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in any way. Copies may only be distributed with author's permission and
must include all disclaimers.
Disclaimer: Cole Turner, Darryl Morris, Prue, Piper, Paige, and Phoebe Halliwell. Leo Wyatt, Jenna, and Andy Trudeau and all other characters that have appeared on the series "Charmed" as well as the concept of Charmed and all backstory are the copyright property of Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, and the WB Television Network. No copyright infringement was intended. All original characters as well as the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.
And I would like to take a moment and thank Rose Madder for joining our cast of characters. Rose, Rosey has been named in honor of you and is my thank you for the wonderful praise and many words of encouragement you have given. Now take you place beside Tia because Aunt Tia and Rosey shall both be around for a very long time to comeg.
Muse and I thank you both vbg.
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Cole and Darryl moved forward making sure that they were between the newcomer and their companions before the new arrival landed. Cole watched the winged creature's descent with great interest and not just because he needed to make sure it wasn't a threat but also because it was familiar. The shape and the movements reminded him of his Uncle D.
"You're right partner, it does look like Uncle D, but the wingspan isn't right is it?" Darryl said, having picked up his charge's thoughts. It wasn't till he actually said it that he even questioned how he knew anything about wingspans to begin with. Even as the question formed though another part of his mind answered back and the answer was the Bond and that it was more pronounced here for some reason; a deduction he made when he realized that he didn't even have to concentrate on his charge to hear his thoughts like he normally would have. Cole's voice drew him back a second later.
"Shorter, not by much but it is shorter. Almost as if it were..."
"Female." Both boys turned to face each other, matching confused expressions on their faces.
Seeing the confused expressions on their boys faces the puppies and the twins quickly moved to their sides just as the great purple Dragon landed, making almost no sound at all before proceeding to fold her wings down along her back. The six of them stood apart from the other creatures that populated the clearing, the Dragon's eyes quickly coming to rest solely on them.
"Don't looked so shocked boys, after all it is what could almost be called racial memory if you will popping up, especially now that you are here." The large purple Dragon said as she gazed down upon them, a smile slowly forming on her lips, one that danced across her eyes and made her look anything but scary. "Well as you seem to have lost the power of speech for the moment let me just introduce myself now and get it over with. I am... well I am your Aunt Tia actually. I am Draco's Essence Mate if you will." She couldn't help herself as her chuckles erupted into full-blown laughter a second later, the looks on the six before her was something she would always treasure. She wondered briefly if anyone had a feather as she wanted to test the "knock me over with a feather" theory on them. She snickered some more at the image that very thought cast into her mind.
"You're who? What?" The Twins asked as they finally picked their chins up off the ground. Stunned was an understatement to what they were feeling. They had of course heard of Uncle D's mate but it was never mentioned as to where she was; to suddenly have her pop up here, where ever exactly here was, well it went beyond disturbing for them. When they turned to their own soon-to-be mates, the twin looks on their faces were profoundly disturbing. Before they could say another word though the boys took off. Literally. They would have taken off themselves but they didn't sense that the boys were in actual distress; it was more a feeling of "awe" that was radiating off of them, not danger.
Cole and Darryl, without a word or thought, took flight for the very first time and they didn't even really notice what they had just done; all of their concentration was on finding the truth. Was this Dragon who she said she was; that was the question and they needed to know the answer to it. To that end they had taken flight to find the mark that Uncle D had told them about one day; it was in fact the very mark that had come to symbolize the Half-Blood Nation. Out of habit both boys stayed out of what they thought to be her attack range while flying up and over the very large purple Dragon's head.
Tia didn't move, not even a muscle and she barely breathed, not wanting to scare the two boys in any way. She could sense both their caution in the event that she proved to be a threat to their twins and the puppies and conversely their eagerness to find her mark. It was a mark that she shared with her mate from the day of their own Bonding and would prove without doubt that she was who she said she was. As they flew up and over her head she smiled inwardly. So much like Raven she thought to herself. She knew that they would be able to view her mark that lay behind her left ear easily so she simply waited for them to make the first move. The image that the two boys presented to her though did make it a tad on the difficult side not to let her snickers erupt before they were finished.
Cole and Darryl carefully moved behind the Dragon's head as they sought the mark; one going right while the other went left. When they met around the back they easily found what they were looking for. Just behind the left ear, imbedded in the scales was a pentagram with an uroborus circling it, the snake head that was eating its own tail centered above the top most point of the woven pentagram. The two boys just hovered for a moment looking at each other. To say they were stunned was an understatement.
"It really is you." Both boys said as one as they flew back around her head, hovering directly in front of her face. Cole was becoming even more confused but it was Darryl's sudden spike of concern that worried him the most.
"Darryl?" He called as he turned to his friend. When Darryl finally turned and looked at him Cole found that he could more easily read his guardian and what he read was fear. Before he could say even one word though their Aunt Tia's voice cut across the clearing.
"Alright everyone, it's time to go back to your own business. I know you all want to make our new friends feel welcome and at home but they are tired and in need of rest and are also apparently in need of a serious question and answer session with me." Aunt Tia had noticed the change in Darryl and in turn the change in Cole and somehow she just knew what the problem was. Her connection to the boys hadn't been established yet, but it would be by the time they left. Even without the Bond connection being established she knew that Darryl was beginning to question his place in all of this. Her Draco had told her that Darryl had accepted his place as their nephew's Guardian but now she saw something else within him. It was fear of something, of that she was sure of but she needed to know what had transpired to bring about this new fear if she was going to dispel it and she was damned sure going to dispel it before they left. She watched as those gathered slowly began to move back into the forest, each waving or flapping a good-bye to their new arrivals.
It took a good few minutes but eventually the crowd had dispersed itself and left her enough room to move about more freely without worry of accidentally hitting anyone, her two story tall body tended to take up a bit of space. She watched the two boys easily glide back down to the ground, landing with barely a ruffle to their manes'. Needing to lighten the mood a bit she decided to put them out of their misery over their current forms.
"Now before we begin doing anything else I feel that I must explain about your current forms boys." She immediately had the attention of all six. "As you have probably already surmised these are not your natural Alter Forms however they are not the doing of my Draco either." She snickered a bit at the incredulous looks she was now getting. "Oh, my Draco does have a wicked sense of humor which I am sure all of you are well aware of, however in this case he is innocent... yes yes I know that hearing the word innocent in the same sentence as the name Draco seems rather odd but in this case it is true."
"Then why does Darryl have a pink fluffy mane and pink fluffy ball at the end of his tail?" Anita asked, her arm circling around her beloved's neck as she offered him comfort as she too had seen the change come over him. There was now fear where there had been none a few moments ago and she didn't like it.
"And why does Cole look like Purple Puff the Magic Dragon with lavender measles and a pink mane?" Julianna asked as she draped her arm across her beloved's lower neck. She kept herself on the opposite side of Cole from where Darryl had landed, as she didn't want to stand between them. She was not afraid but she could sense that Darryl was afraid now of something and she wanted to make sure that Cole would be free to offer him physical comfort if the need arose. It was the one trait that they all shared, even before coming together this past year; they all sought physical contact to help calm and center themselves and she had no desire to hinder Cole's comforting of Darryl if he felt the need to.
"Well that would be the wee Dragonlings that are responsible." Aunt Tia could tell from the looks on their faces that they really didn't make the connection. Just as she was about to explain she heard a giggling coming from behind and slightly above her. Sighing, rather dramatically, she swung her head around and came snout to snout with a tortie-shell cat who was hovering about two feet above her own back. The smile on the cat's face did nothing but make her roll her eyes. "Oh good grief. I thought you had left already Rosey." Aunt Tia said as she smiled rather facetiously at the hovering cat.
"Nope. I'm still here your Purpleness." Rosey replied as she darted over Tia's head to get a better look at their new friends. "Oh my," she snickered, "those little ones definitely do have an interesting sense of humor don't you think." She landed directly in front of the little group, her wings kicking up a slight updraft that made the boys' manes sway a bit on their heads. Rosey snickered a bit more as pink hair flopped into their eyes and each boy heaved a rather put upon sigh as they tried to get said pink mane hair to obey and stay out of their faces. "Your little ones certainly know amusing when they see it." She continued to snicker as she morphed back into her own smaller form, that of a normal sized tortie-shell house cat. In her Alter Form she had been the size of a small horse, her size matching the size of the puppies Alter Forms. Now she shrunk to the size of a normal house cat with only her wings giving away her otherworldliness. She looked up at the group as if expecting something from them and when nothing happened she shook her head in exasperation. "Okay you guys. I think you have had enough fun at your daddies expense and yes I know you did it for your big brother but now it's time to put them back the way you found them please." Rosey looked from one boy to the other a few times before walking up to first Anita and then Julianna, stopping only long enough to glare at their tummies. "Children." It was just one small word but the effect was big.
Cole and Darryl began to glow as a giggling was suddenly heard, actually it was more than one giggle but it sounded as if the giggles were coming from all around them. Aunt Tia looked to each of the six standing before here but stopped on the still glowing boys. Her attention was drawn to Cole just as Rosey's was. The glow finally began to subside a moment later and as it dimmed into nothingness it left behind the once again human forms of Cole and Darryl. Aunt Tia watched, with great interest, as Darryl slowly turned to face Cole, the look on Darryl's face was one of awe.
