Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A GUIDE TO THE DRAGONS OF PYRRHIA

Updated and edited by Starflight of the Nightwings

WELCOME BACK TO JADE MOUNTAIN ACADEMY!

Consider this my personal thank you and formal welcome back to Jade Mountain Academy! Myself, and the rest of our teachers know that our first semester here was...less than ideal, but we are putting our best talons forward to fixing the mistakes of our past and moving forward to a new era!

At this school, you will be learning side by side with dragons from all the other tribes, so we wanted to give you some basic information that may be useful as you get to know one another. Acknowledging past conflicts, we understand that this may be challenging for some dragons. Rest assured, however, that things will be awkward at first and that is perfectly natural! Our job is not to force you to become friends, but ultimately be assured that you will create lasting friendships that will prevail outside of Jade Mountain!

You have been assigned to a winglet with six other dragons; the winglet groups are listed on the following page. You may notice that winglets don’t have the same tribe of dragon in them, and that is on purpose! If we wish to come together, we must first learn how to accept other dragons. As our very own Sunny of the Sandwings once said: Living together is part of the school’s mission of getting to know each other. 

Thank you for being part of this school. You are the hope of Pyrrhia’s future. You are the dragons who can bring lasting peace to this world. No matter how big, how small, how smart, how strong, we welcome each and every single one of you to our academy with open wings and open hearts.

WE WISH YOU ALL THE POWER OF WINGS OF FIRE!

JADE MOUNTAIN STAFF

Clay of the MudWings - Self Defense | Special Defense | Herbs and Foods

Tsunami of the SeaWings - Head of Jade Mountain Academy

Starflight of the NightWings - Librarian | Reading and Writing

Fatespeaker of the NightWings - Assistant Librarian | Dragon Culture

Sunny of the SandWings - Hunting and Gathering | Physical Activity

Webs of the SeaWings - Ancient History | Recent History | Biology

Axel of the SkyWings - Unnatural Abilities | Dragon Politics 

Doe of the MudWings - Music | Arts and Crafts

Amethyst of the RainWings - Animal Study | Mathematics

North of the IceWings - Extra Care | Counselor 

JADE WINGLET

IceWing: Lynx

MudWing: Pheasant

NightWing: Moonwatcher

RainWing: Kinkajou

SandWing: Qibli

SeaWing: Turtle

SkyWing: Peril

GOLD WINGLET

IceWing: Polaria

MudWing: Moss

NightWing: Farseer

RainWing: Tamarin

SandWing: Stone

SeaWing: Pike

SkyWing: Peregrine

SILVER WINGLET

IceWing: Changbai

MudWing: Sepia

NightWing: Worldbender

RainWing: Boto

SandWing: Scorch

SeaWing: Anemone

SkyWing: Thrush

COPPER WINGLET

IceWing: Alba

MudWing: Marsh

NightWing: Scrollwriter

RainWing: Coconut

SandWing: Pronghorn

SeaWing: Snail

SkyWing: Flame

QUARTZ WINGLET

IceWing: Ermine 

MudWing: Newt

NightWing: Grimm

RainWing: Siamang

SandWing: Arid

SeaWing: Barracuda

SkyWing: Garnet

AMETHYST WINGLET

IceWing: Blizzard

MudWing: Bear

NightWing: Silence

RainWing: Lotus

SandWing: Python

SeaWing: Flood

SkyWing: Summer

RUBY WINGLET

IceWing: Chill

MudWing: Oak

NightWing: Soulfinder

RainWing: Lavender

SandWing: Obsidian

SeaWing: Catfish

SkyWing: Smoke

MUDWINGS

Description: Thick, armored brown scales, sometimes with amber and golder underscales; large, flat heads with nostrils on top of the snout. 

Abilities: Can breathe fire (if warm enough), hold their breath for up to an hour, blend into large mud puddles; usually very strong.

Current Queen: Queen Moorhen

Students at Jade Mountain: Pheasant, Lotus, Sepia, Marsh, Newt, Bear, Oak

SANDWINGS

Description: Pale gold or white scales the color of desert sand; poisonous barbed tail; forked black tongues.

Abilities: Can survive a long time without water, poison enemies with the tips of their tails like scorpions, bury themselves for camouflage in the desert sand, and breathe fire. 

Current Queen: Queen Thorn

Students at Jade Mountain: Qibli, Stone, Scorch, Pronghorn, Arid, Python, Obsidian

SKYWINGS

Description: Red-gold or orange scales; enormous wings.

Abilities: Powerful fighters and incredible fliers, can breathe fire.

Current Queen: Queen Ruby

Students at Jade Mountain: Peril, Summer, Thrush, Flame, Garnet, Peregrine, Smoke

SEAWINGS

Description: Blue or green or aquamarine scales; webs between their claws; gills on their necks; glow-in-the-dark stripes on their tails/snouts/underbellies.

Abilities: Can breathe underwater, see in the dark, create huge waves with one splash of their powerful tails; excellent swimmers

Current Queen: Queen Coral

Students at Jade Mountain: Turtle, Pike, Anemone, Snail, Barracuda, Flood, Catfish

RAINWINGS

Description: Scales constantly shift colors, usually bright like birds of paradise, prehensile tails

Abilities: Can camouflage their scales to blend into their surroundings; shoot a deadly venom from their fangs (a special note from the Queen requested be put in: never underestimate a RainWing - Starflight)

Current Queen: Queen Glory

Students at Jade Mountain: Kinkajou, Tamarin, Boto, Coconut, Siamang, Lotus, Lavender

ICEWINGS

Description: Silvery scales like the moon or pale blue like ice; ridged claws to grip the ice; forked blue tongues; tails narrow to whip-thin end.

Abilities: Can withstand subzero temperatures and bright light, exhale a deadly frostbreath.

Current Queen: Queen Snowfall

Students at Jade Mountain: Lynx, Changbai, Alba, Ermine, Blizzard, Chill

NIGHTWINGS

Description: Publish-black scales and scattered silver scales on the underside of their wings, like a night sky full of stars; forked black tongues.

Abilities: Can breathe fire, disappear into dark shadows. Some hatch with the power to read minds or see the future (or, very rarely, both) (see recent scrolls on the Moon Rebirthing)

Current Queen: Queen Glory (see recent scrolls on the NightWing Exodus and the RainWing Royal Challenge)

Students at Jade Mountain: Moonwatcher, Farseer, Silence, Scrollwriter, Grimm, Worldbender, Soulfinder

THE EXTINCTION PROPHECY

A hatred born long after peace

A change in tides, a chain in mind

A sun born out of dragon blood

Where self meets self, and worlds collide

Made of ice but hatched in night

Made of stone and with no heart

Made of sand, controlling fate

All will break and fall apart

The moons will quake, the sky will shine

Time will bend, and time will twist

If the descendent of the stalker lives

The dragon race will cease to exist

Chapter Text

Birds flew overhead, heading off towards distances unknown. The sun was shining down on Jade Mountain, giving the entire area a wondrous glow that suggested something magical was hidden inside. For the longest time, that had been true--in the worst way possible. A terrifying monster known as Darkstalker had somehow risen from the dead and came seeking to rule the entire continent, all seven of the tribes. While his ideas seemed ideal, his methods for making said ideals come to life were...less than stellar. Especially when they found out they had been enchanted to like him in the first place. Luckily, Qibli had come up with a genius spell to break free of the magic. Now that he and the rest of the Jade Winglet had somehow defeated him, Pyrrhia could be safe and peaceful once again.

“RRRAWWGH!” 

Well, almost peaceful.

Tsunami crumbled up another piece of parchment and threw it against the cave wall, the trash bouncing off and landing on the stone floor along with six other pieces almost identical. Sunny had thought this was funny for a while, but this was her seventh attempt. Making class lists should not have been this difficult.

“Tsunami, it’s just two more winglets. Surely it can’t be that challenging.” Sunny said cheerfully. The SeaWing grumbled in response.

“Is this really what my big, heroic destiny led me to become? A matchmaker?” Tsunami asked ruefully, grabbing the last piece of parchment and tipping her talon in an ink vial, hovering over the paper. “Every time I make one of these, I keep getting reminded of those kids in the Jade Winglet and how much trouble they’ve caused. How are we to know that any of the applicants we’ve gotten aren’t hiding any more powers? More Animus magic? Mindreaders? Prophecies? I’ve had enough of all of them, thanks.” Sunny walked over to the stone slab and put her talon on her shoulder.

“You’re overthinking this, Tsunami. Besides, it’s been a while now. Surely if something was going to happen it would’ve happened by now. Moon would’ve let us know.” Tsunami grumbled again. When Moonwatcher had confessed that she had both mind-reading and prophetic visions, the Dragonets of Destiny told her that if there were ever any serious visions of the future that she would inform them immediately. She promised, but Tsunami was never convinced. She still has nightmares about Darkstalker. Sunny remembered sadly.

“Yeah, I know...I just can’t help but worry. This school has been a success for that long--and I’m happy! I really am! Some of these kids are great!”

“But?” Sunny asked, a skeptical expression appearing on her face.

“ But, some of these so-called great kids aren’t exactly NORMAL. I mean, again! Look at the Jade Winglet! Moon has her NightWing abilities, Turtle--my own brother--has ANIMUS magic, that insane SkyWing that Clay is in love with has FIRESCALES--stop that. Stop looking at me like I’M the crazy one. My worries are justified!” Tsunami accused her. Sunny took her talon off of her shoulder, sighing.

“How the years have changed you. Remember when you were all: ‘Smash first, questions later!’? Now look at you, concerned over selection for our two new winglets.” Sunny smirked at her. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve matured a bit.” Tsunami gave her an offended look.

“Matured? I’ve always been mature! I was practically the leader, you know!” She said, shoving the SandWing to the ground. Sunny giggled, straightening herself out and stretching a little. She had been cramped up in the cave for too long. Her wings desperately needed to expand.

“I’m going to go for a small flight. All this preparing and staying in the caves has made me desperate for some sun, or some fresh air, really. I’ll be around, give me a holler if you need any help!” Sunny told her. Tsunami nodded, now clearly focused on this final attempt. She decided it would be best to leave her alone, then exited the cave.

She hated it when the hallways were empty. While Jade Mountain had been open and running (after Darkstalker’s defeat, obviously), the hallways had always been packed with students new and old from all across the continent. The fact that dragons were still wanting to come to learn made her heart soar. The energy bounced off of the walls and went into her soul, filling her with an excitement she couldn’t get anywhere else. Turning a corner, she let go of a breath she didn’t realize she was holding when she saw Clay and Starflight speaking to each other near the entrance, Fatespeaker right behind Starflight as usual. She smiled at the two NightWings. I’m happy they found each other. Starflight deserves to be happy, and Fatespeaker is exactly what he always needed: proof that somebody loved him. Of course, she loved him too, but like a brother. They had grown up together after all, it would’ve been a little weird if they ended up together--Starflight had admitted this to her himself. 

Regardless.

Clay heard her approaching and turned to give her a warm smile. Fatespeaker bumped Starflight’s side and whispered in his ear. Starflight shook his head and chuckled, whispering back something like “I’ve memorized everyone’s walking by patterns now, I know it’s her.” She had to stifle a giggle.

“Hey, Sunny! Has Tsunami finally gone insane yet? I probably could’ve heard that scream from one of the moons.” Clay joked. She couldn’t hold back her laughter that time. 

“I suppose we’ll figure it out sooner or later if we hear another cry of anguish. What are you guys up to?” She asked.

“We were discussing how to greet the students of the new semester. I was thinking that we couldn’t keep doing the same thing over and over again, so we were brainstorming ideas. Fatespeaker had a really good suggestion,” Starflight tilted his head in her direction. “If she feels like sharing it.” Fatespeaker lifted her chin, pleased with the praise.

“Well, with how many students we’re getting this year, and how little of us there are, I was thinking we could take some of the students in their final year and have them volunteer as helpers! It could get them out of some of the more boring classes…” She coughed and mumbled “History.” Starflight poked her with his tail, reaching up to readjust his bandages. Sunny’s heart ached. Every time she thought of that night where Starflight had risked his life to save his tribe and the RainWings, the moons had rewarded him with blindness. There was slight hope though. One of the SandWing doctors in Possibility said that there was a slim chance that his sight would return at some point--but it would take a long time. Even if it did, he would need to wear incredibly strong lenses for the rest of his life. Starflight said that he felt Fatespeaker crying on his arm after the news, which was very cold and uncomfortable. He was happy about the news, of course. 

“Pyrrhian History is incredibly valuable! You clearly haven’t seen the number of dragons who know NOTHING about the Scorching!” He sighed. “All they want to know is about Darkstalker. ‘Hey Starflight, do you have any scrolls on Darkstalker?’ ‘Hey Starflight, what do you know about the big dragon that came out of the mountain?’ It’s EXHAUSTING. I’d do anything to just let the world forget that horrifying monster.” The NightWing admitted, his wings drooping slightly. Fatespeaker twined her tail around his, which caused a smile to creep onto the blind dragon’s face. 

“Any word from Glory lately?” Sunny asked, quickly changing the subject before Starflight went on another tirade. Clay nodded his head.

“The Night-RainWing Kingdom is doing good apparently! The last of the NightWings had finally given up their powers from Darkstalker--with the exception of that one dragonet. Mightyclaws I think-? He’s been refurbishing a bunch of houses in exchange for favours. From what Glory’s told me, the kid has turned it into some kind of business. Glory herself has been doing great as well! She told me a bunch of queen stuff that I didn’t quite understand, but all that matters is that she isn’t going crazy!” Sunny blinked.

“I think that’s the longest I’ve heard you speak in a while. Are you doing okay?” Clay gave her a nudge as a response. “Well, I’m glad she’s alright. I might pay her a visit before the school opens.” She chirped. “For now though, I’m going for a small little flight. My wings need to stretch. Anybody want to come with me?” Starflight moved his paw, but then set it back down, which made her wince. She shouldn’t have asked that. 

“That’s alright Sunny, we’ve got plenty of work to do here anyway. Go have fun for a little bit! You work harder than all of us combined!” Sunny gave Fatespeaker a perplexed look, but she only waved her talon in the direction of the entrance, beckoning for her to go. 

“If you’re sure. I’ll be back soon!” She promised, waving goodbye to the trio. Sunny bounded away towards the sun, stepping out into the evening air and letting it relax her muscles. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the feeling wash over her scales. Her eyes still closed, she took a step forward, spreading her wings slightly.

“Oh! Oh, goodness, s-sorry!” A startled voice said. Sunny’s eyes snapped open. She found herself looking at a very nervous and shaky IceWing. Confused, she tilted her head to the side, drawing in her wings. He was carrying a bunch of scrolls and seemed to be having quite the adventure trying to keep them all together. He was mumbling things to himself. She couldn’t catch all of the words, but she did pick up on “goodness” and “oh dear” a whole lot.

“I-I’m sorry. Are you alright?” She asked, not recognizing this IceWing. The IceWing blinked a few times and stared at her. He turned his head to look behind him, then looked back at her. Oookay, this is gonna be fun. She thought sarcastically. 

“Y-You’re talking to me? Oh! Of course you’re t-talking to me, oh goodness. I’ve already made a f-fool of myself in front o-of a Dragonet of Destiny! P-Please forgive me, Sunny of the SandWings!” He begged, still struggling to keep all of his scrolls in check.

Okay, not exactly the reaction I was expecting. This IceWing is a nervous wreck. Aren’t all IceWings supposed to be grumpy and bitter towards everything? She sighed. To be fair, I haven’t exactly had the best experiences with IceWings lately. 

“Please, it’s just Sunny.” She extended a talon forward. “And you are?” The IceWing squeaked, then clasped a talon over his own mouth. Sunny blinked. Who IS this guy? After an awkward moment of silence, the IceWing took his talon off of his snout and used it to clutch his scrolls closer to his chest. With his other talon, he slowly took Sunny’s and shook it. Sunny had to force herself not to shiver at the cold scales that contrasted her warm ones.

“N-North. I-I was sent a message regarding my application a-and I was t-told that I was a-accepted as the new extra care t-teacher?” He said. Sunny finally realized who she was talking to. A few months prior, they had all come together and decided that if they wanted more students, then they needed more eyes. So the application forms were sent out to the seven tribes, and they got plenty of letters back from all over the continent. Deciding who was fit for what was tough. There were so many good options. One may excel in this category, but lack in another, and the opposite was true for all candidates. After many difficult weeks of decision-making, the final four had been chosen. North was one of them. He was to be in charge of the dragons who required special care or if you needed someone to talk to.

His appearance was a shocker to Sunny though. His pale blue scales were covered head to talon with scratches, burns, scars, all the sort. He was even missing a few claws. And he was missing a few of his...neck...spikes (she couldn’t remember what they were called), and had a chunk taken out of his left ear. North must have noticed her staring, because he looked down at himself self-consciously. Oh, camel-blasted tongues and whatever other curses my mother uses. I didn’t mean to stare! Sunny glanced away guiltily. “I-It’s alright. I’m used t-to people looking. No b-big deal.” North reassured her. It didn’t make her feel any better though. “Wh-Where am I supposed to g-go?” She held back a sigh. 

“Clay, Starflight and Fatespeaker are currently in the main entrance. They can help you get settled.” She flashed him a friendly smile. “You’re the first of the new teachers to show up. I’m impressed. Only one of them has even sent a response letter to their acceptance, and here you are showing up weeks early.” A blue blush appeared on North’s face. He coughed.

“Th-thank you, Sunny. F-Forgive me if I seem n-nervous. I’ve just...oh goodness, well, i-it’s a bit embarrassing to say...b-but I’ve always been a b-big fan of y-you all. It’s r-really an honor to be a-able to meet you.” He said, embarrassment dripping off of every word. Sunny found it a little amusing. With all of the chaos going on at Jade Mountain, sometimes she forgot that she was once a Dragonet of Destiny with her fellow brothers and sisters (adoptive, sure, but family nonetheless).

“It’s nice to meet you too, North. Welcome to Jade Mountain Academy.” She said, North nodded, clutched the parchment even closer to his chest, then sprinted away--the blue blush of embarrassment still present on his face. Sunny chuckled. “What a strange dragon.” She said aloud.

While a SandWing, she couldn’t deny how calm she felt in the cool weather. Spreading her wings once more, she closed her eyes and lifted off into the air. The ground left her talons and she was soon airborne. The freedom of the air enveloped her. Nothing to run from, nobody to hide from, no potential world-ending villains to save the world from. Just Sunny, the wind, and her wings. She looked around the area briefly, admiring the surrounding terrain of Jade Mountain. The lush trees that held creatures of all species, the mountain dirt that had years of history etched into its surface, the bright blue sky that let her know that maybe--just maybe--everything was going to be okay.

That’s when she saw it. A trail of blood leading into the forest. She spread her wings in the air, halting her peaceful flight. She soared down and landed on the ground, staring at the path. Reluctantly, she touched a little droplet with her talon, which came off of the dirt and smeared on her scales. Blue blood.

IceWing.

She dared to venture towards the blood, following the trail it left for her. Her mind immediately went to the IceWing she had encountered. He was quite the jittery and stuttering mess. Was that a front of some sort? Had North committed some unspeakable evil? Sunny shook her head, dispelling the thoughts of betrayal and instead focusing on the blood. It was seemingly beckoning her to follow, telling her to come solve the mystery. The trail led deep into the forest, heading towards a small clearing that she knew very well. That’s where she would take the students for short conversations in previous semesters (some of those had gone better than others). As she made her way through the bushes and the branches, she could hear heavy breathing coming from the clearing. At last, she pushed away one final bundle of bushes and saw another IceWing who looked gravely injured. 

Their claws were covered in blue blood, as well as their body. Their scales were a mess of an ugly stained blue color which shone brighter than their natural turquoise-blue. They were breathing heavily, their eyes closed. Massive claw stabs and cuts covered his body. Sunny had to keep herself from throwing up. Dizzy, she slowly walked over to the dying IceWing and bent her neck down. “Can you hear me?” She asked softly. “If you can hear me, move one of your claws.”

His front talon moved slightly in response. Sunny nodded quickly. “I don’t know who you are, but I’m going to get help. Just keep breathing slowly and try not to fall asleep. I promise I’ll be back soon.” His claw moved again. Good enough for her. She bolted off of the ground and leapt into the air, flying towards the Jade Mountain entrance as fast as her wings would carry her. She began shouting Clay and Starflight’s names, occasionally adding Fatespeaker’s as well. She had to be quick. There were certain to be lots of questions if they could save this IceWing, all of which would hopefully be answered once he recovered. Yet Sunny couldn’t shake this overwhelming feeling of despair that suddenly washed over her. 

Please don’t let this be the start of something terrible.

I don’t think the world is ready for another tragedy.

I’m not ready for another tragedy.

Chapter Text

“Okay, so you see that one over there?” Winter whispered to the air. He couldn’t see, but he suspected that the air had nodded. “That one is Twig. He’s really good at escaping the enclosure, and this is the fourth time he’s done it this week,” He sighed quietly. “His parents told me to keep an eye on him until they returned from a human city somewhere in the desert, but he keeps breaking out." 

“What? You don’t think he could survive out in the wild?” The empty air teased him. Winter rolled his eyes, putting his attention back on the human. His long fur on the top of his head was messy and his clothes were covered in dirt. Winter held back another sigh. I’ll have to refill his bath tank if we catch him again. 

“Of course he could survive out in the wild. The kid is very intelligent. I’m just worried; is that a crime?” He growled. The empty air shimmered for a moment, then the bright yellow of Kinkajou’s scales appeared, giving him a very smug expression. “Oh, shut up, you. Just help me catch Twig so we can go back to Sanctuary,” He told her. Kinkajou shrugged, then disappeared again. “He’s very smart, but I think he’s deaf in his left ear. Try sneaking in from that side.” He advised. The leaves that Kinkajou stood on slowly rose, and a quiet rustling was heard from slightly ahead of him. She was on the move. Winter crouched down behind the bushes and watched through a small hole. Twig was taking a breath, sitting on a small stump. Slight guilt panged in Winter’s heart, but it soon released when he remembered that his parents should return soon enough, but he needed to be safe until then. There were still plenty of dragons who either didn't know about humans, or didn't care. 

Suddenly, Twig was lifted off of the stump and into the air. He made several deep squeaking noises and tried hitting his invisible predator, but it was no use. Kinkajou shimmered into view, holding him up triumphantly.

“Outmatched by the master of stealth once again! No scavenger has ever bested the queen of camouflage!” Kinkajou declared. Winter chuckled to himself then stepped out of the bushes, heading towards her.

“Human, not scavenger. Also: master of stealth? Queen of camouflage? How many nicknames do you have?” He asked ruefully. Kinkajou pretended to look offended.

“I can have as many nicknames as I want! Queen Glory’s best friend, Master of Stealth, Queen of Camouflage, Defeater of Darkstalker-” She stopped after that, looking at the pained expression on the IceWing’s face. “Sorry, Winter. I didn’t mean to-” 

He held up a talon, silencing her. “It’s fine, Kinkajou. Don’t apologize. I’m over it. Honestly," he said. Kinkajou still looked pretty guilt-ridden, but nodded her head. “Let’s get Twig back into his pen and...call it a day.” He said solemnly. The fierce human had finally stopped squeaking, now looking quite bored in Kinkajou’s talon, impatiently tapping on her claw.

Winter and Kinkajou had seen each other a lot ever since Darkstalkers defeat. She came into Sanctuary at least once a week when she wasn’t busy in the Night-Rain Kingdom or at Jade Mountain. He felt his heart twist slightly when he thought of Jade Mountain. He wanted to go back and see all of his friends again, but he couldn’t. Even after all this time he still just couldn’t face them. He hadn’t even planned on seeing Kinkajou again, but as usual, she just inserted herself into his life--no matter how hard he pushed her away. Winter found himself grinning slightly. Not that I mind now. Even so, he couldn’t help but think of everyone else. Turtle, Qibli, Peril (which he found the strangest), and especially Moon. His feelings for her had long since faded away as time passed, but there was always that special place in his heart for her, and he suspected that it wasn’t going to thaw anytime soon.

He still wrote to them. He hadn’t completely isolated himself from the Jade Winglet. Qibli sent the most letters. Winter wouldn’t admit it out loud, but he looked forward to words from his SandWing friend (and maybe sometimes occasionally POSSIBLY re-read some of his past letters whenever he got lonely but it was VERY RARE and almost NEVER HAPPENED) the most. Peril had sent a few letters back, which was surprising until he read the note that Clay had written the letters himself. Turtle sent the least amount of letters, but according to his most recent one he had gotten a wrist injury after writing one of his newest stories. Winter remembered laughing at the unfortunate circumstance and Turtle’s shaky handwriting. Moon hardly sent any letters at all. Most of her letters were part of Qibli’s, but every now and then she would send one of her own. 

Kinkajou, well, that was self-explanatory. 

“Sooooo,” The RainWing suddenly began, gently placing Twig in his pen. Winter shifted nervously, his brain already trying to think of ways to prevent him from escaping again, but it seemed that his attempts to leave were halted as he let out a big yawn, walked over to the makeshift bed Winter had made, and quickly lay down on it. “Has Lynx come to visit yet?” She asked. Winter blinked.

“Uh, yeah?” He said. Kinkajou gave him a mischievous grin. 

“So what did you two doooooo~?” She asked. Winter frowned. He didn’t like where this was going, not one bit.

“We hung out for a few hours. Went shopping, ate at some place, then relaxed here until she had to leave. Nothing more happened, so you can forget asking.” He growled. Kinkajou giggled.

“I’m just teasing you, Winter. Geez, after all this time you still brood around like an old toad!” She exclaimed. Winter furrowed his brow. “Besides, it’s painfully obvious that you two like each other.” She quickly muttered. He threw a patch of dirt at her in response, causing her to stumble and laugh. He grumbled various curses that he made sure Kinkajou wouldn’t be able to hear. Not that she was innocent or anything, she swore a fair amount herself, but sometimes it was just a little…too crude on her end.

“Lynx is like the sister I never had, I can’t even imagine me and her…together. That would be weird.” He responded, then laughed. “It’s funny, we actually kinda talked about it a few months ago. Conversation didn’t last long, but we both knew that we didn’t like each other like that.” Kinkajou shrugged.

“Eh, fair enough. So? Anyone special in your life?” She asked, her eyes sparkling. Winter rolled his eyes.

“No time for that, nowadays. I’m trying to keep myself busy and…well, emotionally stable. Still working on what’s going on up here.” He knocked his head a few times, which made Kinkajou giggle. They stood in the room in silence for a few seconds, only broken by a cough from Winter. If there’s one thing I don’t like about this place it’s the sand constantly getting in my nose…shouldn’t I have gotten used to it by now?

"How's the whole...human thing going?" 

Winter sighed. "I wish it was better. It's one thing knowing that I was correct the entire time, but it's another trying to get others to see. Even with the proof dangling in front of their faces, most dragons would rather turn a blind eye. You can probably imagine why." 

Kinkajou nodded. "I always thought they were cute, y'know? But to think they were capable of thought like us...do you think we could ever live together?"

"I met a human and a dragon who did just that once. Wren and Sky. The two were inseparable," He glanced over at Twig in his makeshift home. "I hope one day others can come around to this new way of life, but it won't be easy." 

Kinkajou nodded a few times, then coughed. “In all seriousness...we need to talk, Winter. There's something that's been on my mind for a while,” She said, her tone suddenly changing. Winter regarded her curiously. Very rarely was Kinkajou serious. She had vastly matured since Darkstalkers’ end, but she still had a lot of child-like curiosity and excitement about her. When she was serious, that meant you had to listen. He nodded, letting her continue.

“Winter...why didn’t you come back to Jade Mountain?”

Ah, of course she had to ask the one question I didn't want to answer.

“Kinkajou, you kept trying to get me to come back at least once a month, but my answer always was, and will be the same. I’ve caused too much trouble there, and besides. They’ve already long since replaced me with other IceWings who want that spot more than I do.” He said, shying away from the real reason he didn’t want to go. My memories of Moon, Qibli, Turtle and you as well Kinkajou. I was so aggressive. I was just an arrogant kid. That’s all I’m going to be, deep down. “It’s okay though! I’ve been really happy here, I mean it! I get to interact with humans, help out with Sanctuary, and meet all kinds of dragons from all over the continent! I know I’ll likely never be truly welcome back in the Ice Kingdom, but this isn’t as bad as I-”

“Winter,” Kinkajou interrupted him with such ferocity that it made him jolt. Her eyes were filled with such intensity he thought for a moment that she may spray him with venom. Did he deserve it? Did he say something wrong? “Winter, why are you such an idiot? After so long, you still haven’t realized that we WANTED you back?” She walked over to him and took his front talons in her own, chuckling sadly. “If I thought you were trouble, then I wouldn’t have kept asking.” Winter pulled away from her talons.

“I know that’s how you feel, Kinkajou, and I appreciate it--really, but you don’t speak for everyone else.” He said, some bitterness falling off of his tongue with those last words. They seemed to sting Kinkajou momentarily, but her determined demeanor returned soon after. She’s not going to take no for an answer. He realized with slight horror. What’s so special about today?

“You’re right, I don’t. But I think a certain SandWing would like to have a few words with you,” She said ominously. Winter froze. She didn’t. On cue, there was a knock at the Scavenger Sanctuary’s front door. He looked at Kinkajou, who gestured towards the door. “You might wanna get that.”

He gulped, swallowing his fear, then walked towards the door. Every step was like walking on cacti. Each time he touched the ground he could feel his claws shake more and more. After what felt like an eternity, he was standing in front of the door. Whoever was waiting for him knocked again. He shakily reached his claw upwards, grabbing the handle and pulling it outward. The dragon standing at the door snorted, giving him that smile that he wanted to slap right off his imperfect snout. Is he taller, or has it really just been that long since I last saw him?

“Hey there, princess.” Qibli greeted. Winter couldn’t think of a snarky comment to fire back at him. He could only stare at his SandWing friend. He had, indeed, gotten taller. His expression was more rough, but his eyes were still the same. All of those letters and words and moments he spent missing the Jade Winglet were suddenly very real. In this moment, the world went still. It was only him and Qibli. Winter smiled back at him.

“Hey yourself, sand snorter.” He said. Qibli took a step forward and threw his arms around him, pulling him in for a tight hug. Normally, he would’ve been taken aback by this gesture. Winter never considered himself one for physical contact, but the emotion of seeing Qibli again was too much to ignore. He hugged him back, right before Qibli shivered and tore away.

“Geez, you’re cold. Have you been brooding in a freezing lake lately?” To Qibli’s shock, Winter laughed.

“No, not me. Not much for brooding nowadays. Too much to do.” Winter told him. Qibli’s expression changed, still friendly--but much more serious. 

“I won’t beat around the bush, Winter. Kinkajou told me to come here for a reason.” He fully entered the enclosure, shutting the door behind him with his tail. Winter backed into the corner, looking between Qibli’s concerned glance and Kinkajou’s intense stare. There wasn’t any way he was getting out of this conversation. Winter looked down at the ground. 

“There are plenty of dragons out there who are much happier with me being here--like me. Besides, I’m a bit old for Jade Mountain now, anyway.” Winter explained. “I don’t want to go back to the academy. Every time I think of that place I can only think of all of the horrible things that happened. Darkstalker, the fight between the IceWings and NightWings, the constant bickering, all of my happenings, Icicle…” Winter paused before continuing. He didn’t want to say the next thought. He didn’t have to. 

“Moon?” Qibli asked, his voice barely a whisper. Winter chuckled.

“Are we sure that she’s the only mind reader in the group?” He joked sadly. Nobody laughed.

“She misses you too.” Kinkajou reassured him. Winter closed his eyes and shook his head.

“That’s not true.”

“You don’t speak for her.” She argued, echoing his previous statement. Silence hung in the room, nobody wanting to say anything. Winter kept glancing over to Qibli, the one who won Moon’s heart. It had taken much longer for him to mend than he would care to admit, and he was afraid that if he saw her again. “Why are you doing this? You gave up everything to be with us, but then you flew away from us during the final confrontation with Darkstalker to join the family that threw you out! And now...isolating yourself from us. Pushing us away.” Kinkajou looked down at the ground. Winter wasn’t sure what to say, if he should say anything.

“I’ll never know what it’s like inside that icy head of yours. I can only make guesses, and I would guess right now that there’s something that you’re not telling us,” Qibli let out a sad chuckle. “I mean, here you are holing yourself up in this village, distracting yourself with scavenger research, I mean...I haven’t seen you in…” Qibli stopped. Winter thought Qibli was letting him finish his sentence until he saw his expression. One of Qibli’s ears was up.

“Do you hear that?” He asked.

A commotion was suddenly heard outside. Winter perked his head up, looking over at Kinkajou--who had also noticed. Qibli walked over to one of the windows and moved the curtains slightly, peeking out onto the streets. He moved away from them, looking at Kinkajou and Winter with a confused look. 

“It’s the Enclave, and they don’t look happy.” Qibli saw. “I haven’t been in Sanctuary for a while--obviously--what are they up to nowadays?” He asked. Kinkajou looked over at Winter, curious as well.

“From what I know, they keep the order in the mixed cities like Possibility, Sanctuary, Paradise, and a few of the other small towns. Nothing totalitarian, as far as I’m aware, and they don’t work under Queen Thorn, but their intentions have always been good. I’ve talked to Meerkat every now and then, and he seems like a good guy,” Winter elaborated. Qibli looked like he had a joke to make, but he kept silent. “I can’t imagine what they would be upset abou-”

A knock at Winter’s door. The trio all exchanged glances. Winter wasn’t expecting anybody else. Qibli was closest to the door, so he went over to open it. Once he did, a Sandwing with pale white and yellow scales stepped into the room. Her expression was grim, and she was staring directly at Winter. 

“Are you Winter of the IceWings?” She asked. Winter nodded. “My name is Sol, and I’ve been told to let you know that you are currently under house arrest until further notice. You will be required to stay within your home and if you must go out, be accompanied by at least two guests under special permission from the Enclave.” 

“Woah whoa whoa, back up sister. What’s going on out there?” Qibli chimed in. Sol looked at him like a bug on the wall, obviously annoyed by his comments.

“Two IceWings have been murdered in the alleyways within Sanctuary, and another body was recently found in the Night-Rain Kingdom. We have reason to believe that a serial killer is specifically targeting IceWings for an unknown reason.” Sol told them, her facial expression blank while she spoke. Winter’s ears drooped. “All IceWings within Sanctuary and Possibility are being quarantined until further notice, and other dragons are required to be accompanied by a trusted friend or loved one. Rest assured, we are working to get to the bottom of this and catch the killer.”

“What are their patterns? We can probably figure out where they’re heading and stop them before they make it.” Qibli suggested. Sol tapped her talon impatiently.

“Yes, of course. We’ve already thought of that, but that information is only to be shared with members of the Enclave. The only thing that we can tell you is that we think they’re either hiding within Sanctuary or Possibility...or heading towards Jade Mountain as we speak.” Winter’s eyes widened. He was startled into meeting Kinkajou’s eyes, who looked equally afraid.

“We have to leave right now! We have to warn Sunny, and Tsunami, and the rest of our Winglet and-” Kinkajou was already running towards the door, but Sol stopped her. 

“Absolutely not. We are under strict orders not to let anyone leave town for any reason. You may send letters, but nobody is to exit either town.” Kinkajou looked almost offended. Winter stepped up to her defense.

“That’s outrageous! If they’re heading towards Jade Mountain, then somebody has to let them know!” Winter cried. Sol clearly did not care.

“We’re working on it as fast as we can. Now, Winter and company, we have two members of the Enclave outside currently ready to escort you to your homes.”

“Kinkajou and I don’t even live here. We were just stopping by for a visit, and now you want to contain us? You can’t do that! You don’t even run this town!” Qibli argued. Sol wasn’t backing down. She clapped twice, which made two SkyWings appear--one of which Winter recognized as the one who chastised his brother Hailstorm while he was under the control of the Pyrite necklace. 

“Eagle. Ash. Be sure that Prince Winter and his two associates get to their home. They will stay there for the time being, regardless of whether or not they live there,” She added on at the end, shooting a very quick glare at Qibli and Kinkajou. Winter had hardly enough room to keep all three of them in his small apartment. Who knew how long this was going to go on for? He would run out of food in only a day! “I trust that you will go to your home with no complications?” Sol asked Winter, her eyes telling him not to try anything funny. Winter nodded slowly. “Good. We will report back to your location with news as soon as we can.” She finished, turning around and walking out of the hut. Eagle crept forward, giving the ex-prince a polite bow as Ash circled behind the three of them, ushering them out the door. Winter gave a sad glance to Twig, who was staring at the situation with what he assumed to be a curious expression. I’ll be back, Twig. Don’t hurt yourself! Winter thought at the boy.

Eagle led the charge, escorting the three of them through the town. There weren’t many other IceWings in Sanctuary, but of the few that he could see, they were also being escorted by SkyWings and SandWings respectively. Other dragons in the area were being ordered and given directions. When did the Enclave get this big? He wondered. Winter glanced back at Qibli and Kinkajou, hoping that one of them would look at him. Fortunately, Qibli seemed to be looking directly at him at the time. Winter gave him a very slight nod. The SandWing regarded him curiously. Just watch me. Qibli was smart. He’d catch on quickly.

Winter pointed Eagle to the right, the direct opposite of his apartment. Eagle nodded, and the group continued down a less populated section of town. “Wait, hang on. I might’ve taken a wrong turn.” He said suddenly, stopping and pretending to think. Eagle stopped, politely waiting for him to give the next direction while Ash groaned. Winter put his talons in front of his head, pointing them in all sorts of different directions as if he was contemplating which way was the correct way to go. Moons, what am I doing?! No time to overthink now. That was the sand snorter’s job. Without another moment of hesitation, Winter opened his mouth and shot a blast of frostbreath directly at Eagle’s left arm. The SkyWing quickly snapped to attention, but it was too late. Only some of the frostbreath had actually hit his arm, but that was the least of his concerns--as Winter had already grabbed the side of Eagle’s head. “Sorry about this.” He said quickly before slamming him into the side of a building, knocking the poor dragon out. He heard cries of pain from his left and saw that Qibli and Kinkajou had pinned Ash down on the sand. Qibli looked ready to blast hot fire in the SkyWing’s face, while Kinkajou was just exhausted.

“Three moons, Winter! A little more heads-up next time?” She gasped. Winter shrugged in response. 

“So this is what the mighty ex-prince is up to now? Drooling over scavengers and attacking innocent people? Imagine how poorly this is going to reflect on the Ice Kingdom, you sad, miserable sack of-” Ash suddenly went quiet. Qibli had pinched a specific spot on her neck, causing her to pass out. He climbed off of her back, brushing his talons together as if he just finished a massive project. Kinkajou followed in kind. 

“We have to get to Jade Mountain, right now. If this murderer is heading towards there, we may be the only ones who can either apprehend them or warn the academy in time.” Qibli said. “No offense to the Enclave, but they didn’t exactly seem in a hurry to follow after this killer. We’ll just have to do it for them,” Winter snorted ice particles, impressed with his friend’s sudden maturity. “Oh, and uh, sorry in advance for whatever they do to you.” Qibli quickly added. Winter waved his worries away.

“Please. I enjoy Sanctuary as much as the next dragon, but I think a little vacation won’t kill me.” Winter remarked. 

“Winter, did you even think this through? They may not let you back in Sanctuary again. Weren’t you happy here?” Kinkajou asked, with genuine concern in her voice. Winter missed that. He missed being able to have dragons he could trust.

He missed Kinkajou and Qibli, even if the former came to visit often.

“Happiness isn’t where I am, it’s who I’m with.” He said definitely. Qibli sniffled a fake tear and walked over to him, throwing one his wings over Winter’s shoulder. 

“I missed you, too, best friend.” He teased. Winter smirked at him.

“I wouldn’t forget you, Turtle.” Winter told him. Qibli’s smile dropped for a moment, then returned and they both laughed. 

“Hate to ruin the moment, but the Enclave members are going to be on our tails at any minute,” Kinkajou turned her head towards the direction they just came from. “If you want me to, I can let Twig free into the wild. Who knows when you’re going to be back, if you’re going to be let back in at all.” She offered. Winter grimaced. He didn't like the idea of letting the human run around unsupervised, but he had to admit that it was a safer option than keeping him in there to potentially be eaten by another dragon. Plus, it was likely that he would figure out a way to escape anyway. 

“Isn’t it dangerous?” Qibli asked. Kinkajou gave him a “really?” expression and faded into the air, turning invisible. “Point taken. We’ll meet you up at Jade Mountain.” The air where Kinkajou once stood gave a noise of confirmation.

“Stay safe.” Winter added on. A small scuffling was heard in front of them, and then nothing at all. Qibli’s warm wing left Winter’s scales as he began walking out towards the outskirts of the town. Winter jogged up to him as quietly as he could, constantly surveying the surrounding area for Enclave members.

“Just like in the Scorpion Den, huh? Brings back memories.” Qibli said. Winter shuddered. He wanted to forget that memory. Being trapped by Darkstalker’s spell. Essentially worshiping the mad NightWing. It was horrifying. “Just you and me, out alone in the world. We’ll have so much time to talk and to walk and to catch up!” Qibli chirped, sounding genuinely excited. Winter rolled his eyes.

“Wouldn’t it be smarter to fly?” Winter suggested. Qibli shook his head.

“There are tons of dragons roaming the streets right now. If we were to fly, we’d be caught in an instant. Let’s stay low and stay quiet, for now. When we’re far enough away?” Qibli chuckled. “Well, I hope you’ve read your fair share of cross-distance stories, because we’re going on our own little adventure! Granted, trying to find a murderer isn’t as dramatic as stopping an evil tyrant from enslaving the world, but I’ll take it if it means I get to hang out with my best friend.” He teased, winking at him at the end. Winter scoffed. He had expected their reunion to be awkward, uncomfortable, and filled with past memories. Yet as soon as they met, the pieces just clicked. Winter silently chuckled at a thought he remembered he had when he first moved to Sanctuary.

Best friends with a SandWing?

The pair snuck around Sanctuary, carefully avoiding as many Enclave members as they could until they reached the edge of the town. Qibli took off running, Winter shouting as quietly as he could behind him to stop being so reckless.

Yeah. Best friends with a SandWing.

Chapter Text

“You don’t remember ANYTHING?” The SeaWing’s voice screamed at him. He winced, slightly scooting away from the loud noise. He was currently in what they called their “Healing Center.” It was quite bright in the room, sitting on a thin blanket which was slightly stained with his blood. There were other stone slabs in the room as well, about three or four as far as he could see, each covered with a different colored thin blanket. A small little hole in the cave wall housed several little bottles, each with its own symbol. One was a symbol of a snake. Another was a knife. The SandWing--Sunny, he reminded himself--scowled at the SeaWing.

“Tsunami! The poor dragon was ATTACKED in the forest! If he’s a little traumatized we need to RESPECT that!” She told Tsunami, coming to his defense. She then looked over at him, her green eyes filled with sympathy. “Is there anything that you do remember? Like...recent events?” She asked. He closed his eyes and tried to rack his brain, but his earliest memories were incredibly foggy. He could clearly remember walking around in the woods, seeing dragons fly overhead and trying to stay hidden, but after that was all a blur. He had woken up this morning with blue blood all over his claws and horrible gashes all over his body, which were now covered with bandages and various herbs to help him heal. My muscles are still really sore…

“I...I remember running through the woods late at night...and then it went dark suddenly. Then, well, here I am.” He informed them. Sunny nodded, turning her head towards a very tired-looking and old SeaWing. She whispered something in his ear, then ran out of the cave they were in.

“Do you at least remember your name?” Sunny asked him. Tsunami leaned in close, curious to hear his answer. He opened his mouth to speak, but then stopped. He searched through the fog that was his mind to try and answer her question, but nothing came up. 

“M-My name...my name is...I-I know this. This is an easy question I…” Sunny walked over and put her talon on his arm, flinching slightly at how cold his scales were, but staying still.

“Don’t stress. You’re under a lot of pressure right now as it is. Take all of the time you need.” She said kindly. He nodded, still trying to remember what his name was. It was beginning to give him a headache. All he could think of was how cold he was. How lonely he was. Why didn’t he go find other dragons? He quite liked speaking to this nice SandWing, so what gave? Who was he, and what was he doing this far away from the Ice Kingdom?

He gasped.

“The Ice Kingdom!” He suddenly declared, causing Sunny to pull her talon back quickly. “I live in the Ice Kingdom! It’s a small little igloo with a desk and a small painting of Queen Snowfall! She’s the best.” He was quite proud of himself, though he didn’t appreciate Tsunami looking at him like he was insane.

“He’s going to slowly regain his memories over time and turn into another Icicle, isn’t he?” She droned. He wasn’t quite sure who Icicle was, but Sunny responded to her comment by slapping her snout with her tail. Don’t SandWings have barbs at the end of their tails?

The old SeaWing reentered the room. Following him, a dragon who looked slightly similar to himself. The IceWing had a burn mark all around his neck, he was missing a few talons, and had a massive scratch right on his face. He looked quite intimidating, which made him shuffle in his spot again (which slightly agitated his wounds). Sunny perked up, walking over to the scarred IceWing and dragging him over to his location.

“This is North. He’s our counselor and extra care teacher here at Jade Mountain. North, this is...uh--well, doesn’t matter. Point is, I need your help. Both of us do.” Sunny told him. North nodded.

“W-What do I need to d-do?” He asked.

“Are you familiar with cases of amnesia?” North nodded. 

“I was a t-trauma counselor after the W-War of the SandWing Succession. I’ve m-met several dragons with all s-sorts of different d-disorders.” He looked at him. “Is our n-new friend here suffering f-from it?” He wasn’t sure if that was a question for him or for Sunny, but he shrugged nonetheless. North moved closer to him, taking his front talons in his. He titled his head curiously at the bandages. “You look l-like you’ve been through a l-lot. W-What do you remember?”

He looked through his mind again. Still, all of his past memories were foggy. Though, there was a small glimmer of hope. When Sunny had mentioned the Ice Kingdom, that had sparked a memory. Were specific actions and words going to trigger memories again? It was worth a shot. “Well, not a lot, I’m sorry. But when she said something about the Ice Kingdom that sparked a memory.” He said. North hummed, processing the information.

“It sounds l-like retrograde amnesia. T-the inability to recall memories b-before whatever gave you a-amnesia. But I’ve n-never heard o-of sparking before. It could b-be a new phenomenon,” North analyzed. He had to admit. He was impressed with the scarred IceWing. “D-Do you know anything a-about the circles?” He tried remembering. What was so important about circles? They were round and were quite the common shape, but what did that have to do with IceWings? Whatever it was, it wasn’t giving him any new information, so he shook his head. “You must have b-been a commoner then. No m-missing royalty, thank g-goodness,” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Well, surely y-you must have a n-name. Common IceWing n-names have to do with our environment. S-Snow, storms, all the sort.” Tsunami snorted.

“Wait, you’re telling me that there’s an IceWing named SNOW? That’s HILARIOUS!” She chortled. North sighed.

“Ignore h-her. She can be a b-bit brash. Now, try t-to think,” North advised him. So he did. He closed his eyes and tried thinking of everything in the Ice Kingdom. Snow, snowflakes, ice, icicles, igloos, penguins, polar bears, flakes, blue, dark blue, cold, snowstorms...He opened his eyes again, coming up empty. “This i-is an odd circumstance. Normally those w-with retrograde amnesia a-are able to remember their n-name if they forget it a-after that clue…” North regarded him thoughtfully for a moment. “It’s a-almost as if y-your memories are i-intact, but a-are intentionally being l-locked away.” 

Well, that’s not terrifying at all.

He huffed, ice particles coming out of his snout. “Is there anything else I can do?” He asked North. North mulled over the question for a brief moment. He probably thinks I’m a lost cause. As if the IceWing could read his mind, he glimpsed up at him and they locked eyes.

“I see that l-look in your e-eyes. You’ve already g-given up.” North took one of his talons in his own and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t give up, because I-I’m not giving u-up on you.” Sunny agreed.

“You can stay here as long as you need to.” She blinked, looking like she realized something. “Tsunami...have you finished those new Winglets yet?” She asked. Tsunami jolted, coming back to reality. She must have gotten bored of my problem... He realized, unsure of why he felt sad at that notion. Tsunami told her no. “Well…” Sunny gestured towards him as if she were presenting a prized artifact at a show. Did I go to shows before? He tried to follow that path, but it led only to darkness. Figures.

Tsunami grumbled something that he couldn’t make out, but ultimately agreed on the idea. He was confused on what exactly they were agreeing on until North explained that he was currently in a school area called Jade Mountain Academy. Until he recovered, he would be enrolled as a student within the Ruby Winglet--one of the newest Winglets added. Their ultimate goal was to see if any experiences with fellow students--IceWing or not--would help him regain any more memories. He didn’t get much say in the matter, but it was a start.

“I say you need a nickname to go by in the meantime. We can’t just keep referring to you as ‘IceWing’ or ‘he.’ So...any ideas?” Sunny asked him after Tsunami, North, and the old SeaWing (who’s name was Webs) left the cave. Of course he didn’t have any ideas, what were they expecting at this point? Something like Snow would’ve been nice and simple, but Tsunami clearly thought names like those were terrible so, no. Negatory on the simple names. “I mean, I had an idea--if you like.” Sunny offered. He chuckled.

“Fine with me. I wouldn’t know it if I was, but right now I’m not exactly the most creative dragon.” He admitted. Sunny gave him a sad smile. 

“I was thinking...would something like ‘Chill’ be okay? Y’know, because a softer word for cold is ‘chilly?’ Sorry if that sounds dumb, but I’ve kinda already attached onto it.” He thought about it. It is simple, but it’s got a nice ring to it. Plus, if Tsunami decides to make fun of me for it I guess I could just change it again, or maybe I’ll remember my real name. He smiled at her.

“I like Chill.” He agreed. Sunny let out a small breath. Relief, probably, if he was reading her correctly.

“Perfect. I’ll let the rest of the staff know. Welcome to Jade Mountain Academy, Chill,” She said, walking out of the cave. Chill rested his head on his talons, his muscles still quite achy. He was about to close his eyes but Sunny poked her head into the room. “Oh, you don’t get to live here for free by the way! Expect to be helping with preparation and cleanup as soon as you’re recovered! The school opens in a week!” She called to him, giggling evilly as she left. Though he wasn’t looking forward to the work, he couldn’t hate Sunny. If doing a few chores was the price for being treated with care, respect, and patience, then he would happily pay that cost.

Was I mistreated? Is that why I care so much about being treated as an equal? He thought about it briefly. I don’t hate any of them here. Sunny, North, even Tsunami...I don’t hate them. I do think that Tsunami is a tad rude, but I’m sure she’s good. I think every dragon can be good. He smiled as he closed his eyes. 

Somewhere, in a darker corner of his heart, something laughed at him. Let’s see how long that optimism can last.

Chapter Text

ONE WEEK LATER.

Cleaning the halls of Jade Mountain was the most boring thing that he could’ve ever imagined. Sweeping, polishing, smoothing, then more sweeping, organizing...it was beginning to drive him mad. Though, he did discover that despite hating it with every scale on his body, he was quite the custodian. The hallways were essentially spotless, all of the classrooms were neatly organized and ready for use, and the Dragonets of Destiny constantly praised him for his hard work--which felt nice (though sometimes it felt like coddling).

Not many of his memories returned the following week. While his memories hadn’t returned, his ability to move had. In fact, he recovered quickly from his wounds. Was I always quick to recover? Maybe I was a war veteran, like North was? He wondered. That couldn’t have been true though. He hated fighting. Though, North did say that it was possible that those with amnesia could develop a different personality while recovering.

So that was fun.

