Air stood. "We are too outnumbered as it is. Spread the word that all Draconic forces shall gather here under our command. And bring humans and humanweapons. Tell them all to come. Fly to the four winds."

*Startled out of thought* <Yes, we need everything we can get.> *To Twera* <The Great Ones need to get my out of here, we should talk to them again.>

<Yeah…> I was lmuchh to lost in my memories to thinkof any intelligent replies.

"yes, master air i'll fly till my wings fall off" I took off to the north first spread air's words.

((subnova)) I flew back into cave with two big fat cows and drop them next to the half eated buck saying. "hey guy still hungery?"

"Not really. I don't have much of an appetite." It was true. Most of what had been eaten had been eaten by Nimi. I had hardly touched my food. Nothing was going right for me anymore. I seemed to spend most of my waking hours planning, and yet every misfortune anyone could think of found its way to me.

I noticed Twera's sadness. "You know, be thankfull that you got those last minutes with him, that you got to see him one more time. It's more than anyof us will ever get.". I said as kindly as I could.

"It wasn''t enough. He was hardly here to begin with. I only wish he could have seen Clat." Tears came to my eyes. A few minutes was nothing when faced with an eternity without True Love.

i swooped down and swung my left paw wile simultaneously snapping my jaws. i flapped and puled my wings down hard. i had just caught two mountain sheep for myself and rockpeke. all that day i was training the new troops and retraining the old troops. so far my new ideas had helped the dark ones to push and continue pushing the great ones forces back. i landed with my catch and entered the cave. we had pushed the enemy so far back that we moved our camp. "hungry?" i asked. the dark mass looked up and then vaporized. the tiny dragon inside it flew onto the sheep and started eating wit a "yes y love, thank you." he ate the first sheep and i ate the second. once we had finished he said, "i hope to attack them before too many good humans come to their aid." i nodded thinking of the villages with too many humans willing to fight for the enemy. we had burned all the ones with n a hundred miles of the enemy's camp. any of the survivors we captured and put under our revised spell. this spell, no one could come out of. we had also sent messages and messengers to any army basses that would be mercenaries. we had so far come up with three countries and a couple of red necks. the armies and loners we now had with us in camp. one of the countries wanted a scale for each of the men. apparently our scales hold the key to curing some human disses permanently.

Draco stood on the landing ledge outside the cave, his eight siblings ranged behind him. They were of the one Being, long ago, in the time of the Nothing. Air came to his side.
"Brother, you must not dwell on what had been. We must focus on what will be."
"She will be here. This battle is crucial for her. Balance will be here, that I know."
The nine ancient dragons watched the skies, each wondering what the coming battle would bring. ((My computer is super slow, just saying))

i opened my eyes. a deep rumbling was heard. i bolted up and asked, "what is that?" the sentry at the mouth to my cave said, "mining. and our dark master wishes to see you as soon as possible." i nodded and stretched. then i trotted out of the cave and took flight to reach my mate's cave. when i landed he said, "ah, Nemesis, if you would lie to know the mining is for a new material that can be used both a weapon and shield. but that is for later, what i want to know is this:

I lay on the floor of the training cave, supervising a small knot of dueling dragons. I was also trying to come up with a plan to win, but, for the first time, my mind was failing me. It had never failed me before. It was my mind that had guided me to the cave that snowy night. It was my mind that compensated for my useless eyes. I felt betrayed.

Draco paced. The others watched him walk across the mouth of the command cave. In all of their minds, one thought loomed: would Balance show herself at the battle? Or would the Being intervene and end it all?

Clat and Glid sat around their small fire. Both longed to find Twera, but it would put all three of them in danger. Clat knew she was special. She heard them talking about her through her eggshell. She had her plan. If she hadn't cut herself and Glid from the saddle, all would have been lost.

i beat my tail on the ground in rhythm. boom-boom ba-ba-boom boom-boom ba-ba-boom. boom. boom. "all demons up! group A come with me!" i jumped into the air and the demons surrounded me. we flew off to the enemy's camp. i slipped out of the demons and beat my wings onto the force field around their camp. i roared then slid back into the mass of demons. we flew as one around the camp calling out the enemy. we looked like the biggest dragon ever seen. i roared and the demons cackled at the same time. the sound even scared me a little.

I looked out of the cave. A swirling mass of cackling demons called to our forces. An idea struck. I reached out with my mind to our army. Everyone linked mindss, even the Great Ones. With me as the spearpoint, we launched our mental might at the demons. As one, we prepared to fight. The flying creatures launched themselves into the air.

