Tension held high in the air, like a rope holding the weight of two dragons. Nacreous didn't dare look up at either of his parent's eyes, too focused on the box of muffins — no — cupcakes on the table, inspecting them thoroughly. Maybe if he just stared down at them forever he wouldn't have to face the coming day.

Tears dripped from his face sending a soft tap through the room like rain hitting the window, except it wasn't raining. The sound that would've been calming was instead replaced by deafening silence from both of his parents.

"...Nacreous," his mother said to him. It sounded like she would continue her sentence but instead, she stayed silent. He kept looking down at the box of cupcakes as he rained down on them.

His father spoke for her, picking up where she left off. "How long…?" he asked, and Nacreous was almost ashamed to say. "I-I mean, how long have you known?"

His maw felt clamped shut by the tensed muscles in his jaw, holding back sobs he didn't know what they were for. "Since…grandma's…" he tried, but his sentence was cut short as the tension broke and his eyes thundered with rain. His sobs echoed through the still-silent room. "I-I'm so so-sorry!" he bawled.

His mind raced with a million different thoughts all intersecting each other, just like before. Except this time, they were about getting away, starting a new life, and ways to cheat the test. All hope of getting out of it was lost to the clouds.

Tears flooded the box lid, staining the cardboard a dark brown where water met paper. Nacreous's head pounded as water forced its way out of his ducts regardless if he had the energy or not. If it weren't for his mind being completely blocked with fear, he would've been worried about the neighbors hearing what was once a sob grow into a wail. He tried to say something — he didn't know what, but he assumed it would've come out as another apology — when deep red scales similar to his father's embraced him, leaving his mouth half-open right before speaking.

"It's okay, Nacreous," his father said softly, like a warm, soft pillow he could hug to feel better. "We'll get through this. Together."

Those words stuck with him throughout the rest of the day. He tried to sleep that night, but no matter what he did, he couldn't keep his eyes shut for more than a few minutes without images of all the scenarios of what would happen the next day appearing behind his eyes. He didn't know what time his mother came in after hearing him shuffle around in bed restlessly, but he knew it had to be sometime close to three in the morning. "Nacreous?" she asked in a hushed voice, peeping her head in. "Are you still awake?"

Nacreous hesitated for a moment, wondering if it would just be better to lie there and think."...Yeah," he eventually said in a shaky voice.

He heard the door creak open a little more as talons shuffled their way to Nacreous's bedside. "Can't sleep?" she asked in her usual soft, caring voice. "Me neither. Your father is thinking of making some oatmeal and crushing up a few sleeping pills in it. I can ask him to make you some if you want."

Nacreous gave a shaky nod. "Yes, please," he said. "Thank you." Nacreous was confused when he heard a giggle from his mother. But he hadn't said anything funny, so why was she laughing? "What?"

"It's just…you," she said and even though he couldn't see her face through the darkness, he could tell she was smiling. "Even now, you're being polite. I hardly said 'please' at your age, let alone 'thank you', and here you are saying it at the time nobody else would." She continued laughing, but midway through it began sounding more and more like she was crying as the seconds went on. "I love you, Cloud Jumper, I just want you to know that."

Suddenly, Nacreous felt himself get lifted from the bed as arms wrapped around him. Talons gripped his back as his mother pulled him into a tight hug. "And whatever happens tomorrow, just know that we will always be together."

Nacreous hesitated, caught off guard by the sudden embrace, but it wasn't long before his talons' movements mimicked hers. "I love you, too."

Nacreous's eyes opened up to the popcorn ceiling above his head. He lazily flopped himself over to the side, feeling as if he'd just woken up from the longest sleep of his life. Maybe it's the sleeping medicine, Nacreous thought, remembering the oatmeal he'd eaten. But the feeling of blankets against his scales, encapsulating him, only made the feeling of leaving for the…event…even more dreadful.

He slumped his body to the side, covering his face with his pillow as his arms flopped to the side almost numb; even if he had the motivation to get up, he wasn't sure he'd physically be able to stand up for long. It didn't take much time for his mind to begin to wander even after only seconds of being awake. Every time he thought about what might happen that day, a deep feeling of fear struck him in the heart like a spear.

He closed his eyes wishing he could just fall asleep again but knew he could only hide from it for so long. Whatever happened today, his life would never be the same and that was something he was sure of.

