Dragons Change

AN: When was the last time I was able to get a chapter out in two weeks? I think it was like chapter 17 or something like that, so I'm kind of happy I was able to get it out so quickly.

This is kind of a sad one most of the way through, so if you want to play some sad music I would recommend either Sounds of the Shire or Mass Effect Emotional Suite Version 3. You can use whatever, though. These are just suggestions.

And by the reviews I got on my last question at the end of last chapter, I deduced a few reasons why this story is so popular. First is the uniqueness of the story and the worldbuilding I've done. I can understand that. I like long stories just like everyone else, but if the story is too shallow it just kind of ruins things a bit.

Second, the way I right characters and their interactions with each other. I can definitely see this one. Dialogue is my greatest strength, and I like to think the way I write makes the emotions of all the characters shine through. I tend to write characters a bit more emotional than they usually would be while still making everything believable.

Third, the grammar. And with that, we are of the same mind. Reading a story with terrible grammar is just mind-bendingly difficult. It's the reason why I make sure mine are as error-free as possible.

Thanks for the reviews I got from my question. They've really shed some light on everything, and it made me feel good. :D

And once again, I also want to remind everyone (again for the second time) that there's a poll on my profile for which Dragons Change universe story you want next. If you have a spare twenty seconds to vote, it would be much appreciated.

Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire. My OCs Aurora and the Spirits, Flint, and Faredir belong to me. Cover art for the story belongs to beyzul on deviantart.

Chapter 32:

As soon as he heard the shield shatter, time seemed to slow. It was true what they said: your life really does flash in front of your eyes. His younger years were horrible, and the time after he left Jade Mountain hadn't been much better. But then things slowly started to turn around. He met Flint and started the Sanctuary with him. Years passed: years, maybe not of happiness, but rather of contentment. Then his next great adventure started with Moon showing up on his doorstep. Despite all the bad things that had happened both to him and others, this war had given him the chance to reconnect with old friends and to make new ones: Moon, Turtle, Kinkajou, Cataclsym, Ruby, Glory, Deathbringer, Blaze, Aurora, Shade, and many, many more. He was able to reconnect with his brother, and he finally found a caring father in the most unexpected of dragons: Faredir. Now that he and Moon had finally decided to be together, it almost felt as if things couldn't get any better because for the first time in his life…he was happy.

But that was a moot point now, he supposed. He didn't fear death now that he knew what waited for him on the other side, but he wished he could've done something more. He closed his eyes and braced for impact and the sheer agony that was sure to follow.

…

But it never came.

There was a shriek of rage and pain, but it hadn't come from him. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Faredir was fine, too. He turned back to face his enemies to see that the beam had terminated at the threshold of the statue's shadow and had somehow teleported underneath Stratos, breaking his concentration and causing the projection of Urfael to disappear. The crystal dropped to the ground and the beam disappeared, letting Stratos recover.

Winter had absolutely no idea what just happened, but he was thankful to whoever or whatever had just saved them. Stratos shook his head to clear it and growled, looking around for…something. Then his eyes went wide and things suddenly started to make sense when a familiar and welcome friend appeared behind Stratos. "Are you ever going to not fall for that?" Shade taunted the enraged Skywing. Stratos whirled around just in time to fall through his own shadow, and Shade chuckled. "Guess not."

The Nightwing Spirit turned to him and nodded, letting him know without words that it was over. Winter could have wept in sheer relief at that moment, but he settled for giving Shade a well-deserved hug. Or at least he would've, but he had forgotten he couldn't touch Spirits anymore now that he had the anchor and promptly fell to the ground with a groan. "Ow…" he muttered while Shade snickered in amusement. "I forgot I couldn't touch you anymore." He stood and dusted himself off. "How did you know we were in trouble?" he decided to ask.

"He can see the future," Faredir answered. "He probably knew this was going to happen in the first place," he accused, and Shade nodded. "Now can someone give me a claw, this is actually starting to hurt," he gestured to the piece of statue impaling his arm with his other claw.

