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Agera looked out over the world she had changed for the last time, pausing on the slip way of the Carthian starship settled on the ground. All around her, void worked to build. It hadn't taken long for temporary settlements to take shape, and then massive efforts to mine out stone and metals were put forth, being careful and cautious not to ruin the environment. Ores and stone were quarried by hand, with no machine assistance used.

The void had impressed her with their tenacity. But now they impressed her with their adaptability, and determination. They reminded her of humans. Once they had been united, almost to a creature, in defeating what they thought were mortal enemies. But now they looked up at their stars, and saw so much more.

Five creatures stood together to see Agera off. The Future, who now remained as the first Guardian of a new world. The Guardian of New Rasana. She had promised to help in any way she could for as long as she lived. Agera had a hard time seeing how she could ever return to this planet. Next to her stood young Victoria. The little female had grown explosively in the few short months since Agera had last seen her, and now came up to above the Future's knee. She fidgeted in place, looking like she didn't belong there.

The Grand Marshall stood next to her. He had found his way to them two days after the fighting had ended. Thanks to the long range communicators on the Carthian Vessel that had landed, not believing what their sensors had told them, he had been able to make contact with his family, who had survived the scourge. They were traveling to live with him planetside.

Lorand stood on the other side of the Future. Ever since he and Victoria had left the confines of their caves, he had walked tall and proud, falling perfectly into the role of High King. Next to him stood Virago. Lorand was only a temporary placement as High King. He would eventually step down and Virago would take his place, once he was finished training her as High Queen, an elected monarch of New Rasana. Several of the members of the house of lords had opposed the ruling of Rasana by more members of Lorand's family. Agera could not believe the effect she had on swaying the house. She had simply stepped forwards, told the house that Lorand had helped to train Ronan as Rasana's last true High King, and probably it's greatest ruler in ten thousand years. And any arguments were silenced on the spot. The house had been almost unanimous, with the sole exception of Grand Lord Saigon.

Agera knew that wasn't going to be the last time she had a problem with that wyrm...

Aside from that, it had just been rebuilding. Renewing a race that had suffered for far to long. Agera wasn't sure that what the Future had done was a good idea, but it was far to late to argue the point now.

The planet was beautiful, and peaceful and calm.

And it was far too painful for Agera to stay.

Altair had joined her when she said she was leaving on the first flight in and out of the new system. It hadn't taken long for Carthians to find the place, which impressed Agera. In time, the planet would likely become a trade hub and rest stop for interplanetary traders, and most likely even military ships. It was now the only hospitable planet for over one billion light years, something that even Agera had a hard time grasping, despite being in control over time and space.

She turned to look back at the ship. It's interior was dark and cold compared to the planet, but the Carthians had done what they could to make it warmer.

“Agera!” Aurora called at her, carrying her folded armor on her back, “Come on, Kahn says we're blowing out the carbon in five minutes!”

“Alright, give me a second.” she said. She turned quickly back to the small group at the base of the ramp. The Future smiled at her.

“Agera, we're not ones for saying last goodbye, and you know that. We're bad at this sort of thing.” she said as she ran up real quick.

“I can make an exception.” Agera replied, smiling back, “Virago...”

The young white female smiled, “Agera...”

“Thank-you. For believing in me, for watching out for Nero, and for joining me and Ronan. It meant a lot.” She turned to the old drake standing next to Victoria, “Lorand.”

“Grand-daughter...” He said, smiling at her, and she grinned roguishly back.

“Thank-you for all the stories, and for opening my eyes. Sir.”

“Krigsman...” The Grand Marshall said, smiling.

“Thank-you for giving me my chance. Vicki...”

The female said nothing, glancing at her, then looking away, unsettling Agera slightly.

“...thanks for going swimming with me...”

“Agera!” Aurora called from the top of the gangplank.

“Give me a second!” She didn't have much time. The engines on the trading vessel were spooling up, and the thrust started kicking dust into the air, “I'm gonna miss you guys. Keep in touch, yeah?”

“Definitely!” Virago called back, “Now go. We'll make sure this place is held together. Besides, it's not like you're really saying goodbye.”

Both the Future and Agera laughed and nodded. All but Vicki turned to leave.

“Come on Vic, we gotta move for the ship!” Lorand called.

“I'll catch up.” she shouted back, then approached Agera so she didn't have to shout. Agera looked down at her, and Victoria scowled up at her. Everyone else was out of earshot, and the youngling spoke only just loudly enough.

“You promised me...” she said, “You promised that you would bring him back alive...”

“Vicki, I...”

“Shut. Up. You broke you're promise! You got hundreds, if not thousands, and maybe even millions of my people, my family, killed in this war. And yet these fools think you saved them. They hail you as a conquering hero. They run through the streets celebrating your name. I'm not buying it.”

Agera's jaw hung open as she continued.

“You know something? Ronan named me as his successor, should he ever fall. Not Lorand, not Virago, and certainly not you or your future. This isn't liberation. It's an occupation. And I intend to see this planet freed as soon as possible. You are no longer welcome here, by decree of the royal house. Leave now, and never come back.”

“You know that's not going to happen!” Agera said, looking at the Future, who watched them with a knowing eye, “That's me, standing right there!”

“I know. You won't be standing there much longer. I have a feeling she knows why she's here. I have a feeling you know why she's here too. Some moments in time can't be changed.” Victoria responded.

“One of the most powerful dragons to ever live tried to kill me, Victoria...” Agera was getting angry now, “Do you really want to go down this road? Do you really want to make an enemy out of me and all Drakian. They won't take it kindly when their greatest voice for peace has been slain in cold blood. IF you can even slay me.”

Victoria got even closer, and Agera had to really strain to listen, “You already made an enemy out of yourself, and your kin. This war isn't over yet...”

Agera's blood chilled at the thought. She had already lost so much. She didn't think she could survive loosing much more.

“Have a safe flight...” And with that, she turned around and walked back down the gangplank, head held high.

The engines were idling now. Agera turned, worry suddenly clouding her mind, and entered the ship as it took off, the gangplank beginning to retract. She looked back, and took one last glimpse of the turquoise sky before cold steel cut off her view.

“What's wrong?” Altair asked as she left the airlock.

“Nothing, it's just...” she grimaced as she realized that she wouldn't see that planet again for a very long time, “Victoria just banished me...”

“What!? She can't do that!”

“I think you'll find she can. She blames both me and Avila for her brothers death. I think she blames me because I didn't kill Avila.” Agera said, walking down a hallway.

“What are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing, for now.”

Altair was quiet for a bit, “And what about Avila?”

Agera stopped and sighed. Since she was the one who imprisoned Avila, she had control over Avila's entire world. Where Agera sent her, she would never want for a food or water or sleep. She would experience no stimulus. Her pocket dimension was dark, completely, with no landscape, no warmth nor cold. Technically, she didn't even need air to breath.

“I don't know what I'm going to do about Avila. If she proves herself, in time, I may release her. But that's going to require as much sorrow on her behalf as it will forgiveness on mine.”

“Will you talk to her?”

“I don't know...”

“And what about...” Altair looked at the large silver and grey egg in Agera's arm.

“I don't know! Alright! What do you want me to do!? Smash it?”

“What!? No...”

“Then what should have I done? Sent it with her? Let it fall to the ground? However much you might hate Avila, Altair, we cannot judge her hatchling by her actions alone.” Agera said looking down at the egg, “I just... I'm not sure there is a right answer. But...”

