The nearer they get to the Meadow Orphanage, the faster Wayde’s heart raised. He thought that he could manage to pull his thoughts together, but seemed to underestimate the possible outcomes. Wayde expected nothing but the probability of anger, bitterness, loss of time, and most of all… awkwardness. The father even reminded himself that he won’t be talking to his younger kids anymore.

But as a Flash Guardian, he knew the sacrifices and risks when it comes to leaving his family to protect them by gathering and studying the knowledge about Enchanteria’s doom. Deep within his heart, Wayde hoped that he could live in peace with his wife and daughters… and perhaps the same goes for the son as well.

Speaking of, the father still wondered what the son was thinking. They had quite a silent ride since passing through the many blocks of Yardsville. Wayde still finds Xabe’s reaction to being… strange. He somehow accepted the fact that the son would be in a very challenging situation.

“So are you going to tell them everything?” the boy asked.

“Not everything,” the father responded. “It is best to keep the most important details classified.”

“What details…? It’s about me, isn’t it?”

“It’ll be too much to handle, except for your mother.”

“Mom? Seriously?”

“I sent exclusive letters only she could read, son. If I share it with your sisters, they’ll be jealous or have a breakdown. But, I can tell them that your powers had awakened when you encountered Devastrigon as your senses grew towards it.”

“Okay…,” Xabe nodded slowly. “But, how about Holly, Rose, and Pansy’s powers? I mean, do they even have one? Wait… is Mom magical too?”

“Your mother is… special.” Wayde showed a hint of a smile. “From the both of us, who knows what your sisters may have, or perhaps they’re just normal. Having magical powers is not that simple, son.”

“I understand. My mind may not take with all the explanations. But how are you going to explain how I came from here to there?”

“Hmm…” Wayde rubbed his chin. “What was the last thing you did in here?”

“Well, at first, the tingling sensation of my spine had grown- it’s as if I sensed a ghost. Told Holly and the Berts that I was heading out because it was drafty. And then Red flew to the outside of the orphanage- and the next thing I was teleported to the weird old lady.”

Wayde did his best to process the whole story. “Huh… that does sound like she would do that. We’ll just tell them your wanderlust.”

Xabe slightly shrugged. “Okay, sure, I can work with that.” By the time he looked outside, he saw the Meadow Orphanage at a short distance. The entrance door opened before Elise and the daughters came out.

“Hey, look.” Xabe peered through the opened window. “It’s them.”

Wayde inhaled as much oxygen as needed. He didn’t want to turn to the window just yet. “Are we there yet?” he asked.

The carriage finally stopped. Xabe leaned back in his seat. “I think there’s your answer, Dad. It’s as if they’re expecting us.”

Xabe was truly excited to see their reaction once they see the father of the family returning from six years of work. On the other hand, Wayde kept telling himself to control certain emotions.

Elise knew and even felt her husband was with them always, but seeing him again physically may break her restraint of emotions.

Holly wanted to be excited. She could only imagine that her brother- and her father as well- could be inside. But she was highly concerned. What did her father find in his research? And what happened to Xabe?

As for the twins, if they ever meet their father after six years, Rose wanted to hug him while Pansy wanted to punch his face to see if he’s real. If they ever even see their brother back, Rose wanted to call him with a smile, while Pansy wanted to bark at him- and punch his face to see if he’s real.

By the time the carriage stopped, Mr. Carry hopped down from the driver seat and lifted his hat. “Ladies,” he greeted. The mother and daughters locked eyes at the carriage door as he opened them. It took a while, but at last, the one who peeked first was none other than MaXabiere as his head popped out. His eyes widened to scan the look on their faces. Yup, they were all stunned alright.

He calmly stepped onto the ground and looked at the inside of the carriage before gesturing for a companion to come out. And that companion was a tall man with slick dark red hair wearing a dark brown long coat with thick white fur around his shoulders. There was not a single doubt that the man beside Xabe couldn’t be Wayde Berrygrewd. And would you look at that goatee?

The father and son exchanged looks before the son gestured to initiate the approach. The mother and daughters watched as the two awkwardly walked toward them. Everyone inside the orphanage was beginning to gather in front of the windows.

