— Chapter 24 —
Darkstalker
Darkstalker was feeling… discomfort, a sense of wrongness, the feeling of something important being at the tip of the tongue and then still not recalling what it was.
As always just like in the last 2000 years, he was still in his pitiful cell cavern, staring intently at the ceiling as he checked the many minds above with hurry, a sense of dread looming over him as he tried to focus on the future, everything looked normal, just like the futures he's been picturing for a while, yet he couldn't shake the feeling of something being amiss.
Moon had left the mountain barely a day ago, leaving him again to his own thoughts in solitude. It felt terrible, to finally have someone to talk to after so long and then she just leaves about 4 days later and into a path filled with many possible dangers and risks.
And with her leaving and him not being able to talk to someone for the time being he had started to just focus more thoroughly on his visions as he'd been doing the past months, so he can at least follow her with his foresight.
And that's when giving his vision more focus than he had been these past days is when his mind was starting to tell him there's something wrong, he'd see the future and then a part of his brain would think "This is not right"
Needless to say, Darkstalker was baffled about this new development, never before had his vision seemingly failed him in any shape, so why now?
But then he snapped out of these confusing thoughts as he could feel a certain mind flying closer to the mountain, his new favorite dragon, with glee he realized that Moon is back.
Moon. Darkstalker called out to her mind when she was in range. You're back much sooner than anticipated, missed me already so badly? He joked, not commenting on the fact he missed her far more in this single day than she could have possibly missed him.
But then he noticed her thoughts better, a cascade of conflicting thoughts and memories, all going so far that even he was struggling a bit to fully keep up, but Darkstalker appeared to be at the very center of all her current thoughts.
Moon, is something the matter? You sound distressed.
Her thoughts were still a mess, and it took her a couple seconds to think something back at him.
Darkstalker… we need to have a serious talk. Right now. She thought.
He did not like the sound of that, what could have happened within just one day to make her thoughts about him feel so scattered and confused? He hadn't seen this talk happening in any future.
Something really is wrong… He thought to himself, not showing that thought to Moon, she can only hear the surface of his mind, what he actually allows her to hear.
Of course, Moon. If a serious talk is what you need then we can have it, this might surprise you but I can be very serious when I want to. Darkstalker wanted to make her at least giggle slightly, or have her thoughts calm down. Hearing her like this wasn't right, but he was only met with more doubt within her mind, in which he already was working around to get a good read of what happened.
Darkstalker… were you ever going to tell me your version of the events at some point? She asked, and he was surprised by that question, but kept going with a nice tone.
Ah of course, you'd probably want to hear more of what actually happened instead of relying on ghost stories and unreliable scrolls, so you can just ask at any time if it helps.
And would you tell me… Everything?" She then asked, and Darkstalker was starting to feel some wariness
Moon, what is it that is making you feel conflicted? He asked, although more out of respect, he was getting a read on the conflicted mess that is Moon's mind at the moment and what he saw first made him surprised, the nice kind of surprise.
You found it. He said, rather pleased, he couldn't help himself after seeing mental images of his long lost talisman, and this is the earliest that it has appeared in the scene.
Yes, we found it… And I learned some more stuff too…
Moon? Darkstalker asked, hearing the tone in her mind, he was digging a bit further into her brain now…
Were you going to tell me that you are invincible before or after you got released?
Darkstalker froze, and mentally cursed at himself, darn it, she must have read through the scroll and saw the visible spells. He recalled that the spell to make him immune to damage wasn't written down with the special ink he used for other important spells secret to himself, but basically tucked between two older ones, so anyone could just read it.
I remember that you told me something, that not starvation, nor cold, nor old age, nor stabbing or fire or frostbreath can kill you, smart wording, you didn't mention the part of these also doing no damage at all.
It's not as you might think. Some dragons back in my time, they didn't quite like me and one tried to kill me unprovoked, I just did something to protect myself, to protect the bright future I was aiming for.
