Geez, nothing is more exhausting than trying to reassure a friend when anything you say just makes them feel guiltier…

Anyways, this is finally up. Got three more chapters of TTO written but not typed. I've been on a roll with that one, need to start on this one again. Since I haven't had much time on the computer recently, I've been working on writing the new chapters in my notebook. Admittedly, that notebook is almost full and it's my fourth writing notebook in two and a half years… Yeah, most of it is chapters, one-shots, song lyrics, or poems… Lately, it's been more chapters, since I've written the three TTO chapters in a row. I've been busy…

Anyways, have a good day/night!

Love, Laurel

Mist cowered against the wall, hugging her legs to her chest. She let out a whimper every time she was hit, not opening her eyes.

The priests around her were throwing everything they could grab at her. Books, pens, stones… The projectiles hurt terribly, but she refused to fight back. Though Krystal had taught her that self-defense was justified, Mist knew that defending herself here would make her seem more of a monster in the hypocritical eyes of the priests. And she didn't want to be seen as a monster.

So she endured their torment, knowing this had likely been an orchestrated event.

"Our angels have come to sentence the sinner!" Someone shouted, and Mist saw a familiar shadow cross a stained glass window.

A new light came into the wolf hybrid's blue eyes, and she grinned, standing tall, "Not your angels! Mine!"

The windows suddenly shattered, colored glass and violet fire raining down on them.

(...)

I hit the window with a fireball, making a small explosion that shattered the other nearby windows as well. Bet those were expensive.

Mist was standing up against a wall, a ring of priests surrounding her a few blocks back. But she stood proud, with hopeful eyes, while the priests were hunched over, shielding their faces from the falling shards of glass.

'They think you're my demonic angels' She thought to me, a smile on her face.

After smashing the windows, I had flown in and hovered there, staring down, my imposing dragon-winged figure backlit by the window so that they couldn't see my features. My shadow lay over them.

-Where are Shade and Hector?- I asked her, seeing the priests cowering at the sight of me.

'Still back at the inn, I think'

-Ty, go check the inn. Find the others and make sure they're safe. You go with him, Mist. I'll deal with this- I said, still physically silent.

My brother, who had stayed outside, did as I asked and left silently, without letting anyone know he was there. Mist dashed outside as well, following him.

-Now… Time to create some fear…- I said to myself, internally grinning.

"-This creature is not yours to condemn. Nor is she anyone's-" I spoke loudly, letting my voice echo in their minds, speaking both physically and telepathically. "-Call me a demonic angel, if you so wish. Worship me, if you so wish. But there is one thing that is not optional…-"

I spoke the last few words only telepathically, -You Will Fear Me…!-

Leaving them reeling, I beat my wings and was out through the broken window. I flew high over the city, opening my mind to catch snippets of thoughts.

'What was that!? Was that really like His version of an angel!?'

'Wonder what's for dinner tonight?'

'What's with all the fuss? Oh, my! Look, is that the king?'

The last one caught my attention. I had almost forgotten that Rikilyn was a kingdom and not just a city, king and all.

News spread quickly. I focused on the area the last thought had come from, close to the castle. Other people's thoughts confirmed it, the king was noticing the chaos we were causing.

-What's the status?- I asked Ty, heading for the area. I spoke so that our conversation was open to Mist and Shade.

'I found Shade, but I'm not sure where Hector is yet. Shade doesn't know either. No one's noticed us yet, but there's some people trying to get into our room at the inn' My brother reported.

-Keep looking, but make sure you're not seen- I landed atop a rooftop, watching the crowd forming below.

A man stood at the steps to the castle, garbed in scarlet rimmed with white. His mind was in chaos, wondering what to do about the reports of "demons" in the city. So he was in charge, he was the king.

My mind was still receiving all thoughts of those below, and I heard one that caught my attention.

'This kid was with that creature before, he's probably another one of them!'

Hector… He had to be talking about Hector…!

I finally found his thought stream, mentally calling for me.

I didn't answer him yet, but I sent a sense of mental soothing, trying to connect the thought stream to his physical form. In other words, I was trying to catch sight of him.

'I got Mist and Shade out of the city. Do you want me to come back?' Ty asked.

-No. I've found Hector, but I may need a few minutes. Stay with those two. I'll be out as soon as I can-

Moments after finishing my mental message to Ty, I caught sight of Hector's brown-gray skin through the crowd. Thank Mother he was wearing long clothes and gloves!

he was being dragged through the crowd by his arm, which was held by a tall man I recognized as the one who owned the shop beside the inn.

Hector must have gone over to the shop and been grabbed by the owner the second they heard about Mist.

The wither skeleton hybrid was somehow the only one scanning the skies, mostly because he was the only one expecting me. When he saw me on the roof and our eyes locked, his dark eyes lit up with hope, 'Krystal! You came back, just like you said you would!'

-Of course I did. I promised I would never abandon you, Hector. Now, do your best to make sure no one touches you. I'll get you out soon- I gave him a smile, then turned my attention back to the crowd.

There was a lot of panic and hysteria going on. I assumed not much ever happened here, in this quiet little kingdom lorded over by Notch. You could reveal a bunch of hybrids in Budder City and they wouldn't even bat an eye, thanks to the reforms Ty and I had made.

"My lord, this boy was among those who accompanied the creature known as Mist into our fair kingdom. He may be able to tell us more!" The shop owner had reached the front of the crowd, dragging Hector along behind him. He was addressing the king directly.

