Only four more to go!

It was early in the morning when the twins went outside. Like most days, they had woken up early, eaten breakfast, and then followed Amy outside to assist with chores while she let out the sheep. It was warm and peaceful.

"Hey, Amy," Dipper said as she approached. "Summer's almost over but Ragnarok hasn't shown up yet."

She paused to look at him. Behind her, Bill leered at him. Before she could say anything in response, Ghost suddenly appeared nearby.

"About that…"

They were surprised, aside from Bill, who only looked over at the dragon curiously.

"The time for Ragnarok's return is approaching swiftly," Ghost told them. "The stars of the Creation Point have begun to reveal more. He will be arriving soon enough."

"What's the Creation Point?" Mabel asked.

"Never mind that now." He turned to Amy and Bill. "Great rifts are tearing in Telmak as we speak. Powerful shadows are wreaking havoc there."

"What?" Amy felt a slight rush of fear.

"It has only just begun. My duty as the guardian of Avas compels me to remain here, in case shadows arrive in this world. Though, it is unlikely for now. I am, however, asking that you and the others go to Telmak and assist in any way that you can."

"You want Amy to go where powerful shadows are?!" Bill looked appalled and angry. "For what?!"

"Because Amaranth is not a coward!" Ghost snarled suddenly. "She is more powerful than even you know!"

"I am?" Amy was surprised herself. "But I can't even take my true form. I can't turn into a dragon."

"You will soon enough," Ghost told her. "Until then, you are still able to assist others. You have a powerful healing magic and a level head."

"I dunno," Dionysus said as he joined them from the barn. "She's been pretty feisty lately."

"You will go, too," Ghost told him.

"Huh?"

"All of you. Now."

Ghost faded away and vanished as Amy went to the old barn to gather up Teeth and Shade. Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel hurried into the house to call for Stan, Ford, and Rawly. Together, they all made their way into the woods and through the portal of twisted branches hidden deep within. On the other side, Telmak appeared quiet and peaceful.

"So, you have come," Gaia said as the large group approached her on her throne.

"Gaia," Dipper said. "You're here. Are shadows really attacking then?"

She nodded. "Indeed. As a pure fairy dragon, there is not much I can do to combat the vile things. I have placed a special barrier around the tether tree to protect it and the village hidden within its leaves."

"There's a village up there?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, I cannot spread my barrier any further, nor can I leave it, lest it disperse. The shadows have appeared within or near populated areas around Telmak. This is no coincidence, you see."

They heard a crack like thunder and turned to look for the source. In the sky was a strange X-shaped tear from which fell three huge dark beasts. Upon hitting the ground, they scrambled to their feet and charged, but an invisible wall blocked their way. They could hear the shadows snarling and roaring as they began to prowl the perimeter for a way in. Bill watched them, reminded of the time long ago when a similar barrier muffled the sounds of fighting and death.

"Never mind those three," Gaia said as Bill took a step in the shadows' direction. "They will not find a way in. Since you are here, I assume you have come to help?"

"What can we do?" Ford asked.

"Seriously," Stan added. "What are we supposed to do?"

"I must ask that you help the other alphas and betas to protect the dragons. If you are willing, I will send you in groups to the places I know are having the most trouble."

They all exchanged glances for a moment. Amy was the one who spoke for them. "All right then. Let's go."

Gaia nodded. "Good." She flicked the end of her tail and an oval-shaped vortex appeared beside them. "Stanley, Stanford, and Dionysus… I ask that the three of you go to Maashva to assist Xaxyl with the Serpent shadow. You two are well acquainted with oceans, yes? And Dionysus is highly versatile."

"We can sail it, but being in it," Stan eyed the vortex warily, "I don't know…"

"Don't worry, old man," Dionysus said and brushed past him. "Hydrotherapy does wonders for the body."

"Who you callin' old!?" Stan followed after him through the vortex.

"Be careful everyone," Ford said as he joined them.

When the portal closed, Gaia flicked her tail again and another appeared. "Teeth and Shade, please go to Vault and assist Jules with the Minotaur shadow."

Teeth yelped. "The Minotaur!?"

"We will be fine, I am sure," Shade soothed and led him to the vortex.

Gaia waited for them to disappear into the portal before closing it and forming another. "The rest of you… Amaranth, Bill, Dipper, Mabel, Rawly… I request that you all go to deal with the Thunderbird shadow."

Bill gritted his teeth. "That bastard…"

Rawly looked frightened. "The Thunderbird is here? That beast is one of Ragnarok's most powerful shadows!"

"Wait," Mabel said. "Is this the same Thunderbird that we saw in the Enchiridion? The one that nearly killed Bill?"

