The Girl Who Played With Fire

by Fell-and-Fallen

After the events of "An Assassin in Our Midst", Ash has joined up with the ninja to learn how to control her strange powers. But when a certain boy starts to stir up trouble, she's set on a path of discovery where she learns, for better or for worse, that not everything is as it seems. REWRITE with pretty drastic changes.

10. Welcome Home, Iris

Sorry for the somewhat late post on this, I'm still trying to catch up a little on my writing. Anyway, I'm really loving these chapters and I hope you love them just as much as I love writing them. I'm always open to feedback, so don't hesitate to drop a review. Thanks so much to all of you who have been with me since the beginning. It really means a lot and your reviews are so instrumental to keeping me on track that I can't even thank you enough. But all in all, I'm just glad all you readers are giving my little story a chance. I'm always looking for more stuff to read, so if you want to hit me up with something new, that'd be really great!

I hope you enjoy this chapter. For added experience, I highly recommend you listen to the soundtrack while reading any and all of my stories. I know I do when I'm writing, and it's just a fantastic way to read anything.

Anyway, I'll get out of the way and let you read!

- Fell_and_Fallen -

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I fall flat on my face for the third time in an hour, spitting out dirt and grass as I push myself back onto my feet. The leaves above me whisper with a noise that sounds like laughter, and I can't help but feel that the trees have it in for me. I look back at the root I tripped over and entertain the idea of lighting it on fire, but shove the impulse aside to continue forward into the dark trees.

I wonder not for the first time if I'm lost. As useful as I thought Sensei and Nya's map would be, as soon as I entered the sprawling forest I realized it referenced landmarks that don't exist anymore or probably never existed in the first place. But as unfamiliar as the trees around me are, something draws me forward. Toward the center of the forest.

The world around me is completely silent except for the sound of blowing wind and my own footsteps through crunchy leaves. There are no birds, no rattle of animals in the bushes, no chatter of insects. But instead of feeling eerie, it feels reverent, as if the forest is holding its breath in the presence of something incredible.

I duck underneath a branch, and suddenly there it is: a massive fortress of stone and ivy rising from the forest in a cloak of shadows and fog.

In the past it must have been both beautiful and intimidating, but now its glory is masked beneath creeping vines and crumbling walls. Even then, something unspeakably powerful draws me forward away from the shelter of the forest and toward the imposing palace.

As I walk up the shallow, cracked steps a shiver runs from my forehead down to my toes, like I've just walked into an electric field. I face a pair of huge wooden doors splintered and warped by years of neglect. I swallow the lump in my throat and approach them, using all my strength to push them open.

With a reluctant groan and the sound of snapping wood, I stumble forward into a larger room. I look up, expecting to see a vast elaborate throne room, but instead I'm met with a few moth-eaten curtains and tumbling dust-bunnies.

"Hello?" I call out, a little afraid of what might answer. I let the bag of supplies slung over my shoulder fall with a clatter to the floor, sending the sound echoing into the large stone space. "Is anyone there?"

There's no reply, but I keep going. I haven't forged my way through miles of hills and forgotten woods to give up now.

As my eyes adjust to the dimly lit room, I make out a large, wing-backed stone chair cemented in the center of a low platform. Two crouched dragons make the armrests, their mouths coiled in a threatening snarl. They might have been incredibly imposing in their prime, but under so many layers of dust and plant life, they look more like warped lizards. Still, the same unexplainable something draws me toward it.

As I approach the center of the room, my footsteps ring loud and hollow, filling the air with echoing sound. I pause. That's strange. In a castle made entirely of stone, it shouldn't sound like-

The floor shudders underneath my feet and I turn back toward the entryway. The ground caves behind me as I struggle to make it to the door, but the stone beneath my feet disappears and I plummet. I reach out with wild fingers and just barely snatch at the edge of the solid floor with one hand, screaming as my shoulder jerks from the sudden weight.

I hang in empty air, coughing as a cloud of dust invades my lungs. I squirm and glance down beneath my dangling feet at the blurry floor far underneath me, too far for me to land without breaking something important. Carefully I move my other hand to the stone. The stone shudders, but holds, and I get a faint inkling of hope. I start to pull myself up when the ledge shudders and finally gives, throwing me into the darkness below.

---

When I wake up, my entire body aches like I've just been run over by a steamroller. Clouds of dust spin in the air around me as I try to move, but my leg erupts with scorching pain. I bite back a scream as I look down at my leg, which is twisted under white dust and rubble. My ankle sticks out at an awkward angle, and my leg curves in an unnatural way. I manage to sit up, clenching my teeth as my leg screams. I bite down on my tongue and taste blood, muffling the cry that bubbles in my throat. My vision swims as I look away from my broken leg and into the rest of the room.