He tried not to dwell on it too much. North had recommended that he needed to let the memories come back slowly, and over time rather than trying to strain himself getting it all at once. “It could make it w-worse.” He told him. “You may e-end up erasing those m-memories, or n-never being able to g-get them back.” According to the IceWing, his amnesia was something that he had never seen. Like he said in the Healing Center, his memories seemed like they were being locked away rather than being difficult to remember. He decided to call it “Spark Amnesia,” as Chill was able to spark memories when certain keywords or actions occurred. So, not only did he have a horrible memory, no sense of who he was, no friends or family to lean on for help, and no way to go back to the Ice Kingdom to properly fit in--but now it was incredibly likely that he was the only dragon in the world with Spark Amnesia. 

Chill tossed his broom to the side in frustration. He flopped backwards on the ground, his wings sprawling out in the hallway. He gazed up at the cave ceiling, following the stalactites with his eyes and tracing lines between them. Jade Mountain was opening tomorrow. The thought of all sorts of dragons coming from all across the continent filled him with a strange anxiety. If he was extroverted like he theorized, then why was he filled with so much worry? Surely he had friends, right?

That was a sad thought. If he had friends back in the Ice Kingdom, didn’t they miss him? Why weren’t they searching for him? What about his family? Relationships? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Partner? He put his talons on his face and growled in frustration. All of this thinking was giving him a splitting headache. The worst thing was that he had no idea what he should do to relax. All he had been doing lately is cleaning, talking, and sleeping. No extra activities. He confronted North about this, but he told him to wait and see if that memory awakens itself. “D-Don’t rush things, Chill. You may put s-strain on your mind.”

Don’t rush things? I want my memories back! I can’t just be here cleaning forever!

He took his talons off of his eyes and sighed. Maybe he’ll just lay here on the ground and wait for the memories to return. It seemed like a better plan than what he was going through now anyway.

“Are you quite alright?” A female voice asked. Chill glanced up, seeing one of the new teachers at Jade Mountain: Doe. She specialized in creative direction, and she had a knack for it too. She could play a mean solo on the drums, and even painted the new mural that would greet the students in a few days. He found himself oddly fascinated by the brush and the way she worked. He caught a few glimpses of her humming to herself as she carefully made strokes with the paintbrush, bringing the images on the cave walls to life. 

Chill blinked, realizing that he was rambling to himself. “I-I guess so. Just taking a little break.” He told her. Doe gave him an awkward smile.

“Well, today’s your lucky day, kiddo. Tsunami wants us all in her main chamber.” She told him, extending her talon to help him up. He gratefully took it, ignoring the expression on her face when his cold scales met hers. “Can you believe that the school opens tomorrow? It’s so thrilling! I can’t wait to meet all of the new students, and even the old ones! Oh, I hope they’ll accept me. Sorry, I shouldn’t be rambling to somebody younger than me. How old are you, again?” Chill gave her a look. “Well, you look about six or seven years old, so that makes you twenty years younger than I am.” She’s older than the people running this place. I wonder how that makes her feel. 

They walked together, silent for the rest of the way until they reached the main chamber entrance. Clay, Tsunami, and Sunny were all speaking quietly to each other about something. Starflight and Fatespeaker were huddled up close together, while North and the two other new teachers--Axel, a sharp-looking SkyWing with a very long neck, and Amethyst, a slightly scrawny, light blue RainWing--were all sat next to each other. Webs was there as well, but he was busy staring at the ground until he and Doe walked in. 

“Tsunami, they’re here.” Webs said, interrupting the conversation between the trio. Tsunami turned around, giving both Chill and Doe a polite nod. 

“Okay, great. Yes. Perfect. Well, I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’ve called for a meeting,” She began, shooting a few nervous glances at Chill for some reason. He titled his head slightly to the side. Why is she looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong? “Well, the school opens tomorrow--yay us--but, we may have a slight problem on our hands.” This sparked nervous jitters across the room. Everyone silently whispered to themselves aside from Amethyst, who was busy staring at Tsunami. He found it a bit creepy at first, the way he was looking at her, but then he remembered what Sunny had told him.

He’s deaf.

“I’m assuming you’re going to elaborate on this, correct?” Axel suddenly spoke, his voice gravely and rough, similar to Webs’. Tsunami gave him a rueful look, but took a deep breath and continued.

“We’ve received word from...certain dragons that there may be a danger heading our way. I don’t like being mysterious and cryptic, so I’ll just cut to the point.” She said dramatically, giving everyone in the room very serious looks. “Three IceWings were found dead near Sanctuary and the Night-Rain Kingdom. An organization in Sanctuary known as the Enclave believes that there is a murderer on the loose who is specifically targeting IceWings.” Tsunami glanced between both him and North--who looked petrified. “As far as we know, this murderer is heading towards this direction.”

The cave exploded with noise. Mostly from the new teachers, who were spouting questions that Tsunami nor the other Dragonets of Destiny were able to answer. Chill was wrapped in his own thoughts as well. A murderer? Out for IceWings? He looked down at his claws as if they were going to turn to dust. Not only have I got memory loss to deal with, now there’s a murderer heading this direction that’s out for my head? He gulped.

“Oh, good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear when I walked in.” A new voice said. The chamber fell silent. Chill turned around and saw a very tall and regal-looking RainWing standing in the doorway. Her scales were a tame green, and she looked very calm. A flower crown rested on her head, sitting comfortably against her horns which twisted backwards. An excited squeal came from the voice of Sunny, who barreled over to the RainWing and tackled her with a fierce hug. Realization dawned on him quite quickly.

“Queen Glory.” He gasped. Amethyst immediately bowed in her presence, but then quickly shot back up when the Queen motioned for him to. 

“Glory! You made it! I told you all she would come!” Sunny said, sticking her tongue out at her siblings. Clay limped over to her and gave her a smile. 

“As touching as this reunion is, I would like to know more about this IceWing murderer on the loose.” Queen Glory surveyed the room, fixating on a particular spot in the corner. “Kinkajou. I see your stealth hasn’t exactly improved while I’ve been away.” She pointed out. Kinkajou? He tried remembering the scroll that Fatespeaker had given him. The name Kinkajou was on there somewhere, he just couldn’t remember where.

“Bleh!” A voice called out from that corner. Chill whirled around again and saw the most amazing thing he’d ever seen. The RainWing materialized out of thin air and sulked over to Glory. “I was TOLD to be hidden in here, for your information! You can’t announce that there’s a murderer on the loose without having a few suspects, you know!” She clasped a talon over her snout, shooting Clay a guilty look. “Um...oops?” Queen Glory chuckled. 

“It’s alright. The topic of discussion was bound to come up anyway.” The Queen said, walking into the room. Chill backed out of the way, suddenly feeling quite small. “So, what’s this I hear about a murderer?”

Tsunami quickly brought her up to speed, earning grumbles and groans from the new teachers except North (who still looked completely terrified). Queen Glory was nodding her head several times throughout the explanation, continuously glancing over at him and North. It was no surprise at this point. “An IceWing Murderer would certainly want to come here. This is practically an invitation. I can understand the worry and the confusion, but we’re forgetting something.” Queen Glory announced. 

“A-And what might th-that be?” North dared to ask. To Chill’s surprise, the queen gave him a friendly smile.

“While this is certainly a feeding ground for any dragon harboring a grudge towards a specific tribe--it’s also the safest place that said tribe could be.” She told them. Starflight’s face suddenly lit up. He flicked his tail.

“Of course! Even if this dragon is heading this direction, it would be nearly impossible for them to get to the students because of how many of us there are!” His excitement slowly dwindled though. “We might have to have somebody patrolling at night until we can confirm this murderer is either caught or nowhere near Jade Mountain. Somebody stealthy, probably.” Whistling came from the doorway. Starflight sighed. “I know that’s you Kinkajou. Are you sure you would-”

“Hello? Is that even a question? You’re talking to the QUEEN of stealth! Need I remind you all WHO snuck around Darkstalkers Teeth without being detected EVEN ONCE? Minus the magic spear part, but that doesn’t count!”

Darkstalker.

Chill’s head suddenly began pounding. That name rang around in his mind, sending off so many warning signals. He was suddenly filled with fear, hatred, power, confusion, and nausea all at once. He could’ve sworn that someone said his name, but the ringing in his ears was too powerful. Chill squeezed his eyes shut, but he was not met with darkness. Instead, he was met with the rainforest. 

Someone was speaking to him. A RainWing. Her scales were a bright orange--a direct reference to her name: Orange. They were alone in a small clearing, both of them sitting on logs across from each other. The sun was beginning to set, but they didn’t care. Their fun conversation, however, was about to take a dark turn.

“So...how have you been sleeping lately?” Orange asked him. He sighed.

“Not well. I keep seeing him in my dreams. Even if they were just stories that I heard from other dragons…the way I hear he looked down at everyone as if they were just bugs to be squashed. That day, during the fight at Jade Mountain, he tore through so many dragons. I thought it was just war at the time but...he was a monster. The Darkstalker was a monster.” He said. Orange regarded him with sympathy, twining her tail around his. He blinked back a few tears and nodded, silently thanking her. Orange suddenly let out a big yawn.

“Oh, moons. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yawn.” She apologized. He waved it off.

“Don’t apologize. You weren’t being rude. It’s getting late for you anyway.” He said. “You should probably head to sleep.”

Orange looked away sheepishly, awkwardly tracing a circle in the dirt beneath her. She untwined her tail from his. “Well...you've told me about your nightmares a lot...so if you want, I set up an extra hammock that’s right next to mine. Maybe at the very least you can look at the stars? My spot has always been great.” She offered quietly. He smiled at her.

“Sounds perfect.”

The pounding stopped. The cavern returned to him. He opened his eyes slowly and took his talons off of his ears. The ringing that was in his ears was beginning to fade away, and he could just make out the shape of North trying to get him to stand. “E-Everyone s-stand back! Give h-him some room!” He told them all. North bent down, whispering into Chill’s ear. “D-Did you just r-regain a memory?” He asked quietly. Chill tried to nod, but all that came out were tears. Why am I crying? Who is Orange? Why do I know her? Does she know me? Millions of questions were racing into his head all at once. It was overwhelming.

“Orange…” He gasped out. “Orange.” He said again, looking over at Queen Glory--who was busy staring at him with curiosity. “Do you know a RainWing named Orange? She--her scales are orange as well, to match her name. Do you know her?” Queen Glory exchanged a look with Tsunami that clearly said “HELP.” Tsunami huffed.

“Forgive our...friend here. He’s suffering from some form of amnesia. He must have thought that you were somebody named Orange.” Tsunami tried to explain. Chill shook his head.

“Orange was my friend! She talked to me, she made me laugh! We hung out together and watched the stars before we went to sleep!” Yes, it was all clear to him now. How could he forget his friendship with Orange? The dragon that...well, he still wasn’t sure. But he knew that they were friends! “She’s not Orange! Where is Orange?”

“Ch-Chill! Please c-calm down!” North advised him. “Remember th-the breathing exercise w-we did y-yesterday!” He wouldn’t relax though. Not until the queen gave him an answer. Luckily for him, she seemed very willing to cooperate.

“I don’t know any RainWing named Orange. I see plenty of RainWings with orange scales all of the time, but nobody specifically with that name. I’m sorry.” She apologized. Queen Glory gave Clay a look that he didn’t like. Chill’s breathing slowed. She doesn’t know. I must look absolutely insane right now, I just made myself a fool in front of a QUEEN. Queen Snowfall would have me beheaded for sure. (He wasn’t sure if Queen Snowfall still did beheadings, if she ever did at all.)

Acting on complete instinct: he bolted out of the cave. North called after him, but he didn’t listen. Whatever he wanted to say, Chill didn’t want to hear it. He sprinted towards the entrance of Jade Mountain and stepped out onto the evening air. He spread his wings and flew off into the sky, not thinking anymore. The clouds were gray. It was sure to rain soon. Rain. It rained a lot when me and Orange would talk. That’s why we had a canopy whenever it would. He remembered. Tears were flowing freely down his snout now. Why does it hurt so much? 

I want to go home, but I don’t even know where home is.

Or what home is.

Please, somebody fix me.

Sudden pain spiked in his chest. Chill clutched his side with his front talon and slowly descended to the ground, collapsing in the dirt underneath him. His breathing was getting heavy again. I still haven’t recovered. He realized with agony. He pulled his talon away from the bandages, seeing blue blood lightly covering his claws. Coughing, he glanced down at his still-healing wounds. They just opened up again, staining the bandages even further. 

“Chill!” Sunny’s voice called. He couldn’t even look at her, much less himself. Thunder boomed in the sky. A single raindrop fell on his snout, reminding him again of the rainforest. “Chill, what in the moons do you think you’re doing? You know you can’t go flying right now!” She tried to help him up, but immediately backed away when her scales were lightly speckled with his blood. “Did you open up your cuts? Chill!” She said harshly. He mumbled an apology, but his mind was still fixated on the new memories.

I know you’re still out there, Orange. You’re in the Night-Rain Kingdom, I’m sure of it.

I just have to figure out how to get there.

Chapter Text

“I-I must say, Chill. I’m n-not very fond o-of this rebell-lious attitude you’ve b-been developing.” North commented. Chill just wished the ground would swallow him up at this point. This session had already lasted twenty minutes longer than it was supposed to. Probably has something to do with me just attempting to run away. Though, North did bring up an interesting question (another to add to the pile, he supposed). What was his personality like before Jade Mountain? He remembered being quite friendly with Orange, but was that really who he was, or was he just being kind to a good friend?

...were we friends? Or more?

He decided not to think too much on that one.

Up until the recent memory of the rainforest, he had been quiet. Agreeable. Ever since that memory, he found himself being a lot angrier at dragons. North, Sunny, and Tsunami in particular. Sunny’s constant mothering of him just made him want to throw her into the rain. She was always so WORRIED about him, as if he was her own dragonet. Tsunami was...Tsunami. Bossy. Disagreeable. Under all of that, a hint of kindness and worry for her siblings, but Chill wasn’t one of those siblings, so he never got any of that. Just complaints. North...North was the worst of all. He wanted to help TOO MUCH. That, and his stutter was starting to get annoying.

North shook his head when Chill didn’t respond. “I u-understand that you’re a b-bit overwhelmed r-right now. You’ve not r-received a memory that i-intense for about a w-week, correct?” Chill nodded. The scarred IceWing tapped his snout thoughtfully. “W-Well. It goes without s-saying that we will have to m-monitor you for the rest o-of the day. Amethyst has v-volunteered to do this job, so try to be n-nice to him?” He cringed. His entire plan was ruined in seconds. I have to get to the rainforest! Orange is probably waiting for me there! She can tell me who I am, I know she can! I can trust her!

“Okay.” He deadpanned. North regarded him with a melancholy expression, but then waved his talon towards the exit. 

“W-We should say goodbye to Q-Queen Glory.” North suggested. “Ameythst w-will meet us there.” Chill begrudgingly got off of the ground and headed for the exit, North following close behind. He didn’t like the feeling of a pair of eyes always watching him. He had to get out of JAde Mountain as soon as possible. That’s when he realized something. I haven’t even looked at any maps. I have no idea which direction the rainforest is in. He snorted. Well, I guess my next stop is the library.

They approached the entrance hall of Jade Mountain again. Queen Glory was exchanging hugs between her siblings and polite bows to the rest of the staff. A NightWing was watching them in the background, his eyes glaring daggers at everyone except the Dragonets of Destiny. Was he always there? Chill wondered. The queen of the RainWings and NightWings turned to them as they approached, eyeing Chill with an odd fascination. 

“Please visit us again soon, Glory. We miss you.” Clay told her. “Deathbringer can come too, as always.” He added on. Glory chuckled.

“Not that I get much of a choice anymore. I’ve learned that he just goes where he wants, and there’s really no getting out of it.” She yawned. “Though, arguing with him does tend to wake me up in the morning. It’s quite the exercise.” The NightWing who was glaring at everyone--apparently named Deathbringer--stepped forward with a hurtful expression on his face.

“Please, you love talking to me. She practically can’t stop thinking about my handsome physique.” Deathbringer commented, which earned an eye roll from the queen. 

“As annoying as this creature may be, he is useful. Both for protection and entertainment.” Queen Glory nodded to both North and Chill. “I understand that you two must be especially stressed. Please know that if things get too out of hand, you are more than welcome to stay in the Rainforest Kingdom for as long as you need. It’s closer than the IceWing Kingdom.  I’ll let all of my RainWings know of the current situation.” She sighed, then locked eyes with Chill. “I’ve been informed of your situation in particular. I will see if I can find this...Orange and send them your way as soon as this all dies down. I hope you can recover your memories soon.” Chill stammered for a moment, quickly muttering out a “Thank you” to the queen. I can’t wait! I need to know who I am now! They just don’t understand!

Chill exhaled slowly. No, Chill. Remember, you’re talking to a QUEEN. She has a lot more things to deal with than your memory troubles. This is something that you’ll have to deal with yourself. He gave Queen Glory a polite smile, which she returned. “I’ll be in touch.” She nodded to Sunny. The queen looked around the cave walls, admiring all of the decorations. She took a deep breath and let it go slowly. “You’ve all done such a good job with this place. It’s really awesome that you can still keep it going even after everything.” She nodded to them all one final time. “Until we meet again.” Queen Glory turned around quickly and headed for the door, Deathbringer following her close behind. Chill could hear the two begin to bicker, shades of pink appearing on her lime green scales every time he spoke. 

“Those two are hopeless.” A voice to his side said. Chill jolted and stumbled backwards, seeing the RainWing named Kinkajou suddenly standing right next to him. Kinkajou found this hilarious. Chill, however, was not as amused. 

“Alright. We’ve got a lot to do and not nearly enough time to do it. Kinkajou, where are Qibli and Winter?” Starflight asked. Kinkajou calmed herself down enough to wheeze out the word: “library.” “Perfect. They can help us with cleanup and preparation. This will make things go a lot quicker.” He clapped his talons together, smiling. “Let’s get to work, staff!” He said enthusiastically. Fatespeaker bumped his side affectionately. All of the dragons briefly conversed with each other, being assigned tasks to finalize Jade Mountain for the next day. Chill patiently waited for his instruction, shooting nervous glances towards Amethyst. The RainWing was speaking to Clay, using all sorts of talon gestures and movements in place of his speech. Is that how he communicates? I don’t understand what he’s saying! Chill realized worriedly. Chill blinked and then saw that Amethyst was looking between him and Clay, signing some more. Clay laughed and shook his head, then the two dragons began walking over to him.

Chill gulped.

“Chill, have you met Amethyst yet?” Clay asked. He shook his head. “Perfect! Amethyst, this is one of our students in the Ruby Winglet: Chill. Chill, this is Amethyst. He’ll be teaching you about animals and basic math!” Amethyst smiled at him and offered his talon. Chill took it, slowly shaking. “Right now, he’ll be supervising you in case you have any more--”

“Freakouts?” Chill guessed. Clay’s expression turned sympathetic.

“It’s necessary. We don’t want you running off like that again and hurting yourself more.” He said. “Are you familiar with dragon sign language?” Chill’s ears drooped. Clay took that as his answer. “Thought so. That’s alright though. Amethyst can teach you some of the basics, right?” Amethyst smiled. He curled one of his talons in a fist and bobbed it down, doing the same motion with his head. “That means ‘yes.’” Clay whispered to him. 

“Uh--cool.” Was all that he could come up with. Amethyst gave him an amused glance, then began signing some more.

“He said: ‘No need to be nervous. I am your friend.’” Clay translated. “Well! I’ll let you two get acquainted.” He reached into a pouch that was wrapped around his neck and pulled out a little slate and a white rock, handing them to the RainWing. “You’ll learn over time, but for now--if it gets too confusing, he’ll use this little slate to communicate.” He winked at Chill. “His idea.” He added, gesturing towards Amethyst, who looked quite pleased with himself.

“...yay?” Chill tried.

“If you two need anything, I’ll be nearby!” Clay chirped, limping away from the two. Chill and Amethyst were silent for a few minutes. I need to see a map. I have to get to the library. Would he let that happen? Is he going to try and make me work? On que, Amethyst began writing on the slate with the rock. Chill watched him curiously as his talons worked quickly against the board. He stopped, then turned it over. He looked at the RainWing’s shaky handwriting.

DO YOU WANT TO GO RELAX SOMEWHERE?

That was perfect.

“Uh--yeah. Sure. I-I wouldn’t mind visiting the library.” He told him. Amethyst nodded, tucked the slate under his wing, and then began walking away. Chill sputtered for a moment, glanced at the exit, then began following him. “Wh-Where exactly are we going?” He called after him. No answer, obviously. He felt stupid for forgetting. The only thing he could do is trust that Amethyst knew where he was going.

Even if I do find a map to the Night-Rain Kingdom, I don’t know anything about it. Besides, I’m an ICEWING. What was I doing there anyway? Visiting? He began theorizing about his past. I’m an IceWing. If I was in the Night-Rain Kingdom, what was I doing there? Why wouldn’t I be in the IceWing Kingdom? Was I not welcome? Did I do something to upset Queen Snowfall? Chill looked down at his scales. Am I a hybrid of some sort? No, that’s not possible. If I was a hybrid it would be a lot more distinguishable, I’m sure. Besides, any amount of IceWing is good enough to cross the cliff, and I’ve definitely got IceWing in me. He took in a quick breath. Why don’t I remember anything about MY home? If I lived in the Ice Kingdom, then why can’t I remember what my home looked like?

I need another spark.

Amethyst led him to another large opening. Chill looked past him and all worries and thoughts of his past life dissipated. There were shelves lined with scrolls and books from all across the genres. Fiction. Nonfiction. History. Legends. Lessons. It seemed like all of the information in the world just lay here in the library waiting for someone to discover it. He let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Amethyst chuckled beside him, quickly writing on the slate again.

DO YOU LIKE SCROLLS?

Chill’s mind began to wander, then everything faded away around him.

“Oh joy, more scrolls.” Orange laughed.

“Come on, you’ll love it! You ADORED the last one--you can’t lie to me!” She taunted. He sputtered, but couldn’t find the words to retort. Truth was, he did enjoy the scrolls. He enjoyed every word that was written on the parchment. Every single little detail would never be enough to satiate his appetite for stories and knowledge. Of course, he couldn’t let HER know that--lest he be proven wrong. He had always been stubborn. “This one here! It’s about this meek assassin and the dragon she’s supposed to kill and how they became friends!” She chirped, grabbing a scroll from a high shelf. “ Shards of Glass.” She sniffed the parchment, taking in the scent of the old paper. “My favorite.”

“You’re crazy.” He told her. She stuck her tongue out at him, but then looked at all of the scrolls behind him. 

“Ever since I learned how to read a few years ago I could never stop. There was so much that I was missing out on.” Orange turned and smiled at him. “Before I die, I want to read every scroll that Pyrrhia has to offer. I want to live in my own little library, even bigger than the one here. Doesn’t that sound awesome?” 

He smiled back at her.

“Now come on! You’re gonna play the target and I’ll be the assassin!” She told him, quickly running past and flying towards her spot in the trees.

“Orange!” He called, laughing and flying after her as fast as he could.

Chill blinked, returning to reality. Amethyst was waving his talon in front of his face. When he saw it, Chill batted him away quickly. A new memory. That one came easier than the last. Why? He decided to add that question to the pile. The RainWing beside him began signing again. Of course, he couldn’t understand, but he did make out two symbols that looked a lot like “O” and “K.” 

“Are you asking me if I’m okay?” Chill wondered. Amethyst flinched, startled, but nodded. Chill sighed. “Yeah, I think so. I got hit with a memory again. I guess I liked scrolls.” Chill told him, walking into the library. He found himself staring in awe at the shelves. There was chattering a few rows down. Now curious (about the chattering, but mostly about how many more scrolls and books there were), he silently crept towards the noise. As he got closer, he could make out the voices more and more.

“Seriously? You really had to drag him out of a MUDPIT? The great Winter of the IceWings, getting his scales dirty? I can hardly fathom the thought!” A cheery, teasing voice said. He heard a growl, but underneath that, a light laugh as well.

“I had to do what I had to do. There’s no shame in getting your scales dirty if you’re working.” A deeper, more regal voice responded. 

“Hey, I’ve been there plenty of times myself. I did have to clean a large mess of sand once.” The energetic one said. The deep-voiced one scoffed.

“The sand from the storm that YOU caused?” He shot back.

“Details, details. The important thing is that you and I agree that--” He stopped suddenly. Chill froze. “Hello? Is someone over there?” He called. He heard me! Chill realized. Guilty as charged, he crept out in view of the two dragons and finally saw who they were. A SandWing with a zigzag scar across his snout and an amber earring dangling from his left ear, and an IceWing with long spikes down the back of his neck and whose face seemed to be in a permanent scowl. The SandWing jumped up, a look of realization on his snout. “I heard about you earlier! You’re the IceWing student in the Ruby Winglet, right?” He guessed. Chill nodded, but his attention was mostly on the IceWing. Another IceWing, other than North. Though, judging from the skeptical way this dragon was staring at him, he could guess that he, too, had no idea who he was. Shouldn’t I be used to this by now?

Why is nobody looking for me?

The SandWing pointed to himself. “Qibli. My intimidating acquaintance here is Winter. One of us is a student in the Jade Winglet. The other--”

“The other, ” Winter interrupted. “Was dragged along by his tail. ” Qibli laughed.

“Don’t pretend you don't love spending time with me.” Winter was silent after that, avoiding Qibli’s gaze, which the SandWing found all the more hilarious. “Anywho, was there a reason that you were spying on us?” Chill began to shake a little bit.

“I-I, uh, d-didn’t mean to. I-I was looking around and happened to stumble in. I-I’m really sorry.” He apologized. Qibli glared at him, which caused Winter to swat him with his tail.

“Enough of that. The dragon is clearly uncomfortable.” He scolded. “Is there anything we can help you with?” Chill glanced up at Qibli, who was staring at Winter with a surprised expression on his face.

“Jeez. Here I am thinking that I need to tell you not to threaten someone’s face again. You’re a lot different than the Winter I remember.” He mumbled. Chill could sense the history between these two. Going back to Winter’s question, he shook his head. The IceWing smiled at him.

“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.” Chill nodded, then swiftly made his way past the two, who continued their conversation soon after he was gone. He walked down the library until he reached a small little opening in the back filled with cushions and stacks of blankets. A small sign hung on the side of the wall let him know where he was: READING CORNER. Defeated and exhausted, he walked over to a mound of blankets and fell on them. He put his talons on his face and groaned. So I’m an IceWing with a RainWing friend, I’m nervous around dragons I don’t know, and apparently I’m a scrollworm. He took his talons off of his snout, opening his eyes and opting to stare at the cave ceiling as he did earlier. 

He heard someone approaching. Chill turned his head, seeing Amethyst sitting down comfortably on one of the cushions and watching him intently. He snorted. Of course he wasn’t going to leave me alone. He contemplated his next move. I could get up again, but I just sat down. He might find that suspicious. Chill tore his gaze away from the ceiling and instead looked to his right. There was a small little hole in the cave that had a single scroll left in it, slightly unraveled. Did someone leave this here? Curiosity took the better of him. He grabbed the scroll and dragged it over, re-rolling it until he reached the top. 

A GUIDE TO THE DRAGONS OF PYRRHIA

Huh. Maybe this’ll be useful. He thought, continuing on further. He skimmed past the introductory part of the scroll. Apparently he had grabbed a scroll for students of Jade Mountain. This one was outdated. The Ruby Winglet was nowhere on the listings. However, what wasn’t outdated was all of the information on dragons. He could feel his eyes sparkling as he consumed the information about all seven of the tribes. The more he read, the more he remembered. It was all basic information. SkyWings, SandWings, IceWings, MudWings, NightWings, SeaWings...and RainWings. Right next to each dragon silhouette there was a small outline of the continent with a colored area in a specific place. Next to the RainWing description, there was a small green area to the right of Jade Mountain.

The Night-Rain Kingdom.

It wasn’t that far of a flight at all. In fact, it was right around the corner! No wonder Queen Glory was able to visit so easily. In an instant, he threw the scroll to the side and leaped off of the blankets. Amethyst was startled into standing. Chill slid across the cold floor and ran as fast as his body would allow him towards the exit. He ran past Winter and Qibli, who were more than likely staring at him as he sprinted past the shelves. He turned a small corner, then collided head-on with a dark purple NightWing. The books she was carrying all fell to the floor with a thud.

“Hey! Watch where y--” She cut herself off when she made eye contact with him. “Oh! Chill! Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. Let’s both be more careful next time, okay?” Fatespeaker said, giving him a warm smile. Despite the mistake he made, she apologized. Her entire tone and demeanor had changed in an instant when she remembered him. His condition. His memory loss.

It made him sick.

“Please don’t do that.” He found himself saying. Fatespeaker tilted her head.

“Sorry?”

“Don’t treat me like a dragonet. You all keep acting like I’m a baby, like I’m sick and I need to be taken care of !” Chill told her. 

“I-I was just trying to-”

“To what? Make me feel better? Make me feel welcome?” The words were falling out of his mouth faster than he could stop himself. He didn’t want to yell at her, but with every syllable he could feel the pressure that was weighing on him slowly vanish. “Treating me like a one-year old is making me feel worse! I don’t even belong here, I don’t know WHERE I belong, but it’s very apparent that it's not here!” He screamed at her. Fatespeaker’s wings drooped, her cheerful expression completely diminished. I’m sorry, you don’t deserve this. When she said nothing in response, he bolted past her and continued his sprint towards the exit. There was nobody else in the hallways. Nobody could stop him. 

He opened his wings again and attempted to fly out of the entrance, only to be met with thunder and downpour. His flight came to a halt as he crashed down onto the rock and slid across the ground. His right wing slightly creeped out into the rain. Upon contact with the water, Chill immediately drew his wings in, closing them around himself. Pain seared through his body. He could see fresh blue blood soaking his bandages. Chill winced. In the moment he had forgotten how weak he was.

He also forgot how tired he was. 

His eyelids began to droop. The sound of the rain right next to him was calming. No! Stay awake! You’re so close, you’re right there at the exit! He screamed internally. Nothing worked. After a few more attempts to force his eyes open, he gave up and succumbed to his exhaustion.

Chapter Text

“Orange?” He called out. The clearing where they normally met up was empty. Where could she have gone? Did she get held up by some other RainWing? No, that couldn’t have been possible. She was always on time to their meetings, no matter what. She had even told him a few times that she purposefully left conversations and events with other dragons so they could talk to one another. He wasn’t sure how true that was, but it was nice to think about.

“Orange, if you’re trying to scare me with your camouflage again, it won’t work! You’ve done it too many times already!” He shouted into the trees. There was a bit of rustling in the leaves, but nothing happened. He was starting to get worried.

Alright. Hard way it is. He glanced at their meeting spot one more time to see if she would suddenly appear from the trees, and when she didn’t, he headed off towards the RainWing Village. The location of the settlement was a lot less secret now, with Queen Glory becoming very welcoming to anyone who wanted to visit, provided that they didn’t stir any trouble of course. He walked the dirt path towards the village when he felt a raindrop on his snout. Surprised, he looked up and saw that the clouds above were quite dark. Thunder suddenly boomed. Startled, he quickened his pace. 

He burst through a few leaves and bushes and found himself standing at the entrance. A gate had been constructed out of stone, with letters on the top welcoming visitors to their home. IT was decorated with colorful flowers and sculptures of rainforest animals. Progressing past the gate, he looked up at all of the houses and wooden platforms above him, trying to find Orange’s distinct shade of scales. Nothing stuck out to him, though. A few more raindrops hit his body, and some of the RainWings overhead had already opened their rainroofs (a large gathering of leaves connected by a vine that all RainWings had access to in case of bad weather). He had to hurry. 

“Orange? Orange, are you out here?” He cried out. A few of the RainWings peeked out over their ledges to stare at him, but there wasn’t a response. He walked further into the village, still looking.

“Excuse me, can I help you?” A RainWing asked. Her scales were a dark purple, and a yellow flower crown was resting on her head. She looked very tired. He felt a sting of guilt. He hoped that he hadn’t woken her up from a nap.

“Hi, miss. I’m sorry, but have you seen a RainWing with bright orange scales around here? Appropriately named Orange?” To his surprise, the purple RainWing’s eyes widened and she nodded.

“She’s in a hut right down that road. It’ll be the third one on the left. It’s a little bit far of a walk, but you could probably make it there if you flew. I wouldn't recommend it though.” She advised, pointing at the direction he needed to go. “There are a lot of flowers over there. A gust of wind with wings like yours would probably raise them off the dirt.” More rain began to fall. 

“Thank you--”

“Okapi.”

“Thank you, Okapi.” She nodded, then flew up towards a platform, presumably to rest. He ran across the path, folding his wings in as he passed the flowers Okapi mentioned. His running led him into a more distant part of the village. There were less huts and platforms this way. Third one on the left. Her words echoed. He counted the huts as he ran past them until he finally reached the third one. At this point, the rain had finally begun to fall, making him shiver. He approached the hut slowly, then tapped his talon on the door a few times. He stood in the rain for a few minutes before finally hearing rustling inside. The door opened, and a very surprised RainWing opened the door. However, it wasn’t Orange.

“Hello? Who are you?” The RainWing asked. 

“I’m looking for Orange. Is she here?” He wondered. The RainWing looked at him, unsure of what to say. After a minute though he nodded, gesturing for him to come inside. He did so, slightly shaking in the entrance to get some of the rain off.

“Are you that dragon that Orange won’t stop talking about?” He looked at him, confused. “The one who always meets up with her no matter what? The one who she’s desperately head-over-talons for?” He felt the blood rush to his face. 

“I-I mean yeah, we meet up a lot, but we’re not, that’s, no. No we’re--”

“Oh my moons you’re in love with her too.” The RainWing chuckled. “Ah, whatever. My sister’s got some weird taste, that’s for sure.” He blinked at him, who noticed his confusion. “What? My sister never mentions me?” He sighed, a sad smile on his face. “Figured as much.” He extended his talon forward.

“Name’s Komodo. Yours?”

The memory faded away and his scales returned to him. The sound of the rain was gone now, replaced by the quiet humming of another dragon in the room. Chill opened his eyes and saw who this said dragon was: Clay. He tried to follow the tune that the MudWing was humming, then realized it was the song that was sung during the war. 

Oh the dragonets are coming~

They’re coming to save the day~

The words were incredibly clear in his mind. There was a distant memory of someone else singing those words to him, but he couldn’t make out their face nor their scales. My parents? His heart dropped. Where are my parents? Who are my parents? He began to move off of the blankets, but that alerted Clay, who stopped humming and turned to smile at him.

“Finally awake I see!” He chuckled. “We’ve gotta stop this whole ‘fainting randomly’ thing that you’ve got going on. It can’t be healthy.” Clay grabbed a bowl that was filled with a strange green liquid. Chill caught a whiff of it and scrunched up his nose. Clay laughed. “I know it doesn’t smell great, but it helps the headache.” Chill noticed that his head was, indeed, pounding. Ignoring the smell, he graciously took the bowl and took little sips. As soon as the liquid went down his throat, he immediately began coughing. It tasted as bad as it smelled. Clay hurriedly took the bowl out of his hands before he could spill it. 

“What IS this stuff?” He asked. 

“Headache medicine.” Clay told him. “Sorry if it doesn’t taste good. This is the best batch we’ve got for now. Any attempts to make it taste better nullify the effects.” 

“How long have I been asleep?” He asked. Clay looked out to the hallway. When he did, Chill could now hear the chattering of multiple voices. Some of which he didn’t recognize as any of the staff nor the Dragonets of Destiny. Clay nervously chuckled. “Why didn’t anybody wake me up? Aren’t I supp-” Chill began coughing, covering his snout with the blanket.

“You were coughing a lot in your sleep. I think it would be smart to stay here for the time being.” Clay was silent for a moment. “You also need to apologize to Fatespeaker for your outburst. I understand that you were under a lot of stress, but that was no excuse to be rude to her. She was only trying to help.” Chill had grown to hate that word. Help. He knew what he had to do now, but nobody was letting him do it! All he had to do was go to the Night-Rain Kingdom, get to Orange’s hut, and then she would explain everything!

“The one who’s she’s desperately head-over-talons for?”

Chill pushed that thought away. His new memory had ended before he could even properly meet Orange’s brother, or even understand why she hadn’t met him that day. He still remembered how the rain felt as it hit his scales. Did the rain outside spark that new memory? His head began to pound again. 

“I’m sorry.” He told Clay. The MudWing shook his head.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.” He responded. “However, you’re not feeling well right now. All I can do is suggest that you rest. The medicine that I gave you should start to work in an hour or two.” Chill gave him a pained expression, but he knew there was nothing Clay could do. 

“What about the other students? Don’t I need to--uh, meet my winglet?” He asked. Clay’s expression lit up, so he guessed that was the right thing to say. 

“Well, it’s awesome that you’re so excited to meet the other students! However, you shouldn’t meet them with such a headache. You’ll want to make a good first impression after all!” He explained. Chill subsided. Fair enough, I guess. Truth be told, he wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of meeting new dragonets. Especially after the encounter with Qibli and Winter. His chest had been filled with such anxiety and worry that his typical, cool demeanor (at least he thought it was cool) had completely evaporated. Speaking to the Dragonets of Destiny or any of the other staff was hardly a challenge. But speaking to fellow students was like throwing himself into a volcano. “Alright, Chill. I hate to do this to you, but I have to go to the assembly hall to get ready for First Day Introduction. Will you be alright by yourself for a little while?” The urge to get up and escape as soon as Clay walked out of the cave was incredibly strong, but so was his pounding headache. He wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

“Yeah. I think so.” He responded instead. Clay nodded.

“Excellent! I’ll be back right after the tours.” His ears suddenly perked up. “Oh! That reminds me!” He walked over to a small little table and grabbed a rolled up scroll. He then limped over back to Chill and handed the scroll to him. “Now that it’s opening day, you’re officially a student now. No more boring chores for you! Unless, y’know, you WANT to?” He teased. Chill fought a smile, grabbing the scroll from him.

“Hard pass.” Chill grumbled. Clay barked a laugh.

“Thought so. Hopefully we’ll see you up and moving soon!” He told him. Chill simply nodded and watched as he left the room. He could hear a few excited gasps from some dragons outside, but he didn’t hear whatever he told them. Instead he put his snout on his talons and watched the floor as if it were interesting.

He fought the urge to sleep. Time passed, and true to Clay’s word, his headache began to disappear. While he was stuck there, he decided that the best way he could spend his time was to organize all of the memories that he had been experiencing.

So. No past, aside from Orange and the Night-Rain Kingdom. He started, picking at some of the fuzzballs on the side of the blanket to amuse himself while he thought. Orange is my friend, possibly more. She has a brother named Komodo, and they live a bit further away than the rest of the village. We meet up almost every day just to talk. I still don’t know if I have any other friends, why I’m in the Night-Rain Kingdom despite being an IceWing, I don’t know who my parents are... He lifted his left wing slightly and saw the bandages wrapped around his stomach. Or how I ended up next to Jade Mountain half-dead. Chill did have some theories about that last question. There was some sort of murderer that was out for IceWing blood. He somehow survived that attack, but lost his memories in the process. Now they were gradually coming back to him, in the most inconvenient way possible. So inconvenient, that it couldn’t have been natural. He was either experiencing a new type of memory loss…

It’s almost as if your memories are intact, but are intentionally being locked away.

He tried scrounging up details about his attack, but nothing was coming back to him. There was nothing strange about his attack either. His body had been covered in several deep scratches. Nothing unusual about that. Sunny certainly hadn’t brought up anything out of the ordinary. Still, North’s comment a week ago was enough to make him worry even more about his condition.

A scrollworm. Friends with a RainWing. An IceWing. Chill tried digging deeper. Irritable. Confused. Lost. Frustrated. Nervous. Were those common IceWing traits? Remembering the scroll, he decided now was a good time to open it. Unrolling the scroll, he skimmed past the introductory message from Starflight. It was the same as it was on the other scroll he found in the library, minus a few tweaks.

What WAS different, however, were the student listings. Remembering that Tsunami had put him in one of the Ruby Winglet, he began scanning the parchment for his name. Eventually he found it at the top of the list. Right underneath his name was the name of a MudWing named Oak, and then the name of a NightWing named Soulfinder, and on the list went for each of the other tribes. So these are the dragons I’m going to be spending the most time with. He began breathing a little quicker than usual. Yeah. That’s not terrifying at all. Completely strange dragons, who’s cultures I know nothing about, and whom I’ve never talked to. He let go of the scroll, letting it land on the floor harmlessly. Fantastic. Can’t wait!

Voices were approaching the healing cave. At least, two voices were. One of them was a smooth, female voice, who was excitedly asking questions. The voice answering her questions was also female, with a much more tired tone. 

“Where are we now?” The excited one asked. “The other winglets are going towards the class hallways. Why are we going here first?” 

“Because,” The tired one began. “If you look around at your fellow clawmates, you may notice that you’re a dragon down.” Chill froze.

Oh no.

“Yeah, we’re missing an IceWing, right? What’s that got to do with the healing cave?” A new, rough voice asked. This one was male. A NightWing peeked into the room. Her scales were a dark, ebony color. A yellow scarf draped around her neck, the color of SandWing scales. The most curious thing, however, were the teardrop symbols at the back of her eyes. She nodded at him once, then left the room. 

“It seems they’re finally awake! Everyone, I’d like you to come in and meet your IceWing clawmate!” The NightWing chirped. She re-entered the room, but not alone this time. Following her, a SandWing walked into the room with dusty white scales and piercing black eyes. Next was a light blue SeaWing with coral pink earrings, then a short, light brown MudWing holding a stick and staying close to the SeaWing’s side. After they entered, another dark blue NightWing who looked quite sleepy and a tall bright red SkyWing who was staring intently at him walked in. Chill subconsciously counted each of the dragons. There’s only five. Six, counting myself. Where--

Then she stepped into the room. Her scales were a light purple color, her eyes were a bright yellow, and they were fixated on him. She looked quite excited, as her frills and ears perked up when they made eye contact. The RainWing practically leapt over to him, taking his talons in hers.

“Hi! I’m Lavender! I’ve always wanted to meet an IceWing! WOW, your scales are cold! I guess I should’ve expected that, huh? IceWing. It does make sense. Anyway, I’m rambling. Hi! What’s your name?” Her thoughts seemed to be pouring out of her mouth before she could stop them. It was difficult to keep up.

“I-” He started, but the NightWing with the yellow scarf stepped forward, separating the two. 

“Well, not exactly how I pictured it going, but I suppose we can do it here.” She said, sitting down on the ground. The rest of the winglet followed suit, awkwardly glancing at each other as they did. “Alright Moonwatcher...raindrops, raindrops.” She quietly muttered to herself. “Okay! So! It’s required that on the first day that we all get to know each other! Normally this happens at the end of the tour, but a little detour never hurt anyone.” She joked.

The SkyWing chuckled slightly, but nobody else laughed.

“You don’t have to go into specifics if you’re not comfortable yet. Just say your name, and something you’d like to share!” The NightWing--apparently named Moonwatcher--gave them all a warm smile It was quiet for a few moments. She’s waiting for one of us to start. He realized. How am I supposed to start? WHERE do I start? His breathing quickened again and his heart was beating quicker.

“I can start,” The SandWing offered. Chill heard Moonwatcher breathe a sigh of relief, which she then realized was a bit too loud, looking guilty afterward. The SandWing cleared his throat, returning the attention to him. “Hello. I’m Obsidian. I live in Possibility.” He hummed for a moment, trying to think of something else to say. “I enjoy hunting.” Obsidian shrugged, but Moonwatcher seemed pleased.

“That was great! How about we go around the circle now?” She suggested, nodding to the SeaWing. The SeaWing shuffled awkwardly, but didn’t argue.

“My name is Catfish. I’m nobody really, but I am looking forward to meeting new dragons.” She looked at Moonwatcher. “That’s all I got.” The NightWing sighed.

“Okay, we’ll work on it. Who’s ne-”

“I AM OAK.” The tiny MudWing shouted, startling everyone and almost causing Chill to tumble out of his blankets. “I am a royal guard of Queen Moorhen, the greatest queen to ever exist! Dare to challenge that opinion and you will find yourself at the end of my spear!” He yelled, thrusting his stick forward out in the air. “Well, imagine this is a very intimidating spear!” He then corrected, realizing how foolish he looked. Catfish giggled at the display.

“You are just adorable. ” She mused. Oak gave her a scornful look.

“I. Am. Not. ADORABLE. I am TERRIFYING. My enemies will know my wrath should they cross the line!” Oak shouted again.

“You’re both. You’re... adorifying. ” Catfish said. She immediately began laughing her tail off a second later, snorting between every few laughs. Oak looked like he was about to explode, but he huffed and relented.

“While you are WRONG--I appreciate the compliment.” He said, holding his snout up high. Moonwatcher was rubbing her temples, quite obviously exhausted.

“If we’re done with that ludicrous display of affection, then I’d like to go next.” The NightWing spoke up. Chill had no objections. He just wanted them all to go so he could sleep his headache off. “Great. I’m Soulfinder. I enjoy scrolls and dislike social interaction. Don’t expect me to talk much.” She said bluntly. “Smoke can go next.”

The SkyWing that sat next to her looked offended.

“Well--there goes my introduction I guess.” He said, chuckling slightly. “As Soulfinder said, I’m Smoke. I like flying--well, I guess that’s obvious--and uh...I like helping out wherever I can! My mother was one of the healers in the war, so she taught me a lot about medicine.” Smoke gave Chill a smile. “If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to ask me for help!” 

That word again. Help. I don’t need help. I have to figure this out on my own, because nobody else will understand. 

Smoke looked around the group, his eyes eventually landing on Lavender. “Do you want to go again? You did kinda introduce yourself first…” Lavender turned her eyes to the ceiling, thinking about it.

“I can go again!” She said cheerfully. “I’m Lavender! I love meeting new dragons, especially ones from other tribes! My favorite color is lavender...big surprise--I know,” She paused, but then made an “Oh!” noise. “Clay is the best Dragonet of Destiny. No, I won’t take second opinions.” She said defiantly, crossing her front arms and looking away from everyone. Obsidian snorted.

“Figured you would’ve picked Glory as the best.” He pointed out. Lavender uncrossed her arms and smiled.

“Well, she’s the best queen , but not the best Dragonet of Destiny. Clay was the heart and soul of the team, after all! It’s written in all of the stories that he was their Bigwings!” She retold, sighing at the end. 

“YOU DARE NOT HEED MY WORDS OF CAUTION?” Oak screamed, standing up quickly and aiming his stick at Lavender, who’s wingtips turned white. “QUEEN MOORHEN IS THE BEST QUEEN IN ALL OF THE TRIBES, AND THAT IS A FACT!” 

“Alright, alright. Enough of that.” Moonwatcher suddenly intervened, standing up and stepping in the middle of the circle. Oak hissed, but didn’t fight. Lavender’s expression hardly changed.  I guess she’s got strong opinions. Chill analyzed. “I believe there’s one more dragon here who has yet to introduce themself.” She hinted, looking back at Chill. All of their eyes were on him now, which was very NOT okay. Okay, Chill. Okay, calm down. You can do this. She said you can keep it as minimal as possible, so just do that! Act natural! Stop shaking, for the love of the moons!

“Um, hello.” Chill squeaked out in a voice that was a pitch higher than his normal tone. He coughed a few times, cleared his throat, then tried again. “I’m...Chill.” He started. No weird expressions from any of the dragons that he could see. “I...uh...I’m an IceWing.” He internally began screaming. OBVIOUSLY YOU’RE AN ICEWING, YOU BUMBLING FOOL. QUICK, JUST--SAY SOMETHING ABOUT YOURSELF. YOU LIKE SCROLLS, DON’T YOU? TALK ABOUT SCROLLS! “I--uh...I like scrolls.” He finally finished. That one moment felt like an eternity. I think it would be great if one of the moons would just come and crush me right now.

“Perfect! Now, I think we’ve bothered Chill over here for long enough. Now that you’ve all properly met, why don’t I give everyone else the tour?” Moonwatcher offered. Obsidian held up his talon.

“Hang on. What about you?” He asked. “I mean, we all know who the Dragonets of Destiny are. It’s kind of hard to NOT know them...but you’re just a volunteer. We don’t know anything about you.” That was a good point. Moonwatcher smiled at him.

“Sure! I can introduce myself too, if it makes you more comfortable!” She told him. “Well, I’m Moonwatcher, but most dragons just call me Moon for short. I love a good scroll, much like our friend Chill over here. Not only am I a volunteer, I’m also in the Jade Winglet!” Obsidian raised a brow.

“With...the psycho SkyWing?” He wondered. Moonwatcher’s expression suddenly changed from kind to violent.

“She’s not psycho! She’s a dragon too, and was manipulated into doing horrible things! Maybe if you actually talked to her and gave her a chance, you’d agree with me!” She huffed, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. That was rude. Just...let’s try and be more open-minded to other dragons, alright? We don’t know what their stories are.” Obsidian didn’t even seem phased.

“Speaking of open-mindedness. I have a question about NightWings.” He began. Moonwatcher scrunched up her snout, but nodded for him to continue. “Those teardrop scales behind your eyes. I read somewhere recently that having those means you can read minds. Is that true? Can you?” He asked. Chill’s eyes widened, suddenly paying very close attention to the female NightWing--who’s expression shifted back to a pleasant smile.

“Sounds like you’ve been reading the Moon Rebirthing scrolls. If you have, then yes. It’s true. Any NightWing with teardrop scales behind their eyes has the ability to read minds.”

Chapter Text

Chill immediately began panicking. His thoughts were all in a frenzy, more so than usual. Can she hear me right now? Does she know what I’m thinking? What else does she know? I don’t have very many secrets to keep, do I? If I do, I certainly don’t remember them. Maybe she can see my blocked memories? Moonwatcher quickly put her talons up, seeing their fearful expressions.

“Oh, don’t worry! We’re very well aware that dragons want to keep their thoughts private! We have a system for it,” Moonwatcher lifted up her right arm, gesturing to a metal band that was strapped around her wrist. It held a single, small, black stone in the center of it. “This band blocks my mind reading. All NightWings with teardrop scales are required to wear them while attending Jade Mountain. I can’t hear any of you right now.” She said, Obsidian scoffed.

“How do we know you’re not lying?” Moonwatcher seemed prepared for this question.

“You don’t, but feel free to ask me what you’re thinking about.” She challenged him. 

“What am I thinking about?” Moonwatcher stared at him intently, squinting her eyes, not breaking their eye contact. 

“...The sand kingdom?” She guessed. Obsidian’s eyes widened. For a moment, he feared that she had gotten it correctly, and that she was a liar after all. His fears subsided however, seeing Obsidian relax.

“Wrong. I was thinking about what I’m going to eat when it comes time,” He sighed. “It was a long flight here. Well, I suppose that will suffice for now.” Obsidian relented, casting several curious glances at Soulreader, who seemed incredibly disinterested in the entire ordeal. Chill turned his attention to the band on her wrist. If she took that off, would she be able to read my mind? Could she find something that I don’t know?

Can she tell me who I am?

“Are we ready to continue the tour? We’ve only got about an hour left before the big assembly!” She asked. Everybody began standing up, except him. His headache had mostly subsided, but he could still feel parts of it there. He stretched his arms and legs out, letting the feeling return. Shaking the blankets off, he stepped down from the ledge and landed on the floor. His limbs shook slightly, but he remained standing. It was then when he noticed that everyone was staring at him. Oh, right. They can see all of my bandages now.

“What happened to you?” Smoke asked. Chill looked away from him, avoiding eye contact. 

“Are you sure you can walk?” Moonwatcher followed up, genuine concern in her voice. Chill simply nodded. He figured he would be a bit slow, but if he was standing he could surely walk.

“If you’re confident…” She walked away from him, exiting the cave. His fellow clawmates followed her, but two stayed behind. Lavender was giving him a quizzical look, while Obsidian was just...staring at him. It was difficult to tell the expression on his face. Upon further inspection of his eyes, he found that they had no irises at all. Just black (or at least, if he did have irises, they were as black as the rest of his eye). Chill awkwardly shuffled past them, knowing that they were probably watching him limp all the way out of the cave.

Originally, he had been sure that he would be able to make it for the rest of the tour. Now that he was up and moving? It was certainly easier said than done. His exhaustion from the previous week was very noticeable now. He found himself silently wishing that he had stayed in the blankets and just drifted off to sleep. 