<hold still.exhibit move 2 on three.> i said to my comrades.the enemy was n the air now and out of the boarders. <one...> we stood still in the air. <two...> some of the dragons prepared to use powers on us. <three!> i yelled and the group of us vanished. the demons can shadow travel so the took me with them and we appeared behind the force of dragons.as one we attacked. the dragon in the back obviously expected to fight last, not first.we took out almost all the last line with minimal casualties. <exhibit 1, on five.> the dragons were tuning and attaching. <one two three four FIVE> we vanished and this time separated out. on the ground a team of demons battled the humans and another team captured food. one other team, the largest, kept the dragons fighting in the air so they could not take on the other demons.the team i was in hurled stones at the dragons and started caving in the dens and rooms. i picked up a set of great one's armor in one of the hidden rooms. nosed t and it magically put itself on me. <team one, get out and help team two.> i ordered. <team four up n the air, help team three.> we jumped n the air and speed at the dragons. it was too small a force to win but it could weaken them. i flew up above the battle and hovered. then i roared a call for cease fire. i survive the dragons and demons then turned and left. a dragon's sorrowful call echoed my leaving. <fall out.> i told the attack team.

I felt the pain of the dead and dying. My voice, laden with their sorrows, echoed across the broad valley. My rage built up. Only one being knew of my power. Nemesis. My eyes turned red as the fire came to me. I cared not for my own life, only that I brought the traitor down with me. I flung myself after her.

Far away from the battle, Clat kept watch as Glid slept. She was nearly fullgrown now. She could barely remember her mother. She was just a fading memory. Time had sped for Clat and Glid. Neither knew why, only that it must be.
A dragon's sorrowful call, echoed across the landscape. Clat knew the sound. It must be her mother.

i turned my head in slow motion. the moon shone on my visor. then, time stopped. i turned all the way around and hovered so my underside was facing twera. with a voice that was not mine i said, "twera, why do you wish to take the uncorrupted and corrupt it? why do you wish that-even though it would tip the scales even more-you could bring balance? now i will tell you: let the plans fall through and let the dragon live. for she has her own wars. wars, not war. now go." and time resumed but i was now two leagues away from the camp.<return home boys. i wanna be home for supper.>

I stopped in my tracks. That voice. I knew it had to be one of the Great Ones. Yet it didn't sound like any of them. Balance, the Lost One. The scales would soon be righted. I felt the compulsion to follow orders, yet I wanted also to kill the traitor.

Clat was on her feet in a minute. She hhad to return home. But where was home? Was it the cave where she hatched? Or was it somewhere else?

"good work. they will soon find they have little to no food. and most of the caves are diminished." i nodded. after putting on the armor i felt empty and exposes without it. "if you would, give me some time to meditate i would be most happy."
"yes, go."
i flew to my cave and went deep within myself. long ago i had found my true power but could never use it. i now remember and want to find out why.
`good to evil can never be. that is not balance.good and evil as one`
i opened my eyes. "impossible." i told myself. the words of my father before he died were still ringing in my ears. "i have ties to both now,can it be? but still, i never had a mother...a line of all men.... then me. then me."
(any1 curious?)

The Great Ones took stock of what was left. There was little food. Less water. The war was lost. They would have to disband. Evil would reign supreme. There was no hope.

Clat soaredacross the sunny skies. She had an idea. A brilliant idea. It was dangerous, but brilliant all the same. Hopefully, she could win the war for them.
It took but a moment to find Nemesis. Clat soared down and landed in front of the older dragon.
"Do you remember me?" she asked.

" i remember all that i have known. yes, i do."

"I have a plan. If it works, all of us can leave this world for another." Clat did not bow to Nemesis. She hadn't been educated in such things. ((I am, of course. Are you?))

((i am.most likely before you were))
"you are too young. you missed the proper way to announce that." i got up and pushed my head on hers. she did not have enough muscle to protest, so she bowed. "now, i will listen. but know this: not only will you need me to complete this, you will have to wait for me to finish my plan. my new plan." i swished my tail waiting for her response.

Clat felt her power. She was the most powerful dragon to be born in centuries. Who was this old one to tell her how to live her life. "Listen. There is no time. Not if you insist on staying. It has only been a few weeks since Glid and I left for you, but for us, it's been fifteen years. I found Balance. She can't return with the Shadows on this realm. But there is another. A fresh start. The only way to remove the shadows is to destroy everything. We have three days. I know where the Door is. I can get us all there. But only if you abandon this suicide mission." Her voice was brisk.

