In Pursuit of Wind

Back at Indels, King Albert and Tiydus had just returned, shortly after dark. Waiting on him in the courtyard were Dart and Remus.

"Any sign of her?" Tiydus asked eagerly.

Dart and Remus shook their heads simultaneously.

"You?" Remus asked.

Tiydus could not bring himself to say the words. How could she have done this to him?

"She's gone," Dart said truthfully.

"Wherever she was, she's miles away by now," Remus said gently.

Tiydus turned away from his family. Emotions storming within. "Well, search miles if you have to! She didn't just disappear!" he said harshly.

Remus knew his brother was hurt, and what he said was out of pain, not anger so he tried again. "Tiydus . . ."

Tiydus had taken all he could stand. "Shut up. Remus," he said hotly.

Remus sighed and shook his head.

Dart tried. "Son, I know you're upset. You have reason to be. No one could have known that she--"

"--- that she what?! Didn't love me at all or even care about me? Or that she detested the thought of marrying me so much that she'd rather run away and live like an animal instead of stay with me?" he spat bitterly.

Although he himself was not in a much better mood, seeing his friends fail, Albert took a turn to try and calm Tiydus. "That's not true, Tiydus. She does care about you. I know for a fact," the king said gently.

Tiydus rounded on him too. "Oh yes, she cared so much about me! She cared so much about me that she ran away from me, leaving me to go up in front of all those people like an idiot all alone and explain that the wedding had been canceled! It was humiliating!" he growled.

"Look at it this way," said Pierre as he entered into sight from the castle stables, "maybe it's better that you didn't marry her, she was a disaster waiting to happen."

Tiydus turned and grabbed Pierre's collar roughly. "SHE WAS NOT! SHE WAS MY FRIEND! DON'T EVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" he hissed and started shaking him.

Dart and Remus began swiftly moving forward.

"Tiydus, let him go," Dart began seriously.

Tiydus dropped the planner as told, but still glowered at him. "Besides, you were half the problem! Always telling her what was right or wrong! She could decide for herself!" he hissed.

Pierre just looked at him flatly and said quite frankly without thinking, "And indeed she did, sire."

It took both Dart and Remus to hold Tiydus back.

"Tiydus, be reasonable! Those are just words from someone not even important anymore!" Remus begged.

"He's right, you're making an absolute fool of yourself right now," Dart said sternly.

"I don't care! GET OFF ME!" Tiydus huffed and struggled free. Once free, he stood still for a moment and looked around himself briefly before storming off.

"Tiydus,--" Dart called again.

"Leave me alone!" his blonde son said dangerously and disappeared into the stables.

"God, he's so angry . . ." Pierre mumbled as Albert helped him to his feet, more out of habit than actual courtesy.

"He's heartbroken, he'll probably apologize to all of us later, well, all of us that matter," Remus said, giving Pierre a nasty glare.

"Such passion . . ." Albert muttered, and at that moment Dart's divine dragoon spirit on his chest gave out a glowing radiance, with beams of golden light trailing in the direction Tiydus had gone.

Dart and Albert immediately turned to each other, wide-eyed realization on their faces.

"Albert, where's your dragoon spirit?" Dart asked quietly as suddenly there came another glow from a red stone around Dart's neck as well.

Albert stared at him in disbelief. "Dart, that's the—"

"Red-eye dragon's spirit, I know," Dart answered.

"But, it was destroyed!" Albert remarked, genuinely surprised.

"I'll tell you about it soon, but first, what happened the dragoon spirit of the Jade dragon?" Dart, repeated, a knowing feeling building up in his chest even before the king could answer.

Albert sighed. "It has gone the way of Alexandra," he said simply.

Dart gave his old friend a look of utmost seriousness. "Alexandra has the dragoon spirit?"

Albert nodded. "No, she didn't take it, if that's what you're driving at," he said, reading Dart's face. "Well, not intentionally anyway, I'm sure."

Remus just looked from his father to King Albert in confusion, thoughts racing. He shook it off and put his hand on his father's shoulder. "I'm going to go get mom and then check on Tiydus," he told him.

Dart nodded to his son wordlessly and turned back to Albert. "Unintentionally? Albert that means—"

The King nodded, with his own serious expression, " it has chosen her to be its next bearer—". Albert stopped speaking as the red dragoon spirit gave another pulse of light and lit the courtyard, coming from the chain around Dart's neck. Several people nearby, including Remus and a few knights, noticed and stopped to see what was happening.

In a burst of light and heat, the dragoon spirit around Dart's neck melted off the chain and flew into the air. When it came down, it was hovering slightly above Remus' spiky hair. Remus looked up and instinctively held out his hand, which the stone promptly fell into. The moment the stone made contact with Remus' skin it gave birth to a bright red sparkle that surpassed the previous one just moments earlier. Everyone shielded their eyes.

When the light died back down, Albert turned back to Dart. "Kind of like that," he said ironically.

Remus turned immediately to his father once he could see himself. " Dad, what is this?" he asked with a voice full of confusion. "I feel strange," Remus added.

Dart sighed. "What you feel is the power of the dragon in you. Remus, you hold in your hand the dragoon spirit of the red-eye dragon. Your grandfather Zieg possessed it, then it was passed to me after his . . .death. Now it is yours," Dart explained.

"I understand the story, you've told me hundreds of times, but dad, I'm still not sure I totally understand," Remus admitted.

Dart sighed. "I'll tell you."

***

Tiydus had gone straight from the courtyard to his room not speaking to anyone, especially those knights who called after him wanting to speak with him. He was in no mood to speak about the wedding that had been mysteriously canceled, or why Alex had suddenly fallen ill, or why he, the king, and several others had disappeared for a while. He decided that if he could, it was probably best to just sleep and deal with everything in the morning. Tiydus undid the ties of his overcoat and threw it aside along with the boots he had kicked off moments earlier. He removed the hot, wool undershirt he was given and lay back on his bed, feeling something hard on his pillow.

He reached back in annoyance and grasped something hard and metallic in his hand. Tiydus scowled. What now? He leaned over and used a match to light his bedside candle. When the flame was solidly burning, he found the object revealed by its light to be a solid gold dragon pendant, with small, multiple emeralds as scales. Tiydus recognized it immediately; after all he was the one whom had given it to her.

He slammed his clenched fist down on his pillow, still clutching the necklace, and as he did so, he stirred a small piece of paper into the air. He grabbed it and unfolded it and found only two words in Alex's handwriting. They read: "Forgive me".

Tiydus crumpled the paper in his hand, then tossed it and the dragon jewelry hard into the wall before putting his head in his hands. "Forgive you? Alex, how could you do this to me? Especially right after I told you I love you? I kept my feelings secret for so long so you wouldn't—Oh soa," he muttered miserably as if the princess could hear him.

There was a knock on the door, but Tiydus didn't even look up. "Go away, Remus," he said, instinctively knowing who had come to the door.

Tiydus heard Remus' voice from the hallway. "Tiydus, I really want to talk to you. Come on bro, you can't stay in there forever," Remus called.

