I am BAAAAAAAACK!

Storm's POV

Storm carefully brought back her prey that she had caught. After a long night of chattering teeth, they were starving, so she had volunteered to go hunt.

She looked down at her catch. "Hey, Oceanwing, do you know what this even is?"

It was white and furry and had round little black eyes, it was cute yet dead.

"I think that's a snow fox." Oceanwing replied, still focused on some leaves in front of her.

Storm peered over Oceanwing's shoulder to see. "What's that?" She asked.

"Oh, these? They're herbs. These ones specifically add some nutrients to the water."

When Storm still looked puzzled, Oceanwing continued. "I learned a lot of stuff back at home, you know, at Sirocco Education."

"Ah." Storm nodded. Though Storm had never attended a school before, she was quite educated, being homeschooled and all.

"Guys. I found something." Emperor's voice suddenly sounded behind them, startling Storm and Oceanwing.

Oceanwing waved her talons. "Emperor, I'm busy. Go bother Cobra or something."

Emperor looked at Storm. "Storm?"

Storm looked at Oceanwing, who had looked back at her herbs. "Okay. What is it?"

"Come with me." Emperor whipped around and stalked down to his little corner that he slept in. As they walked, Storm realized that there was actually a network of caves back here, all in the darkness.

Storm was getting sort of wary. What was Emperor doing so far in here?

Suddenly Emperor stopped dead and burst out a flame. He lit a bonfire in the centre of what looked like an entirely different cave.

"Emperor. You are back." A voice hissed in the darkness.

Storm shivered. "W-who is that?"

Emperor pressed his wing to hers. "It's fine. It's just Anaconda."

"A-Anaconda? The the animus that went crazy?" Storm stuttered.

"Yeah, she's the one. The one Scorpion was talking about."

"Scorpion was such a good dragonet." Anaconda mused. "Very obedient."

"Damn right." Emperor muttered. "So obedient."

"I can help you. You need an Animus to cure Iceblueia, correct?" Anoconda flicked her tongue in and out.

Emperor snorted. "You kinda went CRAZY performing Animus magic. You sure you can heal us without going nuts again?"

"Emperor, I can spare a little spell." Anoconda hissed.

"But you need to heal four dragons."

"I'll just enchant something." She thought for a moment. "Do you have anything I can enchant? Something sturdy and reliable?"

"Uh, I have..." Storm slipped off a silver bracelet. "This bracelet."

"Perfect." Anaconda snatched the bracelet out of Storm's talons.

Emperor stared at her suspiciously. "How do we know that you won't enchant it with your mind secretly to make us obey you or something?"

Anaconda gave a half hearted laugh, which sounded like she hadn't laughed in years.

"Emperor, I'm way past that time. I'll barely be able to cast this spell without going a bit... you know..." she circled a talon around her temple, the universal sign for crazy.

Storm backed up a bit. "Uh, Emperor, are you sure this is safe?" She whispered.

"It'll be alright." He comforted, pressing his wing to her's. "Anaconda, begin the enchantment."

Anaconda held out the bracelet and began. "I enchant this bracelet to cure any dragon it touches from Iceblueia." She shivered creepily and the bracelet started to glow a bit. She dropped the bracelet and stared at the bonfire. "Th-there you go. Another spell to ruin me."

Storm backed up even more. "E-Emperor?"

Emperor quickly grabbed the bracelet and backed up with her. "Don't make any sudden movements." He whispered.

Anaconda looked up shakily. "The final straw."

"She's snapped." Emperor looked at Storm. "Run."

"But-Emperor-"

He tossed her the bracelet. "Just go! Get the others out!"

Storm stood her ground. "I'm not leaving without you-" she was cut off as Anaconda slapped her tail on the bonfire, putting it out. It was total darkness.

"I have no more soul." Anaconda's eerie voice hissed in the darkness.

Storm heard a yelp to her left. "Emperor!" She found him in the darkness. "We've gotta go!"

"Everything I know is broken."

Emperor burst out a flame and Storm got a glimpse of a bloody Anaconda, her eyes wide and a creepy grin on her snout.

"Everyone I love is gone."

Darkness again.

"Emperor!" Storm cried out. Another yelp came, but this time from Anaconda.

"G-go away!" Anaconda screeched. "Out of my head!"

Emperor burst out another flame and they both spotted the exit. "Let's go!"

Storm and Emperor raced to the exit cave. They could here the hot breath of Anaconda writhing on the floor. "MAKE IT GO AWAY" she screamed.

Storm looked over her shoulder and stumbled. Emperor caught her on his wing, which was hot with blood. "Don't look back. Just go."

They ran back to the cave with everyone else and collapsed, out of breath.

"We need to GO. NOW." Emperor announced.

Cobra glared Emperor. "The sick ones are sleeping. And so should you!"

"They won't be sick for long." Storm held out her bracelet. "We're leaving now."

A long scream came from the cave they just left.

"What was that?!" Oceanwing gasped.

Storm shivered. "It's what we're running from."

Cobra woke up Amberblaze, and Oceanwing woke up Swift Current and Borealis.

"W-wha..." Swift yawned, then tried to fall back asleep.

"No, WAKE UP." Oceanwing shouted.

Swift jerked up, then grabbed her head in pain. "Ugh..."

"Emperor, they're not fit to go!" Storm started to panic a bit.

"We have to g-" another deafening scream came from the cave, this time much closer.

"We don't have time! We leave NOW." Emperor brushed Storm's wing and jerked his head towards the cave mouth.

Cobra supported Amber, Oceanwing supported Oceanwing and Storm supported Borealis.

"Emperor, what's happening? Who's in there?" Cobra asked, glancing back at the cave.

"I'll tell you later. For now, JUST GO AND DONT LOOK BACK."

Another screech came, and this time Anaconda came with it. She stumbled out of the cave and fell onto the cave floor, covered in sweat and blood. She seemed to have been trying to...

"She's hurting herself!" Storm gasped. Anaconda had deep gashes on her neck and snout, and as they watched, she was clawing at her head.

"GET OUT!" She screamed. Her soul was indeed gone.

Sincere apologies to the person who sent in Anaconda (I know who sent her in but I just don't feel like remembering).

I hope you're okay with her... yeh know... LOSING HER SOUL.

Well, until next time!

Cya!

-Red