note: some of the diolague is missing here, as the logs are spotty. Will rebuild as much as possible. Will revise later if better logs are found.

Bikon and Beta

Chapter 5- of death and life

Suddenly, lightning flashes from the cloudless sky, striking a tree nearby and splitting it cleanly in half. Ali squeals and gets up. Gamma slowly moves his hands around Ylamat and holds her. HE has a big smile untill he sees the lightning. the tree stands there, smouldering, and split wide open.

Korunue looks at the tree, jumping a little, and becoming frightened.Gamma looks over to the tree "This does not bode well." Ali Cia whimpers and covers her head with her wings. Korunue shakes her head vigourusly, as Kit whines softly. Gamma moves over to Ali with Ylamat still in his arms. "It's ok. Your safe here."

Ylamat looks at the smouldering tree, unphased, What just happened? she thinks to Gamma.

"Lightning. Nothing to worry about Tamaly."

"Uhm...could you call me Ylamat? Think of what my parents would say if they heard that name..."

Ali Cia whimpers slightly. Gamma nods. "Ok Ylamat." He kneels ovet to Ali and gives her a comforting rub. "It's ok Ali."

Ali Cia closes her eyes. Ylamat rolls out of Gamma's arms and lands perfectly, stumbling a bit, and hugs ali for comfort, "Issok Ali, we're here for ya."

"I feel something.. " Ali says, shivering.

Korunue looks at Ali, interested. "Like what?"

"something.. dark.. laughing... mocking us"

Gamma tries to sense what Ali is feeling. Korunue looks about, frightened, as if to see the evil presence. Ylamat croons, then tries her vocal chords, able to hum. She hums a song, a different song, that seems to give them confidence.

Korunue feels a dark, perhaps even evil presence floating above them. She looks up, seeing nothing.

Gamma looks over to Kor. "What is it?" HE then looks up.Korunue shrinks down into herself, whimpering softly. Ylamat continues comforting Ali. Ali Cia shudders, looking up, frightened.Gamma looks up and tries to feel where this dark presence is coming from. it's just hanging there above them.

Korunue sits, hugging her knees. She thinks.. bad. The evilness was getting to her...Gamma narrows his eyes and the sky, wonderong what this presence wants.Korunue puts her head on her knees, ears drooping, whimpering softly. Kit crawls onto her other shoulder, draping her tail around Kor's neck loosely.

Gamma looks over to Kor. "Are you ok?" Korunue shakes her head. Gamma nods. "You feel it too huh?"

Ylamat can feel it, but is unafraid. "What is it?"

Suddenly, a red mist begins to seep up out of the ground at Gamma's feet, spinning and engulphing him in some kind of magic cloak. Korunue shrugs. "I feel something... " she says, miserably. She spies the mist and screams, falling over backwards, Kit leaping off her just in time, trilling loudly.

Gamma looks down surprised. "ALI! YLAMAT! GET AWAY!" He tries to drain this magic that is enveloping him.

Ylamat tugs ali away from Gamma. Ali Cia screeches at all the yelling and gets up, being tugged away. The mist is just coming too fast and Gamma is soon covered in a cloud.

Gamma continues to try to fight his way out of the cloud, continuing to try to drain the magic from it. Korunue backs away, slowly, Kit following her. She crawls backwards in fear. The mist suddenly disappears.. and Gamma is gone.

Korunue blinks... and blinks.. in shock. Three words keep bouncing about her head: 'I failed again, I failed again'. Her breathing becomes ragged, and she swallows hard. Kit sniffs at the spot he was in, in case something appears like last time. Ylamat blinks, "Hey...where'd he go?"

"what? Where'd who go? I can't see, people!" Ali protests.

Korunue can't take it... failure... and the evilness had touched her deeply... she tears Aldrea's pack off, and reaches inside, taking out an ornate dagger. She runs a little ways down the mountain, leaning against a tree with the dagger. Kit watches her go. Gamma's gone! Some red mist took him. And Korunue ran away with momma's dagger. Is that bad?

"Yep! Take me to her!" Ali replies. Kor feels another presence.. not an evil one.

Ylamat sighs sadly, "Man...I hate being so little..."

"Me too." Ali replies.

