The Ruins of Alexandria

He fell asleep soundly in her arms. He had not been this happy since he had been taken that fateful day. He sighed in a dreamless sleep.

"Well hon, your son is back, but his memory has been tampered with, and he has been through a rough time. We did not want to tell you yet, we think seeing you will cause him more problems. He has been slowly but surely regaining his memories and we did not want to rush anything." She watched her old friends eyes, praying she would not be mad at her.

Mandelyn just nodded. "I understand. I can stay with Alex, Aubs friend. That way it doesn't Happen by accident that I see him Or he sees me. " she nodded. "Just call for me, beacon me, when you need me." She sa
id to her. It was painful, painful that she couldn't see her son. However she understood and did not want his mind flooding.
Aubresiah stayed awake watching over Luka. She kissed his lips softly

"Thank you for understanding my old friend. I will call you as soon as we think he is ready." She kissed Mandelyn's cheek as she showed her out.

His heartbeat quickened and his eyes fluttered at her kiss. He moved slightly and held onto her tighter, as if afraid he would lose her. He dreamed they were at the lake, and they were laying in the sun as his parents relaxed in the clear water. It was his ideal dream.

Mandelyn nodded kissing her cheek. Walking out she rode to the lake sighing as she sat in the sand looking out at it. Was she happy? Did william make her as happy as Sivad did, more, Or less? Her heart would always love Sivad, her mind would always love the idea of him. She would always love him. Fiddling with the wedding ring on her necklace she sighed. Her son was hurt and lost his memories, Lily was dead, Audrey was far away from her now but at least she was happy. It did not feel right now that she was home.
Aubresiah held onto him rubbing his back gently. She felt at home. Safe. Loved

A phantom of a Siberian Husky came up beside Mandy as she started at the lake. He said nothing, simply pushed himself under her hand and lay down, looking up at her with familiar electric blue eyes. They were full of longing, but also understanding, as if he could read her mind. He looked out at the lake.

Mandelyn looked down crying at the husky, smiling sadly she kissed its nose. "I'm so tired Sivad. So damn tired..I'm tired of fighting. Im tired of being brought back but it tears me apart every time I die. Audrey and Luka need ne, Kyuu and Tox. Aubs. They all need me. What woukd they do without me? Even in death you're running about...I never find you when I die. You're always gone... Caring for one person Or another. Now that Im home William Feels wrong. Guess I just want to be loved so bad... Don't get me wrong.. Hes a grwat man and I do love him to a point. But you're my husband. Even being dead. It hurts too. Either way one part of me is alone. ". She rubbed his fur lovingly. "I wish you were here .. you didn't get to walk Audrey down the aisle.. you didn't get to Hold our grandson... None of it."

He whined gently and licked her cheek, nuzzling up to her. He kept tabs on her and knew she was hurting. He did what he could, but apart from manifesting as a phantom and talking he was pretty much useless. Anything he could say wouldn't help her anyway. He barked once to show he understood and curled up in her lap, pondering his options. There was one thing he could do, but what he would have to give up was monumental. If only he could come back for just awhile, he would destroy Orannis, causing a chain reaction that would destroy the bright shiners and their shadow project. He sighed heavily and barked quietly once before laying his head in her lap.

She scratched his fur and shook her head " I don't expect you to come back. All I expect is I die normally. No draining. No experimentation. I'll go out swinging, Like I always wanted. I don't want you giving anything up to come back. But the first thing you taught me was for every death a new life begins, for everyone Who has died to be ressurected a sacrifice must be made. I don't want you sacrificing a thing." She kept stroking his fur gently. He could see every battle scar, every pain and sadness inside of her. She kept nuzzling him. "I don't know how to help them." She whispered softly

He woofed softly and took off straight into the lake, diving down towards the bottom, straight towards the shadow that inhabited the lake. He returned later, no water on his fur as he held something in his teeth, it dangled in front of her as he grinned. It was a sun stone, quite larger than than the others in use. It was the original piece that all the other sun stones had been chipped off of. No color emanated from this one, it was lying dormant, waiting for the pieces to be returned to whole. He grinned and bounced around with it still in his teeth playfully, as if daring her to try and take it from him.

