Stella watched as Flameheart flew straight towards her. She dove below him at the last second and summoned a bunch of ice spears, launching them towards Flameheart. However, Flameheart let out a roar as volcanic meteors went flying down towards the spears, causing a cloud of steam to block Stella's vision. Stella struggled to see through the mist as she glanced around frantically for any sign on where Flameheart might be. That's when she noticed an orange glow approaching through the steam, but it was too late. A fireball hit Stella square in the chest, sending her plummeting a few feet but just managing to regain flight right before she hit the ground. She growled as she looked up at the sky to see Flameheart divebombing her. Stella sent balls of ice hurtling towards him in an attempt to slow down his momentum. But to her surprise, Flameheart managed to melt each one in a matter of seconds with his fire breath. Stella quickly tried to duck out of the way, but Flameheart just managed to grab onto her tail with his mouth, causing the former to yelp out in pain before being tossed into the side of the volcano, leaving a slight crater in the side. "That's gonna leave a mark…" Stella groaned. However, she had no time to recover as she spotted Flameheart flying straight at her again, charging up his fire breath. Stella took off into the air once more and charged straight at Flameheart, firing her ice breath at him. The two breaths collided and began to cancel each other out, with each side pushing to gain the upper hand.

Jim was watching from the crow's nest of the Icebreaker. It was both awestriking yet terrifying seeing two dragons go head-to-head with each other. But most of all, he felt helpless just standing there on the ship. He felt his grip on the railings tighten as he watched the fight go on.

Grimm grunted as Koa parried an attack from him with his sword before just managing to duck out of the way of Chi's fire breath. "Ha! You're stronger than you look. It's going to be fun killing you!"

"Ex-reaper." Koa smirked, "We're kinda hard to kill."

"Good! That will make torturing you all the more fun for me!" Chi laughed as she lunged at Koa, the latter just managing to dodge out of the way before charging in for a swing.

"Stand still so I can kill you!" Horatio growled as Ali ducked out of the way of a boulder toss, "Coward! You'll never leave here alive!"

"I don't care!" Ali yelled back as she tossed a dagger at Horatio, it managing to embed itself in his right shoulder, "Stella is my friend and I'll always have her back!"

Horatio grunted as he pulled the dagger tossing it to the side, "Then you're the ally of a murderer." He went to throw another boulder when-

"It's an interesting tactic…but combining a blunder bomb and a firebomb wouldn't be very practical. The blast would send them flying backwards before the fire could properly take hold."

"Shoot, you're right…oh! What about a firebomb that also shoots out ice projectiles like my captain's? Her ice can't be melted!"

"Correction. Her ice can't be melted by normal fire. It can be melted by Flameheart's fire as well as Ashen Lord fire. But against other targets, it could work."

"Ruth, what the hell are you doing?!" Horatio yelled as Ruth and Zhen, who had been previously conversing on a rock, turned to face him, looking like two kids caught with their hands in the cookie jar. "W-well, you see, I found out this one's a pretty decent bombmaker, so we were trading ideas and-"

"You're supposed to KILL him, not have afternoon tea with him!" Chi yelled from the other side of the battlefield. "Ugh, you two always ruin my fun." Ruth groaned before turning to Zhen, "Well this was a nice talk. Sorry I have to kill you now."

"Méiguānxì! The feeling's mutual!" Zhen grinned before taking out a firebomb, "Shall we?"

"Let's! I want to see these tactics of yours in action!"

Ruth dodged the firebomb lobbed at her before throwing a bomb of her own.

Back in the skies above the Devil's Thirst, Stella felt herself faltering as she tried to keep her ice breath going. Seeing her strength fading, Flameheart pushed his own breath even harder against hers. It became too much to bear as Stella's ice breath dissipated and the Glacial Dragon was blasted with a plume of fire, sending her toppling backwards. As she tried to steady herself, she failed to notice Flameheart charging at her again. He headbutted her side, the momentum sending her hurtling to the ground, and she landed near the edge of the volcano, the force of the impact causing her to instinctually revert back to human form. Stella groaned, clutching her side as she tried to stand up. However, as she got to her feet, a flaming boulder came flying at her and sent her flying through the air, landing inches from the volcano's edge. Stella could see the lava bubbling within its crater. Stella tried to get up again as she heart Flameheart approaching. "I've had my fun toying with you." He growled, raising his flaming sword, "But the time for games is over!"

