But I don't understand what drove me to go back.

It took all of zer energy to find the magic within rubble. To pull on the Strange Ones to save them from the flames, when nothing saved zer brood sibling. Magic called out for action, for zer to help, but there was nothing to be helped within the Strange Ones.

It took more energy to return them to the cave.

They were so small, even with zer form shrunken from missing energy. One jaw gaped bite, and zhe could bring zer revenge on them. However, mighty pressure stopped zer short from acting. As if Astral Bahamut had plans for the Strange Ones zhe saved.

And then... the little Strange One healed zer leg, when it would've taken much longer and more energy to heal.

"What you've been hearing and feeling is magic," Sukoalie spoke to the Strange One, whose expression turned into one of distress and denial. "You are not the first Strange Ones we came across with a connection to the source key." Sukoalie dropped zer head to the dirt floor. "I do understand, because every living thing is supposed to be connected to that key... However... Your side of the Astral Sea has lost its connection, drained due to the smoggy influence."

But why am I telling you this? You know nothing but how to destroy. You're a parasite to this universe. You killed my broodbrother.

The Strange One trembled with fear, but Sukoalie held a begrudging respect for one so small, unwilling to back down. "I-If you're not going to kill us, or eat me... What is your name, dragon?" He winced at the last word, as if it burned him.

Sukoalie allowed zer feathers to fluff out. "I do not throw my name randomly to each star I pass, Strange One. Especially to one who could use such a void-bringing weapon."

"My name isn't 'strange one.' And that weapon—" He sighed. "Shit... Alright, fine. I am Micah. Now... can you give me yours?"

Thunder rumbled outside the cave. None of the Second Flames had sent a retrieval team. Utterly alone with two Strange Ones. One, trembling with fear, another knocked out cold. If zhe spoke zer name to the star, he would never unhear it again.

"I am one who breaches the stars."

Faint annoyance dripped through the Strange One's— Micah's expression. Sukoalie huffed out a breath, and zhe resisted the urge to snort when zer breath almost knocked him over on his wobbly knees. "You may know me as Sukoalie... Micah Strange One."

"Micah Stone— Why am I telling you this?" He paced around in a circle. "Oh my Stars, what's happening to me?" He raised his hands up to his head. "I'm talking to a dragon, it's insane. I must be having a psionic breakdown..."

"A... what?"

"You know... paranormal phenomena unable to be described by scientific fact... Fine, magic." He threw his hands up into the air, then moved back to the unconscious Strange One. "Magic, is what you call it. We do have researchers trying to explain the phenomena, but—"

Sukoalie snorted. "One can't just... explain magic. It just is. It's everything around us. If your worlds were still fully connected to the source key, your people would understand."

Micah Stone turned back to zer. "Is that why you're attacking us?" His brow furrowed. "Is that why you're killing people? We're not connected to this 'source key'?"

"You have a lot of questions, Micah Stone."

"Well I don't have any answers," he said. "None of us do. Your kind just started attacking us unprovoked."

Zer feathers stretched out from zer protective coated scales, meant for traversing the Astral Sea. "Unprovoked? We can hear the call of the source keys, how drained they are. We are trying to save them. Your worlds are stunted." Sukoalie twitched zer previously injured leg. "You create monstrous things, do you not know the effect it has on your world or yourselves?"

Silence gripped the cave. Micah paced around the unconscious Strange One. Sukoalie tucked zer wings close to her flank. "You cannot understand what you do not want to hear," zhe said. "If your kind do not understand something, and refuse to, you decree it different and reject it."

"Because most things can be explained by science. Fact. Not the things of fictional story books of the long past, psionic activity— Magic, whatever you want to call it..." Micah pointed out, then moved to the mouth of the cave. "I suppose it doesn't matter to you, does it? Do dragons have science?"

Zhe got up, but flinched when pain continued to rock down zer leg. "You have a source within you," zhe commented. "You can hear it, but you do not want to."

Micah folded his arms, then turned. "Tell me about this source key?"

"I cannot."

"Why?"

"Because..." Pain rocked through zer mind, and zhe coiled zer neck slightly. "You are a Strange One, unable to comprehend the source key for its truth. We came here to find it, unlock it, and spread magic back into your world."

"Try."

Annoyance tickled the edges of zer scales. "It is not as simple as to explain it. This science of yours, what happens if it cannot explain something?"

The Strange One — Micah Stone — peered up at zer. "We hypothesize. Investigate. Learn. If something does not make sense, there has to be an explanation. Things in the universe don't just work because 'magic', that's in books."

