Sirens sounded in her ears, loud and piercing on that winter night. She had the most wonderful dream. She ran across the field with a beautiful boy who promised to be her wife. But her grandmother had come and said it was time to go home.

The boy let go of her hand and she found him fading away, his eyes on hers as he whispered something.

What did he say?

She reached for him, wanting him to come with her, but he faded faster and faster until there was nothing left.

"Cybelline? Child you must wake!"

Her head throbbed and the sting of disinfectants was the first thing she smelled, voices in the background and the ghost of sirens in her ears. She remembered this hospital, the glare of florescence light and the whispering doctors and nurses who pitied the girl who lost both her parents.

Her grandmother, pale and gaunt, sat by her bed. Her hair had become white overnight, her face a dull and deathly grey.

She touched Cybelline's face, "May the gods forgive my selfish nature and my choice. I do not want you to go back to that place so young, and so I changed your fate."

Gently she lifted a necklace off the little girl's neck and placed it in her pocket, "I hope you never have to go back to that land, it is too dangerous. This trip has taken a lot of your magic, my child and magic has consequences."

"Grandma, I want to go back..." The little girl looked at her grandmother, "I want to see that boy again."

Cybelline's grandmother's eyes snapped into focus, "You should have forgotten. You must forget."

She placed her hand over Cybelline's eyes and began to mutter in a strange and unfamiliar language.

The boy...that boy whose eyes burned with her image became blurrier and blurrier. Cybelline closed her eyes. Though she fought hard, she soon forgot. She would not remember him until the battle in the arena in the City of Thieves against that Londarian Lady, until she obtained the light gem. Those images flooded back to her and she knew it was that little boy...

------

Cybelline gasped and woke up, her eyes adjusted to the light in the room and she looked around. It had been the stinging smell in the room that had awaken that memory.

Solana sat by a fire, her back to Cybelline. She was whispering incantations, light pulsing in her hands and turning the fire bright white. Every so often, she coughed and the fire turned from bright white to its normal flame red.

"Solana, where is Killian?" Cybelline asked before she sat up, "Take me back, we have to save him."

Solana frozen in mid chant, but she did not turn around to Cybelline.

"I could not see your future before but I thought nothing of it." Solana said with, her voice raspy from her spells, "That was, until yesterday I saw a vision of you, it was something I scarcely believed possible and I knew that the gods had given me the choice."

"Solara, I don't know what you're talking about right now but I have to go back to Killian." Cybelline got up and swayed, feeling slightly dizzy. Her body felt as if she'd been run over by a tank.

"I could ignore the vision and let you face the Lady of Light, whose magic rivaled even the most powerful of the fae kings and queens." Solana said, ignoring Cybelline, "If I let that happen, then you, in your already weakened state, would have been captured."

She slowly turned to Cybelline.

Solara seemed to have aged a hundred years. She was no longer the radiant young woman she had seen her a few months ago. This Solara was an ancient, withered woman. If not for her voice, it would have been hard to recognize her.

"What have you done?" Cybelline asked and knelt by the woman.

Solara smiled, "Rarely, once in every few hundred years, a strong seer is granted by the gods one important vision for which they could trade their lifespan for. One look into their future and one chance to change it. I saw that I could live to the end of my natural lifespan...or I could choose to save you in this hour of need."

Solara swayed and Cybelline gripped her elbow, Solana gripped her other hand and saw the imprint of the ring. Her hand tightened over Cybelline's, "This...this is Titantia's ring." Her voice and her hand shook from an unexplained emotion, she looked at Cybelline with tears in her eyes, "Then it's true, I haven't wasted my life."

"You know what this ring is?" Cybelline asked, Solara smiled, "I helped Titania design the ring. At the time it was the perfect place to hide the World's Tree during the wars. Is it...still alive?" Tears now streamed down Solara's face, "Thank the gods."

"It's grown." Cybelline said simply, "The land as well."

