Finding Peace: Winglets
Regrets of the Seer
So that was how it was supposed to end?
Trapped in the Dream World, one friend dead, another tormented, and her distant ancestor killing her.
In a way, Tempest found it funny. For centuries, her family had traveled across the continent, marry into a tribe, have dragonets who would eventually be full dragons of that tribe, search that region of Pyrrhia in the Dream World, before eventually moving on. Their goal? To find the spirit of Adder, the first of the Somnus bloodline, and help him move on into the next world.
Guided by the entity known only as Sirius, the duty of this search would be passed to dragonet who inherited their parent's magic and spend five years searching, before passing that duty onto their dragonet who inherited an active Somnus gene. That was how it had been for all of her ancestors. When she turned seven a few months ago, that duty had been passed to her.
And she had failed that mission. She had failed her ancestors, her grandmother, her father…and she had failed Peacemaker.
Drifting in an endless void, she thought of the peculiar hybrid dragon who had become one of her closest friends. A friend she cared about just as much as Ermine.
If she could cry, she would have broken into a pathetic mess of tears as she recalled her last moments, and the last time she saw every dragon who was important to her.
She was a failure: a failure of a Somnus, a failure of a daughter, and the failure of a friend…
You know that's not true.
Weakly, Tempest's eyes opened to see soft gray surroundings. One by one, she felt a sensation return to her body. First her head, then her neck, her wings, and tail then slowly, but surely, she gained more feeling to the rest of her body. Her talons and legs were the last to regain feeling when they did: she forced herself to her feet.
No longer did she feel the ever-present exhaustion and pain of mind rot hovering in her head as if her entire body was being stretched. Raising her talons to her face, she felt where Adder had brought his talons down…only to feel that her skull was completely fine. She felt the same nauseous sensation of the Mind Rot, but it wasn't spreading.
Sirius? She thought the name of the Dream World entity who had been with her family for centuries. Normally, whenever she wanted to talk to Sirius, all she needed to do was think of her name.
But no answer came. For the first time since she was two, she was met with silence. Anxiety slowly gripped Tempest as she looked around at her empty surroundings.
Sirius? Sirius are you there?! Tempest thought, loudly.
No answer.
"Sirius!" Tempest yelled. Tears welled up in her eyes as panic began to take control of her actions. "Sirius, where are you?! Please…d…don't leave me alone!"
There was no answer, the only answer she received was silence. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she fell to her knees.
As she did, she felt them press into something soft…a sensation that felt so familiar to her. It…felt like sand, from a beach.
Blinking, Tempest's despair shifted into shock as she looked down at the ground. Before her eyes, she watched the gray atmosphere morph and shift. Flat surfaces started to rise and dip, the color started to form before her eyes: slowly becoming an environment she had come to know for almost her entire life, a beach.
She saw white sands, palm trees, and the ocean surf lapping against the shoreline. Slowly but surely, she saw clear blue skies and more of the beach around her.
Blinking the tears from her aqua green eyes, Tempest looked around the beach some more until she noticed that, across the ocean to the north, she saw the distant landmass of Phyrria.
Just looking at the distant landmass, Tempest knew exactly where she stood: After all, it had been her favorite beach as a young dragonet.
Turning around, she looked towards the trees and was greeted with an opening in a forest where multiple wooden huts and longhouses were built further inland.
Confusion filled her mind. But that was overshadowed by relief.
There was no doubt in her mind where she was.
She was in a place she never thought she'd see again. It was an island directly south of Phyrria…Adderin
She was home.
The rational part of her mind told her she wasn't really home. That all she saw was nothing but an illusion. It wasn't real. It couldn't be.
But the feelings of familiarity and the excitement of seeing the beaches of Adderin and her village overwhelmed her. Her heart craved the security that was her home. She needed the security that these surroundings brought her.
Urged on by these desires, she walked through the palm trees and into the boundaries of the village. She walked past the huts of the families her parents knew and, by extension, the dragonets she had gone to school with before Jade Mountain. She remembered all of the times she would accompany her mother during visits to these houses and the surrounding establishments.
These thoughts always drew her back to the faint memories she had when she was only a few months old when her mother would carry Tempest in the scarf around her neck. She remembered the warmth of her mother's embrace and how she felt safe.
Her mother, Emerald, always worked hard. Always balancing her role as the leader of Adderin's political affairs and her home life. Whereas Surf would rarely be home when Tempest was very young, Emerald was almost always present and able to shower Tempest and her younger brothers with love.
Subconsciously, she wished her mother was here.
Even her father, regardless of his difficulties of showing outward affection.
