Apologies for not updating this story in a while. Life has been hectic, including having wisdom teeth removed and etc. Motivation has been a bit dry as well. But, I'm still going. Not planning on giving up on this story. Just... gonna be a bit slower.
Which I shouldn't even apologize for because it's almost been a year since I first started writing and I have like... 50 chapters combined between my stories done. Way more than most fanfics do. But still...
CRASH!
Sunny sighed with exasperation as her father, once again, tumbled to the ground after overstretching himself. She knew he couldn't help it. But, he was going to cripple himself further if he tried to run before he could walk.
Still, there was little the petite, sunny scaled dragon could do to stop his fall. She'd be flattened right underneath.
"Easy steps, dad, easy." Sunny helped the larger NightWing up. His body trembled and quaked from spasming muscle and sheer exhaustion, but he was able to stand on his own without stilts. There was a long, long way for him to go on this road, but he had made such powerful strides down it.
"Apologies." He rumbled, panting. "It is as if my body remembers, but my mind does not. Or perhaps the opposite?"
"Turtle did heal your muscles and scales, so that's probably true." Sunny nodded. "Regardless, you can't push yourself."
"You would assume that with him restoring my body, it would relearn…" Stonemover grumbled as he allowed Sunny to put his stilts back on. "I suppose we can try again in a few hours."
"Well, I don't want to push you." Sunny adjusted the straps so they weren't too tight. "Can't have you teaching from the floor, now can we?"
"Why not? That was the original plan." Stonemover's tired face formed a thin smile. Sunny narrowed her gaze. "Besides, Boa has agreed to help."
"Boa?" Sunny raised a brow. "On to short names are we, dad?"
"She told me to call her that." Stonemover frowned deeply, following Sunny to the Prey Center.
"Uh huh." Sunny winked, tongue sticking out teasingly. Stonemover shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, stars, are you…?"
"We have a lot in common." Stonemover's frown deepened. "We have both been cursed by our powers in ways we cannot express. I won't share her secrets, but I find her wealth of knowledge… fascinating."
"And because she's a SandWing, right?"
Stonemover coughed. "That has nothing to do with it, Sunny."
"I'm just saying, you may have a type…" Sunny grinned wickedly, trotting over away before he could reply to get some food.
Part of her felt the slightest bit upset that both of her parents were moving on. But, at the same time… she couldn't exactly blame them. Ten years apart, their lives would change and they'd drift apart. Thorn took comfort in Smolder, which was a bit strange for Sunny.
Smolder was as slippery as an eel and while Sunny knew he had a good heart deep down, self preservation was the name of his game. Perhaps it was that trait that Thorn liked? The Scorpion Den did not lend itself to being charitable, even if Thorn tried.
Actually wait, why would a selfish trait be attractive? Ack, love was so foreign to Sunny…
Still, Sunny had heard quite a bit about Jerboa. If she was as afflicted by Animus as implied, then it made sense that her father would go right for that. If it made him happy, she wasn't going to complain. So long as they weren't going to let any lovers quarrel interfere with teaching, anyway.
"Ah, there you are!" Came the voice of Webs, who had shuffled into the prey center. The older SeaWing was starting to show his age, but had certainly become much more lively than the days where he was their guardian.
She hoped that his newfound liveliness would translate over to enthusiasm for teaching. Alas, given what she heard, such a thing had not happened yet.
"Hi Webs!" Sunny greeted enthusiastically.
"Apologies for disrupting the session." Webs slid his eyes to Stonemover, who had hobbled over to where Sunny sat. "However, young Turtle has arrived and is looking for you."
"Oh?" Sunny perked up slightly. "Good timing. I needed to head out to Pantala in a few hours."
Turtle came in a moment later, looking mildly distressed but trying to keep it under wraps. Immediately, Sunny knew something was wrong. Something bad had happened, and whatever it was, it was serious enough for him to come here. Her mind immediately began to think about something terrible at the Sea Kingdom. Were they all right?