"Nacreous," a familiar deep, humble voice said to him — someone he hadn't even realized had entered his room. His mind wanted to get up to turn to it but his mind didn't listen to him and instead lazily lay there.

"What?" Nacreous asked, his voice muffled by the cotton of the pillow. His floorboards creaked as his father moved to the side of his bed.

"Your mother and I have decided that today, we're going out to spend some time together, before…" he paused, hesitating, choosing his next words very carefully. "Before…uh…we" he paused. "...might not be able to anymore…" Nacreous heard the way his voice quivered. Was he just as scared as Nacreous was? He wasn't surprised given the situation, but how was he keeping it all together? How could he be so strong in the face of death?

The energy once drained from his voice was pumped back in as he said, "So c'mon, your mother is finishing getting sandwiches ready right now. Here, I'll help you up — that sleeping medicine wasn't meant for dragonets."

Nacreous lazily moved his snout to the side allowing his eyes to peek out. He saw his father holding a talon for him, but something stopped him from taking it. Was it his fatigue? No, it didn't feel like fatigue, so what was stopping him? Why was he so reluctant to go out and spend time with his family? A thought came to mind — one that he was surprised hadn't come to him sooner. Do I really want to spend my last day alive lying in bed sad and depressed? Am I just going to let Queen Phoenix take my happiness away too? Am I really just going to hide?

He looked up at his father's patient expression, almost like he already knew what Nacreous was going to do. Slowly, he reached a talon out to meet his. "I knew you'd come around," his father said, lifting Nacreous onto his back.

The next thing he remembered was flying down the curved steps. He held tightly onto his father's wings, refusing to let go. Refusing to fall.

As his father turned the corner, he slid across the floor and bumped into the wall before making a swift recovery and almost jumping down the last three steps. Despite the more than turbulent landing, Nacreous held strong. His mother's head swiveled, setting aside the sandwich meat she was carefully placing down into a straw basket. "Someone's full of energy today," she observed, her voice calm as if it was any other normal day. If Nacreous didn't know, he would've thought that was the truth.

His father smiled — or rather, his smile grew bigger than it already was. "I'm just excited," he said, letting Nacreous down. The dragonet still struggled to keep himself standing and waddled over to the couch. "Have you picked a place yet?" he asked.

"Cloudwatcher's Park," his mother responded, turning as she wrapped the last sandwich and set it next to the others. "The lakes are a perfect spot for a picnic and the view of the mountains are amazing. It's quite far, but I'm sure we can settle for a longer trip today." She picked up the basket and faced the two. "All packed and ready to go, who's ready?"

Nacreous would've been more than ready to shout 'Me!' if it weren't for the fact that when he went to raise his arm, it was considerably harder than normal. His father looked over at him. "Mayve we should givr Nacreous some time to recover. I certainly didn't account for the possibility a dragonet might be eating my sleeping pill-laced oatmeal."

His mother set down the basket on the table and the expression on her face mirrored the gears turning in her head. "In that case…" she paused, walking over to the table in front of the couch. She pulled out a box and set it on its surface. "Anyone up for a game or two of Scales and Tails?"

Nacreous smiled, ignoring the fact it may be one of the last times he would.

By the time the dozen-or-so baloney sandwiches were gone from the basket, Nacreous was more full than he'd ever been. And somehow, the baloney tasted better than it ever had before despite the fact it was his least favorite meat.

His parents didn't give him a second of rest, and for some reason, he preferred it that way — if he stopped too long to think, he might fall back into panic and relive the bad thoughts all over again.

Three pairs of wingbeats could be heard as Nacreous caught a frisbee in his talons. "Ohhhhh, that was a far one!" his father yelled from a distance. He smiled against the late noon sky, the sun shedding warmth across his entire body. For the first time in over twenty-four hours, he felt completely at peace, like everything would be okay.

As long as he had his parents in his mind, everything would be fine.

He went to throw the frisbee to his mother far out in the distance. Expecting to miss her completely, he winded his arm up and threw. Right before he let go of the plastic disc, the sound of a bell sliced through the air like the sharpest knife he'd ever held, ringing him to his core, echoing and ricocheting off of every scale on his body.

Everything went silent.

