Seeing the Mudwing's eyes snap open as she heard the familiar voice and then seeing her body tremble in fear made Icicle remember how much fun it was to see a dragon cower before you. It gave you a sense of power and importance, like the dragon couldn't do anything against you. "Sora, Sora, Sora. I have to admit, I am a little impressed." Icicle said, walking back and forth between the two walls. "I searched every cave in this area and couldn't find you but here you are, hiding behind a waterfall!"
Sora's muscles buckled and she stared in horror as Icicle stood before her. Her eyes darted between the Icewing and the exit that Icicle was making sure to block. "Y-you can't-you shouldn't be-"
"Shouldn't be here? Out in Pyrriha and free? Why not? You are, and last I checked you killed more dragons than I did." This made Sora open her mouth then close it, her eyes full of fear and…anger?
Icicle took a step closer but still swayed from wall to wall, now getting a better look at her claws. The wet mud and grass covered her scars and her once beautiful scales could now be mistaken for an odd looking Mudwing. "Ugh, look at what you made me do. I used to actually CARE about how I looked. I guess I still do, but eh, tracking you down is a little more important."
Sora gulped, hunching back against the wall as if hoping a small hole would open up and save her. "How did you get here? R-Reed said you were locked up." She tried to sound brave but poor little Sora was as easy to read as one of those dragonet scrolls.
The Icewing grinned happily. "I'm glad you asked! The head advisor to Snowfall decided to see if I could be less of myself and more like the current Icewing standard everyone else has to follow." She flicked her tail out then curled it back up. "I almost gave in, you know. I could feel myself slipping into an empty shell of my former self. I mean, ME being friends with LYNX? ACK! How could I even begin to think about that?" She asked to no one.
Her eyes fell back onto Sora who tried to shield herself with her wings. "But then I saw you, the scrawny little Mudwing who tried to kill me." She said darkly. "I finally remembered who I was, what I should have been doing. Of course, Lynx is a nice dragon but she wouldn't understand why I needed to do this. Some dragons just can't look past almost being murdered." She walked closer. "You reminded me how amazing it felt to be feared, not pitied. Guess I should thank you for that." She bowed a little in mocking respect before putting her joking face on. "Well? Are you going to take credit?"
The Mudwing struggled to get up, her eyes darting to the exit once again. "Clay's wrong…you're awful and don't deserve to be free." She muttered, hoping to see her brother fly through the waterfall and stop this bad dragon that was after her. "I could squash him easily."
Icicle pretended to look shocked and offended. "Awful? Was I the one that tried to kill a random dragon just because we fought on opposite sides of the war? Was I the one that hurt one of the brave dragonets of destiny's heart by trying to kill one of his students? Was I the one that murdered two dragonets and nearly killed a third?" She asked teasingly. "No. All I did was be sent to a stupid school and trust a weak mud lizard."
Sora's eyes flashed with that familiar anger. Where had she seen it before? It sent a cold chill down Icicle's stomach, trying to put out her undying anger. "You killed my sibling…you deserved it." She growled.
Icicle narrowed her eyes at Sora, growling herself. "I did not. Clay's still alive." What was she talking about? Sora obviously knew Icicle didn't kill Clay, so what did she mean?
"Not Clay." She said weakly and Icicle could see a small tear falling down the Mudwings eyes. "My sister, Crane. We were helping Reed, our Bigwings and you…" She choked out a hiss, her eyes red with rage. "You killed her…and I hate you for it."
That was where the Icicle had seen those eyes. They were the volcanic eyes of the Mudwing unit that chased her down. Those were the eyes that she saw sometimes in her waking nightmares, if she was ever alone in the dark. Now here they were, on the weakest little shrimp of a dragon she knew. Icicle's body shifted uneasily. So what if she killed this Crane dragon? They were in a battle! "Casualties of war are different then murder." She growled.
Yet her chest continued to feel uneasy. As if she wasn't certain how to approach this or if her answer wasn't good enough. "Why do I care? This murderer doesn't deserve my care!" and somehow she still didn't feel happy with that thought.
Sora shivered, her eyes still locked on Icicle. "Doesn't matter. You killed my sister." She said with hatred that could rival Icicle's anger. But the Mudwing didn't look too keen on actually doing anything aside from talk. "You're a horrible dragon and I-I wish I succeeded."
