Addendum 3. Beyond and Back Again
Fairlight was sitting on the comfortable cushion-covered mattress in the small cave she had claimed for herself from the moment she had found it. She had returned, not in the least to be away from the constant attention of Terrence, the would-be charming Frenchman. But mostly she came here to think. Meditating she suddenly opened her eyes and cursed. 
"I can't concentrate!"
Getting up and pacing back and forth in the room, not succeeding in avoiding the many candles spread around the floor. Knocking one over, the candle touched the rock floor and then extinguished.
"Thank God I live in a cave... otherwise my house would have burned to the ground 10.000 times already."
Sitting down again with a sigh she looked up at the ceiling and reached under a nearby cushion, taking out the small wooden box. She took out the picture of Danyx and said: "I can't stop thinking of you." then she fingered through the letters taking one out and reading the romantic, touching lines that told her just how much he knew her, and loved her... Not just her present incarnation, but her being, her soul. 
Laying down she closed her eyes, one tear running from her eyes, past her nose and dripping on the mattress. She knew there was hope, in every life she could remember, Danyx had been there to love her, and though his current absence felt like dieing she was certain she would see him again. Relaxing, Fairlight fell into a deep dreamless sleep.
More than an hour passed, Fairlight sleeping, her mind working. You could almost hear her mind mechanics creaking as she worked on some heavy issues. Creasing her forehead and mumbling softly at times she seemed on the verge of waking.
Jumping upright, Fairlight awoke from a half sleep where she had been going over the facts once again.
"I'm stupid! Why didn't I think of that? The solution was right before my eyes."
Grabbing the ghostwing from behind her, "Ok maybe not right in front of them.", she turned to her right, to the shelves fastened to the walls she had had smoothed. She started rummaging through her potions and mixes, leaving no cupboard unsearched. Finally she found the little bottle containing a bright red potion, it was marked: "Use at your own risk... see you on the other side"
Running her fingers around the top of the bottle, gazing into the red liquid, Fairlight opened her mouth again, closed it and then decided to speak out loud anyway. She needed to hear this.
"My plan can be dangerous, can I change my destiny? I might die, but then, I'm feeling lucky. I think I'm not finished here yet, so I'll be back."
She unscrewed the top and drank.

