Disclaimer: I only own the girl at the end. Elizabeth belongs to my friend.

Author's note: Third chapter. Enough said.

It was early morning when Dart, Elizabeth, and Shana had decided to wait for Kongol, Miranda, Meru, and Hashel in front of the weapons shop in front of Indels Castle. It wasn't long, however, before Dart felt a hand come to rest on his left shoulder. He quickly turned to see Hashel grinning at him. Beside him stood Miranda and Kongol on either side.

"Dart!"

Dart and Shana smiled. "Hashel! Miranda! Kongol! You made it!" exclaimed Dart.

"It's good to see you two again," said Hashel, smiling. Even Miranda and Kongol had small smiles. It had been a year, and it felt good to have the dragoons come back together.

Hashel noticed Elizabeth, who was watching the reunion from behind Dart and Shana. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Elizabeth," said Dart as he stepped to one side so they could see her. "Elizabeth, this is Hashel, Miranda, and Kongol."

They all nodded in greeting.

"Where's Meru?" asked Shana.

"She said she'd meet us at the castle," answered Miranda.

Elizabeth's head snapped up to look at Miranda with something resembling surprise. "Castle?" she inquired.

Dart nodded towards the castle nearby. "Indels Castle. We are in the capital of Serdia."

Elizabeth frowned, her eyes glinting a little apprehension.

"What?" asked Miranda, noticing the look. "Are you afraid of King Albert or something?"

"No, of course not," she snapped as she got her looks under control.

"Don't worry," said Shana with a reassuring smile. "Albert won't hate you because you're a Wingly."

Elizabeth suddenly turned to look at Shana, her eyes wide. "How did you know?!"

"What, that you were a Wingly?" asked Dart. "The eyes and the hair are always a dead giveaway. Besides, our friend that we're supposed to meet at the castle- Meru- she's a Wingly too."

"Well... I... I still don't see why I'm supposed to see the king of Serdia."

"Because," said Hashel as he turned to start towards the castle. "He's a dragoon too." He started walking. "Come on, slowpokes! Albert's waiting!"

Upon their arrival, the group was immediately greeted by Minister Noish, who was all smiles. It was an unnerving sight for Elizabeth, but the rest of the dragoons assumed he was just happy to see them. They were good friends of Albert, after all.

"Hello! It's good to see you all again! I hope you all had a safe trip? Good, good. We must hurry to the throne room; His Majesty Albert is waiting for you! Single file now; the hallways aren't that wide! That's better."

During their walk to the throne room, Minister Noish talked the entire time until they reached the throne room doors. Once there he paused to look back at them and smile, then entered the room. The group followed and collected at the top of the stairs.

Albert and Emille had both gotten up from their thrones as soon as the group had entered. Meru waited off to the side. The familiar portrait that hung on the wall between the thrones of the King and Queen of Serdia returned the dull ache to Dart's heart. Even after all this time, it still hurt; although it was no longer the vicious jolt it used to be. The portrait had the same effect on Albert as well; even moreso since he had known the knight far longer than Dart had.

As it was however, the dull ache was forgotten for the moment as Albert greeted his friends with a large smile, which was unusual for him. As soon as they had gotten back to their feet after kneeling in front of the royal couple, he opened his arms in greeting.

"My friends, please! Stop with the formalities! We know each other too well! You are my guests and dearest friends!" He lowered his arms, but the smile remained.

It was at this point the other dragoons began to realize something was up. Albert was being much too happy; it had only been a year since they had last seen him. Surely he hadn't missed them THAT much.

However, they didn't mention their suspicions, as Meru took this time to run to the group to greet them.

"You made it!" she exclaimed as she beamed excitedly. Her eyes traveled along the familiar smiling faces, then stopped when she saw Elizabeth. "Who's she?"

Dart turned to look at the Wingly woman. "This is Elizabeth. I met her in Seles. She went with Shana and I when we came here. Elizabeth, this is Meru, Albert, and Emille."

"Hi!" chirped Meru enthusiastically.

Albert was still smiling that larger-than-usual smile, which was then beginning to creep Elizabeth, along with everyone else, out. "Any friend of Dart's is a friend of mine."

Emille smiled; nowhere near as large as her husbands, but still looking genuine. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Elizabeth. You are free to stay here with the others, if you'd like."

Elizabeth nodded her thanks. "Thank you, your Highness."

"There's another reason I brought her here," spoke up Dart. Everyone looked at him. He simply looked at Elizabeth. "Take off your necklace and show them."

She reached around her neck and undid the latch to her choker, gathering the stone and chain into the palm of her hand and held it out for everyone to see.

