Revenge of the Magic of Carealot

Disclaimer: I do not own: Slayers or anything else that ends up on this story!

Episode 13: Zelgadis Calls…

Into the courtyard strode King Kashue and a large number of his men. One of the men in Akmed's entourage had been a very trusted secret agent of Kashue's. The king had long ago suspected his cousin of trying to usurp his title. The man had sent word back to his master of the treacherous deeds of his cousin Akmed. So the King and a large contingent of his best warriors had set out to Saillune at once to try and stop him. He stopped to talk to Phil and his strong authoritative voice - and a surge of positive energy that came with him and his men - cut short Lina's spell.

"I am King Kashue! Lord of the Dessert Kingdom! I have come as a friend to the rightful rulers of Saillune to rectify the treachery my cousin Akmed has committed and to restore the honor of our nation!" his voice boomed across the yard. As he did his men lay waist to trolls and ogres and draconians with such ease that Lina wondered how in the world Akmed could be from the same place as they? Phil extended a hand to King Kashue in friendship. The king took it instantly and shook it firmly. Cheers of joy and relief mingled with the battle cries of Kashue's men.

"All friends of justice are welcome in Saillune!" Philionel's voice boomed in jovial reply. King Kashue turned to his men who – at his command – spread thru the courtyard and up to the walls and other parts of the castle to help the defenders. The King took a position side by side with Philionel. Lina caught the smirk of amusement – even from that distance – of King Kashue at Phil's "Goodwill Towards Men Smash"! She looked up just then as a blinding flash of light rained down from the sky. She saw Kaiba-dragon give a loud roar of triumph as he defeated Sephiroth's great evil sky-demon. A matching cheer rose from the Saillune defenders. She heard a grunt of pain and found Gourry was awake again and on the mend thanks to Lisa's ministrations.

"Gourry!" she exclaimed as she knelt down to help Gourry sit up. She turned toward Sephiroth to find him snarling with barely controlled rage.

"Lina…you didn't cast it…that's good," Gourry wheezed tiredly. She smiled relieved. He was sitting up now and was about to say something when his and Lisa's jaw dropped and they stared at something behind Lina. Lina turned quickly and stared in shock for a moment before letting out a big whoop of triumph! Though his back was to her she would recognize that head of metal hair anywhere!

"ZEL! I KNEW IT!" she shouted in joy and triumph, though she and Gourry's whoops of joy and triumph were lost amidst the roar of celebration that rose from the troops on the yard. Sephiroth seemed surprised and as the noise cooled down Lina heard him ask Zel to identify himself. Zel apparently didn't seem to care what Sephiroth had to say. He said absolutely nothing as his body began to glow and rose from the ground a few inches.

Lina watched with wonder as Zel was enveloped in a ball of light and began to rise. She shivered in sudden understanding of the magnitude of the spell Zel was casting. It had the same power level of the Giga Slave but it felt different…opposite to it… With frightening speed tentacles reached out from the sphere and wrapped themselves around the demon lords and Sephiroth as it reached the platform they were standing on. The ball grew and engulfed them all completely. She felt the magic of the spell pulling power from everywhere around her. Gourry went very still.

"Yea…sure Zel I'll help…" he said softly and to Lina's surprise he turned into a ball of light and flew towards where Zel had disappeared. For once the mighty Lina Inverse had no idea what had just happened. Lisa pulled on her arm hard to snap her back into herself but Lina just stared into the space where Gourry had stood. A few moments passed before Lina finally understood what the spell was and what it required. She unleashed an unstoppable stream of fireballs. She had to protect Zel and those whose noble hearts were needed for the spell.

"Just have to buy them some time!" she told herself as she demolished any and all unfriendly – whether land-based or airborne – that came within 20 feet of Zel and his magic…

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Phillip and Aurora looked up from where they were fighting with Philionel. Phil smirked and Aurora moved close to whisper to Phil.

"Your father has arrived?" she asked softly hearing Lina's exclamation.

