The cooling sunset air felt refreshing, the sound of music filling her ears as dragons sang and danced together. Lydia and Moonglobe had long since finished their shish kebabs, now just sitting together while playing twenty questions. Lydia made sure to include fatefinder, by asking any questions he brought up when he would pull himself out of his dazes, which she noticed he would fall into from time to time.

"Ask him..." Fatefinder hummed while Lydia made herself appear to be thinking of a new question to ask, her round ears perked up to listen to her wispy friend that hovered over her shoulder from where she sat, standing behind her. "When he moved here. We already know he was here when he was one, but how long?"

"How long have you lived here," Lydia piped up once Fatefinder was done, "In this village."

"Moonglobe's lived here his whole life, but Moonglobe's mom came from the Ice Kingdom."

Why would an IceWing leave their kingdom? I thought most hated it outside of their tundras, igloos and ice caps?

"Okay, Moonglobe's turn!" The odd looking IceWing smiled as he pointed to her earring that hung down from her right ear, the ruby shining in the dimming early signs of sunset light. "Where did you get this? It looks pretty."

"My dad gave it to me when I was little," she smiled at the memory, "it was my first piece of treasure, aside from my tiara."

"Moonglobe thought Quickstrike only found you a week ago?" his head tilted to the side, one of his thin pointed ears perked in question.

"Uh, well...." she swallowed nervously. It wouldn't hurt to tell him right?

"Lydia," her ears perked up at Fatefinder's voice as he moved closer to her, "are you going to tell him? About the hidden kingdom?"

The NightWing blinked for a moment, she didn't know if she would. She felt torn between the two decisions. On one talon, she wanted to be honest to Moonglobe, like she had been to Fatefinder, but on the other talon, she didn't. She was scared to say anything, as the last time she had told another dragon stuff about her, it ended with herself being kidnapped and her friend being slaughtered trying to protect her.

"You know how Fatefinder brought me here?" Moonglobe nodded his head as he listened, Fatefinder watching him like a hawk from where he sat, "I originally lived with my Mother and my father, their names are Animosity and Charming."

"So you have two dads?"

"No," she shook her head, "I only have one, my dad Charming. Quickstrike just took me away, he stole me." saying those words made her mouth taste awful, as if she had just spat venom out of her mouth. Her heart thudded heavily with guilt for letting it out. Quickstrike wasn't a bad dragon, he just missed his missing daughter and had taken the wrong dragonet.

Moonglobe watched her, his ears dropping as he looked at her. "Moonglobe wants to know," he paused for a moment before continuing. "How did Quickstrike take you?"

Lydia remembered the night clearly. Walking down the hall with Fatefinder, Morpho comes up to them saying he wanted her to meet her in a room to talk to her, Fatefinder going in first and not coming back out. When the door opened, Fatefinder laid in the center of the room, in a growing pool of his own blood. It made her shiver at the thought.

"He worked with a SilkWing, he let him into the caves and they killed Fatefinder."

"Who's Fatefinder? Moonglobe doesn't think he's met a Fatefinder before." The IceWing dragonet hummed curiously as he tapped his claws against his chin, "No," he shook his head, "Monglobe doesn't remember any face with Fatefinder."

Lydia turned her head to look at her wispy friend who stood by her side, a questioning look in her eyes, one that said 'should I tell him?'

"I think you should tell him," Fatefinder told her with a shake of his wings, "I don't think many dragons would believe him if he were to tell anyone else."

She looked back over towards Moonglobe, who was watching her with a curious look. "I think you're right, Fatefinder." she huffed, "especially with the looks that SandWing merchant was giving him."

"Who is Lydia talking to?"

"Fatefinder," she explained to the confused IceWing's gaze. "He's here, right now. You just can't see him."

The wispy NightWIng's eyes shot open as his head whipped around to look at her, a look of shock on his face. "I thought you were going to tell him about how I died or where you came from!"