Solara's face shown with disbelief, "No. That's not possible, unless..." She gasped, "You're the new Source?"

Cybelline nodded, and Solara grew pensive, finally she spoke, "A tree without earth cannot survive long. The ring was never meant to be a permanent homeland for the fae. The source in your body has kept the land in the ring growing and thriving, but the larger it grows, the greater toll it will take on you and your body."

Cybelline suddenly understood why she felt more and more exhausted after using magic. The source had been maintaining the land in the ring, which was a part of her. She too had been using magic as if it was limitless.

Solara had a determined look in Cybelline's eyes, she gripped Cybelline's hand, "You are our hope, and you must remain our hope. Let me give you a blessing."

She began to mutter a spell and Cybelline's eyes narrowed, she knew this spell. It sounded like the spell her grandmother had used...

Solara's hand came for Cybelline's eyes. Cybelline gripped her hands, "I don't like being tricked twice. Please don't try to wipe my memory." Light magic protected her hands against the invading spell and Solara was thrown to the ground.

Sitting up, Solara coughed blood and wiped it, "You can not love a man who is bent on destroying the fae."

"So your bright idea was to let him die and then erase my memory of him." Cybelline stood and looked at the pitiful woman, "How are you so sure that I would do what you wanted if you wiped Killian from me?"

"I don't." Solara said, "But at least you won't be distracted."

Cybelline counted to ten to prevent herself from cursing this fae to the sun and back.

"I am selfish. But I am also a mother." Solara looked at her, "My child was born and then they killed him. I saved his soul but not his body. He has lived a half life, a life filled with pain, for as long as I can remember. If you are able to bring the land of the fae back to this world then he has a chance for rebirth as does the rest of the fae who have died. If you chose Killian then you might keep the land as is in the ring. By now you must have figured out that the more fae you let live in there, the more it grow, the more of your magic it uses to maintain it. One day you will have to choose to live with Killian or free the fae."

Cybelline said nothing, she looked at Solara as she continued.

"Cybelline, if there's anyone who will lead the fae to freedom, it will be you. If you choose to do so." Solara said softly, "I know you're worried about Killian and I'm sorry that I took you away from him. But if I had to do it over again, I would choose what I have chosen today. You can give my child a true future, one that I could never give him. You could give many children a right to live under the sun. I would die a thousand times for the possibility of the freedom we crave. I beg of you, even if you hate me for what I did, will you give my son and all the fae children a chance to grow up to be free?"

"Does it have to be either Killian or the Fae?" Cybelline said as she knelt by Solara, "Do you really think those are the only choices."

"Yes." Solara said bleakly, "So many before you thought that the Fae and the Humans can coexist peacefully, but I have seen so many tragedies. Ask Ithos and Myrai. The fae are unprotected against the greed of the humans, they will come for us and take our power."

The only sound was the crackle of the white fire as they looked at each other, Solara's eyes was full of pleading, the blood from the corner of her mouth dripped to the earth and onto her hands.

Cybelline sighed, "Solara, you might think you're doing what's best. But I will not be used as a tool. If the day comes that I can bring the land from the bring into this world, I will not hesitate to do it."

Solara started, she did not expect Cybelline to help, her eyes alit with hope, "Then...you will help the fae?"

Cybelline gave a crooked grin, "You just have to promise not to interfere in my love life again. It's really hard for me to find someone I like, and even if the gods themselves try to throw a wrench in it, I'll hurl the wrench back into their faces."

Solara stared into Cybelline's eyes as if she was staring into her soul. Cybelline said softly, "Solara, I give you my word that I will save the fae and their children."

Solara smiled and in that moment, she sagged a little. The white fire wavered and grew smaller, "That is all I need."

The fire seemed to grow smaller and smaller, but also brighter. Solara leaned forward and plucked out a small, beautiful flower made of light and fire, "A mother's love." She placed the flower into a box nearby, "If it's not too much trouble, can you give this to my son?" She said, "My last gift to my little imp."

