Take Back What's Ours

"Take Back What's Ours" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread started on [IRL DATE] and finished on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
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==Full Text==
A cacophony of various sounds broke the air, even above the wild wind and ocean waves, water rushing, surging, bubbling, and foaming, before splashing open into seven separate, wide pillars of sea green and silver behind a cliff, on an accessible beach in the far side of the island where the refugees had just been. Carefully hidden, more than a thousand rebel troops appeared in groups of fifties and seventies, gathering in formation and hustling out of the way to secure their positions within the forests above, as the newly recruited nixes brought them across the continent, concentration at their peak, even with the odd sensation of demon energy running through them to raise their magic. None of them have ever needed to teleport this many bodies in this amount of time, but they provided the best of their services to the cause and the fight that they had allied themselves to. 
As the ranks trickled through the portals and the common area of the Jaw slowly emptied of its chosen soldiers, three other white haired beings also prepared themselves for their rescue assignments, the images of different sceneries projected clearly in their minds–a humble home, a sturdy stable, and dreary prison cells. Ice cracked, lava steamed, and magic hummed in anticipation.
It was time to take back Haligan Island.
Mar 23, 2021
Indigo peeked out of the woods, his flock behind him and Indi next to him. Both Phantoms were suited up.
Indigo walked forward and stood on one of the rocks rather dramatically, looking down at them.
“Allies of Chief Grey to help reclaim this island, I presume?” He called, eyes scanning over the crowds, perhaps for Sven or another familiar face he could talk to. “We are on your side if so.”
Indi slid down the slope a bit and stood next to his twin again, similarly looking them over, more curious than anything. “That’s a lot of troops.” He whispered.
Mar 23, 2021
Lila looked at the two but said nothing. She wasn’t really concerned about the duplicate as she’d seen pretty much all the shit she could see in her short life. “Yes we are. We need you to create a distraction with your furies… Preferably now.” She said slightly cold.
Mar 23, 2021
Indigo nodded. “Alright. If it’s a distraction you need, it’s one you’ll get. I’ve got just the thing.”
He gave a signal to the group of dragons behind him. They all took off and flew over them, one of them grabbing Indigo, who got on the dragons back smoothly. Another grabbed Indi, who let out a slightly startled sound but climbed up the dragon awkwardly anyway. The flock turned and flew around over the ocean and around the island, off to create a distraction.
Let me know if you need anything else.
Was the last thing they heard from him as the group went out of sight.
Mar 24, 2021
The dragons looped around the island and Indigo gently patted Storm’s neck as they approached the spot he had in mind.
See those ships, everyone?
Grumbles of agreement from the dragons.
Let’s create a ruckus.
The entire flock of Night Furies immediately started pummeling the ships with fireblasts, zipping around as fast as they could and making a lot of noise in the evening light.
Indi clung to one of the dragons backs, a grin on his face underneath his mask. Now this was fun.
Mar 24, 2021
Ai stepped out onto the balcony as she heard the cacophony from outside. Dragons. God damned night furies to be specific. She looked down at her drink that was still mostly full and waved her hand before returning to lounge on the bed. Her men could handle it.
Mar 24, 2021
“Hey cuz!” Indi asked, piloting his dragon next to Storm. “Mind if I fight them on my own?”
Indigo looked up at him, curious. “I’d prefer it if you stuck with whatever plan the rebels use, but if you really want to…” The Indigo Phantom replied. “We can handle this.” The furies were handling themselves just fine since most of them were used to raids.
“Rad.” Indi leaped off of his dragon’s back and his wings popped out. He started attacking the pirates by himself, having a blast, too.
Mar 24, 2021
Grey was jolted out of her thoughts by the sudden noise outside. Evening came over the island, but it looked like day was trying to break through. She furrowed her eyebrows together in confusion. What could possibly be causing all that commotion? She heard Ai walk to the…balcony…she added to the wall outside the house…in her children’s room. She swallowed the bile at that thought for now, as she was more focused on the noise outside. She moved to get up, but…couldn’t as the chains kept her from moving. She sighed to herself as she focused on the window that was too high up for her to look out of.
“What the Hel…?” she whispered to herself.
Mar 25, 2021
Lila waved the teams forward and they all stepped through the portals their Nix partners had made. Deo with her bow drawn and Sav with a two fingered salute and his typical cocky grin.
As Deo stepped out of the portal she was met with about 4 guards she quickly loosed her arrow into the pirates throat, reducing him to only gurgles.
Mar 25, 2021
The Heir immediately followed Deoiridh through the portal, and he got to see the reincarnation of his late uncle loosed her arrow into one the of the pirate’s throat causing him to fall. As soon as the pirate fell, he glared at the remaining 3 and unsheathed his sword. 
“I would think carefully about what you do next if I were you,” he said to the pirates. 
Mar 25, 2021
Deo let loose a second arrow into the next one. “Goals not teh think.” Deo said as another arrow went through another’s throat.
Mar 25, 2021
“Right…” Sven said as he ran over to another guard with his sword. The guard barely had any time to think as Sven…plunged his sword into the man’s stomach. The Heir glared as he watched the man fall to the ground in shock and pain. “That’s for my Mom and Dad, you asshole.”
