It was if everything had froze.

Maple tried multiple times to speak, to breathe, to scream, and was abundantly disappointed when every attempt brought forth zero beneficial results.

She only succeeded in pushing herself further into shock.

He can't- she's not- her brain sputtered senselessly. Mist has only ever genuinely loved one dragon and that's Hyrax and he's dead. In the four years after his death, I couldn't even get her to come out of her shell or quit being in such a foul mood that she'd ignored me for days or actually show some form of love besides what's "necessary". But you, some stranger, managed to do it in two months? Unbelievable.

"Uh, Maple?" Said dragoness glanced down to see Sapphire lightly poking at her arm. "Maybe you should, y'know, breathe before you pass out."

Maple scowled her displeasure. "I will have you know that I am perfectly capable of going without breathing for up to fifteen minutes," she hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm fine."

The smaller hybrid eyed her warily. "You don't look fine."

Maple ignored her remark, even if it probably was true. She certainly felt like the exact opposite of okay and was never one good at hiding away her true emotions. Nevertheless, she exhaled with a snort of smoke from her flared nostrils.

Her glare wandered back to the MudWing, who was gazing at the two of them with quizzical looks. No doubt Sapphire's apparent strange tongue was puzzling him. Feeling her attention on him, he met her eyes with an expressionless stare, prompting a scowl to rise from her throat.

"How do you even know who I am?" Maple finally snapped. "How do you know you've got the right dragon?"

"Besides the entirety of your behaviour," Terracotta began slowly, carefully, "Mist and your father were one of, if not the, most popular and well discussed couples in the Mud Kingdom. A SandWing travelling so far east to reunite with the MudWing he loves? And then choosing to live with her in a place that is right out his comfort zone? It's the perfect spark for gossip and unwanted attention. It didn't matter how much your parents tried to hide you. When you hatched, everyone knew who you were and what you looked like; the hybrid offspring of two star crossed lovers. And there's the fact your mother and I are-"

"Don't even say it," Maple cut in, her voice cold and chipped like ice. "I had the unfortunate pleasure of hearing it from you the first time."

The MudWing tried to hide his bristle. "You were the one who asked."

"If you knew who I was, you'd also know that is probably the worst thing you could ever say," she bit back. "A friend of Mist's could have easily sufficed."

"I'm not here to argue with you," he pointed out, obviously trying to remain calm. But it wasn't effective, Maple noticed, if the angry crease of his brow was of any reliable indication. "I'm here to convince you to see your mother. To talk to her."

If she wanted to see me, she could have always returned to Possibility instead of hiding away in the Mud Kingdom like a coward.

Maple threw him a bored frown. "I'd very much rather not, thanks. I just plan on sticking around for a few days, away from dragons like you who have any connection with her."

"She's changed-"

"Of course you'd say that. You're vouching for her. It wouldn't make much sense to drop all the negative qualities she clearly has. Now, are you going to get out of my way or do I have to force you to move?"

She didn't receive a response, the MudWing perfectly still as one of those incredibly realistic statues available for purchase in Possibility's marketplace. His intense chocolate eyes never left her and his snout remained completely screwed shut. And for a moment, a surprisingly terrifying moment, Maple thought that she would have to fight him to get past. Knock him out, probably, and then hide his body away from the alert and suspicious eyes of other MudWings.

"I think you should go," Sapphire said, almost too quiet to hear. As she tipped her head in the smaller hybrid's direction to acknowledge that she had heard her speak, Maple realized she'd nearly forgotten she was there. "To see your mom, I mean. It sounds like you two have quite the relationship that is in a dire need of fixing. Besides, we don't have anywhere to stay, unless you want to sleep out in the mud and the dirt and the cold. Again, unless, that's your kind of thing, then I'm all for it."

Maple did have to admit that Sapphire had her there. Unless they could find a cave of some kind, which the Mud Kingdom was severely lacking in with all its swamps and rivers and muddy patches, or an abandoned mud hut, they weren't left with many comfortable options. Perhaps she could entertain Mist long enough to stay at her home for the few days. Even if it was obvious Maple wasn't looking to mend broken relations, she doubted her mother would turn away her own daughter while she was in need some of assistance.

You also doubted that she'd ever abandon you. Yet, here we are.

She expertly ignored that tiny, nagging voice in her head.