She was alone here. At first, it didn't bother her as much, but the relief of seeing her home was quickly replaced with loneliness as she reached the market place of Adderin.
Located in the center of the village, the marketplace was never empty. It always had dragons coming and going. There was a saying among Tempest and other dragonets of Adderin: No matter where you went, the marketplace is always the place you will pass through to reach your destination.
Indeed, this is where everyone got food and other goods, not far from it was the community hall, and surrounding the market place were many homes. No matter what time of day, it was always cluttered with dragons going about their routines.
That's why, when she saw the Marketplace…Tempest felt unease rise into her chest.
The marketplace was bare and empty. Not a single dragon in sight, no one wandering the maze of stalls or dragonets chasing one another and laughing, no merchants from Adderin or the mainland declaring their stock to the crowd.
It was lifeless.
She was alone.
Closing her eyes, Tempest resisted the urge to cry. Even if she was alone, she wouldn't break down. She needed to be strong.
Strong for what, though? She was dead. Her life was, literally, over.
For a time, I thought so too.
The voice in her head returned, causing Tempest's eyes opened wide when she heard it. This time, it was clearer.
Was it Sirius? No…no it was different. Sirius' voice was energizing, lifting Tempest's spirits whenever she was down or felt alone.
This voice was warm. Like that of small embers in the middle of a blizzard. It was faint, but still there offering her warmth.
Looking around, Tempest searched the area. Hoping she could find someone, anyone, in this representation of her home.
That's when she saw her.
A NightWing, walking in the distance, making her through the pathways of the Marketplace.
Excitedly, Tempest got to her feet and raced after the NightWing.
"Wait!" Tempest shouted as she bound through the streets in an attempt to catch up to her. "Wait for me!"
As she left the market place, she came to a skidding halt as she entered streets that led towards the southern border of the village and towards the interior of the island where a thick forest covered the rest of the Island of Adderin.
She spotted the NightWing in the distance, slowly walking into the forest.
Swallowing nervously, Tempest continued to chase after the NightWing. All the while, ignoring the warnings her mother always told her about traveling too far into the Forests of Adderin.
"There are a lot of secrets in them," Emerald had warned her one night when Tempest was only two. "If you're not careful, you won't find your way home."
Now, however, she disregarded those warnings as she chased after the dragon through dense bushes and trees. Unlike the real Adderin, she did not hear the constant chirping of birds and chatter of animals. The forests in this version of her home were dead. Ideally, she would be afraid.
But she just wanted to find someone else, the idea of being alone here was frightening enough.
Eventually, she caught up with the NightWing as she approached a cave entrance within the darkest part of the forest. When the dragon had entered the opening, however, Tempest's eyes widened as she skid to a halt mere inches from the cave mouth. Panting, Tempest's nervously looked into the dark and damp cave.
She…she remembered this cave.
It's where her father, and other dragons who knew of his magic, always gathered.
It was The Deepest Cave…
A place that was forbidden for everyone other than Surf and dragons close to him. Why? She never knew. But even here, Tempest recalled her father's stern warnings to her about how the cave was dangerous and that he hoped she would never have to step inside. Ever. He never explained why, but when he did talk to her about the cave he always seemed uneasy.
For someone like Surf, who regularly kept his emotions in check, to seem even remotely fearful of anything disturbed Tempest. He was the strongest dragon she knew.
Why would the NightWing go in there?
Should she go in? No matter where she was, her father's warnings echoed through her mind. Perhaps, the NightWing went somewhere else? There was no way she could have…Or, she could wait until the dragon came out?
That's what she could do, wait…
Turning around, Tempest was ready to walk away from the cave.
Then the temperature dropped to the point she felt like she was in the middle of a blizzard. This became even more prevalent as she saw all of the trees surrounding her started to die. The leaves became an uncharacteristically brown color, wood rotting and the sky turning gray.
Ever so slowly, an unnatural gray mist started to engulf the forest and slowly spread to Tempest. As it grew closer, she felt her head grow light and her vision become disorientated. She even felt her body start to become heavy.
Just like it had been when she was trapped in the Dream World…
Without thinking, she spun and rushed for the Darkest Cave's entrance and entered the darkness…
'I can't let them be trapped here, I have to save them!' She thought. She felt the talons of Cliff and Peacemaker's around hers'. Looking at them, Tempest desperately thought of ways to get her friends out of the Dream World before it purged them.
There was only one way to wake them up…by transferring what was left of her aura, to them.
'You'll be trapped here,'Sirius' voice whispered in her mind.
'I know,' She thought quietly. 'But they're worth it…both of them.'
