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AoH Karma and Convexity 29 pt2

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A drop of water from an overhanging icicle startled Crona from her slumber. The young dragoness jolted awake and looked around. She was still inside the hole she had scrambled into when the dreadwing was chasing her. The entrance, however, was now buried in snow. Crona began digging to get herself out of the hole in the wall but stopped when she remembered the dreadwing. What if it was still out there? Had it gone? If so how long had she been unconscious? She would not find the answers to these questions until she dug herself out.
The moment her tiny paw broke through the densely packed snow, a chill swept through Crona's body. The dragoness ducked back inside her hiding hole and tucked her wings close to her side. It was cold outside but in such a tiny, confined space, it was warmer than the outside. Crona took in a deep breath before digging out a hole large enough for her to squeeze through.  As soon as her head poked out, she peered straight into the face of the dead dreadwing.
The little dragoness shrieked and ducked back inside the hole, expecting the creature to furiously start digging her out again at any second. When nothing happened, she dared to move closer to the hole she had dug out of the snow and poke her head out once more. The horned bat lay crushed beneath a crumbled catapult, its face twisted in pain, frozen by the sleet and ice blowing across the frozen tundra. Crona sighed, almost wanting to laugh at herself for acting so childish.
The dragoness crawled out of her hiding hole and clambered over the mound of rubble, buried under the condensed snow, before sliding down to the ground. The wind howled, blowing the stinging ice particles into her face. Crona shivered as she forced herself to trudge across the open ice, keeping herself low, staying beneath the wind. The blizzard was blinding. On top of that, Crona could feel her stomach gurgling from lack of food. She checked her pouch to find only two fruits remaining; she must have dropped the other five when being chased by the dreadwing. Crona sighed and decided to save them for later when her hunger pains were more serious.
"I have to keep moving," she thought to herself. "I have to push on, no matter what."
"Crona," a gentle voice whispered. The white dragoness murmured but did not rouse from her slumber. "Crona, we need you to wake up, dearie."
Crona mumbled some gibberish and lifted her eyelids just a crack. The pavilion was darker than before and she was about to fall back asleep when she felt a cold muzzle brush her side. The white dragoness shrank away from the chilled scales on Thundra's face and looked up at her groggily. The lightning dragoness had returned with the other healers who were quietly setting down their fresh supplies.
"We have some work that needs to be done," Thundra whispered, keeping her voice low. "If you wouldn't mind giving us some space so we can tend to Certo, it would help us a lot."
Crona looked down at the black dragon sleepily and immediately wished she was back asleep. Ultimately she longed for him to be awake and well, but that was most likely not going to happen right now, if any time soon. But in order for things to get any better with him, she would have to follow the healers' orders. "I understand," she yawned, getting to her feet and stretching out her body.
"Thank you dearie," Thundra nuzzled her with a cold snout again. "If you wish, I can send someone to retrieve you once we're done and you can stay with him a little longer next time."
"I would appreciate it," Crona murmured. She gave Certo one last sad glance before walking back down the long corridor. She could already feel the chill from the outside; a significant difference from the extreme warmth of the pavilion chamber. Up ahead she could see that the sun had almost completely set over the horizon; Thundra and the other healers had indeed been gone for at least a couple of hours. Once outside, she spotted Stratus lying beside one of the many bonfires scattered about the open field. The elder earth dragon raised his head when he heard Crona's footsteps crunch across the scorched earth.
"Are you well?" He asked sleepily, having been trying to nod off the past couple of hours.
"As well as can be expected, I suppose," Crona answered plainly. She looked around the camp ground as the sentries patrolled the edge of the forest, stopping every so often to listen or taste the air. "I think I may return to the city so I'm not in anyone's way here."
"If you are sure, then I would be happy to escort you." The old dragon rose to his feet and stretched, popping his vertebrae and joints.
"I'll be fine on my own, but thank you." Crona bowed slightly. She was thankful for the offer, but right now she needed some time to think.
"Very well then. Fly safely young dragoness." Stratus nodded, accepting her decision.
Crona only smiled and took to the air, heading for the city. As she flew she found her thoughts drifting back to Certo. What had happened that made him lose control of his power? Was it Neros? The albino had clearly come with the intention of testing his brother's limits, and he had succeeded. Neros knew what needed to be done to get under Certo's scales. Somehow he had known that Certo's emotions would eventually lead to his downfall, but how? Certo had mastered his new power already; or so she thought. So many questions and so many facts arose that did not make any sense for her. When she returned to the library, she would have to refer to her notes from Certo's training. Perhaps the answer was in there.
When Crona passed over the city wall, she felt a slightly warmer updraft carry her towards the upper levels of the city. The white dragoness held her wings open, riding the gentle thermal towards the library. As she floated along, she spotted a familiar site below. After thinking about it for a moment, Crona folded her wings and dove towards the small plaza. She circled around the fountain in the middle and came to a soft landing. This was the same place where she and Certo had fought off the apes together during the second attack. Looking around she could see the incident play itself out before her; the apes hunting her down, the black dragon appearing to heroically draw them away from her, giving her the time she needed to retaliate.
Crona walked over to a burn mark that remained on the stone; it was where she had attacked using the lightning from the blue mist. "This is where you thanked me," Crona mumbled to herself. She could almost feel the black dragon beside her. "It was here I proved to you, that no matter what, I would always have your back. That I would always support you as my friend."
