Author's Note: I apologize if this chapter seems a little derpy.

Chapter Five

Common Enemy

Vermillion Redoubt, Twilight Highlands

"This is the first time I've seen this attempted on a full grown dragon." The male elf spoke as Sedisa was placed in the grass by Edmond. The dragon motioned with his hand for a few of the crimson dragonkin to come to his side. Three of them came, all of them appeared to be female, a humanoid body from the waist up while their lower half looked like a dragon's body.

"You called upon us?" One of them asked, gathering around Sedisa as she closed her eyes in pain.

"Yes, we will need to see how much power is needed to try and reverse the effects of the curse. Sedigosa was it? You must revert to your dragon form in order for this to fully work." He motioned his hand towards Sedisa, she opening one eye to look at him. She let out a sigh as purple wings sprouted from her back, her body shifting to her entire dragon form. The dragonkin gathered around Sedigosa's body, holding their hands out as beams of green energy shot through her and into the infected areas. The process was at first a pleasant feeling. It was like the pain and agony she had to endure over the past months was vanishing from her body.

But soon the curse was fighting against the healing magic. The colored scales started to receded, but then started to spread back to where they were and more so. Pain began to work it's way over her entire body that was covered in the twilight scales. Sedigosa roared out in pain, tossing her head around and slamming it into the ground.

"Wot's going on?" Edmond called out, glancing to the male elf as Sedigosa fought against the treatment.

"Her body is not reacting as well as I had hoped it would. The curse is rejecting the treatment and causing her to go into spasms." He grit his teeth as he spoke, ducking to the side as her tail whipped behind her and nearly struck him down.

"I-Is there sumthin' I can do? Anythin' to calm her?" Edmond was confused, he couldn't figure out what he could do to stop her from hurting herself. Sedigosa stood upright, turning and whipping her tail, knocking away the three dragonkin before letting out a ferocious roar that shook the whole area around them.

"This is not good, the curse is spreading too fast!" The two watched as the scales began to spread over the rest of her body. Edmond stared in horror, powerless to help her. All the muscle and armor in the world couldn't do a thing for her now. That didn't mean he couldn't try. Digging his claws into the ground for speed he ran to her front, growling as he did.

"What are you doing?" The dragon called after him, but Edmond kept running. He slid to a stop in front of Sedigosa, glaring up at her while she stared down at him. He closed his eyes, gathering air into his lungs before throwing his head back, letting out a howl to pierce the heavens. Sedigosa reared her head back growling low before giving her full attention to him.

"Sedisa, ya' have to fight against this!" He barked out at her. She glared back at him, the purple scales nearing full completion. They stared at each other for what seemed like hours until ropes were suddenly tied to her legs and snout, pinning her to the ground. Sedigosa roared out through muffled lips, tossing her head to the sides to get free. Edmond stared at her, not moving an inch as the other dragons held her down.

"We'll need more power. I'm afraid we're going to have to ask Mother for help..." The male elf sighed, glancing to the other dragons as they looked around at each other.

"Alexstraszsa cannot be bothered with trivial problems such as curing a blue dragon of a disease!" The female dragon snapped at him, but he just stared back at her.

"Keep her restrained until I return." The male elf morphed into his dragon form, taking off into the sky. The dragonkin healers kept her in place as best they could with the ropes they were given. Edmond stood in front of Sedigosa still, staring at her still as the large dragon growled at him while her head was restrained to the ground. In her dragon form, she did look extremely threatening, but he could see in her eyes the torment she was going through. The pain in her eyes as she trying her best to keep ownership of her sanity.

The worgen frowned as he moved his hand along the scales of her snout, speaking to her and trying to keep her concentrated on his voice. Sedigosa continued to let out low grumbles and growls, eyes watching his every movement as she listened to him, focusing on his voice, his touch. In her mind, the howling of the old gods, their laughter, whispers, each one beckoning her, pulling at her mind and trying to drag her into insanity. The pull of the elements, the dark magic of the Twilight Cult ripped and tore at her mind. That small window that showed Edmond's face was growing smaller. The vision of him fading into black bit by bit.

These people mean nothing to you... "Nothing..." They are weak... "Weak..." Do you really think they are here to save you? They only hold you here, letting you grow weaker. Kill them … kill them all, before they kill you...

