When Airis started the story, the sun was high in the sky shedding warmth and light all over Starlight Wonderland. But now, the sun was setting, creating a subtle calmness with the colors of the ending day. Pink, purple, orange, yellow and the deepest shades of blue and black were present in the sky, but the peace and calmness didn't reach a single room in a hotel near the sparkling waters of the beach.

The looks of despair, fear and great sadness. Those were the only expressions and feelings that the ones in the hotel room could give the little girl sitting on the bed. They couldn't feel anything else besides that.

Kawaii~Chan clung onto Zane with tears streaming down her cheeks, hearing the terrible truth about Airis' past family and her current situation. Zane was far too stunned to say anything, his eyes wide as he listened, but if you could take off his mask you would see his teeth gnashing together in his rage.

Garroth was in a similar state as his younger brother, his hands clenched into tight fists while his fur, ears and tail were standing on end in his fury. It took all of his willpower not to go running out of the hotel and trying to find the man who caused his precious niece so much pain and agony.

Lucinda was constantly wondering if there was any light to this dark tale. How a little girl was really related to this story, what kind of power she held, what those terrible people who killed her parents and took her away did to her. But then again, she would start crying again if she heard the truth about Airis' captive days.

The Ro'Meave adults were in a mixture of shock and pain. Zianna was too stunned to do anything more than shed tears and whimper at the story. Garte was conflicted on how to feel about the little girl. She was an Ultima, but she was also just a little girl with a painful past.

The Lycan Ultima family were in nothing but pain. Derek was furious at this stranger who caused so much pain to his granddaughter. Rachel was just the same, but her heart was breaking for the girl. Melissa was openly crying, not caring who was looking at her.

Aphmau was shaking, not just in fear, but also in anger and despair. Here was her little girl, a child who was almost always smiling and laughing, having the time of her life in whatever she does. But now, seeing her daughter look so sad and not even taking a moment to look at them in the eye.... it was like she was an entirely different person.

And Aaron.... he was terrified, angry, sad... there were too many emotions for him to keep track of. The girl that he loved as a daughter, a child that he loved as if they were flesh and blood. But ten again, I suppose they were blood in a way, since they shared the same bloodline and curse. She was always smiling, laughing, enjoying life to the fullest. And yet she was carrying around this kind of pain and weight on her shoulders. This kind of story and these horrible secrets... it was too much for even an adult to carry, let alone a child no more than seven years old.

Airis stayed in the same position the entire time she told the story, her head held low, her hand silently stroking Yukisa's white fur, and her face clear of any tears. All that those who were listening to her could see was her still form and a hint of pain in her red stained and puffy eyes. She wanted to stop talking, to stop remembering the pain of what that horrible demon did to her... but her family deserved to know the complete truth. And she hadn't even told them the biggest truth. A truth that would shake them to the core.

She took in a deep breath, ready to finally finish the story.

"After everything was burned to the ground... I lost consciousness. And when I woke up again, I was in a dark room. All there was was a small mattress, a thin blanket and another room used as a bathroom. The walls were stone, and the door was solid steel with a small slit at the bottom for trays of food. There wasn't even a window, so I didn't know what time of day it was. I stayed there in the cold for a while, until they finally opened the door... that's when I saw that man, the monster who killed my parents. He dragged me out of the room, brought me to another room and strapped me to a table with medical supplies nearby. That's when the experiments started."

"E...Experiments?" Lucinda was barely able to breathe out.

Airis nodded, "The demon wanted to control the Ultima werewolf, just like those Ultima werewolves before me. Some time ago, he started experimenting with Forever Potions. Each potion mixture had a different effect on the curse, and each round of experiments became much worse without fail. But no matter what kind of gemstone he used, what potion ratio he conjured up, and no matter what kind of torture he used to weaken the Ultima first would ever allow him to control the Ultima curse. We always were stronger than his potions and torture."

"Wait.... you went through it, too?" Kawaii~Chan asked, her voice shaking with her hands.

