Zhu Rong

Mary groaned and winced. She forced her eyes open but forced them back closed when they met the dim light in the medicine hall. She tried to sit up.

"Take it easy, Mary," Seamus slid a hand under her shoulders, "I can't imagine being hit by a titan felt very good."

She shook her head, "It did not."

Seamus chuckled and sat on the edge of her bed. She lay her head on his shoulder and looked around. Lenora was checking on Nari's burns; Skrel was asleep, leaning on her bed with thick bandages around his hands; Eli waved weakly from his bed across from her and Barbara turned and smiled.

"Did we defeat Belrok?" She lay a hand on Skrel's bandages.

"Um…Technically," Seamus looked away and grinned, "Say hello to your new cousin."

"They are not staying!"

Mary turned to look at her aunt. Liza sat against the wall, holding an ash gray baby.

"You turned Belrok into a BABY!" She sat more upright.

"No! Yes…" Liza held the baby closer, "Not on purpose! But they are NOT staying. As soon as Walter finishes dealing with the mess these three made, we are taking them to their guardian."

"Guardian?" Mary continued to stroke Skrel's hands.

"Each of the spirits have a…sort of caretaker that they have to answer to," Seamus explained, "Skrel answers to the Lady of the Lake. Belrok's guardian is in the mountains in China."

*Foom!*

"Ah! Baby on fire!"

Mary sat up and saw spots. Barbara ran over with a bright orange fire blanket. Belrok giggled as the women wrapped them in the blanket and smothered the flames. Skrel lifted his head and blinked blearily up at them.

"Ung Konna? Hvað er í gangi?"

"It's ok, Skrel, Go back to sleep," Mary pushed back his hood to stroke his head, running her fingers through the thin white hair.

Skrel looked down at his hands, "What has happened to my hands?"

"You were burned fighting Belrok," Seamus explained, "You and Nari."

Skrel glared up at him before wiggling closer to Mary and tucking his hands closer to his chest.

"Hey, Princess," Lenora smiled and sat on the foot of her bed, Antonia balanced on her lap, "How are you feeling?"

"Hurt? Everything's still sore but it's getting better."

"That's good."

"Did I hear that Belrok caught fire again?" Walt stepped into the room.

"Yeah," Liza groaned, "Are we leaving soon?"

"We are," He put his hand on her shoulder, "As soon as Otto and Douxie get back from helping Atlas in Heartstone and Archie and Angor get back from checking on the Dragon Trolls in Hong Kong." He turned and smiled, "Mary! Skrel! You're both awake."

"Ja, Onkel Walt," Mary smiled, "How long was I out?"

"Less than a day this time," Lenora insisted.

"We were able to handle the cleanup much after this time thanks to your aunt's accidental invention," Walt lift an eyebrow at Liza, "Seamus and Krel disassembled it earlier and Zadra and Toby took the canon to Akoridain V while I put the Time Stone in the vault of Avalon."

"Time stone?" Mary turned, "Is that how you turned Belrok into a baby?"'

"Yes," Liza set Belrok on the floor and let them wiggle around on the stone, "But it wasn't on purpose. I thought that it would STOP time, not turn it back. Then this happened."

Mary giggled as Belrok rolled over and began feeling around for Liza again. Liza held her hand out to them.

"We'll take them to Zhu Rong soon." Walt shook his head as the baby chewed on Liza's stone hand.

Liza nodded and picked Belrok back up. The fiery baby giggled and kicked in her arms. Mary sighed and rest her head back on Seamus' shoulder. Lenora squeezed her knee and moved to sit by Eli. Skreal glared darkly at anyone who got close to them, eyes darting over to look at Nari every few minutes.

"Alright," Otto adjusted his glasses as he entered, "Everyone in ze valley is taken care of. Atlas has everyone back in Heartstone, ze Arcadians are back in zeir houses, and zey'll be zanking ze river trolls for letting zem stay zere during zis whole affair." He grinned and looked back and forth before sitting at the foot of Mary's bed, "Und I see zat meine princessin un mein geist are avvake."

"Ja, Papa." Eli smiled and Mary waved weakly.