Hearing herself speak seemed to give Crona more confidence. She suddenly became filled with energy she did not think she had. The dragoness straightened herself out, holding her tail high and her legs braced. She held her chin up and closed her eyes, sucking in the blue mist around her. The magical energy refreshed her from the inside out, cooling her senses, as well as settling her heart and mind. Until now, she had forgotten that the magic of the world could be used to heal and restore her lost stamina.
"I wonder if I could use it on Certo," she pondered aloud. All of a sudden, an idea struck her like a bolt of lightning. "I've got it!" She suddenly exclaimed, before quieting down, realizing she had just shouted out loud.
Crona sprang into the air once again and flew straight towards Kia's home pavilion. The air dragoness's home was lit with lanterns inside, but the dragoness herself was nowhere to be found. "She's probably out on patrol with the guards," Crona thought to herself. She headed to the back room where she and Certo had once stayed before taking up residence in the library. Much to her surprise the guest room was still just as neat and clean as she last remembered it; the single potted memorium sat alone on the balcony. Crona walked up to the pale blue flower and inspected it closely in the dim light. She remembered Certo putting up a fuss about taking care of it just in case she needed it again. This was the flower he had brought to her to save her life once before. Crona reached out with her paw and delicately fondled the plant between her talons. Seeing this precious flower sitting here did not sit right in her mind. If it was such a strong remedy, then why couldn't she use it to save the black dragon's life? No one was around to say it wouldn't work. But what if it didn't? Would it do Certo any good or would it only cause more complications?
The white dragoness shook those doubtful thoughts out of her head and grabbed hold of the pot in her two front paws. She dove over the balcony railing and quickly banked upwards towards the night sky, heading towards the library.  When she got there, Stratus had just arrived himself. When he saw the young dragoness with the memorium his jaw dropped.
"Crona, is that what I think it is?" He leaned down towards her and inspected the memorium closely before looking Crona in the eye. "Are you planning to use it?"
Crona nodded once. "I am! I don't know how much it will help if at all, but if I can save Certo's life with it then I'll do it without a second thought."
Stratus eyed her keenly before straightening up. "Very well then. Let us get to work in that case."
Crona's eyes widened. "You're going to help? But you've done enough already. I don't want to bother you when you're tired."
"Young dragoness, when I first met Certo, he said he would do anything to save your life. My ancestor Annol, the previous head librarian before me, was willing to help because you had the same disease as his late life mate. Now I'm helping on account that I respect and admire both you and Certo. Not just as fellow dragons but as icons for our future. Helping one another is the greatest lesson you have taught those of us who live in this city." The old dragon turned and escorted the white dragoness inside. He led her towards the back of the library where a door had been concealed behind a large curtain. Stratus parted the cloth with a wing and pressed a paw against the stone, his energy surrounding the stone entrance. With a loud grind, the stone slid open, revealing a long dark corridor. "Stay close," Stratus coaxed. "And watch your step."
Crona swallowed hard as she held the pot close to her breast with one paw, while hobbling clumsily on her other. She could feel the thorny leaves brushing against her scales, but she ignored the mild irritation as she followed Stratus into the hall. The earth dragon closed the door behind him so no one else could stumble upon the hidden apparent secret. Not wishing to stumble anywhere, Crona closed her eyes and concentrated. She gave a startled gasp when the blue mist appeared in her mind's eye.
"Is something wrong?" Stratus asked, pausing to glance over his shoulder as if he could see her. He too had his eyes closed, allowing himself to concentrate on where he was going.
"N-no. Just hiccuped." Crona breathed, gasping in a little more.
"Very well then, just be careful."
Crona could see the earth dragon's energy amongst the blue mist which hung extremely heavily in the corridor. The magical energy was far denser here than any other place she had been in her lifetime. But why here? Had the flow of magic been this abundant inside the library the entire time? Crona could feel the energy filling her lungs, making her feel like she was growing inside; becoming enriched with power.
The head librarian led the white dragoness down a flight of spiraling stairs which descended for quite a distance. All the while, Crona could feel the blue mist getting stronger. It was becoming so packed in, that the dragoness could barely make out the steps beneath her feet. It was not until Stratus stopped and Crona bumped into his tail that she realized they had come to the bottom of the steps and were coming to the end of another corridor. Here, the mist was so thick that Crona felt like she was having a hard time breathing. Just when she thought she was going to suffocate from the pressure, Stratus spoke.
"Here we are." Crona's eyes opened and her jaw dropped. They were in a small garden, no larger than three adult dragons could cram themselves into, but with a wall that loomed up several stories. The stone was old and the moonlight shone in through the holes where bricks had been knocked out or crumbled away, and all along the wall were memoriums. Stratus smiled when he saw the stupefied dragoness take an awestruck step forward. "We were given these flowers as a gift by Certo. When he was searching for a cure for your illness, he gave us a small sampling in case any other dragons needed the medicine produced by these wondrous flowers in the future."
Crona continued to stare in astonishment at the sight before her as she stepped carefully around the garden. Most of the plants were still young, barely producing anything more than buds. But the abundance of these rare plants was what stunned her the most. "They're beautiful," She murmured softly as she watched fireflies dance among the leaves and pedals.
