Richard and Regina came inside.
'Is he dead?' Regina asked her father.
Richard checked the one who was hit by the spell "No sweetie he just got knocked out cold, but you did manage to make him bleed."
"Were you aiming on killing him?"
'No…but now I know what damage it will cause on my opponent from the range and the amount of energy I used, but I do have to take in to account that there was a window, so if there wasn't one he would be dead I guess.'
Richard looked speechless at his daughter.
Marika hugged Regina 'Thank you sweetie, even if you lack in close combat, a supporting role is just as important. And even your assessment is spot on, if there wasn't a window he would have died from your offensive spell.'
'I'm so proud of you.'
Marika hugged Regina even tighter.
Regina was happy, and smiled because her mother praised her and was proud of her.
For her to know that even being a supporting force was something useful to others and could make a difference in battles.
'Well mom it's thanks to brother Cinis, he taught me that even if I can't be as strong as my brothers, to be able to support them from behind is just as important as standing next to them.'
Marika smiled even more. 'That's right were your brothers lack you make up for it and vice versa.'
'Now go call your brother Cinis and let him know what you have achieved, I think he will praise you for sure.'
'But don't make the call to long, we have a busy day tomorrow and I need you in tip top condition.'
'Yes mom.'
'Let's tie them up and let's call clan head Vipera and deal with them tomorrow.'
Richard noticed Marika was slightly shacking and called William to bring over some restraints and 3 guards.
Just as they arrived one of the 3 intruders had come to his senses and attacked Marika but Richard blocked him with one hand and threw him to the other side of the room.
Marika tapped Richard on the shoulder and gave him a dagger that was dipped in poison.
'If you want to hurt him I recommend you this,' and whispered, 'this dagger has poison on it, that wil let him feel excruciating pain all over his body.'
Richard smiled and gave her a kiss, "Go to bed, and get some sleep sweetheart, you will have an exhausting day tomorrow."
"You! Give me back my sister and her Magic!"
Marika eyes flew in a bling rage. She was so quick that Luca and Richard hadn't noticed that she was already standing in front of the man yelling at her.
Marika grabbed him by the throat and dragged him out of the mansion.
Marika threw the man on the ground in stabbed him with her sword through his shoulder and was pinned down.
'What did you say?'
Luca started to have a bad feeling handed Nova over to Derick.
"Richard, do whatever it takes to stop her from using that spell."
Luca rushed up to his room to get a sedative for his sister.
Regina heard the noise and went up to Luca and asked him what was going on.
"Your mom is moments away from breaking her innate magic again."
Luca frantically searched for a sedative and Regina looked out of the window.
'I don't want to rush you uncle but mom has already destroyed two chaining spells. And dad has a hard time to restrain her.'
"Where is it…"
Regina opened the window and saw her mother was a few feet away from the man because her father managed to drag her away.
'Dad I have a plan but when I say let go you let go of mom.' Regina was communicating through telepathy
Richard looked at Regina and nodded.
Regina then looked at Luca 'Uncle relax and calm down, if you panic like this the situation will only get worse.'
Luca looked up and saw Regina jumping from the window.
Luca smiled "You really take after my sister."
'Let go!'
Richard let go of Marika and she was stopped by a chaining spell, then another chaining spell was cast on her, Marika was chained up by 4 chaining spells and the last spell Regina casted was a barrier spell.
Richard saw his daughter was panting and almost collapsing. He quickly ran over to her and gave her some of his energy.
"Sweetie you really take after your mother, being reckless like that." Richard hugged.
"But thanks to that, you were able to stop her."
Regina smiled 'You know how the saying goes; like mother, like daughter.'
Richard smiled and gave her a kiss on the head "But I won't let your mother off because she put your health in danger."
'Please don't be too harsh on her, she was shaking out of fear the whole time.'
Khai came up to his father and sister and checked on his sister.
"Sister is right, mom told me two days ago she was scared for the pain she would feel and that she had to go through it all over again."
"She has been on edge for 2 days now, and even she has been shaking in fear for two day's straight even if it's not that visible."
"That's why she behaved the way she did in Ignis, she is in constant fear." Luca came up to them.
He had the sedative in his hand.
Derick and Nova also came outside and saw the stated Marika was in.
"Regina your mom has already broken two of your chains I need you to lower the barrier so I can sedate her."
Regina did what Luca asked of her and lowered the barrier.
Luca walked up to his sister and gave her hug, "Sis you have nothing to fear…we will all be with you tomorrow."