Meru leaned in closer to see better. Her eyes widened slightly. "Well... it... looks like a Dragoon Spirit," she said quietly, almost as if she couldn't believe it.

"Watch," said Dart, then he pulled out his Dragoon Spirit. It began to glow with its own golden color, while the spirit Elizabeth held glowed with a black shroud. A beat of silence passed, and Meru pulled out her own, which let off a blue light. Hashel and Kongol followed, brown and violet lights being added to the room. Albert pulled out his spirit as well, green light erupting from the stone in his hand. Finally Miranda joined them, the white light adding the finishing touch to the scene. Everyone in the room was bathed in light.

Eventually everyone but Elizabeth put their spirits away, leaving the Wingly to hold her gem in her hand. There were a few moments of silence where everyone stared at the stone in her hand. Even Albert's smile had given way to the curiosity in his eyes. Meru finally broke the silence.

"That sure doesn't look like the darkness spirit..."

"It's not," confirmed Dart as he watched the stone. "I've watched her transform. It's not the same element at all."

"Then, what element is it?" asked Miranda.

"I don't know," he admitted as he shook his head and looked at the collection of people around him. "But that's not what worries me. What does worry me is what it means."

Everyone but Elizabeth and Emille understood him immediately. According to the books they read in the library in Denningrad, the seven dragoons gather together when Endiness itself is threatened. Was this new element a replacement for Rose and the darkness element?

The tension was broken suddenly as Albert smiled again, almost scaring everyone but Emille. "Well, we'll certainly have enough time to worry about that tomorrow! We still have much to do before tonight! Now if you'll all follow me, I'll show you to your rooms!"

Emille quietly sighed and shook her head with a smile as she watched Albert leave the throne room with his friends following him. She truly did love that man, but his reaction to the news was a bit odd. She was glad he took it so well; it certainly could have been worse.

"And down this hall is where your rooms are," said Albert, still smiling that almost-scary smile.

By now, the dragoons had begun to wonder what exactly made Albert that way. While he was guiding them through the castle, they had held a whispered conference and immediately volunteered Dart to ask.

"Albert? Are you feeling okay?" asked Dart after he was pushed by everyone else so he was the closest to Albert. "Because you seem a bit... overly happy."

Albert looked at his friends, the smile still remaining. "Well, I was going to wait until the party tonight to announce it, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell someone else besides Noish. You see..." He paused, searching for a way to word what had happened. After a few moments, he resumed. "Before you arrived, Emille informed me that in about seven months..." He trailed off again, looking for all he was worth like he was trying to think of a way to word it appropriately. After a few more moments, he tossed his hands into the air in defeat. "I give up. We're going to have a baby!"

There was a long moment of silence. It made perfect sense to them now. Albert had the same reaction as many expectant fathers do after they hear the big news: happy and excited beyond belief. It explained Minister Noish's odd behavior as well.

"Well then," said Hashel as he made his way to the front beside Dart. "Let us be one of the first to congratulate you!"

"Thank you!" said Albert as he accepted the handshakes and congratulations from all his friends.

The Ballroom was an addition to the castle that Albert had insisted upon once he was married, claiming that he now had a reason to use it. It was a large room that included a large dance floor, long tables lined with food, and more tables nearby for the guests to sit and eat. Virtually everyone was invited; it was to celebrate the salvation of the world from destruction, after all.

Many people came, including Lavitz's mother, who was greeted by Albert himself. At first, she just stayed seated on the side. But eventually, Hashel coaxed her out for a dance.

Meru looked like she was having as much fun as she was at the party in Fletz. She danced in a similar way and was getting just as much attention. No one could really tell her otherwise, since she was one of the guests of honor. Besides, she was a great source of entertainment for those not dancing.

Kongol stayed by the food tables, just like in Fletz. There were no dancing partners his size, and he felt pretty sure the floor wouldn't have been able to withstand his weight along with everyone else's.

Dart and Shana had eventually gotten out on the dance floor. At one point they had met up with Albert and Emille, who were also dancing. When the two men could see each other, Dart gave his royal friend a slight shrug with one shoulder and a half smile; which, when translated, meant, "She got me." Albert just gave him a knowing smile, which meant, "You're such a liar. You wanted to dance."

Miranda stayed on the side and avoided dancing. Many men asked her to dance, and they were all turned down with anything from a curt shake of her head to a harsh word. Elizabeth stayed with her, occasionally engaging in conversation and turning down any requests to dance.

Halfway though the evening, there was a pause between songs where Albert and Emille stood at the front of the room and Albert announced that they would be expecting. It was met with much applause from the guests, along with many saying they would have brought a gift if they had only known.