"Alright," Maple growled, warping the MudWing's baffled expression towards Sapphire back to its original serious tone. "Alright, sure. Whatever. Take me to her. If this is a trick or a joke or-"

"Do you always threaten everyone you meet?" he cut in before she could finish.

"Do you always act incompetent and foolish around everyone you meet?" Maple mocked him. "Just shut up and start walking."

The MudWing snorted his reply and briskly turned away to lumber off into the dense forest behind. It wasn't long before Sapphire bounded after him, with Maple begrudgingly in tow.

The deeper they traversed through the the kingdom that was once her home, the more she was flooded with memories of her younger self trampling through these very areas, unappealed with the dirt that stuck to her scales for days or the thick, slimy mud that oozed between her talons and sent shivers down her spine. She could recall days where she and another older dragonet would build brown "cakes" and then gleefully toss large chunks of them at each other once they were satisfied with their craftsmanship.

Cinnamon, her brain helpfully supplied. My cousin. He was two years older than her, and the only friend she had ever known at the time. I wonder how he's doing. Did he finally get over that weird grudge that he was holding?

After she and her parents moved to their island home in the Sea Kingdom, Cinnamon and Mist's siblings, Uncle Cavern and Aunt Silt, visited once or twice a month. He was cold and cut off every time Maple had tried to speak or play with him, to the point where he just ignored her completely. She couldn't remember herself caring much, as she usually found familiar and warm company in her aunt and uncle.

She wondered where Mist was living now. If she kept her old hut where she and Hyrax spent so much fond time together. A home they had built using their own talons. Probably not. She only kept little things to prevent the dying flame of Hyrax's memory from going out.

Maple found her gaze once again travelling to the MudWing's backside- her stepfather, if he was to be believed- which brought her back to the question of how Mist found someone someone so soon after her departure from the desert. Something had to be up. It just had to.

Or maybe there's the slightest possibility that just she loves him more than she ever will you, hm? You're a murderer and a thief - a monster. What could she ever see in you?

You don't ever find a reason to shut up, do you? She countered, already knowing the answer.

Just as she finally became used to her talons sinking into the wet, murky soil, the ground began to harden into stone. Maple snapped out of her thought bubble to see that they had arrived in a small village, probably holding no more than twenty average-sized huts and a tall tower in the center. From the decor and architecture, it gave off an olden vibe. Very few MudWings wandered about outside, only a few staggering home with supplies and making chatter with their neighbours.

Maple had never seen anywhere so calm and empty and clean. It was a definite contrast from the rowdy streets of her own city.

The perfect place for Mist take up residence in.

A couple of passing MudWings shot both Maple and Sapphire heavy looks, their eyes fueled with caution. She forced herself not to fidget from the attention. It wasn't their faults. It was just… unnerving, she guessed, to see a SandWing and RainWing anywhere near each other. She went back to overlooking the huts, trying to guess which one may belong to Mist's. They all looked the same, so it was very much a waste of an effort.

Besides, her guide was leading them there now.

He stopped near a hut not too far from the entrance of the village and rapped his claws lightly against the wooden doorframe. A series of shuffles immediately sounded from inside as the occupant rushed to answer the door. When it finally opened, a multi-brown coloured MudWing with a shimmering golden underbelly stumbled out, a fake, large smile plastered on flat-snouted face.

"Terracotta!" she chirped in greeting. "I didn't expect you to be back so-" Maple could feel the claws that wrapped around the MudWing's throat as gray eyes and gray-blue eyes locked.

A stiff silence settled between them before the MudWing threw herself at Maple and engulfed her in a hug of tight grip. Her surprised was overtaken with the wave of pleasurable warmth that passed over her as she frantically tried to find somewhere to put her awkward and wriggling limbs.

"Hi, Mi- Mom," Maple said, observing Mist's appearance as the seemingly everlasting hug continued. Her scales had grown dimmer than when she last saw her, and her horns were shorter, too. She was still taller than her, but Maple was now about as high as her shoulders. And still growing, she thought, pleased.

"I can't believe," Mist said, finally pulling away to make the same examination of her, "That you actually came to see me. How are you? I thought you were…"

Dead? Imprisoned in some cold palace cell? No, sorry to disappoint. I was smart and I stayed alive and free. Without you. She didn't sound surprised, but Maple could understand the implication behind those words all too well.