“I really like your scales!” Lavender suddenly said, appearing right next to him. Chill snapped out of his trance, looking down at her. “I’ve never seen an IceWing with teal scales before! Though, I guess I haven’t really seen any IceWings before today. Still! I think they’re really pretty!” She complimented, giving him a big grin afterward. Chill awkwardly returned the smile.

“Um, thank you,” He fumbled around with his words for a moment. “I, uh, think your scales are cool too.” In an instant, Lavender’s scales turned all sorts of bright colors. Mostly yellow and pink, which he assumed were happy emotions.

“You are certainly interesting,” Obsidian agreed, coming up on his right and eyeing him curiously. Chill couldn’t stop looking at his eyes. The eyes that seemed like they could pierce straight through his heart and kill him. “I’ve also never seen an IceWing with your scale color, nor your mannerisms. Most IceWings I’ve spoken to are very…” He paused briefly. “...Professional. Organized. You seem to be timid and all over the place.” He raised an eyebrow at him. “Did you grow up outside of the Ice Kingdom, by chance?”

How am I supposed to answer that? Chill did remember loving the Ice Kingdom with all of his heart. He couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, but he also couldn’t picture his own home. “N-No. I lived in the Ice Kingdom. I-I love it there.” Obsidian blinked, but didn’t prod any further. He probably thinks I’m lying.

“The Ice Kingdom must be so cold! What’s it like living over there?” Lavender wondered. Luckily for Chill, he didn’t have to try and make something up, as they had caught up with the rest of the winglet. Moonwatcher was introducing the Art Center, and the teacher (Doe gave him a polite wave, to which he returned). 

“Hello, everyone! I’m one of the new teachers here at Jade Mountain. It’s so wonderful to meet you all, and I hope that we can get along just fine while discovering your passion for the arts!” She said cheerfully. “Even if you don’t think you’re interested, you may be surprised! Some of the most talented artists in Pyrrhia started out skeptical! Isn’t that right, Winter?” She jeered, turning to an IceWing who was painting something he couldn’t see. Winter jolted, breaking his focus away from the painting to stare at Doe, then his eyes flashed to someone else. Following his gaze, he saw that Winter was staring at Moonwatcher--who stared back in utter disbelief.

“...Winter?” She asked in a quiet voice. He looked between her, Doe, the entire Ruby Winglet, and his painting.

“Those two must have some history.” Obsidian whispered. Chill couldn’t tell if he was talking to him, so he just slightly nodded his head. 

“Hello, Moon.” Winter finally said. Silence hung in the air for a moment.

“Can...can we meet back here after the tour?” Moonwatcher asked him. Winter grinned.

“Of course.”

With that, Moonwatcher awkwardly shuffled back and gestured for the group to follow. “Goodbye, everyone! I hope to see you all soon!” Doe called after them. Chill looked back at Winter, who wasn’t painting anymore. He was just staring at the canvas, a mixture of happiness and dread in his eyes. He felt a pang of sympathy for the dragon. He had been so nice to him the previous day, seeing him like that was really tearing him apart. I wish I knew how to help.

Wait, since when did I become empathetic?

I don’t know. It just feels natural.

Since when was any of this natural?

He didn’t have an argument for that one. Moonwatcher led them through the rest of the academy rather quickly, her mind obviously distracted. However, she got the basics done. The main entrance, the history cave, the healing center, Tsunami’s office, the sleeping caves (he saw an ice block that looked quite inviting to him in his winglet’s cave). They stopped at the last location: the library. She briefly mentioned how it was her favorite place, then told them all it was the end of the tour. 

“Any questions?”

“Yeah. Who’s Winter?” Obsidian asked. Chill jolted. He had a feeling that was not a question that he should have asked. Judging from Moonwatcher’s expression, his assumption seemed to be correct. 

“He’s...a former clawmate of mine. We haven’t seen each other in a long time, so I was just surprised.” She didn’t say anything for a moment. “Any other questions?” She finally asked.

“How about: who’s the best volunteer here?”A cheerful, familiar voice rang out from behind the winglet. Moonwatcher’s face lit up as Qibli came up from behind them. Chill saw now that he was wearing a scarf as well, one a dark green color. Similar to Moonwatcher’s scales. She bounded past the group and threw herself into his wings, giving him a tight hug, which he returned. “I was wondering where you went. Though, I figured you’d stop by here eventually.” He winked in the direction of the Ruby Winglet. “Can’t keep Moon away from the library for too long or she’ll go insane.” She laughed, letting him go. Chill could now see that their scarves were now matching, and judging from the way they were looking at each other…

They’re together.

“Qibli, right?” Catfish piped up, stepping forward and offering her talon. “Catfish. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Qibli looked surprised, looking at Moonwatcher, who shrugged. He eventually took her talon.

“Hopefully you all are getting adjusted to the academy. Moon’s a great guide. She’s also very smart,” Qibli complimented her. Moonwatcher looked flustered, lightly tapping him with her wing. “If you guys ever need anything, feel free to ask me or Moon! Or...really, anybody in the Jade Winglet. We’re the best students here.” He announced, looking quite proud of himself. Moonwatcher raised an eyebrow. Qibli saw her staring, then made a thoughtful expression. “Okay, well, maybe not Turtle. He’s always been a troublemaker--” Moon gave him a playful shove. 

“If anyone here’s the troublemaker it’s you. Don’t ever listen to him. He’s nothing but mischief.” Moonwatcher warned them. Seeing them together made him think about him and Orange. Were they that close? “Alright, enough out of you.” Moonwatcher said, and for a moment, he thought that she was reading his mind. “The main assembly begins in about an hour. You guys are free until then, just don’t leave the Academy.” They all muttered agreements. Moonwatcher and Qibli walked away, their wingtips constantly brushing against each other. 

“Well. They were certainly interesting.” Smoke laughed. Nobody responded. They all stood there, awkwardly looking at each other, waiting for someone to do something. Obsidian suddenly huffed, then walked away from the group. Taking that as permission, Soulfinder wandered into the library. Smoke eventually followed after Obsidian. Catfish and Oak went off towards the prey center, Oak still shouting obscenities while Catfish laughed. Then it was just him and Lavender. She was looking at him expectantly, which he didn’t care for at all. His mind was too full to think about what was happening around him. 

I need to go talk to Moonwatcher. If I let her read my mind, she might be able to tell me who I am. If there are specific things that need to happen to trigger my memories, then what would happen if I was told about an actual event? Would I remember it then? Or would it still be locked away? Why are my memories locked away in the first place? 

This can’t be natural. 

There has to be a solution. 

Stop overthinking things, you’re going to make it weird. 

This situation is already weird!

You’re arguing with yourself again.

YOU’RE arguing with yourself!

“Hello? Chill? Are you in there?” Lavender’s voice asked, waving her talon in front of his eyes. Chill snapped back to reality, batting her talon away and heading into the library. I need to be somewhere quiet. “Ooookaayy, I guess I’m just gonna go then.” She said as he walked away. He felt a twinge of guilt for just leaving her, but he wasn’t in the mood to talk right now.

Chill passed by a few other students, a RainWing and a MudWing, and made his way back to the reading corner. His eyes kept glancing around at the various books and scrolls (secretly hoping that something would pop out at him). He followed down the path then froze. Both Starflight and Fatespeaker were directly next to the reading corner, discussing something. Clay’s words echoed in his head. I’m not the one you need to apologize to. Luckily, it seemed like they hadn’t noticed him. He quickly dove into a small section, hiding behind a bookshelf that was riddled with fantasy adventures. He originally planned to just move on ahead, but one of the stories finally caught his attention: Shards of Glass. The scroll that Orange had. He looked up and down the aisle to see if anybody was watching, and when he saw that nobody was, he picked the scroll off of the shelf and unraveled it slowly. 

Shards of Glass

Chill began skimming through the words underneath the title. Sure enough, it was the exact same scroll. He continued to unravel the scroll, recognizing the events of the story as they played out. All until he reached the near end of the scroll, the final chapter. He started to skim the words of the chapter but didn’t recognize any of the story. Did we never finish it? He wondered, deciding to see how it ended. He unrolled the scroll all the way, only to find that the final chapter was barely a paragraph long. Confused, but curious, he began to read.

Epilogue

As the sun set on the final day: Glass and Mist stood out in the sand. Through trial and tribulation, they had managed to overcome the odds and make it to where the prophecy told them they would be. Standing next to each other. Glass looked down at Mist, smiling at her. Mist didn’t notice. She was too busy being blinded by the sun. “It’s beautiful. Isn’t it?” She suddenly asked.

“It sure is,” He agreed. “But not as beautiful as you.” Mist chuckled.

“It’s really over, isn’t it?” She asked, finally tearing her gaze away from the sun to look up at him. 

“It may be the end of that adventure, but there’s bound to be more to come. Every end is just a new beginning.” He explained. “This is our chance to start over. For good.” He took her talon in his. “If you’ll have me.” 

“Idiot. Of course I will.”

The sun vanished behind the sand.

Chill blinked. He tried tugging on the scroll more to see if there was more to be had, but that was the end of the story. Well, that wasn’t very satisfying at all, and not nearly as exciting as I remember it being. With a defeated sigh, he rolled the scroll back up quickly and tucked it back into place. What am I supposed to do now? He clutched at the bandages around his stomach, wishing that his wounds would just magically disappear. It still hurt to walk. He didn’t want to imagine the pain that he would feel if he tried to fly. 

He was stuck.

“Hello! Do you need help finding anything?” Fatespeaker’s cheery voice rang out. He jolted, spreading his wings and painfully slamming them against one of the bookshelves. Chill met her eyes and her expression darkened. “Ah, Chill.” She said, her voice significantly less cheerful than before. Seconds passed by in silence, feeling like forever. 

“I-I should probably go.” Chill said quietly, backing away from her. 

“Not so fast.” Fatespeaker said. Her commanding tone made him stop. “I think I deserve an apology for your very rude outburst.” She demanded, sitting down on the ground and waiting for him to respond. Chill’s vision began to go blurry. For a moment he worried he was about to have another spark, but then he felt his breathing begging heavy and his talons began to shake. What is WRONG with me? Just apologize to her already! 

It’s not my fault.

Your problems are not hers! You shouldn’t have done that!

I’m sick of people treating me like I’m a dragonet! I don’t have to apologize for anything!

“Chill? Chill, are you alright?” Fatespeaker asked, stepping closer and letting her soft tone return.

Look at that. She’s trying to help you even after what you did.

What I did wasn’t that bad! She probably has students yell at her all the time! 

That doesn’t make what you did okay!

“Chill!” Fatespeaker’s yelling finally snapped him out of his trance. He looked at her, unsure of what to do next. He contemplated running, but there would be nowhere to go. He could yell at her again, but that would make it worse. 

“Fatespeaker, calm down.” Starflight said, slowly coming up behind her and gently putting his talon on her shoulder. “Yelling isn’t going to help. Why don’t we all take a moment to breathe?” He suggested. Fatespeaker nodded, taking a few deep breaths. Chill just stared at them. Fatespeaker took Starflights talon off of her shoulder, squeezing it gently, then returned to look at Chill.

“This is your first year here, right?” She asked. Chill wasn’t sure, but he suspected that it was, so he nodded. “Perfect. No time like the present to get involved in some extracurriculars. You can apologize to me by helping me organize some of these scrolls. How does that sound?” She gestured to a little basket that was sitting next to the shelf. It had about ten scrolls in it. It didn’t seem like a bad idea. 

“Okay.” He said, his voice shaking. Fatespeaker reached around Starflight, grabbed the basket, then presented it to Chill. Chill took the basket carefully, looking at the scrolls inside. He could now see that each one had a little emblem on the end of the paper with a letter on it. The title of each story was lightly plastered on the side itself. Tales of the Scorching , Frostbreath, and Shake the Continent were the first ones he could make out before Starflight began speaking. 

“Each of the scrolls here have an emblem with the author’s first initial on both sides. All you have to do is match up where the scroll goes with the isle and place it there. It would be nice if you could organize them by title, but you don’t have to.” He chuckled. “The students will likely mess it all up anyway.”

“You worry too much.” Fatespeaker told him affectionately, twining her tail with his. Starflight coughed, embarrassed, but Chill could barely make out the slightest of smiles on his face. “Anyway. Just organize those for me, and we’ll call it even. Fair?” Chill nodded. “Good. Now, get busy! The Introductory Assembly starts in about an hour, and you’ll want to be there!” She told him. The two NightWings walked away, Fatespeaker eagerly chattering about something he couldn’t make out. With nothing left to do, he plucked a scroll out of the basket and looked at the emblem on the side. H. He began scanning the bookshelves themselves, then finding another emblem on the side of the wood. The emblem on the shelf read W. 

This was going to take a while.

* * *

Chill exhaustedly put the last scroll into its place. He dropped the basket on the ground, his wings drooping and his mind fuzzy. There were so many things to think about, from his forced volunteering to all of his troubles. He crawled off of the floor and headed to the front desk, grabbing the basket to gently set it on the far end. Starflight was at the front, feeling around for a quill so he could write something on a paper. Chill wasn’t quite sure how he managed writing anything at all, especially since Fatespeaker wasn’t next to him at the moment. Starflight’s ears went up when he approached.

“Hello. May I ask who this is?” 

“Chill, sir.” Starflight smiled. “I-I finished. M-May I be excused?” He asked. Starflight nodded. 

“You should get to that assembly. It’s starting soon, and you’ll need to be there for a headcount.” He advised him. Chill muttered a quick thank you and headed for the assembly hall. “Fatespeaker forgives you, by the way.” Chill looked back at him, even though he knew Starflight couldn’t see him. When the NightWing didn’t say anything else, Chill continued down the hallway. 

The hallways were barren now, aside from one SeaWing who was currently running at a very fast speed, muttering something to himself. Chill followed him, hoping that he would indirectly lead him to the assembly hall, as he had no idea where it was. Making sure to stay a good distance away to avoid possible conversation or eye contact, he followed the SeaWing down a few tunnels until he saw a large opening in the cave walls about half the size of the main entrance. There were several dragons in there, all sitting around large stone tables. Each of them from a different tribe. The other winglets. He realized. The SeaWing darted inside, heading over to a table with a SkyWing who was practically glowing, a MudWing who looked very tired, and an IceWing with strange blue spots covering her wings and snout. He got closer to the entrance and then saw that the RainWing from the previous day--Kinkajou--was also there, giving the SeaWing a big hug and chattering excitedly. The Jade Winglet.

Sticking as close to the ground as he could, he shyly entered the assembly hall (which was much more of an assembly room) and searched around for a place he could go. There were so many eyes in the room, a few of which eyed him curiously before returning to whatever they were previously doing. He wondered what they were thinking of him. If only I could read minds. He wished, remembering Moonwatcher’s teardrop scales. Then it dawned on him. Fatespeaker had teardrop scales behind her eyes as well, and was wearing one of those armbands. Could she read minds as well? Would she be willing to help him with his theory?

“HEY, CHILL!” He winced, glancing over at the voice. Smoke sat at a table with all of the other members of the Ruby Winglet, happily waving him over. Several dragons were looking at him now. He tried to ignore their piercing gazes as he sulked over their table and sat in the empty area next to Smoke and Soulfinder. “We were wondering where you were. Are you hiding from us?” He teased, poking Chill. Chill flinched at the contact, but awkwardly laughed afterward, not responding to his question. “Well, either way. It looks like you got here just in time. I think Clay is about to start.”

“I’m so excited! I wonder what they’re going to say! Oh, I’ve always been curious about these kinds of things. There are so many different tribes of dragons here! I wonder what their stories are. I mean--even the new teachers look cool! Especially that IceWing with all the scars!” Lavender squealed. Chill tried not to cringe. North was nice, but he was also the last dragon he wanted to talk to. He’s probably going to want to go for another session after the assembly. He internally groaned.

Wingbeats suddenly echoed throughout the hall. Sunny was flying around, gently putting out the torches that illuminated the cavern. The chattering that was heard slowly began to die down as everyone watched her put out each torch, one by one until she had completely circled around the hall and landed back on the large rock podium at the back with the other Dragonets of Destiny and the new teachers. The only light that illuminated the assembly hall was a small beam of light that lit up the center podium coming from a hole in the ceiling (and the SkyWing’s mysterious orange glow emitting from their scales). Clay then stepped forward, looking over all of the winglets with a big smile.

“Welcome one and all back to Jade Mountain Academy! Let’s begin the Introductory Assembly!”

Chapter Text

“Again, welcome back to Jade Mountain, unless this is your first time here, then--well, you get the idea! For the new winglets, this assembly will help you get more accustomed to the rules we have here, as well as give you an opportunity to meet some of the teachers you’ll be working with while living here! 

“First thing’s first, I think it’s very worth congratulating both the Jade and Gold Winglets for reaching their final semester here ! They’ve shown incredible progress and have been nothing but helpful with the other students. A very special thank you to both Moonwatcher and Qibli for volunteering to guide the new students around the school. Let’s give them a quick round of applause!” Clay began clapping his talons together, then the rest of the assembly hall followed suit. Lavender, Smoke, and Catfish were clapping enthusiastically, while the other dragons at their table gave half-hearted claps or just did nothing at all. Chill wasn’t sure which action to take, but before he could choose, the clapping had faded away. 

“Now, I did mention that the Gold Winglet had reached their final semester as well, and I would like to give much recognition to Pike, Farseer, and Moss for offering to help carve out the new sleeping caves for our new winglets. Let’s hear it for them too!” The clapping started again, but died down a lot quicker this time. “As you may have noticed, we have some new faces here up on the stage with us. I’ll let our head of school, Tsunami, introduce them!” Tsunami quickly stepped up to the front and cleared her throat loudly.

“Hello, students new and old. As always, I am the lead of Jade Mountain Academy. Feel free to stop by my cave any time and report problems or just ask questions. I will be introducing our four new teachers. When I call your name, please step forward for a warm welcome from the students.” Chill saw North twitch in anticipation. “North, would you please step forward?” She boomed. North took a few nervous steps to stand next to Tsunami. Murmurs went through the crowd, mostly speaking about North’s numerous scars. 

“Whoa, why does he look like that?”

“The guy’s missing half of his ear!”

“That burn mark on his neck looks serious…”

“What’s he doing here, anyway?”

“He’s probably a deadly war veteran.”

You have no idea what he’s been through. Quit making wild assumptions.

Chill was surprised at his own sympathy. He gently shook his head, dispelling his curiosity about himself. It wasn’t the time for that. “North here will be taking care of dragons who may require special care, as well as being a counselor for anyone who wishes to lament about a particular issue. North, would you like to introduce yourself?” Tsunami asked. North chuckled.

“Thank you, T-Tsunami. It really i-is an honor to be t-teaching here.” He looked around the crowd, eyeing all of the students. “I c-can see some of y-you looking at me with i-interest.” He smiled. “I h-have plenty of st-stories to tell. Perhaps y-you can tell me y-your stories in trade f-for mine.” North bowed slowly. “I hope we c-can all get along.” 

“Ngh-!”

Startled, Chill looked behind him and saw Soulfinder clutching her head with a pained expression on her face. Obsidian and Smoke were also looking at her, curiously and worriedly respectively. “Soulfinder, are you alright?” The SkyWing asked, starting towards her. Soulfinder’s talon shot up, stopping him in his tracks.

“I’m fine! I-I just get random headaches, and they hurt a lot, okay? Just--pay attention to the--” She doubled over, slightly banging her head on the table. Now everyone in the Ruby Winglet was looking at her. “Moons, why NOW?” She mumbled.

“Constant headaches? That’s a symptom of NightWing powers.” He heard Smoke inhale sharply beside him. “No teardrop scales on your eyes...so that must mean you’re a Firstborn. You just had a vision.” Obsidian deduced. Soulfinder shot her head off of the table to glare at him.

“I had no such thing. It’s just a medical condition I have. Choke on a scorpion.” She hissed at him. Smoke ran around Chill to stand between the two. Catfish and Oak leaned forward, listening in more closely. Lavender seemingly grew bored of their scuffle and went back to watching the assembly as Axel just finished introducing himself.

“Aaallright, I think that’s enough commotion. Now knock it off you two, otherwise dragons are gonna start staring!” Smoke whispered violently. Obsidian rolled his eyes (at least, he assumed that’s what that head gesture was), but obliged. Soulfinder glared daggers at the SandWing, but instead of turning around and paying attention, decided to walk off of her seat and towards the exit. “Where are you GOING?” Smoke whisper-asked. Soulfinder didn’t respond. She just kept walking until she completely disappeared.

Smoke looked at Chill. “Should we go after her?” 

“W-Why are you asking me?” Chill stuttered.

“Well, Catfish and Oak are practically attached at the hip already, and they’re very loud. Lavender isn’t paying any attention, and pretty boy behind me probably doesn’t care.” Obsidian let out a startled cough. Smoke crossed his arms. “I can do it alone, but I prefer to have support. Are you coming with me or not?” 

Chill tapped the ground. “I-I dunno. She looked like sh-she wanted to be left alone” He muttered quietly. Smoke shrugged.

“Suit yourself, but if my father taught me anything, it’s that you never leave a dragon behind.” With that, Smoke quietly creeped away from the group, sticking close to the wall and avoiding the attention of the other dragons who were busy listening to Doe ramble on about how great the arts were. Chill glanced between the stage, his table, his clawmates, then looked down at his talons.

His father was smart. We shouldn’t leave anybody behind.

She wanted to be alone! If she has those headaches like she said, she may need some time to herself!

You seriously believe that?

Benefit of the doubt!

Just go after her, you idiot. 

Slamming his talons down on the ground in frustration, he got off of his seat and made his way towards the wall. Once he was completely in shadow, he took a few steps forward before looking at the IceWings currently sitting at all of the tables. Their scales were practically glittering, even with the minimal light. I’m literally asking for someone to find me. Chill slowly progressed forward, hoping that his bandages concealed most of his glittery-ness. He tucked his wings closer into his body. 

Somehow, he managed to sneak away from everyone. He stepped back out into the caverns and saw Smoke running off towards the entrance. He followed him as quickly as he could, wincing every time his talons hit the stone while he ran. Sunny is gonna kill me after this. He grimaced. Turning a corner, Smoke was standing outside of a cave, breathing heavily. Chill approached, catching the attention of the tired SkyWing. He smiled.

“Figured you’d come. She went into her sleeping cave, and is currently screaming at me to go away.” Smoke explained. 

Chill was perplexed. “How did you know I’d come?” He asked.

“Ah...I dunno. Call it a gut feeling.” He said. 

“IF YOU TWO ARE DONE SWOONING, YOU CAN LEAVE NOW.” Soulfinder’s agitated voice yelled at them. Smoke stopped smiling. 

“Soulfinder, we’re a winglet now! We’re supposed to solve these problems together! We aren’t going to judge you for anything, I promise!” Smoke yelled back at her. Chill finally realized that he had never seen the sleeping caves before. He had been locked up either in the healing cave or around the school--cleaning for all of his stay. Peeking into the chamber, he could see that there were several different beds. There was a bed of moss, a hammock, a stone slab, a collection of blankets, a brick of ice (that somehow wasn’t melting?), a circle of dirt, and a large pillow. Soulfinder was curled up on the mass of blankets, facing away from them. 

“You barely even know who I am. If you want to help me so badly, you can just walk away.” She growled.

“Well, that’s not going to happen.” Smoke responded fiercely, lightly stomping the ground. Soulfinder raised her head from the blankets to glare at them, then her eyes landed on Chill, her expression completely changed. He didn’t like the way she was looking at him. Her eyes full of sadness and paranoia. His brain began running wild, trying to figure out why she was giving him that look. If she had a vision, was it about me? I don’t know how NightWing powers work, other than the basics. Those who have visions generally have prophecies that go with them, and reading minds is...well, self-explanatory. Either way, she hasn’t given out a prophecy yet. 

“Y-You had a vision, didn’t you?” Chill asked. Soulfinder went back to glaring at him.

“I DID NOT.” She argued. Chill shook his head.

“Why can’t you talk to us? If we’re going to be...stuck together, for lack of a better term, shouldn’t we start getting used to each other?” He took a few steps into the room, walking past Smoke and earning a growl from Soulfinder. Nevertheless, his mouth moved before his brain could catch up. “You’re right. We barely know who you are, but if you’d like…” He stopped, extending a talon out for her to take. “...can we learn?” Soulfinder stared at him for a moment, then barked out a laugh.

“You pampered IceWings and your perfect lives.” She scoffed. “Even after the Darkstalker Battle, you’re still all as arrogant as ever.” She creeped off of the blankets, slowlying walking towards him. “Life isn’t going to bend to your will like you think it is, IceWing. You’re going to learn to understand that the world isn’t some book waiting to be written by you. Darkstalker learned that, and I think you need a little lesson in that as well.”

“This isn’t about writing the world! It’s about helping a friend!” Smoke argued for him.

“WE AREN’T FRIENDS!” Soulfinder shouted in return. “QUIT MAKING ASSUMPTIONS, I’M ONLY HERE BECAUSE I-” She suddenly stopped, putting her talons over her ears and squeezing her eyes shut. Chill took a step backward, watching her cautiously (and worriedly). Her mouth began to open slightly before she forced it shut. 

“What’s happening?” Smoke asked.

“I don’t know! Soulfinder!” Chill threw caution to the wind, ran forward, and grabbed one of Soulfinder’s talons. She shrieked in protest, but as soon as she opened her mouth, her eyes snapped open. Chill flinched backwards, letting go of her talon. Smoke caught him, helping him stand as words began to fall out of the NightWing’s mouth.

A hatred born long after peace

A change in tides, a chain in mind

A sun born out of dragon blood

Where self meets self, and worlds collide

Made of ice but hatched in night

Made of stone and with no heart

Made of sand, controlling fate

All will break and fall apart

The moons will quake, the sky will shine

Time will bend, and time will twist

If the descendent of the stalker lives

The dragon race will cease to exist

Tears were streaming down Soulfinder’s face as she collapsed forward, breathing heavily. She looked up at Snoke and Chill, malice shining in her eyes.

“Now you’ve done it.” She hissed.

“A prophecy.” Smoke breathed. “That was a prophecy.” 

Soulfinder sighed. “It’s been repeating in my dreams for the past month. All I see is that stupid scarred IceWing, dragons dissapearing out of thin air, a bunch of dragons in black cloaks, some stupid statue and then--” She looked at Chill. “You. I keep seeing you, over and over again. I don’t understand! Why are you so special? What makes you important?”

“My memory loss?” He suggested. It was a light attempt at a joke, which he wasn’t very good at, but Smoke’s eyes lit up when he spoke.

“You’ve got amnesia! And those bandages...you must have something in your memory that we need to know!” He began tapping the ground thoughtfully, looking up at the ceiling. “The next question is how to get your memories back…”

“No. Absolutely not.” Soulfinder snapped. “I refuse to be wrapped up in this prophecy nonsense, or start another war, or-or-anything!” Smoke huffed.

“Then you don’t have to be part of it. Chill and I will figure this out on our own, right?” Smoke asked him, his eyes shining with hope.

Chill wasn’t so sure. He had enough things to worry about, but getting his memories back...even with no lead it was almost too enticing to let pass him by. Still. Soulfinder was adamant about not being part of their sudden quest. Even he wasn’t certain that he wanted to be part of it either.

“Can you at least tell us what the vision was about?” He asked. Soulfinder looked at him like he just called her a slug. “Please. You want us to leave you alone, right?” 

“That goes without saying.”

“Well, tell us what you saw, and we’ll go. How does that sound?”

Soulfinder looked away from him, grumbling to herself while scratching at the cave floor. She started to wince slightly again. Chill took a step forward, softly putting his talon over hers. She shivered, stared at their contact, then stared at him. He saw something in her eyes for a moment. He knew that look in her eyes because he had seen it before.

She snatched her talon away, her expression returning to normal (normal being a general expression of disgust and annoyance). “Please?” Chill tried. Soulfinder grunted. 

“You want to know that badly.” It wasn’t a question, more of a statement. “If anyone was going to discover my visions, I had hoped it wouldn’t be you.” She spoke with a lower tone than usual, as if dropping a facade he hadn’t originally noticed she was putting on. He was about to ask what that meant, but he didn’t get the chance. 

“I saw two dragons fighting each other. Both IceWings. One was covered in bandages, the other had a lot of scars. Both dragons were covered in blood. The fight was happening right next to the library.” Chill’s heart began to sink. He cast a nervous glance over at Smoke. If he could read his face correctly, they were feeling the same kind of dread. He heard Soulfinder snicker. “Pieced it together, I’m guessing.” Chill returned his gaze to the NightWing. “Well, if it’s any vote of confidence...

“You were winning.”

Chapter Text

The assembly had ended before they could get back. Luckily, none of the teachers had noticed they were gone. Lavender was more than happy to fill them in on what they missed, but all Chill got from her VERY long recap of the assembly was that students had the rest of the day to relax and get accustomed. Knowing that Soulfinder was sulking in her cave, he decided that it would be best if he didn’t go there to check on her. Smoke told him to meet up at the Prey Center in a few hours after he got familiar with the school, to which Chill reluctantly agreed to do so. Starflight hadn’t said that he needed him to return to the library to help out more, and he really didn’t want to go back to the Healing Center, nor did he want to talk to anybody. 

But where could he go? He supposed he could ask for a map, but that would require that he talk to somebody, and he already decided that he had enough of that for today...or forever. Too much else was happening before he could sort his own problems out. Smoke ran off with Obsidian, promising that they would talk later (even if he really didn’t want to talk with the SkyWing).

What should I do?

Hey, voice in my head. Got anything new for me?

No, you bumbling idiot. I’m just as confused as you are.

You ARE me!

Exactly! Why are we having this conversation!

You started it.

I’m ENDING it.

He felt silly for talking to himself like that, especially if there were any mind readers around. He couldn’t imagine what they were thinking of him right now.

Wait.

That was it! He needed to find Moonwatcher and ask her to read his mind. Surely she could sort something out in his cobweb of a brain. Rejuvenated and full of purpose, he began swiftly making his way towards the last place he saw her: the art cave. 

While walking there, he caught snippets of the other dragon’s conversations. He didn’t mean to listen in, but with how little he could remember of the outside world (aside from the IceWing Kingdom), a part of him wanted to hear what everyone else’s experiences were. What their stories were. Who they were.

“I’ve been here for a while! I can show you around, no problem!” A tiny SeaWing said to a much larger SandWing.

“Somehow, even after all this time, the Dragonets of Destiny are still super cute!” A female RainWing was telling her other RainWing friend, who nodded in agreement.

“What’s with the bandages on that guy?” A SkyWing asked a SeaWing and a MudWing, both of which were chewing on a rather big grapefruit that had been split down the middle, each of them sharing a half. 

“Dunno. Maybe a war veteran?” The SeaWing guessed. He wanted to explain his situation to them. He wondered that if he explained what he was going through, he wouldn’t look so strange to everybody else. Or maybe it would be useless, and they would still think he was strange no matter what he said or what story he came up with. Regardless, he kept walking, out of earshot from their conversation.

“Has Qibli gotten more handsome? I didn’t think that was possible!” A SandWing muttered to his IceWing companion.

“Dude! The guy has a girlfriend, remember?” The IceWing responded.

“Please. He could do so much better than a gross NightWing.”

“That’s not okay, man. Besides, he’s way out of your league anyway. What about that one girl you talked to in Possibility? She was cute.” He reminded him. The SandWing scoffed.

“She’s YOUR type. Not mine.” Apparently that was the end of that conversation. 

There were plenty of other dragons talking to each other in all corners of the main halls, but he eventually drowned them out. He was only a few steps away from the art cave. Unfortunately, blocking his way was a small gathering of three dragons. Two NightWings, one RainWing. They didn’t exactly look very pleasant to talk to. As he approached, he hoped that he could just squeeze past them and get into the cave, but fate had other plans as the RainWing scoffed.

“Who let the mangled corpse in the mountain?” She said, raising her brow at him. Chill froze for a moment, but a moment was all the RainWing needed to continue her comments. “I mean, aren’t you supposed to be an IceWing? Thought you all were tough and mighty and noble.” She laughed. “I guess every litter has a runt.” 

Chill had had enough. “I-I’m sorry. D-Do I know you?” He asked, his voice a lot shakier than he would have liked. The NightWing to his left picked up on this. 

“Aw, he’s scared! Big, bad, IceWing is scared of a little RainWing! Isn’t that fu-” He stopped talking upon seeing his comrade’s expression. Her fangs were bared, and she was hissing. Chill remembered Orange mentioning something about the fact that RainWings had dangerous venom that could melt through just about anything. She was threatening him.

“Right, sorry. I let that slip. That’s on me. Please don’t shoot me.” He begged. She stopped hissing, content with his pleading.

“Remember who’s got the power here,” She reminded him, sighing afterward. “Well, now I’m not in the mood. I’m leaving to go eat something. You two can follow me if you want, but if you do, don’t talk to me. Also, don’t leave the mountain. You could get in trouble. You’ll meet me back here in three hours or I’ll come find you myself.” She announced. She then turned to Chill again, giving him a smirk. “We’ll be seeing each other again, I’m sure. You stick out like a sore talon.” Without another word, the RainWing began walking down the hall, keeping her wings close to her body and hissing at anyone who got too close. 

The NightWing sighed. “Moons, I hate her.” He gave Chill a sheepish look. “We’re sorry about that, really. We don’t like hanging out with her, but we don’t exactly have many friends. That and she’s...well...very persuasive.” The other NightWing nodded, but didn’t say anything.

“I’m Grimm. This is my brother, Silence. Take his name literally, he doesn’t talk.” Silence nodded again.

Chill scratched the floor awkwardly.  “Why...why don’t you just leave her?”

Grimm sighed again.

“We’ve tried. A few times. She always comes back and gives us the same threat as always.” Grimm looked remorseful. “We don’t exactly have anybody to talk to, so we just play along in hopes that nobody else will fall into her...trap, but lately I’m just sick of it.” His melancholy looked soon turned more hopeful. “But ever since the two of us were accepted into Jade Mountain, we were hoping that things could change! Maybe we could make some real friends for once...right, Silence?”

Silence “hmm”ed affirmedtly. “But of course...she followed us here. No matter where we try to go or who we talk to, she’s always there following us! We can’t even tell anyone, because the second we try to tell an authority figure she always puts on this act that convinces them that SHE’S the one in trouble, not us! Every. Single. Time.” Grimm put his talons on his head, very obviously frustrated. “I just wish somebody would catch her in the act and throw her out already!”

“Who’s throwing who out?” A cold, deep voice asked behind them. Chill whirled his head around to see the IceWing from earlier, Winter, stepping out of the art cave alongside Moonwatcher, who was eyeing them all closely. “Is everything alright over here?” He then asked. Grimm’s entire demeanor changed in an instant. 

“Yeah, it’s fine. We were just telling this IceWing over here to not bother us. Let’s get out of here, bro.” He told Silence, gesturing towards the library. Grimm walked away coldly, and Silence started to follow him. He didn’t know what inspired him to do what he was about to, but it burst out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

“Chill!” He yelled. Grimm and Silence stopped for a second. Silence turned to look at him, but Grimm continued walking. “My name...it’s Chill.” To his surprise, the mute NightWing smiled at him, then kept walking.

The three of them stood there near the art room, all not saying anything. Chill glanced at Moon a few times, hoping that she would start a conversation so he could ask, but she didn’t. She was too busy starting at Winter, and then the ground, and then elsewhere.

“Okay, enough of that.” Winter finally said, breaking the awkward silence. “Are you alright? Were those NightWings harassing you?” Chill shook his head.

“They weren’t harassing me.” He muttered. Winter nodded, but something in his eyes told Chill that he wasn’t fully convinced. 

“Good. That’s very good.” Winter said. He cleared his throat. “Moon, you were saying?” Moon’s eyes lit up.

“Oh! Yes! The rest of the winglet is going to meet at the entrance of Jade Mountain! I’m sure they’ll be so excited to see you!” Moon said cheerfully. A smile creeped onto Winter’s face.

“You really think so?” He asked, his eyes full of hope. Moon nodded. “I’d like that.”

She’s busy, come back later.

But this could be the only chance I have!

“E-Excuse me.” Chill worked up the courage to ask. The IceWing and NightWing looked at him, perplexed. “M-Miss Moonwatcher, you can read minds...right?” Moon gave him an awkward laugh.

“That’s weird...having someone call me ‘Miss Moonwatcher.’ Please, just call me Moon.” She insisted. “But, yes. If you remember our discussion in the Healing Center, any NightWing with teardrops behind their eyes has the ability to read the minds of others.” She held her talon up, revealing the metal band. “But we all have to wear these, that way dragons can keep their thoughts private.” She put her arm down, now looking at him quizzically. “Why?”

Chill tapped the floor a few times. He could feel his body warming up. His talons were shaking. 

Breathe. You’re having a panic attack again. Just breathe.

Chill took his eyes off the ground, looking around for that voice. Orange’s voice, but there was nobody there. Nobody except Moon and Winter, who’s expressions hadn’t changed.

“I-uh. Well, i-if it isn’t too much trouble...I-I’ve been having some...uh, m-memory problems lately. I was...I was wondering if maybe...you could...help?” Moon’s eyes widened. 

“Are...are you suggesting that I...read your mind for the answers?” 

Wow. It does sound stupid if you say it out loud. Nice going, genius. With no other option, and no way out of the conversation, Chill nodded. Moon furrowed her brow and chuckled softly.

“As much as I’d like to help you with your...memory problems...it doesn’t work like that,” She briefly glanced at Winter. “You see...it’s not like I can just...walk into someone’s brain and look for whatever I want. It’s more like...walking into a room and hearing a conversation.”

Chill’s wings drooped. “Ah...I see.” He said plainly. Winter cleared his throat.

“Well, as eventful as that was, I’d like to get back to being with my friend.” The IceWing stumbled for a moment when he said “friend.” Was there something happening between them? Whatever it was, he didn’t want to know. “Are you coming, Moon?” Moon nodded, the pair walking past him. 

“Oh, before I forget.” Winter walked back over to Chill, leaning his head down closely to whisper in his ear. “You seem like a great number of things, IceWing, but a good liar is not one of them.” Chill froze. Was he lying about something? Did he say something that he shouldn’t have? “If those NightWings ever give you grief again, you can find me. I’ll do what I have to do.” He pulled away, flashing Chill a friendly grin before returning to Moon. Moon asked him what he had said, but Winter brushed it off as nothing. 

But I wasn’t lying. They weren’t harassing me. The RainWing was!

So just go run and tell them! You have two witnesses, even if one of them can’t talk. You should just go report them and be done with it!

But...but Grimm said that they could handle it.

Did it LOOK like they were handling it?

I don’t know what to do!

That seems to be the recurring theme.

Go away.

I can’t go away. I’m literally you. Talking to yourself. In your own head.

WELL THEN STOP DOING THAT.

Chill huffed in frustration. Without even thinking about it, he wandered into the Art Cave. His eyes adjusted to the dimmer light coming from nearby torches and he gasped. 

The entire room was decorated with flowers that even he had never seen before. Splashes of yellow, orange, red, and even purple flowers were strung up in beautiful wreaths that seemed to dance across the entire cave. Not only were the flowers exquisite, but there were paintings that hung on the walls. One painting had an orange and red sunset on a beach, with two silhouettes of dragons in each other’s wings, watching the suns fall into the ocean. Underneath it was a little nameplate that read:

BETTERTIDES

Another painting was put up right next to that one. This one much more sinister than the peaceful depiction of the other. A ghostly figure was in the center of the piece. Streaks of blue and white all formed the image of somebody screaming, their claws scratching at their own face as golden tears dripped down what he assumed were the eyes. It was hauntingly mesmerizing. He couldn’t help but stare. This one was called:

HOPE OF A FALLEN HERO

Elsewhere around the room were other, smaller little things. Sculptures. Pots. Little wood carvings of what appeared to be the other tribes. Some pieces were so abstract that he couldn’t make out what exactly they were, but he guessed that was the point. I never knew sticks and mud could be so...incredible. He thought, circling around the displays over and over again, finding new angles each time. 

“Find something that you like?” Doe’s voice asked. Chill snapped his head in her direction, seeing that her brow was raised. 

“I...I didn’t know that this was here.” The MudWing snorted.

“Been cleaning around here for a week and you didn’t know any of this was here?” She teased. Chill didn’t respond. Instead he found himself fixated on another one of the paintings. This one depicted two dragons, one a bright yellow, and the other a deep purple. The colors and streaks of paint around them were chaotic and messy, but if you looked at them all at once, it formed an incredible canopy of leaves. The leaves were shades of green, orange, red, and even some unnatural colors that weren’t possible in nature. The trees themselves were single lines of brown paint that somehow meshed together perfectly with the crimson sunset the scene was depicting.

Doe hummed, standing next to him, admiring the piece as well. “Ah, Sunny told me about that one! I think that RainWing that you mentioned yesterday...or was it the day before? Hm. I don’t remember. Funny. Either way--”

“Orange?” Chill said suddenly. Doe flinched, but nodded.

He felt himself spiraling again. He looked back and forth between Doe and the art piece. Doe said something that he couldn’t hear, and he knew what was about to happen. Finally happy to have another memory, he closed his eyes and let it play out in his mind.

“Wow, you made that?” Orange nodded enthusiastically.

“I’ve been experimenting with art lately! It helps keep my mind off of stuff. Oh! Here, let me show you this one!” She said, wandering over to another part of her hut. However, he couldn’t ignore what she just glossed over.

“Stuff? What kind of stuff? Is something on your mind?” He asked. Orange froze for a brief second, but then continued walking around.

“Nah, just little stuff. It gets boring around here sometimes, y’know. I like distracting myself from some of the mundane things here.” She said, quieter than she normally spoke. She was leaving something out. But why?

He didn’t get much time to ponder on that thought, as she came back carrying a small, square object. She happily put it on the ground, letting him see. He couldn’t hold back his gasp. It was the most incredible piece of artwork that he had ever seen. It was of two dragons, one yellow, one purple, surrounded by the wonders of the forest. 

“Orange...this is incredible! How do you come up with this stuff?” He complimented her. A light blush appeared on her face as she avoided his gaze. 

“Well, I mean...most of the time I’m inspired by the world around me.” She began, gesturing to everything around her. “Living in the rainforest, I’m surrounded by a lot of color. I just thought that I’d try using the color and...I dunno, make something new out of it.” She buried her face in her talons. “Ahh, I’m sorry. I don’t know why I’m getting so flustered. I guess I’m just not...used to talking about my art with other dragons.” He smiled.

“Well, I think it’s beautiful.” He told her. Orange peeked through her talons to return the smile. “You should submit it to that art show at the Academy that you keep talking about. I think it will get the top prize.” Orange waved him off.

“You’re just saying that.” He shook his head.

“I’m serious! You’ve got real talent here.” She gave him a playful shove.

“I’ll do it if you enroll next year.” To that suggestion, he chuckled nervously.

“I...I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Not sure if you don’t remember but there was a bit of a...y’know. Giant mountain dragon?”

She shrugged.  “That was forever ago. We were still dragonets, and we didn’t even know each other. Things change. Jade Mountain is a lot safer nowadays. I promise.”

“As if we aren’t still dragonets?” 

“If anyone is the dragonet, it’s you!”

“Whatever.” He rolled his eyes, turning his attention back to the art. “So, you said you base your art on the world around you, right?” Orange nodded. He pointed to the two dragons. “Who are these guys?” Her blush only grew stronger.

“I-well, I-I mean. W-Well, y-you see. I-I thought. Wh-What I’m trying to s-say is...uh...I m-mean…” She kept stuttering on, trying to figure out how to start her sentence, but he had already figured it out. He gently put his talon on top of hers, which stopped her rambling. She looked down at their touching talons, then up at him.

“I know.” 

Chill came back to reality, much faster than normal. In that short memory, he was given so much new information. Doe was shaking him, trying to stir a reaction, which he was fully ready to give her.

 “How long has it been since Darkstalker was defeated?” He asked, his talons beginning to shake.  Doe stopped shaking him, now looking nervous. She let him go, eying him up and down as if he just grew six new wings (though, just in case, he looked at his back and assured himself that he only had two).

“That’s...certainly a random question to ask.” She chuckled, glancing at the entrance to the art cave.

“Please.” He gulped. Doe furrowed her brow.

“Of all the questions that I expected students to ask that...that was not one of them.” Doe joked. She cleared her throat.

“I...think yesterday marked five years? Why?”

Chapter Text

“We’ve searched the entire perimeter, there’s nowhere that they could’ve gone in-town that we wouldn’t be able to find them,” A member reported. Sol huffed. They must’ve fled towards Jade Mountain. That’s the only place that they could be.

“Though, if I may voice an opinion,” They spoke. Sol rolled her eyes, but waved for them to continue. “Thank you ma’am. Are we certain that Prince Winter or his associates are related to these killings? I mean--where’s the proof?”

Sol sighed in frustration. “We don’t HAVE proof. What we’re doing is making sure that they AREN’T the ones going out and murdering innocent dragons. But now that they’ve decided to take down two of my BEST DRAGONS, they’ve certainly made their way up my suspicion list.” She looked at them, noticing their mannerisms. Avoiding eye contact. Shifting. Tapping their claws in the sand, almost impatiently. Something was clearly wrong here.

“Why?” She asked.

They jolted. They weren’t expecting a direct confrontation. She internally noted, fighting the urge to smirk.

“I-I dunno. W-Winter was just really nice to me when I talked to him a few weeks ago...I just don’t think he’s the kind of dragon to murder.” They managed to stammer out. Sol was only becoming more suspicious. Were they hiding something, or were they just an idiot? Most of the time, with the dragons she actually interrogated, it was easy to tell. 

Nevertheless.

“I agree. I think it would be ludicrous for Prince Winter to go out and slaughter members of his own tribe. Even after his kingdom banished him, I doubt that he would be that angry after five years.” She drew the shape of a spiked dragon in the sand. The Enclave member paid attention closely, wondering where this was going. I should probably try to better remember the names of the dragons I’m in charge of. Sol thought gravely. She drew two other shapes, one with rounded-off horns, and another with sharp frills. It wasn’t perfect, but it got the point across. “While I personally believe that Prince Winter has no vendetta against the IceWings, I can’t say the same for that RainWing or the other SandWing. They all seem like friends, sure, but let me give you a special life lesson…” She looked at them, signaling for their name.

“Bronze.” 

“Bronze,” She repeated. “What makes murderers terrifying isn’t the fact that they’re willing to kill without mercy, or without explanation, no. What makes them scary…” She drove her claws right through her drawing of Winter. Then she drew circles around the SandWing and RainWing. “...is that they appear to be normal dragons, just like you and me. They hide in plain sight.” She erased her drawings by brushing over them with her tail, returning her gaze to Bronze. “Do you see why I’m having everyone look for these three? For all I know, Prince Winter could already be amongst the moons, but if there’s still a chance…” She paused intentionally, knowing that Bronze would finish the sentence.

“Then we have to save him and catch the killers!” Bronze cheered enthusiastically. They flashed her a big smile that she wanted to claw right off of their face. “Thanks boss. I appreciate you helping clear the air. I'll encourage the others to keep looking!” They declared, spreading their wings then taking off into the skies and creating a wave of sand that flew directly into her eyes. 

I hate them. I hate this entire settlement.

Things were so much simpler during the War. It may have been years ago for everyone else, but it felt like it was just yesterday for her. Villages of only SandWings. Every tribe stayed on their respective sides as tensions remained neutral across the three sisters. Each of them trying to kill each other. As a soldier, her life was easy. Wake up. Follow orders. Slaughter her enemies. Go home. Enjoy the little things. Go to bed. Repeat. 

Now everything was different. The tribes got along. Settlements like Sanctuary were popping up all over the continent, with more in the works seemingly every other week. Now all of the soldiers from the war had been given an offer to join the Enclave, an organization meant to keep the peace. There were members all over the continent now. Most of which were secret or nonchalant about it. Originally, she joined thinking that it would be the perfect distraction from her ex-war...fatigue. Whatever it was. But of course, the moons above had other ideas.

She was forced to keep the peace, and she hated it. Loathed it. 

What I wouldn’t give for just a little bit of classic destruction. She would often think to herself. She wouldn’t be the one to cause the chaos though, oh no. That could result in imprisonment, or worse, execution. No, what she needed was someone else to start anarchy, and she would just blend into the crowd. Joining in on the chaos, but once it subsided, only being a bystander within the destruction. She dreamed of it so often, she almost called it a fantasy.

If it didn’t come true.

Sol looked around to see if anybody was watching here. There were a few dragons out and about. No IceWings, of course. She could even see some of her own Enclave members flying over Sanctuary, searching for the missing prince and his friends, but she knew that they wouldn’t find them. If they were anywhere right now, they were likely at Jade Mountain, but the chaos this was causing was too great for her to pass up. She would prolong it as long as possible. There was just one problem.

Meerkat.

Meerkat was the leader of the Enclave. The boss of the bosses. The head honcho. Whatever other ludicrous nicknames the other dragons called him. He wanted to help everyone. Ensure the new world order went off without a hitch. That each tribe got along with each other. Telling them all again and again that the war was over, that the tyrant king was gone, that nobody had to hate each other anymore.

And it infuriated her.

She took a few more glances up and down the streets. Still, nobody was watching her. Smiling, she turned into an alleyway, hiding in the shadows. Once she was sure she was out of sight, she reached into the satchel she had wrapped around her neck and pulled out a small compass. Again, she looked around to be sure that she was not seen. She wasn’t. A few dragons scurried about, and she could hear the flap of wings overhead, searching for the missing prince and his two comrades, but she was alone. Nobody would disturb her.

She set the compass on the ground and pressed a small little button on the side. The needles inside of the artifact began spinning around madly. Small, cyan lights appeared from the glass of the object, flickering in and out before finally stopping in the air, forming the shape of a dragon with a hood on. His face was always obscured, she knew that, but she didn’t care. There were bigger things to worry about than the face of the individual she truly worked for. 

“Is the search going well?” The voice asked, masked by the layers of far-away communication. His animus power truly is incredible...objects like these could sell for thousands of gold coins! But I must stay focused. He can give me everything I want if I just obey.

I must not anger him, he could disembowel me in an instant.

“No, it’s not, just as you predicted it wouldn’t.” She answered. The voice giggled.

“Of course, of course. Keep distracting them all, I need time to fix the mistakes of the Wings down here. You understand that we cannot risk a single dragon finding this place, lest our search be all for nothing,” She nodded. “Good. This is why you’re my favorite dragon to work with, Sol. You do as you’re told, and do it beyond my expectations...though I do have a concern.” 

Sol swallowed her fear. “What might that be?”

“Those IceWings...the ones that were murdered...that seems too much of a coincidence, doesn’t it? The perfect murder to distract everyone while we repair the damages...you didn’t do anything you weren’t supposed to, did you?” She blinked a few times. Were the murders not part of the plan? She had figured that another member had gone and murdered the two IceWings, and she ran with it without question. But if it wasn’t us...then who?

“You can see inside my mind, sir. You likely would’ve killed me if I did something out of line.” He laughed again, a non-sinister, honest laugh that was much more terrifying than any bark of an evil dragon could muster. “Besides, couldn’t you just figure out who did it with the tap of a rock?” 

“Very true. Very, very true. I like how smart you are.” He hummed for a moment. “Yes, I have. The results were...quite surprising. The ones who ran away didn’t do it...it was a NightWing,” Sol tilted her head. “The strangest thing, isn’t it, Sol? Especially after the end of the IceWing-NightWing battle of Jade Mountain...why would a NightWing go out of their way to murder IceWings specifically?” It was a rhetorical question. She wouldn’t have been able to answer anyway. “Look into this, if you would, please.” He asked.

“I’ll get right on it. I’m sure the Enclave would be very appreciative of this tip, if you would let me give it to them.” Sol offered. The dragon in the image thought about it for a moment, staring off at something she couldn’t see. Then he nodded, the smile on his snout clear as day. She saw the tip of a spike at the top of his snout. SandWing. He was careless about his cloak today, but he’s never careless. Something is happening...but what?