Sedigosa's eyes closed, her body starting to heave as laughter muffled under her maw. Edmond looked at her, backing away as her snickers grew to higher volume. She soon laughed out in insanity, the scales reaching the full coverage of her body.

"Sedisa...?" Edmond kept his eyes on her before he was knocked back with a flap of her wings. The sudden gust of wind caused the dragonkin healers to lose their grip, letting Sedigosa free as she snapped the bindings that held her.

"Fool! I am not Sedisa! I am no longer Sedigosa! A pathetic, weak excuse for a dragon as her has no place in the world. No, no longer will I dwell on the past, of a fruitless life that could have been!" Sedigosa laughed out. The red drakes of the area quickly came to try and subdue her, she smacking them back with a whip of her tail before releasing a mixture of arcane and twilight fire at them. They flew back to avoid the flames, Sedigosa flapping her wings and flying high up into the air, nearly out of sight. Edmond stood there, ears lowered as he watched her fly off, his hand held up at the sky like if he could reach her, he could pull her back to him. It didn't matter how far he reached, he flew away from him, and out of his life forever...

Twilight Highlands

"What would she be doing out here anyway?" Audric glanced around as they were growing closer to the Vermillion Redoubt. Rosette had her arms around his waist as they flew, holding onto him as she looked down at the skies below. There seemed to be a small commotion as red drakes were quickly moving out of the way. Rosette was curious as to why they would be fleeing in such a fashion. She looked farther over the edge, frowning more before he head suddenly shot back as she leaned back quickly, causing the gryphon to veer to the side and squawk out in protest.

"What the hell's going on!" Audric called out, trying to steady the beast as something flew past them up into the sky. Rosette held on tightly while they both looked up, seeing Sedigosa in her twilight colors, flaring her wings out behind her as she stopped just above them. The two stared at the dragon before she flew at them, grabbing for the gryphon. Audric grit his teeth as he led the mount away before trying to make it fly as fast as it could away from it. The gryphon couldn't fly fast enough as Sedigosa clipped it with one of her claws as she swiped at them from behind.

It began to spiral towards the ground, but they did no follow it as the dragon held them both in her claws. While Rosette remained in her back claws, she held onto Audric with both her front claws, grinning down at him as she flew. The half elf struggled as much as he could to free his arms, but he couldn't pull away. The more he did, the tighter her grip on him became.

"I work for the master now, but I still will end you both. No playing around this time, I will crush each bone in your bodies." Sedigosa smirked as she looked down at them, one claw tightening over his arm and slowly his bones began to bend, twisting in ways they shouldn't before it snapped in half. Audric screamed out in pain, causing Rosette to call out to him in return.

"AUDRIC! SEDIGOSA STOP! PLEASE!" Rosette screamed up at her, but the dragon continued to the next arm, tightening her claws around it before that one too split with a sickening crunch. She could do nothing but watch as her husband was slowly being tortured to death. The dragon moved him by flipping him around, working onto his legs now as she began to twist it opposite ways. Rosette kicked her feet, trying to free herself to help her husband in any way she could.

Another snap and a cry of agony from Audric, Sedigosa simply laughed at his torture. She began to move for the other leg before she suddenly stopped, a pained look on her face. Rosette stared ahead of her as she saw the long sword stabbed into the dragons chest, eyes slowly traveling down to the being connected to the end of it. Heartache in his eyes, Edmond drove his sword deeper towards the dragon's heart as he sought to end her life.

"There is nothing we can do for her now, worgen. She is fully transformed, and sooner or later her body will begin to destabilize."

Images of Edmond standing with Alexstraszsa were seen in his head. The conversation he had held with the dragon queen was short, and the worst news he had heard in his entire life.

"That can't be right! There must be something that can be done! Anything!"

"I wish I could give you more options, but I'm afraid there is nothing to be done. Out there she will start causing destruction and chaos as all the other drakes of the Twilight flight have. She won't have much of a life as she is now, it is up to you to release her from her torment, and bring her to an end."

"I … no I can't … I couldn't."

"Many lives may be lost to her insanity Edmond, I will let you make the right choice, just know what I have told you."

Roaring out in pain, Sedigosa released the two from her claws. Edmond clung to her chest, pushing in the sword as far as he could while the dragon began plummeting to the ground with the victims she dropped. Fur whipped by the wind, Edmond pressed his forehead against her chest, his teeth gritted tightly as he held onto her on her way down. The Stonedrake he had used to reach her circled as they fell, ready to give him a ride if he wished to let go. He didn't let go however.

