~Clearsight

Clearsight looked at Fathom, and handed him the key for the box. She usually studied the most probable futures, but Darkstalker continued to surpass her foresight. He either got rid of the scroll when no one was looking, or he took the key from Clearsight to get it himself. Fathom hesitantly accepted the key, and unlocked the box, pulling out Darkstalker's scroll. Written inside of it was the enchantment on Arctic, the spell that trapped Indigo, and the spell on her earrings. She shivered at all of the other things he must've wrote in there…some innocent like the blanket he enchanted, some deadly like the wall that prevented IceWings from entering the kingdom.

Fathom handed Darkstalker his scroll, and Darkstalker looked from Clearsight to Fathom. "Moons, stop worrying! Clearsight, my love, if you're so worried, can you check to see how this ends?"

Clearsight closed her eyes and looked. There were many outcomes, but only one led to destruction, and that was far enough away that she could at least try to convince him otherwise, or warn Listener and her family, at least. "No, not yet, anyway." Clearsight said.

Darkstalker shot a burst of flame towards the scroll. He hit it with terrifying accuracy. It burst in flames, a small plume of smoke rising. Darkstalker's eyes seemed to flare with something—hatred, fear, pain? Clearsight couldn't tell—but it left as soon as it came. He looked at where his scroll once lay, now a pile of ash, and shoved it off the rock. "Now, for my perfect way of protecting my soul." Darkstalker said. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I enchant myself to never lose my soul to animus magic, and that any spell that is put on me by another animus does not take effect, except for Fathom the SeaWing." Clearsight wondered why Darkstalker would exclusively make it so then only Fathom could cast a spell against Darkstalker. Maybe it's because he can see dark futures, too, where it's needed. Where only Fathom could save Pyrrhia.

"How do we know if it works?" Fathom asked. "We might not know until it's too late."

"That's were you and Clearsight come in, my friend." Darkstalker replied. "Just in case this doesn't work, you worried dragons can think of limits to my power. Tell me, and you can listen to me say them out loud. That way, if I do become the dragon that everyone fears me to be, then I can't, say, use my magic to harm others."

Beside her, Clearsight felt Fathom shiver. Clearsight, too, felt the ominous chill of the looming past and inevitable future.

"It's getting late." Indigo called from the entrance of the cave. Clearsight saw the light of the sun slowly brightening the cave. "As in 'late' I mean 'early' which means come on, Fathom. I can find us a cave to sleep in. I don't trust your friend. Either of them."

"No matter if we're on the other side of the continent, he can still kill us without even raising a talon." Fathom pointed out. He stood up, and turned towards Indigo and the exit of the cave. He looked back at Clearsight and Darkstalker. "I'll come back tonight. I might be really tired, but I'll be here."

"There's a cave on the other side of the beach." Clearsight said.

"Thanks, Clearsight." Fathom said. He walked out of the cave, Indigo closely following.

"My love, you should go too." Darkstalker suggested. Clearsight looked back up again. "Make sure Whiteout is being treated well, okay? If she gets hurt, I don't know how long I'll listen."

"When I came back with my parents, Listener, and her parents, I told Whiteout to gather her things and come to my home. The queen was going to bring her down to one of the bottom houses, but there's a big rainstorm coming soon and I didn't want Whiteout to possibly drown." Clearsight replied. "And I know I should go, but…I'm just worried. And concerned. And I honestly feel guilty for leaving you here."

"Clearsight, you are the only dragon I know who would treat Whiteout with such kindness and who would remind me so much of Mother that it hurts. I'm the only reason why I'm here, and while I am I can remember that rainy day when the I wasn't a soon-to-be mass murderer. When I was better than my father. But I'm no good that my worst enemy; and I know that you see the worst in me every time you look into the future, but promise me that you'll try to guide me in the write direction."

"I will. I'll try. But I need you to stay safe and not do anything stupid. I'll be back at sundown."

With one last look at Darkstalker, Clearsight walked out of the cave and flew back home.

…

Her house was filled with worried faces and concerned dragons. Her parents were waiting anxiously for her return; Whiteout painted on a blank canvas with recollection in her eyes. The past few months were stressful for everyone, even those who didn't have a part in Darkstalker's mess.

"We were worried." Clearsight's mother said.

"Please, Mother, I need you and Father to just…go to sleep. I can barely keep track of one dragon's life. I really don't want you two to get involved." Clearsight replied. "I need to continue studying. Somehow, I can find a way to stop everything from going horribly out of control." She sighed, then walked into her room and closed the door.

She got out a scroll, and in the early morning light she began writing. I have to try until at least an hour before noon, Clearsight thought. I need to prevent the inevitable. I need to stop Darkstalker from ever becoming evil. Even if the only way is through trickery and deceit…