Mar 25, 2021
As the final guard filled his lungs to shout a warning, he was suddenly gagged as a splatter of ice formed across his face, covering his mouth, and he stumbled backwards against the bars, eyes widening and reaching up a hand to try and tear at the cold shards silencing him. The same went for his bleeding friend behind him.
“Or talk.” Nio strolled up beside the two with their gloved hand in the air. After a simple swiping gesture, the guard’s body hit the ground as the ice turned inward and cut his throat from the inside. The water writhing at their feet that they had brought with them from the ocean gained a pink tint as they gathered some of the blood that had been spilled to add to its volume. Their white eyes glanced around the entrance to the jail. “I’ll cover you from here. Move fast. You’ll get one portal to get everyone out, and it’s not staying open forever.”
Mar 25, 2021
Deo nodded and quickly searched the pirates and grabbed the ring of keys from them. She quickly pulled some of them off and tossed them to Sven. She grabbed the next few and tossed them at Iona. "Let's get teh work. Don't lose those. We're still gonna live 'ere after this." With that she took the remaining keys and started working her way down the cells, unlocking them and telling them to go to Nio.
The Heir nodded as he caught the keys and quickly got to work on another line of cells. One by one, he worked his way down the line unlocking the doors for the soldiers. Needless to say, they were thrilled to see him just as he was thrilled to see him, but there was one in particular he was desperate to see. He came to a few more cells hoping that one of them would be his father, but so far no luck. He just smiled at the soldiers as they thanked him and complimented him for coming to bust them out with the Rebellion. As soon as he released them, he urged them over to Nio where they waited with the portal. He did this for about 4 more cells before he came to another one further down the line.
“Alright, your turn,” he said as he immediately grabbed the key to place it in the lock.
“Sven?” a voice said in shock and astonishment.
Sven stopped what he was doing as he realized that someone was standing directing in front of him behind the bars. He recognized that voice…that voice he’d known for years and wanted so badly to hear again after 16 days. The Heir looked up, and a smile splashed onto his face.
“Dad!” Sven said happily. He quickly stopped when he realized he spoke too loudly.
“Hey, buddy,” Brandt said with tears in his eyes as he reached through the bars and grabbed Sven’s arms. “W-What are you…what are you doing in here? How did you get in here?”
Sven could see that the two weeks in captivity were not too kind to his father. The man had grown a beard, and there were bags under his eyes. There was no doubt that he and Grey had been treated poorly as prisoners as one would expect, and if there was any indication he got from when Indigo told him about his chat with Grey, the two of them being separated for 2 weeks didn’t help either. Nevertheless, he was still looking into the hazel eyes of his father.
“The Rebellion, Dagny, Kari, and I are busting you out of here,” Sven said as he put the key in the lock. “Indigo and his dragons are creating a diversion outside, so we got to move quickly.”
“That…explains all the noise,” Brandt said. 
“Yeah, I’ll explain more once we meet up with the troops on the evacuation island,” Sven said.
Then Brandt realized there were two figures who weren’t present, and when he didn’t see his wife…or her Night Fury, the same worry that nagged at him for two whole weeks increased tenfold as his eyes widened. “W-Wait…y-your mother…and Shadow…I-I don’t know where they…they put them, but–”
“Don’t worry, they’re both okay,” Sven said quickly. “Dagny and Kari are helping them escape with a few other rebels. Mom’s being kept in the house with their leader, and Shadow is in the stables. We’ll meet them on the island.”
Within seconds, there was a resounding click on the door of the cell, and Sven wasted no time in opening it wide for Brandt, and Brandt wasted no time…in gathering his oldest child…his son into his arms. Sven of course did not protest. 
“I missed you so much, Dad…” Sven said as tears formed in his eyes as he buried his face in Brandt’s shoulder. It felt amazing to be embraced by his father again.
“I missed you so much, too, son,” Brandt replied as he hugged him tighter as his tears flowed as well. “I thought about you, Mom, and your sisters every night, and it ached to be away from all of you.” He kissed Sven on the cheek before tightening the hug.
Mar 25, 2021
“Hey, kid, ‘member what we said ‘bout talkin’.” Deo said from a few cells over.
Mar 25, 2021
Sven rolled his eyes and was about to retort when Brandt stopped him. 
“She’s right,” Brandt said placing a hand on Sven’s shoulder. “We’ll have plenty of time to talk later. Something tells me you guys won’t be letting Mom and me out of your sights.”
“Well, if I’m right, neither will you and Mom,” Sven said raising an eyebrow at Brandt. “But…okay, talk later, escape now.”
“I’ll help you unlock everyone else,” Brandt said. “Let’s move.”
Both father and son tossed the keys back and forth to one another as they moved down the hall to unlock the rest of Haligan’s soldiers and sent them toward Nio and the portal.
Mar 25, 2021
Metal clinked softly as the dark haired half breed made her way down the set of cells she was able to unlock, keeping her tall ears high and alert for any disturbances beyond the doors outside. With a flick of her wrist and a swing of her lance, Iona silently directed the Haligan troops towards the humming circle of water held open by their nix transport. She made one last pass by all the cells to make sure they were empty, leaving no soldier behind, and with a final spin of the weapon, she herself turned towards Nio to leave through the waiting portal.
