Rune woke up with a start.

"NELLIE!" He screamed, his heart pounding. Something about Rune's voice caught him off-guard. It was deeper, almost... adult. He placed a forepaw on his neck, and was surprised to find it thicker and longer than usual. Rune looked down at himself and gasped. The rest of his body was bigger as well.

"What in the...?" Rune finally looked at his surroundings. To his surprise, he was in his childhood bedroom in Glenhaven, just the way he last remembered leaving it. Rune got up from his old straw mattress and looked himself in the mirror. Just as he suspected, Rune was an adult dragon now. Thick horns, long mane, strong chin… he looked so much like his father now.

"How did I get like this?" Rune wondered loud. "Did I just black out for several years?"

"Heh-heh… Black out." A familiar voice said. "Because you're a black dragon. I get it."

"Blank?" Rune asked. He turned towards the door and marched towards it. "Is that you?"

Rune pushed the door open and saw… the abyss. His old home had been torn away, leaving him able to see into the infinite void. Chunks of stone floated weightlessly across the way, too far to glide. Rune's first reaction was to gasp and shut the door. That's when his eyes fell upon the open window across the way. The same eerie view lay just outside the open window.

What was going on? How was Rune still able to breathe in this void? Nothing about this made sense. But the worst of Rune's problems came when a terrible voice cackled in his mind.

Losing your stomach already, idiot? They cackled. That's a real shame.

"No…" Rune's blood turned to ice. He stepped a bit forward towards the mirror, but then quickly turned away. "It can't be."

And why not? They snorted.

"You're dead!" Rune shouted. "I got rid of you when I… I…"

Oh, you mean when you stabbed us in the chest? That was… IRRITATING, sure. But I'm dead when you're dead, and I'm alive when you're alive. Looks like you'll just have to stab yourself again.

Rune glanced down at his chest. He could still see the small, ugly scar from when he impaled himself to free himself from HIS control. Rune shook his head and snarled. As far as Rune could tell, HE wasn't taking control of his body again. Rune's eyes narrowed as he stood up tall.

"You're not playing mind games with me again." Rune snorted. "And I'm not going to give you the dignity of looking in that mirror."

Is that so? They chided. It's only a matter of time before your vanity gets the better of you. After all, you're stuck in the ruins of Glenhaven. Who knows how long the magic enabling you to breath wears out?

"I'll think of something." Rune said. He took in a breath of "air" and focused his magic.

What are you doing?

Rune tossed an earth bomb in the direction of the mirror. He then quickly lifted up a wing to shield himself from the ensuing blast.

NO!

The room shook as the wall was blasted apart. Rune winced a shards of glass assailed his wing. But soon the room stopped shaking, and he lowered his wing to look at the fragmented remains of the mirror. He'd also blown a small hole in the wall. It didn't matter at this point: His old home was in ruins.

You fucking imbecile! The voice shouted. You think getting rid of one measly mirror will prevent me from coming back?!

"You certainly seem upset over a 'measly mirror.'" Rune snorted.

I'll be back! They hissed in Rune's head. Mark my words, weakling. I'LL BE BACK!

And just like that, they went silent. Rune took a breath of relief. At least now he could concentrate on getting out of there room alive. He fluttered his wings as he approached the door once again: It was the only exit big enough for his adult body to fit through. He slowly opened the door and looked for a way across.

"As far as I can tell, there's still a breathable atmosphere despite the devastation." Rune said aloud. "Maybe… just maybe… there's enough to enable flight. If not…" Rune shut his eyes and sighed. "Well, I'd rather gamble that just sit around and wait to die."

Rune stepped back a short distance before leaping into the "air". He fanned his wings and flapped as he began falling. At first he thought he'd make his final plunge into the abyss… but then something strange happened. All at once his sense of gravity was thrown out of alignment. His body spun around and fell UPWARDS a great distance. Rune found himself hurtling towards a chunk of landmass that was "above" the ruins of his home.

As Rune struggled to right himself in midair, his eyes fell upon the true devastation that he couldn't see inside the bedroom. Thousands of similar islands floated above the remains of the planet. They were all weightless, still, and seemingly held together in an intricate pattern. And far below them were the fragmented remains of the dragon realms.

Rune free-fell a great distance towards the platforms. He finally managed to regain control of himself before crashing to his death. Rune glided down and around to one of the smaller platforms, where he took time to catch his breath.

As Rune tried to get his bearings, he looked down at the world in shock and horror. Everything was in pieces. Continents had been torn apart. Oceans flowed downwards into cracks in the world. And a sickening purple light tore its way upwards into the abyss. But as Rune looked down at the fragments of the dragon realms, something wasn't right.

Out of his left eye, Rune saw his world as he always remembered it looking like on maps and in books. But out of his right eye? Everything was different, and not just because of the destruction. Landmasses existed where they didn't, while ones that did were gone. Entire ecosystems obeyed different rules. The two versions of his Rune blended together in his mind, which caused a terrible headache.

"Ugh…" Rune rubbed his head. He tried applying healing magic, but nothing changed. Rune scowled and looked back upwards. "What has Bergan done?"

Rune thought back to every time he'd met the purple dragon named Bergan. He had a silver tongue, which he used to lie to Rune and virtual everyone else he met. Bergan had even managed to resurrect several purple dragons from history, just so he could manipulate them into spread destruction and terror across the world. Rune's friends and family managed to defeat the other villains, but now Bergan was the only one left, and he'd just about WON his years-long game of chess.

Rune sat on his haunches and sighed. What was he going to do now? He was stranded all alone, with the world falling apart. He didn't know if everyone else was alive or dead. And he certainly didn't hear any ancient dragon spirits whispering to him. All was lost…

And that's when Rune noticed one platform up above that wasn't like the others. It was decorated in regal purple and gold cloth, and shined like a star in the sky. Rune felt something calling him to that island; a strange sensation ran up and down his spine.

"Bergan…" Rune scowled. He stood up and fanned out his wings. "You'll pay for this!"

Rune flew off towards the glowing island as fast as his wings could carry him. He charged up his magic and psyched himself up for a fight. From what Rune remembered, Bergan was a sneak in combat: always hiding behind tricks, illusions, and his mastery of the time element.

Rune came to a landing on the small island, his wings fanned out. "BERGAN!"

