Chapter 15
[Lair - 1 Month Later]
After a month of recovering, Solor was finally able to move around again. And of course, he wanted business done and over with, so he contacted his father and Edward, and arranged a meeting. Of course, thanks to Solor's influence, the rest of the Titans were invited to join. After all, this would affect them as well.
Over the month, Soskrein somehow managed to weasel her way into everyone's hearts. Granted, she didn't do much; she just stood by her father faithfully, waiting for him to get better. But whenever another Titan would enter, she'd interact with them a bit. Beast Boy she played with and was amazed at all the animal forms he could do, Terra ended up finding out that she liked the same foods as her, Cyborg was amused by her surprised expression at all the tech that was keeping his body alive. Probably the best ones, though, were Robin and Raven.
When the two came in, Soskrein immediately ran over to Raven, practically knocking her down as she stood on her hind legs so she could look her in the eye. After a few moments, she cooed, and gave her what seemed to be a big hug. Raven was so stunned that the only thing she could do was hug back. Then she let out a squeak as she felt her claws digging a bit into her sides. Robin chuckled at that. "Wait... you're ticklish?" he asked, looking very amused.
"Y-You t-tell anyone and I'll throw you into another dimension", Raven said, blushing madly. The baby dragon finally let her go, looking rather pleased with herself. Solor, meanwhile, just watched and smiled at his friends. "And what are you smiling at?"
"Just glad that you guys are accepting of my daughter", he said. "She's quite adorable, is she not?"
Raven couldn't help but smile. "Yeah... she is." She kneeled down and pat Soskrein on the head, which made the baby dragon coo in response. "Is... is she gonna have powers like mine?"
"I honestly don't know", said Solor. "I mean... a Twilight Dragon is an unprecedented creation. I don't know if she'll have Light, Dark, or both."
"Well, if she does get Dark powers, could I teach her how to use them?" asked Raven. "Without Trigon around, my powers are less based on my emotions. It shouldn't be too hard."
Solor smiled sadly. "I... I would like that." He patted his lap, calling Soskrein back to him. "I'm gonna have to think of a human name for her later... a couple more months and she'll be able to morph into a human."
Robin stepped forward. "How does a dragon child develop?" he asked.
"Well, compared to a human... very quickly." He smiled. "You notice that Soskrein can already walk and run and jump, correct? Her brain is developing much faster than a human child's. It is because of our long lives. Rather than develop our bodies and minds equally, the mind develops at a very young age and the body will take forever since we are so long lived. By the end of the year, she'll be able to talk and understand what people are saying, and have the emotional maturity of a teenager. I will have to teach her how to fly and morph into a human, but that should be a relative easy task."
Robin smiled. "Then I guess we'll get a new member on the team soon." He turned to leave. "I can't wait to see what kind of person she is. I know it isn't much, saying now... but congratulations." With that, he and Raven left Solor, who began to think about his decisions.
Fast forward to today, where the Titans are stepping through the Tear of Oblivion, and getting the shock of their lives. "Holy shit!" Cyborg said, earning a smack from Terra. "OW! What was that for?!"
"Language!" she chastised. "We have a baby with us, remember?"
Cyborg immediately winced. "Sorry, Solor... just... you know, dragons."
"It's okay", Solor said, chuckling. "I'm sure she'll learn eventually, anyway. I'll just have to teach her when it's appropriate."
Edward's Titans got a group chuckle out of watching the native Cyborg being schooled by Terra. They were in their civilian attire, at Edward's request. It was technically a day off for the older Titans and Edward had asked that they go in their civilian clothes to avoid confusion. But, Nightwing refused to shed the mask, something that Edward respected.
After everyone got over what they were looking at the Circle stepped forward. "Greetings, heroes of the mortal world", Fire said, smiling at them. "It is our honor to welcome you to Lair."
"It's our honor to be here", Robin said, smiling. "I don't have any way to tell you how grateful we are."
"The honor is ours," Nightwing responded, "Thank you for inviting us as well."
