So, to address some comments on last chapter, I will say that this story is meant to be read all at once. Uploading chapter by chapter is usually not how I like to do things these days. I do have a lot of re-read value to my stories, too. So, some chapters are filler/build up here because it's eventually supposed to be read as a whole.
Also I'm not gonna explore every little detail. If I did that, this story would be 50 chapters long bare minimum, and I don't have time for that LOL. This was supposed to be a one shot.
It took a day for everything to get started.
Winter, admittedly, felt very out of place here. He was the only IceWing in a sea of Night, Sand, and Rain. The theme of the party would not work for him. Not unless he dressed very heavily, and he did not fancy himself doing so. Perhaps if he was younger, but heavy decoration would encumber him.
Instead, he settled on IceWing jewelry that he had in Sanctuary. It was weird, wearing his princedom attire. A wintery cloak, a crown, a pair of bracers. And, of course, a blue expressionless mask to fit the theme. He supposed that it worked to mask who he was, not the tribe.
A lot of the RainWings, he noted, did not dress up. No, they simply changed their scales to what they needed. They were by far the most active of the lot, getting right into the festivities. This included, but were not limited to, flinging themselves from pillars and dancing in the air. It reminded Winter of howler monkeys, but without wanton destruction. No, they were very careful in their behavior.
The Nightwings were a lot slower and methodical. Admittedly, Winter felt more at home with most of them. Their society here was very aristocratic, but much less stuck up than the inner circles of the Ice Kingdom. They slowly danced with each other in the air as the bands began to play music. Soft instrumentals to start off, as the night hadn't fully set in.
Some HiveWings were also in the crowd, as they had moved over to see 'the land of their ancestor'. They buzzed about, having a lot of the same mannerisms as Nightwings.
It was so very weird having a party like this during the day. But, for NightWings… well, it made sense. At least it was closer to dusk, as the sun had begun to set.
Queen Thorn and Stonemover were among the slow dancers. They beat their wings in the air softly to the rhythm of the music, and for the first time in a long while, it seemed Thorn was genuinely enjoying herself. Her muzzle was hidden by a white veil, and she wore exotic drapes. It was so… unbecoming of her that Winter wasn't sure he was staring at the same dragon.
There was a wide, almost loving, smile on her face as Stonemover took both her prosthetic and real claws in his. He wore a starry mask and some bangles to cover up his scars, but not everything was hidden. They moved as if they were twenty years younger, lost in their own little world for that moment.
Nearby was Turtle and Peril, also dressed up. There was a quiet peace between them, and for the first time in a long time, Winter saw the quieter side of Peril. She nuzzled him affectionately, rubbing her face against his as if she'd never been touched. Turtle held her tightly, their claws and tails entwined as if they were terrified one of them would just up and disappear.
Winter couldn't help but envy them. He felt a tug in his own heart at the sight. Although, it was quickly dashed as he kept his eyes peeled for any suspicious activity. Nothing out of the ordinary yet, but he knew what to look for. This wasn't his first party crashing event, after all.
"This is all very exciting, isn't it?" Qibli approached, wearing an almost roguish attire bedazzled with gold trimming and jewels. "When was the last time we all hung out together?"
"Five years ago," Winter answered, a bit flatter than he intended.
"It was rhetorical, buddy." Qibli shook his head. Winter noted more earrings in his ears, too. "I'm surprised you came. Not that I'm complaining."
"If what we expect to happen is going to happen, I'm not going to stand idle." Winter's gaze drifted to the large Night/Rain hybrid that was currently dancing with his NightWing consort. Peacemaker didn't seem to show any signs of his older life, but looks could be deceiving. "Just hoping that she isn't scared off by all of us being here. It would be a hassle to comb the city dressed like this."
"I dunno, it'd be kinda fun." Qibli patted the leather 'coat' around his arms and back. There were sockets on the back for his wings to easily slip through, and it slid over the head to initially put on. "This doubles as armor. Never can go too unprepared, y'know?"
"Kind of flashy for armor, isn't it?"
"If you can't outdress your foe, is it really worth fighting them?" Qibli tsked with another shake of his head. "You IceWing should dress down, I feel. Unless you like being a snowflake in the sky."