"Indeed." Stratus lay down next to a pair of memoriums which were in full bloom. He cupped their stems between his claws as his paw began to glow. The earth dragon's energy spread out around the garden and up the wall where the memoriums were beginning to climb. "Certo is a very special dragon. He cares for those who may be in need, even if he does come across as being slightly hostile."
Crona chuckled as she imagined the black dragon's stern expression. It definitely had become his signature feature in Crona's mind. As she set the potted memorium down, she closed her eyes once again. What she saw in her mind's eye astounded her even more; the blue mist was emanating from the memoriums themselves. She could see the magical mist flowing through the gaping holes in the wall, settling into the ground itself as well as flowing through the plants. The roots of the memoriums extended deep into the soft soil, drawing up the rich, pure minerals in the earth. The mist was being drawn through these memoriums as well, being expelled in a much denser form.
"How did these flowers grow so fast?" Crona asked, opening her eyes. "It hasn't been that long since you received these."
"Every day, Verona and I come down to inspect them," Stratus replied. "These gifts are precious and require every bit of attention they deserve. It would be a shame to allow Certo's gift to be wasted due to neglect."
"Yeah," Crona murmured. Thinking about Certo again made a faint smile tug at her cheek. He really did have a kind heart, despite his insecurities and his fear of showing his affections towards others.
Seeing the white dragoness in thought brought Stratus's attention back to the situation at hand. "Take these," he ordered, digging up two of the memoriums. Crona watched as the librarian took her pot and a scoop of dirt before meshing the three plants into one condensed bowl. "Use them to your benefit. If you find no use, then please return them."
"I will, Stratus." Crona bowed. "Thank you." Stratus handed her the bowl as she took to the air, hovering in order to reach out and grasp the dish in her paws.
"Hurry now, young dragoness. Time is of the essence." Stratus thrust his head towards the sky. The half-cylinder wall opened at the top to reveal the clouds beyond along the edge of the cliff side. Crona beat her wings harder, paying careful attention to the delicate package she carried. Once clear of the secret garden, she took off around the side of the mountain. Glancing back over her shoulder she could barely see the small break in the rock along the cliff side. The path from the library had led them to the northern end of the city, where the overhanging cliff edge shrouded the garden from the view of any curious onlookers.
Crona tucked the flowers to her chest and shot around the side of the mountain, heading to the southwest. The sun would not be coming up for several hours, and Crona was beginning to feel glad she had taken the earlier nap. For what she was about to try, she would need all the strength she could get.
When the white dragoness reached the field hospital, the site was buzzing with activity. Sentries still patrolled the perimeter of the field, tasting the air for any signs of nearby intruders. Beside the main chamber of the pavilion was a trio of earth dragons, tearing away at the trunk of a fallen oak tree. A nearby fire breather, a volunteer much to Crona's surprise, moved back and forth, throwing the broken chunks of oak into the furnace pit below the main chamber before breathing more fire upon the wood itself. The glow of the flames almost seemed inviting to Crona as she circled hospital and landed beside the entrance.
Inside, Crona could see the dimly lit room at the back of the hall. She set the bowl down and glanced around, making sure no one else was watching. When the coast was clear, she raised a paw, drawing a green orb from the blue mist. The earth element seemed to rattle against her paw before she pushed it into the ground, causing a mound of dirt to push the heavy bowl down to the end of the corridor.
"What was that?" A voice from the main chamber. Crona cursed to herself as she hurried to catch up to the dish. Earth was the hardest of the elements for her to control next to the mist itself. She stepped out of the shadows into the main chamber and smiled sheepishly at the healers.
"Sorry, did I disturb you?" She asked, trying to play off as innocent.
"No dear." Thundra shook her head. "You just gave us a startle, that's all."
"Sorry," Crona continued to put on her act, hoping the other healers would buy it; she knew Thundra was not easy to fool. The lightning dragoness immediately understood the situation when she saw the young female turn and push the bowl with the three memoriums into the room for the healers to see. "I was hoping these would help us a bit."
"Are those what I think they are?" The young earth male gasped, staring with wide eyes.
"Memoriums," The orange female exhaled and a puff of smoke escaped her gaping maw.
"Aren't those the same flowers Certo brought you?" Crona turned to see Amp sitting in the corner beside an open hole in the floor where smoke was coming up from the furnace below. The lightning guardian glanced at Crona but quickly averted his eyes in, as Crona perceived it, an almost shameful manner.
"That they are." Thundra nodded as she inspected them closely, but then looked to Crona. "I don't know how much these will help though."
"I know," Crona nodded. "But I have to take a chance. For Certo's sake."
Thundra looked to her fellow healers who only shrugged. "It couldn't hurt," the elder male pointed out.
"Then we shall give it a shot," Thundra announced, standing tall before Crona. "Ampus, grab my dish and have one of the sentries give you some ice."
Amp got to his feet with only a nod and grabbed a large wooden bowl in his mouth. As he walked by Crona, he averted his eyes away from her. Crona turned to watch him go, ignoring the healers as they chatted amongst themselves, gathering their supplies again. When he came back, Crona stared at him hard. It was clear that something was going on with the young guardian. The orange dragoness cracked the ice, drawing Crona's attention away from Amp as he settled down into the corner again beside the furnace vent. Crona watched as the young male withdrew one of the flowers and crushed it into the bowl. He proceeded to use a thick claw to mash the plant in with the quickly melting ice to create an almost mush-like substance.