"You all protected my son, and gave him the strength to fight for something other than himself", Sol said. "That in itself is reason enough for you to be here." He looked at Edward and Rachael and the rest of their team. "And of course, we can't forget about our visitors from another universe. Welcome back, Kiinnum, Ruuvak and the Titans. If you shall follow me, we shall begin this meeting. It is Solor's request that you be here to see it unfold."
Solor bowed his head, morphing into his Dragon form. "Everyone, get on. The center of Lair is a fair distance away; it will take forever for all of you to get there."
"It's all right," Edward encouraged, "It's no different than when Beast Boy gives the non-fliying Titans a ride home. The Titans ride me all the time. Then again, I do not mind giving someone a ride. For you guys, it's an honor seeing how Solor typically doesn't offer. My suggestion is to sit over his wings. That way, in case someone does have a problem, Solor can glide for the time needed to pull the person up. Grab hold of the ridge in front of you and enjoy the flight."
Cyborg, reluctantly, was the first to get onto the dragon's back. Soon, the rest of his team joined him, and Solor took to the sky, waiting patiently for Edward to get his team as well. Soskrein was riding in Solor's claw, so the entire family was there as they took off, flying towards the center. There, they saw the Earth Dragon, waiting for them.
"Holy...", Terra said, catching herself before she cursed. She then noticed the black dragon on the ground. "Um... is that supposed to be there?"
Solor nodded. "Of course. This meeting is to determine the fate of our child after all."
At that, everyone knew who that dragon was, and they weren't looking at her fondly. Vilea could feel them all glaring at her, but she ignored them.
Soon, they were on the ground, where Solor ushered them to the sides of the ruined mountain. "Stay on the side, listen, and for the First's sake, don't say anything unless they talk to you", he said, especially glaring at Beast Boy for that last sentence.
"Why do you always think I'm going to say something stupid?" he asked, glaring.
"Because you do", Raven countered, getting a chuckle out of everyone.
Edward said the same thing to his Titans, adding, "Remember that this is their central government. It's like Congress in some ways. However, they also act as a court of law and also determine where a dragon's standing is within the community. Today's meeting is the latter, but, today is also to determine if Soskrein will be allowed to exist. She is a hybrid of Light and Dark Dragons and, well, I would hope that since they allowed me to live, that they would also allow Soskrein to have a life. If, for some reason, they do not, we will mourn the loss, but, do nothing to interfere. Listen and absorb. Unless a member of the Circle invites your comment, say nothing. They might seem harsh to you guys, not so much to Nightwing, but, this is their land, their rules. We must do as they ask. Even if they say somethings that we do not agree with...say nothing. Raven will remove any Titan that opens their mouth without being asked to speak. Understood?" Nods all around.
"Exalted Circle," Edward said, averting his gaze in respect, "We are prepared."
Solor nodded, signaling that he was ready as well.
"Very well", said Sol. "This meeting of the Circle is to determine the fate of Soskrein, the first Twilight dragon in our midst, and child of Solor and Vilea."
Death looked at the baby dragon, and spoke first. "She is strong. Very strong. No doubt inherited by her father. She will not die for many years. But there is the question of her... mentality."
Life nodded. "She is strong, as my mate says. But we must consider the consequences of each action. Should we let her live, will she fight for justice and the protection of all of the First's creations? Or will she inherit her mother's Darkness, and eventually go mad with power, like her grandfather before her?"
Fire, Earth and Water said nothing. They didn't have enough information to say anything about the baby dragon.
Sol, however, took his turn. "As much as I would like to have faith in my son... I do not recommend raising her in Lair. She will be a handful, even without the Dark influence if she is anything like her father. Therefore... it is my recommendation that Solor allows us to send her to another universe."
"Kiinnum?" Grand Earth said, "What say you? We know that you are not a formal member of the Circle, but, for this proceeding, we would like your opinion as well."
Edward was taken by surprise, but, recovered quickly.
