~Karma! Karma!~  Kooky called frantically. The white-haired young woman hurried out of her 
home, pulling on her blue bathrobe.  
                    "Yes I'm coming!" she cried, briefly wondering what had stricken her dragon so.  Perhaps he 
had tangled himself in another spider's web. She hoped not.  Following the minidragon's voice, she 
eventually found him huddled over what looked to be an abandoned nest.  
                   ~Do you think maybe Leetah is clutching?~ the yellow dragon inquired, casting a concerned 
look up at his bondmate.  Karma sighed.  
                   "Kooky, do you realize you dragged me out of the tub for this?" she asked, trying not to 
sound annoyed.  The yellow dragon lowered his head sheepishly. 
                   ~Sorry.~ he remarked.  ~But I've never seen this nest before...and it looks like whoever made it
just sort of...well...abandoned it.~
                  "That could have been there forever as far as we know." she pointed out.  "But I'll talk to 
Leetah if you like."  she added, turning and heading back into the cottage.  A waft of warm air rushed 
over her as she closed the door behind her and she sighed with relief, happy to be out of the cold 
morning air.  
                  ~Something wrong, mistress?~  a gentle voice inquired.  Karma looked up to see Leetah 
perched on a bookshelf, her belly swollen with eggs from her recent flight with Lethnot.  
                  "No...just Kooky making me run outside in a panic." she smirked, tucking a strand of damp hair
behind her ear.  "How are you feeling?"
                  ~Heavy.~ Leetah told her, casting a look down at her belly.  ~There must be about twenty eggs
 in there. No joke.~ the mother-to-be added, nuzzling herself and sitting, twining her tail about herself 
daintily.  ~What was Kooky's problem?~
                  "He was worried you might be clutching.  He found an abandoned nest outside.  I'm guessing 
it was probably from a wild dragon or something." Karma shrugged.  
                 ~That's very odd.~ Leeta put in.  ~You see, usually wild dragons clutch as far away from 
civilization on this isle as they can.  That's why the isle leaders only turn up a wild clutch very rarely.~ 
the healer explained.  ~I don't think one would have wanted to nest right in your backyard.~
                 "Well...then I suppose its a mystery.  Maybe it was one of the hatchlings playing around." 
Karma suggested.  "At any rate, I'm freezing.  I'll see you in a few minutes."  
                 ~Very well.~ Leetah nodded, allowing Karma to leave and disappear into the bathroom again.   
As the girl unshouldered her robe and stepped back into her warm bath, her mind began to slowly 
unwind.  As the coldness left her body, she allowed her thoughts to turn back to the case at hand.  The 
unused nest HAD been a bit intriguing..."Oh well." she told herself.  "No use worrying."
                 ~*I agree.*~ a distant voice said.  ~*So sorry.*~   Karma jolted upright, looking about herself.  
The telephatic presence had been unfamiliar to her...much more serene than any of her dragons were.  
                 "Hello?" she asked the thin air.  No answer.  However, a curl of silver steam from the bath water
 curled up mischeiviously and tickled the tip of her nose.  It almost looked like the form of a flying dragon
 but...no, that was silly.

                                * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                An hour later, Karma sat in the study of her cottage quietly going over manuscripts.  The isle 
leader, Jaylor, had lent her several scrolls and such to catch up on her reading about the history of the 
Kalenik portion of the isle however, with her recent impressions from the sands to care for, she had yet 
to finish them.  As her eyes skated over a page about the different attributes of the resident minidragons 
and brief stories of the first clutches, she felt a sudden coldness that made her skin prickle.  Shuddering 
a bit, she looked about herself to see if perhaps one of the cottage doors had been left open.  Again, 
nothing.  
               She was about to shrug it off as nothing when suddenly a gust of wind from an unseen source 
made all of her readings flutter to the floor in a disorganized mess.  
               "Blast!" Karma cursed, kneeling to gather them up.  "If I had impressed a scholar, this would be 
so much easier." As she gathered up the papers, a particular one caught her eye as it was written in 
opalescent blue ink instead of the normal black.  She caught it between her fingertips and lifted it to read 
it. 
               "The Legend Of The Crystal Dragon"  it read at the top in bold script.  
               ~*That is quite an interesting story.*~ the same voice she had heard in the tub whispered.  
               "Is someone there?" she asked aloud.  No answer.  "Karma, you're going daft." she scolded 
herself, returning her attention to the paper in her hands.  

Something lingers in the dark
Hidden in a pool of shadows
Something wondrous leaves its mark
In the place it lies unseen

Lustrous wings, rainbow eyes
Borne of a Scholar and of Magick
Such rare beauty often disguised
Sometimes said to have never been

Something new was born this night
Born in love and rarest passion
Creature formed from magic's might
It seeks to bond, its senses keen

Will it choose? Will it stay?
Will it seek to bond with you?
Or will you send it on its way
Take heart to what the sendings mean.