Tiydus groaned. "I told you to leave me alone, Remus!" he yelled. He could hear his brother sigh behind the door. A few minutes later there came another knock on the door. Tiydus' patience was gone. "I mean it Remus!" he snarled.

This time, the voice that answered was completely different. "Tiydus, this is Gracy Slambert. I know you want to be alone, but before you come to too many conclusions, I must speak with you," came the old, gentle voice.

Tiydus had always held respect for Lavtiz's old mother, and he knew he would feel bad if he was rude to her or turned her away. "Come in," he said reluctantly at last.

Once the old woman was in the room, she shut the door behind herself and slowly made her way over to him, leaning heavily on her cane.

"Please, say what you have to say and then leave," Tiydus pleaded. He didn't want to be rude, but the frustration, heartache, and anger where growing inside of him like a looming storm, so he was starting not to care.

"Ms. Slambert nodded and went directly to the point. "Very well. As you know, I've spent many an hour in Alexandra's company, and I know her better than one of my own children. What I'm going to say, I wanted to say directly to you before you are persuaded or decide to think about this a certain way," Ms. Slambert explained and went on to tell Tiydus about what she had heard from Alexandra in the tailoring shop when she had tried on her wedding gown.

At the end of the old woman's story, Tiydus' head was racing. "So, she thought I was going to make her sit in a chair all day as Pierre would have her do? And she thought that I'd force upon her to change?" he asked, trying to reiterate.

nodded. "Yes, and because she was so convinced of these things, she was also convinced that you couldn't possibly love her. She said that if she had to deny herself and change who she is, it was not her whom you truly love, but a shadow of her," Ms. Slambert replied. "But the entirety of this unfortunate situation does not rest solely on your shoulders," she said gently. "Lord Albert and Queen Emille played a major part in Alexandra's unhappiness as well. I think, as parents, they had a good intention, but they didn't go about it in the right way. She does care for you Tiydus," she said softly. "She told me herself. Even when she felt miserable, she never once said anything about hating you. She told me that you've always been dear to her and that she thought of you as her big brother," Ms. Slambert added.

"A big brother? But how could she see me like that after I confessed my love? And despite what she thinks, I would never do that to her, never! I even swore that if she didn't believe that I love her, I would do anything to prove it to her!" Tiydus insisted, letting his mouth express his heart and all of its confusion.

"I'm afraid that, my dear, is something you will have to show her yourself, no words or actions from anyone else will change the way she thinks," the old woman said sagely.

The young man looked up briefly at the old woman, and then began rubbing his temple.

Ms. Slambert sighed. "Well, I only know what I've told you, and I just wanted you to know more than anything that she doesn't hate you Tiydus. But to truly understand the whole scope of what she thinks about this whole situation, you would have to ask her." Seeing Tiydus' misery, Ms. Slambert nodded to herself. "I'll be on my way," she said softly and left.

It wasn't long after that another knock sounded on the door. Tiydus sighed in frustration, why couldn't he just be left to himself? He really didn't want to talk and it seemed that everyone in the castle wished to pour lemon juice into the flesh of his broken heart by speaking Alexandra's name. She truly held a place in Tiydus' heart, and this he knew because slowly, over the years, friendship had turned into love. It wasn't like she was just some adolescent fling that was bound to disappear after a few weeks. No, she was something permanent, which was there to stay. And now, even hearing her name struck emotion into him. Tiydus closed his eyes and ignored the knocking on his door. He wasn't there, he decided, as he drifted away into the thoughts about the first time he realized that he loved Alex, and why.

It had been over ten years ago, on a hike in the woods behind Seles. She had been hiking with Remus and himself to the old canyon, when they were attacked by a band of goblins wielding large bones as clubs. Though he and Remus had fended most of them off, one of the goblins had hit him in the stomach and knocked him over. Remus had been busy fighting two enemies of his own, and the goblin probably would have finished him, but Alex had come to his rescue, snuck up behind the goblin and broke a large rock over its head. She hadn't hesitated, she wasn't afraid at all, and it was her bravery that he admired most about her.

When he had gone home, he had been completely embarrassed about what happened, after all, hadn't his father taught him to fight better than that? He had lost his confidence for a while, no matter who tried to tell him otherwise, except Alex. She had told him that everyone makes mistakes, and that no one was perfect. She had said that now and then, even the best warriors needed help and deserved a second chance. She said she believed in him. She believed that he and Remus would someday be the greatest warriors on Endiness and that she would trust him with her life without any hesitation. Her trust, her belief, and her words had healed his heart, and with the love she'd shown him, won it.

Another knock on the door brought Tiydus out of his reverie. Alex had been right, no one was perfect and everyone did make mistakes. He, himself had made some large ones lately, and he realized why Alex must have terrified of getting married. If no one else was perfect, how could she be either? Then it occurred to Tiydus, especially after speaking with , why Alex had run away. Everyone around her had wanted her to change, to be the perfect wife and princess. Tiydus felt immensely guilty, because he knew he had contributed majorly to the problem, hince why Alex had told him he didn't understand. Alex knew that she couldn't be what everyone around her wanted her to be, she could only be perfect in one way. She could only be the perfect Alexandra. Tiydus sighed again. Despite everything that had happened and whose fault it was or wasn't, he still loved her. He knew he should be more angry than upset, or at least he wished he was. He felt vulnerable when he was sad.

"Tiydus, please open the door, it's your mom," he heard Shana's voice plead.

"It's open," he said plainly and saw his mother enter the room. Shana's brown eyes looked at him gently as she came and sat down beside him on the bed.

"I know this has been hard on you, and I know you loved her," Shana began gingerly.

Tiydus rolled onto his side to face his mother and sighed. "I still love her. I've been thinking about why she ran away, I'm pretty sure I know why. I didn't help her any, yelling at her like that. Everyone wanted her to be someone she's not, and in Alex's opinion, someone she wouldn't or maybe even couldn't be. She's true to herself, and that's one thing I've always admired about her," Tiydus said, reflective.

"I see. So you're not upset?" his mother asked.

"I didn't say that. Even though I think I understand now, it still doesn't make her return, convince her I love her, or make her love me back," Tiydus replied depressively. "Ms. Slambert told me Alex thinks of me as her big brother," he added miserably.

Shana gave her son an understanding look. "You know, your father thought of me as a baby sister for the longest time," she confessed, making Tiydus look up at her.

"Really? What made him change his mind?" he asked.

Shana grinned. "He changed slowly, but he eventually fell in love with me back. He realized that my feelings for him had changed since we were little, that they hadn't disappeared, but grown over time. Being around me and seeing how I had grown over time made him love me back. Not to mention all the things we went through together. We realized how precious we were to each other when the realization hit home that we could lose each other at any moment. And then when I—" Shana suddenly stopped herself. "Never mind that," she said swiftly when Tiydus gave her a questioning look, but didn't pry.

"Being around you made dad love you? But what I am supposed to do, Alex could be anywhere," he replied gloomily.

"Go after her, stupid," came Remus' voice from the doorway. "If you love her and you swore to prove it to her, go after her. When you find her, tell her what you've figured out, and PROVE to her what she's afraid of won't happen. I can promise you this, bro, nothing's going to happen if you just stay here; how are you proving your love if you give up on her? True love is when you care enough to be with someone through the good and the bad," Remus advised.

