Ebony's eyes slid open as the last misty tendrils of his dream slipped away. Gradually his pupils expanded to take in the light of the world around him. The sky was still dark, except for the gentle illumination provided by the Blue Star and the flickering sparks of the stars. The remains of their campfire still smouldered. Though no longer providing light, the warmth of the ashes reached Ebony even through the thick of his fur. Campfires could be quite large, especially for dragons.
He stretched his neck, feeling his muscles pull splendidly. The dragons had retired to a small plateau in the mountains after the events in Neo-Vane. They risked the fire, believing they no longer had any reason to hide. They had nothing left for Twyla to take from them-only the final remnants of their power, which continued to slowly drain from each of the four dragons. Once it completely left them they would be no more danger than a simple human, though admittedly, simple humans had accomplished a lot in times past.
Their current resting place was out of sight and out of scent of what remained of Neo-Vane, which wasn't all that much. Jia had taken Ember away while the rest of the dragons searched the former magic guild for some sort of evidence of where Twyla and her tribe had gone. Or rather, Ebony and Nall had searched. Ruby stewed in a desolate corner of the building, by all appearances becoming angrier and angrier as time passed. One did not have to be directly beside her to literally feel the flames of rage rolling from her body. When they turned up no clues as to where to go, Ruby had simply declared that she was disposing of the bodies. Not wanting, nor daring, to deny her, the rest of the tribe retreated while Ruby went to work. She unleashed all the power she had remaining and struck out at the guild mansion. Magic and dragonfire rained down the building, now thrice accursed. But she hadn't stopped there. Soon all of Neo-Vane felt her wrath.
Though not at full power, her anger and grim enthusiasm made up for it. Ruby left nothing untouched. Gone were the homes. Gone were the stores. In less than an hour, the red dragon leaned wearily against the remains of a fountain. There was little left of the once flying city and the red dragon was exhausted but satisfied. By then night had fallen and the four dragons and their new ward retreated to find a place to spend the night. They had tried to figure out what to do next, but without much luck or consensus they gradually dropped off to sleep, one by one.
Ebony stretched a wing as he lifted his head to look around the nearby area. Jia was off to the side of him, curled up and sleeping apparently peacefully. Next to her was the smaller and misshapen form of Ember. Ember had quickly 'adopted' Jia, as the blue was the one who was the most kind to her. Ebony wondered if that had been the case with the clones. How much of them were alike besides shape and form? The little red was still unable to understand why Ruby seemed to be so mad at her.
Thinking of the red dragon, Ebony turned to look for her and found her laying a small distance off, facing the other direction. She appeared to be sleeping as far from Ember as she could without falling completely out of sight. The poor creature already felt wrong to Ebony. He couldn't understand what Ruby must be going through, but he could imagine. He still shuddered at the thought of seeing another him.
Jia, Ember, Ruby... There was still one dragon to find. He stood and stretched his limbs absently until his keen eyes picked out the shadowed form of Nall, sitting slightly away from the rest and staring at the sky.
The white dragon of Althena lay curled on a rocky ledge, tail wrapped carefully about his body and head pulled low. The night was cold, even chilly, for a dragon such as him who lived in a cave of ice for so much of his life. His warm layer of fur was gone, though the barest of peach fuzz had begun to return. It would be a long time yet before he had as fine a pelt as he once possessed. Never had he quite felt so vulnerable. Not just to the cold, but as a leader and a person.
He failed everyone. He let the crests become taken, he fouled up when he of all dragons could have done the most. And now Ruby... He could not even comfort her. What assurance could a scalded dragon give to another? The wounds to his esteem scarred as badly as had the fire. Quark, his father , was a dragon who could lead dragons. Him? He was just a smart alecky flying cat, and that was on his good days.
Nall looked up at the Blue Star, wishing that some of its serenity would shine down on him. For such a barren world it was still beautiful, and he knew that not so long ago in dragon years a young man had risked everything to be with the woman he loved. It was a romatic story, so much like that of Nall's favorite human, Dragonmaster Alex. He wanted to believe that dragons could have a part of that dream too, but dragons were not humans, and could not share in humanity's fate.
He thought of Ruby, her anguish at the sight of so many red bodies, all twisted parodies of herself, how he had done nothing to relieve her. No, dragons did not live such romantic lives. Humans were so charming because they lived for the moment, they had so little time with which to enjoy themselves. Dragons... took things for granted. He should have made himself more available to the red, should have at least once put aside the bickering before he saw the pain in her eyes.
Nall inclined his head and shifted one eye back as he noted Ebony's approach. The black dragon settled behind him as Nall returned his gaze to the heavens. Several minutes passed without either of them speaking.
"Can't sleep?" Ebony asked quietly. It was a safe enough question, a good opener for their conversation.
The white dragon shook his head. He answered in the same quiet tone as the black. "I have a lot on my mind, and I'm not sure I know what to make of it."
"The crest business?" Ebony came alongside him, turning to look at the other dragon's face.
Nall didn't answer. Instead he turned his head and nodded towards the sleeping form of the red dragon. Ebony understood.
