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Borias was glad to see her awaken and he was going to say something when some unknown woman to him butted into their conversation and again made him feel like an a**.

"Our family business is not for you stranger. Keep your damn snide remarks to yourself!"

He turned back to Layla and was about to tell her how sorry he was, what a fool he was, and beg her to come home, when Zuko appeared in the cavern right next to them.

Borias was too slow and he ended up grabbing air as Zuko made off with a screaming Layla. Borias let out a yell and looked around at those in the area.

"Who can track magic?"

When he was given such a ridiculous option, he stomped and grew impatient. "Forget it! I don't want or need your help!"

He would get no true help from these people. Not when they hated him for what happened to Layla. He ran from the cave and made for the thousands upon thousands of stairs. He tripped and fell but got up and ran some more.

There was only one place he knew where Zuko would hide his stupid and insane a** and that was where it all began. In the elven realm.

Borias was drenched in sweat when he reached the bottom.

He hopped back in the boat and began the long trek back to the shores of home. There he could talk to Lio who could teleport him to the elven realm.

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Two hours later and exhausted beyond anything he knew, Borias hopped from the boat and shifted to his horse form, running hard back to the castle.

Ebony sighed and shrugged, "If Geth was here, I'd have him take you but he's watching over Sasha right now...," she said as she thought hard.

Well, there was only one way to do it now...

She walked over to the woman and touched her head with her nose, using one of the few abilities she'd retained from the Goddess and simply sent the woman to meet Borias at the castle...

Kane recoiled in pain at Ebony's bite, and he snarled at his mother for daring to exert her will on him. His breath exuded ash as he growled. The threat of Lao being home hardly phased him; he knew his father wasn't home, or coming home any time soon. "Make your threats Mom, but Lao isn't here. You can't cowtow me so easily." Kane stated, smiling as he got ready to try and burn his mother to cinders. The flames surrounded his maw as he got ready to breath, but something stopped him. It was a feeling of dread,that something dreadful was coming. The flames died as Kane's need for dominance was replaced by the instinct of fear. He knew the feeling, and his eyes got wide with fear as he looked at Ebony, slowly shrinking into a ball of fear as his eyes looked to the sky.

It was like a dot, but it was getting bigger faster than anything should. In moments, the dot had grown to an incredible size, like a mountain just appeared out of nowhere. Lao was in his true form, and he stood to his full height and let loose a roar that shook the island itself. He breathed out a Thu'um, and the power of his Voice reached every corner of the island, calling to his children to meet at the spire of their home. Kane knew what was coming: rumors were abound about Lao being harsh on discipline, and the lucky offenders were beaten to a pulp. The unlucky ones were torn apart by his roar. The young dragon took off in a bolt, not wanting to provoke his father's anger any more than he was.

Lao slowly fell to all fours and lumbered towards the cave, letting each thunderous ponder warn his children that they had precious time to get home before he made it there.

The brood had lined up at the cave as Lao approached, and he slowly stood tall until he was at eye level with them mouth of the cavern. Kane was staring at the floor,shivering with anxiety as his brothers stood tall and faced their father in the eye. The Mountain Emperor let out a huff, his size making his breath feel like a strong wind on them. "I have returned children." He stated, his voice echoing in the cavern. His front paws touched the mouth of his home, and his size changed into his winged form so he could enter the cave and speak to his children directly. Slowly pacing before them, he remained silent for a few moments, stopping before each child to stare at them, and then move on. Finally, he decided to start with Shen.

"Shen." He stated, and his son stood tall. "You followed my directions faithfully, heeded my wisdom and you have grown well. There is much room to grow, and you will grow into your role in time." Shen bowed his head and laid down, knowing that his part was done. Lao moved on to the quivering mass that was Kane, and his brow frowned.

"Kane." Kane didn't look up as Lao huffed. "I will give you a moment to tell me your side of the story. Do not lie to me boy." His voice was stern, and Kane looked up at his father with fear. "...I....." He began, trying to find his voice. "I...am angry. I burn with hatred.... I want to fight, to burn and destroy until none can oppose me. I want to be you: strong, dominant, and unquestioned...." His words were shaky, and Lao laid down to stare his son in the eyes. "Power isn't gained through destruction. I am unquestioned because I have earned respect and fear of all around me. I fight with my voice first, my power second. Look at me Kane." Kane locked eyes with his father, almost horrified at what would happen. "Your heart burns of dragon fire, and you are a dragon's fury incarnate. You are a mirror of my youth, and you will continue to destroy until you come to terms with what you are; a boy." Lao pulled away to move on, leaving Kane angry and anxious before Lao shot him a look that would be seared into his mind. "You ever try to hurt your mother again, and you will feel the power of my Thu'um. Do. Not. Test. Me." Each word was stressed, each time Kane recoiled at it before he laid down, burying his face into the sand.

