Ciara hugged Kaisog's neck, hiding her face in his scales. She had no more tears to cry, yet she hadn't changed from this position since the flight began. Which was quite a long time ago. Still, he flew tirelessly, as though he had no need for a break. Which he probably didn't, either.

She had absolutely no idea how long they'd been flying or how long they still would be. She could see nothing but water and sea no matter which way she looked.

During this time, she'd wondered whether it was the right decision she'd made over and over. Every time, she reached the same conclusion.

Yes, this would certainly create some difficulties for them at home, but if Madia had said they would do just fine with what they had already, then Ciara trusted that to be true.

She knew it might be the cowardly way out; it was. But she had no other choice. She knew everything Victoria had said was the truth. She really was nothing but a deadweight for the king.

No, even worse than that - she'd been a recurring obstacle. A deadweight was simply a heavy burden, she had actively made things difficult for him. Even if that was just with her mere presence, that fact didn't change.

She had caused so many problems, done so many things that ultimately worked against the goal of there being no war. People had died only for her to mess things up.

She had split the Fire Kingdom, and especially the castle, into two. Two irreconcilable sides she wasn't sure would ever properly get back together again.

She'd been over there for so long, yet she couldn't even convince those working at the castle. She only barely convinced a handful.

She had bitten off far too much for her to ever chew. She was too weak to accomplish something like what she'd set out to do.

That was how she knew her decision wasn't the wrong one - a job like that wasn't something someone like her could ever accomplish.

No, it should've been someone more like Madia instead. She would've done much better, without a doubt. She was so much more mature and so much stronger. She would've stood up for herself and easily fought off Victoria and the Dragon Slayers alike. As if it was nothing. Actually, she wouldn't even have had that problem to begin with. She would've done it so perfectly and gracefully there would've been no reason for the two to even lash out at all. Not to mention she would've probably convinced people long ago.

Ciara sighed. She should've never gone over there to begin with - it was one, big mistake.

She jumped in surprise when an exceedingly familiar roar reached her from far ahead. She quickly perked up and looked past Kaisog's big head at the two dots. One crimson and one almost white.

"Kapura, Rangi." She smiled softly. Her mother and father's dragons. That meant they were close to home now.

Kaisog answered in kind after gauging Ciara's reaction to the two newcomers coming racing at them. She couldn't help but laugh when the two big, old dragons quickly flanked each side of Kaisog, calling out to her happily.

"I am home."

...

"There, right in front of the big house, Kaisog," she guided the drake, who hadn't been in this kingdom before. Not that she knew of, anyway.

He grunted affirmatively in reply, softly landing in front of the place she'd called her home ever since birth.

It was so nostalgic to be back here. Nothing had changed, but that only made it all the more wonderful.

Dragons still circled the sky and walked the ground side by side with people. Living their best lives.

After having been away from it for so long, it almost looked strange. Like something out of a dream. This was the reality she wanted everyone to have. To never be lonely or discriminated by species.

She slowly slid off Kaisog's back and onto the ground, her eyes swallowing everything around her as though it was her first time seeing it all.

The trees had long since lost their leaves and left them on the ground, branching out emptily. Such did every living plant do, leaving the winter season so empty and dead.

Still, it all looked much worse off than the wildlife she'd been used to seeing.

Her attention was pulled away when she heard the door being opened so forcefully it might as well have been pulled off its hinges.

"Ciara!" Her mother was in a dead sprint as soon as she saw her.

Ciara turned around and quickly ran towards her as well. "Mother!" she yelled back through the lump in her throat.

She ran right into her mother's arms, feeling herself wrapped in their comfort, only making the lump grow bigger the longer she stayed there. She didn't mind, though.

She quickly wrapped her arms around the woman, squeezing her eyes shut. The fight against the tears she thought she'd used up only grew tougher when another set or arms wrapped around her from behind as well.

"Oh, my daughter," her father whispered, his voice as weak as she imagined hers would be.

Her mother squeezed her a little tighter. "How I have missed you, sweetie."

Ciara nodded, enjoying the tingle of her mother's hair against the skin on her cheek. A sensation she hadn't even realized she'd missed.

She had missed them so, so much, she couldn't even begin to put it into words.

Completely in sync, they both pulled back, her mother keeping her hands on Ciara's cheeks, drying them gently.

"Why are you back here?" She looked deeply into the girl's eyes. "Did something happen?"

"Yes," Ciara's gaze dropped to the ground. Until she felt the sudden tension in the air, anyway. "Not anything war-related or anything like that!" she quickly reassured them, seeing the relief settling on their faces. "Just-" She breathed out, her head dropping again. "I could not do it." She closed her eyes again and threw her arms around herself år. "I am not good enough."

Her mother clicked her tongue suddenly. "Of course you are, Ciara." She crossed her arms. "You are the best we have on this island. If that is not good enough for them, then they are not worthy of you."

Ciara gingerly shook her head. "You are wrong, mother. I am not strong enough," she tried explaining. She knew that expression though.

Her father sighed lightly. "My daughter, have you completely forgotten my words for you when you left?"

She looked up at him confusedly, then understood.

'No matter what may happen, I want you to remember that you are not merely his wife, Ciara. You are all of us, we will always be behind you in whatever you decide.'

It was true that those weren't words she had kept close at heart while staying over there. She doubted they would've made much of a difference though.

Her father placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Let us go inside, shall we? You can tell us all about it in there," he said, lightly pulling her in that direction.