Luca shot the needle of the syringe in her neck and Marika slowly started to calm down.
Regina removed the chaining spell and Marika collapsed though her legs, Luca caught her and held her tight and stroked her head.
"Your fine sis, nothing bad is going to happen and that man can't attack you because you pinned him down nicely."
'Luca…'
"Hmm…"
'Thank you…I'm so tired…'
Luca waved Richard over.
"Then have a good sleep next to your husband."
Marika nodded and looked with sad and sleepy eyes 'I'm sorry Regina…I … thank you sweetie for stopping me.'
Marika was fighting the sedative because she wanted to say something to Richard.
Richard picked her up.
'I'm sorry…'
After she spoke those words a tear fell from her eye and she was in a deep sleep.
Richard gave her a kiss on the head. "It's alright sweetheart, you took a big step forward and let us help you deal with it."
Luca smiled "Although it was very hard for her to depend on us, she finally starting see that if she can't deal with it alone she has all of us."
"Well the first sings were there, when she called for the soldiers when she was defending the baby in the village."
Richard smiled, "Well the first person she ever depend on was Genus, I think that was the first sign."
Richard carried Marika inside.
[Next day]
Marika was in the kitchen, she didn't sleep much even if she was sedated it didn't work long on her.
Derick saw his daughter exhausted expression and hugged her, "Marika I know that today is a big day for you but you look terrible."
Marika nodded, 'Every time I close my eyes I see all the horrible memories.'
Solis and Caelum came in to the kitchen and saw their mother state.
"And here we are for our first no reason visit and you look like this?"
Marika heard Solis voice and turned around and wanted to stand up but lost her balance.
Solis caught her.
"Are you eating well?" Caelum asked her.
Marika nodded.
"Well we're not going to ask if your sleeping well, because it's clearly written all over you that you aren't."
Solis asked Derick if he had a piece of paper and a pen.
Derick handed him what he asked for and Solis started to write down a note.
When he was done he folded it and ask Derick to give it to Richard.
"Let's go mom."
Solis dragged Marika out of the kitchen and took her outside and the 3 of them took off.
Derick chuckle a little and left the kitchen to go up to Richard.
Derick entered the room after knocking
"Is she in the kitchen?"
"No she left the mansion just a few minutes ago." Derick handed him over the message.
To dad,
We kidnapped mom because when we arrived for a visit she looked horrible.
Nobody is allowed to search for her, and she will be back in time for her magic retrieval.
Solis and Caelum
"Ahaha, to see a message like this from Solis."
"Well let's hope they can calm her down."
Richard left the room and came across Luca
"Is she still sleeping?"
Richard shook his head and gave him the note.
"Pfft."
"It seems we get to see, more and more of Solis true personality."
"He really is opening up and seems he is going to take after the both of you as time passes"
Marika asked Solis 'Where they were going.'
"You'll see it when we get there."
'Alright'
Marika enjoyed the breeze of the wind and she started to calm down a lot faster.
Caelum kept an eye on her during their flight and was relieved to see their mother showed signs of relaxing.
When they landed they were in a forest and walked up to a cave that was well hidden.
Marika looked at her surroundings and found it beautiful and peaceful.
She then was dragged in to the cave by her sons, when they reached their destination Marika was surprised.
The cave was very spacious and all kind of plants were growing, the sealing of the cave had a hole in it and light passed through it. If she had to say, it looked similar to the cave of Mystic Mountain only it was 4 times bigger.
There were two ponds one hot one cold.
Marika hugged the both of them, 'This place is beautiful.'
"Mom let's go take a dip in the hot spring and relax a little."
'That sounds good.'
Marika took of her cloths and went in to the hot spring
After 15 minutes Marika started to get drowsy, and wanted to get out.
"Mom it's fine, you can take a nap you won't drown."
Marika leaned against Solis and drifted off.
Marika regressed to her five year old self.
"Mom is finally starting to heal herself."
"What do you mean brother."
"Not long ago dad told me that mom didn't regress much after stressful situations, at first I taught it was nothing to worry about, but then she had a few very stressful situation, what normally should let her regress, but even then she didn't."
"Dad and I thought at first that it were situation she could coop with but Genus told us she was actually fighting it."
"So the only way for her to fully heal herself is to regress and since she had her guard up and fighting it, it would take a toll on her. Regressing to her is a form of healing. So that's why I took her here to relax and let her heal herself. A place where she doesn't need to be on guard."
Solis was holding his mother.
"But was it really alright to bring her here? This is the place where she would have died of a broken heart."