Mar 25, 2021
Once everyone was out she grinned to herself. She had always wanted to do this. She backs up a few feet from the portal and takes a running jump, swan diving into the portal.
Mar 25, 2021
Part 1
It was unnaturally quiet in the dragon stables, empty of most of its usual occupants save for a handful of the animals. A certain night fury, in particular.
There was a very soft, hidden hum right by where Shadow was kept. A pause, then the ground churned almost like the sea, before stretching out into a portal. A white head poked out carefully, steely grey eyes scanning the area for any enemies loitering around past wooden beams and troughs that spanned the entire building, then waved a hand to motion for the young girl that accompanied her, “Carefully, now.” Azul’s voice was even.
Mar 25, 2021
Said Night Fury suddenly opened her eyes wide, and her ear flaps perked up at the sound of the new voice entering the stables. It didn’t sound like Grey or Brandt or any of the pirates. She was tied down to the ground, so she couldn’t move to see. Then…a very familiar scent entered her nostrils, which caught her attention even more so… She lifted up her head only to see a portal and a young woman looking at it…and then a brown head with braids popping up. 
As soon as Azul gave the all-clear, Kari’s brown head popped up not too long after, and she pulled herself up through the portal before standing up and looking around the stables. 
“Thanks,” Kari said smiling at Azul. “Now,” she looked at the Night Fury’s direction and gasped as a smile splashed onto her face.
Shadow immediately crooned as best as she could through her muzzle and moved to greet Kari…only to be restrained by her ropes. 
“Shadow!” Kari said happily as she ran over to the Night Fury and got down on her knees before hugging her snout. “You’re okay!”
Shadow nuzzled Kari in return…extremely overjoyed to see the daughter of her rider. 
Kari giggled. “Aww…I know, girl,” she said. “I missed you too.” She pulled away. “But it’s okay now. We’re getting you guys out of here. Azul and I are here to help, but we have to hurry.”
Shadow crooned, but it ached Kari to see her mother’s brilliant dragon restrained with a muzzle. “Come on,” she said as she moved to unfasten the muzzle, “let’s get this stupid muzzle off you.” It took a minute, but Kari was able to slide it off Shadow’s face…only to be thanked with a lick on the cheek causing Kari to giggle. “I got to get these ropes off you.” 
The Chief’s youngest daughter took a small knife out of her boot and began working on the Night Fury’s restraints. 
Mar 26, 2021
Azul kept the portal wide open, planted firmly where she stood as she remained on high alert for any further visitors, hoping that the other dragons would keep still while Kari worked on Shadow’s bindings.
“Let me know when you’re done,” she said quietly, bracing herself for the weight she knew that the night fury had.
Mar 26, 2021
“You got it,” Kari said happily as she cut the ropes one by one. “Shadow can direct the dragons over to you once we free them.”
As soon as the last rope was cut, Shadow crooned happily as she nuzzled against Kari again as if to hug her and thank you. Kari giggled as she hugged the Night Fury around her neck. “I know, Shadow, I know. I’m glad to see you too.”
Kari still couldn’t quite explain why, but there was something comforting about being reunited with Shadow. Kari and her siblings had known Shadow since they were each born. For as long as she could remember, Shadow was always there…whether as practically a third parent, a protector, a pet, or a friend, and it felt amazing to be reunited with that again. However, the youngest daughter of the Chief knew that they couldn’t waste time. There would be more time to catch up later. Right now, they had a job to do.
“Okay, we need to work fast,” Kari said as she pulled away to look up at Shadow. “We got to get the dragons through Azul’s portal. I need you to direct them there, okay?”
Shadow crooned in affirmation, and then the daughter of the Chief and the Chief’s Night Fury got to work. One by one, Kari freed the other dragons while Shadow kept them calm, and as soon as they were free, the Night Fury directed them to the portal and made sure they went through. Finally, they came to the last dragon, and as soon as that dragon went through the portal, Kari and Shadow moved to Azul.
“Okay, I think that’s the last of them,” Kari said. “Shadow, circle above just to make sure.”
Shadow crooned and lifted herself into the air toward the ceiling to see if any other dragons were left.
Mar 26, 2021
It was more dragons than she was told to transport, and she muttered soundlessly under her breath, but it wasn’t anything Azul’s strength couldn’t handle.
Dragons of varying shapes and sizes passed through her portal as she steeled herself against their weight and movement, and she could feel them thrashing about as fire clashed with water before appearing on the other side where the rest of the troops waited on the neighbouring island, but it wasn’t long before the stables were finally completely emptied out. There was a pause for the final checks, then with a beckon of her pale hand, the odd trio of human, dragon, and nix completed their mission and disappeared.
Mar 26, 2021
Sav opened a vortex of lava, having waited the appropriate time limit. "Alright campers step lively and of course step quietly. Remember you did sign your liability waivers so any burt hair or singed, or any other fire related injuries are not the responsibility of Savarthan Travel agencies. Of course that never happens... Often" He grins impishly throughout the entire spiel.
