The End of Innocence: Book 3 of the Kinstone series
Chapter 58: Fusion

(Me)

I slowly open my eyes, staring at Diana and the nightmare. My body felt stronger, my mind clear and calm as ice. Orbiting around me were three or four kitsune-bi. But now…they too had changed. Instead of the typical spectral blue, they now were a mix of ebonies and blues, with a swirling vortex of icy wind.

My tails swish around me, feeling them brushing against the ground. My eyes then widen, discovering something new. I curl my tails around my body, pressing each of them against me. A bright smile stretches across my face as I notice that my ninth tail had grown. My body teems with more power than I had ever before felt within me.

Another shocker is that my tails are now of the same as Fenris, jet-black which faded into bluish silver. Not only that, my hair too is now longer, reaching well past down my legs, no doubt having also changed color to match my tails.

My cheeks flushed a deep red, feeling it gently brushing against my bare skin. Not only had I fused with Fenris, I now was a full-fledged nine-tailed kitsune. Well…not yet at least, still need time to perfect my new powers.

I really wished Yukari were here. She told me that the birth of a kyuubi was something to be celebrated. I giggled, thinking a certain someone else would also love to see me in this form.

I peer over to Diana, who stood in utter shock. “You…you changed. Where’s your wolf?”

I lay a hand on my chest, “In here.”

Again my eyes grow wide in shock. My voice sounds…older, more mature. It reminds me of when I met the sub-conscious image of myself. But now it's real. I giggle to myself, sounding a bit like Mom. I now truly am her daughter through and through.

My opponent’s venomous gaze bore even more onto me, “You…you now look older, taller,” gritting her teeth, “much like a young woman. How much more will you disgrace yourself and your family?”

I peer down to my arms, seeing that they were slightly longer and thinner. Even my chest had filled out by at least a half a cup size. My hands stroke down my face, feeling that it was more angular than before. I wish I had a mirror to look at myself.

Diana’s anger boils over as she summons a massive ball of infernal flame, fueled by the nightmare. She roars, launching it towards me. The glow of the spell drove away the darkness, turning night into day. It then shatters into hundreds of smaller fireballs, which all rained down onto me.

As if almost on instinct, my body phases into my spirit form but also covered in shadow, allowing the attacked to pass right through me. I hold up my hands, staring at them as my body returned to its previous state.

“Whoa,” I exclaim, “this…this is unreal.”

“This is but a temporary form, my little Aria.”

My ears perk up, hearing Fenris’ voice in my mind. “Papa Wolf?”

“This form is temporary as it is still new for the both of us. I am uncertain of how long either of us will be able to maintain it. You and I are still injured with you severely. I shall attempt to arrest the full extent of your injuries. Use what little time there is wisely to defeat our enemies.”

I nod, already sensing our combined state beginning to slip. I peer over to Diana and her bonded, with the former merely staring at me with hatred and confusion. I close my eyes and take in a deep breath, calming the erratic beating of my heart, and the swirling storm within my mind.

“A serene mind is an unbeatable mind” I once heard.

I open them slowly, feeling power surging around me, spinning and coalescing like a whirlwind. I crouch low, and then instantly rush towards the pair, charging a massive orb behind me.

Diana growls, unleashing a torrent of greenish flame at me. I kicked myself out of the path of the attack, letting the stream of inferno barely pass by my face. I groan, launching to orb at the pair, only for them to dodge as it flew in between them.

I smile, watching it split into two, firing off in opposite directions. The orbs strike into them, separating the pair and then slam back into each other when the orbs boomerang into them, causing a small magical explosion upon contact.

The girl slowly recovers, peering over to see me rushing towards them once more. She snarls while the nightmare also rises back to its feet. The demonic horse neighs angrily, rearing up and stomping its hooves into the ground, sending a wave of felfire at me. Diana also hurls dozens of fireballs towards me.

“Fly into the shadow,” I hear Fenris whisper in my mind. I peer down as the shadows quickly start to fade. I angle myself into the shadows, diving into them.

It’s a little strange flying through a shadow. Obviously it’s dark, but there are shades of ebonies and purples. They all seem to bubble and churn, pulsing softly like the inside of a lava lamp. So this is what it’s like to literally hide in another’s shadow.