They were her friends. They and the rest of the Winglet knew her secret and never told anyone else. If her life had to be sacrificed for their survival, she would do it!
Deep down…she knew the odds of returning home was against her. There were regrets she had, such as not telling Ermine everything, or that she wouldn't be able to help Peacemaker after learning the truth behind his nightmares. But, they would be alive.
'Then…I will be with you. Until the darkness claims us.'
Closing her eyes, Tempest squeezed her talons around Peacemaker and Cliff's. The warmth of her protective aura started to recede, making her feel cold and numb. The warmth started to enter Peacemaker and Cliff, what little of her aura was left starting to protect them.
Opening her eyes, she saw her friends looking at her with wide eyes. Peacemaker was the more distressed of the two. He didn't know what was happening, but he was starting to realize something was happening as her aura started to fade, but his and Cliff's only grew brighter.
"Tempest?!" Peacemaker breathed panic slowly overtaking his voice. Suddenly, he reached out with both of his and grabbed hold of Tempest's talons that held him. Looking into his light blue eyes made Tempest's heart heavy, but only reinforced what she had to do. "What are you doing?"
Looking down at him, Tempest gave him the bravest look she could muster. After everything that he had learned, after hearing the distress in his voice when he learned he was connected to Darkstalker, the very dragon her family had searched centuries for, she knew that she had to be strong. For him. She couldn't waver.
"What I need to do," She answered.
The auras around her two friends became brighter, and ever so slowly Peacemaker and Cliff rose into the air above her. Despite this, their talons were still grabbing hers'. Peacemaker looked at her with panicked eyes while Cliff was stunned while he saw Tempest's aura diminish.
"Tempest?!" The panic in Peacemaker's voice was obvious now as he reached out for her and grabbed hold of her talons with both of his. This only broke her heart even more. "What are you doing?"
Swallowing a knot in her throat, Tempest answered with a sad smile. "The Dream World knows one of us used Animus magic. But it does not know who…it just wants something to purge."
Like an angry landlord wanting to punish an unruly tenant, the Dream World did not care who used magic not originating from its domain. In a state of rage, it would purge anything it felt was connected to it. In this case: it knew Tempest, despite being a Somnus, had been close to the source of Animus magic.
If she could distract it, then her friends could leave. They could live. Her father always preached to her to break the rules if it meant saving the lives of others.
She would do so now.
"No! No you're not staying!" Peacemaker yelled. "You're coming with us!"
It took everything she had to resist crying. She wanted to come with them…she wanted to wake up. She didn't want to hurt Peacemaker like this…but she would not leave him or Cliff to this face.
But she knew Peacemaker would not see reason, he would stay here with her if he wasn't forced to return home. That's why she looked to Cliff, who looked at her pleadingly. Their friendship had been strained ever since Peacemaker's condition worsened. However, Peacemaker's wellbeing was important to both of them.
"Cliff," Tempest said, looking up at the SkyWing Prince. "Do you remember what you told me?"
Cliff did. She knew he remembered what he had told her, about how he would do anything to keep Peacemaker safe. But at that moment, Tempest wondered if he would let her go to protect Peacemaker. It was that moment that she realized he cared about her too. He squeezed her talons with his to make that point clear.
Slowly, she squeezed his back, silently pleading with him to fulfill that promise.
In the end, his eyes closed in defeat, and he let go of her to grab hold of Peacemaker's talons. Ignoring his defiant cries, Cliff proceeded to pry Peacemaker's talons off of hers and wrap his arms around him in a tight embrace as the two started to float upwards.
Peacemaker's cries filled her ears as he violently thrashed in Cliff's embrace, desperate to reach her. It was at that moment, Tempest realized that this would be the last time she would see him.
There was so much she wanted to tell him…
She still had time…
Looking at Peacemaker before he left the Dream World, Tempest smiled up at him…and flashed her body's aquatic markings.
It was a short, simple message. One that her parents said were her first words in aquatic. One that she rarely had the chance to use with her parents.
It was a message she knew Peacemaker didn't understand, but one she wanted him to see.
I love you.
When her mind was finally her own again, Tempest wiped the tears away from her eyes as she wandered through the darkness of the cave. She wasn't sure where she was going, but anything was better than reliving that memory. She had been so sure that was the last time she would see her friends.
It would not be.
When she saw them again, she thought things would get better. She was reunited with her friends! Instead, things had gotten worse.
They tried to save her. They came into the Dream World, how she couldn't begin to guess and bring her back. But Adder knew they would come back for her. Somehow, he knew.