Cole and Darryl were both more than happy to finally be back in their human forms and very happy that no one else saw them, now they just had to figure out what Aunt Tia and Rosey were talking about.
Cole had felt Darryl's relief as they morphed but he could also still sense a fear within him, a fear that shouldn't be there. Instantly his mind shifted gears, becoming focused on his brother instead of Aunt Tia and Rosey. Cole understood that a lot of new things had popped up over the past year, new and strange and magical things and even though Darryl now had all of Cole's own memories they were just that, memories. Cole suddenly understood that it wasn't the magic that was going on around them but Darryl's lack of first hand experience that was bothering him, bothering him to a point of being afraid. He's afraid that his inexperience with magic and magical situations will somehow get me hurt. He's afraid of failing as my Guardian... no he's afraid of failing me as a brother, afraid he won't be there if and when I need him to be, he's afraid of breaking his promise to always be there for me no matter what. Cole's mind was suddenly in a swirl as he tried desperately to think of a way to prove to his brother that he had nothing to fear. He suddenly became aware of Darryl's intense gaze upon him and turning he watched as the gaze turned to one of awe. However, before he could even open his mouth to ask what was wrong he felt a tickling in his chest and he realized that Darryl was staring at the exact spot that tickled. He could feel the sense of wonder coming from Darryl and it help keep his fear in check. When a sudden glow started to rise from his chest he could feel it coming from his very heart as well. The glow separated itself from him and finally took the shape of a small dragon and the first thing the glowing little dragon did was zip up to Darryl. Cole could only watch as the little glowing dragon helped his brother the very way he had wanted to.
Darryl couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was a glow coming from inside of Cole, one that emanated from his brother's very heart. He watched carefully as the glow separated itself from Cole's body and slowly formed itself into a small cat-sized winged dragon made of pure light. As soon as the dragon shape had fully formed it flew directly at him. Darryl didn't move, not that he was afraid of the little fellow but because he didn't want to scare him accidentally. He couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips a moment later as the little dragon's little head of light tilted to the left, the move reminding him so much of Cole. If asked he wouldn't be able to say how but he suddenly made such a jump in logic that he thought he had to be wrong, but his heart and soul told him he was right and where Cole was concerned he had learned to trust his heart and soul without question. Before he could say anything though the little light dragon giggled and Darryl suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a hug he would never forget. He thought briefly that he should be afraid of touching the little dragon for fear of hurting him, after all he was only made up of light at the moment, but he found his arms coming around the little fellow before the thought could even be finished. The hug itself reached into his very heart and soul, filling him up with a love that could only come from a child.
"Thank you Uncle Darryl for taking such good care of my daddy. You've helped him, protected him, and watched over him and most importantly you have shown him that it's okay to want to be loved. Thank you." The little dragon wrapped his little arms around his Uncle Darryl's neck, holding on really tight. He wanted his Uncle Darryl to know how much he loved him so he put everything he had into his hug. "I love my daddy and I love you." He had kept his voice quiet, his words were only for his Uncle Darryl but now he wanted to see his daddy and tell him how much he loved him too. He turned around but was reluctant to let go of his Uncle but fortunately for him his Uncle knew just what he wanted and he soon found his Uncle carrying him to his daddy. As soon as he was in reaching distance to his daddy though he couldn't wait a second longer and as he launched himself into his daddy's arms. "Daddy!! Daddy!! I love you daddy... I always have and I always will." The little light dragon felt so much love for his daddy that he started to glow a soft purple color as he snuggled down into his daddy's loving arms.
Cole simply couldn't believe what he was seeing at first. He watched as the little light dragon rushed over to Darryl and hugged him, he couldn't hear what the little fellow was saying but he could both see and sense the effect the words had on his brother as they calmed Darryl. He could feel love coming from the little dragon, a love that told his heart who the little fellow was, but his mind protested what his heart was saying. His mind, his logical mind told him that it couldn't possibly be him but his heart and soul refused to listen and began to open the part of themselves that they had closed away a year ago, the part that was reserved for his first child, the part that was for only Baby Ben. Cole instinctively opened his arms as the little Dragon of light jumped from Darryl to him. He heard the words and they were all that was needed to break open the last vestiges of the seals he had used to cover the wounds in his heart and in his soul that the death of his son had created. He never, in his wildest dreams, ever thought he would feel this feeling again, this love that had grown as his son had grown in the womb. He held the little Dragon as tight as he could, something telling him that he wouldn't hurt his little one by doing this. He barely felt the tears that were now falling freely from his eyes, or Julianna's arms coming around him and gently lowering him to the ground as his knees buckled under him. His only thought was to hold onto his son as tight as he could fearing that as soon as he let go his little one would disappear and he would lose him once again; his heart and soul simply couldn't take that so he simply held on for all he was worth.
Quite a few minutes passed as Julianna, Darryl, Anita, Bearlock, and Snuggles all gathered around Cole and his son, linking together in a circle of love. Julianna had drawn Cole and son into the protective circle of her arms and gently rocked them in hopes of calming her beloved down. She could feel his unfettered love for his son but she could also feel the fear begin to grow within him, the fear of losing his little one again. As she looked to Darryl she suddenly realized that the rest of them had returned to their human and puppy forms as well. She could also see that the fear that had begun to overtake Darryl had receded some, it wasn't entirely gone but she knew that Cole was the only one that could take care of whatever remaining fear there was.
The tears were flowing freely from all of them as they remained locked together, their support unwavering as Cole held his son in a loving embrace. Each knew the joy that this moment was bringing to Cole but Darryl alone understood both the joy and the terror that his brother was now feeling. His own fear was quickly forgotten as he sought to comfort and support his charge; the power of the emotions coming from him were so very strong that Darryl found himself wrapped in a cocoon of love, unconditional love that was coming from both father and son. Suddenly the fear within Cole began to grow and it was breaking Darryl's heart. Quickly he turned to Aunt Tia in hopes that she would know.
"Aunt Tia, what is happening? How is Baby Ben here and... and..." Darryl found he couldn't say it, he just couldn't. The pain and fear coming from Cole was beginning to overwhelm him and he just couldn't. As he looked up at Aunt Tia he could see the tears falling from her eyes as she too watched his brother hold his son. What was missing from her purple eyes was the fear and he had to know why. "Aunt Tia, please what is happening."
Tia could see the fear within her nephew; the fear that he would lose his little one again and it pained her greatly. She knew what was happening and she really had no desire to give him false hope so she could only hope that her Draco was right in his assessment of Piper Halliwell. Since she couldn't tell them about Piper's involvement she gave her nephew the only other hope that she could.
"Cole. Cole, listen to me please." Tia had to call his name a few more times before he looked up at her and when he did it took more control than was pretty to hold herself together. The emotions, raw and powerful that were staring back at her from his bright blue eyes were almost overwhelming for her, just as they had been for Darryl. "Cole, I know that you are afraid, afraid that somehow you will lose your little one again but you won't, you can't." She watched as her words finally penetrated his emotion- clouded mind.
"Wh... what do... you mean? Please... please tell me? Please." Cole still hadn't loosened his hold on his Baby Ben, his love and fear combining and it terrified him. He did take comfort in the arms that surrounded him, holding both him and his son close, the arms of his beloved Julianna. He had never spoken to Julianna about Baby Ben; never let her into that part of his life as the pain that surrounded his heart and soul was too devastating for him to speak of aloud. Darryl, his brother and Guardian was the only one that had seen into that devastating pain, the only one he had let in. Yet Julianna had never held it against him, never questioned or pushed him and for that he loved her even more, if such a thing were even possible. He tried to lean back, to surrender himself to those arms but he couldn't, his fear for his son was too great as his body continued to shake uncontrollably. He looked up at his Aunt and he knew that his desperation shown plainly in his eyes and right now he didn't care, right now the only thing he cared about was keeping his son safe. His Aunt's words though almost brought his heartbeat to a screeching halt as he simply froze. In some part of his mind he realized that they all had frozen in place at her words, all save Baby Ben. When he felt his son nuzzling against his neck, practically purring in contentment he finally moved, looking down into the face of his son.
Baby Ben's body may have been made up of light but he had amethyst eyes and they were filled with nothing but love for his daddy. As he lay on his back, secure in his daddy's arms, he looked up at his daddy's face. He could see the fear within them just as he could feel the fear coming from his daddy's heart and soul; his daddy was afraid of losing him again and Baby Ben simply could not let his daddy suffer like this anymore.
"Daddy, you can't lose me ever again so please don't worry. I am b... boun... bound to you. Great Grammy and Great Grampy made it so." Baby Ben reached up his tiny little claw and touched his daddy's face, feeling the tears that were still falling from his daddy's eyes. He didn't want his daddy to be sad so he tried to cheer his daddy up by grabbing his daddy's nose as he giggled. His daddy was still crying but he did laugh when he grabbed his nose. "I promise daddy, I can't be taken away. Great Grammy and Great Grandpy came to us in the Wateland and I asked them to help me and they did. Great Grampy flew high into the air and then flew back down to us. He was so pretty daddy. Then he dis... disapp... "
"Disappeared?" Darryl said as he figured out what the little fellow was trying to say. He could see the little one becoming frustrated over the word so he helped him out; this got him a smile of thanks from the little one, a quick thanks as Baby Ben immediately returned all of his attention to his daddy.