"You… may want to stick around," Turtle said to both Webs and Stonemover. "Because I have no idea how this is going to affect us going forward, and I don't want any of you getting caught off guard."
"Did Vulture attack again?" Sunny tried to keep her anxiety in check.
"Not yet. But, the next phase of his plan just swam in." Turtle sat down at a table. "At least, it feels like it's related to him. How much do you know?"
"Only what you told me when you took Auklet."
"Right, okay." Turtle shifted uncomfortably. "So… I'm going to assume you remember what happened during your first visit to the Sea Kingdom. With the Orca statue."
"How could I ever forget that?" Sunny bristled. "That was our first run-in with anything animus related."
"Right." Turtle nodded. "Um… well, the creator of that statue just swam back to life and is currently in the Sea Kingdom."
Sunny almost dropped her food at his words. "Excuse me?"
"Wait, wasn't she dead?" Stonemover rumbled, eyes slanted.
"Yeah, she was. And now she's back, and it seems to be the real deal."
Turtle explained everything that happened in the Sea Kingdom. From Orca confronting them, to her 'virtues', and so on. Sunny didn't believe a single word about the statue part; it was straight up evil to her, no matter the justifications.
"Well, it is good that she does not seem keen on the throne… for now." Webs grimaced. "I remember her well. Be careful around her, because while she has always 'worshiped' the truth, she is ambitious. You cannot trust her."
"We don't," Turtle said. His tail was tapping along the floor with anxiety, and it reminded Sunny of the days when he first showed up in Jade Mountain. From his posture, this was far from the only thing that happened.
"We thought this to be a one-off, but as it turns out, three more dead dragons are among us." Turtle let out a small sigh. "Prince Arctic of the Icewings and his daughter, Whiteout. And…" He looked at both Webs and Sunny. "Kestrel."
"Oh, moons…" Webs paled almost immediately.
"Kestrel?" Sunny gawked. "W-what? Why? There's no rhyme or reason for these choices!"
Out of all of them, Kestrel was the one Sunny was worried about the most. She was mean, nasty, and yet… she was the closest thing Sunny had to a mother for years. Sunny didn't know what maternal love was until she met her biological one. The rest of the dragons of destiny didn't mourn her loss, but Sunny did.
Maybe it was because Sunny could see the flicker of good through the pain and grief that had consumed her. Turtle kept talking, explaining that Kestrel was at the Sky Kingdom, and that all of them were brought back before the moment of their death. Kestrel was on her way to help them after being tricked by Morrowseer and Blister.
In a way, that made Sunny feel more justified in her mourning.
"Whiteout is the only one not following this," Turtle explained, his face now stuck in a permanent frown. "I don't know why." He tapped his talons on the table. "But, there is a common thread between them all."
"Is there?" Stonemover raised a brow.
"They're all dragons who were hated or otherwise outcast from their society." Turtle said. "Whiteout was never really hated, but I remember Hope saying that she was never seen as 'one of them'. Arctic never fit in with his new home. Orca, self explanatory. Kestrel was also hunted down by Scarlet."
"So we have a band of misfits." Webs mused. "I wonder why them? If someone were to use them as a means to spy, surely dragons more well liked would work better?"
"I don't know." Turtle shrugged his wings. "But, it's certainly caused an uproar from what I heard." Turtle slid over a Dreamvisitor. "Shoulda done this a lot sooner."
"Better now than never." Sunny flashed him a smile. "I wonder if Pantala knows anything about this, because animus can't raise the dead."
"Um…"
"Oh no, what now?" Webs sighed with exasperation.
Turtle then decided to traumatize them by revealing the horrors inflicted upon Fierceteeth, as well as mentioning Pyrite and what happened to Peril. How animus enchantments could fundamentally change the body and mind. There was something else he wanted to share, but he was holding back. Something that caused him great anxiety and guilt.
Sunny didn't push, even though she wanted to. This was a serious matter. But he had given more than enough information for now.