"Soskrein should be allowed to have the same opportunity you all gave me at her age, Exalted Circle," he said, "She will be a strong dragoness as she matures as Grand Death stated. While she is a Twilight dragon, she will have many positive factors in her life. Her father for one, I have learned, fights for what he believes is the right thing to do. He is not the same dragon you banished a few years ago. Soskrein has the Teen Titans to also guide her, or, if she is indeed sent away to my universe, Solor already knows that Raven and I will raise her with love. If she is sent with us, she will have the same positive influences to guide her. Will she fall to Oblann's insanity? Not on my watch, not on Solor's either. I know that much about my brother in arms. However, Exalted Circle, I understand that her fate of life or death rests in your talons. We will respect whatever is decided here today, but, I respectfully ask that she be given the same opportunity you gave me."
The Teen Titans all frowned at what Sol said, but said nothing. Soskrein had won her way into all of their hearts, and it was certainly in effect for Starfire. She had tears in her eyes. She was looking forward to being a k'norfka, and now she was learning that Solor may not have a choice in keeping her or not. Edward's opinion was given some weight by the Circle, but, what Vilea did next was a surprise to all.
Vilea took this opportunity to speak up. "If I may, Exalted Circle?" she said, catching everyone's attention. She walked forward, holding her head high despite all of the growling being thrown her way. She stood beside Sol before she gave her speech.
"You may speak, Heiress to the Darkness," Grand Earth rumbled, "As Soskrein's mother, that is your right."
Vilea said, "Members of the Circle... if there is one thing I know, it's how much darkness is in a person's heart. I know how to manipulate it, make them see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear. I am a master of the mind. But in order to have that kind of power... I have to know how the individual mind works."
She looked down at Soskrein. "I can see already how my daughter will act and how easily tempted she is by power and greed. And I know, without a doubt... that she will fight for what she thinks is right." She smiled. "Soskrein... is not a Dark dragon. Not in the true sense, anyway. As long as she fights for what is right, as taught by her father... she will be a valuable asset to both the Teen Titans and, in her later years, the Circle itself."
The Circle looked at Vilea, then at each other, determining what to do. Eventually, Death spoke up again.
"As this will be my last meeting with all of you... my vote is decided." He gave a small smile to the baby dragon. "I vote that she be allowed to live. We have already allowed one hybrid to live. There is no harm in allowing one more. While Kiinnum is right, Vilea makes sense as well. She has proven all of us wrong in the last month. We should not punish her remaining offspring for her sins, many of which she is atoning for of her own free will."
The rest of the Circle all nodded in agreement. "I believe that is unanimous though, Grand Death. But thank you for stating it", Sol said. He looked at the child. "Now, the question is... what to do with her?"
Earth shook his head, grumbling to get everyone's attention. "That is not our decision to make", he said. "We may be able to suggest or imply what we want... but it is ultimately Starborn's choice on what to do with his daughter." He looked down at Solor. "So, Heir to the Light... what will you do?" Edward nodded at this one. Earth's logic was sound. The other Titans also were pleased to hear that Solor would be allowed to say where his daughter should be raised.
Solor frowned, and looked at his friends first. He could see what they wanted. His team wanted the baby to grow up with them, that much was obvious. Then he looked over to Edward and Rachael. He had spoken to them earlier in the month, and they agreed that they would take care of his daughter, and raise her with nothing but love. Then he looked at the Circle, knowing that they would want him to get rid of her. Finally, he looked at Soskrein, who looked back at him. Then something surprising happened.
"D-Daddy", said Soskrein, smiling at him. "M-My D-Daddy." Both Solor and Edward's jaws dropped, as did many others! Baby dragons didn't even begin to talk until 6-8 months after hatching and Soskrein just spoke her first sentence!
At that, Solor felt his resolve strengthen. He knew right away what to do.
"Esteemed members of the Circle... I have decided what I want to do. And believe me... it was not easy." He then looked at his daughter again. "I have considered raising her here in Lair, but I know it will not be ideal for her. Despite your ruling... many of my kin will want to destroy her. Then I thought about sending her to live with Kiinnum. Having already raised a child, I know he would be a terrific father, and Rachael a wonderful mother. But now... I know my heart will not take it." He looked back at the Circle, glaring. "She is mine. I will not give her up, to you or anyone else. I will raise her myself. And I dare any of you to try to take her."
