AOH Karma and Convexity 20

Certo sighed in frustration as he sat at the top of a hill overlooking the landscape before him. The night wind chilled him to the bone and he gave a violent shudder. The cold winter months were already starting and soon he would have to start thinking about taking shelter at night.
The black dragon sneezed as he pondered what to do next. His entire body ached; not just from his lingering wounds but from pushing himself so abusively without rest. He desperately wanted to lie down and sleep, even if it was just for a couple hours. But each time he closed his eyes, he saw the same taunting pair of ruby-red eyes laughing at him.
"I have to find that bastard," he hissed between chattering teeth. The black dragon got to his feet and continued on down the hill at a stiff walk. The plains were covered with crisp green grass out here, meaning water was more abundant year-round. The black dragon could expect to be wet in the morning when he woke up.
Trees scattered the area, giving him some cover from the wind chill. The sound of Certo's teeth chattering distracted him from focusing on where he was going and kept him from paying attention to his surroundings.  After a short walk, the black dragon stopped to sit down to shiver some more under the cover of a lone apple tree.
It had not been more than a few minutes before he felt a presence in the wind behind him. Certo glanced over his shoulder to see the white dragoness slowly walking down the hill after him. As Crona drew nearer, she noticed his shivering form in the cool grass beneath the tree. He wore an angry glare on his face, his blue eye staring in her direction.
"Why is he doing this?" She asked herself. "Who is this Neros guy and why is he so bent on killing him?"
She had been following him for some time now, trying everything in her power to get him to listen to her. But each time she had tried to reason with him, he had just blown her away and flown faster, even more determined to get away.
"Wh-why don't you just quit?" Certo chattered. Seeing her made him warm with anger and annoyance. Why was she always here? He turned his head until he was fully facing her. "I'm trying to do you all a favor by leaving!" He shouted against the wind. "This is my problem and I don't want your help or your pity!"
Crona stopped in her tracks and narrowed her piercing blue eyes at him. It didn't take much for her to realize that he was far beyond flustered with her but was too tired to run any longer. "Trust me Certo, you don't have my pity and never will." She sat down in the grass a few yards away from him and did her best to cover up the note of hurt in her voice. "I've never wanted to be pitied myself either, so..."
Certo turned his head away from her and gave an angry huff, silencing her comment. A long silence passed between them before he spoke again. "If you're not here to pity me, the why do you insist on chasing after me then?"
"I just..." Crona twisted her head as if his very words had struck her in the face.
"Huh? Answer me that!" His rising temper caused another breeze to blow across the field and his scales rattled in discomfort. He lowered his head and tightened his wings around his body, hoping to protect himself more against the cold. He had always hated the cold.
"I just..." Crona stammered, trying to find the right words to say. "I don't feel like you should be here... alone... I don't know..." She grit her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, frantically trying to fight off the ever growing sense of despair she felt inside. "Okay, Crona," She whispered to herself. "Calm down." The white dragoness took in a deep breath and breathed in the blue mist. The flowing current of magic was extremely strong here, and it soothed her insides. She had always known what to say or do in any given situation. At least she had up until now. So why was this time so different?
She stared hard as Certo continued to shake like the leaves overhead. Was it because of him? Or the fact that he seemed to be a broken spirit much like herself? "I..." Her voice cracked as she tried to force the words that went against everything she thought she knew about herself; everything she thought she knew about him. She shook her head and sighed in frustration. "I don't know. I don't know what to do anymore. I can't explain how I feel. I just know that I can't sit still knowing that you're out here alone with no one around you."
"This isn't your problem," Certo growled, trying to use the reverberations in his throat to warm himself up. "The only way I can deal with this problem is by myself! That way no one gets hurt! Isn't that what you told me when we first met? Take responsibility for my actions?" He suddenly felt his head spin and his world began to blur. He shook his head and tried to stand but his legs screamed to let them rest longer. "I don't want to see you get hurt because of my problems, Crona." He growled, his breath coming in rapid jets of frost. "I've lost too much already to have that happen again."
"What are you talking about?" Crona asked pleadingly. "You can talk to me!"
Certo paused again as he thought over his next words. He turned and looked straight at the dragoness. "Back at the academy... when I.... I had a flashback when Titanus... I thought you were going to die in front of me... just like..." His voice trailed off; it was too painful to try and talk about his past. "If you knew what I've been through, you could understand."
Crona stared at Certo for a long time, speechless. Never before had anyone, other than her father, tried to shield her from pain and danger. She had noticed the way his body swayed as he stood before her. All at once he slumped against the tree and fell to the ground, dragging his side against the bark. On pure reaction, her legs carried her the last few feet to him and immediately had a wing draped over his trembling body. His teeth were chattering so loud, Crona wondered how he was even able to speak.
The black dragon stared at her, bewildered and completely baffled by her sudden gestures of compassion. He even noticed a single tear slide down her soft, white cheeks and down her chin before plopping onto his left paw. It was warm.
"Stop it, Certo," Crona whispered. "Just stop it. You don't have to say anything more. I'm here for you."
It took the black dragon another minute to regain his senses. "What's wrong with you?" He snapped as he shrugged away from her. "This isn't like you at all!" As exhausted as he was from the constant running and flying, Certo still persisted on trying to get back on his feet.  As he pushed Crona's wing away, the chill stabbed him in the back and he quickly ducked back to the ground, shivering and chattering his teeth loudly. He looked over to see the dragoness's eyes glistening with tears as she stared into his. The sound of her gentle crying hurt his ears and left a stinging feeling in the pit of his stomach. He absolutely hated to see girls cry; especially when it was because of him. But he could not afford to care; not for anyone.
Certo let out a sigh of anguish as he fought with himself, for what felt like hours, about what he should do. He wanted to do something-anything-to make the crying stop.
At last he could not take it any more. He lay his head down and brushed the tears from Crona's muzzle with his snout, before staring at her with a heavy sigh and a disgruntled look. "Why are you crying?" He asked quietly. "Be honest with me."
Crona stared at Certo with her mouth hung open. The sudden reality of the situation had finally hit her as he brushed the last of her tears away. She had been crying; in front of someone she could hardly call a friend, let alone anything positive. For the first time in years she had felt the uncontrollable need to shed her tears in front of another who shared her pain. Crying was usually something she kept strictly to herself so no one would notice and intervene.
