All Wings of Fire property belong to Tui T. Sutherland, I only own my OCs.
Sirbobbo's notes: I'm back.
I've just been busy with other things, really, with my health getting better I've been taking more responsibilities in life. Thus, less time to write.
STILL WON'T STOP THO.
I'm actually super pumped for the next couple chapters, I'll explain more at the bottom.
Like always, feel free to comment anything you liked about the chapter. If there's something you didn't like, I encourage you to share that too, but I only ask you to be polite.
You guys are awesome.
BUT BEFORE I LET YOU GO!
Remember when I said something around the lines of "I'm basing the world of WOF 5 years after the events of book 15"? If you do, then throw that to the wind, kiss it goodbye. That's a slight exaggeration, but you get the point. For a part of the story in general, I'm gonna use my godlike abilities as an author, and change a thing about the world. Nothing crazy, and it won't affect the current world.
It's solely for lore, and to fit the dynamic I'm trying to build in the story. Plus, it'll set up super cool fights later in the story.
TRUST ME, THE NEXT CHAPTERS WILL BE CRAZY. (I'm more concerned with it being "too crazy", we'll just have to see lmao.)
That's all, just keep an open mind, okay?
Enjoy.
Another. Long. Day.
You heard her, it's gonna be another long day.
It'll be good practice!
You'll make lots of friends!
Don't you want extra credit? If so, volunteer!
Begrudgingly, the Nightwing dragoness rose from her slumber. A lazy yawn left her lips, as her eyes adjusted to the dim light in the sleeping cave. She's the only one in the cave, must've slept in late, again.
"Why did I sign up for this…?" She grumbled to herself, fixing her nest.
After running her usual morning routine, Sixthsense the nightwing dragonet left in time for her assignment, settling down at her station along with other Nightwings who shared the same abilities as her.
The Psychic Cave.
A cave that was recently established a few years ago, to account for the many Nightwings who were beginning to be hatched with ancient Nightwing abilities. With the help of a Nightwings dragoness who conveniently specialized in both aspects, mind reading and future sight. Such a thing was possible.
Moonwatcher established the curricula and assignments for these special dragonets, and occasionally would teach them herself if she found herself with the time. Unfortunately, she was burdened with other responsibilities in her life, so Moonwatcher wasn't available for today's open house.
Six's station is a simple desk with a sheet of written papers, hidden behind an elaborate curtain for decoration. Adding to the intrigue, and mystery to the whole "Nightwing super powers" idea.
She wasn't the only one, obviously, many others had their own stations. Ranging between mindreading, and future telling. Sixthsense specialized in mindreading, something she quickly found boring after her extensive studies here at the academy.
The week had already been pretty stale, and now she's questioning whether the extra credit was truly worth it…
Fortunately for her, the hours went by fast.
In the academy, dozens of dragonets poured in. Exploring the caves and everything they had to offer…
It wasn't long before a peculiar dragonet took interest in the sign hung above the cave.
"… sy—syyaaa–"
"Pinkie… please stop–"
"syyyyaaqque… cave?"
"This is sad to hear..."
Pink continued to stare down the sign hung above the cave, he was determined to read it successfully to the horror of the dragonet seated on top of him.
"Come on, let's go inside!" Beautybat said eagerly, hopping up and down in excitement.
Pink couldn't understand the appeal of having your mind read. It's an invasion of privacy, and he could recount the dozens of embarrassing moments he had in his early teenage years. That's not even the worst of it…
What if the mindreader finds out his true origins?
At this point, Pink pretty much used all of the excuses he had at his disposal.
They had visited the other caves in the academy; the library, history, museum and even the arts and crafts cave Beautybat was so excited about.
But other than doing his best to postpone the visit to the Physic cave, he genuinely found the academy intriguing to his foreign mind. He didn't get a chance to properly converse with the staff, or the other aspiring students, yet, he could see the passion and interest in their eyes.
Something that never existed in the school of his old world.
His world was bland, absolutely dull compared to this one. Corporations owned the schools, and rather than them running it like a school, they ran it like a business. Stripping the little life, and joy schools had beforehand completely. This world might as well be the polar opposite of Pink's in terms of "humanity", ironically enough.
"Pinkie, hurry up, come on!" Beautybat said, continuing to jump on his back. "If my plan works out, they could help you remember something! M-maybe they can find out what happened before you became stupid!"
"Before I lost my memory?"
"Same thing!"
I'll remember that.
Having your mind read as an amnesiac could be one of the best things to happen to you. In Pink's case? Furthest from the best. He knows Beautybat means well, it's a good idea on her part, just not for him.
He could come up with a bullshit excuse, a really bullshit one, but something tells him he won't be leaving the academy without getting his mind violated. Eh, that's assuming the whole mindreader thing is real. In his old world, Pink didn't take anyone seriously who remotely believed in things like; tarot cards, gemstones, and zodiac signs.
Mindreading wasn't any different. But Pink knew he couldn't deny it actually existing, considering he now resides in a world of talking dragons who lived like early humans. Anything is possible.
After a few more attempts of reading the sign, Pinkie gave up, a sigh escaping past his frown. "Okay, we'll go inside," he grumbled. "Just stop jumping on my back, you're not that light."
"Yes–! Wait… what does THAT mean?!"
Ignoring Beautybat's offense, Pink trudged through the curtain of the cave.
Inside, it became apparent the cave is a popular attraction in the open house. Many of the Psychic stations were occupied, completely shut off by their own "mystical" purple curtains. Almost immediately, he turned to leave, relieved to not get his mind touched.
Alas, a station's curtains parted open, and a dragonet, a Seawing, waltzed out of it. They had a blush on their cheeks, and they kept their head low as they scurried out of the cave. Undoubtedly embarrassed by whatever their Psychic found, and that thought alone, frightened Pink ever so slightly.
"Next," a voice called within the curtains, followed by a grumble.
"Go before someone else takes our turn!"
"Our…?"
"Yeah…?"
"Nu-uh, get off," Pink gave his body a little shake, forcing Bat's to hop off with a dramatic whine. "I'm going alone, Bats."
"Whhhyyyyy?"
"Because I want to," he huffed. "I don't want you hearing anything you shouldn't."
"But we're friends, I-I promise not to tell–!"
"No."
"Okay…"
Pink sighed softly at Beautybat's defeat, and he raised a claw to pat her head. "If they help me remember anything… you'll be the first to know, how does that sound?"
"Really!?" She said jubilee, her eyes and scales practically glowing.
"Mhm," Pink started to get the hang of dealing with Beautybat's emotions, he'd rather deal with her in a good mood, than a sour one. "Don't–" He was about to tell her to stay close by, or not to wander off too far. But then he reconsidered, and realized it may actually be safer for him to be away from the princess. Considering her criminal record.
"Don't get into trouble," Pink decided, giving her a stern stare. "And try not to kidnap any dragonets while I'm gone."
"Shhhhhh…!" Bat's hushed, clamping her small claws on his maw. "Idiot! D-don't be so loud…!"
Beautybat had to keep her identity a secret, she didn't want to be seen, especially not after the crimes she caused. Fortunately, her little disguise is working so far. No one recognized her, not even her aunts, who came terrifyingly close to discovering her.
