Royal Flames

by Solor Barnes

The next story in the Double Dragon Trouble series. Komi Krein Barnes has grown up in hiding, spending the last ten years from her family. What happens when Solor's decade long mission is complete at last? The threat from Slade is gone and Sosfil is on the road towards redemption...and Edward takes the family on vacation!

10. Picnic in the Park

[Chapter 10]
[Solor's Universe - Texas]

To say that Komi wasn't excited by today would be a blatant lie. After the initial anxiety died down, the naga was seen zipping around, telling everyone and anyone about how happy she was to go back to Texas. The team was patient with her, but she was starting to wear thin. Solor, however, found it endearing, glad she was happy to go back; she loved that town, and they did spend a lot of time there earlier. Even with the sudden fact that they had to leave, she didn't have a lot of bad memories.

He had contacted her old friends like he planned to. Tyler reluctantly agreed, remembering the fun they had a couple years ago, but Meghan flat out refused. She was too scared of Komi to go near her, and while Solor didn't push her to do anything she didn't want to, he decided to give some friendly advice.

"You're going to see her in the news about the Titans a lot", he told her. "Better get used to it." With that, he hung up.

Edward was bemused by Komi's excitement, though. He couldn't blame her, and, after seeing the town for himself, it was obvious that he approved of the area.

"Nice small town," Edward commented, "I didn't really have time to look at the area due to being focused on finding you. Now, I have a bit of time. As long as Komi doesn't get the rest of the team to strangle her."

Komi was disappointed that Meghan did not want to go on the picnic, but, hearing Tyler was coming brightened her mood a bit. Maybe too much for Solor's liking.

"... I think she has a crush", Solor said to his wife.

"Isn't it adorable?" Kreinyol responded.

"If he does anything to her, I swear to the First-"

"Solor, no."

"Solor, yes!"

And that is how Kreinyol learned that dating, for her bumgorfs, was going to be hell.

Edward heard the exchange and sighed, "This is not gonna be fun." Sometimes, it sucked having excellent hearing.

Then again, he could understand Solor's objections. Komi was a bit young to be going on for real dates. Play dates, fine and dandy, but, a "romantic date"? Even Edward had to silently support Solor.

Kreinyol also had a point and Edward hoped that he wouldn't have to intervene...not that he would because he might not appreciate Solor or Kreinyol intervening in the rare spat he and Rachael got into, and those typically didn't last more than a few moments before Edward would compromise.

"Husband, I don't think she's old enough to understand love and romance", Krein told him. "Must you really harm a child for trying to be with his friend?"

Solor grumbled, and crossed his arms. "Fine... I know Komi's not old enough, so I'll understand. I'll just keep an eye on him, so he doesn't take advantage of her. Susie, on the other hand..."

Kreinyol let out a sigh, but smiled anyway. Despite it being unnecessary, she was glad he was being overprotective; it just meant he was scared right now. He'd settle once the girls found good men... in a decade or two.

"I see a car approaching, guys," Edward said after a few moments as a mid-sized sedan pulled up.

Komi looked and smiled broadly as a child of about 11 exited as well as his parents. Komi had taken the logical precaution of using her disguise, before running over to the sedan, stopping just short of the boy. "Hey, Tyler!" she said, smiling at him.

"Hey, Kare- oh..." he started, but stopped when he realized he was saying the wrong name. "I guess it's Komi, right? Sorry... I'm so used to calling you Karen."

"It's okay", she said. She then turned to his parents, bowing a bit. "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Dock. It's been a while."

"Indeed it has", said the father. "You're growing like a weed, Komi. But, just so you know... you don't have to hide from us. Tyler told us about what happened that day, and while you did scare him at first, he realized you were just trying to scare away that punk, Jake. So, go ahead and let us see the real you."

Komi nodded, letting her disguise fall, as Tyler stared in awe. He walked around her, looking her up and down. Finally, he stood in front of her with a thumbs up. "Perfect mix of deadly and girly... that seems to fit you just fine."

Komi let out a giggle, lightly shoving him. "Shut up", she said. "Come on, I want you to meet my family." She approached Solor and Kreinyol. "These are my parents."

"Nice to meet you, sir", Tyler said, offering his hand to the dragon. Solor nodded silently, carefully taking his hand and shaking it.

Kreinyol only smiled and kneeled down. "Thank you for being my bumgorf's friend, Tyler. And do not mind Husband Solor; he protected Komi alone for ten years. He'll warm up in no time."

"I wouldn't dream of hurting her", Tyler responded, then let out a nervous chuckle. "Not that I could, anyway; I think she'd hit me first before I could even do anything on purpose."

Solor only smirked slightly, but still said nothing as Komi moved on. "This is my Uncle Edward." Tyler's parents approached Solor and Kreinyol, who were watching as Komi introduced the rest of the teams to her friend.

Edward smiled at the boy and shook the extended hand, "It's an honor to meet one of Komi's friends."

"You're also a dragon, right?" Tyler asked.

"Sure am," Edward said with a smirk, "But, don't let that fact bother you. Any friend of Komi's is a friend of mine."

He also shook hands with Tyler's parents before Komi eagerly went around the rest of the group and introduced them.

After that, the group sat down at the picnic table and started to enjoy the sunny Texas day by the shore of the Gulf of Mexico.

"So, Solor", asked Tyler's mother, Ruby. "We understand that you had to leave the Titans for... personal reasons", she worded carefully, trying not to upset the dragon. Solor closed his eyes, ready for the barrage of questions he was certain he'd get; Why did you leave? Why didn't you let the team know where you were going? Why did you kidnap Komi?

"When you were raising Komi by yourself, weren't you scared?"

Solor looked stunned for a brief second before replying, "Of course. I was terrified of a lot of things. What if I'm caught? What if I have to run for the rest of my life? Those questions ran through my head every day." He then looked at his daughter, who was playing with Tyler in the field nearby. "But... the biggest question I always had was, 'Am I good enough for my daughter? Will I be strong enough to take care of her until I can go home?' I will be the first to admit that there were times I just wanted to give up, to take Komi home and spend the rest of my days in a human prison. I wanted to just give up my position of Heir to Light, Ambassador to Humans, Lair Liaison... but I couldn't because at the same time, Komi was giving me the strength I needed. Sure, she has driven me up the walls repeatedly... but I love her very much, like the rest of my family. I wouldn't have given up because she needed me to be strong for her. So, yes, I was scared... but I was also strong enough because my daughter was there with me."

Ruby looked at Solor and said, "I think all parents go through these questions. Being a parent is a big responsibility. I know I have asked myself the same basic questions over the last 12 years. Yet, I wouldn't change anything, even if I could. Komi's a unique gift for you and Starfire."