In the past this place might have been a grand hall, but as I look around everything's covered in layers of climbing vines and thick dust. What isn't hidden is covered in beautiful spiraling designs and other symbols I can't read from this distance.

I shakily get to my feet, silently screaming every time my leg makes contact with the floor. I wobble on my other leg before I slowly start to hop forward, toward the opposite end of the hall. Something wet and hot streaks down my side, and I look down to where my shirt is sticking to the blood running from the injury Hale gave me. I shift my bandages over it and try to ignore it. There's nothing I can do to fix it now. I move painfully slowly and cautiously, praying that there aren't any more rickety floors for me to fall through.

By the time I make it to the opposite wall, my entire body throbs like one massive wound. I blink to clear the spots in my vision and look up at the wall towering before me. I realize that the symbols I thought were designs are actually hand prints pressed into the wall. Each one has a different symbol in the center of the palm, and they're all different sizes. Most are big and weathered, but others are tiny, smaller even than mine. Something pulls me forward, and I raise my hand and lightly touch the wall.

Something hot scorches through my arm, blasting me away from the wall and sailing back through the air. I land with a scream, my head exploding with dots as everything in my body burns with blistering agony. My arm rages like it's being ripped apart. I tear at it with my other hand, trying to tug away the dark ribbon that envelopes it like a shroud. I want to scream, watching whatever this thing is move like blood just below my skin. It curls tightly around my wrist, rattling as small shapes blaze to life and a pair of glowing orange dots burn straight into my eyes. I realize with a start that I'm staring into the eyes of a thin, red dragon.

"Iris. You finally came."

I jump, jarring every bone in my body. I scramble backward as a brilliant shape surges to life in front of me. Every part of my body screams against the movement, but I still manage to raise a threatening arm at the figure of a man before me.

He's tall, looming over my broken body and swallowed in a trail of blue robes. He looks young, his face lined with faint wrinkles and dark hair that falls neatly behind his ears. His light blue-grey eyes shine with a wisdom I've only seen in one other person, and I find my arm faltering.

"W-Who are you?" I ask, struggling to make sense of what I'm seeing. Maybe the fall I took did kill me. That would explain why I'm seeing ghosts.

The man's eyes grow sad as he moves a little closer to me. "Iris, you know who I am, don't you?" he asks. My mind rattles. His voice is the one that spoke to me what feels like eons ago, though it's only been a few days. Being face to face with him shifts something deep in my core. Something about this man feels all too real, too familiar. Like I've met him in a dream.

"Iris, please try to remember," he moves even closer. "Dig deep, Iris. Think of before."

Something clicks into place. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and lower my arm. The dragon rumbles against my wrist and I fight the urge to shake it off. "I know who you are," I manage to choke out, my voice sounding tiny in the huge room. "You're Lindell. My… My father."

The man smiles and his eyes grow red with tears. "Yes," he closes his eyes. "Fates, you don't know how long I've been waiting to see you, how long I've tried to reach you. I did all I could to get you to hear me, but it was never enough."

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't know," I wince as I struggle to sit up. My father opens his eyes and stares at me with concern.

"You're hurt," he crouches next to me. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize. Allow me."

He reaches out and lays his hand against my head, but instead of feeling the warmth of his skin on mine all I feel is cold. Something snaps inside me and I cry out as a wave of something surges through my body. I gasp out a breath as the surge stops, realizing with a twitch of my leg that the pain is gone.

"There. That should feel better," my father smiles as he straightens up.

I stare down at my fixed leg, then tug up my shirt and rip apart the bandages to see… nothing. Just a faint scar from where Hale's arrow tore through me. I gaze up at my father. "How did you-"

"I only stimulated your body's natural healing ability," he smiles. "Don't be so impressed."

I shake my head as I get to my feet. "Well I am," I return his smile, blinking a bit as I realize just how similar his grin is to mine.

His face softens. "You've grown so much," he chuckles a little. "Of course I haven't seen you since you were just a few months old, but still. This is… a pleasant surprise."

His smile returns. "I am very glad you came here, Iris. Speaking to you took most of our power to do, and some of us were unsure of whether you would come or not. But you did, and now we can finally share our knowledge with you."