"I thought you just gave me the okay to tell him!?" Lydia spun to look at Fatefinder, an accusing and worried look in her scarlet red eyes.

"I didn't mean you seeing ghosts! Now he might think you're crazy and go tell Quickstrike that he thinks you've gone mad!"

While the two went back and forth in whispers, Moonglobe just sat there, watching them in utter confusion. Lydia knew that Moonglobe couldn't see Fatefinder, so she must've looked absolutely crazy talking to nothing. It was hard for her to picture, but it was a little funny in her head. While she could see Fatefinder and other seemingly dead dragons, others couldn't.

"Uh, Lydia?" The NightWing princess turned to meet Moonglobe's gaze, a wave of embarrassment washing over her, the tips of her round ears growing hot. She must really look crazy. "If Fatefinder is here, how is he dead? And why can't Moonglobe see him?"

Lydia blinked, "Okay, it's going to sound absolutely crazy, but I'm not lying, okay Moonglobe?"

She watched as the odd looking IceWing thought for a moment, as if weighing his options to see if what she was about to say and how crazy it would be. Finally, he said, "Moonglobe doesn't think Lydia would lie, she doesn't have a liar's face."

"A liar's face?"

"Moonglobe's good with faces." she told the wispy NightWing before she started to explain to the odd looking IceWing about what, or more so who she could see. The whole time she's explaining, Moonglobe's solid blue eyes widen in surprise and wonder as he listened, his ears perked straight up.

"I've seen more dragons than just Fatefinder too, but not many."

"So, you see dead dragons?" She nodded as Moonglobe blinked at her before he smiled, "Moonglobe thinks that's cool! He's never heard of NightWing's having powers like that! Is it super secret? Is that why Moonglobe's never heard of it?"

"I've never heard of it, and Fatefinder hasn't either." she nodded her head towards the other NightWing who stood there silently, watching the two with his honey coloured eyes. "He was just as shocked as I was."

"Wait," The iceWing held up his talons before pointing to the spot on Lydia's other side, where Fatefinder was standing, "Is fatefinder here with Lydia and Moonglobe right now?" When she nodded silently, Moonglobe stared at Lydia's other side, his solid blue eyes squinting, almost as though if he focused hard enough, Fatefinder would suddenly just appear right there before his own eyes. Lydia watched as he blinked with a disappointed huff, a small puff of cool air turning to mist because of the temperature difference. "Moonglobe can't see him still."

"Well, I think I'm the only one who can see him Moonglobe," Lydia let out a chuff, no longer feeling as stressed as she watched the odd IceWing seem to wilt at the fact that he couldn't see Fatefinder, who let out a light chuff of his own as if to reassure him, but Moonglobe didn't hear it. He couldn't hear it. "I haven't heard of any dragon with this kind of power."

If it's a power at all.

That's one thing that just felt off about Lydia when she thought about this power she had. She had never heard of anything like this before, and it surely wasn't future vision as none of the dragons she had seen had given her anything about the future. It also wasn't anything to do with getting prophecies either, as she had been told what it's like. A massive headache and the same thing over and over again.

But I have had one dream like that before, her ears pinned themselves down against her neck at the thought. The nightmare about the dark brick tunnel lit with torches.

"Well, the Moonglobe thinks it's a Lydia power." the IceWing smiled, pulling the NightWing princess from her thoughts, "A power only for Lydia."

"I'm a little surprised."

"Why?" she turned to look over at Fatefinder who moved to stand in front of the two dragonets instead of just being to Lydia's left.

"He doesn't seem to be reacting to you having this power. I just thought any dragon would not believe you."

"Yeah, but at least he does, right?" She shrugged her shoulders hopefully, offering the wispy NightWing a small smile. "So now I can talk to you without looking crazy."

"Is Lydia talking to Fatefinder now?"

"Mhm," Lydia nodded her head as she looked over towards Moonglobe, "he's here in front of us."

