{Well, we're here. The grand finale we have been all waiting for. It's been a long time coming, has it? I still remember the day I got the idea of writing this and here we are. No BS, no emotional rant. Let's do this. I hope all of y'all enjoy this.}
The trip back home was clear.
Morning dew sprinkled each flower Sunny had passed by. The early daylight began to bathe the land below as the golden drake soared through the air. Below her, life was waking up. From the symphony of birds to the blooming of flowers, it was a beautiful sight to behold. One of which made Sunny feel at peace.
She was focused and calm as she glided in the wind currents. She didn't need to go fast or slow as she wasn't in any rush to reach home. She did know that she will eventually have to be back soon before her family would freak out.
So instead, she came at a steady pace. She didn't care about the pathway that would lead her home. Instead, her mind was on her time with Sky and their last moments together before they departed. It was one of those moments where Sunny could pay attention to where she was going and focus on what was on her mind, without being distracted.
I can't believe I already miss him, Sunny reminiscent. Spending time with Sky left a great impact on her, as she fell in love with being around him. However, there was one thing on her mind. Are we a couple now? I wouldn't mind dating him, I would love that. Is this what it means to be in love? Is this what Tsunami and Glory feel when Riptide and Deathbringer are around them?
As she flew across the mountain range and the forest, she couldn't stop thinking about Sky. From the way, he smiled to the way he talked about life. Everything about him she couldn't help but find attractive.
The Indestructible City came into sight. Below the heavily-barricade citadel was Wren and perhaps Undauntable. As much as she wanted to land and search for him, maybe for her human friends Leaf and Ivy (Fluffy and Holler as she likes to call them), that task was for Sky.
Right before they left, Sky had offered to fly her home but Sunny politely refused.
"You don't have to fly alone if you don't want to," Sky had offered. "I want to make sure you get home safely."
Sunny shook her head. "Thank you, Sky, but I think I want to fly home by myself. I want to think about what you said to me, you know? To mentally prepare myself for the talk."
Sky nodded in agreement. "I can understand that. If you can confront scary dragons all the time, I know you'll make it home safely."
"Thank you," Sunny gratefully said. "What about you? Are you going to leave soon?"
"Nah, I don't think so. Not yet anyway," Sky replied. "I think I want to meditate here. I like to do that, you know? Besides, I want to be with the wildlife here" Sky turned to point towards a flurry of hummingbirds. A small grin was plastered on his face.
That was enough for Sunny to smile. Together, the two dragons hugged.
"Thank you, Sky. Thank you for taking me on a date. I had a great time."
"You're welcome, Sunny. I'm glad I got to be around you. I'm even happier that you had a great time. Not to mention I was able to be your hero."
For some reason, Sunny could've sworn she felt her heart skip a beat. She began to squeeze Sky a little bit tighter. She wanted to make this moment last. She wanted to fight her tears as well.
"Umm, Sunny. Can you let go? You're kinda hurting me."
She had immediately let go and Sky pattered down his scales. He had flashed an "I'm Okay!" smile and that was enough for the both of them to giggle.
The two said their goodbyes one last time and Sunny took off. Just as she seemed to be out of his eye range, Sunny began to do aerial tricks in the sky.
After getting that out of her system, Sunny was at ease. She was happy, even at peace. Sky had finally given her the help she needed and that was something she wouldn't take for granted.
Jade Mountain came into view. An uplifting delight flashed into her mind and Sunny couldn't help but flap rapidly towards her home. Her family was there, every single one.
Clay... Starflight... Peril... Fatespeaker... My family, my Clawmates!
She landed on the stony flat peak that served the Dragonwing Express. There was no mail today thankfully, but Sunny landed as if she was a courier. She began to run toward the cave that would lead to her family. By this point in time, it would be a mid-morning evening class break.
It didn't take long for her to enter the great hall. There, standing in the middle of the rocky stage was Clay.
"Clay!!!"
Turning around quickly, she noticed his all too familiar smile.
"Sunny!!!", Clay exclaimed in excitement. "Tsunami, get in here!!! Glory, get Starflight!!! Sunny's back!!!"