"Yea! He looks so young! There goes mom! She looks so young too! And that's Dante with her! He looks the same! Wow!" he reported excitedly.

"ZELGADIS! HA! HA!" bellowed Philionel from behind them. He wrapped his big arms around the two and hugged them tight for a breath-constricting moment.

"I knew he couldn't get killed so easy! Justice will triumph in the end!" he laughed uproariously and pounded Phil roughly on the back. Phil just laughed enjoying spending this time with his grandpa. It was the greatest gift he had ever received! To travel back in time to meet his grandpa during Saillune's most historic day.

'And to fight along with him,' Phil thought still in utter awe of this day. This was the one thing his sisters had never seen him do and wished deeply that they had. Though they didn't mean to, it always felt like they were holding their memories over him. He resented them for having so many wonderful memories of their grandpa and he had none.

'But they never saw him fight! And now I did and I even got to fight along side him on Saillune's greatest battle!' thought Phil excitedly. He had to learn the Pacifist Crush punch from his eldest sister who had learned it from Grandpa and he had always resented it. But now he would take back with him a whole slew of his grandpa's lost oxymoronic attacks for his sisters to learn from him! He turned to thank Aurora but she had a far away look on her face.

"Aurora, what's wrong?" Phil asked worried.

"He's casting it…He's calling me…" she replied in a soft dreamy tone. She seemed both confused and surprised. To Phillip's utter horror Aurora disappeared in a swirl of light that headed toward the ball of light that was starting to surround Zelgadis.

"AURORA!" he screamed but he had no time to contemplate what had just happened. A fresh wave of creatures moved in to fight and Phil had to throw himself back into the battle. His heart was breaking with the sudden possibility of losing his beloved Aurora. A tear slid down his face as he threw himself into the battle…

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Zel heard first Lina then his beloved Amelia screaming his name. He couldn't stop to say anything. He had tapped into the power that Rezo had given him. The spell was forming inside of him like a living thing. Some part of him realized that while the Giga Slave was a spell of utter destruction and darkness this spell was just the exact opposite.

"All actions have an equal and opposite reaction," Rezo had lectured long ago.

'A spell of creation…but unlike the Lord of Nightmare's it doesn't need a bunch pompous self praising words in order to make itself present,' Zel realized as the white magic gathered around him. Sephiroth kept asking him questions but Zel didn't bother with any of them.

'It needs only those who love…those who want to save something other than themselves,' he realized as his heart put out the call. Quickly first Raven and her parents, then little Laura Ingalls, Zel Dincht and Slyphiel, Capt Kaiba, Jesse, Mai, Gourry and so many others who had fallen on the battlefield. Others joined from the shelters: the injured, the old, and the invalid, young mothers about to die in childbirth… they all hurried to answer his call. Even Rezo appeared now to help out…

Sephiroth was trapped inside the ball of light. The Demon Lords screamed in agony but were unable to escape the ball of light around them. They struggled against the tide of love and selflessness around them in vain. Zel smiled at all of his friends. The spell did require some words but short simple words would suffice to unleash the power of the spell. He knew exactly what words he needed.

"Now together everyone…" he called to his troops of light:

WE CARE!

In one final scream of agony the Demon Lords were destroyed. Sephiroth was spared destruction though by a last minute hidden rescue from the emissary of the great guardian. She took him away to put him back to sleep far from this world. He would never be seen again here. Then the troops of light spread themselves through the city. They restored buildings, healed the wounded and restored the strength of those who were still fighting. They destroyed with a touch the presence of the dark creatures until not a single one was left…

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On the tower Corey and Chelsea stopped to watch the ball of light turn into thousands of tiny lights. The fighting stopped as the creatures attempted to run from the lights but they could not avoid them. The fighters cheered as the creatures were vanquished.

"I wish Rai could see this…" Chelsea thought out loud sadly. Marveling at how beautiful the lights were. Corey nodded but before he could say anything the bow disappeared from his hands.