"Yeah and then Great Grammy was sad and cried and I felt bad but she told me not to be, that Great Grampy was still with us and then when she said the spell and squeezed her hands to make the red I went to it and when it went over you I went with it and I have been hiding in there since then." Baby Ben finished his story and once again wrapped himself around his daddy's neck. It felt so good to be held by his daddy again that he simply wanted to stay like this forever.
Cole didn't know what to make of what his little one had told him. He knew it had something to do with something that happened while he had been trapped in the Wasteland but he had some blank spots in his memory about that time and months ago when he had asked Darryl about them Darryl had told him it wasn't missing time because he had no memories of the time frames in question either. He and Darryl had talked about it, especially about the time right before he escaped and went to the Halliwell Manor to get some much needed food before heading to his Mausoleum. They had come to the conclusion that Cole must have been unconscious from the injuries he had sustained from the Beast coupled with his emotional injuries and pain brought about by the death of his son. He definitely didn't remember Grams being there nor his Grandfather, he may have only met him once but that didn't mean that he didn't know who he was. Something was wrong, too many things weren't making sense and he found himself getting very worried and instinctively he opened the link between himself and Darryl to help center himself; his raging emotions needing the anchor only Darryl could provide.
After a few minutes of what he and Darryl had come to term "link quietness" he found his heartbeat returning to a more normal rhythm as he finally began to relax into Julianna's arms, his hold on his little one also relaxing though in no way relinquishing said little one either. As he finally raised his eyes up he found Darryl also relaxing into Anita's embrace while both puppies remained in guarding positions by their legs. He didn't want to speak for fear of ruining the delicate balance he had achieved within himself but he also had to know what his little one was talking about and he knew of only two people who could possibly know the answers he sought; his Uncle D who was out of reach at the moment and his Aunt Tia who was within reach at the moment. Uncle D was the Prophecy Keeper for this family and if Aunt Tia were his Essence Mate then she too would be a Prophecy Keeper, which would mean that she would know the answers to his questions. Having decided on his course of action he actually felt himself relaxing a bit more, the mere thought of getting some answers had apparently had a calming affect on him, and on his brother it would seem as well, Darryl's new found calmness having come through loud and clear through the link. Cole could still feel the fear there as well but it was well pushed back for the moment and for the moment that was fine with Cole, but when they returned to the Manor he intended to help his brother dispel this new fear first thing.
"Aunt Tia, what is my little one talking about? You must know, after all you are Uncle D's Essence Mate. Please tell us what he is talking about." Cole asked as he raised his eyes to his Aunt's, he knew that his emotions were plain to see in his eyes but right now he simply didn't care as his need to know overrode his need to hide his emotions so his little one wouldn't feel them as he didn't want to scare him. All he felt though was his son holding onto him even tighter as he began to purr against his chest and Julianna's arms that held both himself and his little one in their protective embrace.
Julianna watched her beloved as he listened to his son try and explain what had happened. She could tell he was confused by what Baby Ben had said and by the looks of it so was Darryl. When she brought her eyes to her sister's she could see the same worry there that was undoubtedly in her own. She knew that Darryl possessed all of Cole's memories, even the ones that Cole had buried and/or hidden from himself, but by the looks of things even Darryl didn't know anything about the events that Baby Ben was speaking of and that worried her. Her love was in a very fragile emotional state at the moment and by the look of things so was Darryl. The return of the Charmed Ones to their lives was taking an emotional toll on both boys, add to that the impending weddings and Ascension and now the pregnancies... there was simply so much happening so fast that none of them have really had the time to come to terms with what was happening around them. However, of all of them Cole was the most vulnerable thanks largely to the Charmed Ones and their Whitelighter and their treatment of him during his time with them. There was damage done, emotional wounds that no one was able to heal and now they were back to hurt him some more and she wasn't simply going to stand back and let it happen to either of the boys. When she felt Cole lean even deeper into her embrace she made sure that he didn't feel her tension, her fear because she knew, without a doubt that he would blame himself for it. She couldn't help but smile when she felt Baby Ben begin to purr against her arm. When Cole raised his head to look up at Aunt Tia she followed suit, hoping that Aunt Tia would be able to answer his questions.
Aunt Tia looked down at the group that was now starring up at her. She knew the answer to her nephew's question but she wasn't sure if showing him was the best way to handle this. The fear and pain she saw within her nephew's eyes though shook her to her very core; his need for the answer made her decision for her. She would not let him go on like this, not if she could do something about it.
"Yes I do know what the little one is speaking of and before you ask yes I can show it to you. He is speaking of the time right before you escaped the Wasteland and the reason you don't remember is because you were unconscious at the time; you had collapsed after the little one had disappeared for what you thought would be the last time. First though I need to ask, do all of you know how Raven and Matheous came to be separated?" She received a nod from all six. "Good then I won't have to show you that story first." Tia moved back a few steps, placing a good few yards between herself and the others. She needed enough space to perform the spell that would show them what they so desperately needed to see at this point. Carefully bringing her tail around herself she gently taps the ground seven times, she then bows her head and speaks ancient words in Dragonish, words that had no human translation yet the six before her still gleaned their meaning, she could easily tell that by the widening of their eyes, both human and puppy. As soon as the last word slid from her lips a Circle of Power sprang up around them, the world outside the Circle faded away into nothingness only to be replaced with a view that Cole had hoped to never see again... the Wasteland. Tia could see it in his eyes as the images around them solidified and she was sorry that she had to bring up such a painful memory for him but if she was to show them what happened next she had no choice. She knew what was going to happen, what they were going to see so she kept her eyes focused on her nephew as he watched what had happened after he had collapsed that day.
Raven landed with a loud grunt, her back being skewered by small rocks in the coarse sand. Her fall had not been too far, maybe a story or two but the landing was a rough one; even so she quickly jumped to her feet. Her centuries of training and conditioning however played little role in her quickness; no, it was the feeling of her little one nearby that prompted her swift movements as she eagerly sought him out. She could feel that he was in pain and judging by the intensity she was sure that he was close by. As she started looking around herself she realized that she was in the Wasteland, someplace she isn't supposed to be able to go, just as she couldn't go Up There as the Elders had come to call it. It was one of the ways that the Balance protected itself, this way no one side could use her or her powers to alter the rules of death. It was something that she understood and readily accepted. After about thirty seconds of searching her eyes landed on his collapsed form, less then a second later she took off.
She made very short work of the distance but just before she reached him something landed on her back, driving her to the ground. Her first instinct was to attack to protect her hurt little one but before she committed herself she sensed something she shouldn't have. "Matheous? What are you doing here? Or better yet how did you get here?" She asked the man that was rolling off her back.
"I have no idea my pet. I shouldn't even be able to be here in the first place." Matheous answered her as he looked around himself. "Oh I definitely shouldn't be here and neither should you. How did we get here?"
"I think maybe he had something to do with that." She explained, pointing to her little one's still form a few feet away, which she knew wasn't even necessary as Matheous was her mate and her little one's Grandfather and could find him as easily as she could.
"Oh Gods! What happened?" Matheous demanded as he quickly knelt down next to Cole, gently brushing the damp hair from their little one's forehead. When he was met by only silence he looked back at Raven and he knew. "It was the Charmed Ones wasn't it? They did this didn't they? She did this!" He was becoming more and more angry and would have continued to rant if Raven hadn't come forward and taken his free hand in hers.
"Matheous please? Now is not the time. We have to figure out who summoned you here because you really can't be here." Raven could see the pain in his eyes and she could easily understand it. He was her mate in heart, mind, and soul yet they could only be together for a fortnight every one hundred years, the rest of the time Matheous would have to use his link to her to know what was happening with their family. He had never gotten to see his son be born or grow up with his own eyes; he had never gotten to see his own grandson be born or grow up with his own eyes. No, everything her love knew was gleaned directly from her, from watching their family through her eyes. He had only seen their little one here once and that was fifty years ago and he had never seen their son Benjamin at all with his own eyes.
Both she and Matheous knew it had to be this way but that didn't mean that they had to love the idea. Of course neither of them had expected this to happen either, becoming parents and then grandparents. It just wasn't supposed to happen but it did and at that moment their lives had once again changed, irrevocably and permanently just as it had all those tens of centuries ago when they had been separated by Duty.
Raven Pulled her mind back to the present, pulling itself away from the old memories that she could still so easily see in her mind's eye as if it had only happened yesterday. Looking down at their curled up little one she could see the resemblance plain as day, their little one was the perfect combination of herself and Matheous, even more so than their son Benjamin. As she watched her mate carefully card his finders through their little one's hair she could see the love and pain clearly in his eyes and she felt guilty. Though she may not have been able to truly be with her little one a lot over the years at least she could watch him with her own eyes, but Matheous couldn't even do that. He loved Cole just as he loved Benjamin and her and it hurt him that he could not be there for them.