"I... I'm sorry," She stammered, turning away to hide the sight of her flustered cheeks. "You... you're the first to... at least... s-since Arcadia died... I've...." She was trying to gather herself and relieve herself all at once but to no avail.
"Arcadia," Certo thought to himself. He remembered hearing her say that name before when talking in her sleep. He had suspected this Arcadia was a dear friend whom the white dragoness had lost to an unknown force.
"I've just..." Crona sighed and took in a deep breath as she prepared her confession. "I've just felt so alone." There. She said it. It felt like it had taken her a thousand years and every last ounce of her will power to admit it openly.
All at once she began to feel light headed as well. She withdrew her wing from covering Certo and stood up to walk off the nausea. However, like Certo, she too was at the point of exhaustion. She collapsed to the ground and stared out at the world beyond. She no longer cared about the cold, or the pain, or the loneliness. She just wanted rest.
Behind her, Certo teetered off balance slightly as he got to his feet. Once he had himself established, he stooped down next to Crona and began to press his snout under her belly. The white dragoness was beginning to doze off when she felt him shoving at her side. She took a quick glance down and realized that the black dragon was trying to carry her.
"N-no! Stop it!"
"Will you sit still?" Certo snapped.
"No! You're too tired, and I'm too heavy! You'll get hurt!" She squirmed as a small fit of panic gripped her heart, realizing that he was not going to back away. As much as she had wanted his acceptance to listen to her these past several days, she had no idea how to handle the situation this had turned out to be.
"If you don't sit still right this instant, then I'm going to drop you! And I won't be held responsible if you hurt yourself!"
That got Crona to stop squirming about on his back. As soon as she did, the panic in her mind subsided.
Now certain that he was not going to drop her, Certo began trudging towards a large cluster of oak trees. "I don't need you to worry about me," He growled as his eyelids drooped. "I can take care of myself." He dragged himself along until he was standing in a patch of soft grass right below the tall oak. Clumsily, the black dragon set her down. He tried to be gentle about it, but still managed to accidentally bump her head with his. She winced at the pain but otherwise, said nothing. This had to be the most humiliating time of her life. If anything, she felt that she had been able to take care of herself, yet here he was. The biggest jerk she knew was taking charge, and acting in a way that she had not experienced since she was young with her father.
Certo walked around the white dragoness and reached up to the lowest branches of the oak tree. He gave a hard pull with his jaws, forcing himself to use all the energy he had left to break the tough wood. With a loud snap, he was able to snap the branches off half-way and bend them down to the ground. He continued this process for nearly fifteen minutes with Crona watching him curiously. When he was finally done he gave a weary sigh, looking and feeling more worn out than before.
"At least now we have some cover from the wind," He said as he looked around at their makeshift tent before looking down at her. "Are you still cold?"
Surprisingly, the dragoness chuckled and a smile grazed her features. "Aren't you?" The black dragon's head jerked back when he saw her expression change. Why was she smiling all of a sudden? Just minutes before she had been lecturing him as she always did.
"I asked you first," He snorted, averting his eyes. The truth was, he was freezing his tail off, but would not admit it to her. But the bashful gesture only succeeded in making the situation more amusing to the white dragoness, and she could not help but giggle a little.
"To be honest, yes. I'm almost expecting my wings to fall of any minute now." She looked up at him in the moonlight and could immediately tell he was even worse off than she was.
Certo turned away, trying not to be amused by her remark, and reared up on his hind legs, placing his front paws against the tree trunk. He began striking the trunk, over and over again. As he continued this, Crona scooted a little bit closer for heat. Her wing brushed against the black dragon's hind legs and he stifled a startled squeak.
After a couple minutes of striking the tree, Certo dropped back on all fours. "Sorry about this," he apologized as he sucked in a deep breath. He gave a strong exhale and the oak branches rustled loudly. The wind swirled around the tree, blowing over the two dragons for a good minute. Certo paused to catch his breath and listened. A few moments later, leaves began to fall. As they gently rained down around them, Certo began packing them into small piles around Crona. "This should help keep you warm."
"Thank you," the white dragoness whispered. She was already beginning to doze off again.
Finally, Certo was able to sit down next to Crona. After checking on her and making sure she was perfectly snug, he settled down himself, nestling into the large pile of leaves. The last remaining loose leaves on the tree fell onto their bare backs. Certo sighed as he looked at Crona in the darkness. The leaves were beginning to warm up around her, making her drift faster and faster into her slumber.
As she drifted off, the last sound she heard was an audible sigh, before a deep, comforting sleep took over at last.


Daybreak finally came. The sun rose steadily over the hills, burning away the morning fog and warming the landscape. Birds began to chirp, small animals emerged to forage for food and the insects began their daily buzzing routine.
Below the cover of the oak tress, Crona and Certo lay fast asleep. Despite the young dragons' quarrels the over the past few days, the two had managed to get some good quality rest. Both dragons were huddled closely together, keeping warm throughout the rest of the chilly night.
As the sun fully emerged over the horizon, its rays of light began to shine through the trees. Before long, the warming light had settled on the two dragons, hitting Certo square in the face.
The black dragon groaned and curled his lip in irritation. He brought a wing up to shield his face and cracked his eyes open to look around. A curtain of oak branches hung over him; their dense leaves keeping out most of the sunlight. Beyond the veil lay the vast tree-speckled meadows. Flocks of birds flew from tree to tree, chasing the insects they hungered for. The small woodland creatures scurried around in the grass, nibbling on dandelions and wildflowers. It seemed as though everything was at peace, as it should be. Certo sighed and turned his head to see Crona curled up next to him.
Seeing her lying so close to him caused his heart to skip a beat. His other wing was draped over her, providing a protective blanket, which he quickly withdrew. The gesture was almost immediately answered by the white dragoness's discomforted whimper due to the sudden chill. Crona's reaction caused her tail to twitch slightly. Certo felt the movement and turned his head to see their tails intertwined; much like the way he had seen Terra and Amp do numerous times.