Shana looked at her redheaded son. "Okay, who are you and what have you done with Remus? That was actually sound advice," she said with a smile.

Tiydus looked up at his brother. "But what if that still isn't enough?" he asked in despair.

"Tiydus, she doesn't hate you, and if she's anything like Albert, she just needs time to think. She'll come around," Shana assured.

Tiydus took a deep breath. "You're right, both of you. I guess the only thing I can do right now is start searching for Alex again. But where do I start? We have no clue where she went," Tiydus admitted.

Remus shook his head. "We might have a clue. You remember Maggie, Sir Irwin Ross' daughter? And of course you aren't likely to have forgotten the bandit Alex fought that they took prisoner the other day," Remus suggested.

Tiydus understood what his brother was saying, either one of those two people might have some information. If it was the bandits that Alex had gone after, presumably to fight them, they'd hopefully be able to get some information from the bandit captive in the dungeon. That really seemed highly unlikely to Tiydus, but it was something. On the other hand, a good place to start would be to ask Maggie. Alex had spent a good deal of her time within the last few days with her. If Alex had been planning to run away, the young girl might have noticed something strange.

"I'll talk to Maggie, you want to face the bandit?" Remus asked.

Tiydus managed a sarcastic smile. "Only if you want me to kill him. I'm still not entirely joyful at the moment," Tiydus reminded.

Remus looked concerned. "Then what makes you so sure you won't lose your temper in front of Maggie?" he questioned.

Tiydus was surprised and slightly insulted that Remus was even suggesting he might hurt the little girl. "Because, she's a little girl and didn't do anything wrong. That bandit tried to kill Alex," Tiydus replied as Remus looked at him indecisively for a moment.

"Have a match with me if you are going to go before you do," he insisted.

Tiydus sighed. "I really don't feel like a swordfight right now, Rem," he said impatiently.

Remus however, stood firm. "Then go in the morning," he advised.

Tiydus sat up on his bed and glanced at his brother. Didn't Remus know how hard it was for him to sit still now that he had new hope and a new plan? Every second wasted was a second they could be putting to use to find Alex.

"Go to sleep? Now? Why? We're wasting time as it is!" Tiydus insisted.

Remus crossed his arms. "Because I'm not letting you go visit the Ross' until you calm down. I know you; you'll thank me for it later. Either have a match with me now, or wait until morning when you've had a chance to cool off that way," Remus said stubbornly.

Shana turned to her red-haired son. "Remus your brother has had an even tougher day than the rest of us, I really don't think you should encourage him to fight right now. He might take his stress out on you," she warned.

"That's the idea. He lets out his anger and stress before he goes," Remus affirmed.

Shana sighed and turned to her other son. "It's up to you, Tiydus."

Tiydus nodded and reached for his armor next to his bed. If Remus was dead-set on a match with him and wouldn't get out of the way until he did, Tiydus would fight him. He had made up his mind to do as much as he could tonight. "I'll meet you in the courtyard in a minute, Remus," he said simply.

Remus nodded and went to retrieve his own armor.

Shana shook her head. "Tiydus, please don't kill your brother. I know you're still upset, but Remus is only trying to help," she said in motherly concern.

Tiydus finished putting on his armor and grabbed his sword. Turning to his mother, he kissed her cheek and nodded. "I know mom. Don't worry," he assured.

Tiydus was already halfway out the door when she called after him again. "Tiydus, you know that I love you, don't you?" she said with a maternal voice.

Tiydus could feel his expression become soft. "Yeah, I know," he answered. Tiydus had only gotten a few steps beyond the door when he realized that he should say thanks to his mother for being there for him. Tiydus poked his head back in the door and saw his mother gazing out the back window into the night sky.

"Hey mom?" he called to her with a smile.

"Yes?" Shana answered, turning to look at him.

Tiydus gave her a gentle nod. "Thanks."

Shana's mouth produced a pretty smile. "You're welcome."

Tiydus walked down to the courtyard and was grateful that everyone seemed to leave him alone. Maybe they had found it best to let him be, or maybe they had all retired for the night, because Tiydus didn't see many guards walking around at all. Once he reached the courtyard, he found Remus already there waiting for him, although he was hard to spot in only the starlight. The torches on the courtyard walls were too far away from the center to be of much use.

Remus approached him with swords drawn. "There you are, if you were any faster, the sun might have already risen. Are you ready?" Remus asked tauntingly.

Tiydus drew his silver sword; he was not going to lose. "I'm not going easy on you, Rem," Tiydus warned.

Remus nodded. "I don't expect you to. I'll make you a deal. I won't go easy on you if you don't go easy on me," the redhead replied.

"Agreed. Rules?" Tiydus asked.

Remus smiled. "I'll tell you when I've had enough," he assured.

"It's on your own head, Rem. Let's go, or are we going to stand here all night?" the blonde brother asked impatiently.

"Of course not. When you're ready," Remus said as they both moved into position. Tiydus swung his sword quickly in a downward arch, beginning the fight. However, Remus was already on his toes and spun out of the way just as Tiydus' sword hit the ground, then brought his twin sabers down onto Tiydus' blade simultaneously.

"Come on, I know you can do better than that," Remus taunted.

Tiydus suddenly gave Remus a roundhouse kick in the chest, making him stumble backwards. "You shouldn't be so cocky, it's not like the fight is over!" Tiydus replied and slashed his sword at Remus' midriff. Remus blocked the blow, and then returned it with one of his own. Tiydus made a circular block with his sword, knocking Remus' left sword outward and exposing his side.

Tiydus quickly refolded his sword, and aimed a piercing strike into Remus' side. Remus blocked with his right sword and Tiydus pushed upwards on the samurai blade from beneath it causing Remus' arm to lift. Tiydus sighed inwardly to himself. This was taking too long.

With one deft movement, Tiydus swung his sword upwards again, this time with a large burst of strength. Remus' sword flew out of his hand and Tiydus slashed at his other sword with the same fierce strength of the previous blow. The sound of the clashing swords was loud, as Remus met the strike with his remaining blade, barely managing to hold onto his weapon.

"Keep up brother. You challenged me, remember?" Tiydus reminded as he dealt a serious of harsh blows toward Remus. Remus only responded with a nod and his next strike caught Tiydus by surprise when it clashed into his with strength equal to his own. For a while the two brothers exchanged blows, kicks, and sword strikes, each with amazing skill and power, neither seeming to gain headway against the other.

At that moment, Dart came out of the stables, catching the eyes of both his sons, but only for a moment before they returned to combat. Remus shot out a kick at Tiydus, which he dodged and returned with a punch. Tiydus was beginning to suspect that Remus was prolonging this battle on purpose, giving rise to his desire to win and leave SOON. Tiydus was dismayed to find that his skill was evenly matched with Remus' tonight, normally one of them would have won by now. Tiydus put all his strength into the blow he was positioning for and lashed out at Remus. However, Remus only managed a half-swing in response, because something appeared to be wrong. It would seem like such a trifle thing, but it seemed like someone was speaking to him.

