Chapter 16

M.I.D.

The boulder stared back at Tualang as he stopped just a few feet before it. He pulled out the slip of paper Vegas left for him and repeated the phrase in his head a few times before letting out a deep breath and pressing his palm against the cool stone.

"Please, grant me passage."

The boulder shook and lifted upwards, revealing his father's room. As he stepped inside and the boulder fell back in place behind him, he couldn't help but be annoyed at how simple the phrase was. With how secretive Vegas was about it the previous night, he was under the impression that it was going to be something complicated.

Apparently he only had to ask the boulder to move.

The feeling of the grass on his talons was somewhat comforting. The soft dirt was a welcome change from the stone flooring he'd been walking on for the past two days.

"Who's there?" A voice called from across the large room, presumably near the water. "Ghost? Vegas? That cute SkyWing that brought me lunch the other day? Wait, no. The way you walk doesn't sound like any of those three." Sound emerged from the shore, freezing in place when he realized who was in the room with him. With wide eyes, he ran over and enveloped Tualang in a tight hug.

"Oh, Tua! It's you!" He cried happily. "I was worried you wouldn't visit me, but here you are! How are you, child? Still healthy? Are you eating well?"

Tualang lightly batted at his father's chest with the back of one of his talons.

"Can't… breathe…" He managed to say and the big SeaWing let him go immediately.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm so sorry. I just gets a little lonely in here sometimes, you know?" Sound paused and took a deep breath, letting it out with a sigh. "...Plus I'm still getting used to the fact that my son- my Tualang- is really here with me."

"Don't worry about it, dad. I know what you mean. You don't have to apologize for being happy." Tualang answered, leaning in to return the hug with a small one of his own.

It was… strange, to say the least. Just days ago Tualang wasn't sure if Sound wanted to see him or if he was even alive at all. Yet here he was, hugging the same dragon he once never thought he'd meet.

Tualang took a step back after letting go.

"So, what do you need? Are you here to spend time with your old man?" Sound asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Something like that. We didn't get to talk much yesterday so I figured now was a good time."

Sound tapped his chin and looked at his son again with a strange expression plastered across his steel blue face. "And you're not just doing this because you need me to tell you more about Ghost and the Faction and all that, right?"

"What? No!" Tualang exclaimed but knew Sound saw right through him. He was partially telling the truth. He did want to spend time with Sound but the important thing was to learn about Event Horizon.

Before he could explain himself, the large SeaWing dismissively waved a talon. "Ah, don't worry about it. I know I haven't exactly done you any favors since you got here. You deserve to know what's going on. Here, follow me." He turned and started towards the shore, Tualang following suit.

"How did you know I was lying?" The hybrid asked, eliciting a chuckle from the older dragon.

"You're just like your mother. She always had the same face when she tried to lie. Left eye ridge raised slightly higher than the right, a bit of a dismissive frown, and the way you tap a claw against the ground right as you start talking. That is almost exactly what Grove used to do."

That was a little unnerving. He had an "I'm lying" face? Not only that, but Sound knew what it looked like? Not ideal.

'Breathe, Tualang. It's not a big deal. You shouldn't have to lie to your father anyway, right? Everything is going to be fine.'

"...I see. Guess there's no point in me trying to keep anything from you, then. You're a living lie detector." Tualang said, sitting on the sand near the water. As he did so, his tail snaked around behind him, eventually sliding into the cool water.

"You think so? I've been told I'd make a good interrogator." Sound snickered as he sat down a few feet from his son. "That is, if I were to ever return to the Kingdom of the Sea. Things are a little complicated back home right now."

A strange look crossed the SeaWing's face for a few moments but he quickly wiped it away. "Enough about me. You came here because I owe you answers. Let's get to it, then. Ask away, Tualang."

Tualang blinked and nodded. "Right. I'm going to get straight to the point. I want you to be completely honest with me, alright? I can't lie to you, so I want that to be mutual. Are we agreed?"

