Gregory stood silently in the shadows bearing witness to the grief that had claimed his proud king. After his wife’s death that he should have to face this. While he did so pity Hector in his position, he naturally felt more sorrow for Ariana herself. To die so when having barely seen 10 years was unnaturally cruel. Yet he also felt same regret himself. He had fancied that perhaps when Ariana had reached a marriageable age, he would have been a decorated knight and thus able to court her hand. Although even before she had been so unjustly struck however this was no more that boyhood dreams on his part. If anyone would have played the starring role in that fantasy it would have been his friend, Jason. Not that he was really any sort of friend to his low-born self but if he admitted so then he would also have to admit that Jason’s games were actually bullying and no future knight would admit to that. Jason had all the right connections, what with his father being Lord Jeffrey Geogre. He also was by far the best at the anything Gregory had ever seen him attempt. Folks had taken it for granted that he would be there next king. In all likelihood he still would anyway since a successor had to be chosen after all and the king wasn’t likely to produce any more heirs.

A loud sob from the brave Hector who had slain so many adversaries drew Gregory back reality. The King unable to watch his daughter’s slow death any longer ran racked with sobs from the room. This is what Gregory had been waiting for. He crept along precarious ledges to this very window on the scant chance that he would be able to farewell the girl he thought he would one day love. Jumping down stealthily from the ledge, he stepped carefully up to her bed . Leaning over he gazed down on her still form. He examined the exquisite face, determined to memorize every feature.

Her skin was as white and soft as the clouds above, though they lacked the two fiery spots of dawn that normally lit her cheeks. Faded black eyelashes fluttered on those same cheeks. Red painted lips added the only other colour to her still face. Imagining that she was lost in drugged sleep, he bent down towards her face. Uncaring as to whether he too would catch her illness, he shifted closer. Fanaticizing that she was sleeping beauty and he could wake her to full health. He moved his lips closer to hers, standing on his tiptoes at the edge of the bed. He could feel his own breath reflected back to him as he drew ever closer to his dream.

Suddenly without any warning her eyes flicked open. Shocked at the sudden movement Gregory fell back into a sprawl at the foot of her bed. Blinking in surprise, he looked worriedly at her staring at him from the bed’s edge.

“What?” Then peering at him with interest. “You’re Gregory aren’t you? The stableboy for my beloved Lady Fair.”

Gregory nodded but felt the need to improve his image slightly. “I’m going to be a squire soon and then someday a knight, your highness.”

She smiled through her pained expression. “There’s nothing wrong with being a stableboy.”

Gregory might have said something else but after that she pulled the covers back and gingerly stepped on the floor.

“What are you doing? You’re sick get back in bed.” He cried out in fear, shocked at his brash treatment of the princess.

“I’m going to say goodbye to a friend of mine,” she grabbed Gregory’s hand and he helped her walk.

“It’s the middle of the night.”

“All the better.”

Gregory stopped and placed himself in front of the door. “I don’t think you should be going.”

Weak as she was, she drew herself up haughtily trying to install in herself as much authority as she could muster. “I’m the princess and I say were I go.”

Unfortunately even that small amount of effort drained her too much and she sunk to the floor. Gregory desperately dropped down to help her. She grabbed him and pulling him close sobbed quietly into his shoulder. Gregory was horrified the princess of the realm was crying on him. What was he supposed to do? Normally Ariana seemed so strong. He had never envisioned her crying. Heartsick, he lamely tried to lead her back to bed. She resisted of course and insisted he take her down to Lady Fair. Unable to refuse her any longer he cautiously aided her to the stables.

Gregory was overwhelmed he’d never been so close to her before. He tilted his head and breathed in the smell of her. The soft soaps and jasmine flowers in her hair. He had never been with her for so long, normally it was just a passing glance in a hallway. Now here he was someone from the shadows helping she who stood in the light. Regardless of how pointless it was Gregory reveled in the moment. Reaching Lady Fair’s stall he opened the gate and admitted Ariana.

“Will you please saddle her up for me, Gregory. I need to go riding.”

Resigned to his fate Gregory merely said. “Will you at least let me go with you, your highness.”

“No,” she said flatly. “This is something I need to do myself.”

Moments later Gregory watched her ride out with determination on her face. He sat down at the gate to wait for her, worried that if he did not she would not return. It hadn’t yet occurred to him that he might be in a castle sized heap of trouble. Though in the long hours of waiting that he would endure it surely crop up.