It was here a surprised Sunny to shocked to see her all-too-familiar SeaWing sister fly into the cave in a mad hurry. Knowing what was going to happen, Sunny tried to stop the crazy Tsunami from capturing her. To her unfortunate, Sunny was nothing but prey when it came to the claws of the SeaWing Queen.
"SUNNY!!!", Tsunami wailed in a mixture of relief and worry. Her scales glowed as Sunny was wrapped in her embrace. She was worried that Sunny would be crushed in her arms.
Yep, this is Tsunami all right... Help!
"Tsunami, let go of her!", cried another familiar voice. Sunny knew who that voice belonged.
Starflight!
Standing next to Clay was the NightWing librarian, who was accompanied by his lover, Fatespeaker. The two wore smiles as Sunny saw the sight of her brother and her sister-in-law.
"Tsunami, don't you think you're being a bit... rough?", Riptide called. Sunny knew the voice SeaWing King all too well.
"Thank goodness I'm not Sunny in this scene," Glory muttered. Sunny didn't care where or how Glory was but she knew if she was saying something cynical, it could only belong to the RainWing queen herself.
"But I bet you wish you were if I was Tsunami...", said a suave voice.
That was Deathbringer, without a doubt.
"Tsunami...", Sunny muttered. "Please let me go..."
"Not yet," the Royal SeaWing muttered. "Not without you scaring us again. This happened all over again when you left the Rainforest."
Yep, it was time to take matters into her talons.
Sunny could only do the reasonable thing to do: Pressure pointing her to be free. That was what she did.
Tsunami let out a small shriek as Sunny's tail met a vulnerable spot. That was enough for her to be freed from Tsunami's grasp.
Unfortunately, she fell to the ground as a result. Luckily, she landed in the talons of Peril.
"Hey Sunny. Don't worry, I'm not going to crush you or anything."
Sunny smiled in relief at the sight of her SkyWing friend, who had settled her down.
"You ok?," Peril asked in concern.
But before Sunny could ever answer, wings of all colors were beginning to wrap around. Starflight had pulled her in for a hug. So did Glory to her Surprise. Tsunami joined in on the fun. To top it all off, Clay lifted them all in the air, much to the shock of Tsunami and Glory. Typical Clay.
It all came into a mess of joyful tears and laughter as they all collapsed into a mess of Scales and wings.
Sunny couldn't help but laugh along with the fun. She knew they were all probably worried about her being late, but it didn't matter to her.
Sunny was with her family. A family that will always be together, no matter what.
The gang sat in a circle, near the Prey Center. Everyone was talking to Sunny, all excited for her to be back. Sunny knew they all had a lot on their mind, but she would have to silence them to hear them all.
So she did. After she tapped her drinking chalice, she managed to gain ahold of their attention spans.
Sunny knew what the first order of business was. "Ok, explain what's going on. What happened while I was away?"
Tsunami sighed. "I guess I overreacted a little."
Everyone went silent and knowing Tsunami by heart, Sunny raised a brow. "A little?"
That managed to get a few snickers out of the boys and Glory.
After Tsunami went on a rant, Glory filled in her. Just as Sunny had predicted, the storm made everyone freak out about her safety and Tsunami had come to visit, mainly after hearing about Sunny was on her date. Being the cautious big sister and leader she was, Tsunami had somewhat convinced everyone that Sunny was in danger. Even her mother Thorn got into the action somehow and Tsunami and Thorn was a dangerous combo. Needless to say, it felt like armageddon when Sunny didn't come home in time.
"Where's my mother now?", Sunny asked.
"She's probably sending scouts to either find you or prowling down to find Sky," Clay answered. "But she'll probably stop by here to check up on progress here."
"I'll find her," Peril volunteered. "I have to find her before she even thinks about searching the Sky Kingdom. Sunny, I love your mother as much as the next SandWing but for the sake of the three moons, she can be a scary sight whenever she's enraged." Peril shuddered slightly. "I hate to be the one to make her mad."
Sunny chuckled. "That's my mom for you."
"Speaking of Sky," Tsunami said with a hint of fury. "Where is he? I want to know where he is and why he left you all alone on your way back?! Where is Snail-brain at?!"
Immediately after Tsunami said that Sunny leaped into action before a fight broke out.
"Tsunami! Don't you ever call him that! Sky is the most gorgeous dragon! He may not be like you or Riptide or any dragon, but that makes him the most special dragon I've ever met. He's no Snail-brain; He's Sky and you will treat him with respect!"