"See what Chels?" asked a familiar voice behind them. Chelsea and Corey whirled to look. Raven alive and well stood there smiling at them. The damage that the tower had sustained was gone. Her bow was slung on her back with the magic quiver Lord Greywords had made. They stared at each other and then Raven then gleefully began to jump up and down in celebration.

"Hey, that was my vision!" Raven exclaimed right before she joined them. They looked down the tower to see Mai and Jesse waving up at them. The scene repeated itself through the city as many of the dead returned. It would be some time before they realized that not everyone had returned.

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Inside the main ball of light Zel and Laura were unwilling to leave. The spell required a sacrifice. For them the sacrifice would be the chimera. Zel refused to let go of Brau and Golem.

"You have to let us go Zel," Brau said softly. Zel shook his head, sorrow clouding his victory. Laura sobbed disconsolately.

"We don't want to lose you," she choked out, grief making it difficult for her to speak. She cried not just for the loss of Brau and Golem but for the fear that the bone affliction that had nearly claimed her life would return once they were gone. She was in the end a traumatized child. She had suffered more than many adults in her young life.

"You'll be ok…we won't leave completely," Golem rumbled soothingly.

"A little piece of us will be with you always," Brau reassured. Laura seemed finally convinced and tearfully she separated from the ball and rushed away to Orange Grove and her family. Zel however, silently still refused to leave.

"It's time for us to go…we'll be together again someday…you'll see," hissed Brau softly.

"You won't be alone," rumbled Golem reassuringly. Rezo put a hand on Zel's shoulder.

"It's time for you to go now Zel…you're done here, it's time for you to make your own way," Rezo lectured softly. He smiled at Zel in a proud fatherly way. Golem and Brau separated from him as Rezo moved away.

"Take care of Amelia!" called Brau and Golem. Tears ran down Zel's face silently.

"And tell her we will always care," Rezo added as they drifted away then disappeared. Zel suddenly felt like an empty shell suspended in the air…devoid of life…

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Amelia entered the courtyard and the sight was impossible for her to accept for a moment. There he was…just as she remembered him. His hair glittered with that metallic glint that she loved so much.

"ZELGADIS!" she screamed across the yard but he was surrounded by light now. Dante turned to her and let her know that all the noise in the yard probably couldn't let him hear her.

"Come on! Let's get closer!" called out her new protector. She rushed away in the direction Lina was. She watched as Lina renewed her efforts when Gourry joined Zel in the light working extra hard to protect the ball of light. She seemed to have disregarded her own safety though. Amelia was suddenly filled with the absolute certainty that the battle was won and that Zel and Gourry would return unharmed. She fought now with wild and joyous abandon.

"Don't worry Mrs. Lina! We're gonna win!" she called to her best friend as she and Dante laid waste to the creatures of darkness.

"You bet we will! Don't let up!" Lina cheered and then yelled insults at the monsters that dared come near her before she destroyed them. As the great ball of light divided, one of them came straight for them. It defeated the creatures around Amelia's group and healed their battle wounds. For a moment Amelia thought it might be her Zelgadis.

"Hey Lina…" said a gentle yet familiar voice issuing from the ball hovering now in front of Lina. The ball shifted into a roughly human shape and slowly turned into Gourry. Lina's eyes went wide and she laughed and screamed Gourry's name as she threw herself on him laughing and cheering hysterically as she embraced her husband. Amelia knew how she was feeling. She felt the same way right now.

Amelia looked up at the sky in that moment. The ball of light was gone and Zel was floating in the sky. She noticed now that his cape and jacket were gone and knew then how Akmed and his genie had tricked her. He had only his light white tunic and his white pants and boots. She called his name but something was wrong because he was not responding. Suddenly his body began to plummet towards the ground and Amelia launched herself up towards him.

'I'll catch you Zelgadis! This time I will protect you!' she affirmed as she sped towards him and fired a levitation spell at his falling form. His body slowed and as her arms wrapped around him she realized he was unconscious. They drifted slowly towards the ground as she muttered a healing spell for him. His eyes opened slowly and they were grief-stricken.

