Aurora, the Blue Dragon, turned her head towards the entrance to her sanctum.

She had felt someone enter her cave, and that demanded attention. However, since they had entered through the main entrance, it was probably just Nall and Ruby dropping by to look after her, as they had done somewhat regularly over the year. Though she was a bit wary. Ever since that day...

She sighed.

Her egg was due to hatch any time now. And that was when it had happened the last time, the time she lost her first egg. She checked the egg lying in its nest over before preparing herself for the visitors. She didn't really feel like being fussed over today, but on the other hand, perhaps some company would do her good.

Hopefully Nina would come as well. She really liked the young dragon. Nall and Ruby mostly wore that pitying look whenever they were around, but Nina's never ending supply of different moods were a welcome break from the mostly morose and melancholy mood that she usually had when she sat inside her lair. It couldn't be helped, though. She would see this egg hatch, and she would not let anything happen to it. Not like the last one.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Nina's voice clearly towards the lairs entrance.

"...ntrance of the lair. Are you ready to meet her?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Aurora didn't recognize the voice. Had Nina brought one of her friends here? Then, it spoke again. "I'm a little nervous, though. To think that she's..."

"Hold that thought!" Nina broke the unfamiliar voice off before it had the chance to finish the sentence. "We're here."

And then, they entered. And Aurora got her first look at the stranger. He appeared to be a young man at about nineteen years of age. She was a little taken aback when she noticed the mane of white hair flowing from his head and down his back. That was pretty rare on a human.

Then, he looked directly at her.

The lair had a nice atmosphere, Quinn thought.

In fact, it had felt... well, perhaps not familiar, but strangely much like home as they had made their way through the watery passages down to the inner lair itself. And now, they had arrived there and Quinn found himself staring at the Blue Dragon. She was a bipedal dragon, unlike the rest of them, himself included. Quinn almost arched his grin at that thought. Her skin was scaly, too, with webbing between her toes and on what looked like her ears. She also had leathery wings that sparkled with all the colors of a rainbow.

She was truly a spectacular sight, Quinn thought as he continued staring at her.

Aurora wasn't sure what to make of the wide-eyed stranger.

While she wasn't in the habit of entertaining any narcissistic habits or mannerisms, she guessed that--to a human, at least--she was quite a sight. After a few seconds consideration, she decided it was no harm morphing into her human shape. At least for the duration of the visit. With that thought, she started glowing a bright, blue color and seconds later, she stood before her visitors in human form, wearing a long, flowing blue dress and her hair flowing freely down her back right down into the ground, making it appear like her hair flowed into the water covering the ground itself.

And if the young man was wide-eyed before, her was even more so now. He turned towards Nina, hovering right beside him, and whispered something in her ear.

"Really? Are you sure?" Nina's head turned towards the young man, but she was still looking at her.

"Yes. That's her... Uh, I mean." He looked embarrassed for a second. Then, he approached her, bowing in a manner typical of the residents from Horam. "I'm sorry. We're being rude. My name is Quinn, and I'm very happy to meet you."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but he didn't. But as he looked at her, there was something strange about it. Almost...

She nodded, though a little hesitantly, "My name is Aurora. I welcome you, Quinn, to my lair. And Nina..." She turned to the little dragon. "It's good to see you again. It's been a while since I've seen any of you. What have you been up to the last few weeks?"

"Oh, traveling, mostly... But can we talk about that later? This... er, young man has been wanting to talk to you." The little dragon was looking like she would burst any second now from the happiness and anticipation she showed.

"Really, now." Aurora's curiosity awoke. "Very well, then."

Nina turned to the young man, saying nothing.

"Um... hello." He grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. Aurora could swear that, once again, she felt that strange feeling of familiarity in her mind. She shook it out of her mind, and looked at the young man named Quinn, who at the moment seemed to be at a loss for words.

Nall and Ruby sat at a cafe at Horam, quietly enjoying a drink outside in the sunshine.

"Yesterday was certainly a day of surprises, wasn't it?" Nall spoke, still not sure he could believe the things he had learned since he and Ruby had joined the two on the last stretch on their journey.

"Sure was. To think that that boy..." She trailed off, but immediately found herself back on track. "Oh, but I'd love to have been there, you know, when Aurora finally realizes..."

"Me too, but I guess this is something that is best being somewhat of a private moment. But I can't wait until the evening arrives, and we can go see them."

Ruby didn't answer. She just sat staring into her glass, which didn't go unnoticed by Nall.

"What is it?"

Ruby looked up at him, "Oh... It's... it's nothing, Nall. I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"About... Lucia. And..."

"Hiro?" Nall had made it sound like a question, but he knew her well enough that it really didn't have to be.

"Yes." She was silent for a while.

"You don't have to hold it to yourself if you don't want to, Ruby. I know exactly how you feel, you know." Nall looked worriedly at her.

"I know, Nall. I know." She sighed, "I just remembered when we all were together in the goddess tower. And... you were there, too, showing us that old holograph message. I guess I just didn't understand it then. But now...."