Certo jumped up, yanking his tail back to himself. What was going on? Did he miss something during the night? Why were they in such an affectionate, cuddly position? Had he been the one to initiate it, or had Crona?
The black dragon suddenly felt dizzy and he slumped against the trunk of the tree. The wind during the night had further weakened the broken branches. When Certo hit the tree, one of the branches snapped, striking him on top of the head with a loud clunk.
"Ow! Son of a...!" The black dragon groaned and fell to the ground clutching at his head.
The sudden movement brought the white dragoness back from a pleasant dream. Ever since her mother's death, her nights had been plagued by nightmares; but tonight had been different. It was the first time she had slept with another by her side. Yet through the entire night she slept soundly and awoke to feeling at peace; like nothing terrible had ever happened.
The sleepy dragoness opened her eyes and blinked several times as the light of day invaded her vision. Beside her, Certo lay on the ground with a large oak branch beside him. He was grumbling and cursing to himself as he rubbed a spot on his head. "What did you do now?" She asked, trying not to chuckle, even though she could already guess what had happened.
"I didn't do anything," Certo groaned, already being put into a slightly bad mood from just waking up. He glared up at the overhanging oaks and hissed irritatedly. "Stupid trees," he growled and knocked the branch away.
"Let me take a look at it," Crona suggested, getting to her feet and peering closely at Certo's forehead. It was hard to tell if there was any bruising but she could see no signs of a bump or scratch of any sort. "Looks like that hard head of yours came in handy after all." She chuckled. "You're clean."
Certo continued to grumble to himself as she stepped away smiling impishly at him. Smiling was something he was not used to seeing with her at all and he felt as if he could not look her in the eye. He let his eyes glide down her figure, taking in her full vision for what felt like the first time. He had never noticed the soft grey spots that peppered her shoulders and thighs before now. They gave her a very gentle, youthful appearance, countered by the elaborately decorated gold breastplate and tail ring. As Crona's tail swung gracefully behind her, Certo noticed a streak of red against her pure, white scales.
"Crona, you're bleeding." He gasped.
"I'm what?" Crona turned her head and looked herself over. Sure enough, she had a single cut along the length of her tail. Blood trickled from it, causing the red line to stretch out longer than it seemed to be. "How did that happen?" She asked curiously.
Certo turned his head and lifted his tail blade. On the edge of his main blade, dripping slightly from his barbs, were several small droplets of blood. His heart sank and he squeezed his eyes shut. He had not been awake for five minutes and already his day was turning out just like the rest of his life; nothing but misery for him and those around him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered and turned to leave. "It's my fault."
Crona's head snapped around when she heard him move. "Certo? Where are you going?"
"Away from you and everyone else," He replied. "I don't want you to get hurt anymore for just being around me. It's safer for you this way. I'm sorry."
The white dragoness watched him curiously and cocked her head to the side. "Why are you apologizing?" She took a quick glance at her tail, then to Certo's tail blade before putting the pieces together. It almost seemed ridiculous. Hardly any reason worth walking away for. "This?" She asked, raising her tail and a skeptical brow. The sarcasm itself hung heavy in her voice. "You're leaving me behind here for this?" She almost wanted to laugh at how stubborn he was being. Certo watched as she slid her tail against the wet grass, wiping off the excess blood. When she was done she walked over and held her tail up to show him. The once blood-stained scales were now wiped clean and glistened a brilliant white in the morning sunlight.
Certo paused to examine her tail. It was obvious she was fine, or at least putting on a very well-played facade. But the massive doubt in his mind still remained. "This doesn't change anything," he growled and pushed past her. "If you hang around me, you'll only get hurt worse. And you won't be able to wipe those wounds away as easily." An uneasy sigh escaped from his maw and the wind whined in response. Certo looked down at his own body and the scars that covered his hide. Each time he looked at them, or someone else looked at them, he was reminded of his horrible past and how they had come to be.
Crona watched as he examined himself for a long time. Certo's figure seemed much darker than before. The longer he stared at his scars, the more he felt the hate swell up inside him. He remembered why he had left the other dragons and the city in the first place; to hunt down and kill his brother.
With an angry snarl, Certo stepped out from the cover of the oak trees and into the bright sunlight. "Just do yourself a favor, Crona, and stay away from me! You have no right involving yourself in my business!" He stormed down the small hill and spread his dark wings. The wind began to pick up as his temper soared and he leaped into the air with a mighty flap of his wings. But instead of climbing into the sky, he plummeted towards the ground. He hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of himself in the process. Certo coughed and sputtered grass out of his mouth as he struggled to get his wind back. When he began to breathe properly again, he looked back over his shoulder to see Crona on top of him, pinning him to the ground with a heated glare on her face.
"Stop it, right now!" She hissed angrily. She stepped off of his back and stood in front of him, blocking his path. "I know you're feeling a lot of pain right now, Certo, and I want to help you. I really do. But if you don't stop and tell me right now, why it is that you're so convinced that by hanging around you, others are going to be hurt, then by the ancestors, I am going to keep you here until you speak!"
Immediately Certo was on his feet, his wings spread wide and his chest thrust out before him. "Is that a challenge, Crona?"
Crona crouched low and sideways, facing him. "Call it whatever you want. I don't back down from anyone. Especially not you!"
A rumbling growl resonated in Certo's throat. The wind continued to blow across the land as Certo's tail lashed at the air. He narrowed his eyes and curled his lips at the young dragoness, showing his sharp teeth. "If you think you can get me to talk with empty threats, then you are in for a rude surprise!"
"Trust me Darky. I never give out empty threats!"
"Such big talk from such a little girl," Certo nearly spat. He may as well have.
That last comment was the final straw for the white dragoness. She was now angrier with him than she had ever been before. With lightning speed, she whirled around and struck with the broad side of her tail across his face. The strike surprised the black dragon, and the blow caused his head to snap around as he staggered back.
Crona took another step forward and struck him again in the face. The force of the hit spun him around, but this time Certo used the momentum to retaliate. With an angry hiss, he caught her aside the head with the flat of his own blade. The dragoness wobbled on her feet, giving Certo the chance to slam her in the side with his shoulder. He was easily a full head taller than she was and possibly fifty pounds heavier. But the amount of force he used knocked her to the ground and sent her rolling through the grass.
