Welcome, friends, to the midway point of the story. Or, at least, the inciting incident that will kick off the rest of it.

Before that, though, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who supported me here. When I posted The Worry List last year, it was really supposed to the only thing I do for this fandom. And then Hazy Shade happened. And then Anywhere. Not to mention all the 3D art I made.

Here we are now, though. I never thought I'd get this far. Thank you again for everything, guys.

A chill that pierced even Winter's icy hide filled the room as all the candles were snuffed out. Confusion echoed loudly, and Winter had to fly into the air to escape it. Only the stars and moonlight filtered in through windows.

And that's when he saw it, a gathering of darkness above them. It looked like a swirling of black clouds that took a draconic shape, and Winter knew immediately who this was. Yet, he did not attack, as he did not want to provoke the ire of this dragon. No, he had to figure out what was the source of the manifestation.

"Well, well… it seems much has changed in my absence." A familiar deep baritone reverberated off the walls. "A ball? It's been such a long time since I attended one, and I am quite offended I was not sent an invitation!"

Sure enough, the dragon in question was Darkstalker. There was a smokey haze around the large dragon, but the eyes were visible as if glowing in the darkness. Twisted horns, a great pair of wings. Winter narrowed his gaze, and he immediately realized that any attack would be negligible, as most of the body was transparent.

This was an apparition. Dare he even say… a ghost.

"I like the improvements, even if it is a tad drab." Darkstalker nodded his head before scanning the crowd. "What a show! How I wish I could partake. Alas, my feet are horribly out of practice, and I may crush my subjects. Horrible first impression for a king, wouldn't you say?"

Winter finally found Peacemaker in the crowd. He was visibly distressed, unsure of what was going on. Most of the crowd was the same, kept in place either by sheer curiosity or fear. Although, a few bolted right out, and Winter could not blame them in the slightest.

"Now, I can only manifest myself temporarily. But, rest assured, I am coming back. Oh yes, you have yet to be rid of me." Darkstalker winked at Hope, who glared back. "Why do you look at me with such contempt, mother? Ooops… was I supposed to say that?"

Half the crowd immediately turned to Hope, confusion in their eyes.

"Don't worry, I won't reveal your little secret. I'll need it." Darkstalker waved her off before turning to Moon. "Moon! My dear friend, how nice it is to see you all grown up. Oooh, I cannot wait to reunite with you. We have so much catching up to do…"

"How are you back?" Moon shouted back.

"I'd tell you, but considering you and the Sandwing – Hi Qibli, I see you over there. Sleeping with a direct descendant of me, but not willing to be around me? Ouch – betrayed me, I am not inclined to. You'll both find out soon enough. Now, where is that Fathom wannabe…? Oh, there you are!"

Turtle and Peril stood next to each other on the upper balcony, the latter standing protectively over the former. Turtle's eyes were wide with fear, whereas Peril had only hatred in her eyes.

"A SkyWing? Quite the fiery one at that, too. I'm surprised you didn't just evaporate. I'm not one to judge, though." A sigh escaped the massive dragon before he turned right to Winter, his face inches away. "As for you… surprisingly, I have no grudge against you. Other than you being, y'know, an IceWing."

"What?" Winter couldn't help but react.

"Oh, yes, you and the Skywing weren't involved with my demise. Yeah, sure, you fought against my tribe, but you were just doing a normal IceWing thing. As such, I'll give you one warning to stay out of my way." Darkstalker's voice darkened with each word. "Now, where's the RainWing… oh, right, she has no wings. I guess her punishment is suitable enough."

How did he know she had no wings? Winter frowned. Something was off here. Not to mention he knew about Qibli and Sunny. That only just happened. Was this a slip up? He'd have to investigate later.

"As for you, my – hopefully – loyal subjects… The Blackest Night is upon us soon. I hope to see you in the scales then. You'll know where to go when the time comes." Darkstalker grinned sinisterly. "However, I'll need a Kingdom to return to, and I don't need a queen..."

Darkstalker clapped his great wings together, disappearing into the shadows as dozens of NightWings burst from where he once was.


Moon knew this day would come, although prayed it did not.

Not for Darkstalker, but the day where she'd have to use her training to actively maim and potentially kill other dragons. She remembered what she learned over the years, and was able to calm her mind before the dragons reached her and Hope. The latter was already spurred into action, grabbing a decorative javelin off the walls and throwing it with pinpoint accuracy. The first foe dropped, but three more remained.