And also to make you basically unstoppable to any conventional methods. Immortality is one thing, but coupled with being invincible? Who could stop you besides someone tricking you with magic?
Darkstalker remained silent for a few seconds, hearing her words, and it stung, neither Clearsight or Fathom had understood either when they learned he made himself immune to harm. He could have died that night but they had just looked more troubled by the fact of him daring to do something to prevent a sudden death.
But he can't sound too much on the defensive with Moon either, because now he realized most importantly, if she had read that spell, she most likely had also read the last spell he'd written in the scroll. She wasn't supposed to just learn about that.
But now digging into her mind, he saw the word "Arctic" in there and an image of an Icewing he didn't recognize laying flat on his back.
This was a situation he wasn't prepared for, especially this soon, and even without looking into the future he could tell that a single misstep, and he could just lose her, the only friend he has now, and she may never forgive him, he's in a very dangerous spot.
You know of other distasteful things written there , I can tell, so before you yell at me, please let me explain myself.
Moon's mind sounded baffled by that now.
How… How do you plan to explain what I've learned? That you controlled all of your father's actions with magic? That you made him disembowel himself!? Moon's thoughts screamed into his mind, her mind raging at him, and she was also saddened at the same time too, tears starting to come down from her eyes.
That made Darkstalker pause right before he replied, how did she know that? The scroll said the terrible at first sight words to make Arctic obey his every command, what he actually made Arctic do was not written down.
But he knew she wouldn't like it if he answered her question with another question, especially when she's already snapping at him and crying so he quickly gave an answer.
Moon, you truly do not know what my father was like, he hated me ever since I left my egg, and I can't recall a single kind thought or act directed towards me in his life. And when I wrote that spell, he was taking away my little sister, Whiteout… bringing her towards the Ice Kingdom, he was going to betray all of us, sell info on our tribe to be forgiven, I couldn't let him.
Moon listened attently, hearing how awful Arctic had been, and he could feel some drops of sympathy and guilt in her mind, but they were swallowed by her doubts and anger.
But why such a vile spell? You literally had unlimited power at your clawtips, you could have done anything else to stop him, could have detained him, made him appear in a cell, anything would be better than what actually happened.
Darkstalker wanted to tell how his father didn't deserve any pity, let alone from her, but he stopped himself. Moon is very empathetic and understanding, a gentle soul, that's what made him be able to become friends with her even after she learned who he is. Telling her to not feel bad about his father would be clearly bad, from her perspective, that sort of end was undeserved and exaggerated.
I'll admit it, Moon, my own rage towards my father clouded my mind at the time. That day already was going terribly, and for a long time I had wanted to get some sort of retribution on him for his mistreatment. You are right, I could have used something less painful at least. But if you're worried about the spell, I swear I'd never write something like that again, it was an extreme circumstance.
Moon didn't answer for a moment, thinking about his answer. He had sounded honest, and Moon did make a good point, if to get her trust he can't take over other dragons' bodies, then so be it, he'd have plenty of alternatives with his scroll.
But how could I ever believe you again? Know that you wouldn't just do it again anyway? You've shown that you're the kind of dragon willing to do it, all these stories about you… they were all right, she thought bitterly.
Moon, please tell me, what makes you think so? What changed in such a short time? From the glimpses I am getting, this isn't only about the scroll, right?
Her thoughts were finally showing a clearer scene, there's that Icewing from before, and he's acting out… his life?
What is this…?
You've heard Oracle saying he knows what will happen, right?
Oracle… Darkstalker did indeed remember that he said that, but his mind hadn't paid it much attention, another modern Nightwing with foresight is neat, but in the grand scheme of things he appeared irrelevant, just Moon's new friend.
Yet it appeared like he did something, so Darkstalker decided he'd listen.
Oh yes, that tiny Nightwing, what about him?
The future is not the only thing he knows in detail.
Silence for a few seconds and then…
What?
I was shown your story, I know your deeds, about what went through with Clearsight and Fathom! Nearly everything you did! And you didn't bother telling me before begging me to release you! Moon exploded in anger.
