Agatha finally stepped away from her device and stopped humming. To be honest she had really only been fiddling with it. She was just a little nervous. She knew she shouldn't be but she wanted this to be special.

She was told that the last few years, in order to light the midnight bonfire the town would just pile a load of fireworks and light a five minute fuse. But previous Heterodynes would occasionally use this as an excuse to test a death ray and the result was supposed to be spectacular.

She really hoped her device lived up to that.

She checked the clock on the timer one last time and stepped back to stand beside Tarvek and Gil. Both of them had remembered how she used to celebrate the day with Adam and Lilith and had each given her a book. She was glad she had decided to get them each one as well.

Gil had given her a copy of one the first ever (and somewhat more accurate) Heterodyne Boys Novels, signed by the author, while she had given him 'Flights of Fancy – a comprehensive guide to experimental aircraft'. Tuvak gave her 'Meticulous Miniatures – the definitive work on delicate clockworking' and she gave him 'Ye comprehensive Poysons & Antydotes - annotated version' since Violetta told her his old one was practically worn out. Gil gave Tuvak 'The restoration of a Legacy' the latest book about the Muses. It was the one that had a lengthy section about Tuvak's efforts in it. In turn Tuvak gave Gil the latest Trelawney Thorpe book, the one that hadn't even been published yet. Gil grumbled about Tuvak corrupting Wooster for it but almost immediately started reading.

It had been a wonderfully peacefully day.

But now it was nearly midnight and most of the town was gathered around a massive unlit bonfire. There had been dancing & songs and food & drink earlier but now everyone was waiting.

At five minutes to midnight a dark cloud started coming from the castle. It was barely visible, Agatha only spotted it because she was waiting for it. She had been told that one of the previous Heterodynes thought that there was no point in celebrating a festival of lights if it wasn't properly dark first. She was also told that since the Castle hadn't had the power to do this since it had been almost destroyed this would be many residents first time celebrating properly. Another reason why she was nervous for this to go well.

About one minute before midnight it finally started.

All the lights in the town turned off.

With the moon and stars no longer visible the world was nothing but darkness. I was like being deep underground save for the gradually strengthening smell of ozone.

It was a great primal darkness.

She couldn't see anything not even her hand in front of her face (something she couldn't help but check). There was a silence as a feeling of anticipation built all around.

Then it was midnight.

The Doombell rang the hour.

There was a few soft thumps as some people who were still not used to it fainted but not many. She didn't have to see to know that Gil was grinning wildly and Tuvak had the polite vague expression he used to hide any number of emotions.

She had asked them once what they heard when the Doombell rang.

Gil had just shrugged and said to him it would always reminded him of when Agatha had been announced as Heterodyne. That she was not only safe but that she had won. One perfect moment in the middle of all the chaos. If there were negative effects he never really noticed.

Tuvak had deflected at first saying he's asked others and some said it was a gaping maw of dread. Others said it reminded them of dying. He eventually admitted that reminded him of the Si Vles Valeo. She had him what part as a lot had happened during that. He had just shrugged and said all of it.

It supposed that was as good an answer she was going to get. To her it wasn't like that. For her it both did and didn't remind her of the Si Vles Valeo, of drinking from the Dyne, of fixing the castle. The sense of exhilaration. The feeling of being correct. Of showing them, showing them all. But mostly it felt like home. There was really no way for her to properly explain how, not even to herself. But it was home in the way she never felt before. It was right.

The last echo of the bell faded in the distance and there was complete silence as the town held its breath. After a few moments a soft click could be heard. Agatha grabbed the two next to her excited, this was it.

CRACKABOOM!

The massive bolt of lightning shot up from the bonfire. The wood burned white, blinding everyone around for one brilliant moment. Blinking away spots (maybe she had been a bit too enthusiastic) she glanced up at the sky. The lightning bolt had shot up and blown a hole in the cloud above showing stars. The edge of the hole was flickering with yellow and orange. It spread, slowly at first but then speeding up until the whole sky was on fire. It worked!

There was a roar of cheering.

The cloud wasn't dense enough for the spectacle to last long but while it did it was an amazing sight. She laughed out loud. Of course her ancestors had decided to the best way to entice the sun back was to basically threaten where it lived.

She hugged the two beside her. This had been a wonderful year.

She couldn't wait for the next one.