That's why he had saved her from being purged. He had intervened just before she had lost consciousness. While Sirius had desperately tried to keep her mind from falling apart by the Mind Rot setting in, Adder had moved her body to the Dream World version of the Night Kingdom.
She had been the bait…but she didn't have the strength to resist.
Now, because of her, Cliff was dead.
And Peacemaker was alone.
Her legs grew weak instantly, causing her to fall to the ground. A sob escaped her when she remembered when she had reached the beach shortly after Peacemaker had come out of the dark water…with no sight of Cliff. She hadn't seen Cliff's fate, but how Peacemaker had weakly gotten to his feet, the way his wings dropped to his side, confirmed her fears.
Then, she remembered when she last saw Peacemaker…before Adder had brought his talons down on her. His light blue eyes looking at her as he desperately crawled to her. The same blue eyes that always brought her ease.
All she could do in her final moments, was smile at him…a silent thanks, for letting her be in his life.
Grinding her teeth, Tempest slammed her talons into the ground in a futile attempt to expel the anger and sadness that gripped her heart.
"I'm sorry…" She sobbed. "I'm so sorry…I didn't want any of this to happen. I wanted…I wanted to help!"
Only the sound of her voice bouncing off against the darkness could be heard. Her sobs echoing back into her ears.
...pest…
…empest…!
Tempest!
There was an echo, something in the back of her mind. It was weak but still noticeable. Opening her eyes, she looked into the darkness.
Tempest…
It…it was her voice!
"Sirius?!" Tempest asked, her heart daring to hope. "Where are you?!"
There was no response. Yet, that didn't discourage her. She knew that she had heard the warmth of Sirius' voice. Sirius was somewhere, she just needed to find her!
Pushing herself to her feet, Tempest bound forward into the darkness. She didn't know what she would find. But if there was a chance she wasn't alone, then she would find Sirius. That's all she needed to do!
Wandering in the darkness for what felt like an eternity, that's when Tempest saw it: a green glint of light. A familiar light that she had known almost her entire life.
"Sirius…" Tempest said, bounding forward in a full sprint. "Sirius! I'm here!"
The more she ran, the brighter the light became to the point that it completely engulfed her.
Tempest was met with the familiar sound of ocean waves lashing out against a shoreline. Overhead, was the sound of seagulls squawking over the noise of the waves. These were noises that she was familiar with on Adderin, for a moment she thought she was back where she had begun. But as she looked out over the beach, Tempest was greeted with not only an unfamiliar beach but an even more unfamiliar setting.
Unlike the inland of Adderin where the island was a tropic setting or the varying biomes of Pyhrria: When Tempest looked inland and saw a savannah. The air was warm, but nowhere near as hot as the Sand Kingdom.
She had never been here before, but she knew of only one land filled with savannahs…
"P…Pantala?" Tempest whispered, recalling the stories her mother and father had told her of the western continent as well as the homeland of the LeafWings, HiveWings and SilkWings.
Why…was she here?
She had never been to Pantala in her life. Yet, here she was. This representation, or whatever it was, was so real…or was she actually on Pantala's coastline?
Walking across the beach, Tempest wondered while she tried to wrap her head around where she was…
"You walked right past me, you know?"
The voice originated to her right, causing Tempest's heart to almost burst out of her chest in fright. Spinning around, Tempest was greeted with a dragon sitting on a large stone that faced the ocean. The dragon stared down at her, giving her an amused look.
Calming herself down, Tempest placed her talons over her chest in an attempt to ease it's beat at the sudden appearance of the dragon.
"I'm sorry," The dragon said as she gave Tempest an apologetic smile. "I don't get many visitors here."
"It's fine," Tempest whispered as she regained composure and got a good look at the dragon…it was at that moment, that she recognized her.
She was a NightWing, the very NightWing Tempest had seen in the vision of Adderin…the one who had stepped into the Darkest Cave. A million questions filled her head: Such as, who was the dragon? What was she doing here? Where were they?
However, these questions were pushed aside when she got a closer look at the NightWing. Despite her amethyst colored eyes being different, she looked so familiar. Her black scales had a silver hue over them. When she looked at the NightWing's face, it felt like she was staring at someone she had met.
Going through her memories, she couldn't think of anyone she knew that looked like her. However, she slowly realized that a mutual friend of her's looked like this NightWing.
She looked almost like Moon. The exception was that this dragon looked a few years older, had different color eyes, and lacked the silver tear drop scales of a mind reader.
Walking up to her, Tempest sat on the sand below the stone and looked at the NightWing more closely. She almost looked like the spitting image of Moon.
But aside from that…she almost felt as if she knew this dragon, personally.