Sukoalie laughed, though the pain still rocking up zer leg made it hard. "Learn, and you Strange Ones never thought to learn more about your worlds before bathing them in smog?" It was a pointless conversation, one that wouldn't return zer home. She slunk deeper into the cave, then eyed the unconscious Strange One. "You ask me why I saved you? Well, I do not know, nor do I wish to know."

Micah Stone relaxed. "So you're not going to kill me, eat me, and use my bones as toothpicks?"

Zukoalie lowered zer head to meet the Strange One on eye level. "Hm." One sniff was all zhe needed to discern the appetizer. "No. I will not kill you, because I used so much energy saving you. I will not eat you because you'd pass through my belly easy and wouldn't give me much nutrition. As for using your bones as toothpicks, I don't want your flimsy bones stuck between my teeth."

Micah Stone sunk to his knees, but then shuffled to sit beside the other one. "That's a relief." He glanced up at zer. So small compared to zer. One step, and zhe'd crush him. Pulses went through zer sensitive ear scales, and yet, found zerself unable to do so much as move. Pain rocked through zer wings, and zhe shuffled them against zer flank in an attempt to relief the pressure. "Astral Bahamut, forgive me..."

"What was that?"

"It was not for your ears, Micah Stone," Sukoalie swirled fire deep in zer soul, and warmed up the cave.

Tension palpated the air. Sukoalie settled zerself on zer own forelimbs, observing the curious Strange Ones. Magic thrummed in the air around Micah Stone in particular. What is your plan, Astral Bahamut? Why have you brought me here, to this one? He has used a void-bringing weapon.

Again, the sensation of wanting to get up and crush them both overcame zer. Resistance pricked up zer feathers, and zhe bit down on zer own jaw. I will obey. I will obey. Sukoalie stood up, forced forward while Micah leaned over the other Strange One.

They can never understand.

Yet, a little star struck the darkness.

"Micah Stone."

He turned, though his hand remained on the other one's shoulder.

"My mission is still not done," zhe said. "I labor to trust you. You have murdered my broodsibling. You wish to learn, to investigate, to hypothesize. I will take you to the source key."

Micah frowned. "What do you plan to do once you get there?"

Sukoalie twisted zer neck. "I cannot return home without completing my task. I will reawaken the source key, and you can see for yourself if your science can explain everything in its own universe."

Hesitation lit up behind Micah's eyes. "Will it kill people?"

"Why must you assume I seek to harm?" Sukoalie asked. "We have only ever sought to bring magic back to the dark parts of the Astral Sea."

Micah indicated to the smoking metal trees in the distance.

Sukoalie flicked out zer tongue. Exhaustion, and a lack of energy to do magic sent zer back against the floor. "It is time to rest," zhe said. "I will not be going anywhere fast in the state I'm in. Your weapon almost blasted me from within, as it did with my brethren."

"I... I didn't realise it'd be that strong," Micah said, his admittance doing nothing to assuage the pain deep within zer soul.

Sukoalie dared not close their eyes. In fear of reliving Vielrir's last moments, before the death weapon turned him into nothing but a red cloud. Any anger left in their soul wasted away into pain. "You didn't realise, but you still used it. It is the same as using a spell unstudied, and expecting nothing to go wrong without proper guidance." A scoff escaped zer. "I have lived to see such devastation an untrained mind can cause. They use these powers without knowing, without understanding."

More silence.

"It's not as if your kind attempted to foster understanding."

"We are talking, are we not?"

Micah jolted, as if it had just dawned on him. Sukoalie snorted, then curled tighter against the wall.

"I must replenish my energy. You may leave, or you may go. It makes no difference to me." Sukoalie examined him. "I do suggest you take a long look at the magic starting to swell within you. Your science will not protect you for long. You try to deny it, and it'll make it worse."

"Worse how?"

Questions, questions... It's like teaching a hatchling why their wings don't work right out of the egg. Sukoalie ignored him, allowing the rest of zer energy to spread throughout the parts of zer scales thrumming with blood and pain.

In the darkness of the astral sea, zhe dreamed.

Dreamed of the stars.

It sprinkled against zer feathers of matched twilight purples, blues and nebulas. Left behind by the great last breath of Astral Bahamut. It gave promise to all the lives their kind lived. Every star, a promise of their ancestors, who left their mark in the sea.

Vielrir, so young to join the ancestors.

I hope your star has found its way home. Stardust we are made of, and it is to stardust we must return.

Stardust... give me my strength. I am going to need it.

Sukoalie twitched when a rather loud gasp sounded throughout the sea.

"Micah," a different voice said with both a fearful, yet morbidly curious tone. "Micah, that's a dragon."

Astral Bahamut, give me patience as well.