The Possession
No one would ever think something like this would happen. No one would ever imagine Moonwatcher, out of all dragons . . . to commit suicide. It was the mind reading, they said. Seeing other's thoughts made her snap and end her life. The prophecies, others would say. Having the warnings of future disasters drove her to insanity, and couldn't take the stress anymore. But that was not why she ended her own life. No . . . the real story is much worse than most would ever imagine, or even think possible to be real.
It was a stormy day in the SkyWing Kingdom. One of the students that went to Jade Mountain Academy - now located in the RainWing Kingdom after what had happened - a SkyWing named Flame, had encountered something one would not call Animus Touched, but rather cursed with some power no one had known before. Having met the dragonet in the past, and tried to become his friend, Moon decided to help him out with whatever was happening. Being the kind and generous friends they are, Winter, Qibli, and Kinkajou decided to come along with her.
They flew down to a hut where Flame lived with his mother. They knocked on the door and almost instantly his mother, Avalanche answered, and as soon as she saw them, she invited the five dragonets inside.
Immediately she started talking to them about what had happened a few days back. Flame heard of an abandoned cave deep in the outskirts of the SandWing Kingdom. Intrigued, he decided to fly there and explore. Deep in the cave he said he found a book; a bible to be exact. There was a language on the front that he could not read, but there was an extremely faded picture on the front. He couldn't make it out, but the image looked vaguely familiar to the appearance of a goat with an upside down t on its forehead. Flame took it home and showed it to his mother, who was also interested in the book. For weeks, Flame read the book and tried to decipher the language, interviewing other dragons who could speak different languages, but could find no one for help. Finally, he went to an Animus named Jerboa, who decided to enchant a large pile of paper to write down every word from the large book in the dragon language so he could understand. Flame took the papers home. But three days later . . . was when it started. Every night and day, Avalanche would hear her son chanting something she could not understand. She would go into his room to see what was wrong, only to be greeted with him staring back at her with eyes unrecognizable to any creature, and would constantly be growling the most horrible noises she had ever heard in her life.
She was worried dead about her son and his life - it's almost as if he was someone not of this world. Moon didn't realize it, but she could hear a sound coming from the other room that sounded like growling - except it wasn't a dragon's growl. Then, as if on cue, a loud roar emanated from the room. Everyone jumped at the sound and turned their attention to a closed door.
"What on earth was that?" Kinkajou asked, alarmed.
Avalanche immediately got out of her seat and ran towards the door, opened it, and ran inside. The four dragonets slowly stood up from their chairs and cautiously walked over to the door. They heard unearthly growls and Avalanche trying to calm the person inside down.
After a few moments of commotion, there was a loud roar and a slicing sound could be heard, and Avalanche screaming in agony. She burst through the door covering the right side of her face, blood flying to the floor. The four dragons jumped back in horror as Avalanche fell, blood immediately falling from her face, making a large puddle of red on the ground. Qibli and Winter ran over to help her; Kinkajou backed up against the wall covering her mouth trying not to scream; Moonwatcher just stared down at the wailing mother. She then looked towards the door and could hear a mix of growling and laughing coming from inside . . . then silence.
Avalanche had passed out from the pain and the two dragons carried her over to the couch and set her down. Moon glanced at her face, and saw that her scales were torn away from her head - all that remained was the skull. Moon shivered and turned away from the sight, then turned her attention to the door. She looked back at her friends and Avalanche. Knowing that the son had just attacked and terrorized her, Moon had to help her and Flame with . . . whatever was going on.
Reluctantly, Moon grasped the knob, opened it, and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. There were numerous pieces of paper with writing all over the floor, and she saw Flame lying in his bed. His arms, legs, and wings outstretched with his head back and breathing hoarsely.
The NightWing cautiously walked over to the bed, and as soon as she took the first step, Flame shot his head up and stared at her with black, soulless eyes, watching her every move while breathing heavily through his teeth.
Moon stepped up to him and gave him a polite smile. Flame was hunched over and began to growl that unrecognizable sound.
"Flame," Moon started, "are you alright?" He opened his mouth and growled again. "Your mother is very worried about you. What's been happening lately?" During mid growl, Flame began to laugh maliciously.
