Song: Water Tribe Music and Ambience by Ambient Worlds and Samuel Kim

We cremated Sky the night of the wedding as was the way of our culture. Reign scattered her ashes somewhere only he knew of and time crawled on slowly from there.

Flora lost her spark, content with following orders numbly as they were dolled out. Pride surrendered himself to the rigorous teachings of the Witches and Warlocks. Reign was often away with Beta Ryan, throwing himself into Pack life to forget Sky's absence.

Leo and I found solace and hope in each other's presence. He was my rock. Holding me close whenever I woke up from nightmares of haunting green eyes and silver whips. Sometimes I heard Rowena's voice on the winds and its weaselly whispers. Other times my heart gave out when I caught sight of Pride's bright eyes whenever he practiced magick.

Rowena was more than just a nightmare for me.

She was my ghost.

I knew, somehow I knew, she was always going to live on in the back of my mind. With her stinging whips and cutting glares, her presence remained stronger than ever.

I would never be rid of her. Everything she'd done to me, my family, and my friends ensured that. Rowena drew no breath but her influence was still here.

History would remember her as a monster and then wash their hands clean of her. Others, like Flora and I, didn't have that luxury.

Rowena Pridesong was a scar that we'd never be rid of.

The warm summer air washed over my bare legs and I basked in the gentle breeze. In this dream there was no more Rowena and abuse. Here, at the cliff where my ancestors married all those years ago, there was Old Spice and lavender. There were Leo's lost hoodies that weren't burnt to a crisp. There was even his journal, which had been lost in the fire as well.

My fingers skimmed the worn out leather, recalling memories that'd long past. I ached within, for I never got the chance to finish it. I never got to admire Leo's artwork as he grew older and came to terms with Ava's death. I never got to see the sketches he made of his four adopted siblings. I never got to see how he coped with his parents never coming back to his Pack.

What hurt the most was that now I'd never know of his new paintings and sketches that he added since meeting me. Far too many times had I caught him staring at me while drawing with pastels of blue and tracing lines of silver. I knew he'd been drawing me. Hoped for it too.

But now, all of those memories were gone. All of the days spent lounging around and adoring his open heart were gone.

A piece of him that was meant to be ours to share was gone.

And it broke my heart to remember that.

Placing the journal within the thick grass, I walked towards the edge of the cliff and peered below. The Delaware surroundings were brighter now. Brighter than I'd ever seen them before. It was like the scenery was alive with its vibrant colors and gentle atmosphere.

The sky was clear and showed no signs of dusty clouds or thunder. The air was sweet with Leo's scent and the waves were peaceful as they crashed upon the shore. Rolling waters of aesthetic hues danced flashing colors of crystal clear blue. Even the jagged rocks of obsidian appeared less dangerous surrounded by the softening landscape.

"Hello?" I called out but there was no reply this time either. I turned in circles, waiting for Alpha or Luna to appear but neither of them did. I didn't understand. Whenever I dreamed of this place there was always someone else here with me. Being alone made no sense.

Someone should be here right now.

"Odd..." I turned back around, squinting as the sun's rays blinded me for a moment. When my vision cleared I noticed a figure in the distance. On the beach, facing away from me, was a person. They were standing in the shallow end of the ocean. Watching as the waves frolicked upon the golden shore of tiny grains.

At a closer glance I realized it was a woman.

Curiosity carried me down the steep cliff and onto the warm sand. Dry grains clung to my bare feet. The closer I got to her, the more familiar her unknown presence felt.

The intricate braid of her long red hair was oddly breathtaking. I could tell that it wasn't from this century due to its uniquely woven patterns. The golden hairpieces that clung to the top of her crown added more of an older air to her appearance. The end of her loose white dress was soaked with saltwater but she appeared unbothered. Only when I was standing a few feet beside her did I finally realize who she was.

The Oracle.

I gulped, suddenly very wary of the fact that I was responsible for murdering one of her descendants. And, well, a few others when our journey first started out.

What was it one would say to a centuries old Witch after killing and seriously maiming a few of her family members?

Hello didn't seem to cut it.

The Oracle sighed, tilting her chin up to capture the sunshine. Her fair skin glowed beneath the morning star's warm gaze. The sharpness of her jaw was softened by the gentle smile covering her face. It was scary how much she looked like Rowena. But, it was also somewhat a relief that she resembled Pride and his mother.

It was endearing that the twitching of a freckles sprayed nose surpassed generations.

"Fancy seeing you here, Venus Brightdoom," her silky voice said. "I was wondering when you'd venture off that cliff and come find me. Only took you, what, three or four dreams?"

Her wide mouth smirked, lifting her high cheekbones. It was a playful taunt. There wasn't anything sinister about it like how Rowena often did it. I found myself smiling with her, completely at ease amongst her soft presence.

"You've been watching all my dreams with Luna and Alpha?"

"I have," she replied. "Props of being an Oracle. I get the sneak peeks on all that goes on behind the curtain."

Her little toes trailed over the water's surface, changing the direction of the tide. The waves crashed side to side now instead of back and forth. It was like watching a boat bob without actually having a boat to watch.

A total mind fuckery.

"Why are you here now?" I asked. "Where are Alpha and Luna?"

"Alpha is somewhere arguing with his siblings. Luna, she will be back to you by Samhain." The Oracles' stunning wide eyes opened then, piercing me with a cryptic stare that I couldn't shake. "You've done well, young Luna. The Winter Equinox will pass and there will be no more prophecies to worry about."

I perked up at that, leaning closer to her ethereal physique with hope filling my already full heart.