"He is?" The IceWing turned his head to face Fatefinder, well, at least attempting to. He was a little off, more so looking beside Fatefinder rather than at him. "Can Moonglobe speak to him? Wait, can he hear Moonglobe?"

"Mhm, though," the NightWing princes stood up, reaching out with her talons slowly to move Moonglobe a little bit more to the left so he's standing face to face with Fatefinder. "he's a little more this way." she laughed lightly as the IceWing gave no resistance to her moving him. While she moved him, she could feel just how cold Moonglobe's scales were. It was like touching ice, the soft padding of her palms growing numb, but she kept going until the two were face to face, Lydia moving a little off to the side to be out of their way.

"Alright, now you're looking right at him!"

Moonglobe blinked, looking up to where he assumed Fatefinder's eyes would be. As the IceWing and wispy NightWing stood face to face, Lydia could see how close in height they were, Moonglobe being the taller of the two. But IceWing were generally taller than NightWing's. The odd looking IceWing raised one of his talons, waving it in Fatefinder's direction as he gave a smile towards the wispy NightWing who watched him with wide, honey pool like coloured eyes.

"Hello Fatefinder!"

Fatefinder blinked for a few moments, looking between the NightWing princess and the odd IceWing, before clearing his throat and speaking, "Hello, Moonglobe."

When Moonglobe turned his head to look at Lydia, she smiled with a twitch of her tail, "He said hello back."

"This is so strange," Moonglobe murmured before reaching out with one of his talons while he squinted his solid blue eyes that sparkled with determination and curiosity , "Is there any way for Moonglobe to see Fatefinder? Hear him or see him?"

"I don't think so, Moonglobe." her head shook from side to side with a sigh. "I haven't seen any other dragons who can see him. When I was at Entwined River Academy, the teachers didn't look to really believe me." Especially after Futurereader getting hurt, poking around too much in my head.

Fatefinder was sitting still, a glossed over look in his eyes that Lydia hardly even noticed as she was more focused on watching Moonglobe poking and prodding at the air, as if he were trying to feel where Fatefinder was. After a few moments of silence between the three, the only sound that filled the air was the music and singing that came from the dragons around them, Moonglobe's ears perked up and his solid blue eyes widened.

"Moonglobe has an idea on why Lydia can see who Moonglobe can't!"

"You do?"

"Mhm!" he nodded his head quickly as he turned to her, his wings quivering along his sides as his spines rattled with excitement. "Lydia is five, right?" when he got a nod as his answer, he smiled. "There was a prophecy five years ago, Moonglobe's heard the NightWing's talking about it."

She felt panic grip her heart as she forced a smile. "A prophecy?" Lydia had heard of one floating around, but she had never heard what it was really about. Especially when Animosity had her seep under the moons with members of their tribe watching from the shadows, whispering to one another when she woke up in a cold sweat, murmuring and whispering about a prophecy.

"Moonglobe remembers some of the words from when he was listening to some denmates talking about it." the IceWing flicked his wings as if they itched. "Beware the day that turns the sky red, for a dragon is coming for all our heads." he spoke slowly, memorizing it word for word as Lydia listened, her heart thumping painfully inside of her chest. "A dragon with eyes the colour of dragon's blood, will come to take all that you love. Beware the dragon born under three watchful eyes, for they shall come to kill your queen and reveal an evil that has yet to be seen."

Lydia could physically feel her heart sink, dropping down into her stomach like a rock. Her limbs suddenly felt heavy, feeling as though they were full of lead that dragged them down into the soil beneath her as though she were sinking into quicksand or mud.

"So, what does Lydia think?"

She was so caught up within her own head as she stared blankly at Moonglobe, she didn't notice when Fatefinder had whipped around towards her, his golden honey coloured eyes blown wide open in a panic, lunging forwards to reach her, shouting something that she couldn't hear as his voice was muffled like the night in the forest. Before he was right in front of her, he disappeared, his form gone.

