Bing boop updated quicker than I expected. Next week we have one more (if things go as planned) and then back to infrequent uploads.
"Didn't think we'd be meeting again so soon, huh?" Tsunami chuckled as she drank from a wine glass.
She sat opposite Queen Snowfall in a private chamber, as Orca refused to teleport Tsunami back. Luckily, she had a Dreamvisitor and was able to get the word back to General Shark and Anemone that she was okay. Auklet was too energetic to reach, however, but Anemone doubtlessly told her.
The private chamber was quite elegant, with icy decoration and crystalline chandeliers. Tsunami should have felt frigid inside these walls, but it was quite insulated. The seating was chilly at first, but her body warmed it quickly. Not to mention all the warm lights the chandeliers radiated.
Turtle really should offer to duplicate this gift of diplomacy, though. Heck, she was queen, she could order him!
"Admittedly, no." Snowfall shook her head with a smile. "But, I suppose it works out. We can decide what to do with our… guests without worrying about interception."
"Dreamvisitors do exist, but I get you."
"Not always reliable. One of us may be shaken awake, after all." Snowfall pointed out. Tsunami shrugged; was a good point. "Regardless, these guests of ours… what do you make of them?"
"I do not trust Orca," Tsunami answered directly. "She's like me when I was younger, only far more manipulative. I think she'll switch sides when it's convenient for her to gain something. That being said… there is genuineness about never wanting power and protecting the Sea Kingdom. I just worry about how far she'll go."
"I don't envy you there." Snowfall took another sip.
"What about Whiteout and Arctic for you?"
"I haven't really had time to get to know them. I arrived not ten minutes before you did." Snowfall admitted. "But, while it seems Orca is much more willing to use animus, it seems Arctic is much more… reluctant."
"Yeah, I noticed that too. Jerboa say why?"
"No. She's unapproachable when she gets into her research mode, so I think we'll have an answer one way or another soon." Snowfall smirked slightly. "Whiteout, I am… uncertain about. I think there is far, far more to her than we can ever fully know."
"Yeah, it's like when she looks at you, she sees both your past and future." Tsunami shook her head. "It's so weird!"
"She was born a day after the Brightest Night. Perhaps some of that power was absorbed in a different way?"
"I know nothing about that. I just know that if our 'minders' bothered to put Sunny and Starflight in the moonlight instead of hiding them away, they would have been unstoppable too." Tsunami bristled. "Can you imagine a Sunny with those abilities? Starflight? I can't."
"I don't know them as well as you."
"Ah, true. Basically, they're too passive to do anything. They'd sit on the powers or do mundane enchantments." Tsunami cleared her throat. "'I enchant all my scrolls to return neatly to their rows.' Stuff like that."
"Given what I know of Starflight, that makes sense." Snowfall snickered. "But, I suppose the matter is… what do we do with them? It'll be difficult to hide their appearance, especially Orca and Whiteout."
"Jerboa said they're engineered or something, right?"
"Engendered was the term, yes."
"Right, that." Tsunami tapped a talon on her chin. "They're real to themselves. That's the difficult part. They can be fake or dead or whatever, but you can't control micro actions. I noticed Arctic immediately move to Whiteout when Orca stepped over to him. If they were static beings, that wouldn't have happened."
"Could have been subconsciously guided to act that way."
"That's very true."
"I don't suppose you and your friends know someone else who can help verify this?" Snowfall asked wryly. "Because between the Dragons of Destiny and the Jade Winglet, you all seem to bring home strays of all types."
"Like the Pantalans at your door?" Tsunami laughed.
"Like them." Snowfall smirked.
"Uhh… really, I have no idea. I'd have to ask. Two of the Winglet are here, so we can bother them I guess."
"That, they are…" Snowfall slid a devious eye to her. "Shall we go and, as you say, bother them?"
"Ain't got anything better to do other than watch Orca, and really, she just disappears when I try."
"The nobility has changed."