Moon grew nervous with everything that came out of his mouth, but that laugh had to be the worst. She had never heard anything like it before. It sounded so unearthly, so evil, so . . . she couldn't put it clearly, but thought the only way to describe it was to call it wicked. Moon backed away from the SkyWing and stood at the foot of the bed. She thought the only way to solve this . . . was to read his mind and try to see what was wrong with him. It was nerve racking and terrifying, but nothing else could cross her mind. So . . . Moonwatcher closed her eyes, and fixated her mind to his.
It was almost as if Moon had been teleported to a completely different part of Pyrrhia. She found herself in a gigantic crater. It was hot, very hot. The ground was nothing but dirt and ash; the air smelled of smoke and sulfur; and the sky was red with black clouds looming high above her.
The air suddenly felt extremely warm on her head. Moon looked up and saw lava pouring into the crater from all sides. She tried to fly out, but the fumes burned against her, making it difficult to get herself into the air. Sweat immediately began to pour down her face, making her dizzy, and was only mere inches away from the ground as the lava edged ever so closer to her. She flapped her wings as hard as she could, and just before the lava was about to touch her feet, the NightWing got herself to fly higher and out of the crater. She landed on the highest ledge far enough away from the magma. She looked back and saw it fill the crater and let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she escaped.
Moon looked ahead . . . and her eyes went wide with terror at the horrible sight of the place she had entered. The landscape was similar to the old NightWing Kingdom, but much more . . . evil. The whole scenery was volcanic; the ground felt hot; the air was utterly humid; the ground was encrusted with cracks of more lava, and volcanoes erupted constantly in the distance. Except, the worst sights in this unholy dimension . . . was the amount of people. They were all being tortured and scorched in the fires - their screams echoing throughout the entire area. A never ending cycle of pain but never death, only suffering.
Moon covered her eyes with her hands, trying to get out of this place, but somehow she couldn't. It was almost as if she was actually there. She didn't notice it before, but off in the distance straight ahead was a gigantic castle. It was as dark as midnight, smoke came out of the back, and fire burned out from the sides, increasing the temperature in the fumes that plagued the air. Moon thought that the only way to help Flame was to go to the castle and find out what caused him to act in such a way.
Moonwatcher shook her head, trying not to pass out from the heat and ignore the screaming coming from everyone down below. When she managed to keep herself awake, the NightWing flew down to the ground far below. It felt like she was falling, and eventually she touched the ground.
She looked around. The screams were much louder and less distant from where she stood, but tried to ignore them as she walked on. The ground was hot on her feet, and the air made her feel like she was breathing in ash - which hurt her throat. A loud scream was heard from her left, and Moon darted her head towards the sound, and saw the gruesome image of someone completely burned. Their scales were no longer on their body, and all that remained was the red bleeding muscles, and bone.
Moon screamed at the dragon and sprinted as fast as she could go, all the while the howls of others pleading for the burning to stop and asking for death . . . but there was only suffering. The young dragon couldn't take the sounds anymore, so no matter how much of the fumes she was inhaling from her pants from running, she flapped her wings as hard as she possibly could and raced to the castle.
Before she knew it, Moonwatcher crashed through the doors and into a wall. She fell to the floor with a loud thud. Groaning, she sat up and rubbed her head, and heard the massive doors lock behind her - there was no turning back now. She looked ahead and noticed a flight of stairs. She ran over to it and saw that it stretched upward for what seemed like miles.
Maybe there's something up there that I can use to help Flame, Moon thought, and began to ascend.
Moonwatcher flew for what seemed like years, and her wings began to ache from the strength she needed to fight back against the heat, but still pressed on. That is, until she reached what had to be the middle of the castle, and her wings finally gave out, but continued to ascend. Walking also seemed like years. She would imagine the top would be only a few steps away, but every time she looked, it seemed as if she hadn't even moved at all.
Moon must have had to walk for about three hours, and due to the heat, she had taken countless rests, but finally, she made it to the top. Her head suddenly felt numb, and her vision became blurry, and the last thing she remembered before fainting was the sound of the two large doors in front of her opening . . . followed by a loud footstep coming towards her.
