"Lydia!" Veronica shouted as she went through the mansion, that she, Lydia and Rouge share. Veronica had to find Lydia because this was a very important matter they had to discuss.

"Veronica, is that you?" Veronica was really hoping that it was Lydia's voice she heard, but she knew better. She saw Rouge running down the stairs. "Veronica, what's wrong?"

"Please tell me if you know where Lydia is!" Veronica said desperately.

"Lydia's with Lady Temps." Rouge answered, "Empress needed to discuss something with her."

"Why?" Veronica said running around the front entrance like a chicken with its head cut off, "Out of all days to be gone!"

"Veronica, slow down! What's the problem?"

"Lydia didn't tell him!" Veronica said still running around, "Why did she not say anything?" Veronica's behavior was starting to get on Rouge's nerves. Rouge stuck her leg out, Veronica didn't see it so she ended up getting tripped. Veronica fell face-first into the carpet.

"For heaven's sake, Veronica," Rouge said, raising her voice, "will you calm down and tell me what's the problem?" Veronica knew that running all over the place and getting worried wasn't going to help the situation. She stood back up and brushed off anything that was sticking to her rainbow robes. "Now, tell me what's going on that's got you so flustered."

"Lydia didn't tell Adam about being able stay as a human or become a sorcerer." Veronica said, "When I went to see Belle, I also saw Adam. When I did, I smelled that smell that signals others that his transformation is going to happen."

"Why didn't you tell him anything?" Rouge asked.

"It's not my responsibility!" Veronica urged, "Adam is Lydia's son, it's her responsibility to tell him these things. Right now, Adam doesn't have much time before the transformation happens!"

"How much time...do you think he has?" Rouge asked.

"Considering how strong the smell was," Veronica said, "I got to say...at least a day, maybe less than that. I've got to find Lydia!"

"You know as much as I do that you can't interrupt a discussion with Lady Temps, no matter how urgent it is." Rouge said.

"What is Lydia talking to her about?" Veronica asked.

"Even I don't know," Rouge said, "she left here in two snips of a lamb's coat as soon as she heard that Empress needed to talk to her. It must've been pretty serious to have left without telling me what it's was."

"Well, Lydia better get back soon!" Veronica urged.

"Does 'now' work for you?" Veronica and Rouge turned to the front doors, there was Lydia coming into the mansion and closing the door behind her. Lydia looked very irritated, upset and disappointed.

"About time you're here," Veronica said as she walked up to Lydia, "there's a big problem."

"Yes, I know!" Lydia said.

"I doubt that you do!" Veronica urged, "It's about your son!"

"As I said, I already know!" Lydia shouted, Veronica and Rouge took a step back. Lydia was very fearful to be around when she's was angry, mad or upset. As usual, Lydia felt bad for raising her voice at her friends...again. "Sorry, I didn't mean-"

"No, don't. I'm the one who should be saying sorry." Veronica interrupted, "I rushed in on you about something important and I find out that you already know."

"It's not the first time you've done that." Lydia said, "Now, before we lose track, I might as well hear what you have to say."

"Okay," Veronica calmly said, "I went to see Belle because she wanted to talk to me about...what we are. Just then, there was a knock at the door, it was Adam! When he came in...Oh my heavens...I could smell that vanilla transformation smell from anywhere! I got to say that Adam has a day or less until it actually happens!"

"Yes, that's exactly what I was talking to Lady Temps about." Lydia said.

"Lady Temps knows...about this?" Veronica asked.

"Wait a minute," Rouge said, "what did you mean vanilla transformation smell?"

"Please don't ask us why," Lydia said, "when we go through our metamorphosis to become a full-blown Fauna Creature, we give off a certain smell. The boys give off a vanilla scent and the girls give off a chocolate scent. Only we can smell it, humans can't smell it."

"Don't ask us why," Veronica said again, "even we don't know. Anyway, that's how strong that vanilla smell is, Adam needs to know that he can stay a human if he wants to."

"He can't." Lydia basically said.

"Adam doesn't have to be a sorcerer because you want him to," Veronica urged, "it's his choice!"

"No, I meant he doesn't have that choice!" Lydia said.

"What do you mean?" Veronica asked, Lydia looked over at Rouge with a frustrated look. Rouge just hid herself behind one of the doors nearby.