An infuriated scream left Crona's throat as she got to her feet again. She dug her claws into the earth and lashed the air with her tail. She kicked hard and charged forward with her horns forward. Certo sidestepped and tripped her as she shot past. Crona squalled in surprise as she rolled head over heels before slowing time to catch herself. Before she hit the ground, she lashed out and struck the black dragon in the chin. Certo was knocked on his back and Crona rolled to her feet again. She pounced on the black dragon, digging her long talons into his shoulders, trying to pin him.
All of a sudden she felt Certo's chest rise beneath her as he inhaled deeply. Crona's eyes widened as he thrust his face towards hers and opened his mouth to release a sonic roar. The black dragon froze as Crona halted time to spring off of him. She backed away several yards before releasing hold of her active power. The black dragon's sonic roar exploded from his throat. Crona felt the deep reverberations thunder in her head and rattle her teeth. The vibrations were so intense she had to shut her eyes before the blood vessels in her eyes ruptured. She heard the startled gasp as Certo looked over to see her standing several yards away from him. Crona opened her eyes to see him scramble to his feet, but she was faster to react. Once again she stopped time and charged into him, nearly crushing his ribs when she hit him.
Certo felt the wind rush out of him and he bounced across the ground. He swung his tail as Crona rushed in again only to hit nothing but air. Another heavy blow came from behind as she pounced on his back, riding his face into the ground. The black dragon roared, sending up chunks of earth, peppering the white dragoness's face. With Crona distracted, Certo reared back on his hind legs and flailed wildly, throwing her off. The white dragoness landed on her feet, hissing with white teeth showing. Certo lunged for her throat. He slashed with his claws which seemed to pass right through her.
"What the...!" He gasped. Crona delivered a hard strike with her paw to Certo's cheek, making him see stars for a second. The black dragon slashed with his tail blade again but hit nothing. "What is going on?" He screamed in his mind. Each time he thought he had her, Crona would somehow evade his attack and strike from a completely different angle.
"What's the matter, Certo?" The white dragoness's voice seemed to be coming from all around him. "Having trouble keeping up with me? Or maybe you're not as tough as you think you are."
"Shut up!" Certo shouted furiously. "Shut up! Everyone just shut up!" The wind suddenly picked up into a swirling whirlwind. Certo thrust his wings open, blowing the white dragoness away. As Crona rolled and bounced across the ground, Certo turned and raced after her, hoping to catch her by surprise. When she came to a halt he sprang into the air with his claws outstretched towards her. Crona opened her eyes and squeaked before flinching. Certo stopped, frozen again by her active power, just inches from where she lay. Crona got to her feet and turned her back to Certo before leaning her upper body down towards the ground. Certo cried out as the white dragoness kicked with both her hind legs, hitting him square in the face.
The black dragon staggered back, rubbing his eyes with the back of his paws. Now that he was distracted, Crona froze time again. She ran several yards away before she began to concentrate. This next blow was going to hurt him enough so that he would not want to fight any more, that much she was sure.
It did not take much effort for her to concentrate on the blue mist that flowed in abundance throughout this area. The magical energy filled her body and spiraled around her giving her white body an almost celestial glow. Crona kicked hard against the ground, kicking up large chunks of dirt as she propelled herself forward, gaining more and more speed.
Certo had no way to dodge the dragoness's attack. She plowed into him with crushing force, sending him flying backwards into a far tree. He felt the bones in his chest crack and the taste of blood filled his mouth as he slumped to the ground. The black dragon was completely baffled as he opened his eyes, struggling to rise to his feet again. Not even Titanus could hit with this much power. How did she do it? He cried out in agony as a wave of pain overwhelmed him.
Across the field, Crona lurked forward like a large cat stalking its prey, waiting to see if he would make a move. Certo fixed her with his crimson eye and she froze. His bad eye and scars across his body suddenly began to burn bright with crimson energy. All at once, the glow disappeared as Crona immediately appeared before him, slamming him against the tree and pinning him with her talons. The glow disappeared and Certo heard a loud snap in his chest as the pain intensified from the pressure. He glared into Crona's furious blue eyes. She was always pulling these weird evasive tricks from out of nowhere and getting the better of him. The mere thought of it pissed him off even more.
Crona felt a hard force drive into her soft underbelly as Certo kicked her with all the force he could muster. She staggered back, clutching at her stomach with one paw. Certo collapsed to the ground, but kept his eyes fixed on the white dragoness. Crona froze for a moment to think. The sudden sensation of pain in her stomach seemed to bring her back from the pit of rage she had been delving into.
"What am I doing?" She thought to herself. "This isn't right. We shouldn't be fighting like this." Before she could turn to face him, Certo roared, sending a massive updraft beneath her feet. The slashing wind hit her like a ton of bricks and tossed her several meters into the air. Crona was so surprised she had no time to realize she was plummeting towards the ground until it was too late.
The white dragoness struck the ground hard and a loud crack echoed in the wind. Crona and Certo's eyes both widened and the two dragons stopped moving. The sickening snap seemed to ring in Certo's ears over and over as he stared at the white dragoness.  "Oh no," he thought to himself as his mouth fell open. Crona lay on the ground staring out at the world in shock. Her breathing was heavy as she tried to regain her senses. A terrible pain shot through her left front leg and spread across her entire body.
"Ow," she whimpered as tears filled her eyes. How in the world had this happened? How had this little petty argument spiraled so out of control? How did she get so carried away with anger that she could not stop to even think about the consequences? "I'm so stupid," She thought to herself. "This is so stupid." She struggled to rise, but her broken leg would no longer hold her weight, forcing her to rise on her only good front leg.
All at once she started coughing hard. She felt a sudden discharge from her throat hit the grass in front of her. It was blood. Her blood. She looked at Certo who was frozen in mortified shock; both because of her and his own actions. "I...I'm sorry," she wheezed.
It took Certo a moment to get the feeling back in his body, and he shook his head. "Wh-what have I done?" He gasped as he walked over to her. "What have I done!" He fell before her with tears streaming down his cheeks.