"Sorry," Pink said simply, his words muffled.
Bat released him, shooting quick glances around them to assure their conversation remained private. "I-I'll be in the Crafts cave," she muttered, turning away and heading out the cave. Suddenly, she came to a stop and glanced over her shoulder. "And dragonetnapping them was a ONE time thing…!"
"You napped four dragonets–"
"And you'll be next if you don't. Shut. Up."
…Did I seriously just get checked by a kid!?
"... As you wish, your highness."
"..."
With a roll of her eyes, she walked out of the cave.
"Phew," Pink turned, and he was met with another dragonet who inadvertently heard the end of their conversation. Great, Pink thought, locking eyes with the dragonet. "Don't question it," he mumbled, walking past them. "Trust me, it's for your own safety."
Leaving the dragonet even more dumbfounded, Pink waltzed through the purple curtains. Inside the darkness of the curtains, a single, small table lay motionless before him. On it, a sheet of paper, and beyond it, a dragoness, a dragonet his age.
Six eyed Pink sceptically, she never saw a Rainwing this color before.
Is he afraid?
"Are you ok–"
'It's normal."
Huh, never seen a hybrid his color, she thought.
She's met many "annoyingly" quirky characters during the open house this past week, each with their own unique traits. However she never saw another Rainwing this "odd" before. His scales were one thing, gray and white are causes for concern for their kind of dragonet, yet he stands utterly undisturbed by them.
But, that wasn't really the issue…
There was something extra odd about him, some sort of presence emitted from him, like a daunting shadow only she could see and feel. Sixthsense's eyes widened in anxiety, and she leaned herself slightly back from Pink. It's like her sixth sense is warning her, urging her to be careful about this dragonet.
"... Should I leave?" Pink's monotonous voice cut through the tense air like a knife, startling Sixthsense from her thoughts.
"Uh-um!" She stammered, her throat suddenly dry. "No, sorry…! I.. I–" Something about Pink's unwavering stare terrified her, it's cold, empty—lifeless. "You could just… take a seat."
Maybe I'm thinking too hard, I shouldn't have had so much coffee…
Or maybe she wasn't.
As instructed, Pink sat down before her. His eyes linger on the sheet of paper, before averting back up at Sixthsense. "Do I need to sign this?" Pink said, tapping a clear line on the paper.
"Y-yes, you do," Six finally said after a silent moment, her chest heaving slightly. "Um, it's basically a contract saying you consent to having your mind read. And that I legally can't…" She hesitated. "Tell anyone what I find…"
WHY IS SHE ACTING LIKE THIS?! Pink mentally cried. Did he do something? Is it his scales? Does she think he's a hybrid? He's keenly aware of Sixthsense's subtle movements, her nervous breaths, hesitation, even her eyes were shaking.
Whatever it is, he didn't have a clue.
It's not like he can read minds.
"… Okay."
A short, awkward moment passed with Pink scribbling down a signature that not even he could recognize. With that done, Sixthsense accepted it and carefully stored it with the rest.
"Thank you," she said, masquing her inner turmoil. "Could you please, put your claw here so I can hold it?" Sixthsense added, her heart racing slightly. She watched as Pink drew his claw, and placed it palm up at the table. Per habit, Six carefully drew her own, and clasped it with Pink's.
The act of holding a claw with a dragon wasn't entirely necessary, but Mindreading worked a little differently with each user. In Six's case, she found it easier to concentrate and "invade" a dragon's mind if she was in physical contact with them. Sixthsense felt like it's certainly needed, thanks to the anxiety clouding her mind.
"Now, give me a moment…" She said faintly, shutting her eyes.
"Okay."
The two of them sat in silence for the next minute or so, only then, Sixthsense finally opened her eyes.
That's strange, I can't find anything… She thought. Six raised her head, her eyes meeting with Pink's. "Sorry, I need another minute," Six said, a bit of desperation creeping into her tone. "Y-you're not wearing any jewelry, or anything like that, right?"
"No, I'm completely naked."
"… Alright…"
Sixthsense tried reaching into his mind again, subconsciously squeezing Pink's claw.
Jeez, is it her first day on the job or something? He wondered, his eyes falling onto her face. Pink saw the effort she was putting in, her face contorting the further she tried to "exercise" her abilities.
I can't find anything… no, that can't be possible, why can't I find anything?!
No matter how many times she invaded his mind, she couldn't find anything. In a span of seconds, Six went over the countless lessons she learned in her studies regarding mind reading. How to visualize it, how to control it, how to actually read a damn mind. And yet, nothing worked.
Invading his mind wasn't the problem, but having no "mind" to be read is the problem.
Like mentioned before, each mindreader had their own trick to reading minds; some chose raindrops to help visualize, others may use embers. In Six's case, she'd visualize a library.
A library filled with scrolls that she could pick out from, and read in order to discover the dragon's thoughts. In Pink's mind; there are no scrolls to pick from. Even stranger, the expanse of his library is limitless.
No matter how far Six moves in the metaphorical library, she couldn't see an end to it. What's the point? She questioned, if there is no mind to be read—no scrolls to be stored.
Why bother with a library?
She's taking a long time… hm, she does look a little nervous… it could actually be her first day, I should say something nice, maybe that'll help calm her down.
"You're doing a good job."
His seemingly innocent encouragement came off as sarcastic thanks to his voice, which of course, drew the attention of Six.
"… What…?"
"Nothing…!"
Aw man, now she thinks I'm being a jerk!
Six shot a glare at Pink, before shutting her eyes again. Pink's comment served to frustrate her further, and she grew more determined to find anything in this empty library.
Is that a door…?
She finally reached the end of the imaginary library, and slab in the middle, stood a door. Carefully, Sixthsense drew closer to the door with her claw inches away from the knob. Along with that, her heart beat faster, and harder. Every alarm bell in Six's mind went off, urging her to back off.
Sixthsense is stepping into territory that none of her classes prepared her for.
Just when Sixsthense thought she had enough–she did it.
She opened the door.
Behind it, there was a single shelf, with a small scroll placed in it.
Six did it, she found a memory!
And she didn't think twice about unrolling it…
Hurts…
"Silence!" A voiced boom in the hatchling's ear, followed by another blow to the head. "By the gods, why waste our time with this? When we can put an end to her this instant!"
"And go against the orders of the queen? You fool, think before you speak!"
The first voice grumbled, begrudgingly continuing his assignment the Queen of all the lands had ordered to be done.
He, along with another soldier, moved a metal cart that carried a limp hatchling on it.
They moved through a humid tunnel, the yellow bulbs of light hanging above blinded the poor creature. The dragonet faded in and out of consciousness, with a roaring headache that continuously throbbed.
She didn't understand what was happening, or where she was. One second she was with her mother, the next, she's in a dark container. Now here. There were distant chants at the end of the tunnel, echoing louder and louder the closer they got.
The hatchling couldn't move, her body was tied to the cart by chains. The most she could do is move her tail, and she's too weak to even lift her head up.
Before long, they breached the surface.
