December 3rd, 2039.
...
Christmas was around the corner. The mansion had a big Christmas tree and was filled with presents already. The gang and the servants were already making plans for this year's Christmas and New Years parties. Ivory loved the parties; every year Blue hosted them.
Ivory walked slowly down the main hallway and saw Cassian and Kael near the Christmas tree. The boys were talking about their favorite ornaments and what they thought the theme of the parties would be.
There was a different theme every year, and to make it more fun, Rover made a jar where people had to choose from a list of 4 themes and write their chosen on post its. Then, the post its went into the jar. Rover would go through the jar a week before the holiday date, and he, Lily, Birdie, and Honor would go crazy with the food and decorations.
Ivory loved that it was enjoyable for the children and for everyone else --- it was a way for them to keep their sanity under Blue.
"Mom," Kael ran up to his mother, "Some presents are from you! When will Santa come?"
"Hey, no sneaking around!" Ivory laughed. "He will come the night of Christmas Eve. Don't you worry, Kael."
"Christmas," a voice scoffed.
Ivory turned to see Orion, who she referred to as Blue 2.0.
"Kael, every time it says "From Santa," it's really mom."
"Orion!" Ivory said, "Stop it, now."
Orion's intense blue eyes met Ivory's more compassionate ones.
"I think you're just mad that you're Santa's least favorite Gravesend child!" Kael said.
Orion shrugged and took an apple from the fruit holder before he walked off. He turned to face his mom, "One day, when I rule the world, I won't say Santa gave it to me! I got it all by myself."
"I'm happy for you, dear," Ivory said in a cool tone.
When he walked off, she sighed. Orion would antagonize his siblings the most -- she hoped he didn't turn into Blue anymore than he already was.
Ivory saw Lyra run by. Lyra's eyes lit up as she saw her mother, and she stopped in front of her and showed Ivory her report card.
"All A's?" Ivory's mouth dropped open.
"Yeah, finally, right?" Lyra laughed.
"You've worked so hard. You wanted to prove yourself to your father, and you've done that. I'm so proud of you!" Ivory hugged Lyra.
Lyra gave an awkward smile. "Well, I want you to be proud of me, too," Lyra began.
"I always have been!"
Lyra took out a small jewelry box and handed it to her mother. "I bought this for you; Spike went with me," Lyra began.
"For me?"
Lyra nodded.
Ivory opened it and saw a silver pendant necklace. It was half the shape of a heart; jewels were ingrained on the edges and it said "mother." Lyra showed Ivory her half, which said daughter.
Ivory and Lyra hugged.
"Thank you, Lyra," Ivory replied.
"Anytime, mom."
"I ... I don't know what to say."
"You don't have to say anything. If you want, you can say it's a good thing you balance dad out. He's always screaming," Lyra shrugged. "Imagine me getting him a father and daughter necklace. He'd probably be upset about the color of the gemstones. All he wants is power and to ensure he will always have it."
"You're right. I can agree with that," Ivory smiled.
"I have to run now. Harley told me I have to meet her downstairs for martial arts."
"Careful with Harley. She's tough to beat."
"Well, I think I can take her," Lyra winked. "Bye, mom!"
Lyra sped down the hallway and was gone in a second.
Lyra moved fast -- she often left as quickly as she had come. She was the fastest, and Orion was catching up to her.
Ivory smiled down the hallway where Lyra had disappeared. Lyra already possessed confidence and great leadership skills. Ivory had no doubts that Lyra would be a magnificent ruler.
Laughter echoed through the halls as the Kael and Cassian argued over ornaments and presents. They the spoke about their martial arts, mind control, and fencing training. For a brief moment, the mansion felt like any ordinary home. Ivory wondered how something so warm could exist inside the same walls where so much suffering had begun.
Ivory watched two of her children converse, then she quickly disappeared into the dark hallway. She took the elevator to the basement and had one of the chauffeurs take her to the cemetery.
She told him it would be quick, and that they should be back before it snows. Blue didn't like when she was outside during inclement weather. Blue had been busy ensuring that his children were getting training necessary for becoming the rules he had expected them to be: from tutoring, psychic abilities training, fencing, martial arts, sword fighting, and psychological training (having them act out scenarios on the spot to make sure they know how to spot traitors, gangs, other alien races or humans that wanted to kill them, and emotional responses), the children were always busy.
Ivory always made sure she was around to watch her children. She was proud of every single one of them. She just worried about the future of Earth; most of her children agreed with Blue either to a default or had some fears and wanted to make him proud. Elara and Serene were most human in the sense that they wanted to be their own people, and Blue wasn't too thrilled about that.
When she reached the cemetery, she walked through the bitter air and crouched down to a tombstone --- the ID was the very first ID of the first ever human Blue that killed under Seraphyne rule.
He protested against Blue, stood his ground, and was tortured and killed. Blue threw his body under the ground, not even in a casket, and put his ID on the tombstone. He didn't put Valen's name, just his human ID in the eyes of the Seraphyne.
Ivory didn't know him, but he reminded her a lot of Viper --- taken too early and not given the peace he should have received. No one referred to him by his name.
"Hi, Valen," Ivory began. "I know you might find it strange that the wife of the man who murdered you pays her respects to you once a year; I just wanted to say Merry Christmas, and I hope you're enjoying yourself in Heaven."
She looked back and saw the driver waiting for her in the car.
Ivory stared at the tombstone and felt an itch in her chest --- she had a lot of pent up emotions, and she had suddenly released them. "I know we were never friends; I just wish I could not fear being tortured and dying for standing my ground. I feel like a terrible person for birthing his children and watching him stand around and run a dictatorship. I don't know why I stand around and do nothing --- and now I have six children with him. I carry this guilt every day with me, that I am creating monsters."
Ivory took a deep breath and felt her right shoulder go warm. She didn't feel any better telling a dead man about her deepest feelings, but it was better than nothing.
Suddenly, Ivory felt a breeze and saw snow fall. She gasped and ran back to the limo. As she was driven back, she wondered how she still cared so much after being with Blue. She didn't understand how she had compassion. She thought she would have been hardened and cold due to Blue's own psychopathic nature and cruelty, but she had a big heart.
She just got better at hiding it.
When she returned to the mansion, she went to her secret place in the garden, deep in the trees that covered the fence, where the forest started, and crouched down. There, she had small tombstones for the former Blue Dragons members and celebrated them every year.
Once a year, she visited the cemetery for Valen, and then lit candles for Roxie, Swindle H, Viper, Hawks, and Lucky --- for the people that dared to go against Blue and died in honor.
Ivory wished she had the strength to do the same. But deep down, she knew she didn't.