Tiydus was thoroughly confused, because Remus' ears were perked as if he were listening, but Tiydus didn't hear anything at all. Remus almost seemed like he was in a trance. Tiydus suddenly realized with shock that he hadn't stopped his swing, but was striking out of instinct. The blow hit Remus full force on his chest.

"REMUS!" Tiydus shouted in full realization of what he had done as Remus flew into the air. "REMUS!" he shouted again in concern as a sudden, blinding flash of red light occurred.

Remus seemed to pause in mid-air and suddenly, from nowhere came immense, bright light and unbearable heat. Tiydus instinctively shielded his face, as did Dart, whom had run over from where he was watching. An instantaneous blast of energy knocked father and son to the ground and left a crater in the courtyard stone as a radiating being, with fire dancing off every inch, floated slowly down and touched the ground. When the fire faded, Remus stood there in full, red platemail that sported etched engravings for decoration. Large, red dragon wings with cream-colored, nearly transparent folds had grown onto Remus' back.

"What on Endiness?" Tiydus breathed in surprise as he gazed at his brother whom was completely unharmed.

Dart brushed himself off and looked to Remus. "You transformed to protect yourself, it's a natural reaction for a dragoon," Dart explained.

Tiydus looked first to his brother then to his father. "Remus is a dragoon too? Like you, dad? But, I thought you said you only had one dragoon spirit? You are? And Remus is---?" he said incredulously trying to make sense of things.

"It turns out your mother had a dragoon spirit she'd hidden from me. It used to be mine," Dart began. "Remus is the red-eye dragoon, the dragoon spirit your mother had. I," Dart said, removing a golden orb from another chain around his neck, "am the divine dragoon. This was the spirit that reacted to me."

"This is actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Tiydus," Remus said apologetically as he looked himself over in bewilderment.

Tiydus sighed and looked at his relatives, taking in what they had just said. He was almost glad he wasn't caught up in the middle of this; he had enough things to worry about.

As if fate had heard his thoughts, the young warrior suddenly became aware of a bright, golden light behind him. He glanced to Remus, whom merely pointed, gesturing for him to look. Tiydus raised his sword and turned around, unsure of what he would find.

Dart quietly watched as the orb in his hand, now a gold color and beaming like the sun, magically lifted off his hand, chain and all, and flew rapidly towards Tiydus. The stone stopped abruptly right in front of him. The glow dulled, but a shine was still visible from within the golden stone and shone rays of light onto Tiydus' face.

"What's going on?" Tiydus asked immediately.

Dart didn't answer him, he appeared to be too deeply in thought, so Remus did. "As it would appear, the divine dragoon spirit is reacting to you, Tiydus," Remus replied.

"But the spirit belongs to you, dad," Tiydus remarked.

Dart, dumbfounded by this coincidence, just sighed after looking at his son for a while. "Not anymore. Dragoon spirits choose the bearer, and only when—oh, never mind."

Remus finished Dart's sentence. "Only when the world or history requires them. From the moment that the dragoon spirit starts to shine, you have to accept your fate as a dragoon, or at least, that was how King Albert put it," he explained.

`Tiydus rolled his eyes. "Have to? No, you don't. I can just walk away. And I don't believe in fate," Tiydus retorted and turned away from the dragoon spirit. The spirit, however, hovered up and over him to rest once more in front of his reach.

Remus raised an eyebrow. "You'd be an idiot to ignore that sign. Besides, dad and King Albert said dragoon spirits are drawn to each other. If you accept yours, it might help us find Alex," Remus told him.

Tiydus looked to Remus. "Find Alex? That would imply that she's a dragoon too!" Tiydus replied in surprise.

Remus nodded. "If you hadn't left so early a while ago, you would have heard King Albert say that Alex is the new bearer of the dragoon spirit he had," Remus explained.

Tiydus stared at the floating orb for a moment, it seemed to call to him. A sense of power, more than anything he had ever felt, permeated off the sphere and, for some reason, Tiydus found that comforting. If it would help him find Alex, he was willing to take it. He held out his hand, palm up, and felt a powerful force take hold of him as the sphere landed in his hand.

A golden light, brighter than anything Tiydus had previously seen, engulfed him and everything around him. He looked around when the glow had stopped growing, but couldn't see anyone or anything. The next thing he knew, he found that something had fastened itself around his legs from the knee down. Upon inspection, it appeared that armor, as entricately detailed as Remus' had formed. As Tiydus watched, swirling silver-ish plasma sprouted out of nowhere and wrapped around his waist, then grew out into the shape of a waist guard. The strange light then swirled upwards to form a breastplate. Plasma hardened on his shoulders and forearms, and lastly his forehead. Tiydus almost cried out in surprise as a large amount of weight was also added to his back. A final burst of plasma jumped around his sword and then the light faded.

When next he looked, Tiydus was standing back in the courtyard of Indels. He looked down with surprise and realized he wasn't actually standing, but floating a few inches above the ground. Tiydus inspected the sword he was holding and found that it had changed very little, a great contrast to the change his previous attire had undergone. The young man now wore armor identical to his brother, Remus' in design, except Tiydus' armor was silver and had bright golden etchings.

Remus stared intently at his brother before playfully putting up his hands in surrender. "Okay, you've got me beaten. How do you fly with all of those wings?" he asked, making Tiydus look over his shoulder.

"What are you—whoa!" Tiydus remarked, looking back. "One, two, three, four—six! I have six wings! Soa, no wonder my back feels so heavy!" he exclaimed in surprise. Not only was he a dragoon, but had six silver wings with golden folds, three on each side of his back.

Remus laughed, then smirked. "Why do I get the feeling that having six wings makes you stronger than me?" the dragoon Remus asked, just as King Albert and several knights came running outside.

Dart ignored them, only to give Remus an answer. "Don't feel offended, Remus, but he is more powerful than you are. Tiydus is the strongest of the dragoons and the king of dragons, the divine dragoon."

Remus didn't seem offended, instead he just laughed. "Good grief, my regal brother. Not only a future king of men but the king of dragoons and their dragons as well," he teased, and spreading his wings wide, he performed a lighthearted bow.

Tiydus winced inwardly. He may be a king of dragons, but not a king of men. Alexandra wasn't his wife. The thought of his runaway bride filled Tiydus' heart and mind with emotion, and just as suddenly as everything had appeared, he de-morphed. The armor and wings disappeared back into the orb from which they came. Tiydus landed nimbly on his feet at the same time Remus disengaged his transformation also.

Tiydus had never felt so exhausted in his life and sank to his knees. Remus was having similar effects too.

"Man, I'm absolutely exhausted," Remus said with a wavering voice.

King Albert came forth and grabbed Tiydus' arm to help him up while Dart helped Remus.

"What's wrong with me? My legs feel like jelly," Tiydus muttered to himself.

King Albert gave him answer, apparently having heard him. "Dragoon transformations take getting used to. They are powered by spirit or sometimes, as in this case, triggered by something. The more you transform and the more used to it you become, the longer you will be able to hold the change," the king explained.

Tiydus looked over and found Dart talking to Remus, apparently explaining what Albert had just told him.