“Stop clowning.” A black paw with huge claws grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and shoved him towards his own portal, and Liam followed after him, the heat rippling around his temporarily frightening frame, which was already bristling with shadow in preparation for their extraction mission. The half-breed paused and looked over his shoulder, white eyes focusing on their younger partner in crime. “Come on, Dagny.”
Mar 26, 2021
The middle daughter of the Chief looked at her mother’s former comrade’s son and nodded. She stepped forward before giving Liam a small smile, and she took a deep breath before stepping into the portal. 
Mar 26, 2021
Sav stumbled through the portal and turned, fuming and ready to go at it with the Half-Breed were they not on such an important mission. He looked around and spotted the chief chained up near the staircase and nodded towards her as he made his way there.
Mar 26, 2021
The Chief stared in absolute shock seeing the Nix, Sav walking through the lava-looking portal, and her heart pounded as tears formed in her eyes. Was this why the noise was coming from outside? She saw Liam emerge from the portal as well, and she was absolutely speechless seeing Treepelt and Vox’s son walking through the portal. She looked briefly over her shoulder upstairs…wondering if Ai heard anything…but she turned back only to see…
Dagny gasped and smiled with tears in her eyes…as soon as she stepped through the portal…and spotted her mother in the house. She was chained up, but at the moment, she didn’t care. It was her mother! Grey was actually in front of her very eyes after two weeks.
Grey stared at her middle daughter with widened eyes as tears came into her eyes as well. If she was standing up, she surely would’ve fallen over at the sight of one of her children. Her look of shock morphed into a smile of her own.
“Dagny…” she whispered.
“Mom…” Dagny whispered. She wasted no time in running over to her mother, getting down on her knees and wrapping her arms around her mother’s neck hugging her close.
Mar 26, 2021
Liam was hot on her heels; he knelt by the Chief and leaned his head next to hers, his long horns framing her face as he breathed next to her ear in order not to be heard. “We gotta make this quick,” he growled. In either hand, he cupped Grey’s wrists in his larger palms, holding the iron bindings in his hands while the tips of his clawed fingers pushed up against her dirty skin. “I’m gonna do something weird, and you need to be ready to run as soon as I do it. Okay?”
Mar 26, 2021
Grey looked at Liam in his shadow form as Dagny slowly released her. The Chief nodded quickly. This was it! They were going to escape! They were going to take back Haligan Island! She allowed Liam to take her wrists into his hands as Dagny sat next to her holding her mother’s shirt…not willing to leave her side for a second. 
Mar 26, 2021
Puffing out his cheeks, Liam focused, and then from his fingers, shadows bled upward and inward into Grey’s skin, in a rush of cold numbness, and then with another surge of energy, her blackened skin briefly dissolved into handfuls of whirling, hovering dust, and the handcuffs dropped heavily into Liam’s hands, with the softest rattle of chain as he lowered them to the ground, biting a fang into his lip as he tried to be quiet. As soon as he lost contact with Grey, her hands started to phase back into existence, returning to normal.
“Clear,” he said in a low voice, helping the Chief to her feet.
Mar 26, 2021
Grey’s legs shook as Liam and Dagny helped her to stand up. She didn’t care about Liam’s shadow magic. All she cared about at that moment was that her hands were finally free of the chains that bounded her hands for two whole weeks, and it wasn’t because she needed to eat or to relieve herself. She was free! Her daughter, the son of a former comrade, and the Nix came to her aid and were helping her to escape. 
She stumbled a little as she took a step forward, but Dagny stayed at her side as Liam did helping her toward the portal. This was it! She held her daughter close as they stepped closer and closer to the portal.
Mar 26, 2021
They were moving too slow. "Yeah ok, glad you're safe and all but we need to get." Sav pushes them into the portal.
All three portals opened on the evacuation island...The prisoners emerged from one portal one by one before Sven, Brandt, Nio, Iona and Deoiridh finally emerged...with Sven and Brandt wrapping their arms around each other’s shoulders. The dragons emerged from another portal one by one before Shadow, Kari, and Azul followed. Grey and Dagny emerged from the third portal...with Liam and Sav in tow.
------
Before Grey or Dagny could say anything, Sav pushed them through the portal forcing them back through, and within seconds, the Chief and her daughter found themselves on the evacuation island. Grey couldn’t help but let out a shaky breath as she looked around seeing the Rebellion...and then at Liam and Sav...and then at Dagny, who looked right back at her with her brown eyes.
Both mother and daughter felt the emotions overflow at the relief and joy of seeing each other and being together again...after 16 whole days. Grey smiled as tears flowed down her face and she let out a shaky exhale. After two whole weeks, she was finally free from captivity, and her daughter helped her to escape. “D-Dagny...” she whispered again as she lifted her hands toward Dagny’s face.
Dagny however was having none of that as she smiled shedding tears of her own and letting out her own shaky exhale. “M-Mommy...” she said before reaching forward again hugging her mother tightly.
Grey wasted no time in returning the gesture hugging Dagny with all her might...praying that this wasn’t some crazy dream...and that she wasn’t about to wake up back in the house chained to the wall with the pirate in her kids’ bedroom. “Oh...my baby girl...” she said sniffling.