Moon grappled the closest, spinning in the air and using the momentum to throw them into the balcony. Their back struck the railing, and a sickening crack echoed as they slouched off and onto the floor.

Two more.

They went right for Hope, who was more than capable of taking them on. Moon rammed one with her horns, tackling the dragon to the ground. She breathed flame, causing the armor to sear into their flesh. Whilst they shrieked in agony, Moon delivered a powerful blow to knock them unconscious.

And that's when she saw her.

Fierceteeth dove like a crossbolt at Hope so quickly and silently that Moon almost didn't see her. However, she had the loudest mind. With one blow, she could've killed the queen.

Not if Moon had anything to say about it.

With a roar, Moon leaped up and tackled Fierceteeth to the ground. They fell together, slamming into the balcony flooring. Fierceteeth immediately kicked off the ground and smoke filled the air. Moon coughed and spat out the choking smog, only to feel her side be split open by something sharp and small.

A chakram.

Fighting against the pain, Moon was able to hear Fierceteeth's thoughts. They were chaotic and incoherent, as if she were fighting against something. Moon's eyes narrowed. Something wasn't right, but this wasn't the time to investigate.

Another roar and a chill in the air announced the presence of Winter. Moon couldn't help but smile slightly. Forcing herself through the pain, she launched upward and out of the smoke. More NightWings had gone for the queen, but Winter was giving them a nasty case of Frostbreath.

Fierceteeth ignored him and went right for the queen. They grappled, Hope flipping Fierceteeth over her head and onto the ground. Yet, the smaller dragon caught herself, throwing a chakram that nearly split Hope's neck.

"What do you hope to gain from this?" Hope demanded of Fierceteeth. "You are no ruler."

Fierceteeth didn't respond. Moon, however, noted something strange. Her mind surged up angrily, but not at Hope. Moon's gaze narrowed as she inspected every inch of the rebellion leader before she noted a glint of metal around Fierceteeth's neck.

A necklace. It was unwieldy in battle. So why would she…?

Oh.

"She's being controlled!" Moon shouted to Winter and Hope. "Remove that necklace!"

Moon heard Hope's mind piece everything together, and she threw herself at Fierceteeth. Both Winter and Moon joined her. Fierceteeth kept her distance, spitting flame and throwing chakram. It was a battle to just keep up with her.

That was until Qibli showed up from behind and kicked the back of her head. Her momentum stopped, and she fell face first to the ground. Winter caught and pinned her to the ground, freezing the necklace and ripping it off.

Immediately, Fierceteeth had a change of demeanor. She groaned, holding her head, before eying all of them and the environment. Her mind was buzzing with a dozen questions and confusion.

"What the…?" Fierceteeth asked in a daze. "Why am I at the palace?"

"Uh, you had a massive rebellion going on. Did you miss that part?" Qibli stood over her, brow raised. "Also, Sunny got Peacemaker out." He announced to Hope, who visibly relaxed. "I saw Sandrunner take Duskweaver to safety, too."

"WHAT!?" Fierceteeth's eyes snapped wide open. "How did… what day is it!?"

"She's not faking." Winter had cracked open the necklace, revealing a piece of parchment. "Enchant the wearer of this necklace to do exactly as I, the writer of this enchantment, order and truly believe in Darkstalker's rebirth." He read off the enchantment.

"We'll deal with that later." Hope looked out to the ballroom. Most of the guests had fled, and there were still a few hostile NightWings. "We need to handle this, first. Don't kill them, they may be controlled."

"We need to find Sandrunner," Moon said as a sinking feeling in her gut gave way to a roaring vision the likes she hadn't seen in years.

It depicted fire, and Sandrunner at the center. He was facing off against NightWings, and on the verge of death from multiple crossbolts. Then, the vision ended, as if someone had closed the book on her face. Still, she was able to get an idea of where he was, seeing the horizon in the distance.

"Sandrunner's going to die." Moon spread her wings, voice trembling. Qibli immediately leapt into the air. "I know where he is. We have to hurry!"


A few moments ago

"We need to go, now." Sandrunner jerked Duskweaver away from the chaos that erupted around them.

