(A/N) It's finished on time! I've already started working on Chapter 9 earlier today, so I'm going to try to get that one done on time next week too. Thankfully I've been writing a lot more in the last few days and my mood has been infinitely better, so I really hope that continues.

Also, this is another Idoun POV!

As the days and weeks went on, Idoun found herself more and more interested in hearing about what Roy was doing in his spare time. At first, she had mainly just asked him about what he'd been up to as a way to distract her mind from obsessing about transformation, but after he started telling her his stories about working at Owen's inn and all the things that had happened on the job, she realized she was actually very interested for some reason.

She didn't really know why. She had only been to the inn a few times—one of those being when Roy first came back to Arcadia—since the villagers were uncomfortable around her and she was always discouraged from going near large crowds of them. It didn't seem to be the inn that interested her about the stories, but rather what Roy was up to while he was there. Maybe it was just a side effect of being able to make connections with other people, suddenly becoming invested in a life that wasn't her own.

One day, she stopped by Sofiya's house early in the morning a few hours after talking with Roy, and met her at the door, looking a little surprised.

"Idoun…?" she said. "What brings you to my house…so early?"

"I was wondering if you might be able to shed some light on something I have been contemplating for a while," Idoun answered.

"Yes…come inside," Sofiya replied, stepping out of the way to let her in.

Idoun followed her inside and they both went to sit down. Sofiya's house was so cozy and comfortable, Idoun realized as she looked around. She had been in here often in the past, and nothing looked different than it had then, but yet…it was as if she had been unable to focus on the details. Now, the whole place almost seemed to have a personality of its own, soft and comforting, much like Sofiya herself.

"Is this what the others feel…all the time?" she thought. "No one ever said anything about houses having personalities, like people. But how could I have never noticed something like this in all the times I was here before? It seems so obvious, and somehow…it still makes no sense."

"You seem preoccupied," Sofiya chuckled softly.

"I was…impressed by the house," Idoun explained. "Something about it is…different than usual. But never mind that. I wanted to ask you if you know anything about something else."

"Of course," Sofiya said. "What is it you want to know?"

Idoun paused for a moment. She was confused as to why it would be difficult to say it; they were only words, after all, and she already knew what she was thinking. Somehow it made sense to her why she was hesitant to say it, though, even if she couldn't have explained it in words. Just trying to understand those thoughts made her head hurt…

"Wasn't I trying to say something?" she reminded herself, having lost track of her thoughts. "Ah, yes, I remember."

"I wanted to ask you if you know anything about why the elder thinks it would be dangerous for me to take dragon form," Idoun said.

She sighed as she said it, a fleeting sensation of fear taking hold. Or…was that fear? There were so many feelings to keep track of now, it was hard to tell…

"I…don't know," Sofiya replied. "Unless the elder was afraid…that you would go back to fulfilling Zephiel's goals…I do not know why he would not let you transform. Did he say anything else about it…?"

"No…" Idoun answered. "I think it may be because I am not like the other Divine Dragons anymore."

"Not…like the others?" Sofiya repeated. "Do you mean because you are the Dark Dragon? I'm not sure I understand…"

Idoun took a shaky breath, her heart rate increasing ever so slightly. Why was it so hard to get the words out? She knew exactly what she wanted to say, but for some reason it was like it took actual effort to speak them out loud.

"Perhaps I should instead ask her why speaking is so hard for me now," Idoun thought. "Or why speaking about certain things is harder than speaking about others."

"My dragon form…" she started. "I am not…herbivorous…like the other Divine Dragons are…"

She closed her eyes upon saying it, for some reason having the strangest urge to go hide somewhere. It was so confusing, having these strange feelings that didn't seem to correlate to anything that was going on in the real world.

"Yes…I suppose that makes sense," Sofiya agreed. "Do you think that's why the elder…will not let you use your dragonstone? Because of Dragons' hunting instincts…?"