Everyone stood in silence at what Sunny had exclaimed to them and Sunny couldn't help but smile pridefully.
"Defending your man, eh?", Glory snickered. "I hope you invite us to the wedding!"
Sunny couldn't help but blush at her Rainwing sister's remark. Everyone roared in laughter and Sunny noticed the warm eyes of Peril, who came to her rescue.
"Alright, everybody," The Firescales announced. "I know we all to know about Sunny's date but cut her some slack. She came back home, isn't that fair? Safe and sound."
Tsunami glanced at Sunny. "I guess I did overreact a bit. I keep forgetting that you're old enough to make your own choices. You're our little sister, but I still want to protect you."
Sunny rolled her eyes amusingly. "Isn't that Clay's job?"
"Hey, I can be caring!"
For the rest of the day, Sunny told her adventures with Sky. From building their SnowWings to their romantic dance. Granted, Sunny didn't tell them everything. She didn't want to rat out Queen Snowflake's talk and her emotional breakdown but she was happy that everyone enjoyed her tale. She couldn't help but felt like Sky whenever he attracted a group.
Her mother Thorn eventually came and with her, Qibli and Moon. The young couple had stopped by to help find Sunny... until Sunny cleared up the mess. Like Tsunami, her mother almost threw a hunting party in the search of Sky but with help from Clay and Peril, her mother calmed down. However, she still nagged her head off about not being punctual.
They all talked throughout the night. It was mostly teasing Sunny with her time with Sky until Sunny decided to bring up the talk.
Everyone had grown silent when Sunny decided to address what was going on with her. It was nerve-wracking at first, but Sunny remembered Sky's advice. With a calming smile, Sunny told everyone about her dilemma.
"Oh, Sunny...", Clay said sympathetically. "Is this how you felt about us?"
"Sunny," Glory said seriously. "Who says we're going to leave you? We're never going to leave you."
"Ever," finished Starflight. "Sunny, we'll always be there for you. I know that we haven't been together for a while now because of our responsibilities. But that doesn't mean we can be there for you."
"Exactly!", Tsunami pipped in. "I'm sorry that we haven't been a family lately. I'm also sorry for not being there for you in your time of need."
"It's ok," Sunny said. "I just don't want to lose you guys."
"How about this?", Clay suggested. "Why don't we start having a monthly reunion? That way, in the event we do split to start our new chapters, we can be there for one another. Besides, I haven't been doing my job as a Bigwings."
Everyone seemed to agree with that.
"Thank you all. Thank you guys so much...", Sunny cried. She was start to tear up.
"Group hug!", Clay called.
With that, Clay grabbed a hold of Starflight and Tsunami. Deathbringer nudged Glory into the hug, which she at first didn't want to do first. She quickly changed her expression when Tsunami glared at her. Peril, Riptide, Deathbringer, and Fatespeaker also joined in for the hug. Even Thorn couldn't help but join in on the fun.
Sunny couldn't help but release her tears. She was in the talons of her winglet. In the wings of her siblings.
In the arms of her family, a family that will never let her go.
A week had passed since Sunny went on her date. Things had resumed to a normal schedule during the remainder of the period. Clay, Peril, Starflight, Fatespeaker, Webs, and her father were still teaching at the Academy. Sunny still surveyed the school's needs and managed the students whenever things got hairy. Thankfully, Sunny had help from Peril who was keeping everyone in check.
Even better, Moon and Turtle decided to lend their talons for assistance. Needless to say, they were a massive help and it turned out that Moon and Turtle asked to lend their talons to becoming teachers. It was a massive thrill when Turtle expressed his desire to become Clay's successor in the Healing Arts for the burly Mudwing. Peril was happy to see her Clawmate again. Turtle was eager to learn from Clay as well.
As for the idea of Humans joining the Academy, that was solved with help from Winter and Wren's friends. After some thought, Sunny decided it was best to introduce a human class. It was not just the dragons who loved their human friends, but it was also the tiny creatures Sunny had considered her allies. Sunny had now the idea that it wasn't just dragons that needed this potential; The humans deserved a chance to grow as a people and learn to establish peace within their races and the dragons they considered friends with.
