On The Moon (Baldi) [Finished]

Astral teleported herself and and Baldirak to the moon. She used her power to sustain his body keeping him from suffocating and freezing and his blood boiling and all the other horrible things that would happen otherwise. There was no air to conduct sound so Astral kept a telepathic link open between them. As he arrived she was already sitting on the moon facing away and staring that the world below. It was majestic and gorgeous. Sure she always had an awareness and view of it but seeing it with her own physical eyes was just felt more authentic and magical. Course to Baldirak the moon itself was probably just as amazing. Not every day you got a close up view and experience of something you could have only ever hoped to imagine. And no it very clearly wasn't made of cheese.

Celestia gave a deep long sigh as the coming conversation weighed on her and she considered what to say and how to say it. "It's terrifying the amount of power I have. But not as terrifying as the mistakes I'm capable of making. It often freezes me, keeps me from acting or doing anything. I could just as easily fix everything as ruin it all with one wrong decision with the intention for good. I almost killed all the humans you know. After all the destruction and chaos they have called. They seemed like everything that is evil in the world incarnated. But I wondered why my predecessor kept them around. Turns out they aren't too different from dragons. Though they are a lot more scared and soft. They require community both for their mental health and safety. I'm appalled that I almost annihilated them now. The crime I almost committed couldn't be compared to all the crimes they have done. Back then it seemed like the right thing to do. If you asked any dragon they would have been like ya, you'd be doing the world a favor. Then I guess I got carried away while studying them. I got overwhelmed by my responsibility and tried to abandon it."

Baldirak had dreamed about space, the moon. More times than he could remember. He had a talisman that was made from a piece of the moon. He never imagined, however, that one day he might actually set paw here. Surprisingly--or perhaps not, considering he had once been a Prophet--the EarthWing did not fear suddenly being in space. What if Astral forgot to protect him? What if his last image before he died--while a beautiful to be sure--was of Pyrria from a perspective no other mortal would ever get? These weren't questions that went through his mind. Baldirak looked around, begrudgingly enjoying his new surroundings. He didn't want to. He wanted to continue being angry at Astral; he wanted to be bitter, maybe even to hate... But how could he possibly do that now? The more the Earth King looked around, the less he desired to be hostile. He growled in frustration and sat down.

Astral began speaking soon, and Baldirak realized he had inadvertently sat beside her. He sighed, but listened. Incredibly, the only thing the Goddess could have said to make the EarthWing's anger return, is exactly what she said. "Why? The praise you would have gotten if only you had destroyed those wretched things. My kin would not have had to hide in the earth, licking their wounds, being called cowards by the other tribes. I was one of the very few who even tried to fight back. I nearly died that day to give as many of us the chance to escape as possible. I was kept at Nimbus' door for the entirety of my captivity." Baldirak looked down at the Goddess. "You would justify that by saying they are like us? You would dare to say the crimes they have committed against us pale to something you only considered? They have stolen and bred us for slavery. They destroyed the Earth Kingdom and I can only image what fate the other tribes might have faced if they hadn't stopped there."

He growled more at the next thought that came to him. "It's bad enough you would defend their actions against us. But then... you mated with one and abandoned us to be slaughtered." Baldirak laughed. It was wry and full of bitterness. "That is my legacy as king for the past... 10 years. Being abandoned. I was abandoned by you and I have been abandoned by my mate. Kenina... I lost her once to the aftermath of those monsters destroying all we had built. I lost her again to her hatred of you, for what you have done, what you haven't done." Wisps of smoke wafted from his nostrils as his eyes turned orange. "She nearly killed herself trying to hunt you down!" The EarthWing shook his head. For a very long time, he said nothing else.

"I barely sleep. I long for my mate even though I know she's too fixated on killing you to see how much I need her. I still find myself praying to the stars even though I know you won't answer and no other god seems to hear me. I am not what I once was. Now, Tenebris, that snake... He would try to usurp me, turn my kin against me. He was no different from Kenina: hiding, wallowing in self pity. It was I who took care of the Survivors. Alone! Any Dragon would have cracked under that weight, especially when they were suffering, too! That NightWing..." He sighed. "And your... offspring. I want to hate them. I want to wish them some terrible fate, that you might know the immense pain I have felt all these years. But I cannot. Aurora. I had an intense desire to protect her, even though she is... part... human."

The EarthWing laid down and rolled onto his left side. He stared up at the faraway stars. "You are terrified of the mistakes you could make. What about the one you did make? Now that you have seen what we have been reduced to, do you regret?Will you let your former Prophet fall further, or give me a little light to guidee me back? Shall your offspring become the last of Dragonkind, or will you right your wrong and help us now?"

"I would have. Ignorance is blissful. Would have been praised and none the wiser of the massacre I would have committed. The most atrocious crime of all time. But I advocate enlightenment as it is that blissful unknown that destroys us, you of all people should know that. I would have been a hypocrite if I hadn't investigated the humans with eyes unclouded by hate. As for my vanishing yes that was wrong of me. I am actually super young as far as gods are concerned and especially compared to the late Shardas. Not that that's an acceptable excuse. Nimbus and Paradox did a number on me. It's actually my time with the humans that have helped me heal."

Astral sighed at the comments about Kenina. She was disappointed in her. Astral hadn't expected how fragile such an immeasurably proud being she was. "Perhaps I should let her kill me. She was very devout if misguided and I haven't repaid the kindness have I?

