"Alyson came here for a few summers when she was little. The Bronze Man enjoyed her company and so did we all. Then we didn't see her anymore, and the Bronze Man was sad, so sad to not be able to be with his companion." Seama fluttered up and around Quake, "And then I heard him laugh! Really laugh! Oh my heart was glad again to hear him laugh! He loves Alyson. Her kind smile, her child like whims made him laugh and it was good."

Quake's jaw hit the ground with a thud, "Huh? He loves her? Like for real?"

"Oh, yes! Very much so! We hope that she will stay here in Asylum and keep him happy!" Seama giggled with joy.

The elemental stared at the fairy in shock. What she just heard floored her but after a few minutes she replied, "So, which way to Madame Mabels washer womens place?"

"This way! Follow me," Seama gingerly bobbed back and forth so Quake could keep pace.

Both Seama and Quake could hear whispers and giggles from children hiding in around the Commons as they approached Madame Mabel's place. "Stay on the path. Don't engage, just ignore them. Caliaphy gets upset when other people aren't apart of her games and interfere."

"Works for me. Honestly, I'm not in the mood to play games either. The Lady would really like to have her clothes cleaned and returned to her soon." Quake did her best not look and watch the children running around and having fun. At the fore front of the row of buildings sat Madame Mabel's washer womens place. The smell of steam and clean linens flapping from lines strung from the buildings to poles signified they were at the right place.

Seama snapped her fingers and the door opened. She went in first followed by Quake. An average, voluptuous red haired, green eyed woman approached the two of them. She looked more a like consort than a woman of business. "Aye! 'Ello, Can I help ye? Seama, my dear, who's your friend?"

Seama giggled and bowed before the woman, "Madame Mabel, this is Quake."

Speaking with an Irish accent and with a smile to match Madame Mabel, "Welcome to me establishment and business. What can I do for you?"

"The Lady would said you would know how to get these properly cleaned. The Bronze Man pranked her at the lagoon." Quake said sheepishly.

"The Lady?"

"Alyson has returned to Asylum. She came with her friends!" Seama beamed from ear to ear.

"Oh! I see! Well then, I'll have them cleaned right away." Madame Mabel took notice of Quake's strange features, "What are you...exactly supposed to be, lass?"

"An elemental dragon created by the lady. My first time attempt to polymorph to human didn't exactly go like it was supposed to happen." Quake sighed.

Madame Mabel placed a hand on the elemental's shoulder and winked, "You'll figure it out, lass. I bet the Bronze Man can help you out with that. Come on, this way. You can stay while Alyson's robes and gear get washed and cleaned and I'd like to hear how she's been all these years."

"It's too steamy and hot in here!" Seama waved both arms to fan the mist away.

"The steam doesn't bother me. If you think this is hot, try in a volcano." Quake laughed, "Now that's hot!"

Madame Mabel laughed with the elemental, "I can see a bit of Alyson in you. Makes sense. She was always silly little lass. She had a way of bringing out smiles and laughter to those who didn't have it. Except the one time where she gave the Bronze Man a hard time. That was epic."

"She did?"

"Aye! She didn't want to stay still for a robe fittin,' fought'em every second, and even attempted to get out of the lighthouse one way or another. She was a bit of tom-boy, and hated robes and dresses and such. Made me laugh when I went over to assist him. He said, I wasn't helping the situation. I told him, she's a child. They don't always want to do what you want them to."

"Sounds like the Lady!" The elemental laughed again.

Seama continued to fan herself and her wings were steadily becoming saturated from the steam, "Whew! Madame Mabel could we please find an area where there's a breeze. I'm getting bogged down here."

"Of course. Of course, I'm used to the steam but you're always outside, eh Seama?" Madame Mabel gestured for the two to follow to a balcony on the upper level exposed to the outside. The wind was moderate as the evening waned nearing midnight.

"Ah! Much better! Much better!" Seama shook herself free of the water.

"Not to offend anyone here," The elemental rung out her tunic also, "but the Lady may or may not stay here like you think."

"She must STAY! She must!" Seama threw up her arms in protest. "The Bronze Man will be sad again!"

"She's loyal to her friends, Seama. It would of been different had the lady come here first but she didn't, and I don't know if I would of been giving life. So, I'm glad things turned out like they have." Quake leaned against the wall.

"NO! NO! NO! I WON'T LET HER LEAVE! NOT AGAIN!" Seama shrieked out loud.

Madame Mabel grabbed a bucket of water and doused the shrieking fairy, "That'll be enough of that, little lass! Whatever Alyson chooses, the Bronze Man will accept. He knows this, and so do you!"

Seama completely lost her temper and teleported in a flash of light.

"Well, snap! That can't be good, Madame Mabel." Quake gave her a worried look.

*********

The Bronze Man closed his eyes. He had a simple wish and now it had finally been granted. Smiling he neared the sleeping elementalist and brushed her hair back away from her face before returning once more to his own chambers.

************

He remembered when he first met her and barely recognized the child as Alysiane. She was seven years old, and had secretly followed her uncle through the portal from Earth to Asylum. Madeous had no idea that his niece had sneaked past him on his brief stop to the Kingdom beyond the Great Veil. She was walking through the temple of Bahamut more in awe and wonder than worried about getting caught. The acolytes and clerics wondered where this strange child came from. She didn't look like any of the children of Asylum when one came to him and told him that she was out in the garden area of the grounds.

