Clay popped his wing joints as he shuffled into his nest. It had been roughly one year since the beginning of his nightly lessons with his new Guardian Megatronus. His smile shrunk slightly as he remembered there was another face that wouldn't be there to celebrate with him.

It had been months since Callum had stopped appearing in the dream lessons, Megatronus had simply said that there was only so much that he could teach Callum presently. Someday though, he would return to them. Clay had asked him how he could be so sure of that, to which Megatronus gently bumped his chest with a talon the size of a tree trunk.

'Because of the bond we all share. You are my students and I am your guardian, that is something that will never change Constellation.'

Clay huffed as he finally felt himself settle and begin to drift off. He hoped his teacher was right, he really liked Callum. Even though he was an odd little Scavenger, Cal was another friend and one he didn't have to keep secrets from. His guilt returned at the thought of hiding what he was learning from his closest friends that he shared under the mountain with.

Clay blinked and sat up. Not seeing Megatronus anywhere nearby, he trotted out of the den into the library and found his friend reading (Or writing?) a massive scroll that was almost as big as he was. He blinked as his mind tried to wrap around that thought. Was that even possible to have scrolls that gigantic?

Megatronus smiled at his student and his loud thoughts. He put away his ink and brush, while mentally commanding the scroll to move over towards the drying rack. Turning he looked down at his oldest ward and frowned at the fading thoughts on the edges of his mind: Sorrow and guilt.

He did his best to bite back the sigh from coming out of his snout very loudly. Ever since that awful day where Callum left to truly grow on his own, Constellation had become very dispirited and was suffering from a broken heart of a lost friend. Such was the cause of making such a bond so young. The best he could do now was help Constellation through the tempest within and without.

His sigh became a soft growl, as he very clearly recalled Constellation's Guardians berating him for his lack of killing instinct. The audacity!

Refocusing on his young ward, he smiled as he remembered what happened once a year had passed. Gently tapping the dragonet's muzzle, Megatronus scooped him up on his own and turned to head out into the Sand Sea.

"Come along Constellation. It is the time of Returning."

As expected, the youngling perked up and focused on his teacher's eyes.

"Returning?"

Megatronus took wing and flew steadily to the east.

"Yes. When a year passes, all youngling StarWings return to the beginning of Paths to decide if they wish to continue on their current path or if they want to choose another."

He landed softly at the beginning of the other Paths, as the other guardians shielded their wards from the his arrival. Many even hissed at the Fallen, save for Solus and Micronus. As they knew Megatronus and knew his soul within.

"But I want to stay with you."

The tiny dragonet pouted at his teacher, did he think he was a mistake too, like Kestrel?

"Constellation."

Clay looked up into the eyes of his teacher and found them filled with hurt.

"It is your choice, IF, you want to walk down another path. I certainly won't force you to, so don't ever think again that you're a mistake to me. You are so much more than what you give yourself credit for, and you're still growing young one. Remember that, and this as well: Time will change and you will need to change with it, but not your soul. That is timeless, and will guide you in ways you could not yet imagine."

He smiled as Constellation's face reflected his smile back at him.

"If you wish to continue with me, that is your choice. But for now, go. Mingle with some younglings your age. Be careful though, you will be a little different from what they are."

The moment his muzzle touched the sandy ground he tipped it back and sent the youngling rolling end over end.

Clay huffed and got up, while he looked around. He looked around again at how much smaller everyone appeared compared to him. He seemed four heads taller than the biggest dragonet there. The back of his mind prickled as he heard his Teacher's voice echo in his head.

'I did say a little different Clay.'

Looking up at his teacher, Megatronus bent down and nudged him off directly to the dragonets. Thinking what else could happen, Clay smiled at Megatronus and bounded off.

Clay huffed again as he tried to speak with any of the other younglings, but every time he got close they would dash off or turn the other way from him. Megatronus had sent him a thought message explaining it was because of him and to try to find someone alone that would give him a chance to speak.

Noticing a young female with similar coloring to him, he trotted over to her and lightly tapped her wing. Jerking at the touch, she spun around and squeaked in surprise as the massive dragonet that was a ward of the Fallen smiled at her.

"Hello, I'm Constellation. What's your name?"

She blinked dumbly a few beats as she admired his golden-colored eyes and found no ill-intent or malice to them. Hesitantly she trusted her voice enough to work.

"My name is Ghosteyes."

She whispered softly while staring up at him, with the most beautiful pair of pearl tinted eyes Clay had ever seen before. (Or ever for that matter.)

She looked down, realizing he was staring at her eye color. To StarWings the color of their eyes was truly varied, and depending on the color, it gave them a greater connection to the Stars themselves. Ghosteyes had the name due to her eyes and thus her lack of power. She doubted Constellation would want to talk with her anymore, not when he had such prominent golden-colored eyes. His connection would be beyond any of theirs, so why would he waste time talking to her?

"You have such pretty eyes."

Ghosteyes stopped and turned back to make sure she had heard right. Did Constellation really think her eyes were pretty? But before she could voice her question, she felt herself yanked back through a portal of some kind. She barely saw the faces over her before the first blow landed. She tightened her wings closer to her face as her tormentors began to redouble their efforts.

"LEAVE GHOSTEYES ALONE!"

Clay didn't even realize he had snapped his claws out until he felt a surge of energy flow out of him and into the sand around them. Solus, who was striding over to see what the cause of the commotion was, jumped back in surprise at the surge of power from the tiny dragonet. When she saw what was behind young Ghosteyes she quickly sent Micronus to find Megatronus. She quickly ushered the other dragonets under her wings, praying to Primus he would come soon. Only he could calm Clay down now.

Ghosteyes looked up and froze, before she felt a paw on her left-wing. Flinching, she looked up at Constellation's worried face.

"Are you okay?"

She could only nod slowly. She had been right Constellation would become greater than any other StarWing before them and probably afterwards too.

"What happened?"

There was a dull 'thud' from nearby and Clay sighed in relief at the sight of his teacher. He was about to run over to him, when he saw the shadow looming over both he and Ghosteyes.

"You have more talent than anyone realized Constellation. Look."

Clay turned slowly and saw a massive skeletal-like stone dragon with its claws bared hovering just over the two dragonets.

"What did I just do?"

Clay looked up at his teacher in shock and confused fear.

"You have just Animated the area to protect young Ghosteyes with the best thing you can produce at your age. Quite a sturdy construct as well."