Granted, his words were rather inappropriate, but the Circle all understood. They were all parents, and one's love for their child was one of the most powerful things in the world. "Very well", said Sol. "If that is your wish... then Soskrein will be left in your care, under protection of the Circle."
Edward piped up and said, "Exalted Circle, by your leave, I would also place Soskrein under my personal protection, if Starborn will also allow it. I consider this baby to be part of my family already, a fact that my Rachael is aware of, and, I know that despite what is ruled here, that prejudices are hard to eliminate and that Soskrein will face a lifetime of being considered to be a half-breed and looked down upon, no matter how strong she will eventually be. This way, any dragon that messes with her, messes with me and will not be tolerated. I may have lost my enhanced abilities, but, that doesn't affect my base abilities that Golmul and others have recognized. Thank you."
There wasn't any objection voiced, so, Edward nodded and stepped aside, his job on one hand done, but, on the other hand, just beginning.
"This concludes the meeting of the Circle", Earth said, smiling. "Welcome our new sister, children of the First! Soskrein of the Twilight!"
[I think Solor has made the best decision possible,] Edward said to Rachael.
[Soskrein has melted his heart, that's for certain. I think he'll make a great father,] Rachael replied, {He has a great mentor as well.]
[The path will not be an easy one,] Edward replied, [Even if she's under the direct protection of the Circle, she is still a Twilight dragon and there will be older Dragons who will not accept her. She'll be an outcast even in Lair and for a while, will not understand why. But, she's got allies in two universes who will treat her fairly and protect her. Once Solor is able to take his rightful place within the Circle, no one will dare mess with her without facing the charge of treason.]
[She's going to be a handful,] Rachael said, [I hope Solor is really ready for this.]
[Have faith, dear,] Edward said, [I think that with all of her mortal aunts and uncles, Solor will have all the help and morale support any human or dragon can ask for. Kreinyol will be a great surrogate mom, and, I think that Vilea is really wanting to help mend a lot of the damage. The Circle isn't complete without Darkness there, and, when Vilea is allowed to sit in on more meetings of the Circle as a spectator, it will help the younger Dark Dragons to be part of Lair. Their Nightwing will be a huge help. He's seen first hand that we Light dragons are willing to be merciful. I still feel bad because I allowed him to get into my head, but, he's forgiven me and accepted my apology. But, I feel worse for taking the life of that one whelp.]
[Edward,] Raven said, piping up, [You need to forgive yourself for that. It was war and sometimes innocent folks are killed. Solor isn't going to fault you or blame you for the death of the one whelp. It couldn't be helped. The baby would have been used to summon Trigon regardless. And, to be honest, Solor will need to have someone to care for and fight for besides us.]
[War doesn't mean having to kill a non-combatant, though. Not all the time,] Edward objected, [But, War does claim innocent lives regardless of how I feel about it.]
[I take it you did not agree with how World War II ended?] Rachael asked.
[Not really,] Edward replied, [But, there wasn't anything I could do. I had taken an oath to obey the orders of the Commander-in-Chief same as with all the members of the military. President Truman ordered that those devices be dropped. My objections would have been disregarded.]
At that, every Titan began to cheer, and most of the dragons roared their approval. Solor's teammates ran over, hugging both Solor and Soskrein as they cheered. Edward walked over as well, offering his own congratulations.
Finally, Vilea stepped forward, and everyone stopped cheering to glare at her. Solor walked forward, and surprisingly, bowed his head. "Thank you for your words, Vilea. I do not know if the Circle would have allowed me to keep her if you hadn't spoken up. It will take me some time to forgive you, but, you're on your way towards getting that."
Vilea shook her head. "No... thank you for keeping my daughter safe." She turned around. "I have a lot of work to do... finding Dark Dragons that are willing to rejoin Lair, punishing the ones that are still loyal to my father... and regaining trust. I don't have time to raise her myself. So... Starfire?" The Tamaranian nodded, albeit confused that Vilea knew her English name. "Treat her with love. She may not be yours... but I know you already love her as if she was." With that, Vilea took off, flying away from the group as she began to prepare to make the world better.