Skrel glared at the polymorph and tucked himself closer to Mary. Otto waved down at him before turning back to Lenora.

"Has Nari vvoken up yet?"

She shook her head, "Not yet but she's stable and her wounds are getting better."

"The kids are all healed and Nari is getting there," Barbara crossed her arms, "I'm going to have to check Skrel in a little bit, though."

The ice spirit glared up at the doctor. Mary played with his hair.

"Skrel, you have to let Tanta Barbara tend to your injuries or it's going to take you longer to get better." She insisted.

Skrel nodded but his glare didn't waver.

"Where's Douxie?" Liza stood, Belrok resting against her shoulder.

"Just grabbing Archie, Lizy," The wizard crossed his arms, dragon perched on his shoulder.

Liza glared at him and rubbed Belrok's back. Archie rolled his eyes and glided over to play with the fiery baby. Belrok giggled. Douxie turned back to the others.

"Mary, Eli, Skrel, good to see you all awake," He stepped over to Nari's bedside, "How's Nari been? Has she woken up yet?"

"Not yet," Barbara put a hand on his shoulder, "But we'll let you know as soon as she does."

He nodded and turned back to Liza, "Then we're ready to head to Zhu Rong's mountain whenever you all are."

Otto kissed Lenora before kissing each Antonia, Eli, and Mary on the forehead. Walt kissed Barbara and bid the rest of his family goodbye. Then, he led Otto, Liza, Douxie, and Archie to the West Tower. Douxie took the helm of the air skiff and they were off.

"So, do we have any idea where to FIND Zhu Rong?" Liza wrapped the fire blanket more securely around Belrok.

"Zhu Rong is said to live in the 'bright place of the Kunlun Mountain'," Walt explained, "So I figured that the best place to start would be the Kunlun Volcano."

"The one in the largest mountain range in Asia?" Douxie lift an eyebrow.

"That's the one," Walt affirmed and stepped up to the bow of the skiff, "We'll need to be careful once we get closer. I doubt that Zhu Rong is the only one rumored to live in those mountains that's real."

Liza nodded and sat on the floor of the skiff. Belrok babbled animatedly and reached over her shoulder for Archie. The dragon grinned and trot over. He blew a small stream of fire at their face, drawing more giggles from the fire spirit.

"Please don't encourage them, Archie," Liza groaned, "Not at this altitude. Neither they nor I have a change of clothes."

He folded back his ears and ducked his head, "Sorry, Elizabeth."

Otto squatted in front of his sister and smiled at the burbling baby, "Don't vvorry, Belrok. Soon you'll be home and allowed to make as much fire as you want."

They burbled up at him before nuzzling into their fire blanket.

"And we're sure Zhu Rong isn't going to burn me to a crip for turning their spirit into a baby?"

"Pretty sure," Walt smiled over his shoulder, "The texts I found claimed that Zhu Rong wasn't the kind for brutal punishments. I'm not saying he'll be HAPPY with it but I doubt that he's going to try and kill you for it."

Liza nodded but ducked her head further behind the railing. Otto lifted her chin and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I won't let him hurt you either way, Baby Schwester."

She smiled loosely and nodded against his forehead. Walt smiled and looked back out over the ocean in front of the skiff. Douxie smiled and shook his head. The Kunlun Mountains began to tower over them. Walt licked his lips and took a deep breath. As the volcano loomed over them, Liza forced herself to her feet and held Belrok closer.

"Sooo…How do we get in?" Douxie looked over the railing and at the mouth of the volcano.

"I don't actually know," Walt leapt over the edge and glided around the mountain, "The legends were never that specific."

He nearly crashed into another mountain when a glowing, bright orange door appeared on one of the mountain's cliffs. He flew back up and landed on the skiff.

"I guess it's there…"

Douxie nodded and guided the skiff to the door. Liza looked up at the door and swallowed thickly. It swung open letting them into the large, spacious room.

"Welcome!" The tall man called from a table in the center of the room, "I honestly thought you would have been here a lot sooner."

"You did?" Otto tilted his head.