Rune looked around at the blank surface of the island, but soon his eyes were drawn to the golden throne at the very back. There he was: the dragon responsible for so much destruction. Bergan the purple dragon sat on his haunches on the throne as he gazed up at the purple geyser. Several of his hairs had turned grey from age, but he still had that irritating smirk. Rune snarled as he made his way towards Bergan's island. Everything was all wrong now because of his scheming.

"BERGAN!" Rune roared as he came to a landing. He landed on all fours and fanned his wings out as he approached the throne.

"Ah, my dearest prince." Bergan said amicably. He reached for a glass on a small pedestal beside the throne and filled it with wine. "I see you've grown since we last met. Care for a drink?"

"You know why I'm here!" Rune snapped.

"Do I?" Bergan asked. "Enlighten me, my prince."

"Everything's gone now because of you!" Rune continued. "My family… my friends…" He shut his eyes to hold back tears. "…even the dragoness I loved."

"Oh dear, you lost your lover?" Bergan shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Tell me, what was her name?"

"Her name was-"

A flash of pain sprung through Rune's head. He gripped his head and struggled to hold back the pain. Everything time Rune thought he remembered his lover's name, it vanished and was replaced with agony.

"Having some trouble, my prince?" Bergan asked. He took a sip of his wine and sat back as Rune shook his head and snorted.

"I know that I love her, and that's all that matters." Rune said. He marched forwards again and scowled.

"You love this dragoness, even though you can't remember her name." Bergan chuckled. "I suppose the divide is working faster than I expected."

"Whatever you're doing, you won't get away with this!" Rune snapped. "When Luminausk and Evonura get here with the other ancient spirits, you'll be sorry you ever tampered with Convexity."

Bergan smirked, which made Rune sneer.

"Luminausk and Evonura?" Bergan asked cheekily. "Are you sure that's what their names were?"

"What?" Rune blinked. "No, I said Spyro and-!"

Another burst of pain ran through Rune's mind, this time greater than before. He collapsed onto the stone floor and clutched his head. Something wasn't right. There were two great heroes from his past, and he remembered one of them sharing her experiences with him.

It was a black dragoness who served a dark power. Her name was Cynder and… no, wait. It was Evonura, wasn't it? And Evonura served Malefor? No, that isn't right either. She saved the dragon realms… or was it drakutera? Gah, why can't I get it right!

Rune snarled and shook his head. As he pushed the black dragoness away, visions of the great hero came into his mind. A great dragon that traveled across the realms defeating evil. The purple dragon defeated a green beast that turned other dragons into crystal. Then there was the red wizard who was poised to conquer Avalar. And then there was a sorceress who ruled the forgotten realms. All of them were… wait, who were they? Rune couldn't remember any of those villains from his history books. What was going on?

"Your memory is a disaster area, isn't it?" Bergan asked with a chuckle. He took a sip of wine as Rune writhed in pain on the ground. "Don't worry; you'll put it right in your noggin eventually."

"…Spyro and Cynder." Rune slowly said. He got up onto his feet and scratched his head with a wing-talon. "There are two dragons named Spyro and Cynder. But… they're not my ancestors."

"Ah, now you're getting." Bergan nodded. He poured another drink and offered it to Rune. "I honestly think you're going to need this. I'm sure you're well above the legal age by this point."

Rune continued to rub his head as he walked up the steps to Bergan's throne. He hesitantly took the wine glass and looked into it. Rune struggled to come to terms with what he was remembering. All at once it seemed so clear: Spyro and Cynder weren't the two dragons who started the line of black dragon kings. And yet he also remembered all of the stories his grandfather Urobos told him. They were his ancestors, and yet at the same time they weren't.

Eventually Rune decided that this had to be more of Bergan's tricks. The purple dragon was notorious for his lies, after all. So Rune quickly turned and splashed the contents of the glass onto Bergan's face. The liquid collided with the throne in an instant. Bergan groaned and harrumphed across the way.

"Really, that was perfectly good wine." Bergan said. "If you didn't want it, you could have said no thanks."

"You're always one for teleporting around like an arse." Rune snorted. He turned and scowled at Bergan once again. "Even at the edge of oblivion, you can't take anything seriously."

"Oh I take what I've done very seriously, Prince Rune." Bergan said. He stepped over to one side of the chamber and sat on his haunches as he gazed up at the purple geyser. "I've been a bit cruel to my daughter Tyrrany and her little Denzel. It's a shame this version of myself won't be on good terms with my Annie ever again."

"This version of…" Rune repeated incredulously. "What are you going on about?"

"Everything you see here is the culmination of my entire life's work, Prince Rune." Bergan said. He turned and pointed a talon down at the abyss far below. "Tell me, what is the world you see down there?"

"The dragon realms, you imbecile." Rune snapped.

"Are you sure about that?" Bergan's eyes gleamed. "You don't see a different world? A world born of chaos and twisted realities?"

Rune just barely turned his gaze back down at the fragmented remains of his home world. He always kept one eye shut when looking at it to prevent the combined world from erupting in his mind.

"Everything that has happened up to this point has been for naught." Bergan said. "Nobody, not the Victiumirti, not your father, not even Malefor could have known about the truth."

"What are you going on about?" Rune demanded.

"Malefor claimed to be eternal, but he was wrong." Bergan chuckled. "But I won't claim to be eternal here. Because I'm not eternal, and neither are you. We are fleeting. A blink of an eye. A heartbeat."

"Enough with your cryptic words!" Rune snarled. He lunged forwards to strike at Bergan's face. But in a split-second Rune found himself crashing into cold stone. He struggled to get back up as chuckling came from far behind him.

"You want clear answers?!" Bergan exclaimed. He shook the cloak free from his back and fanned his wings several times. "Alright, I'll spell it out for you: This reality was never meant to exist!"

"What?!" Rune turned around and glared at the purple dragon. "More nonsense?!"

"Wrong, youngling." Bergan snorted. He stepped forwards, his eyes gleaming "A long time ago, the dragon you once knew as Spyro existed in a world separate from ours. We lived in one timeline, he was in another. But then the two timelines had an accident. They smashed together and got horribly tangled."

Rune got into a battle stance. He started circling around Bergan as his enemy did the same.

"I've been plagued by visions of this moment for my entire life." Bergan said. "I foresaw the absolute destruction of this reality. It was my destiny to untangle this unholy hybrid world and put the two timelines back as they were supposed to be."

"So nothing else mattered to you?!" Rune demanded. "You caused the deaths of countless lives! You manipulated all factions into starting the Twilight War! You indirectly caused the death of my mother, TWICE!" Rune charged up his magic. "You've destroyed our world!"

