Hi y'all! So I'm a ridiculously huge fan of the Dragon Prince, I love this show so much… I think it's a bit of a problem. Anyway, I wanted to make this one shot book so I could publish my random whump and fluff ideas. I am taking requests (The only slash I'm accepting is Rayllum because they're the only romance in this amazing fandom that I can kinda write). I might hint occasionally at Ruthari or Janaya but I'm not super passionate when it comes to them, not saying I don't ship them but I'm just not going to write them. I'm really sorry if any of you were wanting something like that. I will mainly be writing for Callum, Rayla, Ezran, Soren, Claudia, Zym and Bait (yes I have ideas for Bait).

I'm gonna begin each chapter with a summary and warnings just to let you guys know what's coming up and if there might be anything disagreeable to any readers.

So without further ado, let's begin!

Chapter One: The End is a New Beginning

Summary: After the Battle of Storm Spire, Callum finds himself needing some time to recuperate and think… Unfortunately sitting under the frozen carcass of your mother's killer doesn't exactly help you think happy thoughts.

(Angst) (Rayllum)(Character Focus: Callum)(Post Season 3)

"The Battle of Storm Spire was a major conflict in Human and Elf history. It was the battle that began the end. The end of conflict. The end of war. The end of…" Callum scratched his head with a pencil in thought. He needed to come up with something. The rule of three, there's always three. Conflict, war… something… what else had this battle ended?

Callum leant back in thought and stared up at the stone ceiling of Storm Spire. He loved the intricate patterns that the elves had carved into it. It had taken him a while to realise they were there, but once he did he had spent countless hours studying them and copying them down. He was pretty sure they told tales of the past, why they were on the ceiling… he had no clue. Probably a question to ask Ibis sometime.

Sighing, Callum stood up and left the cavern. He marched up the top of the spire and sat down on the cliff. Maybe a change of scenery could help him think. Callum stared at the rolling clouds, admiring them. He loved this place so much. Being so high in the sky made him feel free. It did help him think, it cleared his mind and right now he really needed to have a clear mind.

Queen Zubeia had chosen him. Not some qualified historian or writer, she had chosen him. Her Majesty had entrusted Callum with recording the events leading up to the Battle of Storm Spire and its consequences. Of course Callum was accepting and ready for the task. While he preferred drawing, writing had always been something he was somewhat good at.

And he was determined to make sure the whole of Xadia knew the two sides to this incredible story. He had to let Xadia know the truth.

But he was definitely struggling with certain parts. He had met many blocks in this project and this was no different… maybe he just needed to look at the story from a different angle.

Callum stood up and held up his arms in front of him. "Manus, Pluma, Volantus!" He felt a prickly sensation move from his shoulders all the way down to his fingertips and a few seconds later his arms were covered in feathers, both long and short. Smiling to himself, he took off down the mountain to look for a better place to think.

Maybe he could ask Rayla for help? No, she was busy. She had been ever since the Battle. Reorganising the Dragonguard, searching for new members and the constant training… yeah, best Callum not distract her for now. Callum could see the ground come into view and quickly landed (not gracefully at all, he was still working on his landings). He began to stroll the valley below Storm Spire in thought.

What was he missing? End of conflict, end of war… end of-? Callum's thoughts were abruptly interrupted when he realised where he had ended up wandering to.

King Avizandum's frozen corpse.

Many emotions welled up in Callum as he stared at his mother's killer, just as they always had whenever he came down here. Hatred. It was always the first natural emotion that would surface first. Hatred for this mons- no, this dragon. Callum couldn't bring himself to think of this majestic creature as a monster, because in reality Viren was far more a monster than he was. It was one thing to take Avizandum's life in revenge for his mother but it was another entirely to take Zym, an innocent life who had never done anything wrong… except being way too adorable.

And there was that sadness and regret that came with the thought of Zym never having a father figure… kinda like how Ezran now had to be King at a very improper age because his father figure was also dead… because of the elves. Callum clutched his head as his thoughts circled and he sat within the statue's shadow.