Tears fell from his eyes and were swept away with the wind as they fell. His heart was ripping in two, doing that to her was the last thing he ever wanted to have happen. Soon they had hit the ground, the large dragon grunting as blood spattered from her wound. Edmond held onto her still, even after her form began to shift, changing back to her humanoid form. She looked up at him, her eyes half open while the scales that were once on her face seemed to be removed.

"Sedisa … I'm ..." Edmond began, however it was stopped as she weakly rose her hand, gently petting him on his snout.

"G-Good … boy..." She smiled at him, her other hand over the grave wound in her chest. He looked at her, his ears flattened against his head.

"It shouln' have come to this..."

"You … did what you … had to. I will never forget that. Y-You saved me from a life ... t-time of torment … even if my life had to ... b-be ended in the process..."

"Jus' stay with me Sedisa … don' leave me jus' yet..." He cringed as he held her body against his, eyes closed tightly as he fought back tears. She smiled up at him once more, using her bloodied hand to wipe away tears.

"Don't cry for me Edmond. I realize now, my life … I have done many things wrong … have hurt many people. P-Perhaps … this is … what I deserve..." She gave a small sigh, turning her head away and her eyes softly closed. Her hand fell weakly from his cheek before limply at her side. Her chest no longer heaved with struggled breaths.

"Sedisa … no please..." He looked down at her, yellowed eyes widening as he felt the essence of her life force fade away. The large beast huddled over her body, sobbing and howling out in emotional agony. As Edmond's frame hovered over Sedisa's body, slowly two crimson drakes landed a few feet behind him. Off of one slid Rosette, while she walked over to the other, checking on Audric who had fainted long ago from the pain of his broken limbs. Rosette's eyes closed as she rested her hand on his forehead then looked slowly over to the howls of depression the worgen gave off.

As she began to approach him she came to a stop watching as the Dragon Queen made her way in her elven form to Edmond's side. She knelt slowly, her hand comfortingly on his back as she tried to sooth the worgen for the job that he had to do. He lifted his head, looking like the most depressed dog in the world.

"Dear Edmond, I know your heart is torn, but you mustn't mourn her for long dear child." Alexstraszsa smiled lightly, slowly standing as she flicked her hand out. Along her fingers was what looked like a blue glowing wisp, a ball of light that traveled along her fingers like a snake. Edmond looked at her hand, confused as to what that was.

"She is not completely lost. It will take some time but her spirit can return to this body if she is healed."

"H-How?" Edmond lifted himself up off of her body, staring up at the brood mother for the Red Dragonflight.

"I am the aspect of life, I can give life to that which has none." She sighed softly, watching as the wisp curled around her fingers delicately. "Sedigosa was a dragon that far more emotional then those of her brood should be. She is not of my own flight, but she is still one of my brother's children. I cannot see his brood falling even after his own death.

"I can sense that before her death, she regretted many things, things in which had involved them." She motioned back to Rosette and Audric. "Her final moments, her spirit cried for redemption, it is up to you, to see that it does."

Edmond blinked as he looked at her his head tilted a little in confusion. The dragon queen again motioned to Rosette, the human standing there as she watched in silence. The worgen frowned a moment, looking at Audric as he laid on the dragon's back. Slowly he stood from his place behind Sedisa, gulping as he made small strides to Rosette. As he walked, the dragonspawn from before moved in on Sedisa's body, working to repair her, cleansing the already dying curse of her body.

He stopped in front of Rosette, her eyes widening as she tried to compare herself to the size of the large worgen. Slowly he bowed his head, then lowered the rest of his body in a humble bow to her. Rosette stood back a moment, giving in an awkward look.

"W-What's going on?" She asked as he remained at her feet.

"My lady, Sedisa is gone, and it is my fault that her death had to come. Her final words, regrets were those of sympathy of her actions done against ya' and yer companion. I know she didn' mean the things she did, the people she hurt. Please … forgive her for wotever she has done to ya'." Edmond lifted his head, looking up at her with that same sad dog stare. Rosette looked down at him still, a blank stare on her face before she finally manage to speak.

"F-Forgive her? You don't know what she has done to me! To US!" She motioned to Audric. "She turned me into a cat for just asking for a portal, then she confessed to killing Audric's mother out of jealousy, and ever since then she's been conspiring to kill both of us!"

