Nijuu's body ceased glowing. Her body appeared to be completely healed. She heard Grey calling to her, though, for some reason, she couldn't place who's voice it was calling to her. Nijuu opened her eyes slowly. She knew she was weak, from whatever had drained her of her energy. Her vision was blurred as a result of her unexplained weakness. She turned her head, and saw someone. "Father?!" She spoke weakly, then lost consciousness.
At this point a 'vision' of a woman appeared before Grey, standing beside an unconscious Nijuu. She had very long white hair, nearly touching the ground...she appeared to be an image of a much older Nijuu. She looked down on the unconscious Nijuu, then looked at Grey. "You must be the boy whom crashed into Nijuu's home." She spoke calmly.

Amalia walked over to one of the weapons the poachers were using, and picked it up. "Their weapons were the bones and skins of my kin." She spoke with almost no emotion on her tone. "They thought these alone would give them an edge on us." She tightened her grip on the weapon, and it shattered in her hand. "The weapon of my kin is usually made from the bones and skin of kin whom have passed. But this alone doesn't give the weapon its strength." Amalia looked over at Shrike, and held out Frost to him. "The weapon is infused with the spirit of the dragon-kin whom has passed. The strength from the one who has past gives the weapon power. Any ability they had, the weapon will have. Frost is infused with my father's spirit. The blade and shaft are his bones. The shaft is wrapped in his scales, and the sheath is made of his skin and scales as well. The power and strength my father had is infused with this weapon. Frost will respond to no one else but myself, and anyone I call kin. Try to hold it." Amalia instructed. "You'll find it difficult at best."

Ezekiel sighed, locking the journal up in a black case, "I have a guess, and if the answer to my guess is what I think it is, I think I'm going to walk out of this room."

Grey, still shocked by his father's dissappearance, nodded, "Yes......" then looked down to Nijuu, "What's happened to her.....I saw Genesis impale her.....and then....nothing....what happened?"

Shrike took hold of her weapon, and held it in his hand. He felt very cold, but still held it in his grip.

The woman looked at Grey and smiled gently. "Well, for now, she's resting. Her soul stripped off the darkness that harmed her. It's something not many Espers do, and those that can strip their souls don't know how to master it. It's defensive, and passive." She walked over to Nijuu, as she walked towards her, the four petaled flower pattern that Nijuu had, was also carried by the woman. "It's also very risky." She stopped and looked directly at Grey. "There are many side effects, and sometimes the benefits don't out weigh the risks." She looked down at Nijuu. "Her memory of the last few years will have been stripped, and when she wakens, she may appear to be younger than when you first met her...but more importantly, you," she turned and pointed at Grey; "will have three days from the time she wakes to restore her memory, or her soul will be stripped from this plain and returned to the spirit realm."

Amalia looked at Shrike, her palm still touching Frost. "If my hand was not touching Frost, you would have fallen to the ground." She explained. Suddenly, a sound from within the house caught Amalia's ear. She turned towards the house, taking Frost from Shrike. "Wait here for a moment." She instructed, then walked towards the house.

Grey look horrified upon hearing this, "........So if I don't her back to normal, she loses her soul? Because of my blunder?"

Shrike tilted his head, "Stay safe." He let out a slight yawn.

The woman tilted her head. "No one wins or looses when you try to place blame." She pointed out. "There is no way you could have known whether or not my daughter would be hurt or otherwise." She walked towards Grey. "The important thing to remember is that she loves you, and it is that love that will restore her memories. Her heart will remember you first, then you must remind her body of that same love...how you do this is up to you...her soul will remember you as soon as her body does." She folded her arms. "Until her memories have been completely restored, she won't remember your name...no matter how many times you tell her. When she says your name, you'll know that her memories have been restored." She unfolded her arms, and placed her hand on Grey's shoulder, and smiled gently. "Don't blame yourself, it will break her heart to know that you've blamed yourself for her injury." As she said this, she began to disappear. "Remember your love for her...."