He nodded. "Shadows cannot perish outside of Necronire, as far as we know. They simply reincarnate and return to Necronire."

"I've dealt with that stupid bird before," Bill huffed.

"Indeed," Gaia said. "But do be careful either way. Remember that shadows grow stronger with negative emotions and malice. The Thunderbird has already killed both the alpha and beta of the place I am sending you to. Other shadows are likely to have congregated there as well."

When they stepped through the portal, they found themselves standing in a great canyon with a clear stream of water flowing past them. Almost immediately, they heard the sounds of roaring and snarling and ran in the direction until they found the tattered village where dragons were fighting ugly centipede-like shadows that hissed and snapped oversized mandibles at them. Already, they could see the out-of-place plants and formations that appeared when dragons perished now decorating parts of the town.

"Look!" Mabel pointed at a tiny dragonling cowering beneath the snapping jaws of a shadow. It had cornered the child against the canyon wall.

Both Rawly and Bill had taken to their dragon forms, Rawly reaching into the strange pouch between the scales of his belly and producing a halberd. He swiftly rushed the shadow, driving the halberd's point through it, then pulled it and the shadow back. As the surprised shadow tried to recover, Rawly swung the axe blade of his weapon down and cleaved the shadow's body in half, causing it to disappear.

The dragonling immediately ran over to them and allowed Amy to pick him up and check him for wounds. "He's uninjured. Here." She handed him over to Mabel. "Hold on to him for me."

"Okay. Hey little guy. Don't worry. You're safe now!"

They hurried into the village where several dragons were being surrounded in a pincer formation by many different shadows both on the land and in the air. Before Bill or Rawly could do anything to help, a large green dragon suddenly landed between the dragons and the shadows.

Bill tensed.

"Is that –" Dipper did not get to finish his question.

The one-eyed dragoness stood up on her hindlegs, spread her broad wings, and held her arms out with her palms facing upwards. Her yellow eye began to glow purple as a similarly colored light swirled around her and she began to chant something in a strange, backwards-sounding language. Just as the shadows moved to lunge at her, the light burst out in all directions, knocking the shadows away. Flowers and other plants burst from the dry ground, and the shadows' dark hazy bodies peeled away to reveal bright creatures of light that looked very different from the shadows they had just been. The creatures of light shook themselves then bounded or flew away, leaving trails of plants and twinkling magic in their wake.

"That was incredible!" Dipper said as he ran over to her.

Esmeray looked down at him, surprised. "You… Why are you here?"

"Gaia asked us all to help," Mabel replied as she joined her brother, allowing the dragonling to leap down from her arms to meet up with a dragon it seemed to recognize. Rawly and Amy approached as well, but Bill remained where he was.

"I see. Then I apologize for getting in the way."

"Are you kidding?" Dipper laughed. "You just saved everyone in one move!"

"Not everyone… I am afraid that several have perished already in the time it took me to arrive after sensing the disturbance." She lowered herself to stand on all-fours.

"What did you do?" Mabel asked.

"I turned them into spirits."

"Really!? That's amazing!"

"Should've just killed them for all they've done," Bill growled.

Esmeray stared at him with an unreadable look. "They would only reform if I did. Besides, I find little to no esprit in destruction, for I have found that anyone can destroy. What is truly impressive is creation. For only the strongest of body, mind, and soul can create anything worth existing. It is easy for anyone to hate or seek revenge, but only the strongest can overcome it with compassion and acceptance."

"What are you talking about?" Mabel asked.

"I have realized and accepted the fact that the shadows are not at fault. Not truly. They cannot think or feel. They merely do what they were designed to do: destroy. But within every shadow is a spirit that was locked away and transformed by wickedness. Shadows feed and grow from dark magic and negativity. The more they destroy or kill, the more we hate or fear them. The more we hate or fear them, the stronger they become. I have accepted that fact along with the fact that they cannot help the way they are. Therefore, I do not hate them. Nor do I fear them. In doing so, I am able to use light magic to change them, rather than destroy them."

"I didn't ask for a lecture!" Bill snarled. "Don't talk like you're some righteous and wise being!"

"Bill," Amy said.

"You are unfamiliar to me," Esmeray said, looking down at her.

"This is Amy," Mabel said with a smile. "She's Bill's girlfriend!"

"Mabel!" Amy fussed.

"What? It's totally official now!"

"I see." Esmeray looked mildly surprised. She nodded politely to Amy. "Hello. I am Esmeray."

"Hello, and I know. You're his mother."

Bill scoffed. "Amy, why do you bother?"

Before she could respond, an ear-splitting screech like a crack of thunder sounded above them and echoed through the canyon. Many of the dragons fled under cover as a massive shadow passed over them.