"i have no suicide mission. what i have is a diversion. you need me to keep the shadows on this side. i am no traitor. i am a descendant of the last dragon to host balance before she left. i am also her daughter. born of thought. believe me, i only need one day to finish this mission i set out on." i turned my head to the opening of the cave. "and i have the heat of the shadows leader. he thinks he has mine but i am a better liar than you would think."((clat takes after twera a bit ha?))

((Like mother like daughter. Just with better eyesight)) Clat growled. The growl was deeper and more menacing than even a male's. She drew herself up to her full height, her lavender eyes sparking. "If you wnt to die, then stay here. But you will be Named a traaitor in the new history. Stay or go, the choice is between life or death. I'll have gathered the others by sundown. We leave at dawn."

i stood up and puffed out my chest. i was bigger than clat and had a better glare than her too. "my conscience would rest assured if i kept the shadows from following you.but if you give me one hour i will meat you and company at the river. by the rock shaped like a turtle." i pushed past her and left the cave. the sun was sinking low and fast. i flew to the leader's cave and entered. he had been sleeping and was slow to react. i grabbed him by the neck and shook him. i hear a satisfactory "snap" and let go. then i dispose of the guards. i flew around the camp taking out all the important leaders. then i flew back to my cave. clat was gone.i put on my armor-as i had salvaged it and was sure balance would want me to wear it for right now-and flew away. just as i left the alarm went up. some guards flew up to me to get e to help but when they saw the blood on my mouth they attacked. i easily killed them and shot off at my top speed.

I was overjoyed to see Clat and Glid again, but we had work to do. Everyone who could carried either humans or supplies. I led Clat away from the others, away from the bustle of packing, to speak to her.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you," I said.
"Yes, Mother, it has." Her voice was deeper than mine, more suited for growling. She was nearly as large as I was.
"I did not know whether you and Glid lived or died that night. I thought I had lost you, my last connection to Nlaa." I twined my neck with hers. She had grown into a fine young dragon. Everything about her was perfect. In the deepest part of my hearr, I knew Nlaa was watching us. I knew he could see her, and that he was proud of our daughter.
Gently, I linked minds with her, sharing memories of Nlaa with Clat. She understood. I also showed her where she hatched.

One everything was packed, we all headed out to the river. What a strange group we looked. Dragons of all sizes carrying humans and all manner of supplies. For the last time, I flew in Earth's skies. I flew as high as I could, and looked out at the world I had known. For the older dragons, it hadd changed much since they were young. It was a world of humans. A world where myths and magic were only stories, where the Shadows lived. It was a good world, but the arrival of the Shadows had changed it far too much. For us, a new world awaited. A place of hope.

<A new world...> My thought trailed off, I had consigned myself to my fate, trapped in the mind of a human. <Oh, how I hope for freedom, but what use is dreaming the impossible, even if it's all you can do.>

Clat touched his mind. <That is my power. The impossible. I remember you but faintly. It's been many years since I left. Let me help you, Uncle.> She worked gently, using but the lightest of touches.

<Wha-> I feel a strange sensation. <Is this really my freedom?>

<Yes.> Clat smiled. I landed in the cave at just the right moment to see Thunderhawk freed.

I fly into the air, radiating joy "This is -" I stop, realizing I was about to say 'impossible' and laugh. Who cares if we are fleeing from the very bounds of reality, I was free!
Eventually, I settle down and ask, "What can I do to help? I've been dead weight for far to long."
((Even though he didn't take much to support...))

I was too stunned to speak. A huge, toothy grin spread across my face. I twined my neck with his, sharing his joy. "I'm glad you're free, Thunder."
Clat stood off to one side. The dragon her mother had twined necks with looked a bit like her. Was this her father?

i came shooting around a turn. i almost hit a rock jutting out of the cliff. why i felt the need to hurry is beyond me. i opened my wings to their full extent and slowed my decent. i landed with a huge boom. almost everyone turned to look at me. "well now, you didn't think you'd be leaving without me did ya? i mean, who would you have to look after the fighting?"

I smiled. "It wouldn't be the same without you. Grab a pack and let's get going." There were still some large bags in a pile by the rock.
I looked around. Earth had been our home, but it was time to move on. Carefully, I pulled a scale from my side and placed it on the rock.

i grabbed as many packs as i could. i wanted to make sure my mar was left so i made an ice bridge over the water. i would stay that way even n the heat of summer. i looked up and saw the first reaches of sunlight in the sky. "we should go."

"We should. Clat, if you would, please." I kept my voice brisk. It wouldn't do to shed tears over a Shadowed place. Clat launched herself into the bright blue sky. Then went the Great Ones. I had decided to wait until everyone was gone, then I'd seal the door. This meant I had to be last in line.

