"Peacemaker!" Firefly screamed, pale green taking over her scales. Peacemaker saw a flash of black scales come out of the greenery as the NightWing landed gracefully on the grass in front of them.
"Peacemaker," Hope scolded. "What are you doing all the way out here?" Her eyes drifted over Firefly for a few moments, something hidden in her expression. Sadness, maybe? Was she remembering Peacemaker's father, Boa? Supposedly he'd been killed by a fallen tree before Peacemaker had hatched - and Hope had loved him very much. But as suddenly as the emotion came, it was gone, and his mother continued. "With the princess, no less." She paused. "Firefly, aren't you supposed to stay in the RainWing village?"
"Yeah, but it's so boring," the dragonet moaned. "And I saw Peacemaker crash into a tree, and I didn't want to leave him in the middle of the rainforest all on his own. Besides, I wanted to show him the funky tunnel thing." She flicked her tail at the massive boulder behind them, which still radiated such wrongness that it was nearly impossible not to notice it there.
"You didn't go in, did you?" Peacemaker's mother put on her usual worried expression, something Peacemaker was quite used to seeing whenever he went out on his own. But I'm not on my own! he thought. I'm with Firefly!
Firefly looked like she was thinking the same thing. "Yeah, of course we went in. It's a creepy hole in the middle of the jungle. What four-year-old and five-year-old dragonets in their right minds wouldn't want to explore?"
Hope sighed, spreading her obsidian wings. "Well, you've done enough running around for today. Back to the village, both of you." Peacemaker and Firefly followed her back through the trees, however the trip back to the NightWing village seemed much longer than it had before.
"Moonstar," Peacemaker spotted the black dragon almost instantly, from the line of dark silver scales along her back that no other NightWing he knew had. She was one of the few other NightWing RainWing hybrids in the village, however she was much older than Peacemaker. She jumped a little bit, as though she was startled.
Finally the three dragons fluttered down, their talons almost instantly squishing into the mud, even with the neat paths weaving between the houses. Peacemaker looked around at his tribemates - he spotted many of them walking around and flapping from place to place.
"Oh, um, hi, Peacemaker," she said quickly, managing a smile.
"Hey, Moonstar," Peacemaker smiled back at her. "Don't worry about those strawberry pies - they were free, anyways." Moonstar smiled at the ground, however her long tail twitched violently, sending pebbles scattering in various directions.
"I-I'm still sorry about that," she said. "I just - they smelled really good and I almost never get to-"
"Hey, I said it's fine," Peacemaker turned the stars under his wings pink and yellow. "But next time, come and ask me for them, alright?"
"Alright," she said, before vanishing quickly into the crowd.
Hope smiled back at him, however something in her smile felt... off. Like the smile wasn't for him. Peacemaker shook it off as skipping breakfast. He was starving.
"I'm hungry," Firefly said with almost comedic timing.
"We can head back to my hut and eat something there," Peacemaker offered before his mother could decline. "Besides, baking pies is fun."
So the three dragons started back towards Peacemaker and Hope's hut. Made via Mightyclaws' magical drawings, it was one of the older houses in the village. Peacemaker had so many good memories here.
As they quietly walked inside, Peacemaker picked up a scroll that had
fallen from the shelf.
The Legend of the Darkstalker was the title. The dragonet felt a shiver go through his wings as he slid it back into it's place.
The Darkstalker, or just Darkstalker, as he'd supposedly had himself be called, was a powerful animus dragon that disappeared two thousand years ago, sent to sleep under a mountain by his former best-friend, Clearsight. If a dragon who was supposed to love him did that to him, he must've been evil.
About five years ago, Darkstalker broke free from his animus-touched sleep, and tried to take over Pyrrhia once more, casting a spell to make everyone like him and trust him. However once again he was defeated, this time by the dragonets of Jade Mountain. No one knows what happened to him after that, but many believed that the Jade Winglet found a way to kill him, or turn his magic on himself. Others argue that he'll disappear for another two thousand years, and then return once more for revenge. However Queen Gory and King Deathbringer, who knew what happened to him, assured everyone that he was gone for good.
Not that it mattered right now.
"Pyrrhia to Peacemaker," Firefly said. Peacemaker blinked rapidly, trying to remember what he was doing. "You kind of zoned out there," his friend continued. "You alright?"