"Right, sorry," Winter apologized as he moved to assist him. He enlisted the aid of a few nearby Skywing guards, and together they were able to lift Faredir off the ground enough to pull his arm off of the spike. Once he was back on the ground, Faredir ordered the Skywings to find some medical supplies, which confused Winter. Usually, his wounds healed on their own, but now that he was looking, this one wasn't. "Your wound isn't healing," he pointed out.

Instead of answering right away, Faredir glared at Shade. The Nightwing Spirit shook his head. "I won't tell anyone, I swear."

Before he could ask what he meant, Faredir answered. "He…took my magic from me," he confessed, shame marring his expression. "Now I'm no different than any mortal." He chuckled mirthlessly, his uncertainty and slight fear tinging his voice slightly. "I don't even know if I'm still immortal or not…"

Winter gazed at him sympathetically for a moment before turning back to Shade. "What do we do now?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeless.

"We go to Jade Mountain," Faredir answered instead. "My most loyal lieutenant is there. We'll be safe there...or as safe as we can be, I suppose." He added the last bit uncertainly, as if he wasn't sure what to do anymore. He would talk with his father later, but right now he needed to find Moon, Flint, and Hailstorm to tell them the news of where they were headed.

Surprisingly, the thought of returning to Jade Mountain didn't spook him as bad as it did last time. If Faredir said they would be safe there, he trusted him…even if his father no longer trusted himself. "Thanks for saving our tails, Shade. You think you could help me round up the others?"

Shade nodded an affirmative, but to his confusion, he didn't leave quite yet. Rather, he held out a claw as if waiting for a talon-shake. Not knowing where this was headed, Winter grasped his talon, only for the Nightwing Spirit to pull him closer and whisper in his ear. "You need to remember the past, Winter."

He felt a claw on his chest-plate, and when he looked down, Shade had touched the anchor. The wave of light signaling his transformation from Spirit to mortal was already spreading rapidly up his arm. Within minutes, it was complete, and Shade—now mortal like Aurora—smiled at him. He was quite handsome—no surprise there—and as he studied him, Winter realized he looked a bit like an older version of Deathbringer just with the silver teardrop scales that labeled him as a mind-reader.

With that, he walked off, and Winter was left standing there in confusion as he watched him casually stroll down the destroyed streets. "What was that about?" he wondered aloud.

"Who knows?" Faredir commented as a medical dragon dressed his arm. He was still in his natural form, and if he couldn't heal his wound, he doubted it was safe to change forms without causing more harm than good. Maybe he would ask later to confirm his theory. "But I've learned that Shade never does anything without a reason. No doubt we'll figure out why in the near future. Done?" he asked the medic, who nodded and left, though not before warning him to keep weight off of it for a while. "Come on. Let's go find your friends." As he walked towards the south gate, he kept his injured left leg raised, so he was only walking on three legs.

As Winter walked behind him, he noticed that Faredir was being unusually quiet. Well, he wasn't one for idle conversation, anyways, but this wasn't his normal silence. This felt more…tense and uneasy—like he was upset about something. That thought lead to another.

He had been mere seconds away from dying. They both had. And that fact was quickly starting to catch up to him. He hadn't been afraid, yet he had given up all the same. It actually scared him how he had accepted such a fate without even trying to think of a way to save them.

And that was only a projection of Urfael, but it was still able to overwhelm his shield without much effort. It made him wonder how much stronger Urfael would be when he returned. It was…terrifying to know that he was the only thing that stood between him and his goal of enslaving Pyrrhia. Adding Stratos to that, and he was sorely at a disadvantage.

He observed the damage from the fight as they continued to walk. It seemed the area closer to the gate was relatively undamaged, so that must mean that the majority of the damage was limited to the markets and the palace. "Ruby is not going to be happy about this," he mumbled to himself. If Faredir heard him, he didn't reply.

Instead, as they passed through the gates and headed to the tree line, Winter realized something. He hadn't actually told Faredir that he was supposed to meet up with everyone at the river, but that was the way they were headed. How did Faredir know where to go? Or if he didn't, why was he going this way instead of searching the city?

He got his answer once they were within the trees, and for once, Winter wished that question had remained unanswered. Faredir stopped walking and braced his good arm against a tree as he released a shuddering breath. His concern mounting, Winter whispered a soft, "Dad?"

