"Hello, Flame."

That was the first thing the SkyWing heard as he slowly woke up, his head heavy and his heart bellowing in his ears.

He blinked a few times, but he didn't recognize the room. It wasn't a sleeping cave, but it didn't look like a patient's room. It definitely seemed cozier than that.

There was warm sunlight flickering through a window somewhere, and from the orange-ish tint of it, Flame guessed it should have been sunset. He must have passed out for a few hours.

That's when he noticed the placid-looking RainWing looking at him from across the room. Her scales were brown, with spirals of ashen and purple shimmering across her neck and tail. But her eyes, unlike most RainWings', were dark and tired-looking.

"I didn't mean to startle you, and I'm sorry if I did. My name is Treen," she said, shifting on her talons. That's when Flame acknowledged that she was wearing a dull purple sash around her neck: she was a member of the staff of the hospital.

But what could she be? He knew doctors had white sashes, even though Placoid had an orange one instead. Before he could finish thinking about it, she interrupted him again.

"From what I understand, you seem to have passed out because of unknown reasons... has this ever happened to you before?" She asked, slowly.

"No."

"Hmm. Do you perhaps know what could have made you pass out?"

"No."

"And what can you tell me about-"

"Look," Flame started, interrupting her, and sitting upright on the low bed, "if I had wanted to talk to a mind-poker, I would have just talked to that good-for-nothing mind reader back at Jade Mountain Academy. I'm feeling alright now, so could I just leave and get some rest?"

Treen looked as tranquil as ever, despite the harshness of his words. She sat down and stayed quiet as Flame got up from the rock bed he had been resting on.

While he was walking to the door, she spoke again.

"You're not the first to not want to talk about your troubles," she started, looking at him, "many dragons feel like they can handle everything by themselves, even while the world inside them is becoming more and more unstable. I just wanted to tell you that I have very good ears if you ever want to talk about anything, and now you know where to find me if you ever need to."

Her eyes didn't look so tired anymore. There was a calm but tenacious energy in her words and it caught Flame off guard.

"Okay then," he remarked with a scowl, before briskly leaving the room.

~

Flame didn't know where he was walking towards. He had forgotten how to get to the sleeping caves and had gotten lost a few minutes after leaving Treen's study.

He muttered some insults under his breath. That RainWing had messed with his head, but he'd make sure that would never happen again.

He avoided two tall SkyWing medics, who were chattering as they walked across the hall. As he looked past them, he caught a glimpse of the scenery outside the window and realized that it was night. He had passed out for a few hours, and a single crescent was now shimmering in the dark sky.

"Son of a snake... This is the perfect opportunity for me to get out of here." He realized, in a flash.

Before he knew it, Flame was sprinting with newfound energy towards the nearest exit, wherever that was.

After what felt like forever, he found one, which he recognized to be the courtyard with the statue of the two dragons. He spread his wings, taking off into the night sky, and not caring to look behind him.

Buzzard, Ardor, Placoid, Treen... he was leaving them all behind him.

"Flame?"

Flame recoiled internally from hearing that voice. He's celebrated too soon.

He looked back and saw a dragon flying behind him.

Ardor.

"Don't get any closer," he warned her with a snarl. She wouldn't get in the way of him getting what he wanted.

"I won't... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I overstepped. You didn't need my help, not in that way. And I just guessed you wouldn't want to stay after all of that so hm, here I am! It's just me!" She stuttered, her high-pitched voice quieter than usual.

Flame growled. She was definitely not wrong about that. And he wasn't in the mood for her shenanigans.

"If you want to leave, I won't stop you. I'm so sorry but hm, before you left, I needed to tell you that I, hm-," She stuttered more. This wasn't a practiced act. She was sincere.

"Get to the point," he said, nodding at her impatiently. He wasn't going to wait around much longer.

"You're not pathetic, Flame."

"What?" His wings faltered for a second as he missed a beat.

"What do you mean-," he started, but she cut in before he could finish.

"I heard you talking while you were sleeping, just before you woke up. I didn't understand most of it, but you did try to shake yourself from something, and you kept repeating that you weren't pathetic. And I thought you might need someone else to tell you that. For validation, you know. So there, that's it." Ardor explained, and then lashed her tail. "I'm sorry I didn't respect your space. You can leave now."

Flame was taken aback. He was frozen. After some time, Ardor perked up again.

"You ok?"

"No. I don't think so." He responded, still shaken.

"Should I go get some help?" She asked, her voice now chipping as usual.

"No." He said, shaking his head as he fought back the bitter tears in his eyes.

"I don't want to leave." He declared pain in his voice. "I... I don't have anywhere to go. No one will welcome me. No one who believes that I'm anything but a murderous monster."

"I do!" Ardor said with a smile. She composed herself in a hurry, before quickly adding, "I don't think you're a murderous monster."

Flame blinked. "But... why?" Naivety? Stupidity? Blindness?

"Because you told me. When I first met you, remember?" She declared simply, with a small nod.

Flame was even more taken aback. He didn't respond, looking down at the ground below him. His mind was spinning wildly.

Ardor was the kind of dragon who had struck him as being chippy and annoying. Just like Fatespeaker. So why... why was she listening to him? Why did she seem to understand?

"I'm no one to tell you this, but I promise we can help you. Placoid, Buzzard, everyone. And you know I won't stop you if you decide to go instead. But give us another chance, and we'll do better. I'll do better."She offered with a twinge in her voice, another crack of emotion through her carefully measured voice.

Flame thought about it, seriously.

Ruby wanted to help him.

Treen wanted to help him.

And now, Ardor wanted to help him.

Maybe Viper was wrong. Maybe he wasn't a lost cause or dead weight. Maybe he was worthy of this second chance.

There was only one way of finding out.

Flame looked at Ardor. Her eyes were shining with resilience and also something more. But it wasn't pity or compassion.

It was hope.

And it was the one thing Flame needed.

"Ok. I'll stay."