The NightWing princess's heart picked up as Moonglobe's words echoed throughout her head, turning into one lanced with venom and hate, her spines quivering. She could no longer see the world around her, the edges of her vision fading to black until that was all she could see. Then, in front of her, stood a singular torch, flickering hungrily as it licked at the air around it, trying to find anything that would be able to feed its greedy hunger that never seemed to be able to clench.

"Beware the day that turns the sky red, for a dragon is coming for all our heads. A dragon with eyes the colour of dragon's blood," a voice whispered within her ear, "will come to take all that you love. Beware the dragon born under three watchful eyes, for they shall come to kill your queen and reveal an evil that has yet to be seen."

Lydia's red eyes seemed to glow in the warm golden light produced from the flames before her, glittering and shimmering like rubies being held up in the light.

"Follow the torches."

"W-what...?" she could feel her voice die off inside her throat, merely a whisper that even herself could hardly hear.

"Follow the torches."

The looming shadows seemed to jump around her, leaping across her vision with an eagerness to their movements, like predators stalking their prey and getting excited for the chase soon to come. I'm not running, she tried to steel herself, her talons hooking into the ground to keep her stable as her wings trembled along her sides. I can't keep running.

"Follow the torches."

I can't keep running.

"Follow the torches."

I don't want to.

"Follow the torches."

I'm tired of running, tears started to swell, building up in the corners of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks down to the underside of her jaw, making it tickle and inch at the sensation, making Lydia want to swipe them away with her palms just like her parent would when they found her stressed over public appearances in the underground kingdom. I want to go home.

"Follow the torches."

A talon reached out from the other side of the torch, springing out from the shadows like a striking snake. She flinched backwards as claws firmly gripped her shoulders, her wings flaring out as a shriek tried to escape from the back of her throat, the only thing that kept it from escaping was her teeth that were clenched tightly shut, letting nothing out.

"Lydia!"

Her eyes snapped open as she shucked in a sharp breath through her flared nostrils, her pupil's dilating into thin slits as she found herself no longer in the dark brick tunnel with a single torch as her only source of light. Instead, she was back in the clearing, dragons still sang and danced while the musicians continued to perform, their music filling the air as the stars twinkled and danced in the sky which had turned dark, the last remaining warmth from the day lingering in the air and on the ground, yet quickly cooling as the night's colder air started to settle in.

Up high alongside the stars was only a singular moon, so thin that it looked like a RainWing's claw, hooked and sharpened into a fine point, a mere sliver of light in the sky. Making the torches perched on high wooden stakes needed to keep the area around them bright enough to see, for those who weren't dragons with heightened night vision.

In front of the young NightWing was a sturdy MudWing, her scales a dull dusty brown, her eyes a sharp amber that seemed to glow just like the torches around them circling the clearing. It was Landslide, the dragon who Bullfrog was sitting with at one of the tables. She couldn't see him now, so he must be hidden amongst the crowd of dragons waiting for Landslide's return. Beside her was Moonglobe, the slender odd looking IceWing looked so small compared to Landslide, his frame being so much smaller and not being as tall as her since MudWing's were one of the largest tribes in size and height.

"Is Lydia alright?" Moonglobe asked, looking at her with worry, looking wilted and guilt ridden "Moonglobe's worry for whatever he did to startle Lydia, Moonglobe doesn't know what he did."

"I-It's okay," she managed to choke out, though her voice felt uncomfortable and forigen in her throat, as if it wasn't ready yet to be used so soon. "I just...saw some stuff, that's all."

"Saw stuff? More weird things? New dragons?"

I don't want to tell him about that nightmare, if he triggered it then he'd feel awful, she thought with a slight wince, I don't think I've even told Fatefinder about this dream. When she thought of her friend's name, that's when she realized he was gone. The guard in training being nowhere to be seen.