In response, Faredir turned around and grabbed Winter in a tight, desperate hug as if he was scared the Icewing would suddenly disappear. He felt the larger dragon's neck and head wrap around and rest against the back of his shoulder. And then something happened that shook Winter more than he cared to admit.

Faredir started crying.

He had seen his father shed a few tears now and then, but they were always silent, and he always kept himself composed. This time, however, he openly wept, his body shaking with his ragged breaths. "In all my years, I have never felt so helpless," he began once he had calmed a bit, his voice surprisingly steady despite his emotional breakdown. "I—I couldn't do anything to protect you…" It came out as a whisper, but Winter could hear the emotion in his voice after that sentence. And with everything that's happened, it finally made sense. Faredir had been terrified—not for himself, but of losing Winter.

He was terrified of losing his son.

"And now, with my magic gone, I won't be able to anymore." His voice started getting more emotional as his good claw came up to rest on the back of his head. "I'm sorry I brought this upon you, my son. I'm sorry that you must carry this burden alone." He bit back a sob as he continued once more. "I'm s-sorry for e-everything!"

Winter felt his own tears beginning to fall as his father continued to hold onto him like a lifeline. "It's okay, dad," he whispered. "As long as I have my friends and family with me, I'll never be alone." He buried himself within his father's embrace and closed his eyes. "I love you, dad."

Faredir's grip on him tightened a bit more. "I love you, too, son."

A week ago, when Faredir first told him who he was, Winter hadn't really cared. He had declined that first offer because he truly hadn't believed Faredir could be the father he always wanted and needed. But in that time, he had seen a side of this dragon no one else had, and his opinion had rapidly shifted. He may not be the best dragon, but underneath his gruff exterior and his past mistakes, Faredir had a good heart—something Flint had inherited from him. Which is why he hadn't needed to force those words, nor did he feel weird about saying them. He meant them.

Because this was his dad…and he loved him.

Eventually Faredir released him and cleared his throat a bit awkwardly. "Sorry about that. I just…"

"You don't have to explain," Winter reassured him. "Sometimes things just get to be too much. I understand that better than most." Faredir nodded thankfully but didn't say anything else. Winter could tell he was embarrassed for breaking down like that even if he wasn't being too obvious about it. Changing the subject to get his mind off of it, Winter gestured deeper into the woods. "I told Flint and Moon to meet up at the river, so that's where we should check first."

Faredir nodded once again and gestured for him to lead the way. Winter kept to the ground as his chest was hurting to bad to use his wings, and even then he was walking with a rather heavy limp. It took about an hour to fly to the source of the Diamond Spray River, but on foot it took much longer—almost a full day's walk. Which is why he was more than a little surprised to suddenly appear right next to it after about five steps. "I do so love shadowgates," a familiar voice said from the shade of a nearby tree. Shade was lying down with his eyes closed, but he opened them and raised his head when he spoke. "They make long journeys so much faster, wouldn't you agree?"

Winter snickered in amusement. "They're definitely useful," he agreed.

"Until you're on the other side of them," Faredir commented, suddenly appearing behind him. "Then, they're furiously annoying." Shade chuckled at that but didn't respond.

Flint walked out of the trees next, followed by Moon. Hailstorm and Horus came last, and while they were all rather surprised at the sudden change in scenery, Horus was a bit more surprised than the others. Understandable, given that this was probably his first experience with any of the Spirits—even if the Spirit in question was mortal now.

Moon was quick to return to his side, though he kept his thoughts away from what almost happened. He would tell her later, but for now it was best not to dwell on it. Flint and Hailstorm were both glad he was safe, but they stayed away from the other. It seemed what happened hadn't been forgiven yet. As for Horus, he stayed away from everyone with an expression that made it abundantly clear he wasn't exactly happy right now.

Faredir just stood off to the side observing everything, and Winter decided to leave him be for now. He obviously had a lot on his mind, and he probably needed some time to come to terms with what happened in the city.

As for Shade, the Nightwing was making himself comfortable in the soft grass underneath his tree, having sprawled himself out on his back with a happy smile. It must have been exciting to experience so many new sensations like smell and touch, especially since he had been alive for so long yet had never experienced any of these things. Winter decided to leave him be for now, too. He had saved both his and Faredir's tails, so he deserved a small break to enjoy the simple things.

