AoH Karma and Convexity 36 pt3

"Wait, what do you mean destroy his lineage?" Crona demanded. A split second later, the realization hit her like a bolt of lightning. "Pip!" The dragoness turned and bolted out of the oracle's private chamber. She charged out into the cold night, searching frantically for Certo, hoping he was still within sight of the main temple. When she did not spot him, she concentrated all her time control ability, bringing everything to a dead halt.
Not wasting a single beat of her heart, she took to the air, beating her wings as fast and hard as she could. In only what would have been minutes, she arrived at the residence of the air guardian. The black dragon was already there, looming over Pip's egg, his tail blade raised high, preparing to shatter the shell into pieces.
"Certo no!" She screamed, as she landed on the balcony and launched herself forward. Time resumed its course and the chronicler plowed into the black dragon. A loud crash shook the house as the two slammed into a book shelf, bringing it down on top of them. Certo was in a desperate fury, his scars and eyes blazing with karma. He kicked and struggled to get up from under the book case but Crona pinned him down.
"Get off of me! Let me go!" He bellowed, his voice rattling the walls.
"What is going on in there?!" Kia's angry voice hollered from the back room.
Crona ignored the guardian and pressed harder on top of her friend. "Certo stop what you're doing! You're not thinking clearly!"
"I won't let my family suffer any more!" Certo snarled. "She doesn't deserve it! She's innocent!"
"Crona! Certo! What has gotten into you two?!" Kia demanded, bursting through the doorway.
"In a moment!" Crona shot back, before returning her eyes to Certo. "Killing Pip won't help anyone, or put your conscience at ease!"
"I won't let her be born into a world where nothing but suffering awaits her! I won't let it happen!"
"You're not her family! It's not your choice to make!"
Crona recalled as if she had been slapped. Seeing his opportunity, Certo moved to get up from under her. Before he could shove her away, Crona bit down on his shoulder. An agonized cry ripped from Certo's lungs and the taste of mercury filled Crona's mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out her friend's cries as she bit harder.
"Crona! What are you doing?" Kia shouted, moving to step in.
At last. Crona could not take it anymore and she released her jaws from Certo. The black dragon rolled over, groaning in pain, but calmer than he was before. Under normal circumstances, she would have taken this time to severely scold him, but right now he needed comfort. The white dragoness lay down on top of him, her soft underbelly rubbing against his sides. "Get a hold of yourself Certo. This isn't the way to handle this." She stopped time for a brief moment. "I know how you must be feeling, but if you kill your niece, I won't be able to return to my home."
Certo lifted his head against the burning in his neck. When his eyes locked with Crona's, he realized what she was referring to. He glanced back at the egg, untouched, before collapsing onto his side again. "Why me?" He whispered. "What did I do?"
Crona allowed time to resume and cooed soft whispers to him, nuzzling his arm next to her bite mark.
"Would you care to inform me on what in the ancestors names is going on?" Kia asked impatiently waiting for an answer to why her home was being turned into a war-zone.
Crona got up off her friend and stared down at him. She was not fully certain she wanted to leave him alone with his niece if she wished to talk to the guardian in private. But she also knew him well enough know that she did not have to sugar coat anything with him. "As of late, Certo has been worried about what's going to happen to me once I leave here." The reminder of this seemed to cause Kia to tense up, but remain silent. "It was my idea, that Sin being able to see into the future, would be able to tell him that everything would be fine."
"And you did not receive what you expected, did you?"
"I should have known." Crona shook her head solemnly. "I just wanted to make Certo believe that there would be a moderately happy ending after all of this… but instead…"
"He said my descendants are going to be the ones who suffer and eventually destroy the world!" Certo growled, glaring at Pip's egg.
Kia felt a pang of guilt in her heart. However, it was not unlike Sin to deliver disturbing news to those who paid him a visit. After a long silence, she picked up the fallen shelf and propped it against the wall. "I'm sorry, and I wish I could tell you something to make it easier on you Certo. But the truth is; I cannot recall when Sin has ever been off with his predictions."
"That's exactly what I hate." Certo's voice began to warp from his karma. "I know he's right. I just don't want him to be."
"You know, we all know all too well." Kia shook her head. "But what can you do? We're not celestial beings. We don't have the ability to change the past or the future. If that was the case then the balance of the world would be thrown off entirely."