"Perhaps I did." Bergan said. "I did love Elenar, once. Had things gone differently, I might have been your father. But that was never meant to be, in this reality and all others. And so here we are, facing each other at the edge of oblivion."

"SHUT UP!" Rune roared. He leaped through the air to slash at Bergan, but once again the dragon had moved before Rune could hit him.

"So many dragons keep trying that, and it never works." Bergan said upon his throne. "I've gained too much power to get his first."

"So end it, then!" Rune hissed as he spun around. "Why don't you just slice my throat in the blink of an eye?!"

"Oh, where's the fun in that?" Bergan asked. "Sure, I've gained all the powers of a god. I could easily end your life in a million ways. But that still won't save my own life from our reality's demise. And besides, do you think the people reading this want to see the hero taken out like in one hit?"

Rune stammered in confusion. "…People reading this? What are you…?"

"There are walls that surround the boundaries of this twisted reality, my prince." Bergan said. "But when I saw visions of myself untangling the timelines, I found a way to peer BEHIND those walls. There are greater forces at work that are beyond the comprehension of everyone here. Terrible forces. You are being observed from behind the walls of causality, my prince."

"Oh, shut up!" Rune snarled. "There you go again with your ramblings! Stop wasting time and fight me!"

"I don't want to fight you, really." Bergan shook his head. "I kill you, and our reality falls apart. You kill me, and our reality STILL falls apart. Our fate is inevitable, Rune. Why not just sit like civilized dragons and wait it out?"

Rune gave Bergan a cold glare. He fanned out his wings and stepped forwards. Bergan shut his eyes and sighed.

"Very well. If you truly wish for this to end in bloodshed…" Bergan opened his eyes wide, and they glowed like the sun. "I can at least give you a proper audience."

Rune shielded his eyes with a wing from a great flash of light. When the light faded, Rune could hear a multitude of surprised shouts and snarls. Rune lowered his wing and looked around. The island had grown to the size and shape of an arena, much like the one from Glenhaven. The bleachers were filled with a multitude of dragons Rune had met while growing up…

~~…~~

"Uh, my head…." Cyrus muttered. He then gasped and stood up to look around. He soon saw Tina sitting up from the floor beside him. Cyrus helped her up onto her feet and sighed in relief.

"Thanks, Shorty." Tina smirked. "You've always been there."

"Same to him." Cyrus nodded.

On another side of the arena was the white dragoness Tyrrany.

"Where are we?" Tyrrany asked worriedly. She soon felt tiny paws grasping her foreleg.

"Mommy!" Denzel cried out. Tyrrany hugged the tiny purple hatchling close to her chest and shed a few tears. She felt a wing on her back and looked up to see Flame standing nearby. The two looked into each other's eyes as they sat close together. They'd been through so much and had little chance to talk about what happened. But they hugged each other close to protect their son.

Across from them were the trio of Blankridge, Nellie and Emerald. They stood up tall and looked around.

"How did we get here?" Nellie asked.

"Beats me." Blankridge shrugged. "I thought we were fighting bad guys or something."

"We've got to get our bearings." Emerald said. "We won't be able to get back without a plan."

Eventually all of the dragons were drawn towards the center of the arena. They gasped in surprise to see Rune standing tall as an adult dragon. And it wasn't much longer before they saw Bergan seated on his golden throne.

"Guys!" Rune called out. "You're all right!"

Naturally all of Rune's friends tried to glide down. But they all crashed into a magical barrier that blocked the way. Several of them gasped and clawed at the barrier to get through.

"Damnit, we can't get through!" Cyrus exclaimed.

"Don't overwork yourself, Cy." Tina said. She patted his back to get him to stop. Cyrus just groaned and sat back beside her.

"What, are we just supposed to watch?" Cyrus asked.

"If that's all we can do for now, then yes." Tina shrugged. "Rune's a big boy now, apparently. I'm sure he can take care of himself."

"I hope so…" Cyrus sighed.

Meanwhile, Nellie stopped attacking the barrier and just sighed. She sat back on her haunches and watched as Rune faced down Bergan alone. Emerald and Blankridge saw her sorrow and hugged her with their wings.

"He'll be alright, Sis." Blankridge said. "I promise."

Meanwhile, Tyrrany hadn't tried to break through the barrier at all. She just hugged Denzel to her side, who squeaked and tried to get comfortable. She and Flame watched with cold glares as Bergan had his laugh. The purple had betrayed the both of them: His only daughter and the son of his best friend. They wouldn't use hateful words around their son, but both of them hoped to avenge the ones they'd lost because of Bergan.

~~…~~

Rune frowned at his friends' entrapment. But that quickly turned to anger when he heard Bergan laughing in his throne. Rune clawed at the stone floor as he turned to face the purple drake.

"Did you honestly think I was going to just allow them to come down to aid you?" Bergan smirked. "Just like that?"

"Well if you weren't going to allow me to be with my friends, why bring them here at all?!" Rune demanded.

"I wanted to provide you with a range of options." Bergan nodded. "If you wish to fight, you may choose two of your friends to stand by your side as you all face off against me."

"And how do I know that's not just another trick?" Rune snapped.

"No tricks, my dear prince." Bergan shook his head. "By all means, pick two dragons to stand by your side."

Rune snorted in derision. He turned around and looked up at the seven dragons as they looked back down at him. They all seemed quite eager to help him face Bergan.

"Rune, pick me!" Blankridge exclaimed. "We have a lot of catching up to do, after all!"

"I know, I know…" Rune sighed.

"You're certainly handsome in that form, Rune." Emerald said. "Err, that's just an observation on my part."

"Sure it is, Emmy." Rune gave a light smirk. His eyes passed over Nellie, who seemed the most miserable. The two of them locked eyes. Rune wasn't sure what passed through her mind, but Rune thought back to the rather… unpleasant year. Everything that happened to Nellie, was because of him. Rune had allowed himself to be possessed by his other half. And for that, Rune couldn't bear to force Nellie to fight for him.

Rune cleared his throat and turned around to address everyone in the arena.

"Everyone, I understand that you want to be by my side…" Rune said aloud. "There are some of you that I don't know as well as the others, but its clear you've one the trust and support of my dearest friends. But there was only ever two dragons I'd want by my side to face Bergan, and I feel that they have the strongest reasons…"

The seven dragons glanced amongst themselves curiously as Rune turned to scowl at Began.