"And nothing seems to break it…" Webs tapped his chin thoughtfully. "This animus spell must have had a failsafe. By resurrecting two powerful animus, the necromancer – we may as well call them that for simplicity's sake – must have put an additional enchantment."
"That was my hypothesis." Turtle nodded sagely.
"Either way, I'll ask the others when I'm in Pantala. Maybe they have a mythology involving this we can explore," Sunny said hopefully.
"Anything helps." Turtle nodded. "I would warn them in general in case Clearsight flies in… if she hasn't already."
"Oh, moons, that would be a disaster." Sunny blinked, a blank look on her face. "Although, imagine if your predecessor came back to life. So many questions I'd like to ask…"
"Well, that just happened with Whiteout. You are a direct descendant of her." Turtle pointed out.
"That is… very true." Sunny let out a small 'huh'. "Does that mean I'm a tribrid?"
"Doubtful." Stonemover rumbled, brow furrowed. "I have overheard biology lessons. After some point, genetic material would break down. The only thing you possess now is the animus gene, which came from Arctic."
"I guess I really can ask my ancestors something." Sunny chuckled. "Oh, by the way, feel free to stay as long as you need to, Turtle."
"I gotta take off to see your mother shortly." Turtle shook his head. "I need to give her a Dreamvisitor and a guiding coral."
"Oh, I'll go with you then!" Sunny smiled brightly. "Sand Kingdom is on the way to Pantala."
"Alright." Turtle returned her smile. "Could use the company."
"I'll be fine." Stonemover reassured Sunny when she turned back to him. "The enchantment on Dinner still works."
"Ah, right, so it does." Sunny didn't know how she ever forgot about that.
"And if I need help, Webs can be useful." Stonemover added on with a chuckle.
"I suppose I could." Webs shook his head, smiling. "In case I miss you, have a safe trip."
"Thanks. Something tells me I'll need it…" Sunny muttered.
She didn't know what the future held, but something was coming. But, strangely, she didn't feel in danger from here. No… something was happening in Pantala. What it was, she didn't know, but she was about to find out.
Clay awaited the outcome with growing anxiety.
He'd done everything he could to alleviate Sora and Umber to mixed success. Umber was much more receptive to his presence, whereas Sora continued to withdraw into herself. Even when their siblings came over to talk to her, she continued to avert her gaze. She was never rude, but she was always half a world away.
"I'll accept what it is given." Sora had said multiple times.
Clay had been understanding, yet he could not help but grow angry at it over time. At least, it felt like anger. It was not like him to ever feel angry. Seeing his sister just lie down and accept what happened to her hurt him. Especially when he felt partially responsible for this whole situation.
Indirectly, he and the other Dragons of Destiny caused the deaths of Carnelian and Bigtail. He should have seen the bigger picture. All of them should've. The fact that it slipped past all of them helped alleviate his guilt, but only slightly.
"Clay." Marsh, the only remaining sibling at Jade Mountain, approached. His face was etched with concern, and not just for Sora. "You need to rest."
"I'm fine." Clay flashed him a reassuring smile.
"No, you're not." Marsh responded bluntly. The past few years had done away with a lot of his fidgety nature, as well as his nervousness. "You're acting just like Sora."
Clay tilted his head, confused.
"It's the exact opposite, but no less similar, way." Reed stepped up beside Marsh. He was the current BigWings of their unit, and had grown into that role. He was bigger now, and much of his own insecurities had gone away at a surface level. "You're trying to remain too optimistic."
"I don't understand." Clay frowned.
"Just as Sora is painfully grounded, you aren't looking at the big picture either," Marsh said gently. "Sora's actions may have started another war. And we all should've seen it. You're focusing a lot of what happened in Possibility, but I wouldn't be surprised if the sentence was harsh due to the threat."
"Is Queen Moorhen that brutal?" Clay slid his eye to Umber and Sora, the former talking to Pheasant.
"She had massive doubts about the academy deep down. Seeing one her own soldiers do that did not help matters." Reed averted his gaze. "Imagine if the war was started because of one of her own."