Sound nodded slowly and sat down in a shallow area of the water. "Certainly. It's only fair, I suppose."

The hybrid cleared his throat. "Event Horizon," He started, noticing his father's immediate reaction the moment the words left his mouth. "Yesterday afternoon, Ghost used some… weird time-vision-hallucination bracelet on me. He showed me visions of a SeaWing civil war, a conflict he called the Great SeaWing Schism. The thing is, after I left the vision, Ghost told me that the war hadn't happened yet. Rather, it will happen thousands of years in the future."

He paused to regain his breath, trying to recall all he heard and saw the previous day.

"He then told me he planned to bring peace to the world forever. He was going to stop that war and all other like it before they could even happen. I remember thinking, 'How is that possible?' But then I had another vision, one that seemed much closer to the present. I saw something… Every dragon on the continent was dying, myself included. Just before that, I saw two dragons discussing something called Event Horizon."

He looked at the SeaWing with desperate eyes. "What is going on? What is all of this about? You must know something about Ghost's plans."

Sound stared at the water quietly, a blank expression on his face. After a few moments of silence, he let out a deep sigh and turned to face his son.

"Yes, I do know about Event Horizon." He finally answered, rubbing his temples. "Back when I was released from SeaWing prison, Ghost recruited me into the Faction. I was still too scared to go back to the rainforest so it wasn't too hard to convince me to join. He must've liked me a lot, because I quickly climbed the ranks and was eventually allowed to participate in the meetings in the council room."

Tualang thought back to the seven rugs. Of course, those must've been for Ghost and six of his most trusted dragons. Ghost and Sound were two of the seven, but it was only now dawning on Tualang that there were five other council members somewhere in- or near- the mountain. Was Vegas one of them, or was he merely a pawn?

Sound's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"When I was put into the council, Ghost showed me visions similar to the ones you just told me about. He said he had a plan to bring everlasting peace to Pyrrhia. He dubbed that plan Event Horizon, the point of no return."

"You didn't answer my question. How does Event Horizon work? How does he plan to 'save the world?'"

Sound sighed and rubbed his temples again.

"By ending it." The SeaWing said simply. "Hidden in the heart of Pyrrhia, there is a place by the name of Forge."

Tualang paused. 'The vision…' He thought. 'The vision told me about Forge. It was one of the words that continued to run through my mind, along with animus.' He looked up with a frown.

"What is Forge?"

"An experiment. Long ago, one animus realized that animus dragons were limited by the effect the magic had on their souls. As such, he built Forge, enchanting it to become a vessel for animus power. Some of the greatest weapons in the history of Pyrrhia were crafted there, from a staff that could part the seas to a ring that granted its wearer the ability to control entire tribes. The dragon who founded Forge figured that such enchantments would be too risky for a lone animus to cast, so the mountain negates said risks. In short, it's a big forge that can animus-touch items without costing any dragon their soul."

"That's… a lot to take in." Tualang grumbled, wings drooping as he scowled at the water. "Forge… Ghost wants to end the world using a magical forge. How would that even work? How do you enchant the world to just… die?"

"You don't," Sound answered, standing up and stepping into the shallow end of the water. "Forge was also built with the intention that it would one day be used in the event that the world had to start over, that it was too far gone. I'll give you three guesses who requested that from Forge's creator."

Tualang looked bewildered.

"Ghost? But how?"

"Use your brain, Tua. Think back to the vision. You think Ghost is restricted by the boundaries of time? The answer should be rather obvious."

Right, the bracelet. The very same bracelet that gave him the visions was also seen in the vision of Petrel and Pathfinder. Pathfinder explicitly stated that he enchanted it to allow passage through time.

"So Ghost managed to find Pathfinder's bracelet, go back in time, and talk to Forge's founder long before it was actually built? That's not unnerving whatsoever."