This caught Darkstalker completely off guard, how could that other Nightwing know about him more than the rest? All the actual knowledge of the events should be lost, and Moon is truly angry at him.
Moon, that's not fair, I asked you some days ago to not just believe what every Nightwing might tell you about me, they just think I'm a monster that would appear from below their children's bed and eat them, you've already seen what spells I wrote on the scroll and I regret my past actions. Someone else trying to tell the story of my life could tell anything beyond what the scroll shows.
I don't know if I can believe what you might tell me about yourself either!
I am the one that lived my own life, how can someone else be better to ask than the very source?
When the source looks untrustworthy, then looking for alternatives is a good idea… Moon replied right after.
So you trust my word less than the small Nightwing's word? He thought baffled.
Until I learn that Oracle has brutally murdered his father and terrorized an entire tribe, yes.
Darkstalker winced at that. That's not fair, I already told you, it's been 2000 years, I am quite certain that when laws for "life sentences" were made, they did not actually expect anyone to have one that lasts over 200 years, ten times that for the matter. I wouldn't do these things again.
I don't really think your promises are very believable given how much I've heard you lied all that time ago. And you just kept lying and hiding things from me currently because you knew I would never consider freeing you after hearing these atrocities!
This is going in circles, I did bad things, I'll own up to that. But you can't be sure that everything you were told is accurate, you might be hating me over exaggerated lies weaved alongside reality.
He could feel some more doubt dripping within Moon's thoughts, trying to see which of the two Nightwings to believe.
Oracle… Talking about him felt weird to Darkstalker, the little Nightwing never appeared in his visions besides just standing in the background, and after giving that surprise prophecy it didn't seem like he ever did anything too important.
So why was he caught off guard by this? His mind then tried to ignore the question and just focus on the talk with Moon, but with Oracle being a big part of the topic, now it wasn't as easy to push his thoughts about him away.
His brilliant mind was racing… wasn't there something about him? Another small detail of the small dragon that he had read in his mind before it was blocked off…
Oh right, that. Now, Darkstalker didn't know how much revealing that detail would matter because again, it feels irrelevant, but if it somehow makes Moon change her thoughts in some form, it's worth a shot.
Moon, Oracle is not a dragon, he said so casually with a disinterested tone, bored of the topic about the small dragon.
… What? Moon questioned, not understanding that at all.
What I mean, he's not a real dragon, let alone a Nightwing.
To his surprise, Moon's thoughts were filled with anger towards him.
Oh, well that's just like what other Nightwings say about me, so are you a judge of who is or isn't a "real" one as well? She shot these thoughts at him and now he realized he could have used better wording during his disinterested reveal.
That is not what I mean, don't misunderstand me. Oracle is hiding things too, he-
"Moon!"
Of course, Darkstalker did not hear that voice, but Moon did so he heard it through her. And her thoughts snapped away from her and focused on the newcomer.
"Oracle?" She said and thought confused and surprised as the other Nightwing landed some meters away from her.
"I've been searching for you, I saw you weren't at the camp, so I came here and began to look at the surroundings of the mountain, good thing you were standing on the moonlight," he replied.
"You… knew I would be around here?" She said with alarm in her mind.
"Yes… Moon, of course I couldn't just leave you alone with him after all you've learned, I realize you must feel so conflicted about this…"
Both Moon and Darkstalker froze at this.
"Wait… you…?" Moon slowly questioned.
"... Knew about your friendship with Darkstalker? Yes," he revealed.
Well… this is interesting… Darkstalker muttered in her mind.
Moon was silent, her thoughts rushing about how she had her friendship with a monster known possibly before she even met him.
Was the "monster" part needed? He complained but he just got ignored.
"Why… Why didn't you say anything earlier?" She asked awkwardly.
"I-I am rather sure the entire group has been mentally asking themselves the same thing anytime I am vague about answers… I couldn't just approach you and comment that I know this secret in particular, but now that you had clearly ran away to talk to him? Sounded like the right time for this reveal so he couldn't just trick you…"
Then the small Nightwing looked down at the ground nervously. "He's hearing this whole conversation right now between us, isn't he?"
