Draklin sighed, "Yes yes, of course, whatever you say bud, you saved me from slavery, so I'll save your ass from it when its endanger someday."

Cereza looked at Kye, smiling softly. "Well I'm more than willing, my love." She said, then looked at Pyro. "I can't believe you did all that without even stirring a single snowflake on the mountain's peak."

Kye chuckled, "I'm surprised as well, but then again, my uncle is very precise......Zigera might trigger an avalanche though........."

The boat finally arrived. "Exactly mein friend." He crawled into the back of the boat to be leered at by Lamia.

Inferno was now furious.

"I would never steal your mother's soul though! I wouldn't DESERVE not to!"

But on the other hand...

Mawthrough had gone to horrific depths - out of love. He hadn't done it for power, he'd done it to protect her.
And on some level... deep inside, he couldn't help but admire the boy.

But...

He didn't want Mawthrough to come back because of the fact he was able to literally say "Kill yourself," and his daughter would jump to it like a good little soldier.
He didn't want Mawthrough coming back because of the things he'd taken from Chastity. But...

Would he have done it? Despite his claims of never, if they'd swapped, would he do what Mawthrough did?
The answer was - how on earth would he know? He'd never needed to make that choice.
Mawthrough had.

And now he was watching Chastity walk away.
But he could let her.
Because the one reason, the true reason, the REAL reason he didn't want Mawthrough back was because if Mawthrough didn't come back, then she would never know the worst part about where he had gone...

And then.
"You never told her, did you, archangel? You never told her, or him? I am surprised... and yet... not."

Inferno turned.
"Don't you dare! You haven't got the right to-"

"Silence."
The woman looked at Chastity.

"The dimension Mawthrough and Friend reside in has a secret. A secret your father knows. And yet, he fears your reaction - and the reaction of your loved one if he is released. If you wish to know more, then pay the price."

"WHAT PRICE!?"

Her tone was cold.
"Chastity, I want you to walk towards me. Don't look at your father. Ignore him. Only then will you know the real reason behind his refusal to return Mawthrough to this world."

"...Chastity... please..."

chastity stopped and looked down at the ground clenching her fists
"what is the payment for knowing?"
she didnt look at her father but she spoke to him
"what are you keeping from me father, i must know"
she turned and faced the woman

serenity smiled
"so then she will be able to?"

Grey held Serenity's hand with his, "Yes, she'll be able to have children of her own......and if her children ever wish to hear her voice, we still have videos of Livia from this age, that'll be enough.........I even have a few of her singing to herself......twas adorable till she caught me and started yelling, hehehe......"

She looked at Chastity, and sighed.

"So young, and yet with so many hardships already faced."

Inferno stepped forward.
"Don't tell her. Please don't tell her. She will never forgive me. She will NEVER forgive me for not telling her."

"Then this is well deserved."

Before Inferno could say anything else, she had reached out and gently taken a feather from one of Chastity's wings.
Then she stood tall.

"From Chastity, I take. To Chastity, I give. Mawthrough has told you time moves faster in the Nexus. But what he never thought to ask - what Inferno has known from the very second Mawthrough entered the portal - is that time also flows differently in the dimension Mawthrough and Friend now reside in."

She looked at Inferno.

"Tell her. Then bring him back, and you may earn even a shred of her forgiveness."

Inferno opened his mouth, to argue.
Then he saw Chastity's face, her clenched fists, and hung his head in shame.

"I was only trying to protect you..."

"TELL HER!"

"The time where Mawthrough is... is where one second, in our time..."

He swallowed.

"...Is several...years..."

"And you have spent hours here. Hours and hours..."

"I DIDN'T KNOW HE'D JUMP IN THE THING!"

"You could have told him. But you did not. Because you've never wanted him with her. But now that she's pregnant, you can't keep them apart. Can you?"

"well i am glad you were able to record her voice for her children to hear"
she looked down at her hand
"does livia know? about being able to have children?"


chastity looked down at the ground
"please tell me its not true"
she looked up at her father with anger and hurt in her eye
"why, why didnt you say anything sooner, why didnt you tell me...bring him back..i want him back NOW!!!"
her voice rumbled throughout, her eyes glowing amber and her body surrounded by flame
"BRING MAW BACK THIS INSTANT!!"
she looked back at the woman
"please tell me there is a way to reverse it"

Grey shrugged, "Maybe, maybe not.....she must feel a hell of a lot better though......and she must have noticed she can relax too.......the scars on her skin are still there, but the pain is gone......if you'd like to be the one to tell her, you can......I bet she'll cling to you for an hour.....just like........" He positioned himself behind her, with his hands around her waist, "this, except she'll be hugging your waist."

The power coming out of Chastity, combined with her almost enraged tone, made Inferno step back.

The woman shook her head, sadly.
"There is no reversing it. Mawthrough has spent many years now, maybe hundreds, in that dimension, either being horrifically tortured or alone. Alone, wandering the dimensional plane, all alone. Knowing you're safe though... but still. He will have suffered."