As Wayde and Xabe came close to Elise, Holly, and the twins, they didn’t say anything. It was more like a compressed or locked expression that held them all back but wanted to unleash. This was it, the Berrygrewd family reunited at last.

But what now…?

None of them made a single move yet. Wayde changed glances between Elise and his daughters. His beloved wife’s beauty remained. And the daughters, Holly’s appearance and age had finally matched her maturity. Rose and Pansy, despite being twins, had looked more distinct from one another over the past six years, like a black and white, yin and yang, and a morning and night.

Xabe kept switching his eyes between his father and the ladies. Oooooookaaaaay. It’s going quite well, he thought.

“Boys,” Elise called and brought a smile to her face.

Wayde slightly bowed. “Ma’am.”

There was a short silence, which restrained them from doing anything rather than standing still, but Holly took the first step and slowly walked to her father. “You look like your mother now,” he smiled at his girl. Holly took a deep breath and, just like that, immediately embraced her father.

There was no doubt as she sensed within her feelings, this was Wayde Berrygrewd standing before them- oh, and there’s Xabe as well.

“Yay!” Rose joyfully joined in. She looked back to her twin, who was pursing her lips and trying her best to suppress her expression. Rose gestured for Pansy to cut that out and come over. Pansy grumbled, not out of irritation but because so much suppression of feelings would result in a burst. Pansy squeaked as she dashed to them with open arms.

The father looked at the twins with a chuckle, “And you two, I can finally tell which is who!”

Wayde’s smile jumped from the slight happiness he was having. Six years, just for a moment, he wanted to feel this. It was a modest start to their reunion, but it was enough for Wayde. He didn’t want to get far with emotions out of control.

By the time the daughters let go, he looked at his wife as she came close to them and held his hand.

The both of them looked at the orphanage windows to see the orphans scurry back to where they came from while the Bert couple and Mother Flora grinned. Wayde saw Claes and Sean stand by their side. As the blond man slightly nodded, the father responded by doing the same.

Meanwhile, Xabe and Mr. Curry exchanged looks with their smile. At some point, the boy seeing the completion of his family made wanting to build his resolve even stronger. Devastrigon, the three-headed dragon created by The Darkened One, has its intention and causes nothing but chaos, death, and destruction whenever it appeared.

Xabe may live in his bubble by repeating the cycles of living in his comfy home, exploring the town, and helping the orphanage, but he knew how much damage Enchanteria was, from its biomes, its people, and the landmasses. Without Devastrigon permanently, everything could be better and the world could thrive and be enhanced peacefully.

By the time Xabe turned around to see his family, he was suddenly met with a slap so strong, the sound even echoed throughout the meadows. He may not fall nor tremble from it, but the impact was enough for him to flinch from such a reaction “FFFFFFUUUUUUU-AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!” He screamed. Xabe could’ve sworn he sensed that, but it was fast enough for a hand to slap his cheek.

“OOOOOWWWWW!!!!” Pansy screamed. She usually slapped other kids her age without a stingy feeling on her hand, but this time, when it comes to slapping her brother, it felt quite different. It was like she slapped a stone statue. Pansy flicked her right hand from the stinging feeling she had never felt before.

Mr. Carry from behind them winced, “Oooh, that’s gotta leave a mark.”

Xabe snarled, “What was that for?!”

“To see if you’re not some sort of evil demon disguised as you!” Pansy flicked her right hand from the stinging feeling she had never felt before.

“Pansy!” Holly gasped.

Rose narrowed her eyebrows. “You could’ve told me you’re going to do that!” then she muttered. “I was planning to do the same thing after I hug him.”

“Rose,” Holly frowned.

“What?” Rose shrugged. “Pansy could be right.”

Pansy widened her eyes and lifted her hands as it was like she was saying, See, even she believes me.

Wayde looked at Elise and asked, “Are they always been like this?”

Elise shook her head. “Trust me, dear, you haven’t missed a thing. And Pansy, you could have just pinched your brother.”

Pansy tossed her arms. “Mom, there’s this article I read about the supernatural doppelgängers. To see if the person is fake, it’ll transform into its original form when physically hurt.”

Xabe rubbed his cheek. “Yeah, the more we know, huh? Owwwww…” Underneath Xabe’s olive jacket, a head of a pileated woodpecker popped out to see the commotion.