Edward took off after her, surprising the others. He caught up and said to her, "Vilea, I find what you did to my brother to be reprehensible. However, if there is to be trust...there is also to be forgiveness. That said, I offer you my forgiveness. To help the healing process. You have a long way to go, but, given time, and, you have all the time in the world, I have faith in you, because I see that you want to change. Your words to the Circle swayed them and showed your inner strength. May the First, who created all, Bless your work and May He forgive you your sins." He went to far as to place his talons on her head, not to harm, but, to show his sincerity. He figured if Jinx in his universe and Kitten in this one could be flipped, then, Vilea deserved her chance.
"Also, please give my condolences to those who lost family in this war."
She said, "I do not deserve this, Kiinnum. I deserved the same fate as my father. I raped your brother."
"I know that, Vilea. What's done is done and cannot be changed. However, that is the beauty of forgiveness...It is not deserved, yet, one of the gifts of the First: To give that regardless. To say, 'I Forgive you' is a sign of true strength. Sol will be monitoring your progress as I understand. Just don't let him down, Heiress to the Darkness. Work on your redemption. Starborn, I think, will help you and, I will as well. Ask him if you can use the communicators that can talk to my universe and, I will gladly offer advice or suggestions. If need be, I will return to help you convince your charges. For now, please continue your mission. Good luck!"
Edward turned around and looked on as she flew away, but, there was something else he had arranged. He landed again.
"Members of the Circle," he called out, "Before you leave, there is something that has been bugging me since the final acts of the War have played out.
"I have discussed it with both Terras and they have agreed to do something to show our appreciation for the alliance between Dragons and humanity.
"Ladies, if you would be so kind."
As the Circle watched in amazement, both Terras bodies started to glow brightly and the demolished volcano that Grand Earth destroyed was restored to its pristine condition, with one exception: A way for Grand Earth to come and go as he pleased.
Grand Earth said, "By the First! The Earth bends to these Titans will!"
Solor smirked and said, "These two have an incredible power, that's for sure."
Sol said, "My initial opinion of these humans was underestimated badly. This is by anyone's standards simply amazing. Thank you."
"Why did you do this, though?" Life asked.
"Because it was necessary to thank you folks for taking that leap of faith that I took in 1751 in my history with the people I trusted...and in 1889 with the world in general," Edward said.
Life walked forward, smiling. "Then... it is our turn to thank you. And bless you one last time, with both knowledge and a gift from us. The knowledge is, unfortunately, not as happy as we would like. Unfortunately, according to Grand Light, you are no longer able to access our gifts to you."
"Your strength has returned to its weakened state", said Earth.
"Your fire does not burn so bright", Fire stated.
"Ice will not stay as cold", Water mused.
"You have even lost your ability to use the Blessing of Light", said Sol. "Unfortunately, we had an inkling that this would happen. Since you are over 3000 years old, then your resistance to our magic is possibly at an all time high, and it will be impossible for us to bless you with any new magic for more than possibly a month."
Death, however, looked smugly at Edward. "That does not mean that you cannot have an enchantment removed from you."
Edward put his hand to his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose. "To be honest, I don't really miss that. My weapons are just as potent as they were two months ago. The backlash isn't there, and that's what counts. It's the power of a god that I did not want, and the First knew that. But, I swear, if there's another ceremony that I have to go through, I'm going to go on a rampage."
Life laughed, and shook her head. "Not anything as dramatic as restoring your weapons, I assure you. Just... hold still." She turned to the Titans. "You may want to step back a bit."
Once all of the Titans moved back, Life looked at Edward. Her eyes began glowing a bright green, and she opened her mouth, letting out a low song in her own language. Edward couldn't pick up what she was saying, because his focus was on her eyes. Slowly, he began to glow, and what seemed to be a shadow was expelled from his body. As soon as she started, Life was done, and her eyes went back to normal.
"There. It is done", she said, smiling softly.
"Um... not that I'm ungrateful, but what did you do?" Edward asked.