Amalia walked inside the house, and heard someone bump into a table in the kitchen. She held Frost firmly in her hand, as she walked into the kitchen and turned on the light, revealing a dragon-kin child, no older than 11 sitting on the floor. It was obvious that the boy did not below with her kin, since his skin was much darker than hers- like he had spent too much time in the summer sun- and the scales that seemed to cover only sixty percent of his body were pitch black.
"Please don't hurt me!" The boy begged.
Amalia sighed heavily, as she placed Frost on her back. "I'm not going to hurt you." Amalia said to the child, as she walked towards him. "What's your name?" She asked.
The boy looked up at Amalia with a puzzled expression. "I don't have a name." He replied.
"Did those men take you from your kin?" Amalia asked, as she sat in one of the kitchen chairs.
"I guess so." The boy replied. "I don't remember...I only remember those men."
Amalia got out of the chair, and held her hand out to the boy. "Come with me." She instructed. "I'll help you find your kin."
"Wait.." the boy ran into the pantry. "It's my sister....she's hurt."
Amalia tilted her head and followed the boy...though when she stepped into the pantry, it was clear that the boy's sister was dead, and had been for some time. "I'm really sorry." Amalia said, as she placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "She's no longer with us."
The boy dropped his head, and began to cry.
Amalia looked at the boy. "Don't worry, I know a way that she can be with you; okay?" She said as she knelt down to the boy's height. "Come with me; alright?"
The boy wiped his tears and followed Amalia outside.
Amalia walked towards Shrike, with the boy following her. "It appears the poachers had kidnapped some children."

Shrike looked at the child, and crossed his arms, "Seems suspicious to me.......very suspicious......."

Grey nodded, wiping the tears from the side of his face, "Alright, I will do my best." Looking down at Nijuu, he simply held her hand tenderly, and waited for her to awaken.

Amalia looked at Shrike and folded her arms. "It seems I have use for the poacher I spared." She said, as she looked down at the boy. "Do you remember anything of your kin?"
The boy looked from Shrike to Amalia, and nodded his head once. "We lived at the base of the mountain." He replied. "I didn't leave the house much, 'cause I get sick easily." He lowered his head slightly. "My sister would have been able to-"
"Hush." Amalia instructed, as she placed her hand on the boy's shoulder, and looked at Shrike. "Can you watch him until I get back?" She asked.

Several hours past before Nijuu began to stir. She opened her eyes slowly, her vision still a little blurry, as she looked around her. She felt someone holding her hand, and turned her head towards the person holding her hand. She couldn't see their face clearly. "Wh-where's my father?" She asked, as she sat up slowly. Her vision then cleared, and she could see the face of the person holding her hand. She felt her heart skip a beat, then it began to beat rapidly. Nijuu clutched her chest, as she grunted lowly.

Grey looked to her with sad eyes, and said, "He's gone, as is mine, nearly lost you too.....but your alive......." He had a very loving look in his eyes.

Shrike looked to the child, "Might as well, not sure if I'm the best babysitter, but what the hell." He shrugged.

Nijuu gripped the man's hand. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "I-I don't remember what happened...but my heartaches like I should remember..." her voice trailed off. She then looked at the man. "Do I know you?" She asked. "I feel like I should know you."

Amalia smiled slightly. "It isn't hard, just keep him out of trouble." She said, as she spread her wings. "I won't be too long." She added, then took to the air.
The boy looked at Shrike with a mournful expression on his face.

Shrike looked to the child, "I'm not the person to be looking to for sympathy, I was born with no one, at least you had someone for the time being."

Grey's hand was shaking, his mind still wracked over the guilt of losing his father, "You've been through alot today, your memories are tattered, you've been a guiding light to me for only a short time, but your light had guided me from the darkness. I am hoping, that I can do the same for you. But for now, we should get you inside." He stood up, attempting to help her up as well.

The boy tilted his head, still looking at Shrike. "No one?" He repeated. "What about her?" He pointed to Amalia, whom was flying away.

Nijuu nodded her head slowly. "It's okay." She said, as she stood up on her own. "I'm only a little dizzy." She said, as she looked at the man. Something inside her told her that she could trust him. "M-may I ask what happened?" She asked. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to." She added.

