Category: Winx Club

Rating: T

Couples: none

Warnings: Major AU

Chapter: 14

Copyright: © characters and places by Iginio; © Plot and OC by me

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The fire was hotter than the sun as it scorched the long grass. Her long dress was caught in the hot air-currents, dancing in the powerful drafts. Others would have died in the flames, burned to a crisp, but not she. Sadly, neither would the creatures attacking her.

Giant cats loomed over her, their black scales glistening in the light of both the sun and the flames. Their serpentine back-halves dragged over the ground as they closed in on her. Despite that almost obvious mismatch, they were fast and powerful.

A roar of pain behind her distracted her for a few precious seconds. Vo'id's wing was torn to shreds and the Derondes were making good use of his blind side, attacking him from the left.

Now they made good use of her blind side. The flames went out of control when their wielder screamed in agony. Her concentration broken, they raged unchecked over the dry grass. Asuran had been suffering a dry-spell, leaving the grass easy prey to the magical fire of the fairy.

Golden scales knocked the black ones of her, Vo'id roaring at the creatures surrounding his mate. The ground shuddered when his massive body crashed onto it as several Derondes jumped his side, digging their claws between his powerful scales. He howled in pain.

Pain laced through her being, as if it was her own flesh that was being cut. Her magic automatically went out to protect her, but that backfired spectacularly since the creatures surrounding her were Derondes. They could care less for magic.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"What was that?" All three looked up at the roar. They had been about to leave for the rendezvous with their mother when a roar of a magnitude unlike any had ever heard before had broken the calm midday air. Skyggon turned to his two siblings, but particularly his sister. "Is this normal?"

"No, I never heard a roar like that." She warily looked up, her blue eyes filled with worry. Her golden tail twitched as she floated next to her brothers. "Something has happened."

"Indeed it has." A bright light appeared behind them. As it faded they saw it was a massive black dragon, Ru'zan, King of the Dragons. His blue eyes spoke of great worry as the great dragon lowered his head to their level, using one of his wings to point to the place that was the origins of the roar. "That was your father's voice."

"What?" Lysdon exclaimed. "What happened?"

"He and Sarana were attacked… and defeated. Derondes ambushed them as they were waiting for you." The black dragon rose into the sky. "Quickly, it does not look good."

All three followed close behind him, ignoring the fairies and specialists that had come running to hear what was happening. Despite having wings several dozen times smaller than those of the dragon – or none at all in Vandia's case – the trio easily kept up with him as he flew out over the green plains of Asuran. From far away they could already see the scorched earth and their father's massive body lying motionless on the ground. Several other dragons surrounded him, as well as bodies of Derondes who had paid dearly for attacking the greatest dragon on the planet.

He managed to lift his slender neck when they touched down, but it almost immediately crashed down again. He was weak, both from the battle and his wounds. His left wing rested in a sickly angle under his body, while his right pressed against his side.

"My children." His voice was labored as his bronze eye looked at them. All three stood near his head, not daring to the rest of his body.

"Father." Vandia carefully touched his cheek with both hands, before looking over to his body. The damage was extensive and the woman choked softly.

"I will live. These wounds are nothing to a dragon." He coughed, his one remaining eye pressing shut against the pain. "But your mother…"

He lifted one of his forelegs, revealing a woman's body, resting on the other. She was unconscious, her golden hair having come loose and now cascading over her husband's leg.

Skyggon was immediately at her side, gently lifting her up. "Brother!" He called for his twin, the worry in his eyes nearly overwhelming. He could feel her life fading away.

His siblings were at his side in an instant, neither noticing the Red Fountain-ship landing nearby.