[quote]Peck stared up at her from the ground -- where he'd fallen, skittering, upon the appearance of a bright light at his side. With a huff of relief, he relaxed, dropped backward on the ground. "Ya don't got to be so dramatic," he reminded her with a small grin. "I was the one gonna save ya." He laid a hand over his pounding chest, quieted his nerves.[/quote]

Anise smiled and giggled. Perhaps the first time she felt any sense of real joy in this world. All the other moments of it were likely only that of relief more than anything else. Before she could comment with gratitude and her own lighthearted humor the Dragon's roar ripped through the Forest. The large motions of the Dragon could be hear as she continued to rampage crying out in fury.

Peck then started to react as if he had something crawling up his leg. Before long he started to drain of his energy. His life. Anise stared in horror only for so long before she acted. She embraced Peck and called the Light to her. She called for the rejuvenating power of Water to join with it. "Peck. My dear, Peck, you are the one that saved me. Time and time again. Now I shall return the favor, my beloved Knight."

Her powers combined as she kissed Peck right on the lips. Her desire to protect him from the evil draining his life away rushed through her as her heart pounded. Light to protect. Water to rejuvenate. She could remember a time where she could not imagine kissing anyone except for her fiance. A prince from a far away land that she had never seen. She could remember a world in a time of peace where the battlefield was courts and politics. She felt like she had been far away from that place for a long time now even though it had hardly been a week. Now she controlled a power that could only be found in fairy tales and carried a responsibility even greater than that of Princess of Riverforde. 

She could save not only a world, but several others as well. She vividly remembered the story of the dreams given to her by the Dragon. The desperately reaching out into other worlds to draw power from them and heroes in the desperate hope to find the right savior. Anise could understand that desperation. While she lived a sheltered life away from the common folk she remembered several instances of her father stressing over the burden of such responsibility. Of ruling a kingdom. He had an excellent team of advisers to help him divide an conquer the challenges before him. For them to betray him like the Spirits betrayed the Dragon, Anise could imagine just how desperate one could be.

Except the Spirits were more than just advisers. They were her children.

As Anise pulled away from Peck the Dragon cried out once more.

[quote]GIVE ME .... MY CHILDREN[/quote]

Anise looked at Peck with a sad smile. "It looks like this is the final stretch. I promise I will do everything to be the savior we all need. The first thing I need to do is heal a mother in pain. I love you, Peck."

Anise turned to face the Dragon and like just before she called to the Light to bring her to the Dragon. She gripped the Sun Sword tightly ready to use it to channel her Light and the power of her own Sun to cleanse the Dragon's body of the Lord of Shadow's corruption. With it she would also use the healing power of Water to repair what she could. Even if this was the last thing she did, Anise would do everything in her power to honor the Lady of Light and save this world and all others connected to it.