"Us?" I glance around the empty room. My dad follows my gaze and lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Honestly, I know the rest of you were worried about me, but how am I supposed to explain things if you don't show yourselves?"

"Forgive us, your highness, for trying to give you a moment alone with your daughter."

From one blink to the next, the room is suddenly full of faint figures that flit in and out of focus. I take a surprised step back and find myself flattened against the wall.

"Look, now we've scared her," a young man shakes his curly head. "Your parenting is wonderful, Lindell."

My father narrows his eyes. "May I remind you that it was your child who decided it would be entertaining to take a joy ride through Ninjago City?"

A woman gets in my father's face. "What are you trying to say about me, Lindell? Don't make me find your mother-"

"What is this?" I ask before the entire room can go at it. Their eyes return to me.

"Oh, I'm sorry, darling," my father steps, no, glides forward. His feet don't even touch the ground. "Forgive us. We tend to get carried away."

"I didn't-"

"Sebastian," a small girl narrows her eyes up at the young man who spoke earlier. She's tiny compared to him, but he balks all the same. She turns bright gold eyes onto my dad. "Please, Lindell. Continue."

"As I was saying," my eyes return to my father. "My spirit, as well as those of our ancestors, is bound here. We live in the spirit world for most of our existence, but whenever Ninjago needs us, we reappear. Once our work is done, we will return to the spirit world until we're needed again."

"It can be irritating sometimes," the girl says. She tucks a long strand of blond hair behind her ear. "Especially when you've been around as long as I have."

"So you're stuck here until Ninjago is safe?" I ask. A niggling thought worms to the front of my mind. "But what about mom… and the others?"

"We have some communication with the spirit world, but until our work is done… We stay," my father's eyes soften against mine. "Don't worry, I will make sure your mother knows everything there is to know. She will be very happy to know you've grown so well."

I smile humorlessly. "I wouldn't call it that. It's… It's been rough."

His eyes fill with agony, and I regret mentioning it. "I'm sorry, Iris, I-" he shakes his head. "I should have known what Desmond would do. After what happened with his wife… I should have paid more attention or-"

"I don't mean to bring up bad memories, but Desmond…" I pause, struggling to find a way to ask the question on my mind. "He said that you… you killed his wife. That you watched her die."

My father recoils. "No, I-" he shakes his head again. "No. Viviane and I did not harm Diana. In fact, we tried to save her."

He pauses to collect himself. "She had a disease- a rare one that was passed to her from her mother. She didn't want Desmond to know how dire her situation was, so she never told him. She begged us to keep her secret, and who were we to say no? We set her up with the best physicians in all of Ninjago, but she couldn't be saved." He looks away from me. "We should have told Desmond, then maybe all of this-"

"No," I cut him off. "There's no way you could have known Desmond would do something like this. You were trying to help a friend."

My dad smiles as he meets my eyes again. "That's what Viviane would have said. You are very much like her." He chuckles a little. "She was very prepared to slap me whenever I didn't agree with her logic."

I can't help but smile. "I've been called stubborn on more than one occasion."

"If only she were here. She would love to see how you've turned out," he shakes his head wistfully. "You meant the world to her. She did everything she could to keep you safe, but in the end…" he lets out a breath. "It wasn't enough. It saddens me to think you'll never know what she looks like."

"I do. I, uh, have a picture of her," I say. "Well, Desmond gave it to me when I was a kid. It was… it is my prized possession."

My father's mouth drops slightly in surprise. "But why-" he closes his eyes. "Ah. Your mother was close to his wife. If anything, sentiment kept him from wiping her memory off the earth." His hands clench. "But not enough to spare her life."

"That's why I've come here," I swallow the lump in my throat. "Desmond… he's going to try to destroy Ninjago, and he wants me on his side. He's doing everything he can to make me lose control, and I need the strength to face him. I can make him pay for what he's done to us, to you, to mom. Whatever power you can give me, I can use it to fight him and Hale."

"Hale?" my father's eyes widen. "No, why would Desmond-" His jaw clenches. "He twisted even his child to his cause-"

"His child?"

"Yes, Hale is Desmond's son. He was born just a few months before his mother's death," he glances upward where swirling dust hides the upper rooms. "Viviane cared for both you and him while Desmond mourned." He shakes his head. "Desmond cared for his wife, I never thought he would poison a child like that, especially the last memory of Diana he had."

"I-I didn't know," I struggle to figure out the memories that cloud my head. Hale is Desmond's son? But we weren't raised together. I hardly even remember Hale from my childhood. As far as I knew, he was just another kid from the village, not my brother. No. Not my brother. Just another enemy Desmond had created. Just another person I have to destroy.

