Polar yelled as the SeaWing slammed him into the cavern wall, pinning down his wing. Torrent took a swipe at the IceWing's neck, but Polar ducked just in time, the dagger brushing along the edge of his wing. Drops of blue blood splattered the wall.

"Dad, stop, please! Don't hurt him!" Ink yelled out. He took a step forward, but stumbled. His ribs were wrapped in cloth to brace them, and only a stump remained where his right wing and hind-leg had been. After the fight with Seahorse, Polar had managed to save his life with his healing diamond, but the shattered bones hadn't healed correctly, and the two limbs had been amputated. Ink looked on as Torrent continued to attack Polar. He was useless. There was nothing he could do but hold onto the scroll Loresearcher had given him. He grasped it, carefully cradling the ancient scroll in his forepaws. He glanced to the pale-horned MudWing further down the tunnel who'd come in with Torrent, also staring in shock.

Polar managed to pull his wing out from Torrent's grasp, and ducked beneath the larger SeaWing, trying to escape out from under him. He wasn't quick enough — Torrent slammed down on the end of Polar's tail. The sharp spines dug into his paw, coating it with crimson blood, but he kept the IceWing down. Polar tried to turn, but the SeaWing hit his tail into the IceWing's skull, slamming his head against the hard floor of the cavern. It took a few moments before he tried to get up again, but by then, Torrent had his dagger on Polar's neck.

Before he could end the young IceWing's life, another dragon leaped onto Torrent in a blur. Torrent turned to the side as he tried to throw Loresearcher off, but the hybrid was quicker. Digging his claws into Torrent's neck, he used the momentum from the leap and Torrent's imbalance from his throw attempt to topple the SeaWing over. Torrent almost landed on his son, but Loresearcher was already prepared for that, and rolled Torrent over him, exposing the SeaWing's belly. The hybrid dug his hindclaws into Torrent's soft underbelly, quickly tearing through them. Torrent curled up, trying to rake at Loresearcher's side with his foreclaws to stop the attack, but with his foreclaws still around his father's neck, Loresearcher slammed Torrent's snout against the ground.

Torrent attempted to struggle, turning his back against his dragonet while trying to use his brute strength to lift himself off the ground. Loresearcher just held tighter against Torrent as the SeaWing stood on four paws, the hybrid's foreclaws around Torrent's neck, and his hindclaws beneath the SeaWing's wings, pressed against his underbelly. Unable to shake off Loresearcher's grip, Torrent tried to stand on his hindlegs, hoping to slam his back into the tunnel wall. Something in the back of the tunnel caught Loresearcher's eye. The fight had gone up long enough. The hybrid wrapped his tail around his father's and suddenly pulled, causing Torrent to lose his balance and fall once more to the ground. Loresearcher sunk his fore and hindclaws into Torrent's throat and underbelly, ripping through scales and deep into flesh.

Torrent flailed against Loresearcher, but it was too late, and his motions quickly stopped. Loresearcher pushed his father's body out from on top of him, and stood over the dead SeaWing, no remorse in his gaze. His claws were stained red with Torrent's blood, and two similarly colored pools started to spread from beneath his father's neck and belly. The pale-horned MudWing stared, his forepaws shaking as if he wondered if he was going to be next.

Ink stood, shaking as he stared at Torrent's lifeless eyes. The dragon who'd raised Ink lay dead before him, killed by his own son. "Loresearcher," Ink whispered, unable to grasp what had happened, "why would you . . . he's our father . . . you kil . . ." He choked up a bit.

"He's not useful to us anymore," Loresearcher responded, his eyes focused on something behind Ink. "And I couldn't have him interfering."

Ink turned his head, following his brother's gaze. A sky blue dragon sat on her haunches, the faintest sliver of a smirk on her snout. A thin silver chain hung from her neck, ending with a deep purple stone. An iron shackle wrapped around her left foreleg, with three chainlinks trailing from it. In her other forepaw, she held a small cloth pouch, which looked like it contained a round object a bit smaller than a dragon's paw. Every few seconds, one of her glowscales lit up in a flash, like they matched her calm heartbeat. The temperature in the cave seemed to drop a few degrees.