"Are you sure you're alright, Lydia?" Landslide was looking at her with a searching look, her sharp and narrow eyes staring into Lydia's soul from how they didn't avoid eye contact. It made the young NightWing's spines quiver with unease.

"Yeah, um, yes," she forced out with a smile, "I'm fine."

"You don't exactly look fine." The MudWing grumbled, her voice sounding like rumbling thunder, waiting to crash down on the word below the clouds. The more Lydia looked up at the towering MudWing, the more she saw things flickering around her, like steamy mist flickering in and out of sight, flashes of angry burning yellow eyes, flickering like flames. But each time Lydia tried to focus them, they were gone. The young NightWing princess didn't know what they were, yet she felt like she should, which made her even more uneasy.

"I'm fine," she tried to reason, making herself stand a little straighter forcing her spines to lay down flat. "I promise." I don't want Quickstrike to know I had a panic, if I can even call it that.

Landslide didn't look even remotely convinced, giving Lydia a challenging look. With a snort, she shook her head and gave Lydia a nudge, "Come on."

"What?"

"You're not fine," she grumbled out, giving her a little bit of a harder shove with the flat top of her head, getting Lydia to move. "Somethings wrong, and the last thing I want is your father after my scales."

"N-no we don't need to tell him." I don't want him to know. He might take me back to that school and have more dragons looking over me to figure out what's wrong with me. "I'm fine I promise!" she flapped her wings, trying to stop Landslide from pushing her, but Lydia felt like a hatchling compared to her. Unable to do anything.

"Where is Lydia and Landslide going?" Moonglobe pipped up, speeding up his pace to stand beside Lydia, which made Landslide stop and give him a look. When they stopped, that's when the young princess saw where Landslide was trying to take her.

The forest.

Trees towered up, casting large shadows across the grass in front of them. With only one moon just being a mere sliver of light in the sky, hardly any light broke through the lush canopy that hung up above them. There was a small breeze fluttering in the air, making the tree's leaves rustle and move, brushing up against one another.

Why was she trying to take me into the woods?

Landslide blinked at them, thinking over something in her head for a few moments before she spoke, choosing her words carefully and slowly as she looked between the two dragonets at her talons. "Somewhere to help Lydia."

"Can Moonglobe come too? He feels bad for making Lydia upset, Moonglobe wants to help."

The dull coloured MudWing seemed to scowl, but just as Lydia saw it, it was gone, replaced by a calmer, more subdued look. "Sure, Moonglobe. Now come on, the both of you."

Something's not right, Lydia stayed where she was as Landslide and Moonglobe began to go into the dark forest, it's towering shadows nearly swallowing them whole even though they had only taken a few steps before they noticed she wasn't behind them anymore. Landslide looked back towards her, her sharp amber eyes glowing in the dark, reflecting the torch light behind them where dragons were still having fun and celebrating.

"Lydia." Landslide grumbled, her voice sounded firm, demanding. "Come on."

"Why are you taking us into the woods?" Lydia stated, with how tight her voice was, she didn't sound questioning, she sounded demanding. She could hear her heart beating wildly within her ears, making them ring as it fluttered heavily inside of her chest.

"To get you something that'll help," Landslide replied with a huff through her flares nostrils on top of her broad snout, "and no, I won't be getting your father."

"You won't?"

"No," the large dull MudWing shook her head, her eyes never once leaving Lydia's scarlet red ones. "Now come on. The sooner we're done, the sooner you both can go back to having fun and I can get back to Bullfrog before he starts to wonder where we are."

Bullfrog doesn't know she's here with us? Something didn't feel right, and Lydia didn't like it, but she also couldn't put her claw on it.

"You trust me, don't you?" Landslide asked, her sharp amber eyes locking with Lydia's round ruby ones. "Your father does."

She had a point, but Lydia still didn't like it. Either way, she started to move, following after the dull coloured MudWing and odd looking black and white IceWing dragonet. "Okay, I'm...I'm coming."