Certo lifted his head to look at the air dragoness. Was she one of them too? He glanced at Crona who seemed to be reading his thoughts. She shook her head, and Certo lowered his gaze to his niece's egg. Another silence passed before he spoke again. "Crona…Let's just get you home."
"I can go along with that." She nodded.
"It's already late you two." Kia pointed out in a scolding, motherly tone. "Clean up this mess and get some rest. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Master Kia," both dragons mumbled.
The guardian nodded and yawned before leaving the two of them in peace. Seeing as he was already exhausted mentally and emotionally, Crona ordered Certo to settle down and keep Pip warm. The black dragon did not have the energy to argue and watched as Crona used her powers to levitate the books and scrolls back onto the shelves. Crona was making a last minute clean up around the room before settling down when she spotted a white figure out on the balcony.
"I'm glad to see you got to him in time."
"Yeah, lucky you." Crona nearly spat as Sin entered the room. She did not bother asking how he had gotten up there without the ability to fly. All she could assume was that he had his own active power other than his clairvoyance. "What are you here for?"
"To deliver a final message."
Crona glanced down to see Certo had fallen fast asleep. She moved closer to Sin and lowered her voice. "Alright, make it snappy. I don't want Certo waking up and getting even more upset because you're here."
Sin nodded in understanding. "This will be the last time we speak Crona. At least for another thousand years. As oracle, I have done my part to ensure that you make it home safe and our world remains stable." He glanced down at Certo. "And now that his destiny is nearly fulfilled, his future is out of my control."
"Your control? What do you mean? Are you saying that you have been manipulating Certo this entire time?"
"No. I mean that when I have shown up it was when things may have gone sour in our favor as chronicler dragons and the world would have been thrown into turmoil. Certo will give you the push to succeed in getting home and after that he will have only one more thing to do to ensure the safety of our home."
Crona glared at him suspiciously. "And what is that?"
The oracle could only shake his head yet again. "I cannot reveal that. It will be Certo who acts on it. But I trust he will do what is necessary."
"Are you kidding me?!" Crona hissed through clenched teeth, but Sin held up a silencing paw.
"Before you say anything more Crona, let me leave you with this. As I said, Certo's future is no longer my concern."
"What?"
"When I said I could not see his future, it is because it is in the possession of another chronicler dragon. His future… now lies with you." Crona cocked her head, curious to the meaning of his comment. Certo stirred in his sleep and she glanced back over her shoulder to see if he would awaken. When he did not, she looked back to see the oracle had disappeared. Rolling her eyes she turned and stepped lightly into the nest of sheets. Certo mumbled gibberish in his sleep as she cuddled next to him, draping a comforting wing over his back. Before long, she too was sound asleep.

Sin's words continued to run through Crona's mind for the next three days as she continued trying to strengthen her active power. But each time she started creating a small portal, her thoughts would interrupt her concentration, forcing her to start over once again.
"Something's on your mind." Certo pointed out at the beginning of the fourth day. "You haven't been as deep into your concentration as you usually are."
"I'm just stressed." Crona replied as they came to land in their practice spot.
"About what your friend told me?"
"Sin is hardly what I'd consider a friend, Certo. Even when you're a jerk I don't think you get under my scales as much as he does." She gazed at him standing in a small patch of early morning sunlight, breaking through the trees. His scales seemed to glisten with the colors of the rainbow, reminding her of how majestic he really was. However the longer she stared, the more she began to despair. A sigh escaped her and she turned away from him. 'His future lies with me…' she repeated in her mind. 'Does that mean… I don't have to leave him?' She glanced back at him as he waited patiently for her to begin again for the day. 'I guess it would be worth asking him…'
Crona turned to face the young male, standing as composed and elegant as she could. She inhaled a deep breath as she prepared to ask him the question. However, the words did not come from her mouth. How could she convince him to come with her if he refused right away? Was it even right to ask him to leave this time when he may be needed? What if he was needed and by asking him to come with her, only messed up the future?
"Crona?" The dragoness snapped out of her trance to see her friend giving her a perplexed stare.
"S-sorry." She stammered sheepishly. "I was thinking of saying something but, never mind."
Certo rolled his eyes. "It can wait until later. Right now you have work to do."
"R-right." Crona nodded and turned back around, trying to settle her nerves and racing heart. She closed her eyes and concentrated.
Two hours passed with no success and Crona was beginning to grow overly frustrated. Finally in the late afternoon, she let out an infuriated shriek, startling Certo who was beginning to nod off in the shade of a tall oak.