“I missed you so much, Mom,” Dagny said in between her own sobs. After 2 weeks of traveling, all the tension, the fear, and the sadness poured out of them in tears as they held each other tightly.
“I missed you so much, too, Dagny,” Grey said as she ran a hand through her daughter’s hair. “You, your brother and sister, Dad, and Shadow...I missed all of you so much.”
------
As soon as Sven and Brandt emerged from the portal, they immediately tried to find the women of the Felman family, and it didn’t take the Felman men too long to see...Kari and Shadow looking around and finally stopping once they saw...Grey and Dagny clearly having just come through the portal around the same time and hugging each other tightly. Brandt stopped at the sight of his wife hugging their middle daughter. Grey’s back was to him, so she clearly didn’t see him as she shared a reunion with Dagny.
However, once he set his eyes on his mother and his sister, Sven wasted no time in running over. “Mom!” he shouted.
-------
Kari and Shadow emerged from the portal with Azul, and after Kari thanked Azul for her help, Shadow crooned as she looked at something a few feet from them...from this. Kari furrowed her eyebrows together as she followed Shadow’s line of vision, and finally she understood once she saw her mother and her older sister. Tears came to her eyes upon seeing her mother, and she just couldn’t contain herself anymore. Tears came into her eyes as she took off with Shadow behind her. “Mommy!” she shouted.
-------
Grey jolted out of her thoughts as she held onto Dagny as soon as she heard two other very familiar voices coming toward her and Dagny. They were coming from different directions, but she saw that it was Sven and Kari. As soon as she saw them coming toward her, the smile returned to her face tenfold, and while Dagny continued to hold onto her, she opened her arms to Sven and Kari.
“Hey, guys!” Grey said tearfully as Sven and Kari practically plowed into them joining in the group hug.
“Mom!” they shouted in unison.
“Oh my gods,” Grey said tearfully, “I can’t believe I get to hold you all in my arms again.”
“We missed you so much, Mom,” Sven said sniffling.
“I missed you so much, too, Sven,” Grey said leaning into him, “all three of you.” She pulled away while still holding on afraid that this would all disappear at any moment. “You three are okay right? Y-You weren’t hurt?”
“No, no, we’re okay,” Sven said sniffling. “We’re just glad to have you back.”
“Me too,” Grey said as she pulled them back into the hug.
“But we should be asking you that,” Sven said pulling away again slightly. “Are you okay?”
“I’m better now that you’re all here,” Grey said. This wasn’t the time to go into details. They needed to be with each other again...revel in how they were all together again...and cry and hug. Soon, they would need to take back the island, but that would come later. Right now, she just needed to be with her amazing children...and...
“You know, girls, I know you’re glad to see your mom, but what about me?” another voice asked.
They all looked only to see...
“Daddy!” Dagny and Kari shouted in unison as they ran from Grey to Brandt while Sven stayed with Grey. He already reunited with their father. It was his sisters’ turn, just as it was his turn to reunite with their mother.
“Hey, there are my girls!” Brandt said as he gather Dagny and Kari in his arms.
“We missed you so much, Daddy!” Kari shouted happily as she cried into Brandt’s shoulder feeling him lift them up off the ground.
“I missed you too, baby girl,” Brandt said as he held his daughters close as tears flowed down his cheeks. He then placed kisses on their cheeks.
Grey beamed from ear to ear as she watched the scene unfold between her husband and their daughters. She then noticed Sven still hugging her, and she wasted no time in hugging him tightly in return.
“My baby boy,” Grey said.
“Mom...” Sven said hugging her tightly, “I-I’m sorry you guys had to wait so long. I—”
“No, no, none of that,” Grey said as she pulled back to look her son in the eyes. “We’ll talk more later, but there’s no reason to be sorry, okay?”
Sven nodded before he pulled his mother into another hug.
The Chief was about to say something else when she heard a croon from behind her son. She looked up only to see Shadow looking at her, and Sven must’ve heard it too because he slowly moved out of the way to allow his mother to reunite with her dragon.
“Shadow...” Grey whispered. It was the first time they were seeing each other in 2 weeks, and while Grey knew that Shadow was okay, it was overjoying to see her beloved Night Fury right in front of her eyes again.
The Night Fury crooned happily almost as if she was about to cry herself, and both the Chief and the dragon were brought back to the last time they were separated almost 26 years ago. Grey smiled at her before practically leaping forward and hugging Shadow around her neck as Shadow mimicked it as best as she could with her head.
“Oh, girl, I missed you,” Grey said. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
Shadow crooned and nuzzled Grey so grateful that she had her best friend close to her side again. The last time she saw Grey was when they were all captured and the pirates dragged her into the stables while Grey was taken to the Great Hall with the leader of their captors. She did not know what happened to Grey or Brandt after that, and she had been hoping that they would get to be reunited and fight back against the pirates.
“I’m so sorry, Shadow,” Grey finally said after a moment. She sniffled. “I’m so sorry this happened.”
The Night Fury crooned as if to say “no,” and she nuzzled Grey even more trying to convince her that it wasn’t her fault...that she didn’t do anything to cause it. The pirates did this. They made this choice.
