Author's Notes: I'm finally back! Thank you all for waiting with me as I was tried to finish sorting out my new Frostbitten Hearts Discord server! I'm mostly done now, so the next chapter shouldn't take nearly as long to come out. That being said, it would mean a lot to me if you decided to join my server. I'm there all the time, talking about writing advice, stories, my future plans for the series, and just hanging out. I have all the amazing fanart I received out on display, so come check it out! Members of my Discord also get exclusive sneak peeks into upcoming chapters before they're released online!

If you'd like to make my day, the server invite code is tjPHtYw

If you need more instructions on how to join, I left some on my profile here! As much as I'd love to just post an invite link, blocks it every time, so I'm doing the best I can. Thanks for reading, and enjoy Chapter 21!


- Chapter 21 -

Breeze.

The familiar name echoed around in Frostbite's head, repeating itself meaninglessly until he finally grasped what he heard. The world around him vanished like a candle snuffed out by a cloth as he sank deep into thought.

Breeze? But how? Nimbus told me she died a long time ago, but this can't just be a coincidence, can it? Copper said that Breeze always asked when she'd get to see Nimbus… and Canary said something about her too when she first took me to her dungeon. What if… what if she wasn't really killed by IceWings at all? What if it was all set up to look that way?

What if she's still alive?

"Oh, moons, Frostbite, are you alright?" Copper worried as she squeezed his claws even tighter, dragging him back to reality. "Platinum, I think you need to be more gentle! Look at how startled he is!"

"No, I'm ok," Frostbite insisted, though, he had to admit Platinum's prodding grew more unbearable by the second as he stared back into Copper's wide, sympathetic eyes. He found their surfaces to be abnormally reflective, as if she were about to cry. "It's just… Nimbus, my SkyWing father, he told me he had a sister named Breeze, and he said she died while she was young, but he wasn't there to see it happen… Do you… do you think your mother could be her?"

Copper tilted her eyes toward the flat ceiling and began curling her long tail around her leg.

"That's interesting… Do you know if she ever went by the name Gale? It was a pretty long time ago, but I think I remember my father calling my mother that a few times."

Frostbite's eyes shot open as his heart began pounding in his chest. The orange SkyWing turned down to stare at him as if she too felt his irregular heartbeat traveling through the tips of his talons.

"Yes! There's no doubt about it! Your mother is Nimbus' sister!" the excited IceWing cheered, straining himself to keep still as Platinum worked on his wing. "Wait a minute… If your mother and my father are siblings, then that must mean…"

Copper released his talons and placed her claws on his shoulders.

"We're cousins!"

"Oh, good, you're distracted," Platinum mused as, faster than a strike of lightning, he pulled on Frostbite's wing, raised it, then shoved it downward.

The crack that followed sent shivers running all throughout Frostbite's body, lifting the once dormant spines on his back. With an uneasy expression, he slowly turned his head around and spied Platinum nodding with satisfaction before stepping away from the table. His eyes quickly focused on his wing, resting at his side as if it had never been injured in the first place.

Although it felt completely numb, Frostbite tried to spread it. Sure enough, it unfolded without issue. He raised it up and down, receiving the appropriate response each time.

"Does… does this mean I can fly now?" Frostbite asked, longing to feel the wind beneath his wings once more.

"Well, you might want to wait until you feel better," Platinum instructed, unstrapping a few of the pouches on his chest and letting them fall to the floor.

"But I feel fine-" the young IceWing started before the force of a thousand boulders pushing from all directions weighed down on his wing. "Ooh."

"It'll be sore like that for a couple of days, at least. You're more than welcome to stay here with us while you recover," the tall IceWing continued as he peered over Frostbite's shoulder. "And judging by her expression, I'd say Copper agrees."

Frostbite straightened his neck and turned back to her, surprised by the small tears rolling off her snout and onto the floor. On her face, she wore a smile that could stretch from the Ice Kingdom to the rainforest.