Kit heads over to Ali, bumping against her, then, dragging her tail to make a trail of sound, races off after Korunue. This way!

Ali Cia runs after Kit, careful to not lose track of the trail. Korunue leans back against the tree, sitting, holding the dagger up to her wrist. "Ronin, forgive me" she murmers, closing her eyes as tears leak out.

Ylamat sits down, mad that she's not strong enough to go after them. A soft voice says close to Kor's ear, ~stop.~

Kit finds Korunue and stops a bit away. Straight ahead a few yards. She's got the dagger on her wrist. She seems unafraid, not having any experience with suicide.

Korunue jerks up, almost cutting herself with the knife. "who... who are you? What... why?"

~Shh, it's alright. Don't hurt yourself. We need you.~ replies the voice.

"Who are you talking to? It's me, Ali!" Ali calls out.

Korunue sobs. "no, no you don't, I failed, I fail everyone, I'm no use at all, I'm worthless...." The knife is parallel to her skin, and one twist and she'd cut the vain. "I... didn't you hear... oh god, I've lost it, I'm insane..."

~don't hurt yourself. We need you. Please.~ the voice whispered.

Korunue sobs. "no you don't... you're just a voice in my head... let me die! please..." she presses down, just a little, not deep enough to kill, but enough to make her bleed.

~please.. trust me~ The voice seems close to crying ~I know they can't hear me, but you've got to trust me on this!~

Korunue sobs. "please... I can't do anything... I need... I want to die... let me... please...."

~you have to help us, you're our only hope!~

Korunue sobs. "hope... how can I be anyone's hope, if I don't have any myself?"

Kit turns to Ali, whistling in concern. What's doggy-girl doing? She has momma's knife against her wrist, flat, and if she's not careful she'll cut herself. Momma said not to play with sharp things....

"She wants to hurt herself... she feels bad for Gamma being gone... so she wants to hurt herself for it. I did that once..." Ali replies.

Kit squeals in alarm. Why? Hurting yourself is bad!

"She feels guilty..."

Ali_Cia turns. "We should leave her alone." She starts back toward Ylamat and nuzzles her.

Ylamat sighs and plops down on the ground, wagging her tail, "This is boring...where'd that Gamma guy go? He was nice..."

~you have hope.~

Kit whistles sadly, and follows Ali. Korunue becomes more frantic than before. "What hope? What hope can I possibly have? I fail everyone... I hurt everybody..." she presses down harder on the knife, though she would have to turn it sideways to kill herself properly.

Ali_Cia sighs. "He.. was taken, I think... Should we go listen to Korunue? She's talking to herself."

~No!~ the voice seems frantic. ~Don't! Please don't hurt yourself!~

Korunue sobs harder. "Why? why do you care so much? You're just a figment of my imagination... what do you care if I live or die?"

"Uhm...I'm too young...she's too far away..." Ylamat says

"I'll carry you" Ali_Cia gets down, spreading her wings to either side to create a sort of "saddle" for Ylamat

"uhm...but my parents..."

Ali_Cia looks up to the parents. "Pleeease?"

the parents are reluctant, but nod, "Don't go far."

Ylamat climbs on to Ali's back

~We need you!~

Korunue breaks down sobbing, not saying a word for a good while. She finally chokes out, "but... what could you possibly need me for? I can't... I can't do anything... I'd be in the way..."

~You're the only one that can save us!~

Korunue gasps, her breath staggered. "no, not me, surely... surely someone else... Ali, or Kit... surely... surely I don't... I can't... I can't do this, I can't take the pain..."

Ali_Cia starts forward slowly, retracing her steps by smell until she comes to where she was sitting with Kit by Korunue. She lies down gingerly, not wanting to hurt her rider.Ylamat climbs slowly off on to the softest part of the ground she can find in the immediate area.

~Please, you have to, or we'll all die!~

Korunue shuts her eyes, knife on her wrist. "I can't... I... it hurts, too much.... I'll just fail you, like everyone else... I can't...."

~No! You won't!~

Korunue swallows hard. "yes I will" she whispers, twisting the knife. She didn't cut all the way through the vein, so she has a few minutes, maybe more, left in her.