Winter told the others of the plan to go to Jade Mountain, and they seemed to accept that easily. Moon was worried about how he felt to go back, but he assured her that he was fine. They decided to follow Shade's example and take a short break, too. Hailstorm tentatively approached Horus, and though the Skywing let him near, he didn't pay much attention to him. Flint, Moon, and he simply talked where they were. He confessed that his chest was killing him—figuratively speaking—right now, but he could push on for a bit longer if necessary. Moon, of course, admonished him for pushing himself so hard while he was injured, so he briefly wondered how she would react when he told her he almost died.

"YOU ALMOST DIED!?" she shrieked.

…oops

"…Yeah," he confessed hesitantly. It was clear she wanted to hear the whole story, and just as he was about to tell her that he would share the story later, both Flint and Hailstorm agreed that they also wanted to hear it. So he told them.

The color seemed to drain from Flint's face when he heard that they had encountered Urfael while Moon and Hailstorm reacted in much the same way Faredir had. They realized just how dangerous He was, so they were just glad he had made it through such an ordeal alive. That, in turn, lead to them profusely thanking Shade for his timely intervention, and he just nodded back with a smile saying, "Well, what are friends for?"

Hailstorm had a question when he calmed down, and Winter had to admit that it was a good one. "What's to stop Stratos from just teleporting to where we are like I've seen the other Spirits do?"

"Same reason I can't teleport," Faredir replied, gesturing with his head over at the Nightwing.

"Those who wield Dark Magic can't teleport like the Spirits can. Since Spirits are spirits, we can journey between realms with ease. Dark Magic users become physical entities, making it impossible to simply pop over to a new location. It's the same reason why Aurora and I can no longer teleport between places, either. We're mortal," he explained. "Of course, I still have my shadowgates, so that doesn't really stop me."

Hailstorm nodded, satisfied with the answer. And it did make sense, he had never seen Faredir teleport like the Spirits could, and Shade hadn't disappeared yet like he usually did. Though, speaking of teleporting, they had been idle long enough. "We're ready to leave when you are, Shade," he addressed the Nightwing.

He hummed in amusement but didn't move to get up. "If by that you mean you want me to teleport the lot of you to Jade Mountain…" He shrugged. "Can't do it."

"What?" Winter asked, confused. "Why?"

Shade didn't answer, and Faredir scoffed. "Don't hold your breath waiting for an answer," he said. "He's not going to tell you his reasons, so just humor him." He looked around at the area and nodded. "Might as well make camp here. We can continue on tomorrow."

Nobody argued against his suggestion, so everyone decided to get everything ready for tonight. And by everyone, he meant Flint, Hailstorm, and Horus, surprisingly. He had offered to help, but Flint, Hailstorm, and Moon had insisted he take it easy for now. Faredir hadn't offered, nor had anyone asked him for help since he could barely walk right now.

Flint went and gathered some firewood, while Horus and Hailstorm split up in two different directions to go hunt for some food for the lot of them. Moon tucked herself into his side and kept him company while they watched Shade's first attempts at swimming. It was absolutely hilarious watching him do stuff with dragonet-like excitement, and it kept them entertained for literal hours. Since Flint had only been gone for around twenty minutes, he got to watch most of the show with them, too.

All good things must end, unfortunately, and Shade finally wore himself out just after Horus and Hailstorm returned with their meal. He was splayed out like a starfish on one side of the fire, tongue lolling out of his mouth and everything. "It's kind of funny how someone so old can act like such a dragonet," Moon commented with a giggle.

Shade chuckled. "I don't really care how silly I look. I'm having fun!"

"We could tell," Winter said with a grin. "Hungry yet?"

"Starving!" was his emphatic reply. His stomach rumbled loudly in agreement. "I can't wait to eat my first meal!"

Said meal consisted of four deer—which really wasn't much considering how many dragons were here and that one of them was a Mudwing. "It's not anything special," Hailstorm commented. "I say you haven't had food until you've tried his food," he said, motioning to Horus with his head. The Skywing huffed in annoyance and didn't respond other than to turn away and lay his head down, making it clear he wasn't interested in talking.