As centered as Matheous was on his grandson he didn't even flinch when her fingers brushed the side of is face; instead he nuzzled her hand taking comfort from the physical contact. His heart sobbed quietly for his grandson as he cradled him in his arms, heedless of the blood that was beginning to coat his arms. Even though he was unconscious, Matheous could still feel his pain both physical and emotional such was the strength of their bond. "My pet, why? Why have they done this? Why have they hurt him like this?" Matheous asked, desperate in his need to understand why the Charmed Ones had done this.
"Because they suffer from ego, my love. They ... they simply don't understand and they aren't willing to look, to learn. They are shortsighted and it will cost them." Raven tried to explain but she found her own words lacking so in the end she simply let her emotions do the talking. She could see the tears in his eyes as he felt her emotions and came to understand what had truly happened. She had tried to shield her love from the most recent events in their little one's life but now she had no choice but to show him. "Matheous, we still need to find out how you came to be here ... especially here in the Wasteland." Before her love could even venture a guess the answer they sought found them.
I brought you here.
Raven and Matheous looked at the glowing orb with shock. They could feel the soul within it and knew who he was instantly.
"Baby Ben?" Raven's voice was barely a whisper.
Yes Great Grammy, Great Granddaddy ... it's me. I brought you here. You need to help me help my daddy and I don't have much time. The Charmed Ones have already vanquished the Seer and me with her. I was drawn to the Abyss but before the Devourer could get me I was pulled back here. It was daddy who pulled me back. He loves me.
They could feel the child's pride as he spoke of his daddy and they couldn't help but smile. Suddenly a wave of love, pure love washed over them and that love wasn't only for their little one but for them as well. The glowing orb pulsed a little faster as Raven and Matheous answered the child by sending their own love back to Baby Ben. The child's next words brought tears to their eyes.
Please help me save my daddy? Please? He hasn't done anything wrong. Please?
They could see that the child didn't have much time before even his daddy's love wouldn't be able to keep him here any longer. Raven and Matheous looked to each other as the child's plea brought fresh tears to their eyes. Each wanted to be able to give the child, their great grandson the answer he wanted but they simply didn't know how. They watched the glowing orb bounce around his daddy's head as if caressing his face; this movement brought him into direct contact with Matheous' hand. At that moment Matheous knew what he had to do.
"My pet, I know what we have to do now." He knew that she too had found the answer by the tears that were falling anew down her cheeks. "Oh my pet, do not cry for me. I am finally going to be able to do what I have dreamed of doing since Benjamin was born." He could feel her slight resistance but knew without a doubt that she would do what was needed, after all this was an innocent child and his innocent father but more importantly they were family and for a Dragon there is nothing more important than family. They would fight to the death for their race's Honor yes, but they would also fight to the death for their families as well. "My pet, it's time for me to finally get to show our grandson here just how very much I love him. Yes I know that you have told him and I told him when I saw him 50 years ago but we never really had any time together to really show him. Now I can. Please don't make me ask."
She knew what he was saying and she understood it but that didn't mean that she wanted to do what was going to be needed of her. It didn't mean that she loved her mate more than her grandson and great grandson it simply meant that she loved her mate, her Matheous. She was about to reach her other hand out to him but she felt something wet fall on it first. Looking down she found it hard to breathe.
Matheous followed his mate's line of sight and knew that their time was running out. He watched, holding his breathe, as a thin line of blood trickled out of the corner of their little one's mouth, the droplets slowly falling onto his mate's hand. His eyes went to his chest and saw how shallowly he was breathing. His little one was dying and he had no intentions of letting that happen.
"It's time my pet. I will always be with you. Remember that. I love you my little one and you too my even littler one. I will always be with you as well." Matheous gently kissed his forehead before carefully lowering his little one back to the ground. Moving a few yards away he came to a halt only to find Raven already standing in front of him. He looked into her eyes, into her soul and couldn't hold back his own tears, his falling tears now matching hers.
"I love you Matheous. You are my heart, my mind, and my soul. You are my mate in all things. I am you and you are me. Together forever." Raven's voice shook a little as she spoke what would be her final words to the only creature she has ever pledged herself to and would ever pledge herself to, her one and only soul mate.
"I love you Ravenor. You are my heart, my mind, and my soul. You are my mate in all things. I am you and you are me. Together forever." Matheous' voice also shook a little as he spoke what would be his final words to the only creature he has ever pledged himself to and would ever pledge himself to, his one and only soul mate.
They came together in a final kiss, a kiss that each poured their entire being into since it would be their last. As they pulled apart, each raised their hand to the others face to carefully catch a single tear; with shaking hands they brought their collected tear to their own lips and tasted, one final time, the heart and soul of their mate. Stepping apart, Ravenor moved to stand beside their little while whilst their littlest one hovered protectively over his unmoving daddy.
Raven watched as Matheous called upon his power and morphed back into his natural form, the 2 story tall purple scaled Dragon then reared back his head while he flapped his powerful wings, shaking himself out. As his intense eyes looked down upon her, Raven found herself fighting back her tears once again as she held out her hands, palms facing up as if to form a bowl. As she raised her cupped hands above her head she bowed her head forward. She was both glad and sad that she wouldn't be able to watch. She wasn't sure that she would be able to simply stand there and do nothing but she was sad that there would be no one to witness her beloved's crossing over. A moment later she felt his power was over her, caressing her before disappearing. She lowered her hands and raised her eyes to find... nothing where her mate had once stood. A single tear fell, landing with a small splash on the beating heart that was held securely in her cupped hands.
Great Grammy.
Raven turned to face her little ones at the sound of the small voice.
I'm sorry Great Grammy.
"There is no need for you to be sorry my littlest one. We will not mourn him, but rejoice in his life and his love." Raven moved to stand next to her little one's so very still form. Carefully she kneeled down; needing to be close to her little one's wound to complete the spell. Closing her eyes in concentration she spoke in the ancient language of her home world. As her voice went silent she closed her hands around the still beating heart that moments ago and been her mate's, the blood flowing between her fingers and onto her little one's side. What she hadn't seen was the glowing orb that was her great grandson move to hover between the blood flowing from her hands and his daddy. As the blood coated the orb it began to pulsate even faster before collapsing in on itself, the light disappearing into the wound before the healing properties of the blood closed the wound. When Raven opened her eyes they were gone and very quickly so was she. "You won't be forgotten, either of you. I shall light a candle for you my mate, my beloved and for you, our littlest one Baby Ben, your daddy shall light your candle himself. I promise." With those words, spoken to the wind of the Wasteland, Raven vanished as well.
The Circle of Power slowly dissipated, the image of the Wasteland disappearing to be replaced once again by the rolling green field they were actually standing in. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle sniffling of the seven of them. Aunt Tia looked down at the group before her and felt a stab of guilt for the tears she saw within their eyes. It took a moment for her to realize that she too had tears within her own eyes. Knowing she had to do something she spoke a few words in the same language she had used to call upon the Circle only this time the words brought about a different change as a purple glow suddenly surrounded her Dragon body. When it finally faded away she was in her "human" form and she couldn't help but smile at the looks that were now upon all of their faces.
"I take it my Draco has never shown you his "human" form has he?" Aunt Tia slowly walked up to the now stunned group. "I'll take your stunned silence as a yes. Well we do have these forms and can pretty much change at will."
"Then why has Uncle D never changed?" It was Darryl who found his voice first, he could feel the emotions surging through his brother and knew that right now speaking wasn't going to be possible for Cole so he did it for him.
"For protection." Aunt Tia waited for their reaction instead of spelling it out, she didn't have to wait long though.
"He did it to protect us, so that no one could find him and then follow him to us. He has been hiding all this time to protect us, even when he didn't know who we were."
"Not just us Darryl. He did it to protect Grams first. Family is the most important thing to a Dragon and a Dragon will do whatever he or she has to in order to protect their family as long as it is in accordance with our Code of Honor." Cole was still in a bit of shock after seeing what he had seen, but for some reason the emotions within him that had started to get out of control began to settle almost as quickly. He saw Darryl turn his eyes to him and he knew that his brother was feeling things through the link. "I don't know why but I... I'm glad because right now we don't have the time... later we will but not right now. When we are all safe then we can deal with it. I promise." Cole knew that Darryl would be upset at first but that it wouldn't last long and he was right as he watched a small smile spread across his brother's face. Darryl knew just as he did that now was not the time for emotional examination, later when they got back to Raven Manor and had some quiet time together to examine what they had seen then it would be time but not now.
Tia watched the communication between her nephew and his Guardian and smiled inwardly Yes they will be fine... they all will because they are all strong and together they are even stronger. She stood silently, allowing them time to settle themselves a bit more before springing her next surprise on them. She watched as her nephew snuggled down in his Julianna's arms, his hand scratching his own little one under the chin while Julianna scratched him behind the ear. Her eyes shifted to Darryl as he snuggled down in his Anita's arms while still reaching one of his hands over to the little one in Cole's arms and scratching his glowing tummy. This wasn't difficult and not a far reach as the twins made sure that their beloveds were practically sitting on top of each other between them, their own furry Guardians sitting protectively at their feet while happily yapping away at Baby Ben who kept giggling at them. She was loathe to disturb them but there were a few things that had to be done before they left this place so it was with a regrettable sigh that she knelt down before them.
Okay there you have it, the next part. I thank you for your patience and promise to try and update more frequently. Please don't forget to review as Muse does live for reviews.