"She's certainly that," Edward said, "and then some. I questioned myself when Cally was born as well. It was 200 plus years since my oldest was born. Did I still have what it takes to be a father to another hybrid? Did I have what it takes to raise a half-dragon, quarter human and quarter Trigon child? The challenges were there, that's for sure. When Rachael and I adopted Yolstav, she was already a handful. And, I questioned for a few moments if I would be able to raise a full dragon. Did I have the strength to do that and raising not only my own daughter, but, Soskrein as well in my brother's stead? Yet, she's so full of excitement and love that we can't help but love on her in full measure. Same with Susie and Callisto."

"Sounds like you had your hands full," the husband, James, replied.

"You could say that," Edward said, "But, I have a lot of help. Both teams stepped up as aunts and uncles to all three to share the load. Sometimes, I wonder what Susie would have been like without my presence. Or what the team would have done during the Trigon invasion and attacks of the Dark Dragons before they came to our side." Little did he know, within a month, he would find out.

Solor chuckled, "I wouldn't know, Edward. But, I am still thankful that Susie has so many positive role models in her life. I would say that your own doubts were answered. Susie doesn't show her dark side." He looked over and saw that the three other girls had joined Komi and Tyler in the field. That got a smile out of both dragons.

"Hey!" came a sudden call, and everyone turned to see Mally and two girls that Solor didn't recognize. One had a blue head of hair, with purple eyes and purple streak along her bangs, and stood slightly taller than Mally, while the other wore her curly, brown hair into a bun and stared at Solor with unemotional yellow eyes. He immediately realized the two must be Rath and Yolget. "Sorry we're late! Last minute business in Lair!"

"Took you long enough, Mally", Changeling teased. "We were gonna start the party without you."

"The party doesn't start until I get here, Changeling", Mally teased. She approached Edward, giving him a hug. "Hey, Edward, Rae. Long time no see." Then she spotted Solor, and quirked an eyebrow. "REALLY long time no see."

Yolget took that moment to step forward, grabbing Solor's collar and lifting him up to her eye level, since her human form was a good head taller than him. "You ever scare me or the other Heirs like that again, I swear to the First, Starborn..."

"I had no choice!" Solor offered weakly, trying to hold his hands up in an "I surrender" pose. "I would have told you guys if I could!"

"Yolget," Edward said calmly, "Put him down. This is not the time nor place to take out a 250+ year old grudge on a fellow heir."

"What grudge?" Yolget asked, looking over at Edward. "We buried that hatchet after our tournament. This is just me being mad that he left for ten years without even telling us. I thought we were friends."

"Oh, and friends threaten each other when they're upset?" Rath commented, glaring at Yolget.

"Our friendship was forged out of the fires of battle", Yolget shot back. "He understands that while we get along, I'm happiest when I'm fighting him."

Edward merely shook his head hearing that.

"All I'm going to say is that fighting is not supposed to engender happiness.

"Yes, I do, but now is not the time or place", Solor said. "You're scaring Komi."

At the sound of that name, Yolget immediately dropped Solor unceremoniously onto his tail, while she approached the naga. She crouched down as low as she could, so she could look the girl in the eye, a warm grin on her face. "Hello, Komi. I've heard much about you. I am Yolget, Heir to Earth."

"Nice to meet you", Komi meekly said, shifting behind Susie for some slight protection.

"Don't mind her", Mally said with a shrug. "She's usually a tough girl on her own, but involve kids, and she instantly switches to her mother-mode. She claimed a mate a couple years back and hasn't had any eggs yet."

"Yolget," Edward said, "Give it time. Not all beings have children right away. I'm sure that when you lay your first brood, you'll be the happiest dragon in Lair. I will await that bit of news."

"Thanks, Commander," Yolget replied smiling, "You honor me with your words, as always."

"Congrats", Solor managed to say, rubbing his lower back. "I'm so happy for her."

"Komi," Edward said, seeing how Solor was rubbing his backside, "I'd like you to meet Maldriin, Heiress of Life and Rathlovaas, Heiress of Water. Rath, the others are my niece Susie, and my daughters Yolstav and Callisto. The handsome gentleman is Tyler, a friend of Komi's. "

Tyler immediately blushed like mad, getting the four girls to chuckle. Komi managed to relax a bit, and slithered over, nudging him lightly. Yolget let out a hearty laugh as well. "Careful, child, or you may be the center of attention for many girls in your life."

Ruby frowned at that, but that was just her being a mother. James, meanwhile, laughed hard at his son's embarrassed expression. More introductions were made, and Mally was happily reunited with Yolstav, Cally, and Susie, pulling them all into a group hug. "I've missed you girls so much!" she said with a grin. "I'm sorry I couldn't visit too much; Solor going missing meant I had a lot more work on my plate."

Solor only sighed, before saying, "I'll make it up to you, Mally, don't worry about that."

Komi, of course, was a little shy around the newcomers, but after seeing none of them thought she was a freak or anything, she relaxed a lot more.

"Seriously," another voice said, "You girls can't have all the fun."

Solor rolled his eyes, "Hi, Vilea."

Edward got up and gave his half-sister a hug, "Welcome to the party!"

Solor introduced Vilea to Tyler's parents and also Tyler. Vilea looked at Tyler and smirked, "This kid could go places with friends like these. But, just so you guys know... Vilea is gone. I'm not that girl anymore. I decided to change my name, since the old one has a lot of bad memories."

"Oh? And what is your name, then?" Solor asked.

"Vulkiin", she said with a smile. "Figured I might want to match Soskrein's dad in some aspect...and my half-brother. Of course, when I'm off duty, you folks can just call me Victoria, or Vicky if you need to shorten that."

Solor smiled, approaching the dark dragoness, now dubbed Victoria, and giving her a hug. "I think it matches you well."

Susie walked over, giving her a hug as well. "Missed you, Aunt Vicky."

"I missed you too, little hatchling", she told the twilight dragon. She then turned to Sosfil, approaching her and seeing she had her eyes averted. "You can look at me, Sosfil. I won't hurt you."

Sosfil looked up, bowing her head a bit. "It is an honor to be in your presence, Dark Heiress."

"Thanks, but here, we're equals. Just call me Victoria." She knew the real reason why she was here; she was evaluating Sosfil's progress, and so far, she liked what she saw. But she wanted to reserve judgement until later; after all, the dragon before her had tried to kill her daughter's father, only to have Edward hand her her tail in a short battle. Sosfil was also very lucky that Vicky was not called to help subdue her instead of Mally and Golmul. Vicky would not have been so lenient. Since her and Solor had cemented their friendship when helping Edward, she was just as protective of her 'family'. But, she still is a Dark Dragon and sometimes, gave into those instincts. Sosfil would have been toast had they clashed that evening. Yet, during that trial, she spoke up to give Sosfil another chance...and she certainly had a vested interest in seeing how Edward and Solor were doing.

