Chapter 5

It's been nothing but torture for the former IceWing Prince. He was raised to be part of a superior race of dragons on this island. Taught the customs that would one day bring fear to those who considered themselves enemies to the IceWings.

All that training couldn't save him now that he stared up to the sky past his ruined roof, struggling just to breathe properly.

How long have the nightmares been with him? Was it almost four weeks already? A month? Winter couldn't help but groan at the idea. Every day has felt like a week to him. It never ends.

His daily routine had fallen apart days ago. Once he woke up from the nightmare, Qibli was long gone, so he carefully flew himself down to his hut, waiting for the moment he'd feel the weights give way and set him free from his worries. He wanted to believe that the SandWing changed his mind.

The sun slowly made its way from the east to the west, before the mountains hid it from his sight as the three moons became the new source of light. It was one long, grueling process trying to stay up. He had multiple tricks: Drink that strange stuff, find anything he could try to perfected, and when he really needed to, draw blood from his limbs.

His body was weak, desperately trying to make the IceWing fall asleep. But his mind was committed to staying stubborn. Constantly reminding Winter what will happen if he shuts his eyes for too long.

That war continued all throughout the night. Sometimes, the pain coming from his arms kept him up. Other times, he'd fall asleep, before waking up in a worse condition than before.

The process continued when the sun rose into the sky again, and it still went on when it was time for the three moons to light up the night sky. Morning came once more, and then another evening passed.

And he still remembers everything.

Qibli, why? Why was it so hard for him to do one job? Just find Turtle, make him say a couple of words, and then be done with it. It's not like the SeaWing is hard to find. Qibli made it clear that he's either with Kinkajou or at the SeaWing Underwater Palace. Finding him should be as easy as finding rams in the mountains.

But he still remembers how easy it is to do it. That continued to haunt him.

As the days went on, his body was slowly getting use to what the prince would do to it, and it made itself at home under the cruel conditions. He needed more stuff to drink, he needed to focus on the most meaningless task, and he needed to make his body feel more pain.

He was in a losing battle with himself.

He felt a yawn coursing through his veins. Before it reached his mouth, his left claw grabbed the right claw, making sure its talons were digging into his scales.

He knew what would happen if he yawned. It had already happened so many times that his mind caught on to the body's tricks, and he wasn't going to let it win.

The yawn slowed down, but it was still inching closer. "More…" He said as his grip tightened, digging further into his claw.

He needed to get out of his bed. He needed more of that stuff. It was all outside of his hut (or what was left of it at this point) to force his body to move.

The burning sunlight couldn't even give him the power to move as he laid there on his back, fighting so hard to keep himself awake.

"Just… a little… longer." He said to himself. "I can't sleep… not now… not until I'm…"

"WAKE UP, WINTER!"

The voice of authority brought Winter to his senses. Like any good solider, he quickly got himself up, and stood tall for his queen.

His new, very anger, Queen Snowfall… what?

In a panic, he looked around. He wasn't just in the IceWing palace, he was in the throne room. Such a beautiful room he could admire for days if he wasn't so panicked. The only thing that caught his eyes were the tall IceWings that were double his size, but even then, he couldn't seem to make out their faces. They just seemed to trail off.

Well, aside from the Queen standing in front of him, only that was because they were about the same age. Her shiny white scales looked like snow, and her dark blue eyes stared right at the prince.

She was very crossed.

"Do you have any idea what we've gone through since you died?"

Winter immediately defended himself. "Of course I do. I've been trying to-"

Snowfall cut him off. "No, you haven't! The only work you've done is slow us down. It's because of you, hundreds of IceWings, including the former Queen, died, and yet you have the nerve to fight alongside us?!"

Queen. Died? Fight with them? That… that already happened, didn't it? He's not going crazy, right?

"You're a disgrace to every IceWing on Pyrrhia. Leaving us to work with NightWings. Of all dragons, you decided to work with those slimly schemers?!"

Now Winter was in even more shock. "It's not like that! Your Majesty, if you just let me explain, it'll all make sense. Please!"