"Listen to me! Forgiveness is the first step to movin' on! Wot would ya' do if ya' were in her place?" Edmond barked out, the pain in his eyes becoming extremely evident. Rosette stared at him for a long time, watching his expressions, the pain in his gruff voice. In her mind she tried to envision what he was going through, listening to his words as the painful shock had come to her senses. Every time they had come face to face with her, she never actually come to harm them to the point where they wouldn't be able to recover. It was only when she was driven mad by the twilight curse that she had intended to actually kill them.

Her expression began to soften, her eyes lowering on the worgen groveling at her feet for Sedisa's forgiveness. Slowly she knelt, placing her hand on the worgen's head and causing him to lift it up to look at her.

"She never really wanted to kill us, did she?" She spoke softly, the worgen shaking his head in response.

"Her lasts words were that she regretted wot she had don' an' all the people she hurt. That included ya'." Edmond spoke with a shaky voice for someone his size. Rosette nodded at him, smiling as she stood farther upright.

"I believe Sedisa was just misguided. Her views were narrow minded when it came to something she wanted most, love." Rosette leaned down, holding him by his hands as she lifted him to his feet. "I think it is your job to show her that love can be found in even the most unusual places. Let her know it's okay."

Edmond looked down at his hands, a light blush forming under his fur as he listened to her speech. "M-Me? I-I don' think … I mean, she's a … and I'm a..."

"Audric and I are different as well, he is a half-elf, while I am a simple human woman. But Audric chose me because he loved me and didn't care what the world thought. Now it is your turn..."

Edmond looked at her before nodding, slowly releasing her hands before turning to look back at Alexstraszsa. The dragon queen gave him a soft smile, the wisp on her hand trying to free it's self from her fingers and move back to Sedisa's body on the ground, the wound on her chest nearly fully healed. His eyes lit up at the sight of the wound he had caused her almost gone, walking with a stumble towards her. As he made the final steps towards her he reached his hand out, stopping suddenly when there was a loud crash and a crater separating the ground between him and Alexstraszsa. Each person took a step back watching as the dust from the sudden impact of the object began to clear.

Slowly a shadowed figure stood, dust and debris of the ground falling off it's body as it came to a complete stand. The clanking of plate armor filled the area, creaking like it had not been oiled in years. The blackened outline of the figure showed long gnarled ears, much like an elf, and glowing blue eyes pierced through the darkness. Long silver hair that had been stained red with blood in some places flowed behind them, a grin on the face of the being seemed to stand out the most. The dust around the slender figure seemed never ending, the shadowed figure took advantage of that, using the coverage to whisk away the humanoid body of Sedisa.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alexstraszsa's voice was heard behind the wall of falling dust. The figure turned with Sedisa's body in her arms, for some reason the Dragonspawn healers couldn't move, their work interrupted by some dark force. The icy blue eyes of the darkened frame glared at the dragon queen before a voice escaped from the darkness.

"This dragon belongs to the Twilight Cult, even in death. Where she failed, new life shall spring in the form of chaos. Her body will contribute to that." The voice was grainy, metallic sounding while it sounded like the wind carried it. Alexstraszsa lashed out, trying to take back Sedisa's body but the figure hopped away, the armor not at all hindering their movement. The gargled screech of what sounded like a gryphon filled the air, the bony remains of one of the beasts swooping down and lowering to allow the shadowed figure to climb on it and take off into the sky. Edmond was in shock when the dust cleared, looking between where Sedisa used to be and Alexstraszsa.

"I'm afraid they have taken Sedigosa's body back to their base! You must get it back or else she will never be able to return to the living world!" The Dragon Queen spoke, frowning as she could feel the bond between the body and the spirit already starting to fade.

"Come on!" Suddenly Rosette reached out, taking hold of Edmond's arm and pulling him towards his drake.

"Uh! Wot?" He blinked as he was dragged along, pushed into his dragon while her subconsciously climbed onto it.

"We have to go get her body back! You want her back, don't you?"

"Er … yes!"

"Good, then let's go! Besides, I think I know who that was..." Rosette sighed as they took off into the sky, trying to follow the trail of the kidnapper.

"Ya' do?" Edmond looked back at her as he spoke.

"I think … it was an old friend of ours..."