Winter had to admit that he wasn't a big fan of this Skywing. Maybe he used to be different, but now he was just cold and distant. He honestly believed Hailstorm would be better off finding someone else, but it wasn't his place to interfere. All he could do was be there for him when the Skywing inevitably broke his heart again.

The meal passed in relative silence, and afterwards, the silence lingered. Both Horus and Faredir were largely ignoring everybody. Flint and Hailstorm were ignoring each other's existence, and Shade was off in his own world again underneath his tree. The atmosphere between them was oppressive, but he really couldn't see any way to fix it other than to give them all time and space.

At least he still had Moon.

They decided to leave the crushing silence for something more peaceful. They settled down on the shore of Diamond Spray Lake and watched the moons and stars together, far enough away so the others couldn't see them through the darkness, but still close enough to where they could still see the fire and those around it.

"It's a beautiful night tonight," Moon whispered, and he hummed in agreement. The skies were clear with nary a cloud in sight. The stars were twinkling happily, and all three of the moons were different stages of crescents. Their combined light was just enough to see by, and with calm winds came a beautiful reflection of the heavens on the still waters.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye with an affectionate smile. She was enthralled by the night sky, a small, happy smile on her face as if she was gazing up at an old friend. At that moment, he felt as if he was falling in love with her all over again. "It's been a while since I stargazed…or moonwatched," he said with a grin. Her smile turned to one of amusement as she turned her attention to him. "I used to all the time…" he continued as his smile fell. He turned back to the stars. "Especially on the bad days." He sighed. "It helped…knowing you were out there doing the same…somewhere."

"Winter…" Moon tried, but he continued.

"I was lonely back then. I've always known that. But seeing you again made me realize just how bad it was." He finally turned to her once again to see her staring at him in wonder. "I've messed up a lot, Moon. I've made mistakes that have pushed us apart time and again. The fact you kept forgiving me is a miracle…and frankly, it's one I doubt I deserved. Words can't convey how thankful I am to you for giving me more chances than I had any right to get. And neither are they enough to properly show how much I love you."

He leaned over to kiss her, and she didn't hesitate to return the gesture. "I'm not complaining," she said as she pulled away, "But where is this coming from?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. A few hours ago I realized that for the first time in my life I've actually been happy—genuinely happy—because of the last few days." Her eyes sparkled in joy upon hearing that, and he chuckled lightly. "Or maybe it's because I'm a hopeless romantic, and the view is starting to get to me," he joked.

She laughed lightly at that, then leaned into him with a content and happy sigh. "You know something? I really like the new you."

He smiled genuinely at that, though she couldn't see it, and placed his head atop hers. "Me, too," he whispered. They decided to sleep there that night, and the group headed on their way the next morning.

The next few days went by quickly despite having to stop and rest for a short while every few hours because of his injury. Everyone understood, and no one was trying to rush despite the shadow of Stratos and Urfael growing larger by the day. He believed that was mostly because of Shade. The Nightwing seemed rather content to fly at this slightly slowed pace, and since he could see the future and wasn't panicking, Winter supposed everything must turn out alright—at least in the near future.

Horus was still keeping to himself, and Hailstorm was slowly slipping into a depression because of it. Winter tried to help by offering to talk to Horus or just to listen to what was on his mind, but Hailstorm always said he was fine. Because of the lingering tension between the older Icewing and Flint, the Mudwing was perfectly content with staying away from him, too—only talking with Shade, Moon, and Winter.

Faredir was still brooding and had come to the point where he wouldn't even let anyone near him—except him, that is. And though Winter would sometimes fly or rest beside him, he never once broke his silence. He was beginning to worry about him, but he didn't dare try to talk to him about it in front of the others.

Shade was also quiet most times. He never started a conversation, but when he or Flint went to talk with him, he would happily converse with them. And this pattern never changed during the five days' flight to Jade Mountain.

When they arrived there, however, things suddenly got more interesting. It all started when they landed and were greeted by Tsunami. That wasn't an odd occurrence, but what happened next was…

"Nice to see you in one piece, Winter," she greeted him, nodding at the others in turn. "I think the others should be here tomorrow."