She cocked her head to the side and smiled at him. Shaking her body she stood before him in one instant in her angel form, the next a sleek white wolf. He always knew how to make her forget, but when he left it would all come back and continue to crush her. She chased after him pinning him to the ground growling playfully. Wagging her tail she licked his muzzle, then grabbed the sunstone with her teeth.

He pulled on it as they began a fierce tug og war. He rolled to the side and shook his head violently back and forth in an attempt to get her to release the sunstone. He grinned as he did, sometimes giving slack only to pull it taught again. He woofed through clenched teeth and pounced on her, licking her playfully he released the sun stone. He lay down next to her and wagged his tail.

She still held tight to the sun stone, she moved with him shaking his head, and growled playfully at him for doing so. When he let it go she placed it beside him also letting it go. She kicked him back in every place she could, his ears, his muzzle, his neck. She lay with him, cuddling close as she could get. She shined softly knowing he would have to leave her eventually.

He licked her ear affectionately and began to howl the melody that had been played for their children a long time ago. He howled to the moon softly, looking at her as he did. His power was fading, the manifestation would not last much longer, even though he wished it would. He licked her one last time and woofed silently as he began to fade, whining pitifully that he had only a short time in each manifestation.

She howled with him, licking him back. She howled in sadness as he started to fade. Whining at him she licked him one more time and stayed beside him, howling more, again in sadness and frustration.

He nuzzled her one last time as he faded and disappeared. He was always with her, he was always watching, helping when he could but he was so limited in what he could do. A faint howl could be heard, letting her know he was always there.

She howled back to him, then lay down in the sand. She still felt alone. Still cold. Still worried. She wanted him here, but she never wanted him to give anything up for her. She wished it would stop. That she could go back, make his sacrifice. Let him be here. Let him be the one living, breathing.

Her howl tore him up inside, and he decided he would make the final and ultimate sacrifice. He sprinted off deep into the spirit world.

Mandelyn had fallen asleep in the sand still in her wolf form. Shaking the sand off of herself she switched back into her angel form feeding the horse. Patting its side she smiled at it "good girl" mounting it she rode to Alexs. Desix pounced on her licking her "Mandelyn!" Nuzzling her he curled up next to Alex. "She's gonna be Okay." He said as she placed her bags down. Mandelyn sat on Alex's bed holding the girls hand.

He woke up to Aubresiah laying next to him, he smiled and looked over at the Saline drip. Removing the needle from his arm he leaned over and kissed her softly, not wanting to wake her. He stood up shakily, grabbing the bedside table to steady himself. Once he was sure he wasn't going to fall over, he made his way down to the kitchens and gathered up plenty of food, fruits, vegetables, and strips of venison. Making his way back to the room, he laid the tray of food on the table, taking a strip of venison and pear, munching on them he crawled back into bed next to her, sliding himself back into her arms.

Groaning softly as he left the bed she curled up into the blankets more. When he came back she nuzzled him. Cuddling close to him he could feel the fever on her skin. Her skin felt so hot, so slick. She shivered softly under the blankets. Her eyes looked heavy, Even when Shut, dark circles were underneath them.

He stroked her arm and reached for his sword. Pulling out the sun stone, he cast a blue light over her entire body. Then placing it on her forehead, allowing it to shine. He walked over to the basin and filled it with cold water, dipping a cloth in it he placed it over the sun stone, removing the blankets from her to lower her body temp. He sat down next to her and rubbed her arm gently, noting she was considerably worse for wear. He sighed and kissed her cheek, going to the tray of fruits and draining the juice out of all of them into a cup he brought it over to her, waiting for her to wake up.

Shivering she woke up and coughed into her hands. Looking up at him she looked tired. The wing splint was off now. "Just a cold. " she said softly to him. She leaned on him and pulled the sheet up to her knees shivering. "How'd you sleep?" She asked softly, her head was against the head board and his shoulder.

He smiled and kissed her cheek gently. "It is the best sleep I have had in 6 long years." He pulled her into his arms. "You are running a fever, you are not doing anything today, and I am not leaving your side. I have already asked Linares and Janier to leave us alone for the day, we won't be disturbed." He pulled her close to him, leaving the blankets off, not wanting to increase her body temp more than he knew he was already doing, but the light from the sunstone and the cold cloth would lower it significantly. "I am sorry you are sick, but we will have you better in no time, I swear I will take care of you today."