Landslide gave her an approving look before continuing on. Lydia gave one last glance over her shoulder, looking back at the crowd of dancing and singing dragons, before turning back and letting the shadows swallow her whole, the word around her darkening as looking trees welcomed her into their cover and protection while the wind whistled and howled softly, ominously. Two dragons watched her go from amongst the crowd, one with a look of suspicion in his warm golden eyes and the other with a sharp glare from their obsidian black eyes that gleamed dangerously.

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

The night air grew cooler, crisper as they wandered deeper and deeper into the forest, it's shadows jumping around with the wind that gently rustled the leaves high above them. Everything was dark, each shadow hiding lush foliage out of sight, until she stumbled into them. The only thing Lydia could easily see in front of her was Moonglobe, the white scales coating his head shimmering and glowing with a sparkle whenever they would pass through an opening in the canopy, the smallest bit of moonlight filtering in to make his scales shine.

Lydia's mind was still racing while they walked in silence aside from the rustling of the leaves high up above them and the grasses and ferns below them that brushed up against their scales as they walked. I still don't like this, she stepped over a large fern, it's lush leaves brushing against her underbelly, we've been walking for a while. She could no longer hear any music, only the sounds of the forest around them settling down for the night while the nocturnal animals started to wake up.

She couldn't easily see Landslide leading them, she looked more like a moving rock in the dark than a dragon, the only thing that reminded Lydia that Landslide was that moving shape was when she would turn to look at them over her shoulder, making sure they were still following her through the dark.

Unease prickled along Lydia's back, making her shudder as they continued onwards.

Moonglobe had slowed down, matching Lydia's strides with his long legs, which looked a little funny as he tried to walk at the same pace as her. "Are you okay?" he asked in a light whisper, worry glittering inside of his blue eyes.

"I don't know." she admitted, "something doesn't feel right."

He gave her a nod with his head, encouraging her to keep going.

"I don't know what else to say," she shook out her wings, her nerves feeling like they're spiking with every little touch from a blade of grass to the cold night air. "I just...." she blinked, "I just..." she felt someone watching them, she turned her head to look over her shoulder.

Lydia saw Fatefinder standing there behind them by a few wing lengths, pure horror and panic in his eyes, he looked to be screaming at her, yelling out with a roar that she couldn't hear. He was trying to do anything to get her attention, but she couldn't hear him. The sight alone of her friend looking at her in such a way made her heart rate spike, exploding to life with panic and adrenaline.

Somethings wrong, somethings wrong, somethings wrong, somethings wrong! And Fatefinder knew it too. He was trying to warn her of something, warn them of something.

"Moonglobe!" she whipped around, the IceWing looking startled from her outburst. When she looked at him, she noticed something was missing, or more so someone.

Landslide was gone.

"We need to go! Fatefinder's trying to warn us, we need to go, NOW!" She shoved her new friend as hard as she could to get him moving. He stumbled, but soon caught on as he gave her a look of fear of his own.

"Fatefinder's here? What is he warning Lydia and Moonglobe about?"

"I don't know, I can't hear him! Just go, PLEASE!"

Am I going to lose Moonglobe like I lost Fatefinder? Her heart pounded heavily as she and Moonglobe started to run, plants whipping against her limbs from being moved so suddenly as the two dragonets ran. I lost Fatefinder, I don't want to lose Moonglobe too! A burning feeling rose up along her spine. They were being watched, and whoever was watching them was after them. Chasing them. She could hear the crashing of their talons against the soil, making the earth rumble beneath them.

CRACK! WHOOSH!

Suddenly, a force slammed into her roughly, so much so she thought her ribs might cave in and snap under the sudden force. She was thrown off to the side before something slammed on top of her, the sound of crashing leaves filling the air around her.

CRASH!

The weight on top of her made her feel like she was being crushed, her whole body flaring up in pain all over her as there were things pushing into her skin, helping to pin her down with such force she thought they would pierce her scales. Lydia let out a cry of pain as one of these objects did manage to puncture her scales, slicing into her skin on her hip. Every little flinch or twitch her body made, created shocks of pain throughout her body, most originating from her wound or from her ribs and skull.

