Finding Peace: Winglets

Beyond the Depths

There was no pain…no chill…nothing that would be associated with death. Cliff just felt so empty. Drifting in the darkness, he tried to move his limbs and wings, trying to control his descent. But they didn't respond. They just hung loosely as the darkness engulfed him.

Despite this, he refused to stop.

He couldn't stop.

He needed to get back…

Peacemaker…Tempest…He needed to save them!

After what felt like an eternity of trying to move, he felt his "direction" in the darkness start to change. Originally, it felt like he was falling towards an ocean floor that was thousands of leagues below him. Now, it felt like water was pushing him upwards.

The abyss above him started to become brighter as he saw a dark blue glow come from above him. It got brighter the more he "ascended."

Then, he saw something shimmer. Bright lights. Like the surface of water. When the dark blue light above him starts to turn into a bright sky blue, he realized that it actually was water!

Wait…no…he was underwater!

He was close to breaching the surface!

Several long minutes later, Cliff felt his body break the water's surface…and the feeling of warm ocean air graced his chest and belly.

Instinctively, he tried to maneuver himself to move and swim. But he still couldn't control his body…leaving himself subjected to the water's current that lapped over him. Despite the water mashing over his face and nostrils, he couldn't spit the saltwater out of his lungs. Instinctively he wanted to clear his lungs, but his body didn't respond.

Was he going to be like this? Drifting in the ocean? Forever?

Forced to think about his friends? Were they alive?

By the sun, he wasn't going to let this be his fate.

That's when he felt them: something touching his sides. A little sharp, but nothing uncomfortable.

Talons?

"Who…" Cliff, for the first time since his injury, managed to croak.

"You're okay, I've got you," Answered a calm male voice.

He felt the water on his other side start to push out of his way. As his savior pushed him: Cliff felt his vision start to blur. As he did, he caught the slightest hint of green scales come into his vision.

Everything went black.

Cliff?!

…

…

…

CLIFF!

"PEACEMAKER!" Cliff shouted.

When control over his body returned Cliff pushed himself up.

Only to feel his head hit something.

Gasping, Cliff fell backward. Instead of hitting something hard, however, he felt the back of his head hit something soft. Opening his eyes, Cliff saw that what he had hit was a ceiling.

No, wait…the bottom of a bed? Turning his head to the left, he noticed a bunch of blankets…and a pillow? A bunk bed.

Cliff sat on the bed, this time much more in control. Instinctively he braced himself for the pain in his chest.

Except, he felt nothing. As if his chest was normal. Lifting his talons and looking down at his chest. Cliff blinked in shock when he saw no injuries from where his own claws had pierced his chest and heart. Not a single scale was out of place.

The pain still existed, but it was like an echo in his head. Like thinking of a dragonethood injury from years ago such as falling off of a cliff during flying practice (…okay, that was painful just thinking about it.) Reminding himself that he was okay, Cliff stood up from the bed and walked across the living space of a circular hut.

When he was outside of the hut he was greeted with the sight of a sunset on the distant horizon. Clouds in the distance were a bright orange as the sun went into hiding, making the sky start to grow darker.

The hut was located on the boundaries of a forest and a beach of white sand.

A glint of green caught Cliff's eyes, looking at the source: He saw a dragon sitting underneath a palm tree as he observed the setting sun.

Recognizing the green color of the scales he realized that the dragon had been his savior. Cliff walked towards the palm tree while making sure his footsteps were loud that way he didn't surprise the dragon.

Closer he got, he realized the dragon was a SeaWing.

"How do you feel?" The SeaWing asked without looking at him. "That was a terrible injury after all."

"Perfect," Cliff answered when he walked up beside him. Sitting on the sand, Cliff looked at the SeaWing.

He recognized the star patterns swirling over his wing membranes. The same bioluminescent patterns that adorned dragons of the SeaWing Royal family. Cliff had traveled to the Sea Kingdom with his mother and her envoys and met many of the SeaWing royals, especially Queen Coral's many sons.

This SeaWing was definitely not one of those sons. He was about Cliff's age and Cliff had interacted with Queen Coral's younger sons during his visits and he did his best memorizing the names of each. Unless this SeaWing was distant nephew, the question of who he was picked at the back of Cliff's brain.

No point in sitting around, guessing.

"Who are you?" Cliff asked.

"No "thank you" for pulling you out?" The SeaWing asked, turning his head to face Cliff. The SeaWing's light gray eyes seemed more amused rather than offended.

At this, Cliff smiled in amusement.

"Well, tell me your name and I can thank you properly," Cliff explained.

"Fair enough, after all: I know who you are, Cliff," It took everything he could to avoid widening his eyes. The SeaWing, before Cliff could ask, continued. "Fathom, my name is Fathom."

His answer made Cliff's eyes widen.

Fathom? Prince Fathom? As in, the SeaWing Prince, an Animus, from two thousand years ago? Survivor of the massacre of the SeaWing royal family? The best friend of Darkstalker…before he became Peacemaker? That Fathom?

"You're taking this news rather well," Fathom said as he looked out towards the ocean as it crawled over the sand.