Disclaimer: Cole Turner, Darryl Morris, Prue, Piper, Paige, and Phoebe Halliwell. Leo Wyatt, Jenna, and Andy Trudeau and all other characters that have appeared on the series "Charmed" as well as the concept of Charmed and all backstory are the copyright property of Aaron Spelling, E. Duke Vincent, and the WB Television Network. No copyright infringement was intended. All original characters as well as the story idea and the story itself are the sole property of the author.
And I would like to take a moment and thank Rose Madder for joining our cast of characters. Rose, Rosey has been named in honor of you and is my thank you for the wonderful praise and many words of encouragement you have given. Now take you place beside Tia because Aunt Tia and Rosey shall both be around for a very long time to comeg.
Muse and I thank you both vbg.
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Cole and Darryl moved forward making sure that they were between the newcomer and their companions before the new arrival landed. Cole watched the winged creature's descent with great interest and not just because he needed to make sure it wasn't a threat but also because it was familiar. The shape and the movements reminded him of his Uncle D.
"You're right partner, it does look like Uncle D, but the wingspan isn't right is it?" Darryl said, having picked up his charge's thoughts. It wasn't till he actually said it that he even questioned how he knew anything about wingspans to begin with. Even as the question formed though another part of his mind answered back and the answer was the Bond and that it was more pronounced here for some reason; a deduction he made when he realized that he didn't even have to concentrate on his charge to hear his thoughts like he normally would have. Cole's voice drew him back a second later.
"Shorter, not by much but it is shorter. Almost as if it were..."
"Female." Both boys turned to face each other, matching confused expressions on their faces.
Seeing the confused expressions on their boys faces the puppies and the twins quickly moved to their sides just as the great purple Dragon landed, making almost no sound at all before proceeding to fold her wings down along her back. The six of them stood apart from the other creatures that populated the clearing, the Dragon's eyes quickly coming to rest solely on them.
"Don't looked so shocked boys, after all it is what could almost be called racial memory if you will popping up, especially now that you are here." The large purple Dragon said as she gazed down upon them, a smile slowly forming on her lips, one that danced across her eyes and made her look anything but scary. "Well as you seem to have lost the power of speech for the moment let me just introduce myself now and get it over with. I am... well I am your Aunt Tia actually. I am Draco's Essence Mate if you will." She couldn't help herself as her chuckles erupted into full-blown laughter a second later, the looks on the six before her was something she would always treasure. She wondered briefly if anyone had a feather as she wanted to test the "knock me over with a feather" theory on them. She snickered some more at the image that very thought cast into her mind.
"You're who? What?" The Twins asked as they finally picked their chins up off the ground. Stunned was an understatement to what they were feeling. They had of course heard of Uncle D's mate but it was never mentioned as to where she was; to suddenly have her pop up here, where ever exactly here was, well it went beyond disturbing for them. When they turned to their own soon-to-be mates, the twin looks on their faces were profoundly disturbing. Before they could say another word though the boys took off. Literally. They would have taken off themselves but they didn't sense that the boys were in actual distress; it was more a feeling of "awe" that was radiating off of them, not danger.
Cole and Darryl, without a word or thought, took flight for the very first time and they didn't even really notice what they had just done; all of their concentration was on finding the truth. Was this Dragon who she said she was; that was the question and they needed to know the answer to it. To that end they had taken flight to find the mark that Uncle D had told them about one day; it was in fact the very mark that had come to symbolize the Half-Blood Nation. Out of habit both boys stayed out of what they thought to be her attack range while flying up and over the very large purple Dragon's head.
Tia didn't move, not even a muscle and she barely breathed, not wanting to scare the two boys in any way. She could sense both their caution in the event that she proved to be a threat to their twins and the puppies and conversely their eagerness to find her mark. It was a mark that she shared with her mate from the day of their own Bonding and would prove without doubt that she was who she said she was. As they flew up and over her head she smiled inwardly. So much like Raven she thought to herself. She knew that they would be able to view her mark that lay behind her left ear easily so she simply waited for them to make the first move. The image that the two boys presented to her though did make it a tad on the difficult side not to let her snickers erupt before they were finished.
Cole and Darryl carefully moved behind the Dragon's head as they sought the mark; one going right while the other went left. When they met around the back they easily found what they were looking for. Just behind the left ear, imbedded in the scales was a pentagram with an uroborus circling it, the snake head that was eating its own tail centered above the top most point of the woven pentagram. The two boys just hovered for a moment looking at each other. To say they were stunned was an understatement.
"It really is you." Both boys said as one as they flew back around her head, hovering directly in front of her face. Cole was becoming even more confused but it was Darryl's sudden spike of concern that worried him the most.
"Darryl?" He called as he turned to his friend. When Darryl finally turned and looked at him Cole found that he could more easily read his guardian and what he read was fear. Before he could say even one word though their Aunt Tia's voice cut across the clearing.
"Alright everyone, it's time to go back to your own business. I know you all want to make our new friends feel welcome and at home but they are tired and in need of rest and are also apparently in need of a serious question and answer session with me." Aunt Tia had noticed the change in Darryl and in turn the change in Cole and somehow she just knew what the problem was. Her connection to the boys hadn't been established yet, but it would be by the time they left. Even without the Bond connection being established she knew that Darryl was beginning to question his place in all of this. Her Draco had told her that Darryl had accepted his place as their nephew's Guardian but now she saw something else within him. It was fear of something, of that she was sure of but she needed to know what had transpired to bring about this new fear if she was going to dispel it and she was damned sure going to dispel it before they left. She watched as those gathered slowly began to move back into the forest, each waving or flapping a good-bye to their new arrivals.
It took a good few minutes but eventually the crowd had dispersed itself and left her enough room to move about more freely without worry of accidentally hitting anyone, her two story tall body tended to take up a bit of space. She watched the two boys easily glide back down to the ground, landing with barely a ruffle to their manes'. Needing to lighten the mood a bit she decided to put them out of their misery over their current forms.
"Now before we begin doing anything else I feel that I must explain about your current forms boys." She immediately had the attention of all six. "As you have probably already surmised these are not your natural Alter Forms however they are not the doing of my Draco either." She snickered a bit at the incredulous looks she was now getting. "Oh, my Draco does have a wicked sense of humor which I am sure all of you are well aware of, however in this case he is innocent... yes yes I know that hearing the word innocent in the same sentence as the name Draco seems rather odd but in this case it is true."
"Then why does Darryl have a pink fluffy mane and pink fluffy ball at the end of his tail?" Anita asked, her arm circling around her beloved's neck as she offered him comfort as she too had seen the change come over him. There was now fear where there had been none a few moments ago and she didn't like it.
"And why does Cole look like Purple Puff the Magic Dragon with lavender measles and a pink mane?" Julianna asked as she draped her arm across her beloved's lower neck. She kept herself on the opposite side of Cole from where Darryl had landed, as she didn't want to stand between them. She was not afraid but she could sense that Darryl was afraid now of something and she wanted to make sure that Cole would be free to offer him physical comfort if the need arose. It was the one trait that they all shared, even before coming together this past year; they all sought physical contact to help calm and center themselves and she had no desire to hinder Cole's comforting of Darryl if he felt the need to.
"Well that would be the wee Dragonlings that are responsible." Aunt Tia could tell from the looks on their faces that they really didn't make the connection. Just as she was about to explain she heard a giggling coming from behind and slightly above her. Sighing, rather dramatically, she swung her head around and came snout to snout with a tortie-shell cat who was hovering about two feet above her own back. The smile on the cat's face did nothing but make her roll her eyes. "Oh good grief. I thought you had left already Rosey." Aunt Tia said as she smiled rather facetiously at the hovering cat.
"Nope. I'm still here your Purpleness." Rosey replied as she darted over Tia's head to get a better look at their new friends. "Oh my," she snickered, "those little ones definitely do have an interesting sense of humor don't you think." She landed directly in front of the little group, her wings kicking up a slight updraft that made the boys' manes sway a bit on their heads. Rosey snickered a bit more as pink hair flopped into their eyes and each boy heaved a rather put upon sigh as they tried to get said pink mane hair to obey and stay out of their faces. "Your little ones certainly know amusing when they see it." She continued to snicker as she morphed back into her own smaller form, that of a normal sized tortie-shell house cat. In her Alter Form she had been the size of a small horse, her size matching the size of the puppies Alter Forms. Now she shrunk to the size of a normal house cat with only her wings giving away her otherworldliness. She looked up at the group as if expecting something from them and when nothing happened she shook her head in exasperation. "Okay you guys. I think you have had enough fun at your daddies expense and yes I know you did it for your big brother but now it's time to put them back the way you found them please." Rosey looked from one boy to the other a few times before walking up to first Anita and then Julianna, stopping only long enough to glare at their tummies. "Children." It was just one small word but the effect was big.
Cole and Darryl began to glow as a giggling was suddenly heard, actually it was more than one giggle but it sounded as if the giggles were coming from all around them. Aunt Tia looked to each of the six standing before here but stopped on the still glowing boys. Her attention was drawn to Cole just as Rosey's was. The glow finally began to subside a moment later and as it dimmed into nothingness it left behind the once again human forms of Cole and Darryl. Aunt Tia watched, with great interest, as Darryl slowly turned to face Cole, the look on Darryl's face was one of awe.
