Choices

AN: This is a prologue of sorts to my story Dragons Change. There are references to this in Chapter six, so you should read this to understand the next chapter. This is short, but I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire.

Freedom.

It was what every dragon craved. It was what he had gained mere days ago. Now, though… Now he had a choice.

He gazed at all of the dragons gathered around him: Qibli, Kinkajou, his mother—Foeslayer, and…Moon. Oh, how she reminded him of his beloved Clearsight. Neither had trusted him, but he found he couldn't be angry with either of them.

Both had wanted to stop him—what he could make Pyrrhia into. It's almost like they didn't WANT a perfect future. That couldn't be it, could it? Why would anyone pass up on their perfect future?

Perhaps, it's because it's me. He understood how manipulative he could be. The 'make everyone like me spell' he had used was the perfect example. I did it because I had to, he thought uncertainly.

That had been why Clearsight and Fathom had betrayed him in the first place, though, wasn't it? He remembered how angry she was at him when she had found out. She had been livid. He thought making everyone like him could prevent that from happening, but, alas, he was wrong. He had failed again.

If Clearsight's reaction to her earring was any example, he should have realized how much dragons didn't like to be meddled with. That Icewing prince—Winter if he remembered correctly—had had a similar reaction. Qibli might have even accepted his offer if he hadn't played with Vulture like he did.

Would it have mattered, though? None of them trust me—even my own tribe. He had enchanted them all to be loyal to him, through their superpowers. Would they have pledged themselves to him if he hadn't manipulated them or would they be terrified of him?

He flipped through the thousands of possible futures in his head, yet none of them were what he wanted. Ruling over Pyrrhia would never bring him happiness, but his other choice terrified him.

He could start over, but he would lose his powers, his memory, and his identity. Living as someone else wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to be himself—with all of his powers. When he saw the hopeful look on her face as she held out the strawberry to him, his will began to crack.

I can't be killed, and I won't go back to sleep for another two thousand years. I can either kill all of them—even my mother…even Moon—and rule the world as its King. Or I lose my identity to keep the world safe.

He saw all of the faces and expressions around him: distrust, disappointment, anger, hatred. Moon still had hope; she still believed in him. Even after everything that he had done, she still believed in him. Did Clearsight still believe in me? Did she still love me? Or was I just a monster to her after everything I did?

Everything that he had been through—both then and now—had been thought of as evil by others. They were right, but I just didn't want to believe them. Now I have proof, though. The soul reader says I'm evil. They all think I'm evil…except her.

A moment of clarity struck him, Everything I did was because of my powers. They are responsible for everything that's happened to me. Killing my father, trying to wipe out the Icewings…twice, trapping Indigo in that wooden carving—all of that was done using my powers. If I never had powers—if I was…ordinary—would any of it had happened? Would I still be the evil villain?

They were all waiting for his choice.

He had to choose, so what would it be? I already know, though, don't I? His face softened as his gaze once again landed on the strawberry. "Everything I am is because of my powers, but was it worth it in the end?" He had spoken softly, regretfully. He looked over to Moon. She was the only one he felt could replace Clearsight. He trusted her, even if she didn't trust him. "Happy or powerful are my two choices. In my perfect world, I would have both…" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, "But this isn't my perfect world," he said as he gazed at all of the faces looking to him.

"The world would have been safer without me. I understand that now. My lust for power, control, and revenge turned me into what I had despised in my father." He took the small fruit into his massive paws and stared at it, "My powers are what did this to me."

Moon stepped toward him. Qibli tried to stop her, but she kept going, "Darkstalker?" She spoke quietly and her voice wavered. He looked to her and saw a small, emotional smile on her face, "I'm proud of you for coming to realize that."

She's proud of me! He thought elatedly, but it was short-lived as the gravity of the situation came rushing back onto him, "Before I do this, Moon, I wish to do one last thing." She looked at him puzzled as he grabbed a stone from the ground, "Stone, turn into a piece of onyx."

The stone complied and turned into a piece of onyx. The faces of all around him became more worried as they took a step away. They fear me…I never wanted this. He never wanted dragons to fear him—respect…yes, admire…definitely, fear…no. He didn't want dragons to fear him or his powers because he didn't want to be seen as evil. But that's what I am.

Perhaps it would be best if none of the others knew about this, "I want to speak with you, Moon, alone…" The request hung in the air as she looked to her friends and they looked back at her. None of them wanted to leave her alone with him—especially Qibli. He understood, of course, if their places were swapped, he would have a similar reaction. After a heated argument, they finally left—including his mother—and Moon turned back around and walked back to him.

"Onyx, I give to you all of my powers: mind-reading, foresight, and animus magic. You will act as a vessel for this power until such time that Moon or whoever she chooses releases it—either completely or selectively—back to me, whatever or whoever I may become. I also enchant this onyx to act as a conduit to my mind so that Moon can use it to talk with me." A flash of pain went through him as images engrained themselves in his mind. It was flashes of a future. THE future. It wasn't pretty.

He felt a sensation flowing through him and into the onyx in his claws. The steady minor headache that accompanied his foresight—gone. The cacophony of voices inside his head from his mind reading—gone. The tingle in his claws that signified his animus powers—gone. They were all gone. Now he was ordinary. He was safe.

Once they were all gone, it felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from him. His thoughts of ruling and conquest had suddenly been replaced with disgust for the very idea. He felt lighter without his power's corruptive influence inside of him. He…liked it.

He was happy.

He looked up and gave her the glowing piece of onyx. Her shocked face made him chuckle slightly. Moon sat in front of him holding the piece of onyx to her chest, "Why me?"

If this was to be his final moments as himself, then he had to tell her the truth. He had to confess to her everything that he truly felt. He didn't want to say this in front of others which is another reason he had asked to speak with her alone.

At least his conscience would be clear.

"Because I trust you, Moon. You are my friend." She looked at him skeptically. He didn't need to read minds to know what she was probably thinking. He smirked slightly, "I can't manipulate you anymore, Moon. I'm actually being genuine for the first time in…ever, I think."

He brought one of his claws up and gently caressed her face. It was pitiful how his mere paw was almost the size of Moon herself, but he saw her close her eyes and lean gently into his touch. Tears began to form in her eyes, "I'll miss you," she said after a moment.

His heart ached. "I'll miss you, too." He wished he could stay just for her, but after all of his recent actions, no one would ever trust him again. Except her. "Perhaps, if things had been different, we wouldn't have to say goodbye. Maybe we could have been happy together, you and I. You may not believe me, but I never wanted to hurt you. You were the safest dragon in Pyrrhia while you were with me."

He leant down and gently kissed her cheek. "I love you, my little Moon," he whispered in her ear. "I have since I first touched your mind. I would have done anything to make you happy."

He heard her gasp from his confession and she looked up as he ate the strawberry, "NO! DARKSTALKER, PLEASE! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME LIKE THIS!" She wailed at him as tears poured in rivers from her eyes.

He felt himself shrinking. He had done it. He could start again, but at what cost? The grief in his little Moon's eyes made his own damp, but he smiled at her, "I'm sorry, little Moon. Wake me…when you need me."

He was getting smaller; he didn't have much time, "I need to warn you, Moon. Your future is a dark one, now. Beware the dragons who change."

He was becoming less aware of his self as the spell started changing his identity, but the last words he heard before he was gone forever was…

"I'll never forget you."

Hope you liked it. I enjoyed writing it since Darkstalker is my second favorite character in the series. He's so interesting, isn't he?

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22