"This world is lost... I will never forget this loss...
By the way, where does this 'door' lead? When I dream I see many realms beyond this one we are leaving; Pern, Alagaesia, Kolmar, many of these realms seem too real to simply be backdrops to my mind's antics."

Clat soared next to Thunder. "It's a strange place. There's plenty of food, and room to grow. It's brand new. It must have been created when the Shadows rose. We called it Eden. It seems to fit. It's a true paradise. As long as we keep to the old Ways, the Great Ones will provide. The door's just up here. See that mountain? See the part that looks like a snarling Dragon? The doors just inside the mouth. Just fly right in." ((Mind explaining Kolmar? I've never heard of it))

((Kolmar is from a book called Song in the Silence, and related books. The basic story is about a woman who goes on a voyage to gather the leaves and fruit of a tree that can prolong life. She meets a race of dragons and falls in love with their king. After the king is mortally wounded in a fight with a demon, he goes to a cave to die, but instead somehow becomes human... blah blah blah sex blah blah...))

I nod. "Sounds boring, To much comfort will make me crazy, but hey, It'll be home." I angle into a steep dive and pull up a small tree, "I'll plant this on the other side, a reminder of what was."

((Interesting…)) Clat hovered. "Boring? Glid and I hadn't gotten around to much exploring. We have no idea what other Kinds could live there, or if any other Doors lead there. I did find a couple caves that might hold Doors, but we'd have to look." Clat gazed at the tree. Something told her the tree was more than it looked. She whispered a small incantation, one that would allow the tree to alert the inhabitants of Eden when the Shadows approached.

"Other Doors..." The urge for adventure grew. "So much for being bored, lets do this!"
((Yeah, Thunder's not going to stay in Eden, not with the chance to find whole new worlds.))

((Perhaps they'll blunder into someone else's story. Hint hint.)) "Yes, let's. I'll lead the way. Follow me!" Clat headed straight for the Door. She soared into its pitch blackness. The darkness of the cave extended for about two wingflaps. At the end of the tunnel, light could be seen. It was the sunlight of Eden, welcoming the Alliance home.

((Interesting idea, but this feels like a definite endpoint to this RP. It was great, and I'm sad to see it go, but there is no way to keep it up without killing it...))

Well, I have a few ideas of my own. You'll most likely see Thunderhawk again. The Alliance will live on. How, you ask? I'm going to write their adventures in Eden as a story. After all, the end of one story is always the beginning of another. The sun will always break through the clouds. And there will always be Dragons in the skies.

and even if you cannot see them, they are there. watching over you. zero, could you explain pern? and also, as maker of this role play i would like to thank everyone for joining and playing. i loved it till the end. and forever after. dragonsmemory we, i speak for all right now, will want to hear of these tales. tell them to us and we will help you if you need it. one last request: let's finish this.

i roared my roar of departing. it was sad, yet filled with excitement. i knew i would see the others settle down, then go off adventuring. maybe i could find a gate to luster, or that land they spoke of meant for dragons. or maybe i could find aligasia. i would love to meat shapheria. "as a parting gift and entering gift i give both worlds an ice bridge that never melts. our stories will be engraved in them. in both dragon and Latin." i said to myself then followed clat into the tunnel. who knows? a fight may wait on the other side. and we don't want dear little clat to face it alone now do we?

ok. i made myself cry! i mean, i am sick so that is easier but, i love you guys! this is a sad, sad day. the end of a roleplay is never easy. but we did the right thing. if we continue it, we butcher it. i for one am a horrible writer but if someone out of the role play wants to make this a story....i for one would buy it if it were published.

I can explain it. Pern is the fantasy world created by Anne McCaffrey. Its dragons aand dragonriders fight Thread. They're really good books.

I hovered outside the cave, watching them all pass throug the Door. On his way in, Draco stopped.
"You have done well, Twera. Your daughter has accomplished the great deed set down in her destiny. You have matured quickly to protect the ones you love. I am proud of you."
"Thank you." After I gave him my thanks, he followed the others through. It was my turn. As I glided through the Door, I sang an Ancient leaving song.
Once I was throught the Door, I spoke the spell that would seal it behind us. Cclat's voice called back to me.
"Come on, Mother! We have to find our caves!"
"Coming, Clat!" A New Age has begun: the Age of Dragons.

is that going to be the book title?

I'm debating. It'll be the final title, but the story here iscalled Battling the Shadows. This was fun. They had a great run. I'm sure the Alliance is going to be very happy in their new home.