Cole and Darryl were both more than happy to finally be back in their human forms and very happy that no one else saw them, now they just had to figure out what Aunt Tia and Rosey were talking about.
Cole had felt Darryl's relief as they morphed but he could also still sense a fear within him, a fear that shouldn't be there. Instantly his mind shifted gears, becoming focused on his brother instead of Aunt Tia and Rosey. Cole understood that a lot of new things had popped up over the past year, new and strange and magical things and even though Darryl now had all of Cole's own memories they were just that, memories. Cole suddenly understood that it wasn't the magic that was going on around them but Darryl's lack of first hand experience that was bothering him, bothering him to a point of being afraid. He's afraid that his inexperience with magic and magical situations will somehow get me hurt. He's afraid of failing as my Guardian... no he's afraid of failing me as a brother, afraid he won't be there if and when I need him to be, he's afraid of breaking his promise to always be there for me no matter what. Cole's mind was suddenly in a swirl as he tried desperately to think of a way to prove to his brother that he had nothing to fear. He suddenly became aware of Darryl's intense gaze upon him and turning he watched as the gaze turned to one of awe. However, before he could even open his mouth to ask what was wrong he felt a tickling in his chest and he realized that Darryl was staring at the exact spot that tickled. He could feel the sense of wonder coming from Darryl and it help keep his fear in check. When a sudden glow started to rise from his chest he could feel it coming from his very heart as well. The glow separated itself from him and finally took the shape of a small dragon and the first thing the glowing little dragon did was zip up to Darryl. Cole could only watch as the little glowing dragon helped his brother the very way he had wanted to.
Darryl couldn't believe what he was seeing. There was a glow coming from inside of Cole, one that emanated from his brother's very heart. He watched carefully as the glow separated itself from Cole's body and slowly formed itself into a small cat-sized winged dragon made of pure light. As soon as the dragon shape had fully formed it flew directly at him. Darryl didn't move, not that he was afraid of the little fellow but because he didn't want to scare him accidentally. He couldn't help the smile that formed on his lips a moment later as the little dragon's little head of light tilted to the left, the move reminding him so much of Cole. If asked he wouldn't be able to say how but he suddenly made such a jump in logic that he thought he had to be wrong, but his heart and soul told him he was right and where Cole was concerned he had learned to trust his heart and soul without question. Before he could say anything though the little light dragon giggled and Darryl suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a hug he would never forget. He thought briefly that he should be afraid of touching the little dragon for fear of hurting him, after all he was only made up of light at the moment, but he found his arms coming around the little fellow before the thought could even be finished. The hug itself reached into his very heart and soul, filling him up with a love that could only come from a child.
"Thank you Uncle Darryl for taking such good care of my daddy. You've helped him, protected him, and watched over him and most importantly you have shown him that it's okay to want to be loved. Thank you." The little dragon wrapped his little arms around his Uncle Darryl's neck, holding on really tight. He wanted his Uncle Darryl to know how much he loved him so he put everything he had into his hug. "I love my daddy and I love you." He had kept his voice quiet, his words were only for his Uncle Darryl but now he wanted to see his daddy and tell him how much he loved him too. He turned around but was reluctant to let go of his Uncle but fortunately for him his Uncle knew just what he wanted and he soon found his Uncle carrying him to his daddy. As soon as he was in reaching distance to his daddy though he couldn't wait a second longer and as he launched himself into his daddy's arms. "Daddy!! Daddy!! I love you daddy... I always have and I always will." The little light dragon felt so much love for his daddy that he started to glow a soft purple color as he snuggled down into his daddy's loving arms.
Cole simply couldn't believe what he was seeing at first. He watched as the little light dragon rushed over to Darryl and hugged him, he couldn't hear what the little fellow was saying but he could both see and sense the effect the words had on his brother as they calmed Darryl. He could feel love coming from the little dragon, a love that told his heart who the little fellow was, but his mind protested what his heart was saying. His mind, his logical mind told him that it couldn't possibly be him but his heart and soul refused to listen and began to open the part of themselves that they had closed away a year ago, the part that was reserved for his first child, the part that was for only Baby Ben. Cole instinctively opened his arms as the little Dragon of light jumped from Darryl to him. He heard the words and they were all that was needed to break open the last vestiges of the seals he had used to cover the wounds in his heart and in his soul that the death of his son had created. He never, in his wildest dreams, ever thought he would feel this feeling again, this love that had grown as his son had grown in the womb. He held the little Dragon as tight as he could, something telling him that he wouldn't hurt his little one by doing this. He barely felt the tears that were now falling freely from his eyes, or Julianna's arms coming around him and gently lowering him to the ground as his knees buckled under him. His only thought was to hold onto his son as tight as he could fearing that as soon as he let go his little one would disappear and he would lose him once again; his heart and soul simply couldn't take that so he simply held on for all he was worth.
Quite a few minutes passed as Julianna, Darryl, Anita, Bearlock, and Snuggles all gathered around Cole and his son, linking together in a circle of love. Julianna had drawn Cole and son into the protective circle of her arms and gently rocked them in hopes of calming her beloved down. She could feel his unfettered love for his son but she could also feel the fear begin to grow within him, the fear of losing his little one again. As she looked to Darryl she suddenly realized that the rest of them had returned to their human and puppy forms as well. She could also see that the fear that had begun to overtake Darryl had receded some, it wasn't entirely gone but she knew that Cole was the only one that could take care of whatever remaining fear there was.
The tears were flowing freely from all of them as they remained locked together, their support unwavering as Cole held his son in a loving embrace. Each knew the joy that this moment was bringing to Cole but Darryl alone understood both the joy and the terror that his brother was now feeling. His own fear was quickly forgotten as he sought to comfort and support his charge; the power of the emotions coming from him were so very strong that Darryl found himself wrapped in a cocoon of love, unconditional love that was coming from both father and son. Suddenly the fear within Cole began to grow and it was breaking Darryl's heart. Quickly he turned to Aunt Tia in hopes that she would know.
"Aunt Tia, what is happening? How is Baby Ben here and... and..." Darryl found he couldn't say it, he just couldn't. The pain and fear coming from Cole was beginning to overwhelm him and he just couldn't. As he looked up at Aunt Tia he could see the tears falling from her eyes as she too watched his brother hold his son. What was missing from her purple eyes was the fear and he had to know why. "Aunt Tia, please what is happening."
Tia could see the fear within her nephew; the fear that he would lose his little one again and it pained her greatly. She knew what was happening and she really had no desire to give him false hope so she could only hope that her Draco was right in his assessment of Piper Halliwell. Since she couldn't tell them about Piper's involvement she gave her nephew the only other hope that she could.
"Cole. Cole, listen to me please." Tia had to call his name a few more times before he looked up at her and when he did it took more control than was pretty to hold herself together. The emotions, raw and powerful that were staring back at her from his bright blue eyes were almost overwhelming for her, just as they had been for Darryl. "Cole, I know that you are afraid, afraid that somehow you will lose your little one again but you won't, you can't." She watched as her words finally penetrated his emotion- clouded mind.
"Wh... what do... you mean? Please... please tell me? Please." Cole still hadn't loosened his hold on his Baby Ben, his love and fear combining and it terrified him. He did take comfort in the arms that surrounded him, holding both him and his son close, the arms of his beloved Julianna. He had never spoken to Julianna about Baby Ben; never let her into that part of his life as the pain that surrounded his heart and soul was too devastating for him to speak of aloud. Darryl, his brother and Guardian was the only one that had seen into that devastating pain, the only one he had let in. Yet Julianna had never held it against him, never questioned or pushed him and for that he loved her even more, if such a thing were even possible. He tried to lean back, to surrender himself to those arms but he couldn't, his fear for his son was too great as his body continued to shake uncontrollably. He looked up at his Aunt and he knew that his desperation shown plainly in his eyes and right now he didn't care, right now the only thing he cared about was keeping his son safe. His Aunt's words though almost brought his heartbeat to a screeching halt as he simply froze. In some part of his mind he realized that they all had frozen in place at her words, all save Baby Ben. When he felt his son nuzzling against his neck, practically purring in contentment he finally moved, looking down into the face of his son.
Baby Ben's body may have been made up of light but he had amethyst eyes and they were filled with nothing but love for his daddy. As he lay on his back, secure in his daddy's arms, he looked up at his daddy's face. He could see the fear within them just as he could feel the fear coming from his daddy's heart and soul; his daddy was afraid of losing him again and Baby Ben simply could not let his daddy suffer like this anymore.
"Daddy, you can't lose me ever again so please don't worry. I am b... boun... bound to you. Great Grammy and Great Grampy made it so." Baby Ben reached up his tiny little claw and touched his daddy's face, feeling the tears that were still falling from his daddy's eyes. He didn't want his daddy to be sad so he tried to cheer his daddy up by grabbing his daddy's nose as he giggled. His daddy was still crying but he did laugh when he grabbed his nose. "I promise daddy, I can't be taken away. Great Grammy and Great Grandpy came to us in the Wateland and I asked them to help me and they did. Great Grampy flew high into the air and then flew back down to us. He was so pretty daddy. Then he dis... disapp... "
"Disappeared?" Darryl said as he figured out what the little fellow was trying to say. He could see the little one becoming frustrated over the word so he helped him out; this got him a smile of thanks from the little one, a quick thanks as Baby Ben immediately returned all of his attention to his daddy.