***

"Oh My! I hadn't remembered it hurt so much." Fairlight said wincing as she stepped from her body. Her body, laying helplessly on the floor - dead even, did not respond.
"Hmm, I look cute when I'm sleeping." she said, "But no time to waste on how I look. There's work to be done."
A doorway, pale blue light streaming from it, opened at her feet. Well her body's feet. Fairlight took a deep breath and stepped through, feeling Myst follow her at the last possible moment, getting her tail caught in the doorway. I few feathers got stuck into the doorway and the little ghostwing yelped, but then she pulled free, flying close to Fairlight.
"I told you not to follow me." she told the ghostwing, "Valentine will take care of everything. You shouldn't get yourself killed too." 
The ghostwing chirped defiantly.
"That's right, you are dead already after a fashion. Want to visit some of your family as well?"
The ghostwing shook her head, "Ok, then we'll visit mine."
Opening up her heart, trying to follow it as it fled through the light, Fairlight closed her eyes and ears. Only her heart was real, and only he was worth finding. Feeling him echo her emotion in the distance, Fairlight smiled ever so slightly and followed the way to her love.
Entering the small room where he often lingered when she visited him, Danyx was standing with his back toward her. Whispering: "Hello." softly, she waited for him to turn.
Danyx' face cleared up when he saw her, glad that he saw her again after a long absence. But soon his eyes became darker and his face became more serious, "You aren't supposed to be here yet."
"But I am." Fairlight said, "Don't worry, I do intend to go back. At least if I can get back quickly enough for my body to be still viable."
Danyx looked at her with shock in his eyes. Had she not thought this through? Did she really think he would be glad to cause her dead? That he didn't care one bit if she lived? Opening his mouth to tell her just what he thought, she interrupted him.
"I missed you so much. I could as well have been dead without you. you are my life, and I couldn't bear the loneliness any longer."
"It was hard on me too. I could see you, but never could I be more than eyes, never could I be hands to hold you, a mouth to kiss you...."
Fairlight stepped closer saying: "You can be those now."
They looked deep into each other eyes, seemingly for eternity and then they kissed. She leaned heavily onto him, how she had missed him.
"True Love!" Valentine suddenly called in their minds, "You were right Fairlight, I must bind you." Faintly, Fairlight could bring up the image of the pink dragon stirring and working her magic. A string of bright silver light suddenly started running from Fairlight's left wrist to Danyx' right. Lifting up her arm Fairlight noticed the rope getting longer. So the ribbons would stretch. She supposed she would just have to trust that they wouldn't break. They were the only weak point in her plan. 
"This bond will keep you together forever. Not even death can stop it. I know you don't really need it, but it is the right thing to do. The only thing to do." Valentine said as Fairlight knew she would. She doubted her dragon knew the risks she was taking. But then, Valentine would risk anything for love, as it should be.
Fairlight looked up at Danyx and smiled happily, "Now you can come with me." she said. The smile on her face froze as a strange pulling went through her. The floor started shaking and the walls were trembling, her vision going blurry. In a flash she knew that no-one had found her body, that she had been here too long already, that the situation was starting to become dire. 
"You've been here too long!" Danyx called out, catching her when she fell. "You've got to go back."
"No." Fairlight called, hearing herself speak as if she were at a large distance from herself which made no sense, "I'm with you now, I don't want to go." If she could not make it back, let them at least be together in a next life. She was ready.
"You must!" he called, "I won't let you die! Not for me!"
"Is there a better reason?"
"What will Valentine think? What will Iyru do?" he said, followed by a: "If you change your destiny now... we might never see each other again, bond or no bond. We might not remember each other. the real Fairlight would not commit suicide."
Realising that what he said was true - men could be so irritating when they were right, but she forgave him - she started to run. But she could barely see, could barely feel where her body was. Concentrating, trying hard not to panic about her pending dead and the collapsing light, she at last found a weak response.
"I found me!" she called to Danyx.
Fairlight felt him picking up the pace and pulling her toward her body. She was glad he was because she barely had the strength left to remain standing. 
"Valentine!" she called out, hoping the dragoness would help her find her body, would help her come back. But she heard nothing, Valentine was gone.
Crying she suddenly felt a light touch in her mind, like a feather falling on a pillow, barely noticeable. Not knowing what it was, she grabbed hold of it. The squeal brought back a single memory between many that were rushing before her eyes. Myst...
"I've lost the trail!" Danyx called, his voice tense with anxiety, "I can't get you back." Hugging her tight he acted as if she would just disappear in his arms. Maybe she would.
"Goodbye..." she whispered, thinking that she had gravely miscalculated the risks of her plan. 
A sudden need brought back her consciousness to a single point. Myst, there the ghostwing was again, tugging at her mind to follow her, but she was so tired, so ready to leave... to forget.
"Hey!" Danyx called in confusion, "What's this?"
Myst's chirp was high and rapid, making more noise than she ever had the ghostwing started pulling Danyx.
"That's the wrong way!" he called desperate, "I need to get Fairlight back or she will die. I've got no time to play silly games with you."
A dark blue arrow sped forward from Myst, racing the other way, stopping at a place they had just passed. Flying toward the place, Myst opened a portal, tugging at the silver bond between Danyx and Fairlight, pulling them with a force that seemed impossible for such a small creature, but then Myst had never been meant to be this small. 
Danyx jumped toward the closing doorway as Myst flew through, dragging Fairlight with him. he had no time to consider what would happen on the other side, what him stepping through the gate would do. He didn't care, if he was left to haunt Cyatri for the rest of eternity he would pay that price, as long as Fairlight lived...