Deep down, Victoria could see her influence with her older half-brother's method of treatment.

Kiinnum is making a lot of progress here, she thought, I still have to evaluate how things are coming along as the Circle will be wanting an update at the next meeting. But, barring any reason to really question things, I think my report will be seen favorably. Sosfil does respect the old traditions, and, that will also help her. She still has a future within Lair, and, Kiinnum has offered her a place of honor once Fire steps down. She merely needs to forgo being an Heir, and, Kiinnum will let her be a trusted advisor.

That's actually a smart move on his part. Being outside of Lair left a lot of gaps in what we all take for granted, so, he needs the likes of Mally, Golmul and everyone else to help him catch up with our ways. It also will let Sosfil be as close to being an Heiress as possible. Thing is, she's disqualified herself from future consideration regardless. No one in the Circle or the heirs will support elevating someone who tried to take being an heir by force. Kiinnum's even told her that she's not worthy. Then again, I would not have been deemed worthy given my Darkness at the time.

The rest of the team was a little surprised that Vicky took so long to drop the Vilea name, including Edward.

"Dark Born...The new name suits you, dear sister," Edward said smiling, "And, Sosfil...relax, will you? You've earned this day off. I guess I should have mentioned that the heirs would be here, but, we are not wearing those titles today. Everyone at this picnic is on equal footing. So, there's no need to avert your gaze."

That got Tyler's parents curious, though.

James asked, "Why is that? Not to be too nosy, just curious."

Solor took that time to speak up. "Myself, Mally, Rath, Yolget, Victoria and Edward are heirs of our various clans. Think of it as being the Prince of Wales, just multiplied by 7. When it is time, we will take up the mantle of leaders among our people, and try to keep the world balanced in any way we can. I am certain you have seen some members of the Circle on television?"

"Yes, we saw Grand Light and Fire... although we only saw Grand Fire once", she commented, giggling a tiny bit. "He really didn't like having cameras in his face."

"He has... issues with people sticking their nose where they don't belong. My father tolerates it better, though.", Solor admitted, smiling. "But, as for the averting eyes thing... it's a sign of respect among dragons. Most members of the Circle and their Heirs are seen as the strongest among our species, and averting your eyes is an acknowledgement of our strength. You should have seen it when others saw Edward as one of the strongest dragons in Lair! Sosfil is heavily rooted into this tradition, but we're slowly breaking through to her that she doesn't need to do it all the time."

Sosfil replied, "Come on, guys! One doesn't throw away tradition just like that."

"We're not throwing it away," Edward said, "For myself, it's optional. I do not want to think that our people have to always avert their eyes. I know that they have a proper respect for me regardless. I'm actually more embarrassed when the soldiers avert their gaze in my presence. But, I won't stop them regardless as I do respect that tradition as well. Even after I am promoted to Grand Fire's spot, I'm not planning on strict enforcement of this tradition. It will be up to the individual dragon to avert their eyes...unless they really tick me off.

"You forget that the older members of the Circle still expect this tradition to be upheld. And, that's fine. Not like I have any say in it, regardless.

"Sister, stick with the traditions you want to uphold. I'll not complain if you do as that's your right...Except when an heir or member of the Circle says otherwise like today."

Meanwhile, Victoria approached Komi slowly, looking at her. The naga shifted, feeling like she was piercing her soul with those red eyes. Finally, the Dark Heiress spoke softly so that only Komi could hear her.

"Be careful", she told the naga. "You can intend to do good... but don't let what others say about you change your heart. I know... people can be mean and cruel... but as long as you cherish those who are kind to you unconditionally... you should be fine."

Komi smiled hearing that from her aunt and relaxed a bit.

Unfortunately, Mary was unable to join them, due to some extracurriculars, but she said that she'd be glad to hear all about it when the day was done. Komi was disappointed at that, but agreed to call her when she could and tell her what happened.

Solor got up, looking around. "Well, the field's pretty big... I think us guys can have some fun ourselves."

"Really? What did you have in mind?" Nightwing asked.

"We play football" Solor offered. "Native team versus Edward's team. And, of course, we'll all play without powers, so I'll be in human form. Figure that's a safe substitute, rather than in impromptu game of Predator and Prey, considering there's very few spots to hide."

"Sounds like fun", Yolget said, smiling. "I believe I shall play, too."

"Well, then we need someone to be on Edward's team, too", Solor commented. "It'll be five against four, Yolget. That's hardly fair."

"Please, Commander Kiinnum is more than dragon enough to take us both on in battle", she commented. "If I don't join, it will not be fair to you."

Solor sighed, but nodded in agreement. "True... very well. So then it'll be us five, my Nightwing, Cyborg, Changeling, Yolget and myself, against other Nightwing, Cyborg, Changeling, and Edward."

"You're forgetting about me", Wildfire piped up. He had been invited as well, since he had spent little time with his family before being possessed by Slade. He readily agreed, since it would take a while for Galfore to come and get him; he didn't want to leave right away. "I shall join Edward's team to even it up a bit."

"Thanks, Wildfire," Edward said with a smile.

Komi rolled her eyes, before grabbing Tyler's hand. "Come on, let's go play on the jungle gym." Behind her, her sister and cousins followed suit, with James offering to watch after them. That left the other girls by themselves, including Kreinyol, Raven, Rachael, Kori, Blackfire, Terra and Tara, Sosfil, and the three Heiresses, while Ruby decided she wanted to know more about Komi's sister, and went along with James.

They walked over to the field and marked off two end zones and what would be out of bounds. Since they did not have any goal posts, that ruled out field goal and PAT attempts.

"Anyone got a coin?" Edward asked.

Solor offered one, holding it in his hand. "Call it in the air", he said, flipping it upward and letting it fall.

"Heads," Edward said as the coin flipped and fall in the grass.

"Tails," Solor said with a smirk, "We will receive, thanks."

"That's fine," Richard said with a smirk, "Beast Boy will be kicking off. Edward will be the QB when it's our turn on offense.

"What should we play to pointwise?"

"First team to 35?" Edward proposed.

"How about 42?" Solor countered.

"That sounds reasonable," Nightwing said and the others nodded.

"Agreed," Edward said, "And, Yolget...Thank you for the compliment. But, this is a different sort of battlefield, my dear. It's a game where strength certainly comes into play, as well as agility. This will be fun, even without using our powers or extra abilities."