There she was sitting on a bench in jeans, sneakers, and a t-shirt. Hair in a rough pony tail with glasses. She was petting one of the two dragonee on the nose. As he watched this seven year fearlessly stand up on the bench seat, and climb on the back of the other like a pony. "Giddie up!"

The knights and acolytes looked at each other in confusion. Some of them quietly laughed to each other and found it amusing to see this child of another world on the back of a dragonee. The creature merely walked around to amuse the girl a little and then decided it had enough of the human offspring on its back and sat down. The other one grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her off of the other one. "Awww!"

The Bronze Man approached slowly and in a calm voice, "Child, where is your mother or father?"

Without missing a beat, "In prison."

"What?" The Bronze Man looked confused for a second then asked again, "Aunt, uncle?"

"I followed Uncle Madeous here. I knew he a secret. This place is COOL!" The girl whirled around and finally looked up at him, "Who are you?"

Lazheros couldn't believe his eyes or ears at who stood before him. The last he saw this child she was an infant. "My name is Lazheros, may I sit down?"

The girl scratched her head, "Umm....sure I guess." She went back to petting the dragonee again.

Lazheros relaxed a little, "I am a friend of your Uncle Madeous."

"Really?"

"Yes. What is your name?" The Bronze Man asked while observing her.

At first she didn't answer. Petting the dragonee only seemed to matter. Finally she realized that this guy wasn't gonna hurt her, and relaxed a little, "I'm Alyson."

Again the Bronze Man was speechless. Had her time on Earth been harder there than here? He sensed that she was unhappy and hadn't gotten much in way of love of any kind or any nurturing that parents are supposed to do when raising a family. "Tell me, child. Do you dream of this place? Do you dream of the Realm?"

"Uh-huh," Alyson nodded while petting the dragonee, "Uncle Madeous has told me stories about place called the Realm of Dungeon's and Dragons before I go to sleep every night. He seems sad sometimes and lost when he talks of the Realm. I've tried to cheer him up but he gets really mad. He's scary when he's mad. You don't seem like the person to get mad like him."

The Bronze Man stood back up, "Come along, Alyson. Your uncle will have to told that you are here."

"What?! No! No!" She ran towards him grabbing his arm, "He'll send me back! He'll be angry, he'll be..." She started to cry a little.

Lazheros reached around and comforted young Alyson gently. "I am sorry, child but you cannot stay here unless he says otherwise." He took out a small cloth and dried her eyes. "Be brave, child and you may yet get your wish to stay here in Asylum."

He offered his hand and she reluctantly took it. She sniffed the whole way back into the main chamber of the temple itself. Madeous Khyng, was there but he hadn't seen her so she hid behind the Bronze Man as much as possible.

"Lazheros. I am ready to go forth to the kingdom beyond the Great Veil." Madeous said when saw him approach.

"As you wish but there is one issue that you and I must address first before you take your leave." The grand cleric said as he gently pulled Alyson out from behind him.

"Alyson? How? When?" The platinum knight gasped in utter surprise.

"I..I followed you when you thought I was taking a nap. Seriah taught me how to sneak better." She confessed to her uncle.

"Did she now?" Rubbing his chin trying to figure out how to bring Alyson back to Earth.

"Can I stay here? With Lazheros?" Alyson said suddenly looking up at the Bronze Man then at Madeous, "please?"

"I don't know--"

Lazheros offered, "Let her stay here while you're gone to your kingdom, Madeous. She's in good hands. You know that. Then on your return trip, Alyson will go back with you to Earth."

The girl remained holding the grand cleric's hand while Madeous pondered the question. All Alyson could hope for was at least to have fun and it would let him do what he needed.

"Very well. You may stay with Lazheros while I'm gone. Think of it as a long summer vacation." The platinum knight knelt down eye to eye with her, "Give me a hug, kiddo. I will see you in couple of months. Be good and listen to him."

Alyson let go of the cleric's hand and gave her uncle a hug. "Thank you! Thank you so much, Uncle Madeous!"

Madeous stood back up and both of his dragonee had joined him now. Taking the medallion from around his neck, he spoke words of sylvan and draconic and a portal appeared to the left of the group. "Good Journey!"

Lazheros held Alyson's hand again as the two watched Madeous and his dragonee pass through the portal and vanished. It shimmered a couple of time before disappearing.

********

There was a flash and Seama teleported into the lighthouse. She was in hysterics which was very unusual for a Kurori elf. On the second floor, the Bronze Man had been remembering a pleasant that was rudely interrupted by Seama's rant downstairs. He immediately left his chambers to see what the fuss was about.

"NO! I WON'T LET ALYSON LEAVE AGAIN! I WON'T!"

"SEAMA!" The Bronze Man stood at the base of the spiral stairs with arms crossed. He clearly noticed that the fairy was upset from the news from Alyson's elemental friend. "Calm yourself!"

"I-I-I won't...won't," Seama stopped flying around in circles in the main chamber of the lighthouse. "She cannot leave! You'll be sad!"

"Perhaps she will, perhaps not but that is not for you decide, nor is it mine. The choice is hers and hers alone." Lazheros remained where he was. He knew that Seama could be very possessive sometimes, and with her current mood, she would try to prevent the elementalist from leaving.

"No, no, no. She must stay. She must!"

"Seama," he commanded in a calm voice, "return to the Ancient Tree. It has been too long since you last saw the elder there. Now go."

Seama tried to argue with him more. She lost. She could not deny the will of the guardian and obeyed. She vanished from the lighthouse and appeared within the Ancient Tree outside of Asylum.