[3 Months Later]
[Titan Tower Roof]

Jason was known for waking up earlier than everyone, even Edward, thanks to his need to always be there when the sun rises. Normally, he would be joined by Raven, or have the silent company of Robin in the morning, but today, he was alone. He let the first rays of the sun hit his scales for a few minutes, before heading downstairs. Now it would be time for the long wait for the others to wake up… or it would be, if he wasn't feeling like he was in a good/excited mood.

The egg had developed beautifully over the last few months. The whelp inside the egg had grown with no complications by the look of it, and would soon hatch. Plus, his relationship with Raven was rather smooth. He still wasn't quite willing to touch her without permission, but they had plenty of moments to themselves to be romantic. Turns out she had a bit of a playful side whenever she felt like it, though that wasn't a common mood, nor would it be whenever there were others around.

So, being in a rather good mood, Jason found himself in the kitchen, gathering supplies, and beginning to cook. For himself, Edward, and his new sister-in-law Mally, a high protein meal was in order, with lots of bacon, eggs, sausage, and turkey variants along with ham and more. He even willingly went aside to make tofu eggs and pancakes with soy substitutes to help the changeling out. In the meantime, he had plugged his music player into a nearby speaker, and some Celtic music was playing. Feeling that he was alone, he found it safe to sing a bit, and while he did change the lyrics a bit to match his heart, he sang with all of his emotions on his sleeves, as he did over 500 years ago.

Near Banbridge town, in the County Down, one evening last July
Down a bóithrín green came a sweet cailín and she smiled as she passed me by
She looked so neat with her two bare feet to the sheen of her violet hair
Such a coaxing elf, had to shake myself to make sure I was standing there

As she onward sped I shook my head and I gazed with a feeling queer
And I said, says I, to a passerby, "who's your one with the violet hair?"
He smiled at me and with pride says he, "That's the gem of old Ireland's crown
Young Raven Roth, the bewitching goth and the star of the County Down."

From Bantry Bay down to Derry Quay and from Galway to Dublin Town
No maid I've seen like the fair cailín that I met in the County Down

That was when a cough caught his ear, and Jason snapped his head around, seeing his brother sitting there and listening. He could feel his cheeks burning as he reached over to the speaker, stopping the song. He went back to the task at hand, his embarrassment keeping him from talking, since it had been a very long time since he had sung for an audience. "I know, I know", he finally said. "My voice sucks, since I'm out of practice."

Edward reached over and restarted the song and resang the song in its Irish translation. That got Jason's jaw to drop in response as he had not heard Edward's singing voice.

"Wow," he said, "You're quite good. How many languages have you learned?"

"More than I care to count," Edward said, "One of my gifts is rapid language learning. As long as there's an older root for the language, I can even learn the offshoots. But, Tamaranian…That's hard and I am picking it up at a more 'human' pace."

That got Jason to smile, as he continued his work on breakfast. Finally, after a moment, he turned back to Edward. "Well, I appreciate you letting me sing through a chorus before interrupting. That would've driven me crazy, having an incomplete chorus in my head."

Edward couldn't help but chuckle a bit. But he did feel the frown on his face, even a small one. "It's been a long time since I've heard you sing just for the sake of it. What did you mean when you said you're out of practice?"

"Well, since you weren't really involved with my missions, I'm not surprised you didn't know. I was commonly singing during my jobs, either doing so to make some money or just to show off to my… 'friends' about how I could seduce any mortal woman at the time with a song." He chuckled hollowly. "But after his death… well, the feeling was gone. I couldn't bring myself to sing anymore. A shame, really… I've been told that I can stop a war with my voice if I just had a loud enough song to sing. I remember even calming down the biggest, angriest wolf I had ever seen at the time by singing a lullaby."

"You can do that?" Edward asked, incredulous. "How? I've never heard of a voice doing anything like that. Black Canary's powers, I can understand, and banshees as well, but soothing a beast with a song?"

"I just put my heart into it", Jason responded, shrugging. "I guess, since I put so much of myself into a song, people can hear it and understand how I feel without having to say a word. Even Father doesn't know how I do it." He then gave a look to Edward. "But no telling the team; it's been centuries since I've sung for anyone, really."

"What about Raven?" Edward asked, "There's been times when I've sensed a calmness coming over her… more than the calm that she usually gives off."

Edward smiled, thinking back to some of the singers he enjoyed putting their own hearts and souls into their music, but, Jason had an ability that he lacked. It didn't bother the older dragon, in fact, he relished the differences between the two siblings.

Before Jason could respond, though, an alarm sounded from the incubation room. The computer had been told to sound an alarm if the temperature was dropping or if the egg was showing signs of hatching…or both. This was the signal that the egg was about to hatch.

Jason turned off the stove as Edward raced to the room and he called out, "HAUL YOUR DRAGON RUMP! IT'S TIME!"

"I KNOW, I KNOW!" Jason yelled, not caring who he woke up as he ran. "Please don't be out of the shell yet, please don't be out of the shell yet…" He was so focused on the egg, he didn't even have time to think about sending Raven a message. He arrived at the window, seeing the egg had started cracking, and turned off the incubator so it would be safer to walk in before opening the door. In a swift, fluid motion he shifted his appearance, looking like a dragon but at a smaller size, so as to imprint on the baby.

By the time he had reached the egg, most everyone had arrived, especially Mally and Raven first. "Is it time?!" Mally asked. "Is it hatching?!"

"Is it okay?" the empath inquired, trying to at least mask the concern only slightly.

"It's fine… the egg is hatching", Edward said. "Stay back; Jason needs to imprint on the baby, so it'll understand that he's the father."

As Edward held the team back, the bronze dragon took down the egg, laying in the ground and coiling around it so when it hatched, the only thing it would see would be him. After a couple minutes, a snout began pushing out of the egg, taking a snort of fresh air as it made a low whine.

The hatchling clawed its way out of the egg and Jason looked at the newborn and said, "Welcome to the world little one. I wonder, what will we call you?" The baby merely looked up at the creature talking to it and cooed softly, as if accepting who her father is before falling asleep.

He thought about the color of the morning's sunrise, which was redder than normal and said, "Soskrein." He let the name hang in the air and smiled, "Blood Sun. Baby, you will be named Soskrein."

Edward was hearing what Jason was saying and he smiled, "He's named the baby, but, I will let him tell us. That's the right of a father in Lair."

"Aw, man!" Beast Boy griped before Mally, of all people, shot him a glare.

"If you think being tossed out of the Tower is no fun," she threatened, "Try getting out of some very thick vines while tied to a tree."

Beast Boy shrank back and waved his hands, "I can wait!"

"Smart move, green bean," Edward said, "Jason will tell us in good time. Let him bond with his infant for a while. He'll let us in soon, but, until then. we must leave him be. Messing with a new father's hatchlings can be as dangerous as messing with a mother sitting on her brood."

Raven wanted badly to go in and see the baby, having a lot of curiosity herself about dragons, but with Edward's warning and the fact that the room was still blistering hot, she knew it wasn't safe. She soon moved to the side of the door, parking herself right there. "Then I guess I'm not moving anytime soon."

Cyborg raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Excited to meet your boyfriend's baby?"

"I just want to make sure Jason is alright, especially with everything that's been going on", the cloaked empath responded, thankful that the cloak hid the blush she had for being called out. "Besides that, I told him I'd be here for when the baby hatched. I'm not moving."

[I appreciate that, Ruuvak], Jason's voice said in her head, catching her a bit off guard. [But I think I can at least satisfy your curiosity a bit.] She felt an image being sent to her mind, and she focused on that.

In Jason's claws was a baby dragon with quite the interesting coloring. Her body was mainly covered in bronze scales, much like her father, but as she was splayed out on her back, having quickly gotten comfortable around him, they could see the dark grey, almost black underbelly that stretched from her chin all the way down to her tail. Her wings were rather small for her body, and she had no horns yet, but she was still a baby; she would grow them in with time. She let out a snort in her sleep, rolling over back onto her belly as she slept.

[Her name is Soskrein], he told his girlfriend. [For everyone that has difficulty saying her name… you can call her Susie.]

The empath gave a soft smile under the hood, thankful for the link they shared. [She's beautiful, Starborn.]

Edward only caught bits and pieces, not wanting to eavesdrop, but, he said aloud, "I'm going to turn on the vents to allow the heat to vent out of the building. Don't worry, it will be a slow ramping up to allow the baby to adjust at her own pace.

"Titans, we cannot rush the process. I suggest that we all, except for Raven, get our breakfast. Jason had to stop cooking, so, I'll finish up. You're already taken care of, Beast Boy. I saw the tofu eggs and other stuff being fixed for you.

"Raven, I'll bring you something, if you'd like. Tell Jason that I'll keep his food warm and contact Father."

"I can do that," Mally offered.

Edward nodded, "Sounds like a plan, sweetheart."

Raven said, "I'll wait on Breakfast, Edward, but, I appreciate the offer."

"Well, I'll bring you some tea, then?" he offered.

"That would be nice," she replied, "You know what I like for breakfast tea?"

