"You did what?"

"You see, nobody likes an oddball," They explain nonchalantly. "She was weaker than the others. Wait, why are we telling you?"

I don't know. I don't know why they're telling me, or why I do what I do. The next thing I know, I'm charging at them, stabbing them, and climbing up to their neck, claws ready. They try to throw me off, but I hold on and scratch their head like crazy. Trying to remember when they struck me on the head, I jump off their raggedly breathing body. Nothing. Nothing until—

Agh!

A wave of dizziness comes pounding down on my head, and I lose control. I don't breathe or speak or move. I only watch as I'm hopelessly dragged into something else. There's colours here. Dragons are all around me. I'm flying out of whatever this place is, past glass testing zones, quarantine rooms, and laboratories.

I run out to meet Khapra and Lachia, who both look a little worse for wear. Khapra seems to be recovering and Lachia's wing is almost completely black. Chalcedon has medicines with him and is frantically trying to get Khapra to sit down. Lachia doesn't look well, either. She looks like she's trying to stay awake but slightly failing. I run to her and ask her if everything's alright. When she doesn't respond, I'm yanked back out of whatever this is.

I take this as my cue to leave. I see the exact same things as I just did, down to Lachia acting unresponsive.

"Lachia?" I ask. "Are you okay?" Instead of answering, my sister sinks down to her knees. I reach forward to help her up, only to realise that her sounds are getting weird. She's breathing much louder now and sounds panicked. I realise it's probably her wing. I feel the decaying portion is much larger now. It's getting to her main body. This. Is. Bad. It's happening right now.

Dragons are gathered all around us— I can hear them muttering about how their boss is gone. Some of them run. Some of them gather closer. Lachia's condition only gets worse. I have to hold her up for her to be able to breathe properly. No. Somehow I can feel when it's going to happen— five minutes. My sister has five minutes left.

This can't be happening. I start crying. I feel Lachia slipping away, away until she's barely alive anymore. "No," I choke out in between my tears. "Lachia…" I lean in to hear her heartbeat slow down, down, down into nothing. Nothing else happens.

Nothing

Else

Even

Matters

Anymore.

I sit crying at the fact that I've just lost my sister. I feel like I'm the only one alive in a dark, lonely world. No, no no. I can't let this happen. Lachia doesn't deserve this. Maybe I can fix it. But how…

I concentrate with all of my brain. This can't just happen. I feel something lift in my talons. I open my eyes and see nothing, but somehow I know something's happened.

"Attacus, are you alright?"

I look up to my side to recognise Chalcedon's voice. "No," I admit. "My sister just—"

"No. I'd tell you to look but… you just did something. Your eyes looked like they were on fire."

I scan my surroundings with my antennae. Lachia's not in my talons anymore— She's standing up in front of me. "What—"

"I think it was some sort of magic," Chalcedon says. "Attacus… Lachia's alive."

"Mhm," Lachia adds, and I lunge in to hug her. "I read something like that in an old book; Apparently there's two magics— one can do anything but bring back the dead, and the other…"

"I what?!" I practically shriek. "I'm magic?"

"Apparently. It hardly ever shows up, though. There's only one case ever documented."

"Who?"

"He was from two thousand years ago. He was a son of Sunstreak and Clearsight."

"Wait. THE Clearsight?"

"Yes. THE Clearsight who founded our tribes. Basically she died, her son was upset, and brought her spirit back to life."

Okay. I'm magic.

I'm magic.

Epilogue

After we get everyone safe and back home, things have apparently become much different. First of all, no more mind control. There's a new queen, a new kingdom, and the LeafWings are back. Second, we can all be home. Third, our mom's back. She came back to our new little treehouse home. It's cute, really.

"So, no more evilness?" I asked Lachia.

"Nope," she said happily.

I'm just glad we can all be with each other. We've been apart for so long, it feels like a new life.

I've also returned to my little business that earns us a little extra money. Every little bit helps, after all. The last few months have been absolutely crazy, but I'm just glad we can be together, living our best life.

Living our new life.