The dragon found that a lot had changed since his last go round. The caves seemed to be much quieter and the scents of old friends seemed stale. While this should have been disheartening he found it difficult to truly feel... sad. Times were constantly changing and sitting around and feeling sad about it wouldn't change anything. He just had to stay with the times and plan ahead and make the most of whatever situation he found himself in. Like now.

He wandered through the tunnels until he happened upon Polaris, the core with the feeling of magickal energy crackling inside of it. Even just standing in this room filled him with a surge of power and he let out a trumpeting roar. Yes, this was what he needed. The dragon stopped and lifted his head to the sky, eyes closing as he breathed in deep. Warm air rushed into his lungs, filling him with power as he unfolded his wings and took to the skies. Another roar was sounded as he pumped his wings harder and harder and gained speed, he hadn't flown like this in a while. Not since he used to do his patrols in Eridanus, the place he liked to consider his home, though perhaps he would move elsewhere. He remembered being rather fond of Orion as well.

A grin formed on his face as he shook his head and cleared those thoughts away. Now was not the time of thinking on new dwellings. Now was the time to savor life and enjoy the feeling of flight!

He flew thrice around Polaris, pushing himself faster and faster until finally he alighted on the spire and looked down at his "domain". Ah, yes... He forgot how good it felt to just be alive. He lifted his head into the air once more and stared down at a herd of fleeing cave deer with a smirk. Yes... Let them flee...

---

As the deer fled from him he felt the primal urge within to chase after them, to rip the herd apart and let his Bloodlust take over while he fed himself. There was no else in Polaris that could be caught in the crossfires so why not allow himself the savage joy? The dragon was poised and ready to take after the heard when he heard it. The answering call of another large beast. Did he dare hope that it was another dragon? He'd not seen another one of his kind since the great beast, Raheerah. He remembered the battle that took place in this very room, the battle where he'd briefly lost himself.

He shook the memories away, now was not the time to be dwelling on the past. It was time to move on and anticipate what this new meeting could perhaps bring. Would it be something good? Or would it be something bad? That was what lead him not to leave his place from the Spire and just scan the area with his pink eyes. Down near the river he could see a massive shape moving towards him. This one was not nearly as large as Raheerah had been and even did seem to be at an even size with him but they were still huge. Their body was black and seemed to be dripping some sort of slime. Baratheon's head cocked to the side as he watched them approach with first one eye and then the other like an inquisitive lizard. The features about them... they were different but that shape was undeniably draconian. The beast held massive wings that it used to help walk, they had a long tail, and an eyeless head that sat upon an elegant neck.

Some might find the strange dripping slime, the eyeless head, and the way that it opened its mouth to reveal a sparkling red gem --or what he thought was a gem-- to be disgusting or perhaps unappealing... But Baratheon found it all to be interesting, perhaps even beautiful in its own way. After all, if this was a dragon then their differences was what made them unique and powerful. Who was this stranger? He hoped a friend, he would like to get to know them and learn because for so long he'd lived alone and thought that he was the only one of his kind. He never knew that he would miss something he never had.

The body of his fellow dragon seemed to convulse and change shape as they neared, spikes forming and moving like the skin was its own living creature. His head straightened out as he scanned the other's form and finally after a pause where he had to find his words he asked, "Friend or foe, Dragon?" Friend, he hoped, but he figured he should get the question out of the way first. Why bother being entranced or excited if this new dragon would just be a chaos-bringer like the old? Depending on the answer he would respond accordingly. Dragon or not he would not have another Raheerah wreaking havoc on the lives within the caves.

---

Baratheon's eyes never left the form of the strange black dragon below him so when he spoke and they visibly flinched the white dragon's eyes seemed to soften. Was this one young? Were they timid? Or a combination of both? With this new information he could anticipate what their answer was going to be before she even said it. Though when they spoke with a gurgling female voice, that matched that of their, appearance he gave a soft nod of his head. "No... I don't think." A the smallest of smiles tugged at his muzzle while his voice was laced with just a tinge of amusement. "I know. You are like me." With that spoken, he opened his wings wide and arched his neck while his gaze dropped from her to the ground before her. He seemed to calculate the distance for a moment before leaping from the spire and gliding down to the ground right before the other dragon.

Baratheon now stood in front of her, head high as he looked at her. It wasn't often that he could stand his full height and look someone straight in the face. Often everyone else was much smaller than he was and this was a welcome change. His voice rumbled thoughtfully as he answered, "Equinox." He knew he didn't have to call her full name but he just wanted to speak it and get used to it before using the shortened version. "I am Baratheon... Or if we're giving nicknames you can call me Bara or Theon, if you prefer." When his friends were living that's what they did so he supposed she could too, especially if he were to be calling her by one.

Now he fell silent as he looked her over in the closer proximity. Pink roved over her form again, noting the liquid substance pooling around her paws and the slenderness at which her body seemed to be made. Then, he stepped forward slowly with his head extending out, aiming to close the distance and hopefully touch his muzzle to hers gently. It was a simple gesture of greeting, one that came naturally to him and that he would do now because of their similarity.