"How could I do such a horrible thing?" He thought to himself before looking into Crona's pain-filled eyes. "I'm a horrible dragon! I'm no good to anyone!" His bad eye and scars began to glow with brilliant crimson energy again. "I didn't mean it Crona! I'm sorry! I really didn't!"
The white dragoness felt the guilt in her heart weigh her down as she struggled to scoot closer to him. On the third try she managed to get close enough to rest her head under his chin. She nuzzled him, as her father had to her many times before, to comfort him once more.
"I know," she whispered, trying to hide the fact that she was in a severe amount of pain. "I didn't mean it either." Through his sobbing she could hear his labored breathing and a harsh rasp in his lungs. "I'm sorry for hitting you like that."
Certo nearly choked on his tears as he jerked away from her. "You're sorry? What are you, stupid? Or did you hit your head when you fell?" He frowned and clenched his claws tight. "I'm the one who started this whole mess!" He didn't realize it but blood was trickling from his mouth as well. He shook his head in despair, throwing tears everywhere. "It's all because of me! It's always because of me! I can never do anything right! I can never please anyone! Every time I try and do something right, I end up hurting someone without intending to! Everybody suffers because of me!"
Suddenly he was knocked on his back. When he opened his eyes, he saw Crona on top of him, pinning his shoulders to the ground with tears in her eyes as well. Certo only shook his head. He just could not seem to understand this girl. "How?" He wheezed. "How can you even bring yourself to be around me?" Crona was silent. "How? Why?" Certo pleaded. "Why do you continue to chase after me when I've already told you, time and time again, not to? Why are you concerning yourself with me? I'm nothing special! Not to anyone else and definitely not to you!" He closed his eyes and laid his head back; wishing death would come to take him.
Crona only shook her head and smiled down at him. It was forced because of the pain but the feeling was from her heart. For some reason she was powerless to do anything else in this situation which had worked out to be far more confusing to her than anything she had previously experienced in her life.
"Why do you refuse to believe that someone cares for you?" She said in almost a whisper. "I'm trying to care for you right now." She suddenly felt weak. Her eyelids felt heavy. All of a sudden, her legs began to give way, refusing to support her body any longer.
Certo's eyes widened and a wave of fear swept through his body before settling into his heart as the white dragoness collapsed on top of him. "Crona? Crona!" He cried frantically, bringing a paw up to rest on her sleek neck. He could feel her pulse beating strong against his paw pads but right now she was suddenly exhausted.
Slowly the black dragon leaned up and forced himself to endure the pain she had inflicted on him. It was the least she deserved. He kept her close to his body, being sure to watch out for her broken leg as he hoisted her onto his back. He carried her back to the cover underneath the oak tree and set her down under their makeshift tent from the night before. It was only a few yards away but the injury and uphill climb made it feel like miles. At last he set the white dragoness down on the soft nest of leaves, warmed by the sun. The black dragon fell onto his haunches and hung his head in shame as he waited for her to awaken.


When Crona woke up for the second time that day, it was quite different from the last. As soon as she opened her eyes, the world around her seemed to be spinning in motion. The nausea settled in her stomach for several minutes before passing with the flow of energy around her.
Her entire body hurt. She began to think that the terrible fight from before had all just been a dream until she attempted to move her left leg. The pain came rushing back with unrelenting force. Crona bit her lower lip and squeezed her eyes shut again until the initial shock went away.
At last she was able to look up at the black dragon who sat silently beside her, putting her fears to rest. The relief she felt for seeing him safe and sound was indescribable. She wanted to stop him from running off but knew right now she would be powerless to stop him if he tried again. Never before had she so desperately wanted to know what pained him so, wanted to understand him; to be his friend. In the previous days she had already felt like she understood a small part of it.
He blamed himself constantly. He avoided the contact of others and behaved in such way that it was now clear that he had forced himself to in order to refrain from becoming close with anyone. Crona sat for a long time, just staring at him as he gazed off into the distance. At last she decided to try her luck.
"Why do you blame yourself for hurting others?" She whispered.
The black dragon jolted in surprise, snapping out of his trance. He had not expected her to awaken so soon but was relieved to see he had not killed her. Her forearm had become extremely swollen and bruised, and the sight of it made the black dragon's heart sink deeper into despair. His eyes were red and puffy from hours of silent crying. The longer he stared her, the more he felt lost and overweighed with grief and anguish. He had been very antisocial to everyone since that day he had woken up in Terra's home, but now he could restrain himself no longer. It was as if some unseen force was compelling him to tell her.
"I don't want anyone to become close to me," he replied coldly. "Everyone I once loved or cared for is dead."
"I'm sorry," Crona murmured, scooting closer to him hoping it would help ease his pain just slightly.
"Do you know why?" Certo asked, pretending to ignore the gesture. Crona shook her head. "It's because of Neros." Certo sighed and dug his claws into the earth. "He killed them! He had them all killed! Right before my very eyes!" His scars began to light up with crimson energy again, but softer this time. "He had those damned dirty apes slaughter them in our own home. My mom and dad. My older brother and his mate. My sister and her mate. Even my little sister was murdered in cold blood!" He turned to Crona as tears began to flow again. "And he even tried to have me killed! His own brother! His twin brother! I was his only friend and supporting family member and he even wanted me dead!"
Certo suddenly turned and roared into the trees nearby. The sonic blast shattered the oaks, turning them into piles of splinters. The noise hurt his ears but he could care less about that right now. His chest hurt even more with the effort taken to emit the extended blast, now that he had used his family's signature specialty attack. He slashed the ground, savagely tearing up dirt, grass and leaves. "I know my family was cruel to him, but they didn't deserve to die!" He hung his head and watched as the tears spilled onto his paws. "Even Ana... she was only a little younger than Maya... He had her killed too... She didn't even have a chance!"
"Certo," Crona tried to interrupt but the black dragon was not going to stop until he was completely finished with what he had to say. She wanted him to stop talking about this but this was what she wanted. To know him and understand him. Even if his bone-chilling story did briefly remind her of her own childhood.
"I was the only one who supported Neros over the years. I tried to make sure that he got just as many opportunities to succeed as I did. I was trying to be a true friend to him and treat him in a way that I thought was fair when the other members of my family wouldn't. And now he wants me dead for it." Certo turned to look the white dragoness in the eye with a serious expression plastered on his features. "Crona, before he left me in the gardens back at the city, he made a vow to kill all the dragons of the world. He thinks all dragons are evil creatures who don't deserve to live because we have no sense of community or family. And he's going to start with those he thinks I care about."