Knowing there wasn't enough time to block or dodge out of the way, Stella braced herself for the sting of the blade, squeezing her eyes shut.

*CLANG!*

Stella's eyes snapped open as she looked up. Flameheart was glaring at a figure who had blocked his sword with their own. Stella struggled to make out the person's identity until she spotted a familiar shock of ginger hair. "Jim?!"

Jim, with a look of both terror and determination, struggled against Flameheart's blade before finally managing to shove him back. As Flameheart recovered from stumbling backwards, Jim quickly turned around and helped Stella to her feet. "What are you doing here?! I thought-" Stella exclaimed. "That I was terrified? Still am!" Jim chuckled, terror still present in his voice, "But I think I figured out what's worth dying for."

Stella smiled at Jim, but the moment was quickly shattered by Flameheart chuckling darkly. "Well now…I was wondering why you hadn't become an Ashen Lord by now. I suppose the glacial imposter has more control over Icewind's magic than I thought. Not that a coward like you would've been much use. I'm honestly surprised you're not hiding under a rock somewhere."

"Do the seas a favour and shut it already." Jim groaned, sword at the ready. "My thoughts exactly." Stella smirked, summoning her ice cutlass. Flameheart glared at the two before charging at them. "Denied!" Stella stomped on the ground as a wall of ice blocked Flameheart's path. "Stella, gimme a boost!" Jim called over his shoulder as he ran at the ice wall. Stella made a pillar of ice that shot from the ground, sending Jim flying up over the wall as he went to swing down at Flameheart. The skeleton lord managed to step out of the way as Jim landed and went in for another swing, which Flameheart blocked. Seeing an opening, Stella misty stepped behind him and delivered a kick to the back of his good leg, sending him falling to his knee. Stella went to swing down on him, but he erupted into a cloud of smoke that reappeared a few feet away. "Now who's the coward?" Jim coughed as he tried to wave away the smoke. Flameheart summoned another barrage of flaming boulders that went flying at Jim. "Oh no you don't!" Stella yelled as she created ice spears that parried each one. She then misty stepped behind him again as both her and Jim charged again, Stella from the back and Jim from the front.

"ENOUGH!"

A shockwave of flames sent Stella and Jim flying backwards with Jim hitting a rock and Stella landing near the edge of the volcano once more. Flameheart, now seeming to be even angrier than before, stormed over to Stella who was struggling to her feet. Flameheart grabbed her by the throat and held her over the volcano's edge, chuckling as he saw her crystal flickering dimly. Her magic was almost spent again. "No…" Jim grunted weakly as he tried to stand up, but the pain from hitting the rock at full force made it nearly impossible to move. Stella tried to claw her way out of Flameheart's grip but to no avail. "I'll admit it. You put up a descent fight. But you signed your death sentence the moment you set foot on this island. No…the moment you even thought about raising a blade against Icewind. Now you'll pay the price for your insolence."

"I…didn't…kill her…" Stella choked out.

"Even now, moments before your death, you're still lying?" Flameheart scoffed, "It's pirates like you who make the Sea of Thieves so weak. You want to make it better? Then you can start by BURNING TO ASHES!"

"NO-!" Jim cried, reaching out. But it was no use. Jim watched at Flameheart let go of Stella, letting her fall down into the lava below. Jim stared in silent shock, trying to process what had just happened. His eyes went wide with horror as it finally registered in his head.

"STELLA!"

Jim's cry echoed across the island, bringing the fight below to a standstill. Koa looked up at the volcano in shock, lowering his sword.

Ali covered her mouth in disbelief as tears threatened to fall, "No…"

Zhen's face paled as he realised what had happened, the bomb he was holding falling onto the blackened sands.

"It's done." Horatio stated simply, glaring at Ali who had now fallen to her knees as tears streamed down her face, "This has nothing to do with you anymore. Leave while you still can."

"You monster!" Koa went to charge up the volcano but was held back by Grimm, "Let go of me! She was our friend! She did nothing wrong, let go!"

"And what are you plannin' to do mate? Throw yourself in after her?" Grimm asked, "Don't be stupid."

Ruth glanced at Zhen who was still staring in shock at the volcano, "You really believed her, didn't you?"