"King Albert," Tiydus began uncertainly, as he was not sure what to call him by in light of recent events.

Albert, sensing his unease, was gentle in answering him. "Albert, if you please. What can I help with?"

"Albert," Tiydus corrected, "you said that my transformation was triggered. What triggered it?" he asked curiously.

"Probably Remus' transformation," he answered.

Tiydus wasn't sure what to think about the kings 'probably' answer. It made him uneasy.

"Just probably? What makes you say that?" Tiydus asked further.

King Albert saw his worried face. "Oh, don't look so alarmed. I said probably because normally dragoons transform when they fight, but I didn't see you fighting anyone, so I assumed it was triggered,"
he said, helping Tiydus over to the wall. Dart helped Remus to sit beside Tiydus and asked for the twins to excuse him and the king for a moment to talk.

Tiydus turned to Remus. "What happened back there, Rem? You suddenly just went out of it," he asked in concern.

The reminder seemed to trigger some sort of trouble in Remus' mind, because it showed on his face. "I was . . . distracted. That's all," Remus answered.

Tiydus wasn't convinced. "It looked like you were listening to something," the blonde brother persisted.

"Just forget about it, okay? I'm fine," Remus insisted.

Tiydus could sense his brother's discomfort, and then he just shrugged. "Whatever you say. Anyway, you'll be happy to know that I'm going to wait until morning to go visit the Ross'. I'm too tired to go anywhere now," he explained, making Remus grin ironically.

The next morning, after a night of heavy sleep, getting dressed and eating, Tiydus was on his way back through Bale to see the Ross'. He was on his own, seeing as Remus was still at Indels, questioning the bandit prisoner.

Tiydus found the bright yellow door and knocked. It wasn't too long until Morgan came to answer it. "Oh, hello Lord Tiydus, how are you? If you're looking for Irwin, I'm afraid he's not here," she said truthfully.

"Well, Mrs. Ross, if it's not too much trouble, I actually like to speak with Maggie," he requested.

Mrs. Ross looked concerned. "Maggie?"

Tiydus nodded and explained, intent on getting permission to speak to the child.

Mrs. Ross was hesitant, but agreed at last. "Well, alright. If you think it will do you any good. She's out back, picking wildflowers," she divulged.

Tiydus thanked her and went around back. Sure enough, he found the redheaded child in a green cotton dress picking daisies in the field. He called out to her, so as not to startle the girl, and she came over.

"Hello, Mr. Tiydus," she said in greeting.

"Hi Maggie. How are you?" he asked politely.

"Well, I'm feeling much better, but still . . ." she said trailing off slightly.

"What's wrong? You look sad," he observed.

Maggie looked down. "My daddy left today with Mr. Thomas and the other knights. I'm worried about him, but Princess Alex promised he'd be okay. I know I shouldn't have been listening, but I overheard daddy telling mommy that Princess Alex was gone. But, now that she's gone, who will protect him?" she asked sadly.

Tiydus knelt down so that he was eye-level with her. "Well, that's why I'm here, I'm going to bring Alex back. I've come to ask you if you know where she went?" he asked gently.

Maggie looked down again. "Why did she leave in the first place?" she asked quietly.

"I think I know, but I really need to find her to make things right. I need to find her before something bad happens to her," he insisted, being sure to keep his voice calm.

"I don't know where she went, Mr. Tiydus, I'm sorry," she said in earnest.

Tiydus tried again. "Well, that's okay. Did Alex--- never mind. What did you and Alex do while you visited the palace?" he asked, redirecting his inquiries.

Maggie closed her eyes, trying to remember everything. "We had lunch with the King and Queen Em. Then I asked to see her room, and then we went walking in the garden," she recollected.

That didn't help him much. "Did Alex ever do anything you thought was strange? I saw you at lunch, and in the gardens of course . . . what were you guys doing in Alex's room?" he furthered.

Maggie closed her eyes again in thought. "Well, Princess Alex let me jump on her bed, and showed me around. And then we had to bandage her birdie . . ."

Tiydus tilted his head. "Bandage her birdie?" he repeated questioningly.

Maggie snapped her eyes wide open and covered her mouth.

"What's wrong?" he asked her.

"Nothing," she said quickly, giving Tiydus the knowledge she was hiding something, as well as having said something she shouldn't have. Maggie kept shaking her head.

Tiydus put his hands gently on her shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes. He began speaking softly.

"Maggie, please, because I know Alex means a lot to you too, if you know anything, ANYTHING at all, please tell me," he pleaded.

The child looked at him doubtfully. "But I promised Princess Alex I wouldn't tell."

Tiydus sighed, a slight impatience beginning to poke through his demeanor. "Maggie, please this is important. For all we know Alex might be in trouble right now!" he insisted.

Maggie pulled away, about to cry. "Okay, okay! Just promise me you won't tell her," she said quickly.

Tiydus nodded. "You have my word."

Maggie hesitated, but then elaborated. "We bandaged her messenger birdie, somebody shot it. The bird brought Princess Alex a letter," she blurted in one breath.

Tiydus nodded. "Okay, that would definitely be odd for her to have a messenger falcon in her room . . .Maggie, who was the letter from?" he continued.

Maggie began to fidget uncomfortably. "I don't know a name, she just said it was a friend she had just made."

Tiydus' mind, calculating the information, came up with a plan. The person she wrote to might have some information, and if they could just have the falcon retrace its route . . . "Maggie, what was the bird's name?"

"Holly . . ." she answered quietly.

Tiydus sighed in relief and managed a small smile. "Thank you Maggie, I will bring her back as soon as I can," Tiydus answered and gave the girl a one-armed hug, before hurrying back to Indels to find Holly and Remus.

Remus was already waiting for him when he returned. "Anything?" Tiydus asked.

Remus shook his head. "No. The damn guy was such a jackass I almost killed him myself," he answered in annoyance. "You have any luck?" he asked.

Tiydus nodded. "We need the master falconer, meet me in the tower," Tiydus explained.

Within the next ten minutes, Tiydus and Remus met in the falconry tower and were soon joined by Bernard, a tall skinny man with feathery hair and a beak-like nose. In Tiydus' mind he looked a lot like a bird himself, so it was no surprise Bernard was the master falconer.

"What can I do for you, young lords?" he asked politely.

Tiydus nodded. "Actually, we're here to ask about a falcon named Holly."

"And if it's possible for a falcon to retrace its route," Remus added.

Bernard considered the inquiry for a moment. "Yes, well I suppose it's possible for a falcon to retrace a route if they've made the journey enough times. And I do know of a roc named Holly, she's the preferred messenger of the Princess Alexandra," he answered.

"Please take us to Holly. We need her to retrace a route for us," Tiydus requested.

Bernard nodded and took the brothers to a particularly large iron cage that housed a dog-sized bird with a bandage on one wing.

Tiydus nodded. "That must be the one Maggie told me about." Tiydus knelt beside the cage and instantly a hawk-like eye turned to watch him.

"Go on, ask her. Rocs are very intelligent," Bernard encouraged.

The blonde twin cleared his throat. "Uh . . .excuse me, Holly?" he began uncertainly.