"She removed one of my enchantments", Death said, smiling. "You know of the reason why we enforced the Breed Traitor law... well, you are now exempt from that law altogether."
Edward raised an eyebrow, not understanding.
"I've taken away the curse that makes Dragons incompatible with humans", Life simplified, shaking her head.
"You mean that Raven and I can ... " Edward said, realization dawning.
"You and her may become parents," Sol said, "We met a while ago and it was decided that because you led the final charge against Darkness that, we would make a formal exemption to the law that we repealed...To honor you, and to thank you. We might not be able to restore our gifts to you for a while, that is if you want the enhanced powers back, but, they will last far less than they do now if we did. You are still as powerful as you were before this started, and, we hope that you will not suffer the backlash you once did."
The Titans and Teen Titans cheered for their friends, knowing that Edward might have lost his enhanced abilities, but, they gave him something worth more than his weight in gold.
In fact, he was floored into speechlessness, so Rachael spoke for him and said, "Thank you, Exalted Circle, you honor us."
"If you do not mind a question: What will happen to Vilea?" Robin asked, curious.
"She will have to earn our trust... but she has already spoken highly of us", said Earth. "She has complied to everything we have requested thus far. And while she and Vulonviing are prisoners... they both are slowly earning their rightful place in Lair. With Oblaan the Traitor gone, it is now Vilea who shall become the Grand Darkness. And perhaps, for the first time in millions of years, the Circle will be complete."
"You mean you are considering allowing Darkness to rejoin Lair?" asked Solor. "There are going to be many dragons that will be unhappy with that. The war is only recently over. Many casualties were had, and many families will be distraught."
"Starborn, my brother," Edward said gently, "I have forgiven her. That's why I took off after her. She is working on her own path of redemption now, and she will need help and guidance. Your redemption only took a couple of years. Hers may take decades or centuries, but, keep her on the path. I offered to also help her, despite her crimes. So if she shows up at the Tower wanting to seek my advice ... "
Starborn nodded, "I will try, brother. But, my objection is still valid. I still cannot forgive her for everything."
"Brother," Edward replied, "I have seen Vilea's change of heart. You flipped Kitten and got her started on the redemption path. Vilea is just as deserving of her opportunity as Kitten is. I talked to Kitten at the Tower and saw for myself her sincerity. Please, try to be forgiving of Vilea as well. We all saw her make a huge positive step in the meeting. She honored you with keeping Soskrein and with her blessing to raise her. Hell, she's going to be a beautiful young dragoness someday. You're going to have to keep an eye on her as younger dragons will want her, and, depending on her human form, young teenage boys as well. I suggest a sturdy baseball bat." Edward chuckled at Solor's puzzled face.
"That is why we shall wait... until the next naming of the Circle", said Fire. "Once all of us have claimed an heir, and passed on our titles, we shall ask our children to reinstate Darkness into our ranks. But only if this progress continues. I myself have not found an heir yet, seeing as I am the youngest of the Circle, and neither has my Honor Sister, Water."
Water smiled. "Give it time, Brother. We shall find worthy dragons to be heirs in no time. Give it a couple hundred years. I am sure your children will have a fire that burns greatly in their hearts."
"I know," Fire said. He already had an idea who to ask to be his heir. The problem would be getting this dragon to want to devote time between two universes.
Solor smiled, and then looked over at Kreinyol. He remembered something, and whispered to his father. Sol listened for a moment, then his eyes widened, and he coughed. "Um... actually, speaking of heirs... I have a gift for my son." He then smiled knowingly. He morphed to his half human form, and gave Solor (also in hybrid form) something that he had clenched in his fist. Once Solor had it, he turned to Kreinyol, and surprisingly, pulled her close.
"Kreinyol, my love... I believe I made a promise to you." He opened his hand, and Kreinyol gasped as she saw the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. In the center was a diamond cut to the perfect angles, and surrounding it were gems of every color. It reminded her of not only the Circle, but of her friends as well. Tears were welling up in her eyes as Solor got on one knee. "My love... will you marry me?"