Darkstalker was back. Darkstalker was back. How was this possible? Peacemaker was still around, this shouldn't be possible! But, he caught the great dragon looking their way a couple times despite not saying a word. Specifically, right at Duskweaver.

He knew who she was.

And that meant Sandrunner had to get her out of the castle now.

"But my parents! Grandma!" Duskweaver protested, her face paled with fear.

"They can take care of themselves. I need to get you far away from here. He knows who you are." Sandrunner pulled her away as crossbolts flew over his head. It was too dangerous to fly, and so he was forced to land on the upper balcony as two NightWings descended.

They were clad in armor, smoke billowing from their maws. They didn't use crossbows, but sharp blades from their gauntlets were more than enough. Fierceteeth had amassed an army. A well equipped army. Where did she get the funding!?

No time to question. Right now, Sandrunner had to protect Duskweaver and pray that his parents would be okay. They were trained fighters. And so was he.

They attacked first, seeking to strike him down. Sandrunner leaped back, spitting out a jet of flame. A NightWing leaped through it, the armor absorbing most of the attack. With a snarl, Sandrunner threw out his barbed tail. It rebounded off the armor, but the fear of being stabbed kept them at bay.

Sandrunner was limited in his options. He had to get them away from Duskweaver, but he was being backed up the staircase to a tower. The narrow passageway should've been a great opportunity to funnel them, but that initial bout told him just how outmatched he was with a ward.

"Come with me, I know where we can go." Duskweaver whispered to him.

Nodding, Sandrunner spat another jet of flame, this time at the ground. The carpet immediately lit up, choking smoke filling the air. He just hoped that he wouldn't get billed for that.

Up the stairs they clambered, the NightWings right behind. Sandrunner used the staircase to his advantage, poling off objects to kick them back. He succeeded in knocking one downstairs in a heap, but the other proved to be more difficult. Nothing he did would deter them for long.

Soon, they reached the top of the stairs, and Duskweaver opened the door. Once Sandrunner was in, she slammed it shut and used her venom to seal the lock.

Inside the tower didn't lend itself to a lot of options. The door that protected them wouldn't last. The ceiling was low, and the windows were too small for them to climb out of. All that they had to defend themselves were talon and fang… and a few supply crates.

"Up here!" Duskweaver pulled a latch down from the ceiling. They flew up, and Sandrunner recognized this tower to be a supply tower. Meaning that they could fly out of here and to safety, as couriers would often come in and out of here.

Could being the operative word, as just as they were getting ready to fly, three NightWings wielding crossbows circled above them like vultures. Wind whipped in Sandrunner's ears, but the most disturbing part was how silent the NightWings were. It was as if they were possessed.

"What do we do?" Duskweaver turned to Sandrunner, terror in her eyes.

"They're after you." Sandrunner backed into the center of the tower.

"Then you need to flee." Duskweaver hissed. "I'll distract them so you can go."

"No." Sandrunner shook his head. "I'm not letting them take you for whatever plans they have."

"And if you stay, you'll die."

Yeah… he would. There wasn't any getting out of this. Not with Duskweaver behind him. Glancing around the top of the watchtower, he noted that the crates were flammable. A good amount of them had oil. One going off would be bad, but not enough to stop them.

But if all of them went off at once… well, that would be disastrous, wouldn't it?

"No." Duskweaver hissed at him as the NightWing from downstairs finally burst through the door. "It's a stupid plan."

"Only one we got." Sandrunner eyed the NightWings, who stopped flying and pointed their crossbows at him. "If I surrender, I'm dead. If I'm going to die…"

Sandrunner blew out flame, lighting the oil crates. A ferocious fire roared to life, reaching skyward and disorientating two of the NightWings. Sandrunner launched himself at the closest one, stinging with his barb as the last fired. It struck his side, penetrating deep. Sandrunner nearly missed his mark from the force, but was able to stab in the thigh with his venom.

Duskweaver, thankfully, took off as he attacked. With a bolt in his side, attacking proved difficult. He spat flame and threw his barb around, but the NightWings kept their distance. Their own flame matched his, exploding in the sky as another bolt struck his shoulder. Another pinned his claw to the ground.

Blood leaked from Sandrunner's wounds and mouth as he tried to free himself. There was no way he was tearing it out. But… yes, that could work.

