Chapter Twenty-six

MR. V

There was little that could be done, no, actually for Mr. V there was nothing he could do to help Ms. Scatter break whatever this strange bond was that she had with Astaroth. Ms. Scatter had to do it on her own, and though he knew she was more than capable of doing things for herself, the constant shrieking and fireballs that were tossed around did not give him much confidence at the moment. Mr. V had nursed his tea while desperately trying to come up with another solution, some other way out of this for Ms. Scatter, but any time he glanced at Yen Sid, there was a warning look in his eyes that told him that whatever plan he was cooking up would not work.

"So." Running his hand through his dreadlocks and then dragging his hands down his face, Mr. V readjusted in his seat and clapped his hands together. Yen Sid raised a single brow at him, a grimace at best, to entertain whatever idea would come from his mouth. "Let's just say, she loses. . . what happens?"

"Mr. Valentino." Yen Sid's nose wrinkled with a hard sigh. "As much as it pains me to admit this, until things have been decided, I know as much as you do about this situation."

"You're really tellin' me that you can't see into the future with all your wisdom and magic?" Mr. V scoffed and earned a glare from the old sorcerer.

"The future, Mr. Valentino," Yen Sid laced his fingers together as he looked at him, "is uncertain and undetermined as the choices a single person makes. Time, Mr. Valentino, should not be meddled with, but something to be prepared for and its unpredictability. No future is entirely certain as a single choice can change the outcome."

"Okay, so you don't look into the future," his foot began to bounce as his brain flew with ideas and he grew more impatient. If Merlin who predicted Arthur's great story from pulling the sword in the stone were here, he'd argue with Yen Sid about the definites and indefinites in the future; then again, what would have happened if Arthur couldn't or didn't pull the sword from the stone. He shook his head from the growing thoughts that wanted to distract him from the matter at hand and moved his hands as he spoke, "But surely you could give me something hypothetical?"

Yen Sid would not relent to any hints and only seemed to grow stonier in his determination and refusal to offer Mr. V any hint or solace. "There is nothing you can do, Mr. Valentino."

"I'm not saying I'm goin' to do anything." He huffed and scratched his beard in frustration, pulling a few hairs out in the process. "I am asking for a hypothetical situation of what would happen should Scatter lose."

There was pressure in his chest at his own words that was enough to halt his breathing. He had tried not to think about that possibility, but Yen Sid here was making it seem like it was to become a reality. Yen Sid huffed as he closed his eyes and rubbed his periorbital muscles before looking exhaustedly at Mr. V. "Should Ashe Scatter fail to break the bond with Astaroth, he would become the Firebird and she would no longer be a part of this Realm."

"So, hypothetically," he licked his lips nervously as he grasped at something he could use to hold onto some kind of hope, "she could leave?"

"What are you playing at, mortal?" Chernabog growled, his claws digging into the forearm of his crossed arms as he cast a glowing yellow glare his way.

"I'm not playin' at anything." He rubbed his chin in thought. "I'm just trying to process this information and see if there is anything to be done with Ms. Scatter."

"If she wins, Mr. Valentino, I remind you that she will remain here in this Realm forever." Yen Sid spoke quietly. "If she loses and by some chance can survive the battle with Astaroth then she can freely leave this Realm without having it stake a claim on her any longer."

"What do you mean if she can survive?" There was that clench in his chest and he was quickly growing to hate that feeling of dread that crept in like a weed.

"Mr. Valentino," Veta spoke up, her voice was soft and watery like a cool brook as she stood from her chair. "With all due respect, you were not here the first time they battled. The power of the Firebird is something to challenge even Master Yen Sid's power."

"My daughter and that demon have been fighting for weeks now," Chernabog grunted, "if Astaroth wins, there is little a chance that she will survive whatever he has in store for her once he has gained the power of the Firebird."

"And you're all just goin' to sit here and let it happen?" His voice was calm and quiet, his nose wrinkled with his glare, his teeth clenched, and his entire body still. "Whether she wins or loses, you're just goin' to sit here and do nothing?"

"If we were to interfere," Veta huffed with a shake of her green head, the tiny pixies flitting from her head, "he would use us as a bait to further weaken her resolve to fight."