Silently, Kreinyol nodded, the tears threatening to fall. She allowed him to take her hand, and slide the ring onto her finger, finding that it fit perfectly. She then laughed as Soskrein jumped into her arms, licking her face. "Mommy!" the baby dragon called out, smiling happily.
"BOOYA!" was heard in stereo as both Cyborgs shouted happily. That was followed by every single Titan from both universes clapping Solor on the back in celebration and Starfire and Kreinyol hugged.
"Edward..." Solor said, "I believe that there is a custom called the 'Best Man'?"
"Brother, it would be my distinct pleasure and honor to be your Best Man," Edward replied.
"Friend Rachael..." Kreinyol started to say.
"No need to ask," she said, "I would also be honored to be your maid of honor, as long as Raven shares that honor."
There would be a wedding in the future, and, it would take time and a lot of trust building, but, Darkness would eventually be allowed back into the fold. That definitely made Edward happy as well. Then again, it made everyone happy, even if, eventually, Edward and Raven were the only ones left of the Titans (in his universe) to see that day and, of course, Solor and his wife.
"Solor and Starfire," Edward said, "You both are invited at anytime to visit our home, wherever we end up, and this invitation shall never be withdrawn. And, I would love to see our niece as well. She is always welcome to cross our threshold."
"You have certainly earned being Soskrein's uncle and aunt," Solor said, "and, we will take you up on that offer."
Soskrien looked at Edward and said, "Unca Kiinnum?"
Edward smiled and held out his arms and the baby dragon jumped into them and licked his face. That got a laugh out of him.
"Hey, I love you, too," he said chuckling and rubbing her head gently. She looked at Rachael and went to lick her and Rachael said, "Don't even think about it." She tried to look stern, but, the small smile betrayed her feelings.
[What's a matter, dear?] he asked privately, [It's not like space dog drool.]
[Hush, you,] she replied.
Even Grand Death looked amused at the entire thing, and smiled. He had earned Edward's trust, despite things that had happened. But, he was also saddened that when his heir was elevated to the Circle, he would eventually join the First. He had regained his honor in Solor's eyes as well with his sacrifice, a fact that acknowledged when Solor, finally apologized to him for what happened. Death looked at Solor and knew that he was apologizing from the heart. So, Grand Death said, "Starborn, I have waited a long time for you to say that, and, I have waited to say this, You are pardoned in my eyes, and forgiven. Your attack upon me is hereby forgotten. You have likewise earned my respect. You have atoned for your sins and as far as I am concerned, you are truly the Heir to the Light."
Solor did not want or expect Grand Death to apologize for almost killing him, though. Grand Death was still a proud dragon, but, not proud of his actions. Deep down, though, Solor wanted to give Grand Death more than the respect that is required...so, he did not desire Grand Death to kiss up. He would join the First soon, and would be mourned by all.
"Thank you, Grand Death. You honor me with your words, and I forgive you as well", he said. "And for now, while you live, I will honor your words. When your time comes, I will lead the sending song with more power than I've ever put into a song."
"Save that for your family", Death said, smiling. "You will need the strength when it is your father's turn. I do appreciate the thought, though." Death turned. "Now... I believe you have a mortal realm to protect, do you not?"
Solor nodded, smiling. "Indeed. As much as I would like to spend more time here... it is time I returned home." He turned to his Raven. "Sister, if you don't mind?"
"Of course", she said, smiling. While she didn't expect him to say it out in the open, she definitely liked being called his sister. After a brief chant, she opened a tear, and both teams headed back to Titan's Tower, where they would begin planning for their day and the Titans from Edward's universe headed home later that day.
[Unknown Location]
In an underground lair, many screens were playing with all sorts of scenes. All of them involved combat, from the beginning to the end of the recent war. Solor and his team were all under careful scrutiny, and a gloved hand landed on a white book. A low chuckle filled the air, as an orange mask shone in the only beam of light in the place.
"It's good to be back."
[Epilogue]
[Titan's Tower - Two months later]
Solor, Heir to the Light writes ...