"I choose Cyrus and Tyrrany." Rune said loud and clear. "You ruined their lives just as much as my own, Bergan. They have the same right to make you pay."

Bergan's eyes gleamed, and he chuckled again. "Even though I knew that option was inevitable, I still can't help but have a laugh. Very well, my dear prince…"

The magical barrier weakened before Cyrus and Tyrrany on either side of the arena. Cyrus lightly hugged Tina before he carefully hopped down. He looked back up to grin at Tina before facing Bergan.

Tyrrany, however, needed a bit more time to nuzzle the heads of Flame and Denzel. Flame hugged Denzel to his chest as he kissed Tyrrany's cheek.

"Be careful." He whispered to her.

"I will." She replied. "Please… just take care of Denzel until I get back."

"Of course…"

Tyrrany made her way down to the arena, and the magical barrier sealed itself up again. She and Cyrus walked up to Rune to stand on either side of him.

"I guess I was always meant to be the shorter twin, eh?" Cyrus asked with a chuckle.

"I don't know how this happened." Rune said as he looked himself over. "I was like this when I woke up."

"Well, it doesn't matter." Tyrrany said. She looked up at Rune and fanned out her wings. "We're the three children of the dragoness Elenar. My fath…" She stopped herself, and then scowled, "No, the dragon Bergan is responsible for everything that's happened to her. Let's avenge our mother."

Rune and Cyrus glanced at each other and nodded. The three dragons turned towards Bergan and marched forwards. Bergan conversely rose up from his throne and descended the staircase.

And then, all at once, a glass mirror emerged from the stone before the three siblings. They gasped in surprise as a series of mirror emerged all around and surrounded them. Bergan's laughter echoed around them.

"Oh, for the love of…" Cyrus scowled. He took in a large gulp of wind and blasted it at the mirror on the side to knock it down. "Enough of your games, Bergan!"

Cyrus and Tyrrany proceeded to knock down the other mirror without a care. But Rune froze in place as he stared at the front-most mirror. While all the other mirrors showed the siblings' reflections, the one before Rune showed ONLY Rune: There were no other reflections of his siblings or the surrounding area… only Rune's reflection, hovering in the abyss. And it stared back at him with those eyes…

"Rune, what's wrong?" Tyrrany asked. She waved a forepaw before his face, but couldn't get him to stop.

"There's something I neglected to mention…" Bergan said. "There's one other dragon who will be joining us tonight."

"Get that out of here!" Cyrus shouted. He quickly faced the last mirror and unleashed a blast of earth.

"Cyrus, NO!" Rune screamed.

Had Rune not gazed into that mirror, there'd be no harm in his brother destroying it. But it was too late. The earth bomb tore right through the mirror, sending shards falling away in all directions…. But the reflection was STILL THERE.

Rune jumped back and got into a battle stance. "You've let him out!"

Cyrus and Tyrrany looked between the two Runes in confusion. But they backed up as the reflection walked forwards through the mirror's frame. The duplicate Rune's scales changed from black to white. His birthmarks changed from light blue to blood red, as did his talons. Extra horns crowned his head, and his muscles rippled with every step.

"It's him…" Rune snarled. Cyrus and Tyrrany got on guard as Rune's duplicate gazed at them with his sickeningly-yellow, demonic eyes.

"Did you miss me?" Runefor asked with a toothy grin.

Rune immediately attacked with an earth bomb. But Rune swatted the attack away with his wing, sending it crashing against the magical barrier. The dragons in the bleachers gasped and dodged out of the way, even though the attack never hit them. And among those dragons, Nellie froze in place and gazed down in fear at the great white dragon.

Rune and his siblings spread their limbs out for a fight. They walked around either side of Runefor, though the great white dragon only snorted and spread his wings out. Runefor clawed at the ground and stretched his limbs before chuckling in delight.

"Oh, this new body is INCREDIBLE." Runefor said. "Apparently being killed is the best thing that ever happened to me."

"BERGAN!" Rune screamed in anger. "Why did you bring him back?!"

"I had a feeling he should be here." Bergan said. The purple dragon walked up to Runefor's side. "He may be quite the character, but it's time to decide which of you two is the better half."

"As if THAT needed an answer!" Runefor exclaimed. He lifted himself up into the air and flew around. Cyrus and Tina charged up their magic, while Rune held himself in place. Runefor surrounded himself with a barrier of Convexity as he floated in the air.

"Come up and fight me, idiot!" Runefor cackled. "Show me how much you hated being me!"

Rune scowled, but held hid ground. "I won't let you taunt me anymore."

"Oh, so you're going to take the high ground?" The white dragon snorted. "You think you can just 'accept the bad with the good' in you to make me go POOF? Well it won't work!"

"You're not me, and you never were." Rune's eyes narrowed. "You're just an abomination created by accident." He spread his wings out and called upon his magic. "The world will be a better place once you're gone."

"Then FIGHT ME." Runefor shouted. He unleashed several blasts of purple lightning down towards the arena. Rune, Cyrus and Tyrrany all leaped in separate directions as the blasts tore through the stone floor.

"Well this certainly makes the fight more interesting." Bergan said with a chuckle. He calmly stepped backwards as he predicted where the attacks would land. Bergan then spread out his wings and casually fluttered them. "Let's see what you three are capable of."

Rune glanced between Bergan and Runefor with a scowl. He then looked at Cyrus and Tyrrany in turn, who watched him curiously. Perhaps they all waited for Rune to give a heroic speech or order them to attack. But Rune knew Bergan's game as well as Runefor's.

So, Rune did something different. He signaled for Cyrus and Tyrrany to get as close as they could, which they quizzically did.

"Now's not the time for a huddle!" Runefor shouted before he unleashed even more blasts of his purple lightning.

But the lightning never reached its mark. As Rune's siblings huddled close, he unleashed a mighty blast of magic. The entire world froze and took on a blue tint in his eyes. The air became silent and still as Rune's friends were stuck in time. The only dragons who could move were Rune and his two siblings.

Cyrus looked around in confusion at first, but then chuckled. "Time magic. Of course."

"I'm sure we've all grown tired of Bergan's tricks." Rune said. He glared across the way at the purple dragon, who was frozen mid-chuckle. Rune stepped forwards and took a deep breath as he glared at his two enemies.

