It's not easy being normal...
It's not easy fitting in...
It's not easy being one of a kind either...
"Hey, Shimmer! Flora's sloth is in my sun spot! Use those powers of yours to move it for me!" wailed a young RainWing wearing a vibrant blue and gold color pattern, stamping his feet impatiently against the earth, watching a grayish furred sloth laying peacefully in what appeared to be the said RainWing's "sun spot".
"But Macaw, I've heard stories about animus dragons who use their powers too much!" protested a smaller RainWing, her shifting scales settling on timid shades of green in hopes to blend in with the surrounding foliage.
"Aww come on!" a bright pink dragonet sauntered into view. "I've always wanted to see it!"
"Yeah! And besides, once isn't going to hurt!" Macaw responded swiftly, snorting as if it wasn't a big deal.
Hanging by her tail upside down, an orange, red and yellow RainWing piped up. "Macaw's right. One more demonstration can't hurt. You'll be fine."
Pushed into peer pressure, the green shaded dragonet stepped closer into the sights of everyone, her closed eyes contorted in concentration. Within passing seconds, several vine strands emerged from the thick trunked trees, winding in a controlled pattern towards the sloth in the sun. Wrapping themselves around the midsection of the gray beast, the tendrils effortlessly tossed the creature toward the pink RainWing who caught it around her neck where it chittered angrily.
"There. I hope you're happy," Shimmer stated bluntly, tears in her eyes as she whirled around and raced into the depths of the jungle, satisfied that no one tried to follow. She just wanted to be alone.
"Aww come on Shimmer!" the same incessant whine resonated through the large clearing some days later. "Just make the flowers dance! We saw you manipulating them the other day!"
"That was just for fun!" Shimmer protested meekly, huddled tightly by the roots of a tall tree. "I just wanted to see if it would work!"
"Do it again! Do it again!" Three other RainWings sang loudly, showing no signs of stopping until their wants were satisfied.
"Alright! Just stop yelling!" the now gloomy blue dragonet shrieked, concentrating intently until the variety of flowers around them began to sway in dance-like motions.
"Yay!" Flora laughed, her sloth squealing in excitement. All were oblivious to the agony and suffering in the animus dragon's downcast gaze.
That's it...That's final...I'll just run away... Shimmer paced back and forth beside the stream, unable to set on a plan of what to do next.
No...that's weak. Running away from your problems...What are you- a yearling? I should settle this here and now.
How should you do it?
What?
Settle this.
I'll just tell them to stop...
You could, but that won't make them stop...
Why won't it?
You need to solve this problem. Permanently.
No! I can't!
You will if you don't want to suffer! You must!
I can't!
You will!
I won't!
You don't have a choice!
"STOP!" Shimmer roared, the anger boiling in her blood until a sharp crack followed, a tree pulled from its roots and crashing to the ground, forcing the ghostly white RainWing to back up several steps. "I won't..." she cried, the angry voice echoing in her mind over and over and over again...
"Shimmer, you OK?" the orange, red and yellow dragonet approached her sister's sobbing form as she lay collapsed against the earth. From the foliage behind her emerged Flora and Macaw, neither looking too interested.
Until they saw the fallen tree.
"Whoah! Shimmer! You did this?" Macaw exclaimed, eyes bright with possibilities. "Imagine if you could take down half the rainforest! Everyone would fear you! You could be Queen for sure!"
"Macaw's right!" Flora chirped. "You'd be the first animus RainWing Queen! Technically, you're the first RainWing animus but you get my point!"
Kill them...Listen to their words of lies...They don't care about you...They only care about your powers...Give them what they deserve...
Lifting her head up sharply, the other three dragonets could see the changed look in her eyes. Rather than bright and happy, or even watery with tears, they were cold, distant, bloodshot... Her tail lashed from side to side as she slowly rose into a crouch, donning flashing orbs of molten flame.
KILL THEM!
Without chance at hesitation, Shimmer's jaws snapped open as black liquid squirted in a wild frenzy, splattering over the ground, plants, trees, and the other RainWings.
"Argh!" Macaw snarled in pain as the ebony acid began tearing through his scales on his muzzle. Flora was similarly writing in pain as the poison landed around her throat area. Shimmer's sister, Flutter, yanked back sharply in surprise before some could land on her feet.
Hulking with rage, Shimmer stalked over to Macaw, furiously spitting the venom over his back, sadistically enjoying his screams of pain as he writhed and slithered. Flora was wailing, the screeching escalating as her entire face was lathered in the toxic liquid, eating away her scales.
Listen to their screams! Isn't it the wonderful?
"Shimmer! What's gotten into you?" Flutter screamed in fear, huddled in safety by the fallen tree.
She's in on it too! Don't let her live!
"Sorry, Flutter," Shimmer said, voice void of any emotion. Vines suddenly flashed from the overhanging branches, wrapping tightly around Flutter's legs. Another wave of tendrils lurched forward, coiling themselves around the young dragon's throat. Flutter made choking sounds, eyes rolling into the back of her skull before going completely limp, the vines still tight around her.
As the bloodlust left her eyes, a crying Shimmer was left behind.
She only had a few seconds to grieve before she was pounced, forced on her back by an unknown source. She looked up with sorrowful orbs, meeting the red-amber of a NightWing who had pinned her.
"I saw it all play out," he said simply.
"They deserved it!" Shimmer snarled, struggling to gain freedom as the fire light returned to her eyes. "They drove me to this!"
"No one deserves anything," the NightWing countered. "Especially not death like that."
"If you saw it all play out, then you'd know of the pain they put me through! I tell you, they deserved it!"
The red-amber eyed NightWing remained mute, pressing his claws up against her throat. He watched as she fell limp, starting to lose life energy.
"Do it..." she rasped, eyes starting to go glassy."I deserve my fate...I'll finally be at peace..."
The NightWing complied, pushing harder until the final breath escaped Shimmer's barely open maw. He sighed sadly, "I'm sorry," before scaling the tree next to the animus RainWing and perching among its branches. Pawing at the weaker twigs, he watched vacantly as brilliant scarlet petals began to fall, scattering loosely around the immobile body of Shimmer.
"You can now rest peacefully."
Challenge for Flame of Pyrrhia