The night came to a close at about ten; the guests went home and the dragoons turned in for the night. Emille, however, stayed awake to help make sure the food was put away properly. Even though there were many people there, there was still quite a bit of food left. By the time they finished, it was well past midnight. Emille was sure that Albert would be in bed and asleep by now. Much to her surprise, however, she opened the door to their bedroom to find her husband sitting in his desk across the room, reading by candlelight.

She knew she shouldn't be surprised. Albert did this often; sometimes in his study, sometimes in their bedroom. One time he stayed up in his study for gods knew how long, reading a book of poetry. When Emille woke up the next morning, he was already up and in the throne room, and sitting on his pillow was a poem he had written the night before for her.

Emille, curious as to what Albert was reading tonight, quietly walked over to him and peered over his right shoulder. After reading a little bit of it herself, she came to the conclusion that he was reading a book about the Dragon Campaign over 11,000 years ago. He must have been absorbed into the book, since he didn't react to the sound of her entering the room. She gently touched his shoulder, which twitched slightly under her hand. Alerted of her presence, he turned his head to look at her and offer her a wan smile. It didn't work, however; she saw the way his brow was furrowed a little.

This, in turn, worried her. "Something's worrying you, Albert. What's the matter?"

He sighed and turned back to his book, the smile fading. "The woman that came with Dart this morning- Elizabeth- she has a Dragoon Spirit, just like my friends and I. But hers... We've never seen anything like it. It's almost as if it just appeared out of thin air. According to the legend, the seven dragon warriors would gather when the world is threatened. I fear that Elizabeth's appearance with her Dragoon Spirit means that I may need to leave again. Should I have to be gone for too long..." He let his voice fade, the sentence finishing itself. If he had to be gone for too long, he would miss the birth of his child.

The very thought frightened Emille. It was going to be a very difficult time for her, and she wanted Albert to be there; it was his child, after all.

Albert slowly got to his feet, closing the book as he did. He looked tired in both the physical and emotional sense. This would be the most difficult decision he had had to make so far. Should he go out, save the world, and possibly get killed? Or stay here with his wife to be sure he was there for her when she gave birth?

Emille slowly walked over to her husband, stopping just in front of him and letting her hands come to rest on his chest just below his collarbones. She looked up into his tired soft brown eyes. "If you are needed, then you have to go. I can't keep you from what you must do."

His eyes softened. He knew how hard this choice was for her; she knew that it was likely he would never come back home alive. He would never see their child being born and growing up. And yet, she was still letting him go.

"Emille..." he started, but never finished. Emille put her hand up to his lips, silencing him. A moment passed before she lowered her hand back to his chest, resting her head underneath his neck. His warm embrace followed; and both husband and wife stood, contemplating what fate had in store for them and their unborn child.

Later the next morning, the dragoons were gathered in a conference room on the second level of the castle. The room was bare except a few tapestries that hung on the walls and a large table in the middle of the room with chairs surrounding it. Eight serious faces surrounded the table as Albert summarized their situation.

"It's been a year after the second and final defeat of Melbu Frahma. Sometime before our reunion, Elizabeth had come to have a Dragoon Spirit in her possession. None of us know what element it is. Dart, you've seen her transform into a Dragoon, correct?"

Dart nodded. "The light from her spirit gathered into a beam that shot into the sky, which came back down around her, then disappeared back in the spirit."

"And her armor didn't look anything like Rose's?"

"No."

Albert nodded. "According to the legend, when the world in threatened, the seven Dragoons will come together. When we lost Rose, we were down to six. But now with Elizabeth, we have seven again. Any ideas as to what we should do?"

"'What we should do?'" repeated Miranda "I say we go out, find the threat, and take care of it."

"It seems like that's the only action we can take," Shana agreed quietly.

"Now wait a minute," said Hashel, putting both hands in the air to keep himself from being interrupted. "Albert- you said that you and Emille are expecting a baby soon. You shouldn't be just up and leaving at a time like this," he reasoned. "I'm all for finding the threat, but if this journey is anything like the last one, you could very easily end up not coming home at all."

The king sighed. "Emille and I discussed this last night. She cannot stall the baby, and it's my duty as a Dragoon to accompany you."

Meru, silent until now, turned to Kongol. "What do you think, Kongol?"

The Giganto leaned back in his chair, careful not to break it. "Friend Albert King need to stay and wait for baby," he said as he looked at his friends. "But evil might not wait that long."

"He's got a point," said Meru.

"I agree," said Albert. "Seven months is much too long. We don't know how fast the threat is approaching. For all we know, it could have already arrived."

