"You saw what?" Torrent yelled.

Slate winced, turning away from the SeaWing's sharp fangs. "Another hybrid. NightWing-SeaWing. He looked a little bit like Midnight, which is why I came back to tell you. Sorry, I didn't find anything out about animuses . . ."

Torrent shook his head. "No, no, it's fine. Did you find out his name?"

"No," Slate replied. "Do you think he's your son? I thought you said Crystal killed Midnight's siblings."

"We had three eggs," Torrent explained. "One was Midnight, and I know one of the others died. The last egg was taken; both Aurora and Crystal went after it. I didn't know what happened to it, but I never heard from Griffin again, so I assumed the dragonet was killed." Or worse.

"So it could be him?"

"There can't be many other SeaWing-NightWing hybrids around," Torrent grumbled. "So it's not unlikely." He opened his wings, ready to take off. "I'm going to go find him."

So much for staying out of sight, Slate thought. This seemed to becoming a recurring pattern with the SeaWing. Torrent would definitely attract attention in Jade Mountain.

The two flew up to the platform, where Ermine watched as the two went into the academy. The small IceWing seemed far more saddened than normal, and didn't even bother trying to stop the intruders, just staring out into the mountains.

"This place used to be far more serene," Torrent grumbled, looking at the huge gong in the center of the entrance room. He glanced over at the maps in front of the tunnels, scanning each in succession. He quickly chose a tunnel, and headed off into it.

"Where are we going?" Slate asked, catching up with the SeaWing. "I think I saw the hybrid in one of the other tunnels."

"This place is big. Who knows where he got to. And if Stonemover's home has been invaded by animuses, he might have a clue to what's going on. There's a passage to his cave through the school, I can investigate along the way." Torrent put a talon to the amethyst on his dagger, feeling its warmth. Drawing a weapon might raise too much concern.

The two walked down the tunnel, rounding a corner. Torrent suddenly felt a heat source in the cave beyond him, like a fire had been set. He frowned. The cave wasn't flammable. He peeked around the corner to see four dragons further down the hall: two SkyWings, a SeaWing, and a Sea-Night hybrid, just like Slate had mentioned.

Torrent blinked for a few moments, almost unable to believe what he was seeing. Ink had survived? Was this some sort of trick? Torrent slowly pulled his dagger from its sheath, feeling the amethyst again. The nervous-looking SeaWing was an animus. From the green color of his scales, likely the same one Torrent had seen on his map in the Deep Palace all those years ago. A cousin or a brother, maybe?

Peril tensed up as Torrent drew his weapon, and stepped in front of Turtle. Torrent was able to see the wisps of smoke streaming from both her and Inferno's scales. Two SkyWings with firescales. Torrent winced, the scars on his neck seemingly flaring up at the warmth, but walked forward anyways, Slate trailing behind him.

"He's your father, right?" Peril asked Ink. "I can fight him, if you want. Not like kill or even hurt fighting, since I don't do that anymore, I mean just standing here and letting him try and attack me if he wants."

Ink took a few steps back as Torrent approached, and shook his head. "No, please don't," he asked her. He was slightly conflicted. "I don't want him to get hurt, even if it's his own fault. But we need to get away from him, fast." He clenched the scrollcase tighter. If Torrent got too close, the Darkstalker could awaken.

"There are less explored caves further down that way," Turtle pointed out. "Maybe we could lose him."

"Maybe," Ink replied, doubtful. As long as Torrent had the dagger, he'd be able to sense Turtle and Darkstalker's scroll. But if Ink wanted to make a choice, he had to do it quickly. Draping the scroll over his back, Ink took another few steps back, turning and breaking into a sprint down the hallway. Turtle and Inferno quickly followed, with Peril waiting a few more moments before turning her tail on Torrent.

Torrent snorted as they ran off. If they were running, they must have known they'd done something bad. Had the animus used his magic to hurt someone somehow? Maybe Torrent shouldn't have given up his job as an animus hunter. "Slate," he ordered, "there's a cave on the other side of the mountain. I want you to go into it and keep them from escaping." He quickly described the entrance to the cave he and Nightreader had resided in. "Chat with Stonemover if you want. I know these caves like the glowstripes on my wings, I'll be there soon."

Slate nodded, and quickly ran back the way he'd come. Dagger out, Torrent slowly continued down the tunnel, following the heat signature left by Turtle. He'd get to the bottom of whatever was going on here.

"I hope Anemone will be alright," Turtle said nervously.

"Don't worry, she can take care of herself," Peril comforted him. "And she's got Tamarin and Pike with her. She's safe."

Turtle nodded unassuredly. "Watch your step and stay to the left," he suggested. "There's a little bit of a slope here." It was dangerous going down into the caves dark. The SeaWing winced. He hadn't considered the fact that he was the only one of the four who was fully able to see where they were going. Everyone else was inevitably slowed down.

"Grab my tail," Peril suggested to Inferno. "It'll help you balance."

