Time is of The Essence

Winnie stood by the large throne, waiting to adress the new queen and the older and younger sister's about the necklace. When she reached the throne, she took it off to show Robina.

"Oh, I was wondering where that got off to." Robina said, holding it delicately. "You should keep it. Daddy was the only one that could harness it's power, and he said it's too much for him, and I can't imagine one more entrusted to power than you."
"Wait- Keep it? I can't keep it!" Winnie said, taken aback. "It's not mine! Do you know how guilty I'd feel if I wore this stolen necklace everywhere?"
"Fine then. Give it to me." Robina said, holding out her hand.
Winnie put the hourglass in Robina's hand happily.
Robina put the necklace carefully around Winnie's neck making Winnie gasp.
"I hereby pronounce, this paladin, Winnie Brave, to be the keeper of the Hourglass." Robina said loudly. The old king's voice seemed to echo in Robina's. She would be a good king.

Kayleen came bounding up to the newly made queen, bowed hastily and said, "My friends, Ive gotten a partol ready to monitor the boarders, we are awaiting your command."
Robina: Who are they?
Kayleen: They are all of my other half...they're all dragons, not human in any way shape or form! *grins and winks*
Winnie sighed and said, " thats just the kind of thing you'd do, isnt it, Kayleen?" Kayleens grin widened and said, "Of course, if it wasnt, i wouldnt have done it, right?"
Winnie: uhhh..i think so...
Robina: moving on...Kayleen, take the partol out and bring some actual human beings with you also.
Kayleen: right away! with that, kayleen bounded out of the throne room, eager to do part to protect battleon.

As winnie made her way home later that night, all was quiet, crickets chriped in the distance, and the the cool night air brought a sence of peace to winnie. As she walked she thought about what Robina had told her. What power did this little hourglass hold?

Suddenly, She heard the flapping of wings, then jumped back as a white dragon landed infront of her. "help..attacks...kayleen sent me!" it said.
Without another word winnie ran back to town

The air ran cold with the sound that one may experience if they were stirring iced tea in front of a microphone. It began to rain, and the air was thick. The fog came down as the first attack started.
The dragons were tough. They lasted till the end, and killed many thousands of the Lord's soilders. Kayleen was in mid-fight with the Captian, and hot, thick, boiling blood ran down her back. The enemy was winning the fight so far, but the General knew the Dragon's would make do. She had gathered her own army, and she knew they would hold.
The large chaos infested basalisk tackled Kayleen and sent her on her back. She screeched, not in pain, but with little hope. The basalisk stabbed her chest, and everything went black.

Winnie arrived a moment too late. She took the creature from behind, letting it fall to the ground alone. SHe grabbed Kayleen, mounted her broomstick, and flew to the medic tent.

"JULIANA! Kayleen's critically injured. I believe she attempted to use her powers to the extent!" Winnie shouted, her long skirt blowing in the wind. Her hair was sopping wet, as the rain would have made it, and she had her friend's blood spilled all over her chest.
"Kayleen? The extent?!" Juliana asked, in horrid disbelief. She dropped the small job she was working on, merely curing a small scar. She lay Kayleen down on the Medic table and quickly attempted to cure the scars.
"It's no use, I tried that first." Winnie said, grabbing a bandage. "They won't heal. I even used JL!"
"Even that? I really don't.."
"Juliana, we need to find help. LOTS of help."
"Yes, I know. Kayleen needs much much more than we can offer. She's half dragon..."
Winnie let a small tear trift down her cheek. Kayleen had always been her best friend, and she wished with her whole heart that she wouldn't drift away. One tear drifted to two. Then three.
"Don't... cry..." Kayleen said weakly. "I die for a noble cause."
"NOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Winnie shouted to the sky, so loud it ceaced the thunder. She weeped loudly, not letting the fact that the hourglass around her neck could easily save her friend stop her. "Don't leave me again!"