Avianite rolled her tongue thoughtfully in her month chewing on the cow’s skull. She was cautious for a dragon. She only took what she needed and even then she returned the bones so the farmers would think some other fate befell their precious livestock. Shifting her weight she rolled onto her side. Sunbathing just didn’t work when one substituted the moon for the sun though of course to really sunbake would certainly mean she would be slain by one of those roving dragon slayers. It never paid not to be cautious. Turning her head over she breathed deeply and then did the same again. There was definitely some scent out there and close too. Sniffing again, a horse if she wasn’t mistaken, one with a human female riding, she was sure. Rumbling to herself she thought this should prove nice.

Pulling herself up to her full height , she spread her wings wide and leapt. She soared momentarily over the typical evergreen landscape. Only to land with a resounding thud just in front of the horse. It started to rear and scream shrilly. Growling menacingly she brought her head over the horse which now stood shock still.

She opened her jaws wide displaying ridge upon ridge of blood stained , pearl white incisors. “Ariana! What are you doing her child? You should be resting in bed.” After walking her horse off with difficulty and securing it to a far off tree. Ariana returned to sit down exhausted, leaning on the blue scaled creature.

Looking none too far from the heaven’s themselves she made a rather contradictory statement. “I’m not sick anymore, Avia.”

“Oh,” the dragon scoffed. “You look sick enough to me and I prefer not to eat diseased meat.”

Ariana turned and looked the large being in the eyes. As well as any human could anyway. It was more like just staring into one singular, rippled pool. “I’m dying.”

The large multifaceted, opaline eye flicked down and then blinked shut. Sending a single saltwater tear, large enough to drown a small woodmouse, cascading towards the ground. “Yes dear, I know,” Avianite finished simply.

Seeming ashamed and lost the magnificent monster added. “I’m sorry I could not do more for you, friend, but even magical creatures like myself have limits.”

“I know Avia, I do but there is one more thing you can do for me.” Spent and weak Ariana nether the less spoke with conviction.

Avianite shook her massive head. “No little one, there is nothing. I am sorry.”

Bringing what little remained of her strength to the fore, Ariana argued. “Yes there is. You can take my place.”

“What?”

“You could pretend to be me.”

It took Avianite a little while to fully process Ariana’s request, even dragons possess the capacity for shock. “I cannot! It’s...it’s..”

“Possible,” Ariana broke in.

“Yes,” Avianite lowered her head to press her point, “but that doesn’t mean it should be done.”

“Yes it should. I’m telling you it should. I think I’d know better than you would.” Ariana spoke in a harsh voice as only a princess can.

Amused rather than annoyed Avia waited for the girl to continue. Ariana looked away and rubbed tears out of her own tired eyes. She brought a shaking hand up to her mouth and coughed ineffectively. The surrounding forest was dark and quiet. No intelligent animal would utter a sound with such a predator lurking. The only witnesses to this queer conversation between maid and monster were the stars above, twinkling patiently.

“My father,” the sobered girl began. “He hasn’t been the same since mother died. Taking her son with her too. I think it wounded my father as surely as any double-edged blade could.” She sighed only to begin coughing again. “My death would strike the killing blow I think. I couldn’t bear that to happen to him.” Ariana looked up into the reflective eyes of that which she considered her only friend. “If you could just keep him company until he dies. That’s all I ask, Avia. Nothing else.”

Avia gazed down compassionately on her friend. “You realize the process of assuming both your manner and form will strike the killing blow to yourself.”

“I suspected as much.”

Swaying her head from side to side, Avia considered her friend. The girl was such a strange one for her limited years. Though she supposed that was probably her own influence. It had been such a shock to encounter so telepathically gifted a child that she could call dragons from above. Avianite remembered the first time she ran into Ariana’s ranging mind. The girl had been barely two and having just lost her mother she was trying to speak to her in heaven. Instead she had intrigued a dragon and surprisingly found herself another mother figure. Not that Avianite was anyone’s definition of motherhood. She was only barely older in dragonish terms than Ariana herself. Still even a year old dragon was already fending for itself. They had formed a solid if not incredible friendship. Ariana had really been her only friend since there were so few dragons in the world nowadays. Similarly Avianite had been the only playmate for a child that was by social constructs unable to associate with other children due to their lowly status. Her father while still providing her with all the love she could ask for did not understand that even princesses needed friends.

With all the memories floating in her mind Avia felt trapped. “Oh, Ariana your the only friend I’ve ever had. I don’t know if I could do that to you. It would be so painful.”

A low whine emitting from the troubled creature alarmed Ariana. “Avia, oh don’t worry ‘bout me. I shall be alright, after all I’ll be joining mother in god’s shelter. It’s my father who needs the help.”

She let out a anguished sigh complete with smoke. “I hope you have said your goodbyes. For you shall not be able to much longer.”