"Of course," Edward said, "I'll go make that now."

Cyborg said, "I'll monitor the heat levels from here. What do you recommend, dawg?"

"Vent the heat out slowly," Edward recommended, "This is some guesswork on my part based on some old memories from what my mom told me. But, let's say 10 degrees every 15 minutes. I will get some water for my brother and niece. Also, something to clean up after the baby's first bowel movements."

Mally had cast a tear (after getting approval from the Circle…it was a given seeing how she was his mate) to Lair and found Sol. He was pleased to hear that the hatching had happened, but, a little disappointed that he missed it, but, put that aside as he opened a tear to the Tower and went through with Mally.

By then, Edward had insisted that the Titans give the new father some space.

"Greetings, Son," Sol said to Edward, "I take it Filkiin is with the egg?"

"He is," Edward said smiling, "We were right. The hatchling is a baby girl. I'll let my brother tell us the rest. The room is finally cooling down as well."

"Not too fast, I hope?" Sol asked.

"Well, I had some rusty memories to guide me," Edward stated.

"I'll bet," Sol replied, "Where's Raven?"

"Waiting patiently," Edward said as he cradled a cup of hot tea for her and handed Sol some ice filled water, "For Filkiin. He is guarding the baby, so, I need to keep him hydrated."

The two dragons left to drop off their charges' refreshments.

Edward gave Raven her herbal tea and took the ice water from Sol and stepped into the room.

"Brother," he said, "Father's here, but, drink this first. Just some ice water to keep you hydrated."

Jason looked at the sleeping baby hybrid and said, "Thank you. I was getting thirsty. She's adorable." He uncoiled and allowed Edward to see the baby for the first time.

Edward smiled down and said, "Hello, Little One…"

"Soskrein," Jason said, "Or Susie if you'd prefer. It's OK, brother, the team can come in when the room's cooled off. Tell Raven and Father that they can come in. Raven's soul self should be able to withstand the heat for a moment by now."

[I'll wait,] Edward and Jason heard, [The room is still too hot for my powers to protect me for long. Sol is coming in, though.]

Sure enough, Sol stepped into the room and walked over to see his granddaughter.

The baby was still sleeping, but when Sol bent over, her eyes opened and she let off a squeak of surprise.

Jason carefully picked up the baby and Sol said, "Let me show you, son. She's as adorable as I had hoped for." Sol took the baby and showed Jason the best way to cradle a newborn hatchling. She settled down being gently held.

"What's her name?" Sol asked.

"Soskrein," Jason replied.

"Interesting name, son," Sol stated, "Why Blood Sun?"

"The sunrise this morning was a brilliant red color," Jason replied, "The dawn of a new day and, maybe, the dawn of a new era for Lair…No offense, Edward."

Edward merely smiled, "None taken, my brother. While I am a hybrid of all the clans, this baby is light and dark. Let the First be my witness: Today is the birth of a new dawn for Lair. May He guide this hatchling's steps."

Soskrein looked hungry as well and Edward chuckled. "I'll be back shortly with some food for the baby."

As he left, though, Mally came around the corner with some diced raw steak.

"I figured the baby would be hungry by now," she said, "I diced this up pretty fine. There's also hamburger, ground chicken and ground turkey available."

"This will cook in there," Edward noted, "But, she is hungry, so, we need to feed her regardless."

The Life dragoness approached with the plate, and the scent of the raw meat hit Soskrein's nostrils rather quickly. She stumbled out of the coil that her father had made, awkwardly crawling for it before Filkiin grabbed her by the back with his mouth, carrying her to the edge of the room, where Mally lowered the plate and backed away. Instantly, the baby dragon dug in, grabbing at the meat with her tiny, sharp teeth and tearing into it, since it would still take some time before the meat cooked.

Jason, meanwhile, watched carefully, making sure she got plenty of the food, but not too much all at once. When she tried to go for too many pieces, he gave a low growl, making her drop some before she safely chewed on less pieces. Raven watched in curiosity, observing the baby as she fed on her first meal.

"Astonishing," Edward stated, "I have never seen a hatchling eating their first meal."

"Get used to it," Mally said softly.

Edward did a double-take hearing that and said, "Sweetheart? Are you…?"

She nodded, "I am feeling a desire to make my own nest. I am pregnant."

For the first time in his life, Edward fainted dead away only to be caught by Sol as he and the team also followed Mally.

But, the older Dragon recovered after a moment.

"Aw, man!" he griped, "why did you wake me from my dream?"

Mally knelt down and said, "Husband, you're not dreaming."

"It is a glorious day!" Starfire enthused, "Friend Jason's bumgorf is born and Friend Edward will be a father!" Needless to say, the overjoyed alien was unable to keep her feet on the floor.

Jason had heard the exchange, but, he had to make sure Susie wasn't about to choke on her first meal.

He took a second to smile at his brother, though.

"Congrats Son," Sol said, "And, your mother will be very excited, Maldriin, but, I'll let you tell her."

In fact, the entire team was thrilled that their newest members were going to be parents.

Robin said, "Edward and Jason, you're passed your probationary period and the team voted…You're both official Full-time Titans. Mally as well, since I figured it's a package deal."

Mally's jaw dropped before she spluttered, "Wow, Robin. I wasn't even aware that you were considering me to join your team. T-t-thanks!"

"It should have been obvious, hon," Edward said smirking, "Why do you think the entrance to the building is green now? They were thinking about you while we were gone." Mally smiled remembering the surprise she felt seeing that the entry into the Tower has been repainted in a bright Kelly Green.

"And, Mally?" Cyborg added, "if you wish to nest here, this room will remain an incubation/nesting room."

Filkiin smiled, then looked at the baby, who seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by all the new voices and smells. He took a hold of her in his mouth, pulling her back to the coil to make her comfortable again as she let out a slightly distressed whine. "Once she gets used to the lower temperature, I'll move Susie to my room so she can get used to the tower a bit. Once she reaches a month or two, she'll be exploring this place by herself. I'd recommend asking me or Edward if anything goes missing… she might steal it if she likes the smell."

"Don't worry, folks," Edward said, "That shouldn't happen too much. Between her dad and I, anything that goes AWOL will be returned to the owner and she'll probably get a stern talking to…but, I have little say in how Jason deals with her. Unless he were to disappear for years on end, an uncle in our society doesn't have as much input.

"Besides, I will have my talons full in a few months."

"Edward," Jason said, "That goes for uncles. A 'godfather', I would allow to have a greater say…and a 'godmother' as well."

"If you're asking Mally and I," Edward said grinning, "I won't speak for her, but, I would be honored to be Susie's godfather and uncle."

Mally didn't have any objections, either.

"Titans, you get to be her extended family of aunts and uncles," Jason said.

"Son," Sol said, "Susie will have to come before us at some point. I do not foresee any attempts to end her, so, before your anger comes to the forefront, I won't let them consider her death. With the passing of the former Grand Death, his replacement is more open to expanding our horizons.

"You can thank your brother and sister-in-law for that. The showdown in the Circle opened many of our eyes.

"Edward, I think sooner, rather than later, you may also have a hearing that you've waited for for centuries. We read Joshua's report, as you know, and it was received quite favorably. As he is one of my infiltrators, I am pondering reassigning him when his tour of duty is finished to this area. I haven't decided, yet. And, even if I did, he's got some time off coming. He was really impressed meeting you."

"Please, let him know that my invitation still stands," Edward said, an arm around Mally.

I still can't get over how things have turned out! she thought to herself. I'm pregnant with his first brood and not even 750 yet. I wonder if that means his children will have most of his abilities.

Meanwhile, the shock was wearing off for Edward and he had to sit down.

"I'm going to be a dad," he said softly, "All these years…these centuries of the rejection and not knowing when or if this day would come. Is this how Mother felt?"

Sol saw that his oldest was about to break and asked that the Titans leave them alone. The team left, excluding Raven, of course. Sol decided that if Raven was going to eventually be part of his family, she would be allowed to stay.

Sol sat down and said, "I think this is how she felt, Kiinnum. She had wanted a child so badly that when she was so desperate to try her ploy and later laid that single egg, she was overjoyed. Son, you are a miracle from the First, and, your broods will be miracles as well."

Edward's tears started and he felt a soft, slender hand on his shoulder. He looked and discovered Raven's hand there.

It was the first time that the empath had wanted to be in contact with Edward for longer than a quick hug.

[Edward,] she said [It's OK if you need to release these feelings. I know how hard it is for you right now. But, this is your victory as well. A final victory in that bastard's face. Relish it, cherish it.]

Raven's voice in his head was more emotional than the empath usually lets others see.

"I won," he said out loud "I finally won."

"Won what?" Mally said.

"The battle with your grandfather, sweetheart," Edward said, "It took over 2500 years, but, I finally won the last round. I waited, and waited for this day. I wanted so bad to have a mate who would overlook whatever poison Grand Death spread about me and to have strong broods with and to tell Lair how weak they all are. I should not have been denied things that everyone else in Lair had a right to: Being an Heir Potential, having the right to claim a mate, having broods, being seen as an equal! All denied for how long?!" His fist slammed into the floor, sending a vibration through the supports and causing a squawk from Soskrein and a glare from Jason.