Dozens upon dozens of humans chanted in unison, a majority of them in excitement, while a fair share of them spat foul words at the hatchling. A few worked a heavy camera, with a crew along them. The soldier duo continued to push the cart through the crowd, following a fine red carpet that ultimately led to an altar of a temple. From which, the hatchling was lifted, and dropped on the cold stone platform; like a sacrifice.
"Look, her majesty is arriving!" A civilian proclaimed, pointing to the sky. Everyone turned their heads, focusing on the distant form of the queen. Using what little remained of her strength, the hatchling too looked up at the sky. She could see a familiar figure, a dragon, beating their wings towards her.
"Mmrrrphhh…!"
Could it be her savior? Another dragon? Her mother?
The hatchling made a weak call, barely audible, but loud enough to attract the attention of the soldiers and consequently awarded her with another hit to the head.
Approaching fast, the crowd made space for the dragon to land. The dragon was adorned with accessories; plated gold armor on its shoulders, luxurious bracelets and rings on their horns, wings and nostrils, and finally a beautifully decorated saddle on its upper back.
But their attention wasn't on the large imposing dragon, in fact, no one really seemed to care. Instead, their attention was on the human riding it; the queen.
"Make way for your Queen!" Said the arriving knights, landing beside the queen with their own dragons to boot. The crowd listened, and organized themselves swiftly, allowing space for the queen, and her royal protectors to travel through.
The Queen allowed a knight to assist her down, off her dragon. Landing on the ground, her heels clicked faintly on the stone. The imposing knight let go of her hand, stepping away, and allowed her to take the lead.
Everyone held their breath as their Queen made her way to the altar. Her sharp, yellow eyes locked onto the helpless hatchling lying on the cold stone. They all came for one reason, after all. The Hatchling held something they all believed no dragon should have, a gift that only a human should have. Not a dragon.
The hatchling felt increasingly uneasy, like an invisible presence was beginning to suffocate her with every step the Queen took. She didn't understand why this was happening to her, the only crime she could have done is wanting to be with her mother. She's weak. Fragile. Utterly useless to anyone of this kingdom…
Yet, she managed to attract the attention of everyone with her simple existence.
Even the Queen of this kingdom, and all the lands.
"My Queen…" A servant spoke, standing at the side of the hatchling. "Everything has been prepared; just as you wished it to be," he said. "But… might I ask… is this truly the bearer of… animus magic?"
No one said the word, no one else dared to speak. They all watched in silence as the Queen stepped up to the platform, her eyes never leaving the hatchling's form.
"Move, out of the way! I-I need to see this!"
"I thought I was being lied to… a dragon can never be a user of animus magic! That's blasphemy!"
"It's been centuries since the last dragon who could wield it… why now? What's so special with this one? It has to be an act, a ploy!"
"Please make way, we're recording!"
The crowd grew rowdy at the mention of the hatchling bearing animus magic, a blasphemous thought. They must find out if the rumors and statements were true, they wanted anything, and a word from their Queen could be enough. Does this hatchling truly harbor this ancient power?
"Control yourselves, you animals!" A knight roared, baring his sword and pushing back against the crowd with other knights like him. "The Queen has yet to comment on the situation! Behave, or else I'll have the tongues of every single one of you!"
Another roar boomed over the crowd, this time not human, but dragon. The Queen's dragon bared their teeth at the crowd, growling menacingly at anyone who showed a hint of protest.
"You've caused… quite a ruckus in my kingdom," the Queen spoke, her voice soft, and her chuckle echoing in the hatchling's mind. "To think… you had animus blood in your veins… a mistake on my part, I suppose," she sighed, shaking her head and walking up the servant. "Marwin, is the executioner here?"
"Of course–your majesty, he's sharpening his blade in the dungeon."
"Fetch him, I want this over with. Now. The longer this hatchling lives, the more…" She paused. "Forget it, just go!"
"Y-yes!"
The servant scurried off to the dungeon, nearly falling down the steps.
"Now," The Queen began, taking slow, steady steps around the altar. "What you all heard… is true."
Collective gasps were heard, even the knights and soldiers stiffened up.
"This hatchling–holds animus magic," she said, her glance lingering back on the hatchling. "I… felt it," the Queen stammered, her eyes emitting a soft yellow glow. "The moment she hatched. I-I felt it. The power… there's no mistaking it."
Animus…? The hatchling repeated internally, not understanding the meaning of such a revelation.
"Her animus signature is strong," the Queen added, stepping closer and placing her hand on the hatchling's back. "But… laughable, compared to mine."
The crowd fell silent, their previous perception of reality shifting. Each of them exchanged confused, and worried glances. Everyone knows the power of animus magic, and what it could do in the wrong hands, or in this case, claws. What would have happened if no one found out about this hatchling? None of them wanted to imagine that.
However, one brave soul decided to speak, to share a thought the entire population secretly though as well.
"Y-your majesty!" A member of the press called, pushing himself forward with a mic in hand. "How could this be!?"
"Hm, excuse me?" She said, stepping forward. Her eyes narrowed on the man, and she could already feel her patience begin to dwindle. The Queen never liked dealing with the press, and there were many occasions she wished she could snap her fingers, and have them vanish. To never exist again. "I've already addressed the issue at hand, have I not?" She said, a brow twitching
Though, The Queen held herself back.
How generous.
"You did!" The man said, a nervous chuckle escaping him. "But according to our history; centuries ago you allegedly defeated every dragon who wielded the power of animus magic. If you allegedly defeated every dragon, how did the hatchling inherit the ancient power?"
"Are you–"
"And if a dragon hatched with animus magic is such a risk to our kingdom, and naturally, your power… Why make it such a spectacle? You have the ability to kill the hatchling with a thought; why go through such an effort to spend our resources and tax dollars on a single, 'laughably weak' hatchling? Your words, mind you."
"Allow me to–"
"Are you afraid, your majesty?"
That did it.
"Are you afraid that your power would be questioned?"
"..."
"Are you afraid that this innocent hatchling's animus capabilities would surpass yours?"
"..."
"Any comments–"
The man dropped his mic, and clutched at his throat, veins beginning to swell on his forehead. Everyone around him gasped, stepping back, before the camera crew dropped their gear and ran to assist him.
"That's better," the Queen hummed, smirking. "If only you allowed me to speak, I wouldn't have commanded your own body to turn against you for speaking out of turn," her hauntingly sweet giggle echoed through the air, in stark contrast to the man dying in front of her.
"My Queen, please! He's turning purple!"
"Raise his head, I want him to answer my question."
The crew worked together to hold the man up, doing their best to prevent him from falling back to the ground. His hands clenched around his neck, squeezing it tightly, and he could do nothing but lock his eyes with the Queen, feeling his consciousness begin to fade.
"Now," she stepped forward, closer to the crowd. "Do you know who I am, hm?"
The man nodded, frantically, and so did his crew.
"Are you certain?," she said, a scowl beginning to take form. "Because it appears to me…" the Queen scanned the rest of the civilians. Some of them shied away, some held up cameras of their own, others…
Doubted her.
Her abilities, her upbringings, her power.
"You all are in need of a… brief history course, of the Queen that stands before you."
