Chapter 195 Future Possibilities

"Alfred, get Josephine. We need to talk," Aella said, appearing before him long enough to tell him her message before teleporting back to the sick room. Standing and looking down at the bed her father had died in, she thought about everything that had happened to her from the moment she became king.

She had fought so hard to become king; she didn't want to give it up. It was so nice to have people bow before her after all the crap she had gone through. Could there be a king of the realm, instead of a realm guardian role? How could she enforce it? Based on the ability to teleport and use the elements she currently controlled, Aella had no doubts she could force all the kingdoms on her realm to accept her as a king of the realm, even if they didn't want to. If she killed enough of their leaders, they would have no choice but to follow her. She didn't really want to kill all the leaders. They seemed to be doing a decent job. Besides, if she became the king of the realm, she wouldn't have to deal with the politics and drama of the various nobles in each kingdom.

"Aella?" asked Josephine, stepping into the room quickly followed by Alfred.

"My father is dead. I don't know if you knew he was the shadow hero or not, but I have acquired his abilities," said Aella, turning to face them.

"I figured it out when he went shadow form at the last fight," nodded Alfred.

"Why do I think this isn't just about your dad?" asked Josephine, squinting at Aella suspiciously.

"The realm has made me its guardian. I don't know what that means, other than I am to fight for the whole realm and work to keep every kingdom safe, instead of just this one."

"You've kind of been doing that anyway," said Alfred with a wince.

"I also acquired Rupert's abilities," Aella added softly.

"What?!" exclaimed Josephine, looking horrified.

"I figured he had died when you didn't bring him back," said Alfred, looking away quickly.

"Aella, how can you have so many different abilities within you?!" asked Josephine, stepping closer as if she wanted to check Aella over. "No one should be able to handle so much and stay sane or stable!"

"He didn't think Brian would make a good hero. I guess all of the women he had been visiting with had been a ruse? I don't know. But he asked me to take it, and honestly, if he hadn't wanted me to become the earth hero as well, I don't think I would have succeeded in getting it. Even now, it's judging me on my ability to control it."

Josephine was quiet, watching Aella with worry on her face, but Alfred stood up straight.

"I don't want you to gain my powers, nor do I want you to gain them from my children," said Alfred sternly.

"You have children?" asked Aella in shock. When had he gotten busy?

"Well, not yet I don't," he admitted, then shook his head. "That's not the point! Aella, since you have so many other powers, someone needs to be able to stand up to you if you ever abuse your powers. I don't care that the realm believes you are good enough to protect everyone. As long as I have known you, you have done nothing but good for those under you, but as you gain more and more power, I want to be able to stop you if I need to."

"I understand, Alfred," nodded Aella. "I don't think my shadow would appreciate gaining your light anyway."

"I would let you have my powers," said Josephine softly, then straightening her back and looking Aella in the face. "If I could give them to you now, without dying, I would."

"Why?" asked Alfred in confusion.

"Really?" asked Josephine, giving him an incredulous look. "I have to answer to summons every time of day if someone needs to be healed. Not once have I been able to accomplish something I wanted to do, without worrying about having to stop in the middle. There is no way I want my daughter burdened with these powers!"

"Your powers are more than just healing," said Aella, realizing that what Josephine was saying was true.

"Yet, that is what I am considered. Those who don't know my name, call me healer. I want my daughter and future children to be able to have lives outside of that. Did you know she enjoys dancing? How would she be able to continue her studies and maybe gain a job dancing, if she were to be at someone's beck and call every moment of her life? How could I possibly bear more children, knowing that is to be their future?"

"When are you due?" asked Alfred.

"This winter," said Josephine looking down at the floor and rubbing her belly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Who's the father?" asked Aella shocked. When had she missed Josephine hooking up?

"Curt," said Josephine. "See what I mean? You have only called on me when you needed something. Curt has been by my side since the very beginning, and yet, because he has no useful abilities, you have forgotten him."

Aella remembered the man who the church had called the Hero of Swords. She was surprised he was still alive, after everything that had happened, but kept her mouth shut. There was much she didn't know anymore. There just hadn't been time for her to know everything and still manage to get everything done.

"You can't blame Aella for forgetting him. He hasn't had a need to be in front of her, for her to remember him. You have to admit, she has been very busy!" argued Alfred, glaring at Josephine. "Every person in this city would probably be dead if it weren't for her!"

"Every person in the whole realm might be dead because of her!" argued Josephine, gritting her teeth.

"I know that what I have done is causing everyone and everything trouble," said Aella with a breath to calm herself. "But what is done, is done. I can't undo it. And even if I could, I wouldn't. This needed to be done! I will see if there is anything I can do to lessen the time the storm will last, so everyone can move forward with their lives, but I needed to talk to the two of you first. Alfred, I respect your views and agree that I should not acquire your powers. There needs to be someone to rule over the humans who isn't a demon or gargoyle. Too many of the tenants taught by the church hold sway over them. If you would be willing, I would like for you to become the human king?"

"Do you mind if humans and demons interbreed?" asked Alfred. "There are so few of us, that I don't think there will be pure humans in a couple of generations."

"If a time comes that there are no longer any humans, than you, or your descendants, can become rulers of that city, rather than just the humans within it," said Aella.

"Then, let's have it be that I am the mayor of that city, rather than the king of the humans. If demons, or gargoyles, come to live over there, then they will have to answer to me. I think placing me over all of the humans will only continue the divide that the church worked so hard for."

"I agree," said Aella after a moment of thought. "I'll inform Seifer, so he knows."

"If you stop being the king of the demons, then do you intend to have Seifer become the new king?" asked Alfred after a moment of thought.

"Probably. He's worked out well, running the kingdom without me. Firion won't like it. I wonder what he'll say when I talk to him next?"

"It better be soon. He hasn't liked taking orders from anyone but you," said Alfred.

Nodding, Aella turned to Josephine. The woman was standing there, looking a little lost.

"If there were a way for me to take your powers, without you dying, would you accept it?" asked Aella softly. She had a thought but wasn't sure if Josephine would accept it.

"Is that a possibility?" she asked, trying to keep her look of hope contained.

"In order to gain the powers of the other heroes, I've had to drink their blood and overcome whatever expectations the element wanted. Rupert wanted his element to go to me, so it had respected his wishes and went without too much of a fight. Maybe your element would be willing to come to me if you willed it to?" asked Aella.

"What do you know of water?" asked Josephine, uncertainly. "It doubts you know much since you have so many other elements within you. I think you would need to convince it, and me, I guess."

Aella thought about that. "What if you taught me about water? You had to learn it as you grew up, right?"

"We can try," nodded Josephine, her hope shining through.