"Hey, you said it, not me." Sound said, a slightly concerned look on his face. "Look, I know this is all confusing to you, but I can't tell you any more. Ghost doesn't want us talking much to begin with."

Sound stared at his reflection in the water before turning around and walking over to his son.

"Listen, there's a lot of shady crap going on here. I need you to do something for me."

'More favors? Didn't I bust my tail just getting here?' Tualang thought irritably.

"I want you to leave. Get as far from Ghost as you possibly can. I don't know what he wants from you, but given your abilities, it can't be anything good. Leave this mountain as soon as you can, Tualang. Go back to your friends. Keep yourself safe."

Before the hybrid could say anything, his father enveloped him in another tight hug.

"If this truly is goodbye, my beautiful child, I'm glad I got to see you at least once. I'm sorry I was never there for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be the father I wanted to be. I'm sorry I left you out of your mother's reach. Do me a favor and say hi to her for me, alright?"

Tualang felt something wet hit the scales on his shoulders. He looked up and saw the drops emerging from the corners of his father's eyes.

He was crying.

Tualang let out a deep sigh and gently patted his father's back, leaning into the hug.

"Almost two weeks ago, the most important dragon in my life told me goodbye for the last time. She didn't want me to wait for her as that would only bring me more pain. She wanted me to be happy. As a result, I set out to find you. I wanted answers about my past, yes, but I mainly wanted to be with you, to get to know you."

"As of right now, you are the most important dragon in Pyrrhia to me. Even in the midst of what could be the end of the world, I'm happy just knowing you're alive and that you really do care about me. If I leave, I'm giving up that happiness. So please…"

He felt a few tears of his own escape his eyes as some of his scales turned blue.

"You're all I have left. Let me help you, Sound. Let's save the world or whatever, father and son."

They stood there for a short while, neither of them daring to say a word in that time. The silence finally broke with a deep, shaky sigh from Sound. The SeaWing lifted a talon and wiped the tears from his son's face, the corners of his mouth curling upwards ever so slightly.

"...You really are your mother's child. I can't stop you." He finally said, his voice quiet. He let out another sigh. "Alright then. I'm probably going to regret this, but if you truly want to stay with me, we will do this together. However, if I ever think your life is in danger, I will not hesitate to send you halfway across the continent. Do you understand, Tualang?"

Tualang nodded slowly and rested his head on Sound's shoulder.

"I understand." Was all he said.

Sound must've been satisfied with this answer because he smiled and reached a talon towards Tualang's face to wipe the rest of the tears away.

"Then we're agreed. Pleasure doing business with you, kid."

The two large dragons remained in the embrace for a few more moments before Tualang let go and took a few steps back.

"Thank you, Sou-" Tualang cut himself off. This SeaWing wasn't just Sound to him, he had to remember that. "Err... father."

"Don't thank me. I'm the one who should be thanking you." Sound chuckled and sat down in the shallow water. "I've wanted to leave the Faction for months now. Thanks to you, I just might be able to get out of this glorified dungeon."

Tualang nodded slowly, taking a glance back at the boulder that blocked the doorway. He wanted to ask why Sound couldn't just use the phrase himself. However, just as he opened his mouth, he snapped it shut. With a loud scraping noise, the boulder lifted up from the ground. Standing in the doorway was a familiar, dusty gold face.

"Vegas?" He asked, clearly surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Vegas knew better than to sneak down to Sound's quarters during the day, especially considering the fact that Ghost was watching him at all times. Maybe he urgently needed to tell Tualang something. Maybe he had important news for Sound.

Or maybe it was something else.

Without saying a word, Vegas started towards the hybrid. It was then that he realized that Vegas' eyes were covered by his dark goggles and his dark green bandana was covering his mouth. He was tense and what little expression Tualang could see was completely blank.

He'd seen that look before, back on the beach in Inlet. This wasn't Vegas at all.

As the SandWing got closer, Sound stepped in front of his son.