Clay let out a small sigh. He saw what they meant now. He wanted to say that it didn't happen, that it was three years ago… but what kind of excuse was that? Three years did nothing to the parents of Carnelian. To Queen Ruby. He didn't see the parents of Bigtail, but he could only imagine.
"What, then, should we do?" Clay asked them.
"I don't know," Reed answered truthfully. "But I see you being hopeful that Queen Glory and Ruby will be kind. Glory, I understand. But I don't think you realized how badly the death of Carnelian affected Queen Ruby. I only knew because I serve as an honor guard for Queen Moorhen."
"He's basically saying to temper your expectations," Marsh added on. "Hope for the best but expect the worst."
Right as he said that, however, the queens came back into the room. They wore neutral faces as to not give anything away, calling everyone to attention as they took the stage. Both Sora and Umber were led to stand before the queens. Umber was nervous, Sora solemn.
"Thank you for your patience," Queen Ruby announced to them all. "This is not a matter to be taken lightly."
"However, a conclusion has indeed been met." Queen Moorhen stood over Sora and Umber, casting her eyes at them. Clay noted that she wasn't looking down upon them, though.
As she said those words, Clay felt Peril squeeze his claw comfortingly. He smiled despite himself, allowing himself to lean into her slightly.
"I would have banished or imprisoned the two harshly for their actions, yet much has been made clear in the meeting." Queen Moorhen's gaze turned critical. "There is much we do not know of the mind. Additionally, your actions in Possibility tell me that you are not cowards by nature. However, I cannot abide by terrorism, and neither can Queen Glory or Queen Ruby."
"Your punishment is this." Glory narrowed her gaze at the two. "Umber, you are sentenced to two years of community service in either Kingdom or Sanctuary. Sora, you are to spend five years imprisoned. Prison will last one and a half years in each kingdom, with chance for reduced sentence pending information about Vulture."
"The sentence would have been much harsher had Possibility not happened." Queen Ruby continued from Glory. "In light of your recent actions, and the clear fragile state of your mind, we have decided to reduce a sentence as long as you serve your time and are deemed mentally stable."
Sora flinched at that but nodded regardless. Umber rubbed her shoulder soothingly.
"You are to follow me to the Mud Kingdom." Queen Moorhen nodded at the other queens, who returned the gesture. "From there, we will coordinate."
With that, the council was dismissed. Before they departed, Clay flew over and landed next to Sora and Umber, who would still have their chains until they entered the Mud Kingdom. Clay didn't like it, but he couldn't argue with the queen. He was grateful enough that they didn't throw the two away forever. Still, five years for Sora...
"Clay, will you be joining us on the flight back?" Queen Moorhen asked as he landed next to Sora.
Clay hesitated in his answer. On one claw, he really wanted to make sure Sora was alright. On the other… he needed to go with Glory and Peril to meet Kestrel. He felt torn. No matter where he went, he'd be disappointing someone.
"You need to go to the Sky Kingdom, don't you?" Sora spoke quietly. Clay turned to her, surprised. "I overheard a bit."
"I need to help you, too." Clay responded, holding her wing talons with his. "I can't leave you like this."
"Clay, you've helped me more than you could ever know." Sora offered a faint, melancholic smile. "I have our sibs. I'll be okay."
"Yeah, we'll make sure she's fine," Pheasant said reassuringly. "You're a Dragon of Destiny and all; you need to go where you are needed. We'll manage, promise."
"We have a chance to make amends. This is a journey we have to take alone, this time." Umber added on, butting his horns with Clay's. "But, this isn't the last time we'll meet."
"No, I know we will meet again, I just…" Clay stopped himself before he could ramble. "Alright. I can sleep easier knowing that all of you are back together again."
"Of course." Reed postured himself to look bigger. "As BigWings, I will do everything in power to help them. And when you need us, we'll come right away."
"Indeed," Queen Moorhen murmured. "It is time for us to depart, however. We shall speak soon."
