He thought, you looked really pretty—er, um

It looked pretty cool when you put indigo streaks in your hair.

And he wondered how you learned to dance like all the rest of the world isn't there. 

~ lyrics from "If I Could Tell Her" from Dear Evan Hansen ~

~ around two to three years after the events of 'Prophecy' ~

Avarice couldn't remember the last time he'd disliked an Oni so severely. Maybe there'd never been a last time. Avarice liked to consider himself a somewhat friendly Oni, as he got along well with most everyone he met. And technically, he'd never 'met' Princess Veracious Atrocity Sukkati of the Royal Oni Line. He'd only stood guard while she rampaged about in her usual angry manner. She was a mega-scale brat, if you asked Avarice, and he couldn't stand the thought of her being queen one day.

     He still couldn't understand why her mentor, General Mistake (pretty much the most respected Oni alive) called him over to practice transforming with the princess. As far as Avarice was aware, Veracious's shapeshifting magic was incredibly weak. He'd heard that she hadn't transformed once since she showcased herself the First Realm two years ago.

     Mistake walked off to consult with a couple of her underlings.

     Avarice swallowed and faced the princess. She was beautiful, yes, everyone who met her thought so. They said she had Atrocity's breathtaking blue eyes. Her patterns were intricate yet simple, giving her the appearance of a living piece of artwork. Mistake's vigorous training showed in Veracious's strong build, and Veracious had some of the most incredible horns Avarice had laid eyes upon.

     Yet, the princess was also a world class annoyance. Right then her eyes were fuming with rage over her inability to transform. Her rage shifted from herself to the guard as she realized he was just standing there.

     "Did General Mistake call you over to gawk or to help?" she spat.

     Avarice squared his shoulders, his clawed fingers flicking nervously. "My deepest apologies, Princess. Please instruct me as to how I can be of assistance."

     Veracious continued to scowl. "I don't know how you can help."

     "Right... um..." Avarice searched his mind for something—anything, "well... transforming is mostly instinctive for me. I just imagine my new form and—"

     He leapt forward, a sleek fox appearing in his mind. The second his feet hit the floor, Avarice could feel the soft touch of paw pads and hear the rustling of a ginger tail behind him. Veracious's jaw tightened when he turned to look back at her.

     "Try it," Avarice encouraged once he had returned to his Oni form.

     "I've already tried this," Veracious grumbled.

     "Okay," Avarice took a few deep breaths. She was the princess. Upsetting her could cost him his job. "Why don't we work on focusing instead of transforming? What's your favorite animal?"

     "I don't have one."

     Do not strangle the princess, Avarice, it's not a good idea. DO NOT strangle the princess.

     "Try a fox," Avarice suggested, "it's my favorite form to take on. I like foxes because they're nimble, fast, and they have a ferocious bite. In battle, it's easy to get away from a dragon when you can become small."

      "I'm not going to fight dragons."

     Avarice exhaled through clenched teeth. "Okay, just... work with me here. Picture a fox. I was just in the form of one, so it shouldn't be too hard. Ginger fur, with small noses, and tipped ears. Sleek and catlike, yet doggish enough to remain intimidating. They normally smell like dirt from all their digging. Their fur is rough from roaming the mountainous terrain. Take some deep breaths and picture it. In... out. In... out."

     To his surprise, she complied. Veracious's furrowed brow bones softened, and she closed her breathtaking eyes. The elders said the whole royal line was picturesque. In that moment, when Veracious released herself to her focus, Avarice finally understood what they were talking about.

     He was afraid to move, lest he broke her concentration. Veracious breathed very slowly, her shoulders relaxing as she attempted to create a mental picture. Avarice was sure she'd been through this several times before. Transforming was almost effortless to young Oni. Even in their later years, it still didn't take much effort for Oni to shift. Shifting was an essential part of nature. It was abnormal for any Oni to struggle with it.