She whipped her eyes as tears slipped down her cheeks silently, “...it's a male you know. The Carthians did an ultrasound. He's Ronan's brother.”

“Half-brother...”

“He's still family! Are you gonna blame Ronan for the death of your mother too, Altair! Cause you might as well, you're nearly there!”

“Hey! Lovebirds!” Aurora shouted at the end of the hall, “Are you gonna shout at each other all day? Altair, just kiss her, and then the two of you come with me. Got something I want to show you.”

Agera blushed hard. She felt close to Altair, he had lost just as much as she had after all, but she didn't think she was ready for that.

“I didn't... I wasn't... I was just worried.” Altair said, also blushing.

“About?” Agera growled at him. Altair shrugged nervously.

“I don't know? Nothing? Everything?” Agera quietly glanced away, brushing her fins out of her face. Suddenly, she grabbed his horn and dragged him down, quickly kissing him on the cheek.

“What!?”

“Thanks...” Agera said, then ran after Aurora. She caught up in front of a hardened door. The ship shook and shuddered as the engines flared. Aurora saw her blushing cheeks and smiled at her, but said nothing.

“Where are we?” Agera asked.

“The bridge? Ship is about to leave orbit.”

“I'm not...”

“You want to see this.”

“Aurora, I've seen planets from space before. And I've seen stars.”

“Not like this you haven't.” Altair came up behind them, glanced quickly at Agera, and then turned to Aurora.

“Like what?”

“Just wait.”

The engines throttled back, and Agera felt herself getting lighter and lighter. Suddenly, their claws left the ground, and Agera free floated in zero-g, enjoying the feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Alright, come on.” aurora knocked on the door to the bridge. Kahn opened it. Agera smiled at him, and he smiled back, then wiggled his leg stump at her as she crossed over into the bridge.

What she saw took her breath away.

It was... nothing. Agera had seen the night sky on both Earth and Titan before, and was filled with awe at the beauty, but this was different. It was wild. Untamed.

The bridge was small for the three of them. There were five consoles around the bridge, each manned by a different Carthian. Kahleen manned the communications station. The floor area was just large enough to squeeze her onto the bridge.

“Welcome to the bridge of the Mercator. What do you think?”

“Where is everything?” Agera asked. Kahn laughed.

“Agera, this entire solar system was a single lone oasis in the universes largest desert. The system is small. It has only five planets, and just one gas giant. The star is massive, and cool, but between Rasana's internal heating, and the star, it is a pleasant temperature. After a few hundred million years floating in the void, the star had died in a coronal supernova, and the force had pushed the gas giant, and Rasana with it out of orbit. You've been floating in the largest void known to civilization, on the very edge of explored space. Any further out, and we would have been the David Attenborough's of our time.”

“No one has been beyond here?” He shook his head.

“It's a literal dark spot in the universe. That gas giant is called a rogue planet. No star for it to orbit. You were drifting through 1.8 trillion light-years of nothing.”

“Where are we going?” Agera asked as her body spun upside down to Kahn's. She was getting slightly sick from the weightlessness.

“Ponecea. A true desert world, just inside the Goldilocks zone of her considerably small and hot star. It was a haven for refugees from the dark wars, both Rasani and Earthling. Considerably cheap to buy a ticket there, since it's also seen as a shithole. We won't do more than land, refuel, and take-off. I want to spend as little time planetside as possible. Otherwise we could lose our ship to thieves or pirates. I can take you further, if you've got the coin.”

“I haven't got anything, and you know it Kahn. I saved your life, doesn't that count for something?”

“It's not about counting or not. I lost everything in the Nexus. And Dragons are expensive to transport. You eat a lot. I literally can't afford to take you further than Ponecea, you have to get your own food and supplies if you want to go further.” Agera frowned.

“How long is the trip from Ponecea to somewhere else?”

“Closest journey is three and a half months. It's gonna take six months of hard burning to get to Ponecea anyways. You couldn't even suck it up and eat hard tack all the way through those three and a half extra months. You'd be dead after one and a half. And I'm not having your rotting carcass stinking up my hold.” He said, smiling at her, “Sorry. I'd do it for old times sake, but it's either you pay for it, or I sacrifice everyone. And no matter how much I'd like to help, I'm not going to take the chance.”

Agera sighed, “Then I guess me and Altair are getting off at Ponecea.”

“Good luck. It's a hive of... what was it that human movie said? Villainy and scum?” Kahn said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Scum and villainy. Don't worry, I specialize in Scum and Villainy.” Agera said, smiling.

Six months. Agera was sure she'd gone insane after six days. The drifting in Zero-G drove her nuts. There were no stars, and even if there were, she doubt she'd still have a sense of speed. It felt like they weren't moving. Their progress was measured by how close other galaxies were getting. She thought the universe was full of life, but as it turned out, there were only really just a handful of habitable planets per galaxy. Civilization consisted of maybe a hundred planets overall, with varying degrees of pleasantness. It was getting so crowded, and so hard to expand with all the creatures that they had resorted to building space stations that housed over a hundred million in them. Entire nations floating in the void in artificial spinning gravity. There were even some rare passengers on board, creatures she had never met, mainly scientists who wanted to take measurements of the Supervoid and New Rasana.

She had met all the passengers and the crew by now. The living quarters were a small place. Everything else was taken up by fuel and cargo space. Some passengers were indifferent, but some were friendly. She had been particularly entertained by a truly strange passenger named Krik-tak, a member of a race called the Cruseans. He was a giant crab basically, who spoke in a series of clicks and whirs and whistles. Agera had been forced to realize how ignorant she had been when she was forced to get a universal computer translator to understand him. Once that had occurred, she found herself fascinated by him. She had never even heard of his race, but he had certainly heard of her. Which surprised her.

In fact, all the passengers had heard of her. They had even asked for a demonstration of her powers. Agera had reservations about using them to show off, but she did anyways. They had all loved it. They had loved Altair's lights too. Agera had been impressed by his control. He had even managed to make a recreation of old earths northern lights on the ceiling of the lounge for a couple of hours.

Agera and Aurora spent a lot of time together during their trip, along with Altair and Clancy. Altair was usually the serious and noble one while Clancy would make Agera roll and clutch her stomach with his jokes.

It felt good to laugh. It distracted her from how tired she felt.

Since Ronan was gone, the nightmares had returned. Some nights, she would just have a hard time sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see Ronan's face. Other nights, she would wake up in a cold sweat, shivering uncontrollably, eyes swiveling madly in fear at every dark corner and shadow. She routinely threw up, although whether this was from nightmares or space sickness from Zero-G she wasn't sure. Her stomach was constantly empty, she could never keep it full unless she ate dry and salty items. Fortunately after the first month, they ran out of real food, and had to resort to dried and preserved meat strips. Full of protein but with barely any taste.

Agera worried over the egg. She didn't know how old it was, and was worried it might not hatch. What if the Zero-G affected it? What if it died. But one day, after two months, three weeks and five days into their six month voyage, she finally heard the egg start squeaking, and it began to rock and spin rapidly.

“Altair!” she called. He pulled himself from the shower unit. They had been sharing a cabin the entire trip, with separate sleeping ports. The egg spun in the Zero-G as the hatchling inside moved about and banged on his shell. Then, with a sudden POP, the restraining boundaries burst forth in a shower of warm fluids and membrane as the hatchling spread his little limbs. He floated by Agera's head and squealed his delight at her face upside down to his, wiggling his six limbs and twin tails, his four wings flapping to right himself, and propel himself forwards till he had latched onto Agera's head to look into her eyes.