When the news reached The Indestructible City, the Humans of Pyrrhia threw a celebration and embraced Sunny as their hero. Many human children had blessed her with gifts, which Sunny politely rejected. All she wanted was to provide the humans a chance. But she knew she would have to find human beings who would become teachers.
Luckily, she had two in mind.
Leaf and Ivy (or Fluffy and Holler as Sunny liked to affectionally call the two) were delighted to see Sunny again. Sunny embraced the two as if they were her Dragonets. Sunny enjoyed their tea time discussions as Ivy revealed a tray of Teacups for them to enjoy. Sunny listened to them ramble about their lives.
"So there I was, swinging my sword, trying to scare the large sow!" Leaf exclaimed. The young man was describing a story about fighting a bear. "I didn't want to kill her, she was a female after all. But I knew I had to push her back into the woods. Undauntable doesn't want anyone to poach the local wildlife right now. Want us to respect nature and all that jazz."
"I think Sky has been giving Undauntable a hard time," Ivy explained, as Sunny flashed a quizzical look. "You know how he is when it comes to animals."
"I get that," Sunny nodded. "I'm glad that you two have been doing all right here."
"Eh, you could say that...", Leaf said with a sigh.
Sunny raised a brow. "Something damping your spirits?"
"Yes, actually," Ivy answered. "Leaf and I have been thinking about our futures."
"Your futures?", Sunny asked quizzically. "What do you mean by that?"
"Lately, Ivy and I have been trying to search for something to do with our lives," Leaf explained. "We just don't know what to do. Don't get us wrong. We're happy that we're together and all, living here, but-"
"It's just that we feel like we're wasting away our potential somewhere else," Ivy finished. "Leaf and I have been searching for jobs. Jobs that we like. Being an artist and swordsmen here don't work much here."
"I tried to be a guard here, but no such luck," Leaf told Sunny. No one here wants to hire me. 'Not enough experience for me', they say. I can't complain to Undauntable or Wren either so it's just been terrible for us."
Sunny knew this was her chance.
"If you guys are interested... I do know of a job that can hire you guys."
Leaf and Ivy raised their heads.
"Really?" Ivy intrigued.
"Keep talking...", Leaf exclaimed.
Sunny couldn't hide her excitement. She explained in great detail about her job offer. The benefits greatly worked for them, as they would not only have a new home of their own but as well as find the dream job they always wanted.
Without a doubt, Leaf and Ivy jumped aboard.
"Sunny, I got to say... Did anyone influence you to offer us jobs?", Ivy asked while the couple rode on her back. Sunny was on her way back to Jade Mountain.
"I guess you can say... a certain dragon did give me the idea of teaching humans here."
"I think I know who...", Ivy giggled. "Hey, if we're going to be teaching here, we'll need supplies to start building human classrooms. If you want to, I can ask Daffodil for help!"
"I was hoping you would say that," Sunny smiled. "She and Winter can help finance the project and The Dragonwing Express can start shipping out the materials."
"She and Winter could definitely fiance this little pet project!" Ivy took a minute to giggle. "The two of them have enough resources to help establish human classrooms. Thank goodness the two of them got along as partners."
"I'm glad so too," Sunny agreed.
The Human project was on.
The following night was still all the same.
The paperwork was finally done. Sunny let out an exasperated sigh as she had finished writing a letter to Winter. This would be the parcel that will begin a new future for humanity. She was ready for it. And Sunny knew Winter and Daffodil would agree to it.
Leaf and Ivy had settled nicely in her cave. She had made the two of them a nice little bed to sleep in and they seemed to love it. They were sound asleep in it and Sunny hadn't heard a peep out of them since. She had agreed the next morning, Sunny would show them around the mountain to begin preparations.
The deafening silence of Jade Mountain had left Sunny time for herself to reflect and think about the future of the Academy. She got this, she knew she did. But this wasn't the thing she had on her mind.
She was thinking about Sky. It had been a while since she last heard from him and was wondering if he was doing alright, wherever he was. Sunny couldn't stop thinking about him.
It seemed like ever since her date, Sky was constantly on her mind. From the way he smiled at her to the way he cried in her arms, it felt like a dream. She long to protect him lovingly in his embrace. But she also craved his gentle touch, his guiding warmth.