"You're. scaring. my. baby," he growled.

"Sorry," Edward said, getting a handle on his still unreleased anger. It would take a long time for such an old hurt to be totally healed.

"Kiinnum," Sol said gently (for him), "You can't harbor this grudge forever. Are you still angry at the Circle for listening to Grand Death?"

"What do you think?" Edward said, "He denied me that right that has driven my half-sister to hating us. He wanted me dead, Father! Even until he collapsed into a pile of bones, he wanted to see me dead. And when he failed in that task…he ruined me instead. No right to be an heir potential because my blood is that of all the clans instead of a single clan. He tried to deny me the right to claim a mate and when he discovered that I was going to ask his own granddaughter…we saw his desire to deny me that right. He talked all of the Circle into stripping me of my right to be an heir potential, without cause."

"Son," Sol said, "I was outvoted and I tried to remind the others that you had that right, but, Death wouldn't hear of it. And he convinced enough of the Circle to side with him."

"What will happen with Soskrein, Father?" Edward demanded to know, "She's a hybrid, like me. She won't be accepted anymore than I am…and I am still fighting to get that acceptance. You think I don't see the glares from those who side with Mally's grandfather from all of the clans. What about with our hatchlings? They will be hybrids as well. Will they be welcomed within Lair or will Mally and I be fighting off those who want to murder my children…I SWEAR THAT I WILL KILL THEM!" He kept his voice down, but, the sudden icy tone told everyone that Edward was not playing around anymore.

"Sol?" Mally said, "My mate's right. You know that he is. He's been wronged and continues to face these wrongs. The Circle can make things right again. Restore the Balance within my mate's heart. He wants to show his snout around Lair proudly and to take his whelps to Lair without having to throttle some youngster for wanting to kill our broods. He can't do that right now, not when there's dragons wanting to appease their own desires to eliminate him…or our broods."

"We heard about that altercation," Sol said, "That whelp who threatened your broods will be exiled at our next meeting for Sedition. Son, we meant it when we announced that new regulation. His friends will be warned not to seek any revenge or they will also be exiled. Please, give us time to right all these wrongs."

"I've given my whole life and waited just as long to see these wrongs corrected," Edward said, "Father, forgive me…but, my patience here is almost at an end. I want my whelps to know that despite their heritage, that they are welcome in Lair with open wings and outstretched talons of friendship. I want them to know that someday, they are able to be an Heir Potential. If that can't or won't happen … I will renounce my citizenship."

Sol's eyes widened as it was rare for a dragon to renounce their citizenship.

"Surely, you can't be serious," he said.

"I am serious…and don't call me Shirley," Edward said, "I will not subject my whelps to the glares and the stares that say that maybe they should also have been murdered in the shell that I have had to deal with. That insolent whelp was the last straw for me, Father. His implication that my CHILDREN should die almost got him killed. Make no mistake. Any dragon who approaches us with the intent to harm my whelps will see just how incredibly dangerous I can be when my anger is given full reign."

"I see," Sol said.

"Father," Filkiin said quietly, as Soskrein had fallen asleep again, "I have to agree with Edward here. He's about to be a father for the first time, as I am now and I can see where he is coming from. I would rather see him as an Heir Potential, even if it's for another clan, if it will right a miscarriage of justice. We're supposed to show others the light and doing what we think is right, regardless of the cost. Yet, my older brother has a lot of pent up hurt caused by Mally's grandfather. I know he's got a handle on it, but, Father, should he ever lose it; I don't want to see him brought up on murder charges here or in the Circle. I know he is worthy of being an heir, Father! Far more than I am!"

"I know that, son!" Sol said, "I'm not the enemy here, yet, I am made to feel like one."

Edward said softly, "I am not angry with you, Father. It's that I've seen the struggle for basic rights among the human governments. This country we're in had their rights stripped by an uncaring King in England, the laws that colonies wanted to pass had to be submitted to that king and Parliament who reacted by adding taxes and restrictions on trade. It took a bloody revolution to get freedom.

"Then, not even a century after that revolution, this country was almost shredded because of the slavery question. The southern states wanted their slaves! They thought that by keeping negroes under a whip was better for them, when I knew better, yet, because of our laws, I couldn't get involved. Thank the First that slaves were freed instead of their side winning. I've nothing against the southern states now…That's how forgiving I am. I won't hold the sins of someone's long dead ancestors against the current generation. Yet, Father, our kind will hold Soskrein to account to do what? Show her that hybrids are only worthy of contempt, hatred and prejudice because her uncle is a hybrid! Filkiin is utterly innocent of wrongdoing here, yet, in the eyes of many poisoned by Mally's grandfather, that won't matter, will it? They will hate my niece because of prejudice that has poisoned Lair more than the Darkness ever could.

"I saw what London did to people they thought were traitors. I saw the torture that Sir William Wallace went through because he dared fight for Scottish independence. He was pulled between four horses. He was hung until the verge of death. The man's 'privy' was sliced off and disemboweled alive. And, he shouted 'FREEDOM' as his last word. Then, after he was beheaded…he was butchered like a cow and his limbs sent to the four corners of the kingdom. His head rotted on a pike at London Bridge. I was so utterly disgusted, I caught the first ship to France.

"I saw Hitler suppress and pen up fellow human beings like they were animals because they were different. A different religion. Loving the wrong person. Mental defects. Stalin wasn't much better. All because they couldn't stomach differences, either. 'Oh, you're a Jew? Here's a Star of David to wear so we know who to despise.' 'Oh, you're gay…here's a pink triangle. Wear it with shame because we are coming for you as well.' 'Oh…you stutter, so, you must be incredibly stupid!'

"Don't get me started on Saddam Hussein. That bastard would murder entire families down to the seventh cousin because he couldn't take a joke!

"The Taliban wasn't much better. Treating women like they weren't better than dogs. No rights at all for women there. Bin Laden's group? I felt like slaughtering the lot of them, slowly and painfully because they dare to attack MY HOME. Nearly 3,000 died just to punish this country for having the gall to allow religious freedom instead of making us bow towards Mecca three times a day.

"And, I have been subjected to injustice all because I'm different. I have had my rights as a citizen of Lair…my rights as a Child of the First attacked and stripped away because I belong to no specific clan, despite my being raised as a Light Dragon and having a tad more light dragon DNA in my genes. Now, I will have children who will have more light and life dragon DNA over the other clans.

"Do you know that after the Korean and Vietnam wars ended, mixed-breed children there were treated worse than the dog on the street? I'm sure that if you ask the infiltrators who were there at the time that they will confirm this.

"This is why I will not subject my kids to this, Father. I WILL NOT bear to see and hear them asking why their peers in Lair give their father a withering glare that still conveys that I should have been murdered and that my children should have been erased from existence in the process. I want my offspring and their offspring to know that they are welcomed instead of despised for merely existing.

"I want Soskrein to know that she is welcomed as a Child of the First despite her heritage."

Sol sighed, knowing at last why Edward was so invested in these feelings.

"Son, by my right as Grand Light," he said, "I will not step down until your rights and status are fully restored and that the wrongs you've gone through are corrected in full and with interest. You will be an Heir Potential before the end of the year. You'll be allowed to be an Heir Potential to any of the clans."

"Then you will understand, even if I am chosen to be your heir… that I will only take Soskrein to Lair for the Circle's evaluation", Jason added as well, gaining the attention of the others. "I have seen my brother's hurt as well. And while I know this is a problem that cannot be solved over night… I will not subject my daughter to the same hatred." He looked down at the whelp, who only looked back up with wide-eyed wonder, and everyone could see the fatherly love he already formed. "I will raise her here… in the mortal world. With my mortal family."

That put an upset look on Sol's face. "Filkiin, not you, too…"

"Don't you dare whine towards me, Father! This is your fault as much as it is the Circle's!" the Light dragon growled, holding Soskrein close. "My brother is right; it is our duty as the Light clan to go for what is right no matter what, to never give up and give in against our better judgement! When we have made a decision, we never change it! You say your family is so important to you, and yet you gave in to Grand Death time and time again, in the hopes that he would respect you even with his complete and utter hatred of your sons! And, he died hating you, Father! You heard it yourself that he would NEVER respect you. And because of that, even dragons my own age hate hybrids!"

Sol was stunned silent once more. He looked between the two sons he had left, then towards Mally, who opted to remain silent on this. Even she thought that Jason would never speak out against his father like that.

Raven, personally, had a rather angry expression on her face. She knew of the hatred that Edward had faced, and now Jason was refusing to go home so he could raise his daughter in peace. If they had not listened to Grand Death, perhaps things would have been different for their family.

