Sorry for the delay on this chapter, but there has been a lot of issues. First my hard drive broke, so I lost everything that hadn't been backed up. Which seriously sucks. I have also now broken the keyboard so there won't be any updates til I get it replaced.

Plus I got Final Fantasy 9 for Steam, and it has taken up all of my free time so yeah...It also doesn't help that I have serious writers block for this story.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think!

Chapter 3: Coveting The Sun

"Oh please? Please!" Althea was pleading her daughter as they sat in Rootcore. Ari was sitting with her arms folded across her stomach, smirking back at her. Her stomach had grown a tremendous amount, but she still wasn't as large as she could have been, even at 8 months along. "I won't tell you, I'll keep it a secret," she continued to plead.

"Is she still begging?" Daggeorn asked as he walked in with Diana and Apollo.

"Hasn't stopped," Xander sighed as he handed Joe a small bowl of berries. Daggeron sighed heavily, shaking his head before indicating to the two children to bring the supplies they had gathered over to Joe.

"Honestly Althea," the Solaris Knight chided his wife. "You will find out soon enough," he reminded her.

"Not soon enough," Althea huffed. "I just want to know if we're having our first granddaughter, or first grandson!" she grumbled. "I won't tell a soul," she vowed.

"Not a chance," Ari smirked at her, her eyes dancing with mischief. She was enjoying teasing her mother, who desperately wanted to know the gender of the baby. As soon as she found out that Ari and Xander had decided to wait until the baby was born, Althea had been tormenting them to find out.

"Daggeron-"

"Do not attempt to bring me into this," Daggeron warned her, but there was a smile of amusement on his face as he glanced to them. Ari just rolled her eyes with a smirk back at him.

"Like it or not, you're on your own for this one," Ari grinned to the over-excited grandmother-to-be, who scowled.

"I find this highly unfair," she declared.

"Well I shall impart on you the same advise you gave me when I complained about you suddenly dropping two new siblings on me; suck it up," Ari smirked back at her. Althea pouted at her own words being thrown back at her.

Althea's tantrum was interrupted by a low rumbling outside, making everyone look up.

"What on earth was that?" Udonna appeared from the library with Léanbow. When another explosion sounded, Althea stood up, reaching for the whip by her side.

"Stay here," she told Ari.

"Oh come on!" Ari groaned, but remained where she stood as all but Joe, Diana and Apollo rushed out to see what was going on. "You better be worth all this effort," she muttered to her stomach, and winced suddenly.

"Oh, the baby didn't appreciate that," Joe smirked, noticing her expression change.

"He's gonna be a kicker, that's for sure," Ari grumbled.

"He?" Joe repeated, his smirk dropping. Ari paused, and sighed as she realised her slip. "You know?" he accused her in surprise.

"Not for sure," she admitted, going slightly red. "It's just a feeling, one that's been making me a little nervous," Ari took a seat again, resting her hand on her stomach. She pulled a face when the baby squirmed inside.

"Nervous? Why?" Joe asked as he walked over to her. Diana and Apollo stood beside the potion, making sure it didn't go bad. "Do you not want a boy?" he asked with a tilt of his head.

"It's not that. I'm happy if it's a boy, or a girl," Ari shook her head. "You remember when I told you about the three trials I had to face to properly gain the power of the Legendary Golden Warrior?" she asked him in a soft voice.

"Fighting your fears, yourself, and those you care about," Joe remembered with a nod. He'd never forget the strange sleep that Ari had been in. The cuts and bruises she had sustained took a while to heal.

"What I never told anyone, was that they were people," Ari admitted softly, looking down at her hands. "Calindor, myself, and my son," Joe's brow furrowed. "I know, it's weird. But since I found out I was pregnant, I was thinking 'what if it's real?'," she sighed.

"Your kid, evil? Not a chance," Joe's confident grin made her look up in surprise. "There is no way that that child will be evil. No kid born that way. It all depends on their upbringing," he told her firmly. Ari smiled back, a small shine of relief in her expression. "Boy or girl, that kid is gonna be good. A major pain in the ass, if you and Xander are anything to go by, but morally, they'll be good," Joe grinned.