Snowfall just looked at him. She wasn't even considering his question and just stared deeper into his soul. It was working on Winter, who could barely look at her, and his eyes were darting all over the place.

But then they stopped at Hailstorm. His brother he saved. He had to be on his side!

"Come on, Hailstorm. Help me out." Winter asked. "I swear once I'm done, you'll understand everything. YOU GOT TO BELIEVE ME!"

His mask came off, as Winter could not keep himself together anymore. This was all happening too fast for him.

And Hailstorm didn't want any part of it.

"No Winter." He said with remorse. "I can't do that."

Winter watched as his older brother, who sacrificed himself for the prince, slowly backpedaled into the crowd of disappointed IceWings.

Snowfall then spoke. "I liked it better when you were dead, and that's how I intend to keep it."

In shock, Winter looked at his queen, trying to think of something, but the young dragon beat him to it.

"Prince Winter. I hereby declare on this day moving forward that you are banished from setting your claws into my kingdom. You are to leave this instance, and to be killed if you ever decide to turn back here."

"NOOO!"

It was too late. A massive, icy wind full of snow slammed into the IceWing, so chilly that he quickly brought his wings over himself to try and keep himself warm.

The gorgeous IceWing palace? That was all replaced by an endless torrent of snow and hail as the freezing wind cut into his scales, with the gray, stormy clouds continuing their snowstorm. It should have felt right at home for him, since this was his natural environment.

But it hadn't been for a year now. It felt too new for his body to handle, and it only grew weaker as it tried to adapt.

And that's when it really hit him. He fell asleep. This was a nightmare, and it was based on his final moments in the IceWing kingdom.

"Such a tragic way to go into exile."

Like so many times before, Darkstalker's voice was colder than any storm the world could conjure up. The look he gave Winter froze him in place in a snap.

Winter had already done this song and dance before. He knew that once he fell asleep, and there was only ever one way out, and it was through Darkstalker's sick and twisted plans.

It didn't stop the IceWing from trying to fly away. His wings tried their best to lift him up, but the wind's strength kept him grounded, being too strong for him to overcome.

But what was worse? Crashing into the icy ground or seeing what Darkstalker has in store for him.

It was the latter without any doubt, but his wings couldn't pick himself off the ground. There was no hill to climb on. It was all open field with zero landmarks in sight.

He wasn't going to leave no matter how hard he tried, and Darkstalker found it very amusing to watch unfold.

"You're so strange, IceWing." He said, with his voice ringing clear as day in the IceWing's head.

"SHUT UP!" Winter yelled as he once again failed to take flight. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Darkstalker couldn't help but smile. "But you are alone. You've been alone ever since you caused everything in your life to fall apart."

Winter stopped in his tracks, just as the NightWing wanted him to. "Your tribe thought you were dead, and even though you fought side by side with them, they still saw you as a failure, sending you away. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd hoped you'd die in this blizzard."

"But you were able to run off, but where to? Why, you went and caught little pets who can't understand dragons, let alone speak our native tongue. Their only have one instinct now, and it's to survive your experiments."

Winter then felt his limbs give away again as the wind knocked him down, before he spun himself around. However, his eyes saw the king of the NightWings, and he stopped once he had the most horrifying angle of the dragon.

"And your so-called friends… how time can change dragonets." He said, striking fear in the IceWing's heart. "After I decided to visit you, you asked the only dragon you stayed connected with to make you forget about me. A simple wish any reasonable dragonet would do, but not Qibli. He didn't listen."

The wind grew stronger, and ice was growing around them, getting sharper as all of the noise began to overflow in Winter's head, which he grabbed with his claws, only to feel the pain grow worse.

"And why?" The inescapable voice in his head continued. "They want revenge for what you did to them. They want you to FEEL the sorrow you forced upon their souls. And they'll watch from a distance. Enjoying themselves as you suffer."

"You act like you still have something to cling onto, but you don't. So why do you still fight, IceWing? Why not just…"

"…"

"… End it?"

Winter paused. "… E-end it?.."

"Free yourself from this prison." Darkstalker said as he effortlessly stretched out his wings, highlighting his flaps that looked like the night sky. "Let the sweet release break the chains of your torment and give everyone what they long for."

