"Basically." Rylie agreed with a light chuckle.

"I will agree that the rune isn't the best thing out there, but that doesn't mean you're bad just because you have it." She assured him.

"You can be classified as 'bad' if you ever use it for not-nice or justified reasons. Tonight was nothing more than a sudden influx and occurrence. You had no control over it, right?" She asked. When he nodded, she continued.

"And that lack of control is why you need to learn how to utilise it properly, so that this doesn't happen again in the future."

---

"I don't see why you wouldn't be able to learn to. Your mother controls hers perfectly fine." Rylie said with a sigh, knowing that it wouldn't be something he wanted to hear, but also that it was something that would prove her point. Moments before Ash was able to sense new, strong, mana, but couldn't quite pinpoint it.

---

Meanwhile, downstairs, Azazel was greeted by a darkhaired woman walking in. He stopped her, of course, as she was heading for the stairs. He could tell she wasn't impressed, but acquiesced to his request for the moment at the very least.

"I don't need you to direct me. I know where I am going." She stated, her voice dark, but... there was something more to it, as well. Something no one had heard in a very long time.

---

She sighed lightly, which was again, something that no one had ever heard from her.

". . . I'm here to see my son." Was all she said before crossing her arms.

"Are you going to stop me?" She asked, a warning tone to her voice.

---

She rolled her eyes.

"I know you're unaffected, but I also know that it's nothing that will stop me." She commented, her voice cold.

"Otherwise you would have stopped me before." She added with a subtle smirk.

"As for trouble, it is not my intention, but I make no promises."

---

She didn't say anything more to Azazel before heading off, up the stairs, and continuing on to where she knew that her target was.

Rylie sighed lightly as she looked to Ash.

"Look, just... let's work on it, all right? That's all I can really suggest." She said after a moment or two. Before Ash could say anything though, there was a powerful knock on the door.

". .. " Rylie was completely silent before sighing. That presence on the other side was stronger than either really could deny.

"Ash... you should answer the door."

---

The woman there looked him from head to toe before smiling softly.

"... I thought you were dead." She said.

". . . where is your brother?" She asked, her voice inquisitive as she looked around the room behind him. Rylie was staying out of sight, and doing so rather well. Ash could see her, but wasn't paying much attention to her, thankfully.

---

Ashley wasn't the most perceptive person, not yet anyway. Despite that though, he could see the arrow that hit her heart, the expression in her face for a few seconds before she shook her head.

"Ah." She stated simply.

". . . he..." She paused a moment before sighing lightly.

"He's dead." She told him. Her words were sure, but her voice and face betrayed how she felt. She prayed that wasn't true, but she knew it was.

---

"Your rune was ... uncontrolled, unexpected." Was her response.

"I can only surmise that it happened due to you receiving a sudden influx of mana - most likely one that you shouldn't have earned." She then said.

"Fyrane twins ... our mana is connected. Your twin died, so you received all his mana." She paused a moment before sighing lightly. "It'd be the same for if my own twin died. I'd receive her mana. Or she'd receive mine if I died."

---

She lowered herself to her knees after him, more grace and care in that than one might have expected.

"Ashley," she started, despite him not giving his name, "tell me where. Let me go deal with the bitch that stole you two from me." There was anger in her voice, in her face. Rylie, meanwhile, maintained her distance, watching the scene. She knew who the woman was, and knew that she could stop her if need be, but she also realised that she could be stopped as well.

It really was a question of who was faster, but she hadn't been a threat to Ashley so far, so Rylie wasn't going to do anything for the moment.

---

She got to her feet.

"good enough for me." She stated simply.

"I trust you're with someone who can care for you." She then said, her voice getting sharper again.

"I can, and will." Rylie commented as she stepped into the vision of the witch.

"Good." Was all Rowena said before vanishing in a burst of flames.

---