“He's a heavy...” Altair arched an eyebrow at her, “What?”

“That's not what they're called, and you know it. They're called Queltan.” Agera stared at the youngling, and he stared back at her with four deep grey eyes, smiling happily, and then roaring in his little hatchling roar. His legs climbed over her and onto her back where he turned around and peered between her horns at Altair. He chuckled slightly, and threw him a strip of meat, which he happily gulped down.

“I don't...”

They were quiet for a while as they watched the hatchling move about the cabin, enjoying the Zero-G.

“You're a mess Agera. You just don't know a thing about motherhood.” He said quietly.

“I've never had an actual mother, and I've never actually been a mother. I told you about her.” Agera said quietly.

“Speaking of, have you found her yet?” Agera had searched the universal archives for any sign of Kali, but it was like she had disappeared from existence. She wasn't going to give up though. That wasn't Agera's way.

“No.” Agera answered quietly. She rubbed her eyes, then brushed her fins out of her face. Altair caught a glimpse of the bags under her eyes.

“Geeze Agera, are you alright?”

“No! I'm not all right! I can barely keep it together!” She shouted, looking up at Altair. Or down. She didn't even know which way up was anymore, “I can't sleep, I can barely eat, and now I've got a hatchling to worry about!”

She blinked away tears as the past weeks came crashing down on her, “I'm a wreck. I'm not cut out for this!”

Altair grabbed her, and pulled her into his arms, and she buried her head in his chest, quietly crying, “Agera. Be at ease. The wars over. You don't have to kill anymore.”

“But I still have to fight...”

“Yes, you still need to fight. Life is war. It may not involve violence. But it is a battle. But the great thing about fighting through life is you don't have to do it alone. Agera, I'm here to fight with you. I'm not gonna leave you.” She looked up at him and his blue eyes. His strong arms hugged her closer, and she could feel his breath on her nose. He got even closer, but she turned away at the last second.

“I... I can't.” she said awkwardly. But to her amazement, he growled at her.

“Agera! How long are we gonna fucking do this!? How long are you gonna do this? You like and talk to everyone else. You and Aurora seem damn near inseparable. Even that crazy crab bastard talks to you like you're family! But ever since you sprang me from my doom on old Earth, we've had maybe a handful of conversations, and in the past two months, the most you've said to me is fucking “pass the water” at dinner! I've been trying to give you your space, but...” And suddenly now, he was crying, “I'm sorry, I'm just lonely is all. I was pissed off at mother. She spent so much time away from home. I loved her, a lot, but... and now that she's actually gone... I didn't think anything would change, but it's like there's a hole in my chest. And every time I look at you, it's like she never left...”

Something clicked in the back of Agera's head. Like someone had voiced how she felt. Empty, hollow. Like a little bit of her had died when Ronan had left her.

“I know you loved Ronan. You talk about him a lot.”

“It just feels like a betrayal-”

“That's a bullshit excuse. You can't be like this forever, Agera. And the sooner you truly give Ronan up, the better it will be for your health. Let me help you.”

“By what!? Fucking with you?” she said, reddening from embarrassment again.

“I NEVER said that. Ever. I never even fucking implied it.” Agera got even redder as she realized he was right. She had jumped to conclusions. Again.

“I just assumed that...”

“I'm not in this for a good fuck, Agera. Look at me, do you think I've ever had issues attracting a female?” Agera did look at him. She looked at him fully, and realized it was the first time she had ever done so. She had stolen so many fleeting glances, she had never gotten a complete picture of him. He was bigger than her, by a considerable amount. His muscles were well developed and toned, rivaling even her in strength. His chest was flatter than normal, but he made up for it with a shorter neck. His face though was handsome, with a well defined yet slim jaw, and cheeks that she could cut herself on. His horns were smooth and clean, and his scales sparkled with good health. All in all he was rather good looking. But not perfect. Just like her.

“Agera?” She looked up at him again, “I'm not in this because I want to get physical. That has been all you. Even when you went to kiss me just now, I didn't move my head an inch.” she was shocked.

“What?!” He chuckled at her.

“Every time a female tries to fuck with me, I freeze like a deer in a pair of headlamps. I might look good, but I'm useless when it comes to romance. You thought about the attraction, and you went for it, but you held yourself back. I think I even know why we have feelings for each other...”

“And why is that?”

“Because we're exactly the same.” Agera stopped. And she thought about it...

They had the same physical build, and a similar history. Altair had his mother, but she had rarely been around. He was likely raised in foster care, obviously by someone who didn't much care for their duties, based upon his language and manners. His life was full of loneliness. He had been raised during a war, just like her. Raised with war all around him. He had probably been taught how to fight from an early age, which would explain his control over his elements. They had both lost somebody close to them, and now that Agera thought about it, he had probably lost everyone close to him. He had probably even wanted to fight, but had never been given the chance. His mother had “protected” him, but had also cut him off from the fighting.

He was right. He was just like her.

“I don't think that-”

“Don't think. Just...” Agera looked at him again. He was closer again. Somewhere in the back of Agera's mind, she realized that it was her that was moving closer. Her tears flecked off of her eyelashes, her eyes closing has Altair grabbed her just below her wings and pulled her close, hugging her body to his.

“Just go with it...” He whispered into her horn, and she shivered. Their lips brushed together lightly at first, Agera wondering what the sensation would feel like.

It made her heart flutter with joy. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought to herself, Ronan would have wanted you to be happy.

She threw herself into her actions now, fully kissing Altair, and pulling him closer. Their hips rubbed together, as Agera arched her back and pressed herself to him. She could feel a bulge growing between his legs...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Agera squealed in surprise as someone pounded on their door. Agera let go of Altair and he rubbed the back of his head, blushing heavily as Agera's chest heaved with exhilaration. She felt exceptionally hot under the scales, so when she opened the door, and aurora saw her spinning there, flush with excitement and embarrassment, she smiled.

“I hope I'm not interrupting anything. You have a hatchling in the room and the place was quiet, and you two both look like you just got done force flying a dozen miles. You both work fast...”

Altair face-pawed, and Agera flushed even redder.

“That's not what-”

“Oh shut up.” Aurora pulled herself through the door and grabbed the hatchling, “Awe, look at those bright eyes! I know, mommy and daddy don't know how to control themselves, do they? You'll have siblings in no time. Knowing Agera, I'm betting they'll stop at two...”

Agera wasn't sure she could get any redder as Aurora tickled the little Queltan, making him squawk and wiggle with laughter.

“Come on lovebirds, dinner time!”

Dinner that night was long and loud. Everybody celebrated the arrival of a newborn on the ship. Kahn broke open the stores and they had real food again, and even wine.

“So what's his name?” Sekela, a female with a birds head and wings for arms asked. An Arelian if Agera remembered right.

“Um, I haven't come up with one yet. He's been... difficult.” Agera said. They all looked at her.

“He only just hatched today, how can someone so young be difficult?” Sek asked.

“It's not him. It's his heritage. When we get to Ponecea, I might put him up for adoption.” They all looked at her. Even Altair.

“Agera, are you sure that's a good idea?” He asked quietly.

“I don't know... I don't want to name him yet, until I know for sure what I'm going to do.”

A week later, Agera was hovering around the ships universal console. She had been trying in vain to search for Kali again. After three hours of finding nothing, messaging addresses in hopes of getting lucky, she had decided to take a break, and was looking through the archives, at the history before the Dark Wars, catching up on events. Kali had taught her little of history, only going so far as to teach her about military history. That was when she found it.