Again, Airis nodded, "I did. But I was different. I was a Mage as well as an Ultima, so he used much harsher punishments to weaken me first, then experiment with the potions. They never worked in breaking me, my curse was never under his control. But they did hurt and leave scars. I use my magic unconsciously to hide them from view, but they're there. He kept experimenting, hurting me worse with each attempt ending in failure. But the voice, my faith in my Goddess, it always kept me going, letting me know that there was hope out there, and that one day I would escape that horrible place and find peace and light."

Airis smiled for the first time that day, albeit it was small and barely noticeable, "And what the voice said came true. On the night of a full moon near the beginning of fall, that's when I had enough magic and strength to break free. I had only enough power and magic stored up to stop time for about an hour, not nearly as powerful as Mama's spell, but it was enough for me to get out of there. When I cast the spell, I raced out of my cell, taking whatever way I could to escape. Thankfully, there was a door open that led outside, and I finally made it just as the spell was wearing off. I ran and ran as fast as I could, making it to the beach just as the guards were catching up with me. I used my magic to make myself disappear in the waves, and when I woke up again, I was on firm soil. I wandered for weeks, staying away from the cities and towns. That's when I collapsed in front of your house, Mama."

Everyone was stunned by the end of this story. All of that pain, the torture, the experiments by a demon... it was too much for them to handle listening to.

"Airis... why didn't you tell us all of this before?" Aaron asked.

"Because I advised her not to tell her." A strong, yet familiar voice said. The white wolf comforting Airis quickly perked up, jumping off the bed and sitting in attention. Airis leaned to her left, but stopped when something kept her from falling all the way. Just then, the figure of a delicate hand appeared on Airis' head, stroking her soft blue hair like a mother would do to her child. The ghostly hand slowly grew to the figure of a woman, Airis moving in the figure's arms as they carefully cradled the little girl in their lap. The family sitting in front of this strange phenomenon watched as the figure slowly became clear.

A woman sitting on the bed cradling Airis in her arms, stroking her long blue hair as Airis looked up at the stranger with a smile. She had no hint of fear or confusion in her eyes or on her face, just a happy soft smile as she closed her eyes as if to fall asleep.

Soon, the woman was completely clear. The woman with long white hair that sparkled like fresh snow in the sun, a pure white dressed covered in soft jewels, her skin a shade of rich ivory without a single blemish to be seen, and a white veil covering her face and hair. It was just like how Airis described her in the story of her past.

"Livana..." Everyone gasped, remembering the name of the goddess from Airis' story. The woman, hearing her name from the family, turned and smiled at them, brushing away her veil to reveal a beautiful face and a kind smile. Even her eyes were the palest shade of blue, nearly white at first glance, but they had nothing but love, kindness, and just a hint of sadness in the pale color.

The Goddess of Light and Peace, Livana Aine. The Lady in White from the story Airis told.

She smiled at them and continued to hold Airis close to her.

"It has been quite some time since I have seen the Lycan line of the Ultima family curse. Not since the first Ultima." Livana said with a gentle tone in her voice, "And it is good to see that you are well, Aphmau, Aaron."

Everyone turned to the couple, surprised that this woman knew their names. Just then, the two remembered where they had seen this woman from.

"You're the woman from before." Aaron said, "You appeared when I was almost dead after I was thrown from the cliff. You helped bring me back to life."

"And you were there to help break the spell put on me by the Forever Potion." Aphmau said.

Livana nodded, "That is correct. I did appear to the two of you, so that you could continue fighting for the life you deserved. For the life Airis deserved."

"But why are you here now?" Derek asked.

"Why did you tell Airis not to tell us about this story?" Rachel asked.

"Why so much secrecy?" Melissa asked, "Shouldn't we have known that the Ultima line continued through another?"

"It is true that you deserved to know more about your family's past and ancestry, but it was all part of Fate's plan."

"Fate's plan?" Zane asked.

