A/N: Just a friendly reminded that while originally, in LoliRock, their canon ages are fifteen for Iris and Auriana and sixteen for Talia, with the twins being unstated, but known to be in the same age range as the princesses. For this fic, because its post-Gramorr's Reign, and a year after his defeat, I've aged them up a bit. Iris, Auriana, and Carissa are seventeen, the twins, Lyna and Talia are eighteen, and Izira is around her late twenties to early thirties considering she was a teen when Xeris was attacked.

Chapter 1: The Only Remedy

The soft foamy clouds swayed against the teal Ephedia skyline as the people of Xeris buzzed about, the afternoon alive with the rebirth of a nation. It had been nearly a year since the defeat of Gramorr, and a good while since the reconstruction of the great kingdom of Xeris began. With the loss of the majority of the royal family, it was the King's uncle that was offered the throne, but he instantaneously relieved his duties and appointed Izira as the new head of the family; after all, she played a major role in bringing together many nations in the resistance, and had proved herself an great leader; the decision was unanimous. Talia, herself, was assigned to lead the reconstruction. Izira would be working in their new government with the other kingdoms, and with their uncle on exhibitions to collect the artifacts and texts lost in the invasion, the duty fell to the young princess. Though she would much rather spend her time helping with training their warriors or teaching, she supposed she had a duty to her people, and she secretly relished in the idea of being appointed as the Royal Architect of the only downside - working with the enemy.

At Gramorr's defeat, many of his allies aligned themselves with the resistance, and aided in his defeat by Princess Iris and the rest of her team. Many opted to leave and build their own kingdom, while some faced justice and were sent to prison. Others decided to move to the more accepting kingdom of Volta; others, the small group that opted to do physical work in order to get their sentence over with quicker, agreed to help resurrect Xeris, but those involved in its destruction were denied service. Interestingly enough, there were many Xerin people available to help, and groups from Borealis to Calix were aiding them as well, but a good handful were those who fell under the spell of power that dark magic offered. Two of them she couldn't wait for them to leave.

"Talia?"

"Hm?" The bluenette looked from her book and paused in her writing to glance in her sister's direction. It was a relief to finally see her well and out of her battle gear. The queen's royal blue robes and golds enveloped her in a new sense of authority, and her snow white locks were pinned back into a regal braid, the loose strands soft and curling at her waist.

Izira chuckled at her studious sister, "I said how are the girls doing?"

"Oh! Um, so far so good. They're glad to be back, but a lot of times they miss Earth. I miss it sometimes too, but not as much as I missed it here when I was there. Iris is taking to it a bit easier, but she grew up there, so it's a bit harder on her with these new responsibilities and she misses her friends…" Talia frowned, thinking back on the blonde, "Though she's glad to know her parents, to be with them, I know she wants to go back. Especially since she promised Nathaniel she would."

"Nathaniel? Was that the brown haired boy from before?" Izira smiled, walking towards the balcony of the room overlooking the garden.

"Yeah. They're kind of in love." Talia laughed, continuing her writing, "As if it weren't obvious."

"Sometimes love isn't obvious, you know?" Izira eyed her little sister in curiousity.

"Yeah, but these two were ridiculous." Talia chuckled, shaking her head.

"It's understandable why she'd want to go back, I suppose...Did you leave anyone behind?" Izira's violet eyes peered at the princess in question, a soft smile playing at her lips.

"Not really. I mean, I did have a guy I liked, but not enough to stay on Earth. I had a mission to carry out and falling in love was never a part of it, so I didn't." Talia shrugged, turning a page in her spell book.

"Do you wish you had?" Izira questioned, pausing to water the ruby flowers that hung against the walls.

"Nope. I've still got a lot of work to do. Besides, there are more important things than meeting a guy on a distant planet or kingdom, and it's a big hassle to work with anyways." Talia commented, her golden orbs trailing expertly as she wrote.

"Speaking of a big hassle…" Izira frowned, leaning over the balcony. Talia laid down her pencil and walked over to the marble railing, letting out an annoyed groan as a familiar mop of red violet caught her eye.

"Can I see that for a minute?" Talia glared down at the worker, holding out her hands to receive her sister's crystal watering can. Though questionable, Izira handed her the can, which the princess quickly emptied over the railing onto the unsuspecting ex-con. Talia gave a satisfied smirk at his yelp as the cold water hit his skin, and he rose from his slumber to wipe his emerald eyes. He looked up at them, startled, and glared at the cocoa colored sisters. Content with her decision and ignoring the astonished but amused look from her sister, the younger Xerin dusted off her hands and excused herself to have a talk with their slacker. Izira shook her head, smiling before moving to retrieve a fresh pale of water.