"Damn the ancestors! Why can't I make this work?!" She stamped the ground, sending a spark of blue mist into the air and scattering the leaves about. "I try and try and try, but nothing ever comes out of it!" She heard Certo rise to his feet but she could not bring herself to face him. Somehow she felt his eyes on her; especially his crimson eye which always seemed to be staring into her soul. "I'm a failure Certo! I don't see why I can't do this on my own! I'm the daughter of the Chronicler! Mastering time should come naturally to me!... So why hasn't it? I've tried using different types of magic, I've tried calming myself more than I normally do. I've relaxed, and I've tried listening to the world around me."
Another stamp of her paw shook the ground this time. She turned around, knowing that he had approached her and buried her head into his scarred chest scales.
"I'm sorry." She whispered. "I just don't know what else to do."
The sounds of the forest slowly seemed to return to her ears. The soft chirps of birds and buzzing of insects tickled her senses. Then came the sound of a heart beat; Certo's heart beat. It had been weeks possibly even months since she had listened to it. The strong thumping against his chest seemed to sooth her temper and she sighed, taking in a bit of the blue mist to refresh herself.
"I don't think it's so much what you're doing Crona," Certo started. "But maybe how much of it you're doing."
The white dragoness stepped back and looked up at him, studying his expression. "What are you getting at?"
"Well, think about it. You're always saying that the world needs to be balanced. The good, the bad, the other. It all has to even out. So maybe your power isn't working; not because of just one force, but because you lack balance in what you're trying to accomplish."
Crona stared at the black dragon with wide eyes and an open jaw. She could not believe how obvious the problem was and who, of all dragons in the world, had brought it to her attention. She frowned and gave him a glare before putting on a mild pouty face. "I hate you sometimes, you know that?"
Certo was surprised at first but cracked half of a smile before growling in satisfaction. He lifted his head to the sky as the sun began to set. "It's getting late. Why don't we call it quits for today and try again tomorrow?"
"No way! Now that you've brought this to my attention, I want to give it a shot." Crona nearly barked with excitement. She backed away from Certo and positioned herself, sucking in a deep fulfilling breath of the blue mist. When she exhaled, the leaves surrounding her swirled into a gentle breeze. Certo moved back and watched as Crona delved deeper into her concentration state, summoning the power within herself as well as the world around her. A burning feeling began to rise in her chest and Certo noticed that the green gem on her breastplate was now glowing brightly.
A cloud of white emanated from Crona's body as the blue mist became visible to the naked eye. The two energies danced around each other, circling the white dragoness, nearly covering her in a protective blanket. The gem in the plate grew brighter as the magical powers melted together. Crona inhaled, drawing the energy within herself, then exhaled, pushing the magic away from her. The sharp gust nearly knocked her backwards but she held her position. Certo's eyes widened as the portal appeared before him, spinning like a slow-moving wheel, suspended in the air. Unlike before, it was large enough to fit a dragon three times Crona's size; a perfect fit for her.
At last Crona dared to open her eyes. The light given off by the portal was cool, yet inviting. She wanted to reach out to it but restrained herself for the time being. Gradually she relinquished her hold on the magic around her, letting them return to their natural state. After another sigh of relief she looked over at her companion. "I did it." She whispered. Certo was too dumbstruck to say anything. "I did it!" Crona cried, jumping to her feet.
"You did it…" Certo managed to finally utter.
"I can't believe it! I actually did it!" She cheered. In a moment of extreme joy she threw herself at Certo, laughing. The black dragon could not help but chuckle awkwardly before suddenly being tackled to the ground. "I did it!" Crona repeated. "And I have you to thank for it!" She hugged him closer, giggling like an excited hatchling.
"Crona!"
The white dragoness stopped. Her eyes bulged and her face burned as she jerked away, dropping him in the process. "I…I'm sorry." She apologized. "I just…"
"It's… okay." Certo murmured, getting to his feet. He wrapped one of his wings around her body and nuzzled her cheek. "We can finally get you home. That's all that matters."
"Yeah..." Crona mumbled. The oracle's words ran through her head again as she thought back to what she almost did. "That's all that matters."


"I think that's enough for now." Certo murmured as he rose to his feet. Four hours had passed by rather quickly as he watched Crona continually practice creating time portals. He was content with returning to the city after the first one, but the chronicler was insistent about making sure she knew what was required in order to successfully create one. Now she was nearly depleted of her power and staggering around like a hatchling on their first day of walking.
