Chapter 5

Moonrise and Ignis followed the dragon through the jungle.

"In here." the dragon said and entered into a tunnel.

Moonrise hesitated at first but then slowly entered the tunnel. As she entered through the other side, she saw a city in ruins.

"What is this place?" Moonrise asked.

"This was my home." the dragon asked.

"Is this the City of Anoani?" Moonrise asked.

"Yes. How do you know about it?" the dragon asked.

"I've read about it. In a book. It said it was destroyed by the Kingdom of Izar." Moonrise said.

"It was. By your father." the dragon asked.

Moonrise was taken back.

"By my father?" she asked.

"Yes. Your father, Shadow, was getting married to your mother before he betrayed us all and had his whole kingdom attack us." the dragon said.

"Wait. Are you saying that my mother married him first before marrying Nyx?" Moonrise said.

"Nova married again?" the dragon asked.

"Yes. She married my father, Nyx Ulric." Moonrise said.

The dragon sighed. "Looks like she didn't tell you."

"Tell me what?" Moonrise asked.

The dragon suddenly transformed into a human. He had white hair, light-blue eyes, had a light skin and is wearing all white. He looked like an angel from heaven except for the horns and tail.

"I am Silver, Nova's older brother and uncle." Silver said.

"I have an uncle?" Moonrise said.

"Yes. And I have a niece. Please, show me what you look like as a human." Silver said.

Moonrise turned her gaze towards Ignis with uncertainy. "Ignis?"

"He is your uncle and your kin." Ignis said softly. He said it so softly only Moonrise can hear him.

"But what if he isn't. What if he's just saying this and is here to trick us." Moonrise said.

"You can trust him, my love. I can trust him. Besides I have a feeling he can tell us of what happened here." Ignis said.

Moonrise stayed silent for a moment and then she looked back at him. "Okay." she said.

Ignis got off and Moonrise transformed into a human. She looked back up at Silver. Silver slowly walked towards her and slowly put his hand on her cheek.

"You have your mother's eyes." he said softly. He had tears in his eyes. "You look just like her."

Moonrise smiled and she hugged Silver, tears falling. Silver hugged her back, relieved that he found someone from his family.

Ignis smiled, a single tear rolling down. Though he couldn't see them, he can see them in his mind, the happiness in their faces.

"So, how was Nova like?" Silver asked after their emotional reunion.

"She was caring, gentle, kind, fun, she even taught me a sly trick like," Moonrise held up her tail and had a small silver bracelet hanging.

Silver looked at his wrist and back at her. He chuckled. "Yep. That's Nova." he said. Moonrise handed back his bracelet.

"So, how was your father?" Silver asked.

"My father? Nyx Ulric? He was kind, stubborn, tends to not follow orders but he took care of us. He didn't even mind that my mother and I were part dragon." Moonrise said.

"I'm actually glad you had him instead of Shadow." Silver said.

"Silver. What happened here? Who was Shadow?" Moonrise asked. Ignis was at her side.

"Nova and Shadow were supposed to get married so the kingdoms of Anoani and Izar can be peace. Nova was a lowborn but Shadow was born royalty." Silver explained.

"He was born royalty?" Moonrise asked.

"But then, that would mean..." Ignis trailed off. He didn't want to get to that conclusion yet. Not without any further information.

"Thing is, Nova and Shadow were in love months before the wedding. So when that day arrived, I was shocked."

"What happened?" Moonrise asked. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like the rest of the story. Ignis had both his hands on her shoulders, comforting her.

"He betrayed us. He ordered his kingdom to kill us all. He was about to kill your mother when I jumped in. I fought him off while your mother escaped. I told her to fly away from here."

"I tried to fight off as many as I could but it was too late. Every Leora dragon was dead. Our whole kind, our family, gone." Silver finished.

Moonrise looked at him in silence, nothing to say.

"I looked for survivors and I feared that Nova was dead but now that you're here, I know she survived." Silver said.

"She did survive but she died, along with my father." Moonrise said.

"My love, if you don't mind, when were you born?" Ignis asked.

"Ignis, we are in the middle of this and you bring this up now?" Moonrise said.

"Just hear me out, my love. If Nova was pregnant with you before she arrived in Insomnia, that would mean you have royal blood inside you." Ignis said.

"What?" Moonrise asked.

"Wait. I think he's right. I remember your mother saying that she had a feeling she was going to have a daughter and that was days away before the wedding." Silver said.

"But...That can't be possible." Moonrise said, backing away from them.

"It is. You have royal blood, Moonrise." Silver confirmed.

"But...that would mean..." Moonrise trailed off.

"That you are the heir of the Kingdom of Izar." Silver said.

"And Lucis." Ignis put in.

Moonrise looked at both of them in silence, distraught.

"My love, the past does not matter anymore. It's the future that matters. Our future matters." Ignis said, holding both her hands.

She looked up at him. "I'm sorry Ignis. I can't. I can't rule Insomnia." she said. She slowly took her hands out of Ignis' hold. "I'm not the Queen you thought I was."

"My love." Ignis started but the sharpness of Moonrise's voice stopped him from going any further.

"No. Please Ignis. Just leave me alone." Moonrise said. She walked away from them.

Ignis stood in silence.

"It's okay Ignis. She needs some time to think about this. Hearing the truth can take a toll on someone." Silver said.

"I know." Ignis said.