I stare up above me, watching as the previously dodged attacks sail over me. I turn towards their source, seeing both Diana and Orobas standing there. The girl had a look of triumph stretched across her face, only for it the slide into angry confusion, realizing that my charred remains weren’t present. I grin, flying upwards.

I emerge in between the duo, and held out my arms, firing a series of magical pulses into them, knocking them once more off-balance. Tails wrap around both Diana and the horse as I leapt upwards, slamming the pair into each, while still rocketing skyward. I wince, feeling as though my tails were about to rip themselves from their base, having pulled on the horse.

I’ve never pulled a horse with my tails before, people yes. So this was a whole new thing for me. Thankfully I have Fenris helping out, soothing away the pain. The girl grunts, bouncing off of the beast. The nightmare merely staggers for a moment, regaining its footing.

Winds carry me aloft, hovering just above them. My tails coil and sway around me, and instantly fling outwards. Kitsune-bi appeared at each of their tips, each a swirling mass of spectral flame, shadow, and ice. My hands glow brightly, once more gathering what magic I could muster. The globes steadily grow and grow, becoming the size of beach balls.

My ears flick up, hearing the sound of the creek. A smile grows on my face. My attention returned to the pair below. I flex my hands, splaying out my fingers, and then brought them together, unleashing everything I had.

Kitsune-bi rains down upon the still disoriented duo while the spell from my hands launched, sending a massive beam of magic onto them. The horse neighs loudly as it was struck, being beaten to the ground.

The ground beneath Diana explodes, now forcing her skywards. Her body bangs heavily into the side of the nightmare, while it too had been lifted off of its feet.

My tails fling my body around. The air still smelled heavily of water from my earlier assault. A small sheet of ice forms, having gathered some of the water floating into the air, and kicks off of it, launching myself at them.

Diana faceplants hard onto the ground, with dirt shooting up around her. She groans in pain, attempting to rise to her feet. The girl sees a shadow quickly beginning to blot out the moonlight. Felfire erupts from her hand and sends it into the ground, exploding it around her.

Rocks and fire shot up from the ground. I cover my face with my arms as they pelt me the closer I approach. She grins, watching me struggle against the torrent of debris.

“Is that you can you do, little girl?” she shouts mockingly.

“No…” I whisper.

She turns, discovering me in between her and Orobas. She quickly looks up to see the figure above her dissolve into shadow and flame. My body crouches low to the ground, left arm held out in front with my tails fully unfurled and arcing in the air. I pan upwards, our gazes meeting. My lips curl, baring my fangs at the girl.

I wrap a couple tails around her with two more around the nightmare and twirl my body. Using the momentum, I fling the girl into the horse, kicking her in the chest. Magic swells within my hands while in midair.

My foot lands on the ground, firing an orb into her. Yet instead of merely passing through her, it explodes into the pair, knocking them away from me.

The girl groans, slowly standing back up. Blue lights surround her, illuminating the area. Her gaze became frantic as scores upon scores of kitsune-bi floated about. Ice and shadow swirl and mix within the flames. The balls of spectral flame begin to spin around them, with several launching towards them.

Diana screams as dozens of kitsune-bi strike her once more. The horse wails, thrashing its head from side to side, its hellish flames flash and flicker from the onslaught of spiritual fire. A snarl rumbles from me, slapping all of my tails onto the ground, firing the last of the kitsune-bi at them. Once more they bounce violently off of each other, with the nightmare dropping to the ground.

My ears quickly flick back. The sound of wood snapping and twisting filled my ears. I turn just in time to see a corrupted tree limb swinging towards me. I narrowly graze it, but grunts as another smashes me from behind, rocketing me forward. My teeth grit in pain from the impact.

I bounce some distance away. The ground trembles and shakes from the stomping of hooves. I peer up to see Diana, riding her bonded, charging towards me. Greenish fire blazes around them, as she hurls fireballs at me.

I roll out of the path of the incoming fire, just barely making it as the horse stomps where I had just been. I tumble to my feet and run after them, summoning forth more kitsune-bi and launching them at the pair.

A few pelt the girl, causing her to loosen her grip. She groaned, leading the horse around and towards me. My body crouches low, waiting for them to come closer. My foot slides back, digging deeply into the ground. My eyes narrow, zeroing in on my target.