"Do I…know you?" Tempest asked, giving in to her curiosity.
The NightWing frowned as she looked up from a book that was resting on a part of the stone in front of her. In the end, she shook her head.
"Maybe," The NightWing answered, causing Tempest to feel even more confused. The NightWing smiled at her, those kind Amethyst eyes gazing into her aqua green ones. "But I do know who you are, Tempest."
"You…do?" Tempest asked, curiously. "Are you a spirit?"
Spirits and entities loved taking the form of dragons. Why this was the case, she didn't know. Her father and so many of their ancestors had come up with theories as to why but they were little more than guesses with no evidence behind them. Whenever she asked Sirius these questions, she never answered.
"Well, I would hope I am," The NightWing answered, flipping a page of her leather-bound book with her talons. After finding her desired page, she looked back at Tempest. "I hope I'm not bothering you…but would you mind sitting with me?"
Raising a brow, Tempest noticed her pat a spot on the stone.
"I have to find someone, a friend," Tempest responded. Looking at the beach, as if expecting to find Sirius in the distance. "She's here…somewhere…"
"I could help you find her if you would like?" She asked, dipping her talon in an inkwell, and started to write on an empty page. "I just need to write something down."
She had no idea whether it was a good idea to wait for her to finish writing. But she did not know what Pantala was like outside of her parents' stories about the continent. Perhaps it was best to explore the area with a dragon who knew it?
"Okay," Tempest said, climbing up the stone and sat beside her.
The two sat in silence. While sitting, Tempest listened to the ocean waves and felt the breeze brush against her scales. Smiling, Tempest closed her eyes. It felt so nice…to be near the ocean. She was a SeaWing, after all.
All the while, she heard the sound of the NightWing's talon scrawling across the parchment. Opening her eyes, Tempest looked through the corner of her eyes to see what the NightWing was writing.
She couldn't see much…but she managed to spot a single sentence.
And so Peacemaker no longer existed, only Darkstalker remained.
Blinking, Tempest's head snapped towards the book to get a better look. But as she did, she noticed that on the opposite side of the page where a wall of text was written, there was a picture.
The picture showed two dragons, one smaller than the other. Both were NightWings, struggling against each other. The tallest of the two glared at the smaller dragon, talons gripping his throat. The taller dragon, she did not recognize. However, the smallest one she recognized instantly.
"Peacemaker?!" She gasped, standing to her feet.
The taller dragon stood over Peacemaker, who looked up at the dragon with a frightened stare. Shaking her head, Tempest looked at the NightWing. Her green eyes were met with the calm gaze of the mysterious dragon.
"I'm sorry," She whispered. "This is what will happen." Slowly, her wing touched Tempest's shoulder, as if apologetically. "He will never change..."
She was stunned into silence when the NightWing said those words. Who was this dragon? How did she know Peacemaker, let alone his connection to Darkstalker? And what was she talking about him "Never changing." Peacemaker was the opposite of who Darkstalker was, no matter if the latter was Peacemaker's past life.
This NightWing acted as if she knew Peacemaker better than her.
She wanted to snap at the NightWing for saying such things, implying that Peacemaker was evil! But, when their eyes met, Tempest saw a glimpse of emotion cross through the strange dragon's eyes. In those deep amethyst colored eyes, Tempest saw sadness…and regret.
"I saw so many futures, tried to make Darkstalker into the best dragon I saw in those visions. But he never changed. He was always doomed to become evil." The NightWing answered, standing up from the stone perch and hopped down onto the sandy beach.
Visions? What…visions…
It dawned on Tempest at that instant who this dragon was. The NightWing had been the greatest seer Phyrria had ever known, with the skill to look into the future and see so many timelines. The NightWing who had influenced all of Pantala both in life and death.
She had been the lover of Darkstalker himself…
…and the dragon the Somnus bloodline had attempted to track down for many years in an attempt to find Adder's mind and spirit.
"I know you," Tempest whispered, hopping off the stone and trotting up to her, who had gone to the water's edge. "You're Clearsight…"
Without looking back at her, the seer nodded her head ever slowly.
"In life, yes," She answered. "Moons…it's been so long since I've heard that name spoken by someone else."
How she answered, made Tempest deflate when Clearsight implied where they were. She had already known the truth. Here she was, after all, talking to Clearsight, a dragon who has been dead for two thousand years. She had also felt the pain of Adder's strike, and the life leaving her body.
Yet…Tempest admitted she wished it wasn't true. She wished there was a way to return…
"I'm dead…aren't I?" Tempest asked.
"I suppose," Clearsight answered, stretching her wings for a moment before folding them against her side. "You are certainly close to death."