"Afterall, you want them to live their best lives. You wouldn't want to ruin it for them, would you?"

The two of them stared at each. The storm couldn't mean any less to Winter as the words sank deeper and deeper.

And then, he felt something starting to run up his claws.

Winter looked down to the ground and saw ice locked the dragon in place as it slowly surrounded his claws.

It was… soothing…

The feeling of the cold was slowly being erased as the ice made its way past his claws. For the first time in what felt like forever, losing the feeling of his body parts brought him peace. It felt like all of that pain was being healed by the ice.

Winter was finding himself getting swallowed by the frozen water, and yet, he had never felt more at peace.

No more pain to feel. No more worries to think about. No more… no more…

NO MORE!?

"Stop! No!" He yelled, trying to break himself free. "I… I can't!"

"Well, don't you make for an excellent friend. Only caring about yourself, thinking about what you want." The Darkstalker questioned. "You think you're doing things with others in mind, but the truth couldn't be clearer, IceWing. You said it yourself, you're the same dragonet as you were before, and everyone else continues to pay the price."

The ice increased in speed. Now all of his limbs were encased in solid ice. Winter thought he would be more afraid, but it wasn't bad at all.

Part of him wondered why he was even fighting against such a peaceful event. This was the rest his body was begging for. His mind could no longer be forced to think about all the trouble he's caused.

He felt the ice nearly finished with his body, and the relaxing feeling inch towards his neck.

"Just let it all go away." Darkstalker said as the storm seemed to die down, not that Winter could care.

Because he was right. It can go away.

He just had to go away.

He had to-

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*

His eyes shot open like a trap. In a cold sweat, he lifted his neck up in shock. He had returned to the morning of the real world, away from the cold wasteland, and colder dragon.

Winter then realized his mouth had stored a frostbreath, and he quickly swallowed it so he won't use it.

But that ice. It was covering him like he was going to become a trophy. It wouldn't be the first time he'd feel lifeless. That's how the nightmares tend to end.

But it felt… better that time? He knew exactly what he thought, and when he remembered that he had charged his frostbreath in his sleep...

*KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK* *KNOCK*

He put his claws over his ears. Well, whoever was making that noise was not doing him any favors. Just because they woke him up from a nightmare didn't mean he wasn't in a bad mood.

He grumbled under his breath as he walked over to the only part of the hut that hadn't been harmed in some way.

But right when his claw touched the fabric, he stopped. Sure, there was knocking coming from the wood, but he never stopped to think about who was making it.

A soft breeze pushed the fabric, and by the corner of his eye, he could see the color tan.

"Qibli!" He yelled out angerly. He lifted up the blanket fast, surprising the SandWing who was about to knock again. He was also probably looking at his sleepy face, but the prince couldn't care less about his looks right now.

"I told you to find Turtle and make me forget about all of you." He said as he walked up to the SandWing. "I also said that I wasn't going to miss if you came back and I remember you, and I still do."

The IceWing continued to get closer to the SandWing, making Qibli get a sense of Déjà vu. However, this time, he didn't take a step back, even though Winter didn't stop cutting the distance down.

He got closer and closer until his face met Qibli's. He looked down at the street rat, but the SandWing looked more in control as fury built up inside the IceWing.

"Mind sharing what you have going inside your head?" He finished, making sure a breath of frost landed on Qibli's face.

Qibli shook his head lightly, before looking Winter in the eye once again.

"Winter." He started. "I am sorry you're like this. You've let this eat you up for a year, and I wasn't brave enough to talk about it with you. I was being a bad friend."

"Bad friend?" Winter said, with a hint of amusement. "You haven't hindered, or actively harmed-"

But Qibli cut him off, not letting the IceWing sink even deeper.

"Let me finish. It was stupid to leave our conversation to only letters, especially after what happened. I should have known you were in a bad spot. I was just… overthinking things, like I always do. No matter what happens, no matter what I say or do, I mean it when I tell you right now you're my best friend, and you mean a lot to your clawmates too."

He then took a deep breath before adding, "Winter, we want to help you."