"I…I'm afraid so…" Idoun said. "And I think…I think it makes sense to do so, because I…I…"

"Why?!" she wanted to scream. "What has happened to me that keeps me from communicating? This should be simple; I know exactly what I want to tell her…"

"Does the elder think you would lose control…?" Sofiya asked. "I suppose the other Dragons did change you into…a new kind of Dragon…one we have no understanding or knowledge of. Perhaps it is safest that you don't transform…though it seems sad to me."

"Yes…" Idoun agreed. "I have been…thinking about it more often than usual lately. I was wondering if you might know how to make that stop…?"

"I'm afraid not…" Sofiya said. "It is probably because you are starting to wake up more inside…so now you think about how much you want to use your dragonstone. I know Fa would be devastated if she wasn't allowed to use hers… Are you sure you would not be able to control yourself…?"

"I…I think so…?" Idoun answered uncertainly. "I feel so drawn to the idea…being in that form again… I do not know how to describe it, but I fear what could happen if I were to use my dragonstone… I wish I could force myself to stop thinking about it."

"Hmm…" Sofiya said thoughtfully. "I don't know that that is possible…but perhaps if you were to…find some other way to occupy your time? Similar to what Roy and his companions are doing…working at Owen's inn, to keep from boredom…"

"How…how would I do that…?" Idoun asked, feeling genuinely lost. "I…I do not know what others do to fill their time…"

She strained her memory, trying to think back to before the Scouring, before she had lost all sense of who she was, but as usual she was unsuccessful. As much as she wanted to feel like a real person again, she didn't know where to start. Nothing seemed to have one simple answer; it was very different from the way she had lived when serving under Zephiel.

Sofiya chuckled.

"Well, that depends…on the person," she answered. "I suppose you don't remember having your own interests…so you may have to start trying things out and see how you like them. Perhaps…you could join Roy in his baking lessons…if you wish."

"I could?" Idoun said.

She had known that Roy was taking lessons from Sofiya, but she had never thought much about it before now. But for some reason, the thought of taking lessons alongside Roy filled her with a faint sensation of warmth, like what she felt when spending time with Fa. She assumed this must be how most people felt when spending time with those they shared close connections with, though it was hard to imagine that feeling being easy to come by in everyday life.

"Would you like to?" Sofiya asked. "It would be no inconvenience to me. If you think it would help you keep your mind off your dragonstone…then I would be glad to invite you. I doubt Roy would mind, as he seems to enjoy your company."

"Really?" Idoun said.

"Why does that make me feel…fluttery?" she wondered. "Like my heart is floating out of my chest, soaring through air…"

It was only a faint sensation, as most of Idoun's feelings were, but it was one that puzzled her nonetheless. She thought she remembered feeling this way before…but it was such a long time ago that she couldn't quite place it. She wondered if Fa felt like this often; that would explain her seemingly endless energy and enthusiasm.

"Yes…I have sensed he has grown fond of you, in the time he has spent here," Sofiya said. "I know he stayed out of an obligation to help you…but I believe he is starting to consider you a companion or a friend now…"

"A friend…" Idoun thought. "That would be nice. Other than Fa and Sofiya…I cannot remember having a friend before. But…does Roy really consider me a friend? I have not known him for very long, and we are so very different from each other. How is it that a human, a noble from Lycia, would even be willing to consider being a friend to a Dragon…especially the Dark Dragon? Perhaps that is why he was able to wield the Sealed Sword…?"

"I would gladly join your lessons…if Roy does not mind," she said.

"I will ask him…but I suspect he will be glad to have you join us," Sofiya replied. "Come by again later in the evening… That is when we usually have our sessions."

"I will," Idoun answered.

Later that day, as the sun was just beginning to set, Idoun left the Dragon Temple with Fa by her side, eagerly skipping along as they walked to Sofiya's house.

"Fa's so excited you're going to take classes with Roy!" Fa said. "Maybe you can learn to bake cake, since you love cake as much as Fa does! Fa's going to watch you, but she promises not to get in the way!"

"All of the people I know the best, together in one house…" Idoun thought, just barely starting to smile at the idea.

"You know, you don't talk very much, Idoun," Fa said, frowning. "Fa talks a lot! Do you think Fa will run out of words when she's as old as you?"

"I doubt you will ever run out of words, Fa," Idoun replied.