"Vegas," He said calmly, staring the burly sand dragon in the eyes. Well, goggles anyway. "If Ghost told you to hurt my son, I'm afraid you're going to be very disappointed."

Vegas stopped a few feet from Sound, staring back at him. After a few moments of unnerving silence, he smirked behind his bandana and threw a punch at Sound's chest, knocking the wind out of him. Moments later, his fist met his left temple. The SeaWing yelped in pain, despite having expected an attack. He stumbled off to the side, Vegas nonchalantly sticking his tail out to trip the dazed SeaWing.

The steel blue dragon fell on his side, blinking rapidly as his chest heaved, trying to regain his breath. Vegas made a noise akin to a chuckle and started towards Sound again before Tualang stepped in his way.

"Tualang!" Sound rasped from his spot on the shore, coughing a few times. He tried to quickly get to his feet but the hybrid looked back at him with a smile.

"It's okay, dad. Stay down. He's here for me." Tualang said calmly, spreading his wings in a meager attempt to shield his father from further harm. He turned his deep green eyes to Vegas, his smile turning into a determined frown. "I'm the one you want, not Sound. If you want to hurt anyone, you hurt me."

The SandWing was quiet for a few moments before barking a laugh.

"My orders are to get you to Ghost, whatever it takes."

His voice was nothing like what Tualang heard the previous night. It was monotone, flat, and devoid of emotion.

'Did Ghost really use the scroll for such a simple task…?' Tualang thought with a mix of disgust and confusion. Before he could dwell on it further, he felt something tightly grip his forearm. Vegas had grabbed him and was starting to walk back to the tunnel.

"Tua…" Sound's voice started.

"Don't worry about me, father, I'll be safe. I'll come back for you, I promise." He said somewhat desperately, a feeling of dread pulsing through his chest as the boulder fell back into place.

Did Ghost somehow find out Sound was telling him about Event Horizon? How could he? Tualang was the only dragon in Sound's cave and his mind was protected from Ghost's powers.

If he even had any of his own, anyway.

'Maybe something in his little stash of animus-touched artifacts.' Tualang thought with a snort, remembering the meeting in the council room when Ghost used the bracelet on him.

If he really was caught… Was that goodbye? Was Ghost just going to throw him out of the Faction? No… he went through all that trouble just to get him there in the first place. Was he somehow going to be cursed like Vegas?

Was that the last time he would ever see his father?

The thought made him want to cry, but no tears came.

Before long, Vegas and Tualang pushed through the doors of the council room. As they entered Vegas finally let go of his forearm, the scales pulsing with discomfort as the vice grip finally vanished. Everything was still a blur at that moment. Tualang could see the seven rugs arranged on the ground just as they were before, but something new was in the room.

Wait, no. There were multiple new somethings. Familiar somethings.

Something crimson. Something purple. Something black with hints of purple and green.

'What… That can't be… How did they…' He thought.

"Ah, there you are, Tualang." Ghost's voice resounded from the far end of the room. The grey NightWing was standing in front of the three newcomers, his large form towering above them. "Thank you Vegas, you've done me a huge favor."

At that, something new crossed the SandWing's face. He quickly pulled his bandana off, revealing a look of confusion. He looked at Tualang for an answer, who was only able to give a helpless frown in return.

Tualang quickly turned his attention to the three newcomers. They turned to face him as he entered the room and he gave them a somewhat bewildered look. Four faces stared back at him.

Orion's bored scowl.

Sol's concerned frown.

Nova's look of fear.

And perhaps most concerning, Ghost's malicious smile.

I would like to offer a quick apology for the sporadic updates. I've been feeling really down about my writing as of late and as a result lost the motivation to write for a good while. I am getting back into somewhat of a groove however, so updates may be more frequent.

Please let me know your opinions in the reviews. This story means a lot to me and I want to know what I can do to improve the writing.

Until next time,

RP26