No more laughs, no more smiles, no more loud wingbeats.

Dead, longing silence.

He and his parents' eyes flickered back and forth across each other and the once cheerful expression that lay tall and proud on their faces disappeared, replaced by dread that caught them with a surprise sucker punch. Nacreous looked down only to see the streak of a red frisbee falling to the ground. It desperately tried to keep itself upright and glide but failed, lodging sideways into the dirt instead.

The dragons around him continued playing, completely unassuming of their situation. Life kept moving forward for them all, their futures full of sunny and happy days. For Nacreous, those days had just ended. Time was leaving them behind.

Nacreous was the first to reach the ground and his parents followed landing on either side of him. They both stared at him for a moment, tears welling in both of their eyes.

His mother was the first to abruptly scoop him into a hug and instead of hesitating, Nacreous gripped her scales just as hard as she did his. Maybe if he held on tight enough he'd be able to stay in this moment forever. "This isn't goodbye, you know that right?" his mother whispered into his ear, sadness plaguing her voice. She was doing everything she could to hold back tears and seem strong, but her facade was only made of glass. "We'll be in the clouds together soon and we'll never have to worry about this again. I love you, Cloud Jumper. I love you so, so much."

Nacreous nodded, unable to respond through his own tears. The debilitating anxiety only rose at the thought of death. As much as the idea of an afterlife made him feel relieved, he couldn't just allow himself to die. It was easy to accept it before, but now that he was face-to-face with the inevitability of it, he just…couldn't imagine it.

She pulled away and turned her head so Nacreous couldn't see her tear-stained face, but it did little as light sobs emanated from her, overshadowing Nacreous's quieter cries.

He didn't have long to stare as his father wrapped Nacreous in his arms tight but he didn't hide his tears. "L-Like your mother said, this isn't goodbye. We'll be with each other, always. It'll be over quick; painless." He took a second glance at Nacreous's mother, distracted by emotions, and dropped his voice to a whisper, grabbing him by the shoulders. "If you can't…let them…and something else happens, your mother goes above me, understand?" Nacreous nodded and his father pulled him into a hug. "I love you, Nacreous. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." He pulled away, looking Nacreous in the eyes.

"I-I lo-love you t-too," Nacreous struggled out.

"Now go," his father responded, still crying but standing strong in the winds of the hurricane. "We won't keep you waiting too long, don't worry."

He had to force himself to turn around, his talons feeling like cinder blocks as he walked away. His wings felt like they were made of stone as he took off into the air. His emotions got the better of him when he cautiously turned his neck, only to see his parents giving each other a long, hard hug with a kiss at the end — the only time it wouldn't elicit a gag reflex from Nacreous.

He looked away knowing it might be the last time he'd see his parents.

The flight passed in a blur as he landed at the front steps of the palace. Guards in clunky metal armor were lined up at the gate, one holding a clipboard. He took a step forward, their massive figures looming over Nacreous. Compared to them, he almost seemed like an ant. "Name?" the guard holding the clipboard asked.

He hesitated but eventually mustered up the courage to speak. "...N-Nacreous," he stammered. He wasn't sure the guard heard him from all the way down where he was.

The guard's claw ran down the list for a moment before stopping, crossing it out with a pen. "You're one of the early ones, so luckily for you, you won't have to wait long." He didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing, but…maybe it was better for it to happen sooner than later. "Follow the path marked by the orange tape. Do not stray from it," he ordered sternly. Nacreous nodded, shaky legs forcing him forward, step by step.

He took a look around as he walked inside. Red carpet lined the floor with bright orange tape in the middle following a path around the corner, guards lining it. Tapestries depicting Stratosfera — the wingless SkyWing god — were draped against the stone walls with bits of engrained ruby in them. The ceiling was flat, only being made of stone to section off the floors.

He didn't pay attention to the decorations for the rest of the walk. His eyes seemed glued to the tape, following it as if he were walking a tightrope. His heartbeat was double that of his pace, and his legs felt weak. It took everything inside of him not to cry. It'll be over soon… he told himself. I'll see them again, in the clouds.

…Right?

The sound of a door shutting ahead pulled his attention forward. He looked up, watching as a large NightWing walked out, passing by Nacreous. The NightWing looked down at him as they passed, but Nacreous's attention was more focused on his inevitable death awaiting on the other side of the door.