"It's the Thunderbird," Rawly said. He seemed more serious and far less timid than usual as he gripped his halberd.

"Has it gotten…bigger?" Dipper asked, holding his hand up to shield his eyes from the sunlight.

"It has. We have to lead it away from the village!"

"Fine." Bill spread his wings, and with a single powerful flap, bolted high into the air like an arrow.

The Thunderbird dodged but had not anticipated the second attack. The yellow dragon had turned in the air and blasted a ball of blue fire into its eye. The shadow screeched then regained its balance and flew away without retaliating, much to everyone's surprise.

Bill watched it for a minute before flying back down into the canyon and landing beside Amy. "It's heading to the Thunderstruck Savannah."

"A creature called the Thunderbird is heading for a place called the Thunderstruck Savannah?" Dipper said. "Am I the only one who thinks that sounds really bad?"

"What's it going to do there?" Mabel asked.

"The Thunderbird is a case of a shadow that has become so powerful it can plan and think ahead," Rawly explained. "At least, a bit. It is most certainly going there with the intent of supercharging itself with lightning."

"Oh my gosh! We gotta stop it!"

"Exactly."

Amy looked up at Esmeray. "Do you think you can turn the Thunderbird into a spirit?"

"I am not sure. It is very powerful…"

"She's not coming with us anyway!" Bill snapped. "Let's go!"

"…I should remain here to help the residents of this place," she told Amy carefully.

Amy nodded to her, looking sympathetic, then climbed up onto Bill's back. Rawly transformed himself into a human and joined her, along with the twins. As soon as they had settled in place, Bill shot up into the air and flew over the canyon wall.

"Hey! Careful!"

"Shut it, Pinetree!"

Amy soothingly stroked the dragon's shoulder but said nothing.

When they reached the Savannah, they saw no signs of the Thunderbird anywhere. It was not until it let out its signature screech that they realized it was flying in the clouds themselves. As lightning flashed within the dark clouds, they could make out the shadow's silhouette.

Bill landed to drop off the others before returning to the sky and flying into the clouds himself. All he could see, however, were rolling dark clouds that flashed and lit up momentarily with blue light. He caught a glimpse of something in the corner of his eye and turned to look.

"Where are you?" he growled.

Suddenly, the Thunderbird burst from the clouds and slashed its stony talons through his shoulder before vanishing amongst the clouds once more. Bill let out a hissing roar and turned to look in every which way. He could feel the warm blood trickling along his chitin scales and the searing pain in the exposed flesh.

Again, the shadow burst from clouds behind him and tore its claws through his side before disappearing again. Bill launched a fireball in the direction it had vanished but he did not seem to hit anything.

"Get out here and fight, you bastard!"

He shot another fireball, which barely missed the Thunderbird as it flew out at him once more. Seemingly startled, it pulled back and stopped itself. Sparks began to form around its beak and talons; it was going to strike him with electricity. Before it could let loose a bolt, though, a natural bolt of lightning suddenly struck the shadow and lit its body up with blue and green electricity. The force of the shockwave knocked Bill out of the clouds. He managed to catch himself and move out of the way as a massive bolt of lightning struck down. As the bolt hit the ground, the land shook and the dry grass burst into bright red flames.

The sound was almost painful for the ones on the ground, and the fire began to spread rapidly. Bill quickly turned and flew back for them, scooping them into his arms and bringing them to a large rock formation.

"Go inside of this den," he told them.

"What about you?!" Amy said.

"Bill," Rawly looked startled now, "you can't fight the Thunderbird alone. It's too powerful now that it's charged!"

"What am I supposed to do, then?!" he growled, baring his fangs.

"I-"

"Look out!" Mabel shouted.

They turned in time to see the shadow blast a bolt of lightning from its beak directly at them and, in the same instant, a green figure flew between them and took the hit, which knocked her to the ground.

"Esmeray!" Amy shouted.

"What are you doing!?" Bill hissed at his mother.

She shakily got to her paws and breathed out. "Well… you were just… sitting there!"

"I don't need you to protect me!"

"Stop arguing," Amy fussed. "It's coming!"

Bill flew out to meet the Thunderbird's talons with his own claws, but the shadow had grown much larger than him and easily grappled and threw him to the ground. With a triumphant screech, it dove at him through the flaming grasses. There was a sickening sound of a pointed beak breaking and piercing through exoskeleton and flesh before it threw its head up and back, spraying blood into the air in an arch.

"Bill!" Amy shouted.

