Chapter 11: Final Farewell

- Fenton Works -

Danny looked around and sighed. They had dropped Tucker and Sam off at their houses as quietly as possible. Hopefully neither of them remembered what happened or he was sure Sam would give him a ribbing later for letting Ember beat her up and there was no telling what Tucker would do. Errsinor and the still unnamed female angel followed close behind them. Danny glanced around one more time. He knew both his parents and Jazz were gone today and he was relieved, this was one thing he really didn't feel like trying to explain to them.

He turned back to the two angels looking right at the young women.

"You're Senria aren't you?" He asked.

She smiled at him. "Yes, I am Draconum's younger sister. I was wondering if you would recognize me or not."

Danny couldn't help but stare at her. "How in the world could I recognize you? I have never even seen you before!"

She sat down in a chair and her younger brother followed suit, sitting cross legged on the floor. Danny sighed again and did the same. He looked up when Ember sat down on the arm of his chair. She smiled down at him then turned back to the two angels expectantly.

"You might not have ever seen me, but when he was alive I was a big part of Draconum's life." Senria said.

"Is it just me or does your entire family talk in riddles that give me headaches." Danny said bluntly.

"You still don't get it, little brother?" Errsinor asked with a grin. Danny blinked at the 'little brother' remark. "You were soul bound with Draconum, he explained that to you right."

For some reason Danny growled angrily at the angel. It wasn't a very human sounding noise either, it came out in an animal like fashion. Ember glanced down at him with am odd look. That growl had sounded familiar for some reason...

Errsinor held up his hands. "Alright, alright! No reason to go all crazy on me now." He suddenly became very serious. "In order to keep you from dieing with him, Draconum severed a part of his own soul and gave it to you. In essence he literally fused a small part of himself with you to repair the damage that the soul bond severing would cause. A very specific part of his soul as a matter of fact."

Danny stared at him. "What... what part of..." He couldn't finish the question. Draconum had done that for him? He had sacrificed even part of his soul just to save him? Why? Why would he...

Senria saw the confusion in Danny's eyes and looked at him sadly. "He gave you the part of his soul that had his power, Danny."

"His... power?" Danny asked in a whisper. He felt Ember place a hand on his shoulder. He glanced up at her again and as soon as they made eye contact he felt himself relax a little. She smiled again and he relaxed even more. He didn't know what he would ever do without her. Danny grunted and looked back at the two angels.

"Yes. He gave you all the power he had as a mortal. Every last drop of strength, every ounce of energy he had. Even that small portion of his soul contained latent memories though. That is why I wondered if you would recognize me or not. As I said Errsinor and I played a big part of Dracoum's life, the memories he had of us were very strong and those strong memories were the ones you would most likely to inherit." Senria explained matter of factly.

Suddenly Danny looked at the floor. He already knew the answer to what he was about to ask. "I would of killed Hadriel if you two hadn't shown up wouldn't I have?" He asked. He gripped the arm of the chair waiting for the reply, but none came until he looked up.

When he looked back up there was sympathy in Senria's eyes. "Do not blame yourself for that. Draconum's power isn't without a price..."

Ember finally spoke. "He... he didn't give Danny the curse did he?" That same questioned had popped into Danny's mind as soon as Senria had mentioned a price.

Errsinor laughed though. "Not a chance! That little gift went to Hadriel and what a gift it was too. What my dear sister is trying to say is that some of Draconum's personality came with the power. In this case though I suppose it would a lack of personality."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked eying him suspiciously. Something about that statement sounded like an insult...

"Draconum was heartless in battle," Errsinor shrugged, "that was always how he was even before the curse. If you were his enemy you died or worse. That was how he thought in combat. So in this case you inherited his lack of moral value in battle or at least to an extent. Hadriel killed someone very close to you, closer then anyone save maybe Ember, so you wanted Hadriel dead in the most painful manner possible. That definitely sounds like how my big brother would think."

Senria scowled at her younger brother. "You make it sound like it isn't a big deal."

