The first thing Sunny realized was that everything was cold- unnaturally so, but not to the point where it was anything more than mildly uncomfortable.

With a slow grunt, she twisted slightly. It was probably nothing.

"...wake up."

It took Sunny several moments to process that she didn't recognize the voice, and a few more to realize that she should probably do something in response to this.

But she had a distinct feeling that getting up would be painful. She remained still.

"Can you hear me?"

The voice sounded a bit irritated now, but not too much. Not enough reason for her to get up.

"Wake. Up."

With a slow sigh, Sunny cracked one eye open. Weird. Why was it so dark?

Sunny forced herself to her feet, teetering hesitantly. She blinked several times, turning her head uncertainly. It was... really dark, all of a sudden. What was going on?

"Did he remove you, too?"

The voice was somewhere behind her. She turned around slowly, but there was nobody there...

...and then, suddenly, there was: a scarred SeaWing, eyes hollow and hopeless, regarding her silently. It was almost like he'd appeared out of nowhere.

"Who are you?" Sunny fought to keep her voice steady.

Instead of answering, the SeaWing repeated his question. "Did he remove you, too?"

Sunny blinked. "Wh-what? What do you mean?"

"Him! The entity! The one who put me here! Did he remove you as well?"

"Remove? What do you mean?"

The SeaWing sighed and looked down. "I woke up here... I don't even know how long ago. I stood here for several minutes before... HE spoke." Sunny hadn't been aware that it was possible to force so much hatred and rage into a single word. "He told me he'd... deleted me. 'Deleted' was the word he used. He said he'd removed me from existence, like I never had existed. When I..."

The SeaWing sighed and reached down, scratching a long scar along his neck. He seemed lost in thought for a moment before speaking again.

"When I told him there was no way he could have done that, he... said that he'd show me. A... window opened up, and I saw everyone I had ever known, and I... I..."

Twitching his head, the SeaWing plunged on, an unmistakable tremor in his voice. "I was completely gone, and nobody realized it. It was like I had fallen into oblivion, like I never was, like I... like I..."

That is quite enough from you.

The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once and filled Sunny with fear, a strange primal fear that made her want to scream and scream and SCREAM until her throat was raw and bloody-

You as well, Sunny. Cease this unreasonable behavior immediately.

The SeaWing glared upwards, incomprehensible amounts of rage etched across his face. "It's HIM." he snarled.

Far above the two dragons, a vast purple eye opened, glaring down upon them with cosmic rage. After a moment, Sunny realized that its fury seemed to be directed almost completely at the SeaWing, but she didn't let herself relax. Why was it so angry?

First you nearly take what is rightfully mine- outright steal it in THEIR eyes- and then you have the gall to misinform your new associate? the entity screeched at the SeaWing. You are VERY lucky that I do not have the motivation to punish your actions at the moment.

Now. Sunny. The entity abruptly changed its tone: calm, composed, not a trace of ill will in its voice. The sudden shift was almost more terrifying than it would have been to hear it continue to scream. I'm terribly sorry about this. Really, I genuinely am. Unlike this demented excuse for a dragon, you haven't done anything to me personally. You were just... The entity seemed to be carefully selecting its words. The one who would most easily be forgotten. The one who I'd be able to replace the easiest.

"R-replace?"

Indeed. Like this creature, you've been removed from reality as though you never existed. Unlike him, however, instead of being merely deleted, you've been overwritten and replaced. It's sad, yes, but I couldn't merely insert my puppet into the flow of events. It would be... too contrived, and they would almost certainly recognize what he was immediately.

So I had no choice but to eliminate you to make room for him. You don't exist anymore, Sunny.

Sunny was barely able to breathe. "Y-you're lying!" she managed to shriek after several seconds.

Am I? The eye suddenly seemed to loom much, much closer, choking the air with something ancient and poisonous. AM I? it screeched, voice manic. LET ME SHOW YOU PRECISELY WHAT I HAVE DONE!

A white, glowing square appeared in front of Sunny, almost like a window. She squinted hesitantly at it as the image darkened and focused...

She could see... she could see five dragons, sleeping.

The image sharpened and brightened, the dragons coming into view. There was Starflight, and Clay, and Glory, and Tsunami, but where Sunny was supposed to be-

Sunny almost screamed, but something blocked her throat and she choked on the sound, tears now streaming from her eyes in earnest.

Because in the place where she was supposed to be, there was a completely different SandWing: tall, thin, and pale, the barb on the end of his tail fully formed and glistening in the dim light.

Oh, Scorpion? the voice inquired mockingly, tone patronizing. Sunny doesn't believe that you've replaced her. In fact, she even had the audacity to call me a liar, if you'd believe it! Would you care to show her how wrong she is?

The SandWing's eyes flickered open, completely black save for a purple spark in the center of each eye... the same shade of purple as the eye glaring down from above. He nodded up, through the window, directly at the eye. "With pleasure," he responded in a voice almost identical to that of the entity. With practiced precision, he shifted over slowly, carefully poking Starflight with a single blackened talon.

"Ow! I told you... oh, it's you, Scorpion." Starflight shook his head blearily. "What is it this time?"

"This is moderately important, so please listen carefully." Scorpion lectured in an emotionless voice. "Do you know a dragon named Sunny? She is about this tall-" He raised a talon. "-a SandWing, gold scales, has no tail barb, and is quite cheerful and energetic."

"No, I've never known anyone like that in my life." Starflight rolled sideways with a slight grunt. "Why would you think I had? You and Dune are the only SandWings I've ever met."

Scorpion slithered back into position and watched Starflight carefully, waiting for the NightWing to fall asleep again. Once he had, he turned his head upwards, facing the eye again. "Will that demonstration suffice?"

Sunny has been reduced to disbelieving tears, so I believe so, yes. the entity replied. Return to sleep now, Scorpion. You must be well-rested for what comes next.

Scorpion nodded emotionlessly, sliding his eyes shut again. The window closed with a brief snap, leaving a quickly fading white glow behind.

The entity let out a displeased sigh. I have other affairs to attend to. I would advise you get comfortable, Sunny, because you will be spending eternity here.

With that, the eye shut without fanfare, returning the void to near-total darkness.