~Ninety years later~
"And that's that last time I saw him." Peacemaker ended. He looked at his granddragonets, Nighthunter and Moonlistener, both were crying despite hearing this story many times.
"Peacy! Are you telling the dragonets that stupid story of your imaginary friend again?" Truthspeaker said. Peacemaker put his talon up to his face and shushed the dragonets.
"No!..." Peacemaker lied. He then got up from his chair and felt his back crack a bit. Peacemaker groaned in pain and walked over to the small workshop area, where Truthspeaker was.
"Come on, honey. The dragonets love it." Peacemaker says. Truthspeaker sighed and looked at Peacemaker playfully, her winkles showing through more when she smiled.
"Yeah but your 'friend' was a terrible dragon. Probably just heard the name from Hope or something and made him up." Truthspeaker said. Peacemaker sighed, it probably was just an imaginary friend anyways. It was ridiculous to think that he actually used to be Darkstalker, or whatever his name was. Besides, he'd never come back after that night. Peacemaker shook off the thought and kissed Truthspeaker on the cheek.
"Got any.. Strawberries?" he asked playfully. Truthspeaker laughed and grabbed a small bowl full of ripe and beautifal strawberries.
"Here you go, you old coot." she giggled. Peacemaker walked over to his hammock and lied down in it. He ate away at the strawberries while watching Nighthunter and Moonlistener playfight. Peacemaker laughed to himself before breaking out into another coughing fit. Truthspeaker looked at Peacemaker and sighed.
"You know, you're on your last legs too!" Peacemaker said and then laughed dryly. He finished off his bowl of strawberries and stretched his wings, revealing a rainbow pattern on them.
"I'll just head to bed now, don't feel that well." Peacemaker said.
"Sweet dreams!" wished Truthspeaker and Peacemaker rolled on his side and drifted off to sleep.
Peacemaker awoke in the Rainforest Kingdom with Truthspeaker. Truthspeaker was in her shop making a small golden ring for Peacemaker while he went out on a walk. Peacemaker in his dream felt much more young and flexible, to the point where he was able to fly without throwing out his wings. Peacemaker sat down in a small play area for dragonets and began to pluck the grass. Suddenly, the grass floor began to give way. The earth itself shook with a violent rumble and Peacemaker struggled to stand up. He tried to fly away but his wings wouldn't open. Peacemaker screamed in fear as he fell into the earth. It took a second or two before Peacemaker was engulfed in the darkness. He looked around, terrified.
"Hello? Is somebody here?" he asked to the darkness. All around him was pitch black. No walls, no ceiling, Peacemaker wasn't even sure if there was a floor.
Suddenly, a low voice spoke.
"I am."
Peacemaker looked in the direction of the voice. All he could see was nothing, except for a moving shadow.
"Who's there?" he demanded.
"You've changed quite a bit since the last I saw you.."
"Wait a minute.." Peacemaker said. He recognized the voice. The familiar low rumbly voice from his early days of dragonethood.
"Darkstalker?" he asked. The shadow emerged from the black void and a NightWing nearly a third the size of Peacemaker came out.
"I forgot about how big you'd get." Darkstalker said with a smile on his face. Peacemaker felt floored.
"After all of these years, NOW you decide to reappear?" Peacemaker said, running over to hug Darkstalker. "I missed you so much!"
"Woah, I thought you hated me!" Darkstalker said. Peacemaker shook his head in disbelief.
"I never hated you! Sure, you're were genocidal killer and all, but you were so fun to hang out with!" Peacemaker said.
"Thanks for the compliment." Darkstalker said jokingly.
"Now... Why have you decided to come out now?" Peacemaker asked. Darkstalker shuffled his talons a bit.
"Well... You know how you've been sick for the past few weeks?" he began. Peacemaker felt a pang in his heart.
"Don't tell me I'm going to die--"
"Yeah, you're going to die." he answered. Peacemaker sat down and stared at the black floor.
"I-- I need to get back! I need to tell Truthspeaker, Starfinder, Nighthunter and Moonlistener, everybody! I need to say my goodbyes and--"
"I don't make the rules," Darkstalker said sadly. "At least we could.. Talk for a bit before we head off."
"I'm sorry... 'We'?" Peacemaker questioned.
"If you die, where would I go? I'd either just stay in this void forever, or come with you to... Wherever you go when you die." Darkstalker said. Peacemaker looked behind him and saw a dull white light in the darkness.
"Hey, not yet. I want to talk for a bit first." Darkstalker said, snapping Peacemaker out of the light's trance.
"What do you want to talk about?"
"I don't know... Maybe about those older days? When we both just played for hours and Foeslayer wouldn't ever care."
"Foeslayer?" Peacemaker asked.
"Your mother?... You don't know your own mother's name or something?" Darkstalker joked.
"Her name is Hope. Foeslayer was Darkstalker's mother--" Peacemaker cut himself off.
"Finally realized it? Yeah, I'm not an imaginary friend, Peacemaker. Sorry to tell you that." Darkstalker said a bit agressivly.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't really know what else you were. It was too weird to think you were me, I guess." Peacemaker explained.
"It's alright, I can barely believe it myself." Darkstalker laughed.
"Where have you been for the past ninety years?" Peacemaker asked. This one question bothered him a lot for years.
"In here. I just... Came into your imagination and... This is where I've been. I didn't want to bother you anymore. You didn't deserve to have some two thousand year old killer follow you around and play with you." Darkstalker said, looking at his talons. Peacemaker put his wing around Darkstalker and pulled him closer.
"You didn't have to do that. Maybe you could've then used me as a... Vessel or something to spew apologies to the dragons you wanted to apologize to." Peacemaker smirked. Peacemaker looked in the corner of his eye and saw the white light growing more and more.
"I didn't want you to be more engrossed in my life. You shouldn't have to be used as a way for the worst dragon ever to tell everybody that they're 'sorry'. Nobody would believe you anyways." Darkstalker said.
"But do you feel guilty for everything you've done?"
"Yes..."
Peacemaker and Darkstalker looked at each other and smiled. Peacemaker could feel his wing scales turn pink and yellow. Both dragons turned around and held each other's talons as they walked towards the light.
"I find it funny. I tried so hard to avoid this very fate, and yet I'm walking towards it fearless." Darkstalker said with tears in his eyes. As Peacemaker walked closer, still images of his life flashed before his very eyes. His first words, his first strawberry, playing with Darkstalker, meeting Truthspeaker, having dragonets, meeting his great dragonets, all of it. He looked at Darkstalker, who most likely also saw his life before his eyes.
"I'll miss you buddy." Peacemaker said with a silvery teardrop falling down his face.
"You too." Darkstalker said as both dragons were completely engulfed in the white light.
~End~