All of a sudden, a thought hit Crona, nearly knocking her off her feet. If the plant was being ground up, what was happening to the magical energy they contained. The dragoness closed her eyes, focusing on the single memorium. She could see most of the concentrated blue mist from the memorium beginning to evaporate into the flowing stream of magic leaving behind very little of the energy itself. Crona's heart began to beat faster as she frantically searched for an idea of what to do. She had to use that energy to heal Certo, but at the same time she couldn't expose herself to the healers. "Don't go!" Crona cried in her mind. "Stay!"
As if to respond to her silent plea, the evaporating mist halted, surprising Crona. Seeing her chance, the dragoness reached out with her mind, drawing the thick energy back into the crushed memorium.
"Crona," Thundra called for the third time.
"Huh?" Crona's eyes snapped open, nearly causing herself to lose her grip on the blue mist.
"We're going to spread this on Certo's wounds," Thundra explained, ignoring the dragoness's sudden reaction to her voice. "We don't want to chance forcing any into him like we did with you when you were sick, seeing that his condition is much worse."
"We hope that the medicine will be absorbed into his blood stream once we get started," the young male continued. "As for the rest of him, it will help ease any discomfort he might be feeling."
"Is that alright with you?" Thundra asked, knowing full well how smart the young dragoness was.
Crona looked from Thundra to Certo, then to the other healers. "May I be the one to do this part?"
The healers seemed a bit taken back by the suddenness of the request.
"Do you think you can apply the ointment without disturbing him too much?" The elder earth dragon asked, narrowing his hazel eyes at her. "We understand he's your mate, but you may want us to handle the professional work."
"I'm sure Crona knows what she is doing," Thundra interrupted before the white dragoness could speak. She could see Crona was close to snapping something sharp and witty at the elder. Thundra waved a paw for Crona to come closer. "Go on dearie. Would you like any of us to help you?"
"I can handle this," Crona shook her head and closed her eyes as she sat down beside Certo. The younger male scooted the bowl closer to her and Crona dipped her paw into the gel-like substance. The blue mist was still retaining its presence within the ointment, putting Crona's nerves to rest.
"Don't worry about reopening his wounds," The male pointed out. "It may do him some good."
Crona did not have time to think about his comment as she placed her paw against Certo's side. She could feel how weak he was, how much blood he had lost in the last twenty-four hours. As she glazed his side with her paw, she could feel each of his ribs extruding from his skin. When her paw felt a faint pulse, she stopped. The black dragon's heart beat was almost nothing; not as it had been before. The dragoness remembered when she had first listened to the strong pounding of his heart after his first encounter with Neros. It had felt good to her then, almost soothing.
"I'm not going to let you die Certo," she thought to herself. "Not without a fight." The blue mist from the memorium seemed to linger on the black dragon's hide as Crona gently dragged her paw back down his side. With each pass of her paw she would concentrate on the healing energy seeping into Certo's body. In her mind's eye, the crimson aura that had once burned bright was barely a flicker in his chest, like a candle preparing to die out. Crona took another scoop of the ointment, drawing more magic from the stream around her as well as the remaining memoriums across the room. She focused on Certo's crimson aura, pushing the mist to merge with the black dragon's. The magical energy gathered around the dying light, engulfing it.
The white dragoness took another dip of the ointment before pressing her paw against Certo's side, slightly harder this time. Her brow knitted into an intense wrinkle as she forced more energy into the black dragon's body. The blue mist seemed to be overwhelming the crimson aura, practically smothering it. "Come on Certo," Crona pondered silently. "Work with me here! Help me help you!"
"Crona? Are you alright dearie?" Thundra asked. In the corner, Amp raised his head to see that the white dragoness had stopped moving altogether. "Crona?"
"Come on Certo! Please!" Crona murmured, not noticing the healer's gentle voice. The young dragoness gritted her teeth as she forced more mist into the body before her. By now Certo's aura had been completely engulfed by the blue mist. Crona began to believe that the magic of the world around her had snuffed his energy out, when she felt a sudden rush of heat; not from the furnace beneath, but the black dragon's body. The crimson aura blazed bright in her mind's eye, as it spread back throughout Certo's body. The once faint heartbeat that had felt so distant began to grow stronger, and Crona could feel the dragon's sides rise and fall with his breathing.
"I don't believe it," the elder earth dragon gasped. The other healers all gaped in wide-eyed shock as they saw the black dragon's breathing begin to regulate.
Amp rose to his feet and took a few steps forward. Even in the low light, he could see Certo finally breathing normally. A smile tugged at his cheek but he could not allow himself to smile completely.
Crona opened her eyes and smiled. She dipped her paw again, stroking the black dragon's neck, letting him know, whether he was conscious or not, that she was there for him.
Thundra raised her eyes to see her compatriots staring at the white dragoness. She hissed, grabbing their attention. She motioned for them to follow her outside and led them down the corridor. As they emerged into the chilly night, several of the sentries turned their attention from their patrols.
"Is there anything new to report?" Azurite asked. Voltrus had put him in charge of protecting the field hospital as it was quickly constructed, and safeguarding the black dragon.
"I don't know what to make of it." The elder shook his head. "It's like we were losing him, but that young female just brought him back to life."