"So what's the problem?" he finally asked.
Nall twitched the tip of his tail restlessly. "We've both been acting funny since that... incident in the Illusion Forest. I don't think either of us know how to act. I don't know how to feel." He said the last with a touch of guilt, as though he should, that it was his responsibility to know.
"It's simple, Nall," said Ebony.
Nall looked at the black dragon, suspicion evident in his starlit eyes. "And enlighten me, oh wise one, as to how simple it is," he replied. His voice fell flat, unable to muster the sarcasm the statement required.
Ebony ignored the jibe. "You two are in love and neither of you know how to handle it."
Had Nall been human his face would have flushed red in embarrassment at the truth of the remark, but as a dragon his expression merely softened. Ebony was right, and he could not deny it. Not any longer. Surely some part of him had recognized it for what it was years ago. He and Ruby had argued for over a century. Now, something was different.
Ebony continued on.
"You know how it works, Nall. We dragons are practically immortal, at least in human terms. Nothing seems very immediate. 'Why should I rush things with Ruby? We'll be together for millennia.' But when you were nearly killed not so long ago, I think Ruby realized something."
Nall shook his head, not in denial but in understanding. The look on his face only too closely mirrored the agony and fear Ruby must have felt.
"Life is fragile, Nall, even dragon life. You could have died. None of us knew it was going to happen. We thought we were safe, or least safe enough. That's why we risked gathering in the Illusion Forest. But the reality is we could all live for the next few thousand years, or we could die tomorrow. If there is anything you can do for her you must do it now. You have to take every moment you can and not waste time. Treat each moment as your last, because you never know which one will be..."
Ebony choked up and turned his head away. Nall barely noticed.
"I remember," said the white dragon. "My father. There was so much I could have learned." He thumped his tail. "Not enough time." Nall gave himself a shake and looked back at Ebony. "I'm sorry. You were saying?"
"Huh?" said Ebony, waking as though from a trance.
"What were you saying, you didn't sound finished." Nall watched him, giving the black his complete undivided attention.
Ebony paused, perhaps unable to continue when only a day or two ago he might have jumped at the opportunity to make a snide remark about the "all mighty tetrarch" asking him for advice. Something was different now about the Dragon Tribe. Maybe they had all been doing some growing lately.
Azura , thought Nall. He still misses her. No wonder Ebony could afford to speak to him as thus. He knew better than any of them the of losing a loved one and so suddenly. At least Nall and Ruby were lucky that they both were still alive.
Ebony settled on his haunches and angled his head at the blue orb taking up a large portion of the sky. The black was silent so long that Nall cleared his throat to remind him of his presence.
He turned back to the white dragon, his expression telling Nall that he had returned to the present from whenever he had gone. "I'll sum it up," said Ebony. "Tell her, Nall. Tell her you love her. Stop behaving like a pair of kids and enjoy what time you have together."
Nall made no answer, lowered his head, and closed his eyes. It wasn't a difficult choice, but so hard to follow through. What do you say to someone when you've pretended for so long that she was the person you could stand the least? What could you say that would mean anything at all?
The white dragon lifted his head and bowed it deeply. "Thank you, Ebony."
He looked back towards the others, Ruby so far away that she could almost be considered outside the camp. He nodded his parting to Ebony and moved silently from the ledge. Ruby slumbered restfully, her sides rising and falling with the pull of every breath. Perhaps he did not have to say anything at all.
Nall slid into a laying position beside her and craned his head, admiring for the first time how beautiful she looked in the starlight. She stirred slightly, opening her eyes. Their gazes locked. He did not know what to make of what he saw in there, but she simply scooted herself against him, lowered her head and closed her eyes once more. That was all the answer he needed. Nall smiled, feeling a warm glow spread from his heart and blanket his frozen body. He slid one of his wings over her and laid his head next to hers. He too closed his eyes, but not before he saw a small smile creep across her mouth.
Ebony smiled, watching the two, before his gaze once again fell on Jia, then moved up to the Blue Star once more. He wondered what Lucia was up to. What had she and Hiro done? Did she have a family of her own now? Grandkids maybe? Lucia had come to this world knowing nothing of love or compassion, yet before she had left she loved Hiro deeply. Perhaps no one can claim to understand love, but no one can deny its power.
When he spoke to Nall the words had come to him easily, so much in thanks to Azura. Nall had not been wrong in realizing that Ebony spoke from experience, but experience did not make living any easier, perhaps just a little more understandable. Azura...
He thought about the two blue dragons so dear to his heart, but for all his talk of wisdom, he could do nothing. He cast a final glance at Jia.
It was the middle of the night, but he knew sleep would not come to him soon. Stretching out his furred black wings, Ebony crouched and launched himself into the night, becoming a spot of even darker black against the blanket of the sky. Flapping his wings to gain altitude, Ebony looked over the shadowed land, his land. Yes, if the battles of Hiro meant anything, if the survival of Alex and Luna was proof, then love would both provide and protect. Love would find a way. He took in a breath of air and exhaled sharply. If he couldn't get any sleep, he might as well get in a little flight.