“No...” But there it was, plain as day. Her family tree. Even her own name was on it, linked to two names, Cindi and Spire. Linked to that was her grand-sire Ignatius, a general in the human-dragon wars. Above that, his sire, and grand-sire But tracing down from her grand-sire's grand-sire proved what she had always suspected. At the very end of the line, right next to her name was Charlotte Caloman.

She rubbed one of her eyes, her head hurting, “Damn.”

She wasn't sure what to think, being related to Avila. She looked at her direct ancestors. Not even her dame had the original Krigsman name. But her Grand-dame did. Her father though, was an oddity. Everyone else had a link to their own family history, and even a short biography, which was more like an obituary. But Avila's father was... just a question mark.

Pyrrus's name was on the list too. He was an uncle to her actually, but she had already suspected that. After a point of inspiration, she looked up her mothers genealogy. She had never heard of her mother's parents, but there above her name was her other grand-sire

Kouta Blackwell.

Inspiration struck her then, and she turned to the hatchling who had just peeked over her shoulder at the glowing screen and started scratching his growing claws on her horn. He looked at her, and she realized to herself, that in some distant way, they actually were related.

“Kouta Blackwell.” she said. He gave her a little hatchling roar at the name. He seemed to like it.

That night, at dinner, Agera told them Kouta's name. The passengers loved it. Aurora cocked an eye-ridge at her, and Clancy had made a horrible pun about it, but the name stuck.

Dinner didn't actually last that long, but it felt like an eternity to Agera. Altair kept sharing significant glances with her with a slight roguish smile on his face, and she was sure she was blushing. That might have been the wine though...

Finally dinner ended, but several of the guests were entertained by Kouta still trying to acclimate to the zero-g. Agera finally got fed up with it, faked a big yawn, and announced that she was going to bed. Altair immediately followed, towing Kouta along as he gnawed on the larger drakes tail with hatchling teeth.

They waited down the hall from Aurora and Clancy's room. Aurora floated down the passage way first. Agera pushed Kouta into her arms.

"Watch him for a couple of hours." she said quietly.

"What am I, your baby-sitter?!"

"You are now!"

"Then I expect to be paid!"

As she came down from her high, and purred in her afterglow, Agera nuzzled up under her lovers chin, running her fins under Altair's head, and he hugged her close, purring as well. They sat there in the dark, slowly spinning, distant starlight illuminating their bodies as little bubbles from their lovemaking slowly floated around them. Suddenly, Agera went lose, and Altair could here soft snoring from her, as she succumbed to exhaustion. He looked down to see her smiling quietly in slumber.

“I know I can't be the perfect mate, Agera.” he said quietly, “But I'm glad that at least once, I can make you happy. And I promise that I'll help in any way I can to move on, and be happy again.”

The future stood on the floating half mountain the locals had dubbed the Sentinel, the tallest peak for miles around, which overlooked the new city springing up alongside the sea. Several Carthian trade ships were now docked in the makeshift spaceport in the settlement, having been dubbed Haven. She smiled as she thought of all the progress the race had made. An old species given a new breath of life.

She was glad she had done what she could for them. In truth, the bonding wasn't completely gone. Rasani could still bind their souls to whomever they wished. They just weren't forced to do so to the first creature they met. And the elimination of the bonding was only showing up in the newborn. In a few generations, it would be unheard of a Rasani becoming enthralled to another.

They were happy. And she was happy. Despite what had been happening personally to her. With such a strong settlement in place now, and with many others springing up all over the place and dotting the landscape, her services were no longer needed as a guide or adviser Lorand and Virago were more than capable of leading a race.

She looked down, and melancholy swept over her. Before her were four headstones. Each had nothing more than a single name on them, and a tiny mound of dirt before them, only large enough to hold a single scale. The names read out as Jiza, Janus, Guinevere, and Ronan.

She knew that her former self had wanted to stay. To bury her friends, and her lover, but she deemed herself unable, the memories too painful to bear it. And even now the thought stung. She rubbed Ronan's grave gently, remembering the past from so long ago. And a song that she had once seen Jiza sing when she thought nobody was looking.

“OF gentle birds in circling flight
I am the soft star that shines at night
Oh, do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there I did not die”

The Future closed her eyes. Long since had people stopped calling her Agera. She had known that her past self would eventually show. So when her services were supposedly no longer required in the future, and when she no longer felt the need to mate or travel. She settled down, alone. All her old friends having long since died, and waited for herself to show. Not to save this world, although that was certainly part of the reason she was here. No, there was a far more important reason.

In the distance she could hear the waves crashing against the shore. And then a twig snapped. Her old training fired into life, and screamed at her to turn and confront her intruder.

“A lovely song, Agera...” It was Victoria. The future looked over her shoulder at the young female. So young, and so bold.

“Nobody calls me that anymore. You know that.”

“How long has it been since you were called that?” The Future chuckled.

“I've lost track. When you have my powers and my age, time means very little. I've lived a thousand lifetimes, young Vicki. If only you knew. You wouldn't be so quick to do what you are about to do. Is the coups starting now? You might find controlling this planet harder than you thought.”

“I already have the backing of more than seventy percent of the planet. I'm not Avila, Agera. And I'm certainly not you. I'm actually a liberator, not a conqueror.”

“Well, you have one thing that few in your position have at your disposal: foresight. Would you like to know what happens to you as a result of the choices you've already made?”

“Save your breath. No paths of fate are laid in stone.” The Future laughed at that.

“Good! You are far smarter than I gave you credit for. Perhaps a warning then. Nothing good will come of what you are doing. You may hold power for a while, and so you should. These people could use some stability, despite them placing their trust in dictators and tyrants. But in the end, if you continue on your path, it will lead to ruination.” She looked out over the horizon, “And not just yours.”

Victoria was silent, but the Future knew that she was getting closer.

“There's no need to sneak, Victoria...” The Future said quietly, “We both know why we're both here. I only ask that you make it as quick and painless as possible. I've earned that much at least. You'll find I'll offer no resistance.”

“Why not?”

“Because as much as you'd like to believe otherwise, some things can't be changed...” Suddenly, a cold claw was at her neck, right against her vein.

“About damn time.” Suddenly, Victoria's paw was in the Future's vice like grip. With all her might, she flung the young Rasani out over the edge, screaming in surprise.

“Did you honestly think that I would go quietly into that cold night?!” The future shouted out at her as Vicki slowed and righted herself, hovering, “I know I am here to die, as we both do. But I shall rage against the dying of the light! If you want to kill the most powerful dragon to ever live, you're going to have to work harder than that! I'm going to make you remember my name!”

“And did you honestly think I'd come alone!?” Victoria shouted back. Suddenly, more Rasani dived out of the clouds at the Future, “I gave you a chance for your death to be painless!”

“I've been living a life of pain for ten thousand years! If I must endure a little more for death to come to me, then so be it.” Both her and Agera knew that the Future would die on this planet. Agera could feel it. A pull to this moment that spoke to her through ten thousand years, telling her, this is it. And so the future would go down not as some nameless shadow, but with a name she could be proud of, a name she would make her enemies remember, even ten million years from now. For she had seen it, met her distant ancestors, and how even they, at the end of time itself still spoke of her in whispers. And she remembered the advice she had given herself, before departing on that transport ship...

Turbines whirred in her horns, as her young self pressed the scales of her deceased friends into her paw, and she spoke quietly into her horns so only she could hear, “Give them hell...”