“Sure. Yes. Give the Enclave the tip. Perhaps that will send them to Jade Mountain after they stop investigating. With the Enclave divided, there should be enough time to do repairs and then continue the mission. Excellent work, Sol. I’ll reward you when I see you again.”

She pondered on what that could mean. There was a sinister etch in his voice when he said “reward.” She would never admit it out loud, but there was a small part of her that didn’t trust animi. He knew this, but it never stood in their way. In fact, he mentioned that he found her distrust respectable and logical. The boss was a strange dragon, but anything to achieve what she wanted. Even if it meant selling her soul to the sun.

“Praise the Red Sun.” He said.

“Praise the Red Sun.” She echoed, pressing the button on the compass again, shutting off the image, leaving her alone in the alleyway.

Chapter Text

Five years.

Five years.

Five years.

The words replayed in his head over and over again. Chill could feel his legs start to give and his body was stumbling around. Doe stood poised nearby, ready to catch him or the things he might bump into. 

“F-Five years?!” He exclaimed. 

“Yeah? At least, I think it was yesterday. I’d have to check the sun scales again,” She raised her brow. “How...how long were you, well, you know--” She raised her front talons and flicked the air next to her head, pretending she was about to pass out.

“I-I don’t know,” He answered. “I just remember waking up in a forest, stumbling around and then realizing I…” He pulled at one of his bandages. Doe hummed. “How...how couldn’t I have known that? Why am I forgetting all of the people in my life? How come I can’t remember the names or faces of my own parents?” Tears in his eyes, he looked at Doe, who appeared very uncomfortable. “What’s wrong with me?” 

Doe coughed, looking at something behind him. Chill turned around and saw North and Amethyst standing in the doorway. Amethyst was signing something that he couldn’t understand, while North nodded, then stepped into the room. 

“Ch-Chill. I think we n-need to have a serious talk. F-Follow me, please,” North requested. Chil glanced behind him at Doe, but she wasn’t paying attention anymore. She was trying to look busy by adjusting and readjusting one of the sculptures again and again. Hanging his head and turning away from the exhibit, he followed the war-torn IceWing out of the Art Cave. Amethyst joined them, following Chill from behind. “Just a pr-precaution,” North whispered to him, seeing his gaze shift to the RainWing. Some students saw them in their line and started to mumble, too quiet for him to hear. 

I’m missing years worth of memories. I don’t even know my own age! But...if Darkstalker was defeated five years ago, and I had some time to be afraid of that...then I’m at least six or seven. He swallowed. How come I have this love for the Ice Kingdom but I’ve spent so long in the Night-Rain Kingdom with Orange? Did something happen? Was I just visiting? AARRGGH, I hate questions and I hate having them even more! His brain was spiraling down a dark tunnel of theories, speculations, and questions. Everything around him was becoming more and more disconnected. His left arm suddenly jolted with pain, causing him to yelp quietly. A nearby student giggled, but said nothing. North turned around, but when Chill didn’t speak, he continued walking.

Eventually they reached North’s cave, now proudly boasting a purple cloth at the entrance. Engraved on a wooden slab and hung on the top were the words “COUNSELING,” which made him grimace. North walked through the curtains, Chill following close behind. Amethyst's talons against the cave floor disappeared as soon as he walked all the way into the room. He began to silently admire the simplicity of the cave, something that he really hadn’t before. The stone slab at the back of the cave that North set all of his parchment on had only a small green plant sitting comfortably in a brown pot, only feeding on the air of its surroundings. Chill folded his wings closer to his body, creating a small draft and making the tapestry on the side of the wall flutter a bit. North walked around the slab, then sat at the center once he was behind it. He gently brushed a small stack of parchment out of the way, sat his talons comfortably on the surface, then stared at Chill with an intense gaze. 

“S-So Chill, I’ve heard f-from the other t-teachers th-that you’ve been talking about a R-RainWing named O-Orange, yes?” He asked. Chill’s ears immediately shot up and he locked eyes with the counselor. He could feel his heart thumping in his chest already as his mind spun into a frenzy of questions.

Does he know who Orange is?

Is Orange here in the academy? Ready to finally find me?

But five years have passed with no memories...would she even remember me?

Of course she would remember me! Who knows how long I’ve even been away. While I may be missing at least five years worth of memories, that doesn’t mean I’ve been missing in general for five years! That would be impossible!

But improbable?

What does that even mean? You’re just thinking random things!

Don’t start this again.

Chill blinked a few times, slightly shivering. He pushed away his sudden flurry of thoughts as well as he could, trying to focus on North. 

“Y-Yes!” He finally managed to squeak out. North raised a brow, but didn’t question his reaction. 

“Well, y-you see, Ch-Chill,” He began, tapping the slab more rapidly. “W-We’ve received word f-from the Night-Rain K-Kingdom that th-they may have found s-someone who knows th-this dragon,” Chill’s eyes only got wider. His past worries were fading into the background. He frantically began looking around the cave, expecting someone to show up with all of the answers to his questions. Perhaps everything would make sense after all. Unfortunately, when he turned around again, North was giving him a distraught look. “P-Please calm down. I-I can s-see from your exp-pressions that this O-Orange was very sp-special to you. B-But, he can’t be h-here for t-two days, because he has an in-injured wing. I-Is that okay?”

“Yes! Yes, that’s great! I can wait, thank you! Thank you so much!” North looked surprised at his sudden tone change, but Chill couldn’t be bothered to notice it. Finally! Finally, this will all be over! The thoughts eliminated all of his negative thoughts, except for one. “Um...just, one question?” North nodded, prompting him to continue. “Well, these two days are probably going to be...um, really long, so...what should I do while I wait?” Surprisingly, North smiled. 

“T-Today is your f-free day, of course. Th-The next two d-days will be p-packed with your c-classes. I-In the meantime, I w-would recommend th-that you get to know your cl-clawmates more! Y-You could make some n-new friends!” Chill glanced at the ground. “Ch-Chill? What’s wrong? D-Do you not like your w-winglet?” Chill swallowed.

“I-It’s not that. They’re fine, I guess. I just--don’t really know anything about them...or me. I don’t really have any interests...not that I can think of, anyway. The only thing that I’m certain of is...Orange. That and, uh, scrolls, I guess?” North tilted his head quizzically.

“No writing? D-Drawing? Hunting? Singing? I-Instruments you play?” With each prompt he shook his head. North hummed. “Th-This could be an issue…” His confused frown suddenly turned into a cheerful smile. “O-Or an opport-tunity! Ch-Chill! You can t-try different things u-until you find s-something that speak to y-you!” 

“I mean, yeah, I guess so.” 

“It’s s-scary, I know. B-But if you t-try different things, y-you might regain a m-memory, hm?” Chill knew that was true. He recalled when Amethyst asked him about scrolls, prompting a brief conversation between him and Orange. But when he began recounting the other memories he had, his mind went to the ominous one with Komodo, Orange’s brother. Another tizzy of questions came to light whenever he tried to guess where that chat was going. There was an uncomfortable understanding awakening in him. A general feeling that he couldn’t ignore. 

“Sir...I...I’ve had a memory recently that I’m...scared of.” He cast a brief glance at North, who sat waiting patiently for him to continue. “I...I don’t know why I’m so worried about it, but...I’m afraid that if I remember everything...I’m not gonna like what I see. I-I just have this pit feeling in my stomach that something bad is going to happen once I know…”

North nodded. “I-I understand that. The r-real world can be p-pretty scary sometimes,” He said with a sad smile, gently lifting up one of his wings so he could see the war scars. Even as an IceWing, it made him shiver. Why is the fact that I’m an IceWing so trivial to me? Shouldn’t it be part of who I am? “But even so, w-we have to push onwards even in th-the face of the sc-scary truth. I-It’s a lot easier t-to go through i-if you have someone at y-your side, because they’ll be w-willing to help you through a-anything.” 

“Are you saying that I should have friends?”

“I-I’m saying you sh-shouldn’t be al-lone.”

Chill was silent after that. He knew he wasn’t alone, he had Orange, and maybe even other friends in the Night-Rain Kingdom, which then made him wonder: why wasn’t he getting memories of his other friends--if he had any? Is it because I don’t have any? His social skills weren’t the best, but he was in a new situation. If he lived in the Night-Rain Kingdom, or a nearby settlement (that was IceWing friendly, surely?), he would have gotten accustomed to his surroundings. He looked down at his talons, suddenly feeling like a stranger in his own body. 

“Wh-Why don’t you go g-get some rest for today? Y-You’ve had a really st-stressful week. You deserve some sl-sleep.” North suggested. “Th-The sun will be s-setting in a few hours, it’s okay t-to turn in early. Besides, it’s a p-pretty big day tomorrow.” As much as Chill wanted to argue, to try and find out more about himself, he couldn’t deny his exhaustion. 

“Yeah...yeah that sounds nice,” Maybe I’ll get a new memory while I’m asleep. He nodded his head, then turned to leave. As he parted the curtain, however, he looked behind him. “Ah...thank you, North.” The scarred IceWing smiled at him.

“It’s wh-what I’m here for. I-I’ll see you tomorrow,” He left it at that, walking through the purple fabric and back out into the caverns of the academy. He expected Amethyst to be waiting for him, but the RainWing was nowhere to be found. The halls were more barren than they were moments ago, only a few small clusters of dragons talking in corners. Passing by the main entrance, he could see the sun falling behind the mountains, a beautiful array of yellow, orange, and brown coloring the sky. The clouds swirling above the peaks and flying away into the distance. Chill chuckled at his own wordplay. 

Maybe I am something of a writer, after all. He thought about making a dash for the exit again, but as soon as he did, his wing jolted with pain. Wincing, he dragged himself away from the thought of escape.

Someone knows something about Orange, and they’ll be here in two days. Is it Komodo? Someone else in the Kingdom? He shook his head, following the engravings on the walls towards his cave. Doesn’t matter. Someone has answers, and I just have to wait two days to get them. Maybe if I get more memories we can compare what we know and form a story.

Figure out who I am.

The prospect filled him with excitement. Tired excitement, but excitement nonetheless. Passing by a rather tall, muscular (albeit a bit chubby) SeaWing, he eventually came across the sleeping cave where Soulfinder still lay. Looking up at the top of the archway, he now saw a large piece of metal smashed into the wall, displaying three names. Each a member of his winglet. Soulfinder, Catfish, and Lavender. Oh, okay. I think I get it. He glanced inside again before continuing his walk. Bit big just for three dragons, though. You could fit an entire winglet in there if you tried.

Maybe that’s the idea? Give us big spaces so we can all be together?

I wish they told me more about the school itself while I was cleaning it up.

He passed her sleeping cave and came across another one right next to it. This one has his name on it, along with Obsidian’s name. He sighed, stepping inside the cave and finding a very similar layout to the sleeping cave Soulfinder currently rested in. 

 The sun shone brightly through a small opening in the side of the cave wall, casting a bright ray of light directly on top of the large slab of ice. It seemed to be waiting for him. Walking as quietly as he could towards the slab, he brushed away any illogical implications of the slab and sat atop it. It didn’t feel cold at all. In fact, it was probably the most homey thing he’d interacted with since waking up in the forest. Laying down, he let the cool sensation of the ice lull him to sleep, his brain still ticking away as usual. 

I hope this dragon knows something that can help me.

Is Soulfinder still mad at us?

I wonder what the others are up to right now.

How has this ice not melted yet? Magic? Is that even possible?

His brain seemed to latch onto that question, struggling to think of how it was possible. His eyes drooped as the beams of the sun dipped through the window gap and warmed his scales slightly. 

Is magic real? Surely not, right?

But it really seems to be the only explanation...does that mean someone here is magical?

Darkstalker did impossible things. He was enormous from what the scrolls said.

I swear there’s a word for it. Magic...magic...agic…ah…

A...an…

He lost consciousness before he could think of the word.

Chapter Text

When Chill opened his eyes, he found that he wasn’t in a memory. Well, if it was a memory, it was certainly the most strange one he’s had yet. He was standing in an empty void, completely surrounded by several strands of chains, leading off into infinity both above and below. There was some sort of chanting echoing throughout the space, but he couldn’t make out the words. An invisible force compelled him to start walking. There was no destination in mind, he just felt that it was the right thing to do. A few times he would pass by one of the chains and reach out to grab it. Putting his talons around one, he instantly recoiled from how cold they were. Even as an IceWing, they were still freezing to the touch. An irrational fear of his scales freezing over as soon as he touched one again came into his mind, and he avoided interacting with any of the other ones.

He suddenly felt the urge to call out into the darkness.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” As soon as the words went out of his mouth, that’s when he knew it wasn’t a memory. Right now, he was in control. Am I having a lucid dream? A nightmare? He was surprised that he knew what the difference between the two were. His love for scrolls was apparent--was it too far fetched to suggest that he might have been interested in science? The science behind the brain, maybe? Now he was getting ahead of himself. He called out again, but there was still no answer.  The only response to his plea was the echo of his own words within the unending cave he was in. He turned around, wanting to know if he had even made any progress with his walking, but all of the chains looked the same. He looked down at his talons, now noticing that all of his bandages and wounds were completely gone. Okay, yeah. Definitely dreaming right now. With that in mind, he spread his wings out to fly and leapt into the empty sky, carefully avoiding the chains as he glided through the area. Looking around for anything different at all, anything other than those cold, long, strung together pieces of metal. As he flew, he could feel his muscles almost relax. He couldn’t remember the last time he took a long flight like this. Great, now part of me doesn’t want to wake up.

But he flew onwards. This was the most lucid dream that he could remember, and he wasn’t about to give it up. His wings growing tired, he glided down to land--right before quickly realizing that he couldn’t exactly tell where the ground was, so as soon as his talons felt physical ground, he fell forward and rolled across the void until stopping right in front of a small mess of more chains. Chill growled, now more frustrated than ever. Is this supposed to be symbolic, or just a really weird nightmare? I can’t even fly around properly because of all of these stupid chains! He sighed, crawled off of the ground, then continued walking. With nothing better to do, he stopped in front of a chain in his path and stared at it. The chains were essentially glowing. A slight, white-blue glow with frost coating the metal it was made out of. Cautiously, he reached out to tap it with one of his claws, instead of grabbing it. Doing so made a clinking noise that echoed through the entire chamber, but nothing else happened. Unimpressed, he started walking again, hoping that the nightmare would be over soon.

“Why didn’t she tell me?”

A voice. His head snapped back towards the chain. When nothing else came out of it, he crept closer. He raised his talon to tap on the chain again, but the voice came from it before he could. “We could’ve done something. I could’ve done something. Doesn’t she know that I would’ve torn apart the entire continent just to find a cure?” Cure? What cure? What is this voice? Do I know this dragon? The voice was female, not one he’d heard before. Or perhaps it was another case of someone he knew, but didn’t remember. He got closer to the chain, wanting to hear more, but this time another voice spoke.

“You know her, she’s stubborn. She thinks she can handle everything herself.” Chill’s heart went cold. Komodo. Were they talking about Orange? Was she sick? 

“If that was the case, how did YOU find out?” Komodo’s voice didn’t say anything after that, and the chain stopped glowing. Instinctually, Chill grabbed the chain, then immediately pulled back as soon as the cold enveloped his scales. The chain didn’t glow at his touch either. Why, why, why? Every time I think I’m closer to getting an answer it’s ripped away at the last second! 

“Who are you? Where am I? Why is this happening to me? ANSWER ME!” He screamed into the darkness. As if the environment was answering him, a nearby chain started to glow brighter than the others. He bolted to it, putting his ear up to it as close as he could without getting the freezing feeling. 

“All the same, I’d like to get this over with.” The female voice again. She was a recurring character in these chains, but why? His only clue was that she had some sort of connection to Komodo, and possibly Orange. 

“So you would, NightWing, but as far as I’m concerned--we should be on even grounds now. You took away my mate, I have taken away yours.” A new, older, gruffier voice responded. The voice sounded a little bit like North, but was way too ancient. The thought that this voice was a relative passed his mind, but as far as he could tell he had no history with North or his family. If I did, North might have recognized me on the spot at the healing center when we first met. But that wasn’t the thing he wanted to focus on. From the voice’s words, apparently the female voice was a NightWing who had…taken away his mate. Did she leave him for her? Or worse…did this NightWing…he didn’t finish the thought.

“What happened to her was an accident! I’ve told you time and again, you’re a despicable, miserable excuse for an IceWing. Your entire bloodline has been hiding away while the world fought an unwinnable war that a bunch of…a bunch of kids had to fight for you! You could’ve ended it with a thought, but you hid yourself away!”

“The price of animus magic is far too vast for you to understand.”

The chain stopped glowing, but the word he was searching for before he fell into this strange realm was finally in his mind. Animus. Information flowed into his brain about them as soon as he thought of the word.

Animus dragons were dragons gifted with special powers. Magic. Magic that they could do literally anything they wanted with. They could do simple things like turn a stone bowl into a pound of cow meat, or grand things like cast illusions and manipulate other dragons…just like Darkstalker did all those years ago. All of this power came at a heavy cost, however. While there was much speculation over whether or not animus magic actually affected the mind of the dragon, it was eventually decided that every time you use animus magic, it does affect some part of your mind/soul, turning you darker and darker until you go insane. The most notable cases included Albatross, a SeaWing from Darkstalker’s time who murdered nearly the entire royal family during a dinner party--save from a few, and of course, Darkstalker himself.

Thinking about Darkstalker made him shiver again. 

Then he realized something was touching his back leg. 

He spun his head around and pulled his legs away, seeing a small chain had appeared out of the ground and had begun to wrap itself around his leg before he reacted, and it vanished into the darkness. His breathing quickened. Okay, that was weird. Stomping out his desire to wake up, he walked further into the depths of the dream, waiting for another chain to start glowing--but none did. Instead, the chains around him seemed to be getting a lot closer than usual. Turning around, he gasped as several chains slithering like snakes were heading straight towards him. He began frantically looking around in every direction, noticing the chains were leaning towards him--nearly touching his scales. 

No!

Chill snapped out of his trance and took to the skies, barely avoiding an attack from one of the snake-chains. It didn’t stop the hanging chains from trying to grab him, however. He duck, dove, swerved, and spun his way through several of the frozen chains. A few managed to graze his scales, and every time they did he could feel himself freezing in the air--stumbling towards the snake-chains on the ground. They were so cold, colder than anything that he could ever remember interacting with--including the worst nights of the Ice Kingdom that he could conjure. It was like his very mind was freezing with every slight touch against the metal.

Another chain swung from the above darkness, reaching for his neck. He adjusted his flight just in time to avoid it, but instead landed right in the clutches of a floating chain to the side. As soon as his teal scales rubbed against the frozen metal, his entire body froze up again, and he plummeted to the ground. If the impact had hurt, he couldn’t feel it. The pain from the freeze was overpowering. He couldn’t feel anything else. 

Please, can I wake up now? Please, please, it hurts so much. Please.

“This is all your fault.”

The chains began wrapping around his body, trapping him in the worst feeling of pain and discomfort he could imagine. As each one wrapped around his body, they all started to glow. They began whispering to him. A collective of voices he didn’t recognize as well as familiar ones.

“Everything that’s happened is a result of what you’ve done.”

“Leave! Just, leave! I can’t handle you anymore!”

“Useless brat.”

“Why don’t you take a swim in the destroyed volcano?”

“I love you.”

“I killed her for you! I did it all for you!”

“Just leave me alone!”

Before he could pass out from the pain and the chains enveloped his entire body, he saw a large glowing doorway pierce the darkness, appearing right in front of him. Inside this doorway, the silhouette of a dragon stepped through. Before he could get a good look at who they were, the chains consumed him, and he fell further and further into the darkness of sleep.

* * *

Chill woke up sweating. It felt like he hadn’t been breathing. He reached up to his neck and felt his scales, expecting the cold, agonizing feeling of the chains but there was nothing. He felt the ground around him, seeing that it was full of color. He was sitting on top of the very block of ice that he fell asleep on, just in a different position. The cold that he felt coming off of the block wasn’t painful, but comforting. He remembered the breathing exercises that North taught him. In, and out, in, and out. Soon enough, his heart stopped pounding in his ears. He felt whole again. 

“Chill? Chill, Chill, easy buddy, easy…you’re here. You’re with us now.” Smoke’s voice suddenly said. Chill slowly moved his head towards the voice, seeing the crimson SkyWing looking at him, concern plastered all over his face. Beside him was Lavender, looking even more concerned, her scales shifting all sorts of colors between green, white, and blue. Nobody else was in the cave. Looking out the little hole in the wall, he saw that the sun had somehow gone backwards in time, now barely coming over the horizon.

“How…how long was I out?” He asked, worried about the answer. 

“You were out. I walked in here to get my satchel yesterday and you were fast asleep. When I came back at night you were still out, so I left you alone. I woke up this morning and…” Smoke paused, casting a nervous glance at Lavender. “...and saw you having a…pretty nasty nightmare. Are you…alright?” Chill didn’t know how to answer that. He looked down at his claws, noticing that all of his bandages had returned and his body was aching again. His wings already longed for the freedom of flight--even if it wasn’t real. 

“Y-Yeah I…I’m fine,” He lied. “Just a…nasty nightmare, like you said. I’ll be okay.” Smoke didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press any further. 

“Well now that you’re awake, you should come hang out with us! We still have a lot of time to explore the academy, and I haven’t even looked at my schedule yet! Hm, we should probably do that soon, huh? I mean, we’ll have all of our classes together since we’re in a winglet, so we should probably start memorizing it by now.” Lavender spun on, the darker colors in her scales shifting to the yellow and pink he was used to seeing her in. Smoke chuckled.

“That’s a good idea. Here, let me grab my satchel, I left my scroll there.” He said, walking over to a small shelf with several scrolls on it and picking up a brown satchel leaning against it. Was that always there? Chill tried to stand but found that all of his back legs had fallen asleep, so he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Smoke rummaged around through his bag until he pulled out a fresh scroll, neatly wrapped in a red ribbon. He pulled off the red ribbon and gently put it on the large stone next to him, then unrolled the parchment. He studied it for a moment before wandering back to them and flattening it on the ground for them all to look at. Chill had to learn over the edge of the ice block to take a look. Smoke was already pointing to the place of interest--the schedule.

Ruby Winglet - Year One

Nightday - Self Defense (Clay) - Dragon Culture (Fatespeaker)

Seaday - Reading and Writing (Starflight

Sanday - Biology (Webs) 

Iceday - Physical Activity (Sunny)

Mudday - Arts and Crafts (Doe)

Skyday - Free

Rainday - Free

Year one. Of what? Four, maybe? I could ask the Jade Winglet. They’ve been here the longest, I think.

“Two free days in a row? Nice!” Lavender said excitedly. Smoke chuckled again.

“Every winglet gets two free days. Ours are just on Skyday and Rainday,” he explained. “I compared notes with some of the members of the Amethyst Winglet yesterday and found that out myself. We also have some classes with them, so I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that we have classes with other winglets as well.”

“Like the Jade Winglet?” Chill found himself asking. 

Smoke nodded. “I’d think so, but probably just one. They’ve really been through all of the classes already and are close to graduating. That’s gotta be scary for them. Imagine when we get there.” Chill hadn’t even thought about graduating. To him, this was all a temporary arrangement until he got his memories back and could go home. What if I don’t get my memories back?

No, that’s impossible. I’m already getting some of them back piece by piece. Even if it takes all four years here, I’m going to get them back. 

“Looks like we got lucky,” Smoke continued, “Today is Skyday, so we’ll be free the rest of today and tomorrow.”

“I feel bad for the winglets who’s last free day was yesterday. That means they gotta wait so long before their break! But I guess it’s also pretty bad for us, because we’re gonna be so BORED before classes start! I mean, yeah, the academy’s big, but with my speed I’ll probably memorize all of the locations in twenty minutes!” Lavender rambled.

Chill smiled. The energetic demeanor of the RainWing made him feel comfortable. Maybe it was because she reminded her of Orange. Or maybe I’m just that lonely. 

“Where did everybody else go?” Chill asked. 

“Catfish and Oak went to the music cave. Apparently Qibli and Snail are giving some sort of performance there, and Catfish wanted to check it out. Oak seems to follow her around for some reason.”

“I can imagine the reason~” Lavender giggled, which made Smoke roll his eyes.

“Anyway, I haven’t seen Soulfinder since I woke up, and Obsidian is probably off brooding in a corner somewhere. That, or he’s hanging out in the library. Or maybe both, who knows,” He shrugged. “It’s just us three right now…which actually reminds me.” Smoke looked over at Lavender, who was currently distracted by tracing an invisible image on the ground. “Hey, Lavender, do you mind leaving the cave for a minute? I gotta talk to Chill about something.” 

The RainWing was startled at first, but then she sighed. 

“Fiiiine. But you guys better not take long! I’m not getting abandoned like I did yesterday!” The offhand comment stung Chill slightly. He’d been so caught up in his own head that he completely blew off Lavender the previous day, and he hadn’t even thought about how that made him feel. Before he could apologize, however, Lavender had already left the cave and Smoke was now staring directly at him, looking very serious.

“Okay, so, I’ve been thinking about the prophecy that Soulfinder blurted out yesterday, and I think I’ve got some theories that I wanted to share with you.” He told him, his voice barely a whisper. Though he wouldn’t admit it to the SkyWing with how excited he looked, Chill didn’t want anything to do with the prophecy. He had his own problems to solve, and the thought of another one being added to the pile was nearly enough to make him cry. But Soulfinder certainly isn’t going to help him, and I was the only one in here when she uttered it…so I guess it has to be me. But still, there’s nothing in the prophecy that even relates to me. 

“So the first stanza is a bit strange, but I think it’s metaphorical. ‘A hatred born long after peace’ implies some sort of new grudge from someone against someone else. Maybe a dragon versus dragon kind of deal, or a new war? I…I would hope not, but then the second line kinda elaborates on that. ‘A change in tides.’ Maybe something to do with the SeaWin--”

“AAAAHHHH!”

The two males snapped their heads towards the cave entrance. It was empty for a moment, but then Lavender came bolting through the entryway, looking terrified.

“That wasn’t one of you two, right?” She asked in a panic.

“No.” Smoke answered, a hint of dread in his voice. Lavender’s eyes went wide as she scrambled and ran out of the cave. Smoke stumbled for a moment, grabbing his satchel and calling after her. Chill ignored the complaints of his back legs and launched himself off of the ice block, running after the two. He darted out of the cave, seeing several students looking around the halls in a panic. Lavender disappeared down a corridor, Smoke following close behind. Chill started after them, limping slightly but managing to keep the pace. After turning the corridor, he saw that a SkyWing with pink scales was currently backing out of a cave, looking absolutely horrified. Lavender and Smoke had already approached her, rapidly asking questions, but all she could do was stammer and point at the entrance. When Chill finally caught up to them, they had turned their heads to see what was in the cave. Lavender gasped, tears streaming down her face, while Smoke was staring in shock. Chill had a glance for himself and his heart stopped.

There, directly in the middle of the cave with a carving hanging over the entrance, similar to the one he read above his own sleeping cave, that read: “Ermine | Grimm,” was the horribly mutilated body of an IceWing, clawmarks and gashes covering their scales in the same way Chill had been discovered in the woods only a week ago.

Only this time, this IceWing was most certainly dead.

Chapter Text

“Attention everyone in all Winglets, please turn your eyes and ears to the main stage.” Sunny yelled over all the talking. Despite her yelling, her voice was calm and assertive, quieting the assembly hall. Chill found it impressive that she had that commanding power over all of her students. Only barely an hour ago had they stumbled across the body of the IceWing--a student named Ermine--and the entire academy had gone into mass panic. Some students had tried to fly out of the entrance, but members of the Jade and Gold Winglet as well as the teachers themselves had forced everyone back inside for this very announcement. 

“Thank you all for quieting down and being here. I understand that this is an extremely intense situation, so I’ll try to keep this short. I won’t downplay anything, as I’m sure you’re all very aware of it. Only moments ago, the body of a student here named Ermine was found deceased in the Quartz Winglet cave. This was an act of malicious behavior, and was a complete oversight on the safety of our students. For that, Jade Mountain takes full responsibility. Queen Snowfall has graciously let her kingdom back into our arms with promises that we have tried so very hard to keep, and we have promised to change for the better, but today has clearly proven that something is wrong with our system, so allow Tsunami to take the stage and explain what will happen next.” She bowed slightly, exiting the center platform, where Tsunami took the stage instead. Chill paid attention to the expressions of the staff members. 

Clay looked conflicted. Obviously, his face painted a world of worry, but he also looked confused as well, as if he was asking himself: Who could’ve done such a thing? Starflight was a bit harder to read, due to the bandages around his eyes, but Fatespeaker translated all of his emotions for him, whispering things into his ear with him nodding every now and then. Not once did Starflight’s frown fade. Sunny looked…empty. Her expression wasn’t mournful, confused, worried, or scared, or anything that everyone else was feeling. She was just staring ahead, not even looking at Tsunami. Chill tried to follow her gaze to see where she was looking, discovering that she was only staring at the cave wall. The new staff members were nowhere to be seen.

Tsunami was easy to read. She was furious.

“I need everyone to please remain calm as I explain what’s going to happen next,” There were already very quiet murmurs at other tables, but nothing that he could make out. “Classes are going to be extremely stressful the next couple of days, and we recognize that. As such, all classes will be canceled until the one who did this atrocious crime is caught and properly punished. It may comfort you to know that we’ve already begun the process of solving this crime, so everything will return to normal, with a few more exceptions.

“We will now have patrol guards from both the Jade Winglet and Gold Winglets respectively watching the halls of each corner in Jade Mountain until further notice, and at all times. All students are required to travel with one other dragon at all times, and everyone will have a mandatory curfew of sundown. Any dragon seen roaming the halls after the sun sets will be punished and sent to the detention room, where they will be supervised until the morning, and required to do extra work for all of their classes once they resume, along with mandatory work around the academy.” This had the entire hall in silence. It was easy to tell by Tsunami’s tone how deadly serious she was. His mind flashed to all of the preparation work he had to do before the academy opened, and no part of him wanted to repeat any of that.

“Alongside that, one of our newest staff members, Doe, has given us a way that we can track down this killer by analyzing the talon marks left at the scene. Over the next couple of hours, or even days, we will be individually calling you out of your winglets and taking you to the main office for comparison. Rest assured, that if the perpetrator is found, there will be dire, devastating consequences. I hope with these standards you can now understand how seriously we’re taking this.

“Before you’re dismissed, Axel will be coming around with small pieces of parchment. On it, you’ll write who you’re going to be partnered with when roaming the halls. Whether or not you wish to stay within your winglet is up to you. If you so choose, you can have a group of three individuals, but no more.” Tsunami flared her wings. “Myself and Sunny will be sending a message to Queen Snowfall directly at this time, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask any other staff member. You’ll all be sent to your caves shortly. Thank you.” She brought her wings back to her body and walked away from the center. Quiet hung in the air for a moment before little, whispered conversations began to arise, and then the hall exploded with conversation. Chill turned to his winglet.

“This is awful.” Smoke muttered, his expression barely hiding his despair.

“Murder is unacceptable. It bothers me that someone can simply just…end one’s life without any concern,” Obsidian agreed, slightly shocking Chill. He hadn’t expected the serious, brooding SandWing to be sympathetic. “The killer likely already got away. If it happened during the night like most suspect that it did, then nothing was stopping them from flying straight out of the front entrance.”

So that was it? Some random dragon posed as a student, murdered an IceWing for no reason, and then took off? Why? What was the point? Was there a point?

Axel came over to their group and gently placed down a piece of parchment and a little bottle of ink, giving them all a gentle smile. 

“Whenever you’re done, meet me at the exit and hand it to me, then you’re free to leave here.” He said quietly, then quickly moved to another table before any of them could thank him (if any of them were going to in the first place, that was). 

“Hold on a moment, SandWing--” Oak said. Obsidian snapped his head towards him, giving him a fierce glare.

“Obsidian.” 

“Right, yes, apologies,” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying, I’ve spent a while under Queen Moorhen’s rule, and one of our little ‘traditions’ was to go around and be sure that all workers were accounted for. We didn’t want anybody slacking off when there were things to be done, of course.”

“Get to the point, you’re giving me a headache.” Soulfinder snapped. Smoke perked his ears up slightly, then coughed and lowered them when he saw her attention shift to him. 

“I would if you would stop INTERRUPTING me, THANK YOU,” He waited for a moment to see if anybody would say anything else, but when no one did, he continued. “What I’m saying is that I’m good at counting dragons. It was never required, but I always did it subconsciously,” He leaned in closer to the table, setting his stick down next to him. It clattered on the cave floor, but he didn’t seem to care. “I did it during the main assembly. While it was droning on, I counted every single student and staff member in the cave, and I just did it again.”

“How many were there?” Catfish asked.

“Ten staff members, forty-nine students, plus that one extra IceWing. Sixty in total.” 

Chill hesitated before asking. “How many…are there now?” Oak looked at him with the most serious expression he’d seen from the MudWing.

“It’s obvious that we’ve lost one, and I thought that the new staff members were missing until I saw them at the exit to the assembly hall…so I re-counted and…well, there’s no easy way to say this but…

“Quit building tension, this is serious!” Obsidian snapped, slamming his claw down on the table, earning a few glances from nearby Winglets. Oak nodded, picking his stick off of the ground and clutching it tightly. 

“Fifty-nine.”

Everyone’s eyes were on Oak.

“ What? ” Obsidian growled.

“My counting has never been wrong. I always check and double-check. We’re only missing one student, and it’s the one who’s…ah, well, you know.” He said defiantly, striking the stick on the ground as if it were a staff of a spear.

“I trust him. If he says he’s never wrong, then I believe it.” Catfish agreed, gently putting a wing around the small MudWing. He shivered, but didn’t pull away from the contact. Smoke was sputtering.

“B-But that would imply th-that--”

“The murderer is somewhere in this very room.” Oak confirmed. 

Chill stared at the blank parchment sitting on the table. The mood amongst his Winglet was palpable. He tried reading their expressions. Obsidian looked deep in thought, if not slightly angry about the revelation. Smoke was distraught, even more than he was moments ago. Oak looked slightly pleased with himself, but still upset. Catfish looked like she was trying to comfort him, gently putting her claw on top of his, holding it and squeezing it lightly. Chill never knew much about her, but she seemed to be a very affectionate dragon. Soulfinder just looked tired, which he guiltily realized was probably his fault, if what Lavender and Smoke said to him was true. His gaze switched over to Lavender, who sat right next to him. She hadn’t said a word the entire time. Her scales were covered in white and a sickly green, tints of blue here and there. Chill slowly tapped her shoulder, getting her attention.

“You…okay?” He dared to ask. Lavender looked at him, forcing a smile. 

“Yeah! I’m…” She trailed off, not even bothering to keep up the cheerful facade. “I’m scared. That IceWing’s body is just…repeating over and over and over in my head…it’s awful.” She told him. Chill nodded. He couldn’t stop thinking about Ermine’s body either. However, the only thing that he could think about was that Ermine’s injuries were frighteningly similar to his own. 

“I’m scared too.” He admitted, his voice only barely above a whisper. Lavender gave him a little chuckle. 

“Guess we better stick together, huh?” She said. Before Chill could say anything, she grabbed the parchment and dipped her talon in the inkwell. She looked at him for permission, and when Chill didn’t detest, she started to write their names down together. At first, Chill found it impressive that she was able to write. From what he could remember from his time with Orange, reading and writing had only barely begun to surface within the Night-Rain Kingdom. Until he actually looked at the parchment and found that her writing was very shaky, and her spelling wasn’t…the greatest. 

“Yeah, not the greatest at writing, am I?” She said, as if reading his mind. “That’s alright though, I’m learning. Or at least, trying to.” 

“N-No no! It’s good! You did good!” He tried to reassure her, which only made her giggle. 

“How do you spell your name? Exactly like it sounds, right?” He nodded, and she got to work. Once she was done, she slid the parchment and ink over to Smoke. “Y’know, I’ve been wanting to hang out with you a lot ever since we met.” He titled his head.

“R-Really? I-I’m probably the least interesting dragon here.” He argued. Lavender shook her head.

“Every dragon has a story to tell. I’d…I’d like to know yours, sometime. If you want.” Her words were eerily similar to something someone else said to him, but he couldn’t think of who. His mind was only focused on Lavender, but even so, he somehow knew exactly what to say.

“Only if you tell me yours.” Her smile returned, and it was real.

“Deal.” 

They smiled at each other for a while, before breaking their eye contact and laughing awkwardly. Chill saw Smoke absentmindedly write his name on the parchment, right below Lavender’s writing, before sliding it over to Oak and Catfish. Even he could tell that those two would pair themselves together. Like Smoke had said the previous day, they were practically attached at the hip. Glancing at Soulfinder, he guessed that she would prefer to stay locked up in their sleeping cave if it meant that she didn’t have to interact with anyone, and he wasn’t sure what Obsidian would do. It was difficult trying to read him.

So now you’re going to spend more time with Lavender, that’s interesting.

I guess so, maybe it’ll take my mind off of everything that’s been going on.

Honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t completely exploded from all of the garbage you’ve had to deal with. Memory loss, physical injuries, all of your Orange drama…and now a murderer on the loose in the school. 

Don’t remind me…

How can I not? I’m YOU.

The parchment slid back over to him, as well as the inkwell. He couldn’t help himself from looking at the names on the paper. Of course, it was him and Lavender, that came as no surprise. Right underneath their names were Smoke and Obsidian (which made him raise a brow when he realized that Obsidian willingly wrote his name next to Smoke’s) Soulfinder, unsurprisingly, elected to scribble her name at the bottom of the page, and then the other group were obviously Oak and Catfish. He wasn’t sure if Axel was going to accept the parchment with Soulfinder being partnerless, but the task was done, and he wanted to leave the assembly hall. Looking around, he noticed that most of the other winglets had already left, but a few remained and were still working on their parchment. 

Silently, the winglet left the table and made their way to the exit. Chill handed Axel the parchment, nodding at the names individually until he got to the bottom, where he quietly asked Soulfinder if she could stay a moment. Smoke offered to wait for her, but she shot him down with a glare. The halls were quieter than he was expecting them to be. The mood of the announcement was weighing on everybody, it was easy to tell. 

“I’ll never understand what her problem is.” He heard Smoke grumble.

“I’d guess that she just wants to be alone,” Obsidian pitched in. Smoke made a face at that remark, but didn’t respond. “It’s not our problem, anyhow. All we have to do is wait for all this to vanish and everything will go back to normal.”

“How can you say that?” Catfish whirled around to give him a disgusted look. “Someone’s been murdered in this school and you’re just going to brush it off like seaweed in your claws?” Obsidian stalked towards her, straightening his posture to tower over her. Chill suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

“Did you know him? The IceWing?”

“No, but what does--”

“That’s the point. None of us knew who this dragon was, so it isn’t our problem,” He looked at them all, one by one, his eyes finishing on Chill. “Dragons are only feeling sad right now because they’re scared. Because it’s the right emotion to feel. To feel ‘sad.’ However, the reality is that none of you really care, and neither do I. We’ll all move on from this as if we merely injured our wing.”

“Wasn’t it you who said that murder was unacceptable?” Oak challenged. Obsidian turned to face the small MudWing, nodding slightly.

“I did, and it’s true. Murder is an unforgiveable crime, no matter what the circumstances. However, what’s done is done, and nothing we do is going to change that. The sooner you all accept that, the happier you’ll be with your lives.” Chill couldn’t help but think of his nightmare, comparing what Obsidian had said with something that he heard: 

“You’ve taken away my mate, I have taken away yours.”

“What happened to her was an accident!”

“What if…what if it wasn’t intentional?” Chill whispered to himself. Unfortunately, Obsidian was close enough to hear. 

“Wasn’t intentional?” The SandWing echoed, slowly turning back around to creep towards him. “Are you implying that the murder of this IceWing was an accident ?” He hissed. Chill slunk backwards, unable to answer, while Obsidian only got closer and closer. “You just can’t stand the thought of one of your own committing a crime, can you? The thought of an IceWing stepping out of line just infuriates you, doesn’t it? Well, well, I have some news for you, you pampered, perfect, spoiled brat. ”

“Obsidian! Knock it off!” Smoke tried to corral him by stepping between them, but all it took was for him to flash his tail barb and the SkyWing backed off. 

“This world isn’t some innocent, little, perfect utopia that you were born into. Those walls that you’ve been surrounded by all your life are gonna come crashing down one day. You’re going to see that this dark and dreary time we’ve been hatched into is one built on blood, sacrifice, and pain,” Chill’s tail brushed against the cave wall, telling him that he had nowhere to run. “The sooner that you abandon this mentality of innocence and second chances, the sooner you won’t be such a small, cowardly, miserable, unloved excuse for a dragon.”

“OBSIDIAN, THAT’S ENOUGH,” A new voice boomed in the cave. Chill turned towards the voice, seeing Clay standing only a few feet away from them. Chill had spent a fair amount of time with the legendary MudWing. He was sweet, kind, and…well, hungry a lot. The dragon loved food, that was for sure. But the amount of anger portrayed on the MudWing’s face was a stark contrast to the image that he had of Clay in his mind. 

“Walk with me. Now.” He commanded. Obsidian looked between him, Clay, then back to him one final time before whispering something.

“Go run away and hide, coward. You won’t be able to forever.” Then he walked towards Clay, still looking very angry. 

As Obsidian walked away, something inside Chill was burning. It felt like all of his scales were on fire. His throat was rumbling and his face was contorting. He could tell that his teeth were showing.

“You know, maybe I am a coward,” He proclaimed, loud enough for Obsidian to hear. He stopped walking, turning around to look at the IceWing. Clay turned as well, about to beckon Obsidian to continue following him, but Chill spoke first. He reached up and grabbed one of his bandages that was wrapped around his neck. In a single swipe, he tore them off, revealing the scars underneath. He heard Lavender gasp. “But at least I fought for the scars I have. Can you say the same?”

Clay blinked, processing what just happened. Then he snapped back into focus. “Chill, please don’t make this worse.” He warned. Chill didn’t say anything, and without another exchange between him or Obsidian, the SandWing and MudWing disappeared into the halls. 

“Whoa.”

Chill’s body cooled itself, and he looked at his winglet. They were all staring at him with various degrees of shock on their faces. They probably didn’t expect me to stand up for myself. 

“Alright, I’m sold,” Catfish said, walking over and putting a wing over Chill’s back. “We’re definitely gonna be friends.” Chill’s ears perked up. First time I’ve heard that. He couldn’t hold back his next question from squeaking out.

“Really?” Catfish chuckled, snorting slightly.

“After that? Absolutely! That was awesome! That guy was seriously getting on my nerves. It was about time someone put him in his place!” Chill looked away from them, embarrassed. “Total stick in the mud…no offense, Oak.”

“None taken. You know what I find offense to.” He reassured her.

“Well, with how stubborn he is, I doubt he’s done with his antics,” Smoke offered sadly. “I’d imagine he’s probably thinking of retorts right now.” Chill realized that this was probably true. 

“I’ll be ready if he tries anything else! I’ll do the famous ‘pineapple up the snout’ routine! Always catches ‘em off guard.” Lavender offered. Smoke raised a brow.

“The…what?” 

“Long story.” She told him. Chill couldn’t help himself. He laughed. For a brief moment, he forgot about everything. About his memory loss. About the murder. About the Night-Rain Kingdom. About the prophecy.

“Say, you guys ever played Shells and Pearls?” Catfish asked. Everybody shook their heads. “Well, we’ve got no classes for a while, and I still wanna get to know you guys--considering we’re gonna be living together for the year--so I’ll teach you! It’s a good ‘get-to-know-you’ game. And maybe it’ll…lighten the mood.” Chill couldn’t deny that he could use a little of that right now. 

“Yeah…yeah that sounds cool…thanks.” He said. Catfish smiled.

“We’re a winglet. We stick together. We look out for each other. No matter what.” She told him. Lavender’s eyes sparkled.

“Ooooh! That’s awesome! I like that!” Catfish snorted again.

“Thanks, I just stole it out of one of the queen’s adventure scrolls, but y’know, the sentiment is there.” She pulled her wing off of Chill. “Wanna walk together to my cave?” She offered. Nobody protested, so they formed a small little huddle and began walking back, having idle conversation along the way. Lavender began explaining what the “pineapple-up-the-snout routine” was to Smoke, Oak was recounting a story that he had while on guard for his queen while he and Catfish listened earnestly.

Chill felt safe.

Chapter Text

It didn’t take much longer for them to reach her cave. Chill had subconsciously worried about whether or not there would be enough space for them all, but found that the cave was more than big enough. In fact, it seemed bigger than he remembered. His eyes immediately darted to the block of ice that sat comfortably in the corner of the room. He held his talon up against it, and sure enough, it still radiated cold just as his did during the night. Animus magic. It has to be. But then…which student here is an animus? Or is one of the staff members an animus?

“Okay, are we really doing this?” Catfish asked. Chill turned his attention away from the slab, nodding. Everyone else either nodded or muttered agreements. “Alright…well, let me explain how this works!” Chill walked towards the little circle they had all formed in the center of the cave, settling in comfortably next to Lavender and Smoke. Catfish leaned forward and placed down a singular seashell and pearl to go with it. 

“One dragon takes both of these and hides them from view, then another dragon has to guess which object is in which talon. If they guess correctly, the roles reverse, but if they guess wrong, the other dragon has to reveal a secret about themselves!” Catfish chuckled sheepishly. “Before I was old enough for Jade Mountain, the kids at the SeaWing school would always play this game as one of those…y’know, kid’s party games, but I figured we could always work around the rules.”

“I’m game,” Smoke said. “Sounds fun. I never had anything like that growing up. Most of the games I played as a kid were very physical,” He stretched his long wings out slightly, making an effort to show them off without bumping anything. “We love being outside as often as possible.”

“RainWings also have fun games! It’s fun to use our camouflage, or when we’re old enough, our venom!” Lavender added. 

Oak looked at her, confused. “You really used your venom for games? All of the reports I’ve ever read on RainWings describe their venom as incredibly dangerous.” 

Lavender nodded. “It is really dangerous if you’re not careful, but luckily Queen Glory enforced mandatory training for young RainWings so that no accidents can occur!” She looked over at Chill, and he dreaded the question that was coming next. “What about you, Chill? What kinda games do IceWings play when they’re kids, if any? You guys always seem so serious that I can hardly imagine you rolling around in the snow, laughing your heads off!” 

Smoke rolled his eyes. “Sounds like you imagined it just fine to me.”

Lavender huffed, sticking her tongue out at him.

“Ah…well, I…I don’t really…know...” Chill answered. Smoke cringed, he knew why he couldn’t answer. He took a deep breath, using the exercises that North taught him again to calm his heart rate. “Th-There’s…probably something you all should know about me--” Catfish quickly put her talons up, silencing him.

“Save it for the game!” Chill tried again.

“N-No, it’s seriously--”

“SAVE IT.” At her voice suddenly intensifying, Chill shut up. Smoke gave him an apologetic look, Chill giving a defeated shrug in response. They don’t understand. Nobody really understands.

No! Stop with that, already! These dragons want to give you a chance, and it’s not like you have any real friends outside of them, so give them a chance! You said so yourself, you’re going to stay here as long as it takes until your memory comes back! You can do this!

Have you seriously forgotten about Orange? His eyelids drooped at the thought of Orange, but then his attention refocused as he remembered the dragon who was coming to visit him in two--no, one day to tell him about Orange. Then his mind began to spiral again. 

If this dragon knows about Orange, and she’s fine, why isn’t Orange coming up here to see me?

Maybe she’s injured too, and he’s just recovering quicker?

Or maybe she just doesn’t know?

…or doesn’t care.

His spiral stopped there. He didn’t dare think of that possibility. Instead, he focused on the game, which had already begun while he was spacing out. Lavender was staring at Catfish, slack-jawed, as she gave her a toothy smile. 

“You seriously did that?” The shocked RainWing asked.

“Of course. I’ve got no shame,” She scoffed. “Brat got what he deserved.” She passed the shell and pearl over to her. Chill tried to peek and see which item she was putting in which of Lavender’s talons, but she caught him looking and covered the two with her wing just enough to where he couldn’t see. Defeated, he crouched back and let Lavender present her talons to him. He was about to pick randomly just to get it over with and tell them all what he tried to say previously, but then noticed that her right talon was clutching something slightly bigger than the other. That has to be the shell. He realized.

“Right talon is the shell. Left is the pearl.” He said with a surprising amount of confidence. Lavender frowned, revealing her talons and showing him that he was right. Catfish hollered quietly while Oak gave him a respectable clap. Smoke nodded his head, impressed. Lavender passed the items over to him, gently putting the shell in his left talon and the pearl in his other. Chill carefully moved his body to look at Smoke, who was already studying the way he gripped the items. He thought that he was holding them evenly, but then he started to shake slightly.

“Pearl is in the left talon.” Smoke declared, crossing his arms and tilting his chin upwards. Lavender immediately started giggling, giving away the reveal before Chill could even open his talons. Smoke drooped his head down, embarrassed that he got it wrong as Chill gave him the pearl from his right talon. 

“S-Sorry.” He apologized. Smoke laughed.

“Ah, whatever. Ask me anything, I’m an open book. Just…don’t go too crazy, yeah?” He prompted. He wasn’t sure what question he wanted to ask the SkyWing. He didn’t really know any “crazy” question to ask either. 

“Well, um…you said your mom worked with h-healers, right?” He nodded. “What was that like?” Smoke suddenly looked somber as he recalled the memories. “Y-You don’t have to answ--”

“It wasn’t bad. I learned a lot about medicine and anatomy,” Chill couldn’t help but notice that he was staring at his bandages, particularly the scars across his chest after he had taken off a few of them. He put his talon on his chest subconsciously. 

“It was just…awful. There were so many wounded soldiers from the great war…even years after it had ended. The amount of carnage I’ve seen on the scales of SkyWings it…” He paused. “Tears you apart.” Chill was about to apologize again for making him relive something so clearly traumatizing for him, but he continued. 

“But it’s also the best thing that could’ve happened to me. My mom never forced me to go with her to work, but I always wanted to. Seeing dragons that vulnerable and hearing their stories just…makes me remember that we’re not alone here. Everyone is suffering in some way, and I want to dedicate my life to making sure nobody has to go through any of that ever again.” He declared.

The room was quiet. Chill blinked a few times. “Ah, sorry. Got a little too flamboyant there, I guess. Should we continue?” He asked.

“N-No! Don’t apologize! That…that sounds really cool. I think that’s really…admirable.” Chill told him.

“Yeah! Totally!” Lavender agreed. “You should keep going with that if it makes you happy!” 

“War isn’t…fun, not in the slightest. I think we were all fortunate enough to be born outside of the War of the SandWing Succession…but the damage still remains, even years later,” Oak stared at the stick he was holding. “Part of me is glad I don’t need to carry around an actual weapon at all times. I’d like to live in a world where I don’t have to worry about my queen’s safety,” He admitted. “I admire your ambitions, Smoke. It’s noble. I hope you can achieve what you desire.” Smoke coughed, embarrassed by the entire ordeal.

“Th-thanks.” He mumbled. Even though he was trying desperately to hide his face from the others, Chill couldn’t help but notice the curve of a smile forming on his snout. 

The game continued from there. Smoke took the items from Chill and turned to Oak, who, as well, incorrectly guessed which hand the pearl was in. It took a minute for the SkyWing to think of a question, but when he did, Chill could tell from the mischievous look in his eyes that it was going to be a good one. “So, you and Catfish seem to be awfully close, care to explain what that’s all about?” He asked, not bothering to hide his smile. Oak, however, didn’t seem nearly as embarrassed as Chill expected he would be. He’s very…formal. 

“Not at all, if you’ll let me,” Oak looked at Catfish for permission, who waved him on. “Well, as you all might know, a lot of small settlements have been popping up all over the continent, and one of those settlements is right in-between the MudWing and SeaWing kingdoms--a little town called Diamond--which is where we met. Our parents seemed to have some kind of a history together, so…really…” Lavender gasped.