"Ye…yeah," Cliff muttered as he kept his composure. So many questions swirled in his head, especially about how he was speaking to a dragon that had known Cliff's best friend.

There was also that fact that said dragon should be dead.

Wait, was Cliff?!

"You aren't dead," Fathom said as if reading his thoughts. "Not yet, anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Cliff blinked in confusion.

"I guess you're in limbo, of sorts," The SeaWing said, holding his wing out to gesture at their surroundings. "You're close to death, but there's still life in you."

How was that possible? He remembered everything, he remembered Adder somehow enchanting Cliff's claws to impale his chest. The feeling of his claws piercing his heart…

"Why haven't I reincarnated?" Cliff asked, thinking back to the beliefs of his Tribe. How, after death, the Sun would cause the rebirth of the deceased and reincarnate them into a new life. In all honesty, he always doubted if such a thing would happen.

At least that was before he almost died.

"Maybe you already have and you just don't know? I mean, SkyWings believe dragons reincarnate more than once." Fathom said, making Cliff even more confused. How could he have already reincarnated, when he remembered everything of his life? "Or, I guess something is keeping you alive?"

What could be keeping him alive? Especially from an injury, he suffered from his body in the…Dream World…

That's right, he wasn't in his physical body. It was still in the Waking World. He was still alive, maybe it was his body keeping him from dying? Was there still a chance he could return to his body? Return to the dream world and save his friends? If that was possible, then he needed to find a way out of this "limbo" and soon!

Excitedly, Cliff jumped to his feet.

"Do you know how to leave?" Cliff asked in a, failing, attempt to keep himself composed.

"If I did, I'm sure I would be alive, wouldn't I?" Fathom yawned, stretching his talons out in the sand. "Not sure you should be leaving, anyways."

Furrowing his brows, Cliff tried not to glare at the older dragon as he stood up. How Fathom carried himself was unlike what the SkyWing Prince would expect of royalty, especially one whose history was rich with information. He was calm and laidback, unconcerned at Cliff's predicament.

Like he didn't care.

"Well, I'm not sure I should be following your advice," Cliff answered, coldly. "I've got friends who need me. So you can stay here, lounge in the sun all day, while I find my way back."

Turning away, Cliff moved towards the interior of the island. Intent on finding a way off of the island.

"Do you have any idea what you're doing, at least?" Fathom's voice echoed after him. Cliff rolled his eyes, ignored the long-deceased dragon's words, and headed for the tree line. "Let me rephrase the question: What will you do when you get back and fail to stop Darkstalker?"

Cliff almost tripped on his talons when he heard Fathom say that. Turning his head back, he found Fathom standing behind him, somehow closing the long gap between the two so fast. How? He didn't know, but he would be lying if it didn't creep him out.

All he could do was give the SeaWing a defiant glare. Especially when Fathom was comparing Peacemaker to Darkstalker.

"I don't know any Darkstalker," He snapped. "My friends are Peacemaker and Tempest, both of whom are amazing dragons and deserve every good thing."

"Even though one of those friends killed so many dragons?" Fathom asked, his gray eyes giving Cliff an almost pitiful look. While not hostile, the SeaWing's stare offended Cliff to his core. He didn't need pity, not from anyone. Especially not from a dragon who is supposed to be dead.

"Peacemaker didn't do any of that," Cliff said, defending his best friend, the most awesome dragon he had ever known. Cliff would get in anyone's face if they told him otherwise.

"But he is still connected to Darkstalker," Fathom explained. Slowly, the SeaWing circled Cliff so he was in between him and the forest. "He has Darkstalker's memories, his magic…even some of his traits."

Cliff's teeth clenched together the more Fathom spoke. It took Cliff every ounce of will power to not flex his claws and lash at the older dragon. How dare he even compare Peacemaker to Darkstalker!?

"And what if he had any of that?! He hasn't done anything!"

"That's what I thought for a time before Darkstalker used his magic to murder his father."

"Just shut up!" Cliff roared, snapping his teeth at Fathom, feigning a strike to his throat. "So what if you knew Darkstalker? So what if you think you know Peacemaker?! I know my friend, and I can tell you he will never become evil. Even if he used to be Darkstalker, he isn't that dragon. Not anymore!"

"And what if you are wrong?" Fathom asked, walking forward, unafraid of Cliff. The closer he walked, the more Cliff admittedly felt intimidated…even backing up the closer Fathom came. "What if, by some chance, you are wrong? What if, like me, you fall for Darkstalker's charm? Trust his assurances, that he is a good dragon? What if you are so blinded by your friendship that by the time you realize how far he has gone, that it is already too late? Too late to notice that every good deed has an ulterior motive behind it?"

Cliff felt himself back into the trunk of a tree. Fathom stopped, leaning forward as if he were a bolder, and Cliff was an insect about to be crushed. The once calm eyes of the SeaWing had changed, he now stared at Cliff as if he was looking into his soul. Searching for any doubts or weaknesses in him.