"It's like magic," The fire dragoness breathed, bobbing her head in agreement with her fellow healer.
"Crona has a very special bond with Certo," Thundra explained. Her voice was stern as she did not like the tone her fellow dragons were taking while discussing the white dragoness. "They share so much with one another, they can almost respond to the other's presence as if their souls were bound together."
"I can attest for that." Azurite nodded. "Those two are extremely lucky to have one another." He turned to the other healers and nodded his approval. "Thank you for all your hard work."
"It's what we do," the elder male bowed slightly, unsure if they should truly be taking the credit for the black dragon's revival.

Back inside, Amp stared silently at Crona as she continued to smear the medicinal ointment across Certo's body. He felt dirty inside, almost to the point where he was restless. Never before had he felt so sick inside that he wanted to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"Amp, is there something you want to tell me?" Crona asked, without turning to face him.
Her sudden question caused the lightning dragon to squeak, and his quills to stand on end. "Well... I..." He stared at his paws as he searched for the words to say. "I... I wanted to say I'm sorry to Certo... I... I doubted him. I thought he didn't care about us back there and that he only cared about killing his brother." Crona stopped what she was doing and turned to face him. "It... It made me mad that he was willing to sacrifice our lives to destroy him... and I... well... for a minute I thought Volcanus was right about him. About everything."
Crona felt her face grow hot with anger but the feeling quickly subsided. She let out a sigh and dipped her paw again before stroking Certo's hind leg. "Amp, you know Certo isn't the most open dragon around when it comes to his feelings. He carries a lot more pain than you could ever possibly fathom. Neros knows this and used it to exploit him. The fact that Certo lost control of his power is my fault entirely. I should have been there for him more than I was. And I will not have him lose himself ever again."
Amp only shook his head. "If only you knew the half of it."
Crona turned back to stare at the guardian, narrowing her eyes at him. "What do you mean?"  
Amp sighed as he thought about what his next course of action would be. After a tense moment, he rose to his feet and headed towards the corridor. "Follow me. I promise you'll get your answer."
"Why can't you just tell me here?" Crona asked skeptically. The lightning dragon's sudden hesitance was making her weary.
"Because Sabre is the one who has to tell you."
"Then bring her here. I don't want to leave Certo if there's more I can do for him. Besides, can't you just tell me yourself?"
Amp shook his head. "Trust me Crona. This is something you'll have to hear for yourself."
Crona studied the yellow dragon's expression for a long time. Her staring seemed to make him more uncomfortable and he began to fidget nervously. "Alright," she gave in. "Let's go."
Amp bobbed his head slightly. "I'm sorry in advance." His words were not making Crona feel any more comfortable about what was coming to her. The two of them walked out into the cool night and Crona took in a deep breath. The air sent a chill through her, making her wish she were back inside once more. Amp whispered to Thundra what he was doing and she nodded. As the healers went back inside, Amp turned to Crona who stared after them. "I'm sure he'll be fine until you come back."
Crona remained silent but followed Amp back to the city anyways. He had sparked her curiosity enough to get her to desire more knowledge on what he was acting so strangely about. The flight back was quiet with not a single word passing between them. Amp led Crona straight to his home, landing on the balcony to Terra's room. A curtain covered the doorway from the balcony and Crona immediately felt her stomach tie up into a knot. Amp ducked inside, holding the drape open for Crona to follow him inside. The only light came from a single lantern hanging in the middle of the room. Terra's room was empty which made Crona even more edgy considering that the couple was nearly inseparable.
"Wait here," Amp said, before walking into the hall. Crona wanted to sit down but her impatience and anxiety would not allow it. She heard whispering in the other room and a minute later, Terra and Sabre entered the room, followed by Amp.
Like Amp, Terra was hesitant to look Crona in the eye. Sabre on the other hand could not raise her eyes from the floor. Amp sat in front of the door, as if guarding it.
Crona turned to face Sabre who sat down on her haunches. "Crona, I'm sorry," She murmured.
Crona raised an eye brow. "What are you sorry for? Did you do something wrong? I mean besides spy on us." She had not forgotten what Certo had revealed to them when Sabre had first gone missing nearly a week and a half before.
Sabre looked up at the white dragoness, surprised at first, but hung her head as she recalled being found out by the black dragon she admired so deeply. She should not have been surprised that he would tell the dragoness he was always around. "Well, that... and... well... I..." Her voice was cracking and causing Crona to become more impatient. "I have to tell you, I didn't mean for any of this to happen. It... it was just..."
"Spit it out already!" Crona snapped, startling the others.
"Keep it down!" Terra hissed. "I don't want Maya waking up."
Sabre swallowed hard and began fidgeting nervously. "Everything that happened... spying on you, disappearing, making everyone worry, the fight, Certo... it's all my fault. If I hadn't... If I had only followed after Certo rather than tracking down the apes... he wouldn't be..." Sabre stifled a sob, but Crona's fierce eyes remained locked on her.
"You followed after the apes? On your own?" Sabre nodded and Crona's lip curled. "What were you thinking Sabre? Did they find you?"
"Well... eventually... sort of... It was mostly because of Certo's brother."
"Neros?" Crona gasped, surprised that the ice dragoness had even been spared to begin with.