“Oooh! I get it! You guys are like family! Wow, that makes a lot of sense! I thought you two had a ‘love-at-first-sight’ thing going on at first, but this is cool too!” She clapped her talons together, proud of herself for figuring it out. Catfish chuckled awkwardly.

“Our parents got together sometime after the war and took off, and eventually my mom introduced his dad to me as well as his son who…became my brother.” She smiled at the MudWing. 

“It was incredibly unlucky that we had gotten paired together for the academy, though. I can’t stand some of her rambling sometimes, and that laugh of hers is just so obno--” Oak was cut off by a playful shove from Catfish, who rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, love you too.” She mused.  

“It’s nice seeing a less formal side of you, Oak. Your introduction at the healing center was…oh, how do I put this…” Smoke tapped the ground.

“Enthusiastic?” Lavender offered.

“Headache-inducing?” Catfish teased.

“Passionate,” Chill declared. “You…you really love what you do and you wanted to share that with us…right?” Oak glanced at him, clutching the stick in his talons tighter. “I…I think I get it--? It’s like, after everything you’ve done in your life so far, you’ve found something that you can say is…what you were hatched for and you…want to let everybody know that…that’s who you are.” As he finished speaking, it was like a door in his memories opened up. It wasn’t a vision of another memory, those usually came with dizziness spells, but it was like he had a hidden talent that he never knew of. 

He was suddenly filled with the urge to write. Stories and ideas were appearing in his mind like wildfire, his creative drive suddenly launching to the moons. His talons twitched, aching to hold a quill or to have an inkwell nearby--whatever he could use to write.

Oak chuckled. “Well, maybe not that introspective but…yes. It’s like that.” He agreed.

“Great, glad you all had your little make-out session with each other,” Everyone in the cave snapped their heads towards the entrance, seeing Soulfinder standing in the entryway to their cave looking annoyed. What else is new? He internally asked himself. “Now, can you all at least keep it down? I need to sleep.” She declared, sluggishly walking straight through their circle to rest on the blankets.

“Does she do anything else other than sleep?” Lavender whispered to him, clearly a little too loud, as Soulfinder moved her neck towards them to give her a nasty glare. 

“There’s nothing else worth doing here. Unlike some of you, I didn’t choose to come here.” 

“Then why…are you here?” Chill asked her. For whatever reason, she seemed inclined to answer. 

“Parents forced me. Said I needed to talk to dragons more. Anti-social, or some lizard-spit,” She blinked a few times, then gave him a disgusted look. “Why am I telling you this? I’m going to sleep.” That seemed to be the end of the conversation, because she turned her head back to the blankets and didn’t look back. He returned his attention to his winglet, who all looked very uncomfortable.

“Ah…well, that kinda killed the mood, but maybe that’s good, ‘cause I’m starving,” Catfish announced, standing up. “Anybody coming to the prey center with me? I could kill for some fish right about now.”

“Are you sure we should be going out right now? The environment is kinda…uh, what’s the word?” Lavender asked. 

“Tense, probably.” Smoke offered. Lavender stamped her talon on the ground, pointing at him with a smile on her face. 

“As long as we’re together, it should be okay. That was the rule, after all.” She reminded them. One by one, the rest of the winglet stood up and began heading towards the exit. As they walked out, Chill looked back at Soulfinder, who he caught staring off at them before quickly resting her head back on the blanket. He stopped halfway out the archway. Catfish glanced back at him. “Are you coming?”

“You…you guys go on ahead. I’ll be with you in a moment.” He said. She frowned.

“You’re gonna get in huge trouble if you don’t come with Lavender. You know that, right?” She asked. He nodded. Catfish sighed. “Your choice.” She said, walking with the rest of the group. He took a deep breath, pushing away the anxieties of breaking the rules that were just established, and returning to the cave. 

Soulfinder was pretending to sleep. It was obvious. He had pretended to sleep a few times when he was still recovering in the Healing Center to avoid talking to people. Everything that he did to fake sleep was something that she was doing right now. Her body was turned towards the cave wall, her chest was rising and falling way too fast, and she constantly kept shifting the blankets around. He walked over to the side of the cave wall, resting against it and staring at her. He struggled to think of something to say. He wasn’t sure what it was, but something was telling him that she wasn’t doing well.

“Are you gonna say anything or are you gonna keep watching me sleep?” Soulfinder suddenly announced, startling the IceWing. He coughed.

“I…I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” She barked a laugh.

“Am I okay? Hah! Some pompous IceWing like you wouldn’t understand. All your tribe knows is high luxury and civil order,” She put a wing over her body. “Do the world a favor. Fall off a cliff and forget how to fly.” 

Moons, why am I doing this? She clearly doesn’t want to talk right now. Then he remembered when she gave them the prophecy. He cringed, remembering that Smoke and himself had practically forced it out of her.

 “I’m sorry.” Her wing shifted slightly.

“For?” Her tone was curious, not mocking. He expected her to force him to apologize for everything that they might have “put her through” (her imagined words, not his). Yet instead, it seemed as if she wasn’t sure why he was apologizing. He cleared his throat, looking through the cap in the wall that was their window.

“Forcing that prophecy out of you. It…wasn’t right, and I feel awful. That’s all.” He told her. When she didn’t respond, he started to stand up, ready to leave the cave. Then she groaned.

“UUGGHH, great. Now I feel like a snail-brain. Are you doing this intentionally? Is this some sort of hidden, emotional manipulation thing that all IceWings can do?” She accused. Chill didn’t respond. “Fine, yes, whatever, I accept your apology…” She removed her wing from her face, now looking at him. “Besides, it was gonna come out eventually. I’m over it now, as long as you don’t involve me in any of it. I have exactly ZERO interest in any of these prophecies.”

“Y-Yeah, of course,” He remembered her request. It was Smoke and his problem. It didn’t excuse her rudeness to the others, but…it was a start. “So…no hard feelings?” He asked, extending his talon out to her to take. She glanced between his talon, his eyes, and back at his talon several times before giving a dramatic sigh and grabbing it, shaking his talon. 

“Fantastic, wonderful. Now can I sleep? I’m very tired.” Chill let go of her talon, giving her an earnest smile. He picked himself off of the ground and nodded.

“Sure thing.” With that, he began to leave the cave before Soulfinder spoke one last time.

“Mmmgh…” She moaned. “...I guess of all dragons to be stuck in a school with for a year…you’re not the worst dragon I’ve met.” She covered her face with her wing again, looking away from him. He couldn’t think of anything to say after that, so he continued out of the cave, cautiously looking up and down the hallways for any of the Jade Winglet members of staff (he had to remind himself that the Gold Winglet was also partaking in patrolling the halls, but he couldn’t remember what any of them looked like). There were a few dragons wandering around, but they were all in pairs. Being as discreet as possible, he snuck his way over to the prey center, peeking his head in the cave and seeing his winglet over in a corner, eating various prey that were kept within the enclosure. Catfish was snort-laughing about something that Lavender had said. He allowed himself the smallest of smiles before entering the cave.

“Well, look who showed up uninvited!” Chill cringed at the voice of the RainWing that had harassed him the previous day. He cautiously opened his eyes, looking at the fierce dragon smirking at him. As she was the last time they met, Grimm and Silence were behind her. Grimm kept his face straight, but Silence nodded a polite hello. The RainWing was wearing a flower crown, crudely constructed with shaky talons and with several of the flowers missing petals. Her scales were a dark purple, but her eyes were a bright green. Now getting a closer look, he could see that her right horn jetted out a little too far to the left.

“I say…where’s your partner? You wouldn’t be walking around without one, would you?” She exclaimed loudly, pointing her snout inward towards the Prey Center. Chill glanced in that direction, seeing Tsunami walking towards them. He cursed under his breath. How did I miss her? 

“Chill,” She addressed him. He sheepishly looked up at her. “Is this true? Were you walking around without a partner, right after we established the rule?” He gulped. He hadn’t heard her take this tone with him before.

“I…uh…” He stammered.

“Wow! You really were breaking the rules!” She sighed dramatically. “Such is the life of a rebel as yourself. You should probably punish him!” Tsunami gave her a distasteful look.

“Thank you, Lotus, but I’ll handle it from here. You can go now.” Lotus pouted.

“I only want what’s best for this school, miss Tsunami! Really, I should be like a guard or something. I do have camouflage after all! I’d be the perfect patrol dragon! You will consider it, won’t you?” Tsunami sighed.

“I’ll tell you what I’ve always told you, Lotus. I’ll put it under consideration. Now leave us be. That isn’t a request.” Lotus shrugged, walking away, practically dragging Grimm and Silence along with her. Silence gave him an apologetic look. “Moons, I’m barely in my tens and I already feel myself getting too old for this,” Tsunami mumbled. “Now then, was what Lotus saying true, Chill? Were you seriously breaking the rules just as we set them? ” There was a low growl when she finished her question.

“I…I was just…”

“Chill! What’s taking you so long!” Lavender’s voice piped up from behind him. She walked up next to him, smiling up at Tsunami. “Oh, hello! Am I interrupting something? I was just wondering why it was taking so long for my partner here to get me the banana I asked for!” Tsunami looked at her, then Chill, then she sighed again.

“Lotus, Lotus, Lotus. What am I going to do with her…I’m sorry, Chill. Lotus is just…a stickler for the rules, I guess you could say. For the future’s sake, though, try not to be separated from your winglet or your partner for a long period of time, okay?” He nodded eagerly. Satisfied, Tsunami began to walk away before Chill blurted out.

“W-Wait, Tsunami!” He called. Tsunami gave him an annoyed, but attentive glance. “L-Lotus…I think she’s…I think there’s something going on between her and those two NightWings…Grimm and Silence…I don’t think it’s good.” Tsunami raised a brow at him.

“I’ll keep it in mind.” She said, walking out into the hallways. When she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of relief, as did Lavender.

“You owe me one for that, you know. Catfish told  you that you’d get in trouble. Chill chuckled.

“I could…uh, get you that banana?” He offered.

“Hm. It’s a start. Sure, but…one thing.”

“What?” She turned his head to the left, revealing a large array of different fruits and vegetables. The entire area was filled to the brim with food. He felt his stomach begin to rumble. 

“Fruit’s over there.” She said, giggling and returning to the winglet. Chill could do nothing but shake his head and make his way over to the table, his eyes focused on a pineapple standing proudly amongst the food.

As they did, his head began to pound. He cried out in agony, crumpling to the ground. His vision began to get blurry, and he knew what was happening. He began to spiral once more. Before he could reassure the dragons around him that it was fine, he blacked out, hearing what sounded like Lavender’s voice calling his name.

“Look at me,” A gruff voice commanded him. He slowly opened his eyes, feeling a chain on his neck. Directly in front of him was a very old IceWing, looking incredibly angry with him. “You should have known better than to try and pick a fight with me. I’m the only animus left on this entire continent, there’s nothing you could do to me that I cannot do to you a thousand times over.”

He coughed blood. “It was…an accident.” He said. The pain was unbearable, but nothing was compared to losing the one he loved. “I didn’t…want to hurt her.” The IceWing scoffed.

“You should have thought about that before entering my domain,” He sauntered to a nearby table, grabbing a small knife. “I isolated myself from the world because of the tragedies that dragons cannot keep themselves away from. No matter how much we evolve, no matter how many peace treaties we create, or how many wars we fight--it all ends up the same,” He brandished the knife, holding up to his throat. “Death.” He laughed at the crooked IceWing.

“So that’s it then, huh? You’re going to kill me?” He grinned. “Do it then, I don’t have anything to live for anymore.” The old IceWing pondered him for a moment, then chuckled. A deep, rumbling chuckle that made him want to shiver. 

“No, no I’m not going to kill you. That would make me no better than you, after all.” He bared his fangs.

“You cursed her! I tried to be peaceful with you, but all you wanted was vengeance!” He screamed at him. The IceWing seemed to ignore him, instead touching the chain that was wrapped around his neck. 

“You should feel honored. I’m going to break my vow that I made to her, just for you,” He didn’t have to think about what that meant for long. This IceWing was an animus dragon. History had long since written IceWings out of the animus lineage after Darkstalker was born, but through some unexplainable reason, this one had managed to survive this long. Had he made himself immortal, just like the NightWing king once did? “Here’s what’s going to happen to you.” He began, clutching the chain tighter.

“Everything that you’ve built, worked for, fought for, gone from your memories forever. Your family, your home, your…precious RainWing. All of them, gone,” His eyes widened. He tried to struggle free of his restraints, but it was in vain. They were enchanted to be unbreakable. “And when that happens, I am going to haunt you, forever. Not myself, but the artificial dragon I’m going to create. My perfect spell. No matter where you go, it will always be with you,” He pulled the chain upward so he was forced to look into the old IceWings deep, black eyes. “You’ll never be able to escape, and this chain will remain forever etched into your scales. As long as it exists, so will this curse.”

A curse.

Curses were a recent documentation of animus powers. Every animus had regular spells, of course, but curses were different. They were either placed on dragons or objects at the dragon’s will, and only the one who cast them could remove the curse. Tears began flowing down the sides of his face.

“I’m sorry…please…” The IceWing was now laughing. A terrible, maniacal laugh that would haunt his dreams forever.

“You’re not sorry. You’re sorry that you were caught,” The IceWing dropped him, letting him crash to the cold floor. “Don’t act like you’re the perfect dragon. I’ve seen what you act like when you’re not around that girl. Stubborn. Arrogant. Inconsiderate. Dare I say, a menace and disgrace to the Night-Rain Kingdom, and the entire continent. No, the world…” He lifted his talon up, revealing a pineapple he had just conjured. He laughed. 

“A part of me misses using this magic. Do you know how much easier my life would’ve been with it” It was a rhetorical question. He didn’t dignify it with an answer. The old IceWing sighed. “Alas, using the magic chips away at your soul. The bigger the spell, the bigger the chunk. He smiled crookedly, revealing missing teeth. “But your punishment is worth whatever I become.” He sliced the pineapple into little chunks, placing them in his talons. He walked over to him, taking the chunks and lifting them up to his mouth.

“Please, eat. It’s the last meal you’ll remember.” He responded by spitting in the IceWing’s face. The smell of pineapple abandoned his nostrils as it vanished from the IceWing’s talons. “Have it your way.” He lifted up both of his talons, a strange, green glowing energy beginning to surround the old IceWing.

“Nobody will miss you.”

He began to speak, and then everything went black.

Chapter Text

Chill awoke with a start. His breathing was heavy. Returning from the memory this time wasn’t as slow and melancholic as the past ones had been. This time it felt like someone had slapped him with an entire building, forcing him out of his dream.

That wasn’t a dream.

A nightmare. 

That was a nightmare.

His internal voice didn’t argue with that one. That had been the most intense memory he had yet, but now he began to doubt if they were memories at all. The voice of the old IceWing was exactly the same as the one he heard in the chains during his first nightmare. The things that he spoke of as well, especially when he kept mentioning “her” and “the RainWing.” He growled. How difficult is it to use names? Just say that it is or isn’t Orange! GRAWGH. That memory had put an annoying speck of doubt in his mind. At first, he thought that he was having memories of his past, but now there was a chance that he wasn’t having visions of his own memories--but someone else’s. A female NightWing’s. He gulped. Unless our lives are tangled up in some way that I haven’t realized yet. 

“Chill!” Lavender’s voice snapped at him. He jolted, realizing that he was still on the ground. A small cluster of dragons had surrounded him. Some strangers, but most of them were his winglet. That’s right, I’m in the Prey Center. He remembered, coming back to reality. Everyone except Soulfinder and Obsidian are here. They’re looking at me, making sure I’m okay. They don’t know yet, but now I have to tell them. She offered him his talon, which he graciously took. He put his other talon on his head, trying to stop the pounding headache rattling around.

“Thank you.” He whispered. Lavender simply nodded.

“Show’s over, guys! Go back to what you were doing!” Catfish yelled at the surrounding dragons. A few of them mumbled crude things at her, but they all went back to their business, leaving only the Ruby Winglet standing near the entrance of the Prey Center.

“Hey, are you okay?” She asked him, her voice a lot softer now.

“I tried to tell you earlier…during the game…” Her eyes flashed with a twinge of guilt, which made him feel awful, but he pushed that feeling away. “I have…a sort of amnesia. I don’t know why but…whenever I see or hear certain things I…remember things,” He took his talon off his head. “Whenever I do I start getting this…dizziness spell, and then I pass out for a few minutes. At least until the memory is over.” Oak looked at the ground while Lavender gasped. 

“That…I’m so sorry, I had…I had no idea,” Lavender scrunched up her snout. “I feel awful for asking you all those questions about your past.” Chill gave her a reassuring smile.

“It’s okay, you couldn’t have known.” He told her. She nodded, then looked down at their talons, still intertwined. Her scales flashed bits of yellow and pink, and he could feel the heat rushing to his face as they quickly let go of each other, embarrassed.

“Do you think we should…” Smoke started, but then stopped himself, shutting his eyes and shaking his head. “Nevermind, nevermind. It’s nothing.” Lavender scoffed.

“You can’t just start a sentence like that and then brush it away, especially if it has something to do with what just happened!” Smoke exchanged a nervous look with Chill. He had a rough idea of what the SkyWing wanted to tell them all, but he wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, especially when they had so little theories about it. He vaguely recalled some of Smoke’s earlier ramblings, but then they had gotten distracted with…Ermine. 

I feel sick.

“Really, it’s nothing. I mean it, honest.” Nobody looked convinced. 

“So now what?” Catfish asked the group. No answer. Smoke and Chill looked at each other again.

“I don’t think we have a choice.” He told him. Smoke cringed.

“If you’re sure…” He gestured his head towards the exit. “Let’s get to the school’s cavern. There’s a lot more room there.” With a wordless agreement, they all began walking. Nobody said anything during their trip there, avoiding eye contact with each other. Chill’s head was still dizzy with questions--but at this point, he was used to it. 

The old IceWing said he was going to create an artificial dragon to haunt me. Is that even possible? As far as he knew, the only limit to animus magic was reviving the dead, which made him start to sweat. If that’s the only limit to animus magic…what’s stopping an animus from taking over everything? Destroying the world? Manipulating everything around them to their advantage? The answer to that should have been simple: the soul factor. Using animus magic slowly chipped away at your sanity until you had nothing left. Another rule to add to the mix, the bigger the spell, the more of your soul that vanished. For most dragons, he assumed that losing yourself would be enough of a reason not to use their power…but if a dragon was desperate, crazed, or… angry enough…perhaps those consequences would be forgotten.

Orange.

His heart was in a horrible frenzy. If the old IceWing was referring to Orange then…that could mean that she was terribly sick, or worse. Not only that, but a NightWing was mixed up in her life as well. A NightWing he didn’t recognize. A friend? Neighbor? Or…something else? He grumbled to himself, earning a concerned look from Lavender which he ignored. He was under the impression that he and Orange had something going on, based on the memory that he had with Komodo and the one where she showed him her artwork. But if one of his earlier theories was right, and he was having someone else’s memories, then…

No, that’s impossible. I clearly sound like me when I speak in the memories. He assured himself. So now I just have to figure out who in the moons this NightWing is. He blinked. Is that who’s coming to visit me tomorrow? Not Komodo, or some other RainWing, but this mysterious NightWing character? He pondered that thought for a moment. Moons, please let it be her. Please let this nightmare be over soon.

They reached a small cave opening at the end of the winglet caves, descending down deeper into the mountain. The rocks were damp, but warm. Chill leaned his wing to brush the sides of the cave, feeling how rough they were. “I think they dug this one out themselves,” Smoke said, finally breaking the silence between the group. “They were pretty busy during that year they were closed.”

“Wow…it’s incredible. How long do you think this took them?” Lavender asked, her eyes sparkling with wonder.

Smoke shrugged. “Dunno, but I’d probably guess it took a few months. Digging through stone isn’t easy, even with the proper tools.” The torches illuminated the SkyWing’s face, and in the firelight, Chill could see his smile. “Besides, it doesn’t look like they had to dig very far.” A bright, green glow suddenly filled the cavern as they turned a corner, and the group gasped. 

They all stumbled out of the tunnel and into a large, underground paradise. Algae and leaves hung from the cave ceiling and decorated bits of the wall and floor, but in the center of it all was a large pool of water, practically glowing with all of the flora deep within it. Beautiful flowers had sprouted all over the cave. Flashes of pink, yellow, and a seemingly infinite barrage of shades of blue and green. At the top of the cave was a slight hole, big enough for a dragon to fly through, allowing natural sun to peek into the cavern and illuminate the water, casting a mesmerizing shadow on the walls. 

“This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.” Catfish spoke in wonder.

“All of this was underneath the academy? The entire time?” Oak dropped his stick, his mouth agape. 

“I…I read about this in the handouts we got. I wanted to visit it but…I had no idea it would be this…”

“Wonderful?” 

The winglet snapped their attention to the new voice near the edge of the pool. A cyan SeaWing with pink accents on her scales and wings was smirking at them, holding onto the edge of the cavern floor. Nearby lay a deep-blue RainWing, fast asleep and looking content sitting next to the edge of the water. The sun was coming through the hole in the ceiling, casting a bright light onto her body, nearly illuminating it. The SeaWing kicked away from where she was, moving away from the RainWing and approaching another corner, whereupon she launched herself out of the water, spraying it everywhere. She shook herself off, then walked over to them.

“Princess Anemone. Pleasure to meet you all.” She introduced herself, bowing and spreading her wings. He heard Catfish gasp.

“P-Princess!” She squeaked, quickly bowing. Anemone giggled.

“Please, there’s no need for that. We’re both students here, just call me Anemone.” She looked over at the sleeping RainWing, smiling fondly. “As much as I enjoy my royal status…I must stay humble. I may be royalty, but I’m a dragon first.” She turned her attention back to the winglet. “Say…you’re one of the new winglets, aren’t you?” 

“Y-Yes! We’re the Ruby Winglet! We were just exploring, but if you want us to leave here so you can have time to yourself that’s fine too! We didn’t mean to intrude on you!” Catfish rambled on. Chill could’ve sworn he heard Oak chuckle. 

“No, no, certainly don’t do that. I don’t own Jade Mountain. Do as you like, I’m just here to relax and…get my mind off of things.” She looked down at the ground, her expression once cheerful now somber. “I’m sure you all understand.” 

“Yeah…” Chill agreed, barely loud enough for them to hear. He expected another awkward silence, but the SeaWing princess seemed to bounce back from the mood quickly. 

“Well, it’s nice meeting you all. Would you mind telling me your names?”

“Catfish!” She exclaimed quickly, coughing afterwards. 

“Oak.” The MudWing presented himself, grabbing his stick off of the ground.

“Lavender.” The RainWing smiled at Anemone, which she returned.

“Chill.” He tried to steady his voice, but it was still shaky enough for her to slightly raise a brow.

“Smoke.” The SkyWing finished, presenting his talon. Anemone smiled at him, taking it gently and shaking it. 

“Pleasure meeting you all. I hope I see you in classes once they catch that crook.” Her expression turned sour as she let go of Smoke’s talon. “Miserable excuse for a dragon, harming an innocent…it’s inexcusable.” Obsidian said something similar to that. “In any case, if you ever need anything, feel free to ask Tamarin…she’s really smart, and she’s one of the Gold Winglet members.” Chill studied her curiously. Is she…bragging? Though, it was useful to know what one of the Gold Winglet members looked like. Tamarin. “Not right now though, she’s resting. I think it’s called sun time.” Lavender nodded.

“Sun time is essential for all RainWings! Restores our energy!” Anemone rolled her eyes, her genuine smile not faltering for a moment.

“Nice meeting you all.” She repeated, nodding at them, then turning around to dive back into the water. In a flash, she disappeared into the depths. Catfish walked away from the entrance into the cavern and collapsed next to the wall, her eyes a mix of shock and wonderment.

“I spoke to the SeaWing princess… ” She stammered. 

“Tsunami's a princess too, you know. I didn’t see you gushing over her.” Oak pointed out. 

“Tsunami’s more of a brute warrior than a princess...but Anemone…she’s real royalty. ” Catfish said dreamily. The group exchanged looks with each other, none of them sure of what to think of that. She seemed to notice the silence and quickly waved her webbed talons around, dismissing the conversation. “Agh! Nevermind! Forget I said anything!” She exclaimed. “Let’s go over there. That seems like a good spot.” Chill followed where her talon was pointing, seeing a fairly large area where large sections of stone and rock were connected to the ceiling and ground, but not the walls. A small sliver of the massive pool creeped over to the section she gestured to. Perfect for her. He realized.

The group returned to silence, and Chill began to dread the conversation that was coming up. The words of the prophecy were echoing in his head, the memory of Soulfinder’s blank eyes as the words spilled out of her mouth, as if she’d been rehearsing them all her life. 

They reached the spot and sat down in a circle, in the same formation they were when they played the game. Chill dug his talons into his scales, slightly tearing the bandages that were still wrapped around his body. His eyes darted down to his chest scar. The long, claw scratches that were now permanently etched into his scales. If not permanently, at least for a very long time. 

“Okay…let’s cut to the chase,” Smoke spoke quietly, casting occasional glances at Tamarin and Anemone. “Yesterday Chill and I…received a prophecy.” There was a sharp inhale from Lavender and Catfish. Oak simply nodded.

“Soulfinder, I presume?” He guessed. “I’d overheard Obsidian mention the symptoms of prophecy…so it was true. What was it?” This part, Smoke gestured to Chill. Even though he didn’t want it, the words of the prophecy were still ringing in his mind ever since he got it.

A hatred born long after peace

A change in tides, a chain in mind

A sun born out of dragon blood

Where self meets self, and worlds collide

Made of ice but hatched in night

Made of stone and with no heart

Made of sand, controlling fate

All will break and fall apart

The moons will quake, the sky will shine

Time will bend, and time will twist

If the descendent of the stalker lives

The dragon race will cease to exist.

Silence, again, until Lavender chuckled nervously.

“That’s…concerning.” 

“‘Made of ice but hatched in night?’ That…isn’t that an everyday thing? I’ve done readings on all of the tribes so I could be a suitable guard and defend my queen…but nothing I’ve ever read said anything about IceWings being hatched in the night being a problem.” Oak grumbled. “It can’t be talking about IceWings. No dragon is ‘made of ice.’”

“Yeah, and no prophecy is one-hundred percent literal. Are we forgetting ‘when the land is soaked in blood and tears?’” Catfish reminded him.

“That prophecy was fake. The only recent one that’s in any sort of scroll is the Jade Mountain one from five years ago.” Oak argued back. 

Chill recalled his own shock when Sunny had told him that the Dragonet Prophecy was false. He brought it up briefly after reading about “The Legend of the Dragonets of Destiny.” She seemed sullen about it, telling him about the reaction that Pyrrhia had when they told everyone. Fortunately, nobody really seemed to care (some apparently didn’t even believe them), since the prophecy had been fulfilled anyway. Tsunami had pitched in her own thoughts as well, offering the suggestion that “maybe everyone was just tired of prophecy nonsense and they didn’t care anymore.”

Moons, I am so sorry, Tsunami.

“I’m sure there’s plenty of undocumented ones, ever since the Moon Rebirthing, but this…” Oak shuddered. “Between the Jade Mountain prophecy and whatever this is, the consequences of this one are made clear by the end.”

“‘The dragon race will cease to exist.’” Chill echoed.

“It’s okay to be afraid, right? I mean, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m terrified.” Lavender mumbled. Chill put a talon on top of hers, the same way she did in the prey center. She took it, squeezing it gently. He could feel her pulse in her wrist, how quick it was. He could feel his own heartbeat pounding away, quicker than it should. 

Smoke gestured to all of them. “We need to think about this. Does anything in that prophecy mean anything to anyone?” He asked. 

“‘A change in tides’ is the only thing that I can think of, but that’s because it makes me think of the ocean.” Catfish mused. Chill suddenly realized with horror that something in the prophecy did ring out to him. A chain in mind. There was slight doubt on how literal prophecies were meant to be between the winglet, but his mind harkened back to his nightmare. The endless void ocean of chains, reaching out to unseen highs and lows. Chains in my mind. Was the prophecy talking about him? If so, then why? Something to do with that animus dragon. It has to be. 

“Chill?” He tore his gaze away from the ground, focusing on the amber red SkyWing. “You look like you’ve figured something out.” He played with the idea of telling them all about his nightmare. But what good would it do? It would just make things more confusing. He argued with himself.

Nobody here knows anything about this prophecy. You’re the only one with something of a lead.

Isn’t it right to tell them about it, then? They want to help.

You saw how horrifying that IceWing was. What he did to you. What if he’s still out there, and he does something to them, too?

Was that me?

It has to have been you. Why would you be having someone else’s memories?

Then who’s the NightWing?

Chill, for all you know, the NightWing was a friend of yours. You might have been hearing her voice because you were in the same room as her.

Maybe, but then where’s the artificial dragon that’s meant to be haunting me? 

He swallowed. What if they’re here at the academy?

What if that’s who Ermine was?

Don’t be ridiculous. Ermine is at least a second-year student. Remember the outdated scroll you picked up at the library? He fought the urge to snicker at the irony of having a good memory, despite having little to no memories. He stopped arguing with himself, giving Smoke the best fake smile that he could muster.

“No, I was just…in my head. It’s a lot to think about.” It wasn’t all a lie. It really was a lot for him to think about. I’m just leaving out what I’m actually thinking about. Smoke nodded, understanding. I’m sorry, Smoke, but if the IceWing has something to do with this…I don’t know what he’ll do to you if you encounter him.

I have to figure this out. 

And make sure nobody gets hurt.

A new sound echoed through the cave. Talonsteps. Chill whirled his head towards the entrance, seeing the tall but slightly chubby SeaWing that he caught a glimpse of the previous day enter the cave. He looked around the cavern, stopping his gaze at them for a moment, then returning to the water. Anemone popped out of the pool, shaking the excess water off of her scales, and smiled at him.

“Hello, Turtle.” She greeted, swimming over to the edge. Even far away as they were, the cavern was quite echoey. They may have been whispering about the prophecy, but it was still a miracle neither Anemone or Tamarin had overhead them. “Shouldn’t you have a partner with you? I don’t think being a watch-dragon exempts you from the rules.” Turtle opened his mouth to respond, but then quickly looked behind him, as if he was looking for something. He sighed.

“She was right behind me,” He spoke, his voice deep and tired. “Peril! Come on! We have to stick together!” Chill heard a gasp from Smoke. 

“ The Peril?” He whispered. Chill turned his attention away from the SeaWings, focusing back on him. Smoke caught his confused glance. “If it is her, then…she’s one of the most dangerous SkyWings in recent history. She was born with a rare condition called firescales, having too much fire in her body. She burns everything she touches and was…ex-Queen Scarlet’s champion before she turned to the side of the Dragonets of Destiny…” Smoke shuddered. Chill remembered Moonwatcher saying something about Peril in the Healing Center where they first met. 

She was manipulated into doing horrible things. Even if Smoke remembered what Moonwatcher had said about the SkyWing, he was still very afraid of her, and that was even more apparent when a glowing, yellow dragon stepped out from the entrance and into the cavern. Chill had to blink a few times to get adjusted to the sudden intrusion of new light. She was practically glowing in the cavern. Anemone waved at Peril, which made her turn her head before waving back. 

“Did you get lost again or something? It’s a narrow cavern that only goes down.” Anemone quipped. Peril blinked.

“No, I was trying to keep my wings folded so they wouldn’t touch the sides of the walls and burst into flames--but then I remembered that the walls were made out of stone so the most that they would do would spark. So I started following you down the tunnel but then--”

“Peril, she’s teasing you.” Turtle reassured her, patting her shoulder. Chill watched their interaction happen, stunned.

“Did he just touch her without bursting into flames?” Smoke whispered, astonished by their interaction. Anemone nor Peril seemed to acknowledge this. 

“Oh.” Peril responded simply. She scratched her arm before looking around the cavern, her gaze settling on them. “Are they listening to us?” She asked her companion. Chill snapped his head away from them, hoping that they hadn’t noticed, but before either Turtle or Anemone could respond, there were loud talonsteps approaching them. He could see the orange glow on the cave walls around them getting brighter and brighter. Smoke was sweating cannonballs, while everybody else just looked nervous that the SkyWing was approaching, or embarrassed they had been caught eavesdropping. Peril’s head was suddenly right next to his own, which  made him jolt towards Lavender, toppling them both to the ground and tangling their arms, as he had still been holding her talon. He let go quickly and scrambled off of Lavender, who was groaning in pain, but still lay on the cavern floor 

“Excuse me, were you eavesdropping on us? That’s very rude, if you were. But if you weren’t, then still, you shouldn’t eavesdrop on people. It’s not nice.” Peril pointed out, her voice completely serious.

A chuckle came from behind them. “Even if they weren’t eavesdropping on us, it’s kinda hard not to hear someone in here. This place echoes a lot.” Turtle’s voice came up from behind them. “Don’t mind her, she’s not as scary as you might think.”

“I can still burn things by touching them though, so you probably shouldn’t get in contact with my scales. That’s like a warning though, not a threat, I’m not going to try and burn you. Or anyone. Much behind my burning days, thank you very much.” She rambled, closing her eyes and holding her head up proudly. Turtle rolled his eyes, coming over to Chill. “You were right to leap away though, getting accidentally burned is just as painful as getting intentionally burned.” Was that supposed to be a compliment? He wondered. 

Turtle just laughed as he helped Lavender back on her talons. “You’re Jade Winglet…right?” She asked. Turtle nodded.

“Ruby Winglet yourselves, from what Moon’s told me. You must be Lavender,” He looked at the rest of their group, letting go of her talons. “Smoke, Catfish, Oak, and…” He extended his talon again to help him to his talons. “Chill. Nice to meet you. I’m sure you’ve already met my wonderful sister.” 

“I CAN STILL HEAR YOU, TURTLE!” Anemone shouted from the pool, making him laugh. Chill cautiously grabbed Turtle’s talon and got to a standing position. As their scales touched, he felt an odd tingling sensation between them. It shocked his talons for a moment, but it was painless enough to ignore. 

“UH…TURTLE…ARE YOU DOING THAT?” Peril suddenly exclaimed, looking straight at Chill. Turtle wasn’t paying attention to him at first, but when he and Chill made eye contact he gasped, pulling his talon away from him. Chill glanced between all of the dragons, panicked.

“Wh-What? What’s wrong? What are you all looking at?” He asked, voice stuttering. Oak pointed to his neck. He quickly realized that he could feel something hanging from it. Heart racing, he reached up to grab whatever it was that was hanging there. His eyes went as wide as the moons when he felt a cold piece of metal dangling from his scales.

When he glanced down, all he could hear was ringing in his ears when he realized what was dangling from his neck was a glowing, green chain.

Chapter Text

“IS THIS A JOKE?” Chill screamed. Peril immediately jumped to the defensive, spreading her wings slightly to hide Turtle behind her. “GET THIS THING OFF ME, RIGHT NOW! THIS ISN’T FUNNY!”

“I-I-I didn’t do anything, I swear!” Turtle defended himself.

“Chill, calm down! Just take it off!” Smoke yelled back at him. Chill grabbed at the chain and attempted to untangle it, but found that it was impossible to move, aside from the dangling end of the chain hanging from his neck. However, as soon as he had grabbed the sides of it, the chain faded away and his talons were now grabbing at nothing. He felt his neck, and not a remnant of the chain lay on his scales. 

“A-Ah.” Smoke’s expression was pure shock. 

His talons were twitching. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to sleep. 

“Hey, what’s all the yelling about over there? Can’t a girl get some swimming in peace?” The SeaWing princess yelled at them. 

“Not really the time, Anemone!” Turtle shouted back.

“Sorry, geez.” She mumbled and jumped out of the pool, walking over to a now very-awake Tamarin, whispering something to her. The two quickly left the cavern, leaving him now breathing heavily in front of a bunch of dragons who didn’t know what was going on any more than he did. 

I can’t take this anymore. 

Wordlessly, he sprinted through the large group of dragons, ignoring their cries. He sprinted up the cavern tunnel and back into the hallways of Jade Mountain. Nearby dragons gave him strange looks, but his heart dropped when he saw Fatespeaker and Starflight roaming the halls. Starflight tilted his head in the direction of his talonsteps. Fatespeaker did the same, but then immediately frowned at him.

“Chill! Where’s your--” He didn’t hear her finish. He kept sprinting, heading straight for the exit this time. His wounds didn’t hurt anymore. Admittedly, his wings were still sore, so he didn’t see himself flying, but his running was fast enough. This time, the exit was right in front of him. It was cloudy outside, the cold, fresh air hitting his scales. He ran to the edge of the cliff, staring out into the ocean of trees, watching as the gust of wind rustled the leaves. The sun barely poked its head out of the clouds, illuminating everything around him. Looking to his left, he could see even larger, taller trees in the distance.

The Night-Rain Kingdom. It has to be.

 “Chill!” Fatespeaker’s voice called again. He turned to look at the entrance, noting the multiple students and few staff members that had gathered to see his display. 

For the first time he saw the entirety of Jade Mountain. Not the school, but the landmark itself. It was massive. Bigger than he ever could have imagined. The very mountain itself soared past the cloudline, the top of it forming the shape of a crescent moon. Right next to it was the shattered remains of Agate Mountain after Darkstalker smashed out of it five years ago, the NightWing king far larger than any normal dragon ever would live to be.

Why do I know that?

“Chill, please…” Fatespeaker’s voice called him back to reality. Starflight stood next to her. He was unable to see him, but his facial expression displayed concern and anxiety all the same. “I don’t know what’s going on, but come back inside…”

Chill slammed his talons to his ears. 

“SHUT UP! NONE OF YOU KNOW ANYTHING! YOU CAN’T HELP ME!” He didn’t bother waiting for an answer yet again. It was just as he said. Nobody here can help me, because they don’t know anything. They pretend to know what they’re talking about to delay the inevitable, but I’m tired of waiting now.

I’m going to find the truth, and I’m never coming back here. 

So goodbye, Jade Mountain Academy. 

He felt something rising in his throat, but he pushed it down, fearing that it would be undesirable. Deep down, he didn’t want to hurt Fatespeaker again either. Even as she took a cautious step forward, he turned around and jumped off the side of the cliff, slightly spreading his wings to slow his descent. Luckily, the ground below wasn’t too far away, and his talons sank in the dirt soon enough. He stumbled slightly, not very used to using his wings ( outside of incredibly surreal dreams, I guess, he thought miserably), but quickly straightened himself out and began sprinting through the trees. He wouldn’t stop for anything in the world. 

Unless it’s Orange.

I’m coming to find you, Orange.

Please be safe. 

Please be alive.

Please be real.

He didn’t linger on that last thought for long, as he slowed his pace. Panting, he took a look at his surroundings. He had stopped in a small clearing, free from most of the forest debris. Near the center of the clearing was a small pile of ash and small twigs. Somebody must have set up camp here at one point. The academy was no longer behind him. The only things that surrounded him were the trees, leaves, vines, and various wildlife of the forest. But I’m still nowhere near the rainforest. He reminded himself, continuing in the direction he saw the tall trees. As he stepped over various logs and branches, ducking and diving his way through the woods to get to where he belonged, he thought to himself.

The dragon was coming up to visit you tomorrow, and you completely ruined that.

Well, now I’m going to visit them. Slight change of plans.

Do you really think they’re not looking for you right now? They’ll find you soon enough, you know. 

I can hide.

Doubt it. You’re a glittery, teal IceWing in a field of green and brown. You stick out like a diamond in a mud lake. 

I have to find Orange.

Is that all you think about? Orange this, Orange that…have you considered that as soon as you find her, she’s going to berate you for being a creepy stalker? Three moons, all you think about is that RainWing. 

She knows me. She can give me the answers I’m looking for…my memories will come back. 

Do you really believe that?

Chill stopped walking. His own self-cynicism was putting more doubt into his mind than ever before. He heard rustling in the trees behind him but still couldn’t move his body. My memories came back whenever somebody says something specific…so if Orange just told me everything that she could, then surely my memories would be restored, isn’t that right? His other voice was silent this time. Even though he knew it was just him, he still screamed at it. Why aren’t you answering? Say something!

Still no response. 

“SAY SOMETHING!” He cupped his talons over his mouth, realizing that he’d accidentally screamed out loud. The bushes behind him rustled once again. This time, he willed himself to face whatever wild animal was about to come and face him (or run away in terror). But to his surprise, it wasn’t a wild animal. It was a dragon.

“Okay, okay, you caught me. I’m here, it’s just me.” A dragon’s large wings stepped through the bushes, brushing off twigs and small thorns that stuck to his crimson scales. His yellow eyes locked with his own.

“Smoke?” The SkyWing gave him an apologetic smile.

“Hey, Chill.” Smoke greeted. Chill instantly started to back away, which made the red dragon reach his talons outward. “Wait, wait, wait! Don’t run! Please? I just want to talk.” He stopped backing up, but his body became hot again and his heart started to pound.

“What’s there to talk about? Your theories on what’s wrong with me?” He snapped. Smoke’s concerned expression faltered for a moment, but he stood his ground, much to Chill’s dismay.

“Of course not, there isn’t anything wrong with you. You’re just…going through a lot and I want to be there for you. As a friend.”

“We’re not friends! We’ve barely known each other for a day!” 

“Okay, okay, sure, yeah, that’s fair. But I want to be your friend. I know you’re a good dragon. Doesn’t that mean something?” He looked desperate. 

“No! No, it doesn’t! I don’t even know if I have friends! I don’t know anything about myself! You don’t have any idea what that’s like! You don’t know how it feels to be forced to walk around every day not knowing a thing about yourself, expecting to go about your day-to-day life!” Chill panted, exhausted from yelling. Smoke studied him for a moment. He brought his claws to his chest and sighed.

“Well, you’re right. I don’t know you--”

“Then go away.” Chill snarked, interrupting Smoke. He seemed to take it in stride though, continuing anyway.

“--but I do know some things about you.” Chill had a hard time believing that, but morbidly curious, he let him continue. “You like scrolls. I’ve seen you in the library, admiring the stories as you put them away; you were helping Fatespeaker, right?” Chill blinked.

“H-How did you--?”

“You’re also observant, and a quick thinker. When Soulfinder started telling you about her vision you immediately figured it out before she could tell you what it was about.” He pointed out. 

“Th-That’s--”

“And you’re brave. You’re not afraid to stand up for yourself when you feel that something isn’t right.” Smoke walked towards him, gently placing his talon on Chill’s shoulder. He saw him shudder, but he didn’t pull away, and Chill didn’t have the will to remove his claw. Smoke smiled at him. “That’s why I think you’re a good dragon. And even if you don’t have all of your memories, you’re still someone. And if you’ll let me…I’d like to get to know that dragon.” He pulled his talon off of his shoulder. “But if you really want me to leave, I will. I’ll walk right back into the forest and tell the others I couldn’t find you, and whatever happens next happens.”

Chill guiltily considered this for a moment. He had to get to the Night-Rain Kingdom as soon as possible, before somebody caught him and confined him again. Yet at the same time, what Smoke had said made him shake. He’d been so obsessed with figuring out who he was that he never stopped to consider who he currently is. Scrollworm, sure, but beyond that it was blank. Was what Smoke said true? He wasn’t sure, it was difficult to think of who he was without getting frustrated at his missing memories.

But Smoke was willing to help. 

Maybe he does care.

“I need to go to the Night-Rain Kingdom. There are answers there. I know there are.” He told him, voice quivering. Smoke studied him again, looking him up and down. 

“What do I need to do?” He finally asked. 

“You want to help me?”

“I want to do what’s right, even if it’s wrong.” He said defiantly.

“Can…can you take me there? Do you know where it is?” Smoke nodded.

“I’ve never been inside, but my mother took me to the outskirts once or twice. I can take you there, but I don’t know anything beyond that. Will that help?”

Chill didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”

“Okay, then let’s go,” He looked up at the clouds “This way.” Smoke began walking to the left out of the clearing, Chill following close behind.

“How did you do that?” He asked. 

“What? Read the clouds? Something my mom taught me, much like everything else I know.” He chuckled. Chill’s morbid curiosity forced his next question out of his mouth.

“You talk about your mom a lot…what about your dad?” The SkyWing gave him a sideways glance. “S-Sorry, was that a bad question? I shouldn’t have asked--”

“No, no, it’s okay,” He reassured him, bumping his wing against Chill’s. “My dad…he was…ah, good. As far as I remember. He didn’t…uh…stick around very long. My mom did her best, and sometimes it was hard, but we got through it. I think she’s trying to see somebody else, but that was a few months ago,” Smoke jumped over a branch. “Do you remember anything about your parents?”

Chill shook his head. “A-All of my current memories take place in the N-Night-Rain Kingdom.” He nodded.

“Well, I think you turned out alright.” Chill wasn’t sure how to take that. So instead he looked ahead, forcing himself to focus on the foliage. 

“What about the others? Did they--” He stopped. “Nevermind.”

“Yeah, they came.” Smoke laughed. “Man, I am gonna get in so much trouble for this.” Upon hearing that, Chill immediately felt guilty for asking him to come along. “Ah, I see that look on your face. Don’t worry about it, honestly. If I didn’t want to get into a little bit of mischief, I wouldn’t have even offered.” He joked, bumping Chill’s side, which made him smile. 

“I-I-I’m s-”

“Stop.” Smoke fiercely commanded. Chill was startled into meeting his eyes. “Listen, you’re apologizing for things you can’t control. Whatever caused your amnesia isn’t your fault, do you understand?” It wasn’t really a question that he could answer. “You are not a burden. We’re gonna figure this out. Together. Okay?”

Chill sniffled. Tears threatened to crawl out of his eyes. “Okay.”

“Great.” Smoke’s cheerful attitude returned. “Let’s go find a kingdom.” The two males continued walking. Chill tried to catch his eyes a few times, but Smoke never looked his way. He did, however, occasionally glance behind him to be sure that they weren’t being followed. He wasn’t sure how to put the emotion into words, but he knew that there had to be some way he could tell Smoke that he appreciated everything that he was doing for him.

  I feel strange. “Well, since we can’t fly we’re gonna be walking for a while.” Smoke said, breaking the silence. “You said you had memories about the Night-Rain Kingdom, right?”

“Mhm. Most of what I do remember is there.” Smoke ducked his head slightly and coughed.

“I…I’ve never been there. What’s it like?”

Chapter Text

Chill spent the rest of their walk to the Night-Rain Kingdom explaining everything that he could to the SkyWing. The beautiful flowers, the wonderful weather, how nice everyone he’d ever spoken to was, the strange yet brilliant architecture of their houses in the trees, and of course: Orange. He felt like he was annoying Smoke with all of the details he’d given about her, but the he took in every word with an earnest nod, always letting him ramble on about whatever detail he deemed important enough to share. 

Almost like how I did with Orange. I always just wanted to listen to her, no matter what she was talking about. 

His heart started to pound a little faster than usual. Smoke looked at him, concerned.

“Are you alright? Your face just got…really blue.”

“Y-Yep! I’m good!” Chill stuttered out. “I…I feel a lot better now, really.” He added on, a little more honestly. 

“I’m glad. Now, pull your head up,” He told him, nodding his head in front of them. “I think we’re here.” Chill focused on where he gestured and took in a small breath. The trees in front of him started to become taller and taller without him realizing. Vines were creeping down the trunks and various birds of an assortment of colors were flying through the leaves. He tapped the dirt underneath his talons a few times, nervous. He shut his eyes and remembered the breathing exercise. It calmed his nerves slightly, but only slightly. 

He felt a talon on his shoulder. “You sure you’re okay?” Smoke asked.

Chill didn’t bother lying this time. “N-No, not really…but I have to do this. Now. Or it’s never gonna happen.” He nodded. “I can do this. I HAVE to do this.” 

“Keep that enthusiasm. You’ll need it.” Smoke told him, patting his shoulder before removing his talon. He sounded harsh, but he knew he was right. Everything that he’d been trying to remember was now right in front of him. He could unlock any memory at any second. It scared him, but it was also…exciting. This is it. This is everything.

Don’t mess it up.

As they got further into the forest, he started to see the signs of dragon life. Wooden structures began appearing in various areas, as well as the occasional hammock. The dirt and grass underneath them became much more lived-in, turning into a small pathway that led deeper into the woods. The more he saw, the more familiar to him it became. He could see himself walking these paths before. For what reasons, he didn’t know, and it didn’t matter. The path was becoming more and more clear in his head.

Something inside of him was screaming. The internal voice in his head was quiet, but there was something else. A painful, longing scream. Am I more nervous than I thought? Taking more deep breaths, he followed the path further and further until they reached a large gathering of bushes, trees, and vines; two dragons stood in front of the bundle. Both RainWings with satchels wrapped around their necks. The RainWing on the left was doing his best to look as intimidating as possible, while the one on the right was distracted by something off in the distance. 

Approaching the large combination of wildlife, he could now see that different types of planets had been woven into the structure. Blues, oranges, reds, whites, all had been strung through the roots of the plant wall. It was beautiful, in a “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks” kind of way.

The male RainWing, despite trying his best, didn’t look very fierce. Despite the attempted scowl on his face, he looked very friendly. His scales were a pleasant shade of blue, and his facial features were very soft and round. There was a small necklace of flowers hung around his neck, each one a different shade of purple.  His fellow guard looked similar to Glory, but was much smaller. Her scales were also a darker shade of green, nearly blending into the wildlife behind her without having to turn invisible. 

He heard Smoke curse under his breath.

“Those satchels are full of sleeping darts. You don’t wanna get stung by one of those.” Smoke warned. 

Chill raised a brow. “Why?”

“I’ve been hit by a dart before when I was with the healers. It puts you straight to sleep. Not a fun thing to experience.” The SkyWing shuddered. Chill brushed his wing with his own, ignoring the slight sting he felt when they made contact. Still recovering. He remembered. 

“We just need to go in, find Orange, and then leave. Easy.” He told him. Am I trying to reassure him, or myself?

“Sure, maybe, but what about after that? Are you coming back to school?” 

Chill didn’t answer. Instead he got closer to the two guards standing in front of the conglomerate of plants. They both glanced at him, then snapped to attention.

“Halt! Who goes there?” The male one asked. His companion looked at him, amused.

“Seriously? You’re still doing that? Pineapple told us that we didn’t have to be so professional--just strict.” She reminded him. Her partner huffed.

“Our job is to keep potentially dangerous dragons out of the kingdom! I don’t want to be fired, I like standing around and…uh, watching out for trouble.” The RainWing shifted his satchel on his body. The female laughed.

“W-We’re not dangerous! We just need to talk to someone, and then we’ll leave!” Chill tried convincing them. The female RainWing didn’t seem very interested, but the male RainWing wouldn’t take his eyes off of him. 

“You look…familiar. Do I know you?” He asked. Smoke and Chill exchanged a glance. From what he could muster in his memories, the only RainWings that he’d ever held a conversation with were the ones in recent days: Lavender, Lotus, and Glory, and from his memories: obviously Orange, the one elder RainWing: Okapi, and…

It hit him like a boulder. 

“Komodo?” He tried. The male RainWing’s eyes widened. He took a few steps backwards, running into the greenery--which he now recognized as a sort of gate--behind him. His scales briefly changed from the calm blue to an alarming orange/purple mix, before shifting back to his preferred color. The female RainWing regarded them both curiously.

“Do you two know each other?” She asked. 

“I don’t know, Mez…I don’t recognize him.” He responded.

“N-No! W-Well, not really, anyway. Listen, y-you ARE Komodo, right?” Chill asked hopefully. The male RainWing cleared his throat, shaking himself and stepping forward, away from the wall. He moved his satchel closer to his chest, which made Smoke inhale sharply. Instinctively, he wanted to wrap his tail around the SkyWing’s to comfort him, but then he recalled how that was an intimate gesture, and he wasn’t ready for that. 

“Yes, I’m Komodo,” He confirmed. “This is Mesmerize, Mez for short. Now, answer MY question: how do you know my name? I’ve never met an IceWing before.” 