"No, that would only happen if you were to get involved ma'am." He said coolly and the room seemed to lose a touch of warmth to it as his eyes slowly returned to Yen Sid. "The pact they made only involves her, because they were friends or whatever, so that means so long as she doesn't go out there to join the fight me and her pops over there can do something, right?"

A look crossed Yen Sid's face and he ran his hand over his beard as he contemplated this idea Mr. V posed. However, all forms of planning about what to do about this whole situation came to an abrupt halt when an orange pillar lit up the sky just beyond the volcano. They all stopped and stared out the windows to see a huge bird made up of fire with its wings spread in the sky. Like a bird of prey when it has found its target, it shrieked in the sky and showed off its long wingspan and almost seemed to mock the rest of the Realm and demand it to bask in its glory.

Veta gasped and clasped her hands to her mouth. "No."

"What is that?" Mr. V squinted as he tried to stare at it, but the waves of heat that came rippling through the sky would not allow him to look at it.

Veta choked on a sob, "The Firebird –"

"That bastard!" Chernabog roared and hurled himself through the small opening, breaking the doorway and windows as he went and flung himself into the sky.

"Chernabog!"

Yen Sid roared after the demon king, but Chernabog was already in the sky and flying off in the direction of the Firebird. As they watched Chernabog fly off in the direction of the Firebird pillar, a fear Mr. V hadn't felt since Tiana was almost killed by Dr. Facilier filled him to the brim and chilled him to the bone as he turned to Master Yen Sid with wide eyes, "What's happened?"

"It appears," Master Yen Sid kept his eyes stayed on the Firebird too calmly, "the Realm has made its decision."

Mr. V's head whipped around as Veta let out another sob, flowers blooming all around her and the pixies tried to comfort her as she cried. "What?"

"But Ashe?" Veta turned to Yen Sid, with big fat green tears in her eyes and dropping flowers the moment they fell. "What's happened to Ashe?"

"I don't know, child." Master Yen Sid grimaced as he tried to stare at the Firebird as it spiraled down into an alarming silence. "However, we will learn nothing if we remain here. Come, we must see how the Realm takes to its new Firebird as well as what you can do to heal the land, Veta."

Veta closed her eyes tight before giving a nod and walking out to the balcony, not even caring to avoid the broken shards of glass and splinters of wood. Once she passed the doorway, she took off in a sprint with her arms held out wide, her dress and hair billowing behind her as she dove over the edge and gliding in the sky like a bird. Only the sorcerer and Mr. V remained, both staring off in the direction the two guardians of this Realm took off in. Fear gripped Mr. V's heart and as much as he wanted to believe that the Firebird that was spiraling like an inferno filled hurricane was Ms. Scatter, there was a part of him that knew it was not her.

"Before you ask," The wrinkles etched into Yen Sid's face were grave and made him appear much older by the orange lighting. "I don't know what has happened, I only know the Realm has made its choice."

Mr. V was always quick to anger, much quicker than he cared to let on. For the first time since Tiana married her prince, Mr. V felt that same chilling emptiness that dared to swallow his own soul with malice. This was yet another chance in time that was entirely out of his control, and no matter of anger would change the fate of this Realm or Ms. Scatter's choice; no matter how much he understood that, the malice boiled within him. Slightly stunned, he turned and looked to the old sorcerer and nearly forgot where he was. "What?"

"I have no idea which one became the Firebird." Yen Sid tugged at the end of his beard before smoothing it out. "Though it pains me to say this, I can only hope that whoever is now the Firebird is the one to help this Realm benefit from its flame."

Whether it was Ms. Scatter or the Astaroth fellow, whoever it was would remain in this Realm permanently; he could only hope that Ms. Scatter was not dead regardless of whichever became the Firebird.

"Come, Mr. Valentino." His voice sounded like the ancient and wise and terribly grieved sorcerer and Keeper of the Realms that he was. "Lingering here will not give us answers."

Wordlessly, Mr. V nodded his head and followed after Yen Sid and joined him on the balcony. Standing side by side, Yen Sid tapped the brick floor beneath them twice with his foot and the whole balcony shook as it removed itself from the sorcerer's tower. The residents within the barrier screamed in fright at the sight, but neither Mr. V nor Yen Sid paid them any mind as they kept their gaze on the red horizon in front of them and flew towards the tall orange Firebird. They trailed after Veta's line of greenery that was somehow managing to grow despite all the fire and ashes on the ground.