Sabre nodded. "I followed after the apes and they led me to their village."
"Did they know you were following them?" Crona asked skeptically.
"No," Sabre shook her head. "At least I don't think so."
Crona groaned and rubbed her temples with her talons. "Sabre, that was incredibly stupid of you! If those apes had found out you were following them, they would have easily turned on you!"
"But they didn't!" Sabre protested. "That's how I managed to find where their village was."
"She says that the apes are beginning to move into dragon territory," Amp revealed. "I've already informed Nitrus of this."
Crona barely paid the guardian any attention as she continued to leer at Sabre. "So why is it that Neros decided to spare you?" She asked. "I've encountered him before and he would not let go of any chance to murder another dragon."
Sabre's mouth suddenly felt dry. She had never seen Crona this tense before, and it frightened her almost as much as seeing Certo in the same state. "I... I ..." She stammered trying to find a way to explain her actions, even though she knew there would be no forgiveness waiting for her.
"Well?" Crona demanded, taking a step closer to her.
"I told him everything," Sabre sighed, turning her gaze away. "I told him everything about you and Certo working together. I told him all about how you were always there for Certo and how he ignored me. That you had figured out how Certo's power works and that it was because of you we could defeat him."
Crona felt her face burn with anger and Terra shrank away slightly. "You told him the secret to Certo's power?" Crona had to turn away for a moment. "I didn't realize that Neros was only there to watch Certo destroy himself with his own strength until it was too late. I didn't know how he could have known what to do in order to make Certo's rage consume him to the point of no return." The white dragoness turned back to face Sabre. "But now it all makes sense! It was because of you!"
"I'm sorry, Crona!" Sabre sobbed, tears beginning to well up around her eyes.
"You're sorry?" Crona could barely stand to look at the blue dragoness. She began to pace back and forth to keep herself from lashing out at her. "You can tell you're sorry to someone who cares! What in the world were you thinking? To tell the one dragon who wishes someone you claim to care so much about every secret about him so he can kill him? How do you apologize for something like that?" Sabre's gaze turned away from her. Crona paused to study the ice dragoness and felt another wave of heat sweep over her face. In an instant she understood what was not being said. "Because of me?" She nearly choked on her own words.
"It was not my intention!" Sabre shot back. "I... I just..."
Crona could not hold herself back anymore. She pounced on top of Sabre, pinning the younger dragoness to the floor, and slapped her across the face with her talons. Sabre screamed, fearing that the white dragons would take her life at any moment.
"Crona! Stop!" Terra shouted. She and Amp rushed in to try and pry the two girls away from one another. Crona hissed and spat as Sabre rolled to her feet, shaken by the sudden ferocity of the attack.
"You just what Sabre? You thought that by working with Neros, he would stop attacking the city? That he would let you have Certo all to yourself? That once I was out of the picture everything would be fine and dandy for you?"
"I knew he was after you!" Sabre shot back. "I wanted you gone because I couldn't stand seeing you with the dragon I love! I know it was wrong! But you don't care about Certo the way I do. If you had a chance to get everything you ever wanted, wouldn't you do so?"
"No!" Crona snarled, surprising the ice dragoness. "I've tried that before! And all I've found out is that some things are not meant to be, despite how much it hurts!"
Sabre's eyes were wide with shock. "I... I don't believe you! You couldn't possibly have any logic behind your reasoning!"
"Oh don't I?" Crona growled. She shoved Amp and Terra out of the way and brought her nose to Sabre's. "Look me in the eye and say that again. Tell me that I haven't had my share of hurt and pain! Tell me I haven't tried to live on despite carrying it around every waking moment of my life! I've tried to change things for myself, hoping that I would be happier. But you have to look beyond just you Sabre. It's not just about what we want for ourselves, but for dragons everywhere."
"What are you talking about?" Terra asked, now really confused on what point her friend was trying to make.
"I'm talking about thinking about others before yourself," Crona hissed, turning away from Sabre for just a second. "Did you think about what Neros would do once he got me?"
Sabre shook her head. "He never told me."
"I didn't think so," Crona snorted, backing away from the dragoness. "But did you have any idea how this would affect Certo? Did you even care?"
"I didn't mean for things to go this far! I didn't even want anything to happen to Certo."
"Didn't mean to?" Crona hissed. "Do you have any clue what you've done? Certo is still out there where he fell! He nearly destroyed himself, because Neros used what you told him to get Certo to take his own life. Certo nearly died, in order to get back at him! Is that what you didn't mean to do?"
"N-no! I didn't!" Sabre squeaked, bracing herself for another attack.
"Of course you didn't," Crona said softer but with all the hostility still hanging thick in her voice. "You claim to love Certo, but you sure have a funny way of showing it. Do you understand Certo's motives at all? What drives him to do the things he does?" Sabre fell silent and Crona squinted at her. "That's about what I thought."
"Then why don't you tell her," Amp suggested, not liking the way Crona was severely belittling the ice dragoness. He was upset with Sabre as well but Crona was taking her verbal punishment to an extreme.
"Because it would do her no good," Crona growled, fixing him with an icy stare. "I had to figure it out on my own, and if she remotely has a shred of compassion left for Certo, she'll figure it out on her own as well." The white dragoness turned and looked Sabre square in the eye. "If you want to understand Certo, you have to actually get to know him first above anything else. He has to trust you in order for him to be remotely open."