"Really? You think so?" Fa said, her face brightening up again. "Fa's happy! Fa doesn't want to run out of words because then how would she talk to her friends?"

Soon enough, they reached Sofiya's house, and Fa ran up to knock on the door. Idoun felt another brief sensation of warmth at watching the younger girl pounding on the door eagerly; she was always so excited about everything, and she never let anything get her down. Idoun couldn't imagine living life that way, though she supposed she must have been like that when she was younger, too. It was so long ago that it hurt to try and remember…

"Sofiya!" Fa shouted. "Fa's here with Idoun! Can we come in?"

The door opened to reveal Sofiya, and Fa went running inside immediately. Sofiya smiled, and Idoun followed her inside.

"Welcome back, Idoun," Sofiya said. "Follow me to the kitchen."

Fa was already running ahead of them when Sofiya led Idoun back to the kitchen, where Roy was also waiting. He looked up when he saw Idoun, his expression curious. She wondered what he was thinking, seeing her joining him for his lessons. Sofiya had said that he really liked having her around, but she found it hard to imagine why that would be the case. Of all the people he could enjoy spending time with, why the Dark Dragon he had fought and defeated?

"Hello, Idoun," Roy said politely. "Sofiya told me you wanted to join us today."

"Yes, I…" Idoun started.

"Fa's so happy you're taking classes together!" Fa interrupted. "Fa just knows you're both going to love it so much, since you're already really great friends and Idoun loves cake just as much as Fa does!"

Both Roy and Sofiya looked at Fa, who giggled nervously.

"Sorry," she said. "Fa's just really excited you're getting along so well."

"It's alright, Fa," Sofiya assured her. "But maybe you would like to go outside…and pick some more flowers to show us?"

Fa's eyes widened.

"Yes!" she exclaimed happily. "Fa loves flowers! Fa will go outside right now and pick the prettiest ones she can find!"

She rushed to the door and ran outside as fast as she could, leaving Roy and Sofiya smiling fondly.

"She really does have a lot of energy, doesn't she?" Roy remarked.

"Yes…" Sofiya agreed. "I remember when I was her age…she was still the same as she is now…"

It was a strange thought, Sofiya growing older while Fa stayed the same, but Idoun knew that was how it worked. Dragons aged much slower than humans, and even half-Dragons like Sofiya didn't age as slowly as Fa and Idoun would.

"As long as Roy knows me…I will always be the same age," she thought. "Why does that make me feel so…hmm, I do not know what this feeling is…"

"Anyway," Sofiya said. "I suppose we should…get started now. Roy…could you show Idoun where to find the flour? Then we can get started."

"Sure," Roy answered. "Alright, come with me, Idoun."

He walked towards a high cabinet in the back of the room, and reached up to open it. He was just barely tall enough to reach it, and had to stand on his tiptoes to grab the bag of flour. Concerned, Idoun reached up without thinking to help him, and his hand slipped. The bag started to fall and Roy stumbled backwards to avoid it, falling over onto the floor. Reacting instinctively, Idoun lunged to the side to grab the bag in midair, and ended up tumbling over on top of Roy. The flour bag, miraculously, was unharmed.

After a few seconds of silence, both Roy and Sofiya started chuckling. Idoun smiled and laughed faintly too, carefully pulling herself off of Roy and getting to her feet. Roy stood up, still laughing, and Idoun handed the bag to him.

"I really messed up there…" Idoun thought.

She was feeling something else unfamiliar, some kind of feeling that gave her the sudden urge to curl up in a ball and hide…and she wasn't entirely sure why. It seemed to have been caused by guilt; she felt bad for knocking Roy over, but it was also fear…fear that she had startled him with her blunder. Even though she was in human form right now, she worried that her presence was still unnerving, even to someone who seemed to trust her as much as he did.

"That was…unexpected," Roy laughed. "I guess it's a good thing you're here, Idoun, or otherwise we might have had a disaster on our hands."

"What…?" Idoun blurted out, surprised.

