Alexstraza let out a small sigh, trying to not show her overall downed mood from the last thoughts she had to herself. It was the meeting of the Dragon flights, to show a mood of a depressed spiral would strike the Union of the Dragon flights a mortal, if not fatal, blow to its own morality and self-esteem.

But she lifted her head up from its 90 degree angle of facing downward, paying attention to the Dragon Flight’s speeches. Mostly, in these types of meetings, each Dragon Flight would identify problems that it may have and propose solutions that would end this problems. Yet many of the proposals would offend one Dragon flight or the other.

At times, the Black Dragon flight would oppose all issues of the Red Dragon flight and vice versa. Alexstraza assumed this internal violence was due to the two flights having a damaged history, and with that single thought there was a particularly warmth near her eyes.

Her vision became somewhat distorted and blurry, and then she noticed: she was crying. Why? It wasn’t a particular need to cry, it was just the Blue Dragon Flight’s proposal for a new Aspect to guide it. Why was she crying? Was it because of the hostilities between her own flight and the black Dragon flight? “Yes…that’s it…”, she told herself this over and over again.

But she couldn’t accept it, it wasn’t particularly possible she’d cry over this. Yes, it was depressing but it has happened for over 20 thousand years. Though a small part of her mind, one she refused to listen to, stated one strange statement; “You’re crying because such of the conflict between his and your dragon flight resembles you. You know…that you miss him.”

“Its NOTHING like it!!”, she screamed into her own sub-conscious. Yet this voice, perhaps her own morality, argued otherwise. “No, its exactly like it. That’s why you created this union partly, you wanted to make the image of Nethlarion still reside in your mind. To work with his dragon-flight as if he was here supporting it, to remain at ease. But after so many years of this…denial I’m sick of it. I’m sick that you try to ignore his presence, his past relationship with you. Don’t you care? Don’t you remember?”

But, in response, Alexstraza once again yelled. “I DO care, I DO remember. But perhaps if you didn’t notice I don’t want to be depressed over the issue of him, of how he turned out to be! Don’t YOU understand that I don’t want to live with this sadness, and I DON’T DENY WHAT HAPPENED! How can I when I try to bring the Dragon flights together!?”

As anyone could see, tears were streaming from her eyes as if they were rivers of a long-held depression only kept in check by self-denial and ignoring the issue. But as she turned to the other members, they looked in awe at her. Then she noticed what she had done, she had yelled in public of her inner-conflict.

She slowly backed away, whimpering like a whelp separated from its mother. She retreated deeper into the temple which the union resided, until reaching her throne.

At that moment, she thrusted herself at one of the fine fabric pillows and began to release the tears upon in.  After some hours of weeping, she heard someone approach.

“My lov-”, she knew it was Krasus but the mood wasn’t the best for him. “What is it Krasus, can you not see I am in…pain…”. Admitting this was a bit difficult for her, not even grown to the idea she was depressed over Nethlarion’s betrayal after some thousands of years.

“Well, I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help you.”, he stated in a rather caring voice. He loved her, she knew this. But…with that she merely growled lowly, for it reminded her of Nethlarion. Of the past…version. How he would care for her, how he would wonder if she was alright.

It wasn’t fair, not in her mind, that she was battling these feelings. These feelings that once united her and Nethlarion in friendship of all things! But, how could she fight back? It was her instinct to have compassion, to have feelings, etc…right? She couldn’t even answer her own question, so facing Krasus with red eyes filled with the blue tears she ordered him out.

As an obedient dog, he left tail in between his legs, so to speak, and left her. With the time after he left, perhaps 10 hours she thought, was the time of thinking. Was…her conscious true? That the only reason why she created this ‘union’, used loosely, of the dragon flights to relive a dream of Nethlarion’s? To have more peace in a world of destruction and chaos to make…her happy.

Perhaps she was, since really before Malygos’s genocidal campaign against all other magical creates it never occurred to her. In fact Nethlarion had barely came into her mind until the recent events. Was it these actions, those events that it was brought into her mind? Or was this merely a long educed sadness only blocked out by Krasus and self-denial? She wanted the former to be true…yet the voice in her mind said; “It’s both…you’ve been denying it. How do I know this? Think of it; he was your best friend and he…just left. After the ‘final defeat’ you just tried to stop thinking about him to escape madness and depression. That and you had Krasus, a consort that truly loved you. But then you remembered his words…do you not? That you’d find love in another dragon kin…perhaps another creature. The last part was that you might find it in Another…”

The Voice was cut off from telling her what the last part was, Alexstraza didn’t want to hear it. To hear those words, would be the most painful things of all.