Chapter Text
And now it's time for the Dragonets of Destiny to start bringing hope back to Pyrrhia.
Windracer leaped down into the arena and padded across the sand toward Scarlet's half-frozen corpse. Some of the rubies in her golden chainmail had come loose in the struggle; he gently pried one of the little red gems out and examined it.
"I enchant this ruby to teleport my leather bag, and Queen Diamond's diary, into my talons."
A moment later, Windracer's bag and an old scroll bound shut with some rope appeared in his claws. He checked inside the bag to make sure all of the contents were still there - thank the moons they were still there - before he dropped the ruby into the bag, which he then hung around his neck. He carefully untied the rope off of the ancient scroll and unrolled the parchment. His eyes skimmed the contents, and he smiled with relief that he indeed had the right scroll.
If he did what he planned on doing, he'd be exposed. Everyone would know he had NightWing powers, and that he was an animus.
But between his own freedom and the freedom of every dragon in Pyrrhia, that was a risk he had to take.
Windracer reached into his bag and retrieved the ruby. "Now I enchant this ruby to spread my voice to every dragon in Pyrrhia until I say stop, and then become a normal ruby again."
Arid, Bog, Lagoon and the RainWing twins stared at their friend in shock. Only the IceWing-SandWing hybrid was able to find her voice. "Windracer, what are you doing?"
Windracer looked up at them. His eyes shifted from his friends, to Auburn, to Ocotillo and Storm, and then to Queen Tourmaline. Then he said in his boldest voice, "I'm going to tell everyone the truth."
He raised the ruby he was holding to his snout. Maybe this idea of his was the most insanely dangerous stunt he could ever pull, but the dragons of Pyrrhia needed every ounce of hope he and his friends could give them. They deserved to know the truth.
"This message is for anyone and everyone in Pyrrhia who can hear me," he began. "My name is Windracer. I am the son of Auburn of the SkyWings and Killer of the NightWings."
He could hear his voice emitting from several different places, like he was speaking to every individual dragon in the Sky Kingdom, face-to-face, all at once. The ruby was doing its job; he was speaking to every dragon on the continent.
Windracer continued. "I'm a dragonet of destiny. For those of you who know the prophecy, there is something about it that you need to know. But there's something else you all need to know. I hold in my talons the diary of Queen Diamond, the IceWing queen from two thousand years ago. The NightWings and IceWings haven't always been enemies."
Windracer opened the scroll he was holding and found the entry that spoke of Arctic and Foeslayer. "Allow me to read to you what really happened. 'My son has left our kingdom. I fix him up with the perfect mate, and this is the thanks I get? He's gone and eloped with a NightWing. My subjects can never know what has happened, I will never hear the end of it! Arctic was our best chance of passing down the animus genes, and he's betrayed us!'"
He skipped ahead to another entry. "'I finally captured the NightWing that stole my son. I should have known that Arctic would never kill his own dragonets. And now his own son has killed him. I will see to it that this NightWing will spend the rest of her life suffering for what's she's done to our tribe. Every IceWing, today and tomorrow, will hate these stalkers of the night as much as I do. The NightWings are thieves, and they will eternally remain our enemy. They shall forever rue the day they stole our prince.'"
The hybrid paused for a moment to let the truth sink in for any and all IceWings and NightWings who had heard. He spotted Storm amongst his friends, her eyes wide with surprise and rage, though she didn't seem to be mad at Windracer. He gently tucked the scroll into his bag. "Just like how Queen Diamond lied to the IceWings to start a war, someone else has been lying to all of Pyrrhia to win a war. And that someone is Morrowseer."
He paused once again, the sound of loud gasps from the SkyWings flowing into the wind. After the noise died down, Windracer continued.
"The NightWings haven't had telepathy or precognition for several generations. Except for me. We get our powers by hatching in the light of the full moons. That's how I got mine. I was underneath the three full moons of the brightest night when I hatched. I am also an animus. That's how I'm sending you all this message. But you don't need to be afraid; I'm not like the dragons who have gone mad from using their power. I don't fully understand it myself, but I know that there's more to animus magic than what we think. The thing is, I haven't used any of my powers until most recently because I was too afraid of who I was. Afraid of what I'd become. But I'm not afraid anymore. The prophecy you all know, the one Morrowseer delivered, it's all a fake. But there is one I've given that I can assure you is real."
He paused a third time to take a breath before he spoke his prophecy loud and clear.
"Blood and tears soak in the sand,
In the fight for an empty throne.
Three in battle, two shall fall,
And one shall stand alone.
Find the eye that sees the worthy.
Fear the dragons of the night.
Fear the ones who seek to conquer.
Find the dragons of full moons bright.
Wings of mud and sea and rain,
Wings of sand, ice, night, and sky.
All seven form the wings of fire,
And the time for peace shall be nigh."