"You… We… we're really related," she stuttered in awe, her voice shaking as if she could break out sobbing at any second. For a moment, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then moved her talons to trace the outline of his face. "I… I've only ever known my mother and father. I never wondered if I had any more family out there," she managed between sniffling. "I didn't think I could have anyone else."

Frostbite remained completely still as Copper continued studying him, trying to blink her tears away. He felt completely speechless, mesmerized by how his presence could have such an impact on her. Unsure of exactly what to do, Frostbite tilted his head and raised his wings, fighting the tenderness in his side. Copper accepted the gesture and wrapped her own wings around him, pressing their foreheads together. For a moment, her warm scales and teary eyes reminded him of Amber right after she found him in Canary's dungeon.

"This feels like one of those dreams I get all peppy about and Platinum has to calm me down afterward, but it's not, is it?" Copper wondered affectionately, finally gaining control over her breath. "Oh, I got just a little weepy, didn't I? My mother, Breeze… I love her very much, and she loves me too, but she's- she's somewhere else now, somewhere I still don't completely understand, but I hope she's happy. It's been seven years."

Frostbite forced himself deeper into the orange SkyWing's embrace, feeling her tail begin to curl around his, weaving through his spines. Although there was still so much he hadn't yet experienced, he understood exactly how she felt. He understood it all.

"My father, on the other talon- he hasn't been quite as kind to me. He never told me that he cared for me, or even let me try to hug him. He's… well, he's the reason I've been living with Platinum for a couple years- but I think that's enough about me. There are just so many things I want to ask you, I don't even know where to start!" Finally, Copper released Frostbite from her wings, though her eyes still stared at him as if he were worth his weight in gold. "I just can't believe it! I have a cousin; I have a family! Isn't that amazing, Platinum?"

"Definitely," Platinum agreed as he emptied his pouches on an empty shelf beneath SandWing's cage, pouring a rainbow of mysterious fruits that seemed as if they could only exist in fantasy. Carefully, the white IceWing held each one to his eye, thoroughly inspecting their colorful sheens before placing them in a line from the deepest crimson hue to the lightest violet tinge.

"You said you enjoyed living in the Sky Kingdom, right?" Copper pondered as she helped Frostbite off the table, then grabbed and carefully spread his wing over it. The firm slab's support sent a wave of ease rippling over the tenderness in his side.

"I've always wanted to go there, but only if I can take Platinum with me. He says it's too dangerous for him to go during the war, but aren't the Dragonets of Destiny supposed to end that soon? Oops, I started rambling on again, didn't I? I guess what I'm trying to say is: what brings you out here in the middle of the desert? I don't mean to make assumptions, but your wing gives me the impression that you didn't leave your home by choice."

"It's a long story," Frostbite explained as the warm-hearted SkyWing's ears perked with interest. "And a bit of a sad one, too."

"Oh, moons. Is it going to make me cry?" Copper asked as she grabbed a tan fur blanket from her bed and draped it over her shoulders before sitting down in front of him. "It's ok, I'd still like to hear it- I mean, if that's alright with you."

Frostbite nodded. After all, he had nothing else to do besides waiting for his wing to recover.

While the small IceWing began to tell his tale, he couldn't help but notice the blue RainWing sneaking glances at him from the other side of the room, small, green streaks slowly making their way across her scales. He wondered what her story was; he wondered how a dragon surrounded by the breathtaking fruits Platinum had shown him could end up in a wasteland without any water in sight. Still, he found comfort in her emerald-colored eyes, pondering if, maybe, her tale was just a bit like his own.

With the retelling of Platinum walking him to Possibility, Frostbite's monologue finally came to a close. With watery eyes, Copper stepped up beside him and silently spread a wing over his back, comforting him with her warm scales.

"So, you set out to find your family, right? I hope that by finding me, you feel just a little bit better," she spoke after a few moments of silence, her voice heavy with sorrow. "You're a really good storyteller, Frostbite. Platinum told me that the best scrolls are ones that make you feel all emotional. The moons know I am." She paused and turned her head down toward him. "I think Jade liked your story, too."