"You're A-aurora . . ." the pale-horned MudWing quietly whispered.

Aurora's eyes were focused on Loresearcher, completely ignoring Ink and the MudWing. "As useful as he was, he'd become a nuisance to us, too. Thank you for taking him out of the picture." She turned to her father's corpse, her expression changing to one of pity. "Though I can't say I'm glad to see him dead. I would have liked to know him better."

Loresearcher reached down to his Torrent's corpse, and pried his father's dagger from the SeaWing's claws, still wrapped tight around it. Even in its owner's death, Loresearcher still felt the weapon give a tug back towards Torrent. He raised it up, almost threateningly.

Aurora turned to Ink, causing the hybrid to give out a whimper, his scars reminding him of their last encounter. Her eyes narrowed on the scroll in his talons. "You better keep that safe, and away from our father's dagger," she warned him. "If it's destroyed, Darkstalker will escape his prison. We've had it happen before. Nothing good comes of it."

"What do you want?" Loresearcher snapped, his half-sister's gaze returning to him. "I know the drought is your and your mother's doing. Are you here to finish us off?"

"No," Aurora replied, "at least, not yet. I'm here for him." She pointed a talon towards the recovering Polar, who seemed almost surprised that he'd been picked out. "Or more particularly, the Darkstone in his bracelet."

Polar's rage flared up at this, and he stood up hissing, blue blood dripping from his wing. "What?" he exclaimed. "You already have the one Crystal stole. The IceWings need this. What do you want it for?"

"Polar is too much of a wildcard, just like your father," Aurora explained to Loresearcher. "Calamity wants him out of the picture, along with the second Darkstone. Nothing else. I'm willing to make you a trade for it." She emptied the contents of her cloth pouch, an oval piece of obsidian rolling out. "The Obsidian Mirror."

"Don't do it," Ink pleaded his brother. "I'm sure it's a trick. Please don't do it."

"Shut up," Loresearcher growled. "If you want to be helpful, convince Polar to give up his Darkstone. Or take it from him, if you have to."

Ink didn't move, his eyes catching on Torrent's bleeding corpse.

Loresearcher turned his attention back to Aurora. "What good does the mirror do me? I know it lets me spy on dragons. Who would I spy on? You?"

"No. We have countermeasures for that," Aurora answered. "But if you want any chance at defeating Calamity, you must find Duskbringer's Eye within the Lost City of Night."

"Why are you giving it up so easily, if it helps me find a weapon I can use to defeat you?" Loresearcher questioned.

"I'm no NightWing," Aurora answered. "The Mirror won't open to me, and there's a good chance you'll die before you find the Eye in the Mirror."

Loresearcher considered this for a few moments. Aurora was telling the truth. "Polar, give me the Darkstone."

"No!" Polar growled incredulously. He took a step back, glaring at Loresearcher. "This belongs to the Ice Kingdom. If the Empty Council is dead, it's our only chance of getting back animus magic. I won't betray Queen Glacier, even in death." He looked around quickly, trying to figure out what to do. "Tunnel! I enchant yo—"

In a flash, Loresearcher had leaped forward, driving Torrent's dagger down through Polar's left foreleg, causing the IceWing to crumple to the ground in pain. He tried to finish his enchantment, but it was too late, the dagger blocking it. Polar opened his mouth, hoping to breathe frostbreath at Loresearcher, but in the seconds it took Polar to prepare the frostbreath, the hybrid jumped behind Polar and grabbed the IceWing's horns, aiming Polar's mouth towards Ink. Not wanting to hurt him, the coldness in Polar's throat faded. As Polar tried to turn to fight Loresearcher, the hybrid leaped onto Polar's back and took ahold of the silver chain around Polar's neck, twisting it and pulling it back.