Solis smiled, "It is, because next time she comes here she will be with dad."
[Dragon Temple]
Richard and the kids were at the temple and before the met up with the priest Richard first stopped by two graves.
First he went to Luan and Selina
"Dad who are they?" Khai asked him.
"Luan and Selina, were two babies who were killed by wolfs in front of your mothers eyes. After she killed practically the whole pack of wolfs, she felt guilty for not able to save them, she wanted to give them a name and a proper burial."
When they all gave them their prayers they went to Richard parents grave.
"Here is where your grandparents rest"
'Dad is it hard for you to come here?'
"Well Regina…it was very hard for me to come here in the past."
"What has changed?" Nova wanted to know.
"Your mom, she knows of the story; how my parents met and how they passed away."
"But on the first day of the festival we came here so I could show her the temple."
"She asked me if I could bring her here, but if it was too hard for me I should tell her how to get here and waited for her."
Richard smiled "She was very concerned about me and didn't want to force me to go through something painful."
"But I knew that even if it would be painful, your mother was with me comfort me and stay with me."
Richard and the kids arrived at The Great Dragon room.
"Kids before I open this door, know that there will be a great pressure coming from this room."
Richard opened the doors and they felt the pressure coming out of the room.
'Could you guys lowered it by two notches, or do you want to kill the adoptive children of your descendant?'
The pressure lowered very fast.
Richard laughed and Regina looked at her father.
'What's wrong dad?'
"Your mom said something similar to them when she first came her."
"Dad are we able to see ancestors?" Khai asked him.
"Well you all are part Azure, so seeing, or hearing them you should be able to…"
"But if you can't right now it's not a bad thing, you'll be able to over time."
"I can see two people standing but they are not Azure, one is Green and the other is Human."
Richard looked up at the direction Khai pointed.
He saw a man and a women standing and bowing to him, Richard had a feeling he had seen them before. And a flash of a memory came back to him and remember he had seen a picture of them.
"Khai they are your mother's birth parents."
The man and women came up to Richard and the kids.
"So this is the rumored Azure Dragon King…"
'Oh stop that, it was our daughter that melted his icy heart.'
Richard started to chuckle a little.
"Your right your daughter brought warmth back in to my life."
"With that personality of hers… I thought she would stay single for the rest of her life, ahh I can't believe my little girl is all grown up." The man teased.
'Dear stop already, how can you say that about our own child.'
Richard couldn't hold his laugh and stated to laugh.
"Marika really takes after her father, personality wise."
"That good then, because her intelligence she inherited that from her mother and her looks of course."
The women smiled 'She has the best of both of us.'
"Then from who did she inherited her reckless behavior?"
"You can blame her great, great grandfather for that."
"Why are you here?"
'Well we want to move on…but we decided to linger until our daughter gets her magic back.'
Richard understood that even if they had passed away they always were there to watch over her.
"Before you do that, could you do me one favor?"
"Could you please do that after your daughter comes back from the war and saved the brown and blue clan and after our wedding?"
The man and woman look at Richard.
"When is you wedding?"
"It should have been spring next year but…that will be postponed by another year." Richard looked a bit dejected.
'Sure we can, how can we miss the most beautiful day of our daughters life.'
The man nodded.
"Speaking of my daughter…were is she?"
"She was kidnapped by our eldest adoptive children."
"What!!! You two have already kid!? Darling did you hear that…"
'Justin stop that already' and she hit the him at the back of his head 'He said adoptive children.'
"But Cassidy our daughter is only 23 years old…"
"How many adoptive children do you have?"
"We have 6 children, 4 sons and 2 daughter."
"And our eldest daughter is expecting her own children soon."
Justin was speechless and couldn't bring a word out.
'Thank you for shutting him up'
Richard chuckled a little.
Cassidy looked at Khai, Regina and Nova and had a warm smile on her face.
'It doesn't matter whether your related by blood or not, what matter is the bond you have with your parents and sibling.'
'I think mom inherited more from grandma then from grandpa.'
Cassidy laughed, 'Well let's keep that a secret from him…he will be heartbroken if he hears that.'
Regina smiled and nodded.
Richard got a message from Caelum with a picture of Marika
"You guys want to see something cute?"
Justin snapped back to reality "What is it?"
Richard showed them a picture of Marika looking cute while playing with Solis in a baby dragon form.
"Is that our daughter?"
"Yes that is Marika."
"But why is she so small?"
"Well…in order to recover and coop with stress, she regresses to a childlike state."