Kit trills in fear, a dragon scream, and races to Korunue's side, nuzzling the cut. She begins to sing, a healing song, hoping it would work...

~DON'T! PLEASE!~

Ali_Cia winces at the scream. "What? What?" Ylamat blinks a few times.

Korunue passes out, and her cut heals itself, becoming a scar. Kit finishes her healing song and whimpers, climbing into Kor's lap. She cut herself! Blood everywhere. I fixed it for her. she sounds sad, not her usual perky self.

Ali_Cia sighs and hangs her head, shaking it. Ylamat blinks a few times confusedly. Ali_Cia ruffles her wings. "Life is tough."

Korunue stirs, a little, as Kit whines and whimpers and nuzzles Korunue's face. She groans a little, waking at the touch... "no... voices.... " she murmers, and Kit resumes her healing song to try and wake her momma's friend.

Ylamat croons, "Uhm...what just happened?"

"She tried to kill herself, now she's gone insane"

"Oh...er...is that bad?"

Ali_Cia nods

~Please, wake up...~

Korunue does wake, though she isn't happy. "damn voices... leave me be.... get OFF, Kit." she shoves the dragonling off her lap, and Kit whimpers, about to start squalling like a newborn. "'msorry" Kor murmers.

Ali_Cia seems to wince when she hears the squealing. She turns around and lies down. "Maybe I should take you home.."

~Listen, go to the stone hill, we can pick you up from there! You have to save Gamma, and save us from HER~

Korunue leans on her staff heavily. She turns, looking about. "well, Kit, which way do you think?" Kit chirps. I can make a spell! she cries, gleefully. Korunue sighs. "You'll be ok here with Ali?"

Ali_Cia cocks her head to the side. "I thought I was taking you home."

Korunue sighs. "I... they'll never leave me be unless I do what they want... I know I sound crazy- i probably am. I just want PEACE."

"well what do *they* want?"

"They want me to save Gamma, and something about some woman, and to go to the 'rock hill' where you lived."

"then let's go home..." Ali sniffs the dirt and, with Ylamat on her back, follows her trail back to the cave, drops her off, and follows the mother's trail to where she was picked up. She sniffs until she finds her own scent and follows that up the mountain and back to her home.

Korunue follows her, Kit squealing and leaping onto her shoulder. "Ali... if you don't want to go.... it's probably a suicide mission. After all, chances are these voices arn't even real..."

"If they are real, I'm sticking with you."

Korunue sighs. "But.... we both know they're not, most likely... I don't want anyone else to be hurt because of me..." her ears droop.

"Listen, if there's anything I've learned in my two thousand something lives, it's that you must be prepared for the unexpected and unthinkable. You'll be safer."

Korunue sighs once more. "I don't want anyone else getting hurt... you'd be missed more if you didn't come back. Only one person would miss me... and he's better off without me."

"Don't say that..."

Korunue looks at her. "Why not? it's true." Kit whimpers on her shoulder, too young to even attempt to comfort her and knowing it. She has the mentality of a 5-year-old, roughly.

Ylamat is in the cave...or something...and she sits down, looking outside, wondering what exactly is going on. Suddenly, a brick of thought hits her, and she remembers something, falling backwards. "I remember something!!" she speaks allowed, her parents nearly out of their skin. "...er...squeak...croon...?"

"I would miss you..." Ali hangs her head and stops.

Korunue looks at her. "you... you would?" she shakes her head. "No you wouldn't. You just want to make me feel better."

"It's my weakness.. I know... I'm sorry " Ali follows scent trails into the den, stumbling down the stairs.

Korunue frowns. "what is, lying to make people feel better?" She puts Kit on the ground. "Alright, little voices of mine, I'm here, now what?"

~We will send a pod. Where is the dragon girl going?~

"She... er... blast it all! I probably won't bring Kit or Ali, either- I don't want them to get hurt. If I'm so special, make do with me!"

~What? Why not? You'll need them!~

"Know what? Tell me something useful!"Korunue is near-tears once more.

Ylamat blinks a few times and smiles a bit akwardly, hoping that her parents are just thinking they imagined it. She sits up and scratches her head a while before sighing and staring outside again.

alright, that's about enough for now.