"She didn't…" Zhen replied quietly, still stunned, "Stella…she'd never murder someone innocent…that's not like her…it's just not…"

Flameheart stared down into the lava for a moment more before turning to Jim, who was trying desperately to get to his feet, still in shock. "What a miserable little man." Flameheart hmphed, "Hiding behind those stronger than you in hopes of becoming just as powerful. That's not how it works. Not here or anywhere. The least I can do…" Flameheart pointed his sword at Jim, "Is put you out of your misery-"

Suddenly, a plume of fire and lava erupted from the volcano, catching everyone my surprise. It erupted upwards in a straight column, lighting up the entire island. "An eruption?!" Zhen exclaimed. "No…I've never seen an eruption like this…" Ruth replied, just as surprised.

Koa glared at Chi, "Is this one of your doings?"

"No way…" Chi replied, stunned, "None of us can do THAT."

"What is this…?" Flameheart glared at the plume of fire. Seemingly out of nowhere, something came flying out of the flames and hit him square in the jaw, sending him flying backwards. Jim watched as Flameheart landed several feet away before turning to see what had flown out of the volcano. He let out a gasp as he realised what it was…who it was.

There was Stella, seemingly unharmed by the lava and fire and in hybrid form.

Except it was different.

Her usually teal-blue markings were now a bright, blazing orange with her crystal matching the fiery shade. Her hair had become a dark red with her usually stark white tips now bright shades of red, orange and yellow. Her scar was glowing a bright orange and her eyes where the same amber shades Flameheart's were in his dragon form. But most noticeably of all…

She looked furious.

Flameheart seemed just as surprised as he got to his feet, "I don't know what you're playing at, but I'm sick of this little game of yours!" Flameheart sent a fireball hurtling towards Stella. Without even flinching, Stella raised her hand and seemed to catch the fireball in it. "What?!" Flameheart exclaimed in disbelief as Stella reeled her arm backwards and threw the fireball back at Flameheart along with multiples of her own. Flameheart dodged each one before lunging towards Stella with his sword. Stella parried it with her own as their blades clashed over and over. Their swords locked as the two pushed against one another. With a frustrated growl, Flameheart breathed fire straight into Stella's face, causing her to cry out in surprise as she stumbled backwards. Flameheart couldn't help but be frustrated seeing that the fire seemed to have little to no effect damage wise as Stella fell to the ground, the strange hybrid form dissipating.

"How you're able to use Ashen magic is beyond me…" Flameheart began as he walked towards Stella, "But I grow tired of this nonsense. It's time for you to pay for your crimes."

"I didn't…" Stella groaned out. Flameheart stood above her, sword raised and about to swing down at her.

"I DIDN'T KILL MOM!"

Everything went silent.

Dead silent.

Stella looked up to see Flameheart's sword inches from her as he stared down at her in shock.

"What…did you say?"

"I…I didn't kill my mom…" Stella replied, "Azura Icewind was my mother. My name is Stella Icewind. I've been trying to tell you that. That's why I have her powers. I don't know how she died exactly, but she passed her powers on to me."

Flameheart lowered his sword slightly but still glared down at her, "You…I thought I told you to stop lying to me!"

"I'm not lying!" Stella countered as she got to her feet, "Azura was my mom! She had me 21 years ago when she went back home to visit my grandmother. She returned to the Sea of Thieves when I was 9 and that was the last I ever saw of her. I'm not lying!"

"No, that can't be true!" Flameheart argued, seeming to be growing even more frustrated.

"Why not?!"

"It just can't!"

"That's not an answer! Why can't it be true?! Why is it so hard for you to accept Azura is my-?!"

"BECAUSE THAT MAKES ME YOUR FATHER!"

Stella's eyes went wide along with everyone else's as Flameheart's voice echoed.

"W…what…?" Stella stuttered in shock. Flameheart let out a frustrated yet defeated sigh, "If Azura really is your mother, then that would make me your father. Which would also explain why you have some Ashen Dragon powers. She never told me she was pregnant…"

Flameheart's voice became muffled to Stella as did everything else around her. How? Was this even possible? Mom and Flameheart…their rivalry…the reason he was so angry…

The shock and exhaustion were too much for Stella to take as the world around her went sideways and then black, the last thing heard being Jim yelling her name.

To Be Continued…