Errsinor shrugged again. "It really isn't you know. I actually always envied big brother's ability to do what needed to be done in battle."

"That isn't the point you twit!"

"Now hold on a second, what are you yelling at me for?!"

"Because you lunk head you are making a very serious situation seem like it's nothing!"

"It isn't serious and if you..."

"Enough!" Danny shouted and both angels snapped to attention. After a few seconds of everyone staring at each other a little surprised Errsinor started laughing and Danny smiled nervously.

"He... he can even order us around like Drac! Oh man, sis, you are in trouble! You are gonna be getting bossed around by your youngest sibling! You should of seen the way you jumped!" Errsinor gasped between laughs. Senria scowled at them both, but giggled when Ember smacked Danny on the back of the head.

"What was that for?" He asked rubbing the spot she had hit. It hadn't hurt, but still...

Ember just rolled her eyes and stuck her nose in the air with a satisfied smirk. He scowled at her then turned back to the angels.

"So why are you two here exactly?" He asked. "Not that I ain't grateful, but you popped up just in the nicked of time and..."

"I understand." Senria nodded. "Draconum sent us sense he couldn't come himself."

"Draconum sent... that means..." Danny couldn't help the smile that crossed his lips. So he really was free at last.

Errsinor smirked. "He would of come himself, but there was a sudden opening on the Counsel of the Highest and well..." He shrugged still keeping the same fox looking grin.

"I... see..." Danny returned the grin.

Danny was about to ask something else when four blue flashed of light appeared in the center of the room. Four familiar bat winged figures stepped out of the blue light. Danny recognized them instantly, the Prophets that had kept him and Draconum alive after they were first soul bound. Before anyone could react to their presence they all turned to Danny a bowed gracefully.

"Hail Lord Danny." They all said. Danny almost started laughing at the title, but they were so serous he managed to keep it under control.

Something in him told him exactly how to respond to their greeting. "Hail Prophets and welcome to my home." Ember glanced at him strangely. That had defiantly come from Draconum. The four relaxed, standing straight once more.

"What are you four doing here?" He asked far less formally.

"We are here to teach you how to control your new powers." Envy answered excitedly.

"We will wait until you wish to begin." Sin said bluntly and turned to walk into the next room. The others began to follow him.

"Don't mind him. That is always how he is." Envy whispered as he walked by. "Take as long as you need, but we really should begin soon. Lord Draconum's instructions were quite clear..."

"He left you instruction encase this happened?" Ember asked. She was staring at the four winged figures, so was Danny, even the angels were staring at them. The four Prophets looked at each other oddly then nodded.

It was Sin that responded in his deep monotone voice. "He knew this would happen."

Danny scoffed. "How?"

Sin's emotionless eyes locked on his. "He looked into the future and saw all the roads he could take. The twists and turns that he could choose. This was the path he chose to walk. He knew this would be his end and he told us to train you after he was gone."

Everyone stared at Sin. The other Prophets had already exited to the next room leaving their apparent leader to deal with the less knowledgeable creatures in the room.

"He knew..." Ember whispered quietly.

"To gain," Sin said, "somethings must be sacrificed. No one understood this better then Lord Draconum. This was the path he chose to walk. His reasons are as unknown to me as they are to you. This was what he chose and this is what those he left behind must accept."

"But why..." Danny asked quietly. So much about what Draconum had done ended with that single phrase. But why?

Emotion showed on the Prophet's face for the first time Danny ever remembered, even with Draconum's memory. It was sympathy that showed on Sin's face. "I believe Lord Draconum chose this path for you and for her." He indicted Ember. "For you two he walked this path because he trusted that you would be the ones to save him from the darkness. His trust was well placed, he could not have found better heroes, or better friends. I will await you with the others." With that the Prophet turned away and joined his comrades in the next room.

Silence filled the air as Danny and Ember both digested this new information. For them... all of it for them... all the pain and loss and suffering for them... but why?