"Come again?" Winter asked, confused. How could the others be coming here? He looked over to Shade as a sneaking suspicion started forming, and the nod he received only confirmed it.

"You heard me," she replied before turning and gesturing for them to follow.

Then Faredir spoke for the first time in days. "Which way to the infirmary?" he asked, his voice quiet. She pointed out the way for him, and he went down another hallway while Tsunami continued to lead them…somewhere.

"Where are we going?" Winter decided to ask. They had passed most of the places of interest: the prey center, her office, and the conference room. The only thing down this way was the winglet quarters if he remembered right.

"To your rooms," she responded. "Lord Faredir asked me to evacuate the Academy, so there isn't anyone else here except for Clay, Starflight, Fatespeaker, Peril, and Sunny. And Stonemover, if you count him. And myself, of course."

"I take it that means you're the lieutenant he spoke of," Flint commented. She nodded and flicked her ear back to show the glint of a silver earring with a pearl in it. She had a matching one in the other ear now that he was looking for it, and she was wearing a pearl necklace.

The news that Tsunami had been captured upset him, and Moon seemed to take it kind of hard, as well. "How long?" he asked quietly.

She seemed to understand his question as she turned to look at him sympathetically. "Since before you arrived looking for Sunny," was her response. Winter's breath caught at that. When he had come here before, he had trusted Tsunami with the story of what happened with Moon, yet she had been a Changewing even then? Did anyone know? Did Turtle? The Seawing prince had spent so long and sacrificed so much to try and find Anemone. How would he react when he learned Tsunami was gone, too? "I was sent not long after the attempt to capture Sunny the first time to keep an eye on things here. I can tell you're upset by that but trust me when I say it was better me than someone else. And Tsunami's safe here in the mountain. I can take you to her if you want," she offered.

"I do," was his simple reply, yet his tone made it clear he still wasn't happy with the situation.

She nodded. "The rooms are down that way. Pick whichever one you want," she instructed the others before motioning for Winter to follow as she went down another corridor. Moon came with him as they walked deep into the bowels of the mountain.

The hallways started smooth, but they became rougher the further down they went. At first, he thought they were just heading to Stonemover's cavern, but then he realized that path was on the other side of the mountain. They came to a path that had vines across it with a sign reading 'Danger: Unstable Cavern Ahead' on it. There weren't any torches this deep, but there were holes in the side of the mountain itself that let a few splotches of light in to illuminate the passageways. "And no one has decided to explore this?" Winter asked, skeptically.

'Tsunami' looked at him funnily. "Why would they?"

"Reverse psychology. Tell a dragonet not to do something, and that's the first thing they do," was his reply.

However, she just shrugged. "There was a guard posted here, and I used to give warnings about how dangerous this passage was when the students were still here. They may be dragonets, but none of them are stupid enough to risk their life." She tore down the vines with her claws and continued forward. "It's not much further."

Apparently, not much further meant another ten minutes of walking until he was quite convinced he was underground because of how steep the slope they were going down was. It wasn't steep enough to make it hazardous, thankfully. They eventually arrived at a cavern slightly smaller than a winglet cave, and there, lying asleep in the middle, was the real Tsunami.

He rushed forward with Moon right behind him as he tried to wake her to no avail. "What have you done to her!?" he demanded.

"Nothing," she assured him. "She's perfectly fine. Whenever a Changewing copies a living dragon, the magic puts the preexisting one to sleep. The spell sustains them, so they have no need for food or water."

Having been put a bit at ease, he gazed back at the sleeping form of his once-teacher for a moment before coming to a decision. One look at Moon was all he needed to know they were of the same mind. "Wake her up," he ordered the Changewing.

The Changewing wearing Tsunami's form sighed heavily. "I thought you might say that. I suppose I don't really need to keep the disguise, either." She removed the earring and the transformation started as she gazed at it sadly. "I'm going to miss being royalty." Winter just scoffed and rolled his eyes. Try saying that if you were an Icewing, he groused to himself. Once she was a full Changewing again, she walked up to Tsunami and placed the earring in Tsunami's ear. At first there was no change, but then her eyes fluttered open slowly.