Sven’s face fell hearing his mother apologize to Shadow blaming herself. “M-Mom...” he began to say before a hand landed on his shoulder.
He looked up only to see that it was his father silently telling to let him handle this. The Heir smiled and nodded. His parents didn’t have a chance to talk, so now was the perfect time to let that happen. Shadow clearly saw it as well because she gently pulled away from Grey so that they could look each other in the eye, and Grey placed her forehead against Shadow’s...both of them reveling in seeing each other again.
“Grey, what did I tell you?” Brandt said causing Grey to gasp and turned around to come face-to-face with her husband...her loving husband. “This is not your fault. It was the pirates’ choice. You did what you needed to do.”
Grey slowly turned to face her husband with widened eyes and a dropped jaw. After 16 days, she was finally face-to-face with her husband. She was looking at his hazel eyes once again, and they weren’t bounded by chains anymore and forced apart. Tears came to her eyes as she smiled. “Hi...” she breathed. 
“Hi...my love,” Brandt said as he placed a hand on Grey’s cheek as tears came into his own eyes. He had spent 16 days trapped in that cell wondering if he was ever going to see his wife and their children again, and now here they were...together again thanks to their children and the Rebellion. He couldn’t take it. He needed her in his arms. So he grabbed Grey’s hand to pull her into his embrace.
Grey however was one step ahead of him and leaped into his arms wrapping her legs around his middle and her arms around his neck. “Brandt...” she breathed as she sobbed into his shoulder.
He gladly returned the gesture holding her close as tears poured down his cheeks. “Grey...” he said. 
She pulled away to look him in the eye and placed her hands on his face pulling him in for a deep kiss. The last time they kissed...it was when they were about to be separated. It was a promise, a desperate plea to stay together for as long as possible, but now...it was a reunion, a promise to never be separated again. Both the Chief and her second-in-command silently promised they were never letting each other out of their sight again. 
It was a moment before they finally pulled away. Grey placed her forehead against his. “I love you,” she said. “I love you so much.”
“I love you too,” Brandt said before kissing her again. 
“Ewww...” three voices said in unison causing Brandt and Grey to pull away...only to see that it was their children staring at them. 
“‘Ew?’“ Brandt said raising an eyebrow and a smirk. “Excuse me, how do you think you three were made?”
“Ugh...Daddy,” Dagny said giggling. “That’s gross.”
“Gross?” Grey said as Brandt placed her back on the ground. “You have a boyfriend, young lady. Just you wait. You won’t think it’s so gross then.”
They all giggled, and as soon as Brandt and Grey opened their arms, the three Felman teenagers ran into their parents’ embrace joining in on the group hug. Shadow wasted no time in wrapping herself around the family nuzzling against them.
“Okay, I love you guys and I’m really glad we saved you,” Sven said as he pulled away after a moment, “but...is there any chance that after this is over...we can all stop being in peril for...five minutes?”
They all laughed at his question.
“I promise, guys,” Grey said as they returned to the group hug, “this will never...happen again. No matter what...this will never happen again.”
Lila smiled as she watched the reunion before finally clearing her throat. "I'm glad you guys are all back together, and I hate to break up the reunion but we have more work to do."
Grey and Brandt looked up from the group hug and smiled at their niece while still hugging their kids just a little bit longer. Sven noticed this and looked over at Lila before looking back at his parents nodding with a sad smile as the group hug slowly broke up. His cousin was right. They had more work to do. They still needed an island to go back home to.
Grey felt her heart break at the sight of her niece as she remembered the fact that she betrayed Lila when Ai interrogated her and had Brandt whipped in front of her to get her to talk. However, she pushed it down for the time being. She and Lila could talk about that later. Right now, they had work to do. She needed to fight for her island.
“Alright, Commander,” she said with a small smile, “give us the rundown. What happens now?”
“Now, we give them a chance to surrender.” The commander said before she whistled. A changewing flew down and landed next to her and she mounted up. “And when she won’t, we take back what is ours.”
“We got extra weapons for you guys,” Sven said as he came back over with two swords for Grey and Brandt. “They have yours in the armory, but there was no time to grab them.”
“This will do just fine, thank you, son,” Brandt said as he and Grey took their swords and sheathed them.
“Alright,” Grey said as she gestured for Shadow to come, “we should get moving then.”
“That diversion is not going to last too long,” Brandt said as he and Grey mounted Shadow. “We’ll need to move fast.”
“We’re going too,” Sven said as he and his sisters mounted their respected dragons.
This made Grey and Brandt freeze. They knew Sven would want to fight, but Dagny and Kari...that was new. Sort of...Kari had snuck off to fight the dragons who turned against Indigo, but she was almost killed.
“Look, I know what you guys are thinking,” Sven said, “but—”
“You know what?” Grey said sighing...clearly not wanting to do this. “We’ll need all the help we can get, and...they helped us escape. I’d rather know they’re joining in rather than risk them sneaking off.”
Brandt nodded agreeing with her. There wasn’t any time to argue.
Grey turned to their three kids. “But...you two girls...stay on the backs of your dragons...and stay close to us,” she said, “and the minute things get crazy, I want you back here. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Sven, Dagny, and Kari said in unison.