Winter glanced to Arctic, pulling himself up from his reading. He never liked fiction all that much, but there was this science-fiction scroll about the ancestors of dragons being recreated. The science was a bit wonky, but passable enough for Winter's standards.
But, mostly, he was here to make sure that Arctic didn't get lost or have anyone ask too many questions. According to him, the castle has and hasn't changed. The rows of scrolls had shifted, but the room itself remained the same. Winter wasn't surprised; IceWings in general were highly resistant to change.
"How so?" Winter figured he may as well learn more about Arctic's time.
"Commoners are allowed into the library," Arctic said dryly. His normal voice was that of cracking ice, so when he spoke lower, it came out as a rattling hiss. His comment came across as that much more acidic as a result. "That never happened."
"Snowfall did destroy the Gift of Order."
Arctic stared. "She did what?"
"A dragon's worth is far more than anything 'order' can give. Every dragon has the right to prove themselves." Winter recalled a conversation with his cousin from last year.
Arctic shut his eyes, leaning back slightly. "How does IceWing society function then!?"
"Admittedly, I don't know all that much. I haven't been able to keep an eye on home, as I run a mixed-tribe village called Sanctuary. Dragons who have nowhere to go are welcome there."
Arctic cracked open an eye, staring at Winter with a chilling gaze. "Things truly have changed."
"Two thousand years will do that." Winter chuckled. "Two of the nobility are dating outside their tribe."
"… Indeed." Arctic averted his gaze.
"Foeslayer's alive." Winter reminded him. "Nobody is going to judge you if you wanted to get back with her again. She has Peacemaker, but as far as I know there is nobody else in her life."
"She wouldn't want me." Arctic snorted dismissively. "I was not the best husband for her."
"Maybe. But you won't know unless you try." Winter slanted his gaze. "I never thought I'd be dating a RainWing because of how standoffish I was. I threatened to slice my first crush's face off. If I can change, you can too."
"You didn't have seven years of abuse," Arctic answered flatly. "We are both guilty of agitating each other and worse."
"And you'll just give up then and there?" Winter raised a brow. "Dragons can change."
"Hmph. Well, I am apparently supposed to be dead, so my history will not change."
"What? That doesn't…" Winter shook his head. "A dragon who doesn't care wouldn't have stepped in front of his daughter." He gave Arctic a knowing look. The other IceWing narrowed his gaze. "I noticed it. Dragons that are cruel don't tend to do that."
"Two thousand years of torture… would she even want me anymore?" Arctic spoke after a moment. His hissing whisper was much more bitter, although clearly aimed at himself.
"I don't know. You'd have to ask her."
Silence.
"How did Darkstalker fall?" Arctic decided to ask. "We are alone now."
"I don't know." Winter admitted. "I was sent away with an animus spell."
"Your girlfriend knows, but you don't?" Arctic raised a brow.
"I haven't needed to ask. I trust her." Winter frowned slightly. He knew what Arctic was getting at, and truthfully, it did bother him. But he was not going to oblige a clear turn in conversation to escape emotions.
"It is not about trust. It is about me knowing exactly what happened." Arctic continued to press. "I have a right to know what happened to my son."
"The son you wished would die?" Winter didn't look at him when he made that comment.
"Think of me what you will, but I never wanted him dead." Arctic gave him a chilling glare. "I saw what a monster he would be without restraint. And I was right."
"And do you think that maybe some of it could have been subdued if he wasn't raised in a broken home?"
That got to Arctic. He puffed right up, anger clear in his eyes. But, there were no words to be said. Winter had effectively lanced him with a spear and pinned him against a wall.
"… Perhaps," Arctic, to Winter's surprise, answered. Winter met the prince's gaze as he looked away. "Losing Foeslayer put a lot of things into perspective."
"I lost everything, too," Winter said. "My friends, my family, my title. The dragon I loved, although it was to another dragon rather than what happened to Foeslayer."
"No arranged marriages?" Arctic asked.