She hadn't expected him to thank her for what just happened; at most she thought he would say nothing about it and move on. Of course, she had been so caught up in thinking about how she might have scared him that she forgot she had technically saved the flour from hitting the floor.

"I should probably have let you reach for the flour, anyway," Roy said, setting the bag down by Sofiya. "You're definitely tall enough to reach it."

"Are you not…upset with me?" Idoun asked.

"Um…no?" Roy replied confusedly. "Why would I be upset? I'm the one who fell over; it's not your fault. Besides, this is only your first day here, so it's not like I expect you to be perfect at everything. Sofiya can tell you, but I'm really not even that good myself, and I've been learning from her for several weeks now."

"You're making good progress…" Sofiya laughed. "Quite fast for a warrior, too, I must say. I have no doubt…you will be able to learn much from this class."

Idoun didn't say anything right away. Once again, she was more than a little surprised at how kind and understanding Roy was, though she knew she probably shouldn't have been. Maybe it was because of all the time she'd spent as a soulless shell devoted to war that made her always assume hostile intent rather than anything else. In any case, she was pleasantly surprised to find out, time after time, that Roy was nothing like her worst expectations. He was a nobleman who truly was noble, more than worthy of his title.

"I think you're just being kind, Sofiya," Roy laughed. "But thank you anyway. I appreciate you taking the time to teach a few war-hardened veterans the fine art of baking."

Both Roy and Sofiya chuckled and this, and Idoun laughed a little too. She was surprised at how natural it felt now, almost as if she didn't even have to think before making the response. It was, again, difficult to imagine being able to keep up with all of those instinctual social reactions, but everyone else seemed to do it so well that she figured it would someday make sense to her as well.

"A few 'war-hardened veterans?'" Idoun thought. "I suppose Roy and I do have something in common, then, though at least he had a noble cause to fight for. I wonder…could he be haunted by memories of the war too? Perhaps we are not so different from each other after all…"

"Alright…let's get started," Sofiya said.

While the food was baking, Fa came back inside to show them the flowers she'd picked, and Roy and Idoun decided to go outside and walk while she talked to Sofiya. It had actually been Idoun who suggested it—something that seemed to surprise the others—because she was still thinking about how she and Roy might have more in common that she had previously thought.

For several minutes, they walked in awkward silence, strolling aimlessly through the desert as if neither of them had a care in the world. After a while, Roy finally turned to Idoun and broke the silence.

"So…what made you want to come out here?" he asked. "Was baking too stressful for you?"

"No…actually it was rather pleasant," Idoun answered. "I was curious…do you think back to the war often?"

"Well…not as much these days," Roy admitted. "But, yes, I used to think about it a lot, and sometimes I still do. It's hard to believe I was so young when it happened…sometimes it feels like a dream. A really bad dream, one I prefer not to think about."

"I see…" Idoun said.

"Do you think about it too?" Roy asked.

"Yes…though the memories are somewhat obscured, the most violent ones rush back like a sharp pain," Idoun replied. "It is…strange. I don't remember being disturbed by those events when they happened, when my mind was not my own…but looking back on them puts them in a new light. It is hard to accept them, knowing that unlike you I did not fight for a noble cause."

"I suppose…" Roy agreed. "But you're not the same anymore. I mean, you weren't even really you when those things happened. It isn't your fault… You wouldn't do anything like that anymore."

"Are you certain?" Idoun pressed. "After all, you know why I am not allowed to use my dragonstone… It would seem violence is inherent to me, whether I am healed or not."

"You don't know that for sure!" Roy argued. "Besides, maybe Dark Dragons are unheard of, but there were plenty of other Dragons back in ancient times who hunted and enjoyed it, and still it was the humans that started the war. I don't think you would lose control completely…"

"Perhaps…" Idoun said. "But still…it is hard to imagine that finding enjoyment out of devouring another creature would be a good thing. Maybe it is because I was born a Divine Dragon, but it sounds to me like a dangerous desire to possess."

Roy didn't respond right away. Idoun wondered if she was making him uncomfortable, talking about this, but he seemed so much less bothered by it all than she was. Admittedly, she still didn't know whether or not taking dragon form actually would be dangerous, but clearly the elder seemed to think it wouldn't be a good idea and he usually knew what he was talking about.