She yawned heavily and smacked her lips. Then she shook her head and looked up at them. Her eyes widened. "Winter? What are you doing here? I haven't seen you in five years!" She looked him up and down before furrowing her eye ridges in confusion. "You look older than nine, though." Then she looked at Moon in much the same way before her gaze landed on the Changewing, and she froze. "What in the three moons is that?" she asked, tensing.

Winter looked at Moon, and she nodded slightly to let him know she felt the same way. "Tsunami…there's some things you need to be caught up on…" she said gently. Tsunami just raised an eye ridge at her tone.

After leading Tsunami back up to the main part of the Academy, they introduced her to the others—except Faredir, that introduction would have to wait. Then they told her everything that had happened since she had been put to sleep. It was…painful to see her reaction. She didn't take the fact that she had been asleep for three years very well, and none of them could blame her. She fervently denied it despite all evidence to the contrary, and then when she finally accepted it, it was only after she tried to attack the Changewing that did this to her.

Afterwards, she was just…quiet. It wasn't the brooding, angry type of quiet he expected from her, either. It was more the kind of quiet he was familiar with—the 'I'm completely lost and don't know how to feel or what to do anymore' kind of quiet. The other five—Sunny, Clay, Peril, Starflight, and Fatespeaker—were also affected by the news that the Tsunami they knew for the last three years wasn't actually Tsunami. They all knew about the Changewing infiltration, but they never once suspected that it would hit so close to home.

Starflight, Sunny, and Clay were sitting with her, trying to comfort each other, but Winter felt bad for thrusting this on them so suddenly. He knew it would happen no matter when Tsunami was released, but still…he wondered how everyone else who had been captured and copied would feel when they woke up.

He couldn't really dwell on that for too long right now, though. It was late, and he was exhausted from the last week. He and Moon were the only ones from their group left in the room once the story was done since everyone else had already retired. Moon had fallen into a light doze, so he roused her with a gentle shake and lead her to the winglet caves. Everyone had decided to sleep in different caves because of the lingering tension with the exception of Shade and Flint. They were both using the same winglet cave, but they still slept in different rooms.

He could hear Faredir's slight snoring from the cave farthest down the hall, so he and Moon settled for the only one left available. It was dark, but it was broken by the glowing anchor on his chest-plate. Since they were too tired to do anything else, they just picked one of the rooms at random and fell asleep almost as soon as they laid down.

The next morning started normally. They woke up, got some food…but that was where the normality ended. It quickly became apparent that today was going to be yet another trial. Flint had been in the prey hall before he or Moon arrived, and while the two of them were eating, the Mudwing got up and left. Unfortunately, he quite literally bumped into Hailstorm as he and Horus turned the corner to come in. This caused Flint to snap at Hailstorm to get out of his way, but surprisingly, Horus snapped back at Flint in Hailstorm's defense. The Mudwing and Skywing stared each other down until Winter just sighed heavily from where he was sitting. He turned to the three, annoyed. "HEY!" All three of them snapped their attentions over to him as he stared at them disapprovingly, a light ball held in his claws. "Don't make me throw this…" he warned them.

That diffused the situation, though not without a few grumbles, and they went their separate ways without any more fuss. The next thing that happened was Shade coming up to their table with some food for himself. "Mind if I sit here?" he asked.

Winter gestured to the seat across from him. "Not at all," he answered. After a few moments of Shade just watching him expectantly, his curiosity got the best of him. "Did you need something?" he asked, playing along.

Shade nodded. "Well, now that you mention it…I think you might want to go talk with Faredir," the Nightwing informed him. "And Moon, I would suggest you lend an ear to the others. Maybe you can help them figure out things?" he hinted, and she nodded.

"I can do that. Gives me something to do, at least," she shrugged.

Winter feigned mock indignation. "And spending time with me doesn't count?" Then he placed a talon of his heart. "You wound me, Moon. Truly."

She just giggled since she knew he wasn't being serious. She stood and kissed him. "Love you," she said before waving 'bye' to Shade.

"Love you, too," he told her as she walked out of the prey hall to go find the others like Shade suggested. Then he turned back to the Nightwing curiously. "Is he okay?" he asked, referring to his father.

Shade sighed and shook his head. "I can't say anything more. You know that. Just go talk to him…and maybe bring some food with you."

