Notes on an alternative end to S7
(More specifically, what I think should have happened to give Arc 2 a satisfying ending since Arc 3 was never guaranteed.)
Callum appears, Aaravos tries to goad him/stall him, but Callum is resolute and performs the spell without explaining himself, while Aaravos tries to reason with him as Runaan steps up and takes his position behind Callum, bow at the ready. Rayla watches, horrified, trying to find a place to land to stop this, but the spell is done - part of Callum's hair turns white, and his face is scarred/eyes black. <end of episode 8>
<open into episode 9> As the spell ends, Aaravos' titan form disappears and the coin falls from Callum's hand as his eyes turn bright white/purple from possession. Runaan shoots then as Rayla jumps from the owlcat creature, landing on the roof of the sun forge, running forward to Callum, whose eyes return back to their normal color as he turns to look at her one last time, crying.
She's screaming his name, as she reaches him finally, catching him as he slumps forward, the arrow sticking out of his back. They're both sobbing as he dies in her arms.
Aaravos' sun corruption spell is destroyed as the arch dragons destroy his staff, sun goes back to normal. Everyone else is celebrating as the specters disintegrate. Zubeia mourns Avizandum, Zym lands on the roof and Ez hops off, yelling for his brother and Rayla.
Runaan puts his bow away and runs to where Rayla is cradling Callum's dead body against her, sobbing loudly begging him to come back. Runaan holds her as Ezran crumples to his knees by the trio, grabbing his big brother’s hand, calling his name. Zym tries to comfort him but obviously everyone is crying and losing it.
Everyone on the ground is celebrating the victory, not knowing what happened. Amaya is concerned for her nephews and mounts one of the hot cats to go to the roof. Astrid stops her - saying it's not a scene she wants to see. This makes Amaya angry and she goes - not hearing everyone's protests.
She sees everyone huddled around Callum’s body and assumes he's just passed out until she jumps off the hot cat and lands on the roof. She's devastated when she Ez signs that Callum is dead.
The scene fades out here.
Scene with the archdragons in the ruins of Lux Aurea, talking about Aaravos and what happens now, what can they do to help.
Later scene with Ezran, Janai, Amaya and Aanya deciding what to do with Claudia. Soren, Corvus and Terry argue to let her atone.
Go back to the Sunfire camp, into a tent where we find Rayla sitting next to Callum's body, holding his hand, silently crying.
She whispers how he kept his promise but she didn't keep hers. How she wanted that quiet life in the silvergrove with him now but she wasn't going to get it. How she wanted a family with him, joking about maybe not 10 kids... but that chance is gone. It's terrible and sad.
Ruthari enter the tent with Astrid in tow. Ruthari + Astrid enter the tent and Ethari calls Rayla's name, telling her, "There's something we can do." he produces the quasar diamond and callum's notes on the restoration spell. (Callum gave them to Runaan as insurance/back up plan) Astrid explains that although his body is here and one of the ways the diamonds could be used was for souls lacking a body - they could also use the quasar diamond to capture his soul from the In between and restore it to his body. i.e. acts as a soul gem/vessel. But it's nowhere near the full moon - Rayla explains that Callum found a way to open the Moon Nexus without the full moon (call back to Through the Moon).
Runaan offers to carry Callum's body with him to the Nexus.
Ez and Zym catch them loading up and confront them, asking what they're doing with Callum's body. Answer: We're bringing him back - we have a quasar diamond, etc. Ez wants to go with them.
They all go with Rayla to the Moon Nexus. Explain that Lujanne reverted the Nexus once she had healed, using something. idk what though - potentially, they could use that moon primal stone, but i dont think anyone even knew when spectral Ziard went with it.
Rayla performs the dance with Runaan, activating the Nexus. She promises everyone that she'll be back as she jumps in, quasar diamond in hand.
She finds Callum's soul in the In between, flickering between dark!Callum and real Callum. He doesnt want to go with her bc he thinks she will hate him now that hes corrupted - that hes done dark magic once again. She confronts the dark part of him who taunts her saying there's a chance Callum will continue to return to dark magic - she argues that the threat is gone and they'd face what comes next together. That she'd help him walk a different path.
She has to convince him that she loves him - All parts of him - even the dark parts and that she knows he only ever did Dark Magic to save her and the world. that his motives were noble and true. Call back to the Ezmeray scene and the frozen ship argument. Similar to her scene with Runaan.
Rayllum kiss and she puts her bracelet of moon phoenix feathers and the quasar diamond in his hand, and his soul goes into the diamond.
When she crawls out of the Nexus onto the beach, everyone is waiting for her. The materials for the spell are laid out with Callum's dead body in the middle, Lujanne or Astrid explains that Rayla can do the spell by focusing on the star magic in the diamond and that it would be best if she does it since it has to be cast with love. They place the diamond on his chest and Rayla puts the bracelet back on herself.
Everyone watches on in anticipation as Rayla casts the spell. The materials light up and a bright beam of light shoots out into the sky. Callums body lifts off the ground and everyone covers their eyes at the bright flash of light.
Then it disappates and Callum is left in the center of the circle, kneeling head bowed. His hair is back to normal - no permanent white streak bc he'd been cleansed of dark magic by dying. (Id argue that Runaan got his arm back so theres precedent)
Tearful reunion. Rayllum kiss. Ez and Callum hold each other and cry. Callum asks what happened and they explain that he died and they used the last quasar diamond to resurrect him. He asks about the coin and Ez shows it to him. Aaravos is trapped within. Yay, victory they did it. They took one of the ways Aaravos could be released again away permanently. But what are they gonna do with the coin now??
Ruthari go home to the Silvergrove.
Rayllum, Ez and Zym go to the sunfire camp to reunite with everyone else.
Celebration and hint at building something new from the ashes, but dont have a whole scene about it. Hints at going to Elarion for answers about the cube, finding another sun seed for the sun forge, etc.