"Desmond must be truly lost to his cause," my father shakes his head. "If he is willing to use his own child as a weapon, then there may be no way of saving him."

"That's why I need to destroy him," I say. "Until one of us is wiped from the face of the planet, none of this will ever end. I have to face him."

"Justice is one thing, revenge another," the blond girl's gold eyes bore into mine. She's tiny, young, but the power in her eyes is ancient and commanding. "You have suffered more than anyone alive, but to destroy another human being? Is this really the path you want to take?"

"He killed my parents, let me burn a village to the ground, raised me to be his plaything," my hands tremble as a vicious, angry heat wells up inside. "I can't sleep without being terrified of waking up to my friends burning alive, of being slapped with horrible memories and the screams of the people I've hurt. I've lived my entire life in a brutal lie, and now that I'm finally pulling myself together he wants to take that way. Desmond is no human. He's a monster. He deserves to be destroyed."

"You fear losing control, yet you welcome chaos."

"Stella-"

The girl shoves past my father, and before my eyes she grows older, taller, until she's a powerful, commanding woman. She stares down at me with a blazing gold gaze that pierces my very core, and the heat within me dies.

"To fight Desmond's control over you, you must yourself become incorruptible. To accept our power, you must be a vessel of justice and peace. To guide Ninjago the way your ancestors have done for centuries, you must let go of your grudges and instead find a way to end the war without death. Until you realize that, you are unworthy of our power. You are walking a fine line, Iris. Your familiar has chosen you, but it is worthless if you cannot wield it justly."

"Familiar?" I follow her eyes to the crimson dragon wrapped around my wrist. It purrs and swirls in a tight circle, clutching onto my skin with thin claws and flitting wings.

"Your familiar guides and defines you," Stella holds out her own arm where a gold bird swirls, "To be worthy of its power, you have must destroy what holding you back. Including these naïve ideas of vengeance."

"For as long as we've watched over you, Iris, you've been afraid of your power," my dad says. "In order to control it, you have to trust it. Your fear of losing control is keeping you from gaining control. Your attempts to fight Desmond are only helping his cause."

"But-"

"There are no buts," Stella cuts me off. "You are a ruler of Ninjago, a guide for the people, and right now you need to be at your strongest to stop Desmond."

"Iris, you have to accept your past and forgive yourself for what's happened. Not only that, but forgive us for being helpless to stop it. You must let go of all these pains and embrace who you are and what you will become," my father says. "It's the only way you will ever be able to face Desmond."

I close my eyes and try to forget, to think of what my life will be if I can let everything that's ever happened to me go. But the dark memories fly back in my face, blasting me with the echoes of screams and burning rage. "I don't know if I can," my voice breaks. "This power, I've killed so many people, hurt who knows how many more. What Desmond did… how can I just get over that? What if I hurt someone again? Someone… important to me?"

"Iris, we're not asking you to forget. We are asking you to accept," my dad says. "Think of this: what would have happened if Desmond had never been? Yes, your mother and I would be alive with you, but you may never have met your friends. You may never have become the strong young woman you are. You have dealt with tragedy in an extraordinary way. You cannot let it corrupt you. This power was given to you at birth, and you must embrace it. If you don't, Ninjago is lost. You are special, Iris, much more than any of us. You have a gift that's powerful, even for a monarch. This journey you are taking is not easy, but I know you can make it."

I shake my head. "I- I don't know if I can."

"You must believe in yourself," Stella says. Her shape slowly shrinks until she's the little girl again. She gives me a warm smile, one just a little reminiscent of another child, and the dragon at my arm purrs. I look down at it, locking my eyes with its burning orange irises, and suddenly I find myself making my mind.

I look up at the spirits around me. No, not spirits. My ancestors. "You're right," I step away from the wall. The dragon's wings beat against my skin, radiating a burning resolve that spreads through my entire body. "What Desmond's done has only made me stronger. I won't play into his game. I'm going to get this power and use it to bring him down. The right way. If he wants a fight, he's going to get it, but we're doing this on our terms."

There are a few muttered cheers and scattered claps as my dad breathes a slight sigh of relief. "I'm very proud of you, Iris," he says as the circle closes a little around me. "All of us face challenges, but to choose justice over revenge… That is something not many can do."

"It isn't going to be easy," Stella says. "You've chosen your path, but will you hold true to it when you face the man who nearly destroyed you?"

"I guess we'll just have to find out."