"Of course," Zhu Rong stood up, "I may not have left my mountain in centuries but I still heard about what happened in Hong Kong. Belrok is my spark. I'm responsible for what they've done." He looked around. "Where are they?"

Liza swallowed thickly and stepped forward, "I have them right here…"

Zhu Rong's eyes grew wide as he looked down at the baby in her arms, "You turned them into an INFANT?"

"Not on purpose, Sir! I swear!"

He laughed and took Belrok from her, "I'll admit I'm surprised. But, considering the things they did as the Lava Titan, it could have been a lot worse. At least you didn't just bring me a lump of molten slag."

Belrok babbled and grabbed Zhu Rong's face.

"Yes, that's right. You remember my voice, don't you, Xiao Huohua." He waved them all to his table, "Why don't you stay for tea. I could use some help deciding what to do with Belrok. And it's been so long since I've had a visitor.

"Are you sure you want our help?" Liza didn't move, "I am the one who turned them into a baby after all."

Zhu Rong shrugged, "That is true but I've seen beings punished worse for less."

Douxie nodded. Archie circled behind Liza and nudged her forward with the others.

Zhu Rong smiled and poured the tea with Belrok pitched on his lap, "If you don't mind me asking, what is everyone's lifespans?"

They all blinked at him.

"Belrok with be an infant for several hundred years," He clarified, "Much longer than even the trolls or dragons. I would like for them to grow up among other beings this time but I am not equipped to do it myself at the moment." He smiled sadly, "I would like you to help me."

"But, again, we caused this." Liza insisted.

"And, in doing so, you have given them a second chance to live a better life."

"But-I-we-they-ugh!" Liza buried her face in her hands.

Otto lay one hand on her shoulder. Zhu Rong smiled and passed Belrok over the table into her lap. Liza shook her head.

"You would fit right in with this family…"

Zhu Rong folded his arms on the table and leaned forward. Belrok giggled.

"Would you be opposed to being the one caring for them in the human world?"

Liza's head snapped up, "What!?"

Walt turned and stared at Zhu Rong. He simply smiled and sat back.

"Belrok's magic is like the flame of a candle." He explained, drawing a small flame to his hand, "It's small, warm, and can light up a room."

Liza smiled and leaned back as Archie crawled into her lap with Belrok.

"But," Zhu Rong continued, the flame in his hand growing as he spoke, "Like any flame, if not properly cared for, they can grow out of control and dangerous."

"Exactly," Liza said, "I-I can barely take care of myself right now. Let alone Belrok. Couldn't you come into the modern world and raise them?"

Zhu Rong's smile drooped slightly, "I would love too, truly. But, as I said before, I have not left my mountain in centuries. I will be going out into the human realm but, at the moment I am incapable of taking care of Belrok while I do it." He leaned forward once more, "I would help you with them, of course. I can help financially, answer any questions you had, and so on."

"Zat sounds like ze open adoptions I have for Toby und Mary." Otto put a hand on his sister's shoulder.

"And Mary has Skrel and I have Nari," Douxie grinned and tickled Belrok, "What's one more titan in this family."

Belrok nuzzled against Liza's belly and fist one hand into Archie's fur. Liza sighed. Walt turned back to Zhu Rong.

"Would you be open to someone else in our family taking care of Belrok?" He offered, "Many in our clan have whelps and children roughly Belrok's age."

"Fine!" Liza threw her hands in the air, "I will TRY. No guarantees that this will work but I will try."

"I can accept that," Zhu Rong nodded, "As I said, I will keep in contact and help in any way I can. If this doesn't work out then we can of course explore different options."

Belrok shrieked and buried their face in Archie's fur.

"At the very least, they seem to get along with your familiar."

Liza shook her head, "He belongs to THAT one."

Walt chuckled and turned back to the fire god, "Would you be open to a communication charm? That way we can get some formal paperwork done for Belrok and better clarify how we would like this agreement to proceed."

LLB

AN: I'm not saying that I took some inspiration from the Doctor Who episode Boom Day but I kind of did.

Chinese translate:

Xiao Huohua - Little Spark

German translate:

Baby Schwester - Baby Sister