"The light of the sun and moons will bounce off us to blind our foes." Winter recounted a very old military scroll he'd read when he was younger. There was a general who had his soldiers dress in the most reflective, sparkly armor that blinded foes and led to countless victories. Winter was surprised nobody was blinded by their own allies.
"I believe it." Qibli chuckled. "I haven't noticed anything, since you asked. I imagine as night comes along, she'll make her move."
"That was my thought." Winter nodded curtly before sliding an eye to the SandWing. "I thought you would be joining in with the festivities with Sunny."
Qibli shuffled a bit uncomfortably. "Well, I would, but…" he gestured to Queen Thorn. "We haven't told her."
"I can guarantee you that she knows."
"I know she knows but it's still like… I don't want to make her upset." Qibli glanced sideways at Winter. "She's pretty much my guardian still. I don't want to lose that."
"I think that her not hovering over you and yanking Sunny away is proof enough." Winter looked him straight in the eye. "Either dance with her or don't. But if I were you, I would be leading her to the floor right now. Show her exactly how much you care."
"Wow. You've gotten very bold over the past few years." Qibli laughed quietly. "Winter I knew back then was so shy about the public eye."
"The Winter you knew back then changed quite a bit." Winter flashed a small smile.
"I'm also just worried about… y'know… Moon. I know she's here."
"Will you hide your affection for Sunny forever?" Winter asked dryly. "It will hurt. But you both made it clear that your marriage is over. If you don't do this now, you may lose your chance." Winter scanned the crowd again. "Actually, where is Sunny?"
"She's around. I saw her earlier. Probably getting some place she isn't supposed to. I swear, she's a little imp…" Qibli snickered. "Still… thanks. I missed your blunt force trauma approach to things."
"That has not, nor will it ever, change."
Qibli departed after that, sinking into the crowd. Winter watched him go, feeling a small sense of satisfaction from both sides of himself. The darker side was happy to tell off the SandWing, while the more rational and optimistic part was enthused to see his friend finally be happy again. The hurt of kept secrets still stung, but nobody danced around it. Nobody made excuses. So long as it kept that way, Winter would grow more used to hanging around his old Winglet again.
Moving to an upper level, Winter noted a few NightWings skulking around the corners. They weren't doing much, and he very well couldn't make his way there without alerting them. However, Sandrunner was nearby, and he caught the hybrid also looking at the NightWings. Wasn't much he could do, either. Still, Winter slowly began to make his way over to above them.
"You noticed them too?" Asked a welcome voice as Moon found him.
Winter turned to reply, only to have his words die in his mouth. He almost didn't recognize her with the dazzling mask, banded horns, and moon jewelry that hung from her ears. Her scales were polished, reflecting most lights. She was… gorgeous. Winter temporarily forgot himself and simply stared.
"Winter?" Moon prompted, a slow smile forming.
"Y-yes, I noticed them." Winter quickly found his voice again. "Has Hope?"
"She did. That's why I was on my way." Moon nodded slowly. "I'm just hoping it's not a small gathering and we're overreacting."
"We're here to overreact." Winter reminded her, walking side-by-side to the other side of the dance hall.
"Well, not that much. But I digress." Moon's smile grew a tiny bit. "I'll admit, it's fun to be able to express myself again. I know it's not the objective, but…"
"Do you think you'll go back to wearing some of them once this is over?" Winter asked.
Moon played with her necklace for a moment. "Y'know, I think I just might."
"They… look good on you." Winter spoke before he could stop himself.
"Why Winter, thank you." Moon gave him a semi-seductive look, winking. She was playing around, but oh, if something didn't stir at that glance. "That just about seals it for me, I think." She looked him up and down. "I think you should keep some of those, too. They compliment you well."
"Flashiness never really went with me." Winter held up one of his wing-talon rings. "Funny, because I'm an IceWing. I guess repressed trauma made me hate them."
"It's why I didn't wear mine for so long."
"Perhaps I can learn to appreciate them in a new light." Winter lowered his wing again. "We'll see how I feel after tonight."
"Tonight's going to be a lot of that." Moon sighed quietly. "I haven't seen Qibli with Sunny. That'll hurt."