"That explains it," Crona muttered, glancing away from him for a moment. "Now it all makes sense why you've been acting the way you have."
Certo nodded. "So do you see why I can't have you around? He'll go after you too! And I can't have anyone else die either..." He shook his head, squeezing the last of his tears out. "Not because of me."
Crona bent her head down in shame. She had felt so bent on helping him before, but now that she fully understood his traumatic story to its full extent, doubt began to plant its seed in the pit of her stomach. No amount of comfort could ever heal a broken heart. She had learned that from personal experience. But what could she do? She wasn't useless to him was she? No, that couldn't be the answer. There had to be a way for them to get around this. After all, she had survived a thousand year war and the end of the world. She stared hard at the ground, thinking about what he had just told her. If Neros was out to kill every dragon he came across, then… "Does it matter?" She murmured, not even realizing she was talking out loud.
"What?" Certo turned to face her sideways again.
"What do you mean what?" Crona deadpanned, her calm expression seemed almost serene. "I'm asking, does it matter. If you brother has decided to kill every dragon in the world, then I'm going to be among the dead sooner or later. What good would it do to live if I can't be happy doing it?"
"But I don't want you to die! Don't you see that?" Certo cried. "You're a smart dragoness Crona! A really smart dragoness!  More than anyone I've ever met! But don't you see that while Neros is still alive, you and everyone else are in danger? You have to let me go! I have to kill him before he hurts anyone else!" Certo sighed and clutched at his throbbing chest. It hurt to breathe. "He almost killed Maya back at the gardens. If I hadn't acted as fast as I did, then she wouldn't be with us today." He looked back at her and shook his head. "I won't let you die. Not without a fight and while I'm still around to do something about it."
Crona let out a deep breath she hadn't known she was holding. "I never wanted to die in the first place Certo. And I'm flattered you think that way about me. But I'm not going to stand around here, waiting to be killed or even more so, waiting for him to kill you."
Certo turned away from her; partially embarrassed and otherwise slightly irritated she was not going to back down from her decision. Carefully, the dragoness took a step forward on her good leg, keeping her left tucked close to her body. "Why can I not help you with this? I'm not helpless, you know." She almost laughed out loud. "You know first hand I'm not helpless. I know you don't want it, but think about the odds right now. What if you had others to help you?"
Certo shook his head. Amp and Terra would jump at the opportunity and possibly even Sabre and the other girls. But that was about the extent of support he would get. And he was not willing to risk their lives for his purpose. "I could never live with myself if anything happened to you or them. I won't allow them to help, no matter how much they beg. Neros is my family. He's my problem. I'll face him alone. Like you said before, don't involve others in your own affairs when they have the potential to get hurt." He looked down at Crona's swollen forelimb. It was beginning to turn blue and purple against her white scales. "I wasn't even fighting Neros and you've already gotten hurt... because of me..." He brought his eyes up to hers. She had not moved her gaze from his face. "Why do you feel the need to care about me? I'm just not worth the time and effort."
"So a dragon who doesn't want to see others suffer a horrible future, is not worth caring for? Not worth my time?" Crona shook her head. Under normal circumstances she would have been fed up by this point but part of her concentration was being focused on suppressing the pain in her leg. "Please, Certo, don't make yourself less important than you are. You mean a lot more to more dragons than you think."
"I know!" Certo snapped suddenly but quickly lowered his voice. "I know how many others claim to care for me. But I've tried to keep from caring about them so I wouldn't have to deal with the pain of losing anyone close to me ever again."
"Sometimes it's unavoidable." Crona shook her head, looking down at her leg. "I've had to learn that the hard way. I'm still not fully sure I can't do something to change the outcome. But I try to make at least some sort of difference."
"I'm tired of everyone hurting. I hate that I can't help anyone."
"You can help someone by letting them into your life," Crona said softly, locking her eyes with his. "And you can stop the pain by letting them help you when you need it most."
Certo sat speechless before her. Her fierce baby-blue eyes now seemed so gentle and compassionate it almost frightened him. The wind began to moan through the trees again as he stared at her. She had meant every word that came out of her mouth, even though personally, the white dragoness was making a mental note about her advice for her own purposes. Certo fought with himself for several minutes. Despite their tendency to disagree on every issue that passed between them, he trusted Crona more than anyone else at this point in his life. But was he really willing to take a risk and let her get involved in his affairs? Was it really worth possibly losing her just to put an end to the madness Neros was about to unleash?
Crona could see the battle raging behind his eyes and straightened up as much as she could. "So Certo? What do you say? Will you let me help you?"
"I... I..." Certo stammered, unsure of what to say. He had not fully finished his personal debate and was beginning to panic. All of a sudden he felt something move through the wind; something large. Certo turned his head and his eyes grew wide. "Something's coming!" He gasped.
"What? What is it?" Crona asked following his gaze.
A sudden hoot cut through the air. Both dragons stared at one another in wide eyes. "Apes!" No sooner had they spoken than the scraggly baboons appeared. Several had been hiding in several of the tree pockets that had been scattered about the vast meadow while others had been steadily creeping forward under Certo's vision line. The hills were not especially large but they provided enough cover for the evil barbarians to draw closer to their prey.  
Certo was on his feet in a flash and Crona stood right beside him. "Stay back, I'll handle this!" He growled. Before Crona could verbally defy him, the first apes bore down on them. Certo lurched forward, ramming the leader in the chest, his head cracking his enemy's chest wall. The ape staggered back, giving enough room for the two on his flank to swing their boned weapons at the black dragon. Certo jumped back towards Crona before thrusting his wing barbs forward, gouging them in the eyes. The apes shrieked in pain and fell to the ground, clutching at their bloody faces. Two more from the group bypassed Certo and went straight for Crona. The black dragon whirled on them, exhaling quickly, sending a gust of wind out to knock one into the oak tree. The other reached for Crona with his free hand while a savage dagger was gripped in the other. Much like before, the ape only grabbed nothing but air. He staggered forward and looked back to where the dragoness had been a split second before.