Yolget nodded, but frowned. "Well... I may be at a slight disadvantage here. I'm not exactly built for speed, but I can break past any defense. So, do not hold back, Kiinnum."

"I don't plan to, Heiress," Edward said with a smirk, "You still have to be able to tackle me and get past two Tamaranians, and my Titans."

"It will be a glorious battle!" Yolget said.

"It's a mere game, hatchling," Edward said, enjoying her eyes widening.

"You're mine," she said.

While this was going on, Kreinyol took that as her cue to start talking to the other girls. "Sister Rachael, how does it feel to have your husband back? I know we have been hogging him a lot lately..."

"It's all right," Rachael said with a sigh, "I'm kind of used to it seeing how it's been a decade since I've had much real time to be with him. I know he's doing the right thing here and even doing a role reversal with Sosfil."

Kreinyol frowned, "At least you got time with him...Husband Solor and I have a lot of catching up to do."

Raven said, "I did offer to swap, remember?"

"Yes, I do", Terra mentioned. "Edward wouldn't have it, saying that Rachael needed to stay home; the team would be down a member no matter what, but their universe was safer for Cally and Yolstav, and he didn't want to uproot them and drag them over here. In all honesty, giving how Soskrein was growing up... I think it would have been a smarter idea to bring Rachael, Callie, and Yolstav over, and send Raven there."

"How so?" Kori asked.

"Well, think about it", Terra began, holding her hand out, counting on her fingers. "There, Rachael has two kids to look after, plus the occasional visit from Melvin and her brothers. Here, Edward only had to look after one. In the long run, Rachael probably had to put a bit more effort to watch over those two than Edward did over Susie. Yeah, we had a couple scares with her Dark powers, but nothing too serious, and even then, it would have been easier with Rachael here, since she has more experience with kids than our Raven."

"Still wasn't really fair to my twin," Raven said, "Melvin and her siblings also had a giant invisible guardian bear. Rachael was dealing with two young dragons. Even with rapidly developing brains, they both needed watching over. Susie's a handful in her own right, but, even those few times her Darkness threatened to come out, she always listened when Edward or I would get her to calm down. But, I do respect that it was Edward's call to make."

Kreinyol frowned. "That is... actually one of the reasons I demoted him from 'brother' to 'friend'. I did not like that he was not being fair to his wife, and while I am grateful that he was willing to help in any way he could... he should have gone home a long time ago. If only for a month, or more likely less time. A daughter should not be without her father for so long... granted, I cannot speak for Solor being the perfect father, either."

"Dragons have a deep sense of honor," Sosfil said, "Edward took on a godfather role for Soskrein, correct? He felt that he had to step up and help raise Susie as if she was his own daughter. Granted, I think that it would have been best had the two Ravens swapped places. Maybe because he had the foreknowledge of this Brotherhood I have heard about, he did not want to risk his other children getting harmed. From what I've learned...when they froze Susie, he got rather angry, even for him."

"That was very true", Raven admitted. "He was absolutely livid, and I am glad that he was there to help us with that. I know that the Brain and Mallah came so very close to being killed as Edward's Blessing of Light reactivated then, I think when I told them that Edward was about to end their lives, that forced them to give up ... but, regardless, he should have still spent more time physically with his family. I understand the honor that Dragons feel, believe me, I do. But he's not like other dragons, he wasn't raised by them. He developed his own honor, and lived without a family of his own for so long. If anything, I expected him to at least bring his wife. I would have been okay with staying in his universe, as long as I got days to come back and visit. Kreinyol remembers trading places with Kori for her pregnancy and it didn't impact Kori's relationship with our Nightwing. She called him daily and was allowed to come over here as much as he wanted."

"Makes me wonder, then, why that was?" Sosfil said, "I think he should have done exactly that, Raven. Both teams would not have been overly short-handed anyway. Didn't he get called back quite a few times when his native team needed the added firepower?"

"Of course," Rachael replied, "And, that happened quite a bit and after those missions were over, he didn't race back here right away. He'd stay a few days to make sure that Cally and Yolstav had their dad. And, we'd be over here visiting as well. Susie would always spend as much time with me as she could, learning how to master her Darkness. It wasn't that Edward refused to help raise the girls. Ralph and Alice made sure of that. Both AIs refused to let Edward focus on just raising Soskrein. And, when school was out, the girls would split the time as fairly as possible.

"Sunfire...Your heart was in the right place, but, Edward chafed badly when you demoted him and he tolerated it as long as he did for Susie's sake. It actually hurt when you did that to him. He took that personally. And, when you thought he had joined the others in wanting Solor in a prison cell, he saw that as an attack on his personal and family honor that demanded an answer. That's why he finally said something and it took him over two years to finally tell you off. But, because we're all his family, after he said what needed to be said, he forgave you right away. He lived most of his life without a true family, remember? This was something he longed for, yet, did not have much direct experience with. He did the best that he knew how in this situation."

Vicky took that moment to cough lightly, gaining attention. "Then, by my right as acting Grand Darkness... I want Edward to take the next few months off. Unless it has something to do with Lair, I don't want him here until he has spent a sufficient amount of time with his daughters. And since Solor has a lot of catching up to do, I shall recommend the same to his father. Missions with the team, time with his wife and children... I want him to finally rest after his last job."

"You need to be careful, Vicky," Rachael said, "Edward does not like being told that he cannot visit those he calls family, and, he's not going to care if this coming from his half-sister. If he think you are interfering with his duty, he may not listen. This would have to be suggested by his father, and, even then, broached carefully. Or maybe get Solor to suggest this. He tends to give Solor more leeway with telling him what to do. They're deeply bonded, I think and since Solor's return, that bond has strengthened.

"But, Victoria...my husband has been in my universe a lot more since Solor returned. He flat out told Solor now that he's back, Soskrein is now his responsibility again. Who knows...he might actually be in agreement with you. Let me discuss it with him later on instead of my earlier suggestion."

"I don't think missions with us is really taking a break", Terra commented, with a light smirk on her face.

"Don't question my logic, Terra. I still remember your most ticklish spot."

"Good point", the young blonde said, her face paling slightly.

"Edward does need the break," Tara said, "And in a bad way, I think. He's pondering stepping aside totally for a while. How long? Maybe a year or so."

"How do you know this?" Rachael asked.

"He mentioned it to Greg and I when we were coming back from that oil refinery blaze," Tara replied.

Rachael raised an eyebrow, "His mental shields are getting better. I know he mentioned it before, but, I can't get in to see if he's decided to do this or not."

"Greg?" Vicky asked.