Neither spoke as the floating balcony took them to the orange Firebird that was slowly shrinking down to the earth again. That seemed far too strange, which really seemed to say something in an already strange Realm, but it was as though that wasn't supposed to be the correct outcome with the Firebird. Suddenly, Chernabog let out a fierce thunderous roar and Veta moved faster and Yen Sid urged the balcony to hover quicker. Mr. V dared a glance at the old sorcerer and saw that his brow was furrowed, either in concern or confusion he could not tell, but apparently this was a strange happening.

There was another roar, a strangled cry, and Veta dove past a hoard of fallen trees while Mr. V caught sight of a familiar black ball of fur. Chernabog was roaring, throwing boulders and uprooting trees and cursing in his demon tongue and wrestling with a strange squirming shape while Varuo hissed and growled like a feral cat and stood defensively over a body. He could no longer feel his heart beating in his chest, his pulse through his veins as he saw that it was Ms. Scatter's limp body.

"Ashe!" Veta bolted over to Varuo immediately, patches of green following her in her wake and spreading out wildly as she touched down beside the giant growling hellcat. Before she could pet him or touch Ms. Scatter, however, he bit the air next to her hand in warning to not come closer.

"Don't come closer!" He hissed out, the claws of his paws growing and digging into the earth.

Mr. V didn't even bother waiting until Yen Sid got closer before jumping off the side, barely catching his feet on the ground and stumbling and fumbling into a run to Varuo. Varuo's growling only subsided marginally when his big angry green eyes glowing with venom turned on Mr. V.

"Varuo." He panted, but he couldn't keep his eyes on the green ones glaring at him and kept looking to Scatter beneath him. "What happened?"

"That bastard is what happened!" Varuo gritted out through his canines and cast his glare with whatever shape Chernabog was wrestling with. "Came out of nowhere, and – and – and . . ." his big green eyes squeezed tight, he hissed as though he were in pain, and slowly and carefully moved away from Scatter's body. She was covered in gold swirls, her body ashen white, and the fact she wasn't moving terrified him. He couldn't even tell if she were breathing or not. The ground beneath her was ashen despite the greenery that continued to plume from Veta's feet.

"What's wrong with her?" Veta asked, "Why isn't she moving?"

"I. . . I don't know." Varuo whined pitifully and laid down beside her head. "I barely had a chance to catch my breath, I didn't even see what happened, but. . . I do know that Astaroth won."

Despite this Realm practically being on fire, Mr. V was cold, ice nipping at his bones and freezing him on the spot. He wanted to move forward, to reach out and hold her, just to make sure she was still warm, somehow still alive, but his feet remained in place and he fell on his knees. His voice was so quiet, so far away as his eyes drifted to the scrunched-up expression on Scatter's face. "Scatter?"

With a shaky hand, he reached out and touched her hand, only to have it snatched hard and fast in a fierce hold, as though he were her lifeline and she refused to let him go. Her hold was on fire with the gold swirls as she cried out in pain. Varuo moved enough for Mr. V to sit beside her and gently place her head in his lap. With trembling fingers, he tried to smooth out the wrinkles in her brow and smooth the dirt from her hair, but it seemed to do little to ease her pain as the swirls faded from gold to silver, and her hold slackened as her heat was sucked away in a cold breath.

"Listen here, you overgrown bat, you shouldn't treat family like this!" A roar ripped through the air as whatever, no whoever, Chernabog had been wrestling with finally solidified and took on a humanoid form. "I possess the greatest power in this Realm! I will use it to destroy you!"

His head turned to look at the noise and Mr. V never wanted to act out with his shadows and bloodlust on a single being as badly as he did not. Veta stood defensively before them with her arms out wide, her hair billowing angrily as she glared at Astaroth. The being wriggling in Chernabog's grip had the same golden and silver swirls spiraling along his skin as Scatter did. However, the swirls were fading from Scatter's skin and growing on Astaroth and almost making him glow with power. All too quickly her hold on his hand completely relaxed and her hand would have fallen away had Mr. V not held it so tightly. The moment she went limp in his arms, he looked down at her and could see the relief and contentment on her face as the gold and silver swirls no longer danced along her skin and a touch of warmth seemed to seep back into her bones. Her skin was less ashen and more pale like the moon, and best of all she was breathing.