                     The scroll ended here, leaving Karma full of questions.  The poem had made no sense...not 
really.  Inquisitively, she touched the ink and found that it had come away on her fingertips, staining 
them a blue color.  But...but how could the ink be wet??   Confused, she gently laid the poem on her 
desktop, her purple eyes transfixed on it.  Maybe, she mused, this was all a dream.
                    ~*I will show myself. But in due time.*~ the voice informed her, fading away.  What had that 
meant?  
                    "O-Ookay..." she said hesitantly.

                                   * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

                    After the incident in the study, the day had been uneventful.  Karma had stopped jumping at 
shadows and was seated in her living room, her dragons strewn about on the couch as they chittered to 
each other about their days and what they had done.  She had her face buried in a book that she and her 
dream dragon, Amalphia were reading.  Amalphia perched on her shoulder, deep into the text and sharing
the images from the book that sprang into her mind as she read with her elven bondmate.  So involved 
were they in their readings that they almost hadn't heard the sharp thudding against the window.
                    ~What was that??~ Kooky, Lethnot, and Kami asked almost simulaneously.  
                   ~It came from the window!~ Vermatrix offered, the baby animal getting up from the couch and
fluttering toward the source of it.  ~Karma!!! Come quick!!~ she screeched.  The girl needed no further
prompting as she leapt off of the couch and ran toward the window.  On the sill, a disheveled scholar 
dragon laid motionless.  Numb with shock and questions, Karma swiftly opened the window and scooped
the tiny dragon into the palm of her hand. 
                   "Are you all right?" she asked, gently prodding it with one finger. 
                   ~*Are you the one?*~ the voice from earlier asked.  It was strong now...very strong.  In fact,
it was coming directly from her hand.  
                   "Excuse me?"  she whispered. The scholar dragon stirred a bit, casting a look up at her with
hopeful eyes. 
                  ~*The child cannot wait anymore...are you the one?*~ the dragon asked again.  
                   "I am the one you've been sending to." Karma told the dragon gently.  There was a pause 
between them. 
                 ~*Oh thank goodness.*~ the dragon sighed.  ~*Please...I'm so cold.*~  Karma nodded and 
brought the dragon into the kitchen where she placed it gently on the table and scurried off to find a 
towel.  When she returned, the scholar had pulled itself into a peculiar sitting position and was heaving
wildly.  Karma stood a moment, bewildered as the strange dragon made its body go rigid and then, with
a final grunt, deposited an egg on the table.  ~*The child refused to be born until I found its suitable
bond.*~ the dragon explained, panting and then turning to nuzzle the egg proudly.  ~*For some reason,
it drew me here one night.*~  
                    "Was...was it you who wrote that poem?" Karma asked.  
                    ~*It seemed to be a subtle way of getting your attention.*~ the scholar explained. ~*I've
learned to guide a quill telepathically. And this egg...I've never had one so stubborn.  It must be quite
special.*~ she continued.  ~*Though it looks to be an ordinary tan to me.*~
                    "And you've chosen me to care for it?" Karma inquired, sounding shocked. There was no 
record of a wild dragon choosing anyone directly to care for its children.
                   ~*No...IT has chosen you.*~ the mother declared.  ~*I must be off.*~ she continued.
                   "But wait...wouldn't you rather spend the night and get your strength back?" Karma asked.
                  ~*I'll be fine.*~ the dragon assured her.  ~*Wild dragons need less time to recover from a birth
than domestic dragons.*~ and then, with a slight bow, the scholar spread her wings and soared back to
the slightly open window, disappearing into the night.  Karma watched after the nameless mother for a 
long while before turning back to the egg on the table.  The shell was already beginning to harden and 
seemed to hold a strange luster.  
                   "Well...thank you for choosing me, whoever you are." she smiled gently at the egg, taking 
it into the terrycloth towel and drying it gently.
                   ~NO! Thank YOU!~ the egg replied with a sweet and innocent telepathic presense that only 
eggs on the hatching sands could produce. ~I was beginning to think I'd never find a bond.~
                   "Ohhh...come now, a lovely little tan like yourself should have LOTS of potters after it."
                   ~I think you'll find that no potter would suit me.~ the egg replied. Karma didn't bother commenting,
knowing it was sheer nature of some dragons to have a chip on their shoulder about how wonderful they were.
                   "There. You're all clean now." she smiled, setting the egg down gently.
                   ~Thank you...put me in the fire please.~ the egg instructed. Karma nearly fell over.
                   "The...the fire??" she choked. "You must be mistaken...I couldn't do---"
                   ~I'm not mistaken.~ the egg snapped. ~And I'll refuse to come out.~ it added stubbornly.
                   "You'll die." she said, trying to reason with it.
                   ~I won't. Put me in the fire...you have a sturdy crackling on in the other room. I can 
sense it!~ the egg whined, sounding urgent. Karma wavered and then sighed.
                   "For only a second...then no more." she told it sternly.
                   ~All I need.~ the egg replied. If it had a face, Karma was certain it was grinning as she tweezed it