Grey closed his eyes, and simply said, "Something I had been keeping locked away got out, wounded me, nearly killed you, and ended my father, only a short time ago.....its a miracle we're alive.......and I......I can barely think right now....."

Shrike watched Amalia fly away, "I do not think she sees me as someone of value in her life. I have no one whom I can call family, and I do not think I ever will child."

"She doesn't have anyone either." The boy pointed out. "At the moment, she's on a fools errand." He added. "I'm not really here, and neither is my sister...we were both killed at the base of the mountain. A lingering spirit has taken my body to try and give her some faith in other people, more importantly, in herself." The boy folded his arms, as his eyes turned blue. "The spirit that has taken my body, is that of her grandmother. Yes, we were killed brutally, and our last rights were denied to us...she's taken it so hard, and I couldn't watch that eat her up alive. That is a fate worse than death."

Nijuu looked at the man, and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Then don't think." She spoke softly. "It's a lot to take in." She lowered her blue gaze slightly. "I don't remember all that has happened, but I do know that the best thing for the both of us, is to rest." She moved her gaze to his. "I didn't know your father, but I'm sure he wouldn't want to see his son suffer."

Grey nodded, "I guess he wouldn't." He helped her up, his touch a gentle one, and looked to the house, "My mother's presence is missing, I think she went to see my aunt, that's a good thing.....for now......" He led Nijuu inside, and sat down on a couch, he himself heavily exhausted. He sat there thinking.

Shrike smelled the air, "Knew there was something wrong with your scent. I've been trying to avert her from such a path, but the mind wants what the mind wants."

Nijuu stood in the room, unable to shake the feeling that she had been here before.

"You were more likely to forgive my deception than Amalia." The boy spoke. "She really doesn't believe in a lot of the things that I believe in...such as a lingering soul taking possession of a dead body, as I have. But," he lowered his gaze slightly; "be that as it may, I cannot stand by and let her lack of faith in others eat her alive. It's a painful existence, as I assume it's painful for you too; am I correct?"

Grey looked to her, but hadn't the words to say anything, "I.....I don't know what to say. I've never known, but around you, the words just seemed to flow, until you made me speechless, and now I'm afraid that ailment affects me so greatly now."

Shrike looked to them, with angry eyes below his cloth, "Do not make me banish your soul the afterlife."

"I'm quite comfortable with that." The boy replied. "At least it would be going somewhere, and not stuck in limbo." He looked at Shrike. "I don't want my grand daughter to live out her life with regret scarred across her heart."

Nijuu turned and looked at the man sitting on the couch. "Say whatever you'd like to say." She spoke kindly, then smiled gently.

Before Grey could open his mouth, Jessenda zoomed into the living room, looking at them with a smile on her face, "What's up love birds, you two taking a break from doing the deed?" Grey could not answer, for more reasons than one. Jessenda chuckled aloud, "You two were like a bunch of bunny rabbits last night, I swear."

Shrike placed his finger on the child's forehead, forcing the soul from the body, "I will do my best to keep her safe, and to allow her happiness, but you, you deserve rest, and I shall give you it."

"Thank you." The voice of Amalia's grandmother spoke.

Nijuu's face turned beat red, as she looked at the girl. "Doing the deed?!" She repeated, as a shocked expression formed on her face.

Jessenda tilted her head, then walked over to Nijuu, "What, you don't remember him......." And then she began to describe everything to two of them had done the past night, in vivid detail. Grey was waving his arms, trying to stop Jessenda from speaking, but it didn't work.

Shrike nodded, watching as her spirit was sent into the world beyond, to her personal afterlife.

The expression of shock seemed to grow as the child spoke, and Nijuu's face began to turn even redder. "Oh my...." her voice trailed off, not being able to look at the man she apparently had relations with.

Amalia returned, somewhat disappointed. "I couldn't find the poacher I spared. I suppose he thought it was better to hide as soon as he could." She wrapped her wings around her shoulders.