"Listen, I can't use my regular magic and maintain this time bubble at the same time." He said. "I need you two to deal with Bergan and Runefor for me."

"Right…" Tyrrany nodded. She took a breath and marched across the arena. She glared at her father for a moment while Rune and Cyrus approached. Rune watched as Cyrus and Tyrrany bared their fangs and tried to bite at Bergan at the same time.

But just before their attacks could connect, Bergan moved. He stepped backwards to dodge out of the way: Not instantaneously like his usual want, but rather he moved in "real time."

"What?!" Cyrus exclaimed.

Bergan stepped back a brisk pace and took a breath. An aura of purple magic surrounded Bergan's body as he spoke. "My, you almost got the drop on me that time."

Tyrrany snarled in frustration, while Rune only scowled in derision. Even with time frozen, Bergan was still finding ways to mess with them.

"That was a new tactic, I'll give you that." Bergan nodded his head. "But I can still see things coming, even when you move as fast as I do."

"Well at least you won't be pulling any more of that teleporting bullshit!" Cyrus hissed. He unleashed a blast of wind behind himself to rush towards Bergan like a rocket, his talons extended. Bergan shifted to block the attack with his wing. Cyrus sliced several large tears in the membrane before flying away.

"FINALLY!" Cyrus shouted as he flew around. "I actually GOT HIM for once!"

"Hmph, don't get used to it." Bergan snorted. He stood up tall and flapped his injured wing. The purple aura surrounded the wounds, making them gradually fade away. "But congratulations on giving me some cuts."

Cyrus growled in rage. He was about to attack again, but Tyrrany cut his path.

"Don't let him get to you." She said. "Just focus on the fight."

"I think you'll find that still a bit tricky, my dear." Bergan said. He pointed his snout into the air, where Runefor hung weightlessly. The purple aura around the white drake's body glowed and shimmered. Rune gasped and leaped out of the way as Runefor came hurtling downwards to the ground. A large hole was torn in the floor, with shockwaves rippling everywhere. It was a great struggle for Rune to remain on his feet and keep the time bubble going. He watched with disdain as Runefor emerged from the crater and stood on all fours.

"You and your cowardly tricks." Runefor snarled. He charged at Runefor, horns ready to ram. "FIGHT ME!"

Cyrus struck Runefor from the side, knocking him over and onto his stomach. Cyrus stood tall and ran to Rune's side. "You alright?"

"Of course." Rune said. "Just keep Runefor at bay until we deal with Bergan."

As Rune said those words, Tyrrany had already launched an assault on Bergan. She unleashed a flurry of bits and slashes, all charged with her own Convexity. Bergan did his best to block, dodge, and counted each of her blows.

"I really don't want to hurt you, my dear." Bergan said.

"SHUT UP!" Tyrrany hissed.

"I only wanted to give you what you wanted, Tyrrany." Bergan frowned. "You hated your mother, so I arranged to have you get your revenge."

"YOU LIED TO ME!" Tyrrany screamed. "Everything you said about my mother was a lie! And then you tricked me into… into…."

Tyrrany howled in rage. Tears fell from her eyes as she continued her attack against Bergan. The purple dragon had a forlorn expression as he avoided her attacks.

Across the way, Cyrus stood guard for Rune while Runefor came after them. The great white drake could only attack with his slashes and bites while maintained his time-negating aura. While Cyrus was able to move faster, his elemental attacks did little to harm the scales on Runefor's body.

"You think this is how you're going to get rid of me, idiot?" Runefor scowled. "Hiding behind your little brother?"

Rune didn't reply to any of his duplicate's remarks. He just carefully dodged away as Cyrus countered Runefor's attacks with blasts of wind. He panted as he struggled to keep up.

"Looks like Cyrus here is running out of steam." Runefor snorted. "Lucky for me, I can keep going all d-!"

Tyrrany smashed against Runefor's side, toppling them to the ground. Tyrrany quickly spread out her limbs in an attempt to pin the larger drake down. She filled her being with strength-enhancing magic, but even that wasn't fully enough to keep Runefor on the ground.

"GET OFF!" Runefor hissed. He swung his head back to try smashing it against her muzzle. Cyrus took this moment to jump onto Runefor's back and bit down on the white drake's neck. "Oh, DAMNIT!"

"Keep him down, keep him down!" Tyrrany shouted. Cyrus bit down as hard as he could, but Runefor's neck was as hard as armor. If that wasn't bad enough, the heat from Runefor's convexity was starting to scald Cyrus and Tyrrany. Rune wanted to leap forwards to help, but he felt his time magic weaken. In the blink of an eye, everyone had changed positions.

Tyrrany and Cyrus had been thrown over to either side of the arena. Runefor was panting and flapping his wings between them. And Bergan had moved to stand just behind Rune. He leaned in to whisper into Rune's ear frill.

"This can't go on, you know." He said. "You can't maintain your time magic forever. Death is inevitable for both of us anyway."

Rune stepped away from Bergan and scowled at him. "And just what do you propose? That we all just sit and play nice? After what you've DONE?!"

Bergan rolled his eyes. "Just once I'd wish you'd think rationally instead of reacting so violently to everything I say or do."

"You're not getting away with destroying our world!" Rune snapped. He nearly lost control again, and had to grasp at his magic. He watched as time seemed to randomly skip forwards as Cyrus and Tyrrany continued their fight against Runefor.

Sometimes it would seem like they'd gained the advantage, but then in an instant they'd be smacked away by the great white drake's claws. Bergan just stood by Rune's side and watched the battle unfold. Rune wanted to reach over and strike the purple drake, but the strain of his magic was betting worse.

Eventually Runefor grabbed Cyrus's tail in his jaws and swung him about in the air. The smaller black dragon was sent crashing towards Tyrrany. The dragoness barely had enough time to leap out of the way. Runefor stood up tall and gave a condescending grin.

"This is child's play." Runefor said. "Get out of my way so I can deal with the idiot."

"Perhaps I can offer some assistance with that." Bergan said. Rune gasped, but before he could do anything time skipped again, only much worse than before. When Rune regained control, his shock nearly made him lose it again.

Bergan had gone on the offensive. He unleashed a barrage of slashes at Cyrus, all enhanced by Convexity. Cyrus gasped and had to retreat away. When Tyrrany came after Bergan, he just unleashed a series of brutal head-bashes. The wind was knocked out of Tyrrany's lungs as she collapsed to the floor. Cyrus rose up to try and fight back, but then Bergan came at him and struck him in the stomach. Both Cyrus and Tyrrany moaned as they struggled to get back up.