"Wait." Clay stopped her. "What If Vulture is caught before she has a chance to reveal information?"
"We will decide then," Queen Moorhen answered shortly, but not dismissively.
Clay nodded, letting them go. He watched them leave, a faint sense of guilt crossing his mind. He wanted to go with them, but as Pheasant said, he was still a Dragon of Destiny. If the dead were walking, he needed to be there to assess the threat. Plus, Peril needed him as well.
Sora and Umber would be alright. His sibs wouldn't let anything happen to them.
He turned and went back to the others, finding Glory speaking to one of her guards. He couldn't tell what they were saying, but the guard did not look pleased at first.
"As you wish, Queen Glory," the guard bowed respectfully. "But, I must urge caution."
"And that you urge caution is why I have you around, Shadowedge." Glory smirked. "After this, I promise I'll give you leave to see your dragonet and visit your mate."
That seemed to placate the NightWing guard, who nodded slowly.
"Nervous?" Clay asked Peril, who was fidgeting. Her face was neutral, but her eyes kept sliding to Sky, who had a much harder time keeping his emotions in check.
"Aren't you?" Peril asked quietly. "I mean, I barely know her. You had to live with her for six years."
"I am." Clay admitted. "But, if it is her…"
"Yeah, there's a lot we need to know." Peril glanced to Sky. "Especially about what happened to him."
"What will we do if she… you know… stays around?" Clay asked a bit louder so Glory could hear him.
"We'll swing from that branch when we get to it," Glory answered with a hint of irritation. "Ready when you are, Queen Ruby."
"Then let us be off." Queen Ruby spread her wings. "The sooner we solve this mystery, the sooner we can get to stopping Vulture."
Tsunami had no choice but to tell some of the higher ups that Orca was back.
The conversation with her most trusted generals and staff went about as well as a drought. General Shark was about ready to spear her, but Tsunami somehow managed to calm him down. To say the rest were unhappy was also a grave understatement.
Anemone wanted to shriek and roar her rage at Orca, but Tsunami kept her away. As much as she wanted to give her younger sister the outlet, she didn't need Orca running out of patience. No, she had to handle this like a queen. Tsunami wasn't sure if she could.
But she had to try.
The Summer Palace felt an awful lot like winter despite the bright, sunny skies. Tsunami approached the room where Orca had resided, now under the name Vaquita. To the Sea Kingdom, she was a guest from the depths. It was the only way Tsunami could allow General Shark himself to stand guard over her door.
"She hasn't come out once." General Shark reported. His fierce face glared at the engraved door. "My Queen, I must urge caution if you wish to speak to her."
"She's an animus. If she wanted to kill us all, she could," Tsunami answered flatly. "Walking in with confidence is the only way to stop that."
"I insist on being there regardless." General Shark hissed out. "I've had my eye on her ever since she was born. She is not to be trusted."
"No. Talking to her alone, with no protection, will placate her." Tsunami shook her head. "Please, uncle."
"Are you sure you wish to keep pleasing her?" General Shark raised a brow. "She killed so many of your siblings."
"Believe me, she will answer for that. But, she is right in that we need to figure out why she's back." Tsunami pursed her lips in thought. "I heard back from Turtle. This is happening elsewhere."
"What?" General Shark snarled with surprise.
"And the only way to potentially figure this out is right through those doors." Tsunami pointed behind him..
"… Very well. You remember the code, yes?" General Shark questioned.
"I do. You'll know when I signal you, if I need to." Tsunami nodded curtly.
With that, Tsunami opened the doors, stepping into a luxurious guest room. The beddings nearly rivaled her own – but not quite – and the spacious interior had room for the guest to walk around. A scroll shelf was stuffed to the brim thanks to Turtle's bowl. A balcony overlooking the bright blue sea that stretched endlessly was where Tsunami was to find her supposed-to-be dead sister, however.