Chill immediately recoiled. Komodo was, indeed, right in front of him, but as soon as he confirmed that he was who Chill thought he was, he had to hit him with another boulder. No, don’t give up. He said you looked familiar. Maybe he just doesn’t remember. You’ve gotten this far, you can’t give up now.

“I-I think we spoke once. I know your sister, Orange? Is she here? I really need to talk to her.” He declared, his voice quivering a little bit. 

“Please, it’s urgent.” Smoke pitched in, getting closer to him. Chill could almost feel the heat radiating off of his scales, contrasting with his naturally cold ones. 

The blue of Komodo’s scales became a deeper shade of the color, hints of grey throughout. Mez’s scales turned similar shades, regarding her male RainWing guard with a sudden deep, sad gaze. Seeing their expressions change from cautious to what they were now made his heart sink. No, no, no, no. His mind echoed over and over again.

“Did…did you know her?” Komodo asked cautiously. Know. He said know. Past-tense.

“Yes…before I got into an…accident,” He gestured towards his bandages, some of which were more tattered and falling off after getting caught in several thorn bushes on their way there. “I lived here with Orange. She was my best friend. She helped me through everything…taught me things that I didn’t know…comforted me when I needed it the most. I’m missing…some details over the last couple of years, and I know she can help me.”

Mez looked over at Smoke. “Amnesia?” She asked. 

“Unfortunately.” He responded, giving her a sad smile. “But we’re trying to put the pieces together. We were hoping that she could help us, if she’s not busy?” Komodo and Mez exchanged glances, the light in their eyes slowly fading out with each look. The words were still repeating in his head. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. 

“You’re the dragon she was constantly around, aren’t you? The one who I’m supposed to see at Jade Mountain tomorrow?” Komodo asked, his shoulder relaxing slightly. “I thought you were…well, my memory isn’t very good, I guess. Nice to meet you again.” He extended his talon forward. Chill only stared at it. Komodo looked at Mez again. “Can you get Panda to cover for me?” 

“Yeah, yeah I can do that.” Mez nodded, reaching into her pouch and pulling out a small flower, a dark, black one. She brought it up to the gate, and as the petals touched the foliage all of the vines, flowers, and roots began spreading apart, creating an archway big enough for several dragons to fit through. More animus magic. But I thought RainWings didn’t have animi? With that worrying thought in mind Komodo beckoned Chill to follow. Swallowing his fear, he did that, Smoke coming close behind, but Mez gave him a glare.

“Sorry, but your SkyWing friend has to stay out.” She said. Chill opened his mouth to protest, but Smoke simply shrugged. Satisfied with the response, she headed off in a different direction as quickly as she could.

“Such is the way, I guess,” Smoke responded, defeated. “You’ll be okay, Chill. I’ll stick around out here.” He backed away from the gate, settling off to the side of the forest and making himself comfortable. Chill wanted to wave, but before he could, the gate began to close again, and he was alone in the Night-Rain Kingdom. 

And it was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.

The trees parted in the direct center of the kingdom, lighting everything up with the warmth of the sun. RainWings were flying, napping, hopping, and swinging all over the place. Large spherical huts of different shades of yellow, green, and lime were constructed, taking over the forest, along with the bridges that connected them all together. Everywhere he looked was a new dash of beauty that he’d never experienced before. It was equally as mesmerizing as it was in the above as it was in the small settlements below. 

Instead of spherical huts, these were more cubical, and much less green. Dragons were conversing with each other enthusiastically, and it surprised him to see several NightWings in the mix. Komodo noticed him looking around and smiled.

“Surprised? Trust me, I am too,” He began, gesturing towards the NightWings. “I didn’t want anything to do with them when they first got here. They were loud. Crass. Brutal. Annoying as well. But…” He sighed dramatically. “...Queen Glory wanted to give them all a chance. After a while, they actually turned out to be really nice. I think they just wanted a home.”

I know what that feels like.

“Where are we going?” He asked. 

Komodo licked his lips, avoiding his gaze. “Home.” He didn’t say anything after that. 

Chill turned his attention to admiring the kingdom, but instead of being able to look at the scenery more, he was instead met with curious looks and demeaning glares from both RainWings and NightWings alike. He shied his head away from it all, keeping his gaze low. I may be home, but an IceWing in the rainforest is still really strange. 

“Don’t beat yourself up. Most of them are just curious.” Komodo said. “It’s not often that we get IceWings in the rainforest.”

“You’ve had IceWings in the rainforest before?” He asked.

“A few times. Not often though. The humidity bothers a lot of them. There’s this one IceWing that used to visit a few times during the warmer seasons when the schools were out. Always went and hung around the little yellow dragon…I forget what her name is.” Something that Komodo said stood out to him.

“Schools?” Chill wondered.

“What? Did you think Jade Mountain was the only school in Pyrrhia?” He teased. “It used to be, but after the disastrous first year at Jade Mountain, the Queens held a council and agreed that there should be more schools across the continent. Jade Mountain is the oldest one currently, but there are other schools too! There’s one for younger dragonets between the Mud Kingdom and the Kingdom of the Sea, one for older dragonets in the Sand Kingdom, a rehabilitation center for war veterans in the Sky Kingdom, everything.” Komodo laughed. “Who could’ve imagined that Pyrrhia’s path to peace was through education?”

Chill shoved down the grimace that nearly crawled onto his face, and instead pried Komodo for more information as they walked. 

“The gate…how does that work?”

“Magic, I think? The queen never really explained it to us, but apparently she was given some gift for her tribe that allowed for extra protection and buildings.”

“How do you know all of this?”

“Pure studies, my cold friend. When Queen Glory set up the library here I’ve been educating myself on the world and its inhabitants,” Komodo took in a deep breath, sighing and lifting his head towards the sky. “I want to be the dragon that knows everything. There’s so much knowledge in the world and so many stories to be told. My home is here, in the rainforest, but if I’m honest…I’d like to work with those at the rehabilitation center.”

Komodo stopped walking, standing in front of a well-kept hut. Chill could barely peek inside, seeing the familiar room from his memory.

“We’re here,” Komodo said, breaking the brief quiet. “Come in.” 

He did. The question was still weighing on his mind. He couldn’t take it anymore.

“Where’s Orange?”

Komodo took a sharp breath.

“What did you say your name was?” The RainWing asked.

“W-Well, I don’t actually remember…but right now it’s Chill.” He admitted.

“Chill.” Komodo tried. He took another breath. “You…meant a lot to my sister, do you know that?” He asked. Chill nodded. He walked into another room, disappearing for a moment, only to reappear with something in his talons. Getting closer, Chill realized it was the painting from his memory. Komodo offered it to him, and he took it gingerly, being careful not to rip the artwork with his claws. It was exactly as he remembered it, only a little faded with time. An entire forest surrounding two dragons sitting at the bottom, one yellow, one purple. 

He felt tears welling up in his eyes.

“Flip it over.” Komodo whispered. Chill did so, seeing writing on the back that Orange hadn’t told him about before. It was loose, shaky writing, but he could clearly see what it said.

ME AND SOLSTICE

     - ORANGE THE RAINWING

“Solstice?” Chill muttered. “Is that…that’s my name.”

Komodo said something but he didn’t hear it. The dizziness returned. He didn’t bother fighting it. Komodo said something again, his voice much more panicked now, but all Chill could do was close his eyes and let the memory take him over.

“Hey! What are you doing all the way out here?” An eccentric female voice asked, shattering the quiet he surrounded himself with. He wiped tears from his eyes, looking in every direction to find the source of the voice. The pond in front of him rippled as he accidentally kicked a small stone into the calm water.

“Wh-Who’s there?” He called out. “Show yourself!” To his surprise, the voice did just that, materializing in front of him. She was a RainWing. Invisible at first, but now he could clearly see her bright orange scales and her equally bright yellow eyes. 

“Oh geez, were you crying? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be a bother. I just saw you out here by yourself and thought I would say hello.”

“I’M NOT CRYING.” He fiercely defended himself. “I just…had some dirt in my eyes.” The RainWing wasn’t letting off.

“Right, and I’m two-hundred feet tall,” She rolled her eyes, walking up closer to him. “Do you wanna talk about it? I’m a great listener! I’ve also been told that I talk too much sometimes, but I’m willing to be quiet if it makes you feel better!” She smiled brightly at him, and he felt his heart pound slightly. Moons, get yourself together. He scolded himself. This isn’t the first time you’ve seen an incredibly pretty RainWing. 

“It’s nothing. I’m fine. Go away.” He growled, turning away from her to look out at the fireflies dancing atop the lake. The RainWing, however, didn’t go away. Instead, she planted herself right next to him, sitting down on the grass. 

“I like fireflies.” She said absentmindedly, as if she didn’t hear him tell her to leave. “They’re really beautiful insects. I wish I could glow that brightly at night.” He rolled his eyes.

“Can’t you just change your scales to a really bright color?” He asked sarcastically. However, the RainWing actually considered this for a moment, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

“I mean, probably, but it wouldn’t be the same. Do you come out here often?”

“Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

“Didn’t I just ask you a question?”

Moons, stop liking her. He hesitated.

“Yes.” He admitted.

“It is really pretty out here. Better than those slabs of houses that you guys currently have, huh?” She teased, shooting him a cocky grin.

“It’s a work-in-progress! We’re all doing the best we can. Who built all of YOUR treehouses, anyhow? I bet you don’t even know, because they’ve all been there since before you were hatched!” 

“Easy, sharpteeth, I’m just teasing you. It’s not very often that I meet somebody new.” She said. This confused him.

“Don’t you have an entire kingdom of RainWings you can converse with?” He accused.

“Well, duh, but a lot of them don’t really like me. Which is fine by me! They can drown in their own venom, for all I care.” She said that, but something on her face told him that there was something more there that she wasn’t telling him. Though, why should she tell him? They’d just met.

She did ask me if there was anything wrong.

Maybe I should ask her.

Before his rational side could stop him, his mouth moved. 

“Do you want to talk about it?”

The girl laughed. “We just met!” She exclaimed.

“You didn’t have any problems with asking me if I was okay.” He pointed out. She laughed again.

“True. My name’s Orange, what about you?” He resisted a smile.

“Solstice.” 

He blinked, coming back to reality. Solstice was now, undoubtedly, his name. As the room slowly began to reform, he was surprised to discover that he hadn’t fallen over like usual. He still stood on the floor of the hut, looking at Komodo, who looked like he’d been freaking out.

“Are you okay? You just blacked out in front of me! I-I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Komodo reached out to grab him, but Chill managed to evade his grasp before their scales touched.

“I’m…fine. I just remembered something. That’s all.” He explained. “Where’s Orange?” He asked again, one final time.

Komodo shut his eyes and squeezed them tight for a moment, taking several deep breaths. When he opened his eyes again, it looked like he was about to cry. Everything around him blurred. The only thing in focus was Komodo. He glanced towards the room, the painting, then back at Chill.

“No.” Chill said, dropping the painting on the ground. “No, don’t say it. Don’t say it.” He begged the RainWing. There was rustling outside of the hut. Dragons were shouting, someone said his name. His fake name. It sounded like Sunny.

They found me.

“I’m sorry, Solstice.” Komodo apologized. Chill shivered at the use of the name. Everything slowed down around him as the RainWing uttered the words that had terrified him and haunting his thoughts for hours on end.

 “My sister passed away a few months ago.”

Chapter Text

“Glory, I am SO SORRY. I have no idea how this happened.” Sunny apologized profusely. Glory sighed, watching as Kinkajou and Winter guided the strange IceWing towards the exit of her kingdom. It hadn’t been the most dramatic thing she’d dealt with all week, but she wasn’t fond of the fact that this IceWing was becoming more and more prevalent in her life. Since that fateful visit to Jade Mountain, when he begged her about Orange--the dragonet who unfortunately passed away from illness a few months prior…it had all been a headache. 

“It’s fine. At least it’s over now.” She glanced at Chill again, watching as he barely lifted his talons to continue walking. Winter occasionally shoved him with his wing, ushering him to go faster. He had a scowl on his face, but Glory knew him better than that. He was compassionate, but putting on a front to intimidate the dragonet. Kinkajou wasn’t saying anything or making any gestures worth pointing out, simply acting as another guard. 

“Poor dragon, though.” Sunny said sympathetically. “I can’t imagine what he’s going through. First memory loss, and now the one dragon he thought could help him is…gone. What was it?”

“I spoke with Komodo a few nights ago. He said he wasn’t sure, but whatever it was it was bad enough to take her life. Passed away in her sleep. We haven’t had a disease like that in years.” She looked inside the hut where Komodo currently sat, staring at the painting on the floor, his scales a deep, deep shade of blue. Feeling responsible, she moved past Sunny to stand near the entrance. Komodo heard her approach and started to stand so he could bow, but Glory shook her head.

“Not now. I’m sorry for your loss, and I’m sorry about our dear IceWing friend here. I understand you must feel terrible right now, so if you wish, you can take the rest of today off. I’ll fill Panda in your stead.” She offered. Komodo smiled.

“Thank you, your majesty, but I’ll be alright. Give me a little while and I’ll get back out there. I need something to distract myself.” He told her.

“Very well. You’ve been working hard these past few weeks. I’ll have a talk with Pineapple later tonight about a potential promotion.” She said. Komodo blinked, shocked, but said nothing, only nodding. With that, Glory walked back towards Sunny. “This job doesn’t get easier, does it?” She asked. 

Sunny smiled ruefully. 

“Figured as much. Clay informed me about the murder situation. I’m sorry to hear about that. Do you need me to send a few of my guards to patrol the halls?” She offered. Sunny shook her head.

“No, that’s alright. Thank you, though.” She said.

“Are you sure? I don’t want any more of your students getting hurt. I know you’ve had a clean track record since you reopened but…” Glory twined her tail around hers. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“I’ll be alright. Worst comes to worst, and I hope that it won’t, we have Peril.” Sunny assured her. Glory scrunched up her snout, regretfully admitting that that was true. Peril didn’t have quite the monstrous record as she previously did, but even after Queen Ruby had pardoned her of her crimes after saving her son, some dragons just couldn’t move on. Glory was one of those dragons. Every time she thought of Peril, she could only see her rainforest burning to the ground. Even if she’s changed, she’s still dangerous. She wanted to tell Sunny, but she knew that she wouldn’t have any of it. Instead, Glory sighed again.

“Okay…I trust you.” Glory and Sunny shared an embrace, and then the SandWing was gone, headed off to catch up with the Jade Winglet members and the IceWing. Solstice. So that was his real name. She couldn’t help but overhear Komodo mention it when explaining the situation to Sunny. Strange name for an IceWing, but I suppose it’s fitting. 

She heard movement behind her, but immediately recognized the talonsteps. Crushing down whatever feelings she had, she turned to greet her self-proclaimed bodyguard: Deathbringer. The annoying, aggravating, charming, dubious, mischievous, deadly NightWing that pledged his allegiance to her all those years ago, during the war. When there was a prophecy to fulfill (that ended up being fake). 

“Hello, Deathbringer. Has anyone ever told you you should change your name to Loudtalons? I swear, I could hear you from one of the moons.” She snided to the bushes nearby. The bushes rustled, and out popped a NightWing head, looking rather upset at her comment. 

“I wasn’t trying to be sneaky around you, your majesty. I’d never hide anything from you.” He proclaimed, stepping out of the leaves. “I’m simply watching out for any NightWings with…less than ideal intentions.” Glory rolled her eyes.

“Deathbringer, the NightWings and RainWings have finally started to be civil with each other. We’ve been letting NightWings into the RainWing settlements for weeks now and we’ve had no issues--aside from the one. What was his name?”

“Mooncrusher.” Deathbringer hissed. “Ugly dragon. He’s gone now, in case you were wondering.”

“Did you kill him?” 

“You think of me in such a way?” Deathbringer asked, putting a talon on his chest, looking offended. Glory raised a brow. The NightWing grumbled. “NO, he’s not dead. Just banished for a few months. Though he will be dead if he tries to come back.”

“What am I going to do with you?” If he’d answered, she didn’t bother to listen to it. She spread her wings out and took off to the sky, heading towards her throne room. There was no doubt a new line of RainWings and NightWings alike waiting for her to solve their problems. Even though it sounded exhausting, it was the least headache-inducing thing she had to do as queen of her tribe. As she glided her way to the room, she looked behind her and saw Deathbringer struggling to catch up--obviously caught off guard by her sudden departure. She chuckled. 

It was a short flight. She landed on the outer ring of the throne room and wandered inside. She was surprised to find that there wasn’t a line waiting for her, for once. The only thing that was waiting for her was a comically large hammock, lined with various pelts, pillows, and blankets gently swinging in the center of the room. The RainWing equivalent of a throne. Glory briefly reminisced on the time she wanted a real, proper throne, like the other queens of the tribes, but once she sat down on it there was no going back. 

Talons landed on the ring--Deathbringer’s talons. He entered the throne room without care, as if it was his as well. It practically is, the way he invites himself everywhere. 

“Well, no army of dragons needing you to solve your problems. Perhaps we should take this moment to relax? For a chance?” He suggested. Glory lightly smacked him with her tail. 

“As enticing as that is, one, there is no we in that scenario. Two, even if I don’t have dragons clamoring for me, I should still sort out all of the tasks that previous dragons needed me to address. There’s no sense in getting behind.” She told him, crossing the room to a small table in the corner lined with papers. A little inkwell rested comfortably next to one of those stacks. She looked down at the pages to see what Handsome had written down for her.

Even years after the RainWing royal challenge that changed their tribes forever, he was still very much willing to help the queen. In fact, if Glory had read him correctly, he was ecstatic about it. Something along the lines of: “Finally! I can do something important, rather than just standing around telling dragons to leave!” Whatever his reasoning was, it made him happy, and that was good enough for her. 

Though, still, her encounter with Chill--or Solstice--or whatever his name was, it was still weighing on her mind.

“Deathbringer, you’ve been here for just about as long as I have, correct?” She asked him.

“Of course, your majesty. I said I’d follow you anywhere.” He responded. Glory rolled her eyes.

“As charming and creepy as that is, you’ve been here since the establishment of both the NightWing village and my reign over the RainWing village. You’ve kept ample track of everything, and you have spies that you trust to watch over the areas as well--correct?”

“What’s with all of the questions, your majesty?” He asked, walking over and gently placing a wing around her. Glory briefly glanced over her shoulder to see if anyone was approaching, but heard nothing. “Is something troubling you?”

“You could say that.” She grumbled. “That IceWing…I believe he’s mentioned that he lived here in the rainforest. With that dragonet. Orange.”

“So he says. It would seem that Komodo knew him, considering he was let in without any guard. Normally we have a few RainWings around any visitors until we assure they’re safe.” Deathbringer confirmed.

“Right, yes. Of course. I remember our safety protocol, Deathbringer, I’d like to think I’m not forgetful.” She grumbled, leaning into him slightly.

“Wasn’t trying to imply that you were.” He defended himself.

“So then why…?”

“Why what?”

“Why do I not remember an IceWing living in our woods?”

Chapter Text

There was a knock at the detention cave entrance. 

“Chill? Are you awake?” Clay’s voice called. Chill didn’t respond. “Well, I’ve brought you your assignments that you missed. Make sure you’re keeping track of everything. You don’t want to get behind.” He reminded him. Chill heard a series of scrolls and papers shuffle on the floor.

He couldn’t muster the strength to lift his head to look at the homework. It wasn’t worth it. They could kick him out of the academy, lock him up in a cell somewhere in Queen Snowfall’s darkest dungeon, starve him for years, deprave him of water, take away everything so that he’d be less than a dragon and it still would’ve hurt less than what he felt right now. There was simply no word in any language that could describe how he felt. His eyes were closed but he knew that he wasn’t going to get any sleep. Not now. Not several nights from now.

Everything in the detention cave was dark. Dreary. The only thing that lit up the entire room was a small candle burning at the center. A small little desk sat straight across from where his pile of uncomfortable, messy blankets was. The pile where he currently rested on, feeling more desolate and alone than ever. 

That’s how he felt in the week since he visited the Night-Rain Kingdom. 

“You have a visitor.” Clay said. Chill’s ears perked up slightly, but he didn’t look away from the dark, cave wall. There were whispers that he couldn’t make out, and then one set of talons walked away from the cave while another set entered. 

“Solstice?” Smoke’s voice asked. Again, he didn’t respond. He couldn’t, even if he wanted to. Hearing that name made him cringe. It didn’t even feel like him anymore. “I…uh, I thought I’d come by and see how you were doing. It’s been a week since the rainforest and…well, maybe you wanted to get your mind off of things? Make you feel better?” Chill would’ve snorted if he had the energy to. He was sure there was a snide comment he could make as well, but it wouldn’t come to him. 

Talons approached where he lay uncomfortably on a lumpy pile of wool blankets. He could hear Smoke’s breathing next to him as he lay down on the floor. 

“So, I was thinking about the prophecy some more, and I made a few--”

“Stop.”

Chill finally managed to speak, and his voice was full of anger. He lifted his head off of the blankets slowly and turned to glare at the SkyWing. He hadn’t properly seen him in that week after he was sent to the detention cave. The poor dragon looked hurt, confused, worried, all sorts of negative emotions bottled into one, complicated bottle. 

“I can’t…I can’t do this prophecy stuff. Not now. Not ever. I’m sorry. Please leave me alone.” Chill said, letting his head hit the blankets once again. Unfortunately, Smoke was resistant to this.

“Don’t push me away. I know what it feels like…to lose someone.”

“You don’t know what it feels like!” Chill snapped. As soon as the words left his snout, he felt horrible for saying them. He wanted to know more about the dragon with the most compassion he’d ever known, but right now his anger was taking over his rationality. “You can’t understand how it feels to know that the one dragon your entire reality hinged on is just gone forever! Everything that I’ve remembered since I got here all revolved around Orange, but she’s DEAD now! How can you possibly even hope to comprehend what that feels like?”

Chill realized that his body had moved for him. He was standing up and glaring at Smoke. Chill could feel the growling in his throat. He’d been snarky and sarcastic before, but he never felt anger like this. A burning sadness inside of him that he felt heating his scales and making his legs shake. The same feeling he felt when he screamed at Fatespeaker at the front of Jade Mountain came back to him. Something rising in his throat. A cold feeling. Like back then, he shoved it down. 

“Then what does it feel like?” Smoke asked, his expression more determined than ever. Chill pondered on the question for a moment. He wasn’t sure if there was one emotion that could accurately describe what he was experiencing. Of course, he was sad. Miserable, even. The one light in his life was mere moments away from coming back to him only for it to be ripped from his talons and extinguished without remorse. On the other talon, he was angry. Angry that all of the answers that he could’ve gotten from her he’d now never get. His memory would have to return to him gradually, and he wasn’t sure how long that would take. He could’ve spent his time at Jade Mountain, but he forever tarnished his reputation within the academy. Running away, screaming at staff; it was hopeless. 

He wanted to shrivel away in the detention cave and be forgotten about, but Smoke, being the flare of kindness that he was, wasn’t going to let up. 

 “It feels like I want to crawl into a cave and never come back out…like every scale on my body just fell off and I’m bleeding all over the floors…like a headache that’s never going to go away, always forcing you to fall to the grind in agonizing pain. Like seeing there’s a light at the end of the cave but it always gets further the closer you think you get to it. Like--”

“Hey,” Smoke interrupted. “You’re rambling.”

“It makes sense though, right? Do you feel like that too?” Chill asked.

Smoke nodded affirmatively. “I…I lost my father when I was three. He taught me a lot about my morals, and I do everything that I can every day to make sure that his memory is not lost, or forgotten,” Smoke smiled. “When we lose someone, all we have is the memories that they leave behind. Nobody’s ever really dead so long as their memory stays in your heart.” 

Chill looked up at him with tired eyes. “That’s the corniest thing I’ve ever heard.” He grumbled. 

Smoke chuckled. “Maybe, but it helped me. Maybe it could help you too.” 

Chill averted his eyes away from him and focused on the large pile of scrolls and papers sat on the cave floor, waiting to be written and worked on. Then his eyes went to the table across the room, seeing a unique scroll sitting on the desk, neatly wrapped in a bright green ribbon. After he was sent to the detention cave, Sunny had come in the next day to give him the scroll, saying that it was for him. She told him that Komodo gave it to her, even though he hadn’t asked who it was from. 

“It’s going to hurt a lot, isn’t it?” Chill asked him quietly, breaking out of his reflections.

“It always does, but that hurt is good.” He took Chill’s talons in his own. “It means that you cared.” 

Tears welled in his eyes. He was sure to take Smoke’s advice to heart, but he still had no idea where to go from where he stood. He sat there, holding onto Smoke’s talons as if his life depended on them, and then the tears fell. They splattered silently against the cold floor. Smoke said nothing, only pulling the IceWing closer and wrapping his wings around him, pulling the sobbing dragon in for a tight embrace. He whispered words of comfort in Chill’s ear. He didn’t want to let go. 

But he had to, eventually.

He had to be strong.

Orange wouldn’t want me to mope around. 

Smoke pulled away slightly, keeping his arms on Chill’s shoulders. 

“Better?” He asked.

“I’ll live.” Chill sighed.

“I hope so.” Smoke laughed. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No.” He responded, quicker than he expected. Smoke took his arms off of Chill’s shoulders and gestured towards the stack of work the IceWing still had to do. 

“You want some help with that?” Smoke offered. Chill walked over the stacks and picked them up, organizing them as best as he could. He noticed that his talons were trembling again. He closed his eyes, trying to focus on anything else. Happy thoughts. Pleasant memories. Relaxing moments. Yet all his mind could flash to were the words that Komodo told him in the hut.

“My sister passed away a few months ago.”

He felt his stomach turn. He hadn’t regained any new memories since that day either. Brief little moments of passion, here or there, similar to what he experienced in Catfish’s sleeping cave. His desire to write hadn’t subdued from that day. During the occasional moments where he’d managed to get out of bed, he’d pick up a piece of parchment and write the same line over and over again.

Why is this happening to me?

“You said you had information on the prophecy, what is it?” Chill asked him.

Smoke blinked. “I thought you didn’t want to talk about it?”

“I need to focus on something else right now. I can’t forget Orange, I refuse, but…she wouldn’t want me to sit around being useless.” 

He smiled. “It sounds like you guys were really good friends.”

Chill blushed. “Something like that.”

Smoke gave him a funny look, but didn’t pry. He looked towards the entrance of the cave, as if to see if anyone was there, then looked back at him. 

“Well, we’ve talked about the first and second parts a little bit…but the last part of the prophecy is really the thing that’s bugging me the most. ‘If the descendent of the stalker lives, the dragon race will cease to exist.’” Smoke moved the pile of papers out of the way so he could sit down. “I took the time to look at the Jade Mountain Prophecy from five years ago. It also mentioned something about a stalker. ‘Beware the stalker of dreams.’”

Chill recalled what Oak had said the previous week in the cave (which he later discovered was named the Jade Oasis). The Jade Mountain Prophecy was five years old now. Surely dragons had time to analyze it, especially if it was such public knowledge that Smoke could go look for it in the library--assuming that’s where he got it. He decided to see if Smoke knew anything.

“Stalker of dreams?”

Smoke nodded. “In the scroll that I found about the Jade Mountain Prophecy it mentioned two dragons. One of which is a student here, who came into possession of an artifact known as a dreamvisitor. However, the more likely option was the notable ex-Queen Scarlet. She’d come into possession of a dreamvisitor as well, haunting various dragons around the continent while she was in hiding.” 

“Artifact.” Chill echoed, trying the word on his tongue.

“It’s a new phenomenon that researchers in the Sky Kingdom have created. Any animus-touched object that’s lasted at least a hundred years is known as an artifact.” He explained.

“So…did she have children?” Chill wondered, changing the topic. Smoke barked a laugh, startling the poor IceWing.

“Thank the moons, no! Well, at least not any new children. Trust me, I thought the same thing.” His amused expression soon turned sour. “Though…that would be the kind of thing a prophecy reveals. A hidden descendent of the insane SkyWing queen, ready to wreak havoc on the kingdom again. She does have a surviving son...” His wings shuddered. “We’re still recovering from her reign, even with Queen Ruby’s help.”

Chill had first heard of Queen Scarlet’s name in the occasional conversation between Starflight and Fatespeaker while he helped clean. He didn’t pry, but the anxiety in Starflight’s voice whenever he spoke about her gave him a clear enough picture. Queen Scarlet was bad. His curiosity had peaked a few hours later, and he read through as many scrolls as he could get his talons on. Every new word that he had on the wicked queen made him sick to his stomach. So much so that he had to stop reading, for fear of something undesirable. One thing was for sure: the queen loved her senseless murder. 

“My parents were under her rule for a while…my dad would always tell me horror stories to try and get me to be good.” Smoke chuckled. “Sure worked, alright.”

“The only other ‘stalker’ I can think of is…” Chill didn’t have to finish that sentence. The SkyWing only looked at him with eyes of understanding. Darkstalker. The tyrant NightWing king who’d risen from the dead two-thousand years after his disappearance, only to vanish from existence once again. There were still plenty of theories as to what happened to the monster. He recalled some smaller, more distant conversations he’d had with other dragons (most of which were Orange, which made his stomach turn again) about what could have happened to the giant dragon. Though, most speculated that it had something to do with the Jade Winglet. Of course, there were other theories involving the Dragonets of Destiny, reincarnations of Clearsight, or some other magical nonsense, but regardless, the Jade Winglet were considered heroes in spirit. 

I’d personally like to believe that the army of IceWings did enough damage to him that he died of the wounds, only after dragging himself to the ocean and resting at the bottom forever.

That thought made him want to gag. It also made him think of Ermine. Every time he thought of blood his head started to pound and his stomach felt queasy. It made him wonder how he fought for all of the scars that covered his body. If the thought of blood was enough to make him sick, how in the world was he able to be beaten that badly?

“Hey! Get away from there! You have no authority to be in this academy!” Sunny’s voice suddenly screamed from the entrance. The two dragons snapped their heads in the direction of the voice, seeing that a SandWing was standing in front of the detention cave, but it wasn’t Sunny. It was a much older, larger, gruffier-looking dragon. He wore iron-plated armor around his light-orange scales, torn and damaged with time. Quickly taking note of his features, Chill saw that he had several scars around his snout, and was missing a talon on his left back leg. 

The SandWing was looking directly at him. 

“IceWing. You’re going to need to come with me.” He commanded, his voice a lot more pleasant and calm than his appearance. 

Chill swallowed. “Wh-What?”

“No! Chill! Stay there! These dragons have no clearance here!” Sunny suddenly announced, sprinting into the cave to stand between the SandWing and himself.

“What’s going on? Who are you?” Smoke snapped, changing his stance to an offensive position. Chill quickly stood up as well, though his position was a lot more shaky. It was getting crowded in the cave. 

Sunny hissed, something that Chill didn’t think the small dragon was capable of. “He’s part of the Enclave in the Sand Kingdom.”

Chapter Text

The SandWing huffed. “You say that with such disdain. We’re a peaceful group of dragons just wanting to ensure that--”

“I heard your rambling at the entrance!” Sunny snapped. “And peaceful as you are, you still have no right to barge in here and take away our IceWing students!”

“Wait, what?” Chill questioned. Nobody answered him. 

“I believe we have full right when your dashing prince of an IceWing, along with his SandWing and RainWing accomplices, took out two of our Enclave members and ran off to hide here.” The SandWing responded calmly. “We must take them prisoner for this, as well as the other IceWings, to protect them from a potential IceWing serial killer.” 

Chill inhaled sharply, something that the SandWing noticed. He eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then continued speaking. “We’re only doing this as a temporary arrangement until we capture the killer. I’d ask you to please be compliant,” He flicked his tail, extravagantly waving the tail barb at the end. “I don’t want this to get messy.”

“Are you threatening me?” Sunny asked, barely hiding her fury. 

“If I could point out, there are three of us, and only one of you.” Smoke added helpfully. Sunny looked like she wanted to say something. She had an expression that said: “I’m not going to let you fight a random SandWing", but for one reason or another, she kept quiet. 

Chill clawed at the ground, sharpening his talons, doing his best to look as threatening as possible. The feeling in his throat came back. That cold feeling that made him nervous, but instinctually, now that there was a threat, he knew what that sensation in his throat was.

Frostbreath.

An IceWing’s best weapon. Most dragons could breathe fire, but IceWings were different. It wasn’t exactly ice that came out of their mouths, but a chilling frostbite that was so cold that it burned the scales of any dragon it came into contact with. That weapon was currently rising in his throat, waiting to be unleashed. 

“Easy, Scorch. We’re not here to start a fight.” A SeaWing said, cautiously entering the room. Their scales were a mix of light blue with pink undertones. They looked very similar to Anemone, but were obviously much older, and coated with the same silver armor plates that the SandWing, Scorch, was covered in. 

Scorch huffed. “Right. Of course. I was only making a point.”

The SeaWing laughed, looking at Sunny. “Please forgive my friend here. I promise we have a lot of respect for this academy. We’re willing to listen to anything that you have to say, Sunny.” 

“Good. Then listen when I tell you to leave. ” Sunny hissed again. The SeaWing shook their head sadly.

“Sorry, but that isn’t an option. We’re not leaving without Winter and his accomplices, at the very least.” The SeaWing told her, authority lacing her words. She shot a look at Chill. “It would seem one of your own IceWings has already been injured. Surely we don’t need to worry about the safety of your own students though, hm?”

Sunny snarled in response. “Solstice’s circumstances are different to whatever you’re dealing with. He’s none of your concern!” 

Solstice. 

He still couldn’t accept that it was his real name. Not yet. As far back as he had known, he’d always been Chill. That’s what was written down in the scrolls, that’s what everybody called him, that was his name. Given to him by Sunny herself, but now here she was calling him something else. His true name.

Am I even Solstice anymore? What was Solstice like, anyway?

Solstice was YOU. So, probably the same as you are now but with a million times more confidence.

That retort made him stop his internal arguing. Instead it brought upon an entirely new line of questions, one frighteningly haunting one in particular.

Do the dragons around me want me to be Solstice rather than Chill?

“Be that as it may, don’t think we haven’t noticed the ceremony site outside of the mountain while flying here. The setup is eerily similar to what IceWings do when they bury their dead. Isn’t that right, Solstice?” Hearing the SeaWing say his real name made him shiver.

“What… do you do with your dead?” Smoke whispered. 

“Usually they bury the body deep beneath the snow, then light several candles around the burial site. When all of them go out, that means the spirit has moved on to be welcomed in the arms of the Great Ice Dragon.” The SeaWing said matter-of-factly, as if they were an IceWing themselves. “Did I get that right?” They asked him.

“Um, I-I, yes?” He offered.

The SeaWing smiled at him. “Great. Though, it probably didn’t help that you’re nowhere near snow, so you just had to use some cold dirt, didn’t you?” They asked Sunny. Chill could see her very limited patience fading away by the passing second. 

“Compromises had to be made.” 

“This academy is unsafe. We are doing what’s best to make it safe again.” They sighed. “I have a daughter I’d like to send here one day. I’d like to hope that the dragons who run the place will keep her safe.”

That definitely hurt Sunny. He could see it in her eyes. Even so, he could tell that neither of them were going to budge until one of them got what they wanted. 

There are more members of the Enclave here. They’re not going to stop until they get what they want.

Sunny is resilient, she isn’t going to back down either. The other staff members will have her back as well.

What about the new staff members? Especially North? If there is an IceWing serial killer on the loose, he’s probably terrified out of his mind. 

There’s going to be a fight, isn’t there?

I don’t want there to be a fight.

“What do we do?” Smoke whispered.

“I…” Chill stopped, looking at Sunny. 

“Compromises had to be made.”

Compromise.

What if there’s a way for both parties to win? We both want the same thing, don’t we?

“W-Wait,” He stammered out, getting the attention of all of the dragons in the room. “W-We all want the same thing, don’t we? Protection of the IceWings? C-Can we not just…work together?”

Scorch eyed him up and down. “Does he speak for you?” He asked Sunny.

“Let’s hear what he has to say.” She offered, looking at Chill with a “I hope you know what you’re doing” look. 

“I-um…I--” The words weren’t coming out. The intimidating gaze from both Scorch and the unnamed SeaWing were making him tremble. He was about to utter a “nevermind” when he felt a warm wing on his back. Tearing his gaze away from the two Enclave members, he saw Smoke standing next to him. He gave him a reassuring nod. Chill nodded back, took a deep breath, and focused on the calming sensation of Smoke’s wing on his scales. Making him feel safe.

Everything is chaotic right now, but I can at least do this. 

I can do something.

I have to do something.

“Wh-What if you just…stand guard? Patrol around? Keep an eye on the students?” Chill managed to squeak out. The two Enclave members studied him for a moment. The SeaWing looked like they were genuinely considering this. He caught a quick glance at Sunny, who also looked deep in thought. 

Scorch snorted. “Ridiculous. I don’t understand why you’re trying to prevent this, anyway. We’re only--”

“It’s not a horrible idea.” The SeaWing spoke up, looking at their companion. “I mean, think about it. Both sides get what they want. We get to keep an eye on the IceWings, and this place can resume its activities, just with a bit more guard.”

Sunny sighed. “I… suppose it’s a start. I’ll be talking to the others about this. Especially Tsunami. Moons know she’s already threatening to claw someone’s eyes out.” She grumbled.

I feel like she’s thinking about doing that herself. He thought ruefully. 

 “This is an exception. The Enclave still has no authority over here, and if this does end up working out, you’ll take orders from us. Is that clear?” She asked the Enclave members. Scorch rolled his eyes while his SeaWing companion elbowed him in the side. 

“Yes. We can work with that. Let’s discuss this with Copper. Come on, Scorch.” They beckoned their fellow Enclave member, batting him with their wing. Scorch glared at the three of them, but relented, following them out of the cave. He heard Sunny breath a sigh of relief. 

Did I…do it?

“What is going on ?” He heard Sunny mumble. He looked at her, seeing the pained and exhausted expression on her face. “Solstice, would you come with me?”

“Wh-What?” 

“Tsunami is currently dealing with the Enclave situation, and I’m sure your suggestion will steer things in the right direction, but right now I need you.” She said. Then she cast an apologetic look at Smoke. “Please return to your sleeping cave.”

He looked between Chill and Sunny for a moment, but relented, walking out of the cave. After a few seconds, Sunny also made her way towards the exit. Chill stood there, unsure of what to do. The SandWing turned around and beckoned for him to follow, which he did--hesitantly. 

It wasn’t the first time he’d stepped back out into the hall while in the detention cave. Every now and then he left for food or when he needed to have another session with North, but those were always when classes were full and there were little to no dragons in the hallways. Now, however, the academy was practically filled with them. It looked like day one all over again…just with a lot more shouting. 

They made their way to the entrance, where most of the dragons were. Several Sand and SkyWings dressed in the same iron-clad armor were preventing anyone from getting to where another SandWing--who was wearing bronze armor--was having a rather heated discussion with Tsunami. Clay and Axel were standing nearby, mostly just watching, barely able to get in a word with the SeaWing being so assertive. 

Amongst the crowd attempting to get in, he could just barely make out the shapes of Scorch and the unnamed SeaWing. He could hear them shouting the name “Sol” over and over again, but neither the bronze-clad SandWing nor Tsunami heard their desperate pleas.

“She’ll figure it out.” Sunny said, interrupting his thought process. 

“Where are we going?” He asked as they passed the large crowd. Sunny took a deep breath before responding.

“How…squeamish are you?” 

Oh, I don’t like where this is going at all. 

She grimaced. “I see that face you’re making. Might as well tell you the truth.” She turned abruptly, heading down a small cave at the end of the hall. He didn’t even know this cave existed. Compared to all of the decorations and directory that were put up everywhere, this cave entrance had a dark aura surrounding it. He gulped, reluctantly following the smaller dragon inside. 

It was definitely smaller than the other cave walkways. Every now and then his wings would brush the sides of the cold cavern which made him shiver. Sunny walked over to a corner of the entrance and picked up a small log. She opened her mouth and breathed a small amount of fire onto it, igniting the end, creating a torch that chased away the darkness around them. 

“The SeaWing said that we made a burial site similar to what IceWings do with their dead in the IceWing Kingdom. If you saw it, you’d probably agree…at least, I hope,” She chuckled at the end. He didn’t know how to mention that he had no idea what she was talking about. “Anyway, I…wasn’t exactly telling the truth.” 

“Wh-What?” He didn’t like where this was going. His brain began to piece everything together. 

“We do plan on burying Ermine’s body…but we wanted to ask you something first.” She took him further into the cave. They passed by a small collection of bones that looked like they belonged to a small animal. The space was big enough to fit a larger, adult dragon inside of it. In fact, the entire cave system seemed to fluctuate between incredibly claustrophobic to breathable. It seemed the most natural out of all of the caves in the school.

“Why is this cave so jagged?” He asked. 

“This cave was natural. The caves that you normally pass through were carved.” Sunny explained. 

Chill was still skeptical. Some of those caves seemed way too well-dug for that to be true. “That must have taken forever.” He said plainly.

“Well…we had a little help.” She admitted.

He waited for her to continue, but she didn’t say anything afterward. She’s hiding something. 

“We’re here.” Sunny announced, stopping in front of him. He nearly ran into her, but immediately froze when he saw something large covered by sheet, lightly stained with blood. Even without seeking the IceWing tail peeking out from the edge, he had the instinct to gag. 

“Why would you show me this?” He asked in a panic. Sunny said nothing, quietly walking over to the body and carefully removing the sheet. Chill now had his second look at the corpse.

It wasn’t nearly as mutilated as it was the first time he saw it. A lot of the cuts and tears in the scales had been cleaned. Ermine’s horrified expression was now one of solace. Everything about his body was calm now, positioned in that way, more than likely. 

“Doe used to do ceremonial buryings for the MudWing tribe during the war. She has a bit of an iron stomach when it comes to this.” Sunny shivered. “I wish I could say the same.” She looked ready to burst into tears. 

Me too. 

“I’m showing you this because I think the injuries that Ermine had are…eerily similar to yours, don’t you think?” She looked at him with curious eyes, eying his wounds. He swallowed. She noticed it, too. 

“W-What are you thinking?” 

Sunny furrowed her brow. “I don’t want to say it out loud, but I’m thinking that whoever attacked you in the woods could be the same dragon that murdered poor Ermine.” She theorized.

“I-I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’re both IceWings, either.” He pointed out. Sunny grumbled. 

“I don’t like that thought, but it would line up with everything else we’ve been told,” She looked at him. “The IceWing murderer in Santucary could very well be here. But why? ”

“I’ve been told that IceWings come off as generally unlikable.” He joked sadly. She frowned at him.

“Maybe in some cases, but not all of them. Ermine was one of the sweetest students I’d ever had. He was totally obsessed with flowers, and even talked about wanting to be a gardener.” She glanced back at the body, her expression shifting from stern to mournful. Then it shifted to angry. “Someone took that away from him, and I’m not going to rest until I find them.”

Chill hadn’t seen her this intense before. He didn’t think the SandWing was capable of an emotion like rage, but here she was, proving him wrong. Dragons are more complicated than what they appear on the outside, idiot. He felt foolish for having to remind himself. 

He shifted his focus to the murder (as much as he really didn’t want to). If this murderer really is the same one in Sanctuary, then how did they get here so quickly? I’d immediately suspect Qibli, Winter, or Kinkajou, but from what they talked about when they arrived at the academy, they weren’t anywhere near the bodies. Sunny seems to trust them, anyhow. Qibli especially. If this dragon is the same killer, that would mean that in the time that the two IceWing bodies were discovered in Sanctuary, this dragon was heading towards here and attacked me while I was out of the Night-Rain Kingdom. 

Then a week later they murder Ermine, another IceWing. Who has very similar injuries to my own. Why wait a week, though? Even without the students, there were three IceWings in the academy even before it opened. Myself, North, and Winter, but they didn’t come back to finish the job.

Maybe they didn’t expect me to survive.

Or I fought back, and that’s why I’m the only one who did survive. That could be why they didn’t attack again. Because they were healing themselves. Then a week later, they struck again, and who knows when they’re going to strike next.

He heard Sunny say something but he couldn’t respond. He was too deep in thought.

When I first woke up, Sunny said I looked like I’d been bleeding out for at least a few hours, and that I was very lucky to be alive. If Ermine was murdered in the academy, then that means that they couldn’t have gotten very far. If what Oak said is true, then the murderer either has to be someone in the academy, or an unknown dragon that can get in and out of the school in time, without being caught. 

“Chill? Are you in there?” Sunny’s voice asked, snapping him back to reality.

“Y-Yes, sorry. Just thinking.” He apologized.

“I could tell,” She chuckled. “You look like you’ve figured something out? Maybe?” 

Should I tell her?

If you ever want to feel safe again, you probably should. 

“Oak, the MudWing in my winglet, theorized that the murderer had to be somebody in this school, because Ermine was the only dragon missing from the assembly hall after the murder.” He reluctantly spoke. Sunny didn’t look nearly as surprised as he expected her to be. “But then…if this is the same dragon that went after me, why would they wait the week that they did to strike again? If this murderer is targeting IceWings, why bother to wait for all the students to come first? Wouldn’t that just make it harder?”

“Not necessarily,” Sunny said. “If they’re good at what they do, then more dragons could just mean more suspects. More chaos.” 

He had to regretfully admit that was true. How she sounded so confident about all of this he wasn’t sure, but she’d brought up a good point. Yet still, none of it made sense. How did the pieces line up? Surely there was a solution somewhere, but he was clearly missing the most vital part. Where was it? Where was that missing entry in the story that made everything make sense? 

“We should go. Leave Ermine to rest a little longer before a proper burial.” Sunny announced, heading back the way they came. Chill followed close behind, casting a few glances at the covered body, a sinking feeling in his stomach slowly beginning to rise. 

“Oh, moons, I can’t believe I’m doing this.” Sunny said suddenly, stopping in the cave. She scooted past him to go over to a pile of rocks. Chill watched her carefully as she pushed and threw around rocks until getting to the bottom of the pile. She reached into the pile and pulled out a glowing, blue sapphire. 

“Wh-What?” 

“It’s…it’s a dreamvisitor. An animus enchanted object that allows the user to enter the dreams of any dragon they want.” Sunny explained.

That’s the same thing that Smoke was talking about. An artifact. Why does she have it? Why is she showing me?

As if she was reading his mind, she walked back over to him and put the dreamvisitor in his talon. 

“Listen, I’m getting older now. With all of the chaos that’s happening with Jade Mountain…I have to take care of things on the surface. If you ever suspect that someone, and I mean ANYONE, is the murderer, wait until night. Hold the dreamvisitor close, and think of them. Their dreams might say something. Can you do that for me?” She requested.

It was a lot to take in. He didn’t process all of it before he nodded yes. Sunny breathed a sigh of relief. Before he could change his mind, she rushed past him, continuing towards the exit. Chill looked between her, the dreamvisitor, and back where Ermine’s body lay. Cursing under his breath, he gently tucked the dreamvisitor into one of his remaining bandages and hurried after her, feeling the stone rubbing against his scales.

What am I supposed to do with this?

Chapter Text

He had hoped that while they were down in the cave, the noise at the surface would have dispersed and everything would’ve been figured out--but alas that was not the case. In fact, it was even more chaotic than it was the first time. He heard Sunny mumble something, sigh, then run ahead of him to get towards the crowd. Chill, unsure of what to do, followed her into the fray. Though, whereas Sunny simply spread her wings slightly and floated over the crowd of curious, confused, and angry students, Chill stayed behind the crowd.

“Chill!” Lavender’s voice called to him. He didn’t bother to turn towards her. He heard her stamp her way over to him, accidentally slipping and slightly knocking into his side. “Oof! Sorry. Anyway, they finally let you out of detention, huh? About time! I figured they were being a little too cruel, especially with everything going on right now. I mean, they let Obsidian get away with berating you without even a day of detention! How ridiculous is that? I guess maybe they decided that they had other things to worry about? Well, it doesn't matter. Glad you’re here! It’s gotten really boring without you. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

Chill ignored her ramblings and focused on her last question.

“This group called the Enclave is trying to take away the IceWing students because of the murder. There were some similar events in Sanctuary.” He explained.

“Oh, gotcha.”

“Attention, everyone!” Tsunami’s booming voice called out, instantly silencing the cave. He often admired the SeaWing’s ability to dispel a crowd, even if she was a bit rude about it. “Please gather in the assembly hall as quickly as you can! Gather any of your missing winglet members and bring them there. We have an emergency announcement to make!” 

There were murmurs after that, but everyone did what she said, walking away from the Enclave members. Lavender tapped him with her tail, beckoning him away from the crowd. Chill cast one last glance at the Enclave and Dragonets of Destiny, still shooting glares at each other, then followed her away.

“So…this might be an awkward question, but…what do I call you?” She asked, avoiding his gaze when he turned to look at her questioningly.

“W-What?” 

“Well…while you were gone, Smoke told our winglet what happened. Even Obsidian--who I wanted to smother in venom, don’t get me wrong. The entire time he kept going back and forth between ‘Solstice’ and ‘Chill.’ I wasn’t sure…so I figured I’d ask you.” 

He had the same dilemma throughout the week he was in detention. He wasn’t sure what to refer to himself as either. Solstice was his actual name, but every time he called himself that it didn’t feel right. Like he was stealing someone else’s identity.

“Chill. Call me Chill for now…I need time to sort my head out. I-If that’s alright.” He requested. Lavender gave him a big grin.

“Of course! I’m here for you if you need anything, you know.” She told him, nudging his side affectionately. He wanted to smile, but the atmosphere around him told him off for desiring so. 

Chill looked ahead, seeing the absolute last dragon that he wanted to see. He couldn’t stop the growl rising in his throat as his eyes focused on Lotus, still practically dragging Grimm and Silence behind her and she pranced through the halls. 

“Hey, you good?” 

“Peachy, why?” He snarled. Lavender followed his gaze, seeing the RainWing prancing through the halls as if she owned the place. It didn’t appear luck was on his side today, because Lotus turned her head towards them and her fake, happy smile only seemed to get wider. She changed her direction heading towards them. Chill tried to urge Lavender to move faster so they could avoid her, but she wasn’t budging. 

In fact, she was standing completely still, locking her eyes with Lotus’s. Chill snapped his head around, glancing quickly between the two RainWings. 

“They let you out of detention already? Even after you attempted to escape the school? Wow, I guess the dragonets of destiny are as forgiving as they say they are! I, for one, would have let you stay there until you rotted.” Lotus snided, giving them both an innocent smile. “Who’s this, by the way?” 

He could see Lavender attempting to restrain herself from snarling. He gently put his talon on top of hers. When the two made eye contact, he shook his head. Please. Don’t do this. I can handle it. 

She shook her head. 

“I’m Lavender. Pleasure to meet you.” She said, her cheerful tone completely erased, replaced with a much more professional, noble voice he didn’t think the RainWing was capable of pulling off. My prejudice? Have I always thought of RainWings as cheerful and bubbly? Queen Glory seemed very regal… He wanted to cry at the realization that there was still so much for him to learn, but he kept himself focused. 

“Ooh! Are you two friends?” Lotus commented, ignoring Lavender’s offer for a talonshake. She made a “tsk” sound. “Really, honey, you could do better. Look at these two.” 

Lotus gestured to Grimm and Silence. Silence gave Chill a nod, but Grimm ignored him again, avoiding his gaze. 

“I’ve got them wrapped around my talons. They have a lot to make up after what they did to us during the war, and IceWings are no better! Always keeping themselves locked up behind that magic wall of theirs…” She sighed. “...everyone is so isolated from each other these days. Come on, sister, let’s go get some fresh air away from these--”

“You were a prisoner on the volcano?” Lavender interrupted. Lotus blinked.

“Of course. I still remember everything that they did to us. I’m sure someone told you about it, didn’t they? Queen Glory has been adamant about reinstating education into the Rainforest Kingdom…” She rolled her eyes. “But I guess not everybody gets into the program.”

“The RainWings you were with. What were their names?” Lavender asked the opposing RainWing, a hiss in her voice. Chill looked at the two NightWings in confusion. Silence shrugged. Grimm continued to ignore him. 