"Arden." Arden looked up to his father, trying to stop his tail from wagging. "You are my youngest son, and I regret I could not be here for you. But I have returned, and I will put some stone in your spine. You balance out your brothers, and it is a terrible burden to bear. But time and duty will shape you into the dragon you must be to bear it." Arden bowed and laid down as Lao gave him a nod, and he moved to stare at his three sons.

"You three are the first three sons I have had in a long time, but you are the sons of a Primal Dragon. The Brood Mother may choose your sisters to be her hands and voice, but I have chosen you three to lead our species to greatness. Shen, who leads by righteousness. Kane, who delivers the fury of our kind. Arden, who holds the Light and Dark in balance: you three are at the age to become adults. It is time that I teach you each a Thu'um, one suited to your temperaments. Go to your rooms now and meditate, prepare your minds and your souls. Banish all reservations, fears, and thought."

The three brothers got up and walked away in silence. This was a big deal, and none of them wished to disappoint Lao. The Emperor looked to Ebony and bowed to her in respect. "You are the Brood Mother's voice my love. I cannot guide my daughters to adulthood, for that right is not mine. It falls upon you to prepare them for what the Brood Mother will ask of them, but I will still help you perform the Rite of Adulthood."

Lao was humbled that the Mother herself came in person, his eyes averted to the floor as she spoke and bestowed her blessing upon his daughters. His chest swelled with pride, yet he remained silent before the Goddess imparted on him permission to bestow the gifts of adulthood. As she left, Lao let his breath out in a deep sigh as well, leaning on Ebony slightly and looking off into the darkness of their home. "It is difficult to watch our brood become adults.... My regret is that I couldn't be here longer to watch them grow." He stated, and purred a little before nuzzling the tip of Ebony's nose. "I will return my love." He whispered solemnly, and made his way to the lairs of his male brood.

He arrived first at Arden's lair, the whole room lined with crystals of different shapes, sizes and colors. Arden lay in the middle of the room, staring into the crystals and the lights that were bending through the prisms. Lao smiled gently, and tapped his tail on one crystal. The sound echoed throughout the room, a symphony of chimes and rhythms. Arden turned to face his father, striding quietly and sitting before him, and Lao sat before his son. "It is time Arden. You are my third son, He who brings Balance. It is time to learn the Thu'um my son, and I will teach you how to bring balance through control." Lao looked to the floor, and breathed deep. As he exhaled the word, and it appeared on the floor before Arden. "Gol." Lao stated, the word carved into the floor in the Ancient Tongue. "Gol means earth, the element of my being and yours. To control the earth to control someone like us, and many dragons are tied to the earth. To use this Thu'um Arden is to override someone's will with your own, which cannot be abused or it will control you. Meditate upon this word, your soul must live it. When you speak this word, you will find yourself closer to being an adult."

Arden stared at the word on the floor and nodded slowly, intent to take his father's word to heart. With that, Lao got to his feet and bowed to Arden, symbolizing to his son that he was now considered a man in his father's eyes. Arden bowed back, and returned to the word on the floor to study it intently.

((Part1 done))

While Lao was busy with the children, Ebony looked around the main room of the cavern that had become her home. Her chartreuse eyes finally fell on the small circle of stones that had once held the eggs of the brood now going through their Rite. She walked slowly over to that small circle and nosed at it a bit, remembering the day they'd been laid.

Lao had been so proud of the six eggs she'd laid and cared for until that blasted spell Goh had put her under. But Lao had freed her and brought her back in time to hatch their brood. He'd been proud that day as well.

She nosed at the circle again then curled up around it with a heavy sigh.

Their children would be leaving soon, going off to find their own homes amongst the island chain they all called home, finding mates to raise broods of their own. She was proud of her children, all of them. But she would miss having them here. Miss raising them. Watching their first flights, their first hunts, all of it...

She'd done her best to raise them all right, to instil the values they would need for their adult lives. She even had their final gifts to give them, each small box laid out along the cavern wall beside the opening. Gifts that would mark their abilities and full adult status. Gifts worthy of dragons, each created by a master hand and imbued with the proper spells to aid them whenever they needed it.

