Revelations

The world has burned to ash before, this is no secret it has been rebuilt regardless of its constant crumbling. When I was very small I underwent a trial that would drive most mad. Nothing made sense for everything was in reverse. Down the rabbit hole I went to drink poison with the Queen. Once I reached the end of my trial I had three choices to make. One watch the world burn and do nothing. Two get my hearts desire regardless of the innocent suffering. Three forsake it all and live in misery while the world rejoiced. Always contradicting fate I chose the ladder creating a fourth option. Burn it all down to recreate a world, where the innocent wouldn't suffer and even I could have my hearts desire.

Unfortunately as fate would have it that was not the case for all things require a balance.

###

Ryan returns with Roan and Eira in chains he just shrugs as he releases Eira but not Roan.

"He wants to go back," Ryan sends as I set my tea cup down the bitter liquid can wait.

"Cerin will be fine," I say as the others arrive. Ryan removes the chains moving to great the rest of the council. The war between the the Dragon Realm and Koi has momentarily ceased finding a common enemy in the Isle of Nothight. The witches have strengthened too quickly no doubt Selene's doing. Stupid child she thinks she controls them when in truth they control her feeding of her essence.

"I can't recall the last time any of us got to set foot in the Dark Realm," Falcon the summer king says.

"And you never will," I say as shadows scurry in every direction bring in trays of tea and coffee.

"Shadow," Katarina the tenth Vampire Lord greats ignoring the other Lords as she bows to Ryan and me. Alexander sniquers as he sauntering over to the seat next to mine. Drinking from my tea cup he makes a face as he sets it down.

"Kata glad to see you are still alive," I say as she takes the seat next to Alex the rest of the Vampire Lords remain standing.

"If this is not the Dark Realm then where are we?" Sayah the Summer Kings consort asks.

"This is a place designed for instances like this one. Once the calamity ceases this place will move on to another world." Enrique says appearing before us in all his wintry glory. Eira moves to stand behind him, only for Erique to cease his seat to her. Clever male by having Eira sit while he stands behind her, he's showing this bastereds his Heir is capable enough to run the Winter Realm while he steps back.

"Is everyone here?" Li Xiaoli asks after the Dragon King was banished by Princess Bai supporters of Empress Qi had Princess Li Xiaoli brought back from the cold palace reinstating her title as Crown Princess and Heir to the Dragon throne as was initially intended.

During her banishment she trained in the art of war sneaking out of the cold palace multiple times to assassinate enemies of the crown and avenge her wrongly accused mother. Li Xiaoli was the daughter of Princess Yu Empress Bai's twin sister. Princess Yu was scent to the cold palace after supposedly tricking the Dragon King into her bed. Empress Bai didn't be live this and banished her sister.

"Just about," Da-Xia says as she and her pack emerge from the shadows. Camellia's not far behind carrying her new born in one arm and her sleeping eight-month old on her back held in place by a red and orange rebozo.

"Give me," Alex says reaching for the baby. Funny how children use to scare him and now he thinks them the cutest things ever to exist.

"Careful, " Camelia says as she places the new born in his arms, "Celeste this is your uncle Alex."

"Such a lovely name," I say just as the room vibrates with familiar energy.

"Are they?" Alex sends as our parents manifest.

"Who are you?" Falcon asks as the Time Lord flicks invisible dust from his emerald lapel. Beside him stands my mother, her once magenta hair is now the color of obsidian and hold in a half up topknot with various hair sticks in it, no doubt each holding some type of poison.

"This is the great and powerful Time Lord and his mate our mother Lady Alpinia," Alexander says as without looking up from the now sleeping baby.

"Our?" Li Xiaoli asks.

"Crimson's and mine," Alex says as I continue to stare in disbelief. They actually came.

"You didn't truly believe those rumors did you?" I ask eyebrow arched as I look everyone over finally looking at Ryan I say, "about Alexander and I having a sexual relationship."

Throats are cleared eyes adberted as we sit in silence, a little too long before father lets out a low laugh. Mother just shakes her head lifting Falcon by the collar and taking his seat. He opens his mouth to protest only to shut the moment he looks into my mother's eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Ryan sends.

"It should have been obvious you fool," I send back.

"So he never turned you," he sends.

"Now your getting it, and Valeria never turned him. We just needed someone to keep the Vampire Lords in line." I send him as my father looks Ryan over.

He shakes his head in disapproval, "Why would you bind your soul to his?"

"Neither one of you was ever around so don't show up pretending to care," I say, "now let's get to the matter at hand."

"You mean your daughter setting the Witches free," Sayah says with a tisk tisk.

Shadow hands wrap around her throat claws digging in until ruby blood begins to spill.

"You serve no purpose here," I say flinging her across the room, "everything is going as it should. For those of you with commonsense it should be obvious the barrier holding them would eventually shatter either due to time or treason."

"Many of you where present when this world was built and so should know what is to follow," Ryan says, "The end of the old world and rebirth of the new."

###

"As we all know this is a problem the newer generation has caused," Falcon says clapping his hands behind his back, "therefore they must be the ones to handle it."

"Are you fuckin kidding me," Eira says no longer keeping her composure, "this problem as you say has always existed. If anyone should take responsibility it's you. The Summer Court was tasked with keeping the barrier standing. The fact that it could be shattered so easily shows how useless your entire court is."

"To add to it this is a problem that start long before most of us even existed," Roan says, "perhaps it is you that should handle it."

"Why doesn't the Time Lord go back in time and stop his granddaughter from breaking the barrier?" Li Xiaoli asks.

"The fabric of time is sensible," my father says while drinking his tea, "to do so would cause drastic change."

"We need a new Shadow Queen to rebuild the world," my mother says looking at Ryan then me, "One that hasn't bound her soul to anyone yet. A Queen that has lost it all and will give her all for her people."

"Like you did," I say knowing too well where she's headed, "Cerin is in another world undergoing ascension Da-Xia is no longer an option and neither is Selene. We will have to wait, and there is simple no time."

"A day on our world is a year that one," father says, "her trial will be over before you know it."

"Regardless why do we need a Shadow Queen?" Princess Bai asks.

"The Shadow Queen is the balance of all. Every blood line runs through her veins and thus can recreate the world." my mother says.

"Indeed our blood is ancientvcarring tribes no longer in existence," I say, "we are bringers of death and life."

"So is that due to the Empress of the Underworld being reborn as a Shadow or....

"What?" Falcon interups Alexander.

"Oh you didn't know did you," Alex says, "little sister is death incarnate."

"But that's not possible," Princess Bai throws in.

"I believe it," Eric the second Vampire Lord says, "within each cycle the Empress of the Underworld must visit the Earthly Realm. It's only logical that the one to rule us all be death herself."

"What of the Court of Light?" Falcon asks.

"They ruined our last world," Camellia says, "so our mother rebuilt a new one."

"This world was burned to ash," Da-Xia says, "it had been desolate when the Empress gifted it to us. Of course she'd leave a trace of herself in our world.Selene "

"Then what's there to discuss," Tara the sixth Vampire Lord says, "have the Shadow Queen put an end to it all."

"It would disrupt the balance," Enrique says, "thus the need for the new Queen. Gods can't intervene in worldly matters unless extremely necessary. If Crimson intervenes or even Ryan our world would end."

"Don't tell me his," Tara looks at Ryan who just gives her a wolf grin, "You can't be."

"Do you think the Empress of the Underworld would bind her eternal soul to just anyone?" Ryan asks wolf's smile still in place.

They all looked in aww for the God of the Underworld and Night stood before them, son of the goddess Luna and the Underworld.