“What?” Lotus asked, blinking several times.

“What were the names of the dragons you were trapped with?”

Lotus actually seemed to lose her composure for a moment. Her left eyelid twitched as streaks of red began to appear in her scales. Grimm and Silence took note of this, backing away slightly. 

“It’s been so long, you really expect me to remember their names? Why do I need to remember their names when I have the scars from the lava right here?” Following this statement, Lotus lifted up her left wing to reveal a large patch underneath that was a faded red color. An obvious scar from a lava splash. 

Why is Lavender so insistent on fighting this, anyway? She has to be at least five or six…she couldn’t have been there during that event--could she? 

Lavender said nothing. She stared at the scar, an uncomfortable look on her face, as if she’d just gotten something wrong. Chill was about to apologize and endure the rest of the RainWings gloating when he looked at the scar again, noticing something odd.

Wait a second, I’ve seen that color before. 

He recalled when he was in the art cave, looking at all of the paintings. The faded color of red was nearly identical to the colors used in the painting “Bettertides.” In fact, the more he looked at the scar, the more he saw natural shades of Lotus’s main scale color, which seemed to be a muted purple-grey. 

“I don’t recognize you. What’s your name?” Lavender asked. The red in Lotus’s scales faded away as her expression calmed.

“Lotus. In the flesh. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, fellow RainWing.” She nodded, putting on her royal act again. It made Chill want to gag. He could see all of the masks that she was putting on, but couldn’t bring himself to call her out on it. 

Then, suddenly, Lavender was on the offensive. Her entire body went red. Her frills puffed out, and streaks of black danced across her scales. She wasn’t even bothering to contain her hisses and growls now. She crouched low to the ground and began slowly stalking towards Lotus, who had jolted backwards in surprise. 

“Then why did my mother never mention you? How come you weren’t among the names of the victims? I don’t suppose you know Kinkajou personally? Or Splendor? Gibbon? Tualang? Tapir? Bright? Orangutan? Did I mishear your name? Would your name happen to be Loris instead?” Lavender was snarling at this point. Lotus, completely powerless, looked to Grimm and Silence.

“She’s about to attack me for no reason! You two defend me! Don’t just stand there being useless! Moons, what’s wrong with you NightWings?” She cried out desperately. As she flailed around her wings, Chill got more looks at her “scar.” With every flap of her wing, he could see more and more flakes of the injury begin to fade away. 

Grimm seemed to follow his gaze, as he grabbed Lotus’s left wing, inspecting the scar as she desperately tried to pull away. Grimm drew one talon down it, pulled it back, and then inspected it closely.

“Paint. This is paint.” He let go of her wing, and his expression turned violent. “You were lying this entire time?”

“OF COURSE NOT, USELESS! I JUST PAINTED OVER MY REAL SCAR BECAUSE IT’S EMBARRASSING!” Lotus shrieked. 

“Tell that to Orchid. My mother. Who never mentioned your name once. ” 

That was the shocker. One of Lavender’s parents was a dragon caught in the experiments the NightWings had on the RainWings during the war. He remembered reading about it in the scrolls the week before open, in an attempt to regain his memories--but the experiments had been little more than a footnote in the official history of the RainWings. What was the purpose of that?

To leave the past behind, and not reopen old wounds?

Or to keep a dark past hidden away from the public? 

Lotus snapped her head between the two NightWings, then scoffed.

“I’ll be back for you two later.” She snarked, vanishing out of thin air. Talonsteps were all that he could hear close by, aside from the chatter of students heading to the assembly hall and Lavender’s own heavy breathing. 

“She’s camouflaged, but she’s going away.” Lavender told him. “You good?”

Great. First Sunny and Smoke, now Lavender. You can barely even stand up for yourself. 

Everyone else has to fight your battles for you. 

Your confidence was a fluke. 

You can’t do anything right.

You don’t even deserve to call yourself a dragon.

Chill smiled. “I’ll be okay. Thanks.”

“She…she was faking it the entire time?” Grimm's talons were shaking. Chill could read the emotions swirling around in his eyes. A mix of fury, betrayal, and humiliation. Silence shook his head, ashamed. He nudged his brother with his wing and gestured towards the assembly hall. 

Chill felt stupid for forgetting.

“Come on, Lavender. Let’s get to the hall before somebody comes and yells at us.” He suggested, turning around towards the hall. Lavender followed close behind, eyeing him suspiciously. He wanted to call her out on it, but couldn’t bring the words to his mouth. He just felt like he shouldn’t speak, otherwise he might say something that he didn’t want anyone else to know. 

There were plenty of things swirling around in his head that he didn’t want anyone to know, so instead he focused on the killings again. It seemed like no matter what happened to him, it always came back to the murders.

The killer has to be the same one in Sanctuary. Everything lines up too perfectly for it to be a coincidence. 

The missing piece of evidence has to be there, in Sanctuary, but I have no way of getting there. It’s way too far away for me to fly there, and with the Enclave now guarding the academy, there’s no way I can even think about leaving.

Chill stopped walking. 

“Chill? Are you okay?” Lavender asked, walking in front of him. She waved her talons in front of his face, but he didn’t react. 

The Enclave exists in Sanctuary.

They have to know something. 

“I have to go do something.” Chill suddenly announced, turning away from the assembly hall. 

“H-Hey! Wait, stop!” 

Chill stopped, snapped his head around, then looked at Lavender. She halted as well, surprised by his sudden change in emotion. He was ready to yell at her to leave her alone.

But then he stopped himself, realizing something.

His patience was running thin, but he didn’t want to get angry at her. Getting angry would only result in another incident like Fatespeaker, or worse, the incident that got him his injuries in the first place. 

My attitude, my recklessness, my desire for the answers. Every time I’ve tried to fix things my own way it always ends horribly.

So I have to try something else.

He took a few deep breaths, closing his eyes, focusing on the darkness. He opened them again, his eyes locking with Lavender’s bright orange ones, filled with concern. Filled with worry. Filled with curiosity. Chill felt like he could reach in there and grab all of the emotions that were spiraling around in her eyes. He could hardly fathom what she was thinking. 

“Lavender, these IceWing murders, this isn’t the first place they’ve occurred.” He told her, keeping his voice to a whisper. Two SandWings he didn’t recognize passed by them, but didn’t give them any looks. 

“Wh-What? That’s kind of a big thing for you to just drop out of nowhere. WH-Why are you--”

“Listen,” He hesitated, took another deep breath, then continued speaking. “I-I think I have a lead on the murder.”

Lavender looked appalled. “Chill! Th-This isn’t our concern! The teachers will handle this, they’re the dragonets of destiny! The ones that fulfilled the first prophecy in like, five-hundred years or something?”

“Need I remind you that the so-called prophecy you speak of turned out to be a fake?” A new, rough voice asked them.  

Chill--realizing that he’s been through this same scenario way too many times--and Lavender turned their heads towards the new voice. Despair filled his chest when he saw the pure black eyes staring right at him, giving him the scowl that he saw in his nightmares every time he went to sleep.

Obsidian.

“You two aren’t very good at whispering, you know that right?” He remarked, giving them both a scowl as he approached.

“To what do we owe the pleasure?” Lavender asked, giving the SandWing the fakest smile Chill had ever seen. Obsidian, noticing this, unwrinkled his snout and huffed, small embers of flame coming out of his nose. 

“I am under the impression that I have wronged our IceWing friend here. I am here to…” Obsidian twitched. “... amend that. I had planned on doing it a different way, but given your recent conversation, I think I have something that will be just as useful.”

“And what makes you so--” Chill put his wing in front of Lavender, silencing her. 

“How is that?” He asked. 

Obsidian snorted. “Maybe I like this new confidence of yours.” He snickered. 

Chill growled. “Get on with it.” 

“I passed by those ‘Enclave’ guards earlier. I heard them muttering to each other. You want information about your murderer?”

It was a rhetorical question. Chill only glared at him.

“Your killer is a NightWing.”

Chapter Text

“I don’t know anything else. The Enclave had been given an anonymous tip about the killer being a NightWing. I just happened to hear it while walking by. After that, Tsunami told me to get to the assembly hall for a big announcement.”

That big announcement turned out to be exactly what he’d suggested to Sunny. The Enclave would now be patrolling the halls of Jade Mountain Academy at all hours of the day until the murderer was caught. Surprisingly, however, none of the dragons in the hall seemed affected by this. In fact, they’d seemed rather pleased. Chill even overheard some of the other tables talking about how relieved they were. How safe they would be now that the Enclave was here.

Something about it didn’t seem right, but there were more important things to worry about. Especially with the new information that Obsidian had given him.

But now it means that five dragons are wrapped up in this conspiracy of mine. Smoke, Soulfinder, Lavender, and now Obsidian. That’s not even counting the Dragonets of Destiny, the teachers, or the Enclave. 

Chill paced the confines of the detention cave, stepping all over his homework and assignments that he’d neglected to do the past week. It was late at night. If he looked at the entrance to the detention cave, he could barely see moonlight crawling along the walls from the entrance to the academy. As if it was trying to find him.

Nobody was here, this was the perfect time to think. He had so many clues now, but he wasn’t sure how it all fit together. There had to be something. A missing link. One last piece of evidence that put the puzzle together seamlessly.

I’ve never been interested in puzzles. 

And yet my life is wrapped in them.

He looked down at the parchment on the floor, suddenly getting an idea. He grabbed one of the pieces, flipped it over to the backside, then slammed it on a small stone slab nearby. His eyes scanned the dark room, using every bit of torchlight that was emanating from the wall nearby. Then he found it, hidden right next to the blankets he slept on. A small, unopened bottle of ink and a damaged quill resting next to it. Untouched, and unnoticed, until now.

Chill dashed over to it, grabbing the vile and the quill, then stumbled his way back over to the slab. He crudely jabbed the quill into the ink vial, then began writing things down as fast as he could. All of the information that he’d gathered about the IceWing murders couldn’t just float around in his head forever--he knew how reliable his memory was at the moment. 

But if I can summarize it all down on a single sheet of paper, maybe I can figure something out. 

He wrote as fast as he possibly could. It didn’t need to be legible scribbles. He already planned on burning the paper as soon as he figured out the final clue. 

If there even is one.

Chill shook his head. He couldn’t think like that. Not when he was so close, and certainly not when it felt like time was running out. 

It only took him a few minutes to write down everything he knew. Once he was done, he dropped the quill and kneaded his wrist as best as he could. His entire talon felt like it was on fire from how fast he wrote, but the deed was done. He shook his wings a bit and stretched his talons, then looked over at the paper.

A murder in Sanctuary.

A murder in Ermine’s cave.

An attempted murder on myself.

Ermine has the same injuries I do.

The murderer is a NightWing.

The Enclave?

Does the animus IceWing have anything to do with this?

Who is the NightWing in my memories?

Solstice?

The writing ended there. 

It feels like I wrote more than that. He thought bitterly, shaking his talon a bit to relieve the pain. He then shifted his thoughts back to the notes, doing his best to ignore the pain. Where’s the connecting thread? Where can I find more answers? Eyes darting from word to word, his head pounded more and more the longer he looked at his scribbles.

Then he had another idea. 

He recalled the strange dream he had. The one where the coldest chains he’d ever felt wrapped around his scales and sent him into a world of unfamiliar voices. What if there was a way that he could tie those together instead? After all, it wasn’t his job to solve the murders…not right now, anyway. The Dragonets of Destiny and the Enclave would take care of the hard work. Now, he just needed to solve his own mystery.

Myself.

Flipping the parchment over, he dipped the quill in the ink vial again, writing down everything that he could remember as quickly as he could. Every scene that he could conjure in his head whenever the chains spoke.

A female voice speaking to Komodo about a disease.

An older voice speaking to the same female voice.

The female voice is a NightWing.

All at once, he started piecing things together. Using the voices from the chains as well as the “Pineapple Memory,” as he called it, some things started to fit. He continued writing.

The IceWing in the Pineapple Memory matches the one with the NightWing.

Me and Orange were together, at some point.

We met at a lake in the Night-Rain Kingdom. 

The NightWing did something to the IceWing.

I did something to the IceWing.

He flipped the page back over to his original notes, then to the ones containing his memories. He tried so desperately to find the line. Something that made everything connect. It was right there, somewhere. Somewhere in the web of murder and amnesia was the answer that everyone was looking for, and he was caught in the middle. 

The murderer is a NightWing.

The NightWing in my memories didn’t really seem fond of IceWings. Could she be the killer? But why? Who is this NightWing?

Chill dragged himself away from his desk and began pacing the cave. If the old IceWing had a grudge against the NightWing, why did he punish me? Was I an accomplice with the NightWing somehow? That doesn’t make any sense…I can’t imagine myself hurting anyone.

But you’re not who you once were, are you, Solstice?

That’s not my name.

Yes it is.

His mind drifted to the drawing that Orange made for him. An image flashed. One dragon was yellow, the other dragon was purple. Then his mind went elsewhere. The conversation that he had with the secret IceWing animus. 

“And when that happens, I am going to haunt you, forever. Not myself, but the artificial dragon I’m going to create.”

His breath had been stolen by an unseen force. Perhaps the Great Ice Dragon themself. His talons began to shake as specific moments in his memories came to light. 

“I’ve never met an IceWing before.” Komodo had said.

“Better than those slabs of houses that you guys currently have, huh?” Orange once teased.

The drawing was of Orange and a NightWing. The purple represents a NightWing dragon. 

Queen Glory didn’t recognize me because I never lived in her kingdom.

I have memories of Orange, but my heart says I lived in an igloo in the Ice Kingdom. 

I have high respect and love for the Ice Kingdom despite the memories I have pointing towards the Night-Rain Kingdom.

IceWings have a fear of Darkstalker, but so do NightWings.

The final thought crashed into him as if one of the moons from the infinite sky above fell out of orbit, shattering atop his body and breaking it apart under the weight of the truth.

The words of the IceWing.

“The artificial dragon I’m going to create.” 

No IceWing is looking for me because I don’t exist.

I don’t have any memories because I never made them.

These memories aren’t my own.

They belong to Solstice.

Solstice the NightWing. The dragon in love with Orange. The NightWing who got herself involved with an ancient animus that shouldn’t exist. The dragon who got herself cursed. Cursed to be watched and haunted forever by a dragon who never existed at all. 

Chill, with trembling talons, reached up to touch his neck where Turtle had once made a glowing, green chain appear.

“You’ll never be able to escape, and this chain will remain forever etched into your scales. As long as it exists, so will this curse.” 

A curse.

The curse.

There wasn’t any other explanation. The room felt like it was spinning. Chill stumbled forwards, backwards, sideways, crashing into objects all over the room as he struggled to gain his balance. He tried grabbing onto something to stabilize himself, he tried spreading his wings to balance his body, closing his eyes to wish the pain away, but nothing worked. He wanted to scream. He wanted to scream and cry and thrash and claw the walls and burn everything to the ground until it was nothing but a frozen wasteland.

But was that what he really wanted? Was that how he really felt? Or was this also the work of the IceWing animus? Was anything he thought his own, or was it the will of the dragon that created him? Was he nothing more than a puppet carrying out the will of an invisible master? Did anything he thought even MATTER?

Chill couldn’t scream. Even if he wanted to. If he screamed, he would alert everyone outside of the detention cave. They would come into the cave, they would find his notes, his insane scribbles, and who knows what they would do to him there? He could try telling them the truth about his revelations, sure, but would they believe him? Most likely not. In any record of history that he knew of, or any record of history that had been planted within him, there hadn’t been an IceWing animus in centuries. Even if they did believe him, how would they find this IceWing? If he had kept himself hidden for this long, surely he was locked away somewhere where nobody could find him.

Then there was still the murderer on the loose, the one he knew the true name of, or at least he was very sure. The story was there in his head.

Solstice had a grudge against IceWings, or at least the old Icewing, and now she’s been cursed by one. So, she’s killing every IceWing that she encounters, in hopes that it will finally free her from this burden. In the hopes that she can one day find the old IceWing again and kill him for good. For an unknown motivation or reason that he didn’t fully comprehend, or bother trying to. 

He was receiving her memories so he could learn more about the dragon he was meant to haunt. Chill realized that over time, he would probably even gain the memory of her current hiding spot. What would he do when that happened? Would he lose all sense of self and immediately go after her? Did he have a choice? Did he ever have a choice? Was this all some sort of sick, twisted game for the IceWing to play? 

Chill walked over to his pile of cushions, buried his snout into them, and screamed. He screamed as loud as he could, but nobody would hear him. His voice was too muffled. 

His. He. Him.

Was that even the proper way to think about himself anymore? Was he even a dragon, or was he just a thing ? An object created by a cruel sculptor, meant to carry out a single purpose without any objection? Without thought of his own? A statue come to life? A toy, perhaps?

He buried himself deeper and deeper into his cushions and screamed more. Tears poured out of his eyes. He cried so much. Was he meant to cry this much? To feel this much emotion? To feel any sort of emotion at all? He clutched at the blankets tighter. The sound of a cloth ripping filled the small cave. 

He soon fell into an empty, dreamless sleep.

Chapter Text

When Chill woke up, his face was stained with dry tears. His talons felt numb from how hard he gripped the blankets. He gently raised his head from the cushions to look at the detention cave, finding it absolutely destroyed. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but someone was sure to come in soon and ask what had happened. 

Right on cue, he heard talonsteps approaching the entrance. He barely had enough energy to see who it was.

“Morning Solst--what…what happened here?” Sunny asked, stepping into the room. She looked at him with sympathy brimming in her eyes. “Rough night?”

“Something like that.” Chill mumbled, struggling to stand. He wandered over to Sunny, blinking slowly, fatigue consuming his consciousness. Sunny wrinkled her snout at his response.

“Here, let’s clean up a bit.” She offered, bending down to pick up some of the pieces of paper on the floor. Chill only watched her, unable to move his body. After all, did anything he did matter? He only had to serve a purpose, and it was to watch the dragon that was currently out murdering. Or plotting a new murder. Or maybe she was gone now. Who knew. Who cared?

“Solstice?” Sunny asked. He turned towards her, seeing that she made her way over to his desk and was currently staring at the notes that he’d scribbled at the dead of night. “What is all of this?”

Chill walked over to the notes and grabbed them, quickly ripping them apart with his talons. The SandWing blinked a couple of times, surprised. He only gave a half-hearted shrug in response.

“Doesn’t matter,” He deadpanned. “What are my classes today?”

“Solstice, what’s going on? You’re not acting like yourself today.”

“I never had a ‘self’ to begin with, apparently.” He responded coldly. 

Sunny grimaced. “Listen, I don’t know what’s going on, but I can’t help you if you don’t talk to me. What’s going on? Did you have another memory?” She briefly glanced at the pile of scraps currently resting on the floor. “If you don’t want to talk to me, you can talk to North. That’s what he’s here for, after all.” 

Chill stopped walking towards the exit. He turned to look at her, knowing that he probably looked like a corpse. 

“That’s just it, isn’t it? Everyone is here for a reason. Everyone except me,” He looked down at his talons, flexing them, making sure they were real. He chuckled. “Sunny, what would you do if you woke up one day and you realized that you weren’t real? That you were just a thing created by some unforgiving ruler meant to carry out a purpose you still aren’t sure of?” 

Sunny looked around at the wreckage that he had turned the Detention Cave into, then back at him. It looked like she was actually considering the question. She tapped the ground beneath her, rubbed her forearms a few times, and made a few clicking sounds with her tongue. Right as Chill was about to give up and leave the cave, she spoke.

“I…suppose it would be pretty devastating to learn that sort of thing. Reminds me of this book that Starflight told me about…one where a dragon’s toys came to life of their own accord and had a massive…existential crisis over it. Wooden Dragon or something like that.” She looked at him, her expression completely serious.

Chill couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“How did that book end?”

Sunny smiled. “The toys came to terms with their situation and made the most of it. Maybe they weren’t real, but they still felt real, and while their mission was keeping the young dragon entertained--they still managed to find ways to do other things they wanted to. They found hobbies. They found friends. Some of them even found love.” 

She moved across the room to him, then reached a talon up towards him. She hesitated for a moment, but when he didn’t object, she put a talon on his chest scar. It stung a little, but not enough for him to say anything.

“If that’s what you’re feeling like…like you don’t really exist, it’s not true. I once felt like that too, when the Dragonet Prophecy was still a thing. When it turned out the entire thing was just a ruse…it was still real to me, and even though it was fake, we still had a chance to stop the war. So we did.

“When we did, the war ended, and the world had no need for the Dragonets of Destiny anymore. We wondered amongst ourselves for days after that day. What were we supposed to do now? We still wanted to help dragons, but nobody needed us anymore. The prophecy had been fulfilled, right? The reason we were born had finally come to pass…but we were still alive. We had to keep going.

“So we found something else. We found a new reason to keep going. We built our own purpose, and carved our own destiny. Maybe that’s why we told everyone the prophecy was fake a few years later…because a prophecy doesn’t tell you how to live your life. You make your own path, and even in the worst of circumstances, when it feels like the entire world has been flipped upside-down, you have to keep fighting. Especially if you know it’s the right thing to do.” 

Sunny took her talon off of his chest, then reached over to the pile of scraps on the floor. She sifted through it for a moment, then pulled out a piece, handing it to Chill. He took it, staring down at what he’d written. Clear as day, the name of the dragon he thought he loved was staring back at him.

“Especially if it’s what you know someone would have wanted you to do.” Sunny finished, giving him a big smile. “At least, that’s how I see it.”

He wasn’t sure what to say. His thoughts were a chaotic, spiraling mess once again. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on the things that he did know. The memories that he made himself with his winglet. Here, in Jade Mountain Academy. Not the ones that he’d been implanted with. He remembered the first time they all met in the Healing Center. He remembered when he stood up for himself in front of Obsidian. He remembered opening up to Soulfinder. He remembered being with his winglet in the Jade Oasis.

All of that was him. Nobody else. 

Right?

It didn’t feel like it.

Chill forced a smile, crumpling the piece of parchment in his talons. 

“Thanks, Sunny.” He strained himself to say. Sunny nodded.

“Happy to help,” She looked around at the mess once again. “Do you want some help cleaning this up?” She offered.

“I’ll take care of it.” He said, a little too quickly. Luckily, she didn’t seem to pick up on it.

“Can I do anything for you?”

Chill shook his head. She nodded, then left the cave. To his surprise, he managed to go over to the mess on the floor and begin cleaning it up. He sorted all of the paper into neat little piles on the nearby slab. Some were blank, some was homework he still had to do, and the rest were his scribbles from whenever he was bored. Small sentences that didn’t connect to each other in any way, but his desire to write something hadn’t ever subsided. 

Maybe I should actually write something down for once, instead of random gibberish. He thought while staring at a piece of paper that read “Moonlight white, shine on me, make me who I am not.” What did that even mean, anyway? Most of what he’d written just came to him randomly when he wasn’t thinking. He just let his quill or his claw move on its own, creating whatever felt right. Nothing profound, not in his opinion, but--

His distracted thoughts were interrupted by a scream from outside the cave. 

Chill dropped the few pieces of parchment he had in his claws on the ground, looking at the entrance. The scream echoed through the cave a few times, getting quieter and quieter. It was followed by the rapid stamping of talons on the ground, running past the detention cave. Before he could debate on whether or not he should check it out, Sunny had run back into his cave with the most panic he’d seen on her face. 

“Chill. Follow. Now.” She commanded. He did so without question, tailing the smaller SandWing out of the detention cave and into the main hallways again. They ran by the art exhibit, North’s office, and a few other classrooms until he realized where they were going. 

“What’s, g-going, on?” Chill asked through gasps. I need exercise. Sunny’s response was to turn left, spreading her right wing to slow herself down. Chill attempted the same move, only to fumble and nearly run into another dragon, who fortunately caught him before he could fall over. 

“Watch yourself.” Obsidian’s cold, gruff voice told him. Chill glanced up and saw those empty, pitch black eyes staring down at him. This was the closest look that he’d gotten at the SandWing’s face, and he could tell now, for sure, if Obsidian had any iris’s, they were just as black as the rest of his eyes. 

He broke away from his grip and continued following Sunny, though he didn’t have to follow for long. When they turned the corner, he realized he was in the entrance hall. The Enclave was gathered around the exit to the academy, preventing any dragon who attempted to leave. Several members of both the Dragonets of Destiny and the Jade Mountain Staff were yelling at students, telling them to back away from something.

Chill heard somebody throw up.

“Three moons…” Obsidian gasped, his voice trembling slightly. Chill looked at the SandWing next to him, then followed his gaze, and was met with the most horrific thing he’d ever seen in his short life.

Strung up with rope on the mural that greeted students and guests when they first walked into the academy was the corpse of an IceWing, scratched up beyond belief and with a giant hole in his chest. Blue blood dripped on the mural, showering the seven stone carvings of each tribe in a demented waterfall. The IceWing had his entire body spread out across the carving, as if he was about to take flight. The ropes that kept his body afloat stretched to the stalactites on the ceiling, some of them loose, others tightened.

The dragon he heard throw up did it again.

Chill was pretty sure he was close to vomiting as well. He forced himself to look away from the gruesome sight of the body, instead looking at the surrounding mess that had become the entrance. While the blood dripping down from the corpse was hard to look away from, it was also difficult not to notice the message above the body written in the same blue blood. 

G I V E  M E  C H I L L

“So now our serial killer is looking for you. Fantastic.” Obsidian snarked, a hint of a growl in his voice.

Solstice is looking for me. He corrected in his head, but Obsidian couldn’t have known about her. He shouldn’t know about her. Nobody should. This was his problem, and his problem alone, and this message above the body basically confirmed it.

Even if it’s not Solstice, whoever it is knows who you are. 

And our killer is still a NightWing. If it is Solstice, she would have to know my name.

Which means that she’s been around here somewhere long enough to know who you are, and learn your name.

But if she wanted me so badly, why wouldn’t she just come after me directly?

“LET US OUT YOU PSYCHOPATHS! THERE’S A MURDERER IN THIS SCHOOL! I WANT TO GO HOME!” A distressed student screamed. Chill and Obsidian looked at the source of the screaming student, seeing a SeaWing student who looked very sick. That or they were just terrified. He enchanted a glance with Obsidian. The two of them shared a silent agreement as they walked towards the screaming dragons. Chill did his best to block out the sound of the blood dripping from the body.

Who could’ve done such a thing with the Enclave patrolling the halls? Are they just not used to the hallways yet? With the blood, the body seems somewhat fresh. Like the first murder, it had to have been done the previous night.

But that just begs the question, how did the first body even get into the sleeping cave in the first place if it WAS done at night? How was Solstice, assuming that’s even who this is, able to do any of this?

“I assure you, sir, we will let everyone out once we catch the murder. All I ask is that you please cooperate during this time.” An Enclave guard attempted to calm the SeaWing down.

“COOPERATE. COOPERATE? ARE YOU INSANE? DRAGONS HAVE BEEN MURDERED AND YOU’RE ASKING US TO CALM DOWN? DO YOU NOT SEE THE BODY RIGHT THERE? ” The SeaWing was screaming. 

“Dragons becoming animals…this is disgusting.” Obsidian remarked. 

“They’re just scared. Who wouldn’t be?” Chill responded. Obsidian gave him a look, humming disapprovingly. 

“Perhaps so, but screaming and shouting at the ones with spears is only going to make the situation worse. I doubt they even know more than we do.” Obsidian looked down at him. “Unless there’s something you’d like to share, given that your name is the one written in blood on the mural.”

Chill swallowed. 

Before he could answer, he heard his name being called from behind him. Turning around, he was relieved to see the rest of his winglet heading towards him. To his shock, even Soulfinder was there, though she looked incredibly exhausted. 

Lavender leapt towards him, putting her arms and wings around his neck. He stumbled backwards, barely able to catch her before her speed forced him to the ground. He wasn’t sure how to take the hug, but he couldn’t pull away, not after hearing the RainWing’s sniffling. 

“I saw the name on the wall…I thought…I thought that…” She was stuttering too much to make sense.

“...we were worried about you,” Smoke finished for her, giving him a polite nod rather than a hug attack. Chill tried to untangle himself from Lavender’s grasp, but she wasn’t budging. “But we need to talk. Now.” Smoke confessed urgently, snapping his head in the direction of the sleeping caves. 

Chill took another look at the crowd of angry, confused, and scared students one last time, then focused his attention on Smoke and nodded. He shook his wings slightly, giving Lavender the signal to let him go, which she did (much to his lung’s appreciation). She still remained close to his side, their wings constantly brushing against each other's. The winglet walked in silence. As they walked, Chill took note of all of their expressions.

Catfish looked sick. Her face had turned a light shade of green. He guessed that if she looked up at the body, she would probably throw up. Her eyes were frantically moving around the cave, as if she was expecting something to jump out at them.

Oak kept his expression as neutral as possible, as was normal for the MudWing, but every now and then a crack slipped through. He would either wrinkle his snout, furrow his brow, or cringe whenever another student would scream. Chill noticed that he wasn’t holding the stick that he carried around with him, for some reason.

When he looked over at Soulfinder, he found that she was looking at him already. The two locked eyes for a moment, but she quickly looked away, pretending that she was trying to pop her neck. He wanted to ask her if something was wrong, but the words wouldn’t come to his mouth. His tongue felt dry. 

Obsidian and Smoke had nearly the same expression. Smoke was a bit more emotional, but both of them wore faces of disdain and anger. He couldn’t guess why Obsidian of all dragons would be angry about this situation, but Smoke…he felt bad for the SkyWing. No doubt there were flashes of injured soldiers going through his head during his time with his mother. 

“You okay?” Lavender asked meekly, breaking his concentration.

“No,” He answered truthfully. “You?”

Lavender chuckled sadly. “No.”

The two left their conversation at that, but silently, Lavender slid her tail around Chill’s, coiling around it gently. He let it happen. He needed comfort from his friends right now more than ever.

Friends? Are these dragons really my friends, or do I just think they are because Solstice’s personality is entwined with my own? Do I even have a personality, or is it just an echo of hers?

He didn’t bother himself with those questions for now. Instead, he entwined his tail with Lavender’s. The two shared a quiet glance with each other, then continued walking to the sleeping caves. The group passed by Catfish’s, and right next to it was his own. Written above it were the names of all the males in their group: Obsidian, Smoke, Oak, and Chill. As they all piled in, he kept staring at that name written on the slate, wondering if he should even have it in the first place.

Everyone in the cave settled into different corners. Obsidian and Smoke shared the stone slab, Soulfinder settled herself comfortably on the moss bed, Oak and Catfish sat next to each other near the window, and Lavender unwound her tail with his to go lay on the hammock. Chill, seeing no other option, went over to the ice block (that still hadn’t melted, even the slightest bit) and lay down on it.

“This is getting really bad.” Catfish announced.

“Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out.” Soulfinder snarked. Smoke gave her a harsh look which the NightWing ignored. 

“Well, whoever our killer is, they really want Chill. Enough to make a display about it,” Obsidian continued, as if Soulfinder hadn’t even spoken. “I suppose the question is why. Chill isn’t particularly special, aside from the odd scale color.”

Chill inhaled sharply.

“Do you have to be so awful all the time? Would it kill you to have some compassion? Two dragons have been murdered and you don’t even care!” Lavender yelled. 

“We’ve been over this, Lavender. What’s done is done. I want these murders to stop as badly as you do, I’m just not as… emotional about it, as you are.” Obsidian responded. Chill could tell that “emotional” wasn’t the word that he wanted to use, but for whatever reason, he was keeping his cool. Lavender, however, was struggling to do the same as he watched her scales slowly take on a shade of red.

“Obsidian does bring up a good point, though,” Oak intruded. “Why would this killer want Chill in the first place? Without attempting to sound morbid…there are plenty of other IceWings still in the school. Why specifically you?” He asked, looking at Chill.

There’s an answer for that, but I don’t want to say it.

“It’s probably because of your missing memories. There has to be something that you haven’t remembered yet that they’re coming after you for,” Smoke analyzed. “If that’s the case, then we need to protect you at all costs until you can remember it. Have you had any new memories?”

“Memories? What? Do you have amnesia?” Obsidian asked. Chill forgot that neither Obsidian or Soulfinder were aware of his spark amnesia. He turned towards Smoke and shook his head. He wished that he had new memories, but nothing in the Detention Cave had caused any more sparks. It made sense, as much as he hated it. There wasn't much in the cave, after all.

“Gragh…this is so confusing!” Catfish complained, hanging her head and pressing her claws to her temples. “I want to go home…I don’t want anything to do with this.” She mumbled. Oak placed his talon on top of hers, comforting the SeaWing, giving her a sympathetic look.

“M-Maybe we should just leave this alone. I-It’s not our business, right?” Chill said out loud. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince his winglet or himself, but either way, Obsidian wasn’t having it. The SandWing shook his head.

“Good luck with that. Normally, I would agree with you, but given that your name is the one written in blood on the walls, at least you are involved whether you like it or not,” He told him. “What I am offering you is help.” 

Chill snapped. “Why do you want to help anyway? You clearly hate me.” Tension was rising in the room. He could tell from Smoke and Catfish’s nervous glances that they weren’t liking where this was going.

“I don’t hate you. I despise your attitude towards things, especially right now,” Obsidian remarked, his tone as calm as ever. “You’re directly involved in a Jade Mountain Academy incident, quite possibly one of the first ones in years, and your response is to walk away from it? Especially when it appears that you could have something that would lead to the solution to this case? How dense do you have to be?” 

“OBSIDIAN!” Lavender screamed, all of her scales a blazing red.

The SandWing pressed on anyway. 

“How many more IceWings are you going to let die because you can’t crawl out of the walls you’ve built for yourself? How many more dragons need to get hurt before you realize that the blood on their talons is going to be because of you?”

Smoke pushed Obsidian off of the slab, sending the SandWing to the floor. Soulfinder awkwardly scooched away from him.

“That’s enough out of you! Chill doesn’t even know why he’s involved in the first place, that’s not his fault!” He defended, staring at Chill.

But he’s right, Smoke. I have information that could lead to the solution of this case, and the only reason I’m hiding it is because I’m scared. 

And the only thing I have to show for it is a bunch of dragons defending me. They’re fighting my battles for me, because they don’t think I’m capable of doing it myself. 

Maybe I’m not.

His winglet continued arguing with each other, but he couldn’t listen. He let his head fall into his talons and he began spiraling once more.

I’m just a simple, useless, pampered IceWing who doesn’t even exist. I have to let everyone fight for me because I’m too weak to do it myself.

Where’s the confidence I had when I stood up against Obsidian the first time? When I fought back the nerves to ask Moonwatcher that impossible question? When I knew that I was going to get back my memories no matter how long it took? 

What have I become?

What even am I?

“I know.” Chill whispered. It seemed that only Lavender heard it, who stopped yelling at Obsidian to look over at him. Obsidian soon noticed that she wasn’t arguing with him anymore and followed her gaze. Eventually the entire cave was looking at him. “I know why she’s looking for me.” He elaborated. Soulfinder raised a brow.

“She?” She asked.

“The murderer is a NightWing who used to live in the Night-Rain Kingdom alongside a dragon named Orange. At some point, this NightWing put an end to the life of an IceWing female, who happened to be the mate of an IceWing animus. This animus put a curse on the NightWing. There would be a dragon that would constantly follow her around, haunting her, until I guess she went mad. Now she’s killing IceWings to…I don’t know. Free herself, I guess. Maybe she’s trying to find the one haunting her, or she’s trying to find the animus.” He explained. 

The entire cave was staring at him in shock.

“What…what kind of ridiculous fairy tale is that? Have you gone insane?” Obsidian asked, his voice still completely serious.

“Chill…the dragon that lived in the forest with Orange was you, wasn’t it? Are you…sure you’re not just mixing memories up?” Smoke asked, stepping off of the stone slab and walking over to him. Chill looked at him with sad eyes.

“I had another spark when we went to the Night-Rain Kingdom. Komodo showed me a drawing that Orange had made, and I remembered the first time she and the NightWing met. She briefly described the house that the NightWing lived in and…it was nothing like what I know. My brain tells me that I’ve lived in the Ice Kingdom my entire life…but my memories also say that I’ve lived in the Night-Rain Kingdom. It doesn’t make sense, right?” He asked Smoke sadly. “I have two memories because one of them isn’t even my own. It’s someone else’s.” 

Smoke blinked in disbelief while Soulfinder scoffed. 

“Okay, say we believe this nonsense. So, what you’re saying is you’re receiving memories from a NightWing, who may also happen to be our killer who’s currently after IceWing specifically because she’s being haunted by an artificial IceWing created by an animus dragon who is an ICEWING? Which is IMPOSSIBLE? Do you not understand how insane that sounds?” She commented. He could agree with her there. It did sound insane, which was part of the reason why he didn’t want to tell them. “Besides, why would you be receiving these memories anyway? What’s so--” She paused, thinking it over. 

“Oh,” Oak exclaimed. “You think you’re the dragon that’s supposed to haunt her.” 

Chill nodded slowly.

“It’s okay, you don’t need to say ‘dragon.’ I know I’m just a thing. It would explain everything, right? My amnesia, my lack of friends or family, my lack of knowledge on modern IceWing culture, the weird glowing chain around my neck, my--”

“Wait, no, hang on,” Lavender stopped him. “Chill, when you have these…memories…do you speak in any of them?” She asked. Chill nodded. “Okay, so when you do…you…sound like…uh, you, right?” 

His eyes widened. He hadn’t thought about that. In all of the memories that he’d gotten, he sounded like himself if not a little higher-pitched, but the way his memories said certain words were exactly the way he would pronounce them if he said them out loud, right now. While the revelation was comforting for a moment, it soon sent him deep into a new ocean of questions.

If I’m the one speaking, why are there so many references to NightWings?

How come Komodo didn’t recognize me?

If I lived in the Ice Kingdom like I think I did, why do I get memories of the Night-Rain Kingdom? 

Why does this NightWing want me specifically then, if I’m not the dragon haunting them?

Why do I have this invisible green chain around my neck?

Why did she try to kill me the first time, only to stop and leave me alive in the end?

Why can’t I remember anything?

If I’m real, why don’t I have an existence in IceWing culture?

WHAT’S HAPPENING TO ME?

He started crying. Uncontrollable, unstoppable tears began pouring out of his eyes. Chill hiccuped a few times, letting his world go blurry as more tears began to form. The SkyWing in front of him immediately wrapped him in a tight, warm hug. Chill closed his eyes and hugged Smoke back, sobbing openly into his neck. He felt a tail wrap around his and another pair of wings landed on his back.

“We’ve got you. You are real. ” Smoke whispered into his ear. “You are flesh, scales, and blood. You breathe just like the rest of us, you eat like the rest of us, you drink like the rest of us. You smile. You cry. You are Chill, and you are real. ” He reassured him, gently rubbing his back scales with his talons.

“And even if by some, IMPOSSIBLE CIRCUMSTANCE you aren’t, we still….care about you,” Lavender reassured him, tightening her grip around his tail with her own. “You’re real to us, okay?” 

Chill nodded, the tears starting to slow down. He pulled his head away from Smoke’s shoulder, embarrassed, but thankful. 

Even if I’m not real, what I feel is real.

And I can feel everything.

Smoke and Lavender released their grips on him. Chill looked down at his talons. 

Maybe I’m not real. Maybe I am just a thing. But even if I am, I’m here right now, and right now, dragons are dying…and I might be the only one who can save them.

“Hey, Chill?” Catfish spoke up. He looked over at her and her MudWing brother, the two of them looking very concerned. “I know we still don’t…know each other very well, but I’m here for you if you need me. I…I don’t talk a whole lot, but if you just need somebody to listen, I’m here.”

“As am I,” Oak concurred. “MudWings never give up on their families. Blood, adoptive, or secondary.” He declared, gesturing towards Chill.

He took a deep breath, attempting to conjure his confidence from his confrontation with Obsidian and his courage to ask Moonwatcher that impossible question. He crawled off of the slab of ice and moved to the center of the room.

“Th-There’s a lot of things that still don’t make sense right now, yeah?”

“It…goes without saying.” Obsidian agreed, raising a brow.

“Okay…but there’s one dragon who’s going to have all the answers.”

“You’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting, are you?” Soulfinder asked. Chill turned toward her, putting on his best look of confidence. “IceWing, that’s suicide. Besides, how would you even get this… NightWing’s supposed attention?” She snarked. Chill sniffled, blinking back a few remaining tears, then chuckled. 

“Well…” He looked around the room for a moment, taking in the emotions on his winglet’s faces. “...let’s give them what they want.” 

“And that is?” Oak pondered. 

Chill smiled. “Me”

“No, absolutely not!” Lavender snapped. “That’s way too dangerous! We’re…we’re just kids! We don’t need to solve this murder case!”

He understood that. He couldn’t ask his winglet to help him with this murder case, but he did know that he absolutely needed to be part of it. There was something in his memories that was crucial to this case, but he hadn’t conjured it yet. Subconsciously, during their walk to the sleeping caves he was looking at everything he possibly could to see if he would spark another memory--but nothing worked. 

“As much as I hate to admit it, he’s right,” Obsidian offered, standing off the floor to walk towards Chill. The two stared at each other for a moment before the SandWing broke eye contact, looking off at the rest of the winglet. “Our killer will have all the answers we’re looking for. So we’re going to have to catch them.” 

Soulfinder looked nervous, for some reason. He watched her put a talon on her snout and shut her eyes tightly. She might be having another vision. He realized. Remembering the fiasco that forced her to reveal the prophecy in the first place, he decided not to pry. It was then that Obsidian’s words finally reached him. He looked over at the SandWing, letting hope wash over his scales.

“We?” He asked.

“Yes. If you attempt to go after this killer alone, you will die, and the last thing this academy needs is more IceWing blood on the walls.” Obsidian said. The brooding SandWing turned his head towards each dragon in the cave. “As skilled as I am in combat and trapping, Chill is only going to slow me down. It’s possible, but we’ll need others.” 

He’s asking them to help, in his own, weird way. “You don’t have t-to, though.” Chill tried to reassure them, only to earn a glare from Obsidian.

“I’m in.” Smoke declared, walking over to them. “I…I can’t get the image of that body out of my head. If there’s even a chance that we can save the rest of the IceWings here…it’s worth it.”

“I want to help as well.” Oak offered. “My expertise in the field could be useful.”

“Regardless of what skills you have, the more minds we have on this plan, the better.” The SandWing said, scratching the floor. Chill looked over at Catfish, who was looking rather queasy.

“I…I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m not a fighter, and I’m not smart. I’ll just…get in your way,” She apologized. “But I won’t tell anyone what you’re doing. It’s the least I can do.” 

“There’s no way I’M getting involved in your little pow-wow suicide mission. Do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me.” Soulfinder offered unhelpfully. Chill noticed that she was still flinching a few times, but whatever headache or vision that she had seemed to have subsided. 

He glanced at Lavender, who was busy shifting her gaze between all of the dragons in the room. After a few more seconds of this, she threw her talons up in the air in frustration and gave a dramatic sigh.

“Yes! Okay! Yeah! Sure! Whatever! Why not! I didn’t have a long life ahead of me anyway!” She gasped out, joining the little circle they formed at the center of his sleeping cave. He gave her a grateful smile, which she returned half-heartedly, whispering something along the lines of: “Whatever happened to being damsel in distress?” 

He was about to ask what that meant, but Obsidian spoke first.

“Very well. Five of us should be enough,” He looked at Chill. “I assume that with your proposal to go after this killer, you have something of a plan?” 

Chill took a deep breath.

“Something like that.”

Chapter Text

Hours passed. The Jade Mountain Staff had forced all of the winglets to stay in their sleeping caves for the time being until they figured out a way to deal with the body--who turned out to be another student. His name was Blizzard, the Amethyst Winglet IceWing. He never even got to see his face before he died. That thought made him realize that he’d never spoken to Ermine before his death either. Then, that thought made him angry. Innocent dragons that he’d never even knew, that now he would never get the chance to know. 

During the lockdown they were under, Chill worked tirelessly on their plan to catch the killer. There was no guarantee that it would work, but if the NightWing was as desperate as he theorized she was…then they would meet her tonight. He would meet her tonight. All of the answers that he’d been desperately scrambling for the past few weeks were finally in his grasp.

The thought of that was terrifying.

As the hours passed, he did his best to quell his anxiety, but as the sun got lower and lower in the sky his nerves only rose higher. Questions began springing up in his mind. What if this doesn’t work? What if she doesn’t show up? What if someone gets hurt? What if someone dies? What if we get in trouble? What if the plan goes wrong? What if we get caught?

He expressed these concerns to Smoke and Lavender (Smoke, more so than Lavender), and they each did their best to try and calm him down. Nothing worked, so instead he went over the plan they created during the hours they were locked in the caves. 

Chill looked out the little window they had in their sleeping cave. The sky had turned a fiery orange as the sun began to hide behind mountains and trees. If he ignored Lavender’s pacing, he could hear the distant cry of a goat. Obsidian silently read a scroll in the far corner of the room, tapping his talons against the stone he sat on every now and then. Smoke and Oak were whispering quietly to each other, words that Chill couldn’t make out. 

Catfish and Soulfinder retreated to their own sleeping cave. They wanted nothing to do with their plan, after all. 

“Can we go over the plan one more time? Just to be safe?” Lavender requested. He turned away from the scenery outside in time to see Obsidian huff.

“We’ve gone over this plan several times already. There’s no need to repeat it anymore. I have it memorized already.” He remarked, giving the RainWing a stern look. She returned his disapproving eyes with a scowl of her own.

“Lavender’s right. Even if you’ve got it down, there are still four of us. This plan needs to go perfectly, otherwise we’re ALL screwed. We should keep pounding it into our heads until it’s all we can think about.” Smoke agreed.

Well, if the goal is getting to where we can think about nothing but the plan, I must be good to go! Chill thought sarcastically. 

Obsidian relented. “Very well. I will go over it again.” He stated plainly. 

“We wait until around midnight, when most if not all of the academy is asleep. The Jade Winglet used to help patrol the halls but now the Enclave is taking care of that. They’ll have weapons, and be far more alert than any of the Jade Winglet would be. To avoid that?” He phrased the end of it like a question. 

He’s making sure we know the plan too.

“We’ll have to be stealthy,” Smoke confirmed. “Lavender has the advantage because she can turn invisible. While she’s invisible, she can create distractions for the Enclave.”

“You bet your red scaled behind I can. I’ll knock them out if I have to.” She snarled.

“Pineapple-up-the-snout routine?” Chill asked, smiling weakly at her. Lavender blinked at him in surprise, but then returned the smile.

“If it comes to that.”

“You’re getting off topic, get back to the plan,” Obsidian commanded. “Lavender can distract them. While they’re distracted, Chill will walk out into the open and attempt to draw the killer out, acting as live bait.” He turned his attention towards Chill. “You’re the one they want, so you’re going to need to sell the act.”

Chill nodded.

 “ If the killer comes out, Chill will continue to distract them long enough for Oak to get into a position where he can fight them off with as much brutality as he can muster. I, myself, will be waiting in the wings nearby. The objective is to knock out the killer, but should the need arise I can stab them with my tail.” Obsidian continued. 

Oak gave a huff of confirmation. 

“Smoke, in the meanwhile, will alert the distracted guards that something’s happening in the main hall. He’ll compromise with whatever they demand and take any punishment for being out late as long as it gets them to the killer. Whereupon, they will see our killer, either unconscious or in captivity. They’ll take the killer for questioning, imprisonment, or execution, we’ll more than likely be punished for doing what we’ve done, and then things will slowly go back to normal.”

Normal. What did that even mean anymore? Two dead IceWings in the academy and who knows how many more outside of it. It still bugged him that there was an entire world out there that he couldn’t explore because he was confined to these walls. Their plan wasn’t the greatest, but if it worked…he would finally have all the answers.

He wondered what he would do after that. After he had all the answers. If he was a curse meant to haunt Solstice, wouldn’t putting her in captivity defeat his purpose? Wouldn’t it be complete? If so, maybe he could do something else with his life. Maybe go see the rest of the world that’s been locked away from him, or maybe he would actually finish his semester at Jade Mountain. He had friends now, didn’t he? Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad here once all of the chaos was over. 

“I guess this is our Darkstalker, huh?” Smoke whispered.

“Huh?” Lavender asked. 

Chill saw the blood rush to his face. “U-Uh, well, I just thought since, y-y’know, the Jade Winglet dealt with a huge disaster their first y-year…we’re…having one of our own? Like, the n-next generation?” The SkyWing stammered out. 

“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” Obsidian snarked. 

Oak chuckled. “Well then, here’s to the new dawn. The stupidest thing that Obsidian has ever heard!” He shouted. Lavender and Smoke laughed. Chill sighed. He could almost forget he was about to run snout-first to the dragon that wanted him to go have a date with the Great Ice Dragon. 

“Wait a second--” Lavender halted her laughter, suddenly looking very grim. “The Enclave…distracting them…we’ve got a little group going on here, so I can see why we would be able to get them…but this killer is just operating by themselves, right?”

Obsidian scowled. “We hope so.”

“Yes.” Chill confirmed, looking at the scars on his body. “Alone. For sure.” 

“Then how did they manage to…with…the body…all of those guards?” 

Chill’s eyes widened. How in the world did she manage to put on that disgusting display without getting the attention of any of the guards? It can’t be like they all just fell asleep at…

“Those satchels are full of sleeping darts. You don’t wanna get stung by one of those. I’ve been hit by a dart before when I was with the healers. It puts you straight to sleep. Not a fun thing to experience.” 

RainWings have straight access to sleeping darts. Solstice lived in the Night-Rain Kingdom. 

“Sleeping darts…” Chill echoed. “She had sleeping darts.”

“Again with the ‘she?” Obsidian mocked.

Smoke stamped on the ground. “That has to be it! The healing center has a few sleeping darts. I-I remember going in because I was curious, and thought ‘wow, that’s a really low amount of sleeping darts for a healing cave.’ It makes sense now! The killer must have stolen them!”

“Hm, does make sense…” Oak concurred. “Lavender, how long does a sleeping dart last for?”

“Uh…I dunno. Never used ‘em.” She shrugged.

“Four to five hours. Sometimes six or eight, depending on the dragon.” Smoke answered for her.

“Long enough to create Pyrrhia’s worst sculpture.” Obsidian remarked grimly. “So that’s another problem we have to deal with. We don’t know if the killer still has sleeping darts. If they do, then they’ll probably use them to knock Chill out long enough to kill him.”

“We ALSO don’t know if this killer wants Chill dead. They just want Chill…in general.” Smoke pointed out. 

“Can we stop talking about Chill as if he’s not in the room? And as if he’s just a thing? ” Lavender said. 

They’re right though. I am just a thing.

You don’t know that for sure. There’s reasonable doubt now. 

Is it that reasonable? Is it?

His internal monologue didn’t have an answer for that one. Noticing that the cave had gotten substantially darker, he turned towards the window. The sun wasn’t even visible anymore. The last rays of light were barely peeking out from the horizon. He felt a pit open in his stomach again. He was suddenly aware of how he was breathing. He had to control it.

Breathe in, breathe out. Just like North taught you.

North.

He hadn’t seen the scarred IceWing in forever. Chill wondered if he should go say his goodbyes or not. Was there anybody else in his life that he needed to say goodbye to, should he turn out to be real in the end? What if he DID die ton--

“Hey, look at me.” Smoke’s voice told him, breaking him out of the cycle.

Chill did so. “S-Sorry. Just thinking again.” 

“Nervous?”

“Who wouldn’t be?”

Smoke regarded him thoughtfully. “We’ve got this, okay? We’ve got a plan, we’ve got a team, and if anything goes wrong, we’ll be there, alright?” He smiled. “We’ve got this.”

Chill wanted to believe him, so he smiled and nodded, not saying anything. Yet, nothing could be further from the truth. 

The only thing he could do was sit, wait, and wonder. He wondered how the plan was going to go, he wondered why this was all happening, he wondered where the ancient animus was, he wondered why he was born, he wondered what the others were thinking, he wondered what Catfish and Soulfinder were thinking, and he wondered about the vision that Soulfinder might have had.