Description
Agera looked out over the world she had changed for the last time, pausing on the slip way of the Carthian starship settled on the ground. All around her, void worked to build. It hadn't taken long for temporary settlements to take shape, and then massive efforts to mine out stone and metals were put forth, being careful and cautious not to ruin the environment. Ores and stone were quarried by hand, with no machine assistance used.

The void had impressed her with their tenacity. But now they impressed her with their adaptability, and determination. They reminded her of humans. Once they had been united, almost to a creature, in defeating what they thought were mortal enemies. But now they looked up at their stars, and saw so much more.

Five creatures stood together to see Agera off. The Future, who now remained as the first Guardian of a new world. The Guardian of New Rasana. She had promised to help in any way she could for as long as she lived. Agera had a hard time seeing how she could ever return to this planet. Next to her stood young Victoria. The little female had grown explosively in the few short months since Agera had last seen her, and now came up to above the Future's knee. She fidgeted in place, looking like she didn't belong there.

The Grand Marshall stood next to her. He had found his way to them two days after the fighting had ended. Thanks to the long range communicators on the Carthian Vessel that had landed, not believing what their sensors had told them, he had been able to make contact with his family, who had survived the scourge. They were traveling to live with him planetside.

Lorand stood on the other side of the Future. Ever since he and Victoria had left the confines of their caves, he had walked tall and proud, falling perfectly into the role of High King. Next to him stood Virago. Lorand was only a temporary placement as High King. He would eventually step down and Virago would take his place, once he was finished training her as High Queen, an elected monarch of New Rasana. Several of the members of the house of lords had opposed the ruling of Rasana by more members of Lorand's family. Agera could not believe the effect she had on swaying the house. She had simply stepped forwards, told the house that Lorand had helped to train Ronan as Rasana's last true High King, and probably it's greatest ruler in ten thousand years. And any arguments were silenced on the spot. The house had been almost unanimous, with the sole exception of Grand Lord Saigon.

Agera knew that wasn't going to be the last time she had a problem with that wyrm...

Aside from that, it had just been rebuilding. Renewing a race that had suffered for far to long. Agera wasn't sure that what the Future had done was a good idea, but it was far to late to argue the point now.

The planet was beautiful, and peaceful and calm.

And it was far too painful for Agera to stay.

Altair had joined her when she said she was leaving on the first flight in and out of the new system. It hadn't taken long for Carthians to find the place, which impressed Agera. In time, the planet would likely become a trade hub and rest stop for interplanetary traders, and most likely even military ships. It was now the only hospitable planet for over one billion light years, something that even Agera had a hard time grasping, despite being in control over time and space.

She turned to look back at the ship. It's interior was dark and cold compared to the planet, but the Carthians had done what they could to make it warmer.

“Agera!” Aurora called at her, carrying her folded armor on her back, “Come on, Kahn says we're blowing out the carbon in five minutes!”

“Alright, give me a second.” she said. She turned quickly back to the small group at the base of the ramp. The Future smiled at her.

“Agera, we're not ones for saying last goodbye, and you know that. We're bad at this sort of thing.” she said as she ran up real quick.

“I can make an exception.” Agera replied, smiling back, “Virago...”

The young white female smiled, “Agera...”

“Thank-you. For believing in me, for watching out for Nero, and for joining me and Ronan. It meant a lot.” She turned to the old drake standing next to Victoria, “Lorand.”

“Grand-daughter...” He said, smiling at her, and she grinned roguishly back.

“Thank-you for all the stories, and for opening my eyes. Sir.”

“Krigsman...” The Grand Marshall said, smiling.

“Thank-you for giving me my chance. Vicki...”

The female said nothing, glancing at her, then looking away, unsettling Agera slightly.

“...thanks for going swimming with me...”

“Agera!” Aurora called from the top of the gangplank.

“Give me a second!” She didn't have much time. The engines on the trading vessel were spooling up, and the thrust started kicking dust into the air, “I'm gonna miss you guys. Keep in touch, yeah?”

“Definitely!” Virago called back, “Now go. We'll make sure this place is held together. Besides, it's not like you're really saying goodbye.”

Both the Future and Agera laughed and nodded. All but Vicki turned to leave.

“Come on Vic, we gotta move for the ship!” Lorand called.

“I'll catch up.” she shouted back, then approached Agera so she didn't have to shout. Agera looked down at her, and Victoria scowled up at her. Everyone else was out of earshot, and the youngling spoke only just loudly enough.

“You promised me...” she said, “You promised that you would bring him back alive...”

“Vicki, I...”

“Shut. Up. You broke you're promise! You got hundreds, if not thousands, and maybe even millions of my people, my family, killed in this war. And yet these fools think you saved them. They hail you as a conquering hero. They run through the streets celebrating your name. I'm not buying it.”

Agera's jaw hung open as she continued.

“You know something? Ronan named me as his successor, should he ever fall. Not Lorand, not Virago, and certainly not you or your future. This isn't liberation. It's an occupation. And I intend to see this planet freed as soon as possible. You are no longer welcome here, by decree of the royal house. Leave now, and never come back.”

“You know that's not going to happen!” Agera said, looking at the Future, who watched them with a knowing eye, “That's me, standing right there!”

“I know. You won't be standing there much longer. I have a feeling she knows why she's here. I have a feeling you know why she's here too. Some moments in time can't be changed.” Victoria responded.

“One of the most powerful dragons to ever live tried to kill me, Victoria...” Agera was getting angry now, “Do you really want to go down this road? Do you really want to make an enemy out of me and all Drakian. They won't take it kindly when their greatest voice for peace has been slain in cold blood. IF you can even slay me.”

Victoria got even closer, and Agera had to really strain to listen, “You already made an enemy out of yourself, and your kin. This war isn't over yet...”

Agera's blood chilled at the thought. She had already lost so much. She didn't think she could survive loosing much more.

“Have a safe flight...” And with that, she turned around and walked back down the gangplank, head held high.

The engines were idling now. Agera turned, worry suddenly clouding her mind, and entered the ship as it took off, the gangplank beginning to retract. She looked back, and took one last glimpse of the turquoise sky before cold steel cut off her view.

“What's wrong?” Altair asked as she left the airlock.

“Nothing, it's just...” she grimaced as she realized that she wouldn't see that planet again for a very long time, “Victoria just banished me...”

“What!? She can't do that!”

“I think you'll find she can. She blames both me and Avila for her brothers death. I think she blames me because I didn't kill Avila.” Agera said, walking down a hallway.

“What are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing, for now.”

Altair was quiet for a bit, “And what about Avila?”

Agera stopped and sighed. Since she was the one who imprisoned Avila, she had control over Avila's entire world. Where Agera sent her, she would never want for a food or water or sleep. She would experience no stimulus. Her pocket dimension was dark, completely, with no landscape, no warmth nor cold. Technically, she didn't even need air to breath.

“I don't know what I'm going to do about Avila. If she proves herself, in time, I may release her. But that's going to require as much sorrow on her behalf as it will forgiveness on mine.”

“Will you talk to her?”

“I don't know...”

“And what about...” Altair looked at the large silver and grey egg in Agera's arm.

“I don't know! Alright! What do you want me to do!? Smash it?”

“What!? No...”

“Then what should have I done? Sent it with her? Let it fall to the ground? However much you might hate Avila, Altair, we cannot judge her hatchling by her actions alone.” Agera said looking down at the egg, “I just... I'm not sure there is a right answer. But...”

She whipped her eyes as tears slipped down her cheeks silently, “...it's a male you know. The Carthians did an ultrasound. He's Ronan's brother.”

