A Brighter Future Ahead

AN: Hello everyone. I just finished Darkstalker, and the ending gave me an idea for this story. So good news, YAY! NEW STORY! Bad news, Crap! Another new story...

I think it'll turn out good, though. It won't be anywhere near as long as Dragons Change, and the chapters will be shorter most likely.

This has nothing to do with my other story, though. This is purely an AU setting that starts on the second to last paragraph on pg. 339. You'll see the similarities between it and the first paragraph in this one.

This also doesn't mean that Dragons Change will receive any less attention. I'm working on the next chapter, but I had some writer's block for a long while that I've finally gotten over. I give no guarantees, but if we're lucky, the next chapter might be out next weekend. As I said before, though, school comes first for me, so if it's not out then, I ask you to just be patient with me. I'm trying my best.

Disclaimer: I do not own Wings of Fire.

Clearsight:

Fathom turned the bracelet over in his claws, tears threatening to escape from his eyes, "Are we really going to do this to him?" he asked. His voice had become more emotional. It seems that, like herself, Fathom didn't want to betray his friend. They didn't have a choice, though. "Shouldn't we use the soul reader first? Maybe if he sees what we do, he'll stop."

"We don't—" she stopped mid-sentence. New, unexpected threads were forming. If she brought the soul reader, it would show what they feared, but Darkstalker would react one of two ways. He would either go into a rage and nothing would be able to stop his reign of terror across Pyrrhia…or he would be devastated after learning the truth, and the futures would become just a little bit brighter.

The only problem was that no matter how many futures she checked, it seemed to be a fifty-fifty chance. Even after everything that he had done—everything he might do—he was still her soulmate. She still loved him. It was hard seeing the carefree dragon she once knew turn into the single most dangerous megalomaniac Pyrrhia would ever know. There was a chance she could reason with him—stop him before things grew out of control.

Could she rest the fate of Pyrrhia on the fickle whims of fate, though? Using the bracelet was an almost guaranteed success. This, though…

Was it worth the chance?

Was he?

She realized that Fathom was still waiting on her, so she shook herself before answering him. "It's a fifty-fifty chance if we use the soul-reader," she said before hesitating. "Is he worth the possibility of it not working?"

Fathom looked between the device laying atop his trunk and the bracelet in his claws. She could see the uncertainty in his expression, and she knew from every future she could see what he was going to say, but she needed to hear him say it. It would make her believe she was doing the right thing.

"Yes, he is," the Seawing said, and she nodded grimly. So be it. "He shouldn't be condemned because of what he might do. If he's still the dragon you believe he can be, I think he'll realize his mistakes."

She passed Darkstalker's scroll to him before she walked over to pick up the soul reader, "I hope you're right. There's something you should know, though. I don't think Indigo's disappearance was of her own choosing. You might want to read through his spells…see if he did anything to her." She saw the shock in his eyes, but he nodded, nonetheless.

She placed the bracelet on her arm. According to her visions, there would be no chance of putting it on him if the outcome wasn't what they wanted. "Once you've finished, there's an island to the south of the rainforest that you'll be safe at for the foreseeable future. If I succeed, we'll meet you there." Fathom looked dubious to that suggestion, so she elaborated, "He'll need his friend to help him through the times ahead, Fathom." She brought him into a hug before remembering to warn him, "Whatever you do, don't destroy the scroll, or he'll get all of his power back…Wish me luck."

Fathom nodded as he broke the hug, "Good luck. I hope he's not beyond saving. I really do."

So do I, she thought, but I fear he may be. I hope we're doing the right thing. With one last look backwards, she smiled at her friend. If she didn't succeed, she would never see him again.

She wouldn't be able to see anyone ever again.

Then, on aching wings. She launched herself through the window toward Agate mountain. She knew that Fathom was watching her fly away, and she wished all the best for him.

She saw Nightwings pouring out of the city in a large-scale panicked evacuation. The Kingdom of Night would be emptied by morning, and the surviving tribe members would search for a new home as far away from here as possible. Never again would the Nightwings return here. She knew that for certain.

With their disappearance, other tribes would cease visiting the city. The Kingdom of Night and its downfall would fade into memory…memory into legends…legends into myths…and then, even those myths would eventually be forgotten.

Somehow, if by a miracle, Darkstalker proved that he wasn't beyond saving, there was a tiny chance that their brighter futures would be possible. There was also an even tinier chance where the Nightwings would accept the both of them into the tribe again. It was minute—almost infinitesimal. It was enough for now, though.

She pushed forward toward the mountain where the fate of the world would be dependent on nothing more then the whims of fate.

AN: I hope you enjoyed this little prologue. The rest of the story (most of it, at least) will be in Darkstalker's perspective. As my second favorite character in the series, I've been wanting to write him some more. I got my chance with this. I hope I did well enough that those who read my other story will give this one a chance.

Until Then

AdmiralCole22