Lila watched for a moment before she waved the few dragoons she’d brought with them and they took flight. It took a few minutes to make their way to the island proper, it gave Lila time to come up with what she was going to say. As they reached the island they did a quick fly over to announce their presence followed by loud roars from the dragon. “Bring out your leader!” The Half-Breed called.
“I’m coming, I’m coming.” The Nix called. “Ayayay how can anyone be expected to sleep with all this racket.” She looked up and saw Lila and grinned. “Ah Commander, to what do I owe this absolute pleasure?”
“The liberation of my home.” She said firmly. “Your prisoners are free, your ships in ruins and your outnumbered and outmatched. I highly suggest you surrender.”
Ai looks over to where Grey and Shadow are flying nearby. “I see. So if I am understanding you correctly, you’ve destroyed my lovely ships, stolen my valuable slave, killed my loyal crew with your little distraction, and now you demand my surrender?!” She begins to laugh and her crew followed her lead. “Ahahahahaha!” She takes a sip of her wine. “Ahhhh~... Very well!” The other pirates all shout in agreement before realizing what she said and murmured among themselves confused.
“What?” Grey and Brandt said in unison as they flew in with Shadow.
Was Ai really surrendering?
Ai finished off her drink and set it on the balcony’s railing. “Yes we really are surrendering.” She called to the crew. “We don’t really have a chance of survival against these odds.” She said. Despite that though a few ran for the rowboats sitting on the shore. “Cowards!” The Nix called after them. “Oh well I can’t imagine they’ll get very far.” She said with a wave of her hand. 
Lila saw the pirates running for the boats and she had the dragoons go pick them up. She eyed Ai Kauri warily. It was an odd move for the pirate queen, and she didn’t trust her, especially not with the grin she had on her face. She approached cautiously and stepped onto the balcony as she put her wrists out in front of her. The half-Pooka took a pair of manacles and bound her wrists tightly before drawing her sword. “Sven go tell the others to send the troops to secure the rest of the prisoners.”
Sven was just as confused as his parents and cousin, and after hearing Lila ordering him to send the troops to secure the rest of their prisoners, he got even more nervous. This was the same group who had no problem capturing his parents and taking their home for themselves. Why would they surrender so quickly? What changed?
He looked to his parents from where he sat on Pyro and they sat on Shadow. He hated the idea of leaving them alone. The last time that happened he didn’t see them for 16 days, and they just got him back.
“It’s okay, sweetie,” Grey said with a reassuring smile. “Listen to your cousin.”
“Your mother’s right, buddy,” Brandt said. “Do as you were ordered.”
Sven nodded. “You got it, Lila,” he said before gently tapping Pyro and turning to his sisters. “Dags, you and Kari stay with Mom and Dad.”
“Okay,” Dagny said as Sven flew off.
Grey guided Shadow to fly just a tiny bit closer to where Lila stood with Ai...as the half-Pooka arrested her.
The second Sven contacted the remaining soldiers, the demon floating invisibly in the back of their ranks flooded forward towards Haligan, to be a point of contact for the people who would start to move in. Liam scowled as she did, tugging on her mind to say, If they've got another one of those fields...
I am anchored to you. It is more valuable that the Commander has protection from their leader.
That's not true and you know it.
It will be fine.
Nala materialized beside Lila, narrowing her gleaming eyes at the pirate in front of them while her aura billowed threateningly around them. You know this is a trap, Commander, she growled privately to Lila. You should leave.
Ai grinned and waved at the demon, winking and blowing a kiss. Lila rolled her eyes. "If it's a trap I want to be right here if she tries to escape." She replies.
The Warden grumbled, a sound like distant thunder. She turned the points of her consciousness towards Ai, ready to render her senseless if she tried anything.
Ai just continues to grin. "I do have to wonder where you'll stick us all. I mean, I've seen your cells, there was barely enough room to stick all your people there and we at least double the amount. Not to mention that I wasn't afraid to squeeeeeze people together if I needed to. Something tells me you're a little averse to keeping your prisoners like that."
Grey’s fist shook as she gripped Shadow’s reigns. She was trying so hard not to get in Ai’s face and punch her so hard so that her teeth would fall out. Brandt gently placed a hand on her fist calming down. She could tell that he was angry too, but they both knew that now was not the time. Ai didn’t deserve that satisfaction. 
So, Grey put on a little smirk. “Not that it’s any of your concern,” she said as Shadow flew just a little closer, “but the Commander, the Warden, my husband, and I will come to an agreement somehow. Just know...that after everything you put my husband, my children, my people, and me through...I’m about to become your worst nightmare.”
She laughs. "Well now, that doesn't sound anything like the kind hearted, second chance giving rebellion that I've heard so much about. I'd hate for it to get out that you treat your prisoners so poorly. Especially those who willingly surrendered." Ai says, shit eating grin on her face the entire time.
The flock of dragons had been hovering in circles over the ships ever since they'd finished destroying them and the distraction wasn't needed anymore. As the bunch of them began to talk and the pirates surrendered, they moved to fly over the group, like a circling hoard of vultures.