"What will you do, Prince Cliff, when he does change, and you have no means to stop him?" Fathom questioned. Jabbing his index talon into Cliff's chest, Fathom pointed to where Adder had enchanted Cliff's claws to impale. Cliff couldn't help but flinch from the painful memory. "You are the only ones without powers. You have no magic, no special mutations. You were easy prey. That is why Adder targeted you first."

Fathom's words echoed through Cliff's ears. He violently shook his head at the words, trying to keep his resolve strong.

Peacemaker…he wasn't anything like that. He was kind…he was, no, is, Cliff's best friend. The first dragon outside of his family and Peril to treat him like a peer, not a Prince.

But what if Fathom was right? What if Peacemaker did change? Did become Darkstalker? How was he going to bring his friend back? He couldn't even stop Adder from torturing Peacemaker and Cliff. There was nothing special about him. His status as Prince, it was useless here.

Feeling his legs give way, Cliff fell to the ground. Closing his eyes, he tried not to cry. Not in front of the SeaWing.

"Even if you did have powers, you wouldn't be able to stop him," Fathom continued. This time, his voice was not inquisitive nor harsh. It was…almost sad. Looking up, Cliff saw that Fathom had backed away from Cliff and now sat in front of him. His gray eyes looked like clouds leading up to a rainstorm. He looked at the sand between Cliff and him and grabbed a bunch with his talons. "Even with my powers, powers that I swore to my sister I would never use, I couldn't make him see the dangers. I…I couldn't change him. I never could."

How Fathom spoke about Darkstalker showed a dragon who genuinely cared about his friend, just like Cliff cared about Peacemaker. But the love Fathom had for his former friend was marred with hopelessness, regret, and sadness.

Fathom felt he had failed Darkstalker. Even if his life continued and he'd been happy: In his heart, Fathom must have still regretted that he could never save Darkstalker. Couldn't make him content with what he had.

He had failed. And Fathom took that regret, no matter how small or big, with him into the grave.

Just like how he was trying to do to Cliff now…

"And what am I supposed to do?" Cliff said, regaining the strength in his legs to stand up. When he was back to his feet, he glared at Fathom. "Am I supposed to just sit here on the beach for all of eternity? Do you want me to sit here with you, a long-dead dragon, and listen to your sob stories about your perceived failures, while I just sit here while my friends are in danger?"

Before Fathom could answer, Cliff turned completely around and walked towards the shoreline. He didn't want to hear anything from the SeaWing. He was going to find a way off of this island, back to the Dream World, and save his friends!

The sound of Fathom's talons stepping into the sand followed Cliff. Giving in to his frustration, he turned on the SeaWing.

"You're right! I have no powers! Other than my bloodline, there is nothing special about me. But…But I don't care," Cliff snapped at Fathom, who blinked at him in silence. "Maybe Peacemaker will become Darkstalker again. Maybe…he will become evil. But he's still my friend, I can't give up on him or Tempest. Right now, they are somewhere with a dragon who will stop at nothing at killing them. I will not stand by and let that happen."

"And if you fail?" Fathom asked the single question that Cliff feared.

But it was a question he knew the answer to.

"Then I will continue being Peacemaker's friend. No matter the form he takes, I won't give up on him." Cliff closed his eyes, remembering the first time Peacemaker had spoken to him. All the times he had supported Cliff and the others. Opening his eyes, he gave Fathom a soft gaze. "You didn't fail. You did all you could. Now I need to do everything I can."

At first, Cliff wasn't sure if Fathom had listened to him. His eyes were still surprised by Cliff's outburst. But ever so slowly his eyes seemed to brighten as a smile made its way onto his lips.

"Then, there is nothing left I can say," Fathom whispered. For a moment, he sounded as if he were on the verge of tears. "I want Darkstalker to be happy. No matter what happened, he made me realize that I was never cursed. I…just wish..."

"I know," Cliff said, placing a wing over his shoulder. "You've done your part, Your Highness. Now: I need to do mine."

Suddenly, a flash of silver light came into the periphery of Cliff's vision. Looking over at the ocean, Cliff saw that the horizon over the water's surface had become white. As if the sky was a painting, the canvas was becoming clear.

"Go," Fathom said. "They need you."

Turning to face the SeaWing prince, Cliff was ready to thank Fathom. But when he looked where Fathom had been…he was met with only the sight of an empty beach. There was no sign of Fathom, let alone any sign that there had been a dragon here in the first place. The sand looked undisturbed.

Not lingering on this, Cliff nodded to the last words of Fathom.

"I know," Cliff said as he turned towards the ocean and walked up to where the water met the sand.

Unfurling his wings, Cliff felt the warm sea air brush against the membranes of his wings. It was so different than the Dream World.

Perhaps…could he?

Taking a deep breath, Cliff flapped is wings and the familiar feeling of the air moving around with each wingbeat occurred. Slowly, but surely, he felt his talons leave the sand. Smirking, Cliff looked up to the sky as he ascended.

"Much better," He said, proudly. Turning his attention back to the horizon, the white glow becoming brighter. Cliff flew over the ocean, leaving the island behind him.

As he came closer to the white light, the light became the only thing he saw.

Eventually, it engulfed him and he felt his body pulled forward.