She wouldn't be a fool if she didn't admit she had fallen for the Skywing. But she didn't wanna risk telling her friends about him. Sunny knew that would be a nightmare to deal with.
Then, out of the corner of her, she saw it. She knew she had missed something and her instinct was right. Wedged in a pile of scrolls was a Letter and she knew who it was from.
Her heart soared after she read the letter. In tears, she grabbed a feather and a piece of stationary to begin her very own letter.
Dearest Sky and Wren,
It has been a while since I last saw you and I miss you dearly. I'm glad you're safe and south with Wren and I would like to offer her my sincere congratulations to her, for being an upcoming mother. Being a mother isn't an easy task, from what I understand, but it's a great job that no one should ever take for granted. The experience is worthwhile, just like how it is to see my students here grow into adult dragons.
Wren, I am so happy for you. Sky and I have been deeply worried about your well-being and I had prayed for your safety. Words cannot do the justice to you for receiving the news of your pregnancy. I only hope you will be alright when the time comes, but I have faith that you'll be ok. Knowing you, you'll probably be hating every second of carrying a potential son or daughter, but you will change your mind when you and Undauntable see your child in your arms.
As for you and Undauntable, I am glad that you two finally came out to Sky and revealed your relationship. We were both hurt that you two hid this secret from us and I know Sky had a meltdown when he didn't know what was going on. Betrayal is not a fun thing, but I know you had a lot on your plate, Wren. I hope you two will be alright and become better partners on the topic of secrets.
Sky, this segment of the letter is for you and you only. I just want to say thank you for everything that you have done for me. I took your advice and we worked things out. My winglet is together again and it's all thanks to you. Thank you for being my hero.
Because of this... I was wondering if you would like to stop by here, alone with me. I miss you and I would to go on a second date with you. This time, with me leading the expedition. I want to be in your wings again and soar through the clouds with you. I want to go on adventures with you and hear your stories about them. I want us to gush about the cutest animals and be silly and fun. But most importantly, I want to be with you Sky. You mean the whole world to me and I love you. Pantala and Pyrrhia have nothing to compare when it comes to us two. Sky, you made my life amazing. Thank you.
Snails, your Sunflower.
Sunny took a moment for her brain to process what she had just written. It all came from her heart and Sunny couldn't believe it. Never would she ever think about falling In love with Sky, the greatest SkyWing she had ever met. She didn't need Sky to have qualities like her siblings, she wanted Sky for being himself and that was fine for her. She loved Sky for being who he was.
And he was Sky, the adventurer.
Of course, Sunny knew she would have to take her relationship slow. Not to mention introducing Sky to her parents. Stonemover wouldn't have a problem with him, knowing her father all too well. Thorn on the other hand would be a different matter, but Sunny was ready for it when it was time to cross that bridge.
But there was one thing she will never let go of.
Her love of Sky.
Sky, I love you.
Well, that's it, folks! Bring on the tears and tissues! Imma just leave to buy myself a box of Niagra-sized tissues. This one had a lot of feelings going on but I loved working on this one. We can safely say this story is officially done.
I would love to give a huge shoutout to all of y'all who had read this. You guys fucking rock and working this for the fans was awesome.
The reason why I wrote this fic was that I have a theory that Sunny's Love interest would be Sky. I heard that she would be getting on in Arc 3 but...
I heavily believed that Arc 4 (no doubt that Tui will release one, I'm sure of it) will be centered around the Humans of Pantala and Pyrrhia in a world-war style arc and Dragonslayer will play a big role in it. Chances are that Sky and Sunny will be made into a couple by the end of that arc, I'm sure of it. Besides, we were robbed of Peril and Sky's meeting (WHY TUI WHY?!).
But let's not toot my own horn. Yes, I am aware that Sunny doesn't need a love interest and I love that about her character. Not every character needs one, but my reason why Tui is giving Sunny one is for the Peril-Sky meeting. My money is on that. I could go on with evidence too.
One last thing before I go. I have stated in the last chapter I had a bonus chapter in mind and I am interested in doing it if YOU GUYS want to see it. If anyone of you wants to see it, let me know and I'll gladly do it for you all.
So I guess this ends the grand tale. Once again, I want to thank you all for reading this. Peace!!