"I spoke to Qibli earlier. He's hesitant to dance with her because of you."
"That idiot…" Moon shook her head slowly, wings ruffling. "This is why I fell in love with him. He's so considerate and… ugh. He needs to stop thinking of me, though." Moon gripped one of the railings looking to the party below. Her eyes glistened as tears threatened to fall. "I'll be okay. I hope."
Winter could only nod, sitting beside her as they scanned the crowd. Moon calmed at his presence, he noted. And, admittedly, he began to calm at hers. It felt almost like old times. He kept his distance respectful, and he knew for certain he wasn't ready for anything more.
But… well, he may not exactly resist any more either.
Qibli made his way through the crowd. It was an ocean of bodies, and in a way, reminded him of the parties Thorn would throw to lure out cartel members. In fact, it was exactly like it, minus the masks. He was amazed that they still came to such parties after the rest of the operations were busted shortly after them. But, getting on the queen's good side was too tempting a prize, he supposed.
He noted Thorn with Stonemover still, but the queen had one eye opened, so to speak. He knew she saw him looking, but she didn't react. She saw a lot of things, and it amazed him that age had not slowed her in the slightest.
Nearby was Blaze, who was impossible to miss from how elegant she dressed and her impressive height. The socialite was a perfect decoy and 'spy' for Queen Thorn, as she could get along with just about anyone. Out of curiosity, Qibli looked for Sandrunner and found his son on the opposite side of the floor. They weren't avoiding each other, it was more like Sandrunner hadn't realized she was there it seemed.
He still hadn't spoken to Blaze about what happened. He didn't know if he should. Sandrunner was an adult, and he seemed pretty adamant on keeping it a one time. Blaze didn't seem interested in pursuing him again, either.
Still, he worried.
Before he had any chance to find Sunny, however, someone grabbed his horn and yanked his head down to their level.
"If you hurt her, I'll make what I did to Scarlet look like a sunburn." A voice hissed in his ear as Queen Glory all but glared daggers at him.
"Oh right, Sunny spoke to you." Qibli cricked his neck as he was released. He wanted to make a joke, but one look at the fierce queen and he knew that would be a mistake. "Trust me, I'm treating her like a precious stone."
"If you had said glass, I would've spit on you anyway," Glory responded sardonically.
"From any other tribe, it just sounds rude that you'd say that." Qibli flashed a grin. "But, honestly, I wasn't sure if I should date her. If I was um… ready. But I think I am. She seems to think I am, anyway. And I want to be the dragon she sees me to be."
Glory's face softened somewhat. "That is so stupidly sappy that I wonder if you and Deathbringer are pen pals."
"Sunny isn't a romantic, but I've learned that some lines work." Qibli winked teasingly. Glory rolled her eyes with a 'hmph'. "Did Tsunami threaten Deathbringer like this? I'd say Sunny doing the same, but…"
"Sunny, when we started dating, snuck into where he was on patrol and said 'I know where you live' without any prompting or warning. Then, she just left. I didn't find out until the next day." Glory let out a small laugh. "Tsunami did her usual, which only seemed to turn on Deathbringer. Sunny creeped him right out."
"That's about right."
"But, I worry about her. This is the first time she's shown interest in anyone that way." Glory averted her gaze. "I know you aren't anyone to worry about. But I'd be remiss if I didn't get up in your face regardless."
"Honestly, if you and Tsunami didn't double team me – not that way please don't tell Sunny I said it that way – I'd be disappointed."
"Should I tell her? Decisions, decisions…" Glory mused, her mouth curving up sinisterly. "Although, we both are married. If that were to happen, they'd have to be involved… but from what I hear, that's alright with you."
"You're worse than Thorn." Qibli chuckled nervously.
"Sunny said she hasn't told her yet. Have you?"
"Nope. But… I may as well get that over with now." Qibli looked to the SandWing queen. "How cowardly am I? I can't even face someone I love out of fear of rejection."
"From what I hear, you're more afraid of them getting hurt. That's kindness." Glory, of all dragons, spoke reassuringly. "You would not have been able to attract Sunny if you didn't have that."