Tempest's head perked up at the answer. If she was close to death…then…that means she wasn't fully dead. There was a chance she was alive! Maybe, there was a chance to return to the Dream World and leave this place!
She could still find Peacemaker!
"Then, I need to find a way home," Tempest answered. "I need to find my friend."
"He's gone," Clearsight replied, turning back to Tempest with that sympathetic stare. It was like an adult dragon watching a dragonet struggling with a task that was easy for adults. "He kept tapping into Darkstalker's magic. In turn, Darkstalker was able to break the enchantment that confined him."
How Clearsight said all of this, made Tempest's blood run cold. She tried to process everything that was told to her. That Peacemaker, one of her closest friends, was gone and, in his place, the most dangerous Dragon in all of Phyrrian history had returned. The words almost made her collapse as her head started to feel light.
He couldn't be gone…Clearsight had to be either lying or was just wrong. There was no way that Peacemaker was…there…he wasn't…
"Damn it…" Tempest whispered, tears forming in her eyes. "Damn it!"
"I'm sorry," Clearsight answered, walking up beside her. She felt the NightWing drape one of her wings over her in an attempt to comfort her. "It was always going to happen. His mother and friends wanted to make him happy…but not even an enchantment can keep Darkstalker confined."
She didn't say anything nor acknowledge Clearsight's words. Instead, Tempest fought back against her tears. Silently, she mourned not just Peacemaker, but Cliff…she knew she had failed. But knowing Peacemaker was gone only cemented that failure.
"There's nothing you could have done," Clearsight said. "Even when you met him, Peacemaker was going to become Darkstalker. It was a matter of when not if…this was especially true when he enchanted Gull."
Images of Gull attacking her and Alligator flashed before her mind. She remembered how Gull had attacked her and broke Alligator's glasses. Most importantly: She remembered Peacemaker standing between them and Gull.
Looking back, she knew it was magic that Peacemaker had used to stop Gull. It sent him to the Ice Kingdom…yet, when Peacemaker realized this, he looked as if he viciously blamed himself. From this memory, she thought back to all of the times she had been with Peacemaker. How he always tried to contribute to their Winglet's conversations and do his part for everyone.
He was a wonderful dragon.
Even after she learned the truth, she still believed that.
He may have been Darkstalker, but he was still her friend.
But…if parts of Darkstalker broke through to Peacemaker, even if he had been created through an enchantment, then…was the opposite true? Could parts of Peacemaker be in Darkstalker?
She needed to find out.
She couldn't stay here.
Standing back to her feet, Tempest brushed Clearsight's wing away from her. The seer looked down at her, surprised.
"You think Peacemaker was going to become evil…because he defended us?" Tempest asked. "Because he dared to show aggression, you think that's a sign that he wasn't a real dragon?"
"It has nothing to do with him being "real" or not," Clearsight answered, regaining her composure. "The enchantment that created Peacemaker was always weak. Dragons with strong wills can weaken Animus enchantments over them. So, parts of Darkstalker were always bleeding into Peacemaker. Even in small traces."
"But how does Peacemaker not following the enchantment show that he will become evil?!" Tempest pressed. "Even if Darkstalker has returned, what makes you think Peacemaker hasn't influenced him?"
"Because I know who Darkstalker is!" Clearsight snapped for the briefest moment. Her once calm voice had been replaced with a tone that sounded like the cracking of a whip, quick but piercing, it even made Tempest flinch. Clearsight regained her composure before lowering her voice. "Tempest, I loved Darkstalker. I loved him with all of my heart. Even when I left Pyrrhia, even when I started a family on Pantala, I still thought about him. I still wonder what life would have been like if I could have made him into the dragon I loved in my visions, the one I kept telling him about."
Something about Clearsight's response caused Tempest to snap inside. It was as if a spark had just occurred in her mind and now her blood was boiling like a body of water that completely submerged a volcano. The Seer's answer was honest, she truly believed she loved Darkstalker. That was not put into question. It was apparent she truly wanted Darkstalker to become a good dragon.
But it was how she explained her love for Darkstalker that made Tempest start to simmer with anger. It all centered on the wording she used.
I still wonder what life would have been like if I could have made him into the dragon I loved in my visions, the one I kept telling him about.
"You only loved a dragon that did not exist," Tempest whispered, realization being replaced with anger as she looked up at the older dragon. "You mean you didn't love who Darkstalker was in the present?!"
On her part, Clearsight did not look offended at Tempest's accusation. Yet Tempest saw that the seer had to force herself not to react at her conclusion. She opened her mouth to respond to Tempest, but the young SeaWing did not allow her to speak.