Slowly, a blue glow encircled kayleens body. There was a flash and then, her dragon half, in a spirit form stood beside winnie. The spirit was foggy, then became solid.
"please, cry you should not" the dragons voice was heavy with accent. "I am her dragon half, it was her wish that if she dies, i live...free" Winnie looked at the dragon. Winnie: really?! is there anything we can do?
Dragon: nothing but let time fix it. then, the dragon once again the dragon faded into a mist, not before saying, "when i am needed i will come."

Juliana sighed as the spirit dragon, the last of her friend's life, faded away into whatever mists accompanied its natural place. She laid a hand on Kayleen's motionless, blood-soaked chest, her fingers glowing ever so slightly blue, grieving in the only way she would permit herself during the upheaval of the battle. Later. When there was time for it, she would cry her grief away. For now, there was work to be done.

Her glowing hand curled into a fist, then relaxed as she brought it to her own chest. The firm, steady rhythm of life that she felt there calmed her some; the power centered in that spot did even more toward that end. And it was the power that she needed to use...

About half a mile away, a bored and worried dragonet perked up from where she lay on a braided rug in the home of Juliana's oldest sister. Athyriaceae Draconiae, known to everyone who knew her as Fern, hadn't heard from the being she called her mother in some time. To hear from DragonLord Juliana at such a time startled and gratified her, though not nearly so much as Juliana's request did.

"You think I'm ready?" asked Fern through the link they shared. "Or, more to the point, you think they're ready to have me back? I'm sure they won't have forgotten yet..."

"But if you show up to protect them, won't they remember that too? Won't they realize that you aren't actually evil?" countered Juliana gently, with some measure of maternal pride.

Fern thought it over for a moment, then decided. "All right, Mama. I'll come. I'll help you with anything you need help with."

"Thank you, little one. I'll see you soon."

Juliana released the connection--for now--and allowed the sights and sounds and scents and sensations of the world around her to reach her consciousness once more. Winnie stood right where she had been at the moment Kayleen had died, staring at Juliana with a strange look on her face.

"What were you doing?" the younger girl wanted to know.

Her friend sighed in resignation and relief, feeling as if the weight of the world were resting on her shoulders but that that weight had just been lightened a little. "I spoke to one of the few dragons Kayleen didn't get to come here," the young healer explained, suppressing with difficulty the pang of grief she felt at the mention of Kayleen's name. "I suppose most dragons wouldn't think to ask one so young, but I know this dragonet. She's been in battle before. We need to redeem her good name so that she can go out in public again without being in mortal danger, and we need all the help we can get. I figured I'd kill two birds with one stone."

"I see..." muttered Winnie in that bemused tone of voice that makes it very clear that the speaker does not actually see. And, really, who could blame her? Everything was falling apart. Juliana too felt shell-shocked, and only through a massive effort of will was she able to hold her mind together enough to be able to function as she needed to. Any quiescence after she got started again would certainly leave her in a fuzzy sort of bafflement not unlike the blank-eyed kind Winnie was clearly in right now.

A green-and-cinnamon blur roughly the same size as a medium-large dog sped through the opening that led to the healers' tent. It stopped about a foot from Juliana and resolved itself into Fern. "I'm here, Mama," she announced. "What's needed?"

"Even one more dragon fighting on our side will help," Juliana replied thoughtfully. "Why don't you go out there and fight the chaos monsters? I'll fight with you the same way we used to, if you like."

Fern's blue eyes glowed with excitement and anticipation. "Yes! That sounds perfect!" DragonLord and dragonet left the little tent together, both of them glowing literally and figuratively.

Moments later, the roar of a powerful dragon echoed throughout the area. Fern in her greater form, taking power from Juliana's amulet, was large enough to dwarf even the sturdy and tall stone buildings of Swordhaven to the east. And, in the ultimate symbol of great power under control, Juliana rested in full DragonLord armor on Fern's back. Those who had seen Fern like this before were afraid. Those who saw that she had a rider were astonished. And those who opposed the defenders were in serious trouble, because yet another powerful dragon had come to take a stand for the defense.