Winter agreed. "Alright. Thanks for letting me know," he said, to which Shade nodded while digging into his meal. Then Winter stood and left, heading back to the winglet caves after grabbing a plate of food. Truth be told, Winter actually was worried about his father. He had given his silent support to him during the journey, but never once had Faredir said anything. When he had asked for directions to the infirmary, that had been the first time he had spoken in four days. He couldn't even begin to imagine what he was going through or how he felt, but he hoped he could help somehow.

When he arrived at the cave Faredir had taken, he peaked around the corner to see what was going on inside. A fire had been lit inside, and his father was currently staring into it, his expression blank. He noticed that his arm had been properly patched up, though he still held it off the ground because of how bad the injury still was.

He walked in, though Faredir never turned to regard him, and sat down next to him on his uninjured side. He gently rested the side of his head against the larger dragon's shoulder, yet Faredir still didn't react. Winter just sighed sadly as he gazed into the fire as well. After a few minutes, he looked up into Faredir's face. His red eyes, once so sharp and clear, were now dull and empty, and he just looked as if had lost all hope. He looked…defeated.

When he saw that, Winter suddenly realized he had waited too long. His father had needed him, yet Winter hadn't been there like he should've. Sure, he had given him silent support like he was now, but apparently it hadn't been enough. That changed now. "Dad?" he called gently. No reaction. "Do you want to talk about it?" Still nothing. "I'm worried about you…" Once again, nothing. His gaze remained within the flames, and Winter could feel tears starting to form as he tried time and again to get Faredir to react without success.

And overwhelming wave of guilt crashed onto him as he realized what his inaction had lead to. He never meant for this to happen. He just wanted to give his father time to sort through things on his own, but it seemed this had the exact opposite effect he was hoping for. Instead of coming to terms with what had happened, his father was lost within his own mind—the enormity of what happened consuming him in a never-ending spiral into darkness and despair.

While Winter had never gotten quite that bad, it had been close. Flint had pulled him out before he could fall this far and thinking about that time in his life scared him more than anything else. He had seen what this emptiness could do to a dragon. It destroyed them from the inside out, and it was by far the worst thing he had ever witnessed.

But that had been a Nightwing he hadn't known—a scientist who had committed atrocities during the war and could no longer escape the guilt eating away at him once he realized what he had done. No one had really cared when he had finally died, but Winter had never forgotten that empty look in his eyes.

It was the same look in his father's eyes. Seeing this happen to a dragon who had come to mean so much to him in such a short time…he finally understood how Flint felt all those years ago. "Come back, dad… Please…" he whispered while staring into his eyes. But still, he received no reaction. And so, he rested his forehead on Faredir's shoulder and shed his tears. I did this…I should have tried to talk to him. I should have said something—anything!

He remembered the way that Nightwing simply…stopped. He stopped eating, drinking, sleeping… He simply stopped living. He couldn't watch that happen again—especially to someone he cared about. He couldn't—

He felt a large wing wrap around his back and lifted his head with a gasp to see his father looking down at him. His eyes were still dull, but they were no longer empty, and he could see his worry showing through the tiredness. "Winter?" he asked quietly, confusion in his tone. "When did you get here…and why are you crying?"

His tears suddenly intensified, though this time they were from sheer relief. He hopped up and wrapped his arms around his father's neck, holding him tightly—much like Faredir had after their close encounter with death back in the Sky Kingdom. "Don't leave me again…please," he pleaded to him in a whisper. Faredir didn't verbally respond, but he did hug him back with his good arm. His movements were slow and lethargic, though, as if he just woke up.

And he had, in a way.

AN: How did everyone like it? Was Faredir's reaction after their near-death experience believable? I feel like it should be since he was helpless to do anything except watch both himself and Winter die. I feel like his reaction to almost losing his son would be appropriate, but I'm not sure if it would be right...if that makes any sense. Tell me your thoughts, please.

And since I've been having fun reading these replies, I'll leave everyone with another question: Aside from WinterWatcher, Moonbli, Qinter, or QinterWatcher, what is your favorite Wings of Fire ship? (No OCs). I'll be looking forward to the replies...

Until Next Time

AdmiralCole22