"I guess that's one way of putting it," Qibli said. He didn't think it was right. It was the dragon pleasing side of him that hadn't fully died out. A part of him that spoke but said nothing of substance to get others to stop asking.
"Stop talking down on yourself and take charge." Glory's eyes narrowed. "Show me what Sunny sees in you."
"Well, when you put it like that…"
He didn't like being almost scolded for not doing anything. First Winter, now Glory. Yet, they were completely right. He had to stop being a coward and be the dragon Sunny saw. He had to confront her mother and then find Sunny and take her claw in his publically.
Upon approach, Thorn turned to him. She wasn't hostile or even acting like she did before. She was much calmer and happier, although he could feel her judgmental gaze. He expected such a thing, but it still hurt.
"I already knowm" Thorn immediately spoke. "Sunny spoke to me before you left, and Sandrunner confirmed it."
"I know you know, but I just… well, you both are important dragons in my life. You saved me, and I feel like I'm just stealing away your daughter and moons I cannot stop talking when I'm nervous." Qibli began to speak very quickly, laughing uncomfortably by the end of it.
"I'll admit, I could have handled it better. But, Sunny had to grow up at some point, and you are by far the dragon I'd trust the most to take care of her. Not that she needs taking care of." Thorn placed a claw on his shoulder. "The shock got to me. But, now that I have had time to settle, I give you my blessing to bed her."
"THORN!" Qibli shouted as Stonemover let out a roaring laugh.
"Please, we're SandWings. We may differ in many ways, but we are always crude and to the point." Thorn grinned, her fangs seemingly much more threatening than normal.
"Is this going to be a common thing?" The voice of Sunny came from behind Qibli. "If so, I'd like at least a month before you start antagonizing him."
Qibli turned around and felt his jaw drop slightly. He hadn't seen Sunny all dressed up, as she 'wanted to keep it a surprise'. And boy, did it ever work.
She wore a mask with one side depicting a golden sun, the other the three moons against a starry sky. Solar earrings on the moon side, lunar on the sun. The clash and opposites worked in tandem and allured as it did confuse Qibli. Her eyes sparkled through the mask, and Qibli found himself immobile.
She was just so… so beautiful in that moment.
"Well, are you going to stare, or are you going to ask me to dance?" Sunny gave him a wide grin.
Qibli coughed and shook his head, a confident smirk slowly forming. "But of course, my lady." He held out a wing talon for her, which she grabbed.
"I'll be watching you!" Thorn called after them as Qibli felt his blood run cold. Sunny instead burst out laughing.
"I noticed a lot of NightWings starting to gather in corners," Sunny whispered as the two of them took to the skies. Qibli wasn't sure where exactly to… hold her. She was quite small, and he didn't want to accidentally touch somewhere he wasn't supposed to. Not that he thought Sunny would mind, but uh… well, it was public.
Sunny did not have this issue, and their wings beat in unison as they slowly began to spin in the air. Her eyes darted in all directions before returning to meet Qibli's.
"I've noticed." Qibli whispered back, eventually finding a place for his claws as his tail entwined with hers. His tail was bigger than hers, and so the barbed tip kind of hung limply.
"I don't know if we should do anything. But, from my creeping around, they are speaking quite hushedly. It's hard to overhear." Sunny grimaced. "I can't tell if one is Fierceteeth, either. I'd recognize her horn structure anywhere, but with all the jewelry on some, it can mask it."
"Shoulda had Starflight come. He'd be able to sense her via sibling telekinesis." Qibli grinned teasingly. Sunny rolled her eyes. "What? You signed up for dumb jokes."
"I didn't sign anything." Sunny stuck out her tongue. "Unless you got a contract somewhere. And if you do… well, that says quite a bit."
"No contract. But maybe I'll get one. How's about one back rub every other day? Some of my war wounds ache to this day."
"I'd like one from all the heavy lifting I had to do for you on our scouting job." Sunny cricked her neck. "Once this is over, you'll have to show me how dexterous those claws really are."
Qibli couldn't tell if she meant for a back rub or… something else. He decided to play it safe. "I'll give you the best you can get."
"Guess I can't complain if it's bad then, cuz I'm not paying."
