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Prologue: The day after his fall

Protected by the walls the palace she just reached the depths of, it is in a room locked and kept by guards that the queen resides. Settled on the chair made for her and her many ancestors, her advisors of vastly different fields can only wonder and doubt, worrying for their tribe's leader and what she might do… Well, except for Allknowing.

- "So, our greatest asset has fulfilled the traitor's destiny he always had and Clearsight desperately promised me like a dragonet pleading its parents that she would stop him. What do we do now?"

Her cold and firm voice ending, it is a silence that follows in the room and its grand table as none seems courageous enough to speak. A fact that frustrates her to no end, quickly pushing her to no longer hide some feelings.

"You worthless snakes. Why do you think I'm having you at my side right here, right now? Do you want to be fired or worse?"

Feeling the tension rising to be too much, it is general Morningstar, who standing at the queen's left decides to speak.

- "Your majesty, since it is my duty as general to lead and serve under your wings… I must inform you that the icewings are getting more than bold. While we may not know what they and their queen truly think, it is obvious they will use the recent chaos of our queendom to deal a critical hit."

- "Is that all?" The ruler asks with her piercing gaze, one that the general must stand against.

- "No. Our enemies' forces are still strong, and my best scouts and planners give three days at most before the icewings are fully restored on the frontlines."

With the noises of claws scratching the wooden surface, a new silence comes to be as the members of the table all watch Vigilance grow unhinged. But fortunately for them, she retains enough sanity to voice her next demand under a calmer tone, even if that could shift in a moment.

- "So, what are the ideas you all have to get us out of that mess?"

- "My queen, I think there are some peculiar dragons that could pay for their lack of loyalty if not be useful for our cause…" Declares the more confident voice of Allknowing...

…

Flying high in the sky are two seawings, a green one and a purple one. Bearing both a satchel, it is without looking back that the pair ventures in the lands of the night queendom. So determined in their journey are they, that the two might cross the edge of the tribe's domain and reach the rainwings' territory.

But no matter how many times the prince looks at his beloved, and no matter how many times he tries to think of the duty that was given to him before a friend said her final goodbye, he finds himself unable to continue for long. And seeing that, his companion is not one to demand more from him, worry spreading over mind before she decides to approach his partner to the closest.

- "It is alright Fathom, I'm with you and will always be. So try to grin a little as we will land and rest like you need to."

Finding nothing better than silence, it is with a light sense of relief that the green seawing follows the dragoness in her descent. And soon enough, they reach the land below as their gazes remain focused. It may not be ideal for them to settle, but that will still be better for the tired one than to finish his long journey with aching wings...

Their paws touching the greener grass, Fathom can only catch his breath. And stepping toward the nearest tree, it is against his wishes that his lover sees him in all his exhausted glower. But that is alright as the seawing dragoness remains far more comforting than judging in her following march.

"Seems like you are still far more at ease in the sea than above it…"

- "Very funny Indigo. Must I remind you we still have the most important mission of making sure the scroll is never found?"

Blinking at her lover's response, it is no time that she replies, her tone shifting to voice other feelings.

- "I know that, but… You know what? Fine. I understand your worries, but this is a break we are taking and no one has been pursuing us yet."

- "And you think that is an excuse to let your guard down?"

Hearing such words, Indigo does not hesitate to bridge the distance with her partner. And once close to his green scales, it is with an extended wing that she looks into his eyes.

- "My dear Fathom, after years of trying to live with you no matter what queen Pearl or any other did to separate us, I must tell you that our happiness is worth more than that."

Grabbing his satchel, the purple seawing is quick to open it, retrieving a large scroll of black leather to the other's disliking. Before putting it back, confidence returning to her as she speaks again.

"You want that thing to never be left unguarded for even a second? Then fine, I'll take care of it myself."

Looking away, it is obvious the prince is nervous, but when Indigo brings him against her scales, Fathom can hardly continue to oppose her. And when he replies, it is only to tell of what weights on his heart.

- "I don't doubt of your skills to protect me and accomplish our mission. But It's just… After all that has happened, after my greatest failure, how can I be sure you and I will be enough?"

- "Fathom, when will you understand that such a nightmare is over? Clearsight has probably already stopped Darkstalker with the banishing enchantment you made, and even if she did not? Without his magic, he is far less powerful and special than he thinks."

- "B-But he made himself immortal and invincible! He enchanted a knife to kill an icewing every full moon, and many other things! Don't you see nothing short of magic will ever, truly stop him?"

Feeling her lover clinging further into her while she can see some tears, Indigo hesitates not to tighten her embrace.