"Your Grand Fire, Vicky," Tara said.

"Oh?" was the reply, "We knew he had taken a few days away to visit Edward. The Circle does have to check up on their heirs at times. It's a very high standard to maintain. Even when Solor was banished, Sol did his best to keep an eye on his Heir."

"That he did", Sosfil said, frowning. "He even asked me to take trips to Jump City and keep an eye on him."

"That explains how Sol knew that Solor was missing", Raven realized, her eyes wide. "You were watching him, then."

"Of course", Sosfil defended. "I may have wanted to be heir, but I still listen to the Circle to the letter... for the most part... until recently..." As she spoke, her defensive tone diminished, and the last two words were spoken in barely a whisper.

Vicky looked at Sosfil and reached over, "The Circle knows this and that's why they want you in a higher ranking position in the government here. That's why they asked Solor to tell the President that his dragon liaison and advisor needed a leave of absence. Like Edward, you can regain their trust. It took him a while, but, he managed it. You don't know it, but, Edward has been reporting favorably to the Circle on your progress. Solor speaks highly of you when even 25 years ago, he would even been the first to call for your execution.

"Don't beat yourself up too harshly."

"How can I not?" Sosfil said softly, "I betrayed my siblings, my father, and my clan. I should have been executed, Victoria...I still may be killed or at least banished."

"Sosfil," Vicky said gently, "you're already banished from your own children...The Circle thinks that this is a fitting punishment, remember? The Circle isn't as ... harsh as they tended to be in the past. They are giving your brothers the time to help you.

"It's interesting. When Edward was in the same position you are in, it was a half-brother and half-sister who helped in his recovery. Now, it's a full blooded brother and a half-brother helping you and I see that they have made a lot of progress."

"Yet, I do not deserve their help," Sosfil said.

Rachael piped up and said, "Sosfil of the Light, my husband has put aside his anger towards you for attacking his brother to help you. And, you are my sister-in-law because of my marriage to him. Don't cheapen that by thinking you are not worthy. Edward does not help everyone he meets. He has to see something that tells him that it's worth the chance. He also had a reason to turn his back: you were ordered to kill him in Japan and you accepted that order willingly. And he has forgiven that. He's forgiven you attacking Solor as well."

"And, he forgave me," Vicky said, "And I did far worse to his brother. I raped him, repeatedly. I drugged him. I broke his will. I broke his spirit. Not only that, he took the time to mentor me a bit even before we knew we share she same bloodline. Sosfil, you and I are also half-siblings because of Edward. He accepted you as family and, like it or not, nothing except the First will shake that now."

Sosfil sighed, "Is that why Raven is teaching me how to meditate?"

"You're an extended part of my family," Raven said, "I know that everyone can have a dark side. When we first met Solor, it was hard to get used to him. He wasn't allowed at the time to tell us the truth and over time, he started to let us in past that show no weakness aspect. Kreinyol was the first to break through, then, I suppose I was the second.

"But, when Vicky here decided to invade my inner sanctum, and threw Solor into Edward's universe...I like to think that Edward treated him like family after a few days and that showed Solor that he belonged and was worthy. And, trust me...you are more than worthy to be called family. Even my fiancee is coming around. You are gaining his trust, Sosfil."

"Don't be as rock headed as I was," Tara replied.

"You paid a high price, didn't you?" Sosfil asked.

Tara nodded, "A price that still affects me today. You did not give your virginity to a monster in human skin, serve him and try to destroy the best thing that should have happened. You did not become totally petrified stopping a volcano, either. By all rights, I still should be an inanimate statue. But, that bit of Life heritage within Edward saw I was still barely there. After the team released me from that prison, I had a lot of issues to deal with. It was something that the entire team helped me with. They are my family, Sosfil. From the moment I fell naked into Beast Boy's arms and Robin covered my body with his cape, they were family. I had committed crimes that should have put me in prison for many decades, and, the team prevailed on the governor and President to pardon me...pardons I did not deserve at the time...But, after working with Edward for years, I have accepted what happened. Being friends with my twin also helped. More than she realizes."

Sosfil was listening to the stories of acceptance closely and how both teams had become true family over the years. Even the one terrakinetic on Edward's team...a traitor in the eyes of her people...had been redeemed, forgiven, and truly accepted despite what she had done.

And, something started to reawaken within Sosfil...a desire to do what is right and just. She was the daughter of Feylfil, the Grand Light and if he refused to cast her out for good, and her brothers were taking the time away from their own family to carry out the will of the Circle...for her, she realized that she needed to do her part as well. She realized that her obsession with being an heir had to put to rest. Even her older brother had gently said that she was not worthy.

At the time, she didn't want to see that. She was blinded by an irrational desire for power.

She sighed, "How could I have been so blind?"

Blackfire smiled, reaching over and patting Sosfil's shoulder. "It's not the first time someone's been blinded by jealousy. My sister and brother had our parents' favor; due to me being born with darker hair and violet eyes, I was seen as a jinx. I wasn't trusted, and even though I was first born, I was refused the throne as well. My parents didn't want to, but in order to keep their people happy, they had no choice."

Sosfil gave her a smile. "I can see how that eats one up inside... it took some time thinking about it to realize what you had done wrong, correct?"

"Yeah. I was banished from my planet after I made an attempt to take over the throne by force, and landed in prison. This time... I decided I needed to think about what happened. And I spent my time, rehabilitating myself so that I can live a normal life. I don't need that power anymore."

"Then I can understand that, as well", Sosfil said. "I vow, should I be found worthy to enter Lair again, I will never again seek a position I am unworthy of."

"That's all I needed to hear", Kreinyol said with a smile. She flew over, giving Sosfil a big hug (without the bone crushing part) before pulling out her communicator. "Sol, did you hear that?"

"Every word", the Grand Light's voice responded. "Very well said, Titans. Thank you Vedyol, and Vicky as well. Very well done, my daughter, my Sunshine." Blackfire's eyes widened as it was the first time Sol had used a Lair name with her. Sosfil's eyes widened further, not expecting to hear her father's praise again. "I shall send them over, then."

"Wait, what? Send who? Father?" Sosfil was confused when the communications were cut short. "What did he mean by that?"

Raven smirked, "You'll see."

That was when a tear opened.

Sosfil couldn't believe her eyes as Ruvolyol stepped out, in a human form that complimented her own in both grace and an aura of business. He glanced at her, before averting his eyes, looking somewhat sheepish. "Hello, Sosfil", he said to her.

"Ruvol?" she asked, approaching him. "What are you doing here? You forbade me from seeing our children, remember? Do you wish to take something else from me?"