Inferno sighed and carefully put her talons around Peril's tail, instinctively flinching as she touched another dragon's scales. She wasn't quite sure if this was really helpful, or if Peril just wanted to be able to touch another dragon.

"Hey, I think I see something," Ink suddenly pointed out. "There's a glow ahead of us. Light!"

As the four slowly continued on, light started to shine on the cavern walls, shadows shifting. The sound of two chatting dragons reached Ink's ears. As the light grew brighter, Polar and Toxin turned the corner, the IceWing holding out a moon globe.

"Ink?" Polar said, surprised to see the bandaged hybrid walking about. "You're alright!"

Polar pushed past Turtle to give the hybrid a warm hug, wrapping his wings around him. Ink blinked, unsure what was happening. "Er, yeah, I'm fine," Ink answered, pushing the affectionate IceWing away. He glanced towards the smug-looking Toxin, wondering what she'd done to Polar. He wasn't normally like this. "Just a few scratches."

Toxin looked over at Inferno, wondering why she was holding Peril's tail. "So . . . what's going on here?" she asked.

Inferno quickly dropped Peril's tail, slightly embarrassed. "Er, it was dark, and we couldn't see."

"No, I mean what is Ink doing out of bed, and why are you all in the caves?" Toxin snorted.

"Maybe we should ask you what you are doing in the caves?" Peril retorted.

Toxin gritted her teeth and rolled her eyes, a slight hint of green working its way through her dark scales. "We were chatting with Stonemover," she growled. "Nothing suspicious." She glanced at Ink, expecting him to explain. She didn't even know him, but she'd gone to help rescue him with Polar. He owed her a few explanations.

"We're trying to get away from my father," Ink quickly explained, looking back, just to make sure Torrent wasn't right behind them. "He's an animus hunter, and if he gets too close to this scrollcase, he'll release the Darkstalker."

Toxin looked up at Polar. An animus hunter. That could be a problem.

"Wait, WHAT!" Polar yelled at Ink, the hybrid wincing and turning away. "THE DARKSTALKER?" He turned back to Toxin. "See, I told you the Darkstalker was our evil."

Ink sighed. "I'm real sorry about this," he apologized. "This is family business, I really didn't want anyone else to get involved in this. First my half-sister, now my father. I never should've come to Jade Mountain."

"Oh, please," Toxin rolled her eyes. "It was my business when I started getting visions about it, and Aurora murdered my friends."

"And you helped me with Webs and Seahorse," Inferno continued. "It's only fair that I help you in return."

"Yeah," Peril added, "and I, er, I actually have no idea what's going on still. Nevermind!"

Polar hadn't realized that Aurora was Ink's half-sister, but it made sense in retrospect. Two half-SeaWing hybrids. Wait, did that mean Polar and Ink were related? Polar's aunt was Ink's step-mother, which made them . . . step-cousins? Was that weird? Crystal had been married to Ink's father? Wait, did SeaWings even have marriage? Polar shook his head, not wanting to think about any of this right now. "C'mon, let's go already," the IceWing suggested. "There's an exit to the caves not far from here, past Stonemover's cave."

When the six reached Stonemover's cave, Slate was already there, blocking the exit. His legs shook as he saw the group of dragons enter. How had Torrent expected him to keep them from leaving again?

"Oh, hello," Ink greeted Slate. "I saw you in the hallways. What's your name?"

"Um, Slate," the MudWing responded, not quite sure whether this dragon was supposed to be his enemy right now or not. "Er, you're Torrent's son, right?"

Ink nodded. "Yep!" he answered. "I'm Ink. Nice to meet you!"

Slate glanced at the group — they'd been joined by an IceWing, but also a RainWing-NightWing hybrid. Two more hybrids? That was surprising. He glanced beyond them, to the cave they'd exited from. Torrent's blue scales appeared from the crevasse, and Slate gave out a sigh of relief.

The SeaWing licked his teeth as he held out his map. "Hello, Stonemover," he greeted. "It's been a while."

Stonemover murmured something inaudible, and gave out a long sigh.

"Four out of five are here," Torrent snorted, putting his map to the side as he scanned the dragons. "Stonemover and the SeaWing are two. Now, who are the others?" He withdrew his dagger, causing Peril to take a step in front of Turtle.

"Dad, don't," Ink pleaded, moving back towards Slate. The further away the scroll was from Torrent, the better. "Let us explain."

Torrent frowned. So the hybrid was his son after all. "The last time I had one of my dragonets suddenly appear, my mate and son were killed." Griffin had been under Crystal's magical orders. If Ink had survived, there was a good chance it was because Crystal had taken his egg, just like she had taken Aurora. "I'm not making the same mistake twice."

Torrent pointed his dagger towards Ink, invoking a growl from Peril. He wasn't an animus, but he had something enchanted on him. The scrollcase?

Polar glanced up and down Slate. He seemed scared, not battle-trained. There was no way he could keep them from leaving. "Toxin," he whispered, "I think we can take out the MudWing together and escape."