"Looking for me?" The ape turned his head as Crona leaped into the air and slashed him across the face with her talons. Her opponent staggered back as she beat her wings, just enough to hover off the ground. She pounced on his chest and bit down hard on his throat. With a quick jerk of her head, she snapped his neck, killing him instantly. She looked back at Certo, who watched her in astonishment. "Told you I'm not helpless." She said, giving him a wink.
The first ape Certo had knocked down had gotten his second wind and was getting to his feet again. He reached out and grabbed the black dragon by his tail, yanking him off his feet and into the air.
"Certo!" Crona screamed and beat her wings to get herself airborne. An angry hoot came from behind and she banked sharply to avoid the scythe-like blade that nearly claimed her life. The ape swung again, narrowly missing the dragoness by a sliver. Crona beat her aching wings harder and climbed higher. The ape leaped after her, claws grasping at her frantically, trying to keep her from escaping.
Certo saw the sword prepare to plunge into his flesh. He flexed his stomach muscles, curling hard and fast towards his tail. He had enough force and luck to plunge one of his long horns into the bottom of the ape's skull. The beast fell dead on top of Certo, covering him in his warm blood. The black dragon scrambled out from under the ape's body as more closed in on their position. Several of the apes wielded long spears and went right for Crona, who was hovering at a safe distance out of the scythe's reach.
"Crona, behind you!" Certo grabbed one ape's leg in his jaws, biting hard enough to shatter its ankle. The white dragoness turned and banked hard as three spears shot up at her. Down below, the apes were gathering around the black dragon, who had just gotten to his feet. The ape that he had grabbed struck him across the face with a hard punch, forcing him to stagger back. Another ape behind him lashed out with a knife and grazed the black dragon's shoulder as he sidestepped, sensing the movement in the wind. Certo grabbed the ape's wrist and twisted. The ape howled as his bone snapped. But no sooner had the black dragon plunged his tail blade into his attacker's gut than another ape slashed with his dirty claws. Certo felt a stinging sensation in his sides and struck his tail across the ape's face. The baboons were closing in the space around him, leaving less and less room to move around and fight back.
"No, not again." Crona gasped to herself. "They're going to tear him apart, just like they did to Arcadia." The memory of her friend was enough to make Crona forget about the growing pain in her body and dive down towards the ape with the scythe. "Hey ugly! Come and get me!" The baboon growled angrily, seeing the dragoness lower herself in front of him. He swung his weapon and Crona dodged. "That's it," Crona thought. "Just a little closer."
Behind her, the apes were making a thunderous racket as they piled on top of each other, scratching and clawing to get at the black dragon in the middle of their violent mosh pit. Certo was lashing out with his tail blade, slitting the throats of dozens of his attackers, but the apes continued to scramble over their dead and grab at him.
Crona's opponent howled and swung his scythe from side to side, hoping to cut the dragoness's stomach wide open. This was the strike Crona had been waiting for. She stopped time and flew behind the ape and rammed him towards the cluster of bodies. She released her hold on time and watched as the scythe ripped through several apes. Crona stopped time again and rushed into the break in the crowd of scrambling monkeys.  Frozen in time they looked even more horrific with their wild, bloodthirsty expressions and mouths hanging open exclaiming their untamed excitement. Certo was in the middle of gouging another ape in the eyes with his claws.
The white dragoness hobbled over to him and concentrated on the black dragon. All at once Certo's roar rang loud in her ears as he was freed from time's grasp. He ripped the ape's face off and turned to look for his next victim and gasped when he saw all the apes frozen in place.
"Certo," Crona spoke up grabbing his attention. "Come on, this way." She thrust her head towards the opening her clumsy opponent had made in the walls.
"Crona? What's going on? What happened?"
"I don't have time to explain!" She shook her head. "We'll deal with that later, just get out of there! I don't know how much longer I can keep this up!" Certo didn't argue. He squeezed through their cluster of bodies and out into the open. Crona turned as she passed the ape with the scythe. "Hey, take care of him would you?"
Certo stared at the ape and growled. "Gladly." He thrust his tail blade into the ape's gut and tore it wide open. By now, Crona was already limping up the small hill towards the oak trees. Certo followed close to her and turned to look at the apes, still frozen.
"Get ready." Crona warned. Slowly the figures began to move again.
Taking the hint, Certo inhaled deeply, filling himself with as much air as he could. As soon as Crona's time control stopped, Certo thrust his head forward, a piercing roar erupting from his jaws. Dozens of apes were hit by the shock wave; their internal organs ruptured and their skin tearing from their bones. A sudden throb in his chest cut the black dragon off and he staggered forward.
"Are you all right?" Crona cried worriedly.
"I'm fine," Certo wheezed. The apes were looking around in confusion but they quickly spotted the two dragons close by. Certo backed up towards Crona and prepared for the next attack wave.
"We can't keep going like this!" Crona shouted as Certo lashed out at the first ape and another made a stab at her. She reared onto her hind legs and slashed the ape's face, gouging his left eyeball in the process.
A hard punch to the gut sent Certo tumbling into Crona. The white dragoness screamed as a sudden wave of pain hit her. Up until now she had been able to ignore the pain in her badly broken leg, but her adrenaline was beginning to wear off now. The apes grabbed at the young dragons and Certo hit them at point blank range with another sonic blast. The apes fell back into their comrades, blood pouring from every pore and orifice on their faces.
"I'm open to suggestions!" Certo lashed out at an ape that was attempting to drag Crona off. As soon as that ape was down, another raised its dagger. Crona flinched, waiting for the stabbing pain but it never came. Certo stopped the blow with his own tail blade before blowing a gust of wind into the ape's face, stinging his eyes.
Crona was starting to feel the pressure as she swatted a hand that was trying to grab at her. Certo was trying his best to keep the attackers at bay but she remembered what she learned about the apes from back during the war. What the apes lacked in physical strength, they made up for in tenacity and numbers. They were trying to surround them again but Certo had learned their strategy now. With quick bursts of wind he managed to blow several of them back, buying precious seconds for him to keep the white dragoness covered. Crona could see he was desperately trying to knock back every creature that came too close, but he was only one dragon against almost a hundred apes.