"Just… one more time." Crona begged sleepily. "…Just to be sure." Without waiting for an answer she sat down and closed her eyes to concentrate. But instead she began to nod off into a light slumber. Right before she could fully fall asleep, a pair of forelimbs slid under hers from behind. Certo pressed his body against her back, forcing her to lean forward. Crona's eyes suddenly snapped wide open and she squirmed, trying to get away. "Certo! What are you doing?"
"That's enough for now." He answered in a surprisingly calm tone, unlike anything she had heard before. "We can keep practicing tomorrow once you've gotten some food and rest in."
Blood rushed to Crona's face and her speed up awkwardly again. What was he holding her like this for? Part of her wanted to know, but at the same time she was too exhausted to push him away. Should she just lay there and let him do what she thought he was? She felt him move up, placing his hips over hers and intertwine their hind legs. All the while, Crona's heart continued to pound like a drum. Once locked in place, Certo spread his wings and with a sharp cold gust from his lungs, lifted into the cold night sky.
Once airborne, Crona felt a bit embarrassed by where her thoughts had led her just moments ago. Not a chance in the universe would Certo do something like that. Feeling her fatigue rise up again, she closed her eyes and tucked her forelimbs against her chest. At the same time she felt the black dragon's long grasping claws holding her tight. The feeling made her feel safe and she cooed softly as she drifting off.
Certo glanced down when he felt the pleasant vibrations from her chest against his paws. Sensing her start to go limp put his mind at ease and made his own heart begin to settle down as well. A cold breeze rushed against him and Crona whimpered lowly in her sleep. Certo lowered himself closer to the ground, hpping to catch any tiny thermals still lingering after the sun had set hours ago. Not long after the chilly rush of wind had passed, and a small object caught the black dragon's eye overhead. In the gentle glow of the twin moons, Certo could see the faintest sparkles of ice against the light. It was beginning to snow; the first of the season.
Seeing the white fall from the sky reminded him of days past and he forced those memories out of his head. Now was not the time for him to be thinking about the past. But as he continued flying back to the city, he could see the snow quickly clumping together on the trees and forest floor below. The first snow, as he had come to observe, was always the purest. It was refreshing to see it shining a light blue hue rather than a grey or brown as the snow would soon grow to be later in the winter.
A sigh filled the air and he could see his breath lingering there. He had not realized how cold he was until now. Without further delay, Certo pushed himself faster towards the city, hoping to warm up by the time he got there. When it came into view, he nudged Crona's neck, thinking he would rouse her. When she did not wake, he gave her gentle nip on the side of her neck. He was answered with a tired groan and a sleepy Crona glanced back up at him.
"What is it?" She asked groggily before yawning.
"We're back." He reported. Crona blinked as she looked ahead to see the dim lanterns of the city up ahead. "Want me to let you go?" Certo asked after a moment of silence between them.
Crona thought privately, subtly flexing her talons against the backs of his paws. She liked the close contact for some reason and did not wish to relinquish it just yet. "Not yet." She whispered, shrugging her shoulders and pulling closer to him. Certo only nodded, keeping the calm steadfast expression on his face. As they shot over the outer wall, he noticed that there were fewer centuries on duty than usual. He took a mental note of it and felt like investigating the reason after dropping Crona off.
The library was surprisingly brightly lit from the inside. Certo came to a landing just outside the stream of light the front entrance cast into the icy streets. Crona set down and gave a jump at the chill beneath her paws. She never did like the chill of the snow; not after Dante's Freezer.
"Thanks for the lift." Crona teased, smiling gently up at her companion. "I'll see you in the morning?"
Certo merely nodded. "That's the plan."
"Alright, I'll see you then." She turned towards the front entrance, averting her eyes slightly to avoid the blinding light. As Certo watched her walk away he began to feel knots tie themselves up inside his chest.
"Crona!"
The dragoness turned around as he surprisingly enough, rushed over to her. She gave a startled squeak when he leaned his head down and nuzzled her cheek; almost every bit the affectionate gesture that others would find it to be. It was like he was taking his last chance to say goodbye to her right now. When he pulled away, he looked as if he were desperate for her to stay. Crona bit her lower lip and tried to keep her tears from glossing her eyes.
"I'm going to miss you." Certo choked.