The NightWing woke up, and found herself in a large room sitting on a chair. The floor was made of stone, painted red, which looked to not have dried yet; an awful smell filled the air; torches lit the room, and to her right was an altar with a large book on it in front of an open window. To her left were the double doors, and there was a small table in front of her with two cups of water in them. She looked up, and her eyes went wide with fear and surprise. Sitting in a chair only mere inches away was a dragon wearing a dark cloak, covering its entire body.
The dragon, or whoever this was, breathed heavily and sat in silence for a long minute, then finally said in a cold, threatening voice: " . . . What brings you here . . . child?"
Moon stared at it with horror in her eyes, but managed to find the words to say: "I-I'm here for my f-friend, F-Flame. Th-There's something wrong with him. H-He's not himself."
"What is the matter with him?"
Moon couldn't comprehend it, but there was something about the dragon that made her feel uncomfortable, and every word it said felt like a lie, but she answered: "Th-There's something wrong with the way he acts. H-His eyes are completely black. H-He makes these growls . . . they're not dragon sounds, they're . . . I don't even know. H-He doesn't even act like a dragon anymore"
The dragon sat there motionless for a long moment. Then at last it said: " . . . Have you ever heard of . . . possession?" Moon shook her head nervously. "It is when a spirit, or demon, takes control of a person, and inherits his or her mind, body . . . and soul."
Moon could not understand what she was being told. "That sounds horrible."
"You make it sound like it is a problem. But, I tell you, there seems to be nothing wrong with your friend. It sounds like he is blessed."
"BLESSED!? He's only a dragonet, no bigger than me or my friends. His mother is scared out of her mind, he tried to kill her."
"His mother simply does not understand what is happening to her child. Even now he is becoming something else. Something more powerful, something that you would find wicked, but to us . . . it is baptism. I have already found a perfect place for him here. . . . He will fan the flames . . . for all eternity . . . just like his name."
Moon was now more enraged than afraid. "H-H-How could you say that!?" She stood up and faced the dragon, who did not even bother to look up at her. "My friend is in danger, and you think it is a blessing? Did you do something to him?" The dragon simply chuckled. "Y-You're a monster. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?"
The cloaked dragon just sat there motionless and silent. Moon looked down at it with fury in her eyes.
A long moment went by, then something caught Moon's eyes that sent terror down her spine. The paint on the floor was not paint . . . it was blood. All of a sudden, the dragon slowly stood. The more Moon looked at its face, the more she became afraid, like a gigantic wave of terror was about to wash over, and drown her. She saw its face, the face of true wickedness she prayed she never looked at, but did.
It spoke . . . so coldly . . . so wicked . . . it made her give up hope on the world, and every inhabitant of it: " . . . Do you think there is a god that will save you from the power of sin?"
Moon had never been so terrified in her life. She took a few steps away from the figure, then turned and ran out the door. But as she did, the cloaked dragon lifted an arm, and the ceiling came apart, falling into large pieces and onto Moon. The debris was heavy enough to knock her to the ground, and break her wings. She let out a yelp of pain, and looked back to see the dragon walking towards her.
Doing her best to ignore the pain in her back, Moonwatcher picked herself up and limped down the stairs as fast as she could possibly move. She heard the footsteps of the figure coming closer as she tried to run and escape the mind, as if something was compelling her to leave.
She slipped on one step, and fell down many, many stories, until she finally reached the bottom, a loud cracking sound coming from her neck. Moon moaned in pain, and tried to get back up, but the fall hurt both of her legs as well, and the next thing she knew was she felt someone grab her by the horns, lift her up, and was face to face with the cloaked dragon, its eyes locking with hers.
Moon saw all the hate, all the rage, all the wickedness in those eyes, and she clutched her head tightly, trying to look away from it but she couldn't. She finally managed to close her eyes, she closed them so tightly her head began to hurt. Then she screamed, so bloodcurdling, and so loud, it was hoarse. But also came a roar, and it was the most terrifying thing Moon had ever heard someone make. It was loud, evil, wicked, and . . . devilish.