The hatchling continued to whine faintly in pain. She's getting overwhelmed by everything going on around her, in an effort to hinder it, she hides under her limp wing. Even so, the power the Queen radiated burned into the hatchling's very soul.
"Centuries ago, I was born in a world overrun by dragons," she spat, pacing slowly around the altar. "At one point in time, my only destiny was to be eaten by those beasts in the skies. They ruled the lands, spared nothing that didn't submit to their whims!"
The Queen huffed, clenching her fist tightly. "I… I refused to submit, I refused to be eaten—to have my family eaten… I refused to be nothing more than prey for the rest of my days…" She took a breath to calm herself, looking up at the hazy sky above her.
"That's when I discovered something…" She said, faintly, her eyes locked with the sun. "I was… special," The Queen raised her hand to it, holding it over the sun. "I was… strong."
She closed her hand into a fist, clenching it firmly, before relaxing it. A soft, warm yellow glow radiated from her palm. Drawing her hand back, the glow grew stronger, and it took shape. Closing her hand around it once more, she pulled and pulled, finally, the Queen summoned her faithful spear. A weapon made purely from the energy of the sun.
"Solfang Spear, a testimony to my strength," she murmured, a soft smile growing on her lips. The Queen casually wielded her weapon, inspecting it loosely. "My first weapon I summoned in my attack on the dragons," The Queen hummed, whirling the spear. "Nothing gave me greater satisfaction than seeing them crumble to dust with a stab of my spear… ohhh the memories, haha."
The Queen wished away her spear, and it evaporated into the air, leaning the crowd absolutely awestruck. They've only read scrolls and books about the legendary weapon Solfang Spear, when the Queen would use it against powerful dragons back then. No one has seen it since, till now.
"I discovered the name of the blessing I had all along during my crusade; animus magic," she said, turning back to the crowd. "From whom did I learn it from? An old, pathetic dragon from long ago," the Queen laughed. "Oh Mynthazar, haha! The old lizard begged for his life when he realized he couldn't manipulate me any longer!"
"Mynthazar certainly wasn't the only dragon I've slain…" She said, her breaths beginning to grow more labored, more angered. "I've slain plenty others; Dravon, Orvys, Rhaevn, and a dozen others that aren't worth mentioning!" She shouted. "I did, I've slain them all! No one else! I was no longer hunted, I became the hunter!"
The Queen's eyes grew mad, her veins began to pop the further she spoke. "I was the one to lead humanity into the golden age for countless years, sacrificing my time and body to serve my people's whims over my own!"
A mysterious force violently pulled the choking interviewer to her, and now, she held him by his neck. "Have I not PROVEN enough as your Queen?!" She roared. "Queen Atha! Thee Slayer Of Dragons—The Bringer Of Our Golden Age, Sorceress of Pyrrhia!" She clenched his throat harder, her sharp decorated nails cutting into his flesh. "What gives you the idea that I would EVER be afraid of a filthy, weak hatchling? To even assume in the first place is like you spitting on my face for everything I've EVER done… and it was never about making a show… It's about sending a message." Atha murmured coldly, bringing his purple face closer to hers.
The scene fell into an eerie silence.
It's like the world went still, not wanting Atha's rage to be directed at it either. The only thing audible is the interview's helpless struggle, and Atha's heavy breathing.
"Understand this; I am your Queen," Atha stated through grit teeth, ignoring the weak trickle of blood going down her hand. "Now, it's my duty to rectify this issue. Nothing more. Nothing less. Because I think we both agree that animus magic belongs in the hands of humans—never the claws of those scaleborne."
Atha tossed the interviewer back down below, and undid the spell she enchanted on him. He took a large guttural breath of fresh air with tears running freely down his cheeks, it took a moment for his crew to register his freedom, then they all lunged to pull him back to safety. The Queen watched apathetically, hearing the distant sirens of the ambulance and of course the whispers echoing around her.
"Now… anymore questions?"
Nothing.
"Good," Atha smiled. "Let's proceed."
Atha turned, her sudden movement causing the nearby servant and knights to jump.
"Your majesty," a voice spoke up out of sight, followed by the sounds of their armor creaking. A larger, more formidable knight arose and approached her. Their heavy black wool cloak fluttered in the slight breeze, casting them a haunting aura.
"I presume you are looking for me," they added, lifting up their battle axe then resting it on their shoulder. "My blade is sharpened, your majesty… however, there is one thing I must ask for," slowly, they lowered the axe with both hands, getting down on one knee and presenting the impeccable weapon to her. "Might I ask for your blessing, my Queen?"
"Hmm," Atha gave a nod to the other knights and servants present, silently signaling them to be ready for the impending execution. That being done, Atha stepped closer to the executioner and placed her soft tan hands on the axe's hilt. Atha's eyes wandered over the material, seeing her own image in the dark reflection of the embedded onyx gems.
Closing her eyes, she bestowed a blessing.
"By my will, let this blade strike deep, severe flesh from soul, and strip the cursed spark to nothing."
The axe's body flashed in a yellow light the moment Atha casted her blessing, before returning to its usual color. "You have my gratitude, your highness", the knight said, rising up from the ground.
Confused and lost about the entire situation, the hatchling's eyes fell on the only dragons present. They lingered on the dragon the Queen rode in, and that same dragon merely regarded her with a pained expression.
"I'm sorry…" The dragon murmured, dozens of feet away. "Please, close your eyes… everything is gonna be okay… you'll see your mother, I promise," they forced a smile. Watching in silent agony as the executioner organized himself beside the hatchling.
I'll make them all pay, the dragon promised, clenching his teeth.
"Maa…?" The hatchling chirped, lowly, a cry for any dragon around her. "… mmrrph… ma…!" A cry that fell on deaf and unwilling ears.
"Silence her," the Queen spoke to the executioner, passing by him to avoid the inevitable splash zone.
So then the executioner raised his axe, and the people looking on raised their camera. But the dragons looked away, lowering their heads further in shame, and guilt.
The hatchling's bright pink eyes looked up, and met her own reflection on the blade of the axe. Just in time for it to plummet down…
And just in time for her final—dying wish.
A wish to be under her mother's warm loving embrace, to be loved and cared for.
Not this.
The world went dark.
"What… WHAAAT…?!"
End of memory.
Sixthsense's exclamation echoed through the cave, temporarily silencing everyone before they resumed their activities, albeit a little on edge.
They both stared each other down with wide eyes, their breathing labored with heavy, anxious breaths. Each one of them feared what the other knew…
"… Do you know…?" All Pink could mutter.
An audible gulp left Six, and she self consciously rubbed her neck, making sure it's still attached. What she felt was too real, like she was in the memory herself.
What were those humans saying? Sixthsense couldn't understand a thing.
Where did this happen? Six didn't recognize the kingdom, or its occupants.
When did this occur? No idea.
Why did this happen? Why did a hatchling have to be executed in such a way? Why her?
Sixthsense almost wanted to see the memory again, just to understand the story behind it. Everything happened so fast. Maybe with time, she could attempt to decipher the language, the location, and maybe the context of that memory.
But that all could happen later.
After she gets the answer to this burning question in her mind.