"Me too." Crona murmured. She stepped close and hung her head against his chest. "I don't want to leave you behind. I care about you too much." Certo could not bring himself to reject her. He simply lowered his head to rest it on top of hers and closed his eyes, ignoring the light from the library. After a minute however, Crona pulled away and looked into his eyes. "I wanted to ask you before, but wasn't sure if it was the right time-" she focused her eyes at the scars across his chest and inhaled deeply. "Would you…"
"Surprise!" The sudden thunder of voices nearly caused both dragons to jump out of their scales. Crona whirled around to see the central chamber of the library filled with dragons. Nitrus and his family, as well as Kia stood with Amp, Terra and Maya with warming smiles on their faces. Stratus stood beside Verona who remained close to Nitrus and several of the other dragon guards. Members from their class wore excited grins; even Ulu, Vixen, Katana, Kris and Sabre.
"W-what is going on here? Crona stammered, subconsciously backing into Certo.
"Isn't it obvious?" Terra asked stepping forward. "It's a going away party for you."
Crona stood dumbfounded at the number of dragons who had shown up, and at such a late hour. "F-for me? Why? How did you know?"
"Certo told us." Nitrus answered, stepping forward. "And because you've been such a positive influence on our city as well as our lives, we wanted to wish you a warm farewell."
"I… I don't know what to say..." Crona gasped, staring at the floor in shock. "No one has ever done something like this for me before."
"'Thank you' would be a good place to start." Vixen chuckled.
"Besides," Stratus piped up as he walked over to her. "If that is the case, then there's no time like the present to celebrate you as a friend. Am I right my dear?"
Crona looked up into his eyes. After the initial shock left her body she smiled and bowed graciously. "Thank you all. This is very kind of you."
"Come on." Terra coaxed, putting her wing around the white dragoness. "We all have to get a little time with you so better start making your rounds."
"Uh, sure." Crona chuckled nervously, hiding a yawn.
Vixen seemed to notice and giggled before leaning close to whisper in her ear. "Been out late again I hear. And you said there's nothing going on between you and Certo."
The white dragoness only rolled her eyes. She was too tired to argue with anyone tonight. Behind her, Certo watched her mingle amongst Stratus and the others. He had felt a surge of embarrassment but it had now turned to sadness as he watched her from afar. The crowd was so focused on the young dragoness, they did not notice him; no one except Sabre. The ice dragoness watched him slip away into the darkness of the night before breaking away from her friends to follow after him. She stopped to gaze in wonder at the falling snow flakes. The sight of them seemed to relax her, feeling herself come into her element.
Certo slipped through the moonlit streets until he reached the academy grounds. The remains had all been moved leaving a clean courtyard with a crater where the main tower had once stood. He walked to the edge of the cliff that overlooked the vast landscape and stared off into the distance. His breath came in short wisps in the cold night air and the snow flakes seemed to chill him even more.  After a moment of discomfort, Certo flexed his muscles, summoning his karma to the surface. Almost immediately he felt warmer, if only slightly.
"Are you alright?" Sabre asked, grabbing his attention. "I can only imagine how you're feeling right now."
Certo didn't respond. Sabre summoned up her courage to sit down close beside him. A long tense silence passed with neither dragon speaking a word.
"Are you going with Crona when she leaves?" Sabre asked without turning to look at him.
Certo only gave a distressed growl. "I'll only be escorting her as far as I can go. But I won't be staying with her."
"Oh," Sabre lifted her head to see the sadness welling up in his blue eye. "You really care for her don't you?" Certo lowered his gaze but said nothing. Sabre nodded and looked back at her own paws. "You know. I… I just want you to know… I don't intend on coming between you two… Not anymore." Silence. "But in case you should ever change your mind… or need a friend to be with. I'll always be waiting for you." Sabre lifted her gaze up to him, but Certo only continued to stare out at the landscape. "We may not be together Certo. But I still love you."
Another silence passed before Certo's blue eye moved to fix itself on her. "Thanks."
Just hearing him acknowledge her words was enough to make Sabre smile. She draped a wing around him, feeling the warmth from his karma send tingles through her body. It must have been so nice for Crona to feel this sensation every night they were together. She still envied the white dragoness, but this would do for now.
