Pain. Anger. Different flavors of the same bitter dish.

They blend in Leonie's trembling heart, making it all she can feel. All she was. For one horrible moment, it was as if they would be the only things she could feel for eternity.

Not only did the physical pain her friend was experiencing cut through her like a burning knife, but it was also coupled with her emotional anguish. The heartbreak was far greater than any girl had felt before her, and more than anyone so young should ever feel.

Where Fates that cruel? Would they take away Rimar as well?

It was as if no matter what she did, Leonie could never win in the fight of her life. The struggle appeared to be endless, and she was utterly tired of it all.

All she wished from life was for her dragon friend to be alive and well. She could not bear his pain. It felt as if part of her very soul was burning in the fiery flame of pain.

She slumped over Rimar, letting go of all the pressure that was in her heart through the purifying tears that drizzled onto Rimar's still form.

Unbeknownst to Leonie, something stirred in the air. A transparent form rose from Rimar's body, looking upon her with tenderness and love that only a parent could bestow.

Rimodar's spiritual self hovered over Rimar while the teether that connected them emanated a pulsating golden light.

"Do not cry, my little lioness," Rimodar said gently.

Leonie quickly moved her head upward, meeting her father's comforting eyes, the golden lights that always lit her way. That was when she started sobbing softly.

"Daddy," she managed to say between the sobs.

"My dear Leonie, you were braver than anyone would have been in your place. You saved everyone, living and dead, from a fate worse than death. You saved us all from existing in perpetual fear." Rimodar said.

"How are you here? I thought they wouldn't allow you to be here?" Leonie asked, looking at the line connecting her father and Rimar in wonder.

"My singing blood was active even after my death. It turns out it is a singing soul, not something as fleeting as a physical substance. I was able to reside in Rimar's body, share the physical shell with him while also being able to roam freely when the need arose.

"However, when we realized what the danger was coming, we made a deeper bond to protect you, all of you. They could not stop me from protecting my family no matter what they thought was best. " Rimodar said.

That was when Amitola and Nald started approaching them, having only at that moment abandoned the safety of the cave. 

Upon noticing his father's image, Nald ran forward with the speed that his little legs weren't supposed to possess.

"Daddy, is that really you?" Nald asked, coming as close to his father as possible.

"Yes, it is me, Nald, my boy. You did well," Rimodar said.

"What did I do?" Nald asked, surprised by what he thought of as a praise that he did not deserve.

"You inspired your sister to keep fighting, and you protected your mother. What else can I ask of you?" Rimodar said doing his best to get used to how grown up his children were.

Even though he was there with them, each step of the way, it felt different to see them at the time when he knew he would have to say his final goodbye to those dearest to him.

Amitola could see her husband's form, and though she wished for nothing more than to run to him the same way Nald did, another need arose in her, the need to help the man who risked his life to save her son.

Thus, before meeting her husband, Amitola picked up a weak-looking Toras, and they staggered forth as she supported almost all his weight.

However, the moment they reached Rimodar, Toras respectfully moved away from Amitola, using a nearby tree to keep himself upright.

"Amitola, the eye of my being, I am so sorry I left you all alone to take care of everything. The only thing that gave me any semblance of comfort was the fact that I knew that you are a strong woman, you always have been.

"You deserve some rest now, to enjoy some happiness instead of having to face constant hardships," Rimodar said, moving his gaze from Amitola to Toras.

"Toras, my friend, I must apologize to you. I have been jealous, even in death. However, you have proven yourself to be worthy of being part of this family in any way you and they seem fit. You saved my boy, and there is no way I could ever repay you for that. Whatever you wish to do or not do, you have my blessings.

"You all deserve to find happiness like I had while I was alive. I was truly blessed to have all of you in my life," Rimodar said.

"Daddy, do you have to go?" Nald asked with tears in his eyes.

"Yes, I have to leave for good to join the Great Hunt, but I will always be here with you," Rimodar said, pointing at their hearts.

"I live in your hearts and memories. As long as that is true, I will never be truly gone," Rimodar said.

"What if we forget?" Nald said, sobbing as he had already started forgetting those precious moments of the past that he had spent with his father.

"Human minds might forget, my children, yet the hearts always remember in their own special ways, and that's all that truly matters," Rimodar said.

"What about Rimar? Is he dead?" Leonie said, tears streaming down her face.

"No, he is just unconscious. Don't worry, you can help Rimar and Toras," he said.

"How?" Leonie asked, a spark of hope coming into her eyes like a rainbow after the rain.

"With your brother's help," Rimodar said.

"But how? I don't have any magic." Nald said, lowering his head in shame.

He tried to summon some magic when the battle started, but he could not sense any magic at all in his being.

"You have the most powerful magic of them all, a pure heart," Rimodar said.

"I don't understand," Nald said, utterly confused.

"There are parts of the magic that were only accessible to those of the purest hearts, and one of those types of magic is healer magic. By risking your own life to save another, you have proven yourself worthy to wield that type of magic." Rimodar said.

"What should we do?" Leonie asked, eager to help as soon as possible.

"Nald's healing power is not as strong as some of our ancestors had because it was diluted over the centuries. You need to channel his power through you and into Toras." Rimodar explained.

"How do we do that?" Nald asked.

"You just need to hold your sister's hand and embrace her presence when she tries to use your healing ability as her own," Rimodar said.

"I can do that," Nald said proudly, holding his eyes closed in concentration.

Soon enough, Leonie's hands started emanating a golden glow. On instinct, she put them against Toras's wound. The gold started sparkling and knitting the wound back together as if nothing had ever happened.

"Rimar will be awake soon. I need to go." Rimodar said.

"I will miss you so much, daddy," Leonie said.

"Me too, my lioness. Me too." Rimodar said.

"I love you all so much. I love you as flowers love the sun, as waves love the moon, and as Nald loves his sweets." Rimodar said.

"We love you, too. As the sun is my witness, as waves are my strength, to the moon and back, as much as Nald loves the cake," Leonie and Amitola said as one.

"As the sun is my witness, as waves are my strength, to the moon and back, as much as I love the cake," Nald said, a slightly altered version of their favorite way of expressing their love for each other.

"You better protect them with your life, or you will have me to answer to," Rimodar said to Toras.

"I swear, my friend, if they let me, I will protect them with all I've got," Toras said, barely standing upright.

"It was good seeing you again. I am sorry about everything." Toras added.

"You, too. I am sorry too. I underestimated you, my friend. It won't happen again." Rimodar said, looking at his connection to Rimar.

"Will you do the honors?" Rimodar asked.

Weak as he still was, Toras had enough strength left to gently cut the ties that held Rimar and Rimodar together. Thus, Rimodar started floating away.

"Goodbye," Rimodar said.

"Goodbye, my love," Amitola said.

"Bye, daddy." Leonie and Nald said at the same, and as his form faded away, they hugged each other tightly, afraid that they might evaporate from the pain as well.

Some things never end, but life is not one of them. The beauty of life is that it's limited. Thus, you need to live every moment breathing fully, appreciating the miracle that life is.

However, some things are infinite, such as love. Love can never be destroyed. No matter what happens, it always finds a way to go on. It might change its shape and form, but it's ever-present. All you need to do is look for it. 

Author's note: I will do another chapter or two tying up loose ends. Since I have a lot of ideas what else I want to explain/tie up, feel free to tell me what you are most interested in. It may help me reduce the number of things to share since I am not sure if some of them would be interesting to you. I have most of the things I thought important worked out so I just wanted to make sure I share the ones you'll find interesting. Thank you in advance.