Standing to her feet, Tempest took a step towards her.
"You were the greatest Seer of your generation, perhaps even in all of history! You saw so many timelines, both good and bad. That means you knew the dragon Darkstalker could become, both good and bad," Tempest said, glaring at the seer. "You said you revealed to him the dragon you saw in your vision! You didn't love the dragon in front of you!"
"You're wrong! I only tried to turn him onto a path I knew he would be good," Clearsight replied, defensively. "I warned him of all the evil he would do!"
"No, you compared him to possibilities," Tempest snapped. "Did you ever once show him your visions? Show him the good and the bad futures?"
"He was a mindreader," Clearsight said. "I couldn't let him see the visions, or else he could…"
"He could have," Tempest interrupted, turning away from Clearsight, her tail swishing in frustration. "You did not know for sure! Instead, you kept him in the dark: Saying what was wrong with him, but not offering him the chance to see the paths he was walking and where they led."
Reaching the shore's edge, right where the water lapped onto the sand, Tempest sat down, looking out at the sky. She tried to calm herself, to think clearly.
This was no excuse for Darkstalker's actions. He had done so much evil in his life, especially when he had returned when she was only a year old. His actions were his own, there was no way to excuse the lives he had taken and ruined in the years he was active.
However: Listening to Clearsight, hearing how she was so focused on the future and possible outcomes, it became clear to her that, for all of her skill in seeing the future and the lack of faith she put in Darkstalker, she had not done enough. She loved Darkstalker, but not enough to love the dragon in the present and instead had more love for a possible future. She reminded him constantly of his dark futures, but never how he should change and become a good dragon.
She believed he was unchangeable, that he would always be evil.
Now she extended this belief to Peacemaker. A belief that he would follow the same dark path as his past life. That there was no way he could redeem himself. She wanted Tempest to share in this doubt, to accept the futures that she saw.
Tempest would not do the same.
"You cannot see his futures," Clearsight finally replied, it sounded like she was getting closer. "You do not see the evil he will commit if he returns to the material world."
Turning back, Tempest glared at the Seer unrelentingly.
"You're right, I can't see the future," Tempest answered, walking back to Clearsight so she stood in front of her. "But after everything you've told me: I'm glad I can't. I don't want to live a life of looking at tomorrow and judging dragons based on those visions. Maybe Darkstalker will overtake Peacemaker, maybe the dragon I know…but I can't give up. If there is any hope that Peacemaker is left inside Darkstalker, I have to take it."
"You will fail," Clearsight whispered, slowly realizing that Tempest would not be swayed but still spoke in an attempt to stop her.
"If I do, then I know I've done all I can," Tempest said. "I can only live day by day, and love the dragon who exists, here and now."
After all of this, Clearsight's eyes looked down at the ground between them. The way she stared at the ground almost seemed like she was resigning herself to the fact that Tempest would not listen to her, that speaking to her was utterly useless.
Yet, she noticed the softest smile tug on the Seer's lips as she fully raised her head.
"Then, there is nothing left that to be said," Clearsight whispered, almost as if she was proud. Raising her talons, Clearsight grabbed Tempest's own talons and gently wrapped them around Tempest's. "I never wanted to admit it, not for many years after until after I left Pyhrria, but you are right…I had the chance to turn Darkstalker from his path. But my focus on the future prevented that."
Looking back up at her, Tempest's eyes widened as she saw that the Seer, who had once looked only a year or two older than Clearsight, had suddenly grown older by many decades as if time had suddenly realized an error and had desperately caught up with the present to rectify its error.
With her other talon, Clearsight grabbed hold of Tempest's last free talons and held them tightly.
"Save him," Clearsight's said, her voice sounding older and, to Tempest's disbelief, far wiser. "Do what I could not."
There was so much she wanted to ask, so much she wanted Clearsight to explain to her. But, deep down, she knew that Clearsight did not have the answers. Because only she had that power.
"I will," She answered. "I promise."
Then, she was gone. There was no flash of light, no crumbling into dust. Clearsight was just gone, leaving Tempest alone on the Pantalan beach. Alone again.
But, this time, she did not feel helpless.
No, this time she felt warmth in her chest. She felt hope.
She didn't know how she would return to the Dream World, but she would not stop until she found a way.
Not until she found Cliff and Peacemaker.
As her hope rekindled and her resolve strengthened, a glow of green light slowly entered her periphery. Blinking, Tempest looked to her left and spotted a small cave opening a yard down the beach. From within, she saw a faint green flash. The sight of the light made something within Tempest warm…and safe.