Maple shook out her wings, ignoring the little gusts of wind. "I'm well," she replied and sincerely hoped she didn't come off sounding bitter. She flicked her tail at Sapphire, who was sitting very quietly and respectfully behind her. "This is my…" Friend doesn't seem like the right word. "Acquaintance, Sapphire. We were hoping to stay a few days."

Mist beamed and Maple couldn't help but frown. This was not the Mist she knew back in Possibility. She never even tried to be nice.

Maybe I was the one who was making her so angry all the time.

"Of course!" she all but cheered, swooping around Maple to eagerly shake Sapphire's talon. "I'm glad that Maple was able to meet and reconnect with someone after all that has happened."

While she looked undoubtedly confused, Maple was very grateful that Sapphire had barely asked any questions on their way to the village. She was expecting a storm of what went wrong with your mother? Why are you so reluctant to speak with her? Or the most important one, why are you running? What do you need to hide?

She's like a sheep, Maple mused. Always willing to follow no matter what danger she may be led into.

I should clue her in.

Maybe later.

"Come inside, come inside," Mist urged as she made her way back into the hut with Terracotta close behind. Sapphire raised an eyebrow at Maple and then followed them. She waited until the curled end of her blue tail disappeared behind the door before following her, a sliver of dread trickling along her spine.

Something is going to go very, very wrong.️ ️ ️

The main room of the hut was decorated with paintings, rugs and carpets, and packed to the brim with shelves upon shelves of scrolls. Maple recognized a few from when they had been tucked away in gold and brown cases at her house in Possibility, before they were snatched up by Mist's hurried talons.

She carefully picked up one of her old Isle of Tomorrow scrolls, the paper thin and the edges torn, and unraveled it enough to reveal the first paragraph. Mouthing the words as she zoned out and read along, she didn't notice the small blue shape slinking up to her side.

"Whatcha reading?" Sapphire's patronizingly gleeful tone asked curiously.

Maple rolled up the scroll and shoved it back into its original place. "Nothing important," she grumbled. "I thought you were helping Mist with dinner?"

The dragonet's brow furrowed. "She said she didn't need any assistance and that she wanted to talk to Terracotta alone."

"That certainly doesn't sound good."

When Sapphire didn't respond, Maple went back to regarding the thousands of pieces of literature. And when that got boring, her attention when to the paintings along the walls. They were a rainbow of colour inside images of moneys, fruits (mainly peaches, Mist's favourite), forests, flowers, and more. Was Terracotta a painter? He seemed like the type. The type of dragon that could get down and sit still and paint out a masterpiece in a manner of moments.

Maple could never imagine herself doing that.

Really, she could never really imagine herself with a stepfather.

I'm not going to be here for long so it doesn't matter anyway. By the day after tomorrow, Mist and I will never have to see each other again.

"So…" Maple hid her sigh at the word as Sapphire seeped back into vision. "When are you going to talk to your mom?"

The brown-yellow hybrid blinked at her.

"Come on, Maple!" she hissed, piercing her with an irritated glare. "You said you would."

"To be fair, I said a lot of things," Maple pointed out stubbornly. "How can we be sure talking to Mist was one of them?"

Sapphire wasn't amused in the slightest. A little pout was even present on her chubby face now. "I'm going to pretend," she said slowly, "That you didn't just say that, and repeat myself again. Go talk to your mom."

"Would you relax? I have time. We'll engage in a conversation tomorrow, I promise." She tried to put on the best, most convincing smile she could muster.

Sapphire's glare wavered and then dropped back to reintroduce her usual bubbly glow. "Okay. Good. You better."

As if he had sensed the end of the conversation, Terracotta came sweeping into the living space. He looked borderline flustered and confused as he exited the dining area, but the emotion immediately disappeared once he caught sight of them.

With a wild gesture of his wings he said, "Dinner's ready." He squinted at Sapphire and then Maple. "Does she eat meat or?"

"I do," answered Sapphire. Maple nodded her confirmation, which only really sent Terracotta further into his earlier confusion and bewilderment.

He led them into one of the back rooms, where a wooden table and chairs sat neatly to the side. Mist stood across from the matching set, her back turned to them and her full attention focused on whatever sat on the counter before her. She was sprinkling green and black and orange specks onto four separate fish-like creatures, shaped almost like lobsters but not quite so. They appeared much smaller, for one, and occupied a duller shade of orange-red than those of their saltwater cousins.