"Yes." Livana sighed, "I saw something, a vision a long time ago, that predicted that one of my descendants would hold enough strength to hold my power. That descendant will defeat and destroy a terrible darkness. But little did I know that the God of Wolves would curse someone with a dark and broken heart. I didn't want anyone to feel that kind of pain, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone. A child born from both lines. One line blessed with a gift. One line cursed with a terrible power. Both combined together in a single vessel with great control over both lines."

Their eyes widened as the entire family looked down at the little girl sleeping peacefully, and it all became clear.

"Then.... the one that you saw in the vision..." Aphmau barely dared to ask.

Livana nodded, "It is this child right here. Airis Aine Lycancias, direct descendant of the Aine Mage family line, and keeper of the Ultima curse in its purest form. When the time is right, and it will come soon, she will unlock the fullest extent of my powers and strength, then destroy the darkness that dares to threaten the destruction of her power."

"But that can't be possible." Garroth said, "She's just a little girl. Only seven years old. How could she possible hold the power of a goddess?"

"My brother is right." Zane agreed, "Even if she is a part of two powerful family bloodlines, Airis is still just a child. How on earth could she possible even try to take that kind of power?"

"It is simple, really." Livana started, "Everything about her, from her strength, her level of control and knowledge about magic and the Ultima curse, even down to the color of her eyes, were all designed by the wheels of fate. Her very soul is a piece of a soul of someone who wanted to see the darkness end once and for all."

"Someone who wanted to see the darkness end?" Zianna asked.

"Yes. You see, Airis, her appearance mainly, was based off the child who brought me into this world. The little girl from hundreds of thousands of years ago who wished for nothing but a light in the world to break through the darkness. Her name was also Airis, and this Airis hold the third piece of the first Airis' soul. This is her second reincarnation."

"Reincarnation?!" Everyone shouted in shock.

"Indeed. Try to understand this as best as you can. Airis has been born three times now. The first time, was the time I was first brought into this world as a Goddess. She only lived to the age of seven, before I brought back to my realm to watch over this world by my side. The second time she was born, was during the world's time of great need, a time where darkness threatened to destroy everything, coating it in a whirl of death and despair caused by a reincarnation of the God of Destruction, Shad. She was able to help another Goddess with defeating him, but at the cost of her power being depleted. And now, she has been born once again, into my family line alongside the Ultima Lycancias family line. This brought forth a new range of power and strength to the world."

"But...." Garte hesitated to ask, "What's going to happen now? With the situation, I mean."

Livana didn't say much for a moment, just looking down at Airis as she slept. What the Goddess was about to say was something that Airis already knew was going to happen. She was prepared for it. Airis was prepared to do what it took to save this world from the demon's power and control.

Finally, after a few silent minutes, the Goddess spoke.

"Airis is a very powerful Mage. Even from early childhood, when she was unable to even speak, just a helpless infant, she understood magic. She could perform it. Use it to most of its capabilities. By the time she was able to crawl, Airis could perform small versions of moderate magical spells. And before she was taken away by the demon and his men, she was able to fully control her curse as well as perform high levels of magic that no witch or previous Mage could even imagine casting perfectly. And with her mother casting the memory transference spell on Airis, she was able to know every spell, potion recipe, and every single bit about the Ultima curse from her parents as a last gift before their passing. She is going to do something much more than destroy the demon that threatens her life. She will not only take revenge for the Lycancias family line, she will also free them as well."

Aaron's eyes widened, "What are you saying?"

Livana looked up at the group with a bright smile.

"Airis will be the child of my prophecy. She will be the one that will break the Ultima curse for good."

Once again, the room went silent for a minute.

"Are you serious....?" Derek asked.

"The curse.... will be broken..." Rachel asked, just a little bit of hope hiding behind her voice.

Livana nodded once more, "For quite some time, since I handed the staff of Aine to my son, I made sure that my magic was multiplied throughout the following generations, until finally it reached a level that is able to break curses of the darkest form. And it finally came, with the birth of Airis. A perfect combination of a cursed soul and a blessed soul."

The Goddess brushed away the hair falling over Airis' face, remembering the beautiful colors of the girl's eyes.

