A/N: Many apologies for all of the waiting.  What horror, did I abandon my fic?  No, but I bet a lot of you have.  Why stick around for a month?  Oh well, this fic needs finishing, ne? ^^ Anyway, here's twelve.

Chapter 12-Family Matters

It has been a month since Rory and Tristan left Yeriyah's palace, and were on their way to Nienina, to see what connections Rory had with them, and to send one to pacify the extremely influencial Michamah.

Trystan looked sadly at Rory.  Her roots come from this planet?  But how?  The Gilmores and the . go far back.  When did this Nien blood appear?

But then Trystan smiled, remembering his meetings with Lorelai and Emily Gilmore.  But it goes back at least two generations, at least.

When they landed, Kat touched Rory's shoulder.  She was now wearing a black lizard hide, a sleeveless shirt and mini shorts which were amazingly freeing.  Her hair was tied high on her head.(I know she doesn't have enough hair to do this, but work with me.)  It came down to her back, and she smiled, laughing.  She jumped from Dinah, and landing, fell down to the earth.

Three grim figures surrounded her.  They were male, and wore the hide as pants, and a strange red jacket.

"What clan are you, and how do you dare to bring a Nein without their permission?"

Rory smiled, and kicked out at both of them, and they fell.  She smiled.  "None of your concern."

Even Dinah seemed more relaxed, and blew fire at the guards black dragons.

The men paled.  "Your dragons are covered!" they fell to the ground, bowing.  "Please forgive us!  We did not know you were honored Nie!"

Rory smirked.  "Well, treat my boyfriend with respect!" she teased Tristan, drawing the word out.

Trystan raised an eyebrow.  "Okay, who are you, and what have you done with Rory?" Inside he was fretting about if this planet was already turning into this man killer that had been described.

Two women wearing more leather than Rory approached.  "Elsyr!  You look younger than when you left!" they joked, hugging Rory very tightly.

One pointed at Tristan.  "You're at least a hundred, and that's an infant!  Besides, your grand-daughter was to arrive today!  And you—" They suddenly trailed off.  "Oh.  You're Rory."

Rory, finally seeming herself, nodded silently, and bowed to her elders.

One came forward, and put her hand under her chin to lift it up.  Cold grey eyes surveyed her.  "You are the image of your great grandmother, Elsyr Quar."

Rory thought hard, and realized that was the name of her great grandmother.

The other nodded solemnly.  "She was the greatest Nie.  She brought her dragon Quar here, and took her name from his.  He is the forefather of all the remaining dragons here." 

Rory smiled.  "Then I hope I can be more than I likeness to her image.  I hope some of her power is within me as well."

The woman released her, and both bowed deeply.  The one who had held her spat at her man.  "Milchamah demands that someone from Maon train you two.  Why not let your fiance go, and you train with family who loves you here?"

Rory blinked.  "I did not know I was allowed that choice."

Okay, Ror..what exactly are you planning to do to me?

Rory opened her eyes, and laughed, in a very high voice, more like a child's single giggle than a teeneager's single laugh.  She smiled at Trystan.

Nothing.

Tristan blinked.

The women cackled and grinned at them.  "Well, you've got more than a little of Elsyr in you!" they said when they couldn't laugh anymore.

The women looked to Kay, and the two Nie felt uneasy that they were speaking mentally very quickly, and Rory couldn't get close to understanding what they were deciding.  She could feel the emotions.  Her aunts a few times removed were anxious to keep her from Milchamah for some reason, but seemed to offer Tristan.  Kat seemed worried about milchamah, who wanted rory but not Tristan.

Rory, whatever transformation had been, was back.  She held onto Tristan tightly.  He smiled.  She's back…but for how long? He thought, referring to how long they would be allowed to stay together and when she would transform back into the confident creature who took nothing from no one.

A/N: Well, I've finally managed to put it into words, and I hope it's just me thinking it's idiotic.  Anyway, no one's reviewed, so I'm putting a new chap up.  Thanks to everyone who's emailed me or reviewed!  CoffeeObsessed, Shayness and everyone else who I can't remember your pen-names, all fifty of you are great!  I reviewed my own fic, and some of you reviewed more than once.  I appreciate all of you, and have deleted thirty of my fics so I can be more faithful to those that people seem to like.