Two figures jumped down from them, one gliding, the other flying. Indi and Indigo landed gracefully among the group. Neither spoke, but they were ready for any further orders. Indi gave Grey a neat little wave, sword in the other hand. Indigo just stared right at Ai.
Grey nodded to Indi and Indigo as she kept her eyes on Ai, Lila, and Nala. “The Rebellion has their way of dealing with High Central,” she said. “That’s all you need to know.”
She snorts. "That's the best you've got? Oh brother."
Lila turns her around and pushes her back inside. "I'll take her to the prison." She said as she forces her down the stairs and back outside towards the prison.
Nala hovered close behind, but at the same time, she quickly communicated between the present nixes through their temporary link, using past information about their abilities from what she knew about Akkey, with whom she was much more familiar. Azul, in the past my friend mentioned some kind of suppression technology created by your people. Would such equipment be retrievable for the purposes of keeping her prisoner?
She felt a thoughtful pause, then a mental nod from the nix, "Yes. I think I can find a way. But I will need some time, perhaps fifteen minutes."
tree-the-cat
We would make it worth your while to do so. Nala updated Lila on the idea, still ready to assist at a moment's notice. The whole time, Liam was stubbornly chained to her, making sure she didn't disappear on him.
akkeyagentofhelheim
Another short nod of acknowledgement, then Azul disappeared in a muted crack of ice as she headed back to Nokkines for the first time in several months.
hubwalker1
Ai was surprisingly well behaved all the way to the prison. Sav had found Liam and quickly jogged up to him. "Hey, Liam right? Look I just want to let you know, I'm sorry for earlier okay?" He asked.
tree-the-cat
The half-breed blinked as he was pulled out of his thoughts. "Whatever," he grunted, getting up from his nervous perch on a rocky outcropping on Haligan's adjacent island. He still hadn't shed his shadows, on account of the Rebellion's final movements into Haligan. "As long as you're getting shit done when we're on the same team. I don't like fighting next to people that treat this like a joke."
hubwalker1
He nods. "I understand." And with that he clocked him in the face before jumping into his own portal to relative safety.
lbigreyhound13
Back on Haligan Island, Shadow, Pyro, SkySinger, and Scoot all landed with their respective riders as the Felman family dismounted them. The three teenagers ran to their parents. 
“You guys okay?” Brandt asked as they gathered into another group hug. 
“Yeah, we’re fine,” Dagny answered as they pulled away, “but what’s going to happen now?”
“Did she really surrender...just like that?” Kari asked raising an eyebrow. 
“It would appear so,” Grey said as she turned to look in the direction Lila, Nala, and Ai Kauri had walked to get to the prison, “but don’t worry, guys. She will be punished...severely. The council and I will make sure of it.”
“It just...seems so easy,” Sven said crossing his arms. “I was expecting a huge battle.”
“We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on her,” Brandt said as he wrapped an arm around Dagny pulling her close to his side and Grey on the other side. “For now, let’s...consider this a victory...and focus on being together.”
Grey smiled as she leaned into Brandt’s side closing her eyes as they all joined in for another group hug. “I think that’s a great idea,” she said. “Maybe, we can have a celebration before everyone goes back to the Jaw.” She then froze when she remembered that she hadn’t seen someone. “W-where was Grandma? I didn’t see her on the evacuation island.”
“Oh don’t worry, she’s at the Jaw with the council,” Dagny replied. 
Grey nodded in relief. “Okay, I’ll have to ask Sav to escort me to the Jaw and get her,” she said. 
akkeyagentofhelheim
Azul was true to her word, returning to Haligan with cursed suppression cuffs carefully in hand. It took a lot of convincing with the Nokkines scientists, and a word with them and her Prince to keep her request a secret, but she had managed. She gave the gem-imbued cuffs to a soldier, and told them to slip it on the pirate’s wrists to cancel out all her nix abilities, reporting to the Warden of her arrival as well.
The island slowly began to fill up with the rebels and its residents once more, a careful trickle through portals created by their new recruits. They were tired, but it wasn’t that much of a strain anymore as they expected, as they were no longer pressed for time. Azul watched the proceedings with a cold eye, silent and standing to the side, ready to be called upon by Nala or any of the leadership upon a moment’s notice as she always was. But as quiet as her facade was, her thoughts were completely something else, and anyone who would decide to read her mind would be met with a barrage of loud, jumbled sentences.
A surrender? What in Bulan’s name? Way too damn easy. Must be a trap. But for what? Why are the pirates here? What’s that captain’s plan? What’s on this island? Is it the people? The rebels? Maybe it’s the Jaw? Her Highness is there. We split our numbers. No–ridiculous, there’s only 1500 of the troops here. But still. This is too weird.
She set her jaw in a stiff line, muscles bulging where she crossed her arms, then decided on her next step of actions. She quickly relayed her intentions to the Warden, and approached the other inlet and nomad nixes with a command to take as much rest as they possible when they could, as well as a caution to keep their eye out for any suspicious activity.
“Send me a message immediately, if something happens,” she told them in her cool tone, before disappearing in a snap of frost and ice back to the Jaw, as the island of Haligan was reclaimed once more.