How could Callum bring himself to hate Avizandum… Zym's dad. Callum knew Zym and he was no killer. So how could his dad be a killer? More hatred and sadness welled up as he thought of his mother. Her kind, soft and gentle hands caressing his face and pulling him into her loving embrace. The feeling constantly haunted his memories and yet, at the same time comforted him.

"I love you with all of myself. And I always will."

He wanted her back so badly. It had been so long since he had lost her but… Callum guessed he had just never truly gotten over his grief. He just shoved it down and hoped to forget about it, not his mother, no, never his mother but he hoped to forget the pain.

A tear slipped out of his emerald eye as he remembered that fateful day when Harrow and told him his mother wasn't coming home. The confusion that had left in him. He wasn't familiar with death at that time… now it seemed death wanted to meet him at every turn. More tears fell as Callum remembered those lonely and hopeful nights when he would imagine his mother walking into his room to tuck him in and tell him once more that she loved him… but she never did.

Callum's eyes were suddenly drawn to the spear embedded in Avizandum's chest. Ironic that the spear of the King's victim was the weapon to end his life. A sick satisfaction grew in Callum as he saw Avizandum reach out helplessly and pathetically to Storm Spire. 'It's what you deserve.' He thought with a grim smile. Then suddenly Callum realised why the King was so desperately grasping for his home… Zym.

It wasn't right, it wasn't right for him to think that. He couldn't be happy that Zym had no father. 'Ugh! This was just so confusing.' So many thoughts chased each other within Callum's head. Like they were racing to see who could make him more overwhelmed. It was like his thoughts and brain hated him. Oh, how he missed his mother. His brain gave a painful throb.

It was just a cycle. A cycle of emotions. And it wasn't going to end, Callum was sure of it. He'd never truly escape these feelings he had towards Avizandum, this was going to happen every time his name was brought up, every time they passed this statue. Not even Rayla could heal this pain. Speaking of which…

"Callum! I was wondering where you'd got to! I had some spare time so I thought I'd- oh… Oh! Callum are you okay?" Rayla ran up to Callum and quickly sat next to him. "What's wrong? You look… well, clearly you're upset."

Callum turned away from Rayla a little. All he could think about was how it was her race that had killed his step-dad. And though Callum's relationship with Harrow had always been… distant, it still hurt. No, that wasn't fair on Rayla, she had protested against her mission. Why was this suddenly an issue? 'I guess when you're sitting beneath your mother's murderer, it's difficult to look at anything positively.' He thought darkly.

"Callum. Look at me. Why would you come here? You hate this place. Maybe we should go back to the Spire. You can show me your book or…" Rayla stopped. Callum had started to sob. Tears were slipping out of his eyes faster than he could stop them so he just gave in. He felt a gentle arm slip around his shoulders and draw him in. For a second it felt like his mother was back. Cradling him in her arms, stroking his hair to calm him down when he had had a bad day. But the voice that he heard soothing him wasn't hers.

"Oh, Callum. It really wasn't a good idea to come here, was it?" Callum shrugged Rayla

off and sat up straight. There were so many thoughts in his head right now. How could he process them all at once? How could he explain to Rayla what he had tried to tell her many times before? How could he-

'Sometimes you need to focus on the present. Take a deep breath and just be.'

His mother's voice echoed through his mind. Breathe. Let his spirit and body catch up with his mind. Just breathe.

Callum took a deep breath and let the air fill his lungs, nourishing his mind. He could feel the primal energy, flowing and moving in and around him. It lifted his spirits and cleared his head of the stress and the confusion and just left the thoughts, the important ones.

He opened his eyes and turned to Rayla with an apologetic smile. "I-I'm sorry. I guess, just being here. Seeing him. Remembering what he did… I miss her Rayla. And I hate it!" Callum all but yelled into the valley, it felt good letting off some steam. Rayla didn't look at all shocked or surprised as Callum had expected, oddly it calmed him that she was calm too.