“Aww.” Rose leaned in. “What are you doing there, fella?”

Xabe looked down at the bird. “Oh him? He’s my companion, Red the woodpecker. Sorry Red, I was slapped. Really, really, hard.”

This was… a fun moment, but as both father and Flash Guardian, Wayde must also remind himself that danger may be far, but it’s still here. “We must get inside, loves.” He looked at every single one of them. “I have so much to talk about- it is urgent.”

Holly asked, “Is it about Xabe, Dad?”

“It’s not just about him.” Wayde looked over at Xabe, who was still rubbing his cheek. “It’s about all of us, quickly now.”

The library was the perfect place where the children would not dare cross to disturb the reunited Berrygrewd family. Mother Flora assisted the Bert couple in handling them for a while, but outside the library door stood Claes and Sean.

“We can just go in, you know,” said Sean.

Claes shook his head. “Let’s leave them for a while until it’s time.”

“Whatever you say.” Sean looked around the area. In front of the library door was a wall underneath the main stairs of the first floor. He scanned old random paintings with different frame sizes. Soon, Sean leaned against the wall and asked, “Hey, do you still remember how we became Flash Guardians?”

“That answer is simple, why do you need to ask?” Claes’ eyes only locked on the library door in front of them.

“Oh, you know…”

“I don’t.”

“Well, it’s just… doesn’t this feel familiar to you?” Sean looked at Claes. He was as if the blond man was an immovable statue.

There were a few seconds of silence until Claes finally responded, “It does… while the other kids were playing, or whatever other activities they’re up to, Eric and I were inside in that same old library when General Irvan arrived here.”

“General who?”

Claes turned to Sean with widened eyes. “General Irvan? General of the Ascentilian Royal Cavalry. Are you even with us?”

Sean slightly leaned forward. “Seriously, ‘Irvan’? I thought his name is Ivan.”

Shaking his head, Claes went back to staring at the door. “Oh, he’s not going to be happy with that slight mistake when we get back home.”

Sean scratched the back of his head. “I mean, his men with full-faced helmets said Ivan to me. Anywaaaaay, at first I thought both of you will be joining the Ascentilian Royal Cavalry, until a part of me said, ‘Wait a minute, they’re Vortecses’, and finally I knew when you guys finally becoming new Flash Guardian recruits by the time that door opened.”

Claes smirked behind the hippie with style. “We didn’t know what and how to feel about that. Things were… difficult for both of us. And by the time the door opened, we saw you, leaning on the same wall. And for some reason, you tagged along.”

“What? Not enjoying my company?”

“No.”

“Damn, that’s a pretty straightforward answer, you cold-hearted bastard.”

“But we’re protectors… heroes, uniting together is crucial, and your association is quite valuable.”

Sean crossed his arms. “Yeah right. Wait you do?”

“Right after that, we spent years training and studying magic and our own in the Etheron Flash Guardian Academy. Surprisingly enough, Mr. Wayde even became our mentor. Also, he insisted Dreyagon in teaching us by disguising himself as one of the teachers so the whole place wouldn’t get distracted by the unknown avenger’s presence alone.”

“Well, duh, that’s how special we are. He told us that our fight will lead in every moment when the time comes. And look where we are now.”

Claes pondered, Did Dreyagon know that one day it could come to this?

Sean sighed to break the silence. “So let’s just see where this is going. After all, they’re more than just a Berrygrewd family, if you know what I mean.”

Of course, Eric, Claes, and Sean couldn’t forget about their mentor’s bio, that the father came from the land of the dragons.

“WHAAAAT?!” The three sisters gagged in unison. They were sitting on the same long bench in the same position yesterday while Xabe stood right behind them. The husband and wife sat on their respective seats, facing their children.

“It’s true,” Wayde said. He was sitting. “I was born in Drakoroaria, we have no particular clan, for my bloodline had come a long way in diverse history. Your brother already knows this.”

Holly looked down with her eyebrows raised. “And the Berrygrewd name? That doesn’t sound like a dragon name?”

Xabe nodded, “Oh yeah, I forgot to ask about that.”

Wayde then pointed out, “That is because when I moved here, I registered my surname from Burnborn to Berrygrewd, so I can blend in the outside world of my birthplace.”

Holly narrowed her eyebrows. “Burnborn?”