Sol finally gave a sigh. "Then there is nothing left to talk about. I have made my vow." He lowered his head for the first time in his sons' presence, feeling like a failure. "I can puff and strut all I wish… but in the end, you are both right. I have no doubt your mothers are both looking down on me and seeing me as a failure of a father." However, when Edward made a move to speak and try to smooth things over a bit, Sol raised a hand, silencing his oldest son. "I know I have made my mistakes. I will need time to rethink what my priorities are. But I will make things right… to both of you. Kiinnum… I am sorry. And Filkiin… I will come to collect you and Soskrein in a month, so that we can give her a proper evaluation."

The tear opened behind him, and he took a step to leave. However, before he did, he looked back once more, and gave a smile. "Thank you both… for telling me what I so badly needed to hear." And with that, he vanished into the tear.

Edward sighed before standing up, "I am sorry, my brother. I ruined what should have …"

"Edward, SHUT UP!" Raven roared, her anger coming to the surface, "You finally got the balls to tell your own father off! He needed to hear that coming from you. He made his mistakes and will work to set them right. He's right. Both of your mothers are not looking at him with a smile. One thing I have noticed between Dragons and us short-lived mortals is that we want our loved ones to smile upon us in the afterlife." Several light bulbs shattered as her powers lashed out a little bit.

She took a deep breath and continued a bit calmer, "Edward, you have to let this anger in your heart go or it will tear you apart like it almost did to your brother. Are you even practicing what you taught him? Forgive me…but, would your mom want you to harbor this anger until it destroyed you? Please, I am not attacking your honor or hers." She felt that she needed to say that last sentence to avoid what happened months ago.

Edward however smiled softly, saying "No, you're not attacking my mom's honor, Raven. I couldn't tell dad that before, but, seeing my niece being born and seeing how she would have the same problems I faced finally gave me the courage to say what was on my heart."

He went into the chamber and asked, "May I hold her?"

Soskrein looked up into her uncle's face and made a cooing sound. Jason said, "I think that is a 'yes.'"

Edward reached down and gently picked her up.

"Soskrein," he said, "You may never remember this, but, thank you for giving your uncle the strength to say what needed to be heard. I will protect you from whoever would harm you when Daddy is not around. And, baby girl, soon you will have have several cousins to play with. You'll never have to go through your life alone.

"Brother…I swear in the name of the Light that your child will not have to face what I went through without someone to lean on. I will treat her as if she were my own daughter…with your blessing, of course."

"You didn't have to ask," Jason said, "You are my brother, and, that is all you need."

[Lair]

Sol returned home throughly chastised for the first time since his own father had named him an Heir Potential.

Both Edward and Jason had threatened not to return to Lair unless he did something to curb the hostility Edward had felt most of his lifetime.

As he looked back through his own store of memories, he sighed and went to the Memory Crystals and going back almost 3,000 years, he retrieved the first ones that dealt with a baby Kiinnum.

As he went through the records, he was able to isolate the written record of Grand Death's disgust at hearing that there was a hybrid egg and his insistence that the egg be destroyed. There was the debate within the chamber where Death demanded and was refused the request to destroy the unborn Kiinnum. Even then, Sol realized, that Grand Death was livid that there was a threat to bloodlines.

He was also angered when, after Kiinnum had hatched when Grand Life prevailed upon the Circle to let the infant live as opposed to what Grand Death insisted should be an execution.

Then, months later, Iilah's impassioned plea to not send her only child away to some other universe and the infant's other sires offering to walk away if the infant would be permitted to stay. That vote was close, but, she managed it.

Sol then pulled Grand Death's records…Each member of the Circle was required to record their own "diaries". Each member's records were private until their heir was elevated, then, the other members of the Circle were allowed to access them and, in some cases, those were then "declassified" and the rest of Lair had a right to read them unedited.

As Sol read Grand Death's personal entries, his sense of anger grew as he realized that Grand Death had gone far beyond Treason. Sol realized that his sons were spot on.

Lassreyth came in and said, "Feylfil? Are you all right? Maldriin just called with some disturbing news."

"No, Lassreyth," he said, "I am not all right. My sons just told me off. Both Kiinnum and Filkiin threw down the gauntlet saying that they would prefer to stay in the Mortal World until the wrongs we committed have been rectified.

"Your father, damn his hide, might as well have been aligned with the Traitor for all we knew. It's all right here and it's going to take me months to read and digest all this."

"You don't have to go through all this alone, Feylfil," she said.

"Yes, I do," he countered, "I have to know why and how he destroyed Kiinnum's life to the point my son felt it necessary to threaten to renounce his citizenship and for Filkiin to actually side with his brother."

"Kiinnum threatened to renounce?" Lassreyth said, "If he did that, I would lose my daughter!"

"Not just that, Lassreyth," Sol said.

"…I'd lose my future grandwhelps," Lassreyth said glumly, "All because the Circle gave into to my father's paranoia. Let me see what my ancestor thought."

Sol said, "Lassreyth? If you're strong enough to handle what could be here…I would welcome your assistance."

She went over and started reading what the prior Grand Life thought. As she read a small tear went down her face.

"It says here that she was adamantly against her mate's ideals. She also wanted your son to live and learn. She taught Kiinnum how to access all the animals he can form with Iilah's blessings. But, father was so very much against it to the point that she feared that he would ignore the Circle's rulings or undermine them," Lassreyth said.

"Look here," Sol said pointing at some script, "'Those fools in the Circle are still protecting that abomination of Feylfil's as is the hybrid's mother. I even invited some of Oblann's people in to try to kidnap Kiinnum and they botched the job. I know that idiot Feylfil is thinking of naming his son to be heir…Over my bleached skeleton!'"

The two members of the Circle read long into the night, seeing how corrupt the late Grand Death had become…and no one even noticed until it was too late.

"We have enough to go to the others," Lassreyth finally said, "We have to restore the Balance and to do that, Kiinnum has to be allowed to become an Heir. Life must find the way, and, the light in your son has been denied for too long."

"He won't want to steal Filkiin's spot," Sol said, "Would another member of the Circle want to offer him a position?"

"I might," Lassreyth said, "But, will he want to take Mally's heir potential slot, should she be worthy?"

Sol considered it, "No, he wouldn't. He's been helping her with her Blessing of Life as time allows. Well, not without discussing it with her first."

"Then, we must meet in the next few days," she said, "Go get some sleep, Feylfil. You will want to be rested up for this, and, we have to get this information copied and into the talons of the other members of the Circle."

"No," he replied, "I cannot rest until I know all of his actions against my family. How much he had infected Lair and what we must do to restore Balance before Darkness can take advantage. And, they will, Lassreyth. How could we have allowed this to happen?"

He sighed, "I have failed in my duty to Lair and to my remaining family. What good is that oath we all swear when it is forgotten or we are convinced to stab our family in the back? Kiinnum has bottled up all that hurt and anger to the point that he is almost as lost to me as Sahqokrein is…And, what is worse? Filkiin is agreeing with him and that's never really happened. It was easier for them to forgo any grudges with one another than it is for Kiinnum to forgive us."

Lassreyth said, "I don't have an answer. The only thing that we can do is reverse ourselves at the risk of our reputations and the trust that we can salvage. Maybe offer Kiinnum an 'olive branch' of some sort? Let him show Lair that they are wrong about him."

Sol continued to read the notes released by the memory crystals of Circle meetings and Grand Death's logs. He looked at his own entries and was reminded of his shortcomings in giving into Death's demands. But, what stung the most was where Death said "If that whelp Feylfil thinks I will ever RESPECT him, he is sadly mistaken. I don't care that he's supposed to be an equal. He refused to kill Kiinnum before his powers were fully developed and now that his whelp is an adult…he's at full strength and with all of our blessings. Oblivion damned hybrid has all of our powers and we can't kill him, even if we want to. Time to exact my own revenge. If Kiinnum thinks he will EVER get a mate, I will have to make sure that he doesn't. The Circle will never agree to strip him of his right to claim a mate, but, nothing says I can't undermine that hatchling's hopes and dreams.

"Feylfil wants to name Kiinnum as his heir. That cannot be permitted to occur, either. We meet in a few days to determine Kiinnum's status. Nothing will convince the others short of insisting that Kiinnum could be swayed regardless, and his loss would destabilize the Circle."

Sol remembered the debate that day when his son was stripped of his rights and realized that he should have presented a better argument. His anger grew, as he moved towards the older entries. "What caused this hatred? I know he was a traditional dragon, but there were no hybrids in the past before! There was no reason to hate my son so vehemently!"

Lassreyth, meanwhile, had found one particular crystal, and her face paled. "Feylfil… I think I found it." Once the Grand Light turned to her showing she had his attention, she began to read aloud. "'It has been a thousand years, but what that Dark Traitor said is ringing in my head still. I know I should not take his words so easily, but he seemed so sure. A hybrid shall be born from our Light? Preposterous. A hybrid has never been born, and surely will not now. But… what he said after was even more disturbing. With that hybrid's birth, the end of our way of life is nigh. The boundaries of Lair shall open… and with that, the end of us. What could that mean? Will humans be able to invade our home? It is possible… but we have no reason to fear them… do we? They are little more than apes. Grand Life is certain that they can be something even greater… I, however, am not so sure.