Polar pitifully clawed at the silver necklace around his neck as his own First Circle necklace choked him. He flailed, trying to get Loresearcher off, but the hybrid held on. Unable to break Loresearcher's hold, Polar's head finally slumped to the ground.

"Loresearcher. That's enough," Ink pleaded to his brother. "You can get the Darkstone. Release him, please."

Loresearcher relaxed his hold, and let the chain fall. Torrent's dagger still implanted within Polar's left foreleg, the hybrid quickly tore off the silver Darkstone bracelet, stained by Polar's blue blood. The IceWing's scales beneath were raw and worn, like they'd been melted off by the power of the stone.

Almost silently, Aurora walked past Ink, holding out the Obsidian Mirror. She quickly exchanged it with Loresearcher for the Darkstone bracelet, which she put back into her pouch. She turned back, ready to leave, but Ink stood in front of her. The pale-horned MudWing took a few steps back, intimidated.

Ink's body shook in terror as he used his three legs to keep himself up. Polar was out, Torrent was dead, and Ink's own brother had turned traitor. Ink was the only one left to stop Aurora. He let out a low growl, wielding Darkstalker's scroll at his side.

Aurora seemed fully unamused at Ink's courage. She turned to the left, and without another word, walked into the walls of the dim tunnel, her body becoming immaterial as she phased through the rock. Dropping the scroll, Ink leaped after her, but by the time he'd landed the tip of her tail was gone, leaving no trace of her presence remaining but the Obsidian Mirror.

Ink cried out on pain as he crashed into the floor, his bandaged ribs hitting against the stone. He shut his eyes closed in agony, but when he opened them again, he was no longer in the tunnel. Instead, he was looking at the smoking scales of a SkyWing.

Ink quickly slipped his leather band over his pearly left eye. Ink glanced around the guest room, rage and adrenaline still coursing through him from his vision. Inferno was still sound asleep. Had Polar and Seahorse come back during the night and just gotten up early? Or had they not come back at all? In his vision, Aurora had wanted to take Polar's bracelet, because it had let him use animus magic. Did it still do that in the real world? If so, that meant that Aurora was nearby, and Polar was in danger. Ink had to stop her, but how? He glanced over to Seahorse's cloth bag, an idea coming to him. He didn't like using the Darkstalker's magic, but if it was the only way he could beat Aurora . . .

Ink quietly snuck over to Seahorse's bag of treasure, careful not to wake Inferno. He didn't want to get her involved with this. Aurora was his half-sister, and this was his business, not Inferno's. He doubted she'd be able to do much, anyways — he knew she'd vowed never to harm dragons with her firescales.

Ink carefully pulled open the cloth bag, and as silently as possible, took out the iron chains. It wasn't stealing, he was just borrowing it. He doubted Seahorse would need it in the meantime; hopefully he wouldn't come back to find Shapeshifter's jewelry gone. He lifted the chains onto his back, holding them between his wings. A giant NightWing walking through the academy would be suspicious.

Making sure each and every step was quiet, Ink left the guest room behind. His steps wobbled as he carried the heavy iron chains, every so often clinking against each other. Ink's heart beat heavily, knowing what he was about to do. Have courage, he reminded himself. If he could beat Aurora now, maybe he could figure out what Loresearcher had been investigating. Maybe he'd be able to prevent Aurora from attacking Polar. He'd spent too long lazing around at Jade Mountain, having fun playing pretend at a life he couldn't have. Inferno, Skytaker, Sepia, the rest of the students. The drought was his family business, and if he couldn't end it soon, all of them would suffer for it. He recalled something Fracture had told him. 'It is the duty of the strong to protect the weak.' Well, Ink was the only one who had any clue of what was going on, and as soon as he put these chains on, he'd certainly be the strongest dragon in Pyrrhia.