"Really?" Frostbite asked as he rested his head on the kind SkyWing's shoulder. Copper nodded.

"She likes to go lie in the garden on the roof once things warm up outside, but she stayed to listen to you."

Upon hearing the SkyWing's words, Jade promptly slithered off of the treasure chest and out the door, her tail moving like a snake stalking its prey. Frostbite's eyes followed her, dazzled by the way her scales glistened like sapphires in the sunlight.

"I suppose she was so entranced by you, she didn't notice either," Copper giggled, flicking her tail back and forth.

"You should write a scroll," Platinum suggested, stepping away from his collection of fruit. "I get the feeling literature will be popular again after the war."

"Yes! That sounds like a wonderful idea!" the orange SkyWing cheered. "Then, everyone could read it and know how evil Canary is!" She stared down at Frostbite expectantly, her eyes no longer filled with the tears they possessed just a few minutes earlier.

"I, um… don't know how to write. Or read, actually," the small IceWing informed them. Though he never had trouble admitting his illiteracy before, he felt shame in telling them the truth.

"That's alright," Copper insisted, lifting her wing off of him and turning toward Platinum. "I didn't know how to read until about a year ago, either. They offer free reading lessons at one of the libraries around here, though, most of the dragons that go are SkyLings and SandLings."

"'SkyLings?'" Frostbite asked.

"SkyWing dragonets," she clarified. "You know how when a dragon hatches they're called a 'hatchling?' I combined that with the first part of a tribe's name, so an IceWing dragonet would be called an 'IceLing.' Clever, isn't it?"

"Definitely," the young IceWing agreed, placing a talon on his chin. "I wonder why more dragons don't use that."

Copper shrugged, then stared longingly at Platinum's line of fruit, her eyes twinkling like stars.

"Hungry?" the pale IceWing questioned.

"Well, yes, but, I think Frostbite's a bit famished, too. He's been walking for days," she replied with concern.

"Go ahead and help yourself," Platinum offered, stepping away from the shelf. "Frostbite, do you have any preferences?"

"Wait, weren't you going to give those to the poor IceWing with amnesia?" Copper objected.

"I brought extras. Did you really think I'd fly all the way to the rainforest and not bring anything back for you and Jade?" he countered, a sly smile spreading slowly across his face.

"You're the best!" the orange SkyWing decided as she flung her arms around his neck. "I don't suppose you brought any- Oh, moons, you did!" Copper released Platinum from her embrace and placed her claws on a gigantic, green sphere with dark stripes laid across its surface.

"That's the biggest fruit I've ever seen!" Frostbite declared in awe. "What is it, exactly?"

"It's a watermelon," Copper informed him as she lifted the fruit and placed it on the table near his wing. "But it won't be for long if Platinum would like to give me a claw with this."

"It would be an honor," the thin IceWing teased. "But first, I need you two to get behind me. Frost breath, even if used on another IceWing, can easily be lethal."

"I think I know that better than anybody," the kind SkyWing snickered as she raised her claw and wriggled her talon-stump back and forth.

"What are you going to do?" Frostbite wondered as he inched his wing off of the table, wincing at the pain.

"He's going to make a Wintermelon," Copper squealed with excitement, gently pulling on Frostbite's talons, dragging him behind the tall IceWing. "Just watch, you're gonna love it."

"Alright, stay put," Platinum ordered as he placed his claws on both sides of the fruit and gave it a spin, prompting the watermelon to whirl around the center of the table. As Frostbite peeked over his shoulder, he noticed the dark green stripes merging together until the entire surface seemed discolored.

Suddenly, Platinum opened his jaws, taking a deep breath before engulfing the fruit within a cloud of pure, white frost.

"I hardly ever get to see him do that," Copper whispered as the air around them turned cold.

"I never thought about using my frost breath on food before," Frostbite stated, mesmerized by the sparkling mist. "I wonder what else it can be used for."

Before long, the icy shroud cleared, revealing the still-spinning fruit. The watermelon's once-green shell had been replaced with small shards of ice, coating it like the fur on a rabbit.