'Oh my god… she survived all her eight stages…'
'But how…'
Richard smiled, "With her idea and the help from people around her, we found the way to let her safely get through them."
"Your daughter has recorded it all, for generation to come."
"Marika is a unique case because of her healing magic, but the method she used can apply to any double colored dragon with eight stages."
"She also wanted to fallow The Green Dragon Clan tradition and asked Luca and me to give her a new name."
"We chose the name Yumaria."
The High Priest came in to the room with little Marika and Henry.
Regina casted a spell around her so it would protect little Marika from the pressure.
Not long after that more and more and more people started to come in, Genus, Luca, Alex, Rex, Ivy and William also came in.
Regina casted the same spell on Luca, Alex, Rex and Ivy as she had done on little Marika.
"Are you alright Regina?"
'Yes dad, since my energy wont deplete anytime soon as long as I'm in this room.'
Luce, Michael, Leo, Levi, Rosalyn, Liane and Lady Rory arrived and not long after that Cillus, Cinis and Canus also came.
The last few people who arrived were Silvester, Derick, Dantis, Kevin and Dante, Arthur and Lenis.
Justin and Cassidy were moved by seeing her family and friends all coming here to support her.
'There is no doubt about it, our daughter is The Guardian of the 3 World.' Cassidy said to Justin.
"Rory really came through and held on to my last wish."
'If only she could see us or hear us…I would thank her for saving our daughter.'
"When your daughter arrives and is in her final form, she would be able to do so, because she did it once before."
The guards came in with the women who was chained up.
Everybody took their places and Richard called Solis everything was ready.
"Mom it's time."
Marika looked up and showed some signs of anxiety.
"Mom breath calmly, we will be with you." Caelum reassured her.
Marika nodded, 'Alright lets go.'
"We will be there in 10 minutes."
"How is she?"
"Well she seemed fine until I told her it was time to go, she stated to get anxious again."
"Well you can't blame her, it will be unpleasant for her and she will probably recall the memories from the first time, so the possibility for her getting hostile will be very high."
"I know dad…"
"See you in 10 minutes."
Solis looked at Marika and gave her a hug, "Remember it's not the same as last time."
'Hum…'
Solis transformed and put Marika on his back and they took off.
The three of them arrived at the temple and were welcomed by the Priest and Templar's.
"My Queen, let this day mark the end of your hardships and the start of who you truly are."
Marika thanked the priest for his words and walked over to the room.
Marika hesitated a little.
"Mom what you fear today, you can fight tomorrow, and if not alone then together, isn't that what you taught uncle Dante and Kevin."
Marika smiled and nodded.
Marika took a deep breath, because the moment she got in there they only had 10 minutes.
Marika opened the doors and went inside and changed to her final form and walked over to Richard.
"Sweetheart I love you and even thought you will feel pain, I will be in pain too because I'm the one who will have to put you through this."
"Are you ready?"
Marika nuzzled Richard.
Richard started first to cast the spell on the woman and pulled out Marika's stabilizing part of her healing Magic, the woman screamed in pain but nobody felt any sympathy for her.
Regina casted a barrier spell around the magic and Richard did the same to Marika.
Marika tried to endure it but it was hard for her, she roared as a warning but, Khai, Caelum, Solis and Nova reassured her that it was fine and that he was now mending her healing magic.
6 minutes had pasted already, and Richard had 4 minutes left for the second one so he didn't was time and repeated it.
As Richard was removing Marika's battle Magic, she couldn't stand the pain anymore and the horrible memories she had of it rushing back to her and she started to lash out.
She was turning hostile towards Richard but Genus, Luca and Alex started to intervene and formed a defensive line in front of Richard.
Marika wasn't calming down one bit.
A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
In dreams you will lose your heartaches
Whatever you wish for, you keep
Have faith in your dreams,
No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
The dream that you wish will come true
A dream is a wish your heart makes
When you're fast asleep
Marika heard the song that was sang out of nowhere, but somewhere deep down in her heart she remembered this song.
Justin was singing the lullaby he always sang for her ever since she was born till the day he had to part with her.
Marika started to cry and sensed a familiar presence next to her.
Marika looked down and tilted her head towards the spirit.
"My dear daughter I know it hurts…but be a good girl, it hurts him to see you in this much pain."
"Look around you, everybody came her today to support you…even if they can't do anything they are all here to show you that you can always turn to them if you need them, just as you have done for them."
Marika looked around and saw all her friends and family standing.