Darkness is defeated at last. After millions of years, Oblann is dead and the celebration in Lair was intense from what I understand. The Circle, while I was recovering, voted and they had no objection to fully restoring my title and honor. In fact, they had the formal naming ceremony all over again once I recovered. Grand Death is training his heir how to use the Blessing and how powerful it is, but, he has stepped aside informally, allowing his heir to be part of the Circle. Once the heir is fully trained in his duties as Grand Death, the current one will formally pass his title and powers on.
Soskrein is growing at a good rate and everyone adores her as much as I do. She's going to be a handful in later years, but, she's got good teachers to help her as she develops. Between myself and my Titans, Edward's made it well known throughout Lair that he will not tolerate any discrimination towards her because of her heritage. Between us, Soskrein's got a better future, and, Edward will be my role model for parenthood. Then again, in Edward's absence, all dragons know that she is under protection of the Circle as well, which means several specific laws and rules apply. Some dragons are understandably on the fence, as the mortals say, regarding Soskrein's heritage. I don't blame them. There are many "bigoted old ones" left in Lair who cannot fully accept that there is a Twilight dragon in existence and wonder how she will turn out. According to Edward, his friend from the past had a granddaughter who was infected by darkness from birth and their efforts to keep this girl from falling to evil failed. It was one of Edward's rare failures as well. But, he knows that failure is a part of life regardless. He's certainly proven to be a good mentor and will be a great godfather to my baby girl.
Edward and his Raven returned to their home to keep protecting Jump City but, even they have loved my baby girl from the beginning ... and they just called with some good news: Ruuvak is pregnant! He's also reported that his mother is doing pretty good and recovering some of her strength. He doesn't think she'll recover 100% of her strength, given her age, but, he is fine with that. They have become quite close, looks like. She still doesn't fully trust the humans and stays in the Tower most of the time and Edward's not willing to push the issue. But, Edward is also ready for when it is her time to come home to Lair to join the First. I dread that day as much as when my mother joined the First. I've not seen my brother mourning a loved one, but, he knows that we'll all be there for him. I have already picked out a possible burial spot in the graveyard for him, just in case, and I will sing the sending song, as Edward doesn't know it. He knows a different sending song from a mortal friend of his, though. He has requested that should Slade cross our paths again, that his ass belongs to Edward. He's not forgiving him for possessing Rachael. And, with Nightmare in custody, Edward's made it quite clear: Nightmare deserves death for possessing Raven and harming his wife. That's where Edward draws the line at forgiveness.
Vilea is progressing much better than I would have thought. I think something changed within her after she was captured by Edward. From what I understand, Edward begged my father not to kill Soskrein, having felt guilty about killing the first whelp. Edward doesn't like having to kill and I think this was the first time he's killed an infant. It showed Vilea that he does have a conscience and, I think it awakened hers. She's showing that she is not as insane as we thought, and for Edward to forgive her touched her heart. I am finding it harder to hate her for what she did to me because she is actually actively working on getting her clan back into Lair, and that she made the right, but, difficult call to entrust Soskrein to my care. She's contacted Edward a few times, asking his advice on how to deal with some members of Darkness who are not accepting that she is, for all intents and purposes, the new Grand Darkness. The older ones are giving her a hard time, while the younger ones are willing to give reconciliation a chance. She's got a good partner, though. The other Nightwing is open about his treatment he got in Lair, from my having to overcome his resistance, to Edward's brutal attack and Edward's apology and healing of his wounds through how the Circle determined that his cooperation ultimately spared his life and allowed him to be released on indefinite parole. He is actually learning that whatever Oblaan told them about us was wrong. A lesson Vilea is also learning, to be honest. Someday, both will make fine additions to Lair, I think.
But, I am slowly coming to forgive her. Looking at my baby girl doesn't remind me of how she was conceived; it reminds me that she is as much a child of the First as anyone of us. The love Soskrein displays towards all of us is pure and unconditional. I know that someday, she will ask why she's the only Twilight dragon, and I will tell her the truth. She will take the news hard at first, but, she'll have such a strong support system in both Universes that she will never lack for a shoulder to cry on.
The End ... For Now.