"I don't think I was old, or valuable, enough for one. My siblings, yes. But I was the sacrifice." Winter thought back to the Diamond Trials. He would have died had Hailstorm not agreed to spare him. "My family threw me into a blizzard when I was one."
"Not even I had that." Arctic chuckled. It was so weird to hear him laugh, as it sounded like scraping ice on the ground. Not pleasant at all. "I suppose I was too valuable, being an animus. When I finished my Gift, I suppose that would have been a different story." He frowned, tapping his talons on the table. "Maybe I should've just done it and then left. But, I was told Foeslayer was going to die. I know, it's foolish to throw one's life away for a dragon you just met, but…"
"I did the same," Winter said. Arctic gave him a surprised look. "Not one week after knowing my winglet, I lost everything. Granted, a lot of it was out of my control, but I still came back to them instead of trying to reestablish my rank."
"… You and I are more alike than I realized." Arctic mused after a moment. "Perhaps that is why I feel strangely comfortable talking to you. You are free-minded. I wish there were more dragons like us back then."
"There probably were. After your mother, the IceWings became less strict for a while. The previous queen, Glacier, was… kind." Winter's claws curled. "She could not do much for me, as it was unbecoming for a queen to step into a noble's life, but she tried. Snowfall gets a lot from her now that she has grown accustomed to the role."
"I see."
"If it makes you feel any better, most of the reason why I gave up everything was because of a NightWing as well."
That got a loud, uproarious laugh out of Arctic that sounded like booming thunder before an avalanche. Some of the other dragons in the library turned to them, but thankfully did not recognize the resurrected prince. Winter's own ears hurt from how strong it was.
"I suppose that makes sense." Arctic shook his head. "I have heard silly nonsense such as opposites attract. There is truth to the saying, it seems."
"I'm dating a hyperactive RainWing. I have no choice but to believe it."
"Oh, there you two are." Snowfall's voice interjected before Arctic could respond. "I was wondering if we were getting a thunderstorm, only to see it was you two."
"Yes, just us." Winter nodded slowly.
"I need a word with you." Snowfall gestured for him to step out of the library. "Don't go anywhere." She added to Arctic, who shot her a 'where am I going to go?' look. Once outside, Snowfall turned to Winter and spoke. "Do you have anyone that can verify the integrity of these dragons? I know your winglet brings in all kinds of dragons."
"We have his mate," Winter said. Snowfall shot him a questioning look. "She was in the Diamond Trial. I freed her. You weren't here to hear that explanation."
"And she's not a replicant or whatever we are calling them?"
"No. She is real." Winter affirmed quietly. "If anyone is going to know them, it's her."
"Right. Then we need to find her as soon as possible." Snowfall gestured to his satchel. "Contact her via Dreamvisitor or find someone who can."
"I know who can." Winter glanced downward. "Just a matter of her being awake for it."
BANG!
Both Snowfall and Winter jumped as Tsunami came bursting down the hall. The SeaWing Queen had a look of distress on her face as well as pure, unadulterated fury.
"I just spoke to Turtle. The Rain Kingdom was attacked by Vulture." She spat out. "Half the Rain Village is ash."
Winter paled. "I need to go get Kinkajou."
"Find her, and I'll make Orca take us there." Tsunami nodded. "I'm her queen, and I know she wants answers as well as we do."
"I'm coming too." Arctic stepped out of the library. All three of them looked at him, confused. "If Foeslayer has a half RainWing son, there is reason to believe that she lives in the Rain Kingdom. I will not sit here and pass up this opportunity."
"Fine, fine," Snowfall answered with a bit of a snap. "Get your daughter, then. We may as well bring you both. Meet us in the throne room once you find them."
Guilt wracked Kinkajou's mind, holding it hostage. She avoided going anywhere near Winter lest she just burst and spill her guts. She wanted nothing more than to tell him. Yet the moment she built up the courage, the instant she went to go find Winter, she retreated.
Right now, she paced outside. If she kept it up, she would carve a path into the ground itself. Her colors were out of sync, flickering between all shades of distress.