"There." Bergan said coldly to Runefor. "You want Rune to yourself? He's all yours."

Runefor's eyes gleamed. He turned his attention to Rune and charged forwards like a roaring lion. In a split-second, Rune bent his head low and rose it up to strike Runefor on the chin. The white drake collided with the black one and send them falling backwards against a wall. The collapse made Rune lost control of his magic, sending him and Runefor falling backwards into regular time.

"What happened?!" Emerald exclaimed up above.

"Where did Cyrus and Tyrrany go?!" Flame demanded. "And where's Bergan!"

"RUNE!" The others shouted.

Rune groaned as Runefor shifted around atop him. The black prince struck the white in the stomach, forcing him to roll over. Rune scrambled away as his duplicate struggled to stand up.

"Damn it…" Runefor snarled. He turned around and faced Rune, purple smoke rising from his nostrils. "Don't think you'll get that lucky again!"

Rune quickly glanced around. He saw no signs of Bergan or his siblings anywhere in the arena. Rune backed up as Runefor approached. While Rune's head ached from the prolonged use of time magic, he could at least focus the rest of his power against his duplicate. So, Rune reached within himself and called upon every element his had.

Rune and Runefor circled around each other, their magic beginning to radiate from their bodies: Rune surrounded by a rainbow of elements, and Runefor glowing with a sickening purple. There were no words about revenge or snark from either one. They just glared at each other with eyes full of hatred. The arena was filled with their roars as the two dragons clashed.

Rune unleashed every attack he could think of. Spires of stone erupted from the floor at his command. Lightning shot free from his maw in all directions, followed by spears of ice and bursts of flame. Runefor charged through all of that, not caring of the attacks sliced his scales open. Blast after blast of Convexity erupted from Runefor's maw. Rune shielded himself with barriers of many colors; most were just barely enough to protect himself from Runefor's attacks.

At one point the two dragons went airborne. They flew after each other in the air, their attacks colliding chaotically. The dragons down below screamed and ducked out of the way as the attacks broke through the magic walls.

At one point Runefor rammed himself against Rune's gut, sending both of them crashing through the walls and into the stands. More holes were torn through the stone as the two kept falling. Runefor grabbed Rune's head and rammed his forehead into it. Rune cried out as his entire head throbbed.

Runefor grasped Rune's neck in his jaws and bit down. Rune cried out as the white drake's fangs sank into his neck. Rune turned his head and looked up into the horrible gleam in Runefor's eyes. The white dragon was ready to kill him then and there. And as the blood rushed from Rune's neck, he shut his eyes and struggled to reach his magic.

But Rune didn't have to: A shard of ice slammed against the back of Runefor's head. The white drake lost his grip on Rune as he cried out in pain. Rune scrambled backwards and struggled to make use of his healing magic before he bled out. In the meantime, he glanced up to see Nellie of all dragons approaching..

Runefor snarled as he glared down at Nellie. The blue dragon took in a gulp of air and got into a fighting stance.

"Well, well, well…" Runefor said with a snort. "The icy dragoness has come back to me."

"Get away from him." Nellie scowled.

"Oh, gladly." The white drake chuckled. He stomped towards Nellie and licked his chops. "After all that time we spent together… After all of our COZY NIGHTS… I'm surprised you have the guts to face me down."

Nellie retreated just a bit as Runefor loomed over her. She took a small, nervous breath and stepped forwards to glare into the white drake's eyes.

"I'll… I'll never forgive you for what you did." Nellie said with the most anger Rune had ever heard in her voice. She charged up a bit of her magic. "You took over Rune's body and made victims of us both."

"And what exactly are you going to do about it on your own?" Runefor chided. "Maybe we'll just pass the time by-"

An earth bomb flew over Nellie's head and collided with Runefor's face. This was followed up by a burst of flames along his flank. Runefor hissed as he recoiled from both attacks. But while he wasn't looking, a barrage of lightning-bolts rained down on his back. Runefor roared and leaped a good distance away.

It was about this time that Rune had pushed himself onto his feet. He saw that everyone had been freed from the magic barrier. Blankridge, Tina, Emerald and Flame had all rushed to Nellie's side to unleash their own attacks. They came after Runefor for a short time, forcing him back several feet.

"Don't you dare touch my sister!" Blankridge shouted angrily. He ran around Runefor's side and unleashed his flames on the white drake's paws. Runefor was distracted putting them out, which left him open to more attacks. At first Rune almost thought that his friends would have Runefor on the run… but then Runefor unleashed a blast of convexity that struck Blankridge in the side. Blankridge cried out and collapsed onto the stone floor as Runefor loomed over him.

"You piece of shit!" Runefor roared. Flame and Emerald scrambled to pull Blankridge out of harm's way while Nellie and Tina tried to distract the white drake. But Runefor only unleashed waves of purple lightning to hit everyone.

Rune had finally healed his bleeding, but now he faced a bigger problem. He struggled to think of a way to keep Runefor from hurting his friends. But he could barely keep up with the white dragon on his own. And even if he got his attention, he'd only get distracted again with his friends attacking. Rune shivered with anxiety as he tried to come up with a plan…

And then his eyes fell upon the massive purple geyser in the distance. The burst of unstable energy was still erupting from the core of the world. And in an instant, Rune had his plan.

As Runefor was about to attack the others again, Rune tossed a small earth bomb against the back of Runefor's head.

"Hey, abomination!" Rune shouted. Runefor came to a stop and hissed as Rune put on a smirk and extended his wings. "Having fun toying with dragons not worth your time?"

"What?" Runefor muttered incredulously.

Rune casually strode around the side of the arena and towards the distant geyser. "You can just keep facing off against them all you want, Runefor. Because I'm running away."

Blankridge's eyes widened. "What is he doing?"

"Shush." Nellie whispered harshly.

Runefor raised an eye ridge and turned completely around. "Are you seriously chickening out on me?"

"Well…" Rune leaped over the side of the island and took off into flight. He flew around the out edge of the arena before grinning at Runefor. "Exactly. I'm running away to that geyser of power. I'm going to absorb its energy before coming back and KICKING YOUR ARSE!"

Runefor's eyes widened incredulously. Rune wasted no time turning around and pushing himself forwards with a burst of wind magic. Sure enough, he heard Runefor roaring and shooting off into the air after him.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Runefor howled. Rune dodged out of the way as a bolt of convexity flew over his head. "THAT POWER IS MINE!"