The bird continued to stare at him in reply without making a sound.

"Holly, someone told me that you brought Alex a letter?" he questioned.

The eagle-like creature gave a short chirp.

"Yes. Good, she has given the Princess a letter recently. Continue," the falconer translated.

"Um, alright. Holly do you remember the route that you carried that letter?"

She gave another chirp. "Could you please retrace it? We think Alex is there. You miss her too, don't you?"

There was a shout caw, and then a soft, affectionate chirp at the mention of Alex's name.

Tiydus hesitantly reached his hand into Holly's cage and touched her feather's gently, as if for emphasis he was a friend.

"So?" he asked Bernard.

The man nodded. "It seems she knows the route you speak of well, and has delivered many letters there. I don't know if this route will necessarily lead you to whoever you're looking for, but apparently she is willing to take you," he affirmed.

Tiydus and Remus nodded to each other. "Excellent! I will prepare to leave at once!"
Tiydus decided.

His brother looked to him. "That soon?"

Tiydus nodded. He wasn't going to waste anymore time. "That soon," he affirmed.

Remus nodded. "Then go get supplies and inform everyone that needs to know," the redhead answered before both brothers rushed to make preparations.

The better part of the rest of the day was spent gathering supplies for what might be a long journey. Tiydus had written a list to ensure that he wouldn't forget anything. "Let's see: Blanket, pack, rope, water, sharpening stone, boots, armor, sword, and dragoon spirit," he mumbled, eyeing the dully glowing stone on its chain, which he had tucked under his breastplate.

Tiydus removed the chain for a second to hold the stone in his hand. He was still not entirely sure he wasn't dreaming; he found it hard to believe that he had sprouted wings the previous day and that his father had called him the king of dragons.

The orb in his hand gave a reassuring sparkle. "Okay, now an orb is trying to comfort me. I've lost my mind . . ." he muttered to himself.

"I've known that for years. Women will do that to you," Remus said from the doorway.

"Don't you ever knock?" Tiydus asked sarcastically.

Remus laughed. "Well, maybe, but it's a brother's privilege. Anyway, aren't you forgetting something?" Remus asked.

"Like what?" Tiydus asked.

"Money for one, and a map?" he said suggestively, holding up both in his hands.

Tiydus rolled his eyes at his own forgetfulness. "Thanks, Rem," he said, reaching for them.

Eyeing Tiydus' pack, crammed full of things, Remus sighed. "I can put them in my bag, if you'd like," he offered.

Tiydus looked at his brother skeptically. "Your bag, Remus?"

Remus grinned. "You didn't imagine leaving me behind, did you?"

"It's my problem, Rem, I don't want you involved," Tiydus answered.

"Alex is my friend too, I'm already involved. Besides, since when do you leave me here?" he said, offended.

Tiydus sighed. He knew he'd feel better if Remus went with him. "I'm not asking you to go with me," he said truthfully.

"I know, but you're definitely not leaving me here. I WANT to come," Remus said, giving his brother a pouting look.

Tiydus openly laughed. "Oh God, you haven't given me that look since we were seven! Remus, I wouldn't leave you here. God knows I might actually need you," he said playfully.

"Hey!" Remus cried.

"Since you're both dragoons, you should go together. I have a feeling you might be surprised what you find," Shana said, entering the room.

"I guess you heard?" Tiydus asked.

Shana nodded. "I did. I wish you both luck. I just came to say goodbye and be careful, since your father and I are going back to Seles in the morning," Shana replied.

"Where's dad?" Remus asked, reading Tiydus' mind.

Shana sighed. "He and Albert are trying to get a hold of an old friend, they've barricaded themselves in the study and Emille and I are worried. But anyway, just know that whatever happens, your momma loves you both," Shana said gently and kissed the cheeks of both her sons.

"Hmm. That was weird," Remus said as he watched his mother go. "I get the feeling that she knows something we don't."

"That's true, but I think if it was really that important, she would have told us just now," Tiydus reassured.

Tiydus and Remus made their way to the throne room, as they had been summoned by King Albert. According to Shana, he wanted to see them before they left. Tiydus stared up at the King from where he knelt on the floor once he and Remus had reached the room.

Serdio's king looked like he had never seen him; his hair was falling out of place and some prominent grey strands had become harshly visible. The king's eyes had bags under them, and he slouched in his chair. He looked absolutely exhausted and stressed to a max.

"Albert, are you alright?" Tiydus asked in surprise.

The King nodded wearily. "I'll be fine for the moment. I'll be even better when you bring Alexandra back. Dart and Shana have informed me of your departure, and in addition to wishing you luck, I've taken the liberty of having two of my best stallions brought into the courtyard for use on your journey. Tiydus, Remus," he said, looking at each of them in turn, "I want you both to be well aware of the danger this situation poses. Be on your guard, there is a very real possibility that you might run into things much worse than bandits. Dragoons have an unnatural way of attracting enormous amounts of trouble," he sighed remorsefully.

"But they also attract each other, right?" Remus asked gently.

"That is the truth that I have experienced, and the truth as believed by a friend long gone. Anyway, it is a fact I can cling to with hope. Take care, Gods' speed. We'll all be praying for your safe return," the king said gently with a heavy sigh and a labored nod. "Go now," he said formally.

Tiydus and Remus both bowed and thanked the king. As they headed for the door Tiydus heard Albert say miserably in reference to his daughter, "Dear God, what have I done?"

"Tiydus," Albert called after him.

"Yes, Albert?" he answered, turning at the waist.

"I want you to know that not even with all the words I possess, do I know how to describe to you how sorry I am about all of this," he said with a pained sincerity.

Tiydus nodded. "You don't have to apologize. Remus and I will find Alex, and we will bring her back to you, I promise," he vowed.

As they left, a strange feeling washed over Tiydus. He almost felt completely sure they would find her, but he wasn't sure if that feeling was stemming from his own determination or from his dragoon spirit. Something about what King Albert said seemed to also hit home. He had a feeling before this was over, a lot of big things were going to happen.

Down in the palace courtyard Tiydus and Remus found two knights holding the reins of two stallions, one grey, and one black. As they approached, the two soldiers bowed.

"Good luck gentlemen, please bring our Princess back soon," they said together as they handed the grey horse to Tiydus and the Black one to Remus. Tiydus thanked the knights as did Remus, then mounted his steed. The master falconer, Bernard, came into the courtyard with several people, carrying Holly's large cage between them.

"Are you prepared?" he asked them.

"We are," Tiydus affirmed.

Bernard and his accompaniers set the cage down, and then Bernard opened the door of Holly's cage, letting the roc step out, unfold her wings, and flutter into the air. The bird flapped her wings openly, hovering in front of the falconer.

"Retrace your route, Holly. Lead them where they need to go," the falconer commanded and Holly soared into the sky with a loud cry. Bernard turned to the twins. "She knows the way. Be patient with her, she is alright to fly, but might not be at her fastest, due to the healing arrow wound. Now, to get her to come down, just give a loud whistle," he informed.

Tiydus and Remus nodded and thanked him. "Anything else?" Tiydus asked respectfully.