"'Regardless… if this Traitor's prediction comes true and a hybrid is born… I will do whatever I can to end them. If his birth marks the end of my people, then I shall do whatever it takes to save them… even if it means that I am hated throughout the rest of history, like Oblaan before me.'" She closed her eyes, shuddering. "He let the words of a Dark dragon poison his heart… and infect it with the worst kind of power that they have."

"Fear", Sol said with a heavy heart. "It seems even the Grands are not immune to fear. But surely, my son is not the mark of the end of our people? He is as devout to our teachings as I am… as my father before me. Even if he can see where we need to change, he is still loyal to my clan… or at least… I hoped he was." He sighed. "I… I may have ruined that trust he had in me."

"Feylfil," Lassreyth said softly, "I know Kiinnum as much as you do, if we show him all this…and, let me finish before you veto the idea…His trust in you as a Grand will recover. His trust in you as his father, though, will increase. He's trusting in you right now. He trusts that when you take a vow in the Name of the Light or promise to do something as your right as a member of the Circle, it's going to be done. Where do you think he learned that a Grand dragon's word is his or her bond? Why do you think he applies that to his own life? He got a lot of that from you and Iilah.

"We have to show him and Filkiin that the Circle can be trusted to do the right thing and to admit that we are not infallible. We will have to draw down the trust that the rest of Lair has in admitting for the first time in thousands of years that we were wrong."

"He will be livid," Feylfil said, "He will curse the Circle…He will curse your father's memory. His rage, pent up for so long, will escape his control and he will commit Treason."

"Not if we allow him to release that long held anger without punishment!" Life said sternly, "He's got that right…he's EARNED that right to tell all of us in the Circle off and, I will take his rebuke with my humility visible. I will reject any calls to try him for Treason or Sedition or any other crime. Mally and Filkiin must be allowed to attend as they both have the strength of heart to restrain him. Allow his extended family if need be, Feylfil. They've earned the trust of the Circle, haven't they? At least that alien girl. From his reports, she's capable of restraining even Kiinnum."

"You've treated him with a lot of respect, though," Feylfil countered, "Iilah taught him that respect is something earned and returned in the same measure, if not more. He won't unleash on you. But, the rest of us, excluding Grand Death's replacement…he's going to unload on. He might not lace into me as much, seeing how he's already said what I needed to hear. The only way to calm the fire in his heart now is to reverse our decisions. We're on that path already with him mated to Maldriin."

"My daughter has worked wonders with him," Lassreyth noted with a smile, "I knew allowing her to have her crush would have benefits. Remember when he laced into my father before he was replaced? He allowed her to restrain him and to calm him pretty quickly.

"But, this prophecy? Is Edward the Hybrid in question or could it be little … Soskrein was it?"

"It could be both or all future hybrids. But, the path is set. My sons will be raising hybrids," Sol said, "We've got the evidence we need, Lassreyth, but, we need to keep reading as well. There's gotta be more here."

So, the two Grands kept on reading through the night. Grand Death probably didn't figure on anyone reading his logs for a long time…probably hoping that his desire to see Kiinnum executed or driven from Lair never to return or even removed by a Tear of Oblivion would allow him to bury his logs. But, it never happened, even when Edward decided to go into exile on his own, he would still be a thorn in the now corrupted side of Grand Death.

"Here's one," Lassreyth said, "'That damn hybrid is old enough to take a mate. We'll see about that. A few words into the ears of my clan should prevent him from seeking a mate. If I can keep him from finding a suitable mate, then, I can just wait until he gets desperate enough to try to find a human to mate with, then, banish him from Lair as a Breed Traitor.'"

"So, that crafty old goat did ruin my son's search for a suitable mate?" Feylfil wondered aloud.

He looked at much later entries and saw one that disturbed him more than he thought he could be disturbed: "Feylfil's other son dared to attack me earlier today. I should have been faster in introducing that hatchling to the Blessing of Death. Had I killed Filkiin, that would have removed him as Heir Potential. Since his bastard oldest son had his right to be Heir stripped and that alcoholic Sahqokrein is nowhere to be found, my little friend Sosfil will be Heir of the Light. The last brood of Iilahkun, I made sure wouldn't hatch. Such weak eggs. It only took a moment to expose them to the Blessing of Death. Only one managed to hatch, but, it too, joined the First…" Feylfil couldn't read anymore and let out a strangled sound that got Lassreyth's attention.

She went over and saw what had the Grand Light shaking in rage.

"That son of a BITCH!" Lassreyth snarled, "That murdering, conniving bastard. He took out his desire for revenge on your entire family. Feylfil…I'm so sorry. By my right as Grand Life, I will have his bones disinterred and burnt to ash for this. He doesn't deserve the honor of being laid to rest with those who came before!"

What she had read was that her father had also figured out how to get rid of Iilah and Iilahkun … to hurt Edward as well as punish Feylfil.

The treachery continued…"Well, it seems that my granddaughter, Maldriin, has ignored my attempts to dissuade any female from being even remotely interested in the hybrid. She thinks that she is 'in love' with Kiinnum and, my weak daughter, Lassreyth, is allowing this. I should never have allowed her to be an Heir. Then again…Maldriin isn't strong enough to be an heiress potential. She cannot use her Blessing of Life to it's fullest. Thanks to a power limiting spell my contacts in the Dark Lair found out about. As long as this spell isn't lifted by someone of Oblaan's direct linage, she will not be able to use her powers to the fullest."

Lassreyth snarled in anger as Feylfil read the entry.

He sighed, "Then, it's a good thing that Filkiin is 'dating' this Raven, then. She can lift that spell and allow your daughter to take her place as an Heiress Potential after all."

"We have much to answer for," she said glumly.

There were many more entries to go through and they had spent hours going through the old records, and, they still were digging up more and more evidence. Feylfil thought that maybe the old man was giving too much away because they weren't required to make as many entries as Grand Death had.

"This looks like he was bragging about how he exacted his vengeance," Sol noted, "We have to let my sons read all this, unedited and uncensored. Then, make the rare motion to release all this to the population. We can't do as the mortal governments do in covering the Light of truth. Even if many of our clan members leave as a result, they will realize that we brought this on ourselves and are taking our lumps fairly.

Yet, there was a pattern there of just how much Grand Death wanted to completely ruin Edward and his chance for happiness.

The last entry was the most chilling one.

"My infiltrator in Hawaii has spotted Kiinnum and Maldriin and reported that Kiinnum had claimed Maldriin. I have had it with his flaunting of our tradition! He has signed his death warrant. I don't care that the Circle wants him to be unharmed. I will use my Blessing of Death on him, Maldriin and those mortals who get in my way. Who knows, I might strike down Alduin's gem as well. That whelp Feylfil will discover his sons dead before this night is over."

There would be no more entries from him…as his grand plan was stopped by an enraged Feylfil and Kiinnum.

By the time Lassreyth and Feylfil were done, the sun had come back up and the memory crystals were gathered up.

"We meet this evening," Feylfil determined, "Closed session with my sons and daughter-in-law in attendance. Inform the others that we will be meeting for a long time this night, so, they need to be well fed. Tell them that we have to correct many miscarriages of justice and to correct the balance."

"You do not wish to wait another day or two to go through more crystals? I will make my mother's logs available to you. But, I think that they will also show how the debates went over the hatchling we know as Kiinnum from her viewpoint," Lassreyth asked.

"I suppose one more day will not hurt," Feylfil said, "But, I must get some food as well as rest for a few hours. Meet me here at high sun?"

"Agreed," Lassreyth said. "My mate will wonder what happened. I shall merely tell him that a very serious matter has come up for the Circle. I'll call Maldriin and Kiinnum and have them ready to be summoned tomorrow at sunset."

"All right," Feylfil said, "But, the mortals they are friends with must be kept out of this, except the one called Raven. From what my son's reports have been saying, she has a unique ability to pull negative emotions out of those she is close to. Filkiin says that he would trust her with his life, which is good enough for me. We may need her should Kiinnum's anger erupt.

"What about the one called Starfire?" Lassreyth asked.

"I need to think about it," Feylfil said, "Granted that she can actually defeat my sons in these sparring matches, she might not be able to counter Edward's morphing."

With that, the two Grands took their leave of one another.

Sol returned to his dwelling, but, sleep eluded him for the first time in centuries. He couldn't get over that someone he trusted, and treated as an equal as a result was so filled with hate and fear that he had a hand in his mates' deaths. He knew Edward did not take losing his mother that well, probably worse than he did. If Edward saw that Grand Death executed Iilah without the covering of the Circle…he'd disinter the bones and vaporize them himself and, then, his rage might not be fully satiated before he laced into the Circle…Treason or not.

And, that combined with Jason's rage finding out that his siblings were killed in their shells, except for the one that managed to hatch, only to die within a few minutes would not bode well for the Circle. It would cause severe harm to the body when word got out that one of their own was corrupted by Darkness. What would be worse, though, is that the corrupted member was allowed to continue undetected. Who would trust their leaders to maintain the Balance when one was allowed to exact a terrible revenge on the Hybrid?

How many members of Lair would consider renouncing their own citizenship?