As one of the NightWings went to fire again, Sandrunner ripped the bolt out of the ground. With it still piercing his claw, he lunged and grabbed at the eye socket, impaling. The NightWing howled in agony before Sandrunner shoved the bolt further in, killing the black dragon.

THWIP! Another bolt struck Sandrunner's back, and he fell. As he did, he lashed out with his tail and knocked over more flammable objects. Half the tower floor went up in flames, consuming the other NightWing, who fell out of view.

Pushing himself up, Sandrunner crawled over to the trap door. He had to escape the flames if he had any hope of surviving this. The fall may kill him, but it was better than being burned to death.

SHUNK!

As Sandrunner opened the trap door, a sharp pair of metal claws impaled his chest. The NightWing from before, who Sandrunner had forgotten about in the chaos, stood there. Sandrunner spat blood as his throat clogged with the iron tasting liquid.

With the last of his strength, Sandrunner forced himself onto the NightWing, pushing them both down and using the latter's body as a cushion. It didn't really help much, as it was still like landing on metal. But, again, better than being burned to death.

Sandrunner was kicked off, where he landed on his side. One of the bolts broke from the impact. He tried to stand back up, but his claw slipped from all the blood that now flowed from his wounds. Another slash killed all fight left in him.

His vision darkened. Everything was fading. He couldn't think straight anymore. The crackle of flame faded into oblivion as his eyes began to close. He felt intense heat, heard a shriek…

… and then there was silence.


Qibli's heart was in his throat when Moon had that vision. Her face was stricken and pale, and he knew they didn't have a lot of time. Winter stayed behind with Hope to clean up the mess, leaving the two to rush up to where Moon said Sandrunner went.

Oh, it was a blaze of disaster. It looked like Peril had removed her firescale blocker and went full ham on everything. And from a burnt hole in the floor, that's exactly what happened. He heard her voice and Turtle's, as well as Duskweaver's.

They did not sound hopeful.

Qibli beat Moon in, and the moment he did, he stopped. Every part of his body locked up. His eyes widened, and everything went quiet and numb.

Sandrunner, his son, was on the floor with bolts sticking out of him as if he were a pincushion. Blood pooled, and he wasn't breathing. Sandrunner wasn't breathing. Turtle sat next to him, using his rock to heal what he could as he and Peril spoke indistinctly.

A heart wrenching, guttural wail from Moon snapped him back to reality as she all but knocked Peril and Turtle to the side and scooped up Sandrunner in her arms.

"Sandrunner, no…" she cried, tears streaming from her face. "No, no, no… please wake up, my little SightWing. Please wake up!"

"Moon…" Turtle went to reach for her, pausing.

"What happened?" Moon snarled not at Turtle, but at Duskweaver, who was standing off to the side. Her eyes were wide, and she was visibly shaken. "WHAT HAPPENED!?" Moon roared with such ferocity that it scared Qibli.

"He… he was trying to protect me. The NightWings were after me because of who I am," Duskweaver spoke in a shaky voice, averting her gaze. "I knew a way to the tower and we could fly out to safety from it. But, we were ambushed. He bought me enough time to get help. I found Peril and Turtle, and…"

"I was too late." Peril snarled, pointing at the charred remains of a dragon. His smoldering jaw was across the room, and his insides were charcoal. "I arrived just as that bastard struck him one last time."

"Moon," Turtle spoke again in a clearer, authoritative voice. Moon finally snapped her attention to him. "I can heal the surface wounds. That doesn't happen in dead bodies."

Hope flowed through Qibli as he finally landed next to Moon, standing over their son's body. Now that he was closer, he could see the slightest rise and fall of his chest. It was ragged, and slowing.

"However… there's internal damage, and I can't do anything about that." Turtle quickly dashed the hope that allowed Qibli to move. "He's alive, but by the thinnest of a thread. I don't want to move him. We need to get a surgeon up here now."

"I'll go find one." Duskweaver immediately volunteered. "I know exactly who to get. Just… just keep him alive, okay?"

Duskweaver departed right after, and Qibli pressed a talon to Sandrunner's bloodied neck. There was a pulse, but it was so weak and slow. Tears of his own slid down his muzzle and onto Sandrunner's body. The pulse was slowing.

And there was nothing he could do.

"I'm stabilizing him the best I can." Turtle kept them distracted by talking. "I can't remove the bolts because I don't know what organs they're piercing. And, anything we do may weaken him."