"But I offered myself to him as his mate!" Sabre exclaimed, her tears beginning to rise up again. "I was willing to give myself to him so he could trust me! I hate seeing him so dark and depressed all the time, so I thought I could change that."
A growl resonated in Crona's throat. "Sabre, Certo doesn't need a lover, or a mate or life mate. If he did, don't you think he would have one already?"
"Then what does he need?" Sabre sobbed. "You seem to know him so much better, so why don't you just tell us?"
"He needs friends," Crona sighed, seeming to finally settle down. "He needs others to stand by his side and support him. I'm not sure how he feels about you, Vixen and the others. I know he values your lives, that I have no doubt. But I'm not certain how he views you all."
"What do you mean?" Terra asked. "He knows they like him. Does he not consider that to be a form of friendship?"
"Like I said, I don't know his point of view on it." Crona shook her head then turned to Sabre once more. "But I know that becoming life mates isn't something that happens just like that. You have to get to know the one you care about. You have to know them on a level that you could never possibly imagine before you can love them."
"So how is it you can't possibly love Certo?" Sabre sniffled. "I know I keep asking that, but how is it possible? You're with him from the moment he wakes up to the moment he shuts his eyes to go to sleep. You're the first and last thing he sees each day. He trusts you probably more than all the dragons of the city put together. And you claim to have no emotional attachment towards him. So how is it that you don't love him or like him in the slightest fashion?"
Crona suddenly felt her cheeks flush. She glanced down at her paws and began to fidget with her talons. After a moment of silent thought she raised her gaze back to Sabre. "I suppose it's because I know how Certo is so well that I don't have any emotional attachment to him. I'll always be there for him as a friend because that is what he needs more than anything in the world."
"But why can't you grow beyond that and fall in love with him?" Terra asked, pressing the question that was on everyone's mind.
"Because I just don't like him like that," Crona said, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. She began to wonder how the attention had been pinned on her all of a sudden. "He's always depressed, arrogant, simple-minded, and rags on himself for every little thing that goes on. If I ever wanted a... a boyfriend... at all, he would have to be smart and confident. Certo isn't anything like that, which is why I'm trying to help him overcome these faults."
"So you can fall in love with him?" Amp asked, raising an eye brow.
"No!" Crona snapped, the crimson spreading from her cheeks to the rest of her face. "Because, like Sabre, I want him to be happy. I know the pain he carries around all too well. And I think that being his friend above all else is more important than anything else in the world right now."
The three younger dragons fell silent for a long time. Crona used this time to get herself under control. She was wondering if the others could hear the way her heart pounded inside her chest. Why was it everyone insisted on believing that she and Certo were a couple? "Although," Crona thought to herself. "I suppose it did help persuade the other healers to let me help him at the field hospital."
"So what do we do now?" Amp asked solemnly.
Crona sighed, suddenly feeling cold and exhausted. "I don't know. Hope for the best but prepare for the worst," Sabre gasped, covering her mouth with a paw.
"What will Certo say when he wakes up?" Terra asked, glancing at Sabre to indicate what she meant.
Crona shook her head. "I don't know. But I imagine it will not be pretty." Sabre felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach. If she had not felt bad before, she felt absolutely wretched now. Crona could see the worry in her eyes and the sadness upon her face. She felt glad that the young ice dragoness was getting to see the real picture about the black dragon, but it also left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. How could someone claim to care so much for another only to betray them without thinking? But even she had stepped into that situation before herself. The white dragoness sighed and turned to leave. "I'm heading back to the camp. I want to be there when Certo wakes up."
Sabre lifted her head, her eyes suddenly filled with hope. "He'll be okay?"
Crona paused to stare at her before speaking. "I think he'll be alright. Well... physically anyways. We'll see how he is when he hears about everything that's gone on recently." Sabre hung her head once more and Crona stepped out onto the balcony.
"Crona wait!" Amp called, bounding after her. The dragoness stopped and turned to look the guardian in the eye. "I... I just want to say... I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Crona cocked her head curiously at him. "What for?"
"I... doubted Certo, like I told you... But... I also doubted you too. When Sabre told us what happened... I wasn't sure I could ever face you again until you knew the truth. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry for treating you that way."
Crona felt a smile tug at the corner of her mouth but refused to let it show. She waved a dismissive paw and shook her head dismissively. "Don't let it bother you Amp. We have bigger issues to worry about."
"But how can I?" Amp protested. "When I lost faith in my best friends, how do I make up for that?"
"What was it you once told Certo?" Crona asked, catching the yellow dragon by surprise. "Just move along." Before the guardian could say anything more, Crona turned and dove over the balcony, spreading her wings and taking off towards the wilderness beyond the city walls.
Amp stood speechless as he watched her fly away. Terra came out from behind the curtain and hung her head on his shoulder. Amp draped a wing about her back and sighed, thinking to himself. "Thank you Crona."


The days passed at a snail's pace for Crona. Long had she parted from the wastelands of Dante's Freezer only to find herself lost in a world of danger. Her travel harness was devoid of food, having eaten the last of what little rations she had gathered a day before.  The young dragoness was growing weaker by the day, stubbornly waiting for her body to nearly collapse before taking a bite to eat. But now that she was out of food with no way to gather more, Crona could only push forward and hope to find land with something worth foraging for.