She shut the box with a quiet finality and handed it to Cybelline, "Thank you."

She closed her eyes and took a final breathe, her body became paler and paler until it was nothing but a handful of sparkling light, slowly fading out of this world.

After a moment, Cybelline held out her hand, and the sparkles disappeared into the land in the ring. Cybelline watched as the fae fell into the earth, her soul kept there until it was possible for her to be reborn into something else.

"May you rest in peace and your soul be reborn in the land of the fae and folk." Cybelline said softly as she stood up. She hoped that Solara had not teleported her too far, she had a lot of explaining to do.

--------------

The City of Light

The Lady of Light sat by a bed as she studied Killian's face. He looked so much like his mother.

"Pity she had to marry that Londarian." The Shadow stood beside her, its dark presence making the room colder than winter, "It is strange. I heard that he once had my gift, but somehow lost it. Useless."

The Shadow growled, "And then you had to go and waste precious magic to rescue him and heal him. Wasteful and useless."

"He is a child who has suffered." Kyria said and patted the boy's face, "It is only because of my influence was red eyes accepted as a sign of high nobility. Unfortunately, the Londarian King and his country did not think so."

"The eyes are a gift from me and signifies favor." The Shadow hissed, "It is a gift of power from me, besides, you were the ones that planted the gift into the kings of Novoria." The Shadow continued angrily, "But how many generations has it been? None of these...people have exhibited any of the gifts. Ungrateful."

"They all died." Kyria said quietly, "They died because they could not withstand the power. Kiernan, the prince of Novoria will die too."

"Make sure he spawns before then. Someone must carry my gift." The shadow said carelessly, "What do you care if this one dies or not. And besides, you should have destroyed Londaros. They're too sympathetic of the fae."

"I will not kill humans." Kyria said, her voice a warning, "You best get that into your head."

The shadow growled but said nothing.

Just then, Killian stirred and opened his eyes. The shadow flitted back into Kyria's body.

"Where am I?" Killian winced, he quickly closed his eyes once more, he had a fierce headache and his body seemed to be screaming in pain. He bore the pain and took a deep breath, he must find Cybelline.

"You're safe child. You were attacked by the fae." Kyria said, "Luckily, your knights sounded the alarm and I was able to go to you in time."

Killian sat up immediately and opened his eyes once more, "Aunt I must go. I must find Cybelline." The pain in his chest and body was still there, but he must leave at once. She was out there without him.

A hand snaked out and gripped his arm tightly, "Child. Look at me."

Killian stared at the lady of light, "Lady?"

A look of fierce and violent joy seemed to radiant through the Lady of Light. Gently, she touched the corner of his eyes, "Well, this changes things."

Killian frowned, "What?"

She gently embraced Killian, a bright smile still on her face. "I can help you find your friend. Trust me, my child. But must stay here and rest."



"But she may be hurt!" Killian argued, he gritted his teeth and began to put on his boots, "Aunt, I must find her."

"She was no where in sight when my people got there. And I do have people searching for her, based on your knights' descriptions." The Lady of Light said gently as Killian strode across the room, intent on leaving to find his girl.

The lady of light smiled and called out, "And..If you go and find her now she may be alarmed by you."

"Alarmed? Aunt what do you mean?" Killian paused what he was doing, he shook his head, a little unsteady on his feet.

Wordlessly, the Lady of Light handed him a mirror, "Take a look, my child."

Killian looked the mirror and felt the blood drain his face. Ice froze his veins as he stared in disbelief.

Those eyes were eyes he had not seen in many, many years. It was a pair of eyes that haunted his nightmares as a child, a pair of eyes he had never thought he would see again.

In the mirror, a pair of bright, blood red eyes stared back at him.

"You must stay here until I can sort this out." The Lady of Light gently led him back to the bed, "I will find your friend. But first, tell me everything that has happened."