"Her left eye colored black, just like the color of the Ultima werewolf's fur, with just a hint of silver, symbolizing the light at the end of this dark tunnel. Her right eye colored with pink, a color of passion and beauty, paired with green, the color of life and growth. Hair the same shade as the celestial blue sky and waters. Powers of a Goddess, with the powers of a cursed being. She is the perfect balance of light and dark, power and greatness. She even bears my mark of the Iris, my family crest, combined with the mark of her Ultima family line, intertwining our families for all eternity. Her soul is the only one that can even attempt to hold this kind of power. After Airis breaks the curse, no more Ultima werewolves will be born, and the story of the curse will remain just that. A story."

"So... after Airis and I..." Aaron said.

"That's correct, Aaron Lycan. You and Airis will live the rest of your lives without the Ultima curse. You will be able to use the fullest extent of your emotions without worrying about causing great pain or transforming another into a werewolf. Not even the future generation from both the Lycan and the Lycancias families will not have to worry about the curse, because it will never be passed on. There will be no worries or fear of the curse. It will be as if it never existed."

Aphmau looked over at Aaron, seeing an expression of mixed feelings. Relief, stress, fear... but mostly, it was pure happiness. Aphmau couldn't help but smile and hug her Fiancé tightly. Aaron let out a soft chuckle, feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders, replaced by relief, with just a hint of concern.

They all looked back up at Airis, who continued to sleep, wondering what kind of effect this much power would have her small body. Would it break her? Would she remain the same as she is now? What would happen to the sweet little girl they'd come to love as family?

"And Airis...?" Melissa asked, "What'll happen to her? You said this is a lot of power she'll be taking in, right? Will she be all right?"

For the first time that night, Livana couldn't give a straight answer. Not even she could fully comprehend the kind of strain the full extent of her power combined with the Ultima curse would have on such a small child.

So she gave the only answer she could think of.

"I have no answer to that question, young Lycan daughter." Livana said, "But know this. Airis is stronger than you may believe. She's been to hell and back to make this future a reality. Taking in all the pain from that demon, keeping these secrets from her beloved family. She even thought she could keep her Ultima lineage a secret until the day she would break the curse, but because of the previous haunting events, we thought it would be best if her power be released on a closer date."

"Do you know when that will happen?" Garotth asked.

"I cannot say for certain, but I know that it will happen very soon. You can tell by this child's hair." Livana gently picked up the soft white streak in Airis' hair by her bangs.

"Slowly, this white streak of hair will fully turn from her blue hair. When the final strand of her blue hair turns white, that is when the awakening of her power will be complete. That will be the day that the curse will broken. But of course, that time will all depend on Airis' strength and desire, which is already great. Do not fret, dear friends, all of this will over soon. But for the time being, you must protect Airis."

"Protect her?" Lucinda repeated.

"Yes. The men who attacked you, are under the rule of the very same demon that tried to control the Ultima inside of the Lycancias family line. He is very dangerous and will do whatever it takes to take her back. Even if it drives him to destroy or kill."

"My Lady." Yukisa spoke up, "Your form, it is fading away, My Lady."

Livana looked down at her hand, seeing that it was indeed fading away. She smiled at her fading form sadly, then slid off the bed and sat in front of Aphmau, handing the woman her precious daughter.

Aphmau carefully took Airis from Livana, holding the little girl closer to her while Aaron hugged them both, as if to give them both comfort from the news they were given.

"I don't have much more time to speak to all of you, so please listen very carefully. Airis must not fall into the demon's hands. If he is able to take her back, then there is no possible way for her to escape again. If she falls into his hands, then there is no other hope for the world being saved from his darkness. So I beg of you, from a Goddess to the family Airis loves with her whole heart. Please, protect her with all the strength and power you have."

Livana bowed her head, shocking everyone yet again. A Goddess bowing her head to them was something they least expected. But they all knew their answer, and nodded.

"We promise to protect her with our lives." They all said together, making Livana smile brightly as she slowly disappeared.