"Yeah and then Great Grammy was sad and cried and I felt bad but she told me not to be, that Great Grampy was still with us and then when she said the spell and squeezed her hands to make the red I went to it and when it went over you I went with it and I have been hiding in there since then." Baby Ben finished his story and once again wrapped himself around his daddy's neck. It felt so good to be held by his daddy again that he simply wanted to stay like this forever.
Cole didn't know what to make of what his little one had told him. He knew it had something to do with something that happened while he had been trapped in the Wasteland but he had some blank spots in his memory about that time and months ago when he had asked Darryl about them Darryl had told him it wasn't missing time because he had no memories of the time frames in question either. He and Darryl had talked about it, especially about the time right before he escaped and went to the Halliwell Manor to get some much needed food before heading to his Mausoleum. They had come to the conclusion that Cole must have been unconscious from the injuries he had sustained from the Beast coupled with his emotional injuries and pain brought about by the death of his son. He definitely didn't remember Grams being there nor his Grandfather, he may have only met him once but that didn't mean that he didn't know who he was. Something was wrong, too many things weren't making sense and he found himself getting very worried and instinctively he opened the link between himself and Darryl to help center himself; his raging emotions needing the anchor only Darryl could provide.
After a few minutes of what he and Darryl had come to term "link quietness" he found his heartbeat returning to a more normal rhythm as he finally began to relax into Julianna's arms, his hold on his little one also relaxing though in no way relinquishing said little one either. As he finally raised his eyes up he found Darryl also relaxing into Anita's embrace while both puppies remained in guarding positions by their legs. He didn't want to speak for fear of ruining the delicate balance he had achieved within himself but he also had to know what his little one was talking about and he knew of only two people who could possibly know the answers he sought; his Uncle D who was out of reach at the moment and his Aunt Tia who was within reach at the moment. Uncle D was the Prophecy Keeper for this family and if Aunt Tia were his Essence Mate then she too would be a Prophecy Keeper, which would mean that she would know the answers to his questions. Having decided on his course of action he actually felt himself relaxing a bit more, the mere thought of getting some answers had apparently had a calming affect on him, and on his brother it would seem as well, Darryl's new found calmness having come through loud and clear through the link. Cole could still feel the fear there as well but it was well pushed back for the moment and for the moment that was fine with Cole, but when they returned to the Manor he intended to help his brother dispel this new fear first thing.
"Aunt Tia, what is my little one talking about? You must know, after all you are Uncle D's Essence Mate. Please tell us what he is talking about." Cole asked as he raised his eyes to his Aunt's, he knew that his emotions were plain to see in his eyes but right now he simply didn't care as his need to know overrode his need to hide his emotions so his little one wouldn't feel them as he didn't want to scare him. All he felt though was his son holding onto him even tighter as he began to purr against his chest and Julianna's arms that held both himself and his little one in their protective embrace.
Julianna watched her beloved as he listened to his son try and explain what had happened. She could tell he was confused by what Baby Ben had said and by the looks of it so was Darryl. When she brought her eyes to her sister's she could see the same worry there that was undoubtedly in her own. She knew that Darryl possessed all of Cole's memories, even the ones that Cole had buried and/or hidden from himself, but by the looks of things even Darryl didn't know anything about the events that Baby Ben was speaking of and that worried her. Her love was in a very fragile emotional state at the moment and by the look of things so was Darryl. The return of the Charmed Ones to their lives was taking an emotional toll on both boys, add to that the impending weddings and Ascension and now the pregnancies... there was simply so much happening so fast that none of them have really had the time to come to terms with what was happening around them. However, of all of them Cole was the most vulnerable thanks largely to the Charmed Ones and their Whitelighter and their treatment of him during his time with them. There was damage done, emotional wounds that no one was able to heal and now they were back to hurt him some more and she wasn't simply going to stand back and let it happen to either of the boys. When she felt Cole lean even deeper into her embrace she made sure that he didn't feel her tension, her fear because she knew, without a doubt that he would blame himself for it. She couldn't help but smile when she felt Baby Ben begin to purr against her arm. When Cole raised his head to look up at Aunt Tia she followed suit, hoping that Aunt Tia would be able to answer his questions.
Aunt Tia looked down at the group that was now starring up at her. She knew the answer to her nephew's question but she wasn't sure if showing him was the best way to handle this. The fear and pain she saw within her nephew's eyes though shook her to her very core; his need for the answer made her decision for her. She would not let him go on like this, not if she could do something about it.
"Yes I do know what the little one is speaking of and before you ask yes I can show it to you. He is speaking of the time right before you escaped the Wasteland and the reason you don't remember is because you were unconscious at the time; you had collapsed after the little one had disappeared for what you thought would be the last time. First though I need to ask, do all of you know how Raven and Matheous came to be separated?" She received a nod from all six. "Good then I won't have to show you that story first." Tia moved back a few steps, placing a good few yards between herself and the others. She needed enough space to perform the spell that would show them what they so desperately needed to see at this point. Carefully bringing her tail around herself she gently taps the ground seven times, she then bows her head and speaks ancient words in Dragonish, words that had no human translation yet the six before her still gleaned their meaning, she could easily tell that by the widening of their eyes, both human and puppy. As soon as the last word slid from her lips a Circle of Power sprang up around them, the world outside the Circle faded away into nothingness only to be replaced with a view that Cole had hoped to never see again... the Wasteland. Tia could see it in his eyes as the images around them solidified and she was sorry that she had to bring up such a painful memory for him but if she was to show them what happened next she had no choice. She knew what was going to happen, what they were going to see so she kept her eyes focused on her nephew as he watched what had happened after he had collapsed that day.
Raven landed with a loud grunt, her back being skewered by small rocks in the coarse sand. Her fall had not been too far, maybe a story or two but the landing was a rough one; even so she quickly jumped to her feet. Her centuries of training and conditioning however played little role in her quickness; no, it was the feeling of her little one nearby that prompted her swift movements as she eagerly sought him out. She could feel that he was in pain and judging by the intensity she was sure that he was close by. As she started looking around herself she realized that she was in the Wasteland, someplace she isn't supposed to be able to go, just as she couldn't go Up There as the Elders had come to call it. It was one of the ways that the Balance protected itself, this way no one side could use her or her powers to alter the rules of death. It was something that she understood and readily accepted. After about thirty seconds of searching her eyes landed on his collapsed form, less then a second later she took off.
She made very short work of the distance but just before she reached him something landed on her back, driving her to the ground. Her first instinct was to attack to protect her hurt little one but before she committed herself she sensed something she shouldn't have. "Matheous? What are you doing here? Or better yet how did you get here?" She asked the man that was rolling off her back.
"I have no idea my pet. I shouldn't even be able to be here in the first place." Matheous answered her as he looked around himself. "Oh I definitely shouldn't be here and neither should you. How did we get here?"
"I think maybe he had something to do with that." She explained, pointing to her little one's still form a few feet away, which she knew wasn't even necessary as Matheous was her mate and her little one's Grandfather and could find him as easily as she could.
"Oh Gods! What happened?" Matheous demanded as he quickly knelt down next to Cole, gently brushing the damp hair from their little one's forehead. When he was met by only silence he looked back at Raven and he knew. "It was the Charmed Ones wasn't it? They did this didn't they? She did this!" He was becoming more and more angry and would have continued to rant if Raven hadn't come forward and taken his free hand in hers.
"Matheous please? Now is not the time. We have to figure out who summoned you here because you really can't be here." Raven could see the pain in his eyes and she could easily understand it. He was her mate in heart, mind, and soul yet they could only be together for a fortnight every one hundred years, the rest of the time Matheous would have to use his link to her to know what was happening with their family. He had never gotten to see his son be born or grow up with his own eyes; he had never gotten to see his own grandson be born or grow up with his own eyes. No, everything her love knew was gleaned directly from her, from watching their family through her eyes. He had only seen their little one here once and that was fifty years ago and he had never seen their son Benjamin at all with his own eyes.
Both she and Matheous knew it had to be this way but that didn't mean that they had to love the idea. Of course neither of them had expected this to happen either, becoming parents and then grandparents. It just wasn't supposed to happen but it did and at that moment their lives had once again changed, irrevocably and permanently just as it had all those tens of centuries ago when they had been separated by Duty.
Raven Pulled her mind back to the present, pulling itself away from the old memories that she could still so easily see in her mind's eye as if it had only happened yesterday. Looking down at their curled up little one she could see the resemblance plain as day, their little one was the perfect combination of herself and Matheous, even more so than their son Benjamin. As she watched her mate carefully card his finders through their little one's hair she could see the love and pain clearly in his eyes and she felt guilty. Though she may not have been able to truly be with her little one a lot over the years at least she could watch him with her own eyes, but Matheous couldn't even do that. He loved Cole just as he loved Benjamin and her and it hurt him that he could not be there for them.