"Gods' speed and keep an eye out for bandits, although they haven't tried anything major yet, that doesn't mean they won't. The problem is becoming bigger as they get bolder. The arrow wound on Holly's wing came from a bandit arrow, it might be likely that you'll go through their prime territory," he informed.

"Many thanks. We'll certainly be on our toes," Tiydus answered.

With another nod from Bernard and a shrill cry from Holly, they were on their way.

A few days later, In Seles . . .

Shana sighed as she finished unpacking her bag, she couldn't help but worry about Tiydus and Remus out there on their own. Although they were fully grown and completely capable of taking care of themselves, Shana was still concerned. She sighed to herself. It was a motherly thing. Shana's thoughts soon turned to her friend and Queen, Emille. Shana felt sorry for her. She could only imagine if she felt worried, how much of a nervous wreck Emille had to be by now. She was on the verge of falling apart when Shana had left. Shana hadn't wanted to leave her friend, but Princess Lisa, whom had come down for the wedding, and reluctantly arrived a bit late, had promised not to leave Emille's side. Shana vaguely wondered that if Lisa had arrived earlier if she could have predicted this current disaster and somehow it could have been avoided.

There was a knock on the door, as Dart peeked in. Shana smiled, but sighed inwardly. Everything that had happened had taken a toll on her husband, especially the loss of not one, but three dragoon spirits to teenagers. Shana knew, and Dart knew, it could only mean one thing.

"Hello Dart. Everything okay?" she asked.

The former warrior nodded. "It's fine. I just wanted to check on you. Worrying about Tiydus and Remus?" he asked.

Shana smiled. "You know me too well, Dart."

Dart grinned. "Well, I've only known you forever," he laughed.

Seeing that grin on Dart's face reminded Shana of the times when she and all the other dragoons had traveled together, in particular the ball King Zior had thrown for them. It was the first time in a while that Shana had been truly happy and when she and Dart shared their first kiss. Shana laughed to herself thinking about everyone and the way things used to be. Haschel, old Haschel, had always been there for her and always been the comic relief for the group. When Haschel was serious, that usually meant things were extremely bad. He in many ways, was like a father to her. There was Meru, sweet, playful Meru, who was one of her best friends and always the life of the party. Then there came Kongol, a proud warrior and a loyal friend whom had discovered the meaning of friendship from them. And Albert of course, the sweet and charming scholar, the sensible one. And Miranda, a tough lady if Shana ever met one, but a devoted friend and fighter. But who could ever forget the dark and mysterious Rose? Rose whom had given her life to saving the world and stopped her own time? Rose had always been cold to Shana, but Shana had known it was really Rose's way of showing concern. She had even given her life to save everyone else. True, Rose had sworn to kill her, but Shana knew why. As the moonchild, before the moon that never sets was destroyed, she was a danger to every person, every blade of grass on the planet . . .

Dart had assured her that everything was over now, but how could he ever understand what she had been through? Being the embodiment of the god of destruction wasn't something you could easily get over.

"Shana?" Dart asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Hmm?" she answered.

Dart shook his head playfully. "Thinking?" he asked with a smile.

Shana nodded and grinned playfully back. "Yep. Something I'm afraid you, Mr.-good-looking, don't do often," she teased.

"Hey!" he protested not unlike Tiydus or Remus would have.

Dart pulled Shana into a warm, playful embrace from behind. "Should I take that literally?" he asked teasingly, kissing at his wife's neck.

Shana giggled. How just like Dart, always emotional at the wrong moment. Shana still couldn't help but find it sweet. "Maybe," she said mockingly, giving in to Dart's mood. It wasn't fair, he always won her over.

Shana gazed at their reflection in the mirror, they looked so cute together, and so right. Everything hadn't always been so perfect. In fact, their marriage had started out pretty rocky, with the combination of the loss of two people close to him and the knowledge that Shana, his love, was the soul of the God of Destruction. Shana guessed that Dart had been through so much that it was going to take quite a while for him to recover from it. She knew things were going to get worse before they got better. Dart had gone into a deep, dark depression that even she couldn't cure. Deep in her heart, Shana had been sure that if Rose was still alive she could have been a great help. Rose and Dart had almost always connected, if not by friendship, then by fate. He and Rose were so alike that sometimes Shana questioned if Dart would have been better off, 'happier' even with Rose, had she lived. However, in the end, Dart had chosen her, and he seemed happy. That was all she really ever wanted for him, with her. Rose, or even Meru.

Then, of all things, Shana had discovered she was pregnant with the twins. It worried her and Dart for a while, and everyone else too, because a child born of the moonchild, well, who knew? Albert had speculated, and Shana believed that Rose would have agreed if she was here, that even though the moon that never sets had been destroyed, that the powers of the moonchild might still pose some threat to the world, and no one knew what would happen if that curse had passed to one of her sons. The thought threatened everyone's peace of mind, and the twins almost hadn't been born. There was serious talk of terminating the pregnancy, as repugnant as the thought was to her and everyone else. It was Dart that intervened. Her husband, while realizing the possibilities, had argued for Shana's sake. He had told them all, what evil could possibly surface that they couldn't face together, and as dragoons? Dart had believed in Rose's philosophy, that dragoons alone could challenge fate. And what, had he asked, could possibly justify the death of two innocent children? Would they take lives of which they were certain, and sacrifice them for an uncertain future? Soa would have to create another body to use Shana as a weapon anymore, and no one expected another moon to suddenly appear or Soa himself to descend. Dart had argued, when Melbu Frahma had absorbed Shana's powers into himself, what was to say that she even had them anymore? They could have been destroyed when they destroyed Frahma. This had aroused a serious discussion among the remaining dragoons, and finally Dart's reasoning had won over in the end. He had told her, after that, no matter what happened he would always protect her and his new children, no matter what. Shana knew that he loved her beyond compare and when the twins were born it was like seeing a whole new Dart. He was back to being the goofy idiot she knew and loved so well. But recent event had plagued her mind. Where her children truly safe?

Shana suddenly gasped in horror as her reflection suddenly warped. Her hair, once brown, was now colorless white. Her skin had become pale and donned purple-ish red tiger stripes. Her eyes, like her hair that had once been a gentle brown too, had mutated into gold, piercing ones, a color that matched the crescent moon on her forehead.

As soon as the image appeared, it faded, and was replaced by one equally, if not more so terrifying. Rose, not just any Rose, but a darkness dragoon Rose, with wings spread wide, held a flaming sword at ready and was wreathed in deadly black flame. Rose held a small bundle wrapped in white and gold. Shana realized with horror that the bundle was a child. Worse, it was her twin sister Louvia, whom she had never known. The face of the infant suddenly changed as well, from Louvia, to her identical self, to Tiydus, then Remus.

"Oh my god! Rose! Please! NO!" she cried in desperate fright as Rose drew back her arm and prepared to strike.

Shana immediately became aware of rough hands shaking her and calling her name in a worried tone. "Shana?! Shana!?! It's Dart, can you understand?"

Shana's vision came back into focus and she was staring up into his cerulean eyes. "Ye . . .yes, I understand," she said, letting herself relax.