Talia made her way down the front steps of the palace. It was remodeled to look as it originally had, as the whole castle had not fallen under Gramorr's hand. She had more than enough to do, and now the twins were adding to it. Well, at least one twin. Praxina liked to whine and complain, and if she skipped out, she was rather difficult to find, but Mephisto was another story. He would outright lounge about the castle and sleep on the job; whenever she tried to reason with him, he would argue against her, and not only was he stubborn, his arguments were so stupid, it made her angry. She wasn't sure if he did it to merely spite her, or if he was really that much of a moron. Though he couldn't be all that much of an incompetent fool; anyone able to use the Ancient Ephedian Spellbook had to have a lick of sense, and great understanding of magic. A conundrum, that's what he was; a talented idiot.

"What the hell happened to you?" Praxina teleported in front of her brother, her dark magical outfit replaced by a deep blue and white jumpsuit. Her magical gem had been confiscated, as had the majority of war criminals and held by the royal court. Those who finished their sentences or left the existing kingdoms would receive theirs with their departure.

"Two words. Evil. Princesses." Mephisto glared, pushing back his bangs. His jumpsuit clinged to his body, darkening with the water splashed across his torso, "Freakin' classic. Why's it always me?!"

"Probably because you're always slacking off, stupid!" Praxina made a swift slap to the back of his head, eliciting a yelp from the younger twin.

"Oh, yeah, everything's my fault." Mephisto growled, rubbing at the knot forming at the back of his head.

"Everything literally is your fault! Let's go to Xeris, it'll be faster. Let's agree to give up out gems, we'll get them back later. Let's take break, no one will ever know! Let's sneak into the vault and try to get our gems back, we won't get caught and GET EXTRA DUTY FOR THE NEXT FOUR WEEKS!" Praxina screeched, levitating as her claws dug into the front of his shirt.

"Okay, true, but now we get extra bonding time!" Mephisto grinned, removing his sister's hands, "Hey! Wait, sneaking into the vault was your idea, Praxina!"

"Mephisto, they separated us! I have to work in the city while you get to work here!" Praxina stomped her foot, her expression falling into a distressed one.

"Well, you can thank the boss for that one…" Mephisto grumbled, pulling down the top half of his uniform and ringing it out.

"MEPHISTO!"

"Speak of the she-devil…" Mephisto groaned, wincing at the sharp tone of voice.

"Ugh, what does she want?" Praxina frowned, an unamused look on her face.

"Probably to throw water on the next witch she finds." Mephisto chuckled, earning a glare from his sister. Suddenly, her dark blue eyes grew wide and she quickly teleported away. Mephisto grinned at his sister's departure, but a heavy feeling of loneliness quickly replaced her presence. They had always been together, no matter what they did, and while they weren't creepy close like Zeinos and Deinos, they were pretty on point with each other most of the time. They kept each other out of trouble, and protected each other no matter what. Their decisions, their lifestyles, everything they connected through. It was down right weird to be away from Prax. She was always the leader; the mature one; the better half; now he had to survive in this crystal crap hole without her.

"Mephisto!"

The boy cringed, rolling his eyes as he turned to offer an over dramatic bow, "Your gracious gracefulness!"

Talia crossed her arms, unamused, "One, quit slacking off, two, why aren't you properly wearing your uniform?"

"Well, somebody's gotta keep the masses happy. Also, because some crazy lady with blue hair threw water on me a couple minutes ago. You can't take a solid lunch break when you're soaked to the bone, you royal bossiness." He scowled at her, crossing his arms to mirror her. She processed over his response, her eyes going wide slightly, and her lips twitching in realisation.

"Well, you weren't eating. How do I know you're really on break?" She lifter her chin, eying him skeptically.

"Not everyone eats on their breaks. What are you, the lunch break police?"

"Head of Reconstruction." She smirked, and a tinge of red hit his cheeks.

"Please tell me this is a joke. You? You're actually like, literally my boss?"

"Yep." She cocked her head a bit, "Weren't you calling me 'boss' just a minute ago?"

"Yeah, but it was in a mean kind of way, like you're bossy, not the actual boss-boss!" He threw his arms up in exasperation, and the gown clad beauty nearly laughed at his antics, but he had insulted her in the long run.

"Just get back to work!" She frowned, her hands unfolding and shooting downward into fist, "And quit calling me bossy!"

"Yes, Princess Talia, sir!" He saluted, a playful grin on his face, "Oh. And if you're the boss-boss, you should know when we go on breaks. That's your job. Might want to work on that!"