"Just really hungry," he managed, feeling dark purple and pink flush through his ruff.
"Okay," Firefly said, orange-purple zigzagging down her spine.
Soon the smell of freshly-baked pies filled the hut, and Peacemaker was feeling normal-ish again. He thought about Moonstar as he ate a slice of pie, the delicious, warm, strawberry fruit juice squishing around his mouth and making his tongue feel tingly. He also thought about Moonwatcher, one of his best friends even though she was quite a few years older than him.
Moon was the first NightWing with the power to mind read and see glimpses of the future in generations, however more and more NightWings in the village were also starting to hatch with this power. Moon's best friend, Kinkajou, was another one of Peacemaker's friends. She was nine, the same age as Moon (both Moons, actually), and she was the first RainWing teacher at Jade Mountain Academy. Peacemaker wondered when the two dragonesses would come to visit him and Firefly again.
"Anyways, before she left, mom said something about Jade Mountain Academy to my dad," Firefly was saying as Peacemaker focused back on the conversation she was having with Hope. "I caught something about Peacemaker, but I'm not really sure. Isn't that exciting? Peacemaker, you might have been accepted into the Academy!"
Ah, yes. Jade Mountain Academy. A place where all ten tribes were allowed to learn, side-by-side, in harmony. Peacemaker had always wanted to attend, ever since Moon and Kinkajou became instructors there.
"Ooh, maybe we'll even be in the same Winglet!" Firefly squealed, pink and gold and yellow suddenly crashing through her dark indigo scales. Peacemaker shielded his eyes for a few moments as her colors slowly toned down.
"You're going too?" he asked finally, tilting his head at her.
"Ever since I heard you were going," she said, grinning at him with all of her teeth. "Besides, I heard this year they're going to bring in some famous scientists for special studies! I don't know what about, but it sounds really cool!"
Peacemaker remembered that, too. He remembered how he'd been grabbing every piece of information about Jade Mountain he could get his claws on, until his mother finally caved and said she would ask to enroll him in the school. He'd had to take a few exams, but had never known if he was accepted or not. If what Firefly said was true, he'd be starting school in a week or two. Just the thought of that made little bubbles of happiness rise in Peacemaker's stomach, and that was something that didn't happen too often.
"I better be getting home now, though," Firefly said. "Or at least go take a nap, I shouldn't have skipped sun time this afternoon..." the dragonet mumbled she hobbled out the door.
As the day went on and the sun began to dip beneath the horizon, Peacemaker started feeling a little bit tired. That was strange because normally he and his mother would stay up all night with the other NightWings. But today he'd gotten up really early (at sunrise) and flying through the jungle at high speeds for long periods of time could make even the most seasoned tree-glider a little tired.
"Mom," he yawned, "I think I'm going to go to bed a little early today.
"Okay," Hope replied, looking through their scroll rack. "Sleep well, moonbeam."
Peacemaker wanted to protest against the ridiculous nickname, but he was too exhausted. The dragonet padded over to his bed and curled into a black ball of scales.
Despite his exhaustion, he lay awake for a while, with his eyes closed, as he waited for sleep to come for him.
Peacemaker, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
What? Peacemaker drowsily lifted his head, looking around for who he expected to be his mother. "Mom, is it time to get up already?" he murmured sleepily.
Strawberries, the voice muttered, obviously angered but adding a small chuckle to the end, leaving the little black dragonet bemused as he slowly regained his senses. The worst of all the fruits.
Who is this? he wondered. He knew that some NightWings hatched under blood moons could telepathically communicate with non-mind readers, and there were a couple of them in the village. Do you want a pie? I'm sorry if I haven't given you one yet. But I'm trying to sleep, can we do this in the morning?
I am not one of your customers, the voice mused.
Then who are you? Peacemaker asked, louder this time. But there was no reply.
The NightWing hybrid snorted and lay his head back on his pillow, but he knew that sleep wouldn't be coming for him any time soon.
A/N: Hey! It's our first cameo/speaking role, Moonstar! She belongs to ᏉᏋᏒᎧ#1584 on Discord- thank you for the awesome character! I hope I wrote her right.
Also, spooky voice in Peacemaker's head, lmao I bet you already know who that is...
Also also! STRAWBERRY PIE I'M HUNGRY NOW.
See you next chapter, and keep being awesome!