-----
Once the airship arrived back home, we were greeted by our families at the airport, mom and dad, Aquarina's parents, Ninhursag, Lara's uncle, Celica's mother, and Mary came to see us.
"Welcome back you guys!" Laughed my father. "Oh, Sylphy!"
"Sylphyyyy!" Zephy ran towards me at the same time as my dad.
Both hugged me tightly, as my father lifted me off the ground and gave me a big kiss in my forehead.
"I missed you! How was everything?" He laughed.
"Ugh, daddy I'm already grown up, do you have to keep lifting me like that? It's embarrassing!" I said, feeling like a baby… He laughed it off and gently let me go, as I hugged my little brother. "Did you behave, Zephy?"
"I did! I was a good boy and studied magic and swordsmanship!" He said. "Big sis, let's spar later!"
"Oh?! Sure thing! I like that confidence!" I laughed. "Mom!"
"Hello dear." My mom hugged me and gave me a kiss in my cheek. "How was the week with your grandparents? Did father and mother behaved?"
"Of course they did… you treat them as if they were kids." I said, laughing a bit more.
"It's because sometimes they really behave like ones…" My mom sighed. "Anyways! Let's go back home! There's a huge feast waiting all of you."
On our way back home, I heard Mist talking with Mary.
"Mary, do you know about my mom?" Mist wondered.
"E-Eh? Your mother, dear?" Mary wondered slightly timidly. "I… Well, I do remember a bit about her… It's… this is the first time you ever ask me about her. I thought you didn't really cared…"
"Maybe I didn't before but… lately, as I grow up, I kind of wish I could have meet her…" Mist said. "Can you tell me more about her?"
"S-Sure if you want to… Our encounter was rather brief…" Mary said, looking rather sad. "Are you sure… about this? She… you know that she's no longer alive… I didn't wanted to talk about this because… it might make you sad, and…"
"It's fine… I know mom's no longer here, but I wanna know about her!" Mist said. "So, please?"
"…Okay." Mary nodded, caressing Mist's white hair. "I'll tell you anything I know about your mom, dear, if that would make you happier."
"Thank you!" Mist hugged Mary. "And don't worry, you're like my mom too! I love you as my mom!"
"M-Mist…" Mary smiled faintly. "I love you as my daughter too, dear…" She hugged Mist. "I'll always be there for you, if you ever need to talk about anything, okay?"
"Okay!" Mist seemed happier.
Zack smiled in the distance as he walked with Ninhursag, sighing in relief that things went well.
"You seem relieved… Did something happened while I wasn't around?" Ninhursag asked him.
"A-Ah, well… some things." Zack said. "Mist have been looking for clues about Jaw Demons, she got this sudden urge to really want to meet people of her tribe… She asked every single demon we found back in the capital, but nothing. Some didn't even knew there was a tribe named Jaw Demons, and it was their first time seeing one with Mist…"
"I see, so the girl wants to know more about her brethren…" Ninhursag nodded. "It was only natural Mist would begin to wonder these things, just like you once asked me about your parents so much. It was hard, I barely knew about them, so I had to ask Nepheline for almost all their information…"
"Hahaha, you did a good job nonetheless." Zack laughed alongside her. "Thanks for working so hard on something like that, you didn't even needed to do that yet you did."
"I just wanted to make you a bit happy, I know how it feels to lose your parents, your entire family even… Wondering how they were, what they did, how they spent their days…" Ninhursag said. "I lost them when I had already spent many years with them, but even now, I do wonder those things from time to time…"
"I wonder if there's more Skin Changers out there, maybe near the inheritance?" Asked Zack.
"I've gone there multiple times, there's nobody, only abandoned ruins…" Ninhursag said. "But don't worry, it's not like I'm sad about this. I've already accepted these things, and I am just happy to be with everyone else, and with you. I'm very happy that… you think of myself as your mother, Zack. Even though I did such a sloppy job at that…"
"Ninhursag- O-Of course, you're my mom…" Zack nodded. "And I'm really happy that you raised me as your son too… Even after all those encounters that I didn't even knew were you, you aways were there for me."
"Yeah, and I'll always be." Ninhursag smiled gently, petting Zack's hair. "Maybe it's because of this that I wanted to share the inheritance with you and Luck… Even if you're not exactly one of my tribe, I see you as one now, and I want their last legacy to live within you."
"Thanks… I'll make sure to treasure it, with my life." Zack nodded.
"You better do." Ninhursag laughed a bit.
Once we made our way back home, I felt somehow really relieved… I didn't knew how much I missed this place. Well, I was also out for over a week when we went to deal with Arachne's army, but still… being back home does gives me an indescribable feeling of calmness and peace that cannot be easily described.
The big manor, the beautiful flower garden surrounding the house, and of course, my small workshop nearby, my things were a bit dusty, but nothing that a few [Clean] Spells cannot clean later.
We moved immediately to the big feast! As much as the food was good back in the Capital, I missed mom's cooking quite a lot. It will always remain in my heart as something delicious and precious.
"You sure seem really happy, hehe." Alice giggled, as she was sitting at my side eating as well.
"Well, it's not like you aren't either!" I laughed. "Look how many mini fruit pies you've eaten already, you're quite the glutton now…"
"Burp… T-That's not it! I'm just replenishing energies!" She got slightly angry.
-----