***

A long remembered scent was present when Fairlight woke up. keeping her eyes shut she thought she must be dreaming - or be in heaven. Heaven, the idea sounded strangely realistic to her, but she could not remember much. 
Opening her eyes to find out where she was, what time it was, what she had done and what the consequences of her actions were, she saw her own room. Nothing special about that. Trying to move she felt a strange heaviness when she tried to turn to the other side.
"This is a dream..." she said seeing Danyx laying beside her.
"But even if it is a dream, I should kiss him now that I have the chance." she continued, whispering softly "I love you" and kissing his lips gently.
"I love you too" Danx answered, still half asleep, "Didn't we make it after all?" he asked, just a bit of sadness in his voice.
"I don't know." Fairlight said, her memory returning to her, "We're together."
"I worried so much!" a third voice suddenly called from the outside, "I'm glad you are awake now, Can I come in?" a big pink head peeked from behind the waterfall, looking at them. A bold light blue shadow was not so friendly and just flew right past Valentine.
"Myst!" Fairlight called.
Sounds from the other room reached their ears, as if they had been in a bubble until now. Hidden from the real world where Iyru, Enid and the others still needed her. Fairlight blushed, she had acted without thinking.
"You better thank her." the voice of Iyru called from the other room, "It was a miracle seeing you fall from thin air into your body, followed by this gentlemen." Iyru quirked an eyebrow, asking for some more information.
"This is Danyx, Iyru." Fairlight said, blushing slightly.
"The dead guy?" Iyru asked.
"Yeah, that's me." Danyx said, "I guess I'm not so dead anymore." Danyx left it at that. Iyru shrugged and left the two to remember what had been lost to them for more than 3 years.

***

Danyx, standing in front of the Kunmie Cave, looked at Fairlight and Valentine getting ready to go to the main base. She and he had taken a few days for themselves, but now they could stall no longer, word had travelled fast that Fairlight, the matchmaker, had finally fallen for a mysterious love. No-one had been able to pinpoint who exactly had stolen her heart. No-one could really know him too, but the population on Cyatri was big enough at the moment that that fact would not be discovered, he hoped. 
Valentine looked up and saw him standing. "I'm so glad you found your love again." she told Fairlight in a suspicious loud voice, "But now I am so alone... There's no-one to warm my nights."
"Do you want to sleep in the cave near the fire?" Danyx asked, thinking as logical as ever, not even hearing the undertone in Valentine's words complete with suggestive winking.
Valentine gave him a weird disgusted look that just aired 'Men!' without even having to hear it. Fairlight was laughing at him, but soon made for the beach where he could not see her. But Danyx would be a fool before he let her get away with that.
"Wait up!" he called, running after her, "What was that all about?"
"It was a very subtle way to bring to your attention that Valentine thinks you're ready to bond a dragon."
"Me?" Danyx asked, "But I've just gotten here."
"I've got just the egg in mind." Valentine suddenly told them sweetly, popping up from a large bush behind them. How she could sneak so silent was beyond Danyx, didn't these dragons have to follow the laws of nature? 
"What egg?" he asked.
"This lovely ghost one, with soft red markings that seem to sparkle in just the right light... and it's got a heart-shaped stain at the base, so I know it's right for me." Valentine coughed, "I mean right for you." 
"But honey, the dragons choose the people, not the other way around." Fairlight said ignoring the dragon's slip of tongue.
"It's destined to be!" Valentine complained, "I know it is, what more signs do you need?"
"A hatchling at my feet?" Danyx suggested.
A glare from Valentine was his reward, but Fairlight looked all the more intrigued: "I think she might have a point."
"About the heart-shaped stain?" Danyx asked.
"No, about you bonding. But not now, I've worked my but off these past years and all you did was enjoy your eternal rest which we know isn't eternal, but still. It's time you worked a bit again."
"Playing doctor? With you I don't mind." he grinned.
"You know perfectly well what I mean." she told him, "You shouldn't waste your talent in healing. We could use all the help we can get."
"I guess I won't get much more rest, am I?"
"Not if I can help it." Fairlight said, grinning naughtily she added: "Who knows, if you're nice I might let the doctor take a look at me."

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