"It's...a little hard to explain," Lydia said as she looked back at Veronica, "Lady Temps called for me when she found out herself."

"She knows everything before we do." Veronica said.

"Yes, exactly," Lydia continued, "she told me that...because of what Rouge did to Adam, his body has gotten used to being surrounded by magic."

"Whoa, back up!" Veronica quickly said, "What do you mean 'because of what Rouge did to Adam'?"

"Belle...didn't...tell you." Lydia said.

"No, there were a few times where she said she knew something," Veronica added, "but she wouldn't tell me anything because she says 'she made a promise'."

"ROUGE!" Lydia shouted, "Get your behind over here!" Rouge slowly came from behind the door and walked over to Veronica and Lydia. There was a lot of fear in her face as she stopped between her two friends. "Care to tell Veronica what you did to my son?" Lydia calmly said, Rouge gulped before she spoke. She still felt uneasy talking about what she did to Lydia's son.

"Well," Rouge said in a very nervous voice, "I was roaming through the lands until I seen the behavior of...his highness. I...sense the hatred and sadness in his heart, but I couldn't allow him to get worse so..."

"Don't tell me you cursed a sorceress' son!" Veronica said as her face dropped.

"She did, it was my son!" Lydia said as she raised her voice.

"If I'd known he was your son, I wouldn't have cursed him in the first place!" Rouge said as she defended herself, "Neither of you told me that you had children! If I had known Adam was your son, I would've done something else!" Lydia and Veronica knew that Rouge had a point, they didn't tell Rouge about Belle and Adam, but the two of them had to protect their children since they were the guardians of the Clarinet of Life.

"We do see that point, Rouge," Veronica said, "but because we were the guardians of the Clarinet of Life, we had to keep our families a secret."

"I thought the two of you trusted me!" Rouge said.

"We do, Rouge." Lydia said, "but you didn't understand what we had to do to protect our families. You turning my son into a beast didn't help!"

"You turned Adam into a beast?" Veronica asked.

"He didn't have any love in his heart," Rouge said, "I matched his outside appearance to his heart, so yes, he became a beast. You know better than I do that it's our jobs to make sure that there's goodness in the human world. We may not be able to change everyone, but changing one heart is better than nothing! After I cursed his highness, I kept my eye on him because I surrounded the castle in fog and guarded the castle with wolves. When I realized that Adam was running out of time, I sent the wolves to scare Maurice over to the castle. It wasn't the best idea, but it was a way to get Belle there to break the spell. Another thing we both know is that we also help the humans we cursed!"

Lydia was a little surprised by what Rouge said, she didn't picture Rouge as someone who would help a monster, she sighed and slapped her forehead.

"I suppose...you have a point," Lydia said, "but I can't help but be frustrated that you did that."

"I know that." Rouge said, "I had to do it or...he wouldn't be the person he is today. Adam would've become...that man you hate mentioning so much." Rouge knew that was a sensitive subject, but she knew that's would've happened if she hadn't interfered.

Lydia knew that would've been true...because Rouge has the ability to see what would've happened in the future if she didn't place her curses. Tears started to fall from Lydia's face, knowing that her son was suffering so much without someone loving him.

When Rouge saw the tears falling from Lydia's eyes, she grabbed a tissue and gave it to Lydia. She gently took it from Rouge's hand and wiped her face.

"Lydia," Veronica said, now deciding to speak up, "Adam is going to need you now since...well, because of what you told us."

"I know he is," Lydia said, "but...I need to wait until Lady Temps says I can."

"Wait for what?" Veronica asked.

"Because of the unique...situation that's happened, Lady Temps took it upon herself to tell Adam what's happening. Believe me, I didn't want her to do that because...it was my job as his mother to tell him."

"Then why is Lady Temps going to tell him?" Rouge asked.

"Because..." Lydia sighed, "because she knows that I don't have the heart to disappoint my son by telling him that he'll soon be a Mythical Fauna Creature."

"Hmm, well...if something like that happen to me with my daughter," Veronica said, "I wouldn't have the heart to tell her either." Suddenly, a black jewel that was around Lydia's waist started to shimmer and glow.

"Hmm, looks like Adam needs you." Veronica said.

"I better go then." Lydia said, she started to spin around in a circle and sparkles started to cover her, then in a red flash of light, Lydia was gone.

My heavens, this was a hard chapter to write.