"You never married my daughter; therefore you are not my family!" At his outburst, fire and brimstone latched onto Chernabog's arm, the humanoid man wriggling and fighting to free himself, all the while Chernabog merely tightened his grip. "You may possess the power of the Firebird," Chernbog growled lowly as his clawed hand engulfed the man's throat. "But it cannot be used for ill purposes such as yours, Astaroth."

"Chernabog, that is enough!" Yen Sid scolded as his balcony finally descended into the earth with a triumphant shake of the earth. He marched over to the demon king and the wriggling wormlike man within his grasp. There was a deep scowl etched into his face, his nostrils flaring with his indignation as he looked down at Astaroth. "It appears we meet again."

"What, you had to remain here to fix everything?" Astaroth scoffed, finally giving up his attempts at freeing himself as he looked the sorcerer up and down with a sneer. "You haven't aged a day, and yet you're still ugly as sin."

"And for someone who slept for nearly two centuries, you should have more beauty to your face." Yen Sid quipped back, and the sneer turned into a scowl.

"Careful now, you stupid old wizard." He chuckled darkly, a gold swirling glow on his skin as he grinned and cracked his neck. "I am now a part of this world, I can do with you as I please."

"Perhaps." Yen Sid shrugged as a dark look crossed his face. "But as Chernabog has already told you, you cannot use your power for such ill will, especially when it is not your time to be awake yet."

Astaroth laughed mockingly, his shoulders obnoxiously rolling in disbelief. "What, going to lock me away again? It's already been two hundred years and I'm itching to burn this place down."

"On the contrary, Astaroth," Yen Sid chuckled darkly as he looked up into the pale face of Astaroth. "Now that the Realm has chosen you as its Firebird, it is only now complete. Therefore, you shall have to sleep for two hundred years before you get to set this Realm ablaze; and even then you will only be allowed to burn what's within your borders."

The smile fell as a feral look of anger twisted into his face. "Do not lie to me, wizard."

"You will not tolerate lies, yes, I know demon," Yen Sid smirked as he took a step back. "However, as the Keeper of the Realm, I have a touch more persuasion and manipulation on my side where your charisma will do nothing to this Realm."

He clapped his hands and they echoed like thunder as gray clouds filled the sky and sent a gentle drizzle upon the fires. The fiery gremlins screamed in pain as the rain melted them away, Astaroth shook his head in disbelief as he suddenly seemed to have lost his strength and began to struggle to keep his eyes open. "How is this – "

"You should consider yourself lucky, Astaroth." Yen Sid chided as Chernabog released his hold on the demon and he tumbled to his hands and knees. "You finally got what you always wanted, a place in a Realm to burn of your own, and now you must take the responsibility that comes with it. Hopefully after you've rested long enough you'll learn the true meaning of the Firebird and its purging flames."

"You. . .bas. . .tard. . ." Astaroth was barely able to grit out his last menacing sentence before the great weight of hibernation and the task of being the Firebird now forced him to rest, causing his hands and feet to fall out from under him and land face first in the dirt.

Chernabog snorted and growled lowly, his claws looming dangerously over the demon with the intent to harm, however, a warning look from Yen Sid prevented him from doing so further. "Take him back to the pit from whence he came, Chernabog," Yen Sid commanded with a curt nod, "and do be sure to throw him in it with as much force as possible, we wouldn't want to make it easy for him when he really must purge the Realm."

A malicious grin spread on Chernabog's face as he gave a nod and picked Astaroth up unceremoniously and threw him over his shoulder before taking off to the air again. Mr. V gritted his teeth and felt as though his own opportunity of revenge were being snatched away from him before his very eyes, however, all thoughts of revenge sat in the back of his mind as Yen Sid approached them. The rain was a gentle drizzle all around them, though it did not seem to entirely touch them. The sorcerer said nothing as his eyes looked Ms. Scatter over, his nose almost flinched in a grimace, but said nothing.

"H – How is she, Master Yen Sid?" Veta stammered out from the side, twisting her fingers nervously as the grass continued to spread all around her.

"She lives." Yen Sid confirmed without touching her.

"Of course, she would!" Mr. V snapped in agitation at their lack of faith in her. "She's the strongest woman I know, she wouldn't let a thing like that kill her!"