"Does that mean we'll actually unite the Two Lovers?"

The Oracle smiled. Her fingers grazed over the locks of hair framing her beautiful face. She was tired. I could see it in the way she carried herself. The soft way of which she spoke.

She looked the way Fergus did right before he was going to die.

Tired, relieved, and ready to go.

"It does," she confirmed. "In your quests there have been dozens of options that changed your stories. But now? No more. Now, there are only two options that bring about the end of this prophecy. Both end in success and a fresh start."

I smiled bigger than I ever have in my entire life. We had two paths to follow, only two, and both of them ended in success! This was amazing! This was fantastic! This was-

Wait.

Just, wait a damn minute.

I pumped the brakes on my happy parade and peered at the Oracle wearily. "Why are you telling me this now? I thought revealing the future changed it in a bad way. Won't you telling me this change the options into something else? Doesn't this mean that now the opposite is true? Now there's two options with both ending in failure?!"

The Oracle placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, calming the quick rise and fall of my labored breaths. I'd quickly gone from peaceful she-wolf to worked up crazy lady in two seconds without even realizing it.

"Rules change, Venus," she replied. "I don't make them, I just follow them. Maybe, just maybe, you've proven to the stars how worthy you are of a happy ending. Maybe, just maybe, they want to see you succeed in this life."

The Oracle's eyes sparkled a lively green. "They're not cruel, Venus. I meant what I said when I talked with Dion about the prophecies. They're just old and far too wise for simple people to understand. Lessons need to be learned and warnings heeded."

"Lessons learned through pain are always better learned than those that lack it," I agreed. It was a somewhat archaic ideology, but I saw the appeal. Even so, there was one thing she mentioned that I was curious about. "You said you followed the rules."

"I did."

"But, Rowena..." I trailed off, watching as her face changed to understand the meaning of my unspoken words. She'd taken a vow of celibacy, an oath given to her by the stars. And yet, she'd had a child anyway. Clearly, she didn't follow all of the rules.

The corners of her lips quirked up into a mischievous grin. It was a bit impish, like the old art of the Fair Folk making their sneaky deals.

"I fell in love and I had one child," she admitted. "That child went on to birth many more children of her own. And, yes, eventually that led to Fraylynn and Rowena. Young Pride as well. I broke my vow of celibacy and I will pay for it in the next life. But, Venus, it was all worth it."

The Oracle stopped her influence over the water, allowing it to resume its natural flow. She glanced at me with the most content expression I'd ever seen. I saw the many years of wisdom in her experienced gaze. The level of acceptance she maintained only came with maturity.

She knew what she was doing when she did what she did. She knew of the consequences and played the game accordingly. I knew she couldn't admit it aloud. But I had a feeling that it was her and not Rowena that was the true puppet master of the Pridesong clan.

She preached indifference to Dion but her quiet nature said elsewise.

The Oracle wanted to see us win.

"I gave up my daughter and my husband. I never watched her grow up, she never knew who I was. I gave up generations of happiness to carry the weight of the stars and I did it because it was my destiny," she said. "It was painful and I know that in the next life, I'll continue to pay for my broken vows. But now that my journey's almost over, I only care about all the good that will come from it. All the good that you and especially Pride will bring forth."

The Oracle sighed, closing her eyes once more as the gentle breeze picked up. "A new era is upon us all. I wish you two all the luck in the world for when it arrives. You'll need it. After all, change is never easy."

Grey clouds lurked upon the clear blue skies, tainting the halcyon surroundings instantly. I knew what that meant. The dream was coming to an end soon.

I turned to the Oracle and asked, "What's your name?"

She was stunned. Her eyes opened slowly as if I'd asked her something extremely personal. Squinting at the greying clouds, the Oracle cocked her head to the side and mumbled, "I think I was called Delphi?"

A short spell passed before she nodded with certainty this time. "My name was Delphi. Delphi Renée Pridesong."

My name was Delphi.

Man, Oracles really did have to give up everything in order to accept their role amongst the stars. Surrendering one's own family was one thing. But to give up their own identity too?

That felt like a little too much to ask for even for the stars.

The world around us trembled and I fell before I could even say goodbye. The last thing I heard was Delphi's soft whisper of warning before Leo pulled me out of my dream world and into reality.

"We need to go!" he shouted. I blinked away the sleep lingering upon my eyes. I was confused by the shouts and screams coming from outside. Leo hauled me to my feet, tossing me a pair of dark pants as he wildly got dressed in the dark.

"What's wrong?"

"The Lycan Pack is finally under attack." A flash of red light bathed Leo in a bloody halo. I stumbled into the ripped jeans in a rush, trying my hardest to grasp this new reality. "Pride's downstairs with a White Witch that's going to portal us to Sky's Pack. We need to go now, Venus. If we leave we can spare their Pack from more death."

They were here for us.

If we left, they'd probably follow.

Leo snatched my hand and we stumbled down the creaking stairs. As the wooden path dissolved into earth, a portal of white emerged from the dark sky, I heard Delphi's words. They were even louder in the chilly night air now that we were under attack and I knew we would succeed in our last quest.

Survive this night and prepare yourself. There's a sacrifice coming, Venus. You all best be ready for when it's time for it to be made.

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QOTD: Their success is guaranteed, what do you think of that? What sacrifice will need to be made in order for the fresh start to become reality? What do you think of Delphi and the decisions she made to reach this point in her ending journey? Why do you think the stars are bending the rules for Venus right now by allowing Delphi to reveal pieces of the future?