A grin rose on her face the closer she came, “Giving up little girl or are you wanting to see your mother up close?”

I ignore her taunts, letting her draw ever closer to me.

“Use the shadows,” hearing Fenris echo in my mind.

I slip down into the shadows, just as they were within a hair’s breadth of me. I slowly gaze at her, watching surprise fill within her mismatched eyes, watching me disappear right in front of her. They sail past me from above, coming to an abrupt halt. Her head swivels around, trying desperately to replace where I might pop up.

A smile stretches across my face, reemerging behind the pair. Passing through shadows still feels incredibly weird. Maybe when I get home, I can have Fenris properly teach me how to do it.

My tails wrap around the beast and pulling my body forward onto it. She looks up at me, elbowing me, “Get off, you filthy animal.”

Her words stung. No matter the circumstances, to hear the person, who formerly was my mother, call her child a “filthy animal” is painful. But I don’t care anymore. For she no longer is my mother. I doubt one could even consider us related at this point, given what Selene spoke about what she did to her corpse.

I push away her jabs and shove her off of her mount, sending her flying off into the brush.

The nightmare suddenly stops and bucks violently, trying to throw me off. I scream in pain as my tails cling tighter to the beast, feeling its flames brighten, singeing into the fur of my tails. I cover the beast’s eyes in shadow, listening to it neigh loudly, still bucking and kicking. I slap its rear, making it charge forward.

I wrap my tails around its face and slowly started to lead it. I steer my impromptu mount around, forcing it towards the creek. The animal violently attempts to throw me off, stopping suddenly at times, and rearing up.

I grit my teeth, kicking it squarely on back of the neck. I never could even imagine doing this to Ember, never. But this wasn’t Ember, hell it’s not even of this world. So the notion of causing harm to it being immoral kind of flies out the window.

I peer up, seeing my goal in sight. Just before I lifted the shadows from its eyes, the creature suddenly stops and turns, finally throwing me off of its back. I cling tightly to it and hold out my arms, summoning forth water from the creek to further ensnare the beast. Water wraps around its body and neck, dragging it towards the creek.

Fire hisses and steam billowed from its body, neighing loudly as it struggled to break free. I groan, pulling my arms closer to my chest, causing the water to haul it closer and closer to the water. Its hooves dug deeply into the soil, hearing the embankment give way under its feet.

Nearly there.

A ball of green flame rockets past my face, breaking my concentration. The bindings generated by the creek drop to the ground. The nightmare then whirls its body, dragging me along with it. My teeth clench as it flung me around. Out of the corner of my corner of my eye I saw a glowing-veined tree limb swinging towards me.

I release my tails from the creature’s neck to avoid it but for a second tree limb instantly comes into view, crashing into me. I cough up blood, feeling the air escaping from my lungs. The first tree limb then swells up like a balloon, filled with infernal magic, and quickly explodes, flinging me into the air.

I fall back to the ground, landing on my arm. I scream out in pain, feeling my right arm shatter. Hot tears ran down my face as I roll about, blood streaming from protruding bone fragments.

“Aria!!!” I hear Fenris crying out with worry. He tries to soothe away the pain, wrapping my arm in a cold wind, but the burning pain easily overwhelms whatever attempt he made.

I haven’t felt this bad since I dueled with Irina a couple years ago. The major difference being between then and when I battled at the Estate, is that both times were fought while at full strength. I walked into this fight having nearly been killed and heavily injured.

I roll to my knees, pushing up with my tails and left arm. The pain was unbearable. I can’t even use the technique Silvi taught me, in that I squeeze the muscles in my arm tightly in order to push the shattered bones back together.

Even if I could, there’s this nagging little issue of the bone fragments sticking out of my arm. If my dragonic sister were here, she’d tell me it’d be a really bad idea to even attempt it.

I sit up, watching the forest begin to glow a deathly green. I stare forward to the sound of clapping hooves storm towards me. The image of the nightmare quickly came into view with Diana riding on its back once more.

Pain surges through me like a tidal wave. My thoughts slip into fog, unable to really focus. My tails swish and sway along the brush and remnants of grass that haven’t been charred or blasted away from the numerous explosions.