"Calm yourself, Mr. Valentino." Yen Sid grunted warningly, "Though she lives, she no longer has the powers she was gifted with."

"What?" Veta gasped as she kneeled beside Mr. V and clutched Scatter's hand in her own. "Not her power!"

"What does it matter?" Mr. V scowled at her and ran the tips of his finger along the edge of her hairline and her ear until he was able to cup her cheek in his hand. "She lives, isn't that all that matters?"

"Yes, I mean –" Veta bit her lip and pressed Scatter's hand to her forehead and pressed a kiss to her friend's hand. "Yes, of course, the important thing is that she lives but now. . . but now –"

"Now she is a mortal, Mr. Valentino, just like you," Yen Sid touched a hand to Veta's shoulder, his eyes not leaving Scatter's still frame. "Now that she longer possesses any of the blessings of powers that this Realm originally gave her with the expectations of her becoming the Firebird, she is now a human."

"Will it really affect her that greatly?" Mr. V's brow furrowed deeply in confusion. He only ever knew her as a 'mortal' to begin with, she never displayed having the possession of any powers while working for him previously. If she wanted to return to the Anti-Realm with him, the lack of her powers shouldn't hinder her.

"Perhaps." Yen Sid shrugged with a sigh and pet his beard. "Perhaps not, it will ultimately depend on what Miss Ashe Scatter wants and feels about the matter."

"She'll be fine." Chernabog's deep voice rumbled as he stood behind them, his golden eyes locked onto his daughter. "She is my daughter. She will be fine."

Mr. V didn't say anything to that and took in the look on the demon king's face. It was mostly unreadable, but he could detect the tiniest hint of pride resting in the corner of his eyes. Suddenly, Ms. Scatter groaned and twisted her face, and her black eyes fluttered open. "Mr. V . . . ?"

ASHE SCATTER

"Ashe, dear, it's really time you woke up."

Her head screamed in a splitting pain, her body ached all over, and she felt ridiculously light as all sorts of strange noises muffled around her. Her hands covered her ears in the dark headspace where she drifted and she tried to calm her mind.

"Really now, you're going to continue sleeping and worry about this pathetic lot?"

Her eyes shot open and she slowly lifted her head to see Astaroth with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face as he floated above her.

"Astaroth?" She gasped and shrunk back. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm actually trying to leave this little rambunctious mind of yours." He tutted and flipped so he floated on his stomach, his feet hanging above his head. "You really do have too much going on in here, it is simply too loud."

"Then get out." She hissed, trying to summon some of her power, but found that there was none to withdraw from herself.

"Trying, dear, trying." He chuckled, his ruby eyes sparkling, and his white brow flicked in annoyance. "However, if you keep trying to use my power, I'll end up staying here."

"What?"

"You know, I really was hoping you were going to put up more of a fight than this, I wanted to have a little bit more fun before I was thrown back to my miserable pit." He groaned and rolled his eyes as he righted himself and floated on his feet again to stand before her. "I didn't think you'd actually manage to break what little ties we had so quickly; then again, if the catalog of nonsense you've been doing over the years since you've been away is anything to go by, I'd say you'd already mentally left this Realm."

Her brow furrowed. She managed to break the bond? How? She was only tired of fighting, she'd been fighting long enough and she'd rather let Astaroth kill her for what she'd done to the Realm than fight anymore.

"My, my, I almost wished I'd have treated you better." He chuckled as he grabbed her chin and peered into her eyes. "You do make quite the entertaining expressions, it's almost cute. It's almost enough to make me really wish I'd have properly courted you to be my bride."

She jerked her chin away from his hold and pushed him as far away as she could. He merely chuckled at her expense. "I'll have nothing more to do with you, you bastard."

"So I can see, then again, I do suppose it's fair," he bit his lip as though he were enjoying this too much and floated closer to her. "Tell me, then, pretty little Ashe, what do you intend to do now?"

"What would it matter to you?" She glared and hugged her arms to herself as she tried to step away from him. "All you've ever done is be a pain in my side!"

"Perhaps." He shrugged nonchalantly and paced in a circle around her. "But then again, had I not met you, you'd have never figured out where you really wanted to be, hm?"