between her thumb and forefinger and carried it carefully into the other room. Her dragons watched in awestruck silence
as she stooped before the fire, holding the tan egg gingerly out in front of herself before setting it amidst some red-hot
embers. 
                   ~Are you daft???~ Kyoiku shrieked, the eldest brown zipping forward to rescue the egg.
                   "It--it told me to--" Karma tried to explain.
                   ~Hsst! Look!~ Kami whispered, pointing a clawed wingtip at the egg.  Instead of cracking and sizzling as 
Karma had expected it to do, the egg had begun to glow as brightly as the embers.
                   ~I'm quite warm enough now, mother, you may remove me.~ the egg told her.  Karma plucked the egg
up and put it into her palm, tossing it a bit as it was quite hot. 
                   "What was that all about?" she inquired as the egg resumed its former color. 
                   ~A test.~ the egg replied. ~If you are truly to be my bondmate, you would deny me nothing...which, I can
see, you have.~  
                   "Picky little mini, aren't we?" Karma teased.  
                   ~Must be a tan thing.~ Amalphia, a dream dragon, shrugged.
                   ~I resent that~ Daimoah growled at her, the tan craning her neck in a challenging manner at the dream.
                   ~Fire cannot hurt me...nor can water, nor can earth, nor can wind.~ the egg explained.
                   "You're confident too." she smirked. "Must be the wild blood in you."
                   ~Take a good look at me, bondmate. Take a long look.~ the egg instructed. Karma squinted a bit.
                   "I see a tan egg." she replied.
                   ~Then you're not looking hard enough.~ the egg chided. ~This shell is quite clear. I see a violet-eyed
woman who's denying the truth.~
                   "How could you see me?" she wanted to know. "And what truth??"  As she glared at the egg, seeking
answers to her questions, she DID see something odd. In one area of the egg's shell, the tan color had
been scraped away to reveal a smooth shining surface beneath. "Ashes?" she inquired, brushing a finger over the tan colored
surface of the shell. The tan came off on her finger leaving a shining trail behind. In fact, the egg
wasn't tan at all...it was transparant.  Crystal, in fact.  "You're--you're---"
                  ~THIS is why I can afford to be picky in bondmates.~ the egg informed her smugly.
                  "But that wasn't just residue before...you were actually a tan!" Karma argued.
                  ~Was I?~ the egg asked her. ~From the day I was concieved, I could feel I was something special. Not just
another lower ranking mini.  Around me I could sense Magicks, Scholars, even an Air...I didn't want to be drab. I wanted to 
be like them...special.  As my laying date drew nearer, I refused to be born. My mother labored the rest of her clutch but
not me.~  the egg chuckled to itself.
                  "But why did you decide I was the right bondmate?" Karma asked it.
                  ~My mother sent telepathically to me several times wanting to know why I hadn't come out.  WHen I DID answer
I explained that I felt I was going to need special care. I didn't want some random islander to take me home and condemn me to 
a life of pot-making.  She told me I was arrogant and I told her she was right.~
                  "And you decided I could care for you, eh?" 
                  ~I like the way you commune with your bonds.~ the egg explained. ~You do everything you can to please them
but don't "use" them for anything.  I convinced my mother I had ambition to become something spectacular...something above even
my rare siblings. She explained a tan simply couldn't stop being a tan and become a crystal.  Crystal...that's when I first heard
that word and decided that was what I wanted to be..whatever it was.~ it said dreamily.  ~She also mentioned that an egg only
becomes crystal under odd circumstances. So...~
                 "So?" Karma goaded.
                 ~So considering I was flown through the woods at night, clutched by a wild female and born on a random islander's
kitchen table, I decided the crowning incident would be to have my new bondmate throw me into a fire as soon as I was laid.~ it
snickered devilishly.
                "That was a dirty trick." Karma smirked.
                ~A dirty trick that worked.~ the egg replied. Once again Karma got the feeling that the egg was grinning at her.
                "Do you have a name?" Karma asked it.
                ~My mother always called me a nuisance.~ the egg offered. Karma laughed in reply.
                "I was thinking something with a bit more class." she told it. "How does Prism sound?"
                ~I like the name Twilight, thank you.~ the egg told her. ~I'm not sure where I heard it, but I like it.~
                "Okay." Karma nodded. "Then, Twilight, I'm going to have to ask the sand leaders if its all right that I keep
you.  Its illegal to harbor unregistered minis."
                ~Ask away.~ Twilight told her. ~I'll refuse to bond with anyone else so they won't have much of a choice.~
                "I don't see how they can refuse that." Karma chuckled, carrying the crystal egg back into the kitchen and setting
it carefully on the towel she had used to wipe it off after it had been born and wrapping it carefully. 
                ~Karma?~ it said hesitantly.
                "Yes?" she asked, a bit taken aback it had called her by her real name.
                ~Thank you...you've helped me make my dream happen. I'll try to be your best bond yet.~
                "Thank YOU, little one." Karma replied. "You may have helped me realize a dream of my own."
             


                                   THE END