“Half-brother...”

“He's still family! Are you gonna blame Ronan for the death of your mother too, Altair! Cause you might as well, you're nearly there!”

“Hey! Lovebirds!” Aurora shouted at the end of the hall, “Are you gonna shout at each other all day? Altair, just kiss her, and then the two of you come with me. Got something I want to show you.”

Agera blushed hard. She felt close to Altair, he had lost just as much as she had after all, but she didn't think she was ready for that.

“I didn't... I wasn't... I was just worried.” Altair said, also blushing.

“About?” Agera growled at him. Altair shrugged nervously.

“I don't know? Nothing? Everything?” Agera quietly glanced away, brushing her fins out of her face. Suddenly, she grabbed his horn and dragged him down, quickly kissing him on the cheek.

“What!?”

“Thanks...” Agera said, then ran after Aurora. She caught up in front of a hardened door. The ship shook and shuddered as the engines flared. Aurora saw her blushing cheeks and smiled at her, but said nothing.

“Where are we?” Agera asked.

“The bridge? Ship is about to leave orbit.”

“I'm not...”

“You want to see this.”

“Aurora, I've seen planets from space before. And I've seen stars.”

“Not like this you haven't.” Altair came up behind them, glanced quickly at Agera, and then turned to Aurora.

“Like what?”

“Just wait.”

The engines throttled back, and Agera felt herself getting lighter and lighter. Suddenly, their claws left the ground, and Agera free floated in zero-g, enjoying the feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Alright, come on.” aurora knocked on the door to the bridge. Kahn opened it. Agera smiled at him, and he smiled back, then wiggled his leg stump at her as she crossed over into the bridge.

What she saw took her breath away.

It was... nothing. Agera had seen the night sky on both Earth and Titan before, and was filled with awe at the beauty, but this was different. It was wild. Untamed.

The bridge was small for the three of them. There were five consoles around the bridge, each manned by a different Carthian. Kahleen manned the communications station. The floor area was just large enough to squeeze her onto the bridge.

“Welcome to the bridge of the Mercator. What do you think?”

“Where is everything?” Agera asked. Kahn laughed.

“Agera, this entire solar system was a single lone oasis in the universes largest desert. The system is small. It has only five planets, and just one gas giant. The star is massive, and cool, but between Rasana's internal heating, and the star, it is a pleasant temperature. After a few hundred million years floating in the void, the star had died in a coronal supernova, and the force had pushed the gas giant, and Rasana with it out of orbit. You've been floating in the largest void known to civilization, on the very edge of explored space. Any further out, and we would have been the David Attenborough's of our time.”

“No one has been beyond here?” He shook his head.

“It's a literal dark spot in the universe. That gas giant is called a rogue planet. No star for it to orbit. You were drifting through 1.8 trillion light-years of nothing.”

“Where are we going?” Agera asked as her body spun upside down to Kahn's. She was getting slightly sick from the weightlessness.

“Ponecea. A true desert world, just inside the Goldilocks zone of her considerably small and hot star. It was a haven for refugees from the dark wars, both Rasani and Earthling. Considerably cheap to buy a ticket there, since it's also seen as a shithole. We won't do more than land, refuel, and take-off. I want to spend as little time planetside as possible. Otherwise we could lose our ship to thieves or pirates. I can take you further, if you've got the coin.”

“I haven't got anything, and you know it Kahn. I saved your life, doesn't that count for something?”

“It's not about counting or not. I lost everything in the Nexus. And Dragons are expensive to transport. You eat a lot. I literally can't afford to take you further than Ponecea, you have to get your own food and supplies if you want to go further.” Agera frowned.

“How long is the trip from Ponecea to somewhere else?”

“Closest journey is three and a half months. It's gonna take six months of hard burning to get to Ponecea anyways. You couldn't even suck it up and eat hard tack all the way through those three and a half extra months. You'd be dead after one and a half. And I'm not having your rotting carcass stinking up my hold.” He said, smiling at her, “Sorry. I'd do it for old times sake, but it's either you pay for it, or I sacrifice everyone. And no matter how much I'd like to help, I'm not going to take the chance.”

Agera sighed, “Then I guess me and Altair are getting off at Ponecea.”

“Good luck. It's a hive of... what was it that human movie said? Villainy and scum?” Kahn said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Scum and villainy. Don't worry, I specialize in Scum and Villainy.” Agera said, smiling.

Six months. Agera was sure she'd gone insane after six days. The drifting in Zero-G drove her nuts. There were no stars, and even if there were, she doubt she'd still have a sense of speed. It felt like they weren't moving. Their progress was measured by how close other galaxies were getting. She thought the universe was full of life, but as it turned out, there were only really just a handful of habitable planets per galaxy. Civilization consisted of maybe a hundred planets overall, with varying degrees of pleasantness. It was getting so crowded, and so hard to expand with all the creatures that they had resorted to building space stations that housed over a hundred million in them. Entire nations floating in the void in artificial spinning gravity. There were even some rare passengers on board, creatures she had never met, mainly scientists who wanted to take measurements of the Supervoid and New Rasana.

She had met all the passengers and the crew by now. The living quarters were a small place. Everything else was taken up by fuel and cargo space. Some passengers were indifferent, but some were friendly. She had been particularly entertained by a truly strange passenger named Krik-tak, a member of a race called the Cruseans. He was a giant crab basically, who spoke in a series of clicks and whirs and whistles. Agera had been forced to realize how ignorant she had been when she was forced to get a universal computer translator to understand him. Once that had occurred, she found herself fascinated by him. She had never even heard of his race, but he had certainly heard of her. Which surprised her.

In fact, all the passengers had heard of her. They had even asked for a demonstration of her powers. Agera had reservations about using them to show off, but she did anyways. They had all loved it. They had loved Altair's lights too. Agera had been impressed by his control. He had even managed to make a recreation of old earths northern lights on the ceiling of the lounge for a couple of hours.

Agera and Aurora spent a lot of time together during their trip, along with Altair and Clancy. Altair was usually the serious and noble one while Clancy would make Agera roll and clutch her stomach with his jokes.

It felt good to laugh. It distracted her from how tired she felt.

Since Ronan was gone, the nightmares had returned. Some nights, she would just have a hard time sleeping. Every time she closed her eyes, she would see Ronan's face. Other nights, she would wake up in a cold sweat, shivering uncontrollably, eyes swiveling madly in fear at every dark corner and shadow. She routinely threw up, although whether this was from nightmares or space sickness from Zero-G she wasn't sure. Her stomach was constantly empty, she could never keep it full unless she ate dry and salty items. Fortunately after the first month, they ran out of real food, and had to resort to dried and preserved meat strips. Full of protein but with barely any taste.

Agera worried over the egg. She didn't know how old it was, and was worried it might not hatch. What if the Zero-G affected it? What if it died. But one day, after two months, three weeks and five days into their six month voyage, she finally heard the egg start squeaking, and it began to rock and spin rapidly.

“Altair!” she called. He pulled himself from the shower unit. They had been sharing a cabin the entire trip, with separate sleeping ports. The egg spun in the Zero-G as the hatchling inside moved about and banged on his shell. Then, with a sudden POP, the restraining boundaries burst forth in a shower of warm fluids and membrane as the hatchling spread his little limbs. He floated by Agera's head and squealed his delight at her face upside down to his, wiggling his six limbs and twin tails, his four wings flapping to right himself, and propel himself forwards till he had latched onto Agera's head to look into her eyes.