She didn't dare give him the satisfaction of agreeing with him or proving him right, even if he knew and he spoke the truth she wouldn't admit it. Had she not been expelled from this world the first time she'd never have left and met anyone she knows now, but that still doesn't make up for whatever life she could have had in this Realm that she lost as well. Still, knowing what she knew, she would much rather return to the chaos of the Anti-Realm than remain here in the Fantasia Realm where she would be plagued with guilt for the rest of her life.

"You really won't tell me?" He smirked as though he already knew and snatched her hand in his grasp. "Quite rude when you're talking to such a powerful and malevolent being. I could kill you now, you know, make sure you never wake up once I've taken all of your powers." There was a glint in those ruby red eyes as though he were already contemplating it.

"You've already won, what purpose does it serve?" She snarled and tried to snatch her hand away, but his grip remained firm on her wrist.

"Oh, ho, you're not even the least bit frightened, are you?" His eyes took on an unnatural glow as a wild look passed his face and his grin grew. He pulled her closer, as if he wanted to charm her.

"I work around villains on a daily basis." She snapped and tried to tug her wrist free, but his grip was unrelenting, and as she tried to pull away, he only came closer. "You're going to have to try a little harder if you think a death threat is enough to make me cower in fear. I've been fighting you for two weeks, why would I be afraid of you now?"

"Where was this fire centuries ago?" He asked breathlessly, completely enamored with her as he ran his fingers through her hair. "If you'd have shown me this fighting spirit then I would have made you my queen without question."

"Like I'd have agreed to it," she hissed and turned her head away from his revolting pleasurable smile. "You've not changed since we last met, and though you were good on your promise, I will never marry you."

"Pity," he tutted and withdrew from her, but still did not release her hand. "I think I have found that I like a woman with a little bit of fire, I guess it's too bad that I took that fire then, isn't it?"

"Far too late." She snarled, and yet again he only chuckled at her behavior towards him.

"So be it then, Ashe Scatter then let us both take responsibility for our actions and suffer no less or before than what we already have." He pressed a fiery kiss to her hand and stared into her eyes. "Perhaps if I'm lucky, I'll get to see you again to torment you a little more."

A strange tingle went up her arm from his kiss, and she finally succeeded in snatching away her hand from his hold as he finally disappeared like dissipating mist from her mind. It felt as though for the first time her mind was truly her own and it was finally quiet inside her head. She could only hope that that was the last of Astaroth and that she'd never have to see again as she fell back into the recesses of her mind and just allowed herself to breathe.

Slowly leaving the peaceful place from her mind, she heard her name and felt something warm touch her cheek. It gave her a strange sense of peace that she was safe and that her fight was finally over somehow. She wondered if she was really dreaming that it was actually over, she wanted to open her eyes to see for herself, but her eyes were so heavy, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep. However, she knew she needed to wake up. She heard the faint sound of rain, though she did not feel the chill that often came with it. Around her there were anxious voices talking to around her and about her, but her mouth was too full of cotton for her to really ask what it was they were talking about.

"She'll be fine." She heard her father's deep voice, and it almost felt like a hug to her heart to hear it. It was strange, especially after how much she feared seeing him again, but she hadn't heard his voice hold an ounce of care or love like that since she was last in Fantasia. "She is my daughter. She will be fine."

Now she knew she had to be dreaming because her father was rarely proud of her, but she could feel the pride in his voice and she had to be sure. It took great effort, but she managed to get her eyes open, and low and behold it was her employer holding her in his warmth. However, that couldn't be, he was supposed to be in the Anti-Realm taking care of things, but then again, Varuo had mentioned something about him earlier.

"Mr. V . . . ?"

"Scatter?" Mr. V looked down and locked eyes with her, the biggest smile splitting on his face while his brown eyes darted back and forth faster than her spinning mind could keep up before he clutched her to him in a tight embrace. "Oh, thank god you're awake!"

It knocked whatever little air she had in her lungs, her hand weakly patted his shoulder from the way in which he held her, and she saw that there was an audience watching them. Veta's hands covered her mouth as if she were trying to hold back a sob and hair fell about her shoulders as tears trailed down her cheeks. "Ashe?"

"Veta?" Her eyes slowly rolled over and saw her father, with a single tear leaking from his own eye before he quickly blinked it away. "Father?"

"Welcome back, daughter." Chernabog grunted as his wings settled about his shoulders like a cape.