Kinkajou couldn't keep lying. She had to tell him. Yet it felt so much better to live in a lie. Her mind flashed back to captivity, and how nobody wanted to save her. Nobody except Glory. Only, this time the prison was her mind and her savior was Winter. Only, she saw nothing more than him throwing the key into the lava and walking away.
She couldn't blame him. Kinkajou deserved everything and more.
"Your mind is a snowstorm." Came a voice that caused Kinkajou to nearly leap out of her scales. Whirling around, she saw Whiteout staring there almost eerily.
"That obvious?" Kinkajou saw no reason to lie. Somehow, Whiteout would see right through it anyway.
"The hue of your scales is a dark rainbow. Clouds rain on you." Whiteout continued, a faint frown on her face. "Brother's shadow envelops."
"You know what happened, don't you?" Kinkajou averted her gaze.
"That peace is made from his demise?" Whiteout approached. "Yes. His life is anew."
"Yeah… and it's my fault." Kinkajou shifted uncomfortably. "I took away his life. Death would've been preferable."
"You are still azure," Whiteout instead said. "White would be bad."
"How can I be azure after everything?" Kinkajou couldn't help but snap. Whiteout didn't react. "Sorry…"
"The snow of guilt does not bury the warmth." Whiteout took Kinkajou's claw in hers. She was somehow both warm and cold to the touch. Very soothing, though. It's like touching the hybrid was enough to clear Kinkajou's mind slightly. "Kindness is colorful."
"Is it kindness to erase someone? Even so, I changed him to half RainWing. Foeslayer didn't ask me to do that…" Kinkajou couldn't look at Whiteout. "It's like changing who you are. Or me. I would rather die as myself than be anyone else."
"You are not yourself." Whiteout tilted her head. "Chaos and change are inevitable. The mind of dragonets die to birth adults."
"You're saying that we all change who we are?" Kinkajou took a moment to process what Whiteout said. Said dragon beamed back. "But I'm still in my body. I remember everything. My identity is still intact."
"Not everything that is taken can be lost." Whiteout shook her head, then seemed to have an epiphany. "Chaos theory."
"What… does that mean, exactly?" That was the point where Kinkajou couldn't follow Whiteout anymore.
"The mind remembers. The body remembers. Magic is fickle and untamable," Whiteout said as if it were obvious. Kinkajou tilted her head. "Time tells all."
"Umm… right…" Kinkajou didn't know what to do with her words. "I just… I can't tell Winter what we know. Actually, how do you know?"
Whiteout grinned impishly. It was so bizarre to see such an expression on a dragon like her. "A queen keeps secrets."
"How do you feel about that?" Kinkajou questioned. "He's your brother."
"The sands snowed on his scales." Whiteout looked at the snow. "The blizzard of torment consumed him. Ice would crack and fall. The rage must be quelled." She returned her gaze to Kinkajou. "Too azure for death. Kindness is in your heart piece. Morality is opaque, but desire is clear."
"Would you have done the same?"
"I do not know." Whiteout admitted before her ears perked. "Snowy Winter approaches. You must choose to join the blizzard or fly above."
Sure enough, running outside a small distance away was Winter. Kinkajou stole a glance back to Whiteout and wondered just how far her powers stretched. If they survived all of this, and Whiteout wasn't going to dissolve into goo from being fake or whatever Jerboa said, Kinkajou would have to investigate further.
For now, she opened her mouth to speak to Winter, only to see a distressed look on his face. It only made her heart sink more.
"Kinkajou!" Winter skidded to a stop before her. "We have to go to the Rain Kingdom." He explained breathlessly.
"What's happening?" Kinkajou's voice trembled.
"Vulture attacked." Winter grabbed her wing talon with his, pulling her with him. "Come on, Orca's going to take us there. You too, Whiteout; your mother lives in the Rain Kingdom."
Kinkajou didn't trust anything Orca had to say or do, but right now she couldn't focus on that. Winter's words kept reverberating in her head.