My father closes his eyes. "You are ready to awaken your power, Iris. Now that you have chosen to conquer your fear and walk as a true ruler of Ninjago, you must embrace the power of our lineage. The power given to us by the first Spinjitsu Master. You are ready to accept his gift of power and guide Ninjago to glory."

Stella gives me a soft smile. "Close your eyes, darling."

I do as she says and let my eyelids slide shut. There's a slight hum from all around me as my ancestors begin to mutter something under their breath, an oath in a language I don't understand. My father's voice carries above it all.

"Iris, look deep within you. Feel the power rise inside you and let it free," he says. "Feel with all your heart your mission and your desires for peace."

Behind my eyes, everything I've known these past few months starts to flicker through my mind at blinding speed- training, fighting, my friends, Kai, Jay, Zane, Nya, Sensei, Lloyd, and Cole- all their faces pass by in a heartbeat. All I can think of is protecting them from Desmond, the man who's done everything to destroy my happiness. I can't let him get away with it. I have to stand up to him and show him that I'm not afraid.

"Accept the tragedies of your past. Forgive yourself for the hurt you've caused, realize instead that you can grow and prosper."

Memories of the fire hit me like a brick wall. Of the people I hurt, mutilated, killed. Can I really forgive myself for that? Can I really wish away all the hurt I caused, the damage I've done? This power is a part of me, it always has been. I've grown up, I've realized my mistakes, and I've paid the price for my sins. I can never let myself sink so low again. If I'm going to conquer my fears, I have to accept the memories.

I gasp a little as an unfamiliar heat fills my stomach- warmer, tamer, a blossoming fire that travels though my entire body and fills every crevice with warmth. I feel my core swell as I accept the heat, breathing it in and letting it engulf my senses.

"Our names are what define us, Iris," my father's voice resonates in my head, echoing through every part of conscious until it feels like I'm flying. "As does our power. Feel who you are deep inside, feel your power and your name rise up."

"I am Stella, Queen of Light," Stella's voice peals loud and clear, followed by more voices as all my ancestors join in. Their names jumble together in a staggered chorus, and I struggle to keep up with all of them.

"Oberon, King of Earth."

"Demitria, Queen of Ice."

"Sebastian, King of Weather."

"Willow, Queen of Creatures."

"Lindell, King of Waves," my father declares, continuing the ritual as my ancestors continue to add their names. I can feel his gaze on me as the heat inside me wells up, not trying to escape, but trying to speak, to answer their call. "Who are you?"

I open my eyes to my hands, which are glowing in a golden light like the rest of my body. All I can do is smile as I open my mouth and answer my father.

"I am Ash, Queen of Fire."

The dragon around my arm spirals to my hand and away from my fingertips, coming to life in a burst of fire. Its entire body is covered in flames as it crackles into the air and soars above my head. It lets out a triumphant cry as spreads its wings in a blaze of fire and lights onto my shoulder, coiling around my neck and staring up at me with wise, familiar orange eyes. I reach up with a finger and stroke his head a little, and he lets out a satisfied purr.

"Hello, Spitfire," I greet him, his name sliding off my tongue easily. "It's nice to finally meet you."

My father smiles, looking at me with more pride than I've ever seen. The room feels eerily silent after all of the chanting, but I feel so much more powerful, determined, in control.

"Welcome back, Iris," my father says. "Welcome home."

"It's good to be back," I return the smile. Spitfire lets out a satisfied purr and sinks back into the skin of my arm, coiling himself around my wrist and settling down comfortably. He's been with me less than an hour, but I already can't imagine life without the little red dragon.

"Your familiar will continue to be your anchor as your power develops," my father says, smiling softly as he follows my gaze. "Spitfire will give you insight to your emotions and offer his power whenever you call on it. He will be your guide when we are not there."

I frown a little. "You're leaving?"

"For the time being," my father says as he glides back. His shape flickers, and I notice a few of the others in the room have disappeared. "It takes much of our power to manifest, even more to interact with you. But you may still call upon us whenever you need us." His blue-grey eyes bore into mine. "Whenever you need us."

"Oh," I swallow the lump that's suddenly formed in my throat. I start to toy with the bracelet at my wrist, turning it anxiously as Spitfire lets out a whir. My father's eyes fall to my hands, and a little furrow appears between his eyebrows, one I've noticed in myself a couple of times.

"That's an interesting bracelet you have," he says slowly. "Where did you get it?"