Tell him that I say hello. Darkstalker told Moon.
"Hm… well, he just said hi," Moon replied, still taken back by this.
"Oh my…" Oracle muttered.
I should've actually imagined it though… all his knowledge of the future, him getting us Darkstalker's scroll then telling his story… He has to be part of that future, and I probably was there as well, she thought to herself.
I saw us together as the greatest of friends in several futures, maybe he did too. Darkstalker commented with some bitterness on his tone when he said "greatest of friends" after how much Moon has been doubting him.
"S-so I assume that by now… you've told him about what happened, haven't you?" Oracle asked awkwardly.
Moon needed some moments to answer. "He knows we found the scroll, and he knows you gave us a show about his life."
"A-And I will also assume he isn't very… pleased with my performance…" Oracle muttered.
Looking at it better right now,Darkstalker chimed into her mind, seeing the show playing out in Moon's mind after the other Nightwing mentioned it.
"He's… giving it a look as we speak," Moon replied and Oracle gulped.
"... Well, this is very awkward, and hm… I am already here… talking to Darkstalker through you telling what he says…"
Moon noticed his talon playing a bit with the pouch on his neck, and she quickly wondered, did he…?
Bring it here?
Oracle let out a sigh, and then he brought out the scroll and a quill, looking up to her. And Darkstalker could tell Moon's thoughts had instinctively gone into alert for a second before she calmed back down.
My talisman… such a tease, to see it so close.
"Moon…" Oracle shifted awkwardly. "I don't want you to be our intermediate, at this point, I think I should talk to him too…"
What is he planning? Darkstalker narrowed his eyes in his cave, is he going to write a spell? It felt wrong to see someone else's talons writing on his scroll.
"So well… This spell just affects me and is temporary so…" He began to quickly write now. "I enchant this piece of comet in my pouch so that for one hour I can read minds like a Nightwing born with that ability, but the comet's passive effect of blocking my thoughts will remain for the most part, but during that hour I can project words and thoughts I actively want to show."
Moon gasped and her thoughts were all confused and surprised, and Darkstalker himself did not expect that one coming. Oracle dropped the scroll to the ground, bringing his talons to his head as if he had a very strong migraine, Moon had moved closer to help him up and he slowly stood now while looking confused, and then…
Hm… Hi? Is this working? Oracle's mental voice was heard by both Moon and Darkstalker, and it sounded surprisingly quite different to his actual voice, a higher pitched tone and kinda more squeaky, very odd. These words were visible in his mind and nothing else, the rest being the strange calm and nothingness provided by skyfire.
Very interesting…Darkstalker commented, and Oracle had immediately jumped back in shock.
G-GAH! I… heard him in your mind! Three moons, you've been talking to that type of voice in your head? Creeeeeepy!" His thoughts appeared in Moon's mind, who meanwhile was looking very baffled.
He got me off guard at first too. And this feels extremely weird to have a three way mental conversation with others," Moon admitted.
Greetings, Oracle. It is my pleasure to finally talk to you, as you know, my name is Darkstalker, he spoke directly into Oracle's mind, and he enjoyed the unease and fear he saw coming from him when looking through Moon's mind.
D-Darkstalker… I am Oracle and… I-I will not allow you to come outside this time! His thoughts exclaimed, trying a defiant tone.
This time… So is… Is that it? He… He's released in the timeline you saw? Moon asked, and looking at her mind, Darkstalker saw the worry and fear in there, with a question appearing there a lot: "Did I free him?"
After a lot of different events, a lot of them involving erm, Peril, I'll give more context later at some point… In the other timeline the group also gets Darkstalker's scroll, and there…
There was dread in Moon's mental voice. Was it me? Did I write a spell to release him?
No, it wasn't you, so don't worry about that part… But, Darkstalker has given you a massive lie for his own sake, Oracle said angrily.