I slow my breath, trying to block out the searing pain exuding from my arm. My eyes closed, letting myself slip into darkness. Not out of despair, but of emptiness. The sounds of clapping hooves draw closer and closer, actually feeling the heat of my enemies upon my face.

“You will die you little bitch, die and atone for your sins,” screams Diana.

I open my eyes and rush once more at them, passing through her mount and wrapping my tails around her. I drag her off the horse, throwing her to the ground, and firing a blast of Dragon Ice into the beast, sending it flying into the creek behind me.

The horse wails in pain as the water and ice squelch its flames. It stomps so hard in the creek bed that numerous trees become uprooted and crash down onto it, further trapping it in the water for the moment.

I spin in midair and fire a pair of blasts into Diana. She grunts and bounces off of the ground as they strike her. My body once more returns to its physical state, allowing her to grab hold and drag me down, kneeing me in the face. She picks herself up and whirls us around, launching me towards a tree.

I stretch out with a tail and summon more of the water from the creek and hurl it at her, clenching my fist and freezing her in place. While still flying through the air, I fire a blast of Dragon Ice at her, further increasing her prison.

The area around us is now covered in thick sheets of ice with large spikes protruding from the ground and reaches all the way to the creek. In the distance I can hear the nightmare howling in pain.

My body rebounds of a tree, landing on, of all things, my feet, but soon drops to a knee. I rest there for a moment, panting heavily, pain stinging and stabbing throughout my body.

“Aria…we cannot maintain this form for much longer. Your injuries are becoming far too much for me to restrain. We must end this now.”

I nod, feeling blood rolling down my chin.

I peer up at her, watching her struggle within her frozen prison. I gritted my teeth, wrapping my tails around a branch to hoist me back onto my feet.

My breath feels haggard, feeling my lungs brush up against cracked and broken ribs. My right arm was in tatters, blood dripping along its length and onto the ground. My vision starts to blur, becoming lightheaded from the blood loss. I don’t even want to speculate how bad my back is.

To put it simply, I’m in really bad shape. I think it’s a miracle I still have enough strength to do anything at this point.

There is also another thing that it true…Diana really isn’t any better off than me either. Her body is riddled with bruises and gashes, blood trickling down the right side of her face, which is now swollen in shades of deep blues and purples.

Not to mention I have her trapped. I just had to knock her out. Maybe Mom can do something with her, possibly undo whatever corruption Regulus placed onto her.

I close my eyes, summoning forth all of my remaining magic and stamina. I begin chanting the mantras and prayers I learned from the inari shrine and Yukari, the ones of sealing.

I take a deep breath; a chilling wind soon envelopes my body, shifting me into my spirit form. I had enough strength to perform one last Rush, and it’s all I needed to finish this.

My eyes slowly open as I lean forward, launching myself at her. I fly and twirl through the air, coming ever closer to her, magic swirling in my hands, feeling the spiritual fires of the kitsune gathering within my palms. If my attacks landed, they’d seal her away. Just a little bit more.

“I cannot maintain our form any longer…forgive me Aria.”

Shadows envelope my body as Fenris and I split, with him flying away from me.

I land hard onto the ground, skidding to a halt in the dirt. All of the pain from the entire fight soon washed over me like flood, sending my nerves into an absolute frenzy. Pain upon pain mounts like an unending tidal wave. I couldn’t move, blood oozed from my wounds, sapping all of my strength.

My body shrinks back down to its original size, with my knees scraping across the soil. My tails flop on the ground, all nine resting against each other.

The wolf rolls for a moment and got up to run over to me. Just before he could reach me, the nightmare emerges from the creek and barrels into him, kicking my bonded away. A loud cry or yelp left him as Fenris’ body disappears into the brush.

“Forgive me, my little Aria,” I hear him cry out.

Orobas trots over to Diana, kicking her free of her prison, hearing the sound of ice shattering and dropping to the ground.

The girl shivers, rubbing her arms, “You…You little bitch,” fire swirls round her, warming herself, “I was freezing…and I hate being cold.” She throws off what remains of the ice shards, evaporating with a loud hiss against the flames.