Unlike when he spoke the prophecy the first time, when it was all jumbled and odd, his voice was confident and full of pride. No longer would he be hiding his powers. Sure, Morrowseer and other NightWings in on the plot behind the fake prophecy would come for him, but he was no longer the insecure dragonet that had been hidden under a mountain his whole life. The dragons of Pyrrhia needed heroes, so that's what he and his friends were going to be...or at least what they'll try to be.
"If you feel you have nothing else to believe in, believe in that prophecy. Believe in me. Believe in us. We can't do this alone, which is why I'm asking for your help. Only when we unite all talons in this world can we succeed in helping each other. I'm not asking as a dragonet of destiny, but as a friend. Help us end this war. We can't fix the entire world, but we can fix some of it, if you help us, if we all work together."
Satisfied with his speech, Windracer whispered to the ruby, "Stop."
Just like that, silence fell over the Sky Kingdom, and probably all the rest of Pyrrhia.
Sighing, Windracer dropped the ruby, now devoid of all animus magic, into the sand beneath his talons. He sat there for what felt like forever, wondering what the outcome of his message would be. He snapped out of his reverie when he felt talons patting his shoulder. He looked up to find Arid smiling at him.
"That was a very brave thing you did, Windracer," she said.
That got his heart fluttering with a very pleasant warmth he didn't want to leave.
"Send a message to all the other queens," Tourmaline declared to the guards, who were returning with their talons full of gold and jewels. "Except for the NightWings and the three SandWing sisters. We all need to unite our forces. This war has gone on for far too long, and if Windracer's prophecy is true, then these dragonets will need all the help they can get." She smiled at the dragonets. "We can start by allowing them to spend the night here, as our guests."
No one really expected Queen Tourmaline to have a party for the dragonets, but that's what she did. A dinner and dance party right in the palace ballroom.
Everywhere he turned, Windracer encountered a SkyWing decorated in either guard armor or jewelry. And, to his surprise, the guards he accidentally bumped into didn't scowl or snap at him; instead, they smiled and patted him on the back.
Except for one, who stomped on Windracer's tail.
The hybrid turned to find Inferno giving him a glare that reminded Windracer of Kestrel.
"You know, this is all your fault," snarled the SkyWing dragonet.
"What is my fault?" Windracer asked, his voice heavy with annoyance and confusion. He didn't have a clue what his cousin was talking about.
"Don't try to change the subject!" snapped Inferno. "Ever since you've been brought here to the Sky Kingdom, nothing but bad luck has happened! I'd still have the popularity I so justly deserve if it wasn't for you!" He advanced on Windracer, who stepped back. "I don't care if we're related through our moms, I should kill you right now! I'm still the Queen's Champion!"
"Scarlet is dead," Windracer said. He tried to sound brave, but his voice was trembling. "Tourmaline is the queen of the SkyWings now, and she doesn't like the arena. You're not going to be a champion anymore, Inferno." He bumped against the wall of the ballroom, trapped.
"I don't care!" Inferno snapped. "You and me! Fight! Here! Now!" He gave his cousin a sly smile. "Unless you're too afraid to fight me."
Windracer was afraid for a minute, but he took a breath and swallowed that fear. "No. I'm not afraid of you, Inferno." Now it was his turn to advance, and Inferno's turn to step back. "You only fight other dragons because it makes you look strong and tough. But the only thing strong about you is your pride and arrogance." The hybrid ignored the stares directed at them as their argument became more public. This was between him and his cousin, no one else. "You can keep pretending to be the kind of dragon everyone dreams of being, but if you're not going to do or say anything good to me and my friends, then you should leave. Now."
"Well," Inferno started, his voice wavering nervously. His back was against the wall opposite of the one Windracer had been pinned against. The young SkyWing guard forced himself to sound tough. "What if I don't want to...?"
Windracer cut him off. "I said now!" he roared.
Inferno's eyes were wide in amazement and fear. The young guard ducked under Windracer's wings and bailed out of the room, his tail tucked ever so subtly between his back legs.
Feeling a set of eyes on him from behind, Windracer turned to find Kestrel staring. Instead of her usual scowl, however, her eyes were wide with pure, undeniable amazement. She shook it away, however, when she caught the hybrid looking at her.
Windracer knew Kestrel well enough by now to know she would never admit she'd been impressed.
Queen Tourmaline was there in an instant. "Is everyone alright?" She looked to Kestrel, who stalked away with a huff.
"I am now," Windracer replied, bowing slightly. His throat felt rather dry; he'd never yelled like that before. "I could use a drink, though."
Nodding, Tourmaline gestured for one of the guards to bring her a goblet, which she then handed to Windracer. The young hybrid eyed the contents of the goblet, his nose crinkled in suspicion.
"It's only water," the new SkyWing queen assured him. "I'd offer you wine, but I think you're a little too young for that."
Windracer nodded in thanks before lifting the goblet to his mouth and downing all the water in it. "Now I'm hungry. Is there anything to eat?"