Right, Moon told me you seem to know an awful lot about me, I bet you know everytime I lied in my life, alongside the times where I've sneezed. Darkstalker said with sarcasm, but being on edge, he won't say it to Moon but Oracle's show from before was… really accurate if one looks past his acting skills. So he had to put some shade into Oracle's words.
I've been trying my hardest to have us not fight over this thing, because when arguments ensued in the other timeline, Peril saw how much the scroll was making everyone bicker, she made the at first glance extremely good choice to touch the scroll…
Darkstalker immediately knew where this was going and he felt something… like a small sense of impending doom, the other things he didn't tell Moon weren't technically lies as much as holding back some information or using other wording. But now? Now Oracle is going to reveal an actual lie that he made.
Moon- Darkstalker tried to quickly talk to her before the next words happened, he felt… anxiety, not in a hundred futures did he see a scenario like this ever play out, he was out of options, and possibly now… out of a future.
That releases Darkstalker from his prison. If the scroll ever gets destroyed then that doesn't make the power go away. It makes all the magic return to him.
Darkstalker saw Moon's mind working at full speed, and he knew right away that this was the shatterpoint.
DARKSTALKER! Her mind shouted so loudly that he winced slightly from his cave, and Oracle had rubbed his own head. You… Pig! You arrogant porcupine! Heartless… snake! You lied to me right to my face! You told me that if any dangerous dragon got hold of the scroll, I should try to destroy it so it wouldn't fall in wrong talons, but you were just saying things for your own benefit again! Instead of having another dangerous dragon take it and become the next you, you wanted to trick me for your failsafe!
Moon! Please, listen to me! I never wanted to tell lies to you, and I apologize for all the secrets I've hidden, but you can't just believe everything he says either! How could he know? There isn't such a spell in the scroll.
So that means you simply added that part during the spell that created it! She quickly guessed.
It's the word of a dragon that keeps secrets vs the word of another dragon that keeps secrets, he might want to tear apart our bright future, and I don't know what he actually plans! Moon, something is happening that I actually can't understand, something wrong. I… have never felt more unsure than I am right now. Can't you feel it too that there's something going on? How can someone know the past in such detail when they weren't even there? Darkstalker tried to protest, to argue back, everything he's been building and preparing for since he first awakened is all breaking apart, and he wanted to be free, he wanted to feel the sun, and he wanted Moon to remain as his best friend.
Hm… Sorry to interrupt but, I am still here a-and hm… I know you're not used to Not being the strongest in the room, but here in this conversation, there's still access… to magic, your magic. Oracle chimed into their minds.
No… Darkstalker cursed at himself, somehow even when protesting against Oracle's words, the little Nightwing and what he's done keeps slipping out of his mind, and he's right, with few words he could prove everything.
If just my word is not enough for convincing… then maybe I should show you instead. Moon, you will see the truth, Oracle thought.
The truth… The end of this argument… Moon said bitterly.
Oracle was quickly starting to write down on the scroll, grabbing a rock that's close from the nearby river, and when he was done writing, it had changed shape into a large steel basin.
What does that do? Moon asked with curiosity.
You'll see in a few moments, Oracle thought back, grabbing the large basin and bringing it down into the river, filling it with water, then he placed it on the ground.
Look at the water, I feel VERY proud about this spell, I believe it can easily be of good use after this too. Oracle called out to Moon, who leaned her head down to look at the basin.
And Darkstalker was feeling dread.
So my exact wording for this was… "Enchant this rock so that it turns into a large metal basin. When it is filled with water and someone touches it, they can say a particular, defined moment in time and the water will show the events with moving images and sounds as if they were happening right there, one can move forward or back in the scene by pushing the water to the left for back, and to the right to move forward. Saying "Stop" will stop showing things.
Then with a talon he touched the basin and talked out loud clearly. "Darkstalker and Clearsight talking in Darkstalker's room in his house at the Night Kingdom where he reveals his magic scroll to her.