- "He may be invincible, but he is not immune to pain nor unstoppable. I'm still a royal guard trained to defend a crowned dragon against the fiercest of attackers, remember?"

- "Yes but…"

- "But nothing, my heart is yours and so I will defend you to my last breath like I did the first time. As for if he is still too strong, maybe magic will be necessary. But I know you will use it if the situation truly demands it…"

Recoiling in an instant, the seawing prince is far from free of his worries. But as she sees that, her loving companion does not let him sink into such thoughts.

- "Fathom… May dear Fathom… For how much you fear your magic, you have always done good with it. At first saving me and the tribe from Albatross, and then saving me and Pyrrhia from Darkstalker."

And seeing he does reply, she continues with that encouraging and trusting voice of her. Her wish to pull him out of his darkness an obvious one as her body continues to hug him from head to tail.

"While it is good you do not think of yourself as better than everyone else, I think it is time you admit to yourself that you are a far better dragon than you pretend to be. That your soul is bright."

His doubt still strong but not doing anything to refuse his loving partner, Fathom seems to be falling if not the other's grip as he starts to contest her words.

- "No I'm not Indigo. I was sent from preventing an animus to become evil. I was there to stop my friend from madness… but I did not. I could not do it, and therefore, I failed to be a good dragon."

Listening to her partner's words with a growing sense of pity, the purple dragoness nonetheless stays strong. And gazing at her surroundings for a moment, it is with surprising gentleness that she invites him to walk, the fresh wind blowing at the many trees.

- "Listen closely my matching pearl. Sometimes a good dragon does some mistakes, and sometimes he fails but that is not his fault. After everything we've gone through together, I think deep inside you know what matters the most is to be good and happy."

"So don't let the doubts instilled by others repeating things unwisely get to you. Don't let them spoil your happy ending now that you have it…"

…

Bearing a bag that seems to weight quite a lot on his body, a nightwing and his dragoness of black and snow almost slither through the city of night. As expected after what many saw and heard, the nightwings from all around seems to behave more erratically and not for the better. And of course, the lack of words from the queen and its messengers beside orders to "stay calm and in place" did little to tame the chaos.

But refusing to let the whole situation slow him down, it is after a long moment of being persevering that Thoughtful arrives at destination. Approaching a pair of dragons and the many stockpiles of food they possess, though not without receiving some weird glances, it is in a calmer manner, and after another leaves with some meat, that he initiates the conversation.

- "Hello, my name is Thoughtful and the one on my side is Whiteout. We are here for some rations like many others."

Hearing such a voice, the nearest of the two quickly focuses on him. But before she can do anything, the second is one to quickly drop the knife and express his quick judgement.

- "Whiteout? Isn't she the sister of that cursed snake who throw the tribe into chaos just yesterday?"

- "Cursed yet not lacking in blessings and a bright core at the start. Now h-he has fallen deep and far beyond unlike mother and father, but…"

But no word comes to complete her own sentence, the tears starting to run down her snout. Immediately, Thoughtful brings her into his embrace, trying to comfort her like he did sooner that day…

- "Excuse me? Were you saying you still took his side?" Asks a coming dragon, her moderate armour coupled with the spear she holds by the tail suggesting of her rank as a guard.

- "Whiteout has been through a lot. Asking such a thing is unwise." Replies Thoughtful as he still holds his partner, his tone firmer than he thought.

- "Now that you say it, I'm realizing it is quite miraculous she hasn't been arrested. I would have been the queen, the family of that traitor would have been made to pay." Adds the dragoness in an almost bored voice, her eyes containing no malice but no kindness either.

- "Enough! Don't you see how disrespectful you all are?!" Tells Whiteout's partner as he realizes how deep she is falling, her eyes now fully closed yet crying.

- "You have yet to reach a fitting rank to order that, boy! So calm yourself down or you will suffer the consequences."

Hearing the words of the guard, the lover takes a short moment to look around... before coming at a conclusion. Saying nothing more, the nightwing turns his back, and inviting his crying companion to follow, he leaves the place and its three dragons, caring not for the gazes of others nightwings in the somewhat crowded area…

To think they allow themselves to have no manners… It's already not easy for everyone, but with such uncaring ones when it comes to understand another even a little bit, each moment is becoming a test of my patience and spirit...

- "Thoughtful, please stay out of the harsh fire. I don't want your colours to lose their full meanings, not when blue and pitch black and staining red surround us and our fresh past."

- "I am sorry for all that you have to go through my dear Whiteout, but I fear that respect is not something some want to give us, even in such dire times. And that, I may not and should not have to bear if our tribe held justice in its heart..."