DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN WINGS OF FIRE OR THE CHARACTERS IN THIS FANFICTION FROM THE WINGS OF FIRE SERIES; THEY BELONG TO THE WONDERFUL TUI T. SUTHERLAND. ANY OC'S BELONG TO ME, AND YOU MAY USE THEM IF I SPECIFY.

Prologue:

The Old Night Kingdom, Moon's Room.

Winter was waiting. Waiting for the love of his life to come.

He shifted on his feet. What was taking her so long? His entire tribe was dying to a magical plague, and she couldn't just hurry up?

Stop, he chided. That's why she doesn't love you like you do.

"I'm guessing… down?" said the voice of a very familiar Nightwing. Winter's heart jumped a bit in his chest.

"I could end up running around this huge palace for the rest of the night," said another voice, this one belonging to his idiot clawmate/possible friend. Winter felt unexpected anger bubble up. Did he have to be so rude to her?

As if you were any better, he reminded himself sadly.

"Is there anyone we can safely ask?" continued Qibli, understandably oblivious to the fight going on inside Winter's head.

" Yes!" exclaimed Moon. "I mean, no, but there's a scroll with the architectural plans of the palace – I was looking at it in the palace library earlier today. It'll still be out on the table. Up those stairs, second door on your right."

Winter smiled despite himself. This was the Moon he knew, the one who thought of scrolls as a friend.

A better friend than you were, said the voice in his head.

He really wanted to smash the voice against a wall, or maybe have Peril burn it to pieces.

A small hesitation. Then Qibli again: "I don't want to leave you here. I – I don't want Winter to yell at you again."

"I've heard it all in his thoughts, and worse in other dragons'." Moon said softly. "I can handle it."

Is she talking about how I was so mean to her at the beginning of school? he thought forlornly. Is she sad that other people think that way about her too? If only I knew that she could see what's inside my mind, maybe I would've been nicer. Or would I not have cared? Am I really… Am I really that rude?

He shook his head to clear the torrent of thoughts from his mind.

"Does it make you hate everyone?" Qibli said abruptly. "Knowing what we're really thinking?"

"No, Qibli. Just the opposite," said Moon. "It helps me see what's really going on inside everyone. It's why I believe every dragon has good in them. Some have so much kindness inside, it gives me hope for the world."

But I'm not one of them.

Does she mean Qibli? he wondered. Is that what she found in him?

Is that what she couldn't find in me?

"Find Kinkajou," Moon said. "Get back here as quick as you can."

Clawsteps on the floor, and Moon emerged from the corridor. "Hey."

"Hey," Winter replied, unable to say anything more. "Moon…"

There was a small silence before she said, "I know your tribe hates mine. I know you were raised to hate Nightwings. But that didn't mean you had to continue to be rude, even after you knew me better."

"You expect me to argue with the essay you just spewed out?" Winter said, only half-joking.

"This wasn't an argument until you said it was," Moon countered. "I just pointed out some facts and gave my opinion."

"I didn't mean it!" Winter yelled, then immediately recoiled. "I wasn't – I was focusing on other things, Moon. I needed to rescue Hailstorm, I needed to make up for everything I did wrong – "

"That doesn't mean you need to yell at your friends, especially when we went this far and one of those friends fell into a coma helping you!" Moon blurted. "You could've at least done it civilly! Like, hey, I should bring my brother back home, I'll try to come back in a week at latest."

Winter huffed. "Yes, I made a mistake. But I acknowledged it! Moon, I'm sorry, I promise!"

"You didn't acknowledge it!" Moon shrieked. "This is the second apology I've gotten. The SECOND. Qibli says you should apologize at least fifty times. I think that's overdone, and five would be great."

Everything is about Qibli now, Winter thought. Because he was better to you than I was.

He must have said it out loud on accident, because Moon sighed. "I know you're sorry. And I'm sorry for making you feel this way." She looked at him, really looked at him. "I know you love me, even if it was Qibli that made you realize that."

"It wasn't Qibli!" Winter sputtered. "I loved you because you were you, not that Qibli loved you – Why would – What – "

"But you never once acted like you did," continued Moon, a tinge of sadness in her voice. "If I didn't have mind-reading, then I never would've guessed. There were some moments, moments where I could see it, but you – you acted like you hated me."

Winter opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Maybe it was because she was right.

Qibli's arrival with the others saved him from having to come up with an appropriate response, although he probably looked like he was about to self-implode. "Hello, nice to see you, glad you're safe, let's go let's go," he said, forcing himself to focus on something other than Moon.

It was only until they were aloft, soaring towards Jade Mountain, when the tears came, fast and hot. They stung, and he couldn't make them stop.

I looked at the book for the convo references, and although it was annoying to have to copy them word for word, I think it really helped the whole atmosphere of the story :) Also, one of Qibli's thoughts was "Is that what she found in me?" (or close to that, I don't have the book on me right now) so I played on that when I was writing Winter's thoughts.

Dunno why I had to mention this, just a little detail that I was proud of.