The two sat in silence for a little over an hour before Certo felt the young dragoness start to nod off on his shoulder. Her head slipped slightly and she jolted awake, blinking to wake herself up. Without a word, Certo rose to his feet and gave a short thrust of his head over his shoulder. Taking the hint, Sabre sighed, not wanting to have the moment end. Both dragons stepped carefully down the hill as the street was already sleek with ice. Sabre found it easier to grip the ground with her longer talons but Certo found himself stepping attentively so as not to slip and fall.
Back at the library everyone was still conversing not even noticing that the two had been away. Sabre nuzzled Certo before breaking off to track down Vixen. Cytros and the guards who had been there earlier were now gone, having switched positions with the current sentries who had been on duty. Certo scanned the crowd, looking for the white dragoness to stand out from the rest of them as she usually did. When he could not spot her he moved to seek out Amp and Terra who were standing patiently beside Nitrus and Thundra. Maya was curled up in a tight ball between her mother's shoulder blades, sleeping soundly, despite all the noise in the room.
"Has anyone seen Crona?" He asked, hoping he could hide the hint of worry in his voice. Almost immediately Terra turned her nose up and looked away from him; still mad that he had not told them about Crona's leaving sooner. Amp as well could only look away though mostly in disappointment rather than anger.
Seeing as the two of them were not going to answer, Thundra frowned. "She's in her makeshift study Certo. She's exhausted for some reason so I sent her to bed a short while ago."
Certo bobbed his head once. "She has been working hard." He murmured, almost to the point where the family could barely hear him. "I probably have no right to ask, but are you all doing well enough? I mean having to say goodbye to her?"
"It has definitely been a bit of a shock." Nitrus spoke up, surprising the young male. He had expected the guardian to remain cold and silent towards him as he normally was. "But we are at least glad we even had a chance to say goodbye."
Certo lowered his eyes to Amp and Terra who continued to look away. "I'm sorry. I…"
"Just save it Certo." Terra snapped. "We don't want any of your pitiful excuses. Just do what you have to and be done with it already."
"Terra!" Thundra scolded sharply. Her sudden jolt roused Maya slightly who whimpered in response.
"It's fine." Certo shook his head. "I deserve it."
"That's the least you deserve." Terra nearly spat and stomped off out of the library, hastily heading towards home. Amp watched her go before looking back at Certo with a saddened expression on his face.
"I'm sorry." Then without another word he slipped away into the night after his fiance. Thundra, Nitrus and Certo watched him go before the healer turned hack to the young male.
"I apologize for their behavior."
"Don't." Nitrus interrupted. "Certo knows he is at fault in this situation. No need to make it easier on him."
"I should get going myself." Certo piped up, feeling a lump swelling inside his chest. "We will probably have more work to do in the morning."
"Are you getting close to finding a route to get her home safely?" Nitrus asked, narrowing his eyes at the young dragon.
"Very," Certo confirmed. Nitrus and Thundra shared a quick glance before nodding in understanding. "Very well then. We will allow you to get some rest. And thank you for taking care of her." Certo cocked his head slightly, curious about the nature of the guardian's strange words. Never before had he heard Nitrus speak to him in such a manner. Sensing his confusion, the ice dragon continued to explain. "You are flawed Certo, in many ways. But you shine in the area where many others fall short. Don't forget that."
Nitrus did not need to be specific; Certo knew what he was referring to, as bitter-sweet as it was. The black dragon gave a grateful bow before turning away for the night.
Inside Crona's make-shift study, Verona was finishing putting the young dragoness's notes away and hanging her scroll harness up. She smiled when she saw him in the doorway and lifted a talon for him to keep silent. Certo only stared at the dragoness for a long minute before looking back up at Verona. He bobbed his head slightly, a gesture of saying thank you. The librarian responded with a gentle smile. However, as she watched him leave, he seemed to almost fade away, as if he were transparent. Verona blinked, shaking her head as if waking from a dream. The black dragon was gone, meshing in with the bodies that remained inside the library's central chamber. The sight had left her with a chill that lingered on her spine. Her thoughts drifted back to her late grandfather, Annol. It felt as if the black dragon displayed the same calm, accepting aura the former head librarian had when his time had come. Verona shook those thoughts from her mind. Certo was far too young to be exhibiting such an attitude. However, she knew him well enough to know that it was possible for him.
"I only hope I'm wrong."