But it was not Bill who had been hit. Esmeray had once again gotten between the Thunderbird and its prey, resulting in her receiving a severe wound through the chest. She bared her teeth and, with as much power as she could muster after taking such a blow, she shot a huge ball of purple fire in the shadow's face. With a furious screech, the Thunderbird flew away and disappeared amongst the clouds once again as the green dragoness collapsed.

The fire had spread further now, forcing Dipper, Mabel, and Amy to cling to Rawly who had taken his dragon form and climbed the large stone to avoid the flames.

"Aren't you immune to fire?!" Dipper shouted.

"Yes," Rawly said, "but you three are not!"

"You idiot!" Bill snarled at Esmeray. He was stunned by her actions. She had never once stepped in to shield him from being hurt. "What did you do that for!? I told you I don't need you to protect me!"

"Then stop… standing around… and letting it hit you," she breathed. "I must… apologize."

"You think getting yourself killed on my behalf is going to make me forgive you!?"

"I do not expect forgiveness, no… I do not deserve it anyway. But, still, I must say… I am sorry. I am sorry for… not being myself… I am sorry for everything ending this way… I am sorry… for everything. I was a coward… I was afraid that if…if I let myself love or care… if I let you… I am sorry. I know that you hate me. I do not blame you… And I know… that you must not want to hear this… but I must tell you…" She took in a deep, shaky breath, desperate for air. "I have always loved you. I am sorry for never showing you that… You… all of you… are capable of far more than you know…" She let out a short laugh. "I wonder… I am not truly a dragon, but… if I die in this form… will I…"

Her voice trailed away and her eye closed. Her body began to disappear, and in its place grew a large sturdy oak tree. Cool water flushed out from its base to dowse the fires and form a wide ring around the tree. Between the tree and the ring of water, bright green grass sprung up from the ground.

They could not see Bill's face from the other side of the tree and could not catch a glimpse of it when he suddenly flew after the shadow. As if to meet him, the Thunderbird dove down from the clouds and blasted lightning at him. At the same time, he blasted a fireball and the two attacks collided in the air and pushed them both backwards. The Thunderbird was the first to recover, and it folded its wings and shot at the dragon like an arrow, slashing its beak through his already wounded side and sending him crashing back to the ground.

"Bill!" Amy shouted. "You need to calm down!"

Calm? he thought. How was he supposed to be calm right now? Why would she tell him that?

He got to his paws and looked up at the shadow. It roared and screeched as its body shifted and grew. Stony twisted spikes began to burst out from its back and its wings stretched wider.

"Bill!"

Finally, he turned to look at her.

"You're just feeding it!"

He stared at her for a moment before turning his gaze back up at the shadow. He understood what she was telling him, but how was he supposed to calm down? How was he supposed to not hate this thing? He suddenly realized… What Esmeray…his mother…had said was right. This shadow was nothing more than a puppet. It had no real thoughts. No emotions. No intentions. It did not know who he was. It was not attacking him because it hated him. This thing…could only feel agony. He realized that, but could he really get himself to not feel some sort of hatred for this thing? What was the Thunderbird before it was the Thunderbird? Can I create something considered…good?

As the shadow dove at him again, Bill stood up on his hindlegs and held his hands out. Time seemed to slow as he chanted something in a strange tongue. It was the same incantation that Esmeray had spoken earlier. Yellow light swirled around him, and, as the Thunderbird neared him, the light burst and knocked the shadow backwards in the air. Its ugly dark and stony exterior peeled and faded away into wisps, leaving behind a large and beautiful white spirit that resembled some kind of eagle or hawk with two long ribbon-like tendrils flowing from its head.

With a startled screech, the spirit flapped its wings, turned in the air, and flew away across the land. It barely touched the tall grasses with its talons, leaving behind a trail of green and flowers before it turned and came back. The spirit stopped before the dragon, flapping its wings to stay afloat, and stared at him for a long time.

Bill stared back, surprised that he had actually managed to turn the shadow back into its true form. Surprised that he had made something light and pure instead of chaotic and dark. It was almost divine. He slowly reached up with his claws, though he was not entirely sure why. The spirit reached back and gently touched its talons to his claws. A wave of warm white light flushed over Bill and healed his wounds; he almost did not even notice.

After retracting its talons, the spirit stared at him a moment longer before it began to move backwards away from him. Finally, it turned and soared away.

Bill stared after it for a minute before changing back into a human form and suddenly turning to Amy as she approached him. He embraced her tightly. "I love you."

She was a tad surprised but hugged him back. "Bill… Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Really."

To be continued…

Short chapter but so much happened. The chaotic final days begin now! THERE WILL BE BLOOD! Ahem... Seriously though, sorry I killed off Esmeray, and so soon too, but it was just so much more...dramatic that way.