"… What are you…?"
Every so slightly, Pink leaned forward. "Tell anyone…" He whispered ominously, tapping her desk. "I. Will. Sue. You."
After that, he didn't remember what else he did.
Because the only thing that rang in his mind was—
SHE KNOWS! SHE KNOWS! SHE KNOWS!
Pink spent so long attempting to move on from his human counterpart, to find a purpose in this new life. Embracing his new identity as a dragon in Pyrrhia.
She's gonna tell everyone!
Everyone's gonna think I'm a freak!
God, what will Serenity think?! Beautybat?! SPIDER?!
All of his work could all be undone the moment Sixthsense shared the news of his former life, and that terrified him. What would they all think? In Pink's current state of mind, he's convinced he'd lose them all. Serenity. Beautybat. Spider…
They are his world, the only dragons–plus monkey–he's come to know and care for.
Pink already lost his world.
He can't lose it again.
Not. Again.
Wait… where the fuck am I?
Looking around him, he's between two rows filled with stalks of vegetation of an unknown variety. They reached up to the very ceiling of the cave he found himself in, brushing past the moon globes that illuminated the space. Each stalk bloomed with a set of beautiful flowers, all ranging in color.
Suddenly, he couldn't look away.
The smells, the colors, the variety of plants and vegetation allured him. Making everything else fade away into obscurity, replacing his anxiety ridden thoughts with ones of pleasant satisfaction.
"Who… grew these?" Pink whispered to him, as if he'd scare away the bloomed flowers with just his voice. "Wow…" Slowly, he trailed down the row of plants. Devouring the gorgeous almost ethereal sight of the vegetation.
Then he went down another row.
"Sniff… I have never smelt this one before… what is it?"
And another row.
"Hey… this one is pretty familiar…"
And another.
"My dad would've lost his mind in here… holy shit–what kinda flower is that…!?"
"Please refrain from using inappropriate language in my cave, dragonet."
"..."
"Dragonet…?" The dragoness said, tilting her head slightly.
Is she looking for me? There's no way she knows, RIGHT!? Pink froze like a deer in headlights. His body metaphorically becoming stone. His memory of recent events rushed back in, drowning the moments of serenity he found himself in away.
"Did I scare you? I'm sorry if I did…" The dragoness practically saw his unease. Obviously, she hadn't meant to scare him, let alone punish him for his language.
"No, y-you didn't," Pink cleared his throat awkwardly, refusing to face the dragoness behind him. "I'm sorry too for saying shit–I said it again…" His mind was a jumbled mess, Pink's attempts at playing "cool" were crumbling.
After a faint sigh of relief, the dragoness said "I don't recognize your voice," her voice was softer. She took slow tentative steps closer to Pink, approaching his side. "You must be one of our visitors, how are you liking the academy so far? You seem a little… frightened, I hope I'm wrong. "
Ima just ignore the last bit she said.
"It's cool."
"... Anything else?" A hopeful smile grew.
"No."
That smile fell into a frown.
He's a mess…
Pink still kept his head turned away from her, using his wing to obscure his view of the dragoness beside him. Instead, he kept his eyes on the strange flower that caught his interest before.
"I couldn't help but notice you took an interest in these plants," she said, hoping to strike up a conversation. "... I am more than happy to explain each one of them to you, I haven't had a proper visitor to share my passion with."
"No, thanks."
This is getting… annoying. The dragoness thought, a weak huff leaving her.
The huff didn't leave her unnoticed, and Pink mentally cringed when he heard it. She was being so patient with him, and Pink couldn't even pretend to be interested in speaking to her. But he didn't find it in himself to leave the cave, he wanted to stay with the flowers. That, or finding a hole he could crawl in, and wither away peacefully.
Pink needed to stay.
"Is something wrong?" The dragoness asked rather bluntly, causing Pink to freeze once more. "I tried looking past it, but it's becoming hard to ignore–by the moons–I heard someone rush into my cave. I-I panicked for a moment believing something occurred, or-or someone got hurt, or attacked…!" She said, her voice getting louder, more concerned. "But no… I… found you. You were… scared? I tried speaking to you, but you ignored me… instead, you started speaking to yourself, and… you were calming down."
All of that happened? Did I seriously black out?
"I followed you to make sure you were alright, that you weren't hurt… but… I still feel it… You're scared. I-I don't know of what. But you're scared. Even if you don't want to tell me what you're scared of, could you atleast tell me that you're okay? Do I need to find a counselor? The principle? Your parents?"
"No," Pink said, his voice a near whisper. "No, you… don't need to do any of that."
"..."
"I'm fine."
Out of the corner of his eye, Pink lowered his wing enough to catch a glimpse of who he was speaking to. His eyes widened slightly as he did. The dragoness is a Rainwing, undeniably an adult. She bore a blue, and yellow color scheme on her scales. But what caught Pink's attention was the blindfold over her eyes, a blindfold made of flowers.
Is her name… Tangerine? There was a small id card hanging from Tangerine's neck, he couldn't read exactly what it was, but decided to trust his reading capabilities.
A heavy sigh left Pink's jaws, his attention now being drawn back to the plants. "... You said this was your cave?" He just needed anything else to talk about. Something other than what just happened.
"Y-yes, it is," Tangerine said.
"You grew these plants?"
"Most of them, yes."
And she was more than happy to indulge his apparent interest in the plants.
"They're really pretty."
"I bet," she laughed softly, "looking" at the plants with him. "I'm glad you think so, and I'm sure my students would agree. We spend a lot of time caring for them, nurturing them, doing our best to keep our plants healthy and vibrant."
Pink hummed in acknowledgement, his eyes continuing to roam over the vast array of exotic plants. The word "my students" stuck with, and he decided to ask. "You're a teacher?" To the dragoness which she simply nodded, and smiled in response.
"… Are you accepting students?"
The dragoness stiffened slightly, a small, hopeful smile on her face. "Y-yes, I am."
Do I register for her classes?
…
I don't know if it's a good idea.
"That's… cool, I guess."
"Are you interested in registering…? I can show you where you could do that."
"No, thanks."
Tangerine. Didn't. Understand.
Just seconds ago, Pink appeared to be enamored by the garden. Tangerine could sense it, she could hear it in his voice. Whatever interest he had in the plants, not only did it brew some sort of passion within, but the panic Tamarin had felt from Pink before was entirely gone.
Replaced with utter serenity.
She couldn't understand why he all of a sudden flipped the switch, and pretended he didn't care.
Because he still did, Tangerine could still hear the longing in his plain tone of voice.
What's holding him back?
"… Can I have your name?" Tangerine spoke.
"Pink."
"That's a very colorful name, thank you. I take it your scales are pink then, hm?" She said playfully, hoping to lighten him up.
"Yeah, you could say that."
What did he mean by that? Tangerine thought for a moment. Shaking her head, she whisked that stray thought away and focused on the task at claw. "Pink, I can see you're a little apprehensive about my classes… If it helps, I still have enough time to show you the rest of my plants, I could even go over the curriculum with you!"
Pink turned his head away from Tangerine's friendly smile, he could see she was trying so hard to work with him. Making him feel welcomed, engaging in conversation, and sharing a genuine interest he has over plants.