"They're gone…" was all he said and Amelia realized then that Zel was missing something. Though he still looked like the chimera his skin had begun changing color. The stones on his face were disappearing. Amelia held him tight and felt a tear against her face that was not of her own making.

"You're not alone," she whispered soothingly even though her own heart broke from the loss of Brau and Golem whose minds she had been able to touch briefly during her and Zel's lovemaking.

"I know…" he replied. His arms wrapped tight around her and his magic joined hers as they continued to drift towards the ground. Philionel laughed with tears of joy running down his face. His beefy arms opened wide to receive his daughter and the man he already considered his son. He continued to laugh as he held them tight and he sank to his knees.

For a long time that was all they did. The three of them huddled on the ground holding each other tight. From a shadow a woman wearing a black cape, a butterfly mask and a ridiculous gravity-defying indecent costume watched with a satisfied smile. Sending her own silent blessing she walked away…

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Filia watched spellbound as the lights roamed in the city. She knew that when she sided with Lina against her brethren she had undoubtedly made the right choice. Humans possessed something that the dragons had either never possessed or perhaps long forgotten. She smiled sadly as she watched Val and Mokuba in their dragon forms circling the sky above Saillune calling for Seto.

"Please captain…I too wish that you return. Our hearts would break if you did not," she prayed softly. She watched Val for a moment as his cries sounded lost and mournful. Suddenly a swirl of light wrapped around him then released him. It moved on to Mokuba then released him and sped towards her. The two dragons dove towards her but Filia lost sight of them as the light enveloped her. She felt her wounds heal and her strength return in full as the light released her.

"If it can be helped, I will not allow myself to be a cause of sorrow for you Lady Filia," intoned a familiar and very formal voice in the light. Slowly the swirl of light materialized itself into Capt. Kaiba. Standing tall, his uniform clean and sharply pressed, he smiled at her in a gentle and unusual way that made him actually look his age. Val and Mokuba fell on him in their human forms screaming joyous welcome back greetings.

Filia was still for a moment but then she too wept with happiness. The very few golden dragons that remained might call her behavior reprehensible but she did not care. She too threw her arms around him and cried tears of joy on his chest. Seto merely smiled. He had accomplished his heart's desire: to protect his beloved dragons. He felt completely fulfilled…

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Phillip ran from the courtyard chasing a draconian trying to evade the lights. He caught up with him not far from the castle. As he swung his sword the lights converged on the creature and disintegrated him. He screamed in sorrow and rage as he crumbled to the ground. His hand fell on something small and jagged and as he lifted his hand he found a small ring glittering underneath it.

He picked it up and studied it for a numb moment. He recognized it from his mother's descriptions. It was the engagement ring she had tossed away during the battle. She had always regretted losing it. Phillip only now understood what had happened to it. Phillip would sit here in this shadow, holding this ring until Aurora's magic had expired and return to his own time holding it in his fist. He wept bitterly as others celebrated on the streets.

"They don't know yet," he sobbed as he dragged himself further into a corner, curled his legs up and wept. His hand clenched the ring tightly. Many of the people that went into the light did not return. According to his archery teacher Corey Baxter…he and his sister Raven Baxter had been orphaned that day. Neither of their parents had returned.

According to Raven the light itself sang a strange song that enticed you to go on to a higher plain of existence. There was no pain or sorrow and it was the most wonderful feeling in the universe to be inside that spell. You forget who you are and were you came from. So many were caught in the song and Raven herself remained only because her parents forced her back. Gen. Kaiba attributed his return because the dragons called him back.

