Reikon managed to get back into the palace just as the night was setting in, the Honour Guards at the entrance eye balling her as she passed, full knowing who she was but their thoughts were clear... why was she coming back so late and on her own... She proceeded up to and into the entrance to their annex, more guards watching her intently that were stationed at annex entrance door. She ventured through the door into the large circular room she had fought her sister in earlier, noting the blood had been cleaned up from the floor, bounded up the stairs and slowed to a creep along the hallway when she could hear her mother's voice coming from Arisu's room. Reikon peered around the door way, noting that her mother was talking almost inaudibly, unable to make out what she was saying, to Arisu with her back turned to the door... 'If I can sneak past with out her noticing and get to my room and act as though I've been there for a fair while, I'll probably, well... hopefully... be in less trouble...' she thought to herself. She tried to creep past and was doing so well, she hadn't made a sound as far as she was aware and managed to get as far as half way along the door way...

Mother: "...And don't think I haven't noticed you young lady, I'll deal with you in a minute." her mother said without even turning her head in Reikon's direction, louder than she had been talking to Arisu, making her jump and quietly gasp. She dropped her attempts at subtlety dropped her head and continued to her room. She lay in the middle her remade bed, presumably by the maids of the palace, waiting for the inevitable wrath of her mother for a good maybe half hour or so before the door slowly opened and her mother stepped through with a very calm demeanour and closed the door behind her, she sat up slightly to acknowledge her presence, but she also felt strange, like an odd energy had appeared in the room, she pushed the feeling to one side. She slowly stepped forward into the room turned and sat on the end of the bed with her back to Reikon, swinging her tail around beside her for comfort as she did. She sat there for a few seconds before patting the bed beside on the opposite side to her tail, signalling Reikon to join her, Reikon begrudgingly got up and joined her.

Once she had sat she neither of them looked at each other, both fixed on the direction of the door to the room.
Mother: "I've spoken to your sister..." She stated after Reikon had fully settled "...I managed to get the whole story out of her of what happened... well... her point of view anyway... I've listened to her, it's only fair that I now do the same to you..." Turning her head to face Reikon now, and Reikon doing the same in return "...So... tell me what happened in your mind". Reikon swallowed hard, was rather desperate for a drink as she hadn't drunk much today, had a very dry mouth, but didn't want to ruin her mother's seemingly odd calm mood. So she recited her tale of the practice flying, the bet, Arisu's cheating and taunting and the ensuing actions... Reikon: "...and I am sorry for lashing out at her and disappointing you, I don't know what came over me." Reikon glumly apologised. Her mother simply nodded,
Mother: "Hmmm". She added, Reikon sat there, worried as to what was coming next... but what did, completely took her off guard...

Mother: "And I believe pretty much everything you said." Her mother said surprisingly, Reikon focused on her face more, confused and disbelieving as to what she just told her. "...Do you think my Honour Guards on the mezzanine 'just appeared' out of nowhere with perfect timing?...No my dear... I have eyes and ears though out this palace and all over this world, I have standing orders with the Vanguard that yourself and your sister are to have as much protection as myself, therefore there is always at least one of my people, my Vanguard, never too far away from you..." Reikon's mouth had dropped slightly at learning this. "...But my guards had already summoned me when you two had started arguing, your story collaborates more with theirs than your sister's did... So... I'M sorry, that I lost my temper with you..." Reikon started relaxing a lot more after hearing these words and a smile almost started appearing but instantly disappeared and felt apprehensive again at the next word. "...BUT it was still wrong of you to attack her in such a way... yes, we are a race of fighters, it's in our blood... but, if you ever hope to rule this world as I do-"

Reikon didn't like hearing those last few words,
Reikon: "But mother, don't talk like that, you're not going anywhere!" Her mother shook her head...
Mother: "Hear what I have to say, Reikon dear, please..." She stated calmly, "...It's a hard fact of life... no one has it forever, no one can cheat death, not even me... So when that day draws closer for me, I will need to stand down, and one of you, will rise to take my place... what's wrong?" she asked, noticing Reikon's head drop almost to meet the bed.
Reikon: "Well... it's only going to Arisu isn't it? I mean, she is the eldest of us two, so it will automatically fall to her won't it" Reikon responded. Her mother shook her head,
Mother: "Not necessarily..." Reikon's gazed snapped back up to hers "...By default... yes... if I have made no decision and my... is untimely... BUT, otherwise comes down to my decision."
Reikon: "But what makes you chose one of us over the other?"
Her mother smiled and replied,
Mother: "All you have to do is prove yourself worthy, for example, lying to me about exactly how you got into a fight with your sister..." She gestured a thumbs down "...Not so good... However... Telling me the truth AND saying you're sorry about it... " she gestured a thumbs up with a smile and Reikon smiled back, realising what she was meaning "...that's the kind of daughter I want taking my place... keep it up, be that daughter, please." She finished still smiling. Reikon jumped up and hugged her mother.