What? Was all that Darkstalker was able to mutter, feeling shocked, they're going… to see his old life, hear him… He'll hear Clearsight…
And then the water shifted, and Moon and Darkstalker were now seeing his old room, and that made him feel an immediate tinge of nostalgia when he saw his home from all these years ago.
There were neatly folded purple and white blankets on the corner where he slept. There was his desk with inkwells and the cloth to clean his claws, with his rack of scrolls right by the side.
And there were two figures in the room, Darkstalker himself, and Clearsight. His heart was beating faster upon seeing her perfect image in the water, seeing her from a point of time where things were still rather calm for the most part, and he was going to show her his biggest achievement yet.
Looking at Moon's thoughts for a second, he could tell she was in awe upon seeing them, and he realized this is now technically the first time she saw him besides a drawing in a scroll, and he looked as handsome as always.
The Darkstalker in the water had walked over to the rack of scrolls, pushing it aside and stuck his claws into a gap around a wall, and with that revealed a hidden hole containing a square of paper and a black leather case.
"This," that Darkstalker said to Clearsight with bright hope and enthusiasm in his face as he looked at her.
"What's the other piece of paper?" Clearsight asked, and present time Darkstalker sighed sadly from hearing her voice.
"Oh — that's a drawing of you," he said shyly in the past. "I drew it before we met, from my visions, so it's not very good. I didn't want my father to see it or know about you ... but I needed to have it, to look at. You know, to remind myself that things were going to get better."
"So," Clearsight said lightly, taking the scroll from him and unrolling it. And they saw that it was blank. "Hmmm. You've decided to become a writer?"
"Can you sense it?" He asked. He touched the edge of the scroll. "Can you guess what it is?"
"Tell me," she said after a few seconds.
"I took all my animus power," he said in the past, "and I put it in here."
Clearsight blinked. "All — all of it?"
"It's not in me anymore," Darkstalker said. "Now it's like I'm not an animus at all, so my soul is safe. Everyone's safe. Watch." He picked up one of his inkwells. "Inkwell, I command you to fly up and touch the ceiling."
Everyone saw how the inkwell didn't move an inch after he said that.
"You gave away your power?" Clearsight asked, very surprised.
"But we can still use it — it's just somewhere else, instead of in me." He took the scroll from Clearsight's talons and unrolled the beginning of it, setting the inkwell down gently to hold it in place. He dipped the tip of his claw into the green ink and wrote on the scroll, Enchant this inkwell to fly up, touch the ceiling once, and fly back into my talons without spilling a drop, then return to normal.
When he finished writing that, the inkwell floated upwards to the stone ceiling, lightly tapping against them and then it went back to his talons.
"By all the stars," Clearsight whispered.
"Do you see what this means?" he asked, with an anxious tone. "I've found a way to use my animus power without losing my soul or turning evil or anything terrible happening. We can cast as many spells as we want with this scroll. But because it's all separate from me now, it won't affect my soul. I'll always be me." He touched the scroll with one claw and studied her face. "Do you like it?"
After a few seconds, Clearsight asked him "Can I look?"
He nodded and Clearsight closed her eyes for several moments. Darkstalker remembered how often they'd argue about her constantly looking at the future, even when he asked her to not peer into the dark futures all the time, if only she had listened…
And the scene made his heart ache more as Clearsight gave him a fierce hug that made the lovers fall onto the blankets.
Darkstalker laughed and hugged her back. "I guess that means it works."
"I can't believe you really did this," she said, sitting up and picking up the scroll again. "What happens if the scroll gets destroyed? Is your magic gone forever?"
"No, then it comes back to me," he said. "But then I'd make another scroll, don't worry."
"Stop…" Oracle whispered, and the water cleared, the scene disappearing from view.
And Darkstalker was feeling utterly heartbroken and defeated.
So it is true… You just lied to me about the scroll, and clearly you didn't care about that fact, anything for your freedom and then, what? You'll try to rule the world? Moon said, her mental voice slower and not as angered after having just seen such juxtaposition, being mad at the Darkstalker of now, but having just seen him when he was younger, he had looked so happy, and Clearsight so proud of him.
