Disclaimers: Don't own Bastard!

Warnings: Angst, shounen ai/yaoi. I remember reading somewhere off a Bastard! Web site that Schneider is possessive of anyone who he says is his, sexual or not. Expect to see this rumor throughout my story, which helps push the plot. * Winks *

Epilogue.

As hard as he tried, Kall Su couldn't open his eyes and he couldn't remember where he was. The ice mage started to panic.

Hush...

A soft voice crept into his mind. Kall Su winched and tried to lean away from the sound. He never could stand to have someone invade his mind, to intrude on his persona. No! Go away, go away, GO AWAY!!!

Hush, wounded child. Hush… Forget, pretty one, forget…

The invading noise was a voice. Soft, warm, female, and calmed Kall Su in the fashion that a mother should. Yes, mothers soothed their frantic children, chasing away bad dark shadows or ugly dreams that came at night like a strong, armored angel on the night's wing. They were soft and fierce and loving unconditional in their nature without the image of blood and betrayal upon a sword's end to perverse this kind of legendary beauty that was Mother.

Yes, forget, pretty child, forget… There is no pain here… No pain… Hush…

That single voice melted into others joining it. All low and soothingly seductive in their call for the ice mage. Kall Su began to relax. He didn't put up a fight when he felt a warm sensation like gentle fingers probing his poor mind. Slowly, the careful fingers erased his memories, the good with the bad. He had too many unhappy memories. So they offered him sweet relief from his past. So easy to overpower this powerful ice mage as he was momentarily fragile and weary in the mind and soul, he who had been sired by a pretty, but unworthy human mother and a beautiful, powerful ice dragon who would never know his one night of passion had given him a son. And that his son had walked into their den and was caught in their world the moment he left the surrounding land of ice and snow and harsh winds into their green paradise. Did he come on purpose? None dared to come to their land knowing their legend. But he had. Was the purpose of his quest to fall willingly into their hands? It didn't matter now if that had been the intent of his journey. He was theirs now. A thing of beauty to add to their treasury. A pretty opal.

Kall Su relaxed, feeling the tension drain from his body, mind, and soul. The voices sang to him a gentle lullaby of soothing sounds, mind stealing spells, and soft touches.

Hush, our little opal, hush… Forget, pretty child, forget…

Forget…

And he did.

TBC