They embraced for a minute or so before her mother released... and started speaking again Mother: "So, speaking of telling the truth, want to tell me where you went after I had witnesses of you throwing yourself from the balcony? Hmmm? Why you're absolutely filthy as if you've been rolling around in the dirt?" with a quizzical look on her face. Reikon's heart dropped slightly, thinking back to her mother's earlier comment of 'Eyes and ears all over this world', did she know? After their heartfelt conversation and somewhat earning her place back in her mother's good books, she decided it was beast not to ruin the streak. She started reciting most of what happened after she left the bedroom and meeting Skylen and Wrex, minus a few unnecessary details that would possibly anger or upset her, mainly the cuddle, falling asleep together and the kisses.

Mother: "Ahh... young love" her mother stated with a huge smile "... Do you know I have had honour of meeting young Wrex though, his parents work here, in the palace, both are Honour Guards, he is a very respectable young dragon with a long military family back ground, will go far himself I reckon. Skylen... not trying to completely put you off him, he would be a good choice I suppose, but he was and orphan, abandoned as an egg, Wrex's family found him and took him in..."
'So the term "Brother" wasn't exactly just a loosely thrown around term by Wrex earlier' she thought to herself, her mother continued,
"...but Wrex would be a better suitor for a young maiden such as yourself." Reikon looked slightly horrified at her mother's suggestion.
Reikon: "What?! Mother! No... I... I mean, Wrex was alright, polite, handsome, charming personality and smile, but I really like Skylen, he and I, we just instantly clicked!" Mother looked away, smile faded ever so slightly before speaking.
Mother: "Hmmm very well." She stood and took a few paces to the door.

Mother: "Oh, one last thing..." turning back to Reikon "...I was meant to show you this..." She held her hands about a foot from each other in front of her, Reikon looked on at her intrigued. Her mother slowly rotated her hands around almost like turning an invisible ball, then in a small burst of red and purple light appeared and faded at the centre, revealing a crystalline object in it's place, floating in mid air between her hands. Reikon's jaw dropped in amazement, she also felt the same energy as her she felt earlier when her mother entered the room intensify as the object had appeared. Her mother paced back towards her almost lazily pushing the object, slowly floating through the air from one hand to the other, with out it ever touching either until she arrived back at Reikon, pushed it toward her right hand and this time caught it, closing her hand around it, held her hand out to Reikon and opened her hand to reveal it sitting in her palm.

Mother: "You may have heard me mention this before,... this, my dear little Reikon, is-" She started explaining But Reikon finished her sentence for her,
Rekon: "-The Shard?..." looking up to her mother for confirmation, she nodded back in reply with a smile. Reikon looked back at the dull glowing crystal in lust, it's jagged edges, the slight red and purple glow it had to it... it's was just imperfectly beautiful, her mother suddenly threw it up in the air, Reikon's eyes locked on to it as it sailed up, her mother snapped her fingers of her free hand and it disappeared in mid air. Reikon's wide eyes snapped back to attention to her mother "...So it's not just a fairy tale, The Heart of the Vanguard... It's a real thing?!" she excitedly exclaimed.
Mother: "Indeed it is... and as you just witnessed, so are it's powers" She replied still smiling
Reikon: "Can you teach me?" Reikon jumped up excited.
She held up her hand and gestured her to calm down,
Mother: "When the time is right my dear, I will be teaching you and your sister more than the simple parlour tricks I was just demonstrating, in time I will teach you what I know, but it has been said that The Heart's powers are limited only to that of the imagination and the connection of the user..." she smiled, "...But for now, get yourself cleaned up and ready for bed, it's now very late indeed!" Reikon jumped off the bed and ran to hug her mother around her waist,
Reikon: "I love you mother"
Mother: "I love you too, dear Reikon..." returning the embrace. "...now, clean up and bed!"

Reikon giggled and ran to the en-suite bathroom,
Mother: "Oh and Reikon?..." Her mother stopped her at the doorway, Reikon turned to hear what she had to say. "...'Reikon', do you know the meaning behind that name?..." Reikon shook her head slightly in confusion, "...I didn't think so, you know the other planet our people visit? Earth?..." Reikon nodded, "...well, it has a country, err, which to you is like our other worldly clans, called Japan, the Reikon name in their culture means "Spirit"... when you were born, I had a feeling your spirit was destined to do big things... don't squander these opportunities that myself and life are offering you my sweet, and,... at least consider what I said about Skylen for me, please?" Reikon took everything she had to say in and smiled,
Reikon: "I will mother, thank you." and continued into the bathroom after her mother smiled, nodded and left the room. She looked into the mirror as she passed, walked back to look at her reflection properly, even stood up tall on her hind legs, she struggled to get her shoulders into view. Her average length long-ish dragon neck and somewhat triangular head and face with strong blue eyes with currently slight slit pupils in full view staring back at her,
Reikon: "...You're destined to do big things." She repeated to her reflection smiling back at it, partially revealing the rows of sharp teeth behind her lips, she dropped down and headed to the bath.