Suishou stared at the ceiling. The sun shone through the small window. It had been for the past couple hours. She didn't move to get up. She continued to lay there. Wide awake. She had been there for the past couple hours. Next to her mattress, the ice dragoness' trunk sat open and empty, despite the fact that they were departing in a few hours. She had debated packing, but nothing in the small room wasn't replaceable.

Some time passed, and Suishou heard the breakfast bells ring. Outside, she heard a number of late risers shuffle from their dorms. The ice dragoness smiled slightly, realising that Lila was probably only just waking up. A smile that quickly faded when she remembered why the breakfast bells were ringing an hour early. They'd be leaving for Volans soon. She was so not ready for that. The last thing she wanted to do was visit her family again.

The ice dragoness was pulled from her brooding by a knock on the door. She figured it was one of the girls rooming across the hall, informing her that the bell had rung. "I heard it!" Suishou shouted, "I'll be out in a few!"

There was a second knock. Suishou sighed, "I said I'll be out! Can't a girl get some sleep?"

"It's me!" Lila's familiar high pitched came, muffled, from the other side of the door, "Can I come in?"

Suishou hopped off her bed, and closed the trunk that had been sitting open. Lila didn't need to know that it was empty, "Yeah. Sure."

The door creaked open, and the purple dragon trotted into the room, leaving the door ajar behind her. Lila plopped onto the bed next to Suishou. "So," She said, "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or would you like to hear my guess?"

Suishou frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Don't give me that. I'm not a moron, I know when something's got a friend down."

The ice dragoness sighed, "It's not something you can fix."

"I figured, but that doesn't mean I can't try," Lila said, with a hint of a grin.

Suishou was silent a few moments, "Okay, fine. My dad's a giant jackass, and I don't want to live near him again," she raised an eye ridge at the purple dragon as if to say, 'see, there's nothing you can do.'

Lila's grin faded, "So... when do you plan on visiting?"

"I dunno. If it were up to me never, but he wants to see me I guess."

"Would you be upset if me and Atash tagged along when you do? I mean, we won't be able to make it better, but like, you might feel better. Right?"

Suishou shook her head, "Believe me, you're better off not meeting my family."

"But you'd feel better if we came. Wouldn't you?"

"...I dunno. Probably not."

It was Lila's turn to raise an eye ridge, "You're a horrible liar."

"Okay, maybe I'd feel a little better, but if dad finds out I'm friends with the purple fucking dragon he'll be pestering you for favors for the rest of your life."

Lila shrugged, "Then I'll tell him to piss off for the rest of my life."

Suishou smiled a little, "He won't like that."

Lila smiled too, "I figured."

"W-what do you mean? Why would he do that?"

"I mean, I don't know his exact reasoning... b-but I think he knew how they feel."

Breeze and Tremor hid in an abandoned alleyway, hiding amongst bags of garbage, trying to ignore the stench. They talked in hushed voices, worried that Dalr and the panther would soon be after them. As they spoke the sun slowly climbed up from behind the floating isles, bathing the city in deep crimson.

Breeze continued, "I mean, he was alive before wind dragons were allowed in office. He knew what it was like for the non draconics."

"B-but Fireclaw!?" Tremor stammered, "They're lunatics!"

"Not all of them."

"Well, yeah, dad was... dad. But the rest of them!"

Breeze nodded, and paused a moment to think, "I don't think it started that way. Y'know, I think dad was sane, and it just... got out of hand."

They were quiet for a while. Tremor was confused, maybe a little angry. He'd known people killed in the Fireclaw riots. To think that his father had created the movement. Why? What would have driven a well to do politician to head a workers movement? As he mulled this over another thought occurred to earth dragon. How did his sister know? Did their father really trust her so much more? She was only a year older!

Finally, after what felt like an eternity Tremor asked, hoping his voice wasn't shaking with hurt, "When did he tell you?"

"He didn't," Breeze admitted, "I, uh, found out myself. I don't think he ever knew how much I know about it all."

"So you didn't tell him?"

Breeze laughed, not out of joy, but exasperation, "H-how was I supposed to tell him that I found his secret identity. 'Uh, yeah, dad. Last night I found out you're public enemy number one.'"

"Yeah, I guess that was a dumb question." Tremor fell silent again, then after a moment asked, "So, how did you find out?"

"I was, I dunno, twelve or thirteen. Felicia was having... one of her days. Y'know, accidently dropped breakfast, tripped and almost knocked over one of the guests. Anyways, she was all flustered, and thought she was going to get fired, so I thought I'd help by getting the mail. One of the letters had our address, but didn't have mom or dad's name on it. It was addressed to Mr. Viento-"

"Wait," despite his deep green scales, the color had seemed to drain from Tremor's face, "You mean Viento was dad."

Breeze nodded, "It was his alius I guess."

Tremor was silent a moment, staring absently at the ground. Then he shook his head, "Sorry, keep going."

"It's crazy I know. I didn't want to believe it at first," She paused, "Anyways, I... uh, was really curious, so I kept it. And read it... It wasn't anything dramatic, it was from that panther... Bao I think was his name... he was just asking for a loan from Fireclaw. But yeah. After that, I started seeing the name Viento in the paper. I could put two and two together."

"W...Why didn't he tell us?" Tremor struggled to keep his voice level, "I wouldn't have told anyone. You wouldn't have, right?"

Breeze nodded, "No, of course not. I didn't tell anyone." She fell silent, "I don't know... why he didn't. Tell us, I mean."

"It was to keep you safe."

Both dragons spun to face the new voice, a voice they quickly realised belonged to Dalr. Breeze stepped forwards, putting herself between the dog and her brother, crouched into a combat stance, and snarled.

"Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you," The dog quickly added, holding his fore-paws above his head "I worked for your father. I'm sorry I didn't explain my intentions last night, I didn't have any idea you knew your father was Viento."

The siblings glanced at each other, then back at Dalr. Finally Breeze asked, "How can we trust you? That panther you were with, he's a bounty hunter, no?"

"He just helped me find you. I promise, that's all I hired him for."

"Where is he now?" Breeze growled.

"I payed him, and left him at the bar. He's not here."

Breeze didn't back down.

"I think we can trust him, sis," Tremor whispered, "If he wanted to hurt us, he would have done it last night. Let's just see what he has to say."

Breeze didn't move, but her glare softened, if only slightly, "Alright. But if you try to hurt by brother..." She let her hostile tone finish the sentence for her.

Dalr nodded, smiling with understanding, "Yes, I would expect no less. I imagine you two have had a difficult time," he sighed, "I'm sorry it took me so long to find you, but now that I have... I have so much to explain.