"And what about you? Do you even regret that you got two dragonets killed?" Icicle challenged, baring her fangs in defense. "You didn't even care who you hurt to get to me. Is that what your stupid siblings would have wanted?"
The short Mudwing glared back, curling her tail. "I didn't know they'd be in there!" She yelled, her body shaking visibly which only made her look smaller than usual. "It was just meant to be you, then Crane would be avenged!" She dug her claws into the ground.
The Icewing's mouth opened as she struggled to think of what to say about her attempted murderer spouting out how she wished Icicle had died. "I only killed during war, you killed when your own brother was trying to find peace!"
"You wanted to kill him!" Sora responded, her tail uncurling and lashing out as the lighting struck the ground outside. "I heard you…y-you kept saying that you would do it…I couldn't let you." Sora's breathing grew heavy as her chest rose and fell. "N-not again."
Her wings shifted down as the Icewing felt her muscles harden despite how exhausted they were. "I-y-" She stopped then hissed out viciously. "I was only doing that to save someone important. You would-" "She's Mudwing…of course she'd understand. Because she'd-no, she wouldn't." Icicle felt her mind clash against itself which only gave her a headache.
The Mudwing's eyes narrowed suspiciously. It was clear she didn't care about her justification but her curiosity was strong. "Who? Who was worth killing five heroes?" She griped.
Icicle closed her eyes and forced the words out, knowing that Sora would win this. Not a physical fight but…whatever this was. "M-my brother." She said, feeling the weakness in her voice. Before Sora could scream at her, she tried to speak past the Mudwings roar of anger. "He would have given me my chance to be Queen!" She shouted as another lightning bolt struck the ground outside. "With him, everyone would accept me after I won my challenge!"
Sora's wings flared up as she stood to her full height, a bit bigger than the last time Icicle had seen her. "You just wanted to save him for your own selfish reasons!" She shrieked. "I knew I was right. Umber, Reed, Marsh, and Pheasant all said I misjudged you…but you've always been like this!" Icicle felt the lump in her throat grow with each word that was flung at her.
But there was someone that Sora left out. If those were all her siblings, then why didn't she mention Clay? Icicle could get Sora back into her corner if she was right. "You forgot Clay. What? Can't look him in the eyes after what you did to his students?" She asked, feeling her strength returning despite her muscles wanting to give out.
The Mudwing's eyes grew a little watery and Icicle knew she had hit a weak spot. Her body fell a bit as Sora thought of something to say. "He-he wouldn't want to see me." She muttered pathetically.
There was a small silence as the waterfall roared behind Icicle. She hated that she was seeing Sora as that small, frail dragonet that the Icewing thought she was back when they met at the school. Her voice was still full of anger but there was a small bit of pity in it at the idea of Sora not seeing one of her brothers. "I thought that…not wanting to see my brothers." She muttered. "You should have seen him. He'd…he'd like that."
"How would you know?" Sora challenged. "You didn't care about saving your brother unless it benefited you."
Icicle's stomach bubbled as she recalled failing to save Hailstorm. She believed for so long that she only wanted to save him so it would boost her chance at becoming Queen, but that was …stupid. When she failed, it wasn't her inability to become Queen that devastated her. It was failing Hailstorm. "I do c-care…I just…" She closed her mouth, looking down at the floor and scowling.
It looked like Sora had caught onto something and her eyes switched between anger to pity then back to anger. "You're pathetic." She said simply. "You're just selfish and want the throne."
All Icicle dreamed about for so long was taking the throne. It was what she spent so much of her life seeking…but was it truly her goal? Or was it just something that her parents wanted for her? "I-I didn't…" She shut her mouth and glared at Sora. Who was this Mudwing to tell her what she was? "You don't know ANYthing about my life, you shriveling shrew!"
She took a step forward, making Sora drop her look of determination and filling it with fear. "I was tasked with killing Queen Glacier, I spent MONTHS looking into every single aspect of her fighting style. I made sure my reputation was sustainable so I wouldn't be assassinated the second I took the throne!" She felt her claws clench into the ground, burying deep.
"I did EVERYTHING I could to make my parents proud and make sure our family was in a good position and what did I get?" She asked herself, baring her fangs at the Mudwing. "I learn that my father died not wanting to see me. That my own family wouldn't show up to my trial or VISIT me ONCE! Except, I DID get one visit. A visit from my mother telling me she wanted NOTHING to DO with me!" She roared, squashing a rock under her other claw.