As if it was some kind of signal, two dragons appeared out of nowhere, with one dragon standing in front of the other. They then folded their wings as they stood side by side, with one of their claws on top of the other dragon's claw.

Wait, a dragon that was changing colors perfectly…

… Kinkajou? And if she's here, then that other dragon had to be…

"Turtle!?" Winter yelled, with a hint of disgust. The SeaWing was taken aback from the IceWing's expression, but thanks to being with Kinkajou, he managed to mostly keep himself under control.

But Winter wasn't so easy to cool off. There was the answer to all of his problems standing right there, in front of him. But instead of doing as he wanted, the SeaWing just looked at him.

As if he wanted to see him like this.

"Well, isn't this just great?" Winter said, eyes staring straight through everyone. "You decided to come see me… when I gave instructions not to."

"Winter." Kinkajou said, with her tone more worried than Winter had ever heard. "You need to get sleep. I've seen firsthand how missing a day changes someone's personality for the worst."

"No!" He yelled back scared. "I'm not willingly going to sleep until Turtle does as he's told. That's final!"

"Well, I can't do that for you, Winter." Turtle said. "I don't want to use my powers for something that we can talk you out of doing."

Winter scoffed and said, "What makes you think we can talk this out?"

"Simple. Your reason." Qibli cut in. "You could have asked if Turtle would enchant something to stop these nightmares from coming, or something to make you at least not look and feel like a scratching post."

"But you didn't. Before I left, you asked to forget us. To forget about what happened when we were together. That's something that you have to talk about, Winter. You can't just bury and ignore it. It's effecting you for the worst, can't you see that?!"

Winter paid no attention to the SandWing and instead looked at his table. He walked over to it, the others not knowing what he planned to do, until they all heard a loud crack coming from the bottom of the table. They then all noticed that Winter had one of the four legs in his claw as he tossed it over to Turtle.

"Pick it up and do it, Turtle." Winter commanded the Animus dragon. "Say what you need to say, so I can finally get some rest."

Winter's breathing was heavy as he watched the SeaWing look down at it, but not making his choice.

The IceWing only grew more impatient as frost began to spill from his mouth. "I'm not going to ask you again, Turtle. I know you wouldn't go flying without your healing stone."

He noticed that the SeaWing heard him loud and clear, and looked back down at the broken off leg once again, and continued to ponder.

But then Kinkajou stepped in front of Turtle, spreading out her wings. "You're not really thinking about hurting Turtle, are you?"

"If he does as I say, no one will have to find out." Winter said, staring at the RainWing. "So do it!"

Kinkajou, panicked, looked back to Turtle as he now held the wooden leg. Winter noticed that the prince actually seemed confident, not scared by the IceWing's remarks at all.

The two princes continued their staring contest until Turtle lifted the leg up high.

All the nightmares, all the guilt, all the pain. Winter felt like relief was moments away.

Until the SeaWing turned behind himself and tossed it as far as he could.

"NOOOOOO!" Winter screamed as his answer was rejected right before his eyes. The world only showed him the shrinking stick until it disappeared into the tall grass.

It was right there. Right. There…

And he couldn't stop himself.

His wings launched him towards the SeaWing, and none of the Winglet could stand in his way, not when he was already too close.

"GAAAHHHHHH!" Winter cried out in pain as he raised his claw, and delivered a heavy slash to the water dragon's neck with a force that could cut down trees.

A sickening crack was heard all around the camp as bones were pushed beyond what they could manage. Blood was gushing out from the body as the pain made itself known to the dragonet as it dripped from the scales to the grass.

Winter's right claw was useless to him now.

Using his other front claw, he grabbed his limp claw and cried out in anguish. All of the other times he's had his limbs broken or torn off of him, at least he would come to know it was only a nightmare.

But this wasn't a dream of some sort. His claw was less useful than his table as he clutched it close to his body.

Through the pain and tears, he managed to ask, "What… just happened?.." To the SeaWing prince, who was already digging through his bag in a panic.