Ink glanced around each corner before he turned it, just in case Seahorse was around the other side. Fortunately, there were few dragons out as he walked through the academy. It was still early in the morning when he finally reached the ledge outside the academy, the sun having not yet peaked over the mountains to the east. As Ink turned the last corner, he saw that there were three dragons on the landing platform. Ermine as usual, staring out into the valley. Near him, a tired looking Polar was conversing with a NightWing. No, on closer sight, a RainWing-NightWing hybrid. Right now, it didn't matter.

"Oh, hey Ink," Polar said as Ink walked towards the exit, a hint of excitement on his snout. He'd warmed up a bit to the hybrid. "Er, I haven't seen you in a while. Toxin here and I have been doing some research in the library, and there was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"I'll find you later," Ink replied. He glowered, staring into the valleys between the mountains. Was that where Aurora was? "Right now, there's something I have to do. Family business."

Polar stared at the chains Ink held on his back. They seemed heavy. Would he be able to fly with those? What were they even for? "Ah, ok," the IceWing conceded, his heart falling. "If you're looking for your uncle, he's in a cave around the back of the mountain. The entrance is a little hard to find, so ask me if you need any help. Please."

"I'm fine," Ink answered. He spread his wings wide, and leaped off the mountain. The chains weighing him down, he was only able to glide, slowly circling to the left as his altitude slowly dropped.

Polar watched him until he fell out of view. What was that all about? Instead of Ink's normal fun and carefree attitude, he seemed determined and angry. Stonemover didn't really seem like the type of dragon to conjure those emotions in his nephew. Polar sighed, and exchanged a glance with Toxin, who just shrugged her wings. He hoped that Ink didn't suddenly hate him now.

When Ink was finally sure he was clear from Polar's view, he turned back inwards to the mountain, and landed on a flattened ledge. He let the chains fall from his wings, the iron boxes containing the enchantments landing in the dry dirt, causing the loose dirt and pine needles to scatter. Ink ducked his head beneath the chains, slipping the heavy jewelry on. The transformation quickly took place, Ink's scales darkening as his body grew to an enormous size. The chains that had weight him down before now felt as light as a feather under his strong wings. His scales were as hard as diamond, no dragon could hope to claw through them. One hit against Aurora, and she'd be finished. Not to kill her, of course. Ink wasn't an evil dragon. But he needed to put her out of commission, and maybe interrogate her.

Ink confidently soared off into the valleys surrounding Jade Mountain. The sun started to peak over the horizon, reds and oranges breaking into the blues of the dawn sky. "Aurora!" Ink called. "Aurora! Come out and fight me!"

"Who are you?"

If he hadn't been flying, Ink would've jumped. He turned his head to see the sky-blue hybrid behind him. She flapped her wings slowly, almost hovering mid-air. Her gaze contained neither menace nor curiosity as she stared towards the huge form of Shapeshifter. The three chainlinks from her shackle whipped wildly around in the wind beneath her. Purple blood coated the blue scales of her neck, and a deep wound ran through her throat, running through her arteries. It seemed fresh, but the flesh seemed to close upon itself, healing as Ink watched.

Ink swerved himself around, surprised. He regained his position, and slowly circled around Aurora. He stared at her wound. How was she still alive?

"Answer my question," Aurora commanded him. Barely moving her wings, she turned mid-air to keep her eyes focused on Shapeshifter. "You're not the NightWing who attacked me. Who are you?"

Ink bared Shapeshifter's huge fangs. Aurora seemed unimpressed at their size and sharpness. "My name is Ink. Seven years ago, you and your mother murdered my family. I'm here to avenge them, and to stop your evil deeds."

If Aurora was confused, she didn't show it. She brought a claw up to her chest, just below the Darkstone, and tapped something. Where her claw had touched, a round amethyst the color of Aurora's blood appeared, two small golden wings curling around it. A golden chain let it hang from the hybrid's neck. "You wish to fight me. I was told you would interfere." She moved her talons to the wound carved in her neck, purple blood dripping down them. "Then hurry up. I need to heal."