He screamed her name once more but he was not a dragon to call people back. Studying his history as a child in Mrs. Motou's class he had always felt that this day was so full of glory and wonder. However, the reality of being here was completely different. He had never understood how much sorrow existed in this day. He knew now why his mother had looked so terrifyingly sad when they arrived. He knew that pain she had felt intimately now that he was suffering it…

"Hey what's wrong," said an unfamiliar voice as Phillip wept softly in his lonely dark corner. He looked up and saw a dark haired woman in a ridiculous indecent black costume wearing a black cape and high heel knee high boots.

"Go away," he growled. She laughed in the most grating way.

"Now is that anyway to talk to your Aunt Naga!" she laughed gratingly again. Phillip looked at her confused. He didn't have any Aunts by that name. He only had Aunt Lina and her sister Aunt Luna. She turned and called down the alley where he was huddled. A figure came around the bend and Phillip stopped caring about the crazy lady who thought was his aunt.

"Aurora!" he called as he ran towards her open arms. He lifted her up and kissed her deeply, not really caring where he was or who was around.

"I thought I lost you," he whispered holding her tight. She pulled back from him and smiled up at him.

"You won't ever lose me," Aurora replied lovingly. Phillip smiled back then it hit him.

"You can see me! How?" he asked looking into her eyes. She laughed and stroked his cheek as she explained the spell had returned her sight.

"I never thought that Master Greywords would call me. I'm sorry I worried you…I just wanted you to be with your grandfather," Aurora began. Phil smiled but before he could say anything a small glittering object was thrust into his face.

"You dropped this," said Naga in a teasing tone. Annoyed at the woman's intrusion he took the little ring and showed it to Aurora.

"We will have to wait until we return to our time," Aurora observed.

"Yea, dad told me that after this day mom never saw or heard of the ring ever again," agreed Phil explaining he had bought her a new one, though the new one was not a magical creation like this one. They walked with Naga as she talked freely about the circumstances under which she had chosen to exile herself. She was as determined to not be seen by people as they were. They said goodbye to her at the gate and Phil surprised Naga with a hug.

"Will I meet you again Aunt Naga?" he asked kindly. The woman smiled in a soft out-of-character way.

"Who knows? Take care!" she replied cheerfully and laughed most gratingly as she ran off and disappeared.

Slowly they made their way towards the castle avoiding the impromptu celebrations that cropped up. They finally saw Philionel talking animatedly with King Kashue and Dante. They waved at him and he waved back. Philionel stopped to talk to Amelia and then made his way through the cheering and dancing crowd towards them. Near the gate where they were standing was a contingent of Kashue's guards. He noticed that both Akmed and Gaston were alive and were now bound and gagged on the floor surrounded by those guards.

Phillip remembered that Gaston's people had paid a hefty fine to get their prince released. He also recalled his mother mentioning that despite being an ego-centric jerk; he was actually very popular with his people. But it turned out that Gaston was a usurper. A young scholar by the name of Belle figured out who the real prince of the Mountain kingdom was when she helped a Beast trapped in an enchanted castle break his curse. Gaston finally met his end when he tried to murder the real Prince about a year after the battle. Akmed was never heard from again but he knew from his travels that the Desert Kingdom had no mercy for traitors.

"There you are!" Philionel hollered at them. Aurora whispered that their time was almost out. Phillip would have to be quick with his goodbye.

"Hey old man! I just wanted to say goodbye. Aurora and I have to head home before our parents worry," Phil began regretting that his short time would end so soon. Philionel walked a little ways with them.

"I'm sorry to see you go son! There's gonna be a wedding soon you know!" he laughed loudly and Phil knew he would never, ever forget his grandfather's laugh.

"I know," coughed Phil as his grandpa patted him roughly on the back making him a little breathless.

"Well I guess it's time for you to return to the future then!" Philionel announced and laughed as Aurora and Phillip gave him a shocked look.

"Don't think I didn't notice the crest on your sword! The symbols in the ancient language for "Greywords" have been added to my family's crest!" he announced. Aurora and Phillip worried aloud about altering the future but Philionel held up a hand.

"Don't worry I won't tell anyone you were here," he assured them. He looked for a moment as though he wanted to ask something but then decided against it. Phillip and Philionel hugged then.

