Wavern placed her paw on Ydrano's scarred muzzle. Around the closed eye the scales were withered and crumpled like dead leaves. A semi-transparent liquid had crystallized in tiny bleary-smelling flakes.

The hydra did not hold back a hiss of pain and scratched the rocky floor of the cave with its claws.

"I'm sorry," she murmured. "You'll be better soon."

She inhaled deeply. With a slow, controlled sigh, the energy of the Core flowed from his body to Ydrano's like a warm torrent. The dead scales revived, closing the wounds encrusted with blood and other bodily fluids, the eye pulsed with new energy and opened.

The hydra winced with all three heads. The healed eye roamed every corner of the cave in disbelief, and then fixed on Wavern. "Thank you," he said softly.

"It's nothing. I just did my duty..."

She started to withdraw her paw but Ydrano's head leaned on it with all his weight. He closed his eyes and rubbed them affectionately for a few moments.

The dragoness froze in embarrassment but didn't oppose. After all, he was just showing her his gratitude... For some days, however, she had noticed that the hydra was looking for her more and more often and sometimes he lost balance in a physical contact like that. Did it mean something more?

She put his paw down again. "So…now I should check out the Garden a bit. I think the first fruits are about to ripen."

Ydrano nodded with interest. "I would very much like to see them. You gave this land a new light and we will always be grateful…"

Wavern's feathers lifted slightly at the compliment. From the way he spoke, it seemed that he was especially more grateful than the others.

She wanted to tell him that she wanted to be alone for a while. But Wavern didn't want to hurt Ydrano. From day one he had been the kindest bakugan to her…

She got up and left the cave, followed by the Obscurial. They were welcomed by the bluish light of the mushrooms and lichens that grew on the walls, encrusted with milky spores. As they moved away from Wavern's chamber, they became less plentiful and lush. However, it was enough that she was one step away from them for them to regain strength.

Chills of cold ran through the dragoness's legs. Where it touched the rocks many bright little buds bloomed and cincinnus spirals unfolded in green fern leaves.

Energy continued to flow out of Wavern's body, leaving her limbs cold and numb. She tried to concentrate on holding it, but it was like trying to block a river with wings.

A stocky-looking bakugan appeared from a side corridor, its head crowned with a pair of bull's horns. As soon as he saw Wavern he stepped aside to give her way and bowed until his muzzle touched the ground. "Hail, Life-Bearer!"

"Thanks… Good morning to you too," she murmured. Ever since the Core's powers had manifested, the Obscurials had taken to treating her with reverence, as if she were of the same rank as King Dharak.

It was strange, but beautiful. For the first time she felt loved by many bakugan and all because she was doing something good for them too. If only Naga hadn't started that war…

"Wavern, I would like to ask you something." Ydrano's serious voice interrupted her thoughts. It seemed like something important.

"The Pyrrhian I fought in Amphitrite, I think his name was Draco, he mentioned your name and said he knew you."

A cold jab went through the dragon's heart.

"I know he probably lied to make fun of me, but if he did anything to you, anything… You know you could tell me or your brother about it, right? You have nothing to fear. You are safe here."

Wavern swallowed and thought about what to say. She had to come up with something believable. But what could she say to avoid being discovered?

"I..." she began hesitantly. "I met him before coming here, near the Pyrrian border. He thought I was a lost Luxian and let me go. It didn't seem so bad..."

She waited for a rebuke, but Ydrano heaved only a sigh of relief. "You are too kind for this world. You did right not to tell him you're an Elementless. I hate to think what he would have done to you..."

She nodded and promised to be careful in the future.

They finally emerged from the tunnels, but the light from the Garden was dimmer than usual. The plants and mushrooms lay limp and withered in every flowerbed. How was that possible? Wavern visited there every day to take care of it…

"Sister," Naga called her. He was sitting right in the center among the withered stalks of moon lilies, his purple veins pulsing with energy. "We still haven't seen each other since I got back. I'd like to spend some time with you, if you don't mind. Alone."

The dragoness's heart sank in her chest. She knew what was coming…

Ydrano remained at her side. He looked now at the destroyed garden, now at her, as if waiting for a nod from her to send Naga away.

No, it didn't make any sense to argue with him.

Reluctantly Wavern pointed out the cave by which they had entered.

"I'll stay close," he promised.

Wavern waited until she no longer heard his footsteps and then approached her brother. A great pale waxy wing enveloped her and then pressed her against the dragon's broad chest.

A shiver of fear shot through her spine. No, it was her brother! She didn't have to be afraid of him. Naga just needed his help…

It seemed that the energy of the Infinity Core was being sucked into a whirlpool, ripped away from Wavern's flesh and blood. Her paws became soft as mud, her vision blurred and she was forced to lean more on her brother. Naga, on the other hand, sighed in inebriation, ruffling the feathers of her neck with his breath.

Frozen shivers ran through her body. But it wasn't fear. The Core heat flowing away from her always had that effect on her, and Naga consumed it whenever he needed to "regenerate."

The dragon stroked her with his long curved claws and hugged her tighter under his wing. "Thank you, sister. I hope you understand the importance of your role in this game. I could never have conquered Amphitrite without your energy."

A bitter taste pricked the back of Wavern's throat. An entire city conquered, destroyed…

"Was… Was it really necessary? With the power of the Cores, we have everything we need here… Our home…"

"Sh," he shushed her, placing a claw on the tip of her muzzle. "These are not things you need to worry about. Give me your energy whenever I need it, grow food for my soldiers and heal their wounds, while I lead them into battle. Very soon you and I will rule over all of the United Lands!"

"But I do not want!" Wavern wailed, rolling his eyes at his brother.

A spark of anger lit in Naga's bloody irises. "What?"

She gulped and pulled away from him slightly. "You said the Cores' power was necessary to get us accepted by the Obscurials, make their land fertile again, and keep them safe from invaders… But the people of Amphitrite didn't do anything about it! Not even the Pyrrians would attack us unprovoked. I don't want to rule over all the Lands of Vestalia, I only need one home!"

A dull pain throbbed in the middle of her muzzle and the next moment Wavern lost her balance. She collapsed in the gritty dirt, her body appearing to weigh twice as much.

Naga's blurry form towered above her. He was livid with rage. "You don't understand the power we have in our paws! Would you want to waste it on some silly gardens when we have the opportunity to subjugate every other lineage of bakugan and even humans? Idiot!"

Salty tears pricked Wavern's eyes. He had never yelled at her like that. What had happened to her brother?

"I try to ensure you have the best possible life! Make you Queen of Vestalia! And you start whining nonsense… Bah, I bet you would also like to negotiate a peace with those lousy Pyrrians just to stay here and grow seedlings!"

With one claw he mowed away some withered stems. He stared at Wavern as if about to give her another shot. She crouched deeper to the ground and a glint of displeasure flashed in Naga's eyes.

Then he sighed and started to leave. "Never repeat nonsense like that again. Especially in the presence of other bakugan. You understood me?"

He growled the last part and the dragoness nodded quickly.

As soon as her brother was out of the garden, increasingly loud sobs began to wrack her body. That wasn't her brother… Since absorbing the Core of Silence he had become another bakugan.

Or was she just a fool? She'd always leaned on him when she didn't know what to do… But all those Amphitrite people?

She didn't want all this! She didn't want a war!

Draco's words suddenly came back to her. He had wanted to help her from the start, even knowing she was an Elementless. Perhaps, if he could find a way to help him, they could negotiate a truce and help Naga…