A/N: Guess who wrote half of this, then procrastinated about it for 4 months? MEEEEEE!!

What if Nightflyer cheated on Air with Faithbringer?

The short version-

Air: *sitting at a table with two toy dragons*

Air: Let's say this little dragon is Nightflyer, and this one is Faithbringer.

Air: This is what would happen after he cheats on me.

Air: *smashes both toys until they are reduced to a fine powder*

Air: The end.

The long version-

Air couldn't breathe. She knew how ridiculous it must sound, but she was pretty positive she literally, physically could not breathe. Not after wandering into a room in JMA and seeing, of all things, Nightflyer kissing Faithbringer. 

FAITHBRINGER, of all dragons, how COULD he?

And she knew it wasn't a misunderstanding and it wasn't a mistake. If Faithbringer had forced herself on him then that was a different story, but no. 

No, no, no. 

She had stood frozen in the doorway for five whole minutes, watching them, and Nightflyer definitely wasn't being forced to kiss her. He had even entwined their stupid tails together, that JERK-

But then Air had let out a small cry, unable to hold it back, and they had seen her. Nightflyer had immediately looked panicked, launching into an explanation of how he 'hadn't meant for her to see that' and 'it wasn't what it looked like'.

Then what WAS IT, NIGHTFLYER? 

WHAT POSSIBLE INNOCENT EXPLANATION COULD YOU HAVE FOR MAKING OUT WITH FAITHBRINGER FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG.

Air had run away. It was a cowardly thing to do, she knew. She should've yelled at him. She should've punched him in the face.

No, she should've punched Faithbringer in the face and then BEAT NIGHTFLYER'S STUPID SNOUT OFF.

But instead of rage enough to disfigure her boyfriend for life, all Air had gotten was a sickening feeling and a flashback to, of all things, her hatching day, when Nightflyer had given her a necklace and told her how much she meant to him.

That. Fucking. LIAR.

So she ran away rather than cry in front of them. She didn't realize where she was headed to until she arrived- the art cave.

It made sense. The art cave had always been her favorite spot in the school. She could get away from anything here, even Nightflyer's betrayal.

But then she saw the spot she normally worked at. The little table where she would sculpt while Nightflyer sat across from her, content to watch...

Air ran for the back of the room, for the little stream that they usually used to clean the supplies in. She shoved her face under the water and let out a muffled scream. Anything to let out the initial shock and rage and and AND EVERYTHING.

"Are you okay?" Air lifted her head out of the water and looked to see Rainkeeper standing there, a confused look on his face.

"I'm fine," She lied, wiping off the water. "I just, uh.... I got paint on my face somehow."

"Okay," Rainkeeper raised an eyebrow but then went to gather his supplies. "Where's your necklace?"

"What?" Rainkeeper nodded toward her neck.

"Your necklace- the one Nightflyer gave you?" His name was like a knife to her chest as she felt at her neck and remembered.

Remembered yanking at the chain on her way to the art cave until it snapped, remembered throwing the stupid thing in some random hallway, happy to never see it again.

"I-" Air's voice cracked and Rainkeeper tilted his head. "I-" She looked up at him and there was concern on Rainkeeper's face and that was all it took for her to break completely. She burst into tears and Rainkeeper abandoned his painting.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Nightflyer cheated on me," She burst out. "I caught him kissing Faithbringer-"

"WHAT." Rainkeeper yelled. "He cheated on you with FAITHBRINGER??"

"Yes and-"

"That WHORE!" Air wiped at her tears as Rainkeeper started looking for extra pointy art supplies. "I'LL KILL HIM-"

"No, don't-" Rainkeeper brandished a sharpened paintbrush and Air's eyes widened. "Rainkeeper NO." He paused.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because-" Air's face fell. "He's not worth it, and I just-" What was she supposed to say? That part of her still hoped this was all a bad dream? That she was still so upset and in shock she didn't have it in her to feel the murderous rage that fueled Rainkeeper?

Well, granted Rainkeeper's murderous rage was obviously genetic, but she still didn't feel angry.

Not murder level angry, anyways.

"Air, I swear, if you can give me ONE GOOD REASON NOT to kill him, I won't do it, but otherwise, HE'S GONNA DIE-"

"OOOOH who are we killing?" Joy asked from the doorway, already excited. "Is it Pike?"

"No," Rainkeeper said.

"Dang, but seriously, who needs to suffer?"

"It's Nightflyer," Air said softly. "He cheate don me with Faithbringer." Joy stared at her.

