn’t think he could defeat Demetri, so he used the Wings to send everyone back to where they started from. Haverdy goes to see Kizumi (yes, Kizumi in this version), who has no memory of what happened. Haverdy asks Kizumi if there’s anyone special in her life and she says yes. Haverdy tells Kizumi to come see her later and to bring her “boyfriend” so they can meet.

Fortune’s friends come over, and Kizumi arrives shortly with some recollection of the events leading to the journey to the End of the Earth. Her “boyfriend” arrives and he turns out to be a girl named Russia who bears an uncanny resemblance to Haverdy (Haverdy later explains what lesbians are to a curious Emery). After learning about the Wings, Kizumi and Russia agree to help Fortune. Meanwhile, the Winged Seven decide to work together to attack Fortune instead of going after him one by one. As in the published version, Kizumi and Haverdy become separated from the group and come under attack, only this time Russia is with them. Haverdy gets stabbed by one of the creatures attacking them and Russia carries her on her back. They reunite with Fortune at Verdonna’s tent where Haverdy’s wound is treated.

At the temple at the End of the Earth Emery shows Fortune her “light”: it’s purpose is to remind Fortune of all the good people in the world. Fortune makes his way to the altar. Despite her injury Haverdy follows him. Demetri thinks he has found Fortune, but it turns out to be Haverdy instead. He sees her wound is bleeding and uses his power to send her flying against a column. Demetri finds Fortune and the two begin to fight. Just as Demetri begins to choke Fortune, Haverdy stabs him. She tells her brother he has to save the world, then dies in his arms.

Verdonna arrives to tell Fortune the world s returning to its primal state. He can allow this to happen, he can restore it, or he can simply destroy the world. Haverdy’s death leads Fortune to believe he should destroy the world, until Verdonna reminds him of Emery’s light; that there can be no light without darkness. Holding Haverdy’s body Fortune recalls his dream about the world he couldn’t save, and realizes it was a world he chose not to save. In the end, Fortune chooses to save the world. Adam returns to see him one last time. Fortune feels the world isn’t perfect, but it will get better.

My only regret between the published version and the unpublished version of the book is Russia, and my decision not to include her in the published version. When I published Flies Again, I wasn’t sure if the young audience the book was meant for was ready for a gay character at the time. I didn’t know what sort of criticism I may have faced if I included her. The world wasn’t quite as “woke” then as it is now. I’m thinking about writing another version of all three books and I will include Russia if I do.

Strangely enough, Fortune’s story doesn’t end here. There is a fourth unpublished book, which I’ll tell you all about in a different post. Until next time…