They drifted over to one of the corners that some NightWings gathered at. They played it as if they were simply heading that way, staring at each other. But, their ears were perked. They knew what to listen to. Sure enough, it was quite difficult to hear over the music and commotion, but Qibli had learned to read lips.
Unfortunately, masks made that quite hard. Still, he was able to make out a few words to get a good idea of a sentence. Nothing alarming, but certainly suspicious. They spoke of the Darkest Night, which was due to occur six months from now. All three moons would vanish from the sky, leaving it in perpetual darkness.
It was as rare as the Brightest Night, of which Sunny herself was born under. And… Darkstalker. What would the opposite do for NightWings? Completely nullify any and all abilities they had?
Including… animus?
Qibli immediately darted his gaze to Peacemaker. He was as oblivious as ever, speaking to his consort and Duskweaver indistinctly. Duskweaver left shortly after, making her way over to where Sandrunner was.
"Hmmm…" Sunny frowned slightly.
"What?" Qibli asked.
"Probably nothing… but something seems off about Duskweaver." Sunny narrowed her gaze.
"Do you think she's involved?" Qibli's mouth thinned, a feeling of dread overcoming him.
"I don't think so." Sunny shook her head slowly. "But, you know how empathic I am. I just feel a lot of… anticipation."
"She's aware of what's going to happen tonight." Qibli spun her in the air, unlocking their wings to perform the maneuver.
"True as that may be, I'm going to keep an eye on her."
"If you're keeping an eye on her and another on the crowd, what about me?" Qibli playfully pouted.
"I'll be having you every other night. I think you can handle one night alone." She pressed her face closer to his, the tip of her tongue poking out as her eyes became devious again. "Don't tell me you can't last."
Qibli responded by giving her a light peck on the lips, which caught her by surprise. He saw her turn red underneath the mask.
"Moons, I am going to regret this…" Sunny muttered under her breath. "I keep forgetting you can keep up with me on this, Qibbles."
"Oh trust me, you pulled the biggest one over me the other day." Qibli grinned as their foreheads touched. "I'm just playing catch up."
"Well, if that's the case, you have a lot to make up for." Sunny held his talons tighter. "So, let's get this over with, and you can finally start working on it."
"As you say, princess." Qibli's grin grew wider as Sunny sighed.
CRACK!
The wineglass in Moon's wingtalon shattered from how hard she was squeezing it. It jolted her from her almost spiteful glare as she watched Qibli and Sunny dance in the air. Her hard scales prevented any damage, but the action was enough to make her heart race.
Internally, she swore up a storm as she tried to pick up the pieces.
"Are you okay?" Winter asked her. She'd forgotten he was there.
"Dance with me." Moon demanded, giving him a fierce glare.
"Pardon?" Winter raised a brow.
"Shut up and dance with me." Moon stood over him.
"… No." Winter met her gaze. Moon recoiled from the rejection, fangs bared slightly. "I know why you're asking. I won't dance with you to spite Qibli."
"As if you're not taking the slightest bit of glee that everything was broken apart." Moon snorted and shook her head. "I don't need to read your mind to notice when your expression darkens, Winter."
"I'm trying to move past it, just as you should," Winter spoke calmly. It only made Moon get angrier.
"They're doing it in front of everyone! How could I not see that as a slight against me!?" Moon spat, looking at the two as they danced away from them. "It's like they're… they're flaunting!"
"Did you forget earlier? He was so hesitant to dance with Sunny because of how you'd react. And you're proving him right."
And like that, all of her anger evaporated. Instead, it was replaced with shame and guilt. She knew he was right. She knew and wanted Qibli to move on. And yet, a part of her clung to him so tightly as if they were never divorced. Moon was well aware that he and Sunny were together, but seeing it in the scales it just…
It broke her. She stepped out of the ballroom, onto a balcony to get some air. She leaned over the railing, gripping it tightly. Her eyes shut, and she tried to calm herself.
"I don't have a lot of experience with love, but you're a good dragon, Moon." Winter stepped out after her. "Spite is unbecoming of you."
"You don't know what these five years did to me." Moon averted her gaze.