“He's a heavy...” Altair arched an eyebrow at her, “What?”

“That's not what they're called, and you know it. They're called Queltan.” Agera stared at the youngling, and he stared back at her with four deep grey eyes, smiling happily, and then roaring in his little hatchling roar. His legs climbed over her and onto her back where he turned around and peered between her horns at Altair. He chuckled slightly, and threw him a strip of meat, which he happily gulped down.

“I don't...”

They were quiet for a while as they watched the hatchling move about the cabin, enjoying the Zero-G.

“You're a mess Agera. You just don't know a thing about motherhood.” He said quietly.

“I've never had an actual mother, and I've never actually been a mother. I told you about her.” Agera said quietly.

“Speaking of, have you found her yet?” Agera had searched the universal archives for any sign of Kali, but it was like she had disappeared from existence. She wasn't going to give up though. That wasn't Agera's way.

“No.” Agera answered quietly. She rubbed her eyes, then brushed her fins out of her face. Altair caught a glimpse of the bags under her eyes.

“Geeze Agera, are you alright?”

“No! I'm not all right! I can barely keep it together!” She shouted, looking up at Altair. Or down. She didn't even know which way up was anymore, “I can't sleep, I can barely eat, and now I've got a hatchling to worry about!”

She blinked away tears as the past weeks came crashing down on her, “I'm a wreck. I'm not cut out for this!”

Altair grabbed her, and pulled her into his arms, and she buried her head in his chest, quietly crying, “Agera. Be at ease. The wars over. You don't have to kill anymore.”

“But I still have to fight...”

“Yes, you still need to fight. Life is war. It may not involve violence. But it is a battle. But the great thing about fighting through life is you don't have to do it alone. Agera, I'm here to fight with you. I'm not gonna leave you.” She looked up at him and his blue eyes. His strong arms hugged her closer, and she could feel his breath on her nose. He got even closer, but she turned away at the last second.

“I... I can't.” she said awkwardly. But to her amazement, he growled at her.

“Agera! How long are we gonna fucking do this!? How long are you gonna do this? You like and talk to everyone else. You and Aurora seem damn near inseparable. Even that crazy crab bastard talks to you like you're family! But ever since you sprang me from my doom on old Earth, we've had maybe a handful of conversations, and in the past two months, the most you've said to me is fucking “pass the water” at dinner! I've been trying to give you your space, but...” And suddenly now, he was crying, “I'm sorry, I'm just lonely is all. I was pissed off at mother. She spent so much time away from home. I loved her, a lot, but... and now that she's actually gone... I didn't think anything would change, but it's like there's a hole in my chest. And every time I look at you, it's like she never left...”

Something clicked in the back of Agera's head. Like someone had voiced how she felt. Empty, hollow. Like a little bit of her had died when Ronan had left her.

“I know you loved Ronan. You talk about him a lot.”

“It just feels like a betrayal-”

“That's a bullshit excuse. You can't be like this forever, Agera. And the sooner you truly give Ronan up, the better it will be for your health. Let me help you.”

“By what!? Fucking with you?” she said, reddening from embarrassment again.

“I NEVER said that. Ever. I never even fucking implied it.” Agera got even redder as she realized he was right. She had jumped to conclusions. Again.

“I just assumed that...”

“I'm not in this for a good fuck, Agera. Look at me, do you think I've ever had issues attracting a female?” Agera did look at him. She looked at him fully, and realized it was the first time she had ever done so. She had stolen so many fleeting glances, she had never gotten a complete picture of him. He was bigger than her, by a considerable amount. His muscles were well developed and toned, rivaling even her in strength. His chest was flatter than normal, but he made up for it with a shorter neck. His face though was handsome, with a well defined yet slim jaw, and cheeks that she could cut herself on. His horns were smooth and clean, and his scales sparkled with good health. All in all he was rather good looking. But not perfect. Just like her.

“Agera?” She looked up at him again, “I'm not in this because I want to get physical. That has been all you. Even when you went to kiss me just now, I didn't move my head an inch.” she was shocked.

“What?!” He chuckled at her.

“Every time a female tries to fuck with me, I freeze like a deer in a pair of headlamps. I might look good, but I'm useless when it comes to romance. You thought about the attraction, and you went for it, but you held yourself back. I think I even know why we have feelings for each other...”

“And why is that?”

“Because we're exactly the same.” Agera stopped. And she thought about it...

They had the same physical build, and a similar history. Altair had his mother, but she had rarely been around. He was likely raised in foster care, obviously by someone who didn't much care for their duties, based upon his language and manners. His life was full of loneliness. He had been raised during a war, just like her. Raised with war all around him. He had probably been taught how to fight from an early age, which would explain his control over his elements. They had both lost somebody close to them, and now that Agera thought about it, he had probably lost everyone close to him. He had probably even wanted to fight, but had never been given the chance. His mother had “protected” him, but had also cut him off from the fighting.

He was right. He was just like her.

“I don't think that-”

“Don't think. Just...” Agera looked at him again. He was closer again. Somewhere in the back of Agera's mind, she realized that it was her that was moving closer. Her tears flecked off of her eyelashes, her eyes closing has Altair grabbed her just below her wings and pulled her close, hugging her body to his.

“Just go with it...” He whispered into her horn, and she shivered. Their lips brushed together lightly at first, Agera wondering what the sensation would feel like.

It made her heart flutter with joy. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she thought to herself, Ronan would have wanted you to be happy.

She threw herself into her actions now, fully kissing Altair, and pulling him closer. Their hips rubbed together, as Agera arched her back and pressed herself to him. She could feel a bulge growing between his legs...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Agera squealed in surprise as someone pounded on their door. Agera let go of Altair and he rubbed the back of his head, blushing heavily as Agera's chest heaved with exhilaration. She felt exceptionally hot under the scales, so when she opened the door, and aurora saw her spinning there, flush with excitement and embarrassment, she smiled.

“I hope I'm not interrupting anything. You have a hatchling in the room and the place was quiet, and you two both look like you just got done force flying a dozen miles. You both work fast...”

Altair face-pawed, and Agera flushed even redder.

“That's not what-”

“Oh shut up.” Aurora pulled herself through the door and grabbed the hatchling, “Awe, look at those bright eyes! I know, mommy and daddy don't know how to control themselves, do they? You'll have siblings in no time. Knowing Agera, I'm betting they'll stop at two...”

Agera wasn't sure she could get any redder as Aurora tickled the little Queltan, making him squawk and wiggle with laughter.

“Come on lovebirds, dinner time!”

Dinner that night was long and loud. Everybody celebrated the arrival of a newborn on the ship. Kahn broke open the stores and they had real food again, and even wine.

“So what's his name?” Sekela, a female with a birds head and wings for arms asked. An Arelian if Agera remembered right.

“Um, I haven't come up with one yet. He's been... difficult.” Agera said. They all looked at her.

“He only just hatched today, how can someone so young be difficult?” Sek asked.

“It's not him. It's his heritage. When we get to Ponecea, I might put him up for adoption.” They all looked at her. Even Altair.

“Agera, are you sure that's a good idea?” He asked quietly.

“I don't know... I don't want to name him yet, until I know for sure what I'm going to do.”

A week later, Agera was hovering around the ships universal console. She had been trying in vain to search for Kali again. After three hours of finding nothing, messaging addresses in hopes of getting lucky, she had decided to take a break, and was looking through the archives, at the history before the Dark Wars, catching up on events. Kali had taught her little of history, only going so far as to teach her about military history. That was when she found it.