"It's okay. Really. Look, why don't you just go visit her sometime. If Kodai allows it, that is. While you two might have started out as rivals, I know that you came to an understanding towards her in the end. And I'm pretty sure she grew very fond of you as well. Don't be a stranger, Ruby."

Ruby thought about it, and while she did, her somber look disappeared.

"You know... I might just do that." She looked at him and smiled. "Thanks, Nall."

"Anytime, Ruby. Anytime."

"You seem a bit sad," Quinn had said, right out of the blue.

Since he had not managed to make up his mind on what to say to her, Aurora had asked them about their journey here. And it was quite a tale she was told. From the beginning of his journey, including the reasons for it, and all to the end at his arrival on the Blue Star, it actually made Aurora smile like she hadn't done in a long while. She was a bit puzzled at the vagueness of what had happened at the Blue Star and at the strange tone of his voice when he told her he was finally "cured". And the way he was looking at her almost the entire time...

And now this... question. She sighed. She didn't really want to talk about it, but his earnest, as well as concerned, look made her reconsider. There was something strangely, not to mention heartwarmingly, familiar about him.

"Once, not long ago, someone stole my egg. My first egg." Her shoulders slumped, and she closed her eyes and lowered her head, "The child I... lost would have become a fully grown dragon about now, but..." A hitch in her voice prevented her from saying more, and Quinn could see her struggling with her composure. "I'm sorry. It's just..."

"I understand how you feel," Quinn said, putting his hand on her shoulder. "Well, sorta." His lopsided grin managed to coax another smile out of the usually melancholy expression of Aurora.

"I've never known my parents. My... grandparents told me that they died when I was still just a baby." Quinn was smiling and looking at her with that strangely unnerving familiar look again. "But... during my journey I learned that it wasn't true. I learned that my mother is still alive." He let go of her shoulder and walked some distance away from her. Nina just watched the scene, knowing fully well what Quinn was going to do now.

"And today..." he stated, starting to glow a bright white, earning himself a surprised look from the Blue Dragon and an earsplitting grin from the baby Red one.

"...today, I found her."

Then, the light intensified, making both Nina and Aurora turn their heads away. But, as the light dimmed and Aurora turned her head back towards him, discovering the large, white dragon that had appeared where the young boy once stood, Aurora did what pretty much anyone would have done in her situation.

She fainted.

The first thing Aurora noticed as she came to, was a red blur and a white blur, side by side.

She blinked a few times to clear her eyesight and found herself looking at Nina and...

"Hello, mother." The voice coming from the young man was almost brimming over with happiness. Aurora sat up, shaking her head.

"I'm... you're... how...?" Aurora was really at a loss for what to say. She kept staring at the young man, at first pulling away from him. But, just as quickly, she got to her feet and walked over to him, lifting one of her hands and touching his face as if he would pop and fade away like a dream.

But he didn't, and it left Aurora more bewildered than ever before.

"I'm... your mother?"

"Well, yes..." Quinn scratched the back of his neck in that strangely familiar fashion. "I guess that in between what Nall told me and what I learned from Lucia when I was on the Blue Star, this is the truth." He took on a thoughtful expression. "Was it about eighteen years ago that your egg was stolen?"

Aurora's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"I didn't, but that's my age." He grinned wide. "I guess that settles it, then."

So, as Aurora put the facts together--his ability to turn into a dragon, his age, the facts she had learned from his tale about his journey--she realized that this was, indeed, her son. Her son... alive, something she had not thought possible. She said nothing, but just walked over to him, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him for all it was worth, her head on his shoulder. Quinn could feel her shaking, which was only natural, all things considered. He just stood there, holding her and letting her take the time she needed to get her emotions under control.

From what he felt himself right now, he, too, would need some time to do the same.

Nina felt a little left out.

When Aurora had gotten her emotions under control again, Quinn's attention was turned solely towards her the entire time. He barely even noticed Nall and Ruby as they had dropped by later on. And they were still talking, even now. Aurora had wanted to hear all about his childhood, seeing as she had been denied to be a part of it herself. As for Quinn, he had mostly wanted to hear how her life was like before he was 'born'. He also asked about his father, wondering what kind of a person he was. Nina guessed that, all in all, he was trying to piece together his past as well as his roots, to which Aurora had been more than willing to help him.

It was a joy to see how her smile was brimming with life again, though. While Nina had never seen her smiling like that before, she had heard Janus tell her about it sometimes, when he was feeling melancholy. He used to miss those times, she was told. Which was why it was a bit unfair, she thought sadly, that he never got to see this day.

Deep in her thoughts she suddenly found herself looking at the egg. It was placed in a cradle of sorts, which was made out of onyx from the Black Dragon's cave. It had been a present from Janus, originally made for the first egg, which, unfortunately, got stolen. The chamber itself was glowing with a magical light which bathed the egg lying there in a warm light.