Moon suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder. She opened her eyes in fright and found that she was back in Flame's room, and he sat on his bed smiling down at her with an evil grin, and his hand on her shoulder.
He leaned closer to her. She shook as his eyes locked on hers, and in that same wicked voice that devil made . . . he laughed.
Moon couldn't help it, she opened her mouth and screamed bloodymurder, then turned and ran out of the house as fast as she could fly, paying no attention to her friends, and heading straight back to the rain forest, and all the while Flame laughed at her fear in a demonic, otherworldly voice.
It was evening now, and the three dragonets managed to get Avalanche to a hospital, where she will be safe for the time being. They were all worried about their friend, and as soon as they got back to the RainWing Kingdom, they would see if she was alright.
They all stood at the door to her dorm room, unsure if they should either leave her alone, or check on how she was doing.
"You go in," Qibli said to Winter.
"Me!?" Winter replied. "Why?"
"She's always liked you the most, maybe she'll listen to you."
Winter let out a sigh, then slowly approached the door, turned the knob and walked inside, gently closing the door behind him. He saw Moonwatcher cowering on her bed, lying on her side shaking and facing away from him. Winter walked cautiously towards her. He stood next to her and gently put his hand on her shoulder, and almost instantly she stopped shaking.
"Moon, it's me, Winter. Are you alright?"
Moonwatcher slowly turned her head to face him, the emotion of fear shot into her eyes. "W-Winter? I-Is that you?"
"Yes." He produced a small smile.
The dragonet looked up at him, as if she was asking for help, and said: " . . . Do you believe in hope?"
"Y-Yes. Of course I do. Y-You showed it to me."
" . . . I don't think hope exists anymore . . . ."
"How could you say that? What happened when you talked to Flame?"
Suddenly, Moon shot out of her bed and grabbed Winter by the shoulders. "THERE IS NO HOPE. HOPE DOESN'T EXISTS. IT NEVER HAS. THERE IS NO GOD. THERE NEVER WAS. NEVEEEERRRR." She clutched her head and screamed bloodymurder, falling back down on her bed, and began to shake violently.
The door burst open and her friends ran in, along with two other chaperones. It took them about an hour to calm her down, all the while the other three dragonets had to sit outside and listen to her scream, and questions flew through their minds: What was wrong with their friend? What happened when she talked to Flame? Did he say something to her? More questions reigned, but by the end of the day, none of them were answered.
That was the last time they had ever seen Moonwatcher. The very next morning Winter woke up with anxiety on his mind, and couldn't shake the thought of getting up and checking on his friend, so he got up and walked to the infirmary. It was early, and he had to be quiet. He gently turned the knob - it was surprisingly unlocked - pushed the door open . . . and immediately screamed.
Lying on the floor was Moonwatcher. The sweet, kind, Moonwatcher, lying on the floor, dead. Her stomach gashed open, entrails still connected to the stomach, still attached to other organs that weren't visible, but blood ran all around her, rushing out of the open wound. Her eyes were dark and sunken back into her head, completely drained of life.
A week later, nothing would ever be normal at the school again. How could they possibly go on after what happened last week? How could Qibli and Kinkajou live with themselves? How could Winter sleep at night? After what he witnessed he never shut his eyes again, they always looked dry and red. They said it was suicide, and no one would ever know why. But the truth would always be what Winter suspected: Whatever Moon saw in Flame's mind that day is the real thing that killed her, not suicide. He didn't want to know what she saw, he didn't think no one should know, and he knew very well it was for everyone's safety of their lives . . . and souls.
That same week, some SkyWing troops were ordered by Queen Ruby to investigate what was going on at Avalanche's house. What they saw was unholy, and decided it'd be best to not let anyone know about it . . . ever. Avalanche was found dead on the couch, her eyes gouged out and her face ripped off of her skull. They found Flame lying on his bed, dead as well, but in worse condition than his mother was. They promised to not go into too much detail, so instead they said he was "twisted."
What probably had to be the worst of all the sights . . . was that above his bed was a painting in blood. A picture of what looked to be . . . a goat, with an upside down t on its forehead.
