"Welcome back," Lorelie said with a smile as Adam and Tephe entered the mansion carrying packages.
"Thanks," Adam replied while smiling back at her.
"So are you gonna tell us what the deal was with that stream?" Stacey asked with a frown as she sat next to Lorelie on one sofa, while Rowena and Erkath gave curious looks from another sofa opposite.
"What do you mean?" Adam replied.
"You had us worried sick, you idiot. We saw the title of your stream and got concerned, but in the end, all that happened was the stream lagged for a moment and then ended."
"Lagged?"
"Yeah, it seemed like Spector vanished for a moment and then reappeared a second later."
"Oh, that must have been when we travelled back in time," Tephe said happily as she put down the bag containing a cooler with ice cream in it before sitting down on a different chair.
"What?" Stacey asked as the other three women gave Tephe confused looks.
"Yeah, we were transported to the Phoenix race homeworld of Fenix Nest in universal year nine hundred and seventy-two."
"Pardon?" Rowena asked while still wearing a confused look.
"We ended up saving the Phoenix race from extinction by defeating the Hepolisk force."
"Phoenix races extinction?" Erkath asked in bewilderment.
"She must be talking about the siege of Fenix Nest, right? You're saying you travelled back to that time?" Rowena asked.
"Yup, we were there, I helped stop the siege on the capital while Adam destroyed the Hepolisk capital command ship and communications jamming ship."
"Is this some kind of joke?" Lorelie asked.
"No, no joke," Tephe replied while shaking her head.
"The siege of Fenix Nest was prevented by the black knight and white dragon, everyone knows that," Stacey stated.
"Yeah, that was us," Tephe said proudly.
"Black knight? Adam asked in surprise.
"Apparently, the individual who appeared with the white dragon and fought in space piloted a black mech the likes of which no one had ever or has seen since," Rowena explained.
"That was Spector Unit 6, it was cool, right. Adam says I can have a go at piloting it when we next go out into space.
I especially want to try out the planetary destruction beam. I never got to see it clearly, but apparently it was super powerful and cool."
"Wait, wait, wait, wait," Erkath said as she held a hand up to stop Tephe before asking. "You're claiming that you both somehow managed to travel back in time as well as cross the universe to the siege of Fenix Nest, where the white dragon was in fact you, and the black knight was a mech piloted by Adam?"
"Yup," Tephe said proudly.
"Hang on, why do you have green hair all of a sudden?" Erkath asked as she suddenly noticed that Tephe's hair colour had changed.
The woman had been so focused on finding out about Adam's strange stream that they didn't even notice something so obvious until now.
"I've always had green hair," Tephe replied as she tilted her head in confusion.
"No, you've always had white hair, I mean, you're the white dragon," Erkath replied.
"You know about me?" Tephe asked in surprise.
"Why wouldn't we? The dragons made a big deal about your birth back then, and we have met several times over your lifetime," Rowena replied with a raised eyebrow.
"Huh?" Tephe said as she turned to Adam in confusion.
"Your history must have changed," Adam speculated before turning to Rowena and asking, "Do you know what prophecy was made about Tephe on her birth?"
"Of course, Malacoss even told you and everyone else on your stream, don't you remember?" Rowena asked curiously.
"It must have slipped my mind," Adam replied in embarrassment.
"I hope you don't let your lover's birthdays slip your mind." Rowena said with a chuckle before continuing, "Tephe's prophecy was strange as it was only six words long.
'All is as it should be.'
No one could ever figure out what it meant."
"My prophecy changed?" Tephe asked in surprise.
"Changed? It has always been that dear." Rowena replied.
Tephe looked at Adam in confusion, who thought for a moment before saying.
"We changed history by saving the Phoenix race. Because it happened before you were born and the Phoenix race is no longer extinct, your original prophecy must no longer apply."
"Really?" Tephe asked in surprise.
"Real prophecy?" Erkath asked.
"So I no longer have to hide my identity?" Tephe asked in excitement.
"Apparently not," Adam replied.
"Great," Tephe said with a big smile before her hair started to change colour to its natural white.