Xabe muttered, “Wow, Burnborn.”

Rose looked at her siblings with a grin. “That sounds like a cool family name.”

Pansy roared, “It does! We could’ve been the feared Burnborn family in Yardsville. Rose and I could’ve been the Burnborn twins!” She let out a sound of frustration as she slid down the bench.

Rose ignored her sister's sadness. “What about the name, ‘Wayde’, is that your name, Dad?”

Wayde immediately responded, “Just convert it to Drakoroarian, it’s Waydrerys. Look, to uplift the peace between the Drakoroaria and Enchanteria by joining the Flash Guardians and coming along with Dreyagon’s quest, I must leave my home. For years, our research is still hard fought with all the needed intel to fight against Devastrigon and the Darken clan. And right now, I am here because telling you where I came from and where we are today means our future could be bigger than we could have ever imagined.”

The father looked at each of their eyes and saw their attentiveness. “However, I am not forcing you to join the fight if you do not wish. Your brother has trusted his senses and decided to join the Flash Guardians as his powers have already awakened.”

“WHAAAAAT?!” The three girls yelled before snapping their necks to turn to their brother.

“No way!” reacted Holly.

“Really?” Rose leaned closer to him.

“Oh yeah, show us!” Pansy glared.

Xabe backed away as he raised his hands. “I can’t, I- uh….”

“But he can’t right now. Your brother encountered Devastrigon, and he went all out, he fainted,” Wayde interjected. His daughters slowly turned to him. When Wayde look into Elise, they both knew it was time, but couldn’t risk telling the girls enough about the boy. “The three-headed dragon is alive, I know, I know. Luckily Dreyagon and the Flash Guardians were there to deal with it. After that, we treated your brother and told him what happened.”

“Xabe,” Holly darted, “When you said you were going outside because it's too drafty here…”

Xabe seeing the three girls looking back at him was as if they were the three heads of Devastrigon. “Oh, I was being… wanderlust.”

And there was that awkward silence. Xabe looked at Wayde, who was nodding as a sign of, Good job, son. Then the boy looked at Elise, who shared the same reaction.

“You were… wanderlust,” Holly repeated.

“Yeah, I uh, ran very fast to explore the outside world ‘till my senses grew. Got a little curious and didn’t realize how far I came, like… I was literally on the other side of Mt. Pike which is waaaay far away from here. And… yeah, I got super speed after all this time.” After awkwardly explaining to them, he brought a wide smile.

The sisters didn’t say anything else and were still willing to know what the father had to say. “Your brother will be a part of the Etheron Flash Guardian Academy, so he can be properly trained as a recruit,” he told the girls.

“But dad,” Holly asked, “It’s been years since Devastrigon was… it’s even not counted as slain.”

Wayde and Xabe briefly looked eye-to-eye. “That is because Devastrigon is indeed a tough cookie, but it gets weaker every time it was ‘slain’. Its fear started to grow, and with our new firepower and the Dragonslayer awakening, we will never give up until we put an end to this.”

The three daughters were still silent, taking their time to answer, but it was Holly who usually initiate a response. The twins looked at Holly as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “It’ll be fun to join Xabe and be a Flash Guardian, but I think I should remain here with Mom.”

Wayde squinted to focus more on his elder daughter. She was sure of her choice. “I may not be Xabe with his awakened powers, but I have a job to do here, Dad,” Holly added.

Then Rose chimed, “Me too. I think the children will behave this time without Xabe around.”

Xabe placed his hands on his side, “Jeez, it’s like you guys want to get rid of me.”

Pansy began to scoff, “If you gals gonna stay here. Err- might as well stay too. And I can’t leave Rose alone, who knows what she’ll bring here in the orphanage.” The tone of her voice expressed such melancholy.

Rose reacted, “Aww, that is so sweet. Sacrificing for wanting to know our magic in exchange for love and compassion.”

Pansy gave her twin the look. “Don’t. Push. It.”

Wayde fully respected their decision. Their responsibility should be with their mother and the orphanage. And that fact they’re the ones who made the choice, they surely have grown, all right, he thought. Looking at Elise, she nodded in approval.

The father looked at his son behind the daughters, who did the same. Without further ado, Wayde stood up. “Very well, then. We’ll start moving out by tomorrow.”