It felt so normal, like Pink was still a teenager in his old world.
But he wasn't…
Isaac isn't pink. Pink isn't Isaac. Two completely different lives, belonging to two completely different worlds.
Now stuck in this one, the life he tried to build up threatened to burn up in flames. Again.
What is the point of registering for class, if Sixthsense ratted Pink out for his true origins? How would everyone react? Besides, he still didn't consider his upcoming job opportunity.
Well, that job wouldn't matter if his "true" origins got exposed.
"Sigh, No—I should really get going," Pink said, avoiding eye contact with Tangerine, his eyes on the ground. "I really really like your garden, and I would love to see more of it… but there's still a lot I need to take care of… I'm sorry."
He didn't get to see the frown on Tangerine's face, Pink immediately turned for the exit of the cave. His mind set on finding Beautybat, and leaving, he couldn't stand being in the academy any longer. Despite the inclusive, welcoming environment the academy harbored, he felt more out of place than ever before.
"Pink, please wait a moment!"
Tangerine's voice made him stop. Looking over his shoulder, Pink saw Tangerine vanish around the corner hurriedly. Blinking in confusion, he turned fully, just in time for her return.
"Here," Tangerine said, stepping closer and revealing what she had in her claw. "Please, take this," three seeds in a bag dangled from her claw, raising it up to him. "A little souvenir from my cave, I trust you can take care of it."
The second Pink saw what she offered him, his mind went blank. Seeds? Tangerine is giving him seeds? Above all else, she trusted him with them?
I can't take it!
"I-I-I can't… I can't take it," Pink said, steadying his breath whilst taking a step back. His mind raced to the plants he failed to grow, which withered away and died under his care. Sure, when he did tend to his plants before, he loved to see them, to smell and hold them.
Whenever he did, it was the closest he'd ever feel to his father, to his mother…
"Yes, you can."
"I can't…!"
Having those plants wither away back then wounded Pink, like he betrayed his father's words, and stained his mother's legacy.
Those seeds in Tangerine's claw carried more weight than gold to Pink, it carried his past he has tried again and again to bury deep within him.
"Are you listening…?"
"H-huh?" Pink blurted, blinking as he regained consciousness. Again? Really? For a second time today Pink "blacked" out, at least he didn't go off running down the halls. "Did you say something?"
Sighing, Tangerine said. "What I was saying…" She gently thrusted the bag of seeds onto his chest, and Pink's claw tentatively took it from her. "… Raising my plants, and tending to my garden helps clear my mind off certain things… take these seeds. Plant them. Raise them. Tend to them… maybe then, they'll 'tend' to your mind, and help guide it away from whatever darkness that currently overshadows it." Drawing a string, she linked it to the bag, and used the string to wrap it around Pink's neck.
"… Oh."
"Remember; us dragons aren't so different from plants. Like flowers, we wither in darkness, but flourish in the light… Give yourself what you need to bloom."
"… You're right…"
"Hm, of course I am, it's my job," a small smirk grew on Tangerine's lips. "Take that as your first lesson, okay?" She stepped away, returning to the rows of vegetation behind her. "When you come back, whether to register for my class, or not. I'd like to see the progress of those seeds, I know you'll take great care of them."
"Y-yes, ma'am," Pink said, holding the seeds close. He stuffed it away like he was hiding treasure in the small pouch on his chest. "Thank you… Tangerine!" He called out.
"Mhm, thank you for visiting my cave, Pink, I hope to speak with you again."
… I hope so too.
With those fleeting thoughts, he left her cave.
"Did… did he just call me Tangerine…? I-I forgot to properly introduce myself, damn it!" Rushing to the cave entrance, she said. "It's Tamarin!" Unfortunately, Pink was already gone.
That was enough touring for today, now he wanted to leave. To give himself some time to think, and hopefully ease his mind from the anxiety lurking within it. The only thing stopping Pink from just up and leaving the academy was Beautybat, fortunately, he knew where she was.
When Pink found her, Beautybat was in the corner doodling something on a sheet of paper. "Hey," he said, approaching her side. Peeking over her shoulder, he caught a glimpse of the drawing she made.
"Are those your parents…?"
"Shhh! I'm concentrating."
"… Sorry."
"Stop breathing down my neck…!"
Pink stepped back.
Beautybat's parents were drawn, along with Bats. They appeared to be in a large, colorful nest sprinkled with a random assortment of items; a sloth labeled Silver, dozens of colorful flowers, lobster, and other vibrant decorations. Lobster.
On the top, she wrote something ineligible with her sloppy handwriting. Or maybe Pink just couldn't read it. Nah, he'd rather blame it on Bats sloppiness. Definitely her, not him.
"Ready to leave?" Pink spoke, peering down at her. Focused on her work, Bats continued to make the finishing touches on her masterpiece. Only when she was satisfied, she'd address Pink.
"Done!"
Rolling up the drawing, Beautybat promptly stuffed the drawing in a scroll container that was swung over her shoulder with a strap. Clearing up her mess, she finally turned to Pink.
"What were you saying?"
"I was saying—never mind, let's get outta here."
"Hmm?"
Blinking, Beautybat watched Pink leave the cave abruptly, his form slinking through the doorway. "Wait up!" She shouted, running to catch up. Weaving through a few dragonets, Bats caught up to Pink, and climbed up onto his back.
"How did it go!?" Bats said loudly in his ear, her excitement palpable. "D-did you learn anything!?" She continued. "Anything!?"
Pink ignored her the entire way through, his mind set on leaving the academy. Moving with purpose, he navigated through the crowd of dragonets, all the while Beautybat pestered him for details about his experience.
"Why aren't you saying anything?!"
Didn't take too long for her to notice Pink's cautious demeanor, his eyes randomly glanced around them, as if on alert. Wherever he looked, she looked too, but Beautybat never saw anything out of the ordinary.
Finally, once outside. Pink came to a halt at the academy entrance, under the high stone ceiling above where they were protected from the rain pouring outside.
"Ready?"
"No!"
Suddenly, she yanked his horns back. If it weren't for his Rainwing properties, such as the flexibility of his neck, Bats would've broken it. Forcing Pink's head back by his horns, his neck curved more than 90 degrees. He was met with Bats' eyes, and her clear annoyance.
"Why are you acting so weird, hm?"
"This is wildly uncomfortable, could you please let go?"
"You promised you'd tell me what you found out!"
"You're breaking my neck."
"Liars deserve their neck broken."
I can't tell if she's serious or not…
A silent staring battle commenced between the both of them.
There's no way in hell Pink will tell what occurred with the mind-reader, he might as well get his neck broken if it means preventing another dragon from finding out his "true" origins. The dilemma is, Bats isn't just "another dragon". She's a friend. One that Pink promised to share any details with, regarding the mind-reader visit.
Ending the silence, Beautybat huffed and let go of Pink's horns. "Hmph, you don't trust me," she muttered, distastefully. "… Friends are supposed to trust each other… . Lie."