"Goodbye Gramps! You're as big as your legend!" he announced with a smile and a little tear escaped him which he wiped away quickly. Aurora hugged Philionel too and wiped away a tear from her cheek.

"Goodbye kids! Peace, justice and love be with you both," Philionel replied laughing his big boisterous laugh, though he could not help the tear that rolled down his own cheek. Aurora reached up and took the tear from the old man's cheek. With a spell she turned it into a small tear shaped crystal. Both men looked at her perplexed.

"A gift," was all she would say as she put the tear away. With one final goodbye Phillip took her hand and the two hurried away to find some dark alley for the magic to take them on their journey home…

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Dante smirked in satisfaction. His new friend had been reunited with his fiancée and it looked like all was going in the general direction of the "Happily Ever After" kind of ending.

'Not too bad for a half-mil job!' thought Dante satisfied as he surveyed his surroundings. Zel and his new family were now walking towards him waving and Dante moved forward to greet them. Reunited with her beloved, Zel's future wife became a bubbly happy little person. He laughed.

"That smile suits you better than all that growling and glaring!" he teased. Amelia blushed slightly.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Dante! You were so kind and I was so rude!" Amelia replied blushing some more. Dante just laughed and waved away her apology. Zel then introduced him to his friends. Kaiba chose that moment to return carried down on Mokuba in dragon form and Val flying beside him. Filia teleported herself to Amelia and Zel's side and watched them with a contented smile.

Amelia's handmaidens returned to her then reporting that parties were springing up all over Saillune. In fact Tifa was delayed because she had to stop and help her father at his tavern which was overflowing with customers. Her princess friends were all returning as well and talking about doing some partying out in the courtyard too. The palace band was already setting up in the courtyard.

"Oh I don't know if we should…" Amelia squeaked embarrassed by the sudden uproar. She did not yet know what kind of damage had been left behind in the wake of the battle. Perhaps they should attend to the wounded first, she thought out loud.

"Amelia it is your birthday today, remember? Besides, the spell took care of all that," Zelgadis added in his deep calm voice as he held her. Amelia sighed and agreed.

"Well since we're going to have a party…how about we make it a wedding too?" she asked cheerfully. Before Zel could reply her handmaidens answered…

"NO!" horrified, they called out as one. Amelia looked at them annoyed and surprised but before she could launch into a self-righteous tirade Zel interceded.

"Amelia that really wouldn't be fair to them would it? They've waited and prepared most of their lives to have the chance to prepare you for your wedding day," Zel said softly. And though there was no outward damage the spell had required a great sacrifice. Soon people would realize that not everyone had returned from the spell. He didn't want to dampen the happy mood the victory had created but now was not the appropriate time for wedding celebrations. Dante chimed in before he could say all of this.

"So if you get married today that means that every year for the rest of your lives Zel has to get two presents on the same day. One for your birthday and one for your anniversary…Two gifts in one day? That's a lot of pressure to put on a guy!" Dante pointed out smirking mischievously. He was sitting on a railing by the stairs drinking wine and chatting with King Kashue and Phil.

"If I may your highness it does seem unjust," began King Kashue solemnly "after all you would only have to come up with one gift and have several months before you have to come up with a second gift," he concluded solemnly.

"You wore mourning robes on your coronation…it's not fair," said Raven in a hurt tone. Amelia opened her mouth to protest but as she looked at the sad, betrayed looks on her handmaidens' faces her protests died.

"Ok fine, 3 months from today but you have to take me traveling now like we do every year after my birthday!" she finally relented but the only one who heard her demand was Zel because a huge cheer had risen in the courtyard after she said 3 months. The noise and party-making resumed with greater vigor in the courtyard as people made their plans for the next big bash.

