A Steady Riegn of Terror

[ryuyogen]

Her thin lips contorted into a familiar grin as she chuckled. "Of course I'm still a pyro mom, but now just much more powerful. As for being able to become a dragon?" She would seem to dissipate into the air fading from her brother and mother's eyes, appearing about fifty yards away.

Ryu looked over his shoulder smiling softly shaking his head at Lai about to show off.

Standing there she put both palms together infront of her, looking downward as wind began to pick up around her. She closed her eyes and without warning purplish flames surrounded her. Since Ryu's flames had alway been black they always covered what had been happening inside the flames. The flames incinerated Lai's clothing but as it did her body was already contorting, shifting and changing, her face growing larger, the whole of her eyes turning blue, her jaw growing and her teeth, her body grew, changing color and finally when the flames died, there stood a Amethyst Dragon, those blues hues just looking toward Raine.

Just as soon as it hapened, she turned back but was clothed and she just peered at her mother grinning.

"Show off." Ryu joked. In responce she looked over to him grinning.

"Shove off pops." And her eyes would twinkle red for a moment and Ryu's cape would catch on fire which he would bat out quickly. "See mom, I have learned a lot."

[r a i n e]

"Indeed you've learend alot - to turn your fire on your father instead of your dear old mum." She smirked.

Hazen's eyes were wide in awe. He'd tried to do that many times himself, but the dragon in him just wasn't as strong as the fae. He instantly ran to his sister. "Show me! Show me!"

Not knowing what to say, Raine just crossed her arms and watched their children reunite.

[ryuyogen]

She would hug her brother just laughing aloud as she shook her head and she would step back from her given hug putting a hand on her brothers cheek, her ocean blue hues staring into Hazens.

"Be glad that you cannot shift my brother. Be glad you cannot get as angry as I. Hope not to die only to be reborn in a rage. It cannot be controlled. Only reason I can control it now is because I had the best teacher." Her eyes would look over to Ryu who was still simply smiling looking up to the clouds in the sky smiling to himself, a small portion of his cape singed. Then she would look back to her mother.

"Mom, what has happened since I've been gone?"

[r a i n e]

Very much had happened since she had left, but none that Lai would understand.

"Your aunt Solace married King Nicho. I am Duchess now, and Third in Command of this kingdom." She'd understand that, that's for sure. She moved to sit down behind a rock somewhere behind Ryu.

It was so awkward to face him again. He always came and went without a word to her and Raine was beginning to feel that even Ryu was a stranger to her now.

[ryuyogen]

Lai would see a momentary look upon her mothers face, and her head would tilt, just like her father's when he was trying to figure something out. She loved her mother, and she knew her mother loved her. Only two things seemed to make sense. Either mother was upset Lai had not been around lately, or she didn't want Ryu here. Now that she had grown up, she understood what her father did, they had, had long talks about it durning her training.

"Oset." Her voice was firm as she spoke, crisp and clear now. But Ryu turned to face her, curious look on his face. "Illande ku relisa kosetsu tara."

Instantly a mournful look would cross his face, those sapphire hues losing all the happiness they had and he would rise. "Alete ich mesetsu toro." And he would dissipate into nothingness.

Her eyes told she regreted hurting her father but she looked to her mom forcing a smile. "Anything else happen mom?"

[r a i n e]

"Lai...What did he just say?" The only thing Ryu ever said in that language that she understood was "so tu no yare ryu".

Her own facial expression looked mournful. Just days earlier she'd had to burry Drako in close proximity to where Archelo lay, and now Ryu was dissapating into nothingness infront of her without a word she could understand.

That look quickly faded, though. She would not dare let her children see her that way.

"You have a new brother." How could she forget! Lai had been gone that long... "His name is Archelo, after his father, but Nicho has taken to calling him AJ." She smiled fondly. AJ was a chubby, adorable baby boy very much resembling his late father.

[ryuyogen]

To her mothers question she would look down. "I told him you were uncomfortable with him here because you had that look on your face. All he said is, 'I understand, I'll leave you in peace.' "

Then she quirked her head her eyes narrowing as she peered at her mother, her right knee coming up bringing up her foot and she plucked the dagger from her boot and began patting it against her palm. "How in the nine Hells did you have another baby? You tell dad that you will never marry again and now you have another son when I get home?" The dagger blade was slapping freverently against her palm.

[r a i n e]

Raine stood up, giving her daughter a firm look. "I do not know what your father taught you, Lai, but you will never speak to your mother that way again."

Her cheeks were tinted red. "I did not marry again. I told you his name was Archelo, after his father. Something happened in the kingdom where dreams became reality, and I was victim."

It was true. She came in contact with Syn, and was told she passed out right away. When she awoke, she had believed that Archelo had, in reality, returned from the dead. It was an incredible shock to learn that she had only been dreaming. It was even more of a shock when she discovered that she was pregnant.

She could put up a strong argument there - Ryu wasn't exactly one for fidelity - but she would not dare get their children involved. That would be unfair to both them and her.

[ryuyogen]

Her beautiful face would then become a mask of horror, her thin rosy lips contorting into that sadistic and disturbing grin, the emotion in her eyes blinking from existance as they seemed to stare right through her own mother, and her body completly loose. Exact vision of her father when getting pissed.

"First mother." Mother would come out sarcastically and cold. "Don't you EVER speak to me as if I am a child now, for I have become an adult. If you can begin to honestly argue I had no reason to flip out slightly about you having a kid without you offering the reason of HOW first, then I'll apologise. But as for the way I speak to you. I came here to see you. Dad came to see his son and you. And you DARE treat me like a kid?"

Her fathers rage as well. Except Lai's was untrained. She let it free when and how she wanted. Had no tact in getting her poit across except for being hostile.

"I will admit that father has screwed up a lot. But he does love you. He and I have had long talks while we both lay on the ground recouparating from beating the crap out eachother. He regrets leaving you more than anything, so stays close as a friend. He won't approch you though mom. You ever want to talk to him, you have to approch him, because he doesn't know how."

Her anger was fading as she spoke of Ryu. She hadn't known her father much before she left with him, but now she had got to know him, and learn to love Ryu as a father.

"He is trying hard mom. And so am I, to be a good daughter..."

[r a i n e]

Raine was fuming. Her cheeks were bright red and it took alot of will power to keep her jaw from dropping in shock.

"Remember, Lai, that you will always be my daughter, child or not. I am your mother, and you will respect me. Watch your tongue."

Though she sounded stern, she wanted to throw herself against the castle's outer wall and sob. Her eldest child hated her so...It was hard to believe that her adorable six-year-old daughter had become a merciless young woman in months.