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Prologue: The lovers' betrayal

Arriving at Agate Mountain, Darkstalker flies steadily, utterly focused on his aim to recover his scroll, and the one that took it. So focused was he to take his revenge on the traitorous prince, that he did not see in time the vessel of his magic being stolen, but that's not so bad, thinks the chosen one of the moons, as he trusts his foresight to guide him to a solution, to help him recover all of his powers as soon as possible…

Spotting Clearsight in the distance, looking as if nothing happened judging by how calm she seems to be, the nightwing is at first curious despite his anger to see his mate being fine, and she does not run at his approach nor really prepare herself to flee, which is something considering how the whole crowd of nightwings flew off as fast as they could once he made a show of his father's demise.

Landing in front of her, the dragoness does not flinch but stares at the ground, her attitude making the would be king longing for her mind to be readable if only to get her true emotions at the moment, but he knows wishing that is vain, as his mate asked of him for a gift that would shield him from his sight long ago.

Cursed moon bracelet and cursed is your wish! Just look at the both us playing with false trust and incomplete truths… You just grow wary of him as time passed, and now you may fully conspire against me...

After an odd moment of silence, Darkstalker speaks in a neutral tone, knowing she has hidden his powerful animus scroll, and using what little reason he has left at the moment.

- "Clearsight, it's good to see you... are alright after all that… chaos."

Darkstalker does not believe any of the words he says, and neither does Clearsight, that he can even sees it as the dragoness turns her head not to look at him, but at the horizon.

- "You're not losing any time aren't you? No matter…"

Doubt spreads in the nightwing's mind, but anger takes over him at the thought of her really betraying him and everything he built, everything he fought for during such stressing years.

- "I won't play your game, Clearsight. I know you have hidden my scroll, and for now nothing proves me you are trustworthy. Do you realize that Clearsight?"

The dragoness takes a little step back, one his mate doesn't see.

- "Then you already know what to do."

Darkstalker freezes as his mate just stares at him, his mind still partially denying she has turned against him. When he comes back to his senses, he sees her ready for a fight.

- "My love, what are you doing?"

- "Preparing myself for what needs to be done."

The black dragon takes a step back, stunned by such words from the dragon that was destined to remain with him, for the one that strove for their happy ending just like he did.

- "What are you even saying? It's like I'm a completely different dragon to you. Why Clearsight? Don't you see the light at the end of the tunnel, that after this nightmare, after the war, after the queens, we will be happy?"

The seer chuckles at his reaction, having made her mind long ago.

- "Darkstalker, you poor fool. Always in the present, not knowing what you do and the consequences. No matter how hard I try, you won't ever see that."

His pride and purpose being woundedat the worst time, the black dragon doesn't hold back anymore and hisses before replying bluntly.

- "Speak for yourself! You always warn me and stop me from doing anything in fear of something worse happening if I act. But in the end, I have not done enough and for that, the terrible futures arrive right in our face!"

- "You mean like your plan to kill the queens, or wiping out all the icewings. You don't have a plan that doesn't involve you becoming one of the greatest threat to Pyrrhia."

- "And you let tyrants like Vigilance and Diamond run free, despite their wish to eradicate anyone who stands in their way."

Darkstalker takes a step forward, his muscle tensing as anger builds up, but Clearsight does not flinch, only snorting at his face.

- "And you will kill more than them if you ascend to the throne! You should have seen it, but it doesn't matter now, I'll stop you if you continue."

- "Is that it? You only care about the evil I can do, not the evil that others do. Why? Because the blood won't be on your talons? Because you don't feel as guilty when the culprit is too distant?!"

The dragoness looks away, trying to counter his accusation, but Darkstalker continues.

"You accuse me of being the worst, but you always worry about me. It's like no matter what I do, there is always a bad future. And you look at that dark future, and then speak to me as if I was this darker version of myself."

- "But you are! I was worried, Fathom was worried, and now look, our fears have become reality."

- "You never trusted me, you never smiled at me without fearing me at the back of your mind. It's like a self fulfilling prophecy, you never wanted to take the risk, to make compromises, to make me feel loved." To heal my soul adds Darkstalker in his mind.

Despite the nightwing's overwhelming anger, a tear runs across his face, but it is useless as Clearsight has already made her decision. Standing still, her expression is cold and completely stoic, untouched by his sorrow.

- "It was for the good of everyone that I didn't give in to your demand. I don't regret it."