But before the king could reply, another voice I recognized as one of the priests I had antagonized was shouting out, "A winged demon, my lord! A winged demon attacked the church and saved the other, the wolf girl!"

And… cue more hysteria.

"Quiet!" The king yelled out, silencing the crowd. "I am certain that our good god, Notch, will keep us safe from these so-called demons, these monsters"

-Consider, maybe, that we 'so-called monsters' are only keeping ourselves safe from the true demons- I said telepathically to the king, probably seeming like a voice in his head.

"Boy, you will tell us everything you know!" The shop owner said, then slapped Hector across the face.

Mistake.

The shop owner's skin started darkening, slowly spreading up his arm, while Hector looked on in horror, too scared to move.

I had taken great precautions with Hector before, he knew the danger. So it was the man's own fault that this was happening.

Two guards ran forward and tried to restrain Hector, not realizing that touching his skin was dangerous. Their skin, too, started turning gray, and by then, I was hovering above them, the crowd only then realizing my presence.

"It's her! The demon!" The priest screamed, but I wasn't paying attention to him.

"Don't touch him!" I yelled, landing in front of Hector.

The crowd scrambled away from me, leaving the three people who had keeled over, slowly withering.

I looked over at the king, who was staring at me with fear in his eyes, guards surrounding him. "If you want to save their lives, douse them in as much milk as you can. That will stop the effect" I commanded.

No one moved.

"They will die if you do not get milk for them!" I shouted, scaring them into movement.

"I'm sorry, Krystal…" Hector whimpered, looking miserable.

Turning around and crouching down, I hugged him close, "Not your fault, Hector. Their own. Let's get going. Ty and the others are just outside the city"
"But what about…?"

"Let's just let their own people deal with them. If their inaction kills those three, then so be it. It's not our fault" I said determinately.

"You don't believe that" He said quietly as I unfurled my wings and took off.

"What?"

"You're blaming yourself again, Krystal"

I sighed, looking into his brown eyes that had seen too much for his age, "It's our fault that Mist was discovered, mine and Ty's. We were talking to Notch and he made it so that the priests found out about her. Then the shop owner brought you into it, and this happened"

"You found Notch?" He asked, eyes widening with wonder and probably some excitement.

"You know, let's finish this where the others can hear, okay?" I said as I flew over the wall. I rarely flew carrying anything that weighed much, so I was glad that Hector didn't. Being half skeleton made you thin, I supposed.

"Hey, you cut your hair" I commented, grinning as I noticed that his dark brown hair was no longer shaggy.

"Mist did" The youngest hybrid laughed, finally smiling.

"Good. Now you don't look like you were lost in the wilderness for months" My response made him chuckle again. His laugh sounded slightly like bones rattling, which was disturbingly endearing.

By that point, I had spotted the three figures of my brother and the other two hybrids on the ground. Lowering my wings, I landed and set Hector down.

"You three all right?" I asked, pointing the question at Ty.

He nodded, glancing over at Mist and Shade, "Yep. I managed to get to Shade before anyone else, and I don't think anyone really saw me"

"I may have a few bruises, but I'm okay. They definitely saw us though, Krystal" Mist added, her voice quiet. She was clinging to Shade, probably remembering when her brother had been taken away by the priests.

"I know. Us and Hector. I don't know if they've connected me and Ty with the silent priests who came into town with you, but we can be sure they more or less figured out Shade too" i said.

My brother and I quickly explained our trip into the Aether as we left the kingdom behind. How we had found it, the land and mobs, my valkyrie fight and Ty's possession, finding Notch and talking to him, and our getaway once Mist was in trouble.

Then, as I had promised, I finally admitted to my secret power of DreamSight, and explained it for them.

"I'm not sure exactly what it is. The valkyries probably know more, they call it the Dream realm. From what I do know, it's a mental realm between consciousnesses. It allows my mind to roam free of my body, and amplifies my telepathic powers.

"In DreamSight, I don't see people. I see their forms overlaid by colors, which tell me about emotions and their good/evil ratio. I can also see magic, and when Celosia died, I spoke to her through DreamSight. All she cared about was you, Hector, and saving you. DreamSight is also how I knew you were no longer possessed, Ty. When Taro's spirit was in you, there was a dark overlay over your normal colors. When that disappeared, I saw her spirit leaving. That's how I figured out which direction to go in, because her spirit was going back to her body, which I assumed was in the castle. And when I spoke to Enderlox, when we were there, Taro was attacking us in DreamSight and I was shielding us. She gave us a chance to go after I spoke to her.

"I'm sorry I never told anyone. I just wanted to keep it a secret until I understood it better. It's always been with me, and I'm fairly sure Seto has guessed if he knows about it"

"It sounds useful, like a good thing" Ty commented.

"It's okay for you to have secrets. Your mother knows we all do" Shade added, still hugging Mist.

I smiled, "Thank you. I'm using it as best as I can to benefit all of us"

Even Mist and Shade had taken to referring to Mother instead of Notch, as Ty and I did. She was our immortal benefactor, not him.

I fell back, walking beside Hector, "You want to ask me something?"

The kid wasn't surprised, "Krystal… when my sister died… she gave her spirit to save me, right?"

"Yes"

"Did she say anything else?"

I thought for a moment, "She said that we can't always change things, like how people feel. She asked me to take care of you, and said she would willingly give herself up for you, to save you"

He was silent for a moment, thinking, "Thanks, Krystal…" He suddenly caught me up in a hug, surprising me.

"Always, Hector. It's what I promised Celosia after all"