"I don't need to." Winter said. "You're lashing out. I did the same when I was younger, remember?"
"Yeah… I remember." Moon tried to smile. She half succeeded.
"Take a minute to calm yourself. I'll go get you another drink." Winter spread his wings. Then, he stopped and looked at Moon. His piercing eyes met hers, and a low chuckle escaped him. "But… you're welcome to ask me to dance again once you heal."
Moon's eyes lit up at his words and, before she had a chance to reply, he jumped down to the lower levels. She felt an old emotion awaken at his words, and couldn't help but smile. How long ago the days of their love triangle were.
She didn't regret her choice at the time. She still didn't. But maybe… maybe, there really was a chance for a NightWing and IceWing to get along without having a disaster.
"Being with an IceWing isn't easy."
As if on cue, Queen Hope herself approached Moon as she made her way back to the ballroom. She had a wistful look on her face, watching as Winter – impossibly – disappeared into the crowd.
"They're very hard on the surface. You have to crack the ice – so to speak – to get to who they really are." Hope continued, standing next to Moon. "You should've heard the arguments Arctic and I had. Granted, I could have been a much better mate, but I was young and stupid. I wanted a perfect life, a perfect family, and I ignored his issues to sate my own desires."
"I remember you saying that." Moon nodded slowly.
"Don't be me." Hope gave her a critical glare. "Be better."
"I'm too much of an empath to really put myself first anyway." Moon chuckled, the tip of her tail curling around itself in thought. "Part of the reason why the Winglet imploded was because I kept trying to protect everyone."
"And that is a selfish desire. You need to let others know the truth. Don't be me." Hope repeated her words. "If there's one thing I know about Winter, it's that he values honesty."
"Trust me, I know." Moon tried to scan the crowd again, but couldn't find anything yet. Then again, her mind was a complete blur and trying to read others only gave her a pounding headache. It was like she forgot all of her training with this many dragons around.
She refocused, though. She put them into tiny raindrops, only peering into one at a time. It was slow, but methodical. Moon didn't detect anything from a lot of the main party goers, but some of the dragons that skittered off to the sides… a lot of them kept thinking of the phrase 'Blackest Night'. It was a mantra for some of them.
Like they were prepared for someone to read their mind…
"What are you seeing?" Hope questioned. Moon relayed what she read from others' minds. "Blackest Night… that's six months from now." Her eyes drifted to Peacemaker. "I don't know if it takes away animus powers, but if NightWings are completely powerless during that time…"
"What are we going to do?" Moon questioned. "This was going to happen with or without Fierceteeth."
"I don't know. I really, really don't know." Hope shook her head slowly. "If that enchantment breaks, there's reason to believe that Darkstalker himself will be powerless. But, given that he is half IceWing…"
"Starflight and Fatespeaker found another trove of SkyWing animus objects. Maybe I can ask them?"
"Please do. This will be a disaster if we cannot contain my son."
Moon returned to her task as Queen Hope went to entertain some guests. It was strange to read minds a bit more in depth. She hadn't done it in years. Here, she found herself being forced to read a bit past surface level thoughts. Moon found some… colorful takes and ideas in the minds of those she spied upon, but she learned full well that intrusive thoughts were normal.
Still, she identified a few to keep an eye on. It was coming up to the point where it'd be impossible to keep track of all of them. Narrowing it down would be difficult.
But, Moon felt something tickling the back of her mind. It felt like a vision, but it wasn't strong enough. It was a very strange sensation to have, but the more she heard about the Blackest Night, the stronger it became. Her eyes narrowed. It was as if… something was stopping her vision.
Troubled, but unable to do anything about it, Moon continued to scan the crowd.
Sandrunner hated the crowd.
He was much better hanging off to the sidelines, waiting for something to happen. Even in the Jade Mountain balls, he usually never attended or simply kept off to the side. He had fun maybe once, and that was in his first year there before everything went straight to hell at home.
Now, he found himself dressed in both Sand and Night attire. Sun and pendants, black and yellow mask. Sunny had helped him with the attire, and they both agreed it'd be a cool idea to go representing both of their heritage. Sandrunner couldn't bring himself to ask about her and his father, and so the conversations were mostly about what to expect tonight.