The RainWing standing besides him was a bit conflicted. On one claw, she had enjoyed whenever Winter got what was coming for him, but the other claw knew that this was not the same when he was just a big old meanie.

"Long story, but what you need to know is that my scales are hard as diamonds." Turtle said as he decided that spilling the bag was the faster way to find the stone. "I wish I told you before you broke your claw, but it's nothing I can't fix."

Winter growled once the sentence came to a close. He looked at the SeaWing as he finally found the stone he was looking for.

The SeaWing prince was right, as his scales looked the same as they were when he arrived, aside from small dots of blue blood by his neck.

The IceWing's breathing only grew more rapidly as the pain faded away and he realized what he had just tried to do.

He was blinded by rage so much that he was willing to deal a fatal blow to Turtle. If he didn't have those scales, he would have been killed.

It didn't matter that the two princes didn't really know each other very well, he was about to kill his friend all because of a stick.

Qibli, Kinkajou, Moon? They'd never forgive him for that.

He'd never be able to forgive himself either.

They all have to leave now!

Winter felt something cool touch his head, and on instinct he backed off, seeing a shocked expression on Turtle's face as he held out the stone to him.

"Easy Winter." Turtle said, a little shaken. "I'm just trying to-"

"STOP!"

…

…

Winter raised himself off the ground, panting and still cradling his injured claw. He stared at the SeaWing with a glare that wasn't all too pleased. Combined with how sleep deprived he was, and all three dragons could barely see their IceWing Prince anymore.

This dragonet was someone else entirely.

"Don't you get it? Can any of you guys see it now?!" Winter cried out. "This is all I ever do to your group, and I nearly kill someone this time. I can't be with you."

Qibli dashed over towards him, saying, "Don't say stuff like-"

He bit his tongue as his eagle eye saw a cyan light quickly brighten inside of Winter's mouth. The SandWing was going too fast to stop and turn around, but he used that to his advantage as he pivoted towards the SeaWing and RainWing.

"Get down!" He yelled as he tackled the two dragons, knocking them back as Winter let out the most ice he ever put into a single blast of frostbreath.

"SHUT UUUUUUUUUUUP!" He cried out as ice both crawled on the ground and rose to the sky. It formed one solid wall of ice with multiple sharp points on the side. It was slow enough that it never caught up to his clawmates, but it drove them away.

Just as he wanted it to.

Once there was nothing left to exhale, the pain of his broken wrist came rushing back to him like bugs in a jungle. He fell to the ground in tears, leaning his body against his side of the wall, which was smooth like the ground.

His mind was in total shambles. It just wanted things to go back to what they were. No winglet asking how he's been. No nightmares that mocked him for what he was. No more body that could barely function anymore.

Was that too much to ask? Was it really that tall of an order for the world to deliver him?

For it to just be him, himself, and silence that blocked everyone and everything from him? For good?

Wing flaps were picked up by his ears. He opened one eye to see who it was, but all the water in his sight made it impossible to see clearly.

But he could see the color of the dragon, and it was the haunting black that toyed with him in his dreams.

"No! NOOOOO!" He called out as he ducked in fear. He fell asleep again. He was back in the winter wasteland, and Darkstalker was gearing up to finish him off.

It all. Just. Never-

"Winter!"

The voice cut deep into his heart. It froze him to his core as the name rang in his mind over and over again.

It was a NightWing's voice that scared him every time he heard it in his sleep, only it didn't belong to the mad, power hunger Darkstalker. It was a soft voice that could heal him, but sting him just as easily. A beautiful voice he could listen to forever, yet it could rip his heart out if it were in pain.

He cleared his eyes from the salty water, and looked at the dragon more carefully. Her appearance, her eyes. She was still as pretty as when he first saw on her. After all those nights seeing her get killed, it took his breath away to see that she was ok.

He couldn't find the words to say as Moonwatcher landed on the ground a little ways from him, but she had plenty to share with Winter. He could tell just by looking at her face.

But the minute she took a step forward, he took one back. Moon could see the fear in Winter's eyes. She had known he was in a bad state, but to see him scratched up and frightened at the sight of her…

It hurt her.

She took a deep breath, before calling his name again, but even softer.