Tourmaline gestured to a buffet table with her wing. Several different types of food, mostly meat, decorated the flat surface. Windracer spotted Bog, hungry as ever, stuffing several talonfuls of meat and whatnot into his mouth, even going so far as to snatch things out of the talons of some nearby SkyWings. The hybrid chuckled at the sight. He padded toward the buffet, weaving his way through the dragons that were mingling.
When he finally reached the table, he found a medium-sized pig with bits and pieces of its meat gone, courtesy of other hungry dragons who liked the taste. Windracer cut off a piece with his claws, sniffing it cautiously. Overwhelmed by the delicious smell, he couldn't help devouring the slab of meat. "Not bad."
"That's what I thought, too."
Windracer jumped at the sudden voice, but relaxed somewhat when he realized it was Arid. Ocotillo and Storm were with her. The hybrid cowered a little as the IceWing approached him.
"I owe you an apology," Storm said, her voice calm and collected. "I was wrong about you, NightWi...I mean Windracer." She gave him a genuine smile. "I'm glad my daughter has a friend like you."
Momentarily speechless, Windracer barely managed to utter, "Thanks," before Storm and Ocotillo left to share a dance. It had been a while since they could show affection for one another in public.
Now Windracer was alone with Arid. This could either turn out really good, or he was about to make a complete and total fool of himself.
Clearing his throat, Windracer managed to choke out, "Nice party, huh?"
"It is," Arid said. "Though I never would have thought a SkyWing queen would be holding it. Especially not with us as the guests of honor." She looked over Windracer's shoulder at the RainWing twins. The color-changing duo were trying to figure out how to shoot venom out of their fangs, with minimal success (fortunately).
Windracer spotted Lagoon over Arid's shoulder. The SeaWing dragonet gestured to Arid with her talons, but her eyes remained locked with Windracer's. The hybrid knew that Lagoon was the only one, besides himself, who knew about his crush on Arid. Bog was always more concerned with food, Marmoset and Mango were always hiding and pulling pranks, and of course Arid didn't know.
Lagoon kept gesturing with her claws, first to Windracer, then to Arid, and finally to the dragons dancing in the middle of the ballroom. Windracer didn't have to read her mind, the message was clear.
Ask her to dance!
Gulping nervously, Windracer locked eyes with Arid. "So...what's it like to use frostbreath?"
"Hey!" Lagoon half-whispered, half-yelled at him. "What are you doing?!"
Surprisingly, Arid didn't seem to hear her. "I'm not sure," she said. "The only thing I know for sure is that I felt really cold. Can't imagine how Scarlet must have felt."
Windracer shuddered. "I certainly wouldn't want to find out."
"Me neither," Arid said, chuckling. After a moment of awkward silence, she shrugged her wings. "Well, I'm going to go find my parents. There's still a few questions I want to ask. I'll see you later, Wind."
That last word made him freeze. "That's...that's what Sleet called me. Before she...you know..."
Arid's smile faded. "Wind?" When he nodded in confirmation, she sighed sadly. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know..."
"It's okay," Windracer said quickly. "You can call me that, if you want to."
Arid's smile returned, she patted his shoulder with her talons before heading to the dance floor by herself. Windracer immediately met the face of Lagoon, who was glaring at him in disappointment and frustration.
"What?" he asked. "What did you expect me to say? 'Hey, hot stuff, I was wondering if you'd like to dance, but I'm so crazy in love with you that I can't even talk to you without going completely bonkers!' Pretty ridiculous, right?"
Lagoon opened her mouth to say something, then stopped, her eyes focusing on something behind Windracer. The SkyWing-NightWing hybrid followed her gaze, his heart skipping a beat and his stomach doing a backflip when he saw what she was looking at.
Arid was standing right behind him. And the look on her face told him that she had heard everything he had just said.
Windracer lowered his head in embarrassment. "Oops."
Elsewhere, on an island that was mostly volcanoes, Morrowseer was raging with anger.
"That Killer went and made an egg with a SkyWing?! And their half-breed dragonet has powers!"
Of course, Windracer's message had also been sent to the NightWings. Their home was still technically a part of Pyrrhia, so Windracer's spell to spread his voice to all the dragons of Pyrrhia had worked on them, too.
"Where's Killer?!" Morrowseer demanded.
"We don't know," a female NightWing answered. "He hasn't returned from that assignment we gave him."
Morrowseer grumbled, "He'll be on the run, now that he knows." He turned to the female and one other NightWing with a bent tail. "Eclipse, Preyhunter!"
Both NightWings stood at attention.
"Find the half-breed and his father," Morrowseer said with a snarl. "Bring them both to me!"
...Yeah, I hate Morrowseer. Like, really hate him.
Anyone else?
Auburn - Valka
Windracer - Hiccup
Arid - Astrid
Lagoon - Heather
Bog - Fishlegs
Marmoset and Mango - Tuffnut and Ruffnut
Killer - Stoick
Inferno - Snotlout
Scorch - Spitelout
Frost - Dagur