Growling in irritation, she turned on her heels and headed towards the front steps. She hated having him here. Praxina would at least not talk to her. Mephisto, on the other hand, couldn't keep his mouth shut. While he was well liked by those in his clan and even tolerable to some of the castle staff, she found him the most grading. He was constantly asking questions about artifacts he had to clean, or how to do his job. She could have a list to wrap around all of Ephedia if she wrote down every question she was asked because of him, most of them obvious or pointless. And he never took anything seriously! If they weren't in a time of peace, she'd punch the grin right off his face, but he wore it everyday and she wondered how Gramorr put up with him for so long.

Stomping back to her desk, ignoring Izira's watchful eye, she set back to her work.

"So, how'd it go?"

"I hate him."

"Hate's a pretty strong word, Talia." Izira giggled, cocking her head playfully.

"HATE. HIM." Talia gritted out, her grip on her pen tightening.

"Well, then, I guess you should avoid the gardens for a little while, then." Izira shrugged, a smile on her face, irking her little sister's very nerve. She knew very well the garden acted as Talia's escape from her duties, where she went to read, write, and sing. It was her personal playground on the castle grounds and the last thing Talia wanted was to have it invaded by purple haired dorks.

"Izira! No!"

"Overruled." Izira grinned, a light sweetness to her tone.

"Did I mess up? Is this because I forgot to lock the stables again?" Talia frowned, closing her book and crossing her arms.

"No, Talia. It's to teach you a valuable lesson." Izira made her way over to the table to take a seat, pouring herself a cup of tea, "It's going to be difficult for many people on Ephedia to come to terms with the war and it being over, which can lead to difficulties such as discrimination and violence against those that our people don't see eye to eye with at the time. They're going to look to us as an example. I don't like Mephisto and Praxina either, but at the same time, we have to consider their position and state of mind, as well as how to adjust and evolve from all that went down. We may have been on different sides, but we all just want to make it the best we can, and that comes with sacrifice on all sides. Understand?"

"Ugh, stop. You're too good at being a queen." Talia laughed, a deep sigh passing from her lips.

"Just try to be civil while on the job, 'kay. No matter how-"

"Stupid?" Talia raised an amused brow at her sister.

"-he can be, he's still a person, and he wants a better life just like we all do. Try to see the man behind the monster, okay?" Izira offered an encouraging hug, "I've got a meeting to head out to; be good!"

Talia smiled, waving at her sister as she disappeared from view. A deep scowl overtook her features as she mulled over the fact that there was a snake in her garden. Of all the people to make an example out of, her beloved sister had to pick him. She cringed as his voice echoed through her mind, 'Princess Talia' ringing through her head and causing her to shiver. She be damned if he thought he could take over her home. The gardens were her remedy, and oh, she was going to let him know it. She rebelled against him before, she'd do it ten times over now.

As she made her way down the corridor, her spellbook held tightly in her hands, she smirked as each guard she passed stiffened in her presence. No one dared to slack off in front of her. Despite her undying love and duty to her people, many viewed her as cold, independent, and powerful. Many said that while Izira was the crowned Queen of Xeris, it was Talia who was more often considered the queen; or to be more accurate, the Ice Queen of , it did hurt, it honestly bothered her rather deeply, but there'd be plenty of time to gain the love of her people later on. Her aid in Gramorr's defeat earned her the highest of honors all over Ephedia, and her friendships encouraged the idea of her being an affectionate leader among comrades so casually friendly with their people. That was a skill she seemed to lack, but then again, she was raised by the war. She had lost her family, her main influence in her small world at a young age, and her separation from Izira and constant training as a refugee left a dark stain on her innocent state of mind. She was only eighteen and already she had seen more war than a majority of princesses her age. She did the training, she studied the spells, she fought the battles, and she won. And now there was another battle to be fought…

"Hey, Mephisto!"

The startled young sorcerer yelped as he fell backwards off a ladder, his arms flailing before he landed with a hard thump. Sighing her glared up at her, "Your Royal Loudmouth?"

Talia rolled her eyes, "Look, if you're going to be in charge of the Royal Gardens you need to make sure it's up to parr with my standards."

"Oh really? And if I don't?" Mephisto grinned, his arrogance evident in his tone.

"I could always switch you over to the medical field. Or kitchen duty. Sanitation. Combat dummy." Talia gave a half-lidded smile, crossing her arms.

"Ugh. Fine. Have it your way. It's just a stupid garden." He shrugged, re-adjusting the ladder.

