Milori slowly sunk to the bottom of the cove. He stared up at the shimmering, wavy moon above. His lungs started to burn, after all, that's what he had been hoping for, slow and painful torture. The sparrowman fought the urge to suddenly whip his arms and legs in order to make his way back to the surface for just a chance of air.

A figure appeared before him and formed a bird outline of an owl. "Milori," a sympathetic, angelic voice spoke to him. Green eyes flashed open wide and then narrowed. It was as if they were piercing right through him.

He instantly recognized to whom the voice belonged to and Milori screamed in his head, "Why! Why did no one ever hate me for what I had done! I killed you! I broke Phoebes! I've burned the people who trust me! And now I've killed my own sister! Why does everyone pity me when I deserve nothing of the sort! I should be killed, hung, shot, strangled, yet they all just watch me in fear!" He paused a moment. "Vestania, why do they do nothing and stand to the side when I can be put out of everyone else's misery?"

"Milori, they respect you."

"But why? All I do is ruin lives!" Now his lungs were starting to feel like they we're being crushed. He wouldn't be able to last much longer.

"Milori, you are different from everyone else. You have physical strength, but not the strength you need. You're not just an owl, you are a sparrowman. You were born with the blood of a fairy, and the will of your father. This makes you weak. You can't control which part of you comes out. You absorb energy because that's what keeps you sane. When you absorbed Altaria's energy you gained the power to fight off Nefarious. You do not have the strength of the mind like most owls do."

"Then I am a monster!"

"No, you are the King."

Milori's throat began to feel like it was going to collapse. "Then what am I supposed to do?"

"Breathe."

He couldn't handle it anymore, and he tried to breath. Water instantly filled his lungs and everything began to fade.

Milori awoke to the sound of yelling, "Let me see him! Let me see my brother!" Phoebus pushed the owls aside trying to hold him back. In a fit of rage Phoebus had always been surprisingly strong. The owl was suddenly before him. "What were you thinking!"

"I just wanted a chance to breathe."

"What! By trying to drown yourself." His feathers began to flare.

"Set up a council meeting, immediately." Milori got up.

"What?" Phoebus watched his brother get up to leave, "Tobias!"

Milori escaped all the nurses as they tried to sedate him. He stood on the ledge leading out to the main corridor. Phoebus was bringing up the rear behind him, "Where are you going?" There was no reply before Milori dove off the edge. Being deserted, he let out a sigh.

Tobias dropped down next to him, "Yes, my prince." He bowed respectfully.

"Set up a council meeting. The King is awake and upon doing so requested it."

"When should the council be notified?"

"Immediately!" Phoebus then dove off the edge after Milori and after a while he found him in the library, staring into the mirror.

"Show me! Show me what would have happened if Altaria didn't die!" The Pixie Dust tree appeared and Milori was lying face down. Nearby, Clarion was lying there, her hand outstretched to hold his. It had appeared that she had been crying, but now her cheeks were pale. Towering over them was Nefarious laughing, "I have killed the fairy queen, now you bow down to me!"

Phoebus landed beside him and watched. Milori realized he was beside him and waved his wing, causing the mirror to turn normal again. "The council meeting you requested is gathering."

"Very well." He let out a sigh as Amadeus appeared.

"You requested me?" The old wizard seemed confused.

"Yes, I need you to do something."

"What is it my lord?"

"I need you to erase the memories of the fairies, of me that is."

"What!" Phoebus spat.

"Your majesty you can't be serious, when you go back-" Amadeus began.

"I'm not going back." Milori's voice was straight forward and flat.

"Brother, you are not thinking straight! We should get you back to the infirmary. Something must be wrong with you!"

"I just need a chance to breathe, and that means that I must keep them safe."

"But the fairies, the Queen, your friend the Keeper!" Phoebus paused, "Won't you miss them."

"Yes, but if this is the price of keeping them safe then so be it. Vestania, Goliath, Altaria, they all died to protect the world from me."

"And you worry your queen will do the same?"

"Yes, now please do as I ask."

Amadeus nodded and with the wave of his hands, along with a few chantings, he pointed his wand at the mirror. It turned to an image of Pixie Hollow and a wave of bright magic swept over all the trees and fairies. Then the mirror faded to black. "It is done."

"Good, thank you my old friend," Milori straightened out his feathers, "Now, we have a council meeting to attend."

As they entered the Grand Hall, many owls, and other council members, gasped. Milori's feathers were all tipped with lines of black and the ones around his eyes made him look like a raccoon. This, an owl's feathers turning black, showcased how close an owl had come to darkness.

The council meeting was simple, Milori had a few announcements and then it was back to work. "I'd like to call this meeting to order," he began, "I know there have been rumors that Queen Altaria is dead, and that I am her killer, but for now I'd like to set them to rest. Queen Altaria is dead!"

Many gasps and shocked expressions came over the council members.

"But she did not die in vain! She died protecting this family, from me."

All eyes were instantly on him, not able to tear away.

"I regret to inform you all that our queen, my sister... Was killed by non other than Lord Nefarious."

One of the council members collapsed to the floor.

"I thought he was dead! You said so yourself!" another member shot back at him.

"I was wrong, Lord Nefarious has faced death but even beyond the grave he is powerful. And I..." the owl began to choke on his words, "I was weak. I should have listened to our queen. Had I returned home, Lord Nefarious would have never been able to get into my head. The crown would have protected our family. Altaria died at my talons."

"I thought you said Lord Nefarious killed her."

Tobias butted in before Milori could reply, "Our king was possessed! He had been turned a crow for a time. That is why his feathers are black! Lord Nefarious found his weakness and pursued it. He tried to shatter what was left of our family. King Milori would have done anything to save his sister, even as dark magic coursed through his veins."

"And what was this weakness, if I may ask?" the portly man asked.

"Isn't it obvious! The fairy queen! Queen Altaria saw that!"

Bickering went back and forth. Tobias, who was perched beside Milori, watched the display. At the same time, Milori was growing angry. His feathers ruffled as he began to huff through his nares. "ENOUGH!"

The table went instantly silent. Everyone stared at the chandelier above. It rattled slightly and swayed, but it appeared that it wouldn't fall.

"Sh-" Milori began.

"No, Milori!" Phoebus interrupted, "Both you and the council need to hear this! The fairy queen was not your only weakness was she? I could see it in your eyes, the fear you had for our sister. You loved her just as much as your lover! Lord Nefarious knew that the death of Altaria would crush and shatter you. To make matters worse, he wanted you to believe that you were the one that killed her."

No one said a word, only stared at the prince. It didn't need to be said out loud, but now everyone felt sympathy for the royal family, not that there wasn't any before. "My apologies, your majesties," an owl spoke as everyone bowed to them.

"Meeting adjourned!" Milori called, "Back to work!"

The Grand Hall was quickly emptied of both people and owls. "Your majesty," Tobias stated, "Is there anything I can do to, to redeem myself?"

"Make sure everything is on task."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I have to plan my sister's funeral, come on Phoebus!" Milori leaped into the air and flew off.

Tobias locked eyes with the prince, "If you need any help, let me know."

"I'm sorry, I know she meant a great deal to you like she did to us. He just doesn't see that." Then the owls parted ways.