Lydia could see what had fallen down on top of her. It was a tree, coated in thick branches that were pressed into her scales. Thankfully it was small enough to where it's branches wouldn't crush her, but heavy enough to where she couldn't move.

After a few painful moments, she could hear crashing footsteps growing closer until she could see who the owner of said talons were. Landslide.

The dull coloured MudWing towered over her from where she stood, looking down at Lydia with a look of disgust and anger, yet there was a gleam of pride and excitement glittering in her sharp amber eyes that bore into her with a burning sensation.

"Well," she snorted as she picked up one of her talons, looking it over before shaking what looked to be fragments of dirt off of them, "that was easy. For being the daughter of a bounty hunter, I would've thought you'd be a little smarter."

Lydia couldn't speak, she just stared up in horror as the flickering mist returned, looming over the MudWing's shoulders, seething in anger, dripping in rage. She now knew why Landslide looked familiar to her. She was the MudWing who had the ghosts of five more MudWing's following her. Ghosts who were faceless and angry.

"Though, I will hand it to you that when you asked me why we were going into the woods, you had me worried you'd go running back to daddy dearest of yours." Landslide sneered with a growl.

Then, she remembered her friend Moonglobe. Where is he? Did he get out of here? Has he gone to get help? "Where's Moonglobe?" she managed to force out with a gasp, her talons curling into the ground, pulling out talonfulls of damp grass that clung to her claws.

Landslide blinked as she put her talons back down onto the ground, "Oh, he's here. Sad he's got to go too."

"What do you mean?" she tried to ask, watching Landslide as she started to move around Lydia. The young NightWing watched as Landslide walked around to another thick branch of the fallen tree, where another dragon was trapped.

Moonglobe.

"What do you mean!?" She struggled, letting out a cry as her impaled leg moved. She couldn't do anything, she was helpless. Lydia's lungs felt restricted under her panic as well as the weight from the large branches pinning her to the forest floor, her scales feeling cold as well as burning hot under pain at the same time. "Stay away from him!" something wet started to trickle down her cheeks as she tried to struggle once more.

Landslide didn't even respond to her as she stood over Moonglobe's unconscious form. There was a gash along the side of his pale white face where sparkling blue blood slowly trickled out. He lay there motionless as the large MudWing reached out with one of her talons, grasping one of his horns.

"No! Please stop!" she begged, Landslide looking up to meet her gaze as her thick talons tightly held one of Moonglobe's horns, his head shifting below her. "Please don't go through with whatever you're doing."

Landslide's eyes narrowed into a glare, her narrow eyes piercing Lydia's soul as she didn't break eye contact.

"Moonglobe!" Lydia cried out, "Moonglobe please! Please get up!" She tried to pull herself out again, gritting her teeth as pain flared up from her ribs and her leg. The MudWing's grip tightened around Moonglobe's horns, "MOONGLOBE PLEASE GET UP!"

"ARAUGH!" Landslide suddenly violently jerked her arms, twisting Moonglobe's neck as a clear SNAP filled the air.

"NOOOO!!" Lydia screamed, her own voice ripping her throat apart as she screamed, tears flowing like rivers down her cheeks as Moonglobe now lay lifeless. "NOOOOOO!" she sobbed wetly, choking on her own cries as Landslide let the IceWing's limp form drop to the ground.

"Don't blame this on anyone, Lydia." Landslide hushed her as she made her way back over, pulling the young princess' face away from her friend's body just less than a wing length away, "blame this on your father." she spat.

Lydia could hardly make out Landslide's face from her tears as the MudWing's claws pricked the scales under her cheek as she firmly held her jaw. "Your father killed my sibs, says it was an accident, saying he was only after Milkweed for some little crime. I'm here to get revenge, and when he brought you here, he sealed your fate."