"I went to that stupid school and expected to hate it, but NO! I found a dragon I thought I could help! A dragon that I thought could be a friend that didn't worry about Icewing issues!" She scowled. "A dragon I could actually talk to for real…AND YOU TRIED TO MURDER ME!" She roared again, her tail lashing out as her throat her from her yelling. But she didn't care. Saying all of this…it made her feel better.
"I beared EVERY burden! My stupid brother Hailstorm always was so perfect. Why couldn't he have been my parents' daughter." She barked, pacing back and forth. "And Winter could be a useless tree stump while I couldn't so much as hold a scroll wrong!"
Icicle wanted to lunge forward and tear out the horrible Mudwings lungs. She wanted to grind her into dirt. She could see the smug look of her parents on the portrait behind Sora, making her glare daggers at them. "I NEVER EVEN WANTED TO BE QUEEN!" She felt her voice begin to give out, but how could she stop?
So why couldn't she just kill Sora? It was one problem she COULD control. Her whole life was messed up from things she couldn't control. It wasn't HER fault that Hailstorm got captured. It wasn't HER fault that Queen Scarlet chose to torment her…
But it was her fault that she treated Winter the way she did. It was her fault that she gave in to Scarlet. It was her fault that Lynx's hopes got raised only for her to crush them like a falling tree. Icicle HAD been given her second chance…and she blew it.
Icicle took a small breath, feeling her muscles plead for her to stop. She stepped aside and gave the Mudwing a chance to escape, her face still ridden with scorn. As much as she wanted to kill her, she just…couldn't. She was still that small, weak Mudwing she wanted to help… "Leave. I-just go."
Sora's legs shook as she took a step forward as if to challenge Icicle. "You want to kill me…r-right?" Her body looked even weaker than Icicle's. "I-if you do…Umber will kill you…or someone else will." She said, trying to sound threatening.
"I don't want…to be that dragon." She said quietly. "I-you-we-" Her body shivered as well as more lightning struck. "G-go to your stupid brother." Her anger began to fade and she knew the dark void would return to make her feel just as miserable as before. It felt like a knife digging in to her back and twisting itself deeper as she let herself be so open.
Icicle could only imagine how horrible she looked. Mud, scars, and grass made her scales look like a rotting log. Now she looked defeated. Sora slowly walked past her and the Mudwings' eyes fell as they passed. "I-I still hate you…" But she didn't sound so sure anymore. Well she did, just the level of hatred was less so.
The Icewing shrugged, closing her eyes. "Everyone does now, probably." She was holding back something from her eyes like a gate. She never wanted to show anyone this side of her and she would keep it back until she knew she was completely alone. "Go back to your brother…"
Sora's tail stayed on the ground as she turned back to look at Icicle. "Where are you going to go?" She asked simply.
The former prisoner felt the void deepen. "Banishment I guess. I don't need Snow-" No, her cousin was the true Queen. She earned that. "Queen Snowfall to tell me that in a trial." She hung her head low at the idea. "Don't worry about seeing me again. I doubt anyone will find me..or bother to look there. The place is pretty bad…so…there." She said weakly.
Sora bit her lip and nodded, almost out of the waterfall. "Alright. Uh, thank you…for not killing me." Her voice was uncertain but Icicle knew Sora still wanted Icicle dead from the icy cold vengeance in her tongue. and she quickly leapt out through the falling water. "I wanted so badly to kill her…and now I'm letting her fly off." She curled her mouth to hold back whatever was swelling up in her eyes. "Because I'm weak. I'm not the dragon my parents wanted me to be."
Icicle sat in the cave and waited for a few minutes to give Sora some time to get away. Once she believed plenty of time had passed, Icicle crossed through the water herself. The water attempted to push her down as she went through. She felt even more water hit her as she came out the other side and flew towards land.
She looked into the river and could see a small reflection of herself through the rippling water. She could see the mud ridden body she had gained from running in the mud. She truly looked like the worst version of the portrait. The lower half of her body was brown and green while her claws didn't even look like Icewing claws. She didn't feel like Icicle anymore. At least not like the Icicle she used to love.
She didn't expect her family to be too happy about her attacking Lynx and she doubted Sora would vouch for her change of heart. Luckily there was one place she could go. One place that no dragon would dare look even if they were looking to capture her. "Mostly because this place is worse than any prison."