Platinum turned around and reached for a long blade on the highest shelf, then held its tanned leather hilt between his claws. The sword, reflective and silver in color, seemed much thinner than the one strapped to the pale IceWing's chest.

"Now this, this is unlike the sword I carry around- this can actually cut through scales," Platinum warned before bringing it down on the spiraling fruit, striking faster than a coiled cobra. "Though, it's much more proficient at slicing through fruit."

As the two pieces fell away, Platinum cut each half again, turning two slices into four.

"Whoa! How can it be so red on the inside if it's so green on the outside?" Frostbite questioned as he gazed at the frosted innards of the frozen watermelon. Copper turned to Platinum, who only shrugged his wings as he placed the long sword back on the shelf.

"I'm not sure," he admitted, grabbing two slices and placing them in his companions' talons. "It's always like that though, even when it isn't frozen."

As Frostbite held the large fruit in his claws, he couldn't help but notice how cold it felt, the unusual sensation numbing his talons.

This is even colder than snow. Is frost breath really that dangerous? Should… should I have tried using it on Canary?

"I hope you like it, Frostbite," Copper said with a relaxed smile, poking her snout on the fruit's chilled surface. "Platinum told me that IceWings like to eat frozen fruit all the time. I wish I could make my own Wintermelons like he can. To be honest… I sometimes wish that I was an IceWing too."

Frostbite paused and stared at her with disbelief.

"Really? But why would you want to be an IceWing when you could be a SkyWing instead? Erm, no offense, Platinum."

"No, I see what you're getting at," he assured him.

"It's just, SkyWings can be all these flashy colors from bright red to gold, and you've got those huge wings to fly around faster than any other tribe, and you have fire, which seems a lot more useful than frost."

Copper shook her head and placed a claw on his shoulder.

"Are you kidding?" she countered. "I mean, just look at you two! You've got all those quills on your heads, which are absolutely charming, and Frostbite, your eyes, they're just about the cutest little things I've ever seen! Not to mention your chilly scales and frost breath- they're nothing like anything else in Pyrrhia! It's like magic! Oh, and speaking of magic, IceWings have those glowing orbs and a wall that only lets IceWings get into the Ice Kingdom. It's so mysterious!"

"Magic wall?" Frostbite echoed, then turned to Platinum.

"Great Ice Cliff," he answered, flicking his tail once against the sandstone wall. "It stands at the border of the kingdom and kills anyone who tries to enter if they aren't an IceWing. It's nothing more than the product of unreasonable paranoia, if you ask me. Sure, it protects them during war, but it makes diplomacy about ten times harder than it already is."

Though he was completely immersed in learning more about other IceWings, Frostbite couldn't help but notice how Platinum referred to his own tribe as 'them.'

"Well, even if you think that's so, it's still nice to know we have a mutual respect for one another," Copper declared as she spread her enormous wings, forcing them all into a quick hug.

"Whelp, I should probably go deliver a slice to Jade before the Wintermelon thaws," Platinum decided, then untied a pouch from his chest and handed it to Frostbite. "I'm probably going to be up there for a while gathering herbs with her, so here's a few coins to go spend around the marketplace. Copper, I trust that you'll take good care of him." She nodded profusely. "Good. And, Frostbite? Try to relax for a while, ok? Forget about your worries for now- you'll heal faster that way."

With that, Platinum collected the remaining two pieces of fruit and headed toward the door.

"Platinum, wait," the warm-hearted SkyWing called after him. "You're going to eat your slice, right? I know shoving food down your throat isn't your favorite thing to do, but I worry about you sometimes."

"I will," he promised reluctantly.

"Alright, but you better show me the rind when we get back," she ordered, turning her head back to her IceWing cousin. "Oh, that reminds me, Frostbite- you're not supposed to eat the hard part, so please don't. I did once, and it gave me a really bad bellyache."

"Got it," Frostbite assured her as Platinum disappeared behind the camel hide covering the exit.

"Well, it looks like it's going to be just us for a while," Copper noted, flexing her talons. "What do you want to do first?"