"No, that's not why I'm here", Ruvol told her. "Your father asked me to come here... and I willingly agreed. I've been hearing a lot about your progress... learning to meditate, losing that desire to take Heir... how miserable you've been without contact from our children...I am here to restore something to you...my dearest life mate."

Her ears twitched slightly at the words "our children", but she did her best to hide her anxiety. "Oh? And who has been telling you about all of this? I know Father could not have."

"He did not", Ruvol said. "What happens between you and him is your business alone. I heard this from your brother." At her shocked, jaw dropped reaction, he continued. "Filkiin has told me of the leaps and bounds you made with your progress... and how you are so torn at not being able to see our children. So, he asked me to listen in on this, and now that I can hear your voice, your resolve... my own fire has vanished. I know now that you have learned your lesson. So..." He turned to the tear. "Come out now, all of you!"

At that command, a swarm of children ran through, all of them looking like a mix of their mother and father. A dull roar of "Mom!" rang through the air, interrupting the game of football as everyone watched the children swarm their mother, each reaching out and trying to hold her, hug her, or just be near her. Sosfil's eyes brightened, and for the first time in a very long time, a genuine smile graced her lips as she reached out, trying her best to address all of them. Eventually, she gave up on that, and switched to a dragon form, encircling them all as she gave a low growl of contentment.

"My children... I have missed you all so much..."

"We missed you, too, Mom!" shouted one of the older kids, looking a bit older than Soskrein. In fact, a good chunk of them looked older, and the youngest all looked to be about Komi's age. Then again, these were dragons, and they could shapeshift, so it was more likely half of them were already one hundred years old.

Edward looked over at Solor and smiled, "We make a damn good team, Brother. This is what our sister really needed to boost her morale. Obviously the girls were able to finally get Sosfil to let go of this obsession. Our work is not done, but, I think that she will not have to worry about being executed now. Then again, it helped that our women were on board with this plan, even Blackfire had her role without realizing it."

Solor smirked, "I think you're right. And, this will have a long term result even within the Circle. Three times, they've not enacted the death penalty for 'Treason' and three times, the dragon proved worthy of redemption instead. Remind me when we have been promoted to our titles to see about amending the Treason law somewhat to really allow a chance for redemption. Somehow, I think that you're the pin holding all this together, Kiinnum...I wouldn't have it any other way."

The other heirs, of course, heard that and nodded their agreement. It was a logical idea to formally allow someone charged with Treason a chance to be redeemed. Granted that there would still be dragons who would have to die for their crimes and they all realized that.

Many of the kids still stayed by their mother, but some of the more curious ones managed to move away, looking at the other dragons and the Titans. Some approached Soskrein and Komi, looking at them with what appeared to be wonder. "Cousin Komi?" one said, a younger boy. "Cousin Soskrein?"

"We are", said Susie. "What's your name?"

"I am Viintaasjusk", said the boy. "My human name would be Vincent. These are my brothers, Viintaasving and Viintaasslov. We all hatched at the same time. In human terms, I believe we are called triplets?"

"It is nice to meet you", Susie said. "Would you like to play with us?"

"Of course", said Ving. "Please, call me Victor, much like your Cyborg. Or jut Vic, for short."

"And I am Saul", said the last boy. "What would you like to play?"

Some of the other children approached Edward and Solor, thanking them for helping their mother. Edward couldn't help but note that a majority of the children were boys, about two thirds of them in total.

"It was a pleasure helping your mom," Edward said as he met his extended group of nieces and nephews for the first time, "It is time well spent, hatchlings.

"Can I give you a hug?" one of the girls asked.

Edward bent down and nodded, "No need to ask, little one. That goes for all of you. For you, I am your Uncle Kiinnum or you may use Edward here. Not Heir to Fire or Commander. You all have my permission to look at me, even if I am on official Circle business. I do not want you worried about that, but, I won't object if you follow the tradition of showing respect in this manner, either."

Next thing Edward knew, he was mobbed by probably half the kids who all wanted to greet their new uncle before they went over to give Solor a hug as well.

"Looks like the game's been abandoned," Garfield noted.

"All part of Edward and Solor's plans," Nightwing said with a smirk, "I'm sure that the game will resume in a bit."

"I think it's nice," Terra said, "These little dragons are all a part of Edward's true family. It doesn't take a Raven to see how happy he and Solor are."

"Some of those dragons are 100 years old, dear," Raven said to her fiancee.

"Hard to tell", Nightwing commented. "They look about 15 at the oldest." He chuckled as he saw some of the older kids dogpile on their uncle, causing him to call out for help.

"Edward, I require assistance!" he yelled out. "I'm trapped under a pile of affection!"

Sosfil, however, caught sight of him first, and smirked. "Children! Dogpile on Uncle Solor!" And just like that, the remaining kids that weren't already attacking him jumped on top as well (sans Vince, Vic, and Saul), leaving Solor trapped under the children.

"Ack! Sister!"

"HA HA HA!" Edward laughed.

"Don't forget Uncle Kiinnum!" Sosfil called out.

"AAAUUUGH!" Edward cried out as he was swarmed in a heartbeat.

It was Solor's turn to laugh as Edward was tackled hard by 17 very happy kids.

Needless to say both dragon's spouses were laughing as well at their husband's plights.

Vicky was also watching this with a smirk. When Edward approached her several days ago and invited her to the picnic, she suspected an ulterior motive and asked, "What's in this for me, Brother?"

"The reward, Dear Sister," Edward had said, "Is seeing Sosfil's face if her mate decides to be as forgiving of her as we have been. These last six weeks have been brutal on her, and, if Ruvol is the honorable soul I hope he is, he will let Sosfil see her children once more. Just tell her honestly your story of forgiveness and redemption. Let her see that if someone who was just as nasty as they come can be forgiven, not by the Commander of the Circle's Army and even pardoned by the Circle for the most part, then, she is just as worthy of the same. My sister needs this morale boost. You did not see how crushed she was after we took her to Iilahkun's former cave."

"I saw the defiance in her eyes die when her mate issued his own punishment," Vilea had said, "I actually felt pity for her then. Filkiin had every right to bar me from seeing Soskrein considering what I did to him, and, seeing that I am welcomed into this family of dragons and mortals. I cannot fathom the pain Sosfil is going through. I do miss the other two whelps, but, honestly...the love Susie shows towards me and the love of my two brothers outweighs that loss. I'm on board."

"Thanks, Vilea," Edward said then.

"There's one other thing...I'm going to pick a new name for myself," she told him, "Vilea needs to go away for good. I'm not her anymore."