It was the same light she had come to know in her dreams ever since she was a dragonet.
Sirius?! Tempest thought loudly, a smile slowly tugging on her lips as her legs moved on a will of her own.
As she came closer, she felt the familiar warmth of the light grace her scales. Upon stepping into the cave, all of the darkness that would have been present was dispelled by the green light. Going deeper into the light, all she could see was the light itself.
Then, she saw it: A silhouette stepping closer to her.
Sirius…
Tempest, I thought I had lost you…I thought I failed you.
You…no…we haven't. Not yet. Can you take me back?
Now that we are reconnected, I can.
Please, take me back to the others.
One is waiting, his voice will guide us back.
When air entered her lungs, it felt like it had been the first time in centuries she had taken a breath. All of the wind entered her body like a wind storm, making her gasp loudly. She felt a pair of talons suddenly press onto her shoulders. A sense of terror gripped her when she realized what had happened before she had almost died, images of Adder's darkened form branding themselves in her brain.
"Tempest! Tempest, it's alright! You're alright!" Came a strong, reassuring, voice that she recognized.
As the voice registered in her ears, Tempest allowed her body to relax as her eyes opened widely and stare at its owner. She recognized the dark red scales of Cliff, the prince kneeling beside her, his golden-orange eyes staring at her with a mix of surprise and relief.
Slowly, her heart and breathing slowed to a regular pace as she regained composure. Slowly, her talons raised and touched the part of her skull where Adder had struck her. When her palm met her head, it was sore…but her skull was intact, she was alive!
She was back…
And Cliff…he was alive! He was here!
Reaching out with her wings, she wrapped them around her friend and hugged him in a tight embrace. Tears formed in her eyes and she allowed them to fall from her eyes as she let the reality settle in her mind that Cliff was here and alive!
"Cliff," She whispered, a sob choked her. "I thought we lost you…"
"I'm okay," Cliff answered, she felt one of his wings wrap around her awkwardly. "I'm here."
Even if they weren't as close with each other as each other was to Peacemaker when Tempest saw what happened to Cliff she had thought that he was gone forever. He was still her friend, and she felt she had failed in protecting him.
But he was here…that only left.
Pulling away from Cliff, she slowly rubbed her talons over her eyes and wiped the tears away. Once she could see clearly, she looked around for Peacemaker. Images of her conversation with Clearsight flashed before her mind while some of the words they exchanged echoed in her ears. But she hoped beyond hope that Darkstalker had not been freed.
But there was no sight of Peacemaker, nor Adder…it was just her and Cliff on the Dream World counterpart of the Night Kingdom's shoreline.
"Cliff," Tempest asked, looking at the SkyWing, her eyes now serious. "Where is Peacemaker?"
Her friend was silent for a moment, his eyes looking down at the ground between them.
"I only found you," He whispered. "I thought…no…you were dead." Looking back up at her, his eyes evident with worry. "But, I think I know where he might be."
"Show me," Tempest said, forcing herself to her feet as she resisted the fact they felt like rotten wood. Cliff quickly supported her by wrapping a wing around her and guiding her to the shoreline.
At first, Tempest was not sure what he was taking her to look at. All she could see was the sight of the ink-black water of the Dream World's ocean, an ocean that she had always been told led to the next world. Those he sank to deep supposedly would end up in the afterlife with no way to return.
However, as the two grew closer to the ocean side, Tempest saw that a white disc-like shape, that could not be seen from the side only from the top of bottom, was suspended over the black water. Finally, when they were close, Tempest felt Sirius jump within her heart as she looked through the disc.
It was like she was looking at a window. On her and Cliff's side was the darkness of the Dream World, while on the other side she could see nothing but a white void.
A door…to the Realm Between, Sirius' voice whispered in her mind. The realm where all magic originated.
The Realm Between? She recalled her grandmother speaking such a name once to her when she was younger. But she had never delved into much detail. All Tempest knew about was the Dream World and Waking World.
And where Peacemaker is, Tempest realized. Sirius did not answer, but her silence was all the confirmation she needed.
Peacemaker was in this realm, somewhere, with Adder no doubt.
"He's in there," Tempest said to Cliff, who stared down at "The Door" in front of them. Looking at the SkyWing, her green eyes met his orange ones. "I know what we need to do."
Cliff nodded at her.
"So do I," He answered. "We'll find him."
Looking back through the gateway to the Realm Between, Tempest stared into the white void. Somewhere, their friend, the dragon she loved, was inside. But the question was which dragon was in control: Peacemaker, or Darkstalker?
Regardless, they would find their friend.
When they did…
"Then: we go home, together."