She'd chosen each stone carefully: Ruby for Kane, now carved into a small dragon with flames surrounding it; Sapphire for Aria, carved in the shape of the mountain peak she loved so much with a whirlwind around it; Paraiba Tourmaline for Shira, carved into a dragon surrounded by waves in a turbulent storm; Star Moonstone for Karina, carved into a simple heart; Lapis Lazuli for Arden, carved in the shape of the scales, a dragon in each side; and Imperial Topaz for Shen, carved in the image a hatchling coming out of its shell.

Each one carried a spell that would aid their ability to control their abilities, a spell to help them call for aid should they need it, and another spell to keep them from ever being damaged. They hadn't come cheap to get, but she'd been able to get them done in time for this day.

But she hadn't stopped with stones for the brood... She'd gotten one more finished... It now waited in a larger box at the end of the line... It was the one she'd had done for Lao and was very important to her. She'd hovered around Cassius as he'd created it until he'd finally told her to leave or he wouldn't finish it.

It was made from a single piece of onyx that she'd found deep in the cavern they called home during an extension long ago. The Siren who worked with the gemstones said he'd never seen one as large or perfect and had done the carving free of charge just to work with it.

She'd paid him for the additions to it though, wanting it to be perfect for her mate. Now, she simply waited for him to finish with their brood, for all of the children to learn what they needed from him, for them to come out here where they'd say their final farewell to her before they headed out to find their own homes...

Ebony crooned to him as he nuzzled her and returned the gesture, finding that she loved it when their minds worked along the same paths. It didn't happen all the time, thankfully. That would have made them too much alike and unknowingly miserable with each other. No, they were just different enough. Not quite total opposites, but fairly close. It made the moments when they thought along the same lines that much more pleasant to experience.

She considered the gift she'd had made for him and moved to get it now. She carefully grabbed it with her jaws and put it down in front of him without a word about it then simply curled up around the old nest again.

"I know they have to grow up... I know they have to go live their own lives... But it will be... empty here... when they do..." she said softly, letting her mind go back to what she'd been thinking about before, "I don't begrudge any of the abilities that they inherited from us... But I do... I regret that none of them gained my shadows... I've learned that I was the first true Shadow Dragon born, and the last... Bane has the shadows, yes, but not fully, not like me... I wonder sometimes if it was meant to be passed on or if I am supposed to be the only one..." she had to let him know what she'd been thinking, something they'd both agreed on early.

Then her chartreuse eyes went wistful as she thought back, "They were so adorable when they hatched... Kane tripped over his wings first thing... Aria simply standing there until her wings dried and looking at the others as if they were idiots for not thinking of it... Arden and Karina hatching at the same moment then crooning at each other... And poor Shen, tripping over his tail, of all things, tumbling right into Aria... They were so adorable, Lao..." she said, remembering each one of their brood from that day...

She knew what he'd see when he opened the box. That beautiful piece of onyx, so large and polished to a high sheen, carved so carefully and beautifully. She'd tried to think of so many things she could have chosen for it, but only one thing had seemed right... It was the two of them in dragon form during their mating flight, with them in human form below simply holding each other as they looked off in the distance together. The spells on it were the best the Siren had ever done and had taken him a week to set; one to keep the piece protected from damage, one to make the dragons seem to move as they flew, and one to link the piece to them both.

In the box with the piece were six more pieces; three for her, three for him. With the chips removed from the onyx as it had been carved, Cassius had created two sets of the collars and bracelets Ebony was so fond of wearing in her feline form. The set for her also had emeralds and yellow diamonds added to it in beautiful pieces obviously created by a Master's hand. The set for him had been done with rubies and garnets to go with the onyx, done in beautifully masculine pieces that she'd hoped he'd be willing to wear.

She knew he didn't mind the collar and bracelets she'd given him that were intended for battle, but had somehow known he'd shy away from the other sets she liked to wear that were a bit more flashy. She'd known that there would be left over fragments from the gem she'd taken to the Siren and had requested that he do the jewelery with those fragments for good reason. She didn't want another episode like what had happened before the brood had hatched. With the jewelery, even if he only wore it in his feline form, Lao would know if anything happened to her, the reverse happening for her.

She knew full well that Lao would be able to feel the spells on the pieces and easily be able to tell what they did. So she wasn't sneaking anything in at all. She only hoped he would understand what those spells meant for them...

She lifted her head and nosed at the empty nest a bit then tilted her head at him a bit with her head turned a bit shyly to the side, "And yes... It has been a long time since we were together... Tonight is for them... Tomorrow is for us... Tomorrow... after they have left to find lairs of their own..." she whispered to him then leaned her head forward to nuzzle at his teasingly, "then perhaps... you can chase me again..." she finished in an even softer whisper as she gave him a soft draconic purr...