"...It's not April fool's day, right?" She asked.

"No." She stared some more.

"OUR Nightflyer?" Joy questioned.

"YES." She binked.

"I didn't think he could be cruel like that." Her murder excitement faded. "Shit."

"So we're going to kill him, yes?" Rainkeeper said. "Cause I call first stabbing-"

"You can't kill him," Air insisted.

"But I WANT TO! Quick, Joy, you agree with me, right?"

"Actually," Joy started. "Air's right." Rainkeeper stared at her.

"Who are you and what have you done with my little sister?" He demanded.

"Let me clarify. Nightflyer needs to suffer and be punished. BIG TIME. But sorry I'm not jumping to go murder my oldest friend, who is now NOT my friend cause HOW DARE HE HURT SOMEONE AS PURE AS AIR. He's not going to learn anything from being murdered. We have to do something else."

"Liiiike torture?" Rainkeeper guessed. "Mutilation? Dismemberment? WATERBOARDING?"

"Geez, you really are in full murder mode-"

"HE CHEATED ON AIR." Rainkeeper stabbed the table with his sharpened paintbrush. "...Oops."

EXACTLY. He cheated on HER, so she should decide what we do," Joy insisted. "Air? Thoughts?"

"I just want to curl up in a ball and cry," Air admitted.

"Alright, then how about you and Rainkeeper go raid Clay's stash for snacks and do that while I go ruin Nightflyer's life?"

"I don't want you to kill him-"

"I'm not going to."

"Or dismemberment or-"

"Physically he will be FINE, I promise."

"I don't," Rainkeeper insisted. "I promise nothing. I'm going to personally bite his ears off."

"RAINKEEPER."

"BITE. HIS. EARS. OFF."

****

And so, while Air began to wallow, Joy began phase one.

Phase one was convincing every other student in the school that Nightflyer was a horrible dragon that they should never speak to ever again. 

And considering how cruel kids are, it was surprisingly easy, especially since all of Nightflyer's closest friends were also Air's, and therefore willing to take her side over Nightflyer's. Other dragons took a bit more convincing.

"What's in it for me?" Macaw asked.

"I'm sorry?" Joy questioned.

"If I hate Nightflyer, what are you gonna do for me. You'll OWE me, lovely Joy." Joy shuddered. Oh, the things she did for the sake or destroying someone's existence. "I want a kiss."

"....I'll allow you to kiss my talons without verbally assaulting you," Joy said. "Final offer."

"Deal!" Macaw kissed her talons and Joy punched him. "HEY! YOU SAID-"

"VERBALLY. I said nothing about physically. Now go boycott Nightflyer."

Within a week, Nightflyer had been socially isolated. No one spoke to him. No one sat next to him. Kelp had unofficially moved into Joy's sleeping cave, so he was alone there too. Dragons drew nasty cartoons of his face and laughed about them.

And the teachers had finally figured it out why.

"There has to be a way to get the students to accept him again," Starflight insisted. He hated watching his son suffer.

"Nope, no," Clay shook his head. "He's getting exactly what he deserves. I think we should expell him."

"Clay!"

"I WANT HIM OUT."

"He's one of the best students we have!"

"I HATE HIM."

"You can't let your personal opinions get in the way," Tsunami started. "We know he cheated on Air, but-"

"Tsunami, I am only thinking of the plan with the most positive outcome," Clay insisted. "And that would be if we expelled Nightflyer."

"HOW is that a positive?" Starflight demanded. Clay stared at him.

"Because it prevents me from KILLING HIM," Clay said.

****

Outside of JMA was no better. Joy had all but made it a royal decree that everyone should isolate Nightflyer there as well, and he was going crazy.

He knew cheating on Air had been a mistake, but he hadn't thought it would destroy his life! Air still refused to talk to him, although he supposed that was to be expected. She must've hated him. He still saw her in the rainforest from time to time, hanging out with Rainkeeper and occasionally Joy. 

Joy somehow stung worse. Their entire friendship had been thrown out the window because of his mistake, and now...

Now he had no one. It was a horrible existence, and yet, one he had to live with. No conversation with Air would fix it. No pleading to Joy would change what had been done.

Nightflyer had betrayed a dragon who had loved him, a dragon he had never been worth of, and now he had to pay the price for it.

The worst price of it all was watching Air thrive without him, but that was the choice he had made by kissing Faithbringer. By making a choice he could never take back.

By making a choice that had destroyed him.

*****

Air: Eh, I still like the short version better. *smashes another toy Faithbringer*