"I'm not a pain in the ass," Ari muttered, and looked around when she heard another explosion. "What is going on out there?" she wondered, and winced as her baby squirmed again. "Hey, ease up in there buddy," she pleaded. Joe chuckled, getting to his feet to walk over to the potion. However, Diana and Apollo suddenly screamed, and Ari looked up in alarm to find someone standing right behind Joe.

"No!" Ari was on her feet in an instant, lighting up an energy-ball. The figure grabbed Joe from behind, his arm snaking around the man's neck.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," his voice was soft and melodic as Joe struggled in his grip. "You may hit him instead," he looked at Ari with piercing pale blue eyes that were almost white in colour. His hair was pale blonde, short and spiky, showing off long, pointed ears. His skin was so pale, he seemed to have been bleached. Ari quivered as she glared at the creature, who had managed to get into Rootcore and close without her noticing.

"Who are you, and what do you want here?" Ari demanded, not letting her power fade. The creature looked at her with a blank look.

"I'm here for you, Golden Warrior," Ari's eyes widened and she went cold.

"Elves have never bothered with us before. What's changed?" she asked, her eyes moving to Diana and Apollo, who were still standing at the cauldron, shaking with fear.

"I am not here to talk. Now come with me, or I will kill everyone and take you by force, starting with this weak human, and the children," the Elf threatened.

"Meraki..." Diana whimpered as she held her brother, tears in her eyes.

"Alright, I'll go with you," Ari extinguished the golden ball, and let her hands fall to her sides.

"Ari, no! Don't do-" Joe let out a choking sound as the Elf tightened his grip. He was then tossed to the side, and landed heavily on the ground, coughing violently. Ari hurried to his side, beginning to glow, and healed the bruise that lined his throat.

"Even a weak creature like a human will survive that," Ari cried out as she was grabbed by the wrist and yanked away from her brother.

"Meraki!" Diana's voice was louder this time.

"Don't worry," Ari smiled tightly at her younger sister, struggling against the Elf's grip. "Althea and Daggeron will be back soon, you're safe. I'll be fine," she insisted, and as she was dragged out of sight, tears began to run down her face.

"How pathetic...the Legendary Golden Warrior taken so easily," the Elf sighed as he yanked her along.

"You just threatened my family, nearly killed my brother. You'll regret it!" Ari finally broke her wrist free, and a golden aura surrounded her. "Call to the beast inside! Uncage the Sparrow!" the Elf's eyes widened in alarm as her golden Animal Spirit rose from her form with a loud whistling noise. He backed away, before the Sparrow slammed into him, pecking at the Elf and making him cry out. He stumbled backwards, before being lifted off his feet by the Sparrow as she slammed her wing into him. He landed in the soft grass with a loud 'oof' as the air was forced from his lungs. "You think it's easy to take me on now?" Ari challenged, holding up an arm to throw an energy ball at him as he pushed himself to his feet. Before she could throw it, her arm was caught by a strong hand that gripped tight.

"Take it easy, Golden Warrior," another Elf spoke quietly.

"Let me go now!" Ari's Sparrow flew back down towards them, only for multiple arrows to pierce her. "No!" Ari cried out in pain as her spirit shrieked before disappearing.

"Now now, if you're not careful, you could do some damage to your child," Ari stiffened as the one holding her from behind spoke again. "Let's go," he ordered the other elves who had emerged from the trees, and yanked Ari along as she continued to struggle.

Ari looked around her new prison, which she had to admit, was much different to the previous ones she had been held in. She had been knocked out shortly after being taken from Rootcore, and had awoken in a large room that could only be described as luxurious. She had been laid down on a large bed, and when she had gone through the large doors, she had found a large lounge style room, complete with sofa and even a large collection of books. Her immediate idea had been to try the door, but a ward had been placed against it, and the windows. She could open them, but an invisible force prevented her from leaving through them.

"I see you're awake," she turned as the doors opened, and frowned as three Elves walked in. The male who had been the first to attack her walked behind the other two. "How do you like your chambers?" the male asked.

"They're alright, quite cosy. I'll be sure to recommend the place to everyone," Ari spoke stiffly. "But I think it's time I leave," she told him.

"Leave? Oh, not yet," the Elf chuckled.

"It wasn't a request. I'm leaving now," Ari told him, but as she braced to Ninja-streak, the doors slammed shut, and shimmered with the light of a ward.