As centered as Matheous was on his grandson he didn't even flinch when her fingers brushed the side of is face; instead he nuzzled her hand taking comfort from the physical contact. His heart sobbed quietly for his grandson as he cradled him in his arms, heedless of the blood that was beginning to coat his arms. Even though he was unconscious, Matheous could still feel his pain both physical and emotional such was the strength of their bond. "My pet, why? Why have they done this? Why have they hurt him like this?" Matheous asked, desperate in his need to understand why the Charmed Ones had done this.
"Because they suffer from ego, my love. They ... they simply don't understand and they aren't willing to look, to learn. They are shortsighted and it will cost them." Raven tried to explain but she found her own words lacking so in the end she simply let her emotions do the talking. She could see the tears in his eyes as he felt her emotions and came to understand what had truly happened. She had tried to shield her love from the most recent events in their little one's life but now she had no choice but to show him. "Matheous, we still need to find out how you came to be here ... especially here in the Wasteland." Before her love could even venture a guess the answer they sought found them.
I brought you here.
Raven and Matheous looked at the glowing orb with shock. They could feel the soul within it and knew who he was instantly.
"Baby Ben?" Raven's voice was barely a whisper.
Yes Great Grammy, Great Granddaddy ... it's me. I brought you here. You need to help me help my daddy and I don't have much time. The Charmed Ones have already vanquished the Seer and me with her. I was drawn to the Abyss but before the Devourer could get me I was pulled back here. It was daddy who pulled me back. He loves me.
They could feel the child's pride as he spoke of his daddy and they couldn't help but smile. Suddenly a wave of love, pure love washed over them and that love wasn't only for their little one but for them as well. The glowing orb pulsed a little faster as Raven and Matheous answered the child by sending their own love back to Baby Ben. The child's next words brought tears to their eyes.
Please help me save my daddy? Please? He hasn't done anything wrong. Please?
They could see that the child didn't have much time before even his daddy's love wouldn't be able to keep him here any longer. Raven and Matheous looked to each other as the child's plea brought fresh tears to their eyes. Each wanted to be able to give the child, their great grandson the answer he wanted but they simply didn't know how. They watched the glowing orb bounce around his daddy's head as if caressing his face; this movement brought him into direct contact with Matheous' hand. At that moment Matheous knew what he had to do.
"My pet, I know what we have to do now." He knew that she too had found the answer by the tears that were falling anew down her cheeks. "Oh my pet, do not cry for me. I am finally going to be able to do what I have dreamed of doing since Benjamin was born." He could feel her slight resistance but knew without a doubt that she would do what was needed, after all this was an innocent child and his innocent father but more importantly they were family and for a Dragon there is nothing more important than family. They would fight to the death for their race's Honor yes, but they would also fight to the death for their families as well. "My pet, it's time for me to finally get to show our grandson here just how very much I love him. Yes I know that you have told him and I told him when I saw him 50 years ago but we never really had any time together to really show him. Now I can. Please don't make me ask."
She knew what he was saying and she understood it but that didn't mean that she wanted to do what was going to be needed of her. It didn't mean that she loved her mate more than her grandson and great grandson it simply meant that she loved her mate, her Matheous. She was about to reach her other hand out to him but she felt something wet fall on it first. Looking down she found it hard to breathe.
Matheous followed his mate's line of sight and knew that their time was running out. He watched, holding his breathe, as a thin line of blood trickled out of the corner of their little one's mouth, the droplets slowly falling onto his mate's hand. His eyes went to his chest and saw how shallowly he was breathing. His little one was dying and he had no intentions of letting that happen.
"It's time my pet. I will always be with you. Remember that. I love you my little one and you too my even littler one. I will always be with you as well." Matheous gently kissed his forehead before carefully lowering his little one back to the ground. Moving a few yards away he came to a halt only to find Raven already standing in front of him. He looked into her eyes, into her soul and couldn't hold back his own tears, his falling tears now matching hers.
"I love you Matheous. You are my heart, my mind, and my soul. You are my mate in all things. I am you and you are me. Together forever." Raven's voice shook a little as she spoke what would be her final words to the only creature she has ever pledged herself to and would ever pledge herself to, her one and only soul mate.
"I love you Ravenor. You are my heart, my mind, and my soul. You are my mate in all things. I am you and you are me. Together forever." Matheous' voice also shook a little as he spoke what would be his final words to the only creature he has ever pledged himself to and would ever pledge himself to, his one and only soul mate.
They came together in a final kiss, a kiss that each poured their entire being into since it would be their last. As they pulled apart, each raised their hand to the others face to carefully catch a single tear; with shaking hands they brought their collected tear to their own lips and tasted, one final time, the heart and soul of their mate. Stepping apart, Ravenor moved to stand beside their little while whilst their littlest one hovered protectively over his unmoving daddy.
Raven watched as Matheous called upon his power and morphed back into his natural form, the 2 story tall purple scaled Dragon then reared back his head while he flapped his powerful wings, shaking himself out. As his intense eyes looked down upon her, Raven found herself fighting back her tears once again as she held out her hands, palms facing up as if to form a bowl. As she raised her cupped hands above her head she bowed her head forward. She was both glad and sad that she wouldn't be able to watch. She wasn't sure that she would be able to simply stand there and do nothing but she was sad that there would be no one to witness her beloved's crossing over. A moment later she felt his power was over her, caressing her before disappearing. She lowered her hands and raised her eyes to find... nothing where her mate had once stood. A single tear fell, landing with a small splash on the beating heart that was held securely in her cupped hands.
Great Grammy.
Raven turned to face her little ones at the sound of the small voice.
I'm sorry Great Grammy.
"There is no need for you to be sorry my littlest one. We will not mourn him, but rejoice in his life and his love." Raven moved to stand next to her little one's so very still form. Carefully she kneeled down; needing to be close to her little one's wound to complete the spell. Closing her eyes in concentration she spoke in the ancient language of her home world. As her voice went silent she closed her hands around the still beating heart that moments ago and been her mate's, the blood flowing between her fingers and onto her little one's side. What she hadn't seen was the glowing orb that was her great grandson move to hover between the blood flowing from her hands and his daddy. As the blood coated the orb it began to pulsate even faster before collapsing in on itself, the light disappearing into the wound before the healing properties of the blood closed the wound. When Raven opened her eyes they were gone and very quickly so was she. "You won't be forgotten, either of you. I shall light a candle for you my mate, my beloved and for you, our littlest one Baby Ben, your daddy shall light your candle himself. I promise." With those words, spoken to the wind of the Wasteland, Raven vanished as well.
The Circle of Power slowly dissipated, the image of the Wasteland disappearing to be replaced once again by the rolling green field they were actually standing in. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle sniffling of the seven of them. Aunt Tia looked down at the group before her and felt a stab of guilt for the tears she saw within their eyes. It took a moment for her to realize that she too had tears within her own eyes. Knowing she had to do something she spoke a few words in the same language she had used to call upon the Circle only this time the words brought about a different change as a purple glow suddenly surrounded her Dragon body. When it finally faded away she was in her "human" form and she couldn't help but smile at the looks that were now upon all of their faces.
"I take it my Draco has never shown you his "human" form has he?" Aunt Tia slowly walked up to the now stunned group. "I'll take your stunned silence as a yes. Well we do have these forms and can pretty much change at will."
"Then why has Uncle D never changed?" It was Darryl who found his voice first, he could feel the emotions surging through his brother and knew that right now speaking wasn't going to be possible for Cole so he did it for him.
"For protection." Aunt Tia waited for their reaction instead of spelling it out, she didn't have to wait long though.
"He did it to protect us, so that no one could find him and then follow him to us. He has been hiding all this time to protect us, even when he didn't know who we were."
"Not just us Darryl. He did it to protect Grams first. Family is the most important thing to a Dragon and a Dragon will do whatever he or she has to in order to protect their family as long as it is in accordance with our Code of Honor." Cole was still in a bit of shock after seeing what he had seen, but for some reason the emotions within him that had started to get out of control began to settle almost as quickly. He saw Darryl turn his eyes to him and he knew that his brother was feeling things through the link. "I don't know why but I... I'm glad because right now we don't have the time... later we will but not right now. When we are all safe then we can deal with it. I promise." Cole knew that Darryl would be upset at first but that it wouldn't last long and he was right as he watched a small smile spread across his brother's face. Darryl knew just as he did that now was not the time for emotional examination, later when they got back to Raven Manor and had some quiet time together to examine what they had seen then it would be time but not now.
Tia watched the communication between her nephew and his Guardian and smiled inwardly Yes they will be fine... they all will because they are all strong and together they are even stronger. She stood silently, allowing them time to settle themselves a bit more before springing her next surprise on them. She watched as her nephew snuggled down in his Julianna's arms, his hand scratching his own little one under the chin while Julianna scratched him behind the ear. Her eyes shifted to Darryl as he snuggled down in his Anita's arms while still reaching one of his hands over to the little one in Cole's arms and scratching his glowing tummy. This wasn't difficult and not a far reach as the twins made sure that their beloveds were practically sitting on top of each other between them, their own furry Guardians sitting protectively at their feet while happily yapping away at Baby Ben who kept giggling at them. She was loathe to disturb them but there were a few things that had to be done before they left this place so it was with a regrettable sigh that she knelt down before them.
Okay there you have it, the next part. I thank you for your patience and promise to try and update more frequently. Please don't forget to review as Muse does live for reviews.