Ink let out a roar, and dove towards Aurora, Shapeshifter's claws out and ready. He swung his talons at her already wounded neck, but they only hit empty air. A strong gale pushed Ink back, keeping him from approaching his half-sister any further. He beat Shapeshifter's wings, but even their extraordinary strength couldn't break through the winds keeping Ink away, as powerful as a tempest.

"Fight me, you coward!" Ink shouted, beating his wings again to rush forward. Aurora held out her forepaw. To his shock, the winds immediately changed on his wingbeat, and pushed him forward, far faster than he'd expected. In a blur, he'd reached Aurora, but flew right through her, his claws never making contact. When he swooped back around, Aurora held Shapeshifter's iron chains within her talons, as if she'd pulled them right through Ink.

"No!" Ink yelled as his body transformed back. His teeth chattered in terror as Aurora turned. Even with Shapeshifter's body, he'd had no chance of hurting her.

Aurora cocked her head, and Shapeshifter's chains turned to glittering ice in her talons. She closed down her paw to crush them, the ice shattering into sharp shards. Ink turned, trying to flee, but the winds in front of him turned, shoving him towards the ground. Shards of ice shot past him, cutting into his scales as he screamed, red blood scattering into the wind.

Ink tried to fly away, but the wind trapped him, hurling him further down. The ground grew closer. "Please, don't!" he yelled, pleading. "Help! Help!"

As Ink shut his eyes, his body crashed into the ground. He screamed again for a few seconds, expecting only death. It was a few seconds before he quieted, opening his eyes again. He was still alive, laying on the forest floor. His ribs were hurt and bruised, but nothing had been broken. Blood dripped onto his dark blue scales from where the shards of ice had cut into him, the wounds stinging. Had he been saved?

Ink tried to stand up, but a powerful wind kept him on his belly, his wings and legs splayed out, unable to move. Shards of ice ripped into his scales again, the air whipping them around. He trembled.

Light as a feather, Aurora landed on the grass in front of Ink, the wind picking up her wings as her claws gently touched down. Ink squinted his eyes closed again, terrified of what Aurora was going to do.

"Look at me," Aurora commanded.

Ink did as he told, staring back into his half-sister's eyes. "You murdered my family," he trembled. "Why?"

"The fate of Pyrrhia is more important than our family, Ink. Had I been necessary, I would have killed my own mother instead."

"Not 'our' family," Ink hissed. "You're not part of my family."

Aurora seemed unamused. "I'm your half-sister. We share a father. I'm just as much your family as Midnight and Torrent."

"Midnight?" Ink asked, confused. "Are you saying—"

"You don't know?" Aurora asked, the faintest hint of surprise in her voice. "Midnight is alive and well. Torrent too."

Ink was shocked. Midnight was alive? He had a sister? "But we thought . . . Griffin thought they were dead. They didn't escape from you and Crystal. How—"

"We left," Aurora explained. "We'd done what had been asked of us. What was needed."

Ink stared. There didn't seem any good reason that Aurora would lie to him. He had a sister he'd never met. Although it didn't matter much now. He was at Aurora's mercy, and it didn't seem like she had much to spare.

"Do you know why we're doing this?" Aurora asked, staring at the leather band around Ink's eyes. She took a couple of steps towards Ink, winds brushing against his face. "Why we killed your mother and brother?"

"N-no," Ink trembled, seeing Aurora's sharp claws get closer, sharp steel growing and coating them. He took a deep breath. If he was going to die, at least he'd tried to fight, as pitiful as his attempt had been.

Aurora considered this for a moment, as if she hadn't been expecting that answer. "So you haven't figured it out yet. And Fracture didn't tell you."

"Figured w-what out?"

"The secret hidden beneath your world," Aurora replied cryptically. "The reason for all of this. But you still know too much, just like Fracture." She moved closer, her talons within striking range. Ink felt the winds above his limbs. Another one joined them, holding his head in place. Even if he'd wanted to move, he couldn't.