"Forgive my lack of manners. My name is Dorian. This is Maeron," he gestured to the Elf standing stoic beside him, with a burst of bright red hair that stood on end. "And Seph," he indicated to the other Elf behind him.

"Pleasure," Ari spoke in a dry voice. "What do you want with me?" she asked.

"Ah," Dorian chuckled, running a hand through his blonde hair. "I believe the King wishes to speak with you in regards to that," he told her.

"Great," Ari muttered, and Maeron strode forwards, grabbing her arm. "Watch it!" she snapped at him. He blinked, which Ari took as his surprise, before turning and pulling her along. Seph snapped his fingers, and the doors opened again. The four made their way through the hallways, and Ari looked around. They were beautifully designed, with pillars and weaving patterns. Not that Ari particularly cared.

"Enjoying the architecture? It is quite magnificent, especially compared to that rather primitive tree you Mystics seem to like," Dorian commented with a smirk.

"Not really," Ari replied in a flat voice.

"Searching for an escape route more like," Seph spoke for the first time since Ari had woken.

"You'll have to forgive Seph, he's been a little grumpy since you used your Animal Spirit on him," Dorian smiled pleasantly.

"I prefer him to the one trying to make a kidnapping seem pleasant," Ari stated, and Dorian cleared his throat as his pale features turned pink. Seph's scowl lessened slightly. Dorian led the way up to a massive door that towered over them, covered in carvings of ivy. As they approached, the doors opened, revealing a grand throne room, gold, white and red in colour. Large windows allowed for the light to stream in, illuminating the red carpet in the middle of the room. The four walked between the pillars that stood grandly, and at the far end of the room, were two thrones. One was large and gold in colour, seeming to be made up of vines and leaves, with a male Elf sitting smirking at the approaching four. His hair was short and a deep blonde in colour, and his eyes were a piercing silver.

The other throne was smaller and silver, also designed to look like vines had been woven together to make it. Perched on it was a beautiful Elf-maiden, who had long silver coloured hair, with the ends even paler and seeming to glow in the light. She wore a green dress with a white outline, designed to look like leaves, and across her impassive face, were pale blue tattoos that stood out against her pale skin. Her pale blue eyes held no interest as she watched them approach.

"So this is the Legendary Golden Warrior," the male commented, resting his head in his hand as his elbow leaned against the arm of his throne. The three Elves fell to their knees in low bows before them. Ari remained standing, viewing him with a blank look.

"You will kneel before the King and Queen," Dorian ordered, getting up to force Ari to her knees. As soon as he grabbed her arm, Ari reacted, turning and striking him up the chin with her open palm. Reeling backwards, Dorian was unable to block her next attack, which came in the form of her fist in his gut. Choking as the air was forced from his lungs in one breath, the Elf crashed to the ground, wheezing. Seph and Maeron moved quickly to attack her, but she kicked Seph hard, followed by a punch to the face as he fell, before Ari turned and slammed an energy ball into Maeron's gut, making him grunt. He went down quickly, and as Ari moved to grab whoever had moved towards her while fighting, Ari found a spear pointing in her face.

"Huh. You're different," she said as she looked at one holding it. It was another Elf-maiden, with wine coloured hair tied up in an elaborate ponytail, pink eyes and similar markings to the Queen on her face. She was frowning at Ari, as if annoyed that she had been forced to step in. The two then looked up at the King when he began to clap.

"Very impressive, I must say," he chuckled. "I hadn't expected much, given your condition, but you really blew my expectations out of the water," he told her.

"That wasn't my intention," Ari replied. "All I care about is leaving. Would you mind showing me the best way out?" she asked, though her attention was being paid more to the windows and doors.

"Oh, don't worry, you'll get to leave," the King chuckled. "Once you've handed over our savior," Ari frowned, baffled.

"Uh...what?" she blinked multiple times. "Care to run that one by me again?" she asked him. The Elf chuckled, returning his head to his hand as he surveyed her. Not too tall, and other than her swollen stomach, Ari didn't look that much of a threat. To him, her attire was odd; too human-like for his liking.

"I suppose I should start from the beginning," the King sighed.

"Good place to start," Ari retorted. Her hand was on her stomach, and she tried not to react when she felt her baby kick again, hard.