"I totally understand," Edward said with a smile, "Forgive me, but, you should have done this a long time ago. The name Vilea denotes that you would someday return to who you were. Picking a suitable new name is something that says, 'Vilea is dead...My new name reflects who I am now.' Whatever you decide is 100% your call. I am fully on board with this choice. And, you can take that to the bank. If the Commander of the Circle's Army supports this name change, I think everyone else will."

But, here, in the present, Edward was buried by a lot of happy nieces and nephews. So worth it, he thought, I've been waiting for this day for a while and what's wrong with being loved on?

Eventually, the children let him up, as Ruvol called out to them. "Children, we have to head back to Lair!"

There was a collective groan of irritation, and about half of them approached Sosfil, with the intent of asking her to let them stay. But she shook her head. "Listen to your father, hatchlings. Mommy still needs more time to get better; I'll be back before you know it."

Vince, Vic, and Saul all looked at their cousins. "Sorry we didn't get to stay long", said Saul. "How about we come back and visit sometime?"

"I'd like that", said Susie. "Komi, say bye to your cousins."

"Bye", the naga said softly. "It was nice to meet you."

"You kids can visit us in the Tower," the native Nightwing offered, "but, no more than 5 at a time. We don't have room for all of you at once, I'm afraid."

That got smiles on the youngsters' faces as their dad herded them through a Tear Solor had opened hearing the dad recalling them.

They all disappeared and Edward smiled broadly, "See, Sister? It's working out for the best."

Sosfil ran over and grabbed Edward in a hug, tears of happiness, for once, on her face and she didn't care who saw.

In fact, she pulled Solor in as well into the family hug, "Thank you." was all she said.

"Sosfil," Solor said with a smile, "You earned all of this with your hard work. I was asked not to tell you what was going on here, outside of 'Hey, we're going on a picnic,'"

"I was not expecting Father to be on board here," she said.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sol asked, emerging from the same Tear, "I told you before, my Children...Nothing will get me to abandon you. All of you had done things that incurred the Circle's wrath, yet, as I stand here, I am proud of all of you. And, to think this was all set in motion on a bright summer day.

"Kiinnum, per your request, we went through the records of the Circle and have pinpointed when I brought you to them as a hatchling and then, when you were hatched. In mortal dating, you were hatched on 20 August 1135 BC. Making you..."

"3,150 years old," Edward said, "That means, except for Grand Death...Everyone in the current Circle was there when I was first brought to you."

"Yes, my son," Sol said, "And, we are all nearing the end of our expected terms. But, some of us have to wait to step aside. Fire, Life, myself and Water all have to complete training our respective heirs. Death, as you know, will not be expected to select an Heir for a while yet. Oddly enough, Yolget is the furthest along in her training so, she may be elevated before all of you.

"Something else, son. I think that when Sosfil is allowed back into Lair, you should head home for a while. Home as in your own universe. You are in dire need of rest, my son. You're not going to be banished there like before, but...take a long vacation. Get to know my granddaughters. Do not make the same ... mistakes I made with my whelps. Trust me, when Grand Fire steps down, you will not get that many days off. Cherish this time with your girls and your mate. Cherish the time that Nova is here. When it is her time, please make sure she is buried in the family site, next to Iilahkun."

Edward nodded, "You need not ask me that, Father. She already asked me to place her there, and, my step-mom also asked. She was granted a short time to visit Rachael one night. The night my night terrors over the Japan incident stopped.

"You are correct. I do need 'time off'. That doesn't mean I would refuse an assignment from the Circle, though.

"Richard, this is a good time to tell you this: I am temporarily stepping down from the Titans, effective in two weeks. I feel myself starting to slip a bit in control and, taking 6 months to a year off is called for. I will stay 'on call' when or if you need the added firepower, though. I need to make up a lot of time with my own family as well."

"Don't make him do that", Solor said. "I would be more than happy to pay you back for taking my place. Richard, should you need extra firepower, don't be afraid to give me a call, either, especially after Edward takes his long vacation." He gave the non-local Nightwing a toothy grin. "After all, I need to pay everyone back for making you all worry so much. I would be more than happy to help."

Nightwing smirked. "I may take you up on that offer, Solor", he said, extending his hand. "However... I think it's time we headed back. Edward has a lot of vacation time saved up over the last ten years."

Solor nodded, shaking Nightwing's hand. He then approached Kori, about to hug her, when he paused, his nostrils flaring a bit. He sniffed the air, then slowly felt his grin grow. "Why, Kori... when were you going to tell us you were with child?"

Edward's jaw dropped and he also took a deep sniff. Sure enough, now that he was focused, there was a different scent to Kori..."Sweet Jesus! I'm smelling your native scent and something else underneath it."

Nightwing's eyes bugged out at that moment, practically popping out from behind his mask. "W-What?"

Kori blushed, glaring at Solor. "You ruined the surprise!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't know it was a surprise!" he defended. "I can only read Sunfire's mind, not yours!"

Nightwing approached her, looking anxious. "How far along are you?"

"Only three weeks", she admitted. "I was not so sure myself until recently. I know you were not planning for a child so soon, but..."

"Kori, you and I have been together for over a decade now", Nightwing said to her, as a small smile formed on his face. "I probably will panic more than anything... but I think it's time we started settling down, too."

Solor gave them both a hug, congratulating them as the rest of his team and Edward's also joined in, giving Nightwing a pat on the back while Kori got plenty of hugs and a few girlish screams of excitement (namely from Kreinyol and the Terras).

"You'll be a great dad," Edward said, "You've been wonderful with the kids that visit or live there. While I am on my vacation, I know the bumgorf will be born. When that time comes, I will want to be there. Kori, you will have to tell Cyborg and the AI what to expect as well. I will hopefully take Rae and the girls on part of this vacation...but, won't leave the team shorthanded in that area. We'll cross that bridge in a couple of weeks. And, Solor? Thanks for offering to cover for me, but, after a decade, covering for me is only partial payment. This time, I think I will be keeping score."

"I wouldn't expect any less", Solor told his brother, smiling. "Don't worry, brother, I am a dragon of honor; I will work until you think I've done enough."

Sol nodded, approaching Solor. "Do not forget your duties to Lair and the Circle, though. You owe us as well."

The Heir only nodded. "Of course."

So, for the day, everyone began to say their goodbyes, hugging their counterparts and bidding them a goodbye and a goodnight. Tyler and his parents also said goodbye, since Tyler did have some homework to work on. It was a fun day, and Komi would cherish this memory for years to come.

With that, Edward opened a tear back home, the game abandoned at a tied score. His team went through and Edward took a last glimpse of the small town and stepped through.

He had a lot of vacation plans to make and not much time to do it...