Torrent's eyes turned towards Polar, and he pointed his dagger at the IceWing. The amethyst grew warm, and the SeaWing's eyes narrowed on the Darkstone. So he was the third animus. Torrent took a step towards him.

"Don't come any closer," Peril warned Torrent. "If you do, I'll step in front of you." She glanced back, wondering if Inferno was going to back her up.

Inferno was occupied, shaking her head as she clutched her skull with her claws. "Quiet," she whimpered. "Get out of my head! I'm not going to hurt anyone. I won't fight. You told me you didn't want me to!"

Torrent tilted his head to the side, revealing the scars along his gills to Peril. "These are from the last fireborn I met," he growled, baring his teeth. "She didn't survive the encounter. Step aside, this is none of your business."

"This isn't your business either, father."

Torrent whipped around at the sound of the voice. Aurora stood a few tail lengths behind him, partially covered by the crevasse. The SeaWing snarled. "So you're here after all."

Aurora glared at her father. "You shouldn't be here. Your time has gone and passed. Calamity no longer needs you."

"Who the fuck is Calamity?" Torrent roared, his talons trembling. "Is that the bastard who told you to kill my mate? Tell me where he is so I can strangle the air from his windpipe."

Aurora shook her head. "Unfortunately, the reason we're in this situation is because you failed, father. You couldn't kill him when you had the chance."

"You're talking squid-guts now," Torrent growled. "I think I would've known it if I'd have met him."

"You wouldn't," Aurora answered. "You should follow the fireborn's advice. Your son is holding Darkstalker's talisman."

"Darkstalker's what?" Torrent turned back around, his eyes focusing on the scrollcase Ink was holding. He started towards Ink before being blocked by Peril again. "Do you know how dangerous that thing is?"

"If you disenchant it, Darkstalker's magic will return to him, and he'll be free," Aurora explained. "None of us want that. I put Queen Scarlet back on the throne to prevent it."

Torrent seethed, and turned back to Aurora. The other dragons stayed silent. If anyone could stop Aurora, Ink knew it would be Torrent.

The ground suddenly stated to shake, and pockets of rubble started to fall into Stonemover's cave. Slate grabbed out at Ink's wing to keep his balance, surprised. Torrent appeared unaffected. "Your magic can't hurt me."

"No, but it can hurt them," Aurora retorted. "If you take another step towards me, the cavern ceiling will crash down on every dragon in the cave behind you."

"Then that's three animuses dead."

"Along with your son, your deceased mate's brother, and an innocent hybrid dragonet. It's your choice if you want their blood on your claws or not."

"I'll reach you before you can do it," Torrent threatened.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'll escape, and it will all be for nothing."

The ceiling started to shake again, and small rocks started to fall. Polar glanced towards the exit, Slate still blocking it. They needed to get out of here. He started towards it, when the cave suddenly shook again. A loud crack of rock sounded from above, and rubble suddenly fell into the exit tunnel. Slate yelped and jumped away, the rocks almost falling on top of him. He ran into Ink, causing him to drop the scrollcase, which started to roll towards Torrent. Ink winced he tried to take a step, but couldn't hold on to his balance with the shaking, falling on his belly.

Polar's teeth chattered. That had been their only route of escape. There had to be some other way out; he couldn't leave this up to the SeaWing.

"You're bluffing," Torrent growled.

"Go on, father," Aurora continued. "This is your last choice. Me, or these dragons? Choose."

Torrent glanced back at Ink. Why had Crystal and Aurora let Ink live? There had to have been a reason.

Torrent smirked, flicking his forked tongue in and out. "Four birds, one stone."

The SeaWing leaped at Aurora, claws outstretched, but it was too late. Before he'd gotten close enough for his dagger to be within range, she'd phased into the walls of the tunnel. The ground kept rumbling, and larger rocks had started to fall down from the ceiling. The torch fell on the ground. Torrent ran back towards Stonemover's cave, but Aurora was already there, the sky-blue hybrid having phased back behind Ink. Ink yelled out in surprise. As the cavern began to collapse, winds started to pick up within it. The torch went out.

Polar breathed heavily, the Darkstone burning against his scales. His heart raced, and he felt a small rock hit his back, the cavern crumbling. He had to do something. Anything. "I ENCHANT US TO ESCAPE!" he screamed out.

A second later, and Peril breathed out a puff of flame, momentarily lighting up the cave. The trembling of the cavern stopped around her as Torrent came close. Turtle huddled nearby, his wings above his head. Stonemover remained against one of the cavern walls, stone covering his scales.

The only other dragon left in the room was an silent Aurora, chainlinks clinking as a gust blew through them. Her duty was complete.

AN: End of Part 2. Kinda wondering if maybe I should have posted this as a separate fic, even if it kinda requires Dark Seas as prerequisite knowledge. Oh well. Honestly, I'll probably update Part 3 at once whenever I get around to editing cause doing it frequently is making me feel kinda sh*tty.