He looked around imagining the hundreds, if not thousands, of dragons that stood there the previous day. But unfortunately for him, he wouldn't have to worry about a line, being one of the first to show up.

He held his breath, hesitating as he looked at the door. His talons clenched the carpet beneath his feet, almost clamping him in place. His heart felt as if it would explode and part of him wished it would — if he died there and then, nobody would find out he was an animus — the animus. His parents would be safe.

The thought made him regret not thinking of it before. Maybe if I'd just-

"It's your turn," a voice beside him said. Nacreous turned his gaze to the side, only to see a guard he hadn't noticed before, spear in talon. "Queen Phoenix doesn't like to wait, so hurry your tail before she frames it."

Nacreous gulped, taking a deep breath before taking a step forward. It felt like he was walking through tar as he forced himself into the throne room. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the throne but his eyes stayed fixated on the red carpet still at his talons.

"Sit down and look up at me!" a voice roared throughout the empty room. It sounded deep, hardened with years of war, death, and experience. Threatening, irritating, and dreadful all simultaneously — attributes he couldn't pick up during the announcement. He looked up at Queen Phoenix and sat down, his body moving with her commands without thinking. He curled his tail in, tucking it in front of his claws

Her throne was almost pure gold with shiny red rubies engraved inside little divots and what seemed like crushed-up rubies sprinkled all over it. Two guards stood on either side of her throne — actually, now that he was observing a little more, about ten guards were stationed on both sides of the room.

As he made eye contact with the queen, he saw her orange eyes, almost as threatening as her voice. "Has anyone ever taught you manners, dragonet? How dreadful your parents must be." She cleared her throat. "State your name."

"N-N-Nacreous…" he stammered. The queen's head cocked to the side, looking down at a NightWing sitting beside her throne. His eyes followed her gaze and he observed a little white scale right below the NightWing's eyes. A mind reader… Nacreous thought, not daring to open his thoughts any further for her to read. The dark-scaled dragon looked up and nodded formally before returning to the same position.

"Good," Queen Phoenix said. "The animus test for Nacreous, of the SkyWings, shall begin now." She waved a talon in the air. The guard to her left stepped forward, pulling a piece of paper out from a bag hanging by his side, and in one smooth gesture ripped it in half before placing them in front of Nacreous.

He went back to his post, standing in the same stern pose he was in prior. "Now, Nacreous," Queen Phoenix spoke up. "Place both of your talons on either piece of paper and repeat after me." Nacreous took a deep breath, attempting to calm his heart as it pounded against his chest like a fish in a tank trying to break through the glass.

With his talons shaky and weak, feeling like he was about ready to pass out, they made contact with the pieces of paper. His weight shifted forward, using his talons as support, putting four stab wounds in both pieces of paper. "I, Nacreous of the SkyWings," Queen Phoenix began. "enchant these two halves to mend back together and become whole again."

He hesitated. Dread. Uncertainty. Anxiety. Vulnerability — all the things he was feeling, and the things the NightWing reading his mind could feel just as well as he could. Seconds passed and silence held taut. "Say it!" Queen Phoenix roared.

I…I can't… he told himself. He imagined his mother and father captured, chained, and eventually beheaded. A tear fell down his face, opening up the floodgate that he sealed shut. I wish… Nacreous hesitated. I wish I was never born an animus…

Silence.

" …It's him," the NightWing interjected, cutting through the non-existent noise. She took a preemptive step back. "He's the animus."

Author's Notes: Sorry for the late upload, have had a busy day today and just got the time to proofread and upload! Anyways, this chapter was amazing to write, but not as fun as the next one was.

PS: Might take a break for about a week, sorry. Next chapter will be uploaded 3 weeks from now unfortunately.

The Descent:

…

The string of thoughts cut off as a guard tackled him, slamming him against the floor. His weight crushed Nacreous, looking almost four times his size and feeling ten. But Nacreous hadn't even finished registering what happened before, so as the guard took out a spare dagger and attempted to bring it down on his neck, he didn't react.

Steel stabbed into the floor next to his face. He didn't know if it was the thought of killing a dragonet weighing on him or if he genuinely just missed, but it managed to snap Nacreous out of his trance.

…