Orca lay on a cushion she'd dragged out, scroll in claw as she read with furrowed brows. Despite the fierce look, she seemed at peace. Her tail was tapping on the balcony ever so slightly, as if enthralled by the scroll. Tsunami recognized it to be a biography of Queen Coral, which had recently been altered to include her death.
"Cancer." Orca spoke upon Tsunami's approach. "After all this time, illness killed her." She chuckled. "Mother was a fierce dragon. It makes sense that after me, nobody dared try."
"The SeaWings loved her," Tsunami responded. "Nobody wanted her gone before and after you."
"Then things were a lot more dire than I realized at the time." Orca rolled up the scroll, placing it down. "But, you didn't come here for a friendly chat, did you?"
"Nope." Tsunami shook her head. "Other dragons that are supposed to be dead are back."
Orca raised a brow. "Such as?"
"Prince Arctic of the IceWings as well as his daughter, Whiteout. And… Kestrel of the SkyWings." Tsunami said the last part with a hint of disbelief. If Orca noted it, she didn't say anything.
"Are they animus?"
"Arctic is. The other two are not."
"What an idiotic display of power." Orca shook her head disapprovingly. "You would think that bringing back animus to create an army would be the goal, but we are left with four resurrections. Two of which feel pointless, unless they have sway by other means."
"Whiteout, maybe. Kestrel, not so much. Although, she was guardian to us when we were the Dragonets of Destiny." Tsunami added offhandedly.
"Ah, yes, I read that scroll. You were not lying about being known." Orca gestured to a neatly rolled scroll delicately placed on a table. "You and your fellow 'dragonets' did what I could not and kicked Blister to the sands where she belonged."
"Because we didn't do it alone." Tsunami couldn't help but say.
"Bold of you to assume I had no allies." Orca smirked almost smugly. "But, it appears they were either executed or renounced their ties to me."
"What is your end goal, Orca?" Tsunami gave her a critical glare. "We are at peace. There is no need to make the SeaWings strong when we can already defend ourselves and have alliances the like Pyhrria hasn't seen in ages."
"Yes, I have spent a good amount of time catching up on the world." Orca faced Tsunami, an unreadable expression on her face. "My end goal is to figure out why I am back. Something is brewing, and I know you are not blind to it."
"And if you find out what it is and are forced to remain in this timeline?"
"I don't want the throne, 'Queen' Tsunami." Orca added emphasis to the word 'queen'. "I said I never did, and I meant it. So long as we are not in any danger, you don't have to fear from me. I'll not be making another statue if that is what you are worried about." She looked to the sea, expression softening. "No… I grew up in a war, much like you. I am quite curious to see the world at peace."
"You're not escaping what you did." Tsunami reminded her bluntly.
"No. But I'll not apologize for doing what I must." She slid an eye to Tsunami. "My actions, inadvertently, created the peace you now have."
"Excuse me!?" Tsunami nearly roared. "Your actions tormented mother into near madness! If Webs hadn't taken me, I would've died!"
"And my actions led to a mystery that uncovered Whirlpool as the creep he was, because you were so dead set on figuring out what killed the eggs." Orca smiled knowingly. "Had I not done what I did, there would be no mystery, and then you would've never proven yourself to mother. Then Blister would have still been whispering in her ear. No, my actions created a villain. Was it intentional? No. But it led to a butterfly effect that put you on the throne."
"That is reaching at best." Tsunami glowered, a snarl nearly breaking out on her face.
"Perhaps. But that's not how I see it." Orca responded with a hint of arrogance. Tsunami let out an internal groan.
"Well, whatever." Tsunami shook her head before she had an aneurysm. "Now, back to figuring out why you're back."
"Yes, three more revived. One of which is an animus." Orca tapped her chin thoughtfully before a sly look crossed her face. "Say, instead of hypothesizing, why don't we just ask him what he thinks?"
"What?"
The moment Tsunami said those words, Orca cracked her tail on the balcony, and the two of them vanished with a small pop.
The plot is moving, finally. I am not sure about the sentencing with Sora and Umber, but I wanted it to be fair and very clear that PTSD was involved.