Astral collapsed on the ground of the moons surface with the mention of her daughter. She let out an exaggerated groan at the trouble she causes. "I'm worried about her most of all. My vision doesn't work on my children. It wasn't till you spoke her name that I knew she had run off there, so thank you for that. She is such a trouble maker. I'm surprised you were compelled to protect her and not squish her for her antics. I need to give her a good squishing for this stunt she's pulled."

"I do regret, but not everything. I don't regret growing fond of the humans or claiming one as my mate. I might regret having hatchlings. And I most certainly regret hiding from everything. But I'm still not taking action against the invaders. I don't know enough about them. But I will start protecting dragons from them."

Baldirak closed his eyes as he listened. His tail lashed back and forth in an irritated manner at the Goddess' excuse for sparing humans. Even more so when she said that being around them actually helped her. It stopped moving when Astral said she ought to let Kenina kill her. "No, you haven't. I can't blame her for wanting to kill you. But I don't want her to... It wouldn't solve anything and... leave your children without their mother.. I just want her home."

The EarthWing opened one eye, looking at the stars again. "I couldn't harm a Hatchling. I am compelled to protect all of my kind. Even... even one who shares kinship with a human... And well she's quite an adorable little thing. She reminded me of you, when I found you out in the desert." Baldirak sat up and looked for Astral, finding her having dropped to the ground herself. "If Aurora.. or.. any of your offspring come here or anywhere outside of your home and away from humans... I will watch over her and protect her."

Baldirak was conflicted about Astral's decision to finally start protecting dragonkind, but refusing to eradicate the threat to them. Still... it was better than her doing nothing at all. He gave a slight nod and opted not to say anything about it. Nothing would change her mind, it seemed. Instead, he found himself wanting to talk about Hatchlings some more. "She didn't seem like much of a troublemaker to me. She just seemed fascinated by everything. You shouldn't regret having them. This world is too dangerous for them now, but they are still wonderful. And if we are to keep from going extinct.. I've sometimes considered having Hatchlings of my own, not for that reason, though. But I never see Kenina anymore that I might be able to bring it up."

"I appreciate it. Aurora is the most behaved when she is looking for trouble ironically. You should see her at home. I meant that sarcastically though I love my children they can just be a real handful."

Baldi diverged and started talking about maybe wanting kids of his own. "She never told you? Kenina is sterile. She can't have hatchlings not without magical intervention." He also didn't know Tenebris had supplied that magical intervention and gave her a daughter. Astral thought about it for a moment. She never did give her prophet a devine gift for his service. He wasn't technicaly her prophet anymore but perhaps she can still give him a gift. "What do you say I pay Kenina a visit and fix her fertility?"

"...What?" Baldirak looked down at Astral as she revealed Kenina's secret. "N-No, I... she never told me." The EarthWing lowered his head to his paws as he laid back down in sadness. He was sad for his mate. Perhaps she didn't tell him because she was ashamed? Maybe she thought he wouldn't want her if she couldn't produce offspring. No, that couldn't be. She had to know he wasn't that sort of Dragon, that he loved her no matter what... She did know that, didn't she? Baldirak closed his eyes as tears fell from them. He wished even more now for her to come home so he could make sure she did.

Eventually, Baldirak opened his eyes. Astral had started speaking again. "You would do that for her?" The EarthWing stood and moved to stand in front of the small Goddess, facing her. Baldirak lowered himself as close to the ground as he could, for as deep a bow as he could achieve. His right foreleg trembled severely with the effort it took to prevent him from letting his stomach brush the lunar surface. But he managed it and after a few moments he willed the foreleg into being as still as his other limbs."If you would do this, I would forever be indebted to you. I... cannot understand your love of humans, nor will I ever let go of my hatred for them... but if it be your will, I shall extend my word of protection to your.. mate." Using his tail, so as not to disrupt his bow, Baldirak pulled his white Moonstone from around his neck. He laid it on the ground before Astral. "..And if it be your will, I would again wear this Moonstone as your Prophet."

Astral was suprised Baldirak forgave her. And what's more even extended his protection to her mate and even offered to take up the mantel as her prophet once more.

"I don't expect you to protect my mate but I'm not exactly going to say no either. Unlike my children he is not immune to my sight. I'll know the moment he is in danger and can protect him. But I appreciate it. And yes I would be honored if you served as my prophet once more. And I have a command. Tell people to pray to me if they are in trouble at the hands of monsters regardless if they are my worshipers or not. I will protect them. Now I promise I will visit your mate and give her fertility but for now I hope you'll forgive me but I need to reconnect with my long list son. I'll teleport you outside the festival so you can decide if you want to deal with my father or not. This isn't goodbye for long and thank you my prophet." Astral said with a great big smile. She then teleported Baldirak outside the celebration and she teleported herself near where Astral thought Incus might be.

Only when Astral accepted him as her Prophet once more did Baldirak rise out of his bow. His listened carefully and intently to her command and gave a curt nod before he was teleported back to Pyrria. Baldirak looked at Tenebris' citadel. He didn't want to deal with the NightWing anymore this evening. Instead, he returned to his den to wait for his mate. Perhaps she had come home; it was unlikely though. Either way, the EarthWing was exhausted in more ways than one and just wanted to sleep. Tomorrow, he would begin doing as Astral had commanded him.