By now she had been flying listlessly over a vast ocean with very few small islands to rest here and there. It had been hours since she had last seen a resting spot and the dragoness began to let her head droop from exhaustion. She was thankful not to have run into any of the Dark Master's forces since leaving the frozen tundra. However, it had also meant she had not seen another dragon, let alone any creature that could lend her any assistance, as well.
Not realizing she was beginning to nod off, Crona's thoughts drifted back to her home. Was it still safe? Was it still the only safe refuge from the war that seemed to touch almost every part of the world? Was her father still looking for her, or had he assumed she was dead? What if he had assumed she was dead? What would he do then?
"Father," Crona whimpered, closing her eyes to squeeze her tears out. Closing her eyes only seemed to pull the dragoness into the darkness of unconsciousness. The young female did not realize she was plummeting towards the ocean below until she plunged into the chilling water. The sudden icy feeling sent a shock through Crona's body. Her limbs froze up on reflex as she began to fall away from the surface. Overhead she could see the sun shining down on her as she sank towards the bottom of the ocean. "I'm sorry Father." She wept silently before closing her eyes for good.
A gentle moan caused Crona to rouse from her dream. She opened her eyes and looked around the chamber of the field hospital. The sun was up and shining in through the vents in the dome, adding to the warmth provided by the underground furnace. The white dragoness yawned and immediately sneezed, expelling liquid from her nostrils.
"Ugh, gross," She grumbled, sitting up and snorting the get the rest of the water out. She wiped her nose as she looked around the chamber at the walls of moss which had been planted to increase the humidity. The earth dragon healers had taken small samplings of their moss collections to plant around the walls. They had also used their talents as earth dragons to encourage the moss to grow and spread rapidly, thus providing the chamber with more insolation and drastically increasing the humidity levels.
A sudden cough caught Crona's attention and her head snapped down to the black dragon beside her. Certo snorted loudly, blowing out the water that had gathered in his nostrils in a violent spray. Crona curled her lip in disgust at the sight, but said nothing as Certo continued to cough. When she saw blood form around the rim of his mouth, Crona began to panic as she remembered the first time he had been coughing up blood in front of her.
"Certo? Certo are you alright?" She exclaimed worriedly. The sudden sound of her voice got the attention of some of the dragons just outside who hurried in to see what the trouble was.
"What's going on?" An elder fire breather asked anxiously. "Is he taking another turn for the worse?"
"I don't know." Crona shook her head. "I can see blood. Get the healers, hurry!"
The elder glanced over his shoulder at two younger males, both ice dragons, and they quickly disappeared down the hall.
Crona leaned in closer towards Certo and nudged the side of his snout slightly. "Certo, are you awake? Can you hear me? If you can hear my voice, say something."
The dragoness's voice seemed to relax the young male. His coughing subsided, and he let out another agonized moan. All at once, Crona felt a smile spread across her muzzle when she saw him open his eyes. Certo blinked several times before focusing his vision on the white dragoness before him.
"Hey," he wheezed. A faint smile formed on his mouth.
"You're back," Crona gasped, trying to contain herself in front of him. "I thought we'd lost you." Certo was silent for a moment as he tried to recall what had happened. His brow knit into a slight wrinkle and Crona could see he was trying to think too much. "Don't worry about it right now," She coaxed, scooting closer to him. "Just rest and I'll explain everything when you've gotten your strength back. I promise."
Certo seemed to growl contently at having her by his side once more. Much to Crona's surprise, he bobbed his head, ever so slightly, before closing his eyes again. "I can live with that," He murmured as he began to drift off back to sleep. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Crona smiled to herself before turning at the sounds of approaching footsteps. Thundra and the elder male healer entered the chamber and gathered around Crona.
"What happened?" The earth dragon asked. "Did he try to move at all?"
"No," Crona replied, backing away so they could look him over. "I just saw blood when he started coughing and panicked a little." The healers glanced at one another, reading into the other's expression before turning back to the black dragon.
"My guess is he still has some minor internal bleeding," the male continued before thanking the other dragons and ushering them out. "What's left may possibly be lingering in his throat which he will cough up naturally."
"Are you sure?" Crona asked hesitantly, glancing from the healer to the young male next to her.
"Unless you have any other solutions," the healer replied sarcastically.
"Terraus!" Thundra snapped in a scolding tone, and Crona gave the elder a disapproving scowl. "Don't be so rude!"
"I was merely making a point that at it would be best to let the young dragon's body heal on its own," The earth dragon retorted.
"Well if you must use a tone of sarcasm, be more courteous to your audience!" Thundra hissed and turned to look at Crona. "Sorry about him, dearie."
Crona only shot the earth healer an annoyed glare before curling back up next to Certo. She sighed contently as his sides pressed against her folded wings with each inhale he took.
Seeing that all was well, Thundra ushered Terraus out of the pavilion, leaving the white dragoness alone with her thoughts. Crona turned her head slightly until her cheek was barely grazing the tips of his facial horns.
"What do we do now, Certo?"
and the final half... or so. but Crona does bring up a good question... What do they do now?

:insert speculations here:
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WinterSage37's avatar
Hehe, I knew it. This book series is amazing, but you are using so much foreshadowing; you are beginning to get a little bit too predictable ;P