I couldn’t move. More like I simply can’t move. My right arm lies in a crumpled heap beside me. Thankfully said “heap” was in a straight line and no new bone fragments were sticking out. My chest heaves heavily on the ground, each breath felt like a bench press, pushing up a tiny ninety-five pound girl off of the ground.

Blood trickles down from nearly every cut and splinter jabbing into my skin. I can’t even begin to or wish to know how my back was, pain shot up on and down it like a yoyo. Probably the only few parts of my body not completely destroyed were my legs, but there was no strength left in me to muster anything.

A series of sharp stabbing pain soon erupts from my shins, okay…et tu shins?

I should be laughing, but I can’t even if I were to do it to myself. This feels a hundred times worse than after my duel with Irina, there I wasn’t fighting for my life, nor did I go into it already beaten to hell. Yeah…I’m in bad shape…really bad shape.

The sound of grass being crushed fills my ears, which lie pinned over my hair. I wince, groaning as someone grabs a mess of my hair at the scalp and yanks me upwards.

“You have been nothing more than a pain in my ass tonight,” says Diana, glaring directly into my eyes. “First you refuse to die, and then you continue to show how much contempt you have for humanity by transforming into…this beast. You aren’t even human anymore.”

So what? Why should I even care what you think of me at this point?

A smile then rose on her face, “But that ends now.”

I weakly stare at her, groaning as her grip tightens on my hair, threatening to rip it cleanly from my scalp. Blood mixed with dirt trickles down the sides of her face. My nose wrinkles with the smell of smoldering hair, watching as strands curl from embers.

“I am going to present your broken corpse to that bitch who stole you from me, and then I am going to take great pleasure in destroying everything you love. I guess that home of yours will be first, then your coven.”

She holds her hand to my face. Green flames swirled around it, feeling it lick my hair, smoldering some of it. My stomach curled in disgust from the smell.

“Now,” reeling it back, “I send you to you Hell, may you burn in it for your sins.”

I stare into her eyes, each glowing with a deep sickly green as her face contorted with sheer delight with her desire to kill me. I saw no spark of maternal love or care within them. I no longer saw any familiarity, nothing resembling the person I once knew.

The girl kneeling in front of me, holding my hair and poised to kill me, is now a completely different person, unknown to me in my heart.

A sudden whoosh of wind washes over me as a leg collides with her, knocking the girl away, sending her body crashing into the grass. The leg was large, armored, and red.

“Get away from my baby sister you little Hell-bitch,” hearing a new voice coming over me. A spark of joy resounds within me, weakly glancing up.

“Silvi,” I rasp, feeling tears streaming down my face.

You’re here sissy…thank you. My sister lands in front of me, her wings unfurled, tail swaying in the air. She clenches her fists, digging her toes into the soil.

Another pair of hands then carefully scooped me up, and held my body tenderly to its source’s chest, “I have you, Aria,” another voice whispers gently, this time from a man, “I have you, my dear.”

I stare into his soft teal eyes, “Arcturus?”

He nods gently, stroking my hair, “It’s going to be all right.”

Not only had Silvi come but also Arcturus. His grip felt more and more like a father’s, holding me close to his body. My head rolled into his chest, almost if by instinct.

“Thank you,” I whisper, feeling myself slowly fading, yet still clinging to consciousness.

A warm and tender smile rose on his face, “You are more than welcome, my dear.”

A soft chilling wind softly kisses my cheek. I look over to see Fenris running towards us, standing by my side, lowering his head to me, “I am here, my little Aria.”

A soft smile rose on my lips, “Thank you, Papa Wolf.” I wince, raising my hand to my bonded’s face, stroking it. Blood from my fingers soak into his fur.

“You are safe, my Aria.” Tears rolls down my cheeks, more than ever before.

“No…not again…I won’t be denied my justice on this girl!” shouts Diana as she rose to her feet. She glared at Silvi, greenish flames erupting from her hands. A loud snarl rumbled from her, “So…from what corner of Hell did you crawl out of?”

“You dare attack my sister while she lays half-dead on the ground, and claim to be seeking ‘justice’?” My sister snorts, glaring at her, “I am a dragon you witless girl, and you tried to murder my sister.” She steps forward, claws flexing and curling, “And we really hate it when someone steals from us.”