"Winter…"

She took another step forward, but Winter still took a step away from her, causing her to do the same as the SandWing and bite her lip.

But she could see that Winter was getting ready to speak.

"Leave Moon." He said. "You, Qibli, Turtle… everyone has to go. Now… Please."

Moon let the silence return. This situation had to be overseen delicately, because she understood how dangerous Winter was.

But she couldn't back down. Not when he was a bigger threat to himself.

"I'm not leaving you, Winter. I don't want to see you continue to hurt yourself."

"And I don't want to hurt you!" Winter yells out, as he holds out his limp claw. "You see this claw?! Turtle would be dead if he wasn't protected, and I could have frozen any of them solid if they tripped!"

He grunted from the pain, but looked Moon in the eye. "I'm not your friend, Moon. I'm your enemy. I only caused you guys pain. I make you worry about me. You shouldn't come after me when it's too late!"

That was it for him. He saw how tense her body was when he stretched out his right arm, actually preparing herself in case he did fly at her.

"No." She said, calm on the outside, but disgusted by what she did in the inside. "It's not too late, Winter. There's still hope for you, just like when we first met. I might be the only dragon left that can save you from yourself."

Winter looked down and let out a quiet growl. He then took deep breaths, but Moon was trying to relax her body stance. She looked at him like a page of prophecies, trying to figure out what was going through his mind.

But then he moved his left claw up to his right ankle and over his skyfire pouch.

Moon hid her expression very well, because now she had to prepare her mind for what Winter was about to do.

She could faintly hear him say, "You don't get it." Before the bracelet was ripped off, and her mind was assaulted by thoughts.

"Ahhhh!"

She couldn't help but retrack her head to her body as the pain of getting a flood of thoughts came over her. Even though there was a warning, she just couldn't prepare herself for what the IceWing had in his mind.

"Does this mind belong to someone you should help?!" Winter yelled angerly at the NightWing. He watched her put a claw over her head, but he couldn't care less about how she was feeling. As long as he drove her away, his mission would be complete.

"Someone who'd always rush to conclusions? Someone who always doubt you and the others? I yelled at you for protecting my scavenger, yelled at you for saving my life, I helped Darkstalker with his plans, and abandoned you when you needed me most!"

Winter limped over to Moon, who was still taking it all in, and trying her best not to sound in pain. "I'm still the same immature dragonet I was at the academy. Arrogant, quick to anger, and hurting EVERYONE AROUND ME! I don't deserve to have any of you, and you shouldn't have to deal with me either. You live peacefully, you changed Darkstalker, and you live with the dragon of your dreams!"

He showed off his fangs as he stopped next to Moon. "WHY DO YOU CLING ONTO A MONSTER LIKE ME?!"

"GAHHH!" Moon cried out in pain as the final blast of thoughts barged into her mind. And she couldn't hold her emotions anymore. Slowly, she sobbed as her claw slipped down over her eyes, and Winter couldn't help but feel like she finally had enough of him.

But then, she began to rise. Her body lifted itself from the ground.

The IceWing only grew more impatient. With tears streaming down his face, he simply asked, "Why?"

"Because you're scared of yourself." Moon said, not daring to look away. "You go to sleep and have the worst nightmares that fill your head with lies and want to force you to take your life, and I can't leave you with those thoughts."

"Why not?!" Winter asks in disbelief. "It's better off if I'm dead so you don't have to worry about me. You read my mind, you should know that."

But Moon took a deep breath. "I know. You can't stop thinking about it, and it is awful… but you're forgetting you've grown."

"When I first saw you in the Prey Center, your mind seemed hostile towards anyone that wasn't an IceWing, because you believed that your kind was above everyone else, and didn't want to give them any kind of respect. It was like you were boxing everyone out."

"But now? I see the box becoming a deadly shield, with ice spikes to keep everyone away… but in the center of it is a scared, fragile dragonet who doesn't want to ruin someone's life. So he locks himself away, not wanting others to get hurt by his actions."

The words continue to cut through Winter, as his aggression slowly faded. It was like Moon was picking the right words to calm him down.