Summoning some courage that she suspected she didn’t possess, Ariana said shakily. “No one shall truly be saying goodbye to me. Since you’ll be there.”

“Well,” admonished Avia. “I shall farewell you suitably.”

Though Ariana didn’t appear to hear, perhaps the pain was occuping her mind. “Start soon Avia, I don’t know if I can last long enough.”

“It’s really quite easy, Ariana.” Avianite lied shamelessly. “Merely think of as little as possible. Try not to let your mind be cluttered with considerations of now. Instead dwell on the past, on memories, on who you are.”

The large dragon sunk into a deeply medatative state but not without first setting the normal alarms to warn her of someones approach. It was foolish to attempt such a working without first assuring oneself of utter privacy. Humming a sweet little tune Avia banished such mundane thoughts from her mind. Slowly, when the calm began to take her, she let her spirit self rise as if on a soft thermal. Dirfting easily through the eddies of concious thought. Upon reaching the lamplight of Ariana’s mind, she felt cautiously around the edges seeking the best place to enter. Soon she found a pathway that was as clear as she could have hoped. She would have suspected Ariana of leaving it open for her only the girl was not that well trained. Though Avianite fully admitted that she had proved a natural at telepathy.

Still wandering about Ariana’s surface mind Avia located the pain reception centres of her mind and promptly locked them down as securly as she could. She wouldn’t be able to protect her friend from the upcoming pain but she could at least spare her the ravages of the illness. Flicking her hightened senses over the mind before Avia felt a expression of worry cross her serene faraway face. She had not realised just how alike she and Ariana were. There was danger here. With their personalities so similar it was a possiblity that Avianite could lose herself as it were in Ariana’s mind and thus be dragged to the heaven’s when Ariana died. Even if she got out of here intact Ariana’s personality could resurface in Avianite’s own mind. The prospects did not look like any she would normally gamble on. But she had made a promise to a old friend. Avianite refused to fail her only friend in memory in her time of need.

Filled with a new sureity and determination Avianite passed the point of no return. Casting out wings that only existed in her own imagination she soared spectaulary before plumeting into the sea of memory.

The world shattered into a thousand droplets. A small child sat on her father’s knee crying out joyously when he bobbed her back and forth making strange horsey noises. The waters spun and turned. A princess covered in grime and dirt gently curied the hair of her very first filly. She turned and called the stableboy telling him to bring her the very best oat’s her Lady Fair. Lightning raced along her veins, the seas swirled once more. Regal and splendid in her finery the same girl tired to hide her bordem as best she could. Metally she called out to her invisible friend. The strange voice responded sleepily but proceeded to occupy the girl with tales of old times anyway. The coranation ceremony for cousin Brant passed by swiftly with such fantasies flitting in her mind. Though she missed Aunt Hilda’s introduction and forgot to curtsy and bowed absentmindedly instead. Father had laughed and huged her after that saying she always knew how to brighten his day. Avianite had to virtually wrench herself away from that memory. It seemed particuarly strong in Ariana’s mind. She clearly valued her father tremedously. What was she saying of course the girl loved her father like no other she was prepared to suffer greatly just so he wouldn’t have to greive. Engough drifting it was time to bring this to an end. While the girl still posessed some strength to live.

The dragon drew out monsterous powerful clawed simictars that extisted all to well here in the realm of the mind. Giving a roar likely to shake the world, Avianite called forth all her primative urges that belonged to the predator she was. Letting the blood rage and savage fury cloud her mind and sheild her heart.

Somewhere deep in an uninhabitated forest a shrill scream lit up the night like lightning lit a storm. Animals deep in their burrows shuddered in sympathetic pain. Birds were silent out of respect for such a death and foolish fear for their own lives. At a nearby castle gate well out of hearing range a boy shot straight awake and cried openly though he did not know why.

Exhausted and somewhat disgusted with her own wicked primal enjoyment of quite literay shreading someones mind, Avianite slipped into the secure and comforting waters of her own mind. Salt water pooled in her shimmering eyes. She did not look in the direction of Ariana. She did not want to see what expression of horrid terror had frozen on her face in death. Avianite questioned herself wondering why she had done it that way but in truth she knew only one way to accomplish the task Ariana had set her.

Rising her incredibly weak body especially considering she had done nothing physically. She finally turned and looked on Ariana’s still cold from. Ruthlessly she comitted it to memory. She would not forget how her friend had died. Breathing deep within she pilled her lungs full of volitle gas. Still staring at the body she released the pent up air and incinerated what remained of Ariana. Setting her head down she watched it burn.

"Farewell, Ariana."