That's right, follow me… Rune thought with a sneer. I just hope this works out.

Rune led Runefor through the "air" of the abyss towards the glowing geyser. It got so bright that he couldn't look directly at the bright purple colors. He panted as the heat around him grew more intense. And all the while he had to dodge around Runefor's attacks. Rune just hoped that his friends understood what he was planning. He just hoped that this wasn't all for naught.

Soon, Rune and Runefor were within contact distance of the purple geyser. It became a struggle to keep flying; his heart beat like a drum, and he took in heavy breaths. Glancing back, it seemed like the same thing was happening to Runefor, though the white drake was too stubborn to realize what was happening.

"You're not taking the power of Convexity from me!" Runefor shouted. He was so close that he gnashed his teeth in an attempt to bite Rune's tail. "I'm more deserving of the power! I've always been the better half! I'm stronger, faster, BETTER! I am RUNEFOR!"

There was no turning back at this point. Rune had only one shot of getting this right, even if it cost him everything. So, taking a deep breath, Rune flew as close as he could get to the geyser while still having room to swerve downwards and in an arc. Runefor gasped in surprise as he struggled to slow himself down. But while he wasn't looking, Rune flew up from behind him and, after pouring all of his magic into the element of wind, slammed himself against Runefor's back.

"You want to know what you are?!" Rune screamed at the top of his voice. "YOU. ARE. AN. IDIOT!"

Rune and Runefor went flying deep into the limits of the geyser's energy. So much Convexity slammed against their bodies and with such force that it was comparable to the ocean being dropped on a bucket. Everything burned like the worst inferno imaginable. And despite it all Rune kept pushing Runefor deeper and deeper into the geyser's reach.

Rune clung to Runefor's back for dear life as the white dragon screamed. Runefor struggled in vain as the scales were torn from his flesh. The same thing happened to Rune as well, and the pain was worse than anything he'd ever felt in his life. Rune wasn't even sure if he was screaming, as he was too focused on forcing Runefor forwards.

Runefor's body began to collapse as he continued to struggle in Rune's grip. Eventually the two slowed down, though the damage was too far to heal from. Rune's eyes stayed shut; he didn't want to see the sickening abomination as it was dissolved by the Convexity. Rune let go and curled up as he was torn apart. Did he regret this? Perhaps. But there wasn't a world left to live in anymore. All Rune could do now was die in peace knowing he'd finally gotten rid of Runefor.

It's not the end yet, child, said a voice.

Rune couldn't open his eyes or maw anymore. But he could feel something icy and cold touch his back.

There is more you must do, young dragon. We shall give you a new body, for the third and final time.

Rune felt a strange sensation spread out throughout the remains of his body: A power he'd never felt before…

~~…~~

Bergan had quite the mess before himself. The arena he'd crafted for his spat with Rune had fallen apart. He'd spent the equivalent of an entire day dueling against Cyrus and Tina. They'd all returned to normal time, and the siblings lay in a heap on the ground.

Bergan sat back in his golden throne once again as the other young dragons ran to their aid. Flame held his son Denzel in his forepaws as he gazed up in fury at the old purple dragon. The other young dragons seemed unsure of whether to confront him directly or not.

"So, it seems that Rune and Runefor have run off towards the destruction, have they?" Bergan chuckled. "I suppose that puts an end to their rivalry."

"Bergan…" Blankridge flared his nostrils and stepped a bit closer. "You SUCK!"

Bergan blanched, and then laughed. "My, that's the first time I've heard that. Thank you for the laugh, young dragon."

"You think this is a laughing matter?" Emerald demanded. "The world's falling apart! It needs to be put back together!"

"I'm afraid that won't be happening." Bergan shook his head. "We're all very much doomed. Rune accepted his fate, and now it's time for the rest of you to-"

There was an explosion off in the abyss. Everyone gasped in surprise as they peered around Bergan's throne. Even Bergan himself took a quizzical look. Far off in the distance, a burst of white light shot free from the geyser. It traveled faster than anyone could keep track of, and soon something appeared above the arena. To everyone's shock, it was Rune! And as he descended, the young dragons shouted in fear and awe of his new form.

Rune's scales were no longer black: They glistened like amethyst. His horns and underbelly shined a sparkling white. His birth marks shined like the sun, and his mane flowed ethereally. Rune came to a landing on the platform and looked down at himself in surprise.

"What in the…?" Rune bit his lower lip. He carefully came to a landing and sighed. The voices he heard in the geyser whispered in his ear.

Put an end to this strife, they said. Face down against Bergan, and unleash the true dragon within you.

"Alright…" Rune turned away from his friends and glared at Bergan. "We have a score to settle, Bergan."

"Rune, what's happened to you?!" Cyrus exclaimed. He winced as he pushed his tired body to stand up. "You've become a… a…"

"A purple dragon." Bergan said. For the first time, Bergan was taken by surprise. "I… I didn't see this. This wasn't supposed to happen."

"The ancient spirits felt I still had work to do." Rune said. He fanned out his wings and gazed around at his friends. "Everyone, step back. I'm supposed to face him alone."

"But none of us were able to faze him." Emerald shook her head.

"Things are different now, Emmy." Rune glared. He stepped forward and glared at the other purple dragon. The others could only frown and step back from the two.

"We've been over this already, my prince." Bergan said. "There's no point in us fighting."

"But there are still those who feel that you deserve to be punished." Rune scowled. He began to charge up his magic, and his scales took on a golden hue. "You have torn this reality apart, and you're going to suffer for it in the beyond."

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't." Bergan snorted. He called upon his own magic and stared Rune down. The air grew heated as the two purple dragons faced each other down.

"So, what new tricks have you learned with that new form?" Bergan asked. "Have you gained phenomenal new power with that form?"

"No." Rune shook his head. "I can't do anything of that."

"Then how do you hope to beat me?" Bergan chided. "Need I remind you of what I'm capable of?"

"I recall, Bergan." Rune rolled his eyes. He knew this wouldn't be easy. In fact, he found that he only had one shot at this. That was why he had to use as much power as he could…

"Bergan…" Rune said coldly, "You play an excellent game of chess. But there's one thing you never accounted for."

"Oh?" Bergan smirked. "And what is tha-?"

A tail blade stabbed its way through Bergan's chest. Bergan cried out in agony as he fell off of his throne. Everyone but Rune gasped as a duplicate Rune emerged from behind.