"Nox. It has been a long time since I've seen another of my kind, the first time I ever laid eyes on another dragon was cycles ago and that particular dragon was a Chaos-Bringer. The next was in my own son who is now long gone." His muzzle retreated but he allowed the distance between them to remain the same while a smile formed on his face. "I can honestly say that it is a pleasure to finally meet one of my kind who brings light and not darkness." Oh, how he'd dreamed of this day but he never dared hope it would actually come true. Sure, there might differences between them but to him that didn't matter, what did matter was the similar ties that bonded them.

---

Questions, it seemed she had many questions to ask which he would be happy to answer. No doubt the black dragon must be confused to no end to find out that she was something that she knew nothing about. "No. I do not control slime." Said with some amusement. "However, I control --or rather, it sometimes controls me-- something called the Bloodlust. It makes me... ah, lose myself at the smell of blood. With age I have learned to somewhat control it but not always." Ah, the Bloodlust. A thing that had plagued him since he had been but a hatchling. It caused him to make enemies, to destroy lives, to sow irreparable damage... He wished he could go back in time to change some things but he knew he never could. He could only keep moving forward and hope to control himself even more with time. "I tell you this because I believe our different traits are what make us unique as dragons. If we were all the same how would their be any diversity? We have the same basic anatomy but what we breathe and our different talents, that's what makes us unique amongst ourselves." He hoped he explained well enough... He knew in his heart of hearts that they were the same and though outwardly they might manifest their elements in different ways he knew that didn't change what was on the inside. "I never learned to control my Bloodlust as a younger dragon, I hurt many gems, and as a result many gembounds feared and hated me. Times have mostly changed but with my size and appearance it's only natural that some still have fear. It's up to us to change their preconceptions and hopefully with time they won't react first with fear." He knew very well how intimidating he could be but he usually wanted not to strike fear into others. Not unless he felt like they deserved it.

Baratheon chuckled at her exclamation of his name, "Thank-you. Yours suits you as well." Truly it did, her named reminded him of something dark and with her darkened hide it couldn't be more fitting.

Her sudden reaction at him attempting to touch her caused him some confusion but when she explained he nodded, understanding what she meant. He wondered though just as he had to learn to control certain aspects of himself if she would ever be able to control her own or if it was something that couldn't be tamed. The large beast was curious though he didn't attempt to pry, if she wanted to pursue that sort of education further then she would likely ask on her own. Until then he would respect her wishes and not get the dark slime all over himself.

Her next words had him letting out a thoughtful rumble as he pondered over what exactly he wanted to say until finally he opened his maw and began. "You have brought light to me. Where I thought I was alone you came and showed me that I wasn't, for that you will always be known to me as a bringer-of-light. As for control there are always ways to learn more about yourself and attempt to control what can be dangerous. Take time, learn yourself and then once you have you can show others that you are not to be feared. But first... you must prove this to yourself. Confidence, it is key." He turned his head to the side, examining her with a single pink eye. "Others might see you as scary because you are different but it is up to you to show them that different does not have to be bad."

---

Baratheon waited, not pushing her to confide but hoping that she would want to share so that he could help. Eventually after a rumble, she told him of her own challenge: the slime that coated her body. The dragon peered at her, studying the strange substance that leaked from her and now pooled around her paws. For a moment Baratheon was silent but it was obvious that in his silence he was thinking and pondering on what could help her. "You say you don't have much by the way of magic but have you tried looking into ways to extend your magic? Magic takes many forms and maybe there is a way to control it that way, perhaps a water or an ice spell if a fire breaks out?" It wasn't much but it was something. He hadn't seen how her slime worked yet and could only hypothesize on what would actually help. "Or maybe you have an organic way to control your slime that you haven't tapped into yet. I have found ways to control my Bloodlust over time, perhaps you may learn the same." It sounded like a great dilemma but certainly there could be ways for control. Firstly they could do something about the trail, maybe there could be some way to neutralize it so that it wouldn't catch fire so easily and then maybe they could work on the slime she produced to lessen it. He would have to work it all out.

Her question to him left him feeling... a strange sense of pride. She was opening herself up to him and asking him to help her control what was dangerous about her. There was no way he could refuse that, he wouldn't, she was a kind dragon and he just wanted to help her show it to all those around her what a good spirit she was. "Of course I will, Equinox. I will train you in control. Perhaps we can start in a secluded tunnel away from any other gems... but first there are things I wish to try with this." He motioned with a wing to the slime trail and pondered on one of his own spells if it would work in neutralizing the trail into something less dangerous. "To see if there are ways to turn it into a less hazardous state." He took on a contemplative look before raising his eyes to look at her again.

He didn't dare promise her that he would be able to help her to touch others but he could at least try to give her a bit more confidence in going about the caves. He was all too aware of her situation and where she came from and it was strangely comforting to have someone who knew his own struggles so well. "I understand. Trust me when I say I started just as you did, tiny in the caves with no cares but slowly once I learned of my curse it began to worry me that I would hurt all those that I held dear, I still worry sometimes that I might slip... that someone near me might cut themselves and then I'll lose myself." He shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. "I can't promise you that your problems will be entirely removed but I promise you that I will work my hardest to ensure that you have control of your own abilities and that you can gain your confidence. I will do this for as long as you will have me." Spoken with conviction to show that he was entirely truthful and would do all that he could for her. If only he'd had a mentor or an older dragon to help with his own abilities, he would have certainly appreciated the help then. It was why he was doing this for her now.

---