These words make her mate roars furiously as he now drowns in anger and a hatred for her is being born.

- "You think you're good and strong?! You just refuse to understand me, you don't know what I feel at all! I love my mother and my sister more than what you could ever imagine, I was hated by my father since the day I hatched, my childhood was shattered as has mother and father screamed at each other!"

Overtaken by his rage, the black dragon is beyond any reason, swinging his tail violently and even his talons, almost slamming and clawing at the air.

"Then the queen tries assassinate me, and finally, my mother dies in the war! So go on, tell me how you're sorry for me, but that I must not be tempted and restrain myself. Tell me, how I, with the power of a god at my claws, shouldn't use any of it even if I'm on the verge of dying, for the greater good."

As Darkstalker finishes his speech and catches his breath just after, no answer comes while he expected one. A silence begins as the nightwing is exhausted in a way, as no one moves, as the calm sound of breathing and staring at the other adds to the wind, hiding the storm that could came out instantly.

Clearsight takes a step closer to the one she will end, and Darkstalker lets her do it, too confused and tired by his last burst of fury, not even focused enough to have a word to say.

The dragoness takes a second step… and a third, but the black dragon does not react, not believing she is able to harm him, while the vision that just appeared in his head is drawing his attention, the possibility of a future that spreads to the others, extends and makes the rest flee...

As she does a fourth step, Darkstalker realizes by his sight that Clearsight can finish him with something. Looking immediately over her body, his eyes stop at the moon bracelet, the one and only enchanted object on her, the one that dominates his vision.

Seeing him taking a step back, Clearsight takes one forward and then jumps directly at him, ready to end everything once and for all. But suddenly, a black talon grabs and holds tight the one that wears the bracelet, brought there by union of the nightwing's instinct and foresight.

At this instant, he understands that all Clearsight has to do is to touch him on the belly with the paw he is restraining completely. Then, the bracelet's magic would do its work and banish him from Pyrrhia, from the world. Understanding his lover's absolute betrayal, Darkstalker strengthens his grip on her limb and speaks in a cold and hateful tone.

- "You trai-"

But he has no time to say the words as she bites his talon mercilessly, making him hiss and lose his grip on the dragoness. His scales can not be pierced nor broken, but his insides can and the pain is unavoidable.

Seconds later, the seer tries to slap her paw on his belly again, only to be stopped by his second talon. This time, the black dragon does not retain his cruelty to win, and bends her talon to make her regret her action, blood even starting to appear on the scales.

The heartbroken one watches his betrayer hissing and screaming like he was a beast, and uses his now free talon to scratch her neck, staining her beautiful skin with scars and blood while he brings ever closer to the ground, overthrowing her body like she was one of the countless icewings on a battlefield. Tears are as big as they can be on Darkstalker's face, but he can not stop, he can not hesitate, he must survive, that is all that matter now…

Extending her back talons, Clearsight pushes away both of them. Stunned by the pain, the nightwing barely sees her coming back, and as a last move to defend himself, let the first half of his body fall on her, trying to immobilize and even crush with the talon he put on the beginning of her neck, using of all his weight.

Looking at the dragoness' eyes with unrestrained anger, Darkstalker claws at her body and musters all his strength to brutally throw her away, the momentum coupled with her position when slamming at the ground shredding a part of her right wing as she screams.

An instant after, her betrayed lower charges at her and she has no choice but do the same. The two dragons slam into the head of the other, the shock rendering both unconscious for a second, though it is the twisted horns of Darkstalker that seem to win step after step as Clearsight unwillingly recoils, her talons scratching the ground painfully as she is no match for her lover's strength.

Frowning to the point of closing her eyes, the dragoness' stance finally snap, making her opponent immediately overpowering her entire body and throwing it on its back, but as overwhelming and shocking that moment is, Clearsight is able to hit Darkstalker in the belly with her talon, using the magic of the bracelet which pushes him a few meters away and initiates his banishing with a violent flash of light.

Darkstalker screams as much as he can while the powerful and otherworldly essences act like the hottest fire all over his body, removing him from the world in a raw and brutish manner, butchering his insides for the few last seconds he has to live in Pyrrhia.

A moment later, a cloud of dust dissipates, and now the dragoness that has been thrown away by the unnatural force can see that where the dragon once stood, there is nothing but a crater tainted by a bit of dry blood, and she can now catch her breath...