I… I was happy… even though I had to live with my father, I had Clearsight by my side, Fathom and Indigo wouldn't arrive for a while, they were simpler times… Clearsight, we could've kept being happy for the rest of our lives, why'd you have to stand against me? Everything I did… it was for the two of us, I wanted the best future for our tribe, which also happened to be best for us… and our 6 dragonets… Wherever you went, if you ended with someone else, did you think again of what it could've been? Of our children being happy as well, learning at the school?
Some of our descendants later down the line would inherit the Animus gene, I would have taught them how to be proud Animi and use their gift for their family and for their tribe. You would be a patient mother and at times a teacher, did you see when you'd visit the school and somedays teach the young seers? You saw the emotion in their eyes when their beloved queen would appear just for them?
All of that is gone now, Clearsight… you are gone. And I won't get to search for you, Moon is going to leave me. If you were still alive you would've loved her, you have so much in common…
Darkstalker… Moon thought slowly. I cannot free you.
… I know… I should have been honest to you from the beginning. I saw many futures where I immediately scared you off and you refused to give me the benefit of the doubt, these futures scared me… But perhaps I should have followed the very few ones where eventually we can settle things after a while and you forgive me and make me a better dragon.
Thankfully Oracle wasn't talking or projecting anything in his mind right now, just letting them have their moment. They needed that, Darkstalker could hear the sadness in Moon's mind, she's crying, and Darkstalker wished desperately he could leave this accursed prison for at least a minute to give her a hug, to show her he isn't heartless, to prove that he has cared for her probably as much as he cared for Whiteout, oh his little sister…
D-Darkstalker? Maybe… If you are willing to accept, after a long time to perhaps let Moon and you talk things more… Maybe something could be done… Oracle was starting to project his thoughts again. You… could be released at some point, with a spell from the scroll… if that spell contains the condition that you'd give up all your powers and cannot use magic or enchanted objects.
Darkstalker was absolutely baffled by that, and Moon looked shocked by such an offer from Oracle, who was tapping the scroll nervously.
Give up my powers? Darkstalker repeated, bewildered. I can't do that, I am the only Nightwing born under a Brightest Night, it's my birthright, I can still do a lot with them… And now he was starting to sound slightly more desperate, he wanted to be free, but he couldn't bear the thought of being nothing, just a Nightwing. I can change, I can be a good dragon, I could probably see a future where with you two, I could use my powers for what you consider to be good, you can't take away my powers. You can't take away my magic.
Oracle looked as if he had expected that exact answer and sighed defeated.
I won't force your powers off, unlike you, I actually believe in free will and to let dragons have a say when it comes to being affected by a spell.
He had placed the scroll and quill back into the pouch and held the basin on his front talons. But don't expect a different offer coming from me, it'll be forever open, if you ever feel like accepting, and if my friends agree with it at the time. Does that sound fine, Moon?
Moon had been looking down to the ground in deep thought, thinking about everything she just learned, images of the younger Darkstalker, happy and hugging Clearsight being prominent.
… If he ever gets over his arrogance and accepts losing his powers in exchange of his freedom, then I will accept too.
And then she said with a softer voice. But otherwise, until then… this will be goodbye, Darkstalker, and please when I come back to the mountain don't just beg in my mind every minute, please don't make things worse.
And with that her wings flared open and she began to fly. Oracle saw this and he followed some distance away.
Darkstalker felt numb, empty, feeling her mind starting to drift away from him, nearing the limits of his range. He felt something slide down his face and a lone tear then hit the stone floor with a small splash.
As Moon was close to the end of his range, for the first time, Darkstalker brought down his mental defenses for some moments, his mind completely open for her to hear.
And Moon indeed heard his anguish, his pain, his desperation of losing everything again.
And echoing loudly and constantly in the depths of his mind, were two words that were now being constantly repeated.
I'm sorry.
PART THREE
THE COLD TRUTH.