She flew over to the cradle itself, studying the egg lying steadily on its side on the thick pillows Aurora had used. It was only slightly smaller than herself, its shell mostly white, but with the odd patches of black or grayish blue. She smiled. It would probably hatch...

*Crack*

...soon.

Uh-oh.

"Uh... Aurora? Quinn?" She turned her head towards the others, but her eyes still lingered on the widening crack that had appeared on the egg's surface. "You might want to get over here right now."

Aurora had been the first to understand what was going on. She ran over immediately, followed by a confused Quinn, who scratched the back of his neck in that all too familiar manner. He reached the egg just in time to see the first piece of it fall off, pushed away by a tiny, black paw. Then, another piece followed as the head slowly came into view. And after a short struggle which left the rest of the eggshell in pieces, a newborn baby dragon was lying on the padding in the cradle, still covered in the sludge from the egg. Aurora swiftly covered the little form in a towel, wiping the baby dragon dry. A tiny cough was heard as the little dragon cleared its airway with a squealing cry to take its first breath. When Aurora was done drying the baby dragon's fur, she went over to a chair and sat down. As she did, she put the bundle in her lap and opened it up, allowing Quinn and Nina to get a good look at it.

It was a girl.

Nina found herself, once again, flying around searching for Quinn.

He had last been seen studying the newborn baby dragon with a curious, yet ultimately realizing look. She could see how all the tension finally left him as he looked at the baby--his sister --smiling broadly, letting one of his hands be thoroughly investigated by the curious infant who had yet to open her eyes.

Then, just a moment later, he was nowhere to be seen, which probably meant that he was somewhere thinking again. And he was, as she found him sitting on a high ledge in one of the cave's larger halls, eyes closed.

"So, there you are." She tried to sound a bit mad. He had told no one that he had left and she hadn't missed Aurora's slightly worried glance when she had asked her about Quinn's whereabouts, to which Aurora had been unable to provide her with an answer. Neither had Nall or Ruby. Quinn's nimbleness, which allowed him to appear or disappear almost undetected, still managed to take her by surprise.

She had, however, gotten to know quite a few of Quinn's little quirks and habits over their travels, like when he could be expected to disappear for short periods of time, or at least make himself inconspicuous, which removed any feeling of surprise she would have had over his disappearance. She also knew that he never wandered far off. That, combined with the fact that he preferred wide, open spaces wherever he went for his meditative needs, made it easy for her to track him down. He opened his eyes, acknowledging her.

"Hello, Nina. I'm sorry if I made you... all... worry about me, but I just wanted some time for myself to think."

"Again?" She grinned wryly, forgetting that she was supposed to pretend to be angry. "Well, the last few days have been kinda hectic. It's not every day your life gets turned upside-down, I guess. I'd say that you're entitled to it." Quinn chuckled mirthfully at that. Nina continued, "You should have told your mother, though. You are just as much a part of her life as she is of yours."

"So speaks Nina, the AWOL princess." He smirked, earning himself a tiny bap from her paw. "You're right, though." He sobered up. "I guess I should go back and apologize."

"So..." Nina asked hesitantly. "How do you feel now?" Quinn frowned, but his expression loosened up just as quickly.

"I feel good," he said, lifting his head and looking upwards. "I've met my mother. I've seen my little sister being born. And I'd like to think... no, I know that everything with my grandparents will sort itself out, eventually."

"I know it will, Quinn." She looked at him, her grin widening even more as she did. "You know, it's great to see you so relaxed and... well, happy. Althena knows you deserve it, what with all we... you've been through on our journey. But, what about...?" She trailed off, looking at him questioningly.

"About what?"

"You. Yourself, I mean." It took a few seconds before comprehension struck him.

"Oh, you mean about me being a... well, a dragon." At her nod, he continued, "It's... going to take some time to get used to it. I'll be fine, though." His grin widened, "'Sides, I have friends I can go to if it gets a bit too much to handle, right?"

"Of course!" she stated, more relieved than she cared to admit. "I owe you everything, you know. Thank you for letting me come with you."

"No problem," he replied. "It was a grand adventure, wasn't it?"

"It sure was. Say, why don't we go rejoin the others? You've got a smile to put on a certain someone's face."

"Sure." He got up to his feet and was about to jump down.

"Oh, and Quinn?"

"Yes?"

"You're it!" She tapped him lightly on the forehead with her paw. Then, she turned around and flew off, laughing all the way, leaving a momentarily stunned Quinn. He did, however, regain his bearings rather quickly. Grinning deviously, he jumped down from the ledge and ran after the little dragon.

And laughter filled the Blue dragon's cave.

And, lastly, a tip of the hat to Nemi, for being the first to write to me about my story without me asking for it. I really appreciated it, and I hope all your questions are answered now. (Except the Ghaleon ones. Doh... Later. I promise.) ^_^

Back to The Pain of One.

Back to the Library of Vane.

Back to the Shrine to Ghaleon.