He felt his eyelids drooping.

And then he dreamt. For the first time, he dreamt. 

Every time he fell asleep, he’d always been greeted with either a black void or the field of chains. This time was different. It didn’t feel dream-like, but it was different. Instead of being greeted with darkness, he found himself standing on a field of lush green grass, swaying along with the breeze in a gentle rhythm. There was a large forest off in the distance, and not too far from that were some of the tallest mountains that Chill had ever seen. The peak of one of them reached past the many clouds in the sky, blocking out the sun in patches. 

He heard a dragonet’s laughter. Something scampered beneath him. He looked down and found a little RainWing dragonet with spiky horns and snow-white scales. When he looked down at her, the dragonet immediately burst into giggles. She ran away from his talons, scampering off into the field to pounce on another dragonet, who was a little blue dragon with deep, black eyes. Most mysteriously, he had a barb at the end of his tail.

“Kids, huh?” Smoke asked, coming up next to him. Chill turned to see Smoke, instantly being met with a much older, taller SkyWing. His eyes were tired, but still held that bright yellow glow that they did when they first met. Smoke’s eyes met his own, and his smirk turned into a full-on grin, showing a few teeth replaced with silver, fake ones. “Bet you’re really proud of her, aren’t you? She has your eyes.”

He wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but luckily for him, he didn’t have to. He heard himself speaking. 

“My little Aurora…what am I gonna do?” He chuckled, putting a wing around the SkyWing, who leaned into his side lovingly. Internally, Chill felt his entire body flare up. “You’re not any better though. Dust is a little mischief maker!” 

Smoke laughed. “He sure is. Takes after his father,” He teased, bumping Chill’s side. “Not sure where he gets the smarts from though. Definitely not me.”

What is this? This can’t be a memory…but it feels too real to be a dream. 

A vision? No, it can’t be that either. I’m an IceWing, artificial or not, I can’t have visions! Those powers only belong to NightWings!

All at once, the cozy vision faded away around him. The smiling Smoke and wrestling dragonets turned to dust and scattered in the air, leaving nothing but particles behind in an empty void. The welcoming feeling of peace was instantly shattered. He wanted to scream, but right as he opened his mouth to do so, the dust in the air began to swirl around. It created a small storm before slowly materializing into a scene.

This time, he wasn’t in a field, but a room. In this room was the Jade Winglet. Winter, Kinkajou, and two dragons he didn’t know (one IceWing, one MudWing) were all in various spots in the room, doing different things. 

“Do you think we did the right thing? Letting them go?” The IceWing he didn’t know suddenly spoke. 

“I…I suppose everyone has to go on their adventure. We did, didn’t we?” Kinkajou responded. 

“It’s just…I have this terrible feeling that something bad is going to happen.” 

“Lynx, you’re being paranoid. This is Qibli and Moonwatcher we’re talking about, remember? If anyone’s got this covered, it’s those two.” Winter said fondly. Kinkajou’s scales changed to a yellow-pink color. 

“Winter’s right. There’s nothing to worry about.” The MudWing said.

With horrific comedic timing, a bright flash of light engulfed the cave. All members of the Jade Winglet screamed in horror. As soon as the flash arrived, it soon faded. The dragons in the room immediately began speaking to each other, too fast for him to keep up. Chill wanted to move towards the window to see what the flash of light was, but found that he couldn’t move. 

“Guys?” Lynx’s voice spoke, so softly that nobody would hear her. Nobody except him. Chill had never heard a voice so terrified in his life. When he looked at her, he wanted to scream. Half of her body had turned to ashes, and the rest of it soon followed. If the Jade Winglet noticed, he didn’t get to see, because as soon as Lynx turned to ashes, so did the rest of the room, and the world around him, returning to the void of dust.

What’s going on? What’s happening to me? Is this a new phenomenon? 

He heard crying. 

“Stop…stop…please, stop…”

Chill fought the urge to gasp. Soulfinders voice echoed through the chamber, coming from an unknown location. Instinctively, he reached for his bandages, surprised to find out that they were there. He padded himself around until he felt a slight bump in one of his lower chest bandages. Reaching into it, he pulled out the sapphire that Sunny handed to him the previous day. The dreamvisitor. 

Was he dreamvisiting right now?

“Soulfinder? Can you hear me?” Chill asked. His voice slightly echoed, but it wasn’t as powerful as Soulfinder’s sobbing, which was much louder. “SOULFINDER? ARE YOU IN HERE? CAN YOU HEAR ME?” This time, his voice was just as loud as the cries, and it caused a reaction.

The crying stopped suddenly.

“Chill?” 

The dust around him began to turn into a storm once more. Chill started running, but immediately ran straight into a cyclone of dust and landed in another scene. This time, it was Soulfinder herself, standing next to the ocean. Not seeing any other options, he started walking over to her, only to stop when another dragon appeared from the ocean. A SeaWing. He was diving in and out of the water, while Soulfinder was watching him…happily? Clapping? Laughing? 

“Alright, alright! I’m impressed! Get out of the water now!” Soulfinder called out. The SeaWing she was shouting at poked his head out of the water, smiling at her.

“Do you not want to swim? It is quite nice.” The SeaWing was oddly formal, speaking…strangely. As if the words were being said by someone who’d never spoken to another dragon before. 

The scenes were becoming shorter and shorter. The world turned to dust again, and reformed just as quickly. This time he was in the entrance hall of Jade Mountain Academy. Everything was glowing orange, yellow, and red. Smoke rose from an unseen source. He saw himself in front of the entrance, bloody and beaten. Something came out of the shadows to attack him. It looked like a dragon. Before he could react to the dragon’s attack, Oak appeared right in front of the attacker and took the blow, blood immediately spraying out of his neck. 

He collapsed into Chill’s arms, gasping and sputtering. The attacker went off elsewhere, roaring violently as fire raged. Chill watched his vision-self carefully cradle Oaks body, trying to stop the bleeding, calming him down, while all the MudWing did was gently raise a talon to his snout and whisper something in his ear that he couldn’t hear. 

These weren’t just random dreams that he was having, nor were they random dreams that Soulfinder was having. He was dreamvisiting her while she was having visions. 

“Soulfinder! Soulfinder, can you hear me? This isn’t real, you need to wake up!” He screamed out to the darkness. The vision around him faded away.

“Get out of my head! You aren’t real!” Her voice cried back at him. Chill looked around in every direction for the dark blue NightWing, but she was nowhere to be seen. He began running again. Another cloud of dust began to form in front of him. This time, feeling brave, he ducked his head and scrunched his snout, ready to head straight-on into the new vision. The storm got closer and closer, and as he nearly leapt straight into it--

“Chill!” Smoke whispered harshly into his ear. Chill opened his eyes slowly, his neck sore and head pounding. The cave was dark, aside from the moonlight that shone through the window where he’d lay his head. I fell asleep. I was asleep. It was a dream. 

Smoke eyed him up and down. “What are you doing, man? We can’t doze off now. We have to do this! Are you ready?” He asked. Chill blinked a few times and flexed his talons. He padded his body like he did in the dream, then was met with a wave of relief when he felt the bump of the dreamvisitor still kept close to his chest. Smoke’s expression went from annoyed to concerned upon seeing Chill padding himself. 

“Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I’m just stressed. Are you okay?” He asked.

“I-I’m fine. Just a…bad dream.” Chill half-lied. 

“If you’re done having dream therapy over there, Lavender’s already left the cave to distract the guards.” Obsidian said urgently. That snapped Chill to attention. Making sure the dreamvisitor wasn’t in any danger of falling out, he tightened his bandages slightly, then joined the rest of his winglet at the exit. 

The cave hallways were dark. Very dark. The only thing that chased away the black call of the night were the two or three torches barely burning along the walls, and the moonlight from nearby windows in other caves. It should’ve been dead quiet, but he could just barely hear quiet conversation coming from the direction of the entrance, and the occasional scraping of armor on the cave floor. 

“Did she say what she was going to do?” Chill asked. Nobody gave him an answer. 

Fortunately, the loud crashes and bangs at the left end of the hallway. Chill blinked at the rest of his winglet, who looked as equally as surprised, except for Smoke, who looked fearful. Rushed and angry voices started coming from the other end of the hallway, and as soon as the light of torches appeared in the darkness, the Ruby Winglet ducked back into their sleeping cave. Talonsteps pounded on the cave floor towards Lavender’s mess. Chill caught some of the things that the dragons passing were saying.

“We’ve finally got them, for sure this time! They’ve messed up, gotten too sloppy!” A female voice said.

“Don’t get too excited, it’s probably just some kid messing around.” A male voice scolded her. 

“Do we seriously need four of us to go chase after this brat?” 

“Have you seen the kids in this place? They--” The voice trailed off as the guards disappeared further down the cave. 

“Four?” Smoke exclaimed, suddenly sounding incredibly nervous. “There were at least eight guards! What are we going to do?” 

Obsidian flashed his tail in front of Smoke’s face. The two shared a glance, a silent understanding occurring between the two. Oak, however, snorted disapprovingly.

“It’s now or never.” The MudWing stated, nodding at Chill. Chill looked at his sleeping cave, his winglet, the darkness, and then at his talons. He took a deep breath, let it out, then pounded the ground a few times. 

“Let’s do this.” He muttered, stepping out into the dark hallway. One talon after the other, he walked further and further into the halls. Time seemed to slow down with every step he took, getting closer and closer to the entrance. One his way, he passed by the sleeping caves of other winglets, including the second half of his own winglet. Glancing inside, he could barely make out Catfish’s luminescent scales glowing in the darkness. He was sure Soulfinder was in there somewhere as well, either attempting to ignore what was going on, or still sleeping as she normally did. 

Every other winglet cave he passed, he could occasionally see the glow of another SeaWing student, or the glitter of IceWing scales, or sometimes the occasional breath of fire from what he assumed was a Sky or SandWing. 

A few more hallways, and a few sharp turns and still moments whenever he heard the slightest movement, he saw the white glow of moonlight up ahead. He halted briefly in the hallway, listening for anything. Voices, the crackle of fire, talonsteps, breathing. Yet, there was nothing but the sound of crickets outside. 

Knowing this, he stepped towards the entrance, revealing himself fully in the moonlight. A light teal color shone on the cave walls, illuminated by the moon’s rays. Two of them were out tonight, the biggest one and the smallest respectively. If a NightWing is born tonight, they’ll have mind reading and prophecy. He thought coldly. Re-learning of those powers made him jealous at first, but seeing Soulfinder’s torture and the restrictions that dragons like Moonwatcher had to live by…perhaps the power wasn’t as glorious as the scrolls made them out to be. 

Perhaps none of the power that he’d experienced was glorious at all.

“I know you’re there.” Chill announced to the empty cave. There was no response. The crickets in the forest only seemed to chirp louder. He didn’t look behind him. 

“It’s me you want, isn’t it? I’m sitting right here,” He sat there on the cave floor, focusing all of his attention towards the night sky. He admired all of the stars, how they twinkled, and he thought of how maybe one day, dragonkind could reach those stars and claim them as their own. “I’m not moving. No matter what happens, I’m not moving.” 

Still no response. He heard something skitter across the floor, but he still didn’t turn around. He could feel himself shaking, so he tucked his wings in closer to his body to attempt to stop it.

“You know, you are probably the most selfish dragon I’ve ever met. You put on this big, horrific display to get everybody’s attention, and once you have what you want sitting right in front of you, you don’t even take it? I don’t understand, Solstice. What’s making you act this way? Why are you doing this?”

Nothing.

Chill stood up.

“You have plagued my mind for weeks ! It’s your fault that I’ve been kept from a peaceful life! All of this is your fault you know! I don’t know what you did to that animus to make him so mad, but given how despicably ruthless you’ve been, I’d say you probably deserved it! Apparently, you weren’t exactly the greatest dragon either, so how about we cut the act, you come out, and we get this over with?” 

Something shifted. He heard talonsteps approaching from the right hall. It wasn’t Enclave guards. At least, he didn’t think so. They’d gone the other direction. Whoever it was, he needed to finish this fast. Nothing he was saying was provoking Solstice. Internally, he swore at himself for not practicing some sort of maddening statement that would enrage Solstice to the point of arriving--if this killer even was Solstice. Could that be why none of his statements were working? To the killer, if they were still here, was he just a maddragon?

One last attempt.

“You really think Orange would approve of all this?” 

The talonsteps got louder, and eventually they reached the entrance. A dragon was breathing heavily behind him. Chill turned around to find Sunny standing not too far from him, carrying a torch, looking sleep-deprived and angry.

“Chill? What on Pyrrhia are you DOING? Do you realize how late it is?” Sunny threw the torch down on the ground in frustration “No! Forget that, WHY ARE YOU STANDING OUT IN THE MOONLIGHT? ALONE? ESPECIALLY AFTER THIS MORNING? I--GRAWGHGH” Sunny buried her snout in her talons, and Chill immediately felt an iceberg of guilt crash into him. What was he thinking? What was his entire winglet thinking? There were so many dragons in the academy that he was just blatantly ignoring the feelings of…the Dragonets of Destiny were probably exhausted trying to figure out this entire fiasco, and here he was, thinking he could solve it just by wandering around like a moron. 

“I-I’m sorry.” He whispered.

“Forget it. You’re coming with m--” 

Something zipped through the air.

Suddenly, Sunny stopped talking. She dropped the torch in her talon and it rolled to him, the flame extinguishing against the rock. Chill looked at her in a panic, and just saw her eyes roll to the back of her head as she collapsed to the ground, eyelids drooping and falling unconscious instantly. He could see a small cylinder shape sticking out of the back of her neck.

Sleeping dart.

Talonsteps echoed throughout the entrance. He turned away from her body towards the darkness. Two green eyes appeared in the shadows, moving closer to the moonlight. As they did, more features of the dragon’s body became illuminated. 

Her scales were as black as the night sky itself, with occasional speckles of white like stars. One of her horns was bent crookedly, while the other one jetted out of the back of her head like a spike. She had a satchel hanging off of her neck with more pouches than a dragon would ever need, and that didn’t account for the ankle-wear she had, which also had pockets, no doubt filled with something nefarious. The most telling detail of her appearance, aside from her piercing green eyes, were her talons. Each one stained a dark blue. 

Yet the thing that terrified him the most about her, was how eerily similar she looked to him.

Chapter Text

“Solstice.” Chill said, barely able to keep his trembling out of his voice. 

“Curse.” She responded, her voice only slightly higher than his own. Just like how I remember it in all of the memories. It really is her in all of those, not me. 

Smoke and Lavender were wrong. 

I’m not real.

“You’re far braver than I took you for, coming out into broad moonlight to call me,” She snarled. “Don’t ever speak her name, you disgusting creature.” 

It was like hearing his own voice yelling at him. He struggled to think of a response. Soulfinder, meanwhile, reached into her pouch and pulled out another sleeping dart. She flipped it between her claws, taking extra care not to prick her scales on its sharp tip.

“I watched you for so long, hidden in plain sight. Nobody ever noticed me,” She sighed, her bitterness still clearly visible in her eyes. “I watched you try and attempt a normal life, make friends, make mistakes, learn…even after I tried to kill you. You survived. You tried to live. ” She laughed. 

“I guess I’m tougher than you think I am.” He snarked, rage building in his throat. Solstice laughed again.

“Do you really think you lived just because I was incompetent? I murdered four IceWings before even thinking about coming here. Once I finally found you, I knew it was over. I had you in my grasp. I cut and tore into your scales with all of the rage I could muster…

“...only to discover that your wounds were mine, right as I was about to rip your heart out,” She stopped, putting the sleeping dart away and instead pulling out a sharp, metal disc. “Observe.” 

In the blink of an eye, she flung the metal disc right as his neck. He didn’t have any time to dodge as it pierced the edge of his scales, creating a fresh, clean cut across the side of his neck. Blood trickled out of the wood. Looking at Solstice’s own neck, he saw that red blood was dripping down the side of her neck as well, as if she’d been struck by the same blow.

“That animus sure is crafty, isn’t he?” Solstice mused.

Chill wasn’t having any of it. “What you did must’ve been pretty awful.” That got a reaction out of her. She snapped her head towards him, eyes blazing with fury. 

“WHAT I DID WAS AN ACCIDENT. How was I supposed to know his STUPID MATE was standing RIGHT THERE WHEN THE BOULDER FELL?” She screamed. “IT. WAS. NOT. MY. FAULT. If there’s ANYTHING you learn here, curse, let it be that.”

That word again. Curse. She was treating him like he wasn’t a real dragon. 

Because you aren’t. A dark corner of his heart whispered.

“What did you do?” He asked through a hiss. 

Solstice tilted her head at him curiously. “You haven’t gotten that memory back yet?” She wondered. “As much as I hate you…you’re certainly a fascinating creature, curse. Sympathizing with dragons you don’t even know and painting everyone else the villain…what does that make you?”

“Empathetic.” Chill snapped.

“Stupid,” Solstice corrected. “Stupid, is what it makes you. You think you understand everything, but you don’t. You’re not even supposed to exist. You’re just the object that’s supposed to haunt me, constantly appearing in the corner of my eyes…whispering to me in my sleep…injuring me when I do something deplorable...but now you think you have a right to a happy life? A right to exist?” 

Solstice suddenly started laughing maniacally. Chill looked at the maddened dragon in disgust, wondering just what pieces he hadn’t been given yet to see what led her to this point. The earliest memories of Orange played again in his mind. She had been mean at first, but certainly there was a soft side to this dragon that Orange had brought out.

If there was, it was gone now. When Solstice lifted her head back up after her laughing fit, he could see the craze in her irises. The bags under her eyes. Her shaky talons. This dragon was the closest thing to insane that he’d ever laid eyes on. 

“But…I can’t kill you, as much as I want to. I haven’t lost all of my hope enough to want to kill myself too…” Solstice began walking towards him, kicking away Sunny’s torch. As much as he wanted to run out into the night, he stood his ground. This was crucial. The plan was working. “...but there are clearly things you don’t know. I could tell them to you.” 

Chill gulped.

“I can give you all the answers you need. Why I’ve murdered those IceWings. Why I’m hunting that old animus. What you really are. Who I really am. Any questions you have, I have all the answers.” 

“Why?” He asked. “Why would you think I’d fall for a trick like that?”

Solstice growled angrily. “Have you not been listening? I want to murder you. I want to drive my tail straight through your heart and look into your eyes as all the life drains out of them…but I can’t. So, instead, perhaps it would be in our…best interest to… work together… ” She was inches away from him at this point. She extended her talon forward, stopping it right in front of his chest scar. 

“Now that you’re awake, somehow, I can show you what that animus really was. He’s our enemy here, don’t you see that? The whole reason this is happening is because of him. Now that we’re together…if we work together…we can stop him. We can get our revenge…” She suddenly moved her head to the side of his. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to move. 

“...we can save Orange.” 

She moved her head away, smirking at Chill’s perplexed expression.

“...what?”

“Orange isn’t really dead…we’ll make that animus bring her back.” She stated plainly, as if she was reading it out of a history scroll. Now he was sure, this dragon was definitely insane.

“Animus magic can’t bring a dragon back from the dead!”

“Yes, you’re right…but there are loopholes to every rule, curse. You can’t bring a dragon back from the dead…but who’s to say you can’t recreate her? ” She hissed. “You were created out of nothing. Why can’t the same be done for her? Everything can be normal again. I will be with Orange again…you can go do your…whatever it is you want to, because I won’t hurt anyone again.”

“How am I supposed to believe that? You killed so many innocent dragons…” He wanted to say that with confidence, but his voice was openly shaking now, which Solstice obviously found amusing. 

“NightWing’s honor. Come now, curse…don’t you want to be happy?” She nudged him with her talon, implying that he should take it. He looked between her and her talon several times.

She’ll stop hurting dragons. Everything can be normal again. I can have a life outside of her, even if I wasn’t meant to have one in the first place.

She still killed so many innocent dragons. She’s clearly tricking you, Chill! This is some sort of trap you haven’t figured out yet!

But what if it’s not? What if she’s telling the truth?

Telling the truth? She’s clearly insane! Did you not see her laughing like a lunatic a few minutes ago?

Love makes a dragon do insane things, right? 

Murder isn’t one of them. 

What she did to the animus’s mate was an accident.

She’s lying.

What if she isn’t?

Are you really going to continue wasting your life contemplating what-ifs and getting lost in your own head by spiraling over and over again?

Chill sighed, reaching his own talon up towards hers. As their claws got closer, glowing green chains started appearing around their necks, a linking chain hanging between them, signifying their connection. 

“My name…” He began, looking Solstice in the eyes. She raised a brow, curious. He was about to clasp his talon in hers, when he suddenly evaded her talon and instead dug his claws into her wrist. She yelped in pain.

“...is Chill.” 

He launched himself away from her, feeling his own wrist screaming in pain. He spread his wings to slow himself down, and in some ways, show that there was no escape. Right as Solstice was digging through one of her pouches to find something, a light brown blur appeared from the shadows, slamming into the NightWing’s body at full-force. He felt himself stagger a little bit, but he’d braced for the impact already. 

Oak glared at the NightWing, not bothering to hide his teeth. 

“You’ve made a very, very big mistake.” Solstice snarled. She reached into two of her pouches. In one talon, she pulled out several sleeping darts, and in the other were more of the metallic discs. She spun around, aiming the sleeping darts towards Oak, and the discs at an unseen entity still lurking in the shadows.

This entity turned out to be Obsidian, who barely dodged out of the way in time. Chill rushed to confront the NightWing, who’s eyes darted towards him before he could even take a few steps. Fire burst out of her mouth, burning the tip of his snout. He heard Solstice cry out in pain.

I can stop her attacks before she hurts them. He realized. When the smoke dissipated from his eyes, he moved towards Oak and Obsidian. Solstice stood there, eyes shifting between the three of them. Calculating. Thinking. Debating. 

“I can stop her attacks.” He whispered to them.

“How?” Oak asked.

“When she gets hurt, so do I. The same is true the other way around,” Chill explained. “We have to detain her.”

“I won’t pretend to understand whatever magic you two have going on, but if what you say is true, IceWing…” Obsidian blinked, then smirked. “...we have ourselves a prisoner.”

“Is that what you think?” Solstice taunted. “Well, then, by all means. Come at me.” 

Obsidian rushed first, dodging another throw of discs in his way. Oak mimicked his movements. Chill noticed that the MudWing was acting like he had a spear in his talons. It’s probably the fighting style he’s used to. He figured out. Turning his attention towards Solstice, he watched her reach back into her pouches with her right talon for more weapons, but before she could, Chill drove his claws into his right arm and scratched with as much force as he could muster.

Both Solstice and Chill cried out in agony. They were certainly creating a ruckus that someone was sure to hear. That was the idea, after all. All they had to do was keep her busy until either the Jade Mountain Staff or the Enclave arrived. 

Obsidian crashed into Solstice’s side, pinning her wings down on the cave floor, and driving his legs on top of hers, preventing her from moving. Chill felt slight stinging in his side, but the distraction had been worth the blood spilling on the floor. 

Wait a minute.

He realized that Obsidian wasn’t pinning her arms, and while he was focused on preventing her movement, he didn’t notice her reaching into her pouches to pull out a small, green, circular object. She brought it up to her snout, spitting out a small burst of flame, enough to set the tip on fire.

“OBSIDIAN, LOOK OUT!” Oak suddenly screamed. Chill noticed it as well, rushing as fast as he could, but it was too late. 

A small explosion went off right there in the entrance, engulfing Obsidian and Solstice in flames. His entire body felt like it was on fire. He could feel all of his old wounds reopen, and new ones appear. Smoke clouded his vision and ringing filled his ears. He felt himself flying backwards, his back landing against the cave wall with an uncomfortable THUD. He sank to the ground, writhing in pain. Blood trickled from somewhere on his head, running into his right eye. 

Opening his left one, he found that everything was blurry. He could barely make out the shadowy figure of Obsidian’s body lying a few feet away from him. Even without being able to make out all the details, he saw that a puddle of blood was originating from his body. 

He wasn’t moving. 

Where’s Solstice? 

Chill forced himself to stand, despite all of the pain he felt. Luckily for him, some of the pain had gone completely numb. That isn’t lucky. You’re going to die, Chill.

You’re going to die.

You’re going to die.

You’re going to die.

He eventually found himself standing in the wreckage. The entire entrance was absolute carnage. Much to his disgust, there was a severed talon mere inches away from where he was, obscured by the smoke. He looked down at his talons, and while he couldn’t feel his back right leg, it was still there. All of his limbs were intact, and if that was the case, it couldn’t be Solstice’s. 

Chill limped his way over to Obsidian’s body, getting a better look as he got closer. Coughing, he put his talons on the SandWing’s back, shaking him lightly. 

“Ob…Obsidian…please…please get up…” He begged. When Obsidian didn’t respond, Chill took his talons off of his body, seeing them now covered in both blue and red blood. Shaking. Trembling. He stumbled backwards, away from the smoke and close to the exit. His mind had gone blank.

Blank enough for him not to notice the NightWing that lunged at him from the darkness. 

He turned his head towards the noise, just in time for him to see something else charge in from his right, ready to take the impact of Solstice’s attack. The world around him froze in that moment as it replayed in his head, exactly the way it did when he dreamvisited Soulfinder.

An unseen assailant, attempting to attack him.

Oak, coming in and taking the blow.

Then he died in his arms. 

“NO!” Chill screamed, mustering all of his will to lunge towards Oak, grabbing his body and pulling them to the side. He heard claws connect with scales, blood soared through the air, and then time resumed as normal. The two dragons tumbled to the ground, both breathing heavily. He looked down at Oak, shaking him slightly. His eyes followed where the MudWing was covering, discovering that Solstice had slashed his stomach.

Not his throat.

He saw his chest rise and fall rapidly.

He’s alive.

Something pulled him away from Oak’s body. His vision was still blurry, but he could clearly tell that the dragon grabbing him was Solstice. Her bright green eyes burned into his soul, if he had one. His eyelids were starting to droop.

No! I can’t pass out now…not after coming so far…after getting so close…

“It’s a wonder what a little viper powder can do for your adrenaline.” Solstice’s echoey voice told him. 

Speaking of voices, there were suddenly more of them. He turned towards the shouting, seeing a massive crowd of dragons appear at the entrance. A few of them he didn’t recognize were tending to Obsidian and Smoke, and he could just barely make out the shape of Tsunami and Qibli tending to what he thought was Sunny’s body. One of the Enclave guards stepped forward, spear in their claws, demanding something of Solstice.

“I guess we’re out of time here,” She declared, rummaging around for something in one of her ankle pouches. Focusing as best as he could, he saw her pull out a small blue stone. “You’re coming with me.”

The glowing green chain around her neck returned as she held him in her talons. He imagined his own chain was there as well, but he didn’t have the strength to look down at it. He could only watch as Solstice crushed the stone between her claws, and suddenly he felt as if he was in the middle of a wind storm. 

As soon as it started, it was over. It was cold, wherever he was now, but he couldn’t look.

Chill fell into darkness.

Chapter Text

Catfish peered through the smoke, desperately looking for her brother. Her heart was pounding in her ears. Dragons were yelling and screaming. Fire was spreading across the entrance, she heard Clay yelling for Doe to get buckets in a storage cave. She silently wished that she could spit out water the same way other tribes could breathe fire. 

Someone coughed next to her.

“Wh-What’s going on?” A distressed NightWing asked. He looked about twenty-five years old, had claw scratch scars on his snout, and was very malnourished, as if he hadn’t eaten in days. His body was also covered in patches where scales should be, but instead there were fleshy pink patches that look similar to what a scavenger might have. He looked up at her expectantly. Surprisingly, despite his obvious age, he wasn’t much bigger than the average adult dragon.

“I-I don’t know. I just woke up.” She admitted, trying to keep her wings tucked close to her body. 

“Everybody out of the school! Please make your way to the exit and wait outside for further instructions!” Tsunami’s booming voice shouted throughout the cavern. Instantly, shadows began appearing through the smoke, running in all sorts of directions. A sea of dragons blue, white, teal, yellow, purple, magenta, red, orange…every dragon in the entire school was piling towards the exit. The NightWing next to her coughed again, stumbling into her side.

Catfish put a wing around him and grabbed his right talon, supporting his weight. “Hang on, I’ve got you. Let’s get out of here.” She whispered to him. The NightWing nodded, looking very drowsy. Slowly, they both made their way away from the embers. The NightWing stumbled a lot, leaning away towards her. “Hey, hey! Easy. Talk to me, stay awake. Try not to breathe in the smoke…okay, well, maybe don’t talk if you don’t want to breathe it in. That-That kinda contradicts itself, doesn’t it?”

“No…no…talking…talking is good. Keeps me awake.” He admitted. 

Catfish nodded, though he wasn’t looking at her. “Who…who are you? I didn’t see you with the staff at the assembly hall, and you’re way too old to be a student…” 

The NightWing chuckled sadly. “Well…I suppose I am…something of a staff member…”

They were out of the entrance hall now. Fresh, clean air rushed into Catfish’s lungs. Looking at the limping NightWing she held, it seemed he was experiencing the same thing. His eyes widened and he breathed a sigh of relief. He took his talon off of hers, untangled himself from her wing, and limped to a nearby edge of the mountain. He fell backwards, leaning on the side of a large rock. 

“Better?” She asked. He nodded.

“Catfish!” Smoke called, running through the crowd of dragons to get to her. She turned to him, seeing the anxiety in his expression. 

“Smoke? Where’s Oak? Where’s Obsidian? Where’s Chill? Where’s ANYONE?” She questioned him desperately.

“I-I-I don’t know! I was running down the hall with the Enclave after all the noise, and then…BOOM!” He exclaimed. 

No, no, no, no, no, no, I knew this was a bad idea. I never should have let him leave. 

She slapped herself, huffing. She had to have more faith in her brother. He wasn’t stupid, he was the opposite, especially for how young he was. No six-year-old should ever have that much responsibility on their shoulders, but he always carried it all like it was nothing. Something she admired him for. 

She looked at the NightWing stranger, who was still leaning against the rock, breathing heavily. The two met eyes. 

“Thank you for…helping me…go find your…friends.” He encouraged her, waving her away. 

“Catfish, who is this?” Smoke asked. The NightWing smiled.

“Ah…you haven’t heard of the…ghost of Jade Mountain?” He teased. Smoke shook his head, while Catfish’s blood went cold. Ghost? Is he being serious? Ghosts aren’t real, what is this guy talking about? They aren’t real, right? Though, if magic is real, why couldn’t ghosts be real? No, no, Catfish, you’re being insane! Stop that! They’re not real! Your ancestors are not haunting you every time you go to sleep! 

“My name is…Stonemover…and…don’t get me wrong…I’m aware of the irony…not much stone-moving for me…nowadays…” He rasped out, laughing at the end. Catfish quelled her fears and nodded at him.

“We’ll send someone to you, sir,” She said respectfully. Stonemover shrugged and closed his eyes, resting on the rock. Catfish watched his chest rise and fall peacefully, then turned to Smoke. “We need to find them. Now. ”

“No need to tell me twice.” He agreed, running back into the crowd of dragons. Catfish followed him closely, mumbling apologies and “excuse me”s along the way. She noticed that he was heading towards an area where dragons were shouting for help, and one of them was yelping in pain. 

That dragon sounds a lot like Oak.

Her fears were validated when she shoved past a RainWing to see Oak sitting on a cloth, bleeding out fresh wounds coming from his stomach. They looked like claw marks. Catfish gasped, immediately attempting to run over to him, but a tail barb from a SandWing stopped her in her tracks.

“Hold it, you need to get back with your winglet.” Qibli commanded, coiling his tail barb away from her so that he could stand in her way instead.

“He is my winglet!” She yelled at him. Qibli didn’t flinch.

“Okay, I’m really sorry about what’s happened to him, but we’re doing the best we can to heal him right now, and we can’t have any distractions.” He explained. “TURTLE! WHERE’S THE STONE?” 

“I’ve got it, I’ve got it!” A tall, slightly chubby SeaWing called from the crowd, running over to them. “Who do I give it to?”

“Right here.” A brooding voice told him. Turtle moved behind Qibli. Catfish tried to follow where he went, but the SandWing put up his wings so she couldn’t see what was going on. 

“Please, I need you to stand back. Turtle is a…great healer. He’ll take care of them, I promise.” Qibli tried to reassure her.

“ Them? ” Smoke questioned, now looking even more worried. Catfish started frantically looking around, attempting to find another body on a cloth, but couldn’t find anything. Qibli kept moving his wings everywhere she tried to look.

“This is completely unfair! I want to see my friends! Let me see my brother! ” She demanded. 

“You can see him in a minute, I promise. I just need you to let my friend do what he has to do. Even if you are his friend, his… sister, even,” Qibli wasn’t hiding that he was confused. “The last thing we need is for more dragons to get stressed out.”

“OH, BELIEVE ME, QIBLI, WE ARE WAY PASSED STRESSED OUT.” Catfish snarled at him. Smoke put a talon on top of hers, leading her a few feet away from where Oak lay. As Qibli turned around to speak to Turtle, and what she now saw was an IceWing with snow-white scales and blue accents, right before Qibli put up his wings again--obscuring the view.

“Catfish, calm down. I get it, I’m terrified right now. I have no idea where Obsidian or Chill are, but panicking and shouting is only going to make things worse-- trust me. If anybody has any idea what they’re talking about--I do.” 

“Then why don’t you go over there and help them heal, huh? Since you’re so good with all of that?” She snapped.

“I tried, they wouldn’t let me get near.” 

Catfish relented, sighing. Tears welled up in her eyes.

“I-I’m sorry…”

“Don’t think about it. All we can do is wait…” Smoke said, putting a wing around her and bringing her in close to him. She hugged him back, sobbing into his chest while he whispered words of comfort to her. 

This was supposed to be an escape for us. A way to start over.

To leave the war behind. 

She grit her teeth, anger flowing through her body.

This is Chill’s fault. He must have caused that explosion, somehow. He got my brother hurt. He caused all of this mess. If he wasn’t here, none of this would have happened. 

If he’s still alive, I will find him.

And I’ll make him pay.

Chapter Text

Lotus grumbled, washing the remaining paint off of her wings. That RainWing was so stupid. So unbearably, annoyingly, stupid. All dragons had to do was get out of her way, let her do what she wanted, treat her like the next Glory, and everything would be fine. She deserved it, after all! Did everybody just forget the years of TORTURE and EXPERIMENTS that those UGLY, RAT, STUPID, FOOT-OF-A-SLOTH NIGHTWINGS DID TO THEM? It was unfair! It was unjust! She was doing everyone a service by reminding them of that. 

It took her days just to get the remaining paint out. At least, in those days, that stupid IceWing that the annoying RainWing wouldn’t stop following around finally went away. It was painfully obvious that the brat had a crush on him. She couldn’t imagine why. Being in love…it was such a waste of time. Why dedicate your life to just one dragon when you could have so many of them worshiping you at once? The Queens had dragons drooling all over them on a daily basis, why couldn’t she? 

Well, wherever the IceWing was, it wasn’t her problem anymore. Things could stop being weird. It would go back to normal. She would drag around Grimm and Silence like her servants like she used to, because they felt bad. Bad for her injuries, bad for the way that their disgusting tribe treated her own. They managed to avoid her for a few days after the explosion, but she let them go. Perhaps they needed time to get their heads on straight. NightWings were idiotic creatures, after all. RainWings, on the other talon, had never done anything wrong. 

RainWings were just incapable of doing wrong, after all.

The last of the paint finally washed off of her wings. She sighed. It’s going to take forever to recreate it. Maybe if I use a different shade of red this time? It was so difficult controlling my scales constantly…

“Excuse me?” 

Lotus snapped her head towards the voice. It was supposed to be empty this time of day in the Jade Oasis. Nobody ever really came down here anyway, nobody except for the occasional SeaWing, like the princess: Anemone. She encountered her once or twice, and she wasn’t bad…just annoying. So peaceful and serene. Always around the blind RainWing. Something about the princess’s infatuation with Tamarin made her sick, but she didn’t budge. SeaWings had nothing to do with RainWing business. 

Only as long as those two don’t start thinking about dating, then it’ll be fine. 

“Who’s there?’ She called out, her voice echoing in the chamber. “I know I heard you, come out! Quit hiding! Spying on an innocent girl like me, you should know better!” 

In response to her voice, an IceWing stepped out from behind one of the cave pillars (or…whatever they were called, she wasn’t sure), looking rather shameful. The dragon was old. Ancient, even. He had a few scars on him as well. There was something dangling around his neck. It looked like a star on a metal chain. The IceWing smiled at her apologetically.

Oh, wait, it’s that counselor. North, or something. I thought he had a weird necklace-looking scar on his neck. Eh, whatever. I don’t care.

“Ah…apologies, miss. I…seem to have gotten lost. I’m looking for an IceWing. Slightly smaller than I? Maybe a bit…empty-headed, we might say? Acting strange? Do you know anybody like that…?” 

Lotus cringed at him.

“No. Doesn’t ring a bell. Leave me alone, creep.” She snarked.

“O-Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…catch you in the middle of something,” He apologized. “Are you sure you’re…unaware of this dragon of mine?”

“Seriously? You’re watching me take a bath and your first response is to ask me about that low-life brat who prances around the halls like he’s innocent? Ugh, go swallow an icicle or something.” She turned away from him, but before she could go back to massaging her wing, she found that the IceWing was suddenly standing right next to her, giving her that same, calm smile. His eyes seemed to be glowing an eerie green.

Panicking, she thrust herself backwards and ended up landing in the water. She started sinking to the bottom, as if something was pulling her. The emerald green glow of the oasis soon turned into a dark, depressing brown and black, as if it was swallowing her whole. The IceWing at the top of the water was getting further and further away. She did everything in her power to thrash, claw, crawl, swipe, everything she could to try and get back to the surface but nothing worked. 

Was the water always this deep?

Lotus found herself struggling to breathe. 

“I’ll ask you again, miss Lotus…” The old IceWing's voice said, as if he was standing right next to her, and yet all around her at the same time. She tried opening her mouth, but she was just met with more water. It rushed into her mouth and slid down her throat, filling up her lungs instantly despite how quickly she shut her mouth. The world around her began to darken. She wanted to breathe again, so bad. It was like every muscle in her body was going to shatter.

Drowning.

She was drowning.

Lotus opened her mouth to cry out for help, foolishly realizing that she just ended up filling her lungs with even more water.

“Do you know where Chill is?” 

Chapter Text

Someone knocked on the outside of his hut.

Komodo groaned, but reluctantly told the visitor to come in. The NightWing approached, his face nothing but smiles, as it usually was with him. He couldn’t help it. The smile was infectious, and he found himself smiling too.

“Do you have any idea how late it is?” He asked. Starcatcher’s obnoxious smile only seemed to grow wider.

“Perfect time for a NightWing, that’s for sure!” He declared, taking a basket of fruits off of his wrist and placing it on the table in front of him. “In all seriousness, I heard about what happened last week. I just…wanted to make sure you were okay.” 

Komodo’s smile fell. The IceWing that entered his home and demanded that he see Orange, his own sister, who died months ago. This confusing, flustered mess of a dragon who absolutely shattered upon the revelation. Before that dragon had approached the gates of the Night-Rain Kingdom, he thought maybe he was starting to move on from the tragedy. He found a job, friends, the most wonderful and insane boyfriend he could ask for…of course, it still hurt, and he would never forget her, but life was starting to feel more worth living again day by day.

He took a deep breath.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay.” He told him.

Starcatcher raised his brow. “Are you sure you’re okay? You can talk to me, you know that, right?” 

“I know, I know.” Komodo yawned. “I don’t think I’m up for much talking anyway. Like I said, it’s late.” 

Starcatcher sighed dramatically. “Well, I guess that means I’ll have to leave so you can get some sleep.” He began slowly walking towards the exit in an over-dramatic fashion, continuously looking behind him. Komodo rolled his eyes.

“Oh, come here, you,” He called. Starcatcher instantly turned back around and dove into his arms, smothering him with hugs and kisses, making the RainWing laugh. “Okay! Okay! I missed you too!” He eventually managed to say. Starcatcher relented, smiling down at him, touching his snout to his own. 

“So…” Starcatcher began, twining his tail around Komodo’s. “Are you sure you want to go to sleep? We can always watch the stars for a little bit…”

Komodo rolled his eyes again. “You always want to watch the stars.”

“Really? It’s as if it’s in my name ! Nah, that’s crazy talk. You should probably see one of the heal--” Starcatcher collapsed into giggles when Komodo shoved him off, sending him to the floor, laying on his back. They stared up at the top of the hut for a while, chuckling every now and then, but not saying much.

“Hey…Starcatcher?”

“What’s up?” 

“Does it…get better?” 

“What do you mean?”

“I dunno…I guess…life? Do you think this is it? Or does it get better?” 

Starcatcher shifted next to him. 

“Komodo…we’ve barely fifteen. We have our entire lives ahead of us. What? Don’t tell me you think you’ve already reached the peak of your life!” 

He shrugged, even though Starcatcher probably couldn’t see that. “I don’t know. I guess I’m just tired. All of this…stuff just really had me thinking, y’know?” 

“Hey, it’s like I said,” Starcatcher’s talon clasped his own, squeezing it tightly. “I’m always here for you whenever you need it, and I’m not gonna let you forget it.” 

Komodo turned to smile at him, which Starcatcher had already been doing. “Thanks.”

“C’mon, let’s get you to bed.” He suggested. The two of them stood up and walked towards a hammock hanging in the corner of the hut. Komodo glanced back towards the table and saw the entryway of what was once Orange’s own room that he’d built for her, giving her her own space to draw and paint as much as she wanted. 

He tore his eyes away from it, instead climbing into the hammock. 

“Aren’t you joining me, or not?” Komodo asked. 

Starcatcher laughed. “As much as I’d love to, you know the rules. No NightWings in the village past midnight. I’ve gotta go, or Queen Glory’s gonna have my head!” He looked down at Komodo’s arm, dangling off of the hammock. “By the way…I like the new tattoo. Very…rebellious.”

Confused, Komodo looked at his arm, seeing an engraving on his scales of a diamond with a line through it on the top of his left arm. He felt silly for forgetting. 

“Oh, yeah! I was gonna mention it, but I guess I forgot. This really nice SandWing came in to visit the village a few days ago and told me about this group of dragons trying to make the world a better place and asked me if I wanted to be part of it.”

Starcatcher beamed at him. “A SandWing, all the way out here? Must be a really committed group! That’s awesome! What’s it called?”

“I think they’re called the…Enclave? Apparently they’ve got dragons all around the continent! Isn’t that cool?”  

His boyfriend smiled.

“Very cool.”

Chapter Text

Wings of Fire: Extinction - Book Two: The Darkest Night [Prologue - 1]

“You know, Blaze, I’ve got to hand it to you. You’ve taken these past few meetings extraordinarily well.” Thorn said, sipping on a cup of tea. 

Blaze, the SandWing princess, adjusted the white cloak that rested upon her shoulders and sighed into the pillow she sat upon. The two of them had these meetings every few months. It was something about Thorn not wanting the official line of SandWing royalty to ever die out, should they need an emergency queen for whatever reason. So she’d taken it upon herself to make Blaze more “professional,” which she took plenty of offense to. She could be very professional when she wanted to be! It was just so boring to be stuck up like that! Like her sisters, who were now dead. Good riddance! Burn had always been such a brute, always focused on her strange collection of oddities (which made her sick to her stomach any time she saw them…a dragon’s oddities should be appreciated, not displayed like a fur pelt!), and she didn’t even want to think about Blister. Her and her strange attraction to the large NightWing…what was his name? She didn’t ponder on that for long. It probably wasn’t important.

When Sunny (she learned her name properly later, after Thorn didn’t take too kindly to her calling the dragonet a “strange-looking SandWing”) handed Thorn the Eye of Onyx, she wouldn’t admit it to anybody, but a part of her was relieved. She never wanted to be queen; it seemed like too much responsibility. Thorn was right in one regard: she had no idea how to run a kingdom, but more than anything she wanted to be safe more than she wanted a throne. The entire war had just been a stain on an already-tense family conflict that she had no desire to be part of. 

Thorn had been chosen as their new queen, and despite not knowing anything about her, she bowed. The new queen radiated superiority and maintained a fierce energy around her at all times, while still having the most compassion towards any of the scrabbling dragonets and low-lifes of the SandWing Kingdom she’d ever seen. It was fascinating watching her carry out her responsibilities as if she’d been doing it for years--even in her first year as queen. She was later told that Thorn had been the leader of the Outclaws--a bandit organization for criminals and those outcasted by the SandWing society at the time--for quite a while. 

The fact that she hadn’t known about any of this was exactly why she couldn’t be queen. It made sense to her. Yet still, Thorn insisted on training her in regal responsibilities in the case of emergency. Blaze had once asked her why she couldn’t let her own flesh and blood do that work for her, but she had calmly reminded her that Sunny was in charge of the school. To which Blaze had replied: “They’re still open?” 

Thus began the lessons.

“You haven’t given me much of a choice in the matter, your majesty.” Blaze replied, acting as tired as she could to encourage Thorn to give her a break. The SandWing queen chuckled.

“That is very true, but I mean it. You’ve really been paying attention and handling the scenarios I make for you appropriately. I think you’ve made a lot of progress these past few weeks.” Blaze blinked at the appraisal. It wasn’t often that it happened. Most had written her off as a ditzy no-brained salamander who only cared about jewelry, which was completely unfair! Well…it was true that she loved materialistic things, real or fake, but she wasn’t stupid! She paid attention to things a lot more than dragons gave her credit for…she just didn’t see any situations in which she needed to intervene. Or situations she cared to intervene in. 

Like the war. 

She felt her scales crawl whenever she thought of the war. The war that lasted so long simply because her sisters desired the throne and the power that came with it. Perhaps there was a part of her as well that would have enjoyed that power, but it was never her life’s goal to have ultimate power like that. An entire army at her disposal whenever she wanted? Constantly having to worry about territories? Commanding her subjects to do things for her all hours of the day? No time for rest and relaxation? No, none of that sounded particularly interesting. Something like that was more fit for her royal majesty: Queen Glacier of the IceWings.

Ex-Queen. 

Her exasperated mood suddenly turned sour, though she fought valiantly to attempt to hide it, nothing escaped Thorn’s watchful eyes. 

“Your wings are drooping. I haven’t been that hard on you, have I?” She asked. Blaze immediately sat up, correcting her position for the queen. They were friends, but there was still an aura of respect that Thorn carried around with her wherever she went, even when they were alone together. 

“No! Of course not, your majesty, just thinking is all. I’ve been doing that a lot more recently, haha! Get it? I’m playing into the whole ‘ditzy idiot’ thing.. I’ll tell you, it’s very good for gathering information, especially because they think I won’t remember it. Did you know that scorpion tails excrete a venom that they use for alcohol once mixed with other stuff? Called ‘Venom Spite’ or something. I’ve thought about--”

“Blaze, calm down,” Thorn commanded her, ceasing her rambling. “You’re not in trouble. It’s just the two of us, remember?” 

“Yes, I remember.” Blaze said confidently. 

Thorn frowned. “You know, we may be royalty, but that doesn’t mean that we aren’t friends first. You can tell me if something’s bothering you.”

She thought about that for a moment. There were certainly plenty of things for her to talk about. How her sisters abused her through infancy, how the war gave her constant headaches and nightmares, how everyone around her wrote her off as some no-brained lizard, how the death of Queen Glacier took a toll on her mental state, how she never had anyone to talk to, how she never had anybody who would listen to her, how she--

Hm. Perhaps I need to talk to a therapist.

“I would like to talk about a lot of things. I didn’t get that chance growing up. But…” Her usually cheerful mood turned dour. It wasn’t like her. Yet when she started speaking she couldn’t stop the words falling out of her mouth. “...I would like to talk. Just…about anything. If that’s alright.”

Thorn pondered her for a moment, then nodded.

“Sure. What would you like to talk about?” She prompted.

“Oh, I don’t know…how’s your daughter doing? I haven’t heard you mention her very much lately.” Blaze asked. Thorn chuckled.

“Good question. That’s social points for you,” She teased. Blaze swung her head around, pleased with herself, even if Thorn was just messing with her. Or, maybe she wasn’t. It was hard to tell. Either way it was praise, and Blaze wasn’t one to turn down praise. 

Thorn sighed. “She writes to me once a month. I haven’t received this month’s letter yet, but if she forgot I wouldn’t blame her. It’s her fifth official year running her academy.”

“Fifth? Have they not been open for six? I swear I remember them being open that long ago…” Blaze interrupted.

Thorn nodded. “They were open six years ago, however, after the Darkstalker fiasco, they shut down to reform until the next year. That’s why I said fifth official year,” She smiled. “I can’t imagine it gets any easier to run that place.” 

“Sunny is very admirable! You raised her right.” Blaze said confidently.

“Oh, I wish that were true,” Thorn commented ruefully. “But my beetle is strong enough to raise herself. She’s incredibly brave. I’m so proud of her.” Blaze internally kicked herself for making such an obvious mistake. She forgot that Sunny hadn’t been raised by Thorn at all, but by those dragons that lived under the mountain, fighting to make the fake prophecy come true! But one thing was definitely true, the little hybrid was crazy brave. It seemed to run in the family--except for the NightWing that Thorn had once fallen for. She didn’t talk about him often, but from the little things that Thorn did tell her, he didn’t exactly seem like the ideal dragon. 

“What about you?” 

Blaze returned her attention to Thorn, seeing that she was looking at her expectantly. She’d asked her a question.

“Hm?”

“Have you ever thought about it? Having one of your own?” She asked.

Blaze had to laugh. She couldn’t help herself. The thought of having a little one to call her child was a concept that she didn’t really feel like remembering. Of course, she considered it once or twice, but never seriously. The one time she did genuinely think about it…it didn’t end well. Another one of her many memories she didn’t want to revisit. 

“Maybe once or twice! I don’t think I’d ever consider it seriously. I mean, I’ve… fooled around with a few dragons here or there, but those were only flings, you know?” She admitted.

“Really? You? I can hardly imagine it.” Thorn smirked. Again, she couldn’t tell if she was being serious or not, but she took it in stride and continued the conversation.

“I’m in very high demand, your majesty. I am a princess, after all. I have guys and gals practically drooling all over me when I enter a bar.” 

“No assassins though, I would hope.” 

Blaze shook her head. “Not since that last one a few years ago, and I don’t think he really wanted to hurt me. He just seemed lonely,” She sighed. “Shame he had to leave though. He was cute.”

Thorn took another sip of her tea. “As it were, it’s your choice. But, between you and me, I think you’d be a great mother.” 

Now THAT shocked her. Of all dragons, Thorn especially should know of her upbringing! She didn’t exactly have a good role model when it came to a mother, why would she say such a thing? 

But now wasn’t the time for those kinds of concerns, so she kept it to herself.

Suddenly, the doors to their chamber burst open. Stepping through the large doors was a SandWing with light red scales, the same light red that occasionally coated the sands of the kingdom she lived in. Her claws were adorned in rings, and a lovely pastel blue scarf fell from her neck. Her expression was incredibly panicked, and though the tension in the room had increased dramatically, Blaze couldn’t help but admire the way the dragon looked. She was very pretty. 

“Your majesty!” The dragon cried out. “Please, forgive the intrusion! There’s been a bombing at the Different Shades Bar!”

Thorn slammed her teacup down on the table next to her, cracking it a little.

“Is that so.” She growled. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. A declaration. Things are about to get messy… Blaze realized.

“Yes, your majesty, but we’ve caught one of the perpetrators. We’ve attempted to interrogate him, but he says he’ll only speak to you.” She told them.

Thorn stood up, stretching and slightly spreading her wings. She looked to Blaze, a smile on her snout that masked her fury. It wasn’t the first time that a random location had been bombed. In fact, they seemed to become more and more frequent as of late. 

“Blaze, would you care to accompany me? I’d like to pay a visit to this dragon.” She offered. Blaze smiled back at her.

“It would be an honor, your majesty.”