This is all a dream, a horrible nightmare, she thought as she sobbed.

"He cares only about one thing in this world," Landslide hissed with a snarl, "and that's you, his long lost daughter." Lydia felt angry, her heart pumping heavily inside of her chest as she huffed, smoke swirling from her flared nostrils while she cried. "This is all on him, and when he finds his beloved daughter missing, he'll search each continent, each island to find her. But she'll be somewhere he'll never find her."

Landslide leaned closer, her broad snout only a mere claw away, "you'll be dead."

Lydia screamed out in fury, his jaws shooting open as heat bubbled inside of her chest. Landslide had any time to react before burning hot flames shot out and into her face, burning her scales and her eyes. The MudWing realed back with a scream, her wings flaring out as her tail smashed into the main body of the branch pinning Lydia to the ground, freeing her even with a small portion of the branch inside her leg.

Without even thinking, Lydia leaped forwards, ignoring the pain in her sides and her leg, her claws reached out and found purchase on Landsilide's face, one of her talons sinking into her eye, earning her another scream of pain from the MudWing that thrashed and bucked wildly, trying to throw off her small attacker.

Lydia clung on as much as she could, not letting go as her wings flapped around them in a mad frenzy, trying to help herself balance on the thrashinging MudWing until her large claws sank into her wounded leg, talons sinking into her scales. She let out a cry of pain, trying to pull her leg away.

She could hardly hear, her heart ringing loudly in her ears as she screamed and roared, her throat burning. There was one thing Lydia could hear amongst the roaring and crashing. Her voice, she didn't sound fully like herself, she could hear more than herself alongside the fury. Her voice, it sounded like multiple voices screaming out in anger, in grief.

"YOU. LITTLE. LIZARD!" Landslide bellowed as she managed to toss Lydia off, throwing the young NightWing princess to the ground.

She landed with a crash onto the forest floor, landing on one of her shoulders. Lydia felt her breath being forced from her lungs from the impact, her ribs flaring up in pain as her leg throbbed.

"ONCE I GET MY CLAWS ON YOU," The dull coloured MudWing snarled, bellowing in pain and rage. Lydia rolled herself over with a gasp, tears pricking her eyes as adrenaline pumped through her veins. "I'LL KILL YOU!"

I need to run, her mind screamed as she forced herself up, staggering onto her talons, her body was sore, painfully so. I need to run!

Moonglobe wasn't far off from where she was, she wanted to go and make sure he was okay, see him wake up and get out from under the tree. But she knew he wouldn't, wouldn't be getting up again. She didn't want to see him like that.

"RRAAUUGHH! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Landslide's roar snapped Lydia out of it, her wings flaring open as she heard more voices.

"This way! This way!"

"I can hear someone! Come on!"

More dragons are coming! She could feel her adrenaline starting to wear off, her heart still pounding heavily as her mind raced. More dragons after us, More dragons after us, more dragons after us! Run! Run! Run!

Lydia started to move, running as fast as she could through the lush foliage, plants whipping against her body, her skull pounding as she panted heavily. She felt exhausted, yet pumped full of energy at the same time. Run, Run, Run, Run! Her thoughts screamed as her wings fanned open around her, catching the air that whipped past her while she moved.

After a few moments, listening to the sounds of the forest around her and her own breathing, she leapt off into the air. With a strong flap of her wings, she sored up into the cold night sky, beating them as fast as she could. The tears that pricked the corners of her vision felt cold against her scales as they dripped down her cheeks from her red eyes.

Her heart felt painful within her chest as she flew, flying away from the village, flying away from Moonglobe.

I'm sorry, was all that now raced through her mind.

Back down on the first floor, another NightWing watched her go, his grey-ish brown scales helping him blend in with his surroundings as his golden eyes watched her go with determination and worry, his teardrop scales sparkling in the dim moonlight.

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- MindlessTyper