"I'm totally confused," Stacey said.
"TEPHE, TEPHE ARE YOU HERE?" A voice they all recognised shouted from outside the mansion before Senator Pevaphio came rushing in with an angry look.
"What's wrong, Mum?" Tephe asked in confusion.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong. How dare you ignore your godmother's messages and calls?" Pevaphio replied in anger.
"Godmother?" Tephe asked in confusion. She'd never had a godmother as far as she was aware.
"That's right, your godmother, when she couldn't contact you, she instead contacted me and complained about how you're ignoring her."
"I have a godmother?" Tephe asked, still confused.
"What are you talking about? Of course, you have a godmother, you know how sad Empress Revi will be when she hears that you forgot about her being your godmother."
"WWWAAAAAHHHHHH." Tephe screamed in shock before asking, "Revi, Revi is my godmother?"
"That's Empress Revi; she is the leader of the Phoenix race after all."
"No way." Tephe gasped in shock as all the other women looked at her in confusion and surprise.
"Did she really forget that her own godmother was the Phoenix empress?" Stacey asked while shaking her head, while Lorelie giggled.
"How could she forget such a big thing? I mean, it was huge news when Empress Revi offered to become her godmother." Rowena said with a sigh.
"It was?" Adam asked curiously.
"Of course," Erkath replied before explaining, "Ever since the dragons were the first to arrive and assist the Phoenix race at the siege of Phoenix Next, the two races have maintained close friendship.
However, when the Phoenix Empress offered to become Tephe's godmother, their bond of friendship was truly solidified.
Empress Revi always said that if she had ever had a child, she would have married them to a member of the dragon race; however, it has never happened."
"Is she incapable of bearing children?" Adam asked in a sad tone.
"What? No, of course not. She has just never taken a mate."
"Really? In over two thousand years, she has never taken a mate?" Tephe asked in surprise.
"Tephe." Pevaphio reprimanded before saying, "You know that your godmother is waiting for someone special."
"She is?" Tephe asked while tilting her head.
"You've even forgotten this? What did you hit your head or something, you silly hatchling?" Pevaphio sighed before saying, "Your godmother has always claimed that she is waiting for someone in particular."
"Wow," Tephe said in amazement.
"Staying loyal to someone for over two thousand years, that's impressive," Adam remarked.
"Indeed, though it was a real pain for the phoenix ministers," Rowena remarked with a chuckle.
"How so?" Adam asked.
"A phoenix's natural lifespan is around two hundred years, after which they go through their rebirth cycle and are reborn with all the knowledge they had beforehand.
Normally, what happens when the emperor or empress dies is that they are reborn as an egg in their own ashes…" Rowena explained when Adam suddenly interrupted her and asked.
"They are reborn into an egg from their own ashes?"
"Of course, shortly after a phoenix dies, its body bursts into flame and is reduced to ash. An egg then forms from that ash. What did you think happened?" Rowena asked.
"I get the whole bursting into flames, but I figured they would be reborn as a baby chick or phoenix from the ashes," Adam stated, making the women laugh.
"Haha, and how does a baby phoenix just form from the ashes? By magic?" Rowena asked after laughing.
"I knew I shouldn't have shown you that movie about a boy wizard." Adam sighed.
"Well, there are seven more to watch." Rowena replied with a wink before continuing, "Anyway, when the Phoenix is reborn as an egg, they obviously can't enact their duties as emperor or empress. During this time, their mate or firstborn child usually rules in their stead until they can once again resume their duties.
However, because Empress Revi has refused to take a mate and has no children, every time she entered her reincarnation cycle, the phoenix ministers had to rule in her stead as well as Carry out there own duties."
"Ah, so they got twice the workload," Adam replied.
"Exactly, that woman really is a troublemaker for her ministers," Rowena replied with another chuckle.
"You sound like you're close?" Adam asked.
"We hit it off right away when we first met. It was at her coronation.
I was surprised when I was informed that I would be accompanying the Brood delegation.
Apparently, Revi requested that I attend as a member of the Brood delegation."