First Reunion

{Ashley's POV}

I continue to travel through the skies inside the stormy clouds that protects me from other monsters and my presence alone scares away any monsters that goes near me.

With the hero I left behind, I should reach Dystoark without worry.

However, some things would like to say otherwise.

I feel a nagging sensation that I am not safe. Rather, it's something that could take my life. I looked back and my nagging feeling was right.

A golden ball of light is coming after me and it's size is massive. Large enough to exceed my size and possibly strong enough to kill me in one hit.

How did the hero find me? I am a great distance away and Perception can reach a certain distance depending on rank.

But that doesn't matter, for it to find me, I must destroy it before it destroys me.

I turned around and began charging my Lightning Breath to the best I can. The blue light inside my mouth began illuminating the stormy sky.

Then, my dark aura came with it.

*BRAK-KAZOOOM!!*

I fired my Lightning Breath. It is a blue beam of magic with a dark purple streak in the center. My beam strikes the ball of light, illuminating the sky with gold, blue, and purple. Then I used multiple magics such as Storm and Tempest Magic.

Then, I noticed the instability of multiple magics mixing at once. The magics of a hero and tyrant are the polar opposites and cannot mix. Rather, they react violently.

And for that moment, I get to experience the results first hand.

*BRAKA-KABOOOOM!!!*

The explosion sends me flying, much faster than my flying speed can do. I instantly fall unconscious from the force of the shockwave, forcing me to go into free fall.

Then, I come crashing down to the ground.

*CRASH!!*

{Alden's POV}

The images flashed through my head as I touched this Blue Dragon and it showed a woman with glasses and dark skin and dark brown hair. I retracted my hand back, shocked from what I saw.

There's no mistake...it's Ashley. Ashley Rays.

"A...Ashley...?" I muttered. "It is you..."

The Blue Dragon widened its eyes, reacting to that name. This confirms it, this is Ashley inside the Dragon.

The Blue Dragon opened its mouth and spoke.

"I am thankful for you healing me, oni. I am Za'trika. Daughter of the Azure Storm Dragon, Za'taranga." Za'trika said.

Daughter!? Za'taranga has a child!? How!? Of course there are some Elder Dragons that are female like Nyctale, Phaezon, and Venzurue, but not one of them has ever gave birth to a child.

But this...this happened. I have so many questions and this is something I can't let Hyoran know.

"Uh, Xydrid, can you move over there?" I said.

"But the Dragon with you, will you be fine?" Hyoran said.

"I'll be fine, just go."

Xydrid walked a good distance away where Hyoran will be unable to hear my voice or Za'trika's. I turned to her and pressed on.

"Ashley, it's me, Alden. Remember me? We fought in the war together." I said.

Za'trika smiled.

"I know...it's so good to see you again." Ashley said.

I gasped. She not only reacted to that name, but she remembered me. She places her head on my shoulder and I hugged her head, giving the fact she is too large for me to hug her entire body.

"For you to be in this world, you reincarnated, right?" I asked.

"Yeah, I reincarnated as a dragon. Can you believe that I was born as Za'taranga's daughter? The daughter of one of the Elder Dragons?" Ashley chuckled.

"No, but seeing you love dragons so much, I can see it's a given." I shrugged. "So, how did you reincarnate?"

Ashley gave an expression tinged with regret and looked into the sky.

"I...died of cancer." Ashley replied. I was stunned, completely stunned.

"You...you had cancer!?" I shouted.

"Oh, so you didn't know." Ashley said.

"Obviously! Not even Danny nor Suzana knew!" I yelled.

"Yeah...I had cancer for a while." Ashley said. "It appeared a year before Suzana died. One in my lungs, my liver, and my kidneys." Ashley chuckled at herself. "I was lucky it was slow enough for me to get the medicine to slow the process even further. Otherwise, I'd be dead much sooner."

"You had cancer long before Suzana died...and you suffered alone. Why!?" I yelled again, feeling betrayed that I could've done something for her.

"I know you feel betrayed, I pretty much betrayed others as well. But we were close to ending the war. I didn't want to distract you from achieving your goal that you died for. I'm sorry that I hid from you, but it was my choice." Ashley said with remorse.

I sighed. I know I shouldn't lash out for her hiding her cancer case, but to think Suzana and I dying without knowing she had cancer. Well, enough about that, I wanna know other than this.

"What about my brother and sister? Are they safe?" I said.

"Yeah, I entrusted them to Danny and Andre." Ashley said. "I also entrusted Danny with the evidence in case of my death. Timothy's reign is good as done."

I am relieved and happy that my siblings are in good hands, but I know they're not completely safe, but much better than the time during the war. I change the subject on what's happening now.

"So, how'd you end up covered in wounds? You're in the Young phase, but flying monsters got nothing on you." I asked.

"It's a hero. A hero that is in Velizar, where Za'taranga and I live." Ashley said. "And for that reason, I already became a Tyrant."