"IT IS NOT JUST A STUPID GARDEN!" Talia yelled, throwing her book to the grassy floor. He stared at her in awe, shocked by the anger that flowed from her. Her eyes widened, and she turned away from him, taking a seat and letting out a shaking breath. She took to fiddling with the skirt of her dress, rather than looking to him. She jumped as her book was held out to her, covered in dirt and a bit of grass. She quickly took it from him, but opted not to meet his eyes.

"Wow. I think that's the most emotion I've seen from you. I mean, I've seen you pretty ticked before, like that one time we trapped your boyfriend, and when Prax burned your sister's medallion, and then there was that one time-"

"I get it!" She growled, glaring at him as she climbed the ladder again. Embarrassed by another outburst, she covered her mouth. He stared at her a good while, an eyebrow raised out of curiosity.

"Well, I guess you're a little less scary than Praxina…" He shrugged, using his shears to chop away at an overgrown bush. Talia's frown softened a bit, and she picked away at the strands of green that covered her book. He looked to her again, "So, are you going to just sit there and bore me or are you going to tell me why this place is so important?"

"That's none of your business…" Talia closed her eyes solemnly as she wiped off the cover with her skirt.

"Well, I did just get yelled at for it." Mephisto grumbled, looking back at her.

"Well, that's your problem then." Talia stood, holding the book to her chest.

"Wow, you really are as cold as they say. How did you get paired with someone like Auriana?" Mephisto sneered, turning back to chop at the greenery.

Her grip on her book tightened, and she finally turned to look at him in the eye, "This is my personal solace. I come here because this is where my mother and my father use to have lunch with Izira and I. It was beautiful. Until Gramorr and his goons came and destroyed everything. Ruined everything; took away everything; forced me into a life I never wanted for their own selfish gain! Do you even know what it's like to have your life taken from you? You treated the war like it was a game. You, and your sick sister!"

She hadn't counted on it, but he had made his way down the ladder, and she had marched right up to him, inches from him, gold burning into a darkening emerald. She was yelling, so very undignified, but it felt so good to say it to his face.

"It was a game." He frowned, taking a step forward, "But not one we always cared to play. Gramorr's idea of a game was not the same as anyone else's. You think that only your people have suffered, and you think there is justice in imprisoning and deporting mine."

"They chose to go!"

"Not everyone. But with leaders like you, can you blame them? We're the same age. You, me, and Prax. The only difference is that my family chose a different path. Prax and I got dragged into it, and took the route that would guarantee our lives. Do you know what it's like being raised by Gramorr and his followers. Can you imagine the darkness we lived in? Trust me, princess, you are not the only one who lost something in this war!" He glared down at her, chest heaving as he finished, his shoulders shaking in a fury unfamiliar to her.

"Why are you here?" Her voice was trembling as he stood before her, the heat of his anger enveloping her and her breath hitched as the grip on her book loosened.

"I've got a lot of red in my ledger. Rebuilding Xeris will free Prax and I from the bondage of war and the name of Gramorr. Don't worry, we intend to leave as soon as possible."

Pain. There was a mix of pain and regret in his eyes that caught her off guard. It was foreign, but all the more recognizable; startling; open. Her book slipped from her hands, and she made no move to stop it.

"How do you fight it?" The whisper was nearly desperate, pleading, and her eyes searched for an answer in the pools of evergreen.

"I stopped fighting." He knelt down and picked up the book, swallowing heavily as he stood, holding it out to her and looking away, his cheeks flushing as he looked back to the garden. She took the book in her hands, hugging it to her chest. He nodded to himself, before casting a glance at her before re-climbing the ladder. Talia took it as her cue to leave, her purpose for coming disintegrated by his inner turmoil and her own shame. They were more similar than she had counted on. Regaining a more regal posture, she headed towards the castle.

"You know, we didn't really interact all too much before. I can't say I know everything about you, but they're wrong. You're wrong."

Talia froze, turning to look at her accuser.

"If you can shed a tear for your enemy, you're kinder than all of Ephedia." He smiled at her, and her eyes widened. She lifted her hand to her cheek, amazed at the dampness rolled down her cheeks.

A new view came into light; an honest smile outshined a sea of false grins; a trail of tears shed immeasurable understanding; the Ice Queen found a prince with a blackened heart; a woman met a man who had seen the beauty of a world turned against them both, and the sincerity of it all shook them to the core.

She slowly backed out of the garden and fled to the steps of the palace, eager to change out of her pearl white gown covered in hues of brown from the dirt of the garden; he was left to sit in the grass to collect his thoughts, and drifted into a much desired slumber.

A/N: Hope I sparked a little curiosity over where this is headed! R&R! Feedback is always welcomed! Flaming, however, is not!