Crayfish, maybe? Isn't that the name of Queen Brunneous' adopted daughter? I wonder how weird is must feel to be named after the likes of measly prey.

Maple took the seat nearest to the door, curling her tail over her talons, as Sapphire sat left to her against the wall and Terracotta placed himself across from her. More paintings lined the walls, although admittedly less so than the living area. These focused more on food, fancy cutlery that usually only upper class dragons used, and families of MudWings enjoying an extravagant meal with one another.

Not too long after, Mist set down crayfish-filled wood plates at each place on the table, somehow managing to balance all four of them perfectly in her arms with ease. When she gracefully accommodated the last available spot- the chair to Maple's right- they all took the action as an invitation to eat.

For the first few moments, they ate in awkward silence, save for the crunching of teeth on meat and shell, until Mist decided to fill the void.

"How did you you and Sapphire meet, Maple?" she asked, wiping her dark talons on a napkin that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Maple shrugged. "It's not a very interesting story." She wasn't willing to admit Queen Andhi was after her. That Sapphire was a temporary companion as she fled for her life and away from the consequences of her mistakes. It would only lead to an I-told-you-so lecture that she didn't want to hear. At all. "We just met in Possibility and she decided to company me in my travels."

Sapphire made a weird, surprised burping noise, but otherwise didn't comment. Not that she could, anyway, if she wanted to.

"I was wondering about that," her mother replied. "When did you become so interested in travelling?"

Why do you care? "The city is a very busy and noisy and annoying place," Maple said. "I wanted to get out for a while. Explore a little."

"Understandable. I've always wanted to get out of there, too."

Quiet flushed back into the room. Maple pretended not to notice Sapphire not very subtly mouthing the words "do it now" and "talk" and "I know you said tomorrow but this is literally the perfect opportunity, you thick-headed bird brain". This dragoness was not capable of taking a hint, was she?

Maybe Mist had caught them too, because there was nothing else that could have possibly led to what she said next.

"I want to apologize, Maple."

Those words didn't leave their desired effect. Instead, they stung. Deep. She didn't want to hear this. Not now. Not ever.

"For how I treated you all these years. For leaving you alone in Possibility after what happened." She paused and swallowed, talons fidgeting restlessly with the dirty napkin. "I shouldn't have. That's not-"

I need to put a stop to this. Now. "If you're so regretful for what you did, how come it's been two long months since I've seen you again?" Maple sniffed. "Please, explain. I'm very curious as to why."

The MudWing flinched. "I wanted to come back. I wanted to see you, but…"

"You were too busy dawdling around with your new boyfriend." Maple flicked her tail at Terracotta, who looked like he very much did not want to be apart of this conversation, and scowled at her so-called excuse for a mother. "I suppose I get it now."

"I'm sorry, you know I am. It's just… I couldn't handle it all. I-"

"You think your life is tough?" Maple snapped, her ridge bristling. Her talons were uncontrollably shaking, and she couldn't help the rage and harsh words that bubbled in her throat like bile. "You left me to fend for myself and remained as cold and distant as you did on the island. I needed you, my mother, and you weren't there. Do you know how alone and abandoned I felt? I don't want your apologies, Mist, much less your pathetic excuses."

Mist was infuriated now and rose from her seat to tower over the shorter dragoness. "What was I supposed to do? Help you cover up two murders and an act of theft? I shouldn't have to suffer for your mistakes, Maple! You should be old enough to understand that what you were plotting was a terrible path to take! But of course you didn't; you've always been impulsive and uncontrollable!"

This, Maple knew, was the dragon she'd grown to love and then quickly learned to hate. As she prepared herself for another angry retort, something she knew would hurt her (Hyrax, the ocean, death, loneliness, the spillarling of Mist's own tragic life were a list of topics that ran through her head), a large crash against cold dirt floors was the one to silence the two of them and any resentment and bitterful thoughts.

All heads turned to Terracotta. His tail was raised a few inches from the floor to sound off another ear-rattling strike. "I think," he growled, voice filled with the utmost calm at the same time, as his eyes flickered between both mother and daughter, "it's time we all head to our rooms to cool off."

"Couldn't agree more." And with that, Maple leapt up from her chair and stormed out of the dining area, leaving her half eaten crayfish behind and Sapphire to flash the pair of MudWings an apologetic smile.