Feylfil tossed and turned as he thought through the problems, but, sleep would not come for him. It wasn't like he had a mate to confide in. Yes, he considered Lassreyth to be a good friend, but, she was mated to a Death Dragon. He also burned that Grand Death might have hastened the Rot that claimed Iilahkun…just because Edward was allowed to live.

[Lassreyth's cave]

Sleep was not claiming the Life leader, either. She felt the shame more intensely than ever, not seeing that her father had been corrupted to the point his hatred…his prejudice…against Edward consumed him.

She decided to call Maldriin home for a few hours.

She called her and said, "Maldriin, we need to talk. Something's come up and I need to discuss it with you in person. Can you tear yourself away from Edward for a few hours?"

There was a pause before Mally replied, "Sure. Edward's fine with that as he is going to be training more with the team. He mentioned that he wanted to teach them a few more less likely known methods of fighting and defense. He'll open a tear in a moment for me. I can catch up later. I'm glad that these Titans respect life, even the lives of those who would want them dead."

"Thank you", she said, giving a heavy sigh. "I know that he'll be wondering what's going on… but it's best if the Circle tells him in person. Just… please… promise me you won't tell him anything before we get the chance to."

"… I promise, Mother. I'll be there soon." With that, the phone clicked, and Lassreyth stood up in her cave. A talon grabbed a hold of her, and she turned to see her mate, who had groggily woken up.

"Are you okay, love?" he asked. "I can feel how broken you are… did something happen?"

The Grand Life gave her mate a smile, before leaning down, nuzzling his forehead with her own. "It is nothing to worry about, my love. Please, go back to sleep." The Death dragon gave her a look, and she knew he didn't believe her, but he rolled over, settling into his spot in the cave. She moved away, just as the Tear opened, and Mally stepped through, in her human form.

"What's going on, Mom?" she asked, concerned. "Is everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright", the Grand Life said, shifting to her human form to lessen the amount of noise she made. "Feylfil told me about what happened today… about Soskrein's hatching, and Kiinnum's resolve to renounce his citizenship if we cannot make things right… and, well… we found the source of the pain we've unintentionally put him through."

Maldriin looked to her mother, who had a look of pure dread on her face. Whatever they had discovered, it was a huge burden. "… What did you find?"

Grand Life let a low sigh. She then recounted all of the entries she could remember… in as much detail as she could bear to recall. From Grand Death's initial corruption to the most recent crimes he had committed behind their backs. The disgust she felt for her own father only grew as she spoke.

"… and now it comes to this. We have to tell your mate about what happened, and we have to take responsibility for this. Never has there been a betrayal like this since Oblaan himself, and right under our very snouts", Lassreyth finished, tears forming in her eyes. "Not only did my father hate your mate so much he went so far as to push him out of Lair… but he grew to hate Grand Light as well… even… murdering his mates and eggs…" She turned to her daughter, clearly distraught over what was happening. "How can we be trusted? After everything that was done in the name of the Circle… in the name of 'balance' and 'order'… how can our own people ever trust us again? Millions of years of work… gone… because my father held so tightly onto his hate…"

Maldriin pulled her mother into a hug and said, "Mom…It's going to be OK. You always say that life can and will find a way. You have to believe in your own words.

"It sounds like grandfather was very careful not to let the Circle see what was happening, but, left behind a very detailed record of his deeds regardless. He had to know after he was replaced that those records would be unsealed automatically, so, why leave those detailed records?

"But, you're right on one thing…my mate needs to hear this from the Circle. He will be angry, yes, even to the point of lacing into you all with the same anger he showed grandfather. My question, Mother is this: Will you allow him to say what he will have to say without charging him with Treason or Sedition or whatever? The Circle's held a rather dim view of Dragons who spoke against them in the past. This time, my mate needs that right given unto him."

"I already told Feylfil that should Edward chew me out, I will take it in humility," Lassreyth said.

"Mom, he has a lot of respect for you," Mally said, "He respects everyone in the Circle, but, the one who might escape his anger is my cousin in the Circle.

"But, you and the others need to make the right decision and, I have no say in what you decide…but, if you say the right words of apology to my mate and offer to right those wrongs regardless of the cost, I know him well enough that he will forgive you. The one who is responsible for this is already dead and Edward spelled out for Grandfather where he would end up after facing the First.

"You and Grandmother taught him so much when he was a whelp…He knows this, so, he's not going to attack you as much…I hope. He may recognize that you especially were too close to see the problem. He's not going to be as lenient to the rest of the Circle, save the new Grand Death…then again, he may demand to know why the Heir of Death at the time did nothing.

"You'll need someone there to reign him in."

"You, Filkiin, and Raven will do that. Possibly Starfire to literally push him back," was the reply.

Mally nodded, "Good choices, but, Filkiin will know that Grand Death had a hand in his own mother's death as well as that last clutch of eggs she laid. Raven can't deal with two angry dragons at the same time. And, she would focus on her boyfriend above Edward. You'll need Starfire or Terra. Terra might be the better choice as they both have a soft spot for her as well."

"Oh?" Lassreyth said, her interest piqued, "Why is that?"

"No idea," Mally said, "They had to trust her early on with something important, and, she proved that she was worthy of that."

Lassreyth sighed, the burden on her heart outweighing even being happy that she would live to see grandwhelps.

"Sweetheart," she said, "There's something else. I know why you are not able to be an Heiress Potential. Your Grandfather got hold of a Dark Traitor who knew a spell that would limit your powers. That spell is why your Blessing of Life isn't at full strength with other Dragons and it will take a direct descendant of Oblann himself to lift it."

The words slammed into Maldriin's stomach like a physical blow.

"Why?" she asked, tears forming in her eyes.

"To punish you," Lassreyth said, "He was angry that you didn't fall for his tricks and efforts to make Edward's life miserable. You see, it was clear that he didn't care who he punished as long as they were associated with Edward, the dragon was fair game."

Mally sighed, "That's why Edward's hitting a brick wall with me. Do we know of any one who can lift this?

"But, damn grandfather! God damn him to hell!"

"You already do," Lassreyth said, "Raven."

"You mean that she can help me be an Heiress Potential?" she asked, struggling not to sob. Lassreyth pulled her into a hug.

"If you want, yes," Lassreyth replied, "But, I know that you want to continue with your studies in mortal medicine."

"If she did lift this, would I be required to be an Heiress Potential, though?" Mally asked.

"That I would let you decide on," was the reply, "I would love to have you in that position, but, if you really wanted to defer this to raise your future whelps and continue your studies, I would agree to that.

"But, the Circle could fall apart. When word of what's happened gets out, we'll lose Heir Potentials as well as the trust of the population. We're supposed to be infallible and to allow a traitor to stay in our ranks as long as we did is inexcusable. We may face calls to let our heirs take over or worse…allow untrained Heir Potentials to be elevated."

Mally thought for a bit and said, "I have an idea: Throw Edward a peace offering in the form of training Heirs or something where he is an unofficial part of the Circle, yet, still has a say in what happens…or at some point in the future, give him a formal spot. It doesn't have to be now, though.

"Let the others see that he can be trusted. Yes, the Circle is going to face a crisis here, but, I know that the body will survive. Life will find a way, Fire will destroy the impurities, etc, etc.

"But, let's worry about my mate's reaction first."

"For the first time, I am not looking forward to a meeting of the Circle. Even having to replace your grandfather was expected at some point. Yet, this is the most serious issue we've had to deal with in a very long time," Lassreyth said.

"You'll be OK," Mally said, "Why don't you come over for dinner? It will take your mind off things."

"I'd love to," Lassreyth said, "But, with his powers and Raven having a similar power, I can't shield my thoughts or emotions from them easily. And, once she lets slip to Filkiin that she's suspecting something from me…" She let out a shaky breath. "I may not fear most dragons… but I do fear your mate and his brother. I don't hate them, don't get me wrong, I would be proud to have them as my sons…"

"You fear them?" Mally said, her eyes wide. "I knew Edward was quite powerful… but Filkiin?"

Lassreyth gave her daughter a hesitant look. Then she leaned in, whispering. "Now, you keep this a secret, Maldriin of the Life… but while your mate has only grown in power since the day I've met him… even Filkiin has grown at an alarming rate. Not only emotionally and mentally… but physically. I have never met a stronger Light Dragon in all of my years. If he had the proper training… well, I'm sure you've felt his potential as well."

"Well, he has changed since he was taken in by Edward, but, to the point that you fear them both?" Mally wondered aloud. She was puzzled to be honest.

Lassreyth pulled back, looking her daughter in the eye. "Your brother-in-law… you know that the Grand Light has always been from the same bloodline. Always from parent to child. And yes, Filkiin is strong… but with his anger… I didn't look it when I was at his trial when my father was attacked. But I could feel his power grow. His anger is a catalyst for a potentially very dangerous weapon. And I want you to be wary of this, Maldriin. You are allowed to love him as your brother, as I know you already do… but be wary of his anger. He may have mastered it in the time he's been living with his brother… but I fear… he may have the fury… of the Prime."