"Certo! If you can hold them off for a little longer, I think I can stop them!" This desperate situation was going to call for a desperate plan of action.
"Like I have a choice?" Certo roared; puncturing an ape's arm as it swung its hooked bone weapon.
Crona did not have time to ponder his words. Right now she had to put her complete faith and trust in the black dragon that he could get the job done. It was already difficult for her to concentrate with all the noise surrounding her. Crona straightened herself up and began to focus her mind into a meditative state. Seeing the white dragoness suddenly grow still, the apes began to press harder, forcing Certo to exert more gusts of wind to knock them back.
"What in the world is she planning?" He growled to himself. "She's just sitting there like she's giving up." He felt more claws slash against his neck and he bit down on reaction. With a massive heave, Certo flung the ape into the pressing company of apes.
Behind him Crona continued to delve into a deep concentration. Her mouth hung open, breathing in the energy around them; tasting, smelling, feeling, sensing every disturbance in the air. In her mind's eye she could envision it; the blue mist. Its brilliant glowing form rippled wildly in the air and around her feet as the fight between Certo and the apes continued. She could see them all now. The apes, possessing no magical power, were dark shadows amongst the streams of magic but Certo stood out among them. Instead of being shrouded in blue energy as other dragons normally were, his energy burned in a blazing crimson light.
"That's not normal," Crona thought to herself. Certo's sudden cry from a slash across his forearm reminded her what she was supposed to be doing. "Hang in there just a little longer Certo!" She cried. "I'm almost there!"
All around, the blue mist was present; its force was very strong here in this untouched wilderness. The fresh wind was easy to breathe in and Crona filled her body with the luscious energy. This had always been the easiest part. Where other dragons would just breathe out magical energy in their elemental bursts, Crona had had to find another way to expel the invading force. Her brows furrowed as she took her concentration deeper. Now was the hard part; balancing the pushing and pulling of the magical energy from her body. It was now manifesting before her in a swirling ball of energy. The blue mist pulsed as it became more concentrated, not wanting to bend to the white dragoness's submission. Crona forced more energy out to counteract the power of the blue mist to hold it in place. It was quickly massing into a powerful force and if she were to lose control it would mean the end of her and possibly even Certo.
"Get behind me! NOW!" She screamed. The energy from the blue mist began to push against her, harder and harder, wanting to return to its free flowing state. Certo was quick to react. He ducked under another sword swipe and flapped his wings once, propelling himself behind the dragoness and knocking the apes back once again.
Crona saw the crimson figure of the black dragon land behind her as the energy she had summoned began to twist and warp. The push of the magic was pressing her back, forcing her to sit on her haunches and raise her healthy front paw to help press against the opposing force.
With one giant push of her own energy and a deafening shriek, she expelled the energy in one enormous blast. The blue mist exploded outward, consuming the apes in a massive beam of pure energy. The recoil was so powerful, Crona had to lean into it to avoid being knocked backwards. As more and more energy was expelled, the more she found her feet skidding across the ground. She dug her claws into the earth to stabilize herself, but the recoil quickly overwhelmed her.  As the energy reached its peak, Crona let out a scream as she was knocked back into Certo. The two dragons tumbled back over the roots of the oak trees, rolling head over heels across the grassy plane. The light from the combustion of energy engulfed the plains and the thundering explosion carried for miles.
When the ringing died away, Certo was the first to raise his head. His whole body ached and his chest throbbed. He staggered to his feet and looked around to see what danger still lurked about. But all he heard was silence as the dust settled across the landscape.
"What in the world was that?" He gasped, his eyes widening in shock and his jaw falling open.
Beside him, Crona coughed. "That... was my strongest attack." She too had trouble rising to her feet. She was beginning to feel numb now as she stood on her three good legs. She smiled when she saw the black dragon's reaction. "Pretty nifty, huh?"
Certo shook his head in disbelief. He could not believe he had just witnessed an entire throng of enemies get wiped off the face of the earth by one little dragoness. Up until then he had believed his brother's newfound power was the strongest he had ever seen but now he was beginning to think twice. "Where the hell did you learn a move like that?"
"It's something I learned on my own," Crona sighed. She was feeling slightly woozy and the feeling of nausea was beginning to take over. "When you don't possess any sort of breath attacks like other dragons, you learn to compensate in your own way."
"No shit," Certo gasped. "I guess we're lucky you have that ability. Otherwise we'd be dead by now."
"Yeah," Crona nodded. "But do you see now that I'm not such a little girl after all?" The black dragon stared at her. "I can take care of myself just fine, Certo. I can help you out."
Certo shook his head; it hurt. "No, I still don't want you getting involved."
Crona rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Why? You know what I can do now. Are you still afraid I'll get hurt or something? I've killed more than my fair share of Apes Certo. I know what I'm doing."
"We got lucky this time, Crona." The black dragon looked back at the deep groove in the earth where the apes had once been. The ground was charred and still smoking. "This was just a small group of apes. I'd be willing to bet there's a lot more where those came from. And if so, what if those ones had joined in? I don't know if I would have been able to hold them off long enough for you to do... that thing you just did. It's no big deal if I get killed, but if there was no one to protect you then, what would you have done? This is exactly what I was referring to before. If you stay with me, you'll just end up dying in the end."
Crona winced as another eave of pain rushed through her. "I still don't believe that Certo. We worked together and were able to fend them off. Doesn't that show that we can work together on this? You say what if, as if it had happened. What if you hadn't been able to protect me? Well, I've got news for you, you did and because of that we were able to make it out alive." Certo fell silent as he stared into her eyes. They seemed to be glazing over, like the life in them was slowly fading away. "I'm right Certo. You know I am."
After a long silent pause, the black dragon sighed. "I guess..."
"Good," Crona closed her eyes before smiling. She suddenly collapsed onto the ground and didn't move.
"Crona!" Certo bent down and nudged her with his snout. The white dragoness didn't respond. "Crona? What's wrong? Wake up! Crona!" A soft wheeze was all that escaped the dragoness's mouth as her body began to fall limp in the lush grass. Certo's eyes grew wide and he nudged her again, a little harder this time. "No, no, no! Please no!" He cried. "Crona!"