"… Sorry, Beautybat," Pink sighed shamefully, he fixed his neck, and looked straight ahead of them out of the academy. "I don't like liars either…" He could think of dozens of lies he's been told in his old world, and Pink hated every single one. Yet, the only thing he ever did successfully in this world was lie. To Serenity. Beautybat. Spider. And no doubt, more dragons to come.
If there's one thing he hates more than a lie, it's the liar.
Which would mean himself.
Why am I like this…?
"… I…" Pink hesitated, his tone changing. Which didn't go unnoticed by Bats. "I… found out my real name," he started with, shooting a quick, nervous glance at Bats on his back.
"You did?!"
"Mmhmm… promise not to laugh?"
"Gasp! Is it Mosquito?!" She blurted, stifling a laugh.
"No—"
"Potoo?!"
"What—?"
"Oh my moons…! It's Sloth! Isn't it?"
"… Why are they the only names you could think of?" Shaking his head, he muttered a quick prayer for strength, and finally divulged his sacred information.
"It's Isaac."
Beautybat went blank, tilting her head slightly.
"Huh?"
Damn you! Stop making me repeat it!
"It's Isaac."
"… Eye-sack?"
"… Yeah."
He couldn't look at her. Stone faced, Pink looked dead ahead. All the while he started to sweat bullets. The memory of his past attempts of making his old name known with Serenity never faded away from his mind, if Serenity thought it was silly, what would the Princess of a kingdom think of it?
Look somewhere else! He shouted internally, at a random dragonet passing by. Said dragonet gave Pink an odd look, but quickly looked away once they noticed the serious expression on Pink's face.
"Eye-sack," Bats repeated, testing the word on her lips. "Eye-sack… did your parents hate you?"
Pink cringed, not wanting to answer that question in particular either, fortunately for him Beautybat didn't notice his reluctance.
"I like the name I gave you better, Pinkie," she smiled widely, patting his head. "Are you changing your name back to Eye-sack?"
"No."
Beautybat's smiled reach ear to ear, Pink didn't need to look over his shoulder to know it.
"Good. Either way, I'm calling you Pinkie… it fits you better than Eye-sack."
"It's JUST Pink, Bats."
"Hush, I generously BESTOWED you that name. You don't have the right to tell me how I should say it. Hmph!"
Why did I settle for Pink? Fuck me man, I shouldn't have been so lazy with picking my name…
"Please, shut up," Pink grumbled, taking a few steps forward to the open exit. "We're wasting time now, come on, let's get outa—"
"What about your parents? Did you find anything about them?"
"..."
"..."
"That's enough. Let's. Go."
The air immediately changed around them, and Beautybat immediately regretted her decision in asking. Is Pink mad at her? Bats really really REALLY hoped she didn't, dozens of dragons dislike her already, she didn't want Pink to hate her too. Silence took over them, even as Pink took flight, heading back to the rainforest kingdom.
He's mad at me… Beautybat thought, her head low in shame. Water pelted the both of them, removing the green color she painted on her black scales. It did nothing, but to remind Bats of her regrets, and grow more anxious of encountering others displeased due to her recent crime.
She thinks I'm mad at her.
He wished Bats wouldn't have asked that question, because how was he supposed to answer it?
"They're dead."
"They're humans."
"I left them in another world after being brought to this one, did I mention I died to get here? At least I think so. Cool stuff."
Pink didn't want to lie. Not to Bats. Not to anyone. Not anymore. His secret already got exposed, and it's bound to be shared, there's no way it wouldn't. Though, that's what he firmly believed.
If his secret is gonna be leaked, he'd rather do it on his own terms.
But, Pink is incredibly tempted to lie again. Pretend everything is fine and dandy, he's been doing that for a while now, why stop?
Shut up!
That's exactly why he's mad; the temptation to lie is strong, but so is his desire to be a friend, to not ruin one of the few things that's making his new life bearable.
Their friendship.
The flight continued on a little longer, Pink flew past the dense trees, navigating himself closer to the kingdom's center. Just before it came into view, Beautybat ordered him to stop suddenly, he abided her command, and perched on a large branch.
"What's up?" Pink questioned. Without an answer, Bats hopped off his back, landing just beside him on the branch. Still, she didn't say anything.
"Bats?"
Beautybat proceeded to look around them, craning her neck from left to right. Moments later, she ceased her abrupt search and sighed heavily.
I hope she doesn't think I'm mad at her still…
Silently, Pink opened a wing to cover Bats small body, protecting her from the unrelenting drops of rain from above. Inadvertently, his eyes fell on her own pair of wings. They returned to their normal color, black.
The paint had been washed off her body, thanks to the rain.
Crap, her disguise!
"Bats, the paint—"
"—I know!"
"Jeez, okay…"
It's becoming obvious the paint isn't what bothered her. Not with the way she seemed to be on edge, nervous, in her own kingdom…
Beautybat is still afraid.
"You okay?"
This time, she didn't rudely cut him off.
"I don't know…" Beautybat said lowly, lowering her head slightly. "What if the angry dragons are still there? W-what if my parents are mad at me too?" She added, looking up at Pink with glossy eyes. "Everyone's mad at me… even you."
Jesus… give me strength.
"… Beautybat…"
"… Hmph."
"… Wanna know something about my parents?"
"H-huh?"
Pink's chest heaved with the heavy breath he took, forcing his mind back to the era he tries so hard to move on from. "My dad… he wasn't the best. He… struggled a lot with his emotions. I-I had to help him through that, because I love him, even if he wasn't good at showing that love back at times… but… I knew he still loved me, until the bitter end."
"You do remember…" Beautybat murmured, giving him her full attention, her eyes slowly widening. "Your mom… do… I-I'm sorry—"
"—You can say it."
"Do you remember anything about your mom?"
"… She—" Pink cleared his throat, glancing away momentarily. "She… did what she needed to do. For me. Something that… wasn't easy to do," he had to be careful with his words. Beautybat's a child. The last dragon he could divulge any real details to. "It cost her a lot, like not being able to see me… but, that didn't stop her from loving me. Even now." Pink's claw found its way on the bag of seeds swinging from his neck, subtly squeezing it.
Pink sighed, preparing to spew out more words that seemingly flowed out of him.
"My parents aren't perfect, far from it… but they loved me. Even if one wasn't good at it, and the other wasn't there to show it—duetoreasonsoutoftheircontrol… They still loved me. To me, that makes them perfect. Perfect for me."
Pink nudged Bats with his shoulder, softly. "I'm not gonna lie, what you did is super stupid, criminal, and deserving of a prison sentence… but, here you are. A free dragon… thanks to your parents," he lowered his head enough to meet hers, to make sure she caught his words. "They're not mad at you, I doubt they could, they love you, Bats, get it out of your head. Please."
Pulling back slightly, Pink waited for anything to leave Beautybat's lips. Anything, just something to show his message got across. Beautybat has a luxury Pink could only imagine having in this world; a proper family. Watching Bats be afraid to return home reminded him of his own past struggles with his emotionally damaged father, though the details of the situation vastly differ, the core of it is all the same: no child should be afraid to go home.