The next morning was cold. There was no other word to describe it as Certo shivered himself awake. Kia had brought out several extra blankets and had even put a thick leather flap up to cover the entrance to the balcony. But the tiny wisps of icy air managed to slip through, brushing against Certo's exposed areas. Once he could not take the chill any longer, Certo forced himself to stay awake, allowing karma to warm his bedding and Pip, who was tucked closely to his heart.
Outside the city was still mostly asleep. Many of the guests who had shown up to Crona's farewell celebration would be sleeping in later than usual today. The sky was still covered in thick clouds, casting a grey light across the city and beyond. The snow had stopped falling but the streets were now covered in ice and snow had gathered on the rooftops of the pavilions, accumulating a good four inches.
Certo lay silently, listening for the soft sounds of the morning to come in through the blocked entrance of the balcony. The only sounds he could hear were the muffled voices of sentries who happened to be passing by and the gentle rush of the wind.
"How are you this morning?" Certo lifted his head to see Kia had entered the room without so much as making a sound. Normally he would have heard her coming, but today his mind was elsewhere. Kia studied him cautiously. She was not use to the sight of him using his special element outside of a fighting situation.
"She's doing fine." Certo answered, nudging Pip with his snout. "Just making sure she's staying warm enough."
"That's very responsible of you." The air dragoness nodded. "If you would like, I can see if I can gather some more while you are out today."
"Would you be willing?" Certo asked, raising a brow. It felt as if Kia was growing more and more accustomed to his routines as of late. She had never really put up a fuss about what he did before, but at the same time had rarely offered to be a parental figure.
"Certainly. It will only get harder once she hatches."
"You have no idea." Certo mumbled, staring at the glossy black shell.
Kia watched him as he silently brooded over his own private thoughts. She admired him as a student very much. It almost seemed unfathomable how mature he was yet still so young; like he wanted to hang onto his innocence, but life was denying him the right.
"Go on Certo. I'm sure Crona is awake and waiting for you right now."
Certo lifted his gaze to look into Kia's golden eyes. They were sincere, almost as if they felt sorry for him. Certo had to look away; he did not need to be pitied for what ever reason she had come up with. "Thank you." He murmured and moved out onto the snow-covered balcony.
Once in the air he felt the painful realization strike him again; his closest friend was soon going to be gone from his life. It would not matter for very long after. He had no future anyways. But what about Pip? Would she have a future? Of course she would; she had to. Otherwise his descendants would not be able to bring about the end of the world. What a miserable future for his kin. Would they ever know what was to come? And if so, would they try and stop it? Most likely…
The feeling of jealousy and hatred began to build up inside him and his scars became illuminated once more. He envied Crona right now. She got to go home to a parent that loved her dearly, a time when all was right with the world. "…Or balanced as she would say." He grumbled to himself. That was all these entities seemed to be about; never mind the suffering that went on in the world.
A mournful sigh filled the air. Was it all for the best? Did Crona and others like her really have the right to judge what was better for the world? Perhaps. Perhaps not. The question of trust did not get the opportunity to lurk about in the back of his mind. Of course he trusted Crona; more than he probably should have let himself, but the two of them were far too involved to turn back on that trail now.
"Certo!"
The sound of his name being called snapped him out of his trance. He back-winged and looked down to see he had nearly missed the library in his deep thoughts. Down below, Crona was already waiting outside with Stratus, Verona and Cytros. The fire guard and ice dragoness stood close together, almost unusually so. It did not take Certo long to see where their relationship was at now after so many months after being introduced.
"Are you okay?" Crona asked as her friend came in for a landing before them. "You seemed like something was on your mind."
"It's fine." Certo assured her, knowing she would never buy into his lie; if only long enough to keep up appearances with the others.
"Good morning young dragon." Stratus bowed respectfully. "I trust you have rested well enough from last night's festivities?"
"Enough," Certo nodded, returning the gesture in his own subtle way.
"Certo, it has come to our attention that you intend on escorting Crona home by yourself." Cytros spoke up, getting right to business. "Is that true?"
Certo froze momentarily. Crona paused time, seeing his muscles lock up the way they did. "It's fine. They don't know anything." She assured, and the black dragon nodded and time resumed its course.
"That's correct."
"If you are willing to allow me, I have two spare sentries that may assist you. But that is all I can spare."
Certo opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden tingle struck him in the back of his head. A sense of dread and alarm rippled though his body causing his scars to light up on their own. He turned to see a brilliant violet light engulf the world. An earth-shattering roar thundered through the air and a violent explosion shook the city.