Shana turned to her husband. "What about you, Dart? What do you think we should do?"

Dart propped his elbows on the table, his hands folded as he leaned forward slightly. They were all looking at him as if they were all waiting for him to give an order. There they go, acting like he was a leader again. Why don't they ever look at Albert like that; he's a king for crying out loud.

"I don't like the thought of Albert leaving Emille either. But this has to be done. We never know when we'll need Rose Storm."

"And you, Elizabeth?" asked Albert.

The Wingly woman sat leaning forward with her elbows resting on the table, her arms folded. She almost had a casual look to her. "It's not up to me. From what I'm hearing, Dragoons are supposed to stay together. And since I'm the reason you guys are making this choice, I'll follow you."

Albert nodded. "Very well then. It's unanimous," he announced as his gaze swept over his friends. "By a vote of six to one, we go. Any suggestions on when we leave?"

"Seven and a half months from now." Everyone avoided giving Hashel a strange look. Sooner or later they'd find out why he was so against leaving, and then it would make sense. Hopefully.

"How about tomorrow?" offered Dart. "We could use the rest of today to prepare."

There was a general murmur of agreement around the room.

"Seems reasonable," agreed Albert. "Any other suggestions?"

No other voices arose. Hashel kept quiet; he knew they wouldn't accept his idea to leave after the baby was born.

"It's agreed then," announced Albert as he stood up. "For the remainder of the day, we prepare as we see fit."

Miranda, Meru, and Elizabeth left the castle shortly after the meeting and headed towards the weapons shop in Bale. With breakfast over, many women were out buying food for their next meal, so the streets were fairly busy.

"You're going to learn a lot," Miranda commented to Elizabeth.

"What?"

"Well; first of all, you're going to have to learn how to use that," the Sacred Sister said as she pointed to the black Dragoon Spirit around the Wingly's neck.

She subconsciously placed a hand over the gem, shooting a glare in Miranda's direction. "Well obviously."

"It might take a while to get used to it," commented the younger Wingly that was with them. "But when you do it's totally awesome!" She hopped in front of them, keeping pace yet staying out of arm's reach should they decide she was annoying them. Her hair bounced wildly in her steps.

Miranda stopped in front of the shop door and her companions stopped also. She turned to face Elizabeth directly. One corner of her mouth had quirked upwards as she folded her arms across her chest. "And if this adventure ends the same way as the last one did, it'll be a fight you'll never forget."

"Fight-?!"

Elizabeth never finished her sentence, as the door to the weapons shop suddenly flung open, a woman stumbling out and colliding into the Wingly. Miranda sidestepped, avoiding the falling bodies without unfolding her arms.

Meru quickly bent down to help the woman while Elizabeth declined Mirnda's help and got up on her own.

"What is it with people and running into me?!" fumed Elizabeth as she dusted herself off.

The other woman mumbled apologies and something about someone running into her in the shop while she dusted herself off. She had long blonde hair that was in a loose ponytail, which was then secured in a braid. Her teal and tan outfit was a little dusty. When she finished dusting herself off, she reached into a pouch on her belt. "Ugh! Not again!" Her blue-green eyes then began to frantically search for something on the ground.

"Loose something?" asked Meru, hoping to be helpful.

"Yes, a light-teal gem that I found in the forest back at home... There!" She reached down and snatched something off the ground and held it up to inspect it for damages in the sunlight. "Got it. Thanks anyway."

Meru suddenly tugged on Miranda's arm, her ruby red eyes wide. She jumped and pointed at the gem in the woman's hand. "Look Miranda! Another one!"

Even as the young Wingly spoke, the gem began to glow with a light teal light. At the same moment, the spirit around Elizabeth's neck began to glow as well. Meru and Miranda felt the familiar pulse of energy as their spirits joined in.

The woman looked very surprised. She had never seen another gem like hers that glowed, nor did she expect she would ever find one. She quickly put it back into her pouch, seemingly embarrassed of the glowing gem.

Meru suddenly grabbed her wrist, startling her. "Come on! We have to take you to see King Albert right now!"

That scared her. She had never been around royalty before, and she wasn't sure how to act around them. She was sure she didn't look appropriate; surprised, bewildered, and, since she couldn't get all of the dust off of her clothes, she probably looked dirty as well. "THE King Albert?! But why- Whoa!!"

Without another word, Meru suddenly took off, still tightly holding onto her wrist; sprinting for the castle with the woman in tow and Miranda and Elizabeth following.

Author's note: Whew. Ten pages. I really stretched that chapter out, didn't I? Next chapter coming... Eventually...