"I'll be honest with you, Golden Warrior-"

"Ari."

"What?" the King's brow furrowed slightly at her interruption.

"My name is Ari," the dark haired young woman told him. "Not 'Golden Warrior'. Or whatever other titles I've accumulated over the years. Just call me Ari," she said.

"Very well," he looked slightly perplexed by her words. "I'll be honest with you, Ari. Our Kingdom has been suffering for some time. Ever since the Great War that brought dark times to all of the Magical Realm," the King explained. Ari frowned, biting back any comments she had to make. "We've been unable to recover completely, and many have left for other kingdoms of hopes of better lives. We sought help, to find out how we would be able to make the Kingdom wondrous again," the Elf King explained. "That help came in the form of an Oracle, who told us that the one born of the greatest Protector the Realm has ever known, would be the one to make our Kingdom grand again!" he exclaimed.

"Born of the...greatest Protector," Ari murmured, her heart pounding against her chest as she realised what he was talking about. The Great Protector had originally been Merlin, who had since passed the title onto her. "You're deluded if you think you're going to have my kid," she warned, trying to keep her voice even.

Inwardly, her panic was starting to kick in again, driving her to flight, rather than fight. This was exactly what she had feared the moment she had found out that she was pregnant, and even before that. That someone would take her child away from her, like what was done with her parents.

"Even if they would help an entire Kingdom get back on its feet?" the King asked, curious.

"Maybe if you guys had actually helped in the Great War, the Mystics would have helped you," his eyes widened at Ari's words. "Instead you barricaded yourselves in your walls and used your magic to hide from the Master," she glared at him. Furious that he was treating taking her child as the greater good, Ari was not going to hold back.

"Do not talk of things you would not remember, child," the King warned her.

"I can talk of what I know, and that's when the Master's forces almost overwhelmed the Great Mystics, you lot just hid in your castle and waited for them to either defeat the Master, or die trying," Ari continued on. "Now don't get me wrong, I know that not all Elves were like this. Some tribes did help, and we appreciated that greatly. We did everything we could to help them in the aftermath, both after the Great War, and when the Master was destroyed four years ago," Ari continued, her eyes cold.

"Silence!" the King yelled, on his feet in an instant. "You Mystics care only for yourselves, well now you are going to help us!" his eyes blazed with a maniacal fury, and the once composed Elf now looked on the edge of hysteria.

"Not a chance," Ari replied, feeling somewhat calmer now that her captor revealed his true colours. "Had you asked for help, we would have helped. Instead, you've taken me against my will, attacked my brother, threatened kids, and attacked a village. Now, you're threatening to take my child? Never going to happen," she told him. The King breathed heavily, staring at her. The Queen was watching, her impassive face now showing a glimmer of curiosity.

"Get her out of my sight," the King ordered. The warrior, whose spear was still pointed at Ari, frowned very slightly, before looking around. The Queen nodded, and the Elf finally moved, pushing Ari along and away from the unconsious Elves still lying on the ground.

"So you're the Queen's guard, huh?" Ari asked, and the Elf blinked, glancing to her. She was unable to hide her curiosity, but refrained from speaking. "Better company than those idiots," she shrugged, walking back into the room that was her prison. Still not saying a word, the Elf then closed the doors behind her, leaving Ari alone. As soon as she was sure she was alone, Ari sank to the ground, fighting back tears. She needed to get away, but she couldn't figure out how she could do that. "All these powers, and I'm completely helpless," she mumbled, and winced again. "Ease up in there buddy," she pleaded to her stomach, getting up. She walked over to the window, and leaned on the sill with a sigh. "Stupid Elf magic," she complained, reaching out and touching the barrier that prevented her from leaving.

"Ari?" her eyes widened as she heard a familiar voice.

"Wh..." Ari looked down, and found Minos standing staring up at her. "Minos? What are you doing here?" she asked the Master, shocked to see a familiar face in Elf territory.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, before tensing and leaping. He caught the window ledge with his hand, and with Ari's help, pulled himself into the room. Ari stared at the man, baffled. In a pair of jeans, purple shirt and black jacket, Minos looked like a normal human, and not the 10,000 year old Pai Zhuq Master he really was.