"Are you going to kill me?" he asked quietly.

"No," Aurora answered. "If I'd wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now."

Ink didn't get a moment to think about this before Aurora struck her paw at Ink, tearing off his eyepatch, revealing his blank eye. Immediately, a vision started to appear in Ink's head. Loresearcher frowned as he turned gaze down upon his shaking brother. No, Ink thought, trying to fight it, no. He tried to move, but was frozen, staring up at Loresearcher.

Suddenly, Ink was torn from the vision, Loresearcher's figure disappearing as Aurora plunged her claws into Ink's eye socket. He screamed in agony as her talons grasped around his eye, swiftly ripping it from his socket in a splash of blood. As he tried to flail, the shards of ice tore into his scales. He kept screaming as blood dripped down onto his snout, staining the ground red. With a clench of her paw, Aurora crushed the featureless eyeball, blood dripping from her hand as she threw the remains onto the ground below.

Aurora stood still as Ink continued to wail, staring at the young hybrid's bloody face, at the whole where his eye had been. As Ink's screams started to quiet, Aurora heard the yell of a dragon from above her, and turned.

"Ink!" Polar yelled as he swooped down to land in the clearing, Toxin following behind him. Aurora took a step back, letting them land. The winds above Ink subsided, and the shards of ice fell to the ground, melting.

Polar darted over to Ink as the hybrid whimpered, placing his healing diamond on Ink's scales. "It's alright," the IceWing tried to comfort him, seeing the bloody hole where Ink's eye had been. Wasn't that the eye which he'd had the eyepatch over? The question perplexed him, but there was no time to think of that now. He looked around, unsure what to do. His eyes caught on Aurora, the first Darkstone hanging from her neck above the amethyst. He legs shook, and the burden of the First Circle felt heavy against his chest.

"You!" Toxin hissed, the small dragonet baring her fangs. "You killed them! Why did you kill them?" She noticed the wound on Aurora's neck, like a sharp blade had cut through it. A hint of her artery was clearly visible, still structurally intact. It served her right. But why wasn't she dead?

"They attacked me. I needed to be free, and I was too tired to phase or be careful where I hit them," Aurora responded. She cocked her head, confused. "Why do you care? They were unimportant to Pyrrhia's future. You're not unimportant."

Toxin growled. "They had names, you know! Gorilla, Tropic. Maybe Frog. They had hopes, dragons who loved them. And now they're dead!"

Aurora didn't answer, perplexed. Toxin yelled out in anger, and started towards Aurora.

"Toxin, stop!" Polar yelled. He rushed over to Toxin, trying to keep her from attacking. A wind started to blow against the two.

Toxin haltered, and the wind fell as she stopped. Polar stepped in front of her, and glanced back towards Ink, blood still pouring from his eye socket. Toxin was still a dragonet. She didn't need to die like this. If Aurora knew how to use her Darkstone, she was basically an animus. She'd have animus-touched artifacts. The shackle around her leg seemed suspect. And if the amethyst around her neck was what Polar thought it was, and Aurora knew how to use it like in the legends, none of them had any chance. Polar had wanted to find her, and he'd gotten his wish.

"You see it Polar, don't you?" Aurora asked, turning to Polar. "The family resemblance. This meeting isn't chance."

"Shut up!" Toxin yelled, trying to step around Polar. "It's three-on-one," she threatened. "Surrender yourself to Queen Glory now, and we'll make sure your justice is swift!"

Aurora was unfazed by the dragonet's threats. She took a step back. "I did what to had to do. Calamity's way is the only way. We'll meet again, soon."

Toxin let out another roar, and tried to run at Aurora. Polar grabbed her tail, holding her back. "Let me go!" she screeched. "Don't let her get away!"

As Polar glanced back to Aurora, the sky-blue hybrid was slowly sinking into the ground, before finally disappearing, leaving no trace of her departure.