"Fair enough," he agreed on the condition her father consented. Phil walked over to them then and draping his beefy arms around them both said:

"It's fine with me! I expect to be a grandpa by this time next year so get to work you two!" he teased. Amelia protested blushing deeply but before she could lecture her daddy he had moved away to talk to a young couple waving at him from the back of the courtyard. Zel laughed and pulled Amelia towards the center of the party-goers to dance…

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"And then what happened daddy?" asked Grace softly. That was Zel's eight year old daughter and she was the only one that ever stayed awake long enough to hear the end of his stories. He got up carefully to place his three year old daughter Emily, back on her bed. She was always the one climbing on his lap and begging for a story but had fallen asleep fairly quickly; lulled easily by the sound of his voice. His five year old daughter – Jaina – held on 'til halfway through the story though but was out like a light now.

"Well Dante had to go home…" he began as he tucked little Emily in.

"Because Ginny and George were born that day. They have the same birthday as mommy," Grace remembered, Zel nodded and smiled at her as he turned off the lamp nearest Emily. Dante and his family were a familiar sight around the palace. The troublemaking twins were a favorite playmate of his girls. He sat on the bed with Grace. She was the most magically adept of his daughters and by his calculations she was conceived while he was still a chimera, a week before Amelia's twenty first birthday. When the light hit her hair it shone like a highly polished metallic surface. Philionel had no complaints!

"That's right! And your mother and I went to Galbadia where she made my sword," he added pulling up the blanket over Grace's shoulders. Not quite how that happened. First, they stopped at his vault so Amelia could pick up the supplies she needed for the sword she gave him as a wedding present. He had presented the contents of the vault as a gift to his fiancée. While they were there they got to work on Philionel's request for grandkids as soon as possible! Those two days they spent at the vault totally made up for the two weeks of hell that came before. But his little daughter didn't need to know that part yet!

"Daddy, did you and mommy ever go back to Carealot?" she asked amidst a yawn. His heart clenched in sadness for a moment at the memory of his loss.

"No sweetheart, without Brau and Golem I don't have enough power for inter-dimensional teleportation," he replied but managed a smile "that doesn't mean they don't show up every now and then!" he added explaining one or more of the bears or their cousins popped up around Amelia's birthday sometimes, usually to help out someone who was feeling sad or left out. Dante managed inter-dimensional travel with a pair of magical motorcycles Kate had given him upon the birth of his son and daughter as part of their contract agreement for rescuing Zel. But the bikes could only travel to his world and back and they required his half-demon powers to operate.

"Do you think I'll get to go to Carealot someday?" she asked yawning again. He got up and pulled the blanket a little further up and kissed his daughter's forehead.

"Sure sweetheart, maybe someday," he said turning off the lamp at his daughter's bedside as Grace finally closed her eyes. He stopped to kiss each of his little girls good night on his way out spotting Amelia standing by the door smiling at him. He turned off the last lamp on the dresser.

"How long did they stay awake this time?" Amelia asked softly.

"Emi was out like a light in no time, and Jai held on up to when you were lecturing the princes. But Grace wouldn't let me go until she'd heard the whole tale," he explained amused as he headed towards the door of the bedroom his daughters shared. Amelia chuckled softly.

"What am I going to do with you?" she chuckled amused putting her arms around his neck.

"Care for me Mrs. Greywords…just care for me," he replied and kissed her. He moved to close the door but by chance looked towards the window. He smiled as a little brown bear cheerfully waved at him before ducking away. Seconds later he spotted Tender Heart's little cloud car zipping away into the night. He smiled and closed the door behind him…

And they lived happily ever after…

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If for some crazy reason you have actually watched the very first Care Bears movie you will notice that this is exactly how that movie ends: with a grown up Nicholas putting several small children to bed by telling him of his adventure with the care bears and the evil book. Nicholas says exactly the same line as Zel replies to Amelia when she teases him…and Tender Heart is hiding by the window listening to Nicholas tell the story. Corny I know but there were Care Bears involved and I couldn't remember everything that I had written before my old computer crashed and killed my last chapters. Thanks for reading!

And thanks for caring!