"Because that is just the kind of person Dracy is." Senria whispered quietly as if she could read their thoughts. That was the only answer that they would ever get, at least until they saw Draconum again. She smiled at them. "He had one final request too. He wanted us to give you one last gift."

"His power was his last gift to you Danny. This," Senria held out her hand. Something glowed dimly in her palm, "is his last gift to you Ember."

Ember stared at the gem in Senria hand. Danny's eyes widen, he had seen that gem before in a dream, a memory that was not his own. The gem from Draconum's crown the day he was cursed. The gem that had fallen like a sorrowful tear from a storm torn sky. Ember reached out for it slowly.

"I have to warn you though..." Senria muttered some what reluctantly.

Ember's hand stopped. "What?"

"Draconum put a spell on this gem. It will go off as soon as you touch it. It... it is meant to be a gift, but..."

"If Draconum meant it as a gift," Ember said as she snagged the gem from Senria's hand, "then I trust I won't be disappointed."

The gem flared bright green and Danny had to look away from it and Ember. The light grew brighter and brighter until even the two angels looked away. Then as suddenly as it had begun it vanished. Slowly Danny turned back to Ember, but the Ember he knew wasn't there.

In her place was a girl of the same age and proportions with the same familiar rocker cloths. She had long raven black hair tied back in a pony tail and soft pale skin. The only thing that Danny really recognized besides her outfit was her eyes, they were still the same emerald green. The crystal in her hand pulsed one more time then returned to its steady glow.

"Ember..." He questioned starring wide eyed at her.

Slowly, Ember raised a shaky hand and looked at it. She touched her face tenderly as if she expected it to break at the slightest touch. Danny reach out and touched her hand softly. She felt... solid and warm. It was real!

"What..." Ember asked in a whisper.

Errsinor smirked at them. "If a human can be half ghost, why can't a ghost be half human?"

Ember looked down at Danny. Her eyes were wide with amazement. Then she smiled and lunged at him kissing him hard on the lips. If Danny had been standing his knees would of given out on him the kiss was so intense. The entire universe could of stopped and Danny wouldn't have noticed.

Someone coughed. They looked up and noticed both the angels blushing slightly at the display of affection. Ember just smiled warmly and kissed Danny again before pulling away.

Senria opened her mouth to say something, but some were in the distance a church bell began to ring. Senria sighed. "Our time is up. We have to go."

"Wait..." The two angels stopped and looked at them. "Thank you... thank you for everything..."

Errsinor smiled at them. Light was beginning to surround the pair. "Hey no problem little brother and don't worry we will see each other again!"

Danny laughed as the light grew brighter. "No offense, but I hope not for a very, very long time."

Senria chuckled at the comment and waved. "If either of you show up before you are at least ninety I will personally kick your asses! Besides we will always watch over you. Just remember to keep your temper in check when you fight Danny, you have Draconum's battle tactics now and he wasn't very forgiving! And it's up to you to teach Ember how to control her power now!"

Danny laughed again and waved back. The light surrounded them completely shrouding them from view. Their forms began to fade away like wisps of smoke.

Just before the light began to fade with them, Danny saw a tall man with long silver white hair and snake like green eyes. An aura of light seemed to shine around him, even brighter and more powerful then the light that had surrounded Senria and Errsinor. It was like looking at the sun without the glare, all the light in the world seem to condese around the man. A pair of white feathered wings appeared on his back and he smiled softly at Danny and Ember. He raised a hand and waved one last farewell.

'farewell, little brother... until we meet again. Take care of each other...' A familiar voice said in his mind, a voice he had thought he would never hear again. Danny smiled back at the man. It was the last time they would see each in this world. Danny would remember it until they saw each other again, of that he was sure.

Draconum turned away and the light faded. The angels disappeared with it.

Danny turned to Ember and before he could say one word she hugged him tightly. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her shoulders returning the embrace. He ran one hand through her hair. For a very long time no one said anything and that was exactly how it was meant to be...