Dart however, remained tense and concerned. "Shana, what's wrong? You never have any of these episodes for years and now suddenly you have them almost regularly?"

Shana sighed. "Oh Dart, you know I can't control it, I'm so sorry. If I knew what was wrong, I'd tell you," she answered softly.

Dart sighed, an irritated tone coming to his voice. "Oh yes, just like you told me about the red-eye dragoon spirit," he protested.

Shana was hurt, his tone was accusing. "But Zieg asked me not to tell you, Dart," she replied in earnest.

Dart closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "Well, how about telling me why you've been keeping so many secrets from me lately? Like saying you're fine when you're not? Shana, you don't have to hide anymore, Melbu Frahma is dead and Rose . . . .wouldn't have really hurt you. She was your friend as well as mine."

Shana looked up at the mention of Rose. "What brings Rose into this?" she asked, still a little shaken.

Dart shrugged. "I figured I'd mention it, seeing how what Rose did all those years ago still bothers you. That, and you were talking as if she was still alive and right in front of you a moment ago. You went into another one of your trances," he explained.

"It's nothing. I know Rose would never strike at me if she was still alive. There's no need, I'm not a danger to anyone anymore. If she wanted to kill me back then I understand. It was justified. I was dangerous," she admitted quietly.

"You were not," Dart insisted. "Melbu used you. You on your own never would have hurt anyone," he soothed.

"Not intentionally, no. But I wasn't myself. I was in a trance when Frahma transformed me and took my power. It doesn't matter what I do, or who I recognize, it doesn't change what I am or what I was meant to do!" she argued miserably.

Dart put an arm around his wife's waist lovingly. "I don't care what anyone else says, or if Melbu Frahma, Soa, or anything else was suddenly to pop up right here right now in this room. You are Shana. My Shana. You have your own thoughts and feelings, you not just some hollow shell. The powers of the moonchild, if they even exist anymore, are you just a part of you," he protested.

Shana sighed. "A dangerous part."

Dart let out a long sigh. Combating Shana's pessimism lately was exhausting. "We've already been over this. You are not dangerous anymore, Melbu Frahma is dead and the moon that never sets has been destroyed! There is no way the god of destruction can be born now. You are perfectly safe now Shana, besides, I wouldn't let anything happen to you," he comforted.

"Or am I? It's like you said, for years I haven't had any symptoms of my moonchild self, and suddenly I'm overcome by them. Not to mention that new dragoons are being called, and our sons are two of them. That says something right there. Dart, we don't know for certain that Melbu Frahma is dead. He's survived once, he could do it again. I mean, we didn't actually see him die, did we?" she asked.

"Listen to you. You sound like Rose. How did you start doubting that Melbu, Rose, and dad died? You saw that explosion, if that wasn't enough, we fought him. We mortally wounded him, I was a part of that myself," Dart furthered.

"Well, there's definitely something going on, because you know what Rose said about dragoons being called. You know, I'm going to take a walk and get some fresh air. It'll be nice for a change. Do you want to come?" she said, extending the invitation to her husband. She figured she'd done enough worrying for one day and she could tell it was clearly eating at Dart's patience. Had Meru been there, she would have completely agreed. Shana missed her cheery friend; she was just what she needed to put Shana in a joyful mood. Shana smiled and thought of the last time she had seen Meru. It had been when the twins were first born 21 years ago. She had been present at their birthday party. Of course, Meru had written regularly since then, but Shana hadn't physically seen her.

She sighed. It had been a long time since she had seen any of her friends except Albert and Emille. She'd seen Haschel about ten years ago when he had made the very long journey from Rogue to see the twins on their birthday. Kongol had to stay behind to help the students of the school, making this well over 20 years she hadn't seen him. Miranda had been by 18 years ago, on the behest of Queen Theresa as an emissary to King Albert, but had stopped in to say hello. And of course, Rose was long gone.

Dart shook his head. "Nah, I've still got to unpack."

Shana nodded. "Fine, be that way," she sighed playfully. "I'll be back later," she assured, slipping on her sandals and picking up her wicker basket. Dart nodded and watched her go out. Shana started out toward the field on the hill behind their house, sucking in a crisp, clean breath of summer air.

The atmosphere was still damp with the morning dew and alive with the aroma of the season's flowers. The grass on the hill was fresh and green, and it gave a soft feel under her sandals as she walked. The bright, white daisies that dotted the meadow like stars in the night caught Shana's eye and fancy. She began contentedly humming the old lullaby Dart had taught her and picking the largest, prime flowers for a bouquet she would make when she returned home.

Shana began to relax. It amazed her that sometimes the simplest, girlish pleasures brought her comfort. After picking her share of daisies, Shana started on yellow dandelions. She was just about finished, when a dark shadow blocked out the sun. Shana looked skyward and discovered a being with huge wings, the only discernable feature, as the sun's glare around the shape blocked out all others.

At first, Shana was sure this new arrival was a dragoon, although she couldn't tell which. Shana strained her senses to pick up an elemental energy pattern. The one she found terrified her. Darkness. "Ro. . .Rose?" she called timidly as the figure dropped to the ground. Shana gasped as she realized what this creature with its grey skin, bat wings, and sharp horns was. It was a demon.

The creature, the demoness she had mistakably called her friend Rose, just grinned. "Nope, although I swear that name sounds familiar. You must be Shana Feld," said the startling voice of the demoness.

Shana took an instinctive step back. "I don't believe we've met. How do you know my name?" Shana asked in alarm.

The demon smiled, revealing a row of needle-sharp teeth. "Oh, how rude of me," she said mockingly. "But how can anyone mistake you moonchild, you have such a lovely face," she cackled.

Shana's eyes widened. No one, save her friends, Lloyd, and Frahma had known she was the moonchild. Lloyd and Frahma were presumably dead, that left only her friends. Anyone else that knew was trouble for sure.

"What do you want?" Shana hissed quickly.

"Me? Well, I'd like a go with that hunk of a husband you've got, but actually it's my boss that wants you. I hope you haven't unpacked your travel bag, because you're going for a trip," the demoness laughed.

Shana scowled. "I'm not going anywhere, especially with something as ugly as you," she snarled.

This seemed to anger the she-monster, because every inch of her body twitched with insult. "Ugly? UGLY!?! Oh, you'll regret that, I assure you. How dare you!? Boys, I'm tired of looking at her, take her away!" the demoness hissed.

Shana turned around just long enough to see a crowd of three bandits and the strike the leader made. As she spun to the ground and out of consciousness, all she could do was curse herself for being stupid enough to be snuck up on.

Once Shana was down, the demoness looked at her collegues. "Well, wasn't she feisty? That was easy."

The bandit in front of the other two nodded in agreement. "Yes, it was. Commander Kyrn what are Lord Nvernias' instructions?"

Kyrn nodded. "Oh yes. Take that woman to the base and await him there," she relayed.

With a curious look the bandit called after her as she lifted into air on her wings. "Commander, what of the city? Captain Ikmir suggests it will fall easily enough," he suggested.

Kyrn turned to him and gave him a sinister smile. "Torch it, take what you want, but leave the blonde one alive."