"But I know that scared dragonet, and I know he isn't perfect… but he's still a hero to me, because he's willing to do the right thing. He's willing to stop his sister from killing someone from a clan his tribe saw as evil. He not only traveled with dragonets from other cultures, but learned to appreciate them, and open up to them. He saved them from a catapult and a shapeshifting assassin, carried a dragonet all across the island to get her medical help. He even took a risk to put himself in his brother's claws to try and help him."

"And the moment of truth when he had everything he ever wanted in life, he threw it away to be with his friends and did what no IceWing would ever do,: Free Foeslayer from her prison."

Moon then felt Winter's mind become conflicted. He… he forgot about all of that. He had spent all this time moping that he couldn't remember any good he had done.

"I really enjoyed that story she told me before we left. It helped me remember why I'm doing this. It reminded me of talking with you those nights we spent looking for your brother. I got to see the dragonet you were underneath all that ice, and I want to see him again."

Her right claw grabbed a hold of Winter's left, and he could feel her heartbeat slowly calming his own. His eyes were slowly filling with more water.

But… he couldn't let her win.

"Moon." He said, shaking his claw free. "I'm not that dragon anymore. Remember what I did afterwards with all the arguing and fighting about Darkstalker. Is that still a hero to you?"

She closed her eyes, but then opened them up, continuing to look at him. "I may not have been able to read your mind, but looking back, you just wanted us safe... Well, me safe, because you knew what Darkstalker could do… and I let him brainwash you. I could have stopped it, but I didn't, and yet you were still in there-"

"No, I wasn't!" Winter yelled, cutting her off. "I almost killed Qibli, I fought with you again at the castle… and then I left you. To fight with a tribe that wanted me dead… and now, I see it every night. Every time I can't save you, myself, or anyone no matter how hard I try."

"But that's just it, Winter. You try!" She pointed out crying. "Every dream that our winglet is in trouble, your first instinct is to help us. Your spirit, no matter how many times you died, still fought back, because that's the Winter I know."

Winter looked. Moon had more tears on her face than Winter had on his. It all happened so fast. Did she… have regrets too?

"Of course I have regrets, Winter." She said as she read his mind. "And sometimes, I can't stop thinking about them too, because I was being stupid."

Hurt by her remark, Winter went to defend her, but she put a claw over his mouth, silencing him. "At least you have a reason why you left us, while I'm left with the biggest mistake of the two of us, and that's keeping secrets from you."

Now, it was the NightWing's turn to lose it.

"I-I should have told you about Peacemaker from the start, told you about Qibli and I, but I didn't trust you. And that choice ate you up inside until it spat you out like this. It's because of me that you're like this, and I can't stand what I've done. I'm sorry."

And then, as if Winter couldn't feel more confused, Moon leaned her head on Winter, sobbing. "Please forgive me, Winter, because I forgive you. We all hurt each other, but it doesn't have to stay that way. Not when we can grow stronger. Together."

Now, Winter didn't know what to do. He wanted to push her off of him. Try to bite at her or scare her away. Tell her that she was wrong and that he wasn't worth any sort of trouble.

But that was one side. The other side wanted to be comforted, held, told that it was going to be okay. But it also wanted to be there for Moon as she dealt with her own set of problems and tell her the same thing.

It had never crossed his mind that he wasn't the only dragon that was suffering and now he couldn't decide if he wanted this or not, because he had heard every word.

He spoke first, this time more subdued.

"I… I don't know if I see what you see, Moon. I just… after everything that's happened, you are telling me I'm some kind of hero when all I've done since then is fly away from all of you guys, and focus on making a place for scavengers who'll want to leave the moment they have a chance to. I can't see myself as a hero anymore."

In a sea with large waves, and deadly currents, Winter couldn't help but lean his head against Moon, who felt like a rock to keep him above water.

And now, with both of them tearing up, he didn't want to let go.

"I'm tired, Moon. I feel terrible, I feel weak, I feel… sorry… sorry for dragging you into this mess, and hurting everyone else. I'm sorry."

Moon let out a small chuckle, and it made Winter pause.