"How'd you get through the barrier?" she asked. Minos touched a strange pin clipped to his jacket. It was silver, and a swirling shape that curved over his heart.

"This bypasses Elf magic," he explained. "My question is, why is there a barrier there, keeping you in?" Minos asked Ari, whose eyes filled with tears. "Uh..." he hesitated, watched awkwardly as Ari burst into tears, unable to hold back her emotions now that she had a familiar face in front of her. "You know, it wasn't that long ago I was trying to kill you...this isn't really my strong suit," Minos reminded Ari, who started laughing at his words.

"Sorry Minos, I just couldn't help myself," she admitted, wiping her tears from her face quickly. "The King here, he's nuts. He wants to take..." Ari bit her lip and her hands went to her stomach. "He thinks my kid can restore this kingdom to former glory," she explained. Minos' expression darkened, and when Ari looked up at him again, she was reminded of when she and Minos first met, back when he served Dai Shi.

"I knew he was crazy, but this is going too far. Don't worry, it's not going to happen," Minos told her confidently, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Minos, you can't take them alone," Ari grabbed his arm when he went to walk past her. "I know you're a Master and you've still got a lot of power, but there's a point when you'll be overwhelmed by sheer numbers," she warned him.

"Then what do you propose?" Minos asked, ready for a fight. Like Ari, he'd had his family ripped away from him, and it remained a sore spot with the Master, who'd had his grief used against him.

"I..." Ari started, frowning. "Warn the others. You know where this place is," she decided.

"But I..." Minos hesitated. He didn't want to leave her alone in such a place. An idea then came to mind. "Who's guarding you?" he asked suddenly.

"Uh...well it was three Elves...Seph, Dorian and Maeron...but I sorta..." she trailed off, and Minos smirked. He didn't expect anything less from the young woman. "But now it's a woman...I don't know her name, but from what I've gathered, she's the Queen's guard," Ari told him.

"Huh. Well that's handy," Minos nodded, making her frown. He strode over to the door and yanked it open. The Elf in the doorway looked around sharply, her eyes widening as Minos reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her inside.

"Who-Minos!" Ari gaped as the once stoic Elf broke into a wide smile, throwing her arms around Minos. He gave a low chuckle, hugging her back. "What are you doing here?" she asked as she let go, smiling softly at him.

"Well I was here to see Zora, but I've come across your prisoner instead," Minos turned to Ari, who raised an eyebrow.

"Minos, you gotta explain what's going on," Ari told him.

"You know her?" the Elf asked curiously.

"We fought together," Minos explained. "She's Pai Zhuq, like me. Ari, this is Alena," he introduced her. "She's a friend," he explained.

"A friend who's keeping me captive," Ari reminded him irritably.

"Ah yes, about that," Minos turned to Alena, who looked guilty.

"You know I can't let her go Minos," she spoke sadly, and Ari's irritation lessened. She sounded truly guilty about it. "It's the King's decree. He'll kill Seph if I let her go," she shook her head.

"I know, I'm not asking you to," Minos told her. "I'm asking you to keep her safe until I can get back with those who'll be able to help get Ari out of here," he explained.

"You mean to go to war with the King?" Alena asked, her eyes going wide.

"He went to war with the Mystics the minute he kidnapped Ari," Minos replied firmly. "Trust me when I say, you don't mess with their own," he told her. Ari snorted. He definitely knew that from experience. "And she's Pai Zhuq. You don't mess with us either," Ari smiled as he patted her shoulder. "Take care of her, Alena, until I get back," he told her.

"Of course I will," the Elf nodded with a soft smile.

"And you, be careful. If anything happens, your damn husband will hold me responsible for it," Minos told Ari as he walked over to the window.

"Hey, you still owe him a favour, so hush," Ari told him with a chuckle.

"Yeah well, not after this," Minos retorted. "Seriously Ari, be careful," he told her.

"I will, don't worry," Ari told him. Minos snorted.

"Worry about you being careful? I seem to recall you being the complete opposite of that since I met you," he said. Ari blushed, but couldn't argue his words. Careful was one word that did not fit her. "I'll be back soon. Hold tight," the Bull Master told her, leaping from the window.

This little arc is an idea I played around with for a while, so I hope you like it!

Please review!