With only one minute left Richard came up to her.
"Sweetheart it's done."
Richard casted the spell one last time and put in her mended battle magic.
"Now you are complete again."
Richard was exhausted and collapse but Marika caught him and laid down and let him rest next to her.
Cassidy also came up to Marika
'Mom, dad…I know you always have been watching over me, but can you guys watch over me a little longer?'
'We will, we promised him we would.'
"Marika your husband told us you are capable of making us visible to people who can't see us."
Marika concentrated and let out a burst of energy.
All the ancestors and Marika's parents were visible to everybody.
Lady Rory saw Justin and Cassidy and she was struck by tears seeing her beloved friends.
'Cassidy, Justin…I…'
'Rory, thank you for saving my daughter that day, thanks to you she could grow up to be a healthy and strong girl.'
"Rory, I know my last wish was a hard one…but I'm thankful to you honored it."
Lady Rory shook her head 'No…isn't it a given to honor the last wishes of your friends.' And she smiled.
Justin looked at Leo, Levi "You raised the boy's well."
'Rory you taught your children well, and our daughter and your children seem to get along fine, that is something I had always wished for.'
'Cassidy… hum… and I will continue to watch over all of them including your daughter.'
"Thank you Rory."
Marika suddenly stood up because she felt uneasy, and started to roar and whipping her tail up and down.
Richard stood up but was still a bit tired "Sweetheart what's wrong?"
Marika didn't respond but head her eyes were set on the door.
'Everybody get out of here now!'
Nobody hesitated, Canus and Alex came up to Richard and helped him out of the room.
Marika then looked at her parents 'Mom, dad…'
"We know, give them hell."
Marika changed back to her 7th stage, 'How I wish I could hug you…'
Sidus and Lilium came to Marika and told her she should not stay any longer either.
Marika nodded.
Marika walked over to the woman 'I can't let trash lay around.'
Before she left 'Mother in law, father in law… I'm sorry but next year I can't come to you guys on the Moon Festival to play for you…'
"It's alright, just make sure you make it up to us at the Moon Festival in 2 years."
Marika nodded and smiled as she left the room.
Marika came out of the room dragging the woman behind her.
Everybody was waiting for her.
"Sis what's wrong?" Canus asked her.
Marika casted a spell and threw a sword to Canus.
'Last time you complained there were only 20 bats… there are 50 coming this way.'
"But why are they coming here?"
'I rejected Raphael's war declaration…and now he is throwing a fit and wants to declare a war this way.'
"Does he even know by doing this he risks a war with Lunae Lumen."
'Pfft…you think that that thought has crossed his mind…he is too stupid to think ahead or that this action actually can cause war with Richard.'
"I guess not…"
'Regina help your dad, Nova you support Canus, everybody else let's watch a show.'
Everybody fallowed Marika as they left the temple grounds.
When they reached the entrench they saw a group of vampires waiting for them.
At the front of the group Raphael was standing with a murderous look on his face
Marika saw it and sighed 'Why are you here?'
"You bitch! You pay for what you have done to me last time."
Marika yawned a bit. 'So…first of all, I warned you all fair and square, second of all you attacked me first.'
'What do you want? You want me to say sorry to you?'
'Because that will never happen.'
Raphael flew in to a rage and told the man to attack.
'STOP!'
'Here is the thing, if you attack me here…all the kings and princes are witnesses of you attacking me in Lunae Lumen and of course this will automatically be a declaration of war on Lunae Lumen.'
'And do you think Cruentus can survive a war where Ignis, Virtus et Caeruleus Viridi, Lunae Lumen and Sol Luminaria, will invade your lands.'
'Think very carefully before you even make a move forward.'
The man didn't make a move what so ever, they knew she was right.
'But let me tell you in advance even if you do not attack me right here and now, even if you declare war on me in my own country I doubt that Ignis, Lunae Lumen and Sol Luminaria will stand by ideally and the same thing I mention will happen anyway.'
"Pfft" Michael laughed.
"Queen Yumaria is right you know, no matter what you do, in the end we all will come to her aid."
"Because she cleverly build this defensive line around her, there is no chance for you to touch her."
Raphael noticed Marika was holing a woman and Richard sitting on the ground exhausted.
He also spotted William and Dantis, and Raphael needed to take care of them first.
Marika noticed and whispered something to Richard.
He nodded and gave her a kiss.
Raphael instructed the man to capture William and Dantis first.
Derick saw what she told Richard and whispered to William and Dantis to not move and act like they didn't know they were targeted.