Pink doesn't want Beautybat to ever have to feel like that, he could see it's just her little mind running wild, worsening her apparent anxiety. He's not her therapist, uncle, father, brother or even babysitter. Still, he hoped that his words were enough to get through her, and calm her down.
Words that were spoken from a friend.
Sniffle.
"Bats?"
Sniffle sniffle.
"Are you getting sick already?"
Rubbing her eyes, Beautybat did the best she could, to get rid of the small stream of tears. "I'm really a big idiot…" Tears streamed down her cheeks, but a weak, breathless laugh escaped Bats' lips. "But you're still the bigger idiot… P-Pinkie…"
This girl…
Withdrawing his wing from her, Beautybat gasped sharpy as the cold rain water splashed onto her bare back. "M-meanie!" She accused with a choked laugh. Refusing to be drenched in water, Beautybat tugged on Pink's wing to no avail. "If I get sick, I'm blaming it on you!"
"How are you gonna call me a meanie, if you just called me an idiot? Didn't you just traumatize a few dragonets less than twenty four hours ago? Make it make sense."
"Th-thats different, you're my friend! Friends aren't supposed to be mean!"
"You called me an idiot."
"I called you a bigger idiot, get it right at least!"
"Like that makes it any better!"
"You can't even read! And I'm barely FOUR YEARS OLD, and I can read better, AND write better than you! I have every right to call you an idiot! IDIOT!"
You think there's a bounty on her? Hmm, I wonder how much I'd get if I turned her in myself…
"... You win."
The moment Pink's wing hovered over her, she smiled smuggled, shaking her body to get rid of excess water on it. "That's better," she quipped, flashing Pink a grin. Which in turn, rewarded her with his trademark deadpan.
"Do you need me to fly you home?" Pink said, flatly. "Or you gonna keep crying? If that's the case, I'll drop you by the hatchery."
Beautybat rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not gonna keep crying… I'll go by myself, I-I'm not afraid anymore… my parents are waiting for me… I miss them," she sat still, conjuring up the dozen possibilities that could happen should she return.
Like an even bigger mob of angry dragons, the mean things that would come out of their mouths, and worse of all, what if her parents got mad at her too? No, that wouldn't happen. Pink is right. Glory and Deathbringer loved her, they made that very apparent the night before, and this morning. When they had every right to scold her, and be angry at her. They instead listened to her, understanding her side. Even if Bats became a crying mess in her mother's arms, her mother still looked at her with motherly affection.
As if Beautybat was the most beautifully done art piece in the world.
Surely, if they didn't love her, they wouldn't have done that.
"Here," Beautybat sniffled, reaching into her container. She pulled out a small, rolled up piece of paper tied by a string. Offering it to Pink, she looked away while mumbling sheepishly. "T-Take it… thank you for… everything, and… being my friend," finally, Bats forced her eyes to meet Pink. "I made this while I was waiting for you, I-I hope you like it…"
Awww, she's actually pretty adorable–
"What are you thinking!? Take it already!"
"Jesus–OKAY… damn," Pink took the offered items from her claws, with a small, genuine smile that managed to creep onto his lips. "Thank you," he said, his sincerity clear in his tone of voice. However, the moment those words left his mouth, she instantly turned away with a "Hmph!" Unfortunately, her body betrayed her yet again with subtle pink streaks appearing on it.
Pink decided not to tease Beautybat's embarrassment, only finding it to be adorable.
"Your welcome," Beautybat muttered, her voice barely audible. "I-I'm gonna go now, good luck on your job and…" She hesitated momentarily, her tone taking a more honest one. "I hope you can find your parents, I-I bet they miss you…"
"I miss them too…"
Before long, Pink was left alone on the branch. Watching Beautybat fly off into the dense wilderness, with a confident beat to her wings. Taking a deep breath, Pink felt the imaginary weight on his shoulders become a little lighter. Maybe one day, that weight will be entirely gone…
Until then, Pink would have to keep thuggin it out.
"I can't open this now, it's raining pretty heavily, I should go home and feed Spider too–oh god… he better not have eaten all the fucking bananas again! SPIDER."
Sirbobbo's notes: I actually struggled making this chapter, not the first time.
Originally, this chapter was around 20k words long. I had a bunch of characters I planned to introduce, I also planned to reintroduce a few canon characters, and to create silly moments all the while I tried to expand Beautybat and Pink.
It was a lot.
But I nuked it, that being the partial reason for the late upload.
While creating this chapter, in the first version I made, I realized it was needlessly long. The goal of this chapter is to expand Bats' and Pink's character, I could've done it without adding a bunch of characters that wouldn't add value to the story. Like a reviewer commented, the story drags on at times, and I tried my best to fix it. Nuking it was one way of fixing because at that point, there's no way I could chop up the 20k word story into legible bits and pieces, AND convey the development between Bats's and Pink's characters.
When recreating it, I got frustrated because for one, I decided to nuke a chapter, and I didn't know where to start. I hit a writer's block, but I got over it around a week thankfully. Other than those hinderances, I started college and now I have to dedicate time to study, then writing this silly story lmao.
Statistics is kicking my ass.
I hope there's a little less "drag" in this chapter, I'm not sure, it's hard to tell when you're also trying to expand characters and convey their thoughts and feelings. Nonetheless, I'm grateful for the review, truly, it'll help me focus more on the story, rather than the less important, useless bits that don't provide value.
Besides the hinderances that's involved when writing this fic.
I still make time for this story, because I'm still very much interested in seeing it through.
NOW THE FUN PART.
The next four chapter will be fully ACTION BASED.
Sure, I had fun making deep emotion connections for my characters, even though I'm not good at it, I have fun writing it.
But...
These past few chapters have been "bland" in terms of actions, honestly, they felt like filler chapters lmao. I have no shame admitting it, this story needs some action.
AND I HAVE THE BEST IDEA.
HUMAN VS DRAGON.
FOUR CHAPTERS SOLELY DEDICATED TO THAT.
IT'LL BE INSANE.
EXPLOSIONS EVERYWHERE.
BLOOD.
CARNAGE.
DESTRUCTION.
It's gonna be crazy fun to write lolol.
Like I said before, I'm more worried about if it's "too crazy" for my story. Thing is, besides this chapter feeling like a filler chapter, it's a HUGE stepping stone regarding the future action of this story. It sets up a lot of ideas I have in mind, both with Pink, and certain characters I plan to introduce in the next four chapters.
I'm actually super excited.
I have a really interesting way of going about the human vs dragon fights, in fact, this chapter kinda hinted at it. But, it's not exactly what you think.
It won't contain a single character in this chapter.
OR IN THE STORY. (99%)
So, expect entirely new characters.
Except for one character briefly mentioned in a past chapter.
In all seriousness, I'm looking forward to the next four chapters and beyond, I aim to have the next chapter pumped out in around a month or so.
I apologize for the long wait, I mean it, especially to those who enjoy this fic.
I hope the next chapters make up for it.
I keep repeating myself, and I'll continue to do so. THANK YOU. Thank you for reading this fic, whether you enjoy it, or hate it with a passion. THANK YOU. Again, it's crazy to think people read what I put on a screen, and I'm always thankful to those that do.
Thank you for reading, and patience, wish y'all only the best.