"Oh Winter." She said softly. "That's what I love about you. How you don't act like your parents wanted you to, you're just yourself. The you that's humble, wanting to do the best for others, and making sure things are in order and dragons are protected, because that's what I see in the scavenger's minds."

Winter couldn't help but stop himself. He moved his head to look at Moon, who now had a small smile on her face.

"How?" He asked. "How could they think that about me?"

"I told you, Winter. You grew. The Winter I met had those traits, but traveling with us made them stand out even more, and the scavengers see that too. They've seen you make homes for them, watching over them from your hut, and stand by them if any dragon gets too close."

She… She wasn't lying. Winter had just twisted those memories to make him look like some kind of dictator, but the truth was slowly making itself known. In fact, he remembered more pleasant memories, and Moon made sure to see them all.

"I can see the nights you hoped Kinkajou didn't get hurt by swinging around in the rainforest, how you wished that Turtle would make a story dragons of all ages would enjoy. You hoped that Peril wasn't getting bullied by jerk dragons talking about her past, and that Clay would stay by her side. You even thought about Foeslayer, and wished her the best."

Moon then cleared up her eyes before she continued. "But the fact that tells me that the real you is still fighting in there is that you never hoped if I was okay, because you knew that Qibli and I would take care of each other no matter what happened. If I were in any danger, Qibli would think of multiple plans to keep me safe, and you knew that I was with the dragon I loved the most and wanted to be with all my life…"

"And you're right. Kinkajou is doing great, Turtle couldn't be happier with what he made, Qibli is great to be with, and it's because of you that Darkstalker is saved, because Foeslayer was the one who made him Peacemaker, and she's gotten to raise her son into a happier life."

"But even after all of that, I still care about you, Winter. I'm so sorry this took so long but-"

She tighten her grip on him while wrapping her right wing over Winter like a blanket. It put him at ease as her embrace broke through every wall he put up.

The only dragon that could ever reach him was the only one who could truly understand him.

"You're not alone. You never were, and never will be, because we're here for you whenever you need help. You just got to let us in."

Moon's head fell on Winter's back, and Winter shortly followed. He had no idea how much he missed this feeling of someone being there for him.

And it wasn't over, as he felt another wing land on his back, with more of them coming.

"I know how it feels like to make a mistake you feel like you can't take back." Turtle said, quiet, but hopeful. "Peril has it worse than all of us, and yet, every time I talk to her, you'd never think she's being held back."

A third, colorful wing joined as Kinkajou said, "Because we'll always have dragons to count on. Whether days away, or one bed away, we can move forward knowing we won't be alone."

Lastly, Qibli arrived, though it took a while until he slipped in between Kinkajou and Moon. "We're all going to continue making mistakes the same way we make the right decisions, because that's just life. And no matter what it throws at us, being a winglet, friends, and if you reeeeeally want to go that extra mile, a family, well, I think that's one of the best things that's ever happened to us, and surprisingly, you're a big reason why we're one in the first place."

Winter let out a small chuckle, but he couldn't stop it as his smile grew. One born from true happiness, something that had left him for so long.

He missed this. He missed Turtle, Kinkajou, Qibli, and Moon. A part of him even wished that Peril was here, just out of reach to not burn them all up with her firescales.

But then one last surprise wrapped around his left ankle. One pair of tiny arms around his sharp scales that Winter couldn't help but look at.

It was her! The girl he talked to at the pond, right when it all started. She ran back into her tent…

And now she's here?

"They really are smarter than they seem." Moon whispered in his ear. "Doesn't that just melt your heart that she'd do something like this?"

Winter looked at Moon and smiled. "Not as much as what you guys are doing. Thank you. Thank you so much for sticking with me, and trying to help me through all of this."

He felt his breathing finally beginning to slow down. His body was starting to ache and suffer through pain, but the sleep was faster than all of the effects as his eyes grew heavy.

"It's okay, Winter." Moon said. "We'll all be here when you get up. That's a promise."

"And I… trust you..." Winter said just as the world went black, and finally, the former prince fell asleep in the arms of his winglet, with a warm smile on his face.