"What –" her brow pinched a little as Mr. V slowly released her from his hug and helped her to sit up, however her strength was not quite returned to her and she rested against his warm chest. She moaned and groaned and shivered slightly as she looked around her. His strong hands held her upright, and for the moment she wouldn't think of why he was holding her so closely or so tenderly. "What are all you doing here?"

"We came to see if you were all right." Veta answered as she fell to her knees beside her. "The Firebird shot into the air, and we were so worried, a-and I feared for the worst, a-and, a-and," she started to sniffle as the tears poured from her eyes, "a-and I'm s-so sorry, Ashe!"

Her green arms were flung around her neck and pulled her into the tightest hug. Tears welled up in her own eyes as she slowly wrapped her arms around her friend. Veta was safe and sound and alive! For everything that she had done and endured, she was alive!

"Why are you apologizing?" She laughed and squeezed her as tightly as she could, which felt weaker than any hug she'd given before.

"Because I couldn't do anything for you then and I couldn't do anything for you now." Veta pulled back and rubbed at her eyes with the fat of her hand and laughed despite herself. "You did all this, a-and – "

"Ladies, that is quite enough." Yen Sid spoke slowly and calmly as he looked at the two-crying woman. Mr. V quickly pulled two handkerchiefs from his breast pocket and handed it to the two women. "There is no need to be placing any more blame on each other anymore."

"But –" Veta shook her head, clearly not ready to drop this, but Yen Sid gave her a stern look.

"What has happened, has happened, Veta." His eyes slowly drifted to Ashe. "All has been forgiven, bonds have been broken, and the Realm mended, there is no need to wallow in the past any longer."

Sniffling, she gave a weak nod and dabbed the handkerchief to her eyes. Yen Sid's face softened as a warm smile graced his face and both Veta and Mr. V helped Ashe to stand on her own two feet. So much seemed to have happened in such a short time, but Ashe hardly had the mind to question much of anything, save for what was to happen next. For as joyous as this reunion was, somehow she knew it wouldn't end as happily as she wanted. Standing on her own two feet with Mr. V's support, she looked into the faces of her beloved friend Veta, her quiet father, and the wise sorcerer, and she knew this was goodbye.

She winced a little as she looked at Master Yen Sid, "I have to leave again. . . don't I?"

He gave a cut nod as he ran his hand over his beard as he spoke. "Now that the Realm has chosen its Firebird, you are now no longer a part of this Realm, Ashe Scatter, and thanks to Astaroth, you're no longer half-demon either."

"Surely she doesn't have to leave right now." Veta's head turned sharply and gave Yen Sid a pleading look. "Surely there's a little time."

"It does not have to be immediate. . ." Yen Sid relented with a sigh, as his eyes darted over her head and at Mr. V, "however, she can no longer reside here as she no longer possesses the blessing of the Firebird."

That at least explained why she felt so light and all of her burdens seemed so far away from her, though she hardly seemed to acknowledge this information. Was being a mortal all that relevant to whether she could stay in the Fantasia Realm or not? If so, why? There were plenty of mortals that resided here, both mystical and human, surely, she could stay too.

"There are mortals in this Realm." Chernabog spoke up, his golden eyes not having left his daughter. "Surely she could stay if she wished."

"You surprise me, Chernabog, from what I've heard I didn't think you had any attachments." Master Yen Sid blinked up at the demon king. "Despite your paternal instincts for the girl, even you know that I have little control over the Realm's decisions."

Chernabog merely grunted and scowled but said nothing more as his eyes shifted from her to the ground. Her heart thrummed in her chest and her eyes warmed with tears at the rare notion her father would dare display so publicly. Her father had never been cruel to her, strict yes, but he had high expectations for the daughter of the demon king of Fantasia, and since she was part human, it only made sense that she couldn't quite meet up to his expectations. Though their relationship was complicated and nothing intimate as a normal loving family, it was based on a solid base of trust; at least it had been before she destroyed the Realm. In truth, she had been terrified to see her father again in the Anti-Realm, for that fear of the damaged trust and she could not bear to see him and completely panicked. She had seen what her father had done to those who had betrayed his trust and did not want to suffer that same fate. How different could things have been had she not run away from him and merely spoken with him. . .

