Without Control ((FULL))

[Dreaming_Drifter]

Erin Joyce Lee

Erin had panicked and tried to run for Ash the instant she realized that the palace was under attack, but Lizzy had made her stay back until the halls were cleared of enemies by her guards. And now... Erin sobbed hysterically as she held her bleeding wife, almost snarling at Lina when she moved to look at Ash. She whimpered at Ash's question, looking at the blood and shaking her head, holding the woman gently and burying her face in her shoulder. The thought of her wife and baby being in danger sobered her, but terrified her even more at the same time. She was calm enough to speak now, at least. "I... I don't know... Gods, Ash, I'm so sorry... I should have been here..."

 

[Dreaming_Drifter]

Erin Joyce Lee

When she heard Lina say the baby was... gone... Erin felt as if she was drowning in a sea of sorrow and regret. She thought she'd known heartbreak and emotional torment before, but this... The death of her and Ash's baby... It trumped everything. And the realization that Ash was in great emotional and physical pain only added to her own guilt. She sobbed silently as she held her shrieking wife, not even allowing herself to make a sound. 'I'm so sorry... I should have protected you both... It should have been me that died...'

Erin flinched as she felt warm arms around her shoulders, tears sliding down her neck. She realized dully after a minute that it was Lizzy, embracing both her and Ash, crying as if it was her own child that had been lost rather than her sisters'. For some reason, as it usually did, Lizzy's sensitivity allowed Erin to calm down a bit.

She gathered Ash in her arms as gently as possible and stood, carrying her to the bed. "Help her, Lina," she pleaded in a dead sounding voice. "My wife is hurting.... Please help her." She didn't mean the emotional pain, of course... Erin was well aware that would never leave her or Ash. But she knew Ash was in physical pain as well, and hoped the dragonette could help with that, at least.

 

[Dreaming_Drifter]

Kannah Ariake

Kannah kissed Lulu's forehead gently and embraced both her daughters, making soothing purring sounds deep in her chest to calm the girls. "Shh... Esta bien, Lulu y Loki... I'm here now. Hush, querida, you have nothing to be sorry for... I'm sorry you have been hurt, but I'm so proud of how both of you have done. Lo siento... I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you, like a mother should..." She knelt and took both girls fully into her arms, not even caring that she wasn't dressed. Clothing could wait; she was finally holding her baby girls again. Silent tears of mixed happiness and sorrow slipped down her pale cheeks as she purred words of comfort to the twins.

 

[Dreaming_Drifter]

Kannah Ariake

Kannah gently slipped Lokita into Lulu's arms after a few minutes of just holding the girls, getting to her feet again. "There, sweetheart, hold your sister for a moment... I need to cover myself before anybody comes." Kannah smiled slightly at the sight of a rather handsome blue curtain and draped it cleverly so it even looked like a dress. "Necessity is the mother of invention," she quipped in a soft voice, moving so that she blocked out the view of the deceased dragons for her conscious daughter. 'I owe them,' she realized with a heavy heart. 'They protected my girls with their lives... I owe them so much.'

Kannah had just taken Lokita into one arm and Lulu in the other easily when the dragon guards entered the room. She bowed very slightly to show she meant no harm, kissing Lulu's cheek softly to calm the girl. "Shh, querida." She looked at the guards and straightened slightly, her expression becoming slightly more prideful. "I am Harmony's mother. I assume you've come to collect these chicas? Well then, let's go. Can't keep royalty waiting." Kannah's heart pounded fiercely at the thought of seeing her two older children again. 'This should be muy... interesante...'

 

[Dreaming_Drifter]

Elizabeth Ariake

Lizzy could just tell by the immense pain in Erin's eyes what was going on in the girl's head. As usual, her former other half gave everything away with her eyes. Lizzy wasn't such a fool to think she could pull Erin away from her wife right now, so she went behind the taller girl and managed to rest her head on her shoulder, hugging her gently. She spoke softly so that only Erin could hear. "This wasn't your fault, Erin. You can't blame yourself. This was nobody's fault but that evil Angelic... You've always done your best to keep Ash safe. Just keep being with her... Love her. That's all you can do right now."

It took awhile, but Lizzy felt Erin's tensed body slowly begin to relax, Erin's tears running onto Lizzy's cheek. The taller girl didn't say a word, but Lizzy saw her slip her hand through Ash's and heard her whisper to her wife. "I love you, Ash... And I'm sorry..." Lizzy stepped away from Erin and went to stand at Harmony's side, linking arms with her a bit hesitantly. It was selfish, she knew, but she was immensely glad that Harmony hadn't been grievously wounded. Lizzy lifted her head when she saw a beaten, disheveled Jorden enter the room and bow to his sister.

 

[Dreaming_Drifter]

Jorden Gregory Ariake

Jorden managed not to wince as he came to a halt beside the bed, bowing slightly to Harmony before speaking. "Harmony-chan, we've completely driven the Rebels from the city. It appears one of their goals was to capture Lizzy... They seemed to have been under the impression that such a move would allow them to control the Angelics and the Dragons at the same time." Jorden's jaw clenched in anger, but he continued calmly giving his report, even though it seemed everyone was focusing on Ash, including Harmony.

"The barriers are back in place, and the Realms are stable again, for now." Jorden glanced down at his watch as if to affirm his words, amazed at how happy the sight of the sped-up mechanisms made him. It meant things were back to normal for the time being... As normal as they'd ever been. A brief flash of worry shuddered through him as he thought of his boyfriend back in the mortal realm. 'Mikhail... Be safe, please...'

Finished with his duty, Jorden looked at each female one at a time; Ash, Erin, Harmony, Lizzy, and Lina. "What happened?" he asked in a much softer voice, the sight of all the blood in the room unnerving him a bit. Whoever would have answered then was interrupted by the entrance of several guards followed by a woman Jorden had never assumed he would see again. "O... Okaa-san?!"

 

[Dreaming_Drifter]

Erin Joyce Lee

Erin glanced up at the sound of surprise in Jorden's voice, temporarily snapped from her grief by shock. A woman stood before them that she'd never expected to meet, a woman that Erin had once felt quite bitter toward. After all, this female had asked Ash to become horribly ill and blind to save Harmony. Kannah Ariake... The mother of Lulu, Lokita, Jorden, and Harmony Ariake. "Wait... You're dead..." murmured Erin in a blank voice, staring at the strangely colored woman.

 

[Dreaming_Drifter]

Jorden Gregory Ariake

Jorden could only watch in shock as Harmony pummeled their mother with her fists, finally snapping himself out of it and running over to stop her.... Just as she decided she would rather hug the woman they'd missed with all their hearts than beat on her. Jorden wrapped his arms around his sisters and mother, feeling complete for the first time in many years. Their family was whole again... It was a miracle he'd never dared to hope possible. "Madre.... Te amo... Te amo mucho," he whispered, crying softly as if he was a little boy again... Nothing but a child, and his mother could make the hurt go away.