That definitely got her eyes to widen. "A… a Prime?! Are you saying-" She glanced towards the cave to make sure her father was still asleep. "Are you saying you think that Filkiin can use a Primal Blessing?!"

"I am… perhaps seventy-five percent sure. I haven't told anyone this… I am certain his father already knows, and if Edward is not aware yet, he will figure it out. But I don't want you telling anyone anything about this. I'm already going to lose a lot of support from our clan for letting a traitor stay in power for so long. I do not need to risk losing more from anyone finding out that I'm scared of an Heir Potential", Lassreyth hissed. "Promise, Mally. Do not tell anyone about this."

Mally nodded, "I promise, Mother. I do not like keeping a secret from my new mate, but, for you, I will do as you ask.

"But, we can work with Edward after he calms down. Let him speak to all the clans at the same time. Once they are aware that you all were fooled by grandfather, and, that he is strong enough to be forgiving of innocent pawns, maybe you will not lose too much support. There will be some who will abandon us from all the clans, but, we have to own those mistakes. Edward's told the team several times that he can respect a human or dragon more when they are strong enough to apologize and admit fault. He respects humility in apologizing and that to me is one of his biggest strengths, not a weakness.

"But, he is descended from Diistkun and Oblaan…would Edward also have the ability to access a Primal Blessing?"

Lassreyth's eyes widened hearing that, "I don't know, Maldriin. Filkiin's pureblood Light dragon, but, Kiinnum's got all of our powers wrapped into one dragon. He's got perfect control over those from opening a Tear right to my door to his other powers. He doesn't even seem to be affected much using his blessings for longer than a few minutes now. I remember when he was much younger, his blessings would tire him, but, now? He's unaffected, much like the Circle's members are not affected by the use of our blessings."

Mally said, "There seems to be some proof of your theory. Filkiin mentioned that when his anger grew to a certain level, that power cancelling device Vilea put him in was unable to contain Filkiin's power and shorted out. He vaguely recalled Vilea saying that only a Grand could defeat that device. If he's a Prime … I can see why you would be fearful of him. But, fearful of my mate? Yes, his anger can be terrifying, but, he rarely allows that to run free. He's fearful that should it escape his own control, his Dark heritage may assert itself in more than just self-defense. Raven told me the time he tried to use that to escape one of her soul-self abilities. He was horrified that he could have killed her in the process. He was able to repair the damage."

"That is precisely why I fear him as much as I love him as if he were my own, Mally", Grand Life said. "Edward has just as much compassion as he does anger, as much kindness as he has the ability to be cruel. As I said… he is a hybrid of all clans, but that means he has powers that we didn't even expect. None of the clans can teleport like he can. He is powerful in his own right, and much like a Grand, he is immortal. I believe, even without a Primal Blessing… he could kill one of us if we pushed him too far. My father was wrong about many things… but he was right about us never having to deal with a hybrid before.

"I have no doubt that Edward can lead our people to a great place, should he become a Grand. But even now… this is uncharted waters that we are in, and even more so for Filkiin's whelp. And it is only natural to fear the unknown. Perhaps my wording on the subject is too vague…" She let out a sigh. "I fear for the unknown. For the complications that Soskrein's life leads… for the powers that Edward may have not yet discovered… I even fear that becoming a Grand may not be enough to finally give him his eternal rest at the end." She finally shook her head. "I apologize, Mally… I wished to tell you of my concerns for our next meeting, and I am dumping all of this on you."

Maldriin smiled, though, "No need to apologize. As long as he's got his family, biological or 'adopted', Edward's not going to go all dark and scary."

"Mally," Lassreyth said, "There is something that you do not know. When his mother went to the First, he took it really hard. Harder than Filkiin when Iilahkun died. He was still technically a whelp when that happened and if Feylfil not got through to him, he might have gone insane with the grief in his heart. When he discovers that his mother was murdered, we will all have a reason to fear him. Sweetheart, you might be the only one that can stop him. It will rip his world apart knowing that WE are responsible. He'll hate the Circle for a long, long time. I know he will still work with us should we ask, but, what do we offer him to appease his potential to be cruel? Commander of our forces? Let him be an heir potential? WHAT?!"

Mally listened to her mother admitting her fears and sighed, "What was the first thing Grandfather took from him? If it was Heir Potential…I will let him take my spot willingly. He will never take his brother's spot, even if asked. If it was his right to take a mate, that's already been taken care of."

"We never took his right to claim a mate, Maldriin," Lassreyth defended, "That was your grandfather's doing."

"I believe you," Maldriin said, "It will be a hard sell for my mate, though, but, I will help you regardless."

However, Mally was concerned about what Edward would do. She knew that he also had a volcanic temper, having to calm him down a few times already. But, she knew that he was still loyal to Lair and would, she hoped, realize that the dragon most responsible was already punished. She did not like having to keep this from him and would have to tell him something because he would sense that there was something wrong, much like her dad had sensed that Lassreyth was bothered.

Then, Grand Life was also worried. She had to consider what the Circle would do in the next day or two to try to correct the problems Grand Death had created for the entire body as well as for Lair.

It was already close to high sun and Lassreyth said, "Come along, child. I have to meet Feylfil in a bit, and would like your input as a citizen of Lair as well."

"You want me in on a planning session?" Mally asked, "That's for Heir Potentials or full Heirs!"

"True," was the soft answer, "But, we cannot tell them as yet. You've already promised to keep this under your scales. You may stand in for Edward, seeing that you know him quite well."

Mally nodded, "OK."

They left and headed towards the memory crystals. Feylfil was there waiting, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Why is Maldriin here?" he asked.

"For input," Lassreyth said, "I told her the gist of what's happened."

Feylfil slowly nodded with a sigh, "I am worried…more than I have been since I was elevated to the Circle. I will allow you to remain, Mally.

"We allowed a traitor to serve as a grand…no, someone who committed Treason against Lair itself. Someone who would stoop to murder as well as treason to achieve his goals. I fear that the population will turn against all of us to the point of demanding that all of us step aside, heir or no heir.

"I am worried about my sons as well. How can I face them knowing what I know?"

"With humility," Maldriin said, "You had no real reason to investigate until you got told off by them. Iilah and Iilahkun's deaths looked natural, right?"

"Iilah was an odd death," Feylfil said as he thought back, "She was about 1500 when she started to weaken. No one really gave it much thought until the day she was found in our cave in a coma. Kiinnum had returned from his hunting trip and after finding her, even he was not able to heal her. But, did we suspect anything wrong? No, we didn't. Edward buried her after she passed and, well, he didn't handle it well.

"Iilahkun suffered from the Rot, as we all know. But, to see that Grand Death pushed her into the arms of the First…It would not have taken much effort. But, he murdered our last brood! Kiinnum mentioned that he would have come home to help raise the hatchlings. It would have been his way of apologizing for being angry at me for taking a new mate. Filkiin buried the brood, then, as we know, Iilahkun was buried in the family plot next to Iilah. Someday, my bones may rest there or some of them will.

"Then again…I fear that none of the current Circle will be honored as much as those who served before."

Mally sighed as did Lassreyth who said, "I know many in my clan will walk away."

"That's nothing," Sol said, "My entire clan will disown me when all is said and done. I was supposed to stand for what is right, no matter the cost. Yet, I allowed a Traitor to continue to serve even after Kiinnum was stripped of his rights unfairly. I may lose him and Filkiin as well. Sahqo may very well already be dead and I have to agree with my sons…Sosfil is not fit to be my heiress, so, I would have to find another mate and hope I can still have whelps. For all I know, that lost brood might not have been weak just from Iilahkun's sickness."

"But, Grandfather stated that he killed that brood in the shell," Mally said, "I can try to keep my mate from renouncing his citizenship if it means that Lair doesn't fall apart into a civil war. But, Grand Light…if I may be so bold…I know that Light Dragons do not change their minds, but, this time, you must because it is the right thing to do. I am willing to let my mate be in my position as an Heir Potential to my mother, yet, I would love to see him as your Heir Potential as well as Filkiin. Doing the right thing isn't supposed to be easy, my father-in-law. Show Lair that you are strong enough to admit that you were wrong, show them strength in humility, and that you will accept their rebuke in love and humility and ask for their forgiveness. You have to ask your son for his forgiveness in front of all. I know that if he accepts your apology and openly forgives you, maybe the damage can be mitigated. But, I don't know what will happen. He really laced into you because of Soskrein because he fears what will happen to her…he fears what our whelps will face."

Sol took in what Mally was saying and sighed, "My sons are going to raise hybrids regardless. But, what can I offer them to get their trust and respect back? What can the Circle do as well?"

"Well," Mally said, sensing that she could talk freely with the two Grands, "First, get this information to the others members of the Circle and under seal, at least for now.

"Second, take a week or two to digest this information before formally meeting to go over this.

"Third, someone needs to make a motion to make any of my grandfather's rulings that directly affected my mate null and void, that he is permitted to be an Heir Potential or jump over that and become a straight up Heir. Sosfil won't like it much, though.