"R – Right." She chewed the inside of her cheek and gave a nod and tried to ignore that guilt that wanted to creep into her heart. "I suppose I'll just have to find a new place then. . ."

"It shouldn't be as difficult as you think," Mr. V huffed and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "You'll always have a place at my side in the Anti-Realm, Ms. Scatter." She swallowed a gasp as she looked into those warm brown eyes. "Of course, you're more than welcome to change your mind if another Realm suddenly calls you home, but there is plenty of work to be done until then."

"And I'll be going with you," Varuo crooned as he nuzzled his large hellcat head to the top of her head. "I'm not part of this Realm, and I already claimed you as my human, so you're stuck with me."

"I guess that's not so bad." She smiled weakly and pet Varuo's large muzzle and he purred loudly in response. "Thank you."

It wasn't the reunion she had envisioned for the last two hundred years, the tears yes, the hugs yes, but the strange sense of peace she had knowing that she would never be able to return to this Realm. Previously, Ashe would have given up anything to make up for all the time she lost with both her father and with Veta, however, they weren't the only ones in her life anymore and the worried eyes of Mr. V and Varuo only served as that reminder as she hugged Veta. She had longed to return to this Realm, yet now that she was here with the people she had longed to see, she realized that this wasn't where she was meant to be. As she hugged her father, tiny in his large expansive chest and completely encompassed in his power and strength, she realized how foolish she was to have truly thought she had a place here. This Realm had no need of her or a purpose for her, but there was a place that did.

"You don't appear to be as terrified of me now, daughter." Chernabog rumbled as he raked his claws through her hair. "Has turning into a mortal somehow made you strong?"

"I don't know about strength, but I think it has made sure of the path I need to take." She answered and stared at the small patch of greenery sprouting from Veta and spreading all around them. She remembered envying that ability a long time ago, but now she was content to not have any sort of power; but then again, she was extremely exhausted from Astaroth.

"So long as you're sure." He grunted and carefully set her down on the ground. "Should it suit me I may visit your Realm, or should I get away from all of her floral arrangements about this Realm."

Ashe bit back a smile as her feet touched the ground and she gave his large hand a squeeze before catching Master Yen Sid's gaze. His all knowing brown eyes watched her carefully as she approached him.

"I'm glad to see that you succeeded in breaking the bond with Astaroth, Ashe Scatter." He gave a nod of encouragement, "I only wish you could stay, after all, you fought so hard to return. . ."

"I did." She bit her lip and nodded. "Though, now that I'm here, I don't think it's the place where I belong, at least not anymore. Maybe if I would have come back sooner or realized what it was that I needed to do in the beginning, but it definitely isn't any more."

He studied her face, looking for any signs of regret or malice. "You don't appear to be as upset as you should be."

"I should, shouldn't I?" She laughed weakly as she glanced in Veta's direction as she danced and threw her greenery everywhere she could.

"You've matured wonderfully, Ashe Scatter." Yen Sid remarked as he brushed the back of his knuckles against her cheek to move her shorter hair from her face. "Though I hate to see you leave, I can't help but feel reassured that there are grander things for you outside of this Realm."

"I hope so." She laughed nervously. "Or else, what else have I got?"

"Worry not, Ashe Scatter." He grasped her hand and placed something cold within it. "Though you may no longer be a part of this Realm, a part of this Realm will always be with you."

She looked down at her hand and saw that it was the portkey necklace of Fantasia. The gemstone in the center was still cracked, but more uniform with a strange blue aura surrounding it. She looked from the portkey to the old sorcerer and couldn't help but throw her arms around his neck and hug him tight. She wasn't sure if she heard gasps from Veta and her father, but she didn't care. This was the most precious thing she could receive as her farewell from this Realm.

"Thank you." She withdrew her arms and glanced over her shoulder where Mr. V and Varuo waited away from everyone, merely watching her as they allowed her to say her farewells. The smile that bloomed on Mr. V's face as she turned to him made her own smile come to her face.

"Let's go home."

Author's Note:

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you're enjoying the story so far!

Please remember to leave a comment or review and share your thoughts with me. If you like my stories enough, please share the love where you can so someone else can enjoy them too. I have a little bit more to go on this story before I can call it done, and I hope you will stick around with me until the end.

Thanks for coming along the journey with me, stay tuned!

Ko-fi/SarahtheWriter