"Cheating." The second Rune said. He looked up and watched as the first Rune vanished in a cloud of golden light.

Bergan's eyes were wide. He watched in bewilderment as Rune pulled his tail blade out of his chest. Bergan clutched at his wound, but it was too deep for his healing magic to fix.

"You… You can travel through time?" Bergan asked weakly.

"Only the one time." Rune said. He sat down on his haunches and took a breath. "The ancient spirits felt that purple scales would be perfect for misdirection."

"Ah, what a funny little trick." Bergan said. He chuckled and coughed up a bit of blood. "All my life people have tried to stab me in the back. I could always see it coming then. But I guess my luck finally ran out."

"Well, that's how it goes, Bergan." Rune shook his head. "Consider this a Checkmate."

Bergan gave several fits of laughter at that, which led to more coughing and spitting up blood.

"Checkmate…" He said weakly.

And just like that, the life faded from Bergan's eyes. The chessmaster's body went limp and fell to the ground. After everything that had happened, after years of his life struggling… Rune had finally defeated Bergan.

"So, is that it?" Tina asked. "Is he finally gone?"

"Yeah…" Rune said with a forlorn expression. "Bergan is gone."

"Great!" Nellie exclaimed. She ran up and hugged Rune's back with a wing. "You did it, Rune!"

"Nellie…" Rune said lowly. He just sighed as she hugged him tighter.

"Alright, time to change focus." Emerald said. "We need to find some way back home to the others. Then we'll need to discuss how we're going to fix…" Her eyes gazed out at the geyser. "…that."

"Guys…" Rune said cautiously. "I'm afraid there's no fixing that."

"What are you saying?" Tyrrany asked nervously.

Rune stood up on all fours. "I'm saying that the damage is already done. Our world is doomed."

A painful silence fell over the group. They looked amongst themselves, and then at Rune. An explosion erupted somewhere down on the world, though nobody had the guts to look.

"No…" Cyrus said quietly. "Rune, it can't end like this. We fought so hard to defeat Bergan and the other purple dragons… It can't end with the world ending!"

"Can't you stop it, Rune?!" Tina exclaimed. "Don't you have the power to save the dragon realms like Spyro did?!"

"But that's not what I'm meant to do!" Rune snapped. "The ancient spirits… they only brought me back again so I could put an end to Bergan. Now that that's done… I can't… We're…"

Rune turned away from the group and shut his eyes to fight back tears. He gazed back down at the crumbling planet. Just like before, he saw two versions of the world existing in the same place. He turned away and faced the group once again.

"There's nothing I can do… Nothing WE can do." Rune said gravely. "All that's left is… for us to sit and wait."

None of the dragons looked the least bit happy. They backed away from Rune and split off into their separate groups. Flame and Tyrrany sat down and cuddled up with Denzel. The mewling hatchling leaned up and nuzzled the crook of his mother's neck. On the other side of the arena, Cyrus and Tina sat down and gazed at the stars. Tina rested her head on Cyrus's neck, who draped a wing over her back. In the center, Blankridge sat down on his haunches beside Emerald, who was wiping her eyes.

"Hey, Emmy…?" Blankridge asked.

"What?" Emerald raised an eye ridge. Without warning, Blankridge leaned over and planted a kiss on Emerald's lips. Her eyes went wide, but she eventually smiled and leaned in to embrace the orange drake. They eventually broke it apart and draped their wings over each other in a tight hug. That left Nellie standing beside Rune. She looked over his scales with a light smile.

"You're a purple dragon again." She said.

"Again?" Rune looked at her curiously. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember?" Nellie asked. "When my parents found you in the desert, you were disguised as a purple dragon."

"Oh, right…" Rune sighed. "By the ancestors, that feels like such a long time ago now."

"Yeah…" Nellie nodded. She took a breath and fought back tears. "Rune, was there ever going to be something between us?"

"I don't know." Rune shook his head. "It's… hard to say."

"Oh, I see…" Nellie frowned. Rune frowned as well, but wasn't sure how he could make things better.

Rune, Nellie, Blankridge, Emerald, Cyrus, Tina, Flame and Tyrrany all gazed out at the destruction of the world. The geyser eventually grew larger as the world broke further apart. As the end drew nearer, Rune reflected on everything Bergan said about the splitting realities. He also thought about the visions he'd seen while the ancient spirits rebuilt his body.

Rune stood up and turned around. He didn't' face any of his friends, or the body of Bergan. Instead, Rune turned to face… You.

"I'm… sorry that things didn't go the way they should have." Rune said sadly. "Whoever you are out there… this reality is unstable. It won't be long before the original two timelines are separated and restored."

"Rune?" Nellie looked at him in confusion.

"Maybe, once the realities are split apart," Rune continued, "Things will go a little better."

"Who are you talking to?" Nellie asked.

But Rune didn't tell her or the others about what he'd seen. He just sat down beside her and waited as reality broke apart. Rune shut his eyes and wondered about all the possibilities that waited in the next life. And the last thing he remembered was the splitting headache he felt when it finally ended…

~~…~~

Greetings, friends and loved ones.

In 2014, I made a serious mistake. I let my anger get the better of me, and I put up a terrible way to end Brightest Night Darkest Day. To be honest, I wrote BNDD as a rush job way back in 2011, and I'd never gotten around to writing a proper ending. I wanted to start over with Rising Fears and work my way forwards. But time moves on, and I keep trying to decide on the right way to do it.

Eventually I wanted to do a major reboot of Rising Fears here on . But by then I'd poured so much effort into it that I realized that I'd never get anywhere if it was just lumped in as a Spyro fanfic. Now I'll always love Spyro, and the legend trilogy in particular, but I wanted to do my own thing and write my own lore.

And that is why I decided to publish Rising Fears as a series of three books, in a series called "On the wings of Dark and Light." The first of the trilogy, Whispers of the Past, is already out, and the second one is on its way.

But I decided to write this ending to BNDD to give some semblance of proper closure, rather than just ending with "the world exploded and everyone died". I know that this is a downer ending, but its attached to what I consider to be NOT my best work as a writer. I hope that, some day, I can write a real grand finale that ties up all the loose ends of the series. Until then, I have to work my way there.

I just hope that you all can understand my reasoning behind my actions. But for now, I consider this chapter of my writing life to be closed.

Tenebra ecce Veritas.