[Conclusion]
[Two weeks later]

Edward's bags were packed as well as the rest of his family. Raven and the girls insisted on going along for the trip and Nightwing was happy to let the Barnes family take a long overdue break. With the other honorary Titans willing to fill in as well as Solor, Edward knew that they were in good hands.

Their first stop was back in Hawaii, then Edward had arranged for a world tour, to expose the girls to other cultures and put their other languages to use. As it was the girls' summer break, Edward decided to do as much traveling as possible before Cally and Yolstav would start back. Then, they would return to the Tower a week before school started up again and do the needed Back To School shopping trip.

He almost left his communicator behind, but, Raven talked him into keeping it seeing that they needed a surefire way to stay in contact with their friends.

And, for once, Edward was content to let someone else do the flying, so, he booked a flight from Jump to Hilo for the whole family. Cyborg had offered to take them in the T-Ship, but, was rebuffed gently.

So, it was time to head to the airport, passports in hand, to begin a trip of a lifetime.

"You keep me appraised of the baby's development," he told Nightwing and Starfire, "I can be back at a moment's notice if anything goes wrong."

"Don't worry", Nightwing said. "Solor will be dropping by often, and he's been learning how a normal Tamaranean pregnancy should go from his wife, so we should be fine." He then looked around, frowning. "Speaking of which, he should be here... he said he'd see you guys off before you left."

"I'm here!" came the sudden yell, as a Tear opened up. "Sorry! Sorry! Lair had some last second duties pop up, nothing important!" He noticed some security guards coming up, and groaned. "Ugh... not now." He held out his Titan communicator, effectively getting them off his back. "Seriously, I've been around before... does no one ever recognize me?"

"Meh, you probably just have one of those faces", Edward teased, getting a scowl from his younger brother.

"Haha, old timer." The younger dragon gave his brother a hug, smiling. "You guys be safe, alright?"

"We will be, and, Ralph...Re-add Solor to the list of authorized Titans. No need to try to fry him as an intruder. We will be discussing why you removed him later when we never removed him from the rolls," Cyborg said.

"You take care of the team," Edward said, "And, keep me informed of Lair Business. I might be on a mortal type vacation, but, if something comes up that needs all the Heirs, I will be there, vacation or otherwise. Just try not to keep me from my family too long, hehe!"

"No promises", Solor told him, but smiled anyway. He moved to the girls first, squatting down a bit so he was eye-level with Cally and Yolstav. "I'm sorry I wasn't around for ten years, girls. When you're back, I'll be here to help you with school if you need it, okay?"

"Of course, Uncle Solor", Yolstav said, giving him a hug. "I look forward to it."

"Barring any other prophetic dragons needing you to run again", Cally joked, also hugging Solor. "Then, we'll see you when school's about to start again."

"You wound me, Callisto", Solor teased, giving her a gentle hug back. "And don't worry about me running again. I'm not going anywhere for a long time."

"Cally's cracking jokes?" Garfield asked, "That's rare."

That was the wrong thing to say as Cally glared at him for a moment and muttered something. Next thing he knew, he was outside of the Tower.

"And Mom's favorite 'punishment' is used by my sister," Yolstav replied.

"Hehehe," Cally chuckled, much like Raven would as Garfield walked back in grumbling about how some kids couldn't take a joke.

"Gar?" Edward asked, "Remember when you had to fly back to the Tower. What was it, hon...30 miles?"

"Yes," Starfire said with a giggle, "He got the pranks played on him, too. The sauce that is very hot, the Liquid that smells like the butt, the drinking of the whole milk and the insta-lube prank."

By then, Garfield had both hands in the air and backing away slowly...face turning into a lighter shade of green.

"You win!" he cried as the group broke into laughter, including Solor who had heard of the night of the pranks.

"We need to get going," Edward said, "I don't want to be late for check-in."

They headed downstairs where the T-Car was waiting. They would take it to the airport and the on-board AI would drive the T-Car back to the Tower.

After more hugs between the team members, Edward said to Solor, "Unless Lair is burning, under attack or something of vital importance to the Circle, the Heir to Fire is on a vacation."

"They already know, bro," Solor said, "Turns out our beloved Dark Heir made the suggestion. And as for Sosfil, she'll be fine now. Her kids visit when they can, and, rumor has it that the Circle will treat her kindly when she returns. You have a good time, though. Send pictures!"

"You know it," Edward said, "Give Vicky my love when you see her next. I do want to be there for Sosfil's hearing, though. That won't eat into the vacation time." They got in and Edward started the engine, "Let's go, folks. KITT, plot a route to the Airport, please."

"I've already done that, Edward," KITT replied. Edward still chuckled that the T-Car insisted on adopting the name of another AI that Edward once knew. Sadly, that AI had been turned off almost 20 years ago when the driver was killed during a mission. That AI was so heartbroken, it actually died. There was no way to reactivate the module, either, so, the CPU was placed into a small casket and buried next to his driver.

The T-Car when asked merely replied, "Without the original KITT, you Titans would not have Ralph, the T-Ship, or myself in our current states. I want to honor his work and life." Edward said, "The first KITT would be honored, I think, and if memory serves, as proud as we are to have you."

The family pulled out and headed towards the airport, skimming across the bay and into the sunset...

Edward Barnes writes...

It's been a long decade looking for Solor and Komi, but, now that they have been found safe and sound, it's finally time for me to make up a lot of lost time with Rae and the girls. The Titans are in good hands, as always. Then again, they've always been able to handle themselves in a fight as well as at home.

Hawaii will be a good place to start for a couple of weeks, then, the girls wanted to see the glaciers in Alaska, so, we'll spend a few days to a week up there. Hopefully, they will get to see an iceberg calve off the parent glacier.

After that, the Land of the Rising Sun will occupy the family for a while and will get to hear how Japanese sounds. Sure, they both love the Godzilla franchise and they will love the surprise I lined up: A tour of Toho Studios while they are filming a new Godzilla movie. Who knows, if they need extras, the girls would be thrilled to take part, pretending to run away from a nearly 400 foot tall kaiju instead of thinking of fighting it. Then again, at my full size, fighting such a kaiju would be interesting. Then again, with my luck, they might need a realistic looking opponent. Not like I couldn't morph into most of Godzilla's opponents. I'm drawing the line at a three headed dragon, though! It's bad enough when I do Trigon. My brain isn't wired for four eyes...splitting into three fully working heads? No, not happening.

Raven is looking forward to the time off as well. I felt bad having her stay put here and being alone, but, now can make it up to them all. And for the next six months to a year, that is exactly what I plan on doing.

The End ... for now