"Do you really think it's powerful enough to…make you lose yourself, though?" Roy asked.

"I do not know…it is hard to imagine that would actually happen," Idoun said. "All I know for sure is that the strength of the desire itself is what unnerves me. Perhaps it is because I have not felt such things in such a long time that these emotions feel too strong… Either way, I do not know how I would react if I did transform. It might be so overwhelming that I couldn't do anything at all."

"Maybe so…" Roy agreed. "But what if…what if there was a safe way to test it? If we took you away from the village, away from people, do you think it would be safe enough to transform and see how you react?"

"Away from the village…?" Idoun thought, her mind racing. "I could actually feel it again, being in that powerful form…? No…I shouldn't…but he said it was safe, did he not?"

She was at war with herself. The offer sounded good, and she wanted to use her dragonstone more than anything, but…was it really a smart thing to do? She still didn't have any idea of what would happen if she did; her mind was still fuzzy in some areas and it was hard to determine… Then again, would she ever know if she didn't slip away to transform? The elder hadn't said how long she would have to wait before she could use it again. It could be a long time…

"Idoun…?" Roy said, looking at her with concern in his eyes. "Are you alright? I'm sorry if I said something wrong. We don't have to do that if you don't want to; I was just trying to think of ideas since I know it must not feel good…being stuck in a form that isn't really your own."

"No…it does not," Idoun agreed. "Thank you for…offering to help me. I do want to change again…"

"Do you want to try it?" Roy asked. "I can take you outside Arcadia if you wanted to; it could be late at night when no one else would notice us missing."

"I suppose…" Idoun conceded. "But what about you? If you are there with me, you could still be in danger."

Roy tapped the sword he kept strapped to him at all times.

"Sealed Sword," he said. "It worked last time, didn't it?"

Idoun's mind flashed back to the battle in the Dragon Temple, when Roy had fought her with that very sword. She did recall him being a much more formidable foe than any of his companions, presumably because of that weapon. Without him, it was likely she would have defeated all of them. That was a chilling thought…

"But if Roy is there by himself…could he really stand against me as the Dark Dragon?" she thought. "He may have been the one who defeated me last time, but that likely would not have been possible were it not for his companions' assistance."

"Are you sure?" Idoun asked. "I fear you would not fare so well, standing alone against me…"

"Maybe not…" Roy said. "But I still think you're worrying about this too much. I don't think you're going to be so overwhelmed by power or whatever that you'll attack me."

Idoun didn't say anything. She did feel warm inside at Roy's offer to help her, but she didn't think she wanted to transform with him around. She told herself it was because she was worried about losing control…but there was something else there too, wasn't there? She didn't know exactly what that feeling was, but it was undeniably there. Without the words to explain it, though, she had no way to tell Roy why she didn't want him to come with her.

"I…suppose we can try it," she said hesitantly.

"Really?" Roy replied. "So…do you want to do it tomorrow morning, when we usually meet up outside?"

"Yes…that would be best," Idoun agreed. "I will have to retrieve my dragonstone while the elder is asleep…I know where it is, so it should not be difficult. Are you…completely sure you want to do this, Roy?"

"Of course!" Roy said. "I promised I'd stay here to help you recover, so it's kind of my job to do this for you, right? But it's not just that; I really want to help you. I can't imagine what it feels like to not be able to live in your true form, ever. At least the other Dragons can still change often enough, but you…"

"How long has it been since someone cared about me this much?" Idoun wondered. "I suppose Fa does, but she's too young and naïve to feel any differently. But Roy…he defeated me, spared my life, stayed here to help me recover, and now he wants to do this too? I really owe him everything, don't I…?"

"Idoun!" Roy exclaimed. "Are you…crying again?"

Idoun reached a hand up to wipe her eyes and was surprised to see they were wet. She hadn't even noticed she was crying this time. It was hard to imagine ever getting used to living with feelings like this; they made her feel so fragile and helpless, but according to Roy and the others this was exactly what recovery looked like. She had to trust them, even if it was incredibly counterintuitive.