Inferno winced slightly, but began reaching for the portal which contained the sealing blade.

"I didn't tell you, Chastity, because look at what he does for you! He brings you into a war-zone, he makes you pregnant without your knowledge, he TAKES YOUR SOUL FROM YOU WITH THE EXPRESS PURPOSE OF CONTROLLING YOU, and he lies to you! What kind of man is that to be with? What kind of man is that to let be the father of your child?!"

He was still drawing the blade, but he was looking at her as though unable to believe her.

"I've only ever wanted your safety. Yes, you're not a child anymore, yes, you're a grown woman - but Chastity, Mawthrough is DANGEROUS! You've seen the way he fights, seen the way he acts - he's a savage! I'm sorry his parents are dead, I truly am, and there are some likable things about the boy, but ultimately - I can't imagine how many grown women have fallen to his snares, and he will always be a demonic gigolo!"

All the way back to Colera, Lamia looked angrily at both Weiss and Draklin, since she had to cancel poker night in order to come get them. This didn't please her one bit. After reaching shore, she immediately transported away, heading back to whatever she was doing before.

Draklin nodded to Weiss, then vanished through a portal, entering his own home base miles away, stocking up on power packs at this time, as his base was within another large metropolis, one where he could smell the air in order to gain enough energy to recharge.

serenity nodded
"i can tell her, i would be more then happy to tell her"
she looked over her shoulder at him
"i am soo happy for her, use, our family"


chastity quickly looked up at her father with anger
"DONT CALL HIM THAT"
she took a deep breath
"he loves me and i love him, would you rather me be with someone who only want to be with me for the title of being YOUR son-in -law, cause everyone who has even gotten close to me, everyone except maw, only wanted to be with me because of you"
she placed her hand on her belly
"maw wanted to be with me because of me, yes he impregnated me, but this child is a gift from him, and i am not mad at him for it, in fact i am happy that i am carrying his child"
she looked down at her belly and smiled
"he might have taken my soul but he would never do anything to hurt me or our child"
she looked back at her father
"you might hate him and despise him for what he has done to me, but he did it to protect me, he lied to me cause he knew how i would react if i would have known the truth, i wouldnt have left him go into the portal , i would have gone through with it father, i would have gone with friend to..."
she stopped for a moment
"would you have preferred me to do that, would you prefer me to be carrying his child instead of maws?, that is why he lied to me cause he knew what i was prepared to do"

Grey smiled, kissing her upon the neck, and holding her close, "As am I, I got a phone call a while back, Kye's found a lady......the two are technically married now......isn't that great.......romance is in the air I say my dear."

"Hmm...we don't want that." Cereza looked at Kye, then back to the village. "There are a few mated couples whom just had pups." She added.

Kye crossed his arms. "Well, I can definently invite Grevian, would having a living tree as the support for the floors in the home and den be something that appeals to you?"

"Oh, that would be wonderful." Cereza's ears perked forward. "And when we have pups, they can climb it."

Kye gave her a kiss on the cheek, "I'm glad you agree.....cause I already invited him.........." At this moment, the ground began to shake, as a wooden hand sprouted from the ground, attached to a rather long arm. Out of the dirt climbed a man who's height reached six and a half feet, whom looked almost human, except for his body was made of wood. Approaching Kye, he looked nervous.

Grevian spoke, "Brother, you didn't tell me this was a village of flame wielders, impressive, just tell them to light me on fire.....not the biggest fan of flame......." Looking to Cereza, and how close Kye was to her, he gave her a small bow, as any gentleman should, "I see, that's the flaming 'babe' you mentioned, his words, not mine." He walked toward where Pyro was working with blade to carve through the rock.

Cereza smiled slightly, though she was blushing inwardly. "Don't worry, no one will be setting anything on fire here." She assured Kye's brother, then looked at Kye. "So I am a 'flaming babe'; am I?"

Kye gave her a loving kiss, "Of course you are, your also my flaming mate too......."

Grevian placed a hand on the ground, and as he did, a tree began to grow from it, at a rapid pace, a very large, and massive one, growing exactly where Grevian commanded it to.

chatity thought for a moment of what her father said
"yes i would if it meant to protect him, i told him i would do anything to be with him and i meant every word"
she looked her father in the eyes
"i love him father, i truly do, and the more we wait the more his life is taken"


serenity smiled
"Thats wonderful news im glad he found someone"

Grey spoke faintly, "Yes, I'm very happy for my brother.......and I'm glad he was able to avoid getting involved in that battle.......the guy was a monster.......at the end of it......I sent just about everyone away.....it wasn't a fight for lightweights......"

Cereza chuckled softly, and kissed Kye softly. "You're my flaming mate too." She said, with a slight giggle on her tone.

Kye hugged her close. "I know.....and it makes me so happy........"

Pyro walked back towards them, "I carved about sixty feet into the mountain, ceiling is about fifteen feet up, is that enough for now?"