The girl looks to her bonded, which snorts greenish flames and wails loudly, rearing back and stomping on the ground. It charged towards her, flames spewing from its nostrils. The ground shakes violently as it stampedes towards her.

My sister glances at it and delivers a vicious backhand to its face, staggering it. She flicks her hand, “Care to try that again little horsey?” cracking her claws.

The nightmare pulls back, shaking its head, and then crumbled into the ground. Diana looks on it shock, which soon gives way to anger. The girl summons forth more flames and hurls into the ground. Trees buck and creak, coming to life and charged at us.

Reddish flames puff from the sides of my sister’s lips as she inhales deeply, unleashing a massive torrent of flame, consuming the corrupted trees. The blast knocks the girl back onto her butt, forcing a groan of pain from her.

The dragon takes another step towards her, “You will never have my baby sister. Never.”

The girl roll back to her feet and growled. She summons even more flames, reeling back to hurl them at us. “You care so much for that…that girl; do you even know what or who she was?”

My sister snorts, “What’s your point exactly? Of course I care for her,” looking to me, “she is my baby sister, and the daughter of my dearest friend. I care not who she used to be, only that she is now in our lives.” A warm blush ran across my cheeks.

“Gah, I don’t care anymore!!!” screams Diana. “If you want to be with her, then I will send you all to Hell!” She then casts a stream of felfire towards us.

Silvi snorts, puffing tiny fireballs, grinning “Try if you can.”

A warm glow surrounds me as Arcturus creates a barrier, shielding us. His grip tightens around me, but ever so gently, “Fear not Aria…neither of us will allow anything to happen to you.” I feel Fenris draping his tails over me, wrapping me in a blanket of gentle cold.

My sister also nods to me as she took in another breath as flames spew from her mouth. She let out a roar, breathing a massive plume of fire, easily snuffing out the greenish flames from the girl, watching them peter out as they came into contact with one another.

Diana look on in shock, “But…but how? They told me only flames from the spirit world could push back felfire.”

My sister smirk, snorting more puffs of flame, “Dragonfire reigns supreme in the world of the living. So my flames can easily counter yours.”

She peers down at me, seeing my crumbled and beaten form. Silvi then growls, glaring at the girl, her golden eyes piercing through the dark, “Now…still wish to die? I for one will be more than happy to pay you back for all of the pain you given my little sister, with compounded interest.”

The girl takes a step forward as the nightmare too rose to its feet, both set to charge us. Her flames grow brighter and stronger. The pair glare at us, taking yet another step forward.

Silvi grins, slamming her fist into her palm, snorting red-hot flames. “Bring it.”

“DIANA!!!”

She wheels around to see her companions emerging from what remained of the forest, “Regulus!”

He runs towards her as an explosion of magic erupts from behind him and Selene, whose left arm appeared to be cracking. “I can still kill her. Just have to deal with her pet dragon.”

He arrives to where she is, “No…we have failed this night, as much as I hate to admit it.” Regulus peers over to me, still laying in a crumbled mess within Arcturus’ arms. “Well…it appears yet again that the hand of providence has shone brightly upon you.”

His gaze then turns up towards the man holding me, “Well…we meet again Arcturus. I see you are still as much the sentimental fool I’ve always known you to be.”

Arcturus growls, “At least I truly care for those I love. Unlike you, who only seeks his desires.” He holds me even closer to his chest.

I know he’s in love with my mom, but…does this mean that he loves me too? Like…like if I’m his daughter or something? Or am I becoming delirious from blood loss? My brain whirls with thoughts, feeling my fingers still clinging tightly to Fenris.

My bonded leans in gently nudges my face, “I am here, my little Aria.” I smile, ever grateful to have my big Papa Wolf.

He smirks, pulling Diana back, “Be that as it may, I will see my dreams fulfilled. And I don’t care what I have to do in order to seek them.”

“You won’t have her, you son-of-a-bitch,” exclaims Silvi. Her wings unfurl, spewing more flames from her mouth, “You will never destroy any more lives than you already have.”

I feel a lump growing in my throat, thinking of how he used Marron to get to me, and how he murdered my family.

