A Steady Riegn of Terror

[ryuyogen]

"What are you going to do mother? Spank me? You know, I love you mom, but I can't help but wonder why you let yourself be so weak. Dad is just amazingly powerful, but your so far behind him in powerful. Funny thing, dad is right. It is those who do not have a lot of power who are the most powerful. You have dad's heart, and with that could crush him if you decided to. Well if I never fall in love I guess I won't have dads problem."

She crossed her arms matching Raine's stern look but she hid everything. Raine had always had little things in her face that gave away emotion when she tried to be stern to her when she was a child.

[r a i n e]

Raine stared her right in the eyes, a stormy blue clash of epic proportions. She went to open her mouth to speak, but instead turned on her heel and made for the door back to the castle.

It simply wasn't worth getting in a pissing match with her daughter. If Lai loved her, she'd respect her more than this.

Raine pushed open the door, lifting her skirt in her hands as she walked up the stairs to the tower.

Hazen was still outside, staring dumbfounded at his big sister and his mommy. What had just happened?

[ryuyogen]

As she walked up the stairs she would notice Ryu by a window, gazing out over what land he could see but simply seeming to stare through it. A soft tune being hummed by him as he sat motionless.

Outside Lai looked to Hazen. "Wanna play hide and seek bro. You hide!"

[r a i n e]

Hazen's face lit up. Ooooh, he was sooo excited. He scrambled to hide, not even checking to see if Lai had covered her eyes yet.

Raine was so distraught as she walked that she almost slammed right into Ryu as he sat at the window on her way up the stairs. Spotting him, she froze, suddenly not having any idea what to say.

She stepped down a step, letting go of her skirt and smoothing it nervously with her hands. "...Hello, Ryu."

[ryuyogen]

A soft smile crossed his face after he turned to face her. His eyes focused as he looked at her and he nodded. "Hi Raine. It's good to see you again. You seem somewhat preturbed though, whats wrong if I may ask?" His eyes never left her.

Lai hid her eyes and began counting. And decided not to find Hazen by feeling out his power.

[r a i n e]

She laughed a little, mocking herself. "Oh, if only I knew where to begin."

She raked a hand through her hair, leaning on the banister and watching him. It had been quite some time since they'd seen eachother and it was...awkward. "I finally killed Sadie's father." There was a seemingly safe place to start.

Hazen, meanwhile, was scrambling around like an oaf, trying to find the PERFECT hiding spot.

[ryuyogen]

"Thats good to hear. I miss Sadie... she was like a daughter to me." He looked her straight in the eyes. "Lai is being stubborn again isn't she? Don't take what she says literally. Her entire time away she spoke of you. We had many talks. She is a great loving daughter, but she gets so frustrated when she doesn't understand."

Slowly he stood and face her. "As for Apocolypse, I am glad you got to him before I did. And your a Duchess, I am proud of you."

Finally he looked down. She was still uncomfortable around him. "I will talk to you later though, I know its akward having me around." With that he began to walk past her to go down the stairs.

Lai kept counting till she felt her brother stop scrambling.

[r a i n e]

"Why do you always walk away from me?" She didn't turn around. It was her turn to stare straight ahead, right out that same window. Yes, she was uncomfortable. Lai just scolded her for having Archelo's son, stood outside and threatened her with a dagger, and Ryu still had a habit of leaving her.

If he wanted it to stop being so awkward, then he should just talk to her already. What was the worse that would happen? A fight? That's not the end of the world. A good brawl would do them good.

Meanwhile, Hazen was hiding, hands clamped over his mouth so his giggles wouldn't give him away.

[ryuyogen]

He stopped.

"I don't like making you feel uncomfortable. I have done a lot of stuff that has hurt you, and the last thing I want to do is cause more emotion's more situations that add to the ill feelings I have already given you. I love you Raine, always will. I have made my mistakes, and many of them indeed."

He turned facing her back.

"Since you I went downhill, went from Lina, to Desari, to Tempest. I have given Tempest and Desari both children. They have forgiven me, both of them. Mainly because they knew it from the beginning there would be a chance of that. But I come by and help with the children. They know, just like you, one they or you need me I shall be there."

His eyes looked to her feet.

"Lai knows how I feel, she just kept asking questions, wanting to know why. And the answers were given to her. I love you. I have been gone, and if this is how my life remains, spending time with my children Lai, Hazen, Cambridge and Kahlan spending time with my great friends Desari, Tempest and maybe Lina if I ever get to see her, then spend time with you, even if I can never have you again, I am content. All I want is you, and since I will never have that again, being around to see you smile, to see you hold yourself proudly when you do, to hear you voice and feel your embrace in a friendly hug, to hear your laugh and to look in your eyes and just to have a friendly talk, I will settle for that, because I love my children and I love you."

With that he fell quiet. His voice had cracked a few times as he spoke but he kept looking down, the strands of black hair hiding his face.

Lai on the otherhand, began searching now. She could find her brother, dad said they could return him to his normal age phyiscally together, but they would need one more dragonblooded. Kavan, daddy's brother had denied it. He seemed nice to her, but you could cut the coldness between Ryu and him with a knife. So dad said maybe when Cambridge or Kahlan was trained, it could work then. At the moment, she knew where Cambridge was hiding, but she was looking everywhere else at the moment, letting him think he was doing well. But as she walked she began to think. She had let her anger gain control of her again with her mother and should apologize.

~Mother, I am really sorry for how I reacted. The knife is something I picked up from Kavan, daddy's brother, its a stress reliever. I am sorry mom.~

[r a i n e]

Her eyes widened as he spoke. She never knew about the other two women, or the other two children. Now she truly was speechless.

What could she say to that? He vowed that he loved her, that he would love her until the end, yet he had three women since leaving her, and two children. What kind of love is that? She did not understand.

She began to cry. Not loud, heartwrenching sobs. Not silent little sniffles, but good, confused crying. He could see it in the slight shaking of her back.

When Lai spoke to her mind, there was nothing that she could do back. Raine was Caller Fae, her only power was to Call the Rain and her fire and her Kibou - she was not gifted in her mind.

Hazen, on the other hand, had climbed up a tree, and was actually pretty well concealed for such an oafish young man.