The Rain Kingdom was attacked. Winter didn't explain further. Either he didn't know, or he was trying to spare her. But if he was trying to spare her, why? It didn't make sense, especially if they were already going there. Oh, Kinkajou just didn't know. Her mind was so wracked with guilt and compounding lies that she didn't even register she was in the throne room until she saw the others.
"Don't worry, we'll come back safely." Lynx reassured Snowfall. "You make sure Jerboa doesn't forget to eat."
"I'm putting my trust in you, then." Snowfall relaxed onto her throne. "Still can't believe you talked me out of going."
"Your kingdom needs you as well." Lynx poked her square in the forehead. Snowfall swiped at her. "So unqueenly!"
"Are we all ready, then?" Orca's voice cut over their talk. She looked mightily annoyed, as if pulled away from something of great interest. "Good. Try not to vomit when we get there, mm?"
At the slap of Orca's tail, Kinkajou felt the icy chill of the Ice Kingdom give way to humid heat. What should have been a joyous ray of sun to warm her blood was instead blocked by a thick plume of smoke that billowed to the heavens. Kinkajou's eyes widened as she took in the devastation.
It was all gone. She stood in what was the main square of the village, reduced to a smoldering wreck. The grass and ground was covered in soot and ash. The very air was hard to breathe. Kinkajou spat out a lungful of smoke, covering her mouth with her wings. Her eyes burned with both tears and smog.
A pained whimper escaped from Kinkajou as she simply… stood there. Bodies of RainWings – RainWings she knew – lay burnt around her. Some looked like they had simply went to sleep. Others were charred and burned, skeletal visages of her former friends staring back with empty eye sockets. NightWings joined them. Kinkajou couldn't count all the bodies before everything caught up to her.
She didn't know how, but one minute she stood with the others, and the next she was invisible in a tree. Her tail coiled around her body, and she couldn't stop shaking the entire branch. Her throat felt sore. Did she let out a shriek? When?
"Kinkajou!" Winter's shouted for her nearby. She looked up and saw the sparkling dragon in the sky, searching frantically. She wasn't too far from the destroyed village. Why did she run? She didn't remember running.
She wanted to call out to him, but her jaw locked. A crushing sense of defeat washed over her like the flames that destroyed her home. The guilty part of her mind repeated that she deserved this. She deserved to lose her home after what she did.
Kinkajou tried to fight it. But all the lies, all the guilt… it won. It finally broke her. All she could do was sit in this tree and wait for everyone to go away.
She didn't deserve Winter. She didn't deserve her life after she took away someone else's the way she did. Kinkajou didn't just kill Darkstalker, she erased him. If she'd just killed him that would be one thing but she shredded his identity.
Kinkajou purposefully avoided Hailstorm at the Ice Kingdom because of this. She could never look him in the eye knowing she gave another dragon – even one as evil as Darkstalker – the same torment he went through.
"Kinkajou."
Winter appeared in front of her and scared the invisibility right off her. She was now a depressed blue color, and there was no hiding it from him now.
"Are you okay?" He asked softly. "You shrieked and ran off into the woods."
"Did I?" Kinkajou responded shakily, blinking as if in a daze. "I… I don't remember I…"
"It's okay." Winter landed on another branch, pulling her close. She didn't fight him, and she found herself enveloped in his strong arms. "You looked stressed before. I shouldn't have thrown this at you."
"No, no, it's…" Kinkajou couldn't stop herself from speaking. "I deserve this."
"Why do you deserve this?" Winter tilted his head.
"Because of what I did to Darkstalker."
The air went cold. Kinkajou hadn't realized what she said until that point and froze alongside the air. His grip didn't loosen, but it was as if he turned into a statue. She couldn't bare to look at him.
"Kinkajou…" Winter gently lifted her head so she looked at him. His face wasn't angry, but there was a quiet suspicion in his eye. "What did you do to Darkstalker?"
I said it would be next week but... wouldn't it be cruel if I just never updated again?