He took another deep breath and continued.

"I hate looking at his face, hearing his name and feeling hatred well up in me. Then I think of Zym and how he's never going to have a father figure. How he's going to have to grow up and deal with never having known his father. But then that makes me think of Ezran and how he'll never have a father guiding him anymore because Harrow's dead! And then I start hating… well…" Callum suddenly realised he may have gone too far. He was about to say, 'And then I start hating the elves.' That probably wouldn't go down with Rayla too well.

A soft hand was placed on Callum's shoulder. Rayla was smiling at him gently. "Callum, I understand. I really do. Viren killed my parents. I'm an orphan now because of him. Runaan's gone… and Ethari is the only parental figure left in my life. All because of a single race, I have lost so much. My home, my family. But… that was one human. Just like how King Avizandum was only one dragon and the elf that took your father was only one elf. They shouldn't represent our races Callum. They made mistakes and now we have fixed them. We ended the cycle of revenge."

Rayla embraced Callum and this time Callum hugged back. The two stayed like that for a while, elf and human as one, comforting each other. Tears rolled silently down Callum's face as he came to understand what Rayla had said. Callum could almost hear his mother telling him how proud she was. How proud that she had ended this cycle of revenge… of hate… wait.

"Rayla! I figured it out!" Callum exclaimed joyfully, breaking the hug. Rayla's brows shot up in surprise but then she just laughed.

"I really shouldn't find this surprising from you anymore, should I?" She shook her head exasperatedly. Callum pulled out his book and pencil and flicked to the page where he had gotten stuck.

"The Battle of Storm Spire… began the end… end of conflict… end of war… end of hate." Callum wrote and read aloud. Rayla smiled warmly at Callum and sighed.

"Yes, it did end the hate, but not all of it." She stated matter of factly. Callum looked at her confused and tilted his head.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, you still feel the sting and grief from the actions the elves took against the humans. And… they were wrong. What my people did was wrong… not saying that your people did anything better, but… it wasn't right. And I'm sorry Callum." Rayla finished with a slight frown on her face.

Callum put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He stared at Avizandum and thought about what Rayla said. Suddenly, he realised he didn't feel that terrible hate he always felt when he looked at the Dragon King. Instead, he felt at peace. He couldn't explain it. While he definitely hadn't forgiven Avizandum for killing his mother, he felt that this was at least the first step. The first step to ending the battle that had been raging for a while inside him, the battle he hadn't realised was there.

"I'm really sorry, too, Rayla. I know… well… you know, I know… this whole adventure has been… trying on you and it definitely wasn't right for the humans to do this to you." Callum apologised while Rayla smiled back.

"You know Callum," Rayla said thoughtfully, "I think this battle also began something. The first step to forgiving and letting go of the hate." She stated wisely gazing into the distance.

Callum also gazed out into the valley smiling contentedly.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"The Battle of Storm Spire was a major conflict in Human and Elf history. It was the battle that began the end. The end of conflict. The end of war. The end of hate. Interestingly, these endings all began something new. It began peace. It began friendships. But most importantly, it began forgiveness."

Yeah, okay, so that ending was a bit corny. But I did feel like it rounded the one shot out nicely. So, did you enjoy it? Were the characters OOC? Or was it crap? I welcome constructive criticism so if there is anything I could improve please let me know!

Requests are wide open! I do have some ideas to keep me going for a while but I'd like to hear from you guys! Also, I'm not going to update this regularly. I can't make any promises since this is just a one shot book but I'll try and update at least once a month (probably more tho).

Sayounara peeps!

SkyD12 ;D

(P.S - The title is after our Sore-bear's beautiful speech in Season 3, it gives me chills everytime I listen to it, so I thought it was an appropriate title to this fic that's gonna have a lot of personal garbage in it).