"I did not mean to," she said. "Thank you, Roy, for…everything you have done for me."

That night, Idoun sat awake in bed and did not even try to sleep. Even though she usually woke up early anyway, she didn't want to take any chances this time. She wanted to be fully alert and not leave anything up to chance.

The hours went by slowly and her alertness started to fade as time went on. She did her best to keep herself from falling asleep, by getting up and pacing around the temple, or finding something in the room to focus on and keep her mind occupied. It was easier now than it had been before she started sleeping again, something she assumed was because her emotions were becoming stronger and her personality was slowly returning, allowing her mind to be more easily distracted and thus making the agony of waiting for hours much less brutal.

Even with this boost, though, she still began to feel tired as the night went on. She lay down in her bed for a while and briefly closed her eyes, but when she felt herself start to slip out of consciousness she immediately got back out and went for another walk around the temple.

Finally, she decided she had waited long enough, and went down the hallway looking for the room where her dragonstone was being kept. She took extra care to walk quietly and checked her surroundings for any sign that she was being watched, but she saw no one. Upon reaching the room—a small, out of the way room that housed a lot of various artifacts—she entered and looked around for the stone. Somehow, it was right where she expected it to be, sitting under a pile of old sheets in the back corner.

Idoun carefully took the stone in her hands, feeling a sudden rush of energy as she did so. She was still in human form, but she could feel the faintest glimpse of the power her dragon form commanded in this dark purple stone, one that had likely once been the vibrant blue of Fa's…

"Perhaps I was able to find it so easily because it is still connected to me…?" she thought.

She stood still for a few moments, and then slipped the dragonstone underneath her cloak just in case anyone happened to be walking by. She then made her way out of the room, closing the door carefully to make sure no one suspected anything, and started back towards the front door of the temple.

By the time she got outside, the power she felt from the stone held under her arm was making her feel almost desperate to change now, to feel the true extent of her strength as a Dragon… There was no way she could turn back now.

"But this…this is too dangerous. I cannot predict what I will do when I first transform, and if Roy is there with me…"

In that moment, she made a decision. Instead of going down into the center of the village, towards Owen's inn, she headed around to the back of the temple and started out into the desert, alone.

"I am sorry, Roy," she whispered quietly. "Perhaps next time you can come along."

Wasting no time, Idoun ran away from Arcadia as fast as her legs could carry her, into the seemingly endless desert and far from civilization. She ran until she started to feel out of breath, and then collapsed suddenly, closing her eyes before her face fell into the sand. Taking a few deep breaths, she steadied herself and stood back up, continuing further out into the distance at a much gentler pace.

Once she was far enough that she could no longer see the lantern lights of the village shining in the distance, Idoun finally stopped walking and stood still. She pulled the purple dragonstone out and stared at it for several moments, her entire body trembling. She was both excited and terrified, she both wanted to transform and at the same time didn't want to, and for a while she was frozen in that state, trying to push forward while also holding herself back.

After what felt like a very long time, Idoun closed her eyes and tried to summon the power trapped inside the dragonstone. Despite not clearly remembering her previous transformations, she somehow instinctively knew how to call on the power and initiate the change.

The exhilaration she felt from holding the stone grew and grew, to the extent it was almost paralyzing. She had not felt feelings anywhere near this strong anytime in her memory; it was as if the full range of regular emotions were all rushing back to her in this one moment, and it froze her. She couldn't think, she couldn't concentrate, couldn't focus on anything except the sheer power of the form she was transforming into…

Idoun fell over onto the ground, her hands and feet morphing into claws as her arms and legs extended and changed from pale skin to hard, purple scales. The transformation continued quickly over the rest of her body, covering her with purple scales as she grew to more than ten times her original size. Her soft human face extended into a fierce snout, her teeth becoming sharp fangs as horns grew from her head. Finally her wings and tail appeared, leaving her heterochromatic eyes the only recognizable trait that hadn't changed.

Her transformation complete, Idoun let out a ferocious roar that echoed through the night.

(A/N) O_O

...

I need to get back to working on that next chapter...