"I'm so sorry." Peril averted her gaze, cusping both Qibli and Moon's claws in hers. "If I wasn't too slow, if I…"

"You did everything you could." Qibli finally choked out words. "This is not your fault."

The minutes ticked by slowly. Moon began to rant and rave about where Duskweaver was between trying to urge Sandrunner to awaken. The entire time, Sandrunner's breathing slowed and slowed as his pulse became weaker.

And there was nothing they could do but watch him slowly die.

Guilt over unsaid things flowed through Qibli like an infection. He could've been there more for Sandrunner. Spent more time with him. Maybe tried harder and fixed the situation with Moon. He should've given up everything with Thorn and stayed. Nothing was more important to him than Moon and Sandrunner back then and he should have stayed.

But, he didn't. He didn't out of a sense of duty and loyalty. Thorn would've understood. Everyone would've understood. Heck, he had her blessing to do so! And yet… he didn't.

And now that missed time was coming back to bite him. Maybe Qibli couldn't have avoided what happened here, but he could've made the time count. Instead, he split Sandrunner's time almost selfishly.

He should have tried harder.

"You're right, you should have." Moon spat at Qibli. There was a cold glare in her eyes, and in that moment, Qibli realized that he wasn't wearing his Skyfire. He'd taken it off because he didn't want it to get stolen and to mentally communicate if he found something.

"You left us time and time again. And you had her blessing!?" Moon stood up and faced him. Her front was splattered with blood. Their son's blood. "YOU, AFTER ALL THIS TIME, COULD HAVE STAYED!? WE COULD'VE WORKED IT OUT!?"

"Moon…" Qibli tried to fight back, but his voice died.

"WE COULD'VE MOVED PAST PEACEMAKER! WE COULD'VE MOVED PAST EVERYTHING, BUT NO, YOU WERE GONE TIME AND TIME AGAIN! AND YOU COULD HAVE STAYED!?" Moon shrieked in his face. "Do you know what it was like!?"

"Moon, you and I both knew that this was going to happen. Especially after what happened to Thorn. Are you seriously blaming me for not staying when all you did was cling to me?" Qibli shot back.

Moon's eyes went wide and he thought she might strike him. But, she didn't.

"Don't turn this around on me. We both screwed up," Qibli responded calmly. "You're angry. You're distressed. Moons, I am too. But we can't fight… not here. Not now."

He didn't know how he was able to keep a level head. Maybe it was how he was raised. Maybe it was his own way of protecting himself. Whatever it was, it seemed to work, as Moon instead threw her arms around him and began sobbing into his chest. Qibli held her, wrapping his wings around her comfortingly.

Duskweaver returned a moment later with three NightWings. They had medical equipment, and demanded they leave the room. Qibli and Peril had to pull Moon out of the room as she fought them to stay. Her shouts were insulting and biting, but it came from distress and not malice.

Once outside and down the stairs, they found Winter, Hope, and Sunny waiting for them. Moon yanked herself free of Qibli and marched off to stare out the window. Qibli could only sit down and stare at the floor and his now bloodsoaked talons. Sunny embraced him, saying not a word, but stroking his back comfortingly.

The others slowly found them. Duskweaver was forced to repeat the story multiple times and looked like she was about to break by the end of it. Thorn sat beside Qibli, wrapping her wing around him and Sunny. She, too, said nothing. There was nothing to say.

What felt like hours passed before the sound of someone coming downstairs alerted them all.

"We did everything we could and moved him to the medical wing," The NightWing surgeon said. His talons were drenched in blood, and he had a grim look on his face. "The wounds are grave. He's stabilized, but… I don't know if he'll make it through the night. I'm sorry, I wish there was more we could do."

"Can we see him?" Moon's voice was small and barely audible.

"I wouldn't advise it in your state," The NightWing answered not unkindly, but firmly. "You need to get whatever rest you can… and prepare yourself."

With that, the surgeon went back up the stairs. Thorn goaded Qibli into standing, leading him away with Sunny to the guest rooms. Qibli was barely aware of what was happening until he found himself laying in a bed with the two of them holding him tightly. Apparently, he'd cleaned off the blood and removed his clothing. When did that happen?

There was nothing he could do.

Nothing to do but wait.

Mood shift, huh?

Well... next update won't be for a bit ;). Gotta let this one stew.