She was nice, though. Very nice. If there was anyone he'd want to be with his father outside of his mother, it'd be her. They were a good fit.
It just… well, sucked.
Not sure if mind reading would be a good idea or not in a crowd like this, Sandrunner thought to himself as he glanced up to see his mother with her eyes shut. He knew that look; she was using her abilities. Strain crossed her face for a moment, but she seemed to be keeping a good lid on it.
"Standing all by yourself, handsome?" Came a familiar voice as Duskweaver came sauntering toward him. She wore more ribbons on her horns, a black and white mask split evenly down the center, and had a tail bangle of icy blue metal. That wasn't getting to the normal NightWing jewelry.
"Better view of the crowd." Sandrunner dipped his head in greeting.
"A better view would be in the crowd, socializing. Instead, you're standing here like an outcast." Duskweaver got up in his face, her voice almost purring. "You're drawing suspicion."
"Am I?" Sandrunner tilted his gaze. "I thought I was being normal. I'm not the only one standing off awkwardly."
"True, but you are very noticeable." She gave him a sly look. "You're not just avoiding Blaze, are you?"
"No." Sandrunner let out a small chuckle. "I can tell Thorn has her on job." He jerked his head toward the taller SandWing. "See how her tail is coiled and motionless? That's a tell. If she was, as many say, 'on the prowl', she'd be much more animated."
"Interesting." Duskweaver blinked, surprised. "She's a great distraction, that's for sure." She slid an eye to him, grinning. "Actually… if we really wanna create a distraction for our foes to try and make a move from, I have a great idea."
"And that is?"
"Oh dear… you forgot about my little ability, didn't you?" Duskweaver frowned slightly. Sandrunner raised a brow. "It's like you forgot everything about me the moment you left Jade Mountain. I wonder why that is? Oh well… I get the treat of seeing your jaw drop once more."
Duskweaver removed her mask… to reveal that her scales were an exact replica of the mask. Then, the mask grew, splitting her evenly as a black and white dragon. Sure enough, Sandrunner's jaw dropped as memories began flooding back in.
"I'm part RainWing." Duskweaver's face was inches from his as her body and eyes began to change like a rainbow. "Or did you forget?"
So mesmerized by the shifting colors, Sandrunner didn't object as she grabbed his talons and lifted him in the air. It took him a minute before he realized they were dancing in the skies, and Duskweaver was still shimmering. Sandrunner couldn't rip his eyes away as she changed hues and different combinations of color. It was only when she mimicked him that he finally began to snap out of it.
"Your father can't do this. How can you?" Sandrunner asked blankly.
"Dunno. I inherited a lot of what he missed, I guess. Guess I was truly blessed." Duskweaver shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't like to show it off, though. But, this is a special occasion."
"It's… enthralling, I'll say that." Sandrunner stared into her eyes. She gave him a devilish grin, and he noted her long fangs. Venom spewing fangs. They weren't as long as a RainWing's, but they were certainly noticeable.
How did he ever forget her? It's like part of his memory was blocked and then a fog lifted the more she showed up. He didn't remember her causing anything traumatic, or even being involved. Well, that was the point of repressed memories, but that was beside the point. If she was the cause, nobody would allow them to be together. Moon would literally tear her to shreds.
"I used to do this to animals whenever I hunted," Duskweaver said. "All the colors would mesmerize them. Easy prey."
"Not a vegetarian like your father?"
"Nope. Although, his strawberries are fantastic. Have you had them? Oh, I'm sure you have, your mother is Moon!"
"That I have." Sandrunner smiled slightly.
"Oh my, that's a suspicious looking fellow." Duskweaver looked over Sandrunner's shoulder. "He's not even looking at me. Am I not colorful enough for him?"
Sandrunner followed her gaze. Sure enough, there was a NightWing approaching a pavilion near where a massive chandelier hung from the ceiling. Before Sandrunner could question what was going on, all the lights went out, plunging the ballroom into total darkness.
Next chapter will be on the 12th and then it'll be a short break for uploads after that. I really want to have a payoff to all the build up I am doing and then let you all sit on it ;)