The Heartbroken Family

Madonia who stood at the exit of the royal court room had summoned her wings once again but as soon as she did, her heart pounded in her chest as Marina and Aurelius stood before her, concern evident in their eyes as they gazed upon the crescent moon shadow over her left wing, there memories of the princess Madonia intact once again.

She could see the genuine worry for her in their eyes but she was not ready to add it to the weight of her decision.

"Crystal," Marina said softly, "We came as soon as we could." For her Madonia still was her best friend Crystal as she had never met Princess Madonia.

Aurelius nodded in agreement. "We are here for you," he said, his voice steady and reassuring.

Madonia hesitated just for a mere second for she knew that if she used her magic on them, it would not sit right with her. But at the same time, the darkness inside her urged her to strike fear into their hearts, just as she had done or at least unsuccessfully tried with Ambrose.

With a deep breath, Madonia mustered the courage to speak. "I can not let you interfere in my cause," she said, her voice firm. "You shall stay right here stoned."

And as she was ready to swung her wings, the darkness suddenly consumed her. Madonia's heart pounded in her chest as she stood in the darkness, not being able to see anything in her surrounding.

But suddenly her parents materialized before her eyes. Her breath hitched as she could even feel their presence, their emotions, making her believe that it was no illusion but reality, her parents did stand in front of her.

"Mother, Father," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "Is it really you?"

Her mother, Marcella, reached out a transparent hand towards Madonia, her eyes and her aura filled with sadness and longing. "Yes, my dear," she said softly. "It is really us."

Madonia's eyes filled with tears as she desperately tried to touch her mother's hand, but it slipped through her fingers like smoke, making her heart crush into a million pieces. "I have missed you so much," she said, her voice trembling. "Why did you leave me?" It was the first and only time she could question the choices they made.

Nimbosus, her father, stepped closer, his expression filled with regret. "We never wanted to leave you, Madonia," he said. "But we had to protect you. It was the only way to keep you safe."

"But I was alone," Madonia said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I was abandoned and lost without you. I always felt incomplete without you."

Marcella's eyes were filled with sorrow as she looked at her daughter. "We know, my love," she said. "And we are so sorry for the pain you had to endure. But we never truly left you. We have always been with you in spirit, watching over you."

Madonia's heart ached with longing as she looked at her parents, wanting to hold them one last time. "I do not know if I can do this," she said, her voice breaking. "I do not know if I am strong enough to face a world where the two of you will not be there after I have seen you again."

Nimbosus placed a transparent hand on Madonia's shoulder, his touch sending a faint shiver through her. "You are stronger than you think, my daughter," he said. "You have the power to overcome the darkness. You have the strength to choose a different path."

Marcella nodded in agreement. "We believe in you, Madonia," she said. "You have the love and support of your friends, and you have the goodness in your heart. Let that guide you."

The translucent figure of Nimbosus, her father, looked at her with a mixture of love and sorrow in his ethereal eyes. "My dear Madonia," he said softly, his voice echoing in the chamber, "I have no right to dictate as to how you shall go forward. I lost that right once I sent you away. It was never my intention to be separated from you, but circumstances beyond my control forced us apart."

"Father, please!" Madonia pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks. She knew what he wanted to say, she knew he wanted to stop the chaos and destruction she had started but he was too guilty to even suggest it. "You have every right on me, you have every right to dictate my whole being." But Madonia knew that one word from him and she will abandon everything, every flame, and every darkness in her.

Nimbosus smiled gently, patting her head with his translucent hand. "You are stronger than you know, my daughter," he said. "I know for sure that you will be fine without my dictation. You have a strength within you that surpasses anything I could ever teach you."

"He is right, my love," Marcella said, her voice soothing. "You have our love with you, but you must forge your own path now. We believe in you, and we know you will take the steps you deem necessary and right."

Madonia wished to cling to her parents, her emotions overwhelming her. She didn't want to let go, knowing that this might be the last time she saw them, even in spirit form. "I do not want to say goodbye," she sobbed, her heart breaking.

"We shall get going now," Marcella said gently, tears glistening in her eyes. "Our time together in this augmented realm is confined, but know that we have missed you and we shall miss you for eternity."

Madonia tried her best to hold onto her parents, not wanting to face the reality of their departure for a second time. But the light around her grew brighter, and she knew their time was running out.

With a heavy heart, she watched as her parents began to fade away slowly.

As the light enveloped her, Madonia once again found herself in the royal courtroom. Marina and Aurelius stood before her, concern etched on their faces.

As Madonia plopped down to the ground, the weight of overwhelming emotions crashed over her like a tidal wave. Her heart felt heavy with the loss of her parents, and tears flowed freely as she cried her lungs out.

Maybe it was all that was remaining, all she wanted and it was all she ever needed, to shed the tears of sorrow and to feel the despair firsthand that she did not go through when she lost her parents for the first time.

Marina and Aurelius exchanged worried glances as they approached her, gently placing their hands on her shoulders, trying to offer whatever comfort they could.

"Crystal, we are here for you," Marina whispered softly, her voice filled with empathy.

Aurelius nodded in agreement, his eyes reflecting the pain he felt for her as her soulmate. "You do not have to go through this alone, you should not indulge yourself in this sorrow," he said, his voice steady and reassuring.

Aurora, connected to Madonia, sensed her pain and confusion and she also saw the vision of Madonia's parents which Madonia had. She stood nearby, her large serpent eyes filled with concern, unsure of how to provide solace to her dear faerie.

Meanwhile, Ambrose, still bound by the Aether chains, watched the scene unfold with aching sadness. His heart longed to reach out to Madonia, to ease her suffering, but he was trapped, unable to offer the warmth of his embrace.

As Madonia's cries filled the air, the courtroom seemed to hold its breath, as if even the very walls were empathizing with her pain. The silence was broken only by the soft whimpers of the heartbroken fae.