"Then I leave her in your capable hands." Livana said, leaving them and disappearing from their sight, returning to her own dimension to watch over the future events that would come very soon.

Airis continued to sleep peacefully, the white in her hair becoming more pronounced and taking up just a little more of the blue. No one said anything for a moment, just staring at the little girl that would save the world and break a curse that plagued two family lines for thousands of years.

The rest of the night was strange. They ordered dinner, but no one was actually able to eat much. Eventually, everyone took their rooms for the night, but Aaron was still awake, even long after the day turned to a dark and cold night. He stood on the balcony of the hotel room watching the waves crash onto the nearby beach.

It was nights like this one that reminded him of what mattered in his life. The quietness of the night where nothing moved and all was still. The gentle cool breeze on his face. And the desire to see the sun rise on the next morning. But it was never a promise. He could never see the next day. He was never promised a peaceful future with his own family. With Aphmau as his wife or Airis as his daughter.

But here, on that night, he actually had more hope that he ever had in his entire life. Hope for a life without fear of his curse.

"Can't sleep?" A voice said behind him. Aaron turned around and saw Aphmau holding their daughter in her arms. Aphmau walked over to his side and he didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around her.

"Not really. Today's... today's been a crazy day." He answered.

"I know what you mean. I mean, finding out that our daughter is going to have the powers of a Goddess and break the Ultima curse soon, that's enough to turn anyone's brain to mush."

Aaron chuckled at Aphmau's words, "Yeah, but I can't help but worry." He said, "I mean, Airis is gonna be the savior of the world. Holding the powers of a Goddess, breaking our curse, and destroying a darkness created by the demon who tortured her and her entire family line? How else am I suppose to react to something like that?"

"I know." Aphmau stroke Airis' cheek, causing the girl to shift in her sleep with a smile on her face, "It's hard to believe that the little girl who wandered onto my lawn would grow to be someone so sweet and brave. Who knew that her pain would be her greatest strength. She's only seven, and yet she has all this responsibility on her shoulders to save the world and break your curse. But then again, I had a feeling that she would be something greater than I could have ever imagined."

"What do you mean?" Aaron asked.

"I can't really explain it to be honest. Maybe it's a mother's intuition or something like that, but I had a feeling that there was something more to Airis than I initially thought. But I never guessed that she would be the vessel for not only the Ultima curse, but also the powers of a Goddess."

"And with us being her parents, that's all the more reason to protect her." Aaron hugged his girls tightly, "We're gonna get through this in one piece. Then when all this is over, we can live together as a family. All of us."

Aphmau closed her eyes and nestled into his embrace. Soon, the cold air became too much for the, so the three of them went to bed together, all curled into one another as they finally drifted off the sleep.

~~~~~~~~~

Airis looked at herself in the pool of water, the white in her hair slowly spreading across her celestial blue strands. It made her frown, but then she smiled, seeing yet another face in the reflective pool.

"I'd never thought I would get to see you face to face." Airis said as she looked up at the visitor, "I knew that I was based off of someone, but I didn't think it would really be like looking in a mirror."

The stranger chuckled, "Well, we're not the same in a few ways. For instance, our eyes are much different colors."

Airis giggled, "I guess you're right about that one. Your eyes are silver, after all."

Airis stood tall and smiled at the stranger. Although, I guess it wouldn't be right to call her a stranger. 

This stranger with Celestial Blue hair, eyes of pure silver. The very girl that wished for a light in the darkness of the world. The bringer of the Goddess of Peace and Light. 

Airis. The first Airis.

Airis looked at the first of her previous incarnations, taking her hands in a gentle grip.

"Am I going to survive this final battle?" She asked.

The First Airis smiled and hugged the current Airis.

"You have done it before, sweet child. You will survive this. All you need is a strong heart and a clear view of the goal. The darkness will never take you or your family with their claws and fangs. You will never allow it."

Airis smiled as the two of them hugged each other. It was a peaceful night filled with nothing but warmth and rest. But soon, that warmth will fade as the wheels of fate would quickly turn into the shadows of pain, fear, and chaos.