     There were many rumors behind the princess' lack of power, though Avarice chose to ignore most of them. He just wanted to be a guard for General Mistake. She was a generous Oni. Everyone appreciated her dragging Onikind out of darkness after Malevolence left. She was working on restoring all of Onikind to equal level with the dragons. No one was sure whether she wanted to restart the Dragon War or not to accomplish this. Avarice knew of many Oni who were supportive of that outcome. Avarice himself wouldn't mind if Mistake ordered him to hunt dragons. He'd heard their flesh was the sweetest thing any Oni had ever tasted.

     Avarice was so caught up in his thoughts that he nearly missed the twitch of Veracious's hand. He looked at it—at her—and smiled. Dark ginger fur was blooming across her forearm. It spread up and around her arm until she lurched forward, gasping. Then she was on all fours, staring at her dark arms as the fur receded back into her skin. Silently, she looked up at Avarice in awe.

     "Focus," he said.

>(<>)<

Avarice wished he'd called in that day. Out of nowhere he was promoted to the princess' personal guard, then General Mistake herself was asking him to mentor the princess in Oni magic. Avarice had always been an average (if not less than average) student, so this was a shock to him. He didn't have the skills to mentor the princess. He barely had the brainpower to mentor himself.

     The thing he hated most about his job was the fact it required being around Veracious all the time. He didn't want to get to know the princess. It was easier for him if he didn't get sucked into politics, because then there'd be considerably less drama in his life. Avarice didn't want a drama filled existence. That was the life his parents suffered under the hand of Malevolence, and they'd both died in her invasion to Ninjago.

     There was no avoiding Princess Veracious, however, and Avarice had to face the consequences to that.

     She became closer and closer to taking on the form of a fox with each practice session. The key for her was focus, which Avarice made sure she did for most of their training time. The less time he had to talk to her, the better. There was a point where her entire head had just poof! fox head. That was awkward because the rest of her was still an Oni. Avarice did his best to coach her through the rough edges.

     He had to sit there while Mistake taught Veracious how to summon her staff of darkness. Veracious was just as bad at that as transforming. Each day of relentless practicing and failing made Avarice more and more curious. Why was the princess so inept at basic Oni magic? The academies for Oni usually taught students how to control their abundance of power, not grow their lack of it.

     As the months passed on, Avarice became more acutely aware as to why he hated spending time with the princess. He was beginning to admire her. He saw that she had an unmatched determination when it came to succeeding. He'd watch her collapse from exhaustion, then still manage to pull herself to her feet and try again. Her level of tenacity was the greatest he'd ever seen.

     Despite her sour attitude, Veracious worked hard. It'd be halfway through the night and he'd hear her scribbling away inside her room, taking notes on stolen textbooks about magic. She gave focusing on transformation her everything and trained like her life depended on it. He couldn't help but respect the fact she seemed to care about the position she was supposed to play.

     The hard work did eventually pay off. Avarice yelped in surprise when Veracious's form disappeared, and a small fox appeared in its place. The fox twittered in delight, skipping around the room like it'd just been freed into the wild. Avarice grinned and shifted himself. Veracious launched herself at him, and they tussled around playfully, both howling in delight at her success.

     It seemed after that like nothing was holding Veracious back. She was able to summon her first staff only two days later, then had her first public appearance soon afterward. Avarice saw the princess less and less after that, even though her shifting still needed work.

     "I think it would be wise to briefly explain things to you. You have been a great help here, Avarice." General Mistake informed him one afternoon. The leader had stopped by his room to explain why he was fired from being a mentor.

     "Thank you, General."

     Mistake grinned, showing her fangs. "Princess Veracious has had quite a bit of trouble accessing her Oni side due to the way she was raised. Her mother, you see, was hiding her from Malevolence."

     "A fair and wise decision," Avarice politely commented.

     "Yes. You know as well as I do that the Oni respect power. If their own princess cannot shift forms—a basic Oni function—then how can they trust her to lead them?"

     "A most respectable point."