Selene fires a series of spells into the distance at some unknown target. “We don’t have much time beloved. If we don’t leave now we’ll be overrun.” The wight looks to me, noticing my tails, “She…she has…”

Her crimson eyes then peers over to Fenris, who rises and takes a step in front of me, lips curled back in a deep snarl, with one tail wrapped around mine.

Her eyes dart about for a moment, shaking her head, “No…no, still not her.”

Who are you talking about? Who else do I remind you of?

My ears weakly perk up, hearing the sound of clanging metal echoed over clearing, watching as Orga and Kateryna running towards us, swords in hand, and glowing brightly.

“Regulus!!!” I hear shouting another voice over the distance.

My heart melts at the sight of my mother running alongside my knights. Fresh hot tears stream down my face, “Mom,” whispering, feeling the lump growing larger in my throat.

Regulus swore under his breath, “They caught up to us faster than I thought,” looking to me, handing Diana to Selene, who held her tightly.

The girl turns to him, “We can still kill her Regulus.”

He looks her over, watching as blood trickled down her face, noting his own injuries. “No…we cannot. She has fresh guardians defending her, and I dare not face a dragon in combat. Even if I were to have from the onset, it could lead to my death.”

She shakes her head, “NO…I want kill her now.”

He glares at her. “Be silent,” he snaps. “You will get your chance.”

She growls in protest, but relents, “Fine,” looking over as my mother and knights draw ever closer, then back to me, “until next time…girl.”

He sighs, peering back over to me as Selene envelops the four of them in a bluish circle. “We shall meet again, young Aria. Mark my words. Dewloura shall rise once more and I will claim that which is mine.”

Silvi roars, unleashing a torrent of flame, which collides with the circle, blasting harmlessly away. She growls at him, “You will never have her, you bastard.”

The man smirks, turning to me, “Until then…little princess.”

The wight smiles, waving to me as they begin to teleport away, “I shall see you again soon, dearest cousin.” I watch them ascend into the sky in a pillar of light, disappearing to the night.

All of the tension in my body flushes out of me, allowing me to crumble completely into Arcturus’ arms. I felt tired, really tired. I foresee a nice long nap in my future. I need a vacation, maybe go back to Japan or just stay at home.

Yeah…home. I’m sure the pups will be more than happy to see me. Luna’s probably been scared out of her mind worrying about me. Micha and their father have more than likely tried to comfort her, but with Micha also bawling his little eyes out. I let out a soft smirk, guess I have a lot to make up for with a lot of people.

“Aria!!!”

My head weakly pans over to see Rachel dropping to her knees with tears streaming down her face.

“Hey…” I rasp. Arcturus gently hands my tiny battered body into her arms.

She holds me tightly to her chest, rocking me gently, “Oh my girl…my sweet, sweet girl. You don’t know how happy I am to see you alive my precious baby.”

I roll my head into her chest, hand clinging to her, tears drip onto her chest, “Mom…Mom,” I whisper.

She smiles, stroking my hair, planting kisses onto my blood-smeared cheeks. “My beloved girl.”

Fenris plops beside me, nudging me softly, both tails now wrapped around mine. I smile, feeling my broken arm dropping to the ground. “Well fought, little Aria. I am proud of you.”

I giggle softly, wincing in pain. It was worth it though.

Silvi and my knights each kneel around me, with my sister stroking my hair. Tears roll down her face, “Little Wing.”

I choke up again, “Sissy.”

She chuckles tearfully, parting some of my hair, “Silly little hatchling.”

I crane over to my knights, “Hey guys,” watching as their faceplates retract.

Orga smiles, “Evening, Your Highness. You have sorely been missed as of late.” I grin, looking to Kateryna, who leans over, gently placing my broken arm into my lap.

She smiles, “You are looking well, Your Highness.”

I smirk, wincing, “Thanks…felt better though.” The elf chuckles, nodding softly.

I pan back up to Rachel, whose violet eyes shimmer with tears. “Mom,” I whisper.

Fatigue washes over me, all of the pain from the battle had seemingly been dulled or I was simply too tired to even notice it. My eyes slowly close, with my head plopping into her chest, I’m tired now.

“Aria?!?” I hear her voice echoing in my ears as everything starts to fade away.

“Aria!” Her voice trails off into the ether of the void.