“No...” But there it was, plain as day. Her family tree. Even her own name was on it, linked to two names, Cindi and Spire. Linked to that was her grand-sire Ignatius, a general in the human-dragon wars. Above that, his sire, and grand-sire But tracing down from her grand-sire's grand-sire proved what she had always suspected. At the very end of the line, right next to her name was Charlotte Caloman.

She rubbed one of her eyes, her head hurting, “Damn.”

She wasn't sure what to think, being related to Avila. She looked at her direct ancestors. Not even her dame had the original Krigsman name. But her Grand-dame did. Her father though, was an oddity. Everyone else had a link to their own family history, and even a short biography, which was more like an obituary. But Avila's father was... just a question mark.

Pyrrus's name was on the list too. He was an uncle to her actually, but she had already suspected that. After a point of inspiration, she looked up her mothers genealogy. She had never heard of her mother's parents, but there above her name was her other grand-sire

Kouta Blackwell.

Inspiration struck her then, and she turned to the hatchling who had just peeked over her shoulder at the glowing screen and started scratching his growing claws on her horn. He looked at her, and she realized to herself, that in some distant way, they actually were related.

“Kouta Blackwell.” she said. He gave her a little hatchling roar at the name. He seemed to like it.

That night, at dinner, Agera told them Kouta's name. The passengers loved it. Aurora cocked an eye-ridge at her, and Clancy had made a horrible pun about it, but the name stuck.

Dinner didn't actually last that long, but it felt like an eternity to Agera. Altair kept sharing significant glances with her with a slight roguish smile on his face, and she was sure she was blushing. That might have been the wine though...

Finally dinner ended, but several of the guests were entertained by Kouta still trying to acclimate to the zero-g. Agera finally got fed up with it, faked a big yawn, and announced that she was going to bed. Altair immediately followed, towing Kouta along as he gnawed on the larger drakes tail with hatchling teeth.

They waited down the hall from Aurora and Clancy's room. Aurora floated down the passage way first. Agera pushed Kouta into her arms.

"Watch him for a couple of hours." she said quietly.

"What am I, your baby-sitter?!"

"You are now!"

"Then I expect to be paid!"

As she came down from her high, and purred in her afterglow, Agera nuzzled up under her lovers chin, running her fins under Altair's head, and he hugged her close, purring as well. They sat there in the dark, slowly spinning, distant starlight illuminating their bodies as little bubbles from their lovemaking slowly floated around them. Suddenly, Agera went lose, and Altair could here soft snoring from her, as she succumbed to exhaustion. He looked down to see her smiling quietly in slumber.

“I know I can't be the perfect mate, Agera.” he said quietly, “But I'm glad that at least once, I can make you happy. And I promise that I'll help in any way I can to move on, and be happy again.”

The future stood on the floating half mountain the locals had dubbed the Sentinel, the tallest peak for miles around, which overlooked the new city springing up alongside the sea. Several Carthian trade ships were now docked in the makeshift spaceport in the settlement, having been dubbed Haven. She smiled as she thought of all the progress the race had made. An old species given a new breath of life.

She was glad she had done what she could for them. In truth, the bonding wasn't completely gone. Rasani could still bind their souls to whomever they wished. They just weren't forced to do so to the first creature they met. And the elimination of the bonding was only showing up in the newborn. In a few generations, it would be unheard of a Rasani becoming enthralled to another.

They were happy. And she was happy. Despite what had been happening personally to her. With such a strong settlement in place now, and with many others springing up all over the place and dotting the landscape, her services were no longer needed as a guide or adviser Lorand and Virago were more than capable of leading a race.

She looked down, and melancholy swept over her. Before her were four headstones. Each had nothing more than a single name on them, and a tiny mound of dirt before them, only large enough to hold a single scale. The names read out as Jiza, Janus, Guinevere, and Ronan.

She knew that her former self had wanted to stay. To bury her friends, and her lover, but she deemed herself unable, the memories too painful to bear it. And even now the thought stung. She rubbed Ronan's grave gently, remembering the past from so long ago. And a song that she had once seen Jiza sing when she thought nobody was looking.

“OF gentle birds in circling flight
I am the soft star that shines at night
Oh, do not stand at my grave and cry
I am not there I did not die”

The Future closed her eyes. Long since had people stopped calling her Agera. She had known that her past self would eventually show. So when her services were supposedly no longer required in the future, and when she no longer felt the need to mate or travel. She settled down, alone. All her old friends having long since died, and waited for herself to show. Not to save this world, although that was certainly part of the reason she was here. No, there was a far more important reason.

In the distance she could hear the waves crashing against the shore. And then a twig snapped. Her old training fired into life, and screamed at her to turn and confront her intruder.

“A lovely song, Agera...” It was Victoria. The future looked over her shoulder at the young female. So young, and so bold.

“Nobody calls me that anymore. You know that.”

“How long has it been since you were called that?” The Future chuckled.

“I've lost track. When you have my powers and my age, time means very little. I've lived a thousand lifetimes, young Vicki. If only you knew. You wouldn't be so quick to do what you are about to do. Is the coups starting now? You might find controlling this planet harder than you thought.”

“I already have the backing of more than seventy percent of the planet. I'm not Avila, Agera. And I'm certainly not you. I'm actually a liberator, not a conqueror.”

“Well, you have one thing that few in your position have at your disposal: foresight. Would you like to know what happens to you as a result of the choices you've already made?”

“Save your breath. No paths of fate are laid in stone.” The Future laughed at that.

“Good! You are far smarter than I gave you credit for. Perhaps a warning then. Nothing good will come of what you are doing. You may hold power for a while, and so you should. These people could use some stability, despite them placing their trust in dictators and tyrants. But in the end, if you continue on your path, it will lead to ruination.” She looked out over the horizon, “And not just yours.”

Victoria was silent, but the Future knew that she was getting closer.

“There's no need to sneak, Victoria...” The Future said quietly, “We both know why we're both here. I only ask that you make it as quick and painless as possible. I've earned that much at least. You'll find I'll offer no resistance.”

“Why not?”

“Because as much as you'd like to believe otherwise, some things can't be changed...” Suddenly, a cold claw was at her neck, right against her vein.

“About damn time.” Suddenly, Victoria's paw was in the Future's vice like grip. With all her might, she flung the young Rasani out over the edge, screaming in surprise.

“Did you honestly think that I would go quietly into that cold night?!” The future shouted out at her as Vicki slowed and righted herself, hovering, “I know I am here to die, as we both do. But I shall rage against the dying of the light! If you want to kill the most powerful dragon to ever live, you're going to have to work harder than that! I'm going to make you remember my name!”

“And did you honestly think I'd come alone!?” Victoria shouted back. Suddenly, more Rasani dived out of the clouds at the Future, “I gave you a chance for your death to be painless!”

“I've been living a life of pain for ten thousand years! If I must endure a little more for death to come to me, then so be it.” Both her and Agera knew that the Future would die on this planet. Agera could feel it. A pull to this moment that spoke to her through ten thousand years, telling her, this is it. And so the future would go down not as some nameless shadow, but with a name she could be proud of, a name she would make her enemies remember, even ten million years from now. For she had seen it, met her distant ancestors, and how even they, at the end of time itself still spoke of her in whispers. And she remembered the advice she had given herself, before departing on that transport ship...

Turbines whirred in her horns, as her young self pressed the scales of her deceased friends into her paw, and she spoke quietly into her horns so only she could hear, “Give them hell...”