"Fourth, allow my mate to speak his mind without any punishment. Yes, he will go off on everyone, but, you ruined his life by not acting to stop my rogue grandfather, so, out of everyone in Lair, he's got a right to lace into the entire Circle. How many dragonesses showed an interest before my grandfather or his agents convinced them that the Circle would never even hear the petition for blessing or how many heard a 'decree' that there'd be no such petition allowed?

"Then, order all of the infiltrators for my grandfather back to Lair and replace them with new ones unless they renew their oaths of fealty to the entire Circle. Those that refuse can be reassigned to some other task where they can be watched."

"We can do that last one right away," Sol said, "I will have Sosfil tell the Death infiltrators in her area to return home. Same with the one you and Edward met a few weeks ago.

"In fact, we'll have everyone return temporarily. They won't have to end their professional or personal relationships with the mortals unless they want to."

"I would leave Sosfil where she's at," Mally said, "She's liable to make a move on Filkiin's spot regardless and, given the last run-ins with my mate, it could further his anger and she'd find out my mate's cruel side that Mother mentioned."

Sol sighed, "Another mess that was caused by Grand Death. I'm going to have to disqualify her as she was implicated by him in some of the recordings."

"Does that mean that her 'obsession' is due to my grandfather?" Mally asked.

"It's possible," her mother said, "We should find out for certain, though."

The three dragons talked the rest of the afternoon, going over more memory crystals as well as collecting the important ones.

Eventually, though, Mally had to return home and promised the two very concerned Grands that she'd do her best to keep things under wraps as best she could.

[Titan Tower]

Edward's temper had cooled down to normal after Sol left and after getting reamed by Raven a bit. Yet, he was concerned after Mally had to leave for a few hours. But, he also knew that he couldn't keep Mally away from her own family, so, he decided that if it was important, she would tell him when she returned to the Tower.

He got the daily mail for them both and saw the usual things as well as a few fan letters. He smiled as he opened those as he preferred to handle those personally. One piece of mail was from the jewelry store in Niagara Falls thanking him for returning their goods and offering him a nice discount if he ever needed their services. That letter went into his "Reply ASAP" box as he would want to use their services for Mally's wedding ring in a few months to a year.

He then got some email from Joshua that got his attention in a hurry.

"To:

From: Joshua1571

Subj: Rose Wilson

Edward,

Per your instructions, I am writing to inform you that Rose Wilson has been sighted here in upper New York. She was asking around about you and she seemed rather upset that she was unable to locate you here or that her search for someone named 'Deathstroke' was not proving successful.

My partner said that she may be heading out towards the West Coast. She certainly has a dark aura about her, but, nothing like the Traitors.

Any suggestions?

Joshua."

Edward sat back to think about it. From what Terra told him, she could be as dangerous as Slade, if not more so. It was a matter of time before she showed up in Jump City looking for Slade. It was of some concern to Edward, but, as she knew too much about dragons, she was under a death sentence that this time, Edward would carry out without hesitation. He had to keep Lassreyth's friendly advice in mind. Even if he was annoyed at members of the Circle, he knew where his duty lie regardless of his emotions.

He replied back, saying to keep her under watch as best they could and to let him know if she is indeed heading for Jump City. They'd have to go by scent at times if she was under disguise.

He looked at the time and started wondering where Mally was. He knew she was visiting Grand Life, but, those visits typically were a few hours. She'd been gone nearly 12 hours before a tear opened up and she finally stepped through.

He gave her a hug and knew something was going on.

"Hey," he said softly, "You OK? I can sense something's wrong."

"There is a problem, my mate," she replied, "But, I can't tell you what it is. You'll have to hear it directly from the Circle in a few days. In fact, everyone in Lair will likely hear about it.

"Sweetheart…What I can tell you is that there was a Traitor in the midst who was willing to commit not just Treason against Lair, but, stooped to something far worse. It will anger you when you find out, Edward."

She shook with the emotion that was wanting to tell him and Edward pulled her into a hug saying, "Babe, please tell me. I can tell it's tearing you apart."

She sobbed, "I-I-I can't! I promised Mother. I'm so sorry."

Edward sighed, "I can't ask you to break your word, then. I'll have to be patient."

[Everything OK?] Raven asked softly [I can sense Mally's emotional burden from here.]

[Something happened regarding Lair, Raven,] Edward said, [Whatever it is has her shaken badly and she said whatever it is, I have to hear from the Circle and would likely anger me.]

"Kiinnum…what you will be told will also result in Jason's rage being triggered to the point that the Circle is making a once in a thousand year exception…They want Raven there and probably Terra," Mally said softly.

"Two of the Titans who can calm angry dragons?" Edward said, "Interesting. They know that Raven can sooth my temperamental brother and the other Titan who can command the Earth itself who can actually calm me as much as you can."

[Brother…Raven,] Edward asked via the telepathic link, [Yeah, something's wrong. Get Terra and meet in my quarters please.]

It took a few minutes, but, the three others arrived and took a seat.

"Thanks for coming," Edward said, "Something major is coming in Lair in a few days at most.

"All I know is that the Circle has some bad news to relay based on Mally's heavy heart. And, it's probably something that will anger Jason and I a lot to the point that the Circle wants some precautions taken.

"Girls, this is where you come in, I think. My reports back home have mentioned you a lot, and, they know that Raven can level out strong feelings. They also have figured out that Terra can help calm me down.

"Bottom line…All of us in this room will be either summoned or invited to Lair for this meeting. Raven, Terra…you will likely get an extremely rare invitation to Lair.

"Mally, generally speaking so you do not break your word. What might happen?"

"Edward…this is probably the worst crisis that the Circle has faced since Oblann's rebellion. There was a Traitor in our midst and we didn't know about it until the damage was done. And, when the rest of Lair finds out…it's going to be very bad," Mally said.

"And, this centers around Jason and myself?" Edward supposed, "I know that neither of us would betray Lair or the Circle. Every important thing I have done, as you know, I have sought the Circle's permission or blessings to do. When they have declined, I accepted their rulings with grace and humility. When they agreed, I stuck to the mission plans as required. I know that Jason has as well to the best of his ability."

"I can tell you both that neither of you are suspect," Mally said, "Yet, how you react to the news may be the difference between a sigh of relief or, at worst, a lot of dragons renouncing their own citizenship. My love…The memory crystals have the proof of this Traitor…this murderer. Someone who schemed, plotted and executed plans that did incredible harm to some of our own."

Jason snarled, "SidonDinok…"

"I cannot confirm nor deny that, Filkiin…not without breaking my promise to Mother. Not right now," Mally said sadly, "But, I will tell both of you that what you will hear may enrage you both. You'll be permitted the right of frank and free speech without the usual sanctions. But, please, hear them all out before unleashing Hell. I ask as a family member to you all."

Edward said, "For you, my princess, anything. I'll hear the Circle out before reacting."

Jason said, "For my sister-in-law…I'll do the same."

"What do we do?" Terra asked.

"Well, Terra," Mally said, "Hopefully just be neutral witnesses to what must happen. But, you might have to restrain Edward or Jason with your Earth moving powers…to protect them from a charge of Treason. Filkiin, especially as a fresh charge of Treason might result in his death.

"Raven, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but, your role will be to use your empathic powers to draw out your boyfriend's anger or at least level it out.

"Edward, sweetheart…I will be your buffer. I can't ask Raven to keep two dragons in emotional check. Raven, if you are able to monitor them both, that's fantastic. But, if you cannot, I understand and so does the Circle."

Raven said, "I can manage both. It might be difficult, but, it's possible. With that telepathic link in play, I might be able to keep you two hotheads to only venting verbally."

Mally nodded and said, "Raven, there's something else. This same traitor has put a power limiting spell on me. That's why I've hit a brick wall, Edward. However, this spell can only be broken or lifted by a direct descendant of Oblann himself."

"And, since Trigon…Alduin…is Oblann's son," Raven realized, "I am Alduin's biological granddaughter."

Jason pulled Raven into a side hug and said, "I care not about that, Raven. I love you for who you are. If there's the possibility of helping Edward's mate, I am 100% on board."

"Same goes for me," Edward said smiling, "Raven, sure we got off to a bad start due to my own ignorance. But, since then, you have taught this rather old Dragon a lot. You have not asked for anything in return…even a slap upside my head for harming your soul-self which I would accept without com…OUCH!" Raven actually did slap Edward, getting the group laughing, including Edward!

"Now, we're even," Raven said in her monotone.

"That we are, Raven," Edward agreed.

The group settled back to chat for a while, but, Edward was worried. In fact, he was the most worried he had ever been. He suspected that his chewing Sol out might have triggered something much bigger than himself.

And, if Mally was saying that both he and Jason would be angered greatly at the same time would pale next to many other dragons in Lair, made him think that there was a possibility that he'd have to restrain himself and calm other angry dragons. He was also considering asking the Circle to drop the charges against the one dragon who made that mistake. If that helped keep Lair intact, he was willing to ask that the charge of Sedition be dropped.

Neither Edward, Mally, Jason, Sol or Lassreyth knew the firestorm that was about to be unleashed in Lair…