My face reddens as I take my hand away from it. The memory of Cole's anxious face when he admitted to making the bracelet for me burns to the front of my mind, and I try not to let it show on my face. "Oh, uh, a friend… made it for me."

Stella lets out a giggle as my father gives me a dubious look. "Ah. I see."

"You should be happy, Lindell," Stella smiles. "The poor girl looks so much like you, I was worried no one would ever find her attractive-"

My father pushes her away. "You forget who you are, Stella."

"You're right. The Mother of All should know better," her smile softens. "And I know desperation when I see it."

My father cringes. "Stella, we talked about this-"

"Go ahead, it's no problem for us," Stella says. She tucks back a few strands of dark hair that have fallen into my father's face, and despite the glaring age difference she seems very much an old, wise mother. "You need it."

There's a few seconds of silence until my father finally lets out a long sigh. "Alright."

Stella gives me a final smile before everyone in the room vanishes, leaving my father and I standing alone. Confused, I open my mouth to ask my dad what's going on, but I realize his shape is changing. Growing brighter, taking a bolder form. His body solidifies until he's standing on solid ground, the faint breeze that whistles through from overhead stirs the dark curls across his forehead, and as I watch he takes one step toward me, then another.

"You're solid," I say bluntly, not knowing what else to say. My father chuckles a little.

"Not for very long. It takes nearly all of our power for one of us to manifest like this," he shakes his head. "I asked them not to do it. It will take us longer to regain our strength. But they insisted I have some time with you."

"Well I appreciate it," my voice is soft. "I really do."

A few seconds of awkward silence passes before my father moves again. Taking one step after another until I suddenly find myself wrapped in his arms. It's not until he whispers "Iris" in my ear that everything comes crashing down on me.

All the memories, the training, the games that Desmond played with me. None of it ever mattered, even remotely compares to the safety, the warmth, the love that I feel right now, wrapped in my father's arms. A sob lurches in my chest as I pull him close to me, burying my face into his shoulder as I take in his smell like parchment, soap, books. A smell I will never forget. He clenches me tight against him, his voice breaking as he whispers my name over and over again, rocking me gently back and forth as all my emotions spill out into his clothes.

"Fates, I missed you so much, Iris," he mutters in a broken voice. "I'm so sorry I couldn't do more, that I couldn't save you and your mother-"

"Don't be," I cough back, fighting to speak through the tears that choke my throat. "It wasn't your fault."

"I know you can do what I couldn't. I know you can save your friends and Ninjago. I know you'll make me proud."

"I will, Dad," I whisper. "I promise. I won't run away anymore."

All too soon, my father pulls away, his eyes ringed with blistering tears. He makes an undignified sniffle and I can't help but laugh through my own snot-filled nose. He chuckles and fixes a strand of hair that's fallen into my face.

"You're strong, Iris. Stronger than any of us," he says softly. "You've grown into a remarkable young woman, even without us. Your mother will be very pleased."

"Tell her I'm okay," I say. "And thank you. If it weren't for her, I might never have come here."

"I'll be sure she knows," he nods. His shape starts to flicker, and a jolt of fear lurches through my heart. "Before I go, Iris, there is one last thing I've been meaning to tell you."

"What?"

He smiles softly. "I love you."

A half-sob, half-laugh bubbles from my lips as I return his smile. "I love you too, Dad."

His smile flickers, then disappears as he vanishes completely, leaving me alone in the still, cold room. Spitfire lets out a dejected whimper as I stare at the space where my father stood, but somehow I manage to take a deep breath and wipe the tears away.

"You heard them, Spitfire. We have to be strong," I sniffle as I try to compose myself. "It's us against the world now."

I glance around the room. "Looks like we're going to have to find a way out of here."

There's a door nearby, buried under a pile of rubble and dead vines and cracked down its side. I approach it carefully, stepping over mounds of broken stone and rotting plants as I attempt to leave the hall. Something glows to life as I near the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

I blink in surprise. "Stella?"

Her shape is faint, flickering, but the young girl is definitely there. "Who else?"

"But I thought-"

"That we would all be burned out? Yes," her voice is distorted and her figure scrambles like an old tape. "But not everyone is as powerful as I am. I can pull together a few odds and ends to talk to my kin."

Her smile returns. "Did you really think we were going to give you your power and just let you walk out?"

I falter. "What?"

"You still have much to learn, Iris. Unfortunately, most will have to wait until you've faced Desmond and conquered the last part of yourself that fears your power," she answers. "But there are a few things I would like to share with you before you disappear."

"Like what?"

Her grin widens. "How do you feel about heights?"