     "Now that Veracious is able to perform adequate levels of Oni magic, I am going to schedule a coronation. She can continue to develop her skills as she leads." Mistake paused briefly, a clawed finger touching her heart. "You must know that I am very old. My time will pass soon, and it is up to me to make sure she is ready to rule her citizens."

     "We will be most grieved at your passing."

     Mistake half-grinned. "I know it is Oni formality to respect your leaders, but this is almost pretentious. Since you have helped Princess Veracious so much in her shifting, I would like to demote you back to your original position. I've heard that you are not fond of following the princess around."

     "I do not wish to have attention brought to myself."

     "I see. Well then, Avarice, you are officially demoted."

     "Thank you, General."

>(<>)<

Of course Avarice went to the coronation. He was pretty sure every being in Oniland had gone. The entire palace was packed with unshifted Oni, then hundreds more who had taken upon a smaller form so they could still be present. Everyone watched with bated breath as General Mistake announced Princess Veracious's birthright, then gently placed a twisted crown of precious jewels and blackened, metal spikes around her horns. As Veracious stood, and her crown caught the light, Avarice thought to himself that she was the most beautiful Oni he'd ever seen. From the murmurs in the crowd, mostly everyone had the same opinion.

     For years, Onikind had been united under a cruel leader who had no respect for the Oni. After she failed in invading Ninjago, the Oni left her to rot. But by then they had lost their royal line, their dignity, and their respect.

     Now a new ray of hope was being shined upon the demons. A hidden princess was taken from hiding to resume her place as queen. She was the hope for the future of all Onikind. Not everyone was exactly thrilled that such a young-looking Oni was taking the throne, but at least they acknowledged her heritage. Her blue eyes spoke volumes about her royal bloodline.

     Then the princess (now queen) took them all by surprise.

     "As my first act as the queen of the Oni," Queen Veracious spread out her arms, "I would like to choose a council of advisers."

     Avarice heard nearby elders whispering that this had never been done.

     "These advisers will not be close companions of mine, nor will they all be selected from wealthy families. I will pluck citizens of all backgrounds to advise me, so that I may fully understand the voices of my people."

     Murmurs of approval started to rise when Veracious called two random names from the vast crowd. The Oni looked both flustered and pleased as they joined their new queen on the stage. Avarice saw Veracious lock eyes with him and immediately started to panic. He knew what was going to happen before she even called—

     "Avarice, please step forward."

     Avarice had no choice but to comply. She was the queen, and he must respect her decisions.

     "You have worked as a loyal guard to General Mistake and served valuable time helping me master Oni magic." There was a bit of untruth to her words, but boy, did she know how to keep up a façade. Avarice was slightly impressed with her acting skills. There wasn't a drop of hesitation to her words. "You will now help me as a voice of my closest followers."

     Avarice, despite his negative prejudice on the matter, found being an adviser a relatively easy job. Veracious made sure all her advisers returned home so they could continue to live amongst their social class. Every now and then she'd bring them in to consult with their opinions. It was a genius maneuver. By about three months into her rule, Veracious had the whole-hearted support of pretty much everyone. There were the grumblers, of course, but Avarice suspected they just missed Malevolence.

      Though, it did seem like Veracious consulted with him more than anyone.

     "Avarice," the queen said as they walked along the broken balcony of the old royal palace. She had workers trying to rebuild it, but such construction took time. Oni were meant to destroy, not create. Building things did not come easily to them. "You seem like a very peaceful Oni."

     "Peace isn't in our nature, your Highness."

     Her face flickered, with memory, perhaps. "There are many Oni calling for us to restart the Dragon War. I have consulted with my other advisers, and most of them agree we should plunge ourselves back into violence."

     Avarice unintentionally cringed. Memories flooded back from when he was younger, of his parents eagerly discussing the invasion. They wanted to conquer in Malevolence's name. They were excited to destroy. Then, they followed her to their deaths. Perhaps it really was Oni nature to destroy, but Avarice didn't want to die like them. They were filled with bloodlust and destruction. He just wanted to live a simple life where if he were going to fight, it would be for a better cause than simply a sadistic desire for suffering.

     Some part of him did want to restart the Dragon War. There was something so tempting about tearing apart one of those majestic creatures and feeding on their flesh. However, would it be worth it? What if one of the dragons tore him apart first? He would have let his life lead to nothing but the infinite cycle of violence. The infinite cycle of balance.

     "I was once told that eternal warfare is the only way to keep the balance. That as long as neither side conquers the other, then both sides are proven equal. But what if there was another way to preserve the fabric of our realm?" There was melancholy in her voice, deeper than Avarice had even heard. Suddenly Veracious looked a thousand years old, as if she'd seen far too many lifetimes to be sane.

     "If you don't mind me asking, My Queen, how old are you?" Avarice dipped his head, hoping the question wasn't too disrespectful.

      Veracious sighed. "I'm eighteen."

      Avarice blinked. "Eighteen?"

     "Eighteen," Veracious confirmed sadly.

     "I mean no disrespect, your Highness, but do you mean eighteen hundred?"

     "No," Veracious snapped, "I mean eighteen. One-eight."

     Avarice took a step back.

     "What?" Veracious' temper flared.

     "Sorry, your Highness, it's just that most Oni don't even attend academies until they're at least twenty. That is because young Oni are too feral to be introduced into proper society. How is it—and again, I mean absolutely no disrespect—that you are eighteen and have such a mature mind?"

     Veracious's face softened. Her claws tightened into fists, and she turned her attention to the sinking sun. Off in the distance, Avarice could hear the rumble of dragons calling to each other.

     "I was raised by humans, Avarice," she said softly, "eighteen is old enough to them."

     "Humans?" He was startled again, and studied the queen in a new light. How was that possible? There were no humans in the First Realm.

     "Yes," Veracious didn't take her attention from the distance. It was as if the outlying mountains and valleys were the only things she could talk to. "My mother was King Atrocity's granddaughter, a full-blooded Oni. My father, however, was the grandson of the First Spinjitzu Maste—"

     "The First Master?" Avarice exclaimed, suddenly not caring about etiquette, "The Halfling?"

     "Yes, the Halfling. His genetics kept me human for a long time. It was only through divine intervention that I was able to assume this form."

     "You're part human," Avarice wondered aloud. "Fascinating. This explains so many things."

     Veracious's stare sharpened. "Do not think that being part human makes me weak. I have endured lifetimes of pain and misery and will not be belittled for my unfortunate ancestry."

     Avarice had never put much thought into where Veracious had been before General Mistake reintroduced her into society. There were a lot of Oni like him, Oni who didn't care where the queen sprang up from. They were just glad to have direction from someone who was a royal Oni. Tradition could come back to the Oni Kingdom after so many centuries of misguidance.

     He suddenly wondered what the queen had seen, and what life she had lived before this one. She mentioned that she had lived as a human and had been raised as one. That must have been such a shift to transfer into living as a queen of demons.

     Veracious didn't want to relive any more memories, though. She'd seen them once, and she definitely didn't want to look back on them anymore. She was a queen now, not a scared little girl. Avarice was still waiting on a response, so she turned to face him.

     "A week from today I will hold a peace summit. I will meet with Firstbourne to announce my intentions for a treaty between our kind and hers. I will put you in charge of sending the message to her. Am I clear?"

     Avarice, despite heavily disagreeing with every word that just left Veracious's mouth, nodded. She was the queen, after all. It was his duty to obey her. If she thought holding a 'peace summit' was going to solve problems, then he was forced to do as she wished. Hopefully it would end well.

>(<>)<

He didn't know if it was the mantle of queenship weighing upon her, but Veracious's childish traits subsided quite quickly. She walked with her head high, speaking much calmer to every Oni that complained to her. And that was a lot of Oni. Word had spread about the peace summit (which Firstbourne had agreed to) quicker than Avarice expected, and before long, half the population kept trying to sneak into the palace to dissuade their queen from being so stupid. Avarice found himself being impressed by the Oni's persistence, and even more by Veracious's firm stance on her beliefs. She really thought a peace summit would be the solution to the realm-wide problem. He didn't know whether to hail her as a fool, or as a revolutionary.

     The day of the peace summit loomed closer, overshadowed only by General Mistake's sudden illness. Oni didn't fall ill; they were too genetically strong for such things. That meant General Mistake was close to death. It had always been described as a final metamorphosis in the academies. Close to their hour of death, an Oni would resume their original form, weaken considerably, and peacefully pass into an unending sleep. The whole process took less than a week, so everyone in Oniland was currently freaking out. Their trusted general was dying, and her heir thought meeting with the dragons was a good idea. Onikind was doomed.

     "Mistake told me that grief is unnecessary," Veracious said to Avarice after emerging from the weeping room. Her eyes had reddened, but she kept her head high. There was strength in those breathtaking eyes, strength Avarice was continuously surprised at seeing. "She knows what happens after we pass, and she is not afraid of death."

     "Is she...?"

     Veracious reached out, her claws grazing his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said.

     Avarice turned away. He'd never known Mistake as well as he would have liked, but he knew her loss would create a hole of grief for many.

     Onikind soon realized that the death of their beloved general wasn't going to change anything. They numbly followed their queen up a mountain that sat in between the borders of Oniland and Dragonland. Firstbourne and her entourage watched with keen interest as the new Oni queen stepped forward to meet the Mother of all Dragons.

     Veracious was small compared the large, red dragon, but she did nothing to alter her size. She had requested to be adorned in King Atrocity's old embellishments. Her horns were connected with jewels hanging off delicate chains; upon her shoulders sat silver armor so shiny you could see her furrowed eyebrows in the reflection. Veracious walked in front of the gathered Oni to greet the Mother of all Dragons, her arms spread wide.

     "Firstbourne, my name is Queen Veracious Sukkati. I am descent from King Atrocity of the Royal Oni Line." Veracious bowed respectfully. "On the behalf of Onikind, we thank you for agreeing to meet here today."

     Firstbourne's expression flickered between surprise and suspicion. Avarice unintentionally took a step forward when he noticed how many Oni were salivating at the sight of the multitude of dragons. He himself couldn't ignore the tantalizing presence of all of them. Powerful creatures, with scales he could use as armor, with enough meat to feed an entire neighborhood for weeks. Veracious, however, didn't seem to be affected by such temptations.

     Firstbourne bowed her head and grumbled something no Oni understood. A lithe, white dragon beside her bounded forward and dipped his head towards Veracious. Veracious reached out to caress the dragon's head, her eyes closing as she absorbed its message.

     "Avarice, please step forward," she said firmly.

     He didn't know why he was always the one to be dragged into these situations. There was a language that Oni and dragons shared, though it was mostly made for battle commands. The Oni were taught to attack physically and verbally. Avarice wondered why the queen just didn't use that, but then he remembered that she probably had never been taught.

     Plus, it would look better on her reputation if she didn't try to make a peace treaty using verbal warfare.

     Veracious instructed Avarice to place his hand on the white dragon's head, so he could listen to the translation and speak Firstbourne's words to the crowd. Avarice never imagined a dragon's scales could be as soft as they were sharp. He trembled upon touching the dragon, forcing his instinct to kill it down into the deepest roots of his mind.

     Why have you called this meeting? The white dragon translated Firstbourne's growls, sending them directly into Avarice's mind.

     Avarice, who was at a loss of how to react to this, repeated Firstbourne's words.

     "Long before my birth, the Oni and Dragons fought in an eternal war to preserve the perfect balance of the realm." Veracious held her head high, her firm gaze never wavering. "And not long ago, I was told that war was the only way to keep the balance intact."

      You want to reinstate the war? Firstbourne's tone was puzzled. Avarice had an idea of what his queen was going to say, but he still wasn't completely sure. He understood Firstbourne's confusion. The history books said it was the first Oni, Hubris, who started the Eternal War, and he just started attacking dragons. There had never been a negotiation, nor an official start of the war. Oni didn't wait to fight. They jumped in with claws outstretched.

     "My subjects would very much like me to." Veracious folded her hands. "However, I believe that war isn't the answer. I've fought to preserve the balance of a realm before, and violence did not solve the problem."

     There was a regret in her voice, a twinge of guilt that made Avarice curious again.

     I was raised by humans, Avarice, eighteen is old enough to them.

     Her past may have been shrouded in mystery, but Avarice knew one thing for certain. Wherever Veracious had come from before, it had changed her. It had allowed her to grow up too fast. If Veracious had truly fought for, and lost, the balance of an entire realm, then it made sense as to her actions now. Violence wasn't the answer then. And it wasn't the answer now.

     "Eternal warfare brings balance because neither side can triumph. But eternal warfare also brings destruction and the loss of too many innocent lives. Firstbourne, I come before you today to offer a new solution. Let me be the first Oni monarch in history to offer Onikind up as allies to your race. With eternal peace, there will be no need to triumph, because the fighting will forever be over."

     Both Oni and dragons bristled at her words as the white dragon repeated Veracious's words to Firstbourne's crowd.

     Firstbourne hinted at a grin. Their pride will get in the way.

     Veracious faltered, if only for a second. She turned to survey her surroundings, her eyes scanning the taunting Oni and the tensed dragons. The Oni wanted to be winners. They hadn't fought so long and hard to be declared equals with their other halves. And the dragons weren't willing to degrade themselves so far that they would befriend murderous Oni.

     Avarice locked eyes with Veracious, suddenly fearing for what might come next. She was walking a thin line. Any second now the Oni would lose their self-control, and the eternal war would begin anew.

     Out in the sea of dark faces, one Oni shouted, "At least Malevolence didn't demean our kind like this!"

     It was met with thunderous accusations, a boiling point of a thousand suppressed emotions. Anxiety over the state of their race, sadness over General Mistake's passing, uneasiness in the novelty of their new queen. The Oni's conflicted minds were pernicious, filtering into their words and actions. A few brave ones stepped forwards with their staffs drawn. Only a few guards kept the mob from swarming Veracious, but even their eyes betrayed agreement with the sentiments of the crowd.

     "We have a council!" Onikind demanded. "Let the council lead us! The age of the Royal Oni Line is over!"

     The dragons murmured amongst themselves, stepping back and preparing to fly off should any violence start. But Firstbourne stood strong, waiting, watching. Her infinite eyes were trained on Veracious.

     A flash of hopelessness drifted through Veracious's gaze as she listened to the pleas of her people. But instead of caving, her eyes hardened, and she whipped around.

     She extended a claw into the air and darkness began to gather. Before Avarice could blink, she had whipped out her staff of darkness and cracked a whip of black magic across the dividing line between the Oni and dragons.

     "I am your queen," she hissed at her subjects, "and you dare interrupt my summit with a riot? Just because I was not raised amongst you does not make me any less of an Oni. I have seen your suffering and anguish. I know what will happen if you denounce me and restart the Dragon War. Last time you followed a new government to war, half of you didn't come back. Do you want to lose so many again? I'm not asking you to give up your nature, nor am I telling you to diminish your pride. No, I plan on using those things for the greater good."

     The crowd slowly quieted, their eyes pinned on the staff. They'd never seen Veracious wield her magic, but they'd heard stories of the monarchs that came before. The royals were supposed to be the most powerful Oni alive. Avarice was probably the only one there that knew it was a bluff. Veracious's magic may have been weak, but her will was as strong as diamond.

     Veracious swiveled back to the Mother of all Dragons. "I propose a dual effort. In your prideful ways you have told yourselves the lie that you do not need destruction. Your mountains and caves are overgrown and shrinking. The leaves are suffocating the trees and the desert sands cannot be held back, only grown further. Let us use our magic to help. We will restore balance to your territories. In return, you will use your creation to help us rebuild our lost empire."

     Creation and destruction, working together, Firstbourne mused. Her scaly expression turned thoughtful, almost reminiscent. I haven't seen that in a long time.

     "Both sides may be filled with hubris. Both sides may be filled with doubt. But I'm not asking for either side to live together. We are still Oni, and you are still dragons. Nothing can change that. I am asking for ambassadors, for trading unions, for assistance when we need it. The fighting has gone on for too long. It's time we finally use our gifts for the greater good of the realm."

     Silence stretched through the clearing, as heavy as the mantle of leadership. The Oni were hesitant, fearing of their queen. They were ready to fight at a moment's notice. But they were thoughtful, musing over the queen's words with the same vigor they had previously used to dismiss them.

     The dragons radiated less violence. They eyed their leader and their enemies carefully, as if planning how to handle things if this all went wrong. Avarice suspected they trusted in Firstbourne's opinion far too much to form their own.

     And Firstbourne looked down on the little queen, her expression slowly becoming warm. She was proud.

     Very well, Queen Veracious, you have my consent. If both of our kingdoms prove that they can work together during the rebuilding of both of our empires, then I accept your eternal offer of allyship.

     The dragons did not look unimpressed, and when the Oni heard the tone of respect in Firstbourne's voice, they too finally saw their queen in a new light. Only an extremely powerful Oni could get Firstbourne, the Mother of all Dragons, to bend to her will. And while the Oni respected bloodshed, a display of reverence from one of the first beings in the realm was enough for them to sheathe their violent tendencies for now.

     Avarice guessed it wouldn't be easy to keep it that way. However, he had a feeling somehow, someway, Veracious finally would accomplish what no other Oni could: the end to an eternal war. He too, was pleased with the young queen.

     He knew Firstbourne's next words were for Veracious alone, so he repeated them quietly.

     "Your ancestors would be proud with what you have done today."

     Veracious nodded. For the first time, Avarice saw grief in her eyes. She was mourning a life long past, a path she never took, a hard decision she'd made. But that was behind her now. She had a new future to look forward too.

     Queen Veracious exchanged a few more words with Firstbourne, setting up times and places to schedule the first rounds of nonviolent interaction between the two races. Then, she turned to her subjects, her arms raised wide, a smile lighting her beautiful face.

     "Rejoice! Our kingdom is to be rebuilt stronger than ever!"

     There were a few leftover grumblers, of course, but most of the Oni cheered.

     "We shall make a monument to honor those who died for Malevolence's war. Then, we shall grow our empire and lands until they have been restored to the glory of my grandfather's age."

     The cheers were louder, more rambunctious. Some Oni were even taking new forms.

     "It is time to begin a new age for all of Onikind!"

     The Oni shifted into all sorts of shapes and sizes, jumping down the mountain to return to their home. They had been in shambles, but now a new queen was here, and she would make them a great nation once again. Their pride was satisfied by their iron-willed ruler and her power over the Mother of all Dragons. In their heads, this meeting was a victory.

     Avarice knew it would take a while, but eventually, Onikind would reach Veracious's goal. It might not be during her lifetime or his, but peace would come over the lands. The eternal war would bring forth eternal peace, and the realms would have balance. He found suddenly that he was satisfied by such a conclusion. No more Oni would die like his parents.

     "Are you lost in your mind?" Veracious asked, waking him from his train of thought.

     In the distance, the dragons were flying back to their lands, a swarm of magnificent color in the golden sky. He stared at their beauty, at his kind's beauty in all their moving forms, and his queen's beauty, and grinned. Without a word he shifted into his favorite animal, a fox, and padded across the terrain.

     "Not exactly," he laughed, "are you ready to return home, Queen Veracious?"

     "Ver," she said abruptly